Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Corporate finance - Essay Example This analysis will include; A fundamental analysis and valuation of the British Airways using the free cash flow method. And a recommendation will follow suit. Valuation methods will be attended for the purpose of selecting equities for portfolio investments. Valuation methods though are used for proper valuation however, they do not fit all in one place some methods are used for specific companies, as we have inherent differences within firms, companies, industries, outlets etc. and method falls with each member. Some may take more than one, however, about tour valuation methods are to be used. Dividend capitalization goes in to baring out the real truth of a company, its history and ways of behaviour, e.g. Paying of dividends, expansion plans, paying history of business, operation cushion. It opens the investors eyes to see the risks of investment and take caution. Discussions concerning real option analysis in strategic investment decisions will be adequately attended to stressing and bringing out the use of real option analysis in strategic investment decisions. However in attempt to give a fundamental analysis of the British Airways, the examination of the subject will refer to it’s earnings, each flow, equity value and sales and other accounting statements of the airways will be critically analyzed and discussed. The financial record of the British Airways over the years has been quite interesting because for the past three years, its net profit has been appreciating steadily. Since the year 2003 the British Airways have seconded success at the recorded of every year. Below is a table showing the progress of the British Airways since 2003-2005. It is interesting and important to note the difference in the profit margin this clearly shows and suggests that some new policies or new managerial skills have been employed to rightly enhance such as steady progress without any break for

Second World War Essay Example for Free

Second World War Essay The First World War was truly a significant event in history. The tension that began in Europe evolved into a global conflict which lasted for four long years. The war claimed the lives of both soldiers and civilians, and resulted in the massive destruction of property. After the war ended, the countries involved undertook measures which sought to avoid another global conflict. One of those measures was the drafting of several peace settlements, including the Versailles Treaty. This agreement punished Germany and made it solely responsible for the occurrence of the war. Unfortunately, the treaty caused bitterness from the Germans and paved the way for another world war to occur. Coincidentally, it was the Second World War which resolved the unaddressed issues of the first Great War. Indeed, the Versailles Treaty caused the occurrence of the Second World War, which ended the problems of the First World War. The Versailles Treaty considered Germany to be the only nation liable to the occurrence of the First World War. It must be noted that Germany did initiate the establishment of the alliance system, which guaranteed increased conflict in Europe (Perry, 1989). As an outcome of its triumph in the Franco-Prussian War, Germany acquired the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. In an attempt to secure these former French territories and prevent France from regaining them, the Chancellor of Germany Otto von Bismarck allied with Italy and Austria-Hungary. Germany continued its aggression after Bismarck was removed from office. When William II assumed the throne, Germany demanded more territory and began to increase its naval strength. However, Germany was not the only nation to blame for the First World War. In fact, Serbia was responsible for starting the war. It was a shooting incident which triggered the widespread conflict: a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife (Heyman, 1997). Austria sought to attack Serbia in return, and turned to Germany for assistance. Hence, the starting point of the First World War was the conflict between Austria and Serbia (Perry, 1989). The end of the First World War brought about several attempts at the restoration of peace, but it was prevented by intentions of the affected parties. Prior to the end of the First World War, U.  S. President Woodrow Wilson had already drafted a program for peace which he presented in Congress through the â€Å"Fourteen Points† speech (Perry, 1989). One of the major points he suggested in his speech was â€Å"peace without victory† (as cited in Perry, 1989, p. 647). Wilson wanted the other countries to practice fairness towards Germany, for he thought that severely penalizing the nation would only force it to avenge their losses. He simply wanted a fair settlement which would guarantee improved foreign relations between the victors and the defeated countries. Unfortunately, Wilson’s hopes ran against the bitter feelings which were developed during the war. The European Allies suffered massive losses, which in turn caused hatred between countries. Among all Allies, France was most affected by the First World War; majority of the battles which happened in the western front took place in French territory. While more than three million French citizens were wounded, more than a million French soldiers died in the war. Hence, it was to be expected that France desired severe punishment for Germany and sought to be compensated for its damaged properties (Perry, 1989). The Versailles Treaty did not guarantee fair treatment towards Germany, as it imposed harsh sanctions on the defeated nation. The settlement was evidently disadvantageous for Germany; it was created to decrease their power and territory. The treaty was beneficial for France; not only did it regain Alsace-Lorraine, but it also obtained control over the Saar coal mines (Halsall, 1944). Germany also lost territory to Poland and Britain (Perry, 1989). In addition, the Versailles treaty significantly reduced the military capability of Germany. The agreement required the German army to be limited to 100,000 people, all of which were to be volunteers (Halsall, 1944). Germany was also asked to demilitarize their territories in both sides of Rhine River. More importantly, the treaty demanded Germany to pay other nations due to the damages which resulted from the war. Germany was supposed to pay $33 billion worth of reparations, an amount only determined two years after the nation signed the treaty (Perry, 1989). In general, the Versailles Treaty blamed Germany for the First World War and severely punished it as a result. Consequently, the Germans were angered by the conditions of the Versailles Treaty and provoked them to start yet another world war. Germany was enraged by the demands for reparations; they thought that the amount given for them to pay exceeded the nation’s financial capacity (Perry, 1989). Germans also disagreed with treaty on grounds of being solely responsible for the outcome of the war. They upheld the belief that Germany must not be singled out, for all the nations involved in the war must be held accountable for its consequences. After the First World War, Germany became a part of the League of Nations, the organization which was created for the purpose of developing peace and cooperation between countries. The country also participated in other postwar activities directed at maintaining peace. Despite these efforts, majority of the Germans were still not ready for peace. Most of them remained bitter towards the Versailles Treaty. The animosity was derived from humiliation after defeat; after all, the settlement disarmed their nation, reduced their territories and required them to pay a great sum (Bergen, 2002). The Weimar government attempted to modify the treaty through peaceful means. When Adolf Hitler came into power, he completely undermined the Versailles Treaty (Perry, 1989). With Hitler as leader, Germany violated the Versailles Treaty and started the path to the Second World War. Hitler quickly broke the conditions of the treaty; he disregarded the limitations imposed on the country. He immediately increased the army to 550,000 men and rearmed it (Sulzberger, 1985). Hitler also sent troops in Rhineland; this action was clearly a violation of the demilitarization in the area as demanded in the treaty. In what seemed to be a response to the loss of lands due to the Versailles Treaty, Hitler sought to expand German territory by uniting all German-speaking people (Sulzberger, 1985). All of the aforementioned aggressive acts committed by Hitler sparked another global conflict and eventually resulted in what everybody feared: the Second World War. Ironically, the problems of the First World War were resolved by the Second World War. One of the problems of the Great War was self-determination, the principle wherein national groups choose their own political state (Perry, 1989). The reason behind Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination was the Serbs’ desire to unite all Slavic peoples. President Wilson included the principle of self-determination in his â€Å"Fourteen Points,† yet it proved to be problematic. Hitler even used the principle to invade other countries. After the Second World War, self-determination was no longer proposed. Instead, the Atlantic Charter drafted by U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed the self-government to peoples. Meanwhile, the restoration of peace was also a dilemma after the First World War. The nations tried to restore peace through various peace settlements, including the Versailles Treaty. However, the treaty exacerbated the war problem. After the Second World War, there was already an international organization established to maintain peace among countries. Rather than make individual peace treaties to each Axis power, the Allied countries sought peace as the United Nations. This move proved to be more effective in restoring global peace and order (Perry, 1989). The First World War was a genuinely significant experience. The armed conflict was caused and characterized by tension, so there were many efforts to avoid yet another war from taking place. The Versailles Treaty was a peace settlement, but it did not contribute to the restoration of peace. Rather, it caused the Second World War by provoking Germany to seek revenge over its sanctions. Fortunately, with the occurrence of the Second World War, the problems of the Great War were settled.

