Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Supply Chain Is Far And Away Your Most Effective Customer...
forecasted. Jim Laverty says ââ¬Å"Your supply chain is far and away your most effective customer service tool. It directly dictates the two most vital parts of customer satisfaction: price and deliveryâ⬠(Laverty, 2014, para. 4). Wegmans caters to customers needs by not only providing the goods that they request, but allowing them to return those goods if they are not completely satisfied. Stevenson (2015) discribes Wegmans customer satisfaction policy like this: ââ¬Å"If a customer is dissatisfied with an item, and returns it, or even a portion of the item, the customer is offered a choice of a replacement or a refund. If the item is a Wegmans brand food item, it is then sent to the test kitchen to determine the cause of the problem. If the causeâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Because of the extensive steps that Wegmans makes towards making customers happy, it earned the top spot in the American Customer Service Index in 2015. The ACSI stated ââ¬Å"Wegmans, one of three retailers to improve customer satisfaction, gains 1 percent to 86 and becomes one of the highest-scoring companies in the Indexâ⬠(Roberts, 2016, para. 8). Cost of Labor for Wegmans. The new FLSA proposed changes regarding overtime regulations in pay could significantly raise the expense in salaries that organizations pay their employees in cases where an organization has a majority of its employees in the salaried bracket who earn a pay ranging from $23,660 to $50,440 and additionally working on more hours of overtime. Professionals in the HR department are the most involved and as they await the final changes on the regulations by U.S department Laborââ¬â¢s (DOLââ¬â¢s), there is a serious implication that will raise deep concerns for employers in terms of the increase in costs/money they will incur upon the implementation of the FLSA regulations. Upon implementation of the new regulations, it will cost employers approximately $592.7 million according to the estimates of DOL who further stated that every organization that will be affected will require an hour to at least get up in an attempt to speed on the adjustments of the FLS A rules. There is however the brighter side of it where the rule gives the provision for employers to reclassify employees who have been
Monday, December 16, 2019
Leaders Are Born Not Made Free Essays
Story by John Mulder. (Steven Lewis) accepts the facts that it is true there are born leaders and also attribute the qualities to be good communication, intelligence and winsomeness. But he also argues that there are men and women that became leaders not because they were born to be, but because they were called to lead. We will write a custom essay sample on Leaders Are Born Not Made or any similar topic only for you Order Now He says also that the vitality of an organization and community rest on the largely measured form of identifying and nurturing and even training for leadership. A mythology example of leadership in America who are born not made in lifeââ¬â¢s of churches says (Stephen Lewis), National Director of Calling Education in Atlanta, Georgia. ââ¬Å"They think itââ¬â¢s between you and God, and only after you receive your personal call does a congregation become involved. What we want to do is to help congregations see that its part of their own calling to raise up a new generation of Leaders. We want them to recognize themselves as communities of callâ⬠. (Rev. Lewis) this initiative is to create an infrastructural of callings and awakening the imaginations of people to recognize their own callings amongst congregations, church judicatories and church related organizations. (Rev. Lewis) reflects on his story of how he became a priest. His entry was delayed after years of obtaining a degree in business school at university of North Carolina at Charlotte and worked in the financial Institutions ââ¬Å"Though he recognized the deep calling the whole timeâ⬠he said. Furthermore, he recalls before entering the church he was allowed to put up his paintings, and what he also remembered vividly was (Mrs. Mary Pearson), telling him that ââ¬Å"God has his hands on youâ⬠. (Rev. Lewis) emphasis that it was not only one person, but the whole community was aware of his calling. He was also encouraged by the community and to him; it had just seemed that the freedom, openness and depth had made that difference. However the need for Calling Congregation Initiative is urgent as many denominations of national offices of vocation in the 1950ââ¬â¢s-1960 were abolished stated, (Rev. Lewis). This easily increased the need for nurturing future leaders and identifying them. Most importantly, (Rev. Lewis), the Calling Congregations Initiative found three crucial methods to develop the vocation care movement: Relationships amongst persons in a vocation This is when a community is able to care for its own and that means they must have being able to explore their own vocationâ⬠, (Rev. Lewis) Sense of vocation with communities (Rev. Lewis) states that ââ¬Å"We have to help people get beyond the notion of a call as individual thing. It only happens when one person is bounded to anotherâ⬠. Vocation Stories (Rev. Lewis) also emphasis ââ¬Å" Only by telling your own story do you discover your own vocation, and only by narrating it can you inspire others and awaken them to the fact that they too may have a callâ⬠. Thus (Rev. Lewis) tells a story of people in the Calling Congregations Initiative is increasingly moving. Citing an example of a pastor with a large congregation in United Methodist church that preaches about ââ¬Ëcallingâ⬠. He planned to issue an altar call on the last Sunday and congregations were alerted. That day came and the turn over was immensely profounding with an attendance of 467 worshipers and 33 women and men came forward. ââ¬Å"If we create the space for calling, if we really ask the deepest questions about life and itââ¬â¢s meaningâ⬠, Rev. Lewis says, ââ¬Å"We will be amazed at how many people we would find. They will say ââ¬ËMy life mattersââ¬â¢. ââ¬â¢ My congregation mattersââ¬â¢. We would find a robust group of people who will come forwardâ⬠. He saysâ⬠This program is a contradiction of that narrative of decline, which comes out of a theology of scarcity. We need to realize that weââ¬â¢ve inherited a theology of abundance. What weââ¬â¢re doing is both a contradiction of and a protest against decline. â⬠Finally (Rev. Lewis) also adds ââ¬Å"We do want to change the world. We do believe the churches are shapers of culture. We can do that and we have done that. We need to start living out of that abundance. â⬠And, he says, ââ¬Å"We know that we can successfully create the connections to build and nurture an ecology in which people can hear Godââ¬â¢s call. â⬠Rev. Stephen Lewis can be reached at slewis@thefund. org, or at 404. 727. 411, or at the Fund for Theological Education, 825 Houston Mill Road, Suite 250, Atlanta, GA 30329. Reference: John Mulder ââ¬Å"Leaders are born not made: wrong! â⬠http://www. resourcingchristianity. org/ ,http://www. resourcingchristianity. org/sites/default/files/transcripts/interv iew/StephenLewis_Leaders_are_born_Interview. pdf ,p1-7. Story by Joanne Graf. Joanne talks abo ut various MYTHS of Leadership in management. Any company that is thinking forward recognizes that for them to achieve their objectives, they need to continue to thrive, grow and achieve their success, which is in the leadersââ¬â¢ hands. An example of one of the three MYTHS is to empower and develop leaders of various levels in their organizations. It is commonly observed that people either ââ¬Å"have what it takes ââ¬Å"to be a leader or donââ¬â¢t ââ¬Å". In addition the justification of the existence about whether organizations needs to search for the ââ¬Å"right peopleâ⬠also the ââ¬Å"right characterâ⬠about the need to succeed ,this view undercuts it (Joanne). Another interpretation can be that anyone could be an effective leader if people can challenge their selves and other towards pointing a future for a new leadership and not considering previous generated challenges. People do not need to be rulers for them to be leaders, such instances of limitation are no longer in existence. But rather, people now gain confidence and power to pull through various circumstances or experience by stepping forward as leaders. Leadership could simply be an ordinary individual with the drive and ambition to necessarily deliver utmost action on anything they are doing or want to accomplish. Also when people who show their commitment and are willing to relentlessly achieve what they are doing, they become unstoppable. MYTH 2. Scarce Effective Leadership. When people people believe that leadership is scarce, they constantly struggle to find a sufficient supply of capable leaders. As real as it may seem, but companies have now transformed to taking the opposite views. This has made company discover that they can empower leadership around the various departments in the company. In this context there is no model to shortage of leadership rather it is what will unleash the untapped energy, commitment and creativity. Almost all organizations do not make use of the potential that their people can provide. But by shifting the perspective from scarcity to abundance, there is greater ownership, productivity and growth. Another access to building leadership culture is having leaders take responsibility for developing leadership in others throughout the company. This can be developed if leaders share their experience and coach to others in the company, so that leaders can emerge in an environment that fosters leadership (Joanne Graf). MYTH 3. Real Leaders are effective because of what they know. People think about the world around them in two ways. One is through what they already know, based on past, which includes experience and expertise. The other is through what they donââ¬â¢t know, they seek to find. When seeking break through a leader must challenge what his known and inquire into what is possible beyond that. From what is possible a leader can engage with others to invent how to achieve something new (Joanne Graf). Reference: Joanne Graf ââ¬Å"Managementâ⬠,â⬠Leaders are born not made and other popular mythsâ⬠. ttp://www. spe. org/jpt/print/archives/2004/04/JPT2004_04_management. pdf John Adair: (John Adair) encompassed leadership by helping to change perception of management which includes communication, time management and decision making. He also developed the Action Centered Leadership model. He also says though leadership is different from management, but a good leadership will posses manag ement skill. Adair states leadership in three terms of overlapping circles which are represented by team, task and individual. For a team to work together, they must have in common these three needs: 1. Need to achieve the task 2. Need to be able to manage a groups or team 3. Need for managing persons or individual Also elements found in management like administration and managing resource are not relevant to leadership. But on the other hand, leadership element are also not found in management like committing and inspiring others through ownsââ¬â¢ enthusiasm in a task. [pic] Reference: John Adair (2009)â⬠. ââ¬Å"Action centered leadership ââ¬Å". http://www. earn-to-be-a-leader. com/john-adair. html Story by Allen J. Huth He admits that leaders and managers are interchangeable. He also defines leadership in one word as ââ¬Å"followers. â⬠Leadership does not have a position in an organization. In addition a manager can be authoritative to subordinate because of the right and power he has to get a job done. But a leader is not because he cannot impose his vision on the followers. The follower can either choose to follow or walk away. In an organization, hers are also informal leadership. It is the earned right to lead, positively or negatively by the followers. Reference: Allen J. Hult, 2001,â⬠Born to lead or made to manage-We both needâ⬠. American Business Advisors,Inc. ,Englewood,Colorado. Conclusion For an individual to generate effective leadership actually depends on the size of challenge and result of the commitment involved. Leadership effectiveness is emerged from bold and drastic commitments, engaging people with challenges and giving people chance to move forward and contribute. How to cite Leaders Are Born Not Made, Essay examples
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Relationship with Sheila Essay Example For Students
