Monday, September 30, 2019
Last Sacrifice Chapter Sixteen
CONSIDERING SYDNEY DESTROYED dead bodies on a regular basis, it was kind of surprising that she was so shocked by our post-fight appearances. Maybe dead Strigoi were just objects to her. Dimitri and I were real live people, and we were a mess. ââ¬Å"I hope you guys don't stain the car,' she said, once the bodies were disposed of and we were on our way. I think it was her best attempt at a joke, in an effort to cover up her discomfort over our torn and bloody clothes. ââ¬Å"Are we going to Paris?' I asked, turning to look back at Dimitri. ââ¬Å"Paris?' asked Sydney, startled. ââ¬Å"Not yet,' said Dimitri, leaning his head back against the seat. He was back to looking like a controlled guardian. All signs of his earlier breakdown were gone, and I had no intention of giving away what had happened before we'd fetched Sydney. So small â⬠¦ yet so monumental. And very private. For now, he mostly looked tired. ââ¬Å"We should wait until daytime. We had to go for Donovan now, but if Sonya's got a house, she's probably there all the time. Safer for us in daylight.' ââ¬Å"How do you know he wasn't lying?' asked Sydney. She was driving with no real destination, merely getting us out of the neighborhood as fast as possible and before people reported screams and the sounds of fighting. I thought back to the terror on Donovan's face and shivered. ââ¬Å"I don't think he was lying.' Sydney didn't ask any more questions, except about which direction she should drive. Dimitri suggested we find another hotel so that we could clean up and get some rest before tomorrow's task. Fortunately, Lexington had a much broader selection of hotels than our last town. We didn't go for luxury, but the large, modern-looking place we chose was part of a chain, clean and stylish. Sydney checked us in and then led us inside through a side door, so as not to startle any guests who might be up in the middle of the night. We got one room with two double beds. No one commented on it, but I think we all shared a need to stay together after our earlier Strigoi encounter. Dimitri was much more of a mess than me, thanks to his mutilation of Donovan, so I sent him to shower first. ââ¬Å"You did great,' I told Sydney as we waited. I sat on the floor (which was much cleaner than the last room's) so that I wouldn't wreck the beds. ââ¬Å"That was really brave of you.' She crooked me a smile. ââ¬Å"Typical. You get beat up and nearly killed, but I'm the one you're praising?' ââ¬Å"Hey, I do this all the time. Going in there alone like you did â⬠¦ well, it was pretty hardcore. And I'm not that beat up.' I was brushing off my injuries, just as Dimitri would. Sydney, eyeing me, knew it too. My legs were scraped more than I'd realized, the skin torn and bleeding from where I'd fallen on the cement. One of my ankles was complaining over the roof-jump, and I had a number of cuts and bruises scattered over the rest of me. I had no clue where most had come from. Sydney shook her head. ââ¬Å"How you guys don't catch gangrene more often is beyond me.' We both knew why, though. It was part of the natural resistance I'd been born with as a dhampir, getting the best of both races' traits. Moroi were actually pretty healthy too, though they sometimes caught diseases unique to their race. Victor was an example. He had a chronic disease and had once forced Lissa to heal him. Her magic had restored him to full health at the time, but the illness was slowly creeping back. I showered after Dimitri finished, and then Sydney forced her first aid kit on both of us. When we were bandaged and disinfected to her satisfaction, she got out her laptop and pulled up a map of Paris, Kentucky. The three of us huddled around the screen. ââ¬Å"Lots of creeks and rivers,' she mused, scrolling around. ââ¬Å"Not much in the way of lakes.' I pointed. ââ¬Å"Do you think that's it?' It was a tiny body of water, marked APPLEWOOD POND. ââ¬Å"Maybe. Ah, there's another pond. That could be a suspect too orââ¬âoh! Right here?' She tapped the screen on another body of water, a bit bigger than the ponds: MARTIN LAKE. Dimitri sat back and ran a hand over his eyes as he yawned. ââ¬Å"That looks like the most likely option. If not, I don't think it'll take long to drive around the other ones.' ââ¬Å"That's your plan?' asked Sydney. ââ¬Å"Just drive around and look for a blue house?' I exchanged glances with Dimitri and shrugged. Sydney might be showing her bravery on this trip, but I knew her idea of ââ¬Å"a plan' was a little different from ours. Hers were structured, well-thought out, and had a clear purpose. Also, details. ââ¬Å"It's more solid than most of our plans,' I said at last. The sun was going to be up in another hour or so. I was restless to go after Sonya, but Dimitri insisted sleep until midday. He took one bed, and Sydney and I shared the other. I didn't really think I needed the rest he claimed, but my body disagreed. I fell asleep almost instantly. And like always lately, I eventually was pulled into a spirit dream. I hoped it was Adrian, coming to finish our last conversation. Instead, the conservatory materialized around me, complete with harp and cushioned furniture. I sighed and faced the Brothers Dashkov. ââ¬Å"Great,' I said. ââ¬Å"Another conference call. I have really got to start blocking your number.' Victor gave me a small bow. ââ¬Å"Always a pleasure, Rose.' Robert merely stared off into space again. Nice to know some things never changed. ââ¬Å"What do you want?' I demanded. ââ¬Å"You know what we want. We're here to help you help Vasilisa.' I didn't believe that for an instant. Victor had some scheme in mind, but my hope was to capture him before he could do any further damage. He studied me expectantly. ââ¬Å"Have you found the other Dragomir yet?' I stared incredulously. ââ¬Å"It's only been a day!' I almost had to redo my math on that one. It felt more like ten years. Nope. Only a day since I'd last spoken to Victor. ââ¬Å"And?' Victor asked. ââ¬Å"And, how good do you think we are?' He considered. ââ¬Å"Pretty good.' ââ¬Å"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but it's not as easy as it seems. And actually â⬠¦ considering what a cover-up this has all been, it really doesn't seem easy at all.' ââ¬Å"But you have found something?' Victor pressed. I didn't answer. An eager gleam lit his eyes, and he took a step forward. I promptly took one back. ââ¬Å"You have found something.' ââ¬Å"Maybe.' Again, I had the same indecision as before. Did Victor, with all his scheming and manipulating, know something that could help us? Last time, he'd given me nothing, but now we had more information. What had he said? If we found a thread, he could unravel it? ââ¬Å"Rose.' Victor was speaking to me like I was a child, as he often did to Robert. It made me scowl. ââ¬Å"I told you before: It doesn't matter if you trust me or my intentions. For now, we're both interested in the same short-term goal. Don't let future worries ruin your chance here.' It was funny, but that was similar to the principle I'd operated on for most of my life. Live in the now. Jump right in and worry about the consequences later. Now, I hesitated and tried to think things over before making a decision. At last, I chose to take the risk, again hoping Victor might be able to help. ââ¬Å"We think the mother â⬠¦ the mother of Lissa's brother or sister â⬠¦ is related to Sonya Karp.' Victor's eyebrows rose. ââ¬Å"You know who that is?' ââ¬Å"Of course. She turned Strigoiââ¬âallegedly because she went insane. But we both know it was a little more complicated than that.' I nodded reluctantly. ââ¬Å"She was a spirit user. No one knew.' Robert's head whipped around so fast that I nearly jumped. ââ¬Å"Whos a spirit user?' ââ¬Å"Former spirit user,' said Victor, instantly switching to soothing mode. ââ¬Å"She became a Strigoi to get away from it.' The sharp focus Robert had directed toward the two of us melted into soft dreaminess once more. ââ¬Å"Yes â⬠¦ always a lure to that â⬠¦ kill to live, live to kill. Immortality and freedom from these chains, but oh, what a loss â⬠¦' They were crazy ramblings, but they had an eerie similarity to some of the things Adrian said sometimes. I didn't like that at all. Trying to pretend Robert wasn't in the room, I turned back to Victor. ââ¬Å"Do you know anything about her? Who she's related to?' He shook his head. ââ¬Å"She has a large family.' I threw up my hands in exasperation. ââ¬Å"Could you be any more useless? You keep acting like you know so much, but you're just telling us what we've already found out! You aren't helping!' ââ¬Å"Help comes in many forms, Rose. Have you found Sonya?' ââ¬Å"Yes.' I reconsidered. ââ¬Å"Well, not quite. We know where she is. We're going to see her tomorrow and question her.' The look on Victor's face spoke legions about how ridiculous he thought that was. ââ¬Å"And I'm sure she'll be eager to help.' I shrugged. ââ¬Å"Dimitri's pretty persuasive.' ââ¬Å"So I've heard,' said Victor. ââ¬Å"But Sonya Karp isn't an impressionable teenager.' I sized up a punch but worried Robert might have his force field up again. Victor appeared oblivious to my anger. ââ¬Å"Tell me where you are. We'll come to you.' Once more, a dilemma. I didn't think there was much the brothers could do. But this might present an opportunity to recapture him. Besides, if we had him in person, maybe he'd stop interrupting my dreams. ââ¬Å"We're in Kentucky,' I said at last. ââ¬Å"Paris, Kentucky.' I gave him what other info we had about the blue house. ââ¬Å"We'll be there tomorrow,' Victor said. ââ¬Å"Then where are you nowââ¬âââ¬Ë And just like last time, Robert ended the dream abruptly, leaving me hanging. What had I gotten myself into with them? Before I could consider it, I was immediately taken to another spirit dream. Good Lord. It really was deja vu. Everyone wanted to talk to me in my sleep. Fortunately, like last time, my second visit was from Adrian. This one was in the ballroom where the Council had met. There were no chairs or people, and my steps echoed on the hard wood floor. The room that seemed so grand and powerful when in use now had a lonely, ominous feel. Adrian stood near one of the tall, arched windows, giving me one of his roguish smiles when I hugged him. Compared to how dirty and bloody everything was in the real world, he seemed pristine and perfect. ââ¬Å"You did it.' I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. ââ¬Å"You got them to nominate Lissa.' After our last dream visit, when I'd realized there might be some merit to Victor's suggestion, I'd had to work hard to convince Adrian that the nomination idea was a good oneââ¬â particularly since I hadn't been sure myself. ââ¬Å"Yeah, getting that group on board was easy.' He seemed to like my admiration, but his face grew grimmer as he pondered my words. ââ¬Å"She's not happy about it, though. Boy, she let us have it afterward.' ââ¬Å"I saw it. You're right that she doesn't like itââ¬âbut it was more than that. It was spirit- darkness. I took some of it away, but yeah â⬠¦ it was bad.' I remembered how taking her anger had caused it to flare up briefly in me. Spirit didn't hit me as hard as it did herââ¬â but that was only temporary. Eventually, if I pulled enough over the years, it would take over. I caught hold of Adrian's hand and gave him as pleading a look as I could manage. ââ¬Å"You've got to look after her. I'll do what I can, but you know as well as I do how stress and worry can agitate spirit. I'm afraid it'll come back like it used to. I wish I could be there to take care of her. Pleaseââ¬âhelp her.' He tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear, concern in his deep green eyes. At first, I thought his worry was just for Lissa. ââ¬Å"I will,' he said. ââ¬Å"I'll do what I can. But Rose â⬠¦ will it happen to me? Is that what I'll become? Like her and the others?' Adrian had never shown the extreme side effects Lissa had, largely because he didn't use as much spirit and because he did so much self-medicating with alcohol. I didn't know how long that would last, though. From what I'd seen, there were only a few things to delay the insanity: self-discipline, antidepressants, and bonding to someone shadow-kissed. Adrian didn't seem interested in any of those options. It was weird, but in this moment of vulnerability, I was reminded of what had just happened with Dimitri. Both of these men, so strong and confident in their ways, yet each needing me for support. You're the strong one, Rose, a voice whispered inside my head. Adrian gazed off. ââ¬Å"Sometimes â⬠¦ sometimes I can believe the insanity is all imagined, you know? I've never felt it like the others â⬠¦ like Lissa or old Vlad. But once in a while â⬠¦' he paused. ââ¬Å"I don't know. I feel so close, Rose. So close to the edge. Like if I allow myself one small misstep, I'll plunge away and never come back. It's like I'll lose myself.' I'd heard him say stuff like this before, when he'd go off on some weird tangent that only half made sense. It was the closest he ever came to showing that spirit might be messing with his mind too. I'd never realized he was aware of these moments or what they could mean. He looked back down at me. ââ¬Å"When I drink â⬠¦ I don't worry about it. I don't worry about going crazy. But then I think â⬠¦ maybe I already I am. Maybe I am, but no one can tell the difference when I'm drunk.' ââ¬Å"You're not crazy,' I said fiercely, pulling him to me. I loved his warmth and the way he felt against my skin. ââ¬Å"You'll be okay. You're strong.' He pressed his cheek to my forehead. ââ¬Å"I don't know,' he said. ââ¬Å"I think you're my strength.' It was a sweet and romantic statement, but something about it bothered me. ââ¬Å"That's not quite right,' I said, wondering how I could put my feelings into words. I knew you could help someone else in a relationship. You could strengthen them and support them. But you couldn't actually do everything for them. You couldn't solve all their problems. ââ¬Å"You have to find it within yourââ¬âââ¬Ë The hotel room's alarm clock blared and broke me from the dream, leaving me frustrated both because I missed Adrian and hadn't been able to say all I wanted to. Well, there was nothing I could do for him now. I could only hope he'd manage on his own. Sydney and I were both sluggish and squinty-eyed. It made sense that she'd be exhausted, since her whole sleeping scheduleââ¬âwhen she actually got sleepââ¬âhad been thrown off. Me? My fatigue was mental. So many people, I thought. So many people needed me â⬠¦ but it was so hard to help all of them. Naturally, Dimitri was up and ready to go. He'd woken before us. Last night's breakdown might as well have never happened. It turned out he'd been dying for coffee and had patiently waited for us, not wanting to leave us sleeping and undefended. I shooed him off, and twenty minutes later, he returned with coffee and a box of donuts. He also had purchased an industrial-strength chain at a hardware store across the street ââ¬Å"for when we find Sonya,' which made me uneasy. By then Sydney and I were ready to go, and I decided to hold off on my questions. I wasn't crazy about wearing shorts again, not with my legs in this condition, but I was too eager to get to Sonya to insist we stop at a mall. I did, however, decide it was time to get my companions up to speed. ââ¬Å"So,' I began casually, ââ¬Å"Victor Dashkov might be joining us soon.' It was to Sydney's credit that she didn't drive off the road. ââ¬Å"What? That guy who escaped?' I could see in Dimitri's eyes that he was just as shocked, but he kept cool and under control, like always. ââ¬Å"Why,' he began slowly, ââ¬Å"is Victor Dashkov joining us?' ââ¬Å"Well, it's kind of a funny story â⬠¦' And with that intro, I gave them as brief yet thorough a recap as I could, starting with the background on Robert Doru and ending with the brothers' recent dream visits. I glossed over Victor's ââ¬Å"mysterious' escape a few weeks ago, but something told me that Dimitri, in that uncanny way we had of guessing each other's thoughts, was probably putting the pieces together. Both Lissa and I had told Dimitri we'd gone through a lot to learn how to restore him, but we'd never explained the full storyââ¬âespecially the part about breaking out Victor so that he could help us find his brother. ââ¬Å"Look, whether he can help or not, this is our chance to catch him,' I added hastily. ââ¬Å"That's a good thing, right?' ââ¬Å"Its an issue we'll deal with â⬠¦ later.' I recognized the tone in Dimitri's voice. He'd used it a lot at St. Vladimir's. It usually meant there was a private talk in my future, where I'd be grilled for more details. Kentucky turned out to be pretty beautiful as we drove out to Paris. The land was rolling and green as we got out of the city, and it was easy to imagine wanting to live in a little house out here. I wondered idly if that had been Sonya's motivation and then caught myself. I'd just told Dimitri that Strigoi saw no beauty. Was I wrong? Would gorgeous scenery matter to her? I found my answer when our GPS led us to Martin Lake. There were only a few houses scattered around it, and among those, only one was blue. Stopping a fair distance away from the house, Sydney parked the car off to the side of the road as much as she could. It was narrow, the shoulders covered in trees and high grass. We all got out of the car and walked a little ways, still keeping our distance. ââ¬Å"Well. It's a blue house,' declared Sydney pragmatically. ââ¬Å"But is it hers? I don't see a mailbox or anything.' I looked closer at the yard. Rose bushes, full of pink and red blossoms, grew in front of the porch. Baskets thick with white flowers I didn't know the names of hung from the roof, and blue morning glories climbed up a trellis. Around the house, I could just barely make out a wood fence. A vine with orange, trumpet-shaped flowers crawled over it. Then, an image flickered into my mind, gone as quickly as it had come. Ms. Karp watering pots of flowers in her classroom, flowers that seemed to grow impossibly fast and tall. As a teenager more interested in dodging homework, I hadn't thought much about them. It was only later, after watching Lissa make plants grow and bloom during spirit experiments, that I understood what had been happening in Ms. Karp's classroom. And now, even deprived of spirit and possessed by evil, Sonya Karp was still tending her flowers. ââ¬Å"Yeah,' I said. ââ¬Å"This is her house.' Dimitri approached the front porch, studying every detail. I started to follow but held back. ââ¬Å"What are you doing?' I kept my voice low. ââ¬Å"She might see you.' He returned to my side. ââ¬Å"Those are black-out curtains. They aren't letting in any light, so she isn't going to see anything. It also means she likely spends her time on the house's main floor, rather than a basement.' I could easily follow his line of thinking. ââ¬Å"That's good news for us.' When I'd been captured by Strigoi last year, my friends and I had been held in a basement. Not only was it convenient for Strigoi wanting to avoid the sun, it also meant fewer escape and entry options. It was easy for Strigoi to trap prey in a basement. The more doors and windows we had, the better. ââ¬Å"I'll scout the other side,' he said, starting for the backyard. I hurried up to him and caught him by the arm. ââ¬Å"Let me. I'll sense any Strigoiââ¬ânot that she's going outside, but, well, just in case.' He hesitated, and I grew irate, thinking he didn't believe me capable. Then, he said, ââ¬Å"Okay. Be careful.' I realized he was just worried about me. I moved as smoothly and quietly as I could around the house, soon discovering the wooden fence was going to create difficulty in seeing the backyard. I feared climbing over might alert Sonya to my presence and pondered what to do. My solution came in the form of a large rock lying near the fence's edge. I dragged the stone over and stood on top. It wasn't enough to let me look completely over, but I was able to easily put my hands on top of the fence and hoist myself up for a peek with minimal noise. It was like looking into the Garden of Eden. The flowers in the front had merely been the warm-up act. More roses, magnolia and apple trees, irises, and a billion other flowers I didn't recognize. Sonya's backyard was a paradise of lush color. I scoped out what I needed to and hurried back to Dimitri. Sydney still stood by the car. ââ¬Å"A patio door and two windows,' I reported. ââ¬Å"All curtained. There's also a wooden deck chair, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow.' ââ¬Å"Any pitchforks?' ââ¬Å"Unfortunately, no, but there's a big-ass rock sitting outside the fence. It'd be hard to get it into the yard, though. We're better off using it to help us climb over. No gate in the fence. She's made a fortress.' He nodded in understanding, and without any conversation, I knew what to do. We got the chain from the car and entrusted it to Sydney. We told her to wait for us outsideââ¬âwith the strict instructions to leave if we weren't back in thirty minutes. I hated to say that kind of thingââ¬âand Sydney's face indicated she didn't like hearing itââ¬âbut it was inevitable. If we hadn't subdued Sonya in that amount of time, we weren't going to subdue her at allââ¬âor leave alive. If we did manage to overtake her, we'd give some signal for Sydney to come in with the chain. Sydney's amber-brown eyes were filled with anxiety as she watched us head back around the house. I nearly teased her for caring about evil creatures of the night but stopped myself just in time. She might loathe every other dhampir and Moroi in the world, but somewhere along the way, she'd come to like Dimitri and me. That wasn't something to mock. Dimitri stood on the rock and surveyed the yard. He murmured a few last-minute instructions to me before taking my hands and boosting me up over the fence. His height went a long way to make the maneuver as easy and quietââ¬âthough not silentââ¬âas possible. He followed me shortly thereafter, landing beside me with a small thud. After that, we sprang forward with no delay. If Sonya had heard us, then there was no point in wasting time. We needed every advantage we could get. Dimitri grabbed the shovel and swung it hard into the glassââ¬âonce, twice. The first strike was about the height of my head, the second lower. The glass fractured more with each impact. Right on the heels of the second hit, I pushed forward and shoved the wheelbarrow into the door. Lifting it and throwing it against the glass would have been a lot cooler, but it was too unwieldy to raise very high. When the wheelbarrow struck the already weakened glass, the cracked areas broke and crumbled altogether, creating a hole big enough for both of us to get through. We both had to duckââ¬âespecially Dimitri. A simultaneous attack through both sides of the house would have been ideal, but it wasn't like Sonya could run out the front door. Nausea had started to creep over me as soon as we were near the patio, and the sensation hit full force as we entered a living room. I ignored my stomach in the way I'd perfected and braced myself for what was to come. We'd broken in pretty quickly but not quickly enough to truly get the jump on Strigoi reflexes. Sonya Karp was right there, ready for us, doing all she could to avoid the sunlight spilling into the living room. When I'd first seen Dimitri as a Strigoi, I'd been so shocked that I'd frozen up. It had allowed him to capture me, so I'd mentally braced myself this time, knowing I'd feel the same shock when I saw my