Nigeria as a Nation Essay Example for Free

Nigeria as a Nation Essay Nigeria as a democratic country like every other nation needs the media to drive or sustain good governance and engender national development. But the media often regarded as the fourth estate of the realm have an enormous task to accomplish this role as the watchdog of the society. The task or role of the media has to a large extent not been effectively accomplished. It is important here to state that the primary role of the media in any given society is to inform, educate and entertain. This was encapsulated by Nwabueze (1982) when he stated that, â€Å"the media enable corruption, abuse of office and other wrongdoing by public servants to be publicly exposed†. Apart from these traditional functions, the media perform other sophisticated roles, such as surveillance, agenda-setting through persuasion and status conferral. This was stressed by Tony Momoh (1988) when he said that â€Å"the duty of the press in Nigeria is to monitor governance†. You can agree with me that these functions cannot be carried out without an enabling environment. In Nigeria and other African countries, the media operate under a very harsh condition. For instance, about 80% of journalists in Nigeria do not earn salaries, not to talk of attractive wages. The few that are privileged to work in government media establishments receive salaries that are not commensurate with their work, Ukpabi (2001). Other problems like uncooperative attitude of officials in the public and private organizations in volunteering information to the media. Public/civil servants often hide under the Secret Act to deny journalists information even if such information is of public interest. Despite the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill into law, journalists and indeed the general public are still finding it difficult to access information in Nigeria. This has confirmed the fears expressed by Dr John Idumange on 8th March, 2013 while delivering a lecture on Journalism Practice And The Constitutional Demands On Journalists-An X-ray Of The FOI Act during the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) Port Harcourt Annual Lecture Series. Dr Idumange captured it thus, â€Å"virtually all government information in Nigeria are classified as top secret. This culture of secrecy will make it difficult to get information from any Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA)†. This is further complicated by the introduction of brown envelope in journalism practice in the country. Brown envelope could be defined as a kind of gratification given to journalists after a media coverage by the organizers of such events, either to influence them or get favourable reports. This new found culture has actually dealt a terrible blow on the independence and the effectiveness of the journalists in performing their duties as the watchdog of the society. How do you reconcile a situation where a news source gives a journalist bribe (brown envelope) at the end of a media assignment? What kind of report do you expect from that journalist? The brown envelope syndrome has resulted to every Dick and Harry becoming publishers because they believe that reporters will bring back money from the proceeds of the brown envelope at the end of every assignment. All the so-called publishers now do is to issue the reporters with identity cards often referred to as â€Å"meal-tickets† to fend for themselves and even feed the publishers. Toure (1996). The consequence of this is the emergence of quackery in the journalism profession. In Nigeria today, everybody that has a note-pad and a pen on his hands can parade himself as a journalist. No wonder the journalism profession is fast sliding into an all- comers affair and pathetically the regulatory bodies, such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)and the Nigerian Press Council are not doing anything to check the ugly trend. Apart from the aforementioned problems, other challenges like exclusion or discrimination of journalists from private sector by government ministries from attending their events, thereby creating room for speculation, as these private journalists resort to reporting government activities from the outside. This of course is not in the best interest of ministries, journalists and the society. This research will attempt to trace the genesis of these hiccups, especially the brown envelope syndrome as they affect the role of Nigerian media in contributing to national development. Attempt will also be made in this study to suggest or find solution to the myriad of problems confronting media practice in Nigeria. The overall goal is to ensure that the media discharge their duties effectively as the watchdog of the society and major contributor to national development. 1. 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The media are said to have a role that is often described as indispensable in shaping the society and by so doing directing the people. The media ensure that people are treated fairly, social control is in place and roles are shared equitably, thereby contributing to the national development of the country. It is the duty of the mass media to inform and educate the people on the realities of the environment to enable them take appropriate and informed decisions. It is one thing to have the role and yet another thing to perform it. There are so many factors that affect the performance of this role of the media. For instance, the media require a conducive atmosphere to perform this duty. But it is an open secret that the atmosphere with which the media operate in Nigeria is far from being comfortable. Ukpabi (2001). Nigeria like every other country requires a vibrant press to make headway. It is often said that the press, just like the court is the hope of the common man and indeed the entire society. The question now is under what conditions have the media in Nigeria performed this statutory duty? This study will attempt to x-ray the roles of the media in Nigeria in national development. How they have faired in performing that duty. The effect of brown envelope on the media and the extent it has militated against the goals of contributing to national development. Attempts will be made in this study to suggest ways of limiting or eradicating the effects of this cankerworm called brown envelope. The aim is to see that the media live up to expectation as the watchdog of the society and pacesetter in engendering national development. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The negative effect of brown envelope syndrome does not allow the media contribute to national development in Nigeria. This study seeks to trace the genesis and causes of â€Å"this encroachment† and recommend ways of tackling the problem. In other words, attempts will be made in this study to suggest ways of ending brown envelope syndrome in journalism practice in Nigeria. The media no doubt control all aspects of our lives, locally, nationally and internationally. Therefore, there is an inter-relationship between the people and the media. The media dictate to the people what they read and hear and by extension how they behave. The public is therefore sharpened by the information from the media. The public has so depended on the media that it is generally believed that the society will be dead without the media. This was examined by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw (1972/1973) when they emphasized that â€Å"the mass media has the ability to mentally order or organize the world for the people†. Daramola (2003) also corroborated this by stating that â€Å"the agenda-setting theory is of the view that the media often present to the audience certain basic socio-political and economic issues that dominate popular discussion and debate even at interpersonal level at some period of their history†. For the media to live up to this responsibility, a favourable atmosphere must be put in place. As the media contribute their quota to the wellbeing of the society, it is expected that the people reciprocate by cooperating fully with the media. Nigeria is a complex country like every other nation; this complexity has also robbed off on the media in the country. Ownership and control, censorship, editorial policy, intimidation, imposition by authorities, ban, seizure of printed materials, incarceration ,proscription of media houses, obnoxious laws, lack of subvention and motivation are some of the numerous problems confronting media practice in Nigeria, which no media organization wishes to operate in. These challenges have hampered the performance of journalists in the country and given birth to the hydra-headed monster of brown envelope or gratification before a journalist could perform his duties. Therefore, this study seeks to know the effect of brown envelope syndrome on the role of the media in national development. 1. 3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study are as follows: 1 To determine the roles of the media in national development. 2 To trace the cause and effect of brown envelope on the media. 3 To determine the contributory effects of brown envelope syndrome on the media against national development. 4 To ascertain make ways of ending the menace (brown envelope). 1. 4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1 What are the roles of the media in national development in Nigeria? 2 What are the causes and effects of brown envelope on the media in Nigeria? 3 To what extent has this brown envelope syndrome militated against the media from contributing to national development? 5 How do we end the brown envelope syndrome in journalism profession in Nigeria? 1. 