Strategic asset management plan University of glamorgan Essay

Strategic asset management plan University of glamorgan - Essay Example The University of Glamorgan is totally committed towards providing a high class learning environment to include e-learning, tutor facilitation and employment of cutting edge learning facilities to enable the students to benefit academically and socially. Thus it is felt that prospective employers should be eager to acquire the skills which have been developed in students by an intense and stimulating academic programme. This should also create an aspiration for growth and success in the students. These are no doubt laudable strategic objectives for any learning institution which deem to foster growth of the establishment with a view to benefit its primary stake holder, the student. The twin perspectives of providing employment in the immediate time frame on leaving the establishment and creating an urge for sustained personal and professional growth in the students are also laudable. A Strategic Asset Management plan flows from the priorities set by the University for sustained devel opment. The strategic priorities of Glamorgan University have been summarized as follows:- Enhance the overall nature and quality of student experience Improve the quality of student intake. A high grade research and consultancy profile should be developed and post graduate activity should be expanded. Infra structure should be improved. People based quality improvements should be undertaken. Contribute to the regional as well as the strategic partnership agenda. Contribute to Glamorgan's equal opportunities and social inclusion agenda. Provide an international profile to Glamorgan's reputation. Provide a favorable e-world information and communications development programme. (Strategy: 2006). An analysis of the strategic objectives of the University will reveal that assets form an important facet for its attainment. While some of the aims as improvement of infra structure are primary to development of assets, others such as improving the quality of intake and enriching experience of students will to a large extent be dependent on the ability of the University to have a much sought after ambience of learning. The overall goals of contribution to the larger community in Wales are also dependent on contribution to the environment at large. While maintaining an international

Effect of Marriage on Mental Health

Effect of Marriage on Mental Health Sara Zafarullah Sheikh (GN12119) According to World Health Organization, an individual with good mental health is able to cope with the stress of everyday life, knows his or her own abilities and work productively in every aspect to contribute to the community. On the other hand marriage is defined as a union of husband and wife in a universal and legitimate relationship recognized by law and social institution (Watkins, 2013). Both of them have a big influence over each other and are affected by each other (Ostwald, 2009) In my view marriage contributes to a healthier society, building up a separate unit called family, which is at the same time part of the society as a whole. This serves society by its children, by labor of its members and through other aspects. It provides keeping of traditions and continues generations promoting cultural aspect of society. Therefore, it is regarded as pillar to the society. Goesling Avellar (2010) states marriage to contribute to an individual’s emotional and social benefits in all aspects thus contributing its part in physical health as well. Regardless of the fact, marriage is considered to be not meant for psychiatric patients considering them not capable of taking responsibilities, dangerous for the spouse and lacking of their self-identity, adding it to their social stigma (Gray, 2011). While negotiating with my patient, I recognized the seriousness of this issue and decided to reflect upon it so as to emphasize the importance of marriage in society and its mental health benefits. On my clinical rotation to Karachi Psychiatric Hospital, I was assigned to interview an old lady; 42 years old diagnosed with Schizophrenic paranoid with symptoms of aggressiveness, hallucinations, somatic delusions, irritability and self-talk. Upon interaction she appeared responsive and cooperative. According to the patient, she was accompanied to the hospital by her mother. On taking the family history, patient verbalized of having four sisters and one brother. She further verbalized that all her siblings are married. According to the client only she was not allowed by her mother to get married regardless of her wish of getting married like her other sisters. Upon close observation she seemed to be attracted towards opposite sex. She even took some names that she verbalized of getting married with but eventually also said, â€Å"they will not marry me.† No indicators for sexual abuse were found which clearly reflected her need and wish of getting into a secure relationship that provides her with support and identity, which was now a requirement of her age as well. She verbalized her engagement in the substance abuse due to this reason. Glancing at the cultural context, parents hold the complete authority for choosing partners for their children in eastern culture whereas, in western culture children have the right to choose their mate and made decisions for their future life. Nock proposed the theory of domesticating role of marriage to explain the phenomenon that married people are found to consume healthful and delighted lives than unmarried compeer (2005). As the institution oblige responsibility on both of the spouses and implies assurance to both of them creating a huge room for positive change. Men tend to change, as before marriage they live less healthy lives and are much more involved in dangerous behaviors including substance abuse drinking and car racing. They work regularly, have a tendency to involve more in religious practices and become future oriented. Women are generally viewed to be responsible since childhood and less involved in anti-social behaviors. According to Loveless Tolman (2007) women think about themselves complete after marriage. Women enjoy commitments and duties after marriage, they love being busy with children, spouse and household chores. If this sensorium of completeness is not achieved they get indulged in anti-social behaviors example, substance abuse and are prone towards mental illness. Wood (2007), inferred that unmarried women show more depressive symptoms than the ones married. My patient also wanted to live like a married women enjoying all commitment a marital life embraces. As she could not achieve the outright goal she started using substance abuse to diminish the emotion of unsatisfaction. Marriage contributes to mental health by providing subsequent support and emotional intimacy, creating sense of self-identity and self-worth, building a satisfied connection between two partners, making the innate human need to fulfill (Wood, 2007). According to Howell (2009), report on marriage and mental health, product of many random sample studies revealed that marriage makes individuals less prone to have psychological illness. Marriage ensures engagement of partners in less risk taking activities and also it influences the quality and size of gains. A study revealed that intermediate rates of mental disorders were found in widowed, highest in divorced and separated while married people had the lowest rates among them. Study of 80,000 suicides in U.S, also indicated that suicide is committed less by married women compared to unmarried ones. They define themselves less depressive and emotionally healthier than unmarried ones. Relating it to my clinical scenario the patient also r equired emotional stability, self-worthiness, a partner to whom she can share her emotions, and her own family. Neither had she wanted the illness nor loneliness. Therefore, she started saying that she is suffering from tuberculosis associated with somatic delusions denying the fact that she had any mental health problem. In society specifically Pakistani society, mental illness is considered as social stigma leaving it to be neglected. Interventions should be applied on individual, group and national level. At individual level clients should be allowed to ventilate their feelings providing them with support. In association with the health care professionals at group level these patients should be involved in different rehabilitation therapies to work with their creativities and find out strengths in them using therapeutic way of communication, which would help them enhance their self-esteem and build sense of self worthiness. Embroiling my patient in the occupational therapy I asked her to bore seeds for new plant to build a hope and see new sunrises in her life. Family support plays an essential role for these people to view their lives in positive face. At community level institutions should be formed to gather these people helping each other to fill unfilled gaps of their lives. At state level pol icies should be formulated for unmarried suffering from mental illness. To conclude it is important to realize the potential need of every person for a companion, the intimate love one needs in life. According to Carl Rogers, this is human’s basic nature of an intrinsic need of warmth and acceptance from the mate. Each and every one has a right to have partner, and declaring a person not mentally fit and therefore, not allowing the person to get married makes the person more prone to mental illness. References Australian Institute of Family Studies, Vaus,D.D. (2002).Marriage and mental health. Howell,P. (2009).Healthy marriages and mental health. Hurvitz,N., Straus,R.A. (1991).Marriage and Family Therapy: A Sociocognitive Approach. Sydney, Australia. Mathis,D. (2012).Preparing for Marriage: Desiring God Foundation. Mishra,D.K., Alreja,S., Sengar,S.K., Singh,A.R. (2009). Insight and its relationship with stigma in psychiatric patients.Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 18(1). Pollett,H. (2007, June 18).Mental Health Promotion: A literature Review. Scott,L.A., Holman,T.B. (2007).The Family in the New Millennium: World Voices Supporting the Natural Clan. Simon,R.W. (2012, July 23). The Relationship between Marriage and Mental Health. Psychiatry Weekly,7(14). Wilson,C.M., Ostwald,A.J. (2005, May).How Does Marriage Effect Physical and Psychological Health? A Survey of the Longitudinal Evidence. Wood,R.G., Goesling,B., Avellar,S. (2007).The Effects of Marriage on Heath: A Synthesis of Recent Research Evidence(9). Department of Human and Health Services.

Michael Moore :: essays research papers

Michael Moore ‘Michael Moore is one of the most popular but also one of the most feared and hated people in America’. Why is this? Michael Moore is seen by the American society as a representative to the people, or as a public disturbance, expressing the views of an ‘average American’ to the rest of the world, in such mediums as film, text, presentations and interviews. There are many reasons to Michael Moore’s popularity and hate, which all come from his productions and beliefs. The way Moore delivers his information to the society comes in many different forms, and strikes up many different views upon his opinion as well. The views that arise in Michael Moore’s ideas and plans are taken to a higher scale than the ordinary American citizen and people fear Moore will run in politics one day. Some of his words are controversial, others pure fact and some statements are stretched far out of context. Many of Michael’s ideas run through his film, Bowling for Columbine, his multiple press/film conferences and award ceremonies and many interviews with highly ranked people. Focusing on this film, many issues and themes are present from a single movie length feature. Michael Moore raises such issues as violence, crime and killings, but most importantly, gun laws. Michael Moore presents information and facts to the people, because they need to know. Michael strongly believes in this, as many people can see, how Moore mercilessly uses his tricks and taunts to lure out important pieces of information from his interviewees, and making fools of them. With this point, it is one of the main reasons why Michael Moore is one of the most feared or hated people in America. With many different groups having their own opinions upon this man, Michael believes himself to be informing the people about issues he himself would like to know about. And no matter how this information is drawn out, he is there to present it. Throughout his movie ‘Bowling for Columbine’, Michael uses a different variety of ways to present his information to the viewers, including dramatic, humorous, shocking, satirical ways to convey his message.

