My Austin free essay sample

Downtown Austin is a melting pot of culture. Birds of all feathers flock to the beautiful sites of the Capitol building, the bats emerging from underneath Congress Bridge, and the many oddities that justify the signature ‘Keep Austin Weird’ catchphrase. As I drive down Cesar-Chavez, glimpses of Town Lake framed with bright hues of green can be seen from the roadway. Feats of architecture stare down at me from the skyline; buildings encompass the personality of the city with their variations in style and size. Frost bank sparkles in the distance and The Driskill’s regal presence is not one to be ignored. Street vendors sell food from every corner of the world, while the retail scene ranges from high end fashion to rare vintage collections. While many of my classmates have been confined to the bubble of the suburbs, I have spent my Junior and Senior year exploring the urban world. We will write a custom essay sample on My Austin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is in these familiar streets that I learned the values of hard work, motivation, and leadership. The importance of individuality became as clear as the waters of Barton Springs as I absorbed the culture I was surrounded with. When I decided to join Austin Rowing Club, I expected to learn a new sport and fill my free time with a proficient activity. As time went on, passion sparked. Five days a week, I could be spotted in one of the sleek sculling boats gliding down Town Lake. Both mentally and physically exasperating, rowing was a labor of love. The utmost concentration was required to fall into a well-timed cadence with the other rowers in the boat, all of our oars gracefully prying the vessel through the water as one. The majority of my time is spent in these glimmering waters, which offered me a whole new perspective on a city I thought I was familiar with. Although not an ephemeral process, I was soon absorbed into the culture of the city. Every practice was like an in depth tour through the heart of the famed Texas capitol. Some days protesters could be seen marching above my head as I rowed under the bridges of Lady Bird Lake. Suddenly, politics were relevant to my life and not just a news story f lashing on the television screen. I learned the sleep schedule of the bats that lived under Congress Bridge, watching them retreat with the sunrise and awake to a magenta sunset. History came to life as I learned about the landmarks that surrounded me, and I became absorbed in the statues that stood proudly on the river’s shore symbolizing Austin’s rich history. My once nonexistent understanding of art and architecture flourished as I became exposed to it, instantly entranced by the intricate designs put on display as if the city itself were a museum. Austin’s legendary music scene unfolded at my feet, pleasing my naive ears with genres that I had never heard before. My sport exposed me to some of the greater aspects of life, simultaneously teaching me how to find my strengths in situations that seem beyond the realm of possibility. Rowing helped me to develop a mental strength which constantly echoes a reminder that perseverance is applicable to all elements of success, in and out of the water. As I embark into the next chapter of my life, I look forward to assimilating myself into a culture of different proportions. I will glide through the deep river of Opportunity, using University of Texas as my boat and the skills and motivation I have developed as my oars. I will continue to paddle through academic obstacles just as I have paddled through the painful build-up of lactic acid at many regattas. Each stroke creates a puddle in its wake and sends a ripple of influence through the water. As I row my way through college, the opportunity to influence my surroundings is literally in my hands.

