Purpose and Importance of Induction, Training and Appraisal in a Assignment

Purpose and Importance of Induction, Training and Appraisal in a Business Today To Ensure an Effective Workforce - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that staff induction programs are designed with the intention to provide an overview of the working conditions along with core values and ethics of the business to the new joiners. It is vital for the companies in the sense that it ensures the new employees to get quickly acquainted with the working process of the business along with performing as per their skills and competencies as early as possible. This aspect is also deemed to be quite relevant in the hospitality sector where effective and proactive operations of the employees further set the overall image of the company in front of the potential customers. It can be stated for the managers in the hospitality sector including the management of the Hilton hotels group that effective induction programs include certain specific points. These aspects encompass stating the policies and working procedures of the company to the employees, having an introduction with the existing team members al ong with introducing the infrastructure of the company among others. Similar to induction program, training and development is also another vital approach to the managers in building an effective workforce. Training and development accelerate the performance of the employees as they are able to enhance and develop their skills and competencies. Training and development also enable employees to get acquainted with the working process of the company. For example, when a candidate joins a company as a full-time employee, he/she has little knowledge about the type and the standards of work performed in the workplace. Consequently, the role of proper and systematic training and development came into existence.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Oppositional Defiant Disorder - Term Paper Example The condition commonly affects individuals during childhood. The concern of the medical authorities regarding ODD can be attributed the high percentage of children diagnosed with the condition. In fact, it is considered as the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition in children (Hamilton and Armando, 2008, p.861). Based on the studies conducted in the community level approximately 3 percent of children have ODD with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) description as the sole basis. When other parameters and criteria were considered the prevalence ranges from 1 to 16 percent (Hamilton and Armando, 2008, p.861). The paper is aimed to define and to discuss ODD and the different pertinent concepts related to the condition such as the symptoms, risks, management methods, treatments, and related researches and studies. The said objective of the paper can be achieved through the data gathering from significant academic and medical references, e.g. journals. In addition, the main focus of the process is the educational perspective which is either to educate the public or to present the methods of educating the individuals with ODD. Definition of ODD Oppositional defiant disorder, ODD, is officially defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. ... chool years but due to other developmentally troublesome behavior that can also be observed, the method of diagnosis is based on more than one symptom or criterion (Hamilton and Armando, 2008, p.861). Upon the determination of the meaning of ODD, the methods of diagnosis and the symptoms are needed to be given attention to achieve better understanding of the disorder. It is also important to focus on the methods of treatments and management of ODD since it is known as a subset and a precursor to a more serious condition referred to as conduct disorder (Chakraburtty, 2009). Recorded data show that one third of the children diagnosed with ODD will develop into conduct disorder while 40 percent will lead to antisocial personality disorder during adult years (Hamilton and Armando, 2008, p.863). The oppositional behavior of the children of the children ranges from passive to active forms of non-compliance. Ignoring the direction given by adults such as parents and teachers is an example o f passive ODD. Active non-compliant behavior ranges from mild refusal to angry rejection of parents or elders commands and guidance (Matthys and Lochman, 2010, p.1). There are levels of opposition from children and adolescents which can be considered normal for their age. Thus, the determination of the levels of oppositional behavior considered abnormal is needed to be given attention for the early diagnosis and treatment of the problematic child. Methods of Diagnosis of ODD There are eight standard symptoms included in the description of ODD as the bases for diagnosis. Four of the eight symptoms of the condition should be present for an individual to be considered to possess ODD. The standard symptoms include: â€Å"lost of temper; argument with adults; defying adults’ requests and/or rules

