Radio Frequency Identification Essay -- Cyberstudies Art Technology Es

Radio Frequency Identification "Select one particular area of the arts, media or communication industries and discuss the way in which new technologies could influence future developments in that field† â€Å"This is the most dangerous technology humanity has come up with since the nuclear bomb. Our children's generation will judge us by how we handle this† (Centaur Communications, 2003). What possible atrocities could this be in reference to? Could it be Saddam Hussein’s hidden weapons of mass destruction, or perhaps an opposition to genetic engineering? No, this is a statement from marketing academic Albrecht describing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. What is RFID and what are the connotations of adopting this technology on future generations? This paper will attempt to answer these questions by examining the following issues: Firstly it will start by providing an explanation and definition of RFID. Next it will discuss possible future developments of this technology as being currently explored by major corporations as well as the public concerns related to possible developments. Finally it will look at the probability of these predictions becoming reality and assess the advantages and disadvantages of these predictions coming to fruition. RFID is fundamentally a form of active one-way communication, where electronic tags are programmed with unique information which enables objects to be identified or tracked by receivers. These tags can then be placed on almost an infinite array of items such as pallets, clothing, vehicles, grocery items and even animals, which opens up a vast range of possible uses for them (Advanstar Communications, 1999). RFID tags could be explained as a type of revolutionary bar... ...ontline Solutions, 7, p48. Centaur Communications Ltd. (2003). Insight: Tagging along. New Media Age, p24. Forester, T. (1987). High-tech society. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd. James, G. (2004). Can’t hide your prying eyes. Computerworld, 9, p35-36. Jones, P., Clarke-Hill, C., Shears, P., Comfort, D. & Hillier, D. (2004). Radio frequency identification in the UK: opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 32, p164-171. Lillo. A. (2004). Store of the future is here today. Home Textiles Today, 19, p11. Neff, J. (2003). P&G products to wear wire. Advertising Age, 50, p1. Rosenberg, J. (2003). Bye-bye to bar codes. Editor & Publisher, 36, p20. Stackpole, B. (2003). RFID finds its place. Electronic Business, 9, p42. Wagstaff, J. (2003). Eyes on you, the shopper. Far Eastern Economic Review, 31, p31. Radio Frequency Identification Essay -- Cyberstudies Art Technology Es Radio Frequency Identification "Select one particular area of the arts, media or communication industries and discuss the way in which new technologies could influence future developments in that field† â€Å"This is the most dangerous technology humanity has come up with since the nuclear bomb. Our children's generation will judge us by how we handle this† (Centaur Communications, 2003). What possible atrocities could this be in reference to? Could it be Saddam Hussein’s hidden weapons of mass destruction, or perhaps an opposition to genetic engineering? No, this is a statement from marketing academic Albrecht describing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. What is RFID and what are the connotations of adopting this technology on future generations? This paper will attempt to answer these questions by examining the following issues: Firstly it will start by providing an explanation and definition of RFID. Next it will discuss possible future developments of this technology as being currently explored by major corporations as well as the public concerns related to possible developments. Finally it will look at the probability of these predictions becoming reality and assess the advantages and disadvantages of these predictions coming to fruition. RFID is fundamentally a form of active one-way communication, where electronic tags are programmed with unique information which enables objects to be identified or tracked by receivers. These tags can then be placed on almost an infinite array of items such as pallets, clothing, vehicles, grocery items and even animals, which opens up a vast range of possible uses for them (Advanstar Communications, 1999). RFID tags could be explained as a type of revolutionary bar... ...ontline Solutions, 7, p48. Centaur Communications Ltd. (2003). Insight: Tagging along. New Media Age, p24. Forester, T. (1987). High-tech society. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd. James, G. (2004). Can’t hide your prying eyes. Computerworld, 9, p35-36. Jones, P., Clarke-Hill, C., Shears, P., Comfort, D. & Hillier, D. (2004). Radio frequency identification in the UK: opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 32, p164-171. Lillo. A. (2004). Store of the future is here today. Home Textiles Today, 19, p11. Neff, J. (2003). P&G products to wear wire. Advertising Age, 50, p1. Rosenberg, J. (2003). Bye-bye to bar codes. Editor & Publisher, 36, p20. Stackpole, B. (2003). RFID finds its place. Electronic Business, 9, p42. Wagstaff, J. (2003). Eyes on you, the shopper. Far Eastern Economic Review, 31, p31.

