Organizational Development in HRD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Development in HRD - Essay Example The last manager to be terminated, Leon McLaughlin had 15 years of Marine experience, but he could not deliver results. Although, he did his best, he was handicapped by the lack of funds, which were originally promised, leading to underperformance. The main task before the new manger, Jack Keltner, is how to successfully run Fourwinds Marina through new strategies, even while generating funds. Strengths Lake Monroe is a happening place in Indiana with all safeguards and opportunities FourWinds has been providing optimum services for the last few years There are other value added services, which would complement it Jack Keltner’s previous good performance in Marina’s accounting department Weakness Managers are being changed in a short-term manner, without long-term perspective Thus, there is no optimum continuity of the various organizational processes, initiated by each one of them Charges for anchoring boats are also increasing, leading to higher operational costs Oppo rtunities Indianapolis metropolitan area’s population is over one million, and they have some $3.5 billion dollars to spend annually.

Lap report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lap - Lab Report Example Apart from playing an important role in the maintenance of homeostasis in a constantly regenerating population of cells, such as the colonic epithelium, apoptosis also functions to destroy cells with DNA damage and prevent neoplasia. Inhibitor of apoptosis or IAP proteins are a class of anti-apoptotic regulator proteins which are characterized by the presence of baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domains. IAPs inhibit the activation caspases which are the key effector proteases of apoptosis, by directly binding to them through the BIR domains. Extensive evidence exists to show the involvement of the IAP family of proteins in oncogenesis, via their efficient suppression of apoptosis (Hunter et al., 2007). Survivin is a novel member of the IAP family of proteins with a potential dual role in apoptosis inhibition and regulation of mitosis. Survivin inhibits apoptosis by interfering with the function of caspase-3, caspase-7 and caspase-9 (Shin et al., 2001; Dohi et al., 2004). In addition to a poptosis inhibition, survivin is implicated in the regulation of the mitotic spindle checkpoint and the promotion of angiogenesis, and chemoresistance (Altieri, 2003; Mita et al., 2008). Several mitotic kinases, including the three Aurora kinases, Aurora-A, -B and –C kinases regulate the progression of the cell through mitosis. Lens et al. (2006) have provided evidence to show that survivin acts as a mitotic regulator. It functions as a subunit of the chromosomal passenger complex, which is essential for proper chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. In this complex, Aurora B acts as the enzymatic core, while survivin dictates chromosomal passenger complex localization. Survivin is uniquely placed at the border of both the cell-death machinery and mechanisms of cell cycle progression and microtubule stability (Dan et al., 2004). Survivin is a highly conserved 16.5Â  kDa protein with 142 amino acids. X-ray crystallography has revealed the protein to be an unusual bow tie-shap ed dimer with two ?-helical extensions (Chantalat et al., 2000). It interacts with the microtubules through the ?-helical extension at the carboxyl terminal. Expressed in the G2/M phase (Li et al., 1998), survivin is up-regulated in almost all cancers, including colon cancer, but has low or no expression in most normal, differentiated adult tissues (Duffy et al., 2007). Expression of survivin in cancer cells has been shown to promote tumorigenesis (Li, 2005), cancer progression, poor prognosis, shortened patient survival and resistance to chemo- and radiation therapies (Li and Ling, 2006). A number of signaling molecules, transcription factors and other ligands modulate survivin expression and/or function in cancer cells through transcriptional and/or posttranscriptional mechanisms (Zhang et al., 2006). Of these, regulation of its gene transcription is an important mechanism for the modulation of survivin expression. Sp1, a transcription factor is reported to be involved in the tran scriptional activation of survivin (Li and Altieri, 1999). According to Kim et al. (2003), an aberrant TCF/? catenin might cause the stimulation of survivin expression leading to enhanced cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis, thereby promoting the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Zhang et al. (2000) demonstrated that APC mutation causes

The Conflict Between Manmade Law And Natural Law Philosophy Essay

The Conflict Between Manmade Law And Natural Law Philosophy Essay When Agamemnon is forced to return Chryseis back to her father, he gives an ultimatum declaring that he would only do so if he gets Briseis in exchange. This infuriates the mighty Achilles beyond control (hence the above quote) who then goes on to confront Agamemnon. This where the whole issue of manmade law vs. natural law comes into play, because in book I, Agamemnon is described as a powerful man who lords it over all the Argives, one the Achaeans must obey A mighty king, Achilles on the other hand, is expressed as the matchless runner. This shows us that even though by the law of nature, Achilles should be the one who is in control, but by the right of birth, Agamemnon is the one in complete power. When trying to explain the difference in manmade law vs. natural law, the distinction is very straightforward. There are certain rules in society that we have to abide by in order for harmonious living. These are basic norms and values that are drilled into us from childhood through va rious forms of socialization such as school, family etc. These include various regulations such as respect, love and to value those who are near and dear to us. In school we have various sanctions imposed on us if we break any of the set norms such as cheating or skiving class for no apparent reason. For more serious offences such as murder, fraud or theft, various agents of social control can rein in these unnatural desires by putting us into remand homes or jail. Furthermore, within a country we are given certain human rights which we can exercise on a daily basis such as freedom of speech, right to equal protection under the law etc. When new rules and regulations are set up within a society, we say that these rules are manmade, as these do not comes naturally to us. Natural law is that unwritten law that is more or less the same for everyone everywhere. To be more exact, natural law is the concept of a body of moral principles that is common to all humankind and, as generally posited, is recognizable by human reason alone. Natural law is therefore distinguished from-and provides a standard for- manmade law, the formal legal enactments of a particular society. Since laws are made for a reason; natural law is used to dictate human reason. In fact, it is law discovered by human reason. Our normal and natural grasp of the natural law is affected by reason, that is, by the thinking mind, and in this service reason is sometimes called conscience. We, in all our human acts, inevitably see them in their relation to the natural law, and we mentally pronounce upon their agreement or disagreement with the natural law. Such a pronouncement may be called a judgment of conscience. The norm of morality is the natural law as applied by conscience. Lastly, we ca n say that the natural law is the disposition of things as known by our human reason and to which we must conform ourselves if we are to realize our proper end or good as human beings. So in a more concise form, we can say that natural law is that by human beings can rationally guide themselves to their good. The origins of natural law theory lie in Ancient Greece. Many Greek philosophers discussed and codified the concept of natural law, and it played an important role in Greek government. Later philosophers such as St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke built on the work of the Greeks in natural law theory treatises of their own. Many of these philosophers used natural law as a framework for criticizing and reforming manmade laws, arguing that manmade laws which are unjust under the principles of natural law are legally wanting. Some theorists argue that humans may give up certain rights to live in society, for the better human good. However, the basic tenets of equality and a desire to do good still remain. Some people also integrate religious beliefs into natural law theory, while others refer more generally to basic moral laws which may or may not be guided by religious faith. To actually understand the basis of the natural law theory, we have to go back in time, as Aristo tle was the pioneer in coming up with this theory. In ancient Greece, the emphasis on the difference between nature (physis, ) and law, custom, or convention (nomos, ) was made obvious from the start. It basically meant that even though the law of the land may vary from place to place, but by nature they should be the same everywhere. Against the conventionalism that the distinction between nature and custom could create, Socrates and his philosophic heirs, Plato and Aristotle, put forward the existence of natural justice or natural right. Going back to explaining natural law and manmade law in the Iliad, we can clearly see the disproportion in the ranks within the army. Achilles, who is the son of the goddess Thetis, is made the leader of the Achaeans whereas Agamemnon is the commander-in-chief and is a mere mortal. Furthermore, we note that Achilles is self-less and noble, while Agamemnon is self-centered and egotistical. Proof of this is evident when Achilles is made to give up his prize (Briseis) because Agamemnon demands it in return for sending back Chryseis. Achilles is enraged by the request and argues that the plunder has already been distributed and a good man does not take back what he has given. Agamemnon and Achilles argue, each man insulting the other. Agamemnon threatens to take a prize if one is not given to him, and Achilles reminds him that all of the Achaeans are fighting against foes who have only wronged Menelaus. For the sake of the two royal brothers, the Argives bloody their hands against men wh o have done them no wrong. Achilles also complains that though he bears the heaviest burden in battle, it is the king who is always greedy for prizes. Achilles refuses to fight anymore as he will go home to Phthia. Because of this dishonor, anger seizes Achilles and he strides toward Agamemnon to kill him. Hera sends the goddess Athena to stop him. Only Achilles can see Athena, who tells him not to kill the king. She promises that Achilles will be justly compensated for this great dishonor and Achilles obeys her. This is itself is a trait to be noted, even though Achilles is seething with rage and a passion to destroy Agamemnon there and then, he restraints himself just because he is instructed by a goddess and shown that even though he may be stronger and more virtuous of the two, Agamemnon is still the king and thus he must be obeyed unconditionally. Manmade law is made for the betterment of mankind. Man knows this law, makes this law, and therefore has the ability to break this law, or amend it, or delete it. In the Iliad, we can see that Agamemnon not only twists and turns the law to his advantage but even tries to test his army, just so he can be confident that his army still pays him the kind of respect demanded by a king, unquestionable and undeniable. This is seen when Thetis, pleads with Zeus to intervene and bring the battle between the two mighty warriors to an end. Zeus then comes to Agamemnon in his dream, but Agamemnon manipulates it to his advantage. We also observe the obvious difference between Achilles and Agamemnon, when Nestor, oldest of the Achaean kings, rises and tells the two men that they must listen to him, because he is old and has lived and fought with warriors greater than any now living. He asks Agamemnon not to take Briseis, Achilles fairly won prize, and he tells Achilles that he must respect Agamemn ons position as commander-in-chief. His words are lost on the two men. Achilles returns to his ships with his companion Patroclus. The Achaeans send the ships to make the sacrifice, with Odysseus in charge of the expedition. Meanwhile, Agamemnon sends men to fetch Briseis, who is given up without a fight Achilles does not resist because the girl was a gift distributed by Agamemnon and the great warrior feels it is not his place to refuse the king. This clearly shows that if Achilles wanted, he could have struck down Agamemnon without any effort and still has his army, but he choose to obey the law of the land and conform to the rule of obeying ones king. Agamemnon on the other hand, misused and abused his power and took what was not his and behaved in a way not fitting for a ruler. As per positivists like Rousseau (1754), there is no law unless we create it, which is true in the sense that there are no social consequences of our actions unless society has agreed to implement such consequences. The concept of natural law suggests that there are forces acting upon man that are beyond change. Although there are obvious examples of scientific natural law, such as the law of gravity, there are more subtle examples such as the law that stealing from your neighbor will cause hardship on you and others. According to Dentreves (1954) Natural Law is binding beyond the will of any material being, man included. What this is trying to imply is that natural law exists even without the existence of man, and indeed as history shows us, natural law did exist well before man, and even life in general. Manmade laws are culturally and psychologically defined, in no way can they be confused with natural law. The line between natural and manmade law must be drawn between those laws which were consciously created and those which exist somewhat by default. Yves R. Simon says that natural law cannot be broken. Moral sentiments seem to be natural law because our morality leads us to think egocentrically about it. Manmade law is also known as positive law in many contexts, the reason this is so is because they are typically imposed on the citizens of a particular area. There are many arguments that point towards the fact that positive law is always religious in nature, for example The Ten Commandments of Christianity; Christians might consider the Ten Commandments valid not only because they are rooted in moral principles, but also because they may have been etched in stone by God. This view is supported by the fact that positivists believe that in order for a law to be obeyed, it must be endorsed by an individual in authority. Ethics are sometimes woven into positive law, but behaving in an unethical way is not necessarily considered a violation of the law. For ex ample, it may be considered unethical for a corporation to minimize profits for its own gain; however, if this behavior is performed under the applicable positive law, it may not be illegal. Besides, another theory that comes through by many sociologists such as Novak stated that man made law has actually stemmed from natural law. The example he gave for this is that of traffic rules, what could be the purpose of looking both ways before crossing a street? The answer was simple he argued, every human being has the natural instinct of staying alive and will try to avoid any situation is which their life is in danger. Behaving in any other way, would result in altruistic behavior, i.e. in order to motivate oneself, behaving in a manner that is selfless and detrimental. Going back to analyzing the implications of the conflict between manmade law and natural law in Book I of the Iliad, we can now look into it with a more educated point of view. Achilles behaved in an honorable way because one reason may be that he may want to remain true to his personal code of ethics or second he may be doing so, so that he still commands the same sort of respect from his subordinates as be fore. We should note however, that even though Achilles rage is legendary, one word from Athena calmed him enough to restrain himself. The saying your freedom ends where my nose begins can be aptly applied to this particular situation. This is because even though Agamemnon openly slighted Achilles in front of the entire army and showed him who was in charge, Achilles ignored it. Adler, in his works, once said that natural law means principles of human conduct, not the laws of nature discovered by the physical sciences. According to him, the natural law as applied to physical things or animals is sacred; stars and atoms never disobey the laws of their nature. But man often violates the moral rules which constitute the law of his specific human nature. For e.g. Plato calls it justice and applies it to the human soul and human conduct. The first precept of natural law is to seek the good and avoid evil. It is often put as follows: Do good unto others, injure no one, and render to every man his own. Now, of course, such a general principle is useless for organized society unless we can use it to specify various types of rights and wrongs. That is precisely what man-made, or positive, law tries to do. Thus, the natural law tells us only that stealing is wrong because it inflicts injury, but the positive law of larceny defines the various kinds and degrees of thef t and prescribes the punishments. Such particular determinations may differ in various times and places without affecting the principles of natural law. Neither Aquinas nor Aristotle thinks that particular rules of laws should be the same in different times, places, and conditions. In the Iliad, the implications of pitting man made law versus natural law can be countless. Achilles refused to fight in the war against the Trojans, because his pride was wounded during his personal battle against Agamemnon. He vowed that he would not fight Hector, greatest warrior of the Trojans, and thus avenge his hurt when he sees Agamemnon fall dismally to the ground. If Agamemnon had not exercised his right as the supreme ruler, this would not have happened and he, with the help of mighty Achilles, would have continued his victorious streak against Troy. In conclusion, it is easy to see that because of the various rules drawn out for us in society, expressing our true sentiments can be tricky. Even Achilles, the matchless runner, had to curb his fury because going with his instinct would bring embarrassment and shame to himself. Finally, in my opinion, the affect of manmade laws in society is far greater than that of natural laws. We see it in everyday life even, we can always look to people in power e.g. politicians and see that its not always the smartest or most virtuous person who is elected to power, more times than not, the people responsible for our life are those who are already moneyed or have enough financial stability to fund their next three generations. Hence the laws that are put into effect only benefit them and their allies. The Iliad was used as a guidance manual for generations and people still look to it for moral lessons, this is because even though it took place centuries ago, the fundamental message is still well founded for todays modern society. Natural Law Vs. Manmade Law 3

