Your Not Fat, Just Big Boned. Essays - Obesity, Discrimination

Your Not Fat, Just Big Boned. Your Not Fat, Just Big Boned. Many people have heard the terms your not fat, just big boned, well nurished, or perhaps husky. Well, as sombody of my generation might say WHATEVER. Face it America were fat. I am talking about fat, the spare tire syndrom, or however you would like phrase it, but were still fat. We are all looking for a good get thin quike sceam, you know the one that takes no effert, and possible enjoyable. Then, again I'm afraid to disapoint you, there is not, nor will there ever be, but perhaps it's simpler than most realize. We Americans are fat for several different reasons and they have little or nothing to do with our diets or what we eat. Our obeasity begins when were young. You might have had parents like mine, the parents who said your not excused untill you eat everything on you plate, or perhaps they commited a double phopa and said no desert untill your plate is cleared. What ever the case may be, many of us are fat because of it. These phrases become stuck in our heads, and from then on every time we sit down at the table weather it be a lot or a little we will uncontiously eat it untill our plate is clean, or we are physically full. A simple solution to a simple problem, and goes like, this put less on your plate. A few ways to atempt this are spread out your food on your plate, add few veggies and garnishes make it appear to be more than what it realy is. Another would be to drink a large glass of water before you begin to eat, and perhaps just eat slower. The whole idea behind this concept is to fool the mind. Our mind tells us when we're hungry not because our stomach is empty, but because it needs something or it thinks it does, and nine times out of ten being the later. The mind is like any machine in being that we can program and train it for any funtion, all pending knowing how. So in this first method we are simple reprogram it. As we grow older other facters begin to play a roll, and the biggest is our social life. Our mind can not think of eating so easly if we have it on something else. In the teen years is when this becomes most evident. If you recall, the students that were involved in the majority of funtions were not the fat children. The fat children were not involved nearly as much, sure they were probably timid, and no doubt there were other factors involved, but it is all mental one way or another, and again it's all amatter of programing. Later on in life, we become contiously aware of our over weight problems, and this is great, but this is were the biggest problem begins. Not only does this problem affect our weight but our life span, and our life in general. The problem goes by the well known name of stress. I ask you to look at how many live well into their 80's. then ask them if any of them weried about eating healthy. Not that eating healthy is bad mind you. The problem lies with the stress of eating healthy. When most break open that choclate bar they begin to enjoy a pleasure of life, but they'er soon thinking thatb they will regret it, because some where a long the line we began to assotiate pleasuer with the idea of gread, or that for some reason we do not deserve this pleasure, but I digress. The real tie between stress and food are the cemical reactions the cause in our minds. Choclate seams to be the devals treat for women. Women have such a problem with choclate, because it releases the same chemical in the brain that comes when they fall in love, and they basicly fall in love with chochlate. men tend to have the same effect with read meat. Food is not the problem at all but in fact the reaction it has on our emotions. In any situation it all boils

Statistics on ACT Math Strategies for Mean, Medium, Mode

Statistics on ACT Math Strategies for Mean, Medium, Mode SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Statistics questions on the ACT are often simpler than the statistics questions you have seen in class. Most all of the statistics questions on the ACT boil down to finding or manipulating means, medians, and modes of a set of numbers. If you are already familiar with these terms, you will have a good head-start on these types of problems. But even if you aren't familiar with these terms, most of ACT stats questions require that you understand and apply just a few key concepts (all of which we will go through in this guide). This will be your complete guide to ACT means, medians, and modes- what they mean, how you'll see them on the test, and how to solve even the most complicated of ACT statistics questions. What is a Mean, Median, or Mode? Before we look at how to solve these kinds of problems, let's define our terms: A mean is the statistical average of a group of numbers. In order to find the mean, we must add up the sum of the numbers in our set and then divide that sum by the amount of numbers in the set. (Note: on the ACT, the question will almost always use the word "average" instead of "mean.") What is the average speed of six runners if their race times were, in seconds: 85, 67, 88, 75, 91, and 80? To find the average (mean), we must find the sum of all the numbers and then divide that number by the total amount, which in this case is 6. $(85 + 67 + 88 + 75 + 91 + 80)/6$ $486/6$ $81$ The mean (average) race time is 81 seconds. The median is the number directly in the middle of a set of numbers, after they have been arranged in numerical order. (Note: the number will be halfway into the set, but is NOT necessarily the mid-value between the largest and smallest number.) For example, take a set of numbers {14, 15, 23, 37, 213}, the median would be 23, as it is in the middle of the set. This is true, despite the fact that 23 is NOT halfway between 14 and 213. If your set has an even amount of numbers, then you must take the mean (average) of both the numbers in the middle. Find the median value of the set of numbers {10, 2, 34, 47, 17, 8}. First, arrange the numbers in order from least to greatest. 