Admission Essay for entering University

I have always wanted to study music up to the highest education level possible for two reasons; one to use the education for life and secondly to live off the education.   Education for me is just more than attaining good grades. Education for me is an opportunity to develop into a well-rounded person, fully equipped to face the world and serve my community and humanity and eventually make the world a better place for future generations to live in.The Queen’s University has a unique culture which emphasizes on innovation, imagination and a culture of valuing of people. The Queen’s University has a well-equipped library which meets the research needs of students, fully computerized and equipped with state of the art equipment. This is very ideal for music students and is very crucial for me as a music student.Throughout my life, I have always desired to study music from a reputable University hence my desire to join Queen’s University which has unmatched standar ds in as far as music programs are concerned. My dream is to excel as a musical student and graduate as a well-rounded music professional able to deal with the challenges that constantly emerge in the field.Without this hands-on experience, skills and knowledge I cannot be able to make it, hence my resolve to join Queen’s University where I believe I will achieve my career and academic goals.   My dream to pursue music stems from an early age, partly from the encouragement from parents and secondly from my personal ambitions and career goals.   My ambition is grounded in the realization that I am a talented singer and a lover of music.I understand the importance of nurturing the talent and for me the best way to do it is by studying music at the University level. As early as when I was in grade seven, I had already learned how to play piano alongside other musical instruments.This led me to join the school choir where my talent was identified and nurtured by the music tea cher. To exploit my music potential, I enrolled in the school’s concert where I was an active member for a period of two years. My desire and interest has never stopped as I continue to nurture my music talent even up to date.This has led me to study music ever since then and I am now at A.R.C.T. level. For me, music is more than leisure; it is more than a path to a promising career.   Music is a means to express oneself in one of the mot effective ways. Music leads to special way of communication in that it connects the messenger and the audience.Music is the best avenue to solve some of the challenges the world is faced with, in regard to political tensions. Music can play a very positive role in conflict resolution in a world where it is dominated by violence and selfishness. Music cannot co-exist with violence; music can serve as a media of communication even between the worst of enemies. Music holds the key to peaceful co-existence.Conclusion  My interest in Queenâ⠂¬â„¢s University is informed by the fact that it will offer me with an empowering study environment. The University has well equipped music labs as well as great music professors. Queen’s University has a sizeable number of students which means that, admission at the University requires high qualifications making it a center for excellence. I really look forward to getting admission to the Queen’s University music program.Works cited pagewww.queensu.ca/fuculty staff/accessed on 25/02/2007

Operation Management †Process choice and Layout planning Essay

Characteristics of project, jobbing, batch, flow, and process production systems, with examples for each. Project, jobbing, batch, flow and process production are the process types used in manufacturing. The figure below shows the trade off between volume and variety of outputs. In choosing one of these systems, high volume means low variety and high variety means low volume. (see figure 1) Project processes – The essence of project processes is that they are all different, so very low volume and very high variety. The identification of activities and their relationship are uncertain, they can change during the production process itself. Each job has a defined start and finish and the time interval between starting two different jobs is quite long. The resources must be organised exclusively for each project and they are re-allocated after the end of them. Examples of this system are movie production companies: obviously every single movie is different from the others. Jobbing processes – As for project processes, they deal with high variety and low volume. The difference is that the resources are not organised especially for each project, each product has to share them with many others. Although all the products require the same attention, each will differ in its exact needs. Jobbing requires a general purpose layout and highly skilled and versatile workers to interpret drawings and specifications. An example is a painter, who sells his own skill. Batch processes – With higher volume and lower variety than jobbing process, the essence of these processes is that each time they produce a product, they produce more than one. The size of the batch can be very small (e.g. two or three), therefore batch process becomes very similar to the jobbing, but usually the batches are large, with repetitive operations. They require  careful planning and control to ensure proper use and buffer stocks to â€Å"decouple† processes. Finally they typically implies high Work in Progress between work centres. An example could be the production of music instruments. Flow processes – This kind of process is dedicated to the production of a low variety of product in a high volume. Products are perceived as standard, even if there are superficial differences between them. The process does not have to stop to accommodate differences between products. There are not buffer stocks between processes, that means ‘zero’ set up time. All workstations must operate to the same cycle time. The classical example is an automobile plant, like every mass operations it is repetitive and predictable. Processes production – Characterised by very high volume and almost zero variation. Products lend themselves to flow, sometimes they are literally continuous, being produces in an endless flow. They require very high capital investment in equipment. The process is proved before beginning and it usually needs very low manual intervention. An example is the paper making. LAYOUT PLANNING Explain the differences between fixed position, product, process, and a cell system layouts, indicating a suitable application for each one. One of the most obvious characteristics of an operation is deciding where to put all the facilities, machines, materials, staff, etc. This is what layout concerns, the physical location of the transforming resources and the way in which the transformed resources flow through the operation. There are four basic layout types. Fixed position layout – The process recipient remains stationary and the equipment, machinery, plant and people, instead of the transforming resources, move through it. It happens because the product is too large or  delicate to move, or because it could object to being moved. The purpose should be to design so that all of the resources can easily access the point of delivery. There are two types of this layout: forming and treating, in which the nature of the materials changes, and assembly, like a spaceship building. Process layout – Its characteristic is that processes with similar needs are located together. The reason for this is that the transforming resources dominate the layout decision. Different products and different customers take routes unique to their own needs through the layout. The advantage is that grouping together common processes should increase their utilisation. Other advantages of process layout are high mix and product flexibility, relatively robust in case of disruptions and relatively easy supervision of plant and equipment. Examples are some hospitals departments. Cell layout – In cell layout the individual processes are moved together to form a cell. The transformed resources entering the operation are preselected to move to one part of the cell in which all the transforming resources to meet their immediate processing needs are located. Transportation costs are reduced, keeping high flexibility and high productivity. Examples could be snack bars in supermarkets. Product layout – In this case is the convenience of the transformed resources which dominate the operation decision, the opposite of process layout. Everything is arranged around the product’s progression through the system. The transformed resources flow along a line of process, following a predetermined route. The advantages of this layout are mainly the low unit cost for high volume and the low staff skill levels needed. An example is a canteen, in which the sequence of customers requirements is generally common for all customers. As shown in the figure below, volume and variety have different effects on the layout’s flow. When volume is very high and variety very low, continuous flow must be the major issue, when variety is very high and volume very low flow should be intermittent.

China If You Know China

Beijing, China If you know China, you must know the Chinese capital city of Beijing, but what is China like? What is Beijing like? Maybe you don’t know. China is too big for me to tell you about in this essay, but let me tell you about Beijing. Beijing has many famous places, such the Great Wall. Beijing is a beautiful city. It has many ancient buildings, and a lot of modern buildings. Beijing is the biggest city in the world. It has 16,808 square kilometers. Beijing is situated in the northwestern part of north China. To the west, the northwest, and the south, the city is surrounded by mountain ranges. The Great Wall is on the mountain ranges. To the northeast the ocean lies by the city. A long, long time ago the king thought this was a good place to build the capital city, so they built the capital city there. In the years that followed, the many kings still thought this was a good place for them, so this city is an ancient city; from there you can know about ancient China Next, I will tell you about the Great Wall. The Great Wall is really majestic ancient structure. It was built 2000 years ago. The Great Wall is on the mountain ranges. It crosses five provinces, and about 6500 kilometers long. It is the only man-made structure you see it from the moon. We are very proud about it. The ancient people used it for war. One famous person said â€Å"If you can go to the Great Wall, you will be a success. † It means that 2000 years ago, ancient people were able to build the Great Wall, so why can’t you make some great things? Therefore, many, many people travel to the Great Wall. Even if they can’t be successful, they can admire the majestic Great Wall. Now, I think you know some things about Beijing, but I haven’t told about all the beautiful places in Beijing yet. I want to keep something in case you have time to travel the Beijing; you will be surprised. I love Beijing very much. I hope you will like it, too.

