My Strengths And Personal Statement - 1502 Words

One of my strengths would be my responsiveness to students’ individual needs. I understand that not every student is at the same level, and I try to do my best to check in with every student, and make sure that they are on the right track with their assignments. It is important to me to respect the dignity of each learner, while also challenging them and helping them to grow academically. On a ‘Get to know me’ questionnaire that I gave to each student, many students said that they did not feel comfortable speaking up in class. I had to find a way to incorporate oral speaking into my lessons because a part of the English nine B.C. curriculum is oral language speaking strategies. In order to prepare the grade nine students to read their poems out loud in front of the class, I scaffolded the reading process. I began the lesson by going over an oral speaking rubric, that I created to assess the poetry oral presentation, then I asked students to assess their peerâ€⠄¢s poetry readings by telling them one thing they did well and one thing they could do improve upon, then students were given a few minutes to practice on their own, and then students presented to the class. Scaffolding the presentation process really helped to calm down the student’s nerves. I even had the principal come watch one block’s poetry presentations, and the students amazed their peers, the principal, and myself with their readings; this was definitely one of the highlights from my practicum experience.Show MoreRelatedPersonal Statement : My Leadership Strengths1344 Words   |  6 Pages My leadership strengths are that I am persistence, I am creative, and I am expert in accounting. Being persistence means I never give up, not even when things get tough. 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Therefore, to create a personal strategy one must examine a mission statement, vision s tatement, and understand the environmental scan to identify external opportunities and threats; in which, an individual or organization gathers information about the market, society, its competitors, and oneself. A mission statement defines an individual purpose for achievingRead MoreSelf Reflection On My Writing And Learning Process Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesSelf-reflection on my Writing and Learning Process I think self-reflection, or a careful cogitation of one’s personal work, is very important. It will help me think about my strengths and weaknesses in my writing skills and learning process, so that I can improve my weaknesses in the future and become a better writer. I believe, I have many strengths and many weaknesses that can be seen transparently through my drafts, revisions, and final essays, or writings, this semester. My overall strength includes theRead MorePersonal Vision Statement : My Vision751 Words   |  4 PagesVision Statement Introduction I am writing this statement as a declaration of my personal vision. It will serve as a guide to help ensure that my actions are corresponding to what I envision. This personal vision statement is designed to help facilitate my purpose, unforeseen obstacles, and how to manage theses obstacles. A great deal of thought has gone into constructing this vision statement and I hope that within time these endeavors fill me with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. My VisionRead MorePersonal Strengths And Weaknesses706 Words   |  3 PagesEvery person has their strengths and weaknesses; however big or small they are, I think it is important to identify these qualities. By identifying personal strengths and weaknesses, a person can become more successful in their professional life, as well as their personal lives. In this paper, I will be describing my strengths, weaknesses, insecurities, and improvements that I could make. Some of my strengths include my personality, experiences, and my GPA. When applying to programs, I like toRead MoreStrengths and Weaknesses Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesStrengths and Weaknesses Throughout the Mid-SEE I have written reflections on my writing and participated in group activities. I have received comments back from my peers and suggestions to help with revising my paper. With the help of my professor, Professor Church and my classmates, I was able to comprehend their suggestions to me to make my essay better and by revising my classmate’s essays, I was able to point out mistakes that I might have made in my essay, which made myself go back to myRead MoreLeadership Style And Personal Strengths Essay1410 Words   |  6 PagesUsing Leadership Style and Personal Strengths to Succeed in a Doctoral Program Leadership is an important outcome of the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program (Zaccagnini White, 2014). Measurement tools are available that identify leadership style (Clark, 2010) and personal talents, called Signature Themes (Gallup, Inc., 2010). When leadership style and personal strengths are identified, they can be maximized to achieve success (Clark, 2010; Gallup, Inc., 2010). 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Whole Foods Market, Inc. - 1162 Words

Kayla Avery 10k Analysis CBAD 478 May 22nd, 2016 Whole Foods Market, Inc. was founded and created by four business people in Austin, TX during 1980. The founders opened Whole Foods Market because they wanted a supermarket that offered natural foods. This company was able to be successful because at the time they opened there were less than half a dozen natural food supermarkets in the United Sates. In 1984, they build stores in Houston and Dallas, they then moved to New Orleans, and eventually to the West Coast. A major part of Whole Foods growth has come from the many mergers and acquisitions with companies that have occurred throughout the years. The mergers and acquisitions gave Whole Foods’ even revenues to move to the East Coast.†¦show more content†¦Whole Foods’ launched their mobile application and started offering the grocery delivery to try and stay ahead of their competition. A strategy of Whole Foods’ in 2014 and 2015 was to be disciplined and opportunistic with their real estate purchases . They prefer to open new stores in existing areas and then expand into new areas. Since 2011, Whole Foods’ has opened 100 stores, which is great for growth, but was a huge part of their decline in 2015. As previously mentioned, Whole Foods’ opened 38 new stores in 2015. This large expansion of stores allowed them to produce $1.1 billion in cash flows from their operations, invest $851 million in capital expenditures, and resulted in a free cash flow of $278 million. Those numbers were wonderful for the companies’ shareholders, who got $184 million in quarterly dividends. In 2015, they focused too much on opening new stores, rather than focusing on preexisting stores. Customers said their stores are getting â€Å"shabby with mediocre customer service† (Whole Foods’ Sales). This was a huge turn off for many people, especially when they can go to a store like Sprouts, spend less and get just better service, and natural food. The three-year trend for Whole Foods’ was doing very well until this year, as seen below (WFM Gross Profit Margin (TTM)). The average weekly sales per store hit a record high in 2014 reaching $722,000 and stores that are comparable in

