Teenage Alcohol Use Essay Example For Students

Teenage Alcohol Use Essay Certain things harmoniously co-exist: peanut butter and jelly, gin and tonic, steak and eggs; alcohol and teenagers do not. We are faced with an epidemic of monstrous proportions, which, if left untreated, will jeopardize the future of Americas youth. Only in the past few years have parents and teachers spoken openly about our national problem; they recognize the potential threat and hope to tame it as it continues to manifest. Unfortunately, the harm inflicted by Jack Daniels and his constituents could prove to be lifelong. Low self-esteem, and insecurities coupled with an unsatiable desire to fit in are three key elements in explaining teenage alcohol abuse. We will write a custom essay on Teenage Alcohol Use specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Low self-esteem is a part of adolescence, although teenagers run into difficulty when they dont outgrow this temporary stage. The pressure they receive from their parents to succeed often makes the students wonder if they can live up to the expectations. When the parents desires are not met, the teens think that they are worthless and undeserving. This cycle leads to the students ambition to forget about problems, worries, and parents. Alcohol fills this craving by rendering teens anesthetized, and when they emerge from the induced stupor, they want to repeat it all over again. People of all ages wrestle with personal insecurity, but this impediment especially targets high school and college students. Many students are not sure what profession they plan to pursue although society pushes them to choose very early in life. On the other hand, teens are taught to be young and free without caring about the personal ramifications. These conflicting ideologies leave many students bewildered and insecure. The easily available companion that bolsters their strength and aids their forbearance is alcohol. The loneliness, tumult, chaos, and despair are shoved into the background when they experience intoxication. The human need to feel a sense of belonging drives everyone to participate in social activities. Once this need is fulfilled, we settle into our friendly communities without bothering to look back. Unfortunately, not everyone finds their niche. Many students become lost in the intricate web of teenage cliques. They attempt to impress their peers by outrageous and uncharacteristic actions. These futile attempts often further the students from any meaningful relationships, thus, leading them back to the seemingly true comrade: alcohol. Adolescent and college age alcohol abusers often do not realize the full extent of their addiction. They usually try to hide their problem with superficial happiness, decent grades, or an ostensible love life. While many abusers can sustain this phony lifestyle for a period of time, an unforeseen mishap will send their lives into a never-ending downward spiral. Only time will tell the future of Americas youth; I just hope theres enough time to tell.

SCARED SHITLESS Professor Ramos Blog

SCARED SHITLESS Imagine being in a foreign country, it’s raining, you are cold, you do not have the slightest idea of where you are at, and people are screaming at you in a language you do not understand. This is how my first day in Germany went. It was September of 2018, I was eighteen years old when my grandma had taken me to Munich, Germany for my high school graduation gift. My grandma and I had just dropped our stuff off at our hotel and wanted to walk around for a bit. We had taken the subway from near our hotel to the center of town. We got off of the train and made our way to the surface. When we got to the surface, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I could hear my grandma say, â€Å"Oh my God.†, under her breathe as she looked up in amazement. There was a huge beautiful church with gold statues all over it. There were also statues of kings that used to rule and knights on horses. There were flowers all over the church as well that were blooming with vib rant shades of pink and blue. After checking the church out, we walked around Marienplatz, which is the center hub of Munich, just getting the feel for where we would be staying at for the next two weeks. It was about thirty five degrees out and there was a downpour of rain. My grandma and I had no idea where we were headed, but we were just going with the flow. We had seen a great deal of wonderful places until we made a wrong turn. We turned right in the center of a huge Syrian protest that was going on. We tried to quickly make our way out of a possible disastrous situation by moving along the outside of the crowd. People were waving around Syrian flags while there were other people with megaphones chanting phrases in Arabic while the crowd chanted along. We could see police on the other end of the square with riot gear on carrying sub machine guns trying to control the crowd, but it was not working. The crowd was getting even angrier. As we were swiftly walking through the crowd, there were men screaming at my grandma and I had no idea why. It’s pouring rain, we were cold, we were scared, we had no idea where we are at and there are people screaming at us in Arabic and German. What a great way to celebrate. As my grandma and I were now making our way out of the crowd when we finally spotted a familiar sight. It was the subway tunnel we had come out of when we first arrived. We now had an idea of where we were at and headed to the subway. I had noticed my shoe was untied, so we stopped so I could tie it. That is when we saw 3 police officers walking our way. I did not think anything of it since we had done nothing wrong. I quickly tied my shoe and we headed to the subway. Before we walked down the stairs leading to the train, we turned around and looked to see if they were still following right behind us and sure enough, there they were. As we made our way down the stairs, my grandma whispered to me, â€Å"What should we do?† We came up with two options: turn around and talk to them or just keep going and see if they even stop us. Of course in the heat of the moment, we chose to keep going and avoid a situation that might not even happen. As we were headed to the train, just as we thought we were in the clear, we could see even more men with Syrian flags getting off of the train. Some of them were screaming and chanting and harrassing people that passed by them or even simply looked at them. We looked back yet again and the police were still behind us. In that very moment, I was glad they were. I knew they would protect us if something were to happen to us or anyone near us. One of the protestors ended up getting in a scuffle with a German man, so the police officers that were following us, now had to intervene in the situation. We still have no idea why they were following us for so long. Our train had finally arrived. As we got on the train, yet another pair of police officers got on at the same time. Again, we thought nothing of it since we have still yet to do anything wrong or to even get their attention. My grandma and I found a couple of spots to sit at in the back corner of the train. We just sat there, silent, cold and our clothes soaking wet. We both looked up at each other at the same time and she cried as I laughed. We both had very different reactions to stress and fear. Just as our emotions and adrenaline were settled, the same police officers that got on the train with us were now staring at us walking our way. All I could think was, â€Å"Oh great.† They came up to my grandma and I and were trying to talk to us. Of course we could not understand them since we do not speak German. â€Å"Do you speak English?†, we kept repeating. It was apparent they did not because they just kept raising their voices at us to the point where they were scre aming in our faces. For the second time within two hours, we were getting yelled at in a foreign language. Finally a nice young lady stepped in that spoke both English and German. She turned to us and calmly said, â€Å"They want to see your train tickets.† So we pulled our tickets out and handed them over. The police officers checked our tickets, handed them back and then walked away. I don’t know how the young lady was so calm in such a hectic situation, but I’m grateful she was. We finally made it to our stop and walked back to our hotel. We headed straight to the bar in the lobby. As my grandma and I had sat down at the bar and grabbed our well overdue drinks, my grandma turned to me and said, â€Å"What a fucking day†, and proceeded to take a sip of her drink. This was the most surprising thing that had happened all day to me because I have never heard my grandma use profane language in my whole life. The very next day, we went on a tour of the city, who could’ve guessed who our guide was. It was the same young lady that helped us on the train. We ended up having a wonderful trip and we did not let the ordeal discourage us from having fun.

Top 5 Recommendations for Report Writing in 2012

Top 5 Recommendations for Report Writing in 2012 Reports are critical business writing documents. They typically convey your company's value to potential clients (proposals) or convey your product (consulting recommendations). Therefore, business decisions are based upon them. If content is missing or wrong, it is disastrous to your reputation. Here are my top five recommendations for report writing, based on discussions in our report writing training this year. Put adequate focus on planning your report, before you attempt to write one word. Are you concept mapping your report? You should be. A tool we often recommend for mapping structure and content is FreeMind. It is simple to use, free, imports fairly well into other tools, and exports as both an image and a pdf document. This ten-minute tutorial will have you up and running with this useful tool quickly. Make sure the report is framed for the audience, not what you best know or want to talk about. This applies to both content and language. Too often, we write from our perspective, instead of what our audience needs, and that is a mistake. Don't information dump. Be sure reports are delineated, and that you segregate and sequence business implications from minor factoids. Once you are certain content and organization are strong, hone the language. Be sure it is is clean, free of jargon and beaten to death gobbledygook, and grammatically correct. Then, hone it again until meaning is crystal clear. Reports are typically a business person's best opportunity to drive sales and convey value in business writing. Sharpen your skills writing this key document, and you will solidify your business value.

UK Buss Market - The Competitive Environment Essay

UK Buss Market - The Competitive Environment - Essay Example Competition plays a very important role in the growth of a market and economy. Increasing competition is the most effective way of enhancing the welfare of the consumers. Competition breeds entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and increases the efficiencies of the firms. It also results in low prices along with better services and products for the consumers. But perfect competition is very difficult to achieve as firms in a market continuously try to beat the competition and increase barriers to entry. Firms at time even come up with strategies and partner with rivals to keep new firms from entering the market. UK Bus Market – Background It has been 25 years since the UK Bus market was deregulated but still only a handful of firms account for the majority of the market. The competition in the market has stagnated and the existing big firms know that they have very little to worry with respect to new firms entering the market or existing firms challenging their market dominance. As a result of this there is no drive among the firms to innovate or improve the services. Pricing is also on the higher end negatively affecting the consumers. Also it has been found that the existing firms have avoided competing with each other with the intention to protect their territories. Firms have used short-term measures to ensure rival markets quit the market (BBC, 2011). There are around 1,245 bus companies in UK but 70% the market is accounted by Stagecoach, Go-Ahead, FirstGroup, Arriva and National Express. Competition Commission has proposed numerous measures to increase the competition in the market (BBC, 2011).... duct-Performance (S-C-P) model is an effective tool developed by economists to understand the relationship between relationship between the market performance, conduct and structure (Faulkner & Campbell, 2006). Even though the casual view is that the structure of a market determines conduct of the firms in the market and in turn the performance of the both the firms and the markets it is not always reliable. It is possible that conduct of firms in a market can affect the market structure, for example collusive prising agreements affects the structure of the market. It is also true that the performance of firms can affect the structure of the market, for example best performing firms in a non-homogenous market exert great market domination. Therefore, in the current context, the structure, conduct and performance will be analysed individually and then summarised collectively in the next section. Structure of UK Bus Market The most important characteristic of market structure is the nu mber of firms in the market. Even though there are around 1,245 firms in the market, the market is dominated by five firms whose collective market share is about 70% (BBC, 2011). The UK bus market is an oligopoly as it is controlled by a 5 major firms (Banister, 2002). The five-firm concentration ratio of the UK bus market is 66.7 Entry costs into the market are high as it demands huge capital investments to set up the service and have it running. Also the sunk costs of the market are high which has made it less contestable. The service offered here is non-homogenous and the firms have the opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competitors through different marketing and branding strategies. Economies of scale is absent in the market. The Bus market is greatly vertically

The Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Business Environment - Essay Example Sole proprietorship which is also called single proprietorship is the simplest form of a business organization (Horgren et al 2000). In this set up, an individual establishes an organization and run it alone. A married couple who opts to open a small store can also be considered as a sole proprietorship. This type of business organization is seen to be the easiest to establish because it lacks the legal formality and other arrangements since there is only one owner. In terms of accounting, sole proprietorship also requires the simplest procedures. No corporate taxes are paid but the taxes on income are considered personal taxes. However, sole proprietorship is exposed to the difficulty of raising capital from other individuals and financial intermediaries. Also, the owner shoulder all the risks associated in the operations. Partnership is the form of business organization where two or more partners share in the profit which is usually determined by the amount of resources and assets that they share in starting the business (Keown et al 2005). In this set up, the business organization is benefited through the number of people which shares knowledge and skills in running the company. Income taxes are also deducted in the personal taxes paid by each of the partners. However, the number of owners can also become a problem especially in terms of decision making and profit sharing. Corporation is a business organization which has numerous owners all of which are separate entities to the business organization (Fraser and Orniston 2004). It should be noted that owners are insulated from the liabilities of the corporation since they are only liable for the amount that they invested. This form of business organization enjoys the benefit of having more individuals to fund the company’s projects and activities through selling of stocks. Also, stockholders are not necessarily managers of the company which delegates the responsibility to

The American West and Its Disappearing Water Essay Example for Free

The American West and Its Disappearing Water Essay The author outlined the geography of the semi-arid region of the West. According to him, although the West have rivers and large basins of water, the erratic nature of the landscape as well as the orientation of water flows cannot sustain large numbers of people. The convex nature of the river system allows only a minute flow of water into potential settlements and farms. People living in California, Arizona, and Idaho faced perennial shortages of water. These perennial shortages are due perhaps to the relative orientation of the settlements along river banks. Usually, the flow of water was downward, rather than upwards. The implication: there is relatively shortage of water to sustain irrigation-based agriculture. One can easily see the geographical distribution of people in the West prior to the 1900s. Most people preferred settling in either north of Arizona or West of California. In less than a century though, people began to transform the landscape of the West. Dams were built to provide irrigation and potable water to households and farms. The landscape of the West became a semitropical region (this is though misleading – only a significant area of the West was turned into ‘almost’ semitropical areas). As a result, settlements flourished. The area allocated to farming increased significantly. In essence, the attempt of the people to end the scarcity of water in the West became an attempt to change the orientation of the environment. The collective action of the people was not without political or economic support. Various legislations were enacted to increase water shortage funding. The state governments, with the support of some private individuals, allocated higher budget for constructing dams and modern irrigation facilities. All these efforts were made to neutralize the relative scarcity of water in the region. Environmental History of the West The first chapters of the book deals with the environmental history of the West From the 16th to the 17th century, the Spaniards attempted to colonize regions above California. Most of the expeditions sent by the Viceroy of Mexico failed because of scarcity of water in the region. The attempts of Spanish soldiers to divert water from rivers were futile. The same case can be said when the Americans arrived. The retreating of the desert forced many inhabitants to increase the supply of water from the rivers to households and farms. The relative demand of water by the settlers provoked what Reisner called ‘little imperialism. ’ The officials of the developing urban center (with the support of the population) manipulated the ‘common folks’ of the countryside to secure an efficient supply of water from the Owens Valley. In a sense, Los Angeles stole the Owens River for its own development. This generally led to the decline of the Owens Valley. The continuous use of the river caused perennial inflows which generally reduced the amount of water entering Los Angeles. The stealing of the Owens River was not without political support. The state government promoted homesteading to ensure maximum usage of the river. It sold public lands for settlement and irrigation-based agriculture. When the supply of water from the river withered, the state government ordered a general reversal of its reclamation policy. When the government saw the disastrous effects of its reversal, it implemented a new reclamation scheme. This time, only rich individuals were able to avail of the project. Newcomers and even those living near the Owens River were not able to avail of the project. In short, only some individuals were able to benefit from the project. Dependence on Dams and Aqueducts Most cities and urban centers depended much on dams and aqueducts. Dams provided electricity to the growing industrial and manufacturing sectors of the West. Although aqueducts were few, those constructed were efficiently used. After the Great Depression, the federal government launched several water-based projects. In the West, about 250 000 dams were constructed, of which several thousands were of obvious economic importance. The Role of the Federal Government The role of the federal government was evident. The federal government distributed large mount of capital to local, municipal, and even state governments for dam buildings and other related constructions. The political machinery of the federal government was intended to shove the disastrous effects of water shortage in developing urban centers, at the cost of the environment. A new class of people, the irrigation and dam engineers, gained enormous technical power. Most of their advices were followed by both the federal and state governments to the letter. The emphasis, of course, of these technical advices was on the economic importance of the building projects. There was little regard for the welfare of the environment. History of the Colorado River Basin Then came the history of the Colorado River Basin. It deals primarily with one fateful man-made structure, the Colorado River Basin. For many environmentalists, the project was powerful ‘sin against nature. ’ For the economic liberals in both government and the chambers of commerce, the project was an approximation of the ideal. The real effect though of the project could be best understood on the individual level. Because of the Colorado River Basin, agriculture in the West was heavily subsidized by the government. This created a general distortion in the prices of agricultural goods. Prices of agricultural goods in the West were substantially lower than the prices of the same commodities produced in the East. The general subsidy program of the government only hastened the urbanization of the West, which eventually resulted to further degradation of the river system. The New Deal: A New Chapter on Environmental Degradation Most of the policies implemented in the West focused on water-based projects. The projects implemented during FDR presidency in the West were politically motivated. The water-based projects were implemented to increase the mineral supply of the United States. This mineral supply was vital to the growing manufacturing industry in urban centers. With the outbreak of the Second World War, these projects doubled the supply of aluminum available to the armaments industry. Dams provided the necessary hydroelectric power to run the armaments industry. The damage to the environment was unprecented. To increase the supply of aluminum, mountains had to be ripped off. To power the armaments industry, additional dams would have to be built or those already existing over capacitated. Here again the theme of environmental exploitation is presented, although in a different condition. The demands of the war dominated the demands for a more responsible management of the environment. The Army Corps of Engineers vs. the Bureau of Reclamation After the war, the Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to build water projects around several rivers. The relative obsession of the Engineer Corps on efficiency shortened the life spans of river and outlet flows. Although the short term value of those projects could not be denied, its long term effects were generally disastrous. The author argued that only after 10 years (since the construction of those projects), their marginal value declined sharply. The Army Corps of Engineers clashed with the Bureau of Reclamation over the implementation of the Reclamation Act of 1902. This act gave the federal government the funding for constructing irrigation projects in semi-arid regions. The Corps of Engineers insisted that it was part of their duty to implement the said act. The Bureau of Reclamation reacted quickly, passing an implementing order to all its sub-agencies in California and Arizona. Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are generally an outline of the major steps undertaken by various presidents and NGOs to prevent further environmental degradation of the Arizona river system. Here, the author outlined the positive effects of restoring the environmental value of the river systems without due reference to its economic implications. According to the author, only political motivation can only save the remnants of the river system. This political motivation though is hard to achieve as the economic importance of the river system continue to dominate the minds of politicians. Environmentalist Tone of the Book The tone of the author’s environmentalist leaning can be found in the first pages of the book. It reads: a lot of emptiness amid a civilization whose success was achieved on the pretension that natural obstacles do not exist Thanks to irrigation, thanks to the Bureau [of Reclamation] states such as California, Arizona, and Idaho became populous and wealthy; millions settled in regions where nature, left alone, would have countenanced thousands at best what has it all amounted to? not all that much. Most of the West is still untrammeled, unirrigated, depopulate in the extreme Opposition against building of water-based projects increased considerably during the Nixon and Carter administration. Carter supported the move because it was part of his government platform. In any case, the building of water-based projects in the West fell by about 85%. Major Arguments in the Book Here are some of the major arguments of the author in the book: 1) The intrinsic value of the environment is more important than its perceived economic value. The economic value of an important resource would tend to decrease as more and more of its utility is consumed; 2) Environmental degradation is correlated with the level of economic usage of a particular environmental resource. Relying from historical sources, the author argued that economic usage of a particular resource is inversely related to sustainability. An optimum level of usage can only be achieved if an optimum level of degradation is achieved; 3) And, political motivation is both a key in environment degradation and environment protection. This proposition is evident in the book. The degradation of the Owens River and the Colorado Water Basin was politically motivated. Equally speaking, the solutions proposed by the Carter administration to relieve environmental protection were effective, and thus, are under the nexus of political motivation. Analysis Analysis Many of the author’s arguments are generally full of unnecessary fallacies. At some point, he argued that the ultimate cause of environmental degradation was faulty political policies. At some other point, he argued that the massive ‘excessiveness’ of the urban centers was the sole cause of increased environmental degradation of the river system. The contradictory nature of these two statements is obvious and unrelenting. It can also be said that most of the author’s arguments lack verifiable evidences. Historical evidences cannot be translated into verifiable evidences because of the static nature of the former. Multiple references to sources are a necessity in verifying historical claims. Conclusion Much of the author’s arguments need more authentic verification. The historical proofs provided by the author were either devoid of associated empirical facts or simply lacking in credibility. For example, the term ‘political motivation’ has multiple meanings in the book, but the author failed to clarify it. Reference Reisner, Marc. 1993. Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water. New York: Penguin Books.

