Problem Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem Identification - Essay Example Shortage of health care professionals in hospitals is currently one of the greatest challenges for Hallways hospital management. Hallways hospital has been experiencing the challenge of shortage of nurses for a while now, and the implications seem to be affecting the organization severely. The main contributing factor towards the shortage of nurses in Hallways hospital has been the poor remuneration for the nurses. Despite having many tasks to perform in terms of providing services to patients, the nurses never get proper remuneration that is equal to the effort they put in their work. With the poor remuneration, a majority of students joining collages prefer to pursue other courses that they believe offer better pay than the health care sector . The shortage of health care professionals in the hospital occurs, despite the health care industry growing at the rate of 2.5% faster than other industries annually (Cowen and Moorhead, 2011). The shortage of health care professionals has had severe implications for the hospital. First, with the few numbers of nurses, there is the aspect of overworking the nurses, making them fatigued. This has in turn contributed to poor service delivery to patients, which has in turn affected the hospital’s reputation (Buerhaus, Straiger and Auerbach, 2009). Secondly, considering that, the shortage of nurses is a problem that cuts across the health care industry, acquiring of the nurses has become a very complicated issue. Acquisition of nurses requires that one is able to offer appropriate remuneration and better working environment with better incentives. Majority of health care professionals require continuous training in order to enable them enhance their skills and knowledge pertaining to the provision of better and most effective health care services (Huston, 2009). This requires that anyone employing the health care professionals provide

The reasons for changing patterns of marriage Essay Example for Free

The reasons for changing patterns of marriage Essay Examine the reasons for changing patterns of marriage and divorce over the last 50 years or so. Marriage is the legal relationship between two people in eyes of law. Over the last 50 years or so, the patterns of marriage and divorce have changed significantly and are still changing in today’s society. This is due to many factors such as less stigma, changes in women’s positions, secularization ,cohabitation and many more. Nowadays, there is less pressure to marry and a lot more freedom for individuals to choose the type of relationship they want. It’s considered more important about the quality of a couples relationship, rather than the legal status. The main and most important reason for the decrease in marriage and increase in divorce was the change in attitudes towards them. People now believe that it is alright to get a divorce if they are not happy in their marriage and with that, the stigma towards divorces has decreased. People divorce now on a day to day basis. We see in magazine articles about celebrities getting divorce and no one is against it anymore, unlike before when older members of the family would encourage the younger couples stay together through thick and thin. Thats the same for marriage, as more and more people want to cohabit with their partner rather than get married as women now have more opportunities to work, higher expectations and set own rules about their life’s that before wasn’t possible. Secularisation is also involved in why there are changing patterns of marriage and divorced. Churches are in favour of marriage, and do not encourage divorce but as their influence declines, people feel freer to choose not to marry. People do not let the influence of the church or god take over their decisions. Society today has became secular, no place for god. Divorce has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. Now 1 in 2 marriages are likely to end in divorce. High divorce rates mean people are able to re-marry however, some churches do not accept remarriages. People are also now marrying later in life, as people stay longer in education and are likely to cohabit first. This is partly due to the legislation that was took into place in 1969 called The Divorce Reform Act. This Act made it easier for couples to get divorced and made it a lot cheaper for those who could not afford it in the past. The Government have also introduced the welfare provision which made it easier for w/c women to get divorced as this  law helped women financially with divorce and being a single parent. In addition, Alan and Crow agree with the idea that there have been changes in the position of women. Women are now better educated, which makes them less dependent on men financially, which therefore enables women have greater freedom not to marry, or to end a marriage. In support, feminists see divorce as desirable as it shows that women are breaking free from the oppression of the patriarchal nuclear family. However Functionalist writer Parsons states that he believes people getting divorced is everything that is wrong with society. He believes that marriage essential as there is a clear division of labour, That both the man and women should play their role in the family and not break it apart as it is essential for the smooth running of society. However Wilmot and Young argue that the roles have changed and men are now taking on greater share of domestic tasks and women are now working in the labour market. Although feminist Oakley totally disagrees with Wilmot and Young. Oakley dismissed the idea of the symmetrical family. She critics Wilmot and Young as they only asked one question in their research do you help with housework?. She believed this question was irrelevant to their research as it does not state how much the men actually do and the domestic division of labour had led to the increase in divorce as women do not want to carry out a dual burden role. In conclusion these reasons have all dramatically affected the increase in divorce and the decrease in marriage. However it must be acknowledged women are not rejecting marriage and that there has been an increase in remarriages so this means that women are now raising their expectations and not rejecting marriage.

Dr. Faustus Consumed by Pride in Christopher Marlowes Doctor Faustus E

Dr. Faustus Consumed by Pride in Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus In this theoretic play, Christopher Marlowe presents a man that is well educated, but is in search of more than what education can give to him. Dr. Faustus is a man possessed by himself, blown up in pride, and blinded by his own intellect. This blind, self- centered man challenges the ideals of death and the Devil. The first scene opens with Dr. Faustus in his study, he is seated, and then he begins to speak in depth of what he wants to do. He talks of his graduation from the different levels of education. With his words there is an air of hubris, he wants all to notice him, and what he has accomplished. He claims that logic has overcame him, more of a pun or a sarcastic reach on his audience. He goes on to say, should logic be disputed or is it the main thought in the end. And without logic then what is there? So he finally contends that he has read it all and that he knows all the logic that he needs to know. A greater subject is needed now to fill the needs of Dr. Faustus. He wants something which will challenge his knowledge. So he looks to the medical field to fill his desires. But he has seen where the philosopher leaves off and the physician begins. Faustus in his vain wit says, I become a physician, to make lots of money, and to be known for creating some wondrous cure. But this does not fit for Faustus either. He states in the end there is medicine and it is only sustains our body to health. And then he asks himself, have not I obtained such knowledge, and isn't the common knowledge that he already has all that he needs? Once again he asks himself, I have cured whole cities and his work hangs on the wall in the form of a writing to show all o... ...nerals, is what is required to be a magician. He tells Faustus that he can not have any doubt, that he will be an expert in the craft, and all the oracle of Apollo will be his. What more could you want, than to have the power to dry the sea, and bring you every treasure from the wrecks that lay at the bottom of the sea. Faustus agrees and is now more convinced that he wants to conjure up the spirits so that he can have all that they have spoken. In the final part of scene one they conspire to find a place to perform the ritual and get all the things that they need to call up the spirits. But first Faustus wants to dine with them and before he will rest again he will bring forth the spirits that will give him all the power that he desires. Thus, we see now that Faustus pride has taken over completely and that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants at any cost.

