Porter's Model of National Competitive Advantage Essay - 1

Porter's Model of National Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Porter's Diamond of National Advantage Corporate strategies are ever increasing and thus have to be observed from a global context. This is because, even when an organization has no plans to import or to export commodities directly, the management staff has to gaze at the international business environment, where the actions of buyers, sellers, competitors, and new entrants of providers of alternatives may have an impact on the domestic market. Through this trend, information technology can be reinforced. Michael Porter’s model that allows for the analyzing of why some countries are more aggressive than others are, and the reason why some industries within countries are more aggressive than the way others are. All this is written in the book he published titled â€Å"The Competitive Advantage of Nations†. From the insight revealed in his writings, his representation of determining factors in national advantage has come to be known as Porters Diamond. This model proposes that the nationalized home base of a business plays a considerable role in determining the scope to which it is expected to achieve a competitive advantage on an international level. This home base presents basic factors that may support or hinder businesses from creating advantages in international competition (Held and McGrew 2001). ... Michael Porter makes out four determinants. These are: Factor Conditions When it comes to factor conditions, a country can create its own essential factors such as skilled labour and a strong technological base. It should be noted that the reserve of these features at a given time is not as much important than the degree that they are improved and implemented. Local demerits in features of production drive better innovation. Unfavorable circumstances such as labor shortages or inadequate raw materials may force organizations to come up with new methods, and this originality often goes ahead to a national comparative advantage. Demand Conditions There are situations when the market for a certain product is bigger locally when compared to foreign markets. In this situation, the local organizations give more attention to that commodity than foreign organizations do, thus leading to the element of competitive advantage as soon as the local organizations start exporting the commodity in q uestion. From this understanding, it becomes clear that when there is a high demand in the local market for a particular commodity, a national advantage results. In the spirit of good business, a strong, trendsetting local market can help local organizations look forward to global trends (Salvatore, 2002). Related and Supporting Industries In every industrial process there are always supporting and related industries. This leads to the element of competition between these industries. In the local setting, supporting industries are sometimes competitive, and thus organizations enjoy additional innovative and cost effective inputs. The suppliers get an additional advantage if their businesses are set up in a global

HYBRID MODEL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HYBRID MODEL - Essay Example Weibe was referring to institutions and groups like political parties, the press, business organizations and the like that stood between the government and the people and which makes that intimacy between the two not viable. If power is concentrated at the top, the tendency is towards anarchism but if power is allowed to filter down too much to the bottom, anarchy will result (2006). The implication therefore is that democracy is largely a balancing act, one in which the fulcrum of power is located in the middle rather than on any of the opposing sides. As Weibe states, democratic life is institutional life. A correct definition of democracy is vital and sine qua non to the crafting of a blueprint for any model of accountability in public administration upon which forms the skeletal basis of a new administration’s line of governance. In drafting the blueprint of a new hybrid model of public administration, it is important to acknowledge the inescapable existence of institution s that fill the distance between government and the people and the need to strengthen government bureacracies to bridge that distance. As the newly appointed interim president, the basis of my governance will be a model which will incorporate all the points culled from the strongest and effective aspects of the various public administration models which are the Jacksonian Democracy model, the Progressive Reform model, the Reinventing Government model, the New Public Management model, and the New Public service model, which will all bring the desired effects of strengthening the fulcrum of power that lies between and separate the government from the people so as to effectively bring the two together. It is important therefore to discuss the said models to be able to point out and explain the facets which had made these models attractive and successful and adopt them in the new model. The Jacksonian/Machine Politics Model.

The Importance of Family Meals

The Importance of Family Meals The Importance of Family Meals Introduction Whether it is dinner, breakfast, or lunch, family meals offer an opportunity for all family members to pass time enjoying each other’s company and good food. In many occasions, mealtimes might be the only occasion many families have a chance to congregate as a unit. Eating meals as a family provides a huge opportunity to form and strengthen domestic bonds as members engage each other in conversations. Also, research shows that family meals benefit members of the household in terms of nutrition, academic performance, spending and manners. This expressive article highlights the nine major benefits of family meals. The Benefits of Eating as a Family The advantages of eating meals as a family are as follows: Communication and Well-Being Dialogue during mealtimes provides an opportunity for the family to plan, learn, and bond with one another. It is a chance to chat about events of the day as parents give additional attention to their children. Family meals foster love, warmth, security and feeling of belonging. Eating together as a household is not merely about food, but knowing about the wellbeing of one another. Sharing meals with loved ones is like a special event that almost assumes the form of a ceremony, which has always been practiced since time immemorial. Besides the appreciation of the food and the effort that went into making it, there are numerous social elements, such as learning how to conduct conversations, listen, serve others, compromise and solve conflicts which come into play when a household shares meals (TheHJGroup, 2013). Role Modeling Family mealtime is the best time to display and teach one another appropriate meal etiquette, table manners, and social skills by keeping the mood relaxed, light, and loving. Family members try lead by example and not to criticize or instruct. Eating together offers an opportunity to exercise gratitude through prayer or sharing the thing members are thankful for prior to eating. Family meals grant the opportunity to convey the attitudes and values of a household from one generation to another: Children can be taught by their parents or grandparents about the values that are significant to the family. Family meals are also an ideal approach to link up household members with their ethnic or cultural heritage, because differing foods might reflect the distinctive ethnic tastes or cultural traditions of their family’s background (TheHJGroup, 2013). Exploration Family meals enable family members to expand and explore the world round them one diet at a time. Members of the family can encourage each other to try out new foods, without bribing or coercing. They can introduce new foods accompanied by some of their favorites. Parents and children can select new recipes from cookbooks, web sites, magazines or newspapers. Trying out new foods, particularly from different parts of the world is like exploration or beginning a new hobby. It magnifies the experience, knowledge, and skills of the household members (TheHJGroup, 2013). Nourishment and Relaxation Meals that have been prepared and consumed at home are generally more nutritious. They comprise more vegetables, fruits, and dairy products as well as extra nutrients such as vitamins A and C, fiber, and calcium. Moreover, home cooked foods are not usually deep-fried or highly salted like take-away meals. Plus, consumption of sweetened beverage is frequently low at the table as family members ought to take natural blended juices. Recent researches show that family meals are connected to a low risk of obesity in both children and adults because when people eat at home they typically consume a balanced diet. Also, eating together helps family members relax. Before or after having a long day away from home, parents and children can benefit from the pleasure of cooking and enjoying their meal. Not only does this give you them a chance to calm down, it prepares them for the day or for a peaceful, rejuvenating sleep. Self-Sufficiency Family meals provide self-sufficiency to household members because it allows them to know how to plan and make meals. Both basic and complex cooking preparations are requirements for being self-sufficient. Parents can involve their family members in grocery shopping, menu planning, and food preparation. Young children can cut bananas, tear lettuce, and set the table while older children can do tasks, such as peeling vegetables. Teenagers can grill, dice, chop, and bake. Working together puts meals faster on the table and makes everybody more responsible. Prevention of Destructive Behaviors Research indicates that frequent family meals (five or more per week) are linked to low rates of drinking, smoking, and illegal drug abuse in teenagers and pre-teens compared to households that do not eat together. Even as the schedules of older children get more complex, it is vital for parents to make efforts to have meals together. Studies by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse show that children who do not have meals with their family members at least twice every week were 40% more likely to indulge in alcohol and drugs, not to eat healthily, and report being distant from their parents than youngsters who eat with their parents often. Better Academic Performances It has been proven that children perform better academically when they have more meals with their family members. Mealtime discussions translate into success in class. As children listen to their parents and other members talk, they learn essential language abilities, such as new reading and vocabulary skills. These skills are necessary for expressing oneself verbally and comprehending what is read, thus they help children perform better on tests in school. According to research by University of Illinois, children who eat more than five times per week with their family members tend to have high academic performance than their peers who habitually eat away from home or eat alone. Cost Reduction Home cooked meals are much cheaper than fast foods. Families do not need to spend a lot of money to prepare tasty meals because they can look up for cheap and simple recipes from cheap vegetarian foods to healthy snacks on a low budget of under $3 per serving. Meals bought outside the home are generally two to four times costly than meals made at home. Fun Family meals are fun. Through sharing meals and taking time to converse about what the family members are experiencing in term of flavors, they are more likely to have fun and be mindful of the food. This results in improved digestion and enjoyment of the food. Family meals are also fun because they are taken and enjoyed in a cool and relaxed setting. Conclusion In conclusion, the benefits of family meals go beyond nutrition. Eating as a family has multiple advantages in many other aspects as well. Family meals are healthier and they provide an occasion for household members to sit around the table, enjoy, relax, discuss and applaud themselves for preparing a meal that is more likely to be nutritious than one that they would have purchased outside the house. Moreover, recent evidence demonstrates that children who have more meals with other family members are the less likely to engage in illegal behavior, such as smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. These children also perform well in school, have high self-esteem, and do not develop eating disorders. Family meals are a tradition and the cornerstone of the home because they offer self-sufficiency, reduce costs, and provide fun. Bibliography Kolker, C. (2011). The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness and Hope. New York: Simon and Schuster. TheHJGroup. (2013, October 23). Successful Entrepreneur on The Importance of Family Meals. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdzaZL6AdYg Note to student: Include the secondary source from your school’s library databases in the bibliography above.

