Students with Exceptional needs Essay Example for Free

Students with Exceptional needs Essay I observed a student with delayed developmental milestones in One Tree School. The student has very slow catching up capacity and according to her teacher she is left behind most of the time by the class. Her teacher ensures that before presenting lectures in class, he make a simplified copy of lecture notes which is given to the student. The teacher assures me that the teaching standards offered to the class are understandable to the student with delayed developmental milestone. In addition the student is given tape recorded material to assist her in re-evaluating the lectures after classes. The class environment is very favourable for this student because there are other three students with exceptional needs in the same class room. The school administration has established policies which ensure that all students with exceptional needs are served well and accorded quality standardized education. Other students in the classroom, who have no exceptional needs have been advised on how to handle, cope with, and assist this student to increase her understanding abilities. I asked to read the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) and her teacher was very cooperative. The IEP of this student has been well designed based on her disability and knowledge capacity. It has included all the knowledge and skills which the students need in order to progress to the next grade. The IEP of this student has specifically included her educational program which is English language arts program. The IEP analyzes her current performance in class based on the examination and test results given by teachers, parents and other school staff. According to the individual education plan her disability has not affected her class work much because she is a bright student who is willing to learn. The IEP shows the annual goals and objectives which she is required to accomplish in terms of academic or behavioral needs. She has made measuring progress in her previous grades according to the achieved objectives. All special education services are included in the IEP and provided to the child. However, she is not allowed to participate in academic contests which involve arithmetic and geometry studies. She picks up very slowly both academically and socially. She has difficulty catching up with teachers in class especially when the presentation is very fast. She has a problem in finishing her class work assignments on time due to a slow speed of understanding. The student experiences difficulty in socializing and making friends with classmates and schoolmates. She spends most time in isolation and has developed low self esteem and lack of confidence. Teachers and the girl’s parents have collaborated to initiate measures which ensure the student’s needs are met. The girl is given extra tutoring after school and assessed using individual tests to update her academic level. Support groups are put up in place in the school to assist her in developing social and interpersonal skills. I would change the instructional delivery system by ensuring that the child is allowed to participate in challenging events such as geometry contests and taking arithmetic assignments to improve her overall understanding level. This will increase her self esteem and level of confidence. It will allow her to adapt in any kind of environment, despite her delayed developmental milestones. The student should be widely consulted and assessed to create instructions that will be effective in providing all required knowledge and skills. Grade Four English-language Arts Content Standards. Reading 1. 0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development Students understand the basic features of reading. They select letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language by using phonics, syllabication, and word parts. They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent reading. Word Recognition 1. 1 Read narrative and expository text aloud with grade-appropriate fluency and accuracy and with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression. Vocabulary and Concept Development 1. 2 Apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words and phrases. 1. 3 Use knowledge of root words to determine the meaning of unknown words within a passage. 1. 4 Know common roots and affixes derived from Greek and Latin and use this knowledge to analyze the meaning of complex words (e. g. , international). 1. 5 Use a thesaurus to determine related words and concepts. 1. 6 Distinguish and interpret words with multiple meanings.

Operations Analysis: Starbucks

Operations Analysis: Starbucks Starbucks main focus has been on its employees. Starbucks understands that their employees are the driving factor and most important resource of the company. Starbucks provides each employee with a starting wage above minimum wage standards as well as a quality health care and benefits packages. They firmly believe that the welfare of their people, environment and community are linked to their success as a company. These principles provide an established and proven work environment for every staff member throughout every retail store owned or operated by Starbucks. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES Speed Starbucks is all about customer experience and the key aspect to that is not keep a customer waiting. Speed is an essential aspect, for the business, because the speed of their processes affects them in many ways. The profitability is affected when the staff keeps the customers waiting and this could cost them dearly, besides, with regard to the product, by being slow the quality of the food and beverage also suffers. One way of reducing time is to have efficient and smooth internal communications, and by keeping an adequate quantity of inventory, especially a well organized kitchen or working space. Quality Quality is probably the main performance objective as it is usually the one factor that differentiates it from its competitors. As mentioned above, as part of the customer experience, quality plays a main role. Quality encompasses a lot factors and a large portion of that depends on the customer perception of it. Quality is primarily affected by the quality of the resources, the time management etc. Starbucks could adopt a TQM approach and even have quality checks. They could take back feedback from customers from time to time to review their performance. Dependability Starbucks needs to be consistent in its performance, and the quality of service or product provided. One way to measure dependability of products is for example a business may look into the records of the amount of warranty claims made against a particular product. Flexibility Speed and Flexibility are related, the faster the processing time the better the chances of processes being adjusted quickly. Flexibility also involves a degree of being up to date and to accommodate the customer needs from time to time. Starbucks RD department would have to identify flavors and new mechanisms that could attract new