Media review Essay Example for Free

Media review Essay My practical production magazine Real is of the lifestyle genre, I looked at magazines like Now and Heat for inspiration for my magazine. With the lifestyle genre I am looking to put a mixture of real life stories and celebrity gossip in my magazine as these are the main connotations found in this genre. My target audience for my magazine is mainly aimed towards females aged 16-40 as this is a very popular target area and their basic interests and attraction to a magazine is easy to create. The magazine has fewer longer articles and more images and shorter texts as most of the people who read these magazines are on the move or dont have time to read through lots of articles and would prefer to flick through a magazine and still be able to pick up of the moment gossip or amazing true stories. My font cover is bright and bold to stand out to the reader. The name Real is used, as these are real stories and real gossip so the readers will have trust in the magazine to be truthful. The name is in black bold and is bigger than the other fonts on the page to make it seem more important. Also real the issue number, price, and website are drawn out from the rest of the magazine as they are in a pink text box outlined in black. I did this to draw attention to the name of the magazine and other vital information. My main story is about Jennifer Aniston and as the story is about Jennifer Aniston going through a hard time the image of Jennifer is of her looking quite sad and heartbroken to get sympathy of the reader. My headline for the main story is Jennifer Aniston Exclusive I put this because Jennifer Aniston is a huge star and people worldwide know about her so having her name on my magazine will attract people to read it. Also because Exclusive portrays that this is the only magazine that will have this information that again will invite readers to pick up the magazine. One of the other stories on my page is of a private interview with Paul Walker. This interview will interest readers as it is with a famous Hollywood actor and also because the interview is private it will attract people as it gives the impression the information will be more intimate and more private. My other two stories are of everyday people bringing in the more true life into the magazine. The stories are about people who have had difficulties with their relationships. I chose Gay boyfriend abandoned me when I was 8 months pregnant and My boyfriend cheated on me with my mum as these are stories that will shock readers and attract sympathy. The straight to the point shocking quotes I used will leave people wanting to read more. A lot of the audience I chose like to hear about tragedy and heartbreak which is why every story on my front page is upsetting and sad. The colours I chose for the front page are pink, red, white, black and blue as these are colours that stand out and make an impact on the magazine. I chose bright bold colours for my contents page to make the magazine seem more inviting. I used a black font in my columns of the contents page to make it clearer to read and easy to follow. The page numbers are in bold as this is vital information. The word contents is in red with a shadow effect to make it stand out, and the Real in its pink text box outlined in black is in the corner to remind readers of the magazine they are reading. I have a picture of Paris Hilton in the top right corner underneath the Real logo to show what is in the magazine; this image is suitable as it refers to an interview with Paris in the magazine. The points on the contents page are of different stories, gossip and competitions which attract the target audience I have chosen. My main article is about Paris Hilton a well known heiress who is often in the papers this will attract readers as Paris is getting into lots of trouble and people like to hear about her. I chose a stylish picture of Paris along with the heading Paris Hilton my secret confessions as this will make the reader want to find out more. Secret confessions sounds like shes only telling this magazine which will make the readers more interested in reading it. I chose some darker colours with white and black to make it more stylish, serious and simple as this was the atmosphere of the interview. I used questions in the interview that people would be interested in such as her career, love life, and enemies. At the end of the article I put the website for Real magazine so people will be encouraged to look up the website and find out more. There were few technical problems with my magazine. Sometimes it was difficult to arrange images or text in the right way, I spent a long time on my front page getting it to look right. Images were also an issue as many I found werent the right size or were filtered. It was difficult to find an image to go with the emotion or atmosphere of the interview/article. I was quite happy with my contents page and main article as I spent a long time on them and I thought they came out well. I wish that I had found better images foe my front page to make it look more professional and better laid out. My advert was easy and simple to do but it would have been nice to find images and text that go together better than the ones I used. I could have improved my practical production with more time and better resources and thats what I would do if I were to do it again, attempt more work on different computers, look at more magazines and spend more time on it. Overall I am happy with the work Ive done, I think I did quite well and am pleased with my production especially my main article and contents page.

Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay

Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay Holliday, Kullman and Hyde (2004) assert that the term `culture refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such an activity some significance. It includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems and the characteristic behaviors and habits of the society. Different human societies have different cultures, and the personal culture of one individual can be different than another one. Intercultural is the philosophy of exchanges between cultural groups within a society. Intercultural communication is about how people from different countries and different cultures interact with each others; and how they behave, communicate and perceive the world around them. And effective intercultural communication involves understanding both ones own linguistic and cultural identity and that of the people with whom one is communicating. In that, cultural identity has a very important role. The following is a discussion about how issues of identity affect commu nication between people from different languages and cultures. Nationality identity can greatly affect the effectiveness of communication. Different nationality means different in cultures and in most cases languages. People from different countries tend to have different ways of understanding the world around them. It affects the way people think and behave in different situations. People who have different nationalities are likely to have different ways to exchange information and perform various activities that are unique to their countries (Lyerly 1997). This may lead to misunderstanding when people from different countries trying to communicate with each others. Regional differences create even more cultural gaps between human. Thus its effect on communication is even significant than that of nationality. The differences in geography, environment and culture are often too large that people tend to suffer from severe cultural shocks when they travel from one region to another. And that is the main force that affects the efficient communicati on between people from different nations and/or region. Ethnicity identity is another major force that may contribute to the effectiveness of communication. Due to the different of the ability to understand and gain information of people, there are gaps in how different person understands the same piece of information. And that created the two groups of people: the haves and the have-nots. As for that, it is important to take the issue of ethnicity into account in order to improve the effectiveness of communication between these two groups of people. Holley (2008) stated that ethnic groups are identified by common culture, language, religion, and/or ancestral origins. He also argued that there are no internationally agreed upon ethnic categorizations because history often plays a role in what aspects are considered most important for ethnic identity. That is, history is usually the major factor that defines ethnic identity. Language is arguably the most important element of communication. Language is mean, in which the content of the communication is transferred and received. Or as Samovar, Porter McDaniel (2008) put it: Language is the medium through which a culture expresses its world view. Language is also considered as a communication tool that needs to be learned and used effectively in order to achieve successful intercultural communication. And if language is a tool then culture may be considered as the environment that has all the effects on language. Because of that, culture is, in many circumstances, what defines the meaning of language. That is why, in some situations, the same word can bring different meanings due to the differences of cultures. The matter is even worse when two cultures talk in different languages. In this case, a translation tool is needed, however the potential of misunderstanding is also raised as a word translated between two different languages between two different c ultures may result in totally different meaning. For that, language and culture must be thoughtfully considered in intercultural communication. Or as Sarbaugh (1988) concluded the most important element in effective intercultural communication concerns language. Community is the starting point of identity. Every community has its unique traditions, values, and norms. Communities provide a wealth of organized and deep rooted information, which builds from countless interactions of various socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural attributes that occur over time (Kriesberg 2003). This understanding becomes the property of that particular community and plays an important role in shaping the identity structures of its members. The emergence of various communities, such as professional, academic, and virtual has provided the opportunity for individuals to acquire diverse knowledge by assuming membership in these communities. The interaction of various sub-identities of an individual through his/her membership in different communities continuously shapes the learning, thinking, and perceptual environment, which forms the nature of experiences, value preferences, and knowledge arrangements. This intricate and complex system of socializati on shapes the identity of a person. The role of communities in shaping the personalities of its members depends on the nature of the knowledge that is organized in its socio-cultural traditions. Analysis of an individuals community affiliations can enable the researchers to comprehend the role that community specific knowledge plays in forming the identity. Consequently study of community memberships of an individual can help us to understand the identity dynamics of a person; furthermore examination of community knowledge can shed more light on social interaction process. According to Kriesberg (2003) community knowledge, individual knowledge, and identity are the three constructs that need considerable attention in order to broaden and deepen our understanding of the relationship between a person and the community. Social class has been one of the key elements that directly affect communication since the dawn of time. Social class is to some extend still creating boundaries between human, thus creating obstacles in effective communication (Holliday, Kullman Hyde 2004). The conflicts between the rich and the poor, management and working class were often created by those misunderstanding in communication. People in different social class used to be significantly affected so much that they naturally create a barrier to prevent communication with other social class. It is perhaps in many ways shared the same properties with religion differences. Religion identity is sometimes improving communication where it shares a similar interest. It is also the main cause of conflict when its interest is not satisfied by those of different religion. Throughout history, people always keep trying to solve these significant differences; however, the conflicts with the core causes still remain intractable for man y societies until even now. This issue may only be solved if we can change the core of how human perceive and understand the world. In current society, men and women have the chance to work together more regularly and more personally than before. As traditional male-dominated societies diminish, a dynamic communication emerges where women and men have the same goals and equal chances to pursue and archive their goals (Pinto 2000). While the communication between men and women benefits from this fairness, there are still many information and signal of behavior have to think about, and it is important not to let sexual category identity issues hold up with effective communication. Many research have been devoted to the idea that women and men communicate very differently in fact, it is sometimes stated that women and men communicate so differently from one another that they must have perceived the world from absolute different perspectives (Pinto 2000). The communication between men and women seems to be stable and equal day by day. For example, both men and women can be positive, outgoing, task-focused, or sentim ental. The important point to think about, conversely, is that men and women sometimes identify the same messages to have different senses. Age is of course one of the most important matters that affects intercultural communication. Its role is somewhat similar to gender. People tend to think differently when they are getting older. The more time they spend living, the more experiences they have and the clearer they see through conflicts. This is even true when it comes to multi-cultures. The young generations always have different ideas and the ability to take risks. The older generations see things more thoughtfully and are more cautious when facing new problems. That is why, in my opinion, even come from totally different cultures, the old peoples ways of thinking is, to a great extend, similar. However, it is required the flexibility of the young to cope with cultural differences. To sum it up, the balance between the old and young are need to be balanced out in order to achieve an effective intercultural communication. Identities can greatly affect the communication between people from different languages and cultures. How people think about who they are and who and what others are profoundly influences the effectiveness of their communication. Their sense of identity and conceptions of each other contribute to their understanding of the world around them. Whether and how identities affects the communication depends on their particular qualities. There are different sources of identity which lead to unique understandings of the people and how they think and behave in their world. Thus the communication between people is often suffered by these differences of understanding. To know, understand and use the uniqueness of different groups of people will greatly improve how people communicate with each others.

