Alcohol Consumption Drosophila Melanogaster

Alcohol consumption in sexually frustrated fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster Ankit Sharma April 8, 2013 BIO 534 Introduction The fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster show addiction-like behavior towards alcohol where the flies seem to be physiologically dependent on (Atkinson et. al. , 2012). The flies can thus exhibit a cognitive dependence where such behavior is stored in memory and same behavior is also shown in the future. This addiction is linked to NPY neuropeptide levels which can be found in Drosophila where these neuropeptides serve as feeding stimulants (Shen et. al. , 2005).Alcohol consumption rate is higher when these NPY neuropeptide levels are suppressed (Wilcox, 2012). Thus, such factors are linked to the idea that fruit flies consume food that contains alcohol more than regular food, and such behavior increases over time (Devineni and Heberlein, 2009). Sexual frustration is also linked to increase in consumption of alcohol. Fruit flies consumed less alcohol when they were sexually satisfied because sex raised NPF levels and the flies consumed more alcohol when they were sexually frustrated because their NPF levels were suppressed (Azanchi et. l. , 2012). The purpose of the experiment is to determine if sexually frustrated male fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster resort to alcohol after being rejected by females. Thus, the experiment will determine if the number of sexually frustrated fruit flies will be higher where there is alcohol in the environment than non-sexually frustrated fruit flies. The hypothesis to be tested is null hypothesis. The null hypothesis states that sexual frustration has no effect on alcohol consumption by male fruit flies.Thus, there will not be a significantly higher number of rejected male fruit flies in an alcohol environment than non-sexually frustrated flies. Materials and Methods Two plastic cylindrical vials were used to place wingless wild type fruit flies. The vials contained same amount of medium for food. Both vials contained regular medium for food. The fruit flies were anesthesized and 40 males and 40 females were separated. 20 males were placed in a vial with 20 females that were decapitated by a razor blade. 20 separate males were placed in a different vial with 20 females.The experiment was conducted over a period of 4 days. Two more vials were made, both containing 21% alcohol on one half side of the medium which was the closest percentage available compared to 15% ethanol used in other experiments. The males with decapitated females were transferred to one of the vials with alcohol. The males with regular females were transferred to the other vial with alcohol. The number of flies present on alcohol and normal side of the medium was recorded in both vials for 20 minutes in 1 minute increments. Three trials were conducted.The mean numbers of fruit flies present on the two sides of both vials were calculated. The mean was calculated by the summation of the number of fruit flies in e ach sides of the vials and divided by 120. The null hypothesis was tested by conducting a two-tailed t-test. Results For all the number of fruit flies observed in the two vials (n=120) there was a significant difference in the number of fruit flies in the two vials in the (t=4. 87, df=118, p

Social Media Essay

Social Media Negative Effects Social media plays a socialegative impacts of social media has drastically changed since it was introduced in 1979 when Usenet systems were first conceived by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis, and even since Mark Zuckerberg created â€Å"Facebook† in 2004.  Impact of social media on society sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Omegle expose today’s adolescence to things they shouldn’t be seeing, and it is as easy as logging in. The following paragraphs will talk about the three main the negative effects of social media plays on youth today. These are; one, continuously putting users of Social Media, (and even the internet), in danger, two, damaging face to face socializing skills, and three, exposing our youth to explicit materials. Negative Effects of Social Media on Society Firstly, Social media poses many threats in today’s society. It is accessible from any Computer, Phone, Tablet or IPod with an internet connection. This means that it is easier for children as young as 8 or 9 to connect to a social media site. This in turn exposes them to nudity, swearing and the worst of all; pedophiles and rapists. Rheana Murray of New York Daily News stated that a whopping one in ten profiles online are fake (May 2013). This means that at least 10% or more of a child’s friends on Facebook could be phony. The Carly Ryan incident in 2006 proves that the internet is a very dangerous platform for children, teenagers and even adults to be using. Unfortunately, fake profiles are not just used for using fake aliases. Even if someone has only, say 10 friends on a social media site, and know that all of these are authentic, there are still ways for hackers to access your information; such as your location, photos or even bank details. Bullying is also a huge danger to youth on the internet. Back before Social Networking was created, bullying stopped when school stopped. Now, a child being bullied is also faced with bullying in the confinement of their own home. Bullying on  social media effects on society has become one of the top three reasons for teen suicide, with a further two teens saying that they had attempted suicide as a result of cyber bullying. The main problem here is that only one in ten will inform a teacher or parent of this. Social Media faces today’s youth with countless dangers, it should be used carefully and decisively. Read more:  Essay About Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media Secondly, social media today is damaging the minds of our youth by suppressing their physical socializing skills. Because most of the time teenagers communicate via text and Facebook instead of writing a letter or picking up the phone, they are subconsciously harming the part of the brain that allows them to have meaningful conversations face to face. It worsens for the generation that were born from 2005 on, as this means social media is all they grew up with. Even for teenagers in high school, social media still played a major part in their influential maturing years that the early years when social media wasn’t known, don’t count towards anything. For instance, studies show that 3 in 5 students are abbreviating their words to acronyms without even realizing (Jasmine Fowlkes 2010). It is also seen that youth today do not have anything else to talk about other than what they â€Å"saw on Facebook last night† or â€Å"guess who is dating who†. This is a perfect example of what is happening to their socializing skills. Teens are unable to hold a decent conversation without mentioning something they saw on social media on the weekend or night before. This is going to severely damage their interviewing abilities when they want to apply for a job, or when they want to be able to stay in a relationship. It is important that people pay attention to how much they are relying on social media to communicate, and to limit themselves so they do not lose their ability to physically socialize altogether. Lastly, Social media plays a negative role on today’s society by exposing them to explicit material that should not be obtainable to today’s youth. Many sites have age restrictions, but it’s not a challenge for young children to say they wer e born ten years earlier on a social media account – the desire to explore the internet will drive them to this. Children still in the 3rd grade can have access to anything they desire, and most of the time will not understand what they are looking at but will always remember the basics. This leads to them asking their parents or other young friends what it means. Which leads to more unauthorized â€Å"research†. Most children at the age of five know what the the basics of sex are, and even more due to the ever expanding social network. When young children are on sites like Omegle (A video chat site where users are connected with another random user from around the globe, which are mostly naked men) they are oblivious to the  negatives of social media effects that these images are  doing to them. They are also exposed to rude and vulgar words which they then pick up and use as a force of habit in their everyday life. These children unfortunately are as young as six or seven. The internet needs to start using effective filters to stop this explicit material from poisoning the the minds of our future generation, and start paying more attention. In conclusion, social media plays a negative role on today’s society by continuously putting users of social media in danger, limiting face to face socializing skills, and exposing our society to explicit materials.  Bad things about social media need to change. There needs to be more restrictions blocking access to inappropriate sites, and security needs to drastically tighten on this essay on social media profiles, or the future generation that will be running the world will incapable of doing the job correctly. –Which effects everybody, and the generations to come. Works Cited Dewing, Michael. Social Media. Ottawa, Library of Parliament, 2010. â€Å"The Social Capital of Locative Social Media.† Locative Social Media. â€Å"Social Media.† Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media.

Economics in the early renaissance Research Paper

Economics in the early renaissance - Research Paper Example The economic development at the time portrayed the economy as a cohesive structure with numerous facets all of which function independently albeit in unison to enhance the economic growth of the entire society. The numerous sectors in the early renaissance economies thrived on peaceful economies coupled with systematic integration with other neighboring economies in order to expand their economies. Specific dynasties and think tanks such as Aristotle and Plato contributed fundamental economic ideas that fostered the development of the economies as I discuss in the easy below. In the research of the early renaissance economy, I research the theories fostered by numerous classical and neoclassical economists such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo. Effective taxation refers to a system of taxation in which the government demands a fair share of the citizens’ earning thus leaving the citizens with an adequate amount to foster the economic growth of the countries. At a time that the church played an important role in te formulation and implementation of policies, taxation was a fundamental issue since the royal dynasties often collaborated with the church to defraud the people. However, in order for the countries to register economic growth, the leadership had to implement effective policies that would enhance effective taxation, a system that would curb exploitation and enhance the appropriate utilization of the expenditure. Among the early cities worse governments exhibited effective management of resources was Florence. Florence was a small inland cit y in Italy that unlike other inland cities became economic success. Among the reasons for Florence’s success was the use of the resources in enhancing the liquidity of the economy. The Medici circulated the money in the economy through increased public spending thus resulting in the thriving of arts among other sectors of the economy. This way, the government raised the purchasing power

Volunteer Internships and Internships for B-Schools Article

Volunteer Internships and Internships for B-Schools - Article Example This article, â€Å"Volunteer Internships Benefit Local Governments and Students† by Robin Popik is about how local governments can attract interns both as a way of recruiting potential candidates to the positions in the local government as well as a means of giving the students the experience of working for a government. The article starts off by describing who an intern is and what are the roles and responsibilities that a typical intern should have when given an internship in a local government office. The article focuses on why it is a great idea for local governments to advertise for positions of internships to prospective students and then introduce them to the concept of a government job. The point here is that many students think of government jobs as not attractive enough when compared to those in the private sector. This perception is mainly because the government is seen as bureaucratic in nature and not serving the purpose of a fast-paced job that brings challenges and offers attractive remuneration for the students. As the article states, â€Å"Government organizations that need temporary staff for special projects are a great place to use internships. Challenge the intern to bring out the value of the project† (Popik, 2009). Hence, the author’s point is that the concept of government service must be made attractive to the students and they should be made aware of the potential benefits that a government job can bring in its wake. The article then goes on to describe the methods in which internships in the government sector and local government offices, in particular, can be structured by the local government officials. To quote from the article, â€Å"Local governments can champion this concept by using interns to teach about the governmental process and politics in a way most textbooks miss.  

