Wednesday, October 30, 2019

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

ECON - Research Paper Example Hypothetically, the relationship is that with a budget deficit, there is likelihood that the government may finance this deficit through printing of more money and pumping it into the economy. This leads to more money into the economy leading to inflation. Since this printing of money is not going concordant with production of goods and services. This concept is popular with developing countries where financial markets are not well developed to finance the deficit or when the public lacks enough confidence in the government of the day to invest in the government’s debt, or when the central bank is not independent and therefore easily manipulated by the government to finance its debts. Data pointing on the relationship between budget deficit and inflation are hard to come by since different countries give varying statistics. Some show a direct relationship while some do not hence this research. This research will use the statistics of the United States budget deficit and inflat ion and United Kingdom deficit and inflation. UK and US financials The united kingdom and the united states are considered to be relatively economically stable countries with independent central banks and relatively stable financial markets. This means the central bank is under no influence by the political class and financial markets may be used to finance budget deficits. This leaves the budget deficit and inflation as independent entities and it would therefore be interesting to see what other relationship there may be between the two concepts. Financial data of these two countries will be used in this paper. Budget Deficit or Surplus Data US Surplus or Deficit data The above graph shows the US deficit and surplus over a period of 20 years. The fluctuation over the years may indicate change in political environment and shift in policies. UK Surplus or Deficit data The above graph shows similar data over the same period of time but of the UK. The figures show huge variations betwe en the two countries. It may seem the two are exact opposites of each other. For the rise of one over a given period, a fall of another within the same period is reflected. Inflation Data US inflation rates The inflation data chosen is of the same period of years, 1982-2012. The figures are also fluctuating over the years, this too may be due to changing monetary policies, and political era shifts. UK inflation rates The inflation figures between US and the UK are not as varied as the budget deficit figures. The figures seem to go in tandem with each other. This may be due to economic common factors that lead to such. The common factors may be global, bearing that the US and the UK control a significant portion of the world’s economy. Budget deficit/inflation figures US Budget deficit/Inflation The US budget deficit and inflation figures show a relationship between the two. A rise in one shows a rise in the other. This may indicate lack of full independence of the central ban k. However, lagged the relationship may be, there is a relationship. UK budget deficit/Inflation The UK budget deficit and inflation figures show a more lagged relationship. The relationship between the two graphs is not reflective of an active relationship between the two figures. It may indicate a very independent central bank. However, it is important to consider the difference in the economic operation between the two c

Monday, October 28, 2019

Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay Example for Free

Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging due to parenting responsibilities and the difficulties they encounter when interacting with an often unreceptive environment. Consequently, parents can be at increased risk for excessive levels of personal distress which in turn can adversely affect the well being of the child and the entire family unit (Plant Sanders, 2007). Parents of children with disabilities can be at an increased risk for psychosocial distress (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman Andrews, 2008; Plant Sanders, 2007). The parenting responsibilities for parents of children with disabilities often require a significant amount of time to complete, can be physically demanding, can disrupt family and social relationships, and can adversely affect caregiver employment (Brannen Heflinger, 2006; Seller Heller, 1997). Perhaps as a consequence of these additional impacts, family caregivers of children with disabilities can be at increased risk to experience depression, physical health problems, and decreased quality of life (Feldman, et al. , 2007; Ones, Yilmaz, Cetinkaya, Calgar, 2002). The added challenges of caring for a child with a disability may lead to more stress and greater physical and emotional health risks for parents and their families (e. g. , increased conflict with spouse; Murphy, Christian, Caplin Young, 2006) compared to families without a child with a disability (Feldman et al. , 2007). This topic is particularly personal for me because I know first hand the psychological affects and challenges that a handicap child could have on parents, family members, and friends. My son was two months when I notice that something just wasn’t right with him. I noticed him favoring one side instead of looking straight ahead. I mentioned my concerns to our family doctor. His doctor didn’t see it as a problem. She said to just continue to watch him. Two months passed and still no change, so at his next appointment I expressed my concern again. I insisted that she run tests on my son immediately. I knew something seemed different; I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I had already had two other boys so something just didn’t sit right with me. The doctor sent my son to be tested at University of Maryland Hospital and my son was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus Dandywalker Malformation with Palsy. He had to have surgery at six months to have a shunt placement to drain the water from his brain. I was devastated. My husband and I went through several defense mechanisms. The first I believe was denial. We didn’t want to face the fact that something was wrong with our child, our baby. He seemed so perfect when he was born just a few months ago. We went through repression, rationalization and intellectualization. We couldn’t wrap our minds around the fact that our child would be different from other children. Nobody wants to believe that something is wrong with their child. I felt a little embarrassed for fear of what people might think about our child or what someone would say. So many things raced around my mind. We wanted to blame the doctors; maybe they did something wrong in my prenatal care. I went over in my mind again and again of every little thing I did when pregnant to ensure that I had did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. What happened? We tried to search our family history genetics. We just came up empty. My husband and I became depressed, frustrated, and angry. I felt helpless about my son’s condition. I wasn’t sure what to do. Finally, I began to investigate my son’s condition. I read all I could get my hands on. I searched for schools and other medical resources to help me address my son’s needs. In the back of my mind I was still trying to make sense of the fact that my son had a developmental and neurological problem that would affect him for the rest of his life. I wondered what restrictions we would face now and in the future. I still wasn’t sure if I could cope with his lack of development neurologically, physically, mentally or emotionally. I began to question God. I wondered why me. I wasn’t sure if I would have to stop working. I wondered how we as a family would work together to stay a family. I had so many questions, but no answers. I prayed asking God for help and guidance. Later, I began to realize that I had to be strong. I had to accept what the reality was with my son and his disability. It hasn’t been easy. We faced many financial problems, medical issues, several hospitalizations for my son, divorce; daycare issues especially since my son needed twenty four hour daycare. Day care is very expensive as well as diapers and wipes for disabled children. Insurance covers some things but not enough. A person has to be making next to nothing in order to get any assistance from the government; we needed assistance regardless of what we made monetary. I would have never known what disabled families went through to get their voice heard and children’s needs assisted unless I had to face these great challenges myself. So much goes into raising a child with disabilities. There are many variables that factor into taking care of a disabled child. Financial hardships are another important factor that influences parents’ wellbeing. In general families with children with disabilities experience much higher expenditures than other families (Newacheck and Kim, 2005) found that, on average, the total annual health care expenditures for children with disabilities were more than three times as much compared to children without disabilities. The financial strain incurred by families of children with disabilities is likely due to increased expenses related to the child’s needs as well as loss of employment or inability to work because of parenting responsibilities (Murphy et al. , 2006; Parish et al. 2008; Worcester et al. , 2008). Inability to engage in employment can also lead to feelings of isolation, a lack of fulfillment and low self-esteem (Shearn Todd, 2000). Families of children with disabilities often report feeling isolated from the community (Freedman Boyer, 2000; Worcester et al. , 2008). What I’ve learned from researching the challenges of raising a child with disabilities; as well as being a parent of a disabled child is that there is still so much more to be done. There is still research that hasn’t been touched regarding parents and their disable children. We the parents have to be the voices for our disable children. We have to be better informed about what our disabled children rights are. We have to be willing and ready to fight on behalf of our disable children. Parents and state officials have to work to get better laws passed to accommodate disabled children. Disabled children need better health care programs, better schools; a place for them to be themselves. Parents need a place to relax and not have to worry about dirty looks that people who don’t have disabled children give them. Parents shouldn’t have to feel ashamed that they have disabled children. We shouldn’t be looked down upon because our children are different. Our children shouldn’t be bullied or treated like they are worthless. Our children are special. They deserve the best that we can help them to achieve in life. They deserve a chance like the rest of us. We’ve got to come together and help each other to provide a better life for all! The questions we should ask researchers to study are many. One could be what’s being done to assist parents with disabled children? Are there programs to assist parents in child care for disabled children? Normal daycare centers are for infants through 12 years of age. As of today my disabled son is 16 years old and there’s really no day care for children his age. Another question is why do they go according to parents’ income in order to assist with social security disability? A parent shouldn’t have to be jobless in order to obtain assistance from social security disability. Yet a person who walks into social security disability and say my back hurt or that they have a condition can obtain money; work the system while the truly disabled suffer. There are so many people working the disability system and really aren’t disabled. We have to help the programs we have for our disabled children actually help the disabled children. In conclusion caring for a child with a disability can be challenging, but many of these challenges are likely due to a lack of necessary environmental supports. Future research should expand on these findings and policy makers, scientists and providers should give particular attention to the environmental support needs of parents in order to create policies and interventions that are more family centered.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Ernest Hemingway’s Portrayal of Masculinity Essay -- Hemingway Code He

