The Poetry Of E. E. Cummings Essays - Guggenheim Fellows, La

The Poetry of E. E. Cummings E. E. Cummings, who was born in 1894 and died in 1962, wrote many poems with unconventional punctuation and capitalization, and unusual line, word, and even letter placements - namely, ideograms. Cummings' most difficult form of prose is probably the ideogram; it is extremely terse and it combines both visual and auditory elements. There may be sounds or characters on the page that cannot be verbalized or cannot convey the same message if pronounced and not read. Four of Cummings' poems - l(a, mortals), !blac, and swi( - illustrate the ideogram form quite well. Cummings utilizes unique syntax in these poems in order to convey messages visually as well as verbally. Although one may think of l(a as a poem of sadness and loneliness, Cummings probably did not intend that. This poem is about individuality - oneness (Kid 200-1). The theme of oneness can be derived from the numerous inezces and forms of the number '1' throughout the poem. First, 'l(a' contains both the number 1 and the singular indefinite article, 'a'; the second line contains the French singular definite article, 'le'; 'll' on the fifth line represents two ones; 'one' on the 7th line spells the number out; the 8th line, 'l', isolates the number; and 'iness', the last line, can mean "the state of being I" - that is, individuality - or "oneness", deriving the "one" from the lowercase roman numeral 'i' (200). Cummings could have simplified this poem drastically ("a leaf falls:/loneliness"), and still conveyed the same verbal message, but he has altered the normal syntax in order that each line should show a 'one' and highlight the theme of oneness. In fact, the whole poem is shaped like a '1' (200). The shape of the poem can also be seen as the path of a falling leaf; the poem drifts down, flipping and altering pairs of letters like a falling leaf gliding, back and forth, down to the ground. The beginning 'l(a' changes to 'le', and 'af' flips to 'fa'. 'll' indicates a quick drop of the leaf, which has slowed by a longer line, 'one'. Finally, the leaf falls into the pile of fallen leaves on the ground, represented by 'iness'. Cummings has written this poem so perfectly that every part of it conveys the message of oneness and individuality (200). In mortals), Cummings vitalizes a trapeze act on paper. Oddly enough, this poem, too, stresses the idea of individualism, or 'eachness', as it is stated on line four. Lines 2 and 4, 'climbi' and 'begi', both end leaving the letter 'i' exposed. This is a sign that Cummings is trying to emphasize the concept of self-importance (Tri 36). This poem is an amusing one, as it shows the effects of a trapeze act within the arrangement of the words. On line 10, the space in the word 'open ing' indicates the act beginning, and the empty, static moment before it has fully begun. 'of speeds of' and '&meet&', lines 8 and 12 respectively, show a sort of back-and-forth motion, much like that of the motion of a trapeze swinging. Lines 12 through 15 show the final jump off the trapeze, and 'a/n/d' on lines 17 through 19, represent the deserted trapeze, after the acrobats have dismounted. Finally, '(im' on the last line should bring the reader's eyes back to the top of the poem, where he finds 'mortals)'. Placing '(im' at the end of the poem shows that the performers attain a special type of immortality for risking their lives to create a show of beauty, they attain a special type of immortality (36-7). The circularity of the poem causes a feeling of wholeness or completeness, and may represent the Circle of Life, eternal motion (Fri 26). Cummings first tightly written ideogram was !blac, a very interesting poem. It starts with '!', which seems to be saying that something deserving that exclamation point occurred anterior to the poem, and the poem is trying objectively to describe certain feelings resulting from '!'. "black against white" is an example of such a description in the poem; the clashing colors create a feeling in sync with '!'. Also, why "(whi)" suggests amusement and wonder, another feeling