Individual Journal Entry Free Essays

string(29) " the duration of the patent\." Introduction: There are several concepts that are important for consideration when engaging in business. Thus, the subsequent lectures discuss the importance and relevance of various concepts such as the importance of intellectual property rights and whether they are effective, the reasons for becoming an entrepreneur and why some individuals would prefer not to become entrepreneurs, and how innovation is supported through organizational structure and organizational culture. Lecture 5: Intellectual Property This journal entry seeks to analyze the topic of Intellectual Property within organizations and how it is protected. We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Journal Entry or any similar topic only for you Order Now Intellectual property is not visible nor does it contain substance. This is one of the main reasons that businesses seek to protect their intellectual property rights as it is rather easy for other firms to steal, replicate, or use intellectual property belonging to another organization. Accordingly, organizations go to great lengths to attempt to protect their intellectual property rights. However, it is often found that intellectual property rights are easily violated (Branstettar et al, 2011). Intellectual property can be defined as â€Å"creations of the mind† such as inventions, artistic works, images, designs, and symbols. While these creations do not have a substantial form and/or cannot be touched, the concept or the idea is what substantiates intellectual property. Accordingly, intellectual property rights enable a person or a firm to exclusively claim use of the idea or concept that originates from them. Intellectual property is highly valuable in firms and is sometimes considered even more valuable than economic gains as it is the core concept of a business and a source of identity for an organization. The Apple symbol for Apple Inc. is highly valuable and is part of the company’s intellectual property as it serves as a basis of identity for the company. If another company began to use the same symbol on its products, this may threaten Apple’s identity as consumers may begin to perceive the other company’s products as Apple products. Th us, Apple and other firms use protection strategies in order to protect their intellectual property from being exploited or used by other firms (Klein, 2010). There are numerous generic protection strategies which are available to all firms without cost as they naturally exist where applicable. Generic protection strategies are those that are a natural cause to the firm’s expertise and thus automatically present a barrier for other firms from copying or imitating the idea or concept of the firm. The first generic protection strategy is lead time which constitutes the time taken for another firm to understand or be able to replicate a firm’s idea. For example, in the mobile phone industry, if one firm produces a phone with certain technological features that do not exist in other phones, it will take some time for other firms to be able to figure out the type of technology used and then produce their own phones. Thus, by the time the competitor firm has produced the same technology, the idea may have already become obsolete and used. However, lead time barriers vary from industry to industry as in some industries the lead tim e is longer while in others such as the telecom industry, it is negligible (Dinopolous Segerstorm, 2010). Another generic protection strategy is the learning curve which implies that there is a certain cost advantage for firms that take the first initiative in an idea as they usually grasp the most market share. It takes time for other firms to learn and catch up and they are often unable to reap the cost advantages that the initial firm has reaped because they are not the original innovators. Another strategy is the secrecy in which a firm keeps the process they have used to produce a product secret. However, this strategy can become redundant after some time as processes can be reverse engineered, secrets are often hard to keep with staff movements, and non-disclosure agreements are often violated. The formula used to produce Cocoa-Cola is one of the best kept secrets in the business world, yet there are other drinks which attempt to replicate Coca Cola such as RC Cola, Pepsi, and others. Tacit know- how and product complexity are other generic protection strategies which make it dif ficult for other firms to copy or imitate processes or ideas as the knowledge and expertise required to replicate an idea is rather complex or technical and cannot be easily replicated. This is a strong form of protection for a firm as other firms find it difficult to replicate their idea, eliminating chances of competition. Moreover, when an inventor produces a high quality product that becomes a standard in the market such as Microsoft Windows, they automatically create a lead which protects them from replication. While generic protection strategies may be effective, they are temporary forms of protection and do not guarantee protection in the time of high technological competition (Davis, 2008). Legal protection strategies must be acquired and do offer legal support for firms in the case of imitation or replication or their concepts or ideas. Legal protection includes copyrights for literary and original work such as writings, music, software, and other things of its kind. The duration of the copyright spans 70 years after the original author’s death and gives a maximum amount of protection. Design rights offer the original creator the exclusive right to use a certain design for a period of 