Of mIce and Men, how Steinbeck creates sympoahty and animosity towards Curley’s Wife Essay

In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife sparks much debate and controversy, being an extremely important character in the book as she symbolises the gender inequality and discrimination of the period. At the start of the novella, we assume she is just a plot device, but later on find out that there is much more about her and she has a very important role in the book as being the only woman. During the 1930’s women were treated unequally to men, and weren’t treated with as much respect, which is reflected later when we realise that Curley’s wife isn’t addressed with a name. The attitude to women at the time contrasts with how gender inequality is now; women have the right to vote and they are now appreciated. The novella is set in the 1930s in Soledad, near Salinas, California. The novella was set during the American depression. Soledad, meaning loneliness in Spanish is also cleverly used as the place name of where the fictional ranch is set. This merges in with the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the novel, foreshadowing what we later find out about Curley’s wife’s life on the ranch. The Great depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and left millions of people unemployed. All the while people lost confidence, felt insecure and the American Dream had vanished, linking to what all the men on the ranch want, but now seems impossible to achieve. Because of the ranch being an isolated and primitive, the lifestyle was lonely. Steinbeck uses his personal experience as a ranch worker to describe how the workers felt: George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Steinbeck also portrays loneliness through characterisation. Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curley’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curley and his wife together. She is never really noticed, hence the sense of sexual discrimination. Section 1: Of Mice and Men is filled with tragic events which come in a crucial structure that are hinted throughout the book. In fact, even the title foreshadows the unfortunate situations that take place. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem by Robert Burns – To a Mouse. ‘The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ gang aft agley./ An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain./ Forn  promis’d joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things always go wrong and leave you with nothing but grief and pain, this relates to the novella well because the best dream for Curley’s wife was to be in the ‘pitcures’, but because her mother took them away (she believed) her dreams was shattered and now is left in an unhappy marriage on a ranch where she doesn’t belong. The first moment that we hear about Curley’s wife is when Candy describes her in the bunkhouse, through gossip. He describes her as a sex object, sounding quite negative towards her. Steinbeck first describes her in a less judgmental way, not really showing a strong opinion of her, unlike Candy’s view which is much more frustrated and clear: ‘well i think Curley’s married†¦a tart’. When Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ and the use of an ellipsis, shows that he recoils when using such a derogatory term. The reader already pictures Curley’s wife in their head, and we immediately seem to dislike her, but also sympathise for her because she is gossiped about before the reader even meets her and can make their own decision. One of the reasons why we first hear about Curley’s wife before we meet her is because the men on the ranch all dislike Curley, and they all presume she is as mean as he is. Again, when she is introduced, an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere indicating that Lennie will be getting into a mess with her. George states in the very beginning that he is always getting into mishaps, â€Å"You do bad things and I got to get you out,†. In the first scene, we learn that Lennie likes to stroke mice and other soft creatures, but has a tendency to kill them accidentally. This foreshadows the death of his puppy and the death of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, when George recounts that Lennie grabbed the woman’s dress in Weed and would not let go, the reader anticipates that similar trouble will arise at the ranch, especially once Curley’s flirtatious wife appears on the scene. Lennie being naà ¯ve and has limited intelligence, showing that he is somewhat childish and interprets his feelings different to how we might understand these feelings. When he describes Curley’s wife as ‘Purty’ we get the sense that he considers her on her looks alone. The vernacular language again shows that he is childlike, and makes him sound real. In society, from where the book was published up till now, the elderly are no longer useful because they aren’t as able. The shooting of Candy’s dog symbolises that there is not need for the elderly to live, representing that Lennie is the dog, because he is not as mentally  able as the other men on the ranch. Candy mirrors George- he has to suffer and has lost his partner, just like Candy lost his dog that kept Candy company, but no longer can, linking back to the idea of everyone always ending up lonely. The contrast between the first chapter and the last also shows his death because the same scene goes from the peaceful field to the violent death of the water snake at the beginning of the novella. Section 2: Throughout Of Mice and Men, we feel that a lot of the characters feel real to us. This is because of the vernacular Steinbeck uses. Curley’s wife seems to be a hard character, but might not be as strong as she would like to appear. She strives to make an impression in front of all the men, because she is the only woman on the ranch, one could interpret this like she knows that the men might be attracted to her and thinks she has an advantage. ‘She was heavily made up’ describes that she wears a lot of makeup; this makes the reader get a sense of ill feeling towards her, although whilst also feeling sensitivity for her because this could illustrate that she wears so much makeup to hide herself, and uses it as a mask. Also, she could be so made up because she still wants to imagine herself as an actress; all the stars where makeup and look magnificent. When Curley’s wife first speaks, her voice is described with having ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. The word ‘nasal’ suggests a high, whiney voice, which does not match her powerful facade and links to previous suggestions of being fake and disguising her real persona with her appearance. The fact that she feels unable to show her true self for fear of being hurt, creates sympathy in the reader. After the gossip we hear about Curley’s wife, we finally meet her. Her physical appearance of ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up’, as well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions of her. Red, the colour of her attire and the style of her hair and makeup suggest some sexuality. Additionally, she use suggestive and provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, and her flimsy excuse to be with the men in their quarters contribute to the rancher’s view of her as a ’tramp’. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in  front of the other ranch workers. She could behave in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, thus Candy’s description of her seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. Through her physical appearance and her own actions, Candy’s description of Curley’s Wife seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful or girly. Curley’s wife is such a complex character, and we see this in the letter Steinbeck wrote to Miss Luce describing her. Steinbeck heard that Miss Luce was struggling to play the role of Curley’s wife in 1938, in the letter he included her as ‘knowing utterly nothing about sex’ and Curley’s wife is an innocent woman under all the defenses she has built up against all the comments directed to her. In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife sparks much debate and controversy, being an extremely important character in the book as she symbolises the gender inequality and discrimination of the period. At the start of the novella, we assume she is just a plot device, but later on find out that there is much more about her and she has a very important role in the book as being the only woman. During the 1930’s women were treated unequally to men, and weren’t treated with as much respect, which is reflected later when we realise that Curley’s wife isn’t addressed with a name. The attitude to women at the time contrasts with how gender inequality is now; women have the right to vote and they are now appreciated. The novella is set in the 1930s in Soledad, near Salinas, California. The novella was set during the American depression. Soledad, meaning loneliness in Spanish is also cleverly used as the place name of where the fictional ranch is set. This merges in with the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the novel, foreshadowing what we later find out about Curley’s wife’s life on the ranch. The Great depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and left millions of people unemployed. All the while people lost confidence, felt insecure and the American Dream had vanished, linking to what all the men on the ranch want, but now seems impossible to achieve. Because of the ranch being an isolated and primitive, the lifestyle was lonely. Steinbeck uses his personal experience as a ranch worker to describe how the workers felt: George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Steinbeck also portrays loneliness through characterisation. Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curley’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curley and his wife together. She is never really noticed, hence the sense of sexual discrimination. Section 1: Of Mice and Men is filled with tragic events which come in a crucial structure that are hinted throughout the book. In fact, even the title foreshadows the unfortunate situations that take place. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem by Robert Burns – To a Mouse. ‘The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ gang aft agley./ An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain./ For  promis’d joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things always go wrong and leave you with nothing but grief and pain, this relates to the novella well because the best dream for Curley’s wife was to be in the ‘pitcures’, but because her mother took them away (she believed) her dreams was shattered and now is left in an unhappy marriage on a ranch where she doesn’t belong. The first moment that we hear about Curley’s wife is when Candy describes her in the bunkhouse, through gossip. He describes her as a sex object, sounding quite negative towards her. Steinbeck first describes her in a less judgmental way, not really showing a strong opinion of her, unlike Candy’s view which is much more frustrated and clear: ‘well i think Curley’s married†¦a tart’. When Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ and the use of an ellipsis, shows that he recoils when using such a derogatory term. The reader already pictures Curley’s wife in their head, and we immediately seem to dislike her, but also sympathise for her because she is gossiped about before the reader even meets her and can make their own decision. One of the reasons why we first hear about Curley’s wife before we meet her is because the men on the ranch all dislike Curley, and they all presume she is as mean as he is. Again, when she is introduced, an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere indicating that Lennie will be getting into a mess with her. George states in the very beginning that he is always getting into mishaps, â€Å"You do bad things and I got to get you out,†. In the first scene, we learn that Lennie likes to stroke mice and other soft creatures, but has a tendency to kill them accidentally. This foreshadows the death of his puppy and the death of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, when George recounts that Lennie grabbed the woman’s dress in Weed and would not let go, the reader anticipates that similar trouble will arise at the ranch, especially once Curley’s flirtatious wife appears on the scene. Lennie being naà ¯ve and has limited intelligence, showing that he is somewhat childish and interprets his feelings different to how we might understand these feelings. When he describes Curley’s wife as ‘Purty’ we get the sense that he considers her on her looks alone. The vernacular language again shows that he is childlike, and makes him sound real. In society, from where the book was published up till now, the elderly are no longer useful because they aren’t as able. The shooting of Candy’s dog symbolises that there is not need for the elderly to live, representing that Lennie is the dog, because he is not as mentally able as the other men on the ranch. Candy mirrors George- he has to suffer and has lost his partner, just like Candy lost his dog that kept Candy company, but no longer can, linking back to the idea of everyone always ending up lonely. The