Global warming essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global warming - Essay Example Since 1980, there has been a massive change in global average temperatures and this has certainly risen significantly within the last century. The core reason behind such indefinite rise in temperature has been caused due to the constant increase in greenhouse gas emissions which has been produced due to various human activities. As a matter of fact, most scientists have agreed on the fact that the atmosphere of the planet’s temperature has risen approximately by 0.7 degree Celsius since 1980 and it there is a threat that it may even continue to increase at this astounding rate in the near future. According to many scientists and researchers, 1990 has been recorded as the hottest ever year in the 20th century. Apart from that, the years 1991, 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1989 have been recorded as some of the warmest years in the 20th century. As a consequence, the constant rise in temperature has also been felt all across the globe. Reportedly, temperature of the earth may rise from a reported 1.6Â °C to 5.9Â °C within the next century (Hughes, pp. 56-61). A huge increase in the quantity of greenhouse gases definitely leads to an increase of global warming in the atmosphere. The increase in greenhouse gases leads to an increase in CO2 emission, which is proposed to be the single largest contributor for global warming because it has the largest share among green house gases within the atmosphere (Schneider, pp. 23-29). However, there are ways through which this issue can be mitigated. A good way to solve this problem is forestation. Plantation of trees can help in restoring the balance which was disturbed by greenhouse gases. The utilization of vehicles which are fuel-efficient and which have lower C02 emissions of dangerous gases can be used to control this global issue. There have been growing concerns regarding CO2 emissions and a massive increase in global temperatures have

Including Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Education Research Paper

Including Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Education Programs - Research Paper Example Further, the differences between children with disabilities or developmental delays and other children are difficult for teachers to deal with (Openshaw 45). However, an inclusive early childhood classroom benefits both normal children and those with disabilities. The former learn acceptance, tolerance and helpfulness, while the latter benefit from the dynamic environment, particularly when they receive supplementary help to overcome any setback caused by their disability. Social workers, special education teachers, speech therapists, and others can provide immense support. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education programs. Early Childhood Education Optimizing children’s potential through early education depends to a great extent on the environment in which they learn, whether at home, in day care, or in a nursery school classroom. In an inadequate environment, children’s poten tial will not get developed, resulting in quickly widening gaps in achievement which become increasingly difficult to overcome. Example of a model program in America for preschools targetted at low-income children is Head Start. It has offered a helping hand to the nation’s neediest families and children through provision of pre-academic skills, social skills, preventive medical and dental care; and teaching families about nutrition. Head Start also provides child care services otherwise unavailable to low-income parents, and gives nutritious meals and snacks to the preschoolers. It is one of the several early education schemes that ensure that children from lower economic groups get support and preparation for formal schooling (Kennedy 3). The aim is towards equity among all children for reaching their potential and fulfilling their dreams. Short-term beneficial outcomes of the Head Start program are that â€Å"children benefit from improved health and nutrition, and from b eing in a safe and nurturing environment† (Currie 233). Some medium-term benefits of the early education program include the prevention of children being placed in the special education track, and reduced incidence of grade repetition in early grades. Potential cost savings are extensive, because special education is significantly more expensive than regular schooling, and those children who enter special education are more likely to stay in that track. Monitoring of the children’s progress is necessary at every step. Inclusion in Early Childhood Education The concepts of inclusion and exclusion of children with disabilities in relation to the general early education classroom, renders disabled children as ‘different’ from their non-disabled counterparts. Inclusionary discourses are based on the ‘humanness’ of disabled children, where they are not perceived as ‘the other’ as compared to children in the general education classroom. The concept of humanity emphasizes disabled children being ‘like us’. On the other hand, exclusionary approaches to early education believe that regular teachers and early childhood centers are not responsible for the education and care of disabled children (Purdue, Ballard & MacArthur 47). Early childhood education that incorporates inclusion of disabled children, or excludes them is a concept that is a part of a wider social context where there may be

Short answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Short answer - Essay Example However, the state in availing welfare to the public acts within certain outlined guidelines meant to evaluate certain involved loses or costs, hence implement measures whose purpose is to limit excesses of some individual groups. Implementation of SOPA seeks to ensure public interest via shunning either intrusion or pirating of people’s intellectual property and counterfeit goods (â€Å"Economics Week†). Mainly, the provision of this enforcement involves requesting court to prevent advertising bodies and online payment facilities from conducting transactions with infringing websites or search engines (â€Å"Economics Week†). Hence, expand the already existing laws with the intention of safeguarding the public’s interest by barring streaming of unauthorized copyrighted content and imposing harsh sentences to the culprits not more than five years. as a result of this first â€Å" mass† medium of communication linguistic unity would be one of the broadcasting’s main effects establishing physical and cultural unification not only English, but proper, uninflected English would become the national standard/norm. defined as â€Å" pussy- willow† English Somehow, this will yield to the eroding of some cultural practices but with time. Since, the upcoming generation due to this implementation will tend to move away from their cultural norms and adopt the incoming practices or ways of life. This is to ensure they interact with others while contributing to varied issues being broadcasted, for instance, those pertaining to politics. They usually erode diverse and numerous archaic practices commonly held by people as taboo, hence prompting all genders assuming roles that were earlier prohibited. For instance, in acting whereby each gender and people from varied races can mimic whom they want in plays for the purpose of relaying the intended information. This has extended to the present but

Government and Non-Profit Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Government and Non-Profit Organizations - Essay Example This will not only provide joint support but will initiate some other ways of improving tourism among the youths and the local people. Some of the governmental agencies which the organization can partner with include Ministry of sports and youth affairs, Ministry of tourism, as well as institutions of higher learning in Kenya. The above mentioned government agencies will be highly meaningful in giving support to the realization of the organization goal in various ways. Ministry of sports and youth affairs is in charge of sporting activities in the country as well as establishing the well-being of youths in the country. It therefore has the influence of youths towards visiting the parks. Ministry of tourism is in charge of promoting tourism in the national and international arena. This will provide an avenue for marketing the organization and formulating policies to the local people as well as to the youths hence creating awareness (Jones, 2005). Institutions of higher learning comprising of universities and middle colleges can arrange tour activities such as picnics and adventures to the Nairobi National Park as they are the centre of excellence where many youths are. Despite the efforts by Nairobi National Park to increase the number of local tourist, there are perceived conflicts which are to arise as it partners with government and other agencies. One of the potential conflicts is on the fee to be charged in the entrance. Most young adults do not have enough money to cater for the higher fees charged hence will conflict with the agencies which may introduce small fees. Additionally, the agencies may want to dominate through imposing policies against the organization. The clash in polices will pose a conflict between the organization and government

The Peloponnesian War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Peloponnesian War - Essay Example Eventually these two city-states became two power centers of Greece and indulged into a battle of supremacy against each other. This war between Athens and Sparta was known as the Peloponnesian war. The importance of the present study lies in the fact that as one of the ancient modern civilizations; studying the history of Greece has always been a privilege. Furthermore the Peloponnesian war was one of the very first kinds of civil war that led to massive alterations in nature of politics in Greece. The Peloponnesian war eventually led to the alteration of leadership of Greece, replacing Athens with Sparta as the most powerful Greek city-state. The background of the Peloponnesian war was a culmination of events that hovered around jealousy, insecurity and hunger for power. During the Greco-Persian war Athens and Sparta fought side by side. In the initial stages of the war role of Sparta was much more prominent (480 BC to 479 BC) than that of Athens and Sparta became the leader of the Hellenic League. (Fine, 332) Sparta was mainly a land-based power depending on its infantry for military success. (Thucydides, Hammond and Rhodes; IX) It was never that powerful in terms of naval power. While powerful Spartan infantry was more than sufficient to lead the Hellenic League against Persians on land and to drive them away from Greek soil, it was impossible for them to maintain the success in Persian territories of Asia and Aegean. A naval leadership soon became inevitable for such campaign against Persia in Asia and Aegean and in such circumstances Athens that was primarily a naval power came in the forefront (478 BC). This event m arked the initiation of rise of Athens as the prime Greek city-state ahead of Sparta. Again according to some scholars the Hellenic League at this point was subdivided in two parts. The Naval wing of Hellenic League became Delian League and it was headed by Athens. The land wing of Hellenic League went under Sparta and became known

Inner City Violence Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inner City Violence Article Critique - Essay Example It rules out the popularly held belief that girls, owing to their gender, do not get involved in incidents of violence in the inner cities. Most of the ethnographic literature written hitherto on the concept of inner city violence has focussed mainly, if not only, on the experiences of distressed men and boys in inner city neighbourhoods. But the fact is that girls are not simply exempted of such treatment owing to their gender. Jones’ article attempts to reveal the impact of the interplay of â€Å"reputation, respect and retaliation† on the poor, urban girls and women (Jones, 2008, p.63). It also aims at exploring the role of gender in shaping up the experiences of urban and ethnically marginalised girls with inner city violence. It thus helps in establishing the complicated though much-needed relationship between gender and violence in the urban US. The author establishes her view on the basis of her analysis of interviews with several adolescents who had been involved in inner city violence. All the respondents approached in this study belonged to the age group 12 to 24 years. They were all African-Americans who were enrolled in a city-hospital-based intervention for checking violence in the city. These individuals who had voluntarily enrolled for this violence intervention program had been involved in recent activities of racial violence and ran the risk of getting involved in similar incidents in their near future. The author’s fieldwork for this study extended over a period of three years (2001-03) and in three distinct phases. The first phase of research was characterised by a discussion with the intervention counsellors who had the first-hand experience of interacting with the teenagers. It was complemented by a participant observation of the teenaged youth who were enrolled in the program and interviews with their peers, family and relatives. This was followed by the second phase in which 24