Mkt 310 Exam 2 Study Guide

MKT 310 : Exam 2 Study Guide BOOK Ch. 5 : International Trade Theory An Overview of Trade Theory: * The Benefits of Trade – Some international trade is beneficial, exchange products you can produce at a low cost for some products you cannot produce at all * Free Trade – The absence of government barriers to the free flow of goods and services between countries. * International trade allows a country to specialize in the manufacture and export of products it can produce most efficiently while importing products that can be produced more efficiently in other countries. Climate and natural resources explain why Ghana exports cocoa, and Saudi Arabia exports oil * Product Life-Cycle Theory – Early in their life cycles, most new products are produced in and exported from the country in which they were developed. As the product becomes accepted internationally, production begins to start in other countries. Thus suggesting that the product may ultimately be exported bac k to the country of its original innovation. New Trade Theory – Theory that sometimes countries specialize in the production and export of particular products not because of underlying differences in factor endowments, but because in certain industries the world market can support only a limited number of firms. Mercantilism: * Mercantilism – Originated in England, An economic philosophy advocating that countries should simultaneously encourage exports and discourage imports. It was in the countries best interest to maintain a trade surplus, to export more than it imported. Also advocated government intervention to achieve a surplus in the balance of trade. Zero-Sum Game – A situation in which an economic gain by one country results in an economic loss by another. The flaw with Mercantilism is that it is viewed as a Zero-Sum Game. * Critics think China is pursuing a neo-mercantilist society, deliberately keeping its currency value low against the U. S. dollar in order to sell more goods to the U. S. , thus creating a surplus and foreign exchange reserves. Absolute Advantage: * Absolute Advantage – A country has an absolute advantage in the production of a product when it is more efficient than any other country in producing it. According to Smith countries should specialize in the production of goods for which they have an absolute advantage and then trade these for goods produced by other countries. (Countries should never produce goods at home that it can buy at a lower cost from other countries. Comparative Advantage: * Comparative Advantage – It makes sense for a country to specialize in the production of those goods that it produces most efficiently and to buy the goods that it produces less efficiently from other countries, even if this means buying goods from other countries that it could produce more efficiently itself. Basic Message of Comparative Trade – Potential world production is greater with unrestricted free trade than it is with restricted free trade. * Immobile Resources – Resources do not always shift easily from on activity to another, some friction is involved. Belief that a country will produce less of some goods but more of others, however not everyone has the skills and knowledge to produce the greater good, thus some people may lose their jobs. * Diminishing Returns – When more units of a resource are required to produce each additional unit.First not all resources are of the same quality, and different goods use resources in different proportions. * Constant Returns to Specialization – The units of resources required to produce a good are assumed to remain constant no matter where one is on a country’s production possibility frontier. * Dynamic Effects and Economic Growth – Opening an economy to trade, might increase a countries stock of resources as increased suppliers of labor and capital from abroad become available for use within th e country, and free trade might increase the efficiency with which a country uses its resources. When a rich country(U. S. ) enters in free trade with a poor country(China) the lower prices that U. S. consumers pay for goods imported from China may not be enough to produce a net gain for the U. S. economy if the dynamic effect of free trade is to lower real wage rates in the U. S. * Evidence for the Link between Trade and Growth – Countries that adopt a more open stance toward international trade enjoy higher growth rates than those that close their economies to trade. Heckscher-Ohlin Theory: Comparative advantage arises from differences in national factor endowment, and by factor endowment they meant the extent to which a country is endowed with such resources as land, labor, and capital.. The Heckscher-Ohlin Theory predicts that countries will export those goods that make intensive use of factors that are locally abundant, while importing goods that make intensive use of fa ctors that are locally scarce. * The Leontief Paradox – Since U. S. was relatively abundant in capital compared to other nations, the U. S. would export capital intensive goods and import labor-intensive ones. However he found that the U.S. exports were less capital intensive than the imports. The Product Life-Cycle Theory: * Most new products were initially produced in the U. S. and sold in the U. S. markets first, the wealth and size of the U. S. can them strong incentives to develop new consumer products. , in addition the high cost of U. S. labor gave U. S. firms an incentive to develop cost-savings process innovations. These expensive goods are only appealing to the wealthy of other nations, thus there isn’t that much overall global interest, so no other countries feel it is necessary to start producing the product as well. New Trade Theory: The ability of firms to attain economies of scale might have important implications for international trade. * Economies of Scale – Unit cost reductions associated with a large scale of output * New Trade Theory makes 2 important points: * 1) Through its impact on economies of scale, trade can increase the variety of goods available to consumers and decrease the average costs of those goods. * 2) In those industries where the output required to attain economies of scale represents a significant proportion of total world demand, the global market may be able to support only a small number of enterprises. First-Mover’s Advantage are the economic and strategic advantages that accrue to early entrants into an industry. The ability to capture scale economies ahead of later entrants, and thus benefit from a lower cost structure, is an important first mover’s advantage. * Implications of New Trade Theory – generates for government intervention and strategic trade policy, a nation may befit from trade even if they do not differ in resource endowments or technology, trade allows a nati on to specialize in the production of certain products—attaining scales of economy and lowering cost.National Competitive Advantage: Porter’s Diamond * Porter theorizes that 4 broad attributes of a nation shape the environment in which local firms compete, and these attributes promote or impede the creation of competitve advantage. These attributes are†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * Factor Endowments – A nations’ position in factors of production such as skilled labor or the infrastructure necessary to compete in a given industry (Advanced factors are the most significant competitive advantage. ) * Demand Conditions – the nature of home demand for the indutry’s product or service. Relating and Supporting Industries – the presence or absence of supplier industries and related industries that are internationally competitive. * Firm strategy, Structure, and Rivalry – The conditions governing how companies are created, organized, and managed and the nature of domestic rivalry. * He argues that firms are most likely to succeed in nindustries or industry segments where the diamond is most favorable.. The diamond is a mutually reinforcing system – meaning the effect of one attribute is contingent on the state of others. ———————————————— Ch. 6 : The Political Economy of International Trade Instruments of Trade Policy: * Tariffs – A tariff is a tax levied on imports (or exports. ) In most cases tariffs are placed on imports to protect domestic producers from foreign competition by raising the price of imported goods. Tariffs also produce revenue for the government. The government and the domestic producers gain from having tariffs, whereas the consumers lose. * 2 conclusions can be made about tariffs: First, tariffs are pro-producer and anti-consumer.Second, import tariffs reduce the overall efficiency of the world economy. (Tariffs encourage domestic products to be sold at home when they could be more efficiently sold in the global market. ) * Export tariffs raise money for the government, and they reduce exports from a sector, often for political reasons. * 2 Types of Tariffs: * Specific Tariffs – Levied as a fixed charge for each unit of a good imported (ex. $3 per barrel of oil) * Ad Valorem Tariffs – Levied as a proportion of the value of imported goods. Subsidies – A subsidy is a government payment to a domestic producer. By lowering production costs, subsidies help domestic producers in 2 ways: 1) competing against foreign imports and 2) gaining export markets. * Agriculture is the largest beneficiary of subsidies. * Non-Agriculture subsidy ex. Money given to Boeing and Airbus * The main gains from subsidies accrue to domestic producers, whose international competiveness is increased as a result. * Subsidies protect the inefficient and promote excess prod uction. Import Quotas and Voluntary Export Restraints – An import quota is a direct restriction on the quantity of some good that may be imported into a country * Tariff Rate Quota – The process of applying a lower tariff rate to imports within the quota than those over the quota. * Voluntary Export Restraint – A quota on trade imposed by the exporting country, typically at the request of the importing country’s government. Ex. Limitation on auto exports to the U. S. enforced by the Japanese automobile producers. * Quota Rent – The extra profit producers make when supply is artificially limited by an import quota. Local Content Requirements – A requirement that some specific fraction of a good be produced domestically. Ex. Buy America Act specifies that government agencies must give preference to American products when putting contracts for equipment out to bid unless the foreign products have a significant price advantage. * Administrative Policies * Administrative Trade Policies – Bureaucratic rules designed to make it difficult for imports to enter a country, as it has been argues that the Japanese are masters of this trade barrier. * Antidumping Policies Dumping – Selling goods in a foreign market at below their costs of production or below their â€Å"free† market value. Ex. 2 South Korean manufacturers of semiconductors were accused of selling microchips in the U. S. market at below their cost of production. * Anti-Dumping Policies – Policies designed to punish foreign firms that engage in dumping and thus protect domestic producers from unfair foreign competition. * Countervailing Duties – Antidumping duties. Political Arguments for Intervention: * Protecting Jobs and Industries – Tariffs placed on steel in 2002 by G.W. Bush were supposed to do this. * National Security – Protect the area of technological advancement, and the defense industries. * Retaliation â₠¬â€œ Use threat to intervene in trade policy as a bargaining tool to help open foreign markets and force trading partners to â€Å"play by the rules. † Ex. U. S. has used threat of punitive trade sanctions to try and get the Chinese government to enforce its intellectual property laws – China cost Microsoft hundreds of millions of dollars per year in lost sales revenues. * Protecting Consumers – Ex.Many countries decided to ban imports of American beef after one case of Mad Cow Disease was found. * Furthering Foreign Policies Objectives – Governments sometimes use trade policy to further support their foreign policy objectives. * Helms-Burton Act – This act allows American to sue foreign firms that use property in Cuba confiscated from them after the 1959 revolution. * DAmato Act – Act passed in 1996, similar to the Helms-Burton Act, but this one is aimed at Libya and Iran. * Protecting Human Rights – Ex.Debate over many years on whet her to grant the â€Å"Most Favorable Nation† to China — this is controversial bc many think China doesn’t regard human rights per the Tiananmen Square Massacre. * Protecting the Environment – Strong relation between income levels and environmental pollution/degradation. Ex. Carbon Emissions Tariff, etc. Economic Arguments for Intervention: * The Infant Industry Argument – New industries in developing countries must be temporarily protected from international competition to help them reach a position where they can compete on world markets with the firms of developed nations. Skepticism because protection of manufacturing from foreign competition does no good unless the protection helps make the industry efficient. Second, the infant industry argument relies on an assumption that firms are unable to make efficient long term investments by borrowing money from the domestic or international capital market. * Strategic Trade Policy – A Governme nt policy aimed at improving the competitive position of a domestic industry or domestic firm in the world market. It is argued that by appropriate actions, a government can help raise national income if it can somehow ensure that the firm(s) that gain first-movers advantage within an industry are domestic rather than foreign enterprises. * The second component of the strategic trade policy is that it might pay a government to intervene in an industry by helping domestic firms overcome the barriers to entry created by foreign firms that have already reaped the benefits of first-movers advantage. Development of the World Trading System , GATT, WTO: (Look in PPT slides for this info. )

