Developing yourself as an effective hr practitioner †notes Essay

4DEP- notes Assignment- 1) Discuss timeline for HR and how it has evolved to the way it is today. 2) Generalist – Employee resourcing, reward and relation more recently L&D has come in (can break this down further into categories/ specialisms. 3) Self-assessment/ own reflections on analysis, ie appraisal. (look up Myers and Briggs) – Honey and Munford self-assessment – reflect on this and see what they suggest I work on for improvement – discuss my own career aspirations and goals and where I am now in my organisation. How to set the assignment out; Learning outcome one – assessment 1 criteria 1.1 LO1 AC 1.1 Discuss the two core professional areas (map) Global aspect Influence from external – eg. Government How has HR and L&D responded to changes? Discuss bands – 1 – 4 (where am I in these bands? How will I get to band 4? How is it useful for my development?) Activity 1. Describe map as a whole/ what its for, summarise core (as below) pick one form outer core (relevant to my role, discuss band 1or2) and discuss the activities/ knowledge. The core describes the foundation, the ability to have an insight, to lead people, to look for ways to find solutions. Next layer – The professional areas are the activities and knowledge. Outer layer – The behaviours are the approach needed to have in order to do the role. Band 1&2 – pick one to talk about – discuss where I am and why? (from the professional areas pick one from the activities point of view and one from the knowledge) Discuss how the Honey and Mumford test works and how they feel I can improve and go up a band. Activity 2. 2.1 For this one a table is appropriate see below as example; Customer Needs (only one needed in assignment) Line manager Guidance Policies Processes Front line adviser Progression Sickness Grievance Redundancy External recruitment candidate Point of call Responding to queries Start dates Induction Feedback (important) Interview dates How would I prioritise conflicting needs? How will I deliver service on time why is this Important? Delivering service on budget, dealing with difficult customers, handling and resolving complaints. 2.2 Identify different methods of communication and explain the advantages and disadvantages or each. Again a table is fine Email Face to Face Work intranet Advantages – Lots of detail Disadvantages 2.3 Describe how to build and maintain effective service delivery Activity 3. CPD 3.2 Complete map on CIPD website once I have membership. Read associate criteria. Discuss how I need to improve to meet the criteria. Self assessment 3.4 Produce and complete CPD (plan) Example – I want to become an associate member of the CIPD – to do this is will complete this course. 3.3 evaluate options to meet identified development needs 3.1 Importance or CPD paragraph – (not in word count) Challenging myself, development, career plan The importance of CPD is †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3.5 Reflect on preferment against the plan 4. To be handed in at the end of the course (completed plan)

Corporate Governance – Role of Board of Directors

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE – ROLE OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS People often question whether corporate boards matter because their day-today impact is difficult to observe. But, when things go wrong, they can become the center of attention. Certainly this was true of the Enron, Worldcom, and Parmalat scandals. The directors of Enron and Worldcom, in particular, were held liable for the fraud that occurred: Enron directors had to pay $168 million to investor plaintiffs, of which $13 million was out of pocket (not covered by insurance); and Worldcom directors had to pay $36 million, of which $18 million was out of pocket.As a consequence of these scandals and ongoing concerns about corporate governance, boards have been at the center of the policy debate concerning governance reform and the focus of considerable academic research. Because of this renewed interest in boardsmuch of the research on boards ultimately touches on the question â€Å"what is the role of the board? † Possible answers range from boards’ being simply legal necessities, something akin to the wearing of wigs in English courts, to their playing an active part in the overall management and control of the corporation.No doubt the truth lies somewhere between these extremes; indeed, there are probably multiple truths when this question is asked of different firms, in different countries, or in different periods. So what is a Board of Director (BoD) and what do Directors actually do? â€Å"A Board of Directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors.It is often simply referred to as ‘the board’ †. A board's activities are determined by the powers, duties, and responsibilities delegated to it or conferred on it by an authority outside itself. These matters are typically detailed in the cou ntry’s company law, organization's bylaws and/or the Article of Association (AoA). The bylaws commonly also specify the number of members of the board, how they are to be chosen, and when they are to meet. To better understand corporate boards, one should begin with the question of what do directors do’? Over the years there has been several indepth studies conducted and research literature published by some of the most brilliant academics only to answer this very question e. g. Mace, 1971, Whisler, 1984, Lorsch and MacIver, 1989, Demb and Neubauer, 1992, and Bowen, 1994 and their conclusions are presented breifly: The principal conclusions of Mace were that â€Å"directors serve as a source of advice and counsel, serve as some sort of discipline, and act in crisis situations†.The nature of their â€Å"advice and counsel† is unclear but Mace suggests that a board serves largely as a sounding board for the CEO and top management, occasionally providing exp ertise when a firm faces an issue about which one or more board members are expert. Yet Demb and Neubauer’s survey results find that approximately two-thirds of directors agreed that â€Å"setting the strategic direction of the company† was one of the jobs they did. 80% of the directors also agreed that they were â€Å"involved in setting strategy for the company†. 5% of respondents to another of Demb and Neubauer’s questionnaires report that they â€Å"set strategy, corporate policies, overall direction, mission, vision†. Indeed far more respondents agreed with that description of their job than agreed with the statements that their job entailed â€Å"oversee[ing], monitor[ing] top management, CEO† (45%); â€Å"succession, hiring/firing CEO and top management† (26%); or serving as a â€Å"watchdog for shareholders, dividends† (23%). According to Epstein and Roy (2006), a high performance board must achieve three core objective s; in other words Epstein and Roy nail the core responsibilities of the board: . Provide superior strategic guidance to ensure the company's growth and prosperity by Setting of Strategy: 2. Ensure accountability of the company to its stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, regulators and community; 3. Ensure that a highly qualified executive team is managing the company by The Hiring, Firing and Assessment of Management. Apart from what has been stated above one very significant and active role played by the board is in terms of â€Å"the hiring, firing, and assessment of management†.This is one role that is typically ascribed to directors is control of the process by which top executives are hired, promoted, assessed, and, if necessary, dismissed. Assessment can be seen as having two components, one is monitoring of what top management does and the other is determining the intrinsic ability of top management. The monitoring of managerial action s can, in part, be seen as part of a board’s obligation to be vigilant against managerial malfeasance. It is essential that the role, duties and responsibilities of directors are clearly defined.The Combined Code (2006) states that â€Å"the board’s role is to provide entrepreneurial leadership of the company within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed†. According to UK Law, the directors should act in good faith in the interest of the company, and exercise care and skill in carrying out their duties. The Company Law Reform Bill (2005) defines, in section 154-161, the directors’ duties as follows: †¢ a duty to act within powers, that is, to act in accordance with the company’s constitution and only exercise powers for the purpose for which they are conferred; a duty to promote the success of the company, so a director must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole; †¢ a duty to exercise independent judgment; †¢ a duty to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence; †¢ a duty to avoid conflicts of interest; †¢ a duty not to accept benefits from third party †¢ a duty to declare an interest on proposed transactions or arrangements. But that does not quite answer our cardinal question as to ‘how the role the board plays is related to the overall corporate governance of the organization’.Nevertheless one thing is certain thus far is that the BoD lead and control a company and hence an effective board is fundamental to the success of the company. The board is the link between managers and the investors, and is essential to good corporate governance and investor relations. Since corporate governance represents the value framework, the ethical framework and the moral framework under which business decisions are taken; it therefore calls f or three factors: 1. Transparency in decision-making; 2. Accountability which follows from transparency because responsibilities could be fixed easily for actions taken or not taken, and; . The accountability is for the safeguarding the interests of the stakeholders and the investors in the organization. Decisions relating to board composition and structure will be of fundamental importance in determining whether, and to what extent, the board is effective and successful in achieving these objectives. A board will typically be composed of a Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Directors, Non- Executive Director, Independent Director, Company Secretary and then there are committees made from among the board for specific purposes with a view to increased corporate governance and hence accountability.It is important that the board has a balanced composition both in terms of executive and non executive directors and also in terms of experience, qualities and skills that individu als bring to the table. The Institute of Directors (IoD) has published some useful guidance in this area in 2006 which is shared below: †¢ Consider the ratio and number of executive and non executive directors. †¢ Consider the energy, experience, knowledge, skill and personal attributes of current and prospective directors in relation to the future needs of the board as a whole, and develop specifications and processes for new appointments, as necessary. Consider the cohesion, dynamic tension and diversity of the board and its leadership by the chairman. †¢ Make and review succession plans for directors and the company secretary. †¢ Where necessary, remove incompetent or unsuitable directors of the company secretary, taking relevant legal, contractual, ethical and commercial matter into account. †¢ Agree proper procedures for electing a chairman and appointing the managing director and other directors. †¢ Identify potential candidates of the board, make selection and agree terms of appointment and remuneration.New appointments should be agreed by every board member. †¢ Provide new board members with a comprehensive induction to board process, and policies, inclusion to the company and to their new role. †¢ Monitor and appraise each individual’s performance, behavior, knowledge, effectiveness and values rigorously and regularly. †¢ Identify development needs and training opportunities for existing and potential directors and the company secretary. Roles of the board members 1. Chief Executive Officer and ChairmanThe CEO has the executive responsibility for running of the company’s business; on the other hand, the Chairman has responsibility for the running of the board. The two roles should not therefore be combined and carried out by one person Conclusions Corporate governance, and in particular the role of boards of directors, has been the topic of much attention lately. Although this attention is par ticularly topical due to well-publicized governance failures and subsequent regulatory changes, corporate governance is an area of longstanding interest in economics (dating back to at least Adam Smith, 1776).Because of corporations’ enormous share of economic activity in modern economies, the extent to which corporations deviate from value-maximization is extremely important. Consequently, corporate governance and the role of boards of directors is an issue of fundamental importance in economics. Understanding the role of boards is vital both for our understanding of corporate behavior and with respect to setting policy to regulate corporate activities.

