Saturday, December 28, 2019

What Is Battery Acid

Battery acid could refer to any acid used in a chemical cell or battery, but usually, this term describes the acid used in a lead-acid battery, such as those found in motor vehicles.   Car or automotive battery acid is 30-50% sulfuric acid (H2SO4) in water. Usually, the acid has a mole fraction of 29%-32% sulfuric acid, a density of 1.25–1.28 kg/L and concentration of 4.2–5 mol/L. Battery acid has a pH of approximately 0.8.​ Construction and Chemical Reaction A lead-acid battery consists of two lead plates separated by a liquid or gel containing sulfuric acid in water. The battery is rechargeable, with charging and  discharging chemical reactions. When the battery is being used (discharged), electrons move from the negatively-charged lead plate to the positively-charged plate. The negative plate reaction is: Pb(s) HSO4-(aq) → PbSO4(s) H(aq) 2 e- The positive plate reaction is: PbO2(s) HSO4- 3H(aq) 2 e- → PbSO4(s) 2 H2O(l) Which may be combined to write the overall chemical reaction: Pb(s) PbO2(s) 2 H2SO4(aq) → 2 PbSO4(s) 2 H2O(l) Charging and Discharging When the battery is fully charged, the negative plate is lead, the electrolyte is concentrated sulfuric acid, and the positive plate is lead dioxide. If the battery is overcharged, electrolysis of water produces hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, which are lost. Some types of batteries allow water to be added to make up for the loss. When the battery is discharged, the reverse reaction forms lead sulfate on both plates. If the battery is fully discharged, the result is two identical lead sulfate plates, separated by water. At this point, the battery is considered completely dead and cant recover or charged again.

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Effects Of Homelessness On A Child s Mental State

Imagine seeing a six-year-old child on the street with tears streaming from his immense, pitiful eyes hoping that one day he can attend school, live in a house, or even get a chance to play with toys. Children’s early experiences shape who they are and affect lifelong health and learning. However, a homeless child lacks opportunities such as safe and stable housing, nurturing and responsive parenting, as well as high-quality learning opportunities from home and school. Thus, it is clear that homelessness has negative developmental effects on a child mentally, socially, and academically. Firstly, homelessness has an impact on a child’s mental state. For children to grow, learn, and master the developmental tasks of childhood, they must be physically and emotionally healthy. A homeless child is raised without the constant nurture of parents, because many parents are pre-occupied with tending to the family’s housing problems or taking care of themselves. Author Ellen Hart-Shegos (1999) states that homeless children are at â€Å"increased risk for mental health problems due to high levels of stress and trauma they experience.† Homeless children are in a constant state of worry and are scared about having no place to live or sleep. The endless anxiety and concern can â€Å"stress their developing systems, including lack of sleep, hunger, and increased levels of stress hormones.† (Smith, 2010) Eventually, a child can become depressed from anxiety and the stress to the body. HomelessShow MoreRelatedThe Homeless Are Homeless : A Middle Class Life style After Marriage1654 Words   |  7 PagesMaxwell and Erin were living a middle class lifestyle after marriage. After a year of marriage, taxes and bills began to catch up to them. Maxwell lost his job and Erin became pregnant. By the time their child was one year old their house was foreclosed, cars and valuable possessions were sold for money just to be able to eat for the next month. Living on the streets moving from shelter to shelter they were barely getting the nutrition that is needed to survive. So many people can end up homelessRead MoreThe Problem Of Homeless People1280 Words   |  6 PagesWhen thinking of homeless people, one would probably think of a bum who is an addict or alcoholic. Homelessness affects a variety of people. Homelessness as an issue in today s society is largely ignored. The problem of homelessness is barely noticed. The growing population of homeless people is shown that more people are still suffering financial problems and struggling in maint aining their life basis. Many families and children have experienced trauma prior to becoming homeless. Parents areRead MoreHomelessness1688 Words   |  7 PagesCauses of Homelessness in America Homelessness is an ongoing problem for our society. Every day we come to terms with the effects of it, but what about the causes? By definition, a person who is homeless lives in public. The lack and destruction of federal housing programs and increasing rents forced those who are homeless to do in public what everyone prefers to do in private. According to the website, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, the Low Income Housing Information ServiceRead MoreNegative Effects Of Homelessness1446 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselves the question, â€Å"Does homelessness affect me at all?† Typically, if homelessness isn’t affecting a certain individual or anyone that they’re close to, they tend to not want to help. From previous research done by Pergantis, Tolliver, Bishop, 2016, it is a known fact that about 578,242 people in America are considered to be homeless. People who were homeless back then done by were considered as disconnected from the world and they have also encountered psychological effects. Other writers likeRead MoreHomeless Children : The Poverty Rate, Lack Of Affordable Housing And Single Parent Households1476 Words   |  6 PagesHomeless Children According to recent reports child homelessness, an estimated 2.5 million children are homeless in the United States. Sadly, nearly half of these children are under the age of five. In fact, one in every thirty children is considered homeless and the numbers continue to increase annually (Bassuk, E., DeCandia, C., Beach, C., Berman, F., 2014) Though many factors contribute to this social epidemic, the high poverty rate, lack of affordable housing and single parent households areRead MoreHomelessness And The Homeless Youth1442 Words   |  6 Pages Homelessness is a major problem in the United States. An incredibly vulnerable group is the homeless youth due to their young age and lack of education. According to Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, Karnik (2012) on any particular night in the United States there are ~2 million homeless youth living on the streets, in shelters, or in other temporary accommodation. Youth become homeless for multiple reasons whether it be because they have aged out of foster care, ran from home, were kicked out of their homeRead MoreHow Bipolar Disorder Affects The Way A Person s Brain Works Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesOur Invisible Youth Bipolar disorders are one of several different medical conditions called depressive disorders which influence the way a person s brain works. In the United States alone this is a widespread phenomena and it is estimated that more than 17.4 million people have some type of a depressive disorder each year. This disorder has been arranged into four types of classifications: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymic Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. The classificationsRead MoreAmerican Journal Reviews of Child and Family Homelessness720 Words   |  3 Pages, et al. Twenty-Five Years of Child and Family Homelessness: Where are we Now? American Journal of Public Health 103.2 (2013): E1-E10. ProQuest. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. Roy Grant, M.A., et al. conducted a review of family and childhood homelessness over a course between a twenty-five year span of the 1980’s to 2013. They reviewed journal articles, government reports, and news stories to find any changes in conditions or the amount of family and childhood homelessness. The review concluded family andRead MoreLife Of Homeless People Across The United States Of America1550 Words   |  7 Pages Condition call Homelessness A young twelve year old girl named Dasani lives in the Auburn Family Residence in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Auburn’s Family Residence is a shelter for more than 22,000 homeless children in New York. Dasani lives in a place where mold and roaches claims the walls, where vomit submerges the toilets, where kids like Dasani have to watch after their mom as they try to cleanse themselves in a shower that looks and smells like it hasn’t been cleaned since it openedRead MoreHelping The Homeless - Original Writing1672 Words   |  7 Pagespeople who don’t have a home (â€Å"Why Homeless?†). While there are ways to combat homelessness, a program called Housing First should be implemented in the Fairfax County area to address this issue and get homeless people into stable living conditions. Solving homelessness across America is an overwhelming task, but providing aid to the homeless in one specific area is something that can be done. This problem of homelessness may not disappear completely, but the number of homeless people can be reduced

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Ritalin and Its Uses Essay Example For Students

