Enterprise Resource Planning In Holmes Higher Education Institute

Question: Discuss about the Comparative Case Study Of Enterprise Resource Planning In Holmes Higher Education Institute. Answer: Introduction Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the most important part of IS implementation which helps the business to gain an advantage over its competitors by integrating every possible business process and optimizing and managing resources available (Yelken, 2005). ERP is a tool that not only provides automation to business activities but also helps in achieving business, a long term success. Quite a few advantages include enhanced customer service, improved efficiency, improved work flow and better data analysis and so on (Yelken, 2005). Global trends are influencing the field of higher education at a steady pace and since the government has notified the institutions to improve and enhance their performances and efficiency, higher education providers are more concerned towards this agenda (Pollock and Cornford, 2015). For this reason Holmes institute in Australia is concerned and willing to adapt an ERP system solution into their university. Implementing ICT in academic institutions has its own advantages and these advantages are not limited only to the research activities and point of education but from the business aspect view too, such as supporting accounting functions, organizational functions, and administrative functions and so on (Beekhuyzen, Goodwin and Nielsen, 2012). There has been a 75% rise in the number of higher education institutions who have introduced an ERP into their business practices and this has helped them a lot in business operations enhancement and a smooth flow. The activities for them are now more transparent and manageable (Calisir, 2014). Vendors who develop such software are very much aware of the fact and they immensely work on the updates and enhancements required by a particular institution or any organization. They understand individuals needs and tries to satisfy their requirements by aligning software characteristics to that of institutions (Calisir, 2014). In the sector of higher education there is a thorough need to investigate the basic factors that prompt a fruitful execution of an ERP framework. This paper investigates and evaluates current researches on ERP implemented to various higher education institutions and determines the best possible alternative for an ERP implementation for Holmes institution along with proper measures to handle all the potential risks associated with it(Pollock and Cornford, 2015). ERP Systems in Higher Education: Business Processes The business processes at a university is different from that of organizations as the environment and circumstances at a university are different (Kositanurit, Ngwenyama and Osei-Bryson, 2016). The ERP model for any higher education institution is based on academic purposes and through ERP the members of the institution, such as staff members and faculty generally interacts with basic official activities while students requires much vast knowledge and information and enhanced e-learning atmosphere (Yelken, 2005). In Australia universities are under immense pressure of government for reforming universitys infrastructure and achieving higher organizational efficiency. The level of funds for the universities has been reduced and institutions are in pressure to increase their funds by acting more like business now (Kositanurit, Ngwenyama and Osei-Bryson, 2016). Business Requirements Viewing the current need of the universities to grow effectively and efficiently, the best solution to the problem is implementation of an ERP system into higher educational institutions in Australia (Bingi, Sharma and Godia, 2009). An ERP implementation will replace all the management and administrative old systems with modernized new systems which will provide automation to academic activities. Another reason and requirement to incorporate ERP systems is to gain sufficient efficiency in business operations at the institution and to improve learning practices for students (Abdinnour-Helm, Lengnick-Hall and Hall, 2013). The ERP systems today are not only limited to these factors, in fact they support every department of an organization, from manufacturing activities to processes department such as managing orders, finances and accounts, human resource management and asset management. Some of the latest ERP models even support supply chain management, marketing automatisation, grant management and so on (Abdinnour-Helm, Lengnick-Hall and Hall, 2013). With the help of an ERP system, the process of student enrollment will require minimal assistance by the administration and a long hectic task will turn out to be easiest to handle (Bingi, Sharma and Godia, 2009). According to ECAR organization, the primary benefits of accommodating ERP into higher education institutions are: Enhanced data access that will help in managing the institution well and will help in planning for the growth. Services will get improved for every member of the institution whether it is staff, students or faculty. Business risks will be lowered down. As the efficiency of the work done will get improved a lot, there will be high rise in the yearly turnover as expenses due to excess labor will be diminished. System Requirements An analysis was conducted over business activities of higher education institute Holmes to determine the information support to plan a suitable ERP design for Homes higher education institution (Beekhuyzen, Goodwin and Nielsen, 2012). According to the results of the analysis: The primary requirements of the Holmes are decision support systems, business reports and quality assurance which can only be efficiently achieved with the implementation of a suitable ERP design (Babey, 2016). Implementation in the field of educational activities such as virtual libraries for students, enrollment portals, simulations, teaching equipment such as e-books and presentations, forums, portals