Knowledge Management in Public Sector Organizations The WritePass Journal

Knowledge Management in Public Sector Organizations Knowledge Management in Public Sector Organizations Introduction Knowledge Management and the Education in the Agricultural Sector UK government increased ICT expenditure for the next three years Conclusion ReferencesRelated Introduction Knowledge itself is an abstract concept but its application can be seen in every walk of life. Knowledge and innovation go hand in hand and together they generate success for the development of any society. Knowledge accumulation creates value and it is this wealth which has transformed the agrarian societies into industrialized nations (Milner, 2000). Knowledge gives a competitive edge to companies as it is one of the most useful resources that they possess. However in this fast pace world one has to cope with the changing needs of the environment and utilize the knowledge in the most efficient manner in order to extract its full potential. Moreover the rapid pace of technology has facilitated this entire process and Internet has changed the landscape of business environments. Today’s economies are knowledge based economies (Emrich, 2005). Peter Drucker said, â€Å"The Purpose of management is the productivity of knowledge† (Kelly, 2004) There are various definitions of knowledge management, however to put it simple it is the management process within the organization that deals with the collection, organization and sharing of knowledge in the enterprise which is then integrated, evaluated and developed and distributed to all the other parts of the organization. Knowledge management has become an integral part of managerial activity as it helps to take right decisions at the right time with the real information in hand. This information is then provided to all the members of the organization (Gurrieri, 2008). In other words this knowledge is transferred to other products and services of the company which helps in value creation. This also helps in giving an enterprise a strategic edge over other firms. Knowledge management on the whole is not just confined to information technology only but it covers all the aspects such as the employees, the processes and the workflow, which means that knowledge management doesnâ₠¬â„¢t have to be limited to information technology though there is no doubt that technology plays an integral role in the KM but our focus of this paper is going to be on the aspect of technology and knowledge management in the public sector firms particularly our focus is going to be on the education sector here (Hetland et al, 2007). The distribution of tasks among the knowledge management dimensions Source: (Milner, 2000) Information technology and knowledge management in the Public Sector The way we access the information has now changed due to which the relevance of knowledge management has increased over the period of time. Therefore all the firms including the public sector organizations through the aid of knowledge workers are investing more in technology in order to make use of newer applications to increase productivity, accountability and transparency in order to increase the level of efficiency and to improvise the entire process of public sector reforms. Government sector organizations are knowledge based due to which this area of study is of so much importance to them. They need its application at the local regional and national level (Milner, 2000). When we talk about technology and management together, this means that data warehousing is an essential element of the KM. there are several software’s that are used to assimilate the information and distribute it among the various organs of the firm such as document management systems, e learning tools, objected oriented databases, artificial intelligence, real time access to a firms data base, enterprise information portals (ERP). These and several other IT programs tend to be effective tools for the management of the information without which work is not possible. The public sector organizations have also entered into this digital age of electronic means especially after the advent of policies like the ICT (Kelly, 2004).The public sector therefore fulfills its responsibility by recruiting the best people for the development of knowledge, growth and learning because it has to accomplish the following goals: Knowledge development and provide information unlike the private sector Promote knowledge for every one Quality Management efficiency The structure of the government matters in this context because as the government has to take care of the intellectual rights Knowledge Kiosks (Watts and Lloyd, 2004) The analytical knowledge management framework (Steyn and Kahn, 2008) The above diagram shows various elements of the knowledge management. It is an integration of people, processes, technology which together create value. In the government sector knowledge gets dispersed because governments are segmented by state and local level. Other than that as per the government policy the government keeps on changing due to which the current government gets to learn from the previous one, this gives an opportunity to the government to every time learn from its experiences and improve its system through good governance (Slabbert, 2004). Knowledge management in the government sector paves the way for incorporating the electronic means into the government sector. The ICT infrastructure helps the government to achieve its goals and to educate the citizens of the country to have access to quality information which they can utilize and also they themselves can bring value to the nation through knowledge sharing (Beal and Thomas, 2004). The public sector organizations depends more on people based approach but to do so they have to come up with an appropriate framework for knowledge management. Moreover it has been seen that the level of accountability is stricter in the public sector organizations as compared to the private sector but studies have shown that the public sector organizations have been slow in terms of adaptability relative to private sector (Alleman, 1992). This is owing to the lack of awareness, rigid policies, people are not willing to share because they don’t see much incentive in doing so and also people on the public sector are less resistant to change. The entire set up is based on bureaucracy and the goal is not profit maximization. People working in the domain of public sector are more inclined towards the national interest and they are not self centered as they put their personal interest secondary. The public sector organizations face constant competition from the private sector, NGOà ¢â‚¬â„¢s, the government of other countries, All these reasons justify as to why the models for the knowledge management are taken from the public sector unlike the private sector where the culture, the interest, perception and everything differs. However the traditional approach of the public sector sometimes becomes a hurdle in the development of knowledge (Burr and Girardi, 2003). Every firm has its own set of requirements and based on them they create their model of knowledge management and technology is always changing so the public sector firms also adopt different technological infrastructure based on their requirements. There are a collection of