Early Detection of Autism May Reduce Severity Essay -- Exploratory Ess

Early Detection of Autism May Reduce Severity Professor’s comment: The student wrote this paper for English 102: Writing in the Health Sciences. It is a feature article like you find in the New York Times. Notice that she cites her sources the way that journalists do, naming them in the article as though she both read their work and talked with them (but, because she is a student, she also includes a nonjournalistic reference list). This student has risen to the difficult challenge of addressing an educated audience of both critical scientists and non-scientists reading for interest—her article is people-oriented, follows an enticing and engaging structure, and provides new, clear, fascinating detail on a significant topic. Scientists are gaining a new understanding of how the brains of autistic individuals work. Their discoveries have led many to believe that early intervention may reduce the severity of the disorder. The brain continues to develop after birth. Therefore, early damage can often be compensated for if another part of the brain takes over the responsibilities of the damaged area. Because the brain’s ability to reorganize itself declines rapidly during the first few years of life, techniques that allow for early detection of autism are critical. Several such diagnostic methods have recently been proposed. Most of these are based on the analysis of videotapes of infants later diagnosed with autism. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects the functions of the brain. Individuals with autism most often have serious problems with social interaction and with communication and imagination, as well as unusual behavior patterns (rituals, preoccupations, and repetitive behaviors). D... ...999, March 7] Hashimoto, T., M. Tayama, K. Murakawa, and T. Yoshimoto. (1995). Development of the brainstem and cerebellum in autistic patients. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,1, 1-18. Lex, Carolyn. (February 1, 1999). Interview with a mother of an autistic child. Osterling, J., and G. Dawson. (1994). Early recognition of children with autism: A study of first birthday home videotapes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,24, 247-258. Rasmussen, C. (1999). Sensory Integration. In Center for the Study of Autism.[Online]. Available: http://www.autism.org/si.html [1999, March 8] Teitelbaum, P., O. Teitelbaum, J. Nye, J. Fryman, and R. Maurer. (1968, November 18). Movement analysis in infancy may be useful for early diagnosis of autism. PNAS [Online]. Available: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/23/13982 [1999, March 7].

Learning Styles in the Educational Environment

Many people learn in different ways. Learning Styles are various approaches or ways of learning. There are three types of Learning Styles. People receive, process, and retain information by using visual, auditory, or kinesthetic methods. Visual Learners learn by using their eyes, often focus on the eyes, and body language, gestures and facial expression of their instructors. It is also common for visual learners to remain clearly focused on the material. Auditory learners, learn through listening. These individuals prefer to discuss materials and often pay close attention to the pitch, tone, words and speed of which teachers deliver their messages. Kinesthetic learning gives the need for a student to touch and feel in order to retain information. People who are a kinesthetic learner often become easily agitated due to their needs for further instruction and to physically get their hands on items relating to the material in front of them. Your environment can play an important role in all learning styles. Different environmental factors can affect the learning process in positive and negative ways. Some learners learn better when it is bright while others are bothered by excessive light. Other learners learn better when it is extremely quiet while noise and activity are important for some students. The temperature of an environment can play a role also. When someone is too hot or too cold they have a more difficult time concentrating and cannot learn the material necessary. It is important for an educator to provide the right environment. Some students have different learning styles but they may also have different environmental preferences as well. For an example, some students may like to study when the lights are dimmed, but others may find it difficult to see. Some students may enjoy playing music and some may find it distracting and not easily focused. In today’s society many people are utilizing online learning. Online learning allows students to learn in a distant or disadvantage location. A traditional classroom setting allows students to interact and exchange ideas. In the Quarterly Review of Distance Education (Fall 2006), â€Å"A study compared the effects student learning styles with Web-based learning (WBL) and traditional instructor-based learning (ILB) on student knowledge and satisfaction. Student knowledge and satisfaction were measured at the end of the courses as dependent variables. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was used to determine learning styles. The results revealed that students' learning styles were statistically significant for knowledge when comparing Web-based format with instructor-based format. The results indicated students with Assimilator and Converger styles achieved better results with the Web-based format. Furthermore, this study found a significant difference in student satisfaction for learning with the Web-based format (p. 313-316). † There are a lot of disadvantages when it comes to learning styles for online learners. Such as, Students who attend online courses will be exposed less to auditory techniques than in a traditional classroom setting. Some course materials will provide you with as much visual and hands-on activities as necessary. In an online class there is a lot of passive learning done through reading text, listening to audio clips, and seeing graphics, but can only communicate through writing, email, and chatting. In the College Student Journal (Sept 2010), the article stated â€Å"there was a study that investigated the relationship between students' learning styles and their achievement in two different learning environments: online instruction and traditional instruction. The results indicated that a) students in the traditional learning group had higher, but not statistically significant higher, levels of achievement than students in the online learning group, b) a student's learning style had no statistically significant effect on their course grades in any of the two instructional methods, and c) there was no significant interaction between the learning style and instructional method. † Whether it is online or traditional when given a good learning environment most people tend to remember best by practicing the real thing. Next, a combination of doing and speaking about what we learn produces a high retention rate, followed by speaking alone. The interaction and delivery methods used in online classes are different from traditional classes. In Using Learning Styles to personalize online learning, Maria Zajac states â€Å"The results of a survey carried out at Warsaw School of Economics, where every semester up to 2,000 students attend online lectures, have shown that there are no significant differences between the grades that student get in e-learning courses and in traditional on-campus classes ([3] Dabrowski and Zajac, 2006). Although, some students indicated in a survey that e-learning methods are more convenient for them as they do not require, for instance, making notes during the lecture, which they perceived as a factor influencing their concentration, there was no significant difference between the final exam scores of those taking online and on campus lectures (p. 256). † If you are an auditory learner at which you learn best by hearing you may want to consider a traditional classroom setting. There are a lot of myths flowing around about learning styles. There is one belief that learning styles is not necessary to incorporate useful knowledge. Supposedly there is no credible evidence that learning styles exist. In the Myth of Learning Styles, (Reiner 2010), the author writhes â€Å"Students differ in their abilities, interests, and background knowledge, but not in their learning styles. Students may have preferences about how to learn, but no evidence suggests that catering to those preferences will lead to better learning (P. 32). The myth of learning styles is based on three premises: learning styles are intrinsic, learning styles can be assessed; learning styles can be matched to instructional styles. The myth of learning styles refers to the idea that teaching methods should be matched to students' unique characteristics. Although individualization is desirable, learning style assumes that certain learner characteristics are intrinsic when they may in fact be the result of experiential factors. As a result, teachers may inadvertently deny low-performing students opportunities to learn. Majority of students have more than one learning style. Students should think about their learning style to identify how they learn. Learning to relate to others in their own style is important in helping us understand others and why they react the way they do. Taking time to learn your learning style will improve the way you communicate with others. In conclusion, there are a lot of environmental factors that can affect the way you learn. Students need to take in account that there environment in which they are learning in plays an important role of how they process there information.

Information system capability and firm performance: contradictory findings and their possible causes Essay

