Franklin s Virtues Attaining Moral Perfection free essay sample

Attaining Moral Perfection Besides . Martin Luther Kings, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Benjamin Franklins autobiography is one of the best pieces of literature I have ever read. I now understand why this book is viewed with great importance. I truly believe that if every American young or old would follow In the perspective of . Franklin and his 13 virtues, that the united States of America will be the first nation to ever end poverty. Even though I feel hopelessness of my peers, I stand firmly that not every American is crippled morally. Todays youth doesnt even know what Temperance means, truly. Its almost frowned upon to be sober. Todays alcohol consumption is at an all-time high. And not being sober leads to the failure of other virtues like Moderation, Humility, and even Chastity.But being sober Isnt the only part of what being a model U. S. Is all about, its also about being in Order, having Justice and Resolution in your character, I believe neither of these are what influence our youths behavior today, at east I do not see them in the way of what Benjamin Franklin had in mind. Maybe its our human nature, or the first amendment, the reason why we do not feel the need to stay Silence. When .Franklin wrote this virtue I believe he truly meant the wisest of men know when to speak and when not to speak, this will lead to no Irrational arguments, that can lead to something more. But In order to stay quiet and suck in your pride, you must attain Tranquility. Must say I do not even possess this virtue all the time, for my patience and my ability to stay calm isnt up to par. Being Frugal is a must in our societys behavior, for our economic drought made us this way. This leads to Industry because making your time useful is another must in this economy.While In the south for my U. S. Army training to become a Bradley Fighting Vehicle system , the people of Columbus, Georgia behaved In an odd fashion to this California. They had Sincerity, or southern hospitality. I believe that this virtue is very important for the Furtherance of human happiness. Another important virtue that is encrypted in our behavior is Cleanliness. They say cleanliness Is godliness, and I really couldnt agree more. I believe that being organize, fitted, and clean truly leads to moral purity.In conclusion even though American morals are probably at an all-time low, the wisest of man see this, they overcome and adapt to the environment around them, making them the strongest and the fittest of a culture in need of true greatness. And if I can add on to . Franklins virtues, mine will be resiliency. By every American young or old would follow in the perspective of . Franklin.

Social Capital Contribution to Democratic Renewal

Social Capital Contribution to Democratic Renewal Introduction Faith and leadership in the inner city: How social capital contributes to democratic renewal by Mark R. Warren is an article under discussion. The author speaks about social capital, faith communities and the contribution to democratic renewal.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Capital Contribution to Democratic Renewal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article speaks about social capital and its participation in democratic opinion, about religious communities in the Texas Industrial Areas Foundation network, about Mexican-American catholic communities, African American Protestant congregations and about some limitations to the Industrial Areas Foundation approach. The main idea of the article is that different religious communities and organizations play important role in the political life of the USA. Much attention is paid to Industrial Areas Foundation and its role in political impac t in the society. Social Capital and Its Participation in Democratic Opinion Much research has been conducted in the sphere of the impact of religious organizations and political life in the country. The author of the article states that impact of religious organization on human consciousness is great due to the particular specifics of the religious organizations. â€Å"Social capital underpins democracy because it provides the relationships of trust and habits of cooperation for citizens to work together to solve common problems† (Warren 51). At the same time all religious organizations are based on trust and habit of cooperation, the main idea of each religious structure is to believe and to help. Therefore, the connection is inevitable. Different religious structures help poor and low-income people acquire some particular skills that adds to the social capital. Thus, the opportunity to get trained in different workshop professions is significant for many people who do not have chances to be professionally taught (Nemeth and Luidens 264). Thus, it may be concluded that the author of the article is sure that social capital, religious structures and democratic opinion of the citizens are closely interconnected by means of trust and habit of cooperation. Religious Communities in the Texas Industrial Areas Foundation Network Industrial Areas Foundation is a national network of faith-based community organizations. There are a lot of such faith communities in Texas which are aimed at engaging political action for community development. The strategy of â€Å"relational organizing† (Warren 52) is used.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main idea of this strategy is to create a discussion group which deals with the problems and necessities of the community. Thus, being offered help and assistance from Industrial Areas Foundat ion, religious communities are ready to assist the network with motivating others in being politically conscious. The authors stresses on high number of Hispanic Catholic parishes which impact the raise of Hispanic population in the state. Trying to recruit as many communities as possible the Industrial Areas Foundation searches for connections with all churches which exist in the area. As it has already been mentioned Mexican-American communities are the most numerous. The difficulty exists with African American communities which have another direction in religion opinion and different traditions. It created complications for Industrial Areas Foundation with recruiting the members of this community. Still, the work continues. For better understanding of the scope of work for the Industrial Areas Foundation the Mexican-American and African American religious communities should be considered in detail. Mexican-American Catholic Communities The teaching of this community adds greatly to the political awareness of the Industrial Areas Foundation. Mexican-American communities teach their members to deal with each other, to help and base relationships on reciprocal duties and responsibilities. While some members of the Industrial Areas Foundation tries to convince priests that political action is one of the best ways for building a strong and supportive community, other, non-partisan employees of the Industrial Areas Foundation make all possible to represent the results of the political actions an attractive issue (Warren 59). One of the main reasons why Hispanic communities are attracted with the offers of Industrial Areas Foundation and support them in intruding politically correct opinion in the society is that the Foundation is ready to assist in leadership and helping the priest leaders to organize their work inside the community. Leadership is an important facility which maybe helpful for priest and they are ready to do all possible to lead their community to the God. African American Protestant Congregations The situation with African American communities is different due to the specific background of faith which lies in the heart of their religion. The whole religion is based on the principle of freedom. This gives additional points to the democratization of the society as even though the community does not set such purposes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Capital Contribution to Democratic Renewal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It should also be stated that African American communities have rich experience in political issues as they have been the leading organizations in the political movement directed at releasing the community from slavery (Wilmore 260). The main problem of work between Industrial Areas Foundation and African American communities is that the latter are directed primarily on the racial justice while Industrial Areas Foundation wa nts to pay more attention to the community-building (Warren 63). Thus, the proclamations of the African religious communities bear another nature, different from the desired. But this assistance is also valued and appreciated as the activities of the Industrial Areas Foundation are not limited to one specific idea and the desire to be free is one of the convictions of the African American community. Some Limitations to the Industrial Areas Foundation approach Industrial Areas Foundation is one of the few organizations which has managed to organize the leaders of the community and to encourage them for proclaiming democratic speeches among their members. Nevertheless, there are a number of limitations which should be considered with the purpose to understand what should be done to reduce those limitations. Being directed at low-income and middle-class workers, Industrial Areas Foundation does not impacts the poorest layers of the population, but it is a greatest niche to work with. T he greatest part of the Hispanic population is poor (Warren 64). According to the research, poor people are less likely to attend churches, so they are not impacted by the community (Coleman 40). Furthermore, the political impact of black communities is not that broad as people may seem. Being directed at the freedom of the whole community, African-American communities are still participate in the political life of the society, but their impact on democratization renewal is too little. Conclusion Therefore, it may be concluded that e problem of democratization renewal in the society is solved mostly by means of the inclusion of the religion communities which work with low-income people and help those understand the impotence of being politically active and support democratization of the society. The activities of the Industrial Areas Foundation should be supported, and faith and cooperation which is declared by the religion communities is one of the main helper in delivering the mes sage of democratization to the whole society. Coleman, John A. â€Å"Religious social capital: Its nature, social location, and limits.† Religion as social capital: producing the common good. Ed. Corwin E. Smidt. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2003. 33-48. Print.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nemeth, Roger J. and Donald A. Luidens. â€Å"The religious basis of charitable giving in America: A social capital perspective.† Religion as social capital: producing the common good. Ed. Corwin E. Smidt. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2003. 107-120. Print. Warren, Mark R. â€Å"Faith and leadership in the inner city: How social capital contributes to democratic renewal.† Religion as social capital: producing the common good. Ed. Corwin E. Smidt. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2003. Wilmore, Gayraud S. â€Å"Survival, elevation, and liberation in black community.† Black religion and Black radicalism: an interpretation of the religious history of African Americans. Ed. Gayraud S. Wilmore. New York: Orbis Books, 1998. 253-282. Print.

Ethic Example

Ethic Example Ethic – Case Study Example Article Review Article Review Summary The article d The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices and Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Ethical Climates: An Employee Perspective was authored by Guerci et al. and the article is based on a research that was conducted in order to identify how different procedures of human resources as well as corporate stability impacts the ethical behavior of the people working within an organization (Guerci et al., 2013). The outcome of the research was that human resource procedures that help in the enhancement of employee’s ability as well as opportunities have a positive impact on the overall ethical conditions of the organization.Critical Analysis In order to conduct this study questionnaires were administered to six thousand employees who were operating in six different countries that belonged to the European region. In order to measure the variable of organizational ethical climate the variables used were egoistic benevolent and principled and the questionnaire was based on these variables. The study was causal in nature and the statistical tool used to conduct the study was partial least squares. This tool is used to identify the causal relationship between different variables and this was the purpose for which the tool was implemented. Hypothesis were created on the believes that different human resource procedures help in the enhancement of kindness and the overall ethical condition of the organization and results in the reduction of egoistic condition of the organization. Practical Application Managers of an organization can implement the findings of this study in order to alter the ethical conditions of their organization. If they aim at elevating kindness among employees and make the employees act in an ethical manner the manager should give higher priority to their employee’s ability enhancing human resource procedures such as recruitment and selection. Furthermore, human resource practice s can only be helpful in enhancing the ethical situation of the organization if enough importance is given to sustainability and therefore the managers should work closely with those professionals who are responsible for the organizations corporate social responsibility.ReferencesGuerci, M., Radaelli, G., Siletti, E., Cirella, S., & Rami Shani, A. (2013). The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices and Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Ethical Climates: An Employee Perspective. Journal Of Business Ethics, 126(2), 325-342. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1946-1