Ernest Hemingway’s Portrayal of Masculinity When thinking of masculinity in literature, one author has who has become synonymous with manliness comes to mind, Ernest Hemingway. Critics have spent countless hours studying his writing in order to gain insight into his world of manly delights, including his views on sex, war, and sport. His views can be seen through his characters, his themes and even his style of writing. The characters in Hemingway’s stories reveal much about how he feels about men and the role they should play in society. Most of Hemingway’s male characters can be split into one of two groups. The first of which is the â€Å"Code† Hero. This is the tough, macho guy who chooses to live his life by following a â€Å"code of honor, courage, chivalry, honestly, and the ability to bear pain with resistance and dignity, and does not whine when defeated† (Scott, 217). This hero is Hemingway’s ideal man, whom every man should want to become. Robert Penn Warren writes of the â€Å"code† hero: [Hemingway’s] heroes are not squealers, welchers, compromisers, or cowards, and when they confront defeat they realize that the stance they take, the stoic endurance, the stiff upper lip means a kind of victory. If they are to be defeated they are defeated upon their own terms; some of them have even courted their defeat; and certainly they have maintained, even in the practical defeat, an ideal of themselves – some definition of how a man should behave, formulated or unformulated – by which they have lived. They represent some notion of a code, some notion of honor, that makes a man a man, and that distinguishes him from people who merely follow their random impulses and who are, by consequence, â€Å"messy.† (Warren, 79) Hemingway also seems to associate acts of violence with masculinity. Nathan Scott Jr. writes of Hemingway’s manliest characters: Whatever they do, whether it be bullfighting or fishing or prizefighting or hunting lions in the African bush or blowing up bridges as a military saboteur – is done with consummate skill and with pride of craft; they are tough and competent: they can be counted on in a tight squeeze, and they do not cheat or squeal or flinch at the prospect of danger. (Scott, 217) Examples of the â€Å"code† hero in Hemingway’s work include Manuel the bullfighter, in â€Å"The Undefeated† he fights with a noble dignity even when he is je... ...lso the idea that because the hero lives by his code, he is able to â€Å"live properly in the world of violence, disorder, and misery in which he inhabits† (Baker, 15). The young waiter who hopes to one-day become a noble bullfighter in â€Å"The Capital of the World† illustrates this point. After performing gallantly, he takes his defeat with a sense of pride and chivalry allowing him to die the only real death in Hemingway’s mind, the death of a real man. Sources Baker, Carlos. Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. New York: Scribner’s, 1969. Fiedler, Leslie A. Love and Death in the American Novel. New York: Criterion Books, 1960. 304-09. Strychancz, Thomas. â€Å"The Sort of Thing You Never Should Admit.† Boys Don’t Cry: Rethinking Narratives of Masculinity and Emotion in the US. Eds. Millette Shamir, Jennifer Travis. New York: Columbia University Press. 2002. 140-72. Wagner, Linda Welshimer, Ed. Ernest Hemingway: Five Decades of Criticism. Michigan State University Press, 1974. Holder, Alan. â€Å"The Other Hemingway.† Wagner. 103-08. Scott, Nathan, Jr. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway, A Critical Essay.† Wagner. 210-18. Warren, Robert Penn. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway.† Wagner. 77-101.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Gore-Tex Case Study Essay

1) Explain what happened to the Gore-Tex brand after the patent expired. What activity can firms use to try to maintain any advantage developed during the patent protection phase? When a patent expires, generally around 20 years after the original filing; the inventor no longer has the exclusive rights to his or her invention thereby opening up the said patent to everyone to use. At this point other companies can offer comparative products at reduced prices. Gore-Tex was smart to take advantage of their own patent and expand the product line to include other products using the same technology. The company is overall smart by also not just relying on only the Gore-Tex technology but also expand into other areas. 2) List some of the wide range of products where the Gore-Tex fabric has been applied. Some of the wide range of products where the Gore-Tex that has been applied are breathable fabric for coats; advanced the science of regenerating tissues destroyed by disease or traumatic injuries; developed next-generation materials for printed circuit boards and fiber optics; and pioneered new methods to detect and control environmental pollution. On their website they even offer they offer Raincoats, coats, back-packs, shoes, trousers, soft shell jackets, gloves, socks, hunter hats, baseball hat, gaiters, and bike hats all for men, women and kids. 3) It seems that Gore Associates is heavily oriented towards technology; what are some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology? Some of the dangers of being too heavily focused on technology are, losing employees to competitors, creating products that can cost your organization to lose money if it is not selling, and the product being created could be too complicated for the targeted audience. When too many projects are going on based on technology the costs can become astronomical and can weigh down the company by tying up resources, both physical and monetary. Sometimes in developing more and more companies will lose sight of the initial goal and/or come up with too many variables and loose the opportunity. 4) Cooperatives and share-ownership schemes provide many attractions and benefits, but there are also limitations; discuss these. The limitations of cooperatives and share-ownership schemes are that, any decrease in performance and fall in value of the shares can cause enormous resentment within the firm as they see the value of their savings decrease. 5) What has been the Gore strategy to achieving success in its markets? How is this strategy now being challenged? The Gore strategy to achieving success in its markets has been its diversity of the product and allowing employees to have opportunities to invest. Being creative in branding also helps the company’s image.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Marketing Excellence: BMW Essay

1. What are the pros and cons to BMW’s selective target marketing? What has the firm done well over the years and where could it improve? When I see someone riding in a BMW, I know that they must be making good money. The stereotype for people who drive BMW’s is that they are rich, and these are the people that the people over at BMW target. The pros to targeting the higher income population is that they will be targeting people who are more likely to purchase their product. Since BMW is known as a luxury car, people who have lower incomes are less likely to purchase from them. The cons to the selective marketing are that by not advertising to lower income people, they have nothing to be motivated for. Someone could see a BMW ad, and be motivated to one day own one. Since the market is specifically the wealthier incomes, the lower income population may not be as aware of BMW. I see commercials for Mercedes all of the time now, and I know that I can’t afford one yet. As soon as I’m able too, I plan on making it a priority to purchase a Mercedes. The firm has done a great job of improving its vehicle s over the years. They have added so many electronic features to its cars to stay up to date with technology. BMW also has come out with high-performance SUV’s for people with larger families and who are more active. To improve, I would suggest that they maybe create a model for the lower income population. Considering the majority of the population is middle-class or lower, there is a whole untapped market for BMW to reach. Read more:Â  BMW Essay 2. BMW’s sales slipped during the worldwide recession in 2008 and 2009. Is its segmentation strategy too selective? Why or why not? I would say that their strategy is not too selective. During the recession, everybody struggled. So to blame BMW for their strategy that had made them so successful in the first place would not be fair. I believe that their strategy could’ve actually helped them during that time. Since BMW is so selective, they are only targeting people that have money anyways. So money that they spend on advertising wasn’t necessarily being wasted.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Irish travellers excluded essays

Irish travellers excluded essays Irish travellers are a minority group that experience wide-spread racism. Very few settled people want to accept that travellers are a distinct ethnic group with their own traditions and customs. They are seen through the eyes of settled people as problem communities and con-artists, rather than people who have been denied the most basic rights. In this essay I hope to prove that the travelling community do experience wide-spread racism when it comes to health and accommodation and even gaining access to establishments such as pubs and shops. The travelling community of Ireland is currently 0.5% of the population, which is approximately 24,000 people1. These people can be identified as the outsiders of Irish society due to their social structure and economics, which are significantly different from that of society at large. Travellers employment is mainly conducted in the informal sector and so remains largely untaxed, this has lead to travellers being marginalized by many disgruntled taxpayers in the settle community. This is an unfair view given that traveller women and children have always played an economic role in our society, including begging, street trading and fortune telling etc. These are people who pride themselves on their ability to survive in the most difficult of circumstances and to make a living in the most unfavourable of environments. When it comes to the health of travellers, it is proved that their life expectancy is significantly shorter than that of the settled community: the average life expectancy of a male member of the travelling community is 10 12 years less than for settled men2. This is quite a significant number of years. The dwelling quarters that many travellers occupy are a major factor when considering travellers low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates, yet the government has still not dealt with the accommodation crisis. ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Sukarno essays

Sukarno essays History is always written by the survivors. That ensured that Sukarnos name was erased from the public record for many years by the chroniclers of the man who replaced him. But no Indonesian would ever forget that it was Sukarno who played the key role in winning freedom from the Dutch becoming in 1945, the first president of the newly independent republic. Sukarno was born on the 6th of June 1901 in the city of Surabaya in Eastern Java. He was the only son of Raden Sukemi, a poor Javanese school teacher, and his Balinese wife, Ida Njoman Rai. His original name was Kusnasosro but after a series of illness, he was given a new and, it was hoped, a more promising and fulfilling name, Sukarno. His childhood playmates called him Djago (Cock Champion) for his looks, spirit and prowess. As an adult he was best known as Bung Karno (brother), the revolutionary hero and architect of independence. Despite the humble origins of his family, there was enough money to send Sukarno to various schools set up by the Dutch colonial Administration in the Netherlands East Indies, as Indonesia was then called. His upbringing was privileged. Any one who made it into the Dutch education system was well above the common rank. Young men like Sukarno were brought to be partners of the Dutch in creating a modern East Indies. In 1927 in Bandung where he got his degree in civil engineering he decided that his future lies in oratory and politics not in architecture. Sukarno had been increasingly involve in National Politics since his teen when he was boarded in the house of Tjokroaminoto, a leading nationalists politician. Tjokroaminito treated him as his own son, financed his further education and at the age of 20 married him off to his own 16 year old daughter, Siti Utari. By 1926 Sukarno had been married twice, after divorcing Siti Utari, he married Inggit Garnasih. Though permitte...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Element Group 15 - Nitrogen Family Facts