Athal 1.0 Executive summary In broad spectrum, Athal is a service offering company that was established in 1980. Essentially, it offers inspection, testing, consulting as well quality control services. The company offers services to different companies in different industries through its 15 branches in Australia. The company used to offer these services in the past using manual quality assurance system but due to competition and emergence of new technologies in the industry, the company found it necessary to implement a new automated quality assurance system by integrating it with information systems. This would enable it to offer quality services that meet national and international standards in addition to ensuring that its clients operates within local and international standards (Ahuja &Khamba,2008, p. 720). The implementation of the new quality assurance system was faced with challenges from financial constraints to employees’ resistance. The company’s 110 employees were issued with questionnaires and five management staffs from the five departments were interviewed revealing the following: The employees were resistant on the new implementation was because of fear of losing their jobs and their relevance when the new quality assurance system would be adapted in the company. Hence, the implementation process heavily relied on the employees in the company. The company sensitization and trainings employees on the new quality assurance system saw the implementation process become smooth (Berry & Parasuraman, 2004, p.102) The company also faced challenge on the cost of the new quality assurance system in terms of infrastructures such as software, computers, and training employees and technical staff on running and marinating the process. However, the implementation of the new quality assurance system improved the services offered and increased its competitive advantage in the market. Through analysis, it was realise d that, the company use of new quality assurance system has limited clients’ bargaining power thus retraining and attracting more companies and businesses from unique quality services offered. The new quality assurance system cause increase in initial capital and profits margins for new companies that would like to venture to the industry and as a result few companies would invest in the industry. According to Ford & D’Amelio (2008), high initial cost of capital serves as a barrier for new entrants in the industry making the market less competitive. The new automated quality assurance system was found to be fast and giving effective services that attracted various client companies, which helped Athal Company to retain and attract new employees in the company thus helping it to regain its competitive position in the market (Chen, 2008, p. 53). Moreover, the ability of quality assurance that is integrated to information system to be monitored by different people results in services that are accurate and free from errors thus giving consumers’ confidence. The process is also cost effective in long term due to reduced time and human capital that can be utilized i n other constructive duties that would improve the productivity of the company. The system was recommended for both internal quality control for the company and external quality control for Athal company clients and other services offered. 2.0 Introduction Athal is a company was established in 1980 in Australia. Its main work is provision of services that vary from inspection, testing, consulting and quality control. They offer these services to different organizations (clients) to ensure that they offer quality services and that they are able to operate within local and international standards. The company offers these services in more than 15 branches in Australia. For the company to be efficient, it has linked all the 15 offices through information systems integrated quality assurance system. The company also manages to offer these services by employing 110 workers that are of various professional backgrounds.The workers are delegated duties based on five different departments that include public relations, finance department, technical, marketing and quality control. The finance department ensures that all the financial services are met for the company and that of the clients looking for consultancy services in the organization. 2.1 Research aim and objectives The overall aim of the study was to investigate the new quality assurance system that was implemented by Athal Company could be upgraded unlike the manual quality assurance system through update of information system software. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of transformation from using quality assurance on manual system to automated system; to find out the difficulty of implementing quality assurance (QA) manually; the effects of transformation from using quality assurance on manual system to automated system; the company need to implement the quality assurance system internally as well externally for their daily business work; the effect of automated system compared to the manual system; important of implementing quality system for both the external and internal environment. 2.2 Research questions ïÆ'Ëœ What is the difficulty of implementing quality assurance (QA) manually? ïÆ'Ëœ What is the difficulty of implementing quality assurance (QA) manually? ïÆ'Ëœ What are the effects of transformation from using quality assurance on manual system to automated system? ïÆ'Ëœ Why the company need to implement the quality assurance system internally as well externally for their daily business work? ïÆ'Ëœ What are the effects of automated system compared to the manual system? ïÆ'Ëœ What is important of implementing quality system for both the external and internal environment? 3.0 Literature review With the development and the industrialization of the world, quality assurance system has become inevitable to business industries (Lanz, 2013, p. 6). Many businesses industries adapt technologies to increase efficiency and quality of services they offer. The quality services and efficiency serves as a strategy to compete in the market. Information system is one of the technologies that have been adapted by many companies and bushiness to improve on their performance (Ho-Chang, Chang, & Prybutok, 2014, p. 316). The information systems have been used in various areas of specialization for company such as records department, financial, marketing and quality control. The technologies are linked to the business strategies such that they fit the competitive strategies making the company to fit in a dynamic market and environment (Wang et al, 2012, p. 346). The information systems help to integrate business entities making it more manageable and efficient in delivery of its services ( Drne vich, & Croson, 2013, p. 488-489). Hence, the quality system that would incorporate information system will enhance the integration of the five departments and the external environment making the company more manageable and improve service delivery. Consequently, the business would be able to compete and improve its performance. The implementation of the new quality assurance system in Athal Company involved an organization change. Hence the company needed to prepare the employees for a new change because people tend to resist to changes and particularly to those that tend to affect their freedom (Ford, Ford, & D’Amelio, 2008, p. 370). The managers have the responsibility to initiate new changes and influence employees to develop positive attitude on the technologies for smooth adoption of new quality assurance system (Lilly, & Durr, 2012, p. 199). To avoid resistance managers and executive must provide employees with trainings and other support skills that will help them to adapt to new technologies (KumpikaitÄâ€" ,& ÄÅ'iarnienÄâ€", 2008, p. 93-94.). The case study involved the transformation of Athal Company from the manual quality systems to new automated quality systems that would be implemented using information systems. To implement the new quality assurance system using information system, the company needed to purchase new computers, information systems software to link various departments and branches (Porter, 2008, p.359). For testing, inspecting, and quality control consultant companies, it takes a lot of time o collect data manually for various tests and inspections. This results in decreased performance from reduced numbers of clients that can be served in a given day. In order to increase speed, efficiency, accuracy, and simplify data collection, analysis and collation, information system is important as part of quality assurance. Information system helps to automate the quality assurance system. In automation process, a microprocessor can be adapted for data collection, analysis, and collation for small companies like Athal. The process is cost effective and is able to handle varied number of data sets. However, a real-time microcomputer is more relevant and reliable for the company since it handle a varied number of companies and collects a wide range of tests and inspection data. In addition, statistical quality assurance would ensure that a continuous improvement is carried out on the whole process. Larger companies with large numbers of employees may require a complex information system for quality assurance such as agile system that would be able to handle complex testing and inspection processes and delivering high quality results. However, the system is expensive, require highly trained manpower and thus unsuitable for small companies such as Athal. The microprocessor and real-time microcomputer are suitable for Athal Company due to its small size that is evidenced by few employees and services turnover. The program required skilled labour that was costly and extra training for the employees so that they could be able to adapt to the new quality assurance system freely. In addition, the new quality assurance system needed change of organization behaviour from a manual system to an automated system, which many of the employees were not conversant. Therefore, the company had to change the behaviour of employees from manual to automated systems, which risked objection and resistant. Hence, the management had to use their leadership skills and organization development to implement the new change successfully (Mullins, 2013 p. 8). The new quality assurance system meant that the employees freedom, poor performance and missing of duties would end. Consequently, their level of services would be monitored and thus giving quality services. The implementation process involved installation of inspection, testing, and quality control infrastructures that were linked using information system software and hardware that would be used to disseminate information. Quality assurance can be automated through integration with information systems such as microcomputer and microprocessors with simple software or complex software such as agile systems. Some of the examples of automated quality assurance that was a possible choice for Athal Company include lint, find bugs, check-styles, fx-Cop, and coverity (Sroufe & Curkovic, 2008, p. 357). These systems can be used for multiple projects and can even detect defects that technical team may not be skilled in the language of detection either through testing or inspection. These syst ems are programmed software and coded in reference to various local and international standards. These programs are installed in microprocessor, microcomputers or computers in order to enhance the quality assurance process. The processes become fast, accurate and less laborious (Sroufe, & Curkovic, 2008, p.519). . Programs such as lint are installed in order to help in detecting errors that may occur in the course of analysis test and inspection data that is collected from various client companies. The check style helps in writing the java code that is required during automation process. Due to a wide range of configurations of the tools, it can be configured to various standards thus becoming an important program in quality assurance companies as they deal with varied tests with different standards. This is done through coding different standards using various classes of checks such as JavaDoc, Coding, and whitespace (Wang et al, 2012, p. 330). The change to new quality assurance system for Athal Company meant that it would increase its market share due to improved quality of services that it would offer. Its clients would receive quality inspection and testing that would guarantee the quality control. The new information system would be able to monitor external companies that serve as its client at constant rates thus enhancing efficiency of Athal Company. Moreover, the automated system has low errors as compared to the manual system thus, the right services will be offered. This will guarantee the company efficient services that meet the national and international levels. The new changes to the automated quality assurance system will enable the management in the Athal Company to be able to define their objectives and delegate to specific employees, which could not be possible with the manual system. Defined objectives and delegation of duties in the company will mean that the tasks would be accomplished in time. Moreover, less time is wasted using the automated quality systems thus the employees become more productive in spite of quality services that they offer. The result is the overall productivity of the company and better services to their clients compared to when they were using the manual system. The company decision to implement the new quality assurance system was because of increased competition and the deteriorating performance on its inspection, testing, and quality control services. The few companies in the industry had improved their performance, they had started to command the market, and therefore, the company had to look for means by which it could be able to compete with the other companies. The adoption of the new automated quality assurance system was seen as the only way that the company would be able to compete successfully in the market and thus a decision was finally reached to implement the new system. However, the decision was subject to employees support as they would be the one s that would use the quality assurance system for the benefit of the company. The decision process involved all the employees in the company where opinions were included in the new projects. Due to fear of most of the employees on their relevance when the new quality assurance syst em would be implemented, training of existing and recruiting of new employees was included as part of the implementation of the new system. When all the employees were comfortable with the new quality assurance system and sensitized on the need to shift to the new quality assurance system, the management went ahead to implement the new automated quality system in the company. Since the employees are growth oriented, they were able to adapt to the new system. The finance department must ensure that financial services given to consulting clients are accurate and up-to-date. This will ensure that no overcharging or errors that may affect clients’ access to services from Athal Company. Therefore, internal quality assurance system will be important in the finance department vis-à  -vis other departments to ensure harmony and quality services. The public relation department ensures that interpersonal relationship for all the clients and workers is maintained at high level thereby improving the performance of the employees, retain, and attract more clients. This will result in productivity of the company due good customer relation and high quality services that the company offers. Technical department ensures all the other department and technical services management meet the goal and mission of the company to offer quality services (Chen, 2008, p. 242). The quality control department ensures that all the services that are offered by the company and its internal managements are in line with the international and local standards (Hoyle, 2009, p. 244). Athal company manual quality control system was tedious since employees had to carry out inspection and testing services physically resulting to delayed and poor services. In addition, physical method is prone to error from workers due to fatigue and this may affect the services delivered to the clients negatively. The qualities of services that companies give help them to retain and attract more customers, making it more competitive by commanding a wider share of the market (Berry, & Parasuraman, 2004 p. 134).Therefore, for the company to improve its services and improves its market share, a competitive and efficient quality control systems had to be put in place. Despite the high cost of implementation, the service would ensure that quality services are dispensed through efficient moni toring services and this. The company adopted and automated a quality control system developed through information system to link all the five departments and the employees. Consequently, the company linked all the 15 branches such that all the services offered meet the customers need. The interlinked company departments and branches would ensure that inspection and testing process were efficient. The information systems ensure that quality assurance system updated on regular intervals thus allowing continuous improvement of the process. The technical department monitored and maintained all the systems. The marketing department created awareness of the services offered by Athal Company and disseminated information about the quality and the quality assurance system that they employ to give the clients confidence and increase clients influx in the company. Consequently, public relation department would ensure that a good relationship among all the stakeholders of the company by disseminating relevant informatio n and keeping the customers updated throughout. The questions categorized for questionnaires and interviews. The employees’ questions related to the effectiveness of the new process, their attitude on the change, and the transformation to the new system. Moreover, it also focused on employees’ involvement in the new process, and how monitoring changed comparing the manual quality assurance system. Concerning this question, some