and so on (Babey, 2016). Implementation in the field of research, for example, research software, e-support in the development of project work, various laboratories to research etc (Babey, 2016). Implementation in other fields such as marketing and publishing information system, administrative information system, Sales information system, human resource management system and so on (Akkermans, Bogerd, Yucasan and Wassenhove, 2012). A vital requirement is student information system that would consist of every single record of a student since students admission, such as semester schedule, choice of subjects, marks obtained per semester, attendance and many other such things (Baptiste, 2011). Software and Vendor Selection Selection of software for the business activities requires consent with the person who possesses a good knowledge regarding this, because if the software results in a misfit with the business requirements, it can result in poor performance and evaluation process (Beekhuyzen, Goodwin and Nielsen, 2012). For example, on the off chance that the ERP programming is not in consistence with the authoritative condition, the renting organizations won't have the capacity to give its clients exercises the privilege lawful system expecting is a charitable situation with to some degree a bureaucratic approach (Baptiste, 2011). Some of the results of the cases where software was a misfit are: Over-dependency on highly customized systems: As the software was a mismatch, customizations to the existing software was heavy who surely need time to get adapt to it and resulted in overspent budget, project delays, and unreliable system (Marginson and Considine, 2010). Deprived management of the ERP process: With limited knowledge of the ERP design it will be a challenging task for the management to run the ERP system smoothly and effectively as the task will require executives to manage people along with new systems. Also a need to re-design business process (Marginson and Considine, 2010). Hence the best software selection according to the requirements of an individual organization or institution is the primary goal while deciding on to incorporate ERP systems to the organization (Bruce, 2015). As big ventures in the area of education struggles to in the era concentrated on commercializing advanced education, vendors see this as a big opportunity for them to grow in the market which could help them to earn millions of dollars. As a result, developing prevalence of ERP innovation surrounded by tentative educational surroundings has a capability to re-define operations and functions at an organization and transforming administrators functions (Campbell, 2013). At present the most famous ERP vendors in the area of higher education are Datatel, Jenzabar, SAP, People Soft, SCT and Oracle (Ciborra, 2010). According to a group, the solidification of merchants and the arrival to essential business operations, affected ERP arrangements in the territory of advanced education (Cohen, March and Olsen, 2012). A research has been conducted upon several ERP vendors and they have been categorized under four quadrants according to their expertise. Prophets or Creative Thinker: This set contains the vendors whose software possess clear vision for organizations future operations and functions but a little inferior to the current operations of the business. The vendor that belongs to this group is Oracle, however if company plans to merge with PeopleSoft circumstances can be different (Cohen, March and Olsen, 2012). Challengers: The vendors having a valuable market reputation but lack in a deep knowledge of future development trends in the clients organization (Kimaro, and Nhampossa, 2015). Niche Players: endeavors which are effective in certain market sections. For example, SAP, provides best solutions in the field of integral information but for the other areas its not recommendable. The strategy and vision statement of SAP in the area of higher education institution is uncertain (Kimaro, and Nhampossa, 2015). Cream of the crop: This is the best group of vendors in the field of ERP designs for higher educational institutions. All the vendors in this group hold exceptional visualization for the organizations present and future business requirements. PeopleSoft, Datatel and SCT are members of this group (Davenport, 2008). The software solutions provided by above discussed companies covers the larger part of principle elements of ERP framework such as managing human resources, handling process of study and accounts and so on. Benefits of individual solutions can be noticed in different areas. Oracle connects the back-office procedures and network with the use of E-business platform, SAP on the other hand favors user centered ERP frameworks such as if the software is designed for student part than it should be student oriented. PeopleSoft stresses upon the role of web tech and internet (Kimaro, and Nhampossa, 2015). Deciding on one software vendor is a difficult task and may not be feasible too. Hence the better idea is to identify different department needs and match them with the appropriate vendor skills and implement. Technical Preview of ERP in higher Education In a case study while executing advanced education ERP, a little consideration was put on utilization of project administration standards, culture of the organization and strategic planning. Despite the fact that these were effective contextual analyses, they contained confirmation of the gigantic trouble of actualizing ERP arrangements (Friedman, 2008). The key to online education is strategic planning. In some of the cases results of implementation of ERP in higher education shows that considered planning for information technology in universities is in a state of crisis. While evaluating a stumbled or fizzled ERP execution and deciding upon the conditions that prompted its fiasco, more often, administration will conclude that there is some ambiguity in the software itself or it is excessively mind