The Fundamental Challenges of Resource Allocation :: Essays Papers

The Fundamental Challenges of Resource Allocation The budget is a crucial factor in library management. Automation, continuing education, information technology, materials acquisition, personnel salaries, and public relations necessitate funding. Each of these resources is important for any library that wishes to provide excellent services to its employees and patrons. Unfortunately because of poor resource allocation, many library services are phased out or severely cut back. This directly affects the efficiency of the library and also lowers the satisfaction level of the user. There are many ways of how budgets affect a library. A prime example is in the area of personnel salaries. Oftentimes committees have been established to study and implement salary setting policies. However, it can be difficult to gauge the many factors that need to be considered when determining salary issues. Examples of these factors include experience, education qualifications such as an MLS degree or beyond, and the economic situation in the country at the time coupled with the determination of salaries based upon other library institutions (Williams, D.E.. and Garten E.D. 1999). Additionally, the budget can affect both materials acquisition and information technology in the library. The cost effectiveness of certain collections of materials should be considered. For example, government documents are often inexpensive to purchase in contrast to some journals or periodical subscriptions (Smith, D.H. 1993). One must also consider possible sources for the acquisition of materials. Budgeting needs to be taken into consideration when considering how much funding should be allocated for purchasing the material and how much reliance should be placed on donations. The efficiency and cost effectiveness of new technology must also be examined. For example one must consider automatic checkout as compared to circulation checkout. Another consideration that affects IT technology is what operating system the server will utilize to host the World Wide Web. Many libraries use UNIX based information systems to operate their client server network. Continuing education for library employees is another factor that is dependent upon the budget. Different education programs bring with them different costs. These include both money and time. When creating the budget it's important to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of each program. Public relations also are related to the budget. Certain allocations of funds need to be made by the library to market its services to the public. Visibility is important for the library so that people know where it is and what materials it has.

Race, Gender, & Mass Media

Honestly when I signed up for this class at the end of last year I was kind of looking forward to it. When I heard the name of the class I thought it would be very interesting and give me a new perspective on the world and my place in it. To me, this class will be about how the media portrays the genders and races of the world; how the advertisements we see in our everyday lives affect the way we go about them.I would like to think that I know a little bit about this subject already. I watch the news and try to stay up to date on current events. I know about the rioting in Ferguson and I think I have basic knowledge of why it's happening. The media plays a huge part in what the public sees so unless we are actually there we don't know the whole situation. In this class I hope to learn a lot more about how the media can obstruct the truth in these circumstances. I also hope to learn more about how the media portrays genders.I know it has a lot to do with gender roles, white men are se en as more dominant. I also know that women are not looked upon as equals even in 2014. The media shows women as dependent on men when in fact that is not true. There are plenty of independent and thriving women in today's society. Women are not as respected as men and they are often times paid less, offered less benefits, and discriminated simply because â€Å"they are women†. I know that in America and a lot of the world we are a society of rape culture.Women are taught not to dress specific says and to learn to defend themselves while men are not taught anything on the subject. I have seen rape Jokes on social media more than once and can't begin to understand why someone would think that something so serious is a Joke. It blows my mind that girls can be denied education because they are showing their shoulders. How can that be more important than education and why are boys not punished for looking? I hope to learn a lot more about the gender area of the media because as a woman, it affects me in my everyday life.Mass media has a huge effect on the perception of race as well. Black males are often made out to be vicious and dangerous, Mexicans are seen as dirty and poor, and no one cares enough to distinguish the different branches of Asian nationality; they are all grouped together as â€Å"Chinese† or â€Å"Japanese†. When a white person commits a crime, what the news stations air is completely different than what they would air if a person of different race committed the same crime. A huge example of this and one that I already mentioned is the riots in Ferguson.I hope that in this class I learn why inequality like this is still happening in modern day society. Basically in this class I hope to learn a lot more about the way our society sees gender and race in areas such as the media. Out of all my classes this year this is the only one I really look forward to, and not Just because my friends are in it, but because I'm interested in the content of the class. Hopefully I learn a lot this year about subjects that matter in today's society.