Fostering Motivation by the Help of Neuroplasticity

Fostering Motivation by the Help of Neuroplasticity There are two types of mindset: fixed versus growth mindset. In fixed mindset, students (people) believe that their abilities is innate and they cannot change it, therefore a failure makes them start doubting in themselves and believing they are not smart/good enough to achieve their goals. On the other hand, those who have a growth mindset believe that they can improve their abilities by learning and practicing. They see failure as an opportunity to working on their mistakes and weaknesses; their perseverance and resilience makes them more motivated and work harder to improve their abilities. Moreover, one of the biggest difficulties that students face when they enter to a new stage of their academic life is lack of motivation. The main idea of this project is improving growth mindset as well as fostering intrinsic motivation among students by teaching them about the brain and neuroplasticity. For this purpose, a weekly workshop will be designed for five sessions. Below is the detai l of each session. Method This project is based on learning science approach with focus on embodiment and feedback which are explained in details. Participants In order to meet the goals of this project and having a sound base of interpretation of the results and eliminating some of the confound variables like method of learning and environmental differences, students from one class will be selected to participate in the workshop. Junior students are extremely vulnerable to fail to achieve an acceptable grade during their high school, because in general children in this age suffer from antisocial behavior, lack of self-esteem, school engagement and more importantly being motivated enough to continue their study. Having a positive or negative outcome in this age depends on students motivation and motivation is dependent on children core belief. In other words, the way students deal with their environment, indicate their future success and exactly here motivation comes to play an important role because if students are motivated enough to continue their study and like to challenge themselves, they can survive and even flourish during this peri od (Blackwell et al., 2007). For this reason, target group in this project will be high school students. Both male and female students with any ethnic background can participate in this study. It is ideal to have a balanced number of male and female participants in order to control for any potential gender differences in the study. Materials Prior to participating in the workshop, participants will be asked to answer to two questionnaires: one of them is a motivation questionnaire to examine students goal in the coming year and their view about the value of efforts and the other one is a mindset questionnaire. The mindset questionnaire will measure students core belief about their intelligence, goal orientation, belief about effort and attribution and strategies in response to failure. Teachers report on students level of engagement and motivation in classroom will be also collected. To investigate the impact of growth mindset on long term achievements (outcomes), the same questionnaire will be distributed at the end of semester, which will be two months after the workshop. The latest grade of students mathematic achievements (CAT) and students new math grade at the end of semester will be collected. Procedure Session 1: The Neurons: Structure and Function In this session, students will learn about concept of neuron and its structure and neurotransmitters by lecture and pictures (figure 1 and 2). The lesson plan for this session is as the following: Lesson Plan There are two types of cells in the brain: The first type is called glia, which comes from a word that means glue and they hold the brain together. Glia plays an important role in the processing and communication. The main brain cells are called neurons. They have a lipid bilayer as a cell membrane to keep everything inside. They have the fluidly cytosol, the liquid inside. Neurons have three main parts, the cell body, or the soma, is where we find the nucleus, the part that has DNA. And the other parts are the specialization that allows the neurons to communicate with other cells. Dendrites are branches around the soma. It integrates it in two ways, both spatially and temporally. Spatially means weve got all these inputs coming from different parts of the brain and temporally means that theres a time window over which the cell is looking at. Once the information has been summed up and the neuron decided how to process it, the neuron sends output down to the axon. Neurons shapes and sizes depend on their function within the neural circuit. The stereotypical one is called a multi-polar neuron which has more than one dendrites and only one axon. Bipolar neurons have one input and one output. Unipolar neurons have basically one long transmission wire with the cell body off to the side, so information just kind of flows down with, no real interference from the soma itself. Physiological properties of the neuron: The neuron is actually using electricity to send through the dendrites and then down the axon. Every cell has an electric membrane potential, or an electric resting potential, which is the difference between the electrical potential energy inside and outside the cell. By recording the electrical potential of cell membrane versus the electrical potential at an electrode outside the cell membrane we can have voltage difference. Most cells have a resting membrane potential of about -70 or -65 mV. The other property thats really important about the neurons is t hat they have Ion channels, which are like doorways in their cell membrane. When their membrane potential gets high and reaches the thresholds, these doors can open. Signal starts at this area at the juncture of the soma and the axon thats called the Axon Hillock. So, what happens is the membrane potential of the cell reaches a certain threshold, and that causes the door to open. When the door opens, positive ions start coming into the cell, which causes the membrane voltage to go up and opens more of these voltage sensitive doors. And eventually there would be a big influx of positive current, but the Ion Channels will be close very fast. That quick increase and decrease of the membrane potential, is called an action potential, which lasts for about one to two milliseconds. Action potential is an all-or-none event. As the positive ions are coming in from action potential that started at the Axon Hillock, its going to increase the memory voltage of the axon right next to it. Therefo re, more channels will be opened and more positive current flow in which will cause action potential to travel down the length of axon. What the neurons saying in the pattern of its spiking activity. In general, neuron does not directly talk to the next neuron via an electrical signal, instead when the electrical signal gets to the tip of the axon, the axon will release chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals messengers that travel over a small gap between the neurons sending the information and the dendrites of the neuron receiving the information. That gap is called a synapse. The neuron receiving the information by their dendrites on that post synaptic side of this gap have special receptors for receiving the released chemicals by the presynaptic neuron. When the chemical binds to those special receptors, that causes changes in the membrane potential of the second neuron and then that neuron can collect that information and send its signal to its neigh bors. After this lecture, students will have time to ask any questions and discuss their thoughts and understanding of the concept of neurons within small groups. By the end of this session, students will learn about basic properties of neurons and how neurons communicate with each other.                Session 2: Brain structure and Function In this session, after a brief recalling of last session which was about neurons, few fact cards about brain will be given to students. Next, a brief introduction of brain anatomy and main areas of brains will be given by the help of pictures (figure 3 to 5). For avoiding boredom in students, instead of lecture given by the instructor, they will watch short videos explaining brains function. Videos are from an online course offered by University of Toronto Facts that are given after figure 3: Weight: 3 lbs 2% of total body weight Consumes 25% of the bodys oxygen supply Consumes 70% of the bodys glucose supply Consumers 25% of the bodys nutrients 100 Billion Neurons Facts that are given after figure 4: With matter is inside the brain and Gray matter is outside the brain Cerebral cortex is wrinkled. The grooves that make these wrinkles are called sulci and the ridges between them are called gyri Two hemispheres are connected by Corpus Callosum Facts that are given after figure 5: Brain has two main parts: cortex which has 4 parts: frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobe. and the other part is cerebellum After watching the videos, students will discuss their questions, any misconception that they might have about the brain and gained knowledge in small groups. The session will end by given pictures of brains structure and areas that students are required to name them. Session 3: Neuroplasticity In this session, the topic of neuroplasticity which is about the electrical and neural changes in the brain during learning will be thought. The lesson plan will be a brief explanation of neuroplasticity by summarizing some researches about this concept: Plasticity is one of the most essential functions of the human brain. According to Munte et al (2002) Neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt to environmental factors that cannot be anticipated by genetic programming There are a vast majority of researchers that are interested in this topic and have been examining plasticity via different experiments both on animals and human. One of these researchers named Dr Norman Doidge who is author of The Brain that Changes Itself. In his book he talked about the brain as a modifiable, changeable, adaptable and plastic organism that is able to change its function and even structure without chemical reaction in the body, just based on our interaction with the brain. The interesting thing about the power of the brain is, its ability to change structurally even with imagination. Another discovery related to plasticity is the fact that learning changes the number of connection between neurons; even with hours of training the number of connection between two neurons can increase from 1300 to 2700 as an example. The reason how plasticity happen in our brain is: through activities and thoughts that people do with their brain, there are certain genes in nerve cells that become on and others off, this change causes producing protein and protein finally makes change in brain structure. This discovery made a strong proof for the role of learning and training in changing our brain and as a result changing our mind and behavior (Bush et al., 2004). People are able to change their behavior as a result of functional changing in their brain, for example depression is a severe disorder that causes 25% loose of gray matter in hippocampus. This is due to fact that chronic stress release cortisol which gradually weakens the role of left prefrontal cortex, a region that is known as a controller of negative emotion, and the weak activity of PFC causes 25% loose of gray matter in hippocampus. An experiment done in UK showed that the size and amount of gray matter would be the same again after 5 weeks of treatment in depressed people. Similarly, in article written by Draganski et al., (2004) the same finding was reported. Subjects of their experiments were d ivided into two groups: learner and non-learner. They scanned their subjects brain at the beginning of experiment and find that there is no difference between two groups. Then they taught the learner group how to juggle and when their subjects were professional enough to juggle in 1 minute, they had another FMRI scan for both group. For learners the amount of gray matter in the mid-temporal area and in the left posterior intraparietal was increased by 25% compared to non-learner and compared to the first scan. Finally they had third scan after 3 months without training for both group and they found that the amount of gray matter decreased again in learner group. Their finding was consistent with the finding about depression. Mà ¼nte et al., (2002) examined neuroplasticity in musicians that had begun their training in early age. They found musicians who began before the age of seven had a larger anterior midsagittal corpus callosum compared to others that started later. Therefore, they were able to have a bidirectional movement. In order to be able to control bidirectional movement, an enhanced interaction between two hemispheres is needed and since number of axons that can be transmitted to other hemisphere depends on size of midsagittal corpus callosum, therefore musicians with larger AMCC were able to have bidirectional