employees said that the new quality assurance system was more effective while few of them did not distinguish between the performance of the manual quality assurance system and the new quality assurance system that is integrated with the information system, saying that they viewed both systems as the same. On the issue of cost and monitoring, most of them said that the new quality assurance system on quality assurance was more costly and offered close monitoring of employees and projects on the course thus maintain a high performance rate in the company. On the issue of the attitude of the emp loyees, some employees had a negative attitude on the new quality assurance system as they said that the new quality assurance system would limit their freedom and might result to losing their jobs. Those with positive attitude argued that the new automated system would make work easier and improve the performance of the company. Few were confused on the though seemed interested with the implementation of the new quality assurance system. The implementation process was expensive from the response of the majority of the participants while few did not care about the cost and they said that it was cheap for the company since it had enough resources to implement the new system. According to the participant in this case study that were working for Athal company for the time of the research, the transformation process was faced with resistant as some employees feared losing jobs due to inadequate skills. According to GE Inspection Technologies, new quality assurance system would result to working overtime because some machines would require monitoring and thus resisted the change and made the transformation process difficult for the management. A number of the employees said that transformation was smooth as they cited that the management was able to deal with employees and assured them that nothing would change on the management of employees and their jobs were safe (Ho-Chang et al., 2014, p. 35). They also indicated that the management assured them that the transformation to automate quality assurance system would include training of employees in order to adapt to the new quality assurance system. The employees argue that method would be applicable to both internal and external monitoring, as the company required the monitoring of the quality of other companies that it offered services. To them, this was the best means by which the company would improve its services to its clients (KumpikaitÄâ€" & ÄÅ'iarnienÄâ€", 2008, p.93). On the part of the management interview, it emphasized on the performance of the new quality assurance system, employees and clients response, and the cost of the implementation. The interview involved five management employees under the five departments. The management unanimously answered that the performance of the new quality assurance system showed improvement. They cited that the system could process large information fast, accurately, and effective as compared to the old system. The management argued that the employees had a mixed reaction on the implementation while the clients were happy and welcomed the new system, as they believed that it could improve their services ((Ho-Chang et al., 2014, p. 306). The implementation process was costly according to the management but they did it as a way of improving their qualities. The organization experienced problems and poor performance in the marketing department thus caused reduced customers in the company. Similarly, poor performance of public relations department resulted to conflicts and poor employees’ performance that affected the efficiency and productivity of the company in delivering its services. In every company or business, good employees’ relationship is important since it minimizes conflicts and improves their working conditions and as a result, employees become very productive, which is the aim of every business. Consequently, employees are able to offer quality services to their clients thus retaining more clients for Athal Company despite high prices that may be attributed by increased cost of automated quality assurance system. Similarly, the slow monitoring and poor services in the finance department caused company poor performances and financial mismanagements. All the problems happened to Athal Company despite it having a manual quality assurance system that was mandated monitoring and ensuring that the company was able to operate within the local and international business environment (KumpikaitÄâ€" & ÄÅ'iarnienÄâ€", 2008, p.93). The manual system required employees to record and enter data manually in addition to physical monitoring and auditing thus spending a lot time and resulting in slowed processes thus caused Athal Company to perform poorly. The problems reflected that the manual system was ineffective. Therefore, the company needed to change its method of quality assurance so that it could ensure that customers received quality services. Finance department also needed good management as it ensured that the company operated with the international and national standards. The approach would not only improve the company’s quality systems but also improve its productivity and its competitiveness due to high quality services and standards that it would uphold. The target market for Athal Company is organizations and businesses that are in need of consultancy, inspection and testing services. The companies or businesses may be diverse and offering various services in the market but for them to provide quality services to their customers, they strengthen their managements through Athal consultation services (Wigand, 2003, p. 33). Therefore, Athal Company needs to provide high quality services and set international standards to its clients. Hence, it was important for it to adapt new quality assurance system in quality assurance services that would allow it give quality inspection, testing, and quality control services. Thus, adapting an automated information system would ensure that it would be able to carry out internal and external quality control. Athal Company offered effective services in the industry, which has maintained its productivity in the market in spite of its manual system. The company has also high skilled employees although the achievement of the company’s goals has been achieved through extra management and monitoring. In addition, the company operates in an industry where competition is not very much stiff. However, the emergence of the new quality assurance system that few companies are adapting, competition is becoming a business issue that management has to deal with. Moreover, the companies marketing strategies and new quality assurance system adaptation has been poor until the recent past when the company adapted the new quality assurance system on quality assurance. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the implementation process of the new quality assurance system and how best is suited in the company’s strategies to improve its productivity and growth in the industry. 3.1 Advantage of Athal Company on implementation of the new quality assurance system The implementation of the new quality assurance system by Athal Company will accrue various advantages over the old manual system. The advantages will be in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, cost, involvement, and result oriented. The automated system will be advantageous in that inspection and tests will be run fast and effectively thus saving time that can be used to do other constructive duties in the company. Automated system will mean that the same type of the information will be fed to the system for various clients at a very short time and giving results instantly (Mak, &Peng, 2008, p. 366). One can only repeat similar information for the automated system. However, on the manual system one would be forced to record similar information for various entry and different clients thus taking a lot of time for a given task and giving out delayed results. This can be distractive to clients making them to shift their services to other companies that can offer fast and effective servi ces. Hence, the automated quality assurance system will not only give effective services at a very short time, but also retain the customer making the company more competitive in the market as opposed to the manual system (GE inspections, n.d p. 1). Although the automated system installation and training of employees on the new quality assurance system is costly in the short term, in long term, the system will be cheap as there will be saving of time and decreased human involvement thus saving the cost of labour for the company. The time saved could be used to do other constructive and productive services for the company, which would in turn give returns that subsidise the cost incurred by the company. Since the new quality assurance system utilises decreased human labour, the company can opt reducing its labour, which may as well reduce its cost of operation and thus increase its profits margin (GE inspections, n.d, p.18). However, the manual quality assurance system required a lot of time to fill out the forms and extra human labour to attend different labour thus the process becoming expensive in the long term and but cheap in the short term since there are is no cost of installation. Hence, the automated system is less expen sive in the long term and thus more advantageous to the company compared to the manual system. Another advantage is that the choice of quality assurance system depends on the financial and services offered by a company. Information system would allow integration of inspection and testing services making the process less involving and saving time for employees. The automated system is results oriented and the results can be assessed by different employees since they will be available from the system thus minimizing errors being transferred to clients. Moreover, different employees can monitor the results in their various destinations so that a perfect final product is achieved. Hence, the system forms the best collaborative monitoring system (Wang, 2012, p.325). This is in contrast to the manual where results are only processed by an individual subjecting them to errors that may be transferred to clients and may affect the customer relation with the company and affect its performance and provision of services. Therefore, Athal implementation of the new quality system through information system presents it with advantage on accurate and quality services for the customer thus maintain customer relations and maintaining its market performance at improved level. However, the new automated system will be a challenge to the company as the informa tion system tool is expensive on purchase and replacement in cases of breakdown. Moreover, the process of maintenance and training of employees can be very expensive for the company thus accruing unplanned cost, which may make its services more expensive thus making it less competitive in the market. Customers are attracted by low prices in the market. Although the automated system performs various tests for the information fed for the machine, the system has limitations and some of the tests such as images, and colour are only tested using manual system. Hence, the system cannot operate fully independently. Thus the cost of operation is increased by additional services for manual system. 3.2 Conceptual framework 4.0 Methodology 4.1 Research (Case study) philosophy The case study used questionnaires to obtain information from the employees about the manual quality system and the newly implemented quality systems in the company (Appendix 4). All the 110 employees were administered questionnaires to feel that contained both the questions about the old and the new information systems. In addition, interviews were conducted with five members from the top management team to understand the monitoring of the two systems (Wigand, 2003, p. 45) The questionnaires were preferred for the employees because they were a large group in the company and other methods would take a lot of time. Moreover, it was possible to administer all the questionnaires at the same time thus saving time and getting the required information. However, the tool is not appropriate for getting details if a good guidance is not accorded to participants. Respondents may answer questions shallowly and avoid some questions that may be sensitive to company operating policies. Interviews were preferred for the management team because they were few and it could be managed with a short time. Interview also helps in getting details about the implementation process. However, it is time consuming. The interview involved the seven questions attached in the appendix for the management. Athal Company was chosen in this case study since it was one of the companies that had implemented a new automated quality system using information system in the recent past. This meant that employees could be able to provide the required information as opposed to those that implemented it long time ago. In addition, there was high likely hood that most of the employees working in the company were present during the implementation process thus accurate information. Moreover, the implementation of the new quality assurance system was faced with many challenges from employees’ resistance to financial support. In addition, the company size was manageable for this study since it had few employees, few departments and only five departments. Hence, finding information from the company would be easier compared to large complicated company, as well this company at the time of the research study of this thesis it was the only company that allowed the researcher to do this case study on their company. The region of study was chosen to be Australia because the location has been advanced in automated quality assurance system and so there was high likelihood of finding a company that had implemented a quality system using information system as the study had targeted. The studies show that the Australia has a number of companies operating in quality assurance industry, which made the study more appropriate within the country (Sroufe, & Curkovic, 2008, p. 517). 4.2.1 Data Analysis Presentation and Interpretation of Findings The data was coded and analysed using the software package for social sciences {SPSS} and MS Excel package as well. The data was then scored by calculating the percentages and means. The information collected from the respondents was interpreted. Information was compiled once the questionnaires were completed and collected. The information was analysed and presented using statistical methods that is, pie charts and bar graphs.The data on the case study was obtained through questionnaires and interviews and 110 questionnaires were distributed to the different employees. The findings were as follows. From the 100 questionnaires that were complete, 90% discredited the manual system saying it was faulty as it offered minimum monitoring. As a matter of fact, 70% of the employees had a positive attitude about the manual system, as it was not effective when monitoring employees. 30% had negative attitude on the system as they felt the system caused personal conflicts between them and the people in charge of quality control. 100% of the participants agreed that the automated system was more effective compared to the manual system since all the employees had to log in to automated biometric system. In addition, 43% of the employees were resistant to the process and felt that the manual system would continue while 57% of the employees felt that transformation to the automated quality system was necessary. 95% of the employees felt that it was important to implement the quality system for both the external and internal environment of the business to ensure that the overall performance of the company was monitored. Inherently, 5% of the participants were not sure if the quality system was supposed to be installed both inter nally and externally. 4.2.2 The Distribution of position in company of Respondents According to table 4.4 and figure 4.4 Majority of the respondents were managers as shown by 25% of the respondents, 20% of them were line managers, 5% of them worked in the human resource department, 20% of the respondents indicated that they worked in the engineering department, another 10% of them came from the marketing department, 10% of them were finance managers while 10% of the respondents were managers from customer care department. Table 4.4 Position in company of Respondents Frequency Percentage IT Manager 5 25.0 Line manager 4 20.0 Human resource manager 1 5.0 Engineer 4 20.0 Marketing 2 10.0 Customer care dept. 2 10.0 Finance manager 2 10.0 Total 20 100.0 Figure 4.4 Positions in company of Respondents 4.2.3 To determine the application of quality assurance systems using Information Systems within the Athal In order for the study to achieve its main objective the first specific objective of the study was to determine the implementation application of quality assurance systems using Information Systems. In this regard the respondents were required to indicate the extent to which implement the application of quality assurance systems using Information Systems within the Athal). The respondents were also supposed to strongly negative, negative, positive or strongly positive on variables of quality assurance systems using Information Systems and their effect on manual system. 