Social Influences on Behavior Essay Example

Social Influences on Behavior Essay A popular remark by novelist Herman Merville, states that â€Å"We cannot live for ourselves alone, for our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads.†Ã‚   Social psychologists explore human interaction by scientifically studying how human behavior changes based on social situations. This is especially when the unexpected occurs, we analyze and discuss why people act as they do.   In everyday life we do the same.   Does her warmth reflect romantic interest in me, or is that how she relates to everyone?   Does his absenteeism signify laziness or an oppressive work atmosphere?Social Influences on BehaviorThis essay examines basic concepts of human interaction from a psychology perspective.   In this examination, two examples of how human behavior changes based on social situation are described.   Behavior is contagious.   One person giggles, coughs, or yawns, and others in the group are soon doing the same. A cluster of people stands gazing upward, and pass ersby pause to do likewise.   Laughter, even canned laughter, can be infectious.   Bartenders and street musicians know to â€Å"seed† their tip cups with money that suggests that others have given.   This suggestibility is a subtle type of conformity.Conformity involves adjusting our thinking and behavior to bring it into line with some group standard.   But why do people comply with this social influence? Why do we clap when others clap, eat as others eat, believe what others believe, even see what others see?   Frequently, it is to avoid rejection or to gain social approval.   In such cases, we are responding to what social psychologists call normative social influence.   W are sensitive to social norms – understood rules for accepted and expected behavior- because the price we pay for being different may be severe (Asch, 1995).   Take for example the case of the famous Italian basketball player, Marco Lokar.   During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, he was the only Seton Hall University basketball player who chose not to display an American flag on his uniform.   When, as the team traveled about, the fan abuse over his nonconforming behavior became unbearable, he quit the team and returned to Italy.But there is another reason: We may conform because the group can provide valuable information.   When we accept others` opinions about reality, we are responding to informational social influence.   â€Å"Those who never retract their opinions love themselves more than they love the truth,† observed Joseph Joubert, a French essayist.   But a conforming behavior does not necessitate therapeutic intervention.As these reasons for conformity suggest, social influence can be either constructive or destructive.   When influence supports that we approve, then we applaud those who are â€Å"open-minded† and â€Å"sensitive† enough to be â€Å"responsive.†Ã‚   When influence supports what we disapprove, the n we scorn the â€Å"submissive conformity† of those who comply with others` wishes.   Conformity is associated by such group phenomena as group think, minority influence, group polarization and social facilitation.Further, conformity studies reveal that conformity increases when: (1) We are made to feel incompetent or insecure; (2) The group has at least three people. (Further increases in the group size do not yield much increase in conformity); (3) The group is unanimous. (The support of a single fellow dissident greatly increases our social courage); (4) We admire the group’s status and attractiveness ;( 5) We have made no prior commitment to any response; (6) Others in the group observe our behavior; (7) Our culture strongly encourages respect for social standards (Gould,1991).Closely related to conformity is obedience. In our everyday life, we are always confronted to choose between holding to our own standards and being responsive to others, that is to obey.   The most famous and controversial experiment on obedience was conducted by social psychologist Stanly Milgram.   In this experiment, subjects were torn between what they respond to-the please of the victim or the orders of the experimenter.   Their moral sense warned them not to harm another, but also prompted them to obey the experimenter and to be a good subject.   With kindness and obedience on a collision course, obedience usually won.   This experiment demonstrates that social influences can be strong enough to make people conform to the desired behavior.   â€Å"The most fundamental lesson of this study,† Milgram noted, is that â€Å"ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in terrible destruction process.† In analyzing this behavior, Milgram entrapped his subjects by exploiting the foot-in-the-door effect, or the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to com ply later with a larger request, and thus obeyed the order of the experimenter but being obedient does not necessarily needs therapeutic intervention.Further, this behavior is associated with the minority influence phenomena.   The experimenter as a minority influences over the subjects as the subjects obeyed.   Moreover, obedience was highest when: (1) The one giving the orders is close at hand and perceived as a legitimate authority figure; (2) the authority figure is supported by legitimate institution; and (3) There were no role models for defiance; that is, there were no other subjects seen disobeying the experimenter (Milgram, 1994).ConclusionOverall, according to some psychologists, one of social psychology’s great lessons is the enormous power of social influence on behavior. Suicides, bomb threats, airplane hijackings, and UFO sightings all have a curious tendency to come in waves.   Hence, armed with principles social influence, advertisers and salespeople aim to sway our decisions to buy, to donate, to vote.   Thus, social influence on behavior is a potent social force.