technologies that are used in the process which together constitute the software. The reason why these firms spend so much on this software’s is because they need up to date information for better decision making. Government sector tries to incorporate IT into their solutions for better performance. Knowledge Management and the Education in the Agricultural Sector Generally the concept of knowledge management can be applied in all government sectors such as education, transportation, health care and so on. However, this paper will be focusing mainly on the education sector which can be uplifted and further developed by the knowledge management strategies. Education is by all means one of the most significant sectors of a countries economy. It is the back bone of the nation which paves the way for the future growth and development. Therefore this sector is given utmost importance because its development is the nation’s development (Cook et al, 2004). We will take into consideration the education of the agricultural sector of the country through knowledge management systems. There are many ways to achieve this like research into innovative ways to develop the sector and the development of the learning programmes for the all the stakeholders for better yield and growth. This can be done in a number of ways as follows: The systems can be used to do an assessment of the human resource of the business. Human resource is the life blood of the business therefore their input plays a crucial role for the development of the sector. The management systems can be used to facilitate agricultural sector through the deployment of case studies and various tools relevant to the agricultural education. The sharing of the knowledge and the use of newer techniques and methods among the communities The private sector can also help the public sector in meeting their goals through the induction of their systems and technologies. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has facilitated all the sectors. Similarly it can be used to impart agricultural information to employ newer software’s and implementation of newer systems to navigate the progress and learning (Watts and Lloyd, 2004). Open and Distance learning is an effective tool which can be used by the agricultural sector to enhance their learning and can be used for the development of the professionals in the field. Knowledge sharing systems can also be used to manage the work and distribute the knowledge among the stakeholders (Vilma, 2008). Technology has advanced so much that it is on the sector and the expertise of the knowledge workers that are employed to make use of the variant opportunities and their knowledge to develop and upgrade systems which are able to meet the standards because there is no end to innovation and more and more learning tools and techniques can be employed with the passage of time for growth and development (Torgerson and Elbourne, 2002). UK government increased ICT expenditure for the next three years Those governments which have been valuing the concept of knowledge management will also reap benefits out of it. The UK government in the year 2008 increased their budget for the ICT to an amount of 2.9 billion pounds. The idea was to give a further boost to the education sector by utilizing the technology and improve governmental performance and strengthen the education sector of the country (Tearle, 2004).The main motives behind such a move were as follows: Better coordination with the parents through online facilities Newer learning methodologies for the improvement of the curriculum Enhance the resources available to the sector and increased participation This would also improve the performance of the educational sector through better monitoring and control However in both the cases that is agriculture and the education sector of UK, the government takes all these measures then it has to look into the training of the staff because people need to be equipped with newer software’s and technologies and they need to be well versed in that in order to use it effectively (Tearle, 2004). By doing so the government also raises the opportunities and market for the firms in the private sector because then firms such as Microsoft and open source firms try to get into the market by being the supplier of technology to the sector, hence it creates employment and development of both private and public sector (John, 2002). There are many specialized firms in the market which are willing to provide assistance to the government’s public sector initiatives through their advance systems. Companies such as Informa, it is specialized in providing advanced knowledge and services to the public sector. They have services such as data monitor, Informa Economics and Agra for the agricultural sector. The company has clients worldwide including governments and other corporate sector businesses such as Pfizer and EU and WTO. Hence the government has an opportunity to make use of external sources to improve their knowledge based systems in the sector (Paolo, 2010). Innovations in the education sector mean the achievement of high standard of education. These are the performance measures used by the government. The role of knowledge management is to look for newer ways to develop the different institutions of the sector. Education gives a competitive advantage to a nation. This is why all the organizations are systemically looking for newer ways to achieve excellence. Through the use of knowledge management the universities will be able to retain more students and it will also help them in the research process. Knowledge management helps in the strategic management process (Polkinghorn,1992). The government can make use of web based systems in which it can collect the grants from the donors. However those donors need information in order to make effective decisions and this is where knowledge management plays an important role as it helps the donors to decide and then function. It can be used to share information among grant makers. The organization can also make knowledge management systems and form a network in which they can share their problems and have person to person connections with one another for better understanding (John, ,2002). There can be issues in the knowledge management because The culture does not support knowledge management Lack of funds for knowledge management Lack of training Uncoordinated knowledge management roles Inability of senior management to incorporate newer measures and look for opportunities Lack of competence of the firm to measure financial benefits (Steyn and Kahn, 2008). Conclusion The concept of knowledge management is not new to the government. The government has significant opportunities it and the related informational technology opportunities associated with it. However it is on the ability of the government that how well they able to integrate this concept into the organizational culture of the firm and promote knowledge management which will further help them to grow and achieve competency (Emma et al, 2005). Private and public sector firms have some form of similarity in developing a framework for knowledge management but the public sector organization needs to be more careful as it has stricter regulatory practices. References Alleman, J. (1992), Empowerment of Employees Private