5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study of this topic, called Role of the Nigerian Media in National Development and the Effects of Brown Envelope Syndrome is significant in that the contribution of the Nigerian media to national development would be ascertained. The origin and effect of brown envelope on Nigerian media will also be established, with a view to exterminating the menace in journalism practice in Nigeria. The overall goal is to enthrone a more efficient and responsible media in Nigeria that would effectively play their statutory role as the watchdog of the society. 1. 6 DELIMITATION/LIMITATION OF THE STUDY Due to the fact that the resources available for this study was limited, coupled with the time frame allocated to complete this study, this research was restricted to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. 1. 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS MEDIA: Communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data are disseminated. ROLE: Part, duty or function performed to achieve a task. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: The process of growth in all spheres of human endeavor within a national boundary over a period. EFFECT: Outcome or result of something on another. BROWN ENVELOPE: Kind of gratification given to journalists after a media function to either influence their report or appreciate them. 1. 8 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Agenda Setting Theory: The Agenda-Setting Theory was propounded by Maxwell McCombs and Donald L. Shaw in 1972/1973). The thrust of the theory is that the mass media have â€Å"the ability to mentally order or organize the world for the people,† Daramola (2003). Proponents of the agenda-setting theory were of the opinion that the media often present to the audience certain basic socio-political and economic issues that dominate popular discussion and debate even at inter-personal level at any given period in their history. For instance, the mass media can focus on an issue daily, thereby drawing the attention of the audience to the matter. Currently in Nigeria, the mass media have gradually focused on the need for the convocation of Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to determine the continued existence of Nigeria as a nation. No wonder the Senate President, David Mark few weeks ago threw his weight behind the call and just on October 1st, 2013 during the 53rd independent anniversary of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan constituted a committee to that effect, thereby confirming the power of the agenda-setting theory of the media. Since the media is the basic source of information for an average person on the street and it is generally believed that what the media report or focus on is important. The media through the agenda-setting function influence or control the thought of the people. Whatever the media focus on becomes what dominates public discussion. No wonder Combs and Shaw (1976) stated that the â€Å"media emphasis on the event that influences the audience to see the event as important†¦ media not only inform us, but also influence us as to what is important to know. † Cohen (1963) also emphasized that the agenda-setting power of the media is not particularly successful in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about. † The era of militancy in the Niger Delta lent credence to the agenda-setting power of the media when they drew the attention of the entire world to the region. It is often argued that the militancy was overblown beyond proportion by the media, thereby making it more important than anything else. The recent face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi was ( is) a case in point, when the media again displayed and are still displaying their power of dictating to the people what to think and discuss about. The state pardon granted the former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieseyegha also falls among the incidents where the media commanded the attention of the public or audience to their dictate. This work will look at the extent this agenda-setting power of the media has contributed to national development in Nigeria. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 0CODE OF ETHICS FOR NIGERIAN JOURNALISTS According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary ethic is system of moral principles, rules of conduct. While chambers Dictionary defines ethics as the study of right and wrong. Code of ethics for Nigerian journalists took the front burner on March 20th 1998 when the Nigerian Press Council organized a forum in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital and formally ratified the new (current) code for Nigerian journalists. Code according to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary is collection of laws arranged in a system or system of rules and principles that has been accepted by society or a class or a group of people. The Ilorin declaration came on the heels of Decree No. 85 of 1992 as contained in the Nigerian Press Council, where eligibility criteria for entry into and practice of journalism in Nigeria were spelt out. The essence is to ensure that journalists adhere to high ethical standards and professionalism, bearing in mind that their jobs entail high degree of public trust. Delegates at the said forum affirmed and declared as follows: That we: ACCEPT the imperative of a Code of Ethics as a vital pillar of journalism and the necessity for the application of ethics to enhance standards; AFFIRM that self-regulation through a Code of Ethics and other structures drawn up by professionals would best serve the interest of both the profession and the public; ENJOIN the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria to ensure the implementation of the eligibility criteria for entry into and practice of journalism in Nigeria, as contained in the Nigerian Press Council Decree No 85 of 1992; PLEDGE to abide by the Code of Ethics and to promote the observance of its provisions by all journalists; and URGE the Nigerian Press Council to collaborate with the Nigerian Press Organization to publicize the Code of Ethics for the benefit of the press and the public, and ensure compliance with its provisions hereafter. PREAMBLE Journalism entails a high degree of public trust. To earn and maintain this trust, it is morally imperative for every journalist and every news medium to observe the highest professional and ethical standards. In the exercise of these duties, a journalist should always have a healthy regard for the public interest. Truth is the cornerstone of journalism and every journalist should strive diligently to ascertain the truth of every event. Conscious of the responsibilities and duties of journalists as purveyors of information, we, Nigerian journalists, give to ourselves this Code of Ethics. It is the duty of every journalist to observe its provisions as follows: 1. EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE Decisions concerning the content of news should be the responsibility of a professional journalist. 2. ACCURACY AND FAIRNESS i. The public has a right to know. Factual, accurate, balanced and fair reporting is the ultimate objective of good journalism and the basis of earning public trust and confidence. ii. A journalist should refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information. Where such information has been inadvertently published, prompt correction should be made. A journalist must hold the right of reply as a cardinal rule of practice. iii. In the course of his duties a journalist should strive to separate facts from conjecture and comment. 3. PRIVACY As a general rule, a journalist should respect the privacy of individuals and their families unless it affects the public interest. A. Information on the private life of an individual or his family should only be published if it impinges on public interest. B. Publishing of such information about an individual as mentioned above should be deemed justifiable only if it is directed at: i. Exposing crime or serious misdemeanour; ii. Exposing anti-social conduct; iii. Protecting public health, morality and safety; iv. Preventing the public from being misled by some statement or action of the individual concerned. 4. PRIVILEGE / NON-DISCLOSURE i. A journalist should observe the universally accepted principle of confidentiality and should not disclose the source of information obtained in confidence. ii. A journalist should not breach an agreement with a source of information obtained as â€Å"off-the-record† or as â€Å"background information. † 5. DECENCY i. A journalist should dress and comport himself in a manner that conforms with public taste. ii. A journalist should refrain from using offensive, abusive or vulgar language. iii. A journalist should not present lurid details, either in words or picture, of violence, sexual acts, abhorrent or horrid scenes. iv. In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries should be carried out and approaches made with sympathy and discretion. v. Unless it is in the furtherance of the public’s right to know, a journalist should generally avoid identifying relatives or friends of persons convicted or accused of crime. 6. DISCRIMINATION A journalist should refrain form making pejorative reference to a person’s ethnic group, religion, sex, or to any physical or mental illness or handicap. 7. REWARD AND GRATIFICATION i. A journalist should neither solicit nor accept bribes, gratifications or patronage to suppress or publish information. ii. To demand payment for the publication of news is inimical to the notion of news as a fair, accurate, unbiased and factual report of an event. 8. VIOLENCE A journalist should not present or report acts of violence, armed robberies, terrorist activities or vulgar display of wealth in a manner that glorifies such acts in the eyes of the public. 