2, 8, 10, 17, 34, 47 We have an even number of terms in our set, so we must take the average of the two middle terms. $(10 + 17)/2$ $27/2$ $13.5$ Our median is 13.5 The mode is the number or numbers in a set that repeat(s) most frequently. In the set of numbers {4, 6, 6, 4, 3, 6, 12}, our mode is 6. Even though the number 4 occurred twice, the number 6 occurred three times and is thus our most frequently appearing number. If each number in your set occurs only once, there is no mode. In the set of numbers {3, 11, 7, 23, 19}, there is no mode, since no number repeats. If multiple numbers in a set repeat the same number of times, your set will have more than one mode. In the set {4, 11, 11, 11, 13, 21, 23, 23, 23, 43, 43, 43}, we have three modes- 11, 23, and 43. All three numbers occur exactly three times and no other numbers occur more frequently, which means that we have multiple modes. The more you get used to statistics questions, the more quickly you'll be able to spot your answers. Typical Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Mean, median, and mode questions are fairly simple once you get the hang of how they work. Because these types of questions will appear 1 to 2 times on the test, you will see them in a variety of different forms. But always keep in mind that, no matter how unusual they look, mean, median, and mode questions will always break down to the concepts we outlined above in their definitions. For mean questions, there will be two types- weighted and unweighted averages. Unweighted averages are by far the most common, but you'll need to know how to tackle both. Unweighted Average Unweighted average questions are solved exactly how we found our means above. We simply find the sum of our set and divide this number by the amount of numbers in the set. The monthly fees for single rooms at 5 colleges are $\$ 370$, $\$ 310$, $\$ 340$ 380$, and $\$ 310$, respectively. What is the mean of these monthly fees? F. $\$ 310$G. $\$ 340$H. $\$ 342$J. $\$ 350$K. $\$ 380$ We must find the sum of our terms and divide by the amount of terms (in this case 5). $(370 + 310 + 380 + 340 + 310)/5$ $1710/5$ $342$ We have found our mean. Our final answer is H, 342. Weighted Average A weighted average, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on (gives more "weight" to) some numbers more than others. When this is the case, you must multiply each number in the set by its weight and then add their sums and divide as normal. Let us look at this process in action: In Karen's math class, the final class grade is determined by a combination of quizzes, homework, and test scores. Quizzes make up 30% of the final grade, homework accounts for 25% of the final grade, and test scores account for 45% of the final grade. Each assignment/test has a potential score of 100 points. Karen received a 92 and an 83 on her two quizzes, scores of 100 on her three homework assignments, and test scores of 78, 89, and 98. What is Karen's final grade in the class? First, we must find the average of each type of assignment as normal and then multiply that average by the weight allotted to the assignment. So, to find the number of total points she earns from her quizzes, we would say: $(92 + 83)/2$ $175/2$ $87.5$ She earned an average of 87.5 on her quizzes, but now we must multiply it by the percentage allotted to the quiz scores in terms of her overall grade (the weight). $(87.5)(0.3)$ $26.25$ Her quiz score will contribute 26.25 points towards her overall score. Now let us do the same for her homework. $(100 + 100 + 100)/3$ $300/3$ $100$ The homework is weighted as 25% of the grade, so we must multiply the average by its weight. $(100)(0.25)$ $25$ And again for her test scores. $(78 + 89 + 98)/3$ $265/3$ $88.33$ And again, we must multiply this average by the allotted weight. $(88.33)(0.45)$ $39.75$ Now, simply add them all together to find her final score. $26.25 + 25 + 39.75$ $91$ Karen's final grade in the class will be a 91. Now that we've seen our different types of mean questions, let's look at the other types of statistics questions on the ACT. Most all the statistics questions you'll see on the ACT will be on means/averages, but a few will involve medians. These are generally straightforward, so long as you understand how to find your median. What is the median of the following 7 scores? 42, 67, 33, 79, 33, 79, 21 A. 42B. 52C. 54.5D. 56E. 79 First, let us, as always, put our numbers in ascending order. 21, 33, 33, 42, 67, 79, 89 Since we have a set of 7 numbers, there is a number exactly in the middle of our set. Now that we've put them in order, we can see that the middle number is 42. Our final answer is A, 42. And lastly, mode questions very rarely show up on the ACT. You should still know what a "mode" means in case you do see a mode question on the test, but odds are you'll only be asked to find means and/or medians. Though the questions may appear different, just remember that they are all variations on the same few concepts. How to Solve Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Since you will see these questions multiple time on any given test, it can be easy to rush through them and/or underestimate them. But as you go through your test, remember to keep these ACT math tips in mind: #1: Always (always!) pay attention to exactly what the question is asking You will be asked to find means/averages the majority of the time, so it can become second nature to immediately start finding a mean when you come across an m-word in a math problem. It may seem obvious right now, but the pulse of a ticking clock and the adrenaline in your veins during the test-taking process can make it so that you misread the words in a math question, and try to find the mean instead of the median (or even vice versa). The test makers know how easy it is for people to make these kinds of errors and will provide bait answers to tempt anyone who makes a mistake. Always double-check that you are answering precisely the right question before you start solving the problem (and especially before bubbling in your answer!). #2: Write It Out Take the time to rearrange your set of numbers in order when dealing with medians and modes, and make sure you write out your equations when dealing with means. It can be tempting to solve problems like these in your head, but a single misplaced digit will give you a wrong answer. In order to avoid losing points to careless errors, always take a moment to write out your problem. It will not take as long as you think it will to reorganize your values and it will almost always lead you (quickly) to the right answer. #3: Use PIA/PIN When Necessary If you find yourself stuck on a problem and have some extra time to spare, don't hesitate to use your fallback strategies of plugging in answers or plugging in numbers where applicable. Always keep in mind that it will often take you a little longer to solve a problem using these techniques, but doing so will almost always lead you to the right answer. Practice and technique are required to master any skill, be it statistics questions or silly walks. Test Your Knowledge And now, let's put your knowledge of statistics to the test against real ACT math problems. 