customers and benefit the company. It also involves understanding the economy they work in, like creating a customized menu for the countries they serve in. Cost Cost affects a large chunk of how the company works, because no matter which company it is they all have a profit maximization objective. Major costs for Starbucks include the acquiring of coffee beans and Starbucks is very specific about the Arabica beans they procure, an example of minimizing cost would be how they have started growing their own coffee beans, which has given them better control over their costs by reducing supplier costs. Another method to do so is to update technology that better uses input and reduces waste. Of the 4 strategic perspectives, Resources applies best to Starbucks Financial resources affect Cost and Quality performance objectives. If quality is high, costs are usually high. However, Starbucks finds the balance between cost quality and provides a good quality product service at minimum cost. Physical resources refer usually to the area where business is carried out and affects the Speed element of the performance objectives. Starbucks all around the world have similar outlet design where to get to the counter; customers have to first pass through the seating area. It would be faster and probably more convenient to customers to have the counter closer to the entrance. Human resources include the knowledge and experience of employees/owner and affect the Dependability variable of the performance objectives. There is a requirement for all Starbucks employees to learn how to make the various drinks and also how to interact with customers. The way Starbucks employees interact with customers is very different from other of their outlets. Also, a drink made in one outlet sometimes doesnt differ at all from the same drink made in others. There lies a very high degree of consistency in the product and service of Starbucks. Technological resources affect the Quality, Speed and Cost variables of performance objectives. With better technology, costs can be reduced, speed may be increased and quality can be consistent. SUPPLY NETWORK The major aspect of Starbucks supply chain is the supply and distribution of the coffee beans. This is a complex process as the coffee and other related products need to be obtained from around the world to be delivered at their retail outlets. Starbucks follow the rule of Plan, Source, Make and Deliver for their supply chain. Their operations begin right from the planting of the coffee to brewing the perfect cup of coffee for their customers. Starbucks supply chain includes everything from planning the raw materials, to the manufacturing of the coffee and last but not the least distribution of this coffee to their retail outlets, and they successfully do this by positioning its own people inside of distribution centers, to keep watch over operations and forge stronger relationships with service providers. (Refer to Appendix 1) CUSTOMER ORDER PROCESS Store Entrance Cashier I Cashier II Payment Specialty Drink NO YES Pickup Counter Cashier Calls Order to the Barista Barista Repeats the order and prepares Products Eg. Coffee Bean Select and purchase supplies, hire and training Seen by Customer Not Seen by Customer Fig: Paryani, K. (2013) Product quality, service reliability and management of operations at Starbucks.International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology, 3 (7), p.3-14. Available at: http://www.ijest-ng.com/vol3_no7/ijest-ng-vol3-no7-pp1-14.pdf [Accessed: 13 Mar 2013]. (Refer to Appendix 3 4) ORDER PROCESS MAPPING This order process mapping has been divided into three main portions, the customers viewpoint, the cashiers viewpoint and finally the baristas view point. From the customers viewpoint, the order process begins when the customer enters the store and begins to make an order. At this point depending on the speed of the order process, the customer could either wait at the queue or leave it he/she feels like it is time consuming. On reaching the cashier, the customer reads and chooses from the menu available and places an order to the cashier. The cashier then informs the customer about the specialties offered, like a caramel or chocolate topping etc. This is the decision point for both the cashier as well as the customer and the customer could alter the order further. After this point, the customer pays for the drink and proceeds to either in store or maybe wait at the special stools near the checkout counter to the collect the drink and proceed to leave. Next from the cashiers perspecti ve, the process begins with the opening of the store, and it is the responsibility of the cashier to ensure that they have necessary cash to make transactions, by ensuring that they have coins and other cash/notes. The actual order happens, when the customer chooses the drink or food places the order. The cashier then mentions the various options available like choosing a topping or cream etc. The cashier after confirming the order with the customer, then immediately calls out the order to the barista. After this, the cashier tells the customer the amount to be paid and collects the amount, along with a receipt for the order, and tells the customer the approximate time that will be taken for the drink to be prepared. The final approach is that of the barista. When the order is placed by the customer, the cashier calls out the order to the barista. The Barista then follows this up by calling out the order loudly once more. This is the poke-a-yoke approach, as a method of double check ing and ensuring that the right order is placed. After this, the barista proceeds to make the actual drink. At this point it can take two deviations, there could be a fail point and the barista may not make the drink properly, in which case the drink will be made again and the barista completes the drink and places it on the checkout counter or gives in to the customer in his/her seating area. The red arrows signify an interaction between the customer and the staff and how the viewpoint is different in both their terms. The green arrow is the cashier calling out the order to the barista. Fig: Perkins Will. (2012). Research journal. The Impact of an Operational Process on Space. VOL 04.02 (1), p43-44. TRANSFORMATION PROCESS MODEL Inputs Outputs Transformation Process Coffee beans Baristas and other staff Coffee Machine, condiment counter, food freezers and other equipment Coffee Customer Satisfaction Experience Preparation of Coffee Warming of Food Fig : Simple Transformation Model adapted from Shaw, N, 2010, Operating Systems, Performance Objectives and Operations Strategy, Operations Management 1, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh (Refer Appendix 2. ) The transformation process model shown below gives us an insight to the detailed version of the order process of Starbucks. It starts with the environment, which includes the customers of the coffee shop. The transformation process model is constructed keeping in mind the Starbucks customer experience that ensures when a customer leaves the coffee shop they have a smile on their face. Like the traditional transformational process this model also depicts the inputs, the transformation system and the outputs. This model creates a linkage between monitoring and control and the transformation system, which helps in enhancing customer experience and the environment in the shop. Environment Customers Inputs Customer Order Coffee Beans Staff Equipment including coffee machines and so on. Transformation System Preparation of coffee Food warming Output Prepared Coffee Starbucks Experience Monitoring and Control Fig: Detailed Tranformation process of the order process adapted from Operations management: The input/output transformation model. 