Causes of Parturition in Cattle

Causes of Parturition in Cattle 1.0 Introduction Parturition in cattle is known to be a complicated physiological process, where the onset is generally accepted to be initiated by the fetus (Thorburn et al., 1977; Thorburn, 1979). In normal circumstances, this complicated process involving several hormonal interactions and should conclude without any human interference, leaving a healthy cow with a vigorous calf. However, in reality a large proportion of calving require assistance to varying degrees that may result in a stillborn calf (Meijering, 1984). Domestication and breeding programmes in the dairy industry select for cows that produce calves that are relatively larger when compared to their dams; a regular occurrence in cattle compared to most other mammals (McClintock, 2004). As dystocia is highly related to the pelvic area (Price and Wiltbank, 1978), being able to measure the pelvic dimensions is beneficial. The process of measuring the internal and external capacity and diameter of the pelvis is known as pelvimetry (Studdert et al., 2011). This is elucidated in studies which reveal that there is value in using external pelvimetry as a predictor for the internal pelvic measurements (Murray et al., 2002), while others show that withers height and heart girth were the best predictors of internal pelvic sizes (Kolkman et al., 2012; Coopman et al., 2003). Hence, it would be easier if the farmer had an alternate method to measure internal pelvic dimensions, such as predicting those dimensions through measurements of external morphometry which could be done directly using measuring tape. Therefore, the ability to accurately determine the possibility of dystocia will allow early and appropriate intervention, which then decreases the morbidity and mortality of t he dam and fetus, improving animal welfare and reducing economic losses (Linden et al., 2009). There is a need for information regarding associations between internal pelvic measurements and external morphometry, which may have value in determining dams with larger pelvic opening that increases calving ease (Bellows et al., 1971). Currently, no research has been done to study the association between the intrapelvic measurements and the external morphometric measurements in Friesian cross cattle in Malaysia. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between intrapelvic area, morphometric measurements, age, body weight and body condition score in Friesian cross cattle which could be of value in determining dams with larger pelvic openings and thereby reducing the risk of dystocia. It is hypothesized that there is an association between the intrapelvic measurements and external morphometry in Friesian cross cattle.       2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Dystocia Dystocia, defined as delayed or difficult parturition (Mushtaq, 2016), is usually classified into two main causes which are direct factors and indirect factors (Meijering, 1984). The former usually being anatomical and physiological factors such as malpresentation of the calf in the birth canal and uterine torsion in the dam. The latter is related to phenotypic effects that are related to the calf such as calf birth weight, multiple calvings and perinatal mortality, as well as, phenotypic effects associated with the cow such as cow pelvic area, cow body weight at calving, cow body condition score, gestation length and calving assistance. Indirect factors also include non-genetic factors such as cow age, parity of cow, calf sex, nutrition and other disorders, while genetic factors involve cow, bull and calf breeds (Zaborski et al., 2009). The most common cause of dystocia is a physical incompatibility between the size of the foetus and maternal pelvic size, also known as feto-pelvic i ncompatibility. The pelvic size of the dam is mainly influenced by the stage of maturity of the cow. As a result, a smaller size of the pelvis contributes to the higher incidence of dystocia in heifers (Haskell and Barrier, 2014) and vice versa where dams with larger pelvic openings experience less calving difficulty (Barrier et al., 2013). 2.2 Breed Comparisons Several studies have shown that there are significant differences in pelvic dimensions between breeds of beef and dairy cattle (Ramin et al., 1995; Laster 1974; Meijering and Pastma, 1984; McElhenney et al., 1985). There are also differences between herds within breeds, purebreds and crossbreeds, and small breeds and large breeds. The pelvic height and pelvic width increase greatly with advancing age, which shows that the pelvic area is larger in mature cows in comparison to heifers. The mean pelvic heights in beef and dairy heifers can vary from 13.5 cm to 19.3 cm, the pelvic width from 12.6 cm to 18 cm, and the mean pelvic area from 170 cm2 to 290 cm2. 2.3 Impact of Dystocia on Dam The occurrence of dystocia has shown to have an adverse effect on the reproductive performance of dairy cows, where the first oestrus, days open and the calving interval were significantly longer (Gaafar et al., 2010). Fertility is further impaired as a result of dystocia as it causes a reduction in conception rate and an increase in the number of services per conception (Lopez de Maturana et al., 2007). Total milk yield also tends to be lower in cows that have experienced dystocia at calving compared to those that calved normally (Berry et al., 2007). Furthermore, there is a significant increase in the mortality rate of cows experiencing dystocia in comparison to those that calved without assistance and the number is highest in cows that require serious intervention during parturition (Dematawewa and Berger, 1997). 2.4 Impact of Dystocia on Calf Majority of stillbirths were reported to be a direct result of dystocia (Meyer et al., 2000; Lombard et al., 2007). During parturition, there are several dramatic physiological changes that can have adverse effects on the foetal oxygen concentration (Lombard and Garry, 2013). The foetus can experience neonatal asphyxia during the calving process due to hypoxia, decreased blood flow as a result of occlusions of the placenta, or ischaemia. Hypoxia can progress to anoxia, which can be prolonged with instances of dystocia resulting in foetal death (Bluel et al., 2008). The calf can also have hypercapnia, which can cause respiratory acidosis. However, during dystocia the respiratory acidosis will be pronounced and in addition to this, the hypoxia can lead to anaerobic metabolism within the body that results in metabolic acidosis. The acidotic condition of the foetus can negatively affect the central nervous system resulting in lowered vigour, depression and decreased physical activity, wh ich is referred to as weak calf syndrome or dummy calf syndrome (Ravary-Plumioà «n, 2009). The dystocic calves were slower to express most of the neonatal behaviours, particularly those that lead up to reaching the udder, and usually lay recumbent (Barrier et al., 2012). This results in the failure of transfer of passive immunity as the calf is unable to absorb an adequate quantity of colostrum (Johnson et al., 2007; Weaver et al., 2000). This has been linked with an increase in calf morbidity and mortality and a reduction in the calf growth rate (Robison et al., 1988; Donovan et al., 1998). 2.5 Economic Impacts In a United Kingdom dairy herd, the total cost of a slightly difficult calving was estimated to be roughly  £110, while a more serious difficult calving can range from  £350 to  £400. This takes into account the labour and veterinary costs, including the cost of caesarean deliveries, the mortality of dams and calves and the culled cows, the losses incurred due to a decreased milk production and poor reproductive performance (McGuirk et al., 2007). In Australian Friesian Holstein herds, the cost of dystocia for a herd can go up to $5100 per year, where 30% of the losses is due to reduced fertility, 20% due to culling or dam death, veterinary costs were about 10% and labour costs were 20%. The cost of dystocia in primiparous cows was about $48.49, while it was $19.15 in mature cows. The overall losses associated with calving difficulties in the Australian dairy industry can be estimated to be in excess of $44 million annually (McClintook, 2004). In a study by Dematewewa Berger ( 1997), the estimated costs of dystocia were $0.00, $50.45, $96.48, $159.82 and $379.61 for dystocia scores 1 to 5 (1 representing no problem to 5 representing extreme difficulty). which showed that losses incurred increase as the difficulty of calving increases. 2.6 Pelvimetry Internal pelvimetry involves the measurement of the pelvic height and the pelvic width, which allows the pelvic area to be determined (Rice and Wiltbank, 1972; Bellows et al., 1971; Morrison et al., 1986; Johnson et al., 1988). The internal dimensions are measured using a sliding calliper device that is referred to as a Rice pelvimeter. Other instruments have also been developed such as the Krautmann-Litton Bovine pelvic meter and the EquiBov Bovine pelvimeter (Deutscher, 1987). The external pelvimetry is mostly done in correlation to the internal pelvic dimensions where the measurements are taken on the external body of the animal; for example, the pin width, hook width, rump length and hook to pin length (Bellows et al., 1971; Johnson et al., 1988; Coopman et al., 2003). Pelvimetry is a relatively simple and reliable method to determine pelvic parameters of cows with the basis that the larger the pelvic area, the lower the calving difficulty. However, a farmer would require the ser vices of a veterinarian with the skills and knowledge to peform this technique, which would increase costs to the farm (Kolkman et al., 2012). 2.7 Welfare The measurement of internal pelvic parameters is invasive and carries a risk of trauma to the rectal mucosa. It has been recommended to administer epidural anaesthesia which allows the cow to stand normally without arching her back or attempting to strain. However, the administration of the epidural anaesthesia requires specialised veterinary training (Murray et al., 2002). Despite the risk for injury, if the internal pelvimetry is done properly and gently with the use of adequate quantities of lubrication, damage to the rectal mucosa can be prevented (Hiew and Constable, 2015). 3.0 Materials and Methods Data was collected from 50 Friesian cross dairy cattle (23 from Ladang 16, Taman Pertanian Universiti (TPU), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and 27 others from two dairy cattle farms in Bangi, Selangor and Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan that were part of the Ladang Angkat Programme) within a period of 2 weeks using convenience sampling. All of the cows were between 2-14 years of age and weighed between 200-750 kg. The ages of the cows at TPU were taken from recrodsm, whereas the ages of the other cattle were determined using dentition (Lawrence et al., 2001). This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), with the reference number: UPM/IACUC/FYP.2016/FPV.71 The external morphometry that was measured was the thoracic circumference, abdominal circumference, hook width and pin width. Thoracic circumference (Figure 1) was determined using a measuring tape (tailor fibreglass measuring tape) placed immediately caudal to the scapula and forelimbs. The abdominal circumference (Figure 2) was determined by placing the same tape tape cranial to the hind limbs, tuber coxae and udder, and was measured in centimetres (West, 1997) (Figure 3). The hook width (Figure 4) was measured using the linear distance between the most lateral surfaces of the wings of the ileum or tuber coxae. The pin width (Figure 5) is the linear distance between the most lateral surfaces of the tuber ischium (Singh et al., 1984) (Figure 6). These distances were measured in centimetres using straight rulers and a tape measure whereby one straight metal ruler was placed vertically at the lateral aspect of the tuber coxarum or tuber ischium and the other straight metal ruler was p laced vertically at the lateral aspect of the opposite tuberosity with the measuring tape stretched tautly between the two rulers (Craig, 1941). The body condition score was measured using a 5-point scoring method with quarter-point increments from an established scoring system from Elanco Animal Health (1997). The body weight was determined by measuring the thoracic circumference using a calibrated heart girth tape[MH1], in kilograms. Figure 3: External morphometry; a. Thoracic circumference, b. Abdominal circumference (Elanco Animal Health, 1997) Figure 4: Measuring the distance between the tuber coxae Figure 5: measuring the distance between the tuber ischii Figure 6: External morphometry; a. The distance between tuber coxae, b. The distance between tuber ischii (Elanco Animal Health, 1997) The internal pelvimetry was measured using a Rice pelvimeter (Lane Manufacturing Inc., Colorado, U.S.A.) (Figure 3) that provides measurements in centimetres with a gradient of 0.25 cm. Faeces were manually evacuated from the rectum and the pelvimeter was well lubricated using an aqueous based lubricant (BOVIVET Gel granulate). The closed pelvimeter was gently and slowly introduced into the rectum in a closed position by the hand, with the arm of the investigator protected using a disposable rectal sleeve (KRUTEX super sensitive disposable examination gloves) The pelvic height (Figure 4) was measured by opening the device within the pelvic canal and recording the distance between the dorsal aspect of the pubic symphysis on the floor of the pelvis and the ventral aspect of the sacral vertebrae. The pelvimeter was then closed and rotated 90 ° to measure the pelvic width, (Figure 5) which is defined as the horizontal distance at the widest point between the left and right ileal shafts at right angle to where the height was measured (Bellows et al., 1971). One limitation of the Rice pelvimeter is that it has a maximum reading of 20 cm, but in this study none of the cows had pelvic measurements that exceeded 20 cm. The intrapelvic area was calculated as the area of a rectangle by multiplying the pelvic width and the pelvic height (Gaines et al., 1993; Ramin et al., 1995; Green et al., 1988). The intrapelvic area can also be measured as an ellipse with the equation PA = PH ÃÆ'- PW ÃÆ'- à Ã¢â€š ¬/4 (David, 1960). Despite the higher degree of accuracy offered by the ellipsoidal equation, the rectangle equation was used for calculation because the ellipsoidal equation offered no advantage of predicting the risk of dystocia and did not differ when ranking pelvic size (Rice and Wiltbank, 1972). All measurements taken were measured three times consecutively by the same person and the resulting mean values were used for analyses. Data was placed on a data capture sheet for each farm, and transferred to an Excel spread sheet (Microsoft Office Excel, 2016). The data was then analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. Data was expressed as mean  ± standard deviation. Shapiro-Wilk test was used as a numerical means of assessing normality, and the output of a normal Q-Q plot was used to determine this graphically. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the relationship of age categories (2 3 years, 3 4 years, 4 5 years, 5 6 years and > 6 years) on the external morphometry and internal pelvic measurements. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the association between internal pelvic dimensions and external morphometry, age, body weight and body condition score. Regression analysis was performed to determine the ability of external morphometry, age, body weight and body condition score to predict internal pelvic dimensions. The data collected were used to develop multiple regression equations that estimate the inner pelvic sizes from the external measurements. 4.0 Results The descriptive statistics for age, body weight, body condition score, external morphometry and internal pelvic measurements for the 50 Friesian cross cows are given in Table 1. Table 1: Age, body condition score, body weight, external morphometry and internal pelvic measurements for 50 Friesian cross cattle. Trait Minimum Maximum Mean S.E. S.D. Median Age (months) 24.00 165.00 60.16 4.17 29.16 54.00 Body condition score (1-5) 2.50 4.00 3.21 0.05 0.36 3.25 Body weight (kg) 277.3 722.7 456.9 14.0 98.7 437.8 Thoracic circumference (cm) 151.5 206.2 177.0 1.8 12.4 175.9 Abdominal circumference (cm) 152.0 227.8 189.2 2.2 15.8 189.4 Distance between tuber coxae (cm) 38.3 57.2 47.5 0.6 4.4 47.7 Distance between tuber ischae (cm) 20.0 45.6 31.5 0.8 5.7 31.8 Pelvic height (cm) 12.42 19.50 16.64 0.22 1.59 17.13 Pelvic width (cm) 11.67 19.08 15.64 0.24 1.69 15.50 Pelvic area (cm2) 158.31 398.86 263.28 7.21 51.02 262.43 There was no significant difference between the mean pelvic area of the cows sampled and the minimum pelvic size of Friesian-Holsteins that was determined to have a low incidence of dystocia, where cows which had pelvic sizes greater than the determined value of   260 cm2 would have a reduced risk of dystocia (Hoffman et al., 1996). The mean pelvic size of the sampled cows was 3.28 cm2 larger than the determined value of 260 cm2. In this sample, 24 cows out of the 50 (48%) had pelvic areas below 260 cm2, with the smallest pelvic area being 158.31 cm2. 4.1 Analysis of variance (ANOVA) The analysis of variance showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the age and: thoracic circumference (P = 0.008), abdominal circumference (P = 0.046), distance between tuber coxae (P = 0.046) and distance between tuber ischii (P = 0.009). However, there was no difference when it came to pelvic height, pelvic width and pelvic area (P > 0.05) amongst the age categories. The post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test gave indications that the means for thoracic circumference was lower for the age categories 2    3 years (170.1  ± 10.7 cm, P = 0.021), 3 4 years (172.4  ± 12.4 cm, P = 0.017) compared to the category > 6 years (189.4  ± 12.9 cm). There was a significant difference (P = 0.034) for abdominal circumference when comparing age category 4 5 years (180  ± 13.3 cm) to > 6 years (201.6  ± 15.3 cm). 4.2 Pearsons Product-Moment Correlation Table 2 illustrates the correlations between the external morphometry and internal pelvic dimensions, using Pearsons Product-Moment Correlation. This reveals that the external morphometric parameters of thoracic circumference, abdominal circumference, distance between tuber coxae, and distance between tuber ischii have a moderately, positive correlation with the internal pelvic measurements of pelvic height, pelvic width and pelvic area that were statistically significant (P = 0.01). Age in months had a weak and positive correlation with pelvic height (r = 0.35) and pelvic area (r = 0.29) at the level of P = 0.05. However, there was no correlation between age and pelvic width (r = 0.25, P = 0.86). Table 2: Correlations between the external morphometry and internal pelvic parameters. Traits Pelvic Height Pelvic Width Pelvic Area Thoracic circumference 0.50** 0.53** 0.48** Abdominal circumference 0.60** 0.52** 0.52** Distance between tuber coxae 0.46** 0.49** 0.43** Distance between tuber ischae 0.47** 0.54** 0.50** ** Correlation coefficient (r) is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) Body weight (kg) showed a moderate positive correlation with pelvic height (r = 0.40), pelvic width (r = 0.50) and pelvic area (r = 0.44) at a level of P = 0.01. Body weight also displayed a very strong positive correlation with: thoracic circumference (r = 0.99), abdominal circumference (r = 0.76), distance between tuber coxae (r = 0.77) and the distance between tuber ischae (r = 0.73) at a level of P = 0.01. There were no correlations between the intrapelvic height (r = 0.11, P = 0.55), intrapelvic width (r = -0.10, P = 0.47) and intrapelvic area (r = -0.08, P = 0.60)and the body condition score (-0.104 . There were positive correlations between age in months and thoracic circumference, abdominal circumference, distance between the tuber coxae and distance between tuber ischii, all of which are significant at the level of P = 0.01 (Table 3). There is also a significant correlation between age in months and the body weight (r = 0.58, P Table 3: Correlations between the age (months) and external morphometry in 50 Friesian cross cattle. Age (months) with Correlation P-value Thoracic circumference 0.56 Abdominal circumference 0.48 Distance between tuber coxae 0.45 Distance between tuber ischae 0.63 The correlations between the external morphometry measurements are given in Table 4. There is significant, strong and positive correlation between each of the external morphometric measurements that were taken, where P Table 4 Correlations between the external morphometry of 50 Friesian cross cattle. Traits Thoracic circumference Abdominal circumference Distance between tuber coxae Thoracic circumference Abdominal circumference 0.76** Distance between tuber coxae 0.78** 0.72** Distance between tuber ischae 0.72** 0.64** 0.77** ** Correlation coefficient (r) is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) 4.3 Regression analysis Several models were developed using linear and multiple regression analyses, which can be used to predict internal pelvic parameters using the external morphometric measurements that are given in Table 5. The best predictors for pelvic height would be body weight and the external parameters of thoracic circumference and abdominal circumference, where these parameters explain 58% of the variability of pelvic height. For pelvic width, the ideal predictor would be the distance between the tuber ischii which explains 29% of the variability of the pelvic width. Body weight, thoracic circumference and the distance between tuber ischii were the best predictors for pelvic area where they explain 40% of the variability of the pelvic area. Table 5 Models to predict inner pelvic sizes from easily accessible external morphometry Y Model R2 S.E. Pelvic Height Y = -50.57 0.06 ÃÆ'- BW + 0.47 ÃÆ'- Th + 0.05 ÃÆ'- Abd 0.58 1.13 Y = -48.90 0.05 ÃÆ'- BW + 0.52 ÃÆ'- Th 0.40 1.25 Y = 5.13 + 0.06 ÃÆ'- Abd 0.37 1.38 Pelvic Width Y = 6.74 + 0.19 ÃÆ'- TcTc 0.24 1.49 Y = 10.61 + 0.16 ÃÆ'- TiTi 0.29 1.45 Pelvic Area Y = -1549.01 1.54 ÃÆ'- BW + 14.22 ÃÆ'- Th 0.33 42.51 Y = 1585.33 1.56 ÃÆ'- BW + 13.22 ÃÆ'- Th + 1.17 ÃÆ'- Abd 0.39 41.15

