Marketing Research Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Research Practices - Essay Example The main purpose of these developments was to develop products that could be used in everyday life. The research involves finding potential problems in the present applications used and resolving them by updating them or using new products. The researchers found the flexibility of a product enables it to be used by more clients. Another important factor probably the most important one is the cost. If the final product is expensive there will be only few takers for it. Therefore research has been done to use cost effective products. Qualitative research methods are more often used as it involves observation of data that helps in finding solutions to the problems. Qualitative research has been categorised into three categories named as positivist, interpretive and critical. Positivist research methods involves attempt to test theory that to understand the predictive element of the phenomena. It involves formal propositions, hypothesis testing, measuring of quantifiable variables, etc. In this type of research it is assumed that the objectives are given in reality and can be measured by their properties. Interpretive research method involves sharing of information and social constructions such as language.

Thomas Green Essay Example for Free

Thomas Green Essay The case starts with the result of a problem that has been brewing for months-Thomas Green’s faltering career has transitioned from the fast track to a destination of potential unemployment. We sought to analyze the factors leading up to this rapid downward spiral and what other challenges were present in the situation. We identified some of the underlying causes, and developed potential solutions and how to apply them to rectify the challenges Green is experiencing. Current Problems:  The tension has developed between Davis and Green in part because of Green’s very public opposition to Davis’s next year’s projections of the 10% market growth, and in part because Green did not meet Davis’s expectations for the person who will be holding his previous position. According to Davis, Green has failed. Both in 1:1 meetings with Green and in interactions with his boss Shannon McDonald his ‘surface’ story has remained the same. He says Green is doing a poor job of communicating; not keeping his boss updated of his travel plans and current location. He also complains that when Green is on the road he doesn’t check in with the office enough and fails to send Davis information he has requested in a timely manner. Moreover, Davis feels that Green’s strategies and way of working with clients needs to be more concrete; that Green needs to provide factual data and reports to his clients instead of just ideas. In addition, Davis refers to Green’s negative attitude (as expressed at the goal-setting meeting) indicated that Green lacked the enthusiasm needed for the job. Deeper Problems Underlying Causes for the Conflict: 1. Power Politics Dynamics at Work: Davis’s public complaints do not reflect the full story. His perspective seems to be skewed by some common fallacies of thought that often plague business organizations. Davis has seen Thomass objection in front of the other employees as challenging him. This may be a case of Schadenfreude where Davis, who now has reason to dislike Green, finds everything possible wrong with his work as a way to discredit him. He may be jealous that Green jumped a few rungs on the corporate ladder, and incensed that he wasn’t consulted in the hiring decisions. Attribution can come into play where, instead of believing that there is a reason Green was promoted and maybe he did have value to bring to the table, a cognitive bias making him think Green’s previous successes were due to luck, and that he is a rookie who can’t be relied upon. That becomes a self fulfilling prophecy of perception, where Davis sees all the little things Green does wrong as insurmountable flaws confirming his original opinion of Green being the wrong man for the job. Many tenured workers feel that ‘paying ones dues’ is an important part of building a career, and that those on the fast track aren’t truly deserving of their positions. Since Green took over Davis’s former position, projection can also come into play, where Davis compares everything Green does to how he would have handled it. Davis does seem to be biased against Green, and rather than helping him to be the most successful he can, he appears to prefer firing him and starting over. A reverse halo effect has come into play, where nothing Green does is right. 2. Structural Problems in Hiring/Training. There are some structural problems in terms of chain of command and in how Dynamic Displays does their hiring and training. McDonald even identified this huge jump in positions and expressed her reservations. She openly admitted that her biggest concern was the increased level of managerial responsibility with no experience. This huge jump bypassed positions of needed training and practical work experience. Upper management had not initially counseled Green on expectations of communication, direction, report, and etc. Davis was not giving Green any real direction and guidance on how he wanted the reports until after it was identified as a problem. Davis did finally show how the other senior market analyst generated her reports and the approved method for relaying data. Another critical error was the fact that McDonald endorsed Greens promotion with no input from Davis. The relationship between Green and Davis was to some extent doomed from the start. When on Green’s first day Division VP McDonald tells him â€Å"Tom, you are walking into a tricky situation with Frank Davis. Frank had expected to choose the new senior market specialist and it would not have been you. You’ll have to deal with any fallout that might result from that. † Davis was not able to pick the person who he may have been molding for the position. This is demonstrated in the incompatibility of work styles and no working relationship between Davis and Green. McDonald did not set Green up for success when it came to working under Davis. The last thing she mentioned to Green on that first day was â€Å"don’t let me down. It would have been more effective should McDonald have included Davis in the hiring process, and meeting with both Davis and Green before or during Green’s first week so they could discuss expectations, and what McDonald viewed as Green’s strengths and areas of opportunity so a plan could immediately be put in place to address them and get him properly trained. 3. Thomas Green is not a blameless victim in this circumstance. There are a few areas in which he tripped up that have contributed to the severity of the current situation. This is an excellent case identifying the Peter principle where a great salesman is identified for exemplar performance and promoted to a position of incompetence within the company. Perhaps because (aptly named) Green was so new, he did not fully understand the dynamic of the specific situation he walked into. The 2008 Budget Plan Meeting did not appear to be an open forum, and Green misjudged it. Normally applicable to managers and coaches, the ‘Praise in public, criticize in private’ concept would have been useful in this case as well. Many of the most successful corporate climbers recognize the benefit of making ones higher-ups look good. Publically disagreeing with Davis in that open meeting was an act of insubordination. If Green knew the subject of the meeting and that Davis would be speaking for him, a certain onus fell on his shoulders to know what the goals were being set at ahead of time and giving him a chance to discuss in a more appropriate setting with Davis. Power conflict/ Stylistic Differences: Communication between Davis and Green was not the only issue. There were multiple misunderstandings between Davis, Green, and McDonald in terms of really acknowledging the issues at play. Green was a bit misled with regard to what was most important to his direct manager. The sample PowerPoint slides and organizational charts one of the other market supervisors had created should be something Davis showed Green early on, while setting expectations of those types of reports being created on weekly or monthly basis. Going over communication expectations is also really important, as that varies widely from manager to manager. Green’s autonomous â€Å"I’ll get it done my way† attitude clouded his ability to see why it might be important to keep communication up with Davis. He should have asked Davis the best way to check in with him and how often that was expected. Davis should be more clear-if he asks for a report while Green is on the road, be specific about the expected turnaround time or due date for the information. Green’s ego and inexperience hurt him in the transition to such a responsible and politically sensitive role. He is intelligent and talented but he was also over confident and he abused his â€Å"Legitimate Power which is defined as the position power based on a person’s holding of a managerial positions rather than anything the manager is or does as a person† (Phillips Gully, 2012). Green did things his way rather than respecting the path laid before him, and the superiors with tenure who had legitimate advice to give. Davis possessed a mix of Expert and Coercive powers. Expert power is a personal power based on an individual expertise in some area† Davis has done the same job in the past and he presented the successful projections for the company marketing future. â€Å"Coercive is a position power based on fear or a desire to avoid punishment† Green did not follow directions and rules, Davis reported this to McDonalds and threatened to end Green’s position. McDonald holds the ‘Reward power’: â€Å"A position power that involves the use of rewards to influence and motivate followers. She is the one who appointed Green at this position based on his intelligence and talent. Phillips Gully, 2012). Applicable OB Theory Two of the most fundamental aspects of Organizational Behavior are process, where there was a communication breakdown, and behavior in terms of evaluating, rewarding, and managing, as well as managing conflict/power and politics. Because Green wasn’t properly trained and mentored he was unable to do the job according to Davis’s preferences. The company seems to have a classic Scalar chain of hierarchy in place, that was upset by McDonald hiring Green for a position he wasn’t prepared for. The chain of command started off broken because it jumped over Davis. Innacurate assumptions followed, as Green thought McDonald would look out for him and retained a direct connection to his career, where in fact the traditional hierarchy was back in place without Green realizing how he fit in. The other thing that is easy to miss when analyzing this case is the positive opportunities that exist. McDonald ‘took a chance’ on Green because she felt the group needed a new perspective. The company did have the chance to improve results from what Green brought to the table, but his natural talent needed to be harnessed to take best advantage of that potential. Davis’s initial dislike and distrust of Green set the relationship off on the wrong foot, and at some point Green was more focused on keeping his job than on improving sales and helping the company. If Davis were focusing on making the most of Green as an employee, he would work on ways to accomplish multiple goals while encouraging Green to do his best work. Green is motivated by success as measured by his relationships with clients, ability to connect with company higher-ups, and having the autonomy to keep up that momentum. Davis’s management style does not reward Green’s independent thinking. Also it is interesting that one of Davis’s criticisms of Green is that he is â€Å"thinking like an account executive† when in fact most of their struggles stem from Green being a ‘big-picture’ thinker, and from Davis taking a detailed line-by-line approach. Solutions: There are two angles that should be addressed: both how the key players in this case should have handled things, and what can be done now and going forward. Green should have handled the Budget Meeting differently. He was wrong to talk about the issue to others in the company in that forum, even if unintentional; it did appear like he wanted to make Davis look bad. Green should have requested a one-on-one meeting with Davis to talk about the issue and to try to understand why things went so wrong. Because he feels strongly that those projections are unreasonable, he will also need to collect information to support his opinion about the numbers. He must try to build a relationship with Davis; recognizing that he put his boss in a bad position and what that did to him politically, he needs to eat some crow and work to rebuild a strong working relationship with Davis. This is the time to take McDonald’s original advice to heart, and ask for help. His going to Davis might feed into Davis’s ego enough to help: he can re-tie his success to the experience and knowledge base of his boss. Only then will the two of them be able to communicate and will Green have a chance to have his opinions heard. 1. Mentoring/training Both for Thomas Green at this moment, and for employees in the future, there needs to be a priority of setting up a more formal manager training and mentoring program. Part of Expectancy Theory states that the first level requirement of managers is to ensure employees are adequately trained and ave a clear understanding of what is expected of them. It seems Davis and Green were consistently not on the same page because of a failure to properly lay the groundwork during Green’s first few weeks on the job. For Green, McDonald’s advice of â€Å"I am hoping you compensate for your lack of experience by seeking out guidance from some of your more seasoned managers† was lacking in form and direction. A more formal mentoring program put in place could be very successful. Managerial training that includes working for a short time in the positions that were bypassed by the promotion would be particularly effective. The company should also assign one of the other senior market analyst as a mentor. Green could shadow with that senior market analyst for a short time to get a feel for company politics and best practices. In the future when a candidate is promoted from a sales role into management, they should be assigned a mentor who can help and guide them in the realities and expectations of the new position. There should also be a transition period if at all possible to easy the new manager into a position before giving him free reign. 2. Level setting  Because of Green’s nontraditional career path, additional guidance on the front end was required to set him up for success. Initial counseling on performance and work ethic expectations was a necessary piece that was missing in Davis and Green’s interactions early on. Clear expectations on preferred communication methods such as report presentations including charts and graphs should have been given to Green right away. Green should have been provided a thorough job description and clearly defined goals. The first few weeks in the new position were critical in showing Green what was important to upper management. Davis bringing Green on joint client appointments emphasized being hands on and meeting the right people. Davis missed an opportunity to show Green the type of detailed numbers and reports he would like to see. Also, rather than thinking Green needed reports to present at those meetings, should have partnered with him to create the concrete data he feels is most effective to use in working with a potential client. That was the only training Green received, and it was unfair to expect he would inherently understand an expectation that was not expressed to him by his boss. Davis should also have coached Green on his other expectations including form and frequency of communication. Assumptions were detrimental to the relationship; some of which may have been due to generational differences leading to varying expectations. This could have helped with the communication issues between all three parties due to their age differences. 3. Structural changes within Dynamic Displays In the future Dynamic Displays needs to adjust its hiring practices to set everyone involved up for success. It is short-sighted to think that employees must always take the most traditional path, as out of the box candidates come up at times and can benefit the company. They should make the hiring process more structured to avoid this type of issue in the future. The promotion process needs to be reviewed and improved upon. All parties who will be affected by the promotion should have input on the decision. Had Davis been included in that choice and in brainstorming on ways to get Green up and running, this issue may have been avoided altogether. Work relationships clearly can have a huge impact of production.