movements. Elbert et al., (1995) showed that string players had a larger cortical representation of the digits finger in the left hand compared to non-musicians. They argued that even neuroplasticity was different among musicians depending on their interaction with music and their professional usage of music; for example a conductor is better in understanding non-adjacent and separatin g adjacent sound sources. Accordingly, there is an automatic movement in musicians body (fingers of hand or even leg) when they just listening to music and vice versa. This is because of co-activation of motor-audio regions in their brain. After this lecture, students will ask their questions (in case of any) and form small groups to share their ideas about neuroplasticity. During these sessions, students learned how their brain can be manipulated by practicing By the end of this session, knowledge creation about the brain will be ended. Therefore, in order to test the output of the sessions, they will be required to articulate their learning. They can either create an artifact (brain, neuron), or write a short essay related to neuroplasticity. As Chinn and Sherin (2005) mentioned one of the problem of team work would be more knowledgeable students will do the load of works and some students might be quiet and their learning process might be overestimated if they work in a group. To avoid this problem, each student is required to do articulation alone. They need to complete this task before last session. Understanding Goal: By the end of this session, students will understand that brains function and even structure can be changed. Session 4: Mindset Change This session consists of two parts. First part is the activity part in which students will discover more about brain and brain plasticity. This part is designed based on embodiment approach. Embodiment in a broad sense could be defined as the study of the subjective role of the body in making sense of life experiences (Kiverstein, 2012). In other words how our bodies influence and shape the way we speak, think, and behave with regard to environmental challenges we face in our daily lives (Gibbs, 2005). Following such a definition the idea of embodied cognition points out to the inter-connection of mind and body and how they both influence each other. Such an idea was raised as a counter-intuitive argument against the mind-body dualism proposed by Rene Descartes in the 17th century which supported a separation between human body and the external world in which body is completely divisible and mind is completely abstract and indivisible. However, this view was challenged by philosophers like Merleau-Ponty (1962) who viewed body as a primordial existence prior to the existence of a reflected world, and understanding of the external world as a reflection of the humans body. Pointing to the inter-relationship between body, environment, and peoples perception of the environment (i.e. the external world) Merleau-Ponty (1962; 235) writes that body is the fabric into which all objects are woven, and it is, at least in relation to the perceived world, the general instrument of comprehension (cited in Gibbs, 2005; p. ). Drawing from the definition of the embodiment, it can be concluded that acquiring and comprehending knowledge and solving problem are not solely manipulated in the brain. Conversely, it is influenced by the interaction we have with the external world and how our bodies manage to perceive them. According to Lakeoff and Johnson (1980) this relationship is highly represented in numerous metaphorical expressions in the language we use. For example we may say the something is beyond us when we cannot understand what a specific expression refers to. In this case we make a connection between our understanding of physical distance and mental concept of uncertainty in order to show how we feel about it. Using Lakeoff and Johnsons metaphorical representations, Barsalou (2008, p. 618) through exemplifying the act of sitting on a chair argues that embodied learning can take place through activating a perception-action-introspection complex. According to Barsalou (2008) this whole process is an i ntegrated and multimodal representation of current and past sensory experiences which results in comprehending an object. According to Abrahamson and Lindgren (2014)in order to place the embodiment theory in education there is need to have an embodied design in order for learners approach a problem in a subject matter through their natural body instinct and movements (p. 363). However, embodied designs could be challenged from three aspects of the types of activities, materials and artifacts, and facilitation of conceptual development. Accordingly they proposed that each of those challenges could be appropriately met through using initial simple activities which fall within the experiential domain of learners and then gradually move toward more symbolic one. Moreover, the types of materials and artifacts used to promote learning in such kinds of designs should be similar to ones found outside these designs and in unmediated environments. Finally, the movement and body engagement should be facilitated through providing real-time feedback by tutors and teachers to help learners develop their own conceptua l insights. Given this brief explanation of embodiment, students will participate in an activity that will result in understanding how their brain can be manipulated by practicing and how their intelligence could be increased through learning. During activity part, they will go through a Neural Network Maze spelling out the word SMARTER and saw how this network change when they learn something new. This activity is based on BNlackwell et al., (2007). In the second part students will see some examples of disabled people who were able to manage their disability and succeed in their life. The aim of this activity is showing students that even people who are suffering from major problems and lost their critical abilities (like walking) did not give up and challenge themselves to achieve their goals. An example of disabled people is Nicholas James Vujicic who is an Australian motivational speaker. He was born with tetra-amelia syndrome and has neither arms nor legs, but could graduate college with a bachelor degree in financing and is a successful writer. Understanding Goal: Everyone can be smart, because intelligence is not statistic and unchangeable Efforts is the most important factor in improving ability The way they think about their ability, can affect their behavior Session 5: Improving motivation by the help of feedback In the last session of workshop, students will summarize their learning and will explain how their misconceptions have changed (if changed) and the instructor will give each student the appropriate feedback. Depending on the number of students participated in this workshop, each student will have time to show their artifact or read their essay that was asked to complete it by the end of session 3. Instructor (experimenter) will give feedback for each students work because as we already know feedback is one type of reward and it can motivate students and even change extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation. Below is a summary of researches that support the effect of reward in increasing students motivation and their performance Harackiewicz (1979) was concerned about relation between feedback, motivation and the outcome and examined this relation among high school students. He found positive feedback increase motivation and motivation increase performance. However he claimed that positive feedback on the performance has different effect compared to reward effect. Positive feedback which is assessed as verbal rewards is known as an unexpected, competence improvement reward and has a significant positive influence on intrinsic motivation. In two studies that used positive feedback as a motivational resource, they tested how a slightly change in wording can bring a fundamental change in the motivation. In the first study, Ryan (1982) used a controlling feedback by saying: Excellent, you should keep up the good work, whereas in the other study, Pittman et al. (1980) used an informational feedback: Compared to most of my subjects, you are doing really well. The result of these two studies was in line with the claim; in the first statement subjects had less intrinsic motivation after few trials compared to second informational feedback. In conclusion, positive feedback can bring interest for receivers and will increase intrinsic motivation. ODohetry (2004) wrote an excellent review about the underlying mechanism of reward seeking and punishment avoidance in human behaviors. He discussed recent neuroimaging findings which gives insight into the reward representations and reward-related learning process that take place in the human brain. The author highlighted the involvement of ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, striatum, and dopaminergic midbrain in the reward-related learning process. Providing evidence from human neuroimaging, the author argues that specific reward-induced behaviors are subject to the function of different parts of the aforementioned network. However, no matter which component guides which specific reward-related behavior, the persistence of behavior is dependent on the value assigned to the reward and perhaps the punishment within this network. The importance of the findings reported in this paper is connecting them with goal-directed behavior which requires complex cognitive resources and fu nctionalities. In other words, the complexities involved in choosing between various behaviors and actions are based on evaluation of their representation of the predicted future rewards with the selected action having the highest predicted reward which varies depending on the its quality, frequency and variance in specific situations. As stated in the article, there are three main parts of the brain that is responsible for guiding our action. Therefore, our behavior is formed controlled as a response to a value of reward or punishment. The author also made a distinction between these parts and the role of each part in seeking the reward, evaluating the value of reward or punishment, predicting the future reward/punishment and deciding about a proper action based on the prediction of value. As a result becoming motivated in doing an action depends on the value of reward or punishment as well as its amount that is aligned with that action even in future. Our brain and even animals br ain is able to learn how to guide our action to receive rewards. It means, our brain tracks and analyses the process of gaining a reward for future use just like the classical conditioning situation. Better reward causes more motivation (ODohetry, 2004). Understanding Goal: By putting enough efforts, students can increase their performance on school Reference: Abrahamson, D., Lindgren, R. (2014). Embodiment and embodied design. In R. K. Sawyer (ed.)The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences, pp. 358-376. Barsalou, L. W. (2008). Grounded cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 617-645. Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child development, 78(1), 246-263. Busch, V., Schuierer, G., Bogdahn, U., May, A. (2004). Changes in grey matter induced by training. Nature, 311-312. Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. Penguin. Draganski, B., Gaser, C., Busch, V., Schuierer, G., Bogdahn, U., May, A. (2004, January 22). Changes in grey matter induced by training. Nature, pp. 247: 311-312. Elbert, T., Pantev, C., Wienbruch, C., Rockstroh, B., Taub, E. (1995). Increased cortical representation of the fingers of the left hand in string players. Science, 270(5234), 305. Galvà ¡n, A. (2010). Neural plasticity of development and learning. Human Brain Mapping, 31(6), 879-90. doi:10.1002/hbm.21029 Gibbs Jr, R. W. (2005). Embodiment and cognitive science. Cambridge University Press. Harackiewicz, J. M. (1979). The effects of reward contingency and performance feedback on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,37(8), 1352. Kiverstein, J. (2012). The meaning of embodiment. Topics in cognitive science, 4(4), 740-758. Lakoff, G., Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of perception. London: Routledge Kegan Paul. Mà ¼nte, T. F., Altenmà ¼ller, E., Jà ¤ncke, L. (2002). The musicians brain as a model of neuroplasticity. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 3(6), 473-8. doi:10.1038/nrn843 ODoherty, J. P. (2004). Reward representations and reward-related learning in the human brain: insights from neuroimaging. Current opinion in neurobiology,14(6), 769-776. Pittman, T. S., Davey, M. E., Alafat, K. A., Wetherill, K. V., Kramer, N. A. (1980). Informational versus controlling verbal rewards. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 6(2), 228-233. Ryan, R. M. (1982). Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory. Journal of personality and social psychology, 43(3), 450. Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.). (2005). The Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences. Cambridge University Press.

