Strategic Planning and Implementation

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION INTRODUCTION For the purpose of this paper I have selected M/s. Apple Inc as an organisation. M/s. Apple Inc are considered to be one of the most competitive organisations in the globe who operate in a very fast environment of technology and computers, where the developments are so rapid and fast that the management are expected to revisit their strategies and implementation plans on a continuous basis to stay competitive and maintain that technological edge in the market place. The world of computers and electronic gadgets is so fast paced that newer technologies are launched in a fast pace. The top level management is expected to undertake regular feedback from the market and also scan the environment for the needs and plan their strategies accordingly. Hence, I have selected M/s. Apple Inc for carrying out the study on strategic planning and implementation. The study would focus mainly on the strategy adopted by M/s. Apple for the launch of their much famed computer model ‘Macintosh’ in the year 1984. The other major reason for selecting this organisation in specific is that this organisation has faced multiple threats to its survival and faced numerous competitions but the organisation survived and grew in adversity. This shows the planning and resources implemented by the management team to grow this organisation and their strategic resolve can be seen from the above. All this illustrate that this would be the perfect organisation to study the scope and the depth of strategic planning and the intricate implementation plans undertaken by this organisation for achieving this extraordinary turnaround and improving the confidence of the stakeholders and also the customers with their innovative products. The company got incorporated on 03rd Jan 1977 in the state of California in United States of America. [1] Major Stakeholders The major stakeholders in the company are listed below: 1. Steve Jobs, Chief Executive Officer 2. Timothy D Cook, Chief Operating Officer 3. Peter Oppenheimer, Chief Financial Officer 4. Philip W Schiller, Senior Vice President 5. Mark Papermaster, Senior Vice President 6. Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President 7. Bertrand Serlet, Senior Vice President 8. Ron Johnson, Senior Vice President Steve Jobs: The charismatic CEO of Apple Inc, was born on 24-Feb-1955, he is also the co-founder of Apple Inc, who was one of the founding members of Apple Inc, is one of the major stakeholders in the organisation. [2] Timothy D Cook: Cook is the Chief Operating Officer he is one of the important stakeholders from the viewpoint of management as he heads all the operations and sales of Apple Inc. He is also the head of Apple’s Macintosh division. [3] Peter Oppenheimer: Mr. Peter Oppenheimer is the Senior Vice President and also the Chief Financial Officer. In this position he heads the treasury, investor relations, tax, information systems, internal audit and facilities functions. With such responsibilities his consent is imperative for undertaking any management planning or strategic initiatives. [4] Philip W Schiller: Mr. Philip W Schiller is the Senior Vice President of worldwide Product Marketing. He is part of the Apple’s Executive Team and is also responsible for the product marketing. In this role he becomes a key player for any management and strategic initiatives. 5] Mark Papermaster: Mr. Mark Papermaster is again another Senior Vice President who handles the key portfolio of new product development in this role he plays a key role on the marketing strategy with his valuable inputs. [6] Jonathan Ive: Mr. Jonathan Ive in his role as the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design plays a key role in the marketing of new technologies with his innovative designs. As such most of the Apple’s product’s designs a re considered to be of remarkable art pieces. [7] Bertrand Serlet: Mr. Bertrand Serlet is the Senior Vice President of Software Engineering in his role as the developer of software for all the systems launched by Apple Inc. He is regarded as a major stakeholder in the management. [8] Ron Johnson: Mr. Ron Johnson as the Senior Vice President of Retail has a major stake in any marketing strategy plans that are being developed and planned for implementation. His inputs and consent are important for implementing any strategic decisions in the organisation. [9] All the above mentioned people are the major decision makers in the organisation and they form the first line of stakeholders for implementing the strategy and providing guidance to the organisation. Hence, it would be imperative that they be considered as major stakeholders from the point of strategy and implementation of marketing philosophies. The above mentioned people collectively or at times individually take decisions on the kind and type of strategy to be implemented to ensure maximisation of profits to the stakeholders of the organisation who are the general shareholders and other firms. Hence, the agreement for any decision and implementation would be required from this peer group before going ahead with any management decision on strategy. We will review a scenario of the how the management of Apple Computers effectively implemented the launch strategy and placement of IPOD in front of the customer which is considered to fill the gap in the market between the net-books and multimedia phones. In this respect the strategy adopted by the think tank of the management is commendable we will now have a glimpse of the introduction strategy adopted by M/s. Apple Inc. Management Strategy Review The entire management strategy is based on the development of new technologies as M/s. Apple Inc are renowned to be market leaders in innovation. The launch of every new product is eagerly awaited by the general public. And M/s. Apple has capitalised on this advantage and create a buzz in the market before any launch of the product which helps them to introduce the new product in the market with minimum amount of risk. Traditionally it can be observed that Ms/ Apple Inc launches’ the new products in home market (i. e. United States of America) as the customers over there are considered to be of ‘low uncertainty avoidance’ culture as per Hofstede’s framework on assessing culture. This helps M/s. Apple to test their new inventions in the market as the customers are more inclined towards buying and testing new products. Once, the markets accept this product then it is launched on global basis when the new product has alrea dy created a cult status in the home market. This kind of strategy has been followed by M/s. Apple in most of their launches and has proven to be quite successful. From the above it can be seen that M/s. Apple Inc has always strived on creating world class products with stylish design and the same are launched in low uncertainty avoidance cultures where the general acceptance levels are high and once they are successful in those markets they then are replicated in other markets. Which in turn ensures the success of the product launch on a global scale, now we will understand the situation of the launch of the Ipod, which everyone were sceptical at the time of the launch of this product. Marketing Strategy M/s. Apple Inc created a new product which was supposed revolutionary in design and the characteristics’ were very innovative at that time. M/s. Apple Inc packaged the IPOD with such an enviable design that the competitors were left lurching. At that time the market was seen heavily bent upon to cut costs and make the mp3 player faster and better. Apple came up with this ultra modern design and had positioned the product in the line of designer segment and there by created a different marketing strategy altogether for this product and created new ways of interacting with the media with the launch of this device. The IPOD was conveniently programmed to function well and fast the Macintosh systems that ensured that the sale of Macintosh also would be taken care off when the IPOD is launched in the market. This kind of strategy ensured the success of M/s. Apple Inc as an organisation all together. The market was studied for relevant trends in the music industry and appropriate tie-ups with the music bands and market players involved in music industry would be required to ensure availability of the music through the iTunes software which was to be installed in the computer for synchronising with the iPod. Apart from that as most of the computers are running on windows operating system a compatible version of iTunes which would work in windows environment would need to be developed to ensure that the product reaches the target customers and can be marketed to all the segments of the customers irrespective of the computers that the customers are using. However, the differentiating factor of iTunes compatible with windows was that the upload and synchronising was not so robust as with any other Apple Macintosh product. This would create a demand for other related products from the Macintosh stable. The other part of the launch strategy was that the product alone would not succeed unless proper support is derived from all available channels. These include likes of music companies, internet groups, bundled packages, customised playlists, and it also created a cult status for the product by maintaining the exterior of the product consistently which can be seen in different products which attained a similar nature like the Beetle (Volkswagen) and Mini (Cooper) etc. As we have seen the strategy let us now go ahead and understand the organisation’s business objectives, culture, ethics and how they are related to this particular scenario. Apple’s Business Objectives, Culture, Ethics The objectives and the measurements adopted by the company are as follows. The company’s main objective is well elucidated in its mission and vision statements itself which imbibe that the company would li ke to be the leading innovator of the century. Accordingly in-line with this objective the company has embarked on a challenging sphere where in it has developed newer and customer friendly brands and launched them in the market place at regular intervals. Which has placed Apple Inc in a different sphere altogether. The culture in the organisation is open ended and encourages lot of innovation that was one of the reason why the company is at the edge of technological advances and innovates a lot of new products which are launched on regular basis in the global market place. A brief description of the ethics would build a comprehensive look of the organisation and also provide appropriate guidance in this regard. Hence, I would like to explain the ethics followed by M/s. Apple Inc, like defining and implementing a program on greener environment and also providing an option for the general public to air their innovations and suggestions the company can be seen is very keen and receptive to ideas and innovations which in turn helps the organisation tap the potential and grow their businesses. Vision, Mission, Objectives and Measures The mission statement of M/s. Apple Inc as per their website is â€Å"Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone† The vision of the M/s. Apple Inc is ‘Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them’. As can be seen from the above that M/s. Apple Inc is deeply involved in the creation of world class products and deploy them in the global market place and also create a sustained culture based on independence rather than dependence on the systems, which would enable the humans to be more resurgent and independent and have command over the systems they deploy in their homes / organisations. As we have understood the organisation’s vision, mission and objectives now we will move forward and discuss the strategy deployed by M/s. Apple for the launch of IPOD which would create an understanding and how it could have been differentiated. Launch Timelines The original IPOD was launched way back in 23rd October 2001[11], however it can be seen that the growth of the iPod sales did not hit the expected numbers at the beginning as the market was not conducive to this kind of product. It would have been perfect if the launch was positioned when the elated infrastructure like availability of broadband network and other items are in place. It can be seen that the sales of iPod started to gain momentum only after M/s. Apple Inc ensured the compatibility of its iTunes software with the windows operating system and also the availability of the broadband networks that the product took on and the sales improved dramatically. Hence, it is inevitable that the markets are understood and a suitable and conducive environment created before launch of a new and advanced product in the global market place. Dissemination Process At the launch of the iPod the market was not provided with the right information and the features were not available for everyone to understand and then use the same. Hence, in the beginning years of the iPod it was not successful as it is now. This can again be attributed to the lack of clear and systematic information flow from the organisation. This can be best avoided by ensuring that the process and infrastructure are available and compatible for the usage of the product before launching any product to ensure that the product sustains its expected sales targets. Apple failed to create to environment before the launch. It took such a long time for the iPod sales to reach astronomical levels which it has now reached. At any launch of new product it is to be ensured that suitable and possible information on the product are widely available and the same is marketed using different channels of marketing to gain the marketing advantage. This kind of strategy was deployed by M/s. Apple in the later part of the iPod life cycle which ensured that the product sustained the S curve and continued its growth momentum. It can also be seen that M/s. Apple Inc then embarked on a detailed mission of pooling in different vendors and suppliers for developing relevant content for the product which ensured that new and updated information is flowing from different channels and new ideas were used to build and sustain the product. And the information and the content were gathered from different cultures and different geographical locations thereby ensuring market penetration to different markets. Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy The monitoring and evaluation strategy deployed by M/s. Apple Inc was a constant business intelligence thereby they understood the flaws in their initial strategy which ensured that the iPod was compatible with only Macintosh machines. As the same was reversed by ensuring its compatibility and other similar nature of tweaks in the strategy are to be undertaken and ensured that the feedback received from the market place is constantly analysed to ensure that the product is sustained with new and improved versions of the product. As can be seen from the developments undertaken by the organisation to ensure that the product stays in the limelight by opening different channels of sales and distribution and also opening of different channels of supply chain, in this case the supply chain would be the availability of music online in the iTunes store for which constant tie-ups with different bands and music companies would be required to ensure that the product is usable and the same can be purchased by the customers online without any hassle. By this way more and more customers can be retained and new customers attracted which would ensure the sustainability of the product in the long run. Apart from that the technology would need to be relooked on constant terms and a eye on the market place and competitors development would ensure that the product is successful. With regards to the evaluation strategy, the best way to understand whether the strategy deployed is successful or not in this regard would be to see the growth in sales and the amount of sales at the iTunes store which would definitely provide the right information whether the strategy deployed is successful. References: 1. Apple Investor Relations Investor FAQ, FAQ, Available at: http://phx. corporate-ir. net/phoenix. zhtml? c=107357&p=irol-faq [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 2. Telegraph, Steve Jobs, Apple’s iGod: Profile Available at: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/technology/apple/4242660/Steve-Jobs-Apples-iGod-Profile. html [Accessed on 15-01-2010] 3. Apple Press Information, Timothy D Cook, Available at: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/cook. html [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 4. Apple Press Information, Peter Oppenheimer, Available at: http://www. apple. om/pr/bios/oppenheimer. html [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 5. Apple Press Information, Philip W Schiller, Available at: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/schiller. html [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 6. Apple Press Information, Mark Papermaster, Available at: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/papermaster. html [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 7. Apple Press Information, Jonathan Ive, Available at: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/ive. html [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 8 . Apple Press Information, Bertrand Serlet, Available at: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/serlet. html Accessed on 11-02-2010] 9. Apple Press Information, Ron Johnson, Available at: http://www. apple. com/pr/bios/ronjohnson. html [Accessed on 11-02-2010] 10. The Poverty of Management Control Philosophy Geert Hofstede The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul. , 1978), pp. 450-461   (article consists of 12 pages) Published by:  Academy of Management Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/257536 11. Apple Press Information, Apple presents iPod Available at : http://www. apple. com/pr/library/2001/oct/23ipod. html [Accessed on 15-02-2010]