Shipping Law , contact and disputed Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shipping Law , contact and disputed - Assignment Example It is inchoate from the moment the claim or privileges attaches, and when carried into effect by legal process by a proceeding in rem, relates back to a period when it attaches† (cited Mandaraka-Sheppard 22). On the other hand, an in rem action, as opposed to an action in personam, is one that attaches on property rather than on a person. In the maritime context, it attaches on the ship or on the cargo rather than on the ship-owner or the cargo owner. Thus, once a writ is issued by the court in an action in rem, a warrant for the arrest of the ship or cargo, rather than on the ship-owner or the cargo owner, can be applied next to secure the claim even before judgment. Lord Justice Moulton said in The Burns [1907] P137, â€Å"the action in rem is an action against the ship itself. It is an action in which the shipowners may take part, if they think proper, in defence of their property, but whether or not they will do so is a matter for them to decide, and if they do not decide to make themselves party to the suit in order to defend their property, no personal liability can be established against them in that action. It is perfectly true that the action indirectly affects them† (Chan et al 21). Maritime liens, however, are complicated issues because of the usual conflicts of laws involved. For one, there is no single rule on what constitutes maritime liens although there are the so-called traditional maritime liens and statutory maritime liens. The former refers to liens that have become so by practice in the admiralty world whilst the latter are those which are prescribed in statutes of statutes. Under English law, for example, the traditional liens, as enumerated in the case The Ripon City [1897] P 266 (242) (Adm) are â€Å"bottomry, salvage, wages, disbursements, liabilities, and damage† and arise automatically, ipso facto, upon the occurrence of the fact without notice or formality, remaining in and following the ship or cargo from owner to owner, including

An Outline and Annotated Bibliography for the Final Persuasive Essay - 1

An Outline and Annotated Bibliography for the Final Persuasive Research - Essay Example Parker-Pope, T. (2010, June 6). An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness.  The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainside.html?ref=yourbrainoncomp&_r=0. The article is a well written description of the adverse affects that are being produced as a result of excessive dependence and addiction to technology. The writer gives an intelligent overview of how the personalities of individuals transform as a result of excessive dependence. He also points out how these shifts in personalities go un attended. Shelly, G. B., Vermaat, M., Quasney, J. J., Sebok, S. L., & Freund, S. M. (2012).Discovering computers: Your interactive guide to the digital world : complete. Australia: Course Technology, Cengage Learning. This book, written by multiple authors, provides an interactive view of the digital world human society has turned into. For a novice and for those still virtually living in the stone ages, this book provides a very interesting preview of the components of this digital world and the pros and cons associated with it. The readings in this book were particularly helpful in assessing the terminology of technology overload. It also provided an insight into certain issues that have emerged with the prevalence of technology and also ponders upon their eradication. This book was particularly helpful in asserting the point of view established by reading the first referenced article. A work of multiple authors intelligently put together, the book is appealing and explains its point of view well. The paper highlights the introduction of a particular technology broadband into a firm and previews its affects upon the organizational structure. It also discusses the economic aspects associated with the introduction of technology within a firm with special reference to

Unknown . see criteria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Unknown . see criteria - Essay Example role of the East India Company in the expansion of the British Empire directly correlates to the activities of key individuals such as Robert Clive and Lord Hastings and the focus of this analysis is to critically evaluate the roles of Clive, the East India Company and Lord Hastings in the expansion of the Empire in India. To this end, it is submitted that it is vital to consider the historical backdrop and evolution of the Company from trading entity to leading military strategist for the British objectives in expanding political and economic control in India. Moreover, whilst the expansion of the East India Company symbolised increasing British executive control in India, it is submitted that this was significantly contributed to by the roles of key individuals such as Clive and Hastings, which is further evidenced by the contrasting British position in China. Indeed, it is submitted in this paper that the very contrast between British power in China and the Crown Jewel of India highlights how the roles of Clive and Lord Hastings effectively engineered the status of the East India Company towards achieving British political goals in the expansion of the empire. Accordingly, on this basis I shall undertake a background overview and analysis in section 1. In section 2, I shall critically evaluate the role of Clive, followed by a comparative analysis of the role of Hastings in section 3. I shall then conclude with an overview of the interrelationship between Clive, Hastings and the East India Company in the expansion of the British Empire in India. In Pirenne’s â€Å"History of the Universe†, he comments that â€Å"in the middle of the seventeenth century, Asia still had a far more important place in the world than Europe2†. This was primarily due to the trading opportunities offered in India and China, which the British and their European counterparts wanted to exploit for profit and increasing political control in the race for empire3. Directly correlated to

Jack the Ripper Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Jack the Ripper - Term Paper Example One can see that psychological analysis can unveil the secrets behind the criminal mentality of Jack the Ripper and his cruel deeds. During his time period, people were totally frightened about him because his cruel deeds were unpredictable. Almost all his victims were prostitutes in the suburban areas of London. The reports that appeared in the newspapers added fuel to the general assumption of Jack the Ripper’s serial killing. When more and more prostitutes were murdered by the criminal, people became more and more suspicious about the power of law enforcement to entrap Jack the Ripper. Now a days, Jack the Ripper is considered as a psychopath with criminal mentality and immense intelligence to veil his identity. For instance, daily reporting of murders did not hinder the criminal from committing more and more murders. As pointed out, his victims were prostitutes who are considered as the members of the lowest strata of the society. This forces the people to believe that the reason behind committing murders is related to hatred towards prostitution and immoral activities. From a different angle of view, Jack the Ripper chose prostitutes as his victims because they can be easily approachable without and suspicion. During Jack the Ripper’s time, people thought that most of the crimes against women were committed by him. This false assumption created chaos among the public and helped other criminals to commit more crimes and vest the responsibility upon Jack the Ripper. During Jack the Ripper’s time, forensic science and criminal investigation were strictly limited to the sphere of catching the criminal red handed. So, one can easily identify that Jack the Ripper’s cunningness, the mythical persona vested upon him, unwanted importance given to him by the media and the lack of evidence to unveil his identity limited the scope of the investigators to entrap him. When mythical stories veil the evidences, psychological analysis can unveil Jack the Ripper’s identity because it is the most powerful tool that can help the investigators. First of all, the researcher needs to identify the motive behind the murders committed by Jack the Ripper. Then, the researcher needs to collect all evidence and analyze the same based on the crimes committed during the crimes committed. Besides, the researcher needs to consider the time period of Jack the Ripper, place where he carried his crimes, and way how he carried his crimes. Thesis statement: Psychological analysis to unveil the secrets behind Jack the Ripper’s crimes (special references to the crime’s conducted by Jack the Ripper). Psychological Analysis: I. Jack the Ripper: General opinion during his time period Towards the end of the 19th century (say, in the year 1888), England was undergoing rapid social and political change. Robin Odell states that Jack the Ripper’s â€Å"First murder occurred in 1888† (66). The role of the press as an im portant tool for social change was transforming the social atmosphere of London. During this time, the serial killing in the suburbs of London (East End of London) created much chaos among the people. Gradually, more and more news papers began to report news about serial murders committed by Jack the Ripper. This unneeded focus upon a serial killer attracted the general attention

State Board for Educator Certification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