Complementary and Alternative Medicines Essays

Complementary and Alternative Medicines Essays Complementary and Alternative Medicines Paper Complementary and Alternative Medicines Paper most notably in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. It is important for providers to understand that features of the historic Japanese culture remain within the mindset of Japanese Americans, and that these cultural characteristics influence the values, the communication practices, and the health care perspectives of Japanese Americans. In order to deliver culturally congruent care, providers should be aware that certain cultures possess differing values systems, and these values can have an effect on how a particular client within the culture communicates with health care providers. For example, if a person highly values respect, it would be wise for a provider to show the utmost respect for his or her client, perhaps by simply calling the client â€Å"Mr. or â€Å"Mrs. ,† lest the therapeutic relationship suffer. Providers should also be aware that culture has an effect on how a client perceives his or her own health, how a client views the causes of illness and disease, and how a client responds to particular health interventions (Potter Perry, 2009). Some Japanese Americans possess deep-rooted patterns of communicating that they use when interacting with other people. Providers should be familiar with these communication patterns, as well as the attitudes that some Japanese Americans may have toward alternative and complimentary therapies and death and dying issues. Only when providers understand these particular issues pertaining to Japanese Americans can they be able to deliver the culturally competent care needed to ensure desirable outcomes for their clients. Japanese Values Many health care providers are familiar with the core values associated with Japanese culture such as politeness, harmony, group orientation, and the desire for success. The Japanese also have three distinct words to  characterize three traditional values that, although dismissed by some as archaic remnants of the past, still permeate the culture (Wood, 2006). The first value, on, illustrates indebtedness. When Japanese Americans perceive that they are receiving high quality care, they may show their indebtedness by profusely thanking the caregiver. The concept of giri translates into an obligation to the community. Providers caring for a Japanese American may perceive that the client is very demanding when it comes to the care they receive, as he or she may believe that it is the obligation of the caregiver to operate in a precise and professional manner. The last traditional Japanese value is ninjo. Ninjo refers to the desire to follow a path that one thinks feels the most natural, despite social obligations (Wood, 2006). A provider who does not deliver excellent care to a Japanese American may find that the client wishes to be cared for by another healthcare professional. Communication All cultures can be categorized into two broad communication paradigms: low context and high context. People who operate in a low context culture tend to communicate in a direct manner, and they rely on the dissemination of explicit thoughts and ideas in order to give and obtain information. Conversely, people who function in a high context culture, like many people of Japanese decent, tend to be less likely to explicitly express their views, preferring instead to communicate in a less direct manner (Thill Bovee, 2008). The fact that many Japanese Americans operate in a high context cultural environment has tremendous healthcare implications. If a provider is attempting to assess the pain level of a Japanese American, the provider should take into account not only what the client actually says about his or her pain level, but also what the client may be saying with his or her eyes or through the use of body language. People of Japanese ancestry are likely to participate in a subtle exchange of messages with those in which they interact in order to attain a shared understanding. It often becomes important for a provider to look beyond what the client is actually saying, as it is not uncommon for Japanese Americans to suppress their emotions. According to Thill Bovee (2008), the high context Japanese culture does not automatically change simply because someone from a low context culture is communicating with them. Providers should be aware of the unique Japanese cultural communication and behavioral concept called amae. Although there is no English equivalent for this word, amae generally translates into a desire to be taken care of, along with the desire to depend upon another person’s benevolence. Providers should also be aware that amae often carries over into adult life in people of Japanese ancestry (Lebra Lebra, 1986). A provider caring for a Japanese American client may notice that some clients may not wish to feed or bathe themselves, or walk to the bathroom, even though he or she is able to do so. Understanding the concept of amae can help providers develop a treatment plan for increased motility by encouraging a Japanese American client to do certain tasks on their own in order to become more independent and self-confident. Alternative and Complimentary Therapies Many Japanese Americans rely upon alternative therapies that compliment traditional western medicine. These therapies include Kampo, Shiatsu massage, Japanese acupuncture, Japanese herbal medicine, and the popular therapy known as Reiki. A Japanese Buddhist Monk developed Reiki, the spiritual practice of palm healing, in the early 20th Century. The Japanese word Reiki means â€Å"universal life energy,† and this practice is used to reduce anxiety, stress, and pain; it is also used as a means to support overall well being (Mills, 2008). Providers should be aware that Japanese American clients are very open to this form of alternative and complimentary therapy. Understanding that some Japanese American clients may want a Reiki practitioner present in their room after a surgery procedure can help a provider better create a culturally sensitive health care plan for the client. Death and Dying  People of Japanese ancestry may look at the issue of euthanasia differently than those of other Americans. Whereas for the most part the Christian religious viewpoint on death and dying decries acts of euthanasia, many Japanese Americans, with their spiritual beliefs rooted in non-theistic or polytheistic religions such as Shintoism and Buddhism, may not see these issues in such unconditional terms. The country of Japan has practiced euthanasia for much of its history, and some Japanese view the prolongation of life by the use of artificial methods as an abhorrent action against life itself. A person’s right-to-die is engrained into the Japanese culture (Tanida, 2010). Providers should be culturally sensitive to the family of a Japanese American client who, for example, may be in a persistent vegetative state. Although a provider may adamantly disagree with the decision, if a Japanese American family chooses to not keep their loved one connected to artificial feeding tubes, a provider should not attempt to persuade or admonish the family simply because the family’s views on death and dying differ from his or her own views on the subject. The Japanese culture also has a history of glorifying suicide. The belief that suicide is a respectable escape from this world can be traced back to the times of medieval samurai, and this belief is still embedded in the Japanese psyche (Fackler, 2009). A provider should take into consideration the possible propensity for Japanese Americans to romanticize suicide when he or she interacts with clients. This is especially important when providing grief counseling to a client who has recently lost a loved one, or when caring for a client attempting to recover from a debilitating disease. A Japanese American may not give outward verbal signs that he or she is severely depressed or is contemplating suicide. He or she may not express their belief that life is not worth living or that people would be better off without them, due to the high context nature of the culture. Providers should pay particular attention to other common risk indicators, such as changes in physical activity, weight or sleeping patterns, as well less explicit cues, such as instances of a client giving away personal belongings or obtaining a weapon. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in people aged 15-24, men are four times as likely to kill themselves as are women, and the highest suicide rates occur among those who are over 65 years of age (Hoffman, 2009). In light of these facts, providers should pay particular attention to Japanese American clients in these demographics. Conclusion In order to properly adapt care for Japanese American clients, it is important for providers to understand how people raised in the Japanese culture communicate and perceive health issues. By recognizing differences  in communication style, providers can better interact with clients and in turn be in a better position to understand client needs. Understanding differences in views on alternative therapies and death can help a provider to better create care plans and to initiate appropriate interventions. This recognition and understanding helps providers provide culturally competent care to ensure the best possible health outcomes. References Easton, S. E. Ellington, L. (2010). Countries and their culture: Japanese Americans. Retrieved March 29, 2010 from everyculture. com/multi/Ha-La/Japanese-Americans. html Fackler, M. (2009, December 17). At Japanese cliffs, a campaign to combat suicide. New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2010 from nytimes. com/2009/12/18/world/asia/18japan. html? _r=1 Hoffman, M. (2009). Recognizing the warning signs of suicide. Retrieved March 29, 2010 from webmd. com/depression/guide/depression-recognizing-signs-of-suicide Lebra, T. S. , Lebra, W. P. (1986). Japanese culture and behavior. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press. Mills, P. (2008). Reiki: a comprehensive guide. New York, NY: Penguin Group. Potter, P. A. , Perry, A. G. (2009). Fundamentals of nursing. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier Tanida, N. (2010). Implications of Japanese religious views toward life and death in medicine. Retrieved April 1, 2010 from eubios. info/ABC4/abc4288. htm Thill, J. V. Bovee, C. L. (2008). Excellence in business communication. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Wood, M. (2006). A brief introduction to Japanese society. Retrieved April 1, 2010 from http://crab. rutgers. edu/~deppen/Japan. htm

What would be the effects of banning the use of plastic bags Essay - 1

What would be the effects of banning the use of plastic bags - Essay Example He graphically describes the waste situation there points out to the message of boycotting plastic bags, which the locals have proposed. This engenders the extent to which these bags have been abused and misused in both the West and East (Manning 1874). Exposure to such information begs one to question the notion that plastic is indeed a necessary part of human existence. Taking to account the environmental damage it portends one cannot help but to wonder if we would not be better off without it. In his discussion of Lynn offers several facts about, he offers numerous statistics about plastic that bring out the enormity of the situation. Apparently, over 50 percent of the plastic used in the US is simply thrown away to contribute to the pollution problem and Americans throw away more than 31 billion tons of plastic annually (Hasselberger). He proposes several solutions among which are rejecting single packaging where goods as singly packed in plastic instead or in one bag, alternatively people should seek options to the plastic packaging they use. Blockstein, David (1988) in the Bioscience journal, explores another major con of plastics, which justifies regulation. This article detains the attempts of congress to reduce the problem of pollution, which has been found to negatively affect most wildlife directly, or indirectly more so marine animals as evinced by the fact that fishing nets often dredge up plastic waste (Blockstein 19). According to this article, over 3000 fur seals were killed by entanglement in plastic bags result in in suffocation and accounting for 15% mortality of the threatened species (Lockwood 18). It using plastic was banned; there would be a significant increase life expectancy of these and other young animals including sea birds and fish that tend to be negatively affected by the same. However, although this would seem an ideal solution to the problem, a complete ban on plastic bags use and manufacture would not

