Monday, September 30, 2019

The Raven vs Lenore

Raven vs. Lenore when the writer talks about Lenore he makes her seem like a god like person. She is like untouchable almost. The writer seems to have had a bond with Lenore, almost as if she was his wife. Lenore in the poem is portrayed as a person who couldn’t do any wrong and was perfect. The writer never talks bad about Lenore. All he talks about when talking about her is her memory and how she was so perfect. The way the writer talks about the raven is a complete 180. The writer goes from talking about the raven as good luck in the beginning to being a bad omen and being the devil. What makes me think this is line â€Å"prophet! said I â€Å"thing of evil! Prophet still if bird or devil†. This makes me think that the writer doesn’t like the bird and wants him gone. The thing that makes the writer think that the bird is a bad omen is when the bird flies on the statue. The writer says that he can smell the smell of incense like if he’s at some ones funeral. Overall the raven and Lenore are talked about the same at the beginning of the poem. As the poem goes on the writer realizes that the bird is the devil and is bad. The writer talks about the raven he makes him seem like a bad spirit that is bringing bad spirits into his house. In my opinion Lenore is talked about the total opposite of the raven. Overall the Lenore is good and pure and the raven is bad and evil. Dominic Maldonado What is a Raven? In the Inuit (Eskimo) religion the raven made the world. The raven is considered a bird and god with a man inside of him. They believe that after the raven made the earth he wanted to stay on earth. They also thought that even though he made the world he didn’t know everything about it. They also believe that the raven liked to paddle his boat into the ocean. They believed that the raven would always stay on earth as long as we cared for one another, and understood that everything lives and dies, and has a sole. www. healingstory. org/raven page 1 story 1 an Inuit (Eskimo) story Retold by Laura Simms In Greek mythology the raven symbolizes death or evil. Coronis aka raven the daughter of the king of the lapiths was one of Apollo's lovers. Pregnant with Asclepius, Coronis fell in love with Ischys the son of Elatus. A raven informed Apollo of the affair and he sent his sister Artemis to kill Coronis. Her body was burned on a funeral pyre, staining the white feathers of the ravens permanently black. And making the raven stand for death and evil in Greek mythology. www. greekmythology. org/coronis In many native American tribes the raven is thought to be a trickster. Often stealing food from other animals or people without them even knowing. The raven’s element is believed to be the air. The raven is believed to be a messenger spirit. The raven is also believed to be the guardian of both ceremonial magic and healing magic. The black of the raven’s feathers is what makes the natives to think that the raven is magic. Because the color black represent magic in there tribe.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Modern Mobile Phones

———————– †¢ Indisputably, ever since the emergence of cell phones people can constantly keep in touch with their loved ones regardless of the distance. One can reach almost everywhere without any difficulty. Additionally, people can immediately get help in case of emergencies. Furthermore, through mobile phones people can lessen their boredom through listening to their favorite music or watching downloaded movies. †¢ Students can now get information faster through the cell phones. This has significantly affected education standards since most of the students use cell phones to cheat during exams. Have you got a mobile telephone? †¢ Chatting on mobile telephones will also lead us to form  a bad habit. We will like chatting. Gradually, we will spend more and more valuable time on chatting. We will leave our  studies aside and spend most of the time on chatting. Finally  we will have no goal except talking in t he phone! This is a long ­lasting bad effect. we don’t have mobile telephones, we can surely  save a lot of time fir more meaningful tasks. †¢ Do you like such a tense living environment? Why  don’t we turn the mobile telephone off an enjoy  a simpler  and more tranquil life? Everyday people die in car accidents because they use cell phones while driving. According to research cell phones are leading factors that cause accidents. †¢   Despite of a danger, people still use cell phones because they want to be always available and keep in touch with other people. †¢ Opponents say that cell phones are good because they give an opportunity to make a call in case of emergency. †¢ Mobile  phone has been the most important invention recent years. It changed our lives tremendously. Modern  mobile  phones can be very small and different shapes.At the beginning they were as big as brick and they weighed over 1kg. †¢ Additionally , due to GPS system able to check our position on the globe with a great accuracy. †¢ On the other hand mobile phones have many disadvantages. They produce magnetic waves which can be the cause of many illnesses. However the most important threat is possibility of addiction. Some teenagers simply can’t stop sending short messages called sms. It may lead to mental dysfunction or hand injuries. †¢ â€Å"I can’t live without my mobile phone! is what I often hear people say as they lament about how mobiles have become an indispensable part of their lives. †¢   I can send a text message or share photos and videos with friends who aren’t living in the same country. My phone calendar keeps my life organised, and even Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging are now accessible from mobile devices! †¢ With the development of Chinese society and technology, more and more people have owned at least one cell phone. †¢ Every day I can see nearly everyone holds a cell phone in hand at my university or at street.And what do they do with their mobile phones? Most of them just bow their heads and play games or login QQ to kill time. Hence, I am wondering a very serious question: â€Å"is the mobile phone a blessing or a curse? † †¢ My point of view about this question is that the mobile phone can be either a blessing or a curse and it just depends on your choice about how to use it. †¢ Nowadays, the mobile phone combines many functions in one, especially the smartphone. If you have a mobile phone, it means you may have a digital camera, a carry-on library or even a cinema with you.   But the powerful functions of the cell phone are far more than these. It is much easier for us to communicate with our family members, friends or business partners, especially when we are far away from each other. What’s more, we can login the internet to grasp the up-to-date information. †¢ Also, we may use our mobile phones to do some studying. †¢ However, the mobile phone has some shortcomings despite of its merits. The most intuitive and most direct weakness of the mobile phone is the radiation, which does great harm to human beings. I remember vividly a video I’ve watched before.The main content of the video is that a man put four mobile phones together on a table with the shape of a cross and then he put some corn kernels in the center of the four mobile phones. After that, four people called these mobile phones at the same time. An amazing thing happened—-the radiation changed the corn kernels into the popcorns. How terrible the mobile phones’ radiation is! †¢ It is true that having a cell phone is very convenient and helpful most of the time such as emergencies, but not everyone knows of the potenial negative impacts theses phones have on our lives.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nature vs. Nurture - Essay Example Since the introduction of fuel consuming vehicles in the society, there has been a rapid increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Cars are everywhere on the face of earth. There is hardly any region where people still travel on foot, and don’t use cars. Cars consume fuel. As the fuel burns, it releases chloro-flouro carbons into the atmosphere, which in turn, result into an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases. Increase in the content of greenhouse gases has caused the temperature to rise in general. In addition to that, our reliance on the vehicles in daily life has made us lazy and laggard. We tend to avoid traveling on foot as long as we have cars with us. Reduced physical activity has caused many of us to put on weight, and people have become obese in large numbers. Like global warming, obesity is an equally big social issue in many advanced countries in the present age. Although there are many other factors that lead an individual to obesity, yet lack of walk is an important factor that causes obesity in people. I believe that in order to cater for these problems, we need to avoid use of vehicles that consume oil. I use a vehicle that does not consume any fuel, and also allows me to put in physical exertion. I have a bicycle. Wherever I have to go, I use it. Not only does it save time, but is also very environment friendly and also keeps me physically fit as I have to constantly keep rotating pedals to drive the bicycle. In addition to that, I also take other measures to stay physically fit. I dislike obesity and believe that it ruins an individual’s looks. I am a big fan of healthy food, and have always tried very hard to keep stuck to one. To me, health is more important than wealth. I tend to be indulged in more and more physical work because exercise is the treatment of obesity (Queen). I believe that increased use of vehicles in the modern age has

Assignment DECISION CASE ANALYSIS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assignment DECISION CASE ANALYSIS - Coursework Example Later in 193 AD, the whole of Roman Empire was put for auction by the Praetorian Guard. In 18th century, there was an auction that was carried out in Taverns and coffeehouses where it was used to sell art. In around 1990s, there emerged the first internet- based auction materials and in the mid-1995, Glen Meakem, who was McKinsey consultant, started Free Markets. In the year 2004, Ariba did the purchase of Free Market and by today very many companies offer various types of bids including a reverse auction (Cogswell, 2004). He procurement process follows a cycle that begins with preparation, negotiation, and lastly implementation process. The development process in e- auction is longer than it is in face to face negotiation. Here, there are tight conditions, and everything is restricted on the supplier who only negotiates on the price. Furthermore, e- auction involves negotiation of several suppliers; therefore there are a lot of energies invested at the preparation level. However, on es the supplier has gotten into the system, the subsequent years do not require a lot of time for preparation. The second process requires negotiation, at such a point there is extreme talk, and many suppliers negotiate within a given timescales. As they negotiate the price of the good or the serviced decrease such that by the time are done the price is favorable to the buyers who will be willing to choose the price that fits them. The last process that is implementation is based on the company; it should be done in a straightforward and transparent way that favors both the supplier and the buyer (Cogswell, 2004). The Market Dojo finds it so challenging entering into an e- sourcing space where there are bigger companies such as Oracle, SAP and Ariba already offering excellent services to the customers (Testa, 2009). Market Dojo strives to have a share of the market with these well- established companies by taking advantage of the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Skip navigation links BFS 3440-07B BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FOR FIRE Essay - 1

Skip navigation links BFS 3440-07B BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FOR FIRE PROTECTION (BFS3440-07B) - Essay Example Preplanning a building enables fire fighting officers to have easy access to the building and safely perform fire fighting operation in the event of a fire outbreak. It helps to guarantee that fire fighters would have the upper hand during firefight. Preplanning a building would help the fire protection engineer to effectively coordinate the different types of fire protection systems in the building such as the coordination of fire separations with the architectural designs, the coordination of the smoke control systems with the Heating, Ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC) system, coordination of the fire alarm and the inlet/outlet systems with the security of the building, coordination of the tamper switches and sprinkler system water flow with the fire alarm system and the coordination of penetrations of the fire rated assemblies with the ductworks, piping and wiring penetrations. These series of coordination ensures the safety of life and property and maximum protection of the building in the event of a fire outbreak. Planning a building for the prevention of a fire outbreak assists in providing the fire fighting officer with adequate information about the building structure and allows the fire fighting officers to efficiently utilize their resources. Information such as those on the exits, floor layouts and the construction, which were obtained as a result of preplanning the building will ensure firefighter safety and would help in performing search and rescue more conveniently and efficiently. It is necessary to involve fire protection system engineers in the planning stages of a building as this would provide greater design flexibility, lead to an innovation in design and construction and produce better fire fighting