State Board for Educator Certification - Essay Example This is an ethical code safeguards the innocence of the pupils. Teachers are expected to protect their students for sexual exploitation. However, they are supposed to educate then on sex education being very cautious not to create an impression that may affect the student’s psychology. In the Texas ethical codes of conduct, teachers are therefore expected to refrain from soliciting and or engaging in sexual conduct or romantic relationship with a student.I discussed these issues with the dean of student’s affairs in my campus; he confessed that during his long service in this position to have experienced such cases. However a majority of cases were solved internally. However, a number of cases had been forwarded to the board because the complainants felt that they had not been accorded enough justice through the campus dispute committee. Unethical conduct toward professional colleagues:In most campuses across our district interactions between staff members are generally amiable, and where they are not, they are professional at the very least. The existing code of ethical standards guides against making false accusations or allusions about coworkers, observing school policies in regard to appointment, appraising, and dismissing staffs, not infringing with coworkers’ political or citizenship rights, discrimination against colleagues , among others. However, in special instances, teachers ask favors of each other that may be unethical. In fact, peer pressure is the most common form.... In the Texas ethical codes of conduct, teachers are therefore expected to refrain from soliciting and or engaging in sexual conduct or romantic relationship with a student. I discussed these issues with the dean of student’s affairs in my campus; he confessed that during his long service in this position to have experienced such cases. However a majority of cases were solved internally. However, a number of cases had been forwarded to the board because the complainants felt that they had not been accorded enough justice through the campus dispute committee. Unethical conduct toward professional colleagues: In most campuses across our district interactions between staff members are generally amiable, and where they are not, they are professional at the very least. The existing code of ethical standards guides against making false accusations or allusions about coworkers, observing school policies in regard to appointment, appraising, and dismissing staffs, not infringing with c oworkers’ political or citizenship rights, discrimination against colleagues , among others. However, in special instances, teachers ask favors of each other that may be unethical. In fact, peer pressure is the most common form of coercion, witnessed among teacher colleagues and is occasionally effective. This, in most cases puts the teacher requested in situation of breaching the set ethical standards. Week 2 Assignment, Part 3: School District Policies and Procedures The web address where your district’s human resources and personnel policies are located http://www.tea.state.tx.us/portals.aspx?id=2147484909 Briefly reflect on what you learned in reviewing these policies and procedures. I learnt that every state has its own unique policies; however, these policies are

Customer Service in Leisure and Recreation Essay Example for Free

Customer Service in Leisure and Recreation Essay The Importance of Customer Service Increased sales are one of the key ways to tell how well the company is doing. Excellent customer service means customers will buy more and recommend more products and services other people, which will add to the increase in sales. While sales are very important to leisure and recreation organisations, another way to measure the success is in terms of customer numbers, which is particularly true for non-profit making organisations. Customer service plays a major role in attracting new customers and the main source of this is the powerful influence of word of mouth. Existing customers who are impressed by the customer service at an organisation will tell other people about it. This means that an organisation keeps its existing customers as well as gaining new ones. An effective customer service policy is that customers will view the organisation in a positive way. This means the image of the organisation will be enhanced by the standard of customer service. Having a good public image is very important for: * Attracting new customers * Retaining existing customers * Reinforcing customer satisfaction * Securing repeat business * Gaining an edge over the competition An organisations public image is the mental picture that we have of the organisation. This can be based on our own experience, what others have told us about it or on what the organisation itself has told us about via its marketing activities such as advertising and public relations. Read more:Â  Recreational Activity Example Television programmes such as Watchdog also help us for an image in our heads, especially when they start reporting viewers complaints. This could have a very bad effect on the organisation. Good customer service can also enhance the image of an organisations individual products or services. For example, customers may have a positive image of a sports centre, but also have a positive image of the individual products and services such as the reservations system and changing facilities. Good customer service gives an organisation a competitive advantage. If you sell a similar product or service, you gain an edge by offering a better quality service and this gives a greater chance of attracting customers. A pleasant working environment is another benefit of good customer service. If customers receive good customer service, they will respond in a friendly and appreciative manner. Customer satisfaction is extremely important in a business and this means the organisation must meet the needs and expectations of the customers. Customer loyalty is very important in a business and good customer service helps reinforce customers loyalty to the organisation with every visit they make. If customers are loyal, they are likely to return and these people are known as repeat customers. This means the customers of the past become the customers of the future. If an organisation has poor customer service, they will suffer from: * Decreased sales * Fewer customers * A poor public image * An absence of competitive edge * An unhappy and less efficient workforce * Dissatisfied customers * Lack of customer loyalty and repeat business Personal Presentation The first impression the customer gets of personal presentation is very important as it is one they will never forget. It directly influences customers satisfaction and the image they have of the organisation. Personal presentation includes appearance, personal hygiene, personality and attitude. Appearance covers everything from clothes and footwear, to hair, make-up and jewellery. The reasons for providing staff with a uniform are: * It helps create a positive first impression * Staff are recognised instantly as working for a specific organisation * It is easy to identify a member of staff when a customer needs advice or assistance * It can indicate the department in which a member of staff works * It helps to create a professional corporate image A lot of organisations now provide their employees with a uniform. Organisations rely on their employees judgement for deciding what is and is not acceptable in terms of appearance. Some organisations set ground rules and to a large extent, this reflects the nature of the organisation and the type of customer it serves. For example, a five star hotel will be very strict with the dress code of the employees who work at the front-of-house. They will be required to wear a uniform and it may also include rules on footwear, hairstyling and make-up. The most important point is to make sure that dress and general appearance suit the job, the organisation and the customers expectations. On the other hand, the organisation should make sure that the uniform is comfortable, easy to maintain and look appropriate for staff of all builds. Anyone serving customers should have excellent standards of personal hygiene. Different types of organisations will have different standards of personal hygiene, for example, anyone who works in the food industry will be expected to wash their hands at least a dozen times a day. First impressions also come from the employees own personality. Again, different jobs require different personalities. A childrens sport coach will require a different personality to a personal fitness instructor because they are working with different types of people. From the personality of the employee, people can tell a lot about the organisation itself. The employees attitude towards the customer is critical. The customers feel that they want as much attention as possible when they go into a workplace and if an employees attitude is poor, they may feel neglected and not wanted. Types of Customers Customers have different needs depending on who they are and the circumstances. There is a difference between internal and external customers. Internal customers are members of staff or outside suppliers who contribute towards the service provided for the external customers. External customers are the people who actually buy or use the organisations products and services. External customers are then categorised into individual, group, age, culture, language spoken and specific needs. Many leisure and recreation providers serve groups and the individuals who compromise them in ways that enhance and promote customer service. Customer age groups are classified as children and adults. Although the companies feel the age of the customers is important, they also feel it is important not to make assumptions about customers needs based solely on age. Cultural background influences peoples traditions, tastes, preferences and opinions and it will therefore influence the type of service they need and expect. It is also important not to make assumptions on the culture of the customer. Foreign visitors are an increasingly important part of the UK tourism market. People still want to feel that they can be dealt with even though there is a language barrier. Large organisations often employ multi-lingual staff to communicate with non-English speaking customers. Some customers have specific needs that may require special customer service in addition to that provided to meet the general needs of everybody. These include sensory disabilities, mobility problems, literacy, dietary requirements and people with young children. Dealing with Customers Almost everyone working in the leisure and recreation industry has to deal with customers, whether be face-to-face, on the phone or in writing. Face-to-face communication has many advantages but only the staff use it well. For example, your presentation can help create a positive image. You can also use facial expressions and gestures to help communicate more effectively. Telephone communication is used in most leisure centres and it provides an essential part of customer service. Some organisations even use the telephone as the main method of dealing with the customers. For some organisations, written communication is the main way of keeping in touch with customers. Menus, tariffs or price lists and letters are all forms of written communication, along with bills, advertisements, notice boards, tickets, e-mails and timetables. Non-verbal communication comprises all forms of communication that are spoken or written down. 80% of communication is non-verbal, so it is clearly very important in customer service. Body language is the main form of non-verbal communication and people can tell how interested the staff are just by looking at them. Selling Skills Selling skills are an important part of customer service. Every time somebody asks for help, advice or information, it is probably a selling situation. As a member of staff, you should be helping customers a lot and to be able to do this effectively, you should have good knowledge of the products and services you are trying to sell. Customers can only buy products and services from an organisation if they know they exist, therefore raising customer awareness is a key part of selling skills Establishing rapport with the customer means encouraging a conservation in which the staff and the customer are both communicating on the same level. Within this category, you must also make the customer feel they have your undivided attention without being too over the top. The easiest way for staff to identify the customers needs is to ask if they need any help. From the reply, the staff will be able to decide what further questions to ask to identify the customers specific needs. Presenting the product or service to the customer in an appropriate way is important. For example, is someone wants to buy something but cannot afford it, then the staff should suggest something of a similar range but at a less expensive price. Closing the sale means actually getting the customer to buy the product or service you are offering. Some people may wish to go away and think about the offer that has just been made and in this case, it is probably a good idea to reserve the product or service. Taking a customers payment is also included in closing a sale. This should be done cheerfully, politely, friendly and gratefully to make the customer feel that they have made the correct choice by buying this product or service from this store or centre. Customer service does not end when the customer hands over their money. This is known as after-sales service and sometimes this will be immediate such as asking the customer of they have enjoyed their visit. Sometimes, if people subscribe to a gym for a year, they may need help in using the service after a couple of months. This is where after-sale service comes in useful. A technique known as AIDA is used in the design of advertising and promotional material and when considering effective selling skills. A stands for attention, I stands for interest, D stands for desire and A stands for action. If you use this technique, it will result in the customer desiring the product and therefore taking action by buying it.

