Monday, September 30, 2019

History of Fire Sprinklers Essay

Rome, 64 A. D. Emperor Nero watched in horror as the great city of Rome burned for six days and seven nights. Afterwards 70% of the city was left in smoldering ruins and devastation. (The Burning of Rome, 64 AD 1) Why the exact cause of the fire is unknown, we wonder if an effective sprinkler system could have prevented this incident and others like it. A city that was well known for their magnificent construction, architecture, and irrigation systems was almost completely destroyed by one incident. Many codes do not require a specific type of Automatic Sprinkler System. While the most common type found is the Wet Pipe System; Dry Pipe, Preaction, and Deluge Systems can be found in many different occupancy types. The two main purposes of automatic sprinkler systems are to extinguish fires and control the fire until appropriate personnel arrive to extinguish the fire. Automatic sprinkler systems are expected in all occupancy types, except residential, unless the hazard is not compatible with water. For these hazards there are several other types of suppression systems that can be installed to manage the incident. By installing an automatic sprinkler system, you increase life safety and property protection. What is the standard of sprinkler systems? The goal is to increase life safety and decrease property damage. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been the leader in mandating standards and requirements when it comes to sprinkler systems. They have developed many standards that address the installation, inspection, and maintenance of sprinklers. Wet pipe systems are closed water systems attached to a piping system containing pressurized water at all times. This type of automatic sprinkler system is the most common type, and can be found in all most all occupancy types. Unless the potential of freezing pipes or other special conditions apply, this type of system will be encountered most frequently. The operation of this sprinkler system is very simple. The wet-pipe system consists of sprinkler heads attached to sprinkler supply lines that interlace the occupancy. When a fire first starts there is minimum heat generated. As the fire grows and the thermal layer is disturbed, heat rises to the targeted sprinkler heads. Depending on the rated temperature of the sprinkler head, a fusible disc or link melts from the heat and initiates the flow of water. While most fires are controlled by one or two sprinkler heads, in the case of fast moving fires more may be needed to control the fire. When water is flowed from the system, typically other things may happen. In all most all wet-pipe systems, there is some type of audible alarm activated at the standpipe. This will trigger other alarms in the building, and most of the time notifies an agency that will then notify the Fire Department of a water flow alarm or others like it. Dry pipe systems use air or nitrogen to keep the supply line pressurized at all times. This type of automatic sprinkler system is commonly found in the colder areas where the possibilities of freezing pipes are encountered. Dry-pipe systems provide the same adequate protection similar to wet-pipe systems. The piping is charged with air or nitrogen, and when a sprinkler head is activated the drop in the pressure opens a valve at the standpipe that allows water to flow into the systems. (Bahme 25) Just like the wet-pipe system, normally one or two sprinkler heads are needed to control the fire. There will also be an alarm that is activated notifying the appropriate agency to contact the Fire Department. At lest once a week the system should be tested to make sure that the air pressure within the piping is maintained. The third type of automatic sprinkler system is the Pre-action System. This type of system is a closed piping system that contains air, which may or may not be under pressure. When a fire occurs the fire detecting device signals the control valve to open charging the system. This type of system is usually used where the possibility of broken pipes and sprinkler heads may result. The most common places found include electrical rooms, computer rooms, and other areas that may house expensive equipment. There can be several types of pre-action system including a recycling system. This system is capable of charging the piping, discharging water, then cutting itself off. In the event that the fire rekindles, it can discharge again. It then has the ability to recycle the water. Deluge systems are much like Pre-action systems except that the sprinkler heads are open and the system is not charged. Similar to that of the pre-action systems, a fire detection device, usually a heat sensor, activates the discharge valve on the system. The difference is that the entire sprinkler component of the system is open; therefore the area that is activated is deluged in water. These types of automatic sprinkler system can be found where a high hazard of flammable liquid may be encountered. The most common place is aircraft hangars. Caution should be taken though; in confined spaces the oxygen level can be deficient when these systems are activated due to the copious amounts of water. Combined Dry-Pipe and Pre-action systems are composed of both the systems mentioned above. These systems have the dry pipe features with the pre-action features in the event the dry pipe portion fails. These systems are used when an area is too large to be covered by a dry pipe system. On the same note though, combined systems were originally developed for protection during cold climates. Long lines would be subject to freezing. These systems are commonly found when dealing with long piers. (Bahme 30) It is important to note this type of system is considered two independent systems. Testing requires individual standards for both type; consisting of the dry pipe system and the pre-action system. Limited water supply systems are those where supply water cannot be properly supplied to the occupancy. These systems consist of many wide range types and can be used as outside sprinklers and confined space sprinklers. Some research obtained shows that one type of limited water sprinkler type could be the antifreeze sprinkler system. This type of system is very uncommon and is normally not accepted and used in recent automatic sprinkler systems. In conclusion, there are several types of water sprinklers used in today’s management to help increase life safety and decrease property damage. By including detection devices and the correct sprinkler heads, these systems can mean the difference between life and death. The occupancy should have the correct automatic sprinkler system that will properly suppress the material relevant in that occupancy regardless of the type. The preferred automatic sprinkler system should all be able to notify the occupants, summon the correct agency to suppress the fire, sound alarms, supervise fire control, and initiated a wide variety of auxiliary functions involving environmental, utility, and process controls. (IFSTA 559)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Vision Failed

The Vision FailedQuestion 1:If I were to consult with the HTE board of director soon after Harold started making changes, I would advise them, regarding the transformational perspective, to follow carefully how Harold is implementing these. In fact, to benefit from those changes and achieve Harold’s goal, the board of director should encourage him to adopt a transformational leadership.First of all, to be such a leader, Harold would have to be an example in the company. As a leader, he should inspire trust and communicate a clear vision on the changes he wants to make in the company and why. Moreover, those changes would rather emerge from the common interest and not from Harold only. The board should encourage Harold to review his vision with employees’ that inspire them.Then, I would explain to the board of director that a leader’s influence is inseparable from follower’s needs. Meaning that, all the changes, implemented by Harold, must be accepted by al l employees. I would advise them to warn Harold to take into account all employees’ needs and not favor some among others. Unfortunately, designing changes with only a few senior managers may have created a feeling of unfairness for those left aside. Consequently, they could be reluctant to the reorganization.Furthermore, the board should expect Harold to promote collaboration and rewards. As a result, employees would be able to innovate, improve their efficiency and commitment to work.To finish with, I would explain the significance of Harold’s behavior in order to achieve their goal because people are not always at ease with changes at work. They need someone to rely on to face their fear of uncertainty. That’s the role I would advise the board of director to help Harold with.Question 2:To answer the question, I think Harold had a clear vision for HTE but I assume he did not know how to implement it.As we can read in the case, Harold’s vision, was:† to prove new technologies  and advanced management techniques could make HTE one of the best manufacturing companies in the country†. We can say it is an â€Å"attractive, realistic, and believable future† (Bennis and Nanus, 1985). This clear vision is simple and understandable. In fact, it should create energy and motivation for the employees to take part in this change. Unfortunately, this vision did not come from the whole company but only from Harold. He chose to reorganize things that would more reduce employees’ efficiency than improve it. Because he did not take intoaccount all employees’ opinion he did not took the accurate decisions. As a consequence, it is challenging for the employees to support something they did not participate in. Over and above, the changes did not correspond to employees’ needs. They did not identify themselves in this vision and rather consider it as a forced change.Then, even if the vision seemed clear to Haro ld, his role in implementing it wasn’t a success. While Harold wanted to positively transform HTE the result was that the company felt apart. Harold lost his employees’ trust. They needed a sense of identity within the organization and a sense of self-efficacy (Shamir et al., 1993) that Harold did not clarify it. To finish with, the sentence â€Å"no one understood in which direction they were going† highlights doubts among employees. As a matter of fact, the vision was only correct and appropriate for Harold but he did not know how to shape the company’s future.Question 3: From my point of view, Harold wasn’t effective as a change agent or a social architect for HTE.In most cases, a change agent comes out as a strong role model for employees. They are the competent agent articulating the organization and expressing strong ideals. Harold failed this mission. He wasn’t able to fit together different parts of the organization. Whether Harold s hould have created trust and be predictable, he was a mystery and an arbitrary manager. In addition, to be a reliable change agent, they have to listen to followers and accept criticisms. Harold should have cooperated with his team for them  to trust him and believe in his ideas. On the contrary, at one point Harold appeared careless to employees’ concerns, which is the opposite behavior of an effective change agent.To continue, we should define a social architect: â€Å"This means they created a shape or form for the shared meanings people maintained within their organizations† (Peter G. Northouse chapter 9 â€Å"Transformational leadership p197). A social architect is also here to help people find their role in the new company’s identity. They need to understand how to contribute to the vision of the organization. Unfortunately employees lost this vision because of Harold actions. Employees couldn’t identify themselves to him and disconnected to HTE. They did not know which future, or new values and norms to expect for the company. Harold lost his employees whereas he was supposed to lead them into this transformation. To finish with, an active change agent, as a social architect, would appear effective by working with others by listening to them, encouraging them and celebrates their accomplishment. On the contrary, Harold often failed to listen to his employees ‘anxieties and misunderstood their needs.Question 4:If Harold had the chance to return as president of HTE, I would advise him to always take into account his employees’ needs.I would recommend Harold to build his identity as a leader using: – Idealized Influence: He should develop his charisma and act as a strong role model for employees. Harold must provide them with a sense of mission and reduce uncertainty. He would rather have evaluated impacts of changes before implementing them, by asking employees† advice.– Inspirational Motivati on: Harold’s behavior should inspire employees to commit themselves in the organization and achieve a common goal. Instead of appearing as an â€Å"enigma†, Harold may have gain to stick to his vision, to his statement as being a democratic leader and a hands-on manager instead of being arbitrary.– Intellectual Stimulation: I would advise Harold to encourage employees being creative and innovative in order to become the best manufacturing company in the country. By using employees’ ideas, Harold would implicate them in the implementation of changes. In other word, the  employees would become a part of the shared vision of the organization. Moreover, they would feel responsible for the success of this vision they contributed to create. Furthermore, they would develop their fullest potential in their work.– Individual Consideration: Harold could win followers by providing a supportive climate in the organization. Followers may need help in their pe rsonal challenges. They require someone to talk to and rely on.As a conclusion, I would remind Harold that change is a good thing but changing on your own won’t make any difference. Harold may have good ideas for the company but he necessitates to be followed by his employees. In fact, employees’ needs are inseparable from Harold success as a leader.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Assessment of the Idea of Liberty As Illustrated By Hannah Arendt In, What Is Freedom