2013. Operations management: The input/output transformation model. [ONLINE] Available at: http://cnx.org/content/m35439/latest/. [Accessed 13 March 2013]. PROBLEMS FACED Some of the primary problems faced by the company in terms of its operations and performance are as follows. Inadequate seating capacity and power sources. The cleanliness at the condiment counter is another issue. No new beverages options or menu and that not all beverages are available at different stores across the globe. Inconsistency in customer service and inventory. The Wi-Fi ports arent available at all stores. RECOMMENDATIONS A) Increase seating capacity: Starbucks can increase their seating capacity by having a outdoor seating area. They could also use comfortable, space friendly couches and bean bags that can be moved around easily to suit the customers comfort. By increasing the seating capacity of the store, more customers will prefer to dine in-store and this would mean that the order process will be serving a larger number of people at the given time. Staff would have to be on hand at all times. B) Cleanliness of the counters and the coffee desks: Starbucks has a separate condiment counter which hold additional sugar sachets, stirrers, mug holders, tissue napkins etc. Though the staff provides these along with the coffee order, customers can access this if they need any additional. A recommendation that we would suggest is to develop a good roster system that will ensure that staff take turns in keeping an eye on the coffee desks. This is essential to the order process, affecting the level of customer service and satisfaction. This could contribute effectively to improving both the speed and customer satisfaction of the order process, because this is a vital part of the process. C) Customized orders: Though Starbucks boasts of customizing their beverages on the request of the customers, like providing variety in their milk full cream, low fat, skimmed milk, soya milk etc. It was identified that most of the time, the store is out of inventory for the required order and this is a major weakness. This affects the order process, because it confuses the customer and the barista. This will have a direct impact on the order process such that, the staff taking the order will have to be specific in terms of mentioning their specialties available. The customer must be made aware of the choices available, and they should have the respective ingredients available for these options. D) Stores have Wi-Fi ports. Starbucks, like its competitors, provided the policy of free Wi-Fi ports in the store. However, not all stores are consistent in this aspect and many stores dont offer this facility. This will affect the order process, as customer like youngster and business people might actually leave the store due to this reason. E) Switch menu. Customers often feel like the Starbucks menu doesnt switch around much and also that they dont have all their options available in all store. We would advice Starbucks to incorporate the feedbacks from their customers into their menu and this again would directly affect the order process. CONCLUSION This report has effectively analyzed the operations of the Starbucks chain of coffee shops. The study looked into understanding the performance objectives by aligning them to the strategic objectives of the company. Furthermore, we have identified the suitable transformational model of the company and then explained in detail the order process. We chose the order process as the main focus of this paper, because we felt this was one the main operations of the company. We have identified how the order process functions and have also mapped out the entire process from the view point of the customer and the company. Finally, we have identified some functional problems and weaknesses of their operations. One the basis of site study as well as adequate research through company profiles and journals, they study has looked into amending some of these issues. The report has explained our recommendations towards addressing these issues and henceforth makes the operations of the store more bene ficial and profitable to both the company and customers. APPENDIX 1. They set a direction based on three broad action areas: service, cost, and talent. We make 80,000 deliveries per week globally and the store managers and baristas rely on us doing this well for them to be successful. Replenishment to our stores was not setting our stores up for success. We talked to store managers and they were clear that they could not be successful if the reliability and quality of supply was not good enough. 2. The basic model of transformation process indicates the inputs and outputs required by the firm. One of the main procedures of Starbucks is the order process that includes different inputs that are essential for the coffee shop. The inputs being, coffee beans, barista and other staff, the coffee machine, condiment, food freezer and other equipments. The outputs result in the hot and warm coffee and the customer satisfaction and experience. The process that led to the outputs includes the production of coffee and warming the food. 3. Starbucks utilizes an Assemble to Order process (ATO) when dealing with customers. ATO is a mixture of make to order and make to stock. Since customers like to personalize their order, Starbucks has an inventory in every branch to reach customers needs. The product is made when a customer puts in their order yet all the materials are kept at hand for workers to make each order accordingly. Also, they keep certain things made at all times on hand like caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee because its a common order thats expected to sell and can be customized for the specific customer such as adding sugar or milk if theyd like to. (Team 1 Starbucks, 2010) 4. A typical service blueprint of the order process at Starbucks is shown Below. To start the order process, the barista behind the cash register gives friendly service by looking the customer in the eye and then greeting the customer. The customer gives the order. If the order is for an espresso drink, the barista repeats the order, out loud, and states the ingredients in a predefined order (size, type of milk, type of coffee, etc.). The barista behind the espresso bar repeats the drink ingredients in the same order. This simple poka-yoke technique helps to guarantee that the drink will be made correctly the first time. This process is generally observed at in most Starbucks stores, where the barista asks for the customers name and repeats it with the drink order. In the early days, the baristas were trained to ask the customers name. Howard Schultz has brought this step back as another way to differentiate Starbucks from the other coffee shops; this act, in turn, has had a positive impact on improving market share. (Paryani, 2011) Names of team Members Team work (management/co ntribution /attendance of team meetings) Research (contribution to data collection / group discussions /idea generation /literature review) Final Report (report construction /report write up/diagrams/ referencing, etc.) Total contribution towards assignment Athina Abigail Dsilva 1 2 2 5 Callahan Jason Brown 2 1 2 5 Leni Vincent Joseph 2 1 2 5 Nida Saleem Siddiqui 2 2 1 5 Rudy Rosario 2 2 1 5 Vidhya Subramani 1 2 2 5 Total score 10 10 10 30