Nikola Tesla, Discovered Alternating Current

Nikola Tesla, Discovered Alternating Current Nikola Tesla (July 10, 1856–January 7, 1943), who was a trained electrical and mechanical engineer, was one of the most influential inventors of the 20th century. Eventually holding over 700 patents, Tesla worked in a number of fields, including electricity, robotics, radar, and wireless transmission of energy. Teslas discoveries laid the groundwork for many of the 20th centurys technological advances. Tesla’s life played out like a science fiction movie. He often had flashes of light in his mind that revealed the design of innovative machinery, which he committed to paper, constructed, tested, and perfected. But all was not easy. The race to light up the world was fraught with rancor and animosity. Fast Facts: Nikola Tesla Known For: Discovered alternating current (AC), influenced the modern electrical-supply systemAlso Known As: Father of AC Current, Father of the Radio, The Man Who Invented the 20th CenturyBorn: July 10, 1856 in Smiljan, CroatiaParents: Milutin Tesla, Ä uka TeslaDied: January 7, 1943 in New York CityEducation: Realschule in Karlstadt, the University of Prague, the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria (studied mechanical and electrical engineering, but dropped out)Published Works: The Problem of Increasing Human Energy (published in  The Century Magazine  in 1900), Experiments With Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency  (1904, republished in 2012), My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla (1919)Awards and Honors: AIEE  Edison Medal  (1917), University of Paris Medal (1937), The Medal of the University St. Clement of Ochrida, Sofia, Bulgaria (1939), IEEE Nikola Tesla Award (presented annually to an individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to the generation or utilization of  electric power)Notable Quote: If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. Early Years Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, to Milutin Tesla, a Serbian Orthodox priest in Smiljan, Croatia, and Ä uka Tesla. He credited his innovative quest to his mother, an inventive homemaker who created appliances such as a mechanical eggbeater to help with the home and farm. Tesla studied at the Realschule in Karlstadt, the University of Prague, and the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria, where he studied mechanical and electrical engineering. Work With Edison In 1882, the 24-year-old Tesla was working for the Central Telephone Exchange in Budapest when the idea for a rotating magnetic field flashed through his mind. Tesla was determined to turn his idea into a reality but he was unable to find backing for the project in Budapest; thus, Tesla moved to New York in 1884 and introduced himself to Thomas Edison through a letter of recommendation. Edison, the creator of the incandescent light bulb and the world’s first electric lighting system in the commercial blocks of lower Manhattan, hired Tesla at $14 per week plus a $50,000 bonus if Tesla could improve Edison’s electric lighting system. Edisons system, a coal-burning electric generating station, was limited to supplying electricity to about a one-mile radius at the time. AC vs. DC Although Tesla and Edison shared a mutual respect for one another, at least at first, Tesla challenged Edison’s claim that current could only flow in one direction (DC, direct current). Tesla claimed that energy was cyclic and could change direction (AC, alternating current), which would increase voltage levels across greater distances than Edison had pioneered. Since Edison didnt like Teslas idea of alternating current, which would impose a radical departure from his own system, Edison refused to award Tesla the bonus. Edison said the offer of a bonus had been a joke and that Tesla didnt understand American humor. Betrayed and insulted, Tesla quit working for Thomas Edison. Scientific Rival Seeing an opportunity, George Westinghouse (an American industrialist, inventor, corporate entrepreneur, and a rival of Thomas Edison in his own right) bought Tesla’s 40 U.S. patents for the polyphase alternating current system of generators, motors, and transformers. In 1888, Tesla went to work for Westinghouse in order to develop the alternating current system. At this time, electricity was still new and feared by the public due to fires and electric shocks. Edison fed that fear by using smear tactics against alternating current, even stooping to the electrocution of animals to scare the community into believing that alternating current was much more dangerous than direct current. In 1893, Westinghouse outbid Edison in lighting up the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, which allowed Westinghouse and Tesla to show the public the marvels and advantages of electric light and appliances via alternating current. This demonstration of alternating current convinced J.P. Morgan, an American investor who had originally financed Edison, to back Westinghouse and Tesla in their design for the first hydroelectric power plant in Niagara Falls. Built in 1895, the new hydroelectric power plant transmitted an amazing twenty miles away. Large AC generating stations (using dams on large rivers and power lines) would eventually link across the nation and become the type of power supplied to homes today. A Wireless World Winning the War of Currents, Tesla sought a way to make the world wireless. In 1898, Tesla demonstrated a remote-controlled boat at the Madison Square Garden Electrical Exhibition. The following year, Tesla moved his work to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in order to construct a high-voltage/high-frequency tower for the U.S. government. The goal was to develop a wireless transmission of energy using the vibrating waves of the earth to generate unlimited power and communications. Through this work, he lit 200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles and shot man-made lightning into the atmosphere using a Tesla coil, a transformer antenna he had patented in 1891. In December 1900, Tesla returned to New York and began