Can china solve Taiwan problem using one country under two policy Research Paper

Can china solve Taiwan problem using one country under two policy - Research Paper Example Furthermore, I would also discuss various factors that contribute to the conflict between China and Taiwan. â€Å"China cannot gain Taiwan by force before the end of this decade.† (McCready, 8) Basically, the research paper examined if China can solve the dispute with Taiwan using one country under two policies. However, many questions still arise regarding this conflict if China would give up on Taiwan and let them enjoy their sovereignty? Why is United States not supporting China considering their recent super power status? Why does the Nationalist Party want to rejoin the People’s Republic of China? Nevertheless, the independent state of Taiwan in the eyes of China or Taiwan merging with China once again seems like a never ending conflict. It is said that Taiwan â€Å"Should pass the point of no return in asserting its independence and end the prospect of rejoining mother China.† (Tsang, 10) The government of Taiwan has multitude of reasons for not merging bac k and not giving up their independence from China. Taiwan has the right to enjoy its freedom and to prosper, thus depriving them of their rights is no excuse. China and Taiwan hold a very dainty and fragile relationship with each other. â€Å"China, Taiwan, the United States, and Japan have national interests in how the conflict is resolved, and these interests will be difficult to reconcile.† (McCready, 5) Therefore, China should end their efforts and give up on Taiwan as the Taiwanese currently are very happy with their independent state both personally and economically. As the time passes on, these conflicts will cool down. To sum it up in the most effective manner, Taiwanese are satisfied with their present state so there is no room for negotiations in this regard. At some point, China will show maturity and leave Taiwan so that they can enjoy their freedom. Also, the number of people visiting Taiwan from China has also tremendously increased with the passage of time and Taiwan has wholeheartedly increased its quota for Chinese visitors. Hence in a nutshell, Taiwan is quite happy with their independent state and they are economically stable and happy as well, which leaves China in no condition to negotiate merging them back with China, although it is said that the economical relations between Taiwan and China are quite stable and they are active trade partners. In my opinion China cannot solve this China-Taiwan conflict by using a single country under two policies. Prospectus Template:   1) My research topic: I had to analyze that whether China can solve Taiwan problem using one country under two policies. 2) I have learned the following:  I have learnt through my research that China and Taiwan have been in the state of unrest since Taiwan separated from China. I have to consider the factors that contribute to the conflict and what else needs to be done in order to overcome the conflict. 3) These observations lead me to ask the following questio ns:   Whether China would give up on Taiwan and let it enjoy their sovereignty? Will this conflict ever end? Why is the United States not supporting China, considering their recent super power status? Why does the Nationalist Party want to rejoin the People’s Republic of China? 4) This question has several plausible answers: Many factors contribute to the conflict, thus, there are numerous reasons. Some believe that the conflict will carry on, while others are optimistic about the

City Pollution Essay Example for Free

City Pollution Essay 1. Describe how the use of a tall smoke stack might improve air quality near a large industrial facility. A taller smoke stack in an industrial area would improve air quality over shorter stacks. At night, when there is a temperature inversion, pollution from shorter stacks can become trapped and cannot rise any higher than the inversion’s top. The only place it can go is to spread out horizontally in all directions. This keeps all the pollutants spewing out of the stack to remain closer to the ground, lowering the air quality. A taller stack, on the other hand, would allow pollution exit above the inversion and disperse downwind. 2. How can topography contribute to pollution in a city or region? Topology can have a great impact on pollution in a region. We tend to build cities down in valleys, not on hills. Above a layer of cold air in the valleys is a warmer layer. This warm layer prevents pollution from rising which creates a layer of smog in the valley. The hills surrounding the valley act as barriers preventing winds from moving in to disperse the pollution. The same polluted air just recirculates in the valley unable to leave. 3. From where do hurricanes derive their energy? What factors tend to weaken hurricanes? Would you expect a hurricane to weaken more quickly if it moved over land or over cooler water? A hurricane’s energy comes from the transfer of both sensible and latent heat from the surface of the ocean. A cluster of thunderstorms must form around an area of low pressure for a hurricane to form. Warm water drives a hurricane, so when it moves over an area of colder water it slows down and begins to decay. A rising wind shear aloft also hinders a hurricanes momentum. Land does weaken more quickly when it makes land fall. The terrain tends to break up its wind movements, slowing it rapidly. Land also helps to suck the moisture out of the storm which further aids in its rapid decay. 4. Where is the Bermuda high located during the summer and fall? How might the path of a hurricane, moving toward the west from Africa, be affected by the Bermuda High as the hurricane approaches the United States? The Bermuda high is located in the North Atlantic Ocean and moves east and west depending on the season. In summer and fall it is located off the eastern coast of the United States, near Bermuda. In spring and winter it moves eastward and then becomes known as the Azores High. In summer and fall when there is a weak Bermuda high, it drives hurricanes up the east coast of the US. When it is stronger and located further westward, it drives hurricanes into Florida or the Gulf of Mexico. 5. How do you think pollutants are removed from the atmosphere? Does this occur quickly or slowly? Trees and plants play a large role in cleaning pollutants in out atmosphere. They trap pollutants in and release clean oxygen for us to breath. Planting more trees in a polluted industrial area can improve local air quality. Other pollutants can be carried by winds and simply settle and seep into the ground. They can also attach to water vapor, which then falls to the ground as precipitation. This is commonly referred to as acid rain. These processes do happen slowly. We, as a planet, are spewing more pollutants in the air than these natural process can handle, which has led to an ever increasing ozone layer. References Ahrens, C. D. (01/2014). Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere, 7th Edition [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved fromhttp://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781305439733

Comparing Mores Utopia and Our Modern Dystopia :: comparison compare contrast essays

Thomas More was born in London in 1478. He studied at Oxford where he took a profound love of classical literature. In Utopia, More shows his own skills in humanism. In this story, modeled after Plato's Republic, More examines his culture against a hypothetical culture he invents. His Utopia varies greatly from both his society and our society today. Four ways Utopia differs from our society are social system, attitude towards jewelry, marriage customs, and religion. First, the people of More's Utopia have a complex communism compared to our modern neo-fascist culture. In Utopia, the government owns the business world. The government forces men to work the land in two-year stints. In modern society, the government does not own the economy but it does control the economy. The government does not make men be farmers but it does tell farmers how much to grow. Furthermore, it penalizes those who disobey its command. Second, Utopians treat precious metals and jewels radically different than modern society. Today people adorn all sorts of jewelry to beautify themselves or attract attention to them. These precious metals are golden calves to many people. People today are like the Anemolian ambassadors, they strut their fine jewels because they are "more proud than wise, they decide, they decide to dress as splendidly as the very gods." Third, the Utopian attitude towards money differs from modern society. The Utopians highly prize virginity. The government forbids marriage for life those who commit premarital intercourse. Yet the percentage of people marrying without premarital intercourse in our society is minute. In most cases, the couple has a long-standing sexual relationship. Fourth, the religion of the Utopians is much like modern religion with one major exception. The religious beliefs of both societies are pluralistic. Utopia allows all religion except our most dominant religion: secular humanism (i.e. "atheism"). A man, who believes blind chance not divine providence, determines actions, is less than a man. In our culture of neo-Darwinism and "man is pure matter," everything is by chance.

Appiah Notes on “Identity, Authenticity, Survival”

