Kiswana Browne Essay

â€Å"She stared at the woman she had been and was to become.† — Kiswana Browne Mother-daughter relationships are complex and diverse. Some mothers and daughters are best friends, and others talk once a week. Some see each other weekly while others live in different cities or states. Kiswana Browne and her mother have a relationship like other mothers and daughters. She only wants the best for her daughter. They may fuss and they may argue, but they are more alike than they realize. Kiswana Browne, whose real name is Melanie, was born and raised in an affluent black suburb called Linden Hills. Like most people that graduate from high school, Kiswana went on to college to further her education. While in college, Kiswana was discovering her blackness and protesting for equality amongst black people. She changed her name and tried to wear an Afro, but her hair was so thin and fine-textured. She had to use lacquer so it would not lay flat. But before she had the chance to graduate from college, she dropped out and decided to move to Brewster Place to live with her p eople. Kiswana’s mother unexpectedly came to visit her at her new place. Kiswana is still afraid of her mother despite the fact that she has left her house and rejected her parents’ way of life. This is shown when she says, â€Å"Oh, God, it’s Mama!† She still feels the guilt that all the kids have when they do something against their parents will. Kiswana and he mother was not seeing eye-to-eye. Her mother did not want her to live in the poor community, but Kiswana has her mind set on being there with her people. She picks to live in a poor area of town, because she is trying to retaliate from the oppressions of the government and her families’ standards. In the beginning of the story, she sees her mother as distant and different. She believes that her mother is a sell out to her African heritage. Her mother assures her that she and Kiswana’s father are as concerned about the poor as much as she is. She also explains that they do not have t o live in Brewster Place to prove themselves to anyone. She cautions Kiswana that the long-awaited revolution will not materialize because society has moved to another phase. Instead, she suggests Kiswana to work within the system by becoming an assemblywoman or a civil liberties lawyer or by opening a freedom school in the neighborhood. She provides Kiswana with various ways of using her talents instead of allowing them to waste away in dead-end jobs. As Kiswana and her mother continue to argue about her new life in the poor area of town, it confirms all of Kiswana’s expectations of her mother’s disapproval. When her mother tells her she lives in a world of fantasy, Kiswana says that she is proud of her heritage and accuses her mother of being â€Å"a white man’s nigger who’s ashamed of being black†. Her mother then became angry with Kiswana and started to tell her about her family history. Yet after her mother explains her beliefs and concerns about her family, Kiswana begins to see the similarities between herself and her mother. After Mrs. Browne gave Kiswana a lesson about her family, she took off her shoe because they were hurting her feet. Bright red nail polish glared at Kiswana through the stockings. Her mother never really wore nail polish, but her husband talked her into. In the beginning of the story, Kiswana talked about how her friend was a foot man and how often she changed the color of her polish. Kiswana then thought, â€Å"I’ll be damned the young woman thought, feeling her whole face tingle. Daddy’s into feet! And she looked at the blushing woman on her couch and suddenly realized that her mother had trod through the same universe that she herself was now traveling. Kiswana was breaking no new trails and would eventually end up just two feet away on that couch. She stared at the woman she had been and was to become.† She learns that she is more like her mother than she ever imagined. Mothers and daughters go through situations similar to this a lot. The child thinks that they know everything, and things are to be done their way. They are not always right. Some individuals think that their parents are always against them and that they do not care about what they are doing in their life, but most of the time they are wrong. Some individuals also think that their parents have not gone through the things that they are going through, but some parents do. There is a saying â€Å"The apple does not fall far from the tree† and â€Å"L ike Mother, Like Daughter.† More than likely, you will act somewhat like your mother or father; you may also go through things that they went through. You never know.