Study On A Paperless System Information Technology Essay

Study On A Paperless System Information Technology Essay Many organizations, in an effort to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in order to develop competitive advantages in their marketplace, are eager to develop information technology on their business systems. The age of information technology provides possibilities for an effective coordination of business process. Different partners and parties transact electronically in the modern commerce environment and this creates a push factor for accounting and auditing systems to convert into paperless forms as well. Over the last decade, climate change became one of the top key concerns for all countries. More and more nations are concerned with the sustainability of the worlds environment and are trying to contribute by various policies such as reducing their carbon footprints, conserving on resources, building greener environments and preserving wildlife habitats. The challenge is to maintain economic growth without threatening the long term survival prospects of mankind. One of the key issues with regards to the environment is deforestation. Food and Agricultural Senior Forestry Officer, Dieter Schoene, said, at a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change workshop in 2006, that We are working to solve two of the key environmental issues deforestation and global warming at the same time The removal of trees causes many problems including destruction of natural habitat and damage to our atmosphere. One reason for deforestation is the production of paper. Paper pulp is made of wood. Paper production accounts for about a large percentage of felled trees, and thus paper conservation has been a key concern for the world with plenty of researchers, conservation groups, campaigns and initiatives with the aim of reducing paper usage. A typical sale transaction will consist of but not limited to: the quote, the purchase order, the proforma invoice, the delivery note, the sales invoice. This means that one transaction will use at least five pieces of paper and this does not include other documents like the bank payment advice, beneficiary advice and other functions that lead to the sale. In 2007, Singapore had at least 160,000 small medium enterprises. If each business had a conservative average of 20 sale transactions per month, 16 million sheets of paper would have been used which is the equivalent of 32,000 reams of paper. That would mean to the world a lost of at least 1,800 trees every month just because of Singapores SMEs alone. Paperless system is used for automating the accounting information processes. Automation in accounting system means reducing the paper dependency, and it will provide effectiveness. An effective paperless business system will make paper an option rather than a necessity and thus reducing the usage of paper in the corporate world. It is for this reason that paperless systems have also become a need for business processes with many professionals believing that going paperless is no longer an option but a must. Another reason is that paperless systems involve technology which could make the business much more effective. The rapid rise of paperless business solutions and providers around the world goes to show that more and more businesses have identified pursuing a paperless office as a strategy that can help them gain a competitive advantage in their marketplace. It has been observed that internationally (Hannon, Neal 2004) many regions are adopting and shifting towards electronic transactions, electronic business systems and even the development of Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), a standardized digital language for business financial reporting. The EU for example already has a large and extensive list of directives covering the usage of electronic transmission of financial transactions, customs and trade documents, taxation issues, online privacy and security. Almost all countries in Asia have electronic transaction laws, with the exception of Sri Lanka and Nepal which have pending legislation. In Singapore there are many statutes that govern the administration of documents within organizations. A recent addition is the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 where it is specifically stated that where a rule of law requires any document, record or information to be retained, or provides for certain consequences if it is not, that requirement is satisfied by retaining the document, record or information in the form of an electronic record if conditions are satisfied (Singapore Statutes). The Singapore Standard for Auditing, namely SSA 500, also deals with electronic documentation. It has specified that electronic evidences are accepted as long as they fulfill the requirements. However it has also stated that electronic evidences are not as reliable as original documents. This contradicts the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 where the original documents may actually be in electronic forms. It is in the above context that this study attempts to investigate the awareness of the implementation of the Electronics Transactions Act 2010 in Singapore. It further attempts to examine whether such awareness translates into an intention to adopt paperless accounting systems and if there is no intention to adopt paperless accounting systems then the reasons for companies resisting the intention to pursue a paperless office. For the above purpose, the study will conduct a survey on the awareness of paperless accounting and the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 in Singapore and whether it has impacted the way businesses operate in various industries. It will also survey on the reasons that hamper businesses from adopting electronic transactions as part of their operation models. The study will also attempt to find out what can be possible push factors to help businesses adopt paperless accounting. LITERATURE REVIEW The case for paperless accounting and chasing paperless offices have been researched and discussed by many practitioners and researchers, yielding a lot of literature on this topic both in popular and academic sources 2.1 The Case for Paperless Accounting Paperless accounting is based on electronic transactions where all business transactions are recorded electronically. The literature available on this topic is generally from popular sources with very little scholarly research attempted. The literature on paperless accounting from both popular and academic sources is primarily targeted on the benefits of going paperless, ways to implement a paperless office. They are focused on building the case for businesses to adopt a paperless strategy. Many researchers and practitioners believed that businesses must adopt paperless processes as part of their strategies. As a company grows and the transactions increase it will require a paperless system for its business processes (Webster 2004). James Blaylock (2005) believed that Going paperless is no longer an option, but must for a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Businesses have to go paperless in order to keep up with their competition. The mentality has changed. For example in 2005, a survey by PCPS/Texas Society of CPAs National Management of Accounting Practice (MAP) showed that 41% of CPA respondents indicated that they would consider going paperless, and 20% already have done it. 25% of the firms are planning to go paperless, but 13% will not consider it. Later in 2008, CCH Incorporated surveyed accountancy practitioners who have implemented paperless system. Of those of were surveyed, 95% would recommend the idea of setting up paperless offices to other users. However some researchers have also challenged the notion that paperless is the way to go. Paper is still the most widely used form of document medium due to its many benefits that is not easy to replace and will still co-exist with electronic documents in the long term (Liu and Stork, 2000) Paper usage cannot be reduced significantly unless work practices are re-organized and the digital alternative to paper has to be improved. Until that happens, offices will still most likely have paper around (Sellen 