Thesis Papers in Education

Thesis Papers in Education Thesis Papers in Education Thesis Papers in EducationStudents should learn the most important lesson what the time management is. Moreover, the practical knowledge will be of some help, when you start writing a thesis paper. They need to be especially attentive while writing thesis papers in education. The process of writing includes structuring the parts of the research findings, collecting the relevant information, writing and editing drafts and formatting the research paper. The division of all these processes into the separate parts may help students write thesis papers in education in time. If you manage to get the writing process settled, then you will have enough time for research and preparation of visual aids, appendixes, and supportive documents. You may also read great articles on thesis format, thesis methodology, and thesis ideas to get a better understanding of thesis writing process.Thesis Papers in Education: Topic SuggestionsEducation papers may be written on different topics and levels. W hat makes this type of thesis unique is that students often get lost in choosing the subject for their research. Of course, there are many writing companies, which claim themselves the best in writing assignments, but first thing to remember while choosing online helper is to make sure that there are no negative feedbacks about the company. Here are several topic suggestions you may find useful:Reading and WritingMulti-Age EducationDistance Learning EducationPhysical EducationSpecial EducationThesis Papers in Education: Writing TipsOnce the topic is chosen, your next step is to narrow the topic, to single out certain questions concerning the aspect which is interesting for you: history, statistics, practical research and so on. For example, you choose the following topic Distance Learning for handicapped people. You can trace the most significant issues related to this topic: group handicapped people by their disabilities, write about various conditions for teaching, programs of edu cation, curriculum and other things. The question chosen for the research should be interesting and raise some disputes. However, if it has been researched already, it is not worth rewriting the thoughts and conclusions of others. Thesis Papers in Education: Custom ServiceIf thesis paper writing is something you have no time to do, you have an opportunity to try our writing services and get your thesis paper in education written from scratch by professional and educated writers. We do not work with ESL writers because your trust is very important for us. Our company has been in business for over 5 years and we have already helped thousands of students. You can become our client as well. It is very easy and safe to place an order at our site. Moreover, we guarantee free revisions and full refunds for missed deadlines!

Foundation Skills in Nursing Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foundation Skills in Nursing Assessment - Essay Example he nurses, since appropriate hand washing techniques are known to prevent spread of hospital-acquired infection (Lee, Huber, and Davidson, 2008, 12-17). Before beginning my care with him, I decided that I would observe the staff. As per recommendations and guidelines, one should wash hands before and after attending a patient. Therefore, before handling this patient, I went to the wash basin, took out my watch and ring, and then thoroughly rinsed my hands with water right from the elbows to the fingertips The (Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA), 2003). I had to repeatedly wash these areas with soap and water taking special care not to avoid any areas. The ward had adequate facilities in all patient areas and treatment rooms. I observed that the wash basins in these areas were special in that they had elbow lever-operated mixer taps and were provided with liquid soap dispensers, paper hand towels, and foot-operated waste basins. In some cases there were alcohol hand rubs and gels available along with that. I had observed in some cases, when workload was high and less time was available for hand wash, the staff is using alcohol rub instead of soap wash (Nevill and Ikeda, 2006, 12). The RCN guidelines for hand hygiene clearly state that the hands should be decontaminated with correct techniques by washing with a soap or using alcohol solution, and this procedure needs to be stringent before direct contact with the patient or after any activity or contact with the patient including after removal of the gloves (Royal College of Nursing, 2005). Although alcohol is widely used as a rub in the clinical setting, soap and water wash is ideal, and after the wash, the hands should be dried thoroughly. The hands of the healthcare professionals ideally should have short nails, free of polish and clean. It has been shown that wrist watches, jewellery, rings, or rings with stones carry bacteria potentially; hence they should not be worn (Royal College of Nursing, 2005 ).

Apple vs samsung Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Apple vs samsung - Essay Example The content of this report concentrates determining the main reasons behind the increasing competitiveness of both the companies and the reasons behind the recent success of Samsung in comparison to Apple in the smartphone segment. From the findings, it is determined that Samsung has significantly focused on availability, after-sales service and use of media to lure the consumers as compared to Apple. The presented findings of this report also discuss about the pertinent views of the general managers of both companies who highlight their opinions regarding the changing competitiveness in the industry and their future endeavors with the offered smartphones . It concludes with the assessment that despite possessing impeccable brand image Apple has slightly remained behind Samsung in the smartphone segment due to the lack of availability, after-sales service and a reduced focus on ensuring utmost consumer satisfaction of ease of purchase. Thus, certain recommendations including focusing of untapped consumer segment and reducing price of the smartphones have been offered to Apple. Conversely, Samsung has been recommended to increase its market share in the segment of smartphone through sustained focus on augmentation of brand awareness and product promotion. I hope this report will prove to be satisfactory. If you should have any questions concerning my project and report, please feel free to contact me â€Å"Sumaya Ali â€Å" at Samyaa0202@hotmail.com. Sincerely, Fatima Ali Attachment : My report on Smartphone Comparison Table of Contents NU SUBJECT PAGES 1 Summary of the Report 4 2 Introduction 5 3 Procedure 6 4 Overview About Apple And Samsung 6 5 SWOT Analysis 9 6 Findings 14 6.1 Questionnaire Findings 14 6.2 Interview Findings 21 7 Conclusion 24 8 Recommendations 25 9 Appendix 26 9.1 Survey Questionnaire 26 9.2 Interview Questionnaire 28 10 References 29 1- Summary of the Report The report intends to provide a comparative study of the smartphones of two of t he world’s leading manufacturer’s i.e. Apple and Samsung. From the perspective of technology and innovation, both the companies are superior in this field. However, there are a number of pertinent parameters based which Samsung can be stated to be noticeably ahead of Apple in terms of sales as well as market share. Therefore, as a part of this report a consumer feedback questionnaire has been designed and feedbacks from the smartphone users have been accumulated accordingly. In addition, a set of interview questionnaire is also designed for taking the interview of the Chairman/CEO/General Manager of Apple as well as Samsung. Based on the feedbacks obtained as a part of this report, a set of relevant recommendations has been offered to both the companies. 2- Introduction Over the past decade in the field of technology segment, Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have been two of the major players as well as rivals. Apple Inc is an American based multinational organisation (MNC), founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs (Apple, 2013). Samsung Electronics is a South Korean based MNC founded in 1938 by Lee Kun-hee (Samsung, 2013). Although Apple came into the market later but in the course of focusing on sustained technological innovation it has turned into one of the preferred and respect brands in the world, thus in turn creating an immense challenge for the competitors to match up to the offerings of Apple. In

E- Commerce application for Computer hardware Sale Essay

E- Commerce application for Computer hardware Sale - Essay Example Thomas asserts that, The main stages in the development of a good interface involves conducting a detailed requirement analysis which aids in establishing the goals to be achieved by the website, outlining the site design and architecture details and performing a task analysis, prototyping, creating, testing and launching the site. After launching the site, analysis of the feedback messages is necessary to improve the site. Dix et al (pg 84) ascertains that, the use of HCI increases the productivity and reduces costs. Saving results due to few errors, reduced user interruption, reduced support staff workload, elimination of maintenance, redesign and training costs. HCI involves the design, implementation, analysis and evaluation of computer systems in relation to the user, the work and tasks. According to Dix et al (94), for an effective HCI design and implementation, the skills of sociology, psychology, computer engineering, ergonomics, sales and marketing, graphic design and technical knowledge are necessary in order to archive a high quality and effective site. HCI design must emphasize on efficient methods of communication between the users. Usability engineering is necessary in the interface design which comprises half of the software work, done on the site. Models must be formulated to help solve solution and allow the designer visualize the situation at hand says, Cooper & Riemann (pg 231). For a successful HCI design, both the user model and the implementation model are important. Most software developers concentrate on the complex software design limiting the functionality and ergonomics of the site from the user's side. Newmann and L amming, (pg 163) asserts that, conceptual design assist the user understand the system through the development of the user model. According to Newmann and Lamming, (pg 163-231), developments in the HCI field have lead to invention and use of different site enhancement techniques. These include text to speech technology which allows the synthesis of text to speech which greatly helps the visionary impaired people access the website and the use of multi modal interfaces which allow for auditory and visual interfaces creating a conducive environment for the users. These aspects of HCI greatly boost the universality of the system, says Cooper & Riemann, (pg 301). Other barriers that HCI overcomes include; colour blindness, tunnel vision, physically disability which results in the user being unable to manipulate the input devices and storage devices, age barriers and cognitive barriers. Eric (pg, 76), asserts that the security of any website is paramount especially when payments will be made using a computers and the internet. It is necessary to design an elaborate security system that prevents loss and malicious damage or access of information. There are many internet security systems that are used for enhancing security but Stephen (pg 98) argues that The SSL system or the secure socket layer is effective software for website protection. According to Stephen (pg 106), there are two major problems that occur in any network, these problems include not connecting to the right computer and loss of information/ malicious access to information when transferring information from one computer to another in a given network. The SSL system was developed by Netscape and is used for

Article & Video Question Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article & Video Question Answers - Essay Example This solution will however not be as simple and straight forward as has been explained and challenges as reduced incentives are to be expected and counteractive measures developed. Dr. Lewis’ idea is very theoretical and appealing, however, its practicality is problematic. One of the potential problems is the lack of winning of the small market teams even after being given all the incentives necessary. Their lack of winning will bring all the plans to a dead end as there will be no returns on revenue sharing and not investments forthcoming. The league may also not buy the idea of revenue sharing as their payroll and investments are still high. They may also not want to offset the competitive imbalance in existence as this puts them way higher on the category and they may not want to change that. Having investors on the small market teams even with a few wins is not guaranteed and this whole solution is unreliable. Lewis, Michael. Individual Team Incentives and Managing Competitive Balance in Sports Leagues: An Empirical Analysis of Major League Baseball. Journal of Marketing Research, October, 2008, vol. XLV, pp.