Peachtree Healthcare Essay

Peachtree Healthcare has been faced with a dilemma. There has been a major IT infrastructure problem within the company for some time now. Since technology has taken over in the healthcare field, it is imperative that Peachtree Healthcare get the technology needed so that they can be trusted and well known within the healthcare industry. Mission The mission of Peachtree Healthcare is to ensure quality, consistency, and continuity of care across the entire network – and to deliver care with the highest levels of efficiency and economy while maintaining respect for patients and staff. Objectives The hospital needs to decide on what long / short term IT infrastructure system strategies and roadmaps are needed to increase efficiency. The new system should allow sharing of patient records, ensure quality, consistency, and continuity of care across entire network of hospitals and physicians. Key Issues The IT infrastructure is not reliable; therefore, uses are unable to perform their day to day functions including clinical duties. This is impacting quality and safety of patient care. Recommendations Adopt service oriented architecture (SOA) which will enable selective standardization. CURRENT SITUATION (10) Peachtree Healthcare has major IT infrastructure problems and is struggling to find the right fix. Growth through acquisitions has led to the inheritance of many incompatible legacy systems. Current IT resources are focused on maintaining inefficient processes in order to keep the hospital running. The maintenance costs of the current IT system are so high that further innovation has become a luxury. In addition there have been recent meltdowns of clinical information systems. IT infrastructure is not reliable; therefore users are unable to perform their day to day functions, including clinical duties. This is impacting quality and safety of patient care. Furthermore there is pressure from the hospital’s board to standardize hospital procedures and practices without fully assessing the need for it. Max Berndt (CEO), Candace Markovich (CIO) and Tom Drane (CFO) are struggling to analyze the current situation subjectively in order to properly manage the pressure to follow competitors. CRITERIA (5) The hospital needs to decide on what long / short term IT infrastructure system strategies and roadmaps are needed to increase efficiency. The new system should allow sharing of patient records, ensure quality, consistency, and continuity of care across entire network of hospitals and physicians. The system should also ensure â€Å"selective† standardization of certain medical procedures across the network but allow sufficient flexibility to individual hospitals and professionals in other areas. Other criteria include: †¢ Time to value – when will the new system realize value for each business unit †¢ Flexibility – easy to modify, upgrade and customization capabilities †¢ Staff buy-in – ability to convince all staff to give this project a try ALTERNATIVES & RECOMMENDATIONS (15) Alternative 1: Monolithic System (Modular Enterprise System) A monolithic system is single set of systems and applications that will provide consistency across Peachtree’s facilities but may not give doctors enough flexibility. Other pros and cons include: Alternative 2: Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) System A servicer-oriented architecture system is modular design that will allow Peachtree to standardize incrementally and selectively but poses certain risks as a newer technology. Recommendation: My recommendation is to crease a strategy of selective standardization using a SOA system. This means assessing and deciding on a SOA architecture standard. Reviewing individual business functions and deciding on an ideal standard for that functional unit then migrating others to it. This will allow Peachtree to standardize incrementally, which Max has wanted most in an IT infrastructure. RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (15) Since SOA is a new technology, there are serious risks and consequences involved with this approach. The SOA technology is not mature yet and has not been tested in the long term. As a result there is a lot of unpredictability. To mitigate these risks Peachtree should gradually replace its old system with the SOA System. They should proceed with SOA in stages by piloting smaller projects to quickly provide value to business units. By gradually installing the SOA, Peachtree and its doctors would learn about how the systems worked and they could then master it in a sense as the infrastructure moved further. By gradually installing the infrastructure, Peachtree would not only minimize risk but also create flexibility and control. With the gradual learning process on the new SOA system, Peachtree and its physicians would allow IT to shift priorities along the way. Peachtree should also create case studies to get other business units and vendors support throughout roll-out process. They should also consider hiring external change management consultants to ensure minimum user disruption and smooth transition into the new system.

Credit crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Credit crunch - Essay Example At this point, credit rationing takes place. In most times, a credit crunch is followed by a shift to quality by the lenders and owners of capital as they look out for investments which are less risky normally at the expense of the medium and small sized enterprises (Hull 2). The credit crunch has had an influence on small and medium sized business in various adverse ways. Despite its significant and largely powerful impact, the credit crunch might not be the sole reason for the inadequate success of some selected small and medium sized business enterprises. The growth of the credit crisis will also be taken into consideration as it is crucial in evaluating the way and the manner in which it has influenced the small and medium sized businesses in the dimension it has. As the credit crunch is a very much late feature in the current economy, its growth is frequently varying. Nevertheless, its growth since its inception in the global perspective has been put into consideration. The world economic crunch which started in 2007 was perhaps the most phenomenon shock to ever affect the economy of the United Kingdom to be ever remembered. Ever since the onset of this predicament, so much has taken place that might initially have been assumed to be impossible: The implicit nationalization of two of the largest banks in UK, a state deficit which came in double digits, a depressing grading on the AAA credit rating of the UK, a decline in Bank of England’s base rate which went down to 150 basic points lower than its previous all time low and a programme quantitative easing of  £ 200,000 (Heine 27). These phenomenon occurrences have called for essential reforms of the conventional evaluation of the UK economy. As it is a contemporary feature in the current economy it is frequently growing and thus regularly having an impact on all forms of business including small and medium sized enterprises. Small