4.2.4 Extent effect of manual system From the study, 70% of the employees had a positive attitude about the manual system, as it was not effective when monitoring employees while 30% had negative attitude on the system as they felt the system caused personal conflicts between them and the people in charge of quality control largely as indicated by table 4.6 and figure 4.6 below. The findings indicate that manual system has a very great influence on monitoring employees. Table 4.6 positive attitude about the manual system Distribution Frequency Percentage Agree 90 70.0 Disagree 20 30.0 Total 110 100.0 Figure 4.6 positive attitude about the manual system 4.2.5 Effect of effect of manual system on employees monitoring According to table 4.7 and figure 4.7 below 90% discredited the manual system saying it was faulty as it offered minimum monitoring while 20% strongly agreed. From the study therefore it is clear that manual system offered minimum monitoring. Table 4.7 Effect of effect of manual system on employees monitoring Distribution Frequency Percentage Disagree 100 90.0 Agree 10 10.0 Total 110 100.0 Figure 4.7 effect of manual system on employees monitoring The effect of automated system compared to the manual system The findings on the effect of automated system compared to the manual system in table 4.8 and figure 4.8 below reveal that 70% of the employees had a positive attitude about the manual system, as it was not effective when monitoring employees while 30% had negative attitude on the system as they felt the system caused personal conflicts between them and the people in charge of quality control. Table 4.8 effect of automated system compared to the manual system Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Disagree 20 30.0 30.0 30.0 Agree 90 70.0 70.0 80.0 Total 110 110.0 100.0 Figure 4.8 effect of automated system compared to the manual system Effect of automated system compared to the manual system According to table 4.9 and figure 4.9 below 100% of the participants agreed that the automated system was more effective compared to the manual system since all the employees had to log in to automated biometric system.. From the study therefore it is clear that effective compared to the manual system. Table 4.9 effect of automated system compared to the manual system Frequency Percentage Agree 110 100.0 Total 110 100.0 Figure 4.9 effect of automated system compared to the manual system 4.2.6 The difficulty of implementing quality assurance (QA) manually According to table 4.10 and figure 4.10 below 43% of the employees were resistant to the process and felt that the manual system would continue while 57% of the employees felt that transformation to the automated quality system was necessary. From the study therefore it is clear that employees felt that transformation to the automated quality system was necessary. Table 4.10 difficulty of implementing quality assurance (QA) manually Total no Percentage Disagree 40 36.0 Agree 70 64.0 Total 110 100.0 Figure 4.10 difficulty of implementing quality assurance (QA) manually 4.2.7 Important of implementing quality system for both the external and internal environment The findings according to table 4.11 and figure 4.11 below indicate that 95% of the employees felt that it was important to implement the quality system for both the external and internal environment of the business to ensure that the overall performance of the company was monitored. 5% of the participants were not sure if the quality system was supposed to be installed both internally and externally. From the study therefore it is clear that quality system was supposed to be installed both internally and externally. Table 4.11 important of implementing quality system for both the external and internal environment Frequency Percentage Disagree 10 5.0 Agree 100 95.0 Total 110 100.0 Figure 4.11 Important of implementing quality system for both the external and internal environment 5.0 Research (Case study) findings and conclusion From the data obtained and the results from the questionnaire, the company wanted to implement new quality assurance system as a sign of its improvement from the manual to the automated system. The automated system would allow the company to improve its services and the ability to upgrade and update the systems software will give the company ability to adapt to continued improvement of its services. Therefore, the new quality assurance system will be advantageous to the manual quality system that limited continued improvement throughout the operations. The case study can be analyzed using various porters’ five forces to determine its applicability of the new quality assurance system in Athal Company and the external business environment. The porters’ five forces help to analyze the business in terms of competition, threat of new entry, power of clients seeking inspection, suppliers of quality assurance software and other employees qualified to work on the new quality assurance system, and substitute’s services offered by other companies using manual system. Consulting industry in Australia is very competitive and thus companies in the industry must devise strategies that will make them more competitive and make them the leading companies in the market. Therefore, for Athal Company to remain relevant in the market, it must adopt the best technologies that will enable it to provide the best quality assurance services in the industry. In the industry, company adapt to manual systems due to their low operation cost (Ahuja, & Khamba, 2008, p. 745). Hence, Athal company shift to new quality assurance system gives it competitive advantages over the other companies in the industry. According to the research carried out on the company, 90% of the employees credited the automated system saying that it was effective compared to the manual system. Thus, the system would be able to deliver quality effective services to its target market. Quality services help a company to retain its customers and place it in a more competitive position in the market as customer or buyers tend to be attracted by quality and not the prices (Porter, 2008 p. 33). Therefore, the company’s choice on the automated system would be advantageous in the market despite the cost that is associated with it. The implementation of the new automated quality assurance system led to the improvement of the company’s performance and increase in customers seeking services from the company and thus improved incomes as shown in figure 1 below (Appendix 1). According to the interview carried out on the company’s income performance, the income is expected to rise to $ 900 million with the new automated system. The industry suffers from the presence of companies that are still using manual systems as a means of quality assurance system. The manual system forms the substitute services offered in the industry. These companies charge their inspection services at lower prices that threaten Athal automated services. Hence, Athal Company must offer good services beyond their clients’ expectations so that they will be able to shift from the manual to the automated. The company also needs to put in place marketing strategies that will advertise the new quality assurance system emphasizing on the quality of services that it will offer as opposed to their previous method of quality assurance. Moreover, the company needs to offer quality services that will meet the needs of the clients. Hence, the company needs to improve its management and staff training so that it will be able to cope up with the substitute services from the company. Quality assurance ensures that quality services that meet t he need of the consumers and international standards are offered (Wigand, 2003, p. 115). For this reason, employees are required to be trained in accordance with the quality assurance system in order to deliver the required services. For smooth learning of quality assurance in the Athal Company, the management should be conversant with the complete quality assurance system. Therefore, individuals, organizations, and groups are part of quality assurance system. In every market, companies maintain the large share of the market through limiting the bargaining power of the consumers. Initially, the company was offering manual services that were offered by other companies in the market. This gave consumers more bargaining power as they had a wide choice of obtaining services from various companies. However, the shift of Athal company from manual system to the new system that was adapted by few companies make consumers to have limited choices of seeking services from the automated companies. The presence of few companies with the automated quality control system makes it possible for Athal Company to limit the bargaining power of consumers. When the bargaining power of consumers in the market is limited, they will tend to buy or obtain services from a single business (Chen, 2008, p. 241). Therefore, Athal Company will limit the customers and thus they will tend to seek the new services from the company thus improving its productivity and making it more competitive in the market. Athal Company shifting to the new system meant that it would also shift its suppliers from those that provided the manual facilities to those that would suppliers it with facilities and infrastructures for the new system . Since many companies in the industry have not adapted the new quality assurance system, it means that the suppliers are few in the industry. Few suppliers mean that the suppliers provide their services with strict conditions and high prices due to lack of competition. Moreover, the suppliers have high bargaining power in the market. This led to high installation cost for the automated quality system and the maintenance cost. The high prices offered by suppliers in the market reduce the profits margins for the companies operating in the industry (Chen, 2008, p. 241). Therefore, the new quality assurance system was costly to the company and the consecutive maintenance costs remain high thus reducing the profits margin for the company. Hence, limited suppliers in the industry threaten Athal Company adaptation to the new quality assurance system for quality system. The decreased number of suppliers and the reduced profits margin in the industry discourage new entrants in the industry. The decreased new entrants in the industry result in decreased competition in the market and threats for the existing companies. Therefore, Athal Company is free from threats of new entry due to high cost of adapting new quality assurance system. The reduced competition creates favourable environment for the existing company to operate and improve their services in order to achieve their desired profit margin and growth in the market. According to the management, the initial cost of the new automated quality assurance system 40% more than the previous manual system. Hence, few companies in the industry can adapt it and especially those that are profit oriented making the industry less competitive. However, it requires low maintenance cost that can be compensated by the anticipated increase in clients’ influx due to high quality services and additional benef its of continuous quality assurance that will be offered by the quality assurance system implemented externally. According to Berry & Parasuraman, (2004), customers are attracted by quality services than low prices of the offered services. Thus, market share for Athal Company will tend to increase despite the increase in price of their services. The purpose of this research was to investigate the implementing application of quality assurance systems using Information Systems with a special focus on Athal Limited. Having identified the problem of study reviewed existing literature and shown gaps of knowledge in and explained the methods that the study used to collect data. This section presents analysis and findings of the study as set out in the research methodology. The results are presented on the implementing application of quality assurance systems using Information Systems and Athal Limited in particular. The data was gathered exclusively from questionnaire as the research instrument. The questionnaire was designed in line with the objectives of the study. 6.0 SUMMARY This study was descriptive in nature meaning it employed a descriptive survey design and was carried out at Athal Company. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure equitable distribution of managers and employees in the departments within the organization, from which 110 were selected for the study and all of them filled the questionnaires The data that was obtained from the management was as follows. According to the management, the automated quality system was more effective and efficient in monitoring and delivery of information across the company departments and branches. Moreover, the system was fast as compared to the manual systems. The management agreed that the automated quality system improved the performance of the employees and that of the company thus increasing attracting more customers. According to the company, quality assurance has ensured that all the testing and inspection services meet the requirements of the clients and international standards. In addition, the quality assurance has been ensuring that there is continuous collection of data that can be used in assessing the quality of services. The data collected compared to international standards allow the Athal Company to carry out improvements of the system in order to improve the services they offer. To facilitate this, an action plan that is d eveloped through policies monitoring and evaluation process allow the management and the technical team to carry out continuous improvement of the quality assurance. According to the management of Athal Company, customers had increased from 300 to 550 per month when the new quality assurance system was implemented as shown in figure 3 below (appendix 3). Similarly, it is expected that the income would increase from $ 450 to $ 900 million by the end of the first year the figure 2 below in appendix 3 analysis the change. The management said that the employees had mixed reactions on the new quality systems, with almost half number of the employees arguing against it. However, concerted trainings and sensitizations led to smooth implementation of the new systems. From the questionnaires, it was found that managers appreciated the new systems and saw it a good system for medium companies. The implementation process was expensive and the maintenance cost is high. The installation and maintenance cost is 60% more for the new quality assurance system than the manual system as shown in the figure below. 7.0 Conclusion The objectives of this case study were achieved in that the new quality assurance system that was implemented by Athal Company could be upgraded unlike the manual quality assurance system through update of information system software. The process of full implementation, handling, monitoring, operating the system for the Athal Company involved the employees and organization management. Therefore, the process of quality assurance is effective when coupled to individuals, groups and organisations. According to the management, the type of the information system adapted to be used by quality assurance system depend on the size of the organization, services offered, financial ability and availability of resources. Athal Company being a medium company chose the relevant information system that meets their size of the company, financial ability and ability for continuous improvement. The process of quality assurance automation involves installation of testing, inspection and quality control equipment’s that are interlinked with information system software and hand wares such as computers to record information and deliver results. Athal Company followed the protocol and successfully implemented a new quality assurance system using information system. 8.0 Recommendations The following recommendations would be most appropriate for the company and other that would take the initiative to implement the automated quality assurance system in their premises. The company should prepare its employees in advance through hiring the right employees who have the skills to prevent unnecessary cost from extra trainings. If there has to be a training, only few employees should be trained and not the entire workforce. This would prevent resistant to new quality assurance system and save the company unplanned costs. The company should asses the availability of suppliers of automated quality assurance system that is planning to adopt to prevent exploitation by suppliers as evidenced in this case study. Few suppliers in the market resulted to increased cost, which in turn led to reduced profits from high cost of initial installations. 9.0 Suggestion for Further Research The study was carried out on Athal organization only; therefore a similar study could be carried out in other firms to ascertain whether similar results are obtainable. References Ahuja, I. P. S., &Khamba, J. S. (2008). Total productive maintenance: literature review and directions. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 25(7), 709-756. Berry, L. L., &Parasuraman, A. (2004). Marketing services: Competing through quality. Simon and Schuster. Chen, Z. (2008). Defining buyer power. Antitrust Bull., 53, 241. Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., &D’Amelio, A. (2008). Resistance to change: The rest of the story. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 362-377. GE Inspections. Inspection Technologies: Productivity through inspection solution. N.d 1-19 Ho-Chang, C., Chang E., K., &Prybutok, V. R. (2014). Information system capability and firm performance: contradictory findings and their possible causes. MIS Quarterly, 38(1), 305-A14. Hoyle, D. (2009). ISO 9000 quality systems handbook. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. KumpikaitÄâ€", V., &ÄÅ'iarnienÄâ€", R. (2008). New training technologies developing human resources. Economics & Management, 93-94. Lanz, J. (2013). Helping Small and Midsized Businesses Succeed in a system -Driven World. CPA Journal, 6-9. Lilly, J. D., &Durr, D. W. (2012). system changes at work and employee reactions: The role of leader behavior. Human Systems Management, 31(3/4), 193-201. Mak, K. L., &Peng, P. 2008. An automated inspection system for textile fabrics based on Gabor filters. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 24(3), 359-369. Mullins, L.J. (2013). Management & Organisational Behaviour. Pearson Porter, M. E. 2008. The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard business review, 86(1), 25-40. Sroufe, R., &Curkovic, S. (2008). An examination of ISO 9000: 2000 and supply chain quality assurance. Journal of Operations Management, 26(4), 503-520. Wang, N., Liang, H., Zhong, W., Xue, Y., & Xiao, J. 2012. Resource Structuring or Capability Building? An Empirical Study of the Business Value of Information system . Journal Of Management Information Systems, 29(2), 325-367. Wigand, R. T. 2003. Introduction to business information systems. Berlin [u.a.: Springer-Verl.