HRM SCENARIOS ASSIGMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HRM SCENARIOS ASSIGMENT - Essay Example Since then, Tesco has come a long way and has faced many changes in its corporate strategy. There are certain features of Tesco PLC which help in its differentiation from other retail giants. First is its 'inclusive offer' which has helped Tesco to appeal to all segments of markets thereby attracting customers from all groups of incomes- upper, medium and low and hence make it a one-stop shop for a an array of commodities. Second, Tesco has propagated use of its 'own-brand products' and thereby made the best of efforts to overcome reluctance faced by customer in purchasing own-brands, as they are considered to garner more profits for a supermarket. Thirdly, one of the key features of Tesco's policy is 'Customer Focus' which is put into effect by shifting focus from 'maximization of shareholder value' to have an unambiguous focus on customer service as the top aim of the company, thereby also making higher profits. Home Market- Tesco focuses on the core UK business which involves grocery retailing in its home market. It is also looking at expanding by making a move into the convenience-store sector which is an idea otherwise shunned by supermarkets. Non-food business- In 2006, Tesco had successfully managed to become the largest non-food retailer in the UK. ... Retailing services- Going one step further, Tesco is also into services like personal finance, telecoms, and other utilities. It has managed to fight competition in these fields by entering into joint ventures with the big players thereby increasing its customer base and brand strength. International - In 1994, Tesco started to expand internationally and by February 2006 nearly a quarter of its sales were a result of its international operations. Its major developing markets are present in Central Europe, Far East and the United States. Future Scenario-1 The centre point of this future scenario is based on the assumption that Asda, the second biggest retail store in U.K. and a subsidiary of Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retail store, takes over Tesco. At present Tesco is the lading retail store in U.K. with a market share of about 30.6%, more than double as that of its closest competitor Asda. Supermarket Market Share (%) Tesco 30.6 Asda 16.6 Sainsbury's 16.3 Morrison's 11.1 Somerfield 5.4 Waitrose 3.7 Iceland 1.8 Source: TNS (2006) If Tesco looses out its market share to Asda ,owing to critical policy changes by Asda then in the face of such competition, Tesco would have to critically examine its priorities and hold on to its customer base. According to extrapolation of the current scenario, the probability of such a case to take place is very less. However, if Wal-mart focuses more on the functioning of Asda giving out its necessary skills and experience, this could happen in a matter of 5-7 years. HRM implications This would mean critical changes in the HR management of Tesco. It would have to undertake various measures in order to fight the

Personal, Professional, and Ethical Belief System Essay Example for Free

Personal, Professional, and Ethical Belief System Essay In the human services field, personal ethical belief systems combined with professional ethics work in partnership to guide human service professionals in unraveling ethical dilemmas. An increasing number of professionals and clients seek out to define the fundamental policies of the human services field. Humans develop an integration of values, standards, and beliefs from birth throughout life. The values, standards, and beliefs developed through life assist in characterizing personal ethical belief systems. Our personal ethical belief system unites with our professional ethics to shape the ethical decision-making process. A code of ethics is essential to organizations in the human services field. A code of ethics identifies adequate behavior, endorses high standards of practice, supplies a standard to use for self assessment, and establishes a structure for professional behaviors and responsibilities. Human service professionals promote the integrity and ethics of the profession. As a result, it is crucial for a human service professional to stay educated and knowledgeable of the theoretical basis of their ethical belief system, other theoretical ethics, ethical and legal issues, and the ethical principles of their organization. Every person possesses a core system of values. My personal ethical belief system is derived from my core system of values, the people who helped shape those values, and the decision-making factors I use today to improve them as necessary. My parents, educators, Sunday schoolteachers, preachers, administrators, God, leaders, and many others in the community help shape my values and provide the basis for my ethical belief system. I articulate values in my associations with other people when I am loyal, reliable, honest, generous, trusting, trustworthy, feel a sense of accountability for my family, friends, coworkers, community, country, and the organization where I volunteer. My parents taught me to be a Christian person and to do what is morally right in the eyes of God. I met troubled times throughout my life, but I believe because of my strong morally sound background I could take those experiences and learn from them. My parents remain amazing role models in my life. I attend church and praise God every week as a reminder of why I keep my moral values and belief system close and dear to me. I choose to continue my education on many aspects in my life to assist in governing decision-making factors. As a proud citizen of America, I realize the discrepancy relating to laws and ethics. A law is a decree or government rule prepared to punish those whom disobey. Laws are consistent, universal, published, accepted, and enforced. Ethics is a sense of what is right and wrong morally. However, there is a difference between ethics and morality. According to Anstead, S. M. (1999), â€Å"Morality refers both to the standards of behavior by which individuals are judged, and to the standards of behavior by which people in general are judged in their relationships with others. Ethics, on the other hand, encompasses the system of beliefs that supports a particular view of morality. † The law often integrates ethical standards to which society subscribes. Most ethical decisions come with extensive penalties, numerous alternatives, varied results, unsure and personal consequences. My belief system is derived from my confidence that there is more to reality than what we see. I have faith in a spiritual side of reality beyond what we can see or experience. The basis of my ethical belief system comes from my values and those whom attributed to those values including my life as a believer in God and as a Christian. My metaphysiological view of theism supports my views of ethical absolutism. I found this quote interesting and supportive of my ethical belief system. According to Worldview Dictionary (2011), â€Å"Ethical absolutism is the belief that right and wrong are unchanging, not determined by the individual or the culture; revealed by God through both general and specific revelation. † Ethical absolutism follows one universal moral standard. God is infinite, everlasting, and never-changing. God set the laws of the land therefore I must abide by what is determined by God as right and wrong. God has revealed this truth through his creation and revelation. God is absolute. God created all people as equals. As a believer in God, I serve him through service to others and my community. I take on responsibilities of helping others in my community, volunteering, and donating goods. At all times I abide by these principles: worship only God, respect people, be humble, be honest, live a moral life, be generous with time, practice my views, do not criticize, judge, or condemn, do not hold a grudge, and forgive others. I believe it is right to resist temptation while knowing that evil lurks around. I believe one-day God will return and seek judgment for his people. To live morally and ethically divine is obligatory to have eternal life. As a person and professional, I understand and acknowledge that not all human beings embrace the same views as me and I respect the views of others. In the human service profession, my personal ethical belief system helps guide the work I do as a volunteer at Wise Choices Pregnancy Resource Center (WCPRC). At WCPRC the mission is to help women make life affirming choices. The services offered are free pregnancy testing, free limited sonograms, adoption referrals, abortion education, abortion recovery programs, and earn while you learn program for baby needs. I chose this organization specifically because it supports my beliefs on pro-life. Pro-life supports my beliefs as a Christian. I advocate providing women with education and alternatives to abortion. According to Wise Choices Pregnancy Resource Center (2012), â€Å"Through the years, Wise Choices, has been able to provide various kinds of help and â€Å"counseling† to the women of Wise County and the surrounding areas. We not only help the client, but family or friends of the client, in regards to the situation the client is facing. We believe we can make a difference in the lives of women, one at a time! As a Christian woman, I think that it is important to help clients who are abortion minded or abortion vulnerable see the opportunities they have to save the life they have created. As an advocate, I ask the client if she would like the opportunity to hear the gospel. If she accepts I can share the love God has for his children including the client and her unborn child. I also have the remarkable chance to ask the client if she wants to accept Jesus as her savior from sins. I explain to my clients willing to accept and hear the gospel that they may ask God to forgive them for their sins. It is also an occasion to talk to my clients about abstinence until marriage. Each of the values listed above guides me to be an advocate for the unborn child who is defenseless in his or her right to life. Often I am met with challenges, such as a woman who is pregnant from rape or incest. It is often hard to explain to a woman with traumatic experiences that it is still important to give birth to their child even in extenuating circumstances. Some of the hardest cases come from a woman who is abortion minded or vulnerable and has no interest in hearing the gospel. I go home and pray for the client, her family, and the unborn child. As a member of the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS), the Code of Ethics is an important guidance tool in ethical dilemmas. The Code of Ethics is a set standard of conduct for human service professionals to consider in the ethical decision-making process. According to the National Organization for Human Services (2009), â€Å"Human service professionals respect the integrity and welfare of the client at all times. Each client is treated with respect, acceptance and dignity. Statement two is an ethical principle not difficult to adhere. As a human service professional the integrity and welfare of the client is my duty to advocate. I make a commitment to my client when I become his or her advocate, and that commitment involves seeking the best outcome for the welfare of my client. As a Christian I see all people as equal, and I treat others with respect and dignity at all times. It is important to remem ber that it could be me in the same situation. The NOHS Code of Ethics lists ethical principles that will not be hard to adhere. However, I found a one that might prove to be slightly difficult. According to the National Organization for Human Services (2009), â€Å"Human service educators uphold the principle of liberal education and embrace the essence of academic freedom, abstaining from inflicting their own personal views/morals on students, and allowing students the freedom to express their views without penalty, censure or ridicule, and to engage in critical thinking. † The portion of this statement that might be difficult adhering to is inflicting my own personal values if I were a human service educator. I know that I could refrain from inflicting my own personal values, but I find it would be hard. As a Christian, I think it is important to share the gospel and what it means to me. For example in an ethics class students reflect upon their ethical belief systems and where they originated from. I think if I were the educator it would be hard to refrain myself from speaking my own worldviews and morals to other students. However, as a professional it is important to follow the ethical standards set for the organization in which I am an employee, and the NOHS Code of Ethics. A Code of Ethics is guiding principles that apply to different aspects of life. Ethical standards pertain too many of the following general topics: the use of psychological tests in the courtroom, the lie detector, boundaries of competence, integrity, sexual harassment, human differences, and the legal definition of insanity. * The Use of Psychological Tests in the Courtroom- The use of psychological tests in the courtroom to support the testimony of experts ranges from commendable to problematic. There is a necessity for a reasonable practice of disclosure of psychological test information during trials and courtroom procedures, afterwards the material may be sealed. Psychological tests in the courtroom should adhere to ethical standards by telling the truth and not telling truth intentionally inaccurate. In Statement 28 of the NOHS Code of Ethics, human service professional’s responsibility to the profession is to act with integrity and honesty. My ethical belief system incorporates honesty and integrity at all times. The Lie Detector – After researching ethical standards of the lie detector, I found a Code of Ethics from the American Polygraph Association. The ethical standards stated included: rights of examinees, standards for rendering polygraph decisions, post-examination notification results, restrictions on rendering opinions, restrictions on examinations, fees, standards of reporting, advertisements, release of nonrelevant information, restrictions on examination issues, and APA oversight authority. Lie detectors establish the difference between a lie and the truth; if a person has nothing to hide a lie detector should be no problem. Lie detector use brought justice to families over the years, and continues to do so with respect to the rights of all persons who take the lie detector test. As part of my personal ethics it is essential in the justice system. In Statement 35 of the NOHS Code of Ethics, accountability is maintained by the human service professional. * Boundaries of Competence – Human service professionals are only to conduct research, teach, and provide services only within their boundaries of competence, based on personal experience, education, supervised experience, and study. Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure competence in areas emerging and training does not yet exist. My personal ethics system is important to practice my views. This relates to boundaries of competence I would not practice something I did not believe to be true. In Statement 40 of the NOHS Code of Ethics human service educators demonstrate high standards of scholarships and stay current with developments in human services. * Integrity – Accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness is a role all human service professionals abide by. Integrity is something I incorporate in my personal ethical beliefs and value system. Ethically it is wrong to steal, cheat, lie, fraud, or misrepresent a client or a friend. According to American Psychological Association (2012), â€Å"In situations in which deception may be ethically justifiable to maximize benefits and minimize harm, psychologists have a serious obligation to consider the need for, the possible consequences of, and their responsibility to correct any resulting mistrust or other harmful effects that arise from the use of such techniques. My belief in God’s written words of the Bible helps shape my ethical view on integrity. Statement five of NOHS Code of Ethics protects the integrity of client records. * Sexual Harassment – Sexual harassment is solicitation, verbal or nonverbal sexual behavior, and sexual advances. All people have a right to earn a living free from persistent and pervasive acts of sexual harassment. It is not right to threaten an employee’s self-worth, esteem, and possible advancement in the workplace. As a professional, conduct should compare to higher standards of integrity and safety in the workplace. Statement 24 of NOHS Code of Ethics states that human service professionals should report unethical behavior of colleagues. My personal ethical beliefs in this situation relate back to my Christianity and the laws of the land that an act of sexual harassment is not acting appropriately in the eyes of God. * Human Differences – Human service professionals create public trust through ethical and moral acts. Human diversity is one of those acts. It is imperative to be culturally sensitive to all individuals at all times. I promise to serve all people with the intent to protect their welfare without judgment of any kind. In my ethical beliefs God is the judge, and he will return to do that one day. Statement two of the Code of Ethics for NOHS says human service professionals treat clients with respect and respect their welfare, and Statement 20 refers to diverse backgrounds. * The Legal Definition of Insanity – In my ethical belief system a person who commits an act out of insanity is still responsible for what he or she has done. It is one’s duty to do what is morally right. Questions of right and wrong are paramount, and therefore as I believe absolute. Statement 37 of the NOHS Code of Ethics addresses the need for lifelong learning, and I relate that to this case as a responsibility the human service professional has to its client, as the person who commits a crime out of insanity has a responsibility to pay the consequences. As a member of Team C throughout this course relating to ethics and law in the human services profession we did a team presentation on deontology theory, as presented earlier in the paper. According to Alexander and Moore (2008), â€Å"The word deontology derives from the Greek words for duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos). This normative theory concentrates on what she should do from a moral standpoint. Deontology is a theory that helps to guide and access our choices in what we ought to do. † Deontology theory assumes at least three important features. The first feature concludes that duty should be done for duty’s sake. An example, acts of promise breaking, lying, or murder are wrong intrinsically, and it is the duty of humans not to do these things. Second, humans ought to be treated as subjects of intrinsic moral value; meaning an ends in themselves and never as a mere means to another end. The third feature is a moral principle is a definite essential that is universalizable; meaning it must be applicable for everyone whom is in the same moral situation. The theoretical basis of my personal ethical belief system falls under the deontology theory. Deontological theory claims the moral rightness or wrongness of an action does not depend upon the nature of its consequences, but on its intrinsic qualities. Deontology theory was founded by Immanuel Kant. Kant was motivated by the lack of a role for duty in Utilitarianism, something he believed to be the foundation of all morality. Deontology supports moral absolutism. Actions are either moral or immoral regardless of the beliefs of an individual, society, or culture. Morals of the universe are intrinsic in the laws of the universe and the nature of humanity. Therefore, the theoretical basis of my personal belief system as a Christian is supported by deontology theory. My belief in God supports ethical absolutism, deontology, and my personal ethical belief system.