SLIDE 2- QUESTIONS OF RECOGNITION ?APPIAH quotes CHARLES TAYLOR, asserting that modern social and political life and very much based off of questions of recognition. oIn our liberal society, we see recognition as a method to acknowledge individuals and what we perceive to be their identities oWe have a notion from â€Å"ethics of authenticity† that people have the right to be acknowledged publically as what they already really are oWe deny people rights when society tells people to hide something about themselves and pretend to be something their not, such as being Jewish or gay. Discussion on recognition conflicts with the idea of an individuals authenticity and identity. oâ€Å"If what matters is my individual and authentic self, why is so much contemporary talk of identity about large categories- gender, ethnicity, nationality, race, sexuality- which seem so far from the individual. † (149) othere is a disconnect between using collective language such as this and the movement for an individual to have a â€Å"modern notion of the self† SLIDE 3-RUBRIC OF IDENTITY APPIAHT maintains TAYLOR’s defense to this phenomenon, and throughout this essay discusses features of TAYLOR’s story under three crucial rubrics- identity, authenticity, and survival. ?Identities whose recognition TAYLOR discusses are what we call collective social identities, such as religion, gender, ethnicity, race, and sexuality. APPIAHT says these identities somewhat heterogeneous or diverse because they matter differently to people who subscribe to them in different ways, but these are the major collective identities that demand recognition in North America. oHe uses the example of religion or of sexuality- both of which he says matter different to different people and are experienced in different ways at various stages of life. Connection between a persons individual identity, which is the focus of TAYLORS discussion, and these collective identities: each pe rsons identitiy is seen as having two major dimensions. †¢There is a collective dimension- intersection of collective identities †¢Also a personal dimension- consisting of other socially or morally important features, such as charm, intelligence, wit, that are not the basis of forms of collective identity (people who have these identities don’t form a social group) SLIDE 4- RUBRIC OF AUTHENTICITY Uses this rubric to acknowledge the importance and connection between the two personal and collective identities oUses quote of TAYLOR to show the â€Å"ideal of authenticity†, â€Å"there is a certain way of being that is my way. I am called upon to live my life in this way.. if I am not true to myself, I miss the point of my life. oTAYLOR justifies the politics of recognition, maintaining the oppositional aspects to authenticity that would complicate the picture because it focuses too sharply on the difference between the two levels of authenticity that the contem porary politics of recognition combine oAPPHIAT says TAYLOR/ HERDERs way of framing the issue doesn’t pay enough attention to the connection between the originality of people and nations> today the individual identity, which screams out for recognition, is likely to have what HERDER would have seen as a national identity as a component of its collective dimension. APPHIAT says being an African American is part of the authentic self he seeks to express. It is partly because he wants to express his self that he seeks recognition of an African American identity. †¢Conflicts with TRILLING in this context because recognition as an African American means social acknowledgement of that collective identity, which requires both recognizing its existence and actually demonstrating respect for it.If in seeing himself as African American, APPHIAT resists white norms, mainstream American conventions, the racism of white culture, why would he ever seek recognition from others who are white? oIrony in the ways in which this â€Å"bohemian ideal† leads authenticity to require us to reject many components of our society. oSecondly, another problem with the bohemian ideal has components of errors of philosophical anthropology. †¢It fails to see what TAYLOR recognizes as the way in which the self is dialogically constituted. Rhetoric of authenticity suggests not only that you have a way of being that is all your own, but in that developing it, you must fight against the family, organized religion, society, the school, and the state- all of the forces of convention> this point is wrong in that: †¢It is in dialogue with others understandings of who you are that develops a concept of your own identity, but also because identity is created through concepts and practices made available to a person by religion, society, school, family and the state. Dialogue shapes the identity a person develops as they grow up and what TAYLOR calls â€Å"language in a br oad sense† oOverall, APPHIAT claims that in every identity, there is a broader context that allows for a space in the other. He claims for example, African American identity is centrally shaped by American Society and its institutions, and it cant be seen as solely constructed within African-American communities. oHe claims a third problem with the standard framing of authenticity if essentialism, which seems inherent in the way questions of authenticity are normally posed.After romanticism, the idea that the self is something that one creates so that â€Å"every life should be a work of art this is his or her own greatest creation†. Authenticity in politics should not be considered essentialist or monological. ?APPHIAT supposes that TAYLOR is content with the collective identities and this might be why he is less likely to make concessions to them. SLIDE 5- SURVIVAL RUBRIC ?TAYLOR argues that pluralism in societies will require us to modify procedural liberalism.HE agr ees that we should not accept the insistence on the uniform application of rules without exception and the suspicion of collective goals. We should not accept the insistence without the suspicion. There can be legit goals that would give up proceduralism. ?APPAHIAT acknowledges Taylors discussion of collective goals in multicultural states, but moves the focus on to say that the collective goals of society shouldn’t be that the language or practice of a culture is eventually still happening, but that there should be a desire for the language and practice to be moved on from one generation to the next.EXAMPLE- Canada paying a group of unrelated people on an island in the south pacific to carry on French Canadian culture- this doesn’t meet the need. ?In addition, there needs to be a goal to respecting the autonomy of future individuals. Sometimes children resist to practices that theyre families uphold, such as arranged marriages. In this case, the ethical principles of equal dignity that underlie liberal thinking seem to be against allowing parents to maintain their personal practices because we care about the autonomy of the children. If we create a culture that our descendants will want to hold on to- our culture will survive in them. He says we have to help children make themselves, and we have to do so according to our values because children do not begin with values of their own. He also claims that we must both appeal to and transmit values more substantial that a respect for liberal procedures. oEducation is run by government institutions on purpose for creating collective goals in social reproduction. ?APPHIAT agrees with TAYLORS objections to pure proceduralsim because of social reproduction. SLIDE 6- CONCLUSION Large collective identities that call for recognition come with notions of how a proper person of that kind behaves- there isn’t one way that a group should behave, but there are modes of behavior. These notions provide loo se norms and models which play a role in shaping the life of those who make these collective identities central to their individual identities. oCollective identities provide â€Å"scripts† which are narratives that people can use in shaping their life plans and stories. oIn telling a persons story, how a person fits into the wider story of various collectivities is important.Many identities fit each individual story into a larger narrative. oToday, it is widely agreed upon that insults to collective or individual identities are seriously wrong. oEthics of authenticity requires us to express who we really are, they further demands recognition in social life. Because there is no reason to treat people of identities badly, there should be cultural work to resist the stereotypes, to challenge insults, and to lift restrictions. oIn order to construct a life with dignity, take the collective identities and construct positive life scripts instead

Theory of Cognitive Development and Commitment Scores

PsychSim 5: Conception to Birth 27 PsychSim 5: CONCEPTION TO BIRTH Name: __________________________________________ Date: __________________________________________ This activity will help you understand the sequence of prenatal development. Fertilization †¢ Of the 200 to 400 million sperm cells released in a typical ejaculation, approximately how many do you think will reach the ovum? _____ 100 _____ 3000 _____ 100,000 _____ 1,000,000 Section: ________________________ Germinal Phase †¢ Briefly describe the main features of this phase of development. Embryonic Phase †¢ Briefly describe the main features of this phase of development.Fetal Phase †¢ Briefly describe the main features of this phase of development. Summary †¢ Now that you have viewed the entire sequence of prenatal development, what do you think are the most important themes of development during these 38 weeks? PsychSim 5: Cognitive Development 25 PsychSim 5: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Name: _________ _________________________________ Date: __________________________________________ This activity describes Piaget’s theory of the growth of intelligence and simulates the performance of three children of different ages on some of Piaget’s tasks.Schemas †¢ What are schemas? Section: ________________________ †¢ Explain the difference between assimilation and accommodation. †¢ Suppose that a 15-month-old toddler has learned to call the four-legged house pet a â€Å"doggie. † What do you think would happen if the child sees a horse for the first time? Is the child likely to call the horse a â€Å"horsie† or a â€Å"doggie† or a â€Å"doggie-horse† or some other term? Write your best guess in the space below, and add a sentence explaining why you think the child would use that term to refer to the horse.Stages of Development †¢ What are some characteristics of a child in the sensorimotor stage of development? What is object pe rmanence? †¢ What are some cognitive limitations of preschoolers? What is egocentrism? †¢ A child in the concrete operations stage can reason differently than can a child in the sensorimotor stage. For example, if shown two identical balls of clay, one of which has been rolled into a rope, an older child (in the concrete operational period) might decide that the ball and the rope both have the same amount of clay.What kinds of reasoning do you think the older child might use to draw that conclusion? 26 PsychSim 5: Cognitive Development Measures of Mental Operations †¢ What are some differences in mental operations among the three children in the conservation of number/checkers task? †¢ What are some differences in mental operations among the three children in the conservation of liquid/water glass task? †¢ What are some differences in mental operations among the three children in the seriation/sticks task? What are some differences in mental operations among the three children in the seriation without visible objects/word problem task? 28 PsychSim 5: Who Am I? PsychSim 5: WHO AM I? Name: __________________________________________ Date: __________________________________________ This activity will help you understand Erik Erikson’s perspective on identity formation, as well as James Marcia’s four steps or stages in the identity process. Your Results †¢ What was your exploration score? ___________ †¢ What was your commitment score? ___________ Paths to Identity Achievement †¢ How did Erikson define identity achievement? What combination of exploration and commitment scores are seen? Section: ________________________ †¢ What is diffusion? What combination of exploration and commitment scores are seen? †¢ What is foreclosure? What combination of exploration and commitment scores are seen? †¢ What is moratorium? What combination of exploration and commitment scores are seen?Marcia’s Identit y Status Model †¢ After considering your identity status classification based on the initial questionnaire, do you believe that your classification was accurate? †¢ Which of Marcia’s four statuses best fits you right now? †¢ Why you would not classify yourself as being in the other three statuses? PsychSim 5: Signs of Aging 29 PsychSim 5: SIGNS OF AGING Name: __________________________________________ Date: __________________________________________ In this activity you will explore the main aspects of physical aging.Aging Begins in Early Adulthood †¢ What distinctions do researchers find between primary and secondary aging? Section: ________________________ Aging and Appearance †¢ List four changes in appearance experienced with aging: 1. 2. 3. 4. Sensory Changes †¢ List the two senses most significantly affected by aging: 1. 2. Physical Functioning †¢ Name two of the changes in physical functioning experienced during aging: 1. 2. Conclusio n: Making the Most of Each Stage †¢ How will you feel about the changes that aging brings? Which of the changes will bother you the most?