1. Tom has taken 5 of the 8 equally weighted tests in his U.S. History class this semester, and he has an average score of exactly 78.0 points. How many points does he need to earn on the 6th test to bring his average score up to exactly 80.0 points? A. 90B. 88C. 82D. 80E. 79 2. 3. What is the difference between the mean and the median of the set {3, 8, 10, 15}? A. 0B. 1C. 4D. 9E. 12 4. To increase the mean of 4 numbers by 2, how much would the sum of the 4 numbers have to increase? F. 2G. 4H. 6J. 8K. 16 Answers: A, B, A, J Answer Explanations: 1. In order to find out how much we need to increase our sum, we first need to find our original sum. Let us represent the original sum with the variable $x$ and use our mean equation to find it. $x/5 = 78$ $x = 390$ Let us use this original sum for our new mean equation with the set of 6 terms. We will represent the missing value with $y$ and set our equation to the needed 80 points. $(390 + y)/6 = 80$ $390 + y = 480$ $y = 90$ We have found the amount necessary to increase our sum in order to get an average of 90 with 6 terms. Our final answer is A, 90. 2. We are told that there are 43 soccer games, so we must find the percentage of each match and multiply this figure by the number of goals per match. For instance, there are 4 matches in which there were 0 goals. Which would give us: $(0)(4/43)$ $(0)(0.093)$ $0$ Now, we need to do the same for all the matches and add them together. $0 + (10/43)(1) + (5/43)(2) + (9/43)(3) + (7/43)(4) + (5/43)(5) + (1/43)(6) + (2/43)(7)$ $0.2325 + 0.2326 + 0.6279 + 0.6512 + 0.5814 + 0.1395 + 0.3256$ $2.79$ Finally, we need to round this number to the nearest 0.1, as we were told to. $2.8$ Our final answer is B, 2.8. 3. The numbers in our set are already in numerical order, so we do not need to rearrange them. Let us find our median: We have two numbers in the middle of our set, because there are an even amount of numbers in our set. This means we must take the average of the two middle numbers. $(8 + 10)/2$ $18/2$ $9$ Now let us also find our mean: $(3 + 8 + 10 + 15)/4$ $36/4$ $9$ We can see that the mean and the median are equal, so the difference between the two is 0. Our final answer is A, 0. 4. We have two different ways to solve this question- using algebra and using PIN. Let's look at both methods. Method 1: Algebra Let us represent both the sum and the mean by the variables $x$ and $y$, respectively in our mean equation. $x/4 = y$ $x = 4y$ Now, let's look at how this changes when we add 2 to to our mean. $x/4 = y + 2$ $x = 4(y + 2)$ $x = 4y + 8$ We can see that we need to add 8 to our previous mean of $4y$. Our final answer is J, 8. Method 2: PIN We could also use plugging in numbers in this case. So let us pick four numbers and find their mean. Let's just say our four numbers are: 3, 4, 6, and 10. (Why those numbers? Why not!) (3 + 4 + 7 + 10)/4 $24/4$ $6$ Now, we want to increase our mean by 2, which would make it: $6 + 2 = 8$ Which means that now we have: $(24 + x)/4 = 8$ $24 + x = 32$ $x = 8$ We can see that we need to add 8 to our sum in order to increase our mean by 2. Our final answer is again J, 8. (Or boy or other gender). Either way, go you! The raptors are proud. The Take Aways Once you know your way around the techniques of finding your means, medians, and modes, you will be able to tackle most any ACT question on the topic. All ACT statistics questions are simply variations on the same theme, so knowing your foundations is essential. As we saw above, there are often multiple ways to solve these types of problems, so don't hesitate to use PIA or PIN if you have the time to spare and if you feel uncomfortable with the algebra. Otherwise, always make absolutely sure you are answering the proper question and don't take for granted that these questions are simple (a careless error will still lose you precious points!). What's Next? You've tackled all there is to know about ACT stats questions and now you're hungry for more ACT math guides...right? Right! Well, lucky for you, we've got guides on all the ACT math topics you could ask for. Need to brush up on your formulas? How about your trigonometry? In the mood to tackle ratios (or set up your own ratios to figure out how many seconds there are in a year)? Browse through our ACT math tab to find what you're looking for. Think you might need a tutor? Look to our guides to find the best ACT tutor for you (and your budget). Running out of time on ACT math? Check out our guide on how to maximize your time (and your points!) before the clock runs out. Looking to get a perfect score? No matter your current level, we've got guides on what to do if you scored lower than you wanted as well as how to get a perfect 36. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Social Media in the USA Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Media in the USA - Coursework Example According to the study, the social media channels include website, magazine, television and radio. Through print newsletters, for example, the magazines, the company displays information and testimonies from his employees on how effective their services are to the clients. Besides it also runs adverts incorporation with other programs on television bulletin or within family programs to win the audience. Some of the adverts are posted on their website where those who frequent the internet can find and look through their services in addition to commenting. The company has hotline number, website, facebook page, twitter handles, emails that are displayed on any good advertised under the company’s name. They value any feedback irrespective of its negativity or positivity thus handles to the best interest of their customers. Besides, the company offers promotions of their goods as free samples to their customers. Social media used by the company enables it to promote its market loc ally and internationally furthermore in my perception is influenced by how fast realized its market beyond borders.