Gender Equality In Education

All over the world, education is not only acknowledged to benefit individuals but as well recognized to promote national development. Education expands the life choices and opportunity for both boys and girls; nevertheless, approximately 60 million girls continue to be out of school (â€Å"Gender Equality in Education†). Several government and non-government organization have been continually working to eliminate the disparity between boys and girls by identifying gender-related barriers, evaluating the extent of education disadvantage that the latter confront, and implementing systems to overcome and remove the aforesaid impediments.Basically, ensuring gender equality in education suggests that boys and girls have equal opportunities to enroll and access school, as well as to benefit from, and participate in the array of subjects or other learning practices presented in schools and classrooms. Effective Strategies for Equality In Education An effective approach for educating boys and girls requires incorporating attention to enrollment and admission, in addition to achievement and excellence.Through gender-sensitive teaching-learning methods, learning materials, and curricula, boys and girls in the same way become prepared with the attitudes and life skills needed to achieve their definitive skill, within and beyond the educational system, irrespective of their sex (â€Å"Promoting Gender Equality in Education† 2). Unfortunately, in developing countries, girls generally come up against textbooks, teaching practices, and other school materials that endorse gender stereotypes that are disadvantageous to their educational success.In addition, unsafe school environment creates difficulties to the completion of education, more especially to girls. Keeping girls in schools necessitates donors, policymakers, educators, community members, and parents to look further than enrollment and deal with bigger, related issues. For instance, poor families normall y have to choose between educating their daughters or sons, and more often than not parents routinely prefer to educate their sons.Evidently, decisions are normally not be anchored in the natural skills, aptitudes, or the enthusiasm levels of their children. However, the prearranged gender responsibilities may not automatically benefit boys either, and may even be detrimental to them. Young age boys may experience a profound responsibility to academically perform in order to meet their families’ expectations to be successful. Consequences of Gender Equality In EducationExceptionally numerous children, particularly those form poor families and living in remote or rural areas, constantly needs quality learning opportunities, such as access to a sheltered, nearby school. Child soldiers, trafficked children, orphaned children, displaced children, refugee children, street children, indigenous children, working children, as well as those who are living in conflict areas, and physic ally challenged are not receiving an adequate education (â€Å"Education From A Gender Equality Perspective† 6).Even more unfortunate, being female aggravates an already problematical situation. In many developing countries, girls are less encouraged than boys to stay in school, enroll in school, or less expected to have their educational requirements provided using non-formal approaches (â€Å"Education From A Gender Equality Perspective† 6). Evidently, the most excellent, available development investment is not being totally exploited by these nations. Educating girls takes in significant outcomes.Educating girls to a certain extent generates a higher rate of return than any other investment presented in the developing world. When girls are provided with access to a rights-based, quality education, they have a tendency to postpone marriage, boast healthier and fewer children, and throw in more to nation productivity and family income (â€Å"Education From A Gender E quality Perspective† 6). Whether consideration is focused on primary or secondary education, providing and ensuring access to high quality education is essential if nations are to realize their development objectives.Developing countries that fall short of guaranteeing impartial access to basic education are, as a result, affected by distressing consequences, such as the increase in fertility and increase costs, poverty, malnutrition, and child mortality. Worldwide Status of Gender Inequality In Education According to the visionary educator Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey, â€Å"Educating the men and neglecting the women is the most certain approach to keep a population down† (â€Å"Girl Power: Educating Girls in the 21st Century† n. p. ).Accordingly, a nation basically educates a person if it educates a man; however, a nation educates a family if it educates a woman. The good news these days, however, is that over recent decades a record numbers of girls have swarmed into sc hool. Girls have closed the gender gap with boys, and prevailed over considerable development, social, and economic gains for their communities as well as for themselves. In poor countries, in general, girls’ primary school enrollments in 1990 to 2004 soared from 87 percent to 94 percent; with more girls today in secondary school than in any documented period in history (Mercy and Fort).Nevertheless, despite the fact that inequalities in the enrolment rates in primary and secondary education have decreased, they have not been eradicated up until now. At present, more than two-thirds of the estimated 860 million uneducated persons around the world are women (â€Å"Decent childhoods: Educate both girls and boys†). Conclusion Education is a basic human right, and children regardless of sex, color, nationality and religion are entitled to it. Education is significant to the development of people and societies, as it helps bring about a productive and successful future.For the millions of illiterate children, admission to education is the pathway to an improved life. Moreover, educating girls leads the way for more extensive changes in the work places, societies and families. When governments guarantee access to a rights-based, quality education that is founded on gender equality to their young citizens, it generates a wave effect of benefits that clearly affect future generations. Works Cited â€Å"Decent childhoods: Educate both girls and boys. † June 2008.International Labour Organization. 4 March 2009 . â€Å"Education From A Gender Equality Perspective. † May 2008. USAID. 4 March 2009 . â€Å"Gender Equality in Education. † 20 April 2009. USAID. 4 March 2009 . â€Å"Girl Power: Educating Girls in the 21st Century. † 5 March 2009.The World Bank. 4 March 2009 . â€Å"Promoting Gender Equality in Education. † n. d. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 4 March 2009 . Tembon, Mercy, and L ucia Fort. n. d. â€Å"Girl’s Education in the 21st Century. † The World Bank. 4 March 2009

Opening ceremony of Hunger Games Essay Essays

Opening ceremony of Hunger Games Essay Essays Opening ceremony of Hunger Games Essay Paper Opening ceremony of Hunger Games Essay Paper Essay Topic: The Hunger Games â€Å"Happy Hunger Games! † The 74th Hunger Games got under manner in dramatic manner today with a fabulous gap ceremonial in the capital. The Hunger Games held one time a twelvemonth. The gap ceremonial began at the City Circle. audiences were the most esteemed citizens of the Capital. they watched in the edifices that beside Circle. Tributes from 12 territories sanded on the chariots and stopped in forepart of the President Snow’s sign of the zodiac. When music ends. the president gave a address to welcome participants. At the terminal of address. he said motto of the game: â€Å"Happy Hunger Games! † The Hunger Games is a Television show which is really popular in the state. It has 24 testimonials who from different territories. each country elected 2 people to fall in this game. Merely one of them who survive can win. The gap ceremonial began in the melodious vocals. Twelve chariots appeared following one by one. Tributes have oning dressing that can demo local features. Chariot from territory 1 pulled by snowy houses. District 1 manufactured of luxury for the capital. so players’ vesture is gorgeous. Other territories participants were demoing their ain manner at that minute. The perfect costume that citizens think came from District 12. Their vesture was on fire. One audience said: â€Å"They were so breathless and eye-popping and I was wholly fascinated. I can hear everyone shouted: ‘District 12! District 12! ’ † . When the national anthem played. the camera lens to exchange to territory players’ faces. and turned around rapidly. At last. the 12 districts’ chariots circling a hebdomad. Then. disappeared into the Training Center. Online referendum displaced this year’s opening ceremonial is better than any other show. This attracted 1000s to watch.

Free Essays on Medea - A Feminist Perspective

MEDEA · A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE This paper contends that Euripides’ portrayal of Medea in his famous play named after her serves as the first notable precursor of the Feminist perspective. Euripides’ depiction of Medea as a proud, active and strong woman seems to be way ahead of his time. While doing so, he has shown a marked shift from the predominant patriarchal trends of his times. In an attempt to materialise such a shift, he has departed from the various mythological versions of Medea’s life, which were prevalent in his age. Hence, Euripides manages to expose the chauvinistic trends of the Greek society and uses his artistic genius to lay bare the inherent imperfections in the supposedly ‘perfect’ Greek Civilisation. Let us scrutinise how Euripides manages to portray Medea as the first notable precursor of the feminist perspective. A keen reader of the Greek Tragedy may argue that there are various other female characters that have acquired considerable limelight. Aeschylus’ Clytemnestra , Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Hecabe and Andromache may be quoted as pertinent examples to substantiate this objection. A close study of all these characters would reveal that none of them happens to be in the same league as Medea. I shall present two arguments to establish the preceding claim. First, Medea outshines all the other portrayals because it has been written from the perspective of a woman who is conscious of her socio-political milieu. Her following dialogue serves as an evidence of her thorough insight into the status of women in her age: â€Å"†¦we women Are the most wretched. When, for an extravagant sum, We have bought a husband, we must then accept him as Possessor of our body†¦. For women, divorce is not Respectable; to repel the man not possible. Still more, a foreign woman, coming among new laws, New customs, needs the skill of magic, to find out What her home ... Free Essays on Medea - A Feminist Perspective Free Essays on Medea - A Feminist Perspective MEDEA · A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE This paper contends that Euripides’ portrayal of Medea in his famous play named after her serves as the first notable precursor of the Feminist perspective. Euripides’ depiction of Medea as a proud, active and strong woman seems to be way ahead of his time. While doing so, he has shown a marked shift from the predominant patriarchal trends of his times. In an attempt to materialise such a shift, he has departed from the various mythological versions of Medea’s life, which were prevalent in his age. Hence, Euripides manages to expose the chauvinistic trends of the Greek society and uses his artistic genius to lay bare the inherent imperfections in the supposedly ‘perfect’ Greek Civilisation. Let us scrutinise how Euripides manages to portray Medea as the first notable precursor of the feminist perspective. A keen reader of the Greek Tragedy may argue that there are various other female characters that have acquired considerable limelight. Aeschylus’ Clytemnestra , Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Hecabe and Andromache may be quoted as pertinent examples to substantiate this objection. A close study of all these characters would reveal that none of them happens to be in the same league as Medea. I shall present two arguments to establish the preceding claim. First, Medea outshines all the other portrayals because it has been written from the perspective of a woman who is conscious of her socio-political milieu. Her following dialogue serves as an evidence of her thorough insight into the status of women in her age: â€Å"†¦we women Are the most wretched. When, for an extravagant sum, We have bought a husband, we must then accept him as Possessor of our body†¦. For women, divorce is not Respectable; to repel the man not possible. Still more, a foreign woman, coming among new laws, New customs, needs the skill of magic, to find out What her home ...