9. CHILDREN AND MINORS A journalist should not identify, either by name or picture, or interview children under the age of 16 who are involved in cases concerning sexual offences, crimes and rituals or witchcraft either as victims, witnesses or defendants. 10. ACCESS OF INFORMATION A journalist should strive to employ open and honest means in the gathering of information. Exceptional methods may be employed only when the public interest is at stake. 11. PUBLIC INTEREST A journalist should strive to enhance national unity and public good. 12. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY A journalist should promote universal principles of human rights, democracy, justice, equity, peace and international understanding. 13. PLAGIARISM A journalist should not copy, wholesale or in part, other people’s work without attribution and/or consent. 14. COPYRIGHT i. Where a journalist reproduces a work, be it in print, broadcast, art work or design, proper acknowledgement should be accorded the author. ii. A journalist should abide by all rules of copyright, established by national and international laws and conventions. 15. PRESS FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY A journalist should strive at all times to enhance press freedom and responsibility. 2. 1Instances Of Unethical Practices In Journalism Sensationalism in writing by journalists is one of the instances of unethical practices in journalism. A situation where a journalist deviates from the truth for reasons best known to him is to say the least unethical. In the course of sensationalizing the story, the journalist exaggerates and distorts the facts, which leads to misinforming the public. Nyamnjoh (1996). This kind of practice is not only wrong, but inimical to the growth of sound journalism practice in the country. Libel is another instance of unethical practice. A libelous publication is a publication either in print or electronic media that defames the image of a person or corporate body. It is an outright falsehood on a person’s image deliberately done by a journalist for selfish interest. Sedition is yet another unethical practice in journalism practice in the world today. It is an act of using publication or broadcast to incite the public against the government. This is unethical by all ramifications. Accepting gratifications of any kind by a journalist to publish story against his conscience is unethical and should be condemned by all well-meaning persons. Name-calling in journalistic reportage is to say the least unethical. Some journalists for reasons best known to them call people names such as thief, fraudsters, coward, amongst others without any evidence. Soola (1996). This is unethical and unprofessional and should be discouraged by all well-meaning Nigerians. 2. 2Primary Causes Of Unethical Practices In Journalism To be unethical simply means to act unprofessionally. Many factors have been adduced as causes of unethical practices in Journalism, especially in Nigeria. First is lack of welfare for practicing journalists in Rivers State and in Nigeria. It is an open secret today that most journalists practice or operate under unfriendly welfare package. In fact, seven out of every ten journalists practicing, in Nigeria are either not paid or paid peanuts as salaries. This unfavourable working condition no doubt affects the judgment of the journalists in the discharge of their duties. Most journalists especially from the private (independent) media organizations are not paid salaries at all, not to talk of being paid well. Some that are employed have no retirement benefits, as their counterparts in the other sectors. Cole (1995). This kind of engagement has bred poverty in the entire system. A hungry man they say is an angry man. Journalists, who fall under this unfortunate category, helplessly and easily fall prey to unethical practices just to survive. Quackery has also crept into journalism practice in the country. Though not peculiar with journalism, but for the fact that the regulatory bodies of the media tend to be weak or are not living up to expectation, quacks capitalize on this weakness to infiltrate the rank and file of journalism practitioners to commit all sorts of crimes which in most cases are blamed on journalists. The major problem here is that since the regulatory bodies, such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Nigerian Press Council have not been able to effectively regulate journalism practice in the country, mostly as it concerns mode of employment for journalists and standards to be adhered to by private publishers, ethics of journalism practice now becomes difficult. What you now have are bunch of people who parade themselves as journalists when they are really not and of course lawlessness and unethical practice now become the order of the day. Anyakora Potiskum (1996). Other factors include uncooperative attitude of people placed in authorities to volunteer information for journalists when sought. This has created room for speculations, when the required information are not given to journalists. Again, the deliberate attempt by government and its agents to exclude the private sector journalists from their functions, result to journalists reporting government activities as outsiders, thereby speculating or at times sensationalizing virtually everything concerning government. The deliberate effort of government at all levels to impoverish journalists through unfavourable policies that are inimical to journalism practice in the country, for example the media is constitutionally regarded as the Fourth Estate of The Realm, which makes it the fourth arm of government, but while the other three arms, the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary enjoy budgetary provisions, the press is allowed to wallow in poverty. The flimsy reason often adduced for this utter neglect is that the pen is already too powerful and therefore if the press enjoys financial support, it will trample on other arms of government. Toure (1996). 2. 3Role of the Nigerian Media In National Development National Development as has earlier been defined is the process of growth in all facets of human endeavors within a national boundary over a given period. The role of the Nigerian media in national development like any other media globally revolves around its primary functions of informing, educating and entertaining the populace or better still mass audience. The media role in national development comes through development communication, which centres on persuading target audience in adopting the right attitude towards actualizing development plan in the country. In doing that, the development media theory as espoused by Combs and Shaw (1972) that drives the agenda setting theory comes to play. This states that the media tell us not what to think, but what to think about. What this means is that the importance the media place on an issue, determines the level of attention the audience give such issue. The essence of this agenda setting theory is that though the media may not completely change ones point of view, on a particular issue, but it tends to change his perception of what is good. The power of the media in influencing issues is seen as importance instrument in national developmental policies. The role of Nigerian media in national development cannot be over emphasized. Right from 1914 when the Northern and Southern protectorates were amalgamated by the colonial government, the media have been playing a pivotal role in national development in Nigeria. Since the primary role of the media is to inform, educate and entertain, they also use these functions to persuade the people on the need to embark on certain processes that can engender national development. In addition to these basic functions of the media, also comes their persuasive role. This persuasive role enables the media to influence the society towards a particular direction. And in most cases the people are driven towards contributing to national development. According to Nwabueze (2003), the media also chart a course for the public in line with the agenda setting theory, thereby creating in the minds of the people issues that should be viewed as priority issues, including development programmes and policies. Example of such roles are the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) and Vision 20; 2020 in line with United Nations, which has been domesticated by countries, including Nigeria. The Nigerian media have been in the fore-front of sensitization of the people against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To the credit of the media in the country, the rate of spread of HIV/AIDS has reduced drastically. The media in Nigeria have tried to contain the negative impact of the Boko Haram insurgence as it borders on the country’s national image. This is evident on the way foreign media perceive and report the Boko Haram insurgence saga. The idea is to play down on the effect of the security challenge and promote national development. On the political sphere, the recent Nigeria Governor’s Forum election that almost metamorphosed into a national crisis has been contained by the role of the media. That is, the Nigerian media have been careful in reporting the controversial election in order not to heat up the polity. In short, it is the diplomatic way the media handled the situation through their reportage that sustained the prevailing peace in the country. The latest is the People’s Democratic Party split. Being mindful of the sensitive nature of the matter, the media have been careful on reporting it. The ultimate goal is to ensure that national development is not disrupted. 2. 