Relationship with Sheila Essay Priestley wanted to entertain and educate his audience. Explore the ways in which he does both of these in Act Three of An Inspector Callsà You should include reference to other parts of the play in your response.à In An Inspector Calls, the playwright, J.B. Priestley, uses several methods in order to arouse and sustain interest as well as entertain and educate his audience. Some of the techniques that he uses are dramatic irony, language, and stage directions. He also uses the Inspector as a device, particularly in Act Three, to convey his strong social message to both the contemporary audience and those of the present day. The play was written in 1944-1945 but first performed in theatres in 1946, after World War II. Priestley deliberately chose to set the play in 1912 in order to help communicate his message. He utilizes Mr. Birlings optimistic view to make ironic references that there isnt a chance of war and the Titanic isunsinkable, which the audience would find entertaining, as well as offensive because they were struggling to re-build their lives after the war. As the audience know that his comments are incorrect, they begin to doubt his judgements right from the start and anticipate his fall. At that time, Britain was also in an uneasy state, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. This is shown in the play when Eva Smith asks for a higher wage, but is turned down by Mr. Birling. It is apparent that Priestley intentionally set the play in 1912 to allow him to take advantage of the events that happened throughout this era. All three acts in the play occur in the home of a rather portentous man in Brumley, an industrial town in the North Midlands. Act One opens on an evening in the spring of 1912 at the dining room, which contains good solid furniture to illustrate the Edwardian period. In the 1954 black and white film version, the numerous and oppressive use of rich, heavy interiors is an effective way of presenting Mr. Birlings social status. Towards the end of Act Two, the Inspector skilfully directs Mrs. Birling into blaming the father of the child who should be entirely responsible, not realising until the end that it is her own son. Similarly, Act One closes in a revelation, introducing Geralds involvement with Eva Smith. This is very entertaining for the audience as it keeps them on the edge of their seats, wanting more. As Priestley also uses the theme of romance, the audience is able to relate to their situation, leaving them to predict the effect of Erics involvement on his relationship with Sheila. One method that Priestley uses to entertain and educate his audience is through dramatic entrances. Act Three opens exactly as at the end of Act Two. Just as everybody in the room realises who the father is, the tension is heightened by the dramatic entrance of Eric, with the characters, and the audience, anticipating his explanation of his involvement with the girl. As Eric admits to his mistake, Mrs. Birling still refuses to face the reality of her sons excessive drinking and that he is the father because she never dreamt that it is possible. Youre not the type you dont get drunk This language used by Mrs. Birling shows that she still sees Eric and Sheila as children and patronises them, which is constant throughout the play. When Mrs. Birling gives a cry on hearing about Erics confession, Mr. Birling orders Sheila to take mother along to the drawing-room as Eric is about to provide an account of his involvement with Eva Smith. The audience gain an understanding that, at that time, women had to be shielded from any issues of scandal. Another example of this is when Gerald is about to provide his part of the story and wants Sheila to leave the room because its bound to be unpleasant and disturbing, implying that he does not want her to hear the details of his affair with Eva Smith, probably because he still wants them to be together. .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 , .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .postImageUrl , .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 , .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:hover , .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:visited , .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:active { border:0!important; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:active , .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8 .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5110aa7c35fb4ebbeb6c24014f5d4bb8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Poetry reflection EssayThe gap between the parents and the children is revealed when Eric describes Mr. Birling as not the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble to explain why Eric did not consult him. This suggests that he does not have a strong relationship with his father. This gap is widened when Eric discovers that his mother rejected Eva Smith, and consequently, Mrs. Birling killed her and the child shed have had too own grandchild. The audience would be able to relate to Erics situation because after the war, life was very difficult; most people were ill, homeless and unemployed. Therefore, the only help that they could turn to were charity organisations because there was no Welfare State to depend on. However, Mrs. Birling, who is involved in this organisation, refuses to give assistance to Eva Smith, she had only herself to blame, which reveals Mrs. Birlings prejudiced and inconsiderate attitude towards those who are inferior than her. This particular scene is highly entertaining for the audience as they watch the members of the family gradually becoming disunited. On stage, the audience would be able to observe the characters facial expressions and gain a firmer picture of their attitudes, particularly Erics aggressive behaviour towards his mother. The tone of his voice increases as he seems nearly at breaking point in blaming his own mother, damn you, damn you, while Mrs. Birling becomes very distressed when she realises that the death of her grandchild is the consequence of her actions, which shows a sign of weakness. At the same time, Sheila is frightened that Eric will become violent towards his mother and Mr. Birling intervenes, becoming furious at him for disrespecting his mother. The stage directions used in this scene help the audience to enhance their understanding of the play. Priestley also uses this technique in other parts of the play to illustrate and emphasize the character of the Inspector. An example is when he enters the dining room, creating an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. This is an important characteristic of the Inspector, which helps explain his ability to dominate the Birlings by cutting in through their conversations, showing his authoritative and commanding attitude. He speaks carefully, weightily, preventing them to distract him from his inquiry by moving their attention to the death of Eva Smith to make them focus on the issue. Therell be plenty of time, when Ive gone, for you all to adjust your family relationships. At the beginning of Act One, Priestley also clarifies in the stage directions that the lighting should be pink and intimate until the INSPECTOR arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder. The change in lighting suggests a variation in the mood, from a warm and joyful atmosphere to a sense of tension as the Inspector is going to throw light on the characters to reveal some of the dark truths about them.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
The True Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone Essays - Operas, Antigone
The True Tragic Hero in Sophocles' Antigone The True Tragic Hero in Sophocles' Antigone In Master Sophocles' Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero really is has been a subject of debate for a great number years. Creon does possess some of the qualities that constitute a tragic hero but unfortunately does not completely fit into the role. Antigone, however, possesses all the aspects of a tragic hero. These are, in no particular order, having a high social position, not being overly good or bad, being tenacious in their actions, arousing pity in the audience, a revelatory manifestation, and having a single flaw that brings about their own demise and the demise of others around them. Antigone possesses all of these traits therefore qualifying as the tragic hero. The first qualifying aspect is that Antigone is of a high social standing in Thebes. Creon himself refers to her as a princess though she is technically no longer one. Because of her high standing she is capable of great suffering, in that she has a lot of fame and regard to lose. Those who say Creon is the tragic hero state say that Antigone is no longer in a high position in the society, therefore does not qualify on that account. If the character had needed to be in a high political position this would be true, but they need only have a great deal to lose in their downfall. Although she may no longer hold political power Antigone is still a powerful figure in Thebes, since she was to be married to Creon's son Haemon and the whole city seemed to know how tragic her life had become. Antigone and Creon would qualify as the tragic hero if the only requirement was not being overly good or bad. Creon shows his negative side when he refuses to bury Polyneices and when he speaks to the sentry. His positive side is shown in his obvious affection for Antigone and Ismene, whom he has attempted to raise since their fathers death. Antigone's ungodly side is shown by her incestuous behavior with her brother Polyneices. Her positive side is shown by the way the she insists on respecting his right to be buried in the religious tradition of Greece so that his soul may live on in the afterlife. Another aspect of a tragic hero is an unwavering course of action, most likely caused by their flaw, that brings about their demise and the demise of those around them. Antigone's flaw is her rash and headstrong behavior. This is the source of the conflict in the play. Had Antigone asked Creon for permission to bury Polyneices in observance of the Greek role in religious life he would have probably allowed it. Instead, she rashly decided to take matters into her own hands, most likely because of her anger in losing the true love of her life. This aspect also emerges later in the play, when Antigone decides to kill herself in the cave rather than give Creon the satisfaction of the deed. Had she not been so imprudently hasty she would have been spared her life by Creon, who was on his way to free Antigone and have Polyneices given a proper burial. Creon does not have a tenacious nature, and therefore could not be the Aristotelian tragic hero. His ineptness as a ruler is prevalent in the way he wavers on the topic of Polyneices burial. In the beginning he seems very stubborn, which some say is one of the fatal flaws that qualify him as a tragic hero, but later changes his mind. The true tragic hero would stick to their fatal flaw, like Antigone did, until their complete demise. As far as the issue of arising pity in the audience and in other characters, it is clear that Antigone clearly wins over Creon in the arena of intensity of emotion. All of Thebes sympathizes with Antigone, especially after she has been sentenced to death. Haemon himself tells his father "And I have heard them, muttering and whispering...They say no woman has ever, so unreasonably, died so shameful a death for a generous act." It is obvious that she had the pity of the entire city except for Creon. Creon, however, is not sympathized with at all except for the chorus, which always agrees with the last point of view presented. Some readers may be inclined to side with him, but the entire city is opposed to him during the play disqualifying him as the tragic hero. Another issue that has been brought up in the
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
simuulation games essays
simuulation games essays Simulation Games- To take the appearance or form of; to pretend; to make a model of Simulation games have come a long since they first began a long time ago. Graphics and sound have gotten much better, complexity of the game engine and multiplayer capabilities have also made great leaps. People still wonder if it has actually gotten better or had just changed. Now, 3-D cards and huge program files have become the standard to run the simpler Sims. Since simulation games try to accurately represent or mimic real life situations technology will continue to make them better until we no longer separate fiction from reality. When simulation games first came out they were not that big amongst kids. Though they would try and sneak off into a computer lab and try to play as much as they could. When flight simulation games came out kids were amazed at the fact that they could fly around the sky and have it feel like that they are actually in the plane. The game that really turned games around for the future was SimCity. To build an entire city was a new revolution for what games could be. Today the market of simulation games continues to spread really rapidly. Developers of games seem to come up with new ideas daily. SimCity has advanced the whole gaming market. There have been more islands, towers, colonies, and life built. There has been SimCity 3000 and now they are working on SimCity 4000, which should be released by the year 2000. Other games such as helicopter games have also come along way and are rising rapidly. Gunship launched a lot of helicopter games including its latest version Apache Havoc. This gives the option to fly either American or Russian Choppers. Soon Gunship 3 will come out and Apache Havoc will be just another old game. What we see in the future is very amazing, technology is going to continue to grow and everything is going to become much faster. ...