contrast between the first chapter and the last also shows his death because the same scene goes from the peaceful field to the violent death of the water snake at the beginning of the novella. Section 2: Throughout Of Mice and Men, we feel that a lot of the characters feel real to us. This is because of the vernacular Steinbeck uses. Curley’s wife seems to be a hard character, but might not be as strong as she would like to appear. She strives to make an impression in front of all the men, because she is the only woman on the ranch, one could interpret this like she knows that the men might be attracted to her and thinks she has an advantage. ‘She was heavily made up’ describes that she wears a lot of makeup; this makes the reader get a sense of ill feeling towards her, although whilst also feeling sensitivity for her because this could illustrate that she wears so much makeup to hide herself, and uses it as a mask. Also, she could be so made up because she still wants to imagine herself as an actress; all the stars where makeup and look magnificent. When Curley’s wife first speaks, her voice is described with having ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. The word ‘nasal’ suggests a high, whiney voice, which does not match her powerful facade and links to previous suggestion In of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife sparks much debate and controversy, being an extremely important character in the book as she symbolises the gender inequality and discrimination of the period. At the start of the novella, we assume she is just a plot device, but later on find out that there is much more about her and she has a very important role in the book as being the only woman. During the 1930’s women were treated unequally to men, and weren’t treated with as much respect, which is reflected later when we realise that Curley’s wife isn’t addressed with a name. The attitude to women at the time contrasts with how gender inequality is now; women have the right to vote and they are now appreciated. The novella is set in the 1930s in Soledad, near Salinas, California. The novella was set during the American depression. Soledad, meaning loneliness in Spanish is also cleverly used as the place name of where the fictional ranch is set. This merges in with the theme of loneliness that runs throughout the novel, foreshadowing what we later find out about Curley’s wife’s life on the ranch. The Great depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and left millions of people unemployed. All the while people lost confidence, felt insecure and the American Dream had vanished, linking to what all the men on the ranch want, but now seems impossible to achieve. Because of the ranch being an isolated and primitive, the lifestyle was lonely. Steinbeck uses his personal experience as a ranch worker to describe how the workers felt: George says that â€Å"ranch workers are the loneliest people in the world and don’t belong nowhere†. Steinbeck also portrays loneliness through characterisation. Perhaps the loneliest character, which Steinbeck creates in the novel, is Curley’s wife. She is the only female in the ranch and although she is married, you never witness the distinct couple of Curley and his wife together. She is never really noticed, hence the sense of sexual discrimination. Section 1: Of Mice and Men is filled with tragic events which come in a crucial structure that are hinted throughout the book. In fact, even the title foreshadows the unfortunate situations that take place. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† comes from the poem by Robert Burns – To a Mouse. ‘The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men/ gang aft agley./ An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain./ For  promis’d joy!’. The poem tells us that the best things always go wrong and leave you with nothing but grief and pain, this relates to the novella well because the best dream for Curley’s wife was to be in the ‘pitcures’, but because her mother took them away (she believed) her dreams was shattered and now is left in an unhappy marriage on a ranch where she doesn’t belong. The first moment that we hear about Curley’s wife is when Candy describes her in the bunkhouse, through gossip. He describes her as a sex object, sounding quite negative towards her. Steinbeck first describes her in a less judgmental way, not really showing a strong opinion of her, unlike Candy’s view which is much more frustrated and clear: ‘well i think Curley’s married†¦a tart’. When Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ and the use of an ellipsis, shows that he recoils when using such a derogatory term. The reader already pictures Curley’s wife in their head, and we immediately seem to dislike her, but also sympathise for her because she is gossiped about before the reader even meets her and can make their own decision. One of the reasons why we first hear about Curley’s wife before we meet her is because the men on the ranch all dislike Curley, and they all presume she is as mean as he is. Again, when she is introduced, an ill feeling overcomes the atmosphere indicating that Lennie will be getting into a mess with her. George states in the very beginning that he is always getting into mishaps, â€Å"You do bad things and I got to get you out,†. In the first scene, we learn that Lennie likes to stroke mice and other soft creatures, but has a tendency to kill them accidentally. This foreshadows the death of his puppy and the death of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, when George recounts that Lennie grabbed the woman’s dress in Weed and would not let go, the reader anticipates that similar trouble will arise at the ranch, especially once Curley’s flirtatious wife appears on the scene. Lennie being naà ¯ve and has limited intelligence, showing that he is somewhat childish and interprets his feelings different to how we might understand these feelings. When he describes Curley’s wife as ‘Purty’ we get the sense that he considers her on her looks alone. The vernacular language again shows that he is childlike, and makes him sound real. In society, from where the book was published up till now, the elderly are no longer useful because they aren’t as able. The shooting of Candy’s dog symbolises that there is not need for the elderly to live, representing that Lennie is the dog, because he is not as mentally  able as the other men on the ranch. Candy mirrors George- he has to suffer and has lost his partner, just like Candy lost his dog that kept Candy company, but no longer can, linking back to the idea of everyone always ending up lonely. The contrast between the first chapter and the last also shows his death because the same scene goes from the peaceful field to the violent death of the water snake at the beginning of the novella. Section 2: Throughout Of Mice and Men, we feel that a lot of the characters feel real to us. This is because of the vernacular Steinbeck uses. Curley’s wife seems to be a hard character, but might not be as strong as she would like to appear. She strives to make an impression in front of all the men, because she is the only woman on the ranch, one could interpret this like she knows that the men might be attracted to her and thinks she has an advantage. ‘She was heavily made up’ describes that she wears a lot of makeup; this makes the reader get a sense of ill feeling towards her, although whilst also feeling sensitivity for her because this could illustrate that she wears so much makeup to hide herself, and uses it as a mask. Also, she could be so made up because she still wants to imagine herself as an actress; all the stars where makeup and look magnificent. When Curley’s wife first speaks, her voice is described with having ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. The word ‘nasal’ suggests a high, whiney voice, which does not match her powerful facade and links to previous suggestions of being fake and disguising her real persona with her appearance. The fact that she feels unable to show her true self for fear of being hurt, creates sympathy in the reader. After the gossip we hear about Curley’s wife, we finally meet her. Her physical appearance of ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up’, as well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions of her. Red, the colour of her attire and the style of her hair and makeup suggest some sexuality. Additionally, she use suggestive and provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, and her flimsy excuse to be with the men in their quarters contribute to the rancher’s view of her as a ’tramp’. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in  front of the other ranch workers. She could behave in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, thus Candy’s description of her seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. Through her physical appearance and her own actions, Candy’s description of Curley’s Wife seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful or girly. Curley’s wife is such a complex character, and we see this in the letter Steinbeck wrote to Miss Luce describing her. Steinbeck heard that Miss Luce was struggling to play the role of Curley’s wife in 1938, in the letter he included her as ‘knowing utterly nothing about sex’ and Curley’s wife is an innocent woman under all the defenses she has built up against all the comments directed to her. s of being fake and disguising her real persona with her appearance. The fact that she feels unable to show her true self for fear of being hurt, creates sympathy in the reader. After the gossip we hear about Curley’s wife, we finally meet her. Her physical appearance of ‘full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up’, as well as ‘fingernail painted red’ and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions of her. Red, the colour of her attire and the style of her hair and makeup suggest some sexuality. Additionally, she use suggestive and provocative body language, ‘she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’, and her flimsy excuse to be with the men in their quarters contribute to the rancher’s view of her as a ’tramp’. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in  front of the other ranch workers. She could behave in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, thus Candy’s description of her seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. Through her physical appearance and her own actions, Candy’s description of Curley’s Wife seems accurate after her first appearance in the novel. On the other hand, Curley’s Wife’s appearance could be seen as naivety and simply youthful desire to be found attractive. Red is a primary colour therefore children are attracted to it, it is a colour children want to wear because it is bright and has an element of happiness in it. Therefore Curley’s Wife wearing the colour red may symbolise a child’s attraction to bright colours portraying her as youthful or girly. Curley’s wife is such a complex character, and we see this in the letter Steinbeck wrote to Miss Luce describing her. Steinbeck heard that Miss Luce was struggling to play the role of Curley’s wife in 1938, in the letter he included her as ‘knowing utterly nothing about sex’ and Curley’s wife is an innocent woman under all the defenses she has built up against all the comments directed to her.

How I Would Change The Immigration Healthcare Reform Essay

The debate over a comprehensive healthcare package has continued to rage on even after Obama signed the healthcare reform bill on May 4, 2010. Decades of rift and bad blood had finally culminated in the legislation of the healthcare reform. The stage is now set for the implementation of the long awaited savior of the masses. However, the healthcare reform package is not to be entirely loved, in as much as there is conflict in the aspect of immigration and healthcare provision, and the issue of immigrants and denied access to health insurance cannot be over sighted- at least for the illegal ones. That illegal immigrants would not be included in the federal health insurance scheme is a time bomb waiting to explode, as even documented immigrants were shorn of access to Medicaid in their first five years of residence, in the past. One can argue that it would not be right for tax payers to subsidize healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants who probably contribute less to the national income, but what about those who are earning well and have a secure source of livelihood. Whether â€Å"well to do† illegal immigrants would be allowed to purchase their insurance on the health insurance exchange is another matter to consider. As the keyword of this tenure has been change, there should be no frets when I put myself in the shoes of the president on how I would change the immigration healthcare reform. The fact is that, depriving illegal immigrants’ access to healthcare insurance would only increase numbers in emergency rooms, invariably service provision and pressure on resources. In view of this, I would allow illegal immigrants to access full government healthcare benefits, and if that is so difficult, I would permit those that have the financial capacity to purchase their healthcare insurance outright. After all, good healthcare should be available to everyone.

