MGMT 4440 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

MGMT 4440 - Essay Example This can lead to more advantage over competition with better skilled human capital. It can also change the organizational culture so that workers are more team-focused. Especially if they receive rewards for their efforts, they become more motivated and faithful to the business. The end result is higher productivity if goals are linked with systems to gain consistent, dependable worker results. The value for the individual is more recognition for their worthwhile contributions and might lead to more independence at their jobs if they are proven to be dependable and meet organizational goals. The feedback provided in these systems helps them to develop their strengths and gain an understanding of the organization’s mission. Rewards associated with their contributions could also motivate them to achieve and build their self-confidence in the process. The term business is behavior means that the business is very much reliant on the skills, motivations, attitudes, and dedication of workers in order to be effective and successful. A business cannot be a thriving organization without all of the efforts of its workers and it is through their motivation and dedication that the company earns a profit. Therefore, business is behavior because without human capital and ambition, they cannot outperform competition or achieve their strategic mission or goals. The unbreakable behavior law are those beliefs that are driven by personal needs and personality factors that are part of lifelong learning. Businesses try to adapt their culture to fit a specific need, however if they conflict with these very important values or personality traits, it is likely they can never be broken. Behavior is key to quality because most businesses rely on teamwork in order to be successful, especially as the environment of business becomes more complex. Information

Olay in the United Arab Emirates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Olay in the United Arab Emirates - Essay Example They successfully entered the international markets but later sold their company to Richard Merell Inc who expanded the skin care products (Patrick, 2012). With increased marketing and advertising, the company drastically increased their sales volume. Procter & Gamble bought the company in 1985 and diversified a range of skin care products line up (Patrick, 2012). They unified the brand name to Olay worldwide, except in Germany and Italy where it is branded under the name Olaz. The Olay brand markets a wide range of products and is highly successful all over the world. The Marketing Environment This refers to all factors and forces that determine a company’s ability to interact and develop mutually beneficial relationships with their customers (Lancaster, 2012). The factors may be internal whereby the company can be able to control these factors to its advantage and external where the company has no control over these forces (Lancaster, 2012). The United Arab Emirates offers a superb marketing environment to foreign and local businesses because of few legal hurdles (alClick Advertising Network, 2009). The Micro Environment To be a leader in skin care products, Procter & Gamble Olay’s has developed and maintained a good micro marketing environment enabling it to serve women and men from all over the world. ... The company brand offers an extensive product line including facial moisturizers, body lotions, beauty bars, toners, facial cleansers, UV products combined with specialty products and formulations that caters for the needs of a majority of women all over the world (Patrick, 2012). These products have the high quality standards and are reasonably low priced for their quality (Fitness health, 2012). The company has received numerous awards on quality, innovation and advertisements making it a leader in the skin care category (Arabian Gazette, 2012; Olay, 2012). Pricing Policy Olay products are reasonably low priced for quality and are affordable to most people, facilitating noble sales volume all year round. The company offers numerous discounts and benefits when customers purchase products from online stores; making their products easily affordable to most consumers. Place Procter and Gamble has expanded all over the world with numerous distribution channels and outlets. It has partne red with the online drugstore.com. The company offers free shipping for some of its stuff in the US (Fitness health, 2012). By offering their customers convenient point of purchases, they make their products move faster. Promotion of Sales The company promotes the sales of its skin care products through strategic advertisement and astute marketing, which has enabled the brand to become the most popular skin and beauty product brand all over the world. The company invests in television marketing, internet marketing and has various coupons, cash back reward systems, and various rotating promotions that help market its brands (Olay, 2012). Employees and Staff The firm hires highly competent and skilled staff in all its sections dedicated to the provision of the highest product and

