Argumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants - 758 Words

â€Å"When they are a little bit overweight, that’s not gonna cut it. You don’t want to see a chubby child on stage. You have to have the barbie look.† a mom on Toddlers and Tiaras said. Now available to children, around 250,000 girls compete in beauty pageants each year. These pageants have had damaging consequences on them. Child beauty pageants need to be banned because they sexualize young girls, put too much pressure on them to win, and lead them to focus too much on beauty. Girls are sexualized in beauty pageants at a very young age. On Toddlers and Tiaras, girls are shown in ‘sexy’ costumes, showing too much skin, especially for their age. With around 1.3 million viewers a week, the show has normalized this sexualization. In one†¦show more content†¦Everything is part of a routine whether or not the girl enjoys it. The most important factor of these pageants, beauty. When competing in and watching beauty pageants at a young age, girls believe that their outer beauty matters most. Girls who watch Toddlers and Tiaras focus on the contestant’s beauty, causing them to do the same with themselves. The skinny girls hidden under piles of makeup on tv make both the contestant and viewer think that this is normal. Before a pageant, a mom injected botox in her 8 year old daughter’s face to take away her wrinkles. Another mom fed her daughter tapeworms to make her skinnier. Soon after, the girl was in the hospital. In no situation should little girls have to go through this just to improve their outer appearance. If this is what it takes for a girl to win, then we are better off without these pageants. In some ways, child beauty pageants can be great for young girls to compete in. Pageants can build confidence by putting girls in front of lots of people to perform and speak. This leads to confidence through life and public speaking skills. Another positive outcome of competing is winning scholarships and priz e money. Scholarships will help a child receive a higher education later on. Next, in order to continue competing well, a girl needs to stay fit and healthy. She must also work hard and be disciplined. While these are great life traits to have, there are manyShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants814 Words   |  4 Pages Beauty contests for women have always been popular around the world, but in recent years child pageants have become more successful. This success led to the production of the well-known show, Toddlers and Tiaras. Beauty pageants have now evolved and even include newborn babies. Contestants are not only rewarded with a title, but also receive cash prices. These rewards and fame without a doubt attract parents into the world of beauty pageants. Children who are involved in beauty pageants are perceivedRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants780 Words   |  4 Pagesterm â€Å"beauty pageants coming up,† will result in 2,710,000 results appearing in 1.18 seconds. Children are the fastest-growing segment of the beauty pageant market, with annual childrens competitions attracting an estimated 3 million children, mostly girls, ages six months to 16 years, who compete for crowns and cash. Infants, carried onto the stage by their mothers, are commonplace. April Brilliant, reigning Mrs. Maryland and the director of Maryland-based Mystic Pageants, says pageants give littleRead MoreBeauty Pageants Argumentative Essay1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe Problems and Pleasures of Pageants Beauty pageants have been questioned on whether or not their truly innocent. In some cases, the smiles are more likely than not phony. On the other hand, the abundance of memories and skills gained from these extravaganzas can create a positive effect on the child. On the negative side, pageants are found to be full of drama from both the parents and from the stress of the requirements, including eating disorders. They also lead to bad sportsmanship and theRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants794 Words   |  4 Pagesever watched beauty pageants like the tv show Toddlers and Tiaras, and think the parents are absurd for pushing their daughters too hard for a sparkling plastic tiara? Maybe you have been to a live beauty-pageant, or specifically, support or despise them. Well, most people particularly do not like beauty-pageants as the toddlers mothers have them on strict diets, make them wear extensive makeup, shave their legs, and get spray tans. But to the people within th is culture, beauty-pageants are valuableRead MoreEdward Burtynsky s Photographic Series, Oil, And His Nature1815 Words   |  8 Pagesfeelings often provoked by the boundless essence drawn from the power of landscape. This essay will investigate the Edward Burtynsky’s photographic series, Oil, and his approach to find a sinister beauty within the damned. The underlying metaphors poised within Burtynsky’s work in regard to environmental change, in pursuit to document nature transformed through industry will be the central idea in this argumentative dissertation. Oil comprises 50 photographs, some referred to as primary landscapes that

Perceptions and Stereotypes of Aerobics - 1713 Words