Assessment of the Idea of Liberty As Illustrated By Hannah Arendt In, What Is Freedom The concept of freedom is an abstract one that is only realized when a person sets it into motion. In What is Freedom, Hannah Arendt challenges the widespread belief that liberty extends from the freedom of thought and will. Arendt emphasizes that actions performed unhinged from consequences are true bouts of freedom. What is Freedom dispels the accustomed definition found in government, textbooks, and marketplace and replaces it with freedom as a gateway of creativity and boundlessness. The common sense notion of freedom has been etched into the framework of our society. The â€Å"Land of the Free† otherwise known as the United States of America, etches the entitlement to our life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as the focal point of its’ Constitution. Similarly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines freedom as â€Å"the state of being free† and â€Å"a political right† (Merriam-Webster.com). In economics, the term laissez-faire, the abstention by governments from interfering in the workings of the free market† is the quintessential cornerstone of one of our most defining national traits, capitalism (OxfordDictionaries.com). All three of these definitions stress, in one form or another, that freedom is possessive. We possess rights that protect us from an oppressive government, slavery, or even the business-incentive crushing Communism. The most general of these meanings â€Å"the state of being free† only serves to a dd intangibility and uncertainty to an already scantly defined concept. This common sense notion of freedom umbrellas the different ways a person can make decisions. These can be the rationality of a person to select a choice, to want/need to have ownership of property, or incentive work towards a cause of interest. Despite this general understanding, Arendt argues against these concepts. While â€Å"we hold human freedom to be a self-evident truth† Arendt defines the common sense notion just as the inward space into which men may escape from external coercion and feel free† (Arendt 647, 649). Freedom in its pure form is an abstract concept. Since we cannot empirically measure freedom by the number of people emancipated from slavery, nor can we quantify its’ workings through calculating marginal utility, the crux comes from establishing an encompassing operational definition. Arendt developed a solution stating that for an â€Å"Action to be free, it must be free from motive on one side, from its intended goal as a predictable effect on the other† (Arendt 653). Thus for the infinite number of possibilities that can result from making a choice or an action, as long as the person makes a choice unbeknownst of any external influence, they are free. For example choosing between multiple choice options on an AP exam does not entail freedom if the test taker reads the question and selects the answer that best fits, even if there exist a potential margin of error. Contrariwise, if the student spontaneously selects a choice based on intrinsic preferences for an answe r letter, ignoring the terms of the question and the answers, he has attained freedom. In this way the answer â€Å"as it is free is neither under the guidance of the intellect nor under the dictate of the will† (Arendt 654). If will and intellect are engaged, however, the person is guided towards a solution logically and thus freedom is not present. The student is using goal setting, or aim. Since â€Å"Aim is not a matter of freedom, but of right or wrong judgment† if the student answers option C because the question leads them to the logical conclusion that the text in C is correct they practiced aim not freedom (Arendt 653). Arendt’s conception of freedom is based on the concept of principles. These principles â€Å"such as honor or glory, or love of equality . . . inspire. . . [and become] fully manifest only in the performing act itself† (Arendt 654). This inspiration is the reason for freedom’s volatility. When a person exerts an action in a free state the person is guided by this burst of inspiration from the principle to select one out of an unlimited number of outcomes. Inspiration differs from that of an aim because is not fully realized until the action is completed. Additionally principles lose â€Å"nothing in strength or validity through execution† unlike goals which vanish once they are completed (Arendt 654). Since principles are everlasting sources of inspiration, they outline the creative freedom that exists within man. Arendt arrived at the conclusion that the ability to act freely, guided only by principles, is the reason that art exists. Humans exercise unrestricted talents with unlimited outcomes guided by undefined inspiration when creating art. This is why â€Å"the element of freedom, certainly present in the creative arts, remains hidden† (Arendt 655). Although the end result of art is often guided by a motive such as recognition or money, the artist that created it was guided freely without any bounds. The effect of inspiration on a person becomes the axiom that â€Å"freedom is a worldly reality, tangible in words that can be heard, in deeds which can be seen, and in events which are . . . incorporated into the great storybook of human history† (Arendt 656). Arendt imposes a new meaning on the liberty of humans. Unlike the common sense notion where freedom exists in the forms of; ownership of property, the right to unalienable rights, and options to choose, a person practicing Arendt’s notion of freedom is not restricted by the choices in front of them. By letting go of your ephemeral motives, by replacing it with inexhaustible principles you unlock a freedom that has no bounds. Instead of having a choice from options, you can pick an undefined number of other options that are not listed. Conclusively Arendt believes that, freedom is not the right to choose your own adventure. Freedom is the ability to create it.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Assignment 1 - Essay Example Based on the agreement between the Aroma of Baltimore’s CEO and Parisian that encompassed the former to supply him with perfume products to sell in France, the two are in contract. This is because Aroma of Baltimore’s CEO when he met the latter tried to explain to him concerning perfume products sold by his company together with having samples to show the Parisian. The perfume samples intrigued the Parisian whereby afterwards he ended up contacting Aroma of Baltimore’s CEO to supply him for sales in France. Hence, the contract involved in this case is that of Distribution agreement though many details the two parties have not come to a conclusion. This is because Aroma of Baltimore’s CEO is yet to work on the Parisian’s but insists their mode of dealings will be in line with law of Maryland (Tepper 283). Besides Maryland’s law, UCC is also applicable in this case whose elaboration is in terms of sales. Sales in agreement distribution encompas ses profits and how perfumes products will reach France and condition for the Parisian to collect them and sell in his stores of distribute. Suppose the involved parties in this case who embrace Parisian and Aroma of Baltimore’s CEO come to a conclusion they need to adhere to other set laws other than what I have described in this memo, they can do so. This is especially if the former insists on international law principles governing state to state contracts and somehow assuming a slightly different mode of business. This is especially if the Parisian cites what he intends to do is not only to sell in retail but also act as a distributor in the entire country whereby they may come to an agreement concerning what other laws that may apply. These include certain aspects, which they may agree to comply with while in business as a supplier or buyer. These aspects include policies supporting promises, which

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Proposed Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposed Program - Essay Example a minimum of ninety (90) minutes per week of physical education and the agreement of the individual participants to submit to baseline and follow-up blood screening. There were no exclusionary criteria. Procedures. The schools selected for program participation will be done so based on its demographic location within a well-defined local area. Within those schools, the dietary menus would be modified so as to ensure that the lunches provided within the school will meet the USDA requirements of a minimum energy level of 664 kcal with a fat content of less that 30% of the total calorific content, no less than 10g of protein, 286mg of calcium, 3.5mg of iron, at lease 224 retinol equivalents of vitamin A and at lest 15mg of vitamin C. The duration of this program will be three years wherein the students within the program will experience significantly less dietary fat intake over the course of the program when compared with students outside of the target area. In conjunction with the dietary modification program, an enhanced physical education program will be implemented. The schools within the target area would implement a regiment of physical education whereby each student will receive a minimum of ninety (90) minutes of physical education over the course of a week. This will be distributed over three sessions. The physical education program will be accompanied by health education whereby the students will be offered a series of 16 30-40 minute healthy eating segments administered by the classroom teachers. The segments would be selected based on the criteria of age appropriateness. Â   During the course of this program implementation, there will be an ongoing program level monitoring whereby there will be continuous recipe and menu analysis as well as well as an observation of the length of time and physical activity type determination. On an individual level, dietary knowledge, intentions, food choices outside of school, social reinforcement and support as

Ensuring a safe Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ensuring a safe Workplace - Essay Example Productivity of an employee depends on the surrounding during task delivering. Therefore, it would be wise to support the enhancement of the working environment for the employees. Arguing for my position requires one to take a bold stand as those taken by the likes of Malcolm X and Karl Marx. Employees are and will continue to be the engine of an organization, and regardless of the level of input they add to the firm. It is a wish of all organizations to be leading in terms of sale, and brand, and to achieve that employees are a critical aspect. Conducive working environment makes employees feel safe in their daily endeavor, and this motivates them. It should never be considered blindly that employees will risk their lives for the sake of building a firm’s reputation. According to (Noe, 2006), Human Resource Management has evolved over the years to view employees as an asset rather than job seeker only after pay. In an organization where hazardous products are being handled emergency measures should be in place to salvage any outbreak (â€Å"Managing health, safety and working environment†, 2009). Esteem of employees is enhanced on how they are treated at their workstation. An employee is just like any other individual whose esteem will be improved by the surrounding. For instance, an organization where the manager uses abusive terms when addressing the employees has a severe impact on the employee’s esteem. Low esteem among employees has been identified as the cause low productivity. Human resource manager needs to ensure the employees are psychologically safe which determines the degree of job concentration. Welfare of the staffs should not be considered as secondary need while they are on duty within the organization. If the workstation is viewed as a home by employees, then productivity from them will be to the optimum. According to (PetrylaitÄâ€", &