Friday, November 22, 2019
Example of Essay Writing
Example of Essay Writing Example of Essay Writing Example of Essay Writing According to our competent essay writers, If is always useful to read a couple of examples of essay writing. Indeed, having a great example of written essay in front of you gives you confidence to proceed with your own writing. The following excerpts of essays are posted here with the hope to assist you with your essay writing. The first sample is argumentative essay on death while the second one is persuasive essay on the same issue. If you are in need of professional essay/paper writing help, you do not hesitate to order custom paper writing services at our site and you will get a well-written essay crafted to your specific instructions and requirements! Examples of Argumentative Essays We are all familiar with the fact that college essays devoted to the topic of death have increased dramatically within the last decade or so. Interest has been directed not only to the act of dying, but also to related essays topics such as euthanasia, capital punishment, abortion, heart transplants, and after-death experiences. One result of this increased attention to such college essays topics is that children are frequently exposed to death concerns. In addition, since the media attention given to the Kennedy assassination, there has been a societal imprimatur for children to participate in funeral services and mourning rituals. Finally, we have come to acknowledge the existence of childhood depression and suicide, phenomena that previously were denied. Thus, discussions of current argumentative essays topic related to death are now more widely disseminated. We have clearer notions of children's interest in and exposure to death-related college essay topics, and are more aware that children must think about death and dying. Paradoxically, children have less first-hand exposure to death within a close familial setting, since grandparents and elderly relatives are often sequestered in their own homes, in retirement villages, or in institutions. Children no longer witness the playing out of the entire life cycle Examples of Persuasive Essays Many of us may have difficulty dealing with the essays topics of death. Research indicates that teenagers may have particular problems coping with the loss of a loved one. One reason is that teenagers do not have much exposure to death beyond the television set and therefore have no real experience in dealing with it. Today's teenagers may well be the first generation that has been so insulated from personal experience with death. The use of various preventive techniques and new drugs has greatly diminished mortality among children. Those within the growing population of aged persons are less subject than their predecessors to death from acute illnesses such as pneumonia. Most deaths among the elderly now result from chronic and degenerative diseases and usually occur in hospitals or nursing homes. Death is removed from sight by the fact that grandmothers and grandfathers die in institutions rather than at home. Of the 2 million people who will die this year in the United States, two-thirds will be 65 years of age or older. Teenagers account for 6 percent of deaths in the United States. The most common causes of these deaths are automobile accidents, drug abuse, fad diets, and an increasing number of suicides Follow this link to read sample of the descriptive essay: Interesting posts: Thesis Format PhD Thesis Writing Master Thesis History Thesis Dissertation Topics
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Forming an International Organization Assignment
Forming an International Organization - Assignment Example The alliance also seeks to remove the barriers of trade imposed by member states, and this includes the introduction of free movement of goods and people. The alliance will also seek to prevent an emergence of another war, by promoting cohesion and peace within the region. In conclusion, the alliance will have four organizations, each performing different roles. These organizations are the office of presidents, the office of ministers, the administrative unit, and the office of security affairs. The office of the Presidents is the highest authority, and they are responsible for policy formulation. Normally, a policy will be decided by a vote, and a policy that garners majority votes will be implemented. The office of the ministers will be responsible for discussing the methods of implementing the policy, while the administrative unit will have the responsibility of implementing the policy under consideration. The office of security affairs on the other hand will have the responsibility of identifying the internal and external security threats that face the region. This is for purposes of finding a solution on how to mitigate the threats under
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Germany and the germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2
Germany and the germans class - Essay Example Despite the ban the process still continues in many slaughter houses. According to animal practitioners stunning process is a right to all animals, despite the customs and norms of a given community and it should be put forth at all times. In this consideration, the exemption should be granted only to uphold peoplesââ¬â¢ religious and social practices. By doing so, this will reduce conflict from such societies encouraging the integration to all the government functions. The ban of un-stunned meat for example, limits religious practices of the Muslim and the Jewish, limiting their rights of freedom of worship. Therefore, as this order is put in place peopleââ¬â¢s democratic right should be considered. In addition, people are usually very sensitive on what they purchase (Neville & Grandin, 66). The government should not ban un-stunned meat due to the fact that many businesses that contributes to economic development. For example meat produced ritually is no longer accepted by
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Executive Branch Essay Example for Free
Executive Branch Essay The executive branch is the most powerful branch of government. The executive branch makes the president commander in chief. It also gives the president the role of economic leader. And he/she can also make executive orders that have the force of law. These are just some of the many roles that make the executive branch the most powerful branch of government. When the president has the role of commander in chief he/she is given the power to use force to back up our foreign policy. They are in charge of the army, navy, air force, marines, and the coast guard. The top commanders of all of these branches of service are subordinate to the president. The president is also our economic leader. He/She deals with unemployment, rising prices, high taxes and more. When voted into office the president is expected to care of these issues. One key task the president must accomplish each year is to plan the federal governmentââ¬â¢s budget too. Last but not least, the president has the role of chief executive. He can make an executive order, which has the force of law. During his presidency, Harry S. Truman had to use an executive order in 1948 to integrate armed forces. The president also has the power to grant pardons. A pardon is a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment. The president has many roles to help keep our country in order. From commander in chief, economic leader, and chief executive he/she helps everything run as smoothly as possible. The executive branch is by far the most powerful branch of government, because it helps keep our country out of trouble and copasetic.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Utopian Visions in Love in the Ruins :: essays research papers
Walker Percy's Love in the Ruins presents a society that is a direct satire of our 21st century American society. Percy takes what he considers the negative elements and situations from our society, and reproduces them, distorting them in order to point out the negativity of them. It seems, then, that the society presented in the novel would be distinctly distopian. However, the view that Percy gives us includes many different segments and views of the society, some of which are very utopian. Some of these mini-utopias are actually in the society, but many more are only dreams of the characters. This is an accurate reflection of our society, there are many situations that are utopian for certain people, and every one of us creates utopia in our minds from time to time. Paradise Estates, where Thomas More lives, is aptly named. Paradise is a place where everyone gets along well, the liberals and conservatives, the unbelievers and Christians, the Northerners and Southerners. The distribution is not even, there are minorities, but the majority groups are open to the customs of the minorities. Paradise Estates is community at its best. It is not an intentional community, but rather everyone is free to do what they want and there is love and respect and little argument. Intentional community does have its place, however. The Honey Island Swamp is home to a variety of people, including guerrillas, college dropouts, draft dodgers, radicals, and beats. Some of these people, such as Chuck, came from the town, and have given up city, home, family, career, and religion to live in an intentional community. Chuck's community is different from the community of Paradise estates in that there is common ground that holds the community in place, rather than respect for differences. Chuck's community holds ideals of free love, freedom, peace, and God expressed everywhere. This community is very similar to many of the contemporary utopias that can be found in America today. Normally hospitals are not utopian, but this was not the case for More. More considered his time in the hospital to be "the best months of my life" (p. 90). In his fellow patients, More found love that he was not finding in his life outside of the hospital. Also, while in the hospital, he had the time and resources to do the breakthrough work for his lapsometer, which was his passion at the time. Utopian Visions in Love in the Ruins :: essays research papers Walker Percy's Love in the Ruins presents a society that is a direct satire of our 21st century American society. Percy takes what he considers the negative elements and situations from our society, and reproduces them, distorting them in order to point out the negativity of them. It seems, then, that the society presented in the novel would be distinctly distopian. However, the view that Percy gives us includes many different segments and views of the society, some of which are very utopian. Some of these mini-utopias are actually in the society, but many more are only dreams of the characters. This is an accurate reflection of our society, there are many situations that are utopian for certain people, and every one of us creates utopia in our minds from time to time. Paradise Estates, where Thomas More lives, is aptly named. Paradise is a place where everyone gets along well, the liberals and conservatives, the unbelievers and Christians, the Northerners and Southerners. The distribution is not even, there are minorities, but the majority groups are open to the customs of the minorities. Paradise Estates is community at its best. It is not an intentional community, but rather everyone is free to do what they want and there is love and respect and little argument. Intentional community does have its place, however. The Honey Island Swamp is home to a variety of people, including guerrillas, college dropouts, draft dodgers, radicals, and beats. Some of these people, such as Chuck, came from the town, and have given up city, home, family, career, and religion to live in an intentional community. Chuck's community is different from the community of Paradise estates in that there is common ground that holds the community in place, rather than respect for differences. Chuck's community holds ideals of free love, freedom, peace, and God expressed everywhere. This community is very similar to many of the contemporary utopias that can be found in America today. Normally hospitals are not utopian, but this was not the case for More. More considered his time in the hospital to be "the best months of my life" (p. 90). In his fellow patients, More found love that he was not finding in his life outside of the hospital. Also, while in the hospital, he had the time and resources to do the breakthrough work for his lapsometer, which was his passion at the time.