With 600,000 people across Australia who have participated in aerobics at one point in time, it can be manifested that aerobics is one of the most marginalized sports within the country (Ausport, 2000). With such a marginalized sport, there are many stereotypes that are associated with just the word aerobics. This is explored through the survey that was conducted and was answered by the students at StAC. Many of the stereotypes that are believed in society are that aerobics is a sport dominated by females and that it more of a dance class. This report will evaluate the possible influences that have shaped students’ perceptions using Figueroa’s Framework and Maslow’s hierarchy. Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic†¦show more content†¦The lack of sponsorship could be a reason why there is a insufficiency of participants in aerobics. This leads us on to the next point, the institutional level. Institutional level 2.2 The institutional level of Figueroa’s framework level examines the institutions within society that affect sport and physical activity (Kirk, 2004). Institutions such as schools, community groups, sporting clubs, and religious groups are able to help shape positive attitudes to sport and physical activity. The accessibility of aerobics classes and equipment are very limited compared to many other sports. In the Brisbane area there are only 3 aerobics classes compared to the 1219 rugby league classes (Google maps, 2013). This is a staggering 400 times more and is very influential to the fact that participation levels are lower and can be the reason why many people view it as a dance class due to the lack of availability of facilities. There are also no aerobics competitions within Australia and this is another factor in influencing people’s perceptions. Schools feature prominently when discussing how people’s early attitudes towards sport are shaped. Some schools with strong sporting traditions reinforce participation in sport. The sports that students are encouraged to participate in can depend on the school’s history and traditions, the facilities and equipment available, and the expertise of theShow MoreRelatedThe Effect Of Participation On Physical Activity Among High School Students1282 Words   |  6 Pagesnumerous social barriers surrounding participation in Sports Aerobics. Like any new sport, Sports Aerobics is seeking recognition and acceptance as a valuable and worthwhile competitive physical activity. According to the Northern Ireland Assembly (2010), social barriers refer to specific social and cultural practices, beliefs and traditions within a community or society and impact on individuals’ self-perceptions and their perceptions of others. In regards to sport, social barriers have an enormousRead MoreShould Sports Aerobics Be Accepted Into Our Community At Nambour High School?1732 Words   |  7 Pageshegemony is represented in sport aerobics. Hegemony is the subconscious dominance of one group over another powerless group in society. I.e.; Males view sports aerobics as being feminine in nature. This leads to our hypothesis which is how males see sports aerobics, which is usually very girly or the stereotypical gay. Females are seen as the subordinates in todays society and male are seen as the dominant. This essay is also going to sugg est how to get sports aerobics to be accepted into our communityRead MoreThe Wrestler s Body : Identity And Ideology1365 Words   |  6 Pagesfor Gender Equality, 2006 Sports, Media and Stereotypes Women and Men in Sports and Media. Chalazae Aina, Philippe Sarrazin, Paul Fontayne Julie Boiche Corentin Clà ©ment-Guillotin 2013 Psychology of Sports and Exercise: the influence of sex stereotypes and gender roles on participation and performance in sports and exercise: review and future directions volume 14, Issue 2, Collins, Leslea Haravon 2002 Working Out The Contradictions Feminism And Aerobics Journal Of Sport Social Issues, Volume 26Read MoreWhy Do Ones Looks Get For Justify Others Opinions?1919 Words   |  8 Pagesoverweight, or just plain unattractive they are deemed as some sort of monster. Our perceptions of others and stereotypes that are used impact everyone’s social identities today. When we stop hiding from the fact that we as a society are based off of appearances, we can come together to change these social misinterpretations. David Kirby and Deborah Rhode introduced us to the topic of discrimination and stereotypes that we face based upon our appearance and physical attributes. They assist by showingRead MoreThe Effects Of Sports On Female Athletes2156 Words   |  9 Pagesmainly western cultures, women are expected to maintain a certain figure. The stereotype is that women must preserve a thin build and maintain lean muscles (Paloian, 2016). Yet, if you want to be succ essful in your sport you must build some type of muscle mass. There is no winning. MacNeill acknowledged that, â€Å"Thus a television image of a woman engaged in physical activity may embody the notion of femininity if she is an aerobic dancer, or masculinity if she is a bodybuilder† (MacNeill, Birrell ColeRead MorePhysical Activity Has A Strong Influence On The Health And Wellbeing Of Every Individual3703 Words   |  15 Pagessuch as light weights, resistance bands, ankle and wrist weights and medicine balls that can be used so long as they are returned after use. There will be volunteers supervising the area to ensure safety. Studies have shown that both resistance and aerobic exercise are ideal to prescribe to adults of any age but for this age group I want to focus more on movement, stability, flexibility, and range of motion. The reason why I did not decide to include structured classes focused on resistance trainingRead MoreThe Old Style Of Medicine3112 Words   |à ‚  13 PagesReducing the amount of sodium in your diet to less than 1,500 milligrams a day if you have high blood pressure. Healthy adults should try to limit their sodium intake to no more 2,300 milligrams a day (about 1 teaspoon of salt). †¢ Getting regular aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking at least 30 minutes a day, several days a week). †¢ Limiting alcohol to two drinks a day for men, one drink a day for women. Drugs to Treat High Blood Pressure In addition to lowering blood pressure, these measures enhanceRead MoreEducational Inclusion Of The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement2851 Words   |  12 Pagesdifferent to other subjects in its groupings. Co-educational lessons allow equal opportunities for boys and girls in the curriculum, provide greater opportunities for all to reach their potential (if set according to ability) and can help to overcome stereotypes of girls and boys (Hayes Stidder, 2003). However PE is different to classroom activities, they do not just focusing on the intellectual ability of a pupil, but their physical strength as well, which due to hormones and different developmentsRead MoreOlder Clients Essay8017 Words   |  33 Pagesphysiological effects of an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and increase active life expectancy by limiting the development and progression of chronic disease and disabling conditions. Ideally, exercise prescription for older adults should include aerobic, muscle strengt hening, and flexibility exercises. In addition, individuals at risk for falling or mobility impairment should also perform specific exercises to improve balance. The intensity and duration of physical activity should be low at the outsetRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages978-0-13-283487-2 Brief Contents Preface xxii 1 2 Introduction 1 What Is Organizational Behavior? 3 The Individual 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Diversity in Organizations 39 Attitudes and Job Satisfaction 69 Emotions and Moods 97 Personality and Values 131 Perception and Individual Decision Making 165 Motivation Concepts 201 Motivation: From Concepts to Applications 239 3 The Group 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Foundations of Group Behavior 271 Understanding Work Teams 307 Communication 335 Leadership 367 Power

Hot Spot for Hackers

Question: Discuss about the Article for Hot Spot for Hackers. Answer: In Australia, the public Wi-Fi hotspots have almost no security as stated by Dr Malcolm Pattinson who is a cyber security expert of University of Adelaide. He also stated that the encryption is so weak that anyone can break into some of these Wi-Fi hot spots and can hack any information. This scenario can be analyzed further by using two classical theories of ethics that are Consequentialism or Utilitarianism and Egoist theory. Utilitarianism is a theory that depends on principles of Utility and states that act of a person will be considered as morally right only when it will produce more happiness than any other act that the person could perform at that time (Wright et al., 2013). Classical utilitarian such as Stuart Mill and Henry Sidgwick has defined that within this ethical theory happiness is considered as pleasure where pain does not exist. On the other hand, Egoist theory of ethics is divided in two variations that are individual and universal. Individual ethical theory stated that a person who follows this theory can do whatever good for them even if it violates the rights of others. Universal egoist theory on the other hand, promotes selfishness for each people only by respecting the rights of the others. The case scenario of Australia where citizen are facing several issues while using public Wi-Fi can be related to egoist theory of Ethics. According to the case study, more than $15.7 million was lost to frauds in the first two weeks of the month. As per the reports of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, one out of 10 frauds is done through internet (Burgess, 2013). Now all of these frauds can be considered as an act of egoism. Particularly, it can be said that individualism egoistic theory suits the current situation as someone is hacking the bank accounts of citizen only for his good where the holders of the accounts are facing issues. However, according to Dion (2012), in some of the cases this weak security system of Wi-Fi hotspot can help the Government or other departments to peak into the accounts of suspects. This act is also considered as an act under egoistic ethics. However, this act can be stated as an act of universal. If investigation organizations such