boggling, making it impossible to execute in their one of a kind domain (Ellul, 2013). Administration additionally aggravates the disappointment by asserting that the wrong ERP framework was picked, and in the event that they had the "right" programming bundle they could recover their drive and accomplish their unique goals (Eisenhardt, 2009). However, the study demonstrates that its a rare case when software is actually the reason for the failure. In fact, even if the right software has been chosen for the project, it will result in a failure at later stage which could be more drastic then the first case. The actual realization of successful ERP implementation depends upon the proper integration of the ERP system and a manual exchange of data amidst ERP framework and the present legacy system of the organization. Improper exchange of data may result in mutilation or loss of data during export and it may result in number of complications (Eisenhardt, 2009). The approaches utilized by other universities to overcome above discussed implementation problems and to employ technology efficiently into the field of higher education are as follows: Internal Control: At the time of initial implementation of ERP software solution, to get a hold of controls in a right manner is less expensive than retrofitting controls. In most cases, the focus shifts to problems that may arise due to functionality instead focus should be on control. The interior control comprises of ethical values, following policies, segregation of duties, integrity and skill of an association's representatives. Workforce Assessment: To implement ERP system is a difficult task and to implement it most efficiently and effectively is the main concern of the ERP vendors. During early implementations vendors realized that most of the organizations are not able to achieve even half of the estimated profits. To handle this situation implementer realized that it is mandatory to manage the adaptation of change within the organization, which clearly means that ERP projects are not about technology but about people. Responsibilities, duties, process of conducting business activities, all will be affected by the implementation of new framework A clear comprehension of the effect of progress enables the business to outline an arrangement and address the diverse levels of changes likewise. This approach makes client acknowledgment and purchase in of the new E R P framework. When individuals utilize the framework, benefits will be accomplished. Alignment with present Rules and Regulations: Strategies and methods are imperative assets which represent the functions of any ERP and specifically in the area of advance education. They give conviction proclamations and working rules for board of directors and other members with respect to the organization of ERP system (Beekhuyzen, Goodwin and Nielsen, 2012). Risks associated with ERP Implementation in Higher Education Integral Information Solutions or ERP design systems are often denoted as integrated application packages or connected information systems. They provide us with a unified architecture that enables us to manage and administer all the vital operations within an organization or university (Ihde, 2013). The primary goal of an ERP system is to connect all business operations, functions and activities into an integrated computer system that fulfills the necessities of the entire association. By executing such arrangements clients hope to enhance organization's productivity, which in turn, enhance the quality, efficiency and productivity of organizations activities. Software packages are available in great number that empowers the connection business procedures and transaction-oriented data through the entire association, also inside the entire store network reaching out to a number of organizations (Greener, 2012). In spite of guarantees for enhanced work procedures and more viable administration in the organization, various research exercises have demonstrated a high disappointment rate in the execution of incorporated data arrangements and in some of the cases, involvement of risk is very high. To know the reason behind this failure, a research was conducted through the entire history and strategies used for the creation of ERP systems. Based on the research results reference models were created by analyzing most successful organizations and their main business functions (Hossler and Pape, 2016). Subsequently, this implied the execution of ERP frameworks included a high level of complexity and adjustment to diverse associations. The reasons for the failure of the project can be (not limited to): Unclearly defined vital objectives and strategic goals. The management of the client organization doesnt participate in the implementation process of the ERP system. The information solution provided for the client undervalues the complexity, size and scope of the organizations business activities and requirements. Company is not prepared to accommodate the changes came up with the new ERP system solution. The vendor selected is not well experienced for this kind of solutions and project team is not professional. Unsatisfactory guidance to the users of the new system which in turn results in loss of interest to work with the new solution and thus a great risk of failure. Data solution generated through computer system is not accurate and possess errors Framework productivity measures don't permit for effective changes to occur (desires of the association are most certainly not reasonable) Inquiries with respect to the strategy for framework usage in distinct parts of association have not been resolved correctly Problems with technical part of the solution. The achievement of the actualized ERP framework relies upon various factors, as the ERP network is connected to all the business functions of an association. It includes involvement of the client administration, a proper advancement of the existing policies and procedures, the probability to interface