Theory of Continental Drift Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory of Continental Drift - Essay Example Some of the evidence gathered in the last part of the twentieth century to support the theory of continental drift includes the glacial till deposits. With the continents in their current locations, the till deposits tend to point towards an inconsistent glacier kinesis. Fitting the continents together reveals a more reorganized motion of the glaciers from the southern Africa region to northern Australia outward (Bugielski, 1999). Paleontologists discovered fossils of species that bore similarities to other species that are in continents now isolated by enormous distance. Paleoclimate studies, a science dealing with the study of the earth’s climate in the periods past discloses that glaciers stretched over large tracts of the world which are now rendered apart by colossal geographic spans. This evidence appears to point to the fact that the lithosphere had been travelling over geologic time. A Paleomagnetic study, which investigates the Earth,’s past magnetic activities also tend to strongly support the theory of continental drift. Studies show that the magnetic north pole apparently strolled all over the earth, indicating that either the tectonic plates or the North Pole was moving. But because the North Pole is in effect fixed with the exception of cycles of magnetic reversal, this evidence becomes a strong endorsement of the theory of continental drift. More evidence surfaced in the wake of World War II when seismometers were set up to check nuclear testing. These gadgets revealed that volcanoes and earthquakes aligned along apparent belts around the globe and that these belts delineated the boundaries of tectonic plates. Scientists rejected Wegener’s ideas then because he did not explain why and how the continents moved, he just provided observational evidence that they had indeed moved. In the absence of reasonable physical mechanism to support continental drift, many scientists simply found the idea unacceptable. Back in his times, ma ny scientists were of the conviction that the structure of the earth was because of the earth going through successive phases of heating and cooling that resulted in the expansion and contraction of landmasses (Aber, 2007). If they were to believe Wegener’s theory, it would mean that they would have to forget everything that they had learnt and start all over again. As time passed, increasingly more evidence supporting continental drift became available and more practitioners had to align themselves with this new sphere of knowledge. These ideas accentuate the theory of an ocean floor that evolves and repositions. This theory is popularly known as Plate Tectonics. Scientific method relates to techniques for probing events, obtaining new and novel knowledge and re-examining the earlier knowledge and beliefs. The key attribute that differentiates a scientific method from any other method of knowledge acquisition is the fact that knowledge is gained through evidence and proof. S cientific method comprises four main stages: The first is the examination and explanation of phenomena followed by the construction of a theory to account for the same phenomena. The third stage is the use of the theory to, quantitatively, predicts the outcome of new observations. The final stage is the piloting of thoroughly conducted experiments on the predictions by several competent and impartial experimenters and finally a conclusion regarding the outcome of such experiments

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto Term Paper

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto - Term Paper Example Focusing on the theme of the last days of Christ's life, Leonardo da Vinci makes it clear that the ideals of humanism are extremely important to him. The compositional structure of the painting created between 1495 and 1498 corresponds to the aesthetic principles of humanism. The symmetrical organization of the picture confirm this. Jesus is the central figure and six of the apostles are sitting on the left and right of him. In general, the apostles are divided into four groups of three. Behind Jesus, one can see three windows that visually enlarge the space, while there are four doors or curtains on the left and right sides of the picture. All this is consistent with the principles of humanity in relation to the organization of the space. However, the influence of humanism is not limited to these items. Its main value is observed in a special emotionality of the images. Da Vinci has made a special emphasis on the reaction of the apostles in response to Jesus' words about the fact th at one of them would betray him. The phrase â€Å"One of you will betray me† causes a different reaction from all the apostles and this reaction is expressed by a variety of their gestures and facial expressions. In other words, â€Å"together with facial attributes and expressions these gestures depict the essential character of each apostle†. â€Å"These reactions are quite specific to each apostle, expressing what Leonardo called the ‘motions of the mind'†. In spite of the expressivity of these images, the painting shows a certain order.