terrorist attacks essays

terrorist attacks essays Recently the U.S. has been under attack by foreign terrorists. The Terrorists sieged four American planes by force with the use of box cutters and knifes. After taking over the airplanes they dive-bombed the Pentagon and the U.S. trade center. The U.S. has been unsure what actions to take upon the leader, who they believe to be in charge of the whole plan to attack the U.S. It is hard to make a decision because the U.S. doesnt really know where to find this guy. So far they know he is in Pakistan. They believe he lives underground and in caves, which makes it hard to locate him. Now I am not an U.S. but I will give my opinion and my views. I am happy to see the way that the U.S. is handling this tragedy. Many people are volunteering to help find survivors. Many of the volunteers are citizens of the race that is believed to be attacking us. I also happy that citizens that are not that race arent beating on those people and starting riots. The people on the hijacked planes are pitiful because if there is at least ten passengers on them planes those terrorists shouldnt have taken over those aircraft. It was just to many people on that and to few with knifes to take over those planes. Also why didnt the U.S. react to four planes heading to the West Coast that suddenly turned around? I believe it should have been noticed and taken care of. Now it is time to take action. This what the money that goes too military is used for. I believe we have an ample amount of weapons and resources to deal with this problem. Many people I have talked with feel the same way. It is time for the U.S. to take action. People of the U.S. dont enjoy being laughed at by little Palestinian kids. We should be able to find that murderer and deal with him. Everybody doesnt agree with my views but the majority seems to. ...

