Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 1 Essay

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 1 - Essay Example The project sponsor in this project should be the company’s Finance manager since he is in charge of the organization’s financial expenditure. The finance manage is in a position to decide on the budget and liaise with all project stakeholders on the implementation of the project. The project manager in this case will be the marketing manager since he/she is in charge of the department that initiated the project. The marketing department understands the market and the product functionalities inside out and they should be in charge of this project (Wiener, 2011). The project is supposed to introduce a new plastic product that will make the company competitive in the realization of its goals. The project is expected to take a period of nine months in the process lay a foundation for the inception and production of new products. The project will be implemented through the use of a project charter which is a program that highlights the major requirements, scope, deliverable s and timelines to be met by the project. The project charter is important due to various reasons such as: a) It aligns the goals of the project with major players such as stakeholders and sponsors. b) It ensures the project is run on schedule and budget since it acts as a guide on the specifics to be achieved by the project. c) In case the project charter is not followed the project might run into problems such as being over budget, run out of scope and eventually stall or halt. Project Charter The document below highlights the major milestones and work that the project will intend to achieve through the project charter. Project Background: Winsome Manufacturing Company intends to come up with a huge room-sized outdoor plastic container that will be sold to its loyal customer base. This product concept idea was initiated by the marketing department after conducting research and testing the market (Gido, 2009). Project Rationale: This project is expected to add more products to the ones currently produced by the company. Moreover, the project will meet the needs of consumers who are in need of outdoor home storage that is cost effective and efficient (Lewis, 2010). As a result, the company has a business opportunity of meeting the needs of the consumers while increasing its product catalogue and revenues. Project Goals: This project is intended to come up with a finished product which is room-sized container to be produced in mass to be marketed to consumers. The marketing department wants to counter competition from a rival company that produces a similar product although no with superior features of the intended project (Wiener, 2011). Future goals of the project include production of add-on products as a result of the follow up on this project. The major goals are to generate additional revenue to the based on multiplicity of new products derived from the current project. Project Scope: The major highlights that will mark the success of this project are: a) Come up with new designs based on requirements identified by the project stakeholders. b) Agree with stakeholders and project sponsors on appropriate budget. c) Ensure project timelines and budget is achieved. d) Come up with a product marketing and sales strategy. e) Plan and prepare for add-on products that will support the main product. Project Assumptions: In the implementation of this project, various assumptions will be made such as; a) Designs and product

Is justice for all possible in America Research Paper

Is justice for all possible in America - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that for all the legal bodies of the world providing fair and equal justice to all is an ethical and mandatory responsibility; the same holds true for United States of America (USA) as well. The USA follows a federal set up in governance and federalism and dual sovereignty have always remained two mutually conflicting aspects for the United States of America. Though in course of time most of the federal-state conflict attained an agreement on both part, perfection remained a mirage. Within a federal-state set up the state witnessed a declining supremacy, yet the criminal law remained a domain where the state sustained to enjoy the final say. However, Supreme Court kept the states under strict vigilance and often corrected their action in case it deemed necessary. Questions however pierced through the surface that what does fairness actually stands for and what is the true standard for the same. As usual, these couple of questions have also given birth to another; who would be the determining body for fairness. The first amendment and the fourteenth amendment to the USA constitution determine the concept of fairness of justice for the federal and the state government respectively. Historically the USA has remained a multi-ethnic country; from the Red Indians to the Afro-Americans, USA history is all about friction and conflict among people heralding from the different ethnic background. At this background providing justice for all becomes necessary but upholding equality among USA nationals is challenging as well.