The American Christian Holocausts Essay -- Holocaust History

The American Christian Holocausts As a high school student I was always annoyed by students who would ask: Why do we have to learn this stuff [history] anyway? We learn history so we don't repeat our mistakes. This is the common answer that my teachers, my father, and just about any other adult would give. This answer made perfect sense to me then, and I easily accepted it. In high school, students learn about the Nazi-Holocaust, and rightfully so. Information abounds regarding this topic. However, my teachers never taught me that our country has a Holocaust of its own (actually there are two; one killing 40 to 60,000,000 Africans, and one killing 100,000,000 Native Red Peoples). Hitler himself often expressed his admiration for the expediency in which the American Christians removed the Native Americans and gave them mass graves like the one in Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Have you ever heard the words American Holocaust(s) before? As I read about history I was drawn to the Indian Wars. One day I began reading Dee Brown's book "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." I was shocked by what I read. I had never been taught these things, yet this history seemed so important and unparalleled in American history. Recently, I picked up Brown's book and read it a second time. Finally, the words shook me from the sleep in which we Americans love to overindulge; the sleep of denial, materialism, and hedonism. The thoughts and images evoked in Brown's book came back and my heart filled with an indescribable feeling of painful anger again. I thought to myself, I'm glad that is all over with, I don't know what I would have done if I had been alive then. The words of William McPherson of the Washington Post regarding Brown's book reassured... ...rican flag and peace medals by Abraham Lincoln and Colonel A. B. Greenwood in Washington only a year earlier and was told that as long as the American flag was above them, no one would be harmed). The braves present surrounded the women and children gathered under the flag. At 8:00 am more than 700 cavalry men under the command of Colonel John M. Chivington and Major Scott J. Anthony, rode in and fired on the huddled Indians from two directions. After the initial charge the US soldiers dismounted and continued the indiscriminate killing of men, women, and children. During the killing unspeakable atrocities and mutilations were committed by the soldiers. Accounts from two white men, John S. Smith and Lieutenant James Connor, described the acts of dehumanization." According to John S. Smith, Colonel Chivington knew these Indians to be peaceful before the massacre.