Hospitality - chinese student palcement Dissertation

Hospitality - chinese student palcement - Dissertation Example One of the initial steps in building a strong foundation for an organization is through recruiting competent and reliable individuals who could perform well as individuals while lining their outputs with the goals of the organization. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is something every organization should find highly relevant to ensure their continued success and capability to compete in the market. It goes without saying that no organization ever attained their level of success by relying on employees with substandard skills and performance; nor did any of them manage to stay competitive by hiring employees unable to maintain a consistent level of output. This being the case, it would be instinctual – practically second nature – for organizations to go for those applicants who exhibit the greatest skill and/or potential, or to train them to achieve an ideal level of competence. Organizations that fail to do this should themselves prepare to fail. It is important to no te that employers are able to pick out individuals with high potential out of a pool of applicants. Thus, several recruitment practices are followed by employers. In certain cases where an employer has biases, Chinese applicants often have lowered chances of getting enlisted. With the growing need for highly capable individuals, employers have narrowed their eyes into spotting well-rounded applicants who could fill the needs of the organization (Bloch, 1994). This has become a major issue especially for individuals who belong in the minority, who in this case are the Chinese graduates. This gave rise to various forms of discrimination in the recruitment practices of employers (Bloch, 1994). Acquiring highly capable individuals are not the only problem of an employer; employee retention has also become one of the greatest problems among organizations. In the broad sense, employee retention refers to the effort of the employer to retain present employees in their workplace (Carsen, 20 05). Employers are faced with the challenge to minimize employee turnover. Typically, this is done through hiring and training practices along with efforts to increase employee job satisfaction (Connell and Phillips, 2003). Additionally, organizations that were able to hire highly competent employees value the capabilities of such employees, since they are able to perform well while attaining both their professional goals and the objectives of the organization (Connell and Phillips, 2003). Thus, losing such effective individuals could lead to poorer workforce performance. It has become a great challenge for Chinese graduates to look valuable in the eyes of the employer. To achieve this, Chinese individuals must be trained well especially through their educational backgrounds. The Advanced Placement program is a great opportunity for Chinese students to learn the operations and processes that occur in their chosen disciplines, which in this case is the hospitality business. There is a need to identify the weaknesses of Chinese students in order to address their issues through various training programs especially the Advanced Placement program. Moreover, in order for Chinese employees to be of value to their organization, they must be well-prepared so that they could perform productively, effectively and efficiently. It is very important for Chinese students to have a solid educational background that would equip them with the skills needed to perform well in the Hotel industry. Research Objectives This study aims to

Describe and evaluate its role in understanding the psychology of Essay

Describe and evaluate its role in understanding the psychology of adult learning of Personality - Essay Example a greater understanding of the psychology of learning and development, as applied to educational contexts. Adult education promotes the development of adults in a variety of domains--cognitive and intellectual, social and emotional. Psychology has an important role in the field of adult education. The word Psychology originated from the two Greek words ‘psyche’ and ‘logos’ which means soul and science respectively. Psychology was the study of soul earlier. Then it was modified as study of mind and now it is the study of behavioral changes. According to the modern psychologists, behavior includes all those activities of an individual which can be observed by any person with or without the aid of an instrument. Psychology has several branches of study. General psychology, abnormal psychology, Industrial psychology, Development psychology, Child psychology, Adult psychology, Clinical psychology, Educational psychology are some of them. It is interesting to note that adult educators have, traditionally, been interested in understanding the different â€Å"styles† or modes of learning that adults demonstrate much more so than they have been in understanding or assessing cognitive and intellectual abilities. This has taken place despite the fact that the psychological research fails to find compelling evidence for quantitative as opposed to qualitative differences in these learning styles. There is no evidence to support some adult educators’ claims that instruction which is designed to capitalize upon an individual’s preferred manner of learning. Still, as adult educators have often pointed out, psychologists have generally been more concerned with understanding the â€Å"average† or â€Å"typical† performance of a group of learners rather than focusing on the phenomenological experience of the individual learner. And, historically, psychologists have