Behavior Theories Essay -- Psychology Psychological Essays

Behavior Theories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wide study of human beings has led psychologists to the development of many theories explaining the elements that cause a persons behavior and attitude. In this paper I would like to reflect upon some of the theories we studied such as: the cultivation theory, social learning theory, the attribution theory, and the cognitive dissonance theory, and relate them to my life and surrounding environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’d like to first start off with the cultivation theory (also keep in mind the social learning theory, it is of the same nature). For those unfamiliar with this theory it states, the more media one consumes the more likely he or she will perceive the world as scary place. Now to be totally honest my views about violence in the media and its affects on people were pretty firm. I never agreed with this idea whatsoever. Because I myself watch a ton of violent programs and listen to probably the most controversial music today, it was hard for me to accept that this media was supposedly inflicting harm upon others physically and mentally, when in no harmful way did it affect me. I always felt that people who were â€Å"unintentionally† affected by the media and act out violently because of certain programs or music just needed a basis for their stupidity or in other words a cheap excuse. I just believe that if a child is persuaded into burning the family couch resulting in the death of his little sister because he saw it on a past episode of Bevis and Butthead, then I feel that child is unstable. It's not the content of the media we need to examine its the child that needs to be picked apart and dissected. I have yet to experience a personal situation like this in my life the only cases I can relate to are the ones put on display on TV and in the papers. Everyone has their own individual thoughts and mind frames, some choose to be leaders, while others choose to be followers, who do you think is more likely to be persuaded by the media? But I would like to say that after studying both the cultivation and social learning theories in class, I have been able to open up and accept that â€Å"some† media content can and has had a negative affect on â€Å"some† people. The most interesting thing that I never really thought about until after the discussion of these theories was learning that people are more likely to copy act ions that receive positiv... ...ated. This is one of the biggest problems among us college students today’s, drinking and driving, when are we going to realize its stupid. The answer to that would be Guys you know I don’t like drinking and driving BUT I’ll do it this one last time. When my friends and I go out we always try to have a DD, but a lot of the times being around people that are drinking and acting goofy, is very persuasive in getting that person to drink. Now what. Well now the parties over and everybody’s drunk, so who’s going to drive, obviously someone who was not willing to in the first place because they felt its not smart. But you know how quickly alcohol can change that, â€Å"I’ll drive I’m fine, no really I’m fine I only had about twelve beers, I can barely walk or talk, but I’ll drive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to say that learning about these theories and their meanings and differences has been totally interesting and helpful to me, honestly. I think its pretty cool to know a little bit more about people and why they act the way they do, particularly my family and friends and even myself. It has and will allow me to make better judgements about situations and the behaviors of others. Behavior Theories Essay -- Psychology Psychological Essays Behavior Theories   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wide study of human beings has led psychologists to the development of many theories explaining the elements that cause a persons behavior and attitude. In this paper I would like to reflect upon some of the theories we studied such as: the cultivation theory, social learning theory, the attribution theory, and the cognitive dissonance theory, and relate them to my life and surrounding environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I’d like to first start off with the cultivation theory (also keep in mind the social learning theory, it is of the same nature). For those unfamiliar with this theory it states, the more media one consumes the more likely he or she will perceive the world as scary place. Now to be totally honest my views about violence in the media and its affects on people were pretty firm. I never agreed with this idea whatsoever. Because I myself watch a ton of violent programs and listen to probably the most controversial music today, it was hard for me to accept that this media was supposedly inflicting harm upon others physically and mentally, when in no harmful way did it affect me. I always felt that people who were â€Å"unintentionally† affected by the media and act out violently because of certain programs or music just needed a basis for their stupidity or in other words a cheap excuse. I just believe that if a child is persuaded into burning the family couch resulting in the death of his little sister because he saw it on a past episode of Bevis and Butthead, then I feel that child is unstable. It's not the content of the media we need to examine its the child that needs to be picked apart and dissected. I have yet to experience a personal situation like this in my life the only cases I can relate to are the ones put on display on TV and in the papers. Everyone has their own individual thoughts and mind frames, some choose to be leaders, while others choose to be followers, who do you think is more likely to be persuaded by the media? But I would like to say that after studying both the cultivation and social learning theories in class, I have been able to open up and accept that â€Å"some† media content can and has had a negative affect on â€Å"some† people. The most interesting thing that I never really thought about until after the discussion of these theories was learning that people are more likely to copy act ions that receive positiv... ...ated. This is one of the biggest problems among us college students today’s, drinking and driving, when are we going to realize its stupid. The answer to that would be Guys you know I don’t like drinking and driving BUT I’ll do it this one last time. When my friends and I go out we always try to have a DD, but a lot of the times being around people that are drinking and acting goofy, is very persuasive in getting that person to drink. Now what. Well now the parties over and everybody’s drunk, so who’s going to drive, obviously someone who was not willing to in the first place because they felt its not smart. But you know how quickly alcohol can change that, â€Å"I’ll drive I’m fine, no really I’m fine I only had about twelve beers, I can barely walk or talk, but I’ll drive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to say that learning about these theories and their meanings and differences has been totally interesting and helpful to me, honestly. I think its pretty cool to know a little bit more about people and why they act the way they do, particularly my family and friends and even myself. It has and will allow me to make better judgements about situations and the behaviors of others.

King Arthur and His Knights Round Table Essay

We have read King Arthur and the knights of the round table. It’s a fantasy/history book. Here is a short summary: After Uther Pendragon’s death, Merlin the druid forms a stone, and in it, a sword. On this sword, it is written that anyone who can pull it out of the stone will become the new king of England. After many years, the young Arthur, (secretly the son of Pendragon), pulls this magical sword out of the stone, and becomes king. Together with Merlin, he constructs a round table, where only the best knights of England may sit. More and more knights come to join the brotherhood of the Round Table, and each has his own adventures After many years, The holy knight Sir Galahad, the son of Sir Lancelot, comes to the court of Arthur. With his coming, all knights ride throughout Europe for the search of the Holy Grail of Jesus Christ. Only four knights see the Grail: Sir Lancelot, Sir Percival, Sir Bors de Gaunnes and Sir Galahad. After the Grail is found, the last battle of the Round Table is close-at-hand. In this battle, many knights die and with them, King Arthur, his nephew Sir Gawain, and also, Mordred, the wicked son of King Arthur and his half-sister Morgana le Fay. King Arthur is buried at Avalon, the secret island of the druids and damsels. A remarkeble quote from the book was; ‘and herewith I make you a knight. Go forward as you have begun, and there will be a place waiting for you at the Round Table. And I hold that you will be one of the truest knights in all the Realm of Logres, and one of the gentlest and most valiant. Said Launcelot to Gareth of Orkney. ’ We decided to choose this quote because Gareth of Orkney was a kind of an outsider. When he came to Arthur’s castle, they were making fun of him, and bullied him. But even after everything he has been to, he made it to a Knight of the round table. Next thing you are going to see, are some pictures that deal with the book. We used some pictures from the movie King Arthur. We thought that these pictures were the most matching pictures we could find. You are going to see some pictures of the main characters and more.

Personal Change Essay

Every day I hear people talking about how they do not like this or how they want to change that. Oddly enough, I do not often hear someone say I really need to make a personal change. The thought that people point fingers at others and take not fault weighted on my mind for quite a while. So I decided if I could change one thing about myself in a positive way, it would be to stop being so self-centered. This change would not only be beneficial to me, but also the people around me. They would be a lot happier around me, it would open my eyes to a new perspective on life as a whole, and last but not least, I would not be as irresponsible. From my experience nobody likes to be around a selfish inconsiderate person. Making this change in my life would transform me from that selfish guy, to a caring, considerate and positive individual. Socially my world would sky rocket almost instantly. When someone is fun and considerate, they are easy to be around. This means I would attract more peop le, which leads me to my next point. The more people we meet in life, the more we learn. I feel that if I do not meet new people and experience new things, I will have that same old one tract mind. It is ok to be wrong and do what someone else wants to do from time to time. This will allow me to explore not only the world differently, but myself as well. A basic outlook on life is the direct product of being self-centered and hard to be around. Part of having a new perspective means, seeing that my old self interpretation or old opinion of myself may change. Ultimately this could lead to me looking at how I act and do things honestly. After looking at myself and how I actually am, there is no doubt in my mind I would come to the conclusion that I am not the most responsible person in the world. As a result, the logical thing for me to do next is to fix that problem. If I were more responsible I could take a lot more control of my life. Open new doors for myself in my school life, work life, and social life. Responsibility is the glue that holds a successful life together . All I really want in the end is to be successful anyway, so being responsible would defiantly be a great trait to have. All in all the change to stop being so self-centered would only change my life for the better. I can not think of any other change that would benefit me more. So I say to myself and anyone who will listen â€Å"Don’t let yourself hold you back.†

Celias essays

Celias essays Celiac Disease is also known as Celiac Sprue It is basically the inability to digest gluten. Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, rye and related grain hybrids such as triticale and kamut. When someone eats Gluten that has sprue, the body responds to Gluten as if it were an antigen. When Gluten is absorbed by the intestine, the body immune system has a response. This attack on the immune system causes the lining of the small intestine to swell. As a result the tiny hair like projections called villi suffer damage and destruction. This impairs the bodys ability to destroy vital nutrients the nutrients include all the fat soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids, basically all fats good and bad are not thoughrly digested. Potassium, cholesterol, iron, folic acid and zinc are also I f decreased. Sprue affects both adults and children; it can appear at any age. In one medical reference book they stated that it occurs equally in males and females. However in another study they stated that it affect twice as many females as males. Both studies revealed that it occurs 10- 15 years earlier in females. It is more common among relatives wich means it is hereditary if one family member has it then One out of ten other family members is likely to have it. An Antigen called HLA-B8 has been identified in eighty percent of the victims. The only information I could get on its Generic inheritance was that it is probably dominate with incomplete penetrance . My grandfather had Celiac Sprue and I would like to know if I have it . A person might have Sprue for awhile without getting sick severe stress, physical injury, an infection, surgery or childbirth can bring it on. One in every five hundred Americans is affected. One out of every Three hundred are affected in southern Ireland The first signs are usually diarrhea, weight loss, nausea, abdominal swelling, large pale foul smelling stool that floa ...

