Financial Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Financial Statements - Essay Example Yet, as much as they try to be absolutely accurate, the American Institute of Accountants has said, "They (financial statements) reflect a combination of recorded facts and accounting conventions and personal judgments; and judgments and conventions applied affect them materially" (cited in Yamamoto 2000 ch5). It is the job of the accountant to use sound personal judgment to quantify a company's finances to assure they are accurate and truthful. To understand the importance of the financial statement it's necessary to examine the information it contains and how it is utilized. Many people view financial statements as a picture of absolute financial accuracy. They do contain statements on sales, expenses, assets, and liabilities. The numbers all match and balance. However, according to Hooke, "... a fair number of accounts rely heavily on the educated judgment of management and the corporate auditor" (Hooke 1998 p.153). The accountant assures that these educated judgments are a fair representation of the company's financial status. When a financial statement is read, there are assumptions made that help to accurately interpret the numbers. By the use of conventions, statements are standardized to assure that they will present an accurate view of the business. One convention is that asset value is based on the original value. No account would be taken due to changing prices over time. Equipment would be depreciated against its original cost, not the replacement cost. Another common convention is that transactions are recorded when they are completed, not when the money changes hands. Sales can be recorded even though payment may not be due for several months. The accountant's personal judgment that adheres to the concepts and conventions of accounting can help assure that the financial statement will present a true and fair view of a business's activities. The financial statement is made up of several key components. They usually include a balance sheet, a profit and loss account, a cash flow statement, and an equity statement. They will also include complex explanatory notes and disclaimers, which serve to clarify the accuracy of the numbers. Taken together, these items form the core of the financial statement. The balance sheet in its simplest form is a statement of the assets a firm owns and who finances their ownership. It is a balance of assets and liabilities. Assets are the aggregate value of land, buildings, vehicles, equipment, and debtors. Liabilities are what the firm is liable for. Liabilities include loans, debt, and shareholder equity. Though the balance sheet indicates the value to the business' assets and the full extent of ownership and funding, it should not be confused with a valuation statement (Tiffin 2004 p.198). There are several conventions for formatting a balance sheet, though the IASB has made some attempt at harmonizing them. In the UK, the generally accepted layout is the published accounts format. It contains fixed assets such as land and buildings and the intangible assets of goodwill. It also shows the total amount of investment assets. The liabilities are broken down into capital, profit or loss, and creditors. To this point the financial statement is little more than common bookkeeping. A firm records it income and records and classifies its expenses. Yet, this simplistic approach does not serve the

BHM 443 -Legal Aspects of Health Care (Module 4-CBT) Essay

BHM 443 -Legal Aspects of Health Care (Module 4-CBT) - Essay Example ness and promptly transfers the responsibility for the patients care to another provider who is willing to act in accordance with the agents direction. 2. Failing to consult a disabled or incapacitated patients surrogate if the surrogate cannot be contacted after the health care provider has made a reasonable effort to do so or if an emergency situation does not provide the health care provider with sufficient time to locate and consult with the surrogate. D. This section does not relieve a health care provider from civil or criminal liability or prevent a provider from being subjected to professional disciplinary action for the providers negligent treatment of a patient if the negligence is unrelated to the providers reliance on a health care directive, directions from a surrogate or the recommendations of an institutional ethics committee pursuant to section 36-3231. For example, Michigan laws prohibit healthcare providers to perform duty under the influence of alcohol or a substance ( Public Act 235) since this results to criminal liability ( cited in Miller, Johnson, Snell and Cummiskey, 2007 ) . A doctor who performs an operation under the influence of alcohol and impairs/injure a patient can be considered an act of gross negligence. In this case, the doctor is criminally liable especially if the patient died under his care. In the first place, it is unethical for a doctor to be under the influence of liquor while doing his duty; moreover, he is negligent when performs an operation under the influence of liquor or substance since this impair one’s ability. The law stipulates alcohol content of .05 or more grams which is not visually detected by the healthcare organization. Besides, the healthcare organization has definitely issued policies and directives about this law and has done its obligation to its employees. Therefore, the doctor is responsible for his behavior. On the other hand, Vicarious liability is legally defined as â€Å" a principal’s