Healthcare Benchmarking and Quality Improvement Essays

Healthcare Benchmarking and Quality Improvement Essays Healthcare Benchmarking and Quality Improvement Paper Healthcare Benchmarking and Quality Improvement Paper Benchmarks are relevant to all health and social care settings. Therefore, the benchmarks are presented in a generic format in order that they can be used in, for example, primary, secondary and tertiary settings and with all patient and or career groups, such as in pediatric care, mental health, cancer care, surgery and medicine. It is important that those benchmarking (including patients and careers) agree on the indicators that demonstrate best practice within their area of care (UK-Department of Health). Benchmarking can be utilized in the following ways: Staff Performance: Benchmarking is often used as a method to determine performance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  standards for office functions. Examples may be as basic as the number of calls answered, appointments made and medical records pulled. This process provides a true measure of staff productivity capabilities. Physician Performance: This benchmarking process only works if the physician being reviewed is truly interested in becoming more efficient. The basic premise is to examine what aspects of the physicians daily schedule is productive, (Time actually spent with patients) and non-productive, (time spent not rendering services to patients). The objective is to reduce non-productive time and leverage the physician’s impact. 3. Statistical Performance: This benchmarking process evaluates the practice’s statistical performance to best practice standards. Statistical comparisons include some of the following: charges, adjustments, revenues, expenses, gross/net collection percentages, and account receivable days. Performance measurement might seem strange to some organizations, but the concept of measuring and monitoring performance is not new to healthcare facilities. Requirements for public overview of healthcare facilities demand that performance data be collected, analyzed, and monitored for reimbursement, Federal and state record keeping, and accreditation purposes. As a result, most healthcare facilities already track key productivity indicators. And as state and Federal regulations require the reporting of more data, healthcare facilities will be in an even better position to assess their performance and share comparative information about performance and operations with other facilities for mutual benefit. Indeed, the greatest value to be gained from all of the performance data that healthcare facilities are gathering may well emerg from the process of comparing that data. Healthcare facilities often are quite similar in the complexity of their organizational structures, operational and clinical services, and corporate missions. That similarity will benefit healthcare facilities as they begin benchmarking efforts.     Business survival is increasingly difficult in the contemporary world. In order to survive, organizations need a commitment to excellence and a means of measuring that commitment and its results. Benchmarking provides one method for doing this. As the author describes, benchmarking is a performance improvement method that has been used for centuries. Recently, it has begun to be used in the healthcare industry where it has the potential to improve significantly the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality of healthcare services.   In the contemporary world, business survival is defined as long-term economic viability achieved through excellent performance. To maintain the excellence needed for survival, however, businesss enterprises must find a way of consistently measuring and improving their performance.   Productive ideas and methods are not limited to a single industry. Cross-industry benchmarking also can offer excellent opportunities for borrowin good ideas and processes. But finding suitable partners with applicable ideas from other industries can be time consuming and costly. For example, calling a fire department to discuss the process of bringing both equipment and manpower to an emergency site can generate a number of exciting ideas, but finding the best performing fire department would take long hours of research. Because benchmarking is an ongoing effort, working first within the healthcare industry for short- and medium-term solutions will help position a facility for later cross-industry initiatives (Anderson-Miles, 1994).

Free Essays on Data Analysis

Field Essay: Regulatory -Making in the American States: A Review of Theories and Evidence Brian Gerber, State University of New York, Stony Brook Paul Teske, State University of New York, Stony Brook While most studies of the determinants of regulatory policy-making have concentrated on national-level issues, state-level regulatory politics represent a productive opportunity to examine the efficacy of competing theories of the regulatory process over variable political, economic, and demographic conditions. In this paper we discuss the significance of state-level regulation to broader theoretical understandings of policy-making. We review a broad set of recent empirical work in the context of three models of policy-making: principal-agent theory, Gormley's salience and complexity model, and Lowry's dimensions of federalism model. The relative effectiveness of the three approaches in explaining the dynamics of political controls or influences over state-level regulation is assessed in order to point to future theoretic directions for the field. We conclude by suggesting the need for a greater integration of incentive-based and issues-based explanations of regulatory policy choices in the states. Research Question: Is regulatory Policy-Making in the American states merely a review of theories and evidence? Hypothesis: State-Level regulations of policy-making are significant in the broadening of theoretical understandings of general policy making. Study Design/Method: Political Scientist review a broad set of recent empirical work in the context of three models of policy making: principal agent theory, salience and complexity model and dimensions of federalism model. Conclusion: The conclusion was to suggest the need for a greater integration of incentive-based and issue based explanations of regulatory policy choices in the states.... Free Essays on Data Analysis Free Essays on Data Analysis Field Essay: Regulatory -Making in the American States: A Review of Theories and Evidence Brian Gerber, State University of New York, Stony Brook Paul Teske, State University of New York, Stony Brook While most studies of the determinants of regulatory policy-making have concentrated on national-level issues, state-level regulatory politics represent a productive opportunity to examine the efficacy of competing theories of the regulatory process over variable political, economic, and demographic conditions. In this paper we discuss the significance of state-level regulation to broader theoretical understandings of policy-making. We review a broad set of recent empirical work in the context of three models of policy-making: principal-agent theory, Gormley's salience and complexity model, and Lowry's dimensions of federalism model. The relative effectiveness of the three approaches in explaining the dynamics of political controls or influences over state-level regulation is assessed in order to point to future theoretic directions for the field. We conclude by suggesting the need for a greater integration of incentive-based and issues-based explanations of regulatory policy choices in the states. Research Question: Is regulatory Policy-Making in the American states merely a review of theories and evidence? Hypothesis: State-Level regulations of policy-making are significant in the broadening of theoretical understandings of general policy making. Study Design/Method: Political Scientist review a broad set of recent empirical work in the context of three models of policy making: principal agent theory, salience and complexity model and dimensions of federalism model. Conclusion: The conclusion was to suggest the need for a greater integration of incentive-based and issue based explanations of regulatory policy choices in the states....

Euclid of Alexandria and His Contributions to Geometry

Euclid of Alexandria and His Contributions to Geometry Euclid of Alexandria lived in 365-300 BC (approximately). Mathematicians usually refer to him simply as Euclid, but hes sometimes called Euclid of Alexandria to avoid confusion with the Green Socratic philosopher Euclid of Megara. Euclid of Alexandria is considered to be the Father of Geometry. Very little is known about Euclids life except that he taught in Alexandria, Egypt. He may have become educated at Platos Academy in Athens, or possibly from some of Platos students. He is an important historical figure because all of the rules we use in Geometry today are based on the writings of Euclid, specifically The Elements. The Elements includes the following Volumes: Volumes 1-6: Plane GeometryVolumes 7-9: Number TheoryVolume 10: Eudoxus Theory of Irrational NumbersVolumes 11-13: Solid Geometry The first edition of the Elements was actually printed in 1482 in a very logical, coherent framework. More than one thousand editions have been printed throughout the decades. Schools only stopped using the Elements in the early 1900s, some were still using it in the early 1980s, however, the theories continue to be those that we use today. Euclids book the Elements also contains the beginnings of number theory. The Euclidean algorithm, which is often referred to as Euclids algorithm, is used to determine the greatest common divisor (gcd) of two integers. It is one of the oldest algorithms known and was included in Euclids Elements. Euclids algorithm does not require factoring. Euclid also discusses perfect numbers, infinite prime numbers, and Mersenne primes (the Euclid-Euler theorem). The concepts presented in The Elements werent all original. Many of them had been proposed by earlier mathematicians. Possibly the greatest value of Euclids writings is that they present the ideas as a comprehensive, well-organized reference. The principals are supported by mathematical proofs, which geometry students learn even to this day. Main Contributions He is famous for his treatise on geometry: The Elements. The Elements makes Euclid one of if not the most famous mathematics teacher. The knowledge in the Elements has been the foundation for teachers of mathematics for over 2000 years Geometry tutorials wouldnt be possible without the work of Euclid. Famous Quote:  There is no royal road to geometry. In addition to his brilliant contributions to linear and planar geometry, Euclid wrote about number theory, rigor, perspective, conical geometry, and spherical geometry. Recommended Read Remarkable Mathematicians: The author of this book  profiles 60 famous mathematicians who were born between 1700 and 1910 and provides insight into their remarkable lives and their contributions to the field of math. This text is organized chronologically and provides interesting information about the details of the mathematicians lives. Euclidean Geometry vs Non-Euclidean Geometry At the time, and for many centuries, Euclids work was simply called geometry because it was assumed to be the only possible method of describing space and the position of figures. In the 19th century, other types of geometry were described. Now, Euclids work is called Euclidean geometry to distinguish it from the other methods. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

The Foundation of French Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Foundation of French Literacy - Essay Example It relates to historical incidents of battle of August 15, 778 in which the rear-guard of Charlemagne’s retreating Frank forces is attacked by Basques. A large number of top knights and Duke Roland of the Brittany Marches were killed in the massacre. Ganelon was the master architect of this great act of betrayal. When he was picked by Roland for the peace mission, his relatives and other knights expressed their sympathy as they firmly believed that his life would not be safe. Ganelon accepted the task, certain that he would die. He threatened Roland, "If God should deign that I come back again then I shall stir up such a feud with you that it will last as long as you're alive!" (Anonymous, 1957, 20, pp. 289-291). Emperor Charlemagne was firm about sending Ganelon and said his command must be followed implicitly. Ganelon had no other option, but to comply with the order. In the fight against Muslims in Spain Charlemagne made great strides and Saragossa was the only surviving ci ty ruled by the Muslim King Marsile. Knowing the might of the army of Charlemagne, he dispatched messengers to Charlemagne promising his conversion to Christianity and submission of treasure. In return, he urged him to go back to France. Charlemagne too wished to buy peace as he and his men were tired of the long war. The issue was about selection of a messenger who would represent the King at Marsile’s court. The choice fell on Ganelon, stepfather of Roland. Ganelon, however, viewed this selection with suspicion and feared that he was being sent deliberately to die in the hands of the cruel pagans. He had always hated his stepson and he thought that he had an opportunity to settle scores with Roland. Joining the Saracen peace ambassadors, Ganelon talked at length with Blancandrin as they rode together back to Saragossa. He spat venom against Roland and blamed him for inciting the Franks for the war that was fought without intermission. â€Å"If someone killed him," said Gan elon, "we might all have peace" (Anonymous, 1957, 29, pp. 391). Blancandrin was greatly excited about this observation and both of them pledged to each other and decided to design a plot to get rid of him. Roland was brave but failed to gauge the consequences of his actions and due to this weakness, treacherous Ganelon succeeded in outwitting his knightly companions and his army. Roland’s flaw was his superlative confidence and pride, and he was unwilling to reacquire aid for him and for his army at the time of war, when the situation demanded it. Viewed from this angle he was a poor tactician. Ganelon departed with his retinue. While travelling to Saragossa, he got enough time to talk with his accomplices about the intended plot to kill Roland. Both of them reached to the outdoor assembly of Marsile, who was seated in surroundings that displayed his grandeur. As planned, the meeting began with a stormy start as Ganelon told Marsile that if he failed to accept the terms and c onditions set forth by Charles, he would be doomed to meet his death after the capture. Marsile reacted violently and moved to attack Ganelon, but controlled himself well in time. Ganelon stuck to his assertion and was able to impress the Saracens with his candid disposition. Marsile read Charlemagne’s letter aloud for the benefit of those present in the court, in which he mentioned Basan and Basile, the executed Frankish representatives, and, if interested in saving his life, he must depute his uncle the caliph as the hostage. He warned him about the impending death if he failed to comply and he might have to die "in squalor and disgrace." (Anonymous, 1957, 33, pp. 437) Ganelon told them about the danger posed by Roland and to the question when the war would end he categorically stated