The impact of knowledge sharing on Hotel Industry effectiveness in UK Literature review

The impact of knowledge sharing on Hotel Industry effectiveness in UK - Literature review Example This, in turn, can have positive implications for London hotels, restaurants and the tour operators and increase their overall profitability. However, the number of hotels keeps increasing and the competition becomes tougher as the market share gets divided among a large number of players, which decreases profitability of individual hotels. From the current trend, it transpires that the hospitality market shows a mixed response and factors such as region and sector do exercise a crucial influence in determining the trends in profits. Similarly, the profitability in certain regions and sectors may be reflecting the impacts of certain temporary phenomenon such as some major events and the consequent surge in tourist flow rather than a sustainable change in market structure. On the other hand, the advent of computer and internet technologies has facilitated an environment where hotels have access to about â€Å"1000 times more data than a decade ago† and hotels can make use of it for furthering their business (Toedt 2013:15). In a market condition, which remains uncertain and volatile due to its dependence on a variety of variants, companies have to look for appropriate strategies to cushion the risks and set off possible failures in the market. Thus, they have to integrate all possible management concepts in their day to day functioning to ensure their smooth operation and optimizing their potential in the marketplace. This becomes especially relevant in the case of companies in the hospitality and hotel industries because of their unique characteristics that make them susceptible to seasonal fluctuations apart from conditions that apply to other industries. Similarly, some of the major management concepts that are being integrated to other industries are not being implemented in hospitality industry. A good example of this is Knowledge Management (KM), which emerged in the recent years as a management concept to enable companies to attain optimum efficien cy and â€Å"sustainable advantage† over their competitors (Isa et al 2008:103). Hotels need to explicitly manage their â€Å"intellectual capital† by incorporating knowledge management principles into their day to day functioning (103). With the advancement in information and communication technologies, major changes have occurred in all spheres of management, to stay compatible to the ever evolving technologies and to update employees with the emerging innovations. Similarly, there is an imperative requirement for employees engaged in the hospitality industry to keep themselves abreast of the latest developments in technology and other fields so that they can understand the effects of such changes in different â€Å"elements of business† and easily adapt to the changes occurring the society around them (Carina Antonia Hallin & Einar Marnburg 2007). Christensen (2003) argues that in the recent years, knowledge has become the significant component of business op erations to achieve as well as â€Å"sustain competitive advantages† (2). He defines knowledge management as process that involves several â€Å"mechanisms and structures† necessary to handle knowledge as well as understanding various aspects and stakeholders of such knowledge that one pursues (3). In the backdrop of a dramatic

Christianity and mathematics Essay Example for Free

Christianity and mathematics Essay This paper deals with interrelation between Christianity and mathematics. It has been observed that God is the creator of this universe and He is also the creator of our various mathematical formulae and deductions. Like Universe and God, they are also eternal and cannot be ever destroyed. The paper has also described how Christianity has described the relation between God and our numeric system, which is the basic foundation of Mathematics. Christianity and mathematics 3 Link between Christianity and mathematics – philosophical aspect Let us consider the formulae for earths mass distribution, orbital path of celestial bodies and population fluctuation. They are simple mathematical formulae that describe the creation of this universe and humanity. According to Christianity, who is the creator of this Earth? It is none than the God himself. Jonathan Zderad (2003) has stated in the article written in the website http://www. acmsonline. org/Zderad-creationism. pdf that universe, that is the creation of God is hardwired by the laws of mathematics. If one have a look at the theorems of mathematics, it seemed that they were true before time began and will continue to be true after time lapses. Jonathan has mentioned this in his article in the above mentioned website. Mathematics exists beyond human thought and logic. Christianity believes that only God can create such things which are eternal and divine. Jonathan (2003) has mentioned in his article that mathematics existed beyond time and space. According to Christianity, only God, the supreme power behind this human existence can exist beyond time and space. It is very much clear from the Biblical records that god gives value to numbers. To quote from the above mentioned website, â€Å"For Christians, God’s counting is what gives the believer a place in heaven. Jesus compared himself to a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to rescue one sheep that is lost. He values each and every one of us. † (p. 6). Jonathan Zderad (2003). The Holy Bible has drawn many references from the numeric system of mathematics. How Christianity is linked to basic numeric system of mathematics Jonathan (2003) has also described in the above mentioned