Factors Influencing Strategy Implementation

Factors Influencing Strategy Implementation The aim of this module is to produce a 4000 word research proposal that would be capable for supporting the preparation of a Masters dissertation. The project report would include an introduction including a title, which would highlight the content of this business document providing a background, informing the reader of the problem / issue at hand and the context of the situation that would be discussed. The research issue would be provided highlighting the importance of the issue in todays ever-changing and competitive, cut-throat business environment. Adequate linkages would be provided to co-relate the research aims, research objectives, research questions and the hypothesis as such generated. A coherent and critical literature review would follow demonstrating the knowledge of the literature available and linking it to the situation which would be investigated. A research design and methodology would be adopted to investigate the concerned issue providing a rationale as to how the research objectives are to be accomplished explaining the selection of the research paradigm. The research design would include the methods of data capture, the data access issues, the analysis and the interpretation means that would be used to assess the situation and appropriate reasons would be provided for the choice of research tools used. Relevant ethical issues underpinning the research objectives would also be discussed along-with the resources required to complete the research proposal. The last part of this management report would include a timetable that would provide the time that it took to complete each part of the research proposal along-with a list of references utilized to complete the report. INTRODUCTION TITLE: FACTORS INFLUENCING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION BACKGROUND The title of this research proposal is factors influencing strategy implementation. Before we discuss the issue and highlight the importance of the issue in the context of the report it is of prime importance to understand the concept of strategy implementation itself. It is the process by which the business strategy formulated is put into action. It includes the design and management of organizational systems to achieve the best integration of people and structure, allocating resources, managing human resources and developing information and decision processes to achieve organizational objectives. Pierce and Robinson  note that to effectively direct and control the use of the firms resources, mechanisms such as organizational structure, information systems, leadership styles, assignment of key managers, budgeting, rewards, and control systems are essential strategy implementation ingredients. After the creative and analytical aspects of the corporate strategy have been formulated the priority of the management is to convert the strategy into operationally effective action. A strategy is never complete, until it gains a commitment of the firms resources and becomes embodied in its organizational structure. Strategy implementation is an iterative process of implementing strategies, policies, programs and action plans that allows a firm to utilize its resources to take advantage of opportunities in the competitive environment (Harrington, 2006). There is no one definition of strategy implementation as seen from the above citations but for the purpose of this report, taking into consideration the definitions above we can define strategy implementation as an iterative, dynamic and a complex process, which comprises of series of decisions and activities by the management and the administration those affected by many interrelated internal and external factors, to turn strategic plans into reality in order to achieve the objectives of the firm. RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY This part of the report would highlight the aim and the objectives of the research, discussing the issue chosen and its importance by proposing a research question and providing an answer to it in the literature review. Many studies have acknowledged that business strategies often fail not because of inadequate strategy formulation, but because of an inappropriate implementation strategy. This report would study the factors that enable or impede effective strategy implementation. This report would highlight how strategy implementation has been researched so far and how this field may be moved forward so as to help in effective execution of a business strategy. As a result of the literature review undertaken, the report has found nine critical factors for strategy implementation that will be discussed further in the literature. Formulation of an effective strategy, making the strategy work and implementing it throughout the company is a difficult task (Hrebiniak, 2006). Many factors potentially affect the process by which strategic plans are turned into organizational action. Unlike strategy formulation, strategy implementation is more of a craft, rather than a science. After successful formulation of the business strategy, difficulties usually arise during the subsequent implementation process. If the business strategy formulated is not applied correctly to all the aspects of the organisational structure the business model would fail, thus harming the organisation in many aspects, the major being the financial capability of the firm, which would take a huge blow. It is of prime importance to get the implementation right otherwise there would be huge losses for the firm. Noble (1999b) notes, the best-formulated strategies may fail to produce superior performance for the firm if they are not successfully implemented. This issue is of utmost importance in todays day and age because of the cut-throat competition in the ever-changing business world where each firm needs to keep re-modelling their policies and procedures to keep up with the change in the external and internal business environment. There are combination of issues that influence the success of strategy implementation, ranging from the people who communicate or implement the strategy to the systems or mechanisms in place for co-ordination and control. How can we better understand these issues and their importance for successful strategy implementation? In this report we try to respond to this question by the critical analysis of the existing research on the factors that influence strategy implementation. An analysis has been conducted of the most widely used literature databases to identify key factors influencing the process of strategy implementation, to surface current areas of agreement and disagreement on the topic. LITERATURE REVIEW In the following section, the report would review the study sources and assess their research context, theoretical bases, their main results and the research methods used as well as the analytical techniques which are employed for the study. The examined organizational levels and organizational types are the two elements of the research context. The core of the literature review, would concentrate on the nine factors identified through rigorous analysis of the study sources, that play a role in influencing strategy implementation success, as well as the frameworks or models that aggregate or relate the relevant factors to each other. This is followed by the discussion of the theoretical bases of the reviewed studies. Finally, the research methods and analytical techniques adopted will be reviewed to see which methods are still underutilized in the context of strategy implementation. By carrying out a literature review of the existing studies, the report found two types of strategy implementation studies: one that highlight the importance of the individual factors for strategy implementation and the second that emphasize the big pictureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ of how the single factors interrelate and form a strategic implementation environment. The research would highlight nine recurring, individual factors that influence strategy implementation. They are namely the strategy formulation process, the strategy executors (managers, employees), the organizational structure, the communication activities, the level of commitment for the strategy, the consensus regarding the strategy, the relationships among different units/departments and different strategy levels, the employed implementation tactics, and the administrative system in place. THE NINE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE STARTEGY IMPLEMENTATION 1. Strategy Formulation If the corporate strategy drafted by the business is a poor or a vague strategy, then it can limit the implementation efforts dramatically. Good execution cannot overcome the shortcomings of a bad strategy or a poor strategic planning effort (Hrebiniak, 2006). Several studies mention the fact that the kind of strategy that is developed (Alexander, 1985; Allio, 2005) and the actual process of strategy formulation, namely, how a strategy is developed (KimMauborgne, 1993; Singh, 1998) will influence the effect of implementation. Alexander (1985) believes that the need to start with a formulated strategy that involves a good idea or concept is the most crucial and critical factor which helps promoting its successful implementation. As Allio notes, good implementation naturally starts with good strategic input: the soup is only as good as the ingredients (Allio, 2005). 2. Relationships among different departments and different strategy levels Many studies in the concerned field have stressed that the institutional relationships among different units/departments and different strategy levels play a major role in the outcome of strategy implementation (Walker Ruekert, 1987; Gupta, 1987; Slater Olson, 2001; Chimhanzi, 2004; Chimhanzi Morgan, 2005). Walker Ruekert note that marketing policies, inter-functional structures and processes, corporate-business unit relationships and processes are a major influence on business strategy implementation. In addition, allocation of resources, functional competencies, inter-functional conflict, decision-making participation and influence, and coordination also have different effects on the implementation of various kinds of business strategies. Implementation effectiveness is negatively affected by conflict and positively affected by interpersonal communication and not written. Such interdepartmental dynamics are affected by senior management support informal integration and joint re ward systems. Other relationships that have received attention to a lesser extent include finance, manufacturing, engineering, quality, marketing, accounting, and sales. 3. Executors Executors comprise the top management, middle management, lower management and non-management. Effectiveness of strategy implementation is, at least in part, affected by the quality of people involved in the process (Govindarajan, 1989). The quality refers to the capabilities, experience, skills, attitudes, and other characteristics of people required by a specific position (Peng Litteljohn, 2001). Findings indicate that strategy implementation effectiveness, critically depends on the human or people side of project management, and less on organization and systems related factors. Top management refers to the senior-level leaders including presidents, owners, and other high ranking executives (CEO, CFO, COO etc.) and senior-level managers. Hrebiniak and Snow (1982) report that the level of interaction and participation among the top management team typically leads to greater commitment to the firms goals and strategies. This, in turn ensures the successful implementation of the strategy. Gupta and Govindarajan (1984) note that greater the marketing and sales experience of middle managers, the greater would be their willingness to take risk and successfully implement the strategy. Heracleous (2000) also finds that if middle management do not agree with the strategy, or do not feel that they have the skill set to implement it, then they would sabotage its implementation. Middle managers expect the direction from the top management but frequently feel that they are in a better position to start and evaluate alternative courses of action. Also, the lack of shared knowledge with lower-level management and non-management employees would create a barrier to successful strategy implementation. 4. Communication Many researchers have emphasized the importance of adequate communication channels for the process of strategy implementation. Alexander (1985) notes that communication is mentioned more frequently than any other single item that promotes successful strategy implementation. Communication includes explaining what new responsibilities, tasks, and duties need to be performed by the employees in order to implement the strategy. It answers the why behind the changed job activities, and explains the reasons why the new strategic decision was made. Rapert and Wren (1998) find that organizations where employees have easy access to management through open and supportive communication channels outperform those with more restrictive communication environments. Effective communication is a fundamental requirement for any effective strategy implementation. Organizational communication plays an important role in training, knowledge acquisition and applied learning during the process of implementation. In fact, communication is vital in every aspect of strategy implementation, as it relates in to the organizational context, organizing processes and the implementation objectives. 5. Implementation Tactics Nutt (1986) stipulates four types of implementation tactics used by managers in making planned changes: intervention, participation, persuasion, and edict. Intervention refers to strategy adjustments made during the implementation stage by introducing new practices and norms. Participation includes formulating strategic goals and nominating a task force that can develop and propose the corresponding implementation options. Persuasion is the tactic which uses involved parties to convince the employees about the desired course of actions. The issuing of directives is the main focus of the implementation tactic edict. Lehner (2004) considers the implementation tactics as genuine organizational behaviour based on the assumption that implementation in general is dependent on the environment, and various strategic and corporate variables. 6. Consensus Nielsen (1983) notes that firms must achieve consensus both within and outside their organization in order to successfully implement business strategies. The consensus about a firms strategy may differ across the operation channels within the company. If the employees of the company are not on the same information level or if information passes through many layers in the organization, a lower level of consensus would result. This lack of shared understanding may create obstacles to successful strategy implementation.(Noble, 1999b). Floyd and Wooldridge (1992a) label the gulf between strategies conceived by top management and awareness at lower levels as implementation gap. Strategic consensus is the agreement between the top, middle, and lower-level managers on the fundamental policies of the organization. Strategic decisions are initiated by a team of top managers and then mandated to the rest of the organization, overlooking the importance of securing consensus with and commitment to the organizational strategy with the lower level employees, which is a big barrier for effective strategy implementation. 7. Commitment Strategy implementation process may fail if the strategy does not achieve support and commitment by the majority of employees and the middle management. Shared understanding without commitment would result in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"counter effort and may negatively affect the organisational performance. The understanding between middle management and those at the operational level to that of the top management teams strategic goals is of prime importance to successful implementation. Noble Mokwa (1999) have put forward three dimensions of commitment that are central factors which directly influence strategic outcomes: organizational commitment, strategy commitment and role commitment. Organizational commitment is the extent to which a manager identifies with and works toward organization-related goals and values. Strategy commitment is the extent to which a manager comprehends and supports the goals and objectives of an implementation strategy. Role commitment is the extent to which a manag er is determined to perform his individual implementation responsibilities, regardless of his personal beliefs about the overall strategy. 8. Organisational Structure The type of strategy adopted could differ in many ways and have different requirements regarding an adequate organizational structure. Factors relating to the organizational structure are the second most important implementation barrier according to Heide GrÃÆ' ¸nhaug Johannessens (2002) study. Drazin and Howard (1984) stipulate that a proper alignment of the strategy with the organisational structure is an important pre-requisite for successful implementation of a corporate business strategy (Noble, 1999b). They note that changes in the competitive environment require adjustments to the organizational structure. If an organisations realignment strategies are lacking, it may exhibit poor performance and be at a major competitive disadvantage. 9. Administrative Systems Roth, Schweiger Morrison (1991) study suggests that organisational business units make use of three administrative mechanisms which are formalization, integrating mechanisms, and centralization, to create operational capabilities of configuration, managerial philosophy and coordination, to support business strategy implementation. Some researchers have also focused on the control systems which are one of important ingredients of administrative systems (Drazin Howard, 1984; Nilsson Rapp, 1999). Drazin and Howard (1984) discuss about the role of formal control system in the process of strategy implementation, and suggest that the fluidity of control system contribute to strategy implementation (Noble, 1999b). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY This part of the project report would focus on the research design and methodology adopted to carry out the research of the issue chosen which is the factors influencing strategy implementation. The following literature would highlight the components of the research paradigm chosen to accomplish the study. This section of the project report would provide a detailed rationale on how the study would achieve the research objective put forth in the title. This part would explain the methods of data capture used and the issues which would arise in gathering the required information along with the analysis and the interpretation techniques employed to achieve the research aim. Limitations would be included in the following report to make the reader aware of the shortcomings of the chosen methodology; the relevant ethical issues would also be discussed in the proposed research design along-with the resources required to complete the proposed research. The choice for the research methodology adopted is in congruence with the strategic issue chosen for the research proposal. The selection criteria to choose articles for inclusion in the research analysis: The articles which contain the keywords strategy implementation or strategy execution have been included in the literature .From this; further articles were identified using the references sections of the previously retrieved articles. In this way, the report also includes the articles which treat strategy implementation as one of the major subjects even if their title or keywords did not include the terms strategy implementation or strategy execution. As a final selection criterion it was checked whether the articles explicitly discuss factors impeding or enabling strategy implementation success. Data Collection Secondary Sources In order to identify the factors that enable or impede effective strategy implementation, the report has analysed relevant academic, peer reviewed journals such as the Strategic Management Journal, the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Management Studies, Long Range Planning, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Executive, Human Relations, Sloan Management Review, Journal of Marketing, etc. using the literature databases of EBSCO Host, ProQuest ABI, Science Direct, JSTOR and Wiley Interscience. Information has also been sourced from Google Scholar and books, newspapers, trade journals, industry portals, government agencies, trade associations, monitoring industry news and developments. The research data would be collected in different organisations or units of an organisation. The organisations were mainly professional service organisations, from both public and private sector. For example, finance, insurance and telecommunications companies, and government departments would be included. The size of the units under study would be 100 to 500 employees. The study would be qualitative in nature, main research method being semi-structured interviews. Primary Sources and Sampling In each organisation or unit, representatives would form three groups, namely the top management, middle management, and lower level personnel, would be interviewed using the questionnaire provided below. Altogether twenty-five interviewees per organisation would be randomly chosen: 2-5 persons representing the top management level, 4-13 persons the middle management level, and 8-17 persons from the lower level personnel. The interviewees would be chosen randomly, ensuring however that different tasks, work groups, and departments were represented equitably. The general topic of the interviews would be strategy implementation. During the interviews, the interviewees would fill out questionnaires, in which they would evaluate the various problem statements. The questionnaire has been given below: Q1. How do you define the concept of strategy implementation? Q2. What kind of issues would you associate strategy implementation with? Q3. How do you participate in the strategy implementation process? Q4. How are the policies pertaining to strategy implementation communicated within the different levels of the organization? Q5. Describe your own role in the process of strategy implementation. Q6. Evaluate the degree of the strategy implementation problems in your organisation. Data Access Issues Some data access issues might arise in the research journey, which could be the unwillingness of the employees to participate in the planned interviews hampering the information gathering capabilities of the subsequent research report along-with lack of co-operation from concerned companies which might not give permission to carry out interviews with its employees fearing a possible leak of its corporate strategy to its competitors. Also finances required for the successful completion of the information gathering process might not be adequate. Data Analysis The results of the questionnaires would be assessed, as well as the comments of the interviewees for the statements would be analysed. The main data analysis method employed would be content analysis of the interviews. The transcribed interviews would be coded accordingly to the central issues of the research. The analysis method would include historical trend analysis and linear regression analysis using software tools, judgmental forecasting, and conjoint analysis. Limitations of the Research Design The approach in conducting the literature review has shortcomings which should be acknowledged. The following are the limitations in the methodology adopted. Collection of articles has been carried out by relying on the databases of EBSCO Host, Science Direct, JSTOR, Wiley Inter Science and ProQuest ABI and the report thus may have overlooked some critical viewpoints on strategy implementation included in monographs or specialists books. Some selective articles in the review, however, rely heavily on concepts from advanced books on corporate strategy thus making up for the shortcoming to a certain extent. The articles have been located using the keywords strategy implementation and strategy execution. This procedure of gathering articles may omit some important articles. The report also excludes some very specific strategy implementation contexts, such as post-merger integration implementation. The research has discovered that most of the conducted studies in the subject focus on the influence of middle managers on strategy implementation. There is no special research relating to lower management and non-management, even if several authors have stated that it is important to consider their effects on strategy implementation as well. Another major research challenge incudes, a lack of understanding between the relationships among the nine reviewed factors, for example, there are major disagreements about the relationship between the variables of communication, commitment and consensus which the report fails to highlight. Also a limiting factor is that there are very few studies that systematically examine how different organizational units and strategy levels can influence strategy implementation, which the report has not included. Strategy implementation involves many theories including agency theory, social learning theory, expectancy theory, organization theory and social system theory. Because of the limited word count it was not feasible to include such theories in the text presented which is also a shortcoming. The lists of journal articles selected are not comprehensive enough, as many other issues could potentially affect strategy implementation. Such other factors, however, are less mentioned or not analysed in-depth, as many of them are also hard to control and modify. Research Ethics For research to be carried out successfully there are many ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration. It is very important to secure the permission and interests of all the people involved in the study. The people involved would be given assurance that any information obtained during the interview process would not be misused as this is the moral responsibility which would be maintained towards the participants. It is the duty of this research to protect the rights of the participants of the study as well as their privacy and sensitivity. The confidentiality of those involved in the observation would be maintained at all times, keeping their anonymity and privacy secure. Resources required for effective research The resources required to carry out the proposed research would require the support and co-operation of the supervisor in charge so as to provide guidance for submitting an effective research analysis report. Also would require permission from the industries chosen for the study of the research issue and the co-operation of its employees for conducting interviews. Adequate financial support would also be required to assist in the completion of the proposed research analysis report to cover the cost of commuting and resultant transportation fares. TIMETABLE TASK SELECTION OF INDUSTRIES FOR RESEARCH FOCUS DAYS 1-5 6-10 10-15 16-20 21-25 25-30 LITERATURE REVIEW/ CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY SOURCES OF DATA INTERVIEWING PROCESS INDEPTH STUDY OF VARIOUS SOURCES ASSESSING RESOURCE FOR CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK COLLECTION OF SECONDARY SOURCES OF DATA DEVELOPMENT OF RATIONALE FOR STUDY FINALLY FORMULATED RESEAERCH PROPOSAL