The Origin Of Basketball And I Essay -- essays research papers

Over the years since basketball was invented, its popularity has gotten very big. The game is played all over the world and has made a lot of people rich through its many professional leagues. The National Basketball Association is, by far, the most popular league in the world, but a lot of people like to watch college, high school, and recreational basketball as much. The game of basketball is one of the most popular and exciting games to watch or play on any skill level. In December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was winter and one of his superiors, Dr. Luther Gulick, asked of Dr. Naismith to come up with a game that could be played during the winter months ("History"). Dr. Naismith had played rugby and he didn't like the roughness of that game. He wanted a team game which would get rid of most physical contact ("Basketball"). The game contained elements from American football, soccer, and hockey ("History"). Dr. Naismith contemplated the way the game should be played and what should be used for a goal. His original idea was to have a vertical goal. When he consulted some of his students, they brought to his attention that people would be able to block an attempt to score by simply raising their hand in front of the ball. He then came up with the idea of a horizontal goal in which the players would have to throw the ball in an arc. This would mean less force would be needed to get the ball in and it also meant that the opposing players wouldn't be able to block a shot so easily (Anderson, 5). He then asked a custodian to hang to boxes from the balcony in the gym. The custodian came back and said that he only had to peach baskets. That would have to do. The first ball used was a soccer ball. Since there was eighteen kids in his class, each team consisted of nine players (Vancil). Since the baskets were placed on the balconies, which happened to be ten feet high, the players needed a ladder to get the ball out after each score. By 1897, the size of teams had reduced to only five players and the ball was replaced with a slightly larger leather ball, very similar to what is used today ("Basketball"). As the popularity grew, more people began to go and watch th... ...it still does. The first great pro team was the Original Celtics of 1915 ("History"). It survived the NBL and dominated the NBA. The Celtics also changed the game into a future. The Celtics proved to be the best team in history. They were the first dynasty. Under some of the best coaches every to coach, they won an average of 57.6 wins out of 80 per season (Vancil, 12). They won eight championships in a row, and have a total of sixteen which is five more than any other team. The other great team throughout the ages was the Lakers. They won five championships in Minneapolis and six more after they moved to Los Angeles, for a total of eleven (Vancil, 26). The turning point for the NBA was the 1966-67 season. The Celtics were dominating and Bill Russell, the center for Boston, made $100,000 for that year (Vancil, 13). The fan interest was at an all-time high. In 1951 the first All-Star Game was held. The east had five of the leagues top nine scorers and beat the west easily. Eight years later, the Basketball Hall of Fame was built in Springfield, MA. It hold the names of great players, referees, coaches, and people of importance to the development of the game of basketball.

Mary Shelley Essay

Do you agree? Frankenstein is one of the great novels of English literature, written in 1816 by a young Mary Shelley. The name Frankenstein is generally associated with the terrifying monster created in the many film adaptations of the book. But did Mary Shelley write only to frighten the reader? Or did she write in order to explore deeper issues of the evolving times she was living in? The basic plot of the novel is typical of a blood-curdling horror story: a mad scientist creates an inhuman monster, which subsequently goes on a murderous rampage, not resting until it has avenged itself. But Shelley’s novel uses various other themes throughout the book, asks questions and expresses strong views on the changing balance between science and religion of the early 19th century. Through her monster she explores the themes of isolation, the relationship between God and man, the importance of respecting nature and the dangers of obsession. Shelley’s novel has been extremely influential on horror stories since as it is one of the most famous gothic horror novels of all time. It is also the first to use the idea of ‘fear of the unknown’ in the context of scientific research. It is one of the forerunners of later 20th century novels such as Brave New World, which warn of the dire consequences of unchecked scientific progress. The novel was written as part of a game or competition between herself, her husband, the poet Byron and his friend Polidori. They were spending time in Geneva when Byron suggested they should each write a ghost story and see who could write the best. That night Shelly had a terrifying nightmare in which she saw the story of Frankenstein. Shelley’s parents appear to have been hugely influential on the novel. Her father was the writer and political journalist William Godwin, who became famous with his work An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice. Godwin had revolutionary attitudes to most social institutions, and as result she had been exposed to many modern radical ideas and had been to public shows where they stimulated the muscles of dead animals or humans to produce twitching. Perhaps it was this which gave birth in her mind to the famous creation scene of Frankenstein? Her mother had died in childbirth and she herself had lost children, which features heavily in the book. The novel is told through letters from Captain Walton to his sister Margaret in what is known as a Chinese box style. Walton talks about his own story and we get to know him, then we are introduced to another character, Victor, who Walton meets in the desolate landscape of the North Pole. Victor tells his story to Walton who relates it to his sister. Victor then tells us, through Walton, of how he met his creation, the ‘monster’, and tells Walton all that the creature told him which is then written down in the letters. In this way we get a first hand account from several different characters and we get a feeling of the depth of the story as we delve deeper in to the plot and see each side of the story. Chapter 5 is the beginning of any real horror in the novel. Of course, there have been some mysterious circumstances and the bleak and desolate setting of the North Pole, but nothing to really scare the reader. But the creation of the creature is Shelley unearthing her fears about the progression of modern science. To begin with Shelley creates tension, setting the scene, saying : ‘it was on a dreary night of November’ and ‘the rain pattered dismally’ both of these creating a sense of unease and darkness. Furthermore, she tells us how ‘the candle was nearly burnt out†¦ by the glimmer of the half extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open’, which again forms an image of a dark laboratory with flickering candle light, and creates tension, which have all become classic horror settings ever since.