A detailed assignment examining Leadership style management

A detailed assignment examining Leadership style management Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he/she is directing the activities of a group towards a shared goal. A leader is seen as someone who sets the paths in an effort to influence people to adhere to those paths. Leadership is an action and not just a position. It can be shown via different people in various situations. A person is not born to be a leader but cultured through the upbringing and environment. A leaders personal characteristics are also vital for the developments and motivations of the organizations. True leaders such as the teachers who illustrated that leadership is an action (teaching and leading the students) and not a position. Touching the lives and affecting the outcome of many different expectations, a teacher is the epitome of a leader. A leader has his or her own style of motivating the people in the organizations. A leader must find the best skills in order to provide directions, motivations and purposes. Effective leaders are flexible. Organizational Leadership Model The effective leadership influence is not the same for everyone. It depends on their ranks in the organization and abilities which are required in leaders. The three basic leadership roles identified: initiation, speech, and management. 1. Initiation Initiation refers to planned decision making on policy formulation or structural change. These vital decisions are the determinants of the organizations culture and mission. 2. Speech Strategic decisions and methods designed for implementation within the establishment. It includes adjusting or adding on to the present structure towards new policy demands. 3. Management Management is putting into practice the policies and measures that are available to maintain the operations of the organization efficiently. These three kinds of Leadership are naturally executed at diverse ranks in the company with different abilities and skills. The top level management would initiate new policies that involve a change in the businesss structure or understanding the companys mission. An understanding of the entire organization, culture, mission, vision and how it correlates with the external parties is mandatory for these top level individuals. They represent the organization and what the business stands for. Understanding the policy decisions and practicing them to the existing organization via utterance or speech is usually made by the intermediate-level managers. They must uphold a two-way point of reference by taking orders from the above management and adapting them for the lower groups of people in the organization. Type of Leadership Process Typical Organizational Level Cognitive (Knowledge) Affective (Emotion) Initiation: Change, creation and elimination of structure Top echelons System perspective Charisma Speech: supplementing and piecing out of structure Intermediate levels: pivotal roles Subsystem perspective: two-way orientation Integration of primary and secondary relations: human relation skills Management: use of existing structure Lower levels Technical knowledge and understanding of system of rules Concern with equity in use of rewards and sanctions EXHIBIT 16.1 Three Leadership Patterns, Their Location in the Organization, and Their Skill Requirements The companys policies and procedures will be administered by the Lower-level supervisors. These personnel must possess both the technical knowledge and a clear perception of the organizations rules in order to be successful. They have to continually deal with issues such as equity, rewards and punishments in leading others. Therefore, leadership plays a crucial role in an organization because the it has direct impact on the effectiveness of the organizations. Leadership is when a person manipulates others to perform a task at their own will which they would not normally do. Leadership is a vital process to an organization and it can be deliberated on three different stages; i.e. the individual, group and organization. Analysis at the individual stage: the leadership studies have paid attention on the successful leader personalities. Behaviors of both formal and informal leaders are focused at the group level. The effectiveness of an organization is decided by the relations between the leader, follower and circumstances. The studies have caused an emergence of different theories of leadership, namely situational and contingency. In Search for Leadership The requirements in selecting and training efficient leaders were emphasized during the World War I and the quarter century between World War l and World War II; numerous studies were made to examine the personal characteristics of good leaders. These studies are usually referred as characteristic studies since the primary goal was to classify the traits and personal characteristics of successful leaders. The diverse methods used to study these leadership traits could possibly be the reason in the irregularities of the results. The manner of studies was not consistent in identifying the leaders. A majority of the studies was in comparing efficient with inefficient leaders or leaders with non-leaders. Some were identified by external observers, others selected by the group by way of recommendation or voting, nominated by observers such as teachers while some were chosen because they are already in leadership positions. The studies conducted were in conflict as to the way they deliberated on the traits. Some traits were measured by mental tests; others relied on viewers to spot the traits they have seen while some depended on the persons to report their own personality traits. The trait studies were quite unsatisfactory as a whole especially since they had hoped to develop an accurate measure of leadership effectiveness. The spotlight on the leadership research moved because of the flimsy results, to contingency studies which investigated more than just traits of a leader. Numerous traits formed an important divergence in leadership effectiveness and they interrelated with other conditional variables to stimulate the effectiveness of the leader. Physical Behaviors Physical attributes including height, weight, health and appearance are also examined in the studies. It was concluded that there is a relationship between the above features and leadership. Apparently leaders have the tendency to be taller, heavier, better fitness, greater physique, higher energy output and more attractive in appearance. However, these types of results were not always reliable and consistent. The results neither are too weak in general and not consistent to be effective in selecting leaders nor are they helpful for training functions since not much can be made to alter most of these physical traits. Intellect It was generally agreed that leaders are more intellectual than non-leaders and the relationship was shown in the various studies. The relationship could probably begin from the reality that leadership functions depend mostly on success in problem solving. Leadership roles such as initiation, speech and management necessitate great mental ability. In general, it is safe to assume that leaders seems to be more intelligent than non-leaders but the relationships are small. Many other variables other than intellect inspire leadership effectiveness. It was also suggested that leaders should not be too intelligent than the group because associates who are notably brilliant than others are rarely chosen as leaders since the other members tend to snub them. Individuals with high IQs are inclined to have different sets of vocabulary, networks and aspirations that would create communication and inter-relations problems. Leaders do extremely well generally at school/college/university and score better grades. It is important for effective leadership to know how to do things. Thus general and practical knowledge are essential for leaders to make better decisions. Characteristic Traits Only a partial of the characteristic traits seem to be related to leadership and most are not especially convincing. It was suggested that the average leader is more used to social displays, greater initiative, persistent, knows how to get things done, self-confident, are more cooperative and adaptable, and possesses excellent communication skills. Leaders were found to be more emotionally mature than non-leaders in the personality integration or emotional adjustment. It can be concluded that personal characteristics are related to leadership. Effective leadership does not depend on a mixture of personality traits only because situational variables are also important since they always decide whether a character was associated with effective leadership either positively or negatively. Therefore, it can deduced that effective leadership depends on the leaders characteristics, his subordinates and the nature of the task at hand. Many leadership styles were based on studies of leaders behaviors. The finest researches on the styles of leadership are made together at the same time; i.e. The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. Researchers acknowledged two leader behaviors that were similar although the investigations were conducted separately. As a result, a two dimensional aspects of leadership have been to used to form the Managerial Grid. Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Leadership Due to the diverse political systems in the US and Germany before World War II inspired studies of leadership which evaluated three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez faire. In the democratic leadership style, decisions were made by vote of majority; equal participation encouraged; criticism and punishment minimal. In the autocratic leader, the leader made all the decisions and others must follow the set procedures strictly. In the laissez-faire leader, there was minimal actual leadership and others were permitted to work and play as usual without proper directives. Initiating Structure and Consideration The two leadership factors were initiating structure and consideration which include leadership behaviors in organizing and defining the tasks to be performed and goal achievements. A leader who assigns people to do specific jobs, expected workers to follow set routines and meet deadlines. The consideration factor is showing friendship, mutual trust, warmth and concern for subordinates. Production-Centered and Employee-Centered Leader Behaviors Production centered behaviors were akin to initiating structure in which leaders would establish targets, gave directives, checked on operations and planned the group Employees work. Centered behaviors were similar to the considerations dimension in which the leader would develop a caring personal relationship with the subordinates and encouraged a two-way communication with them. The relationship between production-centered and employee centered behaviors are found to be independent scopes of leadership. A leader with strong production orientation does not mean that he is disinterested in the employees. Managerial Grid Robert Blake and Jane Mouton had created a framework which combines a concern for task accomplishment and a concern for people called the Managerial Grid. They both assumed that concern for production and concern for people would produce the most effective leadership style. There are leaders primarily more concerned with accomplishing the production and task not concerned about people. This person wants the job done and schedule followed at all costs. There is also individual who is not concerned whether the group produces anything but concerned more about the personal needs and interests of the team members. Ideally, leaders should be concerned about meeting schedules in order to get the work done and simultaneously are concerned about the team members interest and feelings too. The Managerial Grid is popular among managers. It is extensively used by organisations as part of their training program to assess leadership style. However, the effectiveness of the Managerial Grid is not consistently supported. The factors which are considered in determining leadership styles interact in complicated ways which resulted in various leadership styles. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP In assessing leadership effectiveness, there are many factors that must be combined. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed a situational leadership model which considers three variables: (1) guidance and direction provided by the leaders (task behavior) (2)emotional support given by the leader (relationship behavior) (3) the maturity level exhibited in performing the task As a result, four potential leadership styles have been created using a combination of the above factors : S1: Telling Give instructions and supervise performance closely. Suited for followers who are unwilling but of low maturity. S2: Selling Decide and provide opportunity for explanation. Appropriate for followers who are not able but willing. S3: Participating Sharing ideas in making decisions. Suited for followers who are able but not willing. S4: Delegating Responsibility handed over for decisions and performance. Appropriate for groups who are able and willing. Contingency Theory of Leadership Fiedler studied the interaction of leadership style and situation. He identified and developed ways to measure leadership orientation of the leader and situational factors which influence leadership. Leader Orientation Two types of leaders were identified, i.e. relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Leaders who are relationship-oriented tend to look at others as coworkers and look upon interpersonal relations as a requirement towards accomplishing the task. However, for task-oriented leaders, they react strongly against people whom they could not get along with in performing a task. Situational favorableness (1) relationships between leader and member can be good or bad; (2) the task is relatively well planned or not; and (3) the leaders authority is relatively strong or weak. The task structure becomes the second most important situational variable as evaluated by judges who examined four aspects of the task structure. Clarity: whether requirements of the tasks are stated clearly, Multiplicity: which the problems encounter can be solved. Verifiability: which the correctness of the decisions can be ascertained. Specificity: which there are generally more solutions involved in performing the task. Group effectiveness Relationship-oriented leaders perform excellently well in situations where concern for the team members is apparently necessary in order to motivate them to perform well. People naturally prefer leaders who care about them and their welfare. However, task-oriented leaders are clearly more effective in impossible situations. Path-Goal Model Directive leadership: subordinates are told what to be expected. Specific