University Study Skills

Students need to make a number of adjustments when starting university. Critically discuss some of these adjustments in terms of skills brought with them, and new skills that must be developed. Draw on relevant SSK12 material in your essay. ————————————————- In this essay it will be argued that even though students may bring with them such skills as competence in writing secondary school essays and reports, good comprehension and grammar and motivation to succeed with them to university, there are other skills they will need to develop as well as refine those they already possess.The main skills which any new student will need to develop in order to succeed at university are critical thinking, which also includes critical reading, reflective thinking, learning independently and adjusting to the concept of the university culture which has its own languages and behaviours. Ne w students are likely to experience a cultural clash as university possesses its own culture, and sub-cultures. Adjustments will have to be made with students needing to develop bicultural habits. As Kolb asserts, students entering higher education will have to engage in ‘learning how to learn’ (Kolb 1981).The lead-up to the first study period, as well as the first study period itself, of a student’s beginning in university can be a massive culture shock. Some students may develop the feeling of uncertainty as to whether they have made the right choice about pursuing higher education and whether they are even likely to succeed. This can be observed by reading some of the student comments on the SSK12 Facebook page during the first weeks of the first study period. In other cases we may see students that take on a particular discipline and after a period of time find that they no longer have a desire to pursue that discipline.There may be few opportunities for stud ents in these positions to change disciplines. This is primarily due to the fact each discipline has its own sub-culture within the greater university culture. As Kolb has discussed, there are many faculties within the university, each have their own conventions that are unique to themselves such as language, values, ideas and norms (Kolb 1981). This impending transition may be too much for a student who has already had to become acculturated and has potentially experienced a culture shock.The average individual can be affected by several cultures, for example and not necessarily restricted to, culture of family, culture of the workplace and culture of religion. The culture of university is but one of the cultures that can make a big impact on the individual. Students are faced with a new workload that may come with a pace of instruction that is probably faster and more intense than what they may be used to. There is a potential to feel overwhelmed at first and ways to overcome this may be to develop habits of early preparation, prioritising and time management.There is an expectation that students need to be self-motivated and independent. There will be some guidance available but the general expectation is that the individual should know their own deadlines and the amount of study that is required. This may take some adjustment for individuals as they may be reeling from the cultural demands that university has already begun to place upon them. If they are studying more than one subject in their first study period they will have already potentially experienced the distinction in sub-cultures.For example, Ballard and Clanchy have noted that each sub-culture will have its own language and values and the new student will have to navigate themselves through an unsteady transition between cultures (Ballard and Clanchy 1988). Individuals also need to develop critical thinking as it is a cornerstone of university studies. Warren contends that critical thinking is n ecessary to university studies as an individual cannot â€Å"process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, or articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking† (Warren 1995, 4).I can support this through my own experience as critical thinking has been an important component of my university studies to date. One may see, however, that some individuals may have difficulties bringing themselves around to this mode of thinking as critical thinking involves developing an impersonal approach and attempting to put aside any biases that the individual may possess about particular subjects. Critical thinking may also involve critical reading and this may also be a foreign concept to the new student.One needs to get into the habit of identifying theses in readings rather than just ‘reading’ – ‘sorting the wheat from the chaff’, as it were. Once the thesis has been identified the argument then needs to be ana lysed and criticised. Any evidence within the reading needs to be assessed. Any conclusions reached need to be examined as well as whether they are supported by evidence. Any other alternatives also need to be considered. In short, the individual will need to read more widely than what they may be used to and in a more analytical fashion. Reflective thinking is another skill that students must develop as it is a valuable tool.Reflection is integral to learning and assists in critical thinking as it starts with being self-critical in order to learn and improve. As Marshall and Rowland assert, ‘thinking about your own thinking, or metacognition, will give you insights into how you go about your learning, and is important if you want to change or adapt study behaviours’ (Marshall and Rowland 2006 9). Warren further asserts that ‘critical thinking is necessary to learning. One cannot process information, form reasoned opinions, evaluate beliefs, construct positions, o r articulate a thesis without the use of critical thinking.As such, the critical self is integral to learning itself’ (Warren 1995). Reflective thinking makes the individual ask themselves what may be working, what is not working and what may require improvement. Some students may already bring a form of this skill with them to university. I can support this through my personal experience in this area. I served in the police force for thirty years and the procedure in the police force was to conduct ‘debriefs’ of incidents that we were involved in. The police debrief was always framed in the format of discussing what went well and what could be done better.Every individual involved in that particular incident was expected to contribute. The expectation was that this process would lead to constant improvement in performance. It is a very similar process to reflection within university learning. One method of reflective thinking that students may learn a great deal from is through the keeping of a reflective journal, also known as a learning log. Pavlovich asserts that reflective journals are an invaluable aid in the development of self-awareness and inner leadership (Pavlovich 2007).The use of a reflective journal aids in developing the individual as a critical thinker as the very nature of its use forces the user to be critical of themselves and lead to change and improvement. Students will also need to develop the skill of speaking and writing in academic English. This is part of the acculturation to the university culture of which language is a major part. Students will have to learn very quickly to become bicultural. In their written work they will have to learn to avoid contractions and develop the passive voice over the active voice.Academic English is specific whereas informal English, that the student may be used, to is rather vague. Academic English is also often structured in a cautious manner whereas informal English is often stru ctured in a more definite manner. Using my own personal experience to add support to this, I thought I had a reasonable grasp of formal English having come from the police force where, for example, great care goes into compilation of files for the prosecutors to proceed with, but I have also had to make adjustments and become bicultural through working on my own understanding and application of academic English.The new student may bring skills with them to university but they will be confronted with the need to refine these skills and indeed develop new skills in order to survive at university. Skills that will need to be developed will include the need for critical and reflective thinking, critical reading and adjustment to independent learning. Students will also have to become acculturated to university which possesses its own culture and sub-cultures which are separate to what they may be used to. REFERENCES Avruch, Kevin. 2002. Culture and Conflict Resolution.Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press. Ballard, Brigid, and John Clanchy. 1988. Literacy in the university: An ‘anthropological’ approach. In Literacy by Degrees, ed G. Taylor, et al. , 7-23. Milton Keynes: The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press. Beasley, Colin. 2012. Communicating at University. Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. Bizzell, Patricia. 1986. What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College? College Composition and Communication. 37(3). Grant, Barbara. 1997.Disciplining Students: the construction of student subjectivities. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18(1): 101-114. Hobson, Julia. 1996. â€Å"Concepts of the self: Different ways of knowing about the self†. SSK12 lecture transcript. Ed. Lorraine Marshall. Perth: Murdoch University. Kolb, David A. 1981. â€Å"Learning styles and disciplinary differences. † In The Modern American College. Ed. A. W. Chickerine & Associates, 232-235 and 251-252. S an Francisco: Jossey Bass. Marshall, Lorraine, and Frances Rowland. 2006. A guide to learning independently. th ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Pavlovich, Kathryn. 2007. The development of reflective practice through student journals. Higher Education Research and Development 26 (3): 281-295. Samovar, Larry A. , and Richard E. Porter. 2004. Communication Between Cultures. 5th ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Vivekananda, Kitty, and Penny Shores. 1996. Uni is Easier When You Know How: Success Stories, Study Secrets, Strategies. Sydney: Hale and Iremonger. Warren, Karen. 1995. ‘The critical self’. Perth: Murdoch University.

International Trade Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Trade Project - Essay Example In this the world price is $1 which is way below the domestic price of $3. Hence, at $1 domestic supply falls to 1, however quantity demanded in the domestic market rises to 16. This takes place primarily because of the inverse relation of quantity demanded and the direct correlation of quantity supplied with price. Assuming that there are no transport and other costs, domestic supply and demand takes place according to the world price. Since world production is infinite, at $1 the quantity sold will be 16. c. Assuming that free trade takes place i.e. there is no tariff laid on the goods imported from outside the domestic country; the equilibrium price stays at $1. Quantity supplied domestically is 1 however quantity demanded domestically is 16, which means there is a gap of 15 units of production. This gap is bridged by importing 15 units of the product from the world market. Hence, the output produced by domestic producers is 1 and that by the foreign producers is 15. Since the domestic price is higher than the world price and the country is an importer of the good, this implies that the rest of the world has a comparative advantage in the production of the good. The country is thus a net importer of the good and thus domestic consumers of the good are better off since they have to pay a lower price. d. Despite all the benefits of free trade, barriers to free trade do exist. Tariffs are excise taxes imposed on imported goods. As a tariff of $1 per unit is imposed, on one hand it raises the world price to $2 and hence the quantity demanded falls to 11 from 16 and on the other hand, the quantity supplied rises from 1 to 4. The gap between domestic supply and demand falls from 15 to 7. Hence, under $1 tariff situation, a total of 11 units are sold at $2. Tariffs are imposed primarily for protecting the domestic market. As already seen, the major and immediate impact of tariff is the rise in the price level. Since price is inversely

Business report of Zee company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business report of Zee company - Essay Example Zee Co. should also critically analyze the provisions of the purchase as stipulated by the English Dairy company. For instance, in the analysis report given to the Zee Company, it is clearly stated that the purchase of the company could be financed by two options; sales and lease back (1.4 million pounds head office) or by the bank loan that the merchant bank consented to provide upon agreement with the Zee company. The bank proceeded by giving their terms and conditions regarding the loan as 4% of the total purchase price and an additional 4,000 pounds for the arrangement fee. These information is suppose to help Zee company to brainstorm and come up with a sound decision which is financially a plausible in their attempt to make the purchase. Question 2 a The accounting ratios that were given by the English Dairy Company could be misleading because the ratios were calculated on the assumptions that favored the financial position of the English Dairy Company. ... The financial ratios given by the English Dairy Company could also be misleading in that the aspects of stockpile of the finished goods were not stated and if was stated then were quoted as sales. This gave a very impressive picture of the company’s performance which was fictitious. The key fundamentals involved in the calculations were hidden and this resonated by impressing Zee Company who by the time of purchase believed the report of the English Dairy Company as a honest financial position of the business. In regard of all these, Zee company was vulnerable for deception on grounds that not all the material facts were given to reflect and inform the buyer company to make choices that were sound. Question 2 b The published company’s accounts are entirely dependant on the good will of the company responsibility to report honest financial position of the business. Just because businesses clearly knows that it is the financial reports that are used to gauge the performan ce of the companies, they are always bound to fix figures regarding the business in order to create the feeling that the business is performing favorably. In most cases this may not be the case more so if the business is currently shopping for investors, loan or in the process of floating their shares. The financial reports of the businesses are normally corrected to suit the agenda that is moved by the company as at the time the report is required. In some other stretch, the financial reports of the companies are altered in the elaborate plan to evade tax payments. The need to relay the actual business position with regard to its finances has become an issue as business have been under legal obligation to

