Major Causes Of Information Systems Failure Information Technology Essay

Major Causes Of Information Systems Failure Information Technology Essay What are the major causes of information systems failures. What strategies can organisations take to face the challenges and ensure the success. An information system project according to Ewusi-Mensah (1997) is any information technology project intended to meet the information processing need of an organization. In Critical issues in abandoned information system projects, Ewusi-Mensah(1997) stated that information system projects implementation requires collaboration of Information system staff that deploys and educate on the use of the software to drive the project, end users and management. It is a group-oriented activity organized and executed in teams and therefore subject to the unpredictability of group dynamics, interactions, coordination, and communication ( Ewusi-Mensah ,1997). An information system is a set of elements (people, data, and procedures) working together to provide useful information (Senn, 1990, p8). Also, information system (IS) is any set of information technology and peoples activities using that technology to backup operations, management, and decision-making (SEI Report, Glossary ). In a wider sense, the word information system is often used to refer to the relationship between people, algorithmic processes, data and technology. Therefore, the term is used to refer not only to the information and communication technology (ICT) an organization uses, but also to the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes (Kroenke, D. M. 2008). An information system consists of computers, instructions, stored facts, people and procedures. A systems failure occurs when a system does not meet its requirements or when the level of discontentment with a system increases to the level that there is no enough provision to sustain it. Â  Information system project failure may be as a result of its inability to meet users requirements and/or overruns pertaining to budget or completion time (Yeo, K. T. 2002). Studies have shown that many failed projects are over budget, some by as much as 189%. May, L (1998) in Major causes of software failure stated that only one-sixth (16.67%) of projects are finished as schedule and within budget. An information system failure can cause financial loss, commercial embarrassment, loss of customers and revenue streams, sanctions and the loss of staff morale or stakeholder allegiance in an organization. Examples of system failures includes an alarm system that fails to sound when pressed, an automated door that fails to open and close on its own accord on approach, ammunition that detonates pre maturely, and other similar conditions. This article discusses the causes of information system project failures and strategies organizations can take to face the challenges and ensure success. The Standish group (1995) in (Yeo, K. T. 2002) classified project outcome as Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3. According to the group, 16.2%,52.7% and 31.1% of projects fall into Types 1,2 and 3 classes respectively. A successful project classified as the Type 1 projects are those that were successfully implemented within the stated time and budget with all required features and functionality specified. The challenged projects classified as the Type 2 projects are those that suffer budget overruns and/ or program slips thereby failing to completely achieve its goal even though they are completed and operational while Type 3 project classified as the Impaired projects are those cancelled or abandoned at some point during the development cycle The Standish group (1995) in (Yeo, K. T. 2002). Technical failure may not necessarily be the cause of project impairment, lack of adoption of a technically faultless Information system project by end users or corporate management consequently resulting in its lack of use or underutilization denotes failure (Yeo, K. T. 2002). From this view point, Information system is said to be a socio-technical system. Land and Hirschheim (1983) described an information sys tem as a social system that uses information technology. This can be explained in the sense that as a technical system, a system that fails in an organization can be successfully implemented in another organization while as a social system an Information system can be successfully implemented in an organization while the implementation of another information system can result in failure (Davies G. B. et al, 1992). Information System as a type of socio-technical system The mediating concept between actions and technology is refer to as information systems.(Beynon-Davies P. 2009). The technical system dimension consists of both operational and functional features. The operational features apply to the technology(effectiveness of the hardware or software as well as the friendliness of the technologys user interfaces) while the functional features relate to the performance relative to expected functionality . Technology as a component of the technical system refers to hardware, software and other related technology. This pertains to the functionality of the system, whether it is up or down when a person needs to use it. User interfaces refers to the link between the human user and the software/hardware technology (input screens, output screens, paper input forms and paper output reports). Error rates in the transfer of data from one medium to another and the time that users require to become familiar with the system all constitute indicators of performance of the implemented system while Information requirements as a technical system component refers to the ability of the Information system implemented to give new capabilities than the one being replaced. Careful study of the organization to know its information need is essential ( Davies G. B. et al). The social system refers to the features of organizational setting which exist in an organization even as people enter and leave the organization. The components of this system include; acceptance/rejection of the technical system, theories in use, measures of performance to expectation and the developmental process of the system. Rejection or underutilization may be based on the premise that the introduction of new technology is instrumental to deskilling or job loss (Davies G. B. et al, 1992). Characteristic features of Information system project Information system projects are capital and labour intensive usually requiring a huge sum of money to implement. Its failure can cause a huge financial loss to an organization and therefore there is need for adequate planning before its implementation to ensure that desired expectations are met. An information system is a type of socio-technical system which is critical to the survival and well-being of companies. As a result, the right technology must be deployed and the end users educated on its use and benefits. Also, Brooks