Contribute To Children And Young People Essay

1.1 Outline the health and safety policies and procedures of the work setting 1.2 Identify the lines of responsibility and reporting for health and safety in the work setting SUPERVISION OF PUPILS – The safety of pupils in the classrooms is the responsibility of the Class Teacher. Class Teachers are expected to exercise effective supervision of the pupils and to know the emergency procedures in respect of fire, bomb scare and first aid, and to carry them out; to give clear instructions and warning as often as is necessary. Children should never be left unsupervised. Suitable supervision will also be carried out when Children are leaving the school premises at the end of the day, during break times and Mid-day break. ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT All electrical equipment will receive a regular inspection by a suitably trained member of staff. STORAGE OF CLEANING MATERIALS Authorised chemicals and other cleaning materials must be kept under lock at all times FURNITURE Furniture that is not in good condition should be reported to the Headteacher and removed from use if considered unsafe. LIFTING AND MANUAL HANDLING Injuries can be caused by incorrect lifting and handling of objects, (which need not be large or heavy). Therefore any operation where lifting or handling is involved should be avoided where possible. WORKING AT HEIGHT All staff are asked not to carry out work at height unless it is agreed by their line manager that it is necessary. The site manager will keep a checklist of regular inspections of any steps, ladders and stepladders. No displays are to be higher than 3.5 m in the school hall. CONTRACTORS The Site Manager will liaise with and manage all contractors coming onto the site. All contractors RISK ASSESSMENT An annual risk assessment will be carried out by the Finance and Staffing Committee who will inform the Headteacher of their findings. All potential hazards should be reported to the Headteacher immediately. STRESS Stress is acknowledged by the school as a potential cause of staff illness and all efforts are made to reduce it. NEW AND EXPECTANT MOTHERS The school recognise the fact that new and expectant mothers (NEMs) are at an increased risk of a) injury to themselves and their unborn child b) injury to others who may be affected by their actions. To ensure the safety of the NEM a risk assessment will be carried out by a competent person and the implementation of controls to eliminate or reduce risk will be put in place. C.O.S.H.H. The Caretaker will maintain a C.O.S.H.H. record for the school. All hazardous substances are under lock in the caretaker’s cupboard. ASBESTOS The School’s asbestos survey is kept in the Admin Office and is available for inspection by contractors working on the site who are also required to sign a book confirming that they have seen the survey. ACCIDENTS TO STAFF AND PUPILS All accidents will be recorded in the appropriate accident book (see Reporting Procedures). Parents/Carers should be contacted by phone for any child who has suffered a bump to the head they will then either be sent home or will remain in school under close supervision. Should parents/carers be unavailable the child will be given an advice slip to take home with him/her at the end of the day. FIRST AID * First Aid will be administered but only as far as knowledge and skill permit. * All teaching and support staff have either undergone the required basic First Aid training or have agreed to participate in future training offered by the school. ILLNESS If a child is taken ill in school, the parent/carer will be informed as soon as possible and the child will be cared for in school until such time as the parent can arrange to take the child home. FIRE DRILL During any Fire Drill or evacuation due to the sounding of the Fire Alarms all staff must ensure that visually or hearing impaired children or adults are located immediately and led to safety. 1. The Headteacher, Assistant Head, School Secretary or Caretaker will set off the alarm, (in the case of a real fire person finding the fire would set off the nearest alarm). 2. Each class will evacuate the building as quickly and quietly as possible and children will assemble on playground. If during registration time teachers should take their class register with them, if it is outside registration time the School Secretary will bring the registers and signing-in book to the playground, pupils will then be checked off. 3. The Headteacher or Assistant Head will check with Class Teachers that all are accounted for. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS are located at the following points: – Sterile entrance area by Secretary’s Office door; water extinguisher (red) and Carbon Dioxide (red) – Staff room by Fire Exit; powder extinguisher (red) and fire Bomb Scare The person made aware of the scare will raise the alarm by setting off the nearest fire alarm and evacuation would occur in the same way as it would for a fire. Gas Leak In the event of a Gas Leak there must be a Verbal Evacuation starting with the nearest class in session. DO NOT TURN ON OR OFF ANY SWITCHES AND DO NOT OPERATE FIRE ALARM. Proceed as for a Bomb Scare. AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Headteacher: The Headteacher is responsible and accountable to the Governors for implementing this school policy and for all matters relating to health, safety and welfare within the establishment. In particular this will include: – being the focal point for day-to-day references on safety and giving advice or indicating sources of advice; – Co-ordinating the  implementation of safety procedures; – ensuring that regular health and safety inspections of the school are undertaken and that working practices are checked; – ensuring that adequate assessment of significant risks from hazards in educational activities is made and appropriate measures are in place for such safe practice; – reporting to the Chairman of Governors so that arrangements can be made to deal with premises management issues, e.g. repair and maintenance of buildings, selection and control of contractors and the development and implementation of emergency procedures; – maintaining contact with outside agencies able to offer expert advice; – ensuring that accidents and hazards are recorded, reported as appropriate and that remedial action is taken, when necessary; – reviewing, at least annually, the procedures and systems of work in place; – identifying and fulfilling training needs. In the event of the Headteacher and Assistant Head being off-site or unable to fulfil their responsibilities due to injury, the next most senior member of staff will assume these responsibilities. VISITS Visits out of school are organised by staff who are fully informed of any physical ailments of the children in their care. Pabulum Supply the catering facilities to the school and operate their own codes of Health and Safety, monitored by their client managers. SAFER RECRUITMENT / SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN The procedures for safer recruitment and safeguarding pupils will follow council guidelines. VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL All visitors to the school must report to the Office and sign the Visitors Log. When they leave they should sign out. ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND SMOKING The abuse of alcohol or drugs is a safety hazard and if there is any suspicion that a member of staff or visitor is under the influence of either, then this must be reported to the Head Teacher who will take the appropriate disciplinary action. Smoking within the school site is prohibited and signs are posted at entrances. VIOLENCE Violence and harassment in both physical and verbal forms will not be tolerated within the school, either between employees or between employees and non employees. EDUCATIONAL VISITS The school recognises that educational visits, away from the safety of the school site, expose school employees, pupils and non employee volunteers to potentially unknown risk. 1.3 Explain what a risk assessment is and how this is managed in the work setting A risk assessment is a document employees must create to evaluate the risks regarding health and safety and use it to help improve the protection in the workplace. Employers must identify hazards and assess the associated risk. When a risk assessment is required in my work setting. The person(s) in charge of the activity will create the document and then have it approved by the heard teacher and health and safety officer. The document Is then uploaded to the school network for other member of staff to modify if they require a similar risk assessment. However all risk assessments must be authorised but the head teacher and must also be re-assessed yearly. 2.1 Explain why a safe but challenging environment is important for children and young people It is important for children and young people to have a safe but challenging environment so they are able to develop their skills and not become afraid of trying new things. However safety is an essential so they are comfortable and have a positive experience. 2.2 Identify the difference between a risk and a hazard A hazard is an existing condition/situation that is likely to cause harm. For example, ice on the school site. A risk is a potential condition/situation that may occur and could become a hazard. For example if the cold temperatures continue there could be ice on the school site. 3.1 Identify non-medical incidents and emergencies that may occur in the work settings. Non-medical incidents and emergencies that may occur in my school are things such as flooding in classrooms or playgrounds, or electrical faults in the school, for example, internet not working, lighting down or heating not working. These are issues that require sorting quickly but do not require medical assistance. 3.2 Outline the actions to take in response to the following situations Fires During any Fire Drill or evacuation when the Fire Alarms sound, all staff must ensure that visually or hearing impaired children or adults are located immediately and led to safety. The person finding the fire would set off the nearest alarm. Each class will evacuate the building quickly and quietly. Children will Line up on the playground. The school Secretary will bring the registers and signing-in book to the playground, pupils will then be checked off. The Headteacher or Assistant Head will check with Class Teachers that all are accounted for. All class teachers should take evacuation key if needed and shut all internal doors after doing a final check. If in the hall all children and staff must evacuate by front entrance and continue to the playground the using path around the back of pre-school. Any staff members of pupils are in the staff room or PPA room they must evacuate via the fire exit and continue to playground. Staff members and pupils in the office and head teachers office must evacuate using the main fire door and head to the playground. Receptionist must take the key for the gate and leave by the front entrance and proceed to the playground. Pupils and staff in working in the ICT Room and Den must Take the evacuation key and leave by Fire exit continue across car park and follow the path around the back of pre-school The Secretary must Telephone Fire Brigade (unless in instant danger) and collect evacuation key, registers and signing-in book and proceed through main entrance to playground. Kitchen staff must leave via the fire exit and proceed to the playground. Security incidents All visitors to the school must register at the Office and sign the Visitors Log. When they leave they should sign out. They will be presented with a  visitors badge to wear and must keep it on until they leave the site. All visitors must be accompanied by a member of staff during their time on the school site. If I notice a person has come onto the site that is not authorised I should notify a senior member of staff and they will question why they are on the site. My school is very close to a wooded area is it very easy for people to accidently enter the site. The unauthorised person must always exit the way they entered. Emergency incidents If a child becomes unwell whilst at school and they require immediate medical care an ambulance would be called, followed by a call to the parent or guardian. If the child could move easily, for example an injured arm we would take them to a calm area. If the child cannot move the area will be cleared until the person has been moved by a medical team all members of staff involved in the situation must monitor the child, especially for shock. 4.1 Identify the signs and symptoms which may indicate that a child or young person is injured or unwell Children will normally tell you if they are feeling unwell, you can check for signs by feeling is they are hot or cold, they may be shivering or sweating. They may look pale, or if are complaining of a sore throat you may be able to see the tonsils or glands are enlarged. The obvious signs of injury are blood if a child has cut themselves, if a child has fallen but there is no blood there will often be a bruise or slight swelling, if a child is complaining of severe pain, there could be a chance of a sprain or breakage, the limb could be in an unusual position, and swelling. 4.2 Identify circumstances when children or young people may need urgent medical attention A child will need urgent medical attention is they are unconscious, have had a nock to the head and are suffering from concussion, if a child has been electrocuted, if they are having an allergic reaction. They will also require urgent medical attention if they have a breakage or severe fracture. In my setting I must also look for symptoms for meningitis  in children as they will require urgent medical attention. 4.3 Outline one role and responsibilities in the event of a child or young person requiring urgent medical attention If a child requires urgent medical attention I am able to take control of the situation as I am paediatric first aid trained.I would need assistance is an ambulance is required. I must carry out whatever actions required and after fill out an incident form. 5.1Describe the reporting procedures for accident, incidents, emergencies and illnesses All accidents, incidents and emergencies must be logged in the accident book unless treatment from a medical team is needed. In this case the incident would have to be recorded on a full accident form. 6.1 Outline procedures for infection control in own work setting The schools infection control is as follows – Children with rashes should be considered infectious and assessed by their doctor. A child diagnosed with chicken pox, measles, and shingles should be kept away until all vesicles have crusted over. Children diagnosed with Impetigo should be kept away from school until lesions are crusted and healed, or 48 hours after starting antibiotic treatment. Children suffering from Diarrhoea and/or vomiting should be kept out of school for 48 hours from last occurrence. 6.2 Describe personal protective clothing that is used to prevent spread of infection When performing any type of first aid, gloves and an apron must be worn to prevent spread of infection. If the child or young person requires CPR the first aider can use a mouth shield when giving the rescue breaths. 7.1 Identify the procedures of the work setting governing the receipt, storage and administration of medicines If a child requires a medicine whilst on the school premises they will be given a form to complete which allows members of staff at the school to administer the medicine. The information required is: Name of illness and medication required What time medicine should be administered and how often Dosage and method Side effects Self-administration or help required The form is then checked over by the secretary and information is passed on to the member of staff that will be administering the medicine. The form also states the medicine must be in the original container as dispensed by the pharmacy. 7.2 explain how the procedures of the work setting protect both children and young people and practitioners It is important to have policies and procedure set in place for administering medicines to ensure the medication they are taking is and the school have been given permission to administer it. If a child is given the wrong dosage they can become extremely ill or possibly have an anaphylactic shock. Have in a policy in place will ensure the person administering has the correct knowledge so that the child will be safe when taking the medication.