10-15 years after the product has originally been marketed. However, there are often loopholes in this legal protection as replications are often still made such as the replication of the design of Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. Trademarks such as logos and company names must be registered and a fee must be paid to ensure that another firm does not use the same trademark or symbol. The last form of legal protection is patents which gives an inventor the exclusive right to produ ce and sell a specific product. The right remains with the person for the duration of the patent. You read "Individual Journal Entry" in category "Essay examples" However, patents last for only twenty years, are expensive to obtain, and do not guarantee success as they may be infringed (Kim et al, 2012). Hence, while both generic protection strategies and legal protection strategies provide cover for a firm who is aiming to keep an idea or concept within their own realm, they are not always reliable. While legal protection may be an automatic right or a paid right as in the form of a patent, it does no guarantee that imitation will be prevented. It only means that the legal right holder has the ability to press charges on a firm who violates their right. This, however, does not eliminate all the loss incurred to the firm because of the infringement. Hence, protecting intellectual property in the contemporary world is a rather difficult ordeal (Simcoe et al, 2009). Lecture 6: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation and entrepreneurship are two connected concepts which survive with one another. When an individual comes up with an innovative idea and seeks to find a market for it, the individual becomes an entrepreneur. There are various reasons for an individual to choose to become an entrepreneur as there are several benefits of becoming an entrepreneur. However, there may also be numerous reasons an individual may not choose to be an entrepreneur. The role of an entrepreneur is not easy and is highly self-sufficient. Thus, everybody does not possess the characteristics necessary for this role (Wang et al, 2012). An entrepreneur is a person that comes up with an innovative idea and begins a business with it. The entrepreneur is the bearer of all risks and is the owner of the business. In many cases, the entrepreneur may also be the manager of the business or the sole person running the business. However, in many large organizations, entrepreneurs hire additional staff to help facilitate the working process. Nevertheless, there are certain skills required in an entrepreneur in order for the business to be successful. An entrepreneur must be decisive, creative, patient, possess managerial skills, coordinated, and analytical. Moreover, an entrepreneur must be able to face challenges and act quickly in critical situations. Thus, the role of an entrepreneur is highly important and carries high degrees of risk. Many people do not feel that they can deal with such high levels of risk and stress ( Guiso Shivardi, 2011). UK statistics show certain entrepreneurial trends which show that men are two times more likely to become entrepreneurs than women and people in the age range of 35-44 show the highest amounts of entrepreneurial activity. Moreover, the educated class or graduates are more likely to indulge in entrepreneurial activity rather than non-graduates. People who have previously been employed are more likely to indulge in such activity. Also, people who are in the top-third spectrum of the income distribution are three times more likely to begin a business rather than those in the bottom half of the income distribution chart (Sogner Fritsch, 2013). Such characteristics show that entrepreneurship is probably considered a rather intense ordeal as women do not indulge in such activity as much as men. It also shows that entrepreneurial activity requires experience as people in the older age brackets of 35-44 indulge in entrepreneurial activity more than other age groups. Moreover, knowledge and education also helps in entrepreneurial activity which may be a reason why more graduates choose to pursue it rather than non-graduates. Lastly, entrepreneurial activity requires investment and money which may be a reason people in the top spectrum of the income chart are more likely to indulge in entrepreneurial activity rather than lower income groups (Clerq et al, 2012). Thus, it is obvious that entrepreneurship requires a variety of skills and resources. However, there are five characteristics which may influence an individual’s decision to become an entrepreneur. The first characteristic is the need for achievement as engaging in entrepreneurial activity is highly rewarding if success is attained. The second characteristic is the locus of control as some individual’s may want to be in full control of their activity and may not want to share authority with anyone or give anyone authority on themselves. Thus, engaging in entrepreneurial activity enables them to maintain the locus of control (Magri, 2011). The third characteristic is the desire for autonomy as some individuals may prefer to be the sole decision makers and may not feel comfortable working in teams. Hence, some individuals have the desire for autonomy and thus find entrepreneurial activity as the most suitable option. Some individuals prefer self-efficacy in which they pr efer to rely on their own performance rather than the performance of any other person and choose to be self-reliant. Such individuals are also more likely to engage in entrepreneurial activity. The last characteristic is related to innovation as some individuals are highly innovative and prefer to reap profits from their innovative abilities rather than use their skills for another firm. The benefits of entrepreneurial activity include reaping all profits made and amounting to unlimited earnings if the business is a success. Examples such as Mark Zuckerburg, Michael Dell, and Bill Gates illustrate how unlimited profits can be made through innovative ideas. Moreover, entrepreneurial activity allows a person to be their own boss and explore their creative abilities. It also enables a person to design their own job description and pursue a path that is of interest to them. However, there are also certain aspects which cause an individual to choose not to be an entrepreneur (Banon et al, 2011). As entrepreneurs carry all the risk, there are high chances of losing investment and incurring losses. Moreover, it is difficult to attain such