The Awakening: the Uncaring and Unselfish Aspects of Edna Pontellier

The Awakening is a short novel that is written by Kate Chopin. This novella is about Edna Pontellier, a wife and a mother of two sons, who had a strong desire to experience the freedom or independence a woman, can have. She tries to achieve this desire, with many selfish decisions. In those days, in eighteen hundreds, many had an orthodox view on feminism. This social attitude deprived many women with the power to live an independent life or do whatever they pleased in life.The only role women had to adhere with no choice were to either be housewives, nurturing mothers, or both. However, those who showed their unorthodox view of this social attitude were considered to have a bad reputation in society at that time. In the novel, the importance of being a nurturing, caring mother and an ideal housewife is emphasized. Edna, however, almost completely ignores these priorities and only does it when she has been forced. For example, when Leonce returns from playing billiards, he went to ch eck on his kids and found out that one of them have fever.However, when he tells her this she responses in a carefree tone that nothing is wrong with them and returns back to sleep. However, after much prodding by her husband, she wakes and goes to take care of the child (Chopin 48). This shows her selfishness, because she cares more for her sleep than being a nurturing mother and giving priority to her kids. Another example is that she leaves her children under the care of their grandmother, without any hesitation. It makes it seem as though she wants to be away from them so that she can achieve her independence.Furthermore, she explains that she simply wants her own way, although she acknowledges the difficulty of this, especially when it means she must â€Å"trample upon the lives, the hearts, and the prejudices of others. † Edna Pontellier at first has an affair with a young man, Robert LeBrun, whom she wants to settle down with, running away from her marriage in which sh e feels like a possession. Moreover, when she was with Robert she felt this form of happiness, which actually made her pleased with life.However, she also finds happiness with Leonce, because he shows his care for her at times and treats her lavishly, which she appreciates, but that does not entirely become a base of her happiness. Therefore, it is expected for her to involve in another affair, but at the same time it is still selfish, because she is betraying her husband. However, what is even worse is that, she has an affair with another man named Alcee Arobin, after Robert leaves to Mexico.To elaborate, if Robert was her â€Å"true love†, Alcee Arobin should have never even appeared in the picture. All in all, agreeing with the author of the essay â€Å"Edna Pontellier: Selfish, Adulterous, and Suicidal†, the fact that she embraces Alcee, is married, and is supposedly in love with Robert, just puts emphasis on the selfish nature of Edna. In the end of the novel, Rob ert leaves her once again because this time, he does not want to be another step involved in Edna’s selfish search for independence and her marriage.Edna cannot live with Roberts’ decision of leaving her and she commits suicide, leaving her kids to become motherless at a young tender age, and not thinking about how their upbringing would be without her or the emotional breakdown Mr. Pontellier can go through. In conclusion, Edna showed importance mostly to herself for most of the time. She was a selfish woman who tries to break out of the social norms, commits acts of adultery, falls in love with a man she cannot have, and who commits the ultimate act of selfishness by committing suicide.

A Letter To Myself

What about family? Hope you're all well and you have a handsome husband – military officer, caring about you and your children. And you have two kids: a son – footballer and a daughter – ballerina. If not, do not worry! Whole life Is ahead, because you Just have got your dream Job and going to get a second degree. And have you learned the most beautiful language In the world? For so many years It Is quite possible . And If you still have not vaulted France, I'll be very disappointed!It's our dreams what about other places? Rome or Madrid? New Zealand? If not, run and pack your suitcases' If you've got all these things done, then you can be proud of yourself! Now, put before yourself other goals, dream a lot and strive to it! And most importantly, never lose hope! All in all, you only live once, and you should try to experience everything in life: to try to achieve something, to conquer the top, test yourself, your character, strength of will and spirit.I believe that you've done it, or to no end, you'll do it! Hope you have a great future. I love you z)) Take care, From the Real You.. Takes a lot of time and efforts. That's why it is very important to have a good teacher. I am very grateful to my English teacher – Easel Montanan, who was also our curator on the first course. The door opened and pleasant woman with kind smile entered the classroom. She greeted the students and introduced herself to us. It was the first time when we met her.We were studying on the first course when our first acquaintance with Easel Montanan happened. I remember my first impression of meeting with her. When our teacher looked around us silently, with smile on her face, I had a feeling that she could penetrate the soul of every student. Easel Montanan is a competent and professional teacher. She has a good command of the English language. From lesson to lesson we have improved our knowledge, have earn more and more new words, grammar structures and put t hem into practice of speaking.She patiently corrected our mistakes and explained us everything, what we could not understand. Our lessons sometimes were full of fun. She always looked perfectly, and we never saw her face being angry or unfriendly. She helped us to develop our intellect, our attitudes to life and to other people. I thank her for that. No matter how many teachers we had through our life, we will always remember them and all the good things which they made for us. We were lucky to have such a nice teacher as Easel Montanan. Thank her very much.

Britney Spears

Proposal: Britney Spears In this article I will explain Britney Spears, a very talented and successful singer. Britney is from Mccomb, Mississippi. I will discuss some aspects of Britney's life and some of her achievements. Britney Spears Britney Spears is the driving force of the resurgence of teen pop music in the latter half of the 1990's compared to other single artists ... Spears is more than just a star - he is real pop music phenomenon (Huey 16). This is usually not only for Britney Spears but for critics to say to stars stars. In an article about Britney Spears and her fame and regression scandal, the authors claim that her popular currency today is based on a matte of media, not a celebrity model. Briefly, Britney Spears has enabled her personal struggle and public mistakes to hide her past success in using media to improve her career. Spears may not possess abundant talent and technical skill of popular idols of the past, but in the spirit of the pop music era, having an id ol and a super star, set a direct super star mode like Christina doing. Aguilera, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson. The author made a powerful direct comparison between Spears and Elvis Presley who became pop singer singer in the early 1950s. The popularity of Britney Spears as a popular pop culture icon is ignored or can not be denied. Spears, along with his colleagues Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, etc. appear in Top 40 and are often posted on MTV, which can also be seen in magazine covers and spreads of photos. Spears is particularly popular among teenage girls who purchase records, sing songs and dance. These lyrics are often accompanied by love, desire and sexuality, and some people believe that these topics are too mature for young girls who are targeting Spears marketing. Today 's young ladies are mature and sex information from Spears' songs may just be satisfied. The Pretty Girls video released by Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea in May is consistent with what I expect from Britney Spears and Iquidu. Two white blonde women are singing the beauty that dance supports. The power of appearance is a group of nude buff men, a bunch of stunning denim ensembles, and Iggy as a girl in Robo Valley. It was instantly defined as shallow and it reestablished 100 years of feminism - which, of course, meant that it did not carry heavy parent women information. Indeed, Beyonce 's complete innocence is not so, does this mean that it ought to be fired? Or, if there is no statement about feminism, do you need to worry about whether two women can not make popular videos?

A Reflection of My Mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

A Reflection of My Mother - Essay Example We all knew he loved us but he wasn’t a very affectionate person that always gave out hugs and kisses. Before I knew it, I was the official babysitter, watching my own sister and brothers, feeling like the mother goose. Growing up with a lot of responsibility, I was brought up to be resourceful and to never waste food. Being a middle-class family, my mom was a little frugal and taught us to make goals and to stick to them. I was very involved in sports to stay out of trouble and planned around my sister and brothers functions so that we can all be home together at the same time. She also told us to never take pity on ourselves for the cards we have dealt; it happened, so now we should move on. We all learned to have respect for the elders and to help one another. I benefited from my childhood because it, and my parents, helped to set the foundation for the person I wanted to be when I grew up. I watched and studied how my parents, especially my mother, handled things and lived her life, and I strived to be just like her. I figured that if she could do a good job being the person that she was, then I could be the same way. The love that she had for others really inspired me to be just as loving and as giving. Today, I have two children of my own, a daughter who is seven and a son who is eight years old and they both demand a lot of my attention. With all the years of training I received when I was younger, it just seems to come naturally to me. I work hard, apply myself and volunteer to help others. I do not always have the time, but I do try to make time. Another important quality I find in myself is that I do care for everyone, family or strangers. I volunteer to donate blood/platelets to help the people and cancer patients who need it. I sometimes find myself crying in front of the television over a commercial, feeling so happy or sad for that person.  Ã‚  

Travel Agency Sector in the United Kingdom Essay

Travel Agency Sector in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The barriers to market entry in the travel agency sector are low, therefore, increasing the intensity of the competition. Most travel agents are shifting their marketing to online bookings in order to remain competitive. In 2013, the penetration of in-store bookings fell from 25 percent to 18 percent from the previous year (www.store.mintel.com). The agencies are facing numerous challenges due to an increase in mobile internet penetration. The two leading travel agencies in the UK are TUI Travel plc and Thomas Cook Group plc. Thomas Cook travel agency is one of the leading UK-based travel agencies, and it is also listed on the London Stock Exchange. The agency owns a number of tour operators and charter airlines in the United Kingdom. The agency also extends its presence to Belgium and the Scandinavian countries. It is also the owner of Condor (scheduled airline) and Hotels4u (booking website). Currently, Thomas Cook has a customer base of 19.1 million and 32,722 employees making it the second largest travel agency in Europe and the UK. Thomas Cook ranks second after TUI UK Limited, which has 4,644,025 passengers licensed (CAA 2015). This Group attributes its growth to the introduction of new products and its winter sun initiatives (Thomas Cook 2015, p. 1). Table 1 shows the overall performance of Thomas Cook for the two-year period. TUI Travel plc is the leading travel services provider in the United Kingdom. The Group offers high-quality travel services to its 30 million customers in 31 major source markets. These services include flight bookings and the entire holiday services (TUI Travel plc 2014). Despite the high competition in the travel industry, TUI Travel plc recorded an underlying operating growth profit of 11 percent at constant current rates (TUI Travel plc 2014, p. 1).  Ã‚  