The Illustrated Man summaries essays

The Illustrated Man summaries essays This chapter included vivid sensory detail, creating great imagery of the illustrated man. The narrator met the illustrated man running down an asphalt road in Wisconsin. In a days time the man had learned the life story of the illustrated man, including the day that he got his illustrations, and the tattoo artist who he plans to kill if ever seen again. When watched, the illustrations move, and each tell a story. While spending the night with him under a bench, the narrator watched the forbidden illustrations come to life as the chapter ends. This story upon the illustrated man was of the Hadley family who had purchased a house, which did everything for them except for sleep. The house even carried them from floor to floor, by an air flue. The two children, Peter and Wendy, because of the house, overtime had replaced their parents with the a room called a vedlt. The vedlt made the thoughts of whoever was in it come to life. The children learned to love this room, because it gave them everything they wanted. When the children learned of their parents plans to try and kill the entire house, they informed the vedlt, and had the lions in the vedlt of Africa, to eat their parents. Bradbury is showing us to not let technology go to far, and not to let technology run our lives. In this chapter, a rocket had blown up, leaving its crew falling in space. Though thousands of miles away, the crew was able to talk about where they were headed, after realizing that they had no choice. Once all communication was lost, captain Hollis realized that he had nothing to try and live for, and thought of what he could now do for himself to say that his life had been worth living. There was nothing. The chapter ends with captain Hollis burning alive like a shooting star over Illinois. The theme in this chapter is to live for today. You cant always think, well theres tomorrow.&quo...

Benefits & Costs of Collaboration in IT Workplace

Two or more people or organisations ing together for a mon goal is a collaboration (Schuman, 2006). It is a joint effort (Rouse, 2016) and by definition excludes individual work. Information Technology (IT) is the use of puters, networks, storage and other infrastructure to store, retrieve, process, and share electronic data and is often employed in the context of business as opposed to personal use (Bigelow, 2015). This short paper discusses the benefits and costs of collaboration in an IT workplace. Collaboration promotes a superior quality of work by supporting the division of labour on which our present-day society is based. The ever-increasing specialisation in technology, processes, and customer requirements mean that an individual in an organisation can specialise and thus excel in one or just a handful of domains to be adding value to the entity's mission (Belcher, n.d.). This requirement implies we need to bring together people of different skills to achieve goals, thus, collaboration. Multiple minds working together leads to that many ideas and leads to achieve the task at hand. Collaboration helps build team morale and helps increase job satisfaction (Boyer, n.d.). It increases the chances of interaction among the team members which may aid in honing resilient teams which will care about the quality of work they produce. Collaboration requires the participation of multiple people, and thus the need to keep them on the same page, and thus meetings. It leads to meetings which are often inefficient and result in wasting time (Harmon & Cullinan, 2016). Collaboration may lead to useless power struggles (Belcher, n.d.). In the absence of a real authority figure, some individuals may attempt to gain power rather than concentrate on the task at hand. It may also lead to covert conflicts in working styles of individuals (Belcher, n.d.) who would rather like to work solo. Some of these people of these employees may take out their tension on the work, thus being detrimental to the organisation's goals. Belcher, L. Advantages & Disadvantages of Collaboration in the Workplace. Chron. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://smallbusiness.chron /advantages-disadvantages-collaboration-workplace-20965.html Bigelow, S. (2015). What is Information Technology (IT)? - Definition from WhatIs . TechTarget. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://searchdatacenter.techtarget /definition/IT Boyer, S. The Importance of Collaboration in the Workplace. Nutcache. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://www.nutcache /blog/the-importance-of-collaboration-in-the-workplace/ Harmon, S. & Cullinan, R. (2016). The Dark Side of Collaboration. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost /shani-harmon/the-dark-side-of-collabor_b_9825020.html Rouse, M. (2016). What is collaboration? - Definition from WhatIs . TechTarget. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://whatis.techtarget /definition/collaboration Schuman, S. (2006). Creating a culture of collaboration (1st ed.). San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 36

Management - Essay Example use it maximises the â€Å"must† and â€Å"want† criteria, as well as having lowered uncertainty and risks through the lowest negative impact on the environment and employees, while Brand B is the second choice because it is satisficing in relation to the minimal criteria of â€Å"must† and â€Å"want.† Brand A is chosen because it has the most points when it comes to the â€Å"must† and â€Å"want† features and has the lowest risks involved. Brand A has the highest points for meeting the â€Å"must† features of maximum cost, being compatible with related equipment, availability of support services, and having no need for renovation. Aside from meeting the planned budget for the equipment, Brand A has the least negative effects on people and workplace because it is already compatible with resources and space, so it reduces costs for renovation and other physical changes at work that can disrupt everyday routine. In other words, it has the fewest risks of changing the status quo and creating conflicts that might be causes of resistance to changes. Brand A also meets the â€Å"want† features of safety, availability upon delivery date and not needing special training for its use. By being available, a plan for its future use can be set up. By not requiring special training, it has the least consumption of training resources and do not need to change work flows and other work habits. The next most important factors are pricing and flexibility, which Brand A meets. Brand A has a good price, unlike Brand C. Though there is more uncertainty with Brand A because the minimum years of service are not assured compared to other brands, it has the fewest negative effects on employees and the workplace. Brand A has safety features and it is compatible with existing equipment and space that Brand C does not have, for instance. Brand A requires no renovation for existing space and additional special training, which again means less uncertainty for workers. In addition, Brand A has

Safe Work Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Safe Work Environment - Essay Example The main question is whether or not the untidy state of the office in connection with the moving of desks and filing cabinets was such that it was a breach of the employer’s statutory duty to provide a safe and healthy workplace. Assuming therefore that a work system was devised in which employees were supervised and competent regarding working around the boxes, and there was a reasonable explanation for the untidy state of the office, the employer is not in breach of the statutory and common law duty to provide a safe and healthy workplace. The main question is whether or not it was reasonably practical to move the boxes from the work area and whether or not it was reasonable to expect for workers to assume some responsibility for their own safety given the state of the office at the time (Smith v Scott Bowyers 1986). The employer can also expect employees to exercise some degree of common sense in situations where an obvious danger exists (O’Reilly v National Rail 196 6). ... n that James would play a practical joke on Juliana and it would appear that the injury suffered by Juliana was a result of the practical joke and not as a result of the untidy state of the office. It is not known whether or not James was predisposed to playing practical jokes on the job. For example it was held in Smith v Crossley Brothers (1951) that where employers were unaware of the fact that an employee was a practical joker they cannot be vicariously liable for the harm caused by a practical joker on the job. In such circumstances the practical joke cannot be predicted nor can it be prevented. Moreover, in such a case, the employee is said to be off on a frolic of his own and not acting in the course of his or her employment (Smith v Crossley Brothers, 1951). Had James played a practical joke in the course of performing a duty, the employer would be vicariously liable for James’ behaviour and the resulting injury to Juliana (Harrison v Michelin Tyre Co. 1985). If he is known to be a practical joker on the job and the employer did nothing to stop or prevent James playing practical jokes, they may be vicariously liable for the injuries to Juliana (Hudson v Ridge Manufacturing Co. Ltd. 1957). It was held in Hudson that when an employer is aware that an employee by his or her behaviour poses a source of danger to other employees, the common law duty of care to provide a healthy and safe workplace requires the employer to remove that source of danger (Hudson v Ridge Manufacturing Co. Ltd. 1957). It therefore follows that now that the employer is aware of James’ behaviour and there is a reasonable belief that James may repeat this behaviour, the employer may dismiss James (Albernethy v Mott, Hay and Anderson 1974). The onus is on the employer to prove that the

Human Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Engineering - Essay Example Such act is against the morals and ethics. Individuals who possess anomalies that are heritable are benefitted from such kind of genetic testing followed by selection of the baby. If the anomaly persists then the parents tend to terminate the pregnancy and opt for the better genetic make-up of the individual. In this genetic epoch where human engineering is being utilized for the betterment of the human race and to safeguard the future of the individuals. As eugenics is directed for the enhancement of the genetic composition of the population couples testing their fetuses for Down syndrome and abort fetus practice eugenics to certain extent as it is a step towards prevention of the hassles as well as elimination of the defective genetic makeup from the gene pool as well as it prevents social discrimination. Genetic testing aids in testing genetic anomalies encompassing Huntingtons, Cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia, congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal anomalies and also pre diabetics to a greater extent if it runs in the family. Although genetic test and screening does not provide any cure to the condition but affirms the carrier of the genetic anomalies leaving the decision on the parents to go or not to go for the child ("This House Would Allow Parents to Genetically Screen Foetuses For Heritable

The impact of Accounting Information System on the audit process Essay

The impact of Accounting Information System on the audit process - Essay Example In the field of accounting and auditing, the performance of functions has a great role in which auditors and accountants should expand their knowledge to adapt to these changes. Accounting information system (AIS) is the new way of preparing and analyzing financial statements in relation to technology advancement (Orwel, n.d.). This newly acquired system does not only end up to the preparation but also it extends up to the auditing process. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of accounting information system (AIS) on the audit process. It is important to know how AIS is affecting the audit process and on the work of the auditors and accountants. The focus is to give an overview, objectives and motivations, and some proposals of the implementation. According to Orwel (n.d.), â€Å"accounting information system (AIS) is a system of records, usually computer based, which combines accounting principles and concepts with the benefits of an information system...† Making the accounting activities with the use of computer makes it easier and time safe, but threats in data collection and data processing should not be ignored for it comes from variety of sources (Beard & Wen, 2010). Decision makers should have a control on the system so that threats can be avoided. Enormous amount is needed in the implementation of AIS, it is quite expensive for those small enterprises but the benefits can surpass the amount of investment (Salehi, et al., 2010, p.188). On the other hand, the appropriateness of financial information produced by an accountant is being examined by an auditor, either by operational, internal or compliance. It is the role of auditing to objectively evaluate the entries based on established criteria before the results are given to the interested users (Kelechi, 2007, p.14). The information subject for audit process is now computerized that is why auditors are disturbed whether the information in the system is reliable for