Transformational Leadership: The Best Leadership for Healthcare

Transformational Leadership: The Best Leadership for Healthcare This paper is an examination of the methods and practices of transformational leadership. The theory behind transformational leadership is discussed. An explanation of how transformational leadership is practiced is also included. Finally, a discussion of the current state of the health care industry is initiated, with a look at how transformational leadership is the best leadership style to transform this industry for the better. This persuasive paper focuses on change leadership in the healthcare industry. The purpose of this paper is to persuade the reader that transformational leadership is the best type of change leadership for the healthcare industry. Transformational Leadership: The Best Leadership for the Healthcare Industry Change leadership is just what its name implies-a type of leadership that is devoted to guiding an organization through positive changes, and it dynamic in making those changes happen. This is a popular leadership style nowadays. Moving into the 21st century has forced many businesses and organizations to realize that they must change to keep up with the times, that technology and new ways of relating to others and doing business mean that business as usual in no longer acceptable. In order to be competitive in this new century, businesses must change their practices to be cohesive with the new business environment. For a business to be successful in making this adjustment, a strong, specific style of leadership is required to guide the organization through the change (Change Leadership, 2003). This is the purpose of change leadership. Within the area of change leadership, there are several sub-areas of change leadership specialization. One of these sub-areas of change leadership is transformational change. Transformational change is defined as patterns of actions contained within an organizations culture (Transformational Leadership, 1998). These actions include such behaviors as clarifying goals, communicating, taking consistent action, caring, and creating opportunities for development (Transformational Leadership, 1998). By carefully cultivating transformational leadership in the chosen leaders of a company or organization, leaders will be produced who can adapt and deal with organizational members, define, prioritize, and communicate a strategic mission, coordinate and design work systems to promote cooperation, and utilize multiple supporting mechanisms (Transformational Leadership, 1998). In laymans terms, transformational leadership is the process of perceiving when change is needed and influencing the organization by such non-coercive means as persuasion and being an example to the organization in the efforts of goal-setting and goal-achievement (Wonacott, 2001). In transformational leadership theory, four factors motivate employees to perform beyond expectations. These factors are promoted and put into effect by transformational leaders who develop, intellectually inspire, and inspire them to work toward a collective purpose, vision, or mission (Wonacott, 2001). The first of these four factors is charismatic leaders who earn respect, trust, and confidence and who transmit a strong sense of vision and mission (Wonacott, 2001). The second factor is leaders who intellectually stimulate their employees and encourage them to question the status quo and to critically examine their own assumptions and beliefs and those of their leaders (Wonacott, 2001). The third factor i s leaders who show individual consideration in personalized attention to every employees needs so that each employee feels valued (Wonacott, 2001). The fourth factor is leaders who give inspirational motivation that communicates a vision as well as the confident, optimistic belief that the vision is obtainable (Wonacott, 2001). It can be seen then that the common factor in all four of the motivating factors of employees is their leader. Because of this, transformational leadership has the potential to be a dynamic force in an organization. Transformational leaders have the ability to change their employees from self-serving individuals in the organization, only looking out for their own good, into community-minded individuals who are working toward the common good of the whole organization. Transformational leaders have a clear collective vision and are able to communicate it effectively to all employees (What Is?, n.d.). They act as role models for employees, stimulate employees to be more innovative, and are not afraid to take risks or to use unconventional methods to attain their collective vision (What Is?, n.d.). In this way, transformational leaders leave room for their employees and the organization as a whole to breathe and grow (What Is?, n.d.). Transformational leadership is very different from the other main sub-area of change leadership. This other sub-area is known as transactional leadership. In this form of leadership, managers have a very hands off approach to employees (Full Range, 2000). They do not take stands on issues, do not emphasize results, do not take action when issues arise, and are generally unaware of employee performance (Full Range, 2001). These sorts of managers only take corrective actions. They set standards but wait until problems arise before doing anything about them, they stress only what people are doing wrong, and they make it a point to enforce rules, disliking any change in the status quo (Full Range, 2001). On the other hand, these types of managers do have a clear system for handing out rewards. In transactional leadership, there are often clearly stated expectations for employees, and clearly stated rewards for meeting these expectations. However, this is the only positive thing this type of leadership has going for it. In general, transactional leadership causes fear and mistrust of management among employees, and fosters a stressful us vs. them environment. This type of environment is not conducive to positive change. In contrast to transactional leadership, there are many positive elements that transformational leadership can bring to an organization. Numerous studies have shown that transformational leadership does such wonderful things as:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase organizational performance and customer satisfaction.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase employee commitment to the organization.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase employee trust in management.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enhance employee satisfaction with their jobs and their leader.