Secure Computer System - Case Studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Secure Computer System - Studies - Case Study Example Fire detection is very crucial therefore fire detection appliances should detect the smallest indication of fire through sparks and temperature rise. Fire suppression equipment need to be installed and should suppress the fire without damaging the server equipment. Water sprinklers are the most common fire suppression equipment. It would be better to consider other options like the use of carbon dioxide fire extinguishers (Nash, 1997, pg 23). Heating, ventilating and air conditioning as well as climate control equipment should be kept separate from the rest of the room to avoid damaging the network equipment. I would not place the ventilation equipment overhead because it would risk the server. The switch for the equipment would be placed inside the room to prevent accidental switching. Proper power at the right quality should be regulated through the use of power protection equipment. By use of reliable power supply and surge protection equipment, the power will be kept at the desired quality. Power should be safe and reliable and should not fluctuate often. The space for the equipment should be adequate enough to allow for future expansion. ... Considerations for installing additional components and intrusion detection and prevention system should be taken into consideration (Shirley, 2008, pg 34). Case Study Pg.432 Case exercise Question 1 page 432 Based on the case study, what security awareness and training posters had an impact in this incident. Pg.432 Question 1 In Amy's incident, the following security awareness posters and training documents may have contributed to it; posters requiring the immediate reporting of security problems, posters and documents requiring the practice of healthy computer security. Information and security tips on posters and documents. Company security policy documents also contributed to this incident. The following topics may also have contributed to the incident, these are; Password usage and management; this includes creation of passwords, frequency of changing the password and methods used in protection. Security training plays a pivotal and important role in preventing attacks on computer system by viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other malicious code (Richardson, 2005, pg 2). More information that is needed in order to enhance information security is the creation of a policy poster indicating; implications of noncompliance to information security implications of receiving unknown e-mail/attachments implications of people browsing certain prohibited websites during working hours those allowed to use the web services and those who are prohibited and also stipulating penalties for those found breaching these rules and regulations Data storage and backup; data storage systems maybe centralized or decentralized. This information is placed on not only posters but also on, newsletters,

Carpal tunnel syndrome Essay Example for Free

Carpal tunnel syndrome Essay Video games are very popular with children all over the world, they keep kids occupied and entertained. A lot of parents are concerned about how these video games are affecting their children. Are these video games good or bad for our children? Video gaming has both positive and negative effects on children. Video games are not only entertaining but also educational; they create challenges for children to take on in order to proceed to new levels. Video gaming is also very influential with a child. That is why it is very important to monitor children while playing. There are many positive effects to playing video games. Playing a video game is a way to exercise the brain, it helps children develop skills like following directions, problem solving and hand-eye coordination that develop fine motor and spatial skills. Video games contribute a lot to education, like developing reading skills; gamers must read to get instructions, follow storylines, and get information. Gamers also become more determined because, usually they don’t succeed the first time playing a level so they try and try again until they move on to the next level. Games can provide a positive outlet for children to release bottled up frustrations the same way many sports like basketball and football do. Video games allow parents to bond with their children and play together and can be something they share in common. Of course with every good there is a bad. Most of the bad things about video games are usually blamed on the violence that is in them. Children who play more violent video games are more likely to have more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Playing too much video game keeps children indoors and become less social with family and friends. It also causes children to spend less time doing other activities like doing homework or playing sports. Some video games teach children improper morals and are easily confused between reality and fantasy. Excessive gameplay can contribute to poor performance in school and also cause a slew of health issues like obesity, video-induced seizures, postural, muscular and skeletal disorders and carpal tunnel syndrome. Children who are spending too much time playing video games may show signs of impulsive behavior and have attention problems. The effects of video games vary on children depending on the kind of parenting. Children usually imitate what they see in these video games so it’s important for parents to understand their children’s maturity level and what kind of games parents should allow their children to play. We are now living in a sophisticated and high-tech world so video games are essential to the development of children with today’s technology. The point is for parents to understand that playing video games have different effects on different children. The positives of video games definitely outweigh the negatives of video games especially with proper supervision of the children who play these video games.

Defining Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Defining Philosophy Essay Philosophy derives from the two Greek words philein, which means ? to love, and sophia, which means ? knowledge or ? wisdom (Moore Bruder, 2002, p. 2). This is not the only definition of philosophy as philosophy is a very vast subject. A critical examination of reality characterized by rational inquiry that aims at the Truth for the sake of attaining wisdom (Russo Fair, 2000, 4). My interpretation of philosophy is a field of study where one thinks outside of the box in the search for knowledge or wisdom that does not involve scientific explanations. There is no consistency in the nature of philosophical questions. The nature of many philosophical questions concern norms. The application of norms, also known as standards occurs when people decide whether something is good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. Normative questions ask about the value of something. The field of science explains how things are but does not tell us how things ought to be. Sometimes philosophical questions arise when different people believe different things. For example, some people believe that a cause-and-effect relationship exists in everything. If a person drinks spoiled milk, he or she will get sick. There are others that believe when one voluntarily decides to do something- nothing made them decide to do that. This refutes the cause-and-effect relationship belief. Then there are many other ways to look at the situation. Is every happening caused? Or are some happenings uncaused? Or is it perhaps that decisions are not happenings? These questions cause a dilemma that involves philosophizing. The importance of some philosophical questions-Is there a God who is attentive, caring, and responsive to us? and Is abortion morally wrong? -is obvious and vast. A justification would have to be given for not contemplating them. But some philosophical questions are of more or less obscure, and seemingly only academic or theoretical, consequence. Not everything philosophers consider is dynamite. But then, every field has its theoretical and non-practical questions. Some questions are inherently interesting to the people who pose them. Some philosophical questions are asked because the philosopher wants to know the answer simply to know the answer. Most philosophical questions tend to fall into one of these four areas: Questions related to being or existence (Metaphysics), Questions related to knowledge (Epistemology), Questions related to values, and Questions of logic or the theory of correct reasoning. Metaphysics and Epistemology are branches of philosophy that are very similar to one another. The questions related to values are standards of conduct and conditions of responsibility. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that is concerned with these areas: Cosmology- Theory of reality and Ontology- Theory of being. The two basic questions of metaphysics ask what is being?  and what are its fundamental features and properties? Some specific examples of metaphysics questions are: What is the mind? Do people have free will? Metaphysical bookstores, for example, specialize in all sorts of occult subjects, from channeling, harmonic convergence, and pyramid power to past-life hypnotic regression, psychic surgery, and spirit photography. However, the true history of metaphysics is quite different. Metaphysics has little to do with the occult or Tarot cards and the like. Epistemology is the theory of knowledge that asks what is the nature of knowledge and what are the criteria, sources, and limits of knowledge. Specific examples of epistemology questions are: What is truth? and Is it possible to know anything with absolute certainty? The questions related to values involve four different philosophies: (1) moral philosophy (ethics)- is the study of right and wrong in human action or the philosophical study of moral judgments; (2) social philosophy- the philosophical study of society and its institutions; (3) political philosophy- which focuses on the state and seeks to determine its justification and ethically proper organization; And (4) aesthetics- is the study of beauty or the philosophical study of art and of  value judgments about art. Questions of logic or the theory of correct reasoning, seeks to investigate and establish the criteria of valid inference and demonstration. Logic is the study of the principles of right reasoning. Logic is the basic tool that philosophers use to investigate reality. The questions raised by logic are: (1) What makes an argument valid or invalid (2) What is a sound argument? Philosophical questions differ from questions of a scientific or factual nature because philosophical answers usually entail making careful distinctions in thought, words, argument, and recognizing subtle distinctions among things and among facts. Philosophical solutions also require logic and critical thinking skills, discussion, and exposition. Philosophy involves one to learn how to look carefully for similarities and differences among things and develop an ability to spot logical difficulties in what others write or say and to avoid these pitfalls in their own thinking. In addition, in philosophy people learn to recognize and critically assess the important unstated assumptions people make about the world and themselves and other people and life in general. These assumptions affect how people perceive the world and what they say and do; yet for the most part people are not aware of them and are disinclined to consider them critically. Finally, learning philosophical lessons allow people not to become trapped by stubbornness. Philosophical lessons instill the value of open-mindedness and seeking solutions to problems that meet standards of coherence and reasonableness. References Moore, B. N. , Bruder, K. (2002). Philosophy: The Power of Ideas (5th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Russo, M. , Fair, G. (2000). What is Philosophy Anyway. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 17, 2006 from: http://www. molloy. edu/academic/philosophy/SOPHIA/what_is_philosophy_anyway. htm.