Contemporary communication essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contemporary communication - Essay Example Even noticeable have been the points of divergence in the manner in which information should be disseminated. This paper compares and contrasts the manner in which information in current affairs programs and regular news program is disseminated with respect to communication devices. In order to effectively achieve this, it focuses on the way BBC television news and CNN current affairs program covered the Casey Anthony’s case. BBC (2011) news makes use of the images, as well as sound. It features how the jury comprising of seven women and five men ended up in the rejection of the prosecutions that Ms. that Anthony was responsible for the murder of Caylee. The news describes that Ms. Anthony had been accused of dosing her with chloroform, making her suffocate using a tape and dumping her body in the woods. However, the accused was found to be guilty of relative petty offenses such as child neglect. As this is done, the image of Ms. Anthony is presented. Each time the information is described, the pictures in the proceeding are features in real images, breaking the monotony of vision of the news anchor. The news offers a description of the appearance of the accused during the verdict delivery session. Here, Ms. Anthony, who faced a death sentence if found guilty, cried in the quietly. The moments after the jury left the room, she went about hugging her lawyers tightly while she sobbed. All these are not only presented in words, but also in images. The News offers the description of the amount of time that the Ms. Anthony had spent in the jail while awaiting her trial, and also talks about the time that her release was expected. She had been made to spend about two and a half years in jail while she waited for trial. She was to be expectedly released soon, despite the minor offenses that she had been found guilty. This is because she had already served enough time in the jail. Images of the state of the parents and even the prosecutors during the court

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay Working environments are dimensions in which the individual’s skills, talents and production capabilities are put into the test. The war-like situation manifested in corporate arenas continues to post a challenge to each and every individual. It is a legitimized jungle wherein only the strong remains and the weak perish. Thus, for every struggle that is addressed, this spells sweet victory for the triumphant warrior. It is for this aspect that Karsten described the workplace a source of one’s â€Å"sense of self, power and prestige (162). † As the individual continue to climb the corporate ladder, his or her â€Å"sense of self, power and prestige (Karsten 162)† continue to increase. This is most especially true in scenarios wherein leadership roles are assumed and performed. However, a critical examination shows that holding power, garnering respect and expressing authority have exclusively remained in the hands of men. The opportunity to lead has been an exclusive right of males and women, despite of the strong campaign to uphold equality, are continuously pushed to the periphery. Women leadership remains a critical issue in the corporate environment. Despite of the efforts to render equal opportunities to both men and women, the actions taken, remained futile. Women as leaders are still seen from a derogatory perspective. As Spade and Valentine described, work places are no less than â€Å"gendered institutions† that operate under â€Å"inequality regimes (341). † Under this context, it can be argued that the so-called â€Å"inequality regimes† mentioned in this discussion, is no less than the hegemonic and oppressive patriarchal orientations that are highly manifested in various work spaces. Drawing on Dahrendorf’s distribution of power and authority (Lemell Noll, 52), it is evident that many working environments deprive women from having equal chances or access to positions that demand an exercise of power and control. Also, power legitimacy as for the case of women leaders are often questioned or blatantly ignored. While it is true that women have managed to acquire managerial positions, Ely et. al expressed that only 1 % of these females are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or establishments (161). Likewise, Ely et. al mentioned that in terms of governmental positions and functions, only a small percentage of women can be observed. The seemingly under representation and to a certain extent—total absence of women leaders in the corporate world is triggered by society’s patriarchal culture. The practices seen in the business world reflect the manipulative and discriminating orientation of the patriarchal system. Under this context, societal roles and functions are highly determined by gender. Men are seen as the stronger sex whereas women are the exact opposite. Women are constantly confined into domestic roles. They are mothers and wives whose values and worth are best exemplified in the bedroom and kitchen. Thus, their entries into the workplace or business environments are often seen as a threat. In addition to that, this scenario highly contradicts the so-called â€Å"normative behaviors (Ridgeway 223)† of world. Leadership in business environments translates to performing firm decision, asserting authority and showing direct control, if necessary. Needless to say, these traits or characteristics are often played or portrayed by men. On the other hand, the idea of being a mere â€Å"follower† is relegated to women. Therefore, in the event wherein a woman leader practices authority, utilizes power and make decisions, these scenario is immediately dismissed as a violation of the canonical norms not only of the workplace, but also of the overall social structure (Ridgeway 223). The problem with women executives or leaders is that their socially-constructed roles are mixed with their corporate or work-related functions. The merit of their leadership skills and capabilities are based on how well they perform their overtly stereotyped duties and obligations. When women act like leaders, the patriarchal system immediately questions their efficiency via insisting the women’s highly biased and gender-based tasks (Ridgeway 223). As Ridgeway stressed, women leaders are initially seen as a woman, then a leader (223). Gender would always come first and leadership capabilities are only secondary. There are