article how Christianity is Christianity and mathematics 4 related to our numeric system. The author has described that while the Number represents unity, number 2 is the symbol of fellowship and number 3 representing the community. The author states that these numbers represent spiritual qualities. The author has stated in the article that Bible has enough indications that it is God who has created the series of integers, rational and irrational numbers and real numbers. Jonathan has argued in the article that Bible has strong reference to the concept of counting. Numbers were generally used to describe dimension while building a place of worship. How Creation of God is linked with creation of mathematics The author has also suggested in the above article that there is a clear view of Christian view of Mathematics, which is described as creationism. Creationism has got four aspects. The first one is continuity. God makes his own creation in such a way that it is continuous. The second aspect is activity. The author has stated that he has created all these mathematical entities out of his own mental divine activities. The third one has been described as the abstract object inclusive. To quote, â€Å"As a general rule, theists would include mental objects and spiritual objects in the list of God’s invisible creation. Creationism also includes abstract objects like propositions, relations, and universals in this list of God’s invisible creation†. (p7). Jonathan Zderad (2003). The fourth one is that it is mathematically inclusive. It believes that Mathematical objects are created by God and they have an eternal quality, which can only proceed from the mind of God. Christianity and mathematics 5 Reference Zderad, Jonathan. (2003) Creationism – A Viable Philosophy of Mathematics. www. acms. org. Retrieved on 15th December, 2008, from http://www. acmsonline. org/Zderad-creationism. pdf

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay With the emergence of internet, business organization of 20th century has undergone structural, cultural and qualitative change, the way business is done and a new organization structure has emerged known as E business enterprise. E business enterprise enables employees, professionals, terms, groups, vendors, customers to perform business operations through electronic exchange of data and information anywhere at any time. The business operations are performed through E communication and collaboration initiatives. Therefore, E business enterprise has a global market, reach, source and global competition. Due to extensive use of technology, the enterprise is now called a digital firm. The business process are conducted through enterprise software like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply Chain Management) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) supported by data warehouse, decision support system, knowledge management and content management system. Information Technology (IT) consists of computer hardware, software, data and storage technology, and networks along with the human resources required to operate the technology. The managers and employees directly interact with these systems, it is important for the company now and in the future that the information architecture and IT infrastructure meet the business requirements of the company and that the systems can work together where needed. An Information System (IS) as interrelated components that work together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization. An Inofrmation System (IS) can be any organised combination of people, hardware, software, communication networks, and data resources that stores and retrieves, transforms and disseminates information in an organization The Field of Information Systems encompasses many complex technologies abstract behavioral concepts, and specialized application in countless business and nonbusiness areas. The figure beside Illustrates a useful conceptual framework that organizes the knowledge presented in the text and outlines what you need to know about information system. For Detailed Information Students are requested to refer MIS by James A OBrien Page 6 7 This framework Outlines the Major areas of Information Systems Knowledge needed by business professionals The Three Major roles of the business applications of information systems. Information system provides an organization with support for business processes and operations, decision making, and competitive advantage Support Business Process and Operations: As a consumer, you regularly encounter information system that supports the business process and operations at the many retail stores where you shop. For example most retail stores now use computer based information system to help them record customer purchases, keep track of inventory, pay employees, buy new merchandise, and evaluate sales trends. Store operations would grind to a halt without the support of such information system Support Decision Making: Information System also help store managers and other business professionals make better decision. For Example, decisions on what lines of merchandise need to be added or discontinued, or on what kind of investment they require, are typically made after an analysis provide by computer based information systems. This not only supports the decision making of stores managers, buyers and other, but also helps them look for ways to gain an advantage over other retailers in the competition for customers. Support Competitive Advantage: Gaining a strategic advantage over competitors requires innovative application of information technologies. For example, store management might make a decision to install touch screen kiosks in