Free Essays on Edward Weston

Edward Weston Formal Analysis When a formalistic critic analyzes a work of art, they look at certain things. The criticism of art is to stress the significance of form over content as the source of a work’s subjective appeal. In an analysis critics consider aesthetic effects created by design factors. The piece of artwork that I chose to formally analyze is a photograph by Edward Weston, entitled â€Å"Pepper†. There are many elements of this work, which contribute to the overall outcome of the photograph. At first glance the pepper seems to be a photograph of a man and a woman kissing, but when looked at closely you are able to see that the figure is in fact a pepper. Since the image is in black and white you are able to look past the color of a pepper, and look deeper into the form. Weston uses shadows and highlights to bring out features of the pepper that would not be noticed otherwise. The lighting also helps to show the real texture of the pepper by showing the smoothness of the skin. Since the background of the pepper is very dark also adds to the shadows and highlights, making the shadows very dark, and the highlights very light. The pepper chosen also portrays a part in the image. The pepper that Weston chose for this photograph is disfigured and not very recognizable as a pepper at first glance. The disfigurement of the pepper makes the viewer have to fully analyze the ima ge in order to fully understand the meaning and true content of the photograph. This analysis and the effects Weston used to take the picture, play in the overall outcome of the photograph. Weston uses different techniques in making his photograph unique. He places the pepper in a funnel to create depth, with darkness only in the background. He also crops the image so that the only thing that is seen in the photo is the pepper. This lets the viewer concentrate on the pepper itself and not on its surroundings. Since the pepper is... Free Essays on Edward Weston Free Essays on Edward Weston Edward Weston Formal Analysis When a formalistic critic analyzes a work of art, they look at certain things. The criticism of art is to stress the significance of form over content as the source of a work’s subjective appeal. In an analysis critics consider aesthetic effects created by design factors. The piece of artwork that I chose to formally analyze is a photograph by Edward Weston, entitled â€Å"Pepper†. There are many elements of this work, which contribute to the overall outcome of the photograph. At first glance the pepper seems to be a photograph of a man and a woman kissing, but when looked at closely you are able to see that the figure is in fact a pepper. Since the image is in black and white you are able to look past the color of a pepper, and look deeper into the form. Weston uses shadows and highlights to bring out features of the pepper that would not be noticed otherwise. The lighting also helps to show the real texture of the pepper by showing the smoothness of the skin. Since the background of the pepper is very dark also adds to the shadows and highlights, making the shadows very dark, and the highlights very light. The pepper chosen also portrays a part in the image. The pepper that Weston chose for this photograph is disfigured and not very recognizable as a pepper at first glance. The disfigurement of the pepper makes the viewer have to fully analyze the ima ge in order to fully understand the meaning and true content of the photograph. This analysis and the effects Weston used to take the picture, play in the overall outcome of the photograph. Weston uses different techniques in making his photograph unique. He places the pepper in a funnel to create depth, with darkness only in the background. He also crops the image so that the only thing that is seen in the photo is the pepper. This lets the viewer concentrate on the pepper itself and not on its surroundings. Since the pepper is...

General Electric's Nuclear Radiation Research Paper

General Electric's Nuclear Radiation - Research Paper Example There is a lot of concern growing today on the ethical issues in the electric and nuclear radiation. Similarly, it also includes the nuclear weapons, the nuclear power, and the larger nuclear fuel cycle space (Hale, 2011). Currently, there is today the emerging ethical issue such as the number of wastes, health, and the entire environment that surrounds the production of the material. The effect of nuclear reactors is so wide that even reaches the areas where indigenous and the poor people in the society live (Katz, 2006). One possible effect is the injustice that people and even their future generation suffer as a result of radiations. The presence of the negative evidence that concerns with the nuclear industry have its concerns with world's issues such as politics, the science, and even the economics. In addition, it also includes the leaders who support the development of the nuclear industry such as Sir Mark Oliphant. Just in the same way as any other discipline, ethics in the g eneral electric, nuclear radiation industry defines the good and the bad that comes as it is used by human beings. The notion of ethics in reference to this industry, however, should not be confused with the ethics that has to do with classifying good or evil. This is because even the most respected lot in society may also find themselves indulging in the evil, even with their knowledge that such acts would lead to the cause of the evil things.Today issues of ethics are just but another faction in the discussions that relate to it.