The Devastation of Agent Orange Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research P

Abstract: This paper exposes the social injustices to Americans and to Vietnamese resulting from spraying of Agent Orange during the Vietnam Conflict. American Vietnam Veterans and many Vietnamese citizens have struggled with the United States Government for due reparations from the devastation of Agent Orange that has shattered their lives. Veterans have demanded compensation for this injustice through lawsuits and government allocations while the Vietnamese want the United States to clean up their dioxin-contaminated land and waterways. The United States has denied responsibility and the battle continues as veterans and the Vietnamese challenge the United States to accept its wrongdoing. This paper provides the evidence that the US government knowingly sprayed innocent people without warning. Based on the treatment of US military personnel, this paper argues that a major international effort will be required to force the US Government to assist in responding to the Vietnamese cr isis. Background During Operation Ranch Hand the US Air Force sprayed approximately 18 million gallons of the herbicide and defoliant, Agent Orange, over South Vietnam from 1965 - 1970 (Moore 2000). Both US military bases and Vietnamese cities were sprayed in order to decrease the amount of foliage to prevent surprise attacks as well as to deprive the enemy of food, since much of the spraying was over agricultural land. Agent Orange is composed of equal parts of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5- trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) (Moore 2000). Agent Orange was also contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (dioxin) which is a byproduct of the manufacturing of 2,4,5-T (Moore 2000). Dioxin has been described as the "... ... Constable, Muneaki Matsuda, Vu Duc Thao and Amanda L. Piskac. "Recent Dioxin Contamination from Agent Orange in Residents of a Southern Vietnam city". Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Volume 43, Number 5. May 2001. pp. 433-443. Schector, Arnold, Marian Pavuk, John D. Constable, Le Cao Dai, and Olaf Papke. "A Follow-Up: High Level of Dioxin Contamination in Vietnamese from Agent Orange, Three Decades after the end of spraying". Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Volume 44, Number 5. March 2002. pp.218-220. Wilcox, Fred. Waiting for an Army to die. Seven Locks Press: Cabin John, MD. 1989. Winerip, Michael. "US Judge clears way for trial on Agent Orange". New York Times. May 18, 1983. Young, A.L. and G.M. Reggiani. Agent Orange and its associated dioxin: assessment of a controversy. Elsevier: Amsterdam. 1988.

Imperial presidency Essay

In the age of the imperial presidency, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that, in the totality of American history, a powerful chief executive has been the exception rather than the rule. Indeed, until the mid-twentieth century, the most powerful person in peacetime American governments was the Speaker of the House of Representatives rather than the president. Prior to World War II, presidential power was ascendant only during wartime. It is no mistake that the three men commonly cited as our greatest presidents also led the nation through its three most important wars. The image of George Washington as president is inseparable from his role in the American Revolution. Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his role in preserving the Union through the Civil War; other aspects of his presidency are largely ignored. Although Franklin Roosevelt accumulated considerable personal power during the 1930’s, he will be remembered for guiding the United States through World War II in the 1940’s. George W. Bush often refers to himself as the â€Å"Commander in Chief† rather than simply the â€Å"President† or the â€Å"Chief Executive†. This reflects President Bush’s acknowledgement of the fact that â€Å"Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces† is the most concentrated and unchecked power that a president is granted under the constitution. Any student of history is aware that a president is far more powerful when he is perceived to be not just a chief executive but a commander in chief. In other words, for a president to be historically powerful, there must be a war on. The watershed moment for the imperial American presidency was the aftermath of World War II. After every prior American war, the nation had demobilized, the president had assumed his traditional, more limited portfolio, and the Congress had reestablished its position as the pivotal branch of the federal government. After World War II, however, and especially after the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, there was no demobilization. Instead, the executive branch of the federal government underwent an overhaul and reorganization that irreversibly changed the nature of the presidency and of the United States itself. President Truman would mold a policy that was without precedent in American history; this policy would call for large standing armies in peacetime, a radically strengthened and centralized executive, and a willingness to project American force around the world, at times without direct congressional approval. The underlying logic to this revolution in American government was the need to contain the expansionist designs of the Soviet Union. In 1947, the National Security Act created the CIA, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council. This creation of a spy agency, a permanent standing army, and a radically strengthened executive changed forever the nature of American government. After the National Security Act of 1947, a permanent war footing, or at least a war psychology, settled over Washington, D. C. Although the United States was technically at peace more often than not for the rest of the century, the president’s identity as â€Å"commander in chief† maintained a gravity that simply would have been impossible in prior periods. One mitigating factor in this shift was the logistical realities of modern warfare, embodied most purely and terribly by nuclear weapons. The incomparable damage that such weapons could exact, and the relative speed with which they could be delivered, precluded consultations between the President and the Congress under many feasible scenarios. This inevitably strengthened the latitude and increased the responsibility of the chief executive, who could become the commander in chief, responsible for the physical survival of the United States, at any given moment. The psychological shift was just as important as the revolution in weaponry. For the first time the United States, or at least its leadership, perceived itself to be under siege even in the absence of a hot war. The idea of a global and aggressive Soviet menace led to a willingness in American leaders to interpret local and isolated conflicts as part of a broader communist conspiracy that must be contained by a massive American military machine. Human nature being what it is, the unprecedented size and power of the Pentagon made it far easier for American presidents to order the use of force, which in turn consolidated their power as active â€Å"commanders in chief†. From 1947 through 1991, the United States fought two major wars in Korea and Vietnam, but the overarching Cold War solidified the idea that the president’s primary and permanent role was to serve as commander in chief. This notion would have known no place in America prior to World War II. The nation was founded on a well-reasoned fear of centralized executives and the nation had spent most of its early history avoiding such pitfalls. During the Cold War, it embraced this pitfall as an unfortunate necessity, if not a virtue. At the end of the Cold War, there was talk of a â€Å"peace dividend† which would allow for radically reduced defense spending and, by implication, a more restrained presidency. The Gulf War of 1991 arrived just in time to forestall any radical lurch in that direction. During the Clinton administration, the presidency remained powerful, and the United States carried out several military operations from Haiti to Kosovo. The strength of the presidency was only magnified by the fact that the United States was now the only global superpower. The 9/11 attacks, of course, put America on an indefinite war footing analogous to the Cold War. George W. Bush declared with what looked to some as great excitement that he was a â€Å"war president†. Since the United States has been at war in Afghanistan and Iraq for six years, Bush’s personal power has been established by stressing his identity as commander in chief, identifying the defense of the United States as his most important task. Another issue that has risen out of Bush’s embrace of the imperial presidency is how such power is exercised domestically as opposed to internationally. President Bush and his attorneys have argued that the United States is involved in a war in which all of the Earth, including the United States, is the â€Å"battlefield†. This means, according to their arguments, that the president’s power as commander in chief applies just as much in the United States as anywhere else. This dubious and dangerous idea has led to unwarranted surveillance of American citizens in the United States, indefinite detention without charge or legal representation for anyone identified by the commander in chief as an â€Å"enemy combatant†, and the use of â€Å"enhanced interrogation† on detainees, which any honest person would call torture. These draconian measures are best embodied in the Military Commission Act of 2006, which effectively suspends Habeas Corpus and all subsequent legal rights to any individual declared an enemy on the sole authority of the commander in chief. The domestic and international conditions which prevailed when the founding fathers wrote the constitution are obviously no longer valid. It is a testament to the genius of these men that the American system has lasted as long as it has. While certain changes are necessary and inevitable over the decades and the centuries, I am personally very uncomfortable with the level of power that is concentrated in the modern presidency, especially as manifested by the Bush administration. The current administration is the embodiment of the danger inherent in so much power being vested in a single person. After World War II, new global realities called for a more robust presidency, but the balance that was struck with varying degrees of success throughout the Cold War is absent from the current situation. The Military Commission Act of 2006 allows the President to kidnap an American citizen, hold him in prison without charging him with a crime, letting him see a lawyer or a judge, or telling his family where he is, torture him, and never release him. This is not hyperbole; it is now allowable under American law. Most people with respect for human dignity and for the American constitution can agree that this is not the America we want to live in. â€Å"A democracy cannot wage war. When you go to war, you pass a law giving extraordinary powers to the President. The people of the country assume when the emergency is over, the rights and powers that were temporarily delegated to the Chief Executive will be returned to the states, counties and to the people. † –General Walter Bedell Smith (Weiner 189). Works Cited Lowi, Theodore J. , Benjamin Ginsberg, and Kenneth A. Shepsle. American Government: Power and Purpose. W. W. Norton, 2005. Shafritz, Jay M. and Lee S. Weinberg. Classics in American Government. Wadsworth Publishing, 2005. Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Doubleday, 2007.