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Why Nevada Should Follow Colorado's Model for Marijuana Legalization Research Paper

Why Nevada Should Follow Colorado's Model for Marijuana Legalization - Research Paper Example ubsequent legalization of the use of the herb has been a topic under heated controversy in Nevada as more pro-marijuana groups organize the movement of advocate for legalized marijuana use for not only the medical use but also for recreational use for adults above twenty one years. The legalization of marijuana is advocated for due to the benefits that are enjoyed by states such as Colorado that have already legalized fully the use and possession of marijuana. Legalization of marijuana in Nevada will lead to a positive impact in the state socially, economically and medically. The major arguments supporting the legalization movement is based on the improvement of the medical application, reduction in crime, economic benefits, revenue on the government, and saving the budgetary costs of institutions such as correctional facilities, rehabilitation and the judiciary. Colorado and Washington were the pioneer states of legalizing marijuana and in 2016, Nevada is expected to follow suit as various complains are underway for the coming year of reforms. Full Legalization of marijuana will help Nevada to explore the many health and medicinal uses of marijuana. In Nevada, medical application of marijuana has been decriminalized although mostly regulated. Fully legalization of marijuana will lead to medical exploration of all the potential used of marijuana in the treatment of various diseases and health conditions. The successful use of marijuana and the rationale for is legalization is due to the fact that it is safe for human use especially where controlled for medical use. The herb has minimal toxicity thereby presenting no threat of lethal overdose. As such, the patient’s health is secured with no reported cases of end-organ failure or the need for routine laboratory monitoring. First, the herb has great therapeutic benefits. When applied in patients with certain psychiatric conditions, they enhance therapeutic effects on the patient by producing anti-inflammatory,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Bp solar manufacture of renewable energy technology Essay

Bp solar manufacture of renewable energy technology - Essay Example STRATEGIC DECISION TAKEN BY THE COMPANY: Strategic decisions are generally concerned with the overall policy or strategy of the organisation. These decisions are normally associated with relatively long term and involve high risk. At the same time the results related with strategic decisions are unpredictable and have huge influence on the stakeholders of the company (Ford, Sharfman, & Dean, 2008). The strategic decision taken by the BP Solar Global is to expand the operations of the business in new geographical markets. This will facilitate the company in the process of increasing the sales growth and market share. In this regard, BP Solar can enter into growing solar panel industry at UAE and Middle East. Company is already operating in different countries of six continents, namely Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. TACTICAL DECISION TAKEN BY THE COMPANY: Tactical decision are normally associated with medium term and are supported by considerable qua ntitative data and information. Apart from this, tactical decisions have relatively low amount of risk as compared to the strategic decisions (Keskin, Uster, & Cetinkaya, 2010). The tactical decision taken by the company is the implementation of the Total Quality Management and Lean Six Sigma in the next six months. This will enable the company to improve the quality of the overall process of production and manufacturing. This decision will help the company in the process of providing sustainable green energy to the consumers. Along with this, the implementation of the Total Quality Management and Lean Six Sigma will facilitates the organisation in the process of continuous improving the overall operations. OPERATIONAL DECISION TAKEN BY THE COMPANY: Operational decisions include the day to day basis routine activities and tasks. These are of the least complexity and low risk is associated with them. Apart from this the level of information required for these decisions is generally v ery low and these decisions are made on the basis of experiences (Xu & Birge, 2008). The operational decision taken by the company is to send some of the members of research and development department to a one month learning and training course. Being in the highly innovative industry it is necessary for BP Solar to keep on coming with different innovative products and solutions. This can be achieved by training and developing the research and development personnel. INFORMATION NEEDED FOR TAKING STRATEGIC DECISION: In order to decide for expanding into other geographical regions, company will be requiring different important information and data. The different set of information required for this strategic decision are: 1. Current market condition along with future growth potential 2. Current political and legal condition of the new geographical market Current Market Condition and Future Growth Potential: First of all the current condition of the new target market along with the fut ure growth potential will be required. According to the report of Datamonitor (2010), there is high potential in the renewable energy industry in United Arabs Emirates (UAE). Particularly, the industry of solar panels has been showing considerable growth. It is highly beneficial to enter into this region because of the unlimited supply of the sunlight (Datamonitor, 2010). Current Political and Legal Condition of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Teaching Science During the Early Childhood Years Essay

Teaching Science During the Early Childhood Years - Essay Example These professionals include all the individuals who directly serve children right from their through the age of 8 (Who are Early Childhood Professionals). Thus such schools and centers help in the initial development of mental, physical and social growth of the child along with education. The importance of educators in these centers is evident from the fact that children in early childhood education programs require teachers who are not only academically qualified but also have a sound knowledge in child development. Instead a high-quality support system should be offered to teachers in addition to a competent pay package and opportunities for professional development (Hyson, Tomlinson and Carol). In order to gain high-quality knowledge on early childhood education it is necessary to enroll in programs that are based on the National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards (NAEYC) which help prepare graduates competently for this profession as it not only includes ch ildhood education but also concentrates on learning the overall development of the child, to effectively communicate with the families, using assessments appropriately and altogether helps in becoming a through professional in this field.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The War on Iraq Essay Example for Free

The War on Iraq Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If there’s one country that you would want to go to, the country Iraq would be on your list. Iraq is a country of heritage and historical value. It has been known to the world for housing numbers of archaeological sites and art pieces. It is acknowledged for having one thousand archaeological sites including ruins of their past wars. Iraq has been the place for the oldest churches in the world and the first city of the world. The country’s archaeological sites can be dated back even before Christ was born; the mainland for the Old Testament. Scholars and curators fear the possibility that the civil war in Iraq might destroy the archaeological sites of the country (Guardian, April 2, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States and Iraq conflict began on the twentieth of March of the year Two-Thousand and Three. The main reason for the development of the war is that His Excellence, President George W. Bush along with British Prime Minister Tony Blairand their fellow allies was threatened by the speculations that the Iraq government was developing weapons of mass destruction; nuclear bombs and the likes. The war went on until the defeat of the Iraqi terrorist Saddam Hussein. The war deteriorated this year, two thousand and seven, but the war between Sunni and Shia Muslims continued up to this date (A timeline of the Iraq War,) Shia vs. Sunni Muslim   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sunni and Shia Muslims are only two among the subgroups of the Muslim religion. Sunni and Shia have the same culture, it is homogenous. Although both share the common Islamic beliefs they do not share common beliefs when it comes to political issues and practices. There is diversity within the Islamic groups regionally. The division between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam started when the prophet Muhammad died, leadership of the Muslim was then a big question. Who would take the place of Muhammad was at stake, whether it should be a relative or it is just okay for a capable leader to take his place. The Sunni Muslims agreed upon the election of a new leader among the capable ones. On the contrary, the Shia Muslims believed that the leadership should have been passed to Muhammad’s relatives, particularly to his cousin Ali. All throughout the Muslims’ history, the Shia subgroup never have recognized the authority of their elected leaders. From this initial political issue of leadership, the two subgroups’ spiritual beliefs were divided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are theological or spiritual differences between the Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Shia subgroups believe that their Imam or leader is a sinless leader since it was appointed by God. They often make shrines for their Imams because they believe that they are saints. On the contrary, Sunni Muslims contradicted the Shia beliefs; they say that there’s no basis for the veneration of saints and that there’s no such thing as the hereditary succession of spiritual leaders (Huda, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the practical differences between Sunni and Shia is through praying. Shia Muslims pray three times a day wherein they combine their prayers; their prayers can be identified by a tablet of clay from what they call Karbala or a holy place, on which their foreheads are pressed against. On the contrary, Sunni Muslims pray five times a day without combining their prayers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Temporary marriage or what Muslims call Muttah marriage is legal to Shia but the Sunni Muslims do not consider it. Sunni Muslims believe that Muttah marriage is a forbidden act, thus, believing that the Prophet forbid the act (Hourani, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are also differences in the kind of government the Sunnis and Shias wanted to have; the political culture differences. Shias are rebellious and always contradict the tyrannical rulers and are against Sunni injustices. They believed in the modern world democracy, in which avoidance of accountability and tyranny is stressed. They are anti-authoritarians and it is known to be an inherent culture of the Shias; they believed in the justification of fair rulers and that justice is fair and without any bias. On the contrary, Sunnis uphold any kind of government, be it democratic or not for as long as it maintains the order and the stability of the Muslim community. Not to mention that it should also protect the Muslim communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gender relations among the Sunni Islam and Shia Islam have differences also. Shias’ allow a fairer gender relation than the Sunnis. The presence of sexual inequality for them is the absence of democracy; this is what the Shias believed in. On the other hand, Sunni Islam communities believed that women should be a subordinate of men; wives should obey their husbands. Thus, it shows that their differences are completely extreme, because one opposes the other (Chaulia,February 16, 2007) Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚     Like other religions, Muslims also have differences, be it political, cultural and regional diversity. The fact is that they are all the same when it comes to spiritual concerns. The most important thing is to be united with God despite of the differences. Holy war is not supposed to be an issue because we are all the same in the eyes of our creator. Our fellow Muslim should unite instead of continuously building up the wall between them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Iraq should be a sanctuary and not a place for war and conflict. Shias’ and Sunnis’ differences should not hinder them from being united for the sake of peace for the fact that they are both Muslims. References Chaulia, S. (February 16, 2007 ). Shia Democracy:Myth or Reality?   [Electronic Version] from http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/2677.cfm. Guardian, T. (April 2, 2003). The end of civilization [Electronic Version] from http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,927788,00.html. Hourani, A. (1991). A History of the Arab Peoples [Electronic Version] from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/subdivisions/sunnishia_4.shtml. Huda. (2007). Whats the Difference Between Shia and Sunni Muslims? [Electronic Version] from http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunni.htm. A timeline of the Iraq War [Electronic ( ). Version]. Retrieved 2005-2007 from http://thinkprogress.org/iraq-timeline.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Battle of Dunkirk