Ritalin and Its Uses Essay Ritalin and Its UsesIn recent years, more and more kids seem to be on a prescription drugcalled Ritalin(methylphenidate). This drug is being handed out more and more bydoctors as a way of treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a complexneurological impairnment that prevents kids from concentrating. According tothe Drug Enforcement Agency, it rose fron 200 grams per 100,000 people to over1400 grams per 100,000 people in the last fifteen years. The National Instituteof Mental Health estimates that about one student in every classroom is believedto experience the disorder. The rate of Ritalin use in the United States is atleast five times higher than in the rest of the world according to federalstudies. Are doctors just catching this disabling affliction more often? Ordoes society just want a convenient way to solve a complicated problem. Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant that is somewhat similarto amphetamines. It was created in 1955, classified as a controlled substancein 1971, and became the drug of choice for ADHD in 1981. It is also used intreating narcolepsy. It is thought to activate the brain stem arousal systemand cortex, and, like cocaine, works on the neurotransmitter dopamine. Itappears to increase the levels of dopamine in the frontal lobe where attentionand impulsive actions are regulated. When taken in its intended form under adoctors prescritption, it has moderate stimulant properties. There has been agreat deal of concern about its addictive qualities and adverse affects. ADHD is a relatively new disorder. It was introduced in 1980, where itwas labeled ADD(attention deficit disorder). In the 1950s, children weresimply labeled hyperkinetic. The term hyperactivity was added in 1987,hence the name ADHD. Not all children have the hyperactivity, and thus arelabeled to have ADD. ADD is not treated with Ritalin; antidepressants are morecommonly used. One of the problems with the label ADHD is that just because achild may be overly hyper, doesnt mean the child is not paying attention. Theproblem is, the child is paying too much attention to too many things at thesame time. ADHD is childrens #1 childhood psychiatric disorder. The prevalence isthree times as likely in boys than girls. The children tend to be very bright,but are poor students because they cnat settle down. They blurt questions outbefore they are asked. They cant wait their turn, stop fidgeting their legsand tapping their pencils. They tend to be forgetful, have problems followingdirections, and lose things easily, as well as their tempers. This behavioroccurs constantly. This may be a reason why teachers and school psychologistsare adament in their beliefs; these kids are disrupting their classrooms, sothey want the problem solved immeditately, and take the quick fix approach. Experts believe that more than two million children (3-5%) have the disorder. Some scientists believe ADHD is a result of a problem in pregnancyranging from fetal alcohol syndrome to exposure to lead in utero. Otherssuggest that ADHD is hereditary. Dr. Russel Barkley, of the University ofMinnesota reports that nearly half the ADHD children have a parent, and morethan one third have a sibling, with the disorder. Ritalin as prescribed is taken orally, and takes effect in about 30minutes and lasts for about 3-4 hours. Kids usually take 5-10 mg doses threetimes a day. Although many experts report that Ritalin is a positive treatmentin 9 out of 10 patienst, and many parents and students claim the drug is abenefit in their lives, there are many who question the drugs long-termeffects, dangers, misdiagnosis, and non-medical abuse. Diagnosis forADHD isnt as easy as you think. There is no blood test, no x-ray, or no catscan to determine a biological cause for the disorder. Teachers, even inpreschool strongly advocate the drug(negative reinforcement). Schoolpsychologists are even prescribing the drug before giving an evaluation becausethere are so many referrals and a lack of school psychologists (1:2100 students). .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f , .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .postImageUrl , .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f , .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:hover , .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:visited , .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:active { border:0!important; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:active , .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0ce20d821d2cd0b1bbdb0cff78eaf25f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Comparing throughput accounting and cost based approaches EssayMany times, it has been shown, that psychiatrists who often diagnose for ADHDin children, are disdiagnosing disorders similar to ADHD such as learningdisabilities, depression or anxiety disorders; disorders that do notneccessitate Ritalin as a therapy. Some doctors who are reluctant to prescribeRitalin find that the childerens parents just switch doctors and find doctorswho will. Unfortunately, this is surprisingly easy. Doctors surveyed by theArchives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine said they send ADHD children homein about an hour. The children are not only sent home with just a prescription,but rarely a ny follow up care of additional therapy is adnministered. Expertsin the field of ADHD say behavior modification techniques and extra help inschool is a better way in treating the disorder. Since it takes time to sitdown and go through therapy sessions, and it takes time for parents to fit tisall into their lifestyle, a pill is much more convenient. There are no longterm studies on the effects that it has on children, so many fear whatcomplications may occur later on in life. Correct diagnosis would occur if doctors would take the time to providea complete examination of the patient. To make a correct ADHD diagnosis, it isimportant to review the childs family history, give abstract cognitive tests,observe their behavior, and run a slew of behavioral exams. Other disordersmust be ruled out first. Parents need to make sure a complete evaluation iscarried out before putting a pill in a childs mouth. One would think thatevery parent would explore every option before relying on medication only. Diagnosis would also be much easier if doctors could find a flaw in thebrain. Several studies have shown that ADHD brains look and function slightlydifferent that normal brains. PET(positron emission tomography) has shownthat ADHD brains use less glucose in the prefrontal lobe. The prefrontal lobeis the center for impulse control and attention. By using less glucose-orenergy, this would then agree with the childs behavioral problems. Other testsshow that there is less electrical activity in the same region of the brain. Nonetheless, these studies have not yet been proven to be the cause for thedisorder. Many people are concerned with the non-medical use of Ritalin, also. Ritalin is a Schedule II controlled substance, which means it is a very powerfuldrug, and in the same category as cocaine, methadone, and methamphetamines. TheManufacturer of Ritalin, Ciba-Geiby Corporation, cautions doctors that manyadverse side effects are possible under normal dosage such as: nervousness,insomnia, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, heart palpitations,headaches, rise in heart rate and blood pressure, skin rashes, itching,abdominal pain, weight loss, digestive problems, toxic psychosis, psychoticepisodes, and severe depression upon withdrawal. Many question if such a drugshould be so freely handed out to children because of its possible dangerouseffects. Parents are even trying to lessen the restrictions on Ritalin so theywont have to make monthly doctor visits. Its rise on the black market has also been increasing. Since it is sowidely available, many kids sell the pills for 3-15 dollars a pill. The buyersthen crush up the pill and snort it, giving an intense high similar to cocaine. Some also dissolve it in water and inject it intravenously. In these forms, itis highly addictive, and withdrawal symptoms are also similar to cocaine. Someof the side effects at these high doses may be life threatening: loss ofappetite(may cause serious malnutrition), tremors and muscle twitching, fevers,convulsions, and headaches(may be severe), irregular heartbeat andrespiration(may be profound and life threatening), anxiety, restlessness,paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, excessive repetition of movements andmeaningless tasks, and formicaton(sensation of bugs or worms crawling under theskin). It seems to be abused by high school kids and college studentspredominantly. Although the drug is too complex to manufacture illegally, andit doesnt create the euphoric effect that cocaine has, it seems to be an aid instudying for final exams. It allows students to stay up all night allowing themto cram much easier. .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 , .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .postImageUrl , .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 , .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:hover , .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:visited , .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:active { border:0!important; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:active , .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23 .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6019eea5dbef5005451704ec0e7fce23:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cloning and stem cell research EssayIt is important to remember that too many children in America aresuffering from this ailment, and yet too many kids are getting pills instead ofproper care. Although Ritalin currently seems to be an effective way intreating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, we must not treat thisdisorder hastily. Our society must realize that prescription drugs can havejust as many complications as street drugs. Befor writing out a prescription,or carelessly diagnosing ADHD, we must remember that these are kids we aredealing with. They put all their faith in us to help them, and not just tomedicate them.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Reviewing the Drawing by Leonardo and Michelangelo Essay Example For Students

Reviewing the Drawing by Leonardo and Michelangelo Essay After reviewing the drawing by Leonardo, I was kind of able to understand the creative process that his drawing projected. What I interpreted from this piece of work is that he wanted to project to the viewers that this piece clearly expresses his opinions and views, as well as the sharing and learning values within it. A multitude of aspects are projected in all of his pieces, but he remains to give attention to his main focuses which are quality, experience, and nature. In all of Leonardo completed pieces, it allows you to see how he lived his life as an artist ND his other expertises. The way he views an individuals physical capabilities seems to be contributed from his long list Of expertise, Which for its quality is enhancing it as a sign of admiration. Motion is depicted in the images that we see, like helicopters, hum-powered carriages, and military hardware. There is very many design elements Leonardo uses in his pieces, which ensure that there is creativity, quality, interest, and ideas incorporated into his pieces just for his viewers. When I reviewed the pieces done by Michelangelo I mainly focused of the unction and nature of each piece, which allowed me to see how his pieces reflect on the view of creativity. As a whole, most of know the many pieces to art and drawings connect the viewer and the artist on the feeling and thoughts each one to them has. When you look at the pieces done by Michelangelo, you would feel ambiguity, which would project the beauty of the piece and the many different aspects that occurred during his elite.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Training and Development The American National Red Cross