Sustainable information security policy in an organization

Sustainable information security policy in an organization Introduction The purpose of this research paper is to investigate how organizations design sustainable information security policies. Designing a sustainable information security policy is one of the most important issues facing organizations today. It should not only be the first step in an organizations information security policy program but a continuing process to ensure the policy should be maintained of high quality, it is clear, comprehensive and appropriate to the organizations specific business objectives, strategic goals and culture needs. This is a particularly salient issue in organizations that operate in numerous political, cultural, legal, geographic and economic environments and, by necessity, sometimes must have an information security policy that employees can follow and actually use. Information security represents a growing concern for organizations. As organizations are relying and becoming more dependent on information systems for staying competitive, gain strategic advantag e and operations, the issue of effective information security policy also becomes important and the necessary foundation for organizational information security. In an organization, some unique challenges can arise in designing an information security policy, such as policy differences arising through the various threats, risk acceptance and tolerance levels among business units; internal and external requirements at a country, local and national level; human factors; and cultural differences. In some cases, an organization may require a region-specific information security policy that may be more restrictive than a global information security policy. However, the reason why an information security policy has to be enforced on an organization is because the information security policy requires an effort from them. The literature review and an experimental study will be used to investigate, explore and understand different factors such as ease of use, designer perceptions of user shortcomings, attitude toward usage, peer influence, perceived behavioral control usage, perceived ease of use, quality of working life, work attitude and intentions as to how to design a sustainable information security policy in an organization. The research problem and goal. The research problem of this study is to investigate how to design a sustainable information security policy in an organization. Surprisingly, not too much is known about how to design security policies that pay attention to unique organizational security features, employees and business needs (Siponen and Iivari, 2006). In business, an information security policy is a document that states in writing how an organization should plan to protect its information systems and technology assets, provides guidance based on standards, regulations and rules of what to and what not to do. However the information security policy quality, flexibility and usability are limited. Therefore employees do not pay attention, understand, follow abide and break the information security policy. An information security policy that is viewed as design product and that is normative lists actions that the employees should follow or should not perform. The design of an information security policy does not necessarily make it possible to address all situations reasonably. However, to guide the design of the information security policy, the product and an application principle should state how it needs to be applied, and a design method should state how it needs to be crafted (Siponen and Iivari, 2006). Product design and development is a complex and lengthy process for organizations since it involves multiple participants from several organizational departments who are required to make decisions outside their area of expertise. To address the problem organizations often purchase ready made information security policies from various sources such as ISO, text books or adopt information security policies from government and other online sources. This leads to incomplete activities a nd flaws which lead to difficult to follow information security policy. Sound information security policy should protect the information and systems, as well as the individual employees and the organization as a whole from a wide variety of threats (Veiga, Martins and Eloff, 2007). It also should serve as a prominent statement to the outside world about the organizations commitment to information security. An information security policy is often considered to be a living document, meaning that the document is never finished but is continuously updated as technology, regulations and business requirements change. The information from systematic monitoring should serve as a critical input to evaluation, formulation, implementation and design of the information security policy. The information security policy should be seen not only as an artifact document of the organization to enforce best information security practices but also should identify details of what is acceptable or unacceptable and what is reasonable behavior from the employees in order to ensu re sound security of information. Information security policy should be sustainable. Information security covers people and process issues as well as technology. The design of information security policy in an organization should be integrated into a process that involves employee usability testing and input from various regions, regulations, industry standards and business units. An information security policy is the necessary foundation for a sound organizational information security. Information security policy should be able to enhance business operations by reducing risk, ensuring protection of organizational critical information assets and decreasing information systems security management costs as well as to improve information systems operations while also supporting the demands of internal and external compliance. Since many of these policies require human involvement, for example employee and customer actions, the goals should be measured and checked if they are met only if such human