Design patterns Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Design patterns - Research Paper Example The observer design pattern highlights a one-to-many reliance between a subject object and any amount of server objects. This is significant when the subject object alters situation, all its observer objects will not be updated and notified instinctively (Butler, 2012). The observer design pattern is also used when the subject object is not aware of the number of observer objects present. Finally, it is used if the subject object is required to inform its observer objects without being aware of the nature of the objects. Advantages First, the observer pattern is a terrific way of maintaining action based applications in significant architectures. In a given application, an individual may have a large number of events taking place at the same time in a browser session. Second, a person may reduce event attachment and enable the observable object to deal with the actions on your behalf using a sole event listener and pass on the information to different subscribers, thus lessening spee ding up connection and memory performance. Third, the dynamic link between observer and subject may be instituted at run time. This provides extra programming flexibility. Fourth, there is support for broad communication. The notice is transmitted involuntarily to the interested objects that may subscribe to it (Madsen, 2012). Disadvantages One, there is a lot of cost incurred in load time when installing the observable objects. Two, there are unanticipated updates. Observers are not aware of one another and are oblivious to the cost of alteration in subject. Three, the update dependence may be difficult to discover due to the dynamic association between observers and subject (Madsen, 2012). Creational Pattern: Prototype Creational design patterns refer to design patterns that handle object creation mechanisms, attempting to develop objects in a way fitting to the situation. The prototype design pattern identifies the form of object to develop utilizing a prototypical instance, and develops novel objects through cloning the prototype. The prototype design pattern is used to elude the intrinsic cost of developing a novel object in the conventional way when it is prohibitively costly for a specified application (Chandler & Munday, 2012). In addition, the prototype design pattern is utilized to avert subclasses of an object designer in the application of the client, in the same way as the abstract factory pattern. Advantages One, the prototype design pattern establishes a profound copy of the complicated hierarchy of objects. The prototype design pattern assists in lessening the work given all objects in the composition can enforce ICloneable interface. This is an essential design pattern in copying objects, for example, trees. Two, the design pattern causes a decreased load of initialization. All novel objects developed using the clone technique highlights the precise object form of the initial object (Proctor, 2011). The need of initialization may be tremendous ly lessened by utilizing the prototype design pattern. It allows an individual to develop a clone of the original object developed in the application to readily have the objects initialized to the default or non-default state. Three, the design pattern causes a simplified process of copying objects. Since copying the object is conducted recursively by calling the clone tech

REWARDS AND BENEFITS IN VOLVO CAR COMPANY - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay

REWARDS AND BENEFITS IN VOLVO CAR COMPANY - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example In this regard, experts (Arnold & Silvester, pp. 12-19, 2005) have identified major change in the perspective and attitude of employers towards their employees, and this indicates creation of different innovative policies and strategies to ensure motivational workplace environment for the workers. Specifically, performance and reward management is one significant component of HRM that plays a crucial role in every organisation, and analysis has indicated that organisations are nowadays relying heavily on the factors of benefits and rewards as modes and tools of ensuring organisational success by guaranteeing efficient and productive performance of the employees. Particularly, this paper is an attempt in the same series of efforts that will focus on identification of various types of benefits and pay systems existing globally, as well as, reward strategies of Volvo Car Corporation that will allow understanding of the topic in realistic manner. Different Forms of Rewards Rewards play a crucial role in every human life, and particularly, it is an understanding that reward is one of the components that drive the society to develop and grow in different aspects. This works in the organisational setting as well; however, before identifying different forms of rewards and pay, experts (Robbins et al., pp. 39-47, 2009) have suggested that it is very important that employers should put efforts to ensure integration of rewards’ methodology with organisational objectives and mission, as non-integration often have resulted in failure of the strategies. For instance, if organisational mission is to become a market leader, Corporation will have to keep a higher-paying reward system to retain best talent from the market, and if mission is to survive and go with flow of the market, and then a lower-reward system will work as well. Following are some of the common forms of pay and rewards: Fixed Pay This is the most common and conventional form of compensation that includ es payment to employees on a fix-pay methodology, usually on monthly basis (Rothwell et al., pp. 23-25, 2009). In this kind of method, employees get fix monthly payment despite of any change in performance or productivity. It is an observation that organisations are now moving away from the fixed pay methodology due to dominance of other modern reward and performance management systems. Variable Pay Method â€Å"Why should I make an extra effort for this job? Why should I try to contribute and think more about the organisational goals and success† (Langton, pp. 46-76, 2000)? Abovementioned is one of the common statements that one can hear from employees in a fix-pay system that resulted in the creation of variable pay method system that â€Å"bases a portion or all of the employees’ earnings on some individual or organisational formula or measure of productivity† (Torrington, Hall, & Taylor, pp. 365-348, 2005). Analysis has indicated that 60% of the organisation s in the United Kingdom are depending on the variable pay system to compensate and motivate their workers. One of the major benefits of using this system is reduction of fixed labor costs, and this system enables the organisations to focus more on the level of productivity and performance that is often not possible or not workable in fixed pay method. Besides these pay systems,

Commercialization of Athletics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Commercialization of Athletics - Essay Example While not detracting from the importance of any of these factors, however, the media has played the most important role in the commercialization of sports and, indeed, were it not for the media, sports would not have attained their current level of commercialization or, at least, not at such a fast pace. Sports and athletics have become nothing more than commodities and tradable goods. The degree to which they have been commercialized is more than evident in the amounts which are spent on sports goods in any given year. As Linberry writes, the available financial figures highlight the fact that sports do not only constitute a billion dollar industry but stands out as one of the most profitable of the global industries (p. 19). In 1996, the sports industry generated a profit in excess of 25 billion dollars and this figure increases every year (Linberry, p. 19). Sports, central to which is the possession of unique talent at a particular games, is a highly profitable commodity. Accordingly, as Roberts and Town argue "in our shrunken, money-driven world, talent is the most prized commodity of them all" (Roberts and Town, para 1). Talent is prized and valued at millions of dollars because, in an environment where sports is a commodity and a consumer good, talent has the power to generate millions of dollars in the sale of sports related goods per annum. It is, thus, that sports have become "$ports" (Hoch, p. 11). The commercialization of sports and its transformation into a consumer commodity is largely a consequence of mass media's treatment and coverage of sports events. Douglas Kellner, a sports sociologists, argues that the mass media and most especially TV, has transformed sporting events into spectacles. As he writes, as a direct outcome of the approach which the mass media adopts towards the coverage of sporting events, the way in which they advertise the events and build up mass excitement towards them, has led to a situation in which "professional sports is one of the major spectacles of media culture" (p. 458). Matches are no longer sports events but sporting spectacles which command the attention of millions of viewers across the world and which countless of companies seek to capitalize upon through advertisements and sponsorships. Sports sociologists contend that while sports have always had a unique popular appeal and would have, with the passage of time, become commodified and commercialization, none other than the sports media is responsible for the depth of its current commodification. Lee, a mass communications scholar, notes that sports have always been popular and have, long before the advent of television and media, commanded popular attention. It was only, however, with the advent of both television and the media that sports and sporting events attained their current level of popularity (pp. 194-195). Television did not just popularize major sporting events but transformed friendly, previously unwatched, matches into spectacles, just as its coverage of athletes led to their transition from sports talents and sporting professionals to heroes with global fan bases which ran into the millions of people (pp. 194-195). Television commercialized sports through the commodification of athletes, sporting event s

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy Tool to Increase Research Paper

Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy Tool to Increase Shareholder Value - Research Paper Example The CSR is defined as actions that corporations engage in to further some social good, and which are beyond the firms’ interest and are legally required. It is also viewed as achieving commercial success through means that honor ethical values and people, communities, as well as the natural environment. In broader terms, the CSR denotes a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and practices that are integrated into the business strategies and decision-making processes and include issues related to governance, human rights, environmental concerns, community investment, business ethics, the marketplace, and the workplace.  This concept receives different views from its supporters and detractors. Broadly, those against it, use the classical economic arguments as put by Milton Friedman; that the management should serve to maximize the shareholder's profits. This is different from the CSR practices that serve many stakeholders. The second objection is that business managers are not meant to handle social activities as they lack social skills and should handle financial and operational matters. The third objection is that the engagement in social activities dilutes the business’s primary purpose. On the other hand, the proponents of CSR argue that CSR practices are useful for a business that would want to function in the future since it makes it create a healthy climate. The next support for CSR is that government regulation is reduced, and the companies have the necessary and adequate resources to fulfill society’s expectations of it. Another argument for CSR is that being proactive is better than being reactive because being proactive helps an organization to plan and is less costly than reacting to social problems after they have occurred.