several ways in which women are prevented from acquiring leadership positions in the workplace. The first one is illustrated by the â€Å"glass ceiling concept (Goethals Burns 77). Under this context, women are blatantly deprived of acquiring leadership positions via unequal distribution of chances and opportunities (Goethals Burns 77). This is despite of eliciting commendable work-related achievements and success. The glass ceiling acts as a barricade that prevents women from being hailed as managers and executives despite delivering good results and performances (Haslett, Geis Carter 128). In addition to that, it is also evident that women are placed into positions or departments in which they cannot possibly harness their leadership skills (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 77). They are subjected into roles that do not engage into actual corporate management and decision making. Therefore, in the event in which women are recommended for promotions, their skills and experience readily lag behind. Or in such cases, a woman must shoulder the entire burden of exerting efforts and energy to prove themselves, but with no assurance that they will be selected. But then again even if some women were able to secure their positions on the corporate hierarchy, Goethal, Sorenson and Burns shared that this is no less than a defense mechanism used to avoid accusations of gender discrimination and inequality (77). Aside from the glass ceiling, the persistence of the seemingly omnipotent â€Å"old boy network (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 77)† is also instrumental in the under representation of women leaders. A critical examination of the old boy network clearly shows the strong attempt of men to protect their own interests (Sanchez et. al 240). There is the intention to keep power in the hands of the few and eliminate new players. This basically explains the degree of favoritism in promotions. Men often receive high preference compared to women not because they are better or more productive. Instead, this is just a way to preserve the patriarchal rule. Since majority of senior executives are men, their power legitimacy is highly acknowledged and recognized. This kind of prestige is then used by males to control, manipulate and safeguard their interests. Thus, to ensure that their power and authority shall remain, these executives are more likely to choose male protegees—individuals, who like them, present a common set of beliefs, ideologies and value systems. Lastly, the limited access of women to building social networks lessens their chances of being corporate leaders (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 78). Goethals, Sorenson and Burns mentioned that â€Å"informal gatherings† is a way for women to connect with other individuals in the business organizations (78). It is through these activities that women can further improve their social and communication skills—two of the most significant traits that leaders should acquire. However, these opportunities are hardly given to women. Other than obstructing women to create meaningful relationships and camaraderie, this scenario also inhibits females from having their own mentors and role models (Klenke 185). Mentors and role models serve as a support system. Through them, valuable knowledge and insights are shared and transmitted. Mentoring relationships help potential leaders devise sound decisions and appropriate solutions. Unfortunately, this right is highly exclusive to men. The struggles and challenges faced by women leaders in the corporate system is yet another gender issue that should be readily addressed. Leadership roles should not be equated to gender-based functions. Equal rights and opportunities should be provided to both genders and should not be an exclusive privilege of men. It should be stressed and remembered that leadership efficiency is determined by skills and performances, never by gender. Works Cited Sanchez, Penny; Philip Hucles; Janis Sanchez-Hucles and Sanjay Mehta. â€Å"Increasing Diverse Women Leadership in Corporate America: Climbing Concrete Walls and Shattering Glass Ceilings. † Women and Leadership Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices Eds. Jean Lau Chin; Bernice Lott; Joy Rice and Janis Sanchez-Hucles. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2007 Ely, Robin; Erica Foldy; Maureen Scully and The Center for Gender in Organizations Simmons School of Management. Reader in Gender, Work and Organization. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2003 Goethal, George; Georgia Sorenson and James MacGregor Burns. Encyclopedia of Leadership. California: Sage Publications Inc, 2004 Haslett, Beth; Florence Geis and Mae Carter. The Organizational Woman. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1992 Karsten, Margaret. Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 Klenke, Karin. Women Leadership. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1996 Lemell, Yannick and Heinz-Herbert Noll. Changing Structures of Inequality: A Comparative Perspective. Canada: Mc-Gill Queen’s University Press, 2002 Ridgeway, Cecilia. Gender Interaction and Inequality. New York: Springer –Verlag New York Inc. , 1992 Spade, Joan and Catherine Valentine. The Ka

Women in the Work Force- 1960s Essay -- Essays Papers

Women in the Work Force- 1960s The 1960s were a time of social and political identification for American women. Despite the victory of voting rights, women still experienced discrimination in daily life. With the current millenium drawing to a close, women today still express concern of unequal treatment. It is important to glance backwards in history and remember the struggles that our mothers and grandmothers experienced. Thanks to the women of the past, women of the present are able to participate in politics and receive equal pay for equal jobs. The struggle continues, but we conquer more discrimination every year. It has always been a popular misconception that women are the weaker sex.1 This idea leads to the opinion that women can not possibly perform the same job requirements as men. Why should a woman seek further education when she cannot handle a job physically and psychologically in the male work force? A woman who does decide to work out of the home could not expect to earn as much as her male counterpart since she can not do the job nearly as well. History paints the picture of women staying home as homemakers where they belong. We see the ideal woman as June Cleaver from the TV sitcom Leave it to Beaver. A feminist author Betty Friedan wrote a best-selling book arguing that magazines, advertisements, educators, and social scientists portray women as happy as housewives.2The Feminine Mystique explained this portrayal of the trapped women into a life of raising children, taking care of the home, and giving no chance labor outside the home. Despite the expectation of women as homemakers, women broke free. They wanted to take more active roles in politics, society, and the work force. One arena of support cam... ... Jovanovich, 1987) p.236. 