The Battle of Dunkirk Rami Redha The Battle of Dunkirk lasted from around May 25 to June 3, 1940. After the Phony War, the Battle of France began on 10 May, 1940. German armour burst through the Ardennes region and advanced rapidly driving north in the so-called sickle cut. To the east the Germans invaded and subdued the Netherlands and advanced rapidly through Belgium. The combined British, French and Belgian forces were split around Armentià ¨res. The German forces then swept north to capture Calais, holding a large body of Allied soldiers trapped against the coast on the Franco-Belgian border. It became clear to the British that the battle was lost and the question was now how many Allied soldiers could be removed to the relative safety of England before their resistance was crushed. From May 22 preparations for the evacuation began, codenamed Operation Dynamo, commanded from Dover by Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay. He called for as many naval vessels as possible as well as every ship capable of carrying 1,000 men within reach. It initially was intended to recover around 45,000 men of the British Expeditionary Force over two days, this was soon stretched to 120,000 men over five days. On May 27 a request was placed to civilians to provide all shallow draught vessels of 30 to 100 feet for the operation, that night was the first rescue attempt. A large number of craft including fishing boats and recreational vessels, together with Merchant Marine and Royal Navy vessels, were gathered and sent to Dunkirk and the surrounding beaches to recover Allied troops. Due to heavy German fire only 8,000 soldiers were recovered. Another ten destroyers were recalled for May 28 and attempted rescue operations in the early morning but were unable to closely approach the beaches although several thousand were rescued. It was decided that smaller vessels would be more useful. The Allied held area was reduced to a 30 sq km by May 28. Operations over the rest of May 28 were more successful, with a further 16,000 men recovered but German air operations increased and many vessels were sunk or badly damaged, including nine destroyers. On May 29, the German armour stopped its advance on Dunkirk leaving the operation to the slower infantry, and the Luftwaffe (Hermann Gà ¶ring, then in great favour with Adolf Hitler, had promised air power alone could win the battle) but due to problems only 14,000 men were evacuated that day. On the evening of May 30 another major group of smaller vessels was dispatched and returned with around 30,000 men. By May 31 the Allied forces were compressed into a 5 km deep strip from La Panne, through Bray-Dunes to Dunkirk, but on that day over 68,000 troops were evacuated with another 10,000 or so overnight. On June 1 another 65,000 were rescued and the operations continued until June 4, evacuating a total of 338,226 troops aboard around 700 different vessels. Source 8 was an artists of the Dunkirk evacuation by Charles cundall, an official war artist. In the painting you can clearly see the smoke from the bombed out harbour there is enough evidence in source 8 to support the interpretation: â€Å"Dunkirk was a great deliverance and a great Defeat†. Source 8 shows how it was deliverance and how it was a Defeat. The source is a painting by Charles Condell he shows lots of ships and people getting to these ships but also show a lot of explosions and mayhem. The deliverance in this painting would be the fact that so many troops are boarding the ships and getting home alive. The disaster in this painting is the fact there are so many dead on the beaches and there are ships on fire. This source cannot however be completely reliable because the painter could not have been on the beach painting this picture so he was either far away or this painting is an image he had remembered from the day. He was also an official war artist so this pa inting could have been used by the government as propaganda to show the British people that despite the bombing and strafing of the beaches the British people never gave up in saving the B.E.F. Source 19 is an account by an RAF pilot of what he saw when he reached the beaches. He mentioned the air attacks on the beaches and said things like

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Adult Civic Education :: Education Adults Essays

Adult Civic Education Since democracy is the context and the condition for everything else that is valued—work, family life, religion, politics, recreation, and leisure—preserving its vitality and integrity must be a central objective of adult education. (Boggs 1991b, p. 54). In a democratic society, adults are frequently confronted with situations and events that require them to make decisions, not only about their own lives as citizens but also about their role as a citizen in a larger community. The answers to dilemmas facing adults in today's world are not clear cut and require the ability to struggle with understanding ideas that are subtle and multifaceted, to engage in serious talk with others, and to take action (Colby et al. 2003; C. Seaquist 2003, p. 11). Since September 11, for example, individuals have had to decide what it means when the "government announces 'specific and credible' clues of a possible terrorist attack" within the United States (L. Seaquist 2003, p. 11). Should they cancel plans for a vacation? Should they stay home and cover their windows with plastic using duct tape? Should they carry on as usual? Furthermore, they also have had to decide if the information itself is credible since being able to interpret intelligence is no w a part of being a citizen (ibid.). How can adult education support adults as they struggle with what it means to be a citizen in an increasingly complex world? This Brief examines the role of adult civic education in contemporary society and provides recommendations for its practice. Adult Civic Education: What Adult civic education, sometimes called adult education for democracy or citizenship education, has a number of purposes and helps individuals carry out both vertical (between the individual and the state) and horizontal (between individuals and groups and communities) aspects of citizenship (Keogh 2003). It involves not only learning about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship (e.g., voting), but also about how one participates in building a society by making informed decisions through dialogue, reflection, and deliberation (Boggs 1991a; Democracy and Peace 1999; Nash 1999). It moves beyond helping learners acquire information and knowledge to fostering the development of action designed to seek solutions to situations (Klaassen 2000). Equipped for the Future, a project of the National Institute for Literacy, for example, organizes content standards for the role of citizen/community member around four broad areas of responsibility as follows: "become and stay informed, form and express opinions and ideas, work together, and take action to strengthen communities" (http://novel.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Menstrual Synchrony Essays -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Menstrual Synchrony Generations of women have noticed it: you and your sister, or your roommate, or lover, or mom, get your periods at the same time. It doesn't always happen, but it catches the attention when it does. Female rats living in the same air space ovulate at the same time. Menstruation in monkeys synchronizes with the full moon (7). So is it all in our heads, or is the same pattern present in humans? The clearest argument against the existence of menstrual synchrony is that since the length of the menstrual cycle varies from person to person (2), two women with different cycle lengths will never synchronize. They may menstruate at the same time, but the next month they will be a little different, the next month more different, and so on. By this argument, synchrony is simply a myth. I cannot believe this argument, since it assumes that menstruation can be graphed and analyzed like a sine wave. Human bodies rarely adhere to perfectly timed schedules. Many women have irregular periods, and the regularity of the menstrual cycle changes at different stages of life (3). So if a woman with a cycle of 25 days and another with cycle of 28 days live together, they might both shift to a cycle of 26 or 27 days. In this way, synchronization would still be quite possible. So if this phenomenon does exist, what explanation can there be for it? One theory is that lunar cycles may have some connection to the pattern. At first this makes some sense, since both cycles happen about thirteen times each year. A study on the Dogon people of Mali found that although they had no electricity and spent most nights outdoors, thus being as likely as anyone to be affected by the light of the moon, menstrual cycles among the Dogon di... ...is this just something women want to believe because it would be cool and bring us closer together? Also, according to McClintock, some women responded strongly to other women's pheromones, while others did not respond at all (6). Does this mean that it is not strictly group behavior but leader/follower behavior, with some women's cycles setting the trend for the others? If so, does this chemical leadership correlate to any kind of social behaviors, like alpha females among wolves? My conclusion can only be that despite all those sex-ed videos from seventh grade, menstruation is still awfully confusing. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.moltx.org/bloodbread.html 2) http://www.moltx.org/noin.html 3) http://www.moltx.org/hume.html 4) http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_306.html 5) http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s11122.htm Menstrual Synchrony Essays -- Biology Essays Research Papers Menstrual Synchrony Generations of women have noticed it: you and your sister, or your roommate, or lover, or mom, get your periods at the same time. It doesn't always happen, but it catches the attention when it does. Female rats living in the same air space ovulate at the same time. Menstruation in monkeys synchronizes with the full moon (7). So is it all in our heads, or is the same pattern present in humans? The clearest argument against the existence of menstrual synchrony is that since the length of the menstrual cycle varies from person to person (2), two women with different cycle lengths will never synchronize. They may menstruate at the same time, but the next month they will be a little different, the next month more different, and so on. By this argument, synchrony is simply a myth. I cannot believe this argument, since it assumes that menstruation can be graphed and analyzed like a sine wave. Human bodies rarely adhere to perfectly timed schedules. Many women have irregular periods, and the regularity of the menstrual cycle changes at different stages of life (3). So if a woman with a cycle of 25 days and another with cycle of 28 days live together, they might both shift to a cycle of 26 or 27 days. In this way, synchronization would still be quite possible. So if this phenomenon does exist, what explanation can there be for it? One theory is that lunar cycles may have some connection to the pattern. At first this makes some sense, since both cycles happen about thirteen times each year. A study on the Dogon people of Mali found that although they had no electricity and spent most nights outdoors, thus being as likely as anyone to be affected by the light of the moon, menstrual cycles among the Dogon di... ...is this just something women want to believe because it would be cool and bring us closer together? Also, according to McClintock, some women responded strongly to other women's pheromones, while others did not respond at all (6). Does this mean that it is not strictly group behavior but leader/follower behavior, with some women's cycles setting the trend for the others? If so, does this chemical leadership correlate to any kind of social behaviors, like alpha females among wolves? My conclusion can only be that despite all those sex-ed videos from seventh grade, menstruation is still awfully confusing. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.moltx.org/bloodbread.html 2) http://www.moltx.org/noin.html 3) http://www.moltx.org/hume.html 4) http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_306.html 5) http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s11122.htm