Monday, November 11, 2019
JetBlue Case Analysis Essay
External Environment To evaluate the external environment of JetBlue airways we will use the PESTEL analysis. PESTEL analysis stands for ââ¬Å"Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environment and Legal analysisâ⬠. Political Factors How and to what extent the government does intervenes in the economy. Political factors can be tax policy, labor law, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, and political stability. Political factors that are found in the JetBlue case are: Government monitors the airline industry more scrupulously as a result 60% of airline industry is unionized Heightened sense of consumer information privacy Airport slot/gate allocations Security considerations since 2001 attacks Bankruptcy Economic Factors These factors have major impact on how businesses operate and make decisions. They include economic growth, interest rate, exchange rates, and inflation rates. Economic factors that are found in the case are: 1978 Airline Deregulation Act created intense rivalry between airlines Downturn in airline travel after 9/11 2001 affected most airlines ââ¬â JetBlue reported 18 consecutive quarterly profits IT Spending continued post 9/11 Fuel costs spiraled, aggressive competition and increased operating costs Availability of venture capital Interest Rates Legacy Airlines exiting bankruptcy and streamlining operations Strategic Alliances Fair Pricing is an important competitive factor JFK Expansion Social Factors Trends in social factors affect the demand for a companyââ¬â¢s products and howà the company operates. They include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Social factors that are found in the case are: 2001 Terrorist attacks in US negatively affected airline industry Anxiety about safety at airports Travel has become inconvenient due to safety precautions Internal Culture at JetBlue ââ¬â Management is hands on ââ¬â a great place to work Technological Factors The technological factors determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. They include ecological and environmental aspects, such as R&D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. Technological factors found in the case are: Aging fleet Diffusion of Technology Digital Revolution ââ¬â internet does away with ticket agents but allows price comparison Customer service working from home reduces operations costs Environmental Factors These factors include weather, climate, and climate change. Environmental factors that are found in the case are: War, Political Turmoil and Natural Disasters drive fuel prices from $30/bbl. in ââ¬Ë03 to $60/bbl. in ââ¬Ë05 Airport slot/gate allocations Security conditions build barriers to ease of travel Legal Factors These factors can affect how a company operates, its costs, and the demand for its products. They include discrimination law, consumer law, antitrust law, employment law and health and safety law. Legal factors that are found in the case are: 1978 Airline Deregulation Act eliminated government control over fares and routes Airport and FAA density regulations Security laws since 9/11 Porterââ¬â¢s Five Forces In order to understand Jet Blueââ¬â¢s external environment, Porterââ¬â¢s 5 forces are a helpful tool in order to evaluation the companyââ¬â¢s competitive environment and the degree of rivalry amongst competitors within the aviation industry. The competitive environment will be evaluated in terms of 4 different aspects, namely the bargaining Power of customers and suppliers, the threat of new entrants and new substitutes. The bargaining power of customers within the aviation industry is rather high as there are standard products and services that are less unique and can be easily imitated by competitors. Furthermore, there are only low switching costs incurred for the buyer in general, meaning that there is usually a lower degree of customer loyalty towards one single company and that customers can compare offers easily especially due to the option to purchase tickets online. Suppliers generally have a moderate to high bargaining power within the industry due to the limited number of suppliers which forces aviation companies to choose from the number available and accordingly to accept their prices. In fact, fuel is the second highest cost for aviation companies. There are highly depended on supplierââ¬â¢s prices and the availability which indicates on a relatively high bargaining power of suppliers. In addition, there are high switching costs which are strongly in favor of the suppliers and means that the company experiences an increase in operating costs when switching to another supplier as flying another type of aircraft leads to additional costs (maintenance, training etc.).Aircrafts are vulnerable to delays due to the location of gate locations which leads to a decrease in utilization and therefore to an increase in costs. In terms of the threat of substitutes there are not a lot serious threats and alternatives to products within the aviation in dustry, therefore the threat can be rated as medium. However, private aircrafts can be seen as a substitutes within the industry. Within the transportation industry there are more alternatives for substitutes such as trains, buses, cars and boats. The threats of new entrants is very low as there are certain barriers to entry such as a high amount of investments that are required and it is rather difficult to build up a reliable and trustworthy from scratch as the industry is already dominated by severalà competitors. In conclusion it can be said that there is a medium degree of rivalry within the aviation industry due to a rather high degree of bargaining power of customers and suppliers and a rather low threats of new entrants and substitutes within the industry. One of the remedies to avoid high bargaining power of customers would be to try to differentiate from competitors by building a unique and favorable image on the market. On the other hand companies could use the strategy of backwards integration and acquire their suppliers in order to avoid the bargaining power of suppliers. However, those investment decision are always highly dependable on the companyââ¬â¢s financial budget, priorities and goals in general. Financial Analysis The following graph is an evaluation of JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines based on financial information found on the companiesââ¬â¢ income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements: Jet Blue As you can see, JetBlue is consistently below Southwest on the ratios. JetBlueââ¬â¢s liquidity ratios have decreased over the last three years and could be considered worrisome. However, we know that the fleet is aging and the company is making investments to replace the old fleet and expand the fleet. This is a very reasonable cause for the decrease in these ratios. JetBlueââ¬â¢s equity multiplier is higher than Southwest. At first, you might think this is better. However, a higher equity multiplier is not a good thing. A high equity multiplier means that a company finances a larger portion of its assets through its debt. Therefore, southwest has a better equity multiplier. While JetBlueââ¬â¢s net profit margin is slightly lower than Southwestââ¬â¢s, it is in line with the industry average of 3.2%. JetBlueââ¬â¢s return on equity is also in line with the industry average of 8%. JetBlue has a high capital intensity ratio which is okay because, as an airline, they require a large amount of capital to operate. Overall, the financial ratios are lower than Southwestââ¬â¢s but they donââ¬â¢t show any problems that donââ¬â¢t make sense. The net profit margin, return on assets, and return on equity have all improved over the last three years. The cash coverage ratio is also improving. The finances seem to show that the company is improving and is stable. Strengths When we look at the case JetBlue shows several strengths. One of the most important is customer satisfaction; they satisfy their customers by being a low-cost airline but at the same time offer excellent experience (theà JetBlue Experience). They have new airplanes (that keep the operational costs low) with inflight entertainment systems, their customers get a drink and a snack and their employers are involved and motivated. JetBlue is an innovative company, for example they were the first North-American airline company that used electronic ticketing and they introduced the first paperless cockpits. Weaknesses When analyzing the company internally we also see several weaknesses. From the case it became clear that the company had problems with facing mass cancellation; a weak reservation system and also no baggage handling systems. The company got high debts because of the rising fuel prices, and also because of the compensations that they gave their customers after making mistakes. Currently the baggage handling system works properly and their online reservation systems are also improved. Another weakness of JetBlue is that is focusses on the middle class of society, therefore they do not have many high class people that are willing to spend more. Opportunities The company is also influenced by external factors, and we will first discuss the opportunities for JetBlue. The case made clear that JetBlue is getting more and more interline agreements with other airline companies. Due to this fact JetBlue will have more destinations to fly to and they can also make reservations under each otherââ¬â¢s names. It is therefore wise that JetBlue keeps making new interline agreements with the bigger airline companies. Another opportunity for JetBlue is technological improvements, since JetBlue is an innovative company they like to try new things out such as they did with the paperless cockpit. Also the deregulation of international air travel and loosening laws and regulations are opportunities for JetBlue. There are a lot of regulations around air travel, especially after the terroristic attacks on 9/11 and also the tax laws influence the company. Whenever these will become looser the company will have less expenditures. Threats When we evaluate the external factors that are influencing the company we also find several threats. One of the biggest threats for the airlineà industry are fuel prices, since they are the biggest costs for an airline company. Another threat for the airline industry are terroristic attacks, after 9/11 the customers got afraid of travelling by plane. Also all the safety procedures make travelers rather want to use another way of transportation, such as the car or train. Financially the high user taxes and currency changes also influence the airline industry. TOWS Analysis After evaluating the SWOT analysis we can now look at the externally-focused TOWS analysis. The TOWS analysis matches external opportunities and threats with internal strengths and weaknesses. Maxi-Maxi Strategy How can you use your strengths to take advantage of the opportunities? If we compare the strengths and opportunities of JetBlue, some of the strategies they could implement are: Focus on the technology improvements; JetBlue is an innovative company and they like to try out new technologies. They can make the JetBlue experience even better than it already is. Focus on the interline agreements; when JetBlue has more interline agreements with other airline companies their customers will have more choice of countries where they want to go, it will also be easier for them to make a reservation. Lower the operating costs; whenever the law and regulations will be in favor of the airline industry the company can lower its operating costs and therefore also lower their prices. Maxi-Mini Strategy How can you take advantage of your strengths to avoid real and potential threats? The strengths that JetBlue could use to avoid real and potential threats are: Focus on technological developments; again they should focus on this for example they could maybe develop new