The Social Patterns of Children During Play

The Social Patterns of Children During Play The purpose of the current study was to determine whether children exhibited a preference for solitary play, same gendered play, or opposite gendered play. The hypothesis was that both males and females would spend more time in gender-segregated play than engaging with opposite-gendered peers or in non-interactive play. Play is a vital contributor to the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children (Chea, Nelson, Ruben, 2001). One important component of childhood play is early peer interactions. The choices a child makes with regards to peer selection contribute to their development by determining the quality of their early social interactions. A number of factors must be taken into consideration when evaluating childrens social situations. Children can either play alone or with one or more peers. Solitary play can take a variety of forms, each carrying a different implication for the childs social experience. Social play can involve interactions with same gendered peers or with opposite-gendered peers. Each of these components contributes to the unique social experience each child encounters. Recent work has suggested that solitary play is not always an indicator of poor social skills. Motivations for solitary play vary and could include self-reflection or regulation, task-oriented motivations, personality characteristics, or an inability to engage with peers. Work by Moore, Everston, and Brophy (1974) has found that the majority of time children spend in solitary play is engaging in goal directed activities. These activities are beneficial for development. The researchers suggest that rather than being an immature and developmentally harmful method of play, this type of solitary play represents independence and task orientated behaviour that should be seen as indicating maturity. It has been suggested that the category of interaction that Parten (1932) referred to as parallel interaction is a more immature form of play than solitary play rather than an intermediate step towards cooperative play (Johnson, Ershler, Bell, 1980). This type of interaction is more frequently exhibited in younger children. Research suggests that in many situations it acts as a bridge to cooperative group play, and is often only engaged in for a very short period of time (Smith, 1978). The parallel interaction initiates communication with the child and leads to cooperative play. If the attempt to open up an interaction fails, the child may resort to parallel play again. Extensive time spent in parallel play may indicate poor social skills (Pellegrinin Bjorklund, 1998). As children develop, they generally spend more time in cooperative play with their peers. Research by Smith found that solitary play decreased throughout the preschool period. Another study by Rubin, Watson, and Jambor (1978) found that preschool children engaged in significantly more solitary play and less group play than children at the kindergarten level. As a child spends more time in cooperative play, peer selection becomes an important component of their social experience. The decisions a child makes regarding those they play with contribute to their development by determining the quality and characteristics of their social interactions. Participants The participants in the study were 10 students from Dr. Mary J. Wright University Laboratory School. The 10 participants consisted of 5 males and 5 females. The students were from the Five-Afternoon Kindergarten class and all participants were four years old. All of the participants were Caucasian and from the middle to upper socio-economic class. During all four of the one hour observations there were approximately fourteen children including the participants and approximately six adults were present. There were child-initiated activities which included playing with Lego or blocks, drawing and colouring, and playing with various toys. There were also teacher-guided activities that included book reading, show and tell, and arts and crafts. Observational Procedure The participants were observed using a play partner index, which catalogued the different play partners that the children engaged with. This index had six different categories, which were: same gender play, opposite gender play, male parallel play, female parallel play, goal oriented play, and non-goal oriented play. The participants were timed in 30-second intervals using the stopwatch program on a cell phone. All of the participants were monitored from an observation room, which contained headphones, chairs, a writing table and a one-way mirror used to observe the children without disturbing their play. The students were observed in the Mary Wright Classroom during the child-initiated and teacher guided activates. Each child was observed one child at a time for 20 intervals of 30 seconds, and recorded the category of play that the child was engaging in. For example if a student was near another female student but not directly interacting with her, it would be recorded as female par allel play. Results The type of social play that each target student engaged in was recorded in 20, 30-second intervals for 10 minutes. The total numbers of intervals were added up for each participant and the participant was labeled by the condition that they spend the most time in. In the single case of an equal number of intervals between two categories, each category was assigned 0.5. There were no significant differences that were reported between the play categories for males or female. Both genders spent the majority of their time engaging in solitary play. There was only one child who demonstrated any sort of preference for opposite gendered play, and even in that case, only 50% of the participants total interactions within the ten-minute period were within this category. These results can clearly be seen in Figure 1 on the tables page at the end of the paper. There are many possible reasons for the failure to demonstrate significant results, such as sampling issues, environmental factors, and the transitory characteristic of the age range observed. Discussion The hypothesis was that that both males and females would spend more time in playing with children of their own gender than interacting with opposite-gendered peers or in non-interactive play. The results failed to support the hypothesis. No significant relationship was found between the categories for males or females. Research by Smith (1978) has demonstrated that solitary play decreases throughout the preschool period, as children begin to engage more with their peers. The children were in their later years of preschool and they failed to show this preference for social interaction. It is possible that the children in the current study have not yet made this transition. The age range considered represents the transitory stage, and this may contribute to the lack of significance in the results. Furthermore, research by Rubin, Watson, and Jambor (1978) considered preschool aged children compared to kindergarten children, and found that kindergarten aged children spent much more time in group play than the preschoolers. The children in the current study were on the older end of the age bracket for preschool but had not yet reached kindergarten. These children may have been too young to begin to demonstrate the preference for cooperative play that was exhibited in these studies. This research is of significant value to schools, daycare, parents, or anybody interacting with children on a regular basis. Being aware of the dominant social patterns for each age group can allow caregivers to identify children who may be diverging from the norm. If children fail to engage in positive interactions with their peers or tend to engage in long periods of parallel play, they may be developing poor social skills. Caregivers who can identify these children can then assist them in working towards positive relationships with their peers. Knowing the beneficial forms of solitary play can allow caregivers to provide children with stimulating activities that can assist them in their development, and monitor children for extensive periods of time spent in non goal-directed behaviour. Each child has independent needs when it comes to social behaviours. Being aware of the trends and risks can allow caregivers to meet the unique needs of each child. There are many extensions that can be made to provide further insight into social patterns in children. For example, the family situation and siblings in particular may influence social preferences exhibited in children. Some children may enjoy playing by themselves because they come from a larger family of many siblings and desire time alone. The opposite may also be true. In regards to gender preferences, children may gravitate towards peers that are the same gender of their siblings. For instance, a young girl who has three brothers and no sisters may demonstrate a preference for male play partners. The impact of being an only child could be considered, as well as the effect of a participant with mixed siblings. Patterns between siblings and peer interactions could be investigated. As research continues to shed light on the social patterns of children, caregivers of all kinds will become more able to meet the needs of each child. Their unique traits can be appreciated and specific personal weaknesses can be attended to. As social beings, it is vital that humans be socially adjusted in order for them to reach their full potential and experience overall wellbeing. This research allows for increased insight that can ensure children are provided with the opportunity to achieve this goal and experience a positive social environment that is beneficial to their development.

relationships in Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

Relationships In Hamlet In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the character of Hamlet has many relationships with all characters. The theme of relationships is very strong in this play. A relationship is an association between two or more people. Hamlet has many of these associations with , Claudius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Many of his relationships are just and unjust according to the character's feelings. The relationship between Claudius and Hamlet had many hidden meanings. The first time that Hamlet insults Claudius when someone else is around is when Claudius was supposed to help Hamlet cheer up. "A little more than kin, and less than kind" (Act 1, Scene II, Line 65) is what Hamlet said and at that point in time was very insulting. Act 3, had a play about a king getting poisoned. Claudius, who was watching this play, felt guilt for killing his brother, King Hamlet, and had to leave. Hamlet finally realizing that his father's ghost was telling the truth and went and found Claudius. Claudius was praying and so Hamlet felt that he could not have revenge for his father because of the act he was doing. Hamlet also needed to be on his own deathbed in order to finally get angry enough to kill Claudius. Hamlet’s final relation with Claudius was completely just even though it took his own life to finish it. Op...

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay - Desperate Search for Immortality :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

Desperate Search for Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh The search for immortality seems to be an obsession for many men and women all throughout history. In the Epic of Gilgamesh a man investigates the possibility of immortality following the saddening death of his friend, his brother Enkidu. That man, Gilgamesh, feeling the fear of the possibility of his own mortality which was before unrealized before the death of Enkidu, searches for a way to preserve himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is it truly that Gilgamesh searches for a physical immortality or more of a spiritual immortality? Gilgamesh wishes to give the flower of immortality to the elders of the city to rejuvenate them and return the youth to the kingdom of Uruk. This show of selflessness and concern for his people is a sight that might not have been seen a short while before his meeting with Enkidu and his influence on Gilgamesh which changed his view of life. Gilgamesh clearly tries in the end to restore the youth to the elders for the purpose of keeping the memory of not only himself but also Enkidu alive. As long as your culture and relatives survive so do you. Every relative has a piece of you carried along with them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why didn’t Gilgamesh just eat the plant and live as an immortal? Perhaps it was because if he were to eat the plant he would become a lonely king who just would become more and more saddened by his people whom he loved die over and over again and only he would remain. His close friend, Enkidu, was gone.   His father warnied him of the loneliness - perhaps this convinced Gilgamesh of his course of action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gilgamesh has been through many adventures and he gained wisdom to go along with his god like physical powers. Gilgamesh learns that the greatest type of immortality is the noncorporeal. The worth of a man's life is many times said to be measured by the things he has done and the legacy that he has left behind. After realizing that he was not a god-man, Gilgamesh understood that the real glory is in the deeds you have done and the people you have affected in good ways over your life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many ancient peoples had stories with morals to them. The Epic of Gilgamesh clearly promotes the moral feelings of the time.