Zero pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Zero pollution - Research Paper Example In this technological world, there are many techniques that can be used to prevent pollutants from getting into the atmosphere (Nemerow, 1995). However, the big question remains whether this hi-tech technology can be used to ensure that there is zero pollution in the world. This paper sets out to determine how different industries prevent environmental pollution. I will also discuss the feasibility of zero pollution concepts in this paper. The question of whether the world can exist with a state of zero pollution is one that has elicited a lot of reaction from different quarters. Many people might say that the level of pollution has risen to unmanageable levels which implies that such a state is only imaginary. It is known, for example, that the United States of America is the world’s largest energy consumer, most of its energy being derived from sources that are considered to be dirty. Some of these sources include natural gas, coal, oil, and nuclear energy, all of which lead to environmental pollution in one way or another. A significant portion of the energy used worldwide ends up being wasted through leaky windows, inefficient equipment or in one way or another. This wasted energy may also contribute to the pollution of the global environment. Other people have, against all odds, noted that zero pollution is achievable albeit at a significant cost and with considerable effort. Different pollutants of the environments can pollute the air, soil or water. The industrial sector is one of the most notorious polluters of the environment. Most manufacturing, mining and utility industries normally emit toxic substances which end up choking the environment as noted by McKinney, Schoch and Yonavjak (2007). Pollution from different industries has led to global warming, which has in turn had a huge impact on climate change. However, different countries and organizations have been at the forefront

How does the concept of the imperialism of free trade explain the rise Essay

How does the concept of the imperialism of free trade explain the rise and fall of the British Empire - Essay Example Though it took some time for other nations to understand this concept, but it is now a known phenomenon and is admired and adopted throughout the world. Free trade is a type of trade between countries, where trade is done without any restrictions of governments from both sides. Different countries prefer free trade; the reason is that it provides benefit to people. The countries involved in free trade are usually on the friendly terms and in a way it shows their trust upon each other. Not only goods but also services are provided without taxes and other obstacles that could be faced otherwise. The main beneficiaries of free trade are the common people of those countries that get full advantage of low priced goods. A country, after getting privilege of free trade, can gain access to the market of the other country easily and they can invest their capital without any concern of the future policies of that country. Free trade is not a new phenomenon in the economies of the countries. It is been practiced for centuries in different forms. It is considered to be a vital factor of any country's flourishing economy and successful economic policies. This concept was given by the famous economist David Ricardo. Though the country with large and strong economy got a big share of profit than the other one, but still this phenomenon is popular in today's world. British Empire could be regarded as one... The key to their success in this whole time was their strong economy. Their stable and strong economy leads them everywhere in the world and once they set their foot in the particular country, no one can stop them from achieving their imperialistic aims. Their influence was obvious in every field of that country, people follow their way of living and adopt their styles, and they finally took over that country or the region. The famous quote about them was that "The sun never sets on British Empire". The British Empire started arising in seventeen century, when they reconcile with their rival Spain in 1604. America is referred as their first colony and the list of colonies goes on, which includes a large part of land in almost every continent of the world. And they started this all with trade, either its Tobacco, Rice, Fur, Cotton, Raw Material or even slaves. Asia was considered to be Portugal's territory, but in the late 16th century, British and Dutch found their way in Asia as well, which at that time considered being a wealthy piece of land, especially India. East India Company was set in early 1600's and it provided British people to set their foot at in the rich and mysterious land of India, at that time was ruled by Mughals. The famous export of India was spices and textile. British lost their colonies in American Continent during 1760's to 1770's, and it was a great loss for the Empire. But they still got the Asia, a gold mine in their hands. Asia, particularly India, was considered to be the most profitable colony of British Empire and they earned a lot from this part of the land. At this time, Adam Smith gave the concept of Free Trade. According to him, it is not necessary to have a military or a political rule over a

Discuss the effectiveness of legislation regulating child employment Essay - 1

Discuss the effectiveness of legislation regulating child employment in Britain - Essay Example There is a problem area that will be touched upon, which is whether the legislation efficiently deals with children who are left to care for a family member. The first factor of legislation that UK has instituted is to promote education; therefore creating a skilled workforce and ensure sufficient rest; therefore children CANNOT work before 7am and after 7pm.3 The main piece of legislation that deals with child employment is the Children & Young Persons Act 1933. Also children that are under 13 cannot be employed at all, even in a family business. Children from the age of 13 to completing their GCSE’s can only work part-time, because education is paramount. If an employee is 13 or 14 they can only work in 9 specific types of employment; whilst at 14 or 15 they can work in any form of employment.4 Finally, the legislation also ensures that the work conditions and type are risk assessed for the child employee according to the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This illustrates that in traditional forms of employment the child is sufficiently protected, including being employed in the family business.5 The problem with legislation that regulates children’s employment is that it does not effectively address the problem of child carers6; rather it effectively deals with traditional forms of employment.7 There needs to be effective reform to protect the child who behind closed doors is effectively employed as the child carer. One could say that the current legislation does protect the child, because they cannot be in the employment of parents; however how can caring for a little brother or sister or even a parent be classed as employment?8 It is easy to identify if the person who is being cared for is receiving carer’s allowance and there was no identifiable adult carer that they are paying; therefore

Blue Rhinos Business Strategy and Information Systems Essay

Blue Rhinos Business Strategy and Information Systems - Essay Example In fast-growing complex businesses, the uncertainties in employee productivity levels, customer satisfaction levels, operating costs, duplication of work, operations performance, actual revenues, ability to grow, forecasting & hypothecations, etc. increases beyond the comfort levels of the Management and Stake Holders. In light of these uncertainties, an organization may need to implement an effective, integrated & controlled Business Information System (BIS). However, such a system is not just a product which can be purchased, plugged and played. Management commitment and end-user buy-in are critical to implementing the BIS (The ERP Selection process survival guide, Relevant Business Systems Inc, 2005, p.3). In this case-study, Blue Rhino Management did take the wise decision to implement BIS and provide interfacing to employees, suppliers, and customers via an Intranet. The implementation actually became faster and more collaborative & effective because of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation that was implied on the organization. Blue Rhino is a national leader in their business that deals with Propane Cylinder Exchange Services. Their growth soared in a very short time due to aggressive spirit of the organization, macro management by the CEO (empowerment of staff) and a major strategic change in their business – exchanging cylinders rather than refilling cylinders. Employee empowerment works well for this kind of retail business analogous to the Wal-Mart business model (Malone, Thomas W. 1997, Sloan Management Review, Winter97, Vol.38, Issue 2, p.125-125, 1/2p).  