Salem Witch :: essays research papers

Paranoia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paranoia is the underlying factor of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Samuel Parris had a great terror of Satan arming his foes to destroy both him and his church. He was obsessed with any sinfulness that he saw.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although it was not just Reverend Parris that had these beliefs. It was the paranoid society, which he was a member of. The Puritans were paranoid of being different. Conformity was a large part of their life because they were all driven into the same religion. Originality is a natural human characteristic that was stripped of their being. They believed that if they didn't do what society said was the right thing to do that they would be punished in the afterlife. Because of their geographical location, they could not choose what society they belonged to, whether they liked it or not. If they did try to leave, chances are they would die in the harsh New England wilderness. They also feared the natives of the area. This caused many people to grit their teeth and bear the Puritan ways. Also this was the only way of life these people knew. They had never been in an atmosphere that flourished in new ideas. Therefore, they never had beliefs of their own. They were limi ted in the choices they made. If it weren’t for the underlying fears of being different than the Witch Trails of Salem would have never occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ironically the Puritans were victims of the very society that they traveled across the Atlantic to escape. The roots of evil were still implanted in them. The church was all that had changed, and it had changed for the worse. Bertrand Russell once said, â€Å"It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you don’t believe it completly.† Since the Puritans beliefs were absolute, it devestated their society. There was no room for new ideas. New ideas would directly contradict their religion. That is why anybody that was different was considered a witch and consequently killed. They died because of mass paranoia. This paranoia is what drove the young girls into their hysterical state of mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their society revolved around fear, a fear of god. They feared very much what god would do with them once their time one earth was at an end. They justified the entire unknown with their beliefs of god. If they had bad luck or encounters with natural disasters, they thought god was punishing them.

Orthodox Jewish Wedding Essay

Marriage is normally a ceremony done in churches, in government premises, or in modern ones like beaches and gardens. It is usually done as a sign of love between two people. Marriage used to be a very sacred ceremony as two people say their vows to each other. Different cultures do this in different manners. In this paper, we will discover how the Orthodox Jewish wedding is done. This would prove the diversity of cultures in the world and how the Jewish community carries out their traditions and belief. This is divided into three parts that include the preparations done before the wedding, the set up days before the wedding and the wedding proper. When two people fall in love, what they want to end up mostly is a bride and a groom or a husband and a wife. Although it is altered by some other reasons in the modern times, the idea of marriage is still considered sacred by most of us. Although socio-economic status, health, dynasty and other things affect the people’s view on marriage, we still cannot take away the fact that the people who get married always ask for a happy life. Whatever reason they may have, the bottom line is still that they are searching for contentment in any way. A Jewish wedding day, the same with all other religions, is something that they really celebrate. Different kinds of rituals happen weeks before and during this day, in consideration of their history and heritage. As soon as the couple gets engaged, rituals already take place. It includes breaking a plate to represent the temples in Jerusalem that were destructed. It is to signify that even if they are enjoying in the celebration of the wedding, they are still saddened with the fact that these temples were destroyed before. It is also usual for the parents to do the arrangement of the wedding, with the help of someone like a match-maker called Yenta. Although this is so, the groom is still required to ask the bride’s father for her hand in marriage and to pay a dowry in exchange of the bride (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/judaism/rites/weddings_1. shtml). Judaism sees this practice as sacred. They think that without a man and a woman, each of the sexes will never be complete. They complement each other and each compensates what the other loses. They also teach in their doctrines that any person without getting married doesn’t experience the absolute joy and contentment in this life. It means that being married gives satisfaction to people, especially when they are blessed by God. When referring to marriage, they usually use the term â€Å"sanctification† which usually refers to the spirituality of the bond that binds two people and of the commandment made by God. They also see it as something that has a purpose. They view marriage as a perquisite to reproduction and friendship. It is both procreation and companionship. In the bible, as they believe, â€Å"It is not good for a man to be alone†. It is also a practice of each person’s legal rights through a contractual agreement where they sign on. Although there were times when the Jews were dispersed all over the world, they are still successful in preserving this practice as they live. This is probably because they really believe in the practice, because through it, history proves that families stayed stable and happy when they underwent the same kind of marriage . Jewish weddings are almost the same. They are made easier by the Rabbis by asking for a very minimal requirement. The Rabbis is the one who makes the laws in this kind of ritual (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Marriage in the Orthodox Jewish is very much full of traditions that show practice and devotion. In planning their weddings, every detail is very important. They take the preparation as a challenge of their capacity and a challenge to celebrate the wedding successfully. They pay too much attention to all the needs of the ceremony that makes every wedding a perfect one. The Orthodox Jews are believed to be the strictest among the strands of the Jewish faith. Their wedding ceremony is done by combining the legal and religious aspects of marriage. In case one of the couple is non-Jewish, he or she is asked to convert to the same religion. They believe that happiness cannot be achieved if they don’t undergo marriage, which is a license to fulfillment in the world. Also, it is said that when they get married, they don’t just focus on material and temporal elements of the preparation, but they also assure that their doctrines are properly carried out and that their spiritual and moral preparedness is enveloped on the marriage itself. It just proves that although their marriage is after a good life on earth, they still put in more consideration the supernatural and their religion per se (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Planning an Orthodox Jewish wedding is very tedious. They must consider a lot of things for them to be able to come up with a successful one. Most of the Jewish couple provides a planner that would make it easier for them to see chronologically their plans and the specifics of the ceremony. Through that, they will be able to get organized and efficient in the planning of the main event. The date of the wedding is usually known after they already register with a synagogue and Rabbi at the Chief Rabbi’s office. The time of the day and the day itself are also given much attention to in planning a wedding. It is usual to marry in the afternoon or in the evening, but you can also marry anytime of the day according to what the couple desires. Most of them, however, choose to marry on days like Sunday and Tuesday. It is also not allowed to do the wedding three weeks between July and August and on the Sabbath of festival days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover Shavuot, and Sukkoth). In case, they want to get married on a Saturday, they prohibit doing the ceremony earlier than two hours before the sun is down (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. onfetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). In general, the first thing to do in planning it is to choose a date that they both want. They usually choose special days like the birth or the death of their rabbis to make a more meaningful celebration. Like other people getting married, they choose a date that means something to them or a date that is significant in their relationship. They also must specify a place or a venue which has enough space for dancing and a wide area where you can put a divider to separate men and women for modesty’s sake. They are very much particular with modesty which they can prove by separating people of different sexes during the wedding ceremony. They must also choose a rabbi to preside the wedding ceremony and a sofer or a Jewish scribe to take charge of the Ketuba or the marriage contract. After that, they must tell their relatives and friends about the wedding and invite them to attend on it. Attendees on this kind of practice matters a lot to the couple because the wedding would not mean anything at all without the presence of a specific number of people. Once they confirm their attendance, they can already inform the caterer about the approximate number of visitors. This is usually done to avoid hassles to both families of the groom and the bride and to assure that everyone eats enough as they celebrate that most important part of their couple life. After that, they must inform those people who are taking part in the wedding to dress accordingly. This is also a sign of respect to the practice. The female ones must use clothes covering the knees and the arms to the elbows, while the married ones must cover their air. Men must wear yarmulkes. The couple must make the wedding canopy from a cloth that is velvet or from a prayer shawl. This is to signify the clouds that helped Jews with everything when they were in the desert. They must make sure that they have the dress, rings without anything engraved in them, and the other things. The bride must make sure she has a veil thicker than the others’ to wear it on the wedding day. From that, they must find a schedule to do the veiling ritual prior the wedding ceremony. It is said that such a practice symbolizes the biblical story that happened between Jacob and Rachel, when they planned to get married. They must assign seven men to utter the words of blessings with a wine. Lastly, they must secure a room for the couple where they can spend on after the wedding proper. They are expected to stay there before they eat and spend time together alone for a certain period (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. ehow. com/how_2077192_plan-orthodox-jewish-wedding. html). The wedding invitation is usually two sided and has an English translation at the right side. It does not ask for the person’s presence, instead it is asking people to â€Å"dance at† or â€Å"share in the joy of†. In this kind of ritual, visitors are very important, because they play a very vital role in the process. The copies of the invitation may be distributed and may be given by the couple or both of their parents. Sometimes, the invitation also includes biblical quotes to explain people why such thing is done or to further elaborate the importance of each part of the program (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). All of the guests are provided with copy of the program for them to know exactly what part they are in during the wedding proper. It may also include some Ketuba texts, the vendors’ names, a note coming from the bridal couple and some explanations of the different elements of the ceremony. This is also done to avoid unnecessary noises when they ask others why a particular thing is done (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). The Orthodox bride must prepare something white, while the groom must have a short white linen robe called a kittel. The bride is also expected to visit mikyah in the morning of her wedding. This is done to make sure that the bride undergoes a ritual bath that is believed to purify her and to make her a better woman as she gets married (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). It is also a must, that in able for a couple to get married in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, it is a perquisite that their parents also married in the same manner. Usually, both of their parents underwent the same practice. If in case their parents did not undergo the practice, they must talk to the rabbi for clarification. The ceremony includes singing and reading from the psalms. The wedding usually takes an hour before it finally ends. The wedding can actually occur anywhere, depending on what the groom and the bride choose. Given a desired venue, the bride or the Kallah and the groom or the Chatan, must stand under a canopy. The venue as chosen by them is usually paid by the bride’s parents. The validity of the wedding depends on the number of males present. There must e ten of them, which in their tradition, is called minyan (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Prior to the ceremony, the groom may spend time with his friends as eat and drink together on a table, called chassans tisch. Brides, on the other hand, take three or seven times circling her groom which is also a practice based on their bible (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). When the guests arrive on the wedding day, males go with the groom in a certain room, while the female ones go with the bride in another room where she sits on a throne-type chair. This is called â€Å"public beckoning† and may be spent with just family and other guests (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. eddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). A service usually starts with the opening from the rabbi, followed by a bride being escorted to the canopy. It is then followed by a ritual of circling the groom by the bride. This also has a hidden meaning. The benedictions are read after and then the sharing of the cup of wine. The exchange of the rings is then done, followed by the reading of ketuba. Another cup of wine is offered which is shared by the groom and the bride. It was first blessed and told with a prayer for the companionship and joy of the newly wed. Later on, they are proclaimed as husband and wife and they are showered with rice and are greeted with a toast (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). During the marriage proper, the groom is asked to read from the Torah. That ritual is called Aufruf. Further, it is like a way of congratulating the couple, and letting the public know that they are getting married soon. In the same practice, some brides throw candies and nuts as he finishes the recitation of the benedictions. Through that, they are able to ask for a sweet and fertile life. The groom gives his bride a ring that is a sign of love. It is put on the bride’s right index finger, up to the second knuckle. It is so, because they believe that such a finger points to the soul and that it is used in pointing when they are reading the Torah. On the contrary, she puts the ring on his left ring finger. As they are doing this, they are reciting a Hebrew statement called haray aht (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). In summary, preparing for the Orthodox Jewish Wedding is no easy thing. It requires a lot of effort to come up with an acceptable wedding that takes in consideration both the earthly and the religious aspect of life. Through this paper, we can also picture that even if there are still more days before the wedding, the people are already busy planning the event and are already doing some practices for the benefit of the big day. The wedding proper shows that values of these people as they do the rituals associated with getting married. It is also very obvious that they are really trying hard to avoid getting away from the proper way of doing it. Before and after the wedding, they are very optimistic about their, because of their trust to the Almighty. Everyone is looking forward to a happy and a blessed life ahead as they undergo the blessing of God through marriage. Celebration of their wedding is really something that the Jewish community must really be proud of. It is full of traditions that only their group inhibits and practices as well. Their culture is very rich and admirable. This is only a proof that cultures vary from place to place and that each culture has its beauty that everyone can admire. It is the Jewish community’s pride to have this and definitely, there are not just proud, but happy about acquiring this kind of culture.