work on a â€Å"World-System† of wireless transmissions intended to link up the world’s signal stations (telephone, telegraph, etc.). However, the backing investor, J.P. Morgan, who had financed the Niagara Falls project, terminated the contract upon learning that it would be â€Å"free† wireless electricity for all to tap into. Death On Jan. 7, 1943, Tesla died at the age of 86 of coronary thrombosis in his bed at the Hotel New Yorker where he resided. Tesla, who had never married, had spent his life creating, inventing, and discovering. Upon his death, Tesla held over 700 patents, which included the modern electric motor, remote control, wireless transmission of energy, basic laser and radar technology, the first neon and fluorescent illumination, the first X-ray photographs, the wireless vacuum tube, the air-friction speedometer for automobiles, and the Tesla coil (widely used in radio, television sets, and other electronic equipment). Legacy On June 21, 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Tesla as â€Å"the father of the radio† rather than Guglielmo Marconi who had received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909 for his contributions to the development of the radio. The court’s decision was based on Tesla’s lectures of 1893 and possibly due to the fact that the Marconi Corporation had sued the U.S. government for royalties for using radio patents during World War I. In addition to all that Tesla created, he also had many ideas that he didnt have time to finish. Some of these ideas included massive weapons. In a world still immersed in World War II and that was just beginning to split into East vs. West, ideas of massive weapons were coveted. After Teslas death, the FBI seized Teslas belongings and notebooks. It is thought that the U.S. government used the information from Teslas notes to work on building beam weapons after the war. The government set up a secret project, called Project Nick, which tested the feasibility of death rays, but the project was eventually shut down and the results of their experiments were never published. Sources â€Å"25 Nikola Tesla Quotes to Become the Inventor of Your Dreams.†Ã‚  Goalcast, 20 Dec. 2017.Editors, History.com. â€Å"Nikola Tesla.†Ã‚  History.com, AE Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009.â€Å"The Extraordinary Life of Nikola Tesla.†Ã‚  Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 5 Jan. 2018.â€Å"Nikola Tesla.†Ã‚  Nikola Tesla, u-s-history.com.

Why Hospitals should hire Patient Navigator Research Paper

Why Hospitals should hire Patient Navigator - Research Paper Example The populations with limited access on the healthcare system encounter difficulty in using the system leading to delay in cancer diagnosis, added costs, less efficient, and effective use of recommended therapies. The patient navigation programs provide support and guidance to people with the goal of improving access to the cancer care system and overcome barriers to quality care. This paper will present a conceptual model to evaluate cost-effectiveness of cancer patient navigation-programs, discuss challenges, and the best approach to address the challenges. Evaluating the economic impact of patient navigation has a wide array of activities that involves different settings while it suffers from inadequate of information. Different cost elements differ in the study perspective. Different researchers present interventions to determine the relevant cost measures that assess the economic value of patient navigation. The history of the patient navigation programs attributes to Harold Freeman the chair of American Cancer Society that commissioned the study of barrier to cancer among the poor in America. The success of the pioneer program and recognition of significant barriers to cancer diagnosis continue to exist among the minority and the underserved populations. Currently, many patient navigation programs work to reduce barriers to care at all levels. The growing popularity and publication of promising observational studies fail to evaluate the efficacy of navigator programs. Researchers are yet to establish the cost-effectiveness and the impact of navigation programs on cancer-related morbidity and survival. The patient navigator programs can be time and resource intensive. Similar to other interventions may improve the health of poor and underserved populations. One should view the navigation programs in the context of allocating resources to maximize health outcomes on limited budgets. It is important to

It Was Five Past Midnight at Bhopal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

It Was Five Past Midnight at Bhopal - Essay Example For those who wish to see how a disaster can evolve from seeds of carelessness, poverty and callousness, Five Past Midnight is a fascinating glimpse into a particular and dreadful case with immensely tragic consequences for an entire region. LaPierre and Moro (2002) note how the plant was a â€Å"hydra-headed† monster: It had a unit for alpha napthol, a unit for phosgene, a unit for methyl isocyanate, etc. â€Å"[C]ontrol rooms, works and hangers† over 120 acres with infrastructure. LaPierre and Moro make clear that the plants seemed superficially safe, but the whole concept was exploitative: People like â€Å"the Argentinian† resisted the size and the way it would keep on snaring out, taking over areas and controlling the population. But it came out of poverty. The people who had the best jobs were those climbing up high on the date trees, seeking out the nectar of the fruits, risking life and limb. The Bhopal factory, as horrible as it was and how terrible its catastrophe would be, was the best that could happen to the region, a boon. LaPierre and Moro make it immensely clear that Bhopal was not really an isolated incident: It emerged out of poverty, desperation and pain. LaPierre and Moro further connect Bhopal to other problems in the region. TED's Case Study of Bhopal does the same. â€Å" However, industrial accidents such as Bhopal are not just an Indian or even a Third World problem but are industrial disasters waiting to happen , whether they are in the form of "mini-Bhopals", smaller industrial accidents that occur with disturbing frequency in chemical plants in both developed and developing countries, and "slow-motion Bhopals", unseen chronic poisoning from industrial pollution that causes irreversible pain, suffering, and death... These are the key issues we face in a world where toxins are used and developed without fully knowing the harm that can come from their use or abuse† (1997). Bhopal was in fact connected to one of the most wide-eyed dreams in world history: The Green Revolution (LaPierre and Moro, 2002; TED, 1997). â€Å"The Bhopal facility was part of India's Green Revolution aimed to increase the productivity of crops. Considered an essential factor in the effort to achieve self-sufficiency in agricultural production, pesticide production use increased dramatically during the late 1960's and early 1970's. The decision to manufacture the pesticides in India, as opposed to relying on imports was based on India's goal of preserving foreign exchange and its policy of industrialization† (TED, 1997). This further connects Bhopal to a long history, which in the spirit of LaPierre and Moro we shall analyze. Khilnani (1999) reviews the history of a united India. India was not a historically unified entity: Through Marathas, Muslim invasions, Ashokas, Rajputs and other dynasties and groups, it was a massive area that was never unified in one region until the British. The artificiality of th is unified India was exposed most tragically, both to Nehru and Gandhi, in the Pakistan secession and the Hindu-Muslim conflicts of the post-independence period. Much like Germany, Prussia, Hungary and Austria, or Italy, the idea of the nation of India came about consciously by a program of unity. After the British were driven out, an â€Å"Indianness† was almost manufactured by both Gandhi and Nehru. This â€Å"Indianness† in the view of Nehru in particular, but certainly Gandhi as well, was to be a leader of the world, non-aligned between the extremes of Communism on the one end and capitalism on the other. They led the Third World movement and tried to navigate a compromise between Leninism and free markets. The Green Revolution was part of this: An attempt to catch India up again, bringing it

Virtue in Frankenstein Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Virtue in Frankenstein - Research Paper Example These  characters  encompass powerful associations with nature; whenever they felt unhappy, they were able to discover comfort in nature. Both of them are also are crammed with a fiery revenge, which is demonstrated throughout the final chapters of the  book. In spite of their considerably dissimilar appearances and lives, the monster and Victor own many resemblances. A major personality feature of the monster and victor Frankenstein is their adoration and association with nature. Both characters make use of the nature to comfort them once their moods are sad or low. One of the favorite nature retreats for Victor is the lovely lake in Geneva. After William’s death, He boated out there and thought in what way the â€Å"heavenly scenery restored him† (Shelley). The beauty of nature is able to please victor and form a feeling of contentment. Similarly the monster takes pleasure in this similar delight of nature even as he is into his emotional banishment. He decides to reside in the wilds as becoming familiar with human beings. The wilds all-around him â€Å"was enough to maintain his spirits, even through the persecution†( Shelley). Exactly as it maintained for his creator, victor, nature is adept to bind the monster composed during his tussles. This affiliation for nature is common most fervently among these two characters. At times they put forth their fondness for nature subconsciously. For instance as soon as Victor has to free himself of the ruins of a female monster, he selects a lake for the location. Although this is not a contented instant in his existence, his adoration for nature is the factor that pulls him to this venue, in spite of the ongoing situations. ‘ the lake refreshed him and filled him with agreeable sensations† (Shelly) relating with the calmness of nature not just assists to compose and please both characters other than that it is utilized as a location to satisfy any wants and needs. The monster and Victor wish for familial ties greater than everything else. Victor desires company with Elizabeth whereas the monster wishes to be cherished from the De Lacey. Victor’s youth was extremely joyful and pleasant. Obviously, his childhood companion turns out to be his grown-up love, Elizabeth. He feels affection for her and desires nothing greater than to live with her during the remaining of his life. Elizabeth is his â€Å"sweet and beloved† who conveys him â€Å"softened feelings of love and joy† (Shelley 167). He needs to be with her to such a great extent that he makes a decision to not allow anything to cross his way, not even his own creation the monster. Sadly, the monster achieves to get in Victor’s way; however that was due to Victor’s negligence. The monster is not dissimilar in his needs for company. While becoming knowledgeable from his cottage and while he turns out to be more conscious of the surrounding world, the monster desires love, approval, and kindness from the De Laceys. While he pondered in his hut, he â€Å"longed to join them† (Shelley 91). He noticed them every day and plans to decide the best way to come close to them. It appears as actually it is not affection that these characters long, but just a connection. When deprived of this tie, which they both crave for, they don’t grieve, but more willingly swore revenge against whatsoever was the reason. Victor and the monster are nearly the same in their want for these

The Causes Of Information Overload