Starbucks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Starbucks - Assignment Example Secondly, before one leaves the premises there is a paper available for leaving opinions (Coffeehouse, n.d.). This way, the company is able to track its clientele’s needs and meet them accordingly. Starbucks organizes its shop as per the customer needs. Once inside, there are various seating spaces for persons ranging from one to five. Additionally, one is able to order for a drink from anywhere by simply pressing a button on the table. Starbucks has managed to maintain its competitive edge judging by the number of its ever-increasing clients despite the emergence of other players in the industry. Nonetheless, Starbucks ought to venture into sale of Mcfood in other countries and States. This is in a bid to fend off competition which could cause problems in the future if competitors capitalize on the company’s weaknesses. At Starbucks managerial control was not witnessed save for one case where the person in charge seemed to have say in almost everything. As to whether this company can maintain its profitability a time like this, the answer would be in affirmative. This is because many of its stores are doing well. Moreover, the invention by its top executive has enabled it to withstand tough competition from Costa coffee. Finally, the company has set high ethical standards where firstly, the staffs are prohibited against any undiplomatic to clients. Secondly, customer complaints are handled in a professional way without any arguments whatsoever (Coffeehouse,

America History Essay Essay Example for Free

America History Essay Essay America History Essay

Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch multinational company

Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch multinational company Main objectives of this assignment are as follows: An analysis and evaluation of the data available in the Procter Gamble annual report. An analysis and evaluation of the developments in the financial markets in the past 2 years of Procter Gamble company. Compare and assess the performance of PG with its competitor company (Unilever). Recommendations to ProcterGamble for future advancements. Procter and Gamble Prologue Procter and Gamble is a fortune 500 multinational company which is headquartered at Downtown, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A . It is one of the top 5 consumer goods manufacturer company in the world. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter, a candle maker and James Gamble, a soap maker, immigrants from England Ireland respectively. In year 2010 PG had 1,28,000 employees. Current President and C.E.O of Procter and Gamble Company is Bob Mc Donald. Revenue of PG in 2010 was 78.6 billion US Dollar. Operating income of PG in 2010 was 16.15 billion US Dollar. Net income of PG In year 2010 was 12.72 billion US Dollar. Total Assets of PG in year 2009 was around 135.12 billion US Dollar. Procter and gamble company deals into four segments mainly, categorized as : Beauty and grooming segment. Household care segment. Health and well being segment. Snacks and Beverages segment. Procter and Gamble was ranked 6th in the world for the worlds most admired company. Procter and Gamble operates in nearly 82 countries around the world and it sells or markets 300 brands in more than 159 countries. Procter and Gamble is the worlds biggest maker of household products according to sales and volume. Procter and Gamble is also one of the biggest advertisers in the world. Procter and Gamble was ranked #39 out of top Fortune 500 American companies. PG organization is the mother of innovations like extreme market research, brand -management development and profit sharing programmes. These were all developed and implemented by PG first than any other organization in the world. Popular brands of PG company with net sales more than one billion U.S. Dollar annually: Ariel laundry detergent Charmin bathroom towel Bounty paper towels Crest toothpaste Dawn- dishwashing detergent Downy- fabric softener Duracell- batteries Gillette- shaving razors, shaving gel and cream, deodorant and anti-persipirant. Head Shoulders shampoo Olay- beauty products Oral.b dental products Pantene- hair care products Pringles- potato crisps Tide- powder and liquid detergents Vicks. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Procter__Gamble_brands Procter and Gamble manufacturing operations are based in the following countries and regions: U.S.A United Kingdom Canada China Mexico Africa Australia Latin America India Germany Major competitors of Procter and Gamble are: JohnsonJohnson Kimberly Clark Corp. Unilever. Clorox. Sara Lee Corporations. Kraft foods INC Colgate-Palmolive. Competitors Profile (Unilever) Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch multinational company founded in 1930 by the amalgamation of Dutch margarine company Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever Brothers. The company is headquartered at Unilever house London, United Kingdom and at Rotterdam, Netherlands. Unilever owns more than 370 brands as a result of acquisitions such as with Brooke Bond in 1984 and Chesebrough-Ponds Inc in 1987. Mission statement of Unilever or motto of Unilever is Meeting the everyday needs of people everywhere. According to Unilever company, everyday more than 140 million people pick their brands to clean their homes and to feed their families. Unilever comes among top 5 in world for making packaged consumer products like soaps, tea, frozen foods, deodorants, perfumes, toiletries etc. The corporation sells its products in more than 140 countries. The annual revenue of Unilever Inc was around 39,826 Million Euros in year 2009. Operating income of Unilever was around 5,010 Million Euros in year 2009. Net income of Unilever was 3,658 million Euros in year 2009. Unilever has subsidiaries in more than 85 countries and it employs more than 1,70,000 workers to its company. Unilever stands at third position among food firms in the world after Nestle and Kraft and worlds second largest packaged consumer goods company after Procter Gamble company. Financial Analysis of Procter and Gamble company: The financial statements including, annual reports, balance sheet, cash flow statement, income statement are attached with the following appendixes.: Common size Statement analysis (Vertical) = Appendix A 2. Balance sheet , cash flow statement, Income Statement = Appendix B Financial ratio formulas = Appendix C Financial ratios = Appendix D 5.Comparison of Financial data between PG and Unilever = Appendix E Financial Statement Analysis: Financial statement analysis is the process of analyzing financial strengths and weaknesses of a firm by making relationships between the items of the profit and loss account and of balance sheet. These statements are very helpful for decision making purpose for any business or company. They play a vital role for setting the framework of managerial decisions. Financial statement analysis includes preparation and interpretation of financial statements in analogous and common size form. Financial statement analysis also includes computation and interpretation of financial ratio that would be helpful to common share holder for business purpose and for short term creditors as well as long term creditors. Techniques of Financial Statement Analysis : Vertical and Horizontal Analysis. Ratio Analysis. Horizontal Analysis: It involves line by line comparison of two or more years financial data. The horizontal analysis compares financial data over a number of accounting period. Example: Accounts receivable can be compared over a period of months during a fiscal year or sales can be compared over a period of several years. Vertical Common-Size Analysis In Vertical Common-Size Analysis statement all the figures of income statement are taken as a percentage of sales and in balance sheet all the figures are taken as a percentage of total assets.In Income statement, sales figure is taken as base and is assumed to be 100 % and all other figures are expressed as a percentage of sales. In balance sheet the percentage of total assets is taken as 100 % and all other figures are expressed as a percentage of total assets. Ratio Analysis : The ratio analysis is the most important and powerful tool of financial statement analysis. When we use ratio analysis, we can check and determine how profitable a business is. Ratios can be calculated by dividing one number to another number. It can be expressed in the form of percentage, proportion, time or rate. Ratio Analysis is an accounting method used to compare one figure with another. Ratios can helps us to determine whether a business is sound or not. It simplifies the data of financial statements. It also helps in comparing the results of one business with another. It also helps in comparing the results of the business with the average result of all similar businesses in the same field. It also tells the investors to determine whether they should buy, hold or sell the shares by seeing the ratio analysis of the particular company. It also helps the employees of a particular company by providing information about stability and profitability of their company in present and future times. It also helps in planning and forecasting during financial analysis. Ratios can help management to do basic functions like forecasting, planning, co-ordination, control of financial data of the business.