4Origin of Brown Envelope In Nigerian Journalism Practice Brown envelope which can be defined as gratification given to a journalist to obtain favourable report. The brown is said to have started in Nigeria during the Second Republic (1979-1983) when journalists started demanding brown envelope as a condition for conducting interview Uko (2004). The ignoble act was allegedly started by government press who claimed that their salaries were low. This soon spread to the entire journalism practice and has now become the rule. A survey conducted by LICADHO (2008) showed that journalists tried to justify the brown envelope act and went ahead to argue that it does not affect their professional judgment (report). Ukpabi (2001) in his study on the same issue revealed that only 30 % of Nigerian journalists believe that bribe no matter the type should not be taken. In other words, brown envelope syndrome was generally accepted and embraced by majority of journalists in Nigeria since then. A random survey on brown envelope syndrome in the world shows that the practice is in vogue in virtually every part of Africa and Asia, except South Africa. Brown is however said to be forbidden in the United States of America, where journalists would not even allow a news source to buy them a cup of coffee. 2. 5Effect Of Brown Envelope On Journalism Practice In Nigeria Brown envelope syndrome has really dealt a terrible blow on the integrity of journalists in Nigeria to the extent that journalists now relegate objectivity in reporting to the background and instead play up bias and subjectivity in their news stories. This has paved way for mediocrity in the entire process. Brown envelope forces journalists to abandon the ethical practice for selfish interests. The result is that Nigerian journalists can no longer compete favourably with their counterparts in the western countries or even in South Africa where Brown envelope has no place in their journalism practice. Brown envelope syndrome has therefore dwarfed Nigerian journalists from international competition. The independence of the media or freedom of the press has suffered a great setback as a result of brown envelope. It has become difficult or even impossible to separate the journalists from news sources because of the brown envelope attachment. The situation has become so bad that journalists now relegate their function of informing, educating and entertaining the public to promoting public relations goals. The brown envelope syndrome has brought about neglect in news from the rural communities. It is assumed that every news story attracts brown envelope and most well to- do news sources that can afford brown envelope live in urban cities, therefore the journalists do not have any business reporting happenings in the rural areas, since the sources of such news are basically poor. The implication is that the rural communities remain unreported in the present dispensation. Another effect of brown envelope is that journalists in Nigeria have shunned investigative news stories and concentrated more on events and press briefings where brown envelopes are guaranteed. This of course has almost eroded the essence of the media as the watchdog of the society.

Comparison The Lovely Bones and The Liars Club

Comparison The Lovely Bones and The Liars Club In this term paper I will compare two books that I really liked: The lovely bones and The liars club. I decided to write about them, because I believe that both stories are very similar and very well written. I also think that the authors of these books are admirable women who have struggled with life, society and family. For this reason, I consider important to compare the two books. I will start to write about the lovely bones. At the beginning, I did not want to finish reading the book, because it is a hard story that talks about the raping of a little girl. Therefore, I felt so angry and frustrating. But then I understood that I had to continue reading the book if I wanted to know the meaning of it. The point of view of the lovely bones is first person and it is narrated by Susie Salmon, the girl that was horribly raped and murdered by her neighbor. The entire story is about the grief that the Salmon family is experimenting after Susies death. However, there was a member of the family who suffered the most: Susies father, Jack Salmon. This man loved her daughter so much that when he knew that she was killed, life became a hell for him. As a result, his marriage was very affected and his wife cheated on him. I found a quote that explains the relationship between Susie and her father: His own father had taught him how to build ships in bottles. They were something my mother, sister, and brother couldnt care less about. It was something I adored. The den was full of them. He would call me in whenever he was ready (Sebold, Alice p, 45) Unlike her siblings, Susie enjoyed her fathers hobby. This man loved to build ships in bottles, because his father taught him how to do them. So, he shared this hobby with their children, but the only one who liked and care about it was Susie because she had a very strong relationship with her father. Therefore, when she passed away his father Jack wanted to die. On the other hand, Mary Karr in her book The liars club showed that her relationship with her father was very special and unique. For example, she mentioned that he used to be a very lovely father with her and her sister and that even though he was many years in the war, when he came back home he always wanted to spend time with his family. However, Marys father did not have a good relationship with the rest of the family, because his mother in law did not like him and as a result, his marriage was falling apart. This quote explains the situation he was living: Mother threatened divorce a lot of times, and Daddys response to it was usually a kind of patient eye-rolling. He never spoke of divorce as a n option. If I asked him worried questions about a particularly nasty fight, hed just say I shouldnt talk bad about my mother, as if even suggesting they might split up insulted her somehow (Karr, Mary pa, 35) As we can see, Marys father did not want to get divorce maybe because he wanted to be with her two children. Moreover, he said to Mary that even though he had conflicts with his wife, she had to love her mother no matter what. I think this man showed that he was a good husband and a good father since he always asked Mary to respect her mother. This case is very similar to the conflict that Susies parents had in the book The lovely bones. As we know, when Susie died, all the family struggled with the fact that she was not longer with them. Each of them faced Susies death differently. The father, for example, was obsessed to find the killer, the sister Lindsay did not want to talk about it, the brother was very innocent to realize that her sister had passed away and the mother decided to cheat on her husband to relieve the pain. I said before that Susies father and Marys were similar because both men were married with women whot, from my point of view, did not care about their children . Marys mother cared only about herself. She just wanted to have fun and get another husband that is why she went on a trip with his Latin-American boyfriend and left her children. Susies mother did the same thing when she decided to move to another state in order to be alone and deal with her daughters death. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIBLINGS I believe that in the two books that I decided to compare, the relationship between siblings is one of the most important topics. In this part of my term paper, I will compare Susies relationship with her brother and sister and Mary Karr relationship with her sister Lecia. Susie Salmon had one brother called Buckley and one sister called Lindsay. The tree of them were very closed and cared very much about each other. There is a quote in the book The lovely bones where Susie says that once she saved her brothers life. a three-year-old Buckley had swallowed it. Buckley was choking, his body bucking, and I carried him with Nate trailing into the garage, where my fathers precious Mustang sat. I put Buckley in the back and grabbed and grabbed the keys from the unused terra-cotta pots where my father hid them. I sped all the way to the hospital. if the hadnt been there, the doctor later told my mother you would have lost your little boy (Sebold, Alice p, 93,94) As the quote explains, Susie saved her brother because she loved him very much. She also had the courage to do it since many people would not dare to do what Susie did. Susie loved Buckley so much that she did not think about anything but to safe her little brother. Later in the book, this strong connection is demonstrated when in one of the chapters, Buckley said to his dad that Susie touched his cheek and that he felt that Susie was seeing them from heaven. Susie also got along well with her sister Lindsay. Both girls enjoyed being together, not only because they were sisters but also because they were the same age. As a result, when Lindsay knew that her sister was dead, she did not want to talk about this tragic event to anybody. For me, it is very understandable the way that Lindsay felt. Some people like her deal with death by being quite and reserved. Some others share their feelings in order to release their pain. But what really cares is to remember the people who we love. Now, the author of The liars club also had a good relationship with her sister Lecia. These two girls suffered a lot not only because they had many problems in their home, but also because they have an alcoholic mother and a hysterical grandmother. I found a quote that explains their relationship: Lecia and I both behaved