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduce employee stress and increase well-being. (What Is?, n.d.) Transformational leadership is of particular importance to the health care industry. In todays world of a health care industry with a reputation as being cold and uncaring toward patients, a new model of leadership is greatly needed. People today are not only frustrated with the impersonal and often harsh treatment they get from people in the health care industry; they feel like just a number to health care professionals rather than a person. This is not just problem in patient perception. A larger number of medical mistakes are being made today than ever before, and health care professionals are working longer hours and reporting more stress. These long hours and stressful working conditions are having an obvious effect on the quality of care patients receive, and patients are noticing it. A new model of leadership for the health care industry is required. Transformational leadership is just what the health care industry needs. In the health care industry, physicians are normally looked to as the leaders in any health care facility. Physicians are, after all, the ones with the most education and training in the industry, and the ones who make diagnoses and perform the most intricate work. Therefore, it falls to the physicians to take a look at their leadership styles and learn to make the necessary adjustments in order to improve the morale of their subordinates and thereby increase the quality of patient care. Since physicians are very busy people who dont have much time to study leadership styles, the health care industry has continued to be operated by an outmoded hierarchical system (Schwartz, 2002). This outmoded system has caused the health care industry to stagnate while other industries that have updated their management styles and changed with the times have flourished (Schwartz, 2002). Since transformational leadership is most effective in energizing and mobilizing individuals within organizations , the physicians of the health care industry would do well to take a moment or two, or even take a week and go on a retreat, to learn about the styles and benefits of transformational leadership. There are three stages that a medical office or institution must go through in order to instigate a change to transformational leadership. The first stage is to wake up the office, letting the others who work there know that they must improve or perish (Smith, 2003). Most businesses are slow to recognize the need for this important first step, and are hurt in the marketplace before they see the need to wake up; the same is true of medical practices, as patients can always go to the doctors office or the hospital around the corner where transformational leadership is practiced. Resistance to change needs to be guarded against; this is especially true in medical offices that are already successful and so see no reason to change (Smith, 2003). Stage two is to create a vision of the preferred practice paradigm for the office (Smith, 2003). The type and size of these paradigms need to be very specific. If a physician is able to give his or her patients clear picture of what is going to happen and why, those people will be more likely to go along with it. This stage is very important as without a clear picture, no one will understand what is being done (Smith, 2003). The clearer the picture the physician is able to paint, the better response he or she will have (Smith, 2003). Stage three is the actual re-working of the office (Smith, 2003). The stage involves re-training workers and developing new procedures to fit the new paradigm the physician has created. For most physicians, this is a fun stage, as it is very hands-on, challenging, and exciting. This is the stage where the physician gets to see his or her plan in action and can see how it is working; most often, a physician will notice a tremendous change for the better coming over the practice, and patients will report a greater degree of satisfaction with the service received there. After this, the only thing left for the physician to do is to continue to practice transformational leadership and to engage in ongoing development of the practice (Smith, 2003). With this type of leadership, physicians are better able to get people from where they are to where they need to be (Smith, 2003). Leadership is about the future (Bujak, 2001). In order to be effective and competitive, all businesses must embrace the changes that the future will bring. Micromanagement is an all-too-common management practice in the health care industry, and it belongs in the past (Bujak, 2001). Physicians have typically been some of the biggest practitioners of micromanagement, wanting to be involved in every aspect of running their practices, right down to the billing procedures. This causes stress not only for their employees, but for the physicians themselves. This is not effective leadership. However, imagine what could happen in the health care industry if physicians (and hospital administrators, as well) embraced a model of transformational leadership. A transformational leader in the health care industry would celebrate the workforce at his or her office or institution, and would revel in the diversity there; this diversity would not only be in race or gender, but also in style of working, personalities, and methods of learning. A transformational leader would embrace all of these things as each contributing something unique and important to the practice. By maintaining this attitude, the transformational leader would naturally reach out to and encourage all employees in their individual endeavors at the practice, thereby motivating them to do better and to achieve greater things than they could have achieved before. A transformational leader in the health care industry would also endeavor to remove any perceived barriers between employees and himself or herself. This would mean tearing down old hierarchical structures that made the physician leader unapproachable or intimidating to employees, By removing this barrier, the physician leader will succeed in making the practice a more open and hospitable place for employees, one in which they can feel comfortable expressing themselves, asking questions, clarifying objectives, and asking for help if they need it. A practice without institutional barriers between the physician leader and the employees is a relaxed, yet happier and more effective organization. A transformational leader in the health care industry trusts his or her employees and gives them the room they need to do their jobs in their own way. This is very important. Every person has a unique and different way of doing things, and what may work wonderfully for the physician leader may not work so well for a nurse or a receptionist. Under older ways of doing things, the physician leader would force those who worked in his or her office to conform to their method of doing everything, from organization to time management to how to greet a patient. For those