Essay --

Attention all teens! As summer vacation is just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about where the best place to spend your escape from every day life. Choosing the proper hotspot is critical, as it will set the tone for the summer. Today’s world is full of extravagant geographical features with a variety of options to spend your time within them. There is a variety of options to choose from: such as the tropical island of Aruba, the mountainous Mammoth Mountain, the incredible Munich, Germany, the beautiful Californian city of San Francisco, or the glorious island of Maui. If you choose one of these hotspots, summer vacation has the potential to be unforgettable, every year. The Mediterranean Island of Aruba To start off, the Mediterranean island of Aruba tops most lists of hot spots. When choosing Aruba, it is essential to have knowledge of the type of clothing and materials to pack. Aruba can be described in one word, paradise. When thinking about paradise, it is important to pack bathing suits, sunscreen, and other beach items. When it comes to nightlife, it is key to bring relaxing, comforting clothing to enjoy a casual, pleasant, beachside dinner. The beautiful island is full of oceanic activities, such as snorkeling or scuba diving. However, if relaxation is what you are looking for, exploring the marvels of Arikok National Park is a pleasing selection. Arikok National Park is filled with Aruban rattlesnakes, parakeets, and other distinctive animals. With this in mind, it is wise to stay clear of this popular tourist spot if animals are not your forte. Picking Aruba as a destination is wise because it is perfect for a romantic getaway, but also a perfect, â€Å"cool† hots pot to hang out at with your friends. Mamm... ... will give you a fun, relaxing, and an all around perfect time. Although heading to Hawaii is found to be a typical summer vacation, the activities it provides vary and make it easy to make your vacation far from a typical hotspot. To conclude, finding any old place to spend summer vacation is not difficult. However, picking the perfect hotspot may take serious deciding. Whether it is the island of Aruba, Mammoth Mountain, Munich, San Francisco, or Maui†¦ spending your time at these hotspots will make you never want to leave the summertime. The wide variety of things to do, and audiences welcome in these hotspots provide a perfect place for everyone. There is no reason to not pick one of these 5 places; they are THAT amazing. Which spot will you choose? No matter what city you decide on, summer vacation will me unforgettable, as long as you pick a proper hot spot.

Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services

Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services Maria Delos Angeles Mora HCA460 Research Methods in Health and Human Services Professor TyKeysha Boone April 22, 2013 Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services In this competitive health care environment, consumers want and expect better health care services and hospital systems are concerned about maintaining their overall image. There is also attention to ways in which patient satisfaction measurement can be integrated into an overall measure of clinical quality. As lots of information is available to be used in a hypothetical evaluation.The American Red Cross is my selection due to that I worked with them for several years as a voluntary and telephonic representative to answer incoming calls that needed to be checked for different parts of the United States and commonwealth territories. The fundamental Principles of the Global Red Cross Network are based on humanity- the Red Cross, born of a desire t o bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavors-in its international and national capacity-to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation lasting peace amongst all peoples, impartiality-it makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress, neutrality- In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Red Cross may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or deological nature, independence-since the Red Cross is considered is independent. The national societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their govern ments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with Red Cross principles, voluntary service-is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain, unity-is there is a Red Cross society in any one country no one can be turned out as it may be open to all.It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory, and universality-as the Red Cross is a worldwide institution in which all societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other. In the continuing effort to improve human service programs, funders, policymakers, and service providers are increasingly recognizing the importance of rigorous program evaluations. They want to know what the programs accomplish, what they cost, and how they should be operated to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness.They want to know which programs work for which groups, and t hey want conclusions based on evidence, rather than testimonials and impassioned pleas. This paper lays out, for the non-technician, the basic principles of program evaluation design. It signals common pitfalls, identifies constraints that need to be considered, and presents ideas for solving potential problems. These principles are general and can be applied to a wide range of human service programs.We illustrate these principles here with examples from programs for vulnerable children and youth. Evaluation of these programs is particularly challenging because they address a wide diversity of problems and possible solutions, often include multiple agencies and clients, and change over time to meet shifting service needs. It is very important to follow the steps in selecting the Appropriate Evaluation Design. The first step in the process of selecting an evaluation design is to clarify the questions that need to be answered.The next step is to develop a logic model that lays out the expected causal linkages between the program (and program components) and the program goals. Without tracing these anticipated links it is impossible to interpret the evaluation evidence that is collected. The third step is to review the program to assess its readiness for evaluation. These three steps can be done at the same time or in overlapping stages. Clarifying the Evaluation Questions is a design of any evaluation begins by defining the audience for the evaluation findings, what they need to know, and when.The questions used are determine which of the following four major types of evaluation should be chosen such as: The Impact evaluations focus on questions of causality. Did the program have its intended effects? If so, who was helped and what activities or characteristics of the program created the impact? Did the program have any unintended consequences, positive or negative? How performance monitoring does provides information on key aspects of how a system or program is operating and the extent to which specified program objectives are being attained (e. g. numbers of youth served compared to target goals, reductions in school dropouts compared to target goals). Results are used by service providers, funders, and policymakers to assess the program's performance and accomplishments. Process evaluations answer questions about how the program operates and document the procedures and activities undertaken in service delivery. Such evaluations help identify problems faced in delivering services and strategies for overcoming these problems. They are useful to practitioners and service providers in replicating or adapting program strategies.Cost evaluations address how much the program or program components cost, preferably in relation to alternative uses of the same resources and to the benefits being produced by the program. In the current fiscal environment, programs must expect to defend their costs against alternative uses. As the comprehensive eval uation will include all these activities. Sometimes, however, the questions raised, the target audience for findings, or the available resources limit the evaluation focus to one or two of these activities.Whether to provide preliminary evaluations to staff for use in improving program operations and developing additional services is an issue that needs to be faced. Preliminary results can be effectively used to identify operational problems and develop the capacity of program staff to conduct their own ongoing evaluation and monitoring activities (Connell, J. P. , Kubisch, A. C. , Schorr, L. B. , and Weiss, C. H. (1995). But this use of evaluation findings, called formative evaluations, presents a challenge to evaluators who are faced with the much more ifficult task of estimating the impact of an evolving intervention. When the program itself is continuing to change, measuring impact requires ongoing measurement of the types and level of service provided. The danger in formative e valuations is that the line between program operations and assessment will be blurred. The extra effort and resources required for impact analysis in formative evaluations has to be measured against the potential gains to the program from ongoing improvements and the greater usefulness of the final evaluation findings.Performance monitoring involves identification and collection of specific data on program outputs, outcomes, and accomplishments. Although they may measure subjective factors such as client satisfaction, the data are numeric, consisting of frequency counts, statistical averages, ratios, or percentages. Output measures reflect internal activities: the amount of work done within the program or organization. Outcome measures (immediate and longer term) reflect progress towards program goals. Often the same measurements (e. g. number/percent of youth who stopped or reduced substance abuse) may be used for performance monitoring and impact evaluation. However, unlike impact evaluation, performance monitoring does not make any rigorous effort to determine whether these were caused by program efforts or by other external events. The way that we are looking at Design Variations is when programs are operating in a number of communities, the sites are likely to vary in mission, structure, the nature and extent of project implementation, primary clients/targets, and timeliness.They may offer somewhat different sets of services, or have identified somewhat