Barack Obama - Knox College Commencement Address

Barack Obama Commencement Address at Knox College delivered 4 June 2005, Galesburg, Illinois You know, it has been about six months now since you sent me to Washington as your United States Senator. I recognize that not all of you voted for me, so for those of you muttering under your breath I didn’t send you anywhere, thats ok too. Maybe we’ll hold What do you call it? a little Pumphandle after the ceremony. Change your mind for the next time. It has been a fascinating journey thus far. Each time I walk onto the Senate floor, Im reminded of the history, for good and for ill, that has been made there. But there have been a few surreal moments. For example, I remember the day before I was sworn in, myself and my staff, we decided to hold a press conference in our office. Now, keep in mind that I am ranked 99th in seniority. I was proud that I wasn’t ranked dead last until I found out that it’s just because Illinois is bigger than Colorado. So I’m 99th in seniority, and all the reporters are crammed into the tiny transition office that I have, which is right next to the janitor’s closet in the basement of the Dirksen Office Building. It’s my first day in the building, I have not taken a single vote, I have not introduced one bill, had not even sat down in my desk, and this very earnest reporter raises his hand and says: â€Å"Senator Obama, what is your place in history?† I did what you just did, which is laugh out loud. I said, place in history? I thought he was kidding. At that point, I wasn’t even sure the other Senators would save a place for me at the cool kids’ table. But as I was thinking about the words to share with this class, about what’s next, about what’s possible, and what opportunities lay ahead, I actually think it’s not a bad question for you, the class of 2005, to ask yourselves: What will be your place in history? In other eras, across distant lands, this question could be answered with relative ease and certainty. As a servant in Rome, you knew you’d spend your life forced to build somebody else’s Empire. As a peasant in 11th Century China, you knew that no matter how hard you worked, the local warlord might come and take everything you had and you also knew that famine might come knocking at the door. As a subject of King George, you knew that your freedom of worship and your freedom to speak and to build your own life would be ultimately limited by the throne. And then America happened. A place where destiny was not a destination, but a journey to be shared and shaped and remade by people who had the gall, the temerity to believe that, against all odds, they could form â€Å"a more perfect union† on this new frontier. And as people around the world began to hear the tale of the lowly colonists who overthrew an empire for the sake of an idea, they started to come. Across oceans and the ages, they settled in Boston and Charleston, Chicago and St. Louis, Kalamazoo and Galesburg, to try and build their own American Dream. This collective dream moved forward imperfectly it was scarred by our treatment of native peoples, betrayed by slavery, clouded by the subjugation of women, shaken by war and depression. And yet, brick by brick, rail by rail, calloused hand by calloused hand, people kept dreaming, and building, and working, and marching, and petitioning their government, until they made America a land where the question of our place in history is not answered for us. It’s answered by us. Have we failed at times? Absolutely. Will you occasionally fail when you embark on your own American journey? You surely will. But the test is not perfection. The true test of the American ideal is whether we’re able to recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time. Whether we allow ourselves to be shaped by events and history, or whether we act to shape them. Whether chance of birth or circumstance decides life’s big winners and losers, or whether we build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams. We have faced this choice before. At the end of the Civil War, when farmers and their families began moving into the cities to work in the big factories that were sprouting up all across America, we had to decide: Do we do nothing and allow captains of industry and robber barons to run roughshod over the economy and workers by competing to see who can pay the lowest wages at the worst working conditions? Or do we try to make the system work by setting up basic rules for the market, instituting the first public schools, busting up monopolies, letting workers organize into unions? We chose to act, and we rose together. When the irrational exuberance of the Roaring Twenties came crashing down with the stock market, we had to decide: do we follow the call of leaders who would do nothing, or the call of a leader who, perhaps because of his physical paralysis, refused to accept political paralysis? We chose to act regulating the market, putting people back to work, expanding bargaining rights to include health care and a secure retirement and together we rose. When World War II required the most massive home front mobilization in history and we needed every single American to lend a hand, we had to decide: Do we listen to skeptics who told us it wasn’t possible to produce that many tanks and planes? Or, did we build Roosevelt’s Arsenal for Democracy and grow our economy even further by providing our returning heroes with a chance to go to college and own their own home? Again, we chose to act, and again, we rose together. Today, at the beginning of this young century, we have to decide again. But this time, it is your turn to choose. Here in Galesburg, you know what this new challenge is. You’ve seen it. All of you, your first year in college saw what happened at 9/11. It’s already been noted, the degree to which your lives will be intertwined with the war on terrorism that currently is taking place. But what you’ve also seen, perhaps not as spectacularly, is the fact that when you drive by the old Maytag plant around lunchtime, no one walks out anymore. I saw it during the campaign when I met union guys who worked at the plant for 20, 30 years and now wonder what they’re gonna do at the age of 55 without a pension or health care; when I met the man who’s son needed a new liver but because he’d been laid off, didn’t know if he could afford to provide his child the care that he needed. It’s as if someone changed the rules in the middle of the game and no wonder no one bothered to tell these folks. And, in reality, the rules have changed. It started with technology and automation that rendered entire occupations obsolete. When was the last time anybody here stood in line for the bank teller instead of going to the ATM, or talked to a switchboard operator? Then it continued when companies like Maytag were able to pick up and move their factories to some under developed country where workers were a lot cheaper than they are in the United States. As Tom Friedman points out in his new book, The World Is Flat, over the last decade or so, these forces technology and globalization have combined like never before. So that while most of us have been paying attention to how much easier technology has made our own lives sending e-mails back and forth on our blackberries, surfing the Web on our cell phones, instant messaging with friends across the world a quiet revolution has been breaking down barriers and connecting the world’s economies. Now business not only has the ability to move jobs wherever there’s a factory, but wherever there’s an internet connection. Countries like India and China realized this. They understand that they no longer need to be just a source of cheap labor or cheap exports. They can compete with us on a global scale. The one resource they needed were skilled, educated workers. So they started schooling their kids earlier, longer, with a greater emphasis on math and science and technology, until their most talented students realized they don’t have to come to America to have a decent life they can stay right where they are. The result? China is graduating four times the number of engineers that the United States is graduating. Not only are those Maytag employees competing with Chinese and Indian and Indonesian and Mexican workers, you are too. Today, accounting firms are e-mailing your tax returns to workers in India who will figure them out and send them back to you as fast as any worker in Illinois or Indiana could. When you lose your luggage in Boston at an airport, tracking it down may involve a call to an agent in Bangalore, who will find it by making a phone call to Baltimore. Even the Associated Press has outsourced some of their jobs to writers all over the world who can send in a story at a click of a mouse. As Prime Minister Tony Blair has said, in this new economy, Talent is the 21st century wealth. If youve got the skills, youve got the education, and you have the opportunity to upgrade and improve both, you’ll be able to compete and win anywhere. If not, the fall will be further and harder than it ever was before. So what do we do about this? How does America find its way in this new, global economy? What will our place in history be? Like so much of the American story, once again, we face a choice. Once again, there are those who believe that there isn’t much we can do about this as a nation. That the best idea is to give everyone one big refund on their government divvy it up by individual portions, in the form of tax breaks, hand it out, and encourage everyone to use their share to go buy their own health care, their own retirement plan, their own child care, their own education, and so on. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society. But in our past there has been another term for it Social Darwinism every man or woman for him or herself. It’s a tempting idea, because it doesn’t require much thought or ingenuity. It allows us to say that those whose health care or tuition may rise faster than they can afford tough luck. It allows us to say to the Maytag workers who have lost their job life isn’t fair. It let’s us say to the child who was born into poverty pull yourself up by your bootstraps. And it is especially tempting because each of us believes we will always be the winner in life’s lottery, that we’re the one who will be the next Donald Trump, or at least we won’t be the chump who Donald Trump says: â€Å"You’re fired!† But there is a problem. It won’t work. It ignores our history. It ignores the fact that it’s been government research and investment that made the railways possible and the internet possible. It’s been the creation of a massive middle class, through decent wages and benefits and public schools that allowed us all to prosper. Our economic dependence depended on individual initiative. It depended on a belief in the free market; but it has also depended on our sense of mutual regard for each other, the idea that everybody has a stake in the country, that we’re all in it together and everybody’s got a shot at opportunity. That’s what’s produced our unrivaled political stability. And so if we do nothing in the face of globalization, more people will continue to lose their health care. Fewer kids will be able to afford the diploma you’re about to receive. More companies like United Airlines won’t be able to provide pensions for their employees. And those Maytag workers will be joined in the unemployment line by any worker whose skills can be bought and sold on the global market. So today I’m here to tell you what most of you already know. This is not us the option that I just mentioned. Doing nothing. It’s not how our story ends not in this country. America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. It is this hope that has sustained us through revolution and civil war, depression and world war, a struggle for civil and social rights and the brink of nuclear crisis. And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before. So let’s dream. Instead of doing nothing or simply defending 20th century solutions, let’s imagine together what we could do to give every American a fighting chance in the 21st century. What if we prepared every child in America with the education and skills they need to compete in the new economy? If we made sure that college was affordable for everyone who wanted to go? If we walked up to those Maytag workers and we said â€Å"Your old job is not coming back, but a new job will be there because we’re going to seriously retrain you and there’s life-long education that’s waiting for you the sorts of opportunities that Knox has created with the Strong Futures scholarship program. What if no matter where you worked or how many times you switched jobs, you had health care and a pension that stayed with you always, so you all had the flexibility to move to a better job or start a new business? What if instead of cutting budgets for research and development and science, we fueled the genius and the innovation that will lead to the new jobs and new industries of the future? Right now, all across America, there are amazing discoveries being made. If we supported these discoveries on a national level, if we committed ourselves to investing in these possibilities, just imagine what it could do for a town like Galesburg. Ten or twenty years down the road, that old Maytag plant could re-open its doors as an Ethanol refinery that turned corn into fuel. Down the street, a biotechnology research lab could open up on the cusp of discovering a cure for cancer. And across the way, a new auto company could be busy churning out electric cars. The new jobs created would be filled by American workers trained with new skills and a world-class education. All of that is possible but none of it will come easy. Every one of us is going to have to work more, read more, train more, think more. We will have to slough off some bad habits like driving gas guzzlers that weaken our economy and feed our enemies abroad. Our children will have to turn off the TV set once in a while and put away the video games and start hitting the books. We’ll have to reform institutions, like our public schools, that were designed for an earlier time. Republicans will have to recognize our collective responsibilities, even as Democrats recognize that we have to do more than just defend old programs. It won’t be easy, but it can be done. It can be our future. We have the talent and the resources and brainpower. But now we need the political will. We need a national commitment. And we need each of you. Now, no one can force you to meet these challenges. If you want, it will be pretty easy for you to leave here today and not give another thought to towns like Galesburg and the challenges they face. There is no community service requirement in the real world; no one is forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and go chasing after the big house, and the nice suits, and all the other things that our money culture says that you should want, that you should aspire to, that you can buy. But I hope you don’t walk away from the challenge. Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. You need to take up the challenges that we face as a nation and make them your own. Not because you have a debt to those who helped you get here, although you do have that debt. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate than you, although I do think you do have that obligation. It’s primarily because you have an obligation to yourself. Because individual salvation has always depended on collective salvation. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. And I know that all of you are wondering how you’ll do this, the challenges seem so big. They seem so difficult for one person to make a difference. But we know it can be done. Because where you’re sitting, in this very place, in this town, it’s happened before. Nearly two centuries ago, before civil rights, before voting rights, before Abraham Lincoln, before the Civil War, before all of that, America was stained by the sin of slavery. In the sweltering heat of southern plantations, men and women who looked like me could not escape the life of pain and servitude in which they were sold. And yet, year after year, as this moral cancer ate away at the American ideals of liberty and equality, the nation was silent. But its people didn’t stay silent for long. One by one, abolitionists emerged to tell their fellow Americans that this would not be our place in history that this was not the America that had captured the imagination of the world. This resistance that they met was fierce, and some paid with their lives. But they would not be deterred, and they soon spread out across the country to fight for their cause. One man from New York went west, all the way to the prairies of Illinois to start a colony. And here in Galesburg, freedom found a home. Here in Galesburg, the main depot for the Underground Railroad in Illinois, escaped slaves could roam freely on the streets and take shelter in people’s homes. And when their masters or the police would come for them, the people of this town would help them escape north, some literally carrying them in their arms to freedom. Think about the risks that involved. If they were caught abetting a fugitive, you could’ve been jailed or lynched. It would have been simple for these townspeople to turn the other way; to go live their lives in a private peace. And yet, they didn’t do that. Why? Because they knew that we were all Americans; that we were all brothers and sisters; the same reason that a century later, young men and women your age would take Freedom Rides down south, to work for the Civil Rights movement. The same reason that black women would walk instead of ride a bus after a long day of doing somebody else’s laundry and cleaning somebody else’s kitchen. Because they were marching for freedom. Today, on this day of possibility, we stand in the shadow of a lanky, raw-boned man with little formal education who once took the stage at Old Main and told the nation that if anyone did not believe the American principles of freedom and equality, that those principles were timeless and all-inclusive, they should go rip that page out of the Declaration of Independence. My hope for all of you is that as you leave here today, you decide to keep these principles alive in your own life and in the life of this country. You will be tested. You won’t always succeed. But know that you have it within your power to try. That generations who have come before you faced these same fears and uncertainties in their own time. And that through our collective labor, and through God’s providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other’s burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that distant horizon, and a better day. Thank you so much class of 2005, and congratulations on your graduation. Thank you. Good morning President Taylor, Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, family, friends, the community of Galesburg, the class of 1955 which I understand was out partying last night, and yet still showed up here on time and most of all, the Class of 2005. Congratulations on your graduation, and thank you thank you for the honor of allowing me to be a part of it. Thank you also, Mr. President, for this honorary degree. It was only a couple of years ago that I stopped paying my student loans in law school. Had I known it was this easy, I would have ran [sic] for the United States Senate earlier.