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Essay -- essays research papers

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ABSTRACT In March of 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. An eighteen foot wide hole was ripped into the hull, and 10.9 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. In the following weeks, many things transpired. This paper will discuss the cleanup, the damage, and the results of the biggest oil spill in United States history. On March 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound Alaska, the Exxon Valdez was moving South West after leaving Port Valdez. The ship was carrying over fifty million gallons of crude oil. When the Valdez was only twenty-eight miles from the port, it ran aground on Bligh reef. The bottom was ripped open, and 10.9 million gallons of North Slope Crude Oil spilled into the frozen Alaskan waters at a rate of two hundred thousand gallons per minute. The remaining forty-two million gallons were off loaded. In the ensuing days, more than 1,200 miles of shoreline were hit with oil. This area included four National Wildlife Refugees, three National Parks, and Chugach National Forest. Within hours, smaller tanker vessels arrived in order to off load the remaining oil. Unfortunately, the cleanup effort was hindered by an inadequate cleanup plan that had been created during the 1970's. These plans outlined how an oil spill would be handled, including provisions for maintaining equipment such as containment booms and "skimmer boats." The plans also called for a response team to be on twenty-four hour notice. Unfortunately, the plans were good on paper only. A spill of this size had not been anticipated. Therefore, the response teams had been demobilized, and the equipment that was supposed to be ready at all times was either too far away or nonexistent.. Precious hours were also wasted as Corporations, the Alaskan State Government, and the National government argued over who should take control of the situation. The arguments ensued after debates over who would pay for what, who was responsible for what, and who would do the best job. The local fishermen were a big help with the cleanup effort. They battled with the oil in order to protect their industry. Many fisherman were seen in row-boats in the small coastal inlets. The fishermen work... ...industry in Alaska, so there has been much concern over the welfare of the fish. Many natives also live by subsistence fishing. Pink salmon and herring were the two species that people were most concerned about. Pink salmon is the biggest commercial fish in Alaskan waters, many people were afraid that the salmon population would need years to recover, however, studies have shown that the effect of the oil on spawning, eggs, and fry was negligible. Chromatography tests have also shown that there are no hydrocarbons in the flesh of most of the fish. Those that do have hydrocarbons in their flesh have a level that is so low as to be measured in the parts per billion range. Herring is also a huge commercial fish in Alaska. The 1988 catch yielded twelve point three million dollars. In 1989, after the spill, herring was declared "off limits" to fishermen. However, this was compensated by a salmon catch that was six times as big as it had been in 1988. In 1990, when herring fishing resumed, it returned to normal levels. The damage to the fishing industry was not nearly as bad as had been anticipated. Usha Varanasi, director of the NOAA's Environmental Conservation Division in S