Sector Models in Public Education, Labor Law Journal, 43 (8), p477. Beal, B.D. and Thomas, D.E. (2004), Strategic Options for Managing Intellectual Asset Flows in the Information Sector, Journal of Managerial Issues, 16 (4), p442-459. Burr, R. and Girardi, A. (2003), The influence of social context factors on perceptions of procedural justice in the public sector, Australian Journal of Psychology, 55, p117-117. Cook, S., Macaulay, S. and Coldicott, H. (2004), Change Management Excellence: Using the Four Intelligences for Successful Organizational Change, Kogan Page. Emma, P., Clare, K., Tim, M. and Shaun, T. (2005), Comparing HRM in the voluntary and public sectors, Personnel Review, 34 (5) p588-602. Emrich, A.B. (2005), Start Knowledge Revolution Now. (cover story), Grand Rapids Business Journal, 23 (49), p1-8. Gurrieri, A.R. (2008), Knowledge network dissemination in a family-firm sector, Journal of Socio-Economics, 37 (6), p2380-2389. Hetland, H., Sandal, G.M. and Johnsen, T.B. (2007), Burnout in the information technology sector: Does leadership matter?, European Journal of Work Organizational Psychology, 16 (1), p58-75. John, O., (2002), Wiring Governments: Challenges and Possibilities for Public Managers, Praeger. Kelly, A. (2004), The Intellectual Capital of Schools: Measuring and Managing Knowledge, Responsibility and Reward: Lessons from the Commercial Sector, 1 edition, Springer. Milner, E. (2000), Managing Information and Knowledge in the Public Sector, 1 edition, Routledge. Polkinghorn J.R. (1992), Accelerating At-Risk Students, Journal of Labor Research, 3 (1), p11. Slabbert, A.D. (2004), Conflict management styles in traditional organizations, Social Science Journal, 41 (1), p83. Steyn, C. and Kahn, M. (2008), Towards the development of a knowledge management practices survey for application in knowledge intensive organizations, South African Journal of Business Management, 39 (1) p45-53. Paolo, B. (2010), ICT for education projects, Information Technology for Development, 16 (3) p232-239. Tearle, P. (2004), A theoretical and instrumental framework for implementing change in ICT in education, Cambridge Journal of Education, 34 (3), p331-351. Torgerson, C.J. and Elbourne, D. (2002), A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of information and communication technology (ICT) on the teaching of spelling, Journal of Research in Reading, 25 (2), p129. Vilma, L. (2008), Sector reputation and public organizations, International Journal of Public Sector Management, 21 (5) p446-467. Watts, M. and Lloyd, C. (2004), Original article The use of innovative ICT in the active pursuit of literacy, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20 (1), p50-58.

Wk9(31) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk9(31) - Essay Example I asked him why he thought these things were not fair and I encouraged him to give it more meaning for him. 3. "It makes me feel very good". This is a phrase that many people say but that was difficult for my friend because he does not know how he feels most of the time. He has other health issues so I encouraged him to talk about how the other health issues relate to his use of medicinal marijuana. 4. "Youre kiddin me! " Another phrase like #1 but it is used when my friend wants to communicate a fact that he finds intriguing and at the same time amazing. He would say this in relationship to my requests about the legal ramifications of his using the marijuana. At the end of the conversation I paraphrased what he had said to make sure that I had all the "facts" correct. My friend said that he had a good conversation and was happy that he could help me with my school project. The difference between eliciting a comment and giving meaning to something a client says is best served by examples. When one is eliciting a comment from a client, the therapist is asking for more information about something specific. As an example, a client may be talking about their daughter and how they are angry with them. The therapist might ask, "so you are pretty upset with your daughter for [blank]". The client will most likely say something like, "yes, I am." This example shows how one might elicit a comment from a client. On the other hand, the therapist may state, "tell me more about that." In this way, the therapist is asking for more information about the reasons why this individual is so angry at their daughter and asking for a deeper meaning than, "because she wont listen to me". Ivey, Ivey, & Zalaquett (2010) suggest that when you use eliciting or reflection you are using whichever one is appropriate for the specific situation you are in (p. 324). When I would ask a client about the fact that she is upset with her daughter, I would

Why do countries trade with each other when they both produce similar Essay

Why do countries trade with each other when they both produce similar goods - Essay Example For example, Africa is rich in diamonds, and Bangladesh produces jute in abundance. While it incurs Bangladesh very little cost to grow jute, it may cause the USA far too much to produce jute. The different climatic conditions play a decisive role in the kind of crops a country can grow. In addition to that, trade between countries is also very essential for the promotion of international relations. Countries that conduct trade with one another maintain good terms with one another so that they may facilitate trading and strengthen their respective economies. Trade between countries also has a lot of political significance. As two trading countries foster good relations, they become a united force against a third country that has bad terms with both. â€Å"Powerful nations throughout history have used economic sanctions--essentially blocking and prohibiting trade--with other nations in order to punish or force political or behavioral change† (Chase). Trade is very essential for economical strength. Dubai became one of the fastest developing cities in the world in a course of few decades because of

Addison And Steele Predecessors To Modern Media Media Essay

Addison And Steele Predecessors To Modern Media Media Essay Journalism is generally recognized as, the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary . . . through such media as pamphlets, newsletters, newspapers and other electronic media.(11, n. pag.) Even though modern journalism focuses mainly on the news and current events, it does not necessarily have to be restricted to this certain subject. Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele were 18th century writers and they have employed journalism in many of their writings. (11, n. pag.) The most popular example is The Spectator which was one of the most popular pieces of literature written by them. However, they were not necessarily the first journalists, or to employ journalism in their writings. Although Addison and Steele were not the first journalists they still exemplified qualities and similarities of journalism in their literary work. Joseph Addison (1672-1719) was an English writer and politician. (13, n. pag.) His literary career developed alongside his political career. (1, 15) Despite his political career, [He] preferred to be a man of letters rather than a man of affairs. (3, 46) As a writer Addison wrote many types of literature which included poems, prose and essays which also included many periodical essays. (13, n. pag.) If it were not for his essays, Addisons literary reputation would be insignificant. (3, 46) Addisons character was that he was curious and observant, was affiliated to a virtuous character, a love of his fellow-men, a reverence for antiquity, and a keen sense of humour. (xiii -xiv) He finds human characteristics, conduct, thoughts and feelings to be interesting. (6, xxii) He also found interesting to contrast a, mans infinite capacities of greatness with his infinite capacities of littleness. (6, xxii) This means that he found comparing humans capability to do good and to do wrong interes ting. (6, xxii) What makes Addison such a good writer is that he employs several techniques in addition to his honed writing skills. When he is writing he, unobtrusively avoids hammering away at the same theme, for he would think it both bad taste and bad policy to bore his hearers. (4, 278) He also, is averse from all exaggeration; he uses neither high-sounding phrase nor dramatic gesture; he is readier to praise than to find fault. (4, 278) Addison is also a, master of the art of quickening and holding attention. Once you have started for a stroll with him as your companion, you follow his lead to the end, enchanted by the beauty and variety of the scenes through which he takes you. . . . (4, 273) When he wrote prose one may describe it as, so natural its art, that its occasional lapse into an insouciance reveals a true gentlemanly decorum rather than the frigidly inhuman and geometrical correctness. . . . (7, x) As Addison grew more popular with his writings his audience also grew in size. He u tilized this opportunity, to introduce a large circle of readers to such subjects as the criticism of tragedy, true and false wit, recommendations of ballad simplicity, [and] the morality or immorality of comedy. (3, 49) What also made him a unique author was that, In circumstances of pressing political crisis, when other men were angry and bitter, [he] shows his best qualities; he is extremely amusing, but reasonable and constructive too. (3, 51) As his audience grew he thought that he had an obligation to educate them and to bring some new knowledge into their lives, in which he mentions, Since I have raised to myself so great an audience, I shall spare no pains to make their instruction agreeable, and their diversion useful, for which reasons I shall endeavour, to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality. . . . (4, 275) He construes this idea because, [he] is deeply alarmed . . . at the relaxation of all moral standards [that] prevail among his fellow-citizens; like them [Addison] believes that this state of affairs cannot continue without danger and dishonor. (4, 275) Addison used all, if not most of these techniques in his writings, which included The Spectator. He joined together with his lifelong friend Sir Richard Steele and they both wrote The Spectator which became the forerunner to the modern day newspaper. (2, 1911) (2, 1912) Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729) was English essayist, journalist, and politician who was born in Ireland. He is best known for his work with Joseph Addison on The Spectator. (14) He actively entered politics from 1707-1710 and began to write periodical essays with Addison, which first included The Tatler and then The Spectator. (14) (2, 1911) Steele, like Addison, had similar goals in his literary works. His works were unique because he, preached in a supple and precise style, that was warm and penetrating. (2, 1912) He, wrote on subjects from describing London and of life in the country to articles on dueling and question of immortality, preached the gospel of reformed gentility and true gentle manliness to oppose the artificial elegance. (2, 1912) Like Addison, Steele tried to reform society by providing new and important information and to people in order to educate them. He, ardently desired to stop all the men and women whom he saw around him from falling into the snares of folly and vice. . . . (8, xii) This was one of the few goals of his literary work, which included The Spectator. The Spectator was a periodical that ran from 1711 to 1712. Even though The Spectator was a periodical and that Addison and Steele were journalists, the writings themselves, show few signs of journalisms interest in news, and indeed on the whole they avoided it. (3, 47) In which Addison confirms the notion by saying that, My paper has not in it a single word of news, a reflection in politics, nor a stroke of party; so on the other, there are no fashionable touches of infidelity, no obscene ideas, no satire upon priesthood, marriages, and the like popular topics of ridicule; no private scandal, nor anything that may tend to the defamation of particular persons, families, or societies. (10, 248) Through his writing of The Spectator, Addison neither insulted nor condemned anyone, whether of Right or Left. He excluded not only party politics from his paper but also partisan and sectarian morality. . . . (4, 277) This idea of Addison and Steele wanting to publish a work of literature with out bias showed that they wanted to have literary work could be applicable to all kinds of people. (4, 277) However, the true purpose of The Spectator was, to bring philosophy out of the closets and libraries, schools and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea tables and in coffee-houses. (7, xiii) Addison devoted himself to the education of people. (4, 310) In other words, Addison and Steele wanted to bring education to the common people, through their literary work. (7, xiii) The Spectator had no specific audience to which it catered to. Addison and Steele meant its main audience to include all kinds of people, it did not matter whether a person was male or female, or their political stance. (4, 266) Media today has come a long way since the times of Addison and Steele. However, some main aspects are similarly displayed. First of all, the role of the media is to educate people on current events, news and to provide people with entertainment. Addison and Steele also expressed this information in some of their literary works. However, the media today is more focused more on sensationalism, which is the use of, startling or thrilling impressions used to excite an audience and to increase viewership. (15, n. pag.) Addisons and Steeles goals were to educate through their media, not to gain a large audience for the purpose of popularity. (4, 310) Modern media does encourage spectatorship, but maybe not in the way as Addison envisioned it. Today, media encourages spectatorship, but through different means than Addison and Steele had done. For example, media today offers many entertainment shows and programs that are based on reality, that are called reality shows. These shows supposedly focus on the reality of things and offer spectatorship to the viewers. However, these reality shows do not necessarily focus on educating people and some of these shows do not have any intellectual value. They primarily focus on providing entertainment to the masses and are rated on popularity rather than on intellectual merit. Journalism, since the time of Addison and Steele, has also suffered due to this shift in medias priorities. Journalism also encourages spectatorship, but differently than Addison and Steele had done with their