Benefits & Compensation in Small Businesses

This paper is based on the benefits and compensation in small businesses as this is one of the important factors the small businesses have to consider and likewise have to struggle to compete for top quality employees with big businesses. It is very important for any business to hire good and hardworking employees and for this; they have to plan out proper strategies. Moreover, it is not just important to hire diligent employees but the business also has to make strategies as to how to retain them especially in the case of the small businesses because the competition is very high and it is essential for them to retain them.Organizational culture The culture followed by an organization highlights its personality. Culture basically comprises of the assumptions, the values and norms the business has, its financial position and about its members and their behaviors. Whenever a new member is added to an organization, they don’t take much time to study and learn about the type of cu lture being followed, however every company has its different culture and although new employees may take time to adjust but they soon get to know about it and work accordingly.There are always some things that are quite obvious for others to understand what type of culture a business has adopted. The way the interior of an organization such as the setting and the furniture being used, what the people working in an organization wear and how and what they talk about tells about the culture of an organization. This is one of the factor that is considered as important by the employees and so the business must set a kind of culture that is easy and favorable for the employees to adjust and is basically the task of the HR department to make the employees feel comfortable.Can HR system make a difference to the creation of such culture? The human resources are required by all the organizations in order to compete in the extremely aggressive world today. This reason defines the purpose of t he HR system extremely necessary, increases efficiency and also enables the company to achieve a competitive advantage over its competitors. HR also helps to identify how and in what ways an individual attributes to affect is organizational effectiveness. The key purpose of HR strategy is to guide the process by which organizations develop and position organizational and human capital to augment their competitiveness.Nowadays, HR is used as a model that reflects an era of strategic management. It emphasizes on the knowledge-based competition. Therefore, these systems are designed in a way to develop and support ideas of intellectual capital and knowledge management that propel strategy formation. (Pynes, 2004). Problematic areas of Human Resource development activities One of the major problems being faced by the HR department is because of the diversified workforce at an organization. Many people feel uncomfortable to working with people of a different age, sex, or culture.Despite the fact that employing people from different groups is good but it can lead to a clot of conflicts. The management has to manage a diversified workforce effectively or it can effect employee satisfaction and productivity negatively and the employees who recognize themselves as valued members of their organization are more diligent, concerned, and innovative and this tends them to work harder. Another problem can be the economic unrest prevailing. People from diversified groups would be having different definition of ambition.The outcome of ambition is mostly unpredictable, some ambitions begun in selflessness end in rancor; others begun in selfishness end in large-heartedness. It can at times be uncontrollable as well and some people may not be able handle ambition serving it as a grief to others. It also leads to jealousy. Other than that, people might opt any way to achieve their goals and these might be unlawful as well. (Evans, 2003). Role and function of HR department To defin e human resources in the simplest words we can say that they are the â€Å"resources for humans† within the workplace.The task of the HR department is to meet the needs of the employees and it also serves as a connection between all the people who are involved. The HR system of an organization comes into existence depending on the company size. The Human Resource Department can be formed just by appointing Personnel who can manage a small workforce, In case of a small company but in the case where a larger, complex organization is concerned that employs hundreds of people with many departments and divisions, the task becomes more demanding. Employee Compensation BenefitsThis includes the remuneration and bonuses such as paid leaves, sick leaves and insurance policies, etc and it is Human Resources Department that is in charge to develop and to manage the benefits compensation system for the staff that serves as an inducement to guarantee the recruitment. Their goal does not j ust finish after recruitment but they also have to work on retaining employees and make them continue working for the company. After recruiting an employee, the Benefits Coordinator of the business must meet the selected candidates one-on-one or in small group settings and explain their benefits package.