Quality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Quality - Research Paper Example The CNE article uses reliable data through showing consultations with the IOM report of 2000 and the studies of James in 2013. For instance, by referring to the studies such as that of James, it is clear that the research conducted is of high quality, reliable, and valid. The assumption is that the study involves the identification of preventable adverse events that are readily applicable in the hospital contexts. For example, some of the preventable adverse events encompass the errors of omission, errors of context, errors of commission, errors of communication, and those of context. The experimental design used in this article entails several measures concerning the patient safety and culture. Besides, the experiment includes varied elements of the patient safety culture that undergo developments. The design in this context gains confidence by using numerous tools to ascertain the safety of the patients. Some of the tools involved include the safety attitude questionnaires, safety cultural surveys, and the safety cultural improvement tool. There is tailoring of the instruments to various individuals to gain a broader perspective of the issue in question. Contextually, the tools targeted the hospital staff, the patients, and the medical personnel. Thus, it is a good design for the analysis of the safety of patients in the health care setup. Ulrich & Kear (2014) have managed to use accurate data and statistics from recognized studies and reports. For instance, the IOM report indicates the numbers of people injured and those that died due to preventable adverse events. In spite of the accurate use of this data, the research fails to carry out a critical statistical analysis to ascertain and give feedback to the individuals that participated in the surveys and questionnaires. In summary, the article provides an account of what safety has entailed in the US after the patient safety took the center stage of the health care system. It reflects on

W2 BA541 Disc Identifying Customers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W2 BA541 Disc Identifying Customers - Essay Example As such, the organization could be interpreted as more market-driven, rather than customer-oriented (Peppers & Rogers, 2010). In contrast, Johnson and Johnson’s credo is simply stated as â€Å"the values that guide our decision making are spelled out in Our Credo. Put simply, Our Credo challenges us to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve first† (Johnson and Johnson, 2014). Obviously, this organization is customer-driven. The effect is therefore manifested in terms of one’s trust and commitment to patronize the products of Johnson and Johnson’s more through being ensured that they put me first in their commitment of service. As such, even though these organizations are considered large in scale and their volume of customers (according to products and geographic location), both Unilever and Johnson and Johnson could manage their data according to products and even, geographic location across different countries; yet, much market research could have been undertaken by Johnson and Johnson to ensure that the needs, drives, and demands of the customers are taken into consideration during product development, launching, marketing, and sustaining continued patronage, in a longer time

Marketing Strategy for comfort cabs Business Essay

Marketing Strategy for comfort cabs Business - Essay Example In addition, Comfort cabs aims at capitalizing in planning for the travel as a way of the exploring unlimited business opportunities that are available in the northwest region of the Pacific. Information needs of target market It is important that our customers be informed of our locations, especially our head and branch offices where they make inquiries and launch appropriate complaints. The storefront of all our offices will face main streets with clearly visible entrances. We target to rent 1,550 square feet of fully serviced space for erecting our head office at a prevailing market rate of $27,099 per annum. To make the head office even more appealing to our visiting customers, additional $25,000 will be withdrawn from the business account for internal refurbishment. To cut on the costs, some of this work will be done by our staff with assistance of a few professionals. Because of our convenient location, a simple address will be detailed in our business card with a small map gui ding the customers to the main office. Our contacts will clearly be displayed on our cabs for any potential customers to contact us when they need our services. Based on the fact that modern communication is even more advanced (Kate 28), the displayed contacts will include our business website (confortcab.com) and the telephone address of the main office. Should the customer establish a closer relationship with a specific cab, such customers can be given the address of the specific cab driver to enhance more convenient contact when their services are needed. Personal selling Through the personal selling approach, the individuals make â€Å"cold† calls to the potential customers informing them of their products and services and requesting these customers to try these products (Gooderl 135). In Comfort Cab business, personal selling will be a very important approach through which we will influence the customers in Seattle area. As our cabs move within the town, the drivers will stop at the strategic bus passenger collection stages to carry the wiling customers. In addition, the follow-ups calls will be made to our previously served customers to inquire about their opinions to our services, inquire of their willingness to be served by our cabs and to request for their recommendation to other potential customers. Through follow-ups, the customers are given details about our whereabouts and contact in order to contact us any time they need of our services. Through personal selling approach, Comfort cabs will be able to tailor the information to potential customer in real time. Through this direct contact, our sales personnel will address the customers concerns. In addition to the personnel responding to the customer requests on phone, others will embark on a street promotion campaign that will be targeted at informing the public of the new business, the location covered, incentives, and the charges. This information will be detailed in small cards that will also contain the company name, physical address and phone contact. Training Increasing the number of staff will be an important move by Comfort cabs. This is based on the fact that at this stage, many promotions and marketing are to be undertaken in order to create awareness of our services to the public. After recruitment, these individuals will be taken through an all-encompassing training program to improve on service delivery. The current staffs are passionate about the adventure vacations offered by this business. This is an

First paper- about Mr.Sir. Second paper- about Stanley Yelnats. Last Essay

First paper- about Mr.Sir. Second paper- about Stanley Yelnats. Last two paper summery of the book HOLES' - Essay Example It can be said that he is selfish man as once after a nine hour cross-desert journey he didn’t offer the driver anything to drink while drinking water in full view of Stanley. He is always carrying a gun so that he doesn’t miss a chance to gun-down the yellow spotted poisonous lizards. He keeps reminding the boys that Camp Green Lake is not a ‘Girl Scout Camp’; this is a type of catchword used by him. Mr. Stanley Yelnats: He is the focalcharacter of the novel. Stanley is a fifteen years old overweight boy who doesn’t have any friends at school and is always intimidated by his classmates. His family was cursed by a gypsy named Madame Zeroni after which the Yelnats had a history of bad-luck. Stanley believes that it is because of this curse he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though his family is poor they always look at the brighter side of life and remain optimistic. Stanley is sent to the juvenile detentioncenter as he was accused of stealing a pair of shoes.The warden of the detention center believes that digging holes in the hardened soil will help build the character of the boys at the camp therefore the boys at the camp spend the whole day digging five feet deep holes in the hardened earth. ... The power of their bond of friendship benefits Stanley to develop the characteristics of courage, contentment, self-assurance and physical strength. SUMMARY Stanley was being sent to Camp Green Lake, adry place in Texas where young boys were penalized for character building, after being wrongly accused of stealing shoes belonging to a baseball player. His family has a history of bad-luck because of an old curse originating from his fore-fathers. Stanley believes that as a result of the curse he faced the misfortune of being accused which resulted in him being sent to the juvenile detention and correction facility for behavioral adjustment. However unlike the name, there is no lake there and the boys spend each day digging five foot deep holes in the sunbaked, hardened and dried lakebed. The warden at the camp believes that this would help the boys build their character however the ulterior motive behind this was to find the hidden treasure belonging to the legendary Kissin’ Ka te Barlow. While digging one of the holes Stanley finds a golden lipstick with the mark K.B etched on it however as Stanley doesn’t know anything about the treasure he gives the tube to another boy to give it back to the Warden. Seeing the lipstick tube the warden asks the boys to dig desperately in the area where she assumes the item was found whereas only Stanley knows where he found it. At the camp Stanley befriends the least popular boy named Zero (Hector Zeroni). One day Zero confesses to Stanley that he is uneducated and it was because of his fault that Stanley is imprisoned. After hearing this he decides to teach him but on a condition that Zero has to help him in digging the holes. Their friendship upsets the other boys at the camp and this result in

Interpreting Chinses and English Language Essay

Interpreting Chinses and English Language - Essay Example People living in their homeland are very well aware of their native language but when they travel or migrate to other countries; it gets difficult for them to communicate to people of different countries in their own language. But there is a language which is known as a universal language and that language is normally used and known by all. The language which is referred as a universal language or more appropriately known as an international passport is the English language (Translation, Interpretation and Language Links). English language is one such language which is normally known and used in most of the nations of the world. English is known as an international passport for the reason that if anybody is not aware of the language of any country, English is one such language which can help in at least communicating for a while. Let us understand this notion through an example. If a person is travelling to China for a meeting and the delegates there are not aware of the language, he will take a translator along so that he can translate the Chinese language into a common language which is normally English so that he helps that person in understanding the language through his known language. Nevertheless, translator may be of help at that point and time but a ... It happens many times that there are certain words with dual meaning but the usage of the words is done according to the context and given situation. For translating, it is important to apply rules for combining components, such as words with the background so that one may interpret it as it is said. It is also observed that traditional communications link between cultures is formed by non-native speakers, that is, individuals who are completely fluent in one (the native) language and proficient in another (the non-native language) which is normally a role of translator. Beyond translation, these individuals are also asked to provide analysis and interpretation so that the actual meaning and the context can be understood. However, it is very important to counter difficulties at the time of translation so that interpretation can be accurately done which will eliminate the factor of miscommunication or misunderstanding (Corpus-based approaches to semantic interpretation in natural language processing_(Natural Language Processing) - AI Magazine Encyclopedia_com). Thus, there are many problems in interpreting languages and when we talk about interpreting Chinese and English languages simultaneously; there are some major issues which may occur. Problems encountered while simultaneous interpretation There are times when people having command over languages may face problems due to not being aware of the actual scenario in which certain things are said. While interpreting the facts, one may encounter the following problems: Lack of relevant prior knowledge: The most common problem which is faced by the translators while translating and then interpreting Chinese to English of English to Chinese is due to the fact of not having prior knowledge.