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Management Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Management Issue - Essay Example In this study we would be including issues related to organizational culture, communication, motivational factors for the employees, performance appraisal policies of the company, the diversity and change management aspects of Vodafone, preference of leadership styles or traits in the company, team-works, group goals of the divisions, decision-making process, conflict management and negotiation techniques utilized by the management of the company, company politics, and survival kit of Vodafone in times of crisis. Vodafone employs around 83,900 people around the world, in which about 16.5 percent senior positions are occupied by women. Vodafone carries out internal survey to acquire feedback from its stakeholders regarding the organizational process and functions of the company. In a survey conducted in 2010, the company found that 90 percent of the employees were proud to be a part of Vodafone, motivated by the company at every step and loyal towards their responsibilities and the company. The company received 75 out of 100 in employee engagement, which is a really high score. Communication is the core service or product that the company offers, so their global intranet system is actively utilized by the employees to access and transmit information within the organization. The Chief Executives of the company is directly communicated all the information through online team meetings, video conferencing, and emails. The information and change decisions are discussed with the employees through t eam meetings. The culture of the company is based on The Vodafone Way. There is a separate leadership team of 230 people would have been the cornerstone for the project The Vodafone Way. They conducted workshops and presented how the culture of the organization under this new program would be. Changes in structure, accountabilities and governance of the company were made to maintain its position in the stiff competitive telecom

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Gas Price effect on the economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gas Price effect on the economy - Essay Example Some develops faster and stronger than the others. Other factors can also be influence by the policies of the government, industry, technology, raw materials, and environment. The prosperity of the economy rises and falls with these factors, and one of these factors is through the industry of gas. When we talk about gas, it is inseparable with oil industry. Oil and gas industry is considered to be one that holds a stronghold in the world and America’s economy today. Oil and gas industry greatly affects the economy. The economy receives an improvement when there are large reserves and an increase of active drills in respect to oil and gas. People are able to consume more if the price of gas and oil falls. According to Perner (2008), the current gasoline prices are likely to have a large impact on consumer spending but a much smaller impact on the amount of gasoline purchased. Instead, the effect is likely to be felt in other areas of spending such as vacations, entertainment, e lectronics or eating out. Barbara Hagenbaugh (2007) stated in her report that economists believe that rising gas prices hurt but its impact is fairly limited.

Monday, September 23, 2019

AIG Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

AIG Insurance - Essay Example Though the company had to endure seventeen long years in the wait, the breakthrough came when AIG had already owned twelve subsidiaries in China allowing it to apply for an insurance license. The group had access to the Chinese market through its subsidiaries and by getting licenses to sell various insurance products in multiple cities, AUIG was able to break into the institutional void of the Chinese market. The manner in which AIG tailored its products to suit the Chinese market was another way in which the company ensured that its preciously procured licenses were not wasted away. The institutional void in the Chinese market was filled not only by AIG but later on by the Italian insurance giant too. However, AIG had the benefit of being the first in the market. The framework developed by Khanna regarding strategic policies and planning of an insurance company provides set guidelines that can be adopted by firms entering newer markets. The emphasis of companies should be to develop global policies and strategic standards in homogenous markets. However, the Chinese market was not comparable to any previous market that AIG had operated in - the key was to use Khanna's framework and adopt the insurance products in order to suit the Chinese market. AIG trans... It is obvious that there was no lying on part of AIG, however, the emphasis of the marketing program was to project the life insurance policies as savings schemes so that the Chinese market would pay attention to the products. The FSA's developed by AIG in the markets provided it the advantage that it needed in the Chinese market. It allowed AIG to target the Chinese population and attract it to products that had not been there in the market earlier due to the institutional voids. However, AIG was not able to reap the complete benefits of the first mover's advantage due to the other companies getting licenses for insurance in the Chinese market soon after. This led to a reduction in the effectiveness of the program that AIG had initialized and in spite of the fact that it had invested in training and agents earlier, the company was unable to create a huge mark in its profits due to the benefit is had procured so preciously. Question 4 AIG was able to thrive in the market as the leader for several years because of its operational effectiveness. However, the FSAs developed in the Chinese market shield it from competition. The competition in the market was inevitable for AIG and thus the overtaking of AIG was evident once the Chinese market was open to further foreign insurance companies. The question was always a matter of time: the duration that AIG spent as the market leader was critical for it and was the best time for it to make profits from operations. The Italian invasion of the market proved to be fatal fgor AIG as it never recovered. Profitability was not the central goal of AIG; it needed something beyond that. Its first mover advantage got eroded once the Italians got hold of

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Evaluating Art Throughout The Ages Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Art Throughout The Ages Essay Throughout the history of art, evaluation of artistic works has continued even long after the artist’s lifetime. This is because the proper evaluation of any work of art involves an understanding of its cultural and historical context, its philosophy and the message the artist tries to convey. Although beauty (aesthetics) used to be an important component of art evaluation, post-modern and abstract art have delegated it to obscurity. (Schaeffer) Below are some criteria relevant to evaluating art from any period of history : 1. Technical quality and brilliance : These consist of form (structure and expression), contrast (separation of object from background in many instances), texture, colour display or the use of lines (in line art), composition of various objects in the artwork and quality of craftsmanship. 2. Artistic integrity and vision : Artists should remain true to their worldview and to themselves. This means not only uniqueness and originality, but also remaining committed to the ideal and style he is trying to depict. 3. Philosophy and world view : This is often referred to the work’s hidden meaning, and the values it represents. E. g. in prehistoric cave art, the world view would often be related to the day-to-day wish fulfilment of bountiful hunting. Salvador Dali’s artistic philosophy was based on surrealism ( attached picture ), which often had a dream-like quality. 4. Relation to the artist’s life’s work, its genre and period in history : Many of these qualities cannot be completely evaluated during the artist’s life time, and may require significant periods of time after its completion. In many cases it is never complete e. g. masterpieces like the Mona Lisa continue to be evaluated, centuries after it was finished. Reference : Schaeffer Francis (1978). Art and the Bible. Figure. Salvador Dali’s ‘Dream of a Virgin’ depicts his surrealistic philosophy, and a dream state.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Dress for Success Essay Example for Free

Dress for Success Essay Abstract We’ve all heard the saying â€Å"Dress for Success,† and I believe this saying holds a very valuable meaning in any profession. The way you dress not only affects your confidence and your self-esteem, but it also casts the first impression you are giving to your fellow colleagues and/or prospective employers. What you wear will portray a visual communication of what you have to offer and what they can expect from you in the work field. The primary goal of dressing professional is to feel good about yourself and to project a positive image. Your non-verbal communication is just as important as your verbal communication in any situation. Of course your skills and knowledge are an important factor, but don’t forget to dress the part and rule out any possibilities why people will doubt your abilities to perform. We’d like to think that we live in a world where people don’t judge us by the clothes we wear, but the truth is appearance does matter and the first impressions we portray reflect how we are initially judged by others. . When you dress for success people will take you more seriously and take what you have to say into consideration. Appropriate attire in the workplace gives you respect, and a professional image that will give your superior, colleagues, and patients trust and confidence in your abilities. There has been a lot of research that has proven that employers will likely hire a potential employee who dress and look the part. How you dress sends out many signals, one being an effective leader. When you take the extra step to make sure your clothes are ironed, and your physical attire is up to par, people will recognize that and follow your lead. In my opinion, people today underestimate the importance of a professional image. Many workplaces have a â€Å"casual attire† policy and people would rather blend in with the crowd then stand out and make their own personal impression. Looking for a job in the medical field is very competitive, and although your resume may be one of the most outstanding and qualified, how you look will sum up the final judgment. When potential employers look through tons and tons of paperwork day in and day out, everything starts to look the same, so when you come in for an interview you should try to stand  out and show them that you care about your image and how they perceived you. How you look will put a face to the resume and help you stand out from the other competitors. Ever since we were young, we were taught to never judge a book by its cover, and what really matter is what’s on the inside. Although the topic of how you look and what you wear may sound superficial, you have to look at yourself as a brand. Many companies today spend millions of dollars trying to upgrade and renew their visual image. Making sure how they look as a company and how their brand look will attract the new generations. So, it only makes sense that if a company cares so much of their image, they will also care about how their employees look and carry their name to the outside world. This theory goes hand in hand, if a company cares about how their employees look, the employees themselves should take the initiative and care about their professional image. When we purchase stuff from the store, what initially attracts is that packaging, before we judge the product by its performance. When you look good, you feel good, and ultimately that is all that matters in the end. When a person feels confident there is not stopping them from achieving he/she goals. Interviews are not intended to be a fashion show or beauty contest, but how you look and how you present yourself will always receive a positive reaction from the interviewer. By maintaining a professional image it can help you achieve the career you deserve.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Children With Mental Retardation And Self Esteem Psychology Essay