Print Directly to Printer With JavaScript

Print Directly to Printer With JavaScript One query that turns up a lot in the various Javascript forums asks how to send the page directly to the printer without first displaying the print dialog box. Rather than just telling you that it cant be done perhaps an explanation of why such an option is not possible would be more useful. Which print dialog box displays when someone presses the print button in their browser or the Javascript window.print() method runs depends on the operating system and what printers are installed on the computer. As most people run Windows on their computer, lets first describe how the printing setup works on that operating system. The *nix and Mac operating systems differ slightly in the details but overall are set up similar. Print Dialog There are two parts to the print dialog box on Windows. The first of these is part of the Windows API (Application Programming Interface). The API is a set of common code pieces that are held in the various DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files that are part of the Windows operating system. Any Windows program can (and should) call the API to perform common functions such as displaying the Print Dialog box so that it will work the same way in all programs and not have different options in different places the way the print option did back in DOS program days. The Print Dialog API also provides a common interface allowing all programs access to the same set of printer drivers rather than printer manufacturers having to create driver software for their printer for each individual program that wanted to use it. The printer drivers are the other half of the print dialog. There are several different languages that different printers understand that they use to control how the page prints (eg. PCL5 and Postscript). The printer driver instructs the Print API as to how to translate the standard internal print format that the operating system understands into the custom markup language that the specific printer understands. It also adjusts the options that the Print dialog displays to reflect the options offered by the specific printer. Operating the Printer An individual computer may have no printers installed, it may have one local printer, it may have access to several printers over a network, it may even be set up to print to PDF or preformatted print file. Where more than one printer is defined one of them is designated the default printer which means that it is the one that displays its details in the print dialog when it first appears. The operating system keeps track of the default printer and identifies that printer to the various programs on the computer. This allows the programs to pass an extra parameter to the print API telling it to print directly to the default printer without displaying the print dialog first. Many programs have two different print options - a menu entry that displays the print dialog and a toolbar fast print button that sends directly to the default printer. When you have a web page on the internet that your visitors are going to print, you have next to no information about what printer(s) they have available. Most printers around the world are configured to print out on A4 paper but you cant guarantee that the printer is set up to that default. One North American country uses a non-standard paper size that is shorter and wider than A4. Most printers are set up to print out in portrait mode (where the narrower direction is the width but some may be set to the landscape  where the longer dimension is the width. Of  course, each and every printer also has different default margins at the top, bottom, and sides of the page even before the owners go in and change all of the settings to get the printer the way that they want. Given all of these  factors, you have no way to tell whether the default printer with its default configuration will print out your web page on A3 with negligible margins or on A5 with huge margins (leaving little more than a postage stamp sized area in the middle of the page). You can probably assume that most will have a print area on the page of approximately 16cm x 25cm (plus or minus 80%). Printing Needs Since printers vary so much between your potential visitors (did someone mention laser printers, inkjet printers,  color  or black and white only, photo quality, draft mode, and lots more) you have no way to tell what they will need to do to print out your page in a reasonable format. perhaps they have a separate printer or a second driver for the same printer providing totally different settings specifically for web pages. Next, comes the matter of what they may want to print. Do they want the whole page or have they selected just a part of the page that they want to  print?  If your site uses frames do they want to print all of the frames the way they appear on the page, do they want to print each frame separately, or do they just want to print a specific frame? The need to answer all of these questions makes it just about essential that the print dialog  appears  whenever they want to print something so that they can make sure that the settings are all correct before they hit the print button. Most browsers also provide the ability to add a fast print button to one of the browser toolbars to allow the page to be printed to the default printer using default browser settings as to what is to be printed and how. Javascript Browsers do not make this multitude of browser and printer settings available to Javascript. Javascript is primarily concerned with modifying the current  web page  and so web browsers provide minimal information about the browser itself and next to no information about the operating system available to  Javascript  because Javascript doesnt need to know those things to perform  those  things that Javascript is intended to do. Basic security says that if something like Javascript doesnt need to know about the operating system and browser configuration in order to manipulate the web page then it should not be provided with that information. It is not like Javascript ought to be able to change the printer settings to appropriate values for printing the current page because that is not what Javascript is for - that is the job of the print dialog. Browsers  therefore  only make available to Javascript those things that Javascript needs to know such as the size of the screen, the  available space in the browser window  to display the page, and similar things which help Javascript work out how the page is laid out. The current web page is  Javascripts  one and only concern. Intranets Intranets are of course an entirely different matter. With an  intranet,  you know that everyone  accessing the page  is using a specific browser (usually a recent version of Internet Explorer) and has a specific screen resolution and access to specific printers. This means that it makes sense on an intranet to be able to print directly to the printer without displaying the print dialog because the person writing the web page knows which printer it will be printed on. The Internet Explorer substitute for Javascript (called JScript) therefore has slightly more information about the browser and operating system that Javascript itself does. The individual computers on the network running the intranet may be able to be configured to allow the JScript  window.print()  command write directly to the printer without displaying the print dialog. This configuration would need to be set up individually on each client computer and is well beyond the scope of an article on Javascript. When it comes to web pages on the internet there is absolutely no way that you can set up a  Javascript command  to send directly to the default printer. If your visitors wish to do that they will have to set up their own fast print button on their browser toolbar.

Philosophy A New Way To Be Mad By Carl Elliot Essay

Philosophy A New Way To Be Mad By Carl Elliot - Essay Example Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID), also known as Amputee Identity Disorder or Apotemnophilia (from Greek ÃŽ ±Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€žÃŽ ­ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ½ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ "to cut off", and φÎ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ± "love of") is the overwhelming desire to amputate one or more healthy limbs or other parts of the body. Sometimes its sufferers take it upon themselves to amputate their own limbs and/or penis. Although it most commonly refers to people who wish to amputate limbs, the term BIID also applies to those who wish to alter their bodily integrity in general (Wikipedia). As a normal human being one strives to be self sufficient. It is more of a vice than virtue to take assistance from someone. If you ask any amputee about the thing he would like to have in this world, his answer would be to get his/her amputated part back. Therefore, the development of a psychological condition in which one intends to become â€Å"incomplete† from â€Å"complete† is difficult to understand. The essence o f condition which leads to disintegration from an integrated and superior stage is what is hard to believe.... In the second essay of "Genealogy of Morals" Nietzsche delve into the development of bad conscience. He mentions that when a man (slave/common man) is deprived of manifesting his "will to power" towards the others (masters/influential people) his energies are turned against himself inwardly and "the instinct of cruelty turns back after it can no longer discharge itself externally." Therefore, it is that cruelty generated in the conditions of helplessness which causes the state of apotemnophilia. Coupled with above, the generation of feeling of self pity and pity from others can be another reason of such behavior. As a normal healthy person is expected to help, the apotemnophiliac from inside is not inclined to do that. Now in normal circumstances he will be looked down upon not helping someone. However, by creating a self generated disability he is not only avoiding the situation of helping others but also generating permanent circumstances in which he is thought to be deserving a preferential treatment. However, what ever the theories are we must understand that the condition of these individuals is not a new phenomenon, but according to few it seem to be on rise. Whether this observation is true or not is debatable. Because we are living in a far more connected world than what it was before. To ascertain that whether the phenomenon is on the rise in recent past is really not possible as the record of our eras' "less interactive" past is not available. However it can be conveniently said that it is prevalent in the prosperous society as compared to a backward one. It is because in prosperous societies more individuals are on "self actualization" stage and thus are more prone to feel their inability to express their energies outwardly, resultantly leading to

Strategic Human Resource Management College Case Study

Strategic Human Resource Management College - Case Study Example It is possible to say that performance management is a central tool used by both companies to meet business objectives and goals. Performance management allows different companies to balance the need to embed processes with the need to be flexible and adaptive to changing circumstances. According to Greer (2000) management often supplements performance management by competency frameworks; appraisal is more frequently conducted through multiple perspectives; rewards decisions are more likely to be decentralized; and formal training is supplemented by coaching and self-development activities. In this case, it is possible to say that the application of performance management is influenced by the degree and experience of change, the involvement and commitment of line managers, and the transparency and perceived fairness of the process (Nkomo et al 2004). Training and self-development of employees are the key concepts identified in the case studies. All the companies placed great emphasis on training and development, with "most having a number of large-scale training initiatives either in place or being developed, sometimes as part of a broader cultural change program" (Nkomo et al 2004, p. 23). There is clear evidence that all the organizations are increasing their investment in training in order to compete on the market. Significant qualitative differences emerged between the types of training offered. Performance management is expected to regulate both motivation and ability to work. Performance management is usually conceptualized as consisting of three elements: (1) objective setting, (2) formal performance evaluation, and (3) linkage between evaluation outcomes and development and rewards, in order to reinforce desired behavior (Nkomo et al 2004).. Motivation is important because it influences commitment to work and productivity, morale and culture. Even if a company succeeds in constraining their behaviors in this way, the prescription might dampen the very motivation and creativity that the company seeks from them and depends upon for business performance. 'Business targets' also emerges as a significant source of motivation in all organizations. Motivation and rewards is an important part of change management helping companies to overcome resistance to change and inspire employees. One tempting interpretation of these results would be to argue that the personal motivation o f managers is of much greater importance in explaining the involvement of line managers than formal institutional incentives and pressures (Greer 2000). In any case, the personal motivation of managers is influenced by their organizational environment. B. The main similarity between Ford and Toyota management is the strategic approach to human resource management. Both companies had to change their working culture and improve professional skills of employees. Toyota created a positive environment where employees perceived that they easily acquired new skills and knowledge. Similar to Toyota, Ford introduced training programs for engineers and production workers. The main difference was that Ford emphasized on-job training and development while Toyota paid a special attention to motivation

