Paranormal Existences

Paranormal Existence Is someone or something else among us at this moment, in this room, something we can’t even see? Have you ever wondered what else is really out there? Unexplained happenings occur every day. Spirits or ghosts are thought of just being people that have passed away but there has to be more to it. Paranormal activity is defined as experiences that lie outside the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.At some point in everyone’s life they will experience some kind of unexplained activity. Many people ask the question if it actually exists or if it’s all in their head. Scientists often say that these so called â€Å"spirits† do not exist. Only personal experiences can interpret your own feelings about paranormal existences. My story is about a spirit that lived on past their death. One night a couple months ago me and my friends were playing on her wigi board. Her dad had died 5 years earlier due to a horrific car crash.Her f amily had always seen balls roll across the room and other strange things happen without explanation; they always assumed it was him. When we started playing around with the board the first letter of the girl’s dads name showed up and her eyes instantly filled up with tears, like a helpless child left all alone, the second letter was the second letter to his name, the same with the third. By this time my friend was balling, she of course knew it was her father. We continued playing until the last letter of his name showed up.At this moment we heard a vase upstairs shatter into a million pieces, just like the car windshield had done when his helpless body had gone through it, instantly killed. We ran upstairs to find the vase and its contents of flowers spread all over the floor. Then we replaced it with a new vase and reassembled the flowers to how they were. The next morning her mother walked downstairs with a flower in her hand and asked, â€Å"Why did you put a flower nex t to my bed? † That night changed the way I thought about spirits forever.I never thought anything like that could ever happen to me. Anyone who experienced that kind of activity and the intensity in that room could easily say they felt a presence surrounding them. In the moment of that glass shattering was the one of the scariest moments of my life. I will always remember the terror racing through me, my heart pounding, sounding of horse’s strong hooves beating against the track, like thunder rolling in and the suspense leading up to the storm.Saying spirits like this don’t exist is outrageous considering how many people actually experience real activity. Some people don’t want to believe this is real simply because they are scared of it. Many others find it very interesting to study about and explore the possibilities of what else could potentially be out there with us in our everyday lives and something you aren’t even able to see. Everyone has d ifferent views on if paranormal existences are actually real. Mysterious things could happen at any time, and when they do, be prepared.