former teacher as a Strigoi. And it was shocking. Just like with him, so many of Sonya's features were the same as before: the auburn hair and high cheek bones â⬠¦ but her beauty was twisted by all the other terrible conditions: chalky skin, red eyes, and the expression of cruelty that all Strigoi seemed to wear. If she recognized us, she gave no sign and lunged toward Dimitri with a snarl. It was a common Strigoi tactic to take out the bigger threat first, and it annoyed me that they always believed that was Dimitri. He'd shoved his stake in his belt in order to carry the shovel inside with him. The shovel wouldn't kill a Strigoi, but with enough strength and momentum, it would definitely keep Sonya at arm's length. He struck her with it in the shoulder after her first attempt, and while she didn't fall over, she definitely waited before trying another attack. They circled each other, like wolves readying for a battle, as she sized up her odds. One charge, and her greater strength would push him down, shovel or not. All of this took place in a matter of seconds, and Sonya's calculations had left me out of the equation. I made my own charge, slamming into her other side, but she saw me coming out of the corner of her eye and responded instantly, throwing me down while never taking her eyes off Dimitri. I wished I had the shovel and could hit her in the back from a safe distance. All I carried was my stake, and I had to be careful with it since it could kill her. I did a quick scan of her eerily normal living room and couldn't see any other potential weapons. She feinted, and Dimitri went for it. He just barely corrected himself as she leapt forward to take advantage of the situation. She thrust him against the wall, pinning him there and knocking the shovel from his grasp. He struggled against her, trying to break free as her hands found his throat. If I tried to pull her off, my strength combined with Dimitri's would probably free him. I wanted this over as quickly as possible, however, and decided to make a power play. I ran toward her, stake in hand, and plunged it through her right shoulder blade, hoping I was nowhere near her heart. The charmed silver, so agonizing to Strigoi skin, made her scream. Frantic, she shoved me away with force that was astonishing even for a Strigoi. I fell backward, stumbling, and whacked my head against a coffee table. My vision dimmed slightly, but instinct and adrenaline drove me back to my feet. My attack gave Dimitri the split second he needed. He knocked Sonya to the ground and grabbed my stake, pushing it against her throat. She screamed and flailed, and I moved forward to help him, knowing how hard it was to pin a Strigoi. ââ¬Å"Get Sydney â⬠¦' he grunted. ââ¬Å"The chain â⬠¦' I moved as quickly as I could, stars and shadows dancing in front of me. I unlocked the front door and kicked it open as a signal, then ran back to Dimitri. Sonya was making good progress in fighting him off. I dropped to my knees, working with Dimitri to keep her restrained. He had that battle lust in his eyes again, a look that said he wanted to destroy her right here and now. But there was something else, too. Something that made me think he had more control, that my words in the alley had actually had an impact. Still, I uttered a warning. ââ¬Å"We need her â⬠¦ remember we need her.' He gave me a slight nod, just as Sydney showed up lugging the chain. She stared at the scene wide-eyed, pausing only a moment before hurrying over to us. We'll make a warrior of her yet, I thought. Dimitri and I moved to our next task. We'd already spotted the best place to bind Sonya: a heavy, reclining armchair in the corner. Lifting herââ¬âwhich was dangerous since she was still thrashing wildlyââ¬âwe thrust her into the chair. Then, keeping the stake at her neck, Dimitri attempted to hold her down while I grabbed hold of the chain. There was no time to think of a precise system. I just started wrapping it, first around her legs and then as best as I could around her torso, trying to lock her arms against her. Dimitri had bought a lot of chain, thankfully, and I hurriedly wrapped it around the chair in a crazy manner, doing everything I could to keep her down. When I finally ran out of chain, Sonya was pretty well locked into place. Was it something she could break out of? Absolutely. But with a silver stake against her? Not so easy. With both in place â⬠¦ well, we had her trapped for now. It was the best we could do. Dimitri and I exchanged brief, weary looks. I felt dizzy but fought through it, knowing our task was far from over. ââ¬Å"Time for questioning,' I said grimly.
Legalizing the Use of Drugs
Many feel today we are losing the war on drugs. When a battle goes to the point where there is no winner, there needs to be a re-evaluation of how to solve the problem. In the case of the war against drugs, years of fighting have caused increased crime, overcrowding of prisons, and the wasted use of money and resources with no results. It is now time to look at alternative methods to solve the nation's drug problem. Although, legalization will increase use of the drug a majority of use will be by those who already use drugs not by new comers who might only try it once out of curiosity. Proof of this can be found in Holland when in 1970 the government legalized the use of marijuana for adults. The legalization of illicit drugs has proved that just because a drug is made legal it does not mean it will cause a rapid rise and abuse by society (Friedman). However, many supporters of continuing the prohibition of drugs believe that by legalizing drugs they will become more accessible and use will therefore increase. They base this argument on past experiments dealing with alcohol prohibition. After the end of prohibition with the 21st amendment, alcohol consumption doubled, while prohibition decreased use by 50 percent (Light). Another example can be found in Liverpool, England. After a recent legalization of drugs in a regulatory program that focuses on the medical benefits of drugs, most drug pushers there left town because there was no longer a market for them. This shows that legalization actually decreases use because of the increased emphasis on rehabilitation and the decrease of drug pushers. Such a dramatic decrease in drug dealers has not only resulted in crime reduction in England but there has also been a decrease of drug use. It is true, legalization will not eliminate the major cause of violent crime; however, most arguments, that say that drug legalization will not decrease crime, deal with the idea that most violent crimes occur as a result of alcohol use. If this is true, legalization will not effect crime that is alcohol related but it will decrease violent crime that is linked to drug dealing and use. The drugs themselves may not cause violent crime, but people involved in the distributing of illicit drugs commit the deadliest crime. By legalizing drugs the dealer would be eliminated and therefore crime would be reduced. Granted, the overall cost of drug use would not decrease; however, supporters of the continued war on drug and the further prohibition of these drugs say that legalization would cost more both socially and economically. They say that legalization would result in increased use and eventually will mean an increase in deaths with. Another result they say will be the decay of family values as a result of increased drug using mothers and children. Actually, the legalization of drugs will put money, which is used for law enforcement into the construction of better rehabilitation and education programs. Education is an essential element in this proposal because through education the problem will find a better than merely covering it up behind jail bars. Economically, for every dollar spent on drug treatment there is a $7 return due to decreased criminal activity. Through the regulation and supervision of the distribution of marijuana, there would be no increases in the number of drug-addicted newborns, nor will it induce the deterioration of society. Thus the overall cost of drug use would decrease and would bring new revenue for our nation. After looking at and knowing the pro and cons of marijuana legalization, I have decided that it is a valid and necessary solution to our countryâ⬠s drug problem. By implementing such a program the American population can use its money and resources to combat the problem through rehabilitation and education instead of stalling the problem through the legal system. Legalization will decrease violent crime associated with drug dealers; it will decrease the number of users and will lower the wasteful cost, which is connected with the current system. Such legalization will not destroy our youth in any way, because the drugs will only be accessible to adults in the country. If we continue with our current system we will never solve the problem. Drug dealers and addicts will continue to crowd our prisons and plague our streets with violent crime with no hope for help and a better future.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Graffitiââ¬â¢s impact on society Essay
Who is responsible for the pervasion of this so called ââ¬Å"artcrimeâ⬠in todayââ¬â¢s society The word ââ¬Å"graffitiâ⬠is derived from the Latin term ââ¬Å"graphiumâ⬠which means ââ¬Å"to writeâ⬠. Graffiti evolved during ancient times but first impacted on modern society in the late 1960ââ¬â¢s, when political activists used it as a medium of revolt against governing powers. Thereafter, individual artists began to gain recognition. TAKI 183 was the first known artist to write tags, starting in central New York subways. After seeing the regular appearance of TAKI 183ââ¬â¢s tags, new artists began to flourish throughout New York City, establishing personal tags visible to almost everyone. The artistsââ¬â¢ goal was to be the most prolific and visible, leaving tags on subways, buses, trains and walls around the city. Graffiti later developed into an ââ¬Å"art formâ⬠, where the writer with the most unique style and conspicuous presence was deemed the best. While the competition between artists in New York reached boiling point at this time, the rest of the world began to experience the first of these so called ââ¬Å"artcrimesâ⬠. â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Graffiti is just another form of art, and art is all self expression, legally or illegallyâ⬠â⬠¦ Inevitably, laws were introduced aiming to control the outbreak of graffiti artists. This provoked a race amongst artists to paint as many trains and subways as possible, before the law caught them. The recognition of style and technique gained more appreciation by fellow writers as the use of vivid colours and seemingly cryptic language developed. The original style of tagging progressively became an artform. Today there is a definite distinction between ââ¬Å"taggingâ⬠to deface andà ââ¬Å"street artâ⬠. Graffiti has developed over time to create a complex social framework, involving breakdancing, DJing, MCing and graffiti to form a popular youth culture referred to as ââ¬Å"The urban Hip-Hop cultureâ⬠. These arts arose from New York, where gangs used these various methods as a way of self expression and often in other ways to settle arguments. Recently, legal ââ¬Å"street artâ⬠has been used by local government and youth centres to discourage the tagging and vandalism which regularly occurs in their area, to present to the upcoming youth a form of self expression without involving illegalities. But unfortunately, official attempts are often in vain. The reason these artists enjoy painting walls results from ââ¬Å"the adrenaline rush involved in expressing yourself illegally, which in our case just happens to be via graffiti. To me graffiti is just another form of art, and art is all self expression, legal or illegalâ⬠states local Perth artist Dave K. Dave goes on to say, ââ¬Å"The ultimate rush comes from painting in a more difficult place, especially trains. There are plenty of new kids to the scene who just tag for a ââ¬Å"kickâ⬠but donââ¬â¢t understand the deeper meaning of graffiti as an artform and itââ¬â¢s those people who give us a bad name.