Specimen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Specimen - Essay Example Nobody can access it but him." The taller of the two men made a growling sound and took a menacing step towards Jason, "look here you little ." His partner pulled him back before he could continue and whispered something. They walked to the corner of the deck and began talking in urgent murmurs, with a great deal of hand movement and arm flaying. Jason strained his ears, trying to catch what their conversation but their voices were just too low. "The professor," Jason said, more as a confirmation than a question, "I don't know. Last night he told me that he was going to take the dinghy to shore at dawn to collect some specimens from the island and will be back around midday What's all this about," Jason asked fearfully. "No I mean yes, I don't know anything. Like I said, he locks himself up in the lab all day, only comes out for meals and ever so often, takes the dinghy to the island. I took this position as an assistant researcher but actually all I do is prepare the meals and clean up the yacht, and feed the specimens. I don't even know what the professor is working on or anything," Jason concluded desperately. They had to believe him, Jason thought to himself, they just had to. He really knew nothing. He had thought he was applying for a well-paying research position with the world famous marine biologist, James Farnsworth, and that this would be a career coup. However, ever since he boarded the Experian ten days ago, he'd only seen the professor at mealtimes and they had barely exchanged a few words. Jason had tried asking the professor about his research and what areas he would be assisting him in but Farnsworth had just glared at him beneath those bushy eyebrows of his and, in a surprisingly ferocious tone, had told him to mind his own business. Since that incident, which had happened the very first day he had boarded the Experian, Farnsworth had ignored Jason, barely acknowledging him with the briefest of head nods at mealtimes. If the truth be told, Jason didn't like the professor much. Certainly, he admired him as one of the greatest marine biologists of the age but he just did not like the man. He made him feel uncomfortable and a bit wary. "Look here," the taller of the two men said, breaking Jason's thoughts. "We're going to come clean with you. That boss of yours is onto some dangerous work and is involved with some very frightening people. We're not the criminals here and you really have no need to fear us if you're nose is clean. It's that boss of yours that you should be afraid of - very afraid of." A look of total confusion passed over Jason's face. He stared at the two men, open-mouthed and incredulous. "What! Farnsworth may not be a nice person but he's certainly not a criminal. The guy has been published in every single scientific

Ownership of Two Contrasting Businesses Essay Example for Free

Ownership of Two Contrasting Businesses Essay Asda is the second largest retailer in the UK, and it has been the largest subsidiary of the Wal-Mart family of companies since 1999. The UKs supermarket sector has also become more competitive. This contest between retailers in the marketplace helps to keep prices down. It also makes sure that organisations always produce and sell the goods that consumers really want. Asda is engaged in food, clothes, electronic and furniture selling. Consumers like price competition, as it means they can buy goods at low prices and save money. Asda is a large national company that makes a profit and it is private as well. Asda has a limited liability which means that they might lose the money they have invested in a business. This company is an incorporated business and it is also a public limited company. The main aims and objectives of Asda are: †¢To provide goods and services that is cheap and affordable to consumers to the public, to reduce the cost †¢To recycling their waste †¢To supporting voluntary services Oxfam is a small not-for-profit organisation and it is a global company because it operates in countries around the world. It is owned by Oxfam Trading Limited Companies and it is in private sector. The main aims and objective of this company are: †¢To Aid third world countries in any way they can †¢To relieve poverty, distress and suffering †¢To educate people about the nature, causes and effects if poverty †¢To campaign for a fairer world †¢To encourage western nations to supply aid to third world countries.

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee :: essays research papers

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Indians were being confined to crowed reservations that were poorly run, had scarce game, alcohol was plentiful, the soil was poor, and the ancient religious practices were prohibited. The Indians were not happy that they had been kicked off there land and were now forced to live on a reservation. The Indians then began to Ghost Dance a form of religion it is said that if the Indians were to do this trance like dance the country would be cleansed of white intruders. Also dead ancestors and slaughtered buffalo would return and the old ways would be reborn in a fruitful land. Once the Bureau of Indian affairs noticed what was going on they began to fear this new religion would lead to warfare. The white peoplewere scared that this new dance was a war dance. They called for army protection. Army was called in to try to curbed this new religion before it could start a war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Sioux band tougher led by Little Big Foot. They were heading to Pine RidgeReservation in South Dakota, when the army stopped them and held them at gun pointovernight. Big Foot’s group contained about 300 people two-thirds of them were women and children. While the soldiers numbered around 500 and were armed with automatic weapons. The next morning when the army began to disarm the Indians a shot rang out then the gun fire began leaving about 200 Indians dead in the snow. Thirty soldiers were also killed in the massacre. The soldiers that lost there lives were most likely killed by their own men in friendly fire. Wounded Knee is said to have been the last battle of the war but it was not so much a battle as it was a massacre. It was in fact the last exchange of fire between the army and the Sioux.