External Reserach – Childcare Level 3

‘’It is important to plan to meet the care and learning needs of all children. ’’ External research CACHE LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA IN CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION Introduction Criteria 1 – Criteria 2 – The first stage of the learning cycle is planning and this is where you plan for the children activities that will be carried out throughout the time at placement and these activities need to be planned for the needs of all children.When practitioners are planning the activity they need to consider the resources, if the activity is age stage appropriate, any protective clothing that may be need during the activity, health and safety and how all the children will be included together, not discriminating any child because of their age, gender, abilities or disability. The second stage is where the planned activity takes places and during this the children will carry out the activity to help them, learn and develop in all aspects of development; social, emotiona l, physical, and intellectual and language development.It also allows practitioners to observe the children during play activities. When practitioners observe, they look for the child’s development and abilities. The third and last stage of the cycle is to review and this is when the practitioner looks back and reflects on the activity (reflect on it) to see where they can improve. The planning cycle is used to meets care needs of children, learning needs of children, help them develop and help them to develop and learn different stages of development.I have seen this happen at placement where the practitioners were planning an activity along the lines of previously noticing a group of boys enjoy playing with the cars and after noticing this, they decided to carry out a work sheet using cars to teach them how to count. When planning this activity, they considered the abilities of the children, the health and safety as well as resources needed.During this activity the practiti oners were observing to see how the children were coping, child’s development stages and what the children were learning during the activity. Once the activity has taken place the practitioners reviewed it by using a reflective cycle. A long term goal is something you want to achieve over a long period of time normal one year or five years. In a school a long term plan is used to cover all aspects of the National Curriculum whereas in a Nursery a long term plan would cover all aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2012).The practitioners would plan for whole year of children’s time at the setting and it meets the care needs of children by planning for their holidays. It cares for the learning needs of children because it plans to provide the best use of resources and equipment available and the environment in which the children will learn in. This can be a disadvantage because the planning doesn’t allow for immediate changes on a day to day or terml y basis.A long term plan would be covering a curriculum plan because it sets goals, develops strategies and outlines tasks and schedules within the setting. It meets the care needs of children by allowing the practitioners to provide supporting activities for the individual needs of the children and meets the hearing needs by having opportunities that challenge the children, varied types of activities such as adult- led, child-led and free play by learning indoors and outdoors.Practitioners have a meeting ever term and plan for activities and task for the whole school term of the child to help support and develop their care and learning needs in the best possible way to allow each individual child to achieve the next stage. A medium term goal is something that you build upon from a short team goal. Practitioners would plan termly/monthly by building upon the short term plans. It meets the learning needs of children by looking at the themes. Medium term planning in my placement consi ders a central theme spread across a number of weeks:A short term goal is achieving something in the near future for example: within a week. Practitioners would do daily plans and observe the children in order to be able to make changes in the plan to meet individual unique child’s needs. It meets the learning needs of children because it can be immediately changed on a daily basis or weekly basis according to the child’s individual learning needs, abilities and disabilities as well as their likes and dislike to help them move forward in their development and develop their skills.In my current placement practitioners saw a group of boys enjoying playing with the cars. Later on that same day the practitioners got an idea to plan activities around that theme for the following week to help the 2 to 5 years olds learn to count up to 20 which helps the practitioners to encourage and interest the children’s learning by using things that they like to help meet their ne eds in order for them to develop. Routines are tasks, chores, or duties done as regularly as possible or at specified time of the day e. g. typical or every day. It can also be activities happing during the same time period in the day, such as lunch, reading, or playground time. In a childcare setting, a routine maybe having meal times three times a day or having rest time after lunch. They are used for teaching them to be prepared for adult life and helping them to understand their duties. It is important that adults stimulate children’s minds, social skills, emotional and bodies with routines for them to be able to learn and remember these different routines for the future.Routines meet care needs of children because they make children feel safe and build’s the child’s confidence. Routines meet children’s learning needs because the children will learn everyday skill and also allow children to know what is expected of them. I have experienced many differ ent routines throughout my work placements; I have recently seen a routine for the whole day which is in my appendix 2. Criteria 3 – Criteria 4 – Effective planning is something that works well. It also meets the children’s individual needs and helps identify a path of achievement.There are eight feature to effective planning; support for practitioners, effective planning, sharing best practice, knowing the child, encourage reflection, helps with translation and makes it requirement and enjoyable. Effective planning involves around the child. Curriculum plans can be done and allows for practitioners to meet the children’s learning and care needs over a long period of time. This does not always work because each child is individual and they develop skills and abilities at their own time.To make this work effectively practitioners could use a SMART target to plan over the week for each individual child according to their likes, dislikes and what they can an d can’t do. Practitioners could combine both the curriculum plan and Smart target by using the planning cycle, long term and short term plans to make it effective because this allows for all children to learn and develop at their own time and achieve their next stage up. Within my setting practitioners plan effectively by using the SMART target to plan for the week ahead and combine this with using the curriculum plan to do and review over