Introduction The field of training and development has changed significantly during the past several years, reflecting both its role and importance in achieving higher employee performance and meeting organizational goals. Training and development has become very important as the crucial link between organizational status and the changes in the market or environment.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Training and Development: The American National Red Cross specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Training and development helps the organization towards having informed workers as paradigms shift and technology changes. This essay provides an overview into the training and development activities in American National Red Cross based on personal observations. The American national Red Cross The American Red Cross organization is an umbrella organization of many community based organizations in the United States that o ffer humanitarian help or response in case of a disaster (The American National Red Cross, 2009). The American Red Cross offers numerous training opportunities both to its staff, volunteers and general public. All training is aimed at making individuals prepared enough to handle disasters or conflicts. American Red Cross relies heavily on volunteers. It is reported that 96% of the total work force in the organization are volunteers (The American National Red Cross, 2009). These volunteers need proper training and orientation before they can be deployed to do humanitarian work. The second core aspect of its operations is training the general public on issues to do with safety and health. The training programs they offer to the general public aim at preparing the public for emergencies and general hygiene in the homes Some of the disasters that Red Cross responds to include earthquake related devastation like the Haiti disaster, weather related disasters e.g. tsunamis and floods. The most common local disasters that American Red Cross deals with are fires in homes, road accidents, and any other home or work place accidents. The American National Red Cross does not only deal with emergencies and disasters. Additionally, the American National Red Cross has blood donation drives and is one of the senior suppliers of blood to hospitals in the US (The American National Red Cross, 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the American Red Cross works closely with the military. Wherever there are military operations, the Red Cross plays the role of providing support services and attending to the wounded alongside military health officers. Moreover, they also provide message delivery services for the military from wherever to wherever around the globe (The American National Red Cross, 2009). The American Red Cross works closely or in connecti on with the international Red Crescent Movement and Red Cross. It participates actively in the conflict resolution efforts around the globe. However, its major focus is on helping the victims of such conflicts. For example, conflicts and disasters often displace many people. Red Cross works to reunite and reconnect dispersed or separated families. The American Red Cross is part of the international network that offers tracking services for separated individuals. It also offers messaging services for people around the globe who are dealing with either disasters or conflicts (The American National Red Cross, 2009). Training and Development in the American Red Cross Traditionally, only commercial organizations were preoccupied with achieving effectiveness or a competitive advantage. Due to scarce resources, even humanitarian organizations have moved towards adopting best management practices for efficiency and effectiveness. Most organizations appreciate the importance of human resourc e training and development. Organizations are as effectives as the work force i.e. people make organizations become more competitive or better placed in the market (Armstrong, 2006, 85). Research indicates that only organizations that have right employees manage to achieve a competitive advantage (Craig, 1996, p. 21). Most importantly, such organizations invest heavily in ensuring employee skills and competencies are well aligned towards achievement of organizational goals (Aswathappa 2006, 34). This is ensured through training and development. In organizations, training and development is done for two major purposes. Training helps motivate employees while at the same time aligning their skills and competencies with organizational needs. This is to mean that training and development is important both for the individual employee and the organization (Cole, 2005, p. 75). It helps improve employee effectiveness and efficiency as the employee is introduced to more information or skills . In turn the organization is able to cope with changing technologies or social spheres. In the American Red Cross, training and development or capacity building is at the core of their services. Training is done to introduce new entrants to Red Cross procedures, to orient volunteers and staff to a given operations peculiarities or as a form of reward for hard work. After being too involved in the field as a way of refreshing the employees, training is one option available to them.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Training and Development: The American National Red Cross specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apart from training for staff and volunteers, the Red Cross provides training programs to the general public that aim at preparing them for disaster. Individuals are trained in how to live in a healthy way free from hazards i.e. body healthy and environmental safety. The training targets families, individ uals and workers in different industries. The regular training revolves around such basic skills like first aid, how to perform CPR, swimming. These trainings are done by the volunteers across the country. All volunteers coming into American Red Cross are taken through an orientation. The orientation serves to introduce the entrants to the general work done by the organization. Orientation also helps towards aligning volunteers or new staff’s experience, knowledge, skills and interests with disaster program or service opportunities. The training offered by American Red Cross to its staff and volunteers aims at helping them to become better equipped in humanitarian help execution, training of community in health and safety and emergency response. The staff is equipped by cutting edge knowledge and skills so as to respond properly to disasters train others effectively and offer appropriate help in the appropriate way. Training Needs Assessment Training Needs Assessment is done both at individual, organizational and community levels. At the individual level, American Red Cross looks into the training needs of its volunteers and employees. Depending on their level of training and anticipated deployment, the volunteers and staff are given holistic training that enables them respond or work properly. Individuals volunteering with the Red Cross are evaluated on general knowledge in safety, health and disaster issues. Depending on whether the individual has had any related training or not, they are admitted into orientation programs or formal training programs. Most volunteers are specialists in the different fields and thus Red Cross training and development only works to align their skills and experience with the humanitarian causes that it serves. At the organizational level, just as Green (2002, p. 56) advises, training needs assessment is done with respect to particular assignments or causes and their peculiar characteristics. The organization continuously scans the present and future for risks, safety hazards, and possible disasters thus continues to prepare its people for appropriate response. When a particular disaster or challenge occurs its peculiarities are analyzed and arising needs inform training in the organization. For example, given the disaster in Haiti, special trainings are carried out for those going to Haiti. These special trainings aim at helping the volunteers understand what to expect and what would be the appropriate responses.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the community level, needs assessment is done with the aim of equipping community members with appropriate skills especially in the emergency situations the group is prone to. Community trainings are basic, however, needs assessment are done to establish the training needs of each group. Often community members who are interested in training in basic life saving skills come to Red Cross centers. The training for community members is kind of standard but efforts are made to contextualize it. If an area is prone to tsunamis, efforts are made to encourage given attitudes or understands that would facilitate proper response in case of such a disaster occurring. Components of American Red Cross Training Programs Training and development in organizations has two components i.e. new entrant training and continuing education (Laird and Sharon, 2003, p.14). Training and development in the American Red Cross introduces new entrants to the American Red Cross operations and build capacity of already staff and volunteers already in operation. The new employee or volunteer program aims at equipping them with necessary skills and information necessary for successful participation in humanitarian operations. Continuing education in the American Red Cross takes the form of sponsored further studies for employees. Once an employee has worked with the organization for sometime, they receive sponsorship to pursue further studies in line with personal intentions and the overall organizational manpower forecasts. Continuous education is taken very seriously as they help staff to be informed of dynamics that affect or continue to affect their personal growth and work effectiveness. The personal career development goals and the organizational relevancy are key drivers in continued education for employees (Gary, 2004, p. 38). Education affords them progress in their careers while at the same time enabling achievement of long term organizational goals. The new skills and knowledge a cquired, instrumentally helps staff towards better and efficient service in the organization. Due to the long history of American Red Cross, numerous materials have been developed over time that aid in training. The training materials include training manuals and syllabus that is followed when tackling the different sessions. New volunteers often are introduced to Red Cross’s guiding policies, procedures and philosophy. Then there is introduction to basic skills and competencies necessary in a disaster operation or when responding to an emergency. After the introductory or orientation sessions, new entrants or volunteers are attached to team leaders. From their team they are exposed in an on job kind of training. On job training is a mandatory aspect of training and development (Rae, 2000, p. 83). In the American Red Cross, new entrants are given assignments alongside other more experienced members of the team. This is necessary so that they may receive support and help as ne cessary during work or operations. Once one has acclimatized to work and is now an independent worker in his or her team, continuing education is considered for him or her. Continuing education as already discussed is important because is helps employees expand on their knowledge and skills. Additionally, it also serves as a way of refreshing after many tiring months or years in the field. Continuing education has two components; internal and external. Internal is when the training is done within the Red Cross training centers. External is when the training is done in formal institutions of learning e.g. universities. Training Programs Design As discussed under the Training Needs Assessment, training programs are designed depending on given work or site related peculiarities. There are general programs that aim at helping volunteers and general public to be more prepared towards emergency response or handling of disasters. These programs are basic and standard; the cover the same ki nd of topics or courses. The basic skills or courses include CPR, swimming, dealing with home hazards, responding to fires, and fist aid. Volunteers being deployed in the different roles e.g. blood collection, disaster response etc are taken through specialized programs. Such specialized programs or briefings are critical to ensuring coordinated and appropriate response at the site. Site peculiarities are discerned ad communicated to volunteers and staff. For example, if an area requires certain cultural or religious stipulations, the volunteers are helped as to respond appropriately. Formal further education for staff is encouraged depending on discerned future needs in the organization. It is fortunate that most of the volunteers and staff come with specialized skills. However, through training need forecasts, the future needs in the organization are taken care of. Forecasting the future needs of the organization is a critical aspect or function of the human resource managers (Sal eemi, 2005, p. 82). The training and development function in American Red Cross works closely with the staff and volunteers to identify talent for development. Once an individuals training needs have been established, they are either given an opportunity to train further in a formal institution, they are given senior staff to mentor them or just given appraisal that encourages them to think of further development in a given area. The community training programs are designed with the needs of given social units in mind. Some red cross chapters have gone ahead and designed programs that target organization in its area of operation. Such programs often aim and massive sensitization on health and safety measures and appropriate responses to accidents or disasters. The courses offered are often full day or half day courses. Some of the topics covered in such like programs include general hygiene, communication skills (proper communication is important in disaster response operations, hea lth and safety procedures, medication administration, stopping infection spread, dealing with contamination, rescue or disaster operation planning, handling operation related stress etc. Training programs Delivery In the American Red Cross, training programs are delivered in a number of ways. Often individuals are invited to the Red Cross training centers for formal learning in given issues. Formal classes are given and assessments done. The classes often have theory and practical sessions in which students demonstrate the learnt skills. The trainings are also delivered on a one to one basis. The one to one training sessions are often for otherwise busy individuals who can not fit into the general courses offered at the training centers. Of recent, one on one training programs are also offered online by some Red Cross chapters. Other trainings are delivered in the field, in other institutions such as schools or business organizations. The training and development instructors are wel l trained individuals equipped with learning materials and other technologies. Guided by the philosophy of continuous improvement, the training programs are always improved on based on changing societal structure and increasing disaster ranges. The instructors provide written reading material and other helpful tools for further exploration and practice by participants in training. Training Program Effectiveness: Monitoring and Evaluation The training and development programs are of no use unless they are effective and efficient (Sims, 1998, p. 113). Programs delivery has to be properly time, and professionally delivered. Additionally, what is delivered has to be of consequence or substance. The effectiveness of a training program largely depends on mode of delivery and content. The American Red Cross instructors continuously seek to improve their training programs by monitoring and evaluating the existing programs. Monitoring and evaluation of programs is largely dependent on receiv ing feedback from beneficiaries or participants in the programs. Feed back helps trainers understand what has met expectations and what needs improvement. The other way of ensuring effectiveness or thoroughness in understanding is by every worker becoming a trainer of sorts (Reid Barrington, 2003, p. 98). In the American Red Cross, every experienced volunteer or staff is a trainer. Their work necessarily consists in sensitizing community, teaching community basic health and safety measures or orienting new entrants. Follow up communication is another sure way of ensuring training effectiveness (Sims, 1998, p. 114). This follow up process involves participants being sent newsletters and other pertinent informational materials for their own consumption. This helps especially in communicating new ideas, changes or expounding on already well known concepts. Through magazines and other publications availed to staff, volunteers and other stakeholders, continued learning on American Red C ross operations is facilitated. There is also a lot of information regularly posted on American Red Cross’ website or the websites of its constituent chapters. Conclusion: Overall evaluation Having looked into the training and development programs at American Red Cross, it is clear that the training programs are elaborate and well developed. However, the aspect of employee development is not well catered for. The organization heavily on volunteers and does not offer much room for development. An individual entering American Red Cross with the aim of growing through ranks may not find enough space for such. The organization only offers opportunities for those whose goal is to contribute to humanitarian causes. The lack of clear development guidelines or even opportunities is understandable. The motivation for working in such an organization is necessarily different from why one would work with Microsoft Inc. further; the volunteers are expected to be people who are interested in contributing their time in kind of charity to a humanitarian cause then moving on to their desired careers. A large percentage (96%) of workforces in the organization is volunteers and that may explain why the organization does not have an explicit development plan targeting all employees. However, like in every industry, some of the young volunteers go into the organization in the hope of starting as volunteers but growing steadily to become full time employees. Although the percentage of permanent staff is limited due to nature of work, the organization needs an employee development plan. The training and development department needs develop mechanism that allow for a sort of career progression for young volunteers. If the aspect of development can be elaborately looked into, the training and development programs run by American Red Cross are effective enough. Reference List Armstrong, M. (2006). A handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 10th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Aswathappa, K. (2006). Human Resource and Personnel Management  (Text and Cases). 5th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Cole, G. A. (2005). Personnel and Human Resource Management. 5th Ed. Birmingham: Cengage Learning EMEA. Craig, L. R. (1996). The ASTD Training and Development Handbook: a Guide to Human Resource Development. 4th Ed. New York: McGraw – hill. Gary, D. (2004). Human Resource Management. 9th Ed. New York: Prentice Hall. Green, G. (2002). Training and Development. Chicago: John Wiley Sons. Laird, D. Sharon, S. N. (2003). Approaches to Training and Development. 3rd Ed. Massachusetts: Perseus Books Group. Rae, L. (2000). Effective Planning in Training and Development. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Reid, M. A. and Barrington, H. (2003). Training Interventions: Managing Employee Development. 2nd Ed. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House. Saleemi, N.A. (2005). Personnel Management Simplified. 2nd Ed. Nairobi: Kwani Publishers. Sims R.R. (1998). Reinventing Training and develo pment. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. The American National Red Cross. (2009). American Red Cross. 27th January, 2010. Retrieved from https://www.redcross.org/ This research paper on Training and Development: The American National Red Cross was written and submitted by user Raina Armstrong to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Sexual Harassment at Hooters