Element Group 15 - Nitrogen Family Facts The nitrogen family is element group 15 of the periodic table. Nitrogen family elements share a similar electron configuration pattern and follow predictable trends in their chemical properties. Also Known As: Elements belonging to this group are also known as pnictogens, at term derived from the Greek word pnigein, which means to choke. This refers to the choking property of nitrogen gas (as opposed to air, which contains oxygen as well as nitrogen). One way of remembering the identity of the pnictogen group is to remember the word starts with the symbols of two of its elements (P for phosphorus and N for nitrogen). The element family may also be termed pentels, which refers both to the elements formerly belonging to element group V and their characteristic of having 5 valence electrons. List of Elements in the Nitrogen Family The nitrogen family consists of five elements, which start with nitrogen on the periodic table and move down the group or column: nitrogenphosphorusarsenicantimonybismuth Its likely element 115, moscovium, also exhibits traits of the nitrogen family. Nitrogen Family Facts Here are some facts about the nitrogen family: Nitrogen family elements consists of atoms having 5 electrons in their outer energy level. Two of the electrons are in the s subshell, with 3 unpaired electrons in the ​p subshell.As you move down the nitrogen family: atomic radius increases, ionic radius increases, ionization energy decreases, and electronegativity decreases.Nitrogen family elements often form covalent compounds, usually with the oxidation numbers 3 or 5.Nitrogen and phosphorus are nonmetals. Arsenic and antimony are metalloids. Bismuth is a metal.Except for nitrogen, the elements are solid at room temperature.Element density increases moving down the family.Except for nitrogen and bismuth, the elements exist in two or more allotropic forms.Nitrogen family elements display a wide range of physical and chemical properties. Their compounds may be transparent, either diamagnetic or paramagnetic at room temperature, and may conduct electricity when heated. Because the atoms form double or triple bonds, the compou nds tend to be stable and potentially toxic. Element facts include crystal data for the most common allotropes and data for white phosphorus. Uses of Nitrogen Family Elements Two of the elements, nitrogen and phosphorus, are essential for life.Most of the Earths atmosphere consists of nitrogen gas, N2. Diatomic pnictogen molecules like this may be called pnictides. Because of their valence, pnictide atoms are connected by a covalent triple bond.Phosphorus is used in matches, fireworks, and fertilizer. Its also used to make phosphoric acid.Arsenic is toxic. It has been used as a poison and as a rodenticide.Antimony finds use in alloys.Bismuth is used in medications, paint, and as a catalyst. Nitrogen Family - Group 15 - Element Properties N P As Sb Bi melting point (Â °C) -209.86 44.1 817 (27 atm) 630.5 271.3 boiling point (Â °C) -195.8 280 613 (sublimes) 1750 1560 density (g/cm3) 1.25 x 10-3 1.82 5.727 6.684 9.80 ionization energy (kJ/mol) 1402 1012 947 834 703 atomic radius (pm) 75 110 120 140 150 ionic radius (pm) 146 (N3-) 212 (P3-) 76 (Sb3+) 103 (Bi3+) usual oxidation number -3, +3, +5 -3, +3, +5 +3, +5 +3, +5 +3 hardness (Mohs) none (gas) 3.5 3.0 2.25 crystal structure cubic (solid) cubic rhombohedral hcp rhombohedral Reference: Modern Chemistry (South Carolina). Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Harcourt Education (2009).

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Assignment 1 Career Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment 1 Career Research Report - Essay Example The report will hereby contain detailed information about a particular field, wherein I can focus to develop my career in accordance with my acquired knowledge and skills. Section 1 Occupational Research The research is based on the opportunities of a graduate student acquiring the knowledge of business and administration. This research has been conducted with the assistance of primary along with secondary sources. For carrying on the research study relating to the profession of an assistant team leader, first of all the employment news and the websites of the companies providing job opportunities have been followed. It can be viewed that the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom remained much stable at 7.70% from July 2013 till August 2013. This statistical data represents the number of people looking for a job in the UK (Trading Economics, 2013). The current data of the employment rate will provide an opportunity for applying to various companies, wherein desired jobs can be obta ined. During the conduct of the research concerning employment scope for the graduates, it can be apparently viewed that the Careers and Employability Centre has been providing various counselling sessions about the process of direct job hunting (McBride, 2013). In this regard, Carolyn McBride, one of the famous career advisors of the UK is involved in arranging various workshops and presentations in order to identify the employability opportunities as per acquired skills along with knowledge. The workshops provided the individuals with an opportunity to develop their respective skills along with knowledge in a more interactive way. Moreover, various career prospective related programs especially for the graduate students have been made available such as retail managers, public relations and sales managers among others. These programs advise the participants, seeking for jobs to follow the websites relating to job search (McBride, 2013). Section 2 Main Findings From the study of the aforesaid research, it can be affirmed that there are ample chances for the graduate students to work within a company as an assistant team leader. The study of business administration offers an all round study along with delivers ample opportunities of building brighter career (London School of Business & Finance, 2013). In the UK, there are many people who seek for jobs after the completion of their studies. Also, there has been a growing trend of the recruitment of the graduates possessing ample knowledge in the field of business and administration.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Evaluation Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Evaluation Argument - Essay Example Waiting to meet Jesus is a healthy journey for everyone, but the pressures of the society can interrupt this waiting, and cause an individual to go against the will of God, by being forced to lie to having met Jesus, even though in the real sense Jesus has not yet visited the individual. Thus, the understanding and practice of religion might be marred with widespread confusion, most especially when the practice of religion is associated with induction of a child, but external pressure can obstruct the good judgment in matters of religion even more. The elaborate understanding of religion and its practice is fundamental for an individual seeking to join and practice it. The misunderstanding of the basic tenets surrounding a religion might see an individual simply enter into a religion, but remain disappointed afterwards, when the expectations held by the individual are not met (Klick, 27). In the article the article "Salvation" by Langston Huges, joining the religious practice happened in utter confusion, since the understanding of Huges was that he must first meet Jesus physically. Huges had been told by his auntie Reeds that â€Å"when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life!† (Huges, n.p.). In this respect, his understanding of this process of getting saved was in its literal meaning. Thus, this understanding build such an expectation in his mind; that seeing the light and feeling something happen on the inside will be the hallmarks of accepting salvation. Th erefore, the fact that it was becoming too late and everyone else had gotten saved except for him, made Huges remain with no other choice but to take the step forward and accept salvation without having first experienced the light and something happening on the inside. It can therefore be seen that Langston Huges’ article, "Salvation", may not

The effects of enviromental temperature on human respiration Lab Report

The effects of enviromental temperature on human respiration - Lab Report Example Hypertensive patients should be extremely careful in cold weather and people should take care such that the amount or degree of exposure to cold is reduced and also adopt measures to keep the body warm. It is important to expose the body to the cold stress. However the instant impact is quite drastic. After the initial brief seconds, the rate of metabolism seems to fall as the body now adjusts itself gradually to the stimuli. Adaptation is important for human being and degree of adaptation depends upon the habituation. The term acclimatization refers to the physiological adaptation of the body to a fall in temperature. In order to make the patient adaptable to the surrounding cold, it is important first for the person to come in contact with the stimuli. Escaping or protecting oneself from the cold by wearing heavy warm clothes is not the permanent solution. The study carried out by Young, Muza, Sawka, Gonzalez, and Pandolf (1985) shows the impact of repeated immersion in cold water, a program designed for adaptation. However it was observed that only under light stressful a condition a person is able to show adaptation but not under strict conditions. It has also been observed that cold presor test (CPT) revealed that with the increase in cardiac sympathetic activity, the heart rate increases too during the first 30 seconds of the test. In this case results also reveal â€Å"Arterial pressure, heart rate, and MSNA all increased significantly during the CPT† (Victor, Leimbach, Jr., Seals, W alljn, and Mark, 2008, 431) According to Fleisher and Krieger (2007) cardiac arrest brings about halt in respiratory activities or apnea. Therefore, we can infer that an increase in cardiac activity will bring about an increase in respiration rate. It may be hypothesized that the environmental temperature will affect human respiration. At colder temperature, the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Property law - Essay Example 3. This statute makes available a structure for the development of electronic conveyancing. In this context, this Act will permit the procedure for dealing with registered land to gradually migrate from the present paper-based system to a system, which will not involve any paper and that will be purely an electronic system within a few years. Further, this Act totally supplants the extant 1925 legislation in order to enable land registration to become a faster, clearer and simpler process. The major changes engendered by these two legislations in respect of the law and practice of land registration have had a profound effect on everyone concerned with registered land. Several instances of these changes can be cited and some of these are: The avowed objective of this Act is to render straightforward, improve and modernise the land registration law. Moreover, this Act has made available a framework for developing the all important electronic conveyancing. Several noteworthy modifications have been brought about in the law and practice for registered land. Some of these changes influence the protection of third party interests; superseding interests; which of the interests in land can be or have to be registered and the all important issue of adverse possession of registered land2. Furthermore, electronic conveyancing will result in a much more accurate register. The new Act will also help buyers immeasurably, by providing more complete information about the rights and responsibilities of the owner. Moreover, there will be an improvement in respect of the security of property rights in and over registered land due to the provision of superior methods for affording protection to them. As an example, owners of registered land have been provided much greater protection against claims made by squatters. The primary objective of the Land