2003). This view is further re-emphasized by Gragg (2004) where he pointed out that it is difficult to depend solely on electronic documentation due to swift developments in software technology and hard copies will unlikely go away permanently. It is also wrong to assume that there will be no printing costs in a paperless office since a lot of people will carry on to print out the documents that are sent to them electronically, even if huge investments have been made to obtain technol ogy that help to store documents digitally. What Sellen and Gragg observed in 2003 and 2004 respectively still hold true today. The world usage of paper is still increasing. Some businesses still stick to paper. Even those which have invested in technology to automate their business processes still rely heavily on paper documents. For example, it is not uncommon to see executives printing out hard copies of their email correspondences. Logistics and shipping companies still require hardcopies of the bills of lading and certificates on goods. Banks and tax authorities still require hardcopies of hand-signed institutional documents. In such cases, businesses should look at usage of recycled paper which is more environmentally friendly although the ultimate aim should still be at reduction eventually. Therefore the case for paperless offices is very obvious with many benefits that all businesses should strive to achieve. Paperless accounting can bring about increased efficiency while at the same time lowering the costs of accounting (Gullkvist 2002). Brian Steinert, director of specialty software product management at CCH, in a supplement to Accounting Today, said that Because of the amazing efficiencies that result from streamlined, integrated workflows; because of the greater productivity brought about when professionals have anytime/anywhere access to what they need and anywhere/anytime ability to collaborate with their peers; because young professionals expect and embrace paperless processes; because all professionals will spend more time on high-level, high-value work; because money will be saved in the long run simply by buying and storing much less paper. Cost reduction will be the primary objective for many vendors who are considering implement paperless business processes (Davis 2005). Reduction in paper usage will also reduce the damage to the environment. The amount of literature available on paperless accounting suggests that it is a widely known concept around the world. However the lack of literature on the adoption rate of paperless accounting systems even in the United States and Europe, which are considered to be more developed in terms of technology, suggests that the actual awareness of the public is much lesser. A survey on the awareness of paperless accounting in Singapore should yield negative results. 2.2 Electronic Transactions Act in Singapore Many regions around the world are experiencing pressures for legal and regulatory changes due to the growth of paperless offices. The paperless office demands that transactions are documented electronically. Therefore the laws related, for example taxation and contract laws, need to be updated to recognize digital records of transactions as legal documents. As the information technology environment develops over time, nations will also move to improve their laws governing electronic commerce. This can be observed from the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts (UN Convention), adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 23rd November 2005 which was based upon the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce issued in 1998. The main driver for the new Convention was the fact that the electronic commerce environment in 2005 was very different from 1998 due to the evolution of the Internet. Singapore, being the first country in 1998 to follow the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce, on 7 July 2010 was the first Asian country to confirm its alignment to the new Convention, which is aimed at minimizing differences between laws in different countries. Therefore Singapore needs to update its Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) 1998 to complement the UN Convention and this resulted in ETA 2010. The ETA 2010, although based on the one in 1998, has introduced many key changes, one of it being Clause 9 which provides that Where a rule of law requires certain documents, records or information to be retained, the requirement is satisfied by retaining them in the form of electronic records subject to certain safeguards. If the rule of law already expressly provides for such retention in electronic records, the clause will not apply. A public agency may impose additional requirements for the retention of electronic records under its jurisdiction. This is the critical change that allows for the feasibility of a paperless office as businesses are no longer required to keep paper records of their business transactions by law. Besides financial reporting purposes, the other reason that companies archive their financial transactions is for audit purposes. In the Singapore Standard on Auditing under SSA 500, A31 states that Audit evidence in documentary form, whether paper, electronic, or other medium, is more reliable than evidence obtained orally (for example, a contemporaneously written record of a meeting is more reliable than a subsequent oral representation of the matters discussed) This is consistent with the ETA 2010 and further enhances the notion that companies no longer have to generate invoices in paper forms. Businesses can choose to issue their invoices in digital formats to their clients. The digital invoice will be recognized in the eyes of the law as a legal document. As the ETA 2010 was passed only in July this year, it is expected that most executives will be unaware of this change in the Act and subsequently, most will not have plans to adopt paperless accounting systems yet. The survey will attempt to determine if this is indeed the case. METHODOLOGY The primary research instrument used in this paper is a questionnaire which is piloted among members of the public working in finance related positions across a wide range of industries. The diversity of the members surveyed was as wide as possible in order to obtain a good mix of responses from members in both IT-savvy industries and non IT-savvy industries. The survey was administered and collected between October-November 2010. In keeping with the topic that is being discussed the questionnaires were sent out either via e-mail as attachments or through transfers via thumb drives and respondents were encouraged to complete and return in the same manner. The questions were structured in order to get feedback of respondents awareness of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010, whether it has impacted the way their businesses operate. If it has no impact yet, the survey will aim to find out why the business has not adopted a paperless transactions as part of its operations and what factors will push the business to adopt paperless systems. Surveys were distributed to 200 possible respondents from through digital survey forms. Although the target members were requested to reply in digital formats with respect to the topic in questions, some respondents replied through their own paper formats of the survey. Instructions and explanations are clearly stated should the respondents face any difficulties in understanding the questions. RESULTS 4.1 Question one After 2 reminders, the surveys were returned by 124 (62 percent respond rate) respondents. The breakdown of the respondents according to their industries is shown in the chart below. Chart 4.1 Breakdown by Industries Although an attempt to survey a wide diversity of respondents was made, 47% of the respondents came from the Banking and Finance and the IT industry. This is highly due to the fact that almost half of the 200 surveys were distributed at 2 commercial buildings physically where the tenants at both buildings consisted mainly of companies providing financial services or IT-related services. In order to obtain a more accurate response rate for different industries, the survey should have been distributed in a fixed number per industry. It must also be mentioned that a larger sample of respondents is needed in order to obtain more accurate results that can be indicative of the total population. 