as C IA can secretly hack into someones bank account to figure out the banking detail of that person in order to find out his financial transactions, this will help the investigation organization to collect evidences against some criminals. This could be considered as act of selfishness as that investigating department will collect evidences for their own good; however, it will help a large number of people (Rosas Koenigs, 2014). Therefore, this act is an act of universal egoistic ethics. However, in this case it is highly essential to take proper steps to stop the hacking incidents In order to stop the hacking incidents act of Utilitarianism must be applied which will allow take steps that will provide help to the people without causing any damage to other citizens (Lucas Galinsky, 2015). Some recommended methods of protecting the data while Wi Fi Hotspot are mentioned below, Using VPN: VPN is virtual private network which adds a layer of defence to all the information one sends. VPN actually encrypt all the information which make it tough for the hackers t hack it. Using SSL connection: Users must use the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) at the time of entering any sensitive data in the website. This ensures that all the information is encrypted when it passes over onto the web. For example, websites that starts with http are secured with SSL. Users are recommended that they must not use any website that does not start with http. This might reveal all their information to a third person. Adding an effective Firewall: Users are recommended to protect their devices with a strong, personal firewall. They are also recommended that the firewall must be up-to-date with the best virus protection. It will make sure that no one will get their hands on the sensitive data of the user. Switch off Wi-Fi: When a user is not actively using Wi-Fi, the device still transmit data continuously between any network that is located within the range. Therefore, it is recommended that all the users must switch off their Wi-Fi connectivity when they are not using it. Integrated web filtering services: Internet is full of illegal, malicious and hacking sites. Even when a user is not surfing any of those sites, he can unknowingly enter any hacking sites through spam links and pop ups (Maggi et al., 2013). Therefore, it is important that the Wi-Fi service provider must use integrated web filtering services that will help to block those sites in the network. In this way, a user will be protected from fraud links that might force him to enter details such as credit card passwords in hacking sites. Web browser based on filtering services: Most of the times web service providers do not use integrated web filtering services to reduce the operational costs (Virvilis et al., 2015). In this situation, to make sure that the device is protected from hacking, users must use web browsers based on web filtering services. All of these above mentioned procedures are the act of Utilitarianism as it will do well for the users while creating no harm for any other people. From the discussion, it is clear that the jacking incident that is taking place in Australia is serious. People are losing their money rapidly. The public Wi-Fi hotspot is so vulnerable that even a cheap receiver is enough to break into some of the Wi-Fi hotspots. This act was compared with the egoism act of classical ethics theory (Garca et al., 2013). However, it is necessary to find out proper ways to come out o these issues. Some recommendations are mentioned that can help a user to protect his device from any type of hackings and tracking. These processes will be considered as act of Utilitarianism as it will help to keep interest of the users while doing no harm to any other people. Reference List Burgess-Jackson, K. (2013). Taking egoism seriously.Ethical theory and moral practice,16(3), 529-542. Dion, M. (2012). Are ethical theories relevant for ethical leadership?.Leadership Organization Development Journal,33(1), 4-24. Garca, J. M., Junghans, M., Ruiz, D., Agarwal, S., Ruiz-Corts, A. (2013). Integrating semantic web services ranking mechanisms using a common preference model.Knowledge-Based Systems,49, 22-36. Lucas, B. J., Galinsky, A. D. (2015). Is utilitarianism risky? How the same antecedents and mechanism produce both utilitarian and risky choices.Perspectives on Psychological Science,10(4), 541-548. Maggi, F., Frossi, A., Zanero, S., Stringhini, G., Stone-Gross, B., Kruegel, C., Vigna, G. (2013, May). Two years of short urls internet measurement: security threats and countermeasures. InProceedings of the 22nd international conference on World Wide Web(pp. 861-872). International World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee. Rosas, A., Koenigs, M. (2014). Beyond utilitarianism: Maximizing the clinical impact of moral judgment research.Social neuroscience,9(6), 661-667. Virvilis, N., Mylonas, A., Tsalis, N., Gritzalis, D. (2015). Security Busters: Web Browser security vs. rogue sites.Computers Security,52, 90-105. Wright, J. C., Grandjean, P. T., McWhite, C. B. (2013). The meta-ethical grounding of our moral beliefs: Evidence for meta-ethical pluralism.Philosophical Psychology,26(3), 336-361.