An Analysis of Oroonoko by Aphra Behn Essay

Oroonoko is a short work of prose fiction by Aphra Behn (1640–1689), published in 1688, concerning the love of its hero, an enslaved African inSurinam in the 1660s, and the author’s own experiences in the new South American colony. Behn worked for Charles II as a spy during the outset of the Second Dutch War, ending up destitute when she returned to England, and even spending time in a debtors’ prison, because Charles failed to pay her properly, or at all. She turned her hand to writing in order to survive, with remarkable success. She wrote poetry that sold well, and had a number of plays staged, which established her fame in her own lifetime. In the 1670s, only John Dryden had plays staged more often than Behn. She began to write extended narrative prose toward the end of her career. Published less than a year before she died, Oroonoko is one of the earliest English novels. Interest in it has increased since the 1970s, critics arguing that Behn is the foremothe r of British women writers, and that Oroonoko is a crucial text in the history of the novel. Plot summary and analysis Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave is a relatively short novel concerning the Coromantin grandson of an African king, Prince Oroonoko, who falls in love with Imoinda, the daughter of that king’s top general. â€Å"Coromantee people† were Akan slaves brought from present-day Ghana, a polyglot band known for their rebellious nature. the sacred veil, thus commanding her to become one of his wives, even though she was already married to Oroonoko. After unwillingly spending time in the king’s harem (the Otan), Imoinda and Oroonoko plan a tryst with the help of the sympathetic Onahal and Aboan. They are eventually discovered, and because she has lost her virginity, Imoinda is sold as a slave. The king’s guilt, however, leads him to falsely inform Oroonoko that she has been executed, since death was thought to be better than slavery. Later, after winning another tribal war, Oroonoko is betrayed and captured by an English captain, who planned to sell him and his men as slaves. Both Imoinda and Oroonoko were carried to Surinam, at that time an English colony based on sugarcane plantation in the West Indies. The two lovers are reunited there, under the new Christian names of Caesar and Clemene, even though Imoinda’s beauty has attracted the unwanted desires of other slaves and of the Cornish gentleman, Trefry. Upon Imoinda’s pregnancy, Oroonoko petitions for their return to the homeland. But after being continuously ignored, he organizes a slave revolt. The slaves are hunted down by the military forces and compelled to surrender on deputy governor Byam’s promise of amnesty. Yet, when the slaves surrender, Oroonoko and the others are punished and whipped. To avenge his honor, and to express his natural worth, Oroonoko decides to kill Byam. But to protect Imoinda from violation and subjugation after his death, he decides to kill her. The two lovers discuss the plan, and with a smile on her face, Imoinda willingly dies by his hand. A few days later, Oroonoko is found mourning by her decapitated body and is kept from killing himself, only to be publicly executed. During his death by dismemberment, Oroonoko calmly smokes a pipe and stoically withstands all the pain without crying out. The novel is written in a mixture of first and third person, as the narrator relates actions in Africa and portrays herself as a witness of the actions that take place in Surinam. In the novel, the narrator presents herself as a lady who has come to Surinam with her unnamed father, a man intended to be a new lieutenant-general of the colony. He, however, dies on the voyage from England. The narrator and her family are put up in the finest house in the settlement, in accord with their station, and the narrator’s experiences of meeting the indigenous peoples and slaves are intermixed with the main plot of the love of Oroonoko and Imoinda. At the conclusion of the love story, the narrator leaves Surinam for London. Structurally, there are three significant pieces to the narrative, which does not flow in a strictly biographical manner. The novel opens with a statement of veracity, where the author claims to be writing no fiction and no pedantic history. She claims to be an eyewitness and to be writing without any embellishment or theme, relying solely upon reality. What follows is a description of Surinam itself and the South American Indians there. She regards the locals as simple and living in a golden age (the presence of gold in the land being indicative of the epoch of the people themselves). It is only afterwards that the narrator provides the history of Oroonoko himself and the intrigues of both his grandfather and the slave captain, the captivity of Imoinda, and his own betrayal. The next section is in the narrator’s present; Oroonoko and Imoinda are reunited, and Oroonoko and Imoinda meet the narrator and Trefry. The third section contains Oroonoko’s rebellion and its aftermath. Biographical and historical background Oroonoko is now the most studied of Aphra Behn’s novels, but it was not immediately successful in her own lifetime. It sold well, but the adaptation for the stage by Thomas Southerne (see below) made the story as popular as it became. Soon after her death, the novel began to be read again, and from that time onward the factual claims made by the novel’s narrator, and the factuality of the whole plot of the novel, have been accepted and questioned with greater and lesser credulity. Because Mrs. Behn was not available to correct or confirm any information, early biographers assumed the first-person narrator was Aphra Behn speaking for herself and incorporated the novel’s claims into their accounts of her life. It is important, however, to recognize thatOroonoko is a work of fiction and that its first-person narrator—the protagonist—need be no more factual than Jonathan Swift’s first-person narrator, ostensibly Gulliver, in Gulliver’s Tra vels, Daniel Defoe’s shipwrecked narrator in Robinson Crusoe, or the first-person narrator of A Tale of a Tub. Fact and fiction in the narrator Researchers today cannot say whether or not the narrator of Oroonoko represents Aphra Behn and, if so, tells the truth. Scholars have argued for over a century about whether or not Behn even visited Surinam and, if so, when. On the one hand, the narrator reports that she â€Å"saw† sheep in the colony, when the settlement had to import meat from Virginia, as sheep, in particular, could not survive there. Also, as Ernest Bernbaum argues in â€Å"Mrs. Behn’s ‘Oroonoko'†, everything substantive in Oroonoko could have come from accounts by William Byam and George Warren that were circulating in London in the 1660s. However, as J.A. Ramsaran and Bernard Dhuiq catalog, Behn provides a great deal of precise local color and physical description of the colony. Topographical and culturalverisimilitude were not a criterion for readers of novels and plays in Behn’s day any more than in Thomas Kyd’s, and Behn generally did not bother with attempting to be accurate in her locations in other stories. Her plays have quite indistinct settings, and she rarely spends time with topographical description in her stories.[2] Secondly, all the Europeans mentioned in Oroonoko were really present in Surinam in the 1660s. It is interesting, if the entire account is fictional and based on reportage, that Behn takes no liberties of invention to create European settlers she might need. Finally, the characterization of the real-life people in the novel does follow Behn’s own politics. Behn was a lifelong and militant royalist, and her fictions are quite consistent in portraying virtuous royalists and put-upon nobles who are opposed by petty and evil republicans/Parliamentarians. Had Behn not known the individuals she fictionalizes in Oroonoko, it is extremely unlikely that any of the real royalists would have become fictional villains or any of the real republicans fictional heroes, and yet Byam and James Bannister, both actual royalists in the Interregnum, are malicious, licentious, and sadistic, while George Marten, a Cromwellian republican, is reasonable, open-minded, and fair.[2] On balance, it appear s that Behn truly did travel to Surinam. The fictional narrator, however, cannot be the real Aphra Behn. For one thing, the narrator says that her father was set to become the deputy governor of the colony and died at sea en route. This did not happen to Bartholomew Johnson (Behn’s father), although he did die between 1660 and 1664.[3] There is no indication at all of anyone except William Byam being Deputy Governor of the settlement, and the only major figure to die en route at sea was Francis, Lord Willoughby, the colonial patent holder for Barbados and â€Å"Suriname.† Further, the narrator’s father’s death explains her antipathy toward Byam, for he is her father’s usurper as Deputy Governor of Surinam. This fictionalized father thereby gives the narrator a motive for her unflattering portrait of Byam, a motive that might cover for the real Aphra Behn’s motive in going to Surinam and for the real Behn’s antipathy toward the real Byam. It is also unlikely that Behn went to Surinam with her husband, although she may have met and married in Surinam or on the journey back to England. A socially creditable single woman in good standing would not have gone unaccompanied to Surinam. Therefore, it is most likely that Behn and her family went to the colony in the company of alady. As for her purpose in going, Janet Todd presents a strong case for its being spying. At the time of the events of the novel, the deputy governor Byam had taken absolute control of the settlement and was being opposed not only by the formerly republican Colonel George Marten, but also by royalists within the settlement. Byam’s abilities were suspect, and it is possible that either Lord Willoughby or Charles II would be interested in an investigation of the administration there. Beyond these facts, there is little known. The earliest biographers of Aphra Behn not only accepted the novel’s narrator’s claims as true, but Charles Gildon even invented a romantic liaison between the author and the title character, while the anonymous Memoirs of Aphra Behn, Written by One of the Fair Sex (both 1698) insisted that the author was too young to be romantically available at the time of the novel’s events. Later biographers have contended with these claims, either to prove or deny them. However, it is profitable to look at the novel’s events as part of the observations of an investigator, as illustrations of government, rather than autobiography. Models for Oroonoko There were numerous slave revolts in English colonies led by Coromantin slaves. Oroonoko was described as being from â€Å"Coromantien† and was likely modeled after Coromantin slaves who were known for causing several rebellions in the Caribbean. One figure who matches aspects of Oroonoko is the white John Allin, a settler in Surinam. Allin was disillusioned and miserable in Surinam, and he was taken to alcoholism and wild, lavish blasphemies so shocking that Governor Byam believed that the repetition of them at Allin’s trial cracked the foundation of the courthouse.[4] In the novel, Oroonoko plans to kill Byam and then himself, and this matches a plot that Allin had to kill Lord Willoughby and then commit suicide, for, he said, it was impossible to â€Å"possess my own life, when I cannot enjoy it with freedom and honour†.[5] He wounded Willoughby and was taken to prison, where he killed himself with an overdose. His body was taken to a pillory, â€Å"where a B arbicue was erected; his Members cut off, and flung in his face, they had his Bowels burnt under the Barbicue†¦ his Head to be cut off, and his Body to be quartered, and when dry-barbicued or dry roasted†¦ his Head to be stuck on a pole at Parham (Willoughby’s residence in Surinam), and his Quarters to be put up at the most eminent places of the Colony.†[5] Allin, it must be stressed, was a planter, and neither an indentured nor enslaved worker, and the â€Å"freedom and honour† he sought was independence rather than manumission. Neither was Allin of noble blood, nor was his cause against Willoughby based on love. Therefore, the extent to which he provides a model for Oroonoko is limited more to his crime and punishment than to his plight. However, if Behn left Surinam in 1663, then she could have kept up with matters in the colony by reading the Exact Relation that Willoughby had printed in London in 1666, and seen in the extraordinary execution a barbarity to graft onto her villain, Byam, from the man who might have been her real employer, Willoughby. While Behn was in Surinam (1663), she would have seen a slave ship arrive with 130 â€Å"freight,† 54 having been â€Å"lost† in transit. Although the African slaves were not treated differently from the indentured servants coming from England (and were, in fact, more highly valued), their cases were hopeless, and both slaves, indentured servants, and local inhabitants attacked the settlement. There was no single rebellion, however, that matched what is related in Oroonoko. Further, the character of Oroonoko is physically different from the other slaves by being blacker skinned, having a Roman nose, and having straight hair. The lack of historical record of a mass rebellion, the unlikeliness of the physical description of the character (when Europeans at the time had no clear idea of race or an inheritable set of â€Å"racial† characteristics), and the European courtliness of the character suggests that he is most likely invented wholesale. Additionally, the character’s name is artificial. There are names in the Yoruba language that are similar, but the African slaves of Surinam were from Ghana. Instead of from life, the character seems to come from literature, for his name is reminiscent of Oroondates, a character in La Calprenà ¨de’s Cassandra,which Behn had read.[6] Oroondates is a prince of Scythia whose desired bride is snatched away by an elder king. Previous to this, there is an Oroondates who is the satrap of Memphis in theÆthiopica, a novel from late antiquity by Heliodorus of Emesa. Many of the plot elements in Behn’s novel are reminiscent of those in the Æthiopica and other Greek romances of the period. There is a particular similarity to the story of Juba in La Calprenà ¨de’s romance Clà ©opà ¢tre, who becomes a slave in Rome and is given a Roman name—Coriolanus—by his captors, as Oroonoko is given the Roman name of Caesar.[7] Alternatively, it could be argued that â€Å"Oroonoko† is a homophone for the Orinoco River, along which the English settled, and it is possible to see the character as an allegorical fi gure for the mismanaged territory itself. Oroonoko, and the crisis of values of aristocracy, slavery, and worth he represents to the colonists, is emblematic of the new world and colonization itself: a person like Oroonoko is symptomatic of a place like the Orinoco.