Analytical Application Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analytical Application - Coursework Example Country Annual inflation rate Spot rate USA 3% N/A UK 4.2% 1.62 Substituting the values in the purchasing power parity formula Forward rate = ( 1 + 0.042 ) x 1.62 1 + 0.030 Forward rate = 1.639 Answer 2 The appreciation / (Depreciation) in the British pound using the interest rate parity theory is as follows Country Spot rate One year forward rate Appreciation / (Depreciation) Percentage UK 1.62 1.633 0.013 0.80% The appreciation / (Depreciation) in the British pound using the purchasing power parity theory is as follows Country Spot rate One year forward rate Appreciation / (Depreciation) Percentage UK 1.62 1.639 0.019 1.17% Answer 3 The forecasted forward rate using both interest rate parity theory and the purchasing power parity theory appears to be an unbiased estimate of the future spot rate of the currency. Interest rate is a very important factor in determining the relative exchange rate in an economy and in most countries the Federal Reserve and Central Banks publish the forw ard exchange rates of the foreign currencies using the prevailing interest rate in the economy. Similarly, the forecast of rate using the purchasing power parity theory can also be concluded as the unbiased estimation of the forward rate. Answer 4 According to the interest rate parity theory, the difference between the interest rate of two countries is equal to the differential between the forward exchange rate and the spot exchange rate of two countries. In the current global economy, interest rate parity theory plays a great part in connecting the interest rates and exchange rates of two countries. The origin of this theory can be associated to an article written by Walther Lotz in 1884 which was concerned with the Vienna forward market. In 1927, another renowned economist Keynes pointed out the fact that forward premiums are affected by the relative interest differential. There are certain assumptions which need to be considered. The securities, both domestic and foreign, are con sidered to be identical in terms of maturity time and risk. It is the prevailing interest rate on these securities that is utilized in the interest rate parity calculation. In addition, it is also assumed that there are no capital controls or transaction cost and market imperfections. Purchasing power parity theory is another theory widely used in determining the forward rates of a particular currency. As per this theory, when a country’s inflation rate rises, the demand for its currency declines as its exports also declines due to the higher prices. As a corresponding impact, the importers and firms in that country start putting more emphasis on the imported goods and other items. These two factors in combination cast a downward impact on the high inflation of a country’s currency. Inflation rates do not remain constant between countries which cause international trade patterns and exchange rates to adjust accordingly. There are two forms of purchasing power parity th eory. One is absolute form and the other is relative form. The

Roman Fever Essay Example for Free

Roman Fever Essay In the short story â€Å"Roman Fever† we see a pattern in the lives of the women. I like to call this destructive passion. Destructive passion can be put into a literal term of passion itself. â€Å"Passion in itself is an emotion applied to a strong feeling about a person or thing. † (Merriam-Webster online) This also means that passion can be known has having a strong desire towards something or someone. Intense passion in the forms of love, fear, vengefulness, enmity, and jealousy poisons the relationship between Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. We can also see this pattern how it unfolded with Grace’s Great-aunt and how it could possibly unfold with Grace and Alida’s daughters. First we can unfold the destructive behavior of the Great-aunt. â€Å"Oh yes; Great –aunt Harriet. The one who was supposed to have sent her young sister out to the Forum after sunset to gather a night blooming flower for her album. All of our great-aunts and grandmothers used to have albums of dried flowers† (Gwynn 99) Here is where we first encounter a history of deceit and destructive behavior that rises from the form of passion for love of another. â€Å"Mrs. Slade nodded. †But she really sent her because they were in love with the same man-â€Å"(Gwynn 99) We now begin to unravel the destructive actions that Alida has towards Grace. This cycle is starting to pan out for each generation. We have the story of the great-aunt being passed sown to Alida and Grace and undoubtedly will be passed to Jenny and Barbara of their mothers deceit and passion for the same man. In the following exert from the short story we see the passion of hatred unfold from the past of the great-aunt to the past of Alida and Grace. â€Å"Well, that was the family tradition. They say Aunt Harriet confessed it years afterward. At any rate, the poor little sister caught the fever and died. Mother used to frighten us with the story when we were children. †(Gwynn 99) We can take two meanings from the word fever. We can take the literal term of it being the sickness of it physically and she died from that. Or we can take the meaning metaphorically and say she died of the fever of passion and caught her death in that way. In either aspect you have the ideal of passion unfolding the deceit, hatred, and jealousy one has for another’s so called â€Å"possessions†. We can now unfold the complete jealousy and destructive passion between the two women. â€Å"And you frightened me with it, that winter when you and I were here as girls. The winter I was engaged to Delphin. † Here we have the beginning of the passion forming a rift between the two friends. They loved the same man. One was willing to go the extra length to have the other out of the picture. Right now we only see it as a threat but Alida takes it to the next level. First, Grace falls in love with Alida’s fiance, Delphin. Out of fear of losing Delphin and out of a desire for revenge, Alida executes a plot exposing Grace to an evening chill that sickens her and isolates her from Delphin. Alida Slade forges a letter to lure Grace Ansley to the Colosseum. The whole reason behind this is to give her the â€Å"Roman Fever† and have her out of her and Delphins life forever. Little did Alida know that Grace responded to that letter and Delphin met her anyway. Because of Alida’s destructive passion for Delphin she did the one thing she feared. She pushed the two closer together and the consummated their love. In this consummation they produced a child. This is a forever haunt to Alida by the end of the story. So know we are faced with the unknown with the two girls of Alida and Grace. Barbara and Jenny now have a chance to break the cycle of the women before them but can they? The parallels between all of the women are substantial but none more so then Jenny and Barbara. Barbara is funny and smart and very vivacious like Alida was. She is not like her mother Grace. On the other hand you have Jenny, who is beautiful, quiet, and ordinary like Grace. But Jenny is nothing like her mother Alida. Both girls are receiving the attentions of young men, as their mothers did twenty-five years before. Barbara is likely to become the fiancee of a promising bachelor, according to Alida. She muses that Babs would almost certainly come back engaged to the extremely eligible Campolieri. (Gwynn 98) Twenty-five years before, Alida herself was engaged to a promising bachelor. Here is the promising of the cycle repeating itself. We have the right setting and the same scenario starting all over again. It seems as if Rome itself can be such a passionate city but also have destruction in its nature. Add to these parallels this circumstance: As daughters of Delphin Slade, Barbara and Jenny are half-sisters. This fact is significant in relation to the story about Graces Great-Aunt Harriet. While competing for a man with her own sister, she deliberately tricked the girl into exposing herself to Roman fever. Thus we now have the full circle of the past repeating itself over and over again. We also have at the heart of it passion. The destructive part comes into play when you will see what a person is willing to do in order to keep the feeling alive. It results in selfishness and a destruction of friendships and relationships on the whole. We can now connect the meaning of â€Å"Roman Fever† with the meaning of destructive passion. Grace acquired Roman fever figuratively when she burned with love for Alidas fiance, Delphin. Alida developed the fever figuratively when Graces love for Delphin fired her with hate for Grace and a desire to get even by writing the letter. Alida later suffered the fever when she became intensely jealous of Graces daughter. Roman fever simmers secretly within both women for the next twenty-five years. This revelation is the heart of what destructive passion is capable of and how the cycle can be passed on.