Pfizer Case Study :: Business Strategy Management Analysis

Pfizer Case Study Pfizer Inc. is a large pharmaceutical company that engages in the discovery of new technologies, the manufacture of prescription and "over the counter" (OTC) medicines, as well as the marketing of such products. It operates in three distinct segments that include Human Health, Consumer Healthcare, and Animal Health. For fiscal year 2004, the company generated approximately $53 billion in revenue that contributed to over $11 billion in net income.(Pfizer, 2004) The Cow and Calf division of the Animal Health segment markets its products direct to cattle ranchers. Such products include vaccines, medications, and antibiotics to support healthy and consistent herds of beef producing cattle. It segmented the market into three distinct categories. Hobbyists herd less than 100 cows; Traditionalists commonly carry between 100 to 499, and Businesses are working with 500 or more. (Mohr, 1999) Time spent in the field with the ranchers was allocated based on the volume of product purchased by each individual. Those that spent higher dollar amounts received the most attention (in the form of personal visits, seminar offerings, and trial product samples). Although the ranchers appreciate the visits and the personal attention from the sales representatives they trust their veterinarians opinion over everyone else. Pfizer has traditionally used two distribution channels for its Animal Health products: Veterinarian Offices and Feed Stores. It has also tended to view the rancher as the end user of its product, but due to the size segmentation it may or may not understand each individual customers need, nor does it grasp its role in the larger supply chain (Ranchers-Feed Lots-Meat Packers-Retail-Consumers). At the time of the case, the beef industry was in a state of decline. Increasing consumer sentiment towards the negative health effects of red meat timed with increasing inventories of product supplied from Canada and Mexico as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had caused prices in the consumer market to plummet. (Mohr, 1999) As a result, ranchers were seeing that their finished product was commanding lesser dollar values while their inputs of feed and medication was remaining the same or rising. Another factor contributing to the shrinking profit margins of beef producers was the overall consistency and quality of the meat. Products such as pork and chicken were beginning to be packaged by Tyson and Perdue as ready to eat meals (Mohr, 1999).

The Da Vinci Code ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, to my friend and editor, Jason Kaufman, for working so hard on this project and for truly understanding what this book is all about. And to the incomparable Heide Lange – tireless champion of The Da Vinci Code, agent extraordinaire, and trusted friend. I cannot fully express my gratitude to the exceptional team at Doubleday, for their generosity, faith, and superb guidance. Thank you especially to Bill Thomas and Steve Rubin, who believed in this book from the start. My thanks also to the initial core of early in-house supporters, headed by Michael Palgon, Suzanne Herz, Janelle Moburg, Jackie Everly, and Adrienne Sparks, as well as to the talented people of Doubleday's sales force. For their generous assistance in the research of the book, I would like to acknowledge the Louvre Museum, the French Ministry of Culture, Project Gutenberg, Bibliotheque Nationale, the Gnostic Society Library, the Department of Paintings Study and Documentation Service at the Louvre, Catholic World News, Royal Observatory Greenwich, London Record Society, the Muniment Collection at Westminster Abbey, John Pike and the Federation of American Scientists, and the five members of Opus Dei (three active, two former) who recounted their stories, both positive and negative, regarding their experiences inside Opus Dei. My gratitude also to Water Street Bookstore for tracking down so many of my research books, my father Richard Brown – mathematics teacher and author – for his assistance with the Divine Proportion and the Fibonacci Sequence, Stan Planton, Sylvie Baudeloque, Peter McGuigan, Francis McInerney, Margie Wachtel, Andre Vernet, Ken Kelleher at Anchorball Web Media, Cara Sottak, Karyn Popham, Esther Sung, Miriam Abramowitz, William Tunstall-Pedoe, and Griffin Wooden Brown. And finally, in a novel drawing so heavily on the sacred feminine, I would be remiss if I did not mention the two extraordinary women who have touched my life. First, my mother, Connie Brown – fellow scribe, nurturer, musician, and role model. And my wife, Blythe – art historian, painter, front-line editor, and without a doubt the most astonishingly talented woman I have ever known. FACT: The Priory of Sion – a European secret society founded in 1099 – is a real organization. In 1975 Paris's Bibliotheque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo Da Vinci. The Vatican prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic sect that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brainwashing, coercion, and a dangerous practice known as â€Å"corporal mortification.† Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million World Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City. All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.

Crisis In Odwalla Corporation

The Odwalla corporation, a fruit juice producer based in California has always been a staunch supporter of natural products, though sadly those natural products created a deadly risk to at least 71 people in the fall of 1996. The company was linked to a large number of products containing apple juice that was tainted by the deadly e-coli O157:H7 bacteria. The death of a 16-month-old child in Evans, Colorado was the first of many illnesses that were directly linked to the company's products, most of which contained tainted apple juice. In fact the company ended up recalling 70% of its total product on the shelves in the United States and Canada. (Mogel, 2002, p. 222) The outbreak had been swift and the company is often praised for its quick and particularly humanitarian response to the situation. The marketing campaign they embarked on with the help of a marketing crisis management team is actually award winning. At the time of the crisis, Odwalla appeared to do everything right. It responded to what it called a freak occurrence by pulling the suspect juice and offering to pay medical expenses. The quick recall and its warm and fuzzy image prompted favorable comparisons with Johnson and Johnson for its handling of the Tylenol incident. The initial response to the problem is crucial to the marketing arena as it is a way in which businesses can see in a recent strategic situation the ways in which marketing can affect crisis management positively for a company in dire straits. Though the eventual court rulings and the findings of an inquiry did not match the public personification associated with the crisis marketing it did save the company from almost sure disaster that would likely lead to the company folding in disgrace. Certainly if the information that was discovered during the investigation, made by the courts had been available to the public during the crisis the company and its founders would have lost everything. Odwalla pleaded guilty to criminal charges of selling tainted apple juice. It paid a $1.5 million fine, the largest ever assessed in a food industry case by the Food and Drug Administration. Federal investigators now suggest that Odwalla had regularly accepted blemished fruit and ignored warnings by its own safety team. Moreover, as sales plummeted 90 percent, company officials maintained an inside/outside strategy: covering up company malfeasance while positioning Odwalla as a victim along with those who it had poisoned. Though the ethics of the situation are suspect from a business standpoint they were crucial in the future success of the company. Industry standards have since changed a great deal and Odwalla quickly stepped in line with industry standards for pasteurizing its product, something that they had long resisted but eventually in 2002 became an FDA requirement excluded only by tough labeling laws, warning consumers of the unpasteurized nature of a product. Though there are still suspicions associated with the situation, the right answers to tough crisis marketing can be found in the case studies of the situation. Odwalla acted immediately. Although at the point where they were first notified the link was uncertain, Odwalla's CEO Stephen Williamson ordered a complete recall of all products containing apple or carrot juice. This recall covered around 4,600 retail outlets in 7 states. Internal task teams were formed and mobilized, and the recall – costing around $6.5m was completed within 48 hours. What the company didn't do was to avoid responsibility. On all media interviews, Williamson expressed sympathy and regret for all those affected and immediately promised that the company would pay all medical costs. This, allied to the prompt and comprehensive recall, went a long way towards satisfying customers that the company was doing all it could. The intended public's of the communications associated with the e-coli crisis all received the information the company intended to convey, including eventual fault in production, though this was after the crisis had been dealt with and didn't receive much air time. The intended publics received notification of the recall and everything that was being done to ensure that the problem would stop there, including new plans of action for flash pasteurization as well as a new policy associated with new industry wide changes eventually implemented by the FDA. The FDA began implementing further guidelines that required juice producers to show a specific reduction of bacteria in their juice. It is this law that has now, after years of discussion and public comment periods, come into effect. This is not a â€Å"pasteurization† law, it is a bacteria reduction law that requires juice producers to reduce the bacteria in their juice and to develop a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system that ensures they keep records that would among other things, enable proper recalls and trace backs if the need arose. The industry has since implemented a great deal of the new standards and come into compliance with a system that will greater protect the public. In a sense the outcome could be considered the legacy of the crisis as Odwalla has continued to be a leader in the field of food safety technology implementation that is often used as a model for other crisis situations. The success of the story can be seen in a recent work detailing the award Odwalla and its crisis management marketing firm received: An independent AOL survey showed that 86 percent of online respondents supported Odwalla and would return as consumers. Other surveys showed 94% of those polled were aware of the E. coli outbreak; 96% of those aware approved of Odwalla's handling of the crisis†¦Odwalla successfully reintroduced products after the recall, and continues to introduce new products at a normal rate†¦ (Mogel, 2002, p. 226) Additionally the financial as well as consumer confidence issue is still one that is reviewed by industry leaders as they are more likely in today's climate to create at least a minimal plan for the potential of such a problem within their own business. Odwalla also showed specific crisis management skills, with the help of their crisis consultants in their ability to quickly reach their internal as well as external public's as they instituted an internal open door policy accompanied by a collective meetings that are still held today to keep the internal public abreast with current needs and shortfalls in the company, as quickly as possible. â€Å"Internal communications were key: Williamson conducted regular company-wide conference calls on a daily basis, giving employees the chance to ask questions and get the latest information. This approach proved so popular that the practice of quarterly calls survived the crisis.† (â€Å"CSR case studies in crisis management: Odwalla,† 2006, at: http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/CSRfiles/crisis05.html) Financial markets responded to the communications effort; stock price was $19 prior to the crisis, dropped to $9 immediately after, and has risen to $13. (Mogel, 2002, p. 226) All the intended publics were clearly communicated with the best possible outcome the company could have foreseen at the beginning of the crisis. One point of intrigue is also associated with the avenues that were used in this crisis, during the information age. One important element in this crisis management situation is that even as early as November 1996, Edelman and Odwalla took full advantage of the Internet to give reporters and consumers immediate access to information about the recall. Although Odwalla did not have a corporate or promotional Web site, the company's crisis-related site was up and running within 48 hours. Based on its experience in the Odwalla case, Edelman PR has developed an online response product that enables clients to establish crisis preparedness sites on their Intranets. (Mogel, 2002, p. 227) The technology of the day was utilized to its fullest, in addition to a multimedia campaign explaining to those who had the product that was recalled to dispose of it and also telling customers and those affected of their intention to produce accountability with regard to the crisis.