Server Architecture Essay Example

Networking Client/Server Architecture Essay Example Networking Client/Server Architecture Paper Networking Client/Server Architecture Paper Networking Client/Server Architecture Introduction to 2-Tier Architecture 2-tier architecture is used to describe client/server systems where the client requests resources and the server responds directly to the request, using its own resources. This means that the server does not call on another application in order to provide part of the service. Introduction to 3-Tier Architecture In 3-tier architecture, there is an intermediary level, meaning the architecture is generally split up between: 1. A client, i. e. he computer, which requests the resources, equipped with a user interface (usually a web browser) for presentation purposes 2. The application server (also called middleware), whose task it is to provide the requested resources, but by calling on another server 3. The data server, which provides the application server with the data it requires | The widespread use of the term 3-tier architecture also denotes the following architectures: * Application sharing between a client , middleware and enterprise server * Application sharing between a client, application server and enterprise database server. Comparing both types of architecture 2-tier architecture is therefore a client-server architecture where the server is versatile, i. e. it is capable of directly responding to all of the clients resource requests. In 3-tier architecture however, the server-level applications are remote from one another, i. e. each server is specialised with a certain task (for example: web server/database server). 3-tier architecture provides: * A greater degree of flexibility Increased security, as security can be defined for each service, and at each level * Increased performance, as tasks are shared between servers Multi-Tiered Architecture In 3-tier architecture, each server (tier 2 and 3) performs a specialised task (a service). A server can therefore use services from other servers in order to provide its own service. As a result, 3-tier architecture is potentially an n -tiered architecture The Differences Between Thick ; Thin Client HardwareIn the world of client/server architecture, you need to determine if it will be the client or the server that handles the bulk of the workload. By client, we mean the application that runs on a personal computer or workstation and relies on a server to perform some operations. Thick or thin client architecture is actually quite similar. In both cases, you can consider it as being the client application running on a PC whose function is to send and receive data over the network to the server program. The server would normally communicate that information to the middle-tier software (the backend), which retrieves and stores that information from a database. While they share similarities, there are many differences between thick and thin clients. Thick and thin are the terms used to refer to the hardware (e. g. , how a PC communicates with the server), but the terms are also used to describe applications. While this article deals specifically with hardware issues, be sure to check back as we will continue our Thick and Thin discussion as related to applications. Thin ClientsA thin client is designed to be especially small so that the bulk of the data processing occurs on the server. Although the term thin client often refers to software, it is increasingly used for the computers, such as network computers and Net PCs, that are designed to serve as the clients for client/server architectures. A thin client is a network computer without a hard disk drive. They act as a simple terminal to the server and require constant communication with the server as well. | Thin clients provide a desktop experience in environments where the end user has a well-defined and regular number of tasks for which the system is used. Thin clients can be found in medical offices, airline ticketing, schools, governments, manufacturing plants and even call centers. Along with being easy to install, thin clients also offer a lower total cost of ownership over thick clients. Thick Clients In contrast, a thick client (also called a fat client) is one that will perform the bulk of the processing   in client/server applications. With thick clients, there is no need for continuous server communications as it is mainly communicating archival storage information to the server. As in he case of a thin client, the term is often used to refer to software, but again is also used to describe the networked computer itself. If your applications require multimedia components or that are bandwidth intensive, youll also want to consider going with thick clients. One of the biggest advantages of thick clients rests in the nature of some operating systems and software being unable to run on thin clients. Thick clients can handle thes e as it has its own resources. Thick vs. Thin A Quick Comparison Thin Clients| Thick Clients| Easy to deploy as they require no extra or specialized software installation Needs to validate with the server after data capture- If the server goes down, data collection is halted as the client needs constant communication with the server- Cannot be interfaced with other equipment (in plants or factory settings for example)- Clients run only and exactly as specified by the server- More downtime-Portability in that all applications are on the server so any workstation can access- Opportunity to use older, outdated PCs as clients- Reduced security threat| Data verified by client not server (immediate validation)- Robust technology provides better uptime Only needs intermittent communication with server More expensive to deploy and more work for IT to deploy- Require more resources but less servers- Can store local files and applications- Reduced server demands- Increased security issues   | Key Terms To Understanding Storage Servers: client The client part of a client-server architecture. Typically, a client is an application that runs on a personal computer or workstation and relies on a server to perform some operations. server A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. Servers are often dedicated, meaning that they perform no other tasks besides their server tasks. client/server architecture A network architecture in which each computer or process on the network is either a client or a server. |

A Look at Come In Spinner essays

A Look at Come In Spinner essays A 1988 interview with Florence James, co-author with Dymphna Cusack of Come in Spinner (1951) offers some insight into the original aims of the book. We found that our concerns about women and social justice were parallel and we said: Why dont we tell the truth through fiction? Nobody wants to read straight-out essays on the subject..... we wanted to get at the truth ..... we tried to weave together social expectations and what women were really like. This is the key to understanding the central concerns behind Spinner, set in war-time Sydney during 1944: James and Cusack were intent on writing something which illuminated the truthful position of women in society during that time. They did not produce an essay, but their purpose was similar: not just to entertain, but also to inform, to offer a different and challenging perspective. A review in the Daily Telegraph described their efforts as a remarkably vivid and real picture of Sydney in war-time. The question then is whether director Robert Marchands interpretation of Spinner has remained true to this original objective. While the original text contains a greater amount of detail on the peripheral characters, Marchand chooses to focus mainly on the three central women, Deb, Guinea and Claire. Thus their concerns and the conflicts and issues in their lives naturally occupy a position of great significance in our minds: they become our window onto the world of war-time Sydney. In particular, Marchand explores the degree to which men continued to assume a dominant role in the lives of women, despite their burgeoning independence and a greater sense of empowerment offered to them by war-time conditions. Marchands interpretation reflects particularly on the patriarchal values and defined gender roles which premised during this time, and the way in which women both challenged and accepted them. Marchand constantly presents us wit...