The movie Super Size Me

The movie Super Size Me, is an in your face way of making people realize how the fast food industry is negatively affecting our nation. The surgeon general has declared the increasing rates of obesity an â€Å"epidemic†. In this documentary movie, Morgan Spurlock conducts an experiment, to investigate if indeed, fast food is the correlation to our nations obesity epidemic. The movie has severally bonus features such as an interview with Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, and an interview with Phil Lawler about the PE 4 Life program. As well as, The Smoking Fry, an interesting experiment looking at the decomposition of food. The movie Super Size Me, and all of its bonus features, revolves around two main components, the importance of nutrition and physical activity. I. Fast Food Nation The interview between Morgan Spurlock and Eric Schlosser discusses how fast food is processed and flavored, the unhealthy agricultural settings, obesity trends and how both the government and the people need to make a change for the better. I was appalled by the information provided in the interview, I had a basic idea of all the concepts but did not realize how extream they were. I can easily say that after knowing how fast food is made I have no interest at all in eating it. The fact that while in feed lots, cattle are pilled in fecal matter which can make it into the hamburgers that we eat, and that is why there is a higher increase in poisoning and disease from eating fast food. I think that is absolutely disgusting and it should not be allowed. I definitely will read the book Fast Food Nation, if this short interview opened my eyes this much; I am very interested to see how the book will make me feel. II. PE4LIFE Phil Lawler pointed out that, Illinois is the only state that enforces mandatory physical education k-12. During his interview talked about the PE4Life program, how it refocuses testing based on a healthy zone, that physical activity is the â€Å"fertilizer† for the brain, and the importance of creating a pattern and habit of exercising. PE4Life departs from the traditional approach to physical education by not focusing on traditional sports, but rather physical activities that assures every child is active. Testing in the PE4Life program assesses results on whether the students â€Å"does it well enough that he/she is considered healthy. While the traditional program assesses testing based on what percentile the student falls into compared to their peers. If the State of Michigan were to adopt a serious daily approach to physical education, such as the PE4Life program the outcome would be extremely beneficial to the students overall heath. We discussed in class how students in Michigan do not meet the set goal of exercising five times a week for thirty minutes at a time. Also, how forty percent of children in MI are currently over weight. The end of the Super Size Me video made it a point to state that Detroit is now the fattest city in the United States. Obviously something needs to be done to change these trends, implementing mandatory physical education k-12; using a PE4Life philosophy may be exactly what Michigan students need. III. The Smoking Fry The Smoking Fry was an experiment conducted by Morgan Spurlock to examine how different McDonalds food items and less artificially enhanced flood items would decompose after periods of time. I thought that all of the different food items would start to mold after about a week, and they all would get worse as more time went by. I just assumed that food that wasn’t frozen or at least refrigerated started to mold after a period of time. My reaction to the results was disgust; it made me wonder what kind of crazy chemicals are in those fries that they do not show any signs of molding after ten weeks. I think that as our bodies decompose food we ingest from fast food chains it is exposed to the many chemicals preservatives put in the food, and does not receive the proper nutrients. I would also assume that the same logic would apply from the experiment, to our bodies, meaning that it is more difficult for the body to decompose fast food as opposed to more natural foods. My mother eats mostly all organic food whenever possible, so when my birthday came she was going to make a cake from scratch like usual. I told he that I would rather have a funfetti box cake instead; begrudgingly she made the cake for me. Not without going on and on about how bad it is for you, and how many chemicals, and ingredients you cant even pronounce and in it and that not even like eating a real cake. What was interesting and supports the results from the Smoking Fry is that, she pointed out to me that after a month of sitting in the tupperware not a speck of mold was on it. Processed foods contain so many preservatives that they may never mold, for instance a Twinkie has no expiration date, I think that is absolutely crazy. The fact that processed foods are filled with so many chemicals to they have a longer shelf life should be a good indication as to how bad they are for your body. IV. Movie Super Size Me The movie Super Size Me is a documentary by Morgan Spurlock. In this movie Spurlock undertakes eating nothing but McDonalds for thirty days, to determine if fast food is the fast track to becoming obese and if its unreasonably dangerous. Spurlock had a set of rules for the month; can only super size when asked, can only eat food from McDonalds water included, has to eat everything on the menu at least once, and he must eat three meals a day, lastly limit the amount of steps per day. Before the experiment Spurlock consulted with a cardiologist, gastrologist, and a general practitioner, all three doctors concluded that he was currently physically healthy. The doctors said that increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels, weight gain, and an increased risk for heart disease were expected outcomes of this experiment. The actual end results of the experiment where much more serous than expected. Spurlock gained twenty four and a half pounds, the liver had basically turned to fat, cholesterol shot up sixty five points, body fat percentage increased seven percent, he doubled his risk for heart disease and failure, felt exhausted and depressed, experience rapid mood sings, had a non existent sex life, and developed an addiction, he craved more and more and had headaches when he did not eat the food. There was a point where he considered stopping short of the thirty days because his health being seriously affected. The movie addressed the lack of regards to the state of our nations physical education programs. Again it was stated that Illinois is the only state that makes physical education mandatory k-12. Brain Philips a physical education teacher stated that students in his elementary school only receive physical education one day a week for forty-five minutes. According to the surgeon general, a person needs to be physical active thirty minutes a day, every day to maintain your weight and a healthy well-being. The Nations schools are not close to implementing these standards, and its only getting worse. In 2001 while President Bush was in office he created the No Child Left Behind reform. Due to this reform schools cut recess time, heath, nutrition, and physical education classes back to allow for more time to prepare for the more â€Å"academic† classes. Naperville, Illinois setting the standards for the model program of physical education because they are creating an awareness in the community about the importance of physical activity, and in turn receiving the support to make the PE4Life program possible. In my opinion other states are not pushing to adopt this model due to the No Child Left Behind reform, lack of effort, fear of change, and the financial expenses. Physical education should be of the utmost importance for individuals making decisions about education in Michigan. Detroit is heaviest city in the United States. From class lecture we no that in Michigan forty percent of children are over weight compared to thirteen to fourteen percent Nationally. It can no longer be ignored; it must be addressed by the school systems, to stop this growing epidemic of obesity. This movie mad an impact on how I view fast food. I do not consume fast food on a regular bases, but occasionally when I am starving and I do not have time, or am not around to cook something, I will eat it. That is definitely going to change, after watching this how could you eat fast food, its disgusting. When I have children of my own, I will not allow them to eat fast food, except on very rare occasions. I grew up with a mother that always cooks dinner, buys organic food, and has always been very couscous on the making sure I eat a balanced diet. I plan to use the same nutritional approach with my own children. V. Conclusions After viewing Supper Size Me, my position of consuming fast food still stands, as it not being a healthy choice. Proper nutrition directly related to a persons heath, and with a sufficient amount of physical activity a person is at their optimal level of overall health. After watching Super Size Me, and its bonus features, it opened my eyes wider to both the importance of nutrition and physical activity, and how the Nation is in a fight against obesity epidemic. I do now think that eating fast food is truly the fast track to obesity. I now will make a more conscious decision about the things I am eating. My periodic fast food visits will be eliminated, and I will try to stay away from all process foods, anything with artificial flavoring, and definitely increase my eating of organic foods.

Marvell vs Herrick

Youth comes around once in a lifetime and it’s not something you can save for later. â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† by Andrew Marvell and â€Å"To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time† by Robert Herrick portray the underlying theme of carpe diem or â€Å"seize the day,† enjoying life to the fullest. Both of these poems mainly try to pursue women who have grand beauty to realize the advantage of their good looks when young, before time takes a toll on their beauty.Both poets use their words to convince someone to act, in this case to savor youth, virginity and beauty; they are trying to convince young virgins to live life to the fullest potential. Marvell and Herrick poems share the same theme and central belief but have different audience and use different ways to express their ideas. Both poems use carpe diem as their major theme. Herrick's poem portrays carpe diem by citing the shortness of life and persuading young women to marry and enjoy life taking advantag e before death takes its turn.He says â€Å"gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old time is still a-flying†, which shows that the virgins in this case referred to as rosebuds are just beginning to live and don’t have any experience yet, but time flies and one ages fast by so it’s better to enjoy the good years while there is time (Herrick 1-2). Carpe diem is used from the beginning In Marvell’s poem, â€Å"Had we but world enough, and time this coyness, lady, were no crime† saying that even though he wants all the time in the world to spend with her, there isn't enough so she is committing a crime by making him wait for her virginity (Marvell 1-2).By stating to live life to its fullest potential he wants to persuade his mistress to a sexual relationship. â€Å"To The Virgins, to Make Much of Time† uses the meaning of carpe diem by encouraging young women to make use of their time by finding love while young and getting married before they get o ld and lose their beauty. Marvell and Herrick encourage young women to seize the day and don’t pass up chances since opportunities are hard to find. Marvell and Herrick’s poems share a central belief that young virgins should not wait to have sex because nobody knows what the future holds.Both poets want to idealize that tomorrow may never come, so it’s better to do it now and not wait because of coyness. They use death and getting old as the excuse to not lose time and make use of virginity when young. Marvell tries to lure a woman into sleeping with him by using time as a defense to experience pleasure now, he tells her that time is running out and â€Å"Now let us sports us while we may, and now, like amorous birds of prey† making use of their strength and youth to consummate their love (Marvell 37-38). He tries to convince the mistress that it is better to have sex now than to save her virginity for the future.Herrick recommends to all virgins to make use of the youth and to find love and enjoy life’s pleasures because old age is near. He emphasizes to not waste time as he feels women are their best at their prime, when they are young and untainted saying â€Å"then be no coy, but use your time, and, while ye may, go marry†(Herrick 13-14). The idea in both poems is to take advantage of being young and beautiful because times flies and people get old sooner than later. Marvell and Herrick dedicate the poems to a different audience. Marvell is writing specially to his mistress trying to woo her with promises of everlasting love.Herrick however, dedicates his poem to young virgins and wants to give them the idea of marriage while love and flesh is young to not have to suffer in the later years of life and not be lonely. In the beginning of To His Coy Mistress†, Marvell praises his woman writing how her modesty wouldn’t affect them if time was not an issue, but it is. He states she is a virgin because she is coy and later begins to diminish her ideals and beauty with aging and death saying â€Å"then worms shall try that long-preserved virginity, and your quaint honor turn to dust,† to state there is no reason for her to keep her virginity till the grave (Marvell 27-29) .Everything in Marvell’s poem is about his wishes to enjoy sexual pleasure with this woman and does everything in his power to scare her of dying without having sex first. Herrick’s poem is about the urgency and duty for the virgins to go forth and marry while young and beautiful before everything is loss with time and old age, warning them of the sufferings that come if they fail to listen to his advice. Marvell and Herrick use different ways to express their ideas on the poems.In â€Å"To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time,† Herrick uses a rather short poem to make his point short and simple versus the long and descriptive â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† by Marvell. Herrick focuses in an optimistic look to take advantage of youth and has basic and warmth imagery to state that beauty fades over the years and the effects of wasting time. On the other hand, Marvell’s poem is more detailed, beautiful and at the same time dark to suggest the mistress she shouldn't waste her youth and virginity while she is at the prime of her life.He uses ugly and realistic ideas to snap the mistress out the notion of eternal love to finally lure her to make love with him and make time the last thing on their minds. Marvell is more in-depth and emotional while Herrick is calm and regretful. Both poems compare to each other by using the underlying theme of carpe diem, making the most of each moment before old age and beauty disappears. Marvell is very emotional and persuasive while Herrick is less personal giving useful advice to young people. To His Coy Mistress† is an expression of Marvell ‘s most deeply rooted impulses, how he feels about the ideas the lady has abou t losing her virginity, and the fact he wants to spend time loving her and adoring her in bed. â€Å"To The Virgins, to Make Much of Time† is a poem about the wishes of Herrick for the youth to realize that now it’s their time and to not waste any amount because of coyness, addressing his thoughts to the young generation to have a fulfilled life, to not be shy of trying new things as those who are not afraid are the ones who will enjoy the most.Works Cited Marvell, Andrew. â€Å"To his coy mistress. † The Seagull Reader Poems. Ed. Joseph Kelley. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. , 2008. 220-222. Print. Herrick, Robert. â€Å"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time. † The Seagull Reader Poems. Ed. Joseph Kelley. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. , 2008. 159-160. Print.

Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Example

Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Example Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Shredni Vashtar (1910) is a story of relationships and escape. It is an example of equivocal gothic, according to Montague Summers categorizations in his essay The Gothic Quest: A history of the Gothic novel (1938). The story is typical to the Gothic genre as it contains ideas of exploring the unconscious, and the idea of metaphorical constraints (like those of Conradin due to his illness and his controlling guardian) represented by physical and literal constraints (like that of Shredni Vashter). Conradin is a curious character, whos reality seems to drive him into his own imagination, as he feels happier in his own world than in the world of Mrs. De Ropp. Freud in his works spoke about two major principles, the pleasure principle which opposes the reality principle. Conradin bases his life on the principle of escaping his reality in search of happiness and pleasure in his own world Perhaps Conradins masking of his dislike for Mrs. De Ropp is an element of the pleasure principle which avoids conflict and displeasure in favour of gratification and happiness. Gothic novels are often praised for exploring (and often prematurely) ideas, which Freud explored and legitimised. An important element of Gothic is infertility, as it represents death and paths the way for the authors vivid description of the narrators or characters surroundings. In this story, the dull, cheerless garden with few fruit trees and dismal shrubbery seems to reflect Conradins own life, which is full of wearisome things. The garden is described as an arid waste which creates the uncanny atmosphere so needed for a successful Gothic story. The subject of the uncanny is a Freudean idea used frequently in Gothic to arouse a sense of dread, horror and terror. The Gothic makes places obviously unheimlich (or un-homely) such as The Garden, or Heimlich (homely) such as the shed, which is described as a haven to create differing dimensions of fear from the locations in the story. The Garden is used to represent Conradins reality, always under surveillance by Mrs. De Ropp as it is overlooked by so many windows. The Shed however is representative of Conradins imagination, an escape, which is his own, hidden and private from his dominating and controlling guardian. An interesting idea I noticed in the story is the portrayal of religion, the ferret which promotes fear and curiosity in Conradin is associated with being a God, whereas the Houdan hen, the only character to which the boy lavished an affection that had scarcely another outlet is associated with being an Anabaptist (a Christian group who believe in belief baptism, or the re-baptising of adult believers). This is interesting because Conradin associates Mrs. De Ropp with respectability as well as normal Christianity (as it says The Woman indulged in religion) and so seeks anything but. This could be involving ideas of nature versus nurture, as Mrs. De Ropps loveless, cold and domineering treatment of her cousin has resulted in his loneliness and his desire to be independent in his beliefs rather than to learn from his guardian as children are expected to. Conradin is ill, and has but a short time to live, this is typical to the Gothic genre as deterioration is important rather than progression. Mrs. De Ropps short-sighted eyes which she uses to peer at the boy with may be used to show her lack of perception at the boys feelings towards her, and toward his own life, I believe this is important as it is repeated twice in the story in quick succession and I therefore believe that we as readers are supposed to pity Conradin. Her lack of knowledge may be used to speak out against societies and leaders rules, which are reflected by Mrs. De Ropps. There may be some gender issues as well, as Mrs. De Ropp is described as being a middle-class feminist who said that making toast gave trouble, she may have issues with Conradins gender as it seems as if Mrs. De Ropp has no children of her own, perhaps she would rather have a healthy girl of her own than an ill son who is not. The locked hutch door is a threshold, these are very important at perfectly concealing and releasing evidence and further knowledge of what is happening in gothic stories. This locked door is the division, which keeps Conradin away from what he so fears, as well as keeping Mrs. De Ropp away from the secret he so loves (Shredni Vashtar). The ferret parallels Conradin himself, as he is metaphorically imprisoned by his guardian and his illness, unable to reach his full potential in life, just as the captured and literally imprisoned Shredni Vashtar is. Typical adjectives are scattered in this story to create a better sense of atmosphere, such as cold, darkness and dusk. Shredni Vashtar is, for Conradin, the embodiment of his own suppressed power and anger, his thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white. Our reactions to the killing of Mrs. De Ropp are strange, as we cannot help but feel slightly victorious if not a little pleased. It is ironic that in the end Mrs. De Ropp transforms from the capturer to the one that frees them both from captivity. Conradin is a dark character as we see him doing to Shredni Vashtar, what he so hates about his own life, control, obsession and captivation. There are few characters with no dark aspects to them in this story, and it is hard to know which one to support. This is a clever technique as it replicates the confusion felt by Gothic characters in most stories. I believe that the escape of Shredni Vashtar is a possible representation of Conradins own future, as the two parralel one another, and Shredni Vashtar is the doppelganger or dark double of Conradin. The doctor who analysed Conradin with an early death is said to be effete a term regarding a person who seeks money (which he surely would receive for the purchase of Conradins medicine) and lacks a sense of responsibility I can not help but be left with the feeling that the short-sighted Mrs. De Ropp and her doctor may be wrong about Conradin. Mrs. De Ropp refuses to accept his health as this way she could exert more power over him, and the doctor is simply greedy for money. Conradin is freed with Shredni Vashtar, and I believe he is freed to of his metaphorical illness posed by enlightenment figures. This brings in another important Gothic trope, which is the mocking of the enlightenment.

Trends In Health Care Example

Trends In Health Care Example Trends In Health Care – Coursework Example Trends in Health Care Trends in Health Care Diseases, disorders and disabilities have a large impact on communities, individuals and families. Individuals suffer from severe symptoms of the disorders and disabilities. Moreover, individuals suffer the most since they are unable to participate in their jobs and leisure activities as individuals with disabilities or disease are often discriminated (Kronenfeld, 2002). People with disabilities and certain disorders worry about not being able to cater for their responsibilities towards their friends and families and they fear to be perceived as beggars and as burden. Studies show one in four households at least one member suffers from an illness, disability or a disorder. Families are required to provide both emotional and physical support. Individuals with the disabilities face economic and emotional difficulties in their entire life.People have different attitudes and emotions towards people living with disabilities. Most people are cari ng and sympathetic to people living with disabilities and disorders. In some cases, some individuals feel that some diseases and disorders are related to family issues and they have fear that history may be repeated in the future. Health facilities have initiated programs that helps members of a society come into terms with causes some diseases and disorders. Community-based programs are providing vital role in changing the society perception about people living with disorders and disabilities (Kronenfeld, 2002). They have also been involved in improving the living standards of the people living with diseases, disorders and disabilities. These programs help the families which have members with disorders and disabilities both finaciall8y and psychologically. The programs help the society to understand the disorders and the disease in a better way and also train them how to care for the people living with the diseases. These community- based programs have helped the society by caring for individuals living with the disabilities and disorder. They help in improving the living the standards of people with disability. The programs will also help individuals with disability to accept themselves regardless of their conditions. However, these community-based programs may exploit the resources available in the name of helping the community. Health facilities should ensure that they have adequate and up to date equipment to treat individuals with specific diseases and disorders. More resources should be allocated to communities to help in addressing health issues. I feel that the health sector is improving but there is still more to be done.ReferencesKronenfeld, J. J. (2002). Health Care Policy: Issues and Trends, Volume 759. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group,.

Purposive Sampling Definition and Types

Purposive Sampling Definition and Types A purposive sample is a non-probability sample that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the study. Purposive sampling is also known as judgmental, selective, or subjective sampling. Purposive Sampling Types Maximum Variation/Heterogeneous Purposive SampleHomogeneous Purposive SampleTypical Case SamplingExtreme/Deviant Case SamplingCritical case SamplingTotal Population SamplingExpert Sampling This type of sampling can be very useful in situations when you need to reach a targeted sample quickly, and where sampling for proportionality is not the main concern. There are seven types of purposive samples, each appropriate to a different research objective. Types of Purposive Samples Maximum Variation/Heterogeneous A maximum variation/heterogeneous purposive sample is one which is selected to provide a diverse range of cases relevant to a particular phenomenon or event. The purpose of this kind of sample design is to provide as much insight as possible into the event or phenomenon under examination. For example, when conducting a street poll about an issue, a researcher would want to ensure that he or she speaks with as many different kinds of people as possible in order to construct a robust view of the issue from the publics perspective. Homogeneous A homogeneous purposive sample is one that is selected for having a shared characteristic or set of characteristics. For example, a team of researchers wanted to understand what the significance of white skin- whiteness- means to white people, so they asked white people about this. This is a homogenous sample created on the basis of race. Typical Case Sampling Typical case sampling is a type of purposive sampling useful when a researcher wants to study a phenomenon or trend as it relates to what are considered typical or average members of the effected population. If a researcher wants to study how a type of educational curriculum affects the average student, then he or she choose to focus on average members of a student population. Extreme/Deviant Case Sampling Conversely, extreme/deviant case sampling is used when a researcher wants to study the outliers that diverge from the norm as regards a particular phenomenon, issue, or trend. By studying the deviant cases, researchers can often gain a better understanding of the more regular patterns of behavior. If a researcher wanted to understand the relationship between study habits and high academic achievement, he or she should purposively sample students considered high achievers. Critical Case Sampling Critical case sampling is a type of purposive sampling in which just one case is chosen for study because the researcher expects that studying it will reveal insights that can be applied to other like cases. When sociologist C.J. Pascoe wanted to study sexuality and gender identity develop among high school students, she selected what was considered to be an average high school in terms of population and family income, so that her findings from this case could be more generally applicable. Total Population Sampling With total population sampling a researcher chooses to examine the entire population that has one or more shared characteristics. This kind of purposive sampling technique is commonly used to generate reviews of events or experiences, which is to say, it is common to studies of particular groups within larger populations. Expert Sampling Expert sampling is a form of purposive sampling used when research requires one to capture knowledge rooted in a particular form of expertise. It is common to use this form of purposive sampling technique in the early stages of a research process, when the researcher is seeking to become better informed about the topic at hand before embarking on a study. Doing this kind of early-stage expert-based research can shape research questions and research design in important ways. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Making Decisions Based on Demand and Forecasting Research Paper - 1