British Petroleum (BP): SWOT and BP Porter Five Forces Analysis †Essay

SWOT and Porter Five Forces Analysis of British Petroleum (BP)our site Sample Essay – Need Help Writing an Essay Contact us Today. Student Submitted Essays!our site Sample Essay – AbstractBP Porter Five Forces – BP Plc is one of the leading oil and gas companies in the world operating in more than 80 countries and serving close to 13 million customers. The company was ranked third in the FTSE 100 all share index ranking as at the close of 31st August, 2014 with a market capitalization of 82,093.2, million US Dollars. BP’s major strengths include strong brand recognition, massive financial capability, excellent corporate strategy, and the ability to innovate. Global reduction in the production of crude oil and natural gas, poor disaster management and inability to implement long-term regulatory mechanisms are the company’s key weaknesses. The company has the opportunity to invest in alternative energy even though it faces significant competition from key rivals such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron. BP Porters Five Forces Analysis of BP reveal low threat of new entrants and substitutes, medium bargaining power of both buyers and suppliers, and high rivalry among existing competitors. To remain competitive, the company should increase strategic investment in R&D, negotiate with governments and other firms to exploit emerging markets, rebuild its brand value and streamline its production and business operation.our site Sample Essay – IntroductionFounded in 1908, British Petroleum (BP) is one of the leading oil and gas companies in the world. The company operations in more than 80 countries, has over 83,900 employees and serves over 13 million customers globally (BP Plc, 2014). The company provides customers with oil and gas products, fuel for transportation, petrochemical products and energy for light and heat. With a market capitalization of 82,093.2, million US Dollars, BP was ranked third in the FTSE 100 al l share index ranking as at the close of 31st August, 2014 (Stock Challenge, 2012). BP’s interests and activities can be categorised into two core business segments: Refining and Marketing and Exploration and Production. The Exploration and Production segments cover upstream and midstream activities which include exploration, production, pipelining, and processing. Refining and Marketing segments cover downstream activities such as crude oil transportation, manufacturing, marketing and supply of both petrochemical and petroleum products and services (BP Plc. 2014).our site Sample Essay – BP SWOT AnalysisBP’s key strengths are its strong brand recognition and massive financial capability. Being the third largest energy company in the world, it is globally acknowledged for high quality petroleum products. Additionally, with an expected total operating cash flow of 2014 at $30 billion, the company’s strong financial position gives it the opportunity to introduce new products, develop alternative energy, and expand to new markets (Reuters, 20 14). Regarded as one of the best in the world, the company’s corporate strategy is also a notable strength. This, coupled with its strong brand loyalty, enabled it to emerge from the devastating deepwater horizon oil spill of 2010 (Reuters, 2014). The company’s ability to innovate and enter into strategic ventures with other governments and corporations in new markets is another key strength. In 2013, BP entered into a strategic alliance with both China and the US to provide alternative solar energy to a number of government agencies. A global reduction in the production of crude oil and natural gas is a key weakness of the company. Poor public image as a result of the North Alaska and deep-water oil spills also led to serious challenges for the company. Not only did it face criminal charges, it spent an estimated $42.2 billion in cleanup and compensation (Reuters, 2014). Another key weakness is its non-competitiveness in the alternative energy sector. Despite being a major player in the oil industry, majority of consumers are still unaware of the company’s involvement in alternative energy (Bamberg, 2000). The inability to implement long-term regulatory mechanism to cushion it from the highly volatile petroleum prices is also a key weakness of the company. BP’s profits and its current strong financial position present an opportunity for the company to initiate new projects. The company’s biggest opportunity is investing in alternative energy. The BP Solar Home Solutions initially introduced in New York can be expanded into other regions especially within the American and European markets. This will guarantee the company more customers who prefer the less costly solar energy. The company also has an opportunity to expand its export markets to Asia and South America. Discoveries of more oil wells and increasing prices of oil and gas are additional opportunities that the company can take advantage of (Smith, 2011). Major players in the oil and gas industry especially the Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron pose the greatest threat to BP. The implementation of environmentally unsound policy and poor management of natural disasters such as the toxic spills often disrupt the company’s operation (Bruland, 2003). Other threats include, corrosion in BP’s pipeline network, occasional refinery explosions, multiple lawsuits emanating from ecological disasters and the continued sale of BP’s corporate owned stations. Declining operations in several