ConocoPhillips Internal Business Analysis Essay

ConocoPhillips Internal Business Analysis - Essay Example ConocoPhillips Corporation was founded in 1875 as Continental Oil and Transportation Co. which at that time was one of the first Petroleum makers (ConocoPhillips, 2007). The company has grown a lot in 132 years and in 2006 it had annual sales of over $188 billion, operates in over 40 countries and employees nearly 38,000 people. It is a publicly traded fortune 500 company that has achieved tremendous growth during the 21st century. Its main line of business includes petroleum production and refining, natural gas, chemicals and plastics. The company is recognized worldwide for its technological expertise, deepwater exploration and production, reservoir management and exploitation, 3D seismic technology, high-grade petroleum coke upgrading and sulfur removal (ConocoPhillips, 2007). The company has a very strong crude oil, natural gases and liquid gases operation. It is its strongest line of business. In 2006 the company produced 976,000 barrel of crude oil per day (DB), 4.97 billion cubic feet of gas per day (BCFC), and 136,000 DB of gas liquids daily (Annual Report, 2007). The company has a competitive advantage in this market because they control all sides of the supply chain. They explore, produce, refine, distribute and market the product. They have great logistics which is helped by its physical presence in 40 nations. They own 69.5 million net developed and underdeveloped acres of land in 23 countries for production and exploration purposes (Annual Report, 2007). ConocoPhillips Corporation extended its market share in the natural gases market by acquiring Burlington Resources. The move was also extremely beneficial because it allowed the company to gain access to life-long reserve of natural gases in the North American market. The company has some weakness and faces certain threats related to industry conditions. As a publicly traded company ConocoPhillips Corporation has lost access to direct foreign investments funds

St. Augustines Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

St. Augustines Political Philosophy Essay St. Augustine is a fourth century philosopher whose groundbreaking philosophy infused Christian doctrine with Neoplatonism. He is famous for being an inimitable Catholic theologian and for his agnostic contributions to Western philosophy. He argues that skeptics have no basis for claiming to know that there is no knowledge. In a proof for existence similar to one later made famous by Rene Descartes, Augustine says, â€Å"[Even] If I am mistaken, I am. † He is the first Western philosopher to promote what has come to be called â€Å"the argument by analogy† against solipsism: there are bodies external to mine that behave as I behave and that appear to be nourished as mine is nourished; so, by analogy, I am justified in believing that these bodies have a similar mental life to mine. Augustine believes reason to be a uniquely human cognitive capacity that comprehends deductive truths and logical necessity. Additionally, Augustine adopts a subjective view of time and says that time is nothing in reality but exists only in the human mind’s apprehension of reality. He believes that time is not infinite because God â€Å"created† it. Augustine tries to reconcile his beliefs about freewill, especially the belief that humans are morally responsible for their actions, with his belief that one’s life is predestined. Though initially optimistic about the ability of humans to behave morally, at the end he is pessimistic, and thinks that original sin makes human moral behavior nearly impossible: if it were not for the rare appearance of an accidental and undeserved Grace of God, humans could not be moral. Augustine’s theological discussion of freewill is relevant to a non-religious discussion regardless of the religious-specific language he uses; one can switch Augustine’s â€Å"omnipotent being† and â€Å"original sin† explanation of predestination for the present day â€Å"biology† explanation of predestination; the latter tendency is apparent in modern slogans such as â€Å"biology is destiny. †

Importance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies

Importance of Culturally Appropriate Health Policies Bernard F. Richards Explain the importance of culturally appropriate health policies. Lederach (1995) defines culture as â€Å"the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them (p. 9). Damen (1987) notes that culture can be defined as â€Å"learned and shared human patterns or models for living day-to-day living patterns and include thoughts, styles of communicating, and ways of interacting†. This incorporates sociocultural factors such as race and ethnicity, nationality, language, gender, sexual orientation among others. The WHO (2014) notes that â€Å"health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society. An explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future which in turn helps to establish targets and points of reference for the short and medium term. It outlines priorities and the expected roles of different groups; and it builds consensus and informs people.† It is a truism that a community or society is a complex construct with individuals who can be hurt, who have varying needs and respond differently to any intervention initiative. This signals the need for health policies to be crafted in a culturally appropriate manner in order to impact individuals and his community. Studies have shown that culturally-appropriate health policies produce valuable results and assist in driving the accuracy of diagnosis, improve the likelihood of acceptance and adherence to the recommendations made and could possibly prevent or minimize the inappropriate use of health care facilities like clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centers. Experts have concluded that a modifications in health care delivering systems that are culturally oriented will promote quality improvement and should be applied at all levels of planning and execution. It is also suggested that a culturally appropriate health policy will have the effect of assisting in the reduction of any racial, ethnic or social health disparities. In this regard, effective communication must be an important consideration. In order for any policy to effective they must be enunciated and disseminated in a clear, simple and precise manner. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (2010) notes that an operational plan moves a static prevention policy from being mere words written on a piece of paper into an effective and affective construct ready for action. Cultural appropriate health policies speak to the affective and contemplate the ability of systems to deliver patient care to a population or society having diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors and eliminating any disparities in health care. Although policies that improve the quality of care have both direct and indirect cost they can be used to improve quality and improve behavior at the level of the individual. It is also known that a society where the population is healthy has a higher propensity to generate wealth and wellbeing. Explain how one can develop a policy so that it gets the support of the community. Public health agencies worldwide are engaged in formulating policies and developing strategies to promote health within populations. Population health begins at the community level where smaller sub-groups can be targeted and engaged. However, to effectively execute strategies, support from stakeholders, including the community, is pivotal. An important consideration then is how promote the view of the strategy being ‘our policy’ rather than that from an outside, disconnected entity. Before formulating the policy, a thorough research of community dynamics is important. Campbell (2010) explains that anthropology is vital to public health practice. Such research provides information which will fuel the understanding of a community’s cultural beliefs and ideology regarding health related issues and practices (pgs. 76-77). Knowledge of community beliefs and practices can better guide policy makers in formulating health interventions that will be more accepted and supported by community stakeholders. According to Pittet (2001), a major factor contributing to change resistance and compliance is ignorance. People are more likely to accept something they have been involved in and can associate with. Stakeholders should be educated as to the health problem that exists in the community and why change is necessary. Involvement from these grass root stages will promote greater acceptance policy as community members will see that addressing the problem is the responsibility of individuals and the community as a whole. Resistance is possible at any stage of the change process. Therefore, open and continuous communication should be fostered with the community. Rabinowitz (2014) purports that fostering community support for health policy is a continuous process. New information at every stage, from formulation to implementation, should be shared with the community. Additionally, community stakeholders should be actively involved in the specific health interventions governed by the policy. Additionally, publicly lauding the successes of the interventions will draw further support from even sectors that initially against the program. Explain how you might engage the community to be part of the voice when developing a policy Health policy comprises methods put in place by health agencies to promote a particular health outcome (Cherry Trotter Betts, 2005). The health care system consists of a number of forces acting to impact the system for their interest. These forces include political entities as well as private and public sector groups that have the capacity to impact the health care system and influence the health policy-making process. Policy specialists advocate that political interface occur when individuals participate in the decision making process and cooperate in actions to improve said process. Mention must be made of the numerous stakeholders who have an interest the outcome of a health care policy who employ different means of activism to shape the health system. Public policy is described as a governmental act which embodies a response to health needs. According to Gregory, Hartz-Karp and Watson (2008), community engagement is a process whereby the community is involved in all stages of policy planning and formulation. With respect to health policies, community engagement implies fostering participation with community members in the development and execution of policies that will affect community health. Factors included comprise health service delivery, budgetary allocation, and wider issues affecting the health system. The community contributes meaningful and valuable input in any health related strategy. Therefore, effective collaboration with these stakeholders will serve as a major driving force behind any policy aimed at positively influencing health. The process of community engagement requires strategic actions at several levels. These levels include information gathering, education, discussion and partnership. To effectively put in place policies to counteract sources of ill-health in a community, it is important to first uncover what health issues exist. Coulter (2009) explains that health needs assessment is a methodical technique by which the health issues affecting a population are uncovered. This facilitates consensus as to the priorities that exist which will gear the allocation of resources (p. 11). This is usually one of the first steps in health planning and community engagement and facilitates formulation and application of steps to counteract such inequalities. Knowledge equips one with the necessary information to fuel informed action. Furthermore, active dialogue with community representatives will inevitably foster cooperation. Practical ways to secure the informed participation of the various groupings of a population being served is through small groups interactive talks, church promotion and school base interactions, spot meetings and though the development of literature and health education materials which reflect their level of health literacy and cultural norms. In developing a policy that gets the support of the community it is necessary to engage community representatives in the planning meetings whether as part of a swat or focus group or even formally as board members. This ensures ‘buy in’ by those they represent since they will have a voice at the formulation stage of the policy process. Engagement should endeavor to uncover what will work in the best interest of the jurisdiction being targeted, aid in the achievement of the stated policy, assess what resources are needed, how those resources should be allocated and utilized in the implementation of the policy, fairness and equity and effectively how the policy reflect the values of society. When all these elements are factored in the process then the much anticipated shared value can be a reality. It has also been noted by researchers that increasingly the population of society has become very diverse and experience huge disparities in health. As we grapple with the severe differences in race, gender, ethnicity, and negative experience in the socioeconomic status of the world community research shows that health policies affect the health behavior of individuals, their socioeconomic standing and their work environment. Health policies therefore must be carefully planned, implemented and evaluated. They must also be inclusive and seek the involvement of stakeholders. The DHHS (2010) discloses that the U.S. health expenditure is by far more than for any other nation however, this has not demonstrated superior results. Analysts have suggested that one of the possible reasons for this unfavorable outcome might be a failure to actively involve the population in strategic planning and execution. It can be concluded that in order to develop a policy that gets the support of the community the overarching principle is a merging of the efforts of policy makers and the community individuals who must regard the policy as relevant to their needs and are able to see the benefits they offer. References Campbell, D. (2010). Anthropology’s contribution to public health policy development. MJM, 13(1), 76-83. Cherry, B. Trotter Betts, V. (2005). Health policy and politics: Get involved! In B. Cherry S. Jacobs (Eds.) Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends management (pp.211-233). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Inc. Coulter, A. (2009). Engaging communities for health improvement: A scoping study for the Health Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.health.org.uk/public/cms/75/76/313/597/Engaging communities for health improvement.pdf?realName=788l5U.pdf Damen, L. (1987). Culture Learning: The fifth dimension on the language classroom. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Department of Health and Human Services (2010). Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health, 2nd ed. Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office. Gregory, J., Hartz-Karp, J. Watson, R. (2008). Using deliberative techniques to engage the community in policy development. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 5(16), doi:10.1186/1743-8462-5-16 Lederach, J.P. (1995). Preparing for peace: Conflict transformation across cultures. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. Pittet, D. (2001). Improving adherence to hand hygiene practice: A multidisciplinary approach. Emerg Infect Dis, 7(2), doi:10.3201/eid0702.700234. Rabinowitz, P. (2014). Gaining public support for addressing community health and development issues. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/getting-issues-on-the-public-agenda/gain-public-support/main. World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Health policy. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/health_policy/en/