amounts of money and raising capital can be a highly time-consuming and stressful job. Entrepreneurs also go through a lot of stress and there is no guarantee of income. There may be times when no income is made. Hence, many people do not possess the characteristics to be able to handle this situation (Zheng et al, 2010). I would choose to be an entrepreneur because it would be a form of self-testing my abilities and being able to solely reap the profits of my success. Unlimited reward is an attractive feature of entrepreneurship, yet I would choose not to be an entrepreneur because of the high possibility of incurring losses as well. Moreover, the autonomy available to entrepreneurs is highly attractive, yet the stress of making wrong decisions can also prove to be highly hazardous. Thus, I would choose not to be an entrepreneur if the risk was high and the industry was highly competitive . Therefore, it is obvious that entrepreneurship is not adequate for everyone but is a highly attractive option for those that possess the required characteristics and have an innovative idea to market. Hence, entrepreneurship carries its merits and de-merits and the success of the entrepreneur is not only dependent upon his/her own abilities but also depends upon the idea of the entrepreneur. Choosing whether or not to become an entrepreneur can be a long drawn process in which several aspects are considered and is a personal choice which may vary from person to person. I personally would choose to be an entrepreneur if I had an innovative idea which I knew had high chances of success. Lecture 7: Innovation in Large Organizations Large organizations that attempt to innovate must have supporting organizational structures and organizational cultures that facilitate open communication, maximum interaction, and the exchange of ideas in order to continuously improve previous concepts. However, if the organizational culture and structure do not support innovation and are rather rigid, then it would be difficult for an organization to pursue such goals. Innovation requires brainstorming, open exchange of ideas, and a relaxed organizational culture which promotes the value of innovation. Hence, large organizations must ensure that their systems are designed in order to promote and pursue such values such as open communication, innovation, and a supportive organizational culture as some organizations may find it difficult to change their structure and culture further in their production processes (Zhang et al, 2010). The effectiveness of organizational structure is dependent upon a number of factors which includes the leadership style and philosophy, the organizational culture, internal and external relationships, and processes that facilitate information sharing and decision-making. Thus, these factors must support the notion of innovation within an organization. There are five different types of structures which include functional, multidivisional, matrix, project-based, and a corporate venture (Valencia et al, 2011). The functionalist structure connects the CEO to all departments, reduces complexity and simplifies control mechanisms, defines clear responsibilities, and there are specialists at senior and management levels. However, the functionalist structure reinforces hierarchical structure, causes an overburden to senior staff members, may be a cause to neglect strategic issues, and makes it difficult to cope with geographical and product diversity. Hence, the functional structure is not highly supportive of innovation as it is no highly customer-oriented and does not facilitate maximum communication between departments. However, the multi-divisional structure is more customer-focused, flexible and alterable, is controllable by performance, and is specialized by competences. Hence, as each department is highly competitive and focused upon customer needs, this type of organizational structure encourages and promotes innovation more than the functional structure. The matrix structure is another organizational structure which facilitates many departments and allows flexibility, minimizes resource requirements, is customer focused, and facilitates integrated knowledge. Although this structure increases the potential of conflict, ambiguity, and increases the time taken to make decisions, it does allow for cooperation between departments and minimizes costs. However, this may not be the ideal structure to promote innovation. The project-based structure focuses upon a single project per department and is very focused and specialized in its particular area of focus. However, this type of structure only last s a limited amount of time and prevents interaction throughout the organization. Hence, this type of structure is also not ideally suitable for innovation. The corporate venture creates organizational entities that reside in or outside an existing corporation and infuse entrepreneurial activities in independent entrepreneurial firms. This enables motivation of employees, transparency in the system, and mobilization of the reputation of the brand or the company. This system promotes innovation as it promotes entrepreneurial activities (Valencia et al, 2011). Organizational culture consists of the assumptions, beliefs, and the values that are shared and practiced by all members of an organization. These assumptions, beliefs, and values define an organization and the environment it operates in. Organizational culture facilitates communication within and outside the organization and is very difficult to change once an organization establishes a certain organizational culture. The organizational culture may include components of the societal or national culture an organization is physically situated in, the leadership and management style of the leader of the organization, and the nature of the business that the organization conducts (Menguc Auh, 2010). An organizational culture which promotes innovation has open communication between employees and managers and usually has a highly interactive and informal organizational culture. Participation in various activities and delegating authority to employees of lower ranks is highly encouraged as organizations must facilitate the exchange of ideas and information. Employees are openly allowed to make choices and decisions in order to devise new strategies and form new ideas for the benefit of the organization. However, organizational culture is very hard to change once it is established in an organization. Attempts to transform organizational