potential locations and the tensions associated with operating in the oil business are also potential threats (Black, 2011).our site Sample Essay – BP Porter Five Forces – AnalysisPorter (1980, p. 80) outlines the five forces model to analyze an organization’s competitiveness. These include threats of entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threats of substitutes and rivalry among e xisting competitors. The oil and gas industry in which BP operates traditionally require massive financial investments in very expensive infrastructure. Huge capital investment is necessary to cover expenses such as building pipelines, drilling wells, building access roads and acquiring land. BP has an asset value of $236.0 billion (Honnungar, 2011). Considering the cost of market entry and economies of scale in the industry, the threat of new entrance is low. There are a number of substitute products such as hydroelectricity, nuclear energy, coal, wind power and solar energy. However, most are still in the developmental phase, besides, the cost of production of substitute products is often extremely high. The importance of oil in fuelling cars, running industries and generating electricity makes it essential and useful to sectors of the economy (Ferrier, 2009). Threats of substitutes are therefore, low since alternative products are less competitive. The oil and gas industry have considerable number of suppliers ranging from private corporations to governments. There are also a number of potential buyers similar to BP. Besides, BP’s vertical integration in its operations is similar to that of its key competitors (Stiel, 2003). The bargaining power of suppliers is consequently rated as medium. The products offered by players in the oil and gas industry are often not much different from those offered by their competitors. As a result, buyers tend to choose products with either lower prices or that have better terms. On the flipside, buyers are many; hence even if a cross section chooses to use the products of their competitors, BP’s operations would not be greatly impacted. The bargaining power of buyers can therefore be regarded as medium. Finally, the oil and gas industry is dominated by huge corporations that produce a number of low differentiated products (Stiel, 2003). Key competitors such as Chevron, Total and Royal Dutch Shell have established well recognized brands with significant client base. This implies that BP and its competitors have all adapted a vertical integration of similar range of products. These factors coupled with low threats of both substitutes and new entrants make competitive rivalry high (Uph, 2010).our site Sample Essay – Conclusi on and RecommendationsBP is as a major corporation with significant financial backing that can be used to venture into alternative energy research to boost its manufacturing capacity and increase its global presence. The SWOT and Porter’s five forces analyses indicates that, the oil and gas industry’s major players are well established conglomerates with massive financial resources hence high level of competitive rivalry. The attractiveness of the industry makes both the powers of buyers and that of suppliers’ medium while the threat of substitute and new entrance low. BP should increase its strategic investment in R&D in order to maximize production and exploit new markets. It should also negotiate with governments and other firms in order to exploit emerging markets such as China. The company should also consider rebuilding its brand value thereby regaining its image adversely affected by the recent oil spill crisis (Honnungar, 2011). Finally, the company should streamline its business operations and production to gain competitive advantage over major rivals.ReferencesBamberg, J. H. (2000). British Petroleum and Global Oil: 1950-1975: The Challenge Of Nationalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bruland, K. (2003). British technology and European industrialization: the Norwegian textile Industry in the mid-nineteenth century. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. BP Plc. (2014). BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2014. BP Plc. (2014). BP at a Glance. [Online] 3 September, 2017. Available From Black, E. (2011). British petroleum and the redline agreement. Washington, DC: Dialog Press. Ferrier, R. W. (2009). The history of the British Petroleum Company. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Honnungar, V. (2011). British Petroleum Oil Spill Crisis and Aftermath Corporate Governance and Communication at BP during the disaster. Munich: GRIN Verlag Porter, M.E. (1980) Competitive Strategy, New York: Free Press. Stiel, P. (2003). British Petroleum: A Global Company in a Global World. [Online] 3 September, 2017. Available From: http://www.pstiel.de/fileadmin/pstiel.de/Download/english_globalisation.pdf Smith, N. J. (2011).The Sea of Lost Opportunity: North Sea Oil and Gas, British Industry and The Offshore Supplies Office. New York: Elsevier. Stock Challenge, (2012). FTSE All-Share Index Ranking as at Close on Fri, 31 October 2014. [Online] 3 September, 2017. Available From http://www.stockchallenge.co.uk/ftse.php Uph, C. (2010). PR Analysis of British Petroleum. New York: GRIN Verlag. Also, checkout related Essays: BHP Billiton SWOT Analysis and Porter Five Force Analysis SWOT analysis of Sainsbury’s Plc Strategic Analysis (SWOT, PESTEL, Porter) of Premier Inn (Whitbread Plc) Summary Reviewer John Review Date 2017-09-06 Reviewed Item Essay – BP SWOT and Porter Five Forces Author Rating 5