Bureaucracy in Public Administration

THE TENETS OF BEURAUCRATIC APPROACH IN THE STUDY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION INTRODUCTION A bureaucracy is a way of administratively organizing large numbers of people who need to work together. Organizations in the public and private sector, including universities and governments, rely on bureaucracies to function. The term bureaucracy literally means â€Å"rule by desks or offices,† a definition that highlights the often impersonal character of bureaucracies.Even though bureaucracies sometimes seem inefficient or wasteful, setting up a bureaucracy helps ensure that thousands of people work together in compatible ways by defining everyone’s roles within a hierarchy. Bureaucracy is an organization that is structured with regulations set in place to control activity. The bureaucratic stricture is usually implemented in large organizations and governments. It is represented by an assembly of knowledge, power, and Hierarchy.The Knowledge of the organization consists of the te chnical expertise and the understandings necessary to carry out specialized tasks, along with the capacity to gain more information as needed. The power is the central political resource, enables the organization to change in spite of what others may think. Hierarchy is the arrangement of people holding authority over others with the ability to command behavior and punish lack of compliance. Bureaucracies are meant to be orderly, fair, and highly efficient. Which means having a clear-cut division of labor is necessary.The principles of Bureaucracy hierarchy and of levels of authority mean a firmly ordered system of super and subordination, in which a super supervises their subordination. Such a system offers those governed the possibility of appealing the decision of super to higher authority, in a regulated manner. Within any bureaucratic authority there are principals of organization orthodox. According to the Weberian model, created by German sociologist Max Weber, a bureaucracy always displays the following characteristics:- Hierarchy: A bureaucracy is set up with clear chains of command so that veryone has a boss. At the top of the organization is a chief who oversees the entire bureaucracy. Power flows downward. Specialization: Bureaucrats specialize in one area of the issue their agency covers. This allows efficiency because the specialist does what he or she knows best, and then passes the matter along to another specialist. Division of labor: Each task is broken down into smaller tasks, and different people work on different parts of the task. Standard operating procedure (SOP): Also called formalized rules, SOP informs workers about how to handle tasks and situations.Everybody always follows the same procedures to increase efficiency and predictability so that the organization will produce similar results in similar circumstances. SOP can sometimes make bureaucracy move slowly because new procedures must be developed as circumstances change. In the p ast, organizations were commonly structured as bureaucracies. A bureaucracy is a form of organization based on logic, order, and the legitimate use of formal authority. Bureaucracies are meant to be orderly, fair, and highly efficient.Their features include a clear-cut division of labor, strict hierarchy of authority, formal rules and procedures, and promotion based on competency. Management or administration marked by hierarchical authority among numerous offices and by fixed procedures, the Administration of a government chiefly through bureaus or departments staffed with nonelected officials. Public administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work.As a â€Å"field of inquiry with a diverse scope† its â€Å"fundamental goal†¦ is to advance management and policies so that government can function. † Some of the various definitions which have been offered for the term are: â€Å"the management of public programs†; the â€Å"translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day† and â€Å"the study of government decision making, the analysis of the policies themselves, the various inputs that have produced them, and the inputs necessary to produce alternative policies. Public administration is â€Å"centrally concerned with the organization of government policies and programmes as well as the behavior of officials (usually non-elected) formally responsible for their conduct† Many unelected public servants can be considered to be public administrators, including heads of city, county, regional, state and federal departments such as municipal budget directors, human resources (H. R. ) administrators, city managers, census managers, state [mental health] directors, and cabinet secretaries.Public administrators are public servants working in public departments and agencies, at all levels of go vernment. In contrast to private enterprises, government-owned corporation or municipality owned enterprises are not always or even usually managed on the basis of the profit motive. A deficit in this latter case does not spell the end of the enterprise or even the beginning of reforms, because it is generally assumed that the reason the enterprise exists is to ‘render useful services to the public' (i. e. mploy a large part of the local population as its workforce or charge an artificially low price for its products or services), not become a slave of the profit motive. What is notable about the very idea of bureaucracy is its severe rational modernism. Political modernity and bureaucracy are largely symbiotic; the rise of the state paralleled the rise of the bureaucracy. One of the philosophers of the modern economizing state and the modern bureaucratic idea is Adam Smith (1723–1790), whose defense of the division of labor promoted the bureaucratization of the early W estphalia state.Indeed, Smith's ideas are elemental to Weber's core tenets of bureaucracy: the rigid division of responsibilities and tasks and the economization of organizational forms. Whereas Smith advocated the division of labor in order to promote efficient economic growth, Weber suggests the division of labor for the efficient production of goods or services. Inevitably, bureaucracy was conceived as, and has become, an economizing tool for the rationalization of complex and ambiguous environments. The rationality of bureaucracy is a central idea within Weber's ideal type.In fact, Weber himself suggests that bureaucracy be a rational-legal form designed to promote the rationalization of organizational tasks and goals. The rationalizing tendency of bureaucracy, while being one of the elements most open to contemporary criticism, was also its most attractive quality for the architects of Enlightenment-guided governance, who sought alternatives to earlier forms of despotic and ari stocratic dominance. The adoption of the bureaucratic form by theorists of liberal government has its roots in the legal protection of natural (rational) rights for all.In fact, embedded in the rationalization structure of bureaucracy is the elimination of particularism the diminishment of universal individual rights for the sake of traditional forms of class or ethnic domination. Those responsible for the French Revolution pined, within their writings, for the rational nonexceptionalism of the bureaucratic form. Indeed, as Maxim lien de Robespierre (1758–1794) and later Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859) identified, the ancient regime was epitomized by the irrational occupation of power by a centralized bureaucracy of the ruling class.The bureaucratic organization of rational-legal authority involves the following necessary criteria: the specification of jurisdictional areas, the hierarchical organization of roles, a clear and intentionally established system of decisi on-making rules, the restriction of bureau property to use by the bureau, the compensation by salary (not spoils) of appointed officials, and the professionalization of the bureaucratic role into a tenured lifelong career.The idea of bureaucracy suggests that rules, norms, merit, regulations, and stability are paramount to the operation of government. The rule-bound nature of bureaucracy has been widely critiqued in modern political and sociological analyses; however, the number of alternative forms of organization that have received as much consideration is limited.

PUKA essays

PUKA essays In the novel Fifth Business, the author Robertson Davies is successfully able to relate both the themes of magic and religion throughout. He achieves this relationship between the themes primarily through the characters and their actions. Dunstan Ramsay, Paul Dempster, Mary Dempster and Liselotte Vitzliputzli all help to illustrate the close relationship between magic and religion. One of the characters that Davies uses to relate the theme of magic and religion is Dunstable Ramsay. Dunny was brought up in a Scottish Presbyterian family in Deptford, Ontario. While in the war, he kept himself busy by reading the New Testament and states Arabian Nights and the Bible were getting pretty close, referring to both magic and religion. After servicing in the war, Dunstable is renamed Dunstan by Diana after Saint Dunstan. Dunstans study of saints becomes his passion and he later travels around the world in search of information about several living saints. During his search for saints, Dunstan coincidentally comes across Le grande Cirque forain de St. Vile and Illusions, a circus where Paul Dempster preformed magic. This clearly indicates how Dunstan is related to both magic and religion. Paul Dempster, another character in the novel illustrates the relationship between magic and religion. Paul is the son of Mary Dempster who Dunstan considered to be a saint. His father, Amasa Dempster is the Baptist parson of Deptford and is considered to be religious. After leaving home, Paul joins a travelling circus, becomes a magician, and is later renamed Magnus Eisengrim by Lisel. Along with the idea of magic, Eisengrims show Soiree of Illusions incorporated themes of myth including Dream of Midas, Vision of Dr. Faust and the Brazen Head of Friar Bacon and wants himself and his illusions to be marveled at. Eisengrim is later subject of a false autobiography written by Dunst ...