Cash wise company Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cash wise company - Term Paper Example This assignment presents the results and analysis of financial ratios of a publicly traded company. We selected a company listed in the S&P 500 index. The comparison of nine sectors of S&P 500 index within five years of interval shows that the Health Care is the leading sector (â€Å"S&P Sector Performance†). Based on information provided in Table 1, we select AbbVie Inc (ABBV) for our study, and Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Baxter Intl (BAX) as its competitors. Our selection is based on the beta value and market capitalization of the company (Table 1) and character of the historical stock prices shown in Figure 2. The stock prices of ABBV are stable and without noises. AbbVie Inc. is a pharmaceuticals company; it conducts extensive researches to treat diseases such as HIV, thyroid disease, Parkinson’s disease, chronic kidney disease and other complex diseases. AbbVies portfolio of products include HUMIRA, Synthroid, AndroGel, Creon, Kaletra, Norvir, Lupron, Niaspan, TriCor, TRILIPIX, Synagis, Duodopa, Dupa, Zemplar (â€Å"AbbVie†). Financial ratios are used to assess a company’s performance and position in the competitive landscape of business. It allows measuring the company’s performance across time and among its competitors. Our objective of this study is to evaluate AbbVie Inc.’s financial ratios for years from 2012 to 2014 and compare them with ratios of its competitors. Financial ratios are divided into four categories: profitability, efficiency, liquidity, and leverage. Profitability Ratios. A company’s principal goal is to make a profit. Assets and operational activities employed in the company are assigned to achieve this goal. Profitability ratios measure a company’s ability to generate profit. There are several profitability ratios. This assignment uses Net profit margin, Return on assets, and Return on equity. Efficiency Ratios. Assets and liability are two important issues of a

Renal Failure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Renal Failure - Essay Example Countless studies have linked diet, lifestyle and habits to several forms of kidney Disease. Diet has been a strong linked to development of common adult ailments (Health and Home, 2002). According to International Federations of Kidney Foundations and International Society of Nephrology (Sun-Star, 2007), one (1) of every (10) adult may possibly suffer from renal disease. In United States, Chronic Kidney Disease prevalence has been continuously rising over the past years; researchers at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2008) say. In their investigation, it was explored in the overall prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), there have been around 10% increase of population suffering it during 1988-1994; while 13% during 1999-2004. does not experience any symptoms and therefore may be unaware that they have it, but there are simple tests which can detect the condition. If CKD remains undetected, it can progress to established kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation, very poor health and in some cases early death (CDC, 2009). This study aims to document the live experiences of patients who are suffering from renal failure, at the same time, design a health care plan for the patients. By doing so, the appropriate care of the health care team will be improved in such a way that it could assist patients and their loved ones recognize as well as cope with the challenges they confront in combating kidney failure. With positive outlook, determination and education, health care team will hopefully be one with the patient and family. Review of Related Literature Presented in this section are the various readings and findings of different authors in order to provide necessary background and framework of the study, most especially on methodology . According to the American family physician that chronic kidney disease are the major health problem that are increasingly throughout the world. In which this problem could lead to heart diseases if not treated earlier and because a lot of people don't know the real definition of kidney problem and do not enough facilities in the Lived Experiences 3 detection and evaluation of the disease (Johnson, et.al., 2004). Sometimes people are unaware that their kidneys are not functioning properly. This is because kidneys are very adaptable. Even when most of a kidney is not working the remaining portion will increase its activity to compensate for the loss, (Gerry, 2006). Some cases of renal disease has no symptoms which can lead to chronic complication or serious health problem; although there are guidelines for early identification of the disease that will help people save their lives in a way of early detection. The guidelines tend to offer some simple test for CKD if they have risk factors like diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and a family history of kidney failure (NICE, 2008). Data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) indicated that there has been an increase of 104% in the prevalence of chronic renal failure (CRF) between the years