Analysis of Stock Option in Bristol Myers Squibb Thesis

Analysis of Stock Option in Bristol Myers Squibb - Thesis Example It also uses them to decrease the turnover of the human capital in the organization. An analysis of the organization’s stock options policy reveals information that is promising for investors and the concerned stakeholders. The organization has been using stock options as a large part of their compensation at the executive level. Employees after meeting the criteria set by the organization are allowed to own options and exercise them over a period of 10 years. ESO allows the employees to hold stock options below the market price. The sound corporate governance policy requires that the board meeting and the shareholder’s meeting can decide upon the re-pricing of the options and this cannot take place without the approval of the concerned. The company has been able to decrease the moral hazard relating to the issue of stock options and has provided huge incentives to its employees apart from cash compensation. The morale of the employees is all time high due to the compensation package that they are offered. The company is looking forward to striking maj or deals and re-establishing its name as a bio-pharmaceutical in the world. ESO carry a moral hazard with them, if properly implemented, with sound accounting policies implemented throughout the organization; it is bound to create success for the organization and its employees. Disclosure of proper information increases accountability on the part of management and restricts them from any incorrect actions that they might take. They can be used to decrease moral hazard, increase employee motivation and increase market efficiencies. BMS, with the help of sound corporate governance policies has effectively handled to issue of stock options, taking all the advantages that they possibly can. 16 The paper is organized to provide a basic understanding of how the Employee Stock Option (ESO) works in a Bristol Myers Squibb

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Property law - Essay Example 3. This statute makes available a structure for the development of electronic conveyancing. In this context, this Act will permit the procedure for dealing with registered land to gradually migrate from the present paper-based system to a system, which will not involve any paper and that will be purely an electronic system within a few years. Further, this Act totally supplants the extant 1925 legislation in order to enable land registration to become a faster, clearer and simpler process. The major changes engendered by these two legislations in respect of the law and practice of land registration have had a profound effect on everyone concerned with registered land. Several instances of these changes can be cited and some of these are: The avowed objective of this Act is to render straightforward, improve and modernise the land registration law. Moreover, this Act has made available a framework for developing the all important electronic conveyancing. Several noteworthy modifications have been brought about in the law and practice for registered land. Some of these changes influence the protection of third party interests; superseding interests; which of the interests in land can be or have to be registered and the all important issue of adverse possession of registered land2. Furthermore, electronic conveyancing will result in a much more accurate register. The new Act will also help buyers immeasurably, by providing more complete information about the rights and responsibilities of the owner. Moreover, there will be an improvement in respect of the security of property rights in and over registered land due to the provision of superior methods for affording protection to them. As an example, owners of registered land have been provided much greater protection against claims made by squatters. The primary objective of the Land

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Brief Memorandum to the Justice with Regard to the Case of Perry v Term Paper

Brief Memorandum to the Justice with Regard to the Case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger - Term Paper Example A decision will be made as to how Justice Robert’s will rule in this case. The answer given will be based on the knowledge we have concerning the work experience and beliefs of Justice Robert’s background. The experience and legal work of Justice Robert will also be reviewed in the process in bid to affirm why we believe that he will vote in a certain way as pertains to the case of discussion. In bid to garner an in depth understanding of Justice Roberts rulings and the bearing his experience will have on the case in question, prior Supreme Cases that he has ruled as pertains to equal protection will also be reviewed. Statement of Case Facts The facts of the case involve Arnold Schwarzenegger who is the official County Governor of California and Perry who represents a lesbian couple that has been denied marriage licenses on the basis of Proposition 8. The plaintiffs have adopted four children and they would like to get married so the children can be accorded benefits ac corded to other children of heterosexual couples. The plaintiffs challenge Proposition 8 which was voter enacted on November 2008 hence amending the California Constitution. Proposition 8 asserts that California will only recognize marriage between a man and a woman. The plaintiffs litigation is based on the notion that proposition 8 denied them due process and equal protection which is divergent to the Fourteenth Amendment hence the defendants violate2. With this genesis, this paper will be aimed at writing a memorandum as to how Justice Roberts should rule in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. The propositions in this paper will be anchored on reviewing Justice Roberts’ work experience, beliefs and previous rulings on equal protection to aid in giving an opinion of how he will rule in this case. Consequently, decision making theories of the judicial system will also be reviewed in the process and reference made to the case and how we expect Justice Robert to rule on this particular case. Argument Background information on Justice Roberts: work experience and beliefs Justice John G. Roberts was born in 1955 in Buffalo New York and in a religious conservative family. Just like his family, Justice John Roberts was and is still a strong Catholic who lives in belief of the Catholic ordinances. Justice John Roberts is a very outspoken icon in the American Justice system considering his repeated appointment into higher offices of the American Law. Justice John Roberts is remembered as a very close legal intimate of George W Bush after having received Presidential nomination to the US Supreme Court and in the position of Chief Justice in 2005. Justice John Roberts is also known for his attempts to reverse the proposals and Supreme Court’s approval of separation of the church from the state. I8in addition, Justice Roberts is demonstrated as one of the American legal practitioners who respect the American Constitution and would always live to protect a nd uphold it alongside any Federal approved jurisdictions. President George W. Bush had no support for homosexual marriage holding that heterosexuality was God’s wish for human being and had to be codified full in one way or the other (WND). Considering the relationship between Justice John Roberts and the former US President, one can predict the likely stand and ruling of Justice John Roberts on issues concerning homosexuality. For Justice Roberts to qualify for the office nomination by President Bush, it meant that they had a lot in common and that Bush had great obsession on Robert’s interpretation of the law. It can also be argued that Chief Justice of nay state acts as one of the eminent personalities who can advice the president on the

Monday, October 14, 2019

Hotel Consultation Essay Example for Free

Hotel Consultation Essay It appears to me that the Dreschler Hotel needs to look into their rates. After comparing the other hotels and the Dreschler Hotel their rates seem too high compared to the other hotels and what they have to offer. I think if they would lower their rates this would generate more business and more business means more revenue. This would be reflected on the ADR if they did lower the rates. Yes, if your rates are higher you will take in more money at that moment but you might sell a lot more rooms if rates are kept down while being competitive. I think the Dreschler Hotel could make some improvements and then this would increase the revenue. I think it is very out dated and in order for the owners and shareholders to ever see their investments back in their pocket is to make this a mixed-use which would have hotel room suites, condo’s, pool, gym, retail shops, office building, and several restaurants. This will be projected at a Twenty Eight Million Dollar Project. It will have many retail shops for the guest convenience and it already is situated in the heart of the town with over 90 shops available now. It will then add a pool, hot tub, spa, sauna, gym, office buildings for lease or sale and many restaurants. We would like to have a tremendous view and possible farmers market in the complex or within walking distance as another food alternative. This is a fairly fast way to get cash flow moving fairly fast and also can sell if interested or they could hire a management company to run the development for them. The options are endless but they will need to do some marketing to get this development out there and get interested parties involved. One thing I feel this hotel is in need of its working capital. They are having trouble with paying the normal operational expenses. The owners have even been putting money in to use for the hotel and cannot continue to do this. They have no working capital to work with to do any renovations or add a few t hings needed to get more guests staying at the hotel. They have a couple of options to get this done. The first one is to apply for a SBA 7(a) Loan. They will loan money  to a business in need of working capital which the Dreschler Hotel needs. They can use this loan for operation expenses, renovations, inventory, or to add items needed. They also may look into the option of investors which will love to get involved in something this big. This would probably be a great choice for this hotel and its circumstances. I feel the owners and shareholders have already put in all the working capital or cash that they can at this time. They have to do something to start making some money and to do that I feel this hotel needs a lot. The only option would be to sell some shares of the hotel for some cash to use for working capital. Then they would have more owners or shareholders would have a say in how things are ran. Sometimes, this is a good thing and other times it can be a bad thing so it is a tough situation but sometimes they have good suggestions or ideas as well. They will have to show a good business plan and show they have the ideal location along with the town’s approval or possibly get guarantees on businesses coming to the mixed use such as retail stores, office spaces, and restaurants. You want a variety of restaurants so you have to have many restrictions on who you sell or lease to because you want variety. This will be an upscale hotel with the same in the retail and restaurant end also. We would be adding suites in the hotel rooms along with a pool and gym. While looking at financial schemes you must weigh the good and the bad or the risks involved to do this. After looking at converting the Dreschler Hotel into a mixed-use I found there are a couple of benefits that would be gained if we converted it such as you have a hotel for guests to stay in and then you have restaurants and food options for the guests that they can even walk to when staying at the Dreschler Hotel. They try to put retail, food and accommodations all tog ether and keep them on the same scale. At the same time there are disadvantages such as you have to have a large piece of land to do this and you have to look at the market around this area to be able to have the economics available to get the revenue there to pay for this. I researched the pros and cons of converting the property into a timeshare. I found the biggest advantage is the return of the money from the project to the owners or shareholders. Another huge benefit would be the construction time is cut way down so you would be up and making money much quicker. A big disadvantage is you are not the original developer and many issues can arise. One main thing is the  location. If you have the right location it will usually make a lot of money. The last one I looked at was the conversion of the hotel to a condominium. I found an advantage would be the increasing revenue by adding things such as a bar, spa, hot tubs, gyms and restaurants. This usually is an upper end hotel and they attract a lot of customers or guests and then the money and revenue will start coming in faster. Another benefit is the owner can sell the units much quicker and then can also hire a management company to run it for him and still bring in money or get his money returned quickly. Many condos have a disadvantage because they come with many restrictions. I think a mixed-use would be an awesome opportunity along with a lot of the things this hotel needed. With the location and the stores in the area it would be a great location so after consideration we will be calling the new mixed-use The Dreschler Village and Suites. References: DeFranco, A. L., Lattin, T. W. (2007). Hospitality financial management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Axia College’s Writing Style Handbook http://www.sba.gov/about-sba/what_we_do/resource_guides (retrieved 03/06/2014). http://www.aha-engineers.com/MEP-projects-hospitality.html (Retrieved 03/07/2014)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay

The Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay Reflection is a way to look back on what a person came across on a certain event (Bulman and Schutz, 2008). The target of this reflective essay is for me to mull over on what I have learned from my direct experiences on placement. I opt to utilise on this reflective essay, A Model of Structured Reflection, by Driscoll (2007). This Model has three questions, namely: what, so what and now what. These questions must be answered by me relative to the experiences I acquired from my placement. Hence, I chose to take advantage on Driscolls model as it is very handy to apply even with or without a paper and pen. All I need to bring to mind is the aforementioned three questions. I will discuss what I think it matters most to me during my two weeks practice placement and give analysis whether I gained knowledge and understanding based from the learning plan I prepared prior to my placement; thereby continually apply it in every situation I may undergo (Howatson-Jones, 2010). I spent my whole duration of the introductory period of duty experience in the ward. On my first day, the Ward Manager introduced me to her team. She told me that my mentor was not around on that day. Thus, she handed me over to the nurse in-charge. As I arrived on an early shift, I duly observed the handover of patients from the night shift staff to the day shift staff. Handover is a daily reporting of patients status to the incoming shift for the provision of continuity of care (Wywialowski, 2003). As a neophyte, I was a bit muddled up on how the night nurse was endorsing the patient; however, I was attentive on what she was doing so I could learn from such activity. There are acronyms on the handover that they used that I could not understand, as a consequence, I made a point that I must familiarise and memorise the medical terms. Even though I am supernumerary I strongly desire to a part and parcel of the team whilst learning (Jelphs and Dickinson, 2008). After the handover, the nurse instructed me to be with the Health Care Assistant (HCA) for the time being so that I can be acquainted with patients and adapt with the daily routine. Indeed, favoured that the HCA was willing to help me. She taught me the safer way on handling patients whilst maintaining their dignity and respect (Tschudin, 2003). She demonstrated proper use the Blood Glucose monitor and how to document it on patients chart (The Global Diabetes Community, 2013). In addition, she told me that if the patient is not on closed observation, normally they take the vital signs every four hourly. The days have gone by so quick; I was productive on my day to day experience as a student nurse. I never wasted my time just standing there without accomplishing anything at the end of my shift. Motivated with my passion of extending care to patients, I find joy and fulfilment in rendering services for them, such as assisting them to the toilet and giving a hand to those who are unable to look after themsel ves. I became certain on writing down the nursing care plan of a patient (Lloyd, 2010), observed the Nasogastric tube (NGT) (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2013) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) procedures done by the staff nurse and HCA respectively (British Heart Foundation, 2013). I volunteered myself as well to get the take away medication of the patient from the Pharmacy. Furthermore, I have learned how to fill up the Nursing Assessment forms for a newly admitted patient. I accomplished the said forms by means of communicating with the patient and family. I have mentioned the word communicating as there was a non-spoken English patient admitted because of lower back pain. In complying with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2010) about confidentiality, I will be using a pseudonym for her. I was aware that English is not her first language; hence, Mrs. C cannot speak and comprehend well. When I went to her bedside to take her vital signs, I have seen the grimace caused by pain on her lower back. I asked if she was in pain at that moment, she suddenly nodded her head whilst touching her lower back (White, 2005). I reported to the nurse right away that Mrs. C was in pain, and based on her Drug Chart she was due for another dose of pain killer. I had administrated the said medication under the supervision of the nurse (NMC, 2010). On the next day, I informed Mrs. C through the use of verbal and non-verbal gestures that she will undergo Colonoscopy to check whats causing her pain (Sully and Dallas, 2010). We waited for her nephew before accompanying them in the Gastroenterology Department as she needs somebody else to translate the procedure to be done. Since it was my first time to watch a patient undergoing such procedure, I grabbed the opportunity to request from the Specialist Nurse if I can be allowed inside to observe the procedure which she willingly approved. I was grateful that her nephew told me that his aunt wanted me to acc ompany her in the Colonoscopy room despite without asking permission (NMC, 2010). During the procedure, I sat next to Mrs. C whilst holding her hand as she was feeling uneasy with the endoscope inserted into her anus. The Specialist Nurse has given me few insights relative to what she was trying to look inside the colon of Mrs. C. I was privileged for having an exquisite time of basic understanding about Colonoscopy (BUPA, 2011). After the procedure, Mrs. C has given me a hug and was very thankful. I smiled and responded that it was my pleasure to assist her. Afterwards, we went back to the ward, and before I left Mrs. C on her bed with the assurance that she was comfortable and safe, her nephew expressed his appreciation for looking after his aunt whilst he was not around. Moreover, Mrs. C told him about me being there rubbing her lower back when she was in agony. I felt flattered on how they recognised my presence in assisting and comforting her. On the above scenario, I suppose I have achieved one of my learning needs, that is, the effective communication between patient and me as a student nurse. Despite the inability of Mrs. C to express herself verbally, I was so sensitive observing her gestures and actions, thus, I can extend the appropriate care and assistance she needed. By intently looking at her countenance, I can interpret what she was trying to convey to me; henceforth, I was able to address her needs. I have realised that verbal and non-verbal communications in nursing are very vital in rendering quality care. As a student nurse, I should not let language be a hindrance in giving the nursing intervention for the patients quick recovery (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). Care of people is the priority of all nurses; this is one of the four principles of NMC Code (2010). The provision of care for the patient should be done in a holistic approach which includes their daily living activities (Newton, 1991). A simple act of ca re means a lot to the patient and therefore, this must be instilled in the heart of every nurse (Department of Health, 2010). As for me I will surely put into practice what I have learned from this placement. Another learning need that I partially accomplished was being able to observe how to perform the Colonoscopy procedure. To supplement what I have observed, I did some informative readings. In summary, I was able to see the nurses duties and responsibilities. Such as, how they manage to give the best nursing interventions in a busy ward, how they collaborate to other health professionals for updating the patients care plan and how they attend to patients with care and compassion. I am fully aware that most patients usually depend on nurses as they are the ones who provide direct care for them (Altman, 2010). I do believe that nursing is a never ending process of learning; hence, nurses are oblige to update their trainings and continue to learn more by reading evidence-based practice resources for self-enrichment (Sackett et al., 1996). As a student, I have to be dedicated, motivated and inspired to achieve my ambitions in life; continually accepting any challenge for my personal development (Maslow, 1954). For the meantime, I will set my goals on what I want to learn; recognising any learning outcome on my learning plan as this will draw me closer to my aspiration, to b e a Qualified Nurse (Peate, 2006). My two weeks practice experience was superlative. The Faculty of Nursing in the hospital provided teaching sessions that will develop us to become competent in our chosen field (McNiff, 1993). All the staff in the ward where I worked with were supportive and compassionate. I am looking forward for my next placement, for me to implement what I have learned from my previous one, and be able to identify new learning opportunities. In conclusion, practice placement is an opportunity of experience, an opportunity of new learning and an opportunity of development.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Financial Scholarship Essay :: Financial Aid Essay

What do you believe best represents why you should be considered for this type of financial support? Limit your response to no more than 200 words per question. I think I should point out that the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University is the most prestigious faculty of Thailand's oldest and most famous university. Standards are kept very high by imposing an extremely rigid grading system and making it very difficult to graduate. For example, approximately 20 percent of all first-year students fail and are dropped from the University. In my graduating class of 140 students in Mechanical Engineering, only one received a degree with honors. My 2.88 GPA put me in the top 10 percent of my class. At many other institutions this level of achievement would have merited a first or upper second-class honors degree. Moreover, my success in work is remarkable. In 1997, I was selected among 26 top sales staffs to handle major product having sales exceed 20m dollars. Because this position required a person who had not only to be good in sales & marketing but also to be a company representative to have a meeting with international company such as ALCOA. I hope this information provides an interesting overview of my background and that the committee will recognize my potential as an outstanding candidate.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Alcohol Essay Prompt

Lowering Drinking Age The United States should lower the drinking age from twenty one to eighteen, since people are allowed to smoke, vote, and join the selective service at this age. Young teens are already smoking, which can cause more harm than drinking. Voting rights are only allowed for mature adults; if they are able to vote, they should be allowed to drink. By joining the selective service they are putting their lives at risk to defend the country. Being able to drink should be awarded for them risking their own lives just to save others. First, they can smoke cigarettes at age eighteen, and cigarettes are just as bad as drinking. Both of these things can cause problems towards someone’s health. Smoking and alcohol both can damage the liver, and cause heart diseases. If anything, they shouldn’t let people with bad health smoke or drink, rather than the factor being age. The health of someone is more important more than their age. Someone may be twenty one with a lung disease that didn’t come from smoking, but if they smoke it’s only going to get worst. On the other hand, if someone is eighteen, and they have no health problems at all, they should be able to smoke if they want to even though they may gain personal health problems. If they do, then that’s when they should stop smoking and get treatment. Basically, people with good health should be able to smoke or drink, but if they develop any type of health issues, they should see a doctor or stop immediately if it gets bad. Second, the United States will let us vote, but refuse to let us drink at our own risk. People at the age of eighteen should have the same privileges as people who are twenty-one or older, they are both adults. If the drinking age were changed to 18, colleges would be able to regulate alcohol use, so students would not become overly intoxicated, just like colleges have rules for smoking. Since most students who are eighteen drink already, they may get ecstatic if drinking was allowed and actually follow the rules. Lastly, Joining the selective service is a serious job that takes a lot of responsibility and maturity. If someone can have a serious job like that, they should be mature enough to drink alcohol. Age should not matter when it comes to drinking, some people who are twenty one years or older act like their the teenagers sometimes. They may drink just for the fun of it or abuse drinking alcohol, so why should it matter how old someone is. Adults should be able to make their own choices. Students who are sixteen years of age can decided to drop out of high school, people at age eighteen can smoke, citizens are able to join the selective service, but people can’t drink until age twenty one. What kind of sense does that make? If people that are eighteen have an option of attending college, how come they cant decide if they want to drink. A person who is twenty-one or eighteen are both considered adults. Age doesn’t make a difference. Basic Writing 4-4:50 Professor Watson 11/21/11