all of their stores, with link to their e-commerce web site for online shopping. This might attract new customers and build customer loyalty because of the case of shopping and buying merchandise provide by such information system. Thus, strategic information systems can help provide products and services that give a business a comparative advantage over its competitors. DATA INFORMATION AND ITS ATTRIBUTES D:Projectsken pptslides imageslaudonf01-02.gif Data: Streams of raw facts representing events such as business transactions Information: Clusters of facts those are meaningful and useful to human beings in the processes such as making decisions The Features / Attributes / Characteristics of Information Improves representation of an entity Updates the level of Knowledge Has a surprise value Reduces uncertainty Aids in decision making Three activities in an information system produce the information that organizations need to make decision, control operations, analyze problem and create new products or services. These activities are input, processing and output. Input Captures or collects raw data from within the organization of from its external environment. Processing converts this raw input into a meaningful form. Output transfers the processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for activities for which it will be used. Information system also require feedback, which is output that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct the input stageD:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf01-03.gif CLASSIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION The information can be classified in a number of ways provide to a better understanding. John Dearden of Harvard University classifies information in the following manner. Action Versus No-action Information Recurring Versus Non-recurring information Internal Versus External Information Planning Information Control Information Knowledge Information Organizational Information Database information Functional or Operational information Action Versus No-action Information: The information which induces action is called as action information. The information which communicates only the status of a situation is a no-action information. No stock report calling a purchase action is an action information but the stock ledger showing the store transactions and the stock balance is a No-action information. Recurring versus non recurring information: The information generated at regular intervals is recurring information. The monthly sales reports, the stock statements, the trial balance, etc are recurring information. The financial analysis or the report on the market research study is non recurring information. Internal versus External information: the information generated through the internal sources of the organization is termed as an internal information, while the information generated through the government reports, the industry surveys, etc is termed as an external information, as the sources of the data are outside the organization. Planning information: certain standards, norms and specification are used in the planning of any activity. Hence, such information is called the planning information. The time standards, the operational standards, the design standards are the examples of the planning information. Control information: Reporting the status of an activity through a feedback mechanism is called the control information. When such information shows a deviation from the goal or the objective, it will induce a decision or an action leading to control. Knowledge Information: A collection of information through the library reports and the research studies to build up a knowledge base as an information source for decision making is known as knowledge information. Such a collection is not directly connected to decision making, but the need of knowledge is perceived as a power or a strength of the organization. Organization Information: When the information is used y everybody in the organization, it is called as organization information. Database Information: When the information has a multiple use and application, it is called the database information Functional or the operational information: When the information is used in the operations of a business it is called functional or the operational information. Module 2 Transaction processing systems (TPS) are basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization by recording the daily routine transactions required to conduct business, such as payroll and sales receipts. Transactional Processing system is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Examples of TPS are order entry system, cheque processing system, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems and ticket reservation systems. These systems help any company to conduct operations and keep track of its activities. TPS was first developed in the year 1950s in accounting departments of major corporations. It is the oldest type of information system and can be called as the work horse of the information system industry for the last 50 years.D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-02.gif The principal purpose of systems at this level is to answer routine questions and to track the flow of transactions through the organization. How many parts are in inventory? What happened to Mr. Williams payment? To answer these kind of questions, information generally must be easily available, current, and accurate. At the operational level, tasks resources, and goals are predefined and highly structured. The decision to grant credit to a customer, for instance, is made by a lower level supervisor according to predefined