Off Shore Drilling Essay

Should the Government Expand Off Shore Drilling in the U.S.? The crude oil industry has become prominent since mid 19th century. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the development of drilling methods has brought oil into a drastically larger extent of mass production. Petroleum is one of the important extracted compositions of crude oil in the U.S. Until today, it is globally used mainly as fuels in transportation. Other uses include heating homes, powering industry, and providing raw material for plastic manufacturing. The great importance of oil to the country has led to the exploitation of its resources in the past century. Not only exploiting land resources, the government is also beginning to exploit resources under the sea. Off shore drilling is the method of extracting crude oil from the seabed. It has been a controversial issue in the U.S. of whether or not off shore drilling should be expanded. In this essay, I am comparing and contrasting the reasons why some people are supportive of off shore drilling in the U.S., and why some people are in opposition to it. I will discuss three major aspects upon this issue; the three aspects are national security, economy and environment. The first reason why some people support off shore drilling is that they believe that off shore drilling will not harm the environment due to the vast improvement of technology. The biggest environmental issue that is often associated with off shore drilling is oil spills. People believe that as time is progressing, rapid advancement in technology will make it possible to conduct off shore drilling at the safest way in order not to harm the environment. Based on statistics by http://www.itopf.com, oil spill cases have declined over the past few decades, which prove that technology has become better. In line with the advancement of technology, a complete recovery of past oil spills have been proven to be attainable. An example of such cases is the success story of the recovery of Alaska’s Prince William Sound, which was  struck with oil spills at 1989. Moreover, people believe that the cause of oil spills is not due to off shore drilling, but mainly due to natural seeps and petroleum transportations. A study proves that urban runoff and treated sewage dump deposits 12 times more petroleum into the sea than petroleum from offshore drilling. A study at Lousiana State University has also been conducted to prove that off shore drilling is good for marine life. It is believed that oil production platforms cause improvements in marine life. The study suggests that there are 50 more times of marine life around an oil production platform than in the surrounding mud bottoms of the sea in Lousiana. It is believed that there is a correlation between the explosions of marine life with the building of oil platforms. However, in opposition to this, some people believe that off shore drilling in the U.S. do pose serious environmental risks. They believe that technology advancement reduces the risks of oil spills but do not a hundred percent guarantee its nonoccurrence in the future. Once an oil explosion occurs, the damage will be extremely destructive to the environment and it will reach a point of no turning back. According to â€Å"Environmental and Commercial Perspectives† by Ted Danson, â€Å"approximately 120 million gallons of oil end up in the world’s oceans every year from oil platforms, marine transportations, vessel discharges, and accidents.† Many cases of oil spills had happened in the U.S. One of the greatest was the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, which caused the death of thousands of local marine creatures. Over 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs were killed. Oil damages organs of marine organisms and the long-term effects may cause impairments of reproduction of these creatures, which then may lead to extinction of some of the species. Moreover, impacts of oil spills on the environment are long term and are extremely difficult to recover. This is because the thick layer of oil tends to spread very quickly under the influence of wind, waves and currents. The Exxon Valdez oil spills spread approximately up to 1300 miles of the  shoreline. Even with the latest technology, the rate of removing the oil from the sea is much slower compared to the rate of the spreading of oil. It is very rare to have more than 15% of the total spill being recovered. Oil spills occurring in regions of extreme climate, such as Alaska, are even exceedingly difficult to recover. It is almost impossible to soak up heavy crude oil trapped in waters covered with icebergs and sea ice. Thus, the impact will be much long lasting and at worst, irreversible. Despite the improvement in technology, off shore drilling is still highly risky because even the finest technology may fail. Once it fails, the cost to the environment is tremendous. The operation of the rig is also associated with the production of toxic wastes and many other long lasting forms of pollution. The drilling muds contain mercury, lead and cadmium that may accumulate inside the bodies of marine organisms. In addition, some traces of this pollution may be found in seafood that people consume, therefore, creates serious health consequences for them. Next, another reason why some people support off shore drilling is because they believe that it will ensure the national security of the country. The United States is very dependent on foreign oil to meet their immense oil demands. In 2010, based on the statistics provided by U.S. Department of Energy, 58.1 percent of total oil consumption in the U.S. is imported, and the rest is domestically supplied. Sixty six percent of global oil reserves are in the hands of Middle Eastern regimes such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Oil reserves in the U.S. only account for two percent of the total reserves worldwide, yet the country is ranked the highest in the world in terms of oil demands. The U.S. reliance on antagonistic countries in the Middle East for oil, unfortunately, poses threats towards the national security of the U.S. The U.S. is sending $500 billion every year to oil producing countries for oil imports. The trade does not only involve in the transfer of extensive amount of money from importers to exporters, but also power. Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are the greatest oil exporters, are now with all the power and money. Reliance on some of the Middle East countries for oil indirectly forces the U.S. to be involved in the political conflicts happening in there, and reduces the U.S. ability to keep the peace between conflicting countries in that area. Also, the U.S. has always been entangled in political and religious issues with Islamic countries of the Middle East.  These expose the U.S. to threats of terrorism. One of the related events was the devastating 9/11 terrorist attack. Whether or not it is a matter of coincidence, most terrorists that have been threatening the U.S. originate from the Middle East. The U.S., paying billions of dollars for oil to these countries, indirectly is funding their investment in arms and therefore supporting terrorist organizations. Furthermore, the U.S. army is very dependent on oil to power and maintain its defense machines and transportations. This further threatens the national security of the U.S. because even the country’s defense is now in the hands of the countries that have the likelihood to attack it. Increasing off shore drilling in the U.S. means increasing domestic supply of energy. This is believed to be a way for the U.S. to be independent from foreign oil, hence, ensuring its national security. However, in contrary to this position, some people believe that off shore drilling will not lead to the country’s energy independence. Citing the U.S. government data, the country may have 49 billion barrels of oil in undeveloped reserves that are currently open for drilling. Another 19 billion is predicted to be available in sites where drilling is presently prohibited. Even if the U.S. succeeded to extract all of its possible resources, experts predicted that this would merely increase the U.S. oil production by 1-4 percent. This means that the U.S. will still rely on imported oil even if the country’s resources are completely exploited. In addition, reliance upon oil as a source of energy itself is not sustainable. Oil is believed to reach its peak production very soon. With all of the known reserves worldwide and at the present global rate of consumption, oil is predicted to run out in 40 years. Some people think that the solution for the U.S. to be energy independe nt is to stop relying on oil and start investing in alternative fuels. Finally, the last reason why some people support off shore drilling in the U.S. is that increasing domestic supply of oil will ensure the stability and improve the economy of the country. The U.S. dependence on foreign oil, not only threatens the country’s national security, but also threatens the country’s economic stability. Countries of the Middle East are very hostile  and unstable. We should take an example of the US-Iran clash. The U.S., which has the power to stop Iran from pursuing power plants for the sake of peace in the Middle East, is forced to abandon the plans of investing oil in Iran as a threat to Iran’s economy. This leads to the collision between the U.S. and Iran. As a reprisal, Iran threatens to attack oil shipping in the Persian Gulf and disrupt oil delivery from the gulf to the U.S. Disruption of oil delivery will cause a devastating effect to the U.S economy. Energy independence from troubled Middle East countries is a way to promote a stable economy in the U.S. and some people believe that offshore drilling is a way to reach this goal. In line with economy, offshore drilling is also very profitable for the U.S. and it is believed that it can affect the price of gasoline worldwide. Based on statistics provided by www.api.org, by the year 2035, off shore drilling is estimated to contribute up to $23.5 billion per year to the U.S. economy. Kevin A. Hasett, the director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, stated, â€Å"by increasing offshore exploration and drilling, the United States would be encouraging oil-producing nations to put more oil in the market now, thereby lowering prices on the world wide market.† Gasoline price is the key to economy. If gasoline price goes down, prices of goods throughout the country will also decrease. Consumer sentiment will increase, as people will tend to buy more goods. This will increase the government’s revenue, which in turn improves the country’s economy. Furthermore, off shore drilling also provides jobs for Americans and prevents the loss of jobs that are already available. High cost of energy in the U.S. causes many companies to relocate their plants outside of the country. This causes the loss of jobs of many Americans who are already working for these companies. On the other hand, as well as the off shore drilling plant itself provide jobs, the reduction of oil prices will also attract companies to invest in the U.S. and hence provides more jobs for Americans. However, in opposition to this position, some people believe that off shore drilling will not improve the economy in the U.S. As mentioned previously, even the complete exploitation of all the reserves in the U.S will only increase the U.S. oil production by 1-4 percent. Also, oil prices are largely driven by worldwide supply and demand. Price will only lower if  either one of them increases. Even if the supply is increasing, recent statistics show that world oil demand is also increasing very rapidly. Hence, some people believe that off shore drilling in the U.S. would not significantly affect worldwide oil price. In addition, how much oil can actually be extracted is not yet guaranteed. Exploration and rig construction costs a lot of money and time. Even if off shore drilling will be conducted anytime soon, it will not immediately lower oil price. According to EIA, any measurable changes of price will only be visible until 2030. Despite the increasing of jobs available due to off shore drilling, we should also consider the jobs that are lost and the economic impact to the U.S. when oil spills occur. Oil spills do not only severely damage the environment, but also cause negative impacts on tourism and fishing industries. Oil spills kill thousands of fish and destroy beautiful beaches that attract tourists. The Exxon Valdez oil spills cost more than $300 million of economic loss to more than 30000 people whose lives depend on commercial fishing. Also, the oil spills that hit the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 cost a loss of $60 billion in tourism industry. Furthermore, we should also consider the cost of recovery of oil spills. Despite the profits that the country makes on offshore drilling, the cost of recovery when an oil explosion occurs is much greater. The U.S. spent $20 billion fund in response to the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company British Protocol is responsible to fund $56 billion dollars in fines, cleanup costs and settlements. Overall, some people see that expanding offshore drilling is putting the country’s economy at risk instead of improving it. Expanding off shore drilling in the U.S. is a very controversial topic. The government should take into consideration of both opposing sides before making decisions whether or not to expand off shore drilling in the U.S. by weighing issues regarding national security, environment and economy. They should seek a sustainable long-term solution in order to meet the energy  needs of the country in the present and in the future.

Identify the historical and cultural factors Essay

Identify the historical and cultural factors that contribute to the development of the learning perspective. To what extent is the learning perspective relevant today?  The study of how humans learn is a dominant component of the learning perspective. The study of behaviour in this perspective and is also commonly known as the Behaviouristic Approach, as they believe that behaviour is the only valid data in psychology. Behaviourism developed simultaneously in the United States and Russia in relation to many factors. Traditional Behaviourists believed that all organisms learn in the same way, and could be explained by the processes of classical and operant conditioning. Learning can be defined as a relatively permanent change in behaviour and/or knowledge that occurs as a result of practice and/or experience in the environment. Psychologists working within this perspective have investigated he ways in which behaviour changes, usually using laboratory experiments, and often-using non-human animals. The Learning perspective developed simultaneously in the United States and Russia with American Theorists John Watson, Albert Bandura and Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov.  The way in which behaviour can be observed is seen as being objectively or unbiased, and this is the opposite to the theory of introspection. The unreliability of the way in which subjective data is obtained in introspection is one of the main criticisms that lead to the rise of behaviourism. In introspection the data collected in said to be subjective and therefore biased in the sense that it comes from ones own mind. â€Å"Give me a dozen healthy infants†¦and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer†¦and yes, even beggarman and thief.†1  John Watson 1913  Watson wrote an article titled ‘Psychology as the behaviourist views it.’ This article, which set out all main assumptions and principles, sparked the rise of the behaviourist movement in 1913. Albert Bandura was the major motivator behind the social learning theory, which included cognitive factors that were not incorporated by behaviourists, as they thought behaviour was almost entirely determined by the environment. Bandura suggests that much behaviour, including aggression, is learnt from the environment through reinforcement and the process of modelling. Bandura integrated cognitive influences and called his modified theory the social learning theory. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, whilst conducting experiments on the digestive systems on dogs stumbled across the developed principles of classical conditioning. All these factors contributed to the advancement of the learning perspective, as we know it today. Key concepts of the perspective are classical and operant conditioning, social, latent and insight learning. All concepts are built from the historical and cultural factors that gave rise to the learning perspective. Findings after conduction of experiments show a remarkable relevance to today’s society and knowledge. Whether it is classical conditioning and relating findings to aversion therapy or operant conditioning’s relation to animal training or modifying behaviour through reinforcement and punishment. Therefore it is important to research experimenters who performed relevant experiments to relate their results to today. Classical condition is learning through association, which was accidentally found by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov was conducting experiments in relation to dogs digestive systems when he stumbled on, what is known as, classical conditioning. Pavlov noticed that dogs did not only salivate when food was placed in front of them, but they also salivated before the food was given to them, and was triggered by other factors such as upon hearing or seeing Pavlov, or the sound of footsteps. Pavlov then discovered that the anticipation of receiving the food made the dogs salivate. Pavlov then modified his experiment to test whether using a stimulus such as meat powder, which caused salivation, could be varied and a conditioned stimulus such as the ringing of a bell could also bring about the unconditioned response of salivation originally caused by being presented with the sight of the meat powder. Pavlov used a soundproof room, to minimise and limit extraneous variables so he could be sure that it was i.e. only the ringing of a bell that was affecting the salivation after the conditioned stimulus. John Watson performed another example of classical conditioning when he experimented on Little Albert in 1920. Behaviourists learning theorists such as Watson suggested that phobias were conditioned emotional responses. Certain stimuli, such as sudden loud noises, naturally cause fear reactions, and stimuli that become associated with them will acquire the same emotional responses. Little Albert was presented with a white laboratory rat to which he showed no fear response. Watson then associated the loud noise simultaneously with the presentation of the rat, Little Albert then associated fear with the rat, and was then able to generalise these response to other fluffy white objects. The study with Little Albert has serious ethical problems. Firstly that he participated in the experiment involuntary and without the consent of his mother. Also Watson reported that they hesitated about proceeding with the experiment but comforted themselves that Albert would encounter such traumatic associations when he left the sheltered environment of the nursery anyway. This is not a very good ethical defence, especially since they believed such associations might persist indefinitely and did not leave sufficient time to remove the fear afterwards, despite knowing that Albert was due to leave. Classical conditioning can be related to today with the development of therapies using classical conditioning techniques to extinguishing fear. The first technique of therapy is the systematic desensitation, which aims to extinguish the fear response of a phobia, and substitute a relaxation response to the conditional stimulus gradually, step by step. This therapy was developed mainly by Wolpe, who stated that in order for the fear to be removed gradually, a hierarchy of fear must be formed and ranked by the subject from least fearful to most fearful. The subject is then given training in deep muscle relaxation techniques so it can then be used at each stage of the hierarchy starting from the least fearful to the most and only progressing when the subject feels sufficiently relaxed. This method of treatment has a very high success rate with specific phobias, i.e. of particular animals. It is considered to work particularly well because the response of fear and relaxation is said to be impossible for them to exist at the same time. The second techniques of therapy are implosion and the flooding techniques, when both methods produce extinction of a phobia’s fear by the continual and dramatic presentation of the phobic or situation. Wolpe in 1960 forced a girl with a fear of cars into the back seat of a car and drove her around for 4 hours straight until her hysterical fear completely disappeared. Marks et al (1981) say that this kind of therapy works because eventually some stimulus exhaustion takes place, as you cannot scream forever and then the conditioned fear response extinguishes. The technique most similar to classical conditioning is called Aversion Therapy, and is most relevant to today’s treatment of alcoholism, smoking or overeating. The technique aims to remove undesirable responses to certain stimuli by associating them with aversive stimuli, in the hope that the undesirable responses will be avoided in the future. Aversion therapy has been used to treat alcoholism, for example the person is given alcohol with a nausea-inducing drug unsuspectingly, and should then feel sick. The person associates drinking with their intestinal distress and results found that two out of three people did not have any alcohol a year later. Although it has a high success rate, ethical considerations of deliberating causing discomfort to another person through deception must be taken into account. The limitation of this type of therapy is its difficulty to generalise to other situations from where the learning took place.