Children With Mental Retardation And Self Esteem Psychology Essay The World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations Organization (UNO) in the International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems defines Mental Retardation as A condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which is especially characterized by impairment of skills manifested during the developmental period, skills which contribute to the overall level of intelligence i.e., cognitive language, motor and social abilities. Retardation can occur with or without any mental and physical condition. (ICD-10, 1992, p176) This condition is also referred as Intellectual Disability or Developmental Disability. In India Mental Retardation means a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person which is specially characterized by subnormality of intelligence (Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, p 5). Intelligence is a general mental capability. It includes reasoning, planning, solving problems, thinking abstractly, comprehending complex ideas, learning quickly, and learning from experience. Limitations in intelligence should be considered in the light of four other dimensions; Participation, Interactions, and Social Roles; Health; and context Adaptive Behaviour. Intelligence in conjunction with adaptive behaviour helps in categorization of the degree of Mental Retardation which is conventionally estimated by standardized intelligence tests and supplemented by scales assessing social adaptation in a given environment. It provides a more comprehensive understanding of how a child is able to function within his/her environment. Assessments of adaptive behavior typically focus on domains such as communication, self care skill, and interpersonal relationships. Further, these change overtime, and, however poor may improve as a result of training and rehabilitation. By these measures an approximate indication of the degree of mental retardation can be diagnosed viz., Mild Mental Retardation approximate IQ range of 50 to 69 (in adults, mental age from 9 to under12 years); Moderate Mental Retardation approximate IQ range of 35 to 49 (in adults, mental age from 6 to under 9 years); Severe Mental Retardation approximate IQ range of 20 to 34 (in adults, mental age form 3 to under 6 years). Profound Mental Retardation IQ under 20 (in adults, mental age is below 3 years). (ICD-10, 1992) Behaviour involves action which is observable, measurable in terms of motor, cognitive and emotion (Peswaria and Venkatesan, 1992). Some of the behaviour is directly observable, while some are not directly observable as they are abstract and can only be interpreted. For example, happy cannot be seen directly, but it could be interpreted through behaviour, such as smile, laugh, etc. Some of our behaviour is directly measurable can be directly counted or numbered then it is measurable, while some are not directly measurable. Behaviour is seldom function of only one stimulus. But, it is a function of many stimuli converging upon the organism at any given time. These many stimuli and their related traces interact with one another and their synthesis determines behaviour. All the socially accepted behaviour has the cognitive, motor and emotional component, which help to lead a better adaptive behaviour. Adaptive behaviour has become and increasing important concept in the assessment and treatment of individuals with cognitive disabilities. In simple words adaptation means change over time to improve fitness or accuracy. It dependent upon both developmental status and cultural expectations e.g. assess performance in school, the ability to care for once self at home, interacting with peers and adults, and levels of independence in a variety of settings. It draws together a persons cognitive and personality characteristics. This is the collection of conceptual, social and practical skills that have been learned by people in order to function in their everyday lives. It can be understood as the functioning of an individual in his or her environment. It involves socialization process by establishing satisfactory relationship with other people and conforming to the cultural standards. It also involves learning that other people are necessary and becoming dependent on them. Almost as soon as this awareness develops, however, infants must begin to move in the direction of establishing independence. Social immaturity in adults is both a societal problem and also a personal problem for affected individuals, their families, and their employers. Social immaturity either plays an important role in maintaining multiple mental disorders or is in fact what defines those disorders. This is particularly true of the dramatic-erratic personality disorders, including Narcissism, Borderline, Histrionic and probably also Antisocial Personality Disorders. Social immaturity is also quite frequently associated with long term alcoholism and/or drug abuse which began in youth, and is frequently encountered by therapists treating clients who have been a bused as children. In short, Adaptive behaviour is the process through which the new born child is molded in to cultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and hence become an acceptable person in the society (AAMR, 2002). In addition, we have observed most of parents having child with mental retardation have came across such incidences in their life facing some or the other difficulties due to the adaptive behaviour of their children. Whenever, these difficulties either solved or not resoluted, people around us start pulling our legs. We can react differently to these situations depending on our individual differences. One can get aggressive and start abusing or other can gently smile and accept the incident and reply accordingly for e.g. walking on the road you met a stranger who is very young and humble gentleman in his conversation, gets comments that you are old man. In these situations this gentleman should start using abusive language but he smiles gently and replies Thank you! For calling me an old man, because this contains the wisdom of Life. It reveals his high Self Esteem. Self esteem is a personal judgment of worthiness expressed in the attitudes of a person holds toward the self. When it comes to the parents having children with mental retardation most of them are depressed due their child condition, without accepting the fact that their child is special. Self esteem is considered to be the central aspect of psychological functioning (Taylor and Brown, 1998; Wylie, 1979; Crocker and Major, 1989). It reflects a persons overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. This encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame. A persons self-esteem is revealed in their behavior, through assertiveness, shyness, confidence or caution. It is distinct from self-confidence and self-efficacy, which involve beliefs about ability and future performance. Rosenberg (1960) and social-learning theorists defines self-esteem in terms of a stable sense of personal worth or worthiness; this became the most frequently used definition for research, but involves problems of boundary-definition, making self-esteem indistinguishable from such things as narcissism or simple bragging. Self esteem is strongly related to many other variables (Diener, 1984; Crocker and Major, 1989). Behaviour and self esteem are closely linked. Better adaptive behaviour leads to better self esteem (Crocker and Major, 1989). If any deficit in the adaptive behaviour which ruptures the self esteem influences the quality of life, self image, body image due to which an individual goes into feeling of negativity. Dependency on others leads to depression, behaviour problem and antisocial behaviour hence affecting the Self Esteem. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Zigman, Schupf, Urv,  Zigman and Silverman (2002) have discovered significant decline in adults with Down syndrome increased from less than .04 at age 50 to .67 by age 72, and in adults with mental retardation without Down syndrome increased from less than .02 at age 50 to .52 at age 88. Moreover, adults experience overall decline in behaviors which were identified based upon the sequence and magnitude of changes, suggesting a pattern of loss not unlike that is noted in the population without mental retardation with dementia. Fidler, Hepburn and Rogers (2006) explained similar patterns in kids and adult with down syndrome on relative strength and weakness which includes stronger social skills, weaker expressive language, and poor motor coordination. Socialization strengths differentiated the Down syndrome group from the mixed developmental disabilities group. Prasher and Haque (1998) have examined the underlying factors for age-related decline in adaptive behavior for over a period of 3 year and the presence of dementia was the only determining factor, but difference in trend over time as compared to subjects without dementia was not significant. There no association was found between gender, sensory loss, severity of mental retardation, or place of residence and also no decline was seen between the subjects not having any significant physical or psychological disorder. Mervis, Tasman, Mastin (2001) have revealed that the domains of socialization and communication are correlated highly whereas daily living skills and motor skills are relatively weak. Further, it was found that socialization skills was more advanced than communication skills, and that within the socialization domain, interpersonal skills is stronger than play/leisure or coping skills. Adaptive behavior standard score was not related to chronological age. Hatton et al. (2003) have revealed that adaptive behavior skills increased steadily and gradually over time among children with less autistic behavior and higher percentages of FMPR expression showed better performance on all areas of adaptive behavior. Children without autistic behavior displayed higher scores and rates of growth on the Daily Living Skills domain, with the lowest scores in Socialization. Campbell, Adams and Dobson (1984) studied a non clinical group of families and concluded that in families where there were low levels of independence and high levels of emotional connectedness, young adults tended to readily adopt family values with little exploration in career and relationships decisions, they referred to these phenomena as identity foreclosure or premature commitments. Barber and Eccles (1992) explored that there is small differences between children in divorced and intact families in cognitive performance, delinquency and self-esteem, these differences frequently disappear when confounding and mediating variables are controlled. Further, they explained that family interaction impact on identity consolidation which is linked to educational, occupational goals and gender role related behaviors associated with marriage, family and job plans. In addition, possible benefits as well as potential costs of living with a single mother are influenced by maternal employment, family process differences, parental attitudes and expectations. THE PRESENT STUDY Age appropriate developed child increasingly becomes independent as they grow older acquiring the self-help skills through a combination of imitativeness and iron willed determination to be independent. For the handicapped child however, the acquisition of these skills may not be so easy; without special teaching he may remain dependent on help from others at almost every moment of an ordinary day. A child with better adaptive skills makes the child lives independently and their parents to be in high self esteem state. The significance of the study will emphasize the need to raise our eyebrows and call for concrete steps to improve their self Esteem and help them to alienate their feeling of negativity and helplessness. This would help them to make efforts for the betterment of their life. Participation in such efforts of both governmental and non-governmental agencies at macro and micro level is essential. In addition, researcher had observed based on the review of literature availability of research on adaptive behaviour and self esteem documented in the literature in western context. But, hardly able to discover any study related to the adative behaviour and self esteem in Indian context, which proposes the gap needed to fill. The investigator came up with the research problem to study the relationship of adaptive behaviour of Children with Mental Retardation and Self esteem of their Parents. Objective To study relationship of adaptive behaviour of Children with Mental Retardation and Self esteem of their parents. To study differences in self esteem among the parent with respect to their gender. To study effect of childs level of retardation on self esteem of their parents. To study effect of child gender on self esteem of their parents. Hypothesis There will be no significant relationship between adaptive behaviour of Children with Mental Retardation and Self esteem of their parents. There will be no significant difference in self esteem of the parent with respect to their Gender. There will be no significant effect of childs level of retardation on self esteem of their parents. There will be no significant effect of child gender on self esteem of their parents. METHOD Participants It will include all the children with mental retardation and their Parents who are coming to visit autonomous government institutes, non government organizations working in the field of disability rehabilitation. The elements considered for the sample will include individual diagnosed as mental retardation and assessed on standardized Intelligence test by self or by an expert working in the field of disability rehabilitation and their Parents having high or low self esteem. The size of the sample comprises of 200 children with Mental Retardation and their Parents with high or low self esteem. Age range of children with mental retardation will be between 6 to 18 years. In addition, student below 6 years and above 18years associated psychiatric or medical conditions and persons with learning disabilities, cerebral palsy and locomotor disability will be excluded from the study. The study will use multi-mixed method and it will be cross-sectional in nature where it primary aims is to see the effect and establish relationship between variables. Multiple methods help to give complete analysis of the research as almost all the aspects can be covered through it (Silverman, 2000). Non-Probability Judgemental sampling technique will be employed. Procedure Ethical issues regarding the data collection and participation of the subject will be considered. Data will be collected from the children with mental retardation and their parents using adaptive behaviour scale and self esteem inventory respectively. The data from the sample will be collected in two phase. Phase -I the children will be assessed for their Retardation, Adaptive Behaviour and Level of Retardation or already diagnosed by an expert will be assessed on adaptive behaviour and their parents will be employed on the Self esteem Inventory. Phase -II parent of children with mental retardation having no self esteem or not responded to the questions will be eliminated from the study, only with high or low self esteem will be included in the study. Measures Developmental Screening Test (DST). This was adopted by Dr. Bharat Raj (1977) form Denver Developmental Screening Test (1969), at All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), Mysore. It measures mental development from birth to 15 years. It is a dependable assessment without requiring the use of performance Test. Appraisal is done by a semi structured interview with the child and parent or a person well acquainted with the child. It has 88 items distributed according to the age scale viz. 3, 6, 9, 1year 6 month, 2 year to 13 year and finally 15 year. At early stage motor behaviour items are kept. It signifies neurological and integrative behavioural implication which constitutes the natural starting point for development itself. Items of Adaptive Behaviour represent sensory-motor adjustment to object, person and situation. Binet- Kamet Test of Intelligence (BKT). This is adopted by Kamet (1934) from Stanford-Binet Scale of Intelligence. Burt (1939) comments that Binet scale is more efficient for the diagnosis of mental retardation more than any other test of intelligence. Its correlation co-efficient is higher than 0.7 and validity was found by comparing the IQ as measured by this test with estimated IQ by the teacher is 0.5. It is an age scale which extends from 3 years to 22 years as follows- 3 years to 10 years then 12 years, 14 years, 16 years, 19 years and 22 years. It measures ability that increase with age during childhood and adolescence. The test consists of 14 set for different age with 6 items and alternatives ranging between 1to 3. The test is administered individually to each subject. It measures the factors viz., Vocabulary, memory, imagery, reasoning, practical judgments, sensation, comprehension, perception of form, similarities, comparisons, and identical judgments (Madhavan, Kalyan, Naidu, Peshwaria and Narayan, 1989) Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS). It is adopted from Doll (1935) by A. J. Malin for measuring adaptive behaviour of children between 1yr -15 yrs for Indian population. Scale consists of 89 items spread in the age range of 0-15 year. It has 8 domains and assesses the childs adaptive behaviour. The administration is carried out in the semi structured informal atmosphere. Experiments have shown a consistent and high correlation between VSMS Social Age (SA) and a Binet Mental Age. Doll (1935) reported a correlation of .96 on a sample of normal children. The subscale is: -Self-Help General, Self-Help Eating, Self- Help Dressing, Self Direction, Occupation, Communication, Locomotion, and Socialization. Self Esteem Inventory (SEI). Developed by Coopersmith (1986), is designed to measure evaluative attitudes toward the self in social, family and personal areas of experience. It has three forms viz., adult form, School Short Form and School Form. It consists of 58 items: 50 self esteem items and 8 items constitute the Lie Scale. The self-esteem items yield a total score and if desired, separate scores subscales General Self, Social Self etc. The subscales allow for variances in perceptions of self-esteem in different areas of experience. The present study uses the adult form. Data Analysis Data analysis will be carried out by using SPSS software16 version. The self esteem inventory will be standardized to use in Indian context, through various methods such as item to item total correlation will be applied to check the internal consistency of the questionnaires. Reliability test will apply to measure the reliability of the questionnaires. The relationship of adaptive behaviour of children with mental retardation and self esteem of their parents will be measured by correlation, single linear Regression. The comparison of self esteem among male and female will be measured through t- Test. Differences with respect to level of retardation will be measured through ANOVA. REFRENCES A manual of american association for mental retardation (AAMR), 2002 Barber, B.L. Eccles, J.S. (1992). Long term influence of divorce and single parenting on adolescents family and work related values, behavior and aspiration. Psychological Bulletin, 111 (1), 108 126 Campbell, E.; Adams, G.R., Dobson, W.R. (1984). Familial correlates of identity formation in late adolescent: A study of the predictive utility of connectedness and individuality in family relations. Journal of Youth and Adolescents, 13, 509-525. Coopersmith, S. (1986). Self Esteem Inventories Manual (4th Ed.). Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. Palo Alto, California. Crocker, J. and Major, B. (1989). Social stigma and self esteem: The self- protective properties of stigma. Psychological Review, 96 (4), 608-630. Deiner, E. (1984). Subjective well being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542-575. Fidler, D.J., Hepburn, S., Rogers, S. (2006). Early learning and adaptive behaviour in toddlers with Down syndrome: evidence for an emerging behavioural phenotype. Down Syndrome Research and Practice, 9, 37-44. Hatton, D.D.,Wheeler, A.C., Skinner, M.L., Bailey, D. B., Sullivan, K.M., Roberts, J.E., Mirrett, P., Clark R.D.(2003). Adaptive behavior in children with fragile x syndrome. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 108, 373-390. Madhvan, T., Kalyan, M., Naidu,S., Peshawaria, R.,Narayan, J. (1989). Mental retardation: A manual for psychologists. National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad. Malin,A.J. (1965), Manual of vineland social maturity scale. Mervis, C.B., Tasman, B.P.K., Mastin,M.E. (2001). Adaptive behavior of 4- through 8-year-old children with Williamss syndrome. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 106, 82-93. Prasher, V.P., Haque, M.S. (1998). Longitudinal changes in adaptive behavior in adults with Down syndrome: interim findings from a longitudinal study. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 103, 40-46. Person with Disability Act, (1995). The gazette of India, 5 Peshawaria, R., Venkatesan, S. (1992). Behaviour in children with mental handicap behavioural approach in teaching mentally retarded children: A manual for teacher. National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad. Raj, B. (1977). A manual of developmental screening test. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and adolescent self-esteem. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press. Silverman, D. (2000). Doing qualitative research. A practical handbook. London: Sage Publications. Taylor, S. E. Brown, J. (1988). Illusion and well being: Some social psychological contribution to a theory of mental health. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 193-210. Zigman, W.B, Schupf, N., Urv, T. , Zigman, A. and Silverman, W. (2002) Incidence and temporal patterns of adaptive behavior change in adults with mental retardation. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 107,161-174. World Health Organization (1992), International Classification of Diseases and related health problem: Tenth revision (ICD-10), Geneva. Wylie, R. (1979). The Self Concept (Vol. 2). Lincon: University of Nebraska Press.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Symbol of the Bull in Greenleaf Essays -- Flannery OConnor Greenleaf