the next month for every child.Once they have observed the activity and child, they then plan activity according to their observation. A combination of planning tools are used in settings to give practitioners good outcomes, meet children’s needs and learning needs and don’t allow practitioners to plan, do and review. I have noticed in my previous setting that practitioners use one type of plan which is the short term plan because they plan weekly for their activities whereas in my current placement practitioners use a range o f plans such as a weekly plan along side an activity plan and a medium plan.If effective planning wasn’t used practitioners would be having bad management in organising activities, practitioners will not get the outcome they are looking for easily, children needs will not be meet to the best interest and they may not be able develop their skills and development well enough because they don’t have the assess to the appropriate activities and resources (age stage). Criteria 5 – Having an appropriate environment in place to support care and learning needs is important because practitioners should make sure that the environment is safe and secure for the children as well as welcoming and warm.It also needs to be stimulating for the children to be able to explore and investigate in. This is stated by Early Years foundation stage (EYFS, 2012) who states that it is important to plan and provide an appropriate environment both indoors and outdoors throughout the day. Th e Reggio Emilio approach focuses on both the outdoor and indoor environment as equally important because they both allow children to explore and discover, free play and creative thinking. Reggio believed that the indoor and outdoor nvironment stimulates children’s learning, children develop socially and they can express themselves in any way they want. Reggio pre-schools believes in having discovery, stimulating learning environments (both indoor and outdoor) for children to be able to reflect on their own learning and record the children’s learning progress (Tassoni, 2007) This approach can benefit children as it allows them to work more closely with the adult to help stimulate their skills, abilities and development within their environment.Children’s play is carried out in a learning environment which is characterised by both indoor and outdoor learning to help children move on in their development stage and it needs to be safe for children to play and learn in where they are protected and supervised at all times by an adult. It is vital to have the appropriate equipment at the child’s level in both the outdoor and indoor environment to help support the learning they need as well as meet each child’s individual needs.Both theorists also support the learning needs of children by allowing them to physical, socially, emotionally, intellectually, cognitive and language develop. ‘’ A good early childhood environment meets the child's basic needs and supports and encourages children to engage in activities that implement the programme's curriculum. ’’ (Exteral research/creating-indoor-environments-for-young-children. htm 1997-2012) Criteria 6 –Care needs are supporting the children’s personal care needs such as feeding, sleeping and hygiene. It helps children to become independent and teaches them life skills. The theorist which supports this is Maslow (1943) and his hierarchy of need. It concerns the responsibility of adults to care and provide a safe environment that encourages and enables the adults to support and meet all the needs of an individual child.These needs include; physical, emotional, social, and intellectual and are shown in the model and diagram of the pyramid five stages. The framework that supports care needs is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (2012) and they influences day to day practice by making sure each practitioner follows the correct curriculum framework within their practice and care for the children. ‘’There is also a range of supporting guidance on implementing the EYFS requirements which should be used alongside the Statutory Framework.In particular: Development Matters – which provides guidance on observing, assessing and planning for each child's individual learning and development, a know how guide for progress check at age two – which gives case studies and templates to support you with the requir ement to provide parents with a written summary of their child's learning and development between their second and third birthday, EYFS for parents – which you should personalise to your setting to help you meet the requirement of informing parents how the EYFS is delivered. ’’ (czone. eastsussex. gov. uk 2012) Criteria 7 –Jean Piaget’s (1948) theory of play is play-based curriculums were all children are actively involved in their learning. He said that children go through four stages of development; Piaget (1948) theory of play is thought that ‘’learning is an active process in which children draw conclusions though exploration. He called these conclusions schemas. ’’ (Tassoni. P et al 2007 Pg 284). Piaget (1948) is a key influence on children learning (Tassoni, 2007). His theory supports and extends children’s learning needs because he believed that children will learn when they are ready to learn.Vygotskyâ€⠄¢s (1978) theory is based on zone of proximal learning. His theory supports children’s learning needs because he believed that children will learn cooperative activities set up for them where the less able children can learn and get help from the more advanced children. Vygotsky (1978) believed that if a child is at the zone of proximal for an activity and getting help from the adult, will allow the child to boost their achievement of the activity (simplypsychology. org 2010-2012). Criteria 8– Piaget (1984) theory of play has 4 types of play; physical play mastery play, symbolic play and constructive play.He thinks that play is assimilating and children make their own environment through the four different type of play. Piaget (1948) believed that children adapt and develop on their own experience. It is recognised in placement by practitioners because it gives them a guideline on the teaching they should be providing children with and enhance the children to develop their learning and skills. Practitioners could do this by respecting the children’s ideas, suggestions and opinions when they carry out an activity or task.Planning is early years settings should be used because it helps practitioners to get to know the child better by observing them in order to meet each individual child’s needs and plan accordingly to their stage of development and abilities to future help them develop their skills, abilities and development. They should plan for this by using weekly plans because each child is unique and they develop at their own rate which will allow them to make daily/weekly changes according to what they observe and see the children do and learn.Bibliography: Books: Tassoni. Penny, Kate. Beith, Kath. Bulum and Harriet. Eldridge (2007) CACHE level 3 Child Care and Education 4th edition, London: Heinemann Websites: East Sussex County Council (2012) – Early Years Foundation Stage [online] available at: https://czone. eastsuss ex. gov. uk/supportingchildren/childcare/support/eyfs/Pages/main. aspx Assessed on: 6th November 2012