Definition of the Educational Technology Field Essay

Definition of the Educational Technology Field - Essay Example The education and instructional technology is a link between available technologies and the educational/instructional needs by means of looking for ways to make the technology useful to both the student and the teacher. Usually, there is a need to have a clear definition of the field of instructional technology. First, a clear definition offers the people involved, especially the professionals in the field, a better understanding of what their roles are (Hall, Meyer & Rose 2012). Unless there is a clear definition of the field and what it entails, there is a very high chance that the productivity of such professionals, in terms of what they learn, research and implement will be an issue. At the same time, as more and more technologies come out, there are issues of technology hype. Technology hype is the promises that most technologies offer to do, but that do not add any value. In instructional and educational technology, the best thing to know is that not all technologies will offer any quality to the education and instructional process. Taking these technologies on their face value would lead to expensive investments in educational technology, but with little or no return. In this regard, having a good definition of the instructional technology is also a good way to create a better understanding of what this field is about. It also creates the awareness that in involving technology in education and especially in instruction design, the needs of the teacher/students drive the use of technology and not the other way round. Technology should not be the one driving the needs of the teacher/student in class, but technology should only be applied where and when necessary. This can only be best understood by having a clear understanding of instructional what technology is and how it relates to instructional design (Spector et al, 2013). Professionals who understand this principle are

Psychology-Interview Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology-Interview Profile - Essay Example Tell me about yourself. Paulo Antonio: I’m Paulo Antonio, 31 years old and a graduate of BA Psychology. I may be getting married this year to my girlfriend of three years. I have two younger siblings; my brother is a marketing agent while my sister is a nurse. My mother works as a company consultant, and my dad is a businessman. He left us when I was in college, and he has another family now; we see each other every now and then. I’m usually optimistic, and I take a time out from work and other stressors when I feel that it gets hard to breathe, figuratively. C.I.: How does a person’s race, gender, or ethnicity contribute to his personality and attitudes? P.A.: Well, race, gender, or ethnicity always contribute to an individual’s wholeness. They do not necessarily solely ground the person’s attitudes and personality, but they do play their parts, especially when you consider the society. Take for example, gender. Although the present times are more open to equal gender roles, it cannot be denied that there are still several stereotypes that men are more dominant, and women, let’s say, are more emotional. Another, race. I am a Hispanic, and you are an African-American. We have different cultures and backgrounds that mold our personalities, making us who we are today. Usually Hispanic families have two parents in the household, but look at us, we have a single parent since years ago. That, for example, has changed how I act and perceive things, specifically in line with family values. C.I.: Personally speaking, what is the strongest influence on your attitudes? P.A.: As mentioned, I tend to have a positive attitude. I think my mother has influenced me a lot. She is a really strong woman. She has taught me, both directly and indirectly, that every problem that comes is accompanied by a hidden solution you have to uncover yourself so you can learn things in life that cannot be found in books. She sees light in little things , and she is very spiritual, which I believe has helped her a lot in her struggles. Observing her, and watching her, I believe that my optimism is something I owe her for passing on to me. C.I.: Do you self-monitor, or look back at yourself, with regard to your attitudes? How so? P.A.: Of course, I think everyone basically does. Although I am generally optimistic, there are times when I feel like the world is on my shoulders, and I fall back to being negative. Being a Psychology major has helped me, though. It’s now easier to detect when I’m being too hard on myself, so I snap out of those morbid thoughts. Sometimes I see myself implementing a â€Å"self-cognitive behavioral therapy!† *laughs* C.I.: Good for you. They say a man’s personality sums up his characteristics from different aspects. What experiences most contributed to the development of your personality? P.A.: I think it was when dad left us. Although I was in college already, my siblings were young, then. And taking into consideration our usually conservative culture, I felt ashamed that we had to go through such experience. Our relatives back home had strong family bonds and generally stayed with traditional gender roles. It seemed like everything had to change quickly. Mom had to find a better-paying job, and I felt the urge to stand as the man of the house. My thinking changed, and I was emotionally vulnerable but I had to learn how to deal with it. Dad leaving was a blessing in disguise - I learned how to take care of myself and my family better. C.I.: Have you taken the Myers-Briggs test? How