â⬠Yet the continuation of youth projects such as that at the Claremont Showgrounds show a positive effect on the community, lighting up the walls and reducing vandalism in the area. â⬠¦ ââ¬Å"A surfer travels the world for the perfect wave, writers travel the world for the perfect train yardâ⬠â⬠¦ Senior policeman, Constable, Nick Steele, has become a full time youth advisor, and organises legal graffiti for the kids of Perth. He says, ââ¬Å"We use it as a gateway for the kids, to discourage the unartistic forms of graffiti like tagging and scratching, and encourage youth to get involved in projects such as the Claremont Showgrounds wall. To me these projects have positive effects on the kids and the community.â⬠We can expect more legal graffiti to be organised in the near future. The graffiti explosion has touched over 75% of the world, creating a worldwide network where writers from Australia may travel in Europe to paint trainsâ⬠¦ ââ¬Å"Graffiti is similar to surfing, as a surfer travels the world for the perfect wave, writers travel the world for the perfect train yard,â⬠says renowned artist CES of New York. The complexity of todayââ¬â¢s youth culture continues to grow. Todayââ¬â¢s graffiti problem is commonly considered a burden on society, as the regular removal of graffiti costs an enormous amount of money. An estimated $15 billion (US) worldwide each year is spent on the consistent removal of sprayed, marked and scratched surfaces. If, as Constable Steele suggests, the artistic form of graffiti as street art can override the more defacing form of tagging & scratching, the graffiti culture may yet prove an asset to society by minimising graffiti done as vandalism.
Organizational Transformation Q & a Paper
Organizational Transformation Q & A Paper Organizational transformation is vital to an organization. Organizational transformation ââ¬Å"refers to organization-wide changes, such as reconstruction operations, introducing new technologies, processes, services or products, implementing new programs, re-engineering, ect (ââ¬Å"Business / human,â⬠). â⬠Identifying and characterizing the roles of incentives, training, and education in promoting innovation in the organization can assist in organizational transformation.Also, knowing the role of leadership in creating, managing, and sustaining innovation in your organization will also assist in the transformation. Third assistance to a transformation would be to ensure that ethical implications are in place and lastly, if my personal organization is innovative or not. How would you identify and characterize the roles of incentives, training, and education in promoting innovation in your organization? Creativity and innovation ar e on the menu of skills that companies are now looking for in recruiting employees.This is why companies are increasingly hiring graduates of colleges. For existing employees, according to a Boston Consulting Group survey, not enough companies link incentives to innovation, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦while many companies clearly recognize the potential impact of metrics on behavior, very few firms attempt to aggressively leverage it by tying employee incentives directly to metrics. Indeed, less than a fourth of respondents said their companies link the two consistently, and nearly a third of our respondents said that their companies do not link incentives to innovation metrics at all (Lichtenberg, 2008). â⬠In my own experiences, while many companies may not have explicit incentive programs to motivate innovation, many recognized innovation implicitly in their mainline compensation programs. However it is up to the supervisor to recognize an employeeââ¬â¢s innovation contribution, there a re some employee suggestion programs that offer incentives for innovation. An example is Canon ââ¬â when employees make a suggestion for a new idea to benefit the company, they are awarded variable amount of points. Every year the company has a Presidentââ¬â¢s Award to the top 20 employees who have acquired the most points since the program began.They are awarded cash and a gold medal. While employers indicate that creativity skills are important, they are not doing much to train their employees. According to a study by the Conference Board, ââ¬Å"Educators and employers both feel they have a responsibility for instilling creativity in the U. S. workforce (83 and 61 percent, respectively). However, their current creativity building offerings donââ¬â¢t match this desire (Lichtenberg, 2008). â⬠What is the role of leadership in creating, managing, and sustaining innovation in your organization? The key to fostering innovation is leadership and how leaders influence the corporate culture.Leaders must build a culture of trust, one that promotes information sharing and a clear statement that creativity and innovation are encourage and will be rewarded. Here is an example, ââ¬Å"Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, cited culture as a critical factor in promoting innovation. Business leaders, he said, create this environment by offering incentives for workers who innovate and by making it clear that innovation is expected. You must have people with that hunger to always learn, who are always open and who think about things in a different way.You always have to reinvent yourself tomorrow (ââ¬Å"Connecting the dots,â⬠2006). â⬠What are the ethical implications of an individual reward system? Support your answer. While there is substantial material on Business Ethics in finance, executive behavior and other business functions there is little on the ethical considerations regarding compensation or reward systems. However, ethics as appl ied to rewards or compensation systems involve how these systems are designed to encourage employees to go beyond legal compliance and motivate them to act in morally, ethically manner.It also places a requirement on leaders to fair in how employees are compensated and rewarded. Would you describe your organization as innovative or non-innovative? Why? My organization, the United States Navy, is most definitely innovative. The mission statement of the Office of Naval Research states, ââ¬Å"The Directorate of Innovation cultivates innovative science and technology approaches that support the Department of the Navy and facilitate rapid and agile responses to our changing national security environment (ââ¬Å"Office of naval,â⬠). With a mission statement such as that, it is clear that the United States Navy thrives on the most innovative technology, techniques, intelligence, and sciences. Without a mission statement like this, the worldââ¬â¢s finest Navy could face security fl aws and intelligence deficiencies. Our Navy has the top of the line equipment and procedures with thanks to the innovators at the Office of Naval Research. References: Business / human resources (hr) / organizational transformation. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. superglossary. om/Definition/Human_Resources_(HR)/Organizational_Transformation. html Connecting the dots between innovation and leadership. (2006, October 04). Retrieved from http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid=1569 Lichtenberg, J. (2008). Ready to innovate. Retrieved from http://www. artsusa. org/pdf/information_services/research/policy_roundtable/ready_to_innovate. pdf Office of naval research. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. onr. navy. mil/Science-Technology/Directorates/office-innovation. aspx
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Experimental Research Essay
I have chosen to describe the study to be performed by the pharmaceutical company that wants to test a new sleep aid. Before they engage in human studies the researchers must determine what they want to prove exactly. Since the goal of the drug is to promote better sleep habits, the hypothesis for this study would be that individuals taking this new aid will fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than they did before they started taking the drug. Randomization of the subjects involved in the study is important in order for the results of the variable to be accurate when measured, however there are some ethical considerations that must be addressed first. Since the controlled sleep aid is a drug and with any drug there may be certain side effects, individuals under the age of 18 are not permitted to participate in the trial. Those individuals over the age of 18 who are signed up to participate in the sleep study were given an extensive medical background check to make sure they were not allergic to any medications that might be found in the drug. They were also provided with all the information on the drug including possible side effects and dependency. Once all the prerequisites are met the group of 20 participants varying in weight, age, gender, and nationality are randomly divided into two groups of 10. One group will be a controlled group meaning they will be observed sleeping as they normally would and the other group is the treatment group and will be taking the sleep aid in a normally prescribed dose. Both groups, however, will be given a supplement every night at bedtime in order to achieve experimental realism. Neither group is aware that any placebo is involved. The study will last a total of two weeks, during the first week both groups are placed in similar dorms and are observed sleeping every night without the help of any medications. This not only allows time for the subjects to become acclimated to their new surroundings, it also gives researchers a point of reference as to how the subjects slept before starting on the medication. Every morning the time it took them to fall asleep and the length of time that they slept is documented for each individual and at the end of the first week they are given a survey of how well they think they slept and if these sleep habits compare to their normal sleep habits at home. Administration of the medication begins at the beginning of the second week. The treatment group receives the drug and the control group receives placebo. They are observed for another week under the same conditions, in the same dorm and documented the same way. At the end of the second week they are asked to take the same survey and give their opinion of the drug. All data from both groups is collected and the results from each group is compared to see if the drug made a positive and significant difference on the sleep the individuals received while they we on it. The first step in finding out the results of the trial is to measure the sleep of the individuals with no medication and compare the results to the sleep they received during the second week. Then they compared that data to the sleep those individuals on placebo received. The results showed that those individuals on placebo complained that they did not sleep any better or worse on the drug. The treatment group showed longer periods of sleep while on the drug and only complained of a little grogginess in the morning. There was no change however in the time it took either group to fall asleep on or off the drug. The results of the sleep study indicate that while individuals did experience longer periods of sleep, the drug did not aid them in falling sleep faster whatsoever. Therefore only half of the hypothesis proved true based on the outcome of the trial.