security check machines that are easier to use and also safer to avoid terroristic attacks Develop the JetBlue experience; there is intense competition in the airline industry, however JetBlue should differentiate itself by improving the JetBlue experience which is already known for excellent customer service, friendly personnel, new planes, entertainment systems etc. If they improve this experience and keep focusing on being a low-budget company they will winà more customers. Mini-Maxi Strategy How can you use your opportunities to overcome the weaknesses you are experiencing? There are several opportunities that JetBlue could use to overcome the weaknesses that they are experiencing, such as: Loosening laws and regulations; whenever the regulations will be looser the turnaround process of the airplanes will be easier and faster. New technology; the new technology could help the company to improve the online presence. The online presence was in the case really bad but currently they already improved this. However E-business and M-business is getting more and more popular so it is always wise for a company to keep on track with this by improving their online systems. Mini-Mini Strategy How can you minimize your weaknesses and avoid threats? The strategies that JetBlue should use to minimize its weaknesses and threats are: Improve the systems; some of the weaknesses are weak baggage handling systems and online presence. Also in the case it became clear that JetBlue faced problems with mass cancellation. This could all be improved by implementing ERP systems so that it is clear what is exactly going on in the company. For online presence they should have an IT department that focusses on that. Improve safety systems: there are a lot of safety procedures because of the fear of terroristic attacks. The airplane industry should invest in have safer and easier systems to improve the safety of its travelers. Differentiate itself from other airline companies; there are a lot of airline companies and this causes intense competition. However if JetBlue makes sure that they offer their product in an exclusive way the company will win customers. Balanced Scorecard In the following we will establish a balanced score card for Jet Blue by collecting and analyzing data on the companyââ¬â¢s current performance. The overall goal of the balance scorecard is to analyze the gathered data and compare it to the desired performance and strategic goals. Furthermore it is a helpful tool to align business activities to the companyââ¬â¢s current mission and vision. At large, there are 4 major perspectives that are analyzed during the balanced scorecard which are the customer, internal business,à innovation& learning, and financial perspective. In terms of the internal Business Perspective it becomes clear that Jet Blue has one of its major core competencies in quick turnarounds. One of the main reasons for this is the ââ¬Å"paperless cockpitâ⬠innovated and introduced by Jet Blue itself. In fact, the paperless cockpit ensures faster takeoffs by reducing paperwork which eventually leads to quicker turnaround rates, as well as higher aircraft util ization. Jet Blueââ¬â¢s high completion rate is another significant competence of the companyââ¬â¢s business operation (rate of 99.6 % compared to 98.3% at major airlines). Furthermore, the Jet Blue would keep operating costs low by integrating a less costly plane, the A 320, which is significantly less costly than the Boeing 737. In addition, the A 320 is more fuel-efficient, requires less maintenance costs, and training costs are kept at a lower level which leads to an overall decrease in operating costs and enables the company to offer less costly tickets to the end-customer. However, Jet Blue aims at renewing its fleet expansion in 2012. The airline planes to purchase the A321s and A320neo. Besides, the company had to deal with major system issues in regards to the baggage-handling system, online rebooking system, the sabre airline solution applications which caused significant delays in daily operations and lead to dissatisfaction among customers. Another perspective of the balanced scorecard that needs to be analyzed is the customer perspective. The company markets its service package as the ââ¬Å"Jet Blue experienceâ⬠which includes the new aircraft, variety of TV channels& movies, leather seats and more leg room. Furthermore, Jet Blue adds value to its customers by offering services such as priority boarding. The company, in fact positions itself as a low-price company, but focuses strongly on customers services (the ââ¬ËJet Blue experienceââ¬â¢) as well. This strategy enables the company to differentiate themselves from their competitors and adds unique value to their products. However, after the operations meltdown of 2007, customers lost trust in the company. For the future, significant changes are needed to restore customerââ¬â¢s trust. In terms of the companyââ¬â¢s financial perspective it can be said that companyââ¬â¢s liquidity ratios have been decreased over the past 3 years and could be considered worrisome, however, as Jet Blue plans to replace its fleet there is a reasonable cause for the decrease. Furthermore, Jet Blueââ¬â¢s equity to debt ratio is still below the average which indicatesà on a lower amount of equity financed by banks and is therefore favorable. Jet Blueââ¬â¢s return on equity and net profit margin are in line with the industry average and therefore refer to stability. The net profit margin, and return on equity have all improved over the last three years which indicates on the profitability of the company. The cash coverage ratio has improved as well which refers to Jet Blueââ¬â¢s liquidity. Also the return on assets ratio has been improving and is above the industryââ¬â¢s average (3% compared to 2.46 % in 2013) which refers to a preferable efficiency of the company. The finances seem to show that the company is improving and is stable. Regarding the innovation& learning Perspective it becomes obvious that Jet Blue launched several solutions and systems. The paperless cockpit, for instance, that has been explained in a paragraph above is one of the innovations that Jet Blue launched on the market. In addition, less-congested airports reduced the airlineââ¬â¢s turnaround time. Other innovations that facilitated operations and made services more customer-friendly are the tickets and mileage statements that do not require paper anymore. According to the article ââ¬ËJet Blue airlines: getting over the blues ââ¬Ë, ââ¬Ëâ⬠¦innovation has been everywhere.ââ¬â¢ Subsequent to the operations meltdown and the financial breakdown of the company in 2007, Jet Blue attempted to initiated strategic changes within the company by significant capital reduction from 2010 to 2011, a change of the CEO, a renew in flight expansions, partnering up with former competitors, and selling $42.6 of common stock to the German carrier (Lufthansa). Generally, measurable key performance indicators need to be established in order to evaluate the companyââ¬â¢s performance. The financial ratios are the means within the balanced scorecard to evaluate the companyââ¬â¢s perspective. The customer perspective could be evaluated in terms of market share, customer satisfaction scores, and customer loyalty scores. The internal business perspective can be measured in turnaround rates and completion rates for instance. Number of innovations, an improvement index, or number of employee suggestions can be used to put the innovative& learning perspective into tangible terms. As a result, the company needs to restore customers trust and loyalty, improve on internal operating systems in order to regain former financial strength in the future. Especially, the reliability of the companyââ¬â¢s operating system needs to be secured in order to avoid anotherà major meltdown in the future. Furthermore, the company needs to find adequate strategic changes in order to ensure compliance with Jet Blues current mission, ââ¬Å"Bring humanity back to air travelâ⬠which is currently pursued by a low-cost strategy in combination with a strong focus on customer-services and compare current performance to desired performance, however the companyââ¬â¢s goals and targets do not become clear from the case.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
English Home Reading Project
Todd Bowden is a boy who wants to be a detective when he gets older. He has been doing good in school and in his free time he runs background checks on people he sees. His neighbor Mr. Dussander was one of the people he did this too. He found out that he was using a fake name and was once referred to as the blood fiend of patin the only true thing about his life was that he was very old. When Todd confronts him about it he realizes that this secret is bigger than he thought. Todd soon starts to wonder about why he was called blood fiend so he started to ask some questions about it. When Dussander refuses, Todd black-males him into giving the stories. Todd starting to let his grades drop and when his first high school report card comes home he tries to change his grades with ink remover. He does this several times thought the novella. As the story's get more and more graphic Todd begins to come almost psychopathic. He starts to make Dussander wear these awful Nazi suits and recite saying that he used to say during the war. Dussander starts to have nightmares about the war and find a gruesome way to cope with the stress. Because he used to work in one of the crematoriums, Dussander starts to find stray cats and put them in his kitchen oven. He would soon become worse and ââ¬Å"rescueâ⬠dogs from a shelter to burn. ( worst part of book. too many details. ) As Todd grades drop further his guidance counselor try's to set up a meeting between him and his parents. Todd black-males Dussander into pretending that he is his grandfather and proceeds with the meeting without his real parents. Todd is told that if he gets another flunk card that he will have to repeat this grade . One night after having listened too so many of the horrible stories he has a nightmare. These dreams persist for weeks and eventually Todd comes up with a plan to kill dussander. When nightmares continue to get worse Todd stabs a homeless man to death and realizes that murder helps with his stress and the dreams start to go away . he continues to commit murder whenever the dreams get too bad. Dussander starts too do the same as Todd and buries his victims in his basement. towards the end of the story the guidance counselor meets Todd's real grandfather and starts too talk about the meeting they had and when the grandfather dident remember the conversation he puts the pieces together. CLIMAX chapter 17. his is the climax of the story because at this point the entire story changes. Dussander had a heart attack and this leads to new situations that completely change the story. The resolution of this story is that todd bowden is questrioned by the police. After this he goes to a secret spto on the highway. Gets a gun, and goes on a rampage. Only to end in his own death. I t hink this was a great ending to the story. If fit perfect with all the little details that were put into the book. It all fits together at the end. Characterization Todd Bowden: Main character of the book. He is shown as decieving and mean. Througout the novella todd tricks and manipulated people into doing things that could help himself and hurt others. He is important to the story because without him nothing would have happened and it wouldent be a good book. Arthur Denker AKA Mr. Dussander: main character. Shown as a nice man but forceful when need be and his past shows him as a monster. He is important to the story because he feeds all of todds rage to him and is an antagonist to the story. Todds personality chapter 6. this shows Todds evil side and proves just how much of a monster he can be to put an old man throug this rough time again. Todd is not the kind of person I would like to be friends with. He is a lieing kid who is extremly mean. And throughout the book he is seen by his peers as a loser. Conflict One main conflict in this story is when Todds grades start too fall. He constantly changes them to deceive his parents and when he is confronted by his guidance counselor about it he decides to lie about his situation in hopes to fix it. Todd has Dussander go to the school and talk to the counselor instead of his parent to ââ¬Å" sweep the problem under the rugâ⬠. This fixes one of his problems but makes life much more difficult in the rest of the story. I can relate to some of todds problems like falling grades sometimes and feeling like your stuck in a place that your know wont lead anywhere good. But as for the rest of his problems like where to bury his victims I cannot say that I have any experience in. Theme one main theme of this novella is deception and black-male can only get you so far, because when the time comes for the truth it will only bring you down. This is shown when todds grandfather meets the counselor and realizes that todd lied to his parents about his grades and the whole situation unfolds.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