Causes of binge drinking

Causes of binge drinking Essay Child AbuseWhat is Child Abuse? By definition, child abuse is the deliberate and willful injury of a child by a caretaker hitting, beating with an object, slamming against a wall, even killing. It involves active, hostile, aggressive treatment. The key word in the definition of child abuse is deliberate. Why would anyone physically harm a child? The physical destruction of a child is the extreme reaction of parents to the stress of having children. Most people are not aware of the fact that deliberately hitting a child is considered a felony in all fifty states. Abuse of children is more common than most people realize. At least one out of five adult women and one out of every ten adult men report having been abused in childhood. Recognizing child abuse in its several forms is a twentieth century phenomenon. Child abuse is also more likely to be recognized in economically developed countries than in other parts of the world. Children have been beaten and abandoned for centuries, base d primarily on the belief that children are the property of their parents. By educating yourself and your children about abuse, you can help prevent it from happening to your children and better cope with it if it does. (Child 6) There are four different forms of child abuse. They are physical abuse (child beating and neglect), sexual abuse, incest, and exploitation (such as child pornography). Physical abuse occurs when a caretaker deliberately beats the child. Some examples of 2 physical abuse include burning with a cigarette, striking a child, and scalding with hot water. According to social agencies, beatings of children have been multiplying over the past twenty-five years or so. The increasing number of reports could mean that in recent years, social workers, health professionals, and other experts have become better able to recognize cases of mistreatment. Some 60,000 cases of abuse are reported annually. (Sargo 12) Many battered children must endure a second terrible problem neglect. Neglect, which occurs when parents or others who are responsible for a childs welfare fail to provide for the childs basic needs in any number of ways. Physical neglect occurs when the caretaker fails to provide adequate food, clothing, or shelter. Physical neglect also occurs when the person caring for a child refuses to seek health care or delays in doing so. Other examples are abandoning a child, either permanently or temporarily, and when a child is kicked out of home or refused to be let back in. There is also educational neglect when parents do not force their children to attend school. Early civilization regularly abandoned deformed or surplus children, and ritual sacrifice of the children to appease the gods took place in Egyptian, Carthaginian, Roman, Greek, and Aztec societies. (Child 2) Either they do not enroll the child in school at the age required by law, or they allow their children to be chronically truant from classes. (Gelles 21). 3 Another form of negl ect is emotional neglect, which occurs when parents or guardians behave in a way that deeply disturbs a young child. (Sargo 15) Some examples of emotional abuse occur when parents fight or beat each other in front of a child, when they give a child permission to use drugs or alcohol or when the parents themselves are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Then there is moral neglect, when parents let their children run loose in the streets at all hours so he or she risks getting in trouble with the law. Moral neglect also occurs when the parents allow or encourage the child to perform criminal acts. Of the various types of neglect, physical is said to be the most common. The DHHS study reports that some 571,600 American children suffer from physical neglect . Educational neglect is next at just over 292,000 children. Emotional neglect is third with 223,000 victims. (Child 11) Sexual abuse, which is also known as sexual molestation, is defined as the exploitation of a minor for the sexual gratification of an adult. Sexual abuse involves forcing, tricking, bribing, threatening or pressuring a child into sexual awareness or activity. Sexual abuse is an abuse of power over a child and READ: Why I Chose Accounting Essay

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AMONG MINORITIES COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES Research Paper

