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“My Year of No Shopping” by Ann Patchett Essay Introduction The article by Ann Patchett “My Year of No Shopping” deals with the discussion of the experiment that she conducted. The author was inspired by her friend who spent a year without purchasing new clothes, shoes, and perfumes. Her friend claimed that it kept her from spending too much money and brain energy on buying staff that one can easily live without. The author was interested in the idea and decided to experiment with herself. My Year of no Shopping Primarily, she hesitated what kind of goods she should allow herself to purchase during this year. The author loves books, and she could not restrict herself from purchasing them. Still, during the experiment, the author realized that many goods that she used to purchase without thinking did not matter to her. The author also understood that this experiment helped her to think more about what other people needed. Then she came to the idea that restricting oneself in shopping had a religious background. People who think less about material things might use the spare money to help others. Although she understands that shopping benefits economic growth, she thinks that New Year’s resolution to use self-restriction in purchasing helps to differentiate wishes from real needs.
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Puritans in “The Scarlet Letter” by Hawthorne Essay (Book Review) Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter is a popular story. It has been adapted to movies and plays. I am familiar with the story even before I sat down to read the novel. Different books, articles, and films made numerous references to The Scarlet Letter . Therefore, even before reading the novel I have bits and pieces of information in my head that enabled me to paint a negative picture of the Puritans. As I read through the introductory part of the novel, the statements made by the narrator reinforced the idea that the Puritans were bad people. However, my mind cannot reconcile the fact that they wanted to live pure and holy lives. Therefore, there was something wrong with the way they perceived the people. In addition, there was something wrong with the way they perceived God. The Puritans in the story behaved in the most despicable manner, because they focused their attention on human frailty. I believe that their obsession on human error made them cruel and mean. Hawthorne illustrated this problem when he described the creation of the letter A, and he wrote: “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy” (Hawthorne 65). It is shocking to finally realize how the Puritans invested on human failure. I was surprised at the obsession they had when it comes to the sins of the people. I think that a change in mindset will radically alter the way they see the world. I believe that Hester Prynne made a mistake. However, there is no need to glorify her sins. A change of mindset will enable them to perceive Hester Prynne’s outstanding qualities. She was kind and generous. In fact, she was unwilling to abandon her baby. Hester Prynne’s decision to take care of the baby speaks volumes about her true character. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter , London, UK: Knight and Son Publishing, 1851. Print.
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Al Mansoori Group’s Corporate Culture Essay Introduction The success story of the Emirati Company Al Mansoori Group is attributed to its corporate culture. According to the company’s website and a corporate video released on Youtube in 2013, the company has become one of the most trusted and admired organizations providing oil exploration and manufacturing services, especially in training, engineering, and development (Saeed Corporate Video: Al Mansoori Group – Abu Dhabi) . The company was established in 1971 in Abu Dhabi, where its headquarters are still located. After years of operation as a single unit, the company decided to diversify its operations, creating two holding units, the Al Mansoori Petroleum Industries and Al Mansoori Petroleum Services, which are designed to provide manufacturing and fabrication services respectively. Besides, the official website reports that the company now covers about 24 countries throughout the world. In the 2013 corporation video, three corporate leaders at Al Mansoori Group provide a brief reporting of their company’s practices and mode of conducting business. Arguably, the company has adopted practices that aim at creating a family of employees, integrating individuals, and creating and retaining qualified personnel, which amounts to a corporate culture defined by dimensions of collectivism, low-power distance, and long-term orientation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the corporate culture employed and promoted at Al Mansoori Group. The paper attempts to analyze the company culture based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, with a review of the company’s website and corporate video clip. The corporate practices at Al Mansoori Before critically analyzing the corporate culture at Al Mansoori, it is worth examining its corporate practices that build a corporate culture. Based on the video and website, it is clear that the company has set forth a culture defined by specific practices and modes of business. First, the company’s leaders argue that the company was established to adopt technology and provide quality services based on technological and innovative advancement. The video claims that the company thrives on grasping local conditions, establishing owned assets, setting discreet procedures, and a set of comprehensively developed safety standards for its employees and other parties. The company’s mission, vision, and focus are tailored towards the provision of high-quality services. To achieve this, the company has established a corporate culture that attempts to recruit and retain high performing, dedicated and qualified individuals. The employees are retained over a long period. To achieve this, the group has developed a culture of uniting all its employees as a single “Al Mansoori Family”. Every person joining the company after recruitment is integrated into the micro-society as an equal member of the larger Al Mansoori Family. Work performance is done through teamwork, with every family member expected to be a part of the team. An analysis of the culture established at Al Mansoori Group, UAE From Hofstede’s point of view, the corporate culture developed through corporate practice at Al Mansoori Group can be explained using three dimensions- collectivism versus individualism, long-term orientation versus short-term orientation, and low power versus high power distance. The culture of low power distance at Al Mansoori Group According to Hofstede’s view of culture, power distance is the degree to which members of a given society expect and accept equal or unequal distribution and exercise of power (Hofstede and Hofstede 233). In a society with high power distance, members expect and accept an unequal power distribution. On the other hand, in a society with low power distance, members expect and appreciate an equal distribution of power. Thus, at Al Mansoori Group, a culture of low power distance has been established. For instance, the directors at the company have shown that they have successfully established and maintained human resources in terms of “our people”. They do not consider themselves as corporate rulers. Rather, they act as leaders of the Al Mansoori Company and family. Thus, they enhance the sharing of responsibilities, information, and ideas. In this way, employees expect and appreciate an equal power distribution. Collectivism versus individualism According to Hofstede’s model, societies tend to promote an individualistic or collectivist culture. In a culture with a high degree of individualism, people and families are expected to stand on their own and struggle individually towards achieving their goals (Hofstede and Hofstede 277). People are judged according to their individual ability to achieve goals and compete with others. On the other hand, in a society that promotes collectivism, individuals are expected to work together towards achieving their goals. Such societies encourage collective responsibilities and roles. Al Mansoori’s culture of long-term orientation versus short-term orientation According to Hofstede’s cultural model, societies tend to be long-term or short-term oriented in their goal setting. Short-term oriented societies tend to set short-term goals while long-term oriented societies tend to promote a long-term focus on certain goals (Hofstede and Hofstede 198). At Al Mansoori, the corporate management has established a culture of setting long-term goals with an aim of promoting better standards of living and a good environment for the employees, the company, and the society in general. As such, a dimension of long-term orientation defines the company’s culture. Works Cited CORPORATE VIDEO: Al Mansoori Group – Abu Dhabi . Dir. Moiz Saed. Abu Dhabi: Studio 54. 2013. Web. Hofstede, Geert and Gert-Jan Hofstede. Cultures and organizations: software of the mind . New York, 2009. Print.
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A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller Report (Assessment) Father and daughter relationships have always been a complicated and intricate due to major differences and mutual love. The given assessment will focus on A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, where the central characters are Catherine and Eddie. Although the girl is technically an orphaned niece of Eddie, he still treats her as a daughter. The relationship is dysfunctional, because the uncle does not respect the fact that Catherine is an adult. There is no consideration for her choices, and Eddie’s high level of protectionism towards his niece hinders his ability guide her, which is his main goal. For example, he states: “just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away” (Miller, 2010, p. 16). However, this relationship impacts Rodolfo, where Eddie wants hurt him by faking an accident during boxing practice. The protagonist admits that all these attempts were due to his unpreparedness for Catherine becoming an adult, where he states: “that you would ever grow up” (Miller, 2010, p. 17). Therefore, the relationship dysfunctionality is mostly due to Eddie’s attitude towards his niece. In the future, the main characters’ relationship will reach the normal range as soon as Eddie accepts Catherine as an adult. The key reason lies in the girl’s independence, because she will eventually leave the house and will have to rely on herself financially. Therefore, the suggestion is addressed towards Catherine, because she needs to become self-reliant and independent in order to remove the protectionism of Eddie. It is stated that father-daughter communication can be significantly hindered by the lack of emotional availability and paternal warmth (Demidenko et al., 2015). In other words, Eddie needs to accept his niece’s freedom and allow her make her own mistakes. Thus, one can observe that being excessively attached can also lead to dysfunctionality in a relationship. References Demidenko, N., Manion, I., & Lee, C. M. (2015). Father–daughter attachment and communication in depressed and nondepressed adolescent girls. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24 (6), 1727-1734. doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9976-6 Miller, A. (2010). A view from the bridge . Penguin Books.
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Proposal to Supply Coffee to Peter’s Doughnuts Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The alternatives for the supplies 3. Time and duration of delivery 4. Positioning strategy 5. Demographic strategy Introduction This marketing plan presents the proposal by the Lighthouse Roasters to supply the roasted gourmet coffee to the Peter’s Doughnuts restaurant. The alternatives for the supplies The Lighthouse Roasters have three alternatives that we may use to supply the roasted gourmet coffee to the Peter’s Doughnuts restaurant. The supplies may be done on Mondays, Wednesdays or Saturdays of every week. However, depending on the demand and special occasions, we are flexible to supply the roasted gourmet coffee at anytime requested. Time and duration of delivery Delivery of the roasted gourmet coffee will be done in the mornings unless special occasions demand otherwise. However, we are flexible to your suggestions. We propose a renewable contract of six months. This contract is meant to protect your interests from the market dynamics such as changes in prices of the roasted gourmet coffee. We guarantee to supply our roasted gourmet coffee for the entire period of the contract without changing the terms of engagement. Positioning strategy Our roasted gourmet coffee is the best in the market in terms of quality and price. In fact, we use the latest technology in processing this coffee. We are in a position to supply up to 500 pounds of the roasted gourmet coffee per month. This is a guarantee of reliability on our side. We promise free delivery to all your restaurant branches. In order to diversify market for the roasted gourmet coffee, we intend to create multiple products from the same product with different coloration, scent and packaging. This will create an environment of own competition and block other competitors from encroaching into the company’s market. In the overcrowded market for roasted gourmet coffee, product position is directly linked to the success in the short and long term. We intend to position this product as the first of its kind in the market since we will add special aromas. Once this is achieved, the delivery channel will revolve on quality maintenance to support the leading marketer status. In the process, a permanent and positive image of the company will be glued in the minds of our client. In order to cut a unique niche, the right audience will be captivated by the smaller portions available, vitamin A additive, and ‘easy to prepare’ and energy saving benefits. Demographic strategy In order to achieve this aim, demographic differentiation will be based on income supported by strategic packaging and series of relevant marketing campaigns. Since Lighthouse Roasters has established itself in the market, this would the best approach towards commanding a price premium. In addition, the company intends to recruit distribution agencies and well trained marketers for the coffee product.
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Background 2. Problem to Be Researched 3. Purpose of the Study 4. Important Terms 5. References Background Gossip Girl is an American television series based on the stories written by Cecily von Ziegesar. It ran between 2007 and 2012, depicting the lives of upper-class teenagers. The unique aspect of the show is associated with its narration by a mysterious blogger that calls herself “Gossip Girl” who reports the latest news about Manhattan’s elite. The anonymity of the narrator gives the television show a new look at interpersonal relations among the main and secondary characters, with stories intertwining and leading to unexpected plot twists. The list of all players in the show is extensive; however, it is crucial to mention such characters as Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, Chuck Bass, Nate Archibald, Dan Humphrey, and Jenny Humphrey, with the latter revealing to be “Gossip Girl” in the finale. Interpersonal relationships among these characters will be the focus of the current research, and the role of social media will also be explored. Problem to Be Researched Despite the criticism of Gossip Girl as a pointless TV show about the lives of privileged Upper East Side teenagers, many fail to understand its true value – demonstrating the effects of social media on interpersonal relationships. This issue is especially valuable to research because technologies have become the primary vehicle for communication not only for teenagers but also adults. Within the context of interpersonal relationships, three concepts will be studied in further detail. Friendship rules, betrayal, and barriers to cooperative verbal communication will be incorporated in the examination of interpersonal relationships among the characters in Gossip Girl. These concepts were chosen as integral components of research because of the plethora of examples in the show that provides valid illustrations. The theoretical framework for the study on interpersonal relationships in Gossip Girl will be based on Ting-Toomey and Kurogi’s (1998) face-negotiation theory, which explores conflict situations as opportunities for parties to protect their self-interests, conflict goals as well as honoring or attacking the conflict goals of one another. The theory will be important for examining the self-identities of the show’s characters and how they present themselves in various social settings. Friendship rules, betrayal, and barriers to cooperative verbal communication can be integrated into the theory because they are directly associated with the ways in which individuals communicate, how they react in different situations, as well as what issues occur preventing their relationships from being fruitful. In the show, friendships have non-descript but clear rules that guide interpersonal relations, especially between girls. Female friendship is among the focus themes of the show and has several standout principles. Interpersonal relations between Blair and Serena show that forgiveness is key, that having a friend may get oneself through a bad time, that judging is never the answer, and that friends are family (Weintraub, 2015). Of course, within this friendship, betrayal, and barriers to cooperative verbal communication will occur. Whether it is Serena cheating on Nate with Dan or Blair being aggressive to Jenny because of the girl’s social status, there are always barriers to people engaging in conflict situations. Importantly, social aggression represents one of the most common conflicts in Gossip Girl because the social statuses of the main characters are very important to them, and they often use it to shape their self-identity. Purpose of the Study The goal of the present study is to examine various aspects of social interactions as they shape interpersonal relationships among people. Gossip Girl is a great basis for this exploration because it provides a variety of examples of different types of communication among people, including social media use. Relations among the characters of upper and lower social classes will offer a unique perspective on interpersonal relations and will serve as an addition to the research on this issue. While studying the topic in greater detail, the incorporation of such concepts as friendship rules, betrayal, and barriers to cooperative verbal communication is expected to shed light on conflict, which is the focus of Ting-Toomey and Kurogi’s (1998) face-negotiation theory. For socially powerful young people, conflicts are essential parts of their lives because they can manifest their socioeconomic roles. Culture also plays an important role in Gossip Girl conflicts because differences in social statuses contribute to shaping cultural differences among people and thus influence interpersonal relationships. Important Terms Several important terms to incorporate into the current study include interpersonal relationships, face-negotiation theory, as well as verbal and nonverbal communication. Interpersonal relationships refer to the bonds that exist between two and more people; these bonds maybe friendships, romantic connections, family affairs, and multiple others. Face-negotiation theory (first offered by Brown and Levinson in 1978) is used for understanding how individuals belonging to different cultures deal with conflicts. Both verbal and nonverbal communications play an important part in the theory. While verbal communication implies the use of sounds, words, and other audible means to express one’s opinion, nonverbal communication is the opposite of it and uses body language along with presuppositions, unspoken understandings, and cultural environments to converse. References Ting-Toomey, S., & Kurogi, A. (1998). Facework competence in intercultural conflict: An updated face-negotiation theory . International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 22 (2), 187-225. Weintraub, H. (2015). Everything Gossip Girl taught us about female friendship . Teen Vogue. Web.
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Ethics Effect on Psychological Knowledge Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The role and importance of personal ethics 3. How ethics can affect application of psychological principles 4. How ethics affect psychological knowledge and principles 5. Advantages of psychology as a degree choice 6. Conclusion 7. References Introduction The aim of this essay is to develop Ethics Awareness Inventory. People have diverse points of views on ethics, but they generally concur on the concepts of moral – right and wrong. Nevertheless, there are also differences on ethical decision-making and moral issues. Ethics should aim at instilling moral excellence in people. Individuals’ actions and characters are critical in determining uprightness and integrity. Character, however, is more important than action. Hence, assessing an individual’s characters also includes evaluating elements related to virtue. Based on the Ethics Awareness Inventory, developing a moral self to handle ethical issues is paramount for people (The Williams Institute of Ethics and Management, 2012). The role and importance of personal ethics People should make moral sound judgments, and they can achieve this through personal ethics. Ethical judgment is critical in the profession of psychology. Ethical decision-making guides psychological practices. Therefore, improving on morality should be a key priority for individuals. Moral develop is necessary during a lifespan of a person. People with deep moral personal ethics tend to reflect the same in their professional disciplines, for instance, through ethical conducts and practices. Many organizations have codes of ethical standards and conducts to guide behaviors of professionals. These guidelines are however not always followed and in most cases, governing bodies must handle ethical issues related to professional misconducts. This implies that personal ethics and moral judgment should evolve in people, and they can hardly be learned through rules. While professionals who violate these guidelines understand them well, they simply lack personal ethics and moral judgment. Personal ethics goes beyond codes of ethical standards and conduct provided by organizations. How ethics can affect application of psychological principles Personal ethics should form core elements of an individual’s personal, social, spiritual and organizational aspirations. Spiritual practices require strong ethical principles to strengthen belief systems. As a result, elements of virtue such as honesty, integrity, honor, justice and benevolence among others will thrive. Socially, people should act according to their belief systems and intrinsic values and should always adjust their behaviors in different situations to meet ethical requirements in society. Organizations consist of diverse human races and therefore, people should exhibit ethical characters based on tolerance, integrity, justice and benevolence to accommodate others. As people interact with others, they should evaluate their characters and find goodness rather than stereotype them. Individuals have different values and diverse levels of ethics development. Moreover, different factors such as social deprivation and inequalities in society affect individuals’ character development and their ethical practices. Tolerance could go a long way in appreciating diversity in organizations. How ethics affect psychological knowledge and principles Individuals’ characters reflect their ethical behaviors. Character, in this case, is important than action. Actions reflect ethical perspectives of an individual. People believe that there are no absolute standards for moral principles. Therefore, upon acquiring new knowledge, a person’s beliefs and values could change depending on the prevailing circumstances (Shermer, 2015). This implies that one may face ethical dilemmas as they strive to be morally upright and of ethical behaviors in challenging environments. Moral right should lead to healthy individuals. Health could be shown through personal satisfaction with life. Personal growth should allow people to advocate for fairness and justice in society. Hence, moral decisions guide choices and the desire to act according to the norms of right or wrong. Development takes place over time and people should be able to develop their ethical standards to promote virtue in society. They would allow individuals to analyze issues critically with far-reaching impacts meant to transform society positively. Advantages of psychology as a degree choice Several factors could contribute to pursuing a degree in psychology. Human nature is complex and intriguing. A degree in psychology is important for understanding these complex interrelations between human and society. Society presents individuals with ethical dilemmas, which they must resolve as they strive to make ethics a critical part of their lives. One should have a clear perspective on pertinent ethical issues in society, and a degree in psychology provides the best alternative to acquire the necessary knowledge. Ethics plays a critical role as learners pursue degree in psychology (Boylan & Donahue, 2003). For instance, ethical awareness has created the desire in many students to strive and comprehend various styles of ethics. Ethical studies show that understanding ethics is complex because of its diverse nature. However, issues such as tolerance, diversity, honesty and integrity are important for learners. While what people consider as morally upright may differ, ethics is important for any studies and profession. It shows the need to develop intrinsic value and follow desired codes of conducts in society. Personal ethics goes beyond written codes, and people who understand elements of ethics should advocate it in their works and behaviors. Conclusion This essay has explored Ethics Awareness Inventory. It shows that people agree on the concepts of right and wrong, but hold different views on what exactly constitutes moral behaviors. Studying ethics in psychology should instill elements of personal ethics for personal growth, development, health and operating in society. It is believed that Ethics Awareness Inventory should encourage people to comprehend diverse views on ethics. The first important step is to be aware of different ethical perspectives and personal ethics. This would promote understanding of ethics as a critical part of one’s life. Ethical awareness shall enhance better relations with others in society. References Boylan, M., & Donahue, J. (2003). Ethics across the curriculum: a practice-based approach. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. Shermer, M. (2015). The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom. New York: Henry Holt and Co. The Williams Institute of Ethics and Management. (2012). Ethics Awareness Inventory . Web.
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Popper’s Falsification Science Essay Popper discusses many ideas in his essay; while his issue of falsification dealt with the works of many scientists. It also included his problem of demarcation, which he related to testability and empirical data. The most reputable scientists, including Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Kepler, Bohr, help to provide a basic well-rounded perspective of science in general. While impressive to even the skeptical Popper, he writes none have clearly defined what science is. Popper claims this results in an oversimplification while stating that hundreds of scientists fall into a “heroic” category. His classification, as he states, is not meant to show less regard for the “lesser” scientists, but to rather show the inflated senses of grandeur associated with the actions of the more famous scientists. He goes on to say it is risky to assume that principles are correct when using these principles for the foundation of additional theory. He refers to Copernicus and Aristarchus’s claim that it was not the Earth that was the center of the universe, but the sun. This ended up to be more true than the previous claim, however still was ultimately incorrect. Popper says that in this sense, the scientists’ theories were essentially unscientific or metaphysical, though they were considered true science at that time. One can only wonder how much of today’s science will be undermined by the science of the future. Popper considered Einstein and Kepler to be bold because they pressed revolutionary views yet were scientists. Their theories bordered on metaphysical but were explained in terms of what was known to be normal and accepted fact. They were risky in this same sense because they could not have been accepted. Another kind of boldness, as described by Popper, was there stating that aspects of the world had been overlooked by the scientists before them. Marxism is quite different from the theory it is today while it was once considered scientific. It suggested that capitalism would eventually convert the world to one of failure in many senses while being wrought with despair. Socialism would be the result while occurring first in the most technologically advanced country. While this happened to some extent in the past, it technically could have been perceived as science in this regard. The full extent of the predictions was never realized. While some did in fact regard Marxism as a science, it would later be removed from this category. It violated a rule in the theoretical scientific method that people must consider falsification. Freud and psychoanalysis, on the other hand, were rather different. While never a science, the practices were highly regarded nonetheless. While many people may have fit the criteria since the theories do not exclude any aspect of behavior. As such, anything anybody does fits some sort of profile. Any situation, even when the motives and outcomes were effective opposites, could be explained by the same theory. As such, while Marxism was not scientific because it used an ‘immunizing strategy,’ psychoanalysis was immune in this sense from the foundation of its theories. The majority of theories are without immunization initially, commonly including either a nonspecific answer to everything or a specific way of generalizing the outcome of any situation. Overall, falsifiability in science means the theory can at least be proven wrong if it is wrong. This is currently the problem with the modern string theory in physics, it is nearly impossible to prove right or wrong at the current point, and this is an example of “heroic science.” This kind of science simply states a claim or answer and backs it up with some kind of ‘evidence’ that may or may not substantiate it. Popper says, in reality, no one knows, and the best we can do is guess while admitting everything is only our best current guess. Works Cited Popper, Karl. “Heroic Science,” Galileo’s Commandment: 2500 years of great science writing , ed. Edmund Blair Bolles, pp 43-48.
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The Concept of Nonverbal Communication Essay Nonverbal communication plays a highly important role in people’s lives. There is a variety of elements constituting this type of interaction: gestures, mimics, posture, eye contact, and others. If one learns to encode the decoded features of nonverbal clues, he or she is more likely to understand the true intentions of the people around and can adapt to the environment better. The present paper focuses on the significance of body language based on three video speech presentations. One of the most useful outcomes of understanding body language is the possibility to discern between lies and the truth. In her speech, Meyer (2011) explains the variety of clues with the help of which people can see whether their interlocutors are sincere or deceitful. The scholar emphasizes that lying is a cooperative act, and if one is being cheated, it is most probably because this individual has allowed it (Meyer, 2011). Thus, it is crucial to learn the cues that help to see whether someone is or is not honest and look out for those features in those with whom one communicates. Another valuable element of nonverbal communication is the way a person smiles. As Gutman (2011) mentions, smiling has the hidden power that can make people healthier and more successful. Also, by analyzing the smiles of others, it is possible to understand the level of honesty and professionalism they have. Research indicates that smiling can stimulate people’s brain reward mechanisms better than chocolate (Gutman, 2011). Thus, smiling at others is quite a positive habit, and learning to analyze the smiles of others is a valuable skill that may help to understand people’s intentions. Nonverbal signs constitute a large part of people’s judgments about others. Cuddy (2012) remarks that one’s body language can shape who one is. Moreover, there have been studies aimed to identify whether nonverbal demeanor can govern people’s opinions about themselves. As a result of such research, it has been determined that one’s body can alter the mind, which, in turn, can change the behavior (Cuddy, 2012). Therefore, it is significant to analyze one’s choices of posture and try to select high-power poses if one wants to feel determined and self-confident. All of the speakers put emphasis on the importance of body language and nonverbal communication. Meyer (2011) and Gutman (2011) note that the interlocutors’ facial expressions can help understand their degree of sincerity. Cuddy (2012) and Gutman (2011) discuss the likelihood of smiling and selecting high-power poses to increase one’s levels of success and happiness. Lecturers mention that learning the details of nonverbal communication not only helps to analyze the intentions and moods of others but can also assist in self-analysis. In all three speeches, the emphasis is put on sincerity and confidence as vital components of the interaction that can be identified with the help of discerning the mimics and gestures of others. The three videos give insight into unique approaches to evaluate people’s honesty or deceitfulness. Apart from that, speakers explain how gestures and posture can promote confidence and help individuals feel better in socially challenging situations. It can be concluded that nonverbal communication plays a crucial part in any person’s life. By using a variety of clues, people can improve their level of interaction and make better decisions regarding their partners. Moreover, it is possible to become more independent and happier in the case of learning how to govern one’s body language. References Cuddy, A. (2012). Your body language may shape who you are . [Video file]. Web. Gutman, R. (2011). The hidden power of smiling . [Video file]. Web. Meyer, P. (2011). How to spot a liar . [Video file]. Web.
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Student Police Officer’s Decision-Making in Campus Report Identify an experience when you had to make a significant decision Decision making involves choosing the best course of action to take when presented with various options. Taking an example of a police officer, decision-making has a lot of challenges and in many instances, officers are required to make a decision on the best course of action to take. The challenges personnel in the law enforcement sector face include; the responsibility to protect others, internal stress caused by specific police department policies, risking their lives and health every day, working in long shifts conducting multiple arrests while on duty, maintaining the balance of being an officer and a parent, spouse or sibling. Describe what happened during this experience Considering what I have learned about the decision-making process, an individual has to seek advice from other senior people who have gone through the same situation before so as to make the right choice. In addition, before making a major decision an individual considers how its consequences will affect their lives. In cases where doing a specific thing will cause mental stress or depression, it is advisable to avoid taking that course of action. How did you feel about the experience? On campus, the most challenging decision a student has to make is choosing the field of study to pursue. Before joining campus there are various expectations of family and friends. Some friends expect one to be an accountant, a lawyer, or a surveyor. In addition, one’s family to have their own expectations since they may prefer certain universities to others. If one prefers a university or course that is against an individual’s family and friends expectations. It becomes difficult to choose an institution and the course. An individual has to choose a specific institution where they will pursue the desired course for instance to train to be a police officer at a specific institution (Kahneman & Tversky, 2011). What assumptions and decisions did you make? The impact this experience has on an individual is feeling that it is not the best decision to make. One might feel like they have made a wrong decision in their lives. A police officer might look at the career paths that former schoolmates have decided to take so as to find out if they are doing well or not in their endeavors. What have you learned about applying models and theories? After making a tough decision in life it is imperative for one to be able to accept the consequences. Assumptions have to be made sometimes before an individual makes a decision. A police officer is faced with tough decisions at all times. In some instances, officers are forced to take a life or witness very graphic and horrific images and afterward, they have no one to debrief them on what happened (Wopereis & Sloep 2010). What have you learned about yourself? How will you use this in the future in your studies, and in business? The decision-making models include the rational model, Simon’s normative model, and the group decision-making model. The theories of decision making that are applicable include conventional theory, the non-conventional theory, and Levi’s decision-making theory ( Ethics Resource Center 2013). I have learned that to apply the rational model of decision making and the group decision-making model by consulting a lot before making an important choice this enables me to get different opinions and views before doing anything. More so, I identify a dilemma that faces me and then I try to find out various ways I can deal with it and I choose the best course of action to take out of the available alternatives. What do you need to develop to improve your performance? How? In the future, all the knowledge I have acquired in decision making will enable me to make appropriate decisions in my studies and in business. The most important thing I have learned is never to make an important life decision in a rush or when angry. It is appropriate to make a decision with an open mind and after thinking. Police officers should be objective and not emotional when making decisions. In addition, an officer should make decisions on time since in various life situations a specific time frame is given to make a decision especially when an officer is on duty or in the field. As much as an individual should take the time to make a decision sometimes deadlines are set and they should be met, especially when working in law enforcement as a police officer or military personnel. Deadlines can only be met by being creative and thinking critically so as to be able to make the best decisions always. Reference List Ethics Resource Center 2013. Web. Kahneman, D & Tversky, A 2011. Choice, Values, Frames . The Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Wopereis, I & Sloep, P 2010, ‘Weblogs as instruments for reflection on action in teacher education’. Interactive Learning Environments Vol. 18. No. 3, pp. 201-235.
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Nursing and Health Science Major Choice Essay Young people are known for their desire to change as many things in their life as possible in a short period. They like to make decisions, find opportunities, offer new ideas, and follow their dreams. This is what has recently been happening to me and explains my intention to get accepted to the program in this academic facility. Nursing is not just another career option I want to learn but a field of knowledge that should significantly improve my life. The question of health is more than serious today, and people need additional help and support to cope with an existing variety of diseases, health problems, pandemic-related concerns, and physiological challenges. I am taking a conscious step by applying to this program and choosing nursing and health science as my major to value care quality and promote health through developing the necessary skills and knowledge. The progress of nursing is remarkable and influential from multiple perspectives. Some people are ready to use any chance to advance this profession, while many individuals believe that this job is full of challenges. Human despair, unpredictable traumas, and innovation aspiration may provoke nursing burnout, anger, and depression (“Health Systems Are Implementing Creative Strategies”). However, modern progress and strategies allow healthcare employees to deal with such situations and predict the growth of negative emotions. Nurses play an important role in human life by supporting, explaining, and encouraging individuals when their health is not stable. I want to become a part of this process and recognize the worth of professional interactions. I understand that an application to any academic program requires certain skills and evidence that my participation can be beneficial not only for my personal growth but for the people who contribute to my professionalism. At my 22, I cannot say that I am too experienced in many nursing activities, but I am confident that I am ready to study and appreciate each piece of information I am offered. I am a quick learner and observer, which, I think, is critical in health and nursing care. I also comprehend that nursing is a constantly developing field, and it is necessary to investigate most of the time, including reading journal articles, participating in conferences, and commenting on forums. I am a communicative person, and interpersonal cooperation is a core aspect of any occupation. In addition to my knowledge and skills, I need to focus on my competencies as a nurse. It is not enough for me to help people be treated but to make sure they are aware of how to predict health complications and improve their well-being. I know that most people who address care providers are confused about their health, medications, and other interventions. My nursing support is vital, and I want to learn as much as possible about this profession to become the best. There are many reasons why I believe that nursing is the career I deserve in this life. I have already decided to move from California to Ohio, and this transfer should bring good results. It is not always easy for me to change something, as most students do, but this choice is inspired by my lifelong passion. An opportunity to care for others is my major motivation, and this program contains interesting and valuable elements for my professional and personal growth. Work Cited “Health Systems Are Implementing Creative Strategies to Support Nurses’ Mental Health and Well-Being – More Still Needs to Be Done.” Johnson & Johnson Nursing , 2021, Web.
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The Mimir Chamber Music Festival Concert Report The Mimir Chamber Music Festival was held at PepsiCo Hall in Texas Christian University Fort Worth campus on July 7, 2011. The festival was held as a tradition because it has been taking place annually and each time there is a performance, the performance standard is set higher than the previous. This year’s edition was not different as it attracted a packed house which is a general attest of the kind of reputation the performers have accorded the audience. Artists who availed themselves included Walton and Haydon as well as Taylor. The performance was given enough space and was a combination of the faculty recitals from the artists who had trained for two weeks just to perfect their skills. All the performers were well prepared and from the general outlook, they promised to thrill the audience. They did not contradict that expectation even a single shred and when they were set with their instruments, everyone was eager to be entertained. Objective of the Performance . The String Quartet was the opening performance and was played in F minor and the way they combined with OP. 20 no. 5 made this performance one of its kind. Any audience would have been tempted to think that they had practiced longer than the two weeks they actually had of extensive training. It was Iwasaki who started it all with the sound of the violin capturing the attention of everybody followed by Thompson with more noticeable and brilliant sound. However, the effect that was brought out by the music and the sound was not as appealing or striking as the first sound. It can be said that this effect was brought about by leaning a lot towards the careful side even though the performance was strong enough to be termed excellent. Walton and Haydon brought in three major characteristics of the music which eventually defined the performance of the night. The three characteristics were the dynamics, intonation and ensemble where the intonation was brought about by the string quartet playing, the dynamics brought by the careful modulation and the ensemble bringing in a complete experience in music that is suitable for parents and children. Kirsten Docter brought in humdrum and through the use of her dark, luscious and rich sound, she gave excellent results in her music. During the second performance by Brant Taylor he impressed the crowd by using the Rachmaninoff ripe. Romantic Sonata for cello and the piano played in G minor and Op. 19. He was to be joined by Allessio Brax, a pianist and together, they gave a powerful collaboration especially with their realistic approach to the music. Subjective Description of the Music. Even as I Came out of the hall, I was sure that I had the best performance of the century and I was actually looking forward to future performances perhaps with the same performers. The music was thrilling and what was striking most was how the different performers could come together to do a combination without making a single mistake in their performance. The performers had a good mastery on the usage of the instruments at hand like violin and piano and each performer was able to bring in a good difference in music to the audience. That is why the performance can best be described as one which was arranged to thrill right from the start to the end. This music festival is praised especially due to the fact that it made to bring in liveliness and appreciation drawn from the three highlighted characteristics namely ensemble, intonation and dynamics. Anytime a performer would take the front seat, I was sure that I was to get a good but different experience and this always made me to look forward to having the next performer come on stage. As noted earlier, the group of performers who had practiced for two weeks preparing for this performance really had a mind of entertaining. Each time there would be a combination of two or more performers, one would get a sense that they knew each other for long. For instance, a combination of violin and piano would bring in a sense that the artists had practiced together for a long period. That is why they were able to perform in harmony where if there was differentiation of the key used, one would feel that the two were marrying each other well. Conclusion When at Any time one decides to attend a concert of any kind, the expectations are always high. For example, if one is to attend a music concert, the expectations are that it would be a night of positive thrilling. However, it is also expected that a performance may not always yield to the expectations of the audience. This paper describes the objective and subjective analysis of what happened at a music concert that I attended which was thrilled by the Mimir Chamber group which took after the name of the music festival. The description focused on the details that could be gotten from the music performance such as kind of rhythm that was brought by the music and the general experience.
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The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff on the Stock Market Essay The fiscal cliff refers to the economic effect of a collection of laws and tax policies that are bound to be adopted at the beginning of 2013. These include new taxes, cuts on spending, tax reductions, and other policy measures. Tax increases are due to the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and reduction of government spending. Collectively, the total to about $600 billion and projections indicate that they will affect the domestic economy and corporate profitability unless changes are made. Financial analysts claim that these effects will result in an escalation of the stock market’s volatility. The stock market is highly volatile and can decline significantly in response to changes in political or regulatory policies. Since the election of 2012, the Dow has declined by approximately 4%. On the day that President Obama announced the provisions of the fiscal cliff, the Dow dropped by 100 points in reaction to the announcement. The stock market is highly volatile and might collapse unless Congress makes some changes to the fiscal cliff. In addition, it has the potential of causing another recession that might contribute to the collapse of the stock market. The new taxes and tax cuts proposed in the fiscal cliff will have adverse effects on the stock market. An analysis of the effect of the various types of taxes on market returns revealed a significant effect on the stock market. Corporate income tax, individual income tax, and capital gains tax hurt market returns. However, taxes imposed on dividends do not have a similar effect on the stock market because corporations have the authority to retain earnings instead of paying out dividends. On the other hand, investors can turn to stock options that have low returns. The individual income tax rate harms market returns. For example, the higher the rate of income tax the lower the market returns. This implies that individuals are more efficient in allocating resources to the economy than the government is. Many investors are worried that the fiscal cliff may interfere with stock market returns because it will increase the vulnerability of dividend-paying stocks. The fiscal cliff has been cited as one of the potential sources of stock market uncertainty unless Congress reacts. However, some financial analysts have stated that there is no cause for alarm. First, many dividend-paying stocks are held in accounts that are not taxed by the government. Therefore, any change in the rate of dividend tax will not have an immediate effect on investors. Secondly, most companies usually raise dividends whenever tax rates increase in order to quell the effects of increased tax on dividends. Thirdly, many companies that pay dividends are in defensive industries that are not adversely affected by changes in the economy. Since they are less vulnerable to decreased earnings, they still perform well during adverse economic conditions. If the fiscal cliff takes effect without any changes, the volatility of the stock market will increase and bring stock under increased pressure. Analysts have projected that the fiscal cliff might result in another recession if the congress does not take cautionary measures. In case of a recession, investors will have little to worry about because even though dividend-paying stocks will be affected, the effect will not be as immense as on other sectors of the market.
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Expanding of Anthropologie into Thailand as the Market Thesis Anthropologie is a lifestyle retailer in the United States and a subsidiary of Urban Outfitters based in Philadelphia. Its product comprises women’s apparel and a customer base of women aged 30-45 years old. The business issues of their merchandising function include the flow of goods in the store meaning enough inventories in the store and offering diversity every other day, the effect of the economy on Anthropologie as it sells expensive products, and finally the display of merchandise as a promotional strategy. The thesis question explores the possibility of expanding into Thailand and analyzes the market comparing it to the existing market in the US. This requires an industry overview of their competitors, market, and industry trends. The literature review focuses on the U.S domestic market size and trends showing past performance followed by the commercial history of both Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters and experiences with expansion strategies. Spain-based leader in fashion retail, Zara, is scrutinized for global expansion strategies and finally the East Asian market indicating strategic considerations, potential markets, and gaps in the literature review. It covers research design showing the research strategy, the method used, and justifies the choice of qualitative interview method with no questionnaires and open-ended questions. Finally, the study establishes that Anthropologie should expand into Thailand as the market is insensitive to the ever-changing external environment. Thailand’s inflation rate is not high hence products are affordable, have high labor force participation, and have a high rate of private expenditure. There’s also government support to the industry and Thailand citizens appreciate culture and innovativeness. Another fact is the economic relationship between US and Thailand hence growth potential in terms of profitability coupled with the similarity between their consumers meaning similar tastes and preferences. Incorporating e-commerce in marketing strategies ensures successful expansion. Other facts include the presence of a large consumer base in Thailand that can be easily segmented, use of already established distribution outlets, Thailand being a developing country, the firm’s investment in research, tourism, and finally the target customers constituting the largest percentage of the population.
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Pirates and Their Three Main Values Essay The majority of pirates turned to the life of an outlaw due to the gruesome conditions they were subjected to during work and not due to promises of riches and complete freedom of action. The first value that a pirate would have chosen to state as a superior choice over what’s nations provided was the promise of fair treatment. In his book “Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age,” Markus Rediker described many adverse aspects of the life of a sailor, such as disregard of their safety, health, and economic prospects. While these issues were not entirely resolved in a pirate society, they are much less prominent. Disobedience was the direct result of excessive punishments, unreal expectations, and the lack of controlling organs that could hear sailors’ plights. The second value that someone who turned to piracy would have appreciated was the liberties that come with less vertical hierarchy. While the life of a pirate is not a glorious one, it may be chosen by some due to extreme pressure from their commanders and employers. In chapter 6, Rediker discusses the beginning of the class, race, and gender struggles among Atlantic nations. The violent nature of relationships between captains and their subordinates was only part of it, as an entire government was not suited to listening to the lowborn. The third value that a pirate could have stated was the freedom to refrain from any religious practices. Rediker reveals that many sailors were not religious even before becoming pirates. There was an apparent dissonance between sailors’ life and religious dogmas that were commonly preached at that time. This disdain may be the reason behind more frivolous practices among pirates and more openly discussed themes of death and earthly pleasures.