Livecos Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Livecos Case Study - Essay Example The strategy by madam Isolda has led to several effects that are felt by departments, human resource and information management. The strategy was deemed a viable change in the organization but led to a completely different scenario. There were complaints from the departments that they were not considered in the merge and their views were not sought. It has been a blame game with the human resource complaining about the information management being so critical and the latter complaining of the former being so much. Both departments complained that they never valued the work or even dint know the work of the other. The aim of merging these two departments was part of the strategic management responsibility of ensuring greater efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. On the contrary, the organization’s employees became less productive even than before. The employees lost their focus since the transition from a deadline meeting team changed to a normal days routine of get ting to work at 8.30 and out at 5.30.Liveco has experienced a huge loss of workforce, which has led to employees terminating their employment contracts. The primary reason for the termination given by most of the employees was the unfavorable working conditions at Liveco. These problems have led to the fall in the Liveco organization and a layered strategy as suggested by Madam Isolda should be used to improve the current situation. Sincerely yours, (Insert Name) Table of contents Executive summary 5 Introduction 5 Literature review 6 Methodology 8 Results and findings. 10 Analysis 10 Evaluation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Conclusion and Recommendation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 References 14 1. Executive summary Merging two departments in Liveco Company with the aim of improving the working environment of the employees and the undertakings of the firm was met by a negative attitude, which led to the fall in profitability. Employees did not feel a sense of belonging, satisfaction, and motivation and ended up terminating their employment at Liveco. This report analyses the cause of the effects of the change effected by Isolda, human resource manager, and what she could have done to impose the change in the organization to be met with a positive attitude. This report analyses the different methodologies used to make changes in an organization, both diagnostic where analytical model is used and a control model, and captures where Madam Isolda went wrong. A conclusion on the change at Liveco is made and possible future solutions given in the recommendation to avoid such proble ms. 2. Introduction Organizations’ change is mostly inevitable and is used to ensure that the organization has a longer life and makes future progress. If it is anticipated, then individuals in the organization can prepare to manage it and still find satisfaction in their work (Armstrong, 2006). On the contrary, if the change is abrupt, accommodating the change might be a task for everyone in the organization and might lead to its failure. A change is a strategy brought in by the Human Resource managers. They should help the other managers and employees cope with the change of dynamics in the organization. If not accepted in the right way, the change can mean the adoption of that strategy has failed,

Human Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Engineering - Essay Example Such act is against the morals and ethics. Individuals who possess anomalies that are heritable are benefitted from such kind of genetic testing followed by selection of the baby. If the anomaly persists then the parents tend to terminate the pregnancy and opt for the better genetic make-up of the individual. In this genetic epoch where human engineering is being utilized for the betterment of the human race and to safeguard the future of the individuals. As eugenics is directed for the enhancement of the genetic composition of the population couples testing their fetuses for Down syndrome and abort fetus practice eugenics to certain extent as it is a step towards prevention of the hassles as well as elimination of the defective genetic makeup from the gene pool as well as it prevents social discrimination. Genetic testing aids in testing genetic anomalies encompassing Huntingtons, Cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia, congenital malformations, deformations, chromosomal anomalies and also pre diabetics to a greater extent if it runs in the family. Although genetic test and screening does not provide any cure to the condition but affirms the carrier of the genetic anomalies leaving the decision on the parents to go or not to go for the child ("This House Would Allow Parents to Genetically Screen Foetuses For Heritable

Livecos Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Livecos Case Study - Essay Example The strategy by madam Isolda has led to several effects that are felt by departments, human resource and information management. The strategy was deemed a viable change in the organization but led to a completely different scenario. There were complaints from the departments that they were not considered in the merge and their views were not sought. It has been a blame game with the human resource complaining about the information management being so critical and the latter complaining of the former being so much. Both departments complained that they never valued the work or even dint know the work of the other. The aim of merging these two departments was part of the strategic management responsibility of ensuring greater efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. On the contrary, the organization’s employees became less productive even than before. The employees lost their focus since the transition from a deadline meeting team changed to a normal days routine of get ting to work at 8.30 and out at 5.30.Liveco has experienced a huge loss of workforce, which has led to employees terminating their employment contracts. The primary reason for the termination given by most of the employees was the unfavorable working conditions at Liveco. These problems have led to the fall in the Liveco organization and a layered strategy as suggested by Madam Isolda should be used to improve the current situation. Sincerely yours, (Insert Name) Table of contents Executive summary 5 Introduction 5 Literature review 6 Methodology 8 Results and findings. 10 Analysis 10 Evaluation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Conclusion and Recommendation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 References 14 1. Executive summary Merging two departments in Liveco Company with the aim of improving the working environment of the employees and the undertakings of the firm was met by a negative attitude, which led to the fall in profitability. Employees did not feel a sense of belonging, satisfaction, and motivation and ended up terminating their employment at Liveco. This report analyses the cause of the effects of the change effected by Isolda, human resource manager, and what she could have done to impose the change in the organization to be met with a positive attitude. This report analyses the different methodologies used to make changes in an organization, both diagnostic where analytical model is used and a control model, and captures where Madam Isolda went wrong. A conclusion on the change at Liveco is made and possible future solutions given in the recommendation to avoid such proble ms. 2. Introduction Organizations’ change is mostly inevitable and is used to ensure that the organization has a longer life and makes future progress. If it is anticipated, then individuals in the organization can prepare to manage it and still find satisfaction in their work (Armstrong, 2006). On the contrary, if the change is abrupt, accommodating the change might be a task for everyone in the organization and might lead to its failure. A change is a strategy brought in by the Human Resource managers. They should help the other managers and employees cope with the change of dynamics in the organization. If not accepted in the right way, the change can mean the adoption of that strategy has failed,

The Love Affair of Calixta and Alcee as the Storm Essay Example for Free

The Love Affair of Calixta and Alcee as the Storm Essay The Storm by Kate Chopin is a story of two people who are already married with their respective partners but still looked for happiness from other persons- their respective paramours. Both Calixta and Alcee know that they are both married and should be settled in their respective lives. However, they still had a sexual encounter one day when Calixta was left all by herself in their house while her husband and her son were stranded somewhere because of the storm. In this story, the storm symbolizes both the physical circumstances that the characters were experiencing and the passionate encounter that happened between the paramours. I think that the love affair of Calixta and Alcee is nothing else but wrong both for the two of them and their respective families. It is noticed that during the sexual encounter, both are not with their respective partners. Calixtas husband Bobinots whereabouts cannot be ascertained because of the storm that might have endangered his life. Calixta was in her vulnerable state because apart from being alone she does not know what just happened to her husband. In the words of Chopin: â€Å"Calixta put her hands in her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcees arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him (1993)†. In other words, she was trying to find happiness and comfort during these times that Alcee was there at the right moment. At the same time, Alcees wife was also far away from him with their children. This suggests the same argument already mentioned. The same as Calixta, Alcee is also yearning for happiness and comfort that his wife cannot give because of the distance. My disagreement to the love affair of the two can be explained by Dennis Pragers The Missing Tile Syndrome. Prager asserted that â€Å"In life there will always be tiles missing (1995)†. He said that life could never be complete no matter how we wanted it to be or no matter how we strive for it. The missing tiles in our lives are likened to something or someone that we wanted to have; we cannot help but think about it all the time. The analogy goes like this: when we look up at the ceiling, whenever there is a missing tile, we tend to focus on that missing spot on the verge of getting fixated into it. Because of this, the two characters tend to focus on the absence of their partners that they find themselves unhappy and uncomfortable. Moreover, they are prone to making mistakes as Prager has mentioned â€Å"People act more decently when they are happy (1993)†. When they arent, they tend to veer towards the bad side. Moreover, the love affair would lead to pain and suffering of their respective families. This is because even when the ending of the story says â€Å"So the storm passed and every one was happy (Chopin, 1993)† suggests a resolution to the problem, I believe it is otherwise. The reconciliation of Calixta and her husband does not count as a happily ever after marriage because what was being presented were only intentions and not actions. Prager wrote that â€Å"what we do, not what we intend, is what counts (1995)†. He asserted there is no way we can ascertain motive because it is a state of the mind. The love of Calixta to her husband was not shown when she merely said, â€Å"Oh Bonibot! You too good fo anything†. At the same time, the letter that were sent by Alcee to his wife were also manifestations of intention and not actions which were likewise unreliable. â€Å"Alcee Laballiere wrote to his wife, Clarisse, that night. It was a loving letter, full of tender solicitude (Chopin, 1993)†. Even with this, we cannot be sure of the love and devotion of Alcee to his wife. This suggests that their respective families may be in danger of falling apart because the actions of love and passion by Calixta and Alcee are not for their respective partners and families but for somebody else. References Chopin, K. (1993). â€Å"The Storm†. Nineteen-Century Stories by Women. USA: Broadview Press. Prager, D. (1995). Think a Second Time. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.