How to Improve Email ROI With Matthew Montoya From Constant Contact
How to Improve Email ROI With Matthew Montoya From Constant Contact Email marketing is that trusted friend thatââ¬â¢s been around forever and will never let you down. You can always turn to it when you need some help. Plus, it gives you a whopping average ROI of 3,800%. Thatââ¬â¢s $38 for every $1 invested. Today, weââ¬â¢re talking to Matthew Montoya, the partner enablement and training manager at Constant Contact. He has helped consult more than 13,000 businesses on email marketing best practices. Email has been around a long time, but Matthew describes current trends and what works today. People who give you their email address are expressing interest in your business Quantify the value of your email list by multiplying the size of your list by the price point of the average they sell to get a dollar figure Biggest change in email marketing over the last seven years is mobile readership; 51% of business/non-profit emails will be opened on a mobile device People used to spend 35-40 seconds reading an email; now itââ¬â¢s 5 seconds Emails need to be succinct, make an impression, and include a call to action Think of an email not as a message, but an advertisement where people see the information, act on it, and go to your website or elsewhere to learn more Every contact matters and can produce money for your company The more targeting and testing you do, the better your responses HTML vs. Plain Text: Depends on your audience, but concise HTML emails usually generate higher, better responses Preview email messages to see how they display on different devices Know your audience to know what content they will find valuable and relevant Constant Contactââ¬â¢s Marketing Pillars: Segmentation, personalization, automation People look first at who sent an email, rather than the subject line; email should come ââ¬Å"fromâ⬠the brand Test subject lines to avoid repetition and make sure they grab readersââ¬â¢ attention Explore all marketing options across platforms all work together to share a story Links: Constant Contact Constant Contact for Free Email Subject Line Tester Integrations Write and send a review to receive a care package If you liked todayââ¬â¢s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Matthew Montoya: ââ¬Å"Email marketinghas changed dramatically over the last seven years. What used to be a best practice has evolved.â⬠ââ¬Å"Email marketing may haveless sex appeal than social media and other kinds of marketing.â⬠ââ¬Å"The one app that most people donââ¬â¢t even think of as an app is email. And yet, thatââ¬â¢s probably the most used app on your phone because thatââ¬â¢s where weââ¬â¢re doing business.â⬠ââ¬Å"Think of an email not as a message. Itââ¬â¢s not a form of communication. Itââ¬â¢s an advertisement.â⬠Itââ¬â¢s really important for everybody, if thereââ¬â¢s one huge takeaway today beyond just building a mobile-responsive and mobile-friendly email, itââ¬â¢s making sure your content within that email is relevant.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Syndetonââ¬Definition and Examples
Syndetons Syndeton is aà rhetorical term for a sentence style in which words, phrases, or clauses are joined by conjunctions (usually and). A construction that uses many conjunctions is called polysyndetic. Examples and Observations At the marina, rain, and steam rising from the bay shrouded boats and birds, and made the few scurrying people indistinct.Blaize Clement, Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs. Minotaur Books, 2010I crawled back under the cover of the boat and huddled there, wet, cold and sobbing.Sam McKinney, Sailing Uphill. Touchwood, 2010The fine rain made a desolate, even sound like breathing in the pinewoods, and below, milky layers of mist covered the lake, and were stained here and there by the darkness of the water beneath.Elizabeth Bowen, Salon des DamesYou are talking to a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe.The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz, 1939Rain on all the silent streets and squares, alleys and courts, gardens and churchyards and stone steps and nooks and crannies of the city.Susan Hill, The Mist in the Mirror. Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992 Polysyndetonââ¬â¹Ã¢â¬â¹ He and Rawlins had unsaddled the horses and turned them out in the dark and they were lying on the saddle blankets and using the saddles for pillows. The night was cold and clear and the sparks rising from the fire raced hot and red among the stars. They could hear the trucks out on the highway and they could see the lights of the town reflected off the desert fifteen miles to the north.Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992 Marking Coordination Coordination is usually but not invariably marked by one or more coordinators. Three patterns to be distinguished are shown in (6): (6) i SIMPLE SYNDETIC You need [celery, apples, walnuts, and grapes].(6) ii POLYSYNDETIC You need [celery and apples and walnuts and grapes].(6) iii ASYNDETIC You need [celery, apples, walnuts, grapes]. The major contrast is between syndetic coordination, which contains at least one coordinator, and asyndetic coordination, which does not. In constructions with more than two coordinates, there is a further contrast within syndetic coordination between the default simple syndetic, which has a single coordinator marking the final coordinate, and polysyndetic, where all non-initial coordinates are marked by a coordinator (which must be the same for all of them). The coordinator forms a constituent with the coordinator which follows: we refer to expressions like and grapes as an expanded coordinate, with grapes itself a bare coordinate.Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, Coordination and Subordination. The Handbook of English Linguistics, ed. by Bas Aarts and April M. S. McMahon. Blackwell, 2006
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Alvin Ailey Biography Overview Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Alvin Ailey Biography Overview - Research Paper Example The research paper "Alvin Ailey Biography Overview" presents the description of Alvin's way to success. Having graduated from high school in the year 1948, Alvin went to the University of California with the intention of becoming a teacher but his interest in dance soon came back, particularly after he came across the Lester Horton Dance Theatre giving a dance. Hortonââ¬â¢s highly theatrical modern dance style and his apparent interest in Native American dances and culture greatly attracted Alvin and he thought of changing his course from teaching to dance. He won a scholarship and enrolled for technique and dance composition classes with Lester Horton. He also got employment with Hortonââ¬â¢s stage crew and danced with them. In the year 1951, seeking a more stable career, Alvin enrolled for a major in Romance languages in San Francisco State College. While there, he got to dance with a touring company and soon realized that what he really wanted was dance regardless of how ris ky it was compared to the dependable and stable teaching career. He rejoined the Los Angelesââ¬â¢ Lester Horton Dance Theatre and Lester Horton died suddenly in the year 1953, leaving the company without a director. They asked Alvin to choreograph some dances. He taught at Horton Dance School but later got an opportunity of dancing in a concert in New York and moved to the East Coast. In the year in 1954, Alvin went to New York to dance in the Broadway production of ââ¬ËHouse of Flowersââ¬â¢ with a partner called Carmen DeLavallade and in the year 1958.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Case study 5A Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Case study 5A - Assignment Example ganization a personââ¬â¢s real name, the name of the organization one works for, contacts, such as office e-mail address, and optionally issues one works on. In other words, no personal information should be on the page since it does not matter. 2. Journalists are not machines, meaning that expression of emotions is expected while covering dramatic events. Concealing compassion or anger would be perceived as dishonesty. At the same time, emotions can be overused. This is not the case of Anderson Cooper. His reporting from disaster-torn regions is really quite emotional; however, his expression of emotions does not harm his objectivity. Therefore, it can be regarded as good journalism. 2. The privacy standards for people like Cooper are philosophically different from those for the people whose arrests are reporting on the Wed due to the fact that the latter cannot control the spread of personal information while Cooper has chosen to reveal the information by himself, which means he exercised control over the information at that very
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Why we left our factories in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Why we left our factories in China - Essay Example Businesses are compelled by competition to sell products at the lowest price possible at the highest quality doable. Such, businesses are always on the lookout for ways on how to cut cost and improve quality on the inputs of production. This effort to cut cost often points producers and businesses to outsource to China because of the cheap labour and material cost. In the article by Sheridan Prasso entitled ââ¬Å"Why we left our factories in Chinaâ⬠, Prasso pointed the numbers why manufacturers go to China. In 2005, Sleek Audio was quoted a price of $20 of $19 or $20 for one particular component that the Chinese were offering to make for $2 (2011). That is a whooping $17 to $18 price difference with each component. If Audio Sleek will purchase by the thousands, the price difference will just be very hard to ignore. 