Agile Software Development

Testing in Agile software development approach is quite different from the traditional testing methodologies as it requires testing at every phase of the development and not only by the Quality Assurance team but by developers and business analysts as well.This is because 1) Agile software development requires testing throughout the lifecycle of the project and 2) Developers and Business Analysts are under the system and the business better, respectively.According to Ambler, the basic strategy of testing in Agile software development is testing throughout the lifecycle and therefore can be divided into following four phases:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Initiation – This is often short and includes indentifying initial acceptance tests, setting up the testing environment and identifying a testing team for the project. The benefit of this test phase is to set-up testing groundwork, possibly install the tools that will be needed for testing as well.2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Construction – This may comprise of any number of iterations depending on how the scope and management of the project. A significant amount of testing occurs during this phase. Concepts such as ‘confirmatory’ and ‘investigative’ testing is employed here by the agile developers who test often, test early and usually test first. Confirmatory and Investigative testing, as described by Ambler, are briefly defined below:a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Confirmatory Testing – This focuses on verifying that the system fulfills the intent of the stakeholders as described to the team to date. Two aspects of confirmatory testing, as presented by Ambler, are:i.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Agile Acceptance Testing – is a mix of traditional functional testing and traditional acceptance testing because the development team and their stakeholders are doing it collaboratively. Developer testing is a mix of traditional unit testing and traditional class/component/service integration testing.ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Developer Testing – strives to verify the application code and the database schema and to look for coding errors, perform at least coverage if not full path testing, and to ensure that the system meets the current intent of its stakeholders.It is often done in a test-first manner, where a single test is written and then sufficient production code is written to fulfill that test. (Ambler, Agile Testing Strategies)b.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Investigative Testing – This strives to discover problems that the development team didn't consider.Agile teams produce working software at the end of each construction iteration and hence a new version of the system should ideally be given to a separate test team that which can be assigned the goal to explore potential scenarios that neither the development team nor business stakeholders may have considered. (Ambler, Agile Testing Strategies)3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Release – At this stage, the project is ready to be delivered to the user an d is tested from user acceptance point of view at this stage.4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Production – Once the system has been delivered, defects may arise and Agile testing ensures that these defects are fixed in a timely and appropriate manner.Testing Tools It is not necessary to use a tool, solely designed for testing in an Agile development methodology. Automated testing holds a key place in agile development because of the sheer amount of testing that is required throughout the lifecycle.Some tools that have been used by agile development and testing teams include JUnit for Unit testing, Fit and Fitnesse for acceptance testing, Autoit and Selenium for functional testing etc.Microsoft Visual Studio is the first IDE that introduced integrated unit testing tool (Ingles)Test Documents Agile software development encourage going as light as possible, hence the need for singular reference points and avoidance of multiple documents and redundant information as is the norm in traditional approaches. (Ambler, Single Source Information – An Agile Practice for Effective Documentation)The main documentation work required in Agile software development is:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Test plan to ensure comprehensive coverage of the software and guarantee quality (Black)2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traceability Matrices – these matrices are used in testing phases to link functionality and test cases to specific requirements.Risks involvedThere are however certain risks involved in Agile development as suggested by some researchers. Some of these have been quoted below (Agile Software Development): ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lack of structure and necessary documentation ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Incorporates insufficient software designRequires too much cultural change to adopt Can lead to more difficult contractual negotiations Can be very inefficient — if the requirements for one area of code change through various iterations, the same programming may need to be done several times over.Whereas if a plan were there to be followed, a single area of code is expected to be written once. Impossible to develop realistic estimates of work effort needed to provide a quote, because at the beginning of the project no one knows the entire scope/requirements Drastically increases the risk of scope creep due to the lack of detailed requirements documentation Agile is feature driven, non-functional quality attributes are hard to be placed as user stories Test Standards The standards that have been introduced for agile software development include ISO/IEC 12207:1995 and its replacement ISO/IEC 15288:2002. Other standards that are also of interest to software development are ISO/IEC 15939:2002 (Software measurement process) and ISO/IEC 14143 (Software measurement – Functional size measurement). (W.H. MORKEL THEUNISSEN) Bibliography 28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .28 July 2008 .â€Å"Agile Software Development.â⠂¬  Wikipedia. 28 July 2008 .Agile Software Development: Definition. 28 July 2008 .Ambler, Scott. Agile Testing Strategies. 28 July 2008 .—. â€Å"Single Source Information – An Agile Practice for Effective Documentation.† 28 July 2008 .Black, Rex. 28 July 2008 .Ingles, Paul. 28 July 2008 .W.H. MORKEL THEUNISSEN, DERRICK G. KOURIE AND BRUCE W. WATSON. â€Å"Standards and Agile Software Development.† 28 July 2008 .