Making Decisions Based on Demand and Forecasting - Research Paper Example The year 2000 census established that whites form the majority of the population followed by the African Americans in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is an extremely economically vibrant city with a lot of business opportunities. The City’s economic status means that the per capita earnings of the population are fairly good and promotes the service and commodity industries because the population has more purchasing power (United States Bureau of the Statistics, 2001). With only a small percentage of the entire population living below the poverty line and the majority of those above this line being between the ages of 15 and 35 years, it makes the city an unusually favorable place for business opportunities. The population of Chesapeake as of the year 2010 was 222,209 people with the majority of this population earning between 60,000 -100,000 thousand US Dollars annually (United States Bureau of the Census, 2006). The age that is associated with pizza or is pizza tolerant also happens to be the majority age group of between 10 and 40 years. The cost of living is high, which means that the prices here are relatively higher as compared to other cities. This is brought about by the economic stability of this Region: The rental prices are relatively cheap and the city’s security is conducive for businesses and their clients. The use of demand and forecasting, in making business decisions, is a wise tool to choose because it relies on facts on the ground to make predictions about the suitability of an event in the future or the present (United States Bureau of Economics, 2006). Estimated regression is a mathematical principle used in this process, and it uses this formula;  = a + bx with y and x being the two variables under consideration. They determine the suitability of the future conditions or circumstances that will prevail in relation to the business. The variables x is used to predict the outcome, which is represented by y. The coefficient of

Office Gym Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Office Gym Time - Essay Example For the first group, Group A, a survey was sent to 20 random employees who had access to the office gym and also were offered an incentive of 30 minutes paid gym time by their office. For the second group, Group B, a survey was sent to 20 random employees, all of whom had access to the office gym but were not paid to do so by the company. Randomization was done through the use of a computer program to select random employee ID numbers. After the data was collected, it was graphed and analyzed. The first graph on the left compares the amount of office gym time that was used between the two groups. The top box plot shows Group A’s use of the gym, while the bottom box plot shows Group B’s use of the gym. As can be seen from the box plot, Group A spent considerably more time in the gym, and this was most likely due to the paid incentive. However, this graph alone is not enough to determine the program’s success. For further analysis, the box plot on the right shows employee satisfaction between the two groups. As can be seen from the box plot, it appears that Group A has slightly higher employee satisfaction. Further analysis was conducted by calculating the summary statistics. The table shows the calculated summary statistics for gym time for each group. From the summary statistics calculated in this table, we can conclude that Group As gym time was higher than Group Bs. This was most likely due to the paid incentive for Group A. However, a link needs to be made to prove the benefits involved. To show this link, the employee satisfaction summary statistics show the differences in employee satisfaction between the two groups. As can be seen by the summary statistics, the mean and median for Group A are both considerably higher. As such, it is statistically confirmed that Group As the level of satisfaction is higher than that of Group Bs.

Social Media Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Social Media Marketing - Essay Example Social media sites are easily accessible at any time and place using computers or at the mere click of a button via smart phone. These sites are here to stay and many organisations are shifting from the traditional methods of advertising to the new trend of social media marketing which is cheaper and easier to get more audience than in conventional advertising. Social media marketing should be adopted since it allows new communication methods between an organisation and its publics. There are new ways to communicate with the clients in a fast and efficient manner, where customers direct enquiries to the organisation and they are able to get answers faster as compared to print or television adverts. Social media does not limit marketers to a specific time or page or a particular newspaper or magazines where advertisements are displayed. Adverts can be placed on such networks at any time of day or night and potential clients can have access to them whenever they are on these social media platforms. As more people are shifting from buying newspapers and relying on social media and blogs for information, marketers should tap into this opportunity to place their adverts where they will be seen (Hay & Hay, 2011). Therefore, social media is pivotal to the world of marketing. This paper will focus on Samsung smart Phones and why the firm should em brace social media marketing. Samsung smart phones continue to face several challenges in the market today. This is due to proliferation of cheaper brands of smart phones such as Huawei from china. Although Android phones are more popular than windows and other operating systems, high end brands which are sophisticated such as apple’s iPhones are also a major challenge. However, Samsung enjoys a huge social media presence with over twenty million followers on Face book alone (Evans & Mckee, 2010).

Personal Journal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Journal - Personal Statement Example However, I noticed a big change in my lifestyle. With all the pressures of being a student and living on my own, I have realized that it was too soon that I have changed physically. Although I am very active and busy, I have gained a lot of weight in the past year. When I arrived here, I was of average weight. Later, when I visited my family last December, I received comments that I have become bigger. Some said that I looked cute with my slightly chubby cheeks, others said I looked more mature (I am not sure if this is a compliment or what) than my age. I guess what they wanted to say was for me to go on a strict diet lest I wanted to join â€Å"The Biggest Loser† on TV. Of course I don’t want to face that kind of challenge and shame (friends here and back home would be watching and laughing at me). Neither do I want to grow old a big fat man. For this reason, I thought of shedding some pounds so I could keep on playing my favourite sport even if I grow older. Getting slimmer could also lower risks of heart disease and other sicknesses. Therefore, it is something I should take seriously in the next few days or months. I have not made a diet plan and I think I need to research on this to find out what I should eat and drink while trying to become physically fit. Anyway, I have a strong feeling that I need to really lose some weight because I am getting lousy at football. My friends whom I play with are better. They could run faster straight to the goal while I lagged behind, feeling sorry for being this heavy. I wish losing weight would be that easy and manageable, something that could happen in a click. Nevertheless, I also know that I have to work out and really face the problem because if I don’t, I would go bigger and bigger and become unmanageable. I swear, one of these days, I’m going to create a diet and exercise plan good for at least two months. The diet plan that I should make has to be

Intermediate accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intermediate accounting - Essay Example This is because the problems with livestock market are seasonal and past experience and solutions largely serve as guiding principles for present and even the foreseeable future anomalies. Three Little Pigs Inc. is a public entity with three types of inventories viz. live hogs ready for sale, developing animals, and processed pork products consisting of loins, ham and bacon. The Company maintains live hogs and processing plants at various locations. Also, there are live hogs in some locations which cannot be easily transported and processed at the Company’s main processing plants, and, as a result, these live hogs have to be sold to third parties at spot market prices. The current problem the management is facing is the result of spot market prices for live hogs that have declined. The causes mentioned for the decline are not specific except the capture of the â€Å"Big Bad Wolf.† Whatever the reasons, they are strong enough to bring about a decline in prices due to surplus production. However, the management led by its CEO, Farmer Joe, is confident of a turnaround during the third and fourth quarters of the year with a specifically good projection for the last quarter. The management is also positive that the total revenues for the pork products and total revenues for sale of live hogs to third parties, based on current spot prices, will be favorable enough to offset losses incurred due to price decline in the second quarter. Due to the slump in the second quarter, the management is of the view that there may be lower of cost or market issues involved in the Company’s inventory of live hogs and developing animals held for sale to third parties as on September 30, 2002. Thus, the urge to go for impairment evaluation is present. (Lower of Cost or Market) However, management must be cautious in acting upon impairment evaluation although expert opinion of impairment evaluators can help increase

Conflict Management - Intrapersonal, Intergroup and Interpersonal Research Paper

Conflict Management - Intrapersonal, Intergroup and Interpersonal Types of Conflicts - Research Paper Example Organizations undergo changes due to new technological, political and social developments that affect them or due to changes in the competitive force. As people may hold a different view about the change and the future direction of an organization, conflicts may arise (Mullins). Personality Clashes: Individuals' personalities differ widely due to differences in their levels of maturity, emotional stability and their behaviour. When they do not recognize or appreciate these differences, conflicts occur. Differences in the value set: Different people have different opinions, values and beliefs. When people with contradicting values and beliefs interact with each other, conflicts are likely to occur. These conflicts are often irrational and difficult to be resolved (Newstorm). Threats to status: Most individuals associate their identity with their status in society or organizations. When an individual feels that another person's acts may harm or damage his image, which in turn may affect his status, conflict is likely to arise. Differences in Perceptions: People perceive different things, issues and their environment differently. When they act as though their perception is the only reality, without attempting to understand or accept another person's view, conflicts arise (Newstorm). Conflicts are common in all organizations and occur when people fail to arrive at a consensus regarding the organizational goals or the means to achieve them (Falletta). Organizational conflicts can be classified as follows: According to most behavioural theories, people are motivated to achieve a goal either when meeting the goal results in the satisfaction of a need, or when the incentives for achieving the goal are attractive. However, this is not as simple as it seems.