Challenges Facing the East Asia Region Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Challenges Facing the East Asia Region - Essay Example Challenges Facing the East Asia Region a) Competing interests of China and Japan The polities, economies and the populations of East Asia are all dependent on the competing strategic interests of China and Japan, which pose a challenge to individual states within the region (IISS, 2014). This challenge has been aggravated by the security factors as well as the competition for territories amongst the two superpowers in the region such as the control over certain islands and parts of the sea (Feigenbaum, 2015). For example, Japan has made attempts at being the major player in the region in terms of security and the management of contested regions such as the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea. Moreover, the perceived closeness to the United States as is the case of Japan as opposed to China has further brought challenges in the determination of the geopolitical positioning of nations in the East Asia region. The above point implies that that the assertive reaction of China to the regional security of the East Asia region coupled with Japanââ¬â¢s nationalism in foreign policy has had an enduring effect on the neighboring nations, hence worsening the situation in region. For example, the Philippines and Vietnam as other players in the East Asia region have sided with Japan in the handling of the territorial issues with regard to the contested islands and sea territories. Apart from the above two dominant players, the major players in this region that derive their influence from them are North Korea and South Korea.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Automation Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Automation Systems - Essay Example According to the book of ( Mazzuchelli, 1985) "The net effect of the tremendous increase in processing power provided by the computer system is that more data can be processed faster than ever before." Which means that all information you need in your job to make decisions will be quickly available, a necessity in today's rapidly changing business environment. Business establishments implement computer systems as part of daily transactions. Some firms faces problems especially implementing an apparent solution to a problem often causes other, unanticipated problems. As automation systems replaces energy as society's man resource, many people are concerned that too much emphasis has been put on what the computer can do to streamline business and too little on how it may affect the quality of our lives. Some reasons why users resist of changes due to implementation of automation systems. One reason may be the initial cost. In a large company, it is difficult to track and fairly allocate the costs of the computer processing facility to the many different departments based on individual departmental use. Also, departments at remote locations may feel that their information needs are not being met. Some were reluctant to use the new system for fear that they would have to spend for the software, computer maintenance, diskettes, computer paper, printer ribbons, just as they had to do for the paper and a pen needed on their job. Hardware and software costs can become high when a company's departments are spread over many distant locations. Proper accountability and planning for this project would simply help the company cope on this problem. Using a decentralized computer facilities would help the company to use less sophisticated and less expensive communications hardware and software. To assure that they would be able to use the change in automation. Second, Unfamiliar to the new system. A computer specialists is responsible for the design of the automated system ended up being responsible for working in many areas of the company with which they were unfamiliar. And also users of the new automated system are not trained well they hardly understand the system. The reason is that the system is not user friendly. A reason to resist for the changes. As a result, the specialists often took a lot of time to understand the processing requirements of a new department. This problem has a great impact to the new users as it caused delays in a project and sometimes led to misunderstanding - in other words, some of the new automated system developed failed to meet the needs of the department, or failed to meet them on time. To prevent this problem, the developer must develop a user friendly automated system. Although, most employers expect their potential employees to be prepared to use computers as tools whatever field or business. In respo nse, automation system will be very helpful to firms. They felt they needed some additional skills to keep their jobs to be considered for advancement, or change to a more desirable job. Third, adopting new changes requires changing work culture. Most industries are being transformed by the use of computers. When automation of system is being implemented in a company, changes will occur. There's a change in their working routines where they will be using computers to speed up
Statement of objectives and Simple Written Essay
Statement of objectives and Simple Written - Essay Example The career opportunities and qualified candidates are so enormous that organizations become highly selective in choosing competent aspirants to various positions. Having graduated with a degree in Management, I am aware that professional movement in this specialized field is easily maximized. I would like to explore the potentials of heading other departments ââ¬â not only to be confined to Sciences of Management. The extensive responsibilities and functions assigned to managers are highly motivating and enticing that professionalizing this field is a viable move. Further, the PhD Program at Rutgers offers unique learning experiences which would ensure personal and professional development as well as accord one with theoretical concepts and applications which can immediately be utilized in the work setting. I am enthusiastic and optimistic in applying new concepts in my current organization, not only as a practitioner, but as a more competent and qualified manager. I am convinced that Rutgers University would be instrumental in opening wider opportunities through professional expertise and high quality standards of academic performance. I graduated with a masterââ¬â¢s degree in Sciences of Management at Polytechnic Institute of New York University. I was credited with 3 Advanced Certificates in Management from the same university, to wit: Advanced Certificate in Information Management, Advanced Certificate in Telecommunication Management, and Advanced Certificate in Human Resource. Equipped with these academic achievements, I am prepared to undertake greater challenges in higher education. My ultimate goal is to be an instrument of change to the development and growth of the organization where I belong. Rutgers University is one of the most prestigious institutions which can accord a multi disciplinary approach to the program. I am optimistic in learning various principles of finance, entrepreneurship
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Selected Family Health Promotion Assessment and Initiative Essay
Selected Family Health Promotion Assessment and Initiative - Essay Example Health promotion impacts positively on health literacy centering on health related knowledge, attitudes, motivation, confidence; behavioral intentions; and, personal skills relating to healthy lifestyles. The central purpose of this paper is to examine the concepts of health and learning as outlined by the McGill model of Nursing. In light of family partnership, I visited a family three times in which I adequately familiarized with the familyââ¬â¢s health goals and concerns, their present strengths, coping strategies, and resource utilization. Selected Family Health Promotion Assessment and Initiative Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background and Aims Health promotion refers to the process of enabling individuals to exercise control over their health and its determinants. Health promotion seeks to create an environment that is essential for the making of informed choices. Health promotion approaches include early intervention and prevention such as primary health screening and survei llance; identification of opportunities to facilitate and support healthy lifestyles choices; understanding and application of the determinants of health encompassing aspects such as societal influences on the health of individuals (Allen & Warner, 2002). Effective health promotion requires gathering of enough information regarding the identified health issue. The underpinning issues in health promotion activities include individual beliefs, knowledge and attitudes centering on the health issue (Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003). This factor in inspired by the manner in which an individual thinks, which renders him/her susceptible to developing the health problem. The McGill model of nursing, whose salient features encompass health, family, collaboration, and learning was developed by F. Moyra Allen. The McGill model of nursing can be praised for its fluidity, flexibility, and functionality. The model core focus centers on health promotion, especially within the family. The goal of t he model is to bridge the gap evidenced by the absence of community resources that pursue the healthy development of families across their life span (Allen & Warner, 2002). Some of the assumptions of the model include every family has capabilities or health potential manifested by strengths, motivation, and resources that form the foundation of health promotion behavior, and the outcomes of health promotion hinges on competence in health behavior and enhanced health status. 1.2 Nature of the Home Visits The visit to Davidââ¬â¢s family was a referral made by a neighbor out of concern that the family was tackling various health issues. Since the visits are conducted at home, I had to decide the times that would be best to reach the target audiences, especially which the family members are likely to pay attention, act on the message, or find the messages more engaging. This situation meant that I must pay close attention to providing explanations for the initial phone call, and avai l an opportunity for the family to accept or reject the visit. Prior to the introductory meeting with the family, I had to prepare adequately beforehand to ensure that the meeting was successful. I made the phone call to the family and requested a home visit and expressed my desire to meet up with the whole family. The family in question was a single family comprising of a father, David, and his two teenage daughters, Natalie and Millie. I came to learn later that
Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Organizational Change - Essay Example Technical issues can be dealt with expertise while others require the managers to make use of emotional intelligence to control the matters. In a vast majority of cases, both occur together in the change implementation cases. Flexibility is the key to success in change management. Certain adaptive and technical competences are vital to be successful as a change manager. These competences have been presented in this article after a thorough analysis of past research pertaining to the subject. Change science is fundamental to bringing about the behavioral change in the workforce. It enables the leader to define the objectives, tasks and milestones in a way that is conducive for higher motivation in the workforce. Change art is required to manage the factors that are driven by behavior and emotions. Change leaders can get to know their initiatives more clearly using change art. Change art collects information from the surroundings, evaluates it and generates useful information for the c hange leaders so that they may realize the measures needed to raise the motivation of workforce. Change art places more emphasis on behavioral goals than technical goals and hence, may compromise upon technical specifications as deadlines and milestones.