10 Masters Degrees Worth Getting

10 Masters Degrees Worth Getting There is the debate whether or not a graduate degree pays off in the long run – that, instead of earning one, a strong base of undergraduate education coupled with experience is the better way to move up the corporate ladder, to land and keep good, high-paying jobs. It should be noted that the following salaried figures, as well as job growth statistics, pertain to the American job market; and much of the below information can be found at the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov Here are 10 graduate Master’s degrees that pay off: Economics A master’s degree in Economics qualifies someone to become an economist, one who studies, researches and analyzes economic issues and problems. Economists examine the production and distribution of resources, goods and services by collecting and analyzing data, researching trends and evaluating economic matters. A Master’s degree in Economics trains a student in economic theory, econometrics and applied economics, and produces experts in applied research and financial analysis, preparing them for a doctorate in the field. Most economist jobs require a Master’s degree (in some cases a Ph. D.) in economics. Employment for economists is projected to grow over the next several years. In the United States, as of 2012, the economist with a Master’s degree makes a median annual salary of about $92,000. Physician’s Assistant Studies A Master’s degree in Physician’s Assistant Studies prepares someone to collaborate with a doctor of medicine and to handle work delegated by a physician. To become a physician assistant (PA), a person has to be a graduate of an accredited PA educational program; they have to be nationally certified and state-licensed in order to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. A graduate degree in PA studies trains a person to perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret lab tests, perform procedures and assist in surgery, provide patient education and counseling, and to make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes, etc. This program is modeled on the medical school curriculum and is quite rigorous and intense; and PA students learn as much about the body as a physician would learn in medical school. The median salary for a PA is about $90,000. Computer Science A computer scientist not only does computer programming; they solve problems, too. They are creators, designers, analysts, etc. They work with people to develop innovative ways to harness the power of computing to address problems in almost every discipline and industry sector. With a Master’s degree in Computer Science, a person is eligible for several in-demand positions – like a software engineer – in research institutions, government agencies, technology companies and academic institutions. Other jobs available for those with a Master’s degree in Computer Scientist: Computer and Information Scientist, specializing in research; Computer Programmer; Computer Software Engineer; Computer Support Specialist; Database Administrator – and plenty of others. While the salary ranges for a person with this degree, there is no shortage of well-paying jobs in the computer science field. A Computer and Information Scientist, for example, has a median annual s alary of about $96,000; while the Computer Support Specialist has a median annual salary of about $44,000. Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineers design, develop and maintain electrical control systems and/or components to required specifications, focusing on economy, safety, reliability, quality and sustainability. They design and manufacture electrical equipment for use across many sectors, including but not limited to: the building industry and services, including lighting, heating and ventilation; transportation and transport networks; manufacturing and construction; and production and distribution of electrical power. Jobs in the electrical engineer field – which requires a graduate degree – have a median annual salary of approximately $93,000. Mathematics A Master’s degree program for Mathematics is considered one of the best graduate-level programs for those looking to excel in the math field. It is designed to prepare those to teach at the high school and junior college levels, as well as for careers in business, industry and/or government. A Master’s degree in Mathematics readies graduates for careers as actuaries, as well as financial, budget and operation research analysts, and certainly economists – jobs where they will use applied or theoretical mathematics to answer question and solve problems. Of these professions, the financial analyst is expected to see the most job openings: 54,000-plus jobs between 2010 and 2020, and those with this degree will see a broad range of salary depending on an individual’s career path. Information Systems Quite similar to the Master’s degree in Computer Science is the Master’s degree in Computer Science. This degree paves the way for a career as a computer and information systems manager, which if often called an information technology (IT) manager or IT project manager; they plan, coordinate and direct computer-related activities in an organization, helping to determine the information technology goals of an organization, and they are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet these goals. The median annual wage for computer and information systems managers was $120,950 in 2012. Employment of computer and information systems managers is projected to grow by 15 percent from 2012 to 2022. Physics A Physicist studies the ways in which various forms of matter and energy interact. Theoretical physicists may study the nature of time or the origin of the universe. Physicists in applied fields may develop new military technologies or new sources of energy, or monitor space debris that could endanger satellites. They conduct scientific research with specialized equipment, such as lasers, spend much of their time working in offices, but also conduct research in laboratories and observatories. Most physicists need first a Master’s degree, then a Ph.D. for most research jobs – though quite a few physicist assistants must have a Master’s degree in the field. Ph.D. holders typically begin their careers in temporary postdoctoral research positions. In 2012, the median annual wage for physicists was $106,840. Employment of physicists is projected to grow 10 percent from 2012 to 2022. Expected growth in federal government spending for physics and astronomy research shou ld increase the need for physicists and astronomers, especially at colleges and universities and national laboratories. Occupation Therapy Occupational Therapists (OT) treat injured, ill or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. Many work in offices specializing in occupational therapy or in hospitals; others work in schools, physicians, nursing homes and for businesses providing home health services. They must have a Master’s degree specializing in the field, and are required by most states to be licensed and/or registered. They have a median annual salary of about $75,000. Employment for OTs, from 2012 to 2022, is projected to grow 29 percent because occupational therapy will continue to be an important part of treatment for people who age and develop various illnesses that result from the degeneration of the body that comes with aging. Health Care Administration A Master’s degree in Administration leads to careers as healthcare managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators. These are people who plan, direct and coordinate medical and health services. Medical and health services managers may manage an entire facility or specialize in managing a specific clinical area or department, or manage a medical practice for a group of physicians. Medical and health services managers must be able to adapt to changes in healthcare laws, regulations and technology. They held about 315,500 jobs in 2012, and most of them work in offices in healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes and group medical practices. The median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $88,580 in 2012. Nursing Off all the various nursing occupations, few require an advanced graduated degree. Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) – a career that requires one to have a graduate degree in the field – ready patients for surgery, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat common acute illnesses and injuries, administer immunizations, manage chronic problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and order lab services and x rays, provide prenatal and gynecological care, deliver babies in hospitals and private settings such as homes, and follow up with postpartum care. A Masters degree in nursing allows advanced practice nurses to work as nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, certified clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse anesthetists. Advanced practice nurses right out of graduate school can expect annual salaries ranging from $60,000 to $90,000. After five years of practice, the salary range for APNs stretches from $60,000 to $100,000 a year. APNs are in very hig h demand in the U.S. and Canada.

Feudalism - Worldwide Political and Social System

Feudalism - Worldwide Political and Social System Feudalism is defined by different scholars in different ways, but in general, the term refers to a sharply hierarchical relationship between different levels of landowning classes. Key Takeaways: Feudalism Feudalism is a form of political organization with three distinct social classes: king, nobles, and peasants.In a feudal society, status is based on land ownership.In Europe, the practice of feudalism ended after the Black Plague decimated the population. A feudal society has three distinct social classes: a king, a noble class (which could include nobles, priests, and princes) and a peasant class. Historically, the king owned all the available land, and he portioned out that land to his nobles for their use. The nobles, in turn, rented out their land to peasants. The peasants paid the nobles in produce and military service; the nobles, in turn, paid the king. Everyone was, at least nominally, in thrall to the king, and the peasants labor paid for everything. A Worldwide Phenomenon The social and legal system called feudalism arose in Europe during the Middle Ages, but it has been identified in many other societies and times including the imperial governments of Rome and Japan. American founding father Thomas Jefferson was convinced that the new United States was practicing a form of feudalism in the 18th century. He argued that indentured servants and slavery were both forms of yeoman farming, in that access to land was provided by the aristocracy and paid for by the tenant in a variety of ways. Throughout history and today, feudalism arises in places where there is an absence of organized government and the presence of violence. Under those circumstances, a contractual relationship is formed between ruler and ruled: the ruler provides access to the required land, and the rest of the people provide support to the ruler. The entire system allows the creation of a military force that protects everyone from violence within and without. In England, feudalism was formalized into a legal system, written into the laws of the country, and codifying a tripartite relationship between political allegiance, military service, and property ownership. Roots English feudalism is thought to have arisen in the 11th century CE under William the Conquerer, when he had the common law altered after the Norman Conquest in 1066. William took possession of all of England and then parcelled it out among his leading supporters as tenancies (fiefs) to be held in return for services to the king. Those supporters granted access to their land to their own tenants who paid for that access by a percentage of the crops they produced and by their own military service. The king and nobles provided aid, relief, wardship and marriage and inheritance rights for the peasant classes. That situation could arise because Normanized common law had already established a secular and ecclesiastical aristocracy, an aristocracy that relied heavily on the royal prerogative to function. A Harsh Reality The upshot of the takeover of the land by the Norman aristocracy was that peasant families who had for generations owned small farmsteads became renters, indentured servants who owed the landlords their allegiance, their military service and part of their crops. Arguably, the balance of power did allow for long-term technological progress in agricultural development  and kept some order in an otherwise chaotic period. Just before the rise of the black plague in the 14th century, feudalism was firmly established and working across Europe. This was a near-universality of family-farm tenure by conditionally hereditary leases under noble, ecclesiastical or princely lordships who collected cash and in-kind payments from their subject villages. The king essentially delegated the collection of his needs- military, political and economic- to the nobles. By that time, the kings justice- or rather, his ability to administer that justice- was largely theoretical. The lords dispensed the law with little or no kingly oversight, and as a class supported each others hegemony. Peasants lived and died under the control of the noble classes. The Deadly End Plague Victims Blessed by a Priest (14th Century Illuminated Manuscript). http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/medieval_globe/1/. Quibik An ideal-typical medieval village was comprised of farms of about 25–50 acres (10–20 hectares) of arable land managed as open-field mixed farming and pasturage. But, in reality, the European landscape was a patchwork of small, medium, and large peasant holdings, which changed hands with the fortunes of the families. That situation became untenable with the arrival of the Black Death. The late-medieval plague created catastrophic population collapse among rulers and ruled alike. An estimated number of between 30–50 percent of all Europeans died between 1347 and 1351. Eventually, the surviving peasants in most of Europe achieved new access to larger land parcels  and gained enough power to shed the legal shackles of medieval servility. Sources Clinkman, Daniel E. The Jeffersonian Moment: Feudalism and Reform in Virginia, 1754–1786. University of Edinburg, 2013. Print.Hagen, William W. European Yeomanries: A Non-Immiseration Model of Agrarian Social History, 1350–1800. Agricultural History Review 59.2 (2011): 259–65. Print.Hicks, Michael A. Bastard Feudalism. Taylor and Francis, 1995. Print.Pagnotti, John, and William B. Russell. Exploring Medieval European Society with Chess: An Engaging Activity for the World History Classroom. The History Teacher 46.1 (2012): 29–43. Print.Preston, Cheryl B., and Eli McCann. Llewellyn Slept Here: A Short History of Sticky Contracts and Feudalism. Oregon Law Review 91 (2013): 129–75. Print.Salmenkari, Taru. Using Feudalism for Political Studia Orientalia 112 (2012): 127–46. Print.Criticsm and for Promoting Systemic Change in China.