Leadership in Nursing

Leadership in Nursing Mahoney (2001) points out the importance of developing future leaders among nurses. Leadership qualities are often required in nurses’ work, especially when they treat people who work in the top-management sector. According to Curtis, DeVries, and Sheerin (2011), everyone who is responsible for assistance, and everyone who is considered an authority (for example, medics who treat patients) is a leader. Leaders among nurses are involved in development of treatment methods; they improve treatment and provide new approaches (Cook, 2001). Along with this, we consider leadership not a specific skill or a group of skills, but an example of proper behavior (Cook, 2001). Leadership also includes an example of perfect performance. Main goal of every leader is not to just control others, but to organize and plan all actions of other employees, as well as to create all necessary conditions for them to benefit from work (Jooste, 2004). Many experts defined leadership in different ways, but some features are common for a lot of different definitions. Most authors agree that leadership includes influence; it develops within groups, it depends on a particular goal, and it is present on every level (Faugier Woolnough, 2002). There are a few different types of leadership. For example, there is an autocratic type of leadership that excludes any participation in decision-making (Curtis, DeVries, and Sheering, 2011). At the same time, bureaucratic type of leadership implies strict adherence to established system of rules and regulations. Another type of leadership allows other employees to search for a best decision, considering different solutions, and making employees participate in planning and in success of the overall work (Fradd, 2004). Another type of leadership is called laissez-faire leadership, and it gives employees almost total freedom in decision-making and goal setting. This type is described by Faugier Woo lnough (2002) as the most risky one. The most flexible type of leadership is situational leadership, where a leader switches among different styles, depending on a situation and a particular goal. We considered the basis of a leadership theory and common types of leadership. Moiden (2002) states that theory is used to describe reality, while various types of leadership are different ways to implement such a theory. Every organization has to consider different approaches and choose a style that corresponds to particular goals. Choosing a necessary style, an organization must look for a best performance in various conditions. Here the point is to provide highest efficiency in any circumstances (Moiden, 2002). We also have to highlight the key difference between leadership and management. Leaders provide motivation, proper vision, and inspiration, while managers provide control and planning (Faugier Woolnough, 2002). Transformational Leadership VS Transactional Leadership According to Outhwaite (2003), transactional type of leadership requires certain skills which can improve everyday routine and increase its efficiency. The main goal of transformational leadership is to ensure that all members of team cooperate and benefit from innovations. Good leader is able to assess everyone’s potential and interests of any particular employee, sorting tasks and involving members of a team depending on their individual skills. In turn, such an approach helps the leader develop his or her leadership abilities, which creates necessary environment for the further development of their careers. According to Outhwaite (2003), leaders must be able to determine obstacles and possible conflicts, in order to solve any problems at the very beginning. Leader should be close to the team, participating in the process, and staying in touch with all members of the team. When a leader is an important part of the team, he or she serves as an example, and is able to estimate all difficulties, goals, and perspectives. Thus, a real leader must be responsible and qualified. While the goal of transactional leaders is to provide effective everyday work, transformational leaders must help employees unleash and develop their full potential. This type of leader should create the necessary direction and motivate everyone to focus on necessary tasks. According to Cook (2001), transformational leader must influence others, giving them understanding of most important goals. Faugier Woolnough (2002) point out the importance of articulating and developing necessary vision among different members of a team. While transactional leaders should provide efficient management, transformational leaders, must be able to increase possibilities of employees, and so provide better conditions for the entire project. De Geest et al. (2003) describe feature of transformational management on the example of Magnet hospitals. They illustrate how development of leadership positions improved the level of treatment among employees, as well as patients. These hospitals provided a number of innovations, creating the atmosphere of trust, providing highest ethical standards, and estimating all possibilities of development in future (De Geest et al., 2003). Authors note that leadership skills are mostly important today, when directions of health care change all the time, due to technological innovations and increase in demand among patients. Authors state that such a type of leadership provides much higher level of satisfaction among employees, therefore creating necessary motivation and increasing performance. In turn, such changes provide higher level of satisfaction among patients. According to De Geest et al. (2003), leaders have to implement democratic, efficient, and supportive methods, to provide non- stop development, and guarantee benefits for both patients and employees. Transformational leadership considers interpersonal relations between the leader and other employees, which is why we must mention empowerment (Hyett, 2003). Empowerment gives nurses confidence and will to act efficiently in any circumstances. Implementing a team approach, leaders must be able to create strict boundaries and formulate clear goals. The team must be supported on every stage of the process. At the same time, Welford (2002) notes that a nurse manager must be able to create a balance between the use of power and democratic methods, in order to avoid abuse of power. Hyett (2003) focuses on the atmosphere of trust and respect, defining it as the key feature of transformational leadership. Clinical Governance VS Shared Governance Generally, clinical governance is a relatively new approach, which implies the National Health Service’s control over the quality of service, as well as provides new standards of treatment. Moiden (2002) writes about the creation of necessary environment to improve clinical service. Modern standards of UK government imply new types of leadership that are able to support diversity among employees, building a strong community at the same time. Scott and Caress (2005) note that development of leadership approaches is necessary for professional development of staff. Shared governance is one of methods used to realize such a goal (Hyett, 2003). First of all, this method implies empowerment of all staff, making them able to work on common goals and participate in decision making process. Rycroft et al. (2004) call it multi-professional care. Scott and Caress (2005) note that this approach helps to decentralize management, motivating staff to work together, and increasing responsibil ities. This method provides much better results than a classical system of hierarchy. It increases motivation and satisfaction of staff, which makes employees want to make significant contribution, using their creativity and improving their most useful skills. Skills and Knowledge of a Nurse Leader Obviously, leaders must have necessary knowledge of management. They have to create proper atmosphere within a team, as well as understand necessary details about finances and economics. Mahoney (2001) notes that leaders must also have knowledge of evidence-based outcomes. However, according to Mahoney (2001), this list of skills is not complete, since every nurse leader also must be competent, and creative. Leaders must easily collaborate with other workers and stay up to date about all changes in standards of treatment. Not only have they to be aware of the latest medical trends, but also to implement these standards and make sure that they are applied efficiently. Moiden (2003) notes that leaders must be able to understand needs of staff, creating necessary conditions for work, in order to increase productivity. Strong leadership is based on three main things, such as influence, authority, and power (Jooste, 2004). Taking into account modern tendencies in management, we can conclude that a leader must use influence more, trying to use less power. A leader must be able to find common ground in every situation, negotiating with staff, motivating and persuading them. Author highlights three necessary methods that help improve communication between workers and a leader, such as instructions, caring relationships, and modelling, which is supporting a point with examples. De Geest et al. (2004) sorts necessary skills, and creates a list of five necessary practices for leaders, including modelling, inspiring, motivating to act in a certain way, challenging, and encouraging. A leader must be able to correctly assess contributions, creating the atmosphere of competition among employees, therefore encouraging them and increasing performance. Mahoney (2001) states that such an approach helps the leader to focus not only on leadership issues, but on the whole team as well. Practice Settings Hyett (2003) notes that most health visitors have no necessary mechanisms of self-control, which could help them make decisions and take them out of a self-led environment. In such conditions, nurses don’t initiate changes, since such initiatives don’t find support. As a result, most active nurses lose their confidence and don’t feel able to support their colleagues. Fradd (2004) states that such problems are the most important issue in a context of motivation, noting that the lack of motivation directly affects the quality of medical care. Often managers don’t pay necessary attention to self-esteem of staff, focusing only on a range of medical services, and so increasing dependence, and decreasing motivation. Hyett (2003) states that such conditions may be the reason for workers to leave their job, or even change their line of work. Every time when a nurse leaves a position, an organization faces the need to find new employee, and so spend extra time on t raining. In turn, it means additional costs on training and recruitment. According to statistics based on focus groups, most nurses describe leaders as enthusiasts, who can easily show them necessary direction, inspire them, and support them with necessary advice. Rycroft-Malone et al. (2004) claims that nurses don’t want a leader who will speak from the position of power; a real leader must have enough knowledge, and be able to collaborate with others, working on the same goals, managing them, and demonstrating his or her developed skills. Social Context Nurse leaders participate in every stage of work, providing effective management. We can see how leadership changed through time, moving towards smart management, and excluding the role of overpowering. According to Jooste (2004), now difference between lower, middle, and top management slowly disappears, because leaders of each level are no more limited in their tasks. Now each leader must be flexible and able to act in unexpected situations. This fact leads to wider responsibilities, and so to new standards of health care. Large et al. (2005) consider a leadership program of the Royal College of Nursing. This program of political leadership includes several steps. First of all, leaders should be able to estimate the most important issues, creating a proposal for change. They must involve more participants in discussion, talking to both supporters and opponents of each project. Leaders must build communication and deliver effective messages, creating healthy environment for collaboration between different parts of an organization. Education Cook (2001) points out the importance of investment in education. We must teach nurses how to be a leader. Cook insists on including leadership into the basic nursing curricula, also noting that such a type of education must be available not only during training, but also during their careers. Such an approach is wide, and we can consider its benefits on the example of evidence evaluation. Nurses must be able to analyze evidences and make decisions based on the strongest evidence. To make it possible, we need to provide nurses with necessary knowledge, as well as to train them. They must be able to adapt to unexpected circumstances, and make decisions fast and effectively. According to Moiden (2002), we must provide nurses with understanding of possible situations, and with necessary knowledge, so they could find solutions for unexpected issues. To support the use of transformational leadership, NHS created the Leading an Empowered Organization. They hope that such incentives will help nurses develop and realize their authority and responsibility. This program defines the goal as an ability to take risks, solve unexpected problems, and develop autonomy. Along with the Leading an Empowered Organization, another program was created to help nurses discover their leadership qualities. It’s the RCN Clinical Leaders Program (Faugier Woolnough, 2002). New Challenges and Opportunities Jooste (2004) states that health care constantly produces new challenges and changes the environment for nurses. They must be able to react to unexpected events immediately, take the initiative and make important decisions. This all is impossible with the old hierarchic approach to leadership. New approaches make it possible to introduce new methods of motivation, creating necessary conditions for talking, listening, and encouraging. Hyett (2003) describes leadership as an ability to develop new methods and introduce new systems, in order to provide understanding of a desired vision. Now we are saying that everyone can be a leader, since all a future leader needs is a number of certain skills and practices. First of all, nurse leaders must be flexible, confident, and have necessary knowledge (Hyett, 2003). Empowering Patients Fradd (2004) states that only those organizations that have good leaders are able to satisfy patients. Most patients assess medical care depending on the nurse’s behavior, so this profession is one of the most important medical professions in the context of individual trust. A patient can be more or less involved in care, and in this case everything depends on the nurse. Many patients understand features of their disease, or at least want to be as informed about it, as possible. Thus, patients must be involved in discussions, getting necessary information about features of their treatment. Patients need to talk to nurses, and nurses have to be able to argue with patients, as well as to reassure them, and give them necessary information in an understandable way. According to Outhwaite (2003), nurses must be able to protect interests of the patient, in case if a doctor places his own opinion above patient’s opinion. According to Welford (2002), transformational leadership is a method that allows followers participate in important process along with a leader. This method also provides a flexible structure of management, which helps both the leader and followers adapt to fast changes. Mahoney (2001) states that getting rid of hierarchical structures, organizations are able to form strong teams, where all experts and professions collaborate, and so increase performance of the entire organization. As a result, both patients and nurses are satisfied, and this result helps add value for customers and for staff as well. This is an example of an essay. Don’t present it as your own work, since it wouldn’t pass a plagiarism check. If you’re looking for qualitative and affordable college papers, just contact us now!

Advantages and Disadvantages of Primary Data Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Primary Data - Essay Example Contact methods can be mail, telephone or personal. Sampling plan decisions include sampling unit, sample size, and sampling procedure. Lastly, the research instruments to be used can be questionnaires and mechanical instruments (Philip Kotler). â€Å"Observational research includes the gathering of primary data by observing relevant people, actions and situation† (Philip Kotler). It is the appropriate approach for exploratory research. â€Å"Surveys are a form of questioning that is more rigid than interviews and that involve larger groups of people. Surveys will provide a limited amount of information from a large group of people and are useful when you want to learn what a larger population thinks† (Driscoll). The survey approach is the best suited for gathering descriptive information such as finding out â€Å"peoples’ knowledge, attitudes, preferences or buying behavior† (Philip Kotler). Experimental research is done by â€Å"selecting matched groups of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling unrelated factors, and checking for differences in group responses†(Philip Kotler). This method is used in establishing causal relationships between variables, thus it â€Å"is commonly used in sciences such as sociology and psychology, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine† (http://www.experiment-resources.com). Primary data collection has the following advantages: Addresses Specific Research Issues – Carrying out their own research allows the marketing organization to address issues specific to their own situation. Greater Control – Not only does primary research enable the marketer to focus on specific issues, but it also enables the marketer to have a higher level of control over how the information is collected. Efficient Spending for Information - primary data collections’ focus on issues specific to the researcher improves the chances that research funds will be spent efficiently. Proprietary Information – Information collected by the marketer using primary research is their own and is generally not shared with others.