activities can be influenced and monitored and if positive outcomes have incentives while negative actions are sanctioned. The goal of this research study is to investigate how to design, create and maintain a sustainable information security policy using experimental methods and control focus groups in an organization. An effective information security policy should be based on a usability standard that can be achieved during the design techniques appropriate to implement sustainable information security policy. Importance of research problem The successful design of information security policy is critical in todays environment of rapid change and challenges in addressing information security policy compliance and effectiveness in organizations. The information security policy is the foundation on which a sound information security is built. As with any foundation, it must be well designed, and well constructed; it can then be trusted to support the organizations business objectives and goals effectively. It is essential that effective information security policy practices be in place in organizations to ensure the success of information security policy. Effective information security policy requires that users understand and follow the information security mission as described in the organizations information security policy. Flexibility and usability are essential elements of an information security policy life cycle, particularly of the design process of information security policy formulation and implementation. An information security policy needs to be sustainable and not rigid. While the importance of the information security policy in ensuring the security of information is acknowledged widely, to date, there has been little empirical analysis of its design, impact or effectiveness in this role. Designing sustainable information security policy is critical to protecting the organizations information systems and assets. The consequences of violating such as information security policy might be extensive and expensive. The organizations information security policy should be written with a clear understanding of the expected outcome and the need to be flexible and usable. The information security policy should incorporate clear definitions and user responsibilities (Gaunt 1998). It should also aim to influence behavior and turn employees into participants in the organizations efforts to secure its information assets. Information security policy plays an important role in preventing, detecting and responding to security threats and breaches. Organizations should have security controls to protect their information. One of the most important controls, according to Hone and Eloff (2002), is the information security policy. The information security policy is likely to be ineffective if it is not written well, understood, followed and accepted by all employees. The results of this study will help practitioners understand how an organization can design sustainable information security policy to achieve effective information security. Research argument The information security of an organization might be left in a less effective state in situations where information security policy is not followed by employees. Employee perception, in some instances, is that following the rules in information security policy interferes and gets in the way of doing their day-to-day work and their ability to accomplish their job tasks. This is because they feel as though this approach is cumbersome and a waste of time. An employees failure to comply with the information security policy is a key concern of information security practitioners and organizations. According to Desman (2002) information security is not a technical issue, but rather a human issue, therefore the most significant threat to the security of information in an organization is its employees (Gaunt 1998). Information security policy should be fair, reasonable, understandable, flexible and usable. If an information security policy is not flexible and usable, employees will not follow it and it will break. According to Besnard and Arief (2004), the design of security products and information security policy should rely more on the rules of human-computer interaction. The employees, independent of their knowledge and intellect, should be able to read an organizations information security policy understand, follow, comply and adhere to it. One of the ways to implement good information security practices in an organization is to ensure that a detailed information security policy is in place. The content of the information security policy is particularly significant, as it should be monitored for any changes after it is adopted to attain relevance and an understanding of whether there were changes due to the policy or program. According to Gaunt (2000) user participation in the development of an organization information security is necessary if it is to achieve wide acceptance. Problem Relevance According to Hone and Eloff (2002) one of the most important information security controls in an organization is the information security policy. However, this important document it is not always easy to put together and develop. Some organizations derive their information policy from business goals, service level agreements, industry best practices, and International Standard Organization standards such as ISO 27000, or copy paste from other ready made policy templates found or procured from textbooks or online resources. Content in information security policies differ according to the type of organization: for example, corporations, academic institutions, government, and within departments such as information technology, human resources, legal, and finance to name a few. The degree of guidance varies from very specific references of what to do or not to do and sanctions of not following the rules. Sanctions affect employees actual compliance with information security policy. According to Bia and Kalika (2007), the decision to formulate an information security policy, for example, a policy of acceptable use, occurs when the organization has experienced problems, conflict, damage, or business loss because of improper use of information security rules. The application of a security policy is considered essential for managing the security of information systems. Implementing a successful information security policy in an organization, however, is not a straightforward task and depends on many factors (Karyda, Kiountouzis and Kokolakis, 2004). Sometimes, employees view the information security policy as an obstacle and a barrier to progress and, in an effort, to do their job more efficiently, employees might not follow the rules set in the information security policy document. Despite the fact that organizations have information security policy in place, more often than not, the application of information security policy fails to attain its goals. To ensure that information security policy is effective, information security professionals must first understand the social elements, including cultural and generational