Free Essays on Drug Trafficking

Unbelievably, illegal drug trafficking affects about every country in the world. The major countries in Latin America where the illegal drugs are grown are Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico (â€Å"Drug Trafficking in the United States†). From these countries, they are shipped mainly to the United States and Canada, but are also shipped to European countries such as the Netherlands, England, Spain, and Germany. A variety of drugs are sent across the borders of Latin America countries which include: Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroin, Methamphetamine, MDMA which is also called Ecstasy, LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), PCP (Phencyclidine), Flunitrazepam, GHB(Gamma hydroxybutyrate), and Steroids (â€Å"Drug Trafficking in the United States†). The first known drug traffic is not known to man, but major trafficking began in the late nineteen seventies from Colombia to the United States. Drug trafficking not only effects the Latin America who supply the drugs, drug traffic king also effects the receiving such as Canada and the United States. In the receiving countries, almost every citizen is affected both directly and indirectly. Along with citizens, the economy and market is influenced from this activity. Not to be confused that Latin America is only one region where illegal drugs are shipped from, illegal drugs are also shipped from the Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia (â€Å"Drug Trafficking in the United States†). Illegal drug trafficking is a serious problem in the United States of America and other countries in the world, but countries in Latin America look at drug trafficking as a profitable business. The â€Å"War on Drugs† in the United States has been going on for about twenty-five years, but drug trafficking around the world has been going on for centuries (Lobe 1). Bureaus and Departments such as the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs began to arise in the United States in the late nineteen sixties due to the rise ... Free Essays on Drug Trafficking Free Essays on Drug Trafficking Unbelievably, illegal drug trafficking affects about every country in the world. The major countries in Latin America where the illegal drugs are grown are Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico (â€Å"Drug Trafficking in the United States†). From these countries, they are shipped mainly to the United States and Canada, but are also shipped to European countries such as the Netherlands, England, Spain, and Germany. A variety of drugs are sent across the borders of Latin America countries which include: Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroin, Methamphetamine, MDMA which is also called Ecstasy, LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), PCP (Phencyclidine), Flunitrazepam, GHB(Gamma hydroxybutyrate), and Steroids (â€Å"Drug Trafficking in the United States†). The first known drug traffic is not known to man, but major trafficking began in the late nineteen seventies from Colombia to the United States. Drug trafficking not only effects the Latin America who supply the drugs, drug traffic king also effects the receiving such as Canada and the United States. In the receiving countries, almost every citizen is affected both directly and indirectly. Along with citizens, the economy and market is influenced from this activity. Not to be confused that Latin America is only one region where illegal drugs are shipped from, illegal drugs are also shipped from the Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia (â€Å"Drug Trafficking in the United States†). Illegal drug trafficking is a serious problem in the United States of America and other countries in the world, but countries in Latin America look at drug trafficking as a profitable business. The â€Å"War on Drugs† in the United States has been going on for about twenty-five years, but drug trafficking around the world has been going on for centuries (Lobe 1). Bureaus and Departments such as the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs began to arise in the United States in the late nineteen sixties due to the rise ...

Reaction and reasons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reaction and reasons - Assignment Example It would appear that somebody is regularly striking something on the surface, like a workman at his work, striking with a hammer. You never know how it will end, or if it is just the beginning of something, but as time moves, it appears endless and boring as one finds difficulty in getting absorbed in the whole experience. When it reached 25-30 seconds in the time count, the tones suddenly falls down and there is a bit of struggling to get the tone. Like the beginning, the tone is not continuous, and there is a pause from the first sound to the next. However, there pitch is uniform, and the tones coming at regular intervals. The struggle you put in makes you absorbed in the proceedings in a way and it feels your mind with the feelings of sadness. The sadness is inexplicable but may be due to the the level of the tones and the strokes coming out of the music. On the other hand, you may imagine a scenario where one is travelling on a lonely path, all alone and losing hope. This then changes at between 33-35 seconds when the tone rises sharply. The sharp rise brings a lot of difference to the feelings. You get interested in the music as the sound of thumbing appears to be coming out of the music. It gives a feeling of happiness and expectations of something better. The mind becomes lively for once s you get involved and absorbed in the music. In this instance I began to imagine a music event I attended back where there was a lot of dancing and partying. Essentially, there was happiness and this was accentuated even more with the fast pace of the strokes coming from the music. At 55-56 seconds, the tone changes to very low pitch, which is dragging unlike in the beginning where the pitch was sharp. This is a bit continuous. But besides, it comes at regular intervals, each time repeating the same pattern. It brings to mind images of struggle. Like an old vehicle struggle to move uphill, each time making small progress. The process

Social Exchange Theory - Communication Theories Essay

Social Exchange Theory - Communication Theories - Essay Example This implies that actions are taken with full knowledge that it would be recognized and reciprocated. Based on the social exchange theory our organization decided to outsource a small part of the work to an external service provider. Ours is in the hospitality sector and we selected a small service provider expecting that we would receive personalized service. This was also the reason that we did not approach one of the recognized firms. However, the communication was not effective. While we wanted to save costs we ended up paying much more as we did not receive the promised services. We had to discontinue with this agent. The evaluation of the service provider is important before signing any contract. In the future we would seek details of the businesses handled and the types of service offered. We did not receive the benefits expected; social exchange was unjust. In the hospitality sector, service excellence counts. The organization recognizes that to deliver excellent service the internal customers have to be focused upon. It is a reciprocal arrangement – the organization focuses on meeting the needs of the employees and the employees deliver service excellence which in turn benefits the organization. To meet this organizational objective, the organization valued their internal customers and provided motivation through different means. The organization was successful in achieving their objective because the employees felt needed and recognized. This served to motivate them and they could deliver their best to the external customers. The employees and the organization, both gained in the process. This example explains the costs and rewards in the relationship, which is the essence of the social exchange theory. On another occasion I needed a day off to attend my ailing brother but was denied the day off. A colleague of mind stood by my side and requested the supervisor to grant me leave. He would extend his working hours and complete my part of the sch eduled task. In exchange he asked for something which relieved me of the obligation while benefitting both of us. He wanted a particular item from the downtown area where I lived and which would cost him the entire day to get it. He would have to take leave instead. Hence, if I could do him this favor, it would save him a day off and the journey downtown which was very far from his place of residence. This example of social exchange involves voluntary actions of individuals motivated by the returns expected. I readily agreed because there was no question of indebtedness or owing to each other involved. Thus in the social exchange two parties are involved and work towards mutual trust, benefit and enhancing relationships. This also forms the basis of how social structures are created. Relational Dialectics Theory Relational dialectics suggests that people in relationships constantly feel the push-and-pull of conflicting desires. These conflicting desires include autonomy and connecti on, openness and protectiveness, and novelty and predictability. Through effective communication they attempt to reconcile these conflicting desires but they continue to have the need for both the opposing pairs. These conflicts, tensions or dialectics cause relationships to be