Deficit, Debt and Political Theory of Government Debt Essay

Deficit, Debt and Political Theory of Government Debt - Essay Example Those who support this theory base it on the following two assumptions: 1. A budget constraint for the government does not mean that the government will have a deficit forever. A tax reduction or increase in expenditure that leads to spending being higher than revenues means that the deficit will have to be financed through a future tax increase or decrease. 2. The second assumption assumes that consumers are rational and will not increase consumption due to a debt financed tax cut. Their being rational means that they will reduce their consumption, because they understand the government’s fiscal policies that the increase in government spending finance through debt, will lead to higher taxes in future. The above assumptions imply that lower taxes and higher government expenditure through increased debt will not affect the economy as a whole (Alesina & Guido, 1990). There are those economists who are against the Ricardian equivalence and argue that a budget deficit can be extr emely dangerous for an economy. According to Ricardians, lower taxes today means higher taxes tomorrow. The opponents see the timing of the expected future tax increase to trickle up to a future generation.... More debt for the government leads to a higher budget deficit (Barro, 1974). Budget Deficit and Public Debt Public debt or government debt is the amount a government owes. A government needs money to finance its expenses. It finances through borrowing from the public by issuing treasury bills or bonds and borrowing from corporations, individuals and foreign governments. The public debt is the outstanding amount borrowed in the past but has not yet been repaid. The size of the public debt is determined by the cumulative amount of borrowing that the government has done. Budget deficit is the excess spending the government has incurred over its income. When the total expenses are subtracted from all income and there is a shortfall, this is known as a budget deficit. The government has spent more money than they can earn. When the income is more than the expenditure this is known as a surplus. The link between budget deficit and public debt is that when a government has a budget deficit it has to get money to finance the deficit and it does this by borrowing which leads to accumulation of more debt. The magnitude of the debt is measured by the debt to GDP ratio (Barro, 1979). Foreign investors will be interested in the debt to GDP ratio, as this clearly indicates the financial position of the economy. A foreign investor will invest in a country that can pay its debt and where the economy is growing. Factors determining an Explosive dynamic Debt to GDP Ratio Public debt increases due to excessive borrowing by the government from issuing treasury bills or bonds and borrowing from foreign governments, individuals and state corporations. GDP is the Gross Domestic Product of an economy and it is the total income from individuals, corporations and the government. Debts are

Othello by William Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Othello by William Shakespeare - Essay Example Outdoors, the cool autumn New York City air was tinged for a moment with the melancholy sounds of Billy Holliday belting out her first-hand impression of the ever-present scourge of lynching in the Deep South; painfully echoing through the words of a song she named Strange Fruit. Set in northern Italy during the late sixteen century, William Shakespeare's tragedy has never been able to avoid its powerful racial imagery. Perhaps that is as it was meant to be. However today, in such a multi-cultural and yet arguably still a rather segregated society, it is often difficult for Americans to truly gage racial sensibilities across several centuries and such wide bodies of water. When have we ever been able to gage an honest understanding of the true nature of racism within our own society So it is, that the best that we may hope to do is to put notions of racial antagonism and identity within the proper context of a prominent European city immersed within the waning years of the Italian Renaissance. Watching from the very first scene, as Iago appears to speak somewhat disparagingly of him as - 'The Moor', and Roderigo mocks his 'thick lips', what are we to make of the contemporary at

About alcohol and drug regulation(Writer's Choice to determine the Essay

About alcohol and drug regulation(Writer's Choice to determine the topic, but in this direction) - Essay Example genetic models of alcoholism should account for the clinical findings.† In connection to this, the paper will expound on various reasons as to why there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Evidence for the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism arises from many diverse sources. For instances, family studies, twin studies as well as separation studies on adoptees and half sibs confirms that there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Studies of genetic linkage are also the most direct way of justifying that the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism. The studies were enhanced by the investigations on physiological as well as biochemical processes that were relevant to alcoholism as well as having genetic bases. From the findings of the studies, it was evident that the alcoholism runs in families. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (40), the percentage of alcoholism is very high in relatives of alcoholics compared to other persons. Most family studies also evidenced that rates of alcoholism was significantly higher in subjects born to alcoholic fathers. Psychiatric conditions manifested in the etiology of alcoholism also play a very significant role in the study of the genetic involvement in alcoholism. For instance, for many years antisocial personalities has been associated with adult alcoholism. This has also been evidenced by the clinical and family studies that have been carried on alcoholism. The existence of antisocial personality is often associated with earlier age of drinking as well as earlier age of regular drinking. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (41), earlier onset of drinking alcohol has a genetic influence and, as a result, leads to familial alcoholism. Children’s conduct also plays a very significant role in studying familial alcoholism. In most occasions, children born to alcoholic parents portray aggressive behavior. For instance, it is evident that the majority of them is hyperactive as well as portrays conduct

Elements of a business plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Elements of a business plan - Essay Example Elements of a business plan Starting a business enterprise is a process that requires concerted efforts in order for the initiative to be a success. As such, this report seeks to critically evaluate the reasons why it is important for a new start up business to create a comprehensive business plan. Basically, a business plan is an outline of a business idea which seeks to justify the reason behind starting that particular business. Internally, the business plan helps to shape direction upon which the organisation will operate and externally, it helps in linking with the stakeholders. In order to establish the significance of a comprehensive business plan in a start up business, it is imperative to begin by explaining the meaning of planning which is regarded as the key term in this discussion in order to gain a full understanding of the whole concept. â€Å"Planning includes defining goals, establishing strategy and developing plans to coordinate activities†. In the same vein, Bates et al (2006) concur with this idea when they state that planning which is concerned with generation of ideas is regarded as the starting point of establishing a business as well as managing it. In actual fact, before starting a business, one needs to determine in advance the goals to be achieved as well as to visualise likely result of the objectives for the business enterprise. Therefore, it can be safely said that planning is a process whereby objectives are decided upon and developing the plans to reach them as well as to coordinate other activities. Planning can be said to be very important in a business venture because it gives people in a particular organisation an idea of the direction in which business will be going. 2. Strategic objectives A comprehensive business plan is very important in every business given that it outlines the objectives of that particular business venture. Essentially, every business is in existence because of a purpose. In most cases, the major aim of business is to generate profits through revenue that is generated from its operations (Armstrong & Kotler, 2004). Basically, the objectives of the business venture are clearly stated in its mission statement and are emphasised in the vision of the organisation. The mission of the organisation clearly outlines the purpose of a particular business and this is where objectives are also stated. The vision of any business enterprise is to detail the plans as well as the measures that can be taken in order to achieve the set goals. This may not be possible without a comprehensive bu siness plan which details the measures as well as the steps that can be taken towards attainment of the set goals. 3. Market analysis Planning is very important because it gives the people in the organisation an idea of the direction in which the business is going (Bates, 2006). However, there are likely problems to be encountered during the operations of the business enterprise given that it operates in an environment that is characterised by various factors. As such, a comprehensive business plans details a critical analysis of the environment in which the organisation is operating. In this case, a SWOT analysis is very important since constitutes the comprehensive plan of the

Does Restorative Justice Prevent Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Does Restorative Justice Prevent Crime - Essay Example Researchers and authors have critically argued that although significant number of attempts has been made by advocates of Restorative Justice in contrasting this model with various other approaches of justice, this model has suffered from several pitfalls. One of the most important pitfalls has been that those attempts have raised different meanings. These meanings have been attributed to different retribution and to rehabilitation (Mantle et al., 2005: p.2). Principles and practices incorporate a view of crime in terms of a conflict between individuals, instead of conflicts between the state and the offender. The aspect which is closely associated with this view tells that the governments’ responsibility with respect to providing security to individuals, crimes and conditions of disorder need to be shared â€Å"among all the members of the community†. This justice approach has been considered as a humanitarian approach which â€Å"brings to the foreground ambitions of forgiveness, healing, reparation and reintegration† (Mantle et al., 2005:p.3). Hence, this approach includes the offender as well as the victim, their families, friends and community representatives. This urges offenders and the victim to make face-to-face contacts with each other. These aspects of mutual interaction have been used to mark voices of both victim and the offender with regard to their experiences as well as understanding of the crime. These interactions have been introduced in this approach for the purpose of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the problem (Mantle et al., 2005:p.3). Advocates of this unique approach of justice argue that mental lockdown of the crime is not required in the modern world and society; rather what is required is the justice policy which will repair the damage caused by the crime. Due to this reason, in the restorative justice all parties associated with the crime are incorporated into the justice procedure. The level of confli ct, generated by the system or procedure of criminal justice, has been reduced by the restorative justice. These conflicts arise when harsh punishments are provided to people who belong to the powerless social outcasts of nation. According to the advocates of Restorative Justice, old or traditional modes of justice and methods of punishment have failed considerably to provide a significant system of justice for offenders, victims and others (Siegel, 2011:p.285). However, restorative justice has been praised by various researchers with respect to the fact that it helps in the process of increasing the likelihood of the victim of reporting the crime and also provides different alternative punishments to sanction which ‘get tough’ on these offenders from their respective communities (Sullivan and Tifft, 2006:p.490). Restorative justice has widely been used by NGOs across the globe for providing proper and effective justice to women and children (mainly). Various rights in regard to society, such as rights to work, rights to speech etc., have been developed with greater use of Restorative Justice. Greater use of restorative justice has made the criminal justice system more effective in terms of reducing the level of occurrence of crimes in the society. For instance, in the United States of America, greater use of