Japanese Human Resource Manage :: essays research papers

Employee Performance in Japan: Evaluation and Reward Postwar economic development provided quite and immense amount of status and income to the Japanese. Since the 1960s, close to 90% of the Japanese people consider themselves to fall somewhere in the middle-class according to a survey conducted by the Prime Minister’s office. Today, status in society is determined mostly by one’s employment. Out of the labor force that consists of more than 60 million people, 45 million of those are regular employees. And for those who are working in a large firm, they are usually hired at the time of school graduation and retire at the compulsory age of 60. This kind of long-term employment system makes employers feel that labor is more of a fixed cost than a variable cost. Regular employment is not determined by a legal contract, but more in the style of a social relationship, where performance in a by-product of the whole process and not a cause and effect of getting paid. In western societies, industrial identity is more focused on skill, or what one does, but in Japan it is where the employee belongs, or which company he works in is the main concern. Performance is not the purpose or goal of the Japanese firm, instead it is a corporate reality in itself. The Japanese firm also exists in two levels, one which lies in the firm and one that lies outside the firm. Within the firm, the Japanese company tends to be a much more homogeneous group compared to its western counterpart. Large firms hire their workforce, mainly university graduates, from preferred schools to which they subtly assign quotas. These new recruits are hired for their potential. Training and development are essentially an internal affair which the firm is responsible for. This would lead to a system of job rotation and on the job training which is further nurtured by the classic Japanese system between junior and senior (sempai-kohai) found ubiquitously in Japanese society. The firm invests heavily on training generalists, or company specific skills in the sense that any employee should adept all the skills needed for the task assigned to the group, and that the ov erall work organization be as flexible to allow innovation, maintain internal competition and promote participation. Outside of the firm, there is a vast network of banks and other companies that the Japanese firm is vigorously connected to. This is commonly known as ‘Keiretsu’ or a type of inter-personal relationship amongst various levels of the business.

Its all about life Essay

Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the me coin. Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort punctuated by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced, struggle, suffering or failure. No doubt, life is beautiful and every moment – a celebration of being alive, but one should be always ready to face adversity and challenges. A person who has not encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success. Difficulties test the courage, patience, perseverance and true character of a human being. Adversity and hardships make a person strong and ready to face the challenges of life with equanimity. There is no doubt that there can be no gain without pain. It is only when one toils and sweats it out that success is nourished and sustained. Thus, life is and should not be just a bed of roses; thorns are also a part of it and should be accepted by us just as we accept the beautiful side of life. The thorns remind one of how success and happiness can be evasive and thus not to feel disappointed and disheartened rather remember that the pain of thorns is short-lived, and the beauty of life would soon overcome the prick of thorns. Those, who are under the impression that life is a bed of roses are disillusioned soon and become victims of depression and frustration. One who faces difficulties with courage and accepts success without letting it go to its head is the one who experience real happiness, contentment and peace in  life. Those, who think, that good times last forever, easily succumb to pressure during difficulties. They do not put in required hard work and efforts because they break down easily. You can take the example of a student, who burns the mid night oil, makes sacrifices and resists temptations so that he can perform well. Similarly, a successful executive has to face the ups and downs of life, not forgetting that life is a mix of success and failure, joy and sorrow. If he loses hope during difficult times, he would not achieve success and would be replaced by others. Even the strongest Kings and Emperors have had their cup of woes. Life has not been a bed of roses for them. The adage ‘Uneasy lays the head that wears the crown’ has been rightly used for people, who are successful and are enjoying power and authority. To sum up, life is beautiful just as roses but it has challenges which are like thorns and have to be faced and overcome by all. Those, who accept these, challenges and succeed, are the ones, who know how to live life in its true sense. Thus, enjoy life but also be prepared to bear the pricks of pain.

The Cause of Dystopia in Animal Farm

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the humanistic characteristics in the animals led them from forming a utopia, to a dystopia. In the beginning of the novel, Old Major leads the animals in the song Beasts of England, encouraging a rebellion against Mr. Jones. After the revolution, the animals began to work towards their utopia, but they began to turn into what they despised, and their utopia began to fall apart. This book shows how human corruption completely destroys a government that is set up to serve the people. Orwell achieves this by giving each of the characters a different human quality. In Animal Farm the pigs symbolize politicians and the upper class. They lie, cheat and steal from the animals that they are supposed to serve; and they make promises that they know they can never keep. Napoleon and Squealer are the two main pigs who take over after Snowball is chased off of the farm. Squealer would constantly justify the horrible actions of Napoleon as for the betterment of the animals. Once after Napoleon took all the apples and milk for the pigs, Squealer says: â€Å"Comrades! † he cried. â€Å"You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. † The selfishness and greed of the pigs not only makes them into what they hated the most, but it also caused to animals to lose their trust in them and to dislike them. Another group of animals in Animal Farm that show human qualities is Boxer and sheep. Boxer is a large and powerful horse to buys into animalism and works the hardest on the farm. He agreed with everything that Napoleon said, and his catchphrases were: â€Å"I will work harder† and â€Å"Napoleon is always right. † Boxer also saves the farm on multiple occasions, but in the end, Napoleon sold him to a glue factory to be killed. Boxer represents the working class, which is used by the government to its advantage, and then never cared for again. Boxer’s complete trust in the government led to his own misfortune. The sheep were totally gullible animals. The believed whatever they were told and repeated it. Boxer and the sheep represent individuals who whole-heartedly follow the government, no matter what. This quality leads to a dystopia because when the followed exactly what Napoleon described, they failed to realize that the government was no longer working for them as intended, but they for the government. Also in Animal Farm, Clover and Benjamin were two animals who were not as trusting of the government, but went along with it anyway. Clover also represents the working class, but she also had her own doubts about how Animalism was being run. Her deepest concerns are expressed after Napoleon’s executions: â€Å"As Clover looked down the hillside her eyes filled with tears. If she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago to work for the overthrow of the human race. These scenes of terror and slaughter were not what they had looked forward to on that night when old Major first stirred them to rebellion. Benjamin on the other hand, was entirely cynical of Animalism, because he knew that it would not work out. He was aware of the fact that life on the farm would go on just as it had, no matter who controlled the farm. These two animals represent two different ideas displayed by those who are under the jurisdiction of the government. Having two separate ideas can lead to dissention in the people, causing a dystopia. Finally in the end of the novel, it is seen that pigs taught themselves how to walk about on two feet, which is completely contradictory to their original ideology â€Å"Four legs good, two legs bad. In the last chapter of the book, it is said when the pigs had humans in the farmhouse for a meal, that â€Å"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which. † The animals originally believed that it was the humans that caused them their dystopia, but in the end, it was the humanistic characters in the both the animals themselves and the humans as well that caused a dystopia.