Free Essays on Summer Paradise

SUMMER PARADISE When I was young the thing I remember most is the summers. I remember the excitement and the thought of the fun to be had. It was an escape from the everyday. I have been lucky enough to do this my entire childhood. When I think about our vacations to my cottage, I can almost feel its harmony and peacefulness come over me, not to say it wasn’t exciting also. After an incredibly long journey, we would come to a sandy, dirt road full of potholes and surrounded by tall dark trees. While traveling up the road, you could see a few shimmers and sparkles on the water. As you get closer you could see that the water was clean and clear. The hot and dry mid-afternoon sun would beat down on me as I peered into the cool waters that mirrored my anxious face. The sky would take a different appearance because we were so far north. It was bright light and aqua blue, speckled with a few white, fluffy clouds. The wind gently blew causing ripples on the water, and the poised bending of the branches over the lake. The captivating forests that held these trees seemed to magically entice me to venture through them, running and skipping with my cousins trying to find new places we had never been. Some days we would go on secret adventures. These mystical forests were intriguingly different than those around our homes, and therefore sparked our curiosity. It seemed like millions of pinecones would munch under our feet as we ran and giant evergreen trees seemed to reach toward the endless sky as we stared up at them astonished at their beauty. Wild animals, which knew nothing of the danger of humans, would play scurry out in front of us. Once I watched two squirrels enthusiastically chase one and other up a white birch tree. On another occasion, from the banks of the shore, I watched a hawk swoop into the water to catch a large fish. The hawk then flew high above the treetops with the fish hanging from his mouth. ... Free Essays on Summer Paradise Free Essays on Summer Paradise SUMMER PARADISE When I was young the thing I remember most is the summers. I remember the excitement and the thought of the fun to be had. It was an escape from the everyday. I have been lucky enough to do this my entire childhood. When I think about our vacations to my cottage, I can almost feel its harmony and peacefulness come over me, not to say it wasn’t exciting also. After an incredibly long journey, we would come to a sandy, dirt road full of potholes and surrounded by tall dark trees. While traveling up the road, you could see a few shimmers and sparkles on the water. As you get closer you could see that the water was clean and clear. The hot and dry mid-afternoon sun would beat down on me as I peered into the cool waters that mirrored my anxious face. The sky would take a different appearance because we were so far north. It was bright light and aqua blue, speckled with a few white, fluffy clouds. The wind gently blew causing ripples on the water, and the poised bending of the branches over the lake. The captivating forests that held these trees seemed to magically entice me to venture through them, running and skipping with my cousins trying to find new places we had never been. Some days we would go on secret adventures. These mystical forests were intriguingly different than those around our homes, and therefore sparked our curiosity. It seemed like millions of pinecones would munch under our feet as we ran and giant evergreen trees seemed to reach toward the endless sky as we stared up at them astonished at their beauty. Wild animals, which knew nothing of the danger of humans, would play scurry out in front of us. Once I watched two squirrels enthusiastically chase one and other up a white birch tree. On another occasion, from the banks of the shore, I watched a hawk swoop into the water to catch a large fish. The hawk then flew high above the treetops with the fish hanging from his mouth. ...

Free Essays on Stars & Constellations

What is it that makes our universe work how was it formed and why is it here? Is it merely for our enjoyment and livelihood, or is there from of a large picture aspect of it all? It is hard to know why and how how our solar system came to be but there are several things in science that make it seem more that just a random collection of gases and dust particles formed together to make up a bunch of planets, stars, and all the various other strange phenomenon that you find in space. It has been a question on the minds of scientists for years and years as to what made the galaxy form the way it did was it formed by a supreme being of some sort or was it just purely coincidence. My belief is that to a point there is a need for both sides of this argument and neither side is 100% correct. Although there is no way to prove whether or not there is a supreme being of some sort we have to take into account the fact that most of the world approximately 85-90% of all living human beings on this planet believe in some sort of creator or supreme power who rules over us. Although not the point I feel it important to make sure that we touch on this subject based on the staggering statistics of religious followers in the world. Stars, Planets, Constellations there are so many various objects of interest out there it is difficult to talk about them all so I would like to concentrate on the Constellations and Stars in our Galaxy. The most prominent and well known star because of the inate ability to recognize it and to navigate by it is the North Star. From the earliest recorded record there is reference to the North most star or the Bright star that has always been used as a means of navigation to a Lost travelers with no other means of navigation. Sailors of olden days would plot their course and travel at night to be able to use the night sky as a guide to their travels. Some of the structures of Stars out at certain times of the mon... Free Essays on Stars & Constellations Free Essays on Stars & Constellations What is it that makes our universe work how was it formed and why is it here? Is it merely for our enjoyment and livelihood, or is there from of a large picture aspect of it all? It is hard to know why and how how our solar system came to be but there are several things in science that make it seem more that just a random collection of gases and dust particles formed together to make up a bunch of planets, stars, and all the various other strange phenomenon that you find in space. It has been a question on the minds of scientists for years and years as to what made the galaxy form the way it did was it formed by a supreme being of some sort or was it just purely coincidence. My belief is that to a point there is a need for both sides of this argument and neither side is 100% correct. Although there is no way to prove whether or not there is a supreme being of some sort we have to take into account the fact that most of the world approximately 85-90% of all living human beings on this planet believe in some sort of creator or supreme power who rules over us. Although not the point I feel it important to make sure that we touch on this subject based on the staggering statistics of religious followers in the world. Stars, Planets, Constellations there are so many various objects of interest out there it is difficult to talk about them all so I would like to concentrate on the Constellations and Stars in our Galaxy. The most prominent and well known star because of the inate ability to recognize it and to navigate by it is the North Star. From the earliest recorded record there is reference to the North most star or the Bright star that has always been used as a means of navigation to a Lost travelers with no other means of navigation. Sailors of olden days would plot their course and travel at night to be able to use the night sky as a guide to their travels. Some of the structures of Stars out at certain times of the mon...

American Films and Backhoe Operators

To select the one who would get the job, the company asked each of them to go out and actually work on the backhoe for a day. Jim felt his chance for the job disappear because he had never even driven a tractor, let alone used a backhoe. When he went out, he did not know how to start the tractor. One of the other backhoe operators had to show him. He managed through the day, and to his surprise, did better than the others. He was given the job. On his first day at the new job, one of the other backhoe operators showed him where to check the hydraulic fluid and said, â€Å"These old Masseys are foolproof. You will be okay. † Jim taught himself how to dig a hole by trial and error. He initially believed that the best way was to fill the bucket as much as possible before lifting it out of the hole and emptying it. He would wiggle the bucket back and forth until it was submerged and then curl it. When it came out of the hole, the earth would be falling off the sides. This job was not so difficult after all, he thought. He cut through his first water line about two weeks after starting his new job. Going into a deep, muddy hole did not make the crew happy. After Jim cut through his third water line, the crew chief pulled him aside and said, â€Å"You are taking too much earth out with each bucket, so you don’t feel the bucket hitting the water line; ease up a bit. Water lines were usually six to eight feet down, so Jim would dig until about four feet and then try to be more careful. It was then that he pulled up some telephone lines that were only about three feet deep. Realizing that more was involved in operating a backhoe than he first had thought, he sought out Bill Granger, who was known to have broken a water line only twice in his 15 years. It was said that he was so good that he could dig underneath the gas lines—a claim that Jim doubted. Bill said, â€Å"You need to be able to feel any restriction. The way to do that is to have more than one of your levers open at the same time. Operating the bucket lever and the boom lever at the same time reduces the power and causes the machine to stop rather than cut through a line of any type. † Jim began to use this method but still broke water lines. The difference now was that he knew immediately when he broke a line. He could feel the extra pull, whereas in the past, he found out either by seeing water gushing up or by hearing the crew chief swearing at him. He was getting better. Jim never did become as good as Bill Granger. In fact, two years later, he applied for another job as gas repairperson and was promoted, but the training as a gas repairperson was not much better. Case Questions 1. What are the potential costs to this lack of training? Why do you think the company operated in this manner? 2. What type of training would you recommend: OJT, classroom, or a combination? Describe what the training might entail. 3. What type of training environment would you provide? 4. Who would you get to do the training, and why? 5. Would you consider purchasing a training program for backhoe operators? Provide your rationale. American Films and Backhoe Operators To select the one who would get the job, the company asked each of them to go out and actually work on the backhoe for a day. Jim felt his chance for the job disappear because he had never even driven a tractor, let alone used a backhoe. When he went out, he did not know how to start the tractor. One of the other backhoe operators had to show him. He managed through the day, and to his surprise, did better than the others. He was given the job. On his first day at the new job, one of the other backhoe operators showed him where to check the hydraulic fluid and said, â€Å"These old Masseys are foolproof. You will be okay. † Jim taught himself how to dig a hole by trial and error. He initially believed that the best way was to fill the bucket as much as possible before lifting it out of the hole and emptying it. He would wiggle the bucket back and forth until it was submerged and then curl it. When it came out of the hole, the earth would be falling off the sides. This job was not so difficult after all, he thought. He cut through his first water line about two weeks after starting his new job. Going into a deep, muddy hole did not make the crew happy. After Jim cut through his third water line, the crew chief pulled him aside and said, â€Å"You are taking too much earth out with each bucket, so you don’t feel the bucket hitting the water line; ease up a bit. Water lines were usually six to eight feet down, so Jim would dig until about four feet and then try to be more careful. It was then that he pulled up some telephone lines that were only about three feet deep. Realizing that more was involved in operating a backhoe than he first had thought, he sought out Bill Granger, who was known to have broken a water line only twice in his 15 years. It was said that he was so good that he could dig underneath the gas lines—a claim that Jim doubted. Bill said, â€Å"You need to be able to feel any restriction. The way to do that is to have more than one of your levers open at the same time. Operating the bucket lever and the boom lever at the same time reduces the power and causes the machine to stop rather than cut through a line of any type. † Jim began to use this method but still broke water lines. The difference now was that he knew immediately when he broke a line. He could feel the extra pull, whereas in the past, he found out either by seeing water gushing up or by hearing the crew chief swearing at him. He was getting better. Jim never did become as good as Bill Granger. In fact, two years later, he applied for another job as gas repairperson and was promoted, but the training as a gas repairperson was not much better. Case Questions 1. What are the potential costs to this lack of training? Why do you think the company operated in this manner? 2. What type of training would you recommend: OJT, classroom, or a combination? Describe what the training might entail. 3. What type of training environment would you provide? 4. Who would you get to do the training, and why? 5. Would you consider purchasing a training program for backhoe operators? Provide your rationale.