different goals. In such situations, it is advisable to construct a â€Å"core† set of performance measures to be used by all, and to supplement these with â€Å"local† performance indicators that reflect differences. For example, some youth programs will collect detailed data on youth school performance, including grades, attendance, and disciplinary actions, while others will simply have data on promotion to the next grade or whether the youth is still enrolled or has dropped out.A multi-sc hool performance monitoring system might require data on promotion and enrollment for all schools, and specify more detailed or specialized indicators on attendance or disciplinary actions for one or a subset of schools to use in their own performance monitoring. Another look is at the Considerations/Limitations when selecting performance indicators, evaluators and service providers need it is important to consider: The relevance of potential measures to the mission/objective of the local program or national initiative. The comprehensiveness of the set of measures. The program's control over the factor being measured.The validity of the measure and the reliability and accuracy of the measure, feasibility of collecting the data. How much effort and money is required to generate each measure? Practical Issues. The set of performance indicators should be simple, limited to a few key indicators of priority outcomes. Too many indicators burden the data collection and analysis and make it less likely that managers will understand and use reported information. Regular measurement, ideally quarterly, is important so that the system provides the information in time to make shifts in program operations and to capture changes over time.However, pressures for timely reporting should not be allowed to sacrifice data quality. For the performance monitoring to take place in a reliable and timely way, the evaluation should include adequate support and plans for training and technical assistance for data collection. Routine quality control procedures should be established to check on data entry accuracy and missing information. At the point of analysis, procedures for verifying trends should be in place, particularly if the results are unexpected. The costs of performance monitoring are modest relative to impact evaluations, but still vary widely depending on the data used.Most performance indicator data come from records maintained by service providers. The added expense invo lves regularly collecting and analyzing these records, as well as preparing and disseminating reports to those concerned. This is typically a part-time work assignment for a supervisor within the agency. The expense will be greater if client satisfaction surveys are used to measure outcomes. An outside survey organization may be required for a large-scale survey of past clients; alternatively, a self-administered exit questionnaire can be given to clients at the end of services.In either case, the assistance of professional researchers is needed in preparing data sets, analyses, and reports. Process Analysis key element in process analysis is a systematic, focused plan for collecting data to: (1) determine whatever the program model is being implemented as specified and, if not, how operations differ from those initially planned; (2) identify unintended consequences and unanticipated outcomes; and (3) understand the program from the perspectives of staff, participants, and the commu nity.The design variation is the systemic procedure used to collect data for process evaluation often include case studies, focus groups, and ethnography. As strong pressures demonstrates program impacts dictates making evaluation activities a required and intrinsic part of program activities from the start. At the very least, evaluation activities should include performance monitoring.The collection and analysis of data on program progress and process builds the capacity for self-evaluation and contributes to good program management and efforts to obtain support for program continuation-for example, when the funding is serving as â€Å"seed† money for a program that is intended, if successful, to continue under local sponsorship. Performance monitoring can be extended to non-experimental evaluation with additional analysis of program records and/or client surveys. These evaluation activities may be conducted either by program staff with research training or by an independent evaluator.In either case, training and technical assistance to support program evaluation efforts will be needed to maintain data quality and assist in appropriate analysis and use of the findings. There are several strong arguments for evaluation designs that go further in documenting program impact. Only experimental or quasi-experimental designs provide convincing evidence that program funds are well invested, and that the program is making a real difference to the well-being of the population served. These evaluations need to be conducted by experienced researchers and supported by adequate budgets.A good strategy may be implementing small-scale programs to test alternative models of service delivery in settings that will allow a stronger impact evaluation design than is possible in a large scale, national program. Often program evaluation should proceed in stages. The first year of program operations can be devoted to process studies and performance monitoring, the information from which can serve as a basis for more extensive evaluation efforts once operations are running smoothly. Finally, planning to obtain support for the evaluation at every level-community, program staff, agency leadership and funder-should be extensive.Each of these has a stake in the results. Each should have a voice in planning. And each should perceive clear benefits from the results. Only in this way will the results be acknowledged as valid and actually used for program improvement. Reference Connell, J. P. , Kubisch, A. C. , Schorr, L. B. , and Weiss, C. H. (1995) New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives: Concepts, Methods, and Contexts. Washington, DC: The Aspen Institute. Ellickson, P. L. , Bell, R. M. , and McGuigan, K. (1993) â€Å"Preventing Adolescent Drug Use: Long- Term Results of a Junior High School Program. American Journal of Public Health 83(6): 856-861. Engle, R-F and Granger, CW. J. (1987) â€Å"Cointegration and Error Correction: Representation, Es timation and Testing. † Retrieved from: Econometrica 55: 25 1-276. Evaluation Strategies for Human Service Programs. Retrieved from http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/BJA/evaluation/guide/documents/evaluation_strategies. html#p 6. Heckman, J. J. (1979) â€Å"Sample Selection Bias as a Specification Error. † Econometrica 47:153-162. IRB Forum. Retrieved from www. irbforum. rg. Joreskog, K. G. (1977) â€Å"Structural Equation Models in the Social Sciences. † In P. R. Krishnaiah (ed. ), Applications of Statistics, 265-287. Amsterdam: North-Holland; Bryk, A. S. and Raudenbush, S. W. (1992) Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Meta- Analysis Techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Kalbfleish, J. D. , and Prentice, K. L. (1980) the Statistical Analysis of Failure Time Data. New York: Wiley. Kumpfer, K. L, Shur, G. H. , Ross, J. H. , Bunnell, K. K. , Librett, J. J. and Milward, A. R. 1993) Measurements in Prevention: A Manual on Selecting and Using Instruments to Evaluate P revention Programs. Retrieved from: Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, (SMA) 93-2041. Monette, Duane R. , Thomas J. Sullivan, Cornell R. DeJong. Applied Social Research: A Tool for the Human Services, 8th Edition. Wadsworth, 2014-03-11. . MREL Appendix A. Retrieved from: http://www. ecs. org/html/educationIssues/Research/primer/appendixA. asp. Program Evaluation 101: A Workshop. Retrieved from: http://aetcnec. ucsf. edu/evaluation/pacific_evaluation%5B1%5D. ppt.