Existentialism main ideas Essay Example

Existentialism main ideas Essay Example Existentialism main ideas Essay Existentialism main ideas Essay Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. Jean-Paul Sartre states this, which happens to be one of the main ideas of an existentialists mind. Jean-Paul Sartre uses his play No Exit to show people the ideas of existentialism. Existentialism must first be defined before the ideas of it are shown. Those ideas are being aware of ones existence, freedom to make choices, to be responsible for ones actions and what they result in. The word Existentialism first appeared in 1941. It is a philosophy based on the situation of the individual in an absurd or meaningless world that humans have free will. Its roots are inside the works of S. Kierkegaard and F. Nietzsche. Sartre took it as a philosophy of human decision and views. It has been described as a Philosophical movement oriented toward two major themes, the analysis of human existence and the centrality of human choice.1 Others have also define it as a radical stress on the concept of identity. . ..2 Some has a more elaborate definition. . . .is the endeavor to understand man by cutting below the cleavage between subject and object which has bedeviled Western thought and science since shortly after the Renaissnce.3 However all of them tie into each other for the main idea is that as human beings; have free will to make choices, regardless of things that could otherwise stop us. The chief theme of existentialism, of course, is existence itself. Flowers, animals, and stones all exist. But people exist in a different way.4. To Sartre, to exist meant to be. What he meant when he stated this is that in order to exist, you must first be aware of your existence. He compared this to the action of counting how many of something there is. Using this he said that in order to count, it is necessary to be aware of counting5 . He went further to help his thought make more sense by talking about pleasure and that Pleasure can not exist before consciousness of pleasure6 In other words, Something cant exist before there is an awareness that it exist (this includes actions , items , people and ones self) With Sartres ideas and views in mind, he uses all of them inside the book. It is found almost as if Sartre said it directly to the readers. One example is the character Inez, thinking and reflecting on what life meant to her. As she does this, she realizes that her life is what she had been. Inez: One always dies too soon or too late. And yet ones whole life is complete at that moment, with a line drawn neatly under it, ready for the summing up. You are your life, and nothing else.(p.43) Making a direct statement to an existentialism idea, it appears that Sartre didnt mean for his message to go without notice. He bluntly places brief ideas that are apart of existentialism. Using the idea of the fact that one cannot helped but to exist whether they are conscious of it or denying it, He makes the character Garcin try to pretend to not be in the room. Inez then reminds him that . . . You can nail up your mouth, cut your tongue out but you cant prevent your being there.(p22) Sartre very own definition of being is a bit harder to figure out . . .The individuals unique pattern of potentialities. and that those would be a unique pattern for this particular person.6 Inside the play , he uses this idea by showing the many outcomes that can come from the threesome being stuck in hell, including leaving it. All of them can be saved, given different things by each other, but because of each of them being what the other needs, clashes with the chance of being saved and no longer being torturer or tortured. It becomes apparent that the idea of existence is a large message inside the play, for it shows there is even existence after death. Sartre, aside from how he felt about existence, felt that freedom of choice by all means meant that everyone has the freedom to choose and pick how they wanted to live their lives. Sartre once stated that My fear is free and manifests my freedom7 What that meant is that he chose to have fear and thus choosing to have fear in itself reflects his freedom. Inside the book, all kinds of choices were made. Inez: Estelle! I beg you, let me stay. I wont go, I wont go! Not into the passage. Garcin: Let go of her Estelle: Youre crazy. She hates you. Garcin: Its because of her Im staying here. (p42) When Garcin pulled the door open, he had the choice to leave. This could have resulted in the end of the torment and wouldve in turn become free. But he picked to stay because he wanted Inez to view him as a tough (a strong, real man). They all stayed in turn because what they desired stayed, bound into one another because of what they wanted. All this is based on the principle that each individual chooses what he wishes to be and expresses his choice in every aspect of his behavior. . . 8 Another idea that existentialists believe came with freedom is the idea that freedom to choose scares individuals to the point of denial. Garcin: So its you whom I have to convince; you are my kind. Did you suppose I meant to go? No I couldnt leave you here, gloating over my defeat with all those thoughts about me running in your head (p42) This was in turn , showing the fact that when Garcin had been granted a way out of the room he had been damned to , he didnt want to leave and felt like he couldnt, although, he very well could have. His freedom, open to him just as he had wish to gain, looked him in the face and he threw the idea out the window. Garcin, saying that he couldnt show that he had the freedom to convince himself that he could not leave, Supported the idea showed by all the characters in the book that they try to escape from this anxiety by ignoring or denying their freedom . . .9 Sartre believes that in the changing of ones path by ones desires. He felt that ones desires are the limitations that are place on ones freedom. . . . I project myself towards my ends. The recovery of former motives or the rejection or new appreciation of them is not distinct from the project by which I assign new ends to myself and by which in the light of these ends I apprehend myself as discovering a supporting cause in the world10 This idea appeared inside the play as each of the characters interacts with one another. Each one, chasing after something only the other could give to them. For instance, the character Inez chases Estelle because she desires her. Inez, preferring the company of a woman, chased Estelle while Estelle, preferring the company of a man, ran from her. Inez: Come to me, Estelle. You shall be whatever you like: a glancing stream, a muddy stream. And deep down in my eyes youll see yourself just as you want to be. Estelle: Oh, leave me in peace. You havent any eyes. Oh, damn it, isnt there anything I can do to get rid of you? Ive an idea. [She spits in Inezs face] There!(p.34) The fact that Inez wants Estelle is what keeps her from being free of her torture and suffering. But because of her desires, she will be forever damned to be in this same situation. Same applied to Estelle as she chased Garcin. Estelle: [raising her hand] Please, Garcin. Garcin: What do you want of me? Estelle: [rises and goes up to him] You can help me, anyhow Garcin: If you want help, apply to her (p.31) Estelle only desired for a man to hold and kiss her. This being the bases of her torture, Garcin wanted nothing to do with her. This cycle remained only by the limits that each of them set on themselves. Cause and Effect are things we implicit inside our lives by nature. There is a basic understanding that when things happen, it also in turn, has an effect. With having freedom, comes the responsibility of our actions and choices. Sartre believed that in all moral choices, one has to uphold one moral and disobey another.11 Sartre showed that all characters inside of the book were responsible for their placement inside hell. Garcin: Let that be. Its only a side-issue. Im here because I treated my wife abominably. Thats all. (p24) some felt that responsibility is the dark side of freedom. When individuals realize they are completely responsible for their decisions, actions and beliefs, they are overcome with anxiety.12 But to be responsible for ones actions didnt mean that one had to see the outcome of them. This does not mean, of course, that one must foresee all the consequences of his actions. The emperor Constantine when he established himself at Byzantium, did not foresee that he would create a center of Greek culture and langaguage , the appearance of which would ultimately provoke a schism in the Christian Church and contribute to weaken the Roman Empire13 This just meant that you didnt have to know what the result would be in order to be responsible for your actions. This idea is one of the bigger themes inside the book as each character had been introduced; each of them denied that they deserved to be damned to hell. The group in turn, realizes the wrong doing that dealt them their fate, and accepted it. The acceptance of the reality of their damnation is the taking responsibility of the deeds done on earth. Yet they could have never foreseen that the result would be hell (no pun intended) Sartre showed, all throughout the book No Exit, very big and apparent messages that are existentialism views. Sartre showed that one must be aware of ones existence, freedom to make choices, to be responsible for ones actions and what they result in. Each character inside the play in turn showed all these ideas in different forms and actions. This brings alive the statement made by Sartre saying that Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

Action And Necessity For All Human Beings Marketing Essay

Action And Necessity For All Human Beings Marketing Essay CHAPTER 1 Eating is observably a daily action and necessity for all human beings. Depending on individual’s reason for eating at restaurants, individual intentionally or instinctively assess a multifarious set of attributes ahead of choosing a restaurant. The significance involved to these restaurant attributes is ultimately evaluated in the customer’s mind, leading to a decision of purchasing. Some factors, like age, company and even social division come into take part in to amplify these attributes as the customer makes a decision of dining (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). The restaurant industry has undoubtedly not been free from either augmented competition or from increasing customer expectations regarding quality. In the greatly competitive food industry, large operators chain have a propensity to gain competitive gain in the course of cost leadership, likely only due to standardization and economies of scale beginning from large market shares, while smaller, indep endent restaurants on the other hand endeavor to gain benefit through differentiation (Lowenstein, 1995). Branding keeps on gaining importance in the marketing of restaurants services and marketers have spent lot of money to create and give support to brand images. This have seen in the marketing of strong and well defined brands like Mc Donald’s and Kfc fast food restaurants which attracts the customer through their marketing , service and by making brand loyal customers of their products. This increases the retention rate due to satisfied and loyal customer. Particularly, there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision as there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision. According to the Kaplan and Norton (2001), the importance of the perceived quality in order to get the retention effect in re staurant industry is always considered as a main element to retain in the customers and the business. The main reason behind that in this industry entry barrier are usually low and any one can easily enter due to investment required that is not on the higher side. So the point is that when ever consumer is satisfy from the arrangement by the management, the quality of the food provided by the staff members with the positive attitude than this result in increasing the loyalty towards the particular restaurant and increases the retention intensions of the customers. 1.2 Problem Statement To identify the process to gain customer retention to the services and what are the factors that influence the customer retention. The primary problem is to identify the customer retention in the detail that includes factors of dining attributes and customer satisfaction in context to Food restaurant industry. Thus these factors leads to consumer behavior and customer revisit the restaurant 1.3 Resear ch Hypothesis Assessment of service quality has a significant effect on the customer retention. 1.4 Outline of the study The purpose of study fold in two parts: one suggests that how important is dining attributes in term of Re-patronage intentions and second part suggest the customer satisfaction which leads Re-patronage intentions in restaurants. The role of dining attributes and customer satisfaction is very important for knowing the customer intentions, would they will visit to that restaurants again or not. There has been a strong support for the espousal of consumer retention in restaurants as one of the key performance indicators. It has found that there is a high association between customer retention and the profit earn by the industries. The fragmentation of media choices and the active nature of the marketplace, tied with an enlarged number of additional demanding and prosperous consumers, brought bigger challenges to marketing practitioners in keeping hold of their regul ar customers.