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Political science - Essay Example The U.S. victory can be attributed to their decisive plans for naval control on the western pacific wing during the World War II. This operation was carried out with little knowledge of modern operational ideas. It is for this reason that both sides experienced tactical shortcomings that halted the entire mission and objective of the operation. This paper shall analyze the battle for Leyte Gulf with its main focus on the principles and art of military operation by the U.S. and Japan. In this regard the paper will focus on command decisions by the U.S. and Japanese naval commanders with a view of coming up with modern principles that can be applied in future operations. Principles of operation The success of any warfare mission depends solely on the ability of the commander to identify the aim, decipher the strategic factors of his operation, select and organize his forces and design a plan to achieve the objective of the operation. Normally, the commander’s role involves integ ration and coordination of an operation in a way as to inflict shock, disrupt and defeat the enemy. This is possible when the entire operation injects force on a totally different measure. In so doing, the commander ought to choose the correct course of action as dictated by ground factors by selecting factors pertinent to operations guided by the philosophy of operational art. The planning, synchronization and the conduct of operational functions have some impacts on the belligerents. This paper intends to discuss the aftereffects of the operational functions of the military in relation to planning, synchronization and execution. To achieve this aim, the impacts of the operational functions to belligerents in the Leyte Gulf operation will be discussed. The Leyte Gulf operation, also termed as the battles for Leyte Gulf, was a battle that occurred during the Second World War, from the 23rd to the 25th of October 1944. It aimed at the liberation of Philippines. Allied forces of the U .S.A and Australia and the Imperial Japanese Navy were the protagonists in the battle (Adamsky, 2010). The battle started with the invasion of Leyte’s island by the ground forces of the allied forces led by general Douglas Mac Arthur. The Japanese fleet took up the battle to defeat the invasion, but got defeated by the U.S. seventh fleet led by Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid and the fleet led by Admiral William. The battle got divided into four engagements which were the battle of Samar, the battle of cape Engano, the battle of Surigao strait, and the battle of the Sibuyan Sea. Preparation and Planning The main objective of the operation was to capture Leyte Gulf. The U.S. naval forces approached the attack using two axes, one under the leadership of Admiral Nimitz. This was designed to advance its operations towards a westerly strategic axis with the sole purpose of capturing the Marianas, Palau, Gilbert and Marshall Islands. The second set of forces, the southwest pacific forc es, under the command of General Douglas followed a northwesterly tactical axis all the way through Guinea and Morotai. The two axes were expected to intersect at Leyte. According to the leading commanders, the intersection would act as a stepping stone for effective takeover of Philippines. This was a strategic move in the heart of the operation as this was designed to cut off communication of Japanese sea lines disadvantaging their retaliation. In

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Political science - Essay Example The media is also a watchdog and meaning it has the possibility to show all the negative attributes of one candidate whilst neglecting those of the other. Hence, the television media is directly linked to the community as it is the main source of news. Hence, the image presented by the media has the power to change the opinion of voters by the information it shows. The relationship between media and society can be improved by the media taking a neutral position in the elections and avoiding biased viewing which may cause the community to lose trust in its information 2. The modern executives in the United States are nominated by the president. After this there is need for rejection or confirmation of these executives the United States Senate. In Great Britain the selection of the executive is done by the Prime Minister from the House of Lords and the House of Commons, In France the Prime Minister recommends the candidates and the President makes the final decision from these candidates. The constraints of the cabinet in United States are based on Article II and the President may attain advice from these members. In Great Britain the cabinet is responsible for the majority of the decisions made in the Westminster system. In France, the executives have control over the National Assembly. These members have no authority to propose any legislation and this can only be done with the approval of the parliament. 3. The main functions of the legislatures include the law making, executive functioning of legislation, and control over the finances, juridical duties, public administration control, electoral functions and appointment of commissions. The main functions include law making and their repealing and control over the executive. The least performed functions include organization of social utilities and services, public administration and appointment of commissions. 4. World politics has continued to change over the decades and the modern features of

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Essay

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is that investors prefer to invest in the most efficient portfolios available - Essay Example To determine an efficient portfolio, an efficient frontier is drawn. The efficient frontier is a graph drawn to exhibit different portfolios with a different combination of returns and risks. To achieve such optimal portfolio, there must be a combination of the lowest risk with the highest expected return. The figure below shows the efficient frontier. The efficient frontier has a Y- axis that measures the anticipated rate of return (ER) and X- axis that measures the standard deviation (∞). The curve JKL drawn in the graph is the minimum variance frontier which combines the risk of a portfolio and anticipated return on portfolio to minimize the return deviation at distinct levels of return expected. On the efficient frontier, there are some points that are found either below or above it. Those portfolios that lie below the frontier provide an inadequate return for a given risk hence they are sub-optimal. In other words, they are attainable but insufficient. Conversely, those that lie to the right of the frontier have higher risks given a certain rate of return. In theinvestment of securities, the main objective is to earn returns from a respective investment. High-risk with high returns is always avoided because they require high capital for investment. An investor can anticipate earning a lot from a given security but because of the fluctuations of the market prices and inflation, such investor can incur a loss simply because the future movements of the portfolio cannot be predicted (Fama 2009, p.452). Given an axiom that all investors fear risk, none of them will be willing to invest in a portfolio that has a high possibility of a loss. However, investors prefer a portfolio that has low-risk because they can be certain of the expected returns from a certain portfolio. Though they will not be getting the maximum returns they wish, they are able to get the returns for unforeseen future because

Project Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Management - Case Study Example They are the driving force behind all the projects that are performed as well as the reactions to the projects so performed. In the case of XYZ Company, Carl was a very important stakeholder where most of the activities rotated around him as the key man with the post of the executive president. He has the control of all activities that go on at the company and in one case or another summons the different other stakeholders such as the accountant to negotiate on some deals that would oversee the company pushed to progressive levels. Stakeholder groups may involve individuals, groups and formal organizations. Stakeholders are the most important people that make sure that the execution of the project is carried out effectively. In fact, to a more basic level, a stakeholder to the company would be anyone who stands to gain or lose in effect of the project being carried out. In the case of the XYZ Company, the project team, the strategic partners, customers, alliances, vendors and the sen ior management team make up the stakeholders associated with the company. When all these stakeholders come together for the purpose of realizing the project objective, influence and collaboration must be adhered to in taking care of realization of the final objective. This is because effective success in the project implementation requires understanding and co-corporation between all the stakeholders. The customers (banks, insurance companies and investment companies) are usually the beneficiaries of the project that is created as the final consumers. Therefore, they are a very primary group to the operations of the project. Implementers (like the FS business unit) are the driving force behind the operations of the company and are equally very important. Stakeholders on the prime side can be divided into internal and external stakeholder groups. There are several internal factors that affect the outcome of

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Essay

A central assumption made in Mean-Variance Analysis and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is that investors prefer to invest in the most efficient portfolios available - Essay Example To determine an efficient portfolio, an efficient frontier is drawn. The efficient frontier is a graph drawn to exhibit different portfolios with a different combination of returns and risks. To achieve such optimal portfolio, there must be a combination of the lowest risk with the highest expected return. The figure below shows the efficient frontier. The efficient frontier has a Y- axis that measures the anticipated rate of return (ER) and X- axis that measures the standard deviation (∞). The curve JKL drawn in the graph is the minimum variance frontier which combines the risk of a portfolio and anticipated return on portfolio to minimize the return deviation at distinct levels of return expected. On the efficient frontier, there are some points that are found either below or above it. Those portfolios that lie below the frontier provide an inadequate return for a given risk hence they are sub-optimal. In other words, they are attainable but insufficient. Conversely, those that lie to the right of the frontier have higher risks given a certain rate of return. In theinvestment of securities, the main objective is to earn returns from a respective investment. High-risk with high returns is always avoided because they require high capital for investment. An investor can anticipate earning a lot from a given security but because of the fluctuations of the market prices and inflation, such investor can incur a loss simply because the future movements of the portfolio cannot be predicted (Fama 2009, p.452). Given an axiom that all investors fear risk, none of them will be willing to invest in a portfolio that has a high possibility of a loss. However, investors prefer a portfolio that has low-risk because they can be certain of the expected returns from a certain portfolio. Though they will not be getting the maximum returns they wish, they are able to get the returns for unforeseen future because