Study On Prince2 Project Management Method Information Technology Essay

Study On Prince2 Project Management Method Information Technology Essay PRINCE2- Project IN Controlled Environments which is basically describes how the project management method covering the organization, management and controls of the projects. It was first developed by central computer and telecommunications agency (CCTA) in the year 1989 and used as United Kingdom government standard for IT project management. This has emerged both private and public sectors to use widely in there project management. Apart from that it is showed that how prince2 project management have developed the needs of IT projects and as well as how it helped for the development of non- IT projects. Basically whenever we think of developing any project there will be some of the basic questions such as what are we trying to do?, when will we start? , what do we need? , Can we do it alone? Or do we need help? How long will it take? How much will it cost? These are the basic questions discussed before starting any project based on that structured project management is described wh ich means how to manage the project in a logical and organised way. PRINCE2 is a method which describes the various stages used for controlling and monitoring the regular progress of the project. Thus prince2 project is motivated by business case which describes the organizations justification, commitment and fundamental reasons for the projects outcomes. To meet the changes which occur during the life of the project the business case is regularly reviewed in conjunction with the project progress to reach business objectives. Here there are different group of people involved in projects such as customer, suppliers and user, such that prince2 is developed to provide a common language for the development of the project management. Here it is discussed what is the use of using project management methodologies. There are lots of reason behind these, project failures are common they do have lots of reasons such as lack of co-ordination, lack of communications, inadequate planning and poo r estimation etc. to overcome all this aspects we do use project management methodologies such that it will helpful in providing a clear idea about project roles such as responsibility, authority and accountability, without a good project management method projects are rarely completed on time and budget. Thus prince uses the principles of good project management methods for achieving successful project. Prince provides benefits to the managers and directors of a project at the same time for the development of the organisation. The basic role of prince2 says that project should have organise and plan things properly before starting and then the role is making sure that the project continues to be organised and controlled and at the end once we have finished the project try to tidy up the loose end of the projects. Prince2 has a series of processes which includes activities needed on a project from starting up to closing down. Here it describes how prince2 plays an important role in organising and controlling a project in which there are various roles such as project manager, customer, user and supplier, project board, project assurance and project support. Apart from describing the different roles involved in prince2 project the others most important method is how to manage risk, how to manage quality, and how to control change on the project. Thus risk and quality management are the two most important issues which effect the development of the project. This will leads to the changes during the project to overcome these aspects prince2 has technique of controlling things which affect the project developing. Prince2 is a method for managing projects; it helps to support for the development of the project apart from that prince2 doesnt give guarantee for the project successful, for good project to be success on-time and budget it depends on the quality of people involved from project board to individual team members.(JISC InfoNet). Here it is mainly discussed about the relationship between the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) and the prince2 project management methodologies. PMBOK is a part of project management which helps for the development of the project management.it is clearly stated that PMBOK is knowledge-based approach whereas PRINCE2 is a process-based approach to project management. The main difference between PMBOK and PRINCE2 is that PMBOK offers information and proven practises in the required fields and invites project manager to apply whereas PRINCE2 offers set of steps which are helpful for project manager and team members to follow, thus they do have some basic similarities such as knowledge areas of the PMBOK and the processes and components of PRINCE2 covers many common topics between them. But both terminology represents best practice in the implementation of project management methodology. The main advantage of using prince2 approach is that it provides standardisation in an or ganisation, apart from that it has disadvantages too that is potentially restrict creativity in applying new varieties of methods to develop a project in different way it has to follow same step by step process for all projects. Due to which several organisations have recognised that there are benefits in following both PMBOK and PRINCE2 for the development of the project management. It has shown various ways of approach how PMBOK and PRINCE2 have steps to follow for the development of the project.(PMBOK and prince2 PPM ). In this author wants to describe how project management tools, techniques and methodologies are used in Mauritius based on the survey. Here based on the several reports it has showed that how developing countries faces problems even thou they are developed in various fields. There are mainly two questionnaires analysed one of them is gathering required information for software development for companies/staff another aim is to target users of computer software. Based on the various surveys it has been observed that how western-oriented techniques of project management are how easy to learn and implement at the same time how cross-cultural problems approaches in non-western countries. The basic purpose of this survey is to analyse the situation of software project management in developing countries especially in Mauritius, where report showed that he information gathered from the entire source after analysis revealed that project manager is not comfortable with the methodologies used f or the success of the project. For which various research methods adopted. Actually two methods were designed for the data collection activity for a particular period one of which is focused on software development companies/staff for gathering information about respondents awareness regarding commonly used project management methodologies in information technology, also they surveyed on tools and techniques used for the level of success of project within the organisation. Based on that most the response received is by Mauritius in particular compare to other countries. But many top project managers were contacted through phones to fill in the questionnaires but they were unwilling provided substantial information. Another questionnaire was to investigate user satisfaction with respect to software developed and supplied by the software companies in Mauritius, for which they did various surveyed form which they got positive response. At the same time they want to confirm whether soft ware companies are making efforts to ensure the satisfaction of the users. Based on that they have analysed survey results of software developers and companies for which they have given rating to understand how they are helpful for development of project management. here the chart shows the various majority of methodologies have scored less than 50% regarding their awareness among software developers, they are Prince2, Euro method, BS6079, ISO12207 and PMBOK. Among which Prince2 has indicated that the most popular methodology used in Mauritius compare to all other methodologies. Apart from that they have discussed about the task addressed by methodology in use in the organisation such as planning, cost management, quality management, human resource management, communication management, risk management and procurement management each and every task is an important for the development of the organisation in which quality management have 100% role to play compare to other factors. At t he same time it has discussed how software development approach, quality management standards, project affected by deadline, budget and failure to meet user satisfaction, In case of client survey results such as quality of software, cause of project failure to meet expected objectives all these factors where considered while dealing with the development of the project management.(Sukhoo A). In this section author wants to discuss about the central core of understanding what manager has to address in order to manage project successfully. Where strategic, technical and commercial matters where need to analysed for managing project successfully. Here action work is the main task which includes body of knowledge need to be recognized and implement for the development of the effective management of projects, getting this action work accepted by manager in project- based industries is one of the major tasks of management professionals.it is stated over here that the existence of project management association since from 1960s and the developments taken place in this professional field showed that the overall impact was limited to project based sectors. There were various discipline actually refers the development of the projects. To understand properly what management as a professional discipline here it is examined four relative sectors they are IT, construction, Defence-aer ospace and pharmaceutical drug development projects. The analysis suggests that The discipline needs to be seen as a comprehensive management body of knowledge and skills. Covers program and project definition as well as execution the management of projects Greater effort needs to be made to promote this discipline within the major project-based industries in particular. Here author wants to discuss about what is project management? For which the membership of the project management institute (PMI) defined as guide to the project management body of knowledge even though accepted by many practitioners they do have serious drawbacks such as not having detailed on project strategy, nothing on project definition etc. for which to overcome all these aspects they use project management essentially as an execution discipline which will helpful for development of the project on time, in budget and to scope. There are many people says that this type of method would help them in the development of the project as separating project execution from project definition and development at the same time for others it is not they includes all the areas for the development of the project such as defining scope, budget, schedule, performance management, project management and strategy for which they have more benefits in developing project when compare to the previous m ethods. Here it showed that the main difference between projects and non-projects how they are developed using with the help of generic project development cycle which includes concept of the project, definition, development, execution and delivery. Thus, all projects have to go through same sequence whether project is easy or complex. But non-projects do not follow any development cycles sequence they have steady state operations. There were many project management practices available by the early 60s but they were limited to certain situation but the changes in the present socio-economic have changed the environment of the project management to a real challenge. To reflect this change a broader framework had developed which manages the factors that affect the development of project success they are association for project management, covering program management, strategy, technical and commercial matters and traditional PMBOK areas of control and organization. For which it has sho wed various steps how application project management (APM) works. By applying APM project management body of knowledge it has showed that how the construction industry, information technology projects, defence-aerospace and drug development projects were developed by using the APM project management body of knowledge were step by step process is conducted for the success of the project. At last project management is mainly considered as execution and implementation discipline only but there is a need of also covering project definition and program management.