Marketing Plan Power Point Presentation Essay

The purchase of the new hotel brings many opportunities as well as challenges. As the Human resources department, we have to done thorough research to find ways to accomplish all concerns presented by the executive team. We have found ways to address financial concerns, marketing, and operation concerns. We have also included concerns found by the human resources department and created was to address the concerns. Also included is our recommendation on the merger. Start-up costs and finance concerns The Chief Finance Officer is concerned about startup costs of the acquisition to include increased labor costs, renovations, and the higher salary being paid to the current Italian workers. In the start-up phase, training will be crucial and will come with a cost. The money has to be spread out in a few areas such as management and staff training-this will cover chain of command, hotel administration, finances, customer complaints, customer service, maid service, room service, restaurant services, fitness center cleaning, pool cleaning, and daily operations of the hotel chain. Language and culture courses should be the initial training focus so as to avoid language barrier and cultural conflicts between staff and guests, as it is imperative that we all know a little about each Nation’s language and culture. Equipment training-The hotel will be modernized with computers. The system will have a website for online booking, payments, complaints, maps, local features for tourists, and any other information a guest may want or need. The system will be used within the hotel for check in and checkout, bill handling, maid servicing, laundry acquisitions, room service, dining facility, training courses in culinary arts, food handling, and restaurant management. In the training process we have to get all of the employees (both American and Italian) in synch with each other. This will help with language and cultural barriers, should those issues arise. In the matter of employment money is always the issue. In this hotel chain all staff will bpaid based on their position and duties within the hotel. All employees will be evaluated every six months to establish whether a pay raise is warranted or not. Benefits will include health insurance, dental insurance, and paid vacations. Marketing Concepts I agree with the Chief Marketing Officer in that there will be added expense in marketing globally and in a foreign language. Our marketing strategy would have to take a different direction when promoting the hotels in Italy. Since we won’t be an â€Å"Albergo Italiano† we will still be an American hotel situated in another country. The Italian economy is dominated by small, family run hotels and organizations – 92 percent of Italian businesses are small or medium sized ((â€Å"Doing Business in Italy; 2012 Country Commercial Guide for U. S. Companies†, 2012). Our marketing strategy could focus on appealing to tourists who want the experience of being in Italy, but the comforts of a hotel chain that they are familiar and comfortable with. Our U. S. based company will face strong competition from local and other European based hotels, which can be achieved by maintaining our American hotel reputation and charm. Our goal is to keep the culture, quality and customer service of the hotel chain up to the same standards as in the U. S. By going global, it will give our current customers more options and opportunities to travel and still be able to stay in the comfort of a Pinnacle hotel. I don’t feel that decertifying the union at the startup is a good process. Unions are a good idea, but when you think about, having unions involved can cause things to get a bit more complicated. My advice it to try and get close to the union leaders and build a strong working relationship with them. Assuring them that the employees’ needs matter. I would recommend negotiating a lower benefits package to reduce labor costs. Daily Operations To address the goals of the Chief Operations Officer I have research position at other international hotels to find the best ways to produce high quality service. Since, the hotel will be servicing many customers with language as well as employee different nationalities. Manager positions will be created to accomplish administrative duties required from executive team and will oversee multiple departments. All managers will be required to have extensive training and experience in hotel management. Also, there should be a preference for managers with international hotel experience and that are multi-lingual. With the new merger, managers with that type of experience will be the best with communicating with employees and customers of different nationalities. With Europe having a high international market of hotels and 40 percent of its population speaking two or more languages, it will be the best place to recruit for manager positions. We should pay them over the current market pay to be aggressively recruit and maintain managers. Also, we should create department supervisor for all of the different areas. The department supervisor would be a liaison between lower level employees and managers and ensure that all tasks are being completed daily. They will also be able to investigate and communication with problems in each department to relieve the managers of some of the hands on duties. Supervisors will be crossed trained to fill in other sections to create flexibility when another supervisor is sick or on leave keeping the continuity of quality service on a daily basis. To recruit supervisor, the company should meet the current market for pay, this will decrease turn over, but if one to leave we would then hire a team leader from within the department. Supervisors recruited from the local region will have first-hand experience working with the Italy’s union enabling them to best supervise employees within regulations of the unions. A preference will for supervisors speaking more the one language will be preferred, but we would create programs and incentives to help facilitate learning different languages. After researching positions of other hotels, a team lead for each section has proven to be beneficial. The team lead has the most experience of the lower level employees but has no supervisory experience and only fills in when the supervisor is not in the department. Lastly, lower level positions that can be taught buy on the job training and will only complete daily tasks with in their departments. They will not be crossed trained due to the fact that we would pay lower than the current market pay and increase the number of employees as compared to other hotels. Although this could create a higher turnover rate, replacements would be easy to finds and the continuity will have little if no interruption. A separated department will need to be created to maintain of the building. One of this highest skills found in Greece was construction and general contracting. With Greece having a high unemployment rate and the readily available skills, it would be the prime place to recruit from to fill the department. Human Resource and Personnel Management My role as the Chief Human Resource Officer is to ensure that the employees of the organization have the right knowledge, skills, and abilities now and in the future. It is vital that the CHRO obtains a knowledge of the area that they will be working in, as there are many factors to consider in determining what is best for the organization as a whole. By purchasing the hotel chain in Italy, the company will be able to grow and expand cultural diversity into the company. U. S. based employees will have the ability to travel and learn a new culture and new type of work environment, this could support retention and would potentially be a strong recruiting tool for quality employees. It would give current employees new benefits, such as travel pay if they were assigned to Italy. Also, all employees would have the opportunity to learn basic Italian culture and language, helping to make the employee feel empowered and important. Our company is a non-union company, but in Italy the hotels are run by unions. This could cause a problem as the Italian workforce does not work outside of their defined job descriptions and duties. The current staff is not properly trained to take on more responsibilities at their current wages. This would require the company to retrain those employees into the positions creating a higher startup cost and more time to provide the training. Another issue is the culture of the Italians, they are accustomed to having more time off from work, more say in how the company’s operations are conducted, and they also have boundaries when it comes to their work schedule and limitations on what they perform. That could cause problems with U. S. employees, since they are not accustomed to limited position descriptions and are used to being able to perform a variety of tasks. Another potential problem is the lack of EEO laws in Italy. As the CHRO it is our responsibility to ensure that our employees are protected under the current laws and regulation. Our employees are very aware of the importance of EEO laws so the lack of the same respect for this law in Italy could disenfranchise individuals, especially when it comes to sexual harassment. On the other hand, training the Italians to follow the U. S. EEO laws could cause problems in recruitment, since they may feel that they do not have to follow U. S. laws in Italy. Lastly, the Italians are used to benefits that are required by the Unions. Our company does not have a department to deal with Unions, so we would have to assemble a team that could negotiate benefits for the Italians. We would have to find out if U. S. employees would be receiving those same Union benefits and if they would be required to pay Union dues. This could cause problems with our U. S. employees if they do not want to join a Union. Furthermore, if we are succeed in negotiating lower benefits, then Italian recruitment could be low, since they would rather work in another hotel that would provide higher benefits. Recommendation In summary, there are pros and cons to acquiring hotels in Italy. It would give a new set of skills to our current employees. It would allow our US employees the ability to travel and learn new skill sets. It would also broaden the culture of this company and be able to give the current employees the benefits of learning a new culture and a new language. It would open up the company to global recognition and more vacation choices for our current customers. On the other hand, it will not be an easy transition. Current Italian employees are limited in how long they can work, what positions they can fill, and are unfamiliar with our EEO laws. The Italians lack of knowledge, skill and abilities would cost this company a lot manpower, which needs to be calculated to see if it is worth the cost. The Italians are also used to obtaining many benefits that this company is not accustom to giving. A new separate department would need to be created to be able to negotiate and speak to the Unions. All of these issues would need to be addressed prior to obtaining the hotels and the Finance Department would need to be able to calculate the cost and benefits. As the CHRO, we recommend acquiring the Italian chain as the long term benefits outweigh the initial start-up costs and concerns.