Concept of suicide

Concept of suicide 1.0 Concept of Suicide 1.1 Background Sir Thomas Browned originates the word suicide in 1642 in his Religio Medici. It was derived from SUI (of oneself) and CAEDES (murder).since then, this word has caused much controversy and evoked many professionals to continuous research and debate upon its definition in various ways from every aspects: medical, social, psychological, administrative, legal, spiritual and religious purposes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Suicide is no longer uncommon in the society and every day, there are people from many walks of life living under the same roof without us knowing what problems they are plagued with. Back centuries, suicide was a taboo subject to be discussed and yet, many are engaged in such behavior although it is believed that most suicide cases are unreported. To some, suicidal actions are glorified especially to cults and religion purposes. As time progresses, the mentality of the society changes along with time and the stigma of suicide is slowly undergoing much debate and understanding. Now, suicide is regarded more of a tragedy instead of ritual because part of the reason is that the society undergoes globalization and no longer practices scarification. Even if there is a minority of tribes who endorses scarification, the groups are negligible throughout the globe. Also, suicide in this era more often is done due to personal reasons; be it mentality, spiritual etc. In 1763, the first attempt was done scientifically by Merian to understand the rationale behind suicide. It is believed that suicide was not perceived as a sin or a crime. Instead, suicide has been regarded as a disease of mankind. After the death of Jean Jacques Rousseau in 1822, which had sequentially and graphically described circumstances of his death, Farlet manages to conduct a first in-depth examination on suicide. This enables better understanding on suicide with broader perspective. A famous psychiatrist, Dr R. Gaupp, says that amongst people committing suicide they possess unique and bizarre personality traits. For the past 50 years, it is concluded by series of researches that suicide begins from the state of mind, coupled with external factors, resulting in suicide. Herein, we will look in depths of suicide amongst Malaysian school students. 1.2 Definition A suicide idea is when one thought of ending ones own life. One thing leads to another, suicide ideas often leads to suicidal attempt and suicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviours are thoughts or tendencies that started off a person and put them at risk for committing suicide. Simply said, suicide is an intentional or voluntary determination to end ones life, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). A suicidal person often closed ones options in life, and looks at another darker side of negativity. To them, dying is a pre-requisite for the end of all sufferings. A famous sociologist, Emile Durkheim whom not only proposes the theory of functionalism but also studied on Suicide, states that: the term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result (1982, p. 110 [excerpt from Suicide]). 1.3 Description Suicide is not an uncommon issue these days and it is widely discussed in institutions although it is still condemned by the society. Much about discussing facts and truths behind this dark sentiment of life, there are common myths about suicide which we need to eradicate in order to comprehend the problem better we are able to curb this issue. When we listened to people whom talks about suicide, we assumed that these people would not do it since they are open to discussion. To include, people who are open to discussion should not be overlooked because they might also consider the options of suicide since the minds of a person is incomprehensible. In addition, the society views the troubled ones as people whom cannot be saved and are unwilling to seek help. Since they intend to commit suicide, nothing can stop him. These misconstrued assumptions are proven wrong because they are lost and sometimes hope for care and understanding. Indeed, these are individuals whom should not be segre gated. Another notion that should be avoided is that people believed that suicide indicates lack of faith in religion. This is incorrect because there are certain religions which encourage suicide in the name of faith. Thoughts and attempts of suicide as well as committing suicide are major concerns throughout the world and it is still a growing concern amongst the society. Very much obvious, most suicidal case involves adolescents and young teens. The teenage years are one of the most difficult stages in life, as identified by psychologists. Although teenagers are thought to enjoy life without worries of financial stability and mid-life crisis, suicide seems way an inconsiderable option to them since they ought to have no problems at this phase of life besides studying. But many changes in the mind which takes place during puberty can change their identity and their vulnerable self if they may have to cope with a broad range of personal and social obstacles. Since young people are so fragile, they may experience difficulty in dealing with stress. Children prior to puberty had hardly been bothered by suicidal behavior, probably due to their inability to envisage or execute a suicide plan. When puberty hits adolescence, risky psychiatric factors, such as depression and drug abuse become imminent and play a part in contributing to the causes of frequency in suicidal behaviour. Some children especially girls, view the transition from primary to middle school stressful. In addition, as one gets older parental supervision decreases, so teenagers are more likely to engage in unhealthy behavior without their parents consents. Suicide is divided into several commonly used terms to identify its symptoms and causes. Here are the descriptions provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding suicidal terms that needed to be taken into account:- Suicide: a planned act of killing oneself intentionally. The act can be performed by the person with or without the full knowledge or expectation of any fatal outcome. Suicidal attempt: A medical intervention is required in this case, after the person whom intended to end his or her life committed a life-threatening act with a conscious intent. Suicidal gesture: A series of self-threatening behaviour on display, which may be detrimental or non- detrimental. Suicidal idea: The power of mind to thought or set up the process to end ones own life. Suicidal risk: The tendency of ending ones life depends on this characteristic, depending on its presence or absence. Suicidal pact: Two or more people in agreement to die concurrently by committing the act of suicide. Suicidal cluster: People who gather in groups to commit suicide together, usually for a common objective. Suicidal counters: To prevent suicide, this set of factors operates within the individual, family or society. 1.4 Facts and Figures With many reasons believed to be the causes for suicide, facts and figures of statistics below are generally shown to highlight suicide from methods of ending life in different ethnic groups (inference is drawn from analysis of data from suicidal cases from the University Malaya Medical Centre mortuary ) to why it is committed : It is estimated that 450 million people suffered from mental of behavioral disorder. Every year, close to 1 million people committed suicide and 1 in 4 families have at least a member with mental disorder. There are 25 million schizophrenic patients and 50 million who suffer from epilepsy, which About 40 million or 80% are assumed to live in developing countries Most of them lived for 33% of the years with disability are due to neuropsychiatric disorders (depression, alcohol-use disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). From 2000-2004, University Malaya Medical Centre found suicides of 164 male (65%) and 87 female (35%) victims with their ages ranging from 15 to 80 years. The age group with the highest total of cases between 21 to 30 (83 of 251; 33.1%) The highest rate of suicide was among Chinese (ethnic groups) with a total of 120 cases (120 of 251; 47.8%) by using the common method; jumping from height (41%). Whereas, Indians commonly commit suicide by hanging themselves (49 of 87) and poisoning (20 of 37; 54.1%); and Muslims had shown the lowest cases of suicide (18 of 251; 7.2%). 1.5 Types of suicide Collective tendencies have an existence of their own; they are forces as real as cosmic forces, though of another sort; they, likewise, affect the individual from without (Thompson, 1982, p. 109 [excerpt from Suicide]) To separate true suicides from accidental deaths, Durkheim proposed this definition of suicide: the term suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result (1982, p. 110 [excerpt from Suicide]). Then, Durkheim proposes four types of suicide: 1) Egoistic suicide Minimal social integration allows outcasts and segregation of individuals who are not considered fit to be bounded to specific social groups. These individuals are left with little social support or guidance. Thus, tendency to commit suicide increases. For example, students especially girls in schools wanted to belong in groups or so-called cliques. Most of the times, the ones whom are shunned off are the ones to be laughed at and criticized. 2) Altruistic suicide The opposite of egoistic suicide. This type of suicide results from too much of integration. Self-sacrifice is the prominent trait and members of the group were so integrated that they lost their individuality and ever so willing to sacrifice for the groups interest. For example, black metal groups in school do underground sacrificial methods at times in their act of worshipping. 3) Anomic suicide (of moral regulation)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When means were unable to fulfill needs, an imbalance of means and needs arise. i. Acute economic anomie Traditional institutions such as religion and government failed to practise moral restraints on a capitalist society. Hence, the ruling of private individuals to determine ones fate in life. This type of suicide does not apply in Malaysia because it is a democratic country where everyone has the equal rights to flourish in their own ability. ii. Chronic economic anomie Social regulation gradually diminishes after a revolution or urbanization. As a result, traditional social rules deteriorated. Wealth and property was not enough to make individuals happy, as was demonstrated by higher suicide rates among the wealthy than the poor. For instance, richer students gain easier access to drugs because of their high allowance making it affordable for them. Later on, usage of drug substances will lead to suicide (will be discussed later in this topic). This also explains why students in urban schools are more prone to suicide instead of rural area students. iii. Acute domestic anomie   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The inability of an individual to adapt to sudden changes in life results in this suicide. For instance, a student who could not cope the loss of his or her family members might consider suicide as an option to end the suffering. iv. Chronic domestic anomie The way marriage is seen in different regulations and needs for each gender. Bachelors tended to commit suicide at higher rates than married men because of a lack of regulation and established goals and expectations. On the other hand, bachelorettes are lower risk to commit suicide because without marriage, they are not confined to boundaries set by the household. This is not an issue for students in Malaysian schools unless if young girls are married off during schooling. Such cases are rare in Malaysia unless in rural areas like in Sabah or Sarawak. 4) Fatalistic suicide This type of suicide did not receive much attention because it is a rare phenomenon of the real world. People who are over regulated and receive unrewarding lives like the slaves or childless married women might consider suicide. Their future is relies on others to determine. Cases do happened like prostitution or human trafficking, but this type of suicide does not relate much to the field of education. 1.6 Warning signs Rarely, suicide spurs a moment of intense decision, says Dr Suarn Singh, Head of Psychiatry, Ministry of Health Malaysia. More often, there are many clues to look out for to identify school students at risk of mental and social distress and signs leading to the actual attempt, such as: A change in behavior- speech or actions such as constantly saying that I cant go on or I want to end it all. Attitudes or appearance takes a toll on health and individual becomes recluse and not care of how they look usually by not grooming. Behaving recklessly by not taking safety measures, e.g.: crossing the road without looking. Giving away prized possessions and valuable items. Individual may be accompanied with unpredicatable mood swings like crying, self-mutilation and impulsiveness. Identify the distress and dramatic change that affects the students performance in school (e.g.: attendance and behavior) Lack of interest in school, overall decline in performance, misconduct in class, unexplainable absence or truancy. Abuse of substance, smoking or drug (including cannabis). Violent behaviour which sometimes involves the police. 