Future and Innovation (report) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Future and Innovation (report) - Essay Example Although the machine was a good idea, it has faced various challenges in its development and adaptation as a tool for maintaining hygiene, where doing the task by hand would be too taxing. This paper will then discuss how inventions like that of human washing machine come about, and the factors that influence their acceptance in the market. Future and Innovation: Human Washing Machines Introduction Innovation is the bringing about of a new idea, in order to solve an existing problem or the introduction of a new methodology for performing a particular task. The world is a made up of dynamic environments, thus a perfectly productive way of completing a specific task faces the danger of becoming an unsatisfactory means of accomplishing the same (Merton 1968). With advances in technology, previously mundane tasks like that of cleaning one’s body have become highly technical. This means the process of removing dirt from one’s body can be integrated with embedded computer sys tems that would monitor the process to ensure that, for example, water is heated to just the right temperature. The skin is shampooed to the set lather amount and the task is repeated until a particular threshold is reached. The Avant's Santelubain 999 is one such machine that is created by Japanese manufacturers. The market is already flooded with personal care products, which range from those that are used to maintain the integrity of organs, for example sun blocking creams, to those that enhance the appearance and functioning properties of the body, like toothpastes. However, there has been a shortage of machinery that could ensure that these products are applied accurately and consistently. Although man is an imaginative creature, she is also prone to getting tired when the task demands repetitiveness. That is why; machines of robotic nature are good solution undertakers of such repetitive tasks (Wejnert 2002). The features of a human washing machine, the Avant's Santelubain 999 are examined here, and in examining it, it is illustrated that how innovation inevitably takes place as a result of a need to fulfill a common human need for hygiene maintenance. This paper will discuss the features of the human washing machine as concerning its ability to enhance the process of cleaning one’s body. Technical gadget reports provided the technical description of the human washing machine and have formed the basis of examining the human washing machine for viability as a practical piece of equipment. This paper discusses the new dimension that a human washing machine will bring in the personal care industry. Problem The Avant's Santelubain 999 draws its inspiration from the Star Trek movies, which intimated a world where human beings are enclosed in capsules that serve various functions that range from teleporting, sleeping, hygiene and communication. The human washing machine is a perfect example of how innovations heavily borrow from fictional, fantasy works and as a result realize them in reality. The washing machine is illustrative of the fact about how the line between the future and the present is increasingly becoming blurred by advances in innovations. The human washing machine was a result of radical innovation. The development of the Avant's Santelubain 999 machine can be put in context by considering its aspects when compared to the models of innovation that were put forward by one of the pioneers of industrial innovation:

Negligence Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negligence - Case Study Example does not have a policy of requiring a background check on persons hired for any positions with ABC Properties, Inc. In addition, when you investigate Rob's background you find that Rob has a criminal record including convictions for robbery, sales of narcotics, and attempted rape. Mary wishes to sue ABC Properties, Inc. for damages as a result of the assault on a negligence theory. Negligence may be defined as intentional or unintentional breach of duty one is obliged to perform under existing laws. Under the United State of America laws, negligence is equivalent to tort. A tort is a private or civil wrong or injury, other than breach of contract, for which a court of law may provide a remedy through a lawsuit for damages or payment of compensation. When a person violates his/her duty to others created under general or statutory law, a tort has been committed ("What is a tort) In order for tort to exist, four elements must exist namely: 1) the existence of a legal duty owed by a person to others; 2) the breach of the duty by one person (negligence); 3) the breach of the duty being the proximate case of damages suffered by a person; and, 4) damages incurred by a person. Each of the four elements of a tort typically must be present to be compensated ("What is tort"). An example of compensable negligence is negligent hiring. ... parties to actions which can create legal liability ('Negligent hiring practices"). In the United States of America, an employer is obliged to take several measures before hiring an applicant ("Negligent hiring"). The most important of these measures is to conduct a background check and references to determine whether the applicant has a criminal record or has a dangerous or untrustworthy character. If an employee performs a violent or criminal act while working, such as rape, murder, or robbery, the employer can be held liable for torts for negligent hiring if it will be found out that he/she did not exert effort to perform the required obligation to conduct a background check before the employee who caused the unlawful act (Employer Liability for Employee's Bad Acts). In this case, it is very evident that the employer was negligent in hiring Rob as an employee and holding a key position in the company. First, the employer did not perform a background check that is required for him to do under the US laws before hiring Rob. Should he have conducted a background check, he should have found out about the criminal record of Rob and probably, could not have accepted him in the company. And should Rob was not accepted in the company, he will not have any access in entering the room of Mary, thus, the crime committed against her could not have been possible done. The four elements of tort were all consummated, therefore, Mary have a cause of action for negligence against ABC Properties Inc. Works Cited "What is tort". FreeAdvice.com. (Online). Retrieved on February 8, 2009. Retrieved from "Negligent Hiring Practices". Northern Arizona University. (Online). Retrieved

How Impairment Testing and Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities Affect the Essay

How Impairment Testing and Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities Affect the Reliability of Financial Statements - Essay Example When an instrument is not traded in an active market there is great uncertainty about the ultimate amount that can be realized from the instrument in a transaction between knowledgeable willing parties in an arms length transaction (Eipstein and Jermacowicz 2007). In July 2002, the European Union issued a regulation requiring all EU-listed companies to prepare their year-end accounting standards in compliance with IFRS as from December 31st 2005. Following the recent wave of accounting scandals at Enron, Tyco International and WorldCom, as well as the greater concern for off-balance sheet liabilities, the IFRS has issued a number of standards (IAS 32 Financial Instruments Disclosure and Presentation, IAS 39 , IFRS 7 Financial Instruments Disclosures, and IAS 17 Leases) to help reduce bright lines that enable companies to use off-balance sheet financing. In this paper the developments in respect of convergence between national and international accounting standards since 1st January 2005 to present day will be discussed. The impact that off-balance sheet financing and impairment testing may have upon the reliability of financial statements will also be discussed. In the light of all these, the next section argues in respect to the theme of thi s paper. 1.1.1 How impairment testing and off balance sheet Liabilities affect the Reliability of Financial Statements IAS 36 requires companies to test assets for impairment. Basically, the standard requires that tangible assets should be tested for impairment when there is an indication that an asset might be impaired. (Epstein and Jermacowicz, 2007). However, intangible assets having an indefinite useful life must be tested annually for impairment. The impairment test is required to be applied to a cash generating unit, that is, the smallest group of assets for which the entity has identifiable cash flows. During an impairment test, the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets in the cash generating unit is compared with the fair value or value in use (value in use is calculated as the present value of the cash flows expected to be generated from using the asset). The higher of value in use and fair value is taken and compared with the carrying amount and an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount is higher than the higher of fair value and value in use. (Epstein and Jermacowiz, 2007). IAS 36 also requires a company to determine at each reporting date whether there are conditions that would indicate that impairment may have occurred and further provides a set of indicators of potential impairment some of which include (Epstein and Jermacowiz, 2007: p. 247): Market value declines for specific assets or cash generating u

Media Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Media Relations - Assignment Example Then he further attained a Masters in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. The student has received a scholarship as a protocol supervisor, who works with the delegation in Shura Council, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (WAPTAC, 2013). During his study period, he was actively involved in essential conceptualization of English skills such as reading, writing, grammar, as well as, listening amongst others. Besides, he participated in other elementary university studies that embrace psychology, cultural anthropology, both Canadian and American studies. In addition, he enriched his studies by handling academic research papers presented in different formal settings, but most of all improved his speech work by participating in English classroom debates (WAPTAC, 2013). Up on his appointment at the diplomat of Shura council, Riyadh Saudi Arabia, he is entitled to make arrangements on both local and international levels for visiting delegations. Moreover, he is in charge of press conferences while making drafts and summary of reports concerning the latest events of the organization across the world. His priority is to ensure the right accommodation and transport for the visiting delegations while coordinating all scheduled appointments and he is highly adaptive to various cultural settings. Consequently, he is partly engaged as an editor of Al- Eqtesadiah Newspaper, where he collects, examines and interprets news while maintaining sharp criticism with colleagues and professional experts in the same

How to get benifit & cost saving for marketing planning Essay

How to get benifit & cost saving for marketing planning - Essay Example This can be great cost saver with benefits of achieving better business profits. The marketing plan should be organized in such a manner that it specifically demonstrates the benefit of cost saving to the customer or the distributor. This again requires innovation to find the cost benefit that can be available to a large segment of consumers. Once the benefits are recognized, the target market has to be identified This will create a situation by which the consumers of that particular target group are benefited and the volume and profits thus generated, for the business, due to non-occurrence of further marketing expenses. Therefore, it is important to locate the right kind of target group that needs such benefits. Market research in this direction always helps. Once the target is identified, it is necessary to address in the marketing plan, a message that clearly and aggressively tackles the requirements of such customers, while highlighting the benefits and savings offered. This in marketing jargon can be called as target marketing or segmentation of prospects. The media of message and the message itself in a marketing plan is important, as it may not be same for different target groups. While email marketing may result in cost savings to the business, with increase in sales figure as well; it may not be the preferred way to market a product that requires physical demonstration. Marketing through other channels may be the requirement, in such cases. Every step in a marketing plan involves market research. Even after the identification of a targeted consumer group, the exact method to be adopted to address your marketing plan to that particular group needs further research. If we are using new technologies to address our target, then there is a need to find their adaptability with our targeted audience. We cannot afford to address our marketing plan to a group that is

The Pay Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Pay Model - Essay Example Compare your ideas with someone with more experience, someone from another country, someone from another field of study. The Compensation is something that is paid to cover the opportunity cost. For example, if an employee makes commitment to work for the organization for the next five years it means he is ready to sacrifice his five years for one organization. These five years could be spent somewhere else in less time consuming and less hectic job. Therefore, the company must pay him the reasonable amount that can cover his cost of losing other jobs. The Most convincing definition from an employee’s perspective is the return. The return to employee covers both the entitlement, as well as, reward. The person who is more experienced has different perceptions regarding the definition of compensation. The compensation may be defined as risk of loss, whereas for a fresh employee the appetite for risk is high (Coppleman, 2004). Most of the developed countries may not need to think about the basic needs to cover in the compensation package but in developing countries, employee’s perception for the compensation may be totally different; the fulfillment of the basic needs may also be incorporated in the compensation package (Coppleman, 2004). Different fields require different level of compensation packages from the companies. For example, if the job requires frequent travelling, so the compensation may cover traveling, as well as, accommodation expenses, whereas if the job is totally desk based the compensation may be salary along with other perks (Coppleman, 2004). 3. What is the "network of returns" that your school offers your instructor? What returns do you believe make a difference in teaching effectiveness? What "returns" would you change or add to increase the teaching effectiveness? Network of returns refers to the fact that all bonuses, allowances and salary

How to get benifit & cost saving for marketing planning Essay

How to get benifit & cost saving for marketing planning - Essay Example This can be great cost saver with benefits of achieving better business profits. The marketing plan should be organized in such a manner that it specifically demonstrates the benefit of cost saving to the customer or the distributor. This again requires innovation to find the cost benefit that can be available to a large segment of consumers. Once the benefits are recognized, the target market has to be identified This will create a situation by which the consumers of that particular target group are benefited and the volume and profits thus generated, for the business, due to non-occurrence of further marketing expenses. Therefore, it is important to locate the right kind of target group that needs such benefits. Market research in this direction always helps. Once the target is identified, it is necessary to address in the marketing plan, a message that clearly and aggressively tackles the requirements of such customers, while highlighting the benefits and savings offered. This in marketing jargon can be called as target marketing or segmentation of prospects. The media of message and the message itself in a marketing plan is important, as it may not be same for different target groups. While email marketing may result in cost savings to the business, with increase in sales figure as well; it may not be the preferred way to market a product that requires physical demonstration. Marketing through other channels may be the requirement, in such cases. Every step in a marketing plan involves market research. Even after the identification of a targeted consumer group, the exact method to be adopted to address your marketing plan to that particular group needs further research. If we are using new technologies to address our target, then there is a need to find their adaptability with our targeted audience. We cannot afford to address our marketing plan to a group that is

Value of Education Essay Example for Free

Value of Education Essay It used to be a half century ago that completing high school was considered a valuable step towards a successful future. But as years go by we find that views of the past don’t always hold true. Today it is widely accepted that obtaining a college education is equally or even more critical in the pursuit of success than the importance of finishing high school was fifty years ago. The job market in today’s economy has increasingly become more competitive than it has even been and new job seekers are finding that a higher education is needed in order to obtain a well-paying job. Accordingly, the ones who do find a well-paying job right out of high school are realizing that their path doesn’t lead them to anymore steps in the future and without a college degree it is difficult to receive a promotion. Ironically enough, it used to be the ones who believed in the importance a college education were the ones who already had a degree or in the process of getting one. Today it is commonly viewed as a necessity by almost everybody. In fact, â€Å"84% of the general public say that it is extremely (37%) or very (47%) important to have a college degree in order to get ahead,† according to survey taken by higherdeucation. rg. It is now evident more than ever, in the current job market, that higher education is a better opportunity towards achieving the desired lifestyle of today’s expectations. A hard-work effort is no longer worth as much in gaining advantage against competing co-workers as it once was. Now employers are expecting new hires to be knowledgeable in the field of work before they get the job. A college degree isn’t just a good merit on a resume for employers to see; it shows them that you endured the whole college experience. A degree not only indicates that the applicant is knowledgeable in the subject that they studied in, but that he or she was able to complete the necessary tasks and steps in order to acquire the degree. Part of the college process is learning how to approach a project and complete it by a specific deadline. Learning important problem-solving skills and the ability to be punctual is viewed as a huge asset to employers and they will know the applicant possesses those traits just by seeing the word college on the resume. Some may argue that one could just check out some books and do a little research online and acquire the same status as a college graduate without paying thousands of dollars, but again college is more than the knowledge you gain from books. Students gain another advantage because they are learning directly from a professional of a specific subject. Just reading text isn’t the same as having an expert in front of you, explaining the optimal way of viewing a topic and performing hands-on lessons. College has been proven, over the years, to be an opportunity for citizens with aspirations to live successful and enriched lives.