Sexual Harassment at Hooters AbstractManagers and employees periodically face various forms of ethical dilemmas. The manner in which they decide to deal with these dilemmas can have a compelling impact on the goals of the corporation. This paper outlines a few of the more common ethical dilemmas that managers and employees can face at Hooters of America, Inc., sexual harassment and supervisor subordinate dating.Company HistoryThe first Hooters restaurant opened in 1983 and since then the Atlanta based franchise has over 445 locations worldwide. Over half of Hooters 25,000 employees are employed as Hooters girls. Throughout the years beautiful woman have quite literally become synonymous with the restaurant chain. Hooters of America (2008) pride itself on what they describe as, "a pro active lead in the industry addressing issues raised by individual acts of sexual harassment." (About us P10)The company has adopted and implemented a non harassment policy which disallows any form of verbal or physical behavior tha t is deemed inappropriate.Five ways to fight sexual harassment(public servic...IntroductionThe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (2008) defines sexual harassment as "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment." (Sexual Harassment P2) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects any employee against discrimination based on sex this includes any form of sexual harassment. According to EEOC web site (2008) the harasser or the victim can be either male or female. The harasser can be anyone employed by the organization including a non employee. The conduct performed by the harasser must be unwelcomed in order for the circumstance to merit sexual harassment. The EEOC (2 008) notes that during 2007 they received over...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Drug Cartel Issues in Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Drug Cartel Issues in Mexico - Essay Example The demise of the Cali and Medellà ­n drug cartels in Colombia led to the rise of the Mexican drug organizations to fill up the vacuum (Jeffrey, 267). The U.S Closure of the Florida cocaine trafficking route pushed for the need of a new trafficking route hence increasing the role played by Mexican cartels in the trafficking. Weintraub (150) believes that Colombian drug organizations still maintain a significant control in South America mainly in cocaine and heroin smuggling to the eastern U.S. The Mexican government claims that there are seven major drug cartels that operate inside Mexico. They include; Gulf, Sinaloa, and Juà ¡rez which have their presence in much of Mexico (Leonard, 25). The Juà ¡rez drug cartel is found in at least 21 Mexican states while the Sinaloa cartel has its presence in at least 17 states. The Gulf cartel has its presence in at least 13 Mexican states. Also, the Tijuana drug cartel has its presence in 15 states (Colleen, 3). According to David Luhnow and Josà © de Cordoba (1) Mexicos cartels already have tentacles that stretch across the Mexican border. The U.S. Justice department estimates that Mexican gangs are operating in at least 230 cities and towns in both countries. David Luhnow and Josà © de Cordoba (1) reveal that the major drug cartels have formed alliances with one another in recent years. As a result of prison negotiations between their leaders, the Gulf and the Tijuana cartels have formed an alliance. â€Å"The Federation† is an alliance composed of representatives from the Valencia, Sinaloa, and Juà ¡rez drug cartels. They do work together, but remain independent and autonomous drug organizations (Colleen, 194). According to Perrya.hubpages.com (1), 90% of the automatic weapons used by the cartels are made and purchased in the U.S legally. The 2,000 mile border between San Diego,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Ethics Should hospitality and tourism companies always demonstrate Essay

Ethics Should hospitality and tourism companies always demonstrate corporate social responsibility Discuss the costs and benefits of such an approach - Essay Example The area of social responsibility extends not to the society in general but it is now focused on the workers, the investors, customers, and suppliers. Corporate social responsibility or CSR is an industry in itself. Over the past decade, this has grown exponentially. The employee volunteering has now emerged as the CSR. Companies like Accenture and Whitbread term this as Corporate Citizenship (Carrington, 2005) where they take up working with the sick children and the local schools. Most of the staff gets involved in some voluntary service or donation. The tourism and hospitality companies bring about a transformation in the area they operate but all of the changes may not be desirable. They need to maintain ethics and discharge social responsibility but the question remains whether they should always demonstrate corporate social responsibility. Today ethics determine the success of an organization. Demands of the shareholders, stakeholders and investors are forcing industries to maintain a high morality in how companies conduct business. Any deviation can adversely affect the brand image, customer retention, and overall business. A certain group of investors in Europe have decided to invest only in companies who are conscious of their social responsibility. Post (2000) contends that an organization’s global corporate citizenship is shaped by internal and external factors. How a company deals with past public issues, stakeholder issues and community concerns determines the employees’ perception of the importance of citizenship matters. Many are of the opinion that since the goal of the public corporation is to maximize shareholder wealth, management should take any action necessary to achieve this goal so long as no law is violated. The rationale for ethics in business stems from the fact that when corporations collapse the society in general loses – the shareholders lose, the customers, the employees, the community, the creditors, the family

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Half of the participants were told to leave their email alerts on while the other half were told only to check their emails three times daily. After a week the participants who checked email frequently were told to check only three times while the other group was told to check frequently. All the other factors remained constant. They observed that the participants were more stressed when they were told to check their emails more frequently. Evidently, the authors aim at proving that frequent viewing on one’s email might not be healthy, but at that same time warns that it might not be an easy task. The article begins with the questions, â€Å"Is email overload, bad for you?†. This question is used at the beginning of the article with the sole reason of making sure that the readers have the question in mind as they go through the rest of the article. It is like a way through which the writers notify the readers of the article exactly what the article is going to cover. The writers proceed by admitting that the question is rather a tricky question given the fact that there have been both sides of the argument, with both sides being keen on the evidence that they give for their assertion. The use of an example, in the first paragraph helps in giving more light on the exact possible consequences of frequently reading emails. Kuslev and Dunn choose to sue experimental evidence to prove their case. Through the case study discussed in the article, Kostadin Kuslev and Elizabeth Dunn are trying to prove to their readers that their assertion is not based on some assumption but some fact that can be proved. The practical scenarios tend to attract the attention of the audience by letting them know that the argument that frequent email reading can actually lead to stress. Through the presented case study, the authors are able to bring their audience closer to accepting their argument. Despite the fact that the