4.2 Question 2 The second question of the survey was to find out whether the respondents were aware of paperless accounting. The results of the survey are shown below. Q1 Q2 Yes No Banking and Finance 32 19 13 Fashion 5 1 4 Food Beverage 13 1 12 IT 26 9 17 Logistics 4 0 4 Manufacturing 11 2 9 Pharmaceutical 1 0 1 Property 1 1 0 Retail 20 1 19 Trade 10 4 6 Government 1 0 1 Total 124 38 86 Table 4.1 Question 2 results Out of the 124 respondents, 69% of the respondents were unaware of what is paperless accounting. This is consistent with what was concluded in the literature review. Although paperless accounting is widely discussed in both popular and academic articles, the adoption and awareness rates are much lower. This is especially the case as shown by the results above, where almost 74% of the respondents who are aware of paperless accounting come from IT-savvy industries. And even within the IT-savvy industries, only 28 out of the 58 respondents (48%) are aware of what is paperless accounting. Clearly, more has to be done in order to increase the awareness. 4.3 Question 3 The third question of the survey asked if respondents are aware of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010. As discussed in the literature review, the awareness level should be low since this Act was only in effect since Jul 2010. The results of the survey are listed below. Q1 Q3 Yes No Banking and Finance 32 6 26 Fashion 5 1 4 Food Beverage 13 0 13 IT 26 6 20 Logistics 4 0 4 Manufacturing 11 0 11 Pharmaceutical 1 0 1 Property 1 0 1 Retail 20 0 20 Trade 10 1 9 Government 1 0 0 Total 124 14 110 Table 4.2 Question 3 Results The results are almost one-sided with 88% of the respondents stating that they are unaware of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010. Most are unaware that invoices no longer need to be in paper form and can be sent via electronic means. This can be considered as a failure on the part of the government when the residents of a country are unaware that the country is the first Asian country to ratify the UN Convention. The government will need to raise awareness through more media coverage, campaigns and gazettes. 4.4 Question 4 The fourth question of the survey tries to find the adoption rate of paperless accounting by businesses in Singapore. The results are tabulated below. Q1 Q4 Yes No Banking and Finance 19 0 19 Fashion 1 0 1 Food Beverage 1 0 1 IT 9 6 3 Logistics 0 0 0 Manufacturing 2 0 2 Pharmaceutical 0 0 0 Property 1 0 1 Retail 1 0 1 Trade 4 1 3 Government 0 0 0 Total 38 7 31 Table 4.3 Question 4 Results Since the results of the previous 2 questions have indicated that there is a lack of awareness of paperless accounting and the Electronic Transactions Act 2010, only 38 respondents answered this question. The rate of adoption of paperless accounting systems cannot be high. Based on these 38 respondents, only 18% of the companies implemented paperless systems. Based on the results of this survey, Singapore is on a long road to becoming a paperless society. It is worthy to note that among the 19 respondents in the Banking and Finance industry who are aware of what paperless systems are; none of them were in companies that implemented such systems. This is highly likely due to the nature of their industry where paper documents are required. 4.5 Question 5 Question 5 asked respondents, whose companies have not implemented paperless systems, the reasons behind their companies decisions. A list of 5 options was offered to the respondents and they were allowed to choose more than one. The following chart shows their responses. Chart 4.2 Reasons for not adopting Paperless Systems Out of the 38 respondents, only 3 felt that paperless systems were costly. A majority of 30 felt that their suppliers and clients required paper documents and thus there was no need for them to adopt paperless systems. This clearly shows that the respondents and their clients/supplier as well are unaware of the new Electronics Transaction Act 2010. Half of the respondents felt that paperless systems are not adopted as it was not a standard procedure in their industry. Thus if their competitors started adopting paperless systems, they will highly likely follow suit as well. 13 respondents felt that there was no need to implement paperless systems since it is not mandatory by law and 7 felt that there were not many incentives to adopt such systems. 4.6 Question 6 Question 6 surveyed all the respondents on the factors that will push their companies to adopt paperless accounting. Again, a list of 5 options was offered and respondents were allowed to choose more than one option. The chart below shows their response. Chart 4.3 Push Factors for Paperless Accounting The biggest push factor for companies to adopt paperless accounting systems is for the government to make is a legal requirement. This is indicated by the response of 66% of those surveyed. 76 of the respondents indicated that they will consider adopting paperless systems if it is one of their industry standards. Half of the respondents felt that there is a need to create more awareness of paperless accounting. It is also worthwhile to note that less than 30% of respondents are looking at incentives and costs of adopting paperless accounting. CONCLUSION This survey, carried out in late 2010, found a low level of awareness and adoption rate of paperless accounting. The results of this study must be interpreted in the light of the response rate of 62%, which were obtained after 2 reminders. The final sample size of 124 respondents is definitely not a good indicator of the total population. The fact that 47% of respondents came from 2 out of at least 8 different industries shows that the distribution of the survey was not conducted wide enough although the time given for the survey to be conducted has to be taken into consideration. Basically this means that more time and resources need to be allowed in order for a similar survey to be conducted on a wider scale. A survey that yields at least 1000 respondents that are equally distributed across different industries will be a better indicator of the total population. The results of the survey indicate low awareness of both paperless accounting and the new Electronic Transactions Act 2010. Survey respondents have indicated that there should be more awareness made about paperless accounting. This indicates that there is a lot of potential in the Singapore market for companies that provide digital document management services. The government can increase the awareness of paperless accounting by setting up a national framework for a paperless society as well. This framework should be aimed at resolving the issues that are creating resistance to paperless accounting and helping Singapore businesses to switch to paperless accounting systems progressively. When businesses adopt paperless accounting systems, there are a few authorities that will have to be involved as well. For example, the Monetary Authority of Singapore will have to look into solutions that can enable banking and financial institutions to adopt paperless business processes without compromising on risks and securities. The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority will have to look into the acceptance of electronic financial statements. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore will have to come up with solutions that enable business to file their taxes electronically. By creating such frameworks and support, businesses can be assured of a smoother and easier transition as they adopt paperless accounting systems. This will greatly reduce the resistance to the adoption of paperless business processes that currently exists. The survey results should be interpreted with caution as they indicate only respondents awareness of paperless accounting and the Electronic Transactions Act 2010. However it does indicate that there is a need for more research to be done regarding actual business adoption rates of paperless systems and the benefits that both companies and the environment enjoy with the reduced usage of paper.