About alcohol and drug regulation(Writer's Choice to determine the Essay

About alcohol and drug regulation(Writer's Choice to determine the topic, but in this direction) - Essay Example genetic models of alcoholism should account for the clinical findings.† In connection to this, the paper will expound on various reasons as to why there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Evidence for the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism arises from many diverse sources. For instances, family studies, twin studies as well as separation studies on adoptees and half sibs confirms that there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Studies of genetic linkage are also the most direct way of justifying that the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism. The studies were enhanced by the investigations on physiological as well as biochemical processes that were relevant to alcoholism as well as having genetic bases. From the findings of the studies, it was evident that the alcoholism runs in families. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (40), the percentage of alcoholism is very high in relatives of alcoholics compared to other persons. Most family studies also evidenced that rates of alcoholism was significantly higher in subjects born to alcoholic fathers. Psychiatric conditions manifested in the etiology of alcoholism also play a very significant role in the study of the genetic involvement in alcoholism. For instance, for many years antisocial personalities has been associated with adult alcoholism. This has also been evidenced by the clinical and family studies that have been carried on alcoholism. The existence of antisocial personality is often associated with earlier age of drinking as well as earlier age of regular drinking. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (41), earlier onset of drinking alcohol has a genetic influence and, as a result, leads to familial alcoholism. Children’s conduct also plays a very significant role in studying familial alcoholism. In most occasions, children born to alcoholic parents portray aggressive behavior. For instance, it is evident that the majority of them is hyperactive as well as portrays conduct

Does Restorative Justice Prevent Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Does Restorative Justice Prevent Crime - Essay Example Researchers and authors have critically argued that although significant number of attempts has been made by advocates of Restorative Justice in contrasting this model with various other approaches of justice, this model has suffered from several pitfalls. One of the most important pitfalls has been that those attempts have raised different meanings. These meanings have been attributed to different retribution and to rehabilitation (Mantle et al., 2005: p.2). Principles and practices incorporate a view of crime in terms of a conflict between individuals, instead of conflicts between the state and the offender. The aspect which is closely associated with this view tells that the governments’ responsibility with respect to providing security to individuals, crimes and conditions of disorder need to be shared â€Å"among all the members of the community†. This justice approach has been considered as a humanitarian approach which â€Å"brings to the foreground ambitions of forgiveness, healing, reparation and reintegration† (Mantle et al., 2005:p.3). Hence, this approach includes the offender as well as the victim, their families, friends and community representatives. This urges offenders and the victim to make face-to-face contacts with each other. These aspects of mutual interaction have been used to mark voices of both victim and the offender with regard to their experiences as well as understanding of the crime. These interactions have been introduced in this approach for the purpose of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the problem (Mantle et al., 2005:p.3). Advocates of this unique approach of justice argue that mental lockdown of the crime is not required in the modern world and society; rather what is required is the justice policy which will repair the damage caused by the crime. Due to this reason, in the restorative justice all parties associated with the crime are incorporated into the justice procedure. The level of confli ct, generated by the system or procedure of criminal justice, has been reduced by the restorative justice. These conflicts arise when harsh punishments are provided to people who belong to the powerless social outcasts of nation. According to the advocates of Restorative Justice, old or traditional modes of justice and methods of punishment have failed considerably to provide a significant system of justice for offenders, victims and others (Siegel, 2011:p.285). However, restorative justice has been praised by various researchers with respect to the fact that it helps in the process of increasing the likelihood of the victim of reporting the crime and also provides different alternative punishments to sanction which ‘get tough’ on these offenders from their respective communities (Sullivan and Tifft, 2006:p.490). Restorative justice has widely been used by NGOs across the globe for providing proper and effective justice to women and children (mainly). Various rights in regard to society, such as rights to work, rights to speech etc., have been developed with greater use of Restorative Justice. Greater use of restorative justice has made the criminal justice system more effective in terms of reducing the level of occurrence of crimes in the society. For instance, in the United States of America, greater use of

Soccer Essay Example for Free

Soccer Essay Neymar da silva santos junior Neymar is a Brazilian football players he is one of the most popular and best football player in the word and he is only twenty years old. He play in Santos CF but he has offers of the best football clubs around the word he is the most wanted player in Europe and he is probably the future of the national team. He start playing football very young and in 2003 Neymar join Santos football club academy, at the age of 15 he earn 10,000 real per month. In 2009 he earn the opportunity to be in the first team of Santos CF. Then he start to show his real potential and he became the new idol of Brazil. This young player of just 4 years of his professional career has achieve a lot of goals and he has earn a lot of trophies like the silver medal of the Olympic games and the best player of the paulista championship in 2012. The only problem with Neymar is that he doesn? t want to emigrate to Europe yet he wants to stay in Brazil but as Pele said ? If he want to be the best he must be with the best? o he must emigrate to Europe that’s what most people think and that may happen this winter and in my opinion if Neymar decide to emigrate to Europe he can be better than Messi, Maradona and even Pele who is the greatest football player in history. References http://www. squidoo. com/Neymar#module147735293, Copyright  © 2012, Squidoo, LLC and respective copyright owners http://www. neymaroficial. com/Carreira, Copyright 2012. Site Oficial do Jogador Neymar Jr | desenvolvido por Insanemedia / WooW! Brasil | marketing digita http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Neymar

Decision Making Processes in Firm Partnerships: Case Study

Decision Making Processes in Firm Partnerships: Case Study Summary of Case Charles Tollison was in the middle of an audit engagement when his managing partner told Charles that he was passed on for the promotion to and audit partner. This was not the first time that he had failed to be promoted to audit partner while at his firm. Charles has very little faith when his managing partner, Linton, said, promised that the following year he would vigorously campaign for Tollisons promotion and call in all the favors owed to him (Knapp, 2014). He was already passed on the position twice and had little faith he would ever get the position. One option Tollison had was to have a permanent position as senior manager with his current employer. The case states that Tollison was easily counted on to answer the more difficult issues that came across his department. One thing that Tollison was not good at was obtaining new clients for the firm. This seems to be a key factor of why Tollison was not promoted this year or even ever. Charles Tollison Qualifications of Partnership Position The methodology of determining if an accountant is qualified for a partnership depends on the firms way of evaluating the accountant. The methodology may be based on quality of work, ability to obtain new clients, or even have a specialized knowledge. The decision will also depend on what the firm needs at that point in time. These decisions are not always fair and the wrong person might be promoted. It seemed that Charles does have excellent quality work and he seems like the go to guy for difficult issues. I do not think personally that he was fully qualified for a partnership position. Quality of work is not the only quality that should be looked at when promoting someone to a partner. Tollisons Firm Fairness is not always possible in all situations, especially in situations where there are limited resources. In this case, the lack of promotion is unfortunate but I dont think unfair. I dont think he had all the qualities needed for this particular firm needed at that point in time. He seemed to be the go to guy for difficult issues that other people couldnt figure out. If he was promoted to a partner he would likely not be able to take on these difficult issues and not help the firm as much as a partner rather than a manager. Yes, it might seem unfair not to get promoted but you also have to think about what is best for the company over all. Evaluation Individuals for Promotion Some criteria that should be looked at when evaluating potential partners is quality of work, ability to obtain new clients, specialized knowledge, interpersonal skills, dedication and commitment to the firm, integrity, ethical behavior, success with difficult assignments, and professional reputation. In my opinion, larger firms main motivation is revenue and how partners can generate revenue with getting new client. I know my boss has told me stories about his friends at bigger Public CPA firms having a requirement to get a certain dollar amount of new revenue by obtaining new clients. If they did not reach this level or new revenue they would be terminated as a partner. To me this is obserb, I know I am not a sales person nor would I want to spend my time finding new clients. I would rather review audits and train the people under me to be good auditors. I think smaller firms would more likely look at dedication to the firm and maybe interpersonal skills. I am sure it is hard for a smaller firm to have constant partner changes so they would look for someone who would be there for the long run. Advantages and Disadvantages of Up or Out Supporters of the up or out promotion policy highlights the vitality created within an organization. Members of the organization are under constant pressure to innovate and improve on an ongoing basis. In theory, this pressure drives people to be better and in turn making the organization better. People who are against up or out promotion policy point out that the self-preservation and competition that up or out policy creates is not always in the best interest of the firm or their clients. That kind of policy may bring in employees that are only focused on the short term and may inadvertently force out employees with valuable skill sets that are important to the firm. I do not think that instilling fear into your employees is the best approach to improve themselves or improve the company.