Friday, November 15, 2019

ESL Writing Achievement and Grades

ESL Writing Achievement and Grades STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD WRITING ESL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS PEER RESPONSE Graham, Berninger, and Fan (2007) emphasized that attitude is an effective component of motivation. Concerning (Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Cook (1993) elaborated on the Affective Filter Hypothesis proposed by Krashen’s 1982 theory of second language acquisition. Cook (1993) stated that Krashen theorized that motivation is an essential variable that has a facilitative, affective role in L2 (second language) learning. Cook (1993) explained that Krashen claimed that Language learners who are highly motivated are more inclined to acquire the target language. Unmotivated learners who are highly anxious on the other hand, usually have difficulty understanding the target language because of a high â€Å"affective filter† which results in a â€Å"mental block† that hinders â€Å"comprehensible input† from being acquired. The question here is; how about peer reviewers’ affective state? More critically, and in direct relation with (ESL) writing, Anderman and Wolters (2006) indicated that the affective states may influence the different types of strategies which are utilized by students while writing (as cited in Graham et al., 2007). Along similar lines, Isen (1990) stipulated that students with negative affect tend to use obsolete and dead-end writing strategies whereas students who are characterized by an affirmative and more encouraging attitude towards writing tend to get engaged in more flexible and adaptive self-regulated strategies which help them be cognitively engaged to the writing task (as cited in Graham et al., 2007). According to Graham, Berninger, and Fan (2007) the sole researcher who investigated students’ attitude towards writing in a systematic way during the 90s was Knudson (1992, 1993, 1995) whose main area of focus was elementary age children. Kear, Coffman, McKenna, and Ambrosio (2000) found out that children’s attitude toward writing actually worsens as they move to upper grades. Same results were reported in earlier research done by Knudson (1991, 1992, 1993) who also found out that older students tend to have less positive attitudes towards writing that younger ones (as cited in Kear et al., 2000). Therefore, Knudson (1995) insisted that since research indicates that writing anxiety and apprehension have a negative effect on students’ success in school, practitioners should be more involves in research that has to do with writers’ attitudes towards writing and how it evolved in school environment. Knudson (1995) also emphasized that educators should be know ledgeable about their students’ understanding of the writing tasks so that they would be better able to assess their students’ engagement, involvement, and interest. Knudson (1995) conducted a field study which examined how writing attitude and achievement are correlated in addition to the correlational relationship between writing attitude and grade level in addition to gender. The participants were 430 students enrolled in an elementary school in the USA / English language native speakers who came from either low or lower socio-economic status. The researcher administered a questionnaire for each student grade level. Hence, students in grades (1-3) responded to the writing Attitude Survey for Primary grade students; whereas older students in grades (4-8) responded to the Writing Attitude Survey for Children. It must further be noted that the aforementioned attitude scales were both developed by the researcher. In addition to the questionnaires, students were asked to respond to a given prompt. Each essay written by students was read and graded by two raters who had achieved acceptable terms of inter- rater reliability. Knudson (1995) triangulated her data collection procedures by randomly selecting 12 students from all grade levels and interviewed them to elaborate on their answers they have given in the writing attitude survey . The children were also interviewed to elaborate on their beliefs towards the writing tasks done at school and how they were directly related to their achievement as well as to explain how they perceived writing to be important. The interview contained 10 open –ended questions which provided the researcher more insights about students’ understanding of writing tasks and activities at different grade levels as well as more explanations on students’ responses given in the questionnaires administered earlier. Results indicated that writing achievement was directly related to students’ grade level as well as their perceptions and attitudes towards writing. Hence, Knudson (1995) reported that students who have positive attitudes towards writing regardless of age and gender tend to be better writers. On the other hand, concerning grade level and gender and their relation to writing achievement, the researcher also reported that older students and females in particular have a better inclination towards becoming proficient writers that younger writers and males in particular. What is interesting is that Knudson (1995) claimed that the questionnaires and interviews she conducted also measured how students’ attitudes towards writing changes as a result of specific writing strategies they learner in class. Hence, students in grade 4 for example were able to verbalize the process strategies they used in writing such as planning, organizing, and goal setting. So, the researcher conclu ded that the process writing approach became more prevalent in writing instruction where students engage in prewriting activities and this strategy was verbalized by the participants as â€Å"planning the entire composition†, drafting which was voiced by the interviewed students as â€Å"thinking what to include and leave out†, in addition to revising which was verbalized by Knudson’s participants as â€Å"being sure they stayed on topic† (Knudson, 1995, p. 94). These results are consistent with what Knudson (1991) suggested when she was in the process of developing her writing attitude scales back then. Hence, she recommended that â€Å"it is useful for researchers, program evaluators, and researchers to assess children’s attitudes towards writing and the effect of instruction on their attitudes, including treatment, grade, and times of measurement† (Knudson, 1991, p. 814). Of direct relevancy, Graham, Berninger, and Fan, (2007) investigate d one aspect of motivation; specifically, attitudes of young, beginning writers. The participants were 128 first grade level students (70 females and 58 males) and 113 third grade level students (57 females and 56 males) who were English language native speakers. The educational level of the parents was used as a socioeconomic status as well. The participants’ writing proficiency was average ranged. To begin with, each student wrote a composition and three measurements were conducted for each written composition. The first measure aimed at assessing the sophistication of vocabulary use by students. Therefore, two scorers counted 7- letters or more vocabulary words and transformed into portions (based on TOWL-2). The second measure was the average length of the right word sequence. The average length was measured by obtaining the â€Å"average length and correct word sequences that occurred in sequence before an incorrect word sequence occurred† (Graham, Berninger, and Fan, 2007, p. 525). Two scorers revised and discussed the rules for obtaining a correct word sequence and inter-rater reliability coefficient was 0.85.The overall quality of written essays was calculated by the third measure which was a holistic rating scale based on (Cooper 1977) . The papers were scored on a 7-point Likert scale, 1 being the lowest quality of writing and 7 being the highest by two former e lementary grade school teachers (inter-rater reliability coefficient was 0.93). As for students’ attitude towards writing, students had to cater to seven questions which measured their attitudes toward writing. The researchers used the Garfield the cat scale developed by McKenna et al. (1995). Hence, students chose images ranging from the image of a very happy Garfield the cat (score of 4) and ending up with a score of 1 that is the very unhappy or sad Garfield. Later on, structural equality modeling (SEM) approaches based on (Bollen, 1989, and Kline, 1998) were used to identify the structural relationship between attitude and achievement. It should be noted that in addition to examining the structural relationship between attitude and achievement, the researchers examined age differences (younger / older) and gender differences (male/ female). Results indicated that writing attitude does influence writing achievement because the relationship between them was found to be statistically significant. Moreover, girls were found to have more positive attitudes toward writing and therefore favored writing more than boys did. However, no statistical difference was reported concerning the writing achievement variable. Interestingly enough, Musgrove (1999) conducted a different kind of study concerning students’ attitudes toward writing. The researcher had her students write self-evaluative narratives that reflect how writing attitudes are usually shaped by how successful students’ writing experiences are. The participants were English majors prospective secondary teachers and college students registered in a first-year writing class. At the beginning of the term, Musgrove (1998) identified for her students what is meant by attitude â€Å"one’s predispositions toward particular tasks, ideas, or people† and provided them with lexical terms of attitude. Then, in a series of mini-lessons, she provided her students with literary works which demonstrated particular attitudes (positive and negative critical attitudes) which were discussed by students. The researcher then asked students to track down how their attitudes towards writing developed by keeping records and compiling portfolios. Musgrove (1999) announced that the portfolios included â€Å" a resume, an initial attitudinal survey, learning goals, personal grammar and usage handbook, in class writing, homework assignments, essays, and portfolio self-evaluations written at midterm and end of semester† (p. 5). Musgrove (1998) concluded that drawing students’ attention to their attitudes gave them the opportunity to examine how their beliefs and what they bring to their writing definitely affects their writing achievement. Moreover, the self-evaluations written by students helped them connect to their backgrounds as writers because their writing background actually directly affects their attitudes towards writing. However, Katstra, Tollefson, and Gilbert’s (1987) study was the only study; to my knowledge, that examined the effect of peer response on students’ attitudes toward writing. To elaborate, the study was conducted to investigate whether peer response in a process approach to writing environment could yield to positive attitudes towards writing along increased fluency. The participants were ninth grade native speakers in the USA who registered in seven English classes which were taught by three teachers. The subjects were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups in such a way that each teacher had a control group and an experimental group to teach. Both the control groups and the experimental groups responded to two attitude instruments before treatment. Then, both groups wrote the first draft of a personal narrative. The first drafts’ word number was tallied and recorded as a pretest measure for fluency in writing. The treatment was introduced over a pe riod of four days. First, the experimental group explicitly received training in peer response and participants rewrote their second drafts according to comments suggested by the peers in each response group. The students in the control group on the other hand, wrote their second drafts based on assistance offered by the teacher due to specific questions asked by students in the control group. The two groups then counted the number of words they had written in their second drafts and this became the post-test measure of writing fluency. Finally, the two attitude instruments which were administered to both groups as pertest were administered again as post-tests measures. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was administered in order to measure the three – way interaction between the independent variables which were (1) teachers (three levels) (2) gender of students (3) and treatment condition. Results indicated an increased positive attitude towards writing on behalf of the experim ental group. However, no significant differences were noticed in post-test writing fluency. Therefore, peer evaluation does not affect students’ writing fluency. Some studies tackling the affective benefits of peer response examined students’ perceptions toward peer feedback. Chong (2010) examined student teachers’ perceptions and attitudes toward peer response and the likelihood to how they are willing to use the aforementioned approach in L2 writing classes. Results indicated that student teachers did not favor the usage of peer response in their classes due to â€Å"external reasons such as class size, time restrictions, authority control, as well as internal factors such as inability to see the benefits of peer response, insufficient experience or training in using this technique† (p. 58). As for the affective factor of peer feedback of ESL university students, Zhang (1995) made it clear the majority of his 81 ESL students (75%) who were enrolled at a university in USA actually favored feedback provided by teachers as opposed to feedback provided by peers.. The findings coincide with Nelson and Carson (1998) whose ESL college students expressed their tendency to favor teachers’ feedback rather than their peers’ feedback. Moreover, cultural differences were perceived to negatively affect peer response as some of the participants’ goal in peer review sessions particularly Chinese students was mainly maintaining good harmony by refraining from providing their pees with critical peer response. However, another study actually contradicted Nelson and Carson’s (1998) findings concerning the Chinese group’s perception of peer response. Hence, Roskams (1999) who examined Chinese EFL learners’ perceptions toward peer response. The univer sity –bound Chinese students actually reported their openness to engage in peer response and expressed that this approach could be beneficial to their ESL language learning. Hence, participants generally perceived peer feedback as useful. However, only 5 % of participants did not enjoy the collaborative learning arrangement. Therefore, many studies revealed conflicting results which reported inconsistency in findings which reflected that peer response is problematic due to students’ cultural schemata, their ability to review their peers; work and their attitudes towards peer response. However, Hu (2005) indicates that these problems are not inherent in peer response as research literature suggests that carefully designed training in peer response can help assist L2 writing students as well as their teachers gain understanding of the benefits of peer response (Berg, 1999; Min, 2006; Ting and Qian; 2010). THE ROLE OF THE COMPUTER IN CONVEYING MEDIATED FEEDBACK The role of computers in conveying mediating feedback in L2 (second langue) settings has become central for research concerned with technology-enhanced peer response lately. However, the results on the effects of integrating computer-mediated communication (CMC) into peer response have been conflicting, mixed, and even inconsistent (Schultz, 2000; Hu, 2005; Liu and Sadler, 2003; Tuzi, 2004; DiGiovanni and Nagaswami, 2001). Hence, many researchers (Braine, 1997; Leh, 1999; Biesenbach-Lucas and Weasenforth, 2001; Liu and Sadler, 2003) have expressed concerns about using computer-mediated communication as a substitute for the face-to-face venue of peer response, especially that its ultimate benefits for ESL learners have not been yet established fully by researchers. However, consensus have been researched among researchers that CMC-based peer response should be seriously blended with face-to-face communication in the peer response process (Schultz, 2000; Hu, 2005; Liu and Sadler, 2003; Tuzi, 2004; DiGiovanni and Nagaswami, 2001).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Jiang Zemin :: essays research papers