(Morris). THE IMPACT OF PROJECT MANAGER ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLANNING Here the author basically describes about how project is to completely successfully, what are the steps need to take for implementing project successfully. There are basically two methods included for implementing project successfully they are planning and execution without these measurement we cant develop a successful project. Once the planning is not done properly it will not allow proper execution and to achieve project targets. The main objective of this report is that how project manager shows the impact on the quality of project planning process and they are effective. This process is basically done with the help of project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide) with the help of PMBOK guide a project manager is mainly concerned with nine different knowledge areas which are further are divided into 39 different processes for properly managing, which are mainly grouped in four life cycles phases they are Initiation Planning Execution Closure Out of which 21 process are identified by PMBOK which are mainly related for planning. Once project is properly planned then these 21 process need to be properly executed. The main nine knowledge areas described by the author are integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communication, risk and procurement these are the areas which help for the development of proper planning and execution. A field study was conducted to evaluate the involvement of project manager in planning process and in their quality. The main problem in this study was which planning processes were to use and what quality level. For this reason they did an assumption were participants in the study were project managers and other participants came from different project management were different rating was defined from 0 to 5 which defines the quality of major planning process with different PMBOK knowledge areas. At last it is stated that a good project manager has responsibilities to handle both p ositive and negative impact of project were they need to develop better tools and techniques for the development of the project. (Zwikael, 2002). THE CASE STUDY Here the case study mainly conducted on the NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE OF SOUTH WEST YORKSHIRE MENTAL HEALTH TRUST here it has showed that how PRINCE2 covers different types of NHS organisation on a variety of NHS projects which includes service development, organisational change and clinical governance at the same time application of PRINCE2 are not specific to NHS they are utilised beyond the value of NHS. The case study mainly includes series of interviews with NHS staff and different types of NHS organisations which covers PRINCE2 implementations issues and the benefits gained by using this application. To understand this case study they took one task that is Karen Holland- Head of QED was QED stands for Quality, Evaluation and Development at south west Yorkshire mental trust. The work of this department was project based and at 1995 QED department heard about the PRINCE2 until then they wont know about PRINCE2 they think as it was floating around and sounded ok. But when time cha nges they had come to know the importance of PRINCE2 and they started using it. When it came to implementation of PRINCE2 which included a two-day training course as more people were trained in PRINCE2 they got common understanding how we can run projects here which helps managing project easier. Such that by using this method they came to known the project board responsibilities and the identified the different roles which are development and how to fill those roles. After which all new people to organisation has introduced to PRINCE2 and they handled an individual live project were they need to get one to one support from QED and have report back to their mangers on the outcomes of the projects . This helped for the development of local framework standards were QED helps project manager before starting any project the required project initiation document (PID) and how to make suitable for project in hand. When introducing new one to prince2 Karens approach them to think of this as pects they are Expressing their objectives. To think in terms of deliverables. Think of benefits to patient. Making shore creativity and structures are not divided. Ensuring basics things such as objectives, deliverables, plan, risk management and funding of projects. PRINCE2 scalability. It has showed most of the projects undertaken by QED are small and dont have fill time project manager such as Trust Staff Opinion Survey Patient Surveys Clinical Audits relating to family health issues Evaluation of Elderly Services By this case study it is cleared that how PRINCE2 helps for the development of the project management in various ways. (PRINCE2 Case Study, 2003). ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF PRINCE2 PRINCE2 PROCESSESS The PRINCE2 processes are mainly helpful for the development of project management approach. PRINCE2 process models mainly define the objectives of each role processes model which will helpful to manage all types of projects. There are basically eight processes available in PRINCE2 process model, which are linked with each other they do have their part of representation in the development of PRINCE2 project management. They are Directing a Project (DP) Directing a project which runs from stating up to the end of closure of the project, which takes overall authority of the project as a decision maker they do have key processes for the project board they are Authorise initiation(starting project on right foot) Authorise Projects(checking for resources) Giving Ad-hoc directions(monitoring, advice, guidance and handling exception situations) Confirm project closure(checking project outcome) Starting up a Project (SU) This is the first process of PRINCE2 which is mainly targeted on the pre-projects process, is the project taken is worthwhile? What to do? Which method to approach? All these questions are handled by the SU before starting of the project. The key processes of SU are Required information for project team is to made available Appointing a project management team Plan Initiation stage Initiating a Project(IP) The main objective of initiating a project is check acceptance of the project, which includes checkings of Agreement what you doing, build a Contract between project board and the project manager, plan quality and project, checks risks and setup project controls and project files which are required for initiating a project. All this processes checked before initiating a project (IP). MANAGING STAGE BOUNDARIES(MSB) This process describes the key feature of project board whether to continue with the project or not. It provides the project board with information needed for the start of next stage process, maintains record of information which can help in the further stages of projects. Also maintains next stage plan, risk information, business case and lessons learnt from this report. Controlling a Stage(CS) This s the process which handles day-to-day management of the project such as monitoring the projects, dealing with problems and keeping informed about all this tasks to senior management. Apart from that they also includes Authorising work to done Looking for any changes Reporting and reviewing the situation Taking corrective action Managing Product Delivery(MP) This process is mainly designed for team managers which mainly deal to ensure that planned products are created and delivered in the given time. MP also deals about how to Accept, Execute and Deliver a work package. Apart from that it checks quality log updates, checkpoint reports and ensuring that completed work meets quality criteria. Closing a Project(CP) The purpose of this process is to execute a controlled close to the project it means it checks whether it got input from the project broad to obtains confirmation base on that the project is close. It should have a clear and unambiguous end to a project. The objectives of CS are Checks the objectives are set to project initiation document (PID) have met or not. Follow- on action Customer acceptance End project report Recommendations Planning(PL) Planning is a repeatable process also used for several other processes. Effective project management relies upon effective planning so planning is backbone of any project. The main objective of planning is Designing a planning Planning a project Developing a complete plan Analysing risk (www.prince2.com) PRINCE2 COMPONENTS PRINCE2 project management consists of eight components which are basically used for supporting PRINCE2 processes were it work as a shield for development of the PRINCE2 project management. They basically consist of eight components which describes different roles. They are Business Case The business case is the one which forwards the projects. It is the one which covers the entire scope the project and checks continually to ensure the project is worthwhile. The business case always focuses on the benefits of the project outcomes and always takes measurable things to develop them. Actually business case contains all the information such as what? Why? , Options, Benefits, Risks, Cost and Timescale which are effectively useful throughout the project. Organisation The success of project managed with PRINCE2 method is mainly depends upon the organisational structure. To have a good organisation structure they need to define the three roles which will have clear roles and responsibilities in organisation they are Business, User and Suppliers (BUS). Based on the size and complexity of a project they use of these roles depends such as combining or sharing. Apart from that they have 4 layers which support PRINCE2 organisation structure they are -Programme Management -Project Board -Project Manager -Team manager From all this roles project manager has central role to play in day to day management of the project and reports to the project board. Plans A plan in PRINCE2 describes various different levels and their usage they are in terms of to see project in term of deliverables and timescale and also to control resources during a project. The information regarding activities and resources requirements must be supported in terms of documentation. The levels of plans included in PRINCE2 are Project Plan, Stage Plan, Team Plan and Exception Plan which are linked with Programme plan and also reflect different needs at different levels of project management. Control Here Control is all about making decision making it plays an important role in good project management. It includes ensuring that products are up to the acceptance criteria and carried out on schedule and within resource and cost plans. It got a control loop structure which has PLAN, MONITOR and CONTROL which forms loop formations for the development of the project management at different levels. Management of Risk Risk is one of the important component of PRINCE2 it do have uncertain outcomes for that sake to analysed and identified this types of risks in the projects to overcome this a risk log is created which will observe risks continually throughout the project. Quality in a Project Environment Quality in a project environment states that quality is identified as project products which makes them fit for satisfying the project needs. For that reason various checks are carried out to ensure products are delivered as per customer requirements. All this methods were tested in a quality review technique. Configuration Management Here in configuration management all the project products need to have track of information like unique identifier which includes name of project, Status, latest version number and owner of the project. All this information will helpful throughout the project where project manager can able to keep the track of products use through configuration management. Change Control Change control is one of the important task in project management where we do have many changes concerning about project scope, resources and quality for this sake PRINCE2 has to flexible to allow changes at the same time this changes must be along with configuration managements. The various changes occur in project outcomes are Costs, Benefits, Risks, Time, Resources and Priority. At the same time project board must re-approve to check any changes to a product where necessary steps taken to deal with such cases. (1012) PRINCE2 TECHNIQUES PRINCE2 works with most of the techniques which help for the implementation of project management in a success full way. There are basically three types of techniques which are used for the development of the project management. Product- based planning This is the one of the key feature of PRINCE2 it mainly focuses on the product to be delivered and upon their quality. It forms an involvement with other process such as planning and leads for developing of other techniques such as network planning and Gantt charts. It basically includes three steps to product-based planning technique they are Product breakdown structure Product description Product flow diagram This all together helps for the development of product-based planning. Change Control Change control is another essential part of project management. Which helps to fit with other PRINCE2 controls such as configuration management and exception report? It also changes types of project issues such as project deliverable, improves project product and record a failure to meet a requirement. Quality Review This technique is basically useful for reviewing document-based products and also used for other quality and testing techniques. It is use to check whether it is fit for purpose or not to requirements. A detailed review is conducted through quality manager. In case of large documents had split into a numbers of sections and them review methods are conducted on them.(Managing successful project with PRINCE2, 2002). CONCLUSION