guide, standards and work schedules are provided to ensure that task are performed as expected. Supportive leadership: subordinates are treated equally and show concern for their needs and well-being; develop pleasant interpersonal relationships among the group members. Achievement-oriented leadership: challenging goals are set and subordinates are expected to perform at their highest level, improvement in performance always. Participative leadership: subordinates are consulted on suggestions and ideas in making decisions. Situational factors Situational factors characteristics of the followers and environmental factors which affect leadership style. Significant characteristics of the followers which have been identified as determinants of leadership style are: (1). Followers with internal locus of control believe that they are rewarded for their own effort. Meanwhile, followers with external locus of control believe that external forces have a control on their rewards. (2). Authoritarianism: an individuals willingness to accept the influence of others. (3). Abilities: The followers ability and experience influence a leader whether they are able to work with an achievement oriented leader or a supportive leader who are patient enough to provide encouragement and instruction. The path-goal model recognises three environmental factors which effect leadership styles: the nature of the task to be performed, the existing organisations authority system the organisational norms and dynamics The above factors may influence the effectiveness of different leadership styles in a many ways. Normative Decision-Making Model of Leadership Based on the contingency theory of leadership, this leadership model does not assume any leadership style as appropriate for all situations. Leaders must develop a range of leadership styles and take on the most appropriate style depending on the situation. Leaders are required to know in which circumstances they need to consult others and vice versa. Even though the leader may be the chairman of the group, he is just one of the group members and does not try to influence the group to adopt a particular solution. Criteria for selecting a leadership style. Two criteria used for assessing the efficiency of a leadership style are quality and acceptance. The quality of the decisions made refers to the accurateness of the actions taken and the extent which some objectives are achieved. The quality of decisions depends on accurate and relevant information Conferring with other group members often provides additional information. Diagnostic decision rules. In order to save time and minimize costs, some managers choose the lead autocratically. If the aim was to further the subordinates personal development, the participative style is selected. In some strategies, the manager decides alone. At times, the manager decides on his own after earlier consultations with his subordinates. Comparing the leadership models. All situational leadership models emphasize on the effect of external factors on a particular leadership style. Different leadership styles suggest styles that are determined by various situational factors. The models focus on different methods, which are situational factors and criteria for selecting the best style: task-oriented versus relationship-oriented. The normative decision-making model ascertains three leadership styles, namely autocratic, consultative, and participative. In each model, situational factors which influence the effectiveness of leadership are somewhat different. A significant reason being that normative decision- making model equates leadership with making decisions and looks at only this leadership function. The models also use different criteria for evaluating leadership effectiveness. DETERMINANTS OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS Although identifying what makes an effective leader seems like a simple task, however, individuals who are in leadership positions are often faced with a dilemma on deciding which leadership pattern to practice. Choosing a Leadership Style Choosing the most appropriate leadership style to adopt depends largely on the context of the organisation. A successful leader must be capable of assessing the situational forces in the organisation and respond accordingly to the needs. The forces include the organisation culture, business goals as well as the organisations strategic plans. Effective leaders must understand themselves, the group, company and social environment. Strategies for Improving Leadership One of the main variable to improve leadership relates largely to the organisations reward system. Leaders should not overlook his capacity to reward his followers accordingly since followers will respond otherwise. For instance, the managers of high- performing groups generally are compensated according to their achievements. Considerate leaders manage to create satisfaction among their performing subordinates while at the same time, changes in the behavior of the leaders could be caused by the performance of the subordinates. Constraints on leader behavior. Leaders have limited opportunities to influence others. Leadership effectiveness is inhibited by a variety of factors. For example, the managerial decisions are planned ahead because of the law, structure, technological specifications and the absence of alternatives. Many other organisational factors can impose limitations on the leaders capability to either communicate with or to reinforce the behavior of the subordinates. For example, organisational policies, nature of task, skills and abilities of available resources and other external factors may impede the capacities of organisational leaders. External factors. In terms of external factors, leaders are constrained by factors that they have no control on such as state and federal laws. Other external factors include the world economy and global issues. Irrespective of their leadership style, leaders with unskilled resources will face great challenges in leading. The availability of skilled followers is subjected to the external labor market. Organizational policies. The organization may limit a leaders effectiveness by hampering the amount of communication between leaders and followers. The existing company policies may also pose restrictions on the ability of leaders to reward or punish followers. Group factors. Leaders may find it hard to penetrate or influence group members who are highly unified. This will create difficulty for leaders to demonstrate his true capabilities in performing tasks for the organisation. Individual skills and abilities. The leaders own skills and abilities may act as constraints since leaders can only possess so much expertise, energy, and power. Some situations may simply require greater skills and abilities than the leader may possibly hope to possess. Substitutes for leadership. While some situations constrain leaders other situations make leadership unnecessary. These variables are referred to as substitute variables because they substitute for leadership either by making the leaders behavior unnecessary or by neutralizing the leaders ability to influence subordinates. Leadership is an extremely important function. It has an enormous influence on the value of groups and organizations. The complexity of the situation, however, may prevent us from knowing in advance which will be the most effective leadership behaviors. SUMMARY 1. Leadership refers to increasing influence which occur when an individual manipulates others to do tasks voluntarily which they would not do otherwise. The basic leadership roles include initiation of policy and structure, speech, and management. A need for leadership within organizations stems from the incompleteness of the organization design and the dynamic nature of the internal and external environments. 2. The studies of leadership were mainly studies on traits that tried to identify the characteristics of effective leaders. The studies focused mainly on physical traits, intellect and characteristic. The results were usually weak and inconsistent although some personal characteristics were always related to leadership. Most studies concluded that the characteristics of the subordinate and the nature of the task were as important as the characteristics of the leader in determining success. 3. Another approach to studying leadership set on leader behaviors; i.e. how leaders actually behave. One of the studies compared three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire. Although democratic leadership produced the greatest satisfaction, autocratic leadership had the highest levels of productivity. 4. Research conducted simultaneously at two universities identified two similar leadership behaviors. At The Ohio State University the researchers labeled these two leader behaviors initiating structure and consideration. At the University of Michigan the same two factors were labeled production-centered and employee-centered leader behaviors. These two leader behaviors appear to identify leadership functions essential to the effectiveness of a group. The two Factors have been used to form a matrix called the Managerial Grid which places a concern for production on one side of the grid and concern for people on the other. The research evidence does not support this conclusion consistently. 5. The unsuccessful research to identify leadership traits or universally superior leader behaviors caused an emergence of development of four situational theories of leadership. The theories suggest that the most effective leadership style depends upon situational variables particularly the characteristics of the group and the nature of the task. 6. A situational leadership model that matched different combinations of task behavior and relationship behavior with the maturity of the followers. As the followers increase, the appropriate leadership style is telling, selling, participating, and finally for highly mature followers, delegating. 7. The most appropriate leadership style was determined by assessing three situational variables: whether the relationships between the leader and the members were good or poor, the task was structured or unstructured, and the power position of the leader was strong or weak. When these three situational variables created an extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable situation, the most effective leadership style was a task-oriented leader. However, where there were intermediate levels of favorableness, a leader with a high concern for interpersonal relationships was more effective in these situations. 8. The path goal model theory is derived from expectancy theory. It suggests that effective leaders must clarify the target paths and increase its attractiveness for followers. Four distinct leadership styles are proposed in the model: directive, supportive achievement-oriented and participative leadership styles. The style most appropriate depends upon two types of situational factors: the characteristics of the follower and characteristics of the environment. Three of the most important follower characteristics include the locus of control, authoritarianism, and personal abilities. The three environmental factors include the nature of the task, the formal authority system within the organization, and the group norms and dynamics. 9. The three leadership styles include autocratic decision making, consultative decision making, and group decision making. The decision titles determining which style is most appropriate include such questions as whether the leader has adequate information to make the decision alone, whether the subordinates will accept the goals of the organization, whether subordinates will accept the decision if they do not participate in making it, and whether the decision will produce a controversial solution. 10. The influence of the group upon the leader should not be overlooked. The relationship between the leader and the group implies a reciprocal influence. Groups have the capacity to influence the behavior of their leaders by responding selectively to specific leader behaviors. The influence of a leader can also be constrained by several external factors, such as organizational policies, group norms, and individual skills and abilities. Other variables have been found to neutralize or substitute for the influence of a leader, such as the skills and abilities of followers and the nature of the task itself. POSITIONING ON LEADERSHIP CRISIS There are many leadership theories. Arthur G. Jago (1982) had proposed a framework that organizes leadership theories based on each theorys focus and approach. Focus refers to whether the leadership is seen as a set of traits or actions. There is a universal formula of traits or behavior for an effective leader. However, effective leadership also depends on specific situations. The kinds of behaviors that leaders can actually perform in a group. The two leader behaviors that have been consistently observed including task-related activities, called initiating structure or production-centered activities, and interpersonal relations activities, sometimes called consideration or employee-centered activities. The incremental influence that one individual exerts upon another and that causes the second person to change his or her behavior voluntarily. Three leadership roles include origination of the structure by top-level managers, interpolation or adapting the structure by middle-level managers and administration or implementation of the policies and procedures by lower-level supervisors. I concur with A. Ange on the presence of leadership crisis but I also foresee the resolutions taken and are still being taken to resolve the problem. Many organizations are spending money in sending their employees to be groomed and trained for future growth of the company whereby they are exposed to different methods of management and how to be great leaders. Leaders are born to leaders but in some circumstances, situations and environments also play a huge role in creating a leader. Leaders come and go and new ones are always on the threshold to take over the empty space. The qualities of the leaders and their leadership styles vary but they are vital in the development and motivation processes of the organizations. There is a crisis in good leadership but it is not at a critical point. Big organizations would have everything in place for the future growth of the company and would have in line the replacements for all aspects of the management. Even is small to medium sized organizations have planned their management line-ups for the future. The ongoing programs and trainings that are conducted by organizations to produce capable leaders and groom them further showed that companies are aware of the could be crisis and had taken steps to overcome the situation. Yes, there is a crisis but the severity of the crisis is not huge enough to cause panics throughout the organizations.