Packing in school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Packing in school - Research Paper Example The federal government have also implemented reductions in salt and saturated fat, trans fats in addition to the proper portion of lunches for children according to their age. The standards were based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and developed by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (Mientka, 2013). In 2011, to encourage healthful eating, Chicago schools implemented the media approbation for a long- standing policy that banned homemade lunches. They were allowed only for those children who had any doctor’s notes. The policy was initiated on the basis of observations that stated that students were bringing bottles of soda and bags of hot chips for lunches. A peanut butter has also been banned by schools. However, that aroused mass protests among parents, when schools started bringing in  rules banning nut- free spreads. Schools were defending their decisions by stating that nut- free products looked much like real peanut butter and that stressed out those children with allergies (Eng & Hood, 2011). Critics, however, assume that schools along with the federal government thought of everything, but for the children good. Asserting in schools of such lunch programs was called by the desire to enrich the pockets of corporations. Besides, people stated that that was the perfect demonstration of how the governments one-size-fits-all requirement on nutrition works. However, it failed again, because some parents desired to pack a gluten- free meal for a child and others had no problem with their child to enjoy soda. Lunch policies, whether they are dictated by the desire to form better understanding of how should a child eat every day or they are simply at school’s hand, they do not have to dictate parents how to pack in their kids’ lunches and what to put inside the lunch bag.  Banning of certain products or lunch meals as they are put teaches and government in

Week #8 Learning Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week #8 Learning Activity - Essay Example Small businesses can use innovation to develop competitive advantages by being open to changes in HR practices and policies and by developing new ways of customer engagement. Whether there is a recession or not, small businesses grapple with the usual problems of limited capital and high demand for dedicated and talented employees. In order to attract or maintain talent, small businesses can offer alternative work arrangements, such as reduced work hours or flexible work schedules (Woods). Such arrangements are appealing to employees with children or who simply want more work-life balance. These are considered innovations when compared to traditional companies’ fixed office hours and 5-day work schedules. Apart from these HRM changes, small businesses can also use innovations in customer engagement for purposes of attaining social responsibility and brand promotion. Participating in social events, including contests, are good ways of improving brand awareness (Branson; Saylor Foundations 29). Moreover, promoting social awareness through discussing the social benefits of the product in community events is also an innovation that is less expensive than TV and print advertisements (Branson). These are innovations because they are not limited to traditional marketing promotions and communications. Small businesses have the advantage of introducing simple, but equally effective and efficient, innovations because they directly communicate with consumers more frequently than the decision-making executives of multinational corporations. As a result, small business owners can easily determine what customers want and develop what they can start (or stop doing, if applicable) to satisfy changing consumer needs. Woods, David. â€Å"Small Businesses Introduce Innovative HR Practices in Response to the Recession.† HR Magazine, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 2 July 2014.

Grid connected solar electronics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Grid connected solar electronics - Essay Example Most of energy on earth that sustains life is the energy from the sun, which is sunlight. It is through this energy that photosynthesis occurs, that is food for the plants. The plant is after its maturity food for the human beings mostly and some animals that are not carnivorous (Chitode, 50). We have very many electronics at home all that use power and most of them cannot operate without power except for those which can store power for some time to be used when there is no power. It is therefore very important to ensure that those electronics are safe, not from thugs but from too much power fluctuation that can shot circuit them (Chitode, 208). The power system is therefore can be controlled so as to avoid such damages. The electricians use what we call circuit breakers. This controls the amount of power that can be used and when it exceeds the power goes off. This way the electronics will not be at risk (Chitode, 40). A power factor correction can also be installed, since it the connection between the running power and the actual amount of power being used, the power factor correction will show whether there is too much power being used and therefore correct it. It minimizes the chances of power fluctuation. Green building is therefore as it is being encouraged, using as less energy as possible. This is where solar energy comes in (Chitode, 50). A source of power that is natural and free. The only thing one needs is solar panels that are used to convert sunlight energy into electricity power. The solar panel contains the solar cells and solar photovoltaic. The solar cells and the solar photovoltaic convert sunlight energy into electricity energy for usage since one cannot use it directly. The energy is renewable, and that is the most advantageous use of it (Chitode, 96). There are very many types of materials that contain the solar photovoltaic found in the solar cells. This makes it even cheaper and can almost be

Week #8 Learning Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week #8 Learning Activity - Essay Example Small businesses can use innovation to develop competitive advantages by being open to changes in HR practices and policies and by developing new ways of customer engagement. Whether there is a recession or not, small businesses grapple with the usual problems of limited capital and high demand for dedicated and talented employees. In order to attract or maintain talent, small businesses can offer alternative work arrangements, such as reduced work hours or flexible work schedules (Woods). Such arrangements are appealing to employees with children or who simply want more work-life balance. These are considered innovations when compared to traditional companies’ fixed office hours and 5-day work schedules. Apart from these HRM changes, small businesses can also use innovations in customer engagement for purposes of attaining social responsibility and brand promotion. Participating in social events, including contests, are good ways of improving brand awareness (Branson; Saylor Foundations 29). Moreover, promoting social awareness through discussing the social benefits of the product in community events is also an innovation that is less expensive than TV and print advertisements (Branson). These are innovations because they are not limited to traditional marketing promotions and communications. Small businesses have the advantage of introducing simple, but equally effective and efficient, innovations because they directly communicate with consumers more frequently than the decision-making executives of multinational corporations. As a result, small business owners can easily determine what customers want and develop what they can start (or stop doing, if applicable) to satisfy changing consumer needs. Woods, David. â€Å"Small Businesses Introduce Innovative HR Practices in Response to the Recession.† HR Magazine, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 2 July 2014.

Naval Ground Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Naval Ground Strategy - Assignment Example t, the security of a large and expanding system of international trade in the 20th century would depend on the creation of a transnational consortium of naval power (i.e., the U.S. and Britain).2 Mahan advocated for application of sea power through a big navy which according to him was significant in commerce and economic warfare. He believed that the nation or a group of nations that commanded the sea could be in a good position to draw trade, wealth, and economic resources of the world and was most likely to win wars3. During the civil war, naval weaknesses of the southern states led to seaborne assault. In the course of the four years of conflict, the territorial integrity and economic vivacity of the south were compromised by the union army and navy.4 In this regard, Mahan’s view of navy power could be seen as accounts of truth that were to happen. On the case of Britain, Mahan believed that in late 18th and 19th centuries, Britain had been better placed because parliament had been dominated by men with close ties to maritime commerce. In his view of naval supremacy in the 20th century, he believed that not a single democratized nation would be capable of commanding such supremacy and that this would only be exercised by a transnational group of navies.5 However, he insisted that the basis of such an arrangement would not be formal agreement but absence of political conflict. In his view, he believed that Britain and the United States would constitute such cooperation. However, in quest for superpower supremacy, the US has predominantly set its programs and doctrines to enable it attain this dream. In September 2002, the bush administration issued its national security strategy, which advocated for use of force to get rid of any apparent challenge to US global hegemony.6 This could be analyzed as grand strategy by the US to maintain its world dominance. However, in many situations, the US mission can be termed as a failed one. In fact, due to its dominance