Project Management and Project Alignment Strategy

Introduction Project management has been practiced mainly in the engineering and construction sectors. This is mainly due to the fact that tasks in these sectors have to be organized in a systematic manner if they are to yield the required results. However, since the 1990’s, project management has gained prominence in other sectors as various firms execute their operations in forms of projects.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Project Management and Project Alignment Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As such, project management is no longer restricted to the creation of products but it has been used to facilitate business transformation as well as to business improvement during the implementation of strategies. The rapid rate at which project management is being applied in businesses is currently being referred to by business critics and commentators as the â€Å"the projectification of society† (Cicmil and Hodgson, 2006). As Hauc Kovac (2000) reiterate, â€Å"Projectification in an organizational context has resulted in the apparent agreement that projects and project management are an efficient means of implementing organizational strategy.† This paper shall discus this statement by reviewing relevant literature pertaining to this topic. To this end, a brief discussion exploring the content, limitations and potential problems brought about by strategic alignment of projects shall be provided. Brief overview of project management The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as a temporary work effort that has â€Å"a clear beginning and end that is intended to create a unique product or knowledge† (PMI, 2004). Projects vary in size and they may involve the effort of a single individual or even hundreds of people working as a team. Project management involves â€Å"application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques† so as to achieve the desired end-result (Cicmil et al, 2006). While small projects may be undertaken without necessarily applying project management, a significant project must involve project management. Experts agree that while good project management does not guarantee the success of a project, poor management invariably leads to a project’s failure. For this reason, the project management component is very essential for any sizable business project. Projects and strategies Strategies refer to the overall plans and procedures designed to execute a particular goal or objective. Cleland and Ireland (2006), state that projects mainly dwell on the equipments, tools and techniques. The project manager must come up with a strategy that lays out how the various aspects of the project work together to yield the expected results.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The al ignment of projects presents various opportunities and challenges. However, as Grant (2005) reiterates, the success or failure of any given project depends on the strategies formulated to facilitate in the implementation processes of each project. To this end, if an organization aligns its project in such a manner that the success of one project affects the others, there may be problems if cases of misappropriation of funds or failure to meet the set deadlines occur. Importance of project management Without PM, projects would be delivered late, have cost overruns and in most cases; the product would also be of inferior quality. Project management involves coming up with a plan so as to ensure that all the objectives are clearly stated and everyone involved in the project knows their role. Without such a plan, the project is bound to be delivered late and at a higher cost. Also, owing to the fact that the roles and objective are not clearly defined, the final product will be of infer ior quality. Project management involves balancing conflicting demands to ensure resources are optimally utilized to achieve the end-product. To achieve this, the Project Manager begins by clearly defining the objectives that the particular project aims to achieve and the scope of the project (Kerzner 2003). The project manager then develops a detailed schedule that contains the various activities that need to be undertaken and the resources that shall be utilized to fulfill the same. An organizational structure that highlights the duties and responsibility of each member of the project is also developed to ensure the effective management and implementation of the necessary work. Some of the main objectives of PM include but are not limited to: Defining the objectives and scope of the project Developing a schedule of activities and resources required Developing an organizational structure for the project Ensuring the commitment and backing by the project stakeholders It should be noted that no project can be successfully undertaken without the commitment and approval of the various stakeholders of the project, chief among them being the financiers and the senior management. The project manager will therefore set out to gain the approval of these important parties. Successful projects are characterized by having clear objective, good project plan and effective communication among the involved parties (Freimut, et al, 2001). Project risks All projects involve some measure of risk. Risks arise as a result of the uncertainties that are inherent in each project. One of the things which make risk management hard in all projects is that there is no standardized approach to dealing with risks (Norris, Perry Simon 2000).