like savages at any opportunity. When she was only twelve, Lecia could beat the dogshit out of any neighbor boy up to the age of fifteen. For my part, I can remember standing behind the drainage ditch in our yard cussing Carol Sharp for bloodying my nose (Karr, Mary pa, 40) In this quote, Mary Karr explains that she used to play pranks with her sister and that thought she had problems in home, she tried to forget them by playing with Lecia. From my point of view, it is very difficult to live you life normally when you know that your family is hurting each other. For this reason, I admired Mary Karr very much, because she tried to forget all her problems. Unfortunately, when you are a child, all these family conflicts affect you and the only thing that you can do about it is to move on with your life just as Mary Karr did. On the other hand, I also believe that she was conscious about her family problems, but she could not do anything about it. I can not imagine what it feels like to live with a family that is full of traumas and that does not care about you. For example, Mary Karrs grand mother was a bitter woman who did not love their grand children and who lived in the past. That is why Mary Karr did not suffer when her grand mother passed away. Inste ad, she felt relieved and free. Susie Salmon also had a special grand mother, but unlike Marys she was a good person who loved their grand children very much. This woman was an alcoholic but she took cared of their grand children while her daughter Abigail decided to move to another state. These two women were so different, but as any human being they have many flaws. Now, in the next pages of my paper I will talk about the role of the mothers in the two books The lovely bones and The liars club THE ROLE OF A MOTHER IN A FAMILY It is well known that a mother represents many important things in a family. She is the one who takes care of her children, because she has a protective instinct that a father does not have. For this reason, it is unbelievable for me to understand why Susies mother abandoned their children in order to forget her dead daughter. I can understand that it is very painful to lose your daughter, but by abandoning your other children you are not going to resolve anything. Now, I also comprehend that as human beings we need to have our space, because is our right. But when you have a family like Susies mother you also have to think about them. Another thing that also surprised me was that Susies mother cheated on her husband. Even now I can not understand what she did that. There is a very good quote that explains Abigails attitude according to Susies point of view: Len kissed her forehead hard and closed his eyes. She took his hand and placed it on her breast. She whispered in his ear. I knew what was happening. Her rage, her loss, her despair. The whole life lost tumbling out in an arc on that roof, clogging up her being. She needed Len to drive the dead daughter out (Sebold, Alice p, 152) This woman desired to forget her daughters death by cheating on her husband. She thought that her pain was going to disappear if she transferred all his sorrow in another person, but I think that is not the correct way to resolve our problems. She could have gone to a therapist or talking to her husband about Susies death. Infidelity is something that I can not comprehend. Unfortunately, Abigails infidelity did not bring Susie back. Instead, this deception caused Abigail more pain and more remorse to her life. At the end of the book, we know that Abigail returned with her family because Jack had a heart attack, but we never knew if she stayed again with them or if she decided to be brave enough in order to tell her husband that she had cheated on him with Len Fenerman. In the book The liars club Mary Karr explained that her mother was always worried about herself, just exactly like Susies mother. You might think that I am judging these women very hard, but I just can not understand why they behaved that way with their children. I mean, when you decide to have children is because you know that you have to take care of them, yet there are some mothers that do the opposite thing. Mary Karrs mother for example, tried to be a good mother, but I feel that she had a very hard background that did not allow her to live her life peacefully. Even Mary Karr recognized that when she finished her book, it was very hard for her mother to read it. At the same time, Mary said that she was very supportive when the book was done. Another thing that it was hard to assimilate for Mary and her sister Lecia was to live with their stepfather Hector. He constantly had arguments with Marys mother and they did not have a good relationship. There is a quote that explains this situation: Other nights were occupied with Mother and Hector fighting. The litany of his innate low-lifedness got seared into skull during this time. Hector was a pussy, was her main gripe. Also, he lacked gainful employment, which meant Mother accused him of sponging off her all the time. As this quote explains, Marys stepfather did not support his wife economically. Therefore, Marys mother argued with him and had many conflicts. Plus, he was an alcoholic who was worried more about drinking than about taking care of his wife, his house and his stepdaughters. When I think about the problems that Mary had to deal with, I really felt sorry for her. She was only a child when her parents got divorce and when he had to accept a new father figure. I can see Marys life like a quest. During her childhood, she lived so many bad things that made her stronger, but at the same time made her more vulnerable. In order to conclude this term paper in the next to pages, I will talk about the most difficult topic in both books: raping. The reason why I decided to write about it at the end, was because I want to reflect about how raping can change your life. TWO GIRLS WHO LOST THEIR INNOCENCE The books that I decided to compare in this term paper talk about a very hard topic: raping. In the lovely bones, the main character Susie Salmon was horribly raped and killed by her neighbor Mr. Harvey. This story is fiction, but the author of it was raped in real life. For that reason, she wrote this book. As we know, Susie Salmon was a fourteen year old girl who had a normal life and who wanted to fell in love for the first time. Unfortunately, all of her dreams were destroyed by a disgusting and despicable man named Mr. Harvey. He took away Susies innocence when he raped her. After this, he decided to kill her so she could not accuse him of anything. But Susie was not dead in a one hundred percent, because her spirit went to heaven. She saw her family and her killer from there. She saw all the pain that Mr. Harvey had caused after he killed her. But she also saw that her family got over her death and moved on. Here is a quote in which Susie explains her raping: Mr. Harvey made me lie still underneath him and listen to the beating of his heart and the beating of mine. How mine skipped like a rabbit, and how thudded, a hammer against cloth. We lay there with our bodies touching, and, as I shook, a powerful knowledge took hold. He had done this thing to me and I had lived. (Sebold, Alice p, 14) The only thing that I can say about this quote is that I can not imagine what this girl felt in that moment. For me, it is very difficult to understand how these criminals can exist. I mean, this man took advantage of a child who was not big or strong enough to defend herself. Killing a person is horrible, but killing a kid who is weak and innocent is the most despicable act in the world. From my point of view, Mr. Harvey was a scum of the earth who did not deserve to be alive, because she also killed other children. All of them were girls that had a life, dreams and hopes for the future. But this killer ruined their lives and left sorrow in their families. Finally, in the book The Liars club Mary Karr narrates that she was raped, when she was a little girl. This event changed her life and her perspective about the world. The quote says: He pulled me off my shorts and underwear and threw them in the corner in a ball, over where I knew there could be spiders. He pushed down his pants and put my hand on his thing, which was unlike any of the boys joke about hot dogs and garden hoses. It was hard as wood and felt big around and felt big around as my arm. He wrapped both my hands around it, and showed me how to slide them up and down (Karr, Mary p, 66) When I read this fragment of the book, I really felt so angry and frustrated. I can to imagine the desperation that Mary Karr experimented. She as Alice Sebold experienced how it felt to be raped and humiliated by a man. But at the same time this horrible experience made them successful and brave. So, my conclusion for this term paper is the following: every person forms his character based on his personal experiences. As a consequence, in life we can follow two paths: the one that is related with hate, vengeance and sadness and the one that is connected with love, success and hopes. I believe that the authors of the books that I compared followed the second path, because they decided to heal their emotional wounds in order to move on. That is a lesson that all human beings should learn. Nobody said that life is easy. Nobody said that life is pink color. However, god made us strong to achieve any objective that we have. He made us intelligent to understand that life is something that is full of bad and good moments. For this reason, these two authors, Alice Sebold and Mary Karr succeed when they decided to tell their stories to the world. They had a lot of pain in their lives, but they also decided to cure their traumas to move on and have a good life.