Symbol of the Bull in Greenleaf Animals are often used by authors of novels and short stories as literary symbols. In "Greenleaf," a short story by Flannery O'Connor, a bull is used to represent Jesus Christ. O'Connor does this according to how the bull looks, how it is rejected, and how it seems to offer grace to Mrs. May. The first way O'Connor uses the bull to represent Christ is by appearance. A few times in the story the bull seems to be lit up like the sun or by the moon. This is comparable to Jesus because many people imagine Christ as a person or a spirit with rays of light flowing from Him. Also, to believers, Christ is their light as He leads them in life. Another time the bull looks like Christ occurs when it has the wreath stuck on its horns. O'Connor writ... Symbol of the Bull in Greenleaf Essays -- Flannery O'Connor Greenleaf Symbol of the Bull in Greenleaf Animals are often used by authors of novels and short stories as literary symbols. In "Greenleaf," a short story by Flannery O'Connor, a bull is used to represent Jesus Christ. O'Connor does this according to how the bull looks, how it is rejected, and how it seems to offer grace to Mrs. May. The first way O'Connor uses the bull to represent Christ is by appearance. A few times in the story the bull seems to be lit up like the sun or by the moon. This is comparable to Jesus because many people imagine Christ as a person or a spirit with rays of light flowing from Him. Also, to believers, Christ is their light as He leads them in life. Another time the bull looks like Christ occurs when it has the wreath stuck on its horns. O'Connor writ...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Comparing Existentialism in The Trial and Nausea :: comparison compare contrast essays

Existentialism in The Trial and Nausea  Ã‚   The Trial and Nausea  Ã‚   Webster's Dictionary defines Existentialism as a "philosophic doctrine of beliefs that people have absolute freedom of choice and that the universe is absurd, with an emphasis on the phenomena of anxiety and alienation." As Existentialism was coming to the foreground of the philosophical world during the 1940's, a group of Existentialist philosophers became well-known public figures in America. Their philosophies were commonly discussed in magazines, and their concepts of man's ultimate freedom of choice were quite intriguing to readers. Two philosophers who embodied this set of beliefs were Jean-Paul Sartre and Franz Kafka. These men displayed their beliefs mostly through novels. Sartre wrote Nausea, the story of a man's struggle to find meaning in a world in which most everything gives him a paralyzing sense of sickness. Kafka relayed his thoughts through Joseph K., a man who has been put on trial without being given any information about what he's done. The outcomes of Kafka's The Trial and Sartre's Nausea are two examples of the effects on a man who questions his existence. The main focus of Nausea is Antoine Roquentin's experience with what he describes as the "Nausea." The overwhelming absurdity of his everyday experiences create this sickness. Roquentin's first experience with this sickness is described when he reaches down to pick up a slip of paper: "Objects should not touch because they are not alive. You use them, put them back in place, you live among them: they are useful, nothing more. But they touch me, it is unbearable. I am afraid of being in contact with them as though they were living beasts" (Sartre 10). The term "Nausea" has since become common when the subject of Existentialism is brought up. It is an excellent term to describe the sudden realization that things are not as one had previously perceived them to be and that there is great weight in the matter of existence. Roquentin's battle with his own mind to find meaning in life has become one of the most effective manifestations of Existentialist thought in literature. Along with the writings of Albert Camus and Samuel Beckett, Sartre's writings are among the most highly regarded of the Existentialist works. Franz Kafka wrote a novel which evaluates a similar state of mind. The Trial deals with a much different situation, in which a man's freedom, and possibly even his life, literally hangs in the balance.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Pert Mustang

1. Using the information provided, prepare the report that Roberts requested, assuming that the project will begin immediately. Assume 45 working days are available to complete the project, including transporting the car to Detroit before the auto show begins. Your report should briefly discuss the aspects of the proposed new business, such as the competitive priorities that Roberts asked about. Roberts want to restore her Mustang to mint condition or as close to mint condition as possible, and use it in sales and advertising and take it to auto shows to attract new business within 45 working days.From the activities estimate of times and tasks that need to be done, we identify that there are 22 activities involved in the process starting from order of materials to pull car to Detroit Auto Show. A table containing the project activities, the time estimates and the precedence relationship will be prepared and a network diagram will be drawn to structure the immediate predecessor activ ities. The critical activities will be identified to indicate that the project can be completed within 45 working days.RASAS is consists of three car dealerships and this venture into restoration business still can fit into business. RASAS has noticed that there is a market for this new business because the public is growing interest in this restoration of vintage automobiles and many people want to own a vintage auto. With RASAS’s knowledge and experience in the car business, it can be market leader for this restoration business if it success. However, RASAS’s operation task should be regard to cost, quality, customer service and flexibility.To capture the car restoration market, RASAS will have to keep the operation cost low such as the cost of the skill workers and the spare parts. To reduce costs, processes must be designed and operated to make them efficient using rigorous process analysis that addresses workforce, methods, scrap, or rework, overhead, and other fa ctors such as investment in new automated facilities or technologies to lower the cost per unit of the service. The quality of the car will have to be top from in its workmanship, spare parts, safety and finishes.The flexibility for the customer to select the type of car that they like is very important. RASAS need to maintain their quality which producing services that meets design specification on a consistent basis. This processes must be designed and monitored to reduce errors, prevent detects, and achieve similar outcomes over time regardless of the â€Å"level† of quality. For example, RASAS might have to standardize work methods, staff training processes, procurement of raw materials to achieve the same consistent process from one activity to the next.RASAS should consider restore vintage car into various from such as mint condition, with or without customization or any other specification that requested by customers. It is important to accelerating or decelerating the rate of production of service quickly to handle large fluctuations in demand. Moreover, satisfying the unique needs of each customer by changing service or product design is also important. Processes with customization strategy typically low volume, close customer contact, and an ability to reconfigure processes to meet diverse types of customer needs.However, it is not necessarily unique to specific customers and may have repetitive demand. Processes supporting variety must be capable of larger volumes than processes supporting customization. RASAS also has to focus on customer services such as delivery the car on time, handle complaints and after-sale services has sufficient spare parts in store and provide professional advice to the customers. Along with processes that reduce lead time, planning processes likes forecasting, order promising, scheduling, and capacity planning are used to increase percent of customers orders shipped when promised.Moreover, RASAS design processes ca n be reduce a lead time through keeping backup capacity cushions, storing inventory, and using premier transportation options. 2. Construct a table containing the project activities using the letter assigned to each activity, the time estimates, and the precedence relationships from which you will assemble the network diagram. Activity Details| Activity | Activity Time (Days) | Immediate Predecessors| Cost($)| Order all needed material and parts| A| 2| * | 100| Receive upholstery material for seat covers| B| 30| A| 2100| Receive windshield| C| 10| A| 800|Receive carburetor and oil pump| D| 7| A| 1750| Remove chrome from body| E| 1| * | 200| Remove body from frame| F| 1| E| 300| Have fenders repaired by shop| G| 4| F| 1000| Repair doors, trunk, and hood| H| 6| F| 1500| Pull engine from chassis| I| 1| F| 200| Remove rust from frame| J| 3| I| 900| Regrind engine valves| K| 5| O| 1000| Replace carburetor and oil pump | L| 1| D, I| 200| Rechrome the chrome parts| M| 3| E| 210| Reinstall engine| N| 1| K, L | 200| Put doors, hood and trunk back on frame| O| 1| H, J | 240| Rebuild transmission and replace brakes| P| 4| N, O| 2000| Replace windshield| Q| 1| C| 100|Put fenders back on| R| 1| G, P| 100| Paint car| S| 4| R, Q| 1700| Reupholster interior of car| T| 7| B, S| 2400| Put chrome parts back on| U| 1| M, S| 100| Pull car to the Detroit Auto Show | V| 2| T, U| 1000| Table of Project Activities 3. Draw a network diagram of the project. Determine the activities on the critical path and the estimated slack for each activity. Remarks : Earliest Start and Finish Steps * Begin at starting event and work forward ES = 0 for starting activities ES is earliest start EF = ES + Activity timeEF is earliest finish ES = Maximum EF of all predecessors for non-starting activities Latest start and finish steps * Begin at ending event and work backward LF = Maximum EF for ending activities LF is latest finish; EF is earliest finish LS = LF – Activity time LS is latest start L F = Minimum LS of all successors for non-ending activities * The critical path activities are A-B-T-V; and the time required is 41 days * The slack time for each activity are as been written on top of each activity on the PERT Diagram