Substance abuse term Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Substance abuse term - Essay Example It is not clear why some people develop alcohol use problems and others do not, although there is a strong genetic link. Initially, alcohol is often used to soothe pain or hide insecurities. Over time, abuse and dependence can develop. Many people often fail to understand the difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol abuse occurs when you repeatedly drink alcohol even though it causes significant problems in your life. Abuse disrupts your relationships, causes you to miss work (often due to hangovers), and neglect personal and work obligations. It can lead to legal problems, such as being arrested for disorderly conduct or drinking while driving. You don't have to drink daily or drink large amounts of alcohol to have an abuse problem. Whereas if alcohol abuse continues, it can lead to dependence - a physical and emotional addiction to alcohol. You may not be able to quit drinking on your own, even when you want to. With dependence, you feel compelled to drink, and it dominates your life. You may plan your activities around alcohol and may drink secretly or hide the amount that you drink. Over time, it will take larger amounts of alcohol before you feel its effects. You may get irritable, start to vomit, sweat and shake when you are unable to drink or try to quit on your own. Alcohol Alcohol abuse can be present if these symptoms exist: One of the early signs of an alcohol problem is having blackouts-periods of time where you were awake but do not remember what occurred while you were drinking. For example, you are injured while drinking but don't remember how it happened. Having unexplained injuries related to alcohol use or continue to drink despite the problems it causes. The person may also become physically aggressive when intoxicated. Many people who abuse alcohol deny they have a problem and consider themselves "social drinkers" because they do not drink every day. Alcohol abuse can develop in a short time or gradually over your lifetime. In the beginning, your drinking may not appear to be any different from the way other people drink. Some people drink only occasionally but drink a lot (binge drinkers), which can lead to alcohol abuse. Over time, your drinking may become a way for you to feel normal or to cope with life's problems. There are certain risk factors which increase the chance of alcohol abuse. Having a family history - this includes a genetic link - and exposure to alcohol at a place where the person grows up. Using alcohol at an early age proves to be dangerous because the earlier the exposure, the higher the risk of developing alcohol use problems as an adult. Using or abusing other substances such as nicotine, illegal drugs, or prescription medications may also increase abuse of alcohol. Mental Illness - Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness in which a person's mood alternates between extreme mania and depression. Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive illness. When manic, people with bipolar disorder feel intensely elated, self-important, energetic, and irritable.

Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Results Paper

Analysis of Newspaper Report Results - Research Paper Example The news report did not mention the kind of statistical procedure used in the study. As mentioned in the news report, I agree that it is valid and necessary to combine land and marine temperature in order to measure the average global temperature. Basically, the temperature in land and marine areas are different from each other during day and night. The idea of combining the temperature of land and marine areas is to enable the statistician determine the average global temperature within a given time frame. To determine whether a statistic is statistically significant, it is necessary to get the difference between a sample statistic and a specific population parameter (numerator) before dividing the value by the standard error (denominator) (Urdan, 2005, p. 64). For this reason, it is more difficult to confirm the statistical procedures as mentioned in the news report is valid given that the length of years used in each period of time varies from one another. and vice versa. It means that when the sample size is small, bigger the standard error will be. Since a bigger sample size will have smaller standard error, there is a higher probability that the research findings will be statistically significant because of the bigger value as a result. Because of the effects of sample size in determining whether a hypothesis is statistically significant or not, Urdan (2005) explained that it is possible that a small difference between the sample statistic and population parameter to be statistically significant provided that the sample size is big (p. 64). This concept was confirmed by Phil Jones when he explained that it is more likely to achieve a statistically significance given that the available data is good for a very long period of time (Harrabin, 2009, question B). When asked whether the global warming between 1860 – 1880, 1910 – 1940, and 1975 – 1998 were identical, the

MGMT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

MGMT - Assignment Example The person sitting next to me was a strikingly attractive young woman. She raised her hand to ask a question and we were stunned when the lecturer failed to address her by her name (as he had all of the males that were asking question). Instead, he said, â€Å"What’s your question blondie?† The room immediately became uncomfortable but the lecturer seemed to have no idea that what he had said was sexist. She asked her question, received her answer and sat fuming and embarrassed for the remainder of the morning. I regret that I did nothing. I felt horrible for her but felt powerless to do anything. I didn’t want to speak up because I was a new hire and besides, this gentleman was so well regarded in the community. At the very least I think I should have said something to the offended party afterwards, but I didn’t. I think that if I had it to do all over, I would have taken a moment to say something to the lecturer at the break for lunch. I think I should have let him know that I think he offended one of the new hires by the way he addressed her. I think at the very least, I should have let him know that he made me feel uncomfortable by referring to her as â€Å"blondie†. I understand that this man was from a different generation and that such a comment might have been tolerated when he was much younger. But that isn’t an excuse. It does place the comment in context, but I can still remember that embarrassed and uncomfortable emotion I felt in the training session that

Chaos Theory on Financial Forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chaos Theory on Financial Forecasting - Essay Example According to the chaos theorists, chaos has two most important attributes which are both necessary for existence of a chaotic system but not sufficient; one, extreme sensitivity to its initial conditions (Ruelle, 2001:37-9), and two, complicated patterns of nonlinear relationships in it which are not truly random (James, 2003:123-6). The first attribute can be described in a way that as time progresses in a continuous chaotic system, the parameters are so distinctly determined that to reach (or to predict) a certain desired point, knowledge of the initial starting point of system gains extreme importance. A meteorologist named Edward Lorenz, who was trying to predict, first observed this factor weather conditions by using a computer simulation. He noticed that he made simple decimal mistakes that lead extreme distinct results as outcome (Lorenz, 1963:1-25). This was actually a hotspot in chaos theory history, which leaded scientists to think about fallacies made in the past by the us e of word "negligible". The other attribute maintains the properties of relationships among the parameters in a system. Today we know that without complex no linearity, the system will usually be predictable and will not be oversensitive on initial conditions as it depends on non-linear scenarios. Some common misunderstanding among daily use of the word "chaos" mainly appears because of its literal meaning as lack of order. Contrary to this misnomer, in most cases systems that show a pattern of deterministic chaos are quite reared and even predictable on short time scales. Solution paths to chaotic systems are basically deterministic in their nature. Chaos theory generally assumes that, if complex interrelations among the particles of a system are known, then future movement of system is predictable. Regarding this property of chaotic systems, it is now possible or will be possible to find solutions to some problems in science that can't be solved before because of their complex nature. 2. Chaos Theory in Economics Throughout the development of economic theory, from Ancient Greek Philosophers to Today's sophisticated theorists; many different ideas shaped the evolution of economics. Although the assumptions, progress and results acquired are different, almost any theory has the same base point showing economics' as a unitary environment. The unitary term comes from the aspect of economy as being an entity that consists of sub-entities. These units are mainly the consumers and producers taking decisions to survive in the ecosystem of economics. It is an obvious fact that the decisions of particular objects in this system lead the way to the general movement of system. This nature of economics is the key feature that embraces Chaos Theory and economics, in the way that; Chaos Theory tries to explain, how does the behavior of small particles effects each other and the system as a whole and economics as being a social science that struggles with problems

Organizational Behavior And The Criminal Justice System Term Paper

Organizational Behavior And The Criminal Justice System - Term Paper Example With the idea that the criminal justice system consists of diverse individuals, it is clear how the organization can be characterized by numerous personalities, attitudes, and perceptions that can define or influence the overall organizational culture and impact its objectives. Such diversity can lead to chaos, non-performance, and inefficiency. In order to convert this into an advantage, the study of organizational behavior can be undertaken. For example, there is the job-skill match principle. Here, human resource managers in the criminal justice system must take pains to ensure that people being employed matches or fits their job. Say, a police officer's qualifications, character, and attitude must be suitable to his position. A good fit or match, wrote Mills et al. (2006), is one in which the potential employee and organization are compatible. (p. 98)Another excellent example is the way prisoners are managed in correctional facilities. As prisons play the important function of pr otecting the community from criminals, its fundamental responsibility is to rehabilitate offenders so that they do not become recidivists when they finally return to society. Rehabilitation programs involve changing the prisoners’ criminal behavior and tendencies that is why the organizational behavior is crucial. The sheer number of prisoners – with their varying profiles and attitudes – must be considered in measures that would provide opportunities for personal change and skills acquisition. This example leads us to the need to regulate and direct the way individuals within the organization interact with each other. In prisons, offenders in their relations with each other could create conflict when unchecked. Directing organizational behavior can help establish effective rules as well as mechanisms of conflict resolution and negotiation. Organizational Processes There are many other instances wherein individual processes in the context of organizational behav ior can help organizations to function better and become more productive. Because of this the top organizational managers of the criminal justice system make it a point to define and direct the organizational behavior of their respective organizations. For instance, the Central Office Strategic Apex of the American Correctional organization, in its mission statement, aims to: ensure that organizational behavior is in accordance with organizational goals and values; and, correct significant deviations in the