Intermediate accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intermediate accounting - Essay Example This is because the problems with livestock market are seasonal and past experience and solutions largely serve as guiding principles for present and even the foreseeable future anomalies. Three Little Pigs Inc. is a public entity with three types of inventories viz. live hogs ready for sale, developing animals, and processed pork products consisting of loins, ham and bacon. The Company maintains live hogs and processing plants at various locations. Also, there are live hogs in some locations which cannot be easily transported and processed at the Company’s main processing plants, and, as a result, these live hogs have to be sold to third parties at spot market prices. The current problem the management is facing is the result of spot market prices for live hogs that have declined. The causes mentioned for the decline are not specific except the capture of the â€Å"Big Bad Wolf.† Whatever the reasons, they are strong enough to bring about a decline in prices due to surplus production. However, the management led by its CEO, Farmer Joe, is confident of a turnaround during the third and fourth quarters of the year with a specifically good projection for the last quarter. The management is also positive that the total revenues for the pork products and total revenues for sale of live hogs to third parties, based on current spot prices, will be favorable enough to offset losses incurred due to price decline in the second quarter. Due to the slump in the second quarter, the management is of the view that there may be lower of cost or market issues involved in the Company’s inventory of live hogs and developing animals held for sale to third parties as on September 30, 2002. Thus, the urge to go for impairment evaluation is present. (Lower of Cost or Market) However, management must be cautious in acting upon impairment evaluation although expert opinion of impairment evaluators can help increase

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

Morrie - Essay Example to always be able to look at death itself straight in the eye and fight back no matter how hopeless the situation can be and then be on the positive side of things, to look at the future in an optimistic way.The professors future looked short as he has only a few months left to live but he managed to touch everyone around him, from family, relatives, peers, colleagues, and even complete strangers who saw his interview with Ted Koppel when it was shown on television. This paper discusses the important things in life worth knowing about to be happy on earth, in particular, how to live life fully by learning how to die gracefully. Despite being diagnosed with ALS with a very bad prognosis, Morrie Schwartz, the old and sickly professor mentioned earlier, was fiercely determined to live a useful life. He is of the belief that dying people need not be entirely useless; instead he encouraged all people who knew him to come and visit him if they had the time and the inclination so he could still be available to listen to their problems and perhaps give them a piece of useful advice. Morrie Schwartz was indeed a wonderful listener who can help other people because he had empathy and understanding; by letting them unload their problems to him, he would willingly listen despite his pains from the ailment. He was fond of aphorisms, of which the statement, â€Å"once you learn how to die, you learn how to live,† he said (Albom 82) had a very profound meaning for everyone who will listen. What he had meant with this statement is that people looking at impending death realize how precious life and valuable is, tha t these people suddenly realize the importance of the idea of living life to the fullest which means enjoy life without any hesitations or reservations about what other people may think and not waste a minute of it on trivial things that do not really matter in the grand sweep of life. In other words, most people go through life as if sleep-walking, doing things

The National Power In International Relations Politics Essay

The National Power In International Relations Politics Essay Power in international relations is defined in several different ways. Political scientists, historians, and practitioners of international relations (diplomats) have used the following concepts of political power: Power as a goal of states or leaders. Power as a measure of influence or control over outcomes, events, actors and issues. Power as reflecting victory in conflict and the attainment of security Power as control over resources and capabilities. Modern discourse generally speaks in terms of state power, indicating both economic and military power. Those states that have significant amounts of power within the international system are referred to as middle powers, regional powers, great powers, superpowers, or hyperpowers. Entities other than states can also acquire and wield power in international relations. Such entities can include multilateral international organizations, military alliance organizations (e.g. NATO), multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, or other institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church, Wal-Mart[1], or the Hanseatic League. Power as a goal Primary usage of power as a goal in international relations belongs to political theorists, such as Niccolà ² Machiavelli and Hans Morgenthau. Especially among Classical Realist thinkers, power is an inherent goal of mankind and of states. Economic growth, military growth, cultural spread etc can all be considered as working towards the ultimate goal of international Power as influence. Political scientists principally use power in terms of an actors ability to exercise influence over other actors within the international system. This influence can be coercive, attractive, cooperative, or competitive. Mechanisms of influence can include the threat or use of force, economic interaction or pressure, diplomacy, and cultural exchange. Spheres, blocs, and alliances Under certain circumstances, states can organize a sphere of influence or a bloc within which they exercise predominant influence. Historical examples include the spheres of influence recognized under the Concert of Europe, or the recognition of spheres during the Cold War following the Yalta Conference. The Warsaw Pact, the Free World, and the Non-Aligned Movement were the blocs that arose out of the Cold War contest. Military alliances like NATO and the Warsaw Pact are another forum through which influence is exercised. However, Realist theory often attempts to stay away from the creation of powerful blocs/spheres that can create a hegemon within the region. British foreign policy, for example, has always sided against the hegemonic forces on the continent, i.e. Nazi Germany, Napoleonic France or Habsburg Austria. Power as security Power is also used when describing states or actors that have achieved military victories or security for their state in the international system. This general usage is most commonly found among the writings of historians or popular writers. For instance, a state that has achieved a string of combat victories in a military campaign against other states can be described as powerful. An actor that has succeeded in protecting its security, sovereignty, or strategic interests from repeated or significant challenge can also be described as powerful. Power as capability Power is the capacity to direct the decisions and actions of others. Power derives from strength and will. Strength comes from the transformation of resources into capabilities. Will infuses objectives with resolve. Strategy marshals capabilities and brings them to bear with precision. Statecraft seeks through strategy to magnify the mass, relevance, impact, and irresistibility of power. It guides the ways the state deploys and applies its power abroad. These ways embrace the arts of war, espionage, and diplomacy. The practitioners of these three arts are the paladins of statecraft. Charles W. Freeman, Jr. Power is also used to describe the resources and capabilities of a state. This definition is quantitative and is most often used by geopoliticians and the military. Capabilities are thought of in tangible terms-they are measurable, weighable, quantifiable assets. Thomas Hobbes spoke of power as present means to obtain some future apparent good. Hard Power can be treated as a potential and is not often enforced on the international stage. Chinese strategists have such a concept of national power that can be measured quantitatively using an index known as comprehensive national power. Soft versus hard power Some political scientists distinguish between two types of power: soft and hard. The former is attractive while the latter is coercive. Joseph Nye is the leading proponent and theorist of soft power. Instruments of soft power include debates on cultural values, dialogues on ideology, the attempt to influence through good example, and the appeal to commonly accepted human values. Means of exercising soft power include diplomacy, dissemination of information, analysis, propaganda, and cultural programming to achieve political ends. Hard power refers to coercive tactics: the threat or use of armed forces, economic pressure or sanctions, assassination and subterfuge, or other forms of intimidation. Hard power is generally associated to the stronger of nations, as the ability to change the domestic affairs of other nations through military threats. CORE CONCEPT Why is power important to international relations ? Undoubtedly power acts as a major theme within the study of international relations, yet as a concept it is highly contested and difficult if not impossible to define. The oxford concise dictionary of politics attempts to define power as the ability to make people (or things) do what they would not otherwise have done. However power can be seen in many different forms be it that of economic, political, military or psychological. Within the many different theories of international relations the concept of power features widely yet its interpretation and significance differs throughout. As there are so many theories within the study of international relations is impossible to focus on them all and so I have decided to predominantly look at the ideas within realism. In post war scholarship the starting point for most theorizing about international politics has been power and national interest, with power understood ultimately as a military capability and interest as an egotistic desire for power, security or wealth. The proposition that the nature of international politics is shaped by power relations is noted as a defining characteristic of realism. However this is not only a realist claim, neoliberals to see power as important along with Marxists, feminists and post modernists. Yet first by looking at the concept of power in a broad sense, free of persific theoretical judgement in order to get a preliminary understanding of the term itself. International politics clearly occurs between all states through which administrative transactions occur involving the use of power. It can therefore be argued that all international politics are in a sense power politics Within the contemporary international system the majority of nations collective domestic and external goals cannot be defended or achieved without influencing the behaviour of other states. Consequently goal attainment is dependent upon the reactions and actions of others. This is where the importance of power as a concept comes into the study of international politics because power includes the means by which all states influence the behaviour of others in order to protect and extend their own interests. This probability is able to exist because states pursue various interests and can agree or disagree on any one of them pursuing them individually. Categories of power In the modern geopolitical landscape, a number of terms are used to describe powers of various types, these include: Hyperpower coined to describe the post-Cold War United States or the British Empire shortly after the Napoleonic wars. Superpower Fox (1944) defined the Superpower as great power plus great mobility of power and identified 3 states, the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. Great power in historical mentions, the term Great power refers to any nations that have strong political, cultural and economic influence over nations around it and across the world. (Examples: China, France, India, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.) Middle power a subjective description of second-tier influential states that could not be described as Great powers. (Examples: Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, and Israel.) The term Regional power is also used to describe a nation that exercises influence and power within a region. Being a regional power is not mutually exclusive with any of the above categories. The term Energy superpower describes a country that has immense influence or even direct control over much of the worlds energy supplies. Russia and Saudi Arabia are generally acknowledged as the worlds two current energy superpowers, given their abilities to globally influence or even directly control prices to certain countries. The term entertainment superpower or culture superpower describes a country in which has immense influence or even direct control over much of the worlds entertainment or has an immense large cultural influence on much of the world. Although this is debated on who meets such criteria, many agree that the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan are generally acknowledged as the entertainment and cultural superpowers, given their abilities to distribute their entertainment and cultural innovations worldwide. Categories of power (Diagramatic representation) C:Documents and SettingsDellMy DocumentsMy PicturesPowers_in_international_relations.png Map reflecting the categories of power in international relations.   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Superpowersà  Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¼   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Great powers   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Regional power   Ã‚  countries most often considered to be Middle powers ELEMENTS OF POWER The elements of a countrys power can be roughly categorized as those that constitute: Its national core Its national infrastructure Its national economy Its military The core and infrastructure form the basis for economic and military power. The national core consists of a countrys technological sophistication , its transportation system and its information and communication capabilities. CONCLUSION Power is the foundation of diplomacy in a conflictual world. National power is the sum of a countrys assets that enhance its ability to get its way even when opposed by others with different interests and goals. Measuring power is especially difficult as the efforts to do so have not been very successful but it helps us to see many of the complexities of analyzing the characters of power . These characteristics include the facts that power is dynamic , both objective and subjective, relative, situational and multidimensional.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis :: Essays Papers

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Introduction Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been present in the human population for thousands of years; fragments of the spinal column from Egyptian mummies from 2400 BCE show definite pathological signs of tubercular decay. Called "consumption," tuberculosis was recognized as the leading cause of mortality by 1650. Using a new staining technique, Robert Koch identified the bacterium responsible for causing consumption in 1882. While scientists finally had a target for fighting the disease, they did not have the means to treat patients; the spread of infection was controlled only by attempting to isolate patients. At the turn of the twentieth century, more than 80% of the population in the United States was infected before age 20, and tuberculosis was still the leading cause of death. The production of antibiotics in the 1940’s allowed physicians to begin effectively treating patients, leading to huge drops in the death rate of the disease. Tuberculosis is still a major cause of mortality in young adults worldwide, but is less of a problem in developed countries. Microbiological characteristics Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a nonmotile, acid-fast, obligate aerobe. The bacilli are 2-4 um in length and have a very slow generation time of between 15 and 20 hours. The cell wall of the mycobacterium is unique in that it is composed mainly of acidic waxes, specifically mycolic acids. M. tuberculosis is unusually resistant to drying and chemicals, contributing to the ease with which it is transmitted. Encounter/Entry Tuberculosis is transmitted by inhalation of aerosols containing the tubercle bacilli. The required inoculum size for infection is usually high, but easily occurs with exposure to a patient who is currently infected. The products of dried aerosols, droplet nuclei, are particularly infectious because they remain in the air for an extended time, and upon inhalation easily move to the alveoli. The severe damage related to infection is caused by the reaction of the host. The tuberculosis infection has two phases, primary and secondary. Primary infection Primary tuberculosis is the initial infection of the host, usually being mild and asymptomatic. A healthy person recently infected with the mycobacterium may exhibit flu-like symptoms and has no reason to suspect tuberculosis. Left untreated, the bacilli infect and multiply within pulmonary alveolar macrophages, migrating to the hilar lymph nodes. An immune response is exhibited by the T-helper cells, and inflammation develops at multiple sites. A person may test positive in the tuberculin skin test at this point, and a chest x-ray may shows opacities in the lungs.