variances that affect employee behavior and perceptions about information security policy (Cisco, 2008). According to Baskerville and Siponen (2002), strict access controls imposed during fast growing organizational changes can become an obstacle by limiting access to information thereby threatening the organizations survival. This problem is one of limiting organizational emergence because of limited information access and presents conflicting and stringent demands for security policy making. Unexpected business opportunities may require actions that conflict with their information security policy. Some of the problems facing organizations are of employees not following the information security policy, which reflects the social nature of human beings. According to Kabay (2002), an information security policy challenges employees to change the way they think about their own responsibility for protecting the organizations valuable information. Attempting to impose information security policy on unwilling employees results in resistance both because stricter information security procedures make jobs more difficult and because people do not like to be told what to do. The process of design and development of information security policy plays an important role in the life cycle of an information security policy and affects how people feel about the information security policy and whether they see rules as a needless imposition of power or an expression of their own values. Unfortunately, an information security policy conflicts with most peoples view of reality: for example, an empl oyee showing sensitive information to someone who does not have the appropriate level of authorization to view such information because they both work on the same project team. However, if users fail to comply with the rules, an information security policy can help deter abuse (Straub and Nance 1990). Although having an information security policy in an organization is essential, it is not enough to ensure an employees compliance with it. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to understand what factors should be considered in the design of a sustainable information security policy in order to motivate employees to comply with the information security policy and understand how important it is. Definitions of Terms For the purposes of this paper: Information security policy: by definition, an information security policy refers to a clear, understandable comprehensive and well-defined plan, rules, and practices that regulate access to an organizations system and the information included in it. It is defined as the security policy in a document that states in writing how an organization plans to protect the companys physical and information technology assets. Information policy: is defined as the combination of laws, regulations, rules, and guidelines that steer the creation, management, and use of information that greatly shapes the roles of information in society. Information policy includes a range of issues related to freedom of information, privacy, secrecy, security, intellectual property, and information and communication technologies among other policy areas. Information system security: is defined as the state of being free from unacceptable risk. Thus, information security focuses on reducing the risk of computing and communication systems, especially in regard to the misuse, destruction, modification or inappropriate disclosure of information either by intent or accident. Product design and development: in this paper refers primarily to the design and development of new information security policy. Research questions and Hypothesis. The main research question for this study is formulated as: How to design sustainable information security policy in an organization? Hypothesis: H1: Is there a significant difference between flexibility and usability? H2: Is there a significant relationship between flexibility and usability? H3: If an information security policy is usable then is there a need for sanctions? H4: If an information security policy is flexible then is there a need for rewards? Reference Agarwal, R and Sambamurthy, V. (2002). Principles and models for organizing the IT function. MIS Quarterly Executive, 1(1), 1-16. Baskerville, R., and Siponen, M. (2002). An information security meta-policy for emergent organizations. Logistics Information Management, 15(5/6), 337-346. Besnard, D. and Arief, B. (2004). Computer security impaired by legal users. Computers Security, 23(3), 253-26. Bia, M., and Kalika, M. (2007). Adopting an ICT code of conduct: An empirical study of organizational factors. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 20(4), 432-446. CISCO. Data leakage worldwide: The effectiveness of security policies, 2008, Retrieved March 29 2010 http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns170/ns896/ns895/white_paper_c11-503131.pdf Da Veiga, A., Martins, N., and Eloff, JHP. (2007). Information security culture validation of an assessment instrument. Southern African Business Review, 11(1), 147-166. Desman, M.B. (2002). Building an information security awareness program. Boca Raton, FL, Auerbach Publications. Doherty, NF., and Fulford, H. (2006). Aligning the information security policy with the strategic information systems plan. Computers Security, 25(1), 55-63. Eloff, JHP., Labuschagne L, and Badenhorst KP. (1993) A comparative framework for risk analysis methods. Computers and Security, 12(6), 597-603. Gaunt, N. (1998). Installing an appropriate IS security policy in hospitals. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 49(1), 131-134. Gaunt N. (2000). Practical approaches to creating a security culture. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 60(2), 151-157. Hone, K., and Eloff, JHP. (2002). Information security policy what do international security standards say? Computers and Security, 21(5), 402-9. Kabay, M. (1994). Psychological factors in the implementation of information security policy. EDPACS, The EDP Audit, Control, and Security Newsletter, 11(10), 1-10. Karyda, M., Kiountouzis, E., Kokolakis, S. (2005). Information systems security policies: a contextual perspective, Computers and Security, 24(3), 246-260. Lapke M., and Dhillon, G. (2008). Power relationships in information systems security policy formulation and implementation. European Conference on Information Systems, 16, 1358-1369. Siponen, M., and Iivari, J. (2006). Six design theories for IS security policies and guidelines. Journal of the Association for Information System,s 7(7), 445-472. Thomson, K. L., von Solms, R., and Louw, L. (2006). Cultivating an organizational information security culture. Computer Fraud and Security, 10, 7-11. Straub, D.W., and Nance, W.D. (1990). Discovering and disciplining computer abuse in organizations: A field study. MIS Quarterly, 14(1), 45-60. Warman, AR. (1992). Organizational computer security policy: the reality. European Journal of Information Systems, 1(5), 305-10. Zhang, Y., Liu, X., and Wang, W. (2005). Policy lifecycle model for systems management. IT Professional, 7(2), 50-54.