A Painful Lesson in Staying Calm :: Personal Narrative Writing

A Painful Lesson in Staying Calm Oh boy, was I ever furious! I was cursing up a storm! â€Å"Damn ball! Where the hell did it think it was going? Who the hell ever let me learn how to golf? They obviously were one damn stupid bastard to think I could ever golf!† I briskly stormed away from the tee-box, enraged that my ball was completely out of control as it had flown through the air a few minutes earlier. â€Å"Just go damnit! Hit your fricken ball!† I sounded like a small pathetic child yelling at her mother because she had not gotten her way in an argument as I screamed angrily at my brother who was now standing on the tee-box ready to send his ball to the ends of the earth. As I turned around to begin the journey towards my hopeless shot, disregarding the obvious mistake I was making, it hit me. The pressure from the sudden unexpected impact on the tip of my left elbow shot through my entire body quickly and painfully. The pain shot from my elbow, through my arm, down through my legs, then back up to my other arm, and finally to my head. The pain was strong and sharp. It felt as though I had fallen on an electric cattle fence, and it had given me one strong electrical shock that overtook my whole body with pain for a split second. In that split second I saw the world a little differently. I felt as though I had been shot. My mind paused and took a photograph of the view in front of me. I was only able to take one quick vivid photograph in my mind though because it all happened so quickly. The shimmering green grass was blinding my eyes as the strong rays of sunlight beamed down upon the fairway. There was a little gully about fifteen feet from me where there was tall grass that looked like pieces of green and brown string sticking out of the ground. A little patch of grass was missing by the gully to reveal a small sparkling creek that flowed rapidly. There was no wind to blow the strings, so they sat there motionless. I saw the bright green leaves of the trees that were almost completely surrounding me.

BE Reading

This involves creating the opportunity, space and time needed to think about practice and the appropriate action emerging from a reflective thinking process. We argue that being a ‘thoughtful agent' alls requires a deeper understanding of self and of the nature of personal engagement with ongoing reflective activity. This approach enables restrictions to question the ‘paradigms in which one is operating' (Peters and Vandenberg, 2011 : 63) and to be responsive to the need for change and quality improvement in relation to the specific needs of spellbinder, families and settings. Consequently, it requires an understanding of what we mean by being a reflective practitioner, including understanding the terminology we use and the interpretation we apply throughout this chapter.Table 4. 1 explains how we use the terminology that surrounds reflective practice in this chapter. Reflective practice has been identified by educators as beneficial for quality improvement (Arises and Ch on, 1978; Bout et al. , 1985; Brookfield, 1987; Broadband and McGill, 2007). It has been described as a generic term for ‘those intellectual and affective activities in which individuals engage to explore their experiences in order to lee ad to new understandings and appreciation' (Bout et al. , 1985: 19). In addition, reflection has the capacity to create ‘alternative and more productive ways of organizing the workplace' (Brookfield, 1987: 14).Together these two statements indicate that examining our actions and activities, both at a cognitive and an emotional level, can help restrictions to think and learn from experience in order to improve practice. Such reflective activity can also be creative, offering different, new and more effective ways of organizing things, whether applied when working with children or colleagues or to the way we organism the environment. Expressed simply, the core principles Of reflective practice involve reflective thinking and learning, whi ch are used to inform decisions and actions in practice, and by implication, improve quality. A number of ‘models' have evolved to support reflective thinking and practice. Many of these, such as Kola's (1984) model of experiential learning,Ghee and Ghee's (1998) ‘reflection-on-practice' and Brookfield (1995) ‘lenses', have the clear purpose of supporting critical thinking about experience and using what is learnt from this process 60 to inform future actions. In addition Ghee (2011: 28) draws on the work of Bandmaster (1991 ) and asks us to see reflection as a mainstreaming process that includes the satisfaction of four personal needs of purpose, value, efficacy and self-worth'. However, while many recognize the role of self- reflection and the influence of a range of personal ‘drivers', they do not serially encourage practitioners to understand, take ownership or utilities the unique nature Of their reflective activity.Ownership draws on a range Of personal factors, such as heritage, disposition, skills and understanding. A deeper level of engagement with reflective activity also requires understanding and appreciation of personal potential. Self-awareness can support reflective practice that is personally meaningful and therefore more likely TA produce the energy and drive necessary to make significant differences in terms of quality. This perspective includes recognition and acceptance of unique ways of being reflective and how this is supported by an individual's specific professional qualities. Such an approach values different ways of engaging with reflective activity and professes no single model or particular professional context.It also supports the development of reflexive practitioners who question ‘taken for granted beliefs' and develop an ‘understanding that knowledge is contestable' (Peters and Vanderbilt, 201 1: 63). Peters and Vanderbilt argue that such reflexivity supports a focus on ‘doing the right things rather than doing things right', a key principle hat we believe underpins the process of improving quality. An individual's reflective activity often takes place within dynamic and changeable socio- cultural context, which shapes the processes, responses and individuals involved. While the core values and principles of an individual al may remain constant and be articulated and understood as a basis for reflective activity, there are many ways of responding to issues according TA context.Developing as a reflective practitioner means being someone who is able to act in ways that make a qualitative difference and it requires an understanding of the current socio-cultural context and how this affects the nature Of professional responses. Brotherliness's (1986) ecological model may help us to explore this concept of socio-cultural influence on reflective identity and practice. According to Frontbencher an individual's development is affected by a series of environmental influence s: the ‘mortises' of family, school, or neighborhood; the ‘ecosystem' of a town, local policy, or economic influences; and the ‘Microsystems' of cultural influences, national policy, or pervading ideology.A practitioner's reflective reactive may likewise be influenced by colleagues, peers, managers and parents at a setting; who in turn may be influenced by local quality improvement policy, REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 15 THE KEY TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT 61 risk awareness, and economic status; and overall this is influenced by central government policy and perhaps the perceived ‘culture' of the type of setting. Therefore practitioners may subtly shift in perceived identity and consequent reflective responses according to the social and environmental situation in which they find themselves. The ability to engage positively and constructively thin a changing professional landscape is supported by an individual's understanding of both that landscape and what is possible wit hin a particular situation in terms of their personal responses and qualities.Just as external socio-cultural spheres influence responses, the reflective activity by an individual may influence future qua a lit y improvement in others because the practitioner is an ‘active' agent within their professional context. Recognizing and valuing the impact of this agency may offer an opportunity for reflective practice to be a ‘means of empowerment, leading to change at the individual ND societal level' (Cable and Miller, 2008: 173). Developing a strong sense of one's own identity as a reflective practitioner can have a significant impact on both individual and collective confidence to engage in reflective activity as a means of improving quality.Reflective practice as a ‘way of being' Understanding reflective practice as a ;way of being' that is owned and experienced by a practitioner encourages the development of an individual as a ‘reflective professional practiti oner rather than as a technician' (Moss, 2008: xiii). This allows for the identification of different ways of engaging within a recess. A ‘technician' may go through' the motions of making changes in practice by following a prescribed model of reflective practice. However, it IS essential for a ‘reflective professional practitioner' to emotionally and intellectually ‘own' the process (Moss, 2008: xiii). Ownership means acknowledging that reflective practice can include the use of deeply embedded intuitive ‘reflex responses' and ‘ways Of knowing' (Atkinson and Clayton, 2000: 2).Atkinson and Clayton argue that we should value ‘other forms of reflection' that do not focus solely on reason and articulation; rather, unconscious insight draws on the whole of what has been known'; the enormity and complexity of which cannot always be articulated (2000: 5). Encouraging practitioners to use their full range of personal resources within reflective activity is essential. It is possible that compliance with a prescribed ‘model' limits reflective potential by indicating one preferred way of proceeding towards 62 reflection, or even towards quality improvement. We would suggest that without alternatives, such reliance on an external ‘expert' model may leave practitioners feeling De-skilled and disemboweled. Recognition of reflective practice as unique to individuals celebrates difference, recognizes personal development and is therefore inclusive.Enabling practitioners to utilities their full range of personal resources within reflective activity requires a critical view of what is involved. There is a view that intuitive forms of knowledge and ‘ways of knowing' have been unjustly ignored in our rational technical world (Atkinson and Clayton, 2000). For Atkinson and Clayton intuitive and ‘tacit' forms of knowledge in practice are of equal value and should be equally validated and respected. They even argue that the re are times when we can ‘think too much' in rationalizing processes when we should rely on a more instinctive way of being. This suggests that there is a form of professional reflection that is much more intuitive and instinctive and relies on the inner resources of a practitioner.We see this as important in the context of developing early years practice, which requires an understanding of many complex issues. Kernel and Sheep (2010) suggest that reflective intuition should be respected as a ‘way of knowing' that is particularly useful in dealing with complexity. Intuitive reflective practice respects and releases inner qualities and understandings, which inform actions taken to improve quality in practice. Many models of reflective practice represent what seems to be a relatively simple process. Investigation into the nature of a practitioner's ‘real life' participation in reflective practice reveals a complex array of professional qualities applied and synthesiz ed in different ways at different times according to the situation.Understanding the coming together of the individual al and context offers a way of understanding reflective activity from a deeply arsenal perspective. Through a process of making ‘human sense' (Donaldson, 1987) of one's own reflective activity, practitioners Gin evaluate the ways and extent to which they make changes for the better in all aspects of life. Personalized reflective activity that becomes a positive experience and rewards aspects of self is more likely to become a disposition or ‘habitat mind' (Arnold, 2003), owned by the individual. Practitioners who understand the nature of their own engagement in reflective practice are more likely to be . Emotionally as well as intellectually involved in the process.