Attendance System Using Fingerprint

Attendance System Using Fingerprint The project entitled ATTENDANCE SYSTEM USING FINGERPRINT is to provide an authentified attendance system for Roots Industries Limited. This software provides various information, which is useful for user as well as administrator. This software can be used as a whole in organization, or can partly used as separate modules, whenever needed. The project deals with capturing the thumb impression of the employee through the thumb scanner and authenticates with the already registered impression. Attendance will be marked for the matched employee. With the in-time and out-time, the total hours worked by the employee in a day and days worked for the month is calculated. The salary is calculated from loss of pay, basic pay, allowances, and deductions. One of the main advantages of this software is its user friendliness and validation can be done for each and every employee entered. New entries can be registered very easily and if not needed then it can be deleted from the software. The environments being used are VB.NET as front end and SQL Server as back end. This project is developed in the Operating System, Microsoft Windows XP. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter contains the problem definition, about the system environment and the organization profile which gives details about the company. PROBLEM DEFINITION OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE The main objective of this project is to do the following operations Thumb impression Comparisons Attendance Calculation Payroll Calculation The scope of the project is to capture and verify the thumb impression of the employee. And also provide effective means to calculate attendance and payroll for the employee by using thumb impression. This project would greatly help in simplifying the manual attendance calculation and payroll calculation. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION This project makes use of fingerprint to authenticate the employee. This project makes use of the physical hardware device, the thumb scanner to capture the thumb impression of the employee. The Administrator registers the details of new workers. He also registers the unique thumb code of the employee generated by the Thumb scanner. This thumb code is generally an alphanumeric code and it is stored in the database. The employee uses the thumb scanner when he enters and leaves the work place for attendance marking. The generated code is matched with the stored thumb code in the database. The attendance is marked for the corresponding employee where thumb code matches with the generated ones. If there is no match with the thumb code then the administrator will take in charge to check whether the person is a new employee or not. The time duration between intime and outtime is calculated and it is stored as hours worked by the employee. Each time when the outtime is marked the duration is calculated and hours worked (field) is updated. The employee may take leave. The leave taken by the employee is calculated as loss of pay for him. It will be used to calculate net pay for the employee in the payroll calculation. During salary calculation the monthly attendance of the employee, loss of pay, the allowance such as HRA, DA and deductions such as PF, LIC are considered. 1.2 SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT HARDWARE REQUIREMENT Processor : Intel Pentium 4 Scanner : Thumb scanner Hard disk : 40 GB RAM : 224 MB CD-Drive : 48x with R/RW Floppy disk : 1.44 MB Display type : SVGA color monitor Keyboard : Standard 104 Keys Mouse : Logitech. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT Platform : Windows XP Front End : VB.NET Back End : SQL Server 1.3 ORGANIZATION PROFILE Park Solutions is emerging as one of the leaders in the field of software development by delivering comprehensive financial business solutions software and services. With state of the art facilities our software development centre caters to many diversified software requirements. Here challenging projects are undertaken by bright and enthusiastic teams using high-end software solutions and cutting edge technologies. MISSION Will to win in the competitive world by exceeding expectations. Achieving the hallmark of success, a platform to attract customers. Treating every goal/target as a challenge. Creating value at every angle/turn in each of the business units. Motivation through team work. VISION Innovation: Striving to be the best through being the first in all services and solutions. Quality Service: Always setting a target to exceed expectations. Diversity: Stamping the quality mark on a diversified community. Global View: Focus on the world market for constant improvement. Customer Satisfaction: Setting a chain reaction of satisfaction in each customer and creating reliability. FOCUS Serving the community for an improved and better life through its multi commitments in health care and other services. Providing means to the society for quality-oriented services. Opening new opportunities in the diversified business units. Keeping ahead with competitors in the market with services exceeding expectations. Conscientious contribution to the society through free health care services. CHAPTER II ANALYSIS This chapter contains the detailed description about the existing system and its disadvantages, the need for the proposed system and its advantages. The requirements specification is followed by the system analysis model. The system analysis model gives a clear representation of both the Entity Relationship diagram and the Data Flow diagram. 2.1 THE EXISTING SYSTEM The system currently used in the organization is manual work. The main drawbacks of the existing system is, It is time consuming process. There is a possibility for loss of records. Tedious paper work. Manual calculations may be wrong. 2.2 THE PROPOSED SYSTEM The proposed system will overcome all the difficulties of the existing system. The advantages of the proposed system is, The proposed system will provide best security than the existing system. Less time consuming. No records will be lost. Easy to maintain. The proposed system is easy to access and user friendly. No chance for duplication of thumb impression of employee. 2.3 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS EMPLOYEE DETAIL MANAGEMENT The administrator registers the details of new workers. He also registers the unique thumb code of the employee. The thumb code is generally an alphanumeric code. FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION The employee uses thumb scanner when he enters and leaves the work place The thumb scanner will generate the thumb code for the received impression. The generated code is matched with the stored thumb code in the database. If there is no match for the generated code an error message will be displayed. ATTENDANCE CALCULATION The attendance is marked for the matched impressions. The time duration between intime and outtime is calculated The time duration is stored as hours worked by the employee. Each time when the outtime is marked the duration is calculated and hours worked (field) is updated. PAYROLL CALCULATION The leave taken by the employee is calculated as loss of pay. The loss of pay will be used to calculate net pay for the employee. Salary calculation includes monthly attendance, loss of pay, the allowance such as HRA, DA and deductions such as PF, LIC. NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS Non functional are properties and qualities the software system must possess providing its intended functional requirements. Operational Requirements: These requirements specify the environment in which the software will be running, including, hardware platforms, external interfaces and operating systems. This project is done using VB.NET and SQL Server in XP environment. Performance Requirements: These requirements specify possibly lower and upper bounds on speed, calculation of time and storage characteristics of the software. The attendance and payroll calculation time is minimized. Maintainability Requirements: These requirements specify the expected response time for dealing with various maintenance activities. The maintenance of the fingerprint attendance system is good. Security Requirements: These requirements specify the levels and types of security mechanisms that need to be specified during the operations of the system. The attendance system is highly securable as we use thumb impression. 2.4 SYSTEM ANALYSIS MODEL 2.4.1 PROCESS MODEL LEVEL 0: CONTEXT FLOW DIAGRAM Fig 2.1 Context Flow Diagram This Fig 2.1 represents the Context Flow Diagram of the Attendance System using Fingerprint. The thumb impression of the employee is taken as input and the days worked by the employee are generated as output. LEVEL 1: DATA FLOW DIAGRAM Fig 2.2 Level 1 Data Flow Diagram This Fig 2.2 represents the Level 1 Data Flow Diagram of the Attendance System using Fingerprint this diagram explains how the attendance is calculated. The thumb code of the employee is taken as input and in-time or out-time of the employee is marked based on the entry or exit of the employee. From this, the days worked by the employee is calculated as output. LEVEL 2: DATA FLOW DIAGRAM Fig 2.3 Level 2 Data Flow Diagram This Fig 2.3 represents the Level 2 Data Flow Diagram of the Attendance System using Fingerprint. This diagram explains how the salary is calculated from the number of days worked and loss of pay. From the days worked the salary of the employee is calculated based on the basic pay, allowances and deductions. 2.4.2 DATA MODEL ENTITY RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM Fig 2.4 Entity Relationship Diagram This fig 2.4 represents the Entity Relationship Diagram for Attendance System using Fingerprint. 2.4.3 USE CASE DIAGRAM Fig 2.5 Use Case Diagram This Fig 2.5 represents the Use Case Diagram for the Attendance System using Fingerprint. 2.4.4 ACTIVITY DIAGRAM Fig 2.6 Activity Diagram This Fig 2.6 represents the Activity Diagram of the Attendance System using Fingerprint. 