Consent for medical treatment of a minor in the state of Nevada Case Study

Consent for medical treatment of a minor in the state of Nevada - Case Study Example NRS 432B.220 Persons required to make report. Any person who â€Å"knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused or neglected† must make a report â€Å"to an agency which provides child welfare services or to a law enforcement agency† within 24 hours. Persons who are qualified to make reports include â€Å"a physician, †¦ resident, intern, professional or practical nurse† or any other of the several medical professions named. NRS 432B.260 Action upon receipt of report. â€Å"An agency which provides child welfare services or a law enforcement agency shall promptly notify the appropriate licensing authority; †¦ a law enforcement agency shall promptly notify an agency which provides child welfare services of any report it receives.† NRS 432B.270 Interview of child and sibling of child concerning possible abuse or neglect; photographs, X rays and medical tests. â€Å"A designee of an agency investigating a report of abuse or neglect of a child may, without the consent of the person responsible for a child’s welfare: (a) Take or cause to be taken photographs of the child’s body, including the areas of trauma; and (b) if indicated after consultation with a physician, cause X rays or medical tests to be performed on a child.† The rule further states that the person responsible for the child must be notified unless the agency designee deems such notification would endanger the child or the child’s siblings. In addition, NRS 432B.290 Authorized release of data or information states that â€Å"data or information concerning reports or investigations† of abuse or neglect may be made available to â€Å"a physician, if the physician has before him a child who he has reasonable cause to believe has been abused or

Blue Rhinos Business Strategy and Information Systems Essay

Blue Rhinos Business Strategy and Information Systems - Essay Example In fast-growing complex businesses, the uncertainties in employee productivity levels, customer satisfaction levels, operating costs, duplication of work, operations performance, actual revenues, ability to grow, forecasting & hypothecations, etc. increases beyond the comfort levels of the Management and Stake Holders. In light of these uncertainties, an organization may need to implement an effective, integrated & controlled Business Information System (BIS). However, such a system is not just a product which can be purchased, plugged and played. Management commitment and end-user buy-in are critical to implementing the BIS (The ERP Selection process survival guide, Relevant Business Systems Inc, 2005, p.3). In this case-study, Blue Rhino Management did take the wise decision to implement BIS and provide interfacing to employees, suppliers, and customers via an Intranet. The implementation actually became faster and more collaborative & effective because of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation that was implied on the organization. Blue Rhino is a national leader in their business that deals with Propane Cylinder Exchange Services. Their growth soared in a very short time due to aggressive spirit of the organization, macro management by the CEO (empowerment of staff) and a major strategic change in their business – exchanging cylinders rather than refilling cylinders. Employee empowerment works well for this kind of retail business analogous to the Wal-Mart business model (Malone, Thomas W. 1997, Sloan Management Review, Winter97, Vol.38, Issue 2, p.125-125, 1/2p).  

An Investigation into How a Student with ASD Could Use Media as a Way Case Study

An Investigation into How a Student with ASD Could Use Media as a Way to Inform Others about How This Affects his Life - Case Study Example At the end, a suitable conclusion has been rendered. The Case Daniel is a nine years old boy, who studies in the local special education school. He has been diagnosed with classical autism (a form of ASD) four years back. Daniel continuously has difficulty in making eye contact. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this is a typical autistic behavior. Atypical eating habits are also a prominent symptom as has been pointed out by Filipek and his colleagues (483). Moreover, lack of social and friendly behavior is another side of the problem (Burgess and Gutstein, 80). Daniel does not prefer to be alone but he is unable to make friends. His eating habits are unusual too. Outline of Support and Related Discussion Daniel has a number of repetitive and restricted interests and activities, although his learning ability has increased through the last year. Computer assisted instruction (CAI) has been an excellent support mechanism for last one year. CAI helps in â€Å"significa nt gains in reading, phonological awareness, verbal behavior, and motivation†, as has been pointed out by the Committee of Educational Interventions for Children with Autism, National Research Council (US) (63). In school, he has lessons in SULP (Social Use of Language Problem). It uses a combination of verbal interaction in discussion format and CAI can be embedded by using audio visual media. Moreover, SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) is also being utilized, which is ensuring development of emotional intelligence along with IQ. According to the Committee on Educational Intervention for Children with Autism, use of frequent student to student interaction is particularly helpful in this regard (63). Further analysis and critique: The educational intervention techniques applied so far have been rather effective. The relation between the measures of instruction and the child’s performance is proportional in the sense that the intensive socialization and lin guistic intervention approach is helpful in speech and cognitive development. The SULP and SEAL involve choral responding, interaction between students, rotation of materials, and random simulation programs that are effective in teaching language and developing emotional intelligence. Particularly in SEAL, class-wide peer teaching can be helpful to foster friendship among the children and gradually help them to achieve behavioral maturity. Peer tutoring can replace traditional teaching instruction and help to achieve better results. In this context, Weiss and Delmolino further state that these practices can be adopted both at home and at school (104). Using Media to Help in Explaining ASD In this section, we will look at the option of using media in the form of a PowerPoint presentation as an effective way to help a pupil explain his ASD to others. Two questions will be discussed in this milieu: 1. What is the rationale of the intervention and how does this fit with current understa nding of ASDs? 2. To what extent does the intervention address the needs of the pupil in the areas of communication, social understanding, and flexibility of behavior? Using PowerPoint: PowerPoint is a simple MS Office software application that can be taught with relatively less complexity. PowerPoint provides a platform, where text,

The Effects of Global Climate Change on Clark County, Nevada Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Global Climate Change on Clark County, Nevada Essay Global climate change is a growing concern in areas all over the world, especially dry areas like Clark County, Nevada. Clark County is located in Southern Nevada; most people are aware of Clark County because of Las Vegas and the world famous strip of hotels and casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard. What people are not aware of is how rising sea levels can affect fabulous Las Vegas, and the detriment that is in store for Clark County if something big is not done to try and reverse the dangerous effects of global climate change. â€Å"Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gasses produced by human activities† (NASA, The Current and Future Consequences of Global Change, 2007). Because of rising global temperatures, people all over the planet are plagued by rising sea levels, melting Arctic sea ice, melting glaciers and permafrost, rising sea-surface temperatures, warming lake temperatures, heavier rainfall causing flooding, extreme drought increasing, withering crops, changing ecosystems, changes in the frequency and strength of hurricanes, human health being affected by warmer temperatures, and sea water becoming more acidic. So how does this affect Las Vegas and Clark County? First, Clark County is located in the Mojave Desert, and has a subtropical desert climate. Second, Lake Mead is located in Clark County and is a major source of water supply not only for Nevada, but also for Southern California and Arizona. Third, because of the changing global climate, Lake Mead is drying up. Water levels in Lake Mead have fallen over 100 feet since the year 2000. â€Å"Water levels are falling in America’s largest reservoir. If it dries up, so could power and water for much of the Southwest† (GOOD, Lake Mead is Drying Up, 2009). Currently, the Las Vegas Valley Water District has put watering restrictions in place and has raised the price that citizens of Clark County ay for water to try and fund research for water retention and future supply. Is this enough, though? In the summer months, temperatures exceed 100 degrees in Clark County, and the only relief from the heat is water. What can be done to help reverse or stop the effects of global climate change on Southern Nevada right now? There are a few simple things that citizens of Clark County can do to help stop the negative effects of global warming on their state. First, an act that would promote water conservation should become mandatory for all citizens of Nevada, not just Clark County. This water conservation act would require citizens of Nevada to not only limit their water consumption to a certain amount of gallons per year, but would require them to recycle their water using purification via a state issued water hepa-filtration system. This would require funding, so a water tax should be put in place specifically to pay for these water recycling devices. Once all Nevadans had a state issued water filtration device, they would be required to have five gallons of water per person in their homes at all times, and would be subject to inspection by a state official once a year to ensure they have their required amount. Any citizen not in possession of at least five gallons of fresh water would be subject to a fine for non-compliance by the state of Nevada, which would be used toward water conservation and research. Furthermore, the water conservation act should place limits on the amount of water a household uses per year, especially in the summer months. Just raising the cost of water is not sufficient, as it does not discourage people from using more water because they are not forced to use less. An acceptable, humane amount of water per person should be decided upon by the water conservation act, and if this amount is exceeded, the cost for additional gallons of water should be triple what is normally paid. This would be effective in discouraging people from using too much water and depleting the supply. It might sound harsh, but imagine that Lake Mead actually did dry up because of global warming. The effects of losing a major water supply to the Southwestern United States would be devastating, and would affect many more people than just those living in Clark County, Nevada. The question remains, how will Las Vegas ever become conservative with its water when it is the Entertainment Capital of the World? Yes, the citizens of Las Vegas can abide by the rules and regulations of the water district, and could even be held to the proposed water conservation act, but what about all the millions of tourists who come from all over the world and take from our water supply? Las Vegas needs to come together and soon, or it might end up being a dried up ghost town. Please see the topo map below, showing a close up visual of Las Vegas drying up.