Graduation Speech: Be Perfect in Christ Jesus :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As I was pondering what to speak about tonight, I started thinking about what has been the main influence in my school experience. I realized that what has shaped me most has been my teachers. What is a teacher? After 13 years of school, believe me, I have an extremely good idea of what a teacher is. Two teachers began to teach me, my father and my mother. The poet Ann Taylor wrote, "Who taught my infant lips to pray, And love God’s holy book and day, And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way? My Mother." This year as we were challenged to give our hearts to God and our minds to our teachers, we learned more of their goals to see us grow as Jesus did in wisdom, stature and favor with both God and man. Col. 1:28 encourages teachers to warn and teach in all wisdom to present each man perfect in Christ Jesus. Mr. Murry’s attitude "For Jesus" led the way for other teachers. Who could forget Mr. Jones' daily quotes? "Whatever you say, Mr. Livesay" was a rhyming line. Mrs. Bears, a Spanish translator for the court system, was able to translate her students’ effort to learn a foreign language. Mrs. Gabby said Yearbook/Marketing Media was her favorite class this year. Of course it was her only class. The firefighting stories of Mr. Doof caught our attention. The musical Mrs. Buyers and artistic Mrs. Williams pulled off an outdoor Christmas program, and Mrs. Sholer , in the midst of planning her son’s wedding, found the time to take her PE class on a volleyball field trip. Looking back from this past year to my earlier school days, one of the teachers that boldly stands out in my memory is Mrs. Miner. No one else has named me as her daughter, Joanie Miller. While at Grace Academy, art class at the end of the day with Mrs. Frisk still makes my sides ache from giggling. During the days when there were no art classes, Mr. Peterson’s enthusiasm for hockey brightened the gymnasium, as he and my father practiced rapid-fire slapshots on some unsuspecting ninth grader. But, through all the memories, I was trying to think of one characteristic of teachers that has shown through the many years. I thought about their dedication, patience and guidance but decided that these wouldn’t do.