The Causes Of Information Overload Developments in information and communication technology have facilitated the generation of management information considerably. Thus, managers are confronted increasingly with an information flood which provides more information than managers are able to process. This results in an information overload, which, while being advantageous, also carries considerable problems for both consumers and manager. This paper presents the scientific controversy surrounding the information overload problem, its behavioural background and the implications made. Analysis of the subjectively perceived information overload of managers in various managerial fields is presented in the second part. The suggestion, that the subjectively perceived information overload is positively related to the disposable information volume, was confirmed 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0.1 BACKGROUND The acquisition of knowledge, and the use of this knowledge as information, represents an important factor in corporate planning in an age of dynamic market developments. It has become an important economic variable alongside production factors such as work and capital. The exploitation of this factor represents a considerable element for market-orientated corporate management Recent publications have suggested increasingly that the amount of disposable information in (marketing) management exceeds the human processing capacity. Frequently used catchphrases in these discussions are information flood and scarcity of information in an age of surplus information (Bradley, 2000). The information overload problem arises due to the interplay of the technology-related information supply and the information demand derived from the information and decision behaviour of marketing managers. An information overload on the part of the manager is viewed as being detrimental to the efficiency of the various decision processes (Bradley, 2000). Communication and information management system has never been before so easily accomplished as today. With the simple click of a button, internal and external communication can be so effortlessly achieved as with the use of phone connections and desktop computers or laptop devices. It also provides for less capital outlays on the part of the company, as it proves to be the cheapest and most accessible way of transmitting information through a wide variety of media or channels. 1.0.2 BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PROBLEM Innovation of information technologies have been presented to us in so many ways, that one may now feel an overload of information, achieving a diminishing marginal utility status in our brains. Therefore, we need to organize and reorganize these pieces of information constantly as to be able to keep track of which are valuable to us and which ones are not 1.0.3 APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY All the above will be achieved through primary or secondary research, the use of recommended material and lecture notes, different books, websites and search engine. 2.0 INFORMATION OVERLOAD THEORY Lossee (1999) in article for the Journal of Information Sciences defined information overload as the economic loss associated with the examination of a number of non- or less-relevant messages, as in related to information retrieval models. According to Bawden (2001) the concept of information overload defines situations where an individual is presented with an amount of data which exceeds his or her cognitive capacity. Bradley, (2000) defined information overload as degradation of information. Degradation of information occurs when information is noise like, irrelevant, and interferes with desired signals and when it is redundant, banal, or does not tell enough of interest. One of several definitions of information overload is that there is too much information available in both print and electronic form so that when individuals attempt to sort out the appropriate, relevant and current information from everything else they develop feelings of helplessness (Lossee, 1999). A second definition of information overload is that the mere presence of more information than an individual could possibly assimilate, absorb and synthesize engenders feelings in individuals that the task of finding the information is an onerous one (Payne, 1998). Put another way, information overload occurs when individuals are aware of relevant information but do not have the time to locate and use that information. Even using Web tools like search engines to find information may result in data smog, that is, finding poorly constructed sites or sites of questionable authority. The last definition of information overload is that as the explosion in information continues to grow in a seemingly exponential manner, the individuals ability to be selective in finding and retrieving information does not subsequently grow in tandem (Schroder et al, 1997). The quality of information varies considerably because anyone can publish Web pages provided they have access to a Web server. Information overload is equated with the proliferation of available data and publications and ever-more-comprehensive and widespread automated means of access to them (Schroder et al, 1997). Moreover, research that purports to address the dilemma of information overload does not define or measure it in a fashion that supports its taken for granted cultural status. Solutions to information overload include renewed or revised input from the human intermediary (Payne, 1998) or prioritizing operations performed in electronic environments (Losee, 1999). Studies suggesting solutions to overload are conducted in business settings and embrace decision-making theory and profit motives (Losee, 1999). 3.0 THE CAUSES OF INFORMATION OVERLOAD Having too much information and staffing resources are difficult to manage information effectively, which adds information glut and eventually causes inefficiencies in productivity growth. We cant do anything about the general information overload in our culture, but we can control overload in the context of our marketing messages. First, lets look at what can create information overload in your communications. 3.0.1 LACK OF CLARITY When a person does not understand something, information is nothing more than random data. Even short messages can overwhelm people if the meaning is not clear. In advertising, this is often caused by too many writers working on a single project a sure way to muddle a message. It is also caused by repeat facts without understanding them, by not having a tangible purpose for writing, and by striving to impress rather than communicate. 