4 John Winters, Jr., http://nimbus.ocis.temple.edu/~rkarras/winters2.htm, Representation of Women in the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. 5 See Robert L. Daniel, p.263. 6 See Robert L. Daniel, p.264. 7 See Robert L. Daniel, p.264. 8 See Robert L. Daniel, p.276. 9 See Robert L. Daniel, p.277. 10 See Robert L. Daniel, p.277. 11 See Robert L. Daniel, p.277. 12 See Robert L. Daniel, p.257. 13 See Robert L. Daniel, p.257. 14 See Robert L. Daniel, p.258. 15 See Robert L. Daniel, p.258. - Gabin, Nancy F. Feminism in the Labor Movement: Women and the United Auto Workers, 1935-1975. London: Cornell University Press, 1990. - Spain, Daphne and Suzanne M. Bianchi. Balancing Act: Motherhood, Marriage, and Employment among American Women. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1996.

Knowledge management and intellectual capital Essay

Knowledge is something that comes from information processed by using data. It includes experience, values, insights, and contextual information and helps in evaluation and incorporation of new experiences and creation of new knowledge. People use their knowledge in making decisions as well as many other actions. In the last few years, many organizations realize they own a vast amount of knowledge and that this knowledge needs to be managed in order to be useful. â€Å"Knowledge management (KM) system† is a phrase that is used to describe the creation of knowledge repositories, improvement of knowledge access and sharing as well as communication through collaboration, enhancing the knowledge environment and managing knowledge as an asset for an organization. Intellectual capital is considered as a key influencer of innovation and competitive advantage in today’s knowledge based economy. Knowledge management helps in obtaining, growing and sustaining intellectual capital in organisations. This paper focuses on how knowledge management and intellectual capital helps the organization to achieve their goals and as well as the relation between these two concepts. Key words: knowledge management, intellectual capital, organizational goals, benefits Introduction: Knowledge is something that comes from information processed by using data. It includes experience, values, insights, and contextual information and helps in evaluation and incorporation of new experiences and creation of new knowledge. Knowledge originates from, and is applied by knowledge workers who are involved in a particular job or task. People use their knowledge in making decisions as well as many other actions. In the last few years, many organizations realize they own a vast amount of knowledge and that this knowledge needs to be managed in order to be useful. Knowledge management is not one single discipline. Rather, it an integration of numerous endeavours and fields of study. Knowledge management is a discipline that seeks to improve the performance of individuals and organizations by maintaining and leveraging the present and future value of knowledge assets. Knowledge management systems encompass both human and automated activities and their associated artifacts. So, what is Knowledge? Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, expert insight and institution that provides an environment and framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information. From this perspective, knowledge management is not so much a new practice as it is an integrating practice. It offers a framework for balancing the numerous of technologies and approaches that provide value, tying them together into a seamless whole. It helps analysts and designers better address the interests of stakeholders across interrelated knowledge flows and, by doing so, better enables individuals, systems and organizations to exhibit truly intelligent behaviour in multiple contexts. The reasons why companies invest in KM are that it either gives them a temporal effectiveness or efficiency advantage over their competitors, or they do it to try to negate the competitive advantage of others. For the purpose of this research, KM is defined to include the five fundamental processes of: (1) Knowledge acquisition (KA) (2) Knowledge creation (KC) (3) Knowledge documentation (KD) (4) Knowledge transfer (KT) and (5) Knowledge application (KAP) These five KM processes are not necessarily sequential but rather iterative and overlap. The effective management of knowledge necessitates a thorough understanding of the relationships not only among the KM processes themselves but also between the KM processes and the intellectual assets of an organization. Intellectual capital (IC): Intellectual capital can include the skills and knowledge that a company has developed about how to make its goods and services. It also includes insight about information pertaining to the company’s history; customers; vendors; processes; stakeholders; and all other information that might have value for a competitor that, perhaps, is not common knowledge. Intellectual capital is therefore, not only organizational knowledge, it is also industry knowledge. It is the combination of both cognitive knowledge and intuitive/experience-related knowledge. Intellectual capital is known for creating innovation and competitive advantage in this knowledge based era. But knowledge management plays a dominant role in obtaining, growing and sustaining intellectual capital in organizations which implies that the successful implementation and usage of KM ensures the acquisition and growth of Intellectual capital. Organizations should deploy and manage their IC resources in order to maximize value creation. The IC term was first introduced by Galbraith (1969) as a form of Knowledge, intellect, and brainpower activity that uses knowledge to create value. Since then, different views of IC have been emerged. For instance, view IC as a knowledge that can be converted into value. IC as the aggregation of all knowledge and