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AMONG MINORITIES COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES - Research Paper Example ermining the nature of a child but in order to solve the problem related to childhood delinquency the most important aspect is to realize the requirement of a child and provide him with proper emotional nourishment, going beyond the extent of social, cultural or religious discrimination. At the same time, parents also have to be more tolerant and understanding; consequently they must also realize that their arbitrary actions can harm the child worst in their psychology. Providing proper support to children, especially when it comes from parents, is the best possible way to reduce the problems related to juvenile delinquency. The increasing peace of social cosmopolitanism, though on several occasions, has been encouraged by sociologists with the expectation that it reflects the ideals of social tolerance and harmonized existence, however, in reality, the entire situation is far from being real. Globalization, evolution of human rights and revoking the principles of universal brotherhood are some of the important factors that aspired scholars, intellectual and common people to wish for a better socio-cultural existence. The reality has emerged as quite contradictory to the expected situation and by remaining far from realizing the basic aspects of human existence, people have remained hostile against accepting religious, racial and cultural differences normally and they have remained on an uncompromising stance in providing adequate recognition to their fellow counterparts that have different social, religious and cultural upbringing. The social structure of nations like the United States is a bright exam ple in support of the observation as cultural and racial conflicts are predominating factors, emerging as essential barriers when it comes to attainment of social tranquility and harmony. Among several factors, such as, racial tensions, cultural discrimination and socio-religious oppression, juvenile delinquency among minorities is one of the most predominating

Career Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Career Planning - Essay Example For example, the BSN degree objective must be achieved in less than two years and the family nurse practitioner in less than three years. The time frames set shed light to Ziglar’s golden rule that every goal should commence immediately. By that he means that there is no need to procrastinate. However, every goal is limited by obstacles. In this case, obstacles may include inconveniences that inhibit the learning process such as financial constraints. The final component of the plan of action is the consideration. What is the ultimate benefit of achieving the objectives? In this case, it is working in a women clinic after achieving the BSN and family nurse practitioner degrees. Individuals assume that time is the main reason for failing to achieve their goals. Ziglar terms that as a fallacy and counters that belief by saying that every individual is presented with the same number of hours in a day. Despite the fact that one is rich or poor, every individual has 24 hours in a day to set objectives and accomplish them in an effort to achieve their goals. Five years might seem quite a long period to achieve both my BSN and family nurse practitioner degrees. However, every single day counts in relation to my drive towards accomplishing such goals. Every day has its unique activities towards the achievement of goals. Such new activities bring forth more opportunities that would not have been realized had the activities not undertaken. Therefore, in my effort to achieve my career goals, my success will be measured by how wisely I use the five years, or less, to achieve both degrees and attain the confirmation to work in a women

Planning Windows for Climate Change Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Planning Windows for Climate Change - Article Example There is a huge array of window types available now, and each type has its benefits and problems. There are many types of glass which conserve energy, but they can be costly and require changes in wall design. One might think that putting in fewer windows will solve the problems of climate change, but this not only make human spaces unattractive, it does not necessarily provide the best solution. Properly placed windows of the right type can actually increase the R-value of a wall, and glass walls which include solar energy design can actually provide a positive impact on energy use. There are simply many variables to consider in choosing and placing windows in buildings, so a plan for guidance will be a valuable addition to the body of knowledge. There are, essentially, three major factors we must consider when designing structures: the thermodynamics of the overall constructions, the various things which impact energy use from solar energy design to internal energy use and the availability, cost, structural needs and technical aspects of windows. By using a system of decision support for choosing window types and placement, architects can be better equipped to incorporate well-placed windows of the proper types to support the future needs in view of climate change. This research will create that tool. There are numerous studies that assumptions that the climate is changing or which actually present proof. One of the most important is Al Gore’s â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth† (2006). Gleick, Peter H., ed. 1993b. Water in Crisis.  

Determining How Costs Behave Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Determining How Costs Behave - Research Paper Example The purpose of this assignment is to study the behavior of fixed, variable and total cost at different level of business activities. The behavior of cost is related to the level of business activity (â€Å"Identifying Cost Behavior†, n.d.). It implies that a change in business activity exerts influence on the parameters of the above equation. This reaction of it is called cost behavior. Some costs may stay same, and others may change proportionally in response to a change in business activity. That is why; for managers of a company, it is necessary to understand how a cost reacts to a change in the business activity. This knowledge helps managers to determine future profit from a new product, prepare a forecast and create a budget (Horngren, Sunden, Schatzberg, & Burgstahler, 2012). From the perspective of cost behavior, there are three type of costs: fixed, variable, and mixed. Fixed are those costs that do not change due to the change of level of activity. However, fixed cost, if expressed per unit basis, varies inversely due to the change of level of activity (Caplan). Some of the examples of fixed costs are salaries, rent, and property taxes. Variable are those costs that change due to the change of level of activity. It is constant per unit. In linear equation, variable costs vary linearly with the change of level of activity. Variable costs, by definition, are considered as cost drivers (Horngren, Sunden, Schatzberg, & Burgstahler, 2012). Cost drivers also demonstrate cause and effect relationship between the level of an activity and costs related to that activity (â€Å"Types of Cost Behavior†, n.d.). Some of the examples of variable costs are direct material, direct labor, and sales commission. Mixed are those costs that have both fixed and varia ble components. The discussion above can be expressed as Total cost = Total fixed cost + Total variable cost. From this equation, we can

Ipad Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ipad - Research Paper Example oles anchoring what should be viewed as a continuing process with product development, advertising, and promotional efforts providing the necessary fuel to keep the process in play† (Ailloni, 1998). The iPad is getting a lot of exposure, especially in terms of media product placements. The market in which Apple operates is very competitive. There are high entry barriers and a few established competitors offering similar services. Switching costs have been increasing, because many companies are using long-term contracts with harsh penalties against customers who try to switch products. However, this is still an industry in which competition fuels innovation and progress, and many consumers are looking for the â€Å"next big thing.† The iPad is basically a larger version of the iPhone with a more powerful processor, but without phone capabilities. The proposed report will go into more detail concerning the product review’s specificities, its features, and its pros and cons, when there is more textual space allotted to do so. As noted, the market in which Apple operates is very competitive. Currently, it faces stiff competition from Microsoft, Samsung, and other companies. The proposed report will look closely at 3 of Apple’s major competitors, focusing on specific products that are in the same category as the iPad. One objective is to make a link between the iPad and information retrieval, in marketing terms. â€Å"To the extent that the information is made public and transparent, it will make people better informed and able to make better choices. New economy organizations tend to be flat, decentralized, and open to employee initiative† (Kotler, et. al, 2002, p. 4). The establishment of new marketing principles that are not based on rigid Even with increases in communication and technology, Apple shows traditional views about marketing. As Ailloni (1998) states, â€Å"In spite of all the intellectual legerdemain involved in repackaging old terms in