Introduction of Management

Chapter 1 Introduction of management Management  is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term. All organizations – business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose. According to  Harold Koontz, â€Å"Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals†. According to  F. W. Taylor, â€Å"Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done in the best and cheapest way†. Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the attainment of certain pre – determined goals. It is the process of working with and through others to effectively achieve the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the changing world. Of course, these goals may vary from one enterprise to another. E. g. : For one enterprise it may be launching of new products by conducting market surveys and for other it may be profit maximization by minimizing cost. Management involves creating an internal environment: – It is the management which puts into use the various factors of production. Therefore, it is the responsibility of management to create such conditions which are conducive to maximum efforts so that people are able to perform their task efficiently and effectively. It includes ensuring availability of raw materials, determination of wages and salaries, formulation of rules & regulations etc. Therefore, we can say that good management includes both being effective and efficient. Being effective means doing the appropriate task i. , fitting the square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. Being efficient means doing the task correctly, at least possible cost with minimum wastage of resources. Management can be defined in detail in following categories : 1. Management as a  Process 2. Management as an  Activity 3. Management as a  Discipline 4. Management as a  Group 5. Management as a  Science 6. Man agement as an  Art 7. Management as a  Profession Management as science science is a systematic body of knowledge pertaining to a specific field of study that contains general facts which explains a phenomenon. It establishes cause and effect relationship between two or more variables and underlines the principles governing their relationship. These principles are developed through scientific method of observation and verification through testing. Science is characterized by following main features: 1. Universally acceptance principles –  Scientific principles represents basic truth about a particular field of enquiry. These principles may be applied in all situations, at all time & at all places. E. g. – law of gravitation which can be applied in all countries irrespective of the time. Management also contains some fundamental principles which can be applied universally like the Principle of Unity of Command i. e. one man, one boss. This principle is applicable to all type of organization – business or non business. 2. Experimentation & Observation –  Scientific principles are derived through scientific investigation & researching i. e. they are based on logic. E. g. the principle that earth goes round the sun has been scientifically proved. Management principles are also based on scientific enquiry & observation and not only on the opinion of Henry Fayol. They have been developed through experiments & practical experiences of large no. of managers. E. g. it is observed that fair remuneration to personal helps in creating a satisfied work force. 3. Cause & Effect Relationship –  Principles of science lay down cause and effect relationship between various variables. E. g. when metals are heated, they are expanded. The cause is heating & result is expansion. The same is true for management, therefore it also establishes cause and effect relationship. E. g. lack of parity (balance) between authority & responsibility will lead to ineffectiveness. If you know the cause i. e. ack of balance, the effect can be ascertained easily i. e. in effectiveness. Similarly if workers are given bonuses, fair wages they will work hard but when not treated in fair and just manner, reduces productivity of organization. 4. Test of Validity & Predictability –  Validity of scientific principles can be tested at any time or any number of times i. e. they stand the test of time. Each time these tests will give same result. Moreover future events can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by using scientific principles. E. g. H2  & O2  will always give H2O. Principles of management can also be tested for validity. E. g. principle of unity of command can be tested by comparing two persons – one having single boss and one having 2 bosses. The performance of 1st person will be better than 2nd. It cannot be denied that management has a systematic body of knowledge but it is not as exact as that of other physical sciences like biology, physics, and chemistry etc. The main reason for the inexactness of science of management is that it deals with human beings and it is very difficult to predict their behavior accurately. Since it is a social process, therefore it falls in the area of social sciences. It is a flexible science & that is why its theories and principles may produce different results at different times and therefore it is a behavior science. Ernest Dale has called it as a  Soft Science. Management as art Art implies application of knowledge & skill to trying about desired results. An art may be defined as personalized application of general theoretical principles for achieving best possible results. Art has the following characters – 1. Practical Knowledge:  Every art requires practical knowledge therefore learning of theory is not sufficient. It is very important to know practical application of theoretical principles. E. g. to become a good painter, the person may not only be knowing different colour and brushes but different designs, dimensions, situations etc to use them appropriately. A manager can never be successful just by obtaining degree or diploma in management; he must have also know how to apply various principles in real situations by functioning in capacity of manager. 2. Personal Skill:  Although theoretical base may be same for every artist, but each one has his own style and approach towards his job. That is why the level of success and quality of performance differs from one person to another. E. . there are several qualified painters but M. F. Hussain is recognized for his style. Similarly management as an art is also personalized. Every manager has his own way of managing things based on his knowledge, experience and personality, that is why some managers are known as good managers (like Aditya Birla, Rahul Bajaj) whereas others as bad. 3. Creativity:  Every artist has an el ement of creativity in line. That is why he aims at producing something that has never existed before which requires combination of intelligence & imagination. Management is also creative in nature like any other art. It combines human and non-human resources in useful way so as to achieve desired results. It tries to produce sweet music by combining chords in an efficient manner. 4. Perfection through practice:  Practice makes a man perfect. Every artist becomes more and more proficient through constant practice. Similarly managers learn through an art of trial and error initially but application of management principles over the years makes them perfect in the job of managing. 5. Goal-Oriented:  Every art is result oriented as it seeks to achieve concrete results. In the same manner, management is also directed towards accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Managers use various resources like men, money, material, machinery & methods to promote growth of an organization. Thus, we can say that management is an art therefore it requires application of certain principles rather it is an art of highest order because it deals with moulding the attitude and behavior of people at work towards desired goals. Management as both Science and Art Management is both an art and a science. The above mentioned points clearly reveals that management combines features of both science as well as art. It is considered as a science because it has an organized body of knowledge which contains certain universal truth. It is called an art because managing requires certain skills which are personal possessions of managers. Science provides the knowledge & art deals with the application of knowledge and skills. A manager to be successful in his profession must acquire the knowledge of science & the art of applying it. Therefore management is a judicious blend of science as well as an art because it proves the principles and the way these principles are applied is a matter of art. Science teaches to ’know’ and art teaches to ’do’. E. g. a person cannot become a good singer unless he has knowledge about various ragas & he also applies his personal skill in the art of singing. Same way it is not sufficient for manager to first know the principles but he must also apply them in solving various managerial problems that is why, science and art are not mutually exclusive but they are complementary to each other (like tea and biscuit, bread and butter etc. ). The old saying that â€Å"Manager are Born† has been rejected in favor of â€Å"Managers are Made†. It has been aptly remarked that management is the oldest of art and youngest of science. To conclude, we can say that science is the root and art is the fruit. Levels of Management The term â€Å"Levels of Management’ refers to a line of demarcation between various managerial positions in an organization. The number of levels in management increases when the size of the business and work force increases and vice versa. The level of management determines a chain of command, the amount of authority & status enjoyed by any managerial position. The levels of management can be classified in three broad categories: – 1. Top level / Administrative level 2. Middle level / Executory 3. Low level / Supervisory / Operative / First-line managers Managers at all these levels perform different functions. The role of managers at all the three levels is discussed below: 1. Top Level of Management It consists of board of directors, chief executive or managing director. The top management is the ultimate source of authority and it manages goals and policies for an enterprise. It devotes more time on planning and coordinating functions. The role of the top management can be summarized as follows – a. Top management lays down the objectives and broad policies of the enterprise. b. It issues necessary instructions for preparation of department budgets, procedures, schedules etc. c. It prepares strategic plans & policies for the enterprise. d. It appoints the executive for middle level i. e. departmental managers. e. It controls & coordinates the activities of all the departments. f. It is also responsible for maintaining a contact with the outside world. g. It provides guidance and direction. h. The top management is also responsible towards the shareholders for the performance of the enterprise. 2. Middle Level of Management The branch managers and departmental managers constitute middle level. They are responsible to the top management for the functioning of their department. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. In small organization, there is only one layer of middle level of management but in big enterprises, there may be senior and junior middle level management. Their role can be emphasized as – a. They execute the plans of the organization in accordance with the policies and directives of the top management. b. They make plans for the sub-units of the organization. c. They participate in employment & training of lower level management. . They interpret and explain policies from top level management to lower level. e. They are responsible for coordinating the activities within the division or department. f. It also sends important reports and other important data to top level management. g. They evaluate performance of junior managers. h. They are also responsible for inspiring lower level managers towards better performance. 3. Low er Level of Management Lower level is also known as supervisory / operative level of management. It consists of supervisors, foreman, section officers, superintendent etc. According to  R. C. Davis, â€Å"Supervisory management refers to those executives whose work has to be largely with personal oversight and direction of operative employees†. In other words, they are concerned with direction and controlling function of management. Their activities include – a. Assigning of jobs and tasks to various workers. b. They guide and instruct workers for day to day activities. c. They are responsible for the quality as well as quantity of production. d. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining good relation in the organization. e. They communicate workers problems, suggestions, and recommendatory appeals etc to the higher level and higher level goals and objectives to the workers. f. They help to solve the grievances of the workers. g. They supervise & guide the sub-ordinates. h. They are responsible for providing training to the workers. i. They arrange necessary materials, machines, tools etc for getting the things done. j. They prepare periodical reports about the performance of the workers. k. They ensure discipline in the enterprise. l. They motivate workers. m. They are the image builders of the enterprise because they are in direct contact with the workers. Functions of management Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given purposes. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status. Different experts have classified functions of management . According toGeorge & Jerry, â€Å"There are four fundamental functions of management i. e. lanning, organizing, actuating and controlling†. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, & to control†. Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword ’POSDCORB’ where P stands for Planning, O for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for Directing, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for Bu dgeting. But the most widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and O’DONNEL i. e. Planning,  Organizing,  Staffing,  Directing  and  Controlling. For theoretical purposes, it may be convenient to separate the function of management but practically these functions are overlapping in nature i. . they are highly inseparable. Each function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others. [pic] Planning It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, â€Å"Planning is deciding in advance – what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be†. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc. Organizing It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i. e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel’s†. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves: †¢ Identification of activities. †¢ Classification of grouping of activities. †¢ Assignment of duties. †¢ Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility. †¢ Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships. Staffing It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o staffing is to put right man on right job i. e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & O’Donell, â€Å"Managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure†. Staffing involves: †¢ Manpower Planning  (estimating man power in terms of searching, choose the person and giving the right place). †¢ Recruitment, selection & placement. †¢ Training & development. †¢ Remuneration. †¢ Performance appraisal. †¢ Promotions & transfer. Directing It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements: †¢ Supervision †¢ Motivation †¢ Leadership †¢ Communication Supervision-  implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers. Motivation-  means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose. Leadership-  may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction. Communications-  is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding. Controlling It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to  Theo Haimann, â€Å"Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation†. According to Koontz & O’Donell â€Å"Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished†. Therefore controlling has following steps: †¢ Establishment of standard performance. †¢ Measurement of actual performance. Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any. †¢ Corrective action. Planning   means looking ahead and chalking out future courses of action to be followed. It is a preparatory step. It is a systematic activity which determines when, how and who is going to perform a specific job. Planning is a detailed programme regarding future courses of action. It is ri ghtly said â€Å"Well plan is half done†. Therefore planning takes into consideration available & prospective human and physical resources of the organization so as to get effective co-ordination, contribution & perfect adjustment. It is the basic management function which includes formulation of one or more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with the available resources. Definition of Planning:- According to Koontz & O’Donell, â€Å"Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do and who is to do it. Planning bridges the gap between where we are to, where we want to go. It makes possible things to occur which would not otherwise occur†. According to Urwick, â€Å"Planning is a mental predisposition to do things in orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses†. Planning is deciding best alternative among others to perform different managerial functions in order to achieve predetermined goals. Steps in Planning Function Planning function of management  involves following steps:- 1. Establishment of objectives a. Planning requires a systematic approach. b. Planning starts with the setting of goals and objectives to be achieved. c. Objectives provide a rationale for undertaking various activities as well as indicate direction of efforts. d. Moreover objectives focus the attention of managers on the end results to be achieved. e. As a matter of fact, objectives provide nucleus to the planning process. Therefore, objectives should be stated in a clear, precise and unambiguous language. Otherwise the activities undertaken are bound to be ineffective. f. As far as possible, objectives should be stated in quantitative terms. For example, Number of men working, wages given, units produced, etc. But such an objective cannot be stated in quantitative terms like performance of quality control manager, effectiveness of personnel manager. g. Such goals should be specified in qualitative terms. h. Hence objectives should be practical, acceptable, workable and chievable. 2. Establishment of Planning Premises a. Planning premises are the assumptions about the lively shape of events in future. b. They serve as a basis of planning. c. Establishment of planning premises is concerned with determining where one tends to deviate from the actual plans and causes of such deviations. d. It is to find out what obstacles are there i n the way of business during the course of operations. e. Establishment of planning premises is concerned to take such steps that avoids these obstacles to a great extent. f. Planning premises may be internal or external. Internal includes capital investment policy, management labour relations, philosophy of management, etc. Whereas external includes socio- economic, political and economical changes. g. Internal premises are controllable whereas external are non- controllable. 3. Choice of alternative course of action a. When forecast are available and premises are established, a number of alternative course of actions have to be considered. b. For this purpose, each and every alternative will be evaluated by weighing its pros and cons in the light of resources available and requirements of the organization. . The merits, demerits as well as the consequences of each alternative must be examined before the choice is being made. d. After objective and scientific evaluation, the best alternative is chosen. e. The planners should take help of various quantitative techniques to judge the stability of an alternative. 4. Formulation of derivative plans a. Derivative plans are the sub plans or secondary plans which help in the achievement of main plan. b. Secondary plans will flow from the basic plan. These are meant to support and expediate the achievement of basic plans. c. These detail plans include policies, procedures, rules, programmes, budgets, schedules, etc. For example, if profit maximization is the main aim of the enterprise, derivative plans will include sales maximization, production maximization, and cost minimization. d. Derivative plans indicate time schedule and sequence of accomplishing various tasks. 5. Securing Co-operation a. After the plans have been determined, it is necessary rather advisable to take subordinates or those who have to implement these plans into confidence. b. The purposes behind taking them into confidence are :- a. Subordinates may feel motivated since they are involved in decision making process. b. The organization may be able to get valuable suggestions and improvement in formulation as well as implementation of plans. c. Also the employees will be more interested in the execution of these plans. 6. Follow up/Appraisal of plans a. After choosing a particular course of action, it is put into action. b. After the selected plan is implemented, it is important to appraise its effectiveness. c. This is done on the basis of feedback or information received from departments or persons concerned. . This enables the management to correct deviations or modify the plan. e. This step establishes a link between planning and controlling function. f. The follow up must go side by side the implementation of plans so that in the light of observations made, future plans can be made more realistic. Organizing  is the function of management which follows planning. It is a function in which the synchronization and combination of human, physical and financial resources takes place. All the three resources are important to get results. Therefore, organizational function helps in achievement of results which in fact is important for the functioning of a concern. Definition of organizing According toChester Barnard, â€Å"Organizing is a function by which the concern is able to define the role positions, the jobs related and the co- ordination between authority and responsibility. Hence, a manager always has to organize in order to get results. A manager performs organizing function with the help of following steps:- 1. Identification of activities –  All the activities which have to be performed in a concern have to be identified first. For example, preparation of accounts, making sales, record keeping, quality control, inventory control, etc. All these activities have to be grouped and classified into units. 2. Departmentally organizing the activities –  In this step, the manager tries to combine and group similar and related activities into units or departments. This organization of dividing the whole concern into independent units and departments is called departmentation. 3. Classifying the authority –  Once the departments are made, the manager likes to classify the powers and its extent to the managers. This activity of giving a rank in order to the managerial positions is called hierarchy. The top management is into formulation of policies, the middle level management into departmental supervision and lower level management into supervision of foremen. The clarification of authority help in bringing efficiency in the running of a concern. This helps in achieving efficiency in the running of a concern. This helps in avoiding wastage of time, money, effort, in avoidance of duplication or overlapping of efforts and this helps in bringing smoothness in a concern’s working. 4. Co-ordination between authority and responsibility –  Relationships are established among various groups to enable smooth interaction toward the achievment of the organizational goal. Each individual is made aware of his authority and he/she knows whom they have to take orders from and to whom they are accountable and to whom they have to report. A clear organizational structure is drawn and all the employees are made aware of it. DIRECTING  is said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the workers to achieve predetermined goals. Directing is said to be the heart of management process. Planning, organizing, staffing have got no importance if direction function does not take place. Directing initiates action and it is from here actual work starts. Direction is said to be consisting of human factors. In simple words, it can be described as providing guidance to workers is doing work. In field of management, direction is said to be all those activities which are designed to encourage the subordinates to work effectively and efficiently. Definition of directing According to Human, â€Å"Directing consists of process or technique by which instruction can be issued and operations can be carried out as originally planned† Therefore, Directing is the function of guiding, inspiring, overseeing and instructing people towards accomplishment of organizational goals. Direction has got following characteristics: 1. Pervasive Function –  Directing is required at all levels of organization. Every manager provides guidance and inspiration to his subordinates. 2. Continuous Activity –  Direction is a continuous activity as it continuous throughout the life of organization. . Human Factor –  Directing function is related to subordinates and therefore it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex and behaviour is unpredictable, direction function becomes important. 4. Creative Activity –  Direction function helps in converting plans into performance. Without this function, people become inactive and physical resources are meaningless. 5. Executive Function –  Direction function is carried out by all managers and executives at all levels throughout the working of an enterprise; a subordinate receives instructions from his superior only. . Delegate Function –  Direction is supposed to be a function dealing with human beings. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and conditioning the people’s behaviour towards the goals of the enterprise is what the executive does in this function. Therefore, it is termed as having delicacy in it to tackle human behaviour. Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformities with the plans adopted, instructions issued and principles established. Controlling ensures that there is effective and efficient utilization of organizational resources so as to achieve the planned goals. Controlling measures the deviation of actual performance from the standard performance, discovers the causes of such deviations and helps in taking corrective actions Definition of controlling According to Brech, â€Å"Controlling is a systematic exercise which is called as a process of checking actual performance against the standards or plans with a view to ensure adequate progress and also recording such experience as is gained as a contribution to possible future needs. According to Donnell, â€Å"Just as a navigator continually takes reading to ensure whether he is relative to a planned action, so should a business manager continually take reading to assure himself that his enterprise is on right course. † controlling as a management function involves following steps: Process of controlling 1. Establishment of standards-  Standards are t he plans or the targets which have to be achieved in the course of business function. They can also be called as the criterions for judging the performance. Standards generally are classified into two- a. Measurable or tangible – Those standards which can be measured and expressed are called as measurable standards. They can be in form of cost, output, expenditure, time, profit, etc. b. Non-measurable or intangible- There are standards which cannot be measured monetarily. For example- performance of a manager, deviation of workers, their attitudes towards a concern. These are called as intangible standards. Controlling becomes easy through establishment of these standards because controlling is exercised on the basis of these standards. 2. Measurement of performance-  The second major step in controlling is to measure the performance. Finding out deviations becomes easy through measuring the actual performance. Performance levels are sometimes easy to measure and sometimes difficult. Measurement of tangible standards is easy as it can be expressed in units, cost, money terms, etc. Quantitative measurement becomes difficult when performance of manager has to be measured. Performance of a manager cannot be measured in quantities. It can be measured only by- a. Attitude of the workers, b. Their morale to work, c. The development in the attitudes regarding the physical environment, and d. Their communication with the superiors. It is also sometimes done through various reports like weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly reports. 