2.5 TEST PLAN Test case no: 1 Description: Validating the administrator by providing Login Id and Password. Expected result: If incorrect Login Id or password was given an error message LOGIN INCORRECT will be displayed. Test case no: 2 Description: Validating the administrator by providing Login Id and Password. Expected result: If correct Login Id and password was given LOGIN CORRECT message will be displayed and control is transferred to Administrator form. Test case no: 3 Description: Capturing thumb impression of the employee. Expected result: If there is no matching record for the current thumb impression then No such employee message will be displayed. Test case no: 4 Description: Capturing thumb impression of the employee. Expected result: If there is matching record for the current thumb impression then attendance is marked for that employee. Test case no: 5 Description: Registering the new employee details. Expected result: Registered message will be displayed. CHAPTER III SYSTEM DESIGN This chapter includes various designs of the systems namely architectural design, database design, user interface design, module design and procedural design. 3.1 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Attendance System Using Fingerprint Employee Detail Management Fingerprint Recognition Attendance Calculation Payroll Calculation Fig 3.1 Architectural Design This fig 3.1 represents the Architectural design of Attendance system using Fingerprint. This system is divided into four modules. They are Employee detail management Fingerprint Recognition Attendance calculation Payroll calculation EMPLOYEE DETAIL MANAGEMENT The administrator registers the details of new workers. He also registers the unique thumb code of the employee. The thumb code is generally an alphanumeric code. FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION The employee uses thumb scanner when he enters and leaves the work place The thumb scanner will generate the thumb code for the received impression. The generated code is matched with the stored thumb code in the database. If there is no match for the generated code an error message will be displayed. ATTENDANCE CALCULATION The attendance is marked for the matched impressions. The time duration between in-time and out-time is calculated The time duration is stored as hours worked by the employee. Each time when the out-time is marked the duration is calculated and hours worked (field) is updated. PAYROLL CALCULATION The loss of pay will be used to calculate net pay for the employee. Salary calculation includes monthly attendance, loss of pay, the allowance such as HRA, DA and deductions such as PF, LIC. 3.2 DATABASE DESIGN TABLE NAME : EMPLOYEE Table 3.1 Field Name Data Type Constraint Description E_Id Int(4) Primarykey Id of the employee E_Name Varchar(20) Notnull Name of the employee Dob Datetime(8) Notnull Date of Birth Sex Varchar(6) Notnull Male/Female t_code Varchar(500) ForeignKey Thumb code of the emp Address Varchar(25) Notnull the employee address Phno Int(4) Null Contact Number dateofjoin Datetime(8) Not null Date Of Join Mobileno Int(4) Null Contact mobile number Dept_name Varchar(25) Not null Name of the department. This Employee table includes the employee details of Attendance System Using Fingerprint. TABLE NAME: THUMBSCANNER Table 3.2 Field Name Data Type Constraint Description T_code Varchar(25) Primarykey Thumb code of the employee E_id Int(4) ForeignKey Id of the employee This thumb scanner table includes the thumb code and employee id of Attendance System Using Fingerprint. TABLE NAME: ATTENDANCE Table 3.3 Field Name Data Type Constraint Description t_code Varchar(25) Foreignkey Thumb code of the employee Intime Datetime(8) Null User entry time Outtime Datetime(8) Null User outtime Hrsworked Int(4) null Difference between in and out time Totaldays Int(4) Notnull Days worked in a month This attendance table includes the Hours worked field that is determined from the difference between the times. From the Hours worked field total days is calculated. TABLE NAME: LEAVE Table 3.4 Field Name Data Type Constraint Description E_Id Int(4) Foreign key Id of the employee Medicalleave Int(4) null Remaining medical leave Casualleave Int(4) null Remaining casual leave Leavetaken Int(4) null Leaves taken in the month. This leave table includes the leave taken by the employee for the month. TABLE NAME: SALARY Table 3.5 Field Name Data Type Constraint Description E_Id Int(4) Foreignkey Id of the empoloyee Basicpay Float(8) notnull Basic pay of the employee Pf Float(8) notnull pf% for the employee LIC Float(8) notnull LIC% for the employee Netpay Float(8) notnull Salary for the employee Lossofpay Int(4) null Loss of pay for the employee Grosspay Float(8) Notnull Grosspay of the employee. Hra Float(8) Notnull Hra% for the employee. da Float(8) Notnull da% for the employee. 3.3 USER INTERFACE DESIGN MAIN FORM Screen 3.1 This Screen 3.1 is the main form of Attendance System using Fingerprint. MAIN FORM SHOWING MENU OPTIONS Screen 3.2 This Screen 3.2 is the main form of Attendance System using Fingerprint. In the main menu when employee is selected user and admin options will be shown. ADMINISTRATOR LOGIN FORM Screen 3.3 This Screen 3.3 represents the administrator login. Here the password and login should given by the administrator. ADMIN FORM Screen 3.4 This Screen 3.4 represents the administrator form. This form will be shown only when the password and login in the admin form is correct. ADMIN FORM SHOWING SUBMENUS Screen 3.5 This Screen 3.5 represents the administrator form. This form represents the choices in the main menu. REGISTRATION FORM Screen 3.6 This Screen 3.6 represents the registration form. Administrator gets the details from the new employee and stores it in the database. ADMIN FORM SHOWING MENU OPTIONS Screen 3.7 This Screen 3.7 represents the administrator form. This form represents the subdivision in the main menu. VIEW FORM Screen 3.8 This Screen 3.8 represents the view form. 0Administrator will select the id from the combo box if he needed to know the details of the employee. MAIN FORM SHOWING VIEW OPTIONS Screen 3.9 This Screen 3.9 represents the main form of the attendance system using fingerprint. LEAVE FORM Screen 3.10 This Screen 3.10 represents the leave form. Here the employees have to select the date of leave. SALARY FORM Screen 3.11 This Screen 3.11 represents the salary form. The salary of the employee will be displayed with his name. MAIN FORM SHOWING MENU OPTIONS Screen 3.12 This Screen 3.12 is the main form of Attendance System using Fingerprint. In the main menu when employee is selected user and admin options will be shown. ATTENDANCE FORM Screen 3.13 This Screen 3.13 is the Attendance form of Attendance System using Fingerprint. This form displays the details of the employee when the current thumb impression matched with the impression stored in the database. 3.4 PROCEDURAL DESIGN EMPLOYEE DETAIL MANAGEMENT Start Administrator gets new employee details Stores into database Stop Fig 3.2 This fig 3.2 represents the procedural design of employee detail management module of Attendance system using fingerprint. FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION Stop Fig 3.3 This fig 3.3 represents the procedural design of fingerprint recognition module of Attendance system using fingerprint. ATTENDANCE CALCULATION Start Recognize the employee Marks in-time and out-time Hours worked per day is calculated Days worked is calculated Stop Fig 3.4 This fig 3.4 represents the procedural design of attendance calculation module of Attendance system using fingerprint. PAYROLL CALCULATION Start Basic pay, hra, da, lic, pf are retrieved from database Loss of pay is calculated for leave taken by the employee Net pay is calculated from allowances, deductions and loss of pay Stop Fig 3.5 This fig 3.5 represents the procedural design of payroll calculation module of Attendance system using fingerprint. CHAPTER IV TESTING AND IMPLEMENTATION 4.1 TEST REPORTS Test case no Description Iteration No Expected result Actual Result Reasons for Failure 1 Validating the administrator by providing Login Id and Password. 1 Login correct Incorrect login Login Id and Password are incorrect. 1 Validating the administrator by providing Login Id and Password. 2 Login correct Correct login 2 Capturing thumb impression of the employee 1 Submitted Submitted 3 Registering the new employee details 1 Registered Registered 4 Invalid person places the thumb impression 1 No matching record No matching record 4.2 SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION STEP 1: Start the process. STEP 2: Employee places the thumb on the thumb scanner. STEP 3: The scanner generates thumb code corresponding to the thumb impression. STEP 4: This code is matched with the already stored code in the database. STEP 5: If there is a match, the employee ID and employee name is retrieved from the employee table and present time is marked as intime or outtime correspondingly to the entry or exit of the employee. STEP 6: If no match occurs then No Record for the Employee message will be displayed. STEP 7: The difference between intime and outtime is marked as hours worked and each time when the employee goes out the hours worked field is updated in the database. STEP 8: According to the total no of hours worked by the employee ,attendance is marked (as half day or full day). STEP 9: The total number of days worked in the month is calculated. STEP 10: Accordingly no of leave taken by the employee is noted. STEP 11: If the casual leave and medical leave taken by him is more than the allotted leave then it is considered to be the loss of pay. STEP 12: The allowances such as HRA, DA are added and the deductions such as PF, LIC, loss of pay are deduced from the basic pay and thus the net pay is calculated. STEP 13: To include a new employee the administrator has to be logged in using the login-id and password. STEP 14: He registers the employee details such as employee-id, employee-name, date-of-birth, date-of-join, mobile-no, sex and address. STEP 15: Stop the execution. CHAPTER V CONCLUSION The use of computerized approach in employee recognition reduces lot of time and provides more security and accuracy. The system is very flexible and user friendly. Further enhancements can me made with less effort. Modification can be made to the system with out much difficulty. The system is easy to access, understand and recognition of thumb impression enables the administration to do the attendance calculation work with less effort. There is a scope for enhancement of the project in terms of advanced technologies and uploading facilities. FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS The adopting of Object Oriented Design (OOD) methodology in handling the software development makes it easy to accommodate changes, maintain, enhancements in future and upgradeability. The use of Database methods in this project enhances easy maintainability. As these mechanisms are reused, the development of newer modules and upgrading of the software to newer technology is effortless and straight forward.