journalistic works. Journalism today still does focus on news and current events, but sometimes it focuses more on sensationalism in politics, current events and celebrities in order to gain a larger audience. Some media that focus on the news and current events sometimes tend to show bias. Addison and Steele almost did the opposite of what modern media is doing in the present. They focused on bring information and education to the masses through their journalistic work, and they did not care whether they had a large audience or not, that is why they did not use sensationalism in their work. They also did not include politics in some of their writings to avoid bias. Even though a lot of the modern media has changed, that involves more of the use of sensationalism; it does not represent all mainstream media. There are still some media that stay true to the purpose of media, which Addison and Steele exemplified in their literary work. Journalism primarily provides access to people about the news, current events, and commentary. Its purpose is to educate of the unknown. Addison and Steele through their qualities and their writing styles brought truth to the purpose of journalism. Although they were not the first journalists they still exemplified qualities and similarities of journalism in their literary work. There were many before them that developed the writing styles that they had used. The Spectator is a perfect example of Addisons and Steeles journalistic writing styles. It exemplifies the intent and purpose of journalism and did not discriminate against on whether someone could read it or not, it was a piece of literature that was intended for everybody. Today, modern media does promote spectatorship, but not necessarily in the ways Addison has defined or had intended it to be. It has strayed slightly from its original purpose. The modern media today focuses more so on sensationalistic ideas and events than on providing educational information. It does this in order to gain a large audience and in return receive a bigger financial paycheck. Even though not all media is like this it still makes one question the integrity of media that has progressed and changed throughout the years. This is why we have to reevaluate our system of the media to focus less on sensationalism and more on education like Addison and Steele did.

Plato’s Conception of Justice Essay

The Republic is a dialogue between Socrates, Plato’s brothers, the Sophist Thrasymachus, along with Cephalus and his son, Polymarchus. The first book of the republic involves a presentation and refutation of the different views on justice. Socrates used the method of elenchus in order to show the flaws of the argument. Cephalus The topic concerning justice has started when Cephalus commented on living a just life. For preliminary, Cephalus have offered a definition of justice as that of telling the truth and paying someone what you owe. However, this idea was debunk by Socrates by offering a counter-argument which ask if this still hold in the case of a madman or someone who is insane. To further clarify, this issue that Socrates presents was whether or not a person shall return a knife that was borrowed from another person. With respect to Cephalus’s interpretation of justice, the knife shall be given back to its owner. However, Socrates presented a case, wherein the owner of the knife has gone insane and was planning to kill someone else. The madman was asking for his knife to be returned. Socrates, ask if giving back the knife shall still imply justice. Cephalus, himself, agreed with Socrates that this shall not imply what justice is. However, Cephalus have not managed to give further argument since he has to attend on certain things regarding the presentation of sacrifice. In the beginning of the conversion between Cephalus and Socrates, Cephalus could be characterized as someone who is very willing to converse with Socrates. Yet, when his idea was out rightly rejected to be false or to contain flaws he escape from the conversation using an alibi that something else came up and must be done, leaving the argument on the hands of his son, Polemarchus. Cephalus’s definition of justice and the way he reacts seems a bit related to how capitalist thinks. The mention of returning someone else’s favor or paying debts is a proof of this. For business people it would be just to return the debt you owe. Not doing so would be regarded as cheating or not being fair. Also, telling the truth is a must in the business world, if one would lie about certain transactions or about the real cost of something, it would is tantamount to deceiving the other person. The other person would not trust the liar anymore and the liar’s business would sooner or later fall down. Telling the truth is indeed just, since lying is always viewed as an injustice. However, as the case presented by Socrates shows, there are times, wherein man ought to tell lies and not to return debts or something one has borrow. With respect on how Socrates clarifies his point, it is obvious that giving back what you have borrowed and telling the truth does not guarantee a just action as what Cephalus pointed out, it might even lead to more injustice, if one would not look more closely. Polemarchus Polemarchus continued the dialogue by offering a related definition. He views justice as helping or giving favors to those who give you favor and harming those which does you harm. However, Socrates have been able to point out that, human judgment for whom to consider as a friend or as and enemy is open to error, such that the friend might just be pretending to be a friend and what you think as an enemy might be someone who is a friend. Also, some of your friends might turn as an enemy later in life and vice versa. The same thing goes with some of your friend might not be a good person and some of your enemy might be a good person. Socrates argued that it shall not be the case that you would only give favors to those who you consider as a friend for the time being and give harm to those you consider as an enemy. Polemarchus view was generally an immature view of what is justice. The definition was somewhat childish since it is the same principle as hating your enemies and keeping your friends. It also seems to be the most obvious view about justice in their generation, since it has political underpinnings. As war continued to shape their civilization, it was rational for those people living in that time to view justice in reference to enemies and friends. This shows that those who help you are your friends thus; they must be treated with respect and kindness. On the other hand, those who go against you or your country are considered as your enemy. Since â€Å"enemies† goal is to destroy or conquer each other, it would be rational not to help them and do them harm as what Polemarchus is trying to imply.   Relatively, Polemarchus holds the same view as Cephalus with respect to â€Å"giving someone what is owed to them†.   