3. Comparison of actual and standard performance-  Comparison of actual performance with the planned targets is very important. Deviation can be defined as the gap between actual performance and the planned targets. The manager has to find out two things here- extent of deviation and cause of deviation. Extent of deviation means that the manager has to find out whether the deviation is positive or negative or whether the actual performance is in conformity with the planned performance. The managers have to exercise control by exception. He has to find out those deviations which are critical and important for business. Minor deviations have to be ignored. Major deviations like replacement of machinery, appointment of workers, quality of raw material, rate of profits, etc. should be looked upon consciously. Therefore it is said, â€Å" If a manager controls everything, he ends up controlling nothing. † For example, if stationery charges increase by a minor 5 to 10%, it can be called as a minor deviation. On the other hand, if monthly production decreases continuously, it is called as major deviation. Once the deviation is identified, a manager has to think about various cause which has led to deviation. The causes can be- a. Erroneous planning, b. Co-ordination loosens, c. Implementation of plans is defective, and d. Supervision and communication is ineffective, etc. 4. Taking remedial actions-  Once the causes and extent of deviations are known, the manager has to detect those errors and take remedial measures for it. There are two alternatives here- a. Taking corrective measures for deviations which have occurred; and b. After taking the corrective measures, if the actual performance is not in conformity with plans, the manager can revise the targets. It is here the controlling process comes to an end. Follow up is an important step because it is only through taking corrective measures, a manager can exercise controlling. Types of managers: ? Functional manager: The functional manager is responsible for only one functional area. Like ? Production manager, ? Finance manager. ? Marketing manager ? HR manager ? General manager: The individual responsible for all functional activities, such as production, sales etc†¦ MANAGERIAL ROLES A s a manager, you probably fulfill many different roles every day. For instance, as well as leading your team, you might find yourself resolving a conflict, negotiating new contracts, representing your department at a board meeting, or approving a request for a new computer system. Put simply, you're constantly switching roles as tasks, situations, and expectations change. Management expert and professor, Henry Mintzberg, recognized this. He argued that there are ten primary roles or behaviors that can be used to categorize a manager's different functions. In this article we'll examine these roles, and we'll see how you can use your understanding of them to improve your management skills. The Roles Mintzberg published his Ten Management Roles in his book, â€Å"Mintzberg on Management: Inside our Strange World of Organizations,† in 1990. The ten roles are: 1. Figurehead. 2. Leader. 3. Liaison. 4. Monitor. 5. Disseminator. 6. Spokesperson. 7. Entrepreneur. 8. Disturbance Handler. 9. Resource Allocator. 10. Negotiator. [pic] The 10 roles are then divided up into three categories, as follows: Category |Role | |Interpersonal |Figurehead | | |Leader | | |Liaison | |Informational |Monitor | | |Disseminator | | |Spokesperson | |Decisional |Entrepreneur | | |Disturbance Handler | | |Resource Allocator | | |Negotiator | Interpersonal Category The roles in this category involve  providing  information and ideas. 1. Figurehead  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ As a manager, you have social, ceremonial and legal responsibilities. You're expected to be a source of inspiration. People look up to you as a person with authority, and as a figurehead. 2. Leader  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ This is where you provide leadership for your team, your department or perhaps your entire organization; and it's where you manage the performance and responsibilities of everyone in the group. 3. Liaison  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Managers must communicate with internal and external contacts. You need to be able to network effectively on behalf of your organization. Informational Category The roles in this category involve  processing  information. 1. Monitor  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ In this role, you regularly seek out information related to your organization and industry, looking for relevant changes in the environment. You also monitor your team, in terms of both their productivity, and their well-being. 2. Disseminator  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ This is where you communicate potentially useful information to your colleagues and your team. 3. Spokesperson  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Managers represent and speak for their organization. In this role you're responsible for transmitting information about your organization and its goals to the people outside it. Decisional Category The roles in this category involve  using  information. 1. Entrepreneur  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ As a manager, you create and control change within the organization. This means solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them. 2. Disturbance Handler  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ When an organization or team hits an unexpected roadblock, it's the manager who must take charge. You also need to help mediate disputes within it. 3. Resource Allocator  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ You'll also need to determine where organizational resources are best applied. This involves allocating funding, as well as assigning staff and other organizational resources. 4. Negotiator  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ You may be needed to take part in, and direct, important negotiations within your team, department, or organization. Better understanding of role 1. Figurehead Figureheads represent their teams. If you need to improve or build confidence in this area, start with your image, behavior, and  reputation. Cultivate  humility  and empathy, learn how to  set a good example at work, and think about  how to be a good role model. 2. Leader This is the role you probably spend most of your time fulfilling. To improve here, start by taking our quiz,  how good Are Your Leadership Skills? This will give you a thorough understanding of your current abilities. Next, learn how to be an  authentic leader, so your team will respect you. Also, focus on improving your  emotional intelligence  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ this is an important skill for being an effective leader. 3. Liaison To improve your liaison skills, work on your  professional networking  techniques. You may also like to take our Bite-Sized Training course on  Networking Skills. 4. Monitor To improve here, learn how to  gather information  effectively and  overcome information overload. Also, use effective  reading strategies, so that you can process material quickly and thoroughly, and learn how to  keep up-to-date with industry news. 5. Disseminator To be a good disseminator you need to know how to share information and outside views effectively, which means that good communication skills are vital. Learn how to share organizational information with  Team Briefings. Next, focus on improving your  writing skills. You might also want to take our  communication skills quiz, to find out where else you can improve. 6. Spokesperson To be effective in this role, make sure that you know how to  represent your organization at a conference. You may also want to read our articles on  delivering great presentations  and  working with the media  (if applicable to your role). 7. Entrepreneur To improve here, build on your  change management  skills, and learn  what not to do when implementing change  in your organization. You'll also need to work on yourproblem solving  and  creativity skills, so that you can come up with new ideas, and implement them successfully. 8. Disturbance Handler In this role, you need to excel at  conflict resolution  and know  how to handle team conflict. It's also helpful to be able to  manage emotion in your team. 9. Resource Allocator To improve as a resource allocator, learn how to  manage a budget,  cut costs, andprioritize, so that you can make the best use of your resources. 10. Negotiator Improve your negotiation skills by learning about  Win-Win Negotiation  and Distributive. .

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The Capital Structure - Essay Example Besides this, debt is considered cheaper by the providers of finance and it attracts tax relief on interest payments. The greater the level of debt, the more will be the financial risk to the shareholder of the company. Hence the return required would be higher. This also helps in establishing the gearing mix of a company. The higher a company is geared, the higher would be the risk involved. There are many factors that contribute towards the availability of different sources of funds. Gearing is one major issue which has a critical effect on the capital structure of a company. The higher a company is geared, the more difficult it would be for the company to raise debt finance as the institution giving out the debt would be exposed to greater risk. One view is that there is an optimal capital mix at which the average cost of capital, weighting according to the different forms of capital employed, is minimised. As for gearing increases, the return expected by ordinary shareholders beg in to rise in order to compensate them for the risk resulting from a larger share of profits going to the providers of debt. The cost is comparatively lower than the cost of equity because debt is relatively less risky from debt holder’s point of view as a debt would give the debt holder the legitimate amount of debt to which he/she is entitled to, besides the interest income, the debt can be made secure. Interest rates are usually higher on long-term debt as compared to short-term debts as the lender would require the compensation for the increased period of time he/she is deprived of his/her funds. A company finds itself committed to long-term debts with adverse interest charges and huge penalties if the debt is paid up early. Inflation and uncertainty about changes in future interest rates are one of many reasons why companies hesitate to borrow long-term debts at increased rates of interest.

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Discuss the key challenges for social workers in working in partnership with parents and protecting children in Northern Ireland - Essay Example However, social workers have not been without challenges in their daily work. Among the challenges social workers face in Northern Ireland comes from partnering with parents in protecting children. Examples are physical violence, abuse, violent attacks, aggressive clients, criticisms and intimidation (Davey, p.34). Over the year there have been reviews and establishment of laws and policies that affect the children’s rights and duty of care. This has brought misunderstanding between the social workers duties, those of the parents and those of the state. 1. Under the Kids and Younger Individuals Act (Northern Ireland) 1950, the generalist welfare authorities were accountable for rendering of services to children and young persons in need of proper care or security (cited in Geen, p.15). 3. The Ingleby Report outlined the need for power to fight neglect, ill treatment and child offending in all manners. This led to the Kids and Younger Individuals Act 1963 in Britain and Wales and, in turn, to the Children and Younger Individuals Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. Both established prevention as an actual concept in childcare exercise (Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board. Serious Case 2010, p.45). 4. The Report of the Panel on Regional Power and Allied Personal Social Services 1968 (the Seebohm Report) suggested that professional local authority divisions should be taken off by overall social services divisions offering society care services to families, children and other grownups in need of proper care or support. It was envisaged that a single public employee could deal with all the public problems within one family. In North Ireland in Europe generic welfare divisions had since 1948 offered an extensive set of public services for family members, children and grownups in need of proper care and protection(Cited in Ferguson, p.56). 5. The Kids

Parallel Path by Kevin Clark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parallel Path by Kevin Clark - Essay Example The constant comparison between the two couples becomes a source of repetition in this poem. This serves the purpose of persuading the readers to think about the ever-changing reality of human relationships. The poet repeatedly refers to the woman’s stepping away from her guy in an attempt to emphasize upon such a difficult decision of her life. She pretends to be confident and her pretension shows that she might be shaky in her decision. As she slowly steps away from him, she might be weighing the pros and cons of making such a decision. So the metaphor is hardly an amusing embellishment or diversion, an ‘escape’ from the harsh realities of life or of language. It is made out of, and it makes those realities. Their ‘opposite and discordant’ qualities are given, by metaphor’s interactive function, a form and an integrity, a role and an order. In this sense, man’s reality is formed by the metaphorical processes that inform his language. (Noppen, 61-62) The main metaphor of this poem is ‘parallel path’. It evokes images of people walking on parallel paths and this term is ironic in the sense because even though the sad couple is walking on a parallel path of the happy couple, yet their destinies are poles apart. Parallel path carries different meanings for both couples. One is destined to be together; while the other couple is splitting up. But the poet admits that even for the happy couple, there are no guarantees, which means that anything can happen. This is rather a realistic and practical approach to life and relationships. By believing in the uncertainty of life and staying prepared for the unexpected helps a person in the long run. It saves one from the shock of a sudden break-up and enables a person to enjoy life to its fullest. Time is also a significant metaphor that records the happy, sad or tough phases of people. It  seems that the sustainability of relationships between the two couples has been gauged over a long time period of time.  