competencies of employees that enable an organization to achieve competitive advantages. In addition, IC is defined to include all non-tangible assets and resources in an organization, including its processes, innovation capacity, and patents as well as the tacit knowledge of its members and their network of collaborators and contact. In spite of its multidimensionality, this research conceptualizes IC as consisting of three basic interrelated dimensions: Human capital (HC) Organizational (or structural) capital (OC), Relational (or customer) capital (OR) Human Capital encompasses attitudes, skills, and competences of the members of an organization. Organizational Capital includes elements such as organizational culture, routines and practices, and intellectual property. Relational Capital, however, includes relationships with customers, partners, and other stakeholders. The investments in Human Capital, Organizational Capital, and Relational Capital are expected to increase the value of an organization. The management of intellectual capital involves: Identifying key IC which drive the strategic performance of an organisation. Visualizing the value creation pathways and transformations of key IC Measuring performance and in particular the dynamic transformations. Cultivating the key IC using KM processes The internal and external reporting of performance Knowledge management and Intellectual capital: IC and KM serve different purposes and include the whole range of intellectual activities from knowledge creation to knowledge leverage. IC and KM as a set of managerial activities aiming at identifying and valuing the knowledge assets of an organization as well as leveraging these assets through the creation and sharing of new knowledge. KM and IC are believed to be closely coupled. When KM activities are used to develop and maintain IC, it becomes a resource of sustainable competitive advantage. On the other hand, when IC is properly utilized and exploited, it increases the absorptive capacity of the organization, which, in turn, facilitates its KM processes. Knowledge can add value to organizations through intangible assets such as Intellectual capital. Conceivably, the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization (SECI) model is a more fitting theoretical foundation for understanding the KM-IC relationship. The SECI model outlines different interactive spaces (Ba), in which tacit knowledge can be made Explicit. The IC components (e.g. HC, OC and RC) represent the input for the knowledge creation process in the SECI model, and its main output takes the form of commercially exploitable intangibles. The four processes of the SECI model involve not only knowledge creation and utilization but also the other KM components including knowledge transfer, knowledge documentation, and knowledge acquisition. Knowledge transfer (sharing) is the common factor of the four processes of the SECI model. Socialization facilitates the conversion of new tacit knowledge through shared experience, which allows the less communicated knowledge to be communicated. Therefore, the socialization processes involve knowledge transfer. In addition, externalization is the process of articulating tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, which can be shared by others. In the combination and internalization processes, knowledge is exchanged and reconfigured through documents, meetings, or communication networks. Effective execution of the SECI processes can generate different types of IC. Socialization involves the accumulation of HC, OC, and RC by sharing and transferring experiences through joint activities. Also, the conversion of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge through externalization creates and accumulates OC. Combination creates knowledge structures in the form of systemic, institutionalized knowledge (i.e. OC) that can be directly disseminated and distributed. Internalization, on the other hand, accumulates HC and RC through learning by doing. Review of Literature: Francis Bacon has emphasized on importance of knowledge management in organizations with his famous phrase â€Å"knowledge is power† (Muller-Merbach, H. 2005). The strategy that considers knowledge along with other resources such as land, work and capital as an asset is knowledge management (Nonaka and Takouchi, 1995). Dell (1996) believes that knowledge management is a systematic approach for finding, understanding and applying of knowledge in order to create knowledge. According to Simon (1999) knowledge management is intelligent planning of processes, tools, structures and etc with the purpose of increasing, restructuring, sharing or improving of knowledge application that is apparent in each of three elements of mental capital, i.e. structural, human and social. Some of the clear-sighted believe that knowledge management is not a technology (Clair Guy, 2002; Lang, 2001; DiMatta, 1997; Koenig,2002; McInerey, 2002). This process helps organizations to be able to use their assets, work faster and more wisely and obtain more capital (Shawarswalder, 1999). An increased attention is focused on KM and IC management in the organisation. In the last decade there has been a shift in management focus from traditional accountancy practices where financial capital is paramount, to growing realisation that intangible assets are of greater significance in our knowledge-based economy (Egbu et al 2000, 2001). Knowledge can be a valuable resource for competitive advantage and harnessing its value is one of the pre-eminent challenges of management. Identifying and exploiting knowledge assets, or intellectual capital (IC), has been vastly documented. There are different types of knowledge in an organisation from the tacit knowledge of individuals, which is unarticulated and intuitive, to explicit knowledge that is codified and easily transmitted (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Further distinctions have been made by academics and practitioners involved in the IC debate. Three components of IC have been identified comprising human, structural and customer capital (Edvinsson, 2000; Bontis, 1998; Bontis et al., 2000). However, it is asserted that the human capital in an organisation is the most important intangible asset, especially in terms of innovation (Edvinsson, 2000; Stewart, 1997; Brooking, 1996). Marr et al. (2003) argue that KM is a fundamental activity for growing and sustaining IC in organizations. Bontis (1999) posits that managing