Monday, September 16, 2019

Kentucky Fried Chicken IMC approach Essay

INTRODUCTION Markets throughout the globe have become more complex and sophisticated, and it has become complicated for marketers to reach their target markets through direct traditional marketing. Thus, organisations have acknowledged the increasing importance of applying the integrated marketing communication (IMC) approach in their marketing strategy. The effective implementation of the IMC approach can facilitate and enhance an organizations communication based on its product offerings whilst simultaneously taking advantage of the various available promotional tools to strategically reach its target audience. Many South African companies have decided to utilise the IMC approach to maximize their return on investments in marketing and promotion. The objective of these organisations is to effectively and efficiently apply the promotional tools of the IMC through increased understanding of its customers while powerfully communicating its product offerings and thus yielding a positive response with the modern customer to choose its products/services. The IMC process requires marketers to be creative in their approach to communication. Marketers need to think critically of the messages they want to communicate through integrating the elements of the promotional mix which are advertising, direct marketing, interactive marketing, sales promotion and personal selling. The aim of this critical evaluation of the IMC campaign is to determine the use of Integrated Marketing Communications being used at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in order to create brand equity within KFC. This objective can break down into five objectives as follows, To understand the nature of KFC’s market, To determine the need for and the benefit of IMC in KFC, To determine the important aspects of IMC in KFC, To determine the barriers in applying IMC in KFC, To study the situation of KFC in the South African market, To analyze and define the significant role of KFC as executed in sales promotion strategies in the fast food South African market. The fast food market is seen with strong exponential growth. The challenge is to develop a competitive edge based on an old need, introducing new and innovative marketing ideas to better the competition. One of the concepts  used by KFC is the â€Å"Add Hope marketing campaign†. Also, with very intense competition, KFC needs to cut through the clutter using this campaign as a point of difference. The negative stigma on fast foods, regarding health related issues is also a challenge to be addressed. The communication objectives are identified as to cut through the clutter of brands and create a product that is better than the rest by being different and creating campaigns that go further than just the quality of food being sold. The â€Å"Add Hope marketing campaign† of KFC will include a thorough discussion of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), a brief background of KFC, a description of the â€Å"Add Hope marketing campaign†, and a critique of the campaign. BRAND BACKGROUND â€Å"KFC launched their Add Hope marketing campaign in October 2013, to highlight World Hunger Relief Month and is still running until today due to the immense success. KFC encourages the general public to make a personal contribution toward alleviating hunger in South Africa by adding just two rand to your KFC meal. The money obtained from the Add Hope campaign is used in feeding schemes to reduce hunger in all parts of South Africa.† TARGET MARKET – KFC’s Add Hope campaign targets all age groups. When one walks into a KFC store, the Add Hope campaign is advertised everywhere, from in-store counter strips , boards, posters, staff t-shirts, caps, badges to serviettes and even an in store porcelain dolly with a money box at the entrance. This encourages all customers to literally add hope. KFC also allows you to add two rand or more to your meal which goes to the add hope campaign. This is directed to the person paying for the meal usually an adult whereas the little dolly with the money box is directed to children as they may find it entertaining to drop a coin or two in the box. The marketing strategy of using the dolly at the entrance of a store in my  opinion is brilliant, as it makes one sympathetic towards a barely real child. COMPETITORS – KFC’s competitors is every other food outlet. KFC’s is by far the first to think of such a campaign. This campaign does not only benefit them with sales but also benefits the entire nation. It’s difficult to get actual competitors in this case as most businesses compete with others for their own benefit. PERFORMANCE IN ITS MARKET – The KFC Add Hope campaign is very successful as it is running from October 2013. â€Å"Consumers have donated over R6 million in R2 coins at KFC restaurants nationwide.† This shows that the campaign’s performance all over the country was a success and is still striving towards success. MARKETING OBJECTIVES – KFC’s objective is not to only increase sales but also to help their community and the under privileged through their feeding schemes. Every six seconds a child dies of hunger. KFC’s objective is to reduce hunger and poverty nationwide. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES – KFC’s marketing objective is to make every customer aware of the Add Hope Campaign. This is achieved by advertising the campaign everywhere possible. KFC advertises for the campaign through mass media which is television and radio as well as print media such as billboards, on the serviettes, in store advertising, on the receipt a customer receives after their purchase their meals and as well as the t-shirts and caps that their staff may wear. They also use personal selling, for example when you at the till the cashier may tell you more about the Add Hope campaign or ask if you wish to add R2 to your meal for the Add Hope campaign. IMAGE – KFC’s image has been improved due to this campaign. Consumers now see KFC as a franchise that is not only concerned about their success but also the well being of the community. Consumers find it more overwhelming to purchase their meals from a franchise of this type as they may feel that they are indirectly making a difference and helping their community in the long run. POSITIONING – â€Å"Positioning is defined as the art and science of fitting the product or service to one or more segments of the broad market in such a way as to set it meaningfully apart from its competitor.† (Book-pg55) KFC achieved this by changing their cultural symbol, Colonel to a child to show that all proceeds from the Add Hope campaign goes to feed a hungry child. REFERENCING We Can Change. 2011. KFC highlights World Hunger Relief Month. [Online]. Available: http://www.wecanchange.co.za/Editors/Articles/tabid/55/itemid/57/amid/376/kfc-highlights-world-hunger-relief-month.aspx. [Accessed: 1 September 2014]. KFC. 2012. kfc would like to thank you for adding hope. [Online]. Available: http://www.kfc.co.za/zone/post/kfc-would-like -to-thank-you-for-adding-hope/. [Accessed: 1 September 2014].

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Applying the VRIO Framework Essay

1Barney and Hesterly (2006), describe the VRIO framework as a good tool to examine the internal environment of a firm. They state that VRIO â€Å"stands for four questions one must ask about a resource or capability to determine its competitive potential: 1. The Question of Value: Does a resource enable a firm to exploit an environmental opportunity, and/or neutralize an environmental threat? 2. The Question of Rarity: Is a resource currently controlled by only a small number of competing firms? [are the resources used to make the products/services or the products/services themselves rare?] 3. The Question of Imitability: do firms without a resource face a cost disadvantage in obtaining or developing it? [is what a firm is doing difficult to imitate?] 4. The Question of Organization: Are a firm’s other policies and procedures organized to support the exploitation of its valuable, rare, and costly-to-imitate resources?† What types of resources should we evaluate (e.g., what types of resources lead to a competitive advantage)? 1) tangible resources, 2) intangible resources, 3) organizational capabilities. Reputation with customers for quality and reliability Reputation with suppliers for fairness, non-zero-sum relationships Organizational Capabilities Firm competences or skills the firm employs to transfer inputs to outputs Capacity to combine tangible and intangible resources, using firm processes to attain desired end. Examples Outstanding customer service Excellent product development capabilities Innovativeness or products and services Ability to hire, motivate, and retain human capital Applying the VRIO framework. According to the VRIO framework, a supportive answer to each questions relative to the firm being analyzed would indicate that the firm can sustain a competitive advantage. Below is an example of how to apply the VRIO framework and the likely outcome for the firm under varying circumstances. Applying the VRIO Framework—the value and rarity of a firm’s resources If a firm’s resources are: The firm can expect: Not valuable Competitive Disadvantage Valuable, but not rare Competitive parity (equality) Valuable and rare Competitive advantage (At least temporarily) Then, if there are high costs of imitation, the firm may enjoy a period of sustained competitive advantage. Costs of imitation increase due to some combination of the following: 1) Unique Historical Conditions (path dependence; first mover advantages), 2) Causal Ambiguity (links between resources and advantage foggy), 3) Social Complexity (social relationships not replicable), 4) Patents (double-edged sword since period of protection eventually runs out). Applying the VRIO Framework, integrating the notion of Inimitability If a firm’s resources are: The firm can expect: Valuable, rare, but not costly to imitate Temporary competitive advantage Valuable, rare, and costly to imitate Sustained competitive advantage (if organized properly) Organized properly deals with the firm’s structure and control (governance mechanisms—compensation, reporting structures, management controls, relationships, etc). These must be aligned so as to give people ability and incentive to exploit the firm’s resources. Summary of VRIO, Competitive Implications, and Economic Implications Valuable?