Introduction to Tourism Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to Tourism Management - Essay Example Tourists are people who Are staying in another place away from home (for a maximum period of one year), but will eventually return home; Are part of leisure and tourism related activities; Visit for temporary short periods; Are on day trips (they may not be outside overnight); Are on business trips, which may not be holidays (Rowe, Smith and Borein, 2002, 3-4). The basic components of trade and tourism are: Fig 1: The core components of tourism management (Source: Rowe, Smith and Borein, 2002, 6). B. ‘Generating’ countries: The countries from where people tend to visit other places as tourists, or countries from where there is more outbound tourism, are known as tourist-generating countries. The term refers to places where people travel away from their home countries to other international places, for leisure purposes or for conducting business. This is a form of outbound tourism (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010, 109). As for example, a busin ess group travelling from UK to US, for some important exhibition; or a family travelling from UK to France for a holiday. Here, UK is the generating country. C. Receiving countries: The countries to which people travel for leisure purposes or for conducting business related activities, are known as receiving countries. As for example, teams from various international destinations travelling to UK for taking part in the Olympics; or a group of Chinese tourists going to UK for sightseeing, or for visiting family and friends. D. Main tourism ‘receiving' countries of the world: Travel and Tourism is a popular worldwide activity, associated with leisure and holidays. In 2010, figures revealed that more 940 million tourists from all parts of the world entered various receiving countries, leading to an increase of 6.6% in tourism when compared to the 2009 figures, and the total receiving global tourism numbers rose to   euro  693 billion in 2010, equivalent to a 4.7% rise in   actual terms (UNWTO, 2011, 2). Owing to the 2007-08 economic downturns, international  tourism  suffered a setback, which started around June 2008. Here we find that the rise the global tourism arrivals in various receiving countries falling to 2% (especially during the summer season) (UNWTO, 2008, 1). This trend continued into 2009, when some countries were more affected than others owing to the worldwide outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, and in an average almost a 6% fall in tourism for the receiving countries (fall of 4% in global arrival numbers, resulting in around 880 million international tourist ‘arrivals’ in 2009) (ibid). Travel and tourism is an important segment in the economic sector of many ‘receiving’ countries, while for some ‘receiving’ countries tourism is a vital sector where the nation’s entire economy depends on the revenues earned from travel and tourism for an overall growth and development. Receiving countr ies where tourism earns large revenue  are USA, UK, Spain, France,  Italy, Greece, Egypt,  Ã‚   Israel,  Lebanon,  Thailand, Fiji, Seychelles, The Bahamas,  Maldives,  and Philippines. Tourism brings in revenue from the payments made by the tourists for  the services and goods received; it creates various job opportunities within the  hospitality and service  that function within the travel and tourism. The hospitality and se

Leasing assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leasing - Assignment Example To this regard, it is evident that United Parcel Service (UPS) is a company that incorporates both the capital or financial lease and the operating lease. The company has an aircraft that is as a result of a capital lease and since it is a long term lease the payment of the principal amount will be paid after 12 years (2009-2021) but some commitments associated with the lease of the aircraft has been legally defeased. Therefore, IAS 17 provides that United Parcel Service recognize the aircraft as both asset and liability at a value that is equal to the lower Present Value and the present value of MLP discounted at the leasers other use incremental borrowing rate (Oppermann 107). Additionally, the asset must be depreciated and with lease rentals paid, the organization must apportion between finance cost and a reduction in liability. The transaction is recorded as follows; The operating lease for UPS is considered to be the rental contract which is short term in nature. The leased asset and the liability associated with the asset are not included in the lessee balance sheet but the lessee may hold the same rights that the lessor holds (Oppermann 110). To determine whether the United Parcel Service have an operating and financial lease, various factors are taken into consideration such as the tax incentives and the non-tax incentives generated by the company under study. In the case of tax incentives if the company has a lower tax rate then the incentives will be classified as operating lease whereas if the tax rate is higher, then it is classified as a capital or financial lease. Another determinant factor of whether the company has both operating lease and capital lease is by the fact that it meets all the prerequisites associated with the operating and the capital lease. For UPS this fact is evidenced by the availability of the

The Vietnam Quagmire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Vietnam Quagmire - Essay Example The war in Vietnam and the involvement of the United States (US) served to teach a very important lesson where foreign relations and policy are concerned. The Vietnam War served to teach America and the rest of the world that one cannot impose their ways and values on other people. This was acerbated by the use of military force by the Americans in an effort to coerce President Diem to adopt American style politics and systems of governance. America engaged itself in the Vietnam War without a clear exit strategy, an aspect that further complicated by the fact that the US did not have a set agenda on what was its end goal or objective in the war (Halberstam 4). These factors contributed to chronic suspicion by the Vietnamese leadership and the people, an aspect that did not improve relations between Americans and the Vietnamese. It led to the continuation of a purposeless war attributed to the loss of senseless and massive casualties for both sides an event that could have been avoide d if America had approached this issue in a different manner. During the Vietnam War the Buddhists in the South of Vietnam played a vital role that was seen as progressive in terms of what the country needed at that time. Buddhism was a popular and widespread religion before the coming of Christianity, and rise to power of a devote Roman Catholic priest saw the discrimination of Buddhist elements both in government and society (Halberstam 7).

Tegan & Hrad cases Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tegan & Hrad cases - Case Study Example The second point is that Hrad Technika agreed to take the project on a fixed return basis, which means that Tegan had managed one of the fundamental risks of project management, which is cost. The third issue was Hrad Technika delivery record, which had been above par before the A/P project. These reasons gave Tegan strong reasons to feel safe with Hrad Technica. The other options, such as developing the system locally did not have such strong incentives as at the time of commissioning the project. There was the risk that the project would consume more time and resources compared to outsourcing it. The first trade off is that there is a serious risk that the company will developed biased plans. Being a participant on both sides of the bidding process gives the company undue advantage and makes it hard for it to develop an objective requirements analysis. The second tradeoff is that there would be loss of detail in the development of the requirements. This comes from the self-confidence the bidding company has that may make them feel some details are not necessary to include in the requirements analysis. In this case, it is evident that Hrad Technica underestimated the cost and the duration it would take to develop the project when it developed the requirements analysis. The third Risk is that the bidding company may end up fitting the requirements analysis to their capabilities. They will interpret the needs of the client company in light of their capabilities, and not necessarily in the context of the needs of the client company The final risk will be lack of ownership of the project by the client company. The clients company can disown any problems that accrue from the implementation of the project even if they are genuine simply because of heightened expectations that the company that developed the needs requirement understands their needs well enough. On the other hand, such an arrangement can end up in the development of

Ecommerce in Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Ecommerce in Bangladesh Essay 1. Introduction When Electronic commerce, commonly known as ecommerce, is the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. Electronic commerce draws on such technologies as electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the at least at one point in the transactions life-cycle, although it may encompass a wider range of technologies such as email, mobile devices and telephones as well. Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of ebusiness [1]. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of business transactions. E-commerce can be divided into: i. E-tailing or virtual storefronts on Web sites with online catalogs, sometimes gathered into a virtual mall ii. The gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts iii. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the business-tobusiness exchange of data iv. E-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching prospects and established customers (for example, with newsletters) v. Business-to-business buying and selling vi. The security of business transactions The main areas of e-commerce are following: i. Business to Business (B2B) ii. Business to Consumer (B2C) iii. Business to Government (B2G) iv. Government to Business (G2B) 2. Objectives Our objectives are following: i. To define e-commerce and describe how it differs from ebusiness. ii. To identify and describe the unique features of ecommerce technology and discuss their business significance. iii. To describe the major types of e-commerce. iv. To discuss the origins and growth of e-commerce. v. To explain the evolution of e-commerce from its early years to today. vi. To identify the factors that will define the future of ecommerce. vii. To describe the major themes underlying the study of ecommerce. viii. To identify the major academic disciplines contributing to e-commerce and understand design of an e-commerce engine ix. To identify the opportunity and problem of e-commerce implementation in Bangladesh. x. To identify the future of e-commerce. Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net 150 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 3. E-Commerce in Bangladesh In Bangladesh there is a limited application and use of B2C e-commerce .This field is not yet much developed in Bangladesh. There are many reasons behind it one simple reason this country is not so developed and most of its citizens are poor and uneducated. It is quit natural that there are few customers who is willing and can shop in internet. It will take years to be developed this sector in bd. The telecommunication infrastructure any country affect the Internet services directly, cause it is largely depended on it. In this chapter Define Need for e-commerce in Bangladesh, different sector in Bangladesh, overview of implementation stage of e-commerce in Bangladesh. And there is some problem such as: low internet speed, no payment gateway and internet range, and recommendation. 3.1 Need for E-commerce in Bangladesh With the increasing diffusion of ICTs, more specifically t he Internet, the global business community is rapidly moving towards Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce. The buyers/ importers gain a clear advantage when the Internet gives them access to the global market, by which they can compare prices across regions, find out whether prices vary by order fragmentation, get awareness about substitute/ alternative products. Consequently, the sellers/ exporters make sure that they are well portrayed in the cyber world through websites and portals. Like buyers, sellers also benefit from increased and more efficient access to the global market through the Internet. Bangladesh is pursuing an economic policy of export-led growth. With the rising forces of globalization, it is becoming increasingly important that the private sector, particularly the export sectors are well prepared to meet the requirements and expectations of the importers and also stand out in the competition against exporters in other countries. In such a scenario, two issues are becoming particularly important for Bangladeshi export sectors –one, whether businesses are automating their internal processes with these of ICTs to become increasingly efficient and competitive in a global context, and two, whether businesses have effective presence and participation in the cyber world. International organizations such as UNCTAD (United Nations Center for Trade and Development) and WTO (World Trade Organization) [2] have, over the last several years, put much emphasis on the importance of e-commerce for developing countries. UNCTAD has special programs to facilitate developing countries to transition into e-commerce. The WTO has also develo ped rules and guidelines for global e-commerce transactions. 3.2 E-commerce in Different Sector in Bangladesh Despite being a under developed country, selected segments of the Bangladeshi business community has embraced technology with reasonable success. Personal computers and the Internet are also emerging as day-to-day business tools. These positive indicators are favoring the prospects of e-commerce in Bangladesh. i. RMG Sector ii. Banking on the Web (Online Banking) iii. Online Shopping iv. Web Hosting, Domain v. Online cards, gifts vi. Pay Bill 3.3 The Existing Situation and Potential of E-commerce in Bangladesh Internet services are presently available in Bangladesh. Its usage for e-commerce by the Bangladeshi producers to export as well as to access inputs will be dependent on their willingness and ability to use this medium as well as that of the buyers of final products and the sellers of intermediate goods and services. Figure 1 depicts the three dimensions of e-commerce. Business to-Consumers (B2C) e-commerce is practically non-existent within Bangladesh, while a very limited level of Business-to-Business (B2B) and Businessto-Government (B2G) transactions exists [3]. The potential for use of e-commerce by Bangladeshi consumers and businesses with foreign firms is much brighter, and can play an important role in boosting the country’s exports. A significant volume of B2G is also possible, as the government remains the biggest spender. Figure 1. The Three Dimensions of E-commerce 3.4 E-commerce growth in Bangladesh E-commerce growth in Bangladesh shown in figure 3.2 in the year of 2000 e-commerce business is 11440 million taka. In the years of 2001 business of e-commerce is 15840 million taka and increase year by year 2002 business is 18980 million taka 2002 to 2004 businesses is not very fast but in the year of 2005 business of e-commerce is 22480 and end the year of 2006 business of e-commerce growth is 252000 million taka. Figure 2. E-commerce growth in Bangladesh 4. Methodologies The methodologies of our survey are given below: 4.1 Identification of scope of study 151 Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 To accomplish the project objectives, a systematic process is followed. The project process begins with the identification of the project topic where studies was carried out to obtain enough information on the topic. 