Types Of Communication Essay

Types Of Communication Essay Communication always has a specific purpose. Communication is contextual so, the objective of communication varies in any given situation. This requires adaptation to the situation in terms of ways of expression, means and methods of transmission of information. Effective communication not only transfers information but also transfers understanding of the message. In the present globalised world when we come across real face-to-face and virtual communication situations, it becomes even more important to express and transmit the message effectively across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries. An understanding of the types of communication helps us to analyze the complexity of communication in various contexts. We may broadly categorize communication according to the type of context in which it takes place. The two categories are: Interpersonal Communication Mass Communication INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The communication that occurs between two or more people as unique individuals, where they understand each other on the basis of their uniqueness in behavior is termed as interpersonal communication. Effective interpersonal communication depends on various interpersonal skills including listening, asserting, influencing, persuading, empathizing, negotiating and compassion. Important aspects of communication between individuals include body language and other forms of nonverbal communication. Interpersonal communication can be dyadic or small group communication. The word Dyad refers to a unit constituting two parts, so when communication takes between just two people it is called dyadic communication. In our everyday life we are a part of a small group as a member of family, a work unit or a team at workplace. Though individuals, we are a member of a group in a given context participating and coordinating actively to achieve a common goal. This communicat ion is known as small group communication. The characteristics of interpersonal communication: Interpersonal communication is inevitable: We are in constant communication with individuals around us not only through words but also by our body language (facial expression, gestures, etc.), paralanguage (tone, pitch, silence, etc.). We communicate in spite of our attempt not to communicate. Interpersonal communication is irrevocable: A Russian proverb says, Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again. One cannot take back the words once uttered, the impact stays. Interpersonal communication is intricate: Interpersonal communication is complicated in the sense that it involves psychological context- personality, behaviour, needs, desires, values; social context- an interaction in an annual general meeting will be very distinct from a press release on the companys annual turnover; cultural context- if you come from a culture where it is considered discourteous to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of courtesy evade eye contact. If the other individual comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact indicates credibility then, the cultural differences lead to misunderstanding. Interpersonal communication is interdependent: Communication between two different and unique individuals is always linked and interdependent as the performance of one member of the team decides the performance fate of the entire team. MASS COMMUNICATION: Mass communication occurs when a homogeneous message from a person or a group is transmitted to a large anonymous as well as heterogeneous audience through a special medium. Mass communication is very valuable when advertising a brand or a product for sales promotion through electronic or print medium. Communication, interpersonal or mass communication, both will become non-existent in the absence of forms of communication. The various forms of communication are as follows: Verbal communication Nonverbal communication Verbal communication: When exchange of thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions takes place through words- spoken or written, the communication is known as verbal communication. Communication through spoken words is known as oral communication whereas communication through written words is known as written communication. Thus verbal communication takes two forms: Oral communication Written communication ORAL COMMUNICATION Definition and Meaning Transmission of thoughts and ideas through spoken words is known as oral communication. Oral communication constitutes 65-75% of an executives time at the work place. A manager spends about 90% of his working hours in oral communication in various formal and informal situations. Meetings, interviews, group discussions, speech, presentations, instructions, etc. are a few examples of formal oral communication situations. Grapevine is an example of informal oral communication. Oral communication also occurs through specific medium such as a face-to-face interaction through video conferencing, videophone or telephone. The way we communicate orally speaks volume about our personality, attitude, and emotional quotient. So, besides words nonverbal communication plays a vital role effective oral communication. Infact, nonverbal communication complements and completes oral communication. Merits of oral communication Oral communication is swift and speedy. It is faster than written communication as messages can be transmitted as well as received simultaneously. Oral communication generates immediate feedback. Direct face-to-face discussion on queries, doubts enhances the efficacy of communication. Oral communication is economical when compared to written communication. It saves the expenses on stationary and administrative formalities. Oral communication provides opportunities to amend and adapt according to the needs and situation. Reading non verbal clues of the audience during oral communication promotes better understanding. A speaker can always reframe the words and rework the tone, pitch for greater clarity of the receiver. Oral communication serves better in negotiations, arriving at a consensus and resolving conflicts. Oral communication is the most appropriate means to healthy interpersonal relations and healthy working environment. Demerits of oral communication Lack of evidence is a major drawback of oral communication. The validity of the message cannot be legally challenged. Oral communication cannot be preserved for long for future reference. Oral communication is not suitable for long messages such as reports, proposals. Human memory is transitory, so its difficult to retain and remember long messages. Oral communication is not a suitable for communicating across geographical boundaries. Communication through telephones or video-conferencing or even traveling long distances is not cost effective. External noise or disturbance in telephone or interference of any kind can reduce the clarity and understanding of the message communicated orally. Personal prejudices, biases, attitudinal problems can hamper proper understanding while communicating orally. Lack of concentration, inattentiveness and anxiety on the part of the receiver can also adversely affect in understanding the message. Senders personality, content and delivery can reduce or enhance the effectiveness of the message. It is difficult to hold people responsible and accountable for the messages communicated orally. One can easily deny and negate oral information. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Definition and Meaning All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary its just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences. -Somerset Maugham When transmission of information takes place in writing/written words, the communication is referred to as written communication. Written communication is not merely a bundle of words or sentences. Words and sentences matter only when the receiver receives, decodes and understands the meaning as intended by the sender. Written communication is all pervasive-it pervades the length and breadth of an organization in the form of rules, regulations, instructions, notices, letters, reports, etc. Written communication is an indispensable part of planning, execution, collaboration, coordination in an organization. It also defines the structure, hierarchy, roles and responsibilities in the organization. Written communication also ensures greater clarity, accuracy, validity, reliability, accountability and long life of the information. Written communication can be formal as well as informal. Examples of written communication in a formal situation: Issuing orders, directives, notices and circulars Implementing decisions like appointments, transfer Making and implementing policy decisions, rules and regulations Directing letters, memorandum Merits of written communication A piece of written communication can be kept as record for future reference for longer period of time. Written communication is legally valid evidence and so can be challenged before law. Written communication avoids ambiguity and maintains uniformity of decisions, policies and procedures. One can always refer back to a written piece of information. So it can be retained for a longer period of time and has a long-lasting impact. Written communication is suitable for long, complicated messages. In todays globalised world where we have virtual teams and virtual managers working across cultural boundaries written communication is more accurate as it avoids misunderstanding arising due to different accent, tone, pitch and other nonverbal elements. One can always be held responsible for the information conveyed in writing for errors, omissions and the consequent misunderstanding. A written message carries more credibility than oral message as it can be produced in situations of dispute. Written communication facilitates decision making as the past records provide requisite information and necessary guidance. Demerits of Written Communication Written communication is time consuming as the sender needs to plan, organize and transmit the message through proper channel. Some times excessive paper work and the message traveling through various nodes in a communication network leads to the delaying of the message. This delay may also give rise to red-tapism. Written communication does not evoke immediate feedback. It is difficult to make changes, corrections and improvisations in the message once transmitted. If there arises a need to change the message, the process is again time consuming. Written communication is not cost effective. Planning, drafting and circulating of a message in large organizations require proper set up and appropriate infrastructural facilities that add to the expenditure. Writing is an art as well a skill; it is inherent and can also be acquired. Lack of clarity, incoherent organization, excessive jargons, and ambiguous language leads to misinterpretation, which in turn hampers the achievement of the desired objective. Effective written communication Clarity, completeness and persuasiveness are the keys to successful written communication. Composing and conveying the ideas to intended audience is a craft. Following are some measures that enhance the effectiveness of written communication: Adapt to the audience: One needs to adapt communication to the needs and expectations of the target audience. Audience analysis reduces the chances of misunderstanding. Adopt YOU Attitude i.e the communication should be audience centered. Replace I, me, mine, our, us by you, your. (examples) Use bias free language; avoid jargons, sms lingo and the internet language. While communicating to global audience on net take account of the cultural and linguistic differences and follow nettiquetes. While communicating unpleasant news always emphasize on the positive aspects of the situation. (examples) Make appropriate use of functional and content words.(examples) Difference between Oral and Written Communication The above differences between oral and written communication do not establish the superiority of one form of communication over the other. A good communicator always makes an attempt to choose the right form of communication to suit the need, objective, and situation. NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION When transmission of ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions takes place without words, the communication is termed as nonverbal communication. We do not always communicate through words- a smile on the face, broadening of eyes, a frown, sitting posture with legs overlapped, body cross etc. speak volumes about an individuals state of mind, attitude, intentions and emotional status. Non verbal communication finds its roots in culture, so it vast and varied in different communities and cultures across the globe. The exhibit below suggests the impact and extent of nonverbal communication and advocates greater

Critical Thinking and Computer Logic :: Case Study, solution

With the PCLM solution came another set of problems, the largest being that of what to do with the existing personal computers. We had just assumed we could dispose of the outdated computers as you would any other item, by placing it in the trash. That turned out to not be the case, we had to obey all local, State, and Federal regulations regarding the proper disposal of personal computers and CRT monitors. The other unforeseen circumstance was compiling with Federal laws associated to properly destroying all sensitive customer information off the PC hard drives. HIPAA physical safeguard contain the following regulation; disposal, implement policies and procedures to address the final disposition of electronic protected health information, and or the hardware or electronic media on which it is stored; media re-use, implement procedures for removal of electronic protected health information from electronic media before the media are made available for re-use; accountab ility, maintain a record of the movements of hardware and electronic media and any person responsible therefore. (Phoenix Health Systems, 2006) With regards to disposing or recycling of old computer equipment there are very many key things that need to be considered. What are the fees for disposing or recycling of computer and other electronic equipment? Is disposing of electronic equipment equally as environmentally safe compared to recycling? What are the long-term effects of disposing this kind of materials? Can anyone benefit from the recycling of computers or other electronic devices? These are some of the things that should be considered when deciding to dispose of old or unwanted computer materials. Each company must see which option is best for them and their ideals. Usually there are nominal fees for companies to pick up and dispose of computers, monitors, and printers, the same can be said for recycling. There are even free options that are sometimes offered by non-profit or government agencies in order to help ease the land filling of this type of materials. Just last year the Michigan Department of Information Technology and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality teamed up with Dell, Inc. to host free computer recycling collections at three locations across Michigan to provide citizens with a better alternative for disposing of their electronic computer equipment (State of Michigan To Hold Computer Recycling Events, http://www.