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Theme of Social Class in Great Expectations

One theme from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is the great difference in social classes. Throughout the story the main character, Pip, goes from living in a small, poor village, destined to be a blacksmith to becoming a wealthy gentleman who lives in a large home in London. During Pip’s journey a clear divide can be seen between the wealthy, high class of England and the poor laborer class.This divide between classes is seen as soon as the first higher class person in the story is mentioned: Miss Havisham. When Mrs. Joe and Mr. Pumblechook discuss Pip visiting Miss Havisham’s house to play, Pip recalls, â€Å"I had heard of Miss Havisham up town – everybody for miles round, had heard of Miss Havisham up town- as an immensely rich and grim lady who lived in a large and dismal house barricaded against robbers, and who led a life of seclusion† (Dickens 50).Even though Miss Hivisham spends all her time in seclusion up town she is known for miles ar ound because of her high standings, which gives a sense that the high class led extremely different existences than the poor. This theme is seen again when Pip tries to teach Joe things he has learned from Miss Havisham: â€Å"What I acquired, I tried to impart to Joe. This statement sounds so well, that I cannot in my conscience let it pass unexplained.I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common, that he might be worthier of my society and less open to Estella's reproach† (Dickens 109). Even with the small amount Pip has learned about being a gentleman he already feels like he is on a different level than Joe and that Joe would have something to gain from being more like him. The sharp division of classes appears many other times during Great Expectations and helps show how different life was for different groups of people in England. The book gives two distinct viewpoints for this time period.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Carbon Essay Example For Students

Carbon Essay CarbonWithout the element of carbon, life as we know it would not exist. Carbon provides the framework for all tissues of plants and animals. They arebuilt of elements grouped around chains or rings made of carbon atoms. Carbonalso provides common fuelscoal, oil, gasoline, and natural gas. Sugar, starch,and paper are compounds of carbon with hydrogen and oxygen. Proteins such ashair, meat, and silk contain these and other elements such as nitrogen,phosphorus, and sulfur. More than six and a half million compounds of the element carbon, manytimes more then those of any other element, are known, and more are discoveredand synthesized each week. Hundreds of carbon compounds are commerciallyimportant but the element itself in the forms of diamond, graphite, charcoal,and carbon black is also used in a variety of manufactured products. Besides the wide occurrence of carbon in compounds, two forms of theelementdiamond and graphite, are deposited in widely scattered locationsaround the Earth. PROPERTIES OF CARBONSymbol = CAtomic Number = 6Atomic Weight = 12.011Density at 68 Degrees F = 1.88-3.53Boiling Point = 8,721 degrees FMelting Point = 6,420 degrees F

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Development plan for strengthening scholarship and professional life Assignment

Development plan for strengthening scholarship and professional life - Assignment Example A scholarship enables an individual to make educational advancement in improving professional performance within the nursing profession. The personal development plan remains essential in ensuring improvement of both the professional and scholarship lives. Within the professional life as a nurse, the fundamental role remains the provision of nursing care to individuals who require the services. The functions undertaken as a nurse have been fundamental in determining the quality of services offered within the profession. The fundamental requirements in undertaking the various responsibilities include different skills, which are essential in performing various functions. Communication remains a basic requirement within this profession as individuals must communicate in seeking to gather information from individuals being provided with care. Effectiveness of the services delivered in the nursing profession remains highly dependent on effective communication. This enables one to understand the other individuals and the patients receiving care as well. Working relationships with other professional employees also presents a significant impact upon the services delivered within the healthcare sector. Many of the care services are provided by different professional in achieving holistic care. The relationships existing between these professional have fundamental effect in care delivery and establishment of good relationships remains a basic requirement for the ole of a nurse. Knowledge and understanding enables one to effectively manage the various situations which commonly face nurses within the profession. The knowledge is commonly gained from educational training and work experience, as well (Sinclair & Ferguson, 2009). This remains one of the fundamental aspects required in ensuring effective delivery of healthcare services. Continuous improvement of the above aspects remains

English reaserch paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

English reaserch paper - Essay Example et of rules, norms or processes by which individuals live since childhood and tolerating or understanding those having differing views of it is a challenging task. B. The advent of technology and the simultaneous evolution of globalization have blurred national and international boundaries thereby further stressing on the significance and need for encouraging cultural acceptance. As nations of the world, join hands for commercial exchange of goods and services, understanding cultural diversity has gained supreme significance. C. On the basis of the above arguments it can be established that there exists widespread cultural diversity across the globe and in the wake of globalization and rapidly blurring geographical boundaries, there is an urgent need to eliminate and reduce the cultural differences. This can only be done through encouraging cultural acceptance as it has great potential in eliminating the racial conflicts that tends to tarnish human development and create obstacles in the fight against environmental degradation. For instance, the fight against terrorism – a popular political agenda of the U.S. government which seeks to defend the nation from prospective terrorist attacks, is a glaring example of both – apparent cultural differences which has given rise to such animosity between faiths, and the investment of huge resources and manpower in arms and ammunition rather than investing the same in more culturally relevant issues such as global warming. D. Cultural acceptance may lead to better socio-economic relations among nations, protection of environment, development of a culturally diverse yet united world, establishment of world peace, greater racial tolerance, healthier trade relations, cultural globalization etc among others. â€Å"In these troubled times with the world in search of its bearings and way ward minds using the terms â€Å"culture† and â€Å"civilization† in an attempt to turn human beings against one another, there is an urgent

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Learning The Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Learning The Portfolio - Essay Example The cost of maintaining the program, personal cost, and the startup cost are examples of expenses that a DE student may encounter during his learning program. However, the success at the university would have a substantial effect on my life. As a practicing nurse, the success in GER 401 would give out a certification of my profession. This means that, without this achievement, I may not be able to advance into my profession. This post will respond to a post that was made by one of my classmates in regards to my earlier post. In his post, Greg argued that despite the fact that distance education students face a number of challenges, startup cost may not be regarded as one of the challenges. He added that the cost of starting up a distance education learning program only depends on the parents and administrators of the program. Even though the cost of starting a distance education is lower than the expected benefits, the startup cost is still extremely high to the students and their fa milies. Aside from the tuition fee for the program, there are other factors like the cost of accessing the Internet, cost of purchasing books and other study materials which may appear to be high to many students. This is a critical concern and should, therefore, never be ignored especially if the challenge of the DE students needs to be addressed. Portfolio Task 2 After locating the given article (Resistance training and older adults’ beliefs about psychological benefits: The importance of self-efficacy and social interaction. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 29(6), 723–746), the two selected sources from the reference list include: I. Takeshima, N., Rogers, N., Rogers, M., et al. (2008). Functional fitness in older adults varies depending on the mode of exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 39, 2036–2043. II. Layne, J., Sampson, S., Mallio, C., et al. (2008). Success disseminating a strength community-based training program for old adults by professional le aders: the People Exercise Program. Journal of Am Geriatr Society, 56, 2323–2329. The first article was selected because it is an article which targets are similar to that of the given article. This means that both the first article and the given article to discuss the old adults. The second article was also selected since it discusses training just like the given article. Portfolio Task 3 The keyword used while searching for the database: exercise and the aged The database was chosen because it is an academic search premier (EBSCOhost): This database covers arts and literature and medical sciences. The two articles selected include I. McCormack, J. (2000). Looking back and moving forward? Ageing in Australia 2000. Ageing and Society, 20, 623–631. II. Brandon, L, Boyette, L, Lloyd, A, & Gaasch, D. (2004). Resistive training and long-term functions in an old adult. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 11, 10–28. Portfolio Task 4 In the article â€Å"The Crisi s of Our Ageing Population and Other Fairytales,† David Gould argues that there existed a prosperous and rich land. The people who lived in that land were growing to be old. In this case, the residents of that land drained the treasure of the country until everything was exhausted (COM, 2002). These people spent their remaining years in misery and poverty, transforming a wasteland economy to their children.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Management Information System In Oil Company In Libya Research Paper

Management Information System In Oil Company In Libya - Research Paper Example   According to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), although Libya ranks 17th as a world oil supplier, it is Africa’s largest oil reserve, producing 1.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d). Libya contains nearly 46.4 billion barrels of oil, as of January 2011. The majority of existing oil fields are located in three major basins; Sirte, Murzuk, and Pelagian (Stankosvka& Lavender, 2011).   This is more than sufficient to give it much greater international leverage than its tiny population (just over 6 million people) or modest per capita GDP ($16,000)would normally suggest. Libya's oil industry is dominated by its state-owned National Oil Company, which controls at least a majority interest in all oil exploration, production, and refining (Zweig, 2009). This study is aimed to find out information about management information system used in oil companies in Libya which have to maintain their production of oil to supply the domestic and international demand.   The durat ion of the study is two months, from the middle of March 2014 to the beginning of May 2014.According to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), although Libya ranks 17th as a world oil supplier, it is Africa’s largest oil reserve, producing 1.8 million barrels per day (bbl/d).   Libya contains nearly 46.4 billion barrels of oil, as of January 2011. The majority of existing oil fields are located in three major basins; Sirte, Murzuk, and Pelagian (Stankosvka& Lavender, 2011).

Monday, September 9, 2019

Real Life Experience of an Entrepreneur Through an Open Ended Essay

Real Life Experience of an Entrepreneur Through an Open Ended Interview - Essay Example Moreover, certain learning models as well theories would also be implemented in the process of the entire research. From the conducted interview on the entrepreneur, it has been learnt that there are several aspects that are crucial in starting up a business. An entrepreneur would have to deal with certain unavoidable issues in the commencement of a new business. These issues are quite imperative and have severe impacts on the business. Furthermore, the journey of the entrepreneur is also depicted through the essay. In the reflective analysis part, the application of Schon’s and Kolb’s models have been incorporated to relate the obtained understanding of the scenarios faced by the concerned entrepreneur. Also, the present situation as well as the future aim of the company was also intended to be understood in the essay. Apart from the interview, the personal entrepreneurial development plan is also desired to be portrayed in the research. Time and again, it has been noted that human lives and assets are vulnerable to various types of risks and dangers. The diverse kinds of risks or dangers cannot be predicted and can take place with anybody at any time. In this regard, security of people or assets has become a prime concern. Now-a-days, it has been noted that there are various security agencies that have emerged in due course of time. Among them, A-Star Guard is a well known agency. This company is specialised in proving high level securities services. It has been recognised that the company possesses an efficient team which is strictly professional. It has also been observed that all the members of the company are trained under Security Industry Authority (SIA) and have the capabilities of providing quality security services. The company is accredited under the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS). It has been learnt that the company is a newly established one but has obtained a highly experienced team of personnel. The security deliverance of the company varies with the

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Birth Control in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Birth Control in the USA - Essay Example A recent study has proved that 42% of teenage girls living in urban society involved in sex before they reach 15 and 26% of them having sex at the age of 14 (Guttmacher Institute, 2012). The statics reveals that it would be beneficial if the young girls get the access to protective contraceptives and condoms. Elders believe that young school going students must not found involved in sex and therefore, birth control pills are not something for them (Eichner 129). According to them, if the teenage girls get the easy access to condoms or contraceptives, there is a likelihood that the trend might get reach to the peak as it will surely encourage them to have sex whether safe or not. No matter what people think, the sad part is that teenagers are not going to stop the sex activities and therefore, it would be ideal to accept the reality and allow them to have protective sex in order to counter the harsh consequence in term of pregnancy. Many hospitals and doctors have the rule of parent’s permissible note from the teenage group girls so that they can prescribe the pills. However, there are some clinics that offer birth control pills or condom with family insurance without the note to young teenage girls of age 15 and above without seeing their parents. Family insurance helps when the girl using condom or pill accidentally gets pregnant. So, the discussion is very clear that if a teenage girl wants to involve in sexual activities, she has complete right to have the access to the preventive material so that she can avoid unwanted pregnancy. It is also good for the society where a new addition is not needed for the time being from a young girl or the school going teenage girl faces a dropout.  