Differential Effects of American Destabilization Policy in Chile in the

Differential Effects of American Destabilization Policy in Chile in the 1970s and Cuba in the 1990s Just three years after taking office in 1970, Chile’s military removed the leftist President Salvador Allende from power. In Cuba, nearly forty years after his ascension to power in 1959, Fidel Castro continues to control a communist regime. In Chile in the early 1970s and in Cuba in the early 1990s, the United States exasperated severe economic crises. In addition, the United States attempted to foster political opposition to create ‘coup climates’ to overthrow both leaders. The similarities in these histories end there. Chile’s open, democratic political system allowed the U.S. to polarize the nation, paving the way for Pinochet’s U.S. backed military regime. In Cuba, however, thirty years of tight communist control negated the effectiveness of America’s effort to sow political dissent. This paper explores the impact of explicit American policy to overthrow both leaders, and proposes that divergent political, economic, and military st ructures contributed to vastly different outcomes. The Nixon administration sought to uphold a â€Å"cool but correct† diplomatic stance toward Chile. The fact that Allende was democratically elected forced the Nixon administration to be less explicitly aggressive about their role in Chile, causing them to turn to economics as a primary method for destabilizing the nation. The U.S. sought to â€Å"isolate, weaken and destabilize Chile until the country was ungovernable† in order to create a ‘coup climate.’ Essentially, the U.S. began a long term strategy to destabilize the Chilean government economically, politically, and militarily, looking to exploit all possible weaknesses. Chile wa... ...ly. vol114 no3 (Fall 1999): 387-408. Kornbluh, Peter. The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability. New York: The New Press, 2003. LeoGrande, William and Julie Thomas. â€Å"Cuba’s Quest for Economic Independence.† Journal of Latin American Studies. vol 34: 342-363. Oppenheim, Lois Hecht. Politics in Chile: Democracy, Authoritarianism, and the Search for Development. 2nd ed. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1999. Otero, Gerardo and Janice O’Bryan. â€Å"Cuba in Transition? The Civil Sphere’s Challenge to the Castro Regime.† Latin American Politics and Society. vol44 i4: 29-57. Pà ©rez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Valenzuela, Arturo. The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes: Chile. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978.

Majoring in Music :: Education Musical Singing School Essays Papers

Majoring in Music Music has always been an important part of my life. Upon entering the fifth grade, my parents bought me a flute, at my insistence. After moderate success playing the flute, I saw greener grass on the other side of the musical fence. Singing just had to be easier than making music with a long metal pipe. My perception and reality did not exactly match. Singing has its own subtleties and complexities which are not readily apparent to the casual observer. Abandoning the flute for singing, I began taking voice lessons in the tenth grade. My voice teacher was very experienced and encouraged me to pursue my interest in music beyond high school. After much deliberation, I decided to major in voice during college. This path would be fraught with unforeseen difficulties and exciting challenges. After announcing my decision to a number of friends and acquaintances, I began to encounter not a few misconceptions about the study of music. Many people readily expressed their uninformed opinion that music (particularly vocal performance) was an easy college major for anyone with a modicum of talent: â€Å"Just open your mouth and let the music pour out.† Some showed their ignorance by commenting that music majors had both light and easy course loads. There are even some people who refuse to acknowledge that music is a serious academic discipline. They believe music is a refuge for slackers who do not want to tackle the really difficult courses. Others have insinuated that music majors choose a career in music by default (i.e., because they could not think of anything better to study). Of course, none of these perceptions are true. Two short months studying music on the college level has exploded these misconceptions. The study of music is a rigorous academic discipline which only gets more difficult as one progresses further into the curriculum. While our professors are understanding and helpful, we certainly are not coddled. Music majors quickly learn that hard work and long hours is the price of success in the world of music. The subject matter demands dedication and discipline. Music majors do have some respite from the demands of our discipline. For voice majors, there is choir. Choir provides an opportunity to learn in a more passive manner. The choir director leads the members of the choir toward the desired goal – the mastery of the piece of music to be performed. While choir members must be attentive and receptive, the burden is primarily carried by the director.