The Decline of the Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Decline of the Ottoman Empire - Essay Example This was as a result of internal issues as well as the external elements. The external elements came about in form of other civilizations, movements and powers that came along and posed challenges to the Ottoman Empire. The Western Imperialist expansions were one of those that contributed towards the decline of Ottoman Empire in a direct and indirect manner. The impact of Decline of Ottoman Empire: The result of Ottoman Empire’s decline was creation of vacuum in terms of authority, capacity and power possessed by a single Empire. For centuries Ottoman Empire held the reign firm and controlled the native regions under its grip effectively. With the gradual downfall, the question of stability, political replacement, and social substitution left much to be desired and a question to be addressed. This vacuum creation brought about unhealthy competition and race for the occupying of power seat in the region in order to maintain the say and influence in the region. The Empire was at peak during the days when it conquered the Constantinople and this marked the pinnacle of their achievements (Melton and Baumann, 2903). Root causes of decline of the Empire: The root causes were in form of political instability, internal intrigues, social disparity, nationalistic movements, alienation of the rulers from the people, external elements influence, awakening amongst the masses, Porte’s ambitious governors (Couto and Loureiro, 39) and various other factors that led to the disintegration and decay in a gradual manner. 1682 can be termed as a significant period in the history of Ottoman Empire when they suffered their first defeat. Economic aspect is also attributed as a factor that led to the downfall of the Empire. With no social equality, too much being spent in the wars and other military pursuits led to starvation and inflation in the social and economic ranks, ultimately leading to disparity and discontent amongst the masses and subjects spread far and wide. The negative impact of economy directly told upon the military expansions, investments and developments. With the other empires and ruling regimes building on the military might, the Ottoman Empire stayed behind with regard to military advancements. The advancements in technology over period of time and most notably the Europe region, made the cause and case further worse for the Ottoman Empire. The demise of one Sultan led to a battle for supremacy and attainment of the throne between the successors, this would result in the division of loyalties and eating up of the financial resources within. The role of Ambitious Governors: Mehmat Ali and Ibrahim Pasha were two of the governors appointed by the Porte to administer and govern over Egypt. They were highly ambitious in their motives and intentions. They would demand new terms and territories from the Porte time to Time. Syria, Pashalik and other regions were under their interest. This internal strife gave an opportunity to the fore ign elements to intrude and make inroads in terms of their vested interests. France went in support of the war, Turkey in return had to fight a war with Russia in 1877 (Drury, 3)which further exposed and weakened the Empire’s say and influence in the region. Parts of continent Africa that were under the direct or indirect influence of the Porte also served as point and region of interest for the European Imperialistic and engaged them in rivalry with one another. Western

Knowledge Based Practice in Substance Abuse Interventions

Knowledge Based Practice in Substance Abuse Interventions Knowledge based practice Introduction This paper will look at how research informs practice. I will be looking at young people and substance misuse and older people and how research might inform or affect my practice. Good professional practice is knowledge based practice which often means that it is practice based on what others have done, or research that others have undertaken. Research is an important part of most aspects of the human services. In health, in education, and in social work research is important informs our view of the world and can provide a framework for dealing with a particular subject or case. Research has a prominent place in the social services and it is important to the social worker. When people undertake research into areas of social and health care, then these findings and recommendations are generally used to inform practice. Not only is research important in informing social work practice, it is also important when it comes to Government policy. Like most social workers I have found some research an invaluable asset when dealing with disaffected and vulnerable groups such as young children and socially excluded young people. Some research may have been undertaken some time in the past but its findings still prove to be useful today. Willis’ (1977 in Giddens 2001) used group interviews (what are sometimes called focus group interviews) in his study of working class boyS and the ways in which the education system attempts to prepares them for the labour market. Both individual and group interviews were used in collecting this data, and while the work has been criticised it provided, and continues to provide useful information about how working class boys communicate and interact. This type of research is a source of invaluable knowledge to someone working with young people. It provides some insights into why youngsters react against authority and why they might act the way they do. Research can be a two edged sword, on the one hand it informs, and on the other it can produce lasting impressions that can lead to oppressive policy making. While Government papers on