appearance vs reality Essay -- essays research papers

Appearance vs. Reality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Things are not always as they appear. You may think someone is a certain way because of how they dress and carry themselves this is called stereotyping. Many people stereotype without even noticing that they are doing it. Everyone has his or her right to first impressions, but stereotyping is wrong. There are many examples of this topic in literature as well as in our society today. The main population accused of stereotyping is teenagers; they are seen as rude and judgmental. For example, in high school the people are divided into groups by how they dress and whom they hang out with. There are the skaters, freaks, preps, snobs, cheerleaders, jocks and nerds. No one person set up these different groups, they came along as the years went by. It is not fair to automatically say someone is a prep or freak by just looking at them; the people in different groups have many of the same characteristics and the same friends. So, how can they be stereotyped if all the groups mingle anyways? Although the teenagers are usually accused of stereotyping, it occurs no matter what age you are. For example, if an adult sees another one dressed in cheaper clothes, they might assume they are poor. Or if someone sees another with real expensive clothes, they assume they are rich. This is a false accusation, because one cannot tell if another is rich or poor by how they dress or what kind of house they live in. Some people like to save money ...

Response to Davidsons Africa in History :: World History

Response to Davidson's Africa in History Africa, steeped in history, is often known as the "cradle of civilization." Civilization was most greatly nurtured during the Pleistocene era. The history pre-, proto-, and fully human unfolds mostly during the Pleistocene era. Stone tools caused an increase in population throughout Africa because of knowledge of fire, knowing how to carry burdens and live in caves (9). Around 10,000 B.C., Neanderthals, last of the hominids, disappeared and home sapiens took over (9,10). Between 5500 and 2500 B.C. there was a Makalian 'wet phase' where there was a great mixing of people, plenty of fish, wildlife and trees. The author seems to believe in the authenticity of early African history. He dismisses the "Hamitic hypothesis" as "great nonsense" (ll,l2). The "Hamitic hypothesis" stated that the Hamites (Caucasians) were responsible for any process in history identifiable in Africa. The hypothesis stated that Negroes were too primitive to embark on any such processes of history (l2). >P> The first great civilization of Africa took place in Egypt. Egyptians started 3round the delta and were part of the Saharan Sudanese culture (l5). They became strong because they knew when the Nile River floods were coming and could cultivate their land with rich soil (13). The Egyptians built many notable stone monuments and created a pharaonic monarchy. For many centuries they were supreme military fighters and ruled Northern Africa through the Old, Middle and Late Kingdoms. During the Late Kingdom Egypt came under attack by the Kushites (33). Egyptians weren't able to defend themselves well in part because of lack of iron tools. Egyptians did not see iron as significant military weapons. Iron was seen as curiosity pieces for the pharaohs (37). Consequently, Kushites briefly became the dominant power in Africa. Quite often scholars argued that the Egyptians of the Pharaonic Age were not black. This is an argument that the author argues "as little tenable as saying Serbers and Ethiopians weren't Negro" (25,26). My opinion is that scholars would not care if the Egyptians were black if they weren't such an important civilization. Africa produced many significant civilizations such as the Egyptian, Songhay, Mali and Ethiopian but would see the fruits of labor manipulated and tortured during the Atlantic slave trade. Slavery marks one of the worst but important tragedies that beset my ancestors. The Atlantic Trade consisted mainly of slaves, firearms, gold, spices and indigo.

ACL Injury :: Sports Medicine

Sports Medicine ACL Injury The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of two central ligaments that support the knee. ACL injuries occur most frequently in planting and cutting sports such as soccer and basketball. ACL injuries are thought to occur more often in women then in men due to the anatomical differences between them. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament also know as the ACL is located behind the patella (kneecap). It connects the femur and tibia. The ACL acts as a seat belt in the knee, it keeps the tibia from slipping as a result of jerky movements. Since women’s hips are wider it may put extra pressure on the ACL, making it more vulnerable to injury. High estrogen levels at mid-cycle may also make the ACL more likely to tear from to much movement. Women tear their ACL’s at a rate of two to eight times that of men. The ACL is listed as the most commonly injured ligament in the knee. Most often when ACL injuries occur the knee may feel as if it is coming apart or giving way, and a commonly described â€Å"pop† may be heard at the time of the injury. most athletes are unable to continue participating in their activity, but some are able to stand and walk. Swelling usually begins in the first few hours after injury. Pain progressively worsens and muscle spasms may occur, A complete exam at the time of the injury is ideal. Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction’s are performed using arthroscopic surgery. The surgery is performed by removing the damaged section of the ACL and replacing it with a graft from the patella tendon, hamstring tendon, or a cadaver graft. To connect the graft back into the knee two tunnels are drilled one into the tibia and one into the femur. Then two small pieces of bone are placed in the tunnels and then the graft is attached to the bones. Traditional rehabilitation after surgery involves a period of rest then the gradual introduction of exercises to improve range of motion, strength, and functional ability.