the basic data arrangements with different business data frameworks, co-operation amidst employees and advisers, and highly trained and educated staff members (Hossler and Pape, 2016). Conclusion The benefits and impacts of implementing an ERP system in any organization require a demanding assessment. It is rather improbable that in a market like ERP system solutions in higher education institution, a small and unique department, there would be any financial difficulty for the implementation process. Holmes has to adhere to rules and regulations and had to sustain a high-performing cross-functional group which can operate inside a relational database, to prevent the excessive costs of the implementation because conventionally, if universities possess a structure that is loosely coupled than it may not align with the ERP system and will result in extra implementation costs to set up an alignment with the ERP. While establishing these cross-functional teams for the Holmes, administrators are advised to consult registration supervision teams at MPU and LPS as these institutions have a highly experienced cross-functional team and may prove beneficial for the institution. It will help the staff to standardize and centralize business activities and tasks without any difficulty and they will be able to adapt the new integral software easily. The environment at Holmes institute of Higher Education is extremely dynamic as the training framework has been in a general sense changed with the time. The desire of Holmes to build a modern ERP system might shift general level task performed by less skilled employees to tasks that will require specialized skills, knowledge and training. Hence institution might have to recruit new skilled staff to handle ERP system successfully (Beekhuyzen, Goodwin and Nielsen, 2012). References Yelken, B. (2005). Erp System Implementation: A C Beko A.?. ?stanbul Kltr University Faculty of Engineering Architecture, Department Of Industrial Engineering, Brunel University. Pollock, H. and Cornford, G. (2015). Implications of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems for Universities. An Analysis of Benefits and Risks, Report of the observatory on borderless of higher education Boston, pp. 446-448. Beekhuyzen, J., Goodwin, M. and Nielsen, J. (2012). ERP in Universities: The Australian explosion Australian Conference on the information systems. Melbourne, Australia. Calisir, F. (2014). The relation of interface usability characteristics, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to end - user satisfaction with enterprise resource planning systems. Computer in Human Behavior. pp. 505-515. Kositanurit, B., Ngwenyama, O. and Osei-Bryson, K. (2016). An exploration of factors that impact individual performance in an ERP environment: an analysis using multiple analytical techniques, European Journal of Information Systems. pp. 556568. Kimaro, H. C. and Nhampossa, J. L. (2015). Analysing the problem of unsustainable Health Information Systems in Less-Developed Economies: Case studies from Tanzania and Mozambique, Information Technology for Development; 11(3):273-298. Marginson, S. and Considine, M. (2010).The enterprise university: power, governance and reinvention in Australia. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Bingi, P., Sharma, M.K. and Godia, J.K. (2009). Critical Issues Affecting an ERP Implementation. Information Systems Management; 16 (3): 7 8. Abdinnour-Helm, S., Lengnick-Hall, M. and Hall, C. (2013). Pre-implementation attitudes and organizational readiness for implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. European Journal of Operational Research, 146, 258-273. Akkermans, H., Bogerd, P., Yucasan, E. and Wassenhove, L. (2012). The impact of ERP on supply chain management: Exploratory findings from a European Delphi study. European Journal of Operational Research, 146,284-301. Babey, E. (2016). Costs of enterprise resource planning- and then some. D. Hossler (Ed.), New directions for higher education. Special issue: Building a student information system: Strategies and success and implications for campus policy, pp. 21-33. Baptiste, I. (2011). Qualitative data analysis: Common phases, strategic differences Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 2(3). Retrieved from www. qualitative-research.net/fq5/fqs-eng.htm. Bruce, C. (2015). Questions arising about emergence, data collection, and its interaction with analysis in a grounded theory study. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 6(1), 2-12. Campbell, M. (2013). From airline reservations to sonic the hedgehog: A history of the software industry. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Ciborra, C. (2010). From control to drift: The dynamics of corporate information infrastructures. New York, Oxford University Press. Cohen, M., March, J. and Olsen, J. (2012). A garbage can model of organizational choice. Administrative Science Quarterly, 17(1), 1-25. Davenport, T. (2008). Putting the enterprise into the enterprise system. Harvard Business Review, 4, 121-131. Eisenhardt, K. (2009). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14( 4 ), 532-550. Ellul, J. (2013). The autonomy of the technological phenomenon. In R. Scharff V. Dusek (Eds.), Philosophy of technology: The technical condition: An anthology (pp. 38-44). Oxford, UK: Blackwell. Friedman, T. (2008). The post-binge world. The New York Times, p. WK10. Gartner, I. (2014). The Gartner glossary of information technology acronyms and terms. Retrieved September 17, 2017, from www.gartner.com/6_help/glossary/ Gartner_IT Glossary. pdf Greener, I. (2012). Theorising path-dependency: How does history come to matter in organizations. Management Decision, 40(6), 614-619. Hossler, D. and Pape, S. (2016). New directions for higher education. Special issue: Building a student information system: Strategies and success and implications for campus policy, 136, 1-6. Ihde, D. (2013). Philosophy of technology: An introduction. New York: Paragon House.