Ergonomic Workstation

Computer Workstation Ergonomics INF 103: Computer Literacy Winter 2009 Computer Workstation Ergonomics As we spend increasing amounts of time at our computer workstation, we need to be aware of how the design and arrangement of our equipment can impact our comfort, health, and productivity. WORK AREA The work area should be large enough to accommodate you, allow the full range of motions involved in performing required tasks, and provide room for the equipment and materials that make up the workstation. †¢Use a headset for lengthy or frequent telephone work. Place the items you use most frequently directly in front of you. †¢Avoid overcrowding computer work areas. DESK/WORKSTATION Standard furniture cannot accommodate everyone’s needs. A taller person may need a one-time adjustment to have his or her work surface raised somewhat; a shorter person may need a footrest or other accessories. Adjustable furniture may be needed in situations where people share or use the s ame workstation. †¢The desktop should be organized so that frequently used objects are close to the user to avoid excessive extended reaching. The work surface should have a matte finish to minimize glare or reflections. †¢The area underneath the desk should always be tidy and clean to accommodate the user’s legs and allow for stretching. †¢If a fixed-height desk is used, add a keyboard tray that adjusts vertically to provide added adjustability. †¢A footrest should be used if, after adjusting the height of the chair, feet do not rest flat on the floor. †¢Use a headset or speaker phone to avoid neck and shoulder discomfort if you use a phone frequently throughout the day. †¢Place the phone on the side of your non-dominant hand (i. e. left side if right-handed, right side if left-handed) †¢Position your desk lamp (if you use one) so that it illuminates source documents without causing either glare on the computer screen or direct illumination to your eyes. †¢A document holder should be used if documents are referred to during keying. The document holder should: †¢Be stable and adjustable (height, position, distance, and angle of view). †¢Support your document on either side of the monitor. †¢Be at the same distance from your eyes as the display screen to avoid frequent changes of focus and you should be able you to look from one to the other without moving your neck or back. CHAIR ADJUSTMENTS Contrary to popular belief, sitting, which most people believe is relaxing, is hard on the back. Sitting for long periods of time can cause increased pressure on the intervertebral discs — the spongy discs between the vertebras. Sitting is also hard on the feet and legs. Gravity tends to pool blood in the legs and feet and create a sluggish return to the heart. The following recommendations can help increase comfort for computer users: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ Dynamic sitting†, don’t stay in one static position for extended periods of time. When performing daily tasks, alternate between sitting and standing or take small walking breaks throughout the day. †¢The chair back should have a lumbar support †¢Adjust height of backrest to support the natural inward curve of the lower back. †¢It may be useful to use a rolled towel, lumbar roll or cushion to support the low back. †¢The angle of the back rest is subjective but the trunk and upper l egs should form an angle between 90 to 115 degrees. †¢Adjust height of chair so feet rest flat on floor oSit upright in the chair with the low back against the backrest and the shoulders touching the backrest. Thighs should be parallel to the floor and knees at about the same level as the hips. oBack of knees should not come in direct contact with the edge of the seat pan. There should be 2-4 inches between the edge of the seat and the back of the knee †¢Arm rests should be removable and the distance between the arm rests should be adjustable. oAdjust height and/or width of armrests so they allow the user to rest arms at their sides and relax/drop their shoulders while keyboarding. oDon’t use armrests to slouch. Also, chair arms should not oticeably elevate your shoulders or force you to move your arms away from your body to use them. oElbows and lower arms should rest lightly on armrests so as not to cause circulatory or nerve problems. †¢Use a footrest when a ttempts to adjust your chair and the rest of the workstation fail to keep your feet on the ground. †¢Ensure that you have some space (2-3†³) between the top of your thighs and the underside of your workstation. †¢Have enough space under your work surface so that you can pull yourself all the way up to the edge of the desk with room for your legs and knees to fit comfortably. MONITOR Once the chair and work surface height are properly adjusted, the computer monitor should be placed so the top of the screen is at or just below eye level when seated in an upright position. The following suggestions can help prevent the development of eye strain, neck pain and shoulder fatigue while using your computer workstation: †¢Make