Compensation HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compensation HR - Essay Example This is mainly used to determine which job should get a higher pay than the other. There are methods used in job evaluation such as job grading, job ranking and factor comparison. Job evaluation is advantageous as it helps to define a job according to an individual specialization so as to fix the fairest salary on it. Job evaluation analysis also helps when selecting a job that relates to the qualifications of an employee. Jobs are evaluated by ranking jobs. This is by evaluating a job using a single factor such as how technical a job is, or the educational level requires needed to perform the job effectively. The more technical a job and the higher the educational level required, the higher the job is ranked. Compensation is then based on the ranking where the highest in the rank is paid more (Poels and Frans 22). Salary surveys are normally used in job evaluation. This is by comparing a job with the same kind of job, with the same description and the same expectations in another organization in the job market. This helps in knowing how competitive the organization is as compared to other organizations. As a result of this survey, the ranges of salaries are normally revised as soon as the survey shows the need of a revision. This helps the organization stay competitive in the market. Compensation program is important in attracting and retaining talented employees. The program is normally done by the human resource manager. This is normally done together with the training and development officer. The aim of a training and development officer is to ascertain the performance of employees. This is so as to see if they have reached the set target of if they have improved in their performance. This helps the human resource manager department in efficiently administering the compensation program. Merit increase is given based on the performance of an employee where, if an employee performs better, they get a better compensation. There is

Music in Education Essay Example for Free

Music in Education Essay Music can affect the body in many health-promoting ways, which is the basis for a growing field known as music therapy. However, you can use music in your daily life and achieve many stress relief benefits on your own. One of the great benefits of music as a stress reliever is that it can be used while you conduct your regular activities so that it really doesn’t take time away from your busy schedule. Music provides a wonderful backdrop for your life so that you can find increased enjoyment from what you’re doing and also reduce stress from your day. Music still tells a story, we know just have many genres to satisfy the cultural and social tastes of our modern society. Hip Hop is a genre of music that has significantly grown the last couple of decades. Its increased popularity has brought it to the forefront of globalization. Technological advances have made it easy for Hip Hop to spread out globally. This occurrence of globalization is a key example that as our cultural borders are broken down by technology, our own cultural and social practices become fluid. Although there are many positive and negative comments about the globalization of Hip Hop, it is a reflection of the growing phenomenon occurring all over the world. Hip hop originated in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop can also be described as an entire subculture (â€Å"Hip Hop†, 2004). The term Hip Hop is said to have come from a joke between Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and their friends (â€Å"Hip Hop†, 2004). Although Hip Hop was created on American soil, its influences are global. It can be said that Hip Hop might be a result of ethnic globalization. Hip Hop has roots in African, Caribbean, and Latino culture (â€Å"Hip Hop Globalization and Youth Culture†, 2005). Spoken word, which is still popular today is also an influence in Hip Hop music and culture. Spoken word is a style of poetry spoken in a rhythmic fashion. Hip Hop ranges from rap music, to B-boy dance. It was a platform to empower ethnic youth without violence. Hip Hop in the beginning was essentially still an underground subculture. It was popular with many ethnic communities but it was not popular in the mainstream music industry. This all changed with the band Blondie and their song â€Å"Rapture†. â€Å"Rapture† is one of the first rap songs to reach the top of the charts in mainstream pop music. Although Blondie is a punk/rock band, they were the proper catalyst to give Hip Hop the mainstream attention it deserved. Hip Hop has changed since its birth in the 1970s. Hip Hop is now apart of the mainstream music scene. It is not uncommon to see artist from different genres collaborating with Hip Hop artists. It is also not uncommon to see Hip Hop music and culture in movies, television shows, and commercials. In the past you would only see people from ethnic communities wearing Hip Hop clothing, now all races including Asian, Caucasian, etc have accepted the Hip Hop style. The subject matter has also changed. In the past Hip Hop lyrics focused on political and societal frustrations, now Hip Hop lyrics steer more toward provocative content. Hip Hop subject matter consists mostly of the aspirations of wealth, sex, drug use, and criminal activity. During the beginning years the age of the Hip Hop listener was wide spread. It ranged from teens to even adults in their 50s. Although Hip Hop still has an adult audience, it is now more geared toward younger audiences. Younger listeners are more likely to purchase Hip Hop music and paraphernalia, than the older audience. Music has always been a great healer. In the Bible, we learn about how David played the harp to help ease his severe depression of King Saul. Music is a significant mood-changer and reliever of stress, working on many levels at once. Many experts suggest that it is the rhythm of the music or the beat that has the calming effect on us although we may not be very conscious about it. They point out that when we were a baby in our mothers womb, we probably were influenced by the heartbeat of our mother. We respond to the soothing music at later stages in life, perhaps associating it with the safe, relaxing, protective environment provided by our mother. They say that math is the universal language, and while that may be true, music has traits to it that even the casual listener should but may not always recognize as universal, literally and figuratively. Moreover, music is beneficial to the musicians and the listeners health and well-being. Music is everywhere, and it can be made and enjoyed by anyone, any animal, and any living thing, in its own way. The universe itself has a sense of rhythm, melody and music. Everyday speech has a lilt that can be called some kind of music. In nature, without the white noise of civilization in the background, the sounds of the trees, the water, and the air can all be called music. And animals, birds in particular, have their own sense of melody in the sounds that they make and use to communicate with each other. Music comes in so many various forms that it reflects, in a way, the diversity of the languages spoken and written on the planet. Whether it be classical music, pop, gospel music, country music or whatever pleases the ear, there will always be a kind of music for everyone, and it can come in any language. They say that learning and listening to music makes one smarter. As studies show, music makes the musician use his mind in a way that develops and maintains good mental health. Music is an art and a science; anyone who learns any bit of musical theory will know that music has a particular structure, while still allowing for creative freedom. Reading music and playing an instrument causes the musician to use both sides of his brain at once – the mathematical side, and the artistic side. Learning to understand a staff of music and the symbols written on it is akin to learning a scientific or mathematical formula. Applying the formula to the instrument at hand takes plenty of practise to do well, but once it is learned, it does not easily fade away. Developing and maintaining musicality, on the other hand, is partly talent and partly practise, much like other art forms like drawing, dancing and singing. Music is a great well for emotions. The same art form that puts babies to sleep can release anger and sadness, encourage joy, and sooth stress. To the Romantics, music was the purest of art forms because it connects directly with emotions (The New Penguin Book of Romantic Poetry, 47), during a time period that produced composers that are still well known today. David wrote many psalms while he watched sheep. And even though he was not always a favourite of King Saul, David’s playing would comfort the king (1 Samuel 16). Music brings people together. It is understood that before modern technology, live music was a natural form of entertainment, and people were considered accomplished when they learned to play instruments. Music can create a good atmosphere and encourage a good mood that relaxes people whether they are actively listening to it or not. That is part of the reason why it is ideal for parties, weddings, funerals, and other such gatherings. Music is universal. It is calming, gentling, entertaining, inspiring and healthy. It helps maintain good mental health and a balanced emotional state. It is a gift from God that anyone can learn, appreciate and enjoy. Hip Hop proves to be the voice of the people that may not be able to speak for themselves in conventional ways. Globalization has allowed many people who would not have the means to speak up, to be able to take center stage. Many believe that globalization will be the end of individuality and creativity.