Indo-European Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Indo-European - Essay Example One of the theories about Indo-European languages that help in understanding contemporary languages is their disproportional significance. The disproportional nature of their significance is that they have dominated largely than would be expected of their number. This is because the languages are merely less than 30 percent of the total number of languages in the world but they dominate over the remaining majority languages (Diamond 249). The theory of disproportionate significance explains the current trend in languages in which non Indo-European speakers are assimilating Indo-European languages. Loss of linguistic diversity is the consequence because people are forsaking their native languages into the Indo-European languages, a wave that begun towards the end of the 15th century. The theory of disproportionate significance of the Indo-European language is also significant from the fact that it withstood possible influence from other languages that existed in Europe such as Finish and Assyrian. These other languages, in spite of having existed in the region, failed to influence languages in Europe and other regions as the Indo-European languages did. The theory of disproportionate significance of Indo-European languages therefore explains the languagesââ¬â¢ spread to become native languages for other people across the world (Diamond 252). Another theory about Indo-European languages that helps understand contemporary languages is the theory that the Indo-European languages substituted other languages that then ceased to exist. This theory explains the spread of the Indo-European theories and supports the disproportionate theory. Not only did the Indo-European theories spread to other regions but also they replaced native languages in those regions. New generations therefore grew with the knowledge that an Indo-European language that they are exposed to id their native language. This theory further explains the use of Indo-European
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Coaching and Mentoring Skills - Part II Assignment
Coaching and Mentoring Skills - Part II - Assignment Example However, if coaching will be organized in exactly the same way all the time, chances that the coaching programs will yield desired success are less. From every indication, the use of training and upgrading of personal skills is highly relevant in ensuring that there is success of a performance management program (Aguinis, 2013). But even as I make this point and endorse the position you took in your post, I would like to post a probing question about the overall organizationââ¬â¢s upgrading. The reason for asking this question is that even though personal upgrading is very necessary to ensure that the performance management program functions well, it is also relevant that the organization as a whole or as a body will put structures in place to upgrade itself. This is a very important requirement for growth because as employees receive training and upgrade themselves personally, there must be structures in place within the larger organization to consume them. Based on my personal experience, I have come to learn that a refusal to grow the organization in terms of infrastructure and working conditions will lead to a situation w here the employees will find it difficult to fit into them and therefore beginning looking to other
The Effects of the Boundaryless Career on Individuals, Organisations Essay
The Effects of the Boundaryless Career on Individuals, Organisations and Society - Essay Example The paper tells that a boundaryless career can be defined in its simplest term as a career that crosses multiple boundaries in a non- linear manner or can also refer to career opportunities that extend beyond the boundary of a single employer. This is the direction that most careers in the 21st century have assumed. Globalization and technological advancement have been implicated in transforming the traditional career which assumed the organizational approach to boundaryless approach which entails movement across many employers and defiance of the traditional organizational assumptions that advocated for career advancement and hierarchy. Through intense training and skill development, individuals have been able to increase their productivity through job specialization that is doing what you know best while trying to diversify in order to remain relevant in the job market. It has also increased the social capital of individuals in the workplace. This refers to personal networks one ha s. Individuals have been working hard to increase these networks so as to increase their job security and stability. Boundaryless career also has its share of demerits on individuals. Some of the negative effects it has had on individuals are increased susceptibility to job insecurity or diminished sense of job security. This type of career lacks elements of job security and stability and this is evident because of its unstable nature and the ever-present mobile status. It also lacks steady increase in the level of income like the traditional organizational career. This is mostly contractual and so most of the time income stays constant. It also lacks status derived from positions.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Animal Farm- George Orwell Orwell uses key characters in Animal Farm Essay
Animal Farm- George Orwell Orwell uses key characters in Animal Farm to satirise certain characteristics in human nature. How - Essay Example Significantly, Animal Farm has been recognized as a fairy story told by a great lover of liberty as well as animals, but it reflects the realities of Soviet Russia during the Stalin era. The fundamental themes of the novel, that have generated relentless controversies during the wartime, include the abuse of power, the erosion of civil liberties, democracy versus dictatorship, and, most importantly, the relationship between leaders and followers. Most essentially, ââ¬Å"Animal Farm is not merely about Lenin and Stalinâ⬠¦ it has much to say to us today about the relationship between government leaders and followers.â⬠(Rodden, 182) One of the basic concerns of the novelist in Animal Farm is to establish how true leaders inspire the followers while the false leaders deceive them, and the nature of this relationship has played a crucial role in the acquirement or loss of freedom and equality in the society. ... Significantly, the novelist presents the relationship between leaders and followers through the main characters of the novel who satirize various characteristics in human nature. Thus, Orwell presents pigs as taking over the command of the farm at the death of the Major, because they were ââ¬Å"the cleverest of the animals.â⬠(Orwell, 15) Thus, two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, become the leaders of the ââ¬ËAnimal Farmââ¬â¢ and they allegorically represent Joseph Stalin and Trotsky. In a reflective exploration of the major themes and characters in the novel Animal Farm, it becomes lucid that the novelist exhibits the failure of leadership to offer freedom and equality to the followers. ââ¬Å"In short, it can be regarded as the failure of leadership or how an intelligent, devoted leader of the revolution to better the miserable lives of animals on Manor Farm, Snowball, is driven out by a Napoleon that animals think is ââ¬Ëalways rightââ¬â¢.â⬠(Moeller and Moeller, 133) In a reflective exploration of the leaders in the work, it becomes evident that the two major leaders are presented in contrast to each other. In the novel, Snowball is presented as a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character.â⬠(Orwell, 15) On the other hand, Napoleon is presented as ââ¬Å"a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar â⬠¦ [who is] not much of a talker, but with reputation for getting his own way.â⬠(Orwell, 15) These leaders were not able to bring about freedom and equality to their followers, although their followers of ââ¬ËAnimal Farmââ¬â¢ were expecting nothing else. Both Snowball and Napoleon were rivaling each other for power and they
SOCIAL SCIENCE (PATIENT NARRATIVE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
SOCIAL SCIENCE (PATIENT NARRATIVE) - Essay Example models ââ¬Å"chronic diseases have become more important than the persons who harbor them.â⬠However, there have been shifts to models that consider other factors such as social, psychological and environmental in shaping the context of a disease and illness. An example is the bio-psychosocial model which acknowledges that in a disease context, there are many factors such as behaviour and attitude towards the illness, social as well as psychological factors (Engel, 2012). The narratives from the patients are today extensively applied to explore the patient experiences with illness (Charon 2001; Kleinman 1988). Management of chronic diseases (Huyse, et al., 1999) require a holistic approach where both the patient and the medical team share feelings and emotional characteristics influencing the conditions experienced in the life of the patient. In this assignment, a patientââ¬â¢s story on his experience with diabetes will be explored with an aim to construct the cultural, soci al and psychological meaning and locate the facts in contemporary theoretical perspectives. The real names and hospital where the patient, whose narrative is to be used in this analysis, was encountered have been altered to comply with the NMC guidelines and policies of confidentiality (NMC, 2008). During my placement this year, a 52 year old man, Mr. Browns, walked into our clinic to seek medical attention on his wanting chronic condition. Mr. Browns showed symptoms such as occasional tiredness. He passed out a lot of urine and was continuously in thirst. He had a huge body size which made him feel more tired. He occasionally complained to be allowed to prostrate on the coach as he conversed rather than sitting as other patients did. Mr. Browns was born in London where he lives to date. These symptoms clearly linked Mr. Brownsââ¬â¢ condition to type 2 diabetes (Blaxter, 1983). Upon further diagnosis, Mr. Brownsââ¬â¢ diabetic condition was found to have escalated to almost severe states and required
Monday, September 23, 2019
Influence of Technology on decision making Assignment
Influence of Technology on decision making - Assignment Example First, it is the tangible category, which includes the models, blue prints, operating manuals and lastly the prototypes. Second category is the intangible. Here, technology is divided into sub categories involving the problem-solving, training method and lastly the consultancy section. Third category is high. It follows that the above represents the entire aspect of intelligent and automated technology that logically manipulate ever-powerful forces and finer matters. The fourth category is the intermediate part, which involve the following: partially and semi-automated technology that bears the mandate of manipulating medium level forces and refined matters. The fifth category is the low. Here, it is worth noting that the low category of technology in an organization involves a technology that manipulates the objects in a labor-intensive manner (Argenti, 2006.p. 5). It is pertinent top note that decision-making is a vital stage in the progress of manipulating data in a firm to acquir e the desired output. Therefore, it is pertinent for the organization to embrace technology when solving pertinent issues on decision making as stated in this essay. On other hand, decision-making is the section of the management that is integrated. In management criterion, the sound decision-making and rational is referred to as the primary function of management. It is worth noting that for any management to be successful, managers usually take in a lot of decision either consciously or subconsciously, and letter they make it core concepts in their management role (Dede, 2000.p. 2). First, according to (Argenti, 2006.p. 23) it is important to heed that manipulate of Technology on decision-making where the decisions arte made on ladders. The author goes ahead to illustrates that the above depends on the kind of technology to be employed. Therefore, the author argues that for effective analysis of decision-making, it is pertinent to correspond it with the right technology. For insta nce, if process cost and data storage has gone down, it is important to employ information in the database. Therefore, it will be easier for the managers to access the information thus making necessary decisions. The articles, written by Vannoy,& Palvia,, Argenti and also Vannoy, although they both bear different tiles the authorsââ¬â¢ aim was to bring at home the point that the kind of technology used will affect the desired output. Some of the technology in list is the emails, wireless data transfer as well as mobile phone. The authors affirm that such technology has mad it easier for those employed to tackle the communication issue in the organization. At the same time, the article written by (Awasthi, & Varman, 2010.p. 65), involves data collection by the school of economics in London. The above school collected data about the structure of organization, which was compared to multinational firm (Dede, 2000.p. 23) as per the article written by (Christensen-Szalanski, 2010). It is evident that the above study aimed at examining the links between communication technology and the information flow in organizational structure. Thus the authors asserts that ERP a long with technology paves way for the workers to effectively solve both the production and design problems without their superiorââ¬â¢s inputs. In addition, the researchers did conclude that it ids high time for the companies to be keen on the use of technologies. The above sentence is in regard to where decisions making should be incorporated.