Professional associations influence on HR practitioner Essay

Professional associations influence on HR practitioner - Essay Example uch, the human resource team employed by a company or an organization should be efficient and attentive to the rights, privileges, as well as the personal needs of the workers of the organization in order to foster a good working environment at the company to promote productivity and efficiency within the operations of the company (Bogardus, 2009). Aside from the skills acquired through learning and professional experience, HR officials should always be on the lookout for new skills, talents and expertise that comes about from leading professional associations and journals within the market. These assist the HR practitioners from getting up-to-date information on the performance of their tasks and duties as HR Managers, thereby being efficient and effective in their practice. Some of the leading professional associations in Human Resources that influence the practice and trade of a HR Practitioner in Australia include the Australian Human Resource Institute, the HR Monthly, and similar publications from consultancy firms (Bondarouk & Olivas-Lujan, 2013). The Australian Human Resource Institute is a professional association of Human Resources professionals who study, review and make recommendations on the current needs and demands of a HR practitioner in the Australian Human resource market. As such, a HR practitioner gains abundantly from reading the findings and reports published by this institute, as these reports touch on the sensitive issues of their professional practice that enable them improve and enhance their professional practice. For instance, the latest publication of the Australian Human Resource Institute provided a methodology of how to undertake appropriate HR Strategies and Planning within the organization in order to promote efficiency and productivity within the company (Cheung-Judge & Holbeche, 2015). HR strategies incorporate an effective assessment of all the HR needs and demands of an organization, and as such, getting the right personnel

Psychoanalytic Case Study of Preston Essay Example for Free

Psychoanalytic Case Study of Preston Essay Preston was concerned over his aggressive behavior towards other males in and outside of the home. He had frequent altercations with his brother, both of whom lived with their parents. Preston was adopted at a very young age. This was a major cause of his recent issues. He feared that his emotions would progressively get worse, and that something detrimental would happen. In accordance with psychoanalysis, Preston was allowed to explore these issues through free association. Preston was shown that his subconscious had been concealing issues related to his early adoption. Preston was shown constructive ways to deal with these issues. Preston continues to make progress in this area, and is exhibiting less signs of his previous issues. Psychoanalytic Case Study of: Preston A Conceptualization and Treatment Plan The individual in this case study presents a multitude of symptoms that are affecting his daily life. The individual has many factors from his childhood that would contribute to these issues. This study goes to show how the subject’s childhood has a direct relationship to the issues that he is currently experiencing. The identification of these issues is necessary in order for treatment to be successfully implemented. Presenting Concerns Preston presents himself as suffering from multiple issues that affect his daily life. He claims to have issues with forming any relationships with other males. He states that he is overtly competitive when dealing with these other males. His biggest issues arise when dealing with his brother. Preston was adopted at a very young age, and has always had issues getting along with this brother. This aggression has moved from just dealing with his brother to all males in general. There have been instances where the police have been involved in altercations that Preston has had at home. He fears that this will continue until he is arrested outside of the home. Preston still lives with both of his adopted parents and his brother. Preston has stated that he is constantly vying for his parents’ attention, and his aggression increases whenever someone else is monopolizing their time. He does not feel that he will always become violent, but that his anxiety is constantly increasing in situations such as this. He is afraid that his frustration and need to outdo others will end very negatively. Case Conceptualization It appears that one of Preston’s main issues is that of Displacement. According to Murdock (2013), this occurs when a subject shows anger towards someone who is less dangerous than the real cause of an issue (p. 40). Preston shows that he has issues in dealing with the fact that he still lives at home with his parents. He verbally abuses those that he sees as â€Å"better† than him. Preston does not wish to abuse himself over this issue. So, he abuses others that he believes will accept the abuse. He seems to blame others for whatever failings he has in life. He takes his frustrations out on whoever is the most convenient to him. This involves rage towards his brother, as well as friends of his parents. The fact that Preston was adopted as such an early age raises the issue of attachment bonds as well. It appears that Preston may have become overly attached to his adopted parents. Much of this may have to do with the way that they raised him. His parents were very protective, and would cater to his every need. This seems to have created a kind of subconscious reliance on his parents, and the need for their constant approval. This leads to the constant need for their attention as well as the need to outdo peers. The aggressiveness towards peers does not seem to have started until Preston was old enough to identify that was adopted. He seemed to be displacing fear that his current parents would abandon him onto others. This is the main subconscious issue that is affecting Preston. His fear of abandonment has caused him to irrationally fear any force outside of his parental relationship, including his brother. This affects his appraisal tendency, which is the way his brain perceives threats and relates to his aggression and depression (Gilbert, 2007, p. 47). This is the disconnect that is causing most of Preston’s issues. He feels threats that just are not there. He remains living with his parents, constantly vigilant of anyone that will take them away from him, including his brother. This has manifested itself in a sort of hyper-masculinity. Preston’s ego identifies no other way to express these abandonment issues other than with aggressiveness. Also, the fact that Preston’s aggression has continued to increase could be directly correlated with his parents aging. Perhaps he fears that not only could people take his parents away, but the fear that death is closing in on them. This could also be manifesting itself in Preston’s fear and frustration. Treatment Plan Goals for Counseling The goal for psychoanalytic therapy is to get Preston in touch with his subconscious. This serves to identify the root causes of his present issues. Preston will need to identify specific defense mechanisms that he created in childhood. The material that has shifted from the subconscious to the conscious will need to be readily identified (Murdock, 2013, p. 37). Once these mechanisms and thoughts are out in the open, it will be easier to discuss them and change present behavior. Interventions The fundamental intervention to employ with Preston will be â€Å"free association†. According to Murdock (2013), free association encourages the client to reveal whatever he is thinking even if it seems irrelevant or offensive (p. 49). This will be particularly helpful for Preston, and can reveal what his thought process is when he has these aggressive bouts. It seems that Preston has not been totally honest with himself. Free association can help him to bring out deep-rooted ideas for analysis and discussion. This intervention can provide logic and reason to the seemingly illogical thoughts he is experiencing. Establishing the Relationship I realized that Preston had issues in dealing with other males. I asked him if he would feel more comfortable dealing with a female counselor. He indicated that he did not react the same way to me as with other males. He stated that he realized that my sole purpose was to help him with his issues, and this made him not feel anxious or aggressive. I relayed that I was glad this was the case, but that I needed to be immediately notified if these sentiments changed. Whenever I felt that Preston was actually getting anxious or aggressive, I made him aware. I explained to him that he was projecting these feelings onto me, and that it was harmful to the counselor/client relationship. He quickly calmed down, and apologized. He seemed to genuinely understand my concern for his well-being. Analysis of Transference The occasions that Preston did display anxiousness/aggressiveness, he did seem to understand that he was doing so after it was brought to his attention. He realized that I was not causing his issues, and I attempted to apply this to his other personal relationships. We would analyze why he was feeling this way, and how it related to his childhood and parents. He came to the conclusion that if he did not get these feelings under control in session, then he was never going to get them under control outside of it. Insight Preston came to realize that he had subconscious issues regarding his adoption as a child. He understood that he was so shocked by learning he was adopted that he was afraid it was going to happen again. He learned that he was very afraid of losing his parents. He acknowledged that his aggressive outbursts were not about the people he was dealing with, but about his fear that his parents would somehow like them better and abandon him. Preston identified that this is not considered normal behavior for someone his age. He picked up various calming techniques, and needed to constantly remind himself that the issue was him, not others. I was able to assist Preston in identifying the root causes of different scenarios and emotions that he discussed. His visible anxiety and aggression seemed to be kept to a minimum. With his understanding of why he was experiencing these emotions, Preston seemed to be doing better in his daily life. He reports being able to hold a discussion with other males without feeling the need to be dominant. He has also taken steps in explaining his fears and issues with his parents. Conclusions The next main milestone for Preston will be to find a home of his own. This will take time and adjustment, but will be a great leap forward. Also, he is noticing some of the same issues he is dealing with in his brother. Hopefully, Preston can persuade his brother to seek the same sort of help that he has received. This will have to be gradual so as to not induce any sort of separation anxiety. However, if Preston continues with treatment and making positive choices, then he will be continuing on the path to recovery.