4.2 Group discussions to collect suggestions on the survey of e-commerce system Discuss with group member about the topic and collect their suggestions on this topic. Also discuss impacts of ecommerce in our society and business and barriers ecommerce in different sectors in Bangladesh and the future of e-commerce system. 4.3 E-commerce site visits as clients Some e-commerce websites visits were made as clients. We visited websites like www.ebay.com, browsed many products, added product to shopping cart, created user account and observed the check out process. We also examined their user interface, front end design and various category of product. We searched products by different types, t he product names and the company name. 4.4 Internet search to collect data on e-commerce growth world wide We searched the internet to collect data on e-commerce business growth based on time, data on e-commerce revenue based on geographic locations. We also collected data about e-commerce business growth and present situation of ecommerce in Bangladesh. 4.5 Architecture and code review of e-commerce site We reviewed the main technologies involved in ecommerce site, which include php sessions, catalog technology, server technology (hardware and software). We also reviewed credit card transaction and shopping cart checkout process. 4.6 Interviews to find what people think about ecommerce We interviewed people from various sections of the society to find out what they think about e-commerce and what changes they needed. We also discussed with them what the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce systems are. 4.7 Introducing intentional change to understand ecommerce engine We downloaded e-commerce site code and changed the catalog of product, banner, product detail, product image, and increase and decrease number of product show in the main page also changed the theme of e-commerce site. We entered new products and removed selling product and updated the products. 5.1 Architecture This is the design of front-end design shown in Figure 3. There is a one home page, wish list, acco unt, shopping cart, and product list and checkout option. Figure 3. E-commerce site front end design 5.2 Database Structure 5.2.1 E-R Diagram A sample entity–relationship diagram using Chens notation is shown in Figure 4. 5. Technical Design of E-Commerce Site The technical design of e-commerce site include database structure, database schema, table structure, php session, shopping cart, e-r diagram, and credit card transaction. Figure 4. A sample entity–relationship diagram using Chens notation In software engineering, an entity–relationship model (ER model for short) is an abstract [4] and conceptual representation of data. Entity–relationship modeling is a database modeling method, used to produce a type of conceptual schema or semantic data model of a system, often 152 Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 a relational database, and its requirements in a top-down fashion. Diagrams created by this process are called entity– relationship diagrams or ER diagrams. Using the three schema approach to software engineering, there are three levels of ER models that may be developed. The conceptual data model is the highest level ER model in that it contains the least granular detail but establishes the overall scope of what is to be included within the model set. The conceptual ER model normally defines master reference data entities that are commonly used by the organization. Developing an enterprise-wide conceptual ER model is useful to support documenting the data architecture for an organization. A conceptual ER model may be used as the foundation for one or more logical data models. The purpose of the conceptual ER model is then to establish structural metadata commonality for the master data entities between the set of logical ER models. The conceptual data model may be used to form commonality relationships between ER models as a basis for data m odel integration. A logical ER model does not require a conceptual ER model especially if the scope of the logical ER model is to develop a single disparate information system. The logical ER model contains more detail than the conceptual ER model. In addition to master data entities, operational and transactional data entities are now defined [5]. The details of each data entity are developed and the entity relationships between these data entities are established. The logical ER model is however developed independent of technology into which it will be implemented. One or more physical ER models may be developed from each logical ER model. The physical ER model is normally developed be instantiated as a database. Therefore, each physical ER model must contain enough detail to produce a database and each physical ER model is technology dependent since each database management system is somewhat different. The physical model is normally forward engineered to instantiate the structur al metadata into a database management system as relational database objects such as database tables, database indexes such as unique key indexes, and database constraints such as a foreign key constraint or a commonality constraint. The ER model is also normally used to design modifications to the relational database objects and to maintain the structural metadata of the database. The first stage of information system design uses these models during the requirements analysis to describe information needs or the type of information that is to be stored in a database. The data modeling technique can be used to describe any ontology (i.e. an overview and classifications of used terms and their relationships) for a certain area of interest. In the case of the design of an information system that is based on a database, the conceptual data model is, at a later stage (usually called logical design), mapped to a logical data model, such as the relational model; this in turn is mapped to a physical model during physical design. 5.2.2 The Building Blocks: Entities, Relationships, and Attributes The building blocks: entities, relationships, and attributes as shown in Figure 5, first here two related entities then an entity with an attribute next in this figure a relationship with and attribute and finally see primary key. Figure 5. The building blocks: entities, relationships, and attributes An entity may be defined as a thing which is recognized as being capable of an independent existence and which can be uniquely identified. An entity is an abstraction from the complexities of some domain. When we speak of an entity we normally speak of some aspect of the real world which can be distinguished from other aspects of the real world. An entity may be a physical object such as a house or a car, an event such as a house sale or a car service, or a concept such as a customer transaction or order. Although the term entity is the one most commonly used, following Chen we should really distinguish between an entity and an entity-type. An entity-type is a category. An entity, strictly speaking, is an instance of a given entity-type. There are usually many instances of an entity-type. Because the term entity-type is somewhat cumbersome, most people tend to use the term entity as a synonym for this term. Entiti es can be thought of as nouns. Examples: a computer, an employee, a song, a mathematical theorem. A relationship captures how entities are related to one another. Relationships can be thought of as verbs, linking two or more nouns. Examples: owns relationship between a company and a computer, supervises relationship between an employee and a department [6], performs relationship between an artist and a song, a proved relationship between a mathematician and a theorem. The models linguistic aspect described above is utilized in Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net 153 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 the declarative database query language ERROL, which mimics natural language, constructs. ERROLs semantics and implementation are based on Reshaped relational algebra (RRA), a relational algebra which is adapted to the entity–relationship model and captures its linguistic aspect. Entities and relationships can both have attributes. Examples: an employee entity might have a Social Security Number (SSN) attribute; the proved relationship may have a date attribute. Every entity (unless it is a weak entity) must have a minimal set of uniquely identifying attributes, which is called the entitys primary key. Entity–relationship diagrams dont show single entities or single instances of relations. Rather, they show entity sets and relationship sets. Example: a particular song is an entity. The collection of all songs in a database is an entity set. The eaten relationship between a child and her l unch is a single relationship. The set of all such child-lunch relationships in a database is a relationship set. In other words, a relationship set corresponds to a relation in mathematics, while a relationship corresponds to a member of the relation. 5.2.3Relationships, Roles and Cardinalities In Chens original paper he gives an example of a relationship and its roles. He describes a relationship marriage and its two roles husband and wife. A person plays the role of husband in a marriage (relationship) and another person plays the role of wife in the (same) marriage. These words are nouns. That is no surprise; naming things requires a noun. However as is quite usual with new ideas, many eagerly appropriated the new terminology but then applied it to their own old ideas. Thus the lines, arrows and crows-feet of their diagrams owed more to the earlier Bachman diagrams than to Chens relationship diamonds. And they similarly misunderstood other important concepts. In particular, it b ecame fashionable (now almost to the point of exclusivity) to name relationships and roles as verbs or phrases. 5.2.4 Limitations ER models assume information content that can readily be represented in a relational database. They describe only a relational structure for this information. Hence, they are inadequate for systems in which the information cannot readily be represented in relational form, such as with semistructured data. Furthermore, for many systems, the possible changes to the information contained are nontrivial and important enough to warrant explicit specification. Some authors have extended ER modeling with constructs to represent change, an approach supported by the original author; an example is Anchor Modeling. An alternative is to model change separately, using a process modeling technique. Additional techniques can be used for other aspects of systems. For instance, ER models roughly Figure 6. E-R modeling 5.3 Table Structure In relational databases and flat file databases, a table is a set of data elements (values) that is organized using a model of vertical columns (which are identified by their name) and horizontal rows, the cell being the unit where a row and column intersect. A table has a specified number of columns, but can have any number of rows each row is identified by the values appearing in a particular column subset which has been identified as a unique key index. Table is another term for relations; although there is the difference in that a table is usually a multi-set (bag) of rows whereas a relation is a set and does not allow duplicates. Besides the actual data rows, tables generally have associated with them some meta-information, such as constraints on the table or on the values within particular columns. The data in a table does not have to be physically stored in the database. Views are also relational tables, but 154 correspond to just 1 of the 14 different modeling techniques offered by UML. Another limitation: ER modeling is aimed at specifying information from scratch. This suits the design of new, standalone information systems, but is of less help in integrating pre-existing information sources that already define their own data representations in detail. Even where it is suitable in principle, ER modeling is rarely used as a separate activity. One reason for this is todays abundance of tools to support diagramming and other design support directly on relational database management systems. These tools can readily extract database diagrams that are very close to ER diagrams from existing databases, and they provide alternative views on the information contained in such diagrams. In a survey, Brodie [7] and Liu could not find a single instance of entity–relationship modeling inside a sample of ten Fortune 100 companies. Badia and Lemire blame this lack of use on the lack of guidance but also on the lack of benefits, such as lack of support for data integration. Also, the enhanced entity–relationship model (EER modeling) introduces several concepts which are not present in ER modeling. ER modeling as shown in Figure 6. Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 their data are calculated at query time. Another example is nicknames, which represent a pointer to a table in another database. 5.4 Database Schema A database schema of a database system is its structure described in a formal language supported by the database management system (DBMS) and refers to the organization of data to create a blueprint of how a database will be constructed (divided into database tables). The formal definition of database schema is a set of formulas (sentences) called integrity constraints imposed on a database. These integrity constraints ensure compatibility between parts of the schema. All constraints are expressible in the same language. A database can be considered a structure in realization of the database language. The states of a created conceptual schema are transformed into an explicit mapping, the database schema. This describes how real world entities are modeled i n the database. A database schema specifies, based on the database administrators knowledge of possible applications, the facts that can enter the database, or those of interest to the possible end-users. The notion of a database schema plays the same role as the notion of theory in predicate calculus. A model of this â€Å"theory† closely corresponds to a database, which can be seen at any instant of time as a mathematical object. Thus a schema can contain formulas representing integrity constraints specifically for an application and the constraints specifically for a type of database, all expressed in the same database language. In a relational database [8], the schema defines the tables, fields, relationships, views, indexes, packages, procedures, functions, queues, triggers, types, sequences, materialized views, synonyms, database links, directories, Java, XML schemas, and other elements. Schemas are generally stored in a data dictionary. Although a schema is defined in text database language, the term is often used to refer to a graphical depiction of the database structure. In other words, schema is the structure of the database that defines the objects in the database. In an Oracle Database system, the term schema has a slightly different connotation. For the interpretation used in an Oracle Database, see schema object. 