in Ewusi-Mensah (1997) stated that IS projects are conceptual in nature (i.e. it is pure thought stuff which is invisible and unvisualizable). In addition, there are certain risks and uncertainties such as large project size, unfamiliarity with the new technology and unstable information requirements associated with projects that are difficult to assess prior to the start of the project. IS projects as stated earlier are group oriented requiring members from different backgrounds and therefore require a high degree of coordination and clear lines of communication to ensure success Ewusi-Mensah (1997). Reasons for Information System implementation To increase productivity in order to maintain competitive advantage To enhance business operations through the re-engineering of an organisations processes Changes in activities of an organisation or in the nature of the organisation. Technological Changes can lead to new production processes or using alternative materials in the manufacturing process Classification of system failures There are four major categories of Information system failure according to Lyytinen and Hirschheim (1987). The categories are as follows; Process failure: this occurs when an Information system project cannot be developed within an allocated budget and/or time schedule. The project development results in overspending in both cost and time. Correspondence failure: this occurs when the objectives and goals of the systems design are not met. Interaction failure: this is attributed to the level of end-user usage or adoption or acceptance of the implemented information system. User attitudes, data packets, user satisfaction and the degree of adoption are measures of usage of information system usage. Expectation failure: this is the inability of a system to meet its stakeholders requirement, expectations or values Another classification of failures according to Ben Meadowcroft in Why Systems fail is; Hard ware design/specification error Software developmental error: this is error due to imperfect software development as a result of inadequate test run of the program and poor user interface among others End user error: this arise a result of inadequate training and/or user resistance. Majors causes of information systems failure Unclear goals: lack of well defined project goals and objectives which is key to the success of any IS project development. There is also need to state clearly the information need of an organization and also the adoption process before attempting to introduce an information system(Lucas in Davies G. B. et al 1992) Improper reporting structure/Miscommunication: since the development of large IS projects is the work of a team drawn from diverse groups of people with responsibilities to ensure the projects success which includes IS staff, end users and senior management, there is need for the establishment of clear lines of communication and well defined lines of authority and responsibility among team members. Communication in project teams is essential to sort out dispute concerning requirements of design decisions among project members (Curtis et al 1988). Inept/incompetent leadership: Poor management of the project and lack of good leadership responsible for coordination and control, measurement of progress and making of vital decisions at different phases of the project. Poor technology base or infrastructure: lack of adequate technological base needed for successful implementation of the kind of systems development being considered. According to Land in G. B. Davis et al, the distance between the existing system and the replacement system is essential for the success of an information system. Poor project management: this has to do with inadequate measurement system to measure progress and equally identify potential risks in time to mitigate them. Lack of technical competence: the technological know-how of information systems staff is very vital to the success of IS projects as lack of familiarity with an information technology new to the IS staff is contributory to IS project failure. If a user is improperly trained then the likelihood of them making major errors is increased due to their lack of knowledge of the system. Failures by reason of lack of training should not be regarded as an error due to the individual operator as is likely with a poorly designed user interface, but as a mistake by the management. Scope creep: projects excessively grand in scope usually have higher risks and higher complexities and therefore more prone to failure. Scope is the initial blueprint of an implementation plan. Faulty hardware faulty hardware can bring about serious system failure. This factor is then again an essential one that should be given due consideration together with the more common software errors. Faulty hardware should be taken into thought when designing the systems in order to try and reduce the impact of the failure. Hardware failure is not as likely to occur as software faults but can be as damaging. Poor selection decision of project team members: the project team composition is also vital for the success of the information system project. Strategies organisations can take to ensure success of information system projects. Firstly, to ensure success of information system projects there is need for a clear and well defined IS goal. Every member of the IS project management team as well as stakeholders should know the specific information requirement of the organization as well as how to go about satisfying it. This is important to guide the information requirements phase of the development process. Failure in this area will lead to fragmented efforts and lack of focus in assembling facts to guide the rest of the development (Curtis et al 1988). Secondly, the selection of competent and qualified staff to serve as members of IS project team is very vital for successful project implementation (Brooks, 1981). Team members should be those with real prior experience and who are equally familiar with the technology being deployed. Improved training of the end users will significantly reduce system failures and improve the integrity of data stored on the computer systems. The project team should consist of the most successful people of the organization (Nah et al, 2001). Lockheed Martin, a leading aeronautical group, stated that one of its keys to success was assembling a team capable of making and executing changes required (Stedman, 1999) Also, the imposition of structure on the developmental effort of the project helps to guide it to successful completion. It involves the division of the project into phases which helps the project team realize what deliverables for each stage are and to know the extent to which they have been met. It is also important that clear lines of authority, communication and responsibility among team members be drawn. This is important since the team members are drawn from diverse units. Selection of competent leaders