The Mongolia Life Cycle Sociology Essay

The Mongolia Life Cycle Sociology Essay Mongolias population of 2.8 million is growing annually by 1.5 percent. One-third of Mongolians live in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Approximately one-fourth live in smaller cities, especially Darhan, Erdenet, and Choybalsan. The rest of the population is spread throughout rural Mongolia. Most of these inhabitants are nomadic herders. With rural conditions increasingly harsh, more people are moving to cities-a trend that threatens the survival of traditional nomadic society. Reform has allowed freedom of religion, and more than one hundred monasteries have reopened. Many young Mongolians are receiving an education through these traditional centers of learning, and people are once again able to practice cherished traditions. Boys are increasingly applying to become monks, and Buddhism is rapidly regaining its popularity. Kazakh Muslims (about 4 percent) are free to practice Islam. Christianity is gaining influence. Urban wedding ceremonies take place in wedding palaces. Afterward, many couples now go to a Buddhist monk to receive a blessing or have their future predicted. A large feast treats as many relatives and friends as the new couples families can afford to feed. In rural areas, common-law marriages are typical. Rural couples receive a ger from the husbands family. Mongolian families traditionally exchange gifts in conjunction with a wedding. The grooms family usually gives livestock, while the brides family offers jewelry and clothing. (Culture Grams) National culture-including societal organization, governance, land management, cultural customs, and material culture-was largely shaped by the nomadic pastoral lifestyle. The legacy of Genghis Khans empire is a rallying point for Mongol nationalist pride today. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html Lamaism, the Tibetan form of Buddhism, entered the Mongolian society in the sixteenth century. It had a strong impact on the Mongolian culture for centuries. Mongols sought the counsel and help of the lama (priest or monk) for every aspect of their life: migration, marriage, childbirth, disease, and death. Since 1949, Lamaist beliefs and practices have decreased drastically. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html After the fall of communism, Mongolia witnessed a religious revival and more and more people sought comfort from spiritual activities. Despite being unfamiliar with religious ceremonies and prayers, people flocked to temples for religious services and many families began to send one of their children to join the monkhood. The devout also contribute money to the temples and invite the Lamas to their homes for lavish feasts. (REL) Due to Mongolias small population, women are a vitally important part of the workforce. Men and women have an equal place in the Mongolian economy and this equality carries over into the home. Women still tend to do more than half the housework and play the primary role in supporting the family, but the role of the Mongolian woman is undergoing rapid change. (WIC) People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mongolia Top of Page Population: 2,832,224 (July 2006 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.9% (male 402,448/female 387,059) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 967,546/female 969,389) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,859/female 59,923) (2006 est.) Median age: total: 24.6 years male: 24.3 years female: 25 years (2006 est.) Population growth rate: 1.46% (2006 est.) Birth rate: 21.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Death rate: 6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 52.12 deaths/1,000 live births male: 55.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.89 years male: 62.64 years female: 67.25 years (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.25 children born/woman (2006 est.) HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 500 (2003 est) HIV/AIDS deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.) Nationality: noun: Mongolian(s) adjective: Mongolian Ethnic groups: Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000) Religions: Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4% (2004) Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% male: 98% female: 97.5% (2002) https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mg.html#People Birth http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/traditions.htm (Birthday Celebration) http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ (Birth % of Skilled attendant at Delivery) http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/global_monitoring/data.html (Birth % of Skilled attendant at Delivery) http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm (Abortion) How is birth viewed in the culture? Fertility is important in Mongolian society, so childless women usually experience social stigma. (WIC) Are there any customs regarding the way newborns should be swaddled, whether they stay in the house, carried around in public, etc.? Are babies normally birthed in hospitals or at home? Is there a preference for doctors or midwives? Skilled attendant at delivery (%), 1997-2005* 97 http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/mongolia_statistics.html More than 95 percent of all pregnant Mongolian women receive ante-natal care. As of 2004, the maternal mortality rate was 98 deaths per 100,000 live births. Estimated infant mortality rates for 2006 are 52 per 1,000. (WIC) Are there any formalities/celebrations in the culture regarding newborns? Among Buddhists there are many naming ceremonies.   In some traditions, children are named between the ages of three and eight.   After children are born, their parents have their Kikas drawn up.   The Kika is a very specific horoscope which many Buddhists believe determines all aspects of a persons life including marriage and death.   At the naming ceremony, a rimpoche, or Buddhist holy person, looks carefully at the childs Kika and selects a name which reflects the traits and predictions described in the Kika.   After cutting a strand of the childs hair, the rimpoche announces the childs name. http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:ybpfeaiYiCUJ:rainbowwarrior.coa.edu/laura/ceremony/religiuosceremony.htm+Buddhist+naming+ceremonieshl=engl=inct=clnkcd=1 How are birthdays celebrated in the culture? Are they important events? How does the culture view abortion? Abortions are legal in Mongolia and available on request. (WIC) ABORTION POLICY Grounds on which abortion is permitted: To save the life of the woman Yes To preserve physical health Yes To preserve mental health Yes Rape or incest Yes Foetal impairment Yes Economic or social reasons Yes Available on request Yes Additional requirements: An abortion can be performed during the first three months of pregnancy and later if the pregnant woman suffers from an illness seriously threatening her health. Approval of the family or of the spouse is required. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONTEXT Government view on fertility level: No official position Government intervention concerning fertility level: No intervention Government policy on contraceptive use: Direct support provided Percentage of currently married women using modern contraception (15-49*,1994): 25 Total fertility rate (1995-2000): 2.6 Age-specific fertility rate (per 1,000 women aged 15-19, 1995-2000): 47 Government has expressed particular concern about: Morbidity and mortality resulting from induced abortion No Complications of childbearing and childbirth Yes Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births, 1990): National 65 Eastern Asia 95 Female life expectancy at birth (1995-2000): 67.3 For all women of ages specified. BACKGROUND Under the Mongolian Criminal Code of 6 July 1960, abortion was generally illegal. If it was performed by a physician, it was punishable by up to two years imprisonment. If it was performed by a person lacking the highest medical qualifications, or if performed under unsanitary conditions, the punishment was increased to up to five years imprisonment. Nonetheless, under general criminal law principles of necessity, an abortion could be performed to save the life of the pregnant woman. In 1986, the abortion provisions of the Code were amended. Although abortion is in general still considered a serious offence, the Code authorized medical authorities to establish the conditions for the performance of legal abortions. Three years later in 1989, the health law was amended to reflect this change. Paragraph 56 of the Code was modified to provide that becoming a mother was a matter of a womans own decision. During the first three months of pregnancy she could obtain an abortion on request and, later in pregnancy, when necessary due to illness. Abortions were to be performed by physicians under hospital conditions, and the Ministry of Health was to approve a list of illnesses justifying the performance of an abortion on medical grounds. The health law was revised in 1998 but its provisions on abortion remained the same. The 1996 National Population Policy of Mongolia adopted by Parliament stated that abortion should not be promoted as a means of family planning. The Government considers the abortion rate to be too high. The Government also reiterated in 1999 that abortion is generally permitted if a pregnant woman requests it and that abortion is publicly subsidized. Prior to these amendments to the law enacted in the late 1980s, legal provisions governing abortion in Mongolia echoed the pronatalist population policy of the Government. In responding to the Eighth United Nations Inquiry among Governments on Population and Development, the Government indicated no position on the fertility level and no policy to modify it. The Government remains seriously concerned over the high levels of infant, child and maternal mortality. The Government has attributed the relatively high abortion rate, 25.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, to shortages of modern contraceptives, as well as to a lack of knowledge concerning contraceptive use. Many women choose to have abortions carried out illegally by private physicians because of cheaper costs. Induced abortion accounts for a large percentage of maternal mortality in Mongolia, causing at least 850 maternal deaths each year. The Government seeks to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate to more than 50 per cent by 2001. The National Reproductive Health Programme was adopted in 1997. The Government reports that, since the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1984, successful steps have been undertaken to ensure access of women to reproductive health-care services. Each provincial centre and some district cities have established reproductive health cabinets attached to the local public health centres. These cabinets provide services such as counselling, and pregnancy monitoring and evaluation. A National Adolescent Health Programme was adopted in 1997. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm Childhood http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.right-to-education.org/content/age/armenia.html http://www.cohre.org/get_attachment.php?attachment_id=3069 (Sub-Saharan Africa Rights of Women http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life What is a normal childhood in the culture? Are children raised by their parents or grandparents? What role do grandparents and extended family members play in the raising of a child? Attitudes about child rearing are generally quite relaxed and all family members participate in the supervision and moral education of children. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html What are normal childhood activities in the culture? Are children revered or just another piece of the population? Are male children valued more? At what age do children begin school? Offices are generally open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Shops are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Grocery stores have the same hours as shops but often are open on Sunday. A large open market featuring consumer goods, rural crafts, and assorted items operates several days a week on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. (Culture Grams) Are children expected to contribute to household income? How is child labor viewed in the society? Coming of Age http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life What marks a childs coming of age in this culture? At what age do children normally come of age? Are there certain rites or celebrations that mark coming of age? What is expected of youth in this phase of life? Are there certain difficulties experienced by this age group? At what age are children expected to work contribute to the maintenance of the family? Dating Courtship http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://kinseyinstitute.org/ccies/ (Sexuality ) http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/IES/ (Sexuality) http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life What are the general attitudes about dating in the culture? Dating is fairly common. (WIC) Dating between schoolmates and coworkers commonly leads to marriage. (Culture Grams) Is there are distinction between courtship and dating in the culture? At what age do people generally start dating? How do men and women meet each other? Mongolian women usually meet men at schools, in the workplace, and at social gatherings. (WIC) If dating is not customary, describe how people get together for marriage? Is it arranged? If marriages are arranged, talk about how. What are the rituals around it (classified ads, matchmakers, astrology, etc.). If marriages are arranged, what are the factors in finding a suitable mate? Are chaperones customary? If so, who serves as the chaperone? Are there popular venues for dating? Does a man or woman pay for dating expenses? Describe a typical dating experience. How long do people generally date before they get married? Generally speaking in the culture, what are considered desirable attributes in a man? Generally speaking in the culture, what are considered desirable attributes in a woman? Does religion play a role in dating? What are taboos of dating in the culture? Is sex in dating common or taboo? What is the view of pre-marital sex? If premarital sex is common, is birth control promoted, practiced, or taboo? Is cross-cultural dating or cross-religious dating allowed or encouraged? Do people date outside their social, economic, education, religious, and ethnic categories? How important are parents/family approval for dating? How does a proposal for marriage occur? Arranged marriages are traditional in Mongolia, but for the last century, young Mongolians have become increasingly free to choose their own partners with minimal parental involvement. They normally marry within their own tribes. (WIC) Marriage http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/asian_traditions.html (Wedding Celebration) http://www.myhappylove.com/lyrics/wedding-traditions.html (Wedding Celebration) http://www.right-to-education.org/content/age/armenia.html (Minimum Schooling / Marriage / Employment Age ) http://www.coe.int/t/e/social_cohesion/population/demographic_year_book/2003_edition/04%20country%20data/ ( Population/Marriage/ Divorce/ Fertility) http://www.cohre.org/get_attachment.php?attachment_id=3069 (Sub-Saharan Africa Rights of Women http://kinseyinstitute.org/ccies/ (Sexuality) http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/IES/ (Sexuality) http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/reports.htm (For the status of women rights) http://www.international-divorce.com/ (Divorce Custody) http://www.aupairinamerica.com/hostfamilies/culturequest_index.htm Is marriage considered a sacred/spiritual act or simply a legal act in the culture? At what age do people normally get married? The legal marriage age for Mongolian women is 18, but most women marry in their early to mid twenties. (WIC) Mongolians usually marry between the ages of 18 and 25. (Culture Grams) Does hierarchy in the family play a role in who is able to get married or who gets married first? How are marriages celebrated? What are the rituals associated with the marriage ceremony? A custom of denying entrance on marrying has been common among the nomadic and seminomadic Mongols. The bridegroom, accompanied by relatives, rides to the brides yurt (house). He finds the door slammed in his face. After repeated requests, the door is finally opened. He presents a hada (ceremonial silk scarf) to his parents-in-law on entering and is given a banquet with a whole lamb. After the meal, the bride sits with her back to the others. The bridegroom kneels behind her and asks what her nickname was in childhood. He drinks at her house all night long. The following day, the bride leaves the yurt first. She circles the yurt on horseback three times, then speeds along to the bride-grooms house. The bridegroom and his relatives ride after her. The door is also slammed in her face and is only opened after repeated requests. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html Urban wedding ceremonies take place in wedding palaces. Afterward, many couples now go to a Buddhist monk to receive a blessing or have their future predicted. A large feast treats as many relatives and friends as the new couples families can afford to feed. In rural areas, common-law marriages are typical. Rural couples receive a ger from the husbands family. Mongolian families traditionally exchange gifts in conjunction with a wedding. The grooms family usually gives livestock, while the brides family offers jewelry and clothing. (Culture Grams) The wedding day is begun at a local temple where the couple separately asks for the blessings of Buddha. Both bride and groom are then dressed in outfits traditional to their region. At the mutually auspicious astrologically designated wedding time, the bride and groom are individually taken to the shrine room of their local temple or a hall hired for the occasion. Here, the couple sees each other for the first time on that day. Spiritual Buddhist wedding traditions dont necessarily require the presence of monks or the use of a temples shrine room. For these traditions, the wedding location would be equipped with a shrine to Buddha featuring candles, flowers, incense and a statue or image of Buddha. The ceremony begins as the entire assembly recites the Vandana, Tisarana and Pancasila readings. The couple then lights the candles and incense sticks surrounding Buddhas image and offers him the flowers within the shrine. Because of the secularity of Buddhist weddings, there is no assigned set of marriage vows. However, the bride and groom will recite their expected undertakings using the Sigilovdda Sutta as a guide. The Sigiloydda Sutta says: In five ways should a wife, as Western quarter, be ministered to by her husband: by respect, by courtesy, by faithfulness, by handing over authority to her, by providing her with ornaments. In these five ways does the wife minister to by her husband as the Western quarter, love him: her duties are well-performed by hospitality to kin of both, by faithfulness, by watching over the goods he brings and by skill and industry in discharging all business. After these vows are spoken, the bride and groom can exchange rings. If monks are present, the marriage vows will be both preceded and proceeded by their chanting. After the Wedding Once officially married, the couple receives their guests with the huge feast and decorations prepared in the previous days to the wedding. http://www.urbandharma.org/udnl2/nl021004.html Finally, the assembly or perhaps the parents only, should recite the Mangala Sutta and Jayamangala Gatha as a blessing. http://www.buddhanet.net/funeral.htm What are the cultural expectations of marriage? Do men and women have equal say in their marriages? What are the typical roles of the man and woman in marriage? How much do parents or in-laws have to say about their offsprings marriage? What degree of involvement do they generally have? Where do couples normally residein their own place, with parents, etc.? The sons, after marrying, move out of their parents home. However, they live nearby and may travel with their parents in search of new pastures. In seminomadic districts, families often include parents, sons, and daughters-in-law. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html Are affairs common? Are they culturally accepted? Are men or women allowed to have multiple spouses? Mongolian traditional society allowed polygamy as long as the husband could provide for each wife. However, polygamy was legally banned some time ago and is no longer practiced. (WIC) Do laws equally protect the rights of individuals in a marriage? How are anniversaries celebrated in the culture? Is divorce legal or acceptable in the culture? Under what circumstances is it acceptable to divorce? What is the process in the event of a divorce? Mongolian women could initiate divorce and remarry afterwards. In such cases the new husbands usually accepted a divorced woman along with her children, as acquiring a ready-made family was believed to indicate an existing spiritual connection. (WIC) Do women retain any rights? What happens to children of a divorce? A Mongolian woman can initiate divorce. In most divorce cases, the mothers get custody of minor children. (WIC) Is remarriage for widows condoned in the society? Family Parenting http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html http://www.cohre.org/get_attachment.php?attachment_id=3069 (Sub-Saharan Africa Rights of Women http://map.sscs.org.au/Documents/cultural_dictionary.pdf (Similar to Cultural Grams) Culture Grams which is in our WTP Folder Birth, Dating, Marriage, Family, Recreation, Death/After Life http://www.unece.org/stats/trend/ (Population/ Families households/ Employment/ Housing) http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html (Family) http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/reports.htm (For the status of women rights) http://www.international-divorce.com/ (Divorce Custody) What does the family unit in a home look like? (i.e. 2 parents, children? Parents, children, all relatives?, etc.) Is there an imposed or cultural idea about how many children are the right amount for a family? What is the typical family size? Nomadic extended families often live in a camp of several gers. Husbands take care of herding and slaughtering, while wives handle milking and food preparation. Older children care for younger siblings. Urban families live either in high-rise apartments or in a ger, with its surrounding fence and storage shed. A ger in or near a city will have electricity but not heat or water. Due to a housing shortage, three generations must often share a small apartment; parents sleep in the living room and children and grandparents in the bedrooms. Urban families have one or two children. Both parents generally work outside the home. Networks of family reciprocity are an important means of support. For example, rural relatives may supply their city relatives with meat and dairy products, and the urban dwellers may reciprocate by taking one or more of the rural familys children to live with them in the city so they may receive a better education. (Culture Grams) Traditionally, families were the main unit of production in this herding society. The kinship system was patrilineal and sons generally established households in a common camp with their fathers. Several generations of families customarily live together in a nomadic camp known as a khot ail (group of tents) and share herding tasks. This camp, generally consisting of two to seven households, serves as a way of pooling labor for herding and has numerous social and ritual functions. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html A Mongolian family generally consists of a husband, a wife, and their young children. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html How central are children to the family? What are the general reasons for having children? Children have always been treasured in Mongolian culture, and large families were historically the norm. Large families were considered desirable because many children ensured extra help and security in old age. Although family size is changing today, the country is still so sparsely populated that some people still believe it is advantageous to have as many Mongolians as possible. http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html How important is birth or gender order? Is there a family hierarchy or cultural custom in terms of childbearing (i.e. the youngest child of a family may not have children until the eldest has had them, etc.) What is the expectation or role of each parent after the birth of the child? Who is the head of the household? Mongolian women traditionally held a higher social status than women in many Asian cultures. Still, a womans primary role was as a homemaker. (WIC) The father is head of the family, but the mother is responsible for household affairs. (Culture Grams) Who makes the chief decisions for the family? The Mongols are monogamous. The family is dominated by the man, but herders usually consult their wives about major decisions. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Mongols.html Traditionally, Mongolia has always been a patriarchal society. Mongolian proverbs such as If a husband does not beat his wife once a month, he is not a man Today, Mongolian men often maintain the appearance that they are the family decision-makers, even if their wives actually make the decisions. However, the number of single-parent families headed by women is growing in Mongolia. (WIC) Who earns the income? Who customarily manages the household? (Mother, Father, Grandparent?) Describe typical family life? (daily routines) What are the roles of the children (up to 10 yrs.)? What are the roles of adolescents (11 and up)? What are typical/favorite family activities? Urban wedding ceremonies take place in wedding palaces. Afterward, many couples now go to a Buddhist monk to receive a blessing or have their future predicted. A large feast treats as many relatives and friends as the new couples families can afford to feed. In rural areas, common-law marriages are typical. Rural couples receive a ger from the husbands family. Mongolian families traditionally exchange gifts in conjunction with a wedding. The grooms family usually gives livestock, while the brides family offers jewelry and clothing. (Culture Grams) Is meal sharing with the family typical/mandatory? Dinner is considered the main meal of the day. The whole family generally eats dinner together. (Culture Grams) Is divorce common? Today, divorce is relatively rare in Mongolia. In most divorces, mothers receive the custody of children and are entitled to child support and alimony. (WIC) With whom to the children go if there is a divorce? What cultural expectations are there in terms of duty to parents?. What or how much do children owe their parents in adulthood? Does hierarchy/economics/education/or other play a role in terms of which child has more responsibilities or duty requirements? (i.e. in Japan/Korea, etc.) Most Mongolians live in nuclear families, tho