culture fail because as there are eight distinct phases of change, skipping a stage may lead to failure. Making critical mistakes in any stage may also lead to failure and even the most capable people tend to make errors. Changing organizational culture takes time and effort and it is not easy for managers to incorporate the new organizational cultu re within employees in a short period of time (Menguc Auh, 2010). Lacking a vision, improper planning, lack of communication, and not anchoring changes in the corporation’s culture are also causes to the failure of implementing a new organizational culture. Hence, it is highly essential for firms to implement an innovative organizational culture from the initial stages of being in business rather than attempting to change it at later stages (Fiedler Welp, 2010). Promoting innovative values within employees and encouraging or valuing their opinion can prove to be beneficial for a firm favoring innovation. Aiming to change organizational culture at later stages can prove to be hazardous and confusing for employees as they may lose their sense of direction. Thus, the firm may suffer in terms of employee performance and motivation levels may also fail as employees are forced to adopt a new way of behaving in an organization. Large organizations who wish to pursue innovation must ensure that they incorporate this value in their organizational st ructure from the beginning (Linnenleuke Griffiths, 2010). Hence, it is obvious that innovation is a value that needs to be incorporated and facilitated by a firm’s organizational culture and organizational structure. Open communication, exchange of ideas, and delegation of authority are characteristics which help promote innovation within organizations. An informal and interactive organizational culture and organizational structures such as the corporate venture, matrix organizational structure, and multi-divisional organizational structure support innovative activities. Hence, large organizations who wish to innovate must design their business environments accordingly (Mahmoudselahi et al, 2012). Conclusion: The discussion on lectures 5, 6, and 7 shows that there are various aspects for an entrepreneur to consider and each aspect has positive and negative consequences. If an organization has to protect their intellectual property, they can do so through application of generic or law protection while both may not be permanently effective. There are certain characteristics that are needed within an individual in order for the individual to become an entrepreneur, while others may not prefer to be an entrepreneur because of the high levels of risk involved. Organizational culture and structure are important concepts that must be embedded into an organization to promote the value of innovation, as they are very difficult to change at later stages. References Banon, A., Sanchez, A. Vivaracho, P. (2011) â€Å"The decision to become an entrepreneur: a cognitive perspective. â€Å" A Shift to the Entrepreneurial Society : A Built Economy in Education. Edward Elgar Publishing. Branstetter, L., Fisman, R., Foley, C., Saggi, K. (2011) â€Å"Does Intellectual Property Rights Reform Spur Industrial Development†. Journal of International Economics. Vol. 83:1 pp. 27-36 Clercq, D., Honig, B., Martin, B. (2012) â€Å"The roles of learning orientation and passion for work in the formation of entrepreneurial intention†. International Small Business Journal. Davis, TM. (2008) â€Å"International Intellectual Property Rights: Effectiveness of Incentives for Enforcement†. Ball State University Department of Physical Science. Dinopolous, E. Segerstorm, P. (2010) â€Å"Intellectual property rights, Multinational firms, and Economic Growth†. Journal of Development Economics. Vol. 92:1 pp. 13-27 Fiedler, M. Welp, I. (2010) â€Å" How do Organizations RememberThe Influence of Organizational Structure on Organizational Memory†. Organization Studies. Vol. 31:4 pp.381-407 Guiso, L. Schivardi, F. (2011) â€Å"What Determines Entrepreneurial Clusters?†. Journal of the European Economic Association. Vol. 9:1 pp. 61-86 Kim, Y., Lee, K., Park, W., Choo, K. (2012) â€Å"Appropriate Intellectual Property Protection and Economic Growth in Countries a Different levels of Development.† Research Policy. Vol. 41: 2 pp. 358-375 Klein, MW. (2010) â€Å"Ten Years After Managed Professionals : Who Owns Intellectual Property Now?†. Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy. Vol. 2:2 Linnenlueke, M. Griffiths, A. ( 2010) â€Å" Corporate Sustainability and Organizational Culture†. Journal of World Business. Vol. 45:4 pp. 357-366 Magri, S. ( 2011) â€Å" Household Wealth and Entrepreneurship: Is There a Link?† Midwest Finance Association 2012 Annual Meetings Paper. [online] Available at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1925361 Mahmoudsalehi, M., Moradkhannejad, R. Safari, K. (2012) â€Å"How Knowledge Management is Affected by organizational Structure†. Learning Organization. Vol. 19:6 pp.518-528 Menguc, B. Auh, S. (2010) â€Å"Development and Return on Execution of Product Innovation Capabiilities: The role of organizational structure†. Industrial Marketing Management. Vol. 39:5 pp. 820- 831 Simcoe, T., Graham, S., Feldman, M. (2009) â€Å"Competing on Standards: Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, and Platform Technologies.† Journal of Economics Management Strategy. Vol. 18:3 pp. 775-816 Sorgner, A. Fritsch, M. (2013) â€Å"Occupational Choice and Self-Employment-Are They Related?†. [online] Available at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2205034 Valencia, J., Jimenz, D., Valle, R. (2011) â€Å"Innovation or Imitation: The role of Organizational Culture.† Emerald, 49. Wang, C., Wang, N., Yang, J. (2012) â€Å"A Unified Model of Entrepreneurship Dynamics.† Journal of Financial Economics. Vol. 106:1 pp. 1-23 Zheng, W., Yang, B. McLean, B. (2010) â€Å"Linking organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management†. Journal of Business Research. Vol. 63: 7 pp.763-771 How to cite Individual Journal Entry, Essay examples

The Iranian