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Partnership - Assignment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Partnership - Assignment Paper - Essay Example A partnership is different from a company on the grounds that it is not incorporated and thus cannot be called a separate legal entity. However, a firm may be sued, or sue other partners if it is registered. Every partner is an agent representing the partnership firm and this function begins as soon as the partners agree to form a partnership with each other, irrespective of the fact that they began trading or not. Thus, each partner will be liable to his full extent for the debts of the firm. A partnership agreement arises out of a contract among the various partners which may be either expressed or implied in nature. There are various kinds of partners, dormant and active, in some cases, an individual might hold himself a partner only to the outside world and thus becomes liable for any debts that the firm must manage in due course. Various articles of partnership including a Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association etc must be laid down as part of the contractual agreeme nts which contain relevant information including the names of the partners, extent of capital provided, nature of the firm’s business, the ratio of sharing profits and losses, as well as the regulations for admission and retirement of partners. The main difference between a partnership and a company is that a company is a type of a corporation and is a separate legal entity except for cases where the company has been proved to be illegal in which case the corporate veil may be lifted. However, Limited Liability Partnerships are corporate bodies having a separate legal personality from their members. A partnership is a mere unity of ownership and control and may be dissolved however a company goes on even after the death of the directors. Each partner in a partnership firms has a certain liability to pay the debts because of his position within the firm if he retires, dies, or is a new partner altogether, just as he is equipped to receive the profits too. In a company however, each director or member who has subscribed is entitled to a small dividend as per the subscription. The audits of a partnership are not available for the scrutiny of the rest of the society whereas a company’s audits and shares are part of the public proceedings as well and thus open to all. When a company is formed as a subsidiary of another company, then the questions are raised whether the company which is the subsidiary of the other company works as an individual entity or on the basis of its parent’s company. In the case of Solomon vs Solomon the question raised was whether a company is an original entity in itself, and the decision mentioned that the company is indeed an individual entity in itself and operates on its own accord. Any company which is formed has the power and the ability to work on its feasibility without the interference from another company. However, nowadays the concept of veil has overshadowed the Solomon case where there is a common understa nding that a subsidiary often is run by its parent company. A partnership can be terminated in many ways. One of the most common ways of terminating the partnership is when the partnership goes bankrupt and

Friday, September 6, 2019

A Dolls House - Henrik Ibsen Essay Example for Free

A Dolls House Henrik Ibsen Essay Henrik Ibsens in one of his most revolutionary plays, A Dolls House, filled his set and narrative with symbols that emphasised the idea that above everything, one must be an individual. Doors, macaroons and the tarantella are all symbols that are used by Ibsen to convey to the audience that the life of Nora and Torvald isnt what it seems to the naked eye. The doors in the dolls house set, are emphasised, to symbolise the separate worlds Nora and Torvald live in; the illusive macaroons symbolise the control Torvald has over his wife and the wild tarantella dance is symbolic of Noras desire to escape from her restricted and heavily defined existence. Doors in A Dolls House are not just a wooden blocks that can be used as a thoroughfare between rooms; they are used to distinguish between the two different spheres, Noras sphere and Torvalds sphere. All throughout the play, Nora never enters her husbands world. Guests for Torvald were instructed to not come in here (Noras living room), and they went on into Torvalds study. As Krogstad slammed the door on the way out of his house, Noras world was smashed into a million shards of tiny fragile pieces. The character of Nora is sent into a spiral of depression, anxiety and out-right craziness that turned a seemingly normal dance into a 19th century movement of oppressed emotions. The macaroons that Nora possesses in the beginning of the play are more than just a common snack. Nora has the macaroons in the early stages of the play, with Torvald around. They give the audience the knowledge of Noras child-like behaviour and emotions. All through A Dolls House, Torvald treats Nora like an inexperienced child, and the macaroons are one of many indications of this. She offers it to guests as they enter her world, but not to her husband, in which she hides them from him. The child-like behaviour is also witnessed in the scene where Nora is playing with her children, calling them little dolls and playing with them like they are her friends and shes not their mother. This child-like behaviour was encouraged by Torvald, by simple nicknames, such as skylark and mockingbird, to make Nora be more immature towards Torvald and keeping her youthfulness that he liked so much. The infamous dance, the tarantella, was an expression of the oppressed society that woman had to go through in the 19th century. The tarantella was used to convey emotions that woman couldnt express in normal, everyday life. They used raw energy to express that raw emotion. In A Dolls House, Nora uses, just as other woman have, to express and release the oppressed emotion that was given by Torvald towards her. In the scene where Nora is dancing for Torvald as practice of the dance and Dr. Rank comes in, Torvald keeps telling Nora to stop it and do it as I said. Nora is completely oblivious to Torvald and keeps on dancing in her own style. Dr. Rank comes in and takes over Torvalds role as piano player to fuel the flame that Nora was burning. The dance becomes more and more wild as the scene progresses, until the music stops and Nora is just still. The oppressive moment of woman in the 19th century created this dance. A Dolls House uses this symbols of child-like behaviour, different worlds and an oppressed dance to show the audience that the world of the 19th century wasnt a blissful place where men and woman were equal in everything they had rights to, like they do now. Torvald showed that he was a man of conformity and tried his best to bend his family into the social norms of the time. Torvald never let Nora have her way and treated her like a child, making her regress into one and even making her be his child. She was scared to wrong by her husband, even hiding a simple sweet from him so he wouldnt find out that she was eating it. By the end of A Dolls House , Nora grows up. After the problems arisen by Krogstad, she learns that her husband isnt her saviour anymore and she doesnt love him. The party ended when Torvald wanted to leave. Nora got home and changed out of her formal attire, and into outdoor wear, making Torvald wonder, Why are you dressed like that? The taking off of her formal clothes gives the impression that Nora is now taking off her old life, her oppressed life, and starting afresh. After an emotional discussion with Torvald, she ends up leaving him and the children. Walking out of her house, through the door, again is symbolising the end of something. This time its Noras life with Torvald. As the door closes, this time its Torvald who breaks down, mirroring Noras emotions when Krogstad leaves the  letter in the letter box. Symbolisation is a major part in any play, even more so in A Dolls House. The emotion scenes with Nora, Torvald, Dr. Rank and even Krogstad wouldnt be the same without objects such as the doors or macaroons, or the two different spheres dividing Noras world and Torvalds. The dance itself plays a vital role of showing emotion without the notice of Noras own husband. Without such devices, A Dolls House wouldnt be the same revolutionary play that we see today; it would just be mere words on a page. Bibliography: A Dolls House Henrik Ibsen

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Are Juries the Most Appropriate Way of Deciding Guilt?