Clownfish Mating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Clownfish Mating - Essay Example In this struggle, the male clownfish is quite belligerent towards the female and shows his desire by biting, chasing and extending his fins. The female clownfish mates with the male one after some struggle. After it, she lays eggs on a flat surface cleared by the male clownfish and built into a nest. The eggs that are laid by the female clownfish are fertilized and guarded by the male clownfish. He is the one who takes care of the eggs. He becomes free when the eggs get hatched and larvae come out of the hatched eggs. Clownfish is a beautiful fish that is liked all over the world because of its elegant style and appearance. People like to keep clownfish in their aquariums in order to increase the beauty of an aquarium. Clownfish, which is also called anemone fish, belongs to the order Perciformes, its family is Pomacentridae, its genus is Amphiprion and its species is ocellaris (Boyer 2009). Its scientific name is Amphiprion ocellaris (Fishlore.com 2007a). Clownfish is called anemone fish because of its symbiotic relationship with sea anemones (Hoff 1996). Symbiosis can be defined as a process in which, both the organisms are benefited because of the relationship that is formed between them. Clownfish and sea anemone forms a symbiotic association with the anemone due to which, clownfish as well as the sea anemone, both are mutually in advantage (Fishlore.com 2007b). As far as its habitat is concerned, the clownfish is found in warm waters, which are oceanic and sultry (Boyer 2009). The clownfish is usually at most 5 inches long and at least 2 inches small. The male clownfish is smaller in size than female clownfish (Randall, et. al 1997). There is a very interesting fact about clownfish and its gender. When a clownfish gives birth, all the newly born are males (Fishlore.com 2007a). In fact, the clownfish is male at its birth and remains male until it becomes dominant than other male clownfish around it. When one clownfish grows in size and gets

Marketing issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing issue - Essay Example http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060505/us_nm/nevada_drugs_dc;_ylt=AreuRXBOHf5yVltO1LMj6HWyBhIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA- It's no longer just the hardworking women who make money at strip clubs. These late-night hangouts, with their booming sound systems and gender-mixed crowds, have become big business for the record industry, particularly for hip-hop labels. "Strip clubs have become the main breaking place for records, especially in the South," says Jermaine Dupri, president of urban music for Virgin Records. The music industry increasingly has embraced the strip club out of necessity and convenience. At strip joints, DJs are able to play full tracks and can take a chance on underground and unproven material. Just about the right place to launch one's career in music. But will these hip-hop labels truly help turn out good music for all ages There are so many performers today who are good enough to break the jinx and make it count. Unfortunately there are not too many takers. Will the entry of Virgin Records bring more music companies into strip clubs Could this be turning point of the recording indus try in the United States It's just a matter of time. U.S. Geological Survey. The aquatic invasion is widespread. Half of all streams in the West are home to non-native fish. Few habitat types are immune, and humans are largely to blame. One of the most surprising conclusions in the new study: In streams that are among the most pristine, there are generally more non-native fish than native. With global warming changing the ecosystem, there has been many natural calamities witnessed the world over. It is time that mankind takes a closer look at what he been doing to unsettle the eco-system. Industrialization at the expense of a greener Earth is taking a step closer to extinction. Could these fishes have come as a blessing in disguise for Green Peace activists Only time will tell. http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060507/sc_space/nonnativefishinvadewesternstreams;_ylt=Aq4yaqyNiuaoS3a242Z6bYUPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA-- 4. Rather than reach for the television remote control when she wants to be entertained, Karalyn Valente goes online to play "EverQuest," "Ultima Online" and other video games - a gaming habit shared by millions in the United States. According to a new AP-AOL Games poll, 40 percent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Men, younger adults and minorities were most likely to play those games. The trend to move from the 'idiot box' is a cause of concern for the media managers. There is this serious concern that if nothing is done quickly to bring people back to television viewing; the industry is in for a major transformation that could take away thousands of jobs. Video games attract people for the simple reason that they get associated with the characters that transforms into a strong bond.

GE cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GE cases - Essay Example Crotonville is basically a business oriented university for GE Company. It is at times referred to as the John F. Welch Leadership Development Center (Nikravan, 2011, p. 38). It has attained a wide recognition over the past years due to its commitment to excellence in management and leadership development of employees. Besides, it is also known for sharing the best leadership practices and values throughout the world. Crotonville therefore enables organizations to look positively towards the future thereby making them to gain a competitive advantage. This is attained through the exchange of knowledge with consumers, suppliers and associates. Comparatively, Crotonville has been seen to improve the present and future managers. For instance, it has introduced a cultural diversity framework hence spreading the main corporate inventiveness all over GE. This also enables the managers to interact and gain more experience. The absolute mission of Crotonville is to â€Å"invent, detect and transfer organizational knowledge† (Fulmer & Goldsmith, 2000, p.60) in order to enhance the growth and competence of GE’s employees all over the world. From this, it can be ascertained that Crotonville has multiple duties and purposes to GE. First of all, it educates the employees. This is achieved through the provision of executive development programs which focuses on leadership, management, change, stigmatization and the company’s key initiatives among other aspects. Secondly, it is a tool or channel that GE uses to communicate and strengthen its values with the general stakeholders of the company. For instance, it offers programs and sessions with key customers that enable them not only to succeed, but to improve the customer relations as well. Examples of these programs could include customer briefings, change management, adaptation, and integration. Equally important, Crotonville acts as a link to transmitting the best

What Is Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

What Is Political Philosophy Essay What is philosophy and particularly political philosophy? Philosophy is a broad or specific study of areas concerned with existence, values, ethics, knowledge and reason. The word philosophy is rooted in the Greek word philosophia which literally meant ‘the love of knowledge’ So questioning human existence is one example: Does God really exists etc. Important as well are questions about what we know and what we can know; both constitute the area of philosophy known as epistemology (the theory of knowledge) Ethics is also a part of philosophy dealing with human conduct. What responsibilities do we have to ourselves as well as others? The study of political philosophy asks questions surrounding a just society and or state. David Rafael defines political philosophy as a doctrine or ideology setting up norms or ideal standards for the society. He claims that the ideal philosophy tells us what we ought to be or to do. In this regard political philosophy differs from political science. Political science seeks to explain facts as instances of general laws, but political philosophy is more idealistic. Hence; †¢philosophy- what ought to be done (idealist). †¢science- what actually happens/ based on facts (more realist) In studying philosophy, a central feature or one can say is the most dominant feature is the Western Civilization. Western civilization should not be confused as a geographical concept. As noted by Ebenstein and Ebenstein (2000) â€Å"Its birthplace is the Mediterranean  ¬ Greece, Palestine and Italy. From there it spread through Europe and the Middle East. A penetration into Asia and Africa lasted for several centuries. † Importantly, the spread of the west should not be confused with mere colonial expansion. It’s broader than that. It is the way of thought, Language yes, but religion, ethics, morals, ideas of life and livelihood are only some of the broader areas that the â€Å"West† embodies. E. g. Less than two hundred and fifty years old, the United States is now the centre of gravity of western civilization in terms of economics, politics, culture and military power. In antiquity, Athens, Jerusalem and Rome were the leading points. During the Dark Ages, Byzantium was the most important site of cultural, literal, and administrative leadership. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Paris was the undisputed cultural capital of the West. In the nineteenth century, London inherited that place. New York became the leading artistic, scientific and intellectual clearing-house in the world during the twentieth century, and its place in the year 2000 is being taken, in terms of cultural influence by Los Angeles demonstrating the geographical mobility of western civilization. Western political thought (Philosophy) The tradition is generally associated with historical Greek cultures. In the early days Greece was a divided polis (city-state) which was constantly at war: an example is the Peloponnesian War between the democratic Athens and the Authoritarian Sparta. The Greek World view; intellectual culture and political practice spread as a result of colonial expansion. It spread further when Europe colonized the rest of the world. The Greeks idea of democracy and of course its political traditions spread to other areas with the rise of Macedonia whose leader at the time was Alexander the Great and he was taught by Aristotle. Alexander the great formed an empire that encompassed a federation of Greek states. It included Egypt, parts of India and other territories which we know now as Uzbekistan. The western traditions in Political Philosophy became more dominant in the European conquest, its creation of the plantation system, the dominance of African labour and eventual colonial subjugation of the non-European world. So here we are: how do we identify the defining features of Western Political thought? Ebenstein says that we have to find the things that are so central to the society and strip them away and see if the society exists without them. The Roots of the West are as follows: †¢the Greeks concept of Reason †¢two, the Jewish belief in one God (monotheism) †¢and three, the Christian conception of love. In the Great Political Thinkers (Ebenstein and Ebenstein, 2000) †¢Rationality: â€Å"The belief and use of reason are not inventions of the 20th century. However they argued that the Greeks invented rationality. They noted that Greeks did not start from scratch, as various Oriental people influenced them but they noted that Greek civilizations has it imprinted itself on the rest of the world, was Originally, the Greeks were not derived from earlier people in the direct way the rest of the world barrowed the ideas from the Greeks. The supreme Greek ideal was to think clearly. †¢Monotheism (belief in one God) is the second root of the West, with the resulting concepts of brotherhood of mankind (all men and women being children of the same Father) and one of one world ruled by a higher law which is above human whim and arbitrariness. It could be argued that other societies came close to the concept of â€Å"one God† before the Jews did; but the Jews were the first to build their whole life around their belief in God, and to base their thoughts, ethics, laws and government on this belief. †¢Love (Christian conception) is the third root of the West. Christianity incorporated Greek rationalism and absorbed Jewish monotheistic ethics, and added a new dimension that went beyond both: the principle of love as the basis of people’s relation with God, and more importantly, each other. Here, the point can be made that Greek thought and life put a great value on â€Å"sympathy† (a Greek word meaning â€Å"to feel with†) and friendship, the latter considered by Aristotle, for example, to be the basis of all social and political organizations. The Greeks were intensely interested in love; Plato’s dialogue Symposium is one of the great conversations on love in world Literature. Yet love in Symposium is primarily the mutual embrace of two souls soaring together to the heights of perfection in life of reason. On a lower level, love was seen by the Greeks as a fierce demon, something approaching madness. Similarly, classical Jewish thought emphasizes compassion and charity, and admonishes its adherents to â€Å"love thy neighbour as thyself†. But neither the Greek nor the Jewish conception of love has the unconditional, universal character of Christian love. In Christian thought, love is not in the periphery of life, in the rare moments of ecstasy, but in the centre of life: Love is life itself. EXERCISE QUESTION 1 (This question is only for discussion in the first tutorial and will not be accepted as coursework). What is the meaning of epistemology, ontology, and agency? How do you define and identify yourself? What are the sources of ideas and meanings you have been using to define and identify yourself? What are the epistemological bases of your personhood? Why do you believe what you believe? What beliefs, what set of ideas have shaped your concept of self and who you are and are becoming?