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He healed a sick man near the pool of Bethzatha. Upon healing the sick man, Jesus asked him to get up and carry his mat. In addition, Jesus does not like it when people engage in sin. He asked the sick man to stop sinning when He found him at the temple (Attridge, 2006). Who: Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. He had stayed by the pool for this long time as he did not find someone to help him get to the pool. Where: The healing took place near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem where there was a pool with five porches. The pool was considered to be sacred and when it was stirred up by an angel, “the blind, lame and paralyzed bathed in this pool so that they could be healed” (Alexander & Alexander, 1999) When: The healing took place on a Sabbath. Jesus had come to Jerusalem for a religious festival and that was when he found this man who had stayed by the pool for such a long time waiting for someone to help him get into the water. Interpretation Context Jesus is Lord and Savior. It is because of the love and mercy he had, that he healed the sick man by the pool. The fact that it was on a Sabbath, thus healing was not in accordance with the Jewish law, Jesus showed that there are no limits for love and kindness. Jesus was love and he came to the world because of salvation of mankind (Alexander & Alexander, 1999). This is seen by the fact that he asked the sick man to stay away from sin when He found him in the temple. Compare Scripture According to the Jewish law, the Sabbath was a holy day and no one was allowed to do anything during that day. Jesus, who is Lord, proved to the Jewish that it was not an offence to show an act of kindness and love towards others on a Sabbath. The Jewish law symbolized the old covenant while Jesus came to bring the new covenant, which He summarized into two parts. These are: 1. Love for your God 2. Love for your neighbor When Jesus healed the sick man, it was an act of love. While the Old Covenant preached punishment to sinners, the New Covenant brought by Jesus preached forgiveness and repentance. Consecrated Common Sense: The act portrayed by Jesus when he healed the sick man is an act of kindness and is part of worship. The Sabbath was a holy day for the Jews during which, worship was carried out. Therefore, when Jesus chose to heal the man on a Sabbath, he implied that healing was part of the Sabbath and worship. In addition, Jesus came into the world for the sake of mankind and especially the sinners. That is why He asked the healed man to stay away from sin. Christ Christ Jesus showed the people that it was not wrong to heal on a Sabbath. He brought the New Covenant to the people and with regard to the New Covenant; Jesus taught people how to love. Application The situation of the sick man is similar to most situations in people’s lives. Many are the times when people will sit back in sorrow waiting for someone to come to their aid. It may be that they are seeking for employment, love or peace. The Bible advocates that people should put their whole trust in God as He is capable of helping them where fellow men fail. The sick man healed by Jesus was alone meaning that he had been abandoned by his family, friends and relatives. That is what happens when someone is in trouble. Everyone leaves but, Jesus assures the people that He is there, ready to help if called upon. The only problem is that people do not realize this and instead rely on unreliable fellow men. The Bible asks the people to put their trust and faith in Christ Jesus as He is the only one who will be there by their side, when everyone else turns away. The very same verse is preaching love. Jesus portrayed an act of love despite the fact that working on a Sabbath, for instance healing as performed by Jesus, was against the law. Therefore, by following Jesus’ example, people are asked not to limit their selves in loving other people. In addition, this verse calls on people to stay away from sin as it can bring about dire consequences. References Alexander, D. & Alexander, P. (1999). Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Canada: Zondervan. Attridge, H. W. (2006). The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. Yale: Harper One.
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Master and Counter-Narratives in Media Essay The master narratives have moved into a different realm on television. Where they used to be found in the story form of television weekly series programs, such as Friends or Happy Days, they are now found in popular reality programs, on quiz shows, and in commercials. Supposedly ordinary people participate in supposedly non-scripted competitions in all cases. Most of the participants are actors already and members of one of the unions or guilds and the shows are loosely scripted. The list of reality shows is very long, but they all have the same theme: real people with enough beauty, talent, ambition, or other positive attributes can get anything they want. They are winners. Realityshows.com lists more than twenty reality shows currently in production. On each of them, contestants vie for some kind of prize, and the audience roots for their favorites. There is always an attainable and attractive objective and one contestant or group of contestants will win it. In some reality shows, like American Idol (2010) or So You Think You Can Dance (2010) , the viewing audience votes for people to keep them on the show or votes them off. What is special about these audiences is that they respond and they support their favorites even if audience participation allegedly does not contribute to winning or losing. In reality, audience mail and email are considered very carefully in scripting the next shows even on reality shows which are supposed to be only the actions or choices of the participants. For example, on The Bachelor (2010) , the show begins with a group of lovely, smart, and talented women and they are competing for the affections of the selected eligible bachelor. The audience hears the women talk among themselves and they also each talk privately to the camera, and then the bachelor shares his thoughts also privately with a few million people. What makes this show, and all the others, a master narrative is that this is the cultural ideal in which we all want to believe. The most beautiful and worthy woman will get the wonderful and worthy bachelor and they will share a huge pot of money, generally a million dollars or more, and live happily ever after. All through the series, some things go wrong. In addition, sometimes one or more women are offered money to quit. Generally, during one season, one of the ladies will take the money. Each week, the bachelor eliminates at least one contestant. He has to pick one and give his reasons for eliminating her. It is never the audience’s favorite. So audience members can believe that the best woman won at the end. Though many people believe this show is a real Cinderella story, even those viewers who are aware that it is all scripted and staged pretend to believe. They like to believe that it could be them in the place of the winner or the bachelor. They also like to believe that they are watching an example of the status quo, even though the shows are designed to make people think such a thing exists. The status quo which the producers and sponsors want to preserve is the public impression that life is fair and that every person who wants to can become whatever they want, even president. The operative word here is every. Yes, things like this do happen. Poor black men do become president, but they are the exceptions, not the rule. Works Cited American Idol. 2010. RealityShows.com. Web. So You Think You Can Dance. 2010. RealityShows.com, Web. The Bachelor. 2010. RealityShows.com. Web. Cinderella Story The master narratives have actually moved into a different realm on television in the popular reality programs, on quiz shows and in commercials. Supposedly ordinary people participate in supposedly non-scripted competitions in all cases. There is always an attainable and attractive objective and one contestant or group of contestants will win it. In some reality shows, like American Idol (2010) or So You Think You Can Dance (2010) , the viewing audience actually votes for people to keep them on the show or votes them off. What is special about these audiences is that they respond and they support their favourites even if audience participation allegedly does not contribute to winning or losing. What makes this show, and all the others, a master narrative is that this is the cultural ideal in which we all want to believe. So audience members can believe that the best woman won at the end. Though many people really believe this show is a real Cinderella story, even those viewers who are aware that it is all scripted and staged pretend to believe. The status quo which the producers and sponsors want to preserve is the public impression that life is fair and that every person who wants to can become whatever they want, even president.
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The Benefits of Knowing a Second Language Essay Can I see a show of hands of those of you who know a second language? Okay, and now can I see a show of hands of those who wish they knew a second language? I am here to explain to you why it is important and so beneficial for everyone to know a second language. There are more benefits to knowing a second language than it just seems “cool.” The main advantages of knowing a second language are your professional growth, improvement of mental health, and development of cognitive abilities. The first argument in favor of learning a second language is the fact that the development of cognitive abilities in the learning process helps maintain mental health. Multiple studies have shown that bilingual people are less likely to have dementia in senior age, or its development occurs 4-5 years later than in monolingual people (Roberts & Kreuz, 2019). Many people attribute this to the fact that the cognitive abilities of bilingual people are more developed, especially if they use several languages ​​and practice them. However, no evidence explains the physiological processes associated with this fact. Nevertheless, even without understanding which hormones and brain areas are involved in this process, learning a new language is worth the effort to avoid dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the cognitive development of a person who speaks several languages is much higher overall. Developed language skills are associated with the growth of the hypothalamus and areas of the cerebral cortex, which are responsible for memory and thoughts (Charman, 2016). In other words, a person stimulates areas of the brain and improves his memory and sharpness of thinking by learning a new language. Besides, we usually use reading, listening, and remembering to learn the words and structures, which enhances our attentiveness and concentration. Scientists also note that knowing another language helps people expand their horizons of perception since different languages have terms that do not exist in others. For example, in Japanese, there are more words for shades of blue than in English, while Namibian Himba people divide all colors into only five groups (Charman, 2016). Thus, knowing several languages helps people better understand and perceive the world around them. Another advantage of learning a second language will become evident to you if you go to any site for a job search. In many vacancies, you can see that a second language is necessary or desirable as this expands the possibilities of collecting information and communicating. This skill is needed for nurses, social workers, entrepreneurs, politicians, and even IT professionals to maintain communication in a globalized world. In addition, this ability will provide you with work in any of these areas as a translator. Knowing of few languages also makes you a better employee, since thinking in bilingual thinking makes increases analytical and negotiating abilities, as you analyze the words more carefully (Penarredonda, 2018). For example, you can always pretend that you are choosing words, or you didn’t understand the question correctly if you said something wrong, and your opponent does not take these words seriously. Thus, the benefits of knowing a second language are both the obvious ability to communicate and gather information, as well as the latent possibilities of the brain. In conclusion, learning a second language has many advantages that are inseparable. Each of you can choose your own reason to attend classes in Spanish, French, or Chinese to motivate yourself. It can be a desire to get the best job, to be open to the world, or avoid mental diseases. However, not a single person who cares about his or her future will be able to declare that such a reason does not exist. References Charman, A. (2016). How learning languages affects our brain . European Commission. Web. Penarredonda, J. L. (2018). The huge benefits of working in your second language . BBC. Web. Roberts, R., & Kreuz, R. (2019). Can learning a foreign language prevent dementia? The Mit Press Reader. Web.
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Prostitution as a “Victimless” Crime Research Paper Community-oriented policing, an organizational philosophy and management approach which has been effective in promoting community, government, and police partnerships, is often considered one of the most valuable ways to minimize both criminal activity and fear of crime in the community through proactive problem solving. However, the implications of the approach in dealing with “victimless” crime need some clarifications. It has been maintained that the victimless crimes need not essentially be victimless and there are also views suggesting that the role of the law needs to be restricted. One of the major factors relating to the “victimless” crimes has been that they are considered a misnomer. In this investigative paper, the focus has been the identification of why “victimless” crimes may be a misnomer, analyzing the specific “victimless” crime of prostitution. In an analysis of prostitution as a “victimless” crime, it is primary to maintain that there is an ongoing debate over the classification of the crime into the “victimless” crimes. To avoid an erroneous conclusion on the question of prostitution, it is fundamental to understand a “victimless” crime as a crime committed by an adult, not by a minor, who does not regard themselves as the victims of their behavior. Prostitution and the related offenses form the major part of the crimes observed as “victimless” crimes. To have a clearer view, prostitution may be understood, as Joel Samaha puts it, as “an ancient business, prospering at all cultures at all times no matter what the condemnation of religion and morals. It’s also a crime nearly everywhere in the United States, persisting no matter how severe the laws or how tough the efforts of police to enforce them.” (p 456, Criminal Law, by Joel Samaha, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, 2004) To evaluate the crime of prostitution in terms of wrongness, it is unquestionable that prostitution is a practice that can permanently harm the good interest of the community and thereby it is a wrong done not the individuals concerned alone but the entire people residing in the community. There have been multiple perspectives that view the problem of prostitution and public sexual activities differently. Whereas some do not believe the behavior of prostitution as composing a major public safety threat, others view the behavior as a “victimless crime” involving two consenting partners. Yet another group considers the behavior as a chief threat to the community’s “moral decency.” Prostitution and related sexual offenses and behaviors have significantly negative connotations to many people and often moral overtones encompass public discussions about the issue. “Community morals and beliefs about how the law should regulate morality will affect how each community addresses the problem… Primarily, such activity constitutes nuisance behavior and does not pose a serious threat to community safety. However, there are many reasons why the police should care about it.” (Illicit Sexual Activity in Public Places, by Kelly Dedel Johnson) Some of the reasons for the intervention of the police include facts such as prostitution and public sexual activity can offend inadvertent witnesses, they deter the legitimate use of public spaces, they may cause the spread of sexually transmitted diseases etc. Therefore, the role of the police in the prevention social crimes such as prostitution is often maintained. In the background of the demands for the intervention of the police to maintain social good against the evils such as prostitution, the usefulness of community-oriented policing comes to question. As Michael Palmiotto suggests, “The key question about community policing is whether it will produce safer communities.” (p 195, Community Policing: A Policing Strategy for the 21st Century, By Michael Palmiotto, Published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2000) Although there is no definitive answer to the question as for now, some anecdotal evidences suggest the value of community policing in the maintenance of peace and safety of the people. Attempts to perceive prostitution as a “victimless” crime calls for the intervention of the services such as community-oriented policing. However, there has been a strong intuition that prostitution and other “victimless” crimes are a misnomer and the laws to check such crimes are ineffective. “Laws to prevent “victimless” crimes generally have nothing to do with right or wrong, and are enacted in order to generate revenue for the government and/or justice system, and primarily, to condition the population into conformity.” (Crime and Punishment). There have been serious debates on the deliberation of prostitution as one of the “victimless crimes.” People who advocate for strong legal action against prostitution are concerned of personal propriety or religious objection and not sympathy for the people involved. The value of the law against the “victimless crime” of prostitution has been often raised and various factors contribute to make the “victimless crimes” is considered misnomer. “That crimes such as drug use and prostitution have to be labeled “victimless” brings forth one of the most telling arguments: most people likely to be harmed by these acts suffer more under the law than they would under that from which they are supposedly being protected.” (Michael Norwitz – “Victimless-Crime Laws”). In conclusion, it is important to establish that community-oriented policing has great validity in reducing the criminal activity as well as fear of crime in the community. On the one hand, it is argued that community-oriented policing may be effectively used in the prevention of the “victimless” crimes such as prostitution. On the other, there are serious debates regarding the postulation of prostitution as a “victimless” crime. Prostitution, often regarded as a “victimless” crime, has serious implications in terms of wrongness and the role of the law to deal with this crime is complex. Bibliography p 456, Criminal Law, by Joel Samaha, Published by Thomson Wadsworth, 2004. Illicit Sexual Activity in Public Places, by Kelly Dedel Johnson). Web. p 195, Community Policing: A Policing Strategy for the 21st Century, By Michael Palmiotto, Published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2000. Crime and Punishment. Web. Michael Norwitz – “Victimless-Crime Laws”. Web.
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Wall-Mart Inc. Strategic Management Essay Table of Contents 1. Political Factors 2. Economic Factors 3. Socio-cultural Factors 4. Technological Factors 5. Conclusion 6. References Political Factors The interference of the government can significantly affect the development of any enterprise. Wall-Mart Inc. is not an exception to this rule. In particular, the adoption of the Maryland Bill in 2006 compelled the company to spend 8 percent of its payroll on the health care of its employees (Cameriousn & Hunger, 2006). Although this legislative act was intended for all firms which had more than 100.000 workers, it is usually called the “Wall-Mart Bill”. Hypothetical impacts were two-fold. On the one hand, the company had to increase its operating expenses. On the other hand, this bill confirmed the belief that the management of Wall-Mart had been pursuing unethical policies in order to boost its profits. In the long term, this may trigger boycotting of Wall-Mart hypermarkets and a decrease in sales rates. This example shows how a single legislative act can give rise to multiple consequences, social and economic. Economic Factors The reduction of the stock price in 2002 immensely diminished the flow of investments into Wall-Mart, approximately at 9,9 percent (Cameriousn & Hunger, 2006). This subsequently hindered the pace of growth. Therefore, the situation forced the management of Wall-Mart to redevelop its infrastructure. Instead of traditional discount stores, Wall-Mart opened many Wall-Mart Supercenters in mid-sized American cities. The management of this company chose to act in this way because such supercenters could offer a wider range of products. Socio-cultural Factors Wall-Mart has faced criticism due to its practices of hiring illegal immigrants. On the one hand, the disclosure of this information in an $ 11million fine, which the company had to pay in 2003 (Cameriousn & Hunger, 2006). It is quite possible to say that Wall-Mart could afford this price. But at the same time, this news sparked off a series of public protests. American citizens were outraged by the fact that the firm could openly violate existing labor legislation. Furthermore, many of them decided to go to other retailers. To some extent, public resentment changed the functioning of the company because the management began to conduct strict monitoring of recruiting and hiring practices in supermarkets. Furthermore, the company was accused of discrimination against women and ethnic minorities. Certainly, Wal-Mart tried to respond to these accusations by issuing a report, which stated that 32 percent of their employees belonged to ethnic or racial minorities (Cameriousn & Hunger, 2006). Thus, socio-cultural factors transformed the firms accountability standards. Technological Factors The development of internet technologies and especially the internet has intensified the competition among US retailers. Many companies can sell their products through WWW without having to possess a physical outlet. In this case, we need to speak about such online retailers as Amazon or eBay ( Warner & Buchman 2004, p 455 ) . Wall-Mart also tries to posit itself as an e-commerce business but at the moment, they are far from achieving leadership in this area. Yet, it should be pointed out that, unlike Amazon or eBay, Wall-Mart does not have to incur enormous shipping expenses. Naturally, Wall-Mart also conducts online commerce through its website but at this point, it is not their major priority. Conclusion On the whole, the analysis indicated that the development of Wall-Mart Inc is hindered most by political and socio-cultural factors. The companys relations with the public still leave much to be desired. It has turned into a symbol of corporate power in the United States, and the company has to respond to various accusations that can be both fair and unfair. In sharp, the company timely addresses economic and technological risks. References Camerious J.W. & Hunger J.D. 2006. Wall-Mart Stores: Inc: Under attack. “Cases in strategic management and business policy” edited by Hunger J.D. New York: Prentice Hall. Warner. C and Buchman J. 2004. Media selling: broadcast, cable, print and interactive. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.
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US Intelligence Community Need for Reformation Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Discussion 3. Concluding Points 4. References Introduction It is worth noting that the Intelligence Community (IC) is the name of several different intelligence agencies (Habeck & Stimson, 2016). This structure consists of individual US government agencies whose task is to coordinate the intelligence activities of individual executive agencies that collect technical and agent-based information to protect US national security (Habeck & Stimson, 2016). Although the organization is regarded as a federation of constituent entities, until recently, its structure could be described as a confederation due to the lack of a clearly defined, single leadership and management structure. As a senior leader of the IC, I provide my position of support in reforming the US Intelligence Community. Discussion The activities of the intelligence have been accompanied by debates regarding its major failures in recent years, which questioned how well the Intelligence Community provides national security. Previously, inter-agency cooperation and information exchange between institutions was hindered by political aspects, which sought to limit the integration of information from privacy and security issues (Durbin, 2017). Recent attempts to modernize and facilitate interagency collaboration within the US IC have included procedural, structural, and cultural alterations. It is important to emphasize that despite criticism of the work of the IC, one cannot fail to see the obvious successes of American intelligence. In particular, it is related to preventing violent attacks on all spheres of the life of the state and the economy. The main exception to this pattern is poor results in cyberspace, where success is often offset by failures (Gill, 2016). It is often emphasized that the reformation should center on the idea that if a particular US administration is suspected of violating the constitutional rights of citizens, the extent of these violations should be checked. Nevertheless, for the authorities and the people to better understand each other, it is not necessary to declassify the activities of intelligence services (Durbin, 2017). The scheme of their work should become more accessible and transparent (Durbin, 2017). This will not only improve American society but also provide it with reliable protection. One of the main difficulties faced by the IC, which denotes the need for reformation, is the fact that the new generation of technological advancements has formed a new threat landscape (Gill, 2016). Such developments as artificial intelligence, satellite miniaturization, open-source computing require the IC to predict the security challenges in the nearest future. The speed of development of the IC capabilities is not fast enough, and intelligence cannot address the demands posed on it (Gill, 2016). Strategic efforts are required from the side of the IC to be able to respond promptly to the new nature of attacks while safeguarding civil liberties. Concluding Points Thus, it can be concluded that at the moment, the US intelligence system, including counterintelligence, special forces, and so on, is not monolithic. In the current setting, the main task of the US IC is to turn a large number of its units into a single organization capable of withstanding the growing number of modern challenges. The technological threats posed by the rapid development of technological advancements should be given particular attention when reforming intelligence. The practice has shown that intelligence agencies did not cope effectively with protecting national security from terrorist groups. Special attention should be paid to special services, the main shortcomings of which is disintegration, lack of coordination, lack of clear goal-setting, loss of professionalism, weakening of intelligence positions, as well as insufficient technological development. References Durbin, B. (2017). The CIA and the politics of US intelligence reform . New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Gill, P. (2016). Intelligence governance and democratisation: A comparative analysis of the limits of reform . New York, NY: Routledge. Habeck, M., & Stimson, C. D. (2016). Reforming intelligence: A proposal for reorganizing the Intelligence Community and improving analysis . Web.
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Voids in the Fashion Industry Essay Performing a PEST Analysis of the fashion industry provided an opportunity to find specific voids in this market and think of the ways to fill them. First of all, the environmental impact of the fashion and clothing industry is a significant global problem. After the oil industry, this sector is the second largest polluter in the world (“What’s wrong with the fashion industry?” n.d.). Textile factories dump untreated toxic wastewaters directly into the rivers, which is a great contribution to water pollution. To fill this void, clothing manufacturers should pay increased attention to wastewaters purification. Besides, consumers need to choose clothes produced in countries with severer environmental regulations for the fashion industry (Kusa & Urminova, 2020). Next, this market increases the waste problem since the modern clothes quality is declining every year, and trends are changing rapidly, so people buy and throw away more. According to researchers, “a family in the western world throws away an average of 30 kg of clothing each year” (“What’s wrong with the fashion industry?” n.d., para. 4). Buying less and better-quality garment and recycling it after some time is a way to solve this issue. Another void of the fashion industry is the lack of effort in dressing people with disabilities. It is hard to disagree that persons with limited mobility because of some medical conditions, people with autism, and amputees need to have an opportunity of wearing comfortable and pretty clothes. However, moving into the adaptive fashion market began relatively recently, around 2009 (Schmidt, 2018). To fill with void completely, it is essential to increase garment manufacturers’ awareness of this issue. Finally, another problem with the fashion industry discussed in the PEST Analysis is the promotion of extreme thinness standards. This may also be demonstrated in the limited stock and options available for plus-sized consumers (PYMNTS Staff, 2016). On the one hand, models need to comply with certain standards and requirements, making them experience physical and mental health problems. On the other hand, plus-sized consumers are not able to find proper, good quality, and beautiful garments, which may make them either wear low-quality clothes or go on a diet and probably gain health issues. To fill this void, specific legislation is required, and garment manufacturers need to produce more clothes for plus-sized consumers. References Kusa, A., & Urminova, M. (2020). Communication as a part of identity of sustainable subjects in fashion . Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13 (12), 305. Web. PYMNTS Staff. (2020). Why DTC is critical to filling retail’s plus-size void . PYMNTS. Web. Schmidt, I. (2018). Filling the fashion void for shoppers with disabilities . Los Angeles Times. Web. What’s wrong with the fashion industry ? (n.d.). Sustain Your Style. Web.
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Introduction 2. Denmark and Netherlands 3. Healthcare Performance in reference to population of Denmark 4. Netherlands 5. US vs. Netherlands and Denmark 6. Lessons for the US 7. Maryland healthcare system 8. Conclusion 9. References Introduction The contemporary global economy relies heavily on the need to have a stable healthcare system that caters for every citizen. This need is creating several structural realignments in the healthcare sector with a view to making it affordable and accessible to all (Commission of the European Communities, 2007). This work is an explication of healthcare system in Denmark, Netherlands in relation to the US Denmark and Netherlands Denmark experiences inequality in the provision of healthcare services. The vulnerable population of Denmark continues to be “alienated” from quality health care accessed by other high-class citizens (European Commission, 2006). These obvious disparities are, however, being eliminated gradually through several programs. The focus on the primary care and the quality agenda on health issues based on restructuring the hospital sector with a view to yielding a quality dividend in healthcare, have seen the sector improve. Coupled with the rationalization of hospital governance structures, the dream of a quality healthcare is yonder in Denmark (Younis, 2013). The two-tier health sector-financing dichotomy in the Netherlands before 2006 had all along been considered an act of discrimination. This two-tier framework deeply exacerbated the inequality in the country. However, the current policy reforms require that all citizens acquire the basic insurance package (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, 2003). The current restructuring process in Netherlands is slowly eliminating the two- tier system Healthcare Performance in reference to population of Denmark Denmark has a near optimal performance of the health sector as compared to other European neighbors (Eurohealthnet, 2013). With a population of 5.6 M and a growth rate of 0.2%, the healthcare budget for Denmark is considered very adequate. The 2008 Euro barometer survey on healthcare reveals that 90% of the Danes are satisfied with the healthcare performance. The public expenditure in the sector has been steadily rising by a margin of 8% annually (Eurohealthnet, 2013). Netherlands The healthcare spending in Netherlands has been on a plateau since 2005. The funding is an insurance issue and is highly regulated by the government. With a population growth rate of 0.5% per annum, analysts are warning that the recurrent budget on expenditure will considerably increase by a margin not less than 12%. So far, the performance of the sector has been very solid despite the cases of healthcare inequality witnessed (Equity Channel, 2013; Daley & Gubb, 2011). US vs. Netherlands and Denmark Denmark and Netherlands have an elaborate healthcare rubric that has reduced the inequality rate considerably (Gele & Harsløf, 2010). The restructuring of the funding process in both countries has greatly benefited them. Conversely, the American healthcare system ignored the majority of the unemployed poor. The adoption of the “Obamacare” though, has witnessed an improvement of the funding model (Younis, 2013). Lessons for the US Higher costs and unequal health programs remain America’s salient challenges in the healthcare sector. The US could borrow from Denmark, the restructuring of the healthcare facilities to enable complete decentralization of the process to enhance efficiency and equality (National Social Marketing Centre, 2013). Secondly, the adoption of the monthly tax credit for the low earners as done in Netherlands would boost healthcare in the low-end economic class (Stegeman, Costongs, Needle & DETERMINE Consortium 2011) Maryland healthcare system Healthcare issues in Bowie, Maryland have had an impact on the quality of healthcare in the US in general. The most salient problem in the town is the humongous rate of the uninsured citizens (13%). Bowie can choose to effect the tax credit refunds or employ a scheme through which the non-insured would be brought on board. Most prominently, the need to offer tax credits to this class of people would improve the terms of healthcare. Conclusion Management of the healthcare sector requires constant evaluation and assessment of the environmental dynamics. Issues such as population dynamics, economic balance, and poverty index must be factored during the planning process. The lesson from European experience in the management of the sector is a framework that can be employed in a setting and with little improvements, yield desirable results for effective healthcare management (Wellesley Institute, 2011). References Commission of the European Communities. (2007). Together for health: A strategic approach for the EU 2008-2013 [White paper]. Web. Daley, C., & Gubb, J. (2011). Healthcare in Netherlands. Civitas , 12 (3545), 16-20. Equity Channel. (2013). Web. EuroHealthNet. (2013). Health policies in the EU . Web. European Commission. (2006). Tackling health inequalities in the EU: The contributions of Various EU-level actors. Web. National Social Marketing Centre. (2013). Health equity case studies . Web. Smedley, B. D., Stith, A. Y., & Nelson, A. R. (2003). Unequal treatment: confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care . Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Stegeman,I., & Costongs, C., Needle C., & DETERMINE Consortium. (2010). The story of DETERMINE: Mobilising action for health equity in the EU—Final report of the DETERMINE consortium. Brussels: EuroHealthNet. Web. Wellesley Institute. (2011). European action on health . Web. Younis, M. Z. (2013). Interview: Comparative effectiveness research and challenges to healthcare reform in Europe and USA. Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research , 2 (3), 223-225.
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Professional Ethics in Nursing Practice Essay Introduction Problem Research ethics require nurses and other health workers to carry out their duties with due diligence and high moral standards. The conduct of nursing professionals when conducting research should not be in conflict with their assigned duties and moral codes that govern the nursing profession. This study looks at the importance of nurses observing professional ethics when conducting research in different settings. Significance This study is significant to nursing because it helps nurses to understand the society, their profession and the reliability of their findings. Nurses undertaking research need to be aware of the ethical issues that are likely to crop up during such studies. Research ethics highlights the role nurses play in healthcare and how this can affect the final findings of the research they get involved in. This study emphasizes the importance of objectivity by nurses during research to ensure that they do not get carried away by the ethical dilemmas that are associated with the nursing practice (Johnstone, 2009, p. 52). Purpose This study shows nurses the necessary steps that they should take before they carry out any scientific research. It is vital for the nurses to avoid any misconduct, undesirable performance and abuse of subjects that willingly participate in the research. Research ethics guide nurses on how to conduct research procedures without harming the participants (Johnstone, 2009, p. 56). Research Questions Are nurses aware of their ethical obligations to participants during research? Do nurses seek approval from relevant authorities before conducting research? Do nurses seek the consent of the participants before they can include them in the research? Do nurses get biased while conducting research because of conflict in roles? Concepts/ Phenomena The main concepts include ethics, moral dilemma, consent of the subjects and participants, reliability of the data, research design, confidentiality, protection of the data gathered, and the skills of the researchers. Methods of Study Qualitative Study This study is qualitative in nature; it focuses on the level of awareness among nurses regarding the ethical principles that they need to observe when conducting research. The study seeks to establish the nurses’ traditional role of care giving and how it can positively or negatively affect their objectivity when conducting research (Fouka & Mantzorou, 2011, p. 5). The study seeks to contribute new knowledge for the nursing profession by proposing effective ways through which research studies can be conducted. Research Design The study focuses on the level of information that nurses have regarding the ethical conduct they should uphold while conducting research. The study looks at the importance of obtaining consent by nurses from their subjects before they can include them in the data collection procedures and record the findings of the studies they conduct. This study looks at the moral dilemmas that nurses have to face when researching and sheds light on the ways in which they can overcome them (Fouka & Mantzorou, 2011, pp. 6-7). Nurses need to use familiar language and procedures that the subjects are comfortable with to make them feel at ease at every stage of the research process. Sample The sample for the study looks at nurses that are involved in conducting research in a variety of settings. This study covers all the nurses who are actively involved in research activities in different areas. The study seeks to establish their level of understanding regarding the ethical principles they need to observe while conducting research studies (Fouka & Mantzorou, 2011, p. 8). Procedures The procedures followed by the nurses when carrying out their duties are also under assessment in this study. Selection of accurate research techniques which are approved by ethics panelists is necessary before the nurses can conduct any study. The use of peer reviewers in all stages of the study is vital for assessing the quality of the study undertaken by the nurses (Fouka & Mantzorou, 2011, p.9). Results Findings The findings show that the consent of the participants is necessary in validating the reliability of the study done. Participants should only be part of a study on their own volition; the participants should not be coerced and nurses ought to obtain their signed written consent before embarking on the study. The study done should not harm but improve the wellbeing of participants. Participants should be anonymous in their contribution. The results need to be confidential and should not violate any person’s right to privacy (Beauchamp & Childres, 2001, p. 77). Implications Nursing researchers need to inspire confidence which is only possible through enforcement of ethics. Nurses need to be aware of ethical standards that can help them conduct reliable research studies. Effective observations of ethical principles assure the public of the safety of the procedures taken through nursing research studies. Contribution The studies show that observing safety, protecting data, monitoring every stage of the research and using reliable procedures are necessary in achieving reliable results during a study. The findings impact all areas of nursing and create awareness on the need for ethical procedures to be observed during research (Beauchamp & Childress, 2001, p. 81). Ethical Considerations The study was approved by the institutional review board. Patient Privacy was protected. The objectivity of the nurses when gathering data from patients was compromised because of their backgrounds as caregivers. Conclusion Professional codes and ethics provide effective ways through which nursing research can be conducted. Nursing curriculums should train nursing students on the need to observe ethics when they are conducting research. References Beauchamp, T. L., & Childres, J. F. (2001). Principles of biomedical ethics (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fouka, G., & Mantzorou, M. (2011). What are the major ethical issues in conducting research? Is there a conflict between the research ethics and the nature of nursing? Health Science Journal 5 (1), 3-14. Johnstone, M. (2009). Bioethics: A nursing perspective (5th ed.). London: Elsevier.
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Report on Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge Report The selected restaurant is called Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge and is located at 422 Northwest North River Drive, Miami, FL 33128. The core values of this restaurant are to provide their guests with a high-quality kitchen and impeccable hospitality. In addition, the restaurant focuses on seafood; however, vegan options are also available. The restaurant’s commitment is to provide an insight into the aesthetics of the place. Moreover, it is feasible to say that visiting the website is essential before acquiring the place because it can help familiarize yourself with the restaurant’s features or any other organization. Therefore, it is interesting to assess Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge from the visitor’s point of view. To start with, the abovementioned restaurant fits into the category of fine dining. This term means more than a simple kitchen; instead, the point is to make the guest happy. Everything matters in fine dining restaurants; for instance, the atmosphere is necessary, as well as the service, and definitely, the dishes. The menu of Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge can be called table d’hote because it is relatively big and does not seem to change often. Moreover, the menu is divided into subcategories: appetizers, cocktails, entrees, brunch, pizzetta, salads, desserts, and bottle service menus. Thus, the table d’hote menu contains appetizers and entrees for a fixed price. Interestingly, the restaurant can organize private events, and it becomes possible to order a whole branch or dinner and buy a set of fine wine bottles. The menu contains the names of dishes and their prices; however, there are no photos, making a choice blind. The type of food service is the assembly as the restaurant states to store, assemble, heat, and serve all food themselves. As for food quality, having chosen gorgonzola, pear, and black truffle pizzetta from the menu, it is possible to say that the dish tastes delicious. It is hard to select good-tasting gorgonzola because this cheese is rare among cheese products. Gorgonzola, pear, and truffle are classic combinations that constitute a good pizza, so the dish is classically good. However, the price is relatively high per one dish, which is 27 dollars. What is more, the service is not as perfect as excepted; many reviews on this restaurant prove that waitresses might forget what the person has ordered, and the waiting time is long (“Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge,” 2021). Concerning the set-up, the restaurant is located near the Miami River, and there is an open-air summer veranda. Furthermore, there are tables for small and big companies, and it makes the tenure uncomfortable because of the crowded sitting places. The restaurant does not give much information about their kitchen equipment; however, it was noticed that pizzettas are prepared in traditional cooking ovens for pizzas. After the research on the Internet, it was investigated that a similar oven is found on eBay, and its price comprises 12,906 euros (“Mixed rotating gas-wood,” 2021). For the chosen pizzetta, gas was required to cook it. Overall, the experience in this restaurant was pleasant; the chosen pizzetta was delicious, and the location was beautiful. Concerning the recommendations for this restaurant, it can be said that the location is perfect because the restaurant is placed near the river and it has a fantastic view. However, after studying the menu, it was noticed that there are no pictures of the dishes, which obstructs the choice. Moreover, waitresses make guests wait for a dish for a long time. Although the dishes taste delicious, the price is relatively high. Therefore, it can be recommended to develop customer service and adjust prices for this restaurant. In addition, it would be great to expand the sitting places because the restaurant may be overloaded with guests, especially on weekends. The last recommendation is to place the pictures of the dishes on the menu for customers to see what they order. References “ Mixed rotating gas-wood-burning pizza oven Black Mosaic.” (2021). Web. “Seaspice Brasserie & Lounge.” Miami – Menu, Prices, Restaurant Reviews & Reservations . (2021). Tripadvisor. Web.
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Glassware Packing Company Analysis Essay Packaging of glassware for shipping is a very delicate process, which requires utmost precautions. There are steps to be followed during packaging, without which massive damage will be experienced. During my research, I discovered that the massive damage experienced by the company could be attributed to the first process of shipping, i.e., the packaging process. The first shortcoming I observed was in glassware barrels. They were too big and over-packed. This is not advisable because lighter barrels were loaded first into the ship and some heavier barrels were placed on them, increasing the chances of damage. Apart from this, the barrels did not have internal protection. This could mean that in every instance of movement, there was a chance of damage because the pieces of glassware were in physical contact with each other. Another shortcoming that I observed was that containers were not labeled appropriately. A stranger could not have an idea that barrels contained fragile items. This could easily lead to damage. The glassware packages were stowed carelessly in ships in such a way that a lot of space was wasted between barrels. This could lead to movements during the shipping process. There were also no pellets inside the packages, which could act as shock absorbers. The packages were packed too high. For damage control, these packages should be put in good order, making sure that they are tightly packed to reduce movements during the process of transporting them. The machines used to put the packages on the ship were not effective, because some could break down during the process, and containers could make sounds that could signify damage. All the shortcomings could be controlled because the company could just need to be more organized and plan everything before the day of packaging. The container is now ready to be ferried, but it has to pass through different zones for checking. In all these zones, there are offloading and loading activities, using cranes and forklifts. The problem is not with the machines, but people are doing the work because they are not aware of what they are carrying due to poor packaging and lack of proper labeling. After several offloading and loading activities in China, the ship is now ready to leave Mawei Port through the East China Port and via several other ports. It is important to mention that the ship would go through about 26 ports before it would reach its destination. This is a distance of about 16062 nautical miles to the port of Chicago in the United States of America. On reaching this destination, unloading would be done using cranes and forklifts, but the container would first land on a truck, which hauls it into a warehouse. The process is cumbersome, and the people to blame are the ones who did packaging. The cranes and the forklifts are also operated by people who are only doing it as a job to earn themselves living without caring about damage and losses. To conclude my research, I would urge the company management to take every step carefully and to stress on the packaging and labeling approaches of the barrels. This would significantly reduce the damage experienced over the years. As a result, the business establishment would make substantial savings in the future.