Congestive Heart Failure Essays - Circulatory System, Cardiology

Congestive Heart Failure Essays - Circulatory System, Cardiology Congestive Heart Failure Symptomatic myocardial dysfunction responsible for the inability of the heart to pump blood at a rate which is les than the requirement of metabolizing tissue or need a higher end diastolic volume to meet the demand o Systolic heart failure is due to impaired myocardial contractility resulting in reduction of stroke volume, inadequate ventricular emptying, dilatation of heart and elevated ventricular end-diastolic pressure Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is the prototype of systolic heart failure o Diastolic heart failure is characterized by impaired relaxation and filling of ventricle resulting in increased ventricular diastolic pressure at any given diastolic volume- restrictive cardiomyopathies o Concentric hypertrophy of left ventricle in hypertension does cause impaired diastolic relaxation but does not cause failure Normal Ventricular function [pic] o Conditions simulating heart failure > Circulatory insufficiency without myocardial failure ( cardiac temponade or haemorrhagic shock > Circulatory congestion secondary to salt and water retention( renal disease > Sudden increase in myocardial load e.g. accelerated hypertension or rupture of valve cusps Prevalence: o In West, increases with age- 1% at 60 years to 10% after 80 years o In India, rheumatic heart disease is common in young age group and commonly presents with heart failure Etiology and pathogenesis of Heart Failure: [pic] Important causes of heart failure are o Valvular heart disease- common in India o Hypertensive heart disease o Coronary heart disease- responsible for 40-60% heart failure in US o Congenital heart disease o Myocarditis o Cardiomyopathies Pathophysiology of heart failure: o Backward Failure theory: Myocardial Dysfunction ( High End Diastolic Volume of Ventricles ( ( Pressure and volume of atrium and venous system ( ( transudation of fluid from capillaries ( Low circulatory volume ( Activation of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System ( Salt and Water Retention o Forward Failure Theory Myocardial Dysfunction ( Low Cardiac Output ( Low Renal Perfusion ( Activation of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System ( Salt and Water Retention o Adaptive mechanisms in heart failure > Frank-Starling mechanism- operated due to increase preload ( increased end-diastolic volume of ventricle ( longer length of myocardial fibers( increased force of contraction > Increased after load ( concentric hypertrophy( restoration of elevated stress on ventricular walls to normal > Redistribution of subnormal cardiac output- less blood flow to skin, muscles and kidney to maintain normal flow to heart and brain > Neuro-hormonal adjustments- increased catecholamines ( increased HR ( maintenance of cardiac output despite low stroke volume > There may be right shift of oxygen dissociation curve to release more oxygen for tissue at lower pO2 levels o Adaptive neuro-hormonal/ cytokine changes in heart failure: > Adrenergic Nervous System- . Increased levels of nor-adrenaline-important in acute heart failure . In chronic heart failure, it may increase after load by increasing peripheral resistance, induce cardiac arrhythmias and may damage myocytes further by causing Ca++ overload . Prognosis of heart failure correlates inversely with levels of nor- adrenaline > Renin -Angiotensin -Aldosterone (RAA) System . Gets activated when there is a fall in cardiac output . Increased angiotensin II causes vasoconstriction and Aldosterone increases retention of Na+ and water and perhaps cases cardiac fibrosis also > Endothelin . A potent vasoconstrictor . Concentration increased in heart failure . Experimental studies indicate benefit of blocking receptors in heart failure > Increased levels of TNF-(- in experiments has been shown to impair systolic function > Vasodilator peptides (Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Brain Natriuretic Peptide . These hormones released due to stimulation of stretch receptors in atria (ANP & BNP) or ventricles (BNP) and stimulate sodium excretion and urine formation by kidneys . Higher levels correlate with poor prognosis Hypertrophy of ventricles o Pressure overload ( elevated systolic pressure ( parallel addition of myofibrils( concentric hypertrophy o Volume overload ( elevated diastolic pressure( addition of myofibrils in series( eccentric hypertrophy Precipitating Factors for Heart Failure o Infections > Pulmonary infections more likely to occur in the presence of pulmonary vascular congestion > Infections ( fever, tachycardia, ( metabolism and hypoxia ( cardiac overload o Anaemia > Increased oxygen demand of tissue met by increase in cardiac output ( increased cardiac workload o Thyrotoxicosis and pregnancy > Increased cardiac output states ( increased cardiac load o Arrhythmias > In compensated heart disease, arrhythmias are the most important cause of failure > The deleterious effects can be due to following

Bury My Heart Wounded Knee essays

Bury My Heart Wounded Knee essays Shawn Sanders 4-28-98 AA Character assignment Dee Brown, the author of the book Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee, more often than not uses indirect characterization to describe those in his book, although it is not his only method of displaying the characters to the reader. For example the Sioux war leader, Roman Nose, who once stated, I will ever surrender my land to the Whites, displayed his stubbornness by not only declaring his resistance but also through his actions against the White people to keep his land. Roman Noses actions were, obviously, to send his warriors against the United States Army. Dee Brown, in fact, uses this combination of direct and indirect characterization throughout the book for most all of the main characters in each chapter especially the antagonists. General Sheridan, a commander in the army at the time, was quoted saying that, The only good Indian Ive ever seen is a dead Indian, and later proved his liking for good Indians by slaughtering hundreds of unar med Native Americans. The methods used by the author in the book are quite effective overall in characterizing the characters in his book and give the reader a good insight into the natures of the people being depicted. ...

A Language Killer Essay Example for Free

A Language Killer Essay ? It is undeniable that English language is a powerful language. It is spoken in most part of the world especially in developed countries for instance the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. This is an inescapable process of globalization, the process of extending social relations across world-space. Globalization leads to the commonness of English in several fields such as science, technology, economy, politic etc. The result of this is English dominating the world and disregarding minority languages. That is why English language is often named as â€Å"a killer language† that wipes out smaller languages and their cultures by exclusive use. The phenomenon of the exclusive use of English is caused by the attitude of a person or a community toward English. This attitude cannot be directly observed, it can be seen from the expression of positive or negative feeling toward it. This attitude may enable a language to grow and prosper or to decay and die. In this case, while English as a global language is growing, other minority languages are dying. The prominent reason for English dominating the world is positive feeling of speakers toward it which reflects in degree of importance, elegance, and social status. For instance in the degree of importance, English holds an important role in education, technology, politic and economy. The speakers of it feel that it is important to be able to speak and understand English because a wide range of information is provided in English. Beside there is a common believe in countries where English is spoken as a second or foreign language that knowing English makes people clever, to speak English is all we needed, when someone speaks English we think he is educated, when someone speaks English it creates a good impression for him, speaking English helps to get a job, people who speak English have more friends, people would like to be considered as a speaker of English, if they have children they want them to speak English, and they feel sorry for people who cannot speak English. I myself also feel the same ways. Those kinds of feeling lead English become a dominating language on earth. The consequence of this attitude is English as international language will spread widely. English becomes such a need which is required to be fulfilled in today’s life. Everyone has to be able to understand English, both orally and written. While this is happening, on the other parts of the world there are some less powerful languages which are trying to survive or even dead. Regarding to this phenomenon, UNESCO classifies languages as follows: When the number of people speaking a language is actively growing, it is considered healthy. When children are no longer taught a language, it is considered endangered. When a language is spoken by only a handful of elderly people, it is considered moribund. When no one at all speaks a language as a first language, it is considered extinct. It is so sad to know that from thousands of languages on earth; almost half of people of the world speak one of six dominant languages, English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindustani, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. The other small languages are left behind. It is very important to preserve languages in terms of protecting any cultures. If it not, the world will become monotonous. Even if English language is very influential, we should maintain our identity, our nationality, that we have our own language that we can be proud of. Language will just die if the people will obviously no longer use it, but preserving it is one way of showing to the whole world how united we are as a nation because language is a keystone of culture. A Language Killer. (2016, Oct 03).