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Project Management and Project Alignment Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because no two projects are alike and as su ch, each project had its own unique environment and variables which leads to differing risks (Kerzner, 2003). To this effect, risk Management is normally ignored since most project managers deem it as unnecessary paperwork. This notion leads to aggressive approaches to dealing with problems that appear in the life of the project. Risk analysis and management Risk analysis and management involves the recognition that risks exist. It entails a thorough assessment of the project to identify what could go wrong. The concept of risk management involves conducting a detailed assessment of a particular project so as to identify significant things that could go wrong with the project. Norris, Perry and Simon (2000) assert that project risk analysis and management if properly undertaken increases the likelihood of successful completion of a project on time and within stipulated costs. Value of risk management By undertaking risk management, the project manager increases his/her control of th e project as risk management provides a framework which enables the future activities to be undertaken in a consistent manner (The Institute of Risk Management 2004). In addition to this, risk management stipulates that project risks be identified beforehand. This will lead to an improvement in decision making since the decisions will be based on facts. The efficiency with which the project will be undertaken will therefore be increased as project activities will occur in a consistent and controlled manner and capital and resources allocation will be efficiently performed. As such, risk management is important to projects because it provides a framework, through which the project activities can take place, improves decision making, planning and prioritizing, contributes to the efficient allocation of project resources and optimizes operational efficiency of overall project (KMPG 2002). Resolving risks The fundamental goal of risk evaluation is to be able to reduce or altogether, eli minate risk (Lycett et al, 2004). Once the risks involved in the project have been identified and subsequently classified according to their frequency of occurrence and the impact that their occurrence may have on the overall project, risk resolution activities should be undertaken. However, in most cases, the project team only has a vague idea as to the nature of the risk. As such, further research on the risk should be carried out for the project team to have an intimate understanding of the same.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some risks are inevitable in the project and they should therefore be accepted as a part of the project. The project team should however anticipate these risks and have measures put in place for dealing with the same. Some risks are deemed as being too high and for the project to proceed favorably, measures must be taken to mitigate the same and establish contingency plans in case the risks arise. These are the steps that should be followed in risk management: Research, acceptance, reduction and elimination (Barney Bennett, 2000). Strategic alignment of projects Archibald (1988) reiterates that project management has over the years been useful in ensuring the efficiency and subsequent success of projects. The author further states that project management has helped many managers formulate and implement various strategies which ultimately guarantee the success of a project. However, Anderson and Merna (2003) argue that the failure of most projects is as a result of poor strategic pl anning during the implementation phase. In addition, Cicmil et al (2006) reiterate that on average, 80% of failed projects are as a result of the managers failure to map out clear procedures and priorities regarding to a given project. According to Aalto (2000), strategic alignment of project refers to the process through which organizations select the projects to be accomplished within a particular period of time and prioritize their completion according to the available resources and their ability to remain aligned with the organizational resources. Thiry (2002) further contends that other organizations group their projects using a managerial framework. This enables the organization to space the projects accordingly thereby minimizing and chances of rippled failure (Maylor et al, 2006). Maylor et al (2006) define project strategy as the unique approaches a project utilize so as to achieve the set strategies of an organization. To this effect, project strategy acts as a link betwee n the proposed project plans and the organizations strategies. The authors further assert that the project strategy provides the rules that govern the behavior of the project team and ensures that they meet the deadlines within the given timeframe and budgetary allocation. However, it should be noted that there is a very distinct difference between project management strategy and project strategy. Anderson and Merna (2003) assert that project strategy refers to the executive plan that aims at achieving the set objectives of a given project while project management strategy refers to the strategic approaches used to manage a given project. In other words, project strategy refers to the directions that the senior management gives the project managers in order to meet the organizational objectives while project management strategy are the procedures, plans and policies that see the project to the end (Artto et al, 2008). Inherent problems to project management Measuring project progres s is essential in all projects since it gives the project team and manager control. However, there must be measurement metrics and unity between the strategies formulated by the project sponsors, the organization and the project managers which make use of project deliverables to measure progress. Morris Jamieson (2005) state that it is the role of the project manager to give detailed specifications to the team as regarding to the methodology and techniques that are to be employed during the collection and retention of project metrics. When there are many projects being conducted for the same organization, the project team may develop some conflicts of allegiance since there is no single strategy that can effectively be used for different projects. In addition, the business world is characterized by a high degree of dynamicity. To this effect, the organizational objectives may change in order to conform to the market and competition trends. If the projects are aligned to meet the or ganizational objectives, they may fail in the event of a drastic change (Hodgson Cicmil, 2006). This may lead to losses of an unprecedented scale. Consequently, the organization may end up loosing the trust and respect from the sponsors as well as