While Cephalus tried to incorporate money matters on his definition, Polemarchus treat his definition as a general version of what Cephalus has been trying to imply. Nevertheless, Socrates, remains unconvinced of their definition of justice, for both could be derived from flawed premises. Cephalus definition could not be generalized to cover all circumstances, while Polemarchus view is too relative and/or subjective. Thrasymachus Seeing how Socrates has been able to debunk the two popular beliefs of justice, Thrasymachus entered the conversation hastily offering a definition of justice that he believes to be better and more accurate. He argued that justice is merely the advantage of that which is stronger. He defends his definition as the advantage of other person aside from the just person himself. According to the statement of Thrasymachus, the person who is just is usually in a disadvantageous position, especially since most of the people are living with injustice. Those who do injustice, as can be observed generally, rise as stronger than those people who try to be just. This illuminates the idea that justice is a convention.   Justice, Thrasymachus believes, is meant to deter the action of the people to benefit other people. Thus he concludes that it would be more rational if justice would be ignored as a whole. To this view, another thing needs further clarification aside from the meaning of justice. The question involves if justice must be done or as Thrasymachus believes, must be ignored. Socrates first tried to clarify whether or not Thrasymachus have been imposing that injustice is actually the right thing to do or if Thrasymachus is advocating injustice over justice. Since by saying that justice is the advantage of that which is stronger, he holds that it is just to acquire more and more of power, wealth and everything else that makes one stronger. At the end of the argument, Socrates has been able to demonstrate how crude it would be to consider injustice as a virtue since it is contrary to wisdom which is a virtue. Furthermore, since Thrasymachus have presented an argument concerning following the instructions of those who are stronger, then it follows according to Socrates, that justice is adhering to certain rules. However, this rules which are set by the ruler/s might not be the right rules after all; as what we could find in the past, wherein leaders are very prone to commit certain errors. There are leaders who even act solely for his advantage, disregarding the efforts and sacrifices of the citizens. Socrates question, if following such ruler/s could still account for justice. Obviously, it does not. Thus, Socrates adds, that justice must be something that promotes the common good. Lastly, Socrates ended up arguing that justice is something that is a desirable virtue, while injustice is contrary to that. Thrasymachus is considered to be a Sophist. Since, he cannot withstand the arguments presented by Socrates; Thrasymachus have accused Socrates of cheating. In the dialogue he has with Socrates, Thrasymachus is portrayed as someone who would not let anyone to be better than him self. His stubbornness and unwillingness to be persuaded along with his constant doubt demonstrate that he would rather live following his false beliefs rather than to be persuaded by someone else. It can be seen on the way in which he defines justice, as that of promoting the interest of that which is stronger. In his dialogue with Socrates, it seems that he’s trying his best to become the stronger by showing everyone most especially to Socrates, that his view regarding justice is correct. At the end, when he could not find a way to further argue against Socrates, he accused him of deception. Discussion The traditional view on justice as have been shown in the Republic could be rooted on Hesoid, who view justice as following certain set of action. One has to be just because if he does not follow the set of actions that were ordained by the Gods, he would be punished and if he follows, he would be rewarded. However, in the time of Socrates and Plato, the view that indeed the Gods blessed those who act just was disregarded since many people who do injustices are seen to be better off than those who are just. This shall be the explanation on the views of justice made by Glaucon, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus. Challenge   Socrates would have to prove that justice is not only good in appearance, he would have to show that indeed, there is a higher level of morality which is beyond human conventions and that it must be followed not merely because of the rewards and punishment that goes with it, but because it is something compelling and universally desirable to do so. This has been the focus of Book II. A further elaboration of what should a just and an unjust man shall do is then presented through a discussion of a story about a mythical ring that would make a man invisible at will. According to the myth, unless men are stupid, a simpleton or just plainly insane, if nobody else could see him he would do unjust things. Indeed, it was always beneficial that men shall appear just and do injustice unknowingly. According to the arguments laid by Adeimantus and Glaucon, men naturally do injustice and it is out of question, since there are several instances wherein man would think that the action is just with respect only to its appearance, whatever the intention might be. It is common for man to give alms for instance, and it is a just action in fact. Whether the money comes from a just or unjust means is out of the question, provided that no one really knows where it came from. The Ideal State In Book III of the Republic, Socrates began to construct an â€Å"ideal just state†.   He does this in able to show that in order to clearly show justice, it shall first be presented without the presence of injustices. In doing so, he discusses that the evils that beset mankind may not come from God for God is all-good, ultimately, evil comes from man himself, in his selfishness and arrogance arise injustice. In Book IV, the ideal state is already finished.   Socrates intends to show that a just state is a state that shall display happiness. Happiness in this sense shall not be composed mainly of the material things, for the citizens of the â€Å"ideal just state† would be happy only if they would be able to do what they have to do.With respect to the ideal state that Socrates has proposed, he concluded that it shall contain wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Justice is attained when the citizens have practiced his function well. Conclusion In Plato’s republic, Plato has been able to refute the different views on justice by his contemporaries. At the same tine, he has been successful in providing a clear view on what he believes shall be the concept of justice. That it is a virtue that could only be manifested and work best only if the entire state would do what their individual function is. As the dialogue unfolds, the different views on justice were proven to be misleading and are flaws since it is a view that certain group of people advocates. The view of Cepahalus mainly argues the view that the elder group of people usually holds, Polemarchus on the other hand gives a view of someone who is young and determined while the view of Thrasymachus resembles that which cannot accept that he is wrong. All of these views are primarily concerned in the individual justice, while Plato present a kind of holistic approach to justice stating that it must be in a state level to see its entirety and for it to work more effectively. Works Cited Jowett, B. (1901).   PLATO: THE REPUBLIC . The Colonial Press. New York.