Write ten personal strategies you can employ to help you deal with Article

Write ten personal strategies you can employ to help you deal with stress - Article Example First strategy that can be used to ensure that there is no stress at all is to recall that no matter what happens, an individual would not take stress in entirety. He would remain contented with whatever is available at his disposal and thus be satisfied with the things around him in a professional way. He would feel that he is completely at ease with the surroundings around him and would in no way fall for such nuances of stress which would further deflate his individual self. This is a clear indication of how well he handles stress and how he can keep away such issues in the future as well. The second strategy that can be listed here is of seeking someone’s help and assistance so that the stress epidemic does not actually creep into the individual’s system. It would mean he is taking help from an elder or soliciting advice that shall solve the problem at hand. This is a very significant undertaking that can reduce stress immensely and would handle the long term stressful conditions that come about as a result of the same. Help is always easily available because people readily give out their assistance to the ones who are professionally fatigues and do not know where to end up (Shuttleworth, 2004). The third such strategy is to heal one’s own self through certain exercises which would relieve this individual of stress. This would mean that he would undergo different acts and behaviors which would not burden his mind at all, rather assist him in understanding the nuances related with stress and how it can be kept at a safe distance from his peculiar domains. Even though this requires persistence on the part of the person under question, it also demands a great deal of motivation by the people around him at all times. The fourth strategy which can be employed here is of soliciting help and facilitation from medical counselors who would tell exactly where this person is lacking professionally and what he needs to do in order to move ahead further in life.

Automobile Workers vs Johnson Controls Inc Case Study

Automobile Workers vs Johnson Controls Inc - Case Study Example Eight employees of a battery manufacturing company who were pregnant exhibited increased lead quantities in their blood – more than what OSHA approves to be a considerable amount (Rehnquist, Kennedy, & Scalia, 1991). The company later barred all women from working in lead related departments except those who could not have children, though after passing clinical tests to ascertain their conditions. This prompted a group of employees to file a case in the District Court. They argued that the policy discriminated against the female gender and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Rehnquist et al., 1991). The District Court and the Court of Appeal granted the respondents a summary judgment on grounds that their fetal protection policy is reasonably necessary to further the industrial safety concern. The petitioners claimed that excluding fertile women from lead-exposed jobs, the respondent's policy creates a facial grouping based on gender besides marginalizing them under 703(a) of Title VII (Rehnquist et al., 1991). They claimed the policy is not neutral because it does not apply to males despite evidence that lead exposure poses great harm to their reproductive system. They cited that provided that the fertile women performed their duties as expected, the company has no right to segregate them. However, the respondents argue that they are concerned about the other coming generation’s status regardless of the law exclusively being for the parents (Rehnquist et al., 1991). Ethical Issues Is the company in line with professional work ethics and fair gender opportunities law by passing the policy discriminating fertile and infertile women from working in the lead related departments? No, the company does not satisfy its expected moral and ethical standards as required in the society by passing a policy that stigmatizes the female gender. Additionally, it also violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protects all genders fro m discrimination. By so doing, the company would be creating a facial categorization that utilizes gender to segregate women (Rehnquist et al., 1991). The policy is not neutral and fair to both genders and how lead affects them either. According to the company, lead affects only the female gender despite concrete evidence that it poses adverse effects on the male reproductive organs. The law also cites that unless the pregnant employees differ from others in their expertise, they must all get both equal treatment and opportunities (Rehnquist et al., 1991). In addition, legislative history and case law bar an employer from discriminating against pregnant women or their pregnancy capacity unless their condition prevents them from performing the expected duties. The employees’ fetuses are neither customers nor employees whose safety is a concern of the company’s management (Rehnquist et al., 1991). In this context, the respondents should get rid of their policy as the fem ale fertile employees participate in manufacturing lead batteries similar to other peers. Alternatives Would getting rid of the policy of the company not tarnish the company’s image and still keep the fertile female employees’ comfortable working for the company? Yes, this move by the company would motivate fertile females in the company besides prompting them to work more comfortably and harder than before. This would also be a means of enhancing good publicity of the company in the society because the policy adheres to the female discriminatory law, which contradicts with business ethics (Rehnquist et al., 1991). However, by taking this move, the company would be putting the fetus, the fertile mothers and their future families at great risks. This is because lead exposure to fertile women

Coping with Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Coping with Stress - Essay Example The major cause of stress in my life is the psychological factor. My aims are always very high and I put in all my efforts to achieve my goal and target. I have always managed to keep up to the expectations of the people and this is the major reason of my stress. The fear of not keeping up to the expectations of other people always keeps me under stress. This stress keeps me under pressure, constant headache, cold, stomach ache, afraid to express myself in front of people; the efficiency of my work is also reduced due to this stress (Lazarus, & Folkman, 1984). A proper strategy must be designed in order to cope up with this stressful condition in order to make myself capable of achieving my goals and aims. First I must make myself realize that nobody can be perfect and that mistakes can be made by everyone. I must try to relax myself through meditation and certain medications so that I can get relieved of the stress. These techniques will certainly get me out of the stressful condition because the best solution of getting relieved from stress is meditation (Lazarus,

Business Consultant Proposal for formulating costing & pricing (Cost Essay

Business Consultant Proposal for formulating costing & pricing (Cost Cutting) of a Private Hospital - Essay Example Nafees has tie ups with various medical centres from where they get updated results related to various development in medical field. In this regard, the business that is dealing in hospital, should not only concentrate on generating profit, but also look towards taking care of the sick people. Though the business of hospitals is purely based on dedication, patient care and compassion but like other business they also look for generating revenue. The flow of revenue not only affects the delivery of service related to patient care, but also for the financial health of the organization. In order to generate revenue it is very important for the business to identify its expenses. The major expenses that the hospital incurs are research and teaching, labour cost, test and technology, liability costs and other supplies and capital expenses. Research and teaching: Hospitals conducts research and teaching facilities in order to make their services better and make their employees serve the patients better. This helps the hospital in upgrading themselves and provides modern facilities and techniques to the patients. Therefore, huge expenses are incurred in this. Labour Cost: Labour cost is the most significant expense that is incurred by each and every organization and hospital is not an exception in that case. The employees of a hospital include the directors, doctors, nurses and other official and administrative staffs. The salary and benefits are also huge in this regards, which is another major expense for the hospital. Technology and Tests: Advanced technology helps the doctors not only in diagnosing critical illness but also curing these. New arthroscopic equipments, surgical robots and CY scan are some of the modern technologies that are there in hospital. Capital expenses: the hospital may also incur expenses related to construction work related to expansion of the hospital and procuring of equipments. These are

Relationship between Number of Enrollees and Number of Graduates of US Term Paper

Relationship between Number of Enrollees and Number of Graduates of US Medical Schools - Term Paper Example Using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, it was found that there is a low positive relationship between number of first year enrollees and the number of graduates from medical schools four years later. Thus, although higher graduates are produced by schools with higher first year enrollees, this may not be a crucial factor and other affecting elements may have to be considered. Table of Contents Page Number Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Presentation and Discussion of Results 5 Conclusion 19 Critique 21 Bibliography 22 Introduction There are a number of factors that influence the volume of graduates from medical schools in the US. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that for the past decade, there has been a fluctuation in the number of applicants to US medical schools (AAMC Website). However, the number of enrollees and the number of graduates have both seen a constant rate over the past years. This study is interested in finding out if t here is a significant relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later. That is, the research asks the following question: RQ: Is there a significant relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later? To correspond with this research question, this investigation has the following hypotheses: Ho: There is no relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later (r = 0). Ha: There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later (r > 0). The independent variable for this study is â€Å"Number of enrollees,† corresponding to the number of first year enrollees in each medical school for the year 2006. The dependent variable for this study is â€Å"Number of graduates,† corresponding to the number o f students who graduated four years later from the same schools, or those labeled as â€Å"Class of 2010.† This topic is of particular interest to me because I have always wondered about the performance of medical school programs in terms of how many people make it past the MCATS and how many actually graduate the university. I personally have the desire to attend medical school and eventually become a doctor. As such, this research will make an impact in my decision to pursue Medicine. I am an ambitious girl, but I do know that ambition is not the only way to get through medical school. Rather, one needs courage as well. This research will determine at the end of the day if I will have the courage to try out this field or to close the doors to medical school behind me. Presentation and Discussion of Results In order to answer the research question, descriptive statistics was first taken from the data in order to have a picture of how the data behave. Then, a scatter plot of number of graduates against number of enrollees was produced to find if there is an existing relationship between the two variables. Finally, the data were subjected to regression analysis in order to find out if Number of Enrollees is a significant predictor of Number of Graduates. The regression analysis conducted also produced the coefficients for the desired regression equation. Table 1. Presentation of Raw Data By Alphabetical Order 30 Selected Medical Schools First Yr Enrollment (2006) vs. Graduates (2010) Name of School First Yr Enrollment (2006) Graduates (Class of 2010) Boston University School of Medicine 179 153 Brown Medical School 91 79 Drexel University College of Medicine 255 233 Florida State University Colleg