Key Issues in Customer Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Key Issues in Customer Service - Essay Example Apart from a point-by-point analysis, the research intends to warn the practitioner of the many pitfalls of customer service as well as the rewards that exist for its correct implementation. In today’s increasingly competitive business environment, seemingly few techniques help differentiate one firm from another. For years, the study of business has focused on the Four Ps: Price, Place, Promotion, and Product; however, as each and every firm has become acutely aware of the power to differentiate their products based upon this rubric, it has become increasingly difficult to edge out the competition based on these factors. As such, companies and firms all over the world have turned to redefining and perfecting customer service as a way to endear current customers as well as work to win over new ones because of superior attitudes, trends, ethics, and values related to customer service. This brief paper will analyze some of the basic customer service tools that businesses/firms e mploy to boost their standing with their customers and a few examples of how each of these might be employed in any given company. As is easily noticed by walking into any of a handful of local retail stores in the United States, a greeting by a sales clerk or associate has become a standard practice. These are performed for a couple of reasons, the first and the most important reason being to instantly remind the customer that the second he or she sets foot into the retail outlet he or she is in an establishment that puts a focus on personal interaction and is willing and able to help the customer fulfill his or her needs. Although this is a subliminal understanding, it has a powerful effect on shopping and buying habits, which has been verified through a number of marketing studies which analyzed it. Interestingly, a secondary reason for the smile/acknowledgment that customers receive when entering a store is that it has been determined that shoplifting rates are massively reduced when employees acknowledge individuals whose intent might be less than honorable. Thieves usually want to be unnoticed, faceless, and non-recognizable entities. When they are greeted with a â€Å"good day† and a question concerning if they can be assisted in any way, they realize that they must respond to this question and that their face is more likely to be remembered should they decide to proceed with their shoplifting. Therefore, the most common and easiest practice of customer service – the greeting – serves multiple purposes: it increases sales and customer satisfaction, helps the customer verbalize any questions he or she may otherwise have not asked, and discourages would-be shoplifters. Many firms struggle with the way through which to make sure that the customers get what they are seeking. Some firms assume that a carefully displayed and well thought out store design will ensure painless customer navigation without the need to have employees answer an y little questions the customers might have. Still others assume that the customers do not prefer to do shopping undisturbed, and hover over the customers, asking continuously if they can assist them in finding something. Unfortunately, neither of these approaches utilizes the right mixture of technique and tact. While the customers may not want to figure it all out for themselves, they are equally disinterested in having an associate breathing down their necks as they are trying to make informed decisions as to which product they should purchase. In many ways, the latter approach often works to drive customers away as they become so frustrated by the hovering tactics of

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China Coursework

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China - Coursework Example China is such market. In the past, the Chinese market was quite attractive for organizations in different industries; the specific market has been very popular especially for firms operating in the manufacturing sector. This market has attracted the interest of Japanese firms, which have been aware of the market’s prospects, mostly because of its size. However, through the years, the terms of operations in the Chinese market have been differentiated. The increase of wages and taxes has reduced the level of profit. Still, the Chinese market is quite important for firms operating in the manufacturing industry. Toyota has entered the Chinese market about 30 years before. Initially, the growth of the firm in the specific market has been impressive. However, gradually, the firm’s performance in China has been declined, a fact which has been mostly related to the failures in the firm’s operational strategy. The recent efforts of the firm to upgrade its operational stra tegy and develop a research and development unit in China are expect to highly benefit the organizational performance offering to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals.Introduction Because of the continuous expansion of globalisation, the decisions of firms to expand their activities internationally are highly depended on the perspectives available in regard to business activities in each country. China can be characterized as one of the strongest countries worldwide in terms of its financial perspectives. The last decade, the rapid development of entrepreneurial activities across China has led to the increase of the country’s competitiveness in the global market. At the same time, the fixed exchange rate, which the country’s policy makers have initiated, has further supported the development of the country as a popular destination for businesses of all types (Horch 2009). However, the fixed exchange rate in China has not helped towards the control of inflation, which in 2008 has reached the level of 8.5%, the highest level since 1996 (Rongala 2008). The relationship between the fixed exchange rate and inflation in China explains the following phe nomenon: firms and capital from many countries worldwide have entered the Chinese market in order to enjoy the benefits of the country’s fixed exchange rate policy (Horch 2009). However, through the years, the increase of inflation, which resulted because of the above policy, led to the increase of manufacturing costs across the country (Rongala 2008). As a result, manufacturing cos