Theology & Wisdom Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Theology & Wisdom - Research Paper Example This becomes significant not only because it re-echoes the Jewish faith but because it counters the notion of the belief on pluralist God, which was the dominant notion or belief during the ancient period. This concept is significant in the understanding of the notion of god vis-à -vis evil because as it removes the plurality of gods, it opened the tension between the goodness of God and the presence of evil. This tension necessitates justification as the presence of evil in the world does not only posit a contradiction to the goodness of God but it also acts as a counter-claim for the one God being all-powerful. Ben-Sira claims that there are certain attributes ascribed to God alone. These are God is one and the same. God is eternal. God is the all and in all. This means that God is both transcendent and immanent in all creation. God is the creator. God is powerful and His power is manifested in the creation when He created everything out from His words. God is omniscient. God knows everything even the deepest mysteries of the cosmos and He sees thongs even before they come to be. God is merciful and His mercy is to all people whether gentile or Jew. As God is merciful, God is also righteous - He punishes those who are wicked and unrepentant of their sins and He shows His filial love and protection to those who are faithful. These attributes do not cover the immensity of God. These attributes are simply those, which the human mind and faith can grasp in the midst of Godââ¬â¢s immense goodness and power. However, if God is these as understood by the human mind and heart, why it is evil? Ben-Sira asserts that the presence of evil in the world is the result of two factors, namely the origin of sin and the conflict of the freewill.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Nationalism in Africa and Asia as a Mass Movement Essay
Nationalism in Africa and Asia as a Mass Movement - Essay Example The book, After the Tamerlane: the rise and fall of global empires, 1400-200 by John Darwin, is an impressive example of the macro narrative approach to the history of the world that has been (Anderson, 2006, p170). The writer provides a well argued, nuanced yet so clear, and highly informative overview of more than half a millennium of interaction cross-continentally and exchange, which he relates to his main theme-the rise and fall of global empires. Starting with a well-produced survey of the state of various Asian empires circa 1500, the writer sets out to decentre the overwhelmingly European-focused macro-narrative that has dominated thinking and writing about the rise and fall of expansive colonizing polities for centuries (Anderson, 2006, p183). The writer is able to sustain this shift in perspective quite well through the early chapters, which converge in his discussion the factors leading to the ââ¬Ëgreat divergenceââ¬â¢, which has received a considerable deal of conce ntration on the fraction of the worldââ¬â¢s historians in the recent years (Anderson, 2006, p190). ... that consists of well focused and perceptive discussions of the weaknesses and failures of European colonizing enterprises and their persisting dependence on colonized peoples for all manner of imperial endeavors, from trade and war to the governance of conquered territories. Darwinââ¬â¢s attention to the weakness and vulnerability of even empires on the increase or at the climax of their global power considerably enhances his superb discussions of what he uses as key factors that favor some empire-minded societies over others (Anderson, 2006, p178). In the course of the nineteenth century, especially in its latter half, the philological lexicographic revolution and the rise of intra-European nationalist movements, themselves the products, not only of capitalism, but of the elephantiasis of the reigning states, formed increasing culture, therefore, supporting and complex for many dynasts (Anderson, 2006, p180). The legitimacy of most of these dynasties had nothing to do with natio nals. Romanov ruled over the Tatars and Letts, Germans and Armenians, Russians and Finns. Habsburgs were perched high over Magyars and Croats, Slovaks and Italians, Ukrainians and Austro-Germans (Anderson, 2006, p182). Hanoverians presided over Bengalis and Quebecois, as well as Scots and Irish, English and Welsh. On the continent furthermore, members of the same dynastic families often ruled in different, sometimes rivalrous states. What nationality should be assigned to Bourbons ruling in France and Spain, Hohenzollerns in Prussia and Rumania, Wittelsbachs in Bavaria and Greece?Ã
Depreciation Method Recommendations Essay Example for Free
Depreciation Method Recommendations Essay The calculation of the straight line method of depreciation is by taking the cost of the item minus its salvage value then dividing that figure by the expected yearââ¬â¢s life cycle of the item. This is a non complex calculation and it reduces net income and the equal amounts of depreciation are deducted from every life cycle year of the item. The double declining balance method of depreciation is calculated at double or 200% for the straight line rate. Letââ¬â¢s say the straight line rate is 20%, then using the double declining balance method then the rate is 40%. The amount is multiplied by the book value of the item at the start if each period and also this method deduct higher costs in the productââ¬â¢s early life that decreases net income in the beginning. The units-of -output method of depreciation is calculated on the item production rather than time. The item cost minus the salvage value then is multiplied by total hourââ¬â¢s usage during the period and then you will take figure divide it by the total life cycle expectancy hours. Utilization of this method is more beneficial to organizations that costs are the results of production. One fact you must keep in mind is when there low production output then net income reduction is low and vice versa when there is high production outputs. The sum-of-the-yearââ¬â¢s-digits method of depreciation calculation is configured by using the fraction formula. The fraction formula is computed by using the number of years of the item life cycle use as the numerator and the total years as the denominator. If the item life cycle is 5 years then the numerator in year one of depreciation will be 5 and 15(5+4+3+2+1) as the denominator the fraction would be 5/15. Which this is fraction is multiplied by the depreciable base of the item to conclude the year one depreciation figure. All the proceeding years will follow the same process from year two to five and until the item total life cycle is complete. This similar to the double declining method in the aspect that net income is reduced in the years of the life cycle instead of the latter. I recommend that the most beneficial depreciation method for Fan Company Aââ¬â¢s equipment is the double declining balance method. This method gives produces a higher percentage of return of costs in the early years of the item and it still lowers net income but also in the later year help offset repair costs for the item. .
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Countries such as UK and USA are MEDCs (more economically developed countries) Essay Example for Free
Countries such as UK and USA are MEDCs (more economically developed countries) Essay World development is the process which countries go through to make more money and develop their economies. Countries such as UK and USA are MEDCs (more economically developed countries) where as countries such as Brazil and Mexico are becoming rich and they are known as developing countries. However, the people living in these developing countries still do not have a good health scheme or their own homes. LEDCs (less economically developed countries) are very poor, such as Sudan and Bangladesh. People living in these countries tend to lack basic essentials like food, clean water and clothing. It is important to have world development because everyone in the world becomes part of a society in which human rights are observed and basic needs of housing, work and healthcare for all. It gives opportunity for the poor to lead peaceful lives and to have a say in global communities. World development is important also because without it there is conflict in the world. In the 20th and 21st centuries, there has been lots of conflict between LEDCs. As a result of this, poverty has worsened and become more frequent. Too much of the worldââ¬â¢s money is spent on arms trade, to defend other countries from attack. This money could be spent on more important things which would help the process of world development such as: medication, education and agriculture. In the Kosovo conflict many fields were burnt and, as people had not grown food. Therefore, there were no crops to eat or sell. This caused loss of money and also human lives because many people died of starvation. A recent example of conflict is the war on Iraq. With world development, there would be solidarity in the world and it would relight warmth and compassion. Natural disasters cause many problems for LEDCs because there are no emergency help schemes to rebuild the areas affected. Usually, countries such as the USA have to step in and help by equipping the poor with food boxes, water and shelter etc. the economy in less economically developed countries is a more fragile industry. These industries are severely affected by natural disasters because there is loss of tourism; with an outcome similar to the Tsunami. International debt remains to be a severe problem in LEDCs because they have no solution but to borrow money from MEDCs. In the 1970s LEDCs borrowed from the World Bank. In the 70s, interest rates were low (1-2%) but in the 80s rates increased as high as 20-27%. Also, prices fell meaning that products being sold by poorer countries ââ¬â such as coffee, tea and sugar. As the countries earned less, they were paying more back. There are 41 countries in the world classes as heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC). For example, Zambia spends à £106 million a year on debt repayments. Another reason why we need world development is that trade is not fairly paid for. Trade is selling something you have grown or made to somebody else- trade brings jobs and money. Trade rules are not based on development and they help MEDCs more. Goods can move freely through countries subsidised industries so that goods can be produced more cheaply. Mexico, signed the North America Trade Agreement which meant that Mexico and America can trade freely. US maize is now sold at such a cheap price that Mexican farmers are not paid enough to live on. Fair trade has been introduced. This means that by paying a few pence more for chocolate, coffee etc then you can increase the farmerââ¬â¢s wage who harvested it.