employees who were not comfortable with this method of operation and who had different ways of doing things that they knew were just as effective, this sort of management created a stressful, almost hostile environment. By allowing employees the freedom to get things done in the way that suits them best, the physician leader is encouraging greater efficiency, fewer mistakes, and greater employee loyalty. A transformational leader also encourages innovation and allows his or her employees to take risks. Given the right circumstances and having the liberty to try, ordinary people will accomplish extraordinary things (Bujak, 2001). The transformational leader creates these circumstances. Without being given the freedom to take risks, employees will continue to perform in the same old ways, and this can be detrimental to the health care industry, especially now, when it is in such a great need of change. When given freedom to experiment with innovations, employees in the health care industry will often come up with wonderful solutions to long-standing problems. Even when a new innovation from an employee is not working out in the parameters of the practice, the transformational leader will offer encouragement to the employee who instigated it and guide him or her in a direction that may be better suited to the practice, allowing that employee to come up with the details on his or her own , and giving that employee the freedom to try. Environments such as these create the best sort of changes, and the ones that do the most good to the industry as a whole. A transformational leader will stop trying to manage other peoples problems. My being a sorter and not a savior and by making time for the important before the non-urgent, the transformational leader focuses on what is truly important in the organization and encourages a sense of responsibility in managing their own issues among employees. A transformational leader establishes the minimum standards that they will accept, and allows employees the freedom to determine how they will meet those standards; often, when left to their own devices, employees will exceed those standards many times over. Finally, a transformational leader prioritizes the values of the practice. In other words, a transformational leader establishes priorities for the practice and allocates resources to these priorities based on their importance. By making these priorities clear to employees and by backing that up with the allocation of resources, the transformational leader makes employees aware of what the objectives are for the practice and what the most important objectives are. By knowing this information, employees are better able to organize their time and focus their efforts. Prioritizing the values of the practice makes for a better, more tightly run practice all around and created happier employees and patients. In conclusion, transformational leadership is a leadership style that is dynamic and energetic, compassionate and trusting. Transformational leadership is the kind of leadership that makes organizations grow and thrive because the employees of those organizations are in a supportive environment that encourages them to take initiative and express their individuality, while at the same time providing them with clear objectives to aim for. A business that is operated with a transformational leadership style is one that is embracing the 21st century; such a business is giving itself every chance of not only succeeding but thriving. Transformational leaders use compassion and trust to build a sense of community in their workplaces. This sense of community motivates employees to be their best and to work toward the common good of the organization. With a transformational leader, no longer will employees be self-serving and only putting their most minimal effort out that it will take them to get by. When inspired by a transformational leader, employees come to have a sense of pride and purpose in the organization which employs them, and this breeds loyalty in employees. Loyal employees look out for the best interests of the organization because they feel connected to the organization. This kind of loyalty is one of the best investments a business can make in itself. Transformational leadership is especially needed in the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry is suffering from a lot of bad press at the moment, and a lot of patient dissatisfaction with the quality of care they receive. The people who work in the healthcare industry are suffering from stress and burnout. A lot of these problems are due to the stagnation of the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry is still mired in an old-fashioned system of hierarchy and protocol and proper channels to follow. Its system of operation is still very rigid, as far as its work environment goes. This rigid system is putting a lot of stress and strain on employees, and as a result, the quality of patient care is suffering. Transformational leadership has the possibility to change all of that for the health care industry. Transformational leadership would allow physicians, who are the usual leaders in a healthcare environment, to get closer to their employees on a professional level, which would bring about more openness in the workplace. This openness would lead to dialogues between physicians and employees as to what everyone involved envisions the practice to be and what each person sees their role in the practice to be. This meaningful dialogue would lead to a more relaxed atmosphere in the workplace, and this is only a start. In addition to fostering a more open working environment, transformational leadership in the healthcare industry would lead to a breaking down of the traditional hierarchical system that has kept physicians so removed from their employees. When physicians begin showing their employees individual compassion and concern, and begin celebrating the differences among them, employee satisfaction will rise. This will result in greater loyalty from employees, which will in turn lead to physicians being able to give employees greater trust and more freedom in taking initiative and risks in the workplace. This initiative and risk being taken will naturally lead to many improvements in the overall operation of the practice. In addition, physicians using a transformational leadership approach will be able to communicate a clear picture of the objectives of the practice, which employees will be happy to follow, as they will be given the room they need to be individuals in the operating of the pra ctice. This will lead to not only greater employee satisfaction, but to greater patient satisfaction as well. This, of course, is the main need of the healthcare industry currently. Transformational leadership, when used in its true form, has the power to transform the healthcare industry for the better.