Education management Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 35000 words

Education management - Thesis Example This mobility is something special as it is confined to a single country. It has some similarities with international mobility because Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region administered under separate set of different from the mainland China. Administrative and education pattern in Hong Kong differs much from that obtaining in mainland China, and also with other parts of the world. Education in Hong Kong is the stepping stone for further education at the international levels also. The segment of education in Hong Kong is affected with student flow from mainland China and also from international quarters, with globalization and neo-liberalism. Discussion is also made in this article about the forces that have impacted and continue to impact the education system in Hong Kong. What are the characteristics that attract the students to pursue their studies in Hong Kong and encourage parents from mainland China to get their children admitted to schools in Hong Kong right from the ki ndergarten levels? Want are their special problems and how the administration is grappling to control the situation? The paper concludes by indicating the significance of management of education of students of mainland China and Hong Kong. Two diametrically opposed political philosophies are working with a purpose to hammer out a common educational policy but it is futile to expect that Hong Kong will give up the upper hand in the field of education. The authorities at mainland China will not mind it, because Hong Kong is an integral part of the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Regions (SAR)of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since their sovereign reversion to PRC from the United Kingdom within the structure of â€Å"one country, two systems† in 1997. On the education administration of any country the political system has the direct bearing. At the official ideological level, the mainland China

Relationship between Number of Enrollees and Number of Graduates of US Term Paper

Relationship between Number of Enrollees and Number of Graduates of US Medical Schools - Term Paper Example Using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, it was found that there is a low positive relationship between number of first year enrollees and the number of graduates from medical schools four years later. Thus, although higher graduates are produced by schools with higher first year enrollees, this may not be a crucial factor and other affecting elements may have to be considered. Table of Contents Page Number Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Presentation and Discussion of Results 5 Conclusion 19 Critique 21 Bibliography 22 Introduction There are a number of factors that influence the volume of graduates from medical schools in the US. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that for the past decade, there has been a fluctuation in the number of applicants to US medical schools (AAMC Website). However, the number of enrollees and the number of graduates have both seen a constant rate over the past years. This study is interested in finding out if t here is a significant relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later. That is, the research asks the following question: RQ: Is there a significant relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later? To correspond with this research question, this investigation has the following hypotheses: Ho: There is no relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later (r = 0). Ha: There is a significant and positive relationship between the number of enrollees in US medical schools with the number of graduates four years later (r > 0). The independent variable for this study is â€Å"Number of enrollees,† corresponding to the number of first year enrollees in each medical school for the year 2006. The dependent variable for this study is â€Å"Number of graduates,† corresponding to the number o f students who graduated four years later from the same schools, or those labeled as â€Å"Class of 2010.† This topic is of particular interest to me because I have always wondered about the performance of medical school programs in terms of how many people make it past the MCATS and how many actually graduate the university. I personally have the desire to attend medical school and eventually become a doctor. As such, this research will make an impact in my decision to pursue Medicine. I am an ambitious girl, but I do know that ambition is not the only way to get through medical school. Rather, one needs courage as well. This research will determine at the end of the day if I will have the courage to try out this field or to close the doors to medical school behind me. Presentation and Discussion of Results In order to answer the research question, descriptive statistics was first taken from the data in order to have a picture of how the data behave. Then, a scatter plot of number of graduates against number of enrollees was produced to find if there is an existing relationship between the two variables. Finally, the data were subjected to regression analysis in order to find out if Number of Enrollees is a significant predictor of Number of Graduates. The regression analysis conducted also produced the coefficients for the desired regression equation. Table 1. Presentation of Raw Data By Alphabetical Order 30 Selected Medical Schools First Yr Enrollment (2006) vs. Graduates (2010) Name of School First Yr Enrollment (2006) Graduates (Class of 2010) Boston University School of Medicine 179 153 Brown Medical School 91 79 Drexel University College of Medicine 255 233 Florida State University Colleg

Summary and Response in the Face of Imperialism Essay Example for Free

Summary and Response in the Face of Imperialism Essay In the subtitle â€Å"Orthodoxy as ‘Objectivity† of â€Å"Thinking About Empire† Michael Parenti argues that all opinions are not of the same value, and the more entrenched the orthodox view becomes, the more irrelevant evidence will be. Firstly, the functions of the heterodox view is to contest the prevailing orthodoxy, to broaden the boundaries of debate, to wake people up and unearth suppressed data. However, the function of orthodox is just the opposite. As we all know, people’s self-protection will be motivated by meeting something they never think about or even never met before. They will fall back when they are in this kind of situation. Secondly, some inflammatory topics like the legitimacy of the 2004 presidential election in the United State, Shangri-La image of Tibet before the Chinese invasion and so on raise issues. They break the traditional ideas, deny rational discourse and make an assertion. This process creates the dominant paradigms. However, whether they will be created all depends on their intellectual reputation or even their careers. In the subtitle â€Å"The Myth of Innocent Empires† of the article Michael Parenti argues that empires seem to be innocent unintentional accretions sometimes, however, they actually are not innocent, absent-minded, accidental accretions. Empires have been welcomed and glorified by people by being given empires laudatory names. They are seen as innocent without plans and reasons occasionally like the example of the United State invaded Iraq. Nevertheless, empires are not innocent, because rulers would like to plunder other lands and people by using them such as the British aggression of India and the Americans armed intervention against Iraq. I agree with Michael Parenti’s idea which is â€Å"When the orthodox view becomes so entrenched, evidence becomes irrelevant†. He use one sentence for a paragraph independently, which I think is very important. I think in this way. The orthodox view have been existed for a while, and people always think it’s right, and never question it. When it faces challenges, people’s first reaction is challenges are wrong even there are some evidence. Believe it or not, some ideological cognition and perspectives about something have already been existed in our mind. Before we judge it, we have already had a answer, unless something we never know. When it comes to whether empires are innocent. I also agree with him. Empires are not innocent. There are a lot aggressions cause by empires in history. They took lives from innocent people, destroy the nature, and so on. Although empires once make people get together, makes them apart as well.