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Global Advertising as a Tool of Promotion Essay Global advertising requires unique methods and strategies which a company to appeal to global consumers and persuade them to buy a product. In a global market, advertisers face an exceedingly complex task in seeking to persuade, much less manipulate, the public. Individual perceptions vary widely, and the impact of an ad on one person in a particular country is generally different from its impact on another (Chitty et al 2006). In addition, consumers are aware of the self-interest of the commercial advertiser and are naturally sceptical of his advertised claims. Much of mass advertising is, as a consequence, little more than an attention-getting device seeking to increase brand name recognition (Keegan & Green 2004). For art directors and copywriters, it is crucial to create a unique combination of images appealing to the global target audience, thus do not humiliate or disgrace them. It is important to use culturally neutral symbols and slogans, images and expressions positively perceive at least in one geographical region (Chitty et al 2006). There is a strong temptation for advertisers to exaggerate the benefits of their products but much less of a temptation to employ outright lies, which tend to be self-defeating. The goal of most advertisers is to entice the consumer to purchase the product and then to satisfy him through experience. Another important factor is the country of origin image. Ineffective advertising can be negatively perceived by global consumers and ignored. The differences of opinion, though strong, arise over the perceived magnitudes involved (that is, the size of the expected costs and benefits) and over the prospects for a regulatory standard that reflects an accurate perception of those costs and benefits. Thus, for example, “the burden of demonstrating the cost-benefit judgment ought to be placed on those calling for the regulation of advertising” (Chitty et al 2006, p. 43) causes him to express “grave doubts” about the corrective advertising remedy. People certainly vary in their degree of conditionability as a function of personal characteristics related to the nature of the stimuli involved. In different countries, people are motivated by different factors and cultural images, unique values and religious traditions. In this case, it is crucial for art directors to avoid offensive remarks and religious images which can be negatively perceived by the target audience. Decisions concerning the choice of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are critical to the outcomes of conditioning experiments (Clow & Baack 2002). Art directors and copywriters should consider what is probably the most basic mood effect of all: people in a positive mood give more favourable ratings to objects (e.g., a particular brand or ad) than people in a neutral or negative mood. People in a positive mood are sometimes said to “see the world through rose-coloured glasses.” However, this phrase also points to the problem that is endemic to classical models of judgment. Brassington & Pettitt (2001) underline that revising the sentences can help many companies to create a unique brand image of the company and appeal to mass consumers. Different struggles should be applied to online and offline advertising. These requirements create dilemmas for consumer researchers. On the one hand, art directors would like to use well-known cultural symbols and artefacts as USS (e.g., popular music, celebrities) because they appear frequently in actual marketing communications; however, such stimuli may be less than ideal for conditioning evaluative responses because of their popularity and celebrity. In contrast with spontaneous communication, Brassington & Pettitt (2001) argue that symbolic communication involves a voluntary, socially shared system of symbols having arbitrary relationships with their referents. Although the language is the most obvious example of symbolic communication, there are nonverbal components as well. For instance, a ritualized smile of greeting is considered to be a symbol when it is done intentionally rather than spontaneously. Likewise, not all people would respond favourably to a particular musical arrangement serving as the US, as tastes in music are disparate. Symbolic advertising does not necessarily provide an external display corresponding to an internal state and, since it is intentional, maybe true or false. In developing a distinction between spontaneous and symbolic communication (Clow & Baack 2002). A concept of display rules can help advertisers to appeal to the global target audience. It consists of cultural rules that govern proper and improper ways to express emotion. In effect, these may alter or inhibit the direct expression of emotion in order to conform to the expectations of a social situation. Even though such emotional communications (altered by display rules) may involve facial expressions or gestures, Buck has included them within the category of symbolic communications, since such alterations are intentional (Schultz & Kitchen 2001). Differences between spontaneous and symbolic communication result in part from differences in their neural basis. These, two forms of communication did not evolve simultaneously. The meanings conveyed by the spontaneous communication of emotion are immediately accepted and understood, whereas the symbolic, intentional communication of emotion is evaluated through further cognitive interpretation and judgment. In order to reach global consumers, art directors and copywriters should take into account cultural preferences, global mass culture and impact on the country of origin. Bibliography Brassington, F. and Pettitt, S. 2003, Principles of Marketing , Financial Times Management. Chitty, B., Barrker, N., & Shimp, T. 2005, Integrated Marketing Communication – First Pacific Rim Edition. South Melbourne: Thomson Learning. Clow, K.E. and Baack, D. 2002, Integrated Advertising, Promotion and Marketing Communications , Prentice Hall/Pearson Education: Upper Saddle River, NJ. Keegan, W. J., Green. M. C. 2004, Global Marketing . Prentice Hall; 4 edition. Schultz, D.E. and Kitchen, P.J. 2001, Communicating Globally: an Integrated Marketing Approach , Palgrave-Macmillan: London.
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Although the causes of breast cancer have not been fully identified yet, it has been proven that overexposure to heavy doses of radiation, chemicals, etc., as well as heavy smoking, family history, alcohol abuse, exposure to the sun, viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (i.e., DNA and RNA viruses), etc. may lead to the development of the disease (Richardson et al., 2015). As a rule, the process of disease diagnosing includes carrying out a biopsy. However, at the earliest stages of cancer, detecting the disease is possible with the help of the breast MRI or a mammography. In contrast to the MRI, which presupposes that the image of the tissue should be retrieved with the help of magnetic fields, the mammography tool involves the use of x-rays ( Breast cancer diagnosis , 2016). Therefore, a mammography is likely to have adverse effects on the patient’s health and, possibly, the further treatment process. The choice of the treatment type is restricted to three ones, i.e., the local therapy, the systemic approach, and the adjuvant therapy. The treatment process often presupposes a surgery, i.e., the systemic method. In this case, a surgeon makes an incision, through which the cancerous cells are removed together with a part of the regular tissue. The treatment does not presuppose a complete removal of the breast tissue; the postoperative appearance may include a small scar and an indentation ( Breast cancer , 2016). Apart from surgery, the rotation therapy is often suggested at early stages of cancer development. The chemical therapy is typically suggested as the means of managing the disease prior the surgery or in the cases when the latter cannot be performed. Chemotherapy, as well as radiotherapy, permits shrinking the tumor to the size at which the surgery can be performed. In addition, the hormone treatment can be viewed as an opportunity for breast cancer patients to recover ( Breast cancer , 2016). The concept of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy has recently gained popularity among the people fighting breast cancer. The specified type of treatment is typically viewed as a supplementary one after the major issue has been addressed and the tumor has either shrunk or been removed. The treatment method in question implies addressing the possible instance of recidivism and is, therefore, aimed at preventing cancer from occurring again ( Breast cancer , 2016). Although the phenomenon of alternative therapy is not viewed as a legitimate treatment tool by most therapists, it still exists and, therefore, deserves being mentioned as a concept. However, one must bear in mind that alternative treatment leads to lethal results in most cases and is disregarded by most experts and scholars as an inefficient tool ( Breast cancer , 2016). When detailing the process of addressing cancer, one must also mention that the process of cancer treatment is very painful and excruciating. Since it also takes an impressive amount of time, the patients clearly need support to recover successfully. Therefore, it is essential that family members should be involved in the patient’s struggle with the disease and help them maintain emotional stability ( Breast cancer , 2016). Since the disease develops fast and can be the cure at early stages, spreading awareness concerning breast cancer should be viewed as imperative nowadays. Reference List Breast cancer . (2016). Web. Breast cancer diagnosis . (2016). Web. Breast cancer – health professional version . (2016). Web. Richardson, A. K., Currie, M. J., Robinson, B. A., Morrin, H., Phung, Y., Pearson, J. F., Anderson, T. P., Potter, J. D., & Walker, L. C. (2015). Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus in Breast Cancer . PLoS One, 18 (2), e0118989. Web.
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Greek Mythology Influence Analytical Essay Introduction The impact of Greek mythology on the modern society cannot go unnoticed. Many spheres of the modern society have borrowed heavily on Greek mythology. Areas like modern language, arts and traditions among others all exhibit the influence of Greek tradition in the modern society. A good example of this is where people with no or little understanding of Greek legends still know that Hercules was a strongman and that Venus is the god responsible for love. This goes ahead to show how the Greek mythologies have taken root in our modern society. In fact, majority of the traditions that people in the modern society carry out have their origin in Greece. One Greek mythology that has influenced the whole world is the celebration of the Olympic Games. According to historians, the Olympic Games are a traditional Greek sport that was established in 776 B.C. The Greeks used these athletic contests to award vegetal crowns to people who excelled in different areas. According to historians, the foundation of the Olympic Games is credited to Herakles. According to the myth, Zeus set up the games to celebrate his legendary success over his father Kronos. This event was celebrated once every four years and involved all Greece citizens. As time went by, the rest of the world adopted the use of Olympic Games as a unifying event. Today, the Olympic Games are regarded as the most popular sporting event in history. In fact, the modern day sport has minimal differences compared to the original games. This goes a long way in exhibiting just how Greek culture has influenced the world systems. (Barringer, 2010) In the modern society, very few people can speak Greek fluently. However, the English language has been greatly shaped by Greek mythologies. An example of this is a term like “Herculean task”, which refers to doing something that requires a big effort. According to historians, the term comes from the Greek legend that refers to the labors assigned to Hercules. Another common name in the English language that has its roots from the Greeks is the sleep inducing drug known as morphine. According to English experts, this name has its origins from Morpheus, the Greek god responsible for bringing sleep. The Greek god of love Zeus otherwise known as aphrodisiac has also been incorporated in the English language. Today, the modern language uses the term aphrodisiac to refer to any stuff or condition that stimulates sexual need. Besides their use in languages, Greek mythology also has a great impact on science. Today, most heavenly bodies have been given the names of Greek characters. On top of this, nearly all the planets and most of the stars in the solar system have been given Roman translations of Greek characters. Conclusion There is no doubt that the modern world has borrowed much from Greek mythology. Reference to Greek mythology proliferate every sphere of our society. The Olympic Games one of the most celebrated athletic sport has its origins from the Greek culture. The sport has undergone the test of time and today it is considered as an event that unifies the world. In fact, some things that we take for granted as maps have their origin from Greek myths. The Europe continent that houses many communities is named after Europa, the virgin carried off by Zeus, who tricked her by masquerading as a bull. Reference List Barringer, J. (2010) Art, Myth, and Ritual in Classical Greece . Retrieved from http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521646475&ss=exc
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Introduction 2. Potential Outcomes 3. Care, Treatment, and Support 4. Family Needs 5. Conclusion 6. References Introduction The case of Mr. Pierce presents an example of a patient who wishes to spend his last days at home and not in a medical facility. Such decisions should be respected, and it is critical to provide a patient with the necessary comfort. Mr. Pierce’s potential outcomes are determined by his choice to refuse any aggressive treatment as he is likely to spend some weeks at home, receiving care that eases his condition. A healthcare professional should address such concerns as the patient’s physical health, mental comfort, and spiritual needs. Also, an advanced practice nurse should support the family members in terms of preparedness for the death of a loved one. Potential Outcomes Mr. Pierce has deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli which cause such problems as shortness of breath and pain. The agreement for supportive drug therapy will ensure that the levels of pain induced by the identified disorders will be reduced significantly. Also, it is highly important to provide sufficient levels of care in the home setting so that the quality of treatment would meet clinical standards at least to some extent. One of the outcomes includes the patient dying from pulmonary embolism due to breathing difficulties (Jiménez et al., 2016). Another outcome is the patient’s death, which will be painless if the patient follows the treatment plan successfully. Overall, the patient’s stay at home should be made comfortable to support his choice. Care, Treatment, and Support The patient’s treatment should consider Mr. Pierce’s mental and physical health. First of all, his symptoms should be addressed with medications and additional procedures. Pain can be managed with drug therapy including pain relievers and topical creams (NIA, 2017). These medications, as well as keeping the air in the house fresh and humid enough, can also relieve the patient’s breathing problems. It is also possible that the patient will lose mobility in the following days which means that he may develop skin problems (NIA, 2017). It is necessary to assist the patient and encourage him to move or change positions while he stays in bed. Due to the increased stress, the patient’s mental health should be addressed as well. Family support is crucial to the patients’ well-being – everyday interactions with his family and his caregivers can help Mr. Pierce remain calm and relaxed. It is also suggested that the family members should address the patient’s religious concerns, reading him spiritual texts or discussion questions related to faith and the afterlife (NIA, 2017). If Mr. Pierce wants to spend time with family, friends, or by himself, his choices should be respected. Family members can also discuss some future considerations such as property and burial with Mr. Pierce, ensuring that his wishes are acknowledged (Garrido, Balboi, Maciejewski, Bao, & Prigerson, 2015). Family Needs It is crucial for the health care provider to prepare the family members to assist Mr. Pierce in daily tasks and medical therapy. They should be aware of complications, exacerbations, and potential loss of mobility and conscience. Moreover, their mental health should also be considered because the death of a loved one is a serious situation that leads to emotional distress (Aoun et al., 2015). Thus, caretakers should be encouraged to share their responsibilities and ask for professional help if necessary. One can offer grief counseling to the children if it is necessary. If Mr. Pierce agrees to the help of a medical assistant, family members can be asked to participate in some daily activities while relieving their burden from some tasks. Conclusion Mr. Pierce’s physical and mental health treatment should focus on comfort and emotional support. The communication of family members with the patient is crucial as they can provide significant support. Some medical assistance can be offered to the patient, and family members may benefit from agreeing to participate in grief counseling. Mr. Pierce’s decision to stay at home can help him to remain close to his loved ones. References Aoun, S., Deas, K., Toye, C., Ewing, G., Grande, G., & Stajduhar, K. (2015). Supporting family caregivers to identify their own needs in end-of-life care: Qualitative findings from a stepped wedge cluster trial. Palliative Medicine , 29 (6), 508-517. Garrido, M. M., Balboni, T. A., Maciejewski, P. K., Bao, Y., & Prigerson, H. G. (2015). Quality of life and cost of care at the end of life: The role of advance directives. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management , 49 (5), 828-835. Jiménez, D., de Miguel-Díez, J., Guijarro, R., Trujillo-Santos, J., Otero, R., Barba, R.,… Monreal, M. (2016). Trends in the management and outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism: Analysis from the RIETE registry. Journal of the American College of Cardiology , 67 (2), 162-170. National Institute of Aging [NIA]. (2017). Providing comfort at the end of life . Web.
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In-Person/Blackboard Discussions 2. Assignments/Assessments 3. Course Readings 4. References In-Person/Blackboard Discussions Becoming a leader is a complicated and time-consuming process. It is necessary to pass through a number of stages, learn a number of details, and combine theoretical knowledge and practice. It is also important to remember that there may be certain obstacles and challenges on the way, and a successful leader should be strong enough to overcome them, them other people to do the same, and choose the actions that make him/her self-sufficient. This kind of choice can be made on the basis of the theories offered to the students, who are involved in studying the peculiarities of leadership. For example, the situational approach helps to understand that the process of adaptation is crucial in leadership. Even if people are mature and know exactly what to do and how to choose the most effective approach, they need to learn how to behave and understand the expectations. In these terms, the ideas of the path-goal theory are also effective: leaders have to motivate employees not just to give orders or pieces of advice. It is more interesting and effective to communicate and cooperate to have a number of mutual goals and the desire to meet all of them. The contingency theory teaches me how crucial to pick out the style and consider the variables in regards to a situation. Finally, the leader-member exchange theory makes people focus on the roles and influences of a particular person or a group of people. The current week makes the idea of people’s influence evident in leadership. It is not enough to understand that leadership is a kind of relation between people. It is a chance to demonstrate individual approaches and abilities on how to solve and develop the concepts. Assignments/Assessments The existing variety of goals and methods that can be used by a leader makes me believe that I am still able to become a good one representative. I get a chance to learn that good leaders should be able to recognize the employees’ needs, adapt them in accordance with a personal style, and meet the majority of them (Northouse, 2010). The evaluation of the knowledge gained and the practice observed helps me realize that leadership is not only about people, orders, and work that should be performed. It is more about the relationship that has to be properly developed within a group. It is not a difficult task to give an order. It is more difficult to understand the importance of the task and ability to get ready for those changes and obstacles. Kouzes and Posner (2003) created a powerful assessment tool with the help of which any person is able to check his/her readiness to become a leader. I wanted to check if the knowledge about different leadership theories changed my attitudes to some aspects, made me better, or led to the development of my uncertainty. This time, I paid more attention to such statements like treating people with dignity and respect and setting a personal example of what I can expect from other people in similar situation (Kouzes & Posner, 2003). The assessment of my personal skills and abilities on the basis of Kouzes and Posner’s tool is a unique chance to observe the differences that take place as soon as some new material is studied. I cannot even imagine that one assignment and one theory can change my attitude to the same concepts within a short period of time just because I get a chance to learn deeper a particular issue. Course Readings This week I deal with several chapters of the Northouse’s book that focus on the analysis of people, their actions, and their needs. Leaders have to understand the essence of the relations to be developed between leaders and employees. Northouse (2010) teaches the reader how not to lose the right path in a variety of styles, approaches, and theories. It is wrong to make one certain decision and stick to it during the whole working period. It is appropriate to make corrections or even choose an absolutely diverse point of view because different situations may require different solutions. Leaders should not be afraid of changes. They have to be ready to listen, adapt, and motivate the rest to do the same. This is what the chosen course reading teaches me this week. As for another reading material chosen for this course, the assessment instrument developed by Kouzes and Posner (2003), it helps me realize that I am already ready to change my opinion and understand that it is not bad to make a decision, realize that there are more options, and make another choice. It should not be considered as a mistake. It is an experience that helps to analyze the same situation from a new perspective. In fact, I like the way of how the chosen readings influence my understanding of leadership. Now, I want to read more to define what changes can be done more to improve my abilities and skills and make me a good leader in terms of the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities that appear, disappear, and leave a kind of “aftertaste” (sometimes, it is sweet, and sometimes, it may be bitter indeed) within a short period of time. References Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2003). Leadership practices inventory (“LPI”) Self-Scoring Instrument . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
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Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Japan’s major priorities on terrorism 4. Policies put in place to fight terrorism 5. Conclusion 6. References Abstract Terrorism has been a matter of concern worldwide especially after the attack on the world trade center which called for the foreign coalition in the fight against terrorism. As a result, law enforcement has been found to play a major role within a broader context of the war on terrorism by encouraging measures such as freezing of assets on terrorists as well as funding anti-terrorism activities in those countries that have joined the international coalition. Such terrorists include the al-Qaida group which has had its main targets as the United States of America and other countries that are allies of the US in the fight against terrorism such as Japan. Introduction The attack by terrorists of the world trade center on September 11 th that killed not less than 3000 people and several others wounded created a lot of concern worldwide. The seriousness of the terrorist attack was indicated by the international coalition that followed to fight terrorism. As a result, the United States has given the war on terrorism much priority as far as foreign policies are concerned. Other countries have also come up in full support of the US in this war and such a country in the forefront is Japan which out of experience from domestic terrorism was willing to give close cooperation to the US. (Ryun, 2005pp1-2) Japan’s major priorities on terrorism Japan’s policies on the fight against terrorism are more oriented towards a global framework than just domestic security around East Asia which implies that Japan has changed its international identity. The general overview on the perception of the Japanese regarding terrorism was shown after the attack on the world trade center when Koizumi the prime minister made a public press statement assuring the commitment of his government in the fight against terrorism and also offered to give the US full support. Law enforcement in Japan focuses on two main forms of terrorism first of which is caused by the religious cult as was the case in1995 when a cult group used toxic gas in a station based in Tokyo killing several people. Another form of terrorism is from external networks such as al-Qaeda which has a complex structure and therefore hard to be eliminated. The Japanese law enforcement is geared towards suppressing the activities of al-Qaida in the training of terrorists as well as financing their activities with the US and their allies being their main targets. (Ryun, 2005pp4-5) Policies put in place to fight terrorism Japanese policies have a greater orientation towards the general foreign policies and they include heavy budgetary allocations for emergency measures on the war. Among the areas targeted by its government in its anti-terrorism measures are immigration and air travel as well as customs cooperation. Other areas include control of exports and ensuring that there is cooperation in enforcing the laws. There is also a special budgetary allocation to finance all the anti-terrorist activities and any other emergency need that may arise. (Ryun, 2005pp5-6) One of the laws on terrorism requires Japan to provide fuel for the vessels as well as other services to the US forces operating in the Indian Ocean as part of the anti-terrorist operations. Japan has also signed a statement of the APEC Leaders as a sign of commitment in fighting against terrorism which offers guidelines on how to fight terrorism in line with the resolutions arrived at by the United Nations Security Council. Part of the resolution is to freeze all the assets belonging to both Taliban and non-Taliban individuals engaged in terrorist activities. (Ryun, 2005pp6-9) Conclusion Japan has been successful in its effort on fighting terrorism especially in suppressing the finances and assets of terrorists such as Osama. The government of Japan has also offered military support to the US causing great influence on global policy passivism of its government. It has given financial assistance to the developing countries around East Asia and other worldwide countries that are willing to enter into a coalition in the anti-terrorism. References Ryun Y. (2005): The war on terror: Winter/ spring pp1-9. War on Terror and Japan’s National.
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Alibaba Group and Protection From Counterfeit Products Report (Assessment) Alibaba group has been growing by leaps and bounds because of its unique business strategy. It has managed to spread its activities in more than 100 countries. There are a few strategic tools that can help save the company from counterfeit products. PEST Analysis PEST is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (Rao, Rao & Sivaramakrishna, 2008). It is a framework for macro-environmental factors that Alibaba can use for environmental scanning. It is useful in conducting an external analysis for businesses. Economic Alibaba Group is a Chinese e-commerce giant that has specialized in online trade (Buchwald & Neckes, 2014). The manufacturing companies are losing sales in the process. Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent are also about to complicate the matter if they decide to sue Alibaba group. The legal tussle may cost the company a lot of money. When customers start complaining about the services, Alibaba may end up losing their trust. When they start buying from the competitors, the company would be greatly at a loss (Evans, 2013). The company has to take responsibility and stop the counterfeit products since customers get them through its supply chain. Political The company would not have perfect reception in the places it has been operating (Gould, 2012). Some countries would also consider increasing penalties or entirely disallowing their operations. The company should develop a marketing campaign in all the countries discrediting counterfeit goods. It should come up with authenticity stickers and digital confirmation numbers for proof of its products. Social It would hamper the workers’ future career advancement. Some could consider leaving the company. It would also have a poor relationship with its customers and suppliers. The leadership should start promotional activities for customer awareness. It should also have staff motivational programs. Technological Alibaba’s pride in technological advancement would just seem baseless for the moment. The government agencies would start applying stringent regulatory measures (Evans, 2013). The well established online trade would not be sufficient for the business if the company does not make sales. Alibaba should use the same technology to pass definite information about its products. EFE and IFE Model The External Factors Evaluation and the Internal Factors Evaluation models would be very helpful in establishing a solution. EFE would examine the external weights and ratings and come up with the correctly weighted score (Rao, Rao & Sivaramakrishna, 2008). Some of the challenges the company would have to deal with include competition, lawsuit, counterfeits, and distribution channels. The IFE would indicate Alibaba’s resources that would be available for the response. It would also evaluate the significance of counterfeit products (David, 2005). Alibaba’s EFE and IFE Strategy Analysis Sample Tables EFE Weight Rating Weighted Score Opportunities Market Strength 11% 4 0.44 Diversified Portfolio 12% 3 0.36 Company’s Image 10% 2 0.2 Customer Preference 8% 4 0.32 Competitive Advantage 16% 3 0.48 Threats Gucci 10% 1 0.1 Yves Saint Laurent 5% 3 0.15 Counterfeit 8% 2 0.16 Economic 5% 2 0.1 Legal process 15% 1 0.15 Sum of Weights 100% Total Weighted Score 2.46 The above EFE results show that the total weighted score is 2.46. It indicates that the business has slightly less than average ability to respond to external factors. IFE Weight Rating Weighted Score Internal Strengths Diversified Portfolio 11% 2 0.22 Successful Innovation 8% 3 0.24 Good Reputation and Image 15% 5 0.75 Access to International Market 11% 4 0.44 Experienced Workforce 6% 0 0 Strong Network 12% 2 0.24 Internal Weaknesses Leadership Response 10% 4 0.4 Staff Response 11% 3 0.33 Uncertainty 8% 3 0.24 Legal Framework 8% 1 0.08 Total Weighted Score 100% 3 The above IFE results show that the total weighted score is 3. It indicates that the business has strength in its response to the problem. EFE and IFE results are necessary for the strategic analysis action. Alibaba needs to take steps that would enhance its internal progress. The leadership and staff need to cooperate more for the growth of the company. The company also needs to monitor its distribution channels keenly. Competitive Profile Matrix The Competitive Profile Matrix compares a business with its competitors to find opportunities and threats available (Gould, 2012). The method uses the critical success factors to compare company brands against those of the rivals. Alibaba’s critical success factors are brand recognition and customer loyalty. It has qualified customer service and the best advertising channels (Buchwald & Neckes, 2014). The primary concern is about counterfeit goods. It has to overcome this challenge. Competitors should not use this as a competitive advantage against Alibaba (David, 2005). Competitive Benchmarking It is the continuous practice of comparing a company’s best practices with that of its most successful competitors (Raa, 2009). Benchmarking would help Alibaba to achieve its goal. It would help the leaders to improve customer service. Alibaba would have to benchmark its service offering to find out if it needs a significant shift. It would also benchmark its response time to customer complaints. It seems that these two components are the ones that the company needs to benchmark and make notable changes. The leaders would have to accept that the problem would significantly affect the business. Strategic tools would help the leaders to make a decision that would quickly lead to adequate solutions. Alibaba group would be capable of finding the best option to become the preferred destination for all customers. References Buchwald, B., & Neckes, J. (2014). Op-Ed | Alibaba’s Catch-22 . The Business of Fashion . Web. David, F. (2005). Strategic management . Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Web. Evans, V. (2013). Key strategy tools . Harlow, UK: Pearson. Web. Gould, R. (2012). Creating a strategy . London, UK: Kogan Page. Web. Raa, T. (2009). The economics of benchmarking . Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Web. Rao, C., Rao, B., & Sivaramakrishna, K. (2008). Strategic management and business policy . New Delhi, India: Excel. Web.
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Coursework In the domain of finance, capital structure relates to how a company funds its assets through some mix of preferred stock, equity, debt, or hybrid securities. It is the combination of sources of finance a firm makes use of in the form of debt, preferred stock or common stock, etc. A corporation’s capital structure is, essentially, the framework or ‘structure’ in which liabilities are put together. However, there is a substantial debate whether preferred stock should be recognized as a liability or should be considered equity. In general, liability is defined as the purchasing power of the future that is under the ownership of the present. On the other hand, Equity can be defined as liable capital or capital concerning risk. Thus, it can be easily expressed that from the viewpoint of a company it is always a logical and practical approach for a company to classify its financial instruments as equity rather than a liability. This is because as a liability the entire responsibility of the amount is borne by the company in any given circumstances. But in the case of equity, the risk is equally distributed between the company and the creditors. This way the creditor is converted into a stakeholder of the company where, after holding possession of the equity, the creditor’s payment validation would be linked to the rise and fall of the company. The key measure of a corporation’s capital structure is the ratio of debt and equity capital used in gathering funds to sustain the corporation’s assets. The capital structure has significant repercussions on stockholder value. In addition, capital structure has an impact on leverage, which, sequentially, influences the projected returns and risks for the possessors and creditors of the business. The financial administrations have to balance their finances and attempt to craft an optimal capital structure that maximizes the value of the firm. Capital Structure is also relevant in a firm’s financial management because it significantly affects the demand sustainability and volatility in addition to cost stability. As a result, evaluating preferred stocks as equity would only prove to be a logical conclusion for a company. Additionally, under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), preferred stock is often reported as debt with the dividends reported in the income statement as interest expense. Under U.S. GAAP, which is the case only for “mandatorily redeemable” preferred stock, otherwise, it is reported as equity. The recognition criteria of liability can be divided into two categories. One is Current Liabilities that include dues that are to be settled within a year. Current liabilities include short-term obligations, unearned revenue when adjusting entries, taxes, accounts, wages, installments to be paid, and accounts payable. Similarly, Long-term liabilities are those that are not expected to be paid within one year like notes payables, long-term product warranties, long-term bonds, pension obligations, and long-term leases. Thus, in a practical market situation, during bankruptcy, a creditor holds possession of the assets of the company whereas the equity holder is to share the fate of the company whereas, during a boom period the company has no problem settling its accounts with the equity holder from its surplus. As a whole, it is an all-win situation for the company. This is enough motivation for a company to classify its preferred stocks as equity rather than a liability.
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Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Types of medical waste 4. Waste processing 5. Steps of medical waste disposal Definition Medical waste is “waste sufficiently capable of causing infection during handling and disposal.” Synonyms Biomedical waste, biohazardous waste, clinical waste, regulated medical waste (RMW), healthcare waste, infectious medical waste. Types of medical waste * Sharps – Needles, lancets, glass shards, razors, scalpels, and other objects that can pierce one’s skin. * Infectious – Used swabs, equipment, lab cultures, tissues, and excreta. * Radioactive – Radiotherapy and lab research liquids, including contaminated holding containers. * Pathological – Contaminated animal carcasses, human tissue, body parts, blood, and other bodily fluids. * Pharmaceuticals – Vaccines, antibiotics, pills, and injectables that are expired, unused, or contaminated. * Chemical – Heavy metals for medical equipment (mercury), batteries, solvents, and disinfectants. * Genotoxic – Highly dangerous waste that can be teratogenic, carcinogenic, or mutagenic (drugs for cancer treatment). * General non-regulated – this type of waste is non-hazardous. Healthcare providers must follow the national and state regulations, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One must never dispose of waste in improper ways. For instance, prescription drugs should never be flushed down the drain or toilet unless specified on the label or patient information. These drugs can be disposed of through community pharmaceutical return programs or collection events. To dispose of prescription drugs, one must take them out of their containers, mix them with an undesirable substance, put them in a disposal container with a lid, remove all personal information, and place the sealed container with this mixture trash. Sharps are a health hazard for the public. Thus, they should be disposed of properly. One must not put shards in the waste bin without a specifically designed container. Removing an already tossed needle from the waste should not be attempted. Medical centers can have onsite and offsite medical waste treatments. The former is expensive to maintain and manage and is used by large organizations. Smaller facilities can use offsite treatment by hiring third-party vendors that collect and dispose of waste by using mail or truck services. Waste processing Waste can be processed in the following ways: * Incineration – Currently, the only method used for pathological waste. In 1997, the EPA regulations changed to restrict the use of burning as a primary type of waste disposal. Before this date, more than 90% of all waste was incinerated. * Autoclaving – This method uses steam sterilization. It can make biohazardous waste non-infectious. After the procedure, the waste can be disposed of in standard ways. * Microwaving – By microwaving waste, one can render it non-hazardous. Processed waste becomes non-infectious. * Chemical – It is used for chemical waste primarily. Reactive chemicals neutralize some types of waste and make them inert. * Biological – This method is used for infectious organisms. It uses enzymes and is highly experimental. Steps of medical waste disposal Knowing the laws is crucial for healthcare workers to classify and dispose of medical waste. The following steps should be remembered: * Separate waste by type – The types are mentioned above. * Use proper containers – One must use approved containers for each waste type. * Prepare containers – All containers must be taped and packaged following the Department of Transportation (DOT) weight restrictions. All containers must be labeled and stored in a secure area before shipping. * Include documentation – Proper documentation can protect the healthcare provider and the hired firm and be included with every container. * Use a color code – Sharps go in red puncture-proof containers. Biohazard waste goes in red containers/bags. Chemical waste goes in yellow containers. Pharmaceutical waste goes in black (hazardous) or blue (non-hazardous) containers. Radioactive waste should be stored in shielded containers with a radioactive symbol. * Hire a reliable waste disposal company.
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Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Information Security Checklist Report (Assessment) The main idea of this paper is to create a check list devoted to the problem of the information security in Lockheed Martin with referencing to the following problems, identifying risks and vulnerability places with the purpose to avoid or mitigate them. 1. Employing people for software engineers’ and information technology positions, one should remember about the security. Are the contracts devoted to keeping the commercial classified information signed? 2. Does the company care greatly of the information protection? 3. Being an international company, Lockheed Martin should work on implementation and following the company rules and norm in all parts of the world. Do the employees correctly understanding those norms? 4. Does the company protect its interests and information by means of not hiring former government employees? 5. The customers’ sensitive information is protected by means of the technologies applied by Lockheed Martin. The main risk the company is subjected to is the cracking of a software program and breaking authorization protection. Does the company care of the protection of customers’ sensitive information and which actions are provided? 6. People are always more vulnerable than computer programs. Thus, one of the main problems remains information leakage about the passwords and logins. Are passwords and logins properly protected? 7. The leakage of personal customers’ information is also a violation of the law that may be considered as a security risk. Does this risk exist in the company? 8. Is there a risk that some employees will use the resources of the company in improper way connected with the running a personal business and using the information for the personal benefit? 9. Sensitive information is a vulnerable place. May it be used for stock operations on the basis of the “material nonpublic information” (Setting the standard, 2008, p. 29)? 10. Lockheed Martin Cyber Security Assistanceship is a program which is aimed at providing the consultation and training for students who want to work in the company. Is there a hazard that the company will provide the students with the information and they will use in for other activities (Financial Assistance, 2010)? 11. Is the appearance of computer viruses every day a real risk for information protection? 12. May the lack of ethical and legal knowledge be harmful for the whole working process and information security? 13. Is the company unable to update software and Internet Security from viruses? 14. Has Lockheed Martin a disaster recovery plan in case if the problems occur and the company will have to protect what is left? 15. Is the Network Security provided on the appropriate level? 16. Does the company provide audits to follow the violations in the company? 17. Is the physical security in the company which deals with information security on the highest level? 18. Are there the places where the ports are not disabled? Are there the procedures in the company which allow the company workers monitor the access to the network ports? Are there the facilities which monitor the access to those ports? In conclusion, here is a checklist which should be considered while understanding whether the information security in the selected company Lockheed Martin is properly maintained or not. Reference List Financial Assistance: U.S. Government Scholarship Programs. (2010). The Information Networking Institute . Web. Setting the standard: Code of ethics and business conduct. (2008). Lockheed Martin Corporation . Web.
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(Fisher, 2004, p. 1). Relevant Evidence – the evidence which have any tendency to affect the probability of the existence of a fact “that is of consequence to the determination of the action.” (“FEDERAL RULES OF EVIDENCE,” 2006). Evidences, evidence collection and the quality of evidence are directly related to the object of criminal investigation, i.e. winning convictions. Evidence Collection The evidences, although comprising of subgroups, can be divided into two main types: * Physical evidences – evidence with an objective existence, i.e. has size, shape and dimension. + The collection of evidences implies: o General walkthrough of the crime scene; o Recording of the crime scene, photography or video; o Crime scene searches; o Recording transient evidence; o Establishing a chain of custody; o Preserving and identifying the evidences. * Testimonial evidences – an evidence in a form of statement made under oath and usually given as a result of questioning. + The collection of evidences implies: o Interview; o Interrogation. Examining Evidence * Evidences are examined on the crime scene, and in case laboratory analysis is required, evidences are forwarded to servicing crime laboratory. * Examination of physical evidences can be performed through two areas: + Identification –determining the physical identity and the characteristics of the object. + Comparison – establishing common origin between known and unknown specimen. * Comparison implies looking for characteristics of the examined specimen, which can be divided into two types: + Individual characteristics – characteristics that share a common point of origin, e.g. fingerprints. + Class characteristics – characteristics that are shared with a group of items, e.g. blood types. (Osterburg & Ward, 1997). Information from Evidence * The types of information evidences can provide depend on the type of examined evidences. Most physical evidences are needed to establish the association with a culprit if the investigation has one. The exceptions include: + Fingerprint, as the large data base can be used for comparison. + DNA samples, as similarly with blood data bases there are DNA banks. (American Law and Legal Information, 2009) * Generally, the information obtained from physical evidences can provide the following information: + The species of origin, e.g. human and animal hair. + The relation of the specimen to the crime scene, e.g. domestic or international explosives. + Identification of the nature of the occurring events, e.g. semen, blood, and etc. + The relation of the suspect to the crime and the crime scene, e.g. blood, semen, and fingerprints. + The weapon of crime, e.g. the type of firearms based on cartridge case. (Osterburg & Ward, 1997). * Testimonial evidences can provide information based on whether the questioned person is a victim, witness, informant or suspect, and accordingly, in case of the witnesses, the division might include primary or secondary witnesses. The information might include, but not limited to the following: + Eyewitness description and identification; + Modus operandi; + Motive; + Confession; + Psychological profiling. Contamination Issues * In addition to mishandling, and destruction, evidences are subject to contamination. * Contamination can be defined as “a concern for proper preservation of evidence.” (Fisher, 2004, p. 12). * Issues to consider regarding contamination related to the collection of evidence might include the following: + The contamination of the crime scene by people, animals and external elements which might alter or destruct the evidences. + Improper packaging of evidences prior to sending them to the laboratory. + Mixing of evidences leading to cross contamination of known and unknown specimen (Fisher, 2004, p. 157). + Contamination of evidences present on the bodies of the victims, due to improper medical aid. + Incorrect priorities when collecting evidences leading to the contamination or destruction of evidences. (Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation, 2000). Types of Evidence Physical evidence * Direct physical evidence –evidence that can be touched and evaluated tactually, e.g. weapon of murder. * Forensic physical evidence – Evidence requiring scientific validation, e.g. DNA, blood, semen and etc. Testimonial evidence * Direct testimonial evidence – evidence obtained from testifying witnesses, e.g. primary witness. * Circumstantial evidence – evidence obtained from non-eyewitness testimony, e.g. secondary witness (Becker, 2008, p. 1). Relevant Issues In addition to the accuracy of collecting the evidences and the efforts of preserving them an important notion should be paid to the formal procedures, which ensures the integrity of the collected evidences. Such procedures include: * Chain of custody – the custodians of evidence should maintain a chain of custody of all evidence collected. * Maintaining the legality of obtaining evidences, e.g., a search warrant. References American Law and Legal Information. (2009). Police: Criminal Investigations – Sources Of Information And Evidence In Criminal Investigations . Net Industries. Web. Becker, R. F. (2008). Criminal investigation (3rd ed. ): Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Federal Rules of Evidence. (2006). U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. Web . Fisher, B. A. J. (2004). Techniques of crime scene investigation (7th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Osterburg, J. W., & Ward, R. H. (1997). Criminal investigation : a method for reconstructing the past (2nd ed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Pub. Co. Swanson, C. R. (2006). Criminal investigation (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation. (2000). Crime Scene Investigation . U.S. Department of Justice. Web.
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My Personal Beliefs About People with Addictions Essay It is hard to disagree that providers try to do their best to avoid being judgmental when helping their patients. While it is rather easy with some clients, it can be challenging to forget about personal assumptions and attitudes when working with people with different addictions. Unfortunately, providers can sometimes use stigmatizing or biased language, which can hurt their patients. In this paper, I will talk about my beliefs about persons with addictions. To begin with, I think that there are numerous severe reasons why people become addicted or use substances. First of all, mental illnesses and conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder may force patients to become addicted to alcohol, drugs, or smoking. Additionally, some traumatic events may be so unbearable for a person that they need to feel better, and substances seem a great option. Genetics and negative examples shown by close relatives also increase the risk. Finally, it is known that famous people and celebrities like musicians and actors use drugs and alcohol to have more energy and get distracted from their everyday activities and the attention they receive. Therefore, in my opinion, the main reason people get addicted is related to the desire to forget about the problems of this reality and feel differently. Since these substances act on the production of certain hormones, the body gets used to it and requires an increase in the dose of alcohol or drugs. In my opinion, all addictions are challenging to recover from. It does not matter if one is addicted to chocolate, drugs, the internet, coffee, alcohol, or smoking. If it is a real addiction, the help of a professional and a comprehensive approach is needed to heal the physical and emotional states of a person. I think that recovery always begins when one recognizes and acknowledges the existence of their addiction and appeals to the socialists. Further, the person must follow all the recommendations despite the desire to surrender, psychological and physical resistance, and a short-term deterioration. After successfully passing these stages, the patient becomes much better, their body removes the remaining substances, and the state returns to normal. According to my observations, a person who, for example, gets rid of addiction to cigarettes is afraid to smoke one again since there is a great chance of becoming addicted again.