Articles International Accounting Journals â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Articles International Accounting Journals? Answer: Introduction: FASB has introduced and recommended various accounting standards, as it allows exposure drafts and comments from various industries and corporate firms. The proposal, which is under discussion, considers the accounting standard to update the stock-based compensation and it has the topic number of 718. More particularly, the standard is Improvements to Non-employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. In order to assure cost reduction, it is needed for improving the non-staff share-based payment. However, certain complexities are related to prepare and maintain the usefulness of information, which is laid out in the financial statements of the organisation (Lodhia Hess, 2014). Finally, the report would concentrate on the various agreed and non-agreed comments about the initiation of such standard to improve the procedure of accounting for ascertaining its idealness. Proposal: It has been found out that progress in non-staff share-based payment accounting are critical to maintain the sentiments of the staffs for conducting the business operations in an effective fashion. This standard has laid forward numerous ideas for encouraging each organisation to participate in the comment process for gaining feedback (Lubbe, Modack Watson, 2014). The FASB has depicted the modifications in the form of questions and the companies are required to comment on the same for obtaining their views. Along with this, the companies are needed to provide comments on those questions, which are related directly to their overall business operations. Few questions of the standard comprise of tax benefits and deficiencies, complexity and cost along with maintaining information evident in the financial statements. Moreover, they take into account the relation between additional tax benefits and cash inflows, permission for the entities to undertake the accounting policy election, tax payment procedure and proposed expansion of the business. By accumulating the feedbacks, the usefulness of these modifications could be determined for the entire economy. Debate so far: The answers that have been gathered from the chosen four respondents are discussed briefly as follows: Heiskell and MacGillivray and Associates: It is an accounting and auditing firm in Australia and it has agreed to the elimination of the accounting tool of PIC to minimise the level of cost and issues in the process of accounting. Moreover, it has shown its agreement to incorporate compensation expense in the income statement, which needs the implementation of tax deficits and benefits. In case of the third question related to tax cash flow classification, it agrees that these actions could be considered in the form of operating activity. Hence, the organisation has agreed with all the modifications, which FASB has proposed, since these questions are in line with the public interest and the standard of accounting is crucial for both the staffs and organisations (Smith, 2017). Raytheon Company: Raytheon Company is a leading technological and innovation firm, which has developed its brand image in the global market due to defence technologies, software related to civil market and security tools. It is an US-based organisation intending to form effective corporate governance. The organisation has answered the questions 2, 3 and 5, which are present in the exposure draft. It has not agreed with Heiskell and MacGillivary and Associates about identifying the additional tax benefits and deficiencies in the income statement. Instead, it has suggested the symmetrical equity approach to obtain effective outcomes. This is because such realisation would only accomplish the public interest; however, the organisational interest would be ignored completely. Moreover, this would not be identical with the capture theory as well. However, it has been agreed that the taxable cash flows could be considered as operational activity and it has allowed the stored amount to the highest marginal ra te of tax applicable (Marton, 2017). The organisation is a global leader related to online payment technology intending to improve the international procedure of payment. It has been assessed that the modifications would provide several benefits; however, the disagreement is associated with the identification of additional tax deficiencies and benefits in the income statement (Zhang et al., 2016). These modifications would reduce complexities for majority of the organisations; however, the volatility of expense related to income tax might be enhanced. Hence, these modifications accomplish the overall public interest and organisational interest except the rejected one. American Bankers Association: This is an entity where the participants in the bank operate in USA and they tend to enhance the overall banking system and operating activities. The company has shown its agreement with all the FASB changes; however, it has compared the tracking of additional tax benefits and deficiencies in the income statement. The cause behind such disagreement is that it would lead to differences in the expenses of compensation and financial statements. Hence, in accordance with this relationship, most of the suggestions would be helpful in assuring both private and public interest. Significance of the proposal: This proposal is crucial to improve the procedures of stock compensation of the international organisations. It has intended to enhance the preparation of the financial statements along with reducing the pressure of the accountants and payments of cash related to the employers for tax holding. The primary problem identified in the proposal is the detection of additional tax benefits and deficiencies in the income statement of the organisation. This is because it would help in ensuring the overall public interest to enhance the economy. However, it is required in assuring private interest along with enhancing the proposal validity even though the public interest is achieved fully. Conclusion: Based on the above evaluation, it has been evaluated that Heiskell and MacGillivray and Associates has agreed with all the modifications pointed out on the part of FASB. However, the other respondents have failed to agree with the identification of additional tax deficiencies and benefits in the income statement of the organisation. The reason behind this is that it might raise the volatility of expense associated with income tax. Hence, it could be concluded that it is necessary for FASB to assure public interest along with enhancing the validity of the proposal, even though it helps in accomplishing the overall public interest. References: Bebbington, J., Larrinaga, C. (2014). Accounting and sustainable development: An exploration.Accounting, Organizations and Society,39(6), 395-413. Blayney, P., Kalyuga, S., Sweller, J. (2015). Using cognitive load theory to tailor instruction to levels of accounting students' expertise.Journal of Educational Technology Society,18(4), 199. Chatfield, M., Vangermeersch, R. (2014).The history of accounting (RLE accounting): an international encylopedia. Routledge. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K., Howieson, B. (2015).Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Hodder, L. D., Hopkins, P. E. (2014). Agency problems, accounting slack, and banks response to proposed reporting of loan fair values.Accounting, Organizations and Society,39(2), 117-133. Kanodia, C., Sapra, H. (2016). A real effects perspective to accounting measurement and disclosure: Implications and insights for future research.Journal of Accounting Research,54(2), 623-676. Klimczak, K. M., Krasodomska, J. (2017). The role and current status of IFRS in the completion of national accounting rulesEvidence from Poland.Accounting in Europe, 1-6. Lodhia, S., Hess, N. (2014). Sustainability accounting and reporting in the mining industry: current literature and directions for future research.Journal of cleaner production,84, 43-50. Lubbe, I., Modack, G., Watson, A. (2014). Financial Accounting GAAP Principles.OUP Catalogue. Marton, J. (2017). The role and current status of IFRS in the completion of national accounting rulesEvidence from Sweden.Accounting in Europe, 1-10. Smith, M. (2017).Research methods in accounting. Sage. Zhang, X., Yan, C., Sun, X., Xiang, Y. (2016). Research Issues and Methods of Contemporary Accounting Research and the Progress in Internationalizing Accounting Research in China: An Analysis of Research Articles in International Accounting Journals During 2009-2013.Contemporary Accounting Review,1, 001

Sample Essay Prompts - The Real Reason You Should Do Sample Essay Prompts

Sample Essay Prompts - The Real Reason You Should Do Sample Essay PromptsSample Essay Prompts is the writing tests used to help students prepare for the WGU. To help you decide what you need, here are some samples of the questions asked. These essays are based on the SAT or ACT. They are a part of your WGU preparation and help you understand the different components of the WGU.Your writing sample should contain several topics and they should be varied. You have two options when it comes to topics. You can choose topics that will cover different areas of life. These could be from culture, society, the economy, politics, religion, science, or the arts.Some sample essay prompts will cover history, social issues, current events, art, nature, or the environment. When your essays have topics, make sure that you list all the important components of each topic so that the reader knows the subject.Before you create your sample essay prompts, be sure that you fully understand the proper order to write. You will need to write the first paragraph as an introduction. The second paragraph should be the conclusion of the paragraph. Next, you should begin the body paragraph.Be sure that you write using proper English's question grammar. Don't try to hide your errors.The next step is to review your writing sample and answer the 'Yes or No' test on the free online test. Write the essay and give an explanation for each idea you use. Answer the essay question based on the essay question that you just wrote.As you work on your sample essay prompts, youwill start to realize the type of information you can find online. You can easily find articles on the internet that will help you understand the WGU better. The next step is to do some research on the topic that you will cover in your essay.

The Definition of Popular Culture in Sociology

The Definition of Popular Culture in Sociology Popular culture is the accumulation of cultural products such as music, art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyberculture, television and radio that are consumed  by the majority of a societys population. Popular culture has  mass accessibility and appeal. The term popular culture was coined in the 19th century or earlier. Traditionally, it was associated with lower classes and poor education as opposed to the official culture of the upper class. The Rise of Popular Culture After the end of World War II, innovations in mass media led to significant cultural and social changes. Scholars trace the origins of the  rise of popular culture to the creation of the middle class generated by the Industrial Revolution. The meaning of popular culture then began to merge with that of mass culture, consumer culture, image culture,  media culture and culture for mass consumption. John Storey and Popular Culture There are two opposing sociological arguments in relation to popular culture. One argument is that popular culture is used by the elites (who tend to control the mass media and popular culture outlets) to control those below them because it dulls people’s minds, making them passive and easy to control. A second argument is just the opposite, that popular culture is a vehicle for rebellion against the culture of dominant groups. In his book, Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, John Storey offers six different definitions of popular culture. In one definition, Storey describes mass or popular culture as a hopelessly commercial culture [that is] mass-produced for mass consumption [by] a mass of non-discriminating consumers.†Ã‚  He further states that popular culture is â€Å"formulaic [and] manipulative,† not unlike how he views the process of advertising.  A product or brand has to be â€Å"sold† to an audience before it can be entrenched in mass or popular culture; by bombarding society with it, it then finds its place in popular culture. Britney Spears is a good example of this definition; her road to stardom and place in popular culture were based on marketing strategies to build look along with her fan base. As a result, she generated millions of fans, her songs were played frequently on numerous radio stations, and she went on to sell out concerts and garner the publics fascination with her meltdown. Like the creation of Britney Spears, pop culture almost always depends on mass production for mass consumption because we rely on mass media to get our information and shape our interests. Pop Culture vs. High Culture Pop culture is the culture of the people and it is accessible to the masses. High culture, on the other hand, isnt meant for mass consumption nor is it readily available to everyone. It belongs to the social elite. The fine arts, theater, opera, intellectual pursuits -   these are associated with the upper socioeconomic strata and require more a high brow approach, training or reflection to be appreciated. Elements from this realm rarely cross over into pop culture. As such, high culture is considered sophisticated while popular culture is often looked down upon as being superficial.