Patient Visit Summary Report Essays -- Patient Interview Report

Confidentiality Disclaimer - This essay uses patient initials only. No identifying features are included within this essay. Patient: BA Patient’s age: 63 years old 1. Medical conditions (active) : After taking the patient’s medical history, I found out that the patient experiences several active medical conditions. She was diagnosed having rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes type II, sleep problem, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. She got rheumatoid arthritis when she was 49 years old, and has been having this for 14 years. She will feel the pain at places involving joints like the hands, knees and hips. She also feels the pain in the area around her head and neck, which contributes to headache. This is actually a condition where our immune system which is supposed to fight infection, attacks the cells lining our joints, causing them to be swollen, stiff and painful, and in process, damaging the joint, the cartilage and our nearby bone1. The sharp pain she feels usually radiates from her heels to her hands. Walking is really painful for her due to the inflammation of the joints. This condition is worsened during hot weather and if she feels stress, where it triggers pain most. Not only that, she feels exhausted and tired easily after doing any activities and thus, she tends to sleep a lot due to this illness. The patient also has a condition called fibromyalgia, which is a disorder that causes muscle pain and an extreme feeling of tiredness (fatigue)2. Patients will experience chronic fatigue syndrome and achy muscles, and this is treated with anti-inflammatory medications. Fibromyalgia affects her lifting ability, which limits movement and activities such as shopping. According to the patient, this bothers her ... ...guide/penicillin-allergy-topic-overview 9. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. What is COPD? [Internet]. United States : U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; 2013 [updated July 31]. Available from : http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/copd/ 10. World Health Organization Europe. The Solid Facts (Second Edition). Denmark : World Health Organization; 2003. 11. Cleveland Clinic. Occupational and physical therapy for arthritis [Internet]. Ohio : Cleveland Clinic; 2012 [updated September 17]. Available from : http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/arthritis/hic_occupational_and_physical_therapy_for_arthritis.aspx 12. MedlinePlus. Type 2 diabetes – self care [Internet]. United States : National Institutes of Health; 2013 [updated October 31]. Available from : http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000328.htm

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Finance and Leverage Buyout

Restructuring Firms & Industries, Fall 2011 Prof Harvey Poniachek Questions for Harvard Case Studies CASES SHOULD BE DONE BY TEAMS OF UP TO FOUR STUDENTS. EACH CASE WOULD BE PRESENTED AND DEFENDED IN CLASS BY TWO TEAMS. I EXPECT MANY OF YOU TO MAKE CLASS PRESENTATIONS BY UTILIZING POWERPOINT AND/OR OTHER MEANS. THE QUESTIONS BELOW WERE SUGGESETD BY THE AUTHORS AND ADDRESS MAIN THE ISSUES IN EACH CASE, BUT YOU MAY EDIT / CONSOLIDATE THEM IF YOU FIND IT NECESSARY / CONVENIENT IN WRITING UP YOUR CASE. Cooper industries 1. If you were Mr. Cizik of Cooper Industries, would you try to gain control of Nicholson File Co in May 1972? 2. What is the maximum price that Cooper can afford to pay for Nicholson and still keep the acquisition attractive from the standpoint of Cooper? 3. What are the concerns and what are the bargaining position of each group of Nicholson stockholders? What must Copper offer each group in order to acquire its shares? 4. On the assumption that Cooper’s management wants to acquire at least 80% of the outstanding shares of Nicholson and to make the same offer to all stockholders, what offer must Cooper management make in terms of the dollar value and the form of payments? 5. What should Mr. Cizik recommend that the Cooper management do? CONGOLEUM CORP 1. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF CONGOLEUM MAKE IT A LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR A LEVERAGE BUYOUT? 2. WHY WOULD INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS BE WILLING TO FINANCE A LEVERAGE BUYOUT WITH THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE PROPOSED? 3. WHAT RETURN WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS ON AN INVESTMENT WITH THIS RISK LEVEL? WHAT RETURN WILL THE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS REALIZE IF THEIR TIME HORIZON FOR THE INVESTMENT IS 5 YEARS AND THE PROJECTIONS OF EX. #13 ARE REALIZED? 4. WHERE WILL THE VALUE FOR THE 50% ACQUISITION PREMIUM COME FROM IN THE PROPOSED BUYOUT? 5. WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE POTENTIAL REWARD FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CONGOLEUM IN THE LEVERAGE BUYOUT? 6. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURGE IN THE LEVERAGE BUYOUT ACTIVITIES IN THE 1980s?

Monday, September 16, 2019

Iq Test Paper Essay

Battery is the standardized IQ test of the military and most high school guidance counselors recommend this test to their â€Å"lost† students. Each enlistee/student that takes this test will know one of two things, potential career path or what work assignment they will be doing for the next 2-4 years. I myself scored well, any job in the military was available to me, and choose to be an Airborne Petroleum Supply Specialist. This test didn’t really help me as it does with most high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and students in postsecondary schools(Baker, 2002) looking for some kind of guidance for their future . I took the test because I was looking to be a free young man and this test would allow me to do that. I do believe that the ASVAB test is very helpful in shaping today’s youth. Since the first time the ASVAB was administered in1968 to over one fourth of all high school seniors the test has been revised drastically (Baker, 2002). In 1995 the Department of Defense (DOD) asked the American Institutes of Research to find out if the ASVAB test was really working to give high school students career assistance or not. The test already told the DOD what work assignment was best suited for the potential enlistee. Basically the American Institutes of Research decided that it was better to group all of the different test items together, thus creating the Career Exploration Knowledge Scale. The previous standard scale, the Career Decision Scale (Baker, 2002), was found to be a one-dimensional measure of career indecisions. Tests are designed to discriminate among individuals, and therefore contain items of varying difficulty (Gibson & Harvey, 2003). The harder the questions, the fewer enlistee/students answer them correctly. The easier the questions, enlistee/student should answer them correctly more often. Some argue that the ASVAB test, among many others, is bias. Would you know to bake a cake or solve a mathematics â€Å"word problem†? Some women, in addition to men, have no clue how to bake or add. Tests revolve around what any given person has learned or seen before taking it. Anyone can say anything is bias. Overall, many studies have proven that the ASVAB Career Exploration Program both enhanced self knowledge associated with career discovery and reduced uncertainty for high school students. In Conclusion, to give guidance to a young adult who is still creating the networks and pathways of their mind, body and soul, then I say have at it.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Law Abiding Citizen Analysis Essay

The film has no opening title sequence. The first images we see are two production logos which then lead to the first scene. The zoom lens introduces us to what the main character was doing. Establishing shot shows the innocence in the main characters life as the colour white (the bead) represents purity. Soundtrack- to the tune of â€Å"hey Mr tambourine man† by bob Dylan, a father and his child are having a nice bonding evening as she strings beads and he repairs a tech machine. An instant intruder enters their apartment and chaos ensures. The music in a way links to the little girl that was later on in the movie rapped. An establishing shot introduces us to the main character; the shot shows the main character and his child which suggests that he has a normal family life. The first scene is of the attack, which took place in an ordinary situation. There is only diegetic sound until the attach where sound is added to set the speed of the attacks. The attacker whispers to the character †you can’t fight fate† while attacking him. This makes the audience wonder if the character deserved this or he turns out to be the antagonist. This is effective as it sets off the mystery of the film and leaves the audience hanging on. There’s a close up shot of a bat that hits the character on the face and the music automatically changes and becomes more violent, there’s a slit change in paste and the theme becomes more faster†¦there’s a close up shot of the bad guy tying up the characters hands while suggests that he is powerless. There’s a close up shot of a bad guys face smiling and holding a knife close to the main characters face which suggests that the bad guy is in control. A close of shot of the main character is being stabbed is show which suggest that he’s lost the fight and makes the audience see him as a weak person. The music becomes more violent as the knife is being pulled out of from his body and a fade out show the characters point of view to show that he is becoming unconscious while we are shown a close up shot of his wife at terror. There’s a focus pull shot of the main character on the floor crying while we see the shadow of his daughter in the background which shows that she is far away and out of he’s reach. There’s a shot of one of the bad guy looking worried and sympathetic for the family which is unusual for a thriller. A low angle shot of the other bad guy is shown which tells that he is more powerful and it cuts to a black screen. When this black screen appears we only hear the sound of police sirens in the back leaving up in shock and wanting us to find out what is going to happen to the little girl. The dark music then gets much louder as the film title â€Å"Law Abiding Citizen† pops up in the same bold capital font as it did at the start.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Can schools effectively improve students’ self-regulatory skills? Essay