Carbon Dioxide In Beverages :: essays research papers

Carbon dioxide is a colorless gas, it has a small but sharp odor and a slightly sour taste. Each molecule of carbon dioxide consists of one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen. Its chemical formula is CO2. Carbon Dioxide is about 1.5 times heavier than air. The specific volume at atmospheric pressure (101.3 kilopascals) and 70 º F (21 º C) is 8.74 ft3/lb. Under normal conditions it remains stable, inert and non-toxic. To liquefy CO2 it must be under 300 pound per inch gage(psig) at 0 º F or 838 psig at 70 º F. Above the critical temperature of 87.9 º F, at which all three phases gas, liquid, or solid may exist in equilibrium with one another, CO2 can exist only as a gas, no matter what amount of pressure. When liquid CO2 is cooled to -69.9 º F and the pressure drops to 60.4 psig it turns into dry ice snow. All CO2 existing in the atmosphere is estimated to be 720 x 109. Carbon dioxide makes up about 0.03 percent of the air. Although that is a small amount, plants and animals depend upon it for life. Green plants make their nutrients with it. They mix the carbon dioxide with water to make sugar by a process called photosynthesis. From the sugar, the plants then make starch and cellulose. Animals eat the plants and in getting energy from the food, they produce carbon dioxide and return it to the air as they breathe. Research in Muana Loa and the South Pole showed that CO2 content in the atmosphere has increased from a presumed 250 ppm in the pre-industrial era to 315 ppm in 1958 and to 340 ppm in 1984. If this trend continues the CO2 concentration will reach about 600 ppm in the next century. Besides being produced by breathing, carbon dioxide is formed when carbon-containing materials such as wood, coal, and petroleum products are burned with plenty of oxygen in and around the fire. Carbon Dioxide has found many uses in the industrial world. CO2 is not usually taken from the atmosphere because the concentration is so low. The industrial worldâ₠¬â„¢s CO2 is commercial produced. The CO2 production plant, type CBU, is based on the combustion of oil or gas. The flue gas normally contains sulfur dioxide, which is removed by water and soda lye scrubbing. If combustion is based on sulfur free fuel the soda scrubber can be omitted.