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Functional and Functional Viewpoint Essay (Article) Table of Contents 1. Functional 2. Functional Viewpoint 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Functional The functional insight deals with conceptual operational elements review and the rational interrelations of these components. The Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation (ARC-IT) is rendered as a set of hierarchically organized processes (“Functional,” par. 1). Notably, processes comprise functions and activities that are linked to a series of requirements obtained from parent documentations. The Data Dictionary defines the data course moving between processes and the dataset storage, where the information is preserved for longer durations. The process behavior depicts an array of operations undertaken by this facet to attain a target. Application objective achievement or facilitation of activities of another task requires the execution of actions by the process. This implementation may encompass data gathering, information conversion, or data inception and processing. The functional view outlines the procedures utilized in controlling and managing system performance and other functional modulation features that are essential in describing the system’s active functioning (“Functional,” par. 2). Further, it defines information analysis functions, data repository, and the systematic mobility of material amongst these mechanisms. The functional view modeling is done by employing the Structure Analysis approach that utilizes the National ITS Architecture’s Logical Architecture as the initial reference. The methodology is based on Hatley/Pirbhai’s work and entails Yourdon-Demarco Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) to demonstrate the data flows among the functional constituents (“Functional,” par. 3). For ARC-IT expedience, the diagrams are excluded, and the handler uses noticeable illustrations for graphical depictions of system functioning. Functional Viewpoint The functional viewpoint offers an evaluation of active metaphysical elements and their inductive connections. This distinguishes it from the transportations and tangible viewpoints, which concentrate on engineering issues regarding their implementation, allocation, information transmission mechanism, deployed protocols, and the utilized execution methodology (“Functional Viewpoint,” par. 1). The functional viewpoint requirements that are assigned to physical views active objects inform the participants entrusted with project advancement responsibility in an ITS undertaking. Such contributors may serve as application developers, service providers, or device designers. The functional view assists in addressing concerns on the required data type to effectuate a particular service and the needed functionality to accomplish specific utility. The functional model makes use of integrated artifacts such as process, data flows, process specifications, and terminator. A process depicts an obligatory activity that is vital in supporting service package essentials. The most comprehensive or primitive processes are encompassed in process requirements (“Functional Viewpoint,” par. 2). Data fluxes denote the exhibitions of information drifting within processes or between an outward tangible item and a function in the realistic view. The aggregation and combining of data flow forms advanced fluxes of information in the actual perspective. Further, the textual description of the most all-inclusive processes is referred to as process specification, often abbreviated as p-spec. The p-spec encompasses an array of operative necessities, an impression, and a full assortment of outputs and inputs (“Functional Viewpoint,” par. 3). Finally, the terminator is an extrinsic physical entity that epitomizes a system outside the frontiers of the architecture. Though a terminator may serve as a sink or source for data, the ARC-IT does not implicitly express any of the intrinsic features of a terminator. Conclusion Therefore, it may be delineated that the functional view demonstrates the processes for regulating and overseeing a system’s behavior, like monitoring and supplementary available control rudiments that describe the system’s dynamic performance. The functional view also dispenses operations following a top-down approach starting with the common progressions with further disintegration into more elaborate developments. For instance, the partaker may undertake a process to manage traffic and then decompose it into specified functionalities like provision of traffic surveillance and monitoring the use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Works Cited “Functional.” Local.Iteris.Com , 2021, Web. “Functional Viewpoint.” Local.Iteris.Com , 2021, Web.
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Major Depressive Disorder in African Americans Essay Ghalan is a 32-year-old male of African American origin, and it seems that he suffers from a depressive disorder. According to DSM-5, the complete diagnosis is F32.1 Major Depressive Episode, single, moderate, and with mixed features (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The rationale behind making this diagnosis is that Ghalan has a depressed mood, sadness, decreased concentration, passive suicidal ideation, creativeness, irritability, and others. A more detailed explanation of how the client’s symptoms and the mental health issue’s signs match will be presented below. Furthermore, it is reasonable to comment on additional conditions that can be a focus of clinical attention. Thus, Ghalan can be affected by Z62.820 Parent-Child Relational Problem and Z56.9 Other Problem Related to Employment (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). All these details can result in the fact that the patient under consideration has a mental health issue. Now, it is reasonable to explain what patient’s symptoms allowed for making the diagnosis above. Firstly, Ghalan reports being sad, having depressive moods, and decreased concentration. These are the general symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder according to DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Secondly, Morrison (2014) admits that the loss of interest and sleep issues are also symptoms of the condition above. Ghalan stipulates that she has problems sleeping, while his sister indicates that the patient liked playing softball, reading, and watching football but has less interest in these activities now. Finally, thoughts of death and suicide ideation can also demonstrate that a person suffers from a depressive disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Ghalan and his sister admit that he had passive suicide ideations some time ago. This information demonstrates that Ghalan’s condition is moderate because he has some episodes without the adverse symptoms, but it is challenging to mention that these signs are entirely manageable. A specific measurement instrument can be proposed to ensure that the diagnosis is correct and to assess treatment outcomes. According to Jain et al. (2017), the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) can be suitable. This instrument consists of 18 items that are designed to measure how a person assesses their own condition. In particular, the tool attempts to measure the person’s level of sadness, interest in everyday activities, appetite, sleep quality, physical state, concentrating issues, and others. This instrument is suitable to make a diagnosis while applying it in a follow-up period can help social workers identify whether treatment leads to successful outcomes. Finally, a comprehensive approach is necessary to treat Ghalan’s condition. On the one hand, medication therapy involving atypical antipsychotics and mood stabilizers is justified by the expert consensus guidelines (Jain et al., 2017). On the other hand, psychosocial interventions, including family-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and lifestyle modifications, are necessary to lead to better treatment outcomes (Jain et al., 2017). This information demonstrates that there is no need to subject the client to psychotropic medications because scientific evidence indicates that the above approach can lead to positive outcomes. References American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5 th ed.). American Psychiatric Pub Inc. Jain, R., Maletic, V., & McIntyre, R. S. (2017). Diagnosing and treating patients with mixed features . Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 78 (8), 1091-1102. Web. Morrison, J. (2014). Diagnosis made easier: Principles and techniques for mental health clinicians (2 nd ed.). Guilford Press.
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Some of these experiences include living in a dysfunctional home or being a victim of child abuse. In assessing the relationship, 3,885 individuals between the ages of 18 and 69 were evaluated. Information on an individual’s current state of psychological well-being, contentment in life, and exposure to hurting experiences during childhood was obtained from the study. About 46.4% of the participants indicated in the administered questionnaires of having gone through an ordeal resulting in emotional torture. Individuals who recorded a higher number of adverse childhood experiences had the lowest score in terms of contentment in life and psychological stability (Hughes et al., 2016). Childhood adversity was found to have a bearing on an individual’s mental health stability. General Impressions of the Article The article provided background information that formed the basis of the study. Reading the paper, I got an impression that it was not just a random study but also well researched paper with vital findings. In essence, it helps one to understand the link between adverse childhood experiences and the mental well-being of adults. In addition, it is a well-organized study with evidence-based information and reputable sources used to support the data presented. There is a clear description of how individuals ended up in the study with clearly outlined inclusion criteria, which served as parameters against which the participants were assessed. The gap in the research is the absence of a literature review. It would be necessary for one to know what other studies have done on the same topic, and how does the current study compare with the others. Significance of Data Found in the Article The information obtained from the study was substantial and can be extrapolated to the entire population. The research’s main objective was to determine the existing connection between childhood experiences and the emotional stability of individuals in adulthood. The prevalent score of impaired mental health from the results obtained in subjects who reported zero number of adverse childhood experiences stood at 9.5%. However, the prevalent score tripled to 30.7% in individuals who reported going through four or more traumas at a young age. Following the calculation of the adjusted odd rations to control for confounders, the relationship remained significant, showing the vitality of the data obtained from the study. Ways in which the article might Influence my Professional Practice The article will influence my decision making when dealing with adults with mental health problems. I will not only focus on the current symptoms but also will dig more in-depth evidence of adverse childhood experiences and start by treating the trauma. The article will also make me more vigilant when dealing with children to quickly identify those undergoing traumatic events and help them before it is too late. Finally, the article will help me deal more compassionately with those experiencing mental health problems understanding that most of them were victims of circumstances. Nursing Diagnosis for the Psychiatric Diagnosis Risk for Self-Directed or Other-Directed Violence In this nursing diagnosis, an individual is at risk of causing harm against self or directing to others. Pain inflicted from harm may be due to physical, sexual, or emotional causes. Risk Factors/Related to 1. A bad relationship between a parent and a child 2. An individual living in a dysfunctional family 3. A child going through child abuse or neglect. Defining Characteristics (Evidenced By) 1. Individual causing physical harm to self and feeling useless 2. Individual not being able to feel close to others and thus causing them harm Low Self-Esteem Low self-esteem involves viewing oneself negatively. Risk Factors/Related to 1. A bad relationship between a parent and a child 2. Lack of approval for an individual 3. An individual living in a dysfunctional family system 4. A person having gone through child abuse or neglect Defining Characteristics (Evidenced By) 1. An individual not being able to make one’s mind because of the thought that he or she is incapable 2. An individual seeing self as being unable to deal well with problems 3. An individual is afraid of trying out new things 4. An individual continually blames others for things not turning out as had been expected Ineffective Coping Ineffective coping is the inability of an individual to correctly appraise a situation and thus unable to make the right choice in dealing with changes in life. Risk Factors/Related to 1. Living in a dysfunctional family system 2. Lack of support from friends and family 3. History of adverse childhood experiences Defining Characteristics (Evidenced By) 1. Being constantly suspicious of other people and always blaming them for things not going according to plan 2. Constant pessimism 3. Inability to make key decisions on major issues of life Article Recommendation I would highly recommend this article to someone else because it is a study conducted on what affects the world today. Cases of mental health continue to rise, and at times one may not have a clear explanation for the same. In that case, understanding that traumatic childhood experiences will not stop at childhood but may affect an individual even in adulthood is critical for the correct management of mental illnesses. The data obtained from the article is also significant and can be extrapolated to the population, making the study useful. Therefore, I would highly recommend the article. Reference Hughes, K., Lowey, H., Quigg, Z., & Bellis, M. A. (2016). Relationships between adverse childhood experiences and adult mental well-being: Results from an English national household survey. BMC Public Health, 16 (222), 1-11. Web.
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In the healthcare system, evidence-based medicine has been incorporated as an analog. The incorporation of evidence-based design in the healthcare sector dates back to the era of Archie Cochrane, an epidemiologist who insisted on the evaluation of evidence and the importance of practicing medicine based on the evidence attained and reliable studies. Evidence-based medicine is defined as the “conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.” This definition which was developed by Sackett in 1996 was later on found to be difficult to implement this resulted in a more revised definition. The revised definition defined evidence-based medicine as “the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values” (Van Durme and Clark, 2011, p. 6). The 5 step process of evidence-based medicine Over the years numerous processes of evidence-based medicine have emerged. Some of these processes have emerged to be complex, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. However, the 5-step evidence-based process has sought to alleviate the complexity and at the same time maintain the appropriate rigor. With the simplicity brought forth by the 5-Step evidence-based process, the practitioner can implement the process in his or her day-to-day, population-based or individual patient. Defining a clinical question using PICO The framing of a clinical question using PICO is important as it provides a way forward on the remaining evidence-based process. Defining a clinical question using PICO that stands for Patient, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes entails various components among them incorporating: * atients: Under the patient category the importance will dwell on what patient population or individual patient is and if there is any special attention to be accommodated to any existing patient subgroups. * Interventions: In this category, the main focus is on the potential interventions that can be of use in that particular clinical situation. * Comparison: In comparison, the intervention chosen as compared to any other intervention that can be added. * Outcome: The outcome entails the result that is appropriate for a particular patient, patient sub-group, or patient population (Bryant and Pace, 2009, p. 43). Sackett and his colleagues however have simplified the clinical question by dissecting its crucial components to end up with three steps. The first step is defining to whom the question is attributed. The second step is to describe the type of maneuver the patient or population is bound to receive e.g. drug treatment and the last step is to define the probable outcome e.g. better life or the overall cost savings (Greenhalgh, 2010, p. 10). In the second step, it is not compulsory for surgical operation, drug treatment, or any other intervention to be incorporated as the maneuver could have resulted from a source such as putative carcinogen. In the majority of the clinical cases that pertain to individual patients, the maneuver is considered to comprise of a particular intervention that has occurred due to a health professional. Tools of Evidence-based medicine One of the crucial developments that have occurred since the inception of evidence-based medicine is the incorporation of new concepts that help in demonstrating how medicine works. Some of these concepts include confidence intervals, post-hoc power, and power. Power The power of study has steadily risen in recent years. In case of a 100% decrease in mortality, a minimal study is bound to have great power and in case of a small expectation in the mortality, then a huge study must be conducted. However, the dilemma concerning whether the statistical value has any clinical relevance has to be addressed. Confidence intervals The majority of the pharmacists are knowledgeable about the p-value in regards to an answer being relevant or not in a statistical perspective. This however is not the case at the moment as the p-value is not in use any more thanks to new methods of indicating significance. The declining use of p-value has resulted in the increased use of confidence interval (CI). The confidence interval is attributed to 95% limits as it is a comprehensive and visual means of indicating confidence suitable for a result. It is largely incorporated in meta-analysis, systematic reviews, and defining NNTs (Wiffen, 2001, p. 41). Post-hoc power A question that is becoming common in modern times is whether the observed difference was able to detect the power of the study. Researchers however have pointed out why the posed question is inappropriate and also provided a way forward on placing reliance on CIs. Conclusion Evidence-based medicine is regarded as a movement that was incorporated in the medical industry to assist professionals in this industry to make systematic decisions with their patients. This movement is evident in the current profusion of literature as well as the course work that pertains to evidence-based medicine. This profusion of literature as well as the course work that pertains to evidence-based medicine has been regarded as a paradigm shift from the traditional medical paradigm to the modern evidence-based medicine paradigm. References Bryant, J. P. and Pace, A. H. (2009). The Pharmacist’s Guide to Evidence-Based Medicine for Clinical Decision Making. MD : American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Greenhalgh, T. (2010). How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine. NJ: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Van Durme, J. D. and Clark.N. (2011). Selecting the Best Evidence-Based Medicine Resources . Florida: Florida State University. Web. Wiffen, P. (2001). Evidence-based pharmacy. Oxon: Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd.
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Since its construction in 1889, a total of 250 million people have visited the tower (Palermo). Each year, seven million people come to Paris to enjoy what the most recognizable French attraction has to offer (Palermo). They line up for hours to go up the tower and take a look at the city from above. The Eiffel tower is all over merchandise – bags, cups, magnets, and postcards, pictures, and keychains. But what if I told you that the Eiffel tower has not always enjoyed this kind of popularity? In fact, 126 years ago the idea of a giant tower in the shape of the letter “A” created a lot of controversy in Paris and across France. Even to contemporary visitors, the Eiffel tower is something unique and distinctive. In the 19th century, it was even more so because the Eiffel tower marked the beginning of a new era in art and architecture. The historical site was created by Gustave Eiffel, a French civil engineer who gave the tower his name, and two lesser-known engineers, Eiffel’s employees – Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, who came up with the original drawings for the monument (Kunzig). The team participated in a contest that was supposed to pick the main exhibit for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. The said World’s fair was to celebrate the centennial of the 1789 French revolution. Through the centerpiece, the French wanted to demonstrate their industrial power to the world. At first, it may be confusing how the Eiffel tower can be associated with industrialization. The answer lies in the main material that was used for the construction of the tower. Iron became the cornerstone of the new architecture, but many engineers were at loss about how to use it in new ways (Kunzig). At first, they were trying to replicate old architectural forms that were more suitable for stone. After unsuccessful attempts, iron became purely functional and was used in support structures. In contrast, the Eiffel tower was the first building to use iron for aesthetic purposes. It was supposed to be visually pleasing and a big step away from traditions of the past. However, when it comes to the design of the Eiffel Tower, not everything was about the looks. Eiffel’s first sketch was far from the Eiffel tower that is recognizable worldwide. He was not a good artist, so what he conceived initially looked like a pylon viaduct. Soon the environment made its own rules, and the engineers had to change the conception. The concept of the Eiffel Tower was marketed as the tallest building in Paris, but the wind could prevent it from happening (Kunzig). To make the tower more stable, the decision was made to give it a more “flared” shape. The lace ornaments were also originally designed to protect the construction from the wind. The factors that determined the design of the tower are aligned with two different approaches to architecture, which makes it even more interesting. On the one hand, the Eiffel tower was the first building in Paris that did not have a clear purpose. Surely, today people can find plenty of things to do at and around the tower. Yet, at first, the tower was rather symbolic than functional. On the other hand, “form had to follow function,” and as mentioned before, some elements were not aesthetic but rather engineered to ensure better stability and preservation (Kunzig). Like anything new and radical, the Eiffel tower had its fans and critics. Many artists and writers were extremely unhappy with a giant iron building in the very heart of Paris. For example, the famous French writer Guy de Maupassant planned to leave Paris just because of the tower (Palermo). He supposedly had lunch in the Tower’s restaurant every day because according to him, it was the only spot in town from which he could not see the structure. Gustav Eiffel was aware of the criticism and did not hold back to respond and make his position clear. He said that the Eiffel tower will “possess its own beauty (Herve 200).” The creator also did not find the arguments about his inability to understand aesthetics as an engineer. He asked the public whether they did not believe that one could “seek to create elegance as well as stability and durability (Herve 200).” Today, it is apparent that Eiffel was a visionary way ahead of his time. Though criticized profusely for his experimental approach, he was able to create a landmark building that lived on to become the symbol of Paris. Works Cited Herve, Lucien. The Eiffel Tower . Princeton Architectural Press, 2003. Kunzig, Robert. “Object of Hatred to ‘Beloved Symbol’: The Story of the Eiffel Tower”. National Geographic, 2019. Web. Palermo, Elizabeth. “Eiffel Tower: Information & Facts”. Live Science, 2017. Web.
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They have been used for both surveillance and combat. Scanning a warzone from a distance to gain prior knowledge about a warzone is indeed a significant tactical advantage (Brooke-Holland, 2013). Over the years, since the first drones were used, there have been efforts to not only create better samples (in terms of picture quality, sound-picking abilities, as well as the ability to evade capture by enemy forces), but also the ones that could be used for various purposes. The Black Hornet Nano UAV is the result of such an effort. It was developed by Prox Dynamics AS, a Norway based company. It is an improvement of the company’s PD-100 Personal Reconnaissance System, which was meant for search and rescue (Fincher, 2013). The Black Hornet Nano is a small, palm-sized UAV. It measures four by 1 inch (an equivalent of 10 by 2.5 centimeters) (Fincher, 2013). It is light, weighing just 0.6 ounces (equivalent to 16 grams) (Fincher, 2013). It is controlled by a handheld unit, which it can sense for up to a range of 800 meters (that is half a mile) (Fincher, 2013). It is controlled (piloted) manually. But the operator can also simply “input a set of GPS coordinates for it to follow on its own” (Fincher, 2013, par. 3). It has an in-built camera that can capture and transmit still images and live video to the handheld unit of control. The Black Hornet Nano is a miniature helicopter and flies like the one. Despite its small size, the Black Hornet Nano is stable and can withstand heavy wind, among other harsh conditions. When charged fully, the Black Hornet Nano can fly at a maximum speed of 35 km/h (or 22 mph) for up to 30 minutes (Fincher, 2013). This combination of features gives those on the ground enough time to quickly survey the target area. Generally, like other drones, the Black Hornet Nano UAV has several advantages. For example, it helps minimize risks to human soldiers in hostile territory. It is also a cost-effective tool for conducting significant reconnaissance and surveillance and collecting intelligence. As such, it minimizes or inhibits the ability of the enemy to move secretary, and helps mitigate cases of unexpected cases on the war field. But above these, due to its small size, the Black Hornet Nanos UAV can get into small spaces, “scout around corners and obstacles for hidden dangers” (Fincher, 2013, par. 1). It can get close enough to spot explosive traps in the battlefield and enemy shooters. As Mark Nikol (2013) puts it, the drone “can follow enemy targets all the way home” (par. 1). Equally, soldiers can easily carry such drones with the rest of their gears without much extra weight and only deploy it when needed. But it also has its limitations. For example, unlike some of the drones already developed, the Black Hornet Nano UAV is not armed. The best it can do is conduct surveillance and gather intelligence, which may not be very helpful in certain urgent cases on the battlefield. The drone has since been used in battle. The British military was the first to use the drone in Afghanistan. But it is likely to be even a major war gadget for the future, especially if the war on terror intensifies. References Brooke-Holland, L. (2013). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones): An Introduction. (International Affairs and Defence, SN06493). Fincher, J. (2013). Handheld Black Hornet Nano Drones Issued to U.K. Soldiers . Gizmag . Nikol, M. (2013). The Black Hornet- Tiny Spy Drone the Can Follow Enemy Targets All the Way Home , Mail Online .
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American Civil War in the “Glory” Movie Essay Glory (1989) is a movie that depicts the story of the very first troop to fight in the Civil War for the Northern America. This troop was known as the fifty-fourth contingent. Two young men who hailed from Boston were its leaders. The troop’s sergeant, played by Matthew Broderick, inspired them all the way, and made sure that the troop stayed united throughout the war. It also has a runaway slave, played by Denzel Washington, who represents the unconquerable spirit of the 54th regiment of Massachusetts. The movie is a celebration or appreciation of courage of almost an unknown troop during the period of the Civil War because the heroes of this troop were all blacks, however, history does not recognize them because of racism that was rampant during that period. The Civil War occurred between 1861 and 1865 according to James Davidson in his book US: A Narrative History (163). The major cause of the war is when Abraham Lincoln was elected the president of the United States. He was against slavery, therefore, it caused almost seven states in the Southern America to secede (163). The blacks were fighting for their total freedom from slavery. In the movie, the Civil War is headed by whites. The troop of the blacks was disallowed to have any privileges and amenities which the white soldiers possessed. The tasks given to them were humiliating and tedious, nevertheless, black people did not force the whites to quit the troop. During this period slaves contributed to the victory of the war by running away from their masters to help the Union; they worked tirelessly for the army of Northern American (Davidson 167). The runaway slave in the movie, Trip, is a representative of such slaves. Additionally, black people put their lives at risk in battle, knowing that they were fighting for the victory of their freedom. Some people believe that the slaves won the battle by themselves; nonetheless, their efforts were rarely recognized in the books of history because all the credit went to the Northern army, mainly made up of white Americans. It was only after the year 1862, when the president passed the Militia Act and the Lincoln’s Confiscation Act that confirmed that the blacks fought in the Civil War (Davidson 168). The uprise encouraged most of the blacks to go back to the South and free their relatives or even take over their master’s plantations in their absence since the able-bodied men had gone to fight for the Confederation army (Southern army 168). The 54th regiment was a unit of all black people, who by and large played a huge role in the efforts of the Northern army to win the war (Davidson 168). This unit was a symbol of a new establishment in terms of unity among the blacks. The Governor of Massachusetts made a request to come up with a troop of volunteers, mainly for the blacks. This unit not only consisted of the black people from Massachusetts but from all over the country. The movie ends up with a triumph over the war due to the 54th regiment, but this was not recognized, as there was still some form of racism going around. However, during the Civil War the blacks were of great help to the Northern army because they had vast knowledge of the Geography of the South. They managed to push for their own freedom and they were free. Works Cited Davidson, James W. Us: A Narrative History. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
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First of all, it should be pointed out that James Mercer Langston Hughes is considered to be one of the most famous American poets, who contributed into jazz poetry development. Hughes is also known as a successful novelist and a social activist. The poet took part in a cultural movement of 1920-1930, which is best known as The Harlem Renaissance (“Poetry: Langston Hughes” par. 2). The poems written by Langston Hughes reflected his inner feelings and the issues he was interested in. The body Harlem The poems I would like to discuss are Harlem and Mother to Son. Of course, the title of the first poem reminds us of the events, which took place in the early twenties. In my opinion, the author reflected not only his own views concerning the expectations of African-American population, but he also depicted the ways America reacted to the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance. When reading the poem, it becomes obvious that the poet wanted the black artists could feel free and express their inner emotions. The poet defended his own ideas and supported the black activists. As far as Hughes took active part in a cultural movement, one can make a conclusion that the poem reflects his deep concern in social issues (“Profile: Langston Hughes” par. 4). On the one hand, it seems that the poem is rather simple and has no the point; however, one the other hand, when analyzing the hidden meaning of the lines the poem consists of, it becomes obvious that a well-known social activist tires to answer a serious question: “ What happens to a dream deferred ?” (Reuben par. 1). The final line seems to be the answer to the question, although the answer has a form of a question, i.e. : “ Or does it explode? ” (Reuben par. 1). Thus, the analysis of the lines the poem includes gives us an opportunity to suppose that Hughes depicted the issues he was interested in, the issues, which can be regarded as burning problems of his time. Harlem has unusual rhyme. Maybe, it is the correspondence of sound between words, which makes the process of understanding the poem more difficult. Tom Hansen is of the opinion that “Rhyme is integrated with structure in a way that typography is not. If the typography had been, structure would be that much more evident, and the poem would appear to be more logically divided into stanzas” (par. 4). Mother to Son The second poem written by Langston Hughes is Mother to Son. While discussing a piece of writing, I have to point out that famous social activist had poor relations with his father. The key reason of such relations was his father’s attitude towards Negroes. The poet could not understand why his father disliked the Blacks. Generally, the poem reflects the author’s values and attitudes towards life. When analyzing the poem, it becomes evident that the poet is ready to fight for his ideas and thoughts. The line And reachin’ landin’s determines Hughes’s readiness to achieve all the aims he settled earlier. Moreover, when reading the poem, one can also understand that the poet is not afraid of doing new things. He is not going to give up. The line And sometimes goin’ in the dark can be interpreted differently. Thus, for Tiffany Bond the line means that “maybe black people in general have experienced the worst of times first, and maybe the load will be a little lighter for later generations” (par. 3). In my opinion, the phrase means that the poet is ready to face the difficulties. The conclusion The importance of the poet’s ideas Langston Hughes’s poems reflect his worldview and the ways he accepted the reality. For a social activist the wellbeing of his nation is extremely important, as he was fighting against injustice all the time. Works Cited Bond, Tiffany. Mother To Son , 2006. Hansen, Tom. On “Harlem” , 2000. “ Poetry: Langston Hughes .” Uchicago.edu , (n. d.). “Profile: Langston Hughes.” Virginia.edu, (n. d.). Reuben, Paul. Chapter 9: Langston Hughes, 2011.
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Even though Casablanca might be regarded as a spy flick, there are still several elements that make the movie stand out of the range of similar flicks, adding a timeless flair to the story, which must be attributed to a thick layer of hidden social innuendoes, as well as complex moral dilemmas that most people had to face in the course of the war. The first problem that meets the eye, the neutrality issue is definitely a challenge to the audience. While some of the characters take very controversial sides, they remain likable, which picks the question of whether there actually is the right side in any conflict: “Rick: ‘I just paid out twenty. I’d like to get it back.’ Captain Renault: ‘Make it ten. I’m only a poor corrupt official’” (Casablanca). However, though very strong, the given theme cannot be considered the dominant one. Another theme clearly marked in the movie is the past haunting the leading characters. Rick and Ilsa have a history, which creates another layer in the movie plot: “Ilsa: ‘I wasn’t sure you were the same. Let’s see, the last time we met…’ Rick: ‘It was La Belle Aurore.’ Ilsa: ‘How nice, you remembered.’” (Casablanca). Influencing the choices that Rick and Ilsa make, past is definitely a strong theme in Casablanca (Pontuso, 2005). Being obviously an integral part of the movie canvas, the above-mentioned themes, nevertheless, are a part of a major one that sets the mood for the entire film, flashes out the characters and makes the audience empathize with every single one, no matter whether these characters are portrayed as positive or negative. The key motif of the entire film, the concept of sacrifice helps portray the characters as real people, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Going against the principles of the genre, Curtiz neither portrayed the antagonists as the epitome of evil nor displayed the protagonists as flawless and innocent victims. By giving each of them their share of responsibilities, Curtiz helped the viewers see Rick, Ilsa, Victor and others as real people, who had to make choices basing on their own understanding of what morality is and by denying their selfish needs showing their moral growth: “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” (Casablanca). Therefore, the touching idea of sacrifice, which shoots the entire movie through, can be viewed as the key theme that sets the mood for the movie, provides a foil for the character development and serves as a plot device by offering the characters moral dilemmas to solve. Needless to say, Casablanca remains a perfect model for the rest of the movie-makers to follow, with its amazing plot combining the elements of a political and a social drama and at the same time managing to keep the readers thrilled with the intrigue that drove the plot forward. While some might argue that the entire theme of the movie was fueled by the admittedly impressive payoff at the end, it is still worth arguing that Casablanca has much more to offer than merely the overused concept of male friendship that has been dragged through too many stories by that time to twist a tear out of the viewers. By combining such concepts as fidelity, trust and sacrifice and placing it in the environment of war, total panic and despair and showing how some people, even though belonging to the enemy camp, managed to retain their dignity, Curtiz managed to produce a surprisingly touching movie that was supposed to be a one-year flick yet managed to last for almost a century and will hopefully last just as long. Works Cited Casablanca . Ex. Prod. Hal B. Wallis. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Pontuso, James F. Political Philosophy Comes to Rick’s: Casablanca and American Civic Culture . Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2005. Print.
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Bedroom Design and Its Influencing Factors Research Paper Introduction The art of space control and arrangement is called interior design ( The Marketing Donut, 2010). The elements of interior design include workspace, glamor, comfort, elegance, and sophistication. Thus, the goal of an interior designer must align with customer appeal and satisfaction. By implication, an interior designer must have skills in structural requirements, software applications, building codes, textiles, color match, space organization, and safety ( The 10 Things Every Bedroom Needs, 2016). Bedroom decoration is an important aspect of an interior design that requires careful planning. The designer must prioritize the space layout as the first element of design. Secondly, the positions of bedroom furniture must align with the client’s appeal. However, the client’s needs must be understood and followed to avoid complications. The factors that affect the quality of a room design include experience, design, layout, skill evaluation, data collection, research, elements of design, client profiling, basic design principles, and position. Factors that Influence a Good Bedroom Design Experience An interior designer must have classroom knowledge in designs or its equivalent. Thus, certifications in interior designs, material engineering, textiles separations, and color match complement the individual’s experience. By implication, an interior designer must combine field lessons with the skill to achieve customer’s appeal ( Bedroom Ideas, Decorating Tips, and Decor, 2014). Thus, the designer must be experienced to understand the needs of his or her clients. Please note that relevant institutions must certify an interior designer, while a decorator can be gifted. Design layout The layout of the bedroom determines the design. As a result, the designer must know the layout measurements to organize the interior furniture. The designer’s ability to factor the space requirement of each client influences a good bedroom design. Skill evaluation Designers must satisfy the client’s appeal for his or her money. The designer must test his or her strength and weakness in interior design. By implication, positive feedback from clients shows the designer’s strength in bedroom design ( 10 Tips To Make A Small Bedroom Look Great, 2014). However, the designer must overcome the negative feedback using personal study and careful planning. Data collection Data collection is an important feature that facilitates the customer’s satisfaction. An effective data collection can create a difference between designers. Thus, customer loyalty depends on their appeal and satisfaction. By implication, the designer must conduct open research to collect relevant information concerning each client. Please note that the customer’s style may not be convincing, however, giving options for the room design will boost loyalty and trust. Trends, fashion, and the bandwagon effect Most clients prefer original designs to duplications. The designer must understand interior trends and style using online search tools and fieldwork. Research Bedroom design is synonymous with field experience, thus, the designer can amaze the client with a unique concept. Detailed research in quality designs will assist interior designers in understanding the client’s needs. Consequently, design applications complement individual skills. For example, a good design program can adjust room furniture to create space based on the client’s instructions. Thus, the designer must have the program and applications to complement his or her educational qualifications (Providing Inspirational Home and Interior Design Ideas, 2008). Elements of the design The element of the design determines the quality of a good bedroom design. Nevertheless, the interior designer must understand the features of good design. The features of a good bedroom design include glamor, harmony, coziness, symmetry, contrast, boldness, playfulness, and coordination. The designer must combine and complement these features to create a masterpiece that will amaze the client. Thus, the features listed above facilitated the design flow and uniformity. Client profiling Client profiling influences the quality of a design plan. The designer must profile the clients to understand his or her needs. The designer must accommodate the client’s requirements and adjust when needed. Thus, the one-to-one interview will create the blueprint for the room design. The phrase “the client is always right” must be carefully maintained and adjusted to avoid the customer’s dissatisfaction. Basic design principles Basic design principles influence the quality of a room design. By implication, the designer can understand the client’s needs using basic design principles. For example, the color match must be durable, unique, and simple. Consequently, the room design must have space for other activities. Proper ventilation is a criterion for a good bedroom design ( 7 Tips for Designing Your Bedroom, 2016). As a result, the design begins with the building plan. Positioning Positioning room functions and accessories must be measured and precise. Artifacts, light fittings, and wall switches must be positions that are specific lengths to avoid congestion. Consequently, the room function arrangement must be tailored using a good design program. Thus, an interior designer can model a client’s needs using his or her style. Conclusion The factors listed above facilitate the quality of a bedroom design. However, the customer’s needs depend on the designer’s willingness to adapt, empathize, and align trends, fashion, and appeal. The requirements for a one-room design depend on the client’s flow and needs. However, the room’s layout and building plan determine the location of bed space, functions, and accessories. References 10 Tips To Make A Small Bedroom Look Great . (2014). Web. 7 Tips for Designing Your Bedroom . (2016). Web. Bedroom Ideas, Decorating Tips and Decor. (2014). Web. Providing Inspirational Home and Interior Design Ideas. (2008). Web. The 10 Things Every Bedroom Needs . (2016). Web. The Marketing Donut . (2010). Web.
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Case study: helping Annie 2. Case study: planning a playground 3. Case study: the politics of sociology 4. References Case study: helping Annie From the case study, helping Annie , we see the school nurse having a meeting with a psychiatrist and a social worker to discuss the possible treatment of Anne’s eating habits and depression. In this group discussion, there is diversity between the members. Although members are in the same line of profession, a psychiatrist specializes in mental problems while a school nurse is specialized in taking care of the patients after they have been treated by the doctor. Therefore, the work of the nurse is to administer medicine to patients after the doctor has issued a prescription. On the other hand, a social worker deals with the general problems of various categories of people such as children or mature people. In most cases, social workers deal with vulnerable and marginalized groups of patients. Therefore, social workers are more concerned with the general welfare of patients. Such diversity in healthcare professions affects the communication style of the members. For example, one of the members says, the psychiatrist, could take notes when the other members are talking and therefore, he does not maintain eye contact with the speaker. In addition, during the discussion, other members who could be the school nurse and the social worker are not taking notes and in the process, maintain eye contact with the speaker. Therefore, they appear more attentive. However, the diversity in the group members does not hinder the communication process. Other than having a meeting, might opt to use video conferencing facilities. This is where phone lines are used to transmit video between two or more people. This method is convenient because group members do not converge in one place but rather, communicate from their offices. The group can also use a one-to-one method where the school nurse meets the social worker and the psychiatrist at different times each. Case study: planning a playground In this case study, a group of members has met to discuss how to raise funds to purchase a playground. In this meeting, members are using both verbal and nonverbal methods of communication. Face to face type of communication is used by the members because they are in the same room. In this group, the members are using some forms of nonverbal communication such as nodding. In addition, some are using gestures and facial expressions. Nodding shows that one is in the agreement or supports the discussion (Engleberg, & Wynn, 2010). Nodding also shows that the members are concentrating or they are flowing in the discussion. Facial expressions help one to express his or her feelings towards a statement or decision made. Gestures are used as a means of expressing one’s opinions so that people can understand. These nonverbal interactions are not hindering the group process but they are helping to show whether the members are agreeing or disagreeing. They also help to show the emotions of a member towards a decision made or a statement made by another member. To better facilitate the group the other method of communication that would have been used is the use of video conferencing which is more convenient to the members because using this method they are able to hold their meeting while in their offices. Therefore time used to travel to the meeting place is saved. The other method of communication which can be used is email. Emailing is fast and therefore the members of the group are able to communicate fast and hence it is convenient and efficient. This method is also confidential and that’s why it is considered efficient. Case study: the politics of sociology In this case study, members of the sociology department of a college are discussing on course to offer the next semester. In this group, the members are listening. One of the listening techniques used by the members is taking notes. Sometimes taking notes in a meeting shows that one is listening and hence he or she understands the topic of discussion. In addition, the members of the group are very attentive and they are avoiding distraction by allowing one person to talk at a time. Members who are not taking notes also maintain eye contact with the instructor which helps to avoid distraction. Listening is a very important skill in communication because it helps a person to understand and flow in the discussion. Listening helps one to avoid all forms of distractions. To become a good listener one should practice being an active listener and this helps the listener to not only listen to the words but to understand the message being conveyed. Therefore, taking notes and maintaining eye contact with the instructor helps the members to avoid distractions and hence concentrate on the discussion. The notes taken during the discussion can be used for future reference. In addition, when the members are attentive in the discussion they are able to remember whatever is discussed and hence can be able to apply it in the future. When the listener is attentive, he or she is able to focus on what the instructor is saying. Therefore in these groups, the listening techniques applied by the members are effective because they help them to avoid distraction and hence are able to remember what is discussed. These are the best and effective listening techniques to use. References Engleberg, I. N., & Wynn, D. R. (2010). Working in groups . (5th Ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
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Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Chronic Respiratory Disease Essay (Book Review) The reviewed article is an official update by the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society on the key concepts and advances in pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is defined as an intervention designed to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic respiratory disease through the use of exercise therapy, education, and other health-enhancing behaviors. It was determined that exercise training has beneficial use in rehabilitation therapy. Modern medical technology allows for the use of support exercise training, exacerbation management, and education in the circumstances of pulmonary rehabilitation. It can also be used for a variety of chronic respiratory conditions including lung disease, bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis, with all patients showing improvements in the quality of life as well as management of symptoms such as anxiety and depression that are common and distressful for patients. Finally, the applicability of pulmonary rehabilitation to COPD patients is significant, as the exercise program has applications in instances of low airflow, post-exacerbation, home-based patients, as well as helping to research the conditions in regard to impact by physical activity. This statement holds significant clinical relevance to exercise science since it recognizes pulmonary rehabilitation and the use of various exercise training methods as a medically proven and effective method of treating symptoms in patients with chronic respiratory conditions and COPD. The article promotes the use of integrated care and exercise strategies in pulmonary rehabilitation in order to use healthy lifestyles and behaviors as a sustainable measure of reducing disease impacts. Due to respiratory limitations in COPD, peripheral muscle dysfunction, and related co-morbidities, exercise is a difficult concept to implement. However, these guidelines establish exercise as the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation programs since they can increase muscle function, increase oxidative capacity, and reduce dynamic hyperinflation. Furthermore, exercise has a wide variety of other benefits for patients including cardiovascular function, increased motivation and moods, and reduction of comorbidity effects. Overall, the medical recognition of exercise-based therapy and training, is tremendous for the promotion of exercise science as a clinical tool, even in patients with complex conditions such as COPD that does not seem to be compatible with fitness. As this statement is provided by internationally recognized medical organizations that conduct extensive research on the topic, the quality of the information in the article is exceptionally high. The statement is reviewed by the board of highly respected doctors and researchers that have analyzed numerous studies on the topic. Information is consistent and thoroughly cited. The quality of the research structure is also well developed, as the statement presents all necessary supporting information, methods, and conclusions. It covers a wide variety of issues relating to the topic of pulmonary rehabilitation, from the use of exercise science to settings, costs, and adherence. Combined, the high quality of information presents a comprehensive clinical overview of the topic. This statement holds relevance for the community, particularly for health providers and patients. The medical approval of the use of exercise science as part of the pulmonary rehabilitation process creates the necessity for the creation of such programs in clinical settings. Patients who have struggled to exercise due to chronic conditions will be presented an opportunity to seek rehabilitation in order to improve long-term quality of life. Meanwhile, healthcare providers will now seek to re-evaluate and integrate such programs since the statement clearly justifies its benefits and potential long-term savings in terms of patient care.