who will ensure that proper management and control practices are adhered to and enforced in the implementation process of an Information system is vital. Adequate safeguards and oversight by management is necessary to ensure technical personnels compliance with accepted industry standards for reporting and dealing with problems uncovered in any phase of system development. The leader should be one with both application-domain knowledge and software knowledge. There should also be regular periodic meetings to discuss the systems development effort. A successful implementation of a project is only attainable when high-level executives possess a strong commitment to the project (Davenport, 2000). Senior executives at Farmland Industries demonstrated its support to project team members by providing financial incentives to motivate the project team members. The technological infrastructure available in a company needs to be critically assessed to determine it is adequate to support the kind of system development that is to be implemented. Care should be taken not to embark on IS project development until management have the assurance that the companys technological base is adequate. Assurance from the Management Information System management should be taken to reduce the risk s and uncertainties associated with system development works. There is need for the maintenance of scope. The ability to maintain scope is related to planning and this is attainable for companies both small and large. Geishecker (1999) stated that Colgate-Palmolive Company itemised scope maintenance as a contributory factor to their success. The roll out approach for the implementation of the information system project is a very important consideration under scope maintenance. There are two approaches namely the big bang approach and the gradual (phased) rollout approach. Both approaches have their prons and cons. Oil giant Chevron attributes a phased roll out to the successful implementation of an information system project. Home Depot has also successfully implemented several modules of an Information system using the phased roll out approach (Mearian, 2000). Phased roll-out approach though more expensive and usually taking longer time, offer reduced business risk (Davenport, 2000). Internal readiness/training is also vital for the successful implementation of an information system project. The most common failure factor recorded was that of readiness for change. All employees must be trained on the new system in order to prevent underutilization of the system. Also managers must understand the implication of the system and the changes it will cause. If managers are not in agreement or cooperation, then there will be no eagerness or buy-in and this may result to resistance or lack of adoption of the new system (Davenport, 2000). Planning/development /budgeting are necessary for the success of an information system project. Planning should be intimately identified with maintaining scope during an implementation. Ineffective planning results in cost overruns and development delays. Home Depot, Lockerheed Martin and Mead Corporation are examples of companies attributing success to planning. As stated earlier, many projects especially failed ones are over budget, some as much as 189 percent. Adequate testing of the system is a key element for the successful implementation of the system. It is reported that Gillette Company withstood five months of severe testing procedures before their successful go-live date (CIO, 2000). Also, Eastman Kodak was able to complete what at the time was the largest implementation on record as a result of testing (PR Newswire, 2001). Whirlpool Corporation attributes inadequate testing as its single reason for unsuccessful and costly implementation. The company gambled on its testing program by cutting down the amount of time needed to test run the new system before implementing it in a bid to meet deadlines Conclusion The goal of this was to identify the major causes of information systems failures and strategies organisations can take to face the challenges and ensure the success? Towards this goal different articles and journals were examine. The project team compostion, management support , internal readiness of the employees, existence of technolgical infrastructure able to support and sustain the new system to be implemented, well defined goals which is in line with the organizations goal, adquately tested system, clear and well defined reporting structure and good leadership are all vital ingredients to ensure the successful implementation as well as utilization of a newly deployed information system. It is to be noted that even though a system technically faultless, underutilization as a result of lack of full acceptance or understanding of how to adopt the information system for day to day operation amounts to failure of the information system. For this reason, the management must enlighte n the users of the deployed information system on the need for the change as well as attached benefits. Finally, though appropraite measures should be put in place to prevent failure of the information system project, they may still occur; but when they occur, a system failure analysis which is an investigation to determine the underlying reasons for the nonconformance to the system requirement in order to identify the causes of nonconformance equally recommend appropraite correction measures. This is because failure could have benefits expecially in relation to learning,especially in understanding the developmental process of a system and steps to take to prevent failure of future Information System development projects. Word Count = 2,932 REFERNECES Mearian, L. (2000), CEO: SAP installation caused problems, ComputerWorld, Vol. 34 No. 48, p. 20. Nah, F.F., Lau, J.L. and Kuang, J. (2001), Critical factors for successful implementation of enterprise systems, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 285-96. Ben Meadowcrof, Why Systems Fail. http://www.benmeadowcroft.com/reports/systemfailure/ Beynon-Davies P. (2009). The language of informatics: the nature of information systems. International Journal of Information Management. 29(2). 92-103 CIO (2000), Does ERP build a better business?, 15 February, pp. 114-24. Davenport, T. (2000), Mission Critical Realizing the Promise of Enterprise Systems, Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA. Geishecker, L. (1999), ERP vs best of breed, Strategic Management, March, pp. 63-6. Land, F. and Hirschheim, R. Participative Systems Design: Rationale, Tools and Techniques, Journal of Applied Systems Analysis, Vol. 10, 1983. Lyytinen, K. and Hirschheim, R. Information Systems Failures A Survey and Classification of the Empirical Literature, Oxford Surveys in IT, Vol. 4, 1987, pp. 257-309. May, L. (1998), Major causes of software project failure, Crosstalk, July. The Standish Group. The CHAOS Report (1995), 1995. http://www.standishgroup.com/chaos.html.