Verbal Communication And Presentation Skills

Verbal Communication And Presentation Skills Introduction During the Impact Workshop we were asked to mention our two skills which we think we need to improve during our tenure at Leeds Metropolitan University. According to me the skills which I want to develop are Verbal Communication Skills and Presentation Skills. After the completion of the workshop I went through few books and found out certain methods which authors believe, can be usefull to improve these skills. Skill 1: Verbal Communication Skills Many teachers worlwide have to teach mainly grammar and vocabulary because these areas are tested in examinations. This means that speaking is a neglected language skill in many classrooms. Even after good knowlegde of grammar, students tend to find difficult to speak English outside tha classroom. Students who can speak English well may have a greater chance of, finding employement and gaining promotion. Good English speakers will be in a strong position to help their conutrys economic, political and social development. Speaking activities can reinforce the learning of new vocabulary, grammar or functional language. Speaking activities gives students a chance to use the new language they are learning.( Baker, J and   Westrup,H, 2003, pp. 6-8) It is very important to speak in English during the classroom sessions; it is not only a place where we learn about the rules of language. It is also a place where students can practice using the language in a supportive environment. People learn language in different ways. Many learn to speak in english without taking a single lesson however other learn it by taking classes in the language.( Baker,J and   Westrup,H, 2003, pp.6-8) When we talk about speaking, we mean using language for a purpose. The author says that instead of asking students to repeat sentences, some time give students a topic and ask them to construct and say their own responses. And this examples is related with me as this is one technique which I have been following since my schooling however when I decided to come to U.K. and pursue masters I had to appear for IELTS exam, I found that this is not enough as my score was pretty low in spoken english as compare to other metrices. I realised that speaking in English requires a lot of practice, not just discussion on small topics in the classroom. It requires a hold over the language so that one is able to comprehend first what needs to be spoken. And should be able to make others understand what they want to say by communicating effectively. Hence I realised after reading this book that to have a good command on the language one need to practice and use his/her skills to create his/her own s entences and try to communicate in english as much as possible. In order to be affluent with the language and stand out of the crowd one should not repeat what others say, but one should make his/her own sentences and dialogues. I have started applying the methods suggested by the author in order to improve my spoken English. I have seen a change in me, as I have started speaking a lot in the class, started asking questions during the claassroom sessions. I found that I am not that much hesitant anymore, while interacting with students from different counrties, cultures and I have realised that by doing this on a daily basis I happen to improve on my vocabulary and I fumble less while speaking. And I think that because of this i have become more confident and started taking part in group discussions and presentations in the class. Now I feel that flying from India to UK is worth, and I feel this leap in my life and opportunity to study here and have a good grasp over the language will help me in near future i.e. HR in which I would like to pursue my career. As English is a universal language one must have a good command over it as it is required worldwide for employment. The author suggests that an individual can improve speaking skills in english by activating and extending their linguistic competence; increasing their confidence in using spoken english; developing their ability to analyze and evaluate spoken performance; sharpening their competence in face to face interaction. By using these points one can improve the quality of their speaking skills as well as to increase the quality of their knowlegde of the language system. ( Anderson,K et al.,2004, pp.7-8) After attending theImpact workshop I realised that it is very important to develop speaking skills, if I have to sustain in this competitive world. I thought a lot on how I can improve this skill and I confronted this to my tutors and with the help of their guidance I found that I should read a lot of books and also look at different approches which various authors have suggested to improvise this skill. Then I found this book and i discovered that in order to improve spoken English one needs to have good vocabulary knowlegde so that he/she can use different words while interating with others. Doing this helps in increase in confidence while speaking in English and along with this one also enculcate an ability to observe and measure different ways of speaking. Polishing their skills by interacting with more and more people personally and talking to yourself by looking at the mirror. Hence building your self confidence and thus enhancing your skills. Since these factors are very helfull in order to build up ones speaking skills, I have also started implementing them in my day to day life. I try to speak and interact in English on a daily basis with my friends, classmates, family members etc. I also try to participate in those activities which require use of spoken English as a whole so that my skill is developed. In order to speak good English one should also be able to pronounce words clearly aand correctly. While pronouncing a word one must take care to voice the sound at the end of the word. If one dont and intend to say I need a cab, the listener ill hear I need a cap. The author further explains with this example that if all vowels are voiced, then this should help cleary the voicing through to the end. The author put forward the methods to improvise on ones pronunciation and speaking by praticing the pronunciation of such words by speaking them on a daily basis and during spare time. Practising it has added benefit of carry-over to its homophones, too and two, also used with high frequency. ( Bareithe, T, 2007) As per the author one needs to practice this skill by communicating more and more even during the spare time, be it wailking from one place to another, or driving from one workplace to home or vice a versa, or waiting for someone. The author says that there are few words which are pronounced similarly however written differently and have different meanings. We need to practice pronounciation of such words along with others. And there are few words if not pronounced correctly, then the listener might interpret it something else. E.g. if we dont pronounce backed correctly then the listener may hear it as packed. Earlier I use to listen to English songs and use to think that I can extract few English words that are considered as part of good vocabolary. However later on I realised that by doing so I am not improving, rather hampering my vocabulory and restricting myself as I have fallen prey to use a lot of slangs and cannot communicate frequently as I was not able to grasp the words from the songs. When I read this book I realised that the methods given in the book are right ways of improving spoken English and now I have been practising all the methods mentioned by the author. I try to utilise my spare time in practicing pronunciation of different words. And I think this method is very usefull and easy as compare to other methods. Skill 2: Presentation Skills In order to improve our presentation skills, the author says that one should be able to deal beter with the feedback. When someone is sharing their perception one should be gracious, not defensive, take notes and should not try to explain or rationalize. One should always be specific and should ask them to clarify, with simple, open questions in a cordial, calm tone. And should thank them for their feedback. According to the author the prsenter should always be open to the feedback given by the audience or the assessor. One should take the feedback positively and should try and implement advices into actions. Also while presenting the speaker should be very clear, should use simple words and should have a pleasant tone. Earlier I was very bad in presentation skills, I figure this out when I started giving presentations during the classroom sessions. I use to get annoyed from the no.of questions asked as I was not able to handle the pressure. And I was not able to accept that my classmates are cross questioning me rather than my tuitor, which made me further phobic to presentations as it hurted my ego. However after reading this book and suugestions given by author I learnt to hold on to be patient and starting accepting the feedback, be it from anyone, my classmates or janetor. (Rotondo, J and Rontodo, M, 2001, p.167) As per the author for better presentation one need to use good visual aids to make it clearer, so that it makes sense to the audience- if they follow the outline of your speech and they succintly present that outline. Follow your outline. Refer to your Outline Worksheet, and start your presentation by designing one slide for each idea. For Example the basic presentation may have the following slides: title; attention grabber; purpose; agenda; benefit of audience; point 1 with the example; point 2 with the example; point 3 with the example; summary, action step; final statement. The author suggests that for a presentation one should try and use some good pictures, so that the audience is able to understand it easily. The language used should be simple and clear. The structure should be clear starting from the title, with each part of the presentation divided separatly and elaborated with examples, should always have a conclusion. Before reading this book I use to think that presentation need not require much effort, which can be done without visuals as well, just by reading from the paper but after looking at the suggestions given by the author I thought that visuals are very usefull, especially to build the interest of the audience. Adding up images adds colour to the presentation and makes it more entertaining for the audience. I have presented on few topics during the class sessions and have started using images. It is very usefull in order to maintain the rhythm. (Bienvenu, S, 2000, P.76) The author believes that there are few steps which one should always follow in order to present effectively. Its starts from staying relax; lets say theres is a weird question from the audience which you think is can make you nervous, that your heart starts beating too fast. However one should stay calm before answering it so that the flow of the presentation is maintained. And the thinking process remains active. The next step can be being firm and polite to the audience while answering their questions and not being hyper or rude if someone asks too many questions. Check the audiences body language, whether they are paying any attention or not, or whether they are being distracted by anyone or they are paying more attention to someone else then you, if they look irritated or if they are genuinly intrested in the presentation and if this is the case then they would want you to answer all the questions quickly without wasting any time. I discovered after reading this that its a human behaviour to get nervous while standing and presenting in front of number of people. Especially when the audience is very proactive in asking questions and due to nervousness one tends to forget things or gets diverted. One should be able to control the presentation with the help of his/her communication skills and sense of humour. So that the audience does not looses its interest. One should be able jugde after looking at the audience, whether they are paying attention or not, whether they are getting annoyed or taking more interest in gossiping or doing some other work. Also one should be able to maintain his/her calm when someone asks a question which is irrelevant or which can create confusion for others. One should always try to answer questionss clearly and should be to the point. One should be thorough with the presentation so that he/she is able to answer evry question asked. I have realised that after coming to U.K. I started fumbling and started getting nervous while answering questions during the presentation. I use to get annoyed with the no.of answers however after reading through this book I am able to present more confidently and I am able to answer questions without getting irritated. This has really helped me in order to stay calm and present effectively. I always am thorough with the topic of presentation sso that I am able to solve any of the queries based on the topic. (Bradbury,A, 2006, pp.132-134) Conclusion After reading all these books related to my weaknesses which I wanted to work on, and after the application of the methods suggested my all the authors I see myself improving day by day and comprehensivley overcoming my weaknesses. Though I dont have any evidences to show but my active participation in the classroom, group work, presentations proves it all. Thus far I am satisfied with my progress and more than happy to make this decision of coming to U.K. and then attending the Impact workshop under my skills module, which made me realize that knowing your weaknesses is not an embarasment rather it is more beneficial. As one knows the areas of development and can be improved before entering the corporaate arena, where we are suppose to perform and compete. Appendices Log 1 Name Miss Divya Manohar Description of experience? I was an  introvert and was never bothered that it might affect my professional front before coming to Leeds because I thought it was a matter of personal choice. However making various presentations at Leeds made me realizes that I had to gear up to work on both my presentation skills and my shyness. What did I previously think was true, but now know to be incorrect/ wrong?   I use to think that being an introvert will not effect be adversly. What was new or surprising to me? What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this? Back in India I was not at all shy talking in front of the crowd during different celebratory activities but when it came to do the same in a conference hall confronting my tutors, I was nervous. And was unable to perform effectively. One thing I learned from this? One should be always ready to learn, and its never too late. How do I plan to cope up with it?   I have started working on it after becoming a part of Leeds Metropolitan.In order to become better I am trying to speak more frankly while talking to my classmates and try not to hesitate to ask for help from others. Also Iam trying to include some good vocabulary to my verbal communication that will help me make a mark for me in order to assess my progress. Also apart from this, I will put a habit of rehearsing my presentations before I get on the stage. And doing good research on the topic so that I will be able to answer all the questions which aundience might have, effectively. Log 2 Name Miss Divya Manohar Description of experience?   After I came to leeds I realised that I my spoken english was not that good. Even after studying in an english medium school, I was required to polish my speaking skills. I never thought that it might affect my professional front because it was appropriate as per the Indian aundience. However after giving my IELTS exam I figured out that when it comes to speaking english fluently, especially when you are being jugded I am not good at all. Moreover after communicating with people from various cultures specially who are from U.K at Leeds made me realizes that I had to gear up to work on spoken communication skills. What did I previously think was true, but now know to be incorrect/ wrong?   I thought that my spoken language is effiecient enough, however it was not that great when it comes to profeesional level. What was new or surprising to me? What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this ? When I was in India I was never hesitant whenever it comes to speak in front of general public or in a classroom whenever there was a discussion on various topics or an event but when it came to do the same when I was being assessed during IELTS and after coming here, I was not confident enough. And was unable to express my view points effectively. One thing I learned from this? One should be always ready to learn, and its never too late. How do I plan to cope up with it?   I have already started working on it after becoming a part of Leeds Metropolitan.In order to become better I am trying to speak more frankly while talking to my classmates and trying not to hesitate to ask for help from others. Also Iam trying to include some good vocabulary to my verbal communication that will help me make a mark for me in order to assess my progress. Also apart from this, I am reading good books, newspaper, magazines etc. that will help me express more effectively in this language with instances. And have started speaking in english even at home so that I feel comfortable while talking to others in public. Unsent Letter 1 I am wirting this to tell you about a workshop I have recently attended, after which I am able to answere those questions which I use to ask myself, however couldnt get an answer. That was to present in public about a certain topic or case. †¦ (In the workshop) we had to present about the decision of the group in the end of the day. I was supposed to present as I chose this particular skill for improvement. There were situations while presenting, I was nervous and due to thaat I was hesitant while speaking, knowingly that I need to improve my speaking communication skills as well, I tried to present. Apart from this workshop there has been instances when I found myself tense while pressenting in the class. During other module sessions as well, when ever we had to present something, I could feel the uncertainity in me, whether to present or allow my classmate to do so. I feel that this feeling has become more prominent after coming to U.K. I use to make presentations when I was in India; however mu confidence was not this low. I always wanted to be in a group where there are students who are better then me in presentation skills, so that they can be the ones who can do the talking part, and use to stick to the prepa ration of the presentation. At the end of every presentation I give I look for feedback from the audience and I try to inculcate their feedback in me for the next time. I also needed to recognise that I am overly tough on myself and that this can then have an impact on my confidence a whole. Unsent Letter 2 Dear †¦ A few months ago, I had to appear for my IELTS exam, where I was jugded on 4 different parameters of English language. These paarameters were: listening, reading, speaking and writing. I thought I will be able to perform equally in all of the above metrices but when it came to speaking, I found that not only while answering the question, I was even nervous while communicating with the examiner. Gradually during the session, which lasted for not more than 15 minutes, I did improve as I knew that I have to perform in order to score good bands in that section. Apart from that score part I had other things in my mind as well, which included my friends reaction if did not score well. I still remember I did a disaster by stopping early in the last question where I was given a scenario, on which few questions were based and in the very last question of that part I was suppose to tell the examiner in brief the reason behind my answer. I was not only nervous I remember I couldnt even say much , I could not express my view points, I was short of content, lacked in confidence on narating her something which I had been doing for years. It was very dissapointing of me. I wanted to ask the examiner for some feedback but couldnt do that due to embarassment. That was when I knew I need to work on this skill, that too hard. And after coming to Leeds this has been confirmed.