Content and Process Theories of Work Motivation

Content and Process Theories of Work Motivation The work motivation theories can be broadly classified as content theories and process theories. The content theories are concerned with identifying the needs that people have and how needs are prioritized. They are concerned with types of incentives that drive people to attain need fulfillment. The Maslow hierarchy theory, Fredrick Herzbergs two factor theory and Alderfers ERG needs theory fall in this category. Although such a content approach has logic, is easy to understand, and can be readily translated in practice, the research evidence points out limitations. There is very little research support for these models theoretical basic and predictability. The trade off for simplicity sacrifices true understanding of the complexity of work motivation. On the positive side, however, the content models have given emphasis to important content factors that were largely ignored by human relationists. In addition the Alderfers ERG needs theory allows more flexibility and Herzbergs two-fa ctor theory is useful as an explanation for job satisfaction and as a point of departure for job design. The process theories are concerned with the cognitive antecedents that go into motivation and with the way they are related to one another. The theories given by Vroom, Porter and Lawler, equity theory and attribution theory fall in this category. These theories provide a much sounder explanation of work motivations. The expectancy model of Vroom and the extensions and the refinements provided by Porter and Lawler help explain the important cognitive variables and how they relate to one another in the process of work motivation. The Porter Lawler model also gives specific attention to the important relationship between performance and satisfaction. A growing research literature is somewhat supportive of these expectancy models, but conceptual and methodological problems remain. Unlike the content models, these expectancy models are relatively complex and difficult to translate into actual practice. They have also failed to meet the goals of prediction and control Motivation Theory 1 Adams Equity Theory of Work Motivation The theory explains that a major input into job performance and satisfaction is the degree of equity or inequity that people perceive in work situations. Adam depicts a specific process of how this motivation occurs. Inequality occurs when a person perceives that the ratio of his or her outcomes to inputs and the ratio of a relevant others outcomes to inputs are unequal. Our Outcomes Our Inputs Others Inputs Our Outcomes = Others Outcomes = Equity Our Inputs Others Inputs Our Outcomes > Others Outcomes = Inequity (over-rewarded) Our Inputs Others Inputs Both the inputs and the outputs of the person and the other are based upon the persons perceptions, which are affected by age, sex, education, social status, organizational position, qualifications, and how hard the person works, etc. Outcomes consist primarily of rewards such as pay, status, promotion, and intrinsic interest in the job. Equity sensitivity is the ratio based upon the persons perception of what the person is giving (inputs) and receiving (outcomes) versus the ratio of what the relevant is giving and receiving. This cognition may or may not be the same as someone elses observation of the ratios or the same as the actual situation. If the persons perceived ratio is not equal to the others, he or she will strive to restore the ratio to equity. This striving to restore equity is used as the explanation of work motivation. The strength of this motivation is in direct proportion to the perceived inequity that exists. Research suggests that individuals engage in illegal behaviors to maintain equity in relationships, either with their employing organization or with other people (Greenberg, 1990). The theory was later expanded with the concept of Organizational Justice. Organizational justice reflects the extend to which people perceive that they are treated fairly at work. It identified three different components of justice: distributive (The perceived fairness of how resources and rewards are distributed), procedural (The perceived fairness of the process and procedures used to make allocation decisions) and interactional (The perceived fairness of the decision makers behavior in the process of decision-making). (Copanzano, Rupp, Mohler and Schminke, 2001). Critiques: Equity theory is descriptive and it reflects much of our everyday experience. As a theory however equity is only partial in analysis and as a predictor. There are many societal and institutional variables (inequalities) that we all navigate. The theory ignores peoples natural resilience, their competitiveness, selflessness and selfishness, their ethical dilemmas in decision-making and their passions. It does not adequately explain interactions in close relationships such as marriage or emotional labor where we may provide care to others at a burdensome cost of declining personal well-being and self-denial. Norms of equity and reciprocity are often discounted in close and romantic friendships or where there are deep family bonds. In the social exchanges of business, causal, or stranger relationships, there may be more of a dominant assumption that inputs are offered with the expectation of a like response. There is more of a formal contract of tangible and intangible reward. A promise unfulfilled, without proper reciprocity incurs a debt of honor. A promise is broken. In our community, obligations of reciprocal response operate. We are expected to apply the Golden Rule and to help where we can an act ably demonstrated by the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Social exchange theory assumes rational, calculated action involving an expected pay-off. We do not always act rationally. Many will not be as selfish as rational action may suggest. Indeed our reward may be the inner glow of respecting oneself and living to ones own values. Such altruism, albeit self-referential, does not sit easily under the assumptions of the rational, economic-person model. Implications It is necessary to pay attention to what employees perceive to be fair and equitable. For example: In my company, one of my colleagues was assigned to a project that required him to work during non business hours frequently. He worked three days at the office and two days at home in a week for a month and half. This caused others to start working from home during business hours. Allow employees to have a voice and an opportunity to appeal. Organizational changes, promoting cooperation, etc. can come easier with equitable outcomes. Managements failure to achieve equity could be costly for the organization. For example: One of my technically team members was not very competent. He took double the time to complete any give work when compared to the others. Management failed to take any action; instead the others were given more work. Eventually, even the competent workers took it easy to restore equity causing project delays. Motivation Theory 2 Vrooms Expectancy Theory of Motivation: Expectancy theory provides a framework for analyzing work motivation, which is eminently practical. It provides a checklist of factors to be considered in any managerial situation and it points to the links between the relevant factors and the direction, which these factors tend to follow in their interrelationships. (Tony J. Watson, Routledge Kegan Paul, 1986). Expectancy theory holds that people are motivated to behave in ways that produce desired combinations of expected outcomes. It can be used to predict motivation and behavior in any situation in which a choice between two or more alternatives must be made. (Kreitner R. Kinicki A., Mcgraw Hill, 7th Edition). Vroom gave the following equation of Motivation: Motivation (M) = Valence (V) x Expectancy (E) Valence stands for the preference of an individual for a particular outcome. Thus, when an individual desires a particular outcome the value of V is positive. On the other hand when the individual does not desire a certain outcome, the value of V is negative. The value of expectancy ranges between zero and one. When a certain event will definitely not occur the value of E is zero. On the other hand when the event is sure to occur the value of E is one. Since its original conception, the expectancy theory model has been refined and extended many times. The better know of all is the Porter-Lawler model. Although conventional wisdom argues that satisfaction leads to performance, Porter and Lawler argued the reverse. If rewards are adequate, high levels of performance may lead to satisfaction. In addition to the features included in the original expectancy model, the Porter-Lawler model includes abilities, traits, and role perceptions. Critiques: Vrooms theory does not directly contribute to the techniques of motivating people. It is of value in understanding organizational behavior. It clarifies the relation between individuals and the organizational goals. The model is designed to help management understand and analyze employee motivation and identify some to the relevant variables. However, the theory falls short of providing specific solutions to the motivational problems. The theory also does not take into account the individual differences based on individual perceptions nor does it assume that most people have the same hierarchy of needs. It treats as a variable to be investigated just what it is that particular employees are seeking in their work. Thus the theory indicates only the conceptional determinants of motivation and how they are related. Research studies have confirmed that the association of both kinds of expectancies and valences with effort and performance. The motivated behavior of people arises from their valuing expected rewards, believing effort will lead to performance, and that performance will result in desired rewards. The expectancy theory explains motivation in the U.S. better than elsewhere and therefore may not be suitable for other regions. Implications This theory can be used by the managers to: Determine the primary outcome each employee wants. Decide what levels and kinds of performance are needed to meet organizational goals. Make sure the desired levels of performance are possible. Link desired outcomes and desired performance. Analyze the situation for conflicting expectations. Make sure the rewards are large enough. Make sure the overall system is equitable for everyone. Motivation Theory 3 Maslows Theory of Hierarchy of Need: Maslow believed that within every individual, there exists a hierarchy of five needs and that each level of need must be satisfied before an individual pursues the next higher level of need (Maslow, 1943). As an individual progresses through the various levels of needs, the proceeding needs loose their motivational value. The basic human needs placed by Maslow in an ascending order of importance can be summarized and shown as below: The desire to become what one is capable of becoming. These are the needs to be held in esteem both by oneself and by others. These are the needs to belong and to be accepted by various groups. These are the needs to be free of physical danger. The safety needs look to the future. These are the basic needs for sustaining human life itself, such as food, water, warmth, shelter, and sleep. Maslow in his later work (Maslow, 1954) said: Gratification of the self-actualization need causes an increase in its importance rather than a decrease. Long deprivation of a given need, results in fixation for that need. Higher needs may emerge not after gratification, but rather by long deprivation, renunciation or suppression of lower needs. Human behavior is multi-determined and multi-motivated. Critiques: Part of the appeal of Maslows theory is that it provides both a theory of human motives by classifying basic human needs in a hierarchy and the theory of human motivation that relates these needs to general behavior. Maslows major contribution lies in the hierarchical concept. He was the first to recognize that a need once satisfied is a spent force and ceases to be a motivator. Maslows need hierarchy presents a paradox in as much as while the theory is widely accepted, there is a little research evidence available to support the theory. It is said that beyond structuring needs in a certain fashion Maslow does not give concrete guidance to the managers as to how they should motivate their employees. Implications: The need hierarchy as postulated by Maslow does not appear in practice. It is likely that over fulfillment of anyones particular need may result in fixation for the need. In that case even when a particular need is satisfied a person may still engage in the fulfillment of the same need. Furthermore, in a normal human being, all the needs are not always satisfied entirely. There remains an unsatisfied corner of every need in spite of which the person seeks fulfillment of the higher need. A person may move on to the next need in spite of the lower need being unfulfilled or being partly fulfilled. Conclusion No single motivation theory can suffice in todays workplace. Each motivational theory has its pros and cons. A theory may get the highest performance from an employee but may not from another employee. The organizations workplace has changed dramatically in the past decade. Companies are both downsizing and expanding (often at the same time, in different divisions or levels of the hierarchy). Work is being out-sourced to various regions and countries. The workforce is characterized by increased diversity with highly divergent needs and demands. Information technology has frequently changed both the manner and location of work activities. New organizational forms (such as e-commerce) are now common. Teams are redefining the notion of hierarchy, as well as traditional power distributions. The use of contingent workers is on the rise and globalization and the challenges of managing across borders are now the norm. These changes have had a profound influence on how companies attempt to attract, retain, and motivate their employees. Yet we lack new models capable of guiding managers in this new era of work. As management scholar Peter Cappelli notes, Most observers of the corporate world believe that the traditional relationship between employer and employee is gone, but there is little understanding of why it ended and even less about what is replacing that relationship (Cappelli, 1999). I believe that the existing work motivation and job performance theories are inadequate to cater to the present era of such diverse workforce. New theories of motivation are required to commensurate with this new era.

Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah Plain and Tall - Comparing Book and Movie :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah Plain and Tall - Comparing Book and Movie The beginning of the movie begins with the exact same scene between Anna and Caleb that appears in the book. However, the movie, Sarah Plain and Tall has a variety of differences from Patricia MacLachlan’s children’s novel Sarah Plain and Tall. Essentially the movie had to go to a deeper level in order to attract adults to the story. Every event that is in the book happens in the movie. However, the movie adds scenes and complicates the relationships between the characters. The complication between characters is especially shown in Anna and Sarah’s relationship. In the movie Anna is mad about Sarah coming to stay for a month. However, in the book she says â€Å"I wished everything was as perfect as the stone. I wished that Papa and Caleb and I were perfect for Sarah† (21). In the book Anna has no trouble liking Sarah, but in the movie Anna has a hard time letting go of her real mother and will not let Sarah get close to her. It is not until Sarah comforts Anna after a bad dream and tells her â€Å"when I was ten my mamma died† (which was not told in the book) that Sarah and Anna have a close relationship. After Sarah and Anna reach an understanding, Sarah tries to help Anna remember her mother by putting her mother’s candlesticks, quilt, a painting, and her picture back into the house. They also put flowers on her grave together. However, Anna and Sarah’s relationship is not the only one that takes a while to develop. With the exception of some small problems with Sarah’s strong will, MacLachlan makes the relationship between Sarah and Jacob seem easy. However in the movie, Jacob also has a hard time letting Sarah get close to him because of his love for his dead wife, Katherine. For example, in the movie when they fight about putting Katherine’s possessions in the house and going to visit the grave Sarah says â€Å"I cannot make a difference until you make peace with Katherine’s death†. Jacob does not make that peace until Sarah goes to help Maggie deliver her baby. The delivery brings back memories of Katherine’s death since she died giving birth to Caleb. It is here that Jacob realizes â€Å"I never stopped long enough to tell her that I missed her†. Once Jacob realizes this he has room to love Sarah.

Pastoral Reflection Paper

After returning home from the mission field and going on staff at a Church, it wasn’t long before I found myself being used by God to counsel people. There was a lot of fear involved in the counseling, not from those who were being counseled, but from me, because I never had any formal training. Different life situations have caused me to receive counseling, but that was the extent of my counseling experience. After seeing God use me, an unqualified servant help marriages be restored, I felt the call to return to school to obtain a formal education in Pastoral Counseling.I will share how it all came about, what I have learned and what I expect the Lord to do through this formal training from taking PACO 500 Introduction to Pastoral Counseling. LIFE EXPERIENCES CHANGED MY FUTURE Fear doesn’t describe what I went through while serving the Lord as a M, in Northern Africa. My family and I where in the middle of a civil war, between Rebels and the President’s forces a fter being in the country for only three weeks. Gunfire, sounds of tanks shooting their guns and RPG’s flying through the sky happened throughout the day.The first night of the civil war, thieves decided to take the opportunity to invade our home while there was no police force; because they were helping the army fight the war. After going through a home invasion and being shot at during the invasion, three days later we were finally evacuated out of the country by the French Military. My family and I along with other expats arrived in France to a crowd of reporters and a small group of counselors. THE CHANGES My first experience with any type of counseling came that day we exited the plane in France.My family and I had gone through more than we signed up for as M, living through those three days of a civil war. The personal emotions we went through from that experience, at that time I did not know how to describe, but after reading The Pastor’s Guide to Psychological Disorders and Treatments, I now know we went through a form of an anxiety attack. The authors, Johnson and Johnson (2000), define anxiety as â€Å"a universal human emotion. It is a general feeling of apprehension about possible danger. † (p. 8).Reading through the symptoms of anxiety described by Johnson and Johnson (2000), â€Å"sweating, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, hot or cold flashes, trembling, dry mouth, and difficulty swallowing. † (p. 9) we experienced almost all of them to a certain extent during the war. After sitting with the counselors while in France over a five day period, having opportunities to share all that had happened to us, allowed us to exhale and realize someone cared about what happened to us. Those days of meetings, along with a period of five months, we were allowed to return to the country we had been evacuated from.Not only did we return to the same city, but to the same house that we experienced the home evasio n. God used that counseling team to help restore us so we could return to the work we were called. Upon our return we were able to see four different people come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. After the two years we spent in Northern Africa, we returned home and I went on staff at Church as a Associate Pastor. One of the major things I learned while living overseas, you need a spiritually strong family to have a spiritually strong ministry. If your family is not healthy your ministry or job will not be healthy.Over the past four years while living in the states, I have noticed a great need to help family become stronger. After being approached by the second family, asking me to help them grow their family spiritually, I asked them why they were coming to me? Their answer opened my eyes to the truth about how God uses bad situation for His glory. They told me after hearing about all my family had gone through while living overseas and seeing how we had not just survived, but we t hrived as a family, they wanted to meet and talk. I could not call it counseling, but in my heart knew that is what it would lead too.Then as my eyes were opened to all the men in my church who were struggling with pornography, addiction, and anger issues, I knew I could not just sit back and watch them walk that road of darkness. I started meeting with these men alone at first, and then when I met with them and their wife, I would invite my wife into the meeting. It was at that point I was labeled the unofficial counseling Pastor of the Church. As I looked back on the way I handled those meetings as a unqualified counselor with those different men and their wives, I have realized I did some things right and a lot of things wrong.Because of this time of reflection and feeling the Lord’s leading, I enrolled back in school to obtain my degree in Pastoral Counseling. In doing this, I know God will use this class to teach me different methods, style and techniques to better help people and families in need. Since enrolling in PACO 500, I have been reflecting back on those unofficial counseling times, and I have realized that listening to the counselee is just as important as having a personal quiet time daily with God. In Petersen’s (2007) Why Don’t We Listen Better? Rev. Dr. Petersen shares one of the things he has learned.He states, â€Å"I have leaned the value of communication balancing: listen awhile, talk until the other person stops hearing, and listen until the person calms enough to hear again. † (p. 5). While I was meeting with these different families, I realized I did not have a balance in my listening skills. I would battle with the feeling of wanting to interject my thoughts or opinions. Petersen’s (2007) statement â€Å"real listening gets us inside each other and there seems to be something in such human connection that touches and changes us. † (p. 7) This statement taught me that if I want to follow myhea rt’s desire to truly help people, I must become a better listener. Looking back on my time when I went through counseling in France, I realize the counselors had a great amount of balance in their sessions. Reflecting upon my life experiences with counseling sessions, I am excited to learn how to be a better listener and how to ask the right questions to show I care. One of the things I am expecting out of this class is to learn how to effectively use the Solution – Focused Counseling taught in the first edition of Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling: An Effective Short-Term Approach of Getting People Back on Track.Kollar’s new edition (1997/2011), because it offers a different approach to counseling. Dr. Kollar states that much of the time within sessions, counselors use the process of remaining centered on the problem, he calls this, â€Å"problem-focused† (p. 14). I am looking forward to learning how to change the focus from the problem, to visualizin g the outcome first. Dr. Kollar states when we do this, â€Å"we become solution-focused rather than problem focused. The outcome dictates the process rather than the process dictating the outcome. † (p. 15).That method was during my session while I was in France. The counselors had my family and I focus on the call on our life by the Lord to minister to those people in Northern Africa, who needed to hear about Christ and what would it take to get us back there. CONCLUSION The things I have learned already from the reading assignment required in PACO 500 are invaluable. I cannot wait to dig deeper into the different methods and ideas taught in my reading assignments. God has a plan for everything that happens and prepares us for His will to be done.As families and individuals deal with different life issues, with the training I will receive through this class and with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I pray God will allow me to be equipped to help them have victory of those issues. I know God has given me a heart to help individuals and families grow closer to Him. With the Lord’s blessing, maybe one day I may be that counselor on the mission field helping others through difficult times, just as my family and I went through.