INTRODUCTION Overview of the Study Self-regulation is the key mediator between genetic predisposition, early experience, and adult functioning. This paper argues that all the key mechanisms underpinning the enduring effects of early relationship experiences interface with individuals’ capacity to control (a) their reaction to stress, (b) their capacity to maintain focused attention, and (c) their capacity to interpret mental states in themselves and others. These three mechanisms function together to assist the individual to work closely and collaboratively with others. If self-regulation can be influenced by experience at young age, then there is a window of opportunity in early childhood to strengthen skills that will be important for multiple domains of competence. Purpose: In this study we will look at the origins of self regulation in early childhood when many of the tools for good adaptation are shaped by interactions between children and their environments. We will examine (through qualitative research) how a specific school program can provide the infrastructure for building efficient self-regulatory skills in children. The program being studied is called Youth Empowerment and is run by a Art of Living, a non-profit educational organization, that provides stress management techniques to increase learning abilities as well as self regulatory coping skills for academic achievement and daily living. Here it will be analyzed how self-regulation is enhanced in children before and after participating in the Art of Living programs to see what impact the course has. At the same time we will study self-regulation of a similar group of children, not participating in the course, for comparison as our control group.   Background of the Study The work on self-regulation as a whole strongly suggests that these skills are extremely important for the development of competence. They begin to emerge in early childhood, and are shaped by a child’s experience as well as his or her disposition. A cranky baby may elicit different care from a parent, and a parent’s behavior may increase or decrease an infant’s proneness to distress, such that both parties influence the quality of their relationship. Their relationships in turn can then help or hinder the development of self-regulation. (Ann S. Masten, J. Douglas Coatsworth.,1998). For example, children with insensitive, unresponsive care givers do not have these emotionally supportive experiences. They may repeatedly become overwhelmed by their emotions since at early ages self-regulatory abilities are limited. Difficulties with emotional self-control may be contributing to the non-compliant, impulsive, aggressive and/or regressive behaviors we see in some children in early childhood settings. (Sharne Rolfe, 2004)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This may be one example of how the brain is shaped by experience in these early years. Moreover, if self-regulation can be influenced by experience, then there is a window of opportunity in early childhood to strengthen skills that will be important for multiple domains of competence. Children who have trouble directing their attention or controlling their impulses may not do well on IQ tests or in the classroom or may not learn to comply with rules as readily or get along well with peers. Hence, self regulation may be a factor in predict not only academic achievement but other aspects of competence as well, such as rule-abiding behavior. For example, the findings of a recent study (A. Fabes, Nancy Eisenberg., 1992), supported the conclusion that socially competent and popular children coped with anger in ways that were relatively direct and active and in ways that minimized further conflict and damage to social relationships. The ability to make a successful transition to and through college is one of the most important challenges faced by adolescents and young adults. Researchers have clearly demonstrated the significance of self-regulation skills in such academic contexts. Collectively, they paint the self-regulating learner as someone who is meta-cognitively sophisticated. Someone who can assess the requirements of the learning task at hand, and who can identify and deploy the appropriate learning strategies; the self-regulating learner is someone who is able to make appropriate attributions for success and failure, and who readily accepts responsibility for his or her own learning (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990). However, while studies have begun to specify how features of students’ immediate learning environments affect the development and use of self-regulation skills, relatively little attention has bee n paid to the role of the family context in fostering or impeding the development of these skills. Studies that have addressed this topic for elementary school age children have found that parental support for autonomy is positively related to children’s self-reports of autonomous self-regulation (Grolnick & Ryan, 1989), and that these parenting practices are predictive of children’s adoption of an intrinsic academic achievement motivational orientation (Ginsburg & Bronstein, 1993). Past methodologies have not â€Å"scored† well with the academic demands placed upon students, as demonstrated by New York City’s 50% four-year graduation rate. In the past educators and social workers have attempted to change the student’s external stress factors to increase their academic performance, (e.i. federally funded school lunch programs, school social workers and psychologists). Although all of these programs serve to alleviate a student’s risk level for failure, it is the student’s perception and reaction to his environment, his coping skills, which determine the impact stress factors will have upon his performance.The Art of Living Youth Programs provides skills to improve these factors through stress management, human values, and service. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE According to recent experiments in public schools in   New York City, the Art of Living Youth Programs provides such-self-regulatory skills to improve these factors through its multi-pronged approach to effectively eliminate stress, violence, aggression, and lack of academic interest in today’s youth . One   key approach is the stress management technique called Sudarshan Kria Yoga ( SKY). SKY (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga) stress management practices use breathing techniques to lower the stress level in students and enable them to increase their learning abilities as well as coping skills for academic achievement and daily living. How SKY practices may help to create the ideal mental state for learning is currently being studied. In a recent analysis of SKY techniques, Dr. Richard P Brown, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry for Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Patricia L Gerbarg, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at New York Medical College have proposed a neurophysiological model to explain how yoga breathing stress management techniques may impact the nervous system. They state, †Although the scientific exploration of   SKY by Western medicine is in its infancy, these breathing techniques have the potential to relieve anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and many stress-related medical illnesses. In addition, they may provide new approaches to the treatment of behavioral disorders of children, attention deficit disorder, violence, alcoholism, and the rehabilitation of prisoners.† After undergoing the program, children demonstrate enhancement of creative skills, improved memory and concentration, development of leadership qualities and healthy emotions, clarity of mind as well as improved interaction with their peers. (Art of Loving, 2007) Indeed, recent research supports such findings. In a study on the said subject (Nagendra, et al, 1989), it was noted within a group of mentally challenged children that there was a highly significant improvement in the IQ and social adaptation parameters in the yoga group as compared to the control group. One can only deduce that meditation not only creates a shift to happier, more positive attitudes in students, but also increases critical learning skills. In summary, current research on children’s abilities to regulate emotions and social interactions shows that children who enter school with significant problems in self-regulation, or who have impaired learning abilities have a substantial disadvantage for meeting the developmental tasks of middle childhood. Intervening early to encourage self-regulation may be an important strategy for future interventions, although we need to know more about these processes to inform such efforts. Hypotheses The hypothesis of the study is that children participating in the Art of Living Youth programs improve their self-regulatory skills.   Changes in self-regulatory skills will be estimated through questionnaires. If the hypothesis is indeed valid, it would strongly suggest the importance of the Art of Living program, not just to current well-being of the children, but also to their future balance and emotional stability. METHOD Procedure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of research to be utilized aims to prove the hypotheses noted above which states that children participating in the Art of Living Youth programs improve their self-regulatory skills. Instrumentation Data is to be collected by questioning the students themselves as well as parents and teachers, both before they start the Art of Living course and after they have finished the program.   The questionnaire is going to be the same but taken at different time periods to record any improvements. The questionnaire is to be based on the â€Å"Self-Regulation Questionnaire† (SRQ) (Brown, Miller, & Lawendowski, 1999) but adjusted to fit the age group in question.  Ã‚   The original adjusted questionnaire is included in Appendix A.   Each question is to be answered on a scale from one to five depending on how much the subject agrees with the question statement.  Ã‚   Several studies show that the low SRQ scores are correlated with alcohol-related consequences, drug use, drinking after driving and tobacco smoking, all of which can be associated with low self-esteem.   (Brown, 1994) (Brown, Baumann, Smith & Etheridge 1997) The Sample [Respondents] The participants will be recruited from a New York based School participating in the Art of Living project.   The teachers of the relevant classes will explain the study to the parents and sign them up.   As the Art of Living courses are held annually it’s difficult to do repeated experiments, however the same questionnaire will be presented to a group of students not participating in the course at same time to see if there are any factors (seasonality, community sentiment etc) that are effecting self-regulation, not the Art of Living course. DATA PRESENTATION AND RESULTS All results will be processed in Excel and the hypothesis tested individually for the different groups: children themselves, parents and teachers.   We will collect data both for students participating in the Art of Living classes and from a control group that does not participate.  Ã‚   The hypothesis will be testing by analyzing if the difference in SRQ score is statistically significant for the participants of the Art of Living course from when they begin until the course is over.   The results will be compared to the control group to see how different the results are. DISCUSSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To present further explanation of the matter, the researcher aims to implement different issues that are related to the situation being discussed. With the utilization of the results presentation and the explanation that has been used to introduce the presentations, the proof that is needed to identify the practicality and the truth behind the hypotheses of the study shall be given clarity. Understandably, through the validation of the informations presented within the study, the idea of increasing self-regulation among young learners would become much acceptable for actual learning application among early-childhood learning institutions. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION To end the research, a six-point summary shall be used to present the major features of the study that is most implicative and influential to the society today with regards the issue of depression. Most likely, the conclusive statements that could best support this study would be much of that of the features of the study as to how it aims to face the issues of the matter in a more actual process. The concern of this study shall be fully introduced within the conclusion section as it aims to make an implication that depression among individuals could also be affected by the traditional culture that they were primarily brought up with.    REFERENCES    Fonagy, P., Target, M. (2002). Early Intervention and the Development of Self-Regulation. Psychoanal. Inq., 22:307-335. The Development of Competence in Favorable and Unfavorable Environments : Lessons from Research on Successful Children. Journal article by Ann S. Masten, J. Douglas Coatsworth; American Psychologist, Vol. 53, 1998. 16 pgs Sharne Rolfe (2005), Rethinking Attachment for Early Childhood Practice: Promoting Security, Autonomy and Resilience in Young Children, Allen &Unwin Richard A. Fabes, Nancy Eisenberg .Young Children’s coping with Interpersonal Anger. , Vol. 63, No. 1 (Feb., 1992), pp. 116-128 Family Context Variables And The Development of Self-Regulation In College Students Adolesence, Spring, 1998 by Amy A. Strage.      Pintrich, P., & DeGroot, E. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33-40. Pressley, M., & Ghatala, E. (1990). Self-regulated learning: Monitoring learning from context. Educational Psychology, 25, 19-33. Rohwer, W. D., Jr., & Thomas, J. (1989). The role of autonomous problem-solving activities in learning to program. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 584-593. Schunk, D. (1989). Self-efficacy and cognitive skill learning. In C. Ames & R. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education. Vol. 3: Goals and cognitions (pp. 13-44). San Diego: Academic Press. Thomas, J., & Rohwer, W. D., Jr. (1993). Proficient autonomous learning: Problems and prospects. In M. Rabinowitz (Ed.), Cognitive science: Foundations of instruction (pp. 1-32). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Weinstein, C. E., Zimmerman, B., & Palmer, D. (1988). Assessing learning strategies: The design and development of the LASSI. In C. E. Weinstein, E. T., Goetz, & P. A. Alexander (Eds.). Learning and study strategies: Issues in assessment, instruction and evaluation (pp. 25-40). New York: Academic Press. Zimmerman, B. (1990). Student differences in self-regulated learning: Relating grade, sex, and giftedness to self-efficacy and strategy use. Journal of Educational psychology, 82, 51-59. Grolnick, W., & Ryan, R. (1989). Parent styles associated with children’s self-regulation and competence in school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 143-154. Ginsburg, G., & Bronstein, P. (1993). Family factors related to children’s intrinsic/extrinsic motivational orientation and academic performance. Child Development, 64, 1461-1471. Art of living, 2007.http://www.artoflivingyouth.org/research.html. Uma, K., Nagendra, H. R., Nagarathna, R.,Vaidehi, S., & Seethalakshmi, R. (1989). The integrated approach of yoga: a therapeutic tool for mentally retarded children: a one year controlled study. Journal of Mental Deficiency,Research, 33, 415–421. Brown,J.M. ( 1994).Alcohol involvement and self-regulation in male alcoholics. Unpublished Dissertation,University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Dissertation, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.    Brown, J. M., Baumann, B. D., Smith, C. D., & Etheridge, S. L. (1997, July, 1997). Selfregulation,extroversion, and substance abuse among college students. Paper presented at the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Francisco, CA    Brown, J. M., Miller, W. R., & Lawendowski, L. A. (1999). The Self-Regulation Questionnaire. In L. VandeCreek & T. L. Jackson (Eds.), Innovations in clinical practice : A source book (Vol. 17, pp. 281-289). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.   Ray Doktor ( 1996) Attachment Theory, Neurobiology, and Psychopathology, from http://www.wholeminds.com/web/index.php?module=article&view=9   