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Using the Boks in the Field of Project Essay Introduction A body of knowledge is the term that defines a range of practices, rules, or standards that are used by professionals in specific fields. The term under consideration refers to facts and practices that are supported by the results of research; to be included in a body of knowledge, certain rules or values are to be approved by authorities in specific fields. The BOKs used in the field of project management are the APM’s BOK and the PMBOK created in the United States and the United Kingdom. Analysis The BOKs used in the field of project management are the APM’s BOK and the PMBOK created in the United States and the United Kingdom. Nowadays, there is a debate about the necessity to use BOKs and the benefits that it involves. Despite the perceived advantages of BOKs, many researchers believe that this standardization can be detrimental to the success of some small-scale projects. Continuing on the topic of the debate, there are numerous benefits of BOKs that are presented in modern literature as arguments proving their effectiveness. In particular, BOKs are believed to facilitate the distribution of knowledge pertaining to specific professions and, therefore, popularize the latter. This advantage is especially important with regard to commercialized professions. Also, BOKs allow standardizing common practices in the field to encourage collaboration between professional bodies in different countries. For instance, the PMBOK is available in eleven languages, and it is recognized globally. In addition, the use of BOKs allows improving working processes due to the specific way of how information is presented – prior to including something into BOKs, specialists ensure the consistency of information and the absence of unnecessary steps that require resources but do not produce significant results. Despite these advantages, many researchers believe that the impact of BOKs on project management is rather harmful. In reference to disadvantages, it is often stated that BOKs do not reflect the existing research literature in an appropriate manner or do not consider limitations related to previous studies. Also, BOKs make knowledge less “flexible”, limiting the opportunity to use it in different contexts. Another significant disadvantage that is emphasized by many researchers is that formal BOKs sometimes fail to take into account the broader picture of the profession, omitting the strategic elements of knowledge. The use of BOKs that have been mentioned can help to ensure the success of engineering projects because of BOKs present and explain baseline practices related to project management. Moreover, it is known that legal regulations related to procurement are among the most common challenges associated with construction and engineering projects. The use of popular BOKs designed in English-speaking countries allows project managers to mitigate the risks with the help of specific recommendations. For instance, PMBOK presents and assesses different procurement negotiation techniques that can be used to ensure the success of engineering projects and eliminate problems that can impede project realization. Conclusion The limitations of the two BOKs that have been mentioned have a bearing on the degree to which the delivery of engineering projects would be successful. The key limitations of the APM’s BOK and PMBOK are related to the complexity of recommendations – in fact, the recommendations provided in these sources are appropriate and effective when it comes to large engineering projects that involve the need to organize the work of enormous teams. At the same time, the delivery of smaller projects is a process that should include no extra steps and be simplified. BOKs do not present algorithms and approaches to project development that is to be strictly followed – instead, adjustment efforts are always required when it comes to nontypical projects.
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They are maternal, infant, and child health, oral health, and social determinants (Huang 19). Moreover, immunization indicator has become the part of clinical preventive services indicator and physical activity and obesity indicators are combined into one measure. The new indicators, to my mind, are closely connected to the level of education and income. It means that those, who lack either educational background or financial resources, are likely to feel health disparities. These two factors result in unequal access to health care services among different races and ethnicities. Because no positive changes were achieved, disparities remain. So, eliminating them is one of the central objectives of Healthy People 2020 (Huang 15). Interpreting the Results of a Health Indicator The indicator under consideration is obesity. Based on the results presented in Table 1, there was a significant increase in the number of obese adolescents and young adults. The overall trend is the following: the proportion is higher among females compared to males. Furthermore, there is no significant difference between races, excluding Asian females, who are less susceptible to obesity (Harris et al. 77). Such factors as the level of education or socioeconomic status of a respondent (i.e. a person is not acquainted with the principles of healthy nutrition or cannot afford a balanced diet due to low income) might explain this health disparity (Harris et al. 77). According to Figure 2, Panel F, violence rates decreased for females of all races (Harris et al. 80). This trend can be explained by better education, gender equality, and self-reporting of the severity of the problem as well as reporting of the cases of violence. Summarizing Propositions of Omran’s The Epidemiologic Transition The first proposition developed by the author is the following: young women and children experience the most profound changes in health condition during epidemiologic transitions (Omran 741). This assumption is backed up by the fact that females in reproductive age and children are more susceptible to the influence of infectious diseases compared to other groups of the population. That is why the level of predisposition to any shifts in treating them is also higher. That said, mortality rates among children and young females are spectacular in case of changing disease patterns on the recession of pandemics due to higher standards of living, better sanitation conditions, and positive shifts in nutrition (Omran 741-742). Another proposition under consideration is the assumption that the changes in mortality rates, causing epidemiologic transition, are closely related to socioeconomic and demographic transitions (Omran 744). The connection with demographic shifts can be explained by the widening of the so-called demographic gap (i.e. that between birth and death rates). Because it affects fertility and age and sex structure, population growth is fostered. The root cause of the new trend is an increase in infectious disease survival among women of reproductive age and adolescents (Omran 749). As for the link between epidemiologic and socioeconomic transitions, there is the following trend: lower mortality rate entails higher labor performance and economic effectiveness. The background of this interrelation is the fact that adult members of the workforce function better because of better health conditions. Moreover, the volume of manpower expands due to a higher level of contagious disease survival among children and adolescents, who grow up to become involved in the economic life of their community (Omran 750). Works Cited Harris, Kathleen Mullan, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Kim Chantala and Richard Udry. “Longitudinal Trends in Race/Ethnicity Disparities in Leading Health Indicators from Adolescence to Young Adulthood.” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 160.1 (2006): 74-81. Print. Huang, David T. Healthy People Data: Transitioning from 2010 to 2020 . 2012. Omran, Abdel R. “The Epidemiologic Transition: A Theory of the Epidemiology of Population Change.” The Milbank Quarterly 83.4 (2005): 731-757. Print.
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The strongest point of the plan is that it is supported by thought and a kind of care for the implementation process that is recommended by such researchers as Kaplan and Norton (2008) and Meredith and Mantel (2012). Another supportive issue is that Dan McCord, as the main project manager, participates in each stage of the plan. Project Management Institute (2013) informs that the role of the project manager is crucial indeed, and only in case the manager is aware of each change and progress of a case, the project may be properly controlled and improved if necessary. In order to prove the necessity to implement the program within a short period of time, the manager has to focus on its different aspects. This is why the plan focuses on both, the negative and positive sides, its pros and cons, and the general milestones that help to comprehend the essence of the process. The participation of each member of the company in the discussion is also an integral part because this way provides the R&D director with a chance to understand the urgency of the program and identify its benefits in regards to the company. The financial report discusses the main financial changes and serves as proof that the government does participate in organizational development, and the company should not suffer because of possible losses. Finally, the presence of managers from different projects should make the R&D director think about his/her possible incorrectness in regards to the computer program implementation and the necessity to re-evaluate the whole situation taking into consideration the latest improvements from the governmental side. In general, the communication plan for a range of stakeholders offered seems to be a good combination of ideas and periods. It is not enough to prove the urgency of the program. The plan helps to be specific with each detail and offer the most crucial ideas to convince the R&D director to change the mind and believe that the current situation is more or less favorable for new ideas offered by Dan McCord and the representatives of the two other projects that have been characterized by the director’s persistence and unwillingness to observe the options available. Reference List ‘The Problem with Priorities” 2013, in HR Kerzner (ed. ), Project management case studies , John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, pp. 532-533. Kaplan, RS & Norton, DP 2008, ‘ The execution premium: Linking strategy to operations for competitive analysis ’, getAbstract . Web. Meredith, JR & Mantel, SJ 2012, Project management: A managerial approach , John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken. Project Management Institute 2013, A guide to the project management book of knowledge , Project Management Institute, Newton Square.
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Hyperactive Schoolchildren’s Behavior Management Essay Students with special needs connected with ADHD and other attention disorders may exhibit behavior that can disturb the learning process, both for the individual and classroom as a whole. Some symptoms may include lack of attention to detail or instruction, restlessness, and even insubordination. Based on Joseph’s observed behavior, areas of focus in the learning plan should be the completion of work, self-control, and following directions. The most competent approach would be to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) with measurable goals and objects that are universally applicable and can help guide a student’s learning process. Learning Plan Staying on Task (Completion of Work) 1. The student will begin work on a given task within a 2-minute period and remain focused on it for at least 15 minutes. The teacher should not prompt the student more than 2 times for the majority of the tasks. 2. The student will focus on task (including remaining calm in the seat) during group instruction settings for a 15-minute period with 1 prompt from the teacher for 3 out of 5 trials. These objectives can be measured by benchmark goals such as student adherence in 40% of opportunities by the 2 nd quarter and 60% by the end of the year. The teacher will require a timer and a digital chart to record the student’s results. Since it has been effective, visual cues such as a color-coded folder and an item (such as a necklace) that the teacher can carry around to serve as a reminder are additional materials for these goals. Instructional materials should include cues to follow specific tasks. Self-Control 1. The student will show a level of self-regulation, including but not limited to personal space, indoor voice level, and appropriate classroom behavior for 60% of the instructional period. 2. The student demonstrates positive behavior such as hand-raising, patience, and sitting in a seat for at least 3 out 5 trials. Based on observed behavior, a reward-based system is effective. Materials include popsicle sticks or stickers that can be used to reward behavior. Simple prizes such small toys or school supplies can be offered to the student as rewards for good behavior. The teacher should monitor progress by recording incidents in a computerized chart. Following Directions 1. The student adheres to prompts from the teacher when told to complete an assigned task rather than desired activity (such as computer or cooking center) in at least 3 out 5 trials. 2. The student follows visual cues or function directional to complete required steps in a given task (i.e., following cues when completing a worksheet) with no more than 1 prompt in at least 3 out of 5 trials. Similar to the “staying on task” objectives, visual cues should be used by the teacher as a reminder. A reward-based system can be implemented here as well. The IEP should be implemented quickly (within several weeks) after it has been designed, approved, and discussed with all involved parties. The student’s progress should be evaluated on a quarterly basis. However, comprehensive assessments should be supplemented by records that a teacher maintains to monitor behavioral aspects in a classroom setting. IEP goals can be re-evaluated if the instructor believes that the child can meet the required objectives (Pennell, 2013). A learning plan is flexible which allows to raise the level for some of the objectives. In instruction with students like Joseph, transitioning off the learning plan should be gradual. Organization remains a considerable influence on Joseph’s behavior. Therefore, the transition should occur only when the student shows a certain level of independence in self-management of behavior and adherence to given tasks. Agenda * Strengths: Intelligent child. Works well with visual cues that help with focus and organization. Adheres to plan on a reward-based system. * Challenges: The child has trouble focusing and remaining seated. Poor response to instruction or prompts. Dysfunctional social attention-seeking behavior. Early intervention key to success. * Notify that the child is to be evaluated and IEP developed to maintain measurable indicators of progress. A child will undergo evaluations each semester. Section 504 does provide an opportunity for parents to be involved in the process and represented (Schumacher, 2016). * Positive parenting is key to behavioral management. Parents should attempt to attend behavioral parent training to learn strategies for managing and forming a relationship with the child. Interaction with the child at home should focus on reinforcing positive behavior set by the lesson plan and avoid coercive cycles and escalated negativity which is a common dysfunction in families with children that have learning disabilities (Pfiffner & Haack, 2014). Avoiding negative communication in front of the child. * The developed plan sets out expectations for all involved parties. The teacher will: 1. Conduct comprehensive evaluations and continuously monitor the child’s progress using measurable goals. 2. Develop effective instructional techniques to target challenges in the child’s learning process and provide necessary accommodations. 3. Clearly and honestly communicate with both the child and the parents to ensure IEP objectives are met. Parents will: 1. Ensure a smooth transition from the learning environment to home. 2. Use positive techniques similar to the teacher to ensure behavior reinforcement. 3. Maintain open communication with the teacher The child will: 1. Attempt to follow guidelines and instruction 2. Practice a level of self-control 3. Use various methods and techniques developed by the IEP as behavioral management cues. In addition to regular parent-teacher conferences, periodical IEP meetings will be scheduled to review the child’s progress within the context of the measurable objectives. References Pennell, D. P. (2013). Designing the IEP: Measuring and reporting progress toward mastery of annual goals . Web. Pfiffner, L. J., & Haack, L. M. (2014). Behavior management for school aged children with ADHD. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23 (4), 731–746. Web. Schumacher, J. (2016). The quality of online social relationships . An Undergraduate Journal in Special Education and Law, 5 , 21-28. Web.
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Thomas More’s Utopia, Utilitarianism, and Technology Essay The desire to create an improved society seems to be one of the most prominent in philosophy. Thomas More, a social philosopher, envisioned a perfect world in his most celebrated work, Utopia , which shaped philosophical discourse for centuries. Although fundamental, the book was not the first of its type – fantasizing about a better life is a significant part of human existence. For instance, long before More, Plato described an ideal society in Republic (Sharpe, 2019). Nonetheless, More’s vision and the name that he gave to the phenomenon contributed immensely to the idea of an idealized world and shaped modern philosophical tendencies. The original meaning of the word “utopia” accentuates the elusive nature of the notion. The word coined to signify a community with a flawless government can be translated from Greek as “no place,” a place that does not or cannot exist (Hodgkinson, 2016). The modern meaning of “utopia” in many aspects coincides with Greek translation. Although the word seems to be chiefly used to mean a perfect state or a place and not necessarily from a political standpoint, its connotative meaning entails a sense of infeasibility or impracticability. From a political perspective, the word becomes utilized to speak of an unrealizable state, such as communism. Therefore, the meaning of “utopia” did not change to a tangible extent, as the modern meaning aligns with the one that More assigned to it. Utopia could be closely related to the philosophical school of utilitarianism. The utopian idea of moral and political right and wrong can be thought of as utilitarian, meant to maximize individual and societal well-being. More’s Utopian society has several characteristics that are utilitarian: for instance, the book shows that a criminal justice system should be rather rehabilitative than punitive. It is stated that “instead of inflicting these horrible punishments, it would be far more to the point to provide everyone with some means of livelihood” (More, 2001, p. 44). Hence, based on More’s Utopia , primarily punitive systems are politically wrong, whereas those that prefer rehabilitation are favored. The notion that to improve society, offenders should be rehabilitated rather than punished is utilitarian in nature. Technological progress could change the idea that a utopian society is unfeasible. Technological utopianism allocates a fundamental role in scientific advancement in achieving a perfect society, particularly regarding social justice (Clint & Cameron, 2016). Even though technological development prompts alarmism, the benefits that it entails eclipse the polarization in viewpoints. Such innovations as genetic engineering, extensive use of solar energy, and universal access to the Internet could alleviate the colossal divide between countries and social classes (Dyson, 1997). For example, access to the Internet in remote places can enhance their financial situation by enabling businesses and farms and connecting them to the current global economy (Dyson, 1997). Thus, despite the polarization to which it contributes, technology is instrumental in completing an immense objective – mitigating social inequity. The objective’s significance helps to overcome the concern regarding polarization. The society that More described in Utopia served as a blueprint for many political activists and possibly tipped history in the direction of somewhat higher social justice. Although the way the word “utopia” is used as a shade of unfeasibility, the current technological advancement could change it. Progress in renewable energy research, genetic manipulations, and communication technologies give a reason to think that the society that More envisioned could be not too removed in time. References Clint, J., & Cameron, E. (2016). The individual and utopia: A multidisciplinary study of humanity and perfection . Routledge. Dyson, F. (1997). Technology and social justice [PDF document]. Web. Hodgkinson, T. (2016). How Utopia shaped the world. BBC Culture. Web. More, T. (2001). Utopia . (C. H. Miller, Trans.). Yale University Press. Sharpe, M. (2019). Guide to the classics: Plato’s Republic. The Conversation. Web.
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Carloha Company’s Direction and Marketing Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Company Description 2. Market Analysis 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited The aim of the paper is to provide a marketing overview of a startup that is concentrated on the delivery of e-commerce platform services for customers interested in trading used cars. The overview will present the most important information on the company including its vision, direction, market position, and unique selling points among others. Company Description The company is an LLC that is registered under the name Carloha. It was founded in 2014 by Liang Long, Chandler Wang, and Pu Shi (Carloha). Carloha is headquartered in New York and hires 12 employees (Carloha). The company provides its customers with access to a trading platform for pre-owned vehicles of high quality. Carloha markets its services with the help of social media platforms such as Google+, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook among others. The company’s mission is “to build a brand new platform, which allows both buyers and sellers to maximize their profit gained by providing various services” (Carloha). Market Analysis In terms of marketing segments, the company targets Chinese immigrants, Chinese students, and other people interested in affordable vehicles. Due to the fact that there are many players operating in the industry, the company is faced with stiff competition. Moreover, the creation of a trading platform does not require significant financial resources; therefore, there are no natural entry barriers that can prevent potential entrants from engaging in direct competition with Carloha. Furthermore, the online car dealers industry is experiencing growth after the recession and currently accounts for approximately 53 percent of all vehicles purchased online (IBIS World). The total revenues of the industry were $35 billion in 2015, and it employs almost 37, 000 people (IBIS World). In terms of market position, the company specializes in used cars. It is clear that Carloha continuously engages in differentiation activities in order to provide its customers with unique selling propositions. The main selling point is the company’s exclusive inspection system that is aimed at generating customer’s trust. The system uses 203 elements of quality that have to be checked before a vehicle can be approved for registration at the company’s platform (Carloha). Another unique selling point of the company’s services is 90-day warranty (Carloha). The platform also provides its customers with free shipping nationwide. A third-party vehicle assessment services offered by Carloha can be considered a substantial differentiating point. In terms of seasonality of services, it can be argued that the highest seasonal demand starts in summer and spring. Current marketing efforts of Carloha are focused on the promotion of the platform with the help of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The company’s app is available on the Apple App Store. In order to deliver a unique trading experience to its customers, the startup operates a professionally-built trading website that can be described as “an information sufficient and user-friendly” (Carloha). The main strength of the website is the ability to customize and optimize vehicle information. The customers are also able to compare different cars and suggest their trading price. However, a selling section of the website is not easily navigable, which can be considered a substantial weakness. Conclusion The marketing overview of Carloha has shown that the company has many unique selling points that help it to differentiate its services from those of its competitors. Even though there are many players in the industry, the startup has a good chance of succeeding in the market. Works Cited Carloha. “What is Carloha.” Carloha. Web. IBIS World. “Online Car Dealers in the US: Market Research Report.” IBIS World . Web.
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Suggestions on Stress Management Essay (Article Review) Stress is one of the challenges that have affected humans for ages. People are mostly stressed about problems occurring in their lives, responsibilities, and busy schedules. Many specialists have attempted to help people solve stress-related problems by writing articles that suggest things that stressed-out people can do to reduce their levels of stress (Posen, 1995, p. 1). This paper examines one of these articles and critically analyses their strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of Smith’s article outweigh its weaknesses. It provides a systematic way of coping with stress that is bound to help readers struggling with stress. For instance, the article suggests that before attempting to deal with stress, a person should ensure that he/she identifies his/her stressors (Smith, 2008, p. 1). This is bound to be helpful since without knowing what is stressing them, people will be unable to know which method is appropriate for use in curbing the stress. Thus the identification of the stressor is perhaps the prerequisite to dealing with stress. The second suggestion about evaluating the current method that the victim currently uses to deal with stress is also important. The person will be able to know what they need to improve on to fight stress effectively. Also among the strengths of Smith’s article is the fact that Smith offers a holistic approach to managing stress. She views all dimensions of stress and gives a viable remedy for each. For instance, her text evidences her advocacy for avoiding thence of importance in the first place. She thinks that a person should only cope with the stress that is inevitable per se. This means that she recommends the avoidance of unnecessary stress and thus the victim will have low levels of stress to deal with. As stated above, she then addresses each facet of stress which could be a source of inefficiency in a stress management program and suggests ways of dealing with them. It can thus be summarized that if a stress victim adheres strictly to the suggestions made in the article, the victim is bound to reduce his/her level of stress. On the other hand, the article fails to give a one-dimensional approach to stress management. This opens loopholes that give way to implementation inefficiency. This is because it may prove to be rather challenging to implement all the suggestions made in the article efficiently. Another weakness in this article is that some of the suggestions it makes may be unrealistic. For instance, the suggestion that the article offers about altering the situation that causes the stress may be unrealistic. For instance, if a person is stressed out due to the death of a member of his/her family, it will be impossible to alter the stressful situation. This is even though the article goes on to give a solution for such situations; accepting the things that the person who is suffering stress cannot change (Smith, 2008, p. 1). In a nutshell, although this article has some negligible weaknesses, it is good, and it is bound to bring about a positive impact on a stressed out person who applies it. The website is well laid out with useful links on ideas that people could use to avoid getting stressed out in the first place. It has links about relationships, family life and the like. The stress management information is also well presented with clear headings that make it easily readable. Reference List Posen, D. (1995). Stress Management for Patient and Physician. Canadian Journal of Continuing Medical Education . Web. Smith, M. (2008). Stress Management . Rotary Club of Santa Monica . Web.
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As a preschool teacher, I had an opportunity to witness the massive impact created by parental roles personally. According to Gestwicki (2016), parents fulfill various roles, ranging from workers to consumers and nurturers. I can confirm that many parents are virtually consumed, even overwhelmed by these roles. The constant deficit of time and possible conflicts between the roles create immense pressure on parents. Raising a child in good conditions is costly, which often forces parents to prioritize the worker’s role. However, emphasizing work sometimes leads to a lack of attention to the educator’s role, which can also hurt a child. In a way, I feel that my professional duty as a preschool education worker lies in helping those parents and their children. Secondly, I can confirm the emotional responses and attachment types associated with parenting, as I have seen them in my work. Gestwicki (2016) described the following attachment types: secure, anxious-ambivalent, and anxious-avoidant. As a preschool teacher, I have to be especially caring and comforting while working with children who demonstrated anxious-ambivalent and anxious-avoidant behavior. From my perspective, such behavior is a warning signal, which has to be taken seriously and corrected by the teacher’s actions. Finally, this week’s reading provided a list of reasons for parenthood, which define it as an emotional experience. People perceive children as an expansion of self, try to fulfill moral obligations, look for affection and fun, or follow certain achievements (Gestwicki, 2016). In regard to my work, I think that some of these reasons may lead to harmful consequences for a child. For instance, I feel that pushing a child into disliked activities to satisfy the parent’s ambitions is a traumatizing experience for a child. As such, an educational worker should communicate with parents and warn them if they spot any troubling signs. Parents may be responsible for a child’s upbringing; however, that responsibility does not turn a child into a property object. Reference Gestwicki, C. (2016). Home, school, and community relations (9 th ed.). Cengage.
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Scientists create a more robust and better version of the current vegetables, fruits and other items humans consume. For example, as far as I know, the current version of bananas is GMO since, in the wilds, bananas had large seeds, were green and looked utterly dissimilar to the yellow delicious fruit people are familiar with. GMO enhances the taste of a product and the amount of the product, which is why it can be a possible solution to resolving the worldwide hunger issues. For the reason that I was interested in GMOs and did my research before, the article did not change my perception of it much since I have already known what GMOs are and that they are a predominant source of food presently. Moreover, as the population number will increase in the future years, the GMO industry will have to expand and adopt new methods of cultivating food (Uji, 2016, p. 78). Therefore, humanity will progress and benefit from the usage of such technologies. The way a GMO was created does not matter to me as much because I trust scientists. They would not release a vegetable or an animal that would be hurtful for people since they do their research and check their specimens for safety. Therefore, a released and cultivated GMO, whether created through intragenesis or transgenesis, are safe for humans. I feel proud that humanity has gone so far in improving nature’s gifts and improving the quality and quantity of cultivated foods. GMO technologies are on the right track since they aid people in ending the problem of hunger worldwide. Moreover, GMOs are more affordable and accessible since they can survive more than their natural counterparts. Reference Uji, O. (2016). European and American views on genetically modified foods. The New Atlantis , 49, 77–92. Web.
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“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” Short Story by Marquez Essay Gabriel Garcia Marque was a re-known Colombian writer considered one of the best Latin American writers. Gabo, as he was commonly known, wrote a magical realism short story in 1968 about a scruffy old angel with massive wings who falls in the courtyard of a man called Pelayo. He and his wife decide to keep the man in the chicken cage. To their surprise, Pelato’s son, who lay dying in the bed, starts feeling well and even consumes food. Pelayo’s Elisenda says that the man is an angel coming for the child but was too old to fly on a stormy day (Marquez & Tornaritis, 2007). Neighbors and persons from far areas swamped the home to see the old man. A priest tries to calm them down, saying he is not an angel (Marquez & Tornaritis, 2007). After months in Pelayo’s place, people eventually lose interest, and the angel manages to fly, much to the relief of Pelayo’s wife. This essay will dig into the nitty-gritty of this short story. This story describes a society that does not have much aim and ambition. “They found the whole neighborhood in front of the chicken coop having fun with the angel” is a statement that shows it as a frivolous community (Marquez & Tornaritis, 2007, p. 159). The society also seems poor and uneducated. The level of unemployment and under-employment is high. There is also a sense of bureaucracy portrayed by the priest when he sends letters to the bishop (Marquez & Tornaritis, 2007). Therefore, the bureaucratic structure is slow and their later seems to have no urgency. Marquez’s story is full of ambiguity, and some of the phenomena cannot be explained. The story has aspects of magic realism such as being the man’s wings, his ability to fly, his fall, and the child’s healing, as well as the incidence of the woman who is converted into a spider. The theme of cruelty and compassion also runs supreme in this story. Pelayo and his wife put the man in a chicken coop which is cruel (Marquez & Tornaritis, 2007). The people also hit the older man with stones to see and burn him, showing no compassion. The short story is fascinating, catching, and easy to read. Reference Marquez, G. G., & Tornaritis, N. (2007). A very old man with enormous wings . GradeSaver LLC.
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Environmental Concerns in the Modern World Essay There are many environmental concerns faced by human race. These concerns are defined as the environmental problems that directly or indirectly affect human beings. There is need therefore to work on these environmental problems with an aim of reducing their impacts. Climate change is one of the major concern facing human beings globally. Ozone layer depletion and loss of biodiversity have also negatively affected human race thus calling for strategies to combat these environmental issues. Other environmental concerns are in reverence to land degradation, pollution among others. The following discussion is inclusive of the first three concerns. Ozone layer depletion occurring at the stratosphere which contains the ozone gas, has led to direct ultra-violet rays reaching the earth surface. Oxygen molecules present in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet waves which are harmful. The depletion of ozone layer occurs when the gas is broken down by increased chlorine compounds in the atmosphere which are man-made and also the bromine compounds. The direct reach of ultraviolet (UV) rays to human beings has increased diseases such skin cancer and eye problems. There has also been an increase in infectious diseases. Ultra violet rays also causes drying up plants which are the major primary source of food to humans (Díez & Dwivedi, 2008). UV rays affect the aquatic life such as fish which are also source of food to human beings. Climate change is the change in temperatures either by increase or decrease. The increase of temperature which has led to global warming is the major concern facing human beings on climate change. Anthropogenic activities are however the major cause of climate change on global warming out of increased deforestation by the increasing population, increased release of fossil fuel and the green house gases such as chlorofluorocarbons which increases green house effect. The further implications to human beings is the increase in sea levels which causes flooding thus loss of human lives, displacements and loss of properties. There is also decrease in water resources due to changes in evaporation thus lowering the agricultural output. Human beings are then faced by food shortages leading to hunger, nutritional diseases, and deaths. Loss of biodiversity which is the decrease of species in ecosystems is also among the major concern faced by human race. Human beings are the major cause of loss of biodiversity through habitat destruction such as clearing of forest cover, burning of bush which kills the active micro organisms in the soil, and dumping of wastes in water resources which endanger aquatic life. Biodiversity promotes better lives to human beings such as: ecosystem services through climate stability a role played by trees, soil formation by micro-organisms. Loss of biodiversity is also inclusive of decrease of biological resources to human like plants which are source of food and medicines. Sociological benefits are also lost as the biodiversity is used by humans for education, recreation, and cultural values (Díez & Dwivedi, 2008). In conclusion, human beings are the major contributors of the environmental issues which have raised the concerns. There is however natural factors which have lead to environmental concerns but their impact is too minimal compared to those caused by human beings. Human race is therefore faced with the challenge of reducing the environmental issues. On climate change, there is need to practice reforestation, use electric, solar and wind energy to replace the fossil fuels thus reducing the green house effect. On ozone layer depletion just like climate change, there is need to reduce the release of carbons such as chlorofluorocarbons. It is also important for humans to protect the existing species like reducing the dumping of untreated waste in water resources and clearing of forest at the same time opting for better farming methods other than burning (Rourke, 2008). References Díez, J., & Dwivedi, P. (2008). Global Environmental Challenges: Perspectives from the South. New York: Broadview Press. Rourke, J. T. (2008). International Politics on the World Stage. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
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The show started on the early Tuesday morning in Thessaloniki, the biggest city in Greece. Millions of viewers gathered on the central stadium to watch singers in traditional costumes who were performing an exuberant parade marking the initiation of the ceremony. The symbol of the Games, named “The Flame of Hope,” was given to one Special Olympics athlete, Panayiotis Emmanouildis. Another athlete, Chaika Al Qassemi, was there just in case Emmanouildis could not make it. Thousands of skaters then sled through the streets of the city, passing the torch to one another. After the skaters, cycles took the turn of carrying the torch. Gradually, they moved the flame from Thessaloniki to the capital of Greece, Athens. On Wednesday morning, the citizens of Athens were welcoming a variety of athletes bringing the torch through the second largest city of the country. In Athens, the Flame of Hope was carried to the Emirates embassy. The torch is expected to stay there for a week and then to be moved to the Emirates by sea. A luxurious cruise liner, which passes Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Oman before it reaches the UAE, will have the privilege to carry the flame. The President of Special Olympics Hellas, Dionyssios Kodellas, said he was very surprised that Abu Dhabi had won the Games. However, he was delighted with the achievements of the country’s sportsmen. He mentioned that although disabled, these people had more strength and courage than some healthy individuals did. The understanding and love for all of those individuals, according to Dionyssios Kodellas, was “something they needed to have” (Scott and Al Nowais). Kodellas mentioned that Paralympics sportsmen frequently faced stigma both in large and small cities. Even the families of such individuals sometimes had to suffer from prejudices and misunderstandings. Kodellas emphasized the urgent need for inclusion for all the members of society. The Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 will take place from April 13 to 25. It is the year when the Emirates is happy to celebrate 200 years from the birth of Sheikh Zayed, its Founding Father. Hundreds of volunteers will be involved in various activities to help with the event. As a result, the UAE wants to gain the reputation of the organizer of an impressive sporting spectacle. At the same time, there is a hope that the lives of people with disabilities will improve after the Games. Additionally, it is expected that many new jobs will be created. The opening ceremony in the UAE will start with choir singing which will involve participants from many countries. Over 100 delegations will be present to observe the show. Performers admit that the parade is their opportunity to show all of their talents and skills. An especially significant issue for them is the possibility of connecting with the audience. Over 6,000 athletes from 192 countries have expressed their willingness to participate in the Games. They will be assisted by 3,500 coaches and 15,000 volunteers who will make sure that everything is under control. Upon arriving in the UAE, the participants of the Games will carry the Flame of Hope across each emirate. The Games are expected to become the most important social event of the year. Work Cited Scott, Andrew, and Shireena Al Nowais. “ Flame of Special Olympics World Games 2019 Is Lit in Athens. ” The National . 2019. Web.
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Personal Strategic Plan for Education and Work Essay Personal goals * Joining the university to further my education to a degree * Get a part-time job to save enough to support me through the schooling stage. * After school, get a job to help save enough to start my own business. * Join a saving scheme with a bank or a Sacco society to help me manage my limited finances during schooling and to acquire a loan after schooling. Personal core competencies I am competent in information communication technology solutions e.g. computer programming, system analysis, and design, repair, and maintenance. I am also competent in fashion and design in the clothing industry. Also, I am talented in sports and leadership. I gained experience during earlier schooling where I played games like basketball and table tennis, participated in scouting, and journalism clubs. This earned me a leadership post in the students’ leadership union in college, which led students’ grievances to be approached systematically. Competitive advantages I started my information technology course from a technical training institution earning me a diploma in the same area, which mainly deals with the technical part of every course, like maintenance. Exposure to this course has made me making me multitask in any organization where I have worked. This saves money for the employer. Another advantage is the ability to work long hours, competently, and with minimal supervision. Also, I trained as a fashion designer without any area of specification making me fit to work in every area of production in that field. Personal situational analysis (SWOT) Strengths Weaknesses * Strong and established markets * Modern facilities * Lack of enough capital to finance a huge stock * High-quality employees * Lack of enough experience to run a sole business * High returns and incomes * Fear of failure of the business * Outstanding Service production * Diverse market on the location of choice Opportunities Threats * High Capacity of expansion * Upcoming expensive current technology equipment * Improved current technology * Corruption * Theft and insecurity Opportunities There is the availability of ultra-modern technology and facilities. It is possible to use this technology and integrate it with my other interest in the fashion industry to come up with a formidable product. This business will be located around an industrial or academic environment, where there is the availability of a wide range of customers. There is a large demand for services such as photocopying, scanning of documents among others. Another opportunity is the fast-growing trend of online services in almost every institution of education and business. For instance, applications for employment require the internet, thus the introduction of cyber cafes to serve this need is another opportunity Threats Several threats are emerging which might make my progress slow. These include the emergence of competitors who are more financially stable, and who can introduce better technology that pushes competition to higher heights. This might lead to a loss of customers as well as income. Moreover, a lot of investment is required to match the ever-changing preferences of consumers and especially the youth. Strengths Open-mindedness is the most important of my strengths. I can think through and examine opportunities from all angles. Also, I can master new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally. I am Kind and I do favors as well as good deeds for others. I also have an attitude of endurance even in harsh and non-productive seasons. My experience in both information technology and fashion design makes my chances of excelling very high. Weaknesses One of my shortcomings is that I have little regard for my capabilities. A second weakness is that I am easily intimidated. Moreover, I have a spirit of competitiveness that forces me to do even the wrong things. This is disastrous, especially when there is an urgent thing to be done. Fear of failure in the field of concentration. For instance, strength could be your intelligence, your kindness, and/or your educational background. A weakness could be limited experience in your chosen field, distractibility, a tendency to be blunt. However, I am working hard to overcome these challenges in the next six months to gain better positioning in the competitive arena. Personal Strategies Using the internet, I intend to learn how one can use computers in art and design to use it to create clothing designs for sale in two years. Another strategy is to create a strict schedule within the three years as I further my studies. Moreover, I intend to join a certificate class on weekends to learn more about selling and marketing. Assessing the effectiveness of these strategies The effectiveness of these strategies will be assessed after every year by looking at my performance in school. It will also be assessed after every small achievement between the learning processes, for instance, after achieving a certificate in sales and marketing certificate. However, the overall assessment will be after five years after saving enough to start my own strong business.
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Onsite Child-Caring Program to Employees Report Introduction This work is a justification report for the provision of onsite child-caring programs to employees that have children as a method of relieving them of the stresses of balancing between taking care of their children and working. The paper will address several factors that will justify the proposal such as the problem statement and the subsequent developments that will help solve the problem. Problem Statement Most people find it problematic to balance caring for their children and their jobs. The problem is even worse in Texas where the working class has to spend a considerable amount of their time in traffic commuting to and from workplaces. I would like to propose the establishment of onsite childcare that will help employees who have children drop their children at such services before they can go to their jobs (Payne, Cook & Diaz, 2011). The project will help to solve the fixes that parents find themselves stuck into especially when they cannot find places open as early as the time before they can leave for their workplaces. Terminology The alternatives available to the parenting employees are: 1. Alternative A – The program will be availed to employees who work full time and for the periods during which they are at their places of work. In addition, the program will cater to children between the ages of six weeks and five years. 2. Alternative B -the before and after school onsite care will ensure that the parents of children of the school-going age manage to go to school and back safely. Major Sections of the Report Criteria The following four criteria would be used to judge the feasibility of each alternative. Cost – How much are the parents willing to pay for the services rendered to them? The parents can do so through a check-off system from their monthly salary or payment via banker’s cheque to the designated bank account number. Benefits – How will the onsite childcare help the employees and the company? The program will help employees to concentrate on their jobs and improve their productivity. The company will benefit from the improved productivity of the workers. Development- – How long will it take to develop this program and have it available to the employees? The development process would take 12 months to work out on all kinks. They would allow time for hiring and training of staff, find equipment as well as allow time for building the facility. Selection – The interested persons are supposed to fill the application forms giving details of the preferred choice of services that will suit them. Scope and Limitation of the Research The research process would include surveying to identify the number of employees with children that may be interested in the program. Besides, the program will entail advertising and using the internet to research and hire qualified personnel in providing the desired services. Moreover, I will use questionnaires to determine the number of clients to be served. The research will not cover the employees who are no parental and those who have children but have conventional means of managing them. Preliminary Parts of Research Evaluation of Alternatives Cost 1. Alternative A – the program will help parents that already have maternity leaves but still have the urge of working for the company to concentrate on their jobs. 2. Alternative B – the employees will have the option of applying for the services through the HR department (Feierabend, & Staffelbach, 2015). Benefits Alternative A – the program will help the employees to remain focused on their jobs and the company to retain most of them. Alternative B – the parents will get a lot of time to concentrate on their jobs and their children will feel secure. Alternative A- the parents may pay for the services through check-off systems, which will enable them to receive high-quality services. Alternative B – such services should be free of charge because they are a part of the welfare of employees (Feierabend, & Staffelbach, 2015). Recommendations Both methods have accrued benefits for both the company and its employees. For instance, the parents will have time to concentrate on their jobs while the company will manage to reduce the levels of absenteeism. However, some people would consider the first alternative as exploitative of the company because they feel that such a program should be a part of the HR policy (Feierabend & Staffelbach, 2015). References Feierabend, A., & Staffelbach, B. (2015). Crowding out reciprocity between working parents and companies with corporate childcare. Human Resource Management , 12(1), 1-10. Payne, S., Cook, A., & Diaz, I. (2011). Understanding childcare satisfaction and its effect on workplace outcomes: The convenience factor and the mediating role of work-family conflict. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 85(2), 225–244.