Transformational, Transactional and Laissez faire Leadership

Transformational, Transactional and Laissez faire Leadership Healthcare organizations nowadays are facing many complex issues that affect theirs success like providing best health care within affordable cost and staff retention. Lack of job satisfaction among nurses and increase the rate of staff absenteeism and turnover, consider other critical issues that have great impact on the organization continuation. Those challenges need well prepared leader who adopt an effective leadership style to mange and over come them. Leadership style affects the development and employees commitment (Spinelli, 2006). Many scientists and researchers are interested nowadays in leadership and management field. Leadership define as the process of motivating people to work together collaboratively to accomplish great things or the capacity to influence others. Effective leader help to increase the followers commitment and interest in the organization goals Different leadership theories and styles were tested to study their effectiveness. Early studies and researches in leadership was based on belief that the leader should have or born with specific general personal trait and he the ones who mainly set the rules and the responsibilities and the follower accomplish them. But with the time, the value of the collaboration and teamwork increase especially in the health care setting different which lead to contemporary theories to evolve. Contemporary theories consider that effective leadership is a certain skills that can be taught, trained or adopted by the leader. In this paper we will compare between th ree contemporary leadership theories: The transformational, transactional and the laissez-faire leadership what they mean and which one is more effective (Vroom Jago, 2007). Transactional Leadership Style Burns (1979) developed the transformational and transactional leadership theories and later Bass (1985) applied them to study their effectiveness in the organizations (Spinelli, 2006).Transactional leadership is an exchange process that identifies needs of employees and provides rewards to meet those needs in return for expected performance. A transactional leadership style consider as replacement of the autocratic leadership because both of them generate a level of predictability and order. The transactional leadership is more practical in nature because of its emphasis on meeting specific targets or objectives and focused more on daily basis task. Subordinates of transactional leaders are not expected to be creatively because they are monitored and evaluated on the basis of predetermined criteria (Aarons, 2006). Burns (1978) believed that transactional leadership is based on bureaucratic authority. Transactional leaders focus on work standards, assignments and task-oriented goals. In addition, he believed that transactional leaders tend to focus on task completion and employee compliance. Those leaders influence employee performance by using the organizational rewards and punishments. The transactional leader described also, as an agent of change and goal setter; a leader that works well with employees resulting in improvements in productivity (Emery, College, Barker, Fredonia, 2007). Bass and Avolio (1987) transactional leadership can be divided to there model: passive, active and contingent. Passive transactional leadership or management-by exception (MBE) means that status will remain as its unless things go wrong, in this case leader practicing passive management-by-exception will take actions that often have a negative implication. active transactional leadership involves an interaction between leader and follower that stress more on a more positive exchange; for example, providing appropriate rewards when followers meet objectives. Through that the leader will emphasizes on acceptable accomplishments and increase the followers motivation. Finally contingent style is where the leader focused on clarifying the rules and requirements for the followers and then rewards them due to fulfilling the obligations (Murphy, 2005). Transformational Leadership Style The transformational leadership theory is a cooperative, process-focused networking where the leader motivates his followers to create, inspire and influences changes in them. Leader of this style act as role model for his followers, attend their needs and involve them in the decision making process. The main point in this theory is to encourage the followers to perform to their full capacity and meet the expectations. Transformational Leader need to have a base of transaction qualities to establish his style successfully. Transformational leadership is not a substitute for transactional leadership, but it develops and enhances it (Tomey, 2004). The transformational and transactional leadership consisting of seven dimensions.(Bass, 1985; Avolio, Bass Jung, 1999) developed an instrument that include all those seven dimensions and used to measure the components of transactional, transformational leadership and laissez-faire leadership styles. This instrument, called the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Gumusluoglu, Ilsev, 2009). Transformational leadership is measured by four dimensions: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. In Idealized influence the leader does the right thing, take risks and act as role model for his followers which make him trusted and respected from his followers. . Inspirationally motivating leaders has high expectations and they are trying to inspire and motive their followers by changing their thoughts to achieve their leaders visions and expectations. Intellectual stimulation involves providing a supportive environment in the work which will encourage the employees to be more creative, accepting challenging tasks and involve in decisions making process. Finally, an individually considerate leader treats each employee as a unique person with respect to their differences, spends time coaching employees and appreciate their achievements with continues feed backing. (Arnold, Turner, Barling, Kelloway, McKee, (2007). Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Laissez-Faire leadership can be described as a nondirective, passive and inactive style. Leaders of this style believe that internal drives and believes motivate the follower to act .The leader in this style sets few rules for processing the issues in the organization and then delegates them to the subordinates. The leader needs to know very well the level of knowledge, competence and integrity of his followers to be able to delegate the tasks. This style helps the follower to invest their talents and abilities to the maximum. Its more effective if used with very mature and autonomous employees, but mostly it not effective or productive style. The risks here arise when the leader mistaken in choosing the suitable employee to accomplished the delegated tasks. Lack of clear vision and direction for the organization lead the followers to adopt different goals and objective, increase the stress level among the followers and decrease the productivity and the quality. Laissez-Faire leader do not influence the organization culture due to minimal interactions between him and his followers. Finally Laissez-Faire leadership style mainly can be used in small business not for big organizations like health organizations (Daly, Speedy Jackson, 2004). The Effectiveness of Transformational, Transactional  and Laissez-Faire Leadership Many researches and studies done to test the effectiveness and the consequences of adopting different leadership styles on the employee and the organization itself. For example, a study done in 2008 include of 447 staff working in a care center for the elderly in large Danish local government. This study used a longitudinal survey design and questionnaires. Transformational researchers here were testing three hypotheses one of them is the direct relationship between leadership and wellbeing in the followers. The study shown that the there is a strong relation between using the leader the transformational leadership style in dealing with his employees and their well being and decreasing their level of the work stress (Gumusluoglu et al., 2009). Other study done by Berson and Linton in 2005 conclude that the leader who follows the transformational leadership style in dealing with his employees will help them to be more creative and enthusiastic, increase their commitment in the job In 2006, a research done that involve subordinate managers from five hospitals in northeastern Pennsylvania.101 surveys were been distributed in five hospitals in northeastern Pennsylvania .The survey instrument used was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) that developed by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio (1997). The scientists want here to test the relation between the transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles of healthcare CEOs and their subordinate managers satisfaction with them, their willingness to exert extra effort, and perception of their leaders effectiveness. The study shown that the more CEOs followed the laissez-faire style in dealing with their subordinate managers, the lesser subordinate managers reported exerting extra effort and expressed satisfaction with the leader, and disbelieved in the efficiency of their leader (Spinelli, 2006). Employee job satisfaction is often consisting of the following elements: the job itself, supervisor relationship, management beliefs, future opportunity, work environment, pay/benefits/rewards, and co-worker relationships. According to Morriss research, employee job satisfaction is a critical factor in the satisfaction of the customers. In a study of customer satisfaction at a major Midwestern hospital, the correlation between the nurses job  satisfaction and the patients willingness to recommend the unit was .85, in the same study the nurses them self shown more satisfaction if their head managers developed transformational behaviors (Emery et al., 2007). Many studies encourage health care mangers to use both the transformational and the transactional leadership skills in their setting. Aarons (2006) did a study include 303 mental health providers working in 49 mental health programs for youths in California where involved in a study aim to examine the relation between leadership and mental health providers attitudes toward adopting evidence-based practice. The study shown that both transformational and transactional leadership were positively associated with providers having more positive attitudes toward adoption of evidence-based practice, but in transformational leadership the employees found no difference between their current practice and evidence-based practice which may affect the application of the new practices in the organization. The researchers recommend in this study that the mental health service organizations may benefit from improving transformational and transactional leadership skills in preparation for implementing evidence-based practices. McGuire and Kennerly (2006) mentioned that the leader needs to have a balance between transformational and transactional skills in his management, create effective plan that meet his employees needs. Conclusion Effective leadership styles and theories has been thoroughly studied and tested by scientists due its importance in the success of the organization. Leader in transactional style focused on tasks and reward the employee and recognize them if they meet the agreed objectives. Transformational leader act as role model for his followers inspires and motivate them and meet their needs. Laissez-faire leader provide no visions or directions for his followers, tend to delegate the tasks and avoid decision making. Many studies support the transformational style because its provide supportive environment where the employee work creatively, show commitment and meet the expected requirements. Some studies encourage leaders to make combination between the three styles in their management, because different situation need the style. Transformational and Laissez-faire styles are more useful in encouraging the employees to work independently and creativity. Transactional style is more effective when the leader want to set new practices and need to implement them within specific time.

Enviromental Influence in Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

The environment that someone is in can greatly affect his or her actions, decisions, and way of life. In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Huck is faced with many tough decisions. Huck is a young, white boy, raised in the south. His father is a drunk, and doesn’t teach Huck good morals. As we continue in the book, Huck is faced with the decision, to free a runaway slave, or not. Growing up in the south, he was taught that whites were always better than Negros. But Huck goes against his teachings and continues to help Jim escape to freedom. Huck’s father was an abusive drunk, so legal custody of Huck was switched over to Widow Douglas, who had a slave named Jim. Living with Mrs. Watson, Huck was taught good morals, values, and manners and was forced to go to school. However, he did not live there very long. Huck’s father went on a drunken rampage and kidnapped Huck from Mrs. Watson, and locked him up in his cabin. However, Huck enjoyed living with his father for a while, because he didn’t have to act civilized. Huck eventually figures a way out of the cabin, so he fakes his death so his father doesn’t think he ran away, and then escapes. Huck runs away to Jackson Island, because it is remote and no one lives there. Wandering around the island, Huck runs into Jim, who then explains to him that he ran away because he thought Huck was dead. Jim and Huck converse for a while, till Jim explains that he wants to buy his family back from slavery. Huck then agrees to help Jim escape to freedom by ge tting to Cairo and finding the Ohio River. The time period and location that Huck was living in was very prejudice toward black people. Huck and Jim can only travel down the Mississippi River by raft at night, because Huck fears that people living along the river will think that Jim is a runaway slave and attempt to capture him and turn him into authorities. Huck and Jim have to stop every now and then to pick up necessary supplies, (i.e. food, water, tools) and Huck gets many questions from locals, as to what he’s doing with a black man. The constant questioning annoys Huck and eventually, he reflects on his decision to free Jim. First he writes to Mrs.

Comparing the Wise Men of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and SHE :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Wise Men of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and SHE I have heard it said that a smart person learns from his own mistakes but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others. In the two books, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and SHE, we have two characters that emerge as wise men. In Jekyll, it is the character of Utterson, the stoic but curious lawyer, and in SHE it is the character of Holly, the stoic but curious academic. It is interesting to note that neither character chooses this fate of wise man, but rather has it thrust upon him through fate and curious circumstances. It is because of their high moral character that they are selected to bear witness to extraordinary events. The question is, how far are we willing to go to push the bounds of knowledge; when do we stop being smart and start being wise?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Curiosity begets the quest for knowledge and curiosity is essential to these characters, "If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek"(Jekyll, pg 8), Utterson thinks to himself as he begins his journey. In order to become wise though, it is important to avoid being consumed by that which you seek. Instead, it is crucial to bear witness to that which either limits us or somehow gives us a greater understanding of ourselves. Holly at first is skeptical. "Anyway, I believe the whole thing is the most unmitigated rubbish. I know that there are curious things and forces in nature which we rarely meet with, and, when we do meet them, cannot understand. But until I see it with my own eyes, which I am not likely to, I never will believe that there is any means of avoiding death"(SHE, pg 46-47). I wonder if Utterson would not have responded similarly had he known what depths he was about to plumb. Nevertheless, Holly takes up the quest in the name of du ty and adventure or maybe it is just plain curiosity.  Ã‚   These two characters share a common purpose in that they have both been entrusted with something valuable yet perplexing. For Utterson, it is Jekyll's will and for Holly it is the chest given to him by Vincey as well as the responsibility for his only son Leo. This idea of trust is important because the wise must be of a certain moral character as well as educational background to accept knowledge that will extend the bounds of reason without corrupting that which they learn.