Demographic Trends of Gun Ownership in the US

The perception of who owns guns in the U.S. is heavily shaped by stereotypes perpetuated by news media, film, and television. The armed black man (or boy) is one of the most pervasive images in our media culture, but the image of the armed white southerner, the military veteran, and the hunter are common too. The results of a 2014 Pew Research Center survey revealed that while some of these stereotypes hold true, others are way off the mark, and possibly quite damaging in their mischaracterization. 1 in 3 Americans Live in a Home With Guns Pews survey, which included 3,243 participants from across the country, found that just over a third of all American adults have guns in their homes. The rate of gun ownership is slightly higher for men than for women, and fairly even across the nation, with the exception of the northeast, where just 27 percent have them, as compared with 34 percent in the west, 35 percent in the midwest, and 38 percent in the south.  Pew also found similar rates of ownership among those with children in the home and those without -- about a third across the board. Thats where the general trends end and significant differences emerge around other variables and characteristics. Some of them may surprise you. Older, Rural, and Republican Americans Are More Likely to Own Guns The study found that gun ownership is highest among those over 50 years of age (40 percent) and lowest among young adults  (26 percent), while ownership among middle-aged adults mimics the overall trend. At 51 percent, gun ownership is far more likely among rural residents than all others and lowest in urban areas (25 percent). Its also far more likely among those who affiliate with the Republican party (49 percent) than among those who are Independents (37 percent) or Democrats (22 percent). Ownership by ideology -- conservative, moderate, and liberal -- shows the same distribution. White People Are Twice as Likely to Own Guns Than Blacks and Hispanics The really surprising result given the way violence is present within racial stereotypes has to do with race. White adults are twice as likely to have guns at home than are blacks and Hispanics. While the overall rate of ownership among whites is 41 percent, it is just 19 percent among blacks and 20 percent among Hispanics. In other words, while more than 1 in 3 white adults lives in a house with guns, just 1 in 5 black or Hispanics adults do the same. It is gun ownership among white people, then, that drives the national rate up to 34 percent. However, despite this disparity in ownership by race, blacks and Hispanics are far more likely than whites to be the victims of gun homicide. That rate is highest for Blacks,  which is likely influenced by the over-representation of homicide by police among this racial group, especially since they are the  racial group  least likely to actually own guns. Pews data also reveal a significant trend at the intersection of race and geography: nearly half of all white southerners have guns in the home. (The low rate of ownership among blacks in the south brings the overall rate for the region down by nine percentage points.) Gun Owners Are More Likely to Identify as a Typical American Perhaps most fascinating (and troubling) among the findings is the set of data that show a connection between gun ownership and American values and identity. Those who own guns are more likely than the general population to identify as a typical American,  to claim honor and duty as core values, and to say that they often feel proud to be American. And, while those who own guns are also more likely to consider themselves outdoor people, just 37 percent of gun owners identify as hunters, fishers, or sportsmen. This finding would seem to debunk the common sense notion that people keep firearms for hunting. In fact, most do not actually hunt with them. Pews Findings Raise Questions About Gun Crime in the U.S. For those concerned about the high rate of gun crime in the U.S. compared with other nations, the findings pose some serious questions. Why are police far more likely to kill black men than any others, especially given that most of those killed by police are unarmed? And, what are the public health consequences of the centrality of firearms to American values and identity? Perhaps its time to frame media representation of black men and boys -- which overwhelmingly portrays them as perpetrators and victims of gun crime -- as a national public health crisis. Certainly, this pervasive imagery has an effect on the expectation among police that they will be armed, despite the fact that they are the  least  likely racial group to be. Pews data also suggest that tackling gun crime in the U.S. will require the decoupling of American values, traditions, rituals, and identity from firearms, as they seem to be tightly linked for many gun owners. These associations likely fuel the scientifically debunked good guy with a gun thesis that suggests that gun ownership makes society safer. Sadly, a mountain of scientific evidence shows that  it does not, and its important that we understand the cultural underpinnings of gun ownership if we really want to have a safer society.