Current Trends

The market for projector screens continues to boom as presentations continue in corporate, educational, government, and other settings. Today, many trends co-exist in the development of the market, accounting for the wide variety of product offered. We will consider the emerging trends in the industry. In particular, we will pay attention to how these trends are represented in the product assortment of PCM Ltd.Trends in the IndustryAs more and more business people and other professionals travel extensively, the size of the screen and the projector begin to matter. Smaller screens can be more easily packed in the luggage and transported more effectively. In the case of projectors, a smaller size means most typically a shorter warranty, less brightness and a higher price. However, those that take an airplane to get places may be more willing to undertake this expense. In contrast, those travelling by car can afford to purchase projector technology that is larger in size.In college, in contrast, the projector screens keep getting bigger. A larger screen allows everybody to see what is going on in the classroom and focus students’ attention on the content of the presentation without forcing them to make a special effort to discern the images on the screen. Craig (2006) states that a good campus display system should meet a very important criterion: be â€Å"large enough for everyone to see comfortably†. The next generation of campus projector screens is likely to fluctuate between moderately big and very big monitors.Widescreen is also winning popularity. This trend, already visible in the production of laptops, has now come to influence the world of projector screens. The typical widescreen ratio is 16:9, although this ratio is not consistent as one can come across 15:9 and 16:10, too. The use of widescreen has implications for the overall impression of the presentation. In college settings, â€Å"wide aspect projection screens mean less room in the front for whiteboards, and more encroachment on where the instructor would stand† (Craig, 2006).The growing variety of projectors now includes overhead, LCD, slide, video and movie projectors. This means that it is desirable that manufacturers of projector screens respond to this variety by producing flexible screens that can work with any type of projector. This will make their produce suitable to a wide range of situations and will not induce users to replace the screen when they upgraded to a new type of projector.The advances in the field are numerous. Some of them are really innovative and can represent either breakthroughs that will start permanent new trends, or remain ‘side branches’ of evolution forever. Thus, ASS-60AK NXT SoundVu projection screen, created by Authentic Ltd, can act both as a display surface and a speaker at the same time.The screen â€Å"vibrates at a rate undetectable to the human eye to create sound, is made of Teonex, a material spe cially designed to produce high frequencies other fabrics would absorb† (Horaczek, 2006). In this way, it is similar to acoustically transparent screens used in multiplexes. However, professionals wonder whether this standalone speaker that also serves as projector screen can be of lasting quality.Another impressive innovation is the transparent screen that can accept and display holographic images. Demonstrating a holographic image on its surface, the screen creates the impression that the image is floating in the air. Technologically, the image emerges when â€Å"a projector shines on a thin Holographic screen attached to a transparent surface like glass or plexi-glass† (ProjectorPeople, n.d.). This image can help advertising efforts, for instance, when it is placed in front of a store where is certain to grasp the attention of numerous passers-by.PCM Ltd’s Product MixPCM Ltd maintains operations in China where its goods are produced to be later marketed in Nor th America and Europe by a Canadian company. The company offers a wide range of products in display technology. Its list of products includes projectors, projector screens, presentation easels, display stands, TV wall and ceiling mounts, and literature and catalogue dispensers.Its projector screens are compatible with different projector types. They can display images from overhead projectors, LCD, slide, video and movie projectors (PCM Ltd, n.d.). The screens are available in different formats, including square, video and widescreen. All of them are fire retardant.An example of a widescreen format is the Flexscreen Scissor Support Wall Screen that comes in HDTV format 16:9. The convenience of this format lies in the fact that it adjusts automatically to video, wide video and square format. This screen that comes in three sizes, 145*145 cm, 160*160 cm, and 180*180 cm, will conveniently fit into a variety of office and educational surroundings.Its relatively modest size allows users to place it on many walls in offices of different size. Flexscreen’s ability to display widescreen images makes its consistent with the newest trends that emphasized widescreen, while its conformance to the older video and square standards help it support images that were made in accordance with traditional standards.