Anthem :: essays research papers

Removing the Stains From Society The world’s creatures have always yearned for a special peace that would allow all to become equal. This peace may bring about a utopian world but reality may strike and send a message of what life is really about. Some may think of life as a time to form justice and equality amongst all yet, others think of life as a time to become a higher more authoritative person that the rest of the world. The Residential Community at Beacon Hill Friends House provides the sort of utopian community that many imagine achieving. Everything is equal in a small world like this starting from the management of food to the use of the VCR. The Residential Community at Beacon Hill Friends House has set a realistic utopian society and has not yet corrupted the uniqueness of justice and equality amongst the residents as in Anthem. A utopian society is a form of society in which there is only equality and justice for all. Many utopian societies are formed for means of shelter to those who form similar opinions of how the world should work, some for educational purposes and others for a spiritual communion. The Residential Community at Beacon Hill Friends House was formed â€Å" To advance and foster the distinctive principles of the Religious Society of Friends, to provide opportunities for the development of leadership for the Society, and especially to establish and maintain a center where members of the Society and persons sympathetic to its principles, including those pursuing programs of study at other educational institutions, whether undergraduate, graduate, or special, may meet together, and where such persons may live, and where the principles of the Society may be advanced and fostered by study and example.† This society is still successful in its mission to provide what has been stated. This c ommunity is still open and willing to accept any applicant. There are many elements that are required to maintain a utopian society such as equal chores of an everyday household. There are responsibilities of every resident from cooking food to keeping the house clean. These chores have to be just otherwise the purpose of the utopian society is corrupted. All residents have the same right as any other member of the society yet there are some rules that are to be followed to help maintain the community. This is when a form of self-government comes into action.

Beowulf vs. Gilgamesh as Epic Heroes Essay -- Epic Hero

Clack! Bang! Swish! Auuuuugh! This is the sound of clanging armor, flying spears, and slicing swords. The sound of men howling in agony as their limbs are severed from a blood thirsty blow of the enemies sword can be heard from the four corners of the earth. This can only be described as the sound of great battle. Battle was a very important part of a man’s life back during the seventh and eighth centuries. Every battle has a man who stands out at the forefront and shines above the rest. During these two time periods there stood two great men: Gilgamesh, the selfish, lustful king, and Beowulf the proud and boastful warrior. These two men, both powerful and well-respected, embody the true essence of what it means to be an epic hero. Gilgamesh’s lifestyle and rash decisions make him the perfect candidate for a life lesson by the gods. Beowulf and his boastful nature ultimately lead him to be great in life and to later fall. Finally, the two epic heroes both share some of the same good and bad qualities, thus, making each one slight mirror images of one another. According to Webster's, an epic hero is â€Å"a larger than life figure from a history or legend, usually favored by or even partially descended from deities, but aligned more closely with mortal figures in popular portrayals†. The hero participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey, gathers allies along his journey, and returns home significantly transformed by his journey. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society from which the epic originates. They usually embody cultural and religious beliefs of the people. Many epic heroes are recurring characters in ... ...rs. In conclusion, Beowulf and Gilgamesh totally exemplify what is truly means to be a tragic hero. The two men’s lifestyles ultimately determined how their destiny would lay out. Every epic hero is the same no matter where they come from. Their proud demeanor, superhuman abilities, and treacherous journeys qualify them as special individuals because no ordinary could ever possibly do all that they do. Even though every epic hero possesses a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to their downfall, they always seem to get some good done before they leave the earth and fade into the afterlife. They are always themselves no matter what any opposition may think. No matter the circumstances they believe in the glitz and glory of battle and they always die with their name going on for ages and ages, thus, making these two the epitome of what it means to be a true epic hero.