The Impact of the Media on Body Image :: Media

Introduction In the recent decades, with the improvement of the living standard, people have been paying more attention to their own physical appearance. For example, when a person faces to a mirror, he or she will think about if his or her height, weight, body shape even the hair style are beautiful in nowadays’ society. Another example is many grandparents think their obese grandchildren are healthy, but a large number of adolescents themselves think as thin as fashion models are healthy. Obviously, different people have different body image in mind. In my view, the different culture backgrounds, genders, age groups or living environments all can cause different body images. This article will talk about how does the media impact people’s body image and some previous studies in body image will be shown. Literature review Media has become the main way for people to get information no matter is the ancient story or the latest news. However, the negative impact also comes out. For example, according to a meta-analysis of 25studies from 1979-2001 shows that people’s body images felt more positive after seeing a fat media image than viewing a thin media image(Groesz,L.,&Murnen,2007). Thus, the researcher sum up that the slender image can let people feel satisfaction. As a result, mare and more social or psychological researcher want to study that how the media influences people’s thinking and use the satisfaction to describe the measure of body image. Previous study one( body image study in adolescents) The researcher Hill, G.J. who is the assistant professor of Texas Christian University had a study focus on two main objects. First, to determine media images influence the body image among the collage students. Second, to find if the media effect collage students’ body satisfaction(Hill,G.J.,2009). According to him, the abilitiesof people realise body satisfaction and health behavior,are influenced by mass media images is very important for family and consumer sciences professionals to understand. In this study, there are 184 students who comes from a private university were attended this survey. The average age of student is 21. Both of the male (42%) and female (58%) students were given two sections which were the powerpoint presentation about the weighu management was developed and the questionnaires after the presentation. Firstly, these 184 students were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The presentation gave the introduction about achievinh h ealth weight, improving eating habits even the food guide pyramid.

ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Essay -- Explorat

ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder When I first heard about ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), I thought, â€Å"C’mon. This psycho-babble has gone too far.† I saw psychologists, researchers, lawyers, teachers, parents, all talking seriously about this claimed disorder. But what I didn’t think about was where this information was coming from. Many talk shows have featured ADHD, where self-righteous citizens cheer, boo, and hiss like a jury at some medieval witch trial. A writer for the reputable publication New York magazine wrote: â€Å"[ADHD] is certainly a fitting disorder for the Nintendo and MTV generations—children who seem more at home playing computer games than having a quiet dinner conversation with their parents,† which sounds like it was written by a disgruntled â€Å"parent† rather than an unbiased reporter (Blau 45). And an article in Time ran quotes from erudite psychologists like Robert Reid, who said that ADHD is just an ego-preserving excuse, merely â€Å"a label of forgiveness† (Wallis 42). Newspapers ran these argumentative headlines: â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Deficit Diagnoses† and â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder† (Perkins A1, Vatz 82). And before I began learning about ADHD, I too was a media-driven skeptic. But, as with most things, knowledge begets understanding. Recent media coverage might lead one to believe that ADHD is something new, a nineties thing, some vogue malady that somehow explains our disaffected modern youth. Yet the hyperactive child has always been around. He was class clown, the kid in the back row who never shut up. He was the kid whom the teacher constantly sent out of the room or to the office. In the past, these were the children... ..., Inattentive, Impulsive, Obstinate. . . . New York: Villard, 1990. â€Å"Josh.† Personal Interview. 13 March 1995. Levine, Melvin D. â€Å"Attention Deficits: The Diverse Effects of Weak Control Systems in Childhood.† Pediatric Annals 16.2: 117-30. Perkins, Kathryn. â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Disorder Diagnosis.† Sacramento Bee 5 Dec. 1994: A1. Safer, Daniel J., and John M. Krager. â€Å"Effect of a Media Blitz and a Threatened Lawsuit on Stimulant Treatment (lawsuits and Ritalin prescription).† Journal of the American Medical Association 268 (1992): 1004. â€Å"Shaun.† Personal Interview. 9 March 1995. Vatz, Richard E., and Lee S. Weinberg. â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder.† USA Today Jan. 1995: 84. Wallis, Claudia. â€Å"Life in Overdrive.† Time 18 July 1994: 42. Weiss, Lynn. Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults. Dallas: Taylor, 1992. ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Essay -- Explorat ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder When I first heard about ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), I thought, â€Å"C’mon. This psycho-babble has gone too far.† I saw psychologists, researchers, lawyers, teachers, parents, all talking seriously about this claimed disorder. But what I didn’t think about was where this information was coming from. Many talk shows have featured ADHD, where self-righteous citizens cheer, boo, and hiss like a jury at some medieval witch trial. A writer for the reputable publication New York magazine wrote: â€Å"[ADHD] is certainly a fitting disorder for the Nintendo and MTV generations—children who seem more at home playing computer games than having a quiet dinner conversation with their parents,† which sounds like it was written by a disgruntled â€Å"parent† rather than an unbiased reporter (Blau 45). And an article in Time ran quotes from erudite psychologists like Robert Reid, who said that ADHD is just an ego-preserving excuse, merely â€Å"a label of forgiveness† (Wallis 42). Newspapers ran these argumentative headlines: â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Deficit Diagnoses† and â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder† (Perkins A1, Vatz 82). And before I began learning about ADHD, I too was a media-driven skeptic. But, as with most things, knowledge begets understanding. Recent media coverage might lead one to believe that ADHD is something new, a nineties thing, some vogue malady that somehow explains our disaffected modern youth. Yet the hyperactive child has always been around. He was class clown, the kid in the back row who never shut up. He was the kid whom the teacher constantly sent out of the room or to the office. In the past, these were the children... ..., Inattentive, Impulsive, Obstinate. . . . New York: Villard, 1990. â€Å"Josh.† Personal Interview. 13 March 1995. Levine, Melvin D. â€Å"Attention Deficits: The Diverse Effects of Weak Control Systems in Childhood.† Pediatric Annals 16.2: 117-30. Perkins, Kathryn. â€Å"Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Disorder Diagnosis.† Sacramento Bee 5 Dec. 1994: A1. Safer, Daniel J., and John M. Krager. â€Å"Effect of a Media Blitz and a Threatened Lawsuit on Stimulant Treatment (lawsuits and Ritalin prescription).† Journal of the American Medical Association 268 (1992): 1004. â€Å"Shaun.† Personal Interview. 9 March 1995. Vatz, Richard E., and Lee S. Weinberg. â€Å"Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder.† USA Today Jan. 1995: 84. Wallis, Claudia. â€Å"Life in Overdrive.† Time 18 July 1994: 42. Weiss, Lynn. Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults. Dallas: Taylor, 1992.