The Media s Influence On Body Image - 722 Words

Millions of women, day in day out, are bombarded with the media’s notion of the â€Å"ideal† female body. These impractical images are depicted within women’s magazines worldwide, sending out the message to women that they are not thin or pretty enough. Magazine companies spend billions of pounds yearly on diet and exercise advertisements to include in their magazines, having their readers buy into body dissatisfaction through unrealistic imagery of women, accompanied by dieting and exercise information. Many years ago, Marilyn Monroe, being a size 14, was considered to have the â€Å"ideal† body shape and size. However, today’s standard is much smaller and as our society’s beauty ideal continues to shrink in size, body image within women continues to deteriorate. Magazines interpret and associate happiness with being thin; consequently having some women feel if they are not thin, then they are not happy. Meaghan Ramsey, a self esteem advocate, and also the Global director of the Dove Self-Esteem project, has a TED talk called ‘Why thinking you’re ugly is bad for you’ (Ramsey, 2014). One of the first things she mentions within her talk is that ‘around 1000 people a month Google am I ugly?’ I have always felt strongly about this topic and how women are made to feel inferior for being themselves, but this this made me look at the culture of today in a whole new light. Advertising has a major part to play in the perception of the ideal woman; being a woman that doesn’t fit societies’Show MoreRelatedThe Media s Influence On The Body Image804 Words   |  4 Pageseyebrows are on point! She s so skinny and fit looking. Her skin is absolutely flawless! I wish I looked like her! Why can t I be like those girls? How many times have you watched television, searched the web, looked at magazines, or used your cell phone and have thought those things about a woman/teen girl that you have seen? Media has photoshopped, airbrushed, and tweaked pictures and videos to appear as perfect! The media has made young women feel as if their bodies are not good enough. YoungRead MoreMedia s Influence On Body Image1697 Words   |  7 Pages Ultra-thin models are plastered all over the media today, but have these influential sources thought of the negative outcomes that could change society forever? The notions represented by the media silently incline girls to conform to an ideal that is impossible to reach. Due to their malleable brains, adolescent females are subjected to the image of a perfect body through media’s adverse influence of what a quintessential girl is supposed to look like and the permanent impact it has onRead MoreMedia s Influence On Body Image942 Words   |  4 PagesA body image is a subjective combination of all the thoughts, emotions, and judgments that an individual may perceive about his or her own bo dy. Each individual has a unique perception of his or her own body. This image is strongly influenced and often times skewed due to the increasing pressure created from outside, societal factors. With a world that is continuously creating new forms of social media and entertainment, individuals are constantly exposed to images that supposedly define bodily perfectionRead MoreMedia Influence On Women s Body Image1688 Words   |  7 Pagesthe perfect body image has changed in many ways. This is very evident in the female sex, especially through media. â€Å"Americans spend about 68 hours per week exposed to various forms of media† (US Census Bureau 2009). This media exposure through outlets such as t.v., radio, music videos, movies, and the internet, all influence the way people think about gender. The media influence is very evident in the way people view women and think about women in different cultures. Media influence on women createsRead MoreMedia s Influence On Female Bo dy Image967 Words   |  4 Pagesalways surrounded by a variety of media and we identify ourselves in parts of those images we see. Media believes women should look like Victoria Secret models: tall, lean, and tanned women, but lately there has been issue from women all over the world who are tired of having to be set at impossible types of female figures. Revolving around a certain type of body figure is horrible because bodies come in different shapes and sizes. The media has influenced the female body perception by showing that womenRead MoreMass Media s Influence On Body Image1414 Words   |  6 PagesMass Media’s Influence on Body Image Over the years a debate over who is to blame over the decline in how girls perceive themselves has arisen. With Photoshop being the societal norm concerning the media, it has become difficult for many to understand where the line between real and near impossible standards lies. Youths see an image edited to â€Å"perfection† and strive to reach the standards that they imagine due to the images displayed on magazines, television and social media. From Disney to magazinesRead MoreAnalysis Of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs 1179 Words   |  5 Pagesand television are employed in their every day lives . From these new technologies, Americans can connect with the media and they are constantly attacked by the messages of the media. A superior message the media is depicting is ultra-thin as a reference point of beauty. Everyday an abundance of women are bombarded with the media s concept and interpretation of the flawless body. The photos being represented in popular magazines typically issued for women all over the country are impracticalRead More The Medias Influence on Eating Disorders Essay example1100 Words   |  5 PagesThe Medias Influence on Eating Disorders The National Eating Disorders Association states that eating disorders are conditions that arise from factors including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues. Media images help define cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and are often acknowledged as one of the factors that contribute to the rise of eating disorders (NEDA). The National Eating Disorders Associations website, The Effect of the Media on Body SatisfactionRead MoreThe Influences Of Mass Media On Society864 Words   |  4 PagesThe Influences of Mass Media on Society For the greater majority of the American society, the presence of mass media is a normal part of everyday lives. With the purpose of mass media being to educate, entertain and inform, the excessive violence, self imaging, and lack of full detail on world events, is having negative influences and unhealthy impacts on society. As early as the 1920s, a form of the media has been present in the American society. Although broadcasted content wasRead MoreTodays Unrealistic Body Expectations1311 Words   |  5 Pagesmeasures, most of the time, spending countless hours in the gym trying to achieve that perfect body. Body image is evident in the gym, as the men are lifting weights they are frequently looking in the mirror examining every angle of their body making sure no area is lacking muscle. On the other hand, women tend to partake in the same behavior as men, showing a sense of insecurity about their own bodies, frequently making trips to the scale to keep track of their weight making sure to stay slim and