Social Injustices Essay Example for Free

Social Injustices Essay â€Å"It is obvious today that America has a defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked as â€Å"insufficient funds. † But we refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity in this nation. So we have come to cash this check – a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr. In the novel Warriors Don’t Cry and the film Remember the Titans the translation of power from whites to African Americans is portrayed very clearly reflecting the time period of the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s. First, in the novel Warriors Don’t Cry, when the Little Rock Nine integrated Central High there was a mass number of white students that wanted to execute them. President Dwight D. Eisenhower tried putting a stop to this by bringing in the 101st Airborne to protect the nine students. However, his solution did not go to its full extent, Governor Faubus refused this and started taking the soldiers out of the school and replacing them with the Arkansas National Guard. When Governor Faubus did this it aroused many problems such as: the nine students were not safe at all and also when an attacker came on to one of the nine the soldiers just stood there and watched. Also there was a white boy named Link in the novel that helped Melba out. One of the things he did was on a school night he called her warning her not to sit in her assigned seat the next day because the segregationist planned something very sinister. So when she entered that class the next day she did not sit in her seat because there was peanut butter and glass in her assigned seat. Next, in the film Remember the Titans Coach Yoast had a chance to be in the hall of fame only if he lost the next football game on purpose. When the Titans came out and smashed the team in that game Coach Yoast was told that he was out of the running. So then the next day when Yoast and Coach Boone were talking, Coach Boone told him that he was a hall of famer in his books. Also when Julius was waiting outside of Gerry’s house a cop pulled up next to him and told him that he did very well in the game on the previous night. My favorite part in the film is a great example of shifting of power. Was when all the football players were not getting along at camp and Gerry and Julius bonded after a play by saying â€Å"Left side, Strong side. † This was a turning point in the movie because it showed the team that it was okay to trust a person of another color, they were a team. Another example was on the first day of school Gerry introduces his girlfriend Emma to Julius, and when Julius sticks out his hand to shake hers and she walks away in anger. However later in the season Emma comes down on the football field during a game and shakes Julius’ hand. All in all, even though today we do not have all these problems we still have them in our society but if these things would not have happened we would not be where we are today. In the book Warriors Don’t Cry and the movie Remember the Titans there are many different times when there is a shift of power such as when Julius and Gerry become best friends and when the president assigns troops to protect nine black students.

Discrimination Essay Effects of Discrimination

Discrimination Essay Effects of Discrimination As far as historical records show, no society or nation has been immune to discrimination, either as victim or victimizer. Contemporary forms of discrimination date back to when European colonizers penetrated and transformed previously isolated societies and peoples. The more extreme forms of discriminatory practices include genocide, slavery, legislated discrimination (such as Apartheid), discriminatory immigration laws, and disenfranchisement. Less extreme forms of prejudice and discrimination, but nevertheless pervasive and oppressive, include social exclusion at the institutional level (such as in schools and hospitals), and the more subtle forms practised by the media. Some groups appear to suffer from more persistent forms of discrimination, such as Jews (as in anti-Semitism) and the Roma (a.k.a. Gypsies), regardless of time and place. The keywords that need to be looked into before delving the topic in question are discrimination and disturbing. According to the Oxford Dictionary, disturbing means causing distress or worry or anxiety, upsetting, an unpleasant mental state by such effects as irritation, unfairness and distraction. Discrimination, brings the meaning unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice and partiality. It can lead to emotions such as frustration and anger. In humans, it is a mild or serious form of suffering, often with anger about this, in particular, if applicable, anger at the person or persons who caused it. This essay examines the cause and effects of discrimination in its various forms, on an individual, society or nation. Our world has always been faced with the problem of discrimination. It is one of the most discussed topics nowadays and throughout history. In all countries there is most likely at least one type of discrimination that affects different groups of people. The definition of discrimination is the denial of opportunity or equal rights for a specific group of people that may be differentiated by things such as their religion, color of skin, or gender. Discrimination can be confused with other terms such as prejudice and stereotype. The world we live in has been struggling with this sensitive subject for as long as we have recorded. Stereotypes are images held in our minds in regards to certain racial or cultural groups, without consideration of whether the images held are true or false. Stemming from stereotypes is prejudice. The prejudicial attitude occurs when we prejudge a person, good or bad, on the basis that the stereotypes associated with the person or group being prejudged are tru e. Discrimination is the combination of the terms mentioned above, but involves actually acting out with unfair treatment, directing the action towards the person or group. Prejudice and discrimination do not just occur racially, but it is found among gender, religion, culture, and geographical background. Remember that prejudice is a result of attitude and discrimination is a result of action. Many people believe discrimination has made big steps forward, but has it really? If it has, why do people still get turned down, receive hate mail, or get ridiculed simply because they differ from each other. I guess these are questions we must ask ourselves. I guess you could also ask yourself if you have ever called anybody a name, looked at them different or judged them when you did not even know them or understand them. You may be thinking That is not discrimination, but, in fact, it is. CAUSE AND EFFECTS OF DISCRIMINATION There are many forms of discrimination, besides the more familiar forms like race and gender, based on ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age , disability or handicap, and sexual harassment. The mentioned characterization refers to a situation of the direct discrimination, in which a person is treated adversely directly on the basis of a prohibited ground. Indirect discrimination, refers to a situation in which an apparently neutral provision or practice is discriminatory in its effects. Besides direct and indirect discrimination, we may use the term institutional discrimination. Institutional discrimination refers to the practices or procedures in a company or an institution, or even the society as a whole, which are structured in a way that tends to produce discriminatory effects, for example in the Apartheid regime in South Africa. As to the root cause, discrimination appears to be no clear acceptance of any theory of causation but that discrimination often causes a chain reaction of disadvantages. For instance, it should be noted that there is a connection also between discrimination and social distance, given that it is usually psychologically easier to discriminate against people that one is not familiar with. Although there is no wide agreement as to the cause of discrimination, there is a consensus that they constitute a learned behavior. The internalization of discrimination starts with parents and, later, teachersthe groups primary in the formation of attitudes within children. The media and social institutions solidify discriminatory attitudes, giving them social legitimacy, since discrimination is learned. At best, one can reduce discrimination. Society looks most often to education and legislation to alleviate discriminationfor reasons still not clearly known, intergroup contact alone is not enough to reduce discrimination. On one hand, multicultural education, whether direct or indirect, constitute the mainstay of educational efforts to eliminate discrimination. On the other hand, the emphasis on civil rights, enlightened immigration policies, and mandates for quota hiring are the cornerstone of legal approaches to alleviating the effects of discrimination. The most overlooked area in resolving the problems of discrimination lies in the web of close relationships where genuine feelings of love can be fostered and strengthened. Discrimination produces immense effects in the psychological, social, political, and economic domains. Whether intended or not, the effects are compounded by the loss of self-worth, a sense of alienation from the wider society, political disempowerment, and economic inequalities. Prejudice and ethnic hostilities constitute a major danger to peace both within a nation and among nations. As a consequence, the emergence of a new global moral order increasingly provides a leverage point to counter the effects of prejudice and discrimination. While many agree that the various international instruments to protect people against prejudice and discrimination are still not universally followed or even implemented, it is clear that a new international consciousness is indeed emerging and is, in fact, intensifying. The effects of discrimination in society are reflecting on race, religion, and disable discrimination. One of the main reasons cause violence is race discrimination. It is easy to find evidence from Hollywood movies. The black people always fight with white people because they were discriminated. Now in Australia, the aborigines are discriminated. Many people do not understand their culture, so the Australian looks down on these people. In addition religion discrimination can endanger the world peace. Different religion has different god and the numbers of believers are huge. Once the conflict between different religions break out, which can easily cause a world war. Discrimination is about exclusion an d subordination and it effectively conveys an explicit message of differentness and inferiority of the victim Humiliation. Studies carried out in the field of racial discrimination provide also direct proof of this humiliating nature of discrimination, as it has been found that experiences of racism and racial discrimination have a direct bearing to the psychological well-being of persons w ho have suffered ethnic discrimination: such experiences were found to increase symptoms related to anxiety and depression. There are no reasons to believe that the same would not apply with regard to the other grounds as well. Victims of discrimination cope with these experiences in a variety of ways. As a response to experiences of discrimination, victims often consciously or unconsciously develop a strategy of survival. Some engage themselves in what might be called denial of discrimination. They may explain the incident in terms other than discrimination, or even believe that the discriminatory framework was legitimate, blaming themselves for what happened. One very typical strategy of survival is avoidance, by way of which an individual seeks voluntarily to avoid situations in which the probability to end up discriminated against is particularly high, by way of self-imposed restrictions. From the point of view of the society this is not however a desirable strategy, as lessened social contacts ruin the possibility of integrating vulnerable groups to the general society. Discrimination leads to disunity which results in the dissolving of society, through strife and war. World peace will elude our gras p while discrimination continue to bedevil the collective life of humanity CONCLUSION Discrimination runs against the most fundamental values of a modern society. In fact, it is a threat to democracy, which is predicated on the idea of a society in which arbitrary hierarchies and preferences based on, for example gender, ethnic origin, and wealth have been eliminated with a view to achieving equality. Democracy recognizes worth and equal rights of all whereby, equality prohibits discrimination which is also the cornerstone of human rights. Discrimination not only forms a menace to the society, but also to the individual who is subjected to such an adverse treatment as it is a direct denial of the equal worth of the victim. It is a violation of a persons identity. The consequences of discrimination match the severity of the offence, a causal link to alienation, exclusion, radicalization and decreasing psychological well-being. Therefore, discrimination is wrong because it is selfish. Discrimination throughout the world today occurs to many extremes. From one extreme to another, it is in any way wrong. Discrimination is happening all over the world, today for many reasons. One being because parents have taught their children to believe and think the way they do. The only thing we can do about it is to raise our children to not discriminate against others. It could lead to more tension and fighting within people and groups. To sum up, the discrimination can cause many problems. The government should constitute laws to avoid it, and society should also set up some organizations, programs or communities to help build a better plateau rid of discrimination.