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Ethical concerns may emerge in any industry, which is why introducing homogenous ethical standards is an important step toward addressing ethical issues in business. The Food and Beverage industry is no exception; specifically, the recent case of Nestlé attempting to copy the trademark of a different brand in order to attract new audiences needs to be scrutinized for adhering to ethical standards. The ethical issue at hand appears to concern the failure to acknowledge the importance of corporate integrity and the significance of ethical leadership. Specifically, the company has ignored the necessity to adhere to the foundational concepts of ethical business-making, namely, the pursuit of honest competition and appreciation for the intellectual properties of other organizations (Light, 2020). Although the described situation does not exemplify a case of leadership abuse, it evidently shows the lack of intention to establish integrity-based principles, specifically those of respecting the intellectual property of other companies in corporate branding and decision-making. What makes the case under analysis particularly appalling is that the leaders of the organization were obviously aware of the unfair attempt at copying the success of the Impossible Burger yet did not take any steps to prevent the controversy from taking place. Therefore, the case at hand indicates that the ethical issues within Nestlé stem not from the presence of individual workers who do not have the moral compass to navigate the complexity of business ethics. Instead, Nestlé appears to have no ethical leadership that could facilitate ethical decision-making in the company (Frunză, 2017). Therefore, it is vital for Nestlé to revisit its entire corporate philosophy in order to adjust its ethical framework to the realities of the present-day business environment. Given the current role of media in shaping a company’s perception among its target audiences, negative publicity might lead Nestlé to a gradual demise. Overall, Nestlé has demonstrated the absence of moral awareness, thus, proving to lack the foundational aspect of corporate ethics that allows an organization to function in the business environment. Therefore, the case at hand illustrates the importance for a leader to be aware of the changes in the managers’ and staff members’ perception of legal and ethical standards accepted in the business context. Furthermore, as a leader, one should have recognized the lack of appropriate ethical principles in the corporate philosophy and the resulting failure to address moral concerns during basic decision-making. Thus, the case of Nestlé shows the role of noticing minor breaches of corporate ethics in the workplace environment as the path toward becoming accepting of more egregious instances of ethical misconduct and the mismanagement of decision-making processes (Tamunomiebi & Orianzi, 2019). Although Nestlé’s reputation has sunk quite low, it can still be salvaged if the organization accepts the principles of virtue ethics and introduces rigid standards for corporate decision-making and organizational behavior. For Nestlé to address its current ethical issues observed in its workplace, the company will need to change its corporate philosophy to include ethical decision-making and prioritize the needs of its key stakeholders in its lordship approach. Additionally, the model of corporate governance needs to be changed toward a closer inspection of Nestlé’s routine processes so that the instances of unethical decision-making could be spotted instantly and reported accordingly. Thus, the company will be able to mend its reputation and revive its popularity in the Food and Beverage market. References Frunză, S. (2017). Ethical leadership, religion and personal development in the context of global crisis. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 16 (46), 3-16. Web. Light, L. (2020). Nestlé’s trademark confusion may cost the company credibility. Forbes . Web. Tamunomiebi, M. D., & Orianzi, R. (2019). Ethical leadership: Implications for organizational reputation. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 6 (1), 121-134. Web.
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Family Systems and Relationship Development Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Effects of Healthy Family Systems on Development 3. Attributes of Healthy Family Systems 4. Consequences of Unhealthy Family Systems 5. Conclusion 6. References Introduction Recent research shows that the importance of the family unit is growing instead of waning. With the advent of the concept of family systems, the importance of the family unit can now be approached from a different perspective. This renewed importance stems from the fact that the circumstances that prevail within a family affect the development of its members either negatively or positively. Therefore, holistic or healthy development requires an ambient environment that is found within the setting of a healthy family system. This paper explores the concept of family systems and their relationship with development. Mönkediek and Bras (2014) describe a family as a basic social unit that consists of individuals who are linked by blood or purpose. A system, on the other hand, refers to a set of interconnected elements that constitute a complex unit (Relvas, Alarcão & Pereira, 2013). The concept of systems has been applied to the family unit to come up with the idea of family systems. Thus, a family system is a unit of interconnected individuals united by blood or a common sense of purpose. Healthy development, for its part, refers to the right combination of social, emotional, intellectual, language, motor, and physical growth. Effects of Healthy Family Systems on Development Family systems have been found to be fundamental contributors to development. From the family systems perspective, the behavior of one member affects or elicits reactions from all other members of the system. This scenario stems from the fact that in a family system, each member has a specific role to play. Therefore, a failure to play one’s role as expected translates to a variety of effects on different members of the system. Therefore, when all members of a family system discharge their roles as expected, the resultant family environment is often stimulating and supportive (Harden, 2004). Such an environment fosters emotional and psychological health by ensuring that all the emotional and psychological needs are available to all family members. Additionally, Relvas, Alarcão, and Pereira (2013) note that attributes, such as warmth, family cohesion, emotional availability, and good parenting practices, which characterize healthy family systems, facilitate healthy development by helping individuals establish proper relationships, enjoy good health, and perform well academically. Healthy relationships are possible because there are trust and mutual understanding among family members. Good health, on the other hand, results from the fact that in a healthy family system, the health care needs of each member are met as they arise. Finally, good academic performance is made possible by the fact that within healthy family systems, one finds support and stimulation, which facilitate the unhampered development of the brain, cognitive abilities, language skills, and motor skills (Harden, 2004). All these dimensions of development combine to ensure that physical, emotional, social, and spiritual maturation occurs in members of healthy family systems. Attributes of Healthy Family Systems Apparently, healthy family systems facilitate the development of individuals. Therefore, outlined below are some of the attributes that set them apart. Harden (2004) notes that stability is one of the key features of a healthy family system. Family systems always seek an equilibrium point, and once they find it, they tend to resist any changes that try to interfere with it (Enrique, Howk & Huitt, 2007). However, this does not mean that a healthy family system is rigid in nature. Flexibility also features an important aspect of a healthy family system (Peterson, n.d.). A flexible family system is able to adapt to necessary change without disintegrating (Harden, 2004). Additionally, healthy family systems are characterized by a clear sense of direction and effective communication among their members (Peterson, n.d.). Relvas, Alarcão, and Pereira (2013) argue that the health of a family system is determined not by the absence of behavioral problems but by the presence of the outlined characteristics. Consequences of Unhealthy Family Systems Individuals who grow up in families that lack the outlined attributes often face some developmental challenges. Harden (2004) notes that unhealthy family systems are characterized by neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, violence, and poor communication among their members. A combination of these negative attributes can lead to delays in the development of cognitive, language, and academic abilities (Harden, 2004). Additionally, aggressive behavior, introversion, and post-traumatic stress disorder are also associated with unhealthy family systems (Harden, 2004). Conclusion In light of this brief discourse, it is apparent that the importance of the family unit has increased with the emergence of the family systems concept. Today, a family is important not only as a basic building block of the society but also as a fundamental contributor to individual development. As such, the family systems perspective should be encouraged to give the society well behaved and healthy individuals. A failure to appreciate and encourage the development of healthy family systems can only lead to an increase in individuals with behavior problems. Therefore, society should strive to guard against this negative trend for the sake of posterity. References Enrique, J., Howk, H., & Huitt, W. (2007). An overview of family development . Educational Psychology Interactive . Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Web. Harden, B. J. (2004). Safety and stability for foster children: A developmental perspective. The Future of Children , 14 (1), 31-47. Mönkediek, B., & Bras, H. (2014). Strong and weak family ties revisited: Reconsidering European family structures from a network perspective. History of the Family , 19 (2), 235-259. Peterson, G. (n.d.). Characteristics of healthy family systems . Web. Relvas, A., Alarcão, M., & Pereira, M. M. (2013). Family and systems therapy and training in Portugal. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 35(2), 296-307.
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Concepts of Effective Leadership Application Essay Meaning of leadership; the characteristics and qualities of effective leaders The success of any corporate body or organisation depends on its leader’s ability to coordinate and manage the utilisation of its resources, for achievement of common organisational goals. Therefore, an effective leader should be able to coordinate and manage all affairs of an organisation, through supplying and setting in an organisation achievable visions and coordinating all employees’ efforts, for purposes of achieving common organisational goals. In addition, an effective leader should ensure that, in the long run both an organisation and employees’ goals or needs are achieved. On the other hand, an effective leader is a king leader who provides positive influences to a company. Considering this, effective leadership entails the practice of influencing or coordinating employee’s efforts, for purposes of achieving “extraordinary” organisational goals. To achieve success beyond the set standards a leader must hold high standards of integrity, be motivating, creative, influential, a good problem solver, and have ability to formulate achievable goals and appropriate communication channels within an organisation. Further, a good leader must be hardworking and have the ability to create a good working environment; environments that will encourage innovativeness and cooperation between all organs of an organisation. Personal Experience For me, the most valuable leadership practice was my initiative to organize and to improve a professional course for the analysts of HNA Group. HNA Group is a large Chinese based company which has developed itself from a single purpose airline company to a diversified corporation across 8 different industries. In 2009, the company planned to expand its territory to the international Hospitality Industry, since the world had suffered a great economic recession, making the value of the entire industry generally low. At the time, I was an analyst and an assistant for the COO of the company and faced a lot of difficult in doing my job when the company started looking for target companies to acquire. Traditionally, a successful investment requires exhaustive financial analysis to understand the target industry and the performance of the target company. It also requires analysts who are suddenly thrust in the new position to evaluate businesses based upon unfamiliar technology and financial system. Throughout my research about the hospitality industry, I struggled to grasp the significance of core technologies but did not get the clue, a fact that I discovered was common among colleagues. The investment bankers offered us many valuable options but, without proper researches, the core intelligence team could not convincingly evaluate the options and define the ones that were bests for our company. I thereby realized that the analysis team needs technical support to improve their knowledge. As an analyst, it was hard for me to get enough attention and support from the head of the management team, forcing me to get the information through collecting opinions from my colleagues. Through coordinating with my colleagues I was able to write a business proposal, which provided solutions to the problem to the management team. After analysing the proposal, the management supported the solution plan, because after that the management team arranged a series of seminars that were led by the industry experts of the company. At the beginning of the seminars, the internal experts enlightened us about the nature of the industry and the particular interests of the company; however, I soon realized that internal experts were not qualified to teach us about international finance and cross-board acquisition since of their experiences were primarily China-based. In response, my colleges and I started to communicate with other analysts to discover the alternatives. After collecting responses from the analysts, I realized that the most effective alternative for the company was to hire technology consultants from the outside sources, because in this way, the analysts could get more comprehensive and technical knowledge. Although the new solution was good, unlike the old one that was less costly, to implement the new one the company had to incur extra costs. This made it very hard fro the managers to approve it, because it required wide consultation among all top management organs. Therefore, I decided to make a complete proposal to the managers to convince them that the company needed expensive alternative to help the analysts perform their duties effectively. To make sure that I had the necessary convincing power, I also consulted with my superiors who were very beneficial in helping me to improve my convincing power. Through persuasion, the management team approved my alternative plan, after reviewing the analysts’ responses about the seminars and my research on the alternatives. Using my colleague’s comments and the managers’ evaluation report, the external experts greatly improved the company’s ability to analyze target companies as well as advised the managers more intelligently on how to enhance their practise. Areas I Plan to Develop This experience made me to acknowledge that, communication is a very important component of any organisation; because it is through communication that one can pass any message they want to pass effectively, for purposes of winning the confidence of others. This is something I realised, because of the difficulties that I faced in selling my expensive alternative to the management. In addition, to the significance of communication, I also learnt the significance of developing solid professional relationships with workmates. Therefore to enhance my communication and convincing skills, I intend to do more researches on how to become an effective business communicator and learn more about the art of writing and presenting convincing business proposals.
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Humanistic Theory and Research Research Paper Introduction Humanistic theory is a psychological perspective towards the ‘self’. According to the theory, people are naturally good and if given freedom, they can be relied upon to make decisions in the right direction. This is means that the person thinks of him/herself as ‘I’ with his/her own perception familiarity. Through this perception, Maslow argues that every one has the liberty to make a choice of his/her behavior and should not be reactors of environmental stimuli nor rein forcers. When dealing with issues of self fulfillment, self esteem and personal needs we should select our own personality. The theory mainly looks at personal development. Maslow is convinced that every individual has certain specific needs which must be fulfilled in hierarchical order from the lowest need of basic wants, to need for security, then need for love and sense of belonging, then need for achievement and finally need for self actualization as the highest in that order. The view is also associated with Carl Rodgers and Clark Moustakas. Does this theory lend itself to being applied and how? The theory lends itself to being applied in the following ways; Firstly, the theory asserts that a vital aspect of human beings is focused at the present and not the future nor the past. Therefore when counseling, the counselor should seek to establish their clients needs at the present and advise on how they can be fulfilled without necessary looking into the future nor the past (future consequences are ignored). The theory assumes that healthy people psychologically must be accountable to themselves; whether their actions are wrong or right and the counselor’s role should be guidance on the basis of information and should not take over the decision making role of the client (Ernst S. and Lucy, 1981). Client’s actions might even be wrong; this should never be taken as a weakness but rather an acknowledgement of humanity and self interest. The theory’s principles are founded on the basis of human actions aimed at achieving understanding and personal growth. Is this theory used in other cultures and how does the book relate to Humanistic theory in cultures? The theory is widely used in other cultures both knowingly and unknowingly across the world. It is popular because it focuses on the principle that basic human goodness and respect for humanity is paramount across most communities of the world. Its foundation in acceptance of individual’s existence as well as existential psychology is widely used to make decisions and raising overall fulfillment in the world (Carlson, 2010). For example, in the early 1960s, conflict of war versus peace and desire to understand nature of human beings arose. It was during this period that humanistic theorists provided us with understanding for human beings’ desire for war for the sake of tomorrow’s or futures’ peace. The theory has also been very famous in books with a self-help design as well as human beings’ desire for meaning. For this reason humanistic theory is and will be a principal component of literature, pleasure and entertainment (Elkins, 2009). How does the book relate to Humanistic theory in cultures? The book is widely relevant to other Humanistic theory in cultures because it is used to interpret events and phenomena in relationship to human needs in the perspective of self esteem and perception. Conclusion Humanistic theory is limited in its inability to falsify itself as well as inability to make predictions in its applications. The theory lacks objective understanding of the universe of which many people of the world know and puts unnecessary emphasize on human experiences. Reference list Carlson, Neil R. (2010). Psychology the Science of Behavior . Canada: Pearson Canada. Elkins, David (2009). Humanistic psychology: A clinical manifesto . Colorado Springs: University of the Rockies Press. Ernst, S. and Lucy, G. (1981). In our own hands: A book of self help therapy . London: The Women’s Press.
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The Mismatched Worker by Arne L Kallegburg-Volume Essay (Article) Arne L Kallegburg creates a paradigm through which inconsistencies are assessed in the workplace among sections of employees at New York City establishments. The study began to address wage irregularities, but it was discovered that there were also a number of other conditions relating to the mismatched phenomenon pervading the environment. These were vital industrial concerns as they impinge on the organizational theoretical perspectives which needed to be analyzed also. As such, these conditions were included being vital to both the design and outcome of this research. However, there were deliberate attempts to highlight the mismatched conceptual framework since it was important to be included within the study for recommendations and resolution purposes. Statement of the Problem Kallegburg based the mismatched assumption on seven propositional pillars. These include the employees ‘ability to choose where to work; expertise compatibility; what is most important and necessary; how the geographic location affects job site accessibility; implications of the labor market which determine the rating of skills to wages; the remuneration package and how appropriate are academic requirements in relation to the job description applied ( Kellegburg, 2007, p. 431). These seven discrete variables are used by the researcher integrating within the hypothesis a statement describing a mismatched typology occurrence when they become part of the employee’s job interaction. Importantly, this influences the industrial climate. Besides, Kellegburg chooses to emphasize his position on the issue by utilizing Angela B Crowell’s work (2007) whereby an introductory reading on the composition of the New York labor force. It was indicative of an industrial catastrophe in terms of organizational orientation. It is believed that the undocumented portion of the labor force greatly complicated the mismatched phenomenon. Description of the Research Procedure In describing the procedure for this study it must be noted that the researcher chooses to conduct a book review. He clearly justifies the use of each book utilized. For example interpretations of the Workplace Project were the basis for Kellegburg’s typology of the mismatched worker. (2007) Emphatically, the researcher alluded to the significance of Gordon’s book since it was instructional; descriptive; uplifting; collaborative, and contemporary. (2007). He reiterates that undocumented immigrant workers are a source of contention presently in American politics. Precisely, there could be no better literature describing the true nature of a mismatched worker as being espoused by Gordon in the Workplace Project. Literary resources embedded within the study also confirmed that Kellegburg’s design emerged from years of personal study as well as borrowings from other prominent researchers. Primarily, Gordon’s work was extensively referenced in this review. Conclusively, it can be said that this research procedure entails a document study pertaining to selected researches compiled in a book format. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Review A major strength of this research is its document source. Its focus is on detecting the intensity of the problem. Subsequently, strategic interventions were recommended as amicable resolutions. The documents perused were most relevant to the research. One piece of literature was derived as a major authority concerning Labor Law and the other offered a sociological perspective of the phenomenon. Alternatively, even though it was intended that recommendations be made to address pressing issues of the mismatched undocumented immigrant worker, it would appear that this study merely rephrased the situation with no real solutions. Consequently, it is recognizable that typologies of the mismatched worker are most appropriately addressed in the review; yet there is still room for extensive case studies in advancing a realistic resolution.
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Management Information Systems and Its Impacts Essay One of the negative fallouts of the advances in information systems is unemployment. The technological world is changing on a daily basis, and any organization has no other alternative other than embracing this modern technology. Failure of doing so, the organization becomes highly vulnerable to being uncompetitive in the marketplace. Despite the fact that advances in technology are increasing the rates of unemployment, companies cannot be held responsible for the same. The tendency of the world-changing is characteristically irreversible. A big percentage of the clerical workers’ and middle managers’ work is presently being done using these information systems. As thus, it is the obligation of the employees so see to it that they acquire the necessary knowledge and skills; otherwise, they will be washed out of the company system. Changes in information systems can be likened to the theory of evolution. Moreover, organizations are hardly held responsible to care for their taskforce and the resultant redesigning of the organization structure’s enterprise so as to minimize perceived losses. Nevertheless, it remains to be a moral duty for each and every company to see to it that there are plans in place which will avail assistance to the retrenched or displaced employees. This can be so done by either offering these employees alternative jobs or giving them the support of whatever kind. In the creation and development of electronic medical documents, there are a number of factors which are quite critical. These factors fall under three categories, namely, management, organization, and technology. On the management aspect, electronic record keeping is a necessity. This is so because, in the event that records are electronically kept, there is a significant reduction in the costs attached to maintaining health data. Nonetheless, it is notable that the blunt implantation costs are overwhelming, and more especially to those medical practitioners who are obliged with the maintenance of their own practices. Additionally, managers have to see to it that data is not used for purposes of profiling patients or even as a basis for denying the laid down medical procedures. This is simply to point out that it is the responsibility of the management to ensure that data is solely used for the purpose for which it has been intended. The organization is the second factor of consideration when creating and developing electronic medical data. Undeniably, an electronic system is believed to better organize data and at the same time ease its subsequent retrieval. It is the responsibility of individual medical organizations to ascertain that medical data is not at all used for reporting. This data should also not be used in the technology of data analysis commonly referred to as the non-obvious relationship awareness. Various stakeholders, including the government, the private sector, and other non-governmental organizations, ought to pass laws which offer sufficient protection of the health data of a consumer. Through this, patients will not only be reassured, but they will be compelled to use the system a second time. Besides, the technological factor ought not to be ignored. A new medical system must be in a position so as to comfortably integrate with older applications of keeping medical records. As a matter of fact, the software of the new system in itself has to be created in such a way that the standards are universal so as to ease its implementation and make work more efficient. Nevertheless, the technology must be crafted in such a way that it will avert security breaches. For purposes of obtaining medical information for those patients needing urgency, systems have to be very accurate. All the above-discussed factors have to work hand in hand for purposes of averting privacy invasions guaranteeing that medical data is not abused and misused.
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Expository Essay There are many study methods that are used by students while revising for examinations. Some methods are effective while others are ineffective. Effective methods are helpful since they help students to understand and retain a lot of information. Ineffective methods are not only tiresome but also lead to burn out. Therefore, it becomes increasingly hard for students using such methods to retain reliable and important information. With that background in mind, this paper shall describe cramming and skimming which are ineffective study methods. Cramming can be described as a study technique which involves trying to absorb a lot of information within a short time. It is mostly used by students who prefer to study when the examination is almost or during the last few days. Due to the pressure involved, it results in poor retention of information for a long duration of time. It then serves the purpose of the examination after which the student forgets a lot of information. In many cases, a teacher gives a long deadline before the date of the test. Due to procrastination, the deadline almost comes to end without the notice of the student. A student may remember about the test may be a day or two before the due date. As a matter of fact, one day cannot be enough to go through all the work the student may have covered. At that particular time, the student tries to go through all the work and to retain a lot of information as much as possible (Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo pp. 216). The brain can be likened to a sponge such that there is need for it to absorb the information slowly. It can also be likened to a water way where water passes through while getting into a dam. A steady flow of water usually has no problem but when a lot of water tries to get through the same entry, damages usually occur due to over flooding and some water also gets lost. The same case happens to brain during cramming. Some information is usually lost and the habit can also be detrimental to one’s health. Skimming is yet another ineffective study method especially while preparing for an exam. It is a method which involves reading a whole passage, a paragraph or any form of writing with an aim of knowing just the main idea. Therefore, the reader using the method does not read carefully but only searches for the main idea. The reader only focuses on the topic sentence and does not read other sentences that explain or support the main idea. In most cases, skimming is used by a person who is already familiar with the information being read because if material happens to be unfamiliar, the person can miss on important details. For instance, a person skimming through this essay will probably read the first paragraph which is supposed to contain the thesis or the main idea. By so doing, the person will be able to establish that the essay focuses on ineffective methods of study which include cramming and skimming. The next step would involve searching for paragraphs which explain the meaning of each method. In such a case, the reader won’t waste time on reading the explanation part. For that reason, the method is ineffective because there is a lot that is left out. In addition, it is done fast such that there is no time to synthesize a lot of information (Reading Styles – Skimming). The essay does not only focus on the description of skimming and cramming but also on why the two are ineffective study methods. Cramming involves trying to read and retain a lot of information within a short duration of time. On the other hand, skimming involves reading quickly through the reading material in order to search for the main idea. In that case, it is clear that skimming and cramming cannot be recommended to students reading for examination purposes. Works Cited Pastorino, Ellen E. and Susann M. Doyle-Portillo . What Is Psychology? Essentials. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2008. Reading Styles – Skimming. 2011. Web.
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Essay The progress of Apple, Inc. truly is one of the most impressive phenomena in the modern business world. Starting from scratch, facing rivalry with such brands as Microsoft and Google, surviving the death of its founder and still managing to provide its customers with innovational products of impeccable quality, Apple deserves being made an example of. The company has reconsidered its mission, values, and objectives over the past few years, which has shaped its marketing strategy considerably. Because of the success of iPhone in Japan, Apple is aiming at conquering its market once again with iWatch, its brand new product, which will introduce the Japanese customers to the concept of a wearable computing device. Despite its chances to succeed, Apple is going to deal with rather tough competition in the Japanese market. Indeed, when considering the revenues acquired by major software producing companies in the Japanese market, one must mention that Apple, which made 49.2% of all smartphone sales in Japan, is not the only company targeting at the given clientele. Google with it, Android came as a close second, making 45.8% of all smartphone sales in the country (Apple vs. Android device sales 2013). Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Google will continue fighting for the right to be the top smartphone seller in Japan. Hence, the factor of competition makes the company apply another set of changes to its current mission and objectives. Samsung is another potentially dangerous rival. In 2012, Samsung had a major triumph in the Japanese smartphone market by selling 1,300 000 units of its product at DoCoMo, as the report says (Sony’s surprise triumph over Samsung 2013). Even though Samsung did not manage to beat Sony by the number of items sold in Japan, the given statistics is still very impressive. Speaking of the changes made to the company’s mission to have success in Japan, one must mention that the general mission of the company does not seem strong enough, to begin with. Even though the original mission voiced by Steve Jobs is quite well put together, the company bizarrely refuses to use it. Instead, the official MS represents an account of its production and states what Apple does instead of what Apple intends to do: “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software” (Farfan n. d.). Granted that it is still better than a bunch of poorly connected clichés, the given choice of a mission statement still seems very weak and will hardly help the company sell iWatch in Japan successfully. Such MS will not help establish a connection with the end customer by showing that the company cares about its clients. The same, however, can be said about the company’s vision. It would be wrong to claim that Apple’s vision has been redefined, yet it has narrowed down to the basic promotion of a new product. As the recent reports explain, Apple changed its vision after deciding to cooperate with SBM: “SBM’s and Apple’s shared vision of promoting the innovative integration of the Internet and mobile phone through the distribution of iPhone is exciting” (Apple, Inc. 2013). While the given vision does not contribute to creating long-term trustworthy relationships with clients or changing the organizational environment to update the production process, it does help sell the product in question, i.e., wearable computing devices. Of all the elements that make the bulk of Apple, Inc., only corporate values remained unchanged. Even though someday they will also be washed away by the sands of time and replaced with new ones, these values seem quite consistent at present. The company still strives for innovation and progress; however, it is remarkable that the emphasis has been shifted from creating a link between Apple and its customers to improving relationships with suppliers: the company managers “appreciate suppliers who truly understand and share in our challenges” (Apple, Inc. 2013a). Despite major issues with the firm’s mission and vision, Apple’s new gadget has several advantages compared to the devices provided by Samsung and Google. To start with, the company has already introduced a recognizable brand known as iWatch to Japanese clients. Second, wearable computing devices will break new ground in the industry (CBS News 2013). Finally, by changing the focus of its mission and vision, Apple will be able to focus on conquering the Japanese market better. The Apple, Inc. has all chances to succeed in Japan with its new iWatch application, seeing how the company has already gained several supporters all over the state because of the Japanese customers’ fascination with iPhone and the opportunities that it offers. While the company will unavoidably face several obstacles, such as the need to develop a completely new marketing plan to address the target audience, Apple has relatively big chances. It should be noted, though, that Google’s Android also enjoys impressive success among Japanese people, which means that Apple will have to face tough competition. Nevertheless, judging by the selling rates for the iPhone in Japan compared to the ones for Android applications, Apple will have more luck with the Japanese audience than its key rivals. Reference List Apple, Inc. 2013, Softbank and Apple to bring iPhone 3G to Japan on July 11 . Web. Apple, Inc. 2013a, Apple and procurement . Apple vs Android device sales 2013. Web. CBS News 2013, Apple CEO hints wearable devices might be next area of interest . Farfan, B. n. d., Apple Inc. mission statement is not very innovative and barely a mission at all . Sony’s surprise triumph over Samsung (2013).
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“Salt Shaker” by Stuart Davis and Modern Art Essay When one thinks of art, various concepts may come to mind ranging from the Black Square by Malevich to Ginevra by Leonardo De Vinci, and few would dare to portray and present banal objects as pieces of art. Stuart Davis, a bold representative of modern art, has proved that objects ordinary as a saltshaker, Odol, or a mellow pad may be viewed as items pertaining to modern art and furthermore be exhibited in museums. Although Davis was associated with abstract concepts, he insisted on being considered a realist (Stokes 13). When Davis talked of his paintings he said that he was an American to the bone, he studied in America, and he painted what he saw in America’s daily life (Doss 116). His words truly relate to the quality of his paintings which are widely different from those found in Europe. An art lover might wonder what moved Stuart Davis to portray daily life as it is. Travis said that he was moved by skyscrapers, storefronts, trains, cars, planes and taxi cabs, and even electric signs (Jopp par.3). When Davis felt there was more to learn, he traveled to Paris where he familiarized himself with European Art and incorporated some of its elements into his painting (“Stuart Davis” par 4). The Salt Shaker displayed in the Museum of Modern Arts in New York presents interest for art lovers. It is an oil-on-canvas painting, credited as the Gift of Mrs. Edith Gregor Halpert. Painting dimensions are impressive for a Salts Shaker, 49 by 32 inches allowing even for tiny details to be seen. The Salt Shaker is seen differently by people and if one is not told that he is actually looking at a Salt Shaker, he might regard it differently. For some, the frothy, white background and black dots on it, the colored vessel may give the viewer an impression of a cup of coffee from your local coffee shop. Upon closer examination, an observant viewer may notice that the dots, in fact, represent tiny holes for sifting salt. Another thing that complicates the viewer’s perception lies in the colors of the Salt Shaker. Most Salt Shakers are made from glass, metal, or wood, although Davis himself noted that the one he had painted bears an exact resemblance to the Salt Shaker from a café in Paris (Strokes 213). The bifurcated yellow-and-white sphere above the Salt Shaker is most probably ahead of a lid. It also has two holes, black on yellow and white on black semisphere, which serve for the passage of salt. The Salt Shaker itself is contained in a second, bigger vessel. This form might be a container for pepper. Standing closer to the picture, the viewer will definitely notice the strokes of paint, which might be lost in reproduction. The big letter ‘S’ across the Salt Shaker perhaps represents the world ‘salt’. The painting has three horizontal red strokes of paint of various lengths and a red dot above them. It is hard to decipher and guess what was on the artist’s mind when he added them to the painting. There are two black arrows at the bottom of the shaker, one pointing up and the other pointing to the white corner. They may imply the directions the meaning of which only the painter himself might have explained. In the painting’s left bottom corner, the artist left his signature, Stuart Davis. The Salt Shaker is a prominent example of how most ordinary and banal items may be turned into major art pieces. Not only is the artist popular in the US, his homeland, but also in Paris where his exhibitions are regularly organized, with the latest one featuring Davis’ works in 2014 (“Two Americans in Paris: Stuart Davis and Grant Wood” par. 2). Davis is also popular among contemporary Americans and many of them run blogs featuring the artist’s works and contributions (Saith par.1). Works Cited A. Jopp, Alexandra. n.d. Stuart Davis (1892–1964) n.d. Web. Doss, Erika. Benton, Pollock, and the Politics of Modernism: From Regionalism to Abstract Expressionism , Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1995. Print. Encyclopedia of World Biography 2004 , “Stuart Davis “. Web. Saith, Seth 2015, Stuart Davis: Modern Before His Time — an Art Exhibition in a Blog Post (On a Groundbreaking American painter). Web. Stokes Sims, Lowery. Stuart Davis: American Painter, Washington: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991. Print. Two Americans in Paris: Stuart Davis and Grant Wood. n.d. Web.
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Implementing a Community-Based Intervention for Hypertension Essay (Critical Writing) Cardiovascular diseases are the leading death cause worldwide, and multiple interventions attempt to decrease the number of severe cases. Oti et al. conducted the study “Outcomes and costs of implementing a community-based intervention for hypertension in an urban slum in Kenya” in 2012-2013 and published the results in 2016. The research has been published in the World Health Organization’s Bulletin and is dedicated to implementing a community-based approach to decreasing diseases by addressing the hypertension cases in Kenya’s urban slums (Oti et al., 2016). This paper aims to discuss the outcomes of the intervention and analyze the prevention effectiveness of such programs. The community health issue addressed in the study is Kenya’s city’s inhabitants’ lacking knowledge about cardiovascular diseases’ causes and prevention measures performed. Oti et al. (2016) state that “the rising burden of hypertension in low- and middle-income countries is amplified by the public’s low levels of awareness among slum residents as a large portion of neglected urban populations” (p. 501). Implementation of the intervention program aimed to educate nursing professionals, consult Kenyan citizens listed in the health and demographic surveillance system, and improve hypertension treatment in local hospitals (Oti et al., 2016). The community-based approach helped to increase the awareness of the health issue and encouraged urban slums’ inhabitants to include cardiovascular disease prevention measures in their lives. The intervention conducted in Nairobi’s slums attempted to control hypertension as a crucial cardiovascular disease risk factor. While community health programs might not make significant changes in the medical treatment strategies, they can help develop preventative attitudes to decrease the number of affected people. As a result, 660 patients were recruited to participate in the intervention, and 9% of them got their blood pressure under control by the sixth clinical visit (Oti et al., 2016). The community health program increased the citizens’ awareness about hypertension as a cardiovascular disease risk factor and improved several participants’ health conditions. The population group that participated in the study was the adults aged 35 years or older who reside in the Korogocho slum area and are registered on local health surveillance lists. People of that age living in urban regions risk developing cardiovascular diseases due to their nutritional and lifestyle habits, yet the preventative measures are still applicable to them (Oti et al., 2016). Out of the 4049 representatives screened, 976 patients were diagnosed with high blood pressure: 178 of them have been asked to retain care, and the rest attended educational events to improve their blood pressure control (Oti et al., 2016). As a result, the intervention helped raise awareness of cardiovascular disease’s risk factors and preventative approaches among the involved population group. The community health program included three main intervention components: awareness, treatment, and retention in care. The first had social gatherings, radio jingles, and door-to-door screening to get the citizens’ attention and recruit the population group (Oti et al., 2016). The second component involved nurses educated about hypertension’s risks and two clinics that received screening equipment (Oti et al., 2016). The last part of the intervention aimed to follow up on healthcare workers’ experiences and maintain the participant’s interest in improving their control over blood pressure (Oti et al., 2016). The strategy to impact the issue from multiple sides increased the prevention level: 660 patients recruited into treatment continuously received advice and practiced the measures to get their hypertension into decline (Oti et al., 2016). Moreover, as the community-based intervention included social events and advertisements, the whole region was informed about the potential health risks. The intervention in Kenyan urban slums can be considered effective because the citizens’ awareness of cardiovascular disease increased. Moreover, the population group received practical approaches to address hypertension as a crucial risk factor and prevent the severe conditions’ development. Similar community-based interventions can be conducted to help the citizens build healthier nutritional and lifestyle habits that would profoundly influence their health and impact multiple diseases prevention. Reference Oti, S. O., Van De Vijver, S., Gomez, G. B., Agyemang, C., Egondi, T., Kyobutungi, C., & Stronks, K. (2016). Outcomes and costs of implementing a community-based intervention for hypertension in an urban slum in Kenya. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94 (7), 501. Web.
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There was a heated controversy on whether she should continue being maintained in that state. Finally, it was agreed that her feeding tube should be removed, and she died 13 days later. Her condition led to heated battles between her family and husband about whether she should continue in the vegetative state or not. Her condition brought to light the controversy surrounding the way people in a vegetative state should be treated and the people who should be responsible for making decisions on their behalf. The role of physicians in shaping the opinion of the public about whether or not to end life is uncertain because they are not trained in ethics but medicine. The Terri Schiavo case highlighted the thin line between life and death and between morality and medicine (Quill 1630). The case has made many people to start thinking about end of life issues and make their wishes concerning this issue known to their close relatives. People have become aware of how important it is to have a will and to talk to their families about what kind of end-of-life options they would prefer. Definition of Being Alive To be alive is to be capable of responsiveness and awareness of the surrounding. A person in a vegetative state is not alive since he/ she does not have these capabilities. The brain has stopped functioning and the person is just being artificially kept alive by a machine. Though patients in vegetative state may show, reflexes like yawning and movement of the eyes, the individual is not aware of the environment or him/herself. This condition is caused by serious brain damage. A clear definition of a person who is alive is important in order to be able to make decisions about patients in a vegetative state. If they were able to speak for themselves, most patients would not want to be kept in a vegetative state. Would You Have Made The Same Choices If You Were A Member Of This Family? If I was a member of Terri Schiavo’s family, I would have supported the decision to remove her feeding tube. When someone enters a vegetative state, there is no point in continuing to prolong his/ her life artificially since he/she cannot improve. Death is inevitable no matter how long this person is kept alive. It is better to let nature take its course and let the person die. If a human being is not capable of cognition, emotions or wilful activity, then there is no point of being kept alive through artificial means (Quill 1631). My Thoughts on End-Of-Life Issues Death is a normal and an unavoidable occurrence that must happen to every living thing; therefore we should constantly think about it and prepare for it. I might be alive and well today, but no one knows about the future. Therefore, if anything was to happen to me and I happened to be in a vegetative state, I would want my family to do what is best for me. To me, life means that I am able to make my own decisions, have emotions and be aware of what is happening around me. If I am not capable of that, and there is no hope of improving, then I would not wish to have my life prolonged artificially. My time to leave this world will have come, and I would expect my family to respect the will of God. Work Cited Quill, Timothy. “Terri Schiavo- A Tragedy compounded.” The New England Journal of medicine, 2005. 352: 1630-1633
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Gastrointestinal Tract and Its Common Disorders Research Paper Introduction The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs of digestion such as “the salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and exocrine pancreas” (Huether & McCance, 2016, p. 884). Its major function is to break down ingested food, make it ready for the absorption by body cells, take in fluids, and remove wastes. Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common for gastroenterology (Drossman, 2016). Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders frequently have similar symptoms such as pain in the abdominal or chest area, problems with swallowing or painful swallowing, anorexia, changes in bowel movements, and even GI tract bleeding (Hammer & McPhee, 2014). Thus, knowledge of GI tract peculiarities, its normal pathophysiology, clinical manifestations of GI disorders is critical for correct and timely diagnosing, and the following treatment. Normal Pathophysiology of Gastric Acid Stimulation and Production Gastric hydrochloride acid is responsible for the dissolution of food fibers, executes a bactericide function against swallowed microorganisms, and converts pepsinogen to pepsin (Huether & McCance, 2016). It is produced by parietal cells and this process demands the transportation of “hydrogen and chloride from the parietal cells to the stomach lumen” (Huether & McCance, 2016, p. 891). A major process that results in acid formation is the hydrolysis of water. The Vagus nerve is an impetus for acid secretion. It releases acetylcholine and quickens the secretion of gastrin. Gastric acid secretion can be regulated by gastrin (Waldum, Hauso, & Fossmark, 2014). Gastrin, in its turn, provokes the discharge of histamine. At the next stage, histamine activates histamine receptors that stimulate the production of acid (Huether & McCance, 2016). Moreover, caffeine and calcium can stimulate the secretion of acid. Pathophysiology of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Peptic Ulcer Disease, and Gastritis Major GI disorders include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and gastritis. GERD is “the reflux of acid and pepsin or bile salts from the stomach into the esophagus that causes esophagitis” (Huether & McCance, 2016, p. 915). This condition can be found in about 30% of the American population. In patients with GERD, the content of gastric acid increases. The risk of developing GERD increases with aging, obesity, hiatal hernia, and treatment with medicines that soften the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) (Huether & McCance, 2016). GERD can be conditioned with anomalies in LES functioning, and motility or emptying. The growth of abdominal pressure as a result of pregnancy, obesity, bending or coughing can stimulate the reflux. The clinical manifestations of GERD are “pyrosis, acid regurgitation, dysphagia, chronic cough, asthma attacks, laryngitis, and upper abdominal pain within 1 hour of eating” (Huether & McCance, 2016, p. 917). Gastritis is an inflammatory disease of the gastric mucosa. It can be acute or chronic. Unlike GERD, it is a rare disease in the United States with a prevalence of less than 1%. Gastritis develops as a result of the protective mucosal barrier injury. It can be caused by Helicobacter pylori infection or the consumption of different chemicals or drugs (Watari, 2014). Gastritis is characterized by increased gastric secretion. A chronic condition is more characteristic of older adults, which is similar to GERD. Its clinical manifestations are not specific and can be misinterpreted. PUD is “a break or ulceration in the protective mucosal lining of the lower esophagus, stomach, or duodenum” (Huether & McCance, 2016, p. 920). Ulcers are the result of the influence of erosive factors on mucosal protective factors. These erosive factors include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and Helicobacter pylori. It is a widely-spread disease affecting more than 15.5 million people in the United States (Huether & McCance, 2016). Due to the erosive factors, gastric acid production increases ant it penetrates the mucosal barrier. The risk of developing PUD increases for people with gastric infections, smokers, and those who drink alcohol. Moreover, advanced age and some chronic diseases can stimulate PUD. The similarity of the three conditions is that they affect GI and can develop as a result of excessive medication. However, the risk factors and prevalence of the diseases are different for all conditions. Patient Factor Influencing Pathophysiology of GERD, PUD, and Gastritis One of the patient factors that influence the diseases of GI is the use of drugs that harm the GI tract. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are among the most dangerous medications because they can injure the protective mucosal lining and cause GERD, PUD, and gastritis. In case GERD, PUD, or gastritis are conditioned by NSAID, it is necessary to stop their use. For diagnosis, it is necessary to provide laboratory testing and endoscopic evaluation. Appropriate therapy aimed at the elimination of clinical manifestations and the improvement of patient condition should be used. Moreover, it is important to avoid NSAID in the treatment of GERD, PUD, and gastritis in case they caused the diseases. References Drossman, D. (2016). Functional gastrointestinal disorders: History, pathophysiology, clinical features, and Rome IV . Gastroenterology, 150 (6), 1262-1279.e2. Web. Hammer, G.D., & McPhee, S.J. (2014). Pathophysiology of disease: An introduction to clinical medicine (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education. Huether, S.E., & McCance, K.L. (2016). Understanding pathophysiology (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Neumann, W., Coss, E., Rugge, M., & Genta, R. (2013). Autoimmune atrophic gastritis—pathogenesis, pathology and management . Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 10 (9), 529-541. Web. Watari, J. (2014). Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis, clinical syndromes, precancerous lesions, and pathogenesis of gastric cancer development . World Journal of Gastroenterology, 20 (18), 5461. Web. What is Gastritis? (n.d.). Web.