Mass Shootings in Schools - 703 Words

In December 2013, 28 people including 20 children were shot to death at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, which caused school officials and parents to reflect on methods for better protection of students’ safety. Recently, United University issued a regulation of checking backpacks or book bags randomly for weapons such as guns and knives, and those who are found to carry weapons will receive certain punishments. It was said that the random search was able to forbid weapons on campus and improve the sense of safety among students. In my point of view, the random search may not as effective as considered and, to some extent, might cause some problems. On one hand, random checking cannot prevent students from being hurt by unconventional weapons. The definition of weapon need to be taken into consideration. The random search pay more attention to objects generally regarded as weapons such as guns and knives. However, numerous materials exist on campus are dangerous even a threat to students’ lives. For example, approximately every university has labs for students to conduct scientific research, particularly in Department of Chemistry or Biochemistry. Dangerous solvents and poisoners are easily accessible for students working in such labs and are even possible to be taken out on purpose by students, which is definitely a considerable threat to other students. A university student in China was killed by her roommate because of consumption of a cup of waterShow MoreRelatedMass Shootings And 62 Schools Shootings1752 Words   |  8 PagesIn 2015, there were 353 mass shootings and 62 schools shootings in the United States of Amer ica. On top of this, nearly sixty percent of homicides since 2015 were committed through the use of firearms and although there are no official figures, it is estimated that there are about 300 million guns, or approximately 88 for everyone 100 persons (Gunter). Although correlation cannot prove causation, the United States almost doubles most other developed countries assault deaths rates per one hundredRead MoreThe Negatives Of Mass School Shootings1153 Words   |  5 Pagesarguments about mass school shootings, and mass school shooters. The first key argument would be that school shooters have a â€Å"type†. According to the article, school shooters are most likely to be young white men who feel as though they have been oppressed by their peers or society. Kalish and Kimmel’s second argument in their article was to say that humiliation is emasculation; â€Å"If you humiliate someone, you take away his manhood† (Page 454). Young white men decide to conduct a school shooting due to theirRead MoreMass School Shootings in America Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican schools became dangerous places at the end of the twentieth century. Children as young as twelve and thirteen came to school not to study but to shoot as many people as possible. Even as these students transformed schools into war zones, teachers and other students did what they could to restore order and to save lives. In doing so, they became unlikely heroes on America’s latest battlefield. Although violence in schools is nothing new, multiple shootings are. According to the 1999 AnnualRead More Mass School Shootings in the U.S. Essay2440 Words   |  10 Pagesweapons is the murders committed by juveniles. School shooting is the problem which origins are deeply rooted in the family background and the upbringing of children as well as in the free approach to carrying weapons. To understand the concept of gun culture one have to be born in the U.S. but living outside American society is significant to provide subjective criticism of the acts of violence such as school shootings. The horrible massacres at schools are definitely not a new phenomenon; they areRead MorePreventing Mass School Shootings Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesIn order to solve the problem of violence in schools, we must first find out who the problem is. Being that not every teenager is prone to participate in such violent acts as what happened at Columbine, there must be specific environment imposed on a particular biology to turn a teenager into an Eric Harris or a Dylan Klebold. These are not normal, healthy teenagers, and they don’t just become killers overnight. They become killers because they are already deeply disturbed individuals who canRead MoreMass School Shootings in America Essay896 Words   |  4 Pagesmany school shootings occurring nationwide. It is not unusual to hear about these shootings on television or on the radio. This issue has greatly impacted the lives of young people. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;If you turn on you television and look at the destruction caused from a flood or an earthquake, you may think, quot;oh, another one.quot; Although it may shock you to see the pain and suffering of the victims, it is going to happen. Is that the way we have to look at school shootings? ItRead MoreMass School Shootings in America Essay499 Words   |  2 Pagesnever happen in my school.† This is one of the first thoughts that goes through a students mind when they hear about a school shooting. The fact is though, it can. School shootings can happen at any school at any time. Lack of security is only a small part of the problem. The major issue lies in the low morality of students and warning signs overlooked by administration. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Not all, but a majority of the students are cold-blooded killers. And shooting fellow students isRead More Bullying and Mass School Shootings Essay3841 Words   |  16 Pages School shootings and suicides result from continuous bullying. As a result, after time some side effects of being bullied are depression, anger, hopelessness, the desire for revenge, and longing to permanently end the suffering. Furthermore, even mental illness, such as PTSD and many others is caused by bullying. (Schusterbauer) Police, teachers, principals, state senators, and many others claim it’s not bullying that causes these mind numbing numbers of suicides and school shootingsRead More We Must Work to Prevent Mass School Shootings Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pages There have been many horror stories in the news about mass shootings at schools. The public, and even the president of the United States, is asking if anything can be done to prevent these tragedies. There are many theories on why students kill their peers at schools; these range from increased violence in video games and movies to bullying troubles at school. Almost always, the perpetrator suffers from some form of mental illness (Khadaroo). Because of this, motives for these crimes areRead MoreVideo Games: The Real Cause of Mass School Shootings? Essay2120 Words   |  9 Pagesdebatable. And in recent years, school shootings have made video games a new focus of public concern and scientific research. In public opinion, video games cause more aggression in comparison to traditional violent media contents because video games have more features of interactivity, due to the active engagement and participation of players (Hummer and Wang et al. 137). But more and more reports tell us that video games are not the main cause of school shooting issues; rather it is the negligence