Relative Dating Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Fundamental Principles of Relative DatingRelative dating involves placing events in their proper chronological sequence, that is, in the order of their occurrence (Dutch 1998). This type of dating tells us which geologic event happened first, but does not give an exact date to which something happened. There are several different methods that are used in relative dating. These are the fundamental methods that are used in the field by geologists' and earth scientists to gather information about the relative age of rock bodies and other cool geologic stuff. These principles are the principle of superposition, the principle of original horizontality, the principle of cross-cutting relationships, and the principle of inclusions.The principle of superposition is defined as in the environment of an undisturbed layer of sedimentary rocks; the layers on the bottom are older than the layers towards the top. The pictures I have taken show very good examples of this. By using the principle of superposition we can know that the layers toward the bottom are older than the layers toward the top. The rock body shown in the pictures attached, started out as one layer, as millions and millions of years passed more layers of sedimentary rock were placed on top of each other one after another, each layer was deposited at a later time than the one before it. The youngest layer is on the top, and the oldest layer is on the bottom. This principle was founded by the Danish anatomist Nicolas ...

Hiding Places :: essays research papers

We go to places of comfort to get away from the burden of harsh realities. People use hiding places of physical means like a closet or library, to maybe think of things they care for and things that make them happy and . Whether it be your bedroom, your closet, you know you can always count on the satisfaction of you hidden place to be there for you and blanket you. No matter what, your hiding place is always going to be easily accessible and very accommodating . People enjoy this because it is a place they can go to for a guaranteed refreshing experience. Someone might resort to their room with the door shut and locked after a break up with a partner and write about the past experiences that they have endured together. The hiding place gives off an aura of familiarity and comfort. Something we can all use in a desperate time. Essentially, a hiding place has to provide a familiar physical stimuli. Hiding places often reside in the pages of literature. Within literature lies the tales of people lives, experiences, and knowledge. People love to play the part in Shakespeare, or be one of the knights from King Arthur’s Round table. It sets them closer to freedom. In books, inhibitions are set free, and people can ultimately be what they want. This is important when someone is feeling insignificant. Everyone needs to feel wanted, loved, and noticed, and if someone can not obtain these needs from someone, they will resort to someWHERE they can. Potential problems for hiding places is the disregard for the realities of the modern world. Someone who spends all there time in books is living there life falsely and will face tasks that they will not be able to conquer due to insecurities. Examples of the insecurities they endure are lack of confidence and lack of trust in others.

The Importance of Processing Duplicates in an Mpi

Importance of keeping a clean and standardized MPI A clean Master Patient Index is a huge part of a successful healthcare organization. Therefor, it is very important to identify duplicate records. Duplicate records could cause major issues such as patient safety, risk management, legal, customer service, and other issues. For example duplicate lab tests could be ordered by doctors and preformed , one of the most common being radiology exams because the previous films were not available for comparison. There have been delays in surgery due to lack of available medical history due to duplicate records.Another common issue with duplicate records is the fact that initial treatment is sometimes delayed. Duplicate record management reports should be reviewed to make sure all of the duplicates have been taken care of and merged properly. One thing that we all need to remember is that the MPI is not an automated process and no particular way of repairing records takes away the human compone nt. Therefore it is important to review all possible duplicates, identify those that need more research and those that can be confirmed as true duplicates. Then verify all possible duplicates that require additional research and reconcile those records.The HIM supervisor's role in managing the duplicate processes and workflow is to assign specific tasks to specific staff members, review duplicate management reports, oversee the process of identifying duplicate records, make sure corrections are made and done correctly. They should also try to minimize the causes of duplicates, by looking for patterns. The problem may be created in a specific situation or a specific department. The HIM supervisor might also evaluate current processes for reconciliation of duplicate records and overlaid medical records. The bigger the database, the bigger the duplication problem can be.The productivity of the duplicate merging process is important to monitor to be sure there is no information being de leted or added in the process. It is also important to monitor it so there is no need to re-run and re-run the same reports to double and triple check that duplicates no longer exist. The organization should set MPI standards and processing standards, as there are no set industry standards. There are EMPI recommendations as seen in appendix A AHIMA recommended data elements. It is very important to set standards based on the recommended data elements in appendix A so that nationally and even internationally, your MPI will be asily read and understood, if needed. It is important that it be similar if not the same as other organizations' MPIs so if anyone from another facility or organization needs to access patient records from your database, it will be straight-forward. It is also a good idea to follow the same or similar procedures as other organizations so when new staff is hired or transferred, there will not be very much training needed. In closing, it is very important to keep a clean and standardized MPI for many many reasons: ease of use, patient safety, timely treatment, and transferability, not to mention billing and legal reasons.