Bend it like a Man of Chosun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bend it like a Man of Chosun - Essay Example The main perspective on which the author argued that the racial and ethnic inferiority complexes of the Korean people from the western world can be overcome or healed with their participation in in sports like football in which they feel at the top of the world which came with the victory of Korea in Berlin Olympics, 1936. In support of his statement he stated that in the year 2002 World Cup, when Korea reached the Semifinals, their victory in the game again brought to unify the nation again and provided a great opportunity to cure the ethnic inferiority of its people. The author provided the evidence of the newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, which published the photograph of Sohn with Japanese Flag and removed his Uniform of the Korean country. He proved the strength of the mass media that is newspaper in Korea in developing the sense of Nationalism. Although the victory of Sohn ended the very first stage of sport nation in Korea, its people very clearly understood the importance of sports competition in international level which brought them pride for their country. The author has a strong positive viewpoint about how a sport can initiate nationalistic behavior in a country and it is very true till now a days. During the time of sport activities the people try to view the country as one and try to figure the all the positive aspects about the country while almost forgot the other factors. Author mentioned different evidence to prove his point in the document which makes it very rich in establishing the facts. The main problem we can notice in the document that the author only emphasized on only a single factor that is sport. Sport can only initiate the nationalism in its people but it is up to the people who will continue to it or not. As in the document we can find that after 1936 there is no mention of any other incidence till 2002. A single thing can never eradicate the inferiority sense from the minds of the people and it can it will be temporary. Yes I am

Self Evaluation Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self Evaluation - Personal Statement Example Moreover, daily newspapers and magazines contain news and articles about people from all over the world indicating people’s culture across the globe. Internet Internet is the best and fastest source of any type of information across the globe. Just a single query in search engines can give you an insight into any type of culture in a few seconds. Satellite Channels Satellite channels all over the world can be seen in one country. Dramas, cooking show, news channels, and documentary programs on channels such as national geographic, animal planet, discovery etc. help you increase your cultural knowledge. People Interaction The more you interact with people of different cultures, the more knowledge you gain about their traditions, religious activities, habits, language etc. Whether you are living with them or working with people of diverse cultures, you gain sufficient information about their culture with the passage of time. 2. How would you handle a management issue in your   organization that stems from a cultural dispute? As the time is moving towards making this place a global village, people from third world countries are moving towards progressed countries in search of a better job and better future. This results not only in providing sufficient workforce to such countries but also results in the formation of organizations with people belonging to different cultures and traditions. To manage the workforce in such an organization is a very challenging task as it requires you to get sufficient information about all people’s cultures and traditions. If a management issue arises in an organization because of the cultural differences, it should be handled carefully. Whenever a worker joins the company, he should be informed about the general rules and policies of the company. Moreover, the manager should have knowledge about the person’s culture that would help deal with him in the future. Now whenever a problem arises due to cultural dispu te, the manager should first analyze that he should provide the solution that does not conflict with the company’s policies. For example, if a company has a certain policy for giving no more than a one day leave near the project’s deadline then the manager cannot give an employee more than one holiday. The manager should find out a solution that is based on justice. He should consider cultures of both parties and take their opinions separately. In the end, he should design a solution that is a medium way between the both party’s opinions and should be justified. 3. Should the same rules and policies apply the same to  all people in a multinational, or should culture be taken into account when applying policies? The differences in the backgrounds can be problematic if you completely ignore people’s cultural values and traditions. Now the question arises whether the same policies should be applied to all people or should cultural diversity be taken into c onsideration? The answer is to choose the medium way. As far as performance and work is concerned, same policies should be designed for everyone. For example, dishonesty or shirking from work will result in punishment from the company’s side to every worker. Also, same rules of yearly leave will be applied to everyone. However, cultural differen

Brand Loyalty Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand Loyalty - Case Study Example Various models have been conventionally put forward to elaborate the decision making process that an individual may employ for improving the quality of his/her decisions. Good decision making is to much an extent, an in-born quality, though the integrity of a decision can be evaluated against a potential model in order to enhance its quality. It is essentially a human activity (DQI, 2008). This paper aims at comparing the decision making processes described in the case study with the traditional problem solving approach to consumer decision making process. The traditional approach: Before analyzing the way in which traditional decision making process of consumers is conceived and interpreted, it is customary to discuss the traditional problem solving approach as the former gains influence from the latter. Traditional problem solving approach: â€Å"The Problem Solving process consists of a sequence of sections that fit together depending on the type of problem to be solved† (A non., n.d.). There are various stages in the problem solving process (ITS, 2005), that are explained below: 1. Identification of problem: In this step, the problem that an individual faces is identified. 2. ... 5. Evaluation of solution: If the problem goes away, the solution works. Else, the solution has to be reselected in the step 3 and steps 4 and 5 should follow until the problem is gone. Traditional decision making process: In the traditional decision making process, consumers are conceived as highly risk averse in nature and rational in their approach. This is the fundamental reason why conventional conceptions about consumer decision making recognize it as information processing or problem solving phenomenon. The traditional models of consumer decision making presents a very logical and rational process, where, the consumer formulates and works upon a logically constructed course of action in an attempt to satisfy the very need. Therefore, the traditional decision making process of consumers consists of five basic steps, namely, need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, product choice, and evaluation of decision (Spielberger, 2004, p. 486). There also exists an alternative model of consumer decision making in which, the cognitive, behavioral and affective responses occur in a hierarchical order. The sequence is commonly known as C-A-B sequence. It is noteworthy here that the steps of the traditional problem solving process greatly resemble those employed in the traditional decision making process. This is the key reason why it is said that traditionally, consumers adopt problem solving approach to make their decisions. Identification of problem is the recognition of need. Information search for making decision is similar to visualizing the problem in context of the background. Alternate decisions are

Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Article Example The final step is direct action where people present themselves to present their cases. Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice is a valid statement because, for the realization of fair treatment of all people, the governing rules must apply to everyone. If there is no law and order, then people will do all types of crime and get away with such actions. The society would be a place where the powerful and strong have their way over the weak and poor if there is no law and order. Therefore, the law serves to place all citizens at equal and give everyone access to institutions that can protect people’s rights. Law and order in my community helps in giving protection to poor people from the rich taking their property or forcing the poor to work without proper compensation. The law, therefore, enhances justice. Unjust laws may also include situations where rich people use their influence to get laws passed allowing them to pay less tax in comparison to the poor. In addition to this, unjust law also includes a scenario where the majority passes laws, or objects the passing of laws that may affect the majority in a negative way while helping the marginalized groups. The best written paragraph is paragraph 17 because King provides a different approach to the understanding of a just law and unjust law. The difference is that he deviates from the traditional response that the law ought to respect human rights. In that paragraph, he voices the need for the majority to bind themselves by the laws they pass, and allow the minorities to participate in making laws. Tension is beneficial when applied correctly because it keeps authorities on their toes for fear of repercussions in case they make the wrong decision. The tension that King referred to was the tension of the fear of an outbreak of violence. King was termed as being an

Sports Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports Marketing Plan - Essay Example The prognosis is that while the American economy is recovering from the recent crisis, the recovery will continue to run at a slow pace (Amadeo, 2012b; Dewan, 2012). In the short term, the presidential elections will shape spending and other key factors that impact the economy (Moffatt, 2012). Some US regions will experience more pronounced growth compared to others (Kotkin, 2012) It can be surmised from the available evidence that the regulatory and legal system in the US continues to provide a strong foundation for successful small and medium businesses, and constitute a bulwark for established large multinationals. Legal requirements for gymnastics clubs share many aspects in common with regulations and laws covering small and medium businesses, together with industry-specific aspects, such as insurance coverage to shield owners and employees from injury liability, among other things (Kotkin, 2012; Newman, 2012; Mechanic, 2007; K&K Insurance Group, 2009). Demographic trends include a downward shift in the white majority birth numbers, now constituting less than 50 percent of total new births in the US (Dougherty and Jordan, 2012). As of 2011, out of a population of 313.84 million, 20 percent were 14 years old and below, and about 87 percent were below 65 years old. As of 2007 whites made up close to 80 percent of the population, followed by blacks at 13 percent, Asians at 4.5 percent, and other minorities making up the rest. The large Caucasian majority and the large young population are important demographic characteristics relating to the current and potential target markets for X Gymnastics (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012).. Data from US Gymnastics show that school-age females continue to be the most prolific participants in gymnastics programs all over the United States. Women in general outnumber men in memberships in different gymnastics

Brand Loyalty Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand Loyalty - Case Study Example Various models have been conventionally put forward to elaborate the decision making process that an individual may employ for improving the quality of his/her decisions. Good decision making is to much an extent, an in-born quality, though the integrity of a decision can be evaluated against a potential model in order to enhance its quality. It is essentially a human activity (DQI, 2008). This paper aims at comparing the decision making processes described in the case study with the traditional problem solving approach to consumer decision making process. The traditional approach: Before analyzing the way in which traditional decision making process of consumers is conceived and interpreted, it is customary to discuss the traditional problem solving approach as the former gains influence from the latter. Traditional problem solving approach: â€Å"The Problem Solving process consists of a sequence of sections that fit together depending on the type of problem to be solved† (A non., n.d.). There are various stages in the problem solving process (ITS, 2005), that are explained below: 1. Identification of problem: In this step, the problem that an individual faces is identified. 2. ... 5. Evaluation of solution: If the problem goes away, the solution works. Else, the solution has to be reselected in the step 3 and steps 4 and 5 should follow until the problem is gone. Traditional decision making process: In the traditional decision making process, consumers are conceived as highly risk averse in nature and rational in their approach. This is the fundamental reason why conventional conceptions about consumer decision making recognize it as information processing or problem solving phenomenon. The traditional models of consumer decision making presents a very logical and rational process, where, the consumer formulates and works upon a logically constructed course of action in an attempt to satisfy the very need. Therefore, the traditional decision making process of consumers consists of five basic steps, namely, need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, product choice, and evaluation of decision (Spielberger, 2004, p. 486). There also exists an alternative model of consumer decision making in which, the cognitive, behavioral and affective responses occur in a hierarchical order. The sequence is commonly known as C-A-B sequence. It is noteworthy here that the steps of the traditional problem solving process greatly resemble those employed in the traditional decision making process. This is the key reason why it is said that traditionally, consumers adopt problem solving approach to make their decisions. Identification of problem is the recognition of need. Information search for making decision is similar to visualizing the problem in context of the background. Alternate decisions are