criteria. All that must be determined is whether the customer meets the criteria H:mis10eimagesimg02_06.jpg The figure illustrated beside is transaction processing system. Managers need TPS to monitor the status of internal operations and the firms the external environment. TPS are also major producers of information for the other types of system TPS are often so central to a business that TPS failure for few hours can lead to a firms demise and perhaps that of other firms linked to it. Imagine what would the airlines do without their computerized reservation system? Transaction processing is the set of procedures for handling the transactions. Common Activities in transaction processing include: Calculation Classification Sorting Storage Summarization Types of Functional categories of TPS Systems D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-04.gif Management Information System The MIS has More than one Definition, some of which are given below: The MIS is defined as a system which provides information support for decision making in the organization. The MIS is defined as an integrated system of man and machine for providing the information to support the operations, the management and the decision making function in the organization. The MIS is defined as a system based on the database of the organization evolved for the purpose of providing information to the people in the organization. The MIS is defined as a computer based information system. It serve middle managers interests by providing current and historical performance information to aid in planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level. MIS typically compress TPS data to present regular reports on the companys basic operations. Middle Management needs systems to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making, and administrative activities. The principal question addressed by such systems is this: Are things working well? In any organization, small or big, a major portion of the time goes in data collection processing, documenting and communication it to the people. Hence, a major portion of the overheads goes into this kind of unproductive work in the organization. Every individual in an organization is continuously looking for some information which is needed to perform his / her task. Hence, the information is people oriented and it varies with the nature of the people in t he organization. Role of the Management Information System. The system ensures that an appropriate data is collected for the various sources, processed and sent further to all the need destinations. The system is expected to fulfill the information needs of an individual, a group of individuals, the management functionaries: the managers and the top management. The MIS satisfies the diverse needs through a variety of systems such as query systems, analysis system, modeling systems and decision support system MIS helps in strategic planning , management control, operational control and transactional processing The MIS helps the clerical personnel in the transaction processing and answers their queries on the data pertaining to the transaction, that status of a particular record and references on a variety of documents The MIS plays the role of information generation, communication, problem identification and helps in the process of decision making. The MIS, therefore, plays a vital role in the management, administration and operations of an organization. Decision Support systemH:mis10eimagesimg02_08.jpg DSS is an interactive computer based system which facilitates the solution of unstructured problem. Scott Morton Defined Decision Support system as Interactive computer based systems, which help decision makers utilize data and models to solve unstructured problem It supports non routine decision making for middle management. They focus on problems that are unique and rapidly changing, for which the procedure for arriving at a solution may not be fully predefined in advance. They try answering questions such as these: what would be the impact on production scheduled if we were to double sales in the month of December? What would happen to our return on investment if a factory schedule were delayed for six months? Although DSS are internal information from TPS and MIS they often bring in information from external sources, such as current stock prices or product prices of competitors. These systems use a variety of models to analyze data, or they condense large amounts of data into a form in which decision makers can analyze them. DSS Characteristics of DSS Ability to support the solution of complex problem Fast response to unexpected situations that result in changed inputs Designed to help support decisions that are formulated as semi structured, complex problems May be constructed to support one time decisions DSS is typically designed for either a particular decision maker or a group of decision makers Allows the decision makers to interact in a natural manner due to careful design of the interface It is a way to organize information intended for use in decision making Ability to quickly and objectively try different strategies under different configurations Other Characteristics: Cost Savings Improving managerial effectiveness Extensive range of support to management Support of individual / group Graphic Display Designed and run managers; incorporated data and models Attributes of Decision Support system Flexibility: The system are flexible so that any semi structured or unstructured decision making sitation can be tackled with ease and speed Simple models: The systems use simple models of decision making. The only change is that a different set of information is sought for the use