Allen Bullock   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  HST 407  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7/24/2003  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jiang Zemin, as the President of China, will be leading the world's most populous country into the 21st century. A new biography of Mr. Jiang describes him as an economic reformer but not a political reformer and as someone often mistakenly believed to have blundered his way to power. Bruce Gilley is the author of the first western full-length study of the Chinese leader. Historians, political scientists, and journalists hungry for reliable information about Chinese politics have to rely on official publications, and on the semiofficial and nonofficial accounts that bubble up in Hong Kong. These are the same methods of tracking and analyzing China's political movements that outsiders have used for decades. It is in this Byzantine context that Bruce Gilley has written Tiger on the Brink, a biography of Jiang Zemin and a highly readable account of modern Chinese politics. Unfortunately, Gilley is sharply limited by the same lack of access as every other student of Zhongnanhai. A correspondent for The Far Eastern Economic Review who covered China out of Hong Kong, Gilley has done an admirable job of scouring Chinese-language publications for tidbits about Jiang's personal background. But hamstrung by lack of information, this story of Jiang's decade at the top of China's Communist Party only partly satisfies. Tiger on the Brink is essentially a first-rate job. However, Gilley had to rely overwhelmingly on secondary sources; as he relates in the preface, the closest he ever got to his subject was when he ran into the portly president in the men's room at the Great Hall of the People. And Jiang left the restroom before a surprised Gilley could think of a question to ask. The big cat in the book's title apparently refers to China, not Jiang, for it is unlikely that anyone would ever mistake the genial and cautious leader portrayed by Gilley for such a ferocious creature. Gilley reinforces the assessment of Jiang as a politically slippery but tenacious survivor, less tiger than â€Å"Mr. Tiger Balm,† a moniker he once gave himself, which Gilley uses to head a chapter. Jiang Zemin emerges from this book as a skilled political tactician, who distinguished himself over nearly 50 years of Communist Party politics not as an intellectual or a fighter but by his ability to get along with superiors and inferiors alike, and by making use of an unsurpassed knack for currying favor with influential men.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Jesus and the Law: An Ancient Text in a Postmodern Context Essay