Sports Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports Marketing Plan - Essay Example The prognosis is that while the American economy is recovering from the recent crisis, the recovery will continue to run at a slow pace (Amadeo, 2012b; Dewan, 2012). In the short term, the presidential elections will shape spending and other key factors that impact the economy (Moffatt, 2012). Some US regions will experience more pronounced growth compared to others (Kotkin, 2012) It can be surmised from the available evidence that the regulatory and legal system in the US continues to provide a strong foundation for successful small and medium businesses, and constitute a bulwark for established large multinationals. Legal requirements for gymnastics clubs share many aspects in common with regulations and laws covering small and medium businesses, together with industry-specific aspects, such as insurance coverage to shield owners and employees from injury liability, among other things (Kotkin, 2012; Newman, 2012; Mechanic, 2007; K&K Insurance Group, 2009). Demographic trends include a downward shift in the white majority birth numbers, now constituting less than 50 percent of total new births in the US (Dougherty and Jordan, 2012). As of 2011, out of a population of 313.84 million, 20 percent were 14 years old and below, and about 87 percent were below 65 years old. As of 2007 whites made up close to 80 percent of the population, followed by blacks at 13 percent, Asians at 4.5 percent, and other minorities making up the rest. The large Caucasian majority and the large young population are important demographic characteristics relating to the current and potential target markets for X Gymnastics (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012).. Data from US Gymnastics show that school-age females continue to be the most prolific participants in gymnastics programs all over the United States. Women in general outnumber men in memberships in different gymnastics

A pair of blue eyes Essay Example for Free

A pair of blue eyes Essay With reference to the first seven chapters, show how Hardy uses the novels setting to develop character It has been said by many critics, that the main focus of Hardys pre-19th century novel The Return of the Native, is none of the characters, but the almost animate heath land upon which it is set. Hardys methods of describing the heath, allows us to view it as several different things to several different characters, for example, Eustacia Vye, to whom the heath is a prison, or Clym Yeobright, husband of Eustacia, who views Egdon Heath as an area housing the commonest man, a group of people who have been transformed into simplicity by the heath, who he can educate. One possible reason of this is because the heath is written to seem almost ancient, thus has had time to adapt to the way nature shapes the landscape at its will, at present, a place perfectly accordant with mans nature . With features such as barrows, Hardy has created a religious, almost pagan feel to the heath land, with on which the main characters congregate in the first few scenes, to hold a bonfire, giving the night air upon the land an eerie feeling throughout the rest of the book. The weather upon the heath through the early chapters is somewhat harsh, the storm was its love, the wind was its friend yet still the characters persist to roam the heath at night, Eustacia especially, searching endlessly for an escape. One good example is where Eustacia awaits Wildeve upon a barrow, but she utters a sigh as she waits, pondering whether he will arrive, thrown out with the winds, it became twined in with them. It is events like these which Hardy gives us insight to, that we can see the development of the characters, for example, this is just another step of Eustacia becoming even more heavily buried within the land. Hardy also uses inanimate objects other than the heath, to create an atmosphere, such as the fire which burns between Wildeve and Eustacia as they speak, The revived embers of passion glowed clearly in Wildeve now. However, Eustacia does not light a communal bonfire for the sake of community, nor for the sake of sanity, similar to the locals who feel that communication through bonfire separates them from the heath, perhaps as many as thirty bonfires could be counted within the whole bounds of the district. She lights her fire, and attempts to communicate with something which will set her free from the realm a man, to either take her from Egdon to America, such as Wildeve promises, or back to Paris, the location from which her husband has come. Another interesting feature of Hardy using objects, rather than words or actions to describe how a character feels, is Eustacia constantly viewing the heath from her telescope, as if she is hoping for some kind of miracle, a knight in shining armour to come and whisk her from her feet. Another good example of a similar event is her checking her hourglass while waiting upon the heath. These two items, the telescope in particular being from distant places (of which she wishes she could travel to), differ significantly from peasant tools or items, from which she is eager to disassociate herself from. However Hardy is again referring to the vastness of the heath, by implementing a telescope, and the immense age of the heath, by an hourglass, however, for Eustacia, the hourglass diminishes the vastness of the heath, almost providing her with something shes wished for. The heath folk seem to exist in a more than comfortable relationship with the heath, and the heath in a comfortable relationship with civilisation, as it becomes overgrown; the humans cut the furze and faggots, and put them for good use fire. The folk seem to be driving off the darkness, upon November 5th, Guy Forks night, upon a barrow used for burials in the past, the ashes of the original pyre which blazed from that summit lay fresh and undisturbed in the barrow beneath their tread. The locals dont even appear to be celebrating this fact, more so finding comfort in the spotting of other fires lighted in the district. The people here are highly superstitious, and due to the size of the community, and involvement with other communities (very little), the heath only fuels their ideas, as is shown in the third chapter, when the heath folk are talking about Christian a man who no man would marry, for the reason of the date he was born upon having no moon,No moon : hey neighbours, thats bad for him? This early superstition in the novel serves many purposes, the main ones being reader interest, and plot evolution for it is a form of superstition, voodoo, which a heath folk uses against Eustacia as she finally tries to negate the heath, causing her death. Another pastime which suitably provides the heath inhabitants when they are not creating fire is gossip. The heath only fuels the peoples desire to talk about others business, because the community is very small, so hence everybody is aware of the news of everybody else, for instance, the news of Clyms success as a scholar travels for miles before he has even reached the age of three. Personally, I do not subscribe to the belief that the heath is a character within its own right, even though Hardy inspires such thoughts with phrases such as The storm was its lover, the wind was its friend. I believe that Hardys immense concentration upon the heath is merely a sign of two its importance to the play, and as a method which he can use to develop the rest of the characters, such as Eustacia, helping her to constantly arrive at a state of enlightenment which feels that nothing is worthwhile..