3.0.2 SEMANTIC DISTORTIONS The word semantic refers to the meaning of words not just the dictionary meaning but the total meaning as interpreted by a reader or listener. This can vary widely depending on education, experiences, and beliefs. You must always ask questions about the perceived meaning of your messages: Do your words say what you intend them to say? Is your headline too clever? Do you get lost in a narrative? Is your tone too upscale? Do you spend too much time on the problem and not enough time on the solution? (Summers, 2004). 3.0.3 POOR RETENTION Generally, direct marketing is more concerned with immediate decisions than image-building or branding. However, its beneficial for people to remember favorable facts about your business (Summers, 2004). Do you make the impression you want to make? Do your prospects hear you? Understand you? Even loyal customers or donors seldom remember much about you. You must continually educate them. 3.0.4 POOR PLANNING Have you thought this through? Is this the best time for your pitch? Is this the best offer? Are you using the best lists? Do you have the best placement? Are you appealing to the best markets? Even the very best copy cannot overcome faulty planning. 3.0.5 DISTRUST People are by nature suspicious. Evolutionary biologists have even said that one of the primary functions of the human brain is to be a cheater detector. You might bend over backwards to be honest, but do people believe you? Are you open and generous with information about your organization? Do you offer a fair guarantee? Do you carefully describe your product or service or programs? Are there drawbacks you should point out? 3.1 THE CURES FOR INFORMATION OVERLOAD Information overload is a human problem that needs a human solution. Before we can design better software, we first need to understand and address our own abilities (or inabilities) to manage information and organize our work day. If we cant do it ourselves, how can we teach software to do it for us? It will just be a case of the blind leading the blind. Technology is a tool for personal productivity, not a replacement. It cant exhibit the good judgment of a human being. Technological solutions can only be as good as the people using and developing it (Haider, and Bawden, 2007). Technology alone wont solve all our personal productivity and information overload problems it can only ease them. If we are inefficient to begin with, no amount of technology will fix that. It will just mean youre inefficient with an expensive toy 3.1.1 KNOW WHEN TO TAKE ACTION Seeking out that latest article can be just one more form of procrastination that keeps you from accomplishing your real goal. Every now and then, stop and assess the information you already have. Do you have enough to move forward right now? If you do, go for it. If you dont, only research the areas that you dont have enough data for yet (Scammon, 1997). 3.1.2 SORT YOUR CURRENT INFORMATION You have huge piles of data, bookmarks for informative pages online, and lots of reference books but you cant find anything. Take the time to organize your data based on the actual goal you have in mind. Start from the beginning and find the information that helps you accomplish your first task, and keep a file for it. Then move on to the next step, and the next. That way you can actually use your information, instead of just collecting it. 3.1.3 KNOW WHEN TO STOP If youre getting soaked by the torrent of information online, its time to get out and dry off. If youre already feeling overwhelmed, take a break and assess what you already know. When you discover specific missing pieces of information you know you need, you can hop back into the water knowing just which drops you need to accomplish your goals. 3.1.4 WHEN TO CONTINUE Data assessors often feel overwhelmed by all the information out there, so its tempting to say Stop! Too much! Sometimes, though, you really dont have enough you just dont want to face the gushing river again. Be honest with yourself about whether youve really mastered a topic. If you need to know more, hold your breath and dive in again (Russo, 2004). 3.1.5 TAKE CONTROL OF EMAIL Dont start your day with email. Set your email so it doesnt download new mail automatically or, at the very least, turn off any alert system. Instead, set a time to check for messages manually preferably later in the day, after youve used your brainpower for more important things. Equally important is that others at your business know how you want email used. Emails should be short, concise, and used only when a conversation is not an option, says Adrian Moorhouse, managing director of executive coaching firm Lane4. The easier communication is to digest, the more likely it is that the messages will be delivered effectively. 3.1.6 BLINDSIDE THE DATA (APPROACH IT FROM AN UNEXPECTED DIRECTION) Break down complex information into sub-groups. Once youve determined a goal, you can chunk your work into groups to achieve it. You can also do this with your to-do lists. According to an experiment at Wilfred Laurier University, (Its About Time: Optimistic Predictions in Work and Love, European Review of Social Psychology) people are generally very bad at estimating when theyll finish their own work, but well at guessing for others. So gauge your timing by using someone elses experience. Youll be less stressed if youre realistic about your workload (Schroeder and Benbasat, 2000). 3.1.7 DO LESS To do less, you should delegate more. Too many managers cant resist the temptation personally to get involved in everything thats happening. But effective delegation means limiting the amount of information you have to process, as well as empowering those around you. Then, ask for regular briefings. 