young people set a framework for soc ial workers, this kind of early research is useful when dealing with them in a practice context. Yet another valuable, yet some might say, problematic, source of information is Bowlby’s (1946) work on why young people commit crime or get involved in substance abuse. While Bowlby’s work, (which points to maternal deprivation as a cause of problematic behaviour in young people )has been deeply criticised within academic circles his ideas still have a significant impact on current Government discourses on youth. Certainly many social workers find themselves dealing with youngsters who have substance abuse problems and may feel themselves in an ethical dilemma when confronted with some of the policies in this area. One of the worst influences that work such as this has had is the growing tendency to treat anyone who does not conform to society’s norms as sick and deviant. Government initiatives on drugs, more often than not, appear to be targeted at poor and working class communities. Further there is a tendency for these initiatives to link poverty and drugs in the minds of other people. If an adolescent comes from the poorer part of town and is perhaps unemployed then this can lead to people in authority thinking that he/she is more likely to be seen as a drugs user even if they are not. Eley (2002) maintains that this leads to the association of drugs and crime with those who are already underprivileged in society. For social workers this is can be an extremely problematic situation. Do I as a social worker automatically assume something about a young person who is in trouble, and label them as sick and deviant, or do I adhere to what I believe to be the case, that everyone is of equal worth and therefore deserves an equal chance. If I am to abide, in my professional capacity by the 1998 Human Rights Act, then ethically, I could be duty bound to ignore Government guidelines in this area. Moore (1996) says that Government overstates the case on drug misuse when it refers to drug users as addicts because, he argues, most of the drug use that takes place in Britain is recreational This implies that those who use them are in control of the situation with regard to when they take drugs e.g. weekends, and how much they spend. Theorists are divided on why adolescents take drugs therefore it might be argued that the reason adolescents use drugs are quite complex and differ from person to person. This means that a social worker should act in accordance with the Human Rights Act when dealing with the problems of young people because that also implies treating each case on its individual merits Becker (1963) has argued that young people are often viewed as delinquent because of the way society viewed certain acts, such as drug taking. Calling or labelling a young person as deviant is problematic because it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those in authority often take the view that young people, and particularly underprivileged young people are deviant and if the label is applied often enough, and by those with the power to apply it, then that is how the adolescent may come to view themselves. Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) however, say that no theory is sufficient unless there is also an analysis of the power relationships that exist in society. Hall (1978) maintains that the way in which adolescents are represented in the media has a huge effect on the way in which they are viewed by others. This can then have a further effect on their actions. In my own professional practice I have to be aware of such theories and how they inform public perception and Government policy. I also have to be aware of them in my practice and this might involve questioning the assumptions and methods behind certain research findings i.e. I am questioning their theories. Theories aid us in making sense of the world, one explanation of theory is an observation of observed regularities for example that women do more housework than men. Many things are not self-evident but need an explanation, thus Abbott and Wallace (1997) maintain that all of us are theorists because of the need to analyse and interpret our ordinary everyday experiences in order to make sense of them In sociological theory, some theories are extremely abstract, for example critical theory. Merton (1967 in Giddens, 2001) has called these theories ‘grand theories’ because they operate at a general and abstract level, theories such as those of Willis and Bowlby are middle range theory, because they are looking at an aspect of social life. Usually Merton (1967in Giddens 2001) maintains it is the middle range theories that are more likely to guide research. Labelling theory and Becker’s work, for example is a middle range approach to research that was developed out of the sociology of deviance. The problem is that while I as a social worker dealing with a young person with substance abuse issues might prefer to treat that person as an individual, and ethically I am bound to do so, Government discourses take a quite different view. Drug abuse and crime as mentioned earlier are closely associated in public discourses with poverty and this is evident in recent policy making. When evaluating research and research findings social workers need to find some sort of framework within which to evaluate the work this might be the 12 step approach advocated by Locke or it might be something as simple as using a content analysis approach to evaluate what the researcher has done and decide how effective that research may be. The Government’s report, No More Excuses (The Causes of Youth Crime) states that deprivation and poverty are usually a contributing factor in youth crime.