Augustus Essays - Julio-Claudian Dynasty, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa

Augustus Essays - Julio-Claudian Dynasty, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Augustus Augustus Gaius Julius Octavius Augustus was born plain Gaius Octavius at Rome on September 23rd. His father was the first in the family to become senator, but died when Octavian was only four years old. It was his mother who had the more distinguished connection. She was the daughter of Julia, sister to Julius Caesar. He was short in Stature, and well proportioned. His body however was covered in spots and he had many birthmarks scattered over his chest and belly. As for character it is said that he was cruel when he was young, but became better when he good older. He was tolerant of criticism and possessed a good sense of humor. Although unfaithful to his wife Livia Drusilla, he remained deeply devoted to her. His public moral attitudes were strict. Octavian served under Julius Caesar in the Spanish expedition of 46 BC. It was possible that he designated to take a senior military command in Caesar's projected Parthian expedition of 44 BC, although at the time he was only 18 years old. But Octavian was with his friends Marcus Agrippa and Marcus Salvidienus Rufus in Appollonia in Epirus completing his academic and military studies, when news reached him of Caesar's assassination. He at once returned to Rome. He learned on the way that Caesar had adopted him in his will. The news sharpened his resolve to avenge Caesar's murder. When he arrived he found power in the hands of Marc Antony and Aemilius Lepidus, who were urging compromise and amnesty. Octavian refused to accept this, and succeeded in undermining Antony's position by winning over many of Caesar's supporters, including some of the legions. He was failed to persuade Marc Antony to hand over Caesar's assets and documents. Octavian was compelled to distribute Caesar's legacies to the Roman public from whatever funds he was able to raise from other sources. This no doubt raised his standing with the Roman's considerably. Octavian's own standing had been heightened by the deification of Julius Caesar. No longer addressed as Octavian but as Caesar he would now also style himself as son of god. Augustus was one of the most talented, energetic and skillful administrators that the world has ever known. The work of reorganization and rehabilitation which he undertook in every branch of his vast empire created a new Roman peace. He won genuine popular support by hosting games, erecting new buildings, and by other measures to the general good. He understood that his personal standing and security would be strengthened by governing in the public interest. Augustus was no great military leader, but had the good sense to recognize the fact. Mainly he relied on his faithful friend Agrippa to do the fighting for him. Agter Actium, Augustus took personal lead in only one campaign, the Cantabrian War of 26-25 BC in Spain. Even there it was one of his generals who brought the war to a successful conclusion. Augustus' reign was more successful that he ever could of imagined. He lived long enough to make his family seem the natural rulers in the eyes of the Roman's. Though to insure that the power should pass down to an heir of his proved difficult. Save for a premature baby his marriage to Livia produced no children. Augustus did have a daughter, Julia, from a previous marriage to Scribonia. His plans focused on Julia's husband and children. In 25 BC Augustus married Julia to Marcellus, the son of his sister Ovtavia, but when Augustus believed himself dying in 23 BC he passed his signet rings not to Marcellus, but to Agrippa. On Augustus' recovery there were all the signs of an impending power to struggle between Marcellus and Agrippa. Marcellus soon fell ill and died. This left Agrippa the obvious candidate to be teh emperor's heir. In 21 BC had him divorced his existing wife and marry the widowed Julia. Agrippa was 25 years her senior, but the marriage produced three sons and twon daughters. Augustus adopted the sons Gaius and Lucius of the Marriage as his own. Agrippa died in 12 BC, leaving Julia widowed once again. Augustus without a guardian. Augustus considered his wife Livia's two adult sons from her previous marriage. Augustus obliged Tiberius, the elder of the two, to

Babe Ruth the Legend essays

Babe Ruth the Legend essays Babe Ruth was born on February 16th, 1895 and died on August 16th, 1948. He loved baseball very much and it all started in Baltimore, Maryland. This is his story! Babe Ruth lived in Baltimore, Maryland. It was very rough for him, because he lived on the streets. His parents did not have a lot of money and they often neglected him, which is why his home was in the streets of Baltimore. He went to St. Marys Industrial School for boys. This school was located in Baltimore, Maryland. His education was both bad and good, but the food in the cafeteria was what really pleased Babe Ruth when he was young. It was not like the food on the streets it tasted much better. Babe was always very generous to his friends. Everyday they would go to the snack place with their earned cash to get treats to eat. Babes failure was in school. He was not a very good student, because his grades were very low and he lacked concentration in class. Many of the kids teased him because he was always so far behind them in learning in school. As Babe grew older he discovered baseball and became really good at it. He soon became known as the Best Home Run Hitter in Baseball. He hit sixty home runs in one year. Once he became a home run champ, known throughout the USA, many people wanted to be his friend. He was now famous. I admire Babe Ruth of his home run fame and for the reasons as follows. So, please listen up? When Babe Ruth was at St. Marys Industrial School, he discovered he was good at one thing, Baseball. Babe became one of the best baseball players there. He loved baseball and he worked very hard at hitting the ball very far. When he grew up an amazing thing happened. He was picked to play professional baseball. He even went to the World Series, where he hit three home runs. The seats in the stadium were full and there were people even stand ...