Automobile industry in Malaysia and India

Automobile industry in Malaysia and India Firstly, International Business is the performance of trade and investment activities that have been done by firms across national borders when it takes place between two or more countries. It is also known as cross-border business. Individual firms, governments and international agencies are involved in the international business transactions. The assets that exchange by firms and nations mostly are physical and intellectual assets which including products, services, capital, technology, know-how and labor. Moreover, international business gives us the opportunity to access the products and services from all around the world and it could profoundly affects the quality of life and the economic of the country (Cavusgil et al. 2008). DEFINITION OF GLOBALIZATION The definition of globalization is the deepening relationship and broadening interdependence among people from different parts of the world, and especially among different countries (Daniels et al. 2007). The categories that involves in globalization are technological, economic, political, and cultural exchanges made possible largely by advances in communication, transportation, and infrastructure. Besides that, there are two types of integration which is negative integration and positive integration. Negative integration could refer to barriers between countries being removed such as tariffs and quotas while positive integration could refer to standardizing international economic laws and polices (The non-hub story 2010). MULTINATIONAL COMPANY (MNC) Multinational Company (MNC) also known as Multinational Corporation is the most important type of the focal firm. It is a direct resource with the various business activities that which is through the subsidiaries and the affiliates that which located in the multiple countries. MNC has its own worldwide of the network and it has corporate with the numerous of the suppliers and the independent business partners of the abroad. MNC is among of the leading participants and many small and medium-sized enterprises participate as well. Multinational company can be categories into 3 elements which is horizontally integrated multinational corporations, vertically integrated multinational corporations and diversified multinational corporations. Horizontally integrated multinational corporations Corporations that manage production establishments in different countries that produces similar products. Vertically integrated multinational corporations Manage production establishment in certain countries to produce products as input to its production establishment in other countries. Diversified multinational corporations Production Establishment is either horizontally or vertically integrated. HISTORY OF HONDA Honda is the worlds largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959 and the worlds largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. It is established by Soichiro Honda in 1948. Due to the World War II, Soichiro Honda developed and produced small 2-cycle motorbike engines. It is because during that time Japan was facing gasoline storage and they needed inexpensive transportation that need less gasoline (The non-hub story 2010). Now, the ranking of Honda in automobile manufacturer around the world is number sixth. The first Japanese automobile manufacturer that releases a dedicated luxury brand is Honda. Besides that, Honda is also producing lawn and garden equipment, tillers, robotics, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators. The headquarters of Honda is located at Minato, Tokyo, Japan (Wikipedia 2010). Macro-environment for automobile industry in host country (PEST analysis): Firstly, the automotive sector is an important yet complicated sector. However, they could use PESTLE analysis to help them in making strategies. PESTLE analysis is a tool that can help organizations making strategies by letting them know about the external environment so they could plan their operate time whether they want to operate now or operate in the future. PESTLE stands for political, economic, social, technological, legal and environment. Political The people will see a continued progress in the ruinous steps which have forced the industry into a social politico economic corner. Whether this is related to flat demand or to the industrys creation of an ever-wider range of vehicles that many buyers seem to care little about, there is a problem. The manufacturing is like linked approach to the policies of governments, the earnings of banks. Little wonder then that so many emerging countries are keen to develop an auto sector or that there is such a political pressure to protect it in the developed countries. The worlds vehicle industry is currently dominated by little more than a handful of firms, each wielding colossal financial, emotional and political power. The manufacturing closely to dealing with political institutions has not always been bright. It tends to be good on technical issues, although it has not always fully presented the longer-term options, but in order to make the choices and their clear. Economic For much of the developed world, and increasingly for the developing world, the automotive industry is a pillar industry, a flag of economic progress. Without an automotive industry, it is impossible to develop an efficient steel business, a plastic industry or a glass sector other central foundations of economic progress. The automotive industry has been a core industry, a unique economic phenomenon, which has dominated the twentieth century. However, the industry now suffers from a series of structural schisms and has become riddled with contradictions and economic discontinuities. For the capital markets and the finance sector, it has lost a lot of its significance, as a result of ever declining profits and stagnant sales. The proliferation of products means that it has become hopelessly wasteful of economic resources. While all these and more sound like a very gloomy assessment of such a vast economic phenomenon, the industry is not in the end despondent. A different future is p ossible for the industry, a highly desirable one. Social The worlds automotive industry affects the society as a whole. It employs millions of people directly, tens of millions indirectly. Its products have transformed society, bringing undreamed-of levels of mobility, changing the ways people live and work. The social value of the additional mobility that this industry brings involves the value of the people being able to commute over longer distances easily, among many others. For most of its existence the motor industry has been a model of social discipline and control and it is not just that the auto sector offers a pillar of something else. There are, on the other hand, particular social issues to address in many developing countries, often those that are the result of an undertone of religious faith. The automotive industry has the role to play in helping develop the mobility of such countries and it can be achieved at an acceptable social cost of the country is prepared to learn the necessary lessons from those who have traveled thi s route before it, and to make the necessary investments. Technological The automotive industry works on a scale so awesome and has an influence so vast that it is often difficult to see. The level and diversity of technologies that it must deploy are increasing, which imposes both new investment burdens and new uncertainties and risks. Roughly a million new cars and trucks are built around the world each week they are easily the most complex products of their kind to be mass-produced in such volumes. The industry uses manufacturing technology that is the cutting edge of science. But still, the potential for developing coordination skills, intellectual capabilities and emotional sensitivities through electronic technologies remain far from fully exploited. There are numerous additional near-term technological opportunities to adapt the automobile to changing energy availability. The possibilities suggest that automotive technology is unexpectedly robust and provides a powerful defence against energy starvation even if the real price of oil climbs steadi ly during the next couple of decades. Legal The automobile industry is subject to numerous technical directives and regulations, as well as legislation of a more legal nature. The legislation covers areas such as competition law, intellectual property law, consumer protection and taxation, and emissions (air quality and fuels). When the auto parts industry reached full development, accelerated technological efforts were made to create a web of local suppliers that would make it possible to meet the growing legal requirements for the national integration of production. Environmental Other than the vehicles themselves, and the roads and fuel needed to run them; the business is intricately tied to the manufacture of a wide range of components and the extraction of precious raw materials. Indirectly, it brings people road congestion, too many fatalities and a wave of other environmental troubles. The effect to the automotive companies are that they needed to establish RD centres to take advantage of research infrastructure and human capital, so that they can develop vehicle products locally to satisfy the requirements of the environmental and safety regulations more effectively. PEST of Honda in Malaysia Political Malaysia is a developing country. From the year 1960 to 1971, the countrys economy was dependent on farming and primary commodities such as rubber and tin. Nowadays, Malaysia is a middle-income country with a multi-sector economy. The GDP growth rate was 5.8% in 2006 and 5.9% in 2007. Domestic demand and dynamism in exports are the main reasons for the economic constancy in Malaysia. Malaysias economic is now depending on industry, agriculture, and services sector, which contributes nearly 115% to the GDP at 2007. Along with the research, Malaysia is one of the worlds main exporters of vehicle parts, accessories and components and to Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan and UK. The automobile parts industry in Malaysia is maintaining the high reputation among their valuable customers locally and also in other country. Engineering capabilities, industrial master plans, and technology advancements are the main factors for the high reputation. The demand for Malaysias automobil e parts are continually increasing, especially among major automobile companies like Mercedes, Mazda, Ford, General Motors, Suzuki, Nissan and Mitsubishi. Besides that, there are 343 automobile parts manufactures in Malaysia. Is up until now, RM 8.2 billion was invested by automotive components and parts manufactures in auto parts industry (MSC, 2007). Economics Malaysia is dedicated to fulfill its multilateral commitments under WTO and AFTA and has taken steps to liberalize its duty structure. Other measures have been taken as well. Since 2001, the equity policy for the automobile sector has been relaxed to allow up to 51% foreign equity on a case by case basis. Besides that, in Malaysia manufacturers and assemblers are currently free to multi-source from the most competitive suppliers globally, uninhibited from local content policy requirements (ELM, 2007). Social Malaysias population was estimated at 25.2 million in 2007, every years growth rate of 1.7 percent. More than 60 percent of the population in Malaysia is Malays and other is Indians (8 percent) and Chinese (32 percent). Approximately 44 percent from the total population is consider to be trained or skilled workers with basic qualifications or higher. Malaysians employees work a minimum of 48-hours per week and also have more holidays compared with China. Until now, the labors costs are still relatively standard compare with other countries in Asia, including Vietnam and China. In addition, Malaysians salary can be divided into two types: one is monthly minimum wages and the other is average wage for an employee in the manufacturing industry (Kiat, 2008). Technological Malaysias infrastructure is good and presents considerable benefits to automobile supply chain operation. Malaysia has 80,328-km road network, highways, and main roads. This mode of transport represents 90% of the goods and passengers traffic in Malaysia. In addition, Malaysia has rail network of more than 2,000 km, mainly located in Kuala Lumpur and along the coast of the Strait of Malacca. The railway service in Malaysia is continuously improving by the government. Such as KTM and LRT. Besides that, there are three main ports and two airports in Malaysia currently growing in terms of exports. Such as KLIA and LCCT. (Kiat, 2008). PEST ANALYSIS OF INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY : Political Indian government had launched the auto policy for its Self Sustained growth. The government also allowed the foreign equity investment up to 100% formulation of fuel policy to promotes for vehicles propelled by AES Economic The tax wills deductions up to 150% for in house RD activities. Reduce the interest rates for export financing. Economy of India has grown over 8.5% per annum for last 5 years. The industry sector has grown 8-10 % for last few years. More than 90% CV purchase is on credit. Social The social changed lifestyle of people leads to increased purchase of Automobiles. The Average family size is 4 which make it favorable to buy a four wheeler. 4th largest economy on purchasing parity index increase in per capital income levels. The Indian customers are highly educated and well informed and they are price sensitive. They choice for small and compact car preference for Fuel efficient cars with low maintenance. Technological Technology is more and more emphasis on RD. The government is promoting the NATRIP (National Automotive testing and RD Infrastructure Project) to support the growth of Auto industry in India. Customized solutions can be provided with proliferation of technology. To entry of global brands both product and production process has been improved. ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF GLOBALIZATION TO HONDA Movement of capital If the companys capital flows around different countries, the production base of a developing economy would get to enhance. Then, it could enable savings for the entire globe and exhibited high investment potential. It is very important for the country which developing their economy. Developing countries would prefer more on foreign direct investment rather than portfolio investment because portfolio investment does not have a direct impact on the productive capacity expansion. Brand awareness Honda will become more famous when they globalize their company. It will create the opportunity to let the public know more about this company. For example like what is the item that selling in the company, where is their headquarters and etc. Since Honda is producing variety of items, it will be better for public to know the details about this company. Technology When Honda has been globalized, the brand awareness of Honda will definitely increase so it could attract more specialist or industry people who wanted to join their company and create new items with them. Besides that, it could help to improve the technology of the world. It is because whenever Honda had come out with a new item, they will sell or share it in all around the world. Therefore, even though the country does not create that item, they also have the opportunity to use it. So it means that the technology of the world will be increasing. Reduce global warming Honda had produced Hybrid vehicles in order to solve our earth problems like reduce the air pollution and the amount of petroleum which is getting lesser and lesser. Hybrid vehicles are encouraged to use by public as it could at least help out a little for our earth to reduce the global warming issues. STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF GLOBALISATION Build new office or factory In order to create Honda awareness, Honda should build more office and factory at other area where Honda does not have any office or factory at there. It could make the public to have more working opportunity and at the same time they will more understand about Honda. Besides that, Honda could also try to export their produced items to other potential country which they have not export any of their items to that country in order to create awareness. New recruitment In order to create more and more technology items, Honda should hire more specialists or people who familiar with this industry to join Honda. It is because when they create new technology item, it will make our life easier. For example, Honda had created the ASIMO robot to assist us with our daily life. It can also help the people who are not convenience to move around or disable person to do those daily tasks such as pour water, sweep the floor and etc. Create variety of items In order to reduce the global warming problem and at the same time can satisfy the customers needs, Honda have to create variety of items for them to choose. Therefore, everyone will use their items and help to save our environment. It can benefit both sides which is Honda and the earth environment. It is because if Honda really does that then Honda could earn the profit while the environment is getting protected with lesser pollution. For example, Honda could design more Hybrid vehicles in order public could have more choices to choose when they choosing Honda Hybrid vehicles.