[1] Government research suggests that while young people who offend may not do it very often, there are a few persistent offenders who are responsible for the greater part of youth crime new Youth Justice reforms will concentrate on preventing crime and on early intervention where children and young people are at risk of becoming involved in crime.[2] Leitner et al (1993) maintain that the British public is concerned about drug use, drug dealing, and the crime that is associated with this. Pudney (2003) maintains that if young people take soft drugs such as cannabis then they are more likely to progress to hard drugs and to criminal activity. He also argues that such behaviour is strongly associated with unobservable personal characteristics and New Labour have consistently targeted drugs initiatives at underprivileged commun ities. Working with young people means that I have to take into account Government reports as well as other research findings. At the same time I, like many other social workers, have as Moore (2002) points out, entered social work because of a commitment to social justice, or at the very least a desire to help others and to see improvement and positive change in people’s lives. Some critics maintain that the way in which social services often operates is self-serving rather than serving the needs of the clients, yet social workers do police themselves and their profession. The way in which they do this is to think critically about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what moral implications this may have. Certainly social work ethics should not lead anyone to believe that the social work profession should serve itself, rather the needs of the client should be most important. One of the ways this is achieved is by establishing clear relationship boundaries early on and thi s is vital when working with young people who have issues around substance misuse. The BASW has to say about social work ethics and values. The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work (BASW,2001). [3] Social work practice, in order to be ethical practice must be centred on the needs of service users Social workers of necessity intervene in people’s lives and have an influence on situations, ethical decision making is therefore a vital component of social work practice (Osmo and Landau, 2001). Yet another area where social work practice can be a minefield is in working with older people. When working with older people a social worker has a duty to abide by the 1990 NHS and community care act. Working with older people can be difficult on the one hand there is what you want to achieve as a social worker and on the other there are guidelines that may prevent you from doing your best for a client. There are an increasing number of legal and policy requirements that the social worker dealing with an older person must adhere to. It is difficult for the social worker to negotiate the needs and wishes of the client while remaining within the legislative framework. Working together is not always straightforward. The more recent Health and Social Care Bill of 2001 gives Government powers to require health bodies and local authorities whose services are failing to pool their resources. Parrott (2002) undertook research into the care management process and how it affects social worke rs and service users. He points out that there is often no common guidelines on which services should be provided, or the standard of care to expect. The social worker may find that he/she has to perform most of the assessment and to discover whether an older person’s family would be prepared to help so that he/she could remain in their own home. Whatever the decision the social worker would also need to ensure that the client could, at some level, participate in the decision making process. Thus the process is fraught with problems, for example a social worker might assess a person as needing a certain level of care but this has to be agreed with the social worker’s supervisor and with care management. So the person may not receive the care that the social worker deems appropriate. Thus the social worker has a dilemma. While knowledge does inform practice it is not the only thing that the social worker has to deal with, management decisions also affect the process as Parrott’s research shows. One thing that has become apparent to me is while research can inform practice, it should not be allowed to determine it, if and when it does this can result in oppressive practice and a complete disregard of the rights of the service user and this is against ethical practice as outlined by the BASW. Conclusion This paper has looked at knowledge based practice and how research informs what a social worker does. When dealing with research one is not looking at it in isolation but also having to deal with policies that emerge as a result of that research. Many of the funding restrictions that social workers have to deal with are a result of the 1988 Griffiths report which found that getting organizations to work together, and using a market based approach to social care would save the Government money. Bibliography Abbott and Wallace (1997) An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives, London, Routledge Becker, H.S. 1963. Outsiders. New York, Free Press. Bennet, T. Holloway, K. and Williams T. 2001.Drug use and offending: Summary results of the first year of the New-ADAM research programme. Home Office Research Study 236 Home Office London Blaxter, L, Hughes, C and Tight, M (1996) How to research. OU press Bowlby, J. 1946. Forty-four Juvenile Thieves. London, Tindall and Cox. British Association of Social Workers (2002) The Code of Ethics for Social Work.http://www.basw.co.uk/. Bryman, A 2004 Social Research Methods 2nd ed. Oxford, Oxford University Press Eley, S. 2002. â€Å"Community-backed drug initiatives in the UK: a review and commentary on evaluations.