Building Your Own Yurt Essays

Building Your Own Yurt Essays Building Your Own Yurt Paper Building Your Own Yurt Paper For someone who likes to go camping, learning to build a yurt can be an enjoyable experience. A yurt is a circular tent that nomads used as homes. It originated from the East, yurt being a Turkish word meaning a dwelling place. However, the yurt that is more popular now is actually the Mongolian ger, but both are referred to by the term yurt. Although yurts are now commercially available, they can be quite expensive. Instead of buying a yurt, an individual can just make his own instead. All that one needs are the materials, some basic carpentry and sewing skills, and time. Making ones own yurt costs less and will enable the owner to customize his yurt. Yurts have been preferred by campers for many reasons, including its durability and its capacity to accommodate a group of persons or families. A yurt can typically last a lifetime, and only its canvas covers needed to be changed after 2-3 years of regular use, being exposed to harsh environmental elements. Further the wooden latticework that serves as its frame makes it more stable than a regular tent, enabling it to withstand strong winds, rains and storms, even snow. Also, it provides more space, each yurt typically has an average of ten feet in diameter space within. Yurts are also easy to assemble, and if needed to be relocated one does not have to take it apart. Instead, a couple of people can transfer it to another place. It is also fairly easy to store and carry around. After all, nomadic people were able to lug it around with them wherever they went. To build ones own yurt, a person must first have an idea of how big he wants it to be. The yurt is sturdy because of its structure: all the components are entwined and are designed to keep standing even when a section gets destroyed. The dimensions, length and width of the materials need to be measured and predetermined exactly. The yurt has two main components: the wooden framework, and the canvas cover. The wooden frame has the following parts: the latticework walls called khana, the crown or toono, central supporting columns or bagana, roof poles called uni, and if one wants, a door. The cover is made traditionally from felt, but nowadays waterproof canvas is used. There are many books being sold and guides available in the internet on how to make ones own yurt, this paper will just outline the basic processes needed to construct one. The first step in making a yurt is to build the base, or the lattice framework. First, get the wooden rods and make and drill 3. 5mm holes nine inches apart, leaving two inches at one end and four at the other. Take 24 rods and tie them together by knotting a string at one end and passing the string through two corresponding holes. Remember to align all the top rods towards one direction, for example, to the left, and all the rods below to the right. Finish the ends using shorter length of rods, saw off the rods as needed. Then take another 24 rods and make another khana. For the door, saw the wood into two upright 1. 5-3 in diameter and 4 feet long, tapered at each end to fit into 1 holes drilled into the top and bottom of the frame. The top and bottom of the frame should be about 3 in diameter and 25 long, with the ends drilled for the tapered poles. The crown consists of a wooden wheel with hub and spokes. Drill 32 holes at the rim to take in the roof poles. Draw a 76 cm in diameter circle, and inside this draw another with a 60 cm diameter. Divide the circles into quarters, and cut out the quarters. Glue and clamp together the sections to complete the wheel, and for extra strength drill two holes through each section and secure with screws. Then drill 32 holes at the rim at an angle pointing upwards at the crown. To make the crown center cut out eight spokes of 38mm square timber 33cm long. Cut out another circle, to put the spokes into, drill holes, screw and glue the spokes to the rim and to the center. For the roof, take 32 1. 5m long poles. Drill 3. 5mm holes 25mm apart at one end, and pass a string through to form a loop that fits over a pole of the khana. The other end should fit into the holes of the crown. For the cover, make sure there is ample space to spread and sew the canvas. Measure the length of the khana and the roof, as this will determine the length of the canvas covering. For the roof, cut out 7 big sections of canvas enough to cover the roof. Take one section and cut into two, so as not to cover the crown. Stitch the hems of the sections before stitching them together. Make sure that the upper sections overlaps the lower one to ensure water to flow smoother when it rains. In the same way, cut two pieces of canvas enough to cover the whole circumference of the walls, with the height and length at least three feet longer to allow for shrinkage. Sew the two widths together, making sure that the top sheet overlaps the other by at least an inch to allow water to run off easily. Sew 1. 5 hems at the bottom and at the ends of the canvas. Fit the grommets to the hems, corresponding the grommets to the intersections at the top of the khana. Tie a string and make a loop through each grommet big enough to fit over the top of the poles. Finally, tie a 1m string to each of the grommets at the end. Lastly, take a piece of canvas as long as the two khana and 20cm wide. Sew hems at both sides and both ends. Fit two grommets at each corner of the canvass ends, and tie a piece of rope to make a loop. Tie a 1m rope to each loop. This is the tension band that will be used to hold the roof poles in place. To set up the yurt, unfold the two khana sections and set them upright in a circle. Tie the band on top of the walls. Get somebody to hold the crown at the center of the yurt, and then proceed to fit the string loop of each roof pole over the top of the wall pole and into the holes of the crown. Tie the band tightly around the entire yurt especially where the wall and roof poles meet. Pull the crown down hard to ensure that everything are securely set. Put up the khana cover, followed by tying down the roof cover with rope passing through the grommets. Tuck the hems, and fit the door. The entire process of making ones own yurt may take more than a few days to a week depending on the available time one has. However, once the yurt is built, it can be used and re-used, and can last a lifetime. Indeed, it can serve as a portable home to anyone who takes the time to build one, with all the work and effort that is put into creating a yurt. The best part is, anybody can make a yurt, and can ask family to help them build it so that they can enjoy it and the unique experience it offers with the outdoors sooner together .

Mediation paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mediation paper - Essay Example emerge from two sources, either as of emerging from the light or as of going into the light.† Photography with photographs are instruments which allow us go into light as well as come out of light. Susan Sontag says that In Plato’s Cave, â€Å"photographs furnish evidence,† therefore, in that manner, they serve as evidence that somebody has moved out there and observed the planet. Pictures cannot get captured devoid of considering the planet, whether by means of your vision or by camera lens. Nevertheless, simultaneously, photography takes as away from an occasion, prevents us from actually getting into conduct with it, and furthermore thus turning the images into â€Å"shadows of each other.† Sontag suggests that â€Å"a camera’s representation of realism should at all times conceal too much than it reveals,† every person takes their own distinctive viewpoint into the understanding of any painting. Photographs frequently uphold a vacuum of anonymity if they are not followed by narration. Hence, intention of the photographer can get lost inside the predetermined viewpoints that each spectator puts into consideration if understanding an image. Additionally, rigid photographers may attempt to reveal actuality; each minute choice they create twists the snap in their understanding of the earth. According to Sontag, â€Å"photographs are to a great extent world interpretations like works of art and drawings† (Sontag 6). Within one such snap, with both its preconceptions along with my exceptional elucidation of it, a youngster is starting at a police officer in the company of a smiling face. The police officer leans down, possibly to structure for the disparity in tallness involving them. Also, they create a kind of quasi encircle, standing separately from the remaining crowd, creating their small planet at that time. The mass is composed of nearly completely of grownups standing the footways as well they are both facing in the similar direction. Similarly, heads

MUSIC J.S. Bach Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MUSIC J.S. Bach - Term Paper Example as if a wonderful abode for an auditory refuge managed to build for him an enduring impression in which the heart of audience was drawn to a type of music that is readily capable of engaging human nature with profound sensibility. It would also amount to an inevitable appreciation of Bach regardless of the listener’s background on account of the flexibility his rendition took such as an instance when he came up with a musical composition which was styled in French at Luneberg. On hearing one of his pieces, one may not help but justify that his works exhibit certain elements that, though retaining their classical feature, are very distinct and timely compatible. With a slightly rigid texture and varying fluidity to incorporate in the music of the pop culture, Bach’s creation depicts a wider range of classic genre for which most of the modern-day alternative concepts have found substantial relevance with which to

Gerrymanderinf Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gerrymanderinf Reflection - Essay Example As long as they remain there, the practice continues. Gerrymandering causes political, racial and class tension in a country. Actions that can be taken to reduce the effects of this practice include redistricting based on neutral or cross-party agencies. Rectifying the voting systems, resizing large districts, regulating transparency in elections and having to use fixed districts in elections. Redistricting, however, faces major challenges in implementation. The challenges are related to the negative influence of the top leadership most of whom are the direct or indirect beneficiaries of the practice (Esman & Herring, 2003). In the process, taking a partisan level of approach is relatively easier and is faced with fewer challenges as compared to a bipartisan level approach. This is because with a partisan level, the decisions and explanations made are retained throughout the process. This game specifically relates to challenges the lawmakers often face as they try to change the wrong strategies that brought most of them to the office. There are three predominant types of gerrymandering. Cracking is a gerrymandering approach that spreads out a particular group of voters among a large number of districts thus denying them a majority vote in one area. For instance, most urban areas are even today divided into several districts voting independently to ensure that they do not have a majority advantage. Stacking is another strategy that packs the particular type of voters in a single district and thus significantly reduces their influence in other districts. This is still used today for instance in selecting districts based on racial divides. Mutually positive gerrymandering redraws districts such that two persons of the same group run against one another and hence they both are eliminated in the election that someone else wins (Nivola & Brady, 2006). Nivola, P. S., & Brady, D. W. (2006). Red and blue nation?: Characteristics and causes of

The Personal Statement According Architecture Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The According Architecture - Personal Statement Example The diverse nature of students in the CCA community also attracted me to the institution as I will get a chance to interact with students from diverse backgrounds. Architecture plays a great role in capturing a communities’ history and culture in a given era or historical period. Architectural works such as the Roman Coliseum, Taj Mahal, Empire state building and etcetera all capture the communities’ history during the time they were constructed. The cultural heritage of a community this is well captured in many areas by its architectural designs. Well-versed architects are very important in this regard if culture is to be preserved and thus my keen interest in this field. Architects are also the builders of the environment or habitation in which the populace lives at a given time. When we have well-trained architects, like that done in your institution, the contribution to the community is immense. They are able to plan cities and amenities with the consideration of the future in perspective. Haphazard planning and construction of cities result in problems in the future in the areas of poor drainage, sewerage and road networks. Architects help to enhance and improve a communities’ way of life since new methods and building materials are being discovered in every generation and they are the implementers of the same. With Society wishing to move on towards civilization and modernity in all spheres of life, architecture plays a major role in enhancing this. The man has migrated from living in caves to the ultra-modern habitations that are springing up all over the world. I feel I would contribute immensely to the community as your college equips me with the necessary knowledge and skills in this field.