Essay --

Some people should keep away from all material things as they distort a person’s wellbeing. As a transcendentalist, I strongly believe that people should not be influenced by material things. These are some of the reasons which create a rotten culture in the society. A good example is a case where someone desires to have a certain commodity that belongs to their friends, they end up stealing. The love for material things is responsible for the deterioration of good cultural practices in the society. It is important for people to live simple lifestyles without any form of complications or desire for big things. It is necessary to acquire a high self-esteem as well as morals. The three major fields which involve the participation of human beings should be characterized by the good character of the people involved. These include religion, literature and culture. In order to achieve the success of creating a stable personal state, it is necessary to consider intuition. As a transcendentalist, I have a strong value for nature based on the way it is. Nature happens to be so pure unlike the things mankind engages in creating on a daily basis. Some of these unnatural materials are contributing to the worsening of the society. Self-reliance is another very significant personal attribute I support. An independent person does whatever they can in the most possible way. This is not the person who has to wait for favors from others. The personal wellbeing and responsibility, as well as usefulness are enhanced by self-reliance. I desire to live the simplest form of life one can ever imagine thus living a happy life. Young states that simple lifestyles are not faced by numerous stresses of life or any form of complications. The more one aspir... ... the idea of people moving away from cultural and traditional practices. Most of these factors are good at taking people away from Godliness thus ruining the personal wellbeing. Some cultural practices employ the practice of wrongful deeds, which should not be conducted at all. Engaging in cultural practices helps in ruining the relationship between people because there are different customs in the society. Transcendentalism is helpful in the creation of simple lifestyles which do not cause problems in people’s lives. I have a strong belief in this movement because it enables people to live better lives. This is what everybody ought to practice in order to live less stressful lives. The benefits are numerous as one’s wellbeing enables them to develop strong connections with God. As well as themselves. After all, one's character is defined by what they believe.

Spirituality and Strength

My Strengths Strength is a word that is greatly misinterpreted. Strength is to overcome challenges that you face and to grow from them. To most, strength only comes in physical form, while for others strength comes emotionally as well as spiritually. One can be small yet strong or one can even be scared yet strong. Strength has no set rules or requirements. Strength is going against all odds to end up prevailing. Being physically strong is the ability to sustain the capacity of a force without breaking or yielding.To be mentally strong is to emerge with confidence through an emotional series of events. For one to be spiritually strong they must have faith in what you believe when the odds are stacked against you. Everyone in life strives to be strong. Why? It is human nature. Physical strength is to prevail through obstacles that test your body to its limits. Physical strength is fighting a disease such as skin cancer. Listening to the doctors tell me that the chances of living a lon g healthy life are not excellent. After telling me all this they expect me to be that same person who was lways there for others.But who was there for me? Physical strength is fighting the never ending battle of drowsiness, when I was diagnosed with mononucleosis. This was a hopeless battle when I had so many things to do in so little time, Meyer 2 with no energy to spare. Yet, all I wanted to do was to fall into a deep sleep and escape all my responsibilities for the moment. Physical strength is being the strongest that I can be. This is waking up six days a week at the first light of day and pushing my body to its limits at the gym surrounded by other bodies dripping of sweat.It is to fight the endless struggle of laziness of a typical college student and workout even when I have had a long day, with few hours of sleep, and no time in my schedule. Physical strength is a daunting task to seek out but with hard work and perseverance it can be achieved. Mental strength is the ability to overcome hardship, pain, and suffering. The ability to use those experiences from depression in a positive way, to grow and develop from the most painful situations imaginable. That is what mental strength is all about. I have always been told that the strongest are always most successful.My success is the new person that I have become. I ignore the Judgmental looks and comments made by those I love and those I hate. I handle being ridiculed and gossiped about by those, who in the past, I had put all my trust in. Mental strength is dealing with the drama and stress of high school. It takes strength to walk down those cramped hallways alone and be watched by those who I used to be able to call my friends, and having no one to talk to. Even though I feel as though I am alone within a crowd of faces and shadows, bumping into me, trying to knock me down I do not get intimidated.On weekdays at six in the morning I look in the mirror and plaster on a brave face to fool others into thi nking that nothing is wrong. I have the strength to not fall in to the deadly trap that people lay out when they make fun of you have with everyone and with yourself. Spiritual strength is the will to believe when all others do not. It is the fight for faith, something that could be imaginary, but that I see as real. It is the urge to die for what I believe in. I maintain my strength while I am tested on my faith in God by countless people, Judging me for following and acting on my beliefs in God.I would rather die protecting my spirituality then live a lie full of regret. In my times of trouble I have come to realize God is the light, the truth, and the way when all other paths are taken over with darkness. My strength is overcoming the hardship of following the unknown and not knowing where it will take me. It is putting my faith trust in God, and praying when I feel scared or upset. Every Sunday morning and Wednesday night I devote myself to the life of the church, the body, and the blood of Jesus Christ. Some say that by having spiritual strength I am condemning myself.On the contrary, in having spiritual strength I am freeing myself to a life full of Joy and happiness. Above all, to have spiritual strength is to have faith, love, patience, dedication and hope in God. In conclusion, there are three types of strength I have exhibited throughout my life; physical, mental, and spiritual. To have physical strength is to excel in challenges that are made upon the body. To have mental strength is to when my limits are tested. To have spiritual strength is to stick to what I believe is morally right in life. These strengths tie into how I live my life day by day.