† Health Social Care in the Community10(2),99-105. Giddens, 2001 4th ed. Sociology Cambridge, Polity Hall,S. Critcher, C. Jefferson,T. Clarke, J. and Roberts, B. 1979 Policing the Crisis. Mugging, Leitner M., Shapland J. Wiles P. 1993. Drug Usage and Drugs Prevention: The Views and Habits of the General Public. HMSO, London. Moore, S. 2002 3rd Edition Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Moore, S.1996 Investigating Crime and Deviance London, Collins Educational Parrott, L 2002 Social Work and Social Care London, Routledge. Taylor Walton and Young. 1973. The New Criminology. London, Routledge 1 [1] http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/nme.html#CHAP1 [2] http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs/nme.html#CHAP1 [3] http://www.basw.co.uk/articles.php?articleId=2page=2

Explain the Hardware, Software and Peripheral Components of a Computer System and the Functional Relation Between These Components

Explain the hardware, software and peripheral components of a computer system and the functional relation between these components. Fig: functions of the operating systems (1) 1-Hardware Hardware consists of physical equipment of the computer. We distinguish equipment within the Case such as: Power supply: it is the equipment that receives electricity from a DC current and converts it to a alternative current AC for the needs of the computer. The power supply may depends on the motherboard of the computer because the wattage varies depends on other equipment inside the computer. Fig 3: power supply (4) The motherboard: it is the main equipment of the computer. On it are stored and connected every other equipment. The motherboard is the central piece of the computer. We have many others components installed on the motherboards such as microprocessor, RAM, controller†¦ Fig 4: the motherboard (5) Microprocessor: it is the brain of the computer. it means that all the operation on the computer are made by the microprocessor. It is also known as CPU (central processing Unit). it can be measured in megahertz (MHz) or in Gigahertz depending of computer. he performance of the microprocessor is so important that it is essential to any customer to be aware of the number of calculations it can perform before buying a computer [23]. for example, Dell Optiplex 990 works with Intel Core i3 2100 (3. 1GHz). Fig 5: microprocessor (6) RAM: it is Random access memory. its role is to store instructions or data for a possible processing and its storage is temporally. it hold s a list of instructions of an information that is currently working. it can be accessed randomly, it means that it does not have to look in the storage device (hard disk) from the start to find a piece of interest [23]. When we switch off the computer any storage within the RAM, will be erased that is why we say the storage is temporally. RAM is the main memory because we can quickly access any files in the hard disk. Fig 6: RAM (7) ROM: it stands for read only memory. ROM differs from RAM in two ways: first it is not changed or erased after the computer is assembled, you can read it but cannot write on it, and second it remains unchanged even after the computer is turned off. [23] Fig:19 ROM [22] Hard disk: it is the component where data, files, operating systems are saved. t stored large amount of data depending on its size. the records stored are not volatile as in the RAM, but it remains until it is changed or deleted. it is measured in bytes. today we noticed that computer are almost hard disk capacity of 40 gigabytes. this performance of the disk capacity is one of the main measure when we are buying a computer. [23] Fig 7: the hard disk (8) Drive controllers: its role is to control data trans fer to and from the hard disk. it is a circuits that allows the CPU to communicate with the hard disk and the other kind of disk drive. or example the controller talks to the keyboard and to the mouse to enable the CPU to read information from them(2). we have drive controller such as IDE(integrated drive electronic) and SCSI (small computer systems interface) Fig 8:drive controllers (9) CD-ROM Drive: we use this drive to play and read CD-ROM (DISK COMPACT Read only memory) in the computer. we can also play audio CD. a typical capacity of the CD ROM is about 650 megabytes. they are now being overtaken by DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) because of their large capacity storage up to 3. 9 gigabytes. [23] Fig 9: CD ROM drive(10) Floppy drive: we use this drive to save or read data in a floppy disk. a floppy disk is a small and removable storage devices that record data in square plastic jacket. fig 10: floppy disk drive (11) 2- Software The computer software are programs that controls the computer hardware. They command the hardware and tell them what to do and how to do it. We have many kinds of software: operating systems software, application software, and drivers. Operating systems: it is a program that controls and manages the computer in every task. it controls the input and the output of the computer such as disk drives or scanner. Two of the main features of the operating systems are: -multi user: it means that two or more users can run programs at the same time, it is used particularly with mainframe and minicomputer (3) -multitasking: it means that it is able to execute more than one task at the same-time. For example we can play music in the computer and use the write a document in Microsoft word. We have many type of operating systems: -Windows (XP, VISTA, Windows 7†¦) -Mac OS X -Linux there are additional operating systems that we find on the computer. We called them systems tools of the computer. e use them