Personality and Ability Essay

1) What determines our individual characteristics? In other words, is personality and ability determined by our genes, our environment, or some combination of both? a. What percentage of our personality is determined by our genes? 35 -49% b. What percentage of our ability is determined by our genes? 60% 2) What are the different taxonomies for classifying an individual’s personality? a. The Big Five – This taxonomy consists of five traits: Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience, and Extraversion. It reliably measures personality traits and validly predicts many job outcomes. b. The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory – This taxonomy is one of the most popular. Unfortunately, it is not very reliable (take it once and you might be classified as an ESTJ, take it again and you might be classified as an ISFP). It also isn’t very valid. Why isn’t it valid? Well, for one, it isn’t reliable. (And remember, reliability is a precursor for validity). For another, it doesn’t really separate well from bad performers. This scale is not commonly used for selection or promotion purposes, but it is commonly used for teambuilding purposes†¦We both take the test, then we say, â€Å"Wow, look at me. I’m an ESTJ†¦I ’m such an extraverted senser. What are you? An ISFJ? Oh that’s so cool. We are both senser and judgers. Let’s be good teammates now.† c. Holland’s RIASEC model (named after a dude, not the region of the Netherlands). This taxonomy is used to guide people into career fields†¦not much else. So, the main takeaway here is that on the question that asks, â€Å"Which taxonomy is best for making selection and promotion decisions?† Choose the Big Five. 3) The Big Five a. What are the Big Five? Conscientiousness: dependable, organized, methodical, reliable, persevering, ambitious, NOT careless, sloppy, inefficient, negligent, lazy and irresponsible Agreeableness: kind, cooperative, sympathetic, helpful, courteous, warm, not critical, not antagonistic, not callous, not selfish, not rude and cold Neuroticism: nervous, moody, emotional, insecure, jealous, unstable NOT calm, steady, relaxed, at ease, secure, contented Openness: curious, imaginative, creative, complex, refined, sophisticated, NOT uninquisitive, conventional, conforming, simple, inartistic, traditional Extraversion: talkative, sociable, passionate, bold, dominant NOT quiet, shy, inhibited, bashful, reserved, submissive b. Which two traits predict task performance across nearly all jobs? Conscientious and neuroticism c. In what types of jobs are the other three traits valid predict of task performance? Agreeableness=service jobs, extraversion=sales or leadership, openness= learning d. How does the strength of the situation impact the degree to which personality predicts task performance? 4) In class, we talked about personality testing. Each student completed a personality survey under (a) an honest condition and (b) a simulated job application condition. a. Was there evidence that faking was a problem? b. What are different techniques for alleviating faking on personality tests? Proactive measures Use forced-choice inventories where applicants have to decide between equally desirable options (e.g., which adjective best describes you: ambitious or helpful?) Use conditional reasoning tests (rather than ask about your personality, ask questions then infer your personality based on your responses) Warn applicants not to fake Require applicants to elaborate on their responses Reactive measures Measure response times Include items designed to catch fakers c. Were we able to eliminate faking? 5) In general, what is the best individual characteristic (out of our personality traits and abilities) for predicting task performance? a. What about if we are trying to predict an individual’s typical task performance? Motivation b. What about if we are trying to predict an individual’s maximal task performance? Ability 6) What characteristic of the job impacts the relationship between cognitive ability and task performance? When is the relationship stronger and when is the relationship weaker? One of the best predictor of job performance. Gold standard in terms of individual difference predictors. Research evidence for the validity of general mental ability measures for predicting job performance is stronger than for any other method. Significantly undervalued by managers On average, conscientiousness is a better predictor of employee performance than intelligence. 72% Increase organizational performance/profitability 7) Emotional ability – What are the dimensions of emotional ability? What do they mean? (If I give you an example, you should be able to tell me which dimension is being portrayed.) Self-awareness: Appraisal and expression of emotions in oneself. The ability of an individual to understand the types of she is experiencing, the willingness to acknowledge them and the capability to express them naturally. Other awareness: appraisal and recognition of emotion in others. Ability to recognize and understand the emotions that other people are feeling. Emotion regulation: ability to recover quickly from emotional experiences. Use of emotions: this capability reflects the degree to which people can harness emotions and employ them to improve their chances of being successful in whatever they’re seeking to. Groups and Teams 1. What is task interdependence? Team members interact with and rely on other team members for the information, materials, and resources needed to accomplish work for the team. a. What are the different types of task interdependence? Pooled interdependence: low task interdependence, easier to manage. Faster Sequential interdependence: different tasks are done in a prescribed order the interaction only occurs between members who perform task that are next to each other in the sequence. The latter part sustain the task after former part. One way interaction. Reciprocal interdependence: same sequential one but this is two way interaction. Comprehensive interdependence: highest level of interaction and coordination among members. High quality output, difficult to manage, more conflict, social loafers or dominant members, more  simulate members, more catches errors, i. If I give you an example of a work team, you should be able to tell me what type work team they are (in terms of task interdependence). Work team, management team, parallel team, project team, action team ii. If I give you a type of work team (in terms of task interdependence), you should be able to tell me how their members interact iii. You should a lso be able to rank the task interdependence types in terms of the degree of coordination required. Comprehensive, reciprocal, sequential, pooled, b. How does increasing the degree of coordination required (aka increasing task interdependence) affect process gains? Teams have more (and more diverse) knowledge / skills / information than the individuals Teams are able to â€Å"divide and conquer† tasks Teams are better at catching errors than the individual who proposed the idea Teams are better at creating and enforcing production norms Teams might stimulate individuals to perform better Teams might stimulate a sense of belongingness Members might learn knowledge / skills / information from other individuals in the team Members might positively impact others’ moods and emotions (emotional contagion) c. How does increasing the degree of coordination required (aka increasing task interdependence) affect process losses? Coordination consumes time and energy that could have been devoted to the task Production blocking Groupthink: Pressure to conform to the team and reluctance to criticize the comments of others Fear of negative evaluations from others may cause members to withhold ideas Some team members may exercise undue influence or monopolize the team’s time Members may exert less effort when working on team tasks (â€Å"social loafing†) Members might negatively impact others’ moods and emotions (emotional contagion) 2. What is goal interdependence? The degree to which team members have a shared goal and align their  individual goals with that vision† The more, the merrier. Increases potential for process gains, decreases potential for process losses a. How does increasing goal interdependence affect process gains? b. How does increasing goal interdependence affect process losses? 3. What is outcome independence? â€Å"The degree to which team members share equally in the feedback and rewards that result from the team achieving its goals. a. How does increasing outcome interdependence affect process gains? Answer: It depends on the situation. b. How does increasing outcome interdependence affect process losses? Answer: It depends on the situation. High outcome interdependence: Team members share in the rewards (pay, bonuses, feedback, recognition, etc.) that the team earns Advantages: promotes cooperation Low outcome interdependence: Individual members receive rewards based on individual performance regardless of team performance Advantages: higher performing members prefer getting more rewards than rest. 4. If task interdependence is high (or low), how should outcome interdependence be designed to maximize the ratio of process gains to process losses? . If task interdependence is high, it is usually better to ensure that outcome interdependence is also high 5. If outcome interdependence is high (or low), how should task interdependence be designed to maximize the ratio of process gains to process losses? If outcome interdependence is low, it is usually better to try to ensure that task interdependence is also low. 6. What are some factors that make up a team’s composition? Member roles, member ability, member personality, team diversity, team size 7. What are the different team roles? If I explain a team role, you should be able to tell me whether it is a team task role, a team building role, or an individualistic role. a. What team roles generally benefit the team? What team role is generally negative? Whereas Task role and team building role benefit the team, individualistic roles are generally negative. 8. What is the relationship between team cognitive ability and team performance? a. When is this relationship stronger? In general, a team’s cognitive ability is a moderate-to-strong predictor of  team performance. As the task becomes more complex, the strength of the relationship between a team’s cognitive ability and its performance increases. 9. What is the best combination of team members in terms of: a. Conscientiousness- variance is important, too much is bad b. Extraversion-variance is important, too little variance can be bad c. Agreeableness- minimum is important, no members are too low. 10. What is the impact of diversity on team outcomes? More specifically: a. For which types of tasks is diversity generally good? 1. The The task is complex and requires creativity 2. attributes considered are related to knowledge and perspectives (ethnicity, expertise, personality, attitudes, etc.) b. For which types of tasks is homogeneity (the lack of diversity) good? Regular work, low task complexity, requires efficiency c. What is surface-level diversity? Diversity regarding observable attributes such as race, sex, and age. i. How does it impact process losses over time? These process losses typically disappear over time d. What is deep-level diversity? Diversity regarding attributes that are less easy to observe initially, but that can be inferred after more direct experience such as attitudes, values, and personality i. How does it impact process losses over time? These process losses usually increase over time 11. What are task work processes? Creative behavior, decision making, boundary spanning a. In terms of decision making, why do some teams make bad decisions (i.e., what are the components that lead to poor team decisions)? Decision infirmity: reflects whether members possess adequate information about their own task responsibilities. Staff validity: is the degree to which members make a good recommendations to the leader. Team members can possess all the information needed to make a valid recommendation but then fail to do so because of a lack of ability, insight or good judgment. Hierarchical  sensitivity: is the degree to which the leader effectively weighs the members’ recommendations. 12. What are teamwork processes? a. If I describe behaviors and interactions within a team, you should be able to tell me whether these processes are transition, action, or interpersonal processes. Transition processes: teamwork activities that focus on preparation for future work. Action processes: monitoring progress toward goals. Teams that pay attention to goal related information are typically in a good position to realize when they are off track and need to make changes. Interpersonal processes: motivating and confidence building, affect management, conflict management, b. Also, you should know: i. When are transition processes most valuable to team success? ii. When are action processes most valuable to team success? iii. When are interpersonal processes most valuable to team success? 13. What are team states? a. What is cohesion? Emotional attachment that tends to foster high levels of motivation and commitment to the team. i. How does cohesion affect team outcomes? Tend to promote higher level of team performance. ii. What is groupthink? Feelings of overconfidence about the team capabilities. b. What is potency? Is the degree to which members believe that the team can be effective across a variety of situations and tasks. i. How does potency affect team outcomes? When a team has a high potency, members are confident that their team can perform well. Vice versa. c. What are mental models? Level of common understanding among team members with regard to importantaspects of the team and its task. 14. How do teams develop over time†¦ a. †¦according to the Stage Based Model of Team Development? b. †¦according to the Punctuated Equilibrium Model of Team Development? Leadership: 1. What is power? The ability to influence the behavior of others and resist unwanted influence in return. a. What are the different types of power? Personal, organizational i. What types are derived from a person’s position within the organization? Legitimate power: is derived from a position of authority inside the organization and is sometimes referred to as formal authority. Reward power, coercive power ii. What types are derived from factors other than formal authority? Personal power: expert power, referent power b. What are some contingency factors that influence whether or not a person has power? (If I describe a situation, you should be able to tell me what contingency is responsible for the person’s power or lack of power). Power contingency factors: situations in organizations that are likely to increase or decrease the degree to which leaders can use their power to influence others. These include substitutability: there are no substitutes for the rewards or resources the leader controls. Discretion: the leader has the freedom to make his or her own decisions without being restrained by organizational rules. Centrality: the leader’s role is important and interdependent with others in the organization Visibility: others know about the leader and the resources he or she can provide. 2. What are the different influence tactics? If I describe a situation, you should be able to tell me what influence tactic is being used. a. Which tactics are most effective?  Rational persuasion, consultation, inspirational appeals, collaboration b. Which tactics are least effective? Pressure, coalitions c. When trying to influence a superior, which tactic is most effective? Engagement 3. What are the different responses to influence tactics? a. What influence tactics often lead to internalization/engagement vs. compliance vs. resistance? Engagement occurs when the target of influence agrees with and becomes committed to the influence request Compliance: occurs when targets of influence are willing to do what the leaders asks but  they do it with a degree of ambivalence. Resistance: target refuses to perform the influence request. Influencer’ power is low relative to the target or request itself is unreasonable. 4. What are the different conflict resolution techniques?  a. What types of outcomes do we expect from the different techniques? Competing: high assertiveness, low cooperation (win-lose) Avoiding: low assertiveness, low cooperation (lose-lose) Accommodating: low assertiveness, high cooperation (lose-win) Collaboration: high assertiveness, high cooperation (win-win) the best outcome Compromise: moderate assertiveness, moderate cooperation (win-lose) easy and common 5. Trait theories of leadership: a. Out of the Big Five and cognitive ability, which two traits are the strongest predictors of leader emergence? Conscientiousness and extraversion b. Out of the Big Five and cognitive ability, which trait is the strongest predictor of leader effectiveness? Cognitive ability c. According to the trait theories of leadership: i. What leadership outcome is best predicted by personality? leader emergence ii. What leadership outcome is best predicted by cognitive ability? Leader effectiveness d. Basic premise of trait vs. behavior theories: If traits predict leadership, then organizations should invest in hiring people with general dispositions to be leaders. If not, then organizations should not focus on hiring the right people, but instead, should focus on training people to be good leaders. Research shows that both traits and behaviors predict leadership. So, organizations should focus on hiring people that are predisposed to be better leaders and then training these people how to be the best leaders they can be. 6. Behavior theories of leadership: a. What are the two general categories of leader behaviors? If I describe a particular behavior, you should be able to tell me whether it is an example of â€Å"Consideration† or â€Å"Initiating Structure†. Initiating Structure: the extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his/her roles and  those of employees in the search for goal attainment Consideration: the extent to which a person is likely to have job relationships that are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings b. What outcomes do these leader behaviors predict? (You don’t need to know which behaviors â€Å"moderately† are vs. â€Å"strongly† related to which outcomes†¦just that these two behaviors are both pretty good predictors of the set of outcomes.) 7. Contingency theories of leadership: a. According to the Life Cycle Theory of Leadership: i. When followers are unable, initiating structure is important ii. When followers are unwilling, consideration is important iii. Followers usually progress through 4 stages: 1. Unable but Willing 2. Unable and Unwilling 3. Able but Unwilling 4. Able and Willing iv. So, in Stage 1 (Unable but Willing), initiating structure behaviors are required. In Stage 2, both initiating structure and consideration behaviors are required. In Stage 3, consideration behaviors are required. And in Stage 4, since the group is both willing and able, neither initiating structure nor consideration behaviors are necessarily required†¦the team will excel on its own. b. According to the Time-Driven Model of Leader Decision-Making Styles i. What are the different decision-making styles and how do they differ in terms of who is responsible for what? ii. I am not going to ask you to memorize the â€Å"decision-tree†. But you need to know that the effectiveness of the decision-making style is contingent upon the situation. In some situations, an autocratic style is most important, in others, a facilitative style, etc. iii. What might happen if leaders use inappropriate styles? You may end up making an incorrect decision The decision-making process may be inefficient (take more time or cost more money) The subordinates may not buy in to the decision c. According to Leader-Member Exchange Theory: Leaders treat different subordinates differently and the effectiveness of a leader is contingent on the relationship between the leader and the particular member(s) i. Who gets invited into the â€Å"in-group†? Those who are competent, likeable, and more similar to the leader in terms of attitudes and values. ii. What are the advantages of being in the â€Å"in-group†? More trusted, receive a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, receive special privileges iii. What are the disadvantages of being in the â€Å"in-group†? Rise and fall with the success of the leader. iv. How do people in the â€Å"in-group† differ from people in the â€Å"out-group† in terms of performance, turnover, and satisfaction? Higher performance, less turnover, greater job satisfaction Rate the leader as more effective. d. According to Critical Theories of Leadership: i. If substitutes or neutralizers are present, is it best to spend a lot of money hiring, training, and developing leaders? If neutralizers are present, then spending time and money hiring, training, and developing leaders might not be worth it because they will have little impact on the success of their subordinates Have to consider whether it will be more effective to hire, train, and develop leaders or to focus on leader substitutes instead Good leaders often try to build substitutes so that the unit can run itself When evaluating leader performance, it is important to determine whether success (or failure) is due to the leader or to substitutes and neutralizers. e. What are the different leadership styles? If I explain a leader, you should be able to tell me whether the leader is using a laissez-faire, passive management-by-exception, active management-by-exception, contingent reward, transformational, etc. Laissez-faire: Hands off style of leadership, Leader avoids getting invol ved Management by exception (passive): Leader only gets involved when mistakes are made Management by exception (active): Leader monitors group, looking for mistakes and gets involved only when mistakes are made. Contingent reward: Leader makes rewards contingent on favorable performance. Transformational leadership: What helps leaders â€Å"transform† followers so that they are willing to work beyond expectations to benefit the collective good? Idealized influence: provides a vision and a sense of mission, instills pride, gains respect and trust Inspirational motivation: fosters enthusiasm for and commitment to a shared vision of the future Intellectual stimulation: challenges followers to be innovative and creative Individualized consideration: helps followers achieve their potential through coaching, development, and mentoring f. What are the factors that separate transformational leaders from other leaders? Followers of transformational leaders work harder and are more committed to the group and organization Transformational leadership is strongly related to leader emergence and leader effectiveness Leaders can be trained in transformational leadership styles Dark side: Followers can be convinced to act unethically or immorally. A good leader has desirable leadership traits A good leader exhibits effective leadership behaviors A good leader matches the leadership behavior to the situation A good leader guides individuals and motivates them to perform at a high level A great leader transforms followers so that they are willing to work beyond expectations to benefit the collective good