Customer Benefit Package †Walmart versus Luxury Clothier

Walmart is no one of the largest retail stores in North America. It is considered to be one of the most efficiently run retail business worldwide. To compare Walmart to luxury retailers has numerous contrasting factors both in goods and services provided. The most significant factor is the price when comparing Walmart to luxury retailers. Walmart is committed to saving its customers money so they can live a better life; this is why their products are reasonably priced goods whereas luxury retailers tend be highly priced.Walmart’s mission statement: â€Å"People, Saving Money, Living a Better Live† To contrast the Customer Benefit Package of Walmart against a luxury clothier for purchasing a new formal dress, there are many contributing factors. Depending on the person will dictate the types of benefits from the products to satisfy your needs. Typical sources of a Customer Benefit Package are GOOD COMPARATIVE PRICE, GOOD QUALITY, GOOD WARRANTY SERVICES, REPUTABLE COMPANY , KNOWN PRODUCT/BRAND, LOW AFTER-SALES COSTS, PROMPT DELIVERY, WELL DESIGNED PRODUCT, FASHIONALBE, and EASE OF PURCHASE AND RELIABLILITY.Price, Walmart has definitely an advantage over its competitors particularly a luxury clothier for the purchase of a formal dress. I would like to compare Walmart to Lane Fashions; this is a local luxury ladies shop in my local community. Lane prices are definitely higher than Walmart, but in terms of quality, Lane sources out quality products to consumers and this is a quality that the customer expects as compared to Walmart, which has limits on their stocks on per style, per season based on purchase cost.Shopping at luxury clothier gives the customer a sense of pride knowing that not too many others will have the same item in their closet. Luxury clothiers are focused on quality, style and design for their business. Lane Fashions carries numerous well-known brands, for example Artex, Bianca Nyard, City Girl, FDJ, Joseph Ribkoff, and so on. They a re trusted brands for style, designs, fit, and sophistication with upscale fashion and offer excellent one on one customer services.These would be an advantage over Walmart, also, if living in my community, there is no Walmart, you would have to travel 45 minutes to the nearest store outlet. Luxury clothier provides their customer with assistance in referring or suggesting other products, and such accessories that go well with your purchase. In Walmart they have their house brand, â€Å"George† which provides the customer with reasonable priced products. They do carry other brands so there is more for the consumer to choose from, but nothing to compare to a luxury clothier.The difference here would be the preference of the customer, do you want a good fitting piece of clothing, and do you care about the brand name. A luxury clothier will have the variety of choices in clothing, and in accessories to go well with the clothing they sell. The staff is knowledgeable about the pro ducts they are selling are very able to assist the customer with their purchase. Walmart does not provide these kinds of services, there will be no suggestions on products or accessories, their staff are not trained to provide these types of services.Service is a major factor in the contrast between Walmart and a luxury clothier. This is a major role in the decision making process of the customer. Am I satisfied with how the store staff assisted me? Did I have an intimate shopping experience? How long did I have to stand in line to pay for my purchase? Was the store staff courteous and knowledgeable about the products? If your experience is a wonderful one you will come back to this store as a repeat customer, due to how the staff treated you, if they make you feel like a V. I. P.Walmart offers various after sales services, in some locations they are open 24 hours a day. The Cash Back Reward program that they have entices customers to shop in their stores and keeps customers coming back. These could be an advantage over the luxury clothiers, as they may not have these programs or services available for their customers. They also have a very adequate return policy wherein they freely accept returns within a specified time frame, but in my experience, if the staff does not check out the returned items and re-shelf them, then other consumers will purchase the defective/returned product.Walmart has numerous cashiers but often there are very few open and so you usually are standing in line for a while. For a luxury clothier they usually have a couple of cashiers, and on a busy day, like the Christmas season you could have to stand in a line but normally on a regular day there would no long lines at the cashiers. Walmart’s purpose is â€Å"by offering the best possible prices on the products our customers’ need, so we can help them afford something extra† to provide the customer with a â€Å"one-stop† shopping experience.They offer variou s products, food, clothing, housewares, gift items, garden centre, automobile centre, salons, and photo centre. They provide fast food within the store, Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s. They also provide on-line shopping. There are definitely numerous contrasts of ideas between Walmart and a luxury clothier. In this document there have been many contributing factors mentioned. Why does the consumer shop at Walmart?I believe like many consumers the main reason would be convenience, one-stop shopping centre and once you are in the store you definitely impulse buy; after sales service and the price. In a luxury clothier, it is for the experience of one on one customer services, the brand name of the clothing you are looking for, the quality, reliability of the product, image of a luxury clothier, updated style/fashion. I will always shop for certain products at Walmart, but for my evening wear I will always shop at a luxury clothier.

Seasons of Life: Infancy and Early Childhood

The following reviews the value of understanding human development over a lifetime and highlights key theories from within the first five years of life as recognized in the Seasons of Life video series. Included is a reflection on a theory of attachment, three clocks that influence life, temperament and early memories. How these theories pertain to the individual‘s early development and effects in later years will be discussed along with the author’s personal opinion. Seasons of Life: Early Perspective What appears to be universally interesting about life is people. This is evidenced by the large amount of information, resources and theories that surround people and their development. The video series Seasons of Life: Infancy and Early Childhood (1990) highlight key elements in early development and their effects that contribute toward the individual throughout their life. One theory mentioned in Seasons of Life, is that of attachment. John Bowlby expressed that innately humans are equipped at birth to cause attachment to their caregivers. If the attachment is successful the cycle should continue, acting as the foundation for healthy, successful relationships throughout the lifespan (Bowlby, 1982). Each of the child subjects in the Seasons of Life appeared to have successful attachment to their caregiver. This was regardless of whether the child stayed primarily in the home for care and was surrounded with extended family, had few local relatives, spent time in day care or had a grandparent as a main caregiver. Also reviewed in the film were three clocks that caused influence in people’s lives. The first was a biological clock. This clock was said to have the strongest influence early on, and as early as in the womb. The second was a social clock. This clock was described as society’s age related expectations of the individual at any given time (Berk, 2010). For example that people should marry in their twenties then follow with having children, et cetera. The social clock was also described as evolving with societal changes in expectations. The psychological clock was listed third and described as the passage of time in people’s lives. This timekeeper could drive people to become themselves. Examples stated were of feeling an age rather than the actual years lived and where evidence of deep long-lasting emotional attachment could be revealed in later years. Another aspect of development highlighted was temperament. A wide range of child temperaments were represented in the film. It was discussed that these dispositions would remain with the children throughout their years. Some were seen as relaxed and easy-going and others were challenging and determined. The narrator discussed that the temperaments seen in early months and years might serve the children later on toward reaching their goals. Additionally mentioned in the video, and perhaps the most impactful for me, was that the individuals search for the meaning of self could and would be directed back to their earliest memories. Concrete memories were mentioned to be available beginning around 3 to 4 years of age. Of all the information available in Seasons of Life, that of correlating my feelings of self and my earliest memories was overwhelming. As the narrator spoke, my mind wandered over many memories that, now I understand, forged much of what I have become today. Some were bitter, others sweet, and they all held an interesting explanation of why and how I have become me. I greatly enjoyed watching Seasons of Life. With a smile, I was really happy to see Mr. Rogers one more time. I have since forwarded along the website to many in the hopes it will shed light on a current struggle or awaken an understanding, just as it has for me. I plan on employing these new resources in my interactions with family and those around me while anticipating what the next episode has to offer.

Compare Tom Regan, Carl Cohen and Peter Singer in Terms of Animal Rights

Animal rights are one of the most controversial issues today. There has been endless debate about whether or not animals have rights. Philosophers attempt to come up with the moral conclusions by taking in account the many different standpoints and presenting their related arguments. In his essay â€Å"The case of animal rights†, Tom Regan, a professor of philosophy at North Carolina State University, defends his view that the center of our moral concern should not bring the suffering on animal as well as treating animals in a certain way. In other words, we should treat animals as if they are our property. We should only use them to benefit us and hurting them is an action that is not morally justifiable. In addition, in his article â€Å"All Animal Are Equal†, Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher, has many points which show us that we have responsibilities to protect animal rights. Singer’s argument in his essay gives us a great support to the argument that Reagan trying to discuss in terms of morally equal. In contrast, â€Å"The case of the use of animals in biomedical research† by Carl Cohen, a philosophy professor at University of Michigan Medical School, although he agrees with Regan’s idea in terms of moral rights as well as practices that essentially involve harming animals are morally unjustified, he strongly supports for the use of animal in medical research, and scientific experiments to avoid risking human lives. â€Å"The case of animal rights†, â€Å"all animal are equal† and â€Å"The case of the use of animals in biomedical research† introduce to us a new thinking about treating animals. In his essay, Tom Regan points out theories are deficient in animals. The author discusses â€Å"Indirect duty view† which humans should recognize that animals should have the same rights as humans and they have the duty to uphold these rights. Besides that, Regan states in the â€Å"Contractarianism† that humans have rights and can protect their rights under the terms of the contract they signed. However, he indicated that animals have no rights because they cannot sign the contract. We humans should have direct duties to all animals. Even the views including â€Å"Indirect duty view,† â€Å"Cruelty-kindness view,† and â€Å"Utilitarian view† fail to protect animal rights, he promotes the right view, which is the inherent value view. The author states that all individuals, including human and nonhuman animals, who are experienced the subject of life, should have equal inherent values and equal rights while being treated with respect. In addition, Peter Singer agrees with Regan that all animals are morally equal, at least with regard to their suffering. Peter Singer argues the point that animals and humans should be granted â€Å"equal consideration. Granting equal consideration means that humans and animals do not need to be treated exactly the same way, but that they need to be treated in an appropriate manner. Singer believes that suffering is â€Å"the vital characteristic that gives a being the right to equal consideration†. If all beings are able to suffer, animals should be treat ed with consideration equal to humans in most circumstances. Moreover, in his essay â€Å"All animals are equal,† Peter Singer points out the case for women's rights and refers to similar arguments of animal’s rights. Since animal’s rights were absurd, the argument for women's rights must be mistaken. In contrast with both Regan and Singer’s views, Carl Cohen gives us strong evidences to demonstrate his standpoints why animals have no rights. He claims rights only exists within a community of moral agents who can make moral claims against each other and just human can exercise moral judgment. He thinks we must at least treat animals humanely, but this does not mean we need to treat them as if they have rights. He also compared the differences between animals with brain damaged persons, senile or young in terms of the ability to make claim which is essential to being a person. That’s why these people are still part of our moral community, but animals are not. Moreover, he strongly supports to the increasing in the use of animals for medical experiments. He agrees that we actually need to increase the number experiments to avoid risking human lives because the increase in longevity , decrease in pain , the significant numbers of lives saved , the quality of human life all depends on such those research or experiments.