organizational knowledge encompasses two related issues: organizational learning flows and intellectual capital stocks. Organizational learning, as a part of KM (Rastogi, 2000), reflects the management’s effort to managing knowledge and ensures that IC is continually developed, accumulated, and exploited. A thorough review of the relevant literature and discussions with targeted researchers in the field would suggest that the development of successful knowledge management programmes involve due cognisance of many factors. Compilation of data: Knowledge Management consists of managerial activities that focus on the development and control of knowledge in an organization to fulfil organizational objectives. The knowledge sharing takes place in the organizations in two ways, explicit and tacit. The knowledge management seem to in two tracks as dynamic process or static object. Depends on how individuals understand what knowledge is and their aims both intellectual capital and knowledge management actors thus emphasize either the static or the dynamic properties of knowledge. Measuring the knowledge management is growing area of interest in the knowledge management field. The metrics are being developed and applied by the some organizations, but limitation of current measures is that they do not necessarily address the knowledge level and the types of value added knowledge that individuals obtain. The intellectual capital is most valuable asset it brings intellectual capital firmly on to the management agenda. The sum of everything everybody in organization knows that gives a competitive edge in the market place. The individual intellect effect more attribute of an organization. The intellectual capital characterizing as Intellectual material that has been formalized, captured and leveraged to produce the static properties of knowledge are inventions, ideas, computer programs, patents, etc., as Intellectual Capital also include human resources, Human Capital, but emphasize that it is clearly to the advantage of the knowledge firm to transform the innovations produced by its human resource into intellectual assets, to which the firm can assert rights of ownership. The measures for intellectual capital in use: 1. Value extraction 2. Customer capital 3. Structural capital 4. Value creation 5. Human capital Components of intellectual capital: Human capital indicators Structural capital indicators The knowledge management community needs to be responsive to the needs management in the organization by trying to adequately measure the intellectual capital and assess the worthiness of the knowledge management initiatives. Developing metrics and studies for measuring intellectual capital will help to consolidate the knowledge management field and give the discipline further credibility. Applying of knowledge is very important to the supply chain design and operation. Intellectual capital and knowledge management principle helps to enterprise supply chains. Knowledge management is formalizes approaches to understanding and benefiting knowledge assets at the firm level. The drivers which maximizes the enterprise supply chains Operational efficiency Opportunities to better service customer and stakeholders need A spring board for innovation A foundation concept in the field of intangible assets that is important for practice in that there are two dimension of knowledge, explicit and tacit. Next we develop these ideas further by interleaving intangible and traditional firm assets. Later we indentify the special characteristics priorities for the four generic supply chain models The intellectual capital approach: Intellectual capital comprises all the nonmonetary and nonphysical resources that are fully or partially controlled by the organization and contribute to the value creation. Three categories of intellectual assets are organizational, relationship and human. Strategies to manage knowledge: 1. Operational excellence 2. Design excellence Conclusion: Hence we would like to conclude that this paper has considered the importance of knowledge management and intellectual capital to organisations. Knowledge management practices differ from organisation to organisation. Organisations are at different stages in the knowledge management trajectory. Organisations ‘learn’ at different rates and apply different techniques (formal and informal) in managing knowledge. In the study on which this paper is based, there is a general consensus that the management of knowledge assets is vital for business. Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital should be integrated to maximize organizational effectiveness. However, the relationship between KM and IC is complex and so is its management. In order to effectively manage such a relationship, it is imperative to understand where and how the accumulated IC is reflected in managing KM activities in organizations. The management of knowledge and intellectual capital provides opportunities for project creativity and innovation. However, the effective implementation of knowledge management in organisations depends on many factors, which includes people, culture, structure, leadership, people and the environment. In most organisations, there is a lack of appropriate formal measuring constructs for the measurement of the benefits of knowledge assets to organisational performance. Managers operating in the knowledge economy are required to be â€Å"knowledge leaders,† who must be aware of the relationship between knowledge and those who possess it in order to successfully fulfil their leadership responsibilities. Based on the findings of this research, managers in the organizations are expected to develop strategies, adopt structures, and construct systems that effectively coordinate and integrate the efforts aiming at managing knowledge, human resource, and customer relationship in order to enhance knowledge flows, accumulate IC, and create and sustain business values. References: Intellectual capital and knowledge management: A new era of management thinking?- Jodee Allanson Reconfiguring knowledge management – combining intellectual capital, intangible assets and knowledge creation – Tomi Hussi Intellectual capital and Knowledge management effectiveness Bernard Marr, Oliver Gupta, Stephen Pike, Goran Roos. Developing knowledge management metrics for measuring intellectual capital – Jay Liebowitz Influence of KM and Intellectual capital on organisational innovations – Charles Egbu, Katherine Botte rill and Mike Bates