Online Education vs. Traditional Education Essay

While most believe online education is easy as the student is just sitting in front of the computer, attending class online is more challenging than attending class in a classroom because requires time management skills and requires self-discipline. Attending college online requires the college student to have excellent time management skills. The majority of online students have responsibilities other than attending school. Usually this is why the decision to attend school online is made. The online student must be able to balance school, work, and a family. Attending school at a traditional school is not as flexible as the time schedule is set in place and the student must arrange their schedule around school, work, and family. Online education allows more flexibility in the online class schedule. However, proper management must be maintained in order to balance all of the responsibilities and be successful in all areas. â€Å"Not only do students need to monitor their progress in an ongoing fashion and adjust their strategies for learning based on their progress, they also need to maintain a time management schedule in order to complete online learning activities in the allotted timeframes. † (Orellana, Hudgins, & Simonson, 2009, p. 470). The online student must be able to continue to work full-time and take care of family. All of these things must be done including attending school. Adding online education to the list of responsibility may assist the online student becomes well organized. An online student can possibly check-in the online classroom during lunchtime while at work. Homework assignments can be done during â€Å"homework hour† at home with the children. In order to be successful attending school online, the online college student must practice self-discipline. In a traditional classroom, the student the instructor holds the student accountable for all assignments and participation in class. While the same applies for the online college student, accountability is the student. There will not be a â€Å"reminder† from the instructor on a daily basis whether the student is participating in the discussion group or if the student has completed an assignment. â€Å"Online learning can be more convenient, effective and rewarding than traditional classes, but convenience doesn’t mean it’s easier,† says Gwen Hillesheim, interim chief academic officer and provost of Colorado Technical University, a leading provider of education for career-motivated students. â€Å"Successful online students need to be proactive in their studies and take responsibility for their own learning. It takes self-discipline and time management to do your best. But when the student is engaged, the learning can be significant and the experience fulfilling. † ARA, (2010, November 3, Creston News Advertiser). Online students must comply with the University participation requirements in order to succeed. Self-discipline is required as it is solely up to the student to log in each day and participate in class. Unlike traditional classrooms where the schedule is set and students are reminded by staff daily to participate; the University notifies online students that do not make the required participation requirements after they have failed to do so. Most individuals that opt to attend school online are returning to school to complete a college degree. Usually this option is chosen due to work schedule as well as time with the family. Online education is not for everyone as it takes great discipline and maturity in order to be a successful online student. â€Å"At the same time, online education is not for everyone — you have to have a certain level of maturity and self-motivation, since you have to juggle coursework with job and family responsibilities. It demands a great deal of individualized work and you have to manage your schedule to meet class requirements rather than attend at a specific time of the week. â€Å"Michele Smolik, Director of Instructional Technology at Columbia College. Traditional students usually are not full-time employees. A person attending a University on campus is usually either taking one class or a full-time student working a part-time job. Online education allows an individual to maintain a full-time job however in order to qualify as a full-time student two classes are taken at a time. Traditional students attending class on campus have the advantage of accessing the instructor during class instruction if a question should arise. Online students must communicate with instructors via email or by utilizing the message board located on the student portal. This type of learning is not the right choice for everyone as some need individual instruction. Some argue that online students are â€Å"teaching† themselves, as there is no verbal instruction from an instructor. At most online universities instruction is given weekly during the discussion group forum by the instructor. The online student must make it a responsibility to participate in weekly discussion forums as well as keep up with weekly readings. Students that delay themselves in participating in the discussion group usually maintain a low grade. All of this is vital in order to be a successful online student. Assignments for class are usually due weekly and due at the end of the week. Students must submit the assignment via the class portal. It is imperative that the student have the correct software in order to submit the assignment as it is the student’s responsibility that the assignment is submitted on time with no exceptions. This is not an issue for traditional students as instructors are able to accept assignments in person from students. Essays and other assignments can be submitted by hard copy, which eliminates the concern of computer complications or the non-compatibility of software with the University. Online education has been debated throughout the years of its brief existence however most will agree that it is much more challenging than traditional education. Attending school is challenging whether in a traditional classroom setting or attending school online as responsibility is the main factor. However, as an online student it is imperative to be organized, responsible, and maintain strict discipline in order to be a successful online student. These factors make attending school online much more difficult as it is magnified much more. References The Perfect Online Course: Best Practices for Designing and Teaching (Orellana, Hudgins, & Simonson, 2009, p. 470) ARA, (2010, November 3).