Analysis of the Starbucks Corporation Essay -- Business Management Sta

Analysis of the Starbucks Corporation History Of Starbucks Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin and Ziv Siegl founded Starbucks in 1971. Their goal was to sell the finest quality whole beans and ground coffees (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). In 1982, Starbucks had grown to five stores and started serving coffee to restaurants and espresso bars. Harold Schultz was employed as the director of retail operations and marketing. Harold Schultz convinced the founders of Starbucks to open a downtown Seattle coffee bar, which opened in 1984. With the success of Seattle coffee bar, Schultz left Starbucks to start his own company named Il Giornale. In 1987, Il Giornale acquired Starbucks retail operations for 4 million dollars. In addition, Il Giornale changed its name to Starbucks Corporation and opened locations in Chicago and Vancouver, B.C. (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). Starbucks continued its expansion throughout the late 1980 and beyond. In 1991, Starbucks became the first privately owned U.S. Corporation to offer stock options to part time employees (Starbucks timeline and history, 2004). In the early 1990s Starbucks started setting up coffee shops in Nordstrom ¡Ã‚ ¦s department stores, Barnes & Noble bookstores and ITT/Sheraton hotels. In 1995, the corporation began selling compact discs and formed an alliance with the Canadian bookstore, Chapters Inc. In 2000, Schultz promoted Orin Smith to the position of CEO. Schultz remained chairman for the corporation. This allowed Schultz to focus on Starbucks ¡Ã‚ ¦ global strategy. Starbucks operates and licenses more the 7,500 coffee shops in more than 30 countries. Coffee Industry In the United States, coffee is the second largest import (Roosevelt, 2004). Furthermore, the United States, consumes one-fifth of all the worlds ¡Ã‚ ¦ coffee (Global Exchange, 2004). The present industry is expanding. It is estimated that North America ¡Ã‚ ¦s sector will reach saturation levels within 5 year (Datamonitor. n.d.). According to National Coffee Association (NCA), 8 out of 10 Americans consume coffee. In addition, it is estimated that half of the American population drinks coffee daily. The international market remains highly competitive. It is estimated that 3,300 cups of coffee are consumed every second of the day worldwide (Ecomall, n.d.). The latest trends included dual drinkers, an increase in senior citizens... ...ll us how we are doing. We appreciate your business and want to make sure we meet your expectations. Attached you will find a coupon good for 1 free coffee. Thanks again, for your time and patronage. How often do you visit Starbucks? DAILY ONCE/WEEK OR MORE 2 TO 3 TIMES A MONTH ONCE/MONTH EVERY 2-3 MONTHS 2-3 TIMES A YEAR OR LESS Overall, how satisfied are you , with [PRODUCT/SERVICE]? Please answer using the rating scale where (5) means "extremely satisfied" and (1) means "very unsatisfied." VERY UNSATISFIED UNSATISFIED SOMEWHAT SATISFIED VERY SATISFIED EXTREMELY SATISFIED How likely are you to use/purchase [PRODUCT/SERVICE] again? DEFINITELY PROBABLY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT PROBABLY NOT DEFINITELY NOT NEVER USED Would you recommend [PRODUCT OR SERVICE] to others? DEFINITELY PROBABLY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT PROBABLY NOT DEFINITELY NOT NEVER USED   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What recommendations would you offer for improving [PRODUCT/SERVICE]? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Acid Rain Essay -- Geology

ACID RAIN - DEFINITION Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is the major cause of acid rain. The main chemicals in air pollution that create acid rain are sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Acid rain usually forms high in the clouds where sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water, oxygen, and oxidants. This mixture forms a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Sunlight increases the rate of most of these reactions. Rainwater, snow, fog, and other forms of precipitation containing those mild solutions of sulfuric and nitric acids fall to earth as acid rain. Acidity is measured using a pH scale, with the number 7 being neutral. Consequently, a substance with a pH value of less than 7 is acidic, while one of a value greater than 7 is basic. Generally, the pH of 5.6 has been used as the baseline in identifying acid rain, although there has been much debate over the acceptance of this value. Interestingly enough, a pH of 5.6 is the pH value of carbon dioxide in equilibrium with distilled water. That means, acid ran is defined as any rainfall that has an acidity level beyond what is expected in non-polluted rainfall. Any precipitation that has a pH value of less than 5.6 is considered to be acid precipitation. The three main sources of acid deposition are: 1. Coal in electricity 2. Base metal smelting 3. Fuel combustion in vehicles This is a small diagram that shows where some of the pollution comes from and where it goes to when it turns into acid rain. .. ...e EcoLogo. They minimize the use of environmentally hazardous substances and maximize energy efficiency and the use of recycled materials. Buy locally produced or grown items from local stores and businesses. They don’t require the transportation energy of imported products. Transportation Walk, ride your bike or take a bus to work. Share a ride with a friend or co-worker. Have your engine tuned at least once every six months. Check your car tire pressure regularly. Use alternative fuels, such as ethanol, propane or natural gas. Avoid unnecessary idling. In the winter, warm your car’s engine with a block heater for two to three hours prior to driving, rather than plugging in the battery overnight. Reduce the number of trips you make in your car. Drive at moderate speeds. Take the train or bus on long trips. Go CFC-Free.

Food Chains, Food Web, Ecological Pyramids Essay

In an ecosystem, plants capture the sun’s energy and use it to convert inorganic compounds into energy-rich organic compounds. This process of using the sun’s energy to convert minerals (such as magnesium or nitrogen) in the soil into green leaves, or carrots, or strawberries, is called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is only the beginning of a chain of energy conversions. There are many types of animals that will eat the products of the photosynthesis process. Examples are deer eating shrub leaves, rabbits eating carrots, or worms eating grass. When these animals eat these plant products, food energy and organic compounds are transferred from the plants to the animals. These animals are in turn eaten by other animals, again transferring energy and organic compounds from one animal to another. Examples would be lions eating zebras, foxes eating rabbits, or birds eating worms. This chain of energy transferring from one species to another can continue several more times, but it eventually ends. It ends with the dead animals that are broken down and used as food or nutrition by bacteria and fungi. As these organisms, referred to as decomposers, feed from the dead animals, they break down the complex organic compounds into simple nutrients. Decomposers play a very important role in this world because they take care of breaking down (cleaning) many dead material. There are more than 100,000 different types of decomposer organisms! These simpler nutrients are returned to the soil and can be used again by plants. The energy transformation chain starts all over again. Producers: Organisms, such as plants, that produce their own food are called autotrophs. The autotrophs, as mentioned before, convert inorganic compounds into organic compounds. They are called producers because all of the species of the ecosystem depend on them. Consumers: All the organisms that can not make their own food (and need producers) are called heterotrophs. In an ecosystem heterotrophs are called consumers because they depend on others. They obtain food by eating other organisms. There are different levels of consumers. Those that feed directly from producers, i.e. organisms that eat plant or plant products are called primary consumers. In the figure above the grasshopper is a primary consumer. Organisms that feed on primary consumers are called secondary consumers. Those who feed on secondary consumers are tertiary consumers. In the figure above the snake acts as a secondary consumer and the hawk as a tertiary consumer. Some organisms, like the squirrel are at different levels. When the squirrel eats acorns or fruits (which are plant product), it is a primary consumer; however, when it eats insects or nestling birds, it is a tertiary consumer. Consumers are also classified depending on what they eat; they can be herbivores, carnivores, omnivores or scavengers. In looking at the previous picture, the concept of food chain looks very simple, but in reality it is more complex. Think about it. How many different animals eat grass? And from the Facts about Red-tailed Hawks page, how many different foods does the hawk eat? One doesn’t find simple independent food chains in an ecosystem, but many interdependent and complex food chains that look more like a web and are therefore called food webs. We described in the previous sections how energy and organic compounds are passed from one trophic level to the next. What was not mentioned is the efficiency of the transfer. In a highly efficient transfer almost all of the energy would be transferred — 80% or more. In a low efficiency transfer very little energy would be transferred — less than 20%. In a typical food chain, not all animals or plants are eaten by the next trophic level. In addition, there are portions or materials (such as beaks, shells, bones, etc.) that are also not eaten. That is why the transfer of matter and energy from one trophic level to the next is not an efficient one. One way to calculate the energy transfer is by measuring or sizing the energy at one trophic level and then at the next. Calorie is a unit of measure used for energy. The energy transfer from one trophic level to the next is about 10%. For example, if there are 10,000 calories at one level, only 1,000 are transferred to the next. This 10% energy and material transfer rule can be depicted with an ecological pyramid that looks like the one below. This pyramid helps one visualize the fact that in an ecological system there need to be many producing organisms at the bottom of the pyramid to be able to sustain just a couple of organisms at the top. In looking at the pyramid, can you guess how much larger the volume of each layer is as compared to the one just above it? Take a guess. It might not look like it but they are close to 10 times larger. A basic pyramid shape often represents a typical food chain or food web. The pyramid represents the decrease in the amount of energy, the number of organisms and the biomass from the producer to the high – order consumer levels. The decrease in the numbers and in the biomass represent the fact that, due to energy loss, fewer organisms can be supported at each successive trophic level. Pyramid of Energy Energy is lost between each link in a food chain. Much of the potential energy at each level never reaches the next level. Where does the energy go as it moves through a food chain? Some of the energy that enters a food chain is used as each organism carries out its life functions (i.e. foraging, metabolic processes, reproduction, predator/prey behavior, etc.). Producers manufacture their own food source directly from sunlight by the process of photosynthesis. In order to carry out life functions, consumers acquire energy through the ‘burning’ or breaking down of food molecules they consume (eat). Thermal energy (heat) is produced as a result of the burning of these food molecules. More than half of the energy from each food molecule is lost as heat. Only about 10% – 20% of energy at each trophic level is available to pass on to the next level. In other words, at each level there is only about 10% available energy to put on new biomass (growth). Pyramid of Numbers The loss of energy at each trophic level also explains why there are usually fewer organisms in each higher trophic level. The total number of plants in a particular area would generally be higher then the number of herbivores that the plants support and the number of herbivores would be higher than the number of higher order carnivores. Pyramid of Biomass Biomass is the total mass of dry organic matter per unit of area. Each higher trophic level contains less biomass than the previous trophic level. Therefore a drawing or graph that represents the amount of biomass at each trophic level would also produce the basic pyramid shape. Biomass is related to the abundance of organisms at each trophic level. Human Impact on Food Chains and Webs Humans have the ability to have a great impact on ecosystems. Living organisms are a significant portion of any ecosystem, therefore any activity that affects an ecosystem is also likely to affect the organisms within that ecosystem. If organisms are affected the food chains webs that the organisms are a part of will also feel the affects.