Being a global grocery store Essay

Being a global grocery store and merchandising retail store, Tesco continues to consolidate its position as the world’s number three retailer after Wal-mart and Carrefour of the US and France, respectively. The Tesco company emerged in 1924, with its first store being opened in London, five years later. The same company has continued to grow, after that it opened up in 1956, its first supermarket. From then, the company has continued to realize growth and expansion, growing organically during the second phase of the 20th century. The growth during this epoch reached its apogee when in 1977, the Tesco company decided to reduce the prices of its commodities in lieu of Cohen’s rather antithetical policies. This resulted in Tesco company realising a 4% growth in its market share after every two months. Strategic directions and development methods that have been adopted by Tesco. Up to the moment, the Tesco company has been focusing on making innovations and facilitating conditions that can encourage the same. This is geared towards making the employees free enough to engage in efforts to come up with innovative ideas. The rationale behind this notion is that the rank and file of an entire organization has the ability to generate productive ideas. To this effect, the Tesco company as organization ensures that there is an open line through which the opinions and views of the employees can be solicited (Humby and Hunt 2007, 75). The effect that this approach has on the returns of the Tesco company is that it has realized a stable base of employees who are loyal. This is because the employees, courtesy of the practice, are left with the feeling of being totally integral to the company and being appreciated by the management board. This has bolstered the cause of Tesco company’s growth and expansion, due to low employees turnover. The low employees turnover becomes inevitable for Tesco company since employees take to remain loyal to the company, and thus saving it from needing to recruit new employees. At the same time, the Tesco company takes to target the desired goal by making regular consultations with the clients on the quality of goods produced by the Tesco company. This exercise has been very instrumental in helping the Tesco company channel its synergies towards efficiency and customer satisfaction. Forces that are promoting the food retail industry’s globalisation. According to Harris and Dennis (2002, 177) there are several forces that ensure the global adoption of the Tesco company food retail. In the first case, the company makes it its responsibility to ensure that its operations are attune to the indigenous tastes and preference of the local market. To this effect, Tesco company takes it upon itself to tamper its operations with the indigenous culture, regulations and delivery chains. This feat has been instrumental in placing the Tesco company in the map. At the same time, Tesco company builds brands that enable it as a company to forge longterm relationships with its clients. In the same vein, the company maintains its ability to fix its focus on the targeted countries, even in the face of going global. This, the company takes to achieve by establishing brands that are unique and of high standard. In the same wavelength, Tesco company has ensured these prospects by establishing brands that are nation or state- specific. In order to thoroughly entrench itself into the global market, Tesco company ensures that it carries out designs that are multi formatted. According to Baker (2002, 90), this has been important to Tesco company, given the fact that it has been established that there is no single format that has been able to consolidate its position in the global market. How Tesco strategy in the US may help it realize competitive advantage. In the US Context, Tesco company has tried to achieve an edge over its peers by taking to mitigate the extent of the shopping costs. Another feather in Tesco company’s cap exists, courtesy of the fact that the deficit does not fall on the shoulders of the suppliers. Rather, the Tesco company sorts out the situation through the enhancement of the efficiency and the adoption of simpler processes in the course of the company’s operations. Hooley, Saunders and Piercy (2004, 67) maintain that this means that clients are able to realize relatively less costly shopping expeditions, from the Tesco company. Unlike Tesco company, its peers even after reducing the shopping price, still leave financial weight to fall squarely on the suppliers. The suppliers on the other hand try to settle the deficit by exacting higher prices to the retailers who then impose extra costs on the consumers. This cycle becomes the epitome of the adage, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. In about the same vein, Tesco company is trying to build a niche for itself in the American context by opening up many stores that support the issuance of hard discount (Tapp 2002, 122). To crown this effort, Tesco company has remained responsible for the invitation of British companies that can bolster the interests of the same. Some of these companies are the Big Kahuna Wine a label of Fresh and Easy. This company has been influential in dragging a huge clients’ base to Tesco company scores, owing to the quality wine and delicious poultry meat it serves. Conclusion. It is important for any company that seeks to emulate Tesco company to take to stock, the fact that the latter has, apart from the aforementioned practices, ensured that it dabbles its operations with the concept of capability. To this cause, the Tesco company ensures the employment of skills, and not scale. This, for the Tesco company portends ensuring that the skills are elicited from its rank and file and the systems processes. Therefore, even small scale companies are inexcusable when it comes to (under) performance. References. Baker, M. J. Tesco company and marketing mix, New York: Prentice Hall, 2002. Harris, L. and C. Dennis, Tesco company and e business, London, SAGE, 2002. Hooley, G. , J. A. Saunders and Piercy, N. , Tesco company marketing strategies, New York: McGraw Hill, 2004. Humby, C. and P. Hunt, Tesco company and customer loyalty, Harvard, Harvard University Press, 2007. Tapp, A. , The principles of database and direct marketing, Michigan, Michigan University Press, 2002.

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics - Assignment Example The design is well thought of, appropriately organized and attractive enough for various viewers who are in the delicate situation of encountering some dilemma on the abovementioned health and ethical issues. The colors used (blue, orange, gray in a white background) is highly professional and apt. The writers and advocates of Planned Parenthood aimed â€Å"to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual† (Planned Parenthood: Mission, 2010, par. 2). In this regard, this medium is effective in terms of stipulating critical information on controversial health issues (abortion, sexual orientation) without necessarily compromising confidentiality concerns. The page provides additional windows for locating a health center by providing one’s zip code or state. Teenagers, who could benefit most from learning through this site, are given opportunities to ask experts or to watch relevant videos on diverse topics. This is the most effective medium for adolescents who are afraid or embarrassed to ask adults on the subject of sex education. It also provided tools for both parents and educators faced with issues on human sexuality and the dilemma of searchin g for ways and means to share critical information to the children. The page design is holistic in its approach for information dissemination and provision for assistance. However, the site is rarely advertised and since the title is Planned Parenthood, adolescents might not tap or access the website without being given enough promotion. In this regard, the writers and advocates of the program can give flyers and brochures to schools and even in shopping malls where teenagers usually gather. It is necessary for both promoters and viewers of the site to be vigilant and concerned in strictly complying with ethical standards to monitor adherence to an ethical

Healthy Eating Messages and Children Nutrition (Case Study) Essay

Healthy Eating Messages and Children Nutrition (Case Study) - Essay Example As Gorn et al. (1982, 200) found ‘television advertising for children is developed from direct testing and observation of the child audience; Children are subjected to research techniques developed for the study of child psychology to determine the most effective way of inducing their counterparts in the nationwide audience to demand advertised products’. Under this intensive observation, the advertising addressed to children manages to achieve the target set by the multinational corporations, i.e. the ‘cultivation’ of specific nutritional preferences to children of all ages in accordance with the production line of these firms. In the same context, Smitt et al. (2007, 57) stated that ‘the issues of food advertisements, especially aimed at children, and food labeling are factors behind the obesity epidemic which need to be tackled while commercial communication increases consumer information; however, the promotion of unhealthy foods negatively impacts the health of the population and for this reason actions need to be taken to protect children from commercial activity in this field’. The above assumptions are in accordance with the findings of WHO in 2003 which indicate that ‘dietary adjustments may not only influence present health, but may determine whether or not an individual will develop such diseases as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes much later in life’ (WHO, 2003, 2). In fact it has been found that wrong nutritional ‘habits’ can lead to severe consequences for the health not only in adults but also in children. More specifically, a research made by the World Health Organization in 2003 showed that ‘higher blood pressure in childhood (in combination with other risk factors) causes target organ and anatomical changes that are associated with cardiovascular risk, including reduction in artery elasticity, increased ventricular size and mass, haemodynamic increase in

Climate change impacts on local food production (Shrimp farming) in Research Paper

Climate change impacts on local food production (Shrimp farming) in Nha Trang , Vietnam - Research Paper Example Such climate changes never attained any fearful proportions and hence the there were no serious treats for the sustainment of life on earth till the last few centuries. An Inconvenient Truth was a documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim, in 2006, in which former United States Vice President Al Gore tried to educate the citizens about the necessity of preventing global warming. He has mentioned that it is crucial to change the attitude and behavior of the public to counter the climate change problems. In his opinion, climate change problems should be taken as a moral one rather than a political one (An Inconvenient Truth, 2006) But over the last few decades, the balancing between the energy liberated from the sun and the energy reached on earth was destroyed seriously because of many known and unknown reasons and as a result extreme weather conditions started to appear on earth’s atmosphere/surface. Even though the exact reasons for the climate changes on earth is still unknown or controversial, many people believe that the destructions forests, injudicious industrialization, long- and short-term variations in solar intensity, deviations in the Earths orbit, mountain-building and continental drift, and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations etc are the major reasons for the drastic climate changes on earth’s surface. In short, â€Å"climate change is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet† (Climate change, 2010). Climate changes can affect the human life on earth in many ways. In this paper the climate change impacts on local food production in Nah Trang, Vietnam is described. Nah Trang sits within a coastal province in south central Vietnam with an area of 3352.27 km2, coastline of 105km and annual rainfall of 600mm. Shrimp farming is one of the major revenue source for the people in Nah Trang. The lack of