3.1.8 UNPLUG Many managers feel they cant shut off the fire hydrant of information. But they can take a break from it. Its tempting to think that more information makes for better decisions, says Penny de Valk, CEO of the UK-based Institute of Leadership and Management. But in most cases, it just erodes your focus. You need time to synthesize information and generate real intelligence. That takes discipline, of course, but its useful to stop thinking when you are stuck on a project so your brain can recover. You do need to switch off and rebalance your brain chemistry if youre going to come up with new ideas, says Rock. Stefan Sagmeister of New York-based design firm Sagmeister says he so much believes in the power of time off that he closes up shop for 12 months every seven years to pursue little experiments that he doesnt have time for in his daily life. 3.1.9 IMPROVED EFFICIENCY An online marketer would be more efficient in his or her work if he or she has complete access to useful resources. Only choose practical courses and information that can help you to improve your work and your business as well. Most programs that claim to be really effective and powerful produce minimal results. Therefore, instead of going for a program that is loaded with almost everything that they say you need, go for something that will give you the newest courses and techniques one at a time, well laid-out and smooth (Wilkie, 2001). 3.1.10 CONSISTENT TRAINING Every information technology has to be updated online with the latest information overload solutions and marketing strategies applicable in the business. By having a laid out program, you are to learn new things about online marketing regularly. Hence, you will not run out of any ideas and your skills will continuously be honed as you learn something new each time. If youre not sure of the latest technologies and techniques, you and the business you are running will lag behind. 3.1.11 HOLISTIC KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT It is not enough that you settle for one reference material only. If you want to have a holistic development and have a deeper understanding about, how to overcome on information overload you should look into other courses and programs that have been proven by the entire business community (Virkus, 2003). If you look into these materials, you will learn more about the different techniques and will soon be able to find a way of doing it yourself. You can compete with it or at the least prevent information overload as you arm yourself with proper information overload solutions and strategies. 4.0 HOW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IMPROVE DECISION MAKING A majority of workers today are knowledge workers they spend time creating, distributing, or using information. Example: bankers, coordinators, caseworkers, counselors, community organizers, programmers, etc About 80% of an executives time is devoted to information receiving, communicating, and using it. Information is the basis for virtually all activities performed in an organization Best use of two key ingredients in organizations people and information Effective utilization of information systems in management Productive use of information Information is a resource to increase efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness of an enterprise Some Examples of MIS Airline reservations (seat, booking, payment, schedules, boarding list, special needs, etc.) Train reservation Bank operations (deposit, transfer, withdrawal) 4.1 TYPES OF INFORMATION SYSTEM Information system aims at processing data: to capture details of transactions, to enable people to make decisions, and/or to communicate between people and locations. 4.1.1 TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM Reasons for TP are recording, classification, sorting, calculation, summarization, storage and display of results 4.1.2 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM Provide information for decision support where information requirements that can be identified in advance Decisions supported by this frequently occur. 4.1.3 DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM Assist with unique and non-recurring decisions, which are relatively unstructured mainly what factors to consider and what information are needed. New software should be used by the users in ABC Bank an there is evident of resistance for adopting change in using the new software due to the fact that such users are worried as they are acquainted of using the old software. Truly, culture and brain metaphor appear relevant to the situation as organization change in terms of software utilization is visible and this astounds to the culture of ABC Bank but, can impose such organizational conflicts and issues leading to diverse ideas as reflected within the organizations brain, the people comprising the ABC Bank (Schroder et al, 1997). The brain must be learning, self organizing, entity and that, the brains very hardware must disassemble, reorganize, restructure and in response to data. In most man-made machines, the data is external to the processing unit. It enters and exits the machine through designated ports but does not affect the machines structure or functioning as not so the brain reconfigures itself with every bit of data and then one can say that new brain is created every time single bit of information is processed. Thus, ABC bank will need to integrate and should go along with Decision Support System (DDS), as there maybe interactive computerized systems that help decision makers utilize data and models to solve unstructured problems with user friendly interface, data and expert knowledge (Schroeder, and Benbasat, 2000). While appreciating potential of technology, it may be noted that technology has not been received in totality by the decision makers and implementers, who are responsible for executing certain management plans in the field. Decision Support System offers the system, which captures knowledge of experts and acquirements of decision makers. In fact, DSS is software that establishes the required relations between the present conditions along with needed management requirement. 4.1.4 OFFICE INFORMATION SYSTEM Combine word processing, telecommunications and data processing to automate office information. Draw on stored data as a result of data processing. It also includes handling of correspondence, reports and documents. 