Appendix

Looking at the Graph, we are able to project a potential incremental growth of demand versus supply. Incremental is based on the following criteria. 1. Total local market population of the business location 2. Minimum Minimal projected average sales of 35-50 units per day for SIX days to cater a potential market population of 1,000 people. 3. A six month projection with a Incremental boost In sales for the first quarter to the 4th month and a plateau projection at the 5th month onwards subject to business performance review.In order for us to come up with a price point data, we decided to follow the price point signaled by the Stir Fry Noodle kiosks in Greater Metro Manila. This is to eradicate any possible price adjustments in the future should we wish to grow the business further by offering franchising opportunities to other entrepreneurs who wish to franchise our start up business. We also believe that the Stir Fry noodle kiosks have already undergone an extensive survey on an af fordable price point for the Stir Fry Noodles considering this will be the first of Its kind In Dave Doctors College canteen.We will be offering a variety of promotions identified on specific occasions as well as seasons to ensure a steady flow of client interest and repeat purchases. Timeliness will also be created with regard to marketing activities to further ensure the implementation as well as the executing and viability of success for each and every marketing activity done. Initial activities and strategies would be below the line marketing strategies considering that we have a very minimal budget and funds for marketing activities.Some of these would be the following: Price promotion On the opening day we will create a single day promotion or opening salvo promotion f 50% off for the first 100 customers. This Is to ensure we will create a stir during opening day and ensuring that we will be able to reach a maximum number of clientele who would be satisfied with our product an d spread by word of mouth our business. Vouchers and coupons We would be selling out discounted vouchers or coupons at 50% lesser price than the standard price point. The objective of doing this is to maximize the number of people who redeem them.Gifts with purchase (Pick a prize event) We would give customers something extra or get the chance to win something extra . E. An additional simoom or a free drink when they buy one or more stir fry noodles. And finally in this day and age of technology and social media, we will ensure that our social media presence is engaging as well as intriguing enough to gain a number of followers thereby ensuring us a potential captured market who would not only be our potential customers but a potential business partner In the near future.At the onset of the business we will initially focus on serving and delivering the quality and standards we wish to impart on our immediate clientele. Of course we ill not discount the power of clients who wish to t aste our product thus once we have established a proper process flow and operational system, we will expand our branches to other areas such as the following: Overland transport terminals Bazaar Areas Exhibit and Booth Activities Schools and or Universities Malls Business Hubs And wherever we deem there is enough flow of consumer traffic as well as including delivery and packed meals to our service.In ensuring that this will increase our sales and profitability we will therefore have to add more machinery such as our own emissary / kitchen to cater to these expansions and services. For deliveries, we will initially be accepting deliveries in the 1 kilometer radius and increase our capacity as well as delivery fleet detrimental on the demand generated. A dedicated mobile number for the three networks will be provided and sooner or later a SMS auto capturing and relaying system similarly used by R. A.Ha Taxi services will be used to ensure that no orders will be forgotten and that eff iciency as well as timeliness of the deliveries will be ensured. Product Identification HO-MAIM GOAD Stir Fry Noodles is a food cart that offers stir fried noodles mixed with a variety of condiments, sauces and mixtures that the customer can freely choose based on their very own palate complimented with their own choice of dim sum (sis- mat). The customer simply has to mix in their preferred sauces and may choose to experiment mix matching these sauces and condiments to suit their taste topped by their selected choice of dumdums.Dumdums choices will either be pork, chicken, beef, shrimp and crab. Beverages such as mineral water and the local stag's Goldman mix ill also be available for consumption as these will complement the taste of the Stir- fry noodles. Should the customer wish to have a pre-concocted sauce then a menu of the specific pre concocted sauce will be provided of which they will mix in with Strength No existing competitors in the immediate vicinity to up to approximat ely meters from business location.Multiple condiments and sauces complement ones creative imagination in coming up with their own personal flavor and taste A full and affordable meal complete with the basics such as carbohydrates and protein acquirement of the human body. Affordable pricing for a sumptuous meal complete with sanitary and quality set standards. Weakness Start up business without any existing process and operational flows. Needs resources for the accumulation and procurement of raw materials and main ingredients.No procedural flow chart on product preparation and standardization. Lack of training for potential manpower employment. Lack of initial capitalization and funding resource. Opportunities Big room for expansion considering there is no other competitor with the same concept in the local region. Marginal room for error considering the startup location of the business will be established in a lesser populated area thereby increasing chances of improving process f lows and preparation standardization.

Links between the art forms Essays

Links between the art forms Essays Links between the art forms Essay Links between the art forms Essay All three art forms are very similar, music, drama and dance. Between these three art forms there are many links; the similarities being uses of canon, motifs, unison, rhythm, dynamics, space and dialogue. However there are differences between the art forms but they work together to enhance the theatrical and musical effect; these being the use of tension, pace and dynamics. This essay will be referring to my own practical work.The first drama lesson was focused on Greek Chorus. The way a group works together to become one body to narrate a story is very important, so we took a passage from the play OEDIPUS THE KING by Sophocles and physicalised phrases within the text in small groups.Then we beheld the woman hanging there,A running noose entwined about her neck.But when he saw her, with a maddened roarHe loosed the cord; and when her wretched corpseLay stretched on earth, what followed-O twas dread!We stood in a semi-circle and the person speaking stood in the centre of the formatio n and spoke one line whilst the outer people acted out parts of the line, e.g. on the line Then we beheld the woman hanging there, the outside formation pretended to be dead and hanging by letting their head flop backwards while the rest of their body was loose and floppy. After practising a few times we added sound effects from a spring drum to add tension and make the scene more dramatic.The links between this piece of work and the other art forms are that the words of the passage were spoken in a rhythmic way almost like a spoken song. The actions performed by the outer formation of the semi-circle were all in unison, choreographed like a dance piece. The way that the rhythm and pace worked with the physicality of movements and sound created an enhanced effect.GHOST DANCES was a piece created and choreographed by Christopher Bruce in 1981. The piece was created based on the people who were threatened by General Pinochet a man who overthrew the Chilean Government and ran an oppres sive regime in 1973. People who opposed Pinochet were murdered; according to various reports and investigations, between 1200 to 3200 people were killed, up to 80,000 were interned, and up to 30,000 were tortured by his regime including women and children.We learnt two motifs that were very common in GHOST DANCES, the squat motif and the line motif. We then looked at the animalistic movements within the dance and created our own individually. After that we got into small groups and put the animalistic movements together with the two motifs, whilst adding in some key movements (balances, jumps, stillness etc.) and then developed it slowly. Then we listened to three different pieces of music and picked one to fit our dance round. My group picked the last piece of music played because it emphasised a particular point in our dance which needed to be.The links between this piece of work and the other art forms are that developing the animalistic movements was similar to creating a charac ter using stereotypical actions of the chosen animal. We experimented with travelling in different directions, being in unison or canon and changing the pace to fit the desired mood of the dance. Adding layers to the dance was similar to adding layers in a song, bit by bit fitting it round the existing piece creating an enhanced outcome.Slavery of the African American people occurred from 1619 1895. Rural slaves used to stay after the regular worship services, in churches or in plantation praise houses, for singing and dancing. But, slaveholders did not allow dancing and playing drums, as usual in Africa. They also had meetings at secret places (camp meetings, bush meetings), because they needed to meet one another and share their joys, pains and hopes. In rural meetings, thousands of slaves were gathered together and they listened to travelling preachers, and sang spirituals, for hours. The song WADE IN THE WATER, according to many internet sources and popular books, claim that sp irituals such as this contained plain instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture and the route to take to successfully make their way to freedom. This particular song allegedly recommends leaving dry land and taking to the water as a strategy to throw pursuing bloodhounds off the slaves trail.Wade in the water.Wade in the water, children.Wade in the water.Gods gonna trouble the water.Over the past few weeks, we have been singing a variety of spirituals and have been looking at the features of them, such as call and response and syncopation. With this, we started to improvise our own piece using a repeated motif of music as a background and singing single bar phrases with nonsense syllables individually. Then we got into little groups, taking a short motif we had already learnt and devised a short piece of music based around this motif using nonsense syllables to make sure we concentrated on the melody, harmonies and layers.The links between this piece of work and the ot her art forms are the fact that we improvise to repeated motifs of music, for example the 12-bar-blues which is similar to improvising to and around a short dance motif. There is a specific link between spirituals and the dance piece Ghost Dances. Both art forms contain intense emotion, layers and types of characters, which leads to the fact that choreographing a dance is not dissimilar to creating a piece of music.EAST is a play by Steven Berkoff written in 1975 all about dealing with growing up and rites of passage in Londons rough East End.We looked at the 25th anniversary version of EAST to get a feel of the uses of mime, melodrama and character types. We created a little scene called Gun in the Drawer and did it to a rhythm of bars of eight. Then we developed it by adding three different points of repetition to enhanced the melodramatic side, and subsequently put it to the preset music of scene two from EAST, a mime sequence where Mike comes to meet Sylv and her parents. Sylv i s attracted to Les and a fight breaks out. After that, we looked at the very beginning text dialogued by Mike and Les explaining how they met and describing a fight between them over Mikes girl Sylv. We individually chose a line from the duologue and heavily physicalised it.LES: Its soft, its gooey but choose it I did not in my Mothers hot womb did she curse this name on me its my handle under the soft its spiky, under the pillow its sharp concealed instrument offensive weapon lies waiting.MIKE: Oh, he doth bestride Commercial Road like a Colossus thats my manor where we two first set our minces on each other and those Irish yobs walk under our huge legs and peep about for dishonourable bother hes my mucker, china or mate.The links between this piece of work and the other art forms are that the words were spoken rhythmically like a song, e.g. its sharp was spoken staccato to accentuate the words. Music was added for effect and to add more tension to the piece along with c hanges in levels and speed of both movements and words spoken. In the mime piece, the actions were choreographed to a rhythm of eight bar phrases like a dance which helped create a further feel of heightened physicality.All three art forms are very similar, music, drama and dance. Between these three art forms there are many links; both similarities and differences the differences working together to enhance the theatrical and musical effects.Using my own practical work as examples, I can see that the different art forms can be used within each other to create tension, or just to enhance it along with pace and dynamics.