Starbucks Leadership Styles

Starbucks Leadership Styles Introduction: Starbucks started in 1971 when three friends started coffee business, and their main objective was to sell coffee beans and equipment. Howard Schultz joined the company in 1982 and turned it into becoming an international brand. Schultz’s main goal and vision as CEO was to make people realize that buying a cup of coffee in Starbucks is lifetime experience. Under Schultz leadership Starbucks has achieved number of milestones. Schultz received an International Humanitarian Award in 1996 from Care for his vision and leadership developing in an innovative partnership between Starbucks and Care to support people in coffee originating countries. Schultz view of leadership: Howard Schultz’s statement â€Å"If they had faith in me and my motives they wouldn’t need a union† reflects his powerful communication skills as a leader. He knows how to build emotional connection with the staff. The heart of leadership is trust. Without trust you cannot lead. Exemplary leaders are devoted to building relationships based on mutual respect and caring. Watson (1983). The mark of a successful leader is his ability to forecast the business trends and stay ahead of his competitors (Luthans 1998). That means leadership involves skills and abilities that are useful whether one is in the executive position or frontline. However union signifies group of a workforce in certain businesses who form a link between an employer and unionized employees in which terms and condition of employment are determined. It also helps to improve the conditions at workplace and negotiate with employers on issues of wages, medical reimbursement or sickness. When employees and employers are not able to come to one decision then trade union negotiate with employer to reach to an agreement and the union members must follow that (Booth, 1995). In February 2007 Schultz says in one of letter to Starbucks employees â€Å"My focus is on you ‘the partners who have made Starbucks such a trusted presence around the world. And my focus is on preserving the trust that we have built with our customers and each other over the years. I want you to know that you can be proud of the company we all work for and that you can continue to trust the foundation it’s built upon† Schultz had trust in his employees as he had build up strong relationship with them in Starbucks by understand their desires. Schultz leadership has developed a good teamwork and integration of the individual and groups and goal. Schultzs leadership approach makes staff feel like partners. That is why frontline staff in the stores are so welcoming and passionate. He gave his employees protection, dignity, empowerment and a good working environment. That is why Schultz says that Starbucks doesn’t need a union because he is doing everything for the employees what usually a union does. Approaches to Leadership: There are many ways of looking at leadership and many interpretations of its meaning. Leadership might be based on function of personality or, it can be seen as a behavioura3 category (Vecchio, 2000) . It may also be viewed in terms of the role of the leaders and their ability to achieve effective performance from others. The relationship between leaders and management is that management is more usually viewed as getting work done though other people to achieve organizational objectives (Worsfold, 1989), where as leaders are more concerned with the attention to communicating with motivating, encouraging and involving people (Hunt, 1986). There are so many theories and models of leadership like Traits approach, the functional approach, Leadership as behavioral category, Style approach, Contingency models, and Transformational Leadership. Here I would like to discuss Transformational leadership with regard to leadership approach and style in Starbucks. In recent years increasing business competitiveness and the need for the most effective use of human resources are needed. The transformational leadership’s view focuses on idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individual consideration (Bass, 1985). According to Bass transformational leaders motivates followers to do more than what they are expected and the extent of transformation is measured in terms of leader’s effects on followers. It emphasizes on generating a vision for the organization, creating a feeling of justice, loyalty and trust. Idealized Influence: symbolizes the capability of building confidence in the leader and values the leader by his followers. As Starbucks is an employee-focused company, Schultz has taken a great care in recruiting partners and promotes the existing partners. Schultz made himself as example for the employees to follow him. Inspirational Motivation: is the behaviour of the leader, respect and admiration of followers. Leadership in Starbucks has ensured that high wages, benefits, stock plans and positive working environment are one of the reasons to maintain motivation among the staff. Intellectual Stimulation: leaders who solicit new and novel approaches for performance to work, creative problem solutions. Schultz invested in training and development of the employees. Starbucks appreciated feedback from the employees and they felt empowered and encouraged. Starbucks’ one of the most thriving innovations came from the employees â€Å"Frappuccino† a popular cold coffee. Individual Consideration: true leaders are those who listen to their followers and give special consideration to their needs and wants. Starbucks leadership provided parent group day care for their children, health insurance and work life balance. Leadership Styles: In order to get the best results from the employees, leaders need to encourage and be co-operative to the employees (Bonnington,1988) .According to Adair (2003) Leadership style is the way in which the functions of leadership are carried out . Three main classification of leadership style are autocratic style, democratic style and laissez-faire (genuine )style (Belbin,1993). Here I would like to discuss democratic style of leadership with regard to leadership style in Starbucks. In democratic style, the functions of leadership are shared with the members of the group. The group members have a greater say in decision making (Useem, 2001). Starbucks leadership team is among the best when it comes to global market. Schultz looked for employees who are team player and have passion to work for Starbucks. Schultz took care of employees and treated them with respect. He has created a unique culture in Starbucks in which entrepreneurship and empowerment, quality and service define values of leadership. Schultz gave more power to employees in decision making and also flexibility to choose their own working hours. He honoured the feedback from the employees in Starbucks therefore I can say that Schultz had democratic style of leadership in Starbucks Conclusion: I would summarize by saying that Starbucks is the most flourishing coffee shop in the world and with Schultz leadership and vision Starbucks still continue expand. Starbucks take great care in recruitment and selection and trains them intensively. Schultz believes that it is important for Starbucks respect all the employees and motives them. Starbucks enjoys the democratic style of leadership. References: Adair, J (2003). The Inspirational Leader : How to Motivate, Encourage and Achieve Success, Kogan Bass, B.M. (1985) , B.M. Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, Free Press . Belbin, R.M (1993). Team Roles at Work, Butterworth Heinemann. Bonnington C, (1988) ‘Leading to the Top: The Successful Management of People’, Office and Information Management International, pp8-9. Booth, A.L (1995). The Economics of The Trade Union, Cambridge University Press. Druker, P.F (1998) .The Practice of Management, Heinemann Professional Fullan,M (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change, Jossey-Bass Hunt J W, Managing People at Work, Second edition, McGraw-Hill. Luthans.F. (1998) Organizational Behavior, Boston, MA. McGraw-Hill Useem, M. ‘How to Groom Leaders of the Future’ in Pickford, J.(ed) Financial Times Mastering Management, p.297 Vecchio, R. P. Organizational Behavior: Core Concepts, Fourth edition, Dryden Press. Watson C M, ‘ Leadership (1983), Management and the Seven Keys’, Business. Whitehead, M (2002). ‘ Everyone’s a Leader Now’, Supply Mnangement Worsfold, P. (1989). Leadership in the Hospitality Industry’ in Cassee E and Reuland (eds), International Journal of Hospitality Zaleznik, A (1977). Managers and leaders: Are they Different? Harvard Business Review Horizons. http://www.docstoc.com http://www.businessweek.com Q4. ‘Motivated and committed human resources were the key to successes. What strategies has Starbucks used in order to gain the motivation and commitment of its employees? With reference to appropriate theories and models, provide a reasoned discussion of how the company can ensure the levels of motivation and commitment that it needs to succeed in the future? Starbucks has more than 3,300 locations all over the world and serves coffee to its coffee lovers every day. It has the history of tremendous growth and success. In addition to the sales of coffee and coffee beans, the company enjoys the remarkable repute as a progressive employer. Starbucks is known for its friendly policies and motivational programs. The employees who are constantly in contact with the customers are the frontline staff. Hence Starbucks motivates, trains and rewards employees turning them into a committed and motivated workforce. The foundation of the company’s mission statement are five guiding principals and one of these principal is to provide great work and treat each other with respect and dignity. Strategies of motivation: According to the case study, motivated and committed human resources are the key to success in Starbucks. Howard Shultz believes that success of Starbucks is not coffee but employees and feels honoured about the value about the Starbucks employees. That is why it is essential to have intensive training policy for the better performance in the company (Michelli,2006). Starbucks offers an interactive structure that encourages employees to commit themselves into their job so they can motivate partners to satisfy themselves and also achieve a new level of performance. Starbucks use strategies to motivate employees and in order to gain the commitment. Starbuck’s motivational strategies programs for its employees are: Selecting the right people Investment in training and development Work life balance Employee ownership Feedback system Non capitalization job tittles Flexibility Mission review program Parameters of success in Starbucks: Due to Starbucks motivational strategies Starbucks continues to expand geographically. Starbucks has more than 15,000 stores all over the world (www.starbucks.com). Starbucks employees are highly trained and have good customer service skills. Starbucks is ranked as the 16th â€Å"Best company to work for† in America by Fortune magazine. Starbucks has low turnover of employees as their need were taken care of and they are motive and committed towards work. Starbucks has changed a concept of coffee into ‘Starbucks Experience’ It has resulted the customers to come back approximately 18 times a month. Theoretical Framework: There are several motivation theories that have helped organizations to figure out how employees can be motivated. Motivation is â€Å"the internal process that activates, guide and maintain behaviour† (Baron, 1991). Robertson and Smith (1985) agree that ‘motivation is psychological concept related to the strength and direction of human behaviour. According to research, motivations theories can offer guidance to anyone with an interest in motivational issues. These do not give a definite answer to all the motivation questions but it provides a framework. There are many variables such as moods, financial circumstances etc that work together to create a situation and a person concerned to fully understand why variables result in particular behaviours Gorman (2003). Vroom expectancy theory: The expectancy theory of Victor Vroom deals with motivation and management. Vroom’s theory is based on idea that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards. Rewards may be either positive or negative. Employees will be highly motivated if the reward is positive and negative rewards lead to less motivated employees (Vroom, 1964). According to research motivation develops commitment among employees. Developing a stronger commitment and the motivation allows you to be well recognizing in the market and gain market share. According to Starbucks case study Starbucks hire right people by having right people. Starbucks implement intensive training program for each employee before starting their job. Starbucks recognizes the efforts made by the employees in order to get high performance. To gain high performance rewards are offered by Starbucks to their employees in open forum such as Warm Regards, the Mug Award and the â€Å"Spirit of Starbucks Award†. Other benefits like training and development, flexible timings partner connection, equality etc are offered in order to motivate and gain commitment. Rewards develop motivation and Starbucks offers rewards and benefits to motivate their employees. Sustaining motivation and commitment: To sustain the level of motivation and commitment in future, Starbucks treats its employees well. Starbucks offers opportunity to all full and part time employees to receive stock option, healthcare benefits, sick pay and bean stock etc. Starbucks continues with building programmes that address to personal life and needs of its partner. Starbucks carries out regular surveys of its partners to measure their needs and take action with suitable work life solution. Starbucks transforms the behaviours and opinion of overall coffee consumer. Starbucks is not only of the fastest growing company but it is also an excellent business model with high profit performance and low turnover. According to the case study, it is obvious that motivation is the key factor of Starbucks’ strategy. A good relationship between Starbucks’ employees maintains a high quality performance. Starbucks have great responsibility towards their staff. Their decisions affects directly or indirectly on employees desire and interests and overall ability to love what they do for living. Employees would have many reasons to stay with Starbucks if the staff are motivated. To ensure the levels of motivation and commitment that Starbucks needs to succeed in the future, the company should introduce more benefits and training programs to motivate employees. Long term service recognition awards should be offered which would increase performance and commitment. Variations i n benefits to employees can give opportunity to Starbucks employees to stay motivated and committed such as giving them an opportunity to win a holiday if one has been employee of the month for 3 months. References: Baron R.A. (1991) ‘Motivation in work settings: reflections on the core of organizational research ‘. Motivation and Emotion. Vol.15, No.1.pp1-8 Gorman P. (2003). Motivation and Emotion, Rutledge, New York. Kanfer R. (1998) ‘Motivation’. In Nicholson N. (ed.) Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Organizational Behaviour. Oxford, Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Kanfer R. (1990) ‘Motivation theory and industrial and organizational psychology’. In Dunnette M.D. AND Hough L.M. (EDS) Handbook of Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Palo Alto, Ca, Consulting Psychologists. Michelli, J (2006) the Starbucks experience McGraw-Hill Smith, K.L (1990). The future of leaders in Extension. Journal of Extension. Vroom, V.H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley. Weiner B. (1992) Human Motivation. Metaphors, theories and research. California, Sage Publications. http://brandautopsy.typepad.com

Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a term used to define a chip or microcontroller. This chip or microcontroller can be placed into a motherboard configuration such as devices like mobile devices, or a personal computer (PCs). The requirements and application was presented and established by the Trusted Computing Group (TCG), to deliver a solution where a reliable and genuine relationship exists amongst hardware and software configurations. This facility was executed through cryptographic and hashing algorithms. Additional, TPM offers remote confirmation, a verification and authentication process for other third party software. TPM is a global standard for a protected crypto processor, which is a devoted microcontroller or chip intended to protect hardware by joining cryptographic keys into devices. TPMs technical requirements were established and written by TCG and launched in 2003. TCG was created as a nonprofit from inception and known to have brands like Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard as clients. TPM just as well as others has flaws, and suffers from attacks. These attacks include offline dictionary and OIAP attacks; nevertheless, when joined with other endpoint control systems like multifactor authentication, network access control, and malware detection, TPMs contribution to a sound security platform is valid. (Sparks, 2007) This survey is a complete review of research conducted on TPM, its components, mechanisms, application, and authorization protocols. Furthermore, a description of some common attacks to which TPM has been a victim will be presented. Finally, more recent and future implementations will be discussed, such as the incorporation of TPM within mobile and smart devices and even within cloud computing. First, it is important to start with an overview of the TPM specification, its components, and its purpose. The TPM background section discusses in some detail an overarching summary of TPM. This will include what the motivations and advantages are to using TPM as well as how the different types of keys function. Also discussed is the evolution of TPM over time in how it functions in both its hardware encryption but also its capabilities. 2.1 TPM Summary A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a cryptographic coprocessor that replaced smart cards in the 1990s and then became present on most commercial personal computer (PCs) and servers. TPMs are almost ubiquitous in computer hardware and typically not seen by users because of the lack of compelling applications that use them. However, this situation has changed effective with TPM version 1.16 by adding the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) bit which is a static flag that verifies if the device or firmware the TPM is attached to is FIPS 140-2 cryptographic module compliant. This compliance is then registered by the consolidated validation certificates granted when FIPS 140-2 is validated and are then registered and published at NIST as public record listed alphabetically by vendor located at http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/1401vend.htm. (TCG FIPS 140-2 Guidance for TPM 2.0, ver 1, rev.8, 2016) Therefore, the line of thinking of TPM has increasingly becom e one of importance and an essential ingredient to cryptographic defense community whom are required to prove their FIPS 140-2 compliance. However, this was not always the case since security was not a mainstream issue in the early years of the Internet. 2.2 Motivation to use TPM The motivation for TPM began decades after the advent of what is known as the Internet. From the creation of Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in 1969 it took almost nineteen (19) years for us to become aware of the first known exploit called the Internet Worm in 1988. (Pearson Education, Inc., 2014) Until this time the focus had always been on the development of the computer with no security hardware and software that was easy to use. There was a real concept of information security threats. However, in the 1990s there was the concept of the potential of commerce the Internet would have and the need to secure the PCs that would exchange with that commerce. This prompted many computer engineers to convene and form and develop the first TPMs which became known to be as the Trusted Computing Group (TPM: A Brief Introduction, 2015). A main objective of this group was a cost effective approach to create a hardware anchor for PC system security on which secure systems could be buil t. This first resulted in a TPM chip that was required to be attached to a motherboard and the TPM command set was architected to provide all functions necessary for its security use cases. 2.2.1.Evolution TPM has evolved considerably over the years to become the trusted platform it is today. The earlier TPM 1.2 standard was incorporated into billions of PCs, servers, embedded systems, network gear and other devices, the evolving Internet of Things and increasing demand for security beyond traditional PC environment led TCG to develop a new TPM specification, which recently was adopted as an international standard ISO/IEC 11889:2015. For more flexibility of application and to enable more widespread use of the specification, TCG created TPM 2.0 with a library approach. This allows users to choose applicable aspects of TPM functionality for different implementation levels and levels of security. Also, new features and functions were added, such as algorithm agility, the ability to implement new cryptographic algorithms as needed (Trusted Platform Module (TPM): A Brief Introduction, 2015). ISO/IEC 11889-1:2015 ISO/IEC 11889-1:2015 defines the architectural elements of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a device which enables trust in computing platforms in general. Some TPM concepts are explained adequately in the context of the TPM itself. Other TPM concepts are explained in the context of how a TPM helps establish trust in a computing platform. When describing how a TPM helps establish trust in a computing platform, ISO/IEC 11889-1:2015 provides some guidance for platform requirements. However, the scope of ISO/IEC 11889 is limited to TPM requirements (Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Summary, 2008). 2.3 TPM Working Functionality The TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is a computer chip (microcontroller) that can securely store artifacts used to authenticate the platform on a PC or laptop. These artifacts can include passwords, certificates, or encryption keys. A TPM can also be used to store platform measurements that help ensure that the platform remains trustworthy. This is critical because Authentication and attestation are necessary to ensure safer computing in all environments. Trusted modules can be used in computing devices other than PCs, such as mobile phones or network equipment (Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Summary, 2008). . Figure 1: Components of a TPM 2.3.1 Hardware-based cryptography This cryptography makes certain that the data stored in hardware is guarded against malicious threats such as external software attacks. Also, many types of applications storing secrets on a TPM can be developed to strengthen security by increasing the difficulty of access without proper authorization. If the configuration of the platform has been altered as a result of unauthorized activities, access to data and secrets can be denied and sealed off using these applications. TPM is not responsible for control of other proprietary or vendor software running on a computer. However, TPM can store pre-run time configuration parameters, but it is other applications that determine and implement policies associated with this information. Also, processes can be made secure and applications such as email or secure document management. For example, if at boot time it is determined that a PC is not trustworthy because of unexpected changes in configuration, access to highly secure applications can be blocked until the issue is remedied. With a TPM, one can be more certain that artifacts necessary to sign secure email messages have not been affected by software attacks. And, with the use of remote attestation, other platforms in the trusted network can make a determination, to which extent they can trust information from another PC. Attestation or any other TPM functions do not transmit personal information of the user of the platform. 2.3.2 Capabilities TPM can improve security in many areas of computing, including e-commerce, citizen-to-government applications, online banking, confidential government communications and many other fields where greater security is required. Hardware-based security can improve protection for VPN, wireless networks, file encryption (as in Microsofts BitLocker) and password/PIN/credentials management. TPM specification is OS-agnostic, and software stacks exist for several Operating Systems. 2.4TPM Components Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is the core component of trusted computing. TPM is implemented as a secure hardware chip and provides the hardware Root of Trust. TPM has been designed to provide trusted computing based on Trusted Computing Group (TCG) specifications. TPM functions can be implemented either in hardware or software. A secure cryptographic chip (Figure 2) can be integrated on the motherboard of a computing device according to TPM 1.2 specifications (Angela, Renu Mary, Vinodh Ewards, 2013). Figure 2: A TPM 1.2 Chip (Source http://www.infineon.com) A logical layout of the TPM is represented below (Figure 3) along with the TPM components. Figure 3: TPM Component Diagram (Zimmer, Dasari, Brogam, 2009) Information flow is managed by the I/O component through the communication bus. The I/O component handles routing of messages to various components within the TPM and establishes access control for TPM functions and the Opt-in component. The non-volatile memory in the TPM is a repository for storing the Endorsement Key (EK) and the Storage Root Key (SRK). These long-term keys are the basis of key hierarchy. Owners authorization data such as password and persistent flags are also stored in the non-volatile memory (Trusted Computing Group, 2007). Platform Configuration Registers (PCR) are reset during power-offs and system restarts and can be stored in volatile or non-volatile region. In TPM v 1.1, minimum number of registers that can be implemented is 16. Registers 0-7 are allocated for TPM usage leaving the remaining registers (8-15) to be used by operating system and applications (Angela, Renu Mary, Vinodh Ewards, 2013). In TPM v 1.2, number of registers can be 24 or more and categorized as static PCRs (0-16) and dynamic PCRs (17-22). The Program Code, also known as Core Root of Trust for Measurement (CRTM) is the authoritative source for integrity measurements. Execution engine is responsible for initializing TPM and taking measurements. The execution engine is the driver behind the program code. RNG (Random Number Generator) is used for generating keys, nonce creation and to fortify passphrase entropy. The SHA-1 engine plays a key role in creating key Blobs and hashing large blocks of data. TPM modules can be shipped with various states ranging from disabled, and deactivated to fully enabled. The Opt-in component ensures the state of TPM modules during shipping. The RSA engine can be used for a variety purposes including key signing, encryption/decryption using storage keys and decryption using EK. The AIK (Attestation Identity Key) is an asymmetric key pair typically linked to the platform module that can be used to vouch for the validity of the platforms identity and configuration. The RSA key generation engine are used for creating symmetric keys of up to 2048 bits. 2.5 TPM Keys TCG keys can be categorized as signing or storage keys. Other key types defined by TCG are Platform, Identity, Binding, General and Legacy keys (Trusted Computing Group, 2007). Signing keys can be classified as general purpose keys and are asymmetric in nature. Application data and messages can be signed by the TPM using signing keys. Signing keys can be moved between TPM devices based on restrictions in place. Storage keys are asymmetric keys and primarily used for encrypting data and other keys as well as for wrapping keys. Attestation Identity Keys (AIK) are used for signing data pertaining to the TPM such as PCR register values. AIK are signing keys that cannot be exported. Endorsement Key (EK) is used for decrypting the owner authorization credentials as well as cryptic messages created by AIK. EK is not used for encryption or signing and cannot be exported. Bind keys (symmetric keys) come in handy to encrypt data on one platform and decrypt it on a different platform. Legacy keys can be imported from outside the TPM and used for signing and encrypting data. Authentication keys are responsible for securing the transport sessions related to TPM and are symmetric in nature. Endorsement Key (EK) in the TPM plays a critical role to maintain system security. TPM uses a private key EK to generate other keys which are bound to a specific EK. EK should be secured and protected from being compromised. A 160-bit AIK authentication value is necessary to use the AIK by TPM (Sparks, 2007). The parent key used for generating other keys should be loaded first and authenticated by users before TPM can load all other keys. The EK is unique to the TPM and embedded within the tamper resistant non-volatile memory (Angela, Renu Mary, Vinodh Ewards, 2013). Public EK is used for creating AIK certificates and during the process of encrypting data within the TPM. The private key pair of EK is not touched when generating signatures. Multiple AIKs can be stored within a TPM to ensure anonymity between various service providers requiring proof of identity. AIK keys should be stored in secure external storage (outside the TPM) to make them persistent. AIKs can be loaded on to th e volatile memory in the TPM when in use. TPM has a Storage Root Key which stays persistent. Keys are not stored permanently in TPM due to limited storage space. A brief description of the process involved in key generation, encryption, and decryption in TPM is outlined below (Osborn Challener, 2013). A new RSA key is generated by the TPM when a key creation request is initiated by a software. TPM concatenates a value to the RSA key, appends authorization data and then the data is encrypted using the public section of the Storage Root Key and sends an encrypted blob to the requested software. A request is sent for the key to be retrieved from the blob storage when requested by the software program. TPM uses the Storage Root Key for decryption and validates the proof value and password before loading the key into TPM memory. This loaded key is referred to as the parent key and can be used for subsequent key creation forming key hierarchies. The TMP security section discusses in some detail the various ways in which security is implemented and vulnerable. TPM authorization protocols in both version 1.2 and version 2.0 are addressed. Several examples of different types of TPM vulnerabilities are outlined as well as ways to verify the integrity of the system to protect against this vulnerabilities and what the future holds for TPM. 3.1 TPM Authorization Protocols TPM 1.2 Authorization The basic definition of TPM authorization is the process of verifying that software is allowed to use a TPM key. For TPM 1.2 this process is accomplished by utilizing a couple basic commands in an authorization session; typically using passwords or values stored in the Platform Configuration Registers (PCRs) which are referred to as authorization data. The three types of authorization sessions for TPM 1.2 are: Object Independent Authorization Protocol (OIAP), which creates a session that allows access to multiple objects, but works only for certain commands; Object Specific Authorization Protocol (OSAP), which creates a session that can manipulate only a single object, but allows for new authorization transfer; and Delegate-Specific Authorization Protocol (DSAP), which delegates access to an object without disclosing the authorization data (Nyman, Ekberg, Asokan, 2014). Commands are then used to manipulate the keys within an authorization session. Software can prove that it is trusted by sending a command which includes the password hash to verify it has knowledge of the password. Also the locking of non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM) to PCRs and particular localities is utilized for two different authorizations; one for reading and one for writing. While effective, these authorization mechanisms created a relatively rigid authorization system which make it difficult to administrate the sharing of TPM keys and data (Osborn Chaneller, 2013). 