Jesus and the Law: An Ancient Text in a Postmodern Context In looking at Jesus and the law we must acknowledge that Jesus is the fulfillment of the old covenant. Every theme in the Old Testament points forward towards Jesus. The law is the character of God written in a language which human beings can understand. The law was given to show us the holiness of God and to demonstrate man’s imperfection. The entire reason for the law was so that we would understand that through our own efforts and abilities, we can never reach God’s level of holiness, and as such, we would eternally remain damned. But God, gave us the law so that through our continuous failure we would see the light of the truth, which is Jesus Christ. When we willingly acknowledge this ultimate truth, we will recognize that the only way we can ever, possibly, enter the Kingdom of Heaven is by the mercy and grace of our God. It is because of God’s mercy and grace that he decided to send his Son to die in our stead, so that through his death and resurrection we might find eternal life. It is only through Jesus Christ as the slain Lamb of God, risen and interceding for mankind, that we can ever touch the heart of God. God’s plan began in Eden with the fall of man and every act of God was directed towards this end; that Jesus would come to earth to die as our perfect and permanent sin sacrifice. Jesus came in fulfillment of the prophetic foreshadowing presented in the Old Testament. So if we are to choose one scripture to study regarding Jesus and the law we can safely and aptly choose Matthew, chapter 5 and versus 17-48; the Sermon on the Mount. In this passage we shall examine four aspects, relating to Jesus and the law, which are; Jesus proclaims the law; Jesus’ interpretation of the law; Jesus’ fulfillment of the law; and Jesus and the law today. Jesus Proclaims the Law To understand the scripture found in Matthew we must recognize that in this time and in this place Jesus was speaking to the people during the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was teaching the law of the old covenant because he had not died yet, and so the new covenant was not yet in practice. â€Å"The statues [of the law] are grounded in God’s work in creation and they serve God’s relational purposes of life, stability, and the well-being of individuals and communities† (Fretheim, 163). The primary message that Jesus was communicating can be understood in one verse, â€Å"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect† (New Revised Standard Version, Matt 5:49). He was teaching the law of the Torah; the law of God. The law demanded perfection, and Jesus was certainly encouraging people to pursue perfection. Jesus pursued this same perfection and was not without temptation. He was flesh and blood. Jesus was a human being with all of our frailties, needs, and desires. He was as much a human as any human being on earth. He suffered persecution and trouble as is evident in his words â€Å"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely† (Matt 5:11). Jesus knew how it felt to be persecuted. He was not without compassion for mankind. Yet, He knew that perfection could only be found in practicing obedience to the law, which is why He went willingly to the cross. Brueggemann writes â€Å"The Torah is not God, for in our obedience and disobedience this is a God; so near. But God is not God without Torah, and if we would know God, it comes by way of obedience† (115). Jesus came in fulfillment of the law, and He was obedient to the law of His Father. He became our example of righteous, selfless, obedient love for God. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law, lived in obedience to the law and taught obedience to the law. He knew that in order for us to touch the heart of God, or even diligently stretch out our imperfect fingertips toward God, we must be obedient to the Law. Jesus’ Interpretation of the Law Jesus spent a great deal of His time interpreting the law for us. During the Sermon on the Mount Jesus proclaimed that people should put on God’s holiness. He taught the people of the very character of God. Jesus taught the law as the covenant between God and man and as the way to God. Jesus does not interpret the law as the Pharisees did which sought to enslave the people within a heavy yoke, which they were always unable to bear. The people thought to live under the law were simply struck down by the taskmaster’s lash. But here in Matthew, Jesus taught of love, and of forgiveness, which transcends the law. The Pharisees proclaimed traditions which laid outside the law and which were a lower standard of righteousness than that set forth by God’s pure Law. During the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave examples of how tradition had been used to set aside the real intent of the Law. For example he said; You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous (Matt 5:43-45). If the people are obedient to laws which were not given by God then disobedience results, which leads to separation from God. Jesus interpreted the law so that the people would be made righteous through obedience to the law. Even Jesus said â€Å"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven† (Matt 5:20). Moreover, He interpreted the law in a new light which offers mankind a view into the holy heart of God. Isaiah predicted that Jesus would teach the lawâ€Å"for the sake of his righteousness, to magnify his teaching and make it glorious† (Isa. 42:21). And this Jesus did for the sake of the Lord’s righteousness. Jesus’ Fulfillment of the Law Jesus came in fulfillment of the law. Jesus said Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. (Matt 5:17-18). He is the light at the end of the old covenant which shines brightly toward the future for those that would see. There were two avenues available to mankind under the law. The first avenue was total obedience and the second was death. If the way of obedience was not chosen then the only way to go was towards death. But theses avenues were dimly lit and the people strained to see which one was the right path to take. Our sinful nature prevents us from living in total obedience to the law as given from Moses, therefore there was only one outcome or one avenue for mankind which is death. But Jesus came in fulfillment of the law. Jesus walked on both avenues of the Law. He took the first avenue by living a life in absolute obedience to the Law. He was God manifested in the flesh. God became as a man and lived perfectly, because there was no sin within Him. On the first avenue, Jesus fulfilled the law, by living in obedience to its demands. Jesus also took the second avenue available to a man of flesh by dying for our sins. The law demanded death for anyone who did not live in obedience to it, and He died on behalf of everyone whose obedience waned. Therefore Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and through Him we can find life and not death if we chose to walk with him along the avenues of life. â€Å"Fretheim writes The Primal sin may thus best be defined as mistrust of God and God’s word, which then manifests itself in disobedience and other behaviors† (78). If we trust in God’s words then we will choose to be obedient to His words and his laws of holiness. If we chose disobedience then we choose death. But it is Jesus’ fulfillment of the law that gives us this gift of choice. It is God’s sacrifice of His only Son, who was made to suffer as flesh, blood and bone on this earth at the hands of the very beings He was sent to die for. It was Jesus’ fulfillment of the law that allows us to entertain the possibility of seeing God. Jesus’ and the Law Today Men argue today about the question of following the old covenant or following the new covenant. But the two covenants are meant to be intermingled in the hearts of men. The old covenant attends the new and the new covenant fulfills the old. Jesus’s obedience to the laws of the covenant imparts authority and thus is due our obedience. There are some that say Jesus ended the law, which is partly true since He is he fulfillment of the law and the term â€Å"fulfillment’ imparts a conclusion, or an ending to something. However, that is not to say that the law is no more. Indeed God’s law is unchanged. It was the traditions of man that sought to imprison mankind in their sinful flesh, which then brought eternal dependence on other men (e.g. Pharisees or Priests) to bring them back into the grace of God. Jesus offered us a new way into the grace of God and that way is found at Calvary. Jesus’ obedience to the law became a paradigm for the modern church. Suzanne Johnson writes that becoming a Christian includes â€Å"instruction in the sacred writings, the reshaping of ethical vision, and formation of ethical responsibilities† (19-20). Where does the Christian find a standard for this ethical vision or responsibilities? We are supposed to read the sacred writings which provide us with a standard and the example of a holy God, made flesh in the form of Jesus Christ. For many centuries the church followed the strict practices of man’s doctrine which they interpreted from the scriptures as the desire of God. Not so oddly, most of these adherences were geared towards practices that men detected in women. For example, for many years women were not allowed to speak in the church service. This practice was gleaned from Paul’s writings when he was addressing some problems in the church of Corinth. There were some traditions or practices that were set up for men also, like abstaining from the use of tobacco, foul language (which was determined by the society of that era), and the wearing of revealing clothing (e.g. short sleeve shirts). None of these traditions were practiced by Jesus or authorized according to His word. Even John said â€Å"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him† (3:17). The church changes over time. It moves and sways with the society in which it exists, especially in regard to their boundaries, beliefs, and practices. What was once taboo, or forbidden, is now acceptable. The Church of God has twenty-nine practical and doctrinal commitments, but seven of these beliefs have to do with everyday living aspects given from interpretation of modern man (sgacog.org). The practical commitments have changed a great deal since the church was formed over 127 years ago. Men are trying way too hard to make it down that avenue of obedience. Jesus came to make it easier and yet, in our infinite wisdom and striving for excellence on our own merit, we have made it way more complicated that it actually is. Conclusion Jesus did not give any authority to the laws of man, but came to fulfill the laws of God alone. Jesus offers us examples of the law in his life and in His death. If we are to follow in His footsteps down the pathway of earthly life to eternal life, then we have to put down those beliefs and practices which serve only to separate men from each other and from God. It is in the practice of love and forgiveness that we shall find the heart of God. From the very beginning God had a plan to bring mankind back into an intimate relationship with him. He has given us the law so that we might find His Spirit dwelling in us through the blessing of obedience. Through God’s Spirit we find peace and light. Because God loves us so much He provided that the avenue we must follow is easy and joyful. To be obedient to God is to be blessed and joyful throughout one’s life. This law, which applies to all humankind for all time, is founded upon God’s holiness. God does not change and his holiness does not change, therefore the law does not change. It is the same loving guidance for every generation that was, that is, and that is to come. Fretheim declares, â€Å"The reason for the giving of the law is stated clearly: it is a gracious divine gift ‘so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land’ (5:33)† (156). Why do we fight against the law of God? Is it because we have romanticized death through media messages which falsely present a passionate view of de ath, or is it because we cannot see that peace, life, and God–Himself- is found within the obedient existence. Jesus’ life would be a lie if it were not for the law. The law prophesized of his coming and of his sacrificial role. He came to live and die in the promises of God. There was no other reason for Jesus to come to this earth and die a terrible death, other than to fulfill the law. God said it, and since His word does not change, nor return void, it had to be so. If we look at no other scripture than Matthew 5:17-48 we can clearly define the role of the law and Jesus’ participation in the law. For in this scripture we see Jesus proclaim the law, Jesus interpret the law for all of mankind, Jesus fulfilled the law; and Jesus make the law applicable today, and forever and always. Works Cited Bruegemann, Walter. The Creative Word: Canon as a Model for Biblical Education. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982. Print. Fretheim, Terence E. The Pentateuch. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996. Print. Johnson, Susanne. Christian Spiritual Formation in the Church and Classroom. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989. Print. New Revised Standard Version. Ed. Michael Coogan. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. South Georgia Church of God. â€Å"South Georgia Church of God.† 2010. Who We Are. Web. 17 October 2013.

Friday, November 8, 2019

fetal pain essays

fetal pain essays Fetal and Neonatal Pain and Long Term Implications Over the last decade, the perception of pain and stress in fetal and neonatal life has attracted great attention. This is partly due to an increasing understanding of fetal physiology and a greater number of invasive techniques used in todays medicine. The greater frequency of abortions, caesarean sections and intra uterine interventions have turned increased attention onto the subject after decades of common belief being that the fetus and neonate felt no pain. The most important evidence is anatomical. This shows that the neuroanatomical connections for nociception are in place by the 24th week of gestation. Many experts however believe that the fetus only experiences mindless reflex responses which are a mechanism of protection for an adapting organism that has not yet developed a mature sensory and effector system. There is evidence present to suggest that a single painful experience can alter development and sensitisation of the infant to pain and stress later in life. In the following essay I am going to review the evidence supporting the long term effects of painful and stressful experiences suffered by fetuses and the newborn. I will also assess whether there is a period of increased sensitivity to injury and analyse studies focusing on the use of analgesia to avoid these long term implications. There is a large amount of evidence showing that stressful events both during and just after pregnancy can influence the developing fetus and bring about a series of long term adverse effects in the infant. Recent evidence however has been conflicting and inconsistent. Research and investigation in this field is difficult however for a number of reasons. One of these reasons is that pain is not objective, but subjective. It is difficult to assess and measure pain in adults who can communicate and express their feelings. In a fetus the absence of feedback is a...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Spanish Verb Book essays