Effects of Drug Use during Pregnancy on Children Essay

Being pregnant means more than just carrying a child in uteri for nine months. Pregnant women must watch what they put into their bodies because it will directly affect the life of their unborn child. Unborn children are totally helpless to their mothers’ actions and totally dependent on everything they do. All pregnant women need to be aware of the consequences of using drugs during pregnancy; drugs such as, cocaine, heroin, cigarettes, methamphetamine, and marijuana. All drugs illegal or not could have critical and long lasting effects on children throughout their whole life. What are drugs? Drugs are chemicals that can make you change the way the body works. Some drugs are worse than others but no matter which one used, during pregnancy all drugs have dreadful effects on the unborn child. The drugs cocaine, heroin, tobacco/cigarettes, methamphetamines and marijuana can affect children in different ways; however, they all should be avoided during pregnancy. Mothers need to think about their unborn child and the adverse effects using drugs will have on them not only as infants but as young children and young adults as well. Cocaine is a strongly addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Cocaine is one of the oldest drugs known to this day (Barbara L. Thompson, 2009). There is no safe amount of cocaine for a woman who is pregnant because any cocaine taken will transfer to the baby as well (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). Heroine is also a highly addictive drug and it is the most abused and fast acting of the opiate group. Heroine, processed from morphine, is derived from certain poppy plants. Heroin will cross over to the baby through the placenta and cause an unborn baby to be dependent on the drug. Tobacco/cigarettes are a non illicit drug and the most common drug used among pregnant woman. Tobacco products have been linked to low birth weight and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Methamphetamines are highly addictive substances with powerful central nervous system stimulant properties (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). Methamphetamines are considered a major drug of abuse and can cause low birth weight, miscarriages and could lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in America today. Women who use marijuana on a daily basis will operate at subliminal levels because it directly affects the way the brain works. When using marijuana during pregnancy the mother is more likely to have a miscarriage or a low birth weight baby. No matter which drug the mother is using it can be detrimental to the unborn baby’s health and should be avoided. Using drugs during pregnancy not only affects the baby a birth but it can affect that child for the rest of his/her life. The child can experience many difficulties in when he/she goes to school as well. Each drug is different and affects children differently. Cocaine may cause drug dependency and withdrawal symptoms at birth, as well physical and me ntal problems, especially if the mother used cocaine during the first three months of pregnancy. There is a higher risk of hypertension, heart problems, developmental retardation and learning difficulties (Gale A. Richardson, 2010). It has been reported that prenatal cocaine exposure is linked to cognitive and neuropsychological development and school functioning in 6 to 8 year olds (Gale A. Richardson, 2010). A baby who has been exposed to prenatal cocaine use by the mother is more likely to be irritable, jittery and have an irregular sleeping pattern, visual problems and problems with sensory stimulation (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). During pregnancy cocaine crosses into the placenta and enters the baby’s blood circulation and will stay in the blood longer than it will the mother (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). Using cocaine during pregnancy increases the risk of having a miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. During the later part of pregnancy, using cocaine can cause placental abruption which could lead to severe bleeding, preterm birth and death of the unborn baby (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). Also babies who are exposed to cocaine during the later part of pregnancy may experience a dependence of the drug and may be required to be weaned off the drug at birth because the child can experience withdrawal symptoms (Joan Keegana, 2010). Symptoms include tremors, sleeplessness, muscle spasms, and feeding problems for the infant. Prenatal cocaine exposure has also been linked to behavior problems among the children in school, and aggression and shoddier attention and processing skills (Delaney-Black, 2010). For children of prenatal cocaine exposure life can be difficult, struggling in school at an early age may detour that child from continuing school when they are older to achieve his/her diploma. Also the children will have all sorts of behavior issues in school. Compared to children with no cocaine exposure, children who were exposed to cocaine had drastically more mother and teacher behavior problems throughout early elementary school (Gale A. Richardson, 2010). Children of older women who used cocaine during pregnancy also experienced more difficulties in school than children born to younger mothers who used cocaine (Gale A. Richardson, 2010). Children who are exposed to cocaine prenatally were also linked to be affected by weight and height, meaning children were smaller in weight and height categories compared to their peers. Cocaine is a very powerful drug and should not be used at all and more importantly should not be used during pregnancy. Cocaine use during pregnancy could be fatal for the unborn child and does not give him/her a fair chance at life. A pregnant woman needs to think about her unborn child before she does cocaine because her child could potentially have multiple problems in school and in life. The most important reason for a woman not to use cocaine during pregnancy is it could kill an unborn child. Heroine is classified as an opiate and travels the fastest of any drug into the baby’s blood stream when the mothe r is pregnant and used it (Joan Keegana, 2010). Like cocaine heroin is also very addictive and the baby once born can become dependent on this drug and have to be weaned off of it (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). Using heroin while pregnant can affect fetal development. Heroin use has been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and premature birth, and babies may be born smaller than average and may be prone to illness (Barbara L. Thompson, 2009). The substances that are cut with heroin may also cause problems during the pregnancy and affect the developing fetus. Injecting heroin can increase the risk of both the mother and baby becoming infected with blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis and HIV (Joan Keegana, 2010). Pregnant women who want to stop taking heroin need to be very careful. Sudden withdrawal from heroin may harm the baby and increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). If a mother continues to use heroin while breastfeeding, it is possible that the drug will be present in her milk and may have adverse effects on the baby. Babies of mothers who use heroin will have some long-term effects. Some children at three to six years of age children whose mothers were addicted to heroin were lower in weight and height compared to the other children whose mothers did not use heroin, and impaired in behavioral, perceptual and organizational abilities. Babies born with low birth weight have been shown to have many difficulties later in life such as, language learning disabilities, behavior problems, and children are more likely to be rejected by peers and performance in school may suffer and the children may need special education courses. Heroin is a very bad drug to be addicted too, not only because of the risks it presents on the person using it, but because it has an added risk of HIV because of all the needle sharing. Using heroin or any opiate should be avoided at all time for children’s sake. Methamphetamine use during pregnancy affects development of a baby’s, brain, spinal cord, heart and kidneys (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). Methamphetamine use during pregnancy may result in prenatal complications, like premature delivery and birth deformities. High doses of the drug may cause a baby’s blood pressure to rise rapidly, leading them to suffer strokes or brain hemorrhages before birth (Barbara L. Thompson, 2009). Methamphetamine-exposed babies may experience gastroschisis and other problems with the development of their intestines (National Institutes on Drug Abuse, 2009). As a result of methamphetamine use by their mothers, some babies may suffer develop mental and skeletal abnormalities and some babies are born without parts of their arms or legs (Joan Keegana, 2010). Because methamphetamine affects transmitters in the brain, babies often experience sleep disturbances and altered behavioral patterns (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). These babies have been described as â€Å"irritable babies.† Full-term babies born to mothers who use methamphetamine will likely have difficulty sucking and swallowing, much like premature babies. Often babies born to meth-addicted women cannot tolerate stimuli such as human touch and light. These babies often display tremors and coordination problems (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). Babies whose mothers used methamphetamine during pregnancy may experience learning disabilities, growth and developmental delays (Methamphetamine use During Pregnancy, 2008). The effects of methamphetamine use on brain development may last for many years. School-aged children whose mothers used methamphetamine while pregnant are more likely to be hyperactive or to have attention deficit disorders, learning disabilities and unprovoked fits of anger (Methamphetamine use During Pregnancy, 2008). When pregnant women use marijuana it crosses into the baby through the placenta. Marijuana contains toxins that keep the baby from getting the proper amount oxygen that the baby needs in order to grow normally (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). Marijuana use during pregnancy is one of the lesser bad drugs; however, it could still pose detrimental problems on the growing fetus (Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy, 2008). Babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancy display altered responses to visual stimulation, increased tremors, and a high-pitched cry, which could indicate problems with nervous system development (Joan Keegana, 2010). During preschool and early school years, children who have been exposed to marijuana have been reported to have more behavioral problems and difficulties with sustained attention and memory than children who were not exposed (Joan Keegana, 2010). Because some parts of the brain continue to develop into adolescence, it is also possible that certain kinds of problems will become more evident as the child matures (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). Pregnant women should not to use any drugs because they might harm the growing fetus. Although one animal study has linked marijuana use to loss of the fetus very early in pregnancy, two studies in humans found no association between marijuana use and early pregnancy loss (Barbara L. Thompson, 2009). Regardless of the situation, mothers should not smoke marijuana because of the possibilities of it causing harm of the baby. Tobacco is the most commonly drug used among women who are pregnant because the quit rate is surprisingly low. Only twenty percent of woman who smoke will quit smoking completely during their pregnancy (Vanessa E Murphy, 2010). Women who are heavy smokers are less likely to quit as well. Smoking during pregnancy can cause premature birth and can cause the baby to be little. Smoking while pregnant is also linked to placenta previa, placenta abruption and sudden infant death syndrome (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). While smoking tobacco has long been linked to poor growth in a fetus and other short-term effects, it also has long-term effects on a baby whose mother smoked during the pregnancy. Only about twenty percent of women smokers who become pregnant quit (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). With all of the health effects that tobacco can have on both baby and mother, pregnant women who smoke are advised to try and quit for their own health and the health of their child (Miles, 2009). Children born to mothers who smoke tobacco tend to be more impulsive and have more trouble learning and developing. Infants whose mothers smoked while they were in the pregnant are more likely to exhibit lower scores on mental tests at age one and to have lower grades overall during the school years than children whose mothers who did not use tobacco (Vanessa E Murphy, 2010). The risk of a learning disability, such as dyslexia, rises twenty-five percent in children whose mothers smoked a pack or more of cigarettes a day. Babies born to smokers may also have lifelong birth defects that impede mental development, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation (Miles, 2009). Those whose mothers smoked moderately or heavily during pregnancy were over four times as likely to develop type two diabetes; also called adult onset diabetes, before the age of 33, which is considered an early age for developing this type of diabetes. The children of mothers who smoke are also more likely to become obese later in life. There is also a link between fetal exposure to tobacco smoke and future risk of cardiovascular disease (Vanessa E Murphy, 2010). Children who were exposed to tobacco smoke as a fetus are more likely to develop hypertension, or high blood pressure, than the children of women who did not smoke during pregnancy (Miles, 2009). This increase was originally thought to be correlated to the low birth weight typical of babies whose moms smoked during pregnancy, but when compared with children of similar birth weight, the smokers’ children had higher blood pressure at ages five and six than other kids. Mothers who smoke tobacco while pregnant may also affect their baby’s brain in ways that last a lifetime. These children are more likely to engage in criminal behavior and to abuse drugs than the children of women who did not smoke while pregnant (Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy, 2011). Overall, mothers who are pregnant should not use any type of drug from illicit to non illicit because they can all have detrimental consequences on the growing baby, not just in the womb but later in life as well. Work Cited * Barbara L. Thompson, P. L. (2009). Prenatal exposure to drugs: effects on brain development and implications for policy and education. National Institutes of Health , 10 (4), 303-312. * Delaney-Black, V. (2010). Prenatal and Postnatal cocaine exposure predict teen cocaine use. Neurotoxicology and Teratology , 110-119. * Drug Babies and the Effects of Drug Abuse During Pregnancy. (2011). Retrieved May 19, 2011, from The Good Drugs Guide: www.thegooddrugsguide.com * Gale A. Richardson, L. G. (2010). Prenatal cocaine exposure: Effects on mother-and teacher-rated behavior problems and growth in school-age children. Neurotoxicology and Teratology , 69-77. * Joan Keegana, M. P. (2010). Addiction in Pregnancy. Journal of Addictive Diseases , 29 (2), 175-191. * Methamphetamine use During Pregnancy. (2008, October). Retrieved May 19, 2011, from North Dakota Department of Health: www.nddh.com * Miles, M. (2009). Challenges for midwives: pregnant women and illicit drug use. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing , 28 (1), 83-90. * National Institutes on Drug Abuse. (2009). Retrieved May 18, 2011, from National Institutes of Health: www.nida.nih.gov * Using Illegal Street Drugs During Pregnancy. (2008, October). Retrieved May 19, 2011, from American Pregnancy Association: www.americanpregnancyassociation.org * Vanessa E Murphy, V. L. (2010). The effect of cigarette smoking on asthma control during exacerbations in pregnant women. Thorax , 739-744.