Friday, September 13, 2019

Jewish culture and cartoons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jewish culture and cartoons - Research Paper Example Ideally, the information gathered herein is very essential as it helps in reaching to the disabled and prejudiced in Israel and empowers them to be acceptable in the society (Kaplan 125-146). The story dates back to 1933. It was in the course of 1933, that the Global world was experiencing vibrant and seismic changes in the political and modern culture field. Their lived a Jewish Novelty Salesman identified as Maxwell Charles "M.C." Gaines, who had a lot of passion in reading old comic strips, he had read various books since he was jobless. He initiated a very brilliant idea, as much as he loved reading comic books, there was a probability that even other Americans could develop such an attitude. Such an idea, from Maxwell enhanced the birth of an American Comic book. The book was reprinted in newspaper comical. Famous Funnies #1, Series 1, was thus published in February 1934, by Gaines and Harry at Eastern color printing. Publishing of this book enhanced a rise in rival comic book publishers. However, this did not last long and by the mid 1930s publishers has already drained the backlog of both daily and Sunday strips that were to be reprinted. The only opportunity that had been left for the emerging comic book features was to faucet writers and writers, who had no access to any literature, either due to their young age, untested or the Jewish. The advertising bureaus had anti-Semitic quotas, and newspaper consortiums only rarely got a token Jewish cartoonist like Milt Gross or Rube Goldberg. However, most of the Comic book companies were manned by the Jewish publishers, like, Timely Comic’s Martin Goodman or DC Comic’s (Harry, Baskind, Sherman 145-155). The situation could be reflected to the olden times motion picture industry, through which the Jewish Directors, producers and the studio executives who experienced anti-Semitism in other industries, resolved into setting up their own. Since the comic book stories, had taken

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Ethical and Socially Responsive Business Research Paper

Ethical and Socially Responsive Business - Research Paper Example Avoiding conflicts of interest ensures the professionalism of the operation of the business. Finally, fair dealing, accounting and financial integrity ensures that Ruby Tuesday’s Inc. have the full confidence of the general public that could translate to general public’s patronage. There are several ways that the company should take to ensure that employees follow the code of conduct. The most obvious step is to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against unethical business practices within and without the company as a deterrence to unethical acts (_____). It would also ensure that employees follow the code of conduct when it is integrated during the orientation and training of employees whereby they are taught to appreciate ethical practice not only to reflect the company’s values but also as a better way to do business. To make ethics as part of the company’s strategic plan would ensure that ethics is considered in every act of the company. Having integrated ethics in the strategic plan gives weight to ethics to be as important as making profits thereby ensuring that employees as well as the officers of Ruby Tuesday’s Inc. will follow the code of conduct. a. Maintain integrity in all its business transactions – this includes financial integrity in the reporting of its financial statements to its shareholders (stockholders, general public, employees), integrity in its operation whereby all products and services are not only of quality but also consistent to product and service promise. b. Practice CRM or Corporate Responsible Management – this requires engaging in social activities that promotes the greater good of the community and society. CRM includes using â€Å"green practices in the operation of the restaurant whereby Ruby Tuesday’s is not a pollutant to the environment as well as treating and paying its employees

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Letter to the Editor Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Letter to the Editor - Annotated Bibliography Example If any sick person may be cured from the hospital then he may get frustrated by viewing the hospital bills. It seems that the insurance companies and the hospitals are jointly aiming for the profit maximization for them. This issue is actually the dark side of these health care insurance policies. The writer in his letter to the editor asks for highlight this issue and then also pin pointing the possible solutions for it. If we talk about the effectiveness of the letter and the selected words then I must say that the letter highlights one of the top most controversial issues of the present times. These insurance companies are actually playing with the emotions of the people. The insurance agents actually force people to buy these insurance policies by portraying a bright and eye-catching future in their minds and perceptions (Brighton 1). The letter clearly identifies the dark side of these health care insurance policies and the advantage to the companies and the hospitals and the problems for the individuals. According to the letter, these insurance agents usually do not clarify the terms and conditions of the policies and then at the time of any incident they may take advantage of it. I must say that it is reality. Sometimes the insurance agents may not clarify and sometimes the conditions are so vague or complicated that the buyer may not clearly understand them. This misunderstanding may create p roblems in the afterwards for the individuals. Usually consumers are compelled to buy any emergency plan and here the physicians are feeling ill to clarify the details conditions of the insurance policy. In this situation, the consumer may not have any other option and just buy the policy, which afterwards create problems. The writer of the letter says that actually the consumer have to pay extra amount for the health care policies which is very much

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Religion in school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion in school - Essay Example This has led to wide spread ignorance in terms of one own religion as well as the religion of the worlds. In the global village of today where we reside, it is important to know the basics of the main religions in the world in order to be able to relate to the people of a different faith. The disappearance of religious studies in schools has led to deterioration of moral and ethics in the general society. By being taught ones own religion as well as the different religions of the world in school; the children tend to develop awareness, patience and tolerance amongst themselves and towards people of different race, ethnicity and religion. However due to the deterioration of morality caused in the society because of lack of religious education the children are now depicting lower tolerance towards different groups and races in their school. This has resulted in a substantial increase in the race hate crimes and racial, as well as ethnicity basses harassment in schools. â€Å"The number of reported xenophobic, anti-Semitic, and homophobic crimes has increased considerably between 1997 and 2003. The most common hate crimes against immigrants are threats, harassment, slander, ethnic agitation, and assault.† (Bunar, 2007) The other problem that is caused by lack of religious education is the increase in the violence and the number of shootings in the schools. The trend for high school shootings by children against their teachings and peers has shown an alarming increasing trend since the shootings of 1996. One of the most prominent ones was the high school shooting in Cleveland in the Succes Tech Academy. In this shooting â€Å"14-year-old Asa Coon wounded two teachers and two students before killing himself. One of the teachers, Michael Grassie, had already realized that Coon needed special attention. Coon had been singled out as a troubled youth after being disciplined for fighting.† (Raymond, 2007) In order to

Monday, September 9, 2019

Virtualization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Virtualization - Essay Example In fact, recent studies have found that organizations achieved on average an 18% reduction in their budget from cloud computing and a 16% reduction in data costs. Hence, virtualization should be embraced by organizations because it is cost-effective, flexible, and provides safe process of security protocols. As society progressed to 21st century, the criteria of defining and creating a feasible IT infrastructure continue to be a huge focal point for many companies. As mentioned above, many servers tend to create a huge problem with the traditional IT infrastructure. The problem with this idea is the fact that 90% of the time servers are not fully utilized. In order to combat this huge problem, the IT department attempts to install more applications. However, that is only a â€Å"band-aid† approach to a long-term problem. The result often times is the fact that that this solution is ineffective and unreliable. As the accumulation of factors such as: high energy costs, space iss ues, and generating heat become a huge issue, companies must seek a new and better solution that is available. Hence, virtualization is a cost-effective solution because it is a revolutionary concept that allows corporations to dynamically alter the current thinking of their IT infrastructure. ... Another amazing benefit of virtualization is the fact that it allows the organization’s system to be fully robust. Virtualization in essences allows the company to have a system that is flexible, independent, reliable, mobile and secured. Moreover, it can automate the IT process, manage a heterogeneous client environment, enhance application performance, and increase server utilization. Clearly, the biggest need for any organization is to foster an environment is data preservation and availability of service. For instance, a unique type of virtualization that is known as desktop virtualization is a prime example of the benefits that are illustrated in virtualization. Desktop virtualization allows organization to isolate machines in the network in an efficient manner. Moreover, it allows users to have a centralized data management system in which security and compliance is extremely enhanced. The unique element of virtualization is the fact that it can allocate resources effect ively in a client/server model. Unlike conventional model of networking in which power is allocated to one client, virtualization enables users to grant resource and power based on demand, not based on priority. This undoubtedly leads to enhanced business continuity and remote access. Another unique element that is depicted in desktop virtualization is the fact that desktop virtualization enables users to do are flawless switching of application. Lastly, it eliminates the problem of reinstallation. For instance, if the network has to configure upgrades, clients do not have to log off in order to achieve the upgrade. Since the upgrade is so dynamic, virtualization allows companies to be efficient and productive. The third element of virtualization that is highly

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Role of Nursing in Healthcare Delivery Coursework