Geomatics : Levelling

Topic 2: Levelling Aims -Heights, datums and bench marks -Levelling equipment -Field procedure for levelling -Calculating reduced levels -Sources of error in levelling -Other levelling methods Levelling – how heights are defined Engineering surveying involves the measurement of three quantities; heights, angles and distances. Levelling it the process of measuring heights. It is possible when levelling to measure heights with an accuracy of millimetres Heights can also be measured using total stations, handheld lasers and GPS devices.However, levelling offers an inexpensive, simple and accurate method for measuring heights, and it is widely used in construction sites. Any method of measuring the heights of points above or below the ground using an agreed datum. These datum's or reference points are present in all construction sites and has an arbitrary height assigned to the point. Most construction sites will have several of these benchmarks, and if they have heights based on an arbitrary datum, they are known as Temporary Bench Marks. Heights Heights are defined using horizontal and vertical lines.The figure below shows a plumbbob suspended at point P, the direction of gravity along the plumb-line defines the vertical at point P. A horizontal or level line is any line at right angles to this For site work, any horizontal line can be chosen as a datum for heights and for levelling. The height of a point is measured along the vertical above or below the chosen datum. The height of a point relative to a datum is known as its reduced level (RL). On most construction sites there is a permanent datum. The horizontal line or surface passing through this, with its height, becomes the levelling datum.The height of the datum can be arbitrary, a value often used for this is 100. 000m. This is chosen to avoid any negative heights occurring. Any reference point on site which has had a height assigned to it is known as a bench mark. For most surveys and construction work, several bench marks would normally be established by levelling from the datum. If heights are based on an arbitrary datum these are known as Temporary Bench Marks or TBMs. Curved Surfaces Level (or horizontal) lines are always at right angles to the direction of gravity. The direction of gravity is generally towards the centre of the earth.Over large areas, as the Earth is curved, level surfaces will also be curved. For these, a height difference is measured along a vertical between two curved level surfaces. When surveying over a large area, a curved level surface of zero height has to be defined. This has been established by the Ordnance Survey, this is called the Ordnance Datum (OD). This corresponds to the average sea level measured Poolbeg or Malin Head. Heights based on these are know as OD heights. The levelling staff Levelling involves measuring vertical distances with reference to a horizontal plane or surface.To do this, a levelling staff is needed to measure vertica l distances and an instrument known as a level is required to define the horizontal plane. Many types of staff are used with varying lengths and different markings. The E-type face is commonly used in the UK and Ireland. This can be read directly to 0. 01m and by estimation to the nearest mm. The staff must be held vertically – a circular bubble is sometimes fitted to help this. Automatic Level 1. Focusing screw 2. Eyepiece 3. Foot screw 6. Tangent screw 7. Circular bubble Automatic Level 4. Horizontal circle 5. Base plate 8. Collimator (sight) 9. Object lensThe main features of the telescope 1. Object lens 2. Focusing screw 3. Focusing lens 4. Diaphragm 5. Eyepiece The object lens, focusing lens, diaphragm and eye piece are all mounted on an optical axis called the line of collimation or the line of sight. This is an imaginary line which joins the optical centre of the object lens to the centre of the cross hairs. When looking through the eye piece of the surveying telescope , a set of lines called the cross hairs can be seen. These are used for taking measurements from the staff. These cross hairs are etched on a small sheet of glass known as the diaphragm.To make the telescope work, the image of the staff is brought to a focus in the plane of the diaphragm using the focusing screw. The eyepiece is rotated so that the cross hairs are in focus and its focal point is also in the plane of the diaphragm. When looking into the telescope an observer will now see a magnified image of the levelling staff focused against the cross hairs. Parallax Parallax occurs when the focusing screw and the eyepiece is done incorrectly. This condition can be detected by moving the eye to different parts of the eyepiece when reading the staff. If different readings are obtained then parallax is present.To remove parallax, hold a sheet of paper in front of the object and adjust the eyepiece so that the cross hairs are in focus. Then remove the sheet of paper and bring the staf f into focus using the focusing screw. Once again check for parallax by moving your eye around the eyepiece. If parallax is still occurring repeat the adjustment procedure. The compensator In an automatic level, the compensator is mounted on the telescope next to the eyepiece. It will only work when the instrument has been levelled to within about 15’ of the vertical using the foot screws and circular bubble.The function of the compensator is to ensure that the line of sight viewed through the telescope is horizontal even if the telescope is tilted Tilting levels Tilting levels use a spirit level instead of a compensator to establish a horizontal line of sight. When the bubble is centred the sprit level will be horizontal. When the bubble is off centre the axis will be tilted. By attaching a sprit level to the telescope such that its axis is parallel to the line of sight a horizontal line can be set. This is done by using a tilting screw, when this is rotated the telescope is tilted a small amount in the vertical plane.The tilting screw is adjusted until the bubble is centred. Digital levels Digital levels are similar in appearance to automatic levels, a horizontal line is established by a compensator and this is done by centralising a circular bubble with the foot screws. The main difference between this and other levels is that the staff readings are taken and recorded automatically. When levelling, a special bar-coded staff is sighted, and there is no need to sight this staff as the level will do this automatically and display the measurement. It can also display the horizontal distance to the staff.The advantages of digital levels are that observations are taken without the need to read a staff or record anything by hand. Introducing this automation removes two of the most common errors when levelling, reading the staff incorrectly and writing down the wrong value in the field book. The on-board computer also calculates the heights required so that the possibility of making a mistake is removed. This makes the digital level much faster to use. Laser levels Laser levels contain a rotating laser which defines a visible horizontal plane from which distance to the ground can be made and then the height can be determined.Using a level The following steps are taken when using a level to measure heights 1. Set up the tripod 2. Ensure the top is level 3. Push legs firmly into the ground 4. Attach level 5. Use foot screws to centralise the circular bubble 6. Test to see if the compensator is working 7. Remove parallax Once the level is set up its important that the line of sight is horizontal. When the foot screws have been used to centralise the circular bubble, it is assumed that the compensator has set the line of sight to be horizontal.However, most levels are not in perfect adjustment and when levelled their line of sight is never exactly horizontal. If the line of sight is not horizontal when the