The Nuclear race between Iran and Israel has been an ongoing conflict of low intensity for decades. It has been a long time since it became apparent that this strain will always fuel the instability in Middle East region, and remain a particular concern for the GCC states and especially UAE. It is obvious that the stability or the balance of powers can never be achieved as long as both states, Iran and Israel, continue to compete for victory in the arms race.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Iranian-Israeli Nuclear Race and Its Implications on the GCC/UAE Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A distinct sense of insecurity keeps growing among the countries of the Gulf region, and such awareness will definitely have its implications on the neighbor countries. For some time already the UAE has been voicing its concerns about the region’s instability, although in the past few years it has moved from to lerant and patient rhetoric to a more apprehensive attitude and bold statements, along with the fellow countries of GCC. The combination of these factors and the cited arguments allow to come to a definite conclusion regarding the need for UAE to reshape the programs of military security and place greater focus on foreign policy and relations between the countries, as well as turning attention to its own nuclear program, not for militarization or entering a new round of arms race, but merely for preserving the balance of power in the region and making explicit its intentions to resist any threats. A thorough background research has shown that the nuclear programs of both countries have been influencing not only the Middle East Region but the political life and international relationships all over the world for at least three decades. It is well known that Israel has neither denied nor confirmed the fact that it has constructed or possessed the nuclear weapons. However, the implicati ons of possession of a nuclear arsenal and its estimated numbers have varied from year to year, with the last probable assessment of the Federation of American Scientists has been of 80 missiles by 2015, although Israel might have produced enough plutonium for 100-200 warheads (par. 4-18). The Israeli scientific nuclear program is based on the use of a nuclear reactor and reprocessing plant in Dimona, Israel. The government of Israel has acknowledged the existence of plant site; however, it is not willing to disclose any details, and the information remains classified. Such policy has been also known as the so-called â€Å"nuclear ambiguity,† which Israel has maintained throughout its history. Another way of dealing with the tension in the region for Israel lies in applying significant efforts to prevent neighbor countries from acquiring the nuclear weapons or developing the nuclear programs. Most of these efforts have been definitely aimed at Iran, as Israel has been warning that a nuclear Iran will become a threat not only to the Jews, but it would also threaten the safety of all the GCC countries and might provoke a new round of the arms race. The anxiety of the Israelis is easy to understand; however their strategies are unable to solve the threat of the nuclear dilemma, moreover, they may worsen it in some ways. Despite the deep Israel-US cooperation, according to a report on Israel policies by Haim Malka (2012),Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The strategies†¦ [of] deterrence, containment, and entente, as well as a military strike†¦ [do not] solve the threat of a potentially nuclear threat. Every strategy poses complicated dilemmas for Israel and the United States, which means that managing Israeli expectations and actions will become more complex in the months and years ahead. (61) The nuclear status of Iran is as indefinite as Israel’s, but it has always evoked greater interest and concern. According to a report on Iranian nuclear program, for scientific and nuclear energy purposes the country now possesses two uranium mines, uranium processing facilities that include at least three uranium enrichment plants, a research reactor and several research sites (Kerr 1-5). The same research also notes: Although Iran claims that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes, the program has generated considerable concern that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program†¦ [The IAEA] has concerns about the program, particularly evidence that Iran may have conducted procurement activities and research directly applicable to nuclear weapons development. (Kerr 1) The abovementioned facts can be used to describe the roots of the problem in its entirety. The two advanced and covert nuclear programs create major regional instability and pose a severe security threat to the GCC states and the U AE in particular. At the same time, the only thing opposed to the threat and used to maintain the delicate power balance in the region is the US liability to provide conventional weapons and a â€Å"nuclear umbrella† for Israel only, even while Israel itself believes that such deterrence system should, in fact, be extended to Gulf allies (Malka 57). This means that neither UAE nor any of the GCC states own a nuclear program for deterrence use and have no way to defend them or compete with the previously mentioned military programs of Iran and Israel. The analysis of the current situation shows that the Iranian – Israeli nuclear holocaust is not much likely to happen given the fact that modern Iran is not prone to taking significant risks, and it does not want to enter international isolation again as its economy and international relations have just started evolving after long years of boycott and deteriorating relations between Iran and the Western Countries in partic ular. Yet the Iranian official speeches do not hesitate to express aggressive strategies and the government shows its willingness to use its weapons against any threats posed by Israel, both real and speculative.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Iranian-Israeli Nuclear Race and Its Implications on the GCC/UAE Security specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Iran struggles to be introduced to the world as the only Muslim country who can give Israel a fitting reply, and therefore it will be able to act as major power in the Middle East region and to play the role of the guardian for GCC states, which may serve their expansionist ambitions in compliance with their religious and cultural Shiite doctrine. A policy paper on Iranian doctrine states the following: Iranian centrality has created a vision for Tehran’s regional role that does not follow the known rules of the international order; instead, it is based on transnational doctrinal discourse and policies to â€Å"create a Shiite nation† with Iran as its center and political term of reference. Thus, Iran resembles Israel only, which also sees itself as a state for world Jews. (Emirates Policy Center 65) Thus, it is obvious that Iran can become