“Hip-Hop, The Renaissance” Essay

They say â€Å"they never really miss you til you dead or you gone† So on that note I’m leaving after the song. A wise MC by the name of Shawn Corey Carter told me this as his Black Album gave me identical eclectic vibes I felt listening to the likes of Digable Planets, Big L, Big Daddy Kane, Big Pun, Common, Mos Def and others artists born of â€Å"The Renaissance†. I have come to inform you all of this renaissance known as hip-hop, a renaissance that will never cease breathing until the last listener’s foot is finished tapping to the rhythm and rhyme scheme of their favorite record. Hip-Hop, a genre of stylized rhythmic music that is used to accompany a rhythmic form of speech that would go on to become rap. Many have tried unsuccessfully to pinpoint the location of the birth of this â€Å"Renaissance† by saying that this is a West-coast, Midwest, and even a down South born style of music. However, I prefer to take you back to the 1970’s on 1520 Sedgwick Street in the Bronx, the home of Jamaican DJ Kool Herc who is arguably considered the father of hip hop, if not one of the many. See Kool Herc’s style of deejaying at house parties was that he would recite rhymes over what would in later time garner the title â€Å"an instrumental†. He would use a plethora of in house reference when dropping said rhymes on the microphone not knowing this would spawn a movement that would travel through the streets of Brooklyn and be spread by various other party Dj’s as well such as Coke La Rock. Spoken- word and music by early founding fathers such as Gil Scott- Heron, Jalal Mansur, and The Last Poets (one of whom I know personally) helped this movement come into fruition because of the simple fact that their lyrics were based on post- civil rights era life in the urban community. Oh yes the movement was real. Not only because everyone could relate but because it came via a rhythmic delivery that captured the mind and imagination of the people of that time. In creating this movement, they led us into a new era of Hip-Hop in which The Sugarhill Gang recorded the first record of the genre in 1979 titled â€Å"Rapper’s Delight†. There were many others who allegedly stated their claim as being the first, but couldn’t contend with Sugarhill Gang because â€Å"Rapper’s Delight† made the Billboard Top 100. It’s like Rosa Parks. We all know she wasn’t the first to not give up her seat, but why argue if it led to a positive result in the grand scheme of things. By the 80’s, Hip-Hop had spread to every major city in the United States, but Philadelphia was the only city that could come close to drawing comparison to New York’s contributions to Hip-Hop after Philly artist Jocko Henderson released his record â€Å"Rhythm Talk† Since I have told you the history of the Renaissance known as Hip-Hop, let’s bring it to the present since every student in here, I’m assuming, is a late 80’s, 90’s baby.   Now let’s talk about present day artists that epitomize the rhythmic, eclectic and dynamic styles. We talk about Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Meek Mill, Big Sean, Eminem, Common, Mos Def, and so on. I prefer to talk about Black Thought’s team, The Roots. This Hip-Hop group has transcended the Hip-Hop genre since the came on to the scene in the City of Brotherly Love in 1987. Black Thought and ?uestlove both attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts where ?uestlove would be the drum kit at talent shows while Black Thought laced the percussions with lyrics that would make The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron, and especially DJ Kool Herc proud of the fact that the roots of Hip-Hop have not been forgotten. Ironic how they would become known as The Roots in the process of their formation. They barely missed the Top 100 when they dropped their first major label album titled â€Å"Do You Want More?!!!!† in January 1995. What made this so significant is that they used no prerecorded instruments, kicks, or sounds. Every bit of their sound was original. This to me is why they epitomize what Hip-Hop because they are as original in the 21st century as they were in the 90’s when they made their debut. Another artist I will mention is 23 year old Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar who just released his debut album â€Å"good kid, m.A.A.d city†. I believe it is the album of the year, but that’s a persuasive speech for another day. With this one album alone Kendrick shows veterans in the game how to perfectly arrange an album and turn it into a masterpiece that reaches every generation and demographic. In closing I will say that what started as a Renaissance has become commercialized. Do I feel that there is hope that we will one day as artists go back to our roots like The Roots and Kendrick Lamar? Yes, but it will be a strenuous process. The Renaissance is in good hands with artists like Kendrick Lamar making classics with one debut. Not to mention myself. I try to bring a new feel myself to the game as well. Hip-Hop, The Renaissance is taking a step into the next generation. I will leave you Hip-Hop fans with this question: â€Å"Will you take that next step with me.

Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan

INTRODUCTION †¢ The requisite fee alongwith the application/request could be paid by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) is an autonomous organization of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports with its offices in 500 districts of India. NYKS is the largest grass-root level apolitical organization in the world, catering to the needs of more than 8 million non-student rural youth in the age group of 13-35 years enrolled through 2. lakh village based youth organizations called Youth Clubs in the areas covering education and training, awareness generation, skill development and self-employment, enterprise creation, thrift and cooperation, besides development of the body through sports and adventure and mind through sustained exposure to new ideas and development strategies. For organization of these activities, supervision, monitoring and evaluation, there are 47 Regional Offices and 18 Zonal Offices.In addition, programmes with active involvement and participation of rural youth in the areas such as Health, Family Welfare, HIV-AIDS, Drug Abuse, Poverty Alleviation, Child Labour, Environment, Enrichment, Literacy, Women Empowerment, Eradication of Social Evils and other issues of Local, National and International importance are being undertaken in the villages with emphasis on value, vision and voluntary action.The basic idea behind the above strategy is to bring forth the rural youth into the mainstream of national development as active participants, responsible and productive citizens of modern and technological India, since the young people are not only a major human resource for development but also key agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation. Their imaginations, ideals, considerable energy and vision are essential in the continuing development of the society in which they live.The problems that young people face as well as their vision and aspirations are essential component of the challenge and prospects of today’s society and future generation. Consequently while paying focused attention on these aspects, NYKS has subsequently evolved emerged not merely as an organization, but as a rural youth movement in the country. HOW TO APPLY UNDER RTI ACT The following may be noted while submitting request for seeking information under RTI Act:- †¢ Arrangements have been made at the Facilitation Counter of NYKS HQRS for receiving applications/request seeking information under RTI Act, 2005. Application/request can also be sent by post alongwith the requisite fee directly to the PIO in NYKS HQRS, APIO in NYKS Zonal Offices and kendras ; or banker's cheque or I. P. O drawn in favour of â€Å"NYKS†for information as from PIO at hqrs & Zonal Offices and â€Å"Youth Coordinator, Nehru Yuva Kendra _________ (name of the district) for information required from the Kendra ; †¢ The details regarding Rules & Regulations pertaining to fee etc. nder RTI Act may be perused in the website of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance & Pension. Deptt of Personnel and Training http://www. persmin. nic. in/ MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION The name of the Society shall be the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Sangathan’). 2. The Registered office of the Sangathan shall be situated in the Union Territory of Delhi/New Delhi and is at present at the Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. 3. The objects for which the Sangathan is established are :- ) To take over, manage, administer and run the existing Nehru Yuva Kendra; ii) To establish, run, manage and administer new Nehru Yuva Kendras anywhere in India and evaluate their working; iii) To promote and develop the concept of national . v) To function as a coordinating agency to link the youth with various departments/agencies integration, solidarity and secularism among the youth; iv) To involve the youth in programmes that would facilitate the organizatio n of youth leadership training programme, community singing, cultural activities, work camps, sports activities, elf-help programmes, physical and Adult Education, character building and Co-operative movement etcof the Government administering programmes like Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM), Self-Employment, Health and Family Welfare Programmes, Adult Education etc. vi) To create an awareness among the rural youth and providing them necessary guidance for taking advantage of various rural development programmes; vii) To organize special training programmes for the functionaries in order to familiarize them with the programmes/schemes of various departments/agencies being implemented in rural areas; viii) To establish, run, manage and administer Regional offices of Sangathan anywhere in India; ix) To create administrative, technical and non-technical appointments, promotions and transfer thereto; x) To collaborate wi th State Governments, Union Territory Administrations and other Organizations in and outside India for furtherance of its objectives; xi) To advise the Government of India on all matters within its purview either suo-motto or on a reference from the Government; xii) To organize, sponsor, and finance seminars, conferences etc. n the field of youth and allied matters; xiii) To undertake, sponsor and encourage publication of journals and literature relating to youth; stipends in the implementation of these objects; xiv) To institute, offer and grant prizes, awards and stipends in the implementation of these objects; xv) To constitute Boards, Committees or other bodies as may be deemed fit and to prescribe their powers, functions, tenure etc; xvi) To accept and collect donations, grants and gifts and to undertake management of any endowment or trust and to make donations, grants and gifts for the purpose of these objects; xvii) To borrow and raise money with or without security of movea ble and immoveable properties belonging to the Sangathan provided that the prior approval of the Government of India is obtained in that behalf; xviii) To acquire, purchase or otherwise own, take on lease or hire, moveable and immoveable properties and to sell, mortgage, transfer or otherwise dispose of any such moveable or immoveable properties, but the prior approval of the Government of India in respect of such immoveable properties shall be obtained; xix) To make Rules and Regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the Sangathan and to add, amend, vary or repeal them from time to time; xx) To maintain a ‘Fund’ which shall be vested in the Sangathan; xxi) Generally to take all such measures as may be found necessary from time to time to achieve its objectives; and xxii) To do all such acts and things as the Sangathan may consider necessary, conducive or incidental to the attainment or enlargement of the aforesaid objects or any one of them. and other posts and to make 4.All the incomes, earnings, moveable or immoveable properties of the Sangathan Society shall be solely utilized and applied towards the promotion of its aims and objects only as set forth in the Memorandum of Association and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividends, bonus profits or in any manner whatsoever, to the present or past members of the Sangathan Society or to any person claiming through any one or more of the present or the past members. No member of the Sangathan Society shall have any personal claim on any moveable or immoveable properties of the Sangathan Society to make any profits, whatsoever, by virtue of this membership. 5. The names, addresses, occupations and designations of the present members of the Board of Governors to whom the management of the Sangathan is entrusted, as required under