Hilton Worldwide Inc Hilton Hotels and Resorts Essay

Hilton Worldwide Inc Hilton Hotels and Resorts - Essay Example Hilton Hotels & Resorts operates 558 hotels and resorts in 80 countries, including the USA, the UK, the UAE, and Singapore (Hilton Worldwide, Inc. 2013; Hiltonworldwide.com, 2014). Below is provided more detailed analysis of the marketing mix concept implemented by Hilton Hotels & Resorts. The company operates in the service industry and its main business activity is concentrated on providing accommodation services. Thus, the key product of the company is hotel rooms in hotels and resorts worldwide. As it is mentioned on the corporate website of the Hilton Hotels & Resort, guestrooms feature a smart, functional design supplemented with â€Å"thoughtful amenities† (www3.hilton.com, 2014, n.p.). In addition to accommodation services, there are additional services which make up the overall cycle of the guest service. Some of these supporting services include the following: restaurants and bars, spa, leisure and wellness facilities, entertainment faciliti3es, banquet halls and business/conference halls, online reservation facilities, concierge services, etc. (Company profile and SWOT analysis 2014). Hilton Hotels and Resorts have premium-level prices, as the prices for accommodation are above the market prices (prices vary greatly by geographical locations). Hilton Hotels & Resorts pricing strategy can be defined as prestige or premium pricing strategy because the company offers 5 and 4-star service in its hotels. That is why the prices in Hilton’s facilities are the high end of the possible pricing range (Marketingmentor.net, n.d.). By charging premium level prices the company focuses on status-conscious consumers who value high-quality service, comfort, luxury, and high status and therefore, who are ready to pay for it. Hilton Hotels & Resorts are located worldwide in more than 80 countries. The locations are chosen based on the type of resort and the specific location. Even though Hilton Hotels and Resorts is a global company operating its hotels worldwide, the concept of marketing mix implementation may vary and is subject to the variety of external factors such as competition, cultural and social factors, etc. Thus, locations in India, the USA, the UAE, and Singapore may target the same audience but the ways of attracting and communicating with the target audience may vary slightly. These differences also refer to the pricing strategy, promotion strategy, and product strategy. For example, rooms in the USA resorts may vary greatly from the rooms in the UAE by its design. However, taking into consideration that this is a global company and that its customers travel worldwide, there are some unified standards which are appropriate for people of any nationality.   

Leadership Issues - Managing Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Leadership Issues - Managing Diversity - Essay Example Hence, multinational companies have increased their presence in most Asian economies such as China. These multinational companies have seen the growing potential because of the massive improvement in this country that has greatly benefitted from almost three decades of reforms (Warner 2008). Managing in the Chinese Empire The entry of these multinational companies has likewise necessitated the presence of foreign managers to help in the management as well as operations of these multinationals in the Chinese soil. Hence, it was the expatriates that have been tapped for this role. It is their job to supply the necessary skills, both managerial and technical, so that the local counterpart can cope up with the operations of the parent company. Likewise, it is hoped that the presence of the expatriate will greatly enhance the relationship between the foreign and domestic managers of the company. However, be it China or other country, it is important for the foreign counterparts assigned t o these areas to be able to recognize the requirements of the different cultures that they are being immersed into. Globalization has brought forth the need for different multinational companies to maintain a global workforce which requires the foreign nationals that are assigned into these countries to be aware of the cultural differences that is a very important requirement for these foreign managers to be able to work with teams that comprise different cultures (Ibrahim 2010). Key leadership Issues in China A Mass of Followers, A Lack of Leaders In China, the different culture can be really challenging to the expatriate that will be assigned to the area. Chow & Liu (2008) states that most Chinese employees are not that keen on having additional duties or being involved with different or increasing responsibilities. Most of them are just too convenient in the boss-subordinate agreement. It is therefore important for the expatriates to understand and be able to work around such str ong cultural make up. This presents a strong challenge since it is important for the multinational companies to be able to develop their employees and have a fully functional global workforce that will jive with the way the parent company does its business. Employees are very important for a company’s success thus it is very important for the expatriates to be able to rally them behind the corporate strategies necessary for the success of their venture. True, this trait enables the local unit of a multinational company to have sufficient workers that are following the company’s policies and regulations. This trait somehow ensures them there will be followers whenever they lead. However, this relative aloofness as stated by Chow and Liu (2008) can also rob them of possible potential managers that may be tapped to lead the locals. Political Forces Warner (2008) has highlighted the importance the changes have had in China for propelling them into the current stature that they are in right now in the global economy. China has indeed benefitted much from opening their doors to the benefits and opportunities of global commerce. This has been instrumental in providing the necessary boost that is unavailable in a strictly closed economy that has been characteristic of a communist country. However, it is important to remember that the Chinese economy is not yet a full free market economy. Despite having been opened to businesses, the government retains substantial

The Personal Statement According Architecture Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The According Architecture - Personal Statement Example The diverse nature of students in the CCA community also attracted me to the institution as I will get a chance to interact with students from diverse backgrounds. Architecture plays a great role in capturing a communities’ history and culture in a given era or historical period. Architectural works such as the Roman Coliseum, Taj Mahal, Empire state building and etcetera all capture the communities’ history during the time they were constructed. The cultural heritage of a community this is well captured in many areas by its architectural designs. Well-versed architects are very important in this regard if culture is to be preserved and thus my keen interest in this field. Architects are also the builders of the environment or habitation in which the populace lives at a given time. When we have well-trained architects, like that done in your institution, the contribution to the community is immense. They are able to plan cities and amenities with the consideration of the future in perspective. Haphazard planning and construction of cities result in problems in the future in the areas of poor drainage, sewerage and road networks. Architects help to enhance and improve a communities’ way of life since new methods and building materials are being discovered in every generation and they are the implementers of the same. With Society wishing to move on towards civilization and modernity in all spheres of life, architecture plays a major role in enhancing this. The man has migrated from living in caves to the ultra-modern habitations that are springing up all over the world. I feel I would contribute immensely to the community as your college equips me with the necessary knowledge and skills in this field.

Leadership Issues - Managing Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Leadership Issues - Managing Diversity - Essay Example Hence, multinational companies have increased their presence in most Asian economies such as China. These multinational companies have seen the growing potential because of the massive improvement in this country that has greatly benefitted from almost three decades of reforms (Warner 2008). Managing in the Chinese Empire The entry of these multinational companies has likewise necessitated the presence of foreign managers to help in the management as well as operations of these multinationals in the Chinese soil. Hence, it was the expatriates that have been tapped for this role. It is their job to supply the necessary skills, both managerial and technical, so that the local counterpart can cope up with the operations of the parent company. Likewise, it is hoped that the presence of the expatriate will greatly enhance the relationship between the foreign and domestic managers of the company. However, be it China or other country, it is important for the foreign counterparts assigned t o these areas to be able to recognize the requirements of the different cultures that they are being immersed into. Globalization has brought forth the need for different multinational companies to maintain a global workforce which requires the foreign nationals that are assigned into these countries to be aware of the cultural differences that is a very important requirement for these foreign managers to be able to work with teams that comprise different cultures (Ibrahim 2010). Key leadership Issues in China A Mass of Followers, A Lack of Leaders In China, the different culture can be really challenging to the expatriate that will be assigned to the area. Chow & Liu (2008) states that most Chinese employees are not that keen on having additional duties or being involved with different or increasing responsibilities. Most of them are just too convenient in the boss-subordinate agreement. It is therefore important for the expatriates to understand and be able to work around such str ong cultural make up. This presents a strong challenge since it is important for the multinational companies to be able to develop their employees and have a fully functional global workforce that will jive with the way the parent company does its business. Employees are very important for a company’s success thus it is very important for the expatriates to be able to rally them behind the corporate strategies necessary for the success of their venture. True, this trait enables the local unit of a multinational company to have sufficient workers that are following the company’s policies and regulations. This trait somehow ensures them there will be followers whenever they lead. However, this relative aloofness as stated by Chow and Liu (2008) can also rob them of possible potential managers that may be tapped to lead the locals. Political Forces Warner (2008) has highlighted the importance the changes have had in China for propelling them into the current stature that they are in right now in the global economy. China has indeed benefitted much from opening their doors to the benefits and opportunities of global commerce. This has been instrumental in providing the necessary boost that is unavailable in a strictly closed economy that has been characteristic of a communist country. However, it is important to remember that the Chinese economy is not yet a full free market economy. Despite having been opened to businesses, the government retains substantial