A Transcultural

As the world’s multi-cultural population increases, the significance of transcultural nursing in healthcare is strongly evident. Health care professionals are challenged by the need to understand the various cultural factors that influence a person’s response to health and illness and must develop attitudes and skills that will help them behave in culturally appropriate ways (Walsh DeJoseph, 2003). Transcultural nursing works as a formal education that equips nurses and other healthcare providers the knowledge regarding beliefs, values, and practices of different cultures in the society with the goal to produce a culturally competent practitioner, therefore, achieving patient satisfaction and positive outcomes (Leininger, 1999). The foundations for transcultural nursing had started with the purpose of compensating the complexities of healthcare needs of people belonging to different culture (Glittenberg, 2004; Tortumluoglu, 2006). Hence, knowing the unique behavioural patterns and lifestyles of a specific culture enables the provider to perform culturally congruent, holistic and appropriate healthcare service (Streltzer, 2008). Campinha-Bacote’s framework of cultural competence (2002) provides a thorough and comprehensible process for healthcare professional to become culturally competent. It guides healthcare practitioners in achieving the ability to effectively work within the context of the service users from a diverse cultural- ethnic background through keying out five essential components namely, cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skills, cultural encounter and cultural desire (Campinha-Bacote, 2011). Ryan, Carlton and Ali (2000) pointed out that the five constructs are functionally interdependent and must be covered. Entailing that one will be ineffective without the others, and similarly absence of one component gets unsatisfactory consequences. Imagine a six-stringed acoustic guitar, if one string is not in tune with the others, once you play it the resulting notes and chords are out of tune making a nuisance instead of music. When an individual is aware that people are different from one another in terms of personality, attitude and behaviour, partially because of their cultural beliefs or backgrounds, that person is culturally aware (Rew, Becker, Cookston, Khosropour Martinez, 2003). Moreover, The University of Michigan School of Nursing (2000) added that awareness and examination of one’s own beliefs is also an important component of this concept to avoid prejudices and biases when working with service users. However, ethnocentrism, which is defined in Oxford English Dictionary (2003) as  a  character which assumes that ones own group or belief is superior from the others, may weaken this construct. Awareness of this attitude would help health care provider in avoiding unjust service. Say, a Christian nurse was assigned to care for a dying atheist patient. She believes that death means going to heaven or hell, while her patient may believe that death simply means ceasing to exist. Despite of these differences of beliefs, her job to provide excellent care for the patient and ensuring that his needs are met were not faltered (pricklypear, personal communication, April 08, 2006). Though, somehow findings from studies conducted by Rew et al (2003) point that conscious awareness of cultural diversity does not guarantee cultural competence. Nurses and other health care providers need a solid knowledge about a variety of populations, culture- specific phenomena (e. . , social support), and human responses to diversity to better understand their client (Meleis, 1996). In acquiring this knowledge, healthcare practitioners must concentrate on three specific issues: health-related beliefs, practices and cultural values; disease incidence and prevalence (Lavizzo-Mourey, 1996). Getting cultural knowledge about the patient’s health-related be liefs and values involves understanding their worldview which justifies how he interprets his illness and how it guides his thinking, doing, and being (Campinha- Bacote, 2002). A concrete example is of an old Filipino faith healer who never consulted any clinician to diagnose the pain sensation he feels during urination. He believed that, it was spiritual opposition who inflicted the pain. Knowledge relating to the field of bio cultural ecology is also important when addressing disease incidence and prevalence among ethnic groups, This involves having accurate epidemiological data to guide decisions about treatment and treatment programs, health education, and screening in order to attain positive health care outcomes (Campinha-Bacote, 2002). Therefore, a promising cultural competent nurse must be updated of current research studies conducted, and likewise initiating some research work himself. In incurring cultural knowledge, one should always remember that every individual is a unique blend of the variety found within each culture, an incomparable collection of life experiences, and the product of acculturation to other cultures (Capinha-Bacote, 2002). Thus, it is very vital that every health care provider develops the skill to culturally assess every client that will come to their care. This requires sensitivity and more in-depth studying of cultures and sub-cultures (Meleis, 1996). The third component of Campinha-Bacote’s model of cultural competence (2002) is cultural skill. It is the capability to carry on a cultural assessment by gathering cultural data relevant to the patient’s presenting problem, at the same time conducting a culturally-based physical assessment accurately (Tortumluoglu, 2006 Campinha-Bacote, 2011). According to the author, this construct plays a substantial part in planning nursing care for an individual. Data gathered during assessment, especially in initial screening interview serves as the basis or guide in establishing a plan of care for the client. During this crucial process the health care provider should be aware how a client’s physical, biological, and physiological changes affect his/her ability to conduct an accurate and appropriate physical evaluation. Particularly, differences in body structure, skin colour, and visible physical characteristics, (Capinha-Bacote, 2002). For instance, a well known man from a wealthy family came to an Out-Patient service, the nurse who is doing the screening was aware of the patient’s elite background, might get intimidated and may cause inaccurate assessment. Next, is cultural encounter; the process which encourages the health care provider to immerse himself to various cultural interactions with clients from culturally diverse backgrounds (Tortumluoglu, 2006). Cultural encounter may be experienced on real situation and through simulation or role playing (Shearer Davidhizar, 2003; Walsh DeJoseph, 2003). Both, aid in modifying existing beliefs about a cultural group and prevent possible stereotyping. However, the author identified one obstacle that may encounter in this process specifically during assessment stage, which involves the language barrier between the care provider and the service user. This is especially possible if both came from different country of origin. The use of formally trained interpreter is strongly recommended if this situation occurs to avoid faulty data collection (Campinha-Bacote, 2002). Finally, the fifth component of this model is cultural desire. This is the most crucial construct, since without desire, cultural awareness, knowledge, skills and encounters will not be gladly experienced. Cultural desire is a genuine passion and a commitment to become culturally competent health care provider ( Campinha-Bacote, 2003). Therefore, it is safe to say that every health care provider must be driven by cultural desire for this is the heart and soul of cultural competence. In fact, the author strongly believes that this passion and unaltered commitment must be the fundamental construct of all the transcultural nursing models. Campinha-Bacotes model embraces the experiential-phenomenological perspective. It supports the client as teacher of his culture and the clinician as learner. Furthermore, it recognises that culture is dynamic and always changing and there is more variation within a culture than among different cultures (Brathwaite, 2003). Although Campinha-Bacote’s Cultural Competent model may  have a strong track record of effectiveness (Carol, 2007; Rew et al; Tortumluoglu, 2006),   yet it is encouraged to spend time in research and evaluate the various models of transcultural nursing to determine which one is best for a particular client, organization or situation. Cultural competence recognizes the broad scope of the dimensions that influence an Individual’s personal identity. Within the behavioural health system (which addresses mental illnesses), cultural competence must be a guiding principle, so that services are culturally sensitive and culturally appropriate prevention, outreach, assessment and intervention are provided (Stanhope, Solomon, Pernell-Arnold, Sands Bourjolly, 2005) . This will be indicated in the following case. A 37 years old Irish, male, single, and a traveller from Northern Ireland was admitted for schizophrenia with retrograde amnesia in the nursing home. The client was referred by a social worker and was assessed by one of the nurses on duty. The nurse noted that patient’s posture was quite slouch and has a good bearing. He wore clean and neat clothing appropriate for the weather. He was groomed plain and simple. His hair well combed. However, his nails were untrimmed both on hands and feet. The nurse noted the lesions and skin rashes on the client’s right foot and observed that he moved slowly during ambulation. Further, there were times that he looks straight in the eyes when questioned and when he answered, he glanced on the other people around him. The client was monosyllabic in communicating and was unable to recall long term memories. He also looked disturbed and preoccupied at all times. During his first week in the institution, the client was noted to be unsociable. He preferred to stay inside his room and would just go out during meal time to join the other clients in the dining area. On one occasion, the carer had attempted to engage in a conversation with him. She found out that the client can’t recall anything from his past including his childhood, his family or where he lived before. He can’t even recall the number of the family members and the person he was in contact with prior to his admission in the institution. Though he stated that his birthday falls on January 13, he can’t remember the exact year. Surprisingly, he was able to recall what he had for breakfast and lunch. It was also noticed that the patient has slight awareness of being sick and needing but denting it at the same time. He is aware that he is sick but he’s trying to blame it to others. Like when asked why he is in the institution on one interaction, he answered that his friends sent him there because of misconceptions. According to him he’s not guilty of any wrong doing and denied all the accusations on him. In addition, it was noted that the patient has some problems on impulse control. At times he showed hostile, aggressive and sexual tendencies towards the staff and to the other clients. In view of the above circumstance, The â€Å"Cultural Competence† model of Campinha-Bacote(2002), offers the nursing staff the framework for rendering culturally relevant care to the culturally and behaviourally diverse psychiatric client. Initially, upon the client’s admission, general data of the client such as general appearance, ethnicity, gender, age, hobbies or work, disability, orientation and memory impairment was gathered. The cultural challenge seen at this stage was first the different cultural background the client represents. Accurate knowledge concerning language, clothing and patient’s cultural, religious, or spiritual beliefs or practices that influence care must be obtained in order to perform culturally appropriate service (Streltzer, 2008). Tseng and Streltzer (2004) stressed that language is one tool through which culture expressed. Through language, a person communicates underlying conceptions, values, and attitudes that can be very different among different cultural systems. Comprehending another person’s culture through his language can be therefore quite challenging, particularly when that language is very different from one’s own but with genuine interest and remaining nonjudgmental, probability of gathering relevant information will be assured. Another challenge noted was the diagnosed condition of the patient. Lack of understanding about Schizophrenia may pose a great problem to the nursing staff in this case. This disorder is identified with complex characteristics according to type. Basically, people with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss  of contact with reality. They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched (Smith Segal, 2011). Obtaining cultural awareness pertained to this disorder must be consolidated among the management and staff. Like what Campinha-Bacote, (2002b) emphasized that cultural skill involves the ability to collect relevant cultural information about the patient’s history and presenting problems. Legally accessing patient’s records of past health, social, and environmental history is positively beneficial. Finally, the greatest challenge identified in this case is the client’s unusual behaviour and psychomotor activity. People with schizophrenia tend to have unpredictable or inappropriate emotional responses. They may exhibit behaviours that appear bizarre and purposeless. Sometimes they lack of inhibition and impulse control which may pose danger to themselves, and to people around them. Moreover, apparent social withdrawal which usually manifests through inexpressive face, including a flat voice, lack of eye contact, and blank or restricted facial expressions is common (Campinha-Bacote, 2002b). Cultural encounters may be difficult and uncomfortable at times, especially encounters with abnormal behaviours due to fear and diffidence. Good intentions and the nonverbal communication style of a psychiatric nurse can sometimes be interpreted as offensive and insulting to a specific cultural group. The psychiatric nurse must become more sensitive to the meaning of a culture’s nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and use of touch, body language, and distancing practices when engaging in cross-cultural encounters (Current Nursing, 2011 Peterson, 2004). She must identify feelings that lead to patient’s poor social interaction. If client is unable to respond verbally or in a coherent manner, spending frequent short periods with client might be good start. Structuring times each day for brief interactions and activities with client on one-on-one basis is likewise helpful. These activities should work at the client’s pace and ability. Examples are looking through family pictures, watching TV, drawing or painting and other recreational activities that would enhance client’s attention and engagement (Tseng and Streltzer, 2004). To sum it up, this culturally-related aspects of care in the client and there accompanying challenges won’t be addressed and overcome respectively, if cultural competency is not learned and demonstrated. A cultural desire must be developed and surged in each health care provider to effectively furnish the unmet, culturally-related needs of the client. Cultural desire is the motivation of the psychiatric nurse to â€Å"want to† engage in this uncomfortable situation. Carrying out all the planned care with the passion and humility to accept and respect differences, and be willing to learn from different world (Campinha-Bacote, 2002). With the increase in diversity in an ever-changing society and the escalating need for nurses to be educated and skilled in transcultural nursing, every opportunity that would contribute to development of cultural competence should be seized. In conclusion, transcultural nursing was designed to equip and empower every carer, nurse, and any health care provider to embrace the challenges and hindrances that diverse cultures bear. Campinha-Bacote’s cultural competence model is one of the few effective tools suggested to utilize in whatever situation a service provider is in, may it be in clinical or mental health setting.

Budgets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Budgets - Assignment Example The two processes provide the organization with tools to compare the estimates and actual results thus offer budgetary control techniques. Budget accounting and reporting does fulfill its initial purpose. The two processes are meant to evaluate approved budgets against actual results to guide future and current decision making. The processes assist to enhance financial control and identifying where change is quickly needed and required (World Bank, 2012). Through budgetary reporting and accounting, variances between the actual results and estimates get noted and the necessary action taken to correct the underlying causes to manage the variations. The current budget system works efficiently. The budget system provides the means to base decision on how much money to spend and on what to spend. It also provides ways on how the money to be spent will get raised. The budget system provides the estimates of the government’s proposed spending and income generation process. The deficits and variances can also get determined to help the government plan on the nation’s fiscal future. the budget system helps to set aside estimates for the different sectors the government involves itself