Clostridium Difficiles Effective Prevention Strategies

Research paper on Clostridium Difficile Introduction Clostridium difficile involves a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium, which is a normal element of the colon flora in people. The Clostridium difficile can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea when the competing bacteria in the gut flora are all killed by antibiotic treatment. The Clostridium difficile infection is one of the serious healthcare-related infection and also a rising health care problem. In the early 1970s, the Clostridium difficile has been known to have the ability to cause pseudomembranous colitis. As stated, the infection is the most cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea (Aktories Wilkins, 2000). Individuals that are colonized with clostridium difficile serve as the reservoir for infection and this is by contaminating the environment with spores of such bacteria. This will lead to the spread of the organism on the health care worker’s hands or even through the use of medical equipment. In this paper, we are going to focus on the effective prevention strat egies for clostridium difficile. What are the effective prevention strategies for clostridium difficile? Literature Review According the MacDonald Clifford (2013), the pathogen has been responsible for causing incident infections. In 2011, the clostridium difficile did cause approximately 453,000 incident infections, and also it was associated with approximately 29,000 deaths in the United States. This is

Definition Essay - Art is Anything - 456 Words

Definition Essay - Art is Anything Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary[1][1] defines art as â€Å"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also, works so produced.† This definition is inclusive of most forms of art. Unfortunately, art goes far beyond this limiting sentence. Art can be thoughts, aesthetic creations, musical compositions, or choreography. Art can be seen, heard, and/or felt. Art is concrete and abstract, at the same time. Art is expression and emotion. Art is anything. When trying to define art, humankind runs in to many difficulties. Traditional concepts of art include painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. Art can also be one†¦show more content†¦The doodle a woman makes on her notepad while on hold with the dentist’s office is a creation, and therefore art. An incredibly complex and lifelike portrait that took months to plan and paint is a creation, and therefore art. One does not have to create within the confines of traditional artistic thought to be an artist. By looking inward within one’s self, finding inspiration from existence, and executing a work, one is an artist. If art is so inclusive and universal, why does art seem so absent from everyday life? To see art, one must look for it. The way a tree dances in the setting sun is art. The intermingling angles of power lines with building tops are art. Intersecting and diverging streets are art. Everything depends on perception. By taking the time to see the art in the world, one will begin to notice that art is everywhere. By lying in the grass and looking at the clouds, art appears. By seeing the contrast between brightly colored flower petals and the deep, silky green of tree leaves, art appears. Museums contain beautiful paintings and sculptures. That is art, but not the only art. By looking for art during every available moment, one becomes surprised where art exists: everywhere. Art is simple. Art is complex. Art is everything. Take a moment, everyday, to find art in the surrounding world. By doing this simple task, the understanding of art emerges. ThisShow MoreRelatedEdgar Allan. Poe and H. L. Mencken’s Uses of Humor in Negative Reviews1120 Words   |  5 Pagesof people who would indulge themselves with them. However, Noà «l Carrol does not speak about the use of humor in arts criticism, for good or for bad. If we are to use Carrol’s definition of arts criticism, then we can’t judge the effectiveness of Poe and Mencken’s use of humor in criticism, or whether it belongs at all. The question, then, is if humor has a place in the world of arts criticism, and how effective it is at conveying the critic’s judgment and evaluation of the work. As Poe and MenckenRead More Definition Essay - What is Art?569 Words   |  3 PagesDefinition Essay - What is Art? There are few questions quite as esoteric or as futilely subjective as the philosophers What is†¦? 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Formal essays are characterized by serious purpose, dignity, logical organization, length, whereas the informal essay is characterized by the personal element (self-revelation, individual taste s and experiences, confidential manner), humor, gracefulRead MoreTok Essay Knowledge Is Generated Through the Interaction of Critical and Creative Thinking. Evaluate This Statement in Two Areas of Knowledge.1460 Words   |  6 Pagesis different among the various areas of knowledge, but the way we gain knowledge requires thinking, thought processes, and this may be either critical or creative. The two areas of knowledge I will be addressing are Natural sciences and the arts. The definition of critical thinking is to â€Å"judge† and thus implies the use of logical reasoning using convergent thinking. While creative thinking implies the opposite, using a divergent approach which will tend to reach a variety of possible results. 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Therefore, if we dont want there to be bums on the street, it is inferred that we shouldnt throw anything extra out. I myself was not supporting the homeless community, or being wasteful, I was just trying to make roomRead MoreJoseph Kosuth s Argument That Conceptual Art1247 Words   |  5 PagesThis essay shall explore Joseph Kosuth’s argument that Conceptual Art requires art to shift from morphology to function; and therefore will investigate the meaning of this argument and how it has affected artistic practice. It will explain the importance of how this argume nt has changed the way the audience think about art. Subsequently it will outline several points of his argument and then expand and explore them in more depth. To define the artistic terminology used above, the term morphology

The Amazon Rainforest Is The Largest Rainforest Of The World