a source of greater instability than Israel now, meaning that the UAE and GCC should contain the Iranian role in the Gulf region for the sake of maintaining the balance of power. While according to a research conducted by Alireza Nader, the Iranian attempts to undermine the stability of the UAE socio-political system have been unsuccessful, and the domestic intelligence has deterred the attempts to do so, the Iranian threat to the GCC countries should not be completely dismissed; while the acquisition of the nuclear weapons will not change the equation dramatically, the balance will be disrupted (14-16). The recommended policies for dealing with an acute topic of nuclear safety in the Middl e East region should include at least a few different options to address every aspect of the problem. First of all, it is important to establish a distinct foreign policy concerning the relations with Iran and Israel, which should not be threatening but rather warning and showing the calm and confident strength and determination. The GCC countries must turn away from the accusation discourse and seek rapprochement with both Israel and Iran, under a condition that such policies will be reciprocated. Another recommendation might involve UAE taking advantage of its already established nuclear program. The information provided in a report by Karim Sadjadpour and Ali Vaez shows that â€Å"the UAE signed a landmark contract with a Korean-led consortium †¦ to construct four nuclear reactors†¦ The UAE has sought to become a nonproliferation model by †¦ ratifying the Additional Protocol to its IAEA safeguards agreement †¦ [and] renouncing †¦ to enrich uranium or rep rocess spent fuel† (22). For purposes of maintaining a secure nuclear program that could be used in the future if there is any need to develop a deterrence weapon, the UAE should gain the International community support to her nuclear program and subsequently invest in nuclear technology for safety.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Emirates Policy Center. The Doctrinal Foundations of Iran’s Geopolitical Project. Abu-Dhabi, UAE: Emirates Policy Center (EPC) Iranian Studies Unit, 2014. Print. Federation of American Scientists. â€Å"Status of World Nuclear Forces.† 2015. Web. https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/ Kerr, Paul K. â€Å"Iran’s Nuclear Program: Status. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress.† 2012. PDF File. 04 Dec. 2015. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL34544.pdf Malka, Haim. â€Å"Israel.† Gulf Kaleidoscope: reflections on the Iranian challenge. Ed. Jon. B. Alterman. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic International Studies, 2012. 49-61. Print. Nader, Alireza. Iran After the Bomb: How Would a Nuclear-Armed Tehran Behave? Santa-Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2013. Print. Sadjadpour, Karim, and A. Vaez. Iran’s Nuclear Odyssey. Costs and Risks. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2013 . Print. This essay on The Iranian-Israeli Nuclear Race and Its Implications on the GCC/UAE Security was written and submitted by user Haylee Michael to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Java vs. C++ Essays - Cross-platform Software, Java Platform

Java vs. C++ Essays - Cross-platform Software, Java Platform Java vs. C++ subject = Freshman title = Java vs. C++ Since their inception, computers have played an increasingly important role in todays society. Advancements in technology have enabled computers to become faster and cheaper. Today, the majority of families own a home computer that is vastly more powerful than giant mainframes of years gone by. Computer hardware has been evolving rapidly with no end in sight, and with all of the advancements in computer hardware come advancements in computer software; gone are the days when FORTRAN and COBOL were the languages of choice. Today,vvv two hot new object oriented programming languages have entered the computer programming arena, Java and C++, this paper will examine the similarities and differences between these new languages. Both Java and C++ are object oriented programming languages, but what does that mean? Object oriented programming (OOP) emphasizes data, instead of algorithms for solving problems. Instead of trying to fit a problem to the procedural approach of a language, OOP attempts to fit the language to the problem, in other words, OOP is structured to produce an answer without changing the question. Object oriented programming involves two separate parts, class and objects. Class is a specification that describes a new data form, it is a template that defines how an object will look and behave.(Kaj 1996, 8) An object is that particular data structure constructed using the parameters defined by class.(Prata 1995, 5) The object oriented programming approach to program design is to first design classes that accurately represent those things with which the program deals. A drawing program, for example, might define classes to represent rectangles, lines, circles, brushes, pens, and the like. The class definitions, recall, include a descriptions of permissible options for each class, such as moving a circle or rotating a line.(Prata 1995, 5) The main advantages of OOP, besides being able to create more complex software, and develop answers without changing the questions, are numerous. OOP facilitates creating reusable code, which can save a lot of work. Information can be hidden to safeguard data from improper access. Polymorphism lets the programmer create multiple definitions for operators and functions, with the programming context determining which definition is used, also Inheritance lets the programmer derive new classes from older ones. When using OOP, the programmer can focus on representing concepts, instead of concentrating on tasks. (Prata 1995, 6) Java, although in many respects similar to C++, is actually just a more simplified version of the latter. Java has a C++ like syntax, but it is more purely object oriented, also, memory management, which can be a problem with C++, is no longer a factor with Java, due to the fact that Java incorporates a built in garbage collector, which makes it unnecessary to explicitly free allocated memory.(Kaj 1996, 1) Another difference is that Java, unlike C++, does not contain pointers.(ftc.nrcs.usda.gov/devtools/java/java/noMoreC/index.html) (A pointer is a variable that tells a computer where data is placed.)