20150616 750 Disc2 Essay examples

20150616 750 Disc2 Essay examples 20150616 750 Disc2 Essay examples Read Ch 3 & 4 of your Text: Organization Development and Change- Cummings & Worley. Answer the following questions. Explain your answers with specific examples from work and personal experiences. Connect your answers to the readings from your text. 1) What is your personal definition of OD? Organizational development is a research practice dedicated to developing systematic changes through data collection in an organization to improve performance. Organizational development studies behaviors and norms and creates plans to change ineffective standards and expand knowledge in ways that can produce evidentiary-based improvements. 2) In what ways do the definition(s) of OD as described in your text apply to your experiences and definition of OD? Explain. In my department there tends to be a lot of internal consulting, employees working from within assessing processes and behaviors to continuously improve process flow and organizational standards. As interruptions to processes occur, a review process is created to study, plan and change flows that aren’t working optimally. The following definition speaks to my understanding of organizational development within my organization. â€Å"Organizational development refers to a long-range effort to improve an organization’s problem-solving capabilities and its ability to cope with changes in its external environment with the help of external or internal behavioral-scientist consultants, or change agents, as they are sometimes called (French).† A current push is to improve process documentation throughout our department. We found that we are really underprepared when individuals retire or leave the department and that their knowledge base is leaving with them. This is a change that will always need to be monitored and reviewed as processes and systems continue to change. 3) What needs to be added or changed to the definition in regard to your experience and/or industry? Explain. I think that an element of flexibility needs to be added into the definition. Perhaps flexibility creates a looseness that is undesirable but it seems that as soon as we hone a process or

IKEA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IKEA - Case Study Example These attributes are the main competitive priorities of IKEA. IKEA own 349 stores which are operating in 43 major countries of the globe. The location of these stores are determined by keeping the easily accessibility of customer to carry on its business with a firm. The other most important factor that IKEA consider while selecting new sites is whether it reduces transportation cost. The most important troupes in the furniture industry are Euro market Designs Inc, Galiform plc, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Argos and many others. But still IKEA is categorized in world biggest furniture retailer because it is offering modern architectural and interior designs of furniture at a low cost and with best quality therefore it is leading market among existing firms. There are many threats for the new entrants into the furniture industry. A large amount of monetary investment is required to establish a business. After established a business, expertise and skills are required to offer quality products with a discounted price. Time factor is another essential element which plays an important role in building up its image in the market. IKEA is established since 1943. It has successfully built its image in the market. It has its huge investment in various part of globe whereas for new entrant all this required time to get stable and for successfully operating. IKEA has targeted a wide range of customers. As this firm is operating at national level as well as at international level so it has a strong bargaining power among customers. On the other hand buyers have extensive range of products offered by IKEA with respect to quality, price and many other

Strategic Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Strategic Financial Management - Essay Example Understanding current approaches to managing risk and uncertainty in the appraisal of capital investment projects require a deeper insight into the role of financial management in the modern business corporation. Unlike in the past when finance managers merely oversaw the accounting function, recent advances in technology changed the way business is conducted around the world, resulting in the radical transformation of financial management. Presiding over processes that cut across the business, financial managers set strategy, lead crucial change initiatives, and act as real partners in decision-making. The title Chief Financial Officer (CFO) indicates a bigger role for financial managers in ensuring corporate growth. They design ways to maximise shareholder value on a sustainable basis, not only to meet quarterly targets but to transform the corporation into a forceful influence on their industry, nation, and the world. In a globalising world where financial markets operate 24/7, the CFO has to know how to build world-class resource support that would keep the business sustainable. This requires the CFO to instil in the corporation a more positive approach to structural and process streamlining and risk management (Read & Kaufman, 1997, p. v-vii). Events in the past decade highlight the transition of the finance function into strategic financial management, giving emphasis to the importance of present decisions on the future of the business. The focus shifted from profits and into strategic issues of control and adding substantial shareholder value on a sustainable basis. In the wake of the financial scandals early this century, CFOs have focused on managing uncertainty and risk, working hard to avoid nasty surprises in financial reporting, ensure the firm’s conformity with laws and regulations, and sustain a strong credit rating. In fact, managing risk has become one of the most important functions of strategic financial management. Every business