Leg Ulcers

Chapter One *A Brief Overview of a Venous Leg Ulcer *and the Assessment Process The nurse must have the skills and knowledge to identify a venous leg ulcer. Dowsett (2005) believes that it is important that nurses and other health care professionals look for the underlying cause of an ulcer. Whereas, the Royal College of Nursing (1998) has different views, and argues that, professionals who are fully trained in leg ulcer management should only be able to identify an underlying cause as it is easily mistaken that diagnosis of an arterial leg ulcer is made rather than venous which could cause serious treatment complications for the wound as well as the patient. There are major problems associated with a venous leg ulcer such as, pain, loss of mobility, financial implications and much more which will be discussed in chapter 3. Leg ulcers appear as shallow holes or craters in which the tissue underneath is exposed. They can vary in size, discolouration and depth (National Health Service Direct 2008) (NHS). The clinical factors of a venous leg ulcer are, lipodermatosclerosis (champagne bottle shaped leg) ,which is cellulites affecting the dermis and subcutaneous tissue (Finlay & Chowdhery, 2007), hyperpigmentation, derived red blood cells extravagated from dilated, leaky capillaries which produces areas of brown discolouration (Brown & Burns, 2007). Atrophic Blanche, where interspersed by visible engorged capillaries seen as tiny red dots just below the surface of the skin (Moffat et al, 2007). However before looking at the patients wound it is the nurses role to look at the patient holistically and find out past medical and family history as well as personal factor that could contribute to the condition (Moffat et al, 2007). There are essential details that the patient can tell the nurse about their ulcer and the factors that may contribute to this. Such factors are their full medical history these details should include varicose veins, diabetes, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), previous leg surgery and any family history of leg ulceration (Dougherty and Lister 2004). The importance of this is that if a leg ulcer is diagnosed incorrectly, such as a venous ulcer being mistakenly diagnosed as an arterial one can have serious complications for the patient and causing further delays in the healing of the wound. Also the nurse must undertake baseline observations this includes, the patient’s weight, height, blood pressure (BP), oxygen saturations levels, temperature nd respiratory rate, and also the patient’s nutritional intake, urine samples and routine blood tests such as glucose and haemoglobin levels must be gained, as diabetes is present in approximately 5% of patients with leg ulcer (SIGN 1998). Murray (2004) also agrees with Dougherty & Lister (2004) & Bolton et al (2004) stating that that hyperglycaemia can have an e ffect in the wound healing process, as this can be linked with infection and decreased oxygen levels in the haemoglobin will slow down the healing process and go onto starve tissue. These factors are important to know as it plays a big part in the wound healing process. In clinical practice thesebasic observations are a vital part of information gained to ensure safer patient care and early recognition of deterioration. The key factor in order to gain a thorough assessment it is essential that the nurse must have is communication and listening skills not only for this purpose but also for a nurse patient relationship. Dealey, (1994) believes that fear is one of the most common experiences a human can feel and a patients illness release many fears, in which health care professionals are unable to identify when not allowing the patient to express their needs freely. If the patient has a full understanding of their condition they are more likely to comply with treatment regimes and have a more productive relationship with healthcare professional’s (Anderson 2006). The RCN (2008) states, that the nurse-patient relationship is founded on trust. The nurse patient relationship allows the conversation to flow easy in order to gain a holistic approach to the patients care. The Code (2008) also agrees that as nurses ‘we must listen to people in our care and respond to their concerns and preferences’. Much research has taken place regarding nurse patient relationships, McCabe (2002) carried out a study which aimed to explore and produce statements relating to the patients experiences of how nurses communicate. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. This focuses on individual’s interpretations of experiences and ways in which they express them (Parahoo 1997), followed by unstructured questionnaires which were tape recorded and lasted for approximately thirty minutes. The results found that four themes emerged, these were, lack of communication, ‘attending’, empathy and friendly nurses. Therefore the conclusions were that in contrast to the literature, nurses are not good at communicating with patients, however nurses can communicate well if the task undertaken was a patient centred approach. Although research has taken place the limitations were that only eight patients participated, therefore this could reduce the validity and reliability of the study. Also with such a small sample the study could be used as a pilot study which could be replicated in the UK as this study was undertook in Ireland.

A peak detector

Ac voltage to DC voltage and reduces the disturbance. The function can be explained as follow. The capacitor stores the current peak voltage.If he input voltage is larger, the op-amp output goes positive until the capacitor is charged up to the new peak value. If the input voltage is smaller, the diode keeps the capacitor from being discharged. This peak value of voltage that is stored on the capacitor will remain until this capacitor is discharged by a mechanical or electronic switch. Components of peak detector circuit Peak detector circuit consist of two operational amplifiers (op amps), by first op amps on diode Dn is connected in parallel manner and another diode Dp is connected in series manner.And this op amp is connected to the voltage supply. Another op amp and capacitor is connected with this circuit in series. A reset switch is added to the circuit by which the value of peak value that is stored on capacitor A resistor is connected between two op amps. When choosing the re sistor, the limits must be considered: rdf 12 l/fc, where fm is the modulation Frequency and fc is the carrier frequency. Working of peak voltage circuit: The typical peak detector uses voltage amplifiers and a diode or an emitter follower to charge the hold capacitor, CH, unidirectional.The diode conducts positive half cycles, charging the capacitor to the peak voltage value. When the input waveform falls below the DC peak voltage value stored on the capacitor, the diode is reverse biased, blocking current flow from capacitor back to the source. Initially the capacitor discharge(O V) by resetting the A that is negative in situation, Dp blocks current, TOB current is provided by 10 ohms and diode reverses leakage from drain capacitor and stop the output signal. If input inverting input exceed the voltage of the capacitor, he output of B races up to a positive value and current flows through Dp .The voltage drop of the diode is negated due to feedback voltage being after the drop. Th e capacitor charges until it has reached Vin or when Vin drops below its capacitor's voltage at the time of which A goes back into the negative saturation. The capacitor slowly discharge through the reset. This is a major source of droop on fast or low duty cycle signals since it will discharge some before. The next wave peak A- is a unity gain output buffer that prevents the next stage from draining the capacitor.