Wave- book review :: essays research papers

A BOOK REVIEW of The Wave by Morton Rhue This story, based on a true incident that occurred in a high school in California, demonstrates how easily a group can lose its freedom without even realising it. It all began when their history teacher, Mr. Ben Ross, let them watch a movie on how the Nazis in World War 2 tortured the people who opposed them. To give them a clearer picture, he decided to them in the situation itself. He then introduced an organisation, The Wave, and its motto, â€Å"Strength through discipline, Strength through community and strength through action.† A salute was also introduced to make them feel like a unit, where everyone would be equal. This was most rewarding to their class’ loser, Robert Billings, as the other students often picked on him. As many as two hundred pupils in the school became part of it after Mr. Ross had encouraged his students to recruit more members. The sudden change from a bunch of unruly students to disciplined ones was remarkable. However, a Jewish boy was beaten up in school but Wave members for refusing to participate in its activities. This was followed by a letter by a junior student complaining of threats by his seniors, who were Wave members. Matters became more serious when Robert offered to be Mr. Ross’ bodyguard, and the school football team had incorporated the Wave to improve their team spirit and attitude. Despite their hard work, they still lost 42 to 6. These were printed in the school paper, ‘the Grapevine’, condemning the Wave as a dangerous and mindless movement that suppressed freedom of speech and thought and ran against everything the country was founded on. Mr. Ross finally decided to end this, after incessant persuasion from his wife and two of his students, ‘the Grapevine’ Editor-in-chief Laurie Saunders and her boyfriend David, an ex Wave member. Mr. Ross invited all the Wave members to a rally and gave a speech, at the same time, showing them the same movie the seniors had watched on their first History lesson. He reproached them by saying that they had turned their superiority over non-Wave members.

An Orange Juice Label as a Microcosm of Society Essay -- Exploratory

An Orange Juice Label as a Microcosm of Society One facet of Herbert von Hundstein's theory of universality is that all components of culture, from obvious propaganda campaigns to written notes exchanged on refrigerator doors, are meaningful and representative of society as a whole. Von Hundstein writes in Kultur ist Alle; Alle ist Kultur, The most mundane may also be the most significant, for is our culture any less forgotten in the private conversations of two lovers? Culture does not exist in a vacuum: it permeates all like oxygen, and for that reason anything in existence is a product of its culture. (34) Therefore, a parking ticket, office memo, and orange juice packaging are all representations of culture. It is the orange juice label that concerns us here, and its promotion of ambiguity, assumptions of the audience's supineness, and reliance on other texts. The word "minute" has multiple meanings, as does "maid," and thus "minute maid" is infinitely problematic. Are we to assume that the "maid," an unmarried girl or woman, is only a maid for a minute? After those sixty seconds, is her virginity gone? If this is the intended reading, being the primary denotations for both words, then should this company really be selling orange juice and not sex toys? Examining the phrase "minute maid" from a grammatical viewpoint, we could easily extrapolate that "minute" here serves as an adjective, modifying "maid," and thus means "a very small" maid. Perhaps virgin dwarfs create orange juice. The company presumes to convey a quickness created through the additional services of an assistant, a maid making a laborious process go by in a minute; however, that reading is only one of many possible. During the 2000 preside... ... cause orange juice labels to be less ambiguous, assumptive, and intertextual in the future. Let us not oversimplify and assume that one orange juice label does not matter, that the simple commands "shake well before enjoying" simply fall on blind ears and deaf ears. As von Hundstein states, this orange juice label contains a microcosm of society: within its directives lie the problems and successes of society. The orange juice label thus serves as a litmus test of American culture in general, and we can determine that American culture requires a fairly informed populace used to interpreting assumptions and intertextuality to avoid problematic ambiguity. Works Cited Minute Maid. "Orange Juice Label." Packaging on product purchased 27 Apr. 2001. Von Hundstein, Herbert. Kulture ist Alle: Alle ist Kulture. Trans. Gary Boyle. Dresden: U of Dresden P, 1994.

Prokaryotes :: science

Prokaryotes Abstract/Summary: Changing our focus from the properties and functions that take place within the cell to the actual cell itself, we observed three specific bacterial types within this lab: Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and cyanobacteria. We closely observed the features of cyanobacteria and were able to differentiate them from other bacteria. We specifically observed gloeocapsa, merismopedia, anabaena, and oscillatoria. In addition to this we observed the different characteristics of prokaryotic organisms referring to size, form, color, elevation and texture, which helped us to understand the diversity of these cell types in the kingdom Monera. Through culturing samples from both the toilet and our own mouths, we were able to observe Gram-negative bacteria. We also sketched our two examples of Gram-negative bacteria. Though we failed to observe Gram-positive bacteria, this may have been due to our sampling and staining procedure. Because of the concentration of the sample towards the center, bacteria within this region are hard to see under oil immersion microscopy. If Gram-positive bacteria had been present, it was covered by layers of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria making it extremely difficult to differentiate while viewing under a light microscope. Introduction: Most of the experiments thus far in this laboratory have covered many of the functions carried out within the cell such as enzyme activity, photosynthesis, reproduction, and genetics. This experiment gave us a chance to examine the overall single prokaryotic cell in its entirety instead of just the functions it can carry out. We will encounter 4 groups under the kingdom Monera: archaeobacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and Mycoplasms. We will also examine the diversity of prokaryotic cell types. For example some are pathogenic, causing diseases, while other are saprophytic, breaking down organic material, and further still some bacteria are autotrophs, making their own food through photosynthesis or chemiosmosis (Lab Manual, 2001). We will also examine the characteristics of these prokaryotic organisms such as the visible size, form, color, elevation, and texture of a colony or colonies. To get detailed observations of these various organisms we will view their occurrence through the culturing of samples by adding microbes onto a sterile medium within Petri dishes and allowing them to multiply. Finally we will also examine the features of cyanobacteria that distinguish them from other bacteria, and their role in nature. Materials/Methods: First examine the plates prepared in the previous week and observe as many of your other classmates plates as possible.