Claudius, hateful villain or good king? Essay

â€Å"Claudius makes a good king. He is a careful ruler and a loving husband, providing stability for both his country and wife. † â€Å"Murderer of the rightful king, Claudius is the play’s hateful, lying villain. † What justification is there in the text to support these two views? What is your opinion of the way Shakespeare presents Claudius? Claudius is capable of becoming an effective king. However his choice to exploit his newly found power for personal gain contradicts the good he attempts to accomplish. An effective king has to be an honest king. Unfortunately Claudius seems unable to be honest to any person through the course of the play. His act of murder and his claim to the throne reflects a self promoting character for the audience. Claudius however is able to be honest with God. Through his act of repent Claudius shows to the audience that he is able to be truthful and it also shows that he is able to distinguish right from wrong. Claudius details, in Act Three Scene Three, that his â€Å"offence is rank† and he wishes it to be pardoned in order for him to progress as an effective king. This honest act shows that Claudius is willing to admit when he is wrong, he may also be afraid of the afterlife and what awaits him. This unknown becomes apart of the larger theme of uncertainty. Claudius is capable of telling the truth, but only when it is to his advantage. In act four scene five, when Laertes blames Claudius for the death of his father, Claudius manipulates the situation by telling Laertes that he will help to exact his revenge. Claudius is therefore able to get rid of both Laertes and Hamlet who both pose a threat to the power that Claudius has gained. Claudius’ ability to resolve the threatening situation and rework it to his advantage, stands him in good stead for the leadership a king exerts on his country when faced with difficult situations. In this scene Claudius outrageously refers to the â€Å"divinity doth hedge a king,† this is ironic considering he was able to so easily murder his own brother, yet this white lie sows a seed in Laertes mind that attempting to kill Claudius would be bad judgement on his part. The continuing conversation allows Laertes to find a person to take the revenge he seeks to deliver. Claudius, already plotting to murder Hamlet, is able to give the task to Laertes, thus relieving Claudius of spilling anymore blood onto his own hands, yet still dealing with the situation he finds threatening to the stability of his crown. His use of manipulation through his use of language mimics the idea of pouring poison into his brother’s ears, by talking people into his way of thinking Claudius is metaphorically pouring poison into people’s ears. In this scene we can see the talent that Claudius harbours that would make him a good stable king; conversely we also see that he puts these talents to bad use causing him to be the play’s hateful, lying villain. Hamlet believes that Claudius is the murderer of the rightful king. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy, Hamlet refers to his father â€Å"so excellent a king, that was to this. † His belief that Claudius is not the rightful king that should provide benefit for the state, before his father’s ghost informs him of his murderous attributes, allows the audience to see that in the eyes of those that loved the late King Hamlet, Claudius is no comparison to the leadership that was shown by his predecessor. The late King Hamlet was a man who charged into battle â€Å"armed at point, exactly cap-a-pie† as described by Horatio in act one scene two. However it can be argued that this works in Claudius’ favour. The previous king used violence to bring order; through battle he would have put other people’s lives at risk for his reputation and ego. Claudius uses communication between countries to resolve any problems that exist. We see this in (I can’t find it but I am quite sure it happens somewhere, hopefully I would have found it by the time we meet. In the section I’m looking for some people is discussing the coming battle or something like that, but it makes out that Claudius is talking to the other country. ) Hamlet’s view can be a result of anger for his mother’s remarriage, or the death and replacement of his father. If his view stems from this then the audience is asked to decide whether they believe Claudius is doing a better job at protecting his country, and providing stability for it. Claudius provides stability for his country and wife only for the short term. His record of underhandedness leaves him vulnerable to attack if anyone were to find out. Through this attack Claudius would be left vulnerable for the public and other countries to remove his crown. From Claudius’ bad decision to remove his brother from power he has created a corrupt character that is leading the state. Through one action Claudius is forced to cover his tracks, by covering his tracks of one foul deed he must commit another. He attempts to right what is wrong and in doing so he allows the stakes to be raised significantly. If he does not hide his mistakes then he will surely be found out, by attempting to hide them, he runs the risk of being found out but can ultimately get away with it. We see that Claudius is upset with his actions when he pleads for religion to cure him of his life at the alter, he asks for forgiveness. Claudius is not the legitimate king, and therefore automatically takes the place of the play’s hateful, lying villain. The addition of his murderous attributes makes it hard for any audience member to connect with the thought behind Claudius’ actions. He’s seen as a cold murderer that only acts for himself. Contrary to popular belief I believe that Claudius is a man who tempted one day made, a very bad decision. Through his human instinct for survival he has become a corrupt king that originally wanted well for his country. We see his remorse when he kneels at the alter for forgiveness. He provides stability for the short term but not ultimately. Claudius has the ability to become a great king, but has tainted his chances with the murder of his brother, causing him to become the corrupt villain that audiences see him as.

NVQ and Competence †Essay Essay

In this supporting paper to the presentation, the purpose, the nature and the advantages and disadvantages of NVQ will be stated and analysed; finishing with a conclusion as to whether to follow a NVQ or not. The definition of an NVQ is â€Å"A statement of competence clearly relevant to work and intended to facilitate entry into, or progression in, employment and further learning, issued to an individual by a recognized awarding body†. A national vocational qualification (NVQ) is a collection of vocational qualifications (previously unstructured), which have been integrated into a single assessment standard. This has been done in order to have a nationally recognised level of academic achievement which enables employees to have a clearer level of each job applicant’s respective competency. Competency can be defined as:- ‘An underlying characteristic of a person which results in effective and/or superior performance in a job’ (Boyatis 1982, p21) Due to the heavy promotion by the Learning Skills Councils, (LSC’s) and the Department for Education and Employment; the majority of vocational qualifications are either part of the NVQ scheme, and in the rare occasion that it isn’t, most commonly when the qualification is of different nature of those offered by the NVQ syllabus, the qualification will have its equivalence identified to its respective, specific, level of the NVQ system in order for those nationwide (familiar with the NVQs) can have more clarity as to where such candidates stand on the level of competency. NVQs have been developed to suit all occupational areas, with each occupational area there are eight levels with the NVQ system to complete to attain ‘full competency’. This is structured in such a way that level one is the most basic and level eight, the most advanced level of NVQ. The ideal situation of training for competence is done by the manifestation of the development of candidates’ abilities to perform the specific tasks which coincide directly with the nature of the job in its respective department, in terms of performance results (grading), with specific indicators. NVQs have originally been developed with the purpose to serve as a reaction to the ‘confetti-scattering’ style of training which is sometimes carried out by some establishments e.g. a company which sends their staff on off-the-job training with just the objective to learn one particular skill. This training style results in the candidates becoming one-dimensional, due to  having a limited knowledge of skills. NVQs have, in fact been developed in order to give these candidates a more rounded knowledge, thus enabling them to be more versatile, efficient in their respective job positions. The design of NVQ has been structured in such a way that in each of the eight levels, there are mandatory and optional roles (or modules); these are comprised of a collection of several units, those of which are to be completed to be able to progress onto the succeeding level. The table beneath can be used in aid to understand the structural layout of each level in NVQ. There are several advantageous principles adopted by the NVQ system. These include:- 1.The NVQ qualifications are open access in the sense that no prior professional attainment or experience, nor qualifications are required, each candidate will be categorised level (1-8) after a means of analysis (be it a test or a review of current skills/ experience currently obtained). 2.The focus-based learning format of the NVQs. Progression from one level to next is based on when the criteria to advance has been met, this can be as quick or long as the individual will take to learn, opposed to other assessment standards where the timescale restricts the learner to learn in its set time. An example of this is that it is impossible to complete a Master’s Degree quicker than in a year. 3.Flexibility is a key aspect of NVQs, as they are not generally attendance based – in conjunction with the focus based learning aspect of the qualification where the learner can take as long/short as they want. This also enables candidates to continue with their respective business demands of their external employment, in conjunction with following NVQs. 4.School Integration is available to the NVQs (GNVQs), this enables candidates to have early access to the hands on approach, which runs alongside other assessment standards (e.g. An alternative run in the same centres as A –levels etc.), thus showing equivalence in value and progression routes, thus giving more viable options to the candidates). 5.Portfolio based work proves to prospective employees that a track record is available showing day to day skills being learnt, thus proving the levels of understanding and competence of each candidate. 6.Prior Accreditation being put into consideration as to which level they will be categorised, enables the candidate to use their  qualifications/experience regardless of where from, as long as relevant (i.e. A-levels, training at work etc., enabling an individual to start in a more advance d level). NVQs also have a few disadvantageous aspects when following their assessment standards, these include. 1.Labour intensive nature of assessment there is a lot of practical work undergone in the NVQs 2.More focus in gaining evidence than actual learning, lack of cognitive learning amongst candidates. As most of the proof (to validate competency level) is done via the production of a portfolio and the presenting of a track-record , this can easily turn into a ‘paper-chase’ rather than the actual focus on the learning processes of the qualification. The also, ‘going through the motion’ nature of the NVQ can also enable the candidate to not be able to reason, simply performing tasks without having true understanding. 3.Quality of assessment can, due to the large numbers of assessors, have a large variance as the marking of each individual can differ. Especially with the different interpretations of some of the jargon developed by the NVQs assessment grading schem es 4.Partial Competence due to selection of optional modules/ reduced definitions and details, as each candidate can choose their modules in the option roles category and each module having different aspects and natures, the candidate may be subject to effectively not gaining an entire knowledge in their respective occupational fields. An example of this would be (referring to table above) where each module has a code which labels the nature of the unit. Take ‘C5’, With C symbolising say, ‘Managing Self and Personal Skills’, one opting out of such a unit, could prove to give them less than the complete set of skills an NVQ could offer, thus lowering competence. To conclude, NVQs are a system devised by the government to help those in various situations, both academically and professionally in order to make them more competent in their respective field in a nationally recognised manner to potential employers. There are a range of advantages and disadvantages to the candidates as well as the employers, such as not having to follow a timescale in learning and also in not receiving a full knowledge due to optional module selection, but as to whether one should be followed  or not, according to the studies that have been carried, out should go hand in hand in the individuals situation.. For instance, one that is currently employed may not be able to dedicate a lot of time to their qualification course, would suit an NVQ whereas, an individual wishing to say, be a medical doctor, a career where having extensive knowledge of their occupational area is vital, would not suit following an NVQ course, where modules are optional and perhaps having re duced knowledge. Bibliography 1.Armstrong,M(2012)Armstrong’s Handbook Of Human Resource Management Practice, 11th edition, Philadelphia: Kogan Page Limited. 2.Hall,L. Taylor,S. Torrington, D. (2008) â€Å"Human Resource Management†, 7th Edition. Pp. 399-407 3.Blosi,W.(2007)An Introduction To Human Resource Management, London: McGraw-Hill Education 4.Marchington,M. Wilkinson, A. (2005) Human Resource Management At Work People and development, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 5.Lundy,O. Cowling, AG, (1996)Strategic Human Resource Management, London: Routledge