Strategic Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Management - Research Paper Example Stable political situation in America and economic relations with Europe supported development and growth of international operations. Government policies and employment law have a positive impact on company's performance, its market position and organizational structure. Economic factors included stable economic development of the region, low interest rates and low inflation rates; regional and international cooperation, high record of airline industry growth. Social/demographic included lifestyle changes (involve aging of population), and increasing number of travelers. Technological forces generate problem-solving inventions. Airline target was on average as dependent on reliable information technology as any other businesses. Improvements in cargo ships and handling equipment, increasing containerization, applications of IT to scheduling and controlling shipments and to customs procedures, new plains, and a host of other technological advances and innovations have reduced the cos ts of services and information. On the other hand, airline technology cost is one of the highest among other industries (Rinehart, 2005; Meyer 2003). After 9/11 Delta Airlines experienced profit loss and lost it market share. ... Many potential passengers prefer to use alternative transport even if it takes more time to get to the place of destination. In this case the bargaining power of customers is not crucial. The ultimate aim of customers is to pay the lowest possible price to obtain the services that they require. Events of 9/11 forced many carriers including Delta Airlines invest in security systems and increase safety of airplanes (Meyer 2003; Delta Air Lines 2007). Porter's 5 P's (forces) include: the threat of entry of new competitors; the threat of substitutes; the bargaining power of customers; the bargaining power of suppliers; the degree of rivalry between existing competitors (Porter 45). Before 9/11, new entrants to an industry raised the level of competition, thereby reducing its attractiveness. Competition did not have a great impact on Delta Airlines obtaining a string market position and brand image. The presence of substitute services like trains, ships or automobiles transportation did not influence the industry and the price levels. A source of customers' power was the willingness and ability to achieve backward integration. Supplier power in the airline industry was the converse of buyer power. Suppliers had enough leverage over industry firms, and raised prices high enough to significantly influence the profitability of their organizational customers (Delta Air Lines 2007; Marks 2007). After 9/11, the threat of substitutes and the bargaining power of customers were the main 'drivers' in this industry. Many customers use alternative transport because of safety concerns. The high fuel prices do not allow Delta Airlines to decrease prices and attract wider target

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example This paper will look at Costco’s foray into the bridal market and its attempt to cater to the readymade wedding gowns segment for brides to be, albeit using the services of Los Angeles designer Kirstie Kelley. Discussion It seems that Costco has been deliberating its move into the market for bridal gowns for some time now. It had already been offering engagement rings, invitation cards and even honeymoon packages for the bride and groom- but the move into designer inspired wedding dresses leaves no doubt that Costco sees a future in this segment of the population that visits its store. Marriages and divorces are increasingly a part of our lives, whether in the media, on film or in real life. The marriage rate has declined since the 1970s, with the median age for first marriage increasing to as much as 28 years for males and 26 years for females- since couples either now wait till they can afford it, or live together and marry later in life. The highest rate for marriages and d ivorces was recorded in Virginia, being 21 per 1000 and 19 per 1000 male residents respectively in 2011 (Morello, 2011). The store will unveil its offerings via in-store trunk shows, which will allow the prospective customers not only to inspect the dresses but also try them on for size and look. The first state to have a show will be California, with arrangements for Oregon, Arizona, Colorado and Washington to follow. Costco has been giving tough competition to target and Wal-mart in the USA and both its sales and profits registered an increase over the last quarter, revenues rising from $312 billion to $320 billion over the period ending November 20 (Daniel, 2011). With the cost of the bride’s dress being a big part of the wedding expenses, Costco’s move will help many to tie the knot in style without being an added burden on their pocket. The average wedding costs $27,000. The business has been growing over the website, where couples can also select invitations and flowers. The initiative has also been highlighted in Costco’s local membership magazine. The six designs being offered range in price from $699 to $1399, compared to the $2000 to $7000 Kelley usually charges for a designer creation. Typically a bride will spend $1099 on a wedding dress, as noted by media company the Knot. The same research also found that there is a wide difference between wedding expenses across the USA, with the high average being around $70,000 in New York and the low being around $12,000 in Utah. All the same, 12 percent of brides surveyed spent over $40,000 on their wedding day. Taking all this into account, we can see how Costco is really making a change in the social phenomena by reducing the cost of wedding gown, ring, invitation and honeymoon package- which is almost everything connected with the event from the bride’s perspective at least- to a manageable level. Its coverage of the entire deal will help many tie the knot earlier and with much less of a financial burden. It is a good way to help local communities as well (Anonymous, ‘Pricing’, 2011). Being the work of a designer, Costco can afford to position its line against other designers of repute- showing how to save and yet look like a million bucks on your wedding day. As the tours go on and the trend gets popular, it can become a major

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Essay Example Thesis The movie reflects modern cultural and social phenomena through the lens of gender constructed along sexuality and gender inequalities. In the essays, Susan Bordo (2003) proposes a unique vision and interpretation of modern culture and gender relations between opposite sexes. She criticizes a "material" and gendered body supposing that sexualized images of women make them victims of male oppression and violence, and "sex objects". Also, the author talks about such things as "standardized visual images' and gender stereotypes, "complex crystallizations of culture" which have a significant influence on modern audience. The prestige of the individual self-reached an all-time high when new social arrangements and events dramatized the relative powerlessness of the individual leading to a devaluation of the self. The movie takes place at the beginning of 21st century in New York. It vividly reflects modern culture and values, human relations and hopes. During this period of time, gender roles and sexual relations have a great influence on the society as it is often designed to add psychological value to its existence; it plays a more important communications role in every day life than any another activity: politics or economics. It is possible to say that sexual relations (depicted between Joel and Clementine, Stan and Mary) control the circulation of ideas in modern culture. The movie is based on the idea that new gender roles and new wave of feminist movement has changed identity and the role of women in the society. New ideas and values are inherent in modern culture based on technological innovations and the Internet, globalization and the popular global culture (Jarvis, 2000). The historical context of the movie has a great impact on production and perception of its context reflected in circulation of ideas and values. Viewers understand that through a complex interaction of identification processes such as love and fear, pain and haltered between the main characters, gender differences are produced--typically in the form of a dichotomy that not only opposes masculinity to femininity but also translates these oppositional differences into gender hierarchy, the privileging of traits and activities defined as masculine over those defined as feminine (Bordo, 2003). Through a gender-sensitive lens, the storyteller portrays how constructions of masculinity (agency, control, aggression) are not independent of, but rely upon, contrasting constructions of femininity (dependence, vulnerability, passivity) of Clementine and Mary. The whole span of development, from the explosive emotions of his youth to the skeptical mysticism of his middle age, is encompassed by the desire to play a game with his life and death. Joel fits very closely in with these ideas; he is a man trapped by a conventional notion of what is 'right' and 'wrong'. The composition of the movie supports its unique interpretation of events and gender roles creating a circle of events which forces viewers to rethink and re-interpret them time and again. The film employs reverse chronology structure that depicts relationships between Joel and Clementine in reverse order, from the most painful moments to happier times. This structure helps audience to focus on the memories and emotions of the heroes and understand the essence of their relations. It is possible to assume that such chronology is used to

Trade and investment issues between China and other econmies Essay

Trade and investment issues between China and other econmies - Essay Example However, after 1978, the country has experienced actual growth of more than 9 percent annually. In the topmost years, Chinas economy grew more than 13 percent. For the last 15 years, the nation has increased its per capita income (Zhuli and Mohsin, par. 1). Furthermore, some experts are even predicting that in about 20 years, the economy of China will be larger than US. An IMF research team that recently examined the sources of Chinas growth reached a surprising conclusion. The constant productivity increase was the driving force behind Chinas economic boom. According to Zhulu and Mohsin (par. 5), productivity gains in the years 1979 to 1994 accounted for more than 42% of the growth of China. By the early 1990s, it had overtaken the capital as the most important source of that growth. A traditional development view in which capital investment takes the lead is marked from this. The productivity jump originated in the reforms of the economy begun in the year 1978. Additionally, the much earlier study on the development of the economy have suggested an important role of capital investment in the growth of the economy. It has also proposed a sizable portion of the recent growth of the country is in fact accredited to capital investment that has made China more productive. The meaning of this is that better technology, new machinery, and more infrastructure investment has helped China to raise its output. Higher productivity has performed the most recent economic miracle in China, Zhuli and Mohsin (par. 10) state. The countys productivity increased at a yearly rate of 3.9 percent during 1979 to 1994, compared with 1953-1978s 1.1 percent. Output growth productivity share exceeded 50 percent. Such explosive growth is outstanding. Chinas economic growth rate of almost 4 percent puts the country in a class by itself (Zhuli and Mohsin, par. 10). Pre and post-1978 China experts indicate that market-oriented reforms embarked on