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Improving Your Writing Essay

In efforts to resolve the issue, monthly staff meetings should be introduced, whereas employee work reviews, complaints, issues and any changes within the executive team can be discussed and resolved in a timely fashion; by doing so we can prevent or minimize the effects and cost that problems and unresolved issues can, and in this case have, cause to the company. These meetings will keep the executive team all on the same page while also allowing the employees to feel that they have a time in which their concerns and problems will be heard and also resolved. Holding these monthly meetings will reassure us and help me maintain a healthy, effective and productive office, which in-turn saves the company cost of overtime fees and cost of time and poorly produced work. In efforts to resolve the issue , I also find it essential to have Jack and Ruth track the amount of time it takes them to complete their work on a daily basis. Monitoring the amount of work they complete within the hours that they work will allow me to determine and distribute the work load evenly between Jack and Ruth to ensure that all the work is being accomplished for the benefit of DMD Medical Supplies. Overtime hours will greatly decline if not even seize altogether. Lastly, we must implement mandatory timed breaks in order to eliminate the dilemma of employees taking longer, shorter, too few or too many breaks. I will make myself accountable to check on employees during their break times to ensure that they are giving themselves a break and for the proper amount of time. Through the implementation of these changes employees will be more organized, work ethic and quality will improve and reflect positively on the company as well as save the company money through the significant decreases on overtime hours and on less time being spent making corrections to work that was previously done poorly.

“After twenty years” by O. Henry Essay

The short story â€Å"After twenty years† is a classical story written by O. Henry. The story is about the two characters that were actually best of friends. They grew up in New York until lost sight of each other. One of them leave the place and tried to live in West to make easy money, thus he ended up being a criminal in Chicago while the other man felt that his place in his hometown is better and he ended up as a policeman. The two friends made a promise that after twenty years both of them will meet again at the same restaurant for the purpose of knowing each achievements that they have done after those years. those years. The story began at the specific place of their appointed place and time. It is nearly 10 o’clock at night and really dark out there. A policeman making his rounds, rattling door knobs to make sure everything is secure on his beat. In the doorway of a hardware store that is closed, he comes across a man who has an unlit cigar in his mouth. Before the officer can begin to question him, the man assures him that he is not a burglar that he is merely waiting for a friend. He goes on to light his cigar and tell the officer why he and his friend are meeting at such a dark and desolate place. The man, who is Bob, told him that he was waiting for a friend he has not seen for twenty years. Years before he and his friend had agreed to meet at the very spot to discuss how their life had turned out. The man keeps on telling to the policeman how his life turned out good that he actually became rich and successful. Talking about his best friend, he told the policeman that Jimmy will never fail to appear in their agreement for he has been a constant good companion. After saying all these to the policeman, the latter dismisses himself. Twenty minutes after the policeman left, another man went to greet his friend Bob. Both of them cheered and make themselves comfortable with each other as they try to unleash the gap on their acquaintance. Shortly, as they approach the front door of the drug store, Bob realizes that this man is not his old friend Jimmy as his nose looks completely different. After the confronting scenario, it turns out that the man has just pretended to be Jimmy and that Bob has under arrest for ten minutes. The man then gives a note to Bob explaining that the first patrolman had been Jimmy and that he went because he did not have the nerve to arrest his old friend, s o he had left before he  could be recognized and found a plainclothes officer to arrest him. Friendship is at the heart of â€Å"After Twenty Years.† The character who does the most talking, Bob, seems to be indisputably fervent about seeing his old friend Jimmy. He speaks glowingly about what a great friend Jimmy was and relates that he has travelled across the country, over a thousand miles, to see him again. However, the story is indeed quite of surprise especially at the conclusion where it greatly shows how Jimmy Wells portrayed a noble act both to the law and to his friend. I find him loyal in coming to the arranged appointment with his friend and in apprehending into the law where he took an oath to serve in just and humane way. The conflict indeed is between Jimmy and his inner being where he was stocked in a very sensitive situation. Either he will let Bob go away and forget the crime he has done or arrest him and stay true to his society under his duty. It seems very impossible but the dilemma has solved well on a clever decision of Jimmy. Moreover, the scene where Jimmy sends another man to arrest Bob is my favourite part. Although, it was difficult for him I view this as an act of courtesy to Bob. It simply shows how strong their sentimental bond is. Jimmy also shows great sympathy and honour to his friend despite of the circumstances. Life is indeed unpredictable. You cannot deeply fathom how things really work on its unique way. Sometimes people turn bad and sometimes others were naturally made good. However life is once again a matter of choice. What happened to Bob’s career and future was primarily his choice and Jimmy couldn’t do about it. On the other hand, Jimmy Wells made a good catch in himself as he remained in his hometown, got a noble job and performed well in realizing his duty. Thus, he never compromises the built friendship between him and Bob. After all a choice can be good or the other way around. One may choose to follow a good path by working on the side of the law and the other may choose to follow a bad path by breaking the law. The most important thing is you did the very thing that God wants you to do and I felt it in the story. Jimmy did a right thing and he solved the dilemma well. The last part of the story which is a note for Bob really moved me. His note is terse and offers no apology for having Bob arrested, but that is the best that Jimmy can do when he and a man who was once his best friend are on opposite sides of the law.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Assignment is to read the 22 page IPCC AR4 summary for policymakers Essay

Assignment is to read the 22 page IPCC AR4 summary for policymakers (SPM) (Introduction plus 5 sections) and write a concise summary of it - Essay Example shift in animal and plant ranges together with the earlier timing of various spring events has been linked to warming in the terrestrial ecosystems while changes in ice, frozen ground and snow have resulted in a general increase in both the total number and size of glacial lakes (Ipcc, 2007). It has been shown that the energy balance of the world’s climate system has been altered by changes in the atmospheric concentration of aerosols and various green house gases, solar radiation and total land cover. During the period ranging between 1970 and 2004, Carbon dioxide emissions have been shown to have grown by about 80%. The atmospheric concentration methane and carbon dioxide have exceeded the pre industrial levels recorded from ice cores over the last 650,000 years. This has mainly been attributed to the use of various agricultural products and fossil fuels (Ipcc, 2007). If the Emission of GHG continues at the current rate, this will potentially cause changes in the planet’s global climate system to be larger in the 21st century than those previously observed in the 20th century. Warming is expected to reduce the ocean and terrestrial uptake of CO2 resulting in an increase in the ocean’s acidity with an expected average decrease of its PH by about 0.1 units (Ipcc, 2007). The Greenland ice sheet is expected to continue contracting, a factor that is expected to continue playing a vital contribution to the increasing rise in sea levels after 2100, with various models suggesting the eventual virtual complete elimination of the ice sheet after a millennia. There are several adaptation and mitigation options available touching on various aspects. These include expanding water storage, harvesting and conservation techniques, the adjustment of agricultural product varieties and planting dates, reduction of the world’s dependency on a mostly single source of energy and opting for green energy, creation of storm surge barriers and sea walls to help create a

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Raising awareness of Social Studies for Young Learners Essay

Raising awareness of Social Studies for Young Learners - Essay Example 332). . Social studies are important for students to cope with the problems encountered as they enter school. They are taught the meaning of diversity in school, which reflects the diverse society from which they come from in terms of ethnicity, religion and social status. They learn to appreciate diversity, which is useful in their day to day interactions outside school. The studies equip students with life skills of avoiding conflicts in the society. Students are taught the importance of rules and regulations and the need to obey them. They are also taught to appreciate the established institutions and how to participate in their activities. For example they are able to understand democratic processes and how they can participate in future through voting (Gross, S. & Wehner, 2092). A classroom comprises students from various backgrounds that reflect the society they come from. Children from different families study together and social studies help them to understand their place in the society. For example some children may come from diverse backgrounds such as rich, poor, white, black families. There might also be differences in terms of political and religious affiliations. The fact that the classroom mirrors the society indicates that children have been exposed to diversity. Social studies ensure that children understand this diversity and the importance of social harmony. Mere contact with diversity without its understanding may not help to avoid conflicts as children develop in to adulthood. For example, it is one thing to know that the society comprises white and black people, yet it is another thing to understand that colour difference does not mean inequality (Gurin et al. 361). Children in the social studies class are taught to accept and appreciate diversity. They are made to understand that every person