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The beverage helps to diminish the feeling of fatigue after awakening and stay alert and focused. While some people prefer to brew a cup of coffee themselves, other resort to coffee shops for their doze of this energizing beverage. Given the popularity and indispensability of the product, many coffee shop chains spread across the country. Starbucks and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf seem to be one of the most common choices. Although the two commercial coffee shop chains offer comparable service, a customer pays for two dissimilar experiences in actuality. The quality of coffee is not the most striking difference between Starbucks and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, while the price possibly is. It is not surprising that Starbucks’s prices are lower, as the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf markets its products as handcrafted and of premium quality. Nonetheless, a regular coffee enthusiast and not a coffee connoisseur may not notice a considerable difference between beverages from the two chains. On the other hand, small divergences in flavor should be acknowledged. Thus, in many cases, the drinks offered in Coffee Bean seem to have a stronger and more saturated coffee flavor. Moreover, the two brands align in the items offered in their menus. Since regular types of coffee do not surprise contemporary customers, brands experiment with blended drinks. Seasonality also plays a significant role for both Coffee Bean and Starbucks, as seasonal and holiday drinks featuring pumpkin pie spice or cookie butter serve as a primary attraction for curious buyers. Nevertheless, Starbucks seems to employ this strategy more effectively, as their pumpkin spice latte became an influential hit in recent years. In addition to teas and coffees, these chains’ menus include a small variety of food items – mainly pastries and sandwiches. While taste, menus, and quality-price ratios do not have sizeable differences, the customer’s experience is incomparable. Even though both Starbucks and Coffee Bean target middle-class customers, the brand’s personalities are distinct. Starbucks accentuates personalization and sustainability while Coffee Bean neglects these elements. Personalized reusable Starbucks cups constitute a part of the brand’s appeal and make its logo globally recognizable. This commercial coffee shop chain tries to make each customer feel acknowledged, increasing their loyalty. On the contrary, Coffee Bean appears to be a more traditional brand in this aspect, focusing primarily on establishing that its product is of high quality. In conclusion, despite the fact that Starbucks and Coffee Bean are comparable in quality, offered items, and, to an extent, prices, the customer experience that they offer are markedly different. In contrast to Coffee Bean, buyers at Starbucks do not pay only for coffee – they are provided with customized service. The two companies manage to sustain excitement by adding new innovative beverages, yet Starbucks personalized the approach to individual customers, which possibly made its logo more identifiable than that of Coffee Bean.
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The effect of fluoride varnish on deciduous teeth is studied. Although its clinical effectiveness has already been explored, research on caries reduction in primary dentition lacks proper documentation or has produced inconclusive results. Thus, a hypothesis is formulated: fluoride varnish applications are potentially favorable for reversing active pit-and-fissure enamel lesions in the primary dentition (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). The study design includes the process of selecting the participants: 59 children randomly formed a varnish group, and 89 children went into a control group. The racial, age and sex composition of the groups was similar. Active and inactive enamel carious lesions were considered. As for the intervention, the study group received topical applications of fluoride varnish at baseline and in four months (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). Each child was instructed about how to drink, eat, and clean their teeth. The primary outcome demonstrates the slight increase in caries prevalence in the control group nine months later. The following criteria are taken into account: dmfs (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces), dmft (decayed, missing, and filled teeth), and ds (decayed surfaces) (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). The data shows that the improvement in the varnish group is more sustained. For example, more than 80% of active enamel lesions were inactive; in comparison, this rate was 37.8% in the control group. Just as any experimental study, the present research has specific characteristics. In an interventional study, a researcher forms a hypothesis and conducts an experiment. To discover the effect of some condition (independent variable) on a certain consequence (dependent variable), randomly assigned participants should be involved (What is an experimental study, 2016). Indeed, the hypothesis was given; the children were selected randomly; the usage of fluoride varnish on deciduous teeth and caries increase/decrease are the independent and dependent variables correspondingly. What is more, the experiment is blind: as the authors state, the examination of the subjects was set by calibrated dentists unaware of the treatment group to which the children belonged (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). To ensure the reliability of the experiment, inter examination was introduced: 8 to 10 percent of the children were re-examined at each experimental stage. The data are anchored: the level of agreement varies from substantial to excellent. Two ethical issues should be mentioned in relation to the study. First of all, participation must be voluntary and harmless. In the course of the experiment, 35 children dropped out for a number of reasons (moving from the community, refusal to continue, and others); six children were excluded since the condition of their anterior teeth demanded immediate treatment. The second principle is honesty: before the investigation, the children’s parents received the information concerning the procedures, possible discomforts, risks, and benefits and gave their written consent (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). All in all, the study is of paramount importance for dental public health. The level of untreated decay in the primary dentition among low-income families is still high. To solve this widespread problem, an easy and safe method of treatment and prevention is needed. Fluoride varnish has proven to be an appropriate measure: it is convenient and well-accepted by people. The study demonstrates that it will be effective as a non-surgical alternative in the sphere of children’s dentistry. References Autio-Gold, J. T., & Courts, F. (2001). Assessing the effect of fluoride varnish on early enamel carious lesions in the primary dentition. Journal of the American Dental Association, 132 (9), 1247-1253. What is experimental study . (2016). Web.
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Product Liability and Tort Action Research Paper While discussing torts, it is necessary to focus on the cases associated with product liability and the issues of negligence and strict liability. It is also necessary to discuss the cases of torts as legal causes of action. The first situation is connected with the product liability issue and the second situation is connected with the tort and a cause of action. Fact Situation # 1. The June family sued J. C. Penney as a distributor of defectively dangerous products such as Perdana Drop-Side Cribs because of the death of their 19-month old child. The plaintiffs point at the defective design and negligent manufacture and on the fact of distribution of defective products. In this situation, both the manufacturer and distributor can be discussed as liable in tort because of manufacturing and distributing defective products, still, the presence of defects should be proven and reported (Polinsky and Shavell 34). It is possible to speak about negligence in relation to product liability when the manufacturer produces high-quality goods and the seller’s conduct can be discussed as unreasonable because of the further unintentional injury. The fact that the sold cribs regularly malfunction because of the failure mechanism to facilitate the side’s dropping supports the idea that the product is defective, and it can cause dangers (Beatty and Samuelson 423). Thus, the June family should focus on proving the product’s defectiveness in order to impose strict liability on the manufacturer and distributor. Fact Situation # 2. Sally Marfield’s child was born as a result of the doctor’s negligence because the pregnancy was unwanted, and Sally was not informed about the dangerous effects of using such an abortion-inducing drug as Q-Zap on the fetus. It is important to state that the doctor did not warn about the consequences of using the drug and did not propose the test for determining genetic conditions (Pozgar 115). As a result, the born child suffers from pain, and Sally spends funds to support her son’s life. In this case, Sally can sue for wrongful birth as a cause of action because the doctor demonstrated negligence, and he failed to inform Sally about the risks of using the drug and having a child with significant genetic conditions. Consequently, Sally suffers from spending resources to support the son’s life, and the child suffers from a life of pain. It is possible to state that the harm to Sally’s family is caused because of the medical negligence, and this case should be discussed as the medial intentional tort because the doctor also did not inform the patient about his religious position which could also become the cause of his harmful actions. Thus, the doctor did not follow ethical standards, the standards of care, and caused harm to the patient because of not warning about the risks of genetic abnormalities (Rhinehart 147). That is why Sally can easily sue because of observing the main elements of the medical malpractice tort. The analyzed situations can be discussed as clear examples of torts. The first case is related to the issue of product liability and points at the liability of the manufacturer and seller. The second situation is a typical case of wrongful birth as a cause of action related to the medical malpractice tort. Thus, the provided situations can be easily discussed under the determined laws. Works Cited Beatty, Jeffrey, and Susan Samuelson. Business Law and the Legal Environment . New York: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print. Polinsky, Mitchell, and Steven Shavell. “The Uneasy Case for Product Liability”. Harvard Law Review 123.6 (2010): 34-52. Print. Pozgar, George. Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration . New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2011. Print. Rhinehart, Kelly. “The Debate over Wrongful Birth and Wrongful Life”. Law and Psychology Review 26.141 (2002): 147-162. Print.
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Leadership Styles and Organizational Commitment Report (Assessment) Initiating structure and consideration behavior in leadership The nature of behaviors that leaders portray is subject to different factors. For example, some superiors rate leaders based on their capability to plan and organize activities. Therefore, leaders, who want to improve their ratings to their superiors, will show a high initiating structure. However, the same leaders may also understand the need for being considerate to team members. Therefore, a leader is likely to show a high initiating structure and high consideration behaviors when he or she wants to please the superiors and achieve the set goals by collaborating with his or her team members. However, in other cases, autocratic leaders trying to please their superiors may not be concerned with the welfare of their team members. Therefore, such leaders will portray high initiating structure and low consideration behaviors. In other instances, leaders may not be pressurized by their superiors and they may be judged through their achievements. For example, in a participative leadership style, leaders do not have to prove themselves by adhering to some static structures. In such cases, performance determines the effectiveness of a leader. Therefore, a leader under such conditions may show a low initiating structure and high consideration behaviors. This participative nature of leadership allows leaders to engage team members at all levels in different decision-making opportunities. As such, all the involved parties give their input on how goals should be achieved among other issues. Finally, in some cases, autocratic leaders may be involved in a system where superiors believe in laissez-faire leadership. Therefore, such leaders may show a low initiating structure and low consideration behaviors. In this case, the involved leaders are not pressurized by their superiors, thus creating room for low initiating structure behavior. However, being autocratic, the leaders may not consider the suggestions or contributions from workers concerning the organization’s decision-making process. This form of leadership has many drawbacks, such as high employee turnover and lack of creativity because strategic decisions and directions come from a single source (Yahaya and Ebrahim 199). Main lessons learned about leadership The two main lessons that I have learned are motivation and coaching. For instance, I now understand the three basic components that must be present for motivation to take place. Therefore, in the future, as I advance in leadership roles, I will ensure that valence, instrumentality, and expectancy are available before I start any form of motivation program. I will then set specific goals as I have learned that such a strategy leads to higher performance as opposed to generalized goals. I will also remember that the amount of effort that employees put into a given project depends on the expected reward that they stand to gain in return. In five years from today, I will still remember that effective leaders are good coaches, and thus motivators. My main purpose for coaching employees will be to help them learn from the job and develop as individuals. I will ensure that I give employees the requisite resources for them to make independent decisions. Besides, I will remember and avoid the different myths associated with coaching, such as coaches need to be experts in a certain field to assist others. Finally, I will employ some coaching skills that I have learned such as careful listening, relationship building, content reflection, and clear communication with group members. I will also give team members the needed space and time to model the desired performance and behavior. Work Cited Yahaya, Rusliza, and Fawzy Ebrahim. “Leadership Styles and Organizational Commitment: Literature Review.” Journal of Management Development , vol. 35 no. 2, 2016, pp.190-216.
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This case study intends to discuss a framework of responding to oil spillage operations occurring specifically in the Gulf of Mexico and how related factors impacts on such an operation; in this case the oil spill was Deepwater Horizon. The model that we shall refer to is known as “A bi-criterion, multiperiod mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model” (Zhong and You, 2011). In such a case where Oil spill is of Deepwater Horizon, the response operations are spread across three levels described as S1, S2 and S3 which are at peripheral distances from the point of oil spill indicated as 60km between each other (Zhong and You, 2011). For this case the MILP model was supposed to develop a cost-effective and efficient response operation for an oil spillage that was “25 degree API crude oil that had been spilling for 42 days at an average rate of 10,000 M 3” (Zhong and You, 2011). The expected end results and other variables needed to develop the response operation plan is to have a final of only 1500 M 3 oil spill remaining after the clean up and have 3 types of mechanical systems that will be used in cleaning the oil spill (Zhong and You, 2011). Other factors and variables were considered and included in the MILP model in developing the response operation while using 180 days as the base number of days that would achieve the same results if no response was implemented. In determining the optimal number of days that is the most cost-effective Pareto-optimal curve was utilized in this case which gave range of 75-180 days and cleaning costs that vary from $1095MM-162MM (Zhong and You, 2011). Figure 1 Figure 2 During this particular response, the model indicated 77 days to be the most economical compared to cleaning the oil spill in 75 days though they only vary by two days since the cost differences is very significant between these two points by almost 50% (Zhong and You, 2011). Because oil spill cleanup is very costly, this model indicates that use of booms to protect coastline is a cheaper strategy than cleaning the spill on sea since natural process will clean most of the oil spillage anyway (Zhong and You, 2011). Finally, the model indicates that dispersant application is the most efficient method of oil cleanup in this case (Zhong and You, 2011). Recommendation Based on the analysis indicated by the MILP model, it would appear that oil spill cleanup should be hedged on specific critical times during the duration of the spill when the exercise is most economical to undertake. Thus, one recommendation for this study is that oil spill cleanup in this region be planned along these critical times so as to maximize resources in doing so and take advantage of the natural cleaning process that as we have seen is very effective in achieving the same. Reference Zhong, Z. & You, F. 2011. Oil spill response planning with consideration of physicochemical evolution of the oil slick: A multiobjective optimization approach. Computers and chemical engineering , 1: 1-17.
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Probation/Parole Excessive Caseloads, Proper Supervision and Prison Re-entry Programs Research Paper The justice system is designed to guarantee security to citizens, protect them from criminals, and manage people who have already committed a crime, and demand supervision. For this reason, such phenomena as probation and parole are topical today. Moreover, the growth in the number of illegal actions every year and significant recidivism rates contribute to the excessive caseloads. Courts have to deal with a significant number of cases every day, meaning that their effectiveness might reduce. Thus, probation and parole might influence proper supervision and re-entry programs, meaning that the further increase in excessive caseloads should be managed to help communities and clients. It is vital to ensure that all individuals with the experience of detention have the chance to resocialize and become society members; otherwise, the problem will remain topical, and citizens will suffer from crime and problems associated with it. Today, the rate of excessive caseloads in probation and parole remains high. The problem is that failure rates are high as only 46% of all parolees complete the term successfully, not violating the major conditions of release or committing a new crime (BJS, 2020). It means that more than half of all parolees have issues that should be viewed by the court and are considered excessive ones (BJS, 2020). Furthermore, the situation with probation remains similar as a bigger part of individuals violate its terms (BJS, 2020). It contributes to the growing number of new crimes. The statistics show that every year about 650,000 individuals are released from prisons, and 80% of them are released to supervision in the community (BJS, 2020). Parolees have to spend about 26 months under control, meaning that there are nearly 750,000 persons on parole and about four million on probation (BJS, 2020). Considering the high failure rates, it contributes to excessive caseloads and decreased effectiveness of supervision. Special officers cannot handle the constantly growing number of offenders and fail to resolve the problem (BJS, 2020). For this reason, there is a need for an effective and relevant solution to enhance the situation. The resolution of the problem demands some radical change in the existing policy to help communities and individuals affected by them. First of all, it is vital to reduce failure rates and ensure that the bigger part of parolees can successfully complete the term. Research shows that engagement in various activities, work, and participation in social projects help former criminals to avoid new attempts of committing a crime or violating the terms of their release (Arai et al., 2021). Under these conditions, it is vital to provide this cohort with a chance to engage in a particular activity necessary for resocialization and re-entry. It will also help probation/parole officers to reduce the stress, workload and ensure they will perform their tasks with the increased effectiveness levels. Furthermore, working in different community projects, ex-criminals will acquire the chance to find new friends or avoid thoughts about returning to the prison, which is also vital for such cases. Under these conditions, the proposed policy should presuppose better chances for employment and cooperation with different groups. Speaking about parole and probation, it is critical to mention reentry programs that are the part of the modern justice systems. These are incentives designed and created with the primary goal to help returning citizens reenter communities soon after their incarceration (Turner et al., 2016). This central goal of such actions includes reducing recidivism, better public safety, and saving money as incarceration, including trials cost a lot for the government. In such a way, the major advantage of such re-entry programs is their ability to ensure that all parole or returning citizens will have the chance to avoid committing new crimes and become members of a particular community (Reese, 2020). It is a significant achievement that cannot be disregarded. At the same time, some issues should be mentioned regarding the topic. First, re-entry programs might still be ineffective as there is a deficit of offerings for people with a criminal past (Reese, 2020). Moreover, some proposals might be irrelevant or unattractive for such people, meaning that they might prefer to engage in other activities (Arai et al., 2021). For this reason, they should be improved to help returning citizens overcome the major challenges, such as prejudiced attitudes, lack of trust, and employment problems (Arai et al., 2021; Turner et al., 2016). Only under these conditions the positive change can be promoted. Altogether, excessive caseloads and ineffective reentry programs remain important problems that should be resolved to help both officers and communities. It is recommended to introduce policy change to ensure that all returning citizens have a chance for employment or engagement in specific activities that will help them to resocialize and become community members. Speaking for re-entry programs, they should be supported with available community resources to help ex-criminals find their place in society, overcome stereotyped attitudes, and find a source of income. The proposed change will help to improve communities’ lives, their safety and contribute to better problem resolution. It is vital to help the justice system to cope with this challenge. References Arai, M., Gartell, M., Rödin, M., & Özcan, G. (2021). Ethnic stereotypes and entry into labor market programs . ILR Review , 74 (2), 293–320. Web. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). (2020). Probation and parole in the United States, 2017-2018 . Web. Reese, R. (2020). The Reintegration Academy for parolees. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education . Web. Turner, J. R., Hemmens, C., & Matz, A. K. (2016). Is it reasonable? A legal review of warrantless searches of probationers and parolees. Criminal Justice Policy Review , 27 (7), 684–701. Web.
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Communication Skills in the Workplace Report (Assessment) Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Rationale 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction The high rate of globalization has led to increment in the volume of international trade. One of the industries that have benefited from this growth is the freight industry in Singapore ( AGI Freight 1). AGI Freight is one of the firms that operate within Singapore’s freight industry. Over the years it has been in operation, the firm has managed to attain substantial success within the local and the international market. To attain its profit maximization objective, the firm is committed at entering in new markets. One of the factors that has contributed towards the firm’s success is its effectiveness in providing personalizes service to customers ( AGI Freight 1). To improve its operational efficiency, the firm is intends to hire a sales manager. The successful candidate will be required to possess adequate skill and knowledge with regard to the freight industry. Upon selection, the candidate will be required to start working immediately. Rationale In the course of executing his or her duty, the sales manager will be charged with the responsibility of building optimal rapport between the firm and its clients. The sales manager will also be required to attend to clients’ enquiries in order to satisfactorily meet their needs. Moreover, the sales manager will be required to develop effective sales report and work as a team. Consequently, it is essential for the selected candidate to possess effective communication skills. According to (McIntosh & Luecke 5) poor workplace communication is one of the major issues that organization’s management teams have to address. This arises from the fact that it can adversely affect an organization’s success both in the short run and the long run. Currently, the sales environment has become very competitive. The effectiveness with which an organization grows, meets or exceeds its sales targets determines its profitability and hence its long term survival. Consequently, the sales managers should possess optimal communication skills in order to ensure a high level of coordination within the sales team (Woods 34). The sales manager should ensure that information that can contribute toward increment in the firm’s sales revenue is effectively communicated to the sales team. This aids in establishment of a high level of goal congruence between team members (Havaldar & Cavale 31). The workplace environment is increasingly becoming culturally diverse. One of the factors promoting this workplace transformation is the high rate of globalization (Dwyer 121). Consequently, there is a high probability that the sales manager selected will be required to work with a team that is culturally diverse. In order to succeed in such an environment, the sales manager will be required to appreciate the communication difference amongst the team members. One of the ways through which the manager can achieve this is by developing a comprehensive understanding of the differences in cultural values and norms amongst team members. Conclusion The analysis above illustrates that communication skills is an important element that firms’ management teams should take into account in their quest to develop a strong workforce. One of the factors explaining the importance of communication skills in the workplace is the high rate of transformation within organizations’ workforces. The high rate of globalization has made organizations’ workforces to be culturally diverse. Organizations are increasingly adopting the concept of teamwork in order to promote their operational effectiveness. Working in such an environment requires one to possess effective communication skills in order to ensure effective collaboration. Additionally, organizations are increasingly venturing into the international market in order to maximize their profitability. However, their success in the international market is dependent on the communication skills of its workforce. Works Cited AGI Freight: Sales executive/sales manager 2013. Web. Dwyer, Judith. Communication for business and the professions , French Forest: Pearson Australia, 2013, Print. Havaldar, Krishna and C. Vasant. Sales and distribution management: text and cases , New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print. McIntosh, Perry and L. Richard. Interpersonal communication skills in the workplace , New York: American Management Association, 2008. Print. Woods, Julia. Communication in our lives, Belmont, Calif: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
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Preliminary Principles of a Peon Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Peon 3. Peon job opportunities 4. Preliminary principles of a peon 5. Importance of peons preliminary principles 6. Conclusion 7. Works cited Introduction In this world, people work in different places. In the places where they work, they hold different titles. One can be the president, vice president, accountant, human resource manager, secretary, massager, cleaner, garden boy among others in an organization. This paper discusses a person whose job title makes him or her fall in the category of peons. It first explains who a peon is, his or her job opportunities and preliminary principles. Peon The first and the most important thing are to understand what the word peon means. According to Vincent (20), the word peon was derived from Spanish word. The word had several meanings depending on the way it was used in Spain though primarily, was used to refer to a worker with limited control over his or her employment conditions. In the English-speaking world, the word is used to refer to a worker who has limited authority over his or her duties and performs unskilled tasks. Generally, the word is used to refer to a person who has little authority over his or her employment conditions (Vincent 21). Peon job opportunities After understanding who a peon is, Vincent (21), goes further to discuss his or her job titles. A peon can be a person working in an office as an attendant, office boy or performer of odd jobs. One can also be working as a policeman or a soldier among other jobs. Most tasks performed by peons are unskilled. This means that a peon can fit in a derogatory or self-effacing situation. These people usually have limited authority over their duties hence finding themselves in a situation where they have no choice but to perform them (Vincent 23). Preliminary principles of a peon According to Allyn (12), a peon needs to develop preliminary principles to cope with his or her working environment. He resolves that the most important preliminary principle of a peon is to develop communication skills that can make him or her more effective in an organizational environment. He went further and defined communication as an exchange of thoughts, feelings, or information. He discussed and concluded that communication skills consist majorly of listening, speaking and writing skills. Once a peon develops these skills, he or she becomes an effective communicator in the workforce. Importance of peons preliminary principles Communication skills were considered as the most important principle because it would help the peon to know how to respond to the management regardless of his or her job. This would enable him or her to communicate with the management respectably. These skills also would help the peon to differentiate between good and poor communication. As a result, it would help him or her to avoid consequences of poor communication like being fired. This principle would also help peons to understand their managers’ ways of communication and how to cope with them. Moreover, these skills would enable them to have freedom of expression. As a result, they would create some kind of bondage with their managers. This would further help them to have a positive perception of their managers. Finally, these skills prove to be the most important in enabling a peon to thrive in any organizational condition (Allyn 14). Conclusion Peons should understand that they have little authority over their working environment. They should learn preliminary principles to fit better in their workforce. As discussed above, peons need to develop effective communication skills that would enable them to thrive in any working condition. Works cited Allyn, Bacon. Organizational Communication for Survival to Work . 3 rd Edition, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009. Pg. 12-14. Vincent, David. Organizational Communication and Preliminary Principles of a Peon . CRC Press, 2009. Pg.20-23.
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Penang Mutiara Restaurant Management System Report Table of Contents 1. Operations management strategy 2. Possible changes 3. Impact of quality, speed, flexibility, and cost 4. Internal benefits 5. References Operations management strategy Penang Mutiara Restaurant functions on the pillar of total quality management system. The hotel is proactive in safeguarding assets and resources, sustaining efficiency in operations, and ensuring completeness in the management strategies. These strategies support communicational culture, efficiency, and optimal resource use in it service delivery to customers. The business has incorporated a corporate disclosure and system of litigation variables which are connected at central point by strategic planning. Every operational decision revolves around quality assurance and creatively. Besides, the risk proportions are thoroughly verifies before informed decisions are made. This procedure is necessary in monitoring decision science, distribution of risk elements, and forecasting into future swings in the restaurant industry market (Slack, 2008). The decision makers in the establishment have rationalise the service delivery processes as a prerequisite for managing operational costs, rather than simply introducing cheap menus or food. Skills required in supporting business strategy plan are found in the hotel’s operation management model, which functions as an implementer and driver of business decisions. These variables are critical in ensuring organisational survival in the volatile market. The variables are connected at central point by strategic planning which encompasses costing, speed, quality, flexibility, and dependability to create a smooth continuous operation tracking model that operates like computer from one segment to another. As a result, most of the clients are frequent visitors who are attracted by these unique services (Slacks, 2008). Through setting of performance targets for the staff members, the professional hotel attendees always strive and work harder to satisfy the needs of ever growing demands from their customers. Besides, the topological structure of the hotel consists of communication and operations management system which help in determining efficient performance and optimal resource use. The continuum of increasing the value of quality in operation of the hotel’s human resources lies in constant training and motivation (Williams, 2007). Possible changes In order to avoid an imminent failure, it is vital for the operations management system at the Penang Mutiara Hotel to focus on a defined edge in balancing the labour and operation costs. Despite having this efficient operations management system, the hotel has not fully established a mechanism for monitoring progress at micro level and depends on macro auditing in decision making. Therefore, it is necessary to review certain element of the operations strategy. The hotel should introduce a micro auditing unit for internal decision making rather than depending on macro market environment (MacKay & McKiernan, 2009). Impact of quality, speed, flexibility, and cost Through implementation of the strategic operations management elements such as speed, cost, flexibility, and quality, the Penang Mutiara Hotel is set to immediately and substantially gain from the reliability aspect as compared to its competitors. Since clients will be able to receive quality, affordable, and flexible services within a shorter time, the Penang Mutiara Hotel stands to gain from customer satisfaction and referrals (Slacks, 2008). Internal benefits The element of flexibility will make the internal business environment for the hotel sustainable since establishment will be flexible to the changes in the supply and demand of the production factors. The aspect of quality in service delivery among the employees will ensure profit maximisation and business growth (Samson & Singh, 2008). On the other hand, the element of speed is directly related to the output of each employee in the hotel. The element of cost in the Penang Mutiara Hotel’s operations strategy will ensure efficiency in the use of resources to serve the needs of customers. References MacKay, B., & McKiernan, P. (2009). The role of hindsight in foresight: Refining strategic reasoning , Futures , 36 (2), 161-179. Web. Samson, D., & Singh, P. (2008). Operations Management: An Integrated approach . London, UK: Cambridge University Press. Web. Slack, N. (2008). Operations management (6 th ed.). Benin, Germany: Prentice Hall. Web. Williams, C. (2007). Re-thinking the future of work: Directions and visions . New York: NY: Palgrave. Web.
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Willoy Engineering Ltd.’s Accounting System Lifecycle Essay In order to remain cost effective in the competitive business environment, businesses must adopt working systems that are not only lean but also efficient. The ever-growing information technology industry presents numerous ways where companies can identify opportunities for savings in their daily operations. One such opportunity is in the management of information within the company and especially about accounting information. Traditionally, firms relied on the laborious manual accounting systems. These systems require a lot of labor and a large physical filing space whereas suffering from a large number of drawbacks. For instance, it takes a lot of time to trace and retrieve a file in the traditional accounting system. On the contrary, it only requires a click of the mouse to retrieve a file in the computerized system. For that reason, firms must embrace technology if they are to succeed in today’s business environment (Bagranoff, Simkin & Norman 2010). Such is the case for Willoy Engineering, an electrical contracting company based in Illinois. The company offers electrical maintenance and installations services to the state of Illinois. In order to identify the requirements for the new accounting system, one must understand the current system, identify its weaknesses, and think up ways in which to solve them. This involves studying the current physical system, documenting it, defining the future logic system, and designing the future physical system. To start with, one must study and analyze the system in use by utilizing the existing documentation such as data flow diagrams and flow charts. At this stage, the objective is to build on the available information to understand the operations of the current system. To document the existing logical system, one should remove the physical elements from the current system and produce a logical flow data diagram. One then proceeds to the next stage of defining the user requirements for the new system. This involves ranking the requirements according to their importance in order to establish the most crucial ones in case the available resources cannot satisfy all the user requirements. To achieve this, it is imperative to categorize the user requirements into three groups. There are those requirements that are critical to the system and without which the system would not be usable, those that make the system easier to use and those that make the system “nice enough” but are not critical to the operation of the system (Ulric & Dull 2010). Any systems development cycle starts with an initiative. There must be a will to solve a particular problem. In this case, the need to improve the current accounting system is the identified initiative. It then goes to systems concept development where one identifies the scope of project and where an analysis is done on the costs versus benefits, risk management and as well as a determination of how feasible, the project is. A project management plan then follows which provides the guidelines and timelines for acquiring the required resources for the successful completion of the project. After which, one needs to do a requirements analysis in order to create a detailed functional requirements. Designing and developing the concept then follows. The other phase is integration, and testing. During this phase, one must ensure that the new system meets the functional requirements of the envisaged system. After this, one implements the system into a real physical environment. Operation and maintenance then follows (Bagranoff, Simkin & Norman 2010). During the implementation of this system, the company may face a number of challenges. One of these challenges is resistance from the workers who might fear that a new accounting information system will render them redundant and therefore jobless. To this effect, the management must educate the employees on the weaknesses of the old accounting system and elaborately explain the need for a new system by actively involving all the employees. The best way to achieve this is to let the employees own the initiative. Secondly, it is most likely that without involving the right stakeholders, it will be difficult to define the requirements of the new system. Employees should also be encouraged to adopt the new system as a personal empowerment tool. The company may also face financial challenges in implementing the new financial system. For instance, one must improve the existing computer network, which will affect the profitability of the company in the short run (Ulric & Dull 2010). From the onset, one needs to change the supply and procurement system and the materials delivery system. The current system does not integrate the labor and material requirements of a particular work site in order to determine whether each job makes a profit or a loss. As well, the system does not capture variations in material quantities from the initial materials quoted in the tender documents. The systems developer must incorporate this as a functional requirement in the new system. As well, the new system should be able to classify required materials and classify in order of priority. Finally, the new system should be able to give preliminary information concerning the financial position of the company (Ulric & Dull 2010). References Bagranoff, N. A., Simkin, M. G., & Norman, C. S. (2010). Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems (11th ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Ulric, J. G., & Dull, R. B. (2010). Accounting Information Systems. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
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Introduction 2. Literature review 3. Discussion 4. Conclusion 5. Reference Introduction Most companies and organizations have succeeded in achieving their objectives through effective leadership. Leaders play a major role in instilling an organizational culture that ensures its missions are accomplished. Various books have noted leadership in different perspectives; the most common is its relation to skills and attitude, some consider manages to be driven mainly by skills, while others, attitude. Several managers have managed to inspire their companies to higher heights with improved efficiency and production hence maximizing profits, expansion, and company development; however, questions have been raised on the real drive-in managers. Besides, mythical views have also appeared to drive leadership debate (Sullivan & Decker, 1997, pp. 2-30). This paper will address the mythical view that leaders never fail. Literature review Failures have been used as lessons for leaders and obstacles help instigate behaviors of leaders. Myths have it that people live in success, and leaders should never fail. This is in respect to the notion in hospitals where it is easy for doctors to be sued for patients’ failure to recover. Leaders must undergo several years of development, and this helps in reducing their chances of failure. They are culturally known to excel in everything they do and are taken as examples to others in an organization or society, but this does not mean they cannot fail since failure is part of development (Sullivan & Decker, 1997, pp. 2-30). Discussion The myth that leaders never fail has been taken by most people in organizations, especially those at junior levels of the firms. I have always associated leaders with some special level of understanding given their positions and experiences. Even though they face shifting trends and an increasingly challenging environment, we expect them to make the best of the decision in every situation. Having witnessed most managers sacked for mistakes that directly affect the company’s operations, I developed the notion; leaders never fail. These sentiments have been shared by junior staff who expect their leaders to lead by example. In this respect, other staff members can be understood to fail in their duties, but not their leader (Sullivan & Decker, 1997, pp. 2-30). Some leaders have also instilled this belief in people, especially political leaders who give promises and convince the electorates that they will never fail them. These have in most cases backfired as they fail to accomplish even the least expected of them. Incorporated world, like in health sectors, a doctor is expected to be successful, in every activity, without any chance for approximations. This myth has failed to live up to its expectations, with realities showing that people learn from mistakes, and obstacles may not necessarily be overcome as required and this has been witnessed in some companies adopting ineffective policies aimed at surging them forward, only to bring them down. For instance, some managers in the football world buy very expensive players expecting to get a return, but end up in big losses (Sullivan & Decker, 1997, pp. 2-30). Conclusion This myth is only applicable as a notion but never happens in reality, where different challenges in a constantly shifting world face managers. In some cases, they make the wrong decisions and incur heavy losses, which even cost them their jobs. After all, leadership has various aspects of execution, some are run by skills, others attitude and yet most, a combination of both. It is therefore quite wrong to believe this myth, as it does not work out in reality (Sullivan & Decker, 1997, pp. 2-30). Reference Sullivan, J. E., & Decker, J. P. (1997). Effective Leadership and management in Michigan: Addison-Wesley Nursing.
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E-Commerce in Entrepreneurship Essay Introduction Globalization is taking place at a steady pace and with the rise of large entrepreneurship major outsourcing deals are being made around the world. The rising inflation and vulnerable economy have made it essential for corporate to make widespread interactions, save wages, and make their businesses flow along cost-effectively (“The Future of Outsourcing”, 2006). Entrepreneurs now seek ways to bring up their dying businesses, by off-shoring their deals, going widespread to other countries with innovations. More can be gained this way, and profits are earned, no matter how difficult the situation may seem, with a network of people to handle. Main body All companies in the US are virtually outsourcing their businesses. They speak of the benefits attained by spreading to other parts of the globe and boast of having to spend little amounts for the good relationships they develop with other nations (“The Future of Outsourcing”, 2006). Despite the current economic downfall, people are still willing to remain determined about the revenues being gained from global outsourcing (Business Outsourcing Firms See Growth, 2008). Businesses require a large number of interactions and activities to flourish. The major corporate of the world is trying to attain the best from their clients abroad. Certain activities can be exercised from within the headquarters of the enterprise, especially those which do not require innovations. Those actions that require a new and variety of ideas can be given to other nations to do, to get innovative ideas and more productive results on consumer attraction. Large organizations like Amazon and eBay are carrying out online deals, providing services worldwide. All dealings which can be made online for marketing goods to other nations should be done so, as many consumers opt for online shopping and other such interactions. The actions that require immediate personal attention and correspondence can be taken up by the company, and those that can be carried out based on other people’s resources can be given out to an outsourcing unit. As the figure shows the company must opt to find a good local hosting company like Godaddy, Hostmonster, Hostgator, etc. Asian and other developing countries have less energy and electric supply to provide round-the-clock hosting services. Hosting service must be remarkable as the company’s website must not be down. However, the company must opt for outsourcing web development services abroad. The reason is that India, Pakistan, and China have giant and excellent web development services at a minimal cost. As compared to the USA where programmers and web developers usually charge 1500 USD to 7000 USD per E-commerce website depending upon the features and requirements. While outsourcing the same project to India or Pakistan we can bring down the cost to ½ or even 1/3rd of the original cost. The implementation of an e-commerce web store would prove extremely beneficial, as even in times of economic hurdles like the present ones being faced the world over, a short-term deceleration in growth rates would occur, but would then rise again with the pace gain of economic activities. Internet technologies are helping out the spreading of businesses. The business stakeholders are all dependent upon the net and are flourishing through the collaboration they have achieved by outsourcing. Outsourcing to any part of the world will prove to gain substantial profits always. References Business outsourcing firms see growth . Web. The Future Of Outsourcing (2006). Web.
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Using language and tropes, Shakespeare manages literally distinctiveness. In Macbeth, tropes, which are figures of speech, make most of the play to provide insight concerning what Shakespeare hoped to disseminate. With emphasis on specific sections of the initial, part of Macbeth, establishing the plot constituents is principal. This paper seeks to identify specific language and tropes used by Shakespeare in his plot development. Most important in this is the Shakespeare’s Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7 Lines 31 (“We will proceed no further in this business”) to 59 (“had I so sworn as you have done this”) (Shakespeare). The pattern of the language is schematic and follows a trajectory of people making resolutions and reconciling certain crucial issues to offset an important one. The pattern shows cessation and a beginning of something new. Macbeth This problem will not continue to bother us any longer. We have to stop it and look ahead. I have consulted wise people who I know are of good judgment and their advice is highly revered across the society. I should have done that earlier to avoid this situation.’ Lady Macbeth If I had committed myself in oath like you did and then broke this oath the way you did, how would it feel? In your opinion, you were entitled to pursue your desires ambitiously yet you had made vows to remain loyal to a certain cause that inhibits you from such selfish behaviors. You failed to identify with your role eventually breaching the very oath that you sought and abided by. Using figurative language, Shakespeare through Macbeth introduces a certain cessation. ‘ We proceed no further in this business .’ Someone who has been associating with Macbeth has caused a stifling of relations. This introductory statement is tropic. The trope nature is identified in his use of ‘ proceed no further’ in which he uses two verbs, a trope known as zeugma. The language is indicative of present tense. In his zone (when he wrote the play) he was thinking, talking, and imagining about the ‘present’ during that time. When he says ‘and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people” Shakespeare is projecting how Macbeth has sought opinions from his associates regarding this issues which has come to cessation. Typically, ‘the end of something means the onset of another.’ Using this as a viewpoint that provides a lead to what Macbeth is all about, the fact that ‘ we will proceed no further in this business’ marks the end of something and the onset of a new one. Using puns (homonymic puns), ‘ which would be worn now in their newest gloss’ he explains the value of these opinions and using metaphoric language (comparison) manages to explain the dire need to change things. Shakespeare is setting his plot and he has to deliver creatively this story line as objectively as possible. To define the optimism Macbeth had for this business that is now to end, Shakespeare endears lady Macbeth to his audience through sweet words of comfort to Macbeth. ‘ Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself ?’ (Shakespeare) is apostrophic and intended to set pace on the cause of action. Lady Macbeth is providing insight regarding the nature of Macbeth’s feelings before he came to this decision. Shakespeare is introducing a new situation hence conversely, provides background information to support the need for change in Duncan’s position. Along the conversation trajectory, it becomes apparent Macbeth has been controversially inadequate to lady Macbeth and it is evident they are making inroads and reconciling and benchmarking key aspects of their opinion in regard to Duncan.’ As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that, which thou esteem the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem ’(Shakespeare). Lady Macbeth is lamenting at certain Macbeth inequities and inadequacies. She is reminding him of his role which he seemed to have forgotten. By conceptualizing, we can argue from two viewpoints, either Macbeth had failed to met his obligation through his own desire to commit to other duty, ignoring the Duncan context and its immense influence. His conclusion is that, that has to end a reason why he insists ‘ this business has to end ’ (Shakespeare). He attempts to appease Lady Macbeth and bring common ground by prying for her peace/patience in him. ‘ prithee peace, I dare do all that may become a man ’ (Shakespeare).These words explain his commitment to his cessation of his privy deeds that dissected his commitment to his role. The language is toned in conciliatory metaphors ( what beast was it the) (Shakespeare). The rhythmical flow of dialogue and the conversational tone of the play explain the inner desires of Shakespeare to draw out a picture of a crisis that is now being resolved. Dialogue and the conciliatory tones are indicative of insights about resolving problems amicably in this society. Comparison shows metaphoric ambitions in his play aimed at depicting certain situations more clearly. The schemes Shakespeare uses, especially tropes, aim at twisting the meaning of his words. Metonymy is observed, especially when Macbeth speaks ( pry thee peace ). When lady Macbeth responds, she personifies and hyperbolically synaesthetic about her bitter and resolute feelings. Though slightly rhetorical, she is emphatic and consistently questioning. By the time Shakespeare models his plot, one is aware of the previous constraints between Macbeth and Duncan who he trusted once. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth:Act 1, Scene 7.” The Complete Works of William-Shakespeare . shakespeare-literature.com, 2003.