5.5 Levels of Database Schema A conceptual schema or conceptual data model is a map of concepts and their relationships. This describes the semantics of an organization and represents a series of assertions about its nature. Specifically, it describes the things of significance to an organization (entity classes), about which it is inclined to collect information, and characteristics of (attributes) and associations between pairs of those things of significance (relationships). Figure 7. Conceptual schema or conceptual data model A logical schema is an alias that allows a unique name to be given to all the physical schemas containing the same data store structures. The aim of the logical schema is to ensure the portability of the procedures and models on the different physical schemas. In this way, all developments in Designer are carried out exclusively on logical schemas. A logical schema can have one or more physical implementations on separate physical schemas, but they must be based on data servers of the same technology. A logical schema is always directly linked to a technology. To be usable, a logical schema must be declared in a context. Declaring a logical schema in a context consists of indicating which physical schema corresponds to the alias logical schema for this context. For example: The logical schema LEDGER is the set of Sybase tables required for the functioning of the accounting application. These tables are stored in a physical schema for each installation of the accounting application. Work in Designer or Operator is always done on the logical schema LEDGER. Only the context allows the physical schema on which the operations are actually done to be determined. Thus, the user can switch from one physical environment to another in a single action. A logical schema’s example is shown in figure 8. Table 1: Name of the logical schema Name of the logical schema LEDGER LEDGER LEDGER Context Boston Seattle Production Seattle Test Physical Schema Sybase Boston LDG Sybase SEATTLE PROD LDG Sybase SEATTLE TEST LDG Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net 155 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 This article discusses the Oracle use of the term. For other uses of schema in a database context, such as a graphical representation of tables and other objects in a database, see database schema. In an Oracle database, associated with each database user is a schema. A schema comprises a collection of schema objects. Examples of schema objects include: tables, views, sequences, synonyms, indexes, clusters, database links, snapshots, procedures, functions and packages. Figure 8. Logical schemas Physical schema is a term used in data management to describe how data is to be represented and stored (files, indices, et al.) in secondary storage using a particular database management system (DBMS) (e.g., Oracle RDBMS, Sybase SQL Server, etc.). The logical schema was the way data were represented to conform to the constraints of a particular approach to database management. At that time the choices were hierarchical and network. Describing the logical schema, however, still did not describe how physically data would be stored on disk drives. That is the domain of the physical schema. Now logical schemas describe data in terms of relational tables and columns, object-oriented classes, and XML tags. A single set of tables, for example, can be implemented in numerous ways, up to and including an architecture where table rows are maintained on computers in different countries. Figure 10. Schema objects 5.6 Php Sessions A PHP session variable is used to store information about, or change settings for a user session. Session variables hold information about one single user, and are available to all pages in one application [9]. When you are working with an application, you open it, do some changes and then you close it. This is much like a Session. The computer knows who you are. It knows when you start the application and when you end. But on the internet there is one problem: the web server does not know who you are and what you do because the HTTP address doesnt maintain state. A PHP session solves this problem by allowing you to store user information on the server for later use (i.e. username, shopping items, etc). However, session information is temporary and will be deleted after the user has left the website. If you need a permanent storage you may want to store the data in a database. Sessions work by creating a unique id (UID) for each visitor and store variables based on this UID. The UID is either stored in a cookie or is propagated in the URL. In PHP, sessions can keep track of authenticated in users. They are an essential building block in todays websites with big communities and a lot of user activity. Without sessions, everyone would be an anonymous visitor. In system terms, PHP sessions are little files, stored on the servers disk. But on high traffic sites, the disk I/O involved, and not being able to share sessions between multiple web servers make this default system far from ideal. This is how to enhance PHP session managem ent in terms of performance and share ability. If you have multiple web servers all serving the same site, sessions should be shared among those servers, and not 156 Figure 9. Physical schema In Database lore, a schema object is a logical data storage structure. This possibly originates from the use of the term in the context of Oracle databases. The term schema can have other meanings when talking about non-Oracle databases. Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 reside on each servers individual disk. Because once a user gets load-balanced to a different server, the session cannot be found, effectively logging the user out. A common way around this is to use custom session handlers. 5.7 Shopping Card A shopping cart is a software application that typically runs on the computer where your Web site is located (the Web server), and allows your customers to do things such as searching for a product in your store catalog, adding a selected product to a basket, and placing an order for it. The shopping cart integrates with the rest of your Web site. In other words, there are typically links on your Web pages that customers can click on, and which allow them to perform some of the functions described above. For example, many e-commerce Web sites have a search link appearing on every Web page, as part of the navigation area Shopping carts are written in a variety of different programming languages. Some of them provide full access to the source code, thus allowing experienced programmers to make modifications to the system features, some others dont. Some shopping carts run on Windows Web servers, some on Unix, others on both. In most cases, you can place the shopping cart on your Web server simply by transferring its files there using any FTP [10] software, where FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. For example, our shopping cart software called Product Card is a collection of files written in a programming language called Classic ASP, and that you host on a Windows server. Experienced programmers can customize the system as they wish as the source code is included. iii. Merchant runs credit card through the point of sale unit. The amount of the sale is either hand-entered or transmitted by the cash register. iv. Merchant transmits the credit card data and sales amount with a request for authorization of the sale to their acquiring bank. . v. The acquiring bank that processes the transaction, routes the authorization request to the card-issuing bank. The credit card number identifies type of card, issuing bank, and the cardholders account. vi. If the cardholder has enough credit in their account to cover the sale, the issuing bank authorizes the transaction and generates an authorization code. This code is sent back to the acquiring bank. vii. The acquiring bank processing the transaction, and then sends the approval or denial code to the merchants point of sale unit. Each point of sale device has a separate terminal ID for credit card processors to be able to route data back to that particular unit. viii. A sale draft, or slip, is printed out by the point of sale unit or cash register. The merchant asks the buyer to sign the sale draft, which obligates them to reimburse the cardissuing bank for the amount of the sale. ix. At a later time, probably that night when the store is closing up, the merchant reviews all the auth orizations stored in the point of sale unit against the signed sales drafts. When all the credit card authorizations have been verified to match the actual sales drafts, the merchant will capture, or transmit, the data on each authorized credit card transaction to the acquiring bank for deposit. This is in lieu of depositing the actual signed paper drafts with the bank. x. The acquiring bank performs what is called an interchange for each sales draft, with the appropriate card-issuing bank. The card-issuing bank transfers the amount of the sales draft, minus an interchange fee to the acquiring bank. xi. The acquiring bank then deposits the amount of the all the sales drafts submitted by the merchant, less a discount fee, into the merchants bank account. Credit card transaction is shown in Figure 12. Figure 11. Google Checkout shopping cart 5.8 Credit Card Transaction From the information presented in the preceding sections, we can start to piece together what is occurring during a credit card transaction. We know that merchants have a relationship with either an acquiring bank or independent sales organization, through which they have their credit card transactions processed. The section on industry terminology shows us some of the fees involved in this process. Merchants must pay the acquiring bank or ISO a discount fee based on the total amount of the sale. Likewise, the acquiring bank or ISO must pay the card issuer an interchange fee when they process the sales draft from the merchant. Steps involved in a normal credit card transaction: i. Merchant calculates the amount of purchase and asks buyer for payment ii. Buyer presents merchant with a credit card. Figure 12. Credit card transaction 6. Conclusion Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a term for any type of business, or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of information across the Internet. It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge. E157 Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), India Online ISSN: 2319-7064 commerce has grown tremendously worldwide. In the future e-commerce may become totally mobile based. In Bangladesh E-commerce also become a very powerful business mechanism but Bangladesh will have to overcome the problems with poor network connectivity and electronic payment issues. The problems identified in this Project are: Security problem, Confusing checkout process, Customers can’t find products, Customers can’t touch and fell a product, No sales staff means any chance of up-selling, Language barrier. Regarding the identified problems the following solutions have been proposed: Merchant needs to ensure the platform employs strong encryption for payment processing and customer data retention. E-commerce platform should always have a visible running total of purchases prominently displayed during the customer experience. E-commerce platform must support the ability to present the customer with nested categories as well as a search box. An e-commerce platform should also support the ability to attach multiple pictures to a product catalog page, allowing the consumer to view the product from multiple angles. E-commerce platform needs to be able to associate products with related and complimentary products. The system should allow all tran slation to be done centrally. My M.Sc Engg. in CSE is running at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. My research interest areas are the image processing, Computer Networks, Computer Networks and Data Security, Compiler, Theory of Computations, etc. My several papers Published in International Journals. Muhammad Golam Kibria, Assistant Professor and Head, Department of CSE, University of Information Technology Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh. I completed Masters in Mobile Computing and Communication from the University of Greenwich, London, UK. My research interests are Computer Network Security and image processing, Sensor, Robotics and Wireless Sensor Network. Mohammad Nuruzzaman Bhuiyan is working as a Lecturer at the Department of CSE IT, University of Information Technology Sciences (UITS), Baridhara, Dhaka-1212.Bangladesh. I have completed my B.Sc Engg. and M.Sc Engg. in CS from The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. My research interest areas are Fundamental of Computer, Web technology, Computer Networks, Computer Networks and Data Security, Theory of Computations, etc. My several papers accepted in International Journals. References [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_commerce [2] Tkacz, Ewaryst; Kapczynski, Adrian (2009), Springer, P. 255 [3] Online Today, The Electronic Mall. CIS/compuserve nostalgia. Http://www.gsbrown.org/compuserve/electronic-mall1984-04/. [4] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-buysdiaperscom-parent-in-545-mln-deal-2010-11-08/. [5] http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/28/ebay-to-acquire-gsicommerce-for-2-4-billion [6] Miller, Holmes E. And Engemann, Kurt J. (1996); A methodology for managing information-based risk; Information Resources Management Journal; 9:2; 17-24 [7] http://www.e-consultancy.com/news blog/363726/whydo-customers-abandon-the-Checkoutprocess.htmlcopyright 2008 Voloper Creations Inc. 7 [8] http://www.articlesbase.com/e-commercearticles/impacts-of-e-commerce-on-business1882952.html [9] http://www.startupsmart.com.au/mentor/michaelfox/2011-02-03 Authors Profile Md. Akbor Hossain received the B.Sc degrees in CSE University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS), Baridhara, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh. I am working as a Lab Demonstrator at the Department of CSE IT, University of Information Technology Sciences (UITS), Baridhara, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh. *Md. Akkas Ali is working as a Lecturer at the Department of CSE IT, University of Information Technology Sciences (UITS), Baridhara, Dhaka1212, Bangladesh. I completed my B.Sc Engg. in CSE from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Chittagong-4349, Bangladesh. Volume 2 Issue 2, February 2013 www.ijsr.net