2. Economy of scale In the article of Prasso, businesses are now beginning to leave factories in China with the emerging movement called reshoring where business are beginning to bring their operations close to home. One of the major reasons cited for reshoring is that it is very difficult to deal with China; other is the presence of language barrier and delay in response time if there are any issues. Mark even lamented that when they are in China, great care are being extended to satisfy them where parts are made perfectly when they are around. The trouble is, when they give the go signal to make 10,000 to 20,000 pieces, problems begin to occur. The initial cost in going to China may be cheap that a business may be able to have cost savings by going to China. But it really is not that much because of the hidden costs, the delays, shipping cost and the cost associated with the learning curve. In effect, what has been initially saved was also defrayed by other incidental costs in going to China. This explains why many firms are moving back to the US or reshoring. The quotation cost in the US may have lowered from $20 to $19 to $8 because of the recent crisis. US workers are now more eager to work too because of the scarcity of the jobs. Still, there is a price difference between the new quotation of $8 and the old price of $19 to $20. But companies in the US can compensate for the price difference through economy of scale. Meaning, it can recover the lost profit of the price difference of the item by making more of the same. This is very probable because the initial experience of Sleek Audio when they decided to get back their operation in the US which won them the 2011 Best of Innovation award from the 2011 Consumer Electronics Association. It manifest that components that were made in the US were of excellent quality and that would encourage other businesses to reshore their operations back in the US. The effect on this to component maker would be an increase in volume and although they lowered their quotation to become competitive in terms of pricing, the foregone profit for the discounting the price can be recoup throu gh volume. In economics, the amount of increment in terms of cost is not always constant with each volume added. This is especially true with manufacturing plants. To illustrate, let us use the above example. Let us say that the cost for making the component is $5 for 1,000 units which would cost the component maker $5,000 to manufacture a 1,000 unit of a particular part. If a certain client/s would order have an accumulated order for example of 100,000 units, it does not mean that each unit would still cost $5 to the component maker that would amount to $500,000. With that quantity, the cost may be brought down to $4 per unit or $3 to the component maker saving them $1 or $2 with each component which could cover the foregone profit of its former price of $8. This is because some cost
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Stamp Duty: Policy Evaluation
Stamp Duty: Policy Evaluation EXAMINING STAMP DUTY: AN IDEAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE MACHINE AND A BURDEN TO BRITISH CITIZENS Stamp duty can be a costly part of any number of common transactions in Britain ââ¬â from buying a home to investing in a U.K. company. In order to truly understand the degree to which this tax impacts a transactionââ¬â¢s bottom line, it is important to understand all the scenarios in which stamp duty is payable as well as determine what type of relief and exemptions are available. Before determining if stamp duty is an ideal tax, it is also vital to gather expert opinions on the various types of stamp duty, the reasons these taxes were created, and how recent changes are affecting British citizens and businesses. While the government may find stamp duty a perfect fulfilment of taxation principles due to its simplicity and the considerable revenue generated, stamp duty seems to be burdensome and impedes the financial success of many residents who dream of homeownership and to those companies who want to increase their market value through the stock exchange system. There are three types of stamp duty: stamp duty, stamp duty land tax, and stamp duty reserve tax. Stamp duty is ââ¬Å"a charge on instrumentsâ⬠(Thomas 2003). Stamp duty is a general term for a tax that is levied on the purchase of shares and on property. While there is a flat rate for the purchase of shares, the rate for property has a range tied to different home purchase price thresholds. Considered a new tax in its own right rather than an offshoot of stamp duty, the stamp duty land tax went into effect on 1 December 2003 (Thomas 2003). This tax is charged to all land transactions whether or not it is actually stamped, or recorded, in a document (Thomas 2003). Included in these transactions are all types of property, including houses, flats, other buildings and land. What it really is considered is a land transaction but it retains the reference to stamp duty to link its activities to the original taxation system (Thomas 2003). The tax must be paid by the person buying the land and it is calculated as a percentage of the total purchase price. No stamp duty land tax is paid on any transaction under à £125,000. One per cent is paid on anything valued between à £125,000 and à £250,000. From à £250,001 to à £500,000, the tax is three per cent and anything valued at à £500,001 is taxed at four per cent (DirectGov 2006). The stamp duty land tax has been ââ¬Å"founded on an entirely new set of conceptsâ⬠and is ââ¬Å"directly enforceable against the purchaser under a strict new self-assessment regimeâ⬠(Thomas 2003). While some of the same relief provisions have been carried through from the stamp duty tax, other changes have been made to discourage certain types of transactions. For example, if the purchase price of a property is à £150,000 and the government has designated that area as disadvantaged, no stamp duty land tax is required (DirectGov 2006). Relief provisions that are retained from stamp duty include all the major provisions except that ââ¬Å"group relief, reconstruction and acquisition reliefs, and charities reliefâ⬠are now designed in a manner that prevents exploitation for ââ¬Å"tax planning purposesâ⬠(Thomas 2003). Relief is now available for builders who make purchases in part-exchange as well as for ââ¬Å"transactions not made for chargeable consideration â⬠(Thomas 2003). The stamp land duty tax was designed to achieve a number of purposes. As with any tax, it was created as a way to raise more revenue for the government. The tax does this by stopping the loopholes in the stamp duty that were ââ¬Å"exploited for planning purposesâ⬠(Thomas 2003); requiring the purchaser to file a tax return and pay the tax within thirty days of the close of the land transaction (Thomas 2003), and introducing a new upfront levy on the value of the rental stream over the ââ¬Å"full term of the lease instead of on the average annual rent (Thomas 2003). The last of the three types of stamp duty is the stamp duty reserve tax. This tax is paid on any U.K share transactions when a person buys shares in a company that is incorporated in the UK or in a foreign company that maintains a share register in the UK (DirectGov 2006). These shares can be bought through a stockbroker and completed on paper forms or electronically through CREST, the electronic settlement and registration system (DirectGov 2006). The tax is a flat rate of 0.5 per cent based on what is paid for the shares, not what they are worth (DirectGov 2006). A higher rate of 1.5 per cent is paid when shares are transferred into a depository receipt scheme or a clearance service (DirectGov 2006). The fees are paid through the CREST system if a person uses a brokerage but are paid directly if this system is not used (DirectGov 2006). Even if a person does not pay cash but provides something else of value in exchange for the shares, the stamp duty reserve tax is based on the value of what the person gives for those shares (DirectGov 2006). Other situations that require payment of stamp duty reserve tax is when a person buys an option to buy shares, rights arising from shares and an interest in shares (DirectGov 2006).The only time the stamp duty reserve tax does not have to be paid is when shares are given to a person for nothing or a person buys foreign shares. One area where stamp duty revenue tax has been causing some dilemmas is with unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and the structure of stakeholder pension products. The best example of this is with companies that provide CAT-marked investments: Stamp duty reserve tax arises when investors buy or sell units in the fund, and is generally paid for by the fund. It cannot be forecast accurately in advance, for the ultimate liability will depend on factors beyond the fund managersââ¬â¢ control. Yet this tax must be included in calculating whether charges to investors meet the CAT standard of 1 per cent a year, despite the fact that it is not a charge made by the ISA provider, but a government tax. This has led providers to question the commercial liability implied by offering a CAT-market product (Warland 2000). The net result of the stamp duty reserve tax is that it is ââ¬Å"complex to administer, very difficult for fund investors to understand,â⬠and did raise significant revenue (Warland 2000). It has been argued by the figures within the City of London, including the London Stock Exchange, that stamp duty reserve tax should be scrapped because ââ¬Å"it undermines the competitiveness compared with other financial centres and distorts securities tradingâ⬠(Wighton 2006). The National Association of Pension Funds says that stamp duty increases transaction costs, which are then passed onto employers (Brown-Humes 2006). Stamp duty reserve tax is also considered controversial because ââ¬Å"it accounts for a greater proportion of overall share transaction costsâ⬠¦because broker commissions and other costs have fallenâ⬠(Brown-Humes 2006). In looking at the complete stamp duty tax scheme, the changes in the Finance Act of 2003 were intended to bring reform that was considered long overdue as well as infuse the government with much-needed revenue. Prior to that, legislation had been considered outdated and inadequate especially considering the real value that revenue from such a tax could yield (Thomas 2006). Prior to the Finance Act of 2003, the HM Revenue Customs (HMRC)did not have the power to enforce the stamp duty on any transaction that was not properly stamped (Thomas 2006). To the HMRC, ââ¬Å"clamping down on perceived avoidance was the dominant motive for changeâ⬠(Thomas 2006). To them, it was ââ¬Å"unfair for well-advised taxpayers to avoid paying tax through good planning, as this puts an unfair share of the tax burden onto everyone elseâ⬠(Thomas 2006). From this philosophy was born the most recent stamp duty requirements. In looking at the principles of taxation, stamp duty is ideal in that it is ââ¬Å"easy to administer and collectâ⬠(Brown-Humes 2006). To everyone else outside of the government, the tax is considered less than ideal. As one of the most hotly debated government schemes and deemed a tax on the masses (Barrow 2006), it has been acknowledged by the chancellor that stamp duty land tax does place a burden on the average British citizen. According to figures released in May 2006, stamp duty is raking in revenues of à £1 billion per month (Barrow 2006) between residential and commercial transactions as well as share investment. These figures far surpass any tax amount ever demanded from citizens in Britainââ¬â¢s history (Barrow 2006). . In fact, one writer went as far as to say that the stamp duty has been one of the most lucrative stealth taxes developed by New Labour (Oââ¬â¢Kelly 2006). As one economist noted, ââ¬Å"We have now got to the level where it is hitting mainstream home-owners. Itââ¬â¢s only going to get worseâ⬠(Barrow 2006). According to Halifax, Britainââ¬â¢s biggest mortgage lender, 2.6 million homeowners had to pay stamp duty land tax (Barrow 2006). That equates to fiv e out of six homeowners feeling this burden (Barrow 2006). Another way to slice and dice the figure comes from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. They found that 55 per cent of first-time buyers and 86 per cent of home-movers paid the tax in September. The government has retorted that there are a number of relief provisions in place. It was recently announced that new ââ¬â no pre-existing dwellings ââ¬â that are considered ââ¬Å"zero-carbonâ⬠homes sill be completely exempt from stamp duty (Goff and Harvey 2006). While attractive to new homeowners, this is not very realistic as many first-time buyers are not prepared to inhabit in such a revolutionary dwelling or they live in an area where there is not enough renewable energy to