a great market since the projects would be rendered useless. In regards to costs, projects often require a large amount of capital. If the project management team is inefficient, they may fail to follow the policies and procedures set by the senior management. This would subsequently lead to great losses that cannot be easily recovered. In addition, if the strategies stipulated by the senior management are inefficient, this would lead to the failure of the whole organization. Also, as Crawford (2005) explains, each project must have some unforeseen risks. This fact makes project very unpredictable. With this in mind, aligning projects with the organizations objectives may prove to be costly since failure of a project affects the overall p erformance of the organization. The project manager is expected to come up with a project plan which should explicitly specify the processes to be used to measure and control the quality of the work and the resulting work products (Couchman et al 2008). To this effect, handling many projects at once may invariable lead to confusion and corrosion of set objectives thereby affecting the success of the project as well as the quality of the results yielded. As Artto et al (2001) explain, some projects may require the attention of various departments within the organization. However, despite the fact that each department within an organization aim at achieving a common organizational goal, each has a set of departmental goals that have to be met. Bearing this in mind, cases where members from different departments may tacitly try to influence the project decisions such that they favor their departments. Project management tools that ensure successful alignment of projects To ensure succe ss in projects, there are vital tools that can be used to monitor and control the progress at each stage. This is especially important because most of sizable projects are complex and very sensitive. As such, any mistake no matter how tiny may lead to the failure of the project (PMI, 2004). Gantt charts Gant charts are used to asses the progress of a project. The X axis is the time scale over which the project will run and task is represented as a single horizontal bar. Activities which can run concurrently can be plotted on the same Y-axis while those that are dependent on the completion of others can not begin before the others complete (Jenkins, 2006). As such, each stage can be marked and the expected date of completion highlighted so that all members know what to do and when to do it. This ensures that the project resources are efficiently utilized which in turn avoids wastage of finances and resources. Pert Charts Pert charts are used to indicate project milestones and depende ncies. They are also used to calculate the critical path which is the set of tasks which have to be completed in time for the project to beat the deadline (Larsen, 2005). Pert charts show the longest path from start to finish. The milestones are marked as nodes with numbers and the critical path is from activity 0-2-4-6-9-10. Any delay in any of these activities will lead to delay in entire project. Most biotechnological projects require calculations and equations. There are various formulas that can be applied to come to an answer. Most projects fail because they lack options and if the main methodology fails, the project is therefore wasted. The pert charts provide the project team with options from which the most efficient can be applied. Conclusion Project management is an essential part of any substantial project and it involves planning, identification of risks and progress tracking. Risk management which involves addressing the risks attached to the project activities, is cru cial to the success of a project. In the end, it is the project manager’s obligation to assess the risks and make decisions as to the path that the project takes (The Institute of Risk Management, 2002). Due to the popularization of project management in the business realms, care should be taken by project managers to ensure that projects are successful. Even though the concept of project alignment is still at it’s preliminary stages, business entities should make an effort towards implementing it in their operations. Not only does it offer a competitive advantage to businesses, but it also improves productivity and performance within the organization. This is mainly due to the fact that the projects are synchronized with the organizations objective. As such, the success of a project also means the success of the organization in general. References Aalto, T. (2000) Strategies and methods for project portfolio management. University of Technology, Helsinki. Anderson, D and Merna, T. (2003) Project management strategy: Project management represented as a process based set of management domains and the consequences for project management strategy, International journal of project management, 21, 387-393. Archibald, R. (1988) Projects: Vehicle for strategic growth, Project Management Journal, 19, 31-33. Artto, Lehtonen et al. (2001) Managing projects front-end: Incorporating a strategic early view to project management with simulation, International Journal of Project Management, 19, 255-264. Artto et al. (2008) Project strategy: Strategy types and their contents in innovation projects, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 1, 49-70. Barney, B and Bennett, R. (2000) Risk Management for the NASA/JPL Genesis Mission: A Case Study. Web. Cicmil, S and Hodgson, D. (2006) Making projects critical: An introduction, Palgrave MacMillan, New York. Cicmil, S et al. (2006) Rethinking project management: Researching the actuality of projects, In ternational Journal of Project Management, 24, 675-686. Cleland, D and Ireland, L. (2006) Project management: Strategic design and implementation. McGraw-Hill, New York. Couchman, P et al. (2008) Lost in Translation? Building science and innovation city strategies in Australia and the UK. Innovation: Management, Policy Practice, vol. 10, 221-219. Crawford, L. (2005) Senior management perceptions of project management competence. International Journal of Project Management, vol. 23, 7-16. Freimut, B et al. 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