4.2 MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS Management is the act or skill of transforming resources (land, labor, capital and information) onto output to accomplish a desired result or objective. Planning Establishing goals and developing policies, procedures, and programs to achieve them Organizing Grouping activities and establishing organizational structures and procedures to ensure that the activities are performed Staffing Obtaining and training personnel to work in the organization in order to achieve goals and objectives Controlling Measuring performance against goals and objectives and developing procedures for adjusting goals, procedures, or activities. Communicating Transferring information on goals, objectives, and performance to personnel throughout the organization and the environment 4.3 TYPES OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Seven types of information are necessary for top-level managers. 1. Comfort information: informs about current situation or achievement levels that are tuned to expectations. (Clients served, target achieved, patients treated, operations conducted, etc.) 2. Status information or progress information: keeps abreast of current problem and crises and changes (progress on office construction, status of research study, labor negotiation, grant application) 3. Warning information: signals that change for good or worse are occurring (stock price, turn over, client complaints, etc). 4. Planning information: descriptions of projects/programs due in future, knowledge of anticipated developments (future of funding, future of federal/provincial support) 5. Internal operations information: indicators on how organization/ program is performing. 6. External intelligence: information, gossip, and opinions about activities in the environment of the agency. Competition, funding policies, political changes, emerging social policies, etc. 7. Externally distributed information: annual report before release, quarterly progress report for donors, press releases about the agency, publicity material before printing, etc. Among these, the first five are internal to the organization. Two are external to the organization 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS As an obvious fact, both consumers and managers face a more extensive supply of information and consequently face a rising risk of an information flood and a personal information overload. Based on the discussions above, it is found out that information is a key resource of the organization, together with people, finances and material assets. Thus, it is accepted to state that information is a business issue. The discussion above revealed that through effective information management of the organizations resources and systems, organization administrators can add value to the services delivered to customers, reduce risks in the organizations business, reduce the costs of business development and service delivery and encourage improvement in internal business processes and external service implementation. It is recommended that when developing an information system just commences to make sure it produces important information and not data. It is better to build a report that is ideal for a specific need then to make a report based on a predefined concession between several users. The shaped information will have value and increases insight into information needs and the way the business is looked at. Adding more and more information to the system and solving the problems as they occur will eventually lead to a system as mentioned. In fact, that is the way any functional Information System is developed. Having an experienced team helping you take the first steps and educating your staff in the first period can make all the difference.

Our Town - An Essay On Theme Of The Play :: essays research papers

The theme of the play has to do with the way that life is an endless cycle. You're born, you have some happy times, you have some bad times, and then you die. As the years pass by, everything seems to change. But all in all there is little change. The sun always rises in the early morning, and sets in the evening. The seasons always rotate like they always have. The birds are always chirping. And there is always somebody that has life a little bit worse than your own. In act one when the stage manager pulls Mr. Webb out of the play to talk with him on page 528, the lady in the box asks "Oh Mr. Webb? Mr. Webb is there any culture or love of beauty in Grover's Corners?". Mr. Webb her, there isn't much culture the way she might think, but "... we've got a lot of pleasures of a kind here: We like the sun comin' up over the mountain in the morning, and we all notice a good deal about the birds. We pay a lot of attention to them. And we watch the change of the seasons..." These are the things that the people of Grover's Corners appreciate, the things we take for granted. Also in act one, after the choir rehearsal on page 532, Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs are gossiping about the town drunk. Dr. Gibbs says "I guess I know more about Simon Stimson's affairs than anybody in this town. Some people ain't made for small-town life. I don't know how that'll end; but there's nothing we can do but leave it alone." This shows that there is always someone that has things worse than you do. At the very beginning of act two when the stage manager tells that three years have gone by, but nothing has really changed, and the cycle continues. In act three at the beginning on page 547, the stage manager tells that nine years have gone by. "Gradual changes in Grover's Corners." He then tells how horses are being replaced by Fords, and that people lock their doors now at night. Then he says, "You'd be surprised, though—on the whole, things don't change much around here." Again this indicates the endless cycle. My idea of the theme of the play doesn't differ all that much from Wilder's theme. My idea of the theme only adds to Wilder's theme.