Spanish Verb Book essays The following section will be the present you are implying that the action is occurring at the present time. For example: Joseph reads the book. The "reads" in the sentence shows that Joseph is in the process of reading the book. Canta muy bien. She sings very well. Hablo espa viajar - to travel cantar - to sing ayudar - to help hablar - to speak viajo viajamos canto cantamos ayudo ayudamos hablo hablamos viajas - cantas - ayudas - hablas - viaja viajan canta cantan ayuda ayudan habla habla hablan Regular AR's are the most common of all verbs, to use them, remove the "ar" ending and insert the appropriate ending on the chart: o for "i ___", as for "you ___", a for "he/she ___", amos for "we ___", an for "they ___". You can also use the following chart for the respective endings. Da el perro Mike. He gives the dog to Mike. Yo quiero a estar un abogado. I want to be a lawyer o for singular Ella est mi amiga. She is my friend. Yo doy tà º este carro. I give you this car. Irregular AR's truly have no rule, to use them you must learn the specific way each is conjugated. See the conjugations above. Pieso el dinero. I am thinking about the money. Cierra el libro. He closes the book. Ellos empiezan a leer. They begin to read. Yo recomiendo el pollo. I recommend the chicken. pensar - to think cerrar - to close nevar - to show empezar - to begin pieso pensamos cierro cerramos nievo nevamos empiezo empezamos piesas - cierras - nievas - empiezas - piesa piensan cierra cierran nieva nievan empieza empiezan The AR stem-changers (e - ie) are a type of verb. To conjugate them you simply change the last e in the stem (which means all the parts of the verb but the "ar" ending) to an ie, then you remove the "ar" ending and add the appropriate ending. However there is one exception, in first person plural you do not change the e ...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Marks and Spencer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marks and Spencer - Essay Example Strengths of Marks and Spencer, primarily is their assets. Many of their outlets are purchased when land inside metropolitan areas was not at a premium; as a result the value of these outlets has skyrocketed. Secondarily one of our key strengths is their image (also a weakness that I shall arrive at later) and their brand name, St.Michael. Finally their last identifiable strength is their market share (currently static at 13%) [5]. Their Weaknesses are, as mentioned already, the image and brand name. This is mainly because their target market is split into a number of segments, the most easily identifiable being: School Clothes; pre-teens; teens - 30; 30's - 40's; 50+. This diverse coverage means that they lack the Marketing Economies of Scale with which to target and cater for each of these specifically. In addition to this there is a certain amount of product association that occurs, in the same way Lexus is attached to Toyota, they can't shake the image of a post-war retailer from the minds of the younger people that they're targeting. Opportunities are present in their ability to reshape the firm. With the main segments of the market identified I believe positive steps could be taken to capitalize on this discovery [5]. They can use this information to re-brand certain areas to make them more focused on the individual segments rather than trying to nurture a "One product suits all" ethos. They cultivate a new strategy that makes us more individual. Threats to them still remain the use of Marketing Economies by our competitors. There is no way they can get these simply because of the range that our products are targeting. Other weaknesses include their recent bad press regarding treatment of suppliers which is magnified by their previously thought reliability as a top retailer [1]. The stock marketis a threat to them, mainly because their falling share price leads to less people being interested in purchasing our shares. Chapter 3: Factors Affecting Decision Making: 3.1 The threat of entry: Economies of scale e.g. the benefits associated with bulk purchasing. The high or low cost of entry, e.g. how much will it cost for the latest technology Ease of access to distribution channels e.g. Do our competitors have the distribution channels sewn up Cost advantages not related to the size of the company e.g. personal contacts or knowledge that larger companies do not own or learning curve effects. Will competitors retaliate Government action e.g. will new laws be introduced that will weaken our competitive position How important is differentiation This desensitises the influence of the environment. All they above questions are determinants for a competitor or a new firm to enter the market. Marks and Spencer is constantly bombarded with newer brands which are more consumers specific and focused. People perceive Marks and Spencer as being 'behind the times' and so they have to bring their image in line with the 21st Century in order to win back the customers they have lost to the likes of Gap, Next and USC. According to recent customer surveys, people believe that Marks and Spencer have no specific market. People have commented on the fact that they cannot identify with the store because Marks and Spencer

Friday, November 1, 2019

Security Policy Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Security Policy Analysis - Essay Example The successful executives value business information and strive to improve and maintain it using latest technologies at the expense of the organizations to promote the cyber security (Van der Zwaan et al 2010) Since lack of implementation of cyber, securities to any organization pose threats to the breach of the confidential company information and database attack. There is legislation permitting the criminal charges against the responsible personnel’s under the federal information Security Management Act of 2002 also called E-Government Act. The incessant failure to protect the firms against cyber attack would lead to the involvement of the Government. Information is an important entity of any well-run organization and failure to protect it is a crime. Cyber security being an important segment of the organization to maintain and keep data safe, the IT security applications alone is not sufficient to protect the cyber attacks and threats. The frequency of cyber crime is increasing its size and sophistication with specialized professionals involved that technology alone cannot stop cyber crime. The attacks increase because of the creation of malware by criminals to steal information, and the breaching of Firewalls to reach the organizational important data. The cyber security is no longer a technical issue because

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Air conditioning. What and when was it invented How did it develop Essay

Air conditioning. What and when was it invented How did it develop - Essay Example It was fan-powered. It was Ding Huan who made a fan which passed air from cold water which then spread in the house. This idea was found in the dynasties of Tand and Song. First, people powered the fans manually. Later on, water was used to drive the fans. One very difficult design of powering the fan was found in the Tang dynasty in which the fountain water that went upwards was used to push the gears and hence, the fans were turned on. In the air-coolers in which water was used as the main cooling thing, the evaporation of water made the space very humid. Michael Faraday as a scientist of British origin who in 1820 made a compressor in which, ammonia was used. The challenge in front of Faraday was to exhaust the fumes of ammonia. This was difficult because of the toxic property of ammonia. Although the cooling agent was unsafe, yet the technology of compressing he introduced is used even today. Compression was later used by John Gorrie who was from Florida. He made ice with it. With this ice, he cooled down the structures. The commercial air conditioner was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in the year 1902 (â€Å"History of Air Conditioning†). Carrier was a very hard working person. â€Å"I fish only for edible fish, and hunt only for edible game even in the laboratory† (Carrier cited in Bellis). His air conditioner was to be used to lower down the temperature of the machinery that was used in the process of printing. But one thing that Carrier noticed and was very good about his design was that in addition to cooling down the air, his air conditioner also regulated the humidity in the air. This property assisted in calibrating the ink in the printing press and also made the alignment of the papers very good. This was a very wonderful achievement and laid the basis of air conditioning in both the commercial and the industrial sectors. Carrier decided to do good business with his air conditioners, so he opened up

Monday, October 28, 2019

Funeral Cosmetic Surgery Essay Example for Free

Funeral Cosmetic Surgery Essay Beauty is your funeral Cosmetic surgery is defined as, â€Å"surgery performed to improve the appearance, rather than for medical reasons† (Collins English Dictionary). Cosmetic surgery is a dangerous procedure because some people acquire lifelong scars not only that, death could be in the equation. On the other hand, many women get cosmetic surgery due to physical deformation or certain birth defects in efforts to cover up their embarrassing scars. Even though some cosmetic surgery can be beneficial, the fact that death could be involved, is it worth it? Cosmetic surgery should be illegal because the number of death and deformation in the person’s character are too great to risk any possible enhancements. We should not be allowed to get plastic surgery, implants, and liposuction because these things cause a person to become sick and then eventually die. Therefore we should warn the person about the harm of cosmetic surgery is. According to Dr.Darshan Shah, a Mayo Clinic-trained board certified surgeon, â€Å"Cosmetic Surgery itself actually carries very minimal risk if you put yourself in the hands of a qualified, certified cosmetic surgery specialist – someone who has trained and devoted [his or his] career to the misrepresentation and inexperience of certain surgeons†. (California Health and Beauty) This article is saying that people are dying because there not looking up facts and information about the surgeon, but how much is of this idea is true? I believe no matter who performs the surgery; it’s always dangerous and has many life threatening consequences. Whether or not the surgeon is ‘’good’’ or ‘’bad’’ the procedures should not be done and are unethical. First of all, cosmetic surgery costs a great deal of money. Breast augmentations are 3,797$, Tummy Tucks are,332$, Butt Lifts are $7,904, Collagen Injections are $673 and Eyelid surgery is $2,912, To me no amount of money is worth risking your life for. Not only that, I believe that people are beautiful the way they are, and that they don’t need surgery to boost their self esteem. Individuals seek to conform to the social norm, and it’s apparent that they will go to any cost to make that happen. When comes to unethical issues such as transgender cosmetic surgery, no it should not be allowed. In Fact, when they get these procedures they can die from anesthesia. In conclusion, when come to cosmetic surgery its dangerous overall even though you’re getting medical reasons or even though you get Butt Lift or Tummy Tuck or Collagen injection , Overall cosmetic surgery is a dangerous ,harmful procedure that should be banned.