Analyzing The ERP Implementation Of Companies Information Technology Essay

Analyzing The ERP Implementation Of Companies Information Technology Essay Looking into the business processes implementation of Tesco one of the leading food retail companies in the UK which has gone from strength to strength in the food retail and established it is presence in Europe, US and Asia and analyse Enterprise Resource Planning implementation in one of the leading food retailers operating in 14 countries around the world and how these operations are run and analyse the challenges faced and lessons learnt. PROJECT DELIVERABLES: 1. Identify five critical business processes 2. Plot the process map of the organization 3. Analyze the type of BPR implementation in the company 4. Analyze the ERP implementation in the company and the challenges 5. Business benefits and learnings Company Background We have selected to study the food retail giant Tesco PLC the largest food retailer in the UK employing over 470,000 people with revenue of over  £54 billion in 2009. There are about 4,331 Tesco stores in fourteen countries worldwide. This famous food retailer was founded in 1919 and in 1929 opened its first ever food retail store in Edgware, London. It has rapidly evolved over the years and has established itself a prominent position among the food retails giants in UK. Tescos Core Business is based in the UK and has operations mainly in USA, Europe and Asia. Fig 1: Tesco Operations around the world With its expansion to other countries Tesco had to standardize the IT systems and business processes to sustain the overseas business which has facilitated a unique and homogenized way of working in 3,263 stores in all 14 countries.This project involved standardising the business processes and IT systems used to dealing with customers and day to day running of stores, financial and in-store systems warehousing, payroll and distribution systems. This execution of business process was initiated a couple of years after Tesco-in-a-Box  system to even out an enterprise resource planning system Oracle in each region of business operation. Tesco carries out and provides services via online retail websites tesco.com and Tesco Direct and offers financial services through Tesco Personal Finance and broadband internet connections services. Fig 2: UK Food Retailers by Market share Tesco products fall under the category of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and (Non-FMCG) or durable consumer goods. Sourcing and Procurement TIS Tesco International Sourcing Hong Kong does the procurement, commercial design, management, quality control, production and deals with all the 50,000 product lines customs documents. The operation is of a phenomenal scale. This station deals with 800 suppliers in more than 1200 factories. International Sourcing manages the end-to-end procurement process TIS Tesco International Sourcing Hong Kong does the procurement, commercial design, management, quality control, production and deals with all the 50,000 product lines customs documents. The operation is of a phenomenal scale. This station deals with 800 suppliers in more than 1200 factories. Hong Kong-based global supply and sourcing operations was founded in 1970.It supplies 12 countries, supplies 60% of UK clothing, durable goods 41% UK, 44 countries from 50,000 sku, 58 seaports, 72.000 containers, 533 employees and No. 1 retailer in the UK buying office Six new regional purchasing offices will be soon opened by Tesco to boost local sourcing from close by supplier and farmers. Tesco procurement includes the following processes for acquiring goods: Procurement planning: identifying and determining which product or products need to be acquired, the quantity, quality and Product description Searching Suppliers: Having identified the products and product specifications, the search for suppliers and sources begins Tendering: Receiving quotes, offers, and negotiation with potential suppliers begins Supplier Selection: the bids, offers and proposal are assessed in order to choose the right one Formal Agreement: making certain that supplier will meet the expected requirements of the business and terms and conditions Signing the Contract: formal legally binding agreement is signed based on the mutually agreed business terms Purchasing Non-Food: Costs and Logistics Centralized procurement system is used by Tesco in its growing business. The procurement system is Oracle retail that supports Tescos centralized buying of non-food items in bulk and the centralized purchasing system facilitates order generation through which supply chain and procurement are controlled centrally. Buying Power: bulk buying discounts; critical mass drives down costs. Direct Sourcing: (65% UK clothing) eliminates intermediary agent mark-up: captures greater percentage of gross margins. International Purchasing: low cost factors of textile production (labour, materials) in Asia (India, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia). Distribution: Initially utilized existing purchasing and distribution channels. Subsequent development of efficient dedicated N-F infrastructure: warehouses, logistics and specialized management systems. Inventory control All products of Tesco PLC have different shelf life and one of the key performance indicators accepted by Tesco PLC is the right products at the right time in the right condition Indexes of the products delivered by them to the consumer. Inventory control allows Tesco PLC to achieve low inventory levels thereby reducing costs and achieve greater value index. Inventory control however, does not aim to specifically reduce inventory, a sufficient inventory levels must be maintained to have a service level at the Depot of 95% RAD. It also helps to reduce distribution runs thereby saving transportation and logistics costs. Human Resource and Finance Human resources management is a pivotal element of any successful business company; the information received through this area should be continuously monitored and correct evaluation for professional development and social protection of workers. Nonetheless, owing to the fact that large amount of information which is processed in this area, the job gets harder day by day. ERP is depicted as a useful tool to assist and guide users to focus their work in direct relationship with staff, and to relate personal skills and aspirations of staff related to the companys goals and objectives. The crucial application and system of cash management helps manage your account which includes credit cards, banks and saving institutions and all these required functions are simply based in one place. The cash management applications offer making deposits, printing checks, cost of funds transfer and reconciliation of cash accounts facilities to accounting staff. Logistics and Distribution Logistics management deals with the activities related to the physical flow of goods and products, raw materials and the obtaining of materials from sales to the customers which include distribution of products and goods, storage and production. Logistics environment integration is achieved by bringing together all and every activity constituting it. Tesco distribution centres are responsible for ensuring that the goods are delivered to the stores on time. Tesco has primary and secondary distribution areas. Primary distribution has the duty of delivering the products and goods from suppliers to the Tesco depots. Secondary distribution has the job of getting products and goods from depots to Tesco stores. The team and channel of distribution is very important for Tesco operations who should try to make operations simple, cheaper and better and Tesco stores should get the right products at the right time in the right condition. Distributions are also fundamental in strategic decision making around opening new depots, and supporting the operators throughout the whole process from business case concept, through to build and opening. Level 1 business processes Tesco Retail Buying CENTRAL HEAD OFFICE Marketing Logistics Human Resource Management International Operations Non-Store Operations Property Finance Buying M Stores Suppliers Distribution Centre International = Flow of products = Flow of information Stores Customers Level 2 Business Processes Phase one of RPM Process: Understanding the needs of retail Customer Realization of requirements of new product Existing customers requirements tracking Available Information sources: Information obtained from internal sales data Information from consumer publications and suppliers Market research and Competitor analysis Phase two of RPM process: Requirements and design of product to satisfy customer needs Turning the realised need into product opportunity Mixing a few attributes to benefits customer Prescribed specifications of product qualities Phase three of RPM process Look out for a suitable Supplier Look and find a supplier that can provide, make and deliver the right product Evaluate and assess suppliers for suitability on the basis of value such as product quality, short lead time and price RPM PROCESS STAGES 4 and 5: Award the contract or Spell out order Stage 4: Place Order Detailed quantity such as packaging, size, variety, How, where and when the goods to delivered Stage 5: Assess the performance of Product for example, the sales and profits of product etc Assess supplier for on time and accurate delivery Including qualitative measures such as customer feedback Planning Logistics Warehouse capacity Location planning Scheduling Dispatching Provision of Human Resource Support Developing Human Resources information and facilities Making sure that the site is safe Supervision and management of Team Relations Administering and Planning benefits and compensation