1.7 Risk Factors and Risk Situations When accessing suicide patterns amongst students, all parties including school staffs, families and friends should be aware of the victims behaviour. Repetitive self mutilation should also be taken into note because distraught teenagers tend to repeat their acts. Particular suicide behaviour under circumstances is interdependent with the environment and genetic factors. Various states or neighbouring countries that features factors of cultural, political and economic differences may play a role in risking the youths decisions of suicide. On the other hand, risk situations are hurtful or injurious events which are experienced by the victims. These occurrences may wound the victims personal dignity and self-image. Example, a suicidal student may encounter with peer pressure in school, bullying, disappointment and failure in academic or high expectations from parents during examination. Suicide has become an intense debate, yet, it still remains as an ambiguous subject to fully grasp. A normal person will never understand to what extent these youth will do just to end their lives. Researches were done and found that major risk factors are linked to young people who are plagued with these causes that might have been the reasons leading them to suicide. The major risk factors to include are: Cultural and sociodemographic factors Family pattern and negative life events during childhood Cognitive style and personality Anxiety disorders Substance abuse Eating disorders Psychotic disorders Current negative life events as triggers of suicidal behavior Cultural and sociodemographic factors Different countries are linked to different cultures and demographic structures. In the third world countries, low socioeconomic status, lack of education system and unemployment are risk factors for suicide. Although Malaysia is a developed country and cannot be compared to third world neighbours, suicide still happens rampantly in urban areas, which is developed and suicide rates are expected to be lower instead of a drastic statistics to show. When urbanization enforces competitions, psychological impact of torture may lead to self-conflict between oneself and the society. One is expected to perform to the standards of societys customary demands. Likewise, in Malaysian schools, students are very academic inclined. This is a powerful risk factor for students to be depressed and may resort to self-destruction. Also, students and adolescents whom lack of self-identity and cultural roots may opt for this choice of suicide under stressful environment. That said, Each individual young p ersons growth is intertwined with collective cultural tradition, as stated by World Health Organization (WHO). Since Malaysia is a multiracial country, there are more than one race that plays a greater attribution of gender nonconformity and identity issues. Imagine an Indian girl being placed at a Chinese school with the majority of Chinese, she is hardly accepted into the culture of the majority. When a student begins to fear a serious acceptance problem, they will lack of support in order to experience an optimum growth during that phase of life. Family pattern and negative life events during childhood Personal loss and conflict, associated with parents or romantic attachments are one of the commonest reasons for suicide amongst students. Physical or sexual abuse, family feud played a part in suicide contemplation as well. Usually, suicidal youth will leave a note or tracks that they are about to suicide. Like the diary, short notes of apologies, so on and so forth. More often, suicidal students want to escape the pressure from demands of the environment or from psychological aspects that the truth is a painful unbearable fact to handle. Broken families and traumatic experiences e.g. rape, mental torture, etc. leave a scar for life in the child especially when the child is unable to manage with the aftermaths of trauma. There are evidences that suggest suicidal students often come from destructive families with more than one factor risks. The effects are cumulative and these problems are usually not known because suicides are more likely to refrain from seeking help from others. He re are a few negative aspects to take note of a dysfunctional family that often characterizes cases of suicidal students: Family with the history of suicide. Alcohol and substance abuse member in the family. Abusive family (physically, mentally or sexually). Divorce and separation of family Very high or very low demands of standards from the parents. Lack of attention and care from family members. Cognitive style and personality It is arguable between the relationship of a certain suicidal trait and an array of cognitive style and personality that risk suicides amongst young people. It is generally equivocal and ambivalent because suicidal patterns vary amongst different individuals. The following traits are observed in a suicidal youth, particularly students during adolescence: Instability in mood. Aggressive and needs anger management. Anti-social High impulsiveness Inability to grasp realities and rigid mentality, often in their own world of illusion. Great feeling of worthlessness and despair. Anxiety and inferiority. Provocative behaviour towards others including family and classmates. Ambivalent relationships with the society (family, friends, people). Suicidal behaviour is overrated amongst school children and adolescents with the following psychiatric disorders: Anxiety disorders and Depression It is known from studies that have proven the connection between anxiety disorder and suicide. Whilst traits of anxiety appear to be independent of depression, its effect always leads to psychosomatic symptoms if not treated. Unlike depression, anxiety disorder is prominent to detect and victim will always shows signs of worries and unhappiness with themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Discussion about depression should be taken seriously. Depression is often beyond recognition. Students may seem fairly disappointed or angry at minor disturbances and may never considered suicide. But if the symptoms of depression last for more than a week or so without improvement, help is needed. The signs of depression noticed amongst students or youth include: Utter degree of sadness Gradual withdrawal from everything. Student becomes recluse and isolated. School performance dropped with no apparent reasons. Loss of interest in activities that student used to enjoy. Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness Lack of motivation. Differences in sleeping habits and fatigue. Change in appetite and eating patterns. Self-neglect and self-hatred. Physical complaints, sad thoughts or death. Anger management needed for reckless attitude and temper. Substance abuse. Restlessness and agitation with one self or others. School students with depression symptoms oftentimes present anti social behavior and both are precursor to suicide. It is noticed that depressed female student will be more silent and withdrawn from others, whereas on their male counterpart, students of that gender becomes aggressive and disrupted and seek a great deal of attention. Prior to that, students can kill themselves too without having to be depressed and they can also be in a state of depression without killing themselves. Substance abuse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Students who abused alcohol and drugs are often linked to suicide. Teenagers are oftentimes found to have committed the act of suicide after consuming the substances. Sometimes, students used these substances to ease their stress and depression. In another case, youth whom have never thought of suicide may have done so after taken alcohol because alcohol suppresses rationale thinking. Simply, their actions are based on an impulsive act which leads them to ending their lives even so they might never have contemplated suicide when they are sober. Eating disorders Eating disorders happen mostly to the female genders whom are dissatisfied with their own bodies. In the eye of the society, thin slender girls are objects of desire. The media often portrays catwalk models, who are skinny and scrawny. In schools, fat students are always being sneered and jeered as well as being outcast. Anorexic and bulimic girls are susceptible towards depression and suicide risk for anorexics are as much as 20 times more than youth in general. Psychotic disorders Albeit, we hardly heard of Malaysian students suffering from severe psychiatric disorders like the schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder, those affected are still in jeopardy with suicide risks. But most psychotic youths started off with other risk factors, such as excessive smoking and substance abuse. Current negative life events as triggers of suicidal behavior As aforementioned due to inherited genetic factors, destructive families and negative aspects in life, students of this age find themselves susceptible towards suicide because when current negative life events happen in concurrent with their condition they find it difficult to cope furthermore. This susceptibility makes it difficult to cope with negative life events adequately, and that said, stressful life events precede suicide. They reminds of the student of sense of hopelessness and despair. 2.0 How Schools can Prevent Suicide Usually, suicidal students hardly attempt suicides within the school compound. But when the outbreak of a students suicide takes place, even off schools territory, the news will shock others, causing extreme emotional distress amongst students, staff, and parents whilst school activities will come to halt for weeks before it is resumed. Hence, schools play an important role for preventing suicides. Many young students whom are affected by mood disorders or substance abuse later on contemplate suicide. Whilst the other emotional setbacks linked to suicide includes conduct disorders, aggression, split personality disorder, and intense feeling degree of hopelessness (Berman, Jobes, and Silverman, 2006). Here, the schools responsibility and roles to play are summarized by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) (Poland and Lieberman, 2003): 2.1 Detection/ Awareness School administration and staff personnel should take note of students behaviour for signs of suicide. Interaction on a regular basis is encouraged amongst the school and students. School counselor must play his or her responsibility in helping problematic students before any occurrence of suicide. 2.2 Parent notification When awareness is created, any changes in attitudes or suspicious acts arise the school should update the parents or guardian of students. Face to face discussion is recommended to come about ways of preventing the student from suicide, which includes close supervision or referral to professionals. Also, a record of victims parent and victim should be kept confidential. 2.3 Support for students at risk of suicide The school, psychologists and counselors, should monitor and support suicidal students. Counseling and follow-up services shall be recommended. 2.4 School-Based Suicide Prevention Programs Schools should train teachers and staffs to help recognize students at risk of suicide. This can be done through training and appropriate mechanisms necessary. These mechanisms include a series of programs specially designed to counteract suicidal risks. Schools must heed these vital steps to control suicide among their students: Ø School-based suicide prevention program and school-based mental health services Health screening, mental health survey and educational activities are carried out at school level to help students recognize and seek help when needed. Programs like health promotion program and risk prevention can be effective if made comprehensive to students. Ø Suicide prevention gate keeping program People who have regular interaction and contact with students in school are teachers. They need to know how to recognize students behavioural patterns and warning signs. Also, teachers need to be actively involved in dialogue to explore the risk of suicide amongst students and to ensure that the victim must receive proper guidance and treatment when it is necessary. Records must be kept up to date and problematic students must be scrutinized. Ø School crisis preparation and response plan This prepares the school in the case of emergency, from natural disaster to violence within the school. The school crisis preparation plan should include procedures of preventing self-destructive students as well as students in the midst of contemplation. Also, guidance must be taken into account as a reference for teachers and staffs to respond such cases when such tragedy arises. Ø Postvention Such term is used to measure preventions to be implemented after a tragedy takes place. The purpose of this program is to lessen the risk of those witnesses to be affected directly after the incident. Suicide or unexpected death of another student can result in a traumatized individual. This program includes grief counseling for students and school party. Postvention helps to identify other students whom may be at risk after a trauma, and to support students. Sometimes, school works with the media to ensure such coverage of news does not lead to additional risks of suicide. 3.0Suggestions: A guide for Teachers and School Staffs It takes time for a student to attempt suicide. Rarely, suicide occurs out of sudden with no warning. Most cases, teachers and members of the society who observe the victim on a daily basis is able to distinguish a behaviour of norm and suicidal. The following are three (3) steps of prevention: before, during and after a suicide: 3.1 General prevention: before any suicidal incident Early recognition helps save lives. Experts advised that it is not a wise approach to teach about suicide explicitly. Rather, they recommend tackling this problem by replacing issues of suicide with a positive mental health approach. a) Mental health of schoolteachers and other school staff Teachers are the role model in any causes. A positive teacher is able to change the outlook of a persons perspective in a brighter light. Hence, strengthening the mental health of a teacher only can he or she guides the students into the correct path in life. b) Students self-esteem Positive self-esteem is vital to protect students against suicide. One with topnotch of esteem will cope better with stress even how difficult ones situation may be. To nurture positivity amongst the students, a few rules should not be taken lightly. Firstly, students must never been pressured constantly to fare better than other students. They must always look on the brighter side of life experiences in order to forge a positive identity. Every student should be cherished as who they are and be accepted for what they are. In addition, the school should work on introducing life skills by having experts giving talks and later on assimilate a positive workshop as part of the curriculum. Most importantly, the programme is able to send out messages of knowledge to peers on how to be supportive and seek help if necessary. Plus, the school should revise and review the education system to enhance the development of every student holistically. c) Emotional expression Students should learn on how to express their emotions appropriates and to take charge of how they feel seriously. When things gone awry, they should confide in parents, teachers, adults, doctor, friends or even religious advisors. d) Bullying and violence at school Issues on bullying have been a serious matter for ages since bullying make suicide seemed more pleasant to students to escape from humiliation and personal dignity. Because the victim could not determine what others had done to him/her, the victim had only his own life to control. Thus, specific skills should be taught in schools to prevent bullying and violence. This way, only the school can provide a sanctuary for safety and intolerance of the negative aspects. e) Information about care services In Malaysia, Befrienders are not unfamiliar to the society these days. Students should be aware about the availability of these services and by making it accessible to the young people, so that they can utilize the help lines in the case of crisis and psychiatric emergency. To include, there are over 240 Health Centres nationwide in Malaysia that have psychiatric units and also counseling unit for help. The latest news up to date, Prof Hu