3.1.2 TPM 2.0 Authorization The implementation of TPM 2.0 on the other hand, takes a couple different approaches by introducing enhanced authorization (EA). EA takes methods from the TPM 1.2 authorization methods and improves upon them by incorporating features mentioned in Table 1 below. Table 1. TPM 2.0 Authorization Feature Description Passwords in the clear Reduces overhead in environments where the security of hash message authentication (HMAC) may not be feasible due to its extra cost and complexity HMAC key In some cases when the software talking to the TPM is trusted but the OS is untrusted (like in a remote system), it could be useful to use HMAC for authorization the same way as used in TPM 1.2 Signature methods Allows IT employees to perform maintenance on a TPM by authenticating using a smart card or additional data such as a biometric fingerprint or GPS location. This ensures that passwords cant be shared or compromised by unauthorized users and that an additional verification check is conducted PCR values as a proxy for system boot state If the system management module software has been compromised, this prevents the release of the full-disk encryption key Locality as a proxy for command origins Can be used to indicate whether a command originated from the CPU in response to a special request. Time Can limit the use of a key to certain times of the day Internal counter values Limits the use of an object so that a key can only be used a certain number of times indicated by an internal counter Value in a non-volatile (NV) index Use of a key is restricted to when certain bits are set to 1 or 0 NV index Authorization is based on whether the NV index has been written Physical presence Requires proof that the user is physically in possession of the platform (Table created with information from (Arthur, Challener, Goldman, 2015)) These features can be combined to create more complex policies by using the logical operators AND or OR which allows for the creation of policies to include multifactor/multiuser authentication of resources, limited time constraints for resources, and/or revocation of resources. (Arthur, Challener, Goldman, 2015). 3.2TPM Vulnerabilities When ranked against other standards, TPM comes in as highly secure but that isnt to say that it is immune to all attacks. There are several vulnerabilities that can allow an attacker to circumvent TPMs level of security. The sections below explain a few vulnerabilities that attackers can use to exploit TPM, and the mitigation techniques one could deploy to manage the risk. Dictionary Attack TPM authorization relies on a 20-byte authorization code that is sent by the requestor which if not properly locked down can result in an attacker guessing their way past the authorization. TPM issues guidance on how best to mitigate and prevent these attacks; however, the guidance is not very detailed and rather leaves the specifics up to the implementer. For example, one could implement a design that has TPM disable further input whenever it encounters more than 3 failed attempts. This would effectively prevent online dictionary attacks and has the added benefit of also preventing Denial-of-Service attacks. Weve spoken about preventing online dictionary attacks but where the threat truly comes into play is with an offline-based attack. This vulnerability comes into play when the authorization code is easily guessable, or in other words, poorly implemented. An attacker could observe a given command, the associated Key-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC) sent by the requestor and finally, the TPM response back. Since the HMAC is created from the authorization code, session handle and nonces; an attacker can utilize a dictionary attack to try different nonces and authorization codes with the given HMAC algorithm. A match would then provide the attacker with the correct authorization code. This offline attack bypasses TPMs lockout policy and though the attacker but sift through the random nonces and authorization codes, the method is a viable means of attack because it can be reasonably executed given the availability of time and computing resources. The mitigation for this comes down t o proper configuration and ensuring that the authorization code is not easily guessable. DRAM Attack Though this attack is not directly against TPM, it is worth mentioning as it is a viable way to circumvent TPMs security authorization protocols. TPM maintains its keys within non-volatile memory within the TPM component; however, when these keys are pulled by a requestor or requesting application, they are stored within Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). It is well known that one can easily exploit DRAM to extract valuable information (keys, passcodes, etc) with this even being demonstrated against Microsofts BitLocker encryption utility. During reboot, Windows would load the encryption keys stored within TPM into DRAM, prior to even prompting the user. Given this, an attacker could go in and dump the raw memory to an external device, obtain the keys, then utilize those keys to decrypt the disk. This flaw enabled attackers to gain access to data on stolen laptops, even with full disk encryption. This hits on how a system is designed and ensuring that every detail is accounted for. Even if your system has a TPM, it is only going to be as secure as the weakest component within the overall system. OIAP Replay Attack Replay attacks are a method used by many attackers across a multitude of systems. TPM is no exception and is vulnerable to replay attacks based on several characteristics. First, a TPM Object-Independent Authorization Protocol (OIAP) session can be left open for an indefinite period. The authorized session is only closed by the requestor whenever an abnormal message is received and finally, the HMAC that wraps the message can detect alterations to the message but cannot distinguish between a deliberate alteration and a simple network error. For example, an attacker would first capture a requestors authorized command for later use. The attacker then sends an abnormal message to the requestor which then fools it into resetting the session. The requestor is unable to distinguish between the abnormal message and a network error so no concern is raised. Since there is no concern, the TPM keeps the authorized session open, allowing the attacker the ability to replay the previously captured command through the open session. This could lead to the attacker being able to corrupt or even overwrite a subsequent command issued by the requestor. The TPM would not be able to notice this type of attack which is truly concerning based upon the foundational principles of TPM and its assurance of being able to detect unauthorized modifications to data. 3.3TPM Attestations Attestation is the method a platform uses to prove to another platform that it is in a particular configuration by using a digitally signed set of cryptographic hash values which creates a trust between platforms (Fisher, McCune, Andrews, 2011). The network server first creates a cryptographic random value (used to prevent replay attacks) called a nonce, which is then sent to the client. Software on the client then sends the nonce to the TPM and specifies an identity key. The TPM hashes the PCR values along with the nonce and then signs the hash with a private key. The client software sends this back to the server which then verifies the platform configuration by comparing the public portion of the identity key. This process provides hardware-based assurance that software on these platforms has not been modified. (Osborn Chaneller, 2013). Figure 5 provides a visual representation of attestation as provided by (Osborn Chaneller, 2013) Figure 5: Attestation In order for the attestation process to be valid however, it must be able to be proven that the TPM values from the client are not being spoofed. This can be accomplished using a couple of key components: attestation identity keys (AIK), which are created by the TPM and securely stored on disk before being reloaded into volatile TPM memory; endorsement keys (EK), which are hardcoded by the manufacturer into the TPM chip; and a privacy certificate authority (CA), which is a third-party validation entity. The first step of this process occurs when the public half of the AIK and EK is sent to the CA. The CA then uses the public EK certificate to verify that the request comes from a valid TPM by comparing it to a list of all valid TPM manufacturers public keys. The CA then puts the public AIK in a certificate and encrypts it with the public EK. This ensures that the only party that can decrypt it is the computer with the AIK of the corresponding TPM, thus confirming that the TPM from the requesting platform is trusted, and therefore, the attestation method is trusted as well. (Uppal Brandon, 2011). 3.4Application of TPM With the ever-evolving landscape of technology, there is an increased need for faster, more reliable and more secure methods of protecting private and personal data. TPM is a product of those evolving requirements and has thus been incorporated into many different sets of applications. This section will expand upon those sets of applications and delve into how TPM is utilized within the industry today. Encryption One of the most popular uses of TPM is to ensure the confidentiality of user data by providing full encryption capabilities for disks and file systems. The full disk encryption utilizes symmetric encryption with a key created from the users supplied passcode and used during the initial configuration and system boot. This protects against the loss of the disk drive and serves to facilitate disposal or repurposing of the drive since deleting the keys will result in the drive being wiped. The same method is utilized for the encryption of file systems and can be done so to protect specific nodes. Policy Enforcement With Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policies becoming more and more prevalent within the commercial businesses, TPM has found a use as a policy enforcement mechanism for remote access. TPM can be used to establish trust and verify a devices integrity before allowing remote connection to an organizations intranet. This utilization of TPM is comprised of a series of hashes that measure the predefined sequence of code loads, starting with the boot of the BIOS through the loading of the applications. The chain of hash measures are then compared to the stored value in order to validate the systems integrity. This is very useful for establishing the base operating environment and developing a baseline with which access control policies can be developed. Password Protection TPM protected storage provides a method of storing encryption/decryption keys as well as providing utility management of user passwords. Typically, the password manager retrieves the then encrypted password from TPM, decrypts it, and then sends it to the client application for validation. Since the passwords are usually sent to the client applications over plain-text, this is a serious vulnerability in which TPM can provide a solution for. Using the 20-byte authorization code, a TPM object is created for each user password with this then being saved in the objects authorization field. To verify a password, an application would need to send an OIAP request to access the TPM object. TPMs response to this request would indicated whether the password was correct or not. As a plus, this serves as both password storage and verification with the password never being sent to the application thus eliminating the vulnerability associated with plain-text. 3.5TPM Future TPM is compatible with many hardware and software platforms in use in todays commercial markets and is already in use by several major business functions, to include: Banking, E-Commerce, Biometrics and even Antivirus applications. Looking forward, TPM will play an even bigger role in the evolving mobile market, providing more enhanced security for cell phones, GPS tracking systems, tablets and more. TPM can be used to secure the Mobile Operating System (OS) from being modified by attackers and can be used to further secure authorized access by implementing a hard-coded digital signature solution. For GPS devices, TPM can be used to protect against the modification of system defined location parameters, thus preventing an attacker from adjusting those parameters to satisfy their ends. The biggest constraint facing TPMs implementation within the mobile realm is the space and power constraints on mobile devices. Research is being done on whether a mobile instantiation of TPM should be based on firmware, software or even hardware. A hardware implementation would be the most secure; however, the firmware-based option will likely prove to be the best approach as it will balance the security of the device with the size limitations. TPM is also being looked at with regards to providing security enhancements for cloud-based services. Cloud computing has migrated most of the standard desktop to a virtual and remotely