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay Example for Free

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay WP is a refrigeration case company and their goal is to create value for its customers. They are dedicated to lead the industry towards sustainability by providing energy efficiency and sustainability of their operation as well as the product they provide to their customers. WP vision is to use their knowledge and resources to improve the current economic conditions. They began in New Jersey searching for a solution to a problem. They have a mission to provide industry –leading solutions that can help their customers stay competitive in their market. WP has an amazing time-line since they opened in 1887. In 1977, WP opened up the Engineered Systems division in Georgia. Through acquisitions since 2009, they now have eight locations and plan to acquire more companies in the future. This paper will indicate what type of market structure WP competes and why the market structure was decided upon. It will also show how the market structure differentiates from any other alternatives. WP manufacturer refrigeration and specialty cases based on their customers want and needs. They also cater to the aftermarket sector in order to provide fresh ideas and parts in order to serve their customers better. WP has increased their market shares by creating innovative products that cannot be found at any other competitor. They listen to their customers and utilize their knowledge and resources to manufacturer exquisite cases for the retail grocer. It is important to WP that their customers know how they are an intricate part of their business. Maintaining the leader in the industry by providing innovative products continue to attract more grocery store owners to their business. With the increase in exposure, creates higher sales, which, will lead to overall increase in profits margins. A supply chain group (STARS) was developed to create alliance partnerships between the customers, suppliers, and various departments at WP. The STARS group has years of success in increasing the supplier and customer alliances. WP has a monopolistic competition market structure. Monopolistic competition is  sellers of a product sell similar profiles but makes it somewhat different and take less emphasis on the price. The various companies decide on their own pricing structure of the product there are selling and the output of that product. The price is based on the current market and the cost to product the product. There can be many producers of the product because no one company has total control over the market place. There are few barriers to entry. Some include capital, as there is the need to have capital order to start up the business. In addition, there is inelastic demand, which means their strategy to penetrate the market by selling at a lower price than their competitors sell. Finally, another barrier to entry is economy of scale, which is the increase in efficiency of production as the number of cases being produced increases. Advance technology can affect the cost advantages as they can reverse as quickly as technology changes. Competitive strategy is how a business competes in the market that they are in. WP competitive strategy includes product differentiation, control cost, technology, and maintain market shares. WP differentiates between their products versus their competitors because they provide outstanding quality cases built with quality-inspected parts. They also provide outstanding field service support to their customers, which enable WP to charge a higher price in order for them to maximize their profits. Another competitive strategy is controlling cost. By controlling the cost, WP is able to minimize their loss. They control their cost by creating alliance partnerships with their suppliers with agreements set into place so that cost stay consistent. Pricing is not able to increase unless if reaches an agreed upon threshold, then and only then are the suppliers allowed changing their price annually. This allows WP to maximize their cost by keeping the cost down and not passing along price increa ses to their customers as material cost increase. In a bad economy is become even hard to maintain market shares. WP motto is to â€Å"never say no to our customers†. They never let a customer go. In order to keep the customer happy, WP provides a four to six week lead-time to their customers compared to the industry standard of eight weeks. Custom color matching makes WP a specialty center in which a customer can see a color and describe it to them in order to have that same exact look in their stores. Technology changes every day. In order  to keep up with the growing technology, WP has a large marketing team and IT department. They are constantly researching trends and what drives consumers to shop in the grocery stores. Fresh foods and lighting are a few triggers to a consumers loyalty to a store so WP developed a website to market their products to be more energy efficient and provide cases that will keep the freshness in. The website show the various types of cases available and the total fan color charts to pick from. Internet is today’s way of communicating and customers do not want to take time to pick up the phone. They want to research on-line first to see if what is offered a potential product for their store. It is the only way to touch the customer interest the fastest. WP also participates in yearly shows to allow hands on changes to technology and trends in the market place. WP might want to consider branding as additional strategies in their organization in order to maximize their profits before their product hits the road; there are quality inspections and testing done. To ensure that they stay number one in market position as well as staying in a competitive market, WP should put their name on all cases. This will put their name out in the market. Branding of their product needs to large enough for anyone to see that WP manufactured this case and that they care about moving into the future with energy efficient product. If needs to differentiate between them and their competitors so that there is no mistaken identity of the manufacturer contact information. References Merriam-Webster (2014) Monopolistic Competition. Retrieved on February 1, 2014 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monopolistic%20competitionConsumer