The Disadvantages Of Outsourcing ICT

The Disadvantages Of Outsourcing ICT This is a report about Tescos company ICT outsourcing, knowledge management and knowledge management systems. In the following paragraphs two questions are going to be answered and analyzed according to the information existing in Tescos case. Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organizations as an approach to strategic management. Access the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organization such as Tesco. The great competition and the global economic crisis that organizations have to face nowadays, made Information Communications Technology outsourcing a really attractive management tool in order to cut expenses in non-core activities, specific in overheads of Information Technology departments. By deciding to outsource, there would be a lot of benefits but also a number of risks associated with it. It is important for a decision maker to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of ICT outsourcing, before making the decision to outsource. Outsourcing ICT has to do with the whole existing information in the business field. It is about networks, web design, programming, online shops etc. Network services is the most common ICT services activity outsourced and outsourcers who do not comply with contract will badly influence the organizations process in a very risky way. The Technology of information and communication is growing fast and the vendor business has to be updated and synchronized with the era of 2010. So it would be far easier for them to sell their products and serving their customers in every possible way. Big organizations that have to deal with so many products from soap to bread it would be more difficult to take the risk and create their own Information and communication department from scratch and keep it upgraded while their whole process is running. The result of this difficulty in Tescos case is to outsource ICT specific functions to Trilogy Company. The advantages of outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. ICT is vital to Tesco. Every aspect of their operation is controlled or monitored by ICT stock, distribution, payroll, communication methods, and so on. ICT is essential to the running of a modern store. It is used for planning, monitoring, auditing and communicating between store operations. For example, when an item has its barcode read at the checkout, the system not only logs the price onto the till, but also logs the financial transaction between Tesco and the customer and the fact that the stock has been reduced by one item. This shows the integration of departments by using ICT. All stores are connected to the mainframe at Head Office via the Tesco Network. Another advantage of Outsourcing ICT from a business perspective is that organizations are realizing that owning and operating their own IT infrastructure no longer makes sense. The cost of that is much bigger and the results are never guaranteed. This coupled with the common resource lack make outsourcing a viable alternative. It is very important for organizations to adopt the right approach of outsourcing ICT in order to have benefits. The outsourced ICT selected company they are going to cooperate with, must follow certain organizations demands. First they have to manage well specific ICT functions in stages, to work with responsibility over review performance, to make adjustments and to support technically with experienced system engineers. The gained confidence and in-house acceptance by the organization as well a very good relationship and cooperation will give the best benefits in the organizations performance. With the right approach and the suitable outsourcing of ICT the organizations will manage to stay high at the competitive edge in the market. Serving the customers in the best way and surprising with new ways of purchasing their products (for ex. via online-shops), their loyalty will be kept and the margins will be increased. A big company like Tesco has many sub-stores, some in the same country and some abroad. The communication between them and the line the company sets everywhere should be well established. ICT helps in this area and it is the primary reason that chain branches use ICT. In summary outsourcing ICT for a company such as Tesco is important for increasing the ability to reach the goals of the company, reduce human risks, saving time, helping the company to stay competitive and minimize the operating costs. The Disadvantages of Outsourcing ICT in an organization such as Tesco. As it was already mentioned above, the outsourcing ICT has also disadvantages that raise the risk the company has to take. For example, at times, it is more cost-effective to conduct a particular business process, rather than outsourcing it, not that much in IT but maybe the companys upgrade wants are small and opposed to the ICT Companys big fees. When you begin to outsource your business processes, you might find it difficult to manage the offshore provider when compared to managing processes within your organization. In case, your outsource ICT service provider becomes bankrupt or goes out of business, your organization will have to transfer immediately the business processes in-house or find another outsourcing provider The employees in your organization might not like the idea of outsourcing your processes and they might express lack of interest or lack of quality at work. Also outsourcing can create potential redundancies for your organization because a lot of employees may lose their jobs. Your outsourcing provider might not be the right who is providing services for your organization. Also the quality of the service isnt always guaranteed, especially in low-price agreements. Since your provider might be catering the needs of several companies, there might be not be complete devotion to you and your company something that shouldnt happen if you own the ICT department. In outsourcing, you may lose control over the process that is outsourced and dont be able to fix something in time because you are not in charge of this field. Outsourcing, though cost-effective, might have hidden costs, such as the legal costs incurred while signing a contract between companies and you might also have to spend a lot of time and effort in getting the contract signed. There can be several disadvantages in outsourcing, such as, renewing contracts, misunderstanding of the contract, lack of communication, poor quality and delayed services amongst others. The disadvantages of outsourcing give to organizations an opportunity to think about what they are stepping into. However if you find a reliable outsourcing partner you probably wont face any of these disadvantages of outsourcing. Question 2 What do you understand by Knowledge management and knowledge management systems? Analyze how useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. Knowledge Management refers to the process of collecting the gathered experience of a company or organization, whether it is in databases or documents, or even in the minds of executives of the company or organization and then share it and use it at those parts of the business that will provide the maximum contributory benefit. KM has been growing rapidly in the last years as a business model. More and more businesses and organizations have developed stores of knowledge related to customer service, product development, human resource management, etc. This fact also created new jobs related to knowledge management and made a necessity for the existence of knowledge management in a modern business and the need for trained managers to be responsible for the process. Nowadays fields like media, information, computer science, public policy and public health have started contributing to Knowledge Management research. Also non-profit organizations and huge companies have resources specific to internal Knowledge Management efforts, usually as a part of their business strategy, human resource management and information technology departments. There are many consulting companies that advice and provide strategy regarding KM to the organizations. For the better use of Knowledge Management the companies needed to use Knowledge Management Systems   mostly IT based systems that manage the knowledge in companies , gather it, storage it and sharing it as information. Such systems as Software tools, databases, networks, Internet access, worldwide communication etc. A KM system is needed to enable employees to have quick access to the organizations databases, sources of information, and solutions, this is mainly helping to encourage innovation and improve efficiency. When employees have the knowledge or information and are able to use it at the right time, relationships with customers, suppliers and dealers improve. These workers are able to make better decisions by using the information that their company gives them access to. How useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. A Company like Tesco today has to gather the wisdom and knowledge as fast as they can. Share the results across the rest of their branches and at the same time continue to develop and share new knowledge. Tescos leaders know how serious is to let the knowledge flow within the organization. Tesco is consist of 220,000 human beings, which means that is necessary to make an environment that would help their staff feel motivated and valued with return the better service to their customers. Loyalty is basically driven by personal relationships and the employees are the face of the company when a customer enters a Tesco branch. From the results of the projects that have been taking place they realized that there were customers who were not experiencing warm and friendly service from Tesco and that internal levels of staff morale were suffering in reaction to increasingly ambitious cost and efficiency targets in stores. Trilogy (WhatIf, InterAction and Bridge consulting companies) was hired by Tesco to help transform the quality of its customer service and raise it to the market-leading standard. To reach the needs of Tescos millions of customers Trilogy developed the Living Service Programme. The main idea of this concept was to change for the best. It was also clear that its aim was the change of process and not the change of the people but by, with and for Tesco people. In many ways the Living Service Programme is Tescos recognition, through committed investment of time and money. Among the projects significant intangible benefits is the widely noted enhancement in the quality of dialogue and communication within stores. Staffs report that the them and us culture is practically a thing of the past, with deep effects on the work climate and employee attitudes to the company. The programme was designed to improve commitment bottom-up as well top-down in the organization and this needed to be clear to avoid the misunderstandings. It was undertaken by 660 stores in 26 weeks, in this period the staff trained to provide excellent service and cooperation with the other employees and also using the knowledge/information when needed. The usefulness of LSProgramme was obvious to the head managers of Tesco and the Trilogy Company but from the employees there was skepticism. People often feel vulnerable to the importation of techniques that may appear to criticize their behavior, values, and styles of interaction. Also Initiatives with really innovative attributes may be treated with suspicion if they come from the organizations leadership because their apparent oddity can be interpreted as a failure to understand the day to day reality of the business. One of the key enemies of change is the perception that change is being imposed by one group upon another. Tesco managed to redirect the evolution of its culture in a way that keyed into its employees beliefs and motivations while focusing faithfully on the needs of its customers. This was a project in which the personal became the practical: a case of cultural change carried out at the human scale, person by person, and action by action.

Radioactive Pollution - Lynas Essay -- Business Analysis

INTRODUCTION In this modern epoch, information is just a push of a button away as compared to aeons back where people either have to acquire information through word of mouth which may be highly unreliable or flip through hundreds of written articles and books just to obtain a single piece of valued information. Information is without a doubt within the grasp of every single individual and there is no excuse for anyone to not be up to date concerning current events. News in this present age travels as fast as lightning across the global communication system, which is the internet via news portals, e-mails, social networks and other network facilities that are made available. No news is latest news when there are so many global and local phenomenons that occur every single second and is immediately reported within the next few minutes. Social interactions within a society enables information and news to be exchanged and thus, allowing curiosity to flow simultaneously with research as some news are too good to be true and might seem ridiculous. One of the many current issues being faced by Malaysians this day revolves around the multi-million company, Lynas Corporations Limited. News on Lynas Corporations opening a plant (Lynas Advanced Materials Plant) in Gebeng, Kuantan spread like wild fire through the local newspapers and the internet as many Malaysians protested against the plans of Lynas Corporations and the Malaysian Government that approved the company’s rare earth waste disposal on Malaysian land. Fear swept through the country as many were devastated to relive the incident of Bukit Merah and to see the radioactive effects that will take its toll on the upcoming generations. Malaysian citizens did not hesitate to equ... ...how support or disagreement towards the government and Lynas. This comes down to what messages did the senders convey and what did the receivers understand of the messages sent to them. Works Cited About Lynas, Foundations for the Future. (19 March, 2012). Retrieved from Lynas Corporation Ltd: http://www.lynascorp.com/category.asp?category_id=2 Beck, A., Bennett, P., & Wall, P. (2004). Communication Studies: The Essential Introduction (2 ed.). London: Routledge. British Geological Survey, Royal Society of Chemistry. (2012, March 19). What are 'rare earths' used for? Retrieved from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17357863 Malaysia Today: Lynas Rare Earth Plant - Worst Decision Ever? (2012, March 27). Retrieved from Malaysia Today Web Site: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/47519-lynas-rare-earth-plant-worst-decision-ever

The Childhood of Charles Dickens Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