Definition and Examples of Amphiboly in English

Definition and Examples of Amphiboly in English Amphiboly is a  fallacy  of relevance that relies on an ambiguous word or grammatical structure to confuse or mislead an audience. Adjective: amphibolous. Also known as  amphibology. More broadly, amphiboly may refer to a fallacy that results from a faulty sentence structure of any kind. Etymology From the Greek, irregular speech Pronunciation:  am-FIB-o-lee Examples and Observations [T]he 2003 election reform law demanded that politicians acknowledge in their own voices their responsibility for advertisements they run on public airwaves. But five years later, the I approved has become a pivotal device in commercials for Congress and the White House, a place for candidates to make a declaration of intent, summarize the message or take a parting shot. . . .A University of New Hampshire rhetoric professor, James Farrell, was irked as far back as the 2004 Democratic primary campaign, the first time the disclaimers were required. Then, as now, he said, advertisement writers were coming up with awkward non-sequiturs just to slip in something extra.Mr. Farrell noted a current commercial for Representative Don Cazayoux, Democrat of Louisiana, in which the candidate said, I’m Don Cazayoux and I approved this message because that’s who I’m fighting for. That, Mr. Farrell said, is an amphiboly, a logical confusion created by a grammatical ambiguity.Of course, if asked, the candidate will say he means he’s fighting for the middle class, said Mr. Farrell, of the spot’s theme. However, one could easily conclude that the disclaimer addition refers to the candidate himself, as in, I’m Don and that’s who I’m fighting for.(Steve Friess, Candidates ‘Approve’ Ads and Get a Bit Creative. The New York Times, Sep. 30, 2008) Humorous Amphibolies Amphiboly is usually so recognizable that it is rarely used in real-life situations to make a claim seem stronger than it is. Instead, it more often leads to humorous misunderstandings and confusions. Newspaper headlines are one common source of amphiboly. Here are a few examples: Prostitutes Appeal to Pope Farmer Bill Dies in House Dr. Ruth to Talk About Sex With Newspaper Editors Burglar  Gets Nine Months in Violin Case Juvenile  Court to Try Shooting Defendant Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge Marijuana Issues Sent to a Joint Committee Two Convicts Evade Noose: Jury Hung. . . . Most of these cases of amphiboly are the result of a poorly constructed sentence: I like chocolate cake better than you. Although we normally try to avoid them, intentional amphiboly may prove useful when we feel obligated to say something we would rather not have to say, yet want to avoid saying something that is patently not true. Here are lines from letters of recommendation: In my opinion, you will be very fortunate to get this person to work for you. I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine. From a professor on receiving a late paper from a student: I shall waste no time in reading this. (John Capps and Donald Capps, Youve Got To Be Kidding!: How Jokes Can Help You Think. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) Amphiboly in a Classified Ad Sometimes the amphiboly is more subtle. Take this newspaper classified ad that appears under Furnished Apartments for Rent: 3 rooms, river view, private phone, bath, kitchen, utilities included Your interest is aroused. But when you visit the apartment, there is neither a bathroom nor a kitchen. You challenge the landlord. He remarks that there are common bathroom and kitchen facilities at the end of the hall. But what about the private bath and kitchen that the ad mentioned? you query. What are you talking about? the landlord replies. The ad didnt say anything about a private bath or a private kitchen. All the ad said was private phone. The advertisement was amphibolous. One cannot tell from the printed words whether private modifies only phone or whether it also modifies bath and kitchen. (Robert J. Gula, Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language. Axios, 2007) Characteristics of Amphibolies To become a skilled perpetrator of amphibolies you must acquire a certain nonchalance toward punctuation, especially commas. You must learn to toss off lines such as I heard cathedral bells tripping through the alleyways, as if it mattered not a whit whether you or the bells were doing the tripping. You should acquire a vocabulary of nouns which can be verbs and a grammatical style which easily accommodates misplaced pronouns and confusions over subject and predicate. The astrology columns in popular newspapers provide excellent source material. (Madsen Pirie, How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic. Continuum, 2006) The Lighter Side of Amphiboly Some amphibolous sentences are not without their humorous aspects, as in posters urging us to Save Soap and Waste Paper, or when anthropology is defined as The science of man embracing woman. We should be mistaken if we inferred immodest dress on the woman described in a story: . . . loosely wrapped in a newspaper, she carried three dresses. Amphiboly is often exhibited by newspaper headings and brief items, as in The farmer blew out his brains after taking affectionate farewell of his family with a shotgun. (Richard E. Young, Alton L. Becker, and Kenneth L. Pike, Rhetoric: Discovery and Change. Harcourt, 1970)