Monday, October 7, 2019

Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Dance - Essay Example Indeed, the term â€Å"confiscation† as used in Lesson 1 sought to integrate African dance traditions into the American culture. The terms â€Å"fusion† and â€Å"confiscation† are very significant in the American culture especially with reference to the American dance and society since they play a huge role in creating a new American dance form. The term fusion refers to the aspect of creating a singular and original, high quality show, which blends dance, fashion, and music to establish a high-end performance (â€Å"York Media† 1). Fusion brings a diverse collection of best dancers, models, musicians, artists, fashion designers, hairdressers, and make-up artists to create an original and unique music and dance performance in America (â€Å"York University† 1). In terms of dance and society, confiscation refers to the adoption of techniques and effects from native cultures into the American dance and society (Rogers 10). With reference to cultures and dance, confiscation integrates the conflicting association between the African dance traditions and the American culture. The Ghost dance is a dance practice that exemplifies "confiscation" of dance forms to "create" a new American dance form. From the Ghost Dance, we can indeed derive the fact that there was a confiscation of techniques and effects from native cultures into the American dance and society. The immigration of Indians and the integration of Wodziwobs teachings with the American traditions led to the confiscation (â€Å"United States History† 1). Notably, the American belief systems adopted the religious attributes of Ghost Dance movement. This is clear where the dancers performed the dance with a belief of getting cure for their illness. This related to the ritual intentions as depicted by Wodziwob who started the dance. They disregarded the ritual beliefs and adopted

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Culture of Deaf Students Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Culture of Deaf Students - Assignment Example The standard curriculum is designed with teaching-learning taking place to large extent through the spoken word. Teachers mainly give instruction through the spoken word which is inaccessible for many DHH children even with developments in assistive technology (Humphries, et al., 2014, p. 1, C 2,3. line 11-13). The curriculum needs to be adjusted to include more of other modes of learning such as learning by doing to ensure that DHH learners become more engaged in the learning process. It has been proven that learning takes place best when the learner is actively involved. The DHH learners need to have access to communication modalities in the educational setting and beyond. Hearing aids, cued speech, cochlear implants, sign language, sign language interpreter, and other ways of facilitating communication should be incorporated into the learning process extensively (Szymanski, Lutz, Shahan, & Gala, 2013, p. 4, line 14-21). The learners will in this way be actively engaged in the lear ning process. Assistive technology can also be used to enhance access to information in the classroom. Language development is a critical matter in cognitive abilities of DHH learners. Before the age of five, children must be exposed to an accessible language on a frequent and regular basis to facilitate their development of full language competence (Humphries, et al., 2014, p.2, C 1,2. line 2-5). Deprivation of language leads to various cognitive deficits since language is the mode of transfer of information. The curriculum should for this purpose, introduce sign language in the educational curriculum from an early stage; preferably before five years of age. In so doing, the learners become proficient in a language that they will have to use for their entire learning lives.  

Friday, October 4, 2019

The impact of the removal of DRA on the management of Human Resources Dissertation

The impact of the removal of DRA on the management of Human Resources in Organisations - Dissertation Example Presentation and description of data shall be done by complying results from core aspects of the questionnaire. The results shall be presented quantitatively by the use of tables and charts to organize data collected. After this, the researcher shall draw on the flow of information received in the data analysis to build three major themes in relation to the research problem. Finally, the researcher shall discuss and interpret data by grouping the data presented into three to correspond to the themes. The discussion and interpretation shall be done qualitatively by drawing subjective conclusions based on concerns and theories raised by various authors and researchers in the literature review. 4.1 PRESENTATION AND DESCRIPTION OF DATA Based on the purpose of the study and research questions raised by the researcher, responses on six key questions from the questionnaire have been presented and described in this section. Answers to these questions are useful in find out factors that have accounted for the scraping of the DRA, the merits and de-merits that are likely to be associated with the scraping of the DRA, and measures that are needed to be put in place to ensure that the policy of scraping the DRA useful. 4.1.1 What is your level of preference for being served by older people aged 55-65 in organisations? The researcher sought to know how well respondents preferred the serviced of older people aged 55-65 in organisations. This question was to draw an inference on the usefulness of older people in organisations and find out their contribution to the development and daily running of various organisations. The table below presents respondents’ level of preference for being served by older people Table 4.1 Preference for being served by Older People Preference Level Number of Respondents Percentage Very much preferred 3 15 Preferred 2 10 Not preferred 9 45 Not preferred at all 6 30 Total 20 100 From table 4.1, it can be seen that out of the twenty (20) resp ondents, 15% of them had a high level of preference for being served by older people. 10% of respondents preferred to be served by older people but did not esteem that so much. 45% of respondents did not prefer being served by older people whereas 30% did wished they were never served by older people. The respondents who were aged between 18 and 70 said their preferences were informed by factors as such as working experience, worker ethics and approachability. 4.1.2 Do you support the scraping of DRA? This component of the questionnaire was a build up to the question asked in 4.1.1. In simple terms, the researcher wanted to find out from respondents whether or not they supported the policy of scraping the DRA to enable people to work in organisations till they themselves felt the need to drop. Out of the twenty (20) people who responded to the questionnaire, thirteen (13) of them answered ‘No’ to the question whether or not the DRA should be scrapped. This means thirtee n (13) respondents wanted employees to retire at age 65. Seven (7) respondents answered ‘Yes’ meaning they wanted employees to work after age 65. Proportionally, If 20 respondents represent 360Â °, 13 respondents = 7 x 360 20 = 234Â ° representing ‘No’ On the other hand If 20 respondents

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Human Population Growth Essay Example for Free

Human Population Growth Essay No matter what organism you are talking about, all living things possess the ability to reproduce. This comes in two forms. The first form of population growth is Exponential Population Growth. The second is Logistic Population Growth. Exponential population growth refers to when a population is not subject to any limiting factors, it will grow and expand exponentially even past the capacity of the environment to sustain. Rabbits are a good example of this form of population growth, â€Å"Thus, the exponential growth model explains how a few dozen rabbits can multiply into millions and overrun a continent. † (Simon, Reece, Dickey, 2010) Logistic population growth refers to when a population reaches the capacity of the environment to sustain, the population growth declines. Fur seals of St. Paul Island are a good example of this, â€Å"After hunting was controlled, the population increased rapidly until about 1935, when it began to level off and started fluctuating around a population size of about 10,000 bull seals—the carrying capacity for St. Paul Island. † (Simon, Reece, Dickey, 2010) Humans tend to exhibit exponential forms of population growth. We rapidly reproduce and expand, exceeding the carrying capacity of the environment. This leads to us spreading to other areas and exceeding the carrying capacity there as well.