Role of Nursing in Healthcare Delivery - Coursework Example Therefore we can say that in this modern century the role of nursing managers has somewhat change now. In addition to the direct clinical and medical care, the nurses are involved in many other aspects of the health care industry. The additional duties may also include quality management and improvement, case management, data collection and analysis, insurance review analysis, patient educations and sometimes the regular training programs to train the rest of the medical staff (Cipriano, 2010). All of these additional tasks are included in the roles, duties or we can say responsibilities of a nurse manager. In modern times, the nurses are also named as the health providers and the health researchers. At higher level of nursing managers, the duties and the responsibilities of a nurse may change from others. A nurse manger may have to supervise all the staff and the hospital just to coordinate their activities. The budgeting activity may also fall on the shoulders of a nurse manger so that he or she can manage the allocated budget according to the proper planning. The hospital may get famous by the level of its services and the care, which they give to their patients; therefore, it is the role of the nurse manager to maintain the high quality or the standard of the health care services (Donovan, 2010). Nurses play an important or we must say a central role in the cost containment, quality and safety provision to the patients. Working at any level the role of nurse is to observe the current and emerging trends so that she or he can make innovation in their services and thus improve the quality of their health care provisions. The aim of the nurses and especially the nursing managers is to achieve the shared and mutual goals of efficiency and effectiveness in the practice (Tiffin, 2012). Tiffin, C. (2012), ‘Beyond the Bed Side: The Changing Roles of Nurses Today’, Huffington Post, Retrieved on July 22, 2014 from

Foreign policy analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foreign policy analysis - Essay Example According to Rational Actor Model, the government is seen as a unitary actor and policy making is done keeping in mind the cost and benefit analysis. This model assumes that policy makers are faithful and execute their role with full justice. This model is unrealistic because it is logical and asses policy on basis of cost and not on its ulterior motive and subject value. In this model, the investigation is made to understand the rational thinking of the person involved in policy making. As per (Zakiuum,2009)â€Å"The Rational Actor Model is used to understand the decisions that a nation-state or organization makes†. In Rationale Actor Model the goal and objective of a country is analyzed primarily. In Cuban missile crisis, Russian president installed nuclear missile in Cuba to defend Cuba from Unites States. The objective of then U.S. president Kennedy was to obstruct communism in the western region. Kennedy has attempted to overthrow Castro and his government many times but was unsuccessful. In this Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy wanted maximum to avoid a nuclear war which was on a brink of happening. He analyzed many options but decided blockade of Cuba as it would initiate a positive response from Russia. â€Å"On October 20, 1962, President Kennedy directs implementing a military blockade on Cuba: a full "quarantine", preventing anything or anyone from going into or leaving Cuba".†(Marxist,2000).Here the cost of the policy is not taken in to consideration but the safety of United States was in mind of Kennedy. It is not necessary that always the political leaders will act in rationale manner as human mind is egoistic. 2. Evaluate the impact of re-unification on Germany’s foreign policy. The German re-unification was a treaty signed between two German states in October 3rd 1990 in Berlin. This event has shocked the world and triggered many chain of actions. The re-unification had a tremendous impact on allies of Germany as they thought t hings were happening too fast and the international security can be at risk. America and Great Britain assumed that Germany’s unwillingness to sign NATO membership even can create more trouble. According to the (Emabssy of ,2011)â€Å"United Germany’s integration in the foreign policy context was regulated under a separate treaty signed by the two German states and the four allied powers†. The new German policy implies a considerable shift in the country’s stand towards Europe and other foreign nations. As per (Hellman,2011)â€Å"These foreign policy self-image changes are extensive and profound, and pertain not only to the self-image of a small foreign policy elite, but that of the German public in general†. Being a unified country, Germany is more confident and is trying relentlessly for a permanent seat in U.N. Security council. Germany also participated in the â€Å"P5 plus Germany† which is comprised of U.N. security members to discuss about the nuclear activities of Iran. Germany has showed its self confidence in its relation with foreign nations especially with European Union and Afghanistan. Not only European Union is t he centre of German foreign policy but its allies with U.S. regarding NATO membership is strong. Germany as a unified nation also shares a close tie with Russia. 3. Assess the impact of political change and instability on Russia’s foreign policy. The Russian foreign policy is significantly affected by the internal political factors and the action of executive leader .While U.S governors visited foreign nations to promote business, Russian governor Tatarstan formulated his own laws regarding foreign investment and attempted to build alliances with UN and other international organization without the consent from central authority. In his article(Charap,2007)states that â€Å"

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Decentralisation Advantages and Limitations of Decentralization Essay Example for Free

Decentralisation Advantages and Limitations of Decentralization Essay Decentralisation of authority is another concept closely related to centralisation. The delegation of authority by an individual manager is closely related to organization’s Decentralisation of authority. Decentralisation of authority means conscious/systematic effort to bring dispersal (spreading) of decision making power to the lower levels of the Organisation. In decentralisation, only broad powers will be reserved at the top level. Such powers include power to plan, organise, direct and control and maximum powers will delegated to the authority at the lower level. Decentralisation is just opposite to centralisation. Under centralisation, authority is mostly concentrated at the top level management. Centralisation and decentralisation are mutually dependent. In a large Organisation, the process of centralisation and decentralisation co-exist and reinforce each other. Decentralisation is a natural development when the Organisation grows large and complex. Here, centralisation of management is neither possible nor desirable. The only practical solution is to divide the Organisation into decision-making units and giving the powers to take routine types of decisions in regard to the functioning of those units. This is decentralisation in practice. In decentralisation, systematic efforts are being made to delegate to the lowest levels all authority except that which can only be exercised at the central points. Decentralisation is delegation not from one individual to another but delegation to all units in an Organisation. A company is said to be highly decentralized, when the delegation is company-wide in all functions and divisions of the company and also for a wide range of authorities and responsibilities. Decentralisation is different from centralisation as in centralisation, the decision making power is in the hands of one person only. We observe such centralisation in sole trading concerns. It is also noted that centralisation is one feature of traditional management in India while decentralisation is a normal practice under professional management. Definitions of Decentralisation According to Henry Fayol, Everything that goes to increase the importance of the subordinate’s role is decentralisation, everything that goes to reduce it is centralisation. According to Louis Allen, decentralisation refers to the systematic effort to delegate to the lowest levels all authority except that which can only be exercised at central point. This definition makes it clear that even in decentralisation, delegation to the lowest levels is not complete as the basic functions in the management process are centralized. Advantages / Importance of Decentralization 1. Decentralisation helps to improve the quality of decisions/decision-making at the top level management : Decentralisation of authority among other executives at all levels in the Organisation relieves the top executive of the excessive burden saving his valuable time, which he can devote to more important and long-term problems. This is bound to improve the quality of his decisions regarding such problems. 2. Decentralisation facilitates diversification of activities : It is a matter of common experience that an Organisation with departmentation on the basis of products facilitates diversification of products or market even when the authority is centralized. Decentralisation takes this process a step further. Managers of semi-autonomous product divisions are able to utilise their skills and experienced judgment. This has a bearing on their products and the market. The enterprise also attains maximum possible growth. Decentralisation is beneficial when new product lines or new activities are introduced in an Organisation. Such policy creates self sufficient units under overall co-ordination of top level management. 3. Decentralisation encourages development of managerial personnel : Most companies find lack of managerial talent as a limiting factor in their growth. A company cannot expand effectively beyond the scope and abilities of its managerial personnel. Capable managers, however, can be developed only by giving managerial jobs to suitable persons and delegating them the authority to make important decisions. Such wide exposure gives them opportunity to grow and to have self development for higher positions. The more talented and capable persons will learn and improve and qualify themselves for higher managerial positions. Only a decentralized Organisation can offer such opportunities to future managers without involving additional expenditure. A decentralized Organisation also allows its managers adequate freedom to try new ideas, methods or techniques. In brief, decentralisation creates a team of competent managers at the disposal of the company. 4. Decentralisation improves motivation : Research conducted by social scientists has proved that the Organisation structure itself exercises some influence on the motivation of the people working within it. An Organisation structure which facilitates delegation, communication and participation also provides greater motivation to its managers for higher productivity. Decentralized Organisation structure is most favorable for raising the morale and motivation of subordinates which is visible through better work performance. 5. Decentralisation makes decision-making quicker and better : Since decisions do not have to be referred up through the hierarchy, quicker and better decisions at lower levels can be taken. Divisional heads are motivated to make such decisions that will create the maximum profit because they are held responsible for the effect of their decisions on profits. Thus decentralisation facilitates quick and result-oriented decisions by concerned persons. 6. Decentralisation provides opportunity to learn by doing : Decentralisation provides a positive climate where there is freedom to make decisions, freedom to use judgment and freedom to act. It gives practical training to middle level managers and facilitates management development at the enterprise level. Limitations of Decentralization 1. Decentralisation may lead to the problem of co-ordination at the level of an enterprise as the decision-making authority is not concentrated. 2. Decentralisation may lead to inconsistencies (i.e. absence of uniformity) at the Organisation level. For example, uniform policies or procedures may not be followed for the same type of work in different divisions. 3. Decentralisation is costly as it raises administrative expenses on account of requirement of trained personnel to accept authority at lower levels. Even the services of such highly paid manpower may not be utilised fully, particularly in small organisations. 4. Introduction of decentralisation may be difficult or may not be practicable in small concerns where product lines are not broad enough for the creation of autonomous units for administrative purposes. 5. Decentralisation creates special problems particularly when the enterprise is facing number of uncertainties or emergency situations. The decision-making process gets delayed and even correct decisions as per the changing situations may not be possible. Decentralization Is Not An Unmixed Blessing The advantages of decentralisation are more significant as compared to its limitations. The limitations suggest possible problems relating to decentralisation. Efforts should be made to solve these problems. It is certainly not desirable to have centralisation (in place of decentralisation) only because of certain limitations. However, to what extent the organisation should be decentralized is a delicate issue. Here, certain factors such as size of the organisation and the abilities of lower level managers need careful consideration.