Playstation2 Arrives! :: essays research papers

Playstation2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Late this summer, Sony will release its brainchild product dubbed PlayStation2. This is a follow up to its predecessor PlayStation1. If you are familiar with the video game entertainment market, its usual that a company releases a new console every 4 to 5 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Playstation2 is expected to revolutionize the video gaming industry in ways never imagined before. Who would have thought we would be able to watch DVD's on our video game player? Soon this summer we will be able to. How about connecting to the net and going online to play a buddy or just any competitor in California? Feel like downloading some mp3's? The new PlayStation2 will let you do all these things and more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PlayStation2 will offer a variety of different ways of using their machine. Not only can you play revolutionizing games, but you can shop through your computer. Sony will offer in 2001 a connection to the Internet in which you can just surf the web. As I have mentioned, Sony has formatted the PlayStation2 to able to play DVD videos along with its games. One of the greatest things about the PlayStation2 is that you can play all your old Playstation1 games on it! Finally! After years and years of this backwards compatibility being in the dark, it is now possible with the PlayStation2. Not only your old games, but even your old controllers, memory cards and wires are going to be fully compatible with the system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The PlayStation2 is expected to beat out its predecessor in every way including the books. Playstation1 accounted for 40% of all of Sony's profits in 1998. As of the first weekend of sales in Japan, Playstation2 had sold 980,000 units. All in one weekend! The lone fairly new competition that will be on the market before Playstation2 is the Sega Dreamcast. This was released in 1999 and has sold 4 million units since its release. Figure 4 million units in 52-weeks and then look at PlayStation2's numbers in Japan on one weekend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Playstation2 will be extremely succesful because of it almost cult like following. In a recent study, a conclusion was made that 1 in four homes have a Playstation. That is close to 25 million units sold in the US alone. This all adds up to the 70 million units total sold in the world. And now the product is just more sellable with the DVD, Internet, and backwards compatibility available.

Legislation, Policies and Procedures Relating Essay

In this assignment I will be writing about how legislation, policies and procedures relating to health and safety in a social care setting. I will also be describing how the health and safety legislation, policies and procedures will promote safety of the individuals. Civil Contingencies Act 2004 How legislation, policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security influence a social care setting. The civil contingencies act relates to the response of public services in a major emergency. This act would come into use if the situation was so serious that public services become incapable to carry out their function without the power of the law behind them. This act gives guidance on:- Prevention Anticipation assessment Response Recovery Preparation It gives guidance on these things before, during and after a major threat to public welfare. The law demands for emergency services to work with one another, in order for this to happen a plan is in place already, which gives a framework that, could be used if an emergency arises, so that each service is aware of what their roles will be. The emergencies could include:- A terrorist attack Industrial accidents Extreme weather conditions Severe flooding Pollution incidents A pandemic such as swine flu. If not followed it could lead to Death Injuries Health problems Unsafe places for people to stay in How health and safety legislation, policies and procedures promote the safety of individuals in a social care setting. This legislation promotes health and safety and if followed through properly, it could prevent any hazards from taking place which could cause harm to individuals, as an action plan will be put into force, which all staff will be aware of. Due to the fact that there will be a plan ready, staff and residents will feel less scared as staff will be organised and will be aware of what they need to do. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 2002 How legislation, policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security influence a social care setting. COSHH requires preventing or reducing workers exposure to hazardous substances. This could be done by:- Finding out what the health hazards are Ensure procedures are followed Ensure health surveillance is carried out if employees are exposed to harmful substances in their work, to identify early signs of disease. Providing information, instructions and training for employees and others Providing control measures to reduce harm to health This legislation is in the policy to promote keeping employers and employees working in a safe environment. It also promotes the safety In hospitals for each individual as it ensures that all staff are supervised, and trained, as in the policy it states â€Å"Staff must be trained in order to ensure that they know how to keep themselves safe from any type of harm†. If the legislation is not followed properly than it can cause many problems such as Employees could be in danger and would not be aware of it No risk assessment or plan has taken place; therefore staff won’t be prepared for anything. Harmful substances can be exposed How health and safety legislation, policies and procedures promote the safety of individuals in a social care setting. This legislation promotes health and safety of both residents and staff as: Staff would be aware, if anything was to happen for example if someone got into contact with a hazardous substance they would know what drug to give to prevent any further complications. Hospitals would be a much safer environment to work and stay in as there wouldn’t be hazardous substances lying around. Staff would be able to handle hazardous substances as they will know the correct way to handle them by following the correct procedures. Policies and procedures linked in with the storage and dispensing of medicines should be followed by care professionals in order to prevent care users from being exposed to hazardous substances. Health and Safety at Work Act How legislation, policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security influence a Social care setting. The Health and Safety at Work Act imposes a responsibility on the employer to ensure safety at work for all their employees, it promotes and encourage high standards of health and safety in places of work. It protects employees and the public from work activities. Employers must comply with the act, they must:- Provide a safe working environment Make sure a risk assessment is carried out Ensure materials used are properly stored, transported, handled and used Employers have to take reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees at work. Failure to do so could result in:- A criminal prosecution in the Magistrates Court or a Crown Court. Injuries to residents and care professionals Residents falling which could lead to broken bones Failure to ensure safe working practises could also lead to:- an employee suing for personal injury An employer should assess the level of risk as against the cost of eliminating that risk in deciding whether they have taken reasonable steps as far as they are able. Regulation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Data Protection Act 1998 Food Safety Act 1990 Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1997 How health and safety legislation, policies and procedures promote the safety of individuals in a social care setting. This legislation promotes health and safety of both patients and staff as it ensures they are working in a safe environment, minimising the Hazards in the area and making sure that materials are handled properly. There are health and safety policies that must be followed by staff and patients. Accidents should be reported, so that records are kept, and if accidents continue to occur, then a pattern will show, and things should be put into place to sort the issue out. Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) How legislation, policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security influence a Social care setting. This regulation regulates the statutory obligation to report deaths, diseases, injuries and dangerous occurrences that take place in any work place such as hospitals. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on: †¢employers †¢self-employed people †¢people in control of premises Reporting information like this enables how, where and why the risk took place. If this legislation is not followed it can cause: Deaths Spread of diseases Harm to staff and others around them