Essays --

As a growing phenomenon Word of Mouth has evolved as one of the most influential source of marketing. Word of mouth can simply be defined as any business action that earns a customer recommendation, it’s what companies use to gain a sense of interest by a consumer that cause them to experience and share. Word of mouth builds brands, increases sales, and builds conversations both consumer to consumer and consumer to brand. It is believed that the power of Word of mouth would only increase in the coming years as people become more interconnected through social media. Word of mouth relies fundamentally on people trusting you, as a medium of Word of Mouth, it’s basically about real people and when real people trust you and they love what you do, they are going to tell their friends. Delivering the best product in a category, providing great customer experience, and rewarding customer loyalty are all business actions that earns customer recommendations. Recommendations are important to marketers, because when a recommendation is earned it indicates preference from a customer, leads to purchase and a strong probability that the customer will tell others through word of mouth. The most effective word of mouth marketing follows five principals which are Credible, respectful, social, measurable and repeatable. Credible word of mouth is honest and authentic messages from brand to customers and from customers to customers. Respectable word of mouth is responsible and trustworthy behavior as it relates to privacy matters between brand and their consumers. Social word of mouth involves brand listening, participating, responding and engaging in conversations online and offline. Measurable word of mouth is the ability to evaluate, monitor and ... ...n an easy disclosure you’re basically free and clear. So how does a company go about building a kind of trust that would make Word of Mouth work well? First and foremost it depends on the company is the basic answer but this does require a couple fundamental and philosophical changes in how a company runs its business. They have to first stop doing things which are deceptive, treat customers well, realize that customer service is not an expense item and that customer service is the core of their Word of Mouth engine. Companies need to rethink why customers buy from them, which is simply because they are liked and so are their products. Being remarkable and earning respect is not achieved by making a bigger bottle, having a super sale or investing in a super bowl ad but to just gain a character that consumers adore and would like to tell the world about.

Effects of Child Abuse on Psychological Development :: Effects of Child Abuse on Behavior

Most people do not know how to cope with abused children. I became interested in this topic because when I was a teenager I had a friend who was abused by her stepfather and I didn’t know how to help her. I would like to know how children’s psychological development is affected, and how we can help these children cope with their misfortune. The most common effect is that maltreated children are, essentially, rejected. These destructive experiences impact on the developing child, increasing the risks for emotional, behavioral, social and physical problems throughout life. The purpose of this paper is to outline how these experiences may result in such increased risks by influencing the development of the child’s psychology. Psychological Development Child abuse is not a new problem. Each year in the United States alone, there are over three million children who are abused or neglected by their parents or caregivers. Many are brutally beaten and permanently injured. Child abuse has been a problem that has existed through out history and in recent years many researchers have begun dealing with this issue. There is a variation among researches on their approach to the topic. Child abuse is not only the mental or physical injury it is also sexual. These kinds of abuses harm the child’s mental and physical health. The emotional and psychological effects of maltreatment may be far more harmful to the well being of the child than the apparent physical injury. Many studies indicate that abused children are at increase risk of becoming like their parents and repeating the abusive pattern of child rearing to which they were exposed (national committee for prevention of child abuse 1983). Background Child abuse and neglect has recently become the focus of attention of all prevention centers and organizations for children care. Mistreatment of children has existed through history. Children are unable to protect themselves of physical abuse. They have been abandoned, terrorized, beaten, killed and sexual abused. A major portion of the literature of my review focused on child abuse has dealt with the personality characteristics of the abusive parent and the abused child rather than focus on the psychological damage sustained by the abused child. When we think of a â€Å"family† in a typical setting around the fireplace we may picture a beautiful and calm environment where everything is perfect. The reality here in this domestic tranquility is when we realize that the concept of â€Å"family† is the most frequent place of all types of violence (Gelles, 1979).