Background: The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world, covering one billion acres. The rainforest is predominately in Brazil, but also borders the countries of Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The unique biosphere of the Amazon is a result of millions of years of evolution. The Amazon is a damp and wet climate; with so much rain the soils of the Amazon are thin, yet, they grow the some of the tallest trees on earth. In some parts of the rainforest, sandy soils are found, which have evolved through erosion over millions of years. The soils of the Amazon are the foundation of the rainforest and, although these soils have lost their mineral content and fertility, rich and lush rainforests grow on them (WWF, 2013). The atmosphere of the Amazon allows for organic matter to decompose expeditiously, creating high nutrient and fertile topsoil. However, organisms reabsorb these new nutrients as quickly as they were formed. The Amazo n is home to one in every ten animals on Earth, and plays a vital role in regulating the global climate. Soy has contributed to deforestation and soil erosion in the Brazilian Amazon (The Growth of Soy, 2014). There is a delicate balance throughout the Amazon; this equilibrium allows for one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth to strive, yet, it is in jeopardy due to human impacts such as the cultivation of soybean monoculture. It is estimated in another 50 years, 40% of the Amazon will haveShow MoreRelatedThe Amazon Rainforest Is A Vital And Spectacular Part Of Our Planet1514 Words   |  7 PagesThe Amazon Rainforest is a vital and spectacular part of our planet. The forest spreads over nine countries on the South American continent which are Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It is the world’s largest remaining rainforest covering over 2.5 million square miles, with 63 percent of it resting in Brazil. (Finer 2008). It is considered the lungs of Earth. Giving the entire world population daily oxygen and absorbing our carbon dioxide. IndustrializationRead MoreAmazon Forests : The Amazon Rainforest1577 Words   |  7 Pages One of the largest forests in the world, passing nine nations and over 1.4 billion acres, the Amazon rainforest stands as an amazing wonder in the world. The majority of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil, but also is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, and Guiana. Covering such a vast amount of land makes this region one of the most diverse ecological habitats in the word, but, while recognized as a priceless jewel of nature and a key factor in theRead MoreAmazon Rainforest Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesof the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed by deforestation since the 1960s. At the current rate of deforestation, over half of the remaining rainforest could be gone in the next 17 years (Bradford 2015). 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Novel Social Media Competitive Analytics †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Novel Social Media Competitive Analytics. Answer: Introduction Social media has become integral part of the business. Another thing which is crucial about business is that when it comes to social networking in the organization, there cannot be one rule which can fit all the organizations. The advantages of the social media in business changes based on the characteristics and the company itself. Social media sites permit the company to properly improve the process of communication and elevated level of productivity by completely disseminating the data among separate set of groups of workforces in a more effective way (Leonardi et al., 2013). It is further meant to be all inclusive and the discussion in the report will help in outlining some of the advantages as well as disadvantages of social media use at the organization. The main objective of the report is to understand and evaluate the complete literature behind the advantages as well as disadvantages of using social media for the business and cover subjects like public relation, marketing and online business. The fact is that any kind of innovation comes with certain pros and cons (Okazaki and Taylor, 2013). The main goal in this report is to properly evaluate the impact of social media on the business activities and how advantages can be utilised in the company. The report will discuss in detail about the evaluation of detailed discussion based on advantages and disadvantages of using social networking sites on number of many business operations like public relations, marketing, sales and services, customer support and surveys etc. The main discussion is based on commonly used social media platforms like twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all these platforms are attached with daily or routine work in a strong manner that it become impossible to separate it (Eriksson and Kovalainen, 2015). The report will also discuss in detail about many facilities provided by many popular social media platforms along with many popular methods of using the platform for marketing as well as public relation. In addition to the advantages and disadvantages, social media for business operation there will also be discussion of various risks associated with it. A platform like Facebook is constantly cited as the main step for establishing the business and to also notify it social media presence. A platform like Facebook comes with a lot of work and network combined with its overall flexibility and simple in use process which makes it an ideal fit for many businesses. Then there is also a platform like Google+ that has gained a lot of traction in the social networking sites and further provides some very distinct advantages. In fact, businesses when get associated with Google+ usually enjoys more and more favourable ranking in the search associated with Google since the work can integrate the network in the complete process of product and the platforms where small size can create a more intimate and customized conversation with the consumers (Bryman, 2015). Another useful platform is Twitter which can be used by companies with steady amount of flow of various kind of news flash related to businesses. For business with constant stream of imag e and short video level of content like Instagram which is now owned by Facebook helps a visual kind of storytelling and boasting a large audience of consumers. Outside the boundaries of social media there are other platforms as well that can provide marketing options for the right kind of businesses. Then there is Pinterest that is also growing in steady manner and mostly among the female consumers primarily because of its visual and scrapbook based content. Platform like LinkedIn is also very popular among many freelance employees as a main tool of networking to find customers (Trainor et al., 2014). The concept of social media marketing is an ideal method for businesses that can broaden the overall based for exposure to the public at a lower cost than any kind of traditional marketing. Setting the overall presence on highly used platforms like Facebook, Twitter and many other can help in targeting the new kind of customers and ensuring that the brand can become highly visible. In addition, it is a two-way communication process by social networking that can improve customer services and further helps the businesses to gain new set of information about the consumers and customize the communication process based on the overall knowledge gained here (Nielsen and Schrder, 2014). Following are some of the main advantages of social media usage in business: - Compelling and important content will help in grabbing more attention of prospective consumers and increase more and more brand visibility. One can also respond quickly to any kind of development in industry and further become heard in the field of the business. The process can be very cheap than any kind of traditional marketing like advertising and promotion based operations. Social media content can further indirectly boost the links to website based content by appearing in any kind of universal search outcomes and further improving the search traffic and online sales. One can also deliver an improved kind of customer services and further respond in effective manner to provide