instrument has been levelled, the level has a collimation error. As most levels will have some level of collimation error, a method is required to check if the error is within acceptable limits. This is known as a two-peg test. This needs to be conducted when using a new or different level for the first time and at regular intervals thereafter. Two peg test Stage 1 On fairly level ground, two points A and B are marked a distance of Lm apart.In soft ground, two pegs are used, on hard surfaces nails or paint may be used. The level is set up midway between the points at C and carefully levelled. A levelling staff is placed at A and B and staff readings S1 (at B) and S2 (at A) are taken. The two readings are: S1 = (S1‘ + x) and S2 = (S2‘ + x) S1‘ and S2‘ are the staff readings that would have been obtained if the line of collimation was horizontal, x is the error in each reading due to the collimation error, the effect of which is to tilt the line of sight by angle ?.Since AC = CB, the error x i n the readings S1 and S2 will be the same. The difference between readings S1 and S2 gives: S1 – S2 = (S1‘ + x) – (S2‘ + x) = S1‘ – S2‘ This gives the true difference in height between A and B. This demonstrates that if a collimation error is present in a level, the effect of this cancels out when height differences are computed provided readings are taken over equal sighting distances. Stage 2 The level is then moved so that it is L/10m from point B at D and readings S3 and S4 are taken.The difference between readings S3 and S4 gives the apparent difference in height between A and B. If the level is in perfect adjustment then: S1 – S2 = S3 – S4 However this is not always the case and that an error term (e) needs to be estimates e = (S1 – S2) – (S3 – S4) per Lm If the results of these tests show that the collimation error is less than 1mm per 20m (or some specified value). If the collimation error is gre ater than this specified value then the level has to be adjusted. This is normally done by the manufacturer or a trained technician.Example Readings obtained from a two peg test carried out on an automatic level with a staff placed on two pegs A and B 50m apart are: Staff reading at A = 1. 283m Staff reading at B = 0. 860m With the level position 5m from peg B (L/10): Staff reading at A = 1. 612m Staff reading at B =1. 219m Calculate the collimation error of the level per 50m of sighting distance Solution S1= 0. 860M S2 = 1. 283M S3 = 1. 219M S4 = 1. 612M e = (0. 860 – 1. 283) – (1. 219 – 1. 612) per 50M = (-0. 423 – (-0. 393)) = -0. 030M per 50M Exam Question 2007 (5 marks)

National Implications: Historical View of Black School

This study by Drs. James E. Ginn, J D Gregory Jr., Henry North, and Leola Robinson based partially on the studies done by Raymond J. Lockett and George M. Vincent in Louisiana and Mississippi respectively. As with Lockett’s and Vincent’s researches, the authors of the study in scrutiny wanted to outline the social, economic, and political profile of the Black school board members, this time in Texas. As the authors reiterate, they were not gearing for a full replication of the Lockett and Vincent articles. Instead, their main purpose is to map out any possible trends with regards to choosing Black school members. Using the same questionnaire devised by Lockett for his Louisiana Black school board member study, with just minor modifications to suit those in Texas, Ginn et. al were able to survey 79% of the Black school board members in Texas, as listed in the Black Elected Officials: A National Roster. Basically, the study resulted in an enumeration of the personal characteristics, motivational factors, and attitudes on social changes of those currently elected African-American school board members. Also in the conclusion was a revelation of which sectors provide the biggest financial and moral support for Black electorates plus the strategies of these Black members in implementing social change. True enough, Dr. Ginn et. al’s paper was successful in its aim to produce a profile but it failed to state any trends in relation to the conclusions made by Lockett and Vincent, except with the motivational factors in regarding candidacy. As Dr. Ginn et. al’s paper reveals, Texan Black school board members deem the improvement of the school system as the topmost reason for seeking office, unlike Louisianan Black school board members who listed that as only the second most important reason. For the Blacks in Louisiana, the prestige that comes with the office is the primary reason to be in the school board. Those in Mississippi, on the other hand, think that the improvement of the African-American race is what matters. With the other aspects uncovered by the research, though, this comparison and contrast with the results of the Louisiana and Mississippi results was missing. But aside from that obvious slight, there were other parts of the study that must be called to attention. The authors of â€Å"National Implications†¦Ã¢â‚¬  failed to present the tables of the survey result and provide a satisfactory description of the results. They loved using the word â€Å"likely†, which tends to weaken the foundation of their results. The first two paragraphs under the heading â€Å"Results of the Study- Personal Characteristics† mentioned the word â€Å"likely† seven times in fifteen sentences. Mentioning exact figures would have been better for it could have solidified the claims of the authors. Another thing that I can critique with the paper is the authors’ assumption that their readers are already well-aware of what is written in their sources’ works. They have failed to describe at least minimally what their sources are talking about. One glaring example is the part where they mention that â€Å"Tyres Hillway and Nunnery and Kimbrough listed several advantages of the mail questionnaire† yet failed to list what these advantages are. It would have been better if their endnotes at least contained a description of the findings of their references. Yet, despite these research results blunders, the article was able to provide some useful insights. In my opinion, the article had the potential of being relevant for those who wants to look into mapping out preferences in school board members – black or white. Dr. Ginn et. al’s research can be the starting point of laying down reasons as to why school board members are elected into their position. Perhaps the most important thing that can be picked up from the said research is the gems about the African-Americans. The research made use of sources and variables that were true in 1985 and before. At that time, the roles of Black Americans are still delineated and everyone was still pretty much adjusting to the integration of the races. But as true as the results may be in the time the study was conducted, I can say that times have changed immensely. The article by Dr. Ginn et. al made me appreciate just how progressive America has become. A lot of efforts have been done to ensure that the country provide equal opportunities to both African-Americans and Caucasians. Whereas before, Blacks are still being â€Å"pushed† to run for political power and promote the welfare of their race, today it is already to common to have the African-Americans represented in political office. There are still the occasional discriminatory remarks and acts, but these are no longer accepted and are now condemned. Also, almost everyone is now well-adjusted to the integration of blacks and whites. Yes, we have come to an era where discriminations is something we do not tolerate. The African-Americans’ are proving that they are viable leaders and are capable of holding an important position. And despite the limitations of â€Å"National Implications: Historical View of Black School Board Members of the State of Texas Until 1985†, it was important in making me realize that times have really changed†¦for good.