The Childhood of Charles Dickens      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "I do not write resentfully or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am" - Charles Dickens    Charles Dickens's tumultuous childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as have a definite impact on his literary career.   There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and of course, Great Expectations' Pip.   Like Dickens, all three of these characters came from humble beginnings and were able to rise above their respective circumstances to achieve success.   Similarly, Dickens' literary success is owed in large part to his unhappy childhood experiences.   He did not merely overcome his past, he triumphed over it by incorporating it into best-selling works of art.   Drawing on these events not only provided a cathartic release from childhood traumas, it also modernized the classic rags-to-riches success story.   When comparing Dickens' childhood to Great Expectations, it becomes apparent not only how these formative years influenced his literary career by inspiring many of the characters and themes predominant in the novel, but also how Dickens used his work as a form of therapeutic release from childhood tensions.    Charles Dickens' childhood and young adulthood was definitely filled with enough drama to base a novel upon.   Born February 7, 1812, to John Dickens, a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, and his wife Elizabeth, Charles spent his earliest years in the English seaport town of Portsmouth.   The first years of his life were idyllic enough, alt... ... safe way.   He did not have to confront the people and events that shaped him directly, he could do it through characters such as Pip.   He was well-acquainted with the themes that run throughout the novel because he experienced them in his own life.   His first-hand knowledge of such feelings as guilt, betrayal and personal redemption added an authenticity to his fiction that would be difficult for authors without such a history to duplicate. Works Cited    Allen, Michael. Charles Dickens' Childhood. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan, 1988.    Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. 1861. Ed. Janice Carlisle. Boston: Bedford, 1996.    Forster, John. The Life of Charles Dickens. New York: Bigelow, 1876. Kaplan, Fred. Dickens: A Biography. New York: Morrow, 1988.            Ã‚  