relevant feedback (Laroche et al., 2013). Consumers can also find through separate set of new channels by developing more amount of leads for the same. There must be increased level of loyalty as well as advocacy from the consumers point of view that relates to the consumers. Social networking can be a very strong tool and it is slowly becoming less risky. So many fans and followers are now free to share their feedback on such platforms and further exposing the business to the mainly related to the negative kind of publicity. A rapid answer can help in reducing the overall damage from such comments but it cannot eliminate the criticism from the Facebook page of the business. Then there are hackers which also pose as a main threat for the business on social media and these are some of the attackers that can take over the companys page or feed as well as share false data that can rapidly go viral. Every large as well as respected business platform has fallen as a main victim of various hackers along with small businesses that requires to take number of security option while developing or setting the password and further sharing the information related to password with the workforce (Zeng and Gerritsen, 2014). Following are some disadvantages of social media in business: - Company will have to the sources while managing the social media presences by responding to feedback and producing new kind of content. It can further be very challenging to quantify the overall return on investment also called as ROI and the value of one kind of channel over another. There are many ineffective usages for instance, using the network to push for sales without proper engagement with the consumers to respond to negative feedback can damage the reputation of the company. Any business can very easily establish a strong presence on number of social media channels but there is none such platform that will help the company to gain more customers without proper investment of efforts and time. A Facebook page when unattended can leave a lot of negative impression on many possible consumers and further cause the business to lose followers (He et al., 2015). Businesses these days must also consider the resources just before the development of social media marketing based strategy to make sure that they can help in gaining the attention and constant communication required to embrace the social network in an effective manner. Research Questions/Hypothesis There are two kinds of research done to figure out whether the impact of social media is fruitful for the business or not. This part will discuss the qualitative research which primarily look in depth at many non-numeric information. The report will focus on quality in this case and the motive is find out information which is deep and have quality based look at various elements (He et al., 2015). Then there are number of archival kind of records that will be treated qualitative here. For instance, the research will access to many kinds of documents including transcripts of the previous cases where the social media has effectively helped or adversely impacts the organization performance. This kind of method mainly focus on the goal which are measurable and can also be statistical, mathematical or in other words numerical based analysis of data collection with the help of polls, surveys and questionnaires or by also manipulating the statistical data which is already existing by using many kind of computation methods. The quantitative research also aims on collecting numerical based data and generalizing it among different group of people or further explaining the specific element (He et al., 2015). Here in this report, the main goal is conducting quantitative research based study is to decide the association between one single thing and another one within the boundaries of population. The design of quantitative research can either be descriptive by nature or it can also be experimental. A descriptive kind of study settles only based on association existing between elements which is an experimental based study setting many kinds of causality. Research Limitations Following are the detailed discussion of limitation of the research: - The research primarily lacks generalizability. It is also based on finding the right action for the research which is typically the only important to the specific group being evaluated and the participants and its own unique kind of features. It further can also yield distinct set of outcomes in other groups, context or language. As far as evaluating the technology is concerned it is important that the researcher must make sure that the software become the part of computer system (Graber and Dunaway, 2017). Conclusion In last so many years, the presence of social media has developed from being a simple digital based channel for socializing purpose with other kind of media which is covered into one of the strongest digital marketing techniques for the businesses as well as brands. It has further proved it as a very costly and effective method for the promotion as well as advertising in a new, subtle and a more personal method that businesses can double the social media marketing and associated budgets in the next five years (Graber and Dunaway, 2017). There are number of businesses that are jumping into social media promotion and many of which are not properly based on planning process or assessment of the effective and the overall of impact of social media marketing for the companies as well as brands. There are two types or sides of social media marketing. One is based on profitable level of success specifically when the social media marketing is done in right manner and used in effectively. On t he other side, it may also prove highly detrimental when the brand brings solutions that can be completely opposite from what people expect from it. Reference Bryman, A., 2015.Social research methods. Oxford university press. Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen, A., 2015.Qualitative methods in business research: A practical guide to social research. Sage. Graber, D.A. and Dunaway, J., 2017.Mass media and American politics. Cq Press. He, W., Wu, H., Yan, G., Akula, V. and Shen, J., 2015. A novel social media competitive analytics framework with sentiment benchmarks.Information Management,52(7), pp.801-812. Laroche, M., Habibi, M.R. and Richard, M.O., 2013. To be or not to be in social media: How brand loyalty is affected by social media?.International Journal of Information Management,33(1), pp.76-82. Leonardi, P.M., Huysman, M. and Steinfield, C., 2013. Enterprise social media: Definition, history, and prospects for the study of social technologies in organizations.Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,19(1), pp.1-19. Nielsen, R.K. and Schrder, K.C., 2014. The relative importance of social media for accessing, finding, and engaging with news: an eight-country cross-media comparison.Digital journalism,2(4), pp.472-489. Okazaki, S. and Taylor, C.R., 2013. Social media and international advertising: theoretical challenges and future directions.International marketing review,30(1), pp.56-71. Trainor, K.J., Andzulis, J.M., Rapp, A. and Agnihotri, R., 2014. Social media technology usage and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination of social CRM.Journal of Business Research,67(6), pp.1201-1208. Zeng, B. and Gerritsen, R., 2014. What do we know about social media in tourism? A review.Tourism Management Perspectives,10, pp.27-36.