for the routine maintenance. routine maintenance is different method we take to keep our computer safe and without problems. we have tools such as Disk defragmenter: it is a tool that we use to keep our computer running quickly and efficiently. it organizes and consolidates data on the hard disk, allowing the systems to run faster. we have to use it at least every week. [17] Disk cleanup: it is a tool that enables us to free space in the hard disk and improve the performance of the computer. we use it to remove and delete programs such as temporally internet files, or programs that we on’t use. [17] Backup, [17] Application software: they are programs designed to handle specific types of information and achieve useful results. We distinguish many kinds of application software: -word processing: in those applications we can create text documents. E. g. Microsoft word -database: in those applications we can create and edit data records. E. g. Filemarker pro -presentation graphics: we have the possibility to draw, create 2D and 3D graphics. E. g Corel Draw -media player: with those applications we can play Video, MP3, and other audio formats. E. g. QuickTime player It facts application software depends on platforms and operating systems. for example there are some applications that cannot work in Drivers: there is a program that controls a particular hardware device. Devices such as keyboard, monitor and printer are controls by a driver. Without those drivers the devices cannot function properly. 3-Peripheral components of the computer the peripheral components of the computer can be input or output devices such as: Monitor: it is a device made as a screen where information is represented. it is one of the most important peripheral components of the computer. Fig 11: monitor (12) Keyboard: it is a device that we use to write or enter data text into the computer. Fig 12: keyboard (13) Mouse: it can be defined as a device composed of one or many button that we used to select or to choose specific things through a pointer in a screen. fig 13: mouse(14) Printer: it is a device that we use to represent physically text or graphic data or information stored in the computer. We represent it through a paper. we have many kinds of printer: Dot matrix printer: it can print up to 200 characters per seconds; the print head is hammered very rapidly over the paper. Laser jet printer and ink jet printer. fig14: ink jet printer (15) Scanner: it is a input device used to scan or copy pictures, text to the computer. fig 15: scanner [16] Digital camera: it is a device that we use to record video. We can transfer our recorded video to our computer, and edit them, or email them to friends. fig 16: digital camera[19] Loudspeakers: we use these devices to play music or to use some application that involves sound hearing. fig 17: computer loudspeakers [20] Microphone: we use microphone to create or record a voice or a sound . ometimes we use it for communicating with friends via internet. [18] fig 18: computer microphone [21] References: 1-www. cisco. co. uk 2-http://encyclopedia2. thefreedictionary. com/Hard+drive+controller 3-http://www. webopedia. com/TERM/M/multi_user. html 4-http://trustcomputers. co. uk/index. php? main_page=index&cPath=2 5-http://www. teach-ict. com/gcse/hardware/parts/miniweb/motherboard. htm 6-http://www. cpu-world. com/CPUs/K10 /TYPE-Sempron. html 7-http://www. pcextreme. net/news/your-ram-check-it/ 8-http://www. novell. com/coolsolutions/appnote/16837. html 9-http://www. techarp. om/showarticle. aspx? artno=388&pgno=2 10- http://www. powersourceonline. com/buy-equipment/ibm-Parts/10K3782/31776879-10K3782-cy-en. jsa 11_http://www. darlingtoncomputerrepairs. co. uk/index. php? main_page=product_info&cPath=58_100&products_id=87 12- http://www. lcd-monitor-reviews. com/lcd-monitor-reviews/iiyama-AS4611UT-lcd-monitor-review. html 13- http://voices. canonical. com/joey. stanford/2007/11/ 14- http://www. tomshardware. com/reviews/microsoft-breeds-unique-mice,1554-2. html 15-http://www. inkandmedialtd. co. uk/blog/epson-r300-inkjet-printer-review/ 16-http://www. letsgodigital. rg/html/events/PHOTOKINA-2004/news/epson/PERFECTION-4180_en. html 17-http://www. microsoft. com/atwork/maintenance/speed. aspx 18-www. camcorderinfo. com/content/Glossary. htm 19-http://digital-cameras-planet. com/ 20-http://www. comparesto reprices. co. uk/Trust-computer-speakers-reviews. asp 21-http://www. custom-product. com/wholesale-items/662/714-1/computer-microphone-cm-9002-129285. html 22-http://www. novopc. com/2008/09/rom-read-only-memory/ 23- Brendan Munnelly, Paul Holden, 2000, ECDL3 the complete coursebook, Prentice Hall, Redacteurs Software Documentation Limited 2000

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Essay

A good sales-person is one who possesses personality traits that is in their innate nature to interact with others. These are often difficult to teach but can be developed with time, depending upon the individual’s motivation to excel in their field of work. This forms the intrinsic motivation. However, the motivational tendencies of an individual sales-person alone are insufficient as it is also dependent upon extrinsic motivational factors. (Luke Ali 2011). It is a force that can spur or discourage an individual from achieving the fullest potential in any field. It can take the form of monetary or non-monetary benefits, which encompasses the extrinsic motivation of the sales-person (Luke Ali 2011). Knowing the fact that monetary incentives have been deeply entrenched as the basic method of reward for employees; it must not be assumed that relying on this method solely will be effective. Companies have to consider immaterial benefits to motivate its staffs. What is motivation? Motivation is to initiate action