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Market Segmentation by Various Companies Essay Market segmentation is used by various companies to tailor their products and services to the target demographic or consumers who are thought to be most interested in these products and services. One of the research methodologies developed to segment people into different groups is called Values and Lifestyles (VALS). VALS segmentation model segments all US citizens into 8 distinct types, or “personas”: innovators, thinkers, believers, achievers, strivers, experiencers, makers, and survivors (US Framework and VALS™ Types, n.d.). Different groups are segmented according to motivations and financial resources in order to predict their behavior as consumers. The outcome of a VALS test is a certain persona assigned to the individual based on their responses interpreted by the VALS algorithm. In my case, the test results were not completely accurate. It part I believe it is due to the fact that the test is not a real representation of reality as it ignores context. In other words, the data obtained by the questionnaire is inconclusive and only some predictions, such as purchasing power, can be made. In the case of Costco Wholesale, a retail company chosen for the project, our target demographic is correlated with the general demographic of Costco. This fact is largely explained by the Costco business model, with the company’s stores open only to members and their guests. Costco customers are financially established since the average annual household income of its members is estimated at $156000 (Robins, 2015, par. 5). Costco members plan before their actions and are not influenced by what is popular since they enroll in a membership program. These two facts put Costco’s target market into the following VALS categories: thinkers and achievers. In the case of Costco, psychographic segmentation is important, because products sold at Costco should be aimed at consumers who visit these stores. Another segmentation model is Claritas’ PRIZM, which provides much detailed segmentation with 66 different profiles or personas (Segment details, n.d.). Different groups are segmented according to demographics and behaviors (Segment details, n.d.). The most common segments for ZIP Code 97006 Beaverton, OR are young digerati (wealthy younger family mix), money and brains (wealthy older family mix), American dreams upper mid younger family mix), urban achievers (lower mid younger family mix), and new beginnings (low-income family mix). The majority of households are comprised of 1 to 3 people, and about half of the people living in Beaverton have children. It is difficult for me to judge whether the data is actually representative of the real Beaverton population. PRIZM segmentation does appear to be more accurate than VALS due to a much larger pool of personas, which means the segmentation is much more detailed. In addition, the fact that the data is based on income, education, occupation, and home value, makes the segmentation scientifically valid. I would say that the data seems to be interpreted correctly for my hometown. The most difficult challenge faced by marketers today is finding the right demographic which will help create and advertise products and services specifically tailored for them. Market segmentation is the solution to this problem. The rapid development of technology allows for better data acquisition and processing, and it is quite logical to use this data to improve decision-making. The biggest takeaway for me relative to my group marketing plan is that it is important to consider market segmentation to help us tailor our marketing messages and create a better marketing strategy. References Robins, J. (2015). Costco’s Surprisingly Large-Circulation Magazine. Web. Segment Details. (n.d.). Web. US Framework and VALS™ Types . (n.d.). Web.
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Introduction 2. Methods and Results 3. Analysis 4. Discussion 5. References Introduction Kampgrounds of America (KOA) is a privately owned organization that has around 500 locations across Canada and the United States (Fogelson, 2012). The company provides camping services offering tent, RV, and cabin rentals among other services (Fogelson, 2012). Recently, the CFO of KOA expressed their interest in using climatic data to calculate the effect of potential financial investment. Specifically, the company wanted to open new campgrounds and needed to forecast the possible implications of expanding its business in one of the following locations: Hot Spring, AR, and Billings, MT. There is a strong scientific basis for asserting that warming of the climate system was brought about by human influence (Pederson, Graumlich, Fagre, Kipfer, & Muhlfeld, 2009). It is seen from observing the data on global average air temperatures as well as the melting of glacial ice and snow that causes the rise of sea level (Pederson et al., 2009). If warming trends continue, Montana will experience a rise in temperature by 4-6 degrees (F) in the following decades (Pederson et al., 2009). To assess the climatic differences between the two locations, statistical comparison of temperature and precipitation in Hot Spring and Billings will be made. The temperature and precipitation data were chosen for analysis, and the range was from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2015. Methods and Results To analyze Global Summary of the Month data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, t-testing and correlation were used. The results of the study revealed that the difference in temperature between Hot Spring and Billings is not statistically significant (p =.009). There also was not a significant difference in precipitation levels between the two towns (p =.02). However, there was a strong correlation in precipitation levels (r =.06) and a strong correlation in temperature (r =.09). There also were week local correlations between temperature and precipitation within both locations (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2016). Analysis According to the study results, the difference between temperature trends is negligible; however, spring months are usually warmer in Hot Spring than in Billings. Most of the winter months in the analyzed range were also warmer in Hot Spring. Nonetheless, there was a slightly higher rate of precipitation in Hot Spring than in Billings. The graph also shows that the period between 2012 and 2015 was not marked by significant monthly precipitation spikes. Discussion Judging by the study results, the CFO of KOA should be advised to consider opening their facilities in Billings. Even though the variation in temperature between the two towns is not statistically significant, the difference in precipitation levels means that Billings would be a more promising location in terms of financial investment in tent camping. Moreover, according to the results of the study, the trend of warm temperatures during spring and summer months in Billing is less pronounced thus making it more attractive for camping. Even though there were fewer precipitation spikes in Hot Spring in the period between 2012 and 2015, it can be argued that Billings is a much more attractive location due to its lower precipitation averages. Therefore, a recommendation to open the KOA franchise in the Billings can be made. However, if the company is interested in expanding the number of their stores instead of camping sites, it can be argued, that both locations could serve that purpose equally well. References Fogelson, J. (2012). KOA Promotes Comfort Camping . Web. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2016). Global Summary of the Month . Web. Pederson, G., Graumlich, L., Fagre, D., Kipfer, T., & Muhlfeld, C. (2009). A century of climate and ecosystem change in Western Montana: what do temperature trends portend? Climatic Change , 98 (1-2), 133-154.
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The Advantages of Hydraulic fracturing for the Global Economy Expository Essay Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is an effective and valuable means of extracting natural gas and should not be stopped. Shale gas plays a critical role in securing the future energy needs of the Americans. In addition, hydraulic fracturing of natural gas from shale contributes to employment creation, adds revenue to our economy, and is an efficient form of extraction. Hydraulic fracturing creates jobs. Job creation is likely to have the most significant economic effect on our economy (Source #4). Many of the jobs created are as a result of the ripple effect of gas exploration (Source #1). For example, the Marcellus Shale gas industry generated 156,000 jobs in Pennsylvania alone in 2011 (Source #1). Projections for 2012 are that hydraulic fracturing will help to create 180.000 jobs owing to the advancement in the stimulation techniques that have led to an increase in well productivity (Source #1). It is estimated that by 2025 some 1 million jobs will have been created nationwide thanks to hydraulic fracturing (Source #3). On the other hand, reports by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that we are yet to know how long and the level to which hydraulic fracturing will impact on local economies. At the same time, it is assumed that owing to the specialized nature that characterizes hydraulic fracturing, it may fail to provide job opportunities to local communities as they due to lack of expertise. Also, in case of an accident or increase in industry traffic, local resources would end up attracting heavy tax. Moreover, there are indications that financial benefits associated with the traditional shale gas extraction re likely to be less than what was previously thought owing to companies intentionally overstating the size of their gas reserves and levels of productivity. In 2011, the price of natural gas reduced dramatically partly due to high levels of production of natural gas using the fracking technique. It is still not clear how such a price reduction would affect the economy. In addition, hydraulic fracturing impact positively on economic growth (Source #1). Increased production of natural gas stimulates the economy and provides additional resources for community services such as health care, education, and charities (Source #5). Pennsylvania has 1,632 Marcellus wells that pumped out 432.5 billion cubic feet of gas in early 2011 (Source #1). It is estimated that by 2020, Pennsylvania shall be the second largest producer of natural gas, after Texas (Source #1). In Pennsylvania, the Marcellus gas industry contributed $12.8 billion to the economy in 2011 and this is projected to increase to $14.5 billion by 2012 (Source #1). Pennsylvania has had a profound effect on the United States natural gas market. The continuation of hydraulic fracturing has boosted the economy by $12.8 billion, in addition to contributing towards the provision of resources such as health care, education, and charities to the community. Finally, hydraulic fracturing is efficient to extract. The utilization of water during the fracturing process is a more efficient means of extraction. Very little energy is wasted in decompression (Source #5). In 2011, shale gas extraction has easily surpassed that of the last three years combined. The current production is equal to the total conventional gas extracted across the nation over the past 150 years (Source #3). Advances in the exploration of natural gas through fracturing have decreased the number of wells needed to produce the same amount of gas extracted in the 1980s (Source #2). Owing to fewer wells and increased well productivity, we have witnessed a reduction of 148 million barrels in drilling wastes (Source #3) The continuation of hydraulic fracturing ensures little wastes during decompression and meets gas demands with fewer wells. Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas should continue. Fracturing is effective and valuable for job creation, economic growth, and effective extraction. Hydraulic fracturing vital for the stability of the global economy and as citizens we need to support the extraction of shale gas. For more information of the benefits of hydraulic fracturing, please visit www.hydrualicfracturing.org.
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The Gothic Architectural Style Descriptive Essay The Gothic style represents a period of sculpture in Spain characterized by sculpture “curved in stone, marble, and alabaster, and often painted,” (Anonymous, 2011). Most of the sculptures from in this style were influenced by the Romanesque style which was widely used at the beginning of the 11 th century. Romanesque sculpture mainly concerned itself with the decoration of moldings, tympanums and capitals. These sculptures were normally formal and portraying no emotions and were mostly dominated by narrative biblical characters representing religious beliefs of the time. The Romanesque style had also carried with it some of the Byzanite elements which also formed a basis for the Gothic sculptures. For example, “The Byzantine influenced sculptural decoration of the Romanesque churches became an important source of inspiration for the carved figures adorning both the interior and exterior of the Gothic Cathedrals in the Île de France,” (Anonymous, 1996). The Mosan goldsmiths also contributed to the Gothic style. this is because they were the first ones to make high quality objects from precious metals such as enamel, gold and silver. Their art with the three-dimensional form, and natural-looking features making them look realistic heavily impacted on the France stone sculptors. From then, most of the stone sculptures aped the naturalistic work of the Mosan style. Most of the subjects adopted include Jesus Christ probably on the cross, The Virgin Mary, but varied depending on the religious convictions of the particular artist. These subjects are derived from the biblical teachings with the figure of Christ being shown to be consecrated. Other statues include the saints and other biblical figures, the composition of which depicts the Descent from the holy cross to having a special importance. The sculptures made were to portray both religious themes for example Last Judgment, the coronation of Mary the Virgin, as well as semi-pagan themes including the Zodiac Signs, Virtues and the Vices etc. There were also carvings of grotesque figures mostly the gargoyles and marmosets as well as vegetative or organic motifs which could be inside or outside such buildings. As they continued, the subject opened up and become very clear and complicated but still maintained the biblical perspective. The sculptors of this age were based on the Etruscans techniques from which they developed the vaulting system which was mainly used in the Romanesque style. The Gothic Style adjusted from the Romanesque heavier style which was formed from solid stone vault, into a lighter, enhanced style that was a combination of the Romanesque and Islamic habit of using the pointed curve and cross-ribbed vault. Most architects started using the groined vault as opposed to the barrel vault which they reinforced with ribs instead, to support the vault’s weight. The groin vault reinforced with ribs could be made much thinner unlike the cross-ribbed. This in effect resulted into much lighter and heightened exteriors, as opposed to the massive Romanesque vaults, and which enabled opening up of the internal space of large buildings such as churches. Social, political and religious influence on Gothic Style The Gothic sculpture reached its peak of lightness despite social conflicts existing in the times. Several contemporary historians have recently discussed a detail of that period. During the twelfth century, the handicrafts found themselves associating with guilds of craft as a pathway to fighting for their freedom from monarchial oppression to governing of towns. This they achieved by the conclusion of thirteenth century when delegates of the craft guilds became the governors of most free towns, notwithstanding the events resulting from the Battle of Courtray. The Gothic colorless white-grey interior was inspired by the idea of a temple standing on white marble to represent chastity (William, 1889). Most of the contemporary Gothic architecture has been associated with such great names of traditional artists as Van Eyck and Giotto. With time, political and economic changes saw the beauty of the Gothic sculptures diminish gradually. The society started changing towards the formation of new social classes to adapt to the new production system. Politically, bureaucracy was setting in with more concern to nationalism as well as formation of a new religion to fit the newly developed theory of life. In other words, it was the age of commercialization. This new age caused the degradation of the gothic art, though in itself it was necessary for the full birth of commerce and commercial politics, (Applied History Research Group, 1998). Giotto di Bondone Giotto di Bondone was one of the most popular artists in this age who happened to be a student of Duccio (Johnson, 2011). He was born in Vespignano somewhere close to Florence, which also became his death place. He was very innovative in his paintings. He is the one who painted the murals in the Arena Chapel which represents scenes adopted from the life of Christ one of the most recent murals showing the Last Judgment. His figures are solid with a simplicity lacking in others and which take on a three-dimension form. His point of view was closer to the picture plane allowing an interaction between the picture and the viewer, thus bringing in a feeling of intimacy. Their size is big enough to bring in an element of reality in the figures. His work has always been celebrated both during and after his lifetime. References Anonymous. (2011). Gothic Sculpture in Spain, Retrieved from https://www.wga.hu/tours/spain/s_13_15.html Anonymous. (1996). Introduction: Flowering of the Gothic, pages 17-20, Vol. 4 No. 2, Athena Review. Johnson, M. (2011). Learn About Giotto in Art History, View His Art and Famous Paintings, Art History. Famous Artists Paintings. William, M. (1889). Gothic Architecture, Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/archive/morris/works/1889/gothic.htm Applied History Research Group. (1998). The End of Europe’s Middle Ages: Visual Arts , University of Calgary: Applied History Research Group.
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Free Will and Determinism According to William James and Jean-Paul Sartre Analytical Essay The debate of free will and determinism has perplexed philosophers for many years now. The term ‘free will’ is used in Philosophy to denote a particular sort of capacity given to rational agents to select a course of action from various available alternatives (O’Connor para. 1). Determinism is the philosophical principle claiming that all actions results from foregoing events or natural causes. Advocates of determinism suggest that the concept of free will is an illusion since agents are no more capable of controlling situations with their rational minds than any other irrational matter. On their part, advocates of free will argue that a universe in which rational agents do not actually make their own rational choices as suggested by determinism has no morality (“Determinism” para. 2). This paper compares the philosophical thoughts of William James and Jean-Paul Sartre on the concept of free will. Although James believed in free will purely on ethical grounds, he vehemently argued that neither science nor his own introspections supported the tenets of free will. In Pragmatism , James argued that in situations where one action appears as coherent as the other, there would be no standard whatsoever to judge one action as necessary than the other (Dubin 1). For example, if an individual is given an alternative of looking to the left or right, there exists no scientific ground to argue that turning to the left is necessary or turning to the right is just a matter of chance. An advocate of atheistic existentialism, Sartre argued that individuals must rely on their own imperfect will and moral insight since there is no God (O’Connor para 23). Although both philosophers believed in free will, Sartre’s argument seems more atheistically designed to back the existence of free will above anything else. According to Sartre, man cannot escape from making choices, and must act within his will to make the necessary choices or risk being perceived in bad faith. His strong arguments in favor of free will leave no room whatsoever for determinism. In his argument against determinism, the philosopher argued that individuals had the capacity to ignore any action as real and pretend that another action is real. For example, one can imagine a piece of bread to be a cake. Although imagination is a powerful thing, the problem arises since advocates of determinism will try to justify the imagination as “one more neurological mechanism, explainable by deterministic principles” (Boeree para. 19). To him, determinism curtails the exercise of free will. While Sartre completely refuted the notion of determinism, James argued along the lines of hard and soft determinism. According to the philosopher, soft determinists believe that although all actions are determined by preceding events, there exists some form of freedom and moral responsibility for humans to make rational decisions. Hard determinists believe that all human behaviors and actions require them to rebuff the concept of moral responsibility in total since they are prearranged by forces outside their control (Frame para. 2). James rejects the above positions using the argument of regret. The philosopher questions the rationale behind regretting some actions that happen if it is true that we live in a deterministic world. For instance, determinists must not regret that they failed exams since that action had been prearranged. In this perspective, James rubbishes the statements and takes a more rational approach of indeterminism, which believes in multiple possible realities. All in all, the above arguments can go on and on without an end in sight. What is important to note at this point is that both philosophers rejected the notions of free will and determinism albeit in varying levels and for different reasons. Works Cited Boeree, C. G. Free Will . 2005. Web. Determinism. Web. Dubin, M. Free Will or Determinism – A Conundrum . 1994. Web. Frame, J. M. Determinism, Chance and Freedom . Web. Haselhurst, G. Introduction: The Problem of Free Will and Determinism. 2001. Web. O’Connor, T. Free Will. In the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . Web.
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The Major “Smarter City” Programs and Resources Usage Case Study The smart cities, such as Dubuque in Iowa and Portland in Oregon, aim to track the use of resources by its citizens and provide this data to the citizens so that they are aware of how the resources can be conserved and the environment improved. These analyses generate significant amounts of data; therefore, the cities need the cloud to store and give access to this data. The cloud allows putting all the information together in a particular “hub”. As Dubuque officials notice, a smart city focuses on giving the citizens information about the resources they use. Moreover, its aim is to make the use of these resources cost-efficient and avoid any useless waste of them (e.g. eliminate water leaks). The major “smarter city” programs in Dubuque are smarter water, smarter electric, smarter natural gas, and smarter travel. The smarter water program allowed citizens to understand how many gallons of water leaked in their houses per hour. It was estimated that 28% of the water produced in the country is lost through leaks. The data gathered by the officials has shown 6.6% reduction in water consumption in the houses that took part in the pilot program in Dubuque. The next step of the program is to move the silos together and understand what interrelationships are there between these hubs (smarter water, smarter electric, etc.). The cloud computing is expected to help in these calculations. The IBM and the community also plan to save 64,944,218 gallons of water using its cloud system. The approach in Portland is different to the existing one in Dubuque but very similar to what the Dubuque’s officials aim to reach. A simulation model and a decision support system were created to develop what-if scenarios. These scenarios will predict negative and positive consequences of a proposed policy. The model allows the officials explore the relationships between the core systems (economy, education, healthcare, transportation, utilities, government services, etc.). The city and IBM collected ten years of the city’s data to build the system that would support the creation of metrics used for the Portland Plan, the city’s roadmap for the next twenty-five years. The model helps to understand what policies should be implemented to achieve the goals that the city has set. The model uses a holistic approach together with predictive capabilities to make Portland “a smarter city”. It is possible to assume that Dubuque will also follow this framework once when all the data from its systems are combined. So far, the difference between the methods used in Dubuque and Portland is that Dubuque uses separate data from different “hubs”, while Portland’s system analyze the data sets from all systems and provide predictions and solutions. It also should be noted that Dubuque does not use prediction systems but only provides data about the existing issues. The idea of smarter cities is exciting because it can decrease the waste of resources that is happening throughout the country. My recommendation would be to implement this approach in all the main cities in the USA, especially in those where the waste of resources can be critical (e.g. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, etc.). The use of smarter cities has a potential to reduce the damage that the humanity has already done to the environment. To conclude, the smarter cities are the future of the urban areas that will be more cost-effective and less dangerous to nature. They will also allow citizens use the resources more wisely and effective, reducing their expenditures on bills.
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The Secret to Global Market by Caterpillar Inc. Essay (Article Review) Key Points * Achieving strategic, sustainable competitive advantage in the Global market place: Globally caterpillar Inc .is well as the leading company in the manufacturing of construction, agriculture and mining equipments despite competition from other competitors like Deere company which largely produces agricultural equipments. These competitors manufacture almost the same products as caterpillar. * Thinking globally, Acting locally: Through analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, Caterpillar Inc has maximized on production of earth moving machines. It stands out and beats all its competitors in manufacturing such machines while they major in agricultural and construction machines. * Creativity, Innovation and Dynamic Change: Caterpillar Inc improves it market for its products through research and development. This ensures technology development, quality, partnerships and investment in the right technology. Its products are updated to meet the current and future challenges. Analysis Caterpillar Inc. being the leading manufacturing company of construction, agriculture and mining equipment has been a threat to other manufacturing companies which produce almost similar products. The company produces both large and small agricultural equipments like harvesters, irrigation equipment, tractors, and plows, combine among other machines. It has been in the manufacturing industry for a given period of time. In this industry caterpillar Inc faces the challenge of competition from other companies which manufacture almost the same type of machineries. Its main competitors are Kubota Corporation and Deere Company. Deere Company largely manufactures agricultural equipments. Despite the competition, caterpillar has managed to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors through strategic planning. It has maximized on earth moving machines while at the same time diversifying its products and making them available to its clients. The caterpillar management has managed to be the preferred choice in the global market while it acts within the company. The company has evaluated itself using strategic planning. By acting locally or within it, Caterpillar Company has been able to determine what works for it best and what does not. It has prioritized manufacturing of earth moving machines. It is also involved in offering other services like financial services, rail services and remanufacturing services. These are strategies from within the company which help the company to hit global market successfully. Also by determining its failures, the company has been able to reduce on its losses. The company has utilized research and development services in order to increase its opportunities in the global market. The company has over 8000 qualified experts’ worlds wide who are involved in research work. Such a move has enhanced innovation of new machines which beat the current challenges while at the same time creating a dynamic change. Through creativity the company has come up with Caterpillar foundation which has enhanced marketing of its products and creation of new partnerships. The creativity of the company is also enhanced by the strong, diverse and passionate staff which is made up of members more than 100 speaking languages. Through its strong customer base the company has excelled in the global market. Caterpillar Inc has set up more than 500 dealer locations world wide which deal with logistics, marketing services and other related services thus making it geographically available to its clients. Conclusion With Caterpillar Inc enjoying a favourable global market and continuously expanding its market, it is also facing the challenge of competition from other related companies. For Caterpillar Company to keep on being a leader in the global market, it has to keep up its innovative pace in order to be able to compete with other companies which can provide a better future in the manufacturing industry. Its competitors like Deere Company have the potential to come up with sophisticated machines. Strong consumer or client base is important for a company and needs to be reviewed and updated occasionally.
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Walt Whitman and the Theme of War in His Poems Essay Introduction Poetry is the highest spiritual achievement of people in the world, as through the poetry people transfer their feelings and emotions, their inner world, and they also try to hand down the information which is of the main consideration for them at the moment. Poetry may be viewed the mirror of people’s soul, and in most cases poets try to open people’s eyes on the problem, which must be considered, on the questions, which are crucial. Two poems of Walt Whitman are going to be compared and contrasted, “Beat! Beat! Drums!” and “Spirit whose work is done”, the differences and similarities are going to be pointed out and analyzed from the point of view of their structure, style of writing and main themes. The analysis of poems’ structures Starting with the structure and the main feature of presentation, the poem “Beat! Beat! Drums!” is considered to be more rhythmical thanks to alliteration. “Beat! beat! drums!—Blow! bugles! blow!” (Whitman, “Beat! Beat! Drums!”, par.1) is the line, which starts every stanza in the poem. The alliteration adds to the whole effect which is provided from the main theme of the poem, war. The poem “Spirit whose work is done” is less rhythmical, but it is easily read thanks to the repetition of the word “spirit” (Whitman, “Spirit whose work is done”, par.1), which not only opens the poem, but is present almost at every line, which gives the impression that by this word the author wants to tell something more, than he does in reality. War and spirit as the main themes of Whitman’s poems Having read these both poems, the impression is provided that they add each other. Reading about drums in “Beat! Beat! Drums!”, it is understood that the main theme of the poem is war, as drums and bugles have always been associated with war events. Furthermore, “Spirit whose work is done” dwells upon the spirit of a person, who as if struggles to cope with numerous tasks, where war is on the first consideration. Whitman and his other works with the reference to war and spirit themes Spirit of gloomiest fears and doubts, (yet onward ever unfaltering pressing;) Spirit of many a solemn day, and many a savage scene! Electric spirit! (Whitman, “Spirit whose work is done”, line 3) The spirit is in doubts, but still the obligation, which must be provided, will be done, as to protect the native land is important. The same symbols of drums, which are present in the poem, show the reader that the war spirit is discussed, which wants to fight, but some doubts limit it. Taking other poems of Walt Whitman, it should be mentioned that the theme of spirit bothers him greatly. Analyzing his poem “Song of myself”, the author depicts the spirit in some other way, but still the spiritual theme is introduced, “And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own” (Whitman, “Song of myself”, 30). Moreover, the theme of war and battles is introduced, “I also say it is good to fall, battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won” (Whitman, “Song of myself”, 30). Moreover, the spirit is closely connected with the theme of people’s relations, which are perfectly introduced in the poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (Whitman 21). Conclusion In conclusion, Walt Whitman is the poet, who in his poems showed the field of his interests. War and the spirit of war were one of the main his interests, which were depicted in his poems. Providing the themes of war and people’s spirit, the writer tried to examine people’s souls and aims in their lives, to understand people’s relations through space and time. Works Cited Whitman, Walt. “Beat! Beat! Drums!” Leaves of Grass . Philadelphia: David McKay, [c1900]; Bartleby.com, 1999. Whitman, Walt. “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.” In Nina Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature . New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007. Whitman, Walt. “Spirit whose work is done.” Leaves of Grass . Philadelphia: David McKay, [c1900]; Bartleby.com, 1999. Whitman, Walt. “The song of myself.” In Nina Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature . New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007.
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“Planet of Slums” a Book by Mike Davis Essay Planet of Slums , written by Mike Davis in 2006 and published in 2007, is a morbid yet informative read about the spread of poverty, disease, death, and exploitation within many cities of the Third-world countries. Throughout human history, cities were viewed as centers of economic development, growth, and industrialization. In the Third world, however, corruption and economic crises turn big cities into capitals of poverty. In his book, Mike Davis explains to the readers the mechanisms of how slums work, and puts forth an idea that the blame for slums being dangerous and miserable lies not on the inhabitants of said slums, but on the state, the corrupt rich, and the influential financial organizations such as the World Bank and the IMF. The book is comprised out of eight chapters, each dedicated to a subject about the slums or a topic directly related to their existence. Chapter 5, named “Haussmann in the tropics,” addresses the topic of wealth disparity between those who live in the elite centers of many third-world cities, and those forced to survive on its peripheries. The examples are numerous: Nairobi, Manila, Cairo, Mumbai, and others. In this chapter, the author claims that the reason why slums are becoming worse is due to the poor being ostracized by the rest of the society. According to Davis, “implicitly or explicitly, the poor were denied a place in civic life and urban culture, and were seen as an impediment to progress and betterment of society.” The subject of poverty being generated by outside sources is further elaborated in the following chapter, called “Slum Ecology.” Here, the author puts forth an idea that the parts of the city currently occupied by slums were never meant to become safe or prosperous. Slums are often built over dangerous grounds, where the surface is unstable, and the underground water levels are dangerously close to the surface. If the land beneath them is considered suitable for building something better – the slums are brought down, often forcefully, and the dwellers evicted and left homeless. Frequently, slums are brought down in the wake of a large international event. The governments think that the sight of poor people would make their countries look bad. The key idea of this chapter is that the poor do not choose to live in slums, they are forced into them, only to be blamed for it later. The chapter is ended with a transition to the next one, suggesting that the reasons for poor slum ecology are not only the “corrupt officials and an indifferent middle class.” The blame also lies on the foreign interventions into third-world country economies. The 7th chapter, called “SAPing the Third World,” attempts to seek the roots of poverty not within the afflicted societies, but outside of them. Poverty is generated by the economic struggles of the countries. In this part of the book, Mike Davis describes the mechanism the IMF and the World Bank are using in order to dominate third-world country economies. Through giving loans for urbanization, these organizations acquire levers to control the countries’ social policies and welfare. According to the author, they “promote regressive taxation through public-service user fees for the poor,” which in turn further aggravates the situation. Slums are famous not only for their low quality of living but also for a complete lack of social services that the dwellers cannot afford. “Surplus humanity” is the last chapter of the book. It addresses the economic factors born out of the presence of slums. The availability of desperate, extremely cheap, and unskilled workforce inevitably leads towards “informal employment.” Mike Davis demonstrates this by providing a few vivid examples of countries where more than two-thirds of the population are already under informal employment. Informal employment brings about many problems, as it basically takes away all the rights and liberties workers earned during centuries of protests. According to the author, “informal employment by its very definition is the absence of formal contracts, rights, regulations, and bargaining power.” This means low wages, withholding of payment, child labor, inhumane conditions, and long hours. Davis makes a point that the issue of informal employment is circular, and greatly contributes to the overall levels of poverty – when informally employed, the workers are paid less, which leads to their further impoverishment. In addition, the state does not receive any taxes from such businesses, meaning it becomes poorer itself, and lacks resources to assist its impoverished citizens. The epilogue ends on a grim note. The author believes that the only way of combating the present state of slums, where countless of urban poor are sentenced to a self-destructive struggle for what little scraps they are given, is through violence. He reflects on how fighting in slums has proven to be exponentially difficult for well-armed and well-trained modern armies, and states that “the future of human solidarity depends upon the militant refusal of the new urban poor to accept their terminal marginality within global capitalism.” Planet of Slums is not a book for the faint of heart, as it describes real tragedies that happen to people everywhere around the world. It is wrong to think that the poor would be able to get out of the slums and build them up by themselves. There are many other factors involved, most of which are outside of the peoples’ control. Adaptation of neo-liberal economics brought many third-world countries to its knees. As the book thoroughly demonstrates, there are wealthy individuals and organizations that are satisfied with the current status quo.
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Life of Nicias, Life of Crassus, Comparison of Crassus with Nicias Essay Table of Contents 1. Life of Nicias 2. Life of Crassus 3. Nicias and Crassus 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited In his work, Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, Plutarch selects some few individuals who had some outstanding characters or who achieved salient things in their lives. Amongst these noble Grecians and Romans are Nicias and Crassus. Plutarch expounds lives these two nobles and compares them as exposited in this paper. Life of Nicias Nicias was amongst the three renowned, honest, and loving citizens in Athens according to what Aristotle noted. Moreover, he was a captain most of the time working with his master Captain Pericles but sometimes working alone. Fortunately, after Pericles passed away, Nicias fame and popularity propelled him to nobility for people loved him dearly. “…his gravity was neither severe nor odious, but mingled with a kind of modesty…which made them thereby the more to love and esteem him” (Plutarch 295). There appeared to be some fortune in all that Nicias did. He managed to overcome his closest rival Cleon, by use of subtle tactics. For instance, while Cleon was humorous, something that Nicias lacked, Nicias noted the weakness and, “crept into people’s favor with liberality, with charges of common plays…exceeding in cost and pleasant sports…” (Plutarch 295). He had massive wealth. His simplicity and popularity ensured that he fitted in any group that he found himself. For instance, he would reward his cravers generously regardless of whether they are malicious or good-hearted. Through these tactics, orators could not find anything to accuse him for he did not even drink, engage in useless talk, or get involved in pleasures that would taint his reputation. In office he would busy himself with office issues; not meddling with other people’s business. Nicias simplicity and openness made him bring peace amongst Grecians something they call, Nicium peace even to date. His nature to create peace enabled him to stoop low before Gylippus who had taken hostage some Athenians; unfortunately, he was seized, taken in as a prisoner, and killed. Life of Crassus Crassus was a man of good character; however, accusations that he had defiled Licinia; a nun, tinted his reputation. “…vice of covetousness in Crassus that drowned many other goodly virtues in him” (Plutarch 333). It is unfortunate that one vice would destroy many of Crassus’ virtues. Nevertheless, despite this shortcoming, Crassus was a wealthy man through diligence, ‘by fire and blood.” He was a friendly person even to strangers; moreover, he would lend his friends interest-free money. Unfortunately, Cinna and Marius attacked Rome forcing Crassus, his father and brother to escape to Spain in a flight. Rumors had it that, some tyrants were looking for Crassus. In Spain, he lived in caves until Cinna died after eight months. He maneuvered his way back to Italy under Sylla. Later he became part of Cesar’s reign in Rome where he worked under Pompey and became popular amongst Romans for he would lend them money and spend time with them in the market place. “To pleasure everyman; so that by this easy access and familiarity…he grew to exceed the gravity and majesty of Pompey” (Plutarch 340). At one time, he saved Cesar by lending him 838 talents to satisfy his creditors something that elevated Crassus to nobility; he became the governor and praetor of Gaul; however, Po attacked and overthrew him. Fortunately, the senate was offended, overruled this act, and restored Crassus. He achieved several feats like conquering Spartacus in Romania. However, later in his reign, Crassus fell into conflict with King Hyrodes and he was slew by Surena, one of the king’s men. His head “his head was brought the same night before the kings…” (Plutarch 374). This marked the end of one Marcus Crassus. Nicias and Crassus Before comparing these, two noble men, it is important to note that, even though both were rich, Nicias’ wealth was more just than Crassus’ was. Nicias was a man of the people as aforementioned; he never did anything malicious; on the contrary, he purposed to do things that would benefit all. On his side, Crassus was unpredictable; at one time, he would be friendly, at the other cruel. He had a way of getting what he wanted. For instance, he admitted that “he came to be consul the second time by plain force and cruelty, having hired two murderers to kill Cato and Domitius” (Plutarch 378). Crassus was an enterprising person and he believed greatness was to be earned. On the other side, Nicias was a quiet character and revered people regardless of their class and status. Whilst the Athenians forced Nicias to war against his wish, Crassus forced Romans into war against their wish. Therefore, “the commonwealth fell into misery by the one, brought into misery by the other” (Plutarch 380). These are some of the differences exhibited by this Grecian and Roman. Nevertheless, these two great men shared some traits. In his fight against Cleon, Nicias portrayed ambition similar to that of Crassus against Spartacus. Crassus died in the hands of Surena after falling apart with his enemies; he yielded himself to his enemies. Similarly, Nicias surrendered before his enemies in a bid to strike a peace deal; unfortunately, he died infamously. The bottom line is that, they al yielded to their enemies. Conclusion Nicias, a Grecian and Crassus, a Roman were both noble men in their times. They ruled differently with Nicias believing in peace while Crassus believed in fighting and violence to have his way. They were rich even though Nicias’ wealth was more just than that of Crassus. Nevertheless, they died similar death of yielding to their enemies. Works Cited Plutarch. “Plutarch Selected Lives.” Mossman, Judith. (Ed). Wordsworth Classics of World Literature, 1994.
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Typical American Families Essay Table of Contents 1. Two Typical Families 2. Socioeconomic Background 3. Relationships between Spouses 4. Relationships between Siblings 5. Two Similar Families 6. Works Cited Two Typical Families Sitcoms usually portray typical families that may be a bit funnier than real ones. Two sitcoms, The Cosby Show and Roseanne, are no exceptions. The two families, the Conners and the Huxtables, have much in common. They share the same socioeconomic statuses; they also face the same issues concerning relationships with each other. Of course, there are certain differences between the two families. However, it is possible to state that these differences simply serve a background which reveals how similar the families are. It is possible to focus on three points to prove this assumption. These points are: socioeconomic status, relationships between siblings and relationships between spouses. Socioeconomic Background In the first place, it is necessary to point out that the two families pertain to middle class. This makes them really similar as they face similar difficulties. The two families are not much concerned with making money. They are rather concerned with developing proper relationships with each other and other people. Thus, they also know how to have fun. For instance, the Huxtables arrange great Halloween party (cosbyshow3). The Conners, or rather Roseanne and her husband Dan, have a nice special evening (RoseanneConnerVideo). Apparently, they do not need to focus on ways to earn money. Relationships between Spouses The two sitcoms also depict relationships between the spouses. The two couples can be regarded as model spouses. They love each other. They are caring and supportive. There is one more thing similar in both families. Thus, each woman treats her husband as another child. They accept that their men are a little bit childish. For instance, this quality is manifested in such cases as giving advice to children in different situations. However, it is obvious that the women know that they can rely on their husbands who are the heads of their families. Relationships between Siblings Finally, relationships between siblings are some of the major focuses of the two sitcoms. Admittedly, relationships between siblings play a very important role in everyone’s life (or rather in life of those having a sibling). Seemingly, these relationships are different in the two families. For instance, Vanessa and Janise Huxtable are really friendly and help each other all the time (The Cosby Show). They support each other. On the contrary, Darlene Conner often makes fun of her sister (maskath-1). It may seem that the siblings hate each other. However, Darlene’s tricks also prove that she does love her sister and will help her whenever she needs that help. More so, such tricks show that Darlene loves her sister immensely as she can afford making fun of her as if she was the only one to have such a right justified by her love and care. Admittedly, Darlene would never let anyone hurt her sister. Two Similar Families Therefore, it is possible to assume that the two families are similar even though there are some minor differences. Apparently, these families are similar in different levels, i.e. they pertain to the same socioeconomic background, they are similar in terms of relationships between members of the families. The two families are very friendly. Each member of the two families is caring and supportive. Admittedly, sitcoms usually depict typical families. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the majority of American families are like that. Hopefully, Americans still rely on basic values which are highlighted in the sitcoms. Works Cited cosbyshow3. “The Cosby Show – Halloween.” Video. YouTube, 18 June 2008. Web. maskath-1. “Biography for Darlene Conner.” IMDb, 2010. Web. RoseanneConnerVideo. “Rosseanne Inherit: The Wind.” Video. YouTube, 9 July 2008. Web. “The Cosby Show.” IMDb , n.d. Web.
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