Enron Ethics Essay

This article tries to show how the company’s culture had profound effects on the ethics of its employee? And particularly in this case: how did Enron lose both its economical and ethical status? This question makes the Enron case interesting to us as business ethicists. Enron ethics means that business ethics is a question of organizational â€Å"deep† culture rather than of cultural artifacts like ethics codes, ethics officers and the like. BackgroundAt the beginning Enron faced a number of financially difficulty years. In 1988, the deregulation of the electrical power market took effect and Enron redefined its business to energy broker and got a thriving company. The company became a â€Å"matchmaker† in the power industry, bringing buyers and sellers together. Enron embraced a culture that rewarded â€Å"cleverness†. Pushing the limits was considered a survival skill; the motto of the CEO Jeffry Skilling was â€Å"Do it right, do it now and do it better†. This culture admires innovation and unchecked ambition and publicly punishes poor performance can produce big return in the short term. However, in the long run, achieving additional value by constantly â€Å"upping the ante† becomes harder and harder. A lot of smoke and mirrorsWith Enron’s spectacular success, the business community rewarded Enron for its cleverness and Enron’s executives felt driven by this reputation to sustain the explosive growth of the late 1990s, even when they logically knew that it was not possible. In order to indicate that the company was not as successful as it appeared, Enron entered into a deceiving web of partnerships and employed increasingly questionable accounting methods to maintain its investment-grade status. PartnershipsTo push the value envelope, Enron created â€Å"special purpose vehicles† (SPV), pseudo-partnerships that allowed the company to sell assets and â€Å"create† earnings that artificially enhanced its bottom line. Enron exaggerated earnings by recognizing gains on the sale of assets to SPVs. An example is the partnership with Blockbuster which was intended to provide movies to homes directly over phones lines. In this case Enron recorded $ 110.9 million in profits prematurely, even if these profits were never realized as the partnership after only a 1,000-home pilot. Therefore booking  earnings before they are realized were rather â€Å"early† than wrong. The culture at Enron was quickly eroding the ethical boundaries of its employees. Keeping debt off the balance sheetTo avoid that a highly leveraged balance sheet would threaten its credit rating, Enron parked some of its debt on the balance sheet of its SPVs and kept hidden from analysts and investors. This can be read as another example of ethical erosion, but Enron’s decision makers saw the shuffling of debt rather as a timing issue and not as an ethical one. Partnerships at â€Å"arm’s length†Enron enlisted help from its outside accountants and its attorneys to guarantee that the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) did not consider its partnerships as Enron subsidiaries. Enron crafted relationships that looked (legally) like partnerships, although they were (in practice) subsidiaries. A closer look at the partnerships would have revealed that the outside investments came from companies that were owned by Enron. Conflicts of interestEnron officials obviously had close ties with its partnerships. For example, the CFO war partial owner of two of the most important partnerships. The culture of cleverness at Enron started as a pursuit of excellence that devolved into the appearance of excellence as executives worked to develop clever ways of preserving Enron’s infallible faà §ade of success; for the good of the company, Enron’s executives also began to bend the rules for personal again. Once a culture’s ethical boundaries are breached thresholds of more extreme ethical compromises become lower. The self-reinforcing decline of EnronThe sum of incremental ethical transgressions produced the business catastrophe. As partnerships began to fail with increasing regularity, Enron was liable for millions of dollars it had not anticipated losing. The financial implosionThe partnerships that once boosted earnings and allowed Enron to prosper became the misplaced card that caused the Enron  house to collapse. The very results Enron had sought to prevent – falling stock prices, lack of consumer and financial market confidence – came about as a direct result of decisions that had been driven by Enron’s culture. The Enron case of ethical failure consists of more than a series of questionable business dealings. Enron employees, who had been encouraged to invest heavily in the company, found themselves unable to remove and salvage their investments. The company culture of individualism, innovation, and aggressive cleverness left Enron without compassionate, responsible leadership. Leadership mechanisms and organizational culture at EnronLeadership is the critical component of the organization’s culture because leaders can create, reinforce or change the organization’s culture. According to Schein (1985) there are five primary mechanisms that a leader can use to influence an organization’s culture: attention, reaction to crises, role modelling, allocation of rewards, criteria of selection and dismissal. AttentionIf the leaders of the organizations focus on the bottom line, employees believe that financial success is the leading value to consider. Enron executives’ attention was clearly focused on profits, power, greed and influence; â€Å"Profits at all costs†. As Stern has suggested, if the organization’s leaders seem to care only about the short-term bottom line, employees quickly get the message too. Reaction to crisesSchein asserts, that a crisis tests what the leader values and brings these values to the surface. With each impending crisis, leaders have an opportunity to communicate throughout the organization what the company’s values are. Enron was facing a crisis of how to sustain a phenomenal growth rate. Leaders reacted by defending a culture that valued profitability, even when it was at the expense of everything else. The mantra at Enron seems to be that ethical wrongdoing is to be hidden at any cost; deny, play the dupe, claim ignorance, lie, quit. It appears that the truth and its consequences have been a part of the Enron culture. Role modeling (how leaders behave)Actions speak louder than words –  therefore- modeling behaviour is a very powerful tool that leaders have to develop and influence corporate culture. Employees observe the behaviour of leaders to find out what is valued in the organization. Perhaps, this was the most significant shortcoming of Enron executives. Enron’s leaders’ primary message about their values was sent through their own actions. They broke the law as they concentrated on financial measures and used of the creative partnerships. It also sent a message to employees that full and complete disclosure is not a requirement, or even recommended. If the company achieved short-term benefits by hiding information, it was acceptable. The leadership of Enron almost certainly dictated the company’s outcome through their own actions by providing perfect conditions for unethical behaviour. Just as the destiny of individuals is determined by personal character, the destiny of an organization is determined by the character of its leadership. Allocation of rewardsThe behaviour of people rewarded with pay increases or promotions signals to others what is necessary to succeed in an organization. To ensure that values are accepted, leaders should reward behaviour that is consistent with the values. Enron’s reward system established a â€Å"win-at-all-costs† focus. The company’s leadership promoted ant retained only those employees that produced consistently, with little regard to ethics. â€Å"The moral of this story is break the rule, you can cheat, you can lie, but as long as you make money, it’s all right†. The company’s compensation structure contributed to an unethical work culture, too – by promoting self-interest above any other interest. Enron’s reward system rewarded individuals who embraced Enron’s aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Criteria of selection and dismissal (how leaders hire end fire employees)The selection of newcomers to an organization is a powerful way of how a leader reinforces culture. Leaders often unconsciously look for individuals who are similar to current organizational members in terms of values and assumptions. This tends to perpetuate the culture because the new employees typically hold similar values. The CIO of Enron (Skilling) perpetuated a focus on short-term transactional endeavours from the very beginning by  hiring employees that embodied the beliefs that he was trying to instil: aggressiveness, greed, a will to win at all costs, and an appreciation for circumventing the rules. The way a company fires an employee and the rationale behind the firing also communicate the culture. Some company deal with poor performers by trying to find them a place within the organization where they can perform better and make a contribution. At Enron, fifteen to twenty percent of producers were let go or fired after a formal evaluation process each year. Final comments and suggestions for future work†Consequences of unethical or illegal actions are not usually realized until much later when the act is committed†. Enron’s culture is a good example of groupthink where individuals feel extreme pressure not to express any real strong arguments against any co-workers’ action. Employee were loyal in an ambiguous sense of the term, they wanted to be seen as part of the star team and to partake in the benefits that that honor entailed. Two of the most important lessons to learn from the Enron culture history is that bad top management morality can be a sufficient condition for creating a self-destructive ethical climate and that a well-filled CSR (corporate social responsibility) and business ethics toolbox can neither stop nor compensate for such processes. Enron is a case of deceiving corporate citizenship and of surface or faà §ade ethics. A typology with moral cultures can be draft with two dimensions: ethicalness of an organization culture and presence of business ethical tools of artifacts (ethics officers, codes of ethics, value statement). Enron looks at first sight like â€Å"type I†, like a classical business ethics case, with a typical mix of â€Å"amorality† and â€Å"immorality†. But the thesis of the authors is that Enron is an at least as good illustration of â€Å"type II†, of window-dressing ethics, with talking instead of walking, ethics as rhetoric. While â€Å"type II† looks modern, â€Å"type III† looks like the old-fashioned type of moral business ethics, CSR, marketing and public relations were invented with collective moral conscience as consistent label and content, perhaps additionally communicating moral humbleness, with a  touch of British understatement. â€Å"Type IV† refers to a moral role business culture in the age of marketing and public relations, with walking the talk, with showing and confessing openly its collective moral conscience. Bibliography: http://www.springerlink.com/content/p712j1555807774r/ Enron Ethics (Or: Culture Matters More than Codes) – Ronald R. Sims, Johannes Brinkmann