Analysis and Design of Software Architecture Essay

Outline 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Development Process Requirements Quality Attributes Runtime QA Non-runtime QA Requirements Analysis: Example Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural Views Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 2 / 78 Development Process Methodology Diï ¬â‚¬erent software development processes have software architecture as a part of the process Rational uniï ¬ ed process Spiral development method Agile development method Evolutionary rapid development Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 3 / 78 Development Process Place of SA in SDP Figure: Source: Software Architecture Primer by Reekie, McAdam Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 4 / 78 Development Process Methodology After the initial requirements analysis but before software design The ï ¬ rst architecture is also a communication basis with the customer Inputs for the development of the architecture: 1 2 Requirements Context (technical, organizational, business, †¦) Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 5 / 78 Requirements Analysis At the beginning there is always a customer who wants a speciï ¬ c software system Customer â€Å"wishes† are always informal Interviews, some documents, some Excel tables, †¦ We need to analyze such informal records and structure it Requirements engineering is a huge ï ¬ eld but we just illustrate here one possibility Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 6 / 78 Requirements Analysis The results of the requirements analysis: 1 2 Functional requirements Non-functional requirements (a) Runtime qualities (b) Non-runtime qualities 3 Contextual requirements Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 7 / 78 Requirements Functional requirements A technical expression of what a system will do Arise from stakeholder needs Structured language: software requirements speciï ¬ cation Use cases: structured description of user interactions with the system Formal models: e.g. state-charts Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 8 / 78 Requirements Non-functional requirements Other needs than directly functional or business-related Generally expressed in the form of quality-attributes Runtime quality attributes Non-runtime quality attributes Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 9 / 78 Requirements Contextual requirements What technology is available? Expertise of the development team Previous experience of users/customers Technical, business, market, legal, ethical, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 10 / 78 Quality Attributes Need to address QAs Without any need for performance, scalability, †¦ any implementation of functionality is acceptable However, we always need to take into account the broader context E.g. hardware, technological, organizational, business, †¦ The functionality must be there but without proper addressing of QA it is worth nothing Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 11 / 78 Quality Attributes Inï ¬â€šuence on QAs Typically, a single component can not address a QA completely Any QA is inï ¬â€šuenced by multiple components and their interactions E.g. a UI component has a high degree of usability: however, usability of the system is compromised if a data management component has poor performance in accessing the data → users need to wait long → poor usability Components and their interactions → software architecture QAs are directly inï ¬â€šuenced by software architecture Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 12 / 78 Runtime QA PURS PURS (performance, usability, reliability, security) Performance: time performance, memory, disk, or network utilization Usability: human factors, easy to learn, easy to use, †¦ Reliability: availability, safety, †¦ Security: authentication, data protection, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 13 / 78 Runtime QA Performance Time performance is most obvious Measured in the number of operations per second Also, latency: the time from receiving an input and producing an output Other measures: memory, disk, network utilization or throughput Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 14 / 78 Runtime QA Performance Diï ¬â‚¬erent measures are typically traded oï ¬â‚¬ against each other E.g. increasing throughput may increase latency Time performance might be increased with more memory True performance of the system is not only deï ¬ ned by performance of single components But also by their interactions and the overall processes in the system Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 15 / 78 Runtime QA Performance factors Choice of algorithms Database design Communication Resource management Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 16 / 78 Runtime QA Choice of algorithms Performance of algorithms is measured by their complexity (big O) E.g. linear complexity: O(n) Running time increases in direct proportion to the size of the data E.g. polynomial complexity: O(n2 ) It does not scale: double size of the data – running time increased by factor of 4 Goal: O(nlog (n)) Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 17 / 78 Runtime QA Database design Performance of database queries can dominate the overall performance The design of the tables has enormous impact on the overall performance Techniques to improve it: lazy evaluation, replication, caching Some additional cost to manage replication and/or caching In-memory databases (real-time systems) Developing a new database (search engines) Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 18 / 78 Runtime QA Communication Network overhead Package data according to a protocol, sending data over network Each layer means additional overhead Think how to use network: packaging binary data as XML!? Use more compact formats, e.g. JSON vs XML Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 19 / 78 Runtime QA Resources management Overloaded components need to be avoided A chain is only as strong as its weakest link! E.g. a single-threaded shared resource is in use: all other threads are blocked Very diï ¬Æ'cult to track down Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 20 / 78 Runtime QA Usability Usability is a very rich ï ¬ eld If usability is important you will need a usability expert Combination of many factors: responsiveness, graphical design, user expectations, conï ¬ dence Measuring with time taken to complete task, error rate, time to response, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 21 / 78 Runtime QA Responsiveness and data availability An example of relations between QAs Usability requires that the system responds to user actions within a certain period of time If it is a complex system this need translates into performance along the path of the user action Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 22 / 78 Runtime QA Responsiveness and data availability Figure: Usability vs. Performance Source: Software Architecture Primer by Reekie, McAdam Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 23 / 78 Runtime QA Discussion on relations between QAs This diagram shows that we need to pay attention to tuning communication between B and Y Performance of the communication channel is a consequence of a usability requirement Do we need to support security of the communication channel? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 24 / 78 Runtime QA Discussion on relations between QAs This diagram shows that we need to pay attention to tuning communication between B and Y Performance of the communication channel is a consequence of a usability requirement Do we need to support security of the communication channel? We support QAs always only as a response to user needs Never because it is needed anyway! Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 24 / 78 Runtime QA Discussion on relations between QAs If we support security even if it is not needed Very often QAs exercise opposing forces on the system Security requires a lot of checking: performance will suï ¬â‚¬er → usability will suï ¬â‚¬er A minimalistic approach: develop only what is required! Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 25 / 78 Runtime QA Reliability In traditional engineering disciplines reliability measures the failure rate of the system Failure rate speciï ¬ ed by mean time to failure MTTF A related measure: mean time between failures MTBF MTTR is mean time to repair A is availability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 26 / 78 Runtime QA Reliability MTBF = MTTF + MTTR A= A= MTTF MTBF MTTF MTTF +MTTR E.g. expected availability of Web systems: Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 27 / 78 Runtime QA Reliability MTBF = MTTF + MTTR A= A= MTTF MTBF MTTF MTTF +MTTR E.g. expected availability of Web systems: 1 (always up-and-running) =⇒ MTTF → ∞ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 27 / 78 Runtime QA Reliability Increasing reliability involves testing However, impossible to prove that a system is correct, i.e. without bugs Acceptability of errors depends on the  nature of a system Personal desktop use: bugs are typically tolerated Enterprise level: medium reliability level High-reliable systems: bugs can be fatal Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 28 / 78 Runtime QA Security Increasingly important aspect of systems is security Because systems are exposed to threats Especially networked systems As with other QAs security is a set of related responses to user needs Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 29 / 78 Runtime QA Authentication Requirement for identiï ¬ cation of users with a system Users present credentials so that the system can identify them Typically username and password Other forms: certiï ¬ cates, smart cards, biometric features Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 30 / 78 Runtime QA Authorization After authentication authorization which functions and what data is available for users This information is captured in an authorization model Access control lists (ACL) deï ¬ ne who can access and how a resource might be accessed E.g. read access, write access, delete access, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 31 / 78 Runtime QA Authorization Drawbacks of ACLs It is resource based, e.g. a page in a CMS Often, authorization needs to address functions or tasks Also, managing of ACLs is diï ¬Æ'cult, e.g. subresources of resources Also, performance problems with checking Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 32 / 78 Runtime QA Authorization Another model: role-based access control (RBAC) Roles are used to manage many-to-many relations between users and permissions Roles are used to represent the job functions, e.g. author, teacher, student in an E-learning system Permissions are modeled as parts of roles, e.g. create page, create tests, †¦ Users are than assigned to a role and acquire automatically permissions of that role Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 33 / 78 Non-runtime QA MeTRiCS MeTRiCS (maintainability, evolvability, testability, reusability, integrability, conï ¬ gurability, scalability) Maintainability: how easy can you ï ¬ x bugs and add new features Evolvability: how easy your system copes with changes Testability: how easy can you test the system for correctness Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 34 / 78 Non-runtime QA MeTRiCS Reusability: how easy is to use software elements in other contexts, e.g. a software library Integrability: how easy you can make the separately developed components of the system work correctly together Conï ¬ gurability: how easy can a system be conï ¬ gured for diï ¬â‚¬erent installations and target groups Scalability: how easy the system copes with a higher performance demand Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 35 / 78 Non-runtime QA Maintainability This QA considers the whole lifecycle of a system What happens during system operation? Property that allows a system to be modiï ¬ ed after deployment wirh ease E.g. extensible, modiï ¬ ed behavior, ï ¬ xing errors Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 36 / 78 Non-runtime QA Maintainability At the design and implementation level Code comments Object-oriented principles and design rules Consistent programming styles Documentation Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 37 / 78 Non-runtime QA Maintainability Maintainability is very important because any software system will change over time Experience shows that such changes tend to degrade the system over time Software systems are subject to entropy The cumulative eï ¬â‚¬ect of changes degrades the quality of the system Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 38 / 78 Non-runtime QA Maintainability The systems tend to become messy systems Regardless of how a nice plan you had at beginning Design for change – recollect OO design rules Abstract messy parts of the system so that they can be exchanged Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 39 / 78 Non-runtime QA Maintainability Don’t be afraid to refactor and rewrite and redesign Each software vendor does this with major versions Create throw-away prototypes Think out-of-box and innovate Don’t always follow a hype – very often nothing new in hypes E.g. Web services Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 40 / 78 Non-runtime QA Testability Means to improve testability Test cases: if something fails there is a bug Separation of the testing framework and the system, i.e. testing with scripts from outside Logging Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 41 / 78 Non-runtime QA Conï ¬ gurability Ability of a system to vary its operational parameters without re-compiling or re-installing E.g. selecting appropriate database drivers, conï ¬ guring network parameters, †¦ Typically, realized by a set of conï ¬ guration ï ¬ les E.g. Apache Web server conï ¬ guration ï ¬ le sets host name, virtual hosts, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 42 / 78 Non-runtime QA Conï ¬ gurability Conï ¬ gurability interacts with other QAs such as testability, maintainability, reliability High degree of conï ¬ gurability tends to have a negative impact on those QAs Testing of diï ¬â‚¬erent system conï ¬ guration becomes more diï ¬Æ'cult → reliability compromised Conï ¬ gurable components will be strongly parametrized → decreased maintainability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 43 / 78 Non-runtime QA Scalability Ability of a system to increase its capacity without re-compiling or re-installing E.g. serving additional Web pages means only copying these Web pages into a Web server ï ¬ le system Sometimes increasing capacity means increasing hardware, e.g. Web server clusters Managing user session on the client side, means only providing additional code-on-demand from the server Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 44 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example System description Web-based Network Analysis Tool: W-NAT A simple and usable system for network analysis is needed. Networks are entities that contain not only individuals but also their connections with other individuals (see e.g. 3 for an example). The system accepts a network representations as a list of pairs of connected nodes stored in a dataset ï ¬ le. Nodes are represented as integers. An edge between two nodes is stored as a line containing two nodes delimited by a tabulator. Users might upload datasets to the systems and store them for further analysis. Each user might upload multiple datasets and can execute various analysis on those datasets. The system keeps the track of the analysis history for each user. Users may calculate degree distributions, network diameter, clustering coeï ¬Æ'cient, connectivity measures, singular values, and diï ¬â‚¬erent centrality measures. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 45 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example System description Web-based Network Analysis Tool: W-NAT Users can execute various calculations on multiple datasets in parallel. The system must not be blocked if a calculation is currently under way. Rather it should be possible to start a new calculation, or view previous calculations, etc. In case of longer calculations the system needs to notify the user by e-mail when the calculation is over. The results of the calculations should be available in textual and in graphical form. All results can be also downloaded to a local computer. The system will be used by a group of students that learn the basics of network analysis. It is expect that at any times the system will be used by multiple users executing multiple calculations. Since the system is primarily an educational tool it needs to be didactically sound, i.e. simplicity and usability are very important. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 46 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example System description 6 How to search in a small world Pajek Figure 2: HP Labs’ email communication (light grey lines) mapped onto the organizational hierarchy of HP Labs constructed out the e-mail communication. Figure: Social network(black lines). Note that communication tends to â€Å"cling† to of formal organizational chart. From: How to search a social network, Adamic, 2005. with one another. The h-distance, used to navigate the network, is computed as follows: individuals have h-distance one to their manager and to everyone they share a manager with. Distances are then recursively assigned, so that each individual has h-distance 2 to their ï ¬ rst neighbor’s neighbors, and h-distance 3 to their second Denis Helic (KMI, TU neighbor’s neighbors, etc. SA Analysis and Design Graz) Oct 19, 2011 47 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example System description Web-based Network Analysis Tool: W-NAT The system is a Web-based system and the users should be able to operate the system by using a standard Web browser. The users need not install any additional plugins to operate the system. User perceived performance of the system should be acceptable. In addition, standard Web usability concepts need to be followed. In particular, browser back button must be working at all times and it should be possible to bookmark pages at all times. Finally, standard Web design principles should be satisï ¬ ed, meaning that pages are valid (X)HTML pages in at least HTML Transitional. The system needs to support cross browser compatibility. Further, each page and each important application state needs to have a unique and human-readable URL. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 48 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR1: The system is a network analysis tool. The system can calculate the following measures. UR1.1: UR1.2: UR1.3: UR1.4: UR1.5: Out-degree distribution In-degree distribution Cumulative out-degree distribution Cumulative in-degree distribution Hop plot Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 49 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR1: The system is a network analysis tool. The system can calculate the following measures. UR1.6: Clustering coeï ¬Æ'cient UR1.7: Distribution of weakly connected components UR1.8: Distribution of strongly connected components UR1.9: Left singular vector UR1.10: Right singular vector Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 50 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR1: The system is a network analysis tool. The system can calculate the following measures. UR1.12: UR1.12: UR1.13: UR1.14: UR1.15: Network singular values Degree centrality Closeness centrality Betweenness centrality Eigenvector centrality Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 51 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR2: Networks are stored in dataset ï ¬ les. UR3: The dataset ï ¬ le has the following format. NodeID1 NodeID2 UR4: Users can upload multiple datasets to the system. UR5: To perform an analysis users select a dataset and then choose a measure to calculate. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 52 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR6: For each user and for each dataset the system manages a history of calculations. UR7: Users may initiate multiple calculations simultaneously. UR8: When a calculation is started the system is not blocked. UR9: The system notiï ¬ es users about a ï ¬ nished calculation by e-mail. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 53 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR6: For each user and for each dataset the system manages a history of calculations. UR7: Users may initiate multiple calculations simultaneously. UR8: When a calculation is started the system is not blocked. UR9: The system notiï ¬ es users about a ï ¬ nished calculation by e-mail. When is this notiï ¬ cation needed? If the user is logged out? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 53 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Which form? Format? Graphics format? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Which form? Format? Graphics format? UR11: Users can download the calculation results. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Which form? Format? Graphics format? UR11: Users can download the calculation results. Single results? All results? Archived, how archived? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Which form? Format? Graphics format? UR11: Users can download the calculation results. Single results? All results? Archived, how archived? UR12: Users can register with the system. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Which form? Format? Graphics format? UR11: Users can download the calculation results. Single results? All results? Archived, how archived? UR12: Users can register with the system. How register? E-mail? Captcha? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Functional requirements UR10: The calculation results are presented in a textual as well as in a graphic form. Which form? Format? Graphics format? UR11: Users can download the calculation results. Single results? All results? Archived, how archived? UR12: Users can register with the system. How register? E-mail? Captcha? UR13: Users can login and log out. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 54 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Security Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Security UR4: User-perceived performance must be acceptable Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Security UR4: User-perceived performance must be acceptable Performance and Usability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Security UR4: User-perceived performance must be acceptable Performance and Usability How many seconds at max users can wait? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Security UR4: User-perceived performance must be acceptable Performance and Usability How many seconds at max users can wait? UR5: Web-based system should be available at all times. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR1: The system is simple, usable and didactically sound. Usability UR2: The system needs to support multiple users simultaneously. Performance How many users? UR3: Authentication should be supported. Security UR4: User-perceived performance must be acceptable Performance and Usability How many seconds at max users can wait? UR5: Web-based system should be available at all times. Reliability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 55 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability UR7: Extending the system with new metrics. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability UR7: Extending the system with new metrics. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability, conï ¬ gurability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability UR7: Extending the system with new metrics. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability, conï ¬ gurability UR8: Reliability of a Web-based system. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability UR7: Extending the system with new metrics. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability, conï ¬ gurability UR8: Reliability of a Web-based system. Testability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability UR7: Extending the system with new metrics. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability, conï ¬ gurability UR8: Reliability of a Web-based system. Testability UR9: Multiple users. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Non-functional requirements UR6: Human-readable URLs. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability UR7: Extending the system with new metrics. Evolvability, reusability, maintainability, testability, integrability, conï ¬ gurability UR8: Reliability of a Web-based system. Testability UR9: Multiple users. Scalability Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 56 / 78 Requirements Analysis: Example Contextual requirements UR1: Web browser. UR2: Valid (X)HTML, at least (X)HTML Transitional. UR3: No browser plugins are allowed. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 57 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Analysis We analyze the requirements and try to identify so-called key concepts Understanding of the domain Static part of the domain We also try to identify key process and activities Dynamic part of the domain Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 58 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Design Design is the process of creating models (recollect the deï ¬ nition of SA) Two basic types of architectural models Structure and behavior Architectural structure is a static model of a system (i.e. how the system is divided into components) Architectural behavior is a dynamic model of a system (i.e. how the components interact with each other to perform some useful work) Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 59 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural structure The division of a system into components and connectors To represent the model: box-and-lines diagrams (to see at a glance important concepts) It is important to remember that diagrams are only representations of the model Diagrams must always be accompanied by additional material such as text, data models, mathematical models, etc. The combination of diagrams and additional material is an architectural model Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 60 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural structure What is a component? What is a connector? Components might be subsystems, separate processes, source code packages, †¦ Connectors might be network protocols, method invocations, associations, †¦ The combination of diagrams and additional material is an architectural model Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 61 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural structure Figure: Example of an architectural structure Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 62 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural structure In the diagram we have one user-interface and one database component But what is the criteria for deciding what is a component? Separate program modules? Separate threads or processes? Conceptual or functional division? And what about connectors? Network protocols? Callbacks? Request/response cycles? Method invocations? Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 63 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural structure What is the level of granularity of a diagram? E.g. for a Web-based system, components are servers and browsers and connector is HTTP But, components of a server are HTTP parser, ï ¬ le I/O, cache, plug-ins, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 64 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural structure Comparison with OO: a component is an object and a connector is a message sent between two objects Because models in OO are very well deï ¬ ned Therefore, we need additional information that accompanies diagrams To describe criteria for decomposition and provide explanations on granularity Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 65 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior Complementing structure is architectural behavior Interaction of system elements to perform some useful work Functionality vs. behavior Functionality is what the system can do and behavior is the activity sequence Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 66 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior Example: Accessing a tweets document Request is sent to the Web presentation layer That layer forwards the request to the application logic, e.g. TweetDeck TweetDeck contacts TweetViews to obtain a particular template, then retrieves the data from TweetDB wraps it into an HTML response and sends the response to TweetUI Functionality allows me to display a tweets document, behavior is the sequence of activities that makes it happen Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 67 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior Each component has a set of responsibilities Behavior is the way how these responsibilities are exercised to respond to some event An event may be an action of the user or an event from an external system A particular behavior is an event plus a response in the form of a sequence of component responsibilities Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 68 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior To represent behavioral models we use use-case map notation by Buhr A use-case map consists of a trace drawn through a structural diagram of the system The path of the trace through a structural diagram shows the sequence of activities Each crossing of a component by the trace indicates exercising of a responsibility Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 69 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior Figure: Types of traces in use-case maps Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 70 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior (a) Single trace – all responsibilities exercised sequentially (b) Two traces are consecutive: Equivalent to single trace but shows that continuation is triggered by another event (c) And-Fork: The traces after the line are potentially concurrent (run in parallel) Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 71 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior Figure: Types of traces in use-case maps Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 72 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior (a) N-Way And-Fork: the trace after the fork may be replicated an arbitrary number of times (b) Or-Fork: The trace is split and activity proceeds along one or another path (c) Seq-Fork: The traces after the line are followed in the order indicated by the arrow Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 73 / 78 Architectural Analysis & Design Architectural behavior Figure: Example of architectural behavior Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 74 / 78 Architectural Views Architectural views We can examine a system from diï ¬â‚¬erent points of view Diï ¬â‚¬erent kinds of views Conceptual: components are set of responsibilities and connectors are ï ¬â€šow of information Execution: components are execution units (processes) and connectors are messages between processes Implementation: components are libraries, source code, ï ¬ les, etc and connectors are protocols, api calls, etc. Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 75 / 78 Architectural Views Architectural views There are other models as well We will mention them but we will investigate only previous three models Data model describes the data Physical model describes servers, ï ¬ rewalls, workstations, †¦ Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 76 / 78 Architectural Views Architectural views Each view provides diï ¬â‚¬erent information about the structure of the system Each view addresses a speciï ¬ c set of concerns All views taken together is the primary means of documenting software architecture Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 77 / 78 Architectural Views Architectural views The conceptual architecture considers the structure of the system in terms of its domain-level functionality The execution architecture considers the system in terms of its runtime structure The implementation architecture considers the system in terms of its build-time structure Denis Helic (KMI, TU Graz) SA Analysis and Design Oct 19, 2011 78 / 78