on a certain task. It is to expand a certain amount of effort on that particular task and to persist in expanding effort over a period of time. Therefore motivation is a driving force that pushes people to work, put in effort in their work and working harder than the rest. How to motivate your sales force to have great performance? It’s not just about the paycheck. Effective incentive compensation management is based on an understanding of basic human motivation—on the importance of trust, self-esteem, social recognition and improved chances to fulfill one’s potential (Bakosh 2007, 3). Leadership Many people assume salespeople are motivated by money, and while this is largely true, it’s absurd to think they are motivated only by money. Salespeople are still human and while commission bonuses and sales spiffs will probably remain an important part of most sales compensation plans, studies consistently show that financial incentives never have the same lasting impact as an employee who is passionate about his work and it is a simply not possible to be passionate about something that you think is inferior. Besides instilling natural passion into your sales team, a salesperson who truly believes in his product or service is far more likely to sell with integrity. Good teamwork is crucial to job satisfaction because it gives employees a sense of accomplishment when the objective is attained. Inspirational sales leaders are well aware that different individuals have different motivations and needs, and they vary their own style accordingly. An especially effective leader with consciously assesses each sales representative’s â€Å"ideal level of energy†, and creates productive â€Å"stretch† for each person according to the level of tension at which each performs at his or her personal best. He inspires some representatives mostly through positive reinforcement—â€Å"you can do it, you’re the best†Ã¢â‚¬â€and others mostly through constructive criticism, each according to their individual profit le and preference. Compensation Plans A well-designed compensation plan is crucial for the success of a company, and must not be overlooked. It has the ability to motivate or de-motivate an employee. In truth, it is valid to imply that, in this context, an effective plan can inspire the sales-person to generate more revenue for the success of a sales company .Hence, when designing the plan it involves the consideration of multi-factorial elements (Growth Process Group 2011). Every step has a purpose and needs to be taken into account. The sales behaviour goals are often misinterpreted by organisations, hence resulting in the failure to motivate their employees. Lastly, the design guidelines encompass the classification of the job and its entitled incentives (Growth Process Group 2011). Compensation Plans †¢Salaries are fixed amounts per month or year for performing a role. †¢Commission is a payment based on the value of sales achieved. This constantly motivates the sales-person especially since his income is strictly dependent on his sales. †¢Salary-plus-commission plans offer an incentive above a basic salary that provides a high-degree of flexibility securing salary and profits but also surpass one’s performance (Tokarev Sergey 2010). †¢Bonuses is based on one’s achievement and not working hard alone. It is the results that matters and bonuses should not be restricted to keep employees from producing results. (Lee Ann Obringer 2011) †¢Long-term incentive plans like profit-sharing plan reward employee for their performance over a continued period of time. This helps retain, motivates employees and even improve their commitment. Maslow’s hierarchy needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that illustrates that lower-needs need to first be satisfied before higher-needs can be pursued in a hierarchal sequence. Therefore, after a need is satisfied, it will cease to motivate an individual who will inevitably seek for the next higher-need. Each level requires different actions to meet these needs in order to effectively motivate. In relation to the compensation plans above, monetary benefits may only fulfil the lower needs for an individual. Ultimately, when these needs are achieved, it’s effectiveness in motivating individuals will gradually dwindle. Non-monetary benefits will then be necessary to satisfy the individual’s higher needs, in accordance to Maslow’s hierarchical system. Only through this, can companies sustain long-term motivational effects for its employees. In relation to the compensation plans above, monetary benefits may only fulfil in the lower needs for an individual temporarily. Ultimately, when these needs are achieved, non-monetary benefits will take precedence to satisfy the individual’s higher needs, in accordance to Maslow’s hierarchical system. Only through this, can it sustain long-term motivation effects. Yet, it is necessary to be weary that while Maslow’s theory has helped in the understanding of the application of compensation plans, applying this concept workplace can be tacky as different employees can be driven by different needs. Furthermore, there are insufficient evidences to substantiate the support of the hierarchy theory because its relevance to one job might not apply likewise to another (NetMBA 2010). A sales force specific hierarchy of motivational factors- Maslow hierarchy of motivation. By understanding how an integrated and holistic approach to motivation works the importance of trust, of self-esteem, of social recognition, of improved chances to fulfill one’s potential—traditional incentive compensation management strategies can be rethought and implemented in ways that improve the performance of the sales force and help the entire company achieve high performance (Bakosh 2007, 3).