Effects Of Classroom Lighting On Filipino College Students

Effects Of Classroom Lighting On Filipino College Students Several studies on the effects of lighting on students academic performance had been done abroad on different social classes and ages of the subjects. These all had the objective of improving the learning process of students during their formative years at school. According to Bukky Akinsanmi, theories on how learning takes place include behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The behaviorism theory, which was popularized by B.F. Skinner, supports the idea that humans come into this world like a blank slate tabular rasa. Humans learn based on reinforcements. Rewards are given to those whose action reaps positive results. Punishments are given otherwise. The effective transfer of knowledge is the teachers responsibility leaving the student a passive participant. It is teacher-focused, structured, lecture-based, and uses reward and punishment to promote learning. The classrooms provided little room for flexibility. Lapses on behaviorism theory include the eventual possibility of extinction of positive results when rewards are removed and the attitude of just doing things for the sake of rewards. Since the behaviorism theory does not account for all learning, the cognitivism theory came into existence. It says that the mind is a black box that must be opened and understood. It focuses on the study of mental processes. Schools were built in single or two-story buildings connected by walkways housing students according to their grades. Meanwhile, Constructivism theory states that knowledge is constructed and not acquired. The learning process is now the responsibility of the student and not the teacher. It says that humans are like blank slates making meanings from experiences. Unlike the behaviorism design of school environment, this theory supports student-centered, collaborative, cooperative, and experiential learning facilities with teachers serving as facilitators (Akinsanmi, 2008) To enhance students academic performance, the effective coordination of school environment must be studied. The physical characteristics of a school environment directly influences both the teachers way of imparting knowledge on students and a students performance at school. Such characteristics include sounds, temperature levels, and classroom lighting (Tope, 2013). Poor school facilities like inoperative heating system, inadequate ventilation, and poor lighting affect health, learning, and morale of students and staffs. Good overall building condition; including features such as large windows, natural lightings, and well-designed skylights on classroom settings; results to better students academic achievement (Vandiver, 2011). According to Robert Scott McGowen, the illumination of our surrounding environment impacts our reactions, motivations, moods, and sense of well-being. For centuries, this issue of illumination led to evident designs in architecture and natural lighting. Different degrees of illumination can be used to stimulate productive and creativity in offices and schools. Several studies had been done on providing windows or skylights in classrooms resulting to higher standardized tests. However, it does not clearly imply that the improvement in students performance was due to increased light, quality of light, or physiological effect of natural lighting. Windowless spaces contribute to negative attitudes of students as well as their teachers especially when coupled with monotonous tasks. It was shown that natural lighting can improve the quality and quantity of lighting in instructional areas effectively. Daylight has been and is still the standard by which artificial light is measured. Researc h reports indicate a positive correlation between day lighting and academic performance. Good quality of lighting increases comfort and increased comfort contributes to higher scores and academic performance of both teacher and students. The developmental stages of students are also considered when designing lighting systems. It is a physical support on students to help them concentrate on their academic endeavors. Recently, the focus on effective learning environments has shone on healthy physical surroundings (McGowen, 2007). Changing the facilities creates a different learning environment. Creating change has a major impact on students, faculty, and administrators. This change creates the type of learning environment, which is more conducive to learning and performance. (Vandiver, 2011) Two field studies and one experiment were done with Dutch elementary school children to examine the effects of dynamic lighting on concentration done by Sleegers, Moolenar, Galetzka, and Van Der Zanden. In the field studies, the pupils in the experimental conditions were subjected to different lighting settings and conditions during one day for a longer period of time (Study 1) or were constantly exposed to the focus setting for one month (Study 2), while the pupils in the controlled environment were subjected to the same lighting conditions during one morning (Study 3). They focused on pupils concentration performance and evaluated the impact of different lighting conditions and settings on pupils concentration. They also examined the differential effects of classroom lighting conditions on concentration for gender. They evaluated the effects of lighting, conducting analyses of variance, using three samples of data from 181 elementary school children. The results of their field stud ies offer support for the positive influence of classroom lighting conditions on concentration. Although all pupils performed better at the concentration test at the consecutive measurement points, it appeared that the performance of the pupils in the experimental groups improved more than the performance of their peers in the control groups. Furthermore, the findings of the first field study show differences between grades: they found effects of lighting on concentration for pupils from grade 4, but not for pupils from grade 6. These findings suggest that older pupils concentration might be less affected by the lighting conditions used than younger pupils. Hypothesis states that older pupils are more trained to concentrate while performing tests than younger pupils. On the other hand, the findings on the second field show that, on the average, older children perform better on concentration tests than their younger peers, no additional support was found for the role of age in the ef fect of lighting on concentration. Meanwhile, the results of the third study showed no statistically significant effect of lighting on concentration and so not substantiate the findings of the two field studies in a controlled environment. It might be because of the differences in the designs used. It suggests that the statistically significant differences found in the field of studies might be caused by uncontrolled extraneous influences that might limit or bias observation. It might also be that differences in the way children were exposed to the lighting conditions and settings in the different environments caused the differences between the findings. Although they did not evaluate the dynamic nature of the light system used, their findings seem to suggest that an environment in which different lighting settings and conditions are used to support specific activities and tasks at hand during a longer period of time may be more effective for pupils learning than an environment in w hich pupils are exposed to the same lighting condition for a relatively short period of time. The effect of lighting might be situation, task, and time dependent as previous studies also have indicated. The differences between the findings of the field studies and the third study for the relationship between lighting and concentration may also have to do with seasonal effects. Seasonal effects were also found in a more recent study into the effects of dynamic lighting on student alertness in a lecture room environment. The results of that study showed that in spring no change in alertness could be detected, while in the autumn study the decrease of alertness during lectures was significant. These findings shed light on the effects of exposure to lighting conditions during different seasons and the effect of the dynamic nature of light. As such, attention should be paid to the added value of artificial lighting in combination with exposure to daylight for the improvement of the perfo rmance of students in educational settings. Third, the results of their field studies showed no evidence of differential effects of gender in the relationship between lighting and concentration. Although earlier studies did find effects of lighting on performance and mood differ between men and women, their findings do not indicate gender related effects of lighting on pupils in elementary education. This may be related to the difference between children and adults in effects of lighting, for instance in regard to the development of psychological and affective preferences for the environment in general, and lighting specifically. (Sleegers et. al., 2012) According to Warren Hathaway, a search for ways to improve education is sustained by the general view that the learning environment is an important aspect in the educational process and the specific findings of research into the effects of types of lighting on people. Among the most surprising findings from the research in this field were that those elementary students who received trace amounts of ultraviolet light in their classrooms developed fewer dental carries and had better attendance than students in a comparison group. Sunlight is still the most important source of light and energy for living organisms and it may be experienced as direct light or as skylight. Most people do their works each day under the influence of sunlight. However, as society becomes more urbanized, people spend much less time under sunlight and much more time under artificial lamps. We are surrounded by walls, floors and ceilings covered with colors seldom repeated on the same scale in nature and these colors are usually perceived under lighting systems designed more for efficiency than for their possible physiological or psychological effects on people. Indeed, our artificial lighting systems can only simulate twilight levels of illumination-light levels of 200 to 1500 lux in comparison to light in the natural environment at twilight of 2,800 to 8,200 lux and at noon up to 100,000 lux. There is significance of wide differences in light levels between natural settings and built environments. Corth contended that the natural environment of our earliest ancestors was not the open plains but the forest floor. As a consequence, the habitat noon-time light levels would have been much lower than the 8,200 to 100,000 lux found in open areas. Moreover, he further contended that the spectral quality of the light at the forest floor was greenish-yellow and represented the combined result of the solar radiation spectrum and the filtering effect of the forest canopy. He also progressed the vi ew that our ancestors only later they occupied the forest floor near the equator did they move onto the open plains either north or south of the equator. Thus he concluded that heavy skin pigmentation was a matter of camouflage for survival more than it was a filter against UV light. As humans left the forest cover and moved into the more open country to the end of the equator and away from zones of intense UV light, the pigmentation was reduced as a response to the need for increased vitamin D which is formed by the action of ultraviolet light on the skin. Following Corths logic, one might expect two effects. First, in as much as the light spectrum of cool-white fluorescent lamps approximates that of the greenish-yellow light reaching the forest floor, people may find these lights to be very satisfactory. Second, if skin pigmentation decreases as a response to an increased need for ultraviolet light, highly pigmented people living in northern climates may have greater needs for ult raviolet stimulation than do lightly pigmented people. Sunlight contains all colors in relatively uniform amounts and all colors are equally visible when illuminated by sunlight. For this reason, natural light serves as the reference for comparing the color rendition characteristics of artificial lights, with natural light having the maximum or reference Color Rendition Index (CRI) of 100. The color rendition index is a measure of the way colors look under specific light sources. It is important to note that equivalent CRI indices mean the same thing only when the light sources to which they relate have equivalent color temperatures. As a consequence, colored objects may appear different when viewed under lights with different color temperatures but equivalent CRI indices. Not all artificial light sources accurately reproduce the full spectrum of sunlight. Incandescent lights are rich in red and yellow light, but radiate relatively little energy in the blue and green region of the s pectrum. Cool-white fluorescent lights emit most of their radiant energy in the green and yellow bands of the spectrum, the range to which eyes are most sensitive. Thorington asserted that it is at the 555 nm that the lumen or the standard unit of light is defined. Full spectrum lights emit a significant portion of their radiant energy in the blue area of the spectrum. A further small percentage of the radiant energy from fluorescent lamps may fall into the ultraviolet range. Rooms lit with full spectrum fluorescent lights may be seen as being somewhat dimly lit since the eye is less sensitive to blue light than to green and yellow light,. Full spectrum lights do, however, have a relatively high Color Rendition Index and this may be very important to vision processes. In this regard, Aston and Bellchainbers compared high efficiency with lamps that provided a spectrum more closely balanced to natural light. In their report they said, The results clearly show that the Kolorite lamps, lamps simulating natural light in spectral distribution, not only provide better color qualities but give a higher degree of visual clarity than do the high efficacy lamps at an equivalent illuminations. Ozaki and Wurmm drew attention to the fact that light from high pressure sodium vapor lamps produced anomalies in the growth and development of animals. They presented evidence to the effect that the exposure of developing rats to high pressure sodium vapor (HPSV) lights caused characteristic changes in growth and development. Downing concluded: There is no area of our mental and bodily functioning that the sun does not influence. Our bodies were designed to receive and use it in a wide range of ways. We were not designed to hide from it in houses, offices, factories and schools. Sunshine, reaching us through our eyes and our skin, exercises a subtle control over us from birth to death, from head to tail. Zamkova and Krivitskaya augmented regular fluorescent light with ultraviolet s untan lamps in a controlled experiment involving school children and they reported that when compared to the control group, students who received exposure to ultraviolet light showed increased levels of working ability and resistance to fatigue, improved academic performance, improved stability of clear vision, and increased weight and growth. Volkova studied the effects of ultraviolet supplements to general lighting in a factory and found that when compared to a control group, an experimental group of adults demonstrated decreased permeability of skin capillaries, increased white cell activity, and reduced catarrhal infections and colds. Richard Wurtman concluded that light has biological effects that are important to health and that some of these effects may be easily reproduced and measured in the experimental laboratory. These effects were of two kinds: those which modify the individuals endocrine, hormone and metabolic state by means of light reaching the retina and those which result from light on the skin. He also linked light entering the eye with responses of the pineal gland and secretion of the hormone melatonin. This hormone in turn influences the functions of other glands, possibly as a result of direct action on specific areas of the brain. Wurtman and Weisel studied the effects of light from cool white lamps and full-spectrum Vita-Lite lamps on a group of rats. Their findings support the argument that environmental lighting has an effect on at least some neuroendocrine functions. Himmelfarb, Scott, and Thayer reported that light from Vita-Lite (full-spectrum) lamps was significantly more effective in killing bacteria than light from standard cool-white lamps. Downing offered evidence that small amounts of ultraviolet radiation destroy bacteria and moulds. Relatively small amounts of ultraviolet light can stimulate calcium absorption among elderly men who have no exposure to sunlight and who eat a diet containing little vitamin D. Mass, Jayson, a nd Kleiber reported that students studying under full-spectrum lights had the smallest decrease over time in critical flicker fusion and an increase in visual acuity. Students studying under cool-white illumination demonstrated greater lethargy than those studying under full-spectrum lights (Hathaway, 1994). Sleegers suggested that future research should, therefore, focus on the interaction between light conditions and settings, specific activities and tasks and duration. This may increase our understanding of the variability of the effect of lighting among classroom environments, school activities, tasks and student performance and the potential effects of dynamic lighting in school settings. More research is needed to test the effects of different lighting conditions and settings on the school performance of different age groups. Future studies should use reliable and repeated measurements of concentration in order to reduce bias, increase the validity of the design used and evaluate the possible long term effects of lighting on school performance of young children in natural school environments. More systematic research is needed on the relation of daytime and artificial light, concentration, and seasonal effects, using objective measures to analyze performance in real life settings a nd with prolonged exposure. By doing this, the findings of these studies may help to increase our understanding of person/environment interaction and its impact on the performance and learning of elementary school children (Sleegers et al, 2012). At the same time, the literature on the non-visual effects of types of lighting on people is constantly expanding and from this there emerges a need to examine a variety of types of lighting for non-visual effects on people (Hathaway, 1994).

Child Labor :: essays research papers

Christopher Hibbert’s The English: A Social History, 1066-1945, harshly reflects child labor. The author uses graphic details to portray the horrible work environment that the children, sometimes as young as four and five, were forced to work in. Hibbert discusses in much detail the conditions the children work in, the way they are mistreated, and what was done to prevent child labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The children work in various conditions, suffering numerous injuries. In boot factories, children are forced to sit so close together that they poke each other with needles: â€Å"many have lost an eye in this way† (595). The children work â€Å"unreasonably long hours† (595). Chimney sweepers in particular work long hours, starting at about four a.m. and working for twelve hours. These chimney sweepers sleep in bags of soot, wrapping themselves in the bags and straw. They are subjected to suffocating steam, heat, flying hot metal, and the â€Å"unhealthiest kind of grinding known† (595). Those who are employed in mills endure lung problems, scrofula, mesenteric diseases and asthma.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taking into consideration the conditions these children work in, they are obviously mistreated. They are not washed, fed or clothed, resulting in malnutrition and children â€Å"clad in rags† (597). Employers even use mistreatment to teach the children how to do their jobs. Hibbert describes that â€Å"you can’t be soft with them, you must use violence† (595). Chimney sweepers can sometimes go â€Å"fifteen months without being washed except the rain† (595), wearing the same shirt until it is worn thin. To harden the flesh of the sweepers, their elbows and knees are rubbed profusely with the strongest brine, leaving their limbs â€Å"streaming with blood† (596). Workers sometimes found themselves caught in a machine, crushed by a machine, or swung by a machine. They suffered multiple injuries that were always ignored, most of the time consequently becoming fatal. The workers were not only subjected to poor working conditions, but being mistreated within them. It wasn’t for long after laws were made that treatment of children laborers improved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many felt strongly opposed to child labor but assumed nothing could be done. However, working conditions slowly but surely improved. Their diets became better. It became illegal to employ children in certain circumstances. Laws were passed so children were not working such long hours. They were even given off for holidays.