Provision of Financial Support Complete the Receivable Accounts Complete the Payable Accounts Give Financial Accounting and Controlling Support Perform Budgeting and Planning Capital Assets Planning Complete Cash Management Supervising and managing External Relations Type of BPR implementation Customer, competition and change are the three driving forces behind the ever-changing business world. Hence, companies are constantly seeking novel solutions for the problems in their businesses as of late, some established business and corporations have turned to the great solution of business process reengineering. Reengineering is critical and fundamental redesign of business processes in order to radically improve vital business measures such as speed, quality, cost, service and overall performance. BPR is not about small scale changes it is rather about radical rethinking and innovation, so BPR is not for companies desiring a 10% improvement, but for corporations and companies that expect and desire 1o fold improvement and increase. Business processes reengineering aims at the business processes and endeavours to radically redesign the strategic processes of added value which lies at the heart of business. When a company rethink what processes need to carried out in what way, then it decides up on how best that can be achieved. Reengineering targets the business processes of an organization such as the procedures and steps and resources used to make products and customer services rules which are applied to meet particular customers needs and demands. Analysis, identification, and redesign of an organizations core business processes are done by reengineering in order to obtain big improvements such as speed, quality, cost, service and overall business performance. The main motive behind BPR is the continuous implementation and development of advanced networks and information systems. Big companies are using more and more forms of technology to back up novel processes of business instead of sticking to their normal ways of carrying out work. BPR is one way of redesigning how an organizations work should be done in order to back up the organizations reduce costs and mission. BPR is not just a centralized storage system. It helps organizations pave the way for the automation of business processes based on the rules pre-defined. Business processes automation saves time, reduces costs and manual process handling time. Processes automation help eliminate human errors related to date entry for example in Excel and most manual work. ERP IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY To meet the challenges of the modern business demands and run its business economically and efficiently Tesco PLC implemented the ERP in five fundamental stages: Phase 1: The Planning Phase Tesco established the necessary information and need for the implementation of ERP systems and successful implementation and redesign phases and laid the ground work. Phase 2: The Redesign Phase During the redesign stage training was given to the BPR team was trained and followed by the method of transforming the chosen processes and applying the solutions which were recommended Phase 3: The Implementation Phase Implementation phase turned the recommendations by the team to reality by realizing the redesign goals which involved planning for, prioritizing and implementing project to realize the redesign Phase 4: The Finalization Phase Finalized training program, end-user training, readiness assessment, production system prep, finalize cutover plan, communicate cutover plan, Inform external partners as necessary Phase5: Production master data conversion, Execute cutover plan, Monitor process system usage, On-site support, Issue resolution, Communicate on-going support process Tesco applied a gradual plan to implement ERP systems by adopting the step by step approach in the organization. The well-planned methodology resulted in low cost of integration in the state of careful and meticulous implementation. The chosen approach of implementation of ERP added hugely successful rate of implementing ERP. ERP systems fundamentally play the same role in the vast range of Tescos products. These ERP systems offer functionality to company internal all complex economic processing matters and providing realistic and up-to-date and accurate picture of the economic management of the company. On the basis of an intricate and current approach for managing the flow of information in the enterprise, today ERP systems are modular, open and controlled by parameters to be easily customized to the needs of the customer. One of the ERP systems keeping the latest development and functionality standards is ORASHEI a  large system supporting company internal economic management in complexity. The system allows for keeping tally of and processing all economic agendas as management of assets, material supplies, invoicing, tax documents, business trips, buildings and facilities, and financial flows. ORASHEI facilitates operative management of organizational units, planning, budgeting and evaluating economic data, especially in relation to MIS. ERP implementation benefits to Tesco The implementation of ERP in Tesco since it is first days has been nothing but a story of success giving the business full edge of service quality, efficiency, customer satisfaction and value for money products and massive savings across all business functional areas some of which are as follows: Productivity boost through using a common and homogenized sales applications and finance and human resources systems in all operations worldwide The applications and systems are centrally managed from the Bangalore IT service centre instead of each business in every country having separate applications The entire network is using uniformly Oracle financials both in core business and in global operations and finance applications and processes are centralized and consolidated globally across the Tesco group All systems and applications including Oracle financial which is used for e-invoicing and HR software PeopleSoft and measuring budgeting targets application Terradata are centralized Isotrak is a great hosted service which provides real time vehicle tracking and precise high service levels world class data centres Providing all the 26 UK distribution centres of Tesco a single transport fleet and transport management perspective Improving driver security through the provision of a key fob panic alarm that operates in or out of the vehicle, plus the ability, through vehicle tracking, to guide a swift security response Tesco distribution system has improved quantity of products dispatched per litre of fuel used by 8 percent by using Isotrak systems, outperforming its target of a 2.5 percent increase which amounts to saving over 54,000 deliveries per annum. A common platform of technology and business processes and technology together with a standardized business processes contributes to the Tesco group to be competitive and also maintain the overseas expansion and using purchasing centralised systems and processes makes the other country productive too. Supply chain efficiency has improved with Ortecs cutting edge supply chain optimization software, there is on going improvement and making certain the supply chain works effectively and efficiently, the operations cots are cut down Learning and recommendations from Tesco Implementation Even though the implementation is top driven, it is vital to clearly communicate the need and benefits of the implementation with the employees so that they understand the worth and need and give their support It is extremely important to generate energy within the team members and creating ownership in the organization. It is important to have a top-driven implementation especially for a company that is focusing on a growth of 20-30%. It really important to gauge and decide whether to buy ERP or develop customized systems within organization and set time frame for the implementation. There has to be clear setting up of accountability and ownership in the implementation stage and a special team has to be set up for regular monitoring and control Starting the integration with the finance module has been a time tested and proven implementation strategy that works almost every time Proper training has to be given to the employees during the implementation stage and monitoring has to take place to make sure the implementation has given desired results and that the user acceptance is ensured because of the ease of access and simplicity of the process Decide on the right implementation method of the systems to avoid failure assessing the needs and requirements and business demand and size. Trial runs are very important. There has to be a proper reporting and documentation system in any organization. This can be achieved by the implementation of ERP because it automates the reporting and documentation is available in electronic media. It is important to know the total cost of ownership and identify if the implementation will produce results. ERP most of all gives a transparency in a system that facilitates overall growth and empowers the people and motivates them as they know whats happening in the organization Conclusion ERP Implementation and IT system introduction and innovation have been a steady on going process at Tesco and always lies at the heart of business processes improvement and has been a story of success and achievement whether it is been partially Tesco developed system or collaboration. ERP/BRP and IT have not only contributed to core business growth, automation and efficiency of processes in business functional areas but also saving time, money, improving quality, safety and global growth and expansion and brand name in Tescos leadership drive.