Management of a Business †New Belgium Brewery Essay

Operations Management, Employee Ownership, and Leadership Provided by Management I would describe the operations management at New Belgium Brewing to be very well run. Founder, Jeff Lebesch, and co-founder, Kim Jordan, implemented an open-management system in 1996. This means that employees are directly involved in running the company. Employees are given training so that they understand how all of the financials of the New Belgian Brewery work. Kim believes that understanding the financials helps employees pay closer attention to them. Employee, Doug Miller says, â€Å"Once Kim and Jeff decided to let us all know where everything was going, it made it real important for us to keep count of every keg, any cases that are damaged. You know, it all adds up.† After a year of working for the company, each employee is given a share, and treated as a shareholder. Employees have a say in the overall direction of the company, and they work with the owners, rather than for them. This gives employees a vested interest in seeing the company progress further. The owners see all employee decisions and input as being very important to the success of the company. Chief Financial Officer, Jennifer V. Orgolini says, â€Å"How can you really care about the certain small things that are necessary to be done day in and day out if you don’t have a larger purpose behind them?† Since employees are shareholders, the more profit the company makes, the more their share is worth. This creates an environment of employee-owners that all want to work towards making the company as successful as possible. Employees all work at a similar level in separate, focused departments. Although, some departments needs to report certain things to other people and/or departments, no one in the company has more authority than anyone else. This is known as a decentralized organization, which means that everything is delegated as far down the chain of command as possible. Since employees to do not need to seek approval from managers, they can implement needed changes as quickly as possible. Overall, this system makes for happier, hardworking employees. Co-founder, Kim Jordan says, â€Å"I hear it a lot from customers, people who I’ll run into and say, ‘Wow, I was at your brewery and the vibe there is amazing. You can just tell that people really like being there.'† She also claims that, â€Å"I think that combination of happiness and extending yourself to have real relationships with people and being excellent here at New Belgium really creates a magical vibe.† Environmental Responsibility and Sustainability New Belgium has been working very hard over the last few years to be more environmentally responsible and sustainable. In 2008, the company was used about 158 MJ/hl in energy for the year. By 2011, they dropped that number down to 138 MJ/hl, and hope to drop it to 125 MJ/hl by 2018. The company has done all this by reducing their need for electricity. They have been investing in efficient equipment, installing heat exchangers, and designing their facilities with conservation in mind. In 2010, New Belgium installed a Smart Grid. A Smart Grid allows 2-way communication between the electricity provider and the company. The electricity provider can determine when New Belgium is running a non-essential function, and sends them a notice to turn it off. In January 2010, New Belgium installed solar panels on top of their packaging hall. It produces over 264,000 kWh each year and contributes to over 3% of the company’s total power supply. Both energy saving installations were partially funded by FortZED. New Belgium has an on-site Process Water Treatment Plant The Five Functions of Management The five functions of management are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Planning involves deciding what the company’s objectives are and how to accomplish them. Objectives are the desired end results determined by an organization, they derive from the organization’s mission. A mission describes a company’s fundamental purpose and basic philosophy. Meeting objectives involves three types of general plans – strategic, tactical, and operational. Strategic plans establish the long-range objectives of an organizations, as well as the overall strategy or course of action used to fulfill their missions. Strategic plans factor in four things, the organizations strengths and weaknesses, as well as potential opportunities and threats. Strengths are the things that a company does well or the characteristics that give it an important aptitude. Weaknesses are things that a company does poorly with, does not have, or areas where it is at a disadvantage. Opportunities are things found in the external environment of a company that could be beneficial, cause potential growth, or be a source of competitive advantage. Threats are also found in  the external environment, but hold the possibility of causing damage to a company. Tactical Plans are short range and designed to utilize the objectives of the strategic plan. They are meant to help keep the company on the course set in the strategic plan. Tactical plans allow an organization the ability to react to unpredictable changes in the environment, so they must be periodically reviewed and updated by management. Operational Plans are very short term plans that determine what specific work groups, individuals, or departments must accomplish to achieve the goal of a tactical plan. Another part of planning is crisis management or contingency planning. This area deals with potential disasters that a company may face. They may be natural disasters or disasters within the company. Some companies will have crisis management team who deal specifically with these problems, which allows managers to continue to focus on their regular duties. New Belgium Brewery’s strategic plan is to have happy employee-owners who enjoy their job and work very hard to make this company profitable. They have and are continuing to achieve this with their tactical plan of making employees into owners, training workers to be financially literate, and by allowing employees access to the books. Since employees are given a share of the company after one year, they are treated like shareholders. They work with the owners, who listen to and consider all employee input into the operations. Because employees are shareholders, they work hard to make the company as successful as possible. Organizing involves structuring resources and activities in a way that accomplishes objectives efficiently and effectively. Managers will review plans and determine what activities are needed for implementing them. Work will be divided into smaller units and assigned to specific departments, individuals, or groups. Most of the time work is organized into teams that handle core processes, rather than constructing around traditional departments, such as marketing and production. Organizing helps create synergy, which means the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Organization also establishes lines of authority, improves communication, helps avoid reproduction of resources, and helps improve competitiveness by speeding up the decision making process. New Belgium Brewery is divided into departments that focus on certain areas of the company. However, unlike most businesses, the departments at New Belgium are not divided into a hierarchy of people with  more power and authority than those below them. The staff in each department work together at the same level and do not need to report to any managers. This gives employees the power to apply any needed changes in the company without waiting for the approval of a manager. Staffing involves hiring enough of and the right kind of people to carry out the work of the organization. Managers must determine what skills are needed for specific jobs and must recruit accordingly. Managers must determine how to motivate and train employees, how much to pay employees, what benefits should be provided, and how to prepare employees for potential higher-level jobs in the organization. Staffing also involves downsizing, which is the elimination of a large number of people from an organization. New Belgium focuses on hiring people who fit the culture of their company. Staff need to be willing to learn, willing to work hard, and need the people skills to get along with other people in the company. Also, New Belgium makes employees wait a year before giving them a share in their organization. This gives the owners time to make sure that an employee will fit well with their company and also tests their loyalty. Directing involves motivating and leading employees to achieve an organization’s objectives. Employers may motivate employees to do a good job with incentives, such as promotions or pay raises. However, most employees want more than money. Workers want to know that their ideas and input are of value to their employer. Smart managers know to involve their employees in company decision making processes as often as possible. This inclusion makes workers feel more important and better about their job, which greatly benefits the organization. New Belgium’s way of directing and motivating their employees is giving them shares in the company and making them employee-owners. Since staff are shareholders, they are a big part of decision making processes. Also, the incentive of owning a share in the company has employees trying to steer the company in a positive direction, so that they reap the benefits along with Jeff and Kim. Controlling involves evaluating and correcting the activities of an organization in order to keep them on course. This involves five activities: 1.Measuring performance 2.Comparing present performance with standards or objectives 3.Identifying deviations from the standards 4.Investigating the causes of deviations 5.Taking corrective action when necessary Controlling is closely related to planning. Planning establishes the goals and standards of an organization, controlling compares present performance with those goals and standards in order to determine whether or not performance is on target. When performance is not keeping up with the company’s expectations, employers must determine why that is and come up with a way to get back on track. Because employees at New Belgium do not have managers, and they all work at the same level, they can immediately implement any changes that may deviate the company from their desired course of action. Sources †¢http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPhypYaWHm8 †¢http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_reclamation †¢http://www.newbelgium.com/sustainability/Environmental-Metrics.aspx