(Brockbank & Ulrich, 2005). Employee Relations These might include age and gender, race discrimination, etc. and it is mandatory for the HR Department to make sure a fair treatment of employees. Employees should know that they are safe and they can approach someone in case they are unfairly treated by anyone. The HR Department acts as an negotiator and works to establish cooperation between the legal entities, regulatory agencies, supervisors and employees to properly tackle and determine the issue is persisting.Policy Formulation Every company whatever its size is has a set of rules and policies. This is essential so that proper regulation can be maintained at the work place. These policies also help the managers to hire individuals and evaluate the performance of an employee currently working for the firm. Maslow’s model Abraham Maslow was the one who proposed the hierarchy of needs model. The model consisted of the five basic needs that every employee requires from the organization in order to sustain well.The most imperative need is the physiological need of an employee that includes the basic needs without which he cannot survive such as food, water, clothing and shelter. Next comes the safety needs of an employee, that are also essential to make him perform well in an organization and this is followed by the need of belongingness. As man is a social animal, he always needs family and friends, etc. Third is the self-esteem needs that can be explained by admiration as a person always needs recognition from others for encouragement.The last is the need of self-actualization i. e. enhancing ones capabilities. However, some factors also put restrictions to this model and one of them is the differences in thinking levels of the employees belonging to different cultural backgrounds. Rewards and Benefits Rewards and benefits are major set of HRM activities. The business should provide their employees rewards and benefits like pay, fringe, etc. The most common rewards they can give to the employees are worker’s compensation, social security and unemployment insurance.By focusing the employee’s performance it provides benefits to its employees, which are considered by the staff members, executives and managers of the company. Conclusion The leaders are the ones who should encourage their juniors to suggest ideas that could lead to creativity and innovation. The employees should be rewarded, supported and proper amalgamation should be provided for the processes. Fund learning should be encouraged. This can be done by prioritizing it into budgets and work plans and to make it accessible to the employees or it would be of no use.Trust and respect should be placed on all the levels of the organization. Free communication and personalization should be allowed. Constant training or at least monthly or yearly training programs should be held for all the staff to keep on learning new things. The return on investment should be taken care of. The employees should know how much they are contributing to the company. These are some more factors that could help UN to retain their current employees. (Anderson & Anderson, n. d. ). Reference Anderson, D. & Anderson, L. (n. d. ). A.Awake at the Wheel: Moving beyond Change Management to Conscious Change Leadership. March 9th, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www. changeleadersroadmap. com/freeresources/P1D. 7. 17. aspx Brockbank, W. & Ulrich, D. (2005). The HR Value Proposition. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Evans, C. (2003). Managing for Knowledge – HR's Strategic Role. 1st Edn. Butterworth- Heinemann. Pynes, J. E. (2004). Human Resources Management for P ublic and Nonprofit Organizations. (Jossey Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series). 2nd Edn. Jossey-Bass.

Socrates And Machiavelli - 1860 Words

Political Theorists: Moralities and Wisdom Political theorists, Socrates and Machiavelli, each provide their own ideas and philosophies for political structure that are still being discussed today. In Plato’s writings of â€Å"Apology† and â€Å"Crito†, he defines Socrates as man of wisdom and humbleness as he goes through trial and death of a crime he did not commit. Machiavelli’s writing of â€Å"The Prince† was written as a way to advise a Prince on how to achieve the greatest success as a ruler. These two theorists have different views on how states should be governed as well as the kind of roles the people play in them. Two specific ideas these theorists touch on are wisdom and morality, which overall help explain the differences between the two.†¦show more content†¦In Machiavelli’s world, he believes it is morally correct for a Prince to sacrifice the people before ever letting his own government collapse. Machiavelli continue s to show where his morals lay with his investment in foreign affairs as he puts a lot more focus in external affairs than internal, in wanting to conquer smaller and weaker states around him. In terms of foreign affairs Machiavelli’s morals towards war is presented as once again the state over the people. When entering war he explains to the people that these difficult times are only temporary, even as their â€Å"houses having been burned and their possessions destroyed† (The Prince, 47). The Prince still creates a patriotic feel and an obligation from the people to be grateful and have love for their Prince because he has made them believe that he has protected them from outside foreign attacks. It is evident that Machiavelli has high morals for war as he states that a Prince â€Å"should have no other thought, or take up anything as his profession, except for war and its rules and discipline, for that is the only art that befits the one who commands† (The Pr ince, 63). These moral views of what a Prince should prioritize according to Machiavelli are views that Socrates would not agree with. Socrates perspective of morality is very different to what Machiavelli views as important. Overall, Socrates would