Economics For A Sustainable World - 1376 Words

Title: Study Report of David Jones Course code: LB5229 Course Name: Economics for a sustainable world Due Date: January 30th - Friday of week 10 by 5:00 p.m. AEST Weighting: 3,000 Words max. Students Name: Diana Pineda ID #12890593, Manan raj ID# 13087370 January 30, 2015 Mr Gregory Trotman Economics for a Sustainable World James Cook University Brisbane QLD 4000 Mr Gregory Trotman As requested, we has prepared an economic Study Report of David Jones analysing this company business operations and evaluating how their long-run business viability may be affected by the sustainability practice they adopt in their business operations.†¦show more content†¦They have the finest brands in the world and are well reputed as niche retailers across Australia. Not only they are the oldest department store in Australia but also the world’s oldest department store across the world that still operates under the original trading name they begin with. (David Jones Official Website, 2014). David Jones is very well known for the big stylish brands that they offer to its customers. It is also considered the core, the face, and the backbone of the bringing stylish products esp. when it comes to clothing to the market of Australia. (David Jones Official Website, 2014) It is home to world’s most expensive and Top Tier clothing and accessories and it has maintained its reputation as that for nearly 2 centuries now. It serves big brands such as Donna Karen, Dolce Gabbana, Emporia Armani etc. that needs no introduction and production that generally defines a person’s standard of life and status in this modern society. (David Jones, 2012) Generally David Jones primary customers are local customers and are located nearby city, although since Australia is a major tourist place that also impacts the sales of David Jones. A study also shows that tourists share a big part of the total customer ratio of the products that are being sold by David Jones in their retails stores. (David Jones, 2012). The recent studies show the profit margin of David Jones has declined by 6.1% in 2012 due to the market