sure the surface of the viewing screen is clean. †¢Adjust brightness and contrast to optimum comfort. †¢Position the monitor directly in front of the user to avoid excessive twisting of the neck. †¢User must position the monitor at a comfortable viewing distance, approximately 18-30 inches from the user. Position monitors at right angles from windows to reduce glare. Close window blinds as needed to reduce glare from sunlight. †¢Position monitors away from direct lighting which creates excessive glare or use a glare filter over the monitor to reduce glare. †¢Adjust the monitor tilt so that ceiling lights do not reflect on your screen. †¢If a document holder is used, it should be placed at approximately the same height as the monitor and at the same distance from the eyes to prevent frequent eye shifts between the monitor screen and reference materials. †¢Get regular eye check-ups. Adjust as needed for larger screens. You may need to sit farther away and increase the font size to take full advantage of the larger screen. Bifocal and trifocal wearers have to pay particular attention to the placement of their monitor. Wearers of bifocals and trifocals often unknowingly tilt their heads backwards so they can read the screen through the lower portion of their glasses. This can sometimes lead to neck, shoulder, and back discomfort. Potential solutions include either lowering the computer monitor or purchasing glasses designed specifically for working at the computer. KEYBOARD Many ergonomic problems associated with computer workstations occur in the shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand. Continuous work on the computer may expose soft tissues in these areas to repetition, awkward postures, and forceful exertions, especially if the workstation is not set up properly. The following adjustments should be made to your workstation to help prevent the development of an ergonomic problem in the upper extremities: †¢First adjust your chair as mentioned above, then with your arms resting comfortably at your side, raise your forearms to form a 90 degree angle with your upper arms. Adjust keyboard height so shoulders can relax and allow arms to rest at sides. An articulating keyboard tray is often necessary to accommodate proper height and distance. †¢Position the keyboard directly in front and be close to the user to avoid excessive extended reaching. †¢Forearms parallel to the floor (approximately 90 degree angle at elbow). †¢Mouse should b e placed adjacent to keyboard and at the same height as the keyboard. Avoid extended and elevated reaching for keyboard and mouse. The back of the wrist should be kept flat (in a neutral position). Do not rest the hand on the mouse when you are not using it. Rest hands in your lap when not entering data. †¢A padded wrist rest will help to keep your wrist in a straight and neutral position while typing and keep your arms off the sharp edges of the work surface. †¢Do not rest your wrists or hands on a palm or wrist rest when you are keying. These rests are designed to provide support only during breaks from keying. †¢The slope of the keyboard may need to be adjusted so that it is flat in order that your wrists are straight and not bent back while you are typing. †¢Press the keys gently; do not bang them or hold them down for long periods. Keep your shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers relaxed. If your work surface is too high and not adjustable, adjust your chair to bring your arms to the proper position. If you raise your chair make sure your feet are properly supported. MOUSE, TRACKBALL, OR OTHER INPUT DEVICE †¢The mouse is present in virtually every office environment. Handed versions of mousses are designed specifically to the contours of either the right or left hand. †¢Placing the mouse, trackball, or other input device too far away, too low, or too much on one side can cause shoulder, wrist, elbow, and forearm discomfort. Placing the input device directly in your immediate reach zone offers natural comfort and maximum hand-to-eye coordination. †¢Do not bend your wrist upward. Make sure you are sitting high enough for the workstation to be slightly below elbow height so that your hand rests naturally on the mouse. †¢Moussing demands a certain level of surface stability; if used on a keyboard tray, the tray should not wobble or tip. †¢A trackball has an exposed ball that you manipulate with your fingers. It requires the use of different muscle and tendon groups than does a mouse, and can add variety to your manipulation of computer information. Some trackball designs, however, may cause discomfort and possible injury to the area around your thumb, which stretches and reaches to maneuver the trackball. †¢Test different models of mouse’s, trackball or other input devices. Consider the shape and size of the devices, how comfortably it fits into your hand, ease of operation, and any special features that might make your job easier. In addition to the mouse and trackball, a variety of other input devices are available. Consider your task requirements