Use of Motion Pictures in the Painful Deception Essay

Use of Motion Pictures in the Painful Deception - Essay Example A compelling example is Bus 174 done in 2002 by Jose Padilha and Felipe Lacerda. The documentary Bus 174 was prepared from television footages that were taken on live event of a hijacked bus. The documentary aimed at demonstrating the social, legal, and economic injustices experienced by the less fortunate in Brazil. This paper focuses on use of motion pictures in documentaries to depict reality using the documentary Painful Deception by Eric Hufschmid. A compelling documentary is made using a collection of facts about a certain event that is important to the society. A good example of such a documentary is Painful Deception. The United States government asserted that the destruction of Twin Towers, the Pentagon, Building 7, World Trade Centre and other surrounding buildings was a terrorist attack carried out using hijacked planes. However, the motion pictures displayed in Painful Deception documentary completely refute the explanations given by the U.S government. The documentary tries to explain the audience that the happenings of September 11 were a government plan, since the manner of collapse of the buildings completely disagrees with the laws of science as well as those of structural engineering. A Californian engineer called Eric Hufschmid prepared the documentary. He uses his expertise in engineering, laws of science, principles about structures, the views of those who witnessed the collapse and motion pictures to demonstrate the fictitiousness of the collapse. He exposes the controversies behind the occurrence which make a person watching the film realize that indeed, the whole attack was government instigated and not a terrorist attack as the government claimed. The documentary posits that the collapse was carried out using planned demolitions as opposed to what the United States government made the world believe. According to the documentary, all the buildings collapsed as if they were brought down through controlled demolition. The video includes several motion pictures showing the manner in which the buildings collapsed and compares it to that of images of buildings demolished using explosives. Eric disputes the claims that the impact of the planes initiated the collapse of the buildings. He argues that the intensity of the fire was not enough to melt down the heavy steel beams used in the construction of the Twin Towers and Building 7. He affirms that the only possibility was presence of explosives implanted within the building fitted with radio receivers, which could be controlled using a remote gadget. To exe mplify this, he uses motion pictures from actual controlled demolitions done using explosives. He says that the terrorist could not have been responsible of planting the explosives since the process requires time and the buildings were some of the most secure in the world. Another fact exposed was the move to insure the Building 7 just a month before the September 11 attack. The documentary claims that the owner claimed twice the amount of the insurance claiming that the building experienced two separate attacks. Another controversy the documentary tries to enlighten people on is the aircrafts used in the attack. Eric uses motion pictures to demonstrate that it was impossible that Flight 77 hit the Pentagon but instead suggests that a Global Hawk was used in the atta

Assignment Rough Draft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment Rough Draft - Essay Example As this concept is quite important and complex at the same time due to the fact that it acts as a basis of any type of relationships, it gives birth to number of issues, the key of which are gender inequality and the fight against it. The concept of gender is best explained from the point of view of symbolic interaction theory, which states that every person plays a particular role in the society (Turner, 2012). In accordance with Turner (2012), a person is a social actor who performs an assigned role, which includes patterns of behavior and feelings. Even in the twenty-first century, the issue of gender discrimination still takes place. In order to fight the problem, there exists a range of federal laws, among which are Civil Right Act, the Equal Opportunity Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Law and others (â€Å"Gender Discrimination,† 2013). At the same time, these and other laws and programs appear to be not very effective for women. However, the Affordable Care Act is believed to change the situation for the better: due to the act, about 13 million women will gain coverage by 2016 (National Womens Law Center, 2013). These days, triple jeopardy of African American Women with disabilities occurs in the United States. Because of the existing stereotypes, this group of women experiences the following difficulties. First of all, they are expected to have traditionally female occupations. Secondly, African American women have difficulties which result from group-specific factors, such as likelihood of being a single parent. Finally, the disabled have decreased work opportunities because of lack of compliance on behalf of the employee (Smith & Alston, 2008). A human service professional should be culturally competent to meet the requirements of the sphere as well as to be able to work in it. For every person, it is natural to have