power these homes (Goff and Harvey 2006). Another move intended to decrease the burden was the announcement last year to increase the threshold at which stamp duty is triggered (Batchelor 2006). As one finance expert noted, ââ¬Å"If stamp duty had kept pace with rising house prices since 1993 the threshold would have been set at à £190,000â⬠instead of à £125,000 (Batchelor 2006). It seems as if the rising house prices are making the new threshold rate seem ineffective as a relief. As Matthew Wyles of the Portman Building Society said, ââ¬Å"Stamp duty continues to be a deeply unfair tax to all who pay it. The burden of this tax will continue to increase unless the government undertakes a radical alteration to its policy in this area and abandons its current strategy of making the occasional cosmetic tweak to the threshold to keep criticism at bayâ⬠(Houlder 2006). The chancellor decided to end ââ¬Å"seeding relief,â⬠which was intended to help on ââ¬Å"transfers of property into a unit trust with immediate effectâ⬠(Batchelor 2006). Revenue from taking away this relief is expected to raise à £50 million annually (Batchelor 2006). Recent changes also involved not making partnerships that are involved in a trade or profession responsible for stamp duty for land transactions owned by that partnership (Batchelor 2006). It seems as though the government could still use this lucrative tax to levy sellers instead of buyers since it is usually the sellers who are involved in investment schemes. It might even make sense to still gain this revenue from non-residents who tend to speculate in the property market, making home ownership less feasible for the first-time resident buyer (Oââ¬â¢Kelly 2006). While it may seem like an ideal tax in the minds of the government and a solution to stopping investors from exploiting the system, it certainly does nothing to help citizens who are already struggling to buy a home let alone pay the stamp duty required on the transaction. Recent announcements to raise interest rates alongside the intense housing price inflation only exacerbate a domestic problem that has been brewing for as long as the stamp duty policies have existed. Homeownership and investment should not create a financial burden for citizens in Britain because the government wants to resort to an overuse of its taxation powers. The concern, however, is that if stamp duty was ever scrapped and the government continued to overspend, whatever tax scheme replaced stamp duty might be a jump from the frying pan into the fire. REFERENCES Barrow, Becky 23 May 2006, Stamp Duty Rakes in à £1bn a Month, Daily Mail. Batchelor, Charles 23 March 2006, Stamp Duty, Financial Times. Brown-Humes, Christopher 21 October 2006, Stamp Dutyââ¬â¢s Hidden Benefit: Itââ¬â¢s the Devil-you-know Tax, Financial Times. DIRECTGOV 2006, Tax on Buying Shares, Available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnSavingsAndInvestments/TaxOnSavingsAndInvestmentsArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10013514chk=Tac6CP. Goff, Sharlene and Harvey, Fiona 9 December 2006, Exemption from Stamp Duty Seen as Token Gesture, Financial Times. Houlder, Vanessa 7 September 2006, Amount Paid in Stamp Duty Up 30%, Financial Times. Oââ¬â¢Kelly, Sebastian 12 March 2006, How Brown is Still Coining It with His Unfair Stamp Duty; the Chancellor is Milking Homebuyers. But Shouldnââ¬â¢t His Stealth Tax Target Sellers Instead? The Mail on Sunday, p. 13. Thomas, Michael 2003, Introduction to Stamp Duty Land Tax, Cambridge University Press. Thomas, Michael March 2006, Stamp Duty Land Tax, 2nd Edition, London: Cambridge University Press. Warland, Phillip 17 February 2000, How Stamp Duty Reserve Tax Threatens Low-Cost Savings, Financial Times. Wighton, David 27 July 2006, Balls Faces Calls to Scrap Stamp Duty, Financial Times. Clinical Psychology: History, Influences and Applications Clinical Psychology: History, Influences and Applications Myrto Giannakopoulou ââ¬Å"Each student is expected to select info and produce an information pack targeted at a field/career of his/her interest in Psychology (e.g. Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Cognitive Psychology ââ¬â for example, you can select information via observing or/and interviewing a professional [preferable] or secondary reading). The above package will be accompanied by an academic, reflective essay supporting the choice above (e.g. explain your interest on this scientific area of Psychology, describe the basic issues of the professionalââ¬â¢s interest in this field, refer to the basic taught psychological terms and concepts that you noticed to this scientific area, etc.)â⬠. Nowadays, applied psychology has four main sub-categories which are clinical, educational, occupational/industrial and criminological/legal. Clinical psychology refers to treating emotional and behavioral disorders. Educational psychologists work with children and adolescents and their families and they give more importance in the efficacy of teaching and learning methods. Occupational psychology is applied into workplaces in order to improve the productivity of the employees and to increase the levels of job satisfaction. Criminological psychology is involved in the criminal and legal system and facilities such as prisons and courts or the police force. It has two branches, forensic and investigative psychology. In this project we are going to analyze the field of Clinical psychology. Clinical Psychology is a part of applied Psychology and it focuses on the treatment and understanding of behavioral and psychological problems. Clinical psychology is often confused with psychiatry because clinical psychologists also work with people with mental disorders and they use the same methods of therapies. Their difference is that psychiatrists can give medicine, thus clinical psychologists are forbidden to do so. Clinical psychology was developed in 1896, when Lightner Witmer, who is regarded as the father of Clinical psychology, established the first psychological clinic in the University of Pennsylvania. The clients of Witmers clinic were children with learning difficulties and with behavioural disorders. Next, in 1904 Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon created the Binet-Simon scale which is a test that can identify children with mental disablement and children with normal mentality and it influenced the development of clinical psychology in USA. Witmer denied the helpfulness of this scale and this is why he disappeared from the scene of clinical psychology. Later, in the early 20s, the psychiatrist William Healy established the Juvenile Psychopathic Institute, the worlds first child guidance clinic. Additionally, Healy in his clinic used the Binet-Simon scale for the children and adapted Freuds theory for the unconventional behaviour. Clinical psychology has been influenced from human physiology. For example, the term psychopathology includes the words pathology (disease) and psyche, which means that mental disorders have a biological basis. In other words, a mental disorder is considered as a dysfunction in the physiology of a person that appears in his behaviour. According to the medicine, the causes of a mental disorder are separated in three general categories: the infectious diseases (e.g. encephalitis which is an inflammation of the brain and its symptoms are familiar with those of dementia, such as memory loss), diseases that are related with the dysfunction of a human organ (e.g. diabetes) and traumatic diseases that arise from external or environmental causes (e.g. a hit in the head can cause cerebral hemorrhage and can also provoke problems in behavior such as coma, memory loss, and personality disorder). Clinical psychologists do more than talk to people who are distressed about personal matter. They often do different types of activities from teaching to psychotherapy to laboratory research and this is why they need to have a special training program in clinical psychology. After obtaining their degree, they can apply for a master course in clinical psychology, which usually lasts three years and at the same time do their apprenticeship, in order to gain experience in their field. Furthermore, research is the basis of all clinical psychology activities. Research programs, help to understand which approach could be more effective for a clinical problem such as depression, anxiety, eating, or panic disorders, personality disorders, phobias, etc. They can also focus on various populations like families, couples, ethnic minority groups such as gay, lesbians, etc. Although not all of the clinical psychologists are involved with research, they should be informed about other researches, in order to improve their own clinical work. Most of them use various tests or questionnaires to help them to their work or to their research. These tests have many measures, such as cognitive, behavioral, neuropsychological etc. On the other hand, in research there are certain problems. The most important is the fact that the researchers and the participants are human and the results are not solid, because the participants behave in a different way than their ordinary life, for example they are too defensive because they try to hide their thoughts from the researchers or they behave too normal, because they know how the experiment works. This happens because the participants are part of the society and n this way they try to be socially accepted and it is known as the Hawthorn effect. Despite all that, psychologists try to use multiple ways of reducing such effects, for example by using double-blind questionnaires. Another important practice that is used in the fields of Psychology is the Evidence-based practice (EBP). It is a process that involves ââ¬Å"the conscientious, explicit, judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patientsâ⬠(Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, Richardson, 1996). Specifically, this practice gives to therapists a general guidance for addressing any given disorder in the best possible manner, based on research that they can use, but even if they donââ¬â¢t follow it to the letter is not wrong as long as they act in accordance to their professional experience. Although, it must be pointed out that these guidelines are general and do not take into account each personââ¬â¢s individuality and uniqueness. Another approach to EBP is the Ideograpdic one that takes into account each individual person and its singularity and is used by most health professions. Furthermore, there are three circles of Evidence Based Clinical practice, also known as theâ⬠three -legged stoolâ⬠. The first circle represents the best available research proof, the second circle represents clinical expertness and finally the third circle includes the patient values, the preferences, the characteristics and the circumstances. Those three have to be combine in order to achieve the best clinical practice. Overall, Clinical Psychology is a complex field that parallels the complexity of human behavior and emotion and it combines and links human behaviour to stimulus created by people external environment such as everyday human relationships and interactions, health etc, and it explains the way it affects us. References: Barker M. (2003). Introductory Psychology: History, Themes and Perpectives, Crucial Kendall D., C., Norton Ford J., D. (1982). Clinical Psychology: Scientific and professional dimensions. New York: J. Wiley. Plante T., G., (2005). Contemporary Clinical Psychology, New Jersey: J. Wiley Sons, Inc. Sackett, D. L., Wennberg, J. E. (1997). Choosing the best research design for each question. British Medical Journal, 315, 1636. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol (2007). Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Psychology: What It Is, Why It Matters; What You Need to Know. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 611-631
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