Beowulf - Analysis Of The Epic Essays - Beowulf, Geats, Free Essays

Beowulf - Analysis Of The Epic Essays - Beowulf, Geats, Free Essays Beowulf - Analysis of the Epic The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel?s mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elements in Beowulf are Wealth & Honor, Biblical & Paganistic, and Man vs. Wild themes. Many of the characters in Beowulf are, like in most epics, defined by their status. But, in addition to status, the Anglo-Saxon culture also adds an element of honor. To the Anglo-Saxons, a character?s importance, as well as their wealth and status, where measured not only in monetary terms, but it was also measured in terms of honor, fame, and accomplishments. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, is one example of the Anglo-Saxon measurement of importance in Beowulf. In Canto 1 the story teller describes his wealth and importance, not as mounds of gold or jewels, but instead as his ability to ?[lead] the Danes to such glory.? and as his tendency to ?In battle, [leave] the common pasture untouched, and taking no lives.? Through this display of compassion for the commoner who doesn?t fight in battles, Hrothgar proves the full extent of his honor and therefore the extent of his wealth and status. Beowulf, the hero-prince, also proves his true wealth and status through his deeds as defender of the Danes.. As he fights and defeats Grendel, Beowulf Earns Fame and wealth from his companions, and from the Danes, but more importantly, he earns honor raising him to the level of an archetypal hero. Grendel, on the other hand, is the total opposite of Beowulf. He has no wealth, no honor, and he in infamous as an evil killer. This lack of wealth and honor defines Grendel as a symbol of evil and corruption. In addition to using Honor and wealth to define a character?s character, the story-teller(s) have incorporated alternating Biblical and Paganistic motifs in the epic-poem. The original Epic was obviously Paganistic due to the time period of it?s creation. But, as time wore on, the rewriting and touching up of the manuscripts by various sources including religious monks, caused the characters to have slight Christian characteristics. These Christian themes have become very important to the epic to add am element of depth that wouldn?t be possible in modern times due to the lost of the Anglo-Saxon culture and beliefs. An example of the Biblical motif in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel it biblically described as evil in this excerpt: [ Grendel] was spawned in that slime, Conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever for the crime Of Abel?s death. The Almighty drove Those demons out, and their exile was bitter, Shut away from men; they split Into a thousand forms of evilspirits And feinds, goblins, monsters, giants, A brood forever opposing the Lord?s Will, and again and again defeated. The Biblical reference in the epic has become a modern day archetypal motif, and serves to give the listener an idea of the extent of Grendel?s pure evil and gives a logical explanation for Grendel?s murderous behavior. This example, not only shows the evil in Grendel?s nature, but also the torture in his heart caused by his Banishment from God. It serves to give the reader an idea of why Grendel would kill the Danes for no reason other than their happiness. Beowulf also has a religious motif to his character. One example of this is in Canto 6 line 381 in which Hrothgar states, ?Our Holy Father had sent [Beowulf] as a sign of His grace, a mark of His favor, to help us defeat Grendel and end that terror.? This religious description shows Beowulf as a sort of messiah sent by god to save man from evil. But, more than that, since Beowulf is in fact not a messiah, this description shows the good in Beowulf?s heart and the purpose of his mission. Another Biblical reference in Beowulf

2nd Grade Math Course of Study

2nd Grade Math Course of Study The following list provides you with the basic concepts that should be attained by the end of the school year. Mastery of the concepts at the previous grade is assumed. Numbers Read print numbers to 20 and locate, compare, order, represent, estimate, identify numbers to 1000 and mentally add and subtract numbers to 20Understand place value to be able to trade 10 ones for a ten, etc.Count by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s beyond 100.Locate numbers when requested to 1000Understand the reverse properties of whole numbers 57 is the same as 75Add and subtract two-digit numbers (no carrying/regrouping)Introduction to division using sharing as examplesCount by skipping numbers when requestedAdd and subtract coins up to $1.00Compute word problems with addition and subtraction, (We have 20 children in swimming class, 8 are boys, how many are girls?) Measurement Use and understand more than, less than, the same as, heavier than, lighter than, taller than etc.Measure with a variety of cups, rulers and measuring spoonsTime - hours, minutes and secondsUse the terms inches, feet, yards, centimeters, meters etc.Know the months of the year and tell time to the quarter hourUse a thermometer and count money to a dollar including being able to create different sets that equal a dollarCompare a variety of measurement tools Geometry Describe, identify, create and sort and build with shapes (squares, triangles, circles, rectangles etc.)Identify a variety of geometric shapes in everyday structuresCompare and sort 2- and 3-dimensional shapes (3-D terms include sphere, prism cones etc.)Extend and make patterns with shapesDetermine lines of symmetry, flips, slides, turns, and transformations of shapesDescribe locations on a grid - up four and over two etc. Algebra/Patterning Identify, describe, reorganize and extend patterns with more than one attributeGive specific rules about patterns for numbers, shapes, pictures, and objectsIdentify and describe patterns in the world around us (wallpaper, paint etc) Probability Use graphs to record number of pets, hair color temperature with 1 and 2 attributesDesign or construct bar graphs and include pertinent informationInterpret a variety of picture and bar graphs and give explanationsInvestigate what happens when coins are flipped and die are rolled All Grades Pre-K Kdg. Gr. 1 Gr. 2 Gr. 3 Gr. 4 Gr. 5 Gr. 6 Gr. 7 Gr. 8 Gr. 9 Gr. 10 Gr.11 Gr. 12