Mr. Deeds Review :: essays research papers

â€Å"Sandler’s Mr. Deeds: Mis-Deeds†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With a prestigious resume’ of successful blockbuster comedies, Adam Sandler certainly fails with Mr. Deeds, his most recent attempt to duplicate his past successes. The quick-wit, unexpected, laugh-out-loud jokes are a forte’ of Sandler’s which go back to his days of being a young comedian on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Sandler’s comedy is the only thing that will keep you in your seat for an hour and a half. Fortunately for this movie, Sandler's large adolescent audience awaited the premier on June 28th. It’s hard to find the direction of this film. However, it does include criteria consisting of, or the lack-there-of, an unoriginal theme for Sandler, an unforeseen love between characters, an unrealistic storyline, the minuscule co-star involvement, and flat lackadaisical humor, is the proof behind this movie’s pudding; it defines the word lousy. However, Sandler’s newest flick will most likely enjoy box-off ice success from the strong fan base that follow every movie he makes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The screenwriter Tim Herlihy and the director Steven Brill appear to use the same old, similar storyline from past Sandler films: Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), The Waterboy (1998), and Big Daddy (1999). Sandler plays a similar role of a guy that has a big heart with good intentions but is sometimes misunderstood until the â€Å"true person† comes out for the doubters to see. A key thing to remember here is that all of the previously mentioned films were successful and in their own way, very original. Mr. Deeds fails to be included on this list. Sandler plays the role of Longfellow Deeds, a small-town native of Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire. He is a pizza delivery boy/greeting card writer that inherits $40 billion dollars from an uncle he never knew. Deeds is a character that exemplifies a so-called â€Å"regular† American. He loves his friends; he loves to make others laugh and enjoys life in general. When his uncle suddenly dies, without a will, Deeds is overwhelmed by conniving executives Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher) and his tobacco-smoking partner Cecil (Erick Avari). The New York City high rollers arrive in Mandrake Falls to inform Deeds of his new income and then take him down to N.Y.C. via private helicopter, to sign over his shares to his dead uncle's vast corporation. Cedar eagerly wishes to take over the corporation and sell all of its shares for an enormous amount of money. Mr. Deeds Review :: essays research papers â€Å"Sandler’s Mr. Deeds: Mis-Deeds†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With a prestigious resume’ of successful blockbuster comedies, Adam Sandler certainly fails with Mr. Deeds, his most recent attempt to duplicate his past successes. The quick-wit, unexpected, laugh-out-loud jokes are a forte’ of Sandler’s which go back to his days of being a young comedian on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Sandler’s comedy is the only thing that will keep you in your seat for an hour and a half. Fortunately for this movie, Sandler's large adolescent audience awaited the premier on June 28th. It’s hard to find the direction of this film. However, it does include criteria consisting of, or the lack-there-of, an unoriginal theme for Sandler, an unforeseen love between characters, an unrealistic storyline, the minuscule co-star involvement, and flat lackadaisical humor, is the proof behind this movie’s pudding; it defines the word lousy. However, Sandler’s newest flick will most likely enjoy box-off ice success from the strong fan base that follow every movie he makes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The screenwriter Tim Herlihy and the director Steven Brill appear to use the same old, similar storyline from past Sandler films: Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), The Waterboy (1998), and Big Daddy (1999). Sandler plays a similar role of a guy that has a big heart with good intentions but is sometimes misunderstood until the â€Å"true person† comes out for the doubters to see. A key thing to remember here is that all of the previously mentioned films were successful and in their own way, very original. Mr. Deeds fails to be included on this list. Sandler plays the role of Longfellow Deeds, a small-town native of Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire. He is a pizza delivery boy/greeting card writer that inherits $40 billion dollars from an uncle he never knew. Deeds is a character that exemplifies a so-called â€Å"regular† American. He loves his friends; he loves to make others laugh and enjoys life in general. When his uncle suddenly dies, without a will, Deeds is overwhelmed by conniving executives Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher) and his tobacco-smoking partner Cecil (Erick Avari). The New York City high rollers arrive in Mandrake Falls to inform Deeds of his new income and then take him down to N.Y.C. via private helicopter, to sign over his shares to his dead uncle's vast corporation. Cedar eagerly wishes to take over the corporation and sell all of its shares for an enormous amount of money.

Writing as Healing :: essays papers

Writing as Healing Chapter five, Writing as Healing and the Rhetorical Tradition: Sorting Out Plato, Postmodernism, Writing Pedagogy, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder written by T.R. Johnson of the University of New Orleans describes the different views of how language helps a person who has encountered a traumatic experience overcome and heal. Chapter nine, Pathography and Enabling Myths: The Process of Healing written by Anne Hunsaker Hawkins of Pennsylvania State University discusses how personal writing, such as autobiographies and biographies, promote healing in regards to illness. Both of these two chapters speak about writing in regards to healing, but chapter nine speaks about a specific writing that tends to be more effective. Classical logotherapists believed that disease and illness inflicted a person in order to punish a person for something he/she had done. The illness was also viewed as a form of trauma that deformed one’s character by society of the classical era and healing of the illness restored one’s identity and moral purity. Healers used â€Å"verbal charms, prayers, and incantations† in order to drive out the demon that caused the illness from the infected person. Plato believed that healing occurred â€Å"in a plane of absolute, unchanging truths above and beyond the plane of lived experience.† In other words, Plato rejected the idea of that language could heal the diseased or traumatized person. Postmodern healers believe that healing occurs through â€Å"self-actualization† which occurs through writing, another form of language. They feel that writing will provide an insight to the individual and that insight will allow the healing process to begin. It is said that pathography allows a person to heal because one consistently remembers new details when one writes about a particular experience. The remembering of these details are imperative to the healing process because it not only allows the person to get through the experience by re-telling it also allows one to get beyond the traumatic experience. The healing process often occurs through writing an autobiography or biography because the writer soon begins to feel that others should learn from his/her experience, which bridges self-suffering and the outside world. Pathography demonstrates that healing oneself often involves reaching out to others, which writing does.

Critique a Research Study Essay

The nursing research study I chose at the beginning of the semester was Impact of health literacy and patient trust on glycemic control in an urban USA population. The research article begins with a description of Diabetes, its consequences of the disease process, complications, economic cost, and the public health crisis that is foreseen over the next few decades. Research has shown that improvement of glycosylated hemoglobin concentration (HbA1c) in diabetics can have a significant positive impact on this impending critical condition. The second component of the article evaluates the impact health literacy and patient trust has on controlling and maintaining glycemic control in diabetics. The purpose of this article was to research a â€Å"quantitative study conducted to examine health literacy and patient trust as predictors of glycemic control (Mancuso, 2010)†. I believe the credibility of the research article was trustworthy, based on the research topics evaluated that are known in medicine to be accurate and valid. As a nurse, I am well aware of the impact health literacy and patient trust effect disease process and glycemic control. The research sample size evaluated by the article included one hundred and two participants with diabetes selected from two urban primary care clinics in the United States. Although I believe the sample size could’ve been larger, the final conclusions of health literacy and patient trust showed how important those factors are in influencing glycemic control. According to Polit, the presumed cause is the independent variable, and the presumed effect is the dependent or outcome variable (Polit & Beck, 2014, p. 43)†. The Quantitative type of research design used in this study was Non-experimental/Observational study on the effects of health literacy and trust on glycemic control. â€Å"When researchers study the effect of a cause they cannot manipulate, they design correlation studies that examine relationships between variables. Correlation studies can be detected through statistical analysis ((Polit & Beck, 2014, p. 159)†. The independent variables consisted of health literacy, patient trust, knowledge of diabetes, performance of self-care activities, and depression. These variables were measured with testing at the beginning of the study that yielded statistical results used to associate between variables. The dependent variable was the Hemoglobin A1c. Often the dependent variable can have multiple causes, which are examined in the article. The study also considered other related factors such as: demographics, socio-economic status, diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, and depression. I would categorize these variables with health literacy and patient trust as independent variables. The variation of factors can have a significant influence on the final outcome of HbA1c. This is the reason that research is essential for diabetes, to determine the influence these factors have on glycemic control. Evidenced-based interventions and approaches to improving glycemic control in the US population will help improve the current health crisis this country is facing, and will continue to face in the decades to come. â€Å"This was a cross-sectional study of patients with diabetes, utilizing several survey instruments and data sources (Mancuso, 2010)†. These 102 participants with diabetes were chosen from two free primary care clinics in the U. S. that met the criteria for the study. Reading comprehension test, scales, and screening through the use of surveys examined the independent variables. Testing for Hemoglobin A1c, a blood test, was conducted every six months to measure glycemic control for research purposes. I believe the design was appropriate because it was particular on the types of participants used for the study and factors that influenced the outcome according to the research article. Regardless of the level of participants, results of the study based its findings on the needs of the diabetic population. One of the strengths I identified early on in the research article was the research design chosen to evaluate glycemic control. The cross-sectional study of patients with diabetes utilized several survey instruments and data sources. The framework of the study helped to assess and predict the relationships between variables. Second, I felt the methods used to gather data was appropriate and beneficial to the research study. The data received was sufficient enough to research and observe. Finally, another strength I identified in the article was its reliability that correlated to Evidenced-Based data that guides clinical practice in nursing today. The final findings of the article support that the data collected and examined would help patient’s outcomes on increasing their glycemic control. Distinct weakness in the research study I identified first was the size of the sample that was chosen. With only one hundred and two participants from two different clinics, I felt that the sample size could have been more effective with larger numbers studied and in more areas of the country. The study also identified the recruited participants were from an uninsured population and identified the groups to have poor glycemic control. I believe the research study should have had a more diverse population of patients that would demonstrate how the US really is. Finally, the research article was evaluating health literacy; I believe that most patients who are illiterate would have been reluctant to participate in the study for fear of judgment and humiliation, thus not portraying the most accurate recruits. Evidenced-Based research is an essential component for the continual evolution of professional nursing practice. Research provides us with a solid foundation to ensure that nursing practice and interventions are based on scientific principles that have been proven to be effective. As professional nurses, we should strive to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Through nursing research, we can expand our nursing knowledge and development to deliver healthcare based on guided research decision-making. In studying my research article, I believe that the strengths outweighed the weaknesses because the findings did correlate with Evidence-Based practice already known. After critiquing the research article, I support its findings on health literacy and glycemic control; they definitely contribute to Evidence-Based practice that should be implemented in nursing practice. Diabetes is a major health problem in the United States and also a major risk factor for other types of disease processes related to it. Health literacy, the ability to read, comprehend and comply with medical instructions is directly related to improved glycemic control. The research article I have chosen reflect the effects between health literacy and glycemic control in the United States population. Conclusions from the articles emphasize the need to communicate and educate patients effectively with low health literacy. As an emergency room, healthcare teaching plays an important role when discharging patients home with the correct information and education to manage their symptoms and disease processes. This research article applies to my nursing practice by pointing out the need to assess health literacy in-patient’s sent home or admitted with Diabetes. When we can determine that health literacy impacts glycemic control, we can take measures to help patient’s maintain their diabetes effectively. By understanding the relationship between education and health care outcomes, nursing can make a significant impact through effectively assessing the needs to provide adequate healthcare teaching. References Mancuso, J. (2010). Impact of health literacy and patient trust on glycemic control in an urban USA population. Nursing & Health Sciences, 12(1), 94-104. doi:10. 1111/j. 1442- 2018. 2009. 00506. x Polit, D. F. , & Beck, C. T. (2014). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health /Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.