Bloodlines Chapter Seven

â€Å"ADRIAN?† I SAID IN SURPRISE. â€Å"What's he have to do with any of this?† Jill simply shook her head and looked at me beseechingly. â€Å"Please. Just take me to him.† â€Å"But we'll be back there in a couple days for your feeding.† â€Å"I know,† said Jill. â€Å"But I need to see him now. He's the only one who will understand.† I found that hard to believe. â€Å"You're saying I wouldn't? Or that even Eddie wouldn't?† She groaned. â€Å"No. You can't tell Eddie. He'll flip out.† I tried not to frown as I mulled everything over. Why would Jill need to see Adrian after this mishap at school? Adrian couldn't do anything to help that I couldn't. As an Alchemist, I was in the best position to file a complaint. Did Jill just want moral support? I remembered how Jill had hugged Adrian goodbye and suddenly wondered if she had a crush on him. Because surely, if Jill needed to feel protected by someone, Eddie would be a better source to turn to. Or would he? Eddie was likely to go throwing office desks around in his outrage. Keeping this from him might not be a bad idea. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let's go.† I signed us out for off-campus travel, which took a little finagling. Mrs. Weathers was quick to point out that Jill had been banished to her dorm for the rest of the school day. I was equally quick to point out that classes were almost done, technically meaning the school day was almost finished. Mrs. Weathers couldn't fault the logic but still made us wait the full ten minutes until the last bell rang. Jill sat there, tapping her foot anxiously against the chair. We drove the half hour to Clarence's estate in the hills, saying little. I didn't really know what kind of small talk to make. â€Å"How was your first day of school?† was hardly an appropriate topic. And anyway, each time I thought about it, I just grew angrier. I couldn't believe any teacher would have the audacity to accuse Jill of drinking and having a hangover. There was really no way to prove something like that, and besides, you could tell after spending five minutes with her that it was impossible. A middle-aged human woman greeted us at the door. Her name was Dorothy, and she was Clarence's housekeeper and feeder. Dorothy was pleasant enough, if a little distracted, and wore a stiff gray dress with a high collar to hide the bite marks on her neck. I smiled back at her and maintained my professional mode but couldn't help a shudder when I thought about what she was. How could anyone do that? How could anyone offer their blood up willingly like that? My stomach lurched, and I found myself keeping my distance from her. I didn't even want to accidentally brush her arm when I walked past. Dorothy escorted us back to the room we'd all been sitting in the day before. There was no sign of Clarence, but Adrian was lying on a plush green couch, watching a TV that had been cleverly concealed inside an ornate wooden cabinet last time. When he saw us, he turned the TV off with a remote control and sat up. Dorothy excused herself and shut the French doors behind her. â€Å"Well, this is a nice surprise,† he said. He looked us over. Jill had changed into her normal clothes during her isolation today, but I still had on the Amberwood blouse and skirt. â€Å"Sage, aren't you guys supposed to have uniforms? This looks like what you usually wear.† â€Å"Cute,† I said, suppressing an eye roll. Adrian gave me a mock bow. â€Å"Careful. You almost smiled.† He reached for a bottle of brandy sitting on a nearby table. Small glasses were arranged around it, and he poured himself a generous amount. â€Å"You guys want one?† â€Å"It's the middle of the afternoon,† I said incredulously. Not that it'd really matter for me what time of day it was. â€Å"I've got a wicked hangover,† he declared, giving us a mock toast. â€Å"This is just the thing to cure it.† â€Å"Adrian, I need to talk to you,† said Jill earnestly. He looked over at her, the smirk fading from his face. â€Å"What's up, Jailbait?† Jill glanced uneasily at me. â€Å"Would you mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I took the hint and tried not to let on how irritated I was by all the secrets. â€Å"Sure. I'll just†¦ I'll just go outside again.† I didn't like the idea of being exiled, but no way was I going to wander the halls of the old house. I'd face the heat. I hadn't gotten very far down the hall when someone stepped out in front of me. I let out a small scream and nearly jumped three feet in the air. A heartbeat later, I realized it was Lee – not that it reassured me much. No matter how ostensibly friendly I was with this group, old defenses inside me kicked up at being alone with a new vampire. Running into him didn't help matters either because my brain processed it as an attack! Lee just stood there, staring at me. From the expression on his face, he was just as startled to find me in his house – though perhaps not quite as alarmed about it as I was. â€Å"Sydney?† asked Lee. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Within moments, my fear became embarrassment, like I'd been caught prowling. â€Å"Oh†¦ I'm here with Jill. She had kind of a rough day and needed to talk to Adrian. I wanted to give them some privacy and was going to just†¦ uh, go outside.† Lee's confusion transformed into a smile. â€Å"You don't have to do that. No need for exile. Come on, I was going to get a snack in the kitchen.† My face must have shown abject horror because he laughed. â€Å"Not the human kind.† I blushed and followed along with him. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"It's instinct.† â€Å"No problem. You Alchemists are kind of jumpy, you know.† â€Å"Yeah.† I laughed uncomfortably. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"I've always wanted to meet one of you, but you guys certainly aren't what I expected.† He opened the door to a spacious kitchen. The rest of the house might be antique and gloomy, but inside here, everything was bright and modern. â€Å"If it makes you feel any better, you're not as bad as Keith. He was here earlier today and was so nervous, he literally kept looking over his shoulder.† Lee paused thoughtfully. â€Å"I think it might have been because Adrian kept laughing like a mad scientist at those old black-and-white movies he was watching.† I came to an abrupt stop. â€Å"Keith was here – today? What for?† â€Å"You'd have to ask Dad. That's who he talked to the most.† Lee opened the refrigerator and produced a can of Coke. â€Å"Want one?† â€Å"I – uh, no. Too much sugar.† He grabbed another can. â€Å"Diet?† I hesitated only a moment before taking it. â€Å"Sure. Thanks.† I hadn't intended to eat or drink anything in this house, but the can seemed safe enough. It was sealed and looked like it had come straight from a human grocery store, not some vampiric cauldron. I opened it and took a sip as my mind spun. â€Å"You have no idea at all what it was about?† â€Å"Huh?† Lee had added an apple to his menu and hoisted himself up so he sat on the counter. â€Å"Oh, Keith? No. But if I had to guess, it was about me. Like he was trying to figure out if I'm staying here or not.† He took a giant bite into the apple, and I wondered if having fangs made that harder at all. â€Å"He just likes his facts straight,† I said neutrally. As much as I disliked Keith, I still wanted a unified human front. I wasn't entirely inaccurate, though. I was pretty sure Keith felt undermined at learning there was one extra Moroi in â€Å"his territory† and was now making sure he was in on everything. Part of it was good Alchemist business, sure, but most was probably Keith's wounded pride. Lee didn't seem to think much of it and kept chewing his apple, though I could feel his eyes studying me. â€Å"You said Jill had a bad day? Is everything okay?† â€Å"Yeah, I think so. I mean, I don't know. I'm not even sure how things got messed up. She wanted to see Adrian for some reason. Maybe he can help.† â€Å"He's Moroi,† said Lee pragmatically. â€Å"Maybe it's just something only he could understand – something you and Eddie couldn't. No offense.† â€Å"None taken,† I said. It was only natural that Jill and I would have distinct differences – I was a human, and she was a vampire, after all. We couldn't be more different if we tried, and in fact, I kind of preferred it that way. â€Å"You go to college†¦ in Los Angeles? A human school?† It wasn't that weird a behavior for Moroi. Sometimes they stuck together in their own communities; sometimes they tried to blend into large human cities. Lee nodded. â€Å"Yup. And it was hard for me at first too. I mean, even without others obviously knowing you're a vampire†¦ well, there's just a sense of otherness you're always aware of. I eventually adjusted†¦ but I know what she's going through.† â€Å"Poor Jill,† I said, suddenly realizing I'd come at this situation all wrong. Most of my energy had been fixed on the school believing Jill's illness was a hangover. I should've focused on why she was sick in the first place. Anxiety over this new life change had to be taking its toll. I'd battled my own uneasiness, trying to figure out friendships and social cues – but at least I was still dealing with my own race. â€Å"I didn't really think about what she's going through.† â€Å"Do you want me to talk to her?† asked Lee. He set the apple core aside. â€Å"Not that I'm sure I have that much wisdom to share.† â€Å"Anything might help,† I said honestly. A silence fell between us, and I began to feel uneasy. Lee seemed very friendly, but my old fears were too ingrained. Part of me felt like he didn't so much want to get to know me as study me. Alchemists were clearly a novelty to him. â€Å"Do you mind me asking†¦ the tattoo. It gives you special powers, right?† It was nearly a repeat of the conversation at school, except Lee actually knew the truth behind it. I absentmindedly touched my cheek. â€Å"Not powers, exactly. There's compulsion in it to keep us from talking about what we do. And I get a good immune system out of it. But the rest? I'm nothing special.† â€Å"Fascinating,† he murmured. I looked away uneasily and tried to casually brush my hair back into my face. Adrian stuck his head in just then. All his earlier humor was gone. â€Å"Ah, there you are. Can I talk to you in private for a sec?† The question was directed to me, and Lee jumped off the counter. â€Å"I'll take the cue. Is Jill still in the den?† Adrian nodded, and Lee glanced at me questioningly. â€Å"Do you want me to†¦ ?† I nodded. â€Å"That'd be great. Thank you.† Lee left, and Adrian glanced back at me curiously. â€Å"What was that about?† â€Å"Oh, we thought Lee might be able to help Jill with her problems,† I explained. â€Å"Since he can relate.† â€Å"Problems?† â€Å"Yeah, you know. Adjusting to living with humans.† â€Å"Oh,† said Adrian. He produced a pack of cigarettes and, to my complete astonishment, lit up right in front of me. â€Å"That. Yeah, I guess that's good. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I need you to get me out of this place.† I was startled. This wasn't about Jill? â€Å"Out of Palm Springs?† I asked. â€Å"No! Out of this place.† He gestured around him. â€Å"It's like living in a retirement home! Clarence is taking a nap right now, and he eats at five. It's so boring.† â€Å"You've only been here for two days.† â€Å"And that's more than enough. The only thing keeping me alive is that he keeps a hefty supply of liquor on hand. But at the rate I'm going, that'll be gone by the weekend. Jesus Christ, I'm climbing the walls.† His eyes fell on the cross at my neck. â€Å"Oh. Sorry. No offense to Jesus.† I was still too baffled by the unexpected topic to feel much offense. â€Å"What about Lee? He's here, right?† â€Å"Yes,† agreed Adrian. â€Å"Sometimes. But he's busy with†¦ hell, I don't know. School stuff. He's going back to Los Angeles tomorrow, and that'll be another boring night for me. Besides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked around conspiratorially. â€Å"Lee's nice enough, but he's not†¦ well, he's not really into having fun. Not the way I am.† â€Å"That might be a good thing,† I pointed out. â€Å"No morality lectures, Sage. And hey, like I said, I like him okay, but he's not here enough. When he is, he keeps to himself. He's always checking himself out in the mirror, even more than I do. I heard him worrying about gray hair the other day.† I didn't care about Lee's eccentricities. â€Å"Where would you even want to go? You don't want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A very unpleasant thought came to me. â€Å"You don't want to enroll at Amberwood, do you?† â€Å"What, and play 21 Jump Street with the rest of you? No, thank you.† â€Å"Twenty-one what?† â€Å"Never mind. Look.† He put out the cigarette – on the counter – which I thought was kind of ridiculous since he'd hardly smoked any of it. Why bother with such a filthy habit if you weren't going to use it all? â€Å"I need my own place, okay? You guys make things happen. Can't you get me some swank bachelor's pad like Keith has downtown so I can party with all the rich vacationers? Drinking alone is sad and pathetic. I need people. Even human people.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I'm not authorized to do that. You aren't†¦ well, you aren't really my responsibility. We're just taking care of Jill – and Eddie, since he's her bodyguard.† Adrian scowled. â€Å"What about a car? Can you do that?† I shook my head. â€Å"What about your car? What if I drop you guys back off at the school and then borrow it for a while?† â€Å"No,† I said swiftly. That was probably the craziest suggestion he could've made. Latte was my baby. I certainly wasn't about to lend it out to a heavy drinker – especially to one who also happened to be a vampire. If there was ever a vampire who seemed particularly irresponsible, it was Adrian Ivashkov. â€Å"You're killing me here, Sage!† â€Å"I'm not doing anything.† â€Å"Exactly my point.† â€Å"Look,† I said, growing irritated. â€Å"I told you. You're not my responsibility. Talk to Abe if you want things changed. Isn't he the reason you're here?† Adrian's annoyance and self-pity shifted to wariness. â€Å"What do you know about that?† Right. He didn't know I'd overheard their conversation. â€Å"I mean, he's the one who brought you guys here and made the arrangements with Clarence, right?† I hoped that would be convincing enough – and maybe yield me a little information on what Abe's master plan was. â€Å"Yes,† Adrian said, after several seconds of intense scrutiny. â€Å"But Abe wants me to stay in this tomb. If I got my own place, we'd have to keep it secret from him.† I scoffed. â€Å"Then I'm definitely not helping, even if I could. You couldn't pay me to cross Abe.† I could see Adrian bracing for another argument and decided to make my exit. Turning my back on him and any further protests, I headed out of the kitchen and back to the living room. There, I found Jill and Lee talking, and she wore the first genuine smile I'd seen in a while. She laughed at some comment he made and then looked up at my entrance. â€Å"Hey, Sydney,† she said. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Are you about ready to go?† â€Å"Is it time?† she asked. Both she and Lee looked disappointed, but then she answered her own question. â€Å"I guess it is. You probably have homework, and Eddie's probably worried already.† Adrian entered the room behind me, looking pouty. Jill glanced at him, and for a moment, her gaze turned inward, like her mind had gone somewhere else. Then she turned back to me. â€Å"Yeah,† she said. â€Å"We should go. I hope we can talk later, Lee.† â€Å"Me too,† he said, standing up. â€Å"I'll be around here, off and on.† Jill hugged Adrian goodbye, clearly reluctant to be leaving him too. With Lee, she'd looked mostly like she was sad to leave something that had just gotten interesting. With Adrian, there was more of a sense like she wasn't sure how she was going to get by. Her next scheduled feeding was in two days, and Adrian was encouraging, telling her she was strong enough to get through the next school day. Despite how much he kept annoying me, I was moved by his compassion for the younger girl. Anyone who was that nice to Jill couldn't be that bad. He was starting to surprise me. â€Å"You look better,† I told her as we drove toward Vista Azul. â€Å"Talking to Adrian†¦ to both of them†¦ it was helpful.† â€Å"Do you think you'll be okay tomorrow?† â€Å"Yeah.† Jill sighed and leaned back against the seat. â€Å"It was just nerves. That, and I didn't eat much breakfast.† â€Å"Jill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I bit my lip, hesitant to plunge forward. Confrontation wasn't my strong suit, particularly with awkward personal topics. â€Å"You and Adrian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jill gave me a wary look. â€Å"What about us?† â€Å"Is there anything†¦ I mean, are you guys†¦ ?† â€Å"No!† Out of the corner of her eye, I saw Jill turn bright pink. It was the most color I had ever seen in a vampire's face. â€Å"Why would you say that?† â€Å"Well. You were sick this morning. And then really adamant about seeing Adrian. You're always sad to leave him too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jill gaped. â€Å"Do you think I'm pregnant?† â€Å"Not exactly,† I said, realizing it was kind of a nonsensical answer. â€Å"I mean, maybe. I don't know. I'm just considering all the possibilities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, don't consider that one! There's nothing going on between us. Nothing. We're friends. He'd never be interested in me.† She said it with a dismal certainty – and maybe even a little wistfully. â€Å"That's not true,† I said, fumbling to undo the damage. â€Å"I mean, you're younger, yeah, but you're cute†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yes, this was a terrible conversation. I was just babbling now. â€Å"Don't,† said Jill. â€Å"Don't tell me I'm nice and pretty and have a lot to offer. Or whatever. None of that matters. Not when he's still hung up on her.† â€Å"Her? Oh. Rose.† I'd nearly forgotten. The trip to Court had been the first time I'd seen Adrian in person, but I'd actually seen him once before on security camera footage when he'd been at a casino with Rose. The two of them had dated, though I wasn't entirely sure how serious the relationship had been. When I'd helped Rose and Dimitri escape, the chemistry between those two had been off the charts, even if they'd both been in denial of it. Even I'd been able to spot it a mile away, and I knew next to nothing about romance. Seeing as Rose and Dimitri were officially a couple now, I had to assume things with Adrian hadn't ended well. â€Å"Yeah. Rose.† Jill sighed and stared vacantly ahead. â€Å"She's all he sees when he closes his eyes. Flashing dark eyes and a body full of fire and energy. No matter how much he tries to forget her, no matter how much he drinks†¦ she's always there. He can't escape her.† Jill's voice dripped with astonishing bitterness. I might have written it off as jealousy, except that she talked as though she'd been personally been wronged by Rose too. â€Å"Jill? Are you okay?† â€Å"Huh? Oh.† Jill shook her head, like she was shaking off the cobwebs of a dream. â€Å"Yeah, fine. Sorry. It's been a weird day. I'm a little out of it. Didn't you say we could pick up some things?† A sign for the next exit advertised a shopping center. I rolled with the change in subject, glad to be away from personal matters, though I was still pretty confused. â€Å"Uh, yeah. We need sunscreen. And maybe we can get a little TV for the room.† â€Å"That'd be great,† said Jill. I left it at that and took the next exit. Neither of us spoke about Adrian for the rest of the night.