(Prata 1995, 93) Java does not have an explicit pointer type, instead, it does passes all arrays (information entered into the program and stored in memory) and objects by reference,(ftc.nrcs.usda.gov/devtools/java/java/noMoreC/index.html) meaning that the objects or arrays in question have been defined elsewhere in the program, and the programmer does not have to keep pointing out wh ere that information is stored. Since Java does not contain pointers, struct and union (two C++ favorites) are not part of the language because they rely on pointers to function.(ftc.nrcs.usda.gov/devtools/java/java/noMoreC/index.html) Java differs from C++ in other ways too, command line arguments that are passed to a Java application are different in number and type than those passed to a C or C++ program. For example, when someone starts a C++ program, the system passes two parameters to it: argc- the number of arguments in the command line, and argv- a pointer to an array of strings that contain the arguments. When a Java application is started, the system passes only one parameter, args- an array of Strings (not a pointer to an array) that contain arguments.ftc.nrcs.usda.gov/devtools/java/java/noMoreC/index.html Speaking of strings, (A string is a series of characters, much like a sentence.)(Prata 1995, 8), they are different in Java. In C++, strings are stored in arrays, in Java strings are treated as their own objects, and do

Equites, the Roman Knights

Equites, the Roman Knights Equites were Roman horsemen or knights. The name is derived from the Latin for the horse, equus. The equites came to be a social class and a single member of the equestrian class was called an eques. Originally, there were supposed to have been 300 equites during the time of Romulus. 100 were taken from each of the three tribes Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres. Each of these patrician hundreds was a century (centuria) and each century was named for its tribe. They were called celeres. Under Tullus Hostilius there were six centuries. By the time of Servius Tullius, there were 18 centuries, the last twelve drawn from the richest, but not necessarily patrician, men. The Equites and the Roman Army The equites were originally an important division of the Roman army, but over time, they lost their military prominence moving to the wings of the phalanx. They still voted first in the comitia and kept two horses and a groom each- more than any others in the army. When the Roman army started to receive pay, the equites received three times that of the ordinary troops. After Punic War II the equites lost their military position. Roman Politics An eques was bound to a certain number of campaigns, but no more than ten. Upon completion, they entered the first class. Later Equites had the right to sit on juries and came to occupy an important third place in Roman policies and politics, standing between the senatorial class and the people. Disgrace and Dismissal When an eques was deemed unworthy, he was told to sell his horse (vende equum). When no disgrace was involved, someone no longer fit would be told to lead his horse on. There was a waiting list to replace the dismissed eques.

Qualitative Interface evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Qualitative Interface evaluation - Assignment Example In this regard, some authors have provided guidelines and methods for developing and evaluating graphical user interfaces (GUI) and web designs. Some of the guidelines and methods for evaluating a website are given below: i. Heuristic Evaluation ii. Cognitive Walk-through iii. Pluralistic Walkthrough iv. Summative Evaluation v. Formative Evaluation Apple Web Design Guideline vi. IBM Web Design Guidelines vii. Library of Congress World Wide Web Style viii. Yale Web Style Guide Selection and Justification of Two Methods In this paper, I have evaluated a website having URL: http://www.thorpepark.com/, using two of the above usability methods for evaluating a website. The first method that I have chosen for evaluation of the website is Heuristic Evaluation, developed by Jakob Nielson, it is the most increasingly used method for evaluation and improvement of user interface designs. As per a study on comparison of four techniques of evaluation, the largest number of problems in a website ( more than 50 %) were found by the method of heuristic evaluation, this include most severe as well as least severe. Four to Five (4-5) user interface evaluators (experts) are required, in order to evaluate a website by this method, but as far as this assignment is individual, therefore, the website has only been evaluated by me. The second method that I have chosen in this paper in order to evaluate the said website is Cognitive Walkthrough, a method for identifying and fixing errors that transpire when browsing and searching for information on a website. This method helps defining and evaluating goals, assumptions and tasks in users’ perspective. The cognitive walkthrough focuses on the user’s tasks, user interface design, user’s experience and how fast the user can learn the functions/tasks. Furthermore, this method uses fewer resources in terms of human, equipment and time. I chose both of above methods, for not only the advantages given above but also they a re poles apart from each other and we are expecting to have diverse results. Furthermore, these methods are used to evaluate the accessibility, usability and adaptability of the website, interface evaluation, with both perspectives user’s as well as website and its behavior. The browser that I have used in this paper is the Internet explorer version 9. Furthermore, I have given below the URL of the pages that I have included in this paper for evaluation. Heuristic Evaluation Technique In order to evaluate the website through the heuristic evaluation technique, I have used set of criteria mentioned by Jakob Nielsen heuristic. Sundry aspects of the website were reviewed, violations identified, and severity ratings assigned to the evaluated issues. It is based on a permutation of occurrence, impact, and determination of usability problem. The ratings of the Nielson follow a 0 to 4 scale and map to the following information. 0 = I don’t agree that this is a usability probl em at all 1 = Cosmetic problem only: need not be fixed unless extra time is available on project 2 = Minor usability problem: fixing this should be given low priority 3 = Major usability problem: important to fix, so should be given high priority 4 = Usability catastrophe: imperative to fix this before product can be released Following are the ten (10) set