Problems Of Architecture And Design
Problems Of Architecture And Design Software architecture and design is the main phase of software development life cycle. There are various important challenges that are associated with this phase. During our research on evaluating various software architecture design approaches, we identified many issues that are related with existing approaches like software requirements specification, software design methods its architectural styles, software processes and different constraints and associated policies. Present methods fulfills the demand of small and large scale software products but still there are some problems that we need to focus more about. In this paper we highlight these problems through survey method and also present some ideas and methods about their improvement. Key Terms: SDLC (Software development life cycle), UML (Unified modeling language), SDM (Software development methodology), CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) Introduction Architecture is concerned with the selection of architectural elements, their interactions, and the constraints on those elements. Interaction is necessary to provide a framework in which to satisfy the requirements and serve as a basis for the design. As in figure 1, we can see that Architecture={elements,interactions,constraints} Figure 1: Software architecture design as a bridge Design is concerned with the modularization and detailed interfaces of the design elements, their algorithms and procedures, and the data types needed to support the architecture and to satisfy the requirements. Design={elements,algorithms, procedures, datatypes} Figure 2: Outline of architectural design approach The next part of this paper is section II which will describe what software architecture design is all about. Section III of this document will describe the current challenges of software architecture and design. In section IV we will describe our survey research results. Section V will describe our proposed solution by identifying existing problems in software architecture design. Section VI will summarize the main recommendation for future research on software architecture design improvements. Literature Review The design architecture of software system has primary importance in software engineering research. Design is an activity which is engaged by a wide range of stake holders, used throughout of SDLC phases, provides set of key choices for applications architecture. Richard N. Taylor in his research The once and future focus of software engineering shows why design is a principal focus. His direction for design research includes: (a) Various drawing techniques (b) Design of application functionality, style architecture (c) Expand the software design to add different intangible software artifacts. A good architecture ensures that system will satisfy key requirements e.g. reliability, efficiency, quality, performance, scalability, portability, and interoperability. A bad architecture leads towards complex problems e.g. system crash. David Garlan in his research Software Architecture: a Roadmap defines that change in technology raises a number of new challenges for software design architecture. This paper presents some of the important trends challenges of software architecture in research. Architecture contains set of interacted components. Architectural description includes sufficient information to do high-level analysis of system. It plays a role as a bridge between requirements and implementation. Software architecture has important role in six aspects of software development: Understandability, reuse, construction, evolution, analysis management. Design style also plays an important role in real-time software development. For real-time software applications using more sophisticated methodologies is critical to ensure the fulfillment of safety requirements. Manas Saksena in his research Real-Time Software Design State of the Art and Future Challenges presents a high-level overview of real-time software architecture design. His focus is on standard techniques for dealing with the critical issues of concurrency and timeliness along with using automated tools. Different design styles for constructing real-time software principal technological trends currently emerging in the field are described. For large scale software systems development, different security challenges are associated. Bhavani Thuraisingham Kevin W. Hamlen in his paper Challenges and Future Directions of Software Technology: Secure Software Development describes different aspects of secure software development like security policy deà ¬Ã nition, formal modeling, developing security architecture and software models, testing verià ¬Ã cation and validation and evaluation. By developing using new software architectures including service oriented architectures and object oriented systems for various computing. This paper describes two security challenges that need to be considered in building evolvable and à ¬Ã¢â¬Å¡exible secure systems: (a) Applying formal methods (b) Secure services modeling of systems. Data-driven design techniques are important mechanisms to manage complexity in systems. Important design ideas should not be ignored. Rebecca J and Wirfs-Brock in Designing in the Future presents their idea that Up-front thinking is rarely wasted effort, especially when tackling complex or novel design problems. Proposed different aspects: Focusing on the Details Thinking and planning add value The Design Value of Well-structured requirements The poorly defined requirements have bad effect on overall design architecture. Designers should design the problems in well-formed manner to bring clarity in design. Sometime by using simple, comprehensive solutions is not suitable. Messy problems leads towards poor design architecture small elements dont always collectively add up values to design abstractions. It needs to use better techniques for understanding and structuring problems as well as design solutions. Challenges of Architecture Design Phase Here we describe some important phases of SDLC in detail along with the existing processes then highlighted some problems related to these processes. 3.1. Requirements Elicitation It is about collecting the requirements of a system from users, customers and other stakeholders. Requirements elicitation processes include interviews, questionnaires, user observation, workshops, brain storming, use cases, role playing and prototyping. Problems: Some of the problems are related to: Defining the system objectives scope Understanding among stakeholders affected by the system development Volatile nature of requirements 3.2. Design Methodologies Structured methods of software design are sets of guidelines. It supports different type of models like: A structural model Data-flow model An object-oriented model An ER model Problems: Some of the issues related to software design are: Reliability Quality Complexity Conformity Changeability Invisibility 3.3. Tools/Technologies Different types of software design tools are available in market for use. Commercial tools are: Rational Rose (IBM) Together Designer (Borland) Rhapsody (I-Logix) Poseidon (Gentleware) Free Tools: UMLet EclipseUML Visual Paradigm Open source Tools: ArgoUML (Tigris) StarUML (Sourceforge) Problems: Some other problems in CASE technologies are: Usability, Complexity. Need creative skills Integrations between teams 3.4. Software Development Process methodologies It contains structured set of activities required to develop a software system. Different software process models are used: Waterfall model Evolutionary model Iterative/Incremental model Spiral model Agile software Development Agile unified process Design driven Development Dynamic systems development method Extreme programming Rational unified process Scrum Test driven development Unified process Problems: Applying the wrong process for software product Use less code by generating code using automated tools 3.5. Design Processes Some important processes related to design are: Design system flow Develop data model Create physical data model Design screens Data entry screens Inquiry screens Help screens Design reports Design Patterns Conduct design walkthrough Screen designs Problems: Some of the problems related to design processes are: Traceability to the requirements. External consistency with the requirements. Internal consistency between components. Appropriateness of design methods and standards used. Detailed designs feasibility. Feasibility of operation and maintenance. 3.6. Design Standards Following standards are common for all type of software projects Identification of tasks, frames, units, and procedures Identification of common modules Identification of the programming language Definition of the control logic for every component Identification of access of database Evaluate operation and performance requirements Problems: Some of problems related to design standards are: Scalability Single standard are applied for both small and large scale projects Standards become very common when every type of project follow them 3.7. Architecture and design Documentation Documentation includes following mandatory documents: For Enterprise Architecture: Physical Design Document System Architecture Document Logical Design Document Infrastructure Component Placement Diagram Infrastructure Pattern Match For Waterfall Approach: Architecture Design System/Subsystem Design Application Architecture and Design Interface Design Database Design Screen/Report Design For Iterative Approach: Design Class Design Model Design Package Software Architecture Document Use-Case Realization Problems: Understandability Changeability Invisibility 3.8. Costs and Risks When we reduce risks on early stages of architecture and design then this will reduce cost on later phases. Resolving risks on later phases are very expensive and very difficult. Problems: From previous studies it is concluded that design for dependability and analysis is risky and costly due to following reasons: Effect of design on analysis and cost is not determined and understandable. During the course of the project whenever requirements change, the design will also change. This condition will make dependability of the system invalid. Top-down method is not good for those systems that are inherited from their previous systems. Survey Report Results We have designed a questionnaire containing questions related to challenges of architecture and design. Research Analysis This analysis is a comparison and research of most challenging activities during architecture and design phase. 4.1. Secure architecture and design According to our research 13 % Architect is using attack trees and threat models for designing a secure architecture. 26% are agreed on misuse cases are utilized during the design process. 40% Architects are using secure software design principles to mitigate potential weaknesses. Similarly 20% is agreed on that existing software is using known, good cryptographic methods/algorithm. Figure 3: Secure architecture and design 4.2. Most challenging task in design process According to our analysis most challenging activity is to create internal consistency within the module of a system in design process. 40% is agreed on this. Then maintenance and feasibility are challenging with the percentage of 26% and 20% respectively. Finally following standards are also difficult task and 13% are agreed on this. Figure 4: Most challenging task in design process 4.3. Critical deficiency in design standard According to our analysis the most critical deficiency in present design standard is flexibility and 40% people are agreed on this. 33% and 26% are agreed on global acceptance and scalability respectively is critical deficiencies. Figure 5: Critical deficiency in design standard 4.4. Challenges related to design documentation According to research in case of multiple stakeholders the most common problem related to documentation is changeability. 33% agreed on this. 26% agreed that understandability and flexibility are problems in documentation and 13% agreed that invisibility is a common deficiency. Figure 6: Challenges related to design documentation 4.5. Design tools technologies According to our analysis 33% projects use commercial tools because of their high reliability and efficiency. 26% and 20% organizations or people use open source tool and free tools respectively. These tools are available and easily accessible. Figure 7: Design tools technologies 4.6. Design methodologies Brainstorming is related to finding out root causes of a problem so 26% people are agreed that this process is most effective for requirement elicitation. 20% agreed on prototyping.10% are agreed on interview and questionnaire because they cover very limited domain of problem. 6% agreed on use cases and workshop because it required skills and cooperation between team members. Figure 8: Design methodologies 4.7. Problems with volatile nature of requirements According to survey 40% people agreed upon that we can reduce volatility by freezing or fixing requirements. 33% agreed that we can reduce this issue by reducing modifications. 26% agreed that we should ignore changes. Figure 9: Problems with volatile nature of requirements 4.8. Best software design method 33% people agreed that best method for software design is iterative method. Then 25%, 20%, 13% and 6% agreed that Agile method, Spiral method, waterfall method and evolutionary method respectively are well suited method. Figure 10: Best software design method V- Proposed Solution 5.1. Secure architecture and design For the purpose of reducing security risks designers should use secure software design principles. Designer should also focus on complex cryptographic techniques. 5.2. Most challenging task in design process Maintaining internal consistency within the module of a system is very difficult task. Designer can reduce this issue by making minimum dependency within the modules. Design whole system in small increments will also help to reduce this problem. In this way requirements will be traceable to their original resources. 5.3. Critical deficiency in design standard Architecture and design standards are most common thing for all type of software system. So flexibility is very challenging characteristic of standards and policies because most adopted standards are very common. If standards are according to system or product design then we can accommodate new changes. 5.4. Challenges related to design documentation Changeability or modifiability is very critical task in the design documentation. Requirements might be change in any stage of design phase. When requirement changes then design will be according to these modified requirements. 5.5. Design tools technologies According to analysis software development organizations should use commercial tools for design and architecture phase. Commercial tools are reliable, efficient and provide good performance. 5.6. Design methodologies Defects in requirement elicitation phase will create problem during design and architecture. We should use brainstorming method because this will reduce causes of problem occurrence. For large projects we should use prototyping. In prototyping an increment is delivered to customers and they will identify problems. 5.7. Problems with volatile nature of requirements Volatile nature of requirement causes problems during architecture and design phase. When we freeze or fix requirements before design and architecture phase then this will reduce problem related to volatility of requirement. 5.8. Best software design method This is a very challenging task to select a best method for development software. The selected method will also effect on the architecture and design phase of software. When we use iterative method then this will reduce problems in later phases because early increments will measure performance of systems design. VI- Conclusion and future work Software architecture and design is the core activity of any development cycle. In this paper we highlight some problems related to this phase. These problems are faced by every type of project. We also suggest some solution for this problem. When we follow these suggestions then we can reduce problems associated with different phases of architecture and design. In future we can implement these suggestions. Secondly there is also a possibility to highlight issue very deeply and related to each activity of architecture and design phases.
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