W.S.Q Framework Development and Assessments

Question: Discuss about theW.S.Q Framework for Development and Assessments. Answer: The W.S.Q Framework and the VUCA Environment Workforce skills qualification (W.S.Q) is a set up organized and accredited by Singapore workforce development agency to offer continuous training, development, and assessments. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a sample organization that incorporates the framework by W.S.Q and the VUCA principles in the manner by which it handles its employees. This task force ensures employees have employable skills and enhance their job tenure by having qualities that are appropriate to their job requirements.This system is organized to offer individuals a chance to slowly upgrade their skills according to at their conveniences and at their pace of learning (Force 2009). KFC adheres to this arrangement so as to reduce the interruptions at its work environment. These principles are best described using the VUCA environment which entails; V Volatility this is the state of being prone to changes in a non-predictable manner. This unpredictable changes in business get triggered by trade liberation, the introduction of advanced technology in business operations and globalization. Like any other business organization, KFC also faces the challenge of immediate and unpredictable changes in the economy. U- Uncertainty according to (Toner, P., 2011), it is where events happen in a chaotic and unpredictable manner. A likely event under uncertainty may include the emergence of a new competitor in the market. KFC also faces uncertainty in its work environment since the situation brings about the difficulty in making decisions. Allocation of resources become tight since the organizations past data gets treated as unreliable and no forecast gets projected based on it. C- Complexity this is where problems facing the business become increasingly ill-mannered and have more than one valid solution. The situation currently on hand has many different joined parts some of which are predictable, and others are unpredictable. KFC faces this challenge because it is a business with many branches operating in many regions around the country with the different regulatory environment and cultural values. These areas tend to have different responses to the organization products based on their beliefs and values. A-Ambiguity Toner (2011) describes ambiguity as for the emergence of two distinct conflicting thoughts when deciding about event outcomes or decision. This thoughts bring in a difficulty in answering questions such as when where what who and how. These events bring difficulty in determining the relevance and accuracy of the proposed answers. Ambiguity is likely to occur at KFC when it makes a decision to enter an entirely new market which it has no knowledge about, this is because it has no prior knowledge of how well the factors in the environment will affect it or how customers and other stakeholders will react to the business products. Conclusion Although VUCA offers a non-pleasant environment, the solution is to fully engage the WSQ framework in every organization in Singapore since it helps cope with this challenges much quickly. The WSQ framework is an essential tool in preparing workers through training and also mentoring them by providing additional skill previously not acquired but relevant to the job. This preparation helps them cope with challenges in the organization. This training is essential because the success of any organization entirely depends on the type of human resource it owns. References Casner-Lotto, J., and Barrington, L., 2006.Are They Ready to Work? Employers' Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century US Workforce. Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 1 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite700, Washington, DC 20001. Force, S.W.T., 2009. Building a safe, confident future.The final report of the social work taskforce. Toner, P., 2011. Workforce skills and innovation.

Royals by Lorde free essay sample

Ok, I get it. You know every popular song in America. You daydream about being Justin Timberlake’s mirror, and you cry every time you hear â€Å"When I Was Your Man.† But could you name the latest #1 in Sweden? Perhaps South Korea? No? Well, good. If you didn’t know it already existed, this song comes from New Zealand. Known for its misty green hills and sheep, not for its musical prowess in the international market. Out of the blue, popped up Lorde (born Ella Yelich-O’Connor), a 16-year old girl who created a hipster movement that puts Bon Iver to shame. Not only did she have no promotion, but the track, called â€Å"Royals,† was simply a track Lorde put online to create a bit of buzz before she got to work on her first studio album. Well, it certainly did, spreading so quickly through the island nation that it debuted and stayed at #1 on the national chart for three weeks in March. We will write a custom essay sample on Royals by Lorde or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page With no video or live performance, it was the song’s message alone that brought Lorde to center stage. The track begins with Lorde’s haunting vocals melting over a simple bass beat and snapping. The New Zealander sings of the tired routines of other artists, singing of â€Å"gold teeth, Grey Goose drippin’ in the bathroom / blood stains, ball gowns trashin’ the hotel rooms.† Lorde doesn’t care though, as she craves a more sexual buzz. As she and her minions of crooning soprano harmonies denounce the typical love of riches, they explain that falling in love and being in command is their true fantasy. â€Å"Royals† uses a simple melody without any vocal tricks to gain immense hipster swag, that no amount of money could buy, after listening to this, you too will feel a sense of empowerment and want to get rid of all your material possessions. But you’ll soon revert back to Britney’s â€Å"Gimme More† and head over to the mall to pop some tags. In the back of your mind though, you’ll always have that haunting voice saying, â€Å"We’ll never be royals.† This song jumped the ocean is becoming a hit in the US, making YOU the ultimate hipster because you knew of this before it is officially cool.