What caused the Hindenburg explosion :: essays research papers

The Hindenburg was a luxury airship, from nazi Germany. This "Titanic of the skies" (no pun intended) was destroyed by a flash fire in 1937 while landing in New Jersey after making its 10th transatlantic crossing. Thirty-five of the 97 people aboard and one ground crew member were killed when the blimp burst into flames and was rapidly consumed by the fire. The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen gas which is lighter than air. The gas was stored in sixteen large gas cells inside the ship. Like all gases, hydrogen expands when heated. If the hydrogen gas in the Hindenburg were to overheat, the gas could expand enough to burst the gas cells and send the ship plummeting to earth. The Hindenburg's engineers knew about this potential danger and came up with a solution to the problem; they painted the surface of the airship with a chemical "doping compound" that contained powdered aluminum and iron oxide. This compound was chosen because it did a good job of reflecting the rays of the sun, therefore ensuring that the gas cells inside the ship would not overheat. There have been three main theories as to what happened to cause such a disaster. The official story has always been that the Hindenburg disaster was caused by the ignition of the flammable hydrogen gas used to lift the zeppelin. This has been over and over proven to be incorrect because witnesses of the explosion proclaim that it was like a fire works display, ummm... hydrogen burns without color.... Even pictures depicting the explosion show that the blaze from it contains pigment! The second theory is that the cause of the explosion was an electrical conductor. The â€Å"doping compound† that was used to prevent the hydrogen from heating up was extremely flammable. On the night before the Hindenburg was landing their was an electrical storm, and the surface of the ship became electrically charged. Engineers had already planned for this however, they attached mooring lines, ropes, that would go down to the ground and take the static charge to the ground with them as the ship landed. There were, however, panels that remained charged. Eventually, this built-up electricity inside the remaining panels took the form of a spark. Since the charged panels were covered with the doping compound's highly reactive metal powders, this spark caused them to ignite and burn very rapidly.

Strategies of Human Resource

The food service industry is a growing market and continues to increase by over a steady rate of 5 percent between 2011 and 2012. The industry has a high turnover rate of employees and constantly replaces unskilled workers in food service which cost the estimate of one year's salary and benefits depending on the position may cost thousands of dollars. A recent study showed that fast food restaurants with the lowest turnover made twice the revenue and higher profits than restaurants which had constant turnover. Sweetie Pies is a soul food restaurant located in SST.Louis, Mo owned and operated by Robbie Montgomery and James Norman, her son. The first restaurant, Sweetie Pies at Mangrove is the flagship of the restaurants which opened in 1996 but the recent opening of the Upper Crust is the gem of her restaurants completely by offering the signature recipes of the restaurant, a banquet hall, culinary school and performing arts space to the patrons. The focus of this paper is to identify key areas in HARM practices to align the business objectives and goals to expand nationally. Sweetie Pies ability to manage its people will be the key to succeeding in its goal to become a national brand.The restaurant has a niche in the DOD service industry because of its cuisine is not comparable to any of its competitors however; the restaurant will have to diversify its menu to broaden its brand on the national level. The owner has secured resources to branch out with the Upper Crust and provide a whole new line of services offered to customers. The compensation philosophy is not clearly stated however; the employees are satisfied and share continuous enthusiasm doing their Job considering the structure of the restaurant and the limit advancement to higher positions is not a clear promotion path.Employers are more likely to look at the external value of a Job before engendering the internal Job worth (www. Workload. Org). The current standard of the Job evaluation is based on t he geographical location, labor pools and market which will give the range pay per hour or pay per year. The pay rate of 7. 80 hour for kitchen help/servers is general but lagging in the market by . 20 cent different of other chain restaurants or similar establishments in the area. The restaurant is popular because of the reality television show on OWN.It has given them national exposure and the attraction of many tourists who are drawn there by the dishes displayed on the Food Network and other cooking shows. The food service industry workers are on some type of government aid due to low wages and low compensation packages. At Sweetie Pies, the wages are above those of minimum but limited compensation packages are offered to the employees. The HRS systems which are usually for control and commitment are not in place at Sweetie Pies because of the structure of the business.At corporate level, capital market measures of performance are generally considered more comprehensive than con temporaneous accounting measures if profit (return on assets or equity. )(Beer & Gerhard, 1996, peg. 791)The restaurant is very capable of achieving the goal to expand because the problems which the owners have identified by opening culinary school will give their employees the training to learn new knowledge, skills and abilities to offer the consumer different types of cuisine.According to Dither and Dougherty, businesses that are better organized to meet the needs of their people, so that they attract better people than their competitors do and their people are more greatly motivated to do a superior Job, whatever it is they do. This significantly is the problem with Sweetie Pies because of the lack of organization may hamper their ability to expand in the future. This being a service industry the customer must be satisfied with the overall outcome the product. The 21st century unfolds it is clear that most people accept that service will play an increasingly important part in th e economy. † Atkinson (2000, p. 8) goes further in asserting the importance of service performer/ customer exchange in that: â€Å"Customer perception of service delivery will be imperative and will shape their choice of supplier or service provider. Service excellence will need to take on a new mantle of one to one partner relationships with the customer, the consumer and end-user. (Maxwell, Watson & Quail, 2004, peg. 2) One of the unique things about Sweet Pies, Ms. Robbie plans were based on her customers and continues to offer the southern hospitality making sure that customers are always satisfied by conversing with each patron about their meal. The work process in the food service industry is the preparation, taste, presentation and delivery that involve steps taken to bring the food to the consumer. Sweetie Pies believe in preparing their meals from scratch and purchasing fresh vegetables, meats and wholesome bake goods.There are some times problems that don't stem fro m the food but based on the behavior of the employees. On one scene of the reality show, Sweetie Pies, the owners, Ms. Robbie and Tim were having conflict with each other about the treatment of his younger cousin, Ill Charles which ended with Tim being fired. Individuals with high n Power seek to control their environments and influence the behavior of others, while n Oaf is associated with the need to develop friendships and to be sociable and caring of others (Dither & Dougherty, 2012, peg. 6) however; Miner motivation states that: Individuals with high managerial motivation strive to engage in competitive activities, o behave in an active and aggressive manner, to influence others, and to seek highly visible and distinct positions. Tim and Ms. Robbie compete against one another by having a cook off to decide the new menu of the Upper Crust and Tim bends the rules to have his dishes approved for the menu. Even though Tim is motivated by the business and continues to try to achieve the goals however; his behavior has been an issue in conducting the affairs of the restaurant.According to Dither and Dougherty, Tim may not have had enough opportunity to challenge himself in his work and to advance to a higher position within the restaurant hierarchy. The cognitive and motor aptitudes needed to perform the duties in a restaurant are people skills, proficient mathematical skills, communication skills; being team players, cooking abilities and ability to multi-task under pressure being able to perform at minimum level or being proficient will differentiate in the level of pay.The restaurant pay plans are based on a traditional system pay at- risk system which is performance based however; the plan is not consistent for the participants' fluctuation in pay. The job analysis of the work performed requires unskilled workers for the position except or the management positions which are held by the owners at this point. The employment laws are followed in the restaurant based on the opportunities offered to felons and allowing those to have fresh start at adjusting to society and being able to give back to the community.HRS systems are regulated by federal and state laws that relate to employment (e. G. , Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act), compensation (e. G. , Fair Labor Standards Act, Equal Pay Act), and labor relations (e. G. , National Labor Relations Act). (Dither & Dougherty, 2012, peg. 44) The restaurant's performance management is based on oral reprimands more so than written performance records done by line supervisors.The workers who hold supervisors' position do on-site corrections letting the employees know their infractions immediately. Sweetie Pies need to focus on one of the starting points in the restaurant's retention strategy may include evaluating further development, retraining or even disciplinary action of one or more managers. (Urbanism,2009) Management needs to implement a system to have a process to give two way communications to managers and to employees who loud give them feedback on the concerns and improvements.Sweetie Pies is a customer-oriented business with them building relationships with their patrons. The key HARM practices will benefit Sweetie Pies to have sustained competitive advantage. The financial value of Sweetie Pies would be properly managed by using HRS systems which could contribute to the restaurant and the methodology to show that investing in HRS systems often results in very high rates of return. The process of having a system to review the applicants instead hiring based on trial and error which has happened with hiring felons who were not able to adjust.The cost and revenue streams are then adjusted to take into account the time value of money and the cost of capital (costs and returns are put in present-value terms), variable costs associated with the improvements brought about by making better hiring The HARM practices help to motivate, conform behaviors to meet the culture of the restaurant by Job classification. Rewards, merit increasing, bonuses are used to target behaviors and to enhance the motivation. The labor market for the food service industry is plentiful because of the low wages and unskilled labor which is composed of mostly minorities and women fill these positions.Even though there may be a shortage in knowledge base oriented firms the food service regardless of demographic, age, gender, educational attainment or nationality the restaurant will have applicants. The requirements to work in the restaurant are less than a high school education however; Ms. Robbie encourages her employees to finish school. Conclusion In conclusion, the restaurant needs to implement systems that would eventually help to take their brand to the national level. The focus of the paper was to point out key areas those HARM systems that would strategically help to meet the restaurants goals ND objectives.