Are Juries the Most Appropriate Way of Deciding Guilt? Abigail Louise Lines   From a Psychological Perspective, Are Juries the Most Appropriate Way of Deciding a Persons Guilt? The judicial system within the United Kingdom has a perverse history, with its origins in the church influencing modern systems and the human rights we have within the court today (Brooks, 2004). Before criminal trial juries were an established concept in the United Kingdom, there were three ways in which the degree of a persons innocence was established: a Wager of Law, Trial by Battle and The Ordeals (Brooks, 2004). These tests primarily consisted of physical challenges in which God was believed to be the primary authority to pass judgement and decide a persons guilt; these trials disregarded human rights, often involved physical anguish and frequently resulted in the death of the accused (Brooks, 2004). It was not until 1219 that individuals accused of a crime were allowed to appeal to a jury, however, individuals who refused to appeal through a jury were subjected to Prison Forte et Dure, where the accused were physically and emotionally tried until they consented to this appeal procedure (Berger, 2011). Due to the influence of the church and the belief that God was involved in the decision of guilt, it was rare that jury members in the appeal procedure would have to justify their decisions and have their verdicts questioned (Berger, 2011). During the early 1300s jurors verdicts began to be doubted and those who served on a jury could be challenged as unfit, incompetent or corrupt; this later led to reforms as to who would be allowed to serve on a jury and an emphasis on mandatory guidelines to follow (Smith Wales, 2000). Modern criminal trials consist of 12-16 individuals selected at random from the electoral register to represent their peers; they discuss the factors influencing the case at hand to ultimately determine the level of guilt of the involved and to deliver an appropriate verdict (Smith Wales, 1999). Juror capabilities have been questioned in recent years due to a rising number of [G1]criticisms of competency, variances between the judges and jurys verdict, and the role of inadmissible evidence which is believed to influence jurors decisions (Smith Wales, 1999; Hans, 2008). To understand and assess whether juries are appropriate for deciding an individuals guilt, the current essay will explore psychological evidence and criticisms of the jury. It will critically evaluate factors involved in juror decision making and competency, recognising the role of current systems in place and how these systems may influence the reliability of jurors. Furthermore, it will investigate alternatives to juries, systems used in countries outside of the UK and improvements to be made to the modern jury.[G2][G3][G4][G5][G6] Juror decision making models have been a point of interest for those critiquing the jury system; several empirical studies have created and reviewed models of juror decision making to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of having a jury (Pennington Hastie, 1981). Cognitive models of juror decision making are the more commonly accepted approaches, specifically that of the Story Model (Pennington Hastie, 1992). The Story Model assumes that jurors construct stories when deciding on a verdict; they will piece together known elements of the case, learn the appropriate verdicts for the individual and then make a decision based on the goodness of fit principle (Pennington Hastie, 1992). Although this structure recognises that individuals will use schemas to interpret the case at hand, it relies on this aspect heavily when individuals create the stories (Pennington Hastie, 1992). Due to the level of variance in individuals schemas, this may be a critique of using jurors in civil and cr iminal trials due to the differences in how they interpret events within the case; it makes it increasingly difficult to come to a unanimous decision, especially in complex cases wherein there are multiple aggravating and mitigating factors involved (Devine, Clayton, Dunford, Seying Pryce, 2001). The Story Model also takes into account the jurors previous knowledge of the legal system when applying their story to the verdict; this again uses real world knowledge court cases which may not derive from reliable sources, such as movies and television shows, which in turn may cause them to arrive at a disagreeable or incorrect verdict (Devine, Clayton, Dunford, Seying Pryce, 2001). Few meta-analyses have reviewed models of juror decision making, however, all have arrived at similar conclusions for improvements (Saks Marti, 1997; Devine, Clayton, Dunford, Seying Pryce, 2001). Variables such as knowledge of legal terms, clarification of verdict options, jury personality types, defendant criminal history and the strength of the evidence presented all affect jury decision outcomes[G7] in studies; without systematically controlling for these factors in studies, it is difficult to firmly accept the level at which jurors are a reliable means of assessing an individuals guilt (Devine, Clayton, Dunford, Seying Pryce, 2001). It is, however, possible to understand improvements to be made to the current jury system from the meta-analyses on decision making models; Saks and Marti (1997) explained that jurors express difficulty in understanding and applying instructions given by the judge. This thought to be due to the specific language used in legal settings, which indiv iduals without training may find difficult to understand; it has been suggested that instructions given by judges should be mediated for language which may confuse jurors and be re-written to allow for clarification (Saks Marti 1997; Hans, 2008). [G8][G9] Juror competency is currently monitored within the United Kingdom, through a comparison of verdicts, analysis of verdict patterns, a series of interviews or questionnaires and also through the use of mock jury studies (Hans, 2008). As previously mentioned, there are concerns that jurors may find it difficult within a court setting to understand the specific legal terminology used by judges, however, there is also evidence that jurors may express difficulty in understanding statistical and economic evidence; this is of particular concern during complex cases with industry specific language, wherein the jury may not be able to discuss the specific factors regarding the case as they are unable to fully comprehend it (ForsterLee, Horowitz, Bourgeois, 1993). There have been studies which disagree with this critique, as findings have shown that Judges and Jurors generally match in their verdicts in cases involving complex language (Eisenberg, Hannaford-Agor, Hans, Mott, Schwab Wells, 200 5). Further studies exploring individual versus group competence wield reassuring results for those in favour of the judicial system; one study exploring theorems of group confidence found that regardless of the overall individual competence, jury members in a larger group are less likely to make mistakes due to being able to deliberate on ideas (Grofman, Owen Feld, 1983). Along with larger group sizes increasing juror competence, several studies have found that note taking and engagement is the ideal way in which juror competence is enhanced; jurors that weigh in, take notes and assume an active role in deliberating the final verdict have been shown to have a higher level of engagement with the case, which leads to a higher level of competence (Heuer Penrod, 1994; Forsterlee Horowitz, 1997). Until 1967, the British court required juries to reach a unanimous verdict; modern UK courts judges will now accept a majority vote, however, in some states in the USA the unanimity rule is still applied (Sunstein, 2014). It is believed that forcing juries to reach unanimous verdicts decreases the chance that an innocent individual is convicted, and the guilty being acquitted, yet research argues that these errors may actually increase if individuals are forced to reach unanimity (Feddersen Pesendorfer, 1998). This is believed to be due to jurors attempting to apply strategic behaviour to their decision making while disregarding their intuition (Feddersen Pesendorfer, 1998). [G10] Further criticisms of the unanimity rule consider that forcing unanimous verdicts increases the time and costs of court trials, and also increases the chance of a retrial taking place (Neilson Winter, 2005; McCormick, 2012). While this supports the use of juries for deciding a persons guilt, there is conflicting research which suggests that allowing for a majority verdict may cause uncertainty in the final outcome; several studies have found that those forced to make unanimous decisions found greater satisfaction and confidence in their decisions, as they felt as though they had discussed evidence more thoroughly and delayed their voting (Diamond, Rose Murphy, 2012; Sunstein, 2014). Furthermore, OConnor (2003) argued that not having unanimity decreases confidence and reliability within the group if one juror disagrees; it is therefore contended that forcing a unanimous decision increases the principle that there is proof beyond reasonable doubt that the individual is guilty. [G11] The role of inadmissible evidence is also a concern within court cases within the United Kingdom due to the increased exposure of online materials which may sway jurors verdicts; inadmissible evidence not only includes pre-trial exposure, but also statements and information revealed in court (Lieberman Arndt, 2000). Certain safeguards are currently in place to ensure that inadmissible evidence does not affect jurors or their verdicts, such as continuance, a reliance on voir dire to remove biased jurors, deliberations, and admonitions (Lieberman Arndt, 2000). It is believed, however, that these precautions have little effect on juror prejudice and in some cases may backfire ([G12]Lieberman Sales, 1997; Lieberman Arndt, 2000; Steblay, Hosch, Culhane McWethy, 2006). This reluctance to ignore inadmissible evidence may be explained by several psychological theories such as Belief Perseverance, Hindsight Bias and Reactance Theory (Lieberman Arndt, 2000). Reactance Theory is the more commonly accepted theory behind this effect as it explains why there is a reluctance with certain forms of evidence; it occurs when individuals feel that their freedom is limited and therefore attempt to re-establish this autonomy and gain control (Torrance Brehm, 1968; Lieberman Arndt, 2000). Empirical research has been found to highlight the negative consequences of inadmissible evidence on jurors; jurors have been found to issue more guilty verdicts when strong inadmissible evidence is given, and the strength of this evidence also has the ability to influence the overall confidence in their verdict (Sue, Smith, Caldwell, 1973). Furthermore, one study conducted by Thompson, Fong and Rosenhan (1981) found that when given pro-acquittal inadmissible evidence, jurors are less likely to convict the defendant; this study also revealed that jurors were able to recognise that their decisions have been influenced by inadmissible evidence. This may be detrimental to the belief that juries are the most appropriate method of deciding an individuals guilt as it demonstrates the reluctance to follow instructions from members of authority; it further establishes that although jurors recognise that they are being influenced by inadmissible evidence, they will do little in terms of reco nsidering their final verdicts. In light of this research, several psychologists have recommended ways to lessen the impact of inadmissible evidence. One meta-analysis covering 48 studies and 8,474 participants has found that while judicial instructions do not lessen the influence of inadmissible evidence, if a rationale is given for disregarding the evidence, such as it having a negative effect on family members of those implicated, the overall influence of it is reduced (Steblay, Hosch, Culhane McWethy, 2006). Further recommendations include jurors repeatedly sworn in before deliberation begins; this allows for an emphasis on the importance of disregarding inadmissible evidence and motivation to follow the law (Lieberman Sales, 1997; Lieberman Arndt, 2000). Research regarding juror decision making has been applied to many stages in legal processes, with courts obtaining information frequently from social scientists to assist in legal battles; psychologists are commonly requested in court as expert witnesses, in cases such as eyewitness testimonies, to educate the jurors and ensure they competent when deliberating on the trial (Kassin, Ellsworth Smith, 1989; Pennington Hastie, 1990). Although the role of [G13]an expert witness calls for those of sound scientific and technical understanding to assist the jury, there are critics who argue that those who testify as an expert may hold biases; claims that researchers appearing in particularly violent or morally ambiguous cases, such as those involving rape or child molestation, may still hold personal values when issuing a statement, therefore when these personal values appear they may sway the jury in a certain direction (Loftus Monahan, 1980). In this case it is not the jurys responsibil ity to counteract this measure, however, the defence, [G14]prosecution, [G15]and judge must ensure that counterclaims are issued should bias remarks enter the court (Loftus Monahan, 1980). Nevertheless, this remains a criticism of the practicality of using juries when deciding an individuals guilt. [G16][G17] With these criticisms of the modern jury in mind, some researchers have explored alternatives to juries which include specially qualified jurors and the concept of a non-jury tribunal (Norris, 1993). There are currently few specifications when an individual is called to jury service, with exceptions including a history of mental health conditions, reduced English speaking or writing aptitude or those who have served a prison sentence in the last five years; due to the limited criteria, researchers have expressed concern that those presiding over important decisions may not possess the acumen to understand the ramifications of sentencing, therefore, minimal educational qualifications should be imposed (Norris, 1993). Norris (1993) has explained that it would be desirable that those serving on a jury hold specialist qualifications especially in complex cases, for example, a bachelors degree. [G18]Norris (1993) continues by explaining that if minimal educational qualifications are not e nough to ensure the competence of jurors, then expert non-jury tribunals may be of use in complex, industry-specific cases.   [G19][G20][G21][G22] Although juror incompetence is a concern, both of these suggestions appeal for educated jurors to be called more frequently into jury service, especially for more convoluted cases; criticisms of these improvements include the criterion in which we define a complex case, that jurors may no longer be considered peers but superiors, and that some industries are already limited in their personnel, therefore, frequently calling them to jury service may negatively affect their area of work (Hersch, 2003). Henkel (1976) explains that alternatives and improvements should be made, however, until these concerns are resolved smaller changes should be made to ensure the competence of jurors. There are several alternatives to juries which are currently used within other countries, such as the use of religious law which utilises divine doctrines to pass judgement, or a mixed system of civil and religious law which recognises cultural and lawful judgements, and full tribunals without the use of juries (Frase, 1990). Due to the mix of cultures in the United Kingdom, the reintroduction of religious law would not be advisable to improve the current judicial system. France officially abolished trial by jury in 1941 and now uses six lay judges, and three professional judges to preside over cases; in this system there are separate tribunals for how serious the offence is and the type of offence involved (Frase, 1990). While we may look to this structure to improve our own judicial system, one concern would be that they would not represent those from the community on trial, as they are more likely to come from a primarily middle class and legal background (Frase, 1990). To conclude, the criticisms offered in the current essay explain that the current judicial system is not without flaw. The structure currently used within the United Kingdom could make several improvements to increase the degree to which jurors make an appropriate decision, such as specialists which assist jurors in understanding the language used within the court system, the encouragement of note taking and taking an active role in deliberation, further precautions taken to lessen the impact of inadmissible evidence, and safeguards in place to ensure that prejudices from expert witnesses do not influence jurors in their verdicts. It is advised that policy makers take these issues into account when discussing the current regulations in place. Before we are able to implement improvements and look to other systems for advice, we must appreciate that the current judicial structure has been in the United Kingdom, and influenced other countries systems such as the United States, for a num ber of years. Although the current essay establishes that juries may not be the more appropriate method for deciding a persons guilt, until realistic alternatives are established and tested, juries will remain to be the only viable option within the United Kingdom.[G23] References Berger, B. (2011). Judges, Juries, and the History of Criminal Appeals. Law And History Review, 29(01), 297-302. doi: 10.1017/s073824801000129x. Devine, D., Clayton, L., Dunford, B., Seying, R., Pryce, J. (2001). Jury decision making: 45 years of empirical research on deliberating groups. Psychology, Public Policy, And Law, 7(3), 622-727. doi: 10.1037//1076-8971.7.3.622. Diamond, S., Murphy, B., Rose, M. (2012). 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