of different models. The choice of a model depends upon the complexity of decision making Database: the decision support system needs database(s). The system calls for several inputs from database(s) from decision making. The use of information being common, input to the system is from the database Types of Decision Support System Status inquiry system: The number of decisions in the operational management and some at the middle management are such that they are based on one or two aspects of a decision making situations. It does not call for any elaborate computations, analysis, choice, etc. for decision making. If the status is known, the decision is automatic, i.e., the status and solution is unique relation Data analysis system: These Decision systems are based on comparative analysis, and use of a formula or an algorithm. But these processes are not structured and, therefore vary. The cash flow analysis, the inventory analysis and the personal inventory system are examples of the analysis systems. The use of simple data processing tools and business roles are required to develop this system. Information analysis system: In this system, the data is analyzed and information reports are generated. The reports might be having exceptions as a feature. The decision makers use these reports for assessment of the situation for decision making. The sales analysis, the accounts receivable systems, the market research analysis, the MRP systems are examples of the systems. Accounting System: These systems are not necessarily required for decision making but they are desirable to keep track of the major aspects of the business or a function. The contents of these systems are more data processing leading to formal reporting, with exceptions, if necessary. These systems account items such as cash, inventory, personnel and so on and relate it to a norm or norms developed by the management, for control and decision Model based systems: These systems are simulation model or optimization models for decisions making. These decisions, generally, are one time and infrequent and provide general guidelines for operation or management, the product mix decision, the material mix, the job scheduling rules, and the resource or asset or facilities planning systems are the examples. Executive Support System These are management information systems tailored to benefit the strategic information needs of the top management / senior executive. ESS summarizes and presents data at the highest levels of aggregation. Usually, they involve presenting reports in standard formats and they often involve graphics. ESS is the newest of the five categories of MIS. They have had the least acceptance of the five types. The reason being that most executives started their careers prior to widespread use of computer. Executive Support systems provide critical information from a wide variety of internal and external sources in easy to use displays to executives and managers. For example, top executive may use touch screen terminals to instantly view text and graphics displays that highlight key areas of organizational and competitive performance What are the characteristics of MIS? How do MIS differ from TPS? From DSS? MIS supports the management level by providing routine summary reports and exception reports for various purposes, including planning, controlling, and decision making. Examples include sales and profit per customer and per region, relocation summary and analysis, inventory control, capital investment analysis, and even a report on students who were here in the autumn but did not to return in the spring. MIS differs from TPS in that MIS deals with summarized and compressed data from the TPS and sometimes analysis of that summarized data. Decision-support systems provide material for analysis for the solution of semi-structured problems, which often are unique or rapidly changing. Typically, they provide the ability to do what if analysis. While MIS have an internal orientation, DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports right now analysis rather than the long-term structured analysis of MIS. MIS are generally not flexible and provide little analytical capabilities. In contrast, DSS are designed for analytical purposes and are flexible. What are the characteristics of DSS? How do they differ from those of ESS? DSS provide sophisticated analytical models and data analysis tools to support semi structured and unstructured decision-making activities. DSS use data from TPS, MIS, and external sources, provide more analytical power than other systems, combine data, and are interactive. ESS support senior managers with unstructured strategic-level decision making. They may be less analytical than DSS with less use of models such as linear programming or forecasting. However, they often rely on external data and rely heavily on graphics. Describe the relationship between TPS, office systems, KWS, MIS, DSS, and ESS. The various types of systems in the organization exchange data with one another. TPS are a major source of data for other systems, especially MIS and DSS. TPS are operational-level systems that collect transaction data. Examples of these are payroll or order processing that track the flow of the daily routine transactions that are necessary to conduct business. TPS provide data that are required by office systems, KWS, MIS and DSS, although these systems may also use other data. KWS and office systems not only use data from TPS but also from MIS. DSS not only use data from TPS but also from KWS, office systems, and MIS. MIS rely heavily on data from TPS but also use data from KWS and office systems. ESS obtains most of their internal data from MIS and DSS.