and physical limitations. †¢Touch pads allow you to move the cursor on the computer screen by simply gliding your finger across a small pad. Unlike mousses, trackballs, and other pointing devices, touch pads have no moving parts to clog or breaks, so they never require disassembly for cleaning. †¢Touch screens allow you to point directly at an object. They require little or no training, are faster than other pointing devices, and require no extra work surface. However, the disadvantages of touch screens include arm fatigue, smudges, optical interference, and increased glare. †¢Voice input allows you to â€Å"talk† to your computer. Currently, such programs can understand and respond to natural speech delivered at rates of up to 160 words per minute. Pen-like devices use pressure, light, electromagnetic disruption, or radio frequencies to enter and manipulate information through contact with the computer screen or a horizontal pad. A pen pad requires about as much room on the work surface as does a mouse. If pen technology is used on a horizontal pad, a workstation must provide adequate non-glare lighting for both it and the computer screen. LIGHTING Lighting not suited to working with a computer is a major contributing factor in visual discomforts including eyestrain, burning or itching eyes, and blurred or double vision. The lighting in most office environments is too bright for optimal VDT screen viewing. The illumination may be reduced by removing 2 bulbs in a 4-bulb fluorescent fixture, removing the bulbs in every other fixture, or turning off overhead lights altogether. Supplemental desk lighting is better than overhead lighting for reading or printed copy. Use the following recommendations to reduce eyestrain and eye fatigue: †¢Close drapes/blinds to reduce glare. †¢Adjust lighting to avoid glare on screen (light source should come at a 90 degree angle, with low watt lights rather than high). Avoid intense or uneven lighting in your field of vision. †¢Place monitor at 90 degree angle to windows (where possible). †¢Reduce overhead lighting (where possible). †¢Use indirect or shielded lighting where possible. †¢Walls should not be painted with a reflective finish. †¢Use a glare screen or monitor shield to reduce glare from overhead lighting. WORK HABITS Repetitio us static work (working at the computer) is very fatiguing on your upper extremities as well as your eyes. It is important that breaks from working at the computer be taken every 20 to 40 minutes in order for your body to rest and recover. Taking a short break (3 to 5 minutes) does not mean you have to stop working, other activities such as talking to a co-worker, making copies, filing, etc. could be done during breaks from typing. It is also important to change positions periodically. According to the â€Å"Alexander Technique,† you should change sitting or leaning positions every 15 minutes (Bailin,  ¶ 13, http://www. netsci. org/Science/Special/feature01. html) Sitting in one position or leaning on your arms for an extended period of time can interfere with circulation. Laptop Computers NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT LAPTOP COMPUTERS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED AS PRIMARY COMPUTERS. IN THE OFFICE OR WHILE AT HOME, A DOCKING STATION IS RECOMMENDED TO PROVIDE ADJUSTABILITY WHICH WILL ENHANCE NEUTRAL POSTURES. Computing Maintaining neutral postures will reduce stress and strain to the musculoskeletal system. †¢Incorporate mini-breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to break up repetition and static postures. †¢Maintain a comfortable viewing distance from your screen; about 18-30 inches. †¢Keep your head and neck in a neutral posture; avoid excessive neck flexion or rotation. †¢Angle the screen so that it is perpendicular to your line of sight, if lighting permits. Position the keyboard at elbow height, and keep your wrists straight while keying. Experiment with table height, chair height and keyboard angle to maintain neutral wrist postures. †¢Remember: if you raise your chair use a footrest to support your feet. When seated your hips should be slightly higher than your knees. †¢If you are seated in a side chair or couch, use a pillo w to support your arms while keying. This will help you maintain neutral arm, wrist, and hand postures. †¢Attach an external mouse instead of using the small constricted touchpad or trackball. †¢Clean the screen regularly using appropriate antistatic cleaning materials. The hands and wrists should be kept in a straight wrist posture when typing and should not be resting on a pal rest, table, or lap while typing. Wrist and palm rests are designed to provide support during breaks from typing. Transporting the Computer Keep these ideas in mind while carrying your laptop from place to place: †¢Eliminate unnecessary baggage from your briefcase; the less demand placed on the body the better. †¢Carry your laptop in a case with a padded shoulder strap and handle. Frequently shift hands or shoulders to balance the load. †¢Use a wheeled luggage cart when possible.