Health Information Technology: Electronic Medical Records Essay

Abstract For years the health care industry has explored methods to improve the way patient information is managed. Electronic medical records were developed to solve many, if not all, issues surrounding paper medical records and the management of patient information. Storage, legibility, accessibility and security of medical records are a few of the areas where electronic medical records excel over paper medical records. Instantaneous access and improved accuracy resulting from electronic medical records can greatly improve a patient’s quality of care, prevent serious harm to patients, and ultimately save lives. Financial aspects play a large role in the implementation of electronic medical records. While there are many cost-saving advantages to electronic medical records, the initial cost of implementation burdens many if not most health care facilities. This burden may prohibit health care facilities from the ability to implement electronic medical records. Overall, physicians and patients agree that electronic medical records will help improve patient care and efficiency. Health Information Technology: Electronic Medical Records For years the health care industry has explored methods to improve the way patient information is managed. Paper medical records are cumbersome and require a lot of storage space and personnel to maintain them. Transferring paper records between health care facilities and professionals is very tedious and time-consuming. To solve many, if not all, issues surrounding paper medical records, electronic medical records were developed. Electronic medical records relieve the issue of large warehouses of storage and tedious transferring of information, as well as many of the other concerns affiliated with paper records. While there are many advantages to electronic medical records, there are also some downfalls, such as the initial cost of implementation and the financial burden this places on healthcare facilities. Storage According to journalist John Csiszar, hospitals and medical facilities have warehouses filled with decades-worth of paper medical records (2012, Storage section, para. 1). Paper medical records not only take up quite a bit of space, they are also not eco-friendly (Csiszar, 2012, Storage section, para. 1). Another drawback of paper medical records is that they deteriorate over time due to paper being degradable and the more a paper record is handled, the faster it deteriorates. This poses major consequences, especially for patients who have chronic medical issues that require multiple reviews of their records. Electronic medical records are far easier to store than paper records. Csiszar states, â€Å"Electronic [medical] records can be stored on computer drives that require much less space and fewer resources to produce† (2012, Storage section, para. 1). Electronic medical records can also be stored and accessed forever, without concern of deterioration, as is associated with paper medical records (Csiszar, 2012, Storage section, para. 1). This is extremely beneficial for health care providers as they are able to review patients’ medical histories repeatedly without risk of deteriorating or damaging records. Legibility It is generally acknowledged that the readability of a hand-written document is dependent upon the penmanship of the writer. Legibility of handwriting varies with the individual. Medical terminology, especially for those unfamiliar with medicine, can be challenging to decipher in paper medical records (Csiszar, 2012, Legibility section, para. 1). This legibility problem can lead to miscommunication among health care providers and grievous errors, which in turn can lead to poor care, harm, and even death of patients. Csiszar notes, â€Å"One of the clear benefits of electronic [medical] records is that typeface is more or less standardized and clear across all records† (2012, Legibility section, para. 1). The clarity provided by electronic medical records saves time for the reader, and time is critical during medical treatment (Csiszar, 2012, Legibility section, para. 1). Improved accuracy resulting from the clarity of communication can prevent serious harm to patients and ulti mately save lives. Access When it comes to accessing a patient’s medical record, paper records are by far the most vexing to retrieve. In order for health care facilities or providers to share patient records with other facilities and providers, paper medical records must be copied and mailed, faxed, or scanned into the computer and emailed (Csiszar, 2012, Access section, para. 1). These processes can be very time-consuming and ultimately affect the outcome of a patient’s condition. Electronic medical records are designed to be easily shared among health care providers, especially providers employed by the same health care company. Electronic medical records can be shared almost instantaneously via electronic transmission or direct access to a computer storage system (Csiszar, 2012, Access section, para. 1). This instantaneous access can greatly benefit a patient’s quality of care, particularly when time is of the essence. Security Both paper and electronic medical records can be problematic when protecting patient privacy. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, three of the most common security risks include: â€Å"(1) the risk of inappropriate access, (2) the risk of record tampering, and (3) the risk of record loss due to natural catastrophes† (2012, para. 2). Risk of Inappropriate Access Regardless of the format of a patient’s medical record, it is always vulnerable to a risk of inappropriate access (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2012, para. 3). For paper medical records, the risk of inappropriate access occurs when individuals gain access to record storage areas, find records left in patient or exam rooms, receive misdirected faxes, or other similar scenarios (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2012, para. 4). The HRSA states, Since access to paper [medical] records implies physical access, securing against inappropriate access is accomplished by segregating records into separate locked storage areas; restricting physical access to storage areas; recording sign in and sign out procedures; and maintaining records handling training and other similar procedures (2012, para. 4). With electronic medical records, inappropriate access takes place in one of two ways: (1) an unauthorized user accesses a patient’s record; or (2) an authorized user violates conditions of the appropriate use policy (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2012, para. 5). According to the HRSA, â€Å"Electronic [medical] records can also be subject to breaches of network security that may allow a hacker to gain access to user credentials and thereby bypass the access control protections† (2012, para. 5). It is important for health care facilities to have strict network access guidelines and security as well as an appropriate use policy that is reviewed by newly hired staff and routinely reviewed by all staff. Risk of Record Tampering Medical records can be manipulated or tampered with in many ways, including changing dates of records, entering fraudulent data, or changing entries. Any individual who has access to a patient’s paper medical record has the ability to remove pages, add or erase entries, or other fraudulent acts (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2012, para. 7). Tracing the origin of altered paper medical records is very difficult and sometimes impossible. Electronic medical records are much more difficult to fraudulently manipulate because the ability to make changes to an electronic record depends on the rights assigned to a specific user. Individuals with privileges to modify data have the ability to add, delete, or change data or entire records (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2012, para. 8). An electronic medical record can also be tampered with by directly accessing information stored on the server using a server account rather than a user account (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2012, para. 8). Fortunately, any access or manipulation to electronic medical records can be tracked and thus is traceable. Identifying the person who may have fraudulently accessed or modified a record is much easier through electronic medical records than through paper medical records. Risk of Loss Due to Natural Catastrophes According to the HRSA, â€Å"Fires, floods or other environmental disasters attack physical locations and can result in the complete loss of both paper and electronic medical records† (2012, para. 9). An advantage to electronic medical records is that they can be continuously backed up to off-site storage. Therefore, the records can always be recovered, even if the physical medical facility is damaged. Financial Aspects In recent years, hospitals nationwide have been faced with immense pressure to implement health information technology systems, such as electronic medical records. According to Jay J. Shen, PhD and Gregory O. Ginn, PhD, CPA, The initiative to implement health information technology has persisted through two administrations. First, during the G.W. Bush Administration, the position of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology was created by executive order in the Department of Health and Human Services. Later, in the B.H. Obama Administration, Congress passed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (2012, p. 61). The expectation of implementing health information technology is the improvement of hospital performance with regard to cost and quality of care to the consumer and the health care system. The downside of these initiatives is the crushing financial repercussions endured by non-profit hospital systems. Positive Financial Aspects By implementing health information technology, especially electronic medical records, hospitals can reduce the costs associated with quality patient care. Shen and Ginn state, Hospitals should be able to reduce the costs associated with medical errors by identifying harmful drug reactions or possible allergic reactions using the information provided by †¦ [electronic medical records]. Hospitals should also be able to lower costs by facilitating preventative medicine and helping physicians manage patients with complex chronic conditions by utilizing the information provided by †¦ [electronic medical records] (2012, p. 62). Electronic medical records help to increase efficiency and reduce cost by: (1) decreasing the need for medical transcription and physically pulling charts; (2) prompting providers to prescribe generic drugs instead of brand-name drugs; and (3) reducing duplicate diagnostic tests and studies (Shen & Ginn, 2012, p. 62). Electronic medical records contribute to lowered costs while improving the efficiency and quality of care for hospitals, patients, and the entire health care system. Negative Financial Aspects In recent years, only a small percentage of health care facilities have implemented electronic medical records, even though these facilities have the ability to experience substantial cost savings and improvements in quality of care (Shen & Ginn, 2012, p. 62). â€Å"This low rate of adoption is attributed in large part to financial barriers,† states Shen and Ginn (2012, p. 62). Some of the financial barriers contributing to the low adoption rate of electronic medical records include: (1) significant capital requirements; (2) absence of clear evidence showing a positive effect on investment return; (3) high maintenance expenses; and (4) high human resources costs associated with the need for an increased number of information technology staff (Shen & Ginn, 2012, p. 62). Another financial barrier for health care facilities is that although they endure the cost of implementing electronic medical records, the providers and payers experience the financial benefits from the cost sav ings (Shen & Ginn, 2012, p. 62). Physician and Patient Perception of Electronic Medical Records Overall, research shows that electronic medical records have been well-received by the base of physicians and patients affected by their implementation. Sage Healthcare Division, a unit of Sage North America, conducted a study that examined the effect of electronic medical record implementation on physicians and their patients (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 1-2). The study indicated that the majority of patients and physicians have a positive perception of electronic medical records (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 1). Healthcare IT News Staff specify, â€Å"According to the study, patients felt more comfortable with physicians that used †¦ [electronic medical records], and more importantly, felt that the information contained in the medical record was more accurate when they physically saw information being entered electronically† (2011, para. 3). Betty Otter-Nickerson, President of Sage Healthcare Division, noted, â€Å"†¦ [W]e learned †¦ [that] †¦ patients like to see their verbatim information entered into the record as they said it, not as the doctor interpreted it† (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 4). She also noted that patients who participated in the survey said they had greater confidence in providers who used electronic medical records and encouraged their physicians to adopt more connected technologies such as electronic medical records (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 6-7). â€Å"†¦ [D]irect feedback from patients gives providers an opportunity to learn how to improve their practices and their patient relationships,† stated Otter-Nickerson (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 7). Key Findings * Physicians and patients have a positive overall perception of patient care that was documented electronically (62 percent of physicians and 81 percent of patients) (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). * Nearly half of patients positively perceived their physician when they were noted to be documenting electronically (45 percent) (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). * Over half of physicians find real-time access to patient records to be the biggest benefit of using electronic medical records (60 percent) (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). * One of the most important benefits noted by physicians is the ability to easily share information with other physicians, facilities, and payers (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). * The majority of patients and physicians agreed that electronic medical records will improve the quality of care in the healthcare industry (78 percent of patients and 62 percent of physicians) (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). * Both patients and physicians have concerns about patient privacy and the security of electronic medical records (81 percent of patients and 62 percent of physicians) (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). * The most important benefits noted of electronic medical records were: (1) they give physicians real-time access to patient records; (2) they help physicians securely share patient information with other providers; and (3) they help the physician improve the quality of patient care (Healthcare IT News Staff, 2011, para. 5). Conclusion Electronic medical records are a useful tool in improving patient satisfaction, quality of care, and the efficiency of the health care industry. Electronic storage options relieve the burden of large warehouses and the risk of deteriorating repeatedly viewed medical records. Instantaneous access and improved accuracy resulting from electronic medical records can greatly improve a patient’s quality of care, prevent serious harm to patients and ultimately save lives. The ability to easily identify individuals who may have fraudulently accessed or modified a record helps to protect accuracy of records and patient privacy. Although the initial implementation costs of electronic medical records can be quite arduous, the cost-saving benefits will continue to grow. Patients and physicians agree that electronic medical records will improve patient quality and efficiency of care. References Csiszar, J. (n.d.). Paper vs. electronic medical records. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/paper-vs-electronic-medical-records-40354.html Health Resources and Services Administration. (n.d.). What are the privacy and security risks of electronic vs. paper health records? Retrieved November 12, 2012, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/HealthITAdoptiontoolbox/PrivacyandSecurity/securityrisks.html Healthcare IT News Staff. (2011). Study: Patients believe EMRs bring accuracy to their records. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from Healthcare IT News: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-patients-believe-emrs-bring-accuracy-their-records Shen, J. J., & Ginn, G. O. (2012). Financial position and adoption of electronic health records: A retrospective longitudinal study. J Health Care Finance, 61-77.