Same sex mariage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Same sex mariage - Research Paper Example Marriage is an essential part of the life of any person. Some of the main reasons why people marry each other include the need for financial stability, emotional understanding, the need for love, and a birth of children. Out of all these factors, emotional understanding holds the central place in maintaining a perfect marital relationship. Love and care are also the key factors that play a valuable role in creating and maintaining affectionate feelings in the minds of people. Although same sex marriages are not considered acceptable among religious and social groups in many parts of the world, this concept has found its base in many countries. For example, if we talk about the United States of America, we can say that the government believes in an individual freedom. Although the common belief is that marriage is a sacred relationship, which involves individuals from opposite genders, the concept of existence of such relationships between the members of the same genders has also star ted to influence the minds of many critics of same-sex marriages. It is due to this fact that the government of the United States has legalized same-sex marriages in many states. Some of those states include Massachusetts, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and Connecticut (Doskow n.pag.). The courts of these states have declared that marriage is a basic human right, and gays and lesbians are also entitled to gain the benefits of this right (Cahill 4). Here, an important and recent development in this regard is that the French government has also legitimized same sex marriages a couple of days ago. â€Å"France has become the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage† (Chrisafis 1). However, the truth is that although the government has legalized same-sex marriages, but the majority of the US population does not regard the living status of same-sex couples. They do not consider same-sex marriages good for the society. Let us now discuss some of the main issues relate d to the same-sex marriage. One of the main issues that homosexual couples usually face is criticism from the supporters of traditional family systems. The supporters of traditional family systems believe that a proper family is essential for the existence and development of a society. They believe that men are made for women and women for men, and that only the members of opposite genders can form and run a family system. They think that lesbian and gay couples deteriorate the foundations of the family system, because they can neither completely fulfill the sexual desires of each other nor they can give birth to babies, which is essential for the development of a society. They also say that same-sex marriages result in decreasing the available work force for a country because of their inability to produce children. Another issue that same sex couples face is the discouraging behavior of other members of the society. Generally, people do not encourage same sex marriages because they think that people do same-sex marriages just to fulfill their illegal sexual desires instead of making a sacred relationship. This is the reason why most of the people dislike same-sex marriages and raise a voice against them. The result is not good for same-sex couples because they cannot live freely in the society. They also undergo a hard struggle in order to find a respectable place in the society. Religious institutions also promote marriages between the members of op

Clinical Ethics and Ethical Theories Assignment

Clinical Ethics and Ethical Theories - Assignment Example It has three components, namely (a) the key clientele which are elder residents (b) its contribution which is health care, and (c ) distinction which is serving the unique or distinct needs of residents. Needless to say, a mission statement need to be internalized by all health providers in the organization. Unfortunately, however, as in the case with many organizations even in other professional fields, mission statements are emblazoned in marble or metal print outside or inside edifices of organizations, but hardly internalized. Thus, in findings of professional accreditation by duly-authorized accrediting agencies, mission statements are not even in the conscious awareness of company people, being more aware of functions, not a mission. Correctly, the mission forms the standards of behaviour that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on.â₠¬ (Santa Clara University). In Revera Living, awareness of a formal mission statement which reflects the ethical principles of the organization’s pioneering founders is a reality. ... Integrity pervades the organization in all kinds of interactions for health care from the administrative to the clinical interrelationships. Compassion springs from the Christian culture of the organization wherein the least is regarded with no less care and attention. Excellence refers to the quality of services and is carried through from top administrators at the meso level to the lower echelon health providers at the micro level. On a macro basis, the excellence exuded by Revera Living is aptly demonstrated by the respect given by the state and the community for the residential organization, thereby ensuring it continued public and community support. Taken together, the core values as a framework give evidence of balance and harmony in all the domains of performance. Pointedly asked â€Å"performance of what, and to what ends? Such a question is well addressed in the case of the organization concerned (Onyebuchi, 2011). . Today, the successful experience and expansion of Revera Living to be today since 1996 a leader in Canada and places in the United States bear out the proof of an ethical framework translated into practical social reality. In truth, an ethical framework has turned into an ethical system based on feelings, religion, law, accepted social practice, or science.† (Santa Clara University). The Residents Council and the Family Council at Revera Living further demonstrate that the core of the organization, namely the resident elders and their families equally concretize ethical practice. The Residents’ Council empowers residents along autonomy to determine health care and living conditions. Supporting this internal council is the Family Council in