History of Jazz from 1970-1990 Essay

American jazz has been studied from many perspectives. The musical form itself, its origins and evolution, and the artistes who perform it have become subjects for a large body of scholarly and critical literature. Jazz is one of the oldest types of music, with origin since the 1400s. This essay focuses on jazz from 1970-1990, and on other aspects within the same period. Section I Since 1970, jazz music took a new direction from the previous one, which was characterized by wide experiments using new electric instruments. Major styles that were introduced include jazz fusion, pop fusion and jazz rock. Jazz fusion, can be defined as an art form that can be called jazz as it does not compromise the qualities of melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and formal considerations of the early masters, but seeks to develop them on new directions. (Jazz history timeline) On the other hand, pop fusion, can be defined as a simple dance style, with fewer improvised solos, in form of simple songs, a streamlined version of jazz fusion, which offers much less variety in rhythmic and harmonic structures. Don Ellis was one of the greatest performers of the time. He innovated bands and played the trumpet as well as other electric instruments successfully. Since he was constantly experimenting with different electric instruments, he was able to produce many albums; all completely different from one another. Don’s contribution to music was large. In the late 1960s, he studied Indian rhythms, creating the Hindu Orchestra, comprising of three string bases and three drummers. His band was composed of eight brasses, five woodwinds, and six rhythms were amongst the most successful bands of the period. He was an imaginative jazz lover, and his use of many instruments and electric devices are a testimony that he was a genius. (Jazz history timeline) Maynard Ferguson also played jazz-rock from1970 to 1990. He maintained this style until 1990, when he changed to the bop style. His contributions to famous soundtrack themes are legendary, an example being the main title theme from the T. V series â€Å"Star Trek. † At about the same time, Miles Davis started experimenting with electric instruments; he also played at the CBS studios. Robert Moog invented Moog synthesizer, causing a great sensation in New York. The Moog synthesizer was used in reproduction of music by the great Baroque masters before it was discovered by the jazz movement. One of the reasons why the music changed in the 1970s was because the free jazz movement of the 1960s had encouraged a more daring approach to instrumental innovations. This saw the innovations and experimentations with electric musical instruments in the early 1907s. This period also saw a diversity of opinions created within the jazz ranks, concerning the instruments. (Jazz resources) Electrified instruments offered fuzz phasers for guitars and basses, electric pianos and clavinets, as well as ring modulators and echoplexes for wind instruments. However, jazz musicians that were used to the acoustic instruments rejected these new electrical instruments, assuming that their electric effects were an interference with the natural talents that were inherent with acoustic musicians and instruments. Many musicians were lured to cross over and to compete with the jazz-rock performers, who were successful in producing and selling their music to a large number. In the 1980s, the emergence of modern key board technology produced a fragmented style, which had a great appeal on the masses. In many ways, it resembled the swing era in terms of popularity, and shared some of the characteristics. (Timeline of trends in music) Pop-fusion style became popular; it was a simple dance style, with fewer improvised solos, but in simple song form. It was a streamlined version of jazz fusion, as it offered much less variety in rhythmic and harmonic structures. Melodies were simple, and emphasized on repetitive vamps, highly dependent on the effects of the studio. It doesn’t maintain the musical intensity of the early jazz-fusion masters, such as Miles Davis and Chick Corea. However, credible jazz musicians who have continued to cross over and back again, to and from the mainstream tradition continue to play it. Studio technology, which includes overdubbing use of the Musical Instrument Digital Process with synthesizers and programmed samples from drum machines, characterize pop-fusion as in jazz-fusion. Pop-fusion was a synthesized style that is highly simplified musically with expended vamps and limited emphasis on improvisation. Vamps were used with little variation compared to fusion of the 1970s; however, Latin rhythms are a major influence. (Jazz history timeline) There is a major difference between pop-fusion and true jazz-fusion. This can be illustrated by the fact that most musicians who are hired on an individual basis report to the gig. Many times, they meet other musicians with whom they will play with for the first time. Trained jazz musicians know the basis jazz literature repertoire which comes from fake books. With knowledge of tunes, and basic chord interpretations they can play just about anything, and to the average listener, the band will sound like a group that has been together for a long time. However, a standard means of operation for musicians is to often create tunes on the spot through standard progressions, like the blues form, vamps or riffs. Many pop-fusion groups depend on their equipment for musical effects rather than on their own creativity, and thus often sound like simple jam sessions with a repetitive vamp, a standard bridge, and little variation. The harmonic progressions remain basically simple, with statistic melodies. There has not been much room for creativity within the infrastructure of the tune, nor does there appear to be ample opportunity for improvisation. The improvisations, like the vamps, are standard fare with clinched links and bass lines. Jazz fusion, on the other hand, usually presents a much higher standard, with extremely gifted sidemen. In this kind of music there is nowhere to hide. Much planning and rehearsal are usually obvious, because of the musical dimensions of the material. The compositions are generally much more involved, with intricate harmonic schemes, subtle rhythmic changes, and fresh melodies that demand an original and creative approach to improvisation. Section II  In the period between 1970 and 1980, there were changes in the industrial structure, labor power, and indicators of inequality were evident. The counties where the bargaining power of workers vis-a-vis their employers, was greater and counties with more favorable geographic locations in the national political economy did have better social economic conditions. Of the industrial sectors in America, the manufacturing sector experienced the relatively largest growth with the percentage of the employed labor force in this sector, expanding from 14% in 1970 to 16% in 1980. These employees provided sufficient labor to the industries, enabling the sector to improve and produce more goods, not only for sale in the American market, but also in the other markets. Most of the labor came from the poor families. It comprised of freed slaves, Hispanic immigrants, and the low class Americans. Peripheral employment decreased slightly, mainly due to declines in extractive, textiles, and apparel employment. In the late 1970s, there was an improvement in economic inequality, and hence poverty declined from 17% in 1970 to about 13% in 1980. At the same time, there was inequality between the whites, and the blacks. Several Acts had been passed in the 1970s to bring slave trade to an end. The war against slavery was almost over in 1980; blacks were not being discriminated as they were before. In the same period, cities like New York have already started developing. It attracted big crowds in jazz concerts. Hollywood was also catching up, due to the fact that most movie stars resided there and that most movie producers shot their movies in such cities. Kolchin) Although it is not always true, it does not seem reasonable to suppose that governing is easier when a country’s economy is growing in real terms, and its status and power abroad are in ascendant. Both applied in the case of the United States 1942 and 1965. Between 1965 and the 1980s, American International economic and foreign policy influence experienced relative decline. Since the early 1980s, this trend has continued, although there was something of a res pite in the late 1890s. There is no question that the management of the economy and the exercise of military and diplomatic power abroad were more likely to be difficult during periods of relative decline or when there is little consensus on management of the economy or on America’s role abroad. The Vietnam War was the first major demonstration of the limits to American military power, and it effectively broke President Lyndon Johnson, and led another, President Richard Nixon to commit a series of illegal acts, including the secret bombing of Cambodia and the unauthorized surveillance of opponents of the war. At the end of the period (1970-1990), the United States had improved communication and spread of government responsibilities, making the whole society much more centralized. Information started being disseminated by the four major television networks (NBS, CBS, ABC, and Fox), by the news services, and by the syndicated columns of major newspapers and cable TV networks. The introduction of network usage was another step that facilitated nationalization trends. Economically, the society became more centralized, with giant corporations providing the same goods and services uniformly throughout the country. The activities of the government were centralized, and Washington increasingly became the focus of political activity. The state and the local government became more interdependent with the federal government in the same period. This also applied to corporations, small businesses and almost all those interests in society affected by federal government spending, regulation and arbitration. Among the Mexican Americans, Mexican folk customs and practices existed both inside and outside of the immigrant families. Traditional folk songs and music from their homeland served as popular forms of entertainment. Family celebrations usually included some form of musical entertainment. Some families afforded to hire a small group of musicians, who played a variety of musical styles, including jazz. Religion played a key role in the life of the Mexican Americans. A majority of the Mexican immigrants were Catholics, but blended specific cultural practices with the traditional catholic beliefs and rituals. At the level of every citizen, the church exerted a tremendous force by shaping every aspect of society from birth to death. Their deep relationships with each other and their deep faith in Catholicism was a way to comfort themselves due to the sufferings most of them faced with the authorities. Family gatherings in the backyard, Neighborhood Park, or at some other location for a celebration usually included story telling. As another immigrant communities, the oral tradition provided immigrants with a connection to their homelands. Their oral literature included Mexican tales called â€Å"cuentos†, legends, and children’s stories. Ghost stories were also popular and included a moral lesson at the end. Escamilla and Kathy) The more time the Mexican Americans spent in the United States, the more they began to make some degree of transition to speak English. For most Mexicans, those who came during the first major wave of immigration, and those who arrived recently, the acquisition of English often originated with the development of code-switching, a process through which a person uses their primary language, in this case, Spanish, with a sprinkling of English words. Mexican immigrants often changed certain English words to â€Å"sound like† a Spanish language version. English words like â€Å"market† and â€Å"sweater† were changed to â€Å"marqueta† and â€Å"suera† respectively. However, the Mexican immigrants from middle or upper class are less likely to use words such as these. In addition, to using an intermingling of Spanish and English and hybrid English-Spanish words, another common practice among Mexican Americans is involves the usage of grammatically incorrect Spanish. Mexican Americans show clear signs of linguistic and cultural assimilation over generations, tough it is gradual. (Mexican American history) Section III In 1970s, there was a major shift in the American societal and cultural values. Despite the great evolutions that were happening to the music, the concert band connection to American history diminished significantly outside of educational settings. Fewer television and broadcasts of concert bands were aired to the point where television broadcasts ceased altogether. Popular stars of the American popular culture had either started dying or losing their popularity, and being replaced by folk artistes, R&B singers, and rock bands. As a musician, my professional life would revolve around efforts to compose songs that would be competitive enough to attract enormous crowds. Making collaborations with famous musicians would also be a good way to market myself. I could also ask good song writers to write good songs, with the aim of attracting huge crowds and making more fans. Since some of the most famous musicians had stopped singing due to old age, the 1970s would have been a great time to make an impression to the jazz lovers. Marketing would also be an important aspect, although the radio and television stations were not be relied upon satisfactorily in the early 70s. However, in the late 1970, an appearance of rock artistes dominated television, radio, record sales, and therefore the American consciousness. American musicians were faced with a new reality. Marketing strategies that promoted these new stars changed too. As people moved from the cities to the suburbs, urban culture, including fine arts events, their venues, and audiences were siphoned away to the suburbs for convenience sake. As a musician, keeping up with the changes in the music industry would have been an important thing to do. I would come up with new and innovative ways to market my self, just as the other musicians. Since most people were moving to the rural areas, holding concerts at places where fans could assemble would be a great way to get attention from the crowds. As this period was characterized with revolutionalising music, it would also have been important to change or to evolve my music, to match the likes of the people at the time. (The history of jazz music) Section IV Through studying the history of jazz, I have learnt that every music genre undergoes evolution.  I’ve learnt that the social history of jazz involves two interrelated, yet analytically separable phenomena. One is the external dynamic, in which the development of jazz has been shaped and even contained by the larger world of entertainment. The tendency toward discrimination in studio hiring practices is an example of containment. In this sense, jazz is music shaped and molded by the mass media, in particular the worlds of radio broadcasting and phonograph record studio. Nowadays, Most Americans first hear something called jazz on a record or over the radio. While it is true that what they hear is probably not ‘pure’ jazz, it is a modified version of the real thing. (History of Jazz) Since the production of records and radio broadcasting is motivated by the desire for profit, the most widely disseminated jazz is closer to ‘easy listening’ and to rock than to modern chamber music. I have also learnt of some of the factors affecting or constraining the development of jazz music, and the musicians who play it, some of them are large scale, global, while others are small scale. Jazz musicians, like everyone else, have to make a living. While they are doing that, they are expected to extend and re-create the form itself. But there is the risk involved in attempting to create art in a popular context, the risk of losing one’s audience if the music goes beyond what the audience understands. This sets up a tension between the acts of performance and act of recreation. This tension is more evident in jazz, because it is the kind of music where creation or composition usually occurs during performance. I love listening to rock music, and through this course, I have learnt that it has gone through several transitions. Some of the styles that were used in the early seventies are being used today. The course has enabled me to notice the similarities in the dancing styles, similar ways of composing and the dressing mode of rockstars of today and those of the past. Nowadays, some rock stars prefer using black and white pictures on their music videos, just as it was in the past, although that was due to the absence of color TVs. Generally, I would say that studying jazz has been an eye-opener; that even when listening to music, I should be keen to notice small details, such as its evolution.