Organizational Changes

In the past organizations have been faced with problems of change due to the introduction of new information technologies as the internet .Organizational change occurs when an organization desires to change its overall strategies for achieving its goals, when it wants to add or remove some sections of the organization and when it wants to change its way of operating its business.The leaders and managers are given the responsibility of implementing change in the organizations, but there have been cases where some have failed to carry out their activities because of their own selfish interests, lack of knowledge or ignorance on their part, although some leaders have carried out their activities effectively. It is difficult to implement changes in the organizations but with the good structured programs the organization can effectively implement its changes.In times of change people in organization rarely accept change because it will affect them in one way or another, thus a manager one needs to know how people are empowered in their organization so that they can utilize the skills of all employees in the organization.   Ã‚  People resist change because of individual fears, denial and anger the organization should accept the weaknesses of the workers and they should counsel them since it is at this particular time they require help so that they can accept themselves and assist them to perform as required. In cases where there are the employees are resisting changes at all circumstances they should be given other duties to perform.In the case of politics and prose bookstore in Washington D.C of Barbara Meade and Carla Cohen they owed the business but they decided to hire an independent manager known as Danny Gainsburg to run the business. The management failed to recognize the fact that employees who had worked in the organization were supposed to be empowered so that they could carry out the task of running the management but the management employed a different person this led to conflicts.The management should have empowered its own employees in to the organization since they had acquired  the necessary skill to run the business.   With the appointment of Mr. Danny Gainsburg as an entrepreneur in to the organization was a big threat to the organization since he had his own way of running the organization since he was not previously employed in the organization.When employees are empowered they are able to accomplish the tasks that they are assigned to do since they are given the powers and authority to do their tasks as they have been asked to do and this gives them the motivation to pursue their jobs effectively.Another factor that would   lead to the process of implementing the changes of the business the employees are   practices such as flexible job assignment in terms jobs rotations or flexible schedules this provides employees with a better overview of the organization and gives them the opportunity to improve and training w ould give employees a better understanding of the techniques used and potentially increase their capacity to deal with problems incentive pays such as line incentives, power sharing and bonuses would be used to reward the employees.For change to be made effective the top management must support the change process they must provide workshop, extra time, resources, and training to the employees so as to enable change to be implemented effectively in the organization. The top management must also train, coach, and manage the process they can accomplish this by re-arranging workloads, and allowing other workers to take part in the change process. The workers must be motivated by giving them staff leaves, overtime pays, and they must be encouraged to view work so that they can effectively achieve their goals.The organization must create a conducive environment for the workers so that they can accomplish their tasks these includes allowing them to correct their mistakes and punishing thos e who need to be punished since they have been known to resist change. The organizations needs to evaluate update and periodically improve its policies, procedures, plans, communication methods, new technologies, values, performance appraisals so that it can conform to what its expected to do and this can result in better results for the organization. http://www.managementhelp.org/misc/reqrs-for successful-change.pdf  Ms Meade and Ms Cohen should have communicated the changes of organization and this would have ensured that the employees were made aware of their tasks in the organization thus be able to achieve the objectives of the organization and the task of implementing the changes of the organization.At the time when the management informed the staff about the appointment of Mr. Gains burg in to the organization the appointment was appreciated because the employees were prepared to receive him although other people did not accept him since he didn’t have the necessary experience of carrying his activities. For Gainsburg to have learnt how to deal with the problems of the organization, he set standards that would ensure that he interacted properly with the employees, had an understanding of the duties and roles of the employees and this eliminated chances of getting a negative response from them.Ms Meade and Ms Cohen move to sell the organization without the employees knowledge was a wrong move since the employees should have been informed about the move so that they could prepare themselves adequately for the change since this would mean that they would lose jobs since a new management would bring in new employees in the organization.In course of doing business the organization realized high sales from its competitor the Barnes and noble Inc and borders group inc they said their success was attributed from having their staff being motivated, having the staff with the right skills and knowledge of doing their business and the employees being charg ed with the responsibility of handling all matters of the organization and this factors made the employees work effectively. Ms Meade and Ms Cohen should have motivated, chosen the right personnel in to the organization so that they would carry out their activities effectively and this would have boosted the performance of the company tremendously.The management decision to employ Mr. Gainsburg as a partner in to the organization was unexpected because he spend most of his time with owners of the business hence he acquired the knowledge of how the business was being run thus he became the manager of the organization. Under Mr. Gainsburg leaderships in these bookstores he brought changes since he had acquired the experience to run the business, he ensured changes were implemented effectively and he informed the employees about the all that was to be done. The duties and roles of the employees were defined thus he was able to carry out his task effectively.The other reason why Mr. Gai nsburg could have succeeded in running the business is that he had employees who worked as a team and did their work effectively and this lead to the businesses success.  He had personal attributes that lead to the success of the business such as he was ready to take the risk of taking up a business that was not performing; he was humble since he took time to learn the business. He was aggressive as he listened to the criticism of others and he accepted new ideas of operating the business and thus was able to take the opportunities that the business had this led to the successful implementations of the organizationMr. Danny Gains burg learnt   ideas that enabled him   achieve its objectives these were: he established the analyzes of competition and identified the problem of the organization and he led the team to change, he created a vision for the organization which acted as a guide on how the business was to be led, he communicated the vision, strategies and the expected beh avior of the employees towards the job, he identified people who could implement change and he ensured that the changes became part of the organizational culture for long-term transformation and growth.The success of the organizations performance was as a result of the new management being given the authority to carry out its activities independently with no interference of the other departments, the management gave the employees the rights of doing their business and also trained the staff on the right mechanisms of carrying out the business and a better environment for the business was created which enhanced quality results for the organization.In order to improve productivity in to the organizations employees must benefit financially from their contribution. This means that the employees must be motivated so that they can produce good results for the organization; they must be given incentives as good pay job security, job flexibility and leisure periods.   Ã‚  The members of t he organization should be enlightened on the need for change because people resist changes in the organization because of fear of the unknown, the inadequacy to deal with change and they fear the effect that change will have on their jobs.For the organization to successful implement changes in the organization it must implement plans that consist of activities that can make change in the organization to be effective. The plans can include creating or modifying structures and processes in the organization, loading, training and enforcement of new policies and procedures must be carried out so as to ensure that the changes can be implemented effectively.Organizational change efforts should be geared towards improving the performance of the organization and the people of the organization. There are tools know as system thinking and system theory this can enable an employee to explore, understand and communicate about the progress of change process effectively. An employee needs to unde rstand himself, his biases and know he manages feedback and conflict and how he makes decision so that he can be able to interact with the other people in the organization and can bring about good results to the organization. Change agents should be honest in their work and they should set good principles that will promote the successful implementation of change process.The organizational barriers that an organization faces are when the staff of organizations other neglects their obligations .In other circumstances change can’t be accomplished because the top officials fail to recognize and to manage the workers who contribute to the development of the organization the workers.Another factor that would lead to the process of implementing the changes of the business the employees are practices such as flexible job assignment in terms jobs rotations or flexible schedules this provides employees with a better overview of the organization and gives them the opportunity to improve and training would give employees a better understanding of the techniques used and potentially increase theirThe management may fail to explain the importance of change to the organization failure to provide information, failure of the employees to consult when they are encountered with problems failure of the employees to negotiate with other staff and failure of the employees to relate properly with other colleagues in the organization and failure of the top management to build trust and a sense of security to their officials   thus the employees may not have the know how of conducting their businesses. The top officials may ignore the ideas of the other junior staff since they fear that they will be intimidated by their juniors.In most cases change efforts fail because the managers fail to recognize that the way employees behave in different ways thus dealing with their behaviors can be a difficult task thus the management must be trained on the effective methods of implement ing changes in the organization,Due to changes that have occurred in the organization   the managers must properly structure their policies in the areas such in the rules and procedures of the organization,rewardsystems ,corporate identities and career planning programs .The management should at all times consult the experts when they implementing changes in the organization .The employees should change their attitude about how they conduct their activities so they can allow decisions of the organization to be implemented effectively.