Reflective Account Of Diversity And Team Performance Nursing Essay

Reflective Account Of Diversity And Team Performance Nursing Essay This reflective account concerns my experiences of participating in a diverse team of people from different nationalities, which was formed for the achievement of specific outcomes over a specific period. The opportunity to work in this team arose in the course of an assignment for syndicate group work. The importance of management of team performance is steadily gaining recognition in the area of modern day organisational behaviour. With modern organisations and operations becoming increasingly complex and dynamic, organisational performance is being driven by specialised employees who are organised into and work as teams. Salas, et al, (1992 p 4) defines a team as a distinguishable set of two or more people who interact dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/objective/mission, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform Organisational experts have for long been intrigued by the fact that whilst team work is now an accepted tool for improvement of organisational efficiency, many firms that arrange their operations around teams with such expectations find, much to their disappointment, that (a) use of teams has little impact on productivity, and (b) such use of teams can furthermore lead to reduction of productivity (Bolin, et al, 2006, p 2). It is also frequently seen that teams with high performing individuals fail, even as teams with far less impressive members greatly exceed expectations. The performance of the Detroit Pistons basketball team in 2004 and 2005, when they won back to back NBA championships with a roster of unimpressive players illustrates the team performance paradox (Bolin, et al, 2006, p 2). The continued performance of the Ferrari racing team would not have been possible without the efforts of its back up staff (Robbins, et al, 2010, p 3). Such team performance paradoxes are evid ent across the world, with innovative start up teams with networking capabilities humbling huge established corporations with far superior technology and resources (Bolin, et al, 2006, p 2). Understanding the mechanisms of team work is an integral component of modern day learning in organisational behaviour. I was required to participate in a team of members from different nations with different academic, cultural and social backgrounds in the course of syndicated group activity for a period of 6 weeks. The experience gave me the opportunity to participate in an actual team environment, even as I was increasing my academic knowledge of team dynamics and processes. This reflective account details my learning experiences during the process of my participation in a diverse multi cultural team that was required to perform specific tasks and achieve particular objectives and outcomes over a specific timeframe. The essay is structured into sequential sections that take up the functioning of teams in its different aspects, the use of the IPO model for assessment of team effectiveness and the working, evolution and outcomes of our team over a specific 6 week period. Whilst academic theory on teams and assessment of team effectiveness is taken up in some detail, greater emphasis is placed upon my practical experience of participating in an interesting and enriching team environment. The essay ends with a concluding section that attempts to sum up my learning experience and details the ways in which I have gained from this experience in team work. Team Work Modern texts on organisational behaviour identify specific characteristics of teams that differentiate them from general groups (Buchanan Huczynski, 2004, p 7). These characteristics include (a) joint sharing of aims and objectives, (b) mutual dependency and trust, (c) overt expression of emotions, feelings and disagreement, (d) consensual decision making, (e) coordination, cooperation and cohesion, (f) management of trust feelings and conflict between team members, and (g) the creation of a collective and synergistic impact (Buchanan Huczynski, 2004, p 7). Hackman (2002, p 11), states that teams also have very clear boundaries for membership, relatively stable memberships and defined authority to manage their activities and processes. Team performance by and large represents the extent to which teams achieve their specific objectives (Hayes, 2002, p 43-46). Whilst such indicators of team performance are important for organisations because they assist in assessment of the extent of achievement of team goals, many teams, more particularly in business situations do not have targets that are clear and quantifiable (Hayes, 2002, p 43-46). Even where such targets are available, team members and managers can improve their performance in future if they are provided with a richer picture of the ways in which teams function (Senior, 1997, p 32-36). Teams, to be truly effective should thus have some understanding, not just of team outputs, but of the ways and means in which team members work together (Senior, 1997, p 32-36). The Input-Process-Output (IPO) model provides an approach to the understanding of team work and team performance. Inputs, in the IPO model, are seen in terms of issues concerned with group composition like leadership, size, term and diversity, along with factors like autonomy, training and resources that are provided to teams (Ilgen, et al, 2005, p 517-522). Internal team processes comprise of factors like the motivation and commitment of team members, the cooperation and communication between them and their skills of leadership, conflict resolution, decision making and problem solving (Ilgen, et al, 2005, p 517-522). Outputs on the other hand are largely depicted as team objectives or the larger concept of team effectiveness that includes a range of interrelated outcomes in areas of attitudes, behaviours and performance. Such outcomes can occur at the level of individuals, teams and organisations (Ilgen, et al, 2005, p 517-522). The theoretical paradigm behind much of research on team effectiveness comes from the application of the open systems theory, which states that team inputs (skills and abilities) are transformed into team outputs (the quality and quantity of team outcomes) through various interaction processes like utilisation of skills, effort and past strategy. The basic IPO model is flexible enough to be applied to a range of team settings and is illustrated in the figure provided below. A general set of factors for assessment of team work in the context of the above discussion thus needs to include (a) the attitudes, behaviours, thinking, roles and skills of individual team members, (b) team objectives and purposes, which include the setting, clarity, commitment and achievement of goals, (c) team processes like generation of ideas, making of decisions, management of controversy and conflict, communication style, allocation of responsibilities, planning of action and leadership style and (d) the organisational context with regard to structure, culture and associated issues. Working and Evolution of our Team Our experience of team work came about on account of participation in group syndicate activity for a period of 6 weeks. Our team was made up of six members and we were required to work together to (a) generate slogans for organisational use, and (b) achieve improvements in team working in areas of attitudes, behaviours and performance. I aim to assess different aspects of the working and functioning of our team, in terms of the IPO model, and deal sequentially with inputs, processes, and outputs. Inputs Our team consisted of six members, A- myself, B, C, D, E and F. As the oldest and most experienced member of the group, I was the automatic choice for its leader. The chart provided below gives basic details and personality types of group members. The personality ratings have been determined by organisational tests conducted on individual members. Member A B C D E F Nationality British Chinese Cyprus Indian Pakistan Nigerian Sex Male Female Female Male Female Female Education BA Hons History International Business And Management Business and Management Bachelor of Technology Graduate in BA BSC Logistics Profession leading public and private businesses Software Engineer Extraversion 3.8 1.9 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.5 Agreeableness 4.6 3.5 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.3 Conscientiousness 4.1 3.9 2.4 3.9 4.3 2.9 Neuroticism 2.7 3.4 3.1 2.4 3.2 4.1 Openness to Experience 4.5 2.8 3.5 3.8 3.9 2.3 As evident, our team was diverse with respect to nationality, gender, education, and work experience and personality types. Contemporary academic literature on organisational behaviour agrees on the advantages of diverse teams in various areas of organisational work. Diversity in teams, organisational experts feel, results in the availability of a range of perspectives and skills, which, if harnessed properly, can result in greater creativity in generation of ideas, alternatives and solutions than with homogenous teams and lead to better performance. Whilst diverse teams by and large have wider and better range of skills and abilities, it is often challenging to make them function in a coordinated and collaborative manner, in comparison with homogeneous teams. Such challenges to collaborative and coordinated working can arise because of differences in language, attitudes and perceptions of team members. The members of our teams came from different parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. Th eir academic backgrounds ranged from disciplines in the liberal arts to applied sciences, technology and management. Two of us, F and I had some working experience, even as the other four were fresh from college. Whilst the personality types of individual group members are different, all of us scored high on the agreeableness index and were happy to work and bond with each other. As the oldest and most experienced member of the group, its leadership automatically devolved upon my shoulders. This development occurred, without my asking for it, because the other group members looked towards me for advice, suggestions and direction on the functioning of the group. We were at the time of formation of the group provided with specific tasks requiring the generation of a number of slogans for ultimate organisational use. Apart from have to deliver such specific services, we were informed that we would be judged twice, once half way during the course, i.e. after three weeks and finally at the end of six weeks; on completion of the group activity. Various group factors like (a) innovative climate, (b) participation, (c) clarity of objectives, (d) reflexivity, (e) interdependence, (f) autonomy, (g) boundedness, (h) role clarity, (i) task conflict, (j) relationship conflict and (k) team satisfaction would be taken up for assessment during these occasions. We were inform ed to us that our progress would be made available to us at the middle and at the end of the syndicate activity in order to help us in organising our activities and improving our processes. Processes Leadership style is an important component of team work processes in the IPO model. Most texts on organisational behaviour stress on the importance of leadership in the efficient successful functioning of teams, even as the majority of both team successes and team failures are attributed to leadership decisions (Robbins, 2005, p 17-21). Fiedlers theory on leadership states that the adoption of leadership styles is often contingent upon situational circumstances and effective leaders alter their styles in line with situations, attributes and skills of team members, and team objectives (Fiedler, 1967, p 4-8).Leaders are otherwise expected to provide clarity regarding roles to members, communicate effectively, and generate feeling of inclusiveness by asking for comment and by expressing appreciation for contributions of team members (Stacey, 2003, p 15-19). Contemporary research on organisational behaviour also indicates that whilst leaders set the tone for definition of group activitie s, their subsequent responses are distinctly affected by their ongoing interaction and communication with team members (Stacey, 2003, p 15-19). Whilst the role of leadership devolved upon me without my asking for it, I did not ignore my responsibilities and worked towards the development of a committed, clear and collaborative team. I allocated responsibilities to each member and made constant efforts to improve and ensure communication with members on various issues associated with our team objectives as well as other areas of common interest. Although my efforts to communicate with group members were made easier by their general agreeableness, I often found B, the Chinese member to be reticent in her communication with the rest of us. She was not just very shy but also disinclined to explore new opportunities and experiences. These difficulties were however greatly made up by her conscientiousness towards her work. Our group activity and objectives required extensive discussions between member, generation and bouncing off of ideas, and long hours of brainstorming. Many of such sessions resulted in small and big disagreements, some of which ended with members refusing to talk to each other for some time. F, the lady from Nigeria whilst otherwise friendly and agreeable, was prone to excessive argumentativeness, and even hysteria, if her views were not supported by others. Conflicts between her and other members also arouse because of her lack of dedication towards group work and occasional proneness to shirk her responsibilities. We were fortunate that conflicts among group members were restricted and did not erupt frequently. Whilst friendly disagreements over work continued to happen, serious conflicts arose only on three occasions, all of them involving F. I felt conflict resolution to be one of my major responsibilities and was constantly looking for signs of disagreement and trouble. Whilst I would let constructive discussions and disagreements continue and sometimes even encourage them further, I took pains to ensure that personal bitterness between members did not set in and they refrained from making offensive statements towards each other. I am happy with the fact that all members, including F started bonding with each other by the end of the fourth week, started respecting each others point of view, and developed a healthy regard for their team mates. Output All our team members were delighted to find out that our group ended the activity practically at the top of the class, both in the number of generated slogans and in the originality of the two selected slogans. The result proved once more that a diverse team can do very well at creative work in an environment of transparency coordination and communication. We were otherwise pleased to know that we had made good progress in all activity areas, except for boundedness, team and relationship conflict and team satisfaction. I feel that our problems in these areas essentially relate to the inability of our team to manage the disputes and disagreements that often surfaced around F. As the leader I take responsibility for such failures and do feel that I should have tried to use my position as leader to communicate more successfully with F and quell her various mental insecurities in working with people who were possibly more hardworking and gifted than she was. Such an approach would have improved group communication, collaboration and outcomes. Conclusions This reflective account deals with my experiences in a diverse team of 6 persons that was formed for the achievement of specific objectives over a particular timeframe. The significance of team performance is progressively increasing in the discipline of organisational behaviour. With contemporary organisations becoming increasingly complex, organisational performance is now ever more driven by specially formed teams. Team performance normally represents the degree to which teams attain their particular objectives. Whilst such gauges of performance are necessary because they help in assessment of attainment of team goals, teams should also achieve some understanding of the ways in which team members work together. The Input-Process-Output (IPO) model represents an approach to understanding team work and has been used by me to assess the functioning of our team. Our team was diverse in many respects. Diversity, it is felt, leads to greater and to better performance. As the oldest and most experienced team, I became the team leader without asking for the position. I tried to live up to my responsibilities and worked towards the development of an effective team. We were fortunate that conflicts among members were limited and I tried to ensure that personal bitterness between members did not set in. Our team ended the activity at the top of the class with regard to set objectives. We also made good progress in all areas except in team relationships and satisfaction, where our progress was average or even less. I feel that such problems arose from our inability to manage disputes and disagreements. I take responsibility for such failures and feel that I should have tried to communicate more successfully with certain members. My experience of team work has however helped me immensely in maturing as an individual and as a professional and I am grateful for the experience.