How Aztec Culture Survived Essay

Aztec refers to Nahuatl speaking people from the central region of Mexico. There are other groups who are related to this community; they include the Acolhua and the Tepanic. This essay analyses the history of the Aztec people, their culture and how they survived the Spaniard conquest. The Aztecs were located in the south central region of Mexico. They lived in Mesoamerica highlands in the area of basins which are separated by dissected mountain ranges and eroded volcanic peaks. The Aztecs originated from the remote north at around the early 13th century. They were moving around the valley of Mexico in their struggle of survival. Their experiences went to the extent of Aztecs being enslaved by another tribe. They stopped their migratory pattern in 1325 when they settled on the south west of Lake Texaco. This was after they saw an eagle sitting on a pricking pear stem. To the community, this was an omen which announced the location where they should settle and make their city (Msdu. du, 2010, Par 1-4). In part of their culture, the Aztecs maintained their activities of fishing, hunting, garden techniques, and gathering. The rivers in the valley were rich in fish, shrimp, insects, tadpoles, and pasta. There were those who settled near the ocean and they ate crabs, fish, turtles, and fish. This means that water was the main source of their livelihoods. They hunted animals such a rabbits, armadillos, snakes, pumas, coyotes, and deer. In addition, they hunted the wild turkey. The community gathered crops such as cocoa, bananas, pumpkins, squash, beans, tobacco, chili, onions, green tomatoes, red tomatoes, sweet potatoes, maize, and vanilla. Later, they began warring with other tribes and they conquered them. The Aztecs allowed the tribes that they conquered to maintain their government and religion but the tribes were supposed to provide the Aztecs with textiles, food, pottery, and other items that they required (Native Web, 1995, Par 2-4). The Aztec people spoke Nahauatl Language but did not have a written language. They however had no written records. Instead, they used varieties of hieroglyphic paintings and the methods of direct representation as ways of keeping their records. The first contact of the Aztec empire with the Spanish conquest was during the reign of Ahuitzotl from 1486 to1502. The Spaniards and their allies became very dangerous to the people of Aztec. Hostilities developed, leading to the massacre of the Aztec main temple and the death of their leader, Montezuma II. On July 1, the Spaniards fled the town, leading to an episode which they referred to as The Sad Night. The Aztec society was helped by the native allies to fight the Spaniards and in August 13, the battle ended. They conquered but due to the poor leadership that prevailed, the falling of the empire was witnessed. Despite the empire’s declination, their culture still remained intact. This led to positive development of the Aztec culture because the Spaniard presence did not affect their way of life. Today, many traditional groups of Mexican Americans can trace their origin from the time of Aztec tradition. They are well known today for human sacrifices. During the special events, a slave was sacrificed to honor the gods and to regulate the human existence (Anguilar-Moreno 131). In conclusion, I found out that Nahuatl language which is the traditional language for the Aztec is being spoken by 1. 5 million people. In Mexico City, most of the buildings and streets have Nahuatl names. This means that the Aztec old days are still respected up to now.