Uses of Computer in Field of Business Essay

Computer in business: Information Technology (IT) has played a very significant role in taking business to new height. Before computers, the time taken to complete a task was more and however as computer started to be used in business establishments, the processing of work got more stabilized. Some of its uses in the field of business are given below: Keeping records: Computer programs such as QuickBooks and other accounting programs to allow business to keep detailed records. These programs track accounts payable, accounts receivable and sales. They also provide a easy and quick way for a business to send invoices to customers and handle payroll functions. Back office productivity and accuracy can increase greatly when using an accounting program. Budgeting and Forecasting : Computers can be used to prepare budgets and corporate forecasts, inexpensive accounting programs allow even people with limited computer knowledge to develop detailed budgets that will help to keep the company on track. They can also be used to forecasts future sales and business expansions. Spreadsheet program such as excel can also be used for budgeting and forecasting. Inventory Control and Management: Inventory control and management Is a crucial process , especially in establishments related to retail and production, such as details of good, goods coming in distribution of stock and storage details. Preparing Marketing Documents: There are wide varieties of programs that allow businesses to easily prepare dynamic marketing documents. Word for documentation, Spreadsheets for storing large data, Adobe Photoshop provides eye catching customs. E- Commerce: E commerce(electronic commerce) describes the buying, selling and exchanging of products services and information via computer networks there are many applications of e commerce such as: Electronic mail: A service of transporting text messages, videos and audios from one computer to another via internet. Electronic shopping: it allows businesses and internet users to buy goods and services at home, form work and from anywhere in the world. Electronic banking: it helps businesses for transmission of cash from home or on the road using online banking instead of physical bank location Research: The business can use the internet to search its competitors, products and prices by studying their websites. they can also get glimpse on how costumers view their own products by reading their costumer reviews on different websites. Communication: Communication is key when gaining and maintaining clients and other important contacts. Computers give businesses access to email, instant messaging and custom customer contact systems. Computerized phone systems allow for automated support during off hours and a virtual operator can quickly direct callers to the correct department for faster support. Marketing : Computers allow businesses to create websites, stunning ads and complete marketing campaigns. Marketing videos can be edited and custom ads created in-house with the use of specialized software. Businesses can completely develop and manage websites with their own servers or connect remotely to a third-party business to upload their latest content such as articles, product images and blog posts. Storage: Instead of filing cabinets, businesses are able to store millions of files using computers and servers. Data can be stored centrally for easy access from multiple computers or stored locally for individual use. Computerized storage saves space and provides a far more efficient organization strategy. With encryption, passwords and replace keys, data  remains secure. Social issues with the use of computer Computer technology has made several important impacts on our society. Today computer is playing very important role in every field of life. But with thos rapid increase the social issues arising from it are also increasing day by day. Some of its positive issues are given below: Use of computer in a positive way : Business: Today, in global markets, it is impossible to run the business without the use of computer technology.  Many business activities are performed very quickly and  efficiently by using computers. The administrative  paperwork is also reduced by using computers. Many  business use websites to sell their products and contact  their customers. Education: Computers are used in teaching and research. The students can solve different kinds of problems quickly and efficiently by using computers. They can also collect different information on the Internet. Bank: Computers are widely used in banks. They are used in banks for record keeping and maintaining accounts of customers. Most of the banks provide the facility of ATMs. The customers can draw money through ATM card from any branch of that bank (or another bank) at any time of a day. Entertainment: Computers are also playing very important role for the entertainment of human beings. Nowadays, computer can be used to watch television programs on the Internet. People can also watch movies, listen music, and play games on the computer. Many computer games and other entertainment materials of different kinds are available on the Internet. Medical: Nearly every area of the medical field uses computers. For example, computers are used for maintaining patient history & other records. They are also used for patient monitoring and diagnosis of diseases etc. Using Computers In negative Ways: New technology brings with it new opportunities for crime, but in many ways, computers and computer networks have left many open doors for criminal to enter. Some of them are given below: Software theft Software theft costs the software industry an estimated $12 billion a year. Users have an opinion on the ethics of copying software that does not match the publishers and it is not always certain where the law stands on this around the world. Companies are not sure whether copyrights or patents is the best way to protect intellectual property and several look and feel cases have left the issues unresolved.The large question is how to protect intellectual property right without stifling creativity overall. Hacking: Attacks by hackers and computer viruses have cost computer operators a great deal of time and money. Hackers have: broken into computer systems to change exam results (and sometimes grades), disrupted 911 systems, hacked into US military computers sold stolen data to the KGB and blackmailed London banks into hiring them as â€Å"security consultants.† Viruses: Viruses have erased file, damaged disks, and shut down computer systems. The most infamous virus is the Internet worm started by Robert Morris in 1998, tying up 6000 computer systems nationwide. While some people think that hackers are guardians of civil liberties, most legal systems view them as trespassers and vandals. Privacy: Safeguarding privacy in a modern society where so much information about us is public is extremely difficult if not impossible. There have been data disasters involving mistaken identities, data mix-ups, and doctored data which adversely affect people’s lives, including driving and credit records. Aggravating the problem are the issues of calling number identification (CNID or Caller ID) monitoring of e-mail, and data marketing.