disagree with a lot of Machiavelli’s morals especially with theShow MoreRelatedSocrates And Machiavelli1681 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates, in his early works, maintained a steadfast distance from involvement in politics, making a comparison or evaluation of a political system in his persona technically impossible. To claim that Socrates would or would not be supportive of any political system might then seem irresponsible, a presumptuous analysis not fitting for an academic recognizing the false equivalence between Socrates’ philosophy and Machiavelli’s political ethics. The strategy to conduct any sort of liable and validRead MoreMachiavelli And Socrates1579 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli and Socrates Niccolo Machiavelli and Socrates both lived during turbulent, political times. Machiavelli in Florence, Italy and Socrates in Athens. Machiavelli’s The Prince outlines the necessary features and traits of a sovereign, primarily, a Prince. It served as a handbook to effective rulership in the 16th century. By analyzing Machiavelli’s belief that a prince should be strategically feared, the role of free will , and the role of the people , I will argue that Machiavelli hasRead MoreMachiavelli And Socrates896 Words   |  4 PagesMachiavelli and Socrates are two of the most prominent philosophers of history. Each men are characterized by developing distinct schools of thought regarding individual rights and statehood. Machiavelli’s The Prince is a manual for rulers: lessons based on empirical observations of history. In The Apology written by Plato, Socrates delivers a justification to an Athenian court. It is notRead MoreMachiavelli And Socrates1840 Words   |  8 Pagesrespective times, Socrates and Niccolà ³ Machiavelli had very different methods and beliefs of how a political system should be run. The mindset of Socrates can be seen in the works Apology and Crito by Plato. Socrates, who values wisdom and justice over power and prestige, would view Machiavelli’s concept of a Prince very contradicting to how he believes a good life should be lived. In his work, The Prince, Machiavelli details how a prince should rule and maintain power. Socrates would not be supportiveRead MoreSocrates An d Machiavelli1660 Words   |  7 Pagesworks of Socrates and Machiavelli are as polarized as the phrases â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living† and â€Å"the ends justify the means.† The Prince by Machiavelli and The Last Days of Socrates by Plato are both crucial texts to the discussion of what makes a good political leader. Well, what makes a good political leader? Socrates would disagree with Machiavelli’s ideation of the Prince because of the immorality that he allows this model to have in the public sphere. However, Socrates would findRead MoreMachiavelli And Socrates1713 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates and Niccolà ² Machiavelli were both political philosophers who lived through corruption, violence, and political restlessness. These circumstances prompted them to develop their own solutions for their respective societies. This included the creation of a stable political system with a strong and effective leader through the examination of the fault s of said societies. To Machiavelli, this leader is known as the â€Å"Prince.† He believes that the Prince should be pragmatic in his actions, andRead MoreSocrates And Machiavelli1961 Words   |  8 PagesWhat would Socrates think of Machiavelli’s political world? Socrates and Machiavelli were some of the most influential political philosophers in their respective times. Some argue that their view of empowering individuals, whether it be through free speech or ruthless fighting, are quite similar. However, their views of leadership and government do not align. Socrates’ support for free expression and due process makes his view of effective governance far different from Machiavelli’s focus on nationalRead MoreSocrates And Machiavelli2009 Words   |  9 PagesSocrates and Machiavelli are both very influential philosophers and two of the great minds of their time. However, both of these men had their own separate ideas that did not completely agree with one another. Machiavelli was born into a Renaissance time period of fragmented politics, lots of bloodshed, and angry citizens while Socrates grew up in a time of political adjustment and instability in Athens. Machiavelli constructed The Prince as a political pamphlet to his frie nd Lorenzo de MediciRead MoreMachiavelli And Socrates1976 Words   |  8 Pagesand turmoil, both Socrates and Machiavelli use philosophy to evaluate people and politics. After seeing corruption, fragmentation and death, both philosophers developed different views. Machiavelli’s concept of a Prince includes strong stances on morality and religion. Socrates would be likely to agree on the general ideas that Machiavelli believes a Prince should have but he would differ mainly in how they should be executed. I believe that Socrates would agree with Machiavelli that there needs toRead MoreSocrates And Machiavelli Analysis936 Words   |  4 Pages Socrates instilled value in living life as it ought to be and ingrained the pursuit of truth into all of his actions. He relished living as a gadfly to the state; arousing thoughts in others as a means to bring them to higher points of understanding and critical examination, which they then were to apply to their own society. He wanted people to live lives as they ought to live them and for the state to be a reflection of that aim. The leader advocated by Machiavelli, The Prince, is far more authoritarian