Organizational Theory Final Paper Essay

Due to the recent and anticipated changes the U.S. government has made and continues to make in procedures regarding contract awards, as well as external market pressures from the economic downturn, I submit this proposal as a new approach to the existing organizational structure. Because talent and loyalty are at such a high premium in today’s workforce, I submit that the workforce be modified structurally rather than a full-scale reduction. This economic crisis will not last long and our current reaction and decisions will determine our longevity in the market. So the main objective of this restructure will be to make the best and most beneficial use of our employees that are committed to moving forward and to continue to build goodwill with our employees, shareholders, customers and suppliers. Changes in technology are not an issue for this particular proposal. The very nature of this company enhances flexibility in technological changes and even spear-heads changes in some aspects of industry. There may be mild behavior changes needed, but only to coincide with structural changes. The structural changes should prove to be positively accepted, as underutilization and overutilization issues should be resolved. The outcomes expected are: * reduced costs by realigning talent to appropriate duties * redefining merits for bonuses and certain benefits * offering more flexible working conditions for higher performance * creating diverse teams based on goals and projects * redesign Marketing division, re-evaluate goals, re-evaluate performance Forces Driving Change: * Characteristics of workforce have changed * The organizational structure of this company embraces military-like order. Modification of this approach is needed to empower team structure and welcome more civilian business approaches as â€Å"staff and middle management are better networked, more mobile, and smarter about their value and their options in the market.† (PWC) * Labor supply has changed * Much of the upper management and specialized employees are retired military, bringing them closer to a second retirement. While current conditions have delayed this trend it still exists. Competing companies aggressively recruit educated and experienced managers and industry specialists so we must create conditions that will foster satisfaction and loyalty. * Government contract allocation procedures have changed * More attention and emphasis must be put on other areas of the company’s businesses for wealth building. Government contracting has adjusted rates and opened the door for smaller companies to compete for Defense and Aerospace teaming contracts. * Economic downturns have caused readjustments in businesses and education * The Business Services company needs to update and integrate new business-to-business consulting approaches, enhancing and adding to our strict Six Sigma training. * The Advanced Visualization Solutions division needs to develop their products to serve beyond educational facilities, as most facilities are not currently able to invest in state-of-the-art technology. These products need to be streamlined to bring the cost of production and cost to customers down. * The Construction Company needs to focus on developing more domestic business. The international projects need to be managed by on-site managers via patriots or expatriate assignments. This will reduce expensive unplanned international travel as well as build goodwill with the natives of the country the project is based in. * The Marketing/Communications division has become obsolete, using old approaches of only upgrading the company website and only attending industry exhibitions and conferences. Marketing has become isolated from the energy that exists in the whole of the company, not working cooperatively or creatively with each subsidiary company. This is possibly due to absence of the sense of meaningfulness in the managers, thus lack of motivation. * The Core Divisions need more cohesion in their performance. Due to the overlap of duties between HR, Contracting and Accounting, there must be less antagonism and more cooperation between the managers. The executives rely on authoritarian leadership and â€Å"job-scare† tactics to motivate operations of these departments, thus the managers isolate themselves into their own responsibilities by not sharing information or working as cohesive teams to resolve challenges. Obviously, most of these problems have their origin in the culture that has been created in the company. While there are a few who remain loyal to the mission statement of the company and endeavor to sustain a family-like atmosphere, most managers and employees have become dissatisfied with not only the culture but with their own sense of meaning within the company. Thus, the owners and executives must be the first to revisit the mission statement and goals first set forth by the owners, create a more cohesive and safe culture and implement their own change of perspective. â€Å"Far too often, leaders ask everyone else to change, but in reality this usually isn’t possible until they first change themselves†. (De Smet, et al) One of the strengths to having retired military personnel in leadership and production is their ability to follow orders and to learn quickly. Most of their experience in military life was often being given an order (goal) and some of the necessary resources (most of the time), but little knowledge on how to execute it. Much of our nation’s greatest technology has come from such situations. For example, John Shergill itemized 10 American technological advances accomplished during wartime. One of the most outstanding was the development of a virtual environment, or the internet. â€Å"Conceived and designed in the late 1970’s during the height of the cold war as a defense against nuclear war. The thought was that if vital government information could be stored in a virtual environment, it would be impossible to take out communications at one location. The effect of this advancement is obvious to anyone reading this†. (Shergill) Necessity being the mother of invention was also observable when a young officer was given command over the technology department where he was deployed. Not only was the technology obsolete, but he had no idea how a computer worked. His order was to update and repair the system. Period. He quickly learned and implemented all he could and was successful in not only updating but enhancing new technology for that particular base. Today, as a retired Navy colonel, he is a professor of Networking, computer software and hardware at an outstanding US college. So the ingenuity and problem solving skills that exists within the retired military community is priceless, but their instinctive command-and-control leadership styles have become outdated and ineffective in a civilian business world, especially with civilian employees. Six Sigma approaches have been attractive to the Business Solutions department because it continues to embrace the command-and-control management skills; focusing on optimal production and very little on optimizing producers. Therefore I propose comprehensive and all-inclusive leadership-development training. I understand this may be especially opposed by our Business Services division, as these instructors consider themselves experts in the field of leadership. But it is vital that leaders stay ahead of trends in leadership especially if they train other leaders. Their expertise in traditional instruction of management mixed with the evolving principles will not only enhance, but possibly lead to more forward thinking and new approaches as they implement them. Again, it would be quite in character for the retired military leaders to take what they learn in this area and create even more valuable tactics and approaches that will enrich business leaders the world over. Thus creating a new benchmark for our company and creating a new competitive edge. In the April 2012 online edition of McKinsey Quarterly, three experts in the field of leadership training wrote of their findings in making leadership training the heart of large organizational change. The authors described the situation of one global company as â€Å"While the need for operational change was clear—the performance of the company†¦was inconsistent and in many cases far below that of competitors in terms of efficiency, productivity, and cost—so too were the organizational obstacles. Drives for improvement, for example, carried a stigma of incompetence; current performance was considered â€Å"good enough†; conflict tended to be passive-aggressive or was avoided entirely; and†¦employees felt that they were treated as cogs and that their supervisors were enforcers. The effect of all this on employees was disengagement, a lack of trust in senior management, and a pervasive fear of making mistakes—a worry reinforced by the company’s strong culture of safety and of risk aversion†¦ (So) the senior team had to look beyond technical improvements and focus on helping the company’s leaders to master the personal behavioral changes needed to support the operational ones. To that end, the company mounted an intense, immersive, and individualized leadership program† (De Smet, et al). The authors note that the program took four months for each participant, and included two week-long training programs and ongoing coaching to integrate what they learn with their work experiences. In the span of three years the return on investment in the participants has been tenfold for each leader. The program has increased the company’s income by almost $2 million, and the new leadership behavior has been crucial to the company’s success and is believed to have made the total organizational changes that were made more effective. So the development program I suggest needs to include: * Integrating leadership training with a BHG (big hairy goal). Without personalizing training it will be ineffective. Without an obtainable and desirable goal training will be a waste of time and effort. * Recognize the strengths and successes our company has and build on them. Bring in our strongest and most dedicated leaders (not necessarily formal managers) and train them in how to skillfully influence change by engaging everyone involved in the organization. These leaders may need to be considered as new or replacing current ineffective management or at the very least as team/discussion leaders. They are the bridge between corporate office and employee satisfaction. Use our Company Philosophy, found in our Employee Handbook, to employ our Core Competencies to realize our Vision Statement. * Any change in our organization must be based on honesty. Every employee of our company possesses, or at one time possessed, an expectation of good from us. Being a part of this organization was highly esteemed in the community and upon hiring, the employees felt important and distinct in their field because of our decision to employ. After being employed for about 3 years, the most common feature of the dissatisfaction that begins to set in is the irregular dispersion of information and a feeling that Corporate is not being honest or forthright with them. While this may be a military â€Å"need-to-know† approach to employee management, it is no longer efficient, as our employees are no longer military and they expect inclusion. The â€Å"leaks† and rumors that circulate on all of our job-sites and offices are much more damaging than the truth given from a trusted leader could ever be. * Common language and vocabulary used by leaders must be adopted. The language of a common vision is powerful, so leaders must be allowed to emerge and reassigned to influence the entire company. Success is contagious so the empowered managers will be able to empower employees. * Evaluate managers’ skills and interests and place them in the appropriate department. Technology can be learned, but it won’t be learned by a dissatisfied manager. * Modify benefits. Currently all employees derive their motivation from our bonus plan. Employees have been willing to accept the absence of sick leave, the infrequency of pay raises, and the absence of certain benefits in favor of expecting the year-end bonus. The Employee Handbook indicates that bonuses are â€Å"discretionary profit-sharing and performance-based rewards provided to employees base on a review of the factors previously mentioned in addition to management’s recommendations† (Our Company Handbook, pg. 11). It should be noted that every employee has different needs and motivations for working with us. We should modify our benefit offering by allowing them to make the decision of whether they would rather have a raise, receive a bonus or an enhancement to their provided benefits. * Subsidiary companies’ Business Development departments and company-wide Marketing/Communications must begin to work more cooperatively, beginning with information sharing and frequent interaction. Up to this point, these two departments have functioned exclusively of the other, relying only on each other for necessary information or for marketing tools for conventions/meetings. While BD has relied heavily on personal contacts networks, it must begin to utilize the principals and power of marketing. Marketing/Communications must begin to pursue the good of each BD department to enhance their efforts. The commitment to the structural changes, development of leaders and employee happiness must begin with the owners. It must also be an ongoing commitment, as sporadic attempts will only reinforce skepticism and heighten dissatisfaction. Leadership training must become a systemic process, not an event (Day, pg 8).