Examining Teaching through a New Lens: Learning about English Language

As a future educator, I tend to find myself wondering about my students. I think about the challenges that may arise and the tasks that I will need to accomplish. I know that there will be many joys and rewarding times during teaching; I also recognize the potential struggles. I wanted to make my focus for this paper a learning experience. I wanted to dive into information on a topic that I was unsure of and learn more about how to handle it. I aimed to find information about ELL, English language learner, students and how I could assist them in the classroom. My Topic and What I Already Knew about My Topic I will explain in this section why I wanted to research within the topic of ELL students. I will also provide my past knowledge and experiences that include being with ELL students due to my observation in a public school for my F200 class. The few weeks I spent observing shed a new light on the subject for me. Topic Choice I decided to focus my research on the topic of ELL students. I knew that understanding ELL students would be important to my future. I knew that it would be critical to find out information on ELL students because I only speak English. I wanted to know what I could do as these students’ teacher to help them learn as much as possible. Past Knowledge and Experience If you would have asked me about ELL students any time prior to this year, I would have not been able to tell you one thing about them. I honestly never had the thought of having to teach a student who spoke a different language than me. I grew up in a small, rural town with all English speaking students. I never saw my teachers faced with the dilemma of having a different language spoken in the classroom. Not being exposed to ELL studen... ...eb.b.ebscohost.com English language learners. (2013). Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgf.asp Ernst-Slavit, G., Moore, M., & Maloney, C. (2002). Changing lives: teaching English and literature to ESL students. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(2), 116-128. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners. American Educator, 32(2), 8-44. Retrieved from http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/summer2008/goldenberg.pdf Heining-Boynton, A. L. (n.d.). Keys to success for English language learners. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/760 Vacca-Rizopoulos, L. A., & Nicoletti, A. (2009). Preservice teachers’ reflections on effective strategies for teaching Latino ESL students. Journal of Latinos and Education, 8(1), 67-76. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com

Causes of Childhood Obesity Essay -- Causes of Obesity in Children

When speaking of her 8-year old daughter's obesity, a prideful mother replies "Oh it's no big deal, she just still has her baby fat." Unfortunately, chances are that the daughter's obesity is not caused by her baby fat, but can be contributed to a combination of diet, genetics, and a sedentary lifestyle. Studies show that obesity among children 6-17 years of age, has increased by 50% in the last 20 years, with the most dramatic increase seen in children ages 6-11 (Axmaker, 1). This obvious epidemic has raised great concern in the medical community because widespread childhood obesity has increased the prevalence of the once rare juvenile diabetes and pediatric hypertension (Bastin, 45). This concern has prompted intense investigation of the causes of childhood studies, aside from socioeconomic status, three major causes have been shown: diet, genetics or biological factors, and lifestyle. Because fat must have a source from which to increase, diet is an obvious contributor to obesity in children. Dietary guidelines recommend that children between the ages of 6 and 11 should receive about 1800 calories a day, with 50% from carbohydrates, 30% from fat, and 20% from protein (Bastin, 47). With the ready availability of high calorie/high carbohydrate soft drinks, fruit juice, and high carbohydrate snacks, children?s diets have become increasingly less nutritious. Surveys conducted among children and teenagers have shown that 7 out of 10 children eat fruit once a day, and 5 out of 10 teenagers eat fruit once a day (Bastin, 47). Because children are replacing the missing fruit servings with high calorie snacks, weight gain will occur dramatically over time. An over consumption of 50-100 calories can lead to a gain of 5-10 pounds a year (Oklahoma Cooperative, 1). Many parents mistakenly encourage carbohydrates with a high-glycemic value as substitutes for fat and protein. Hig h-glycemic carbohydrates prevent fat breakdown and drive fat into fat deposits, causing fat to accumulate, which occurring in high levels is obesity. The era of home cooking has all but disappeared from our society, with meals being replaced with pizza, or fast food creating yet another innutritious aspect of children?s diets. Carbohydrates also take far less time to empty from the stomach than do those foods high in fat or protein, causing hunger (Buffington, 14). A child having eaten a b... ...ould be limited, while active play should be encouraged. If parents and children alike can create a healthy balance between genetics, diet and lifestyle, the growing issue of obesity may one day be no longer a concern, and generations will live to be healthier. Works Cited Axmaker, Larry. ?Childhood Obesity Should be Taken Seriously.? Online Posting 24 November 2004. Accessed 9 April 2005. 1-4. Bastin, Sandra. ?Perils of Childhood Obesity.? American Academy of Pediatrics Quarterly. Volume 31 (11/2001): 44-49. Retrieved Medline 9 April 2005. 1-5. Buffington, Cynthia. ?Causes of Childhood Obesity.? Beyond Change: Information Regarding Obesity and Obesity Surgery. Volume 17 (12/2003): 12-17. Retrieved Academic Search Elite 9 April 2005. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services. ?Special Issues: Childhood Obesity.? Online Posting 7 July 2003. Accessed 9 April 2005. 1-5. Reading, Richard. ?Increasing prevalence of obesity in primary school children: cohort study.? Child: Care, Health & Development; Vol. 28 Issue 2 (03/2002): 189-197 Retrieved Academic Search Elite 9 April 2005 Rush, Traci. ?Childhood Obesity.? Online posting 13 October 2002. Accessed 9 April 2005. 1.

According to Abraham Lincoln Essay

According to Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing† (Mills 3). I was inspired by this quote that speaks of success, which I will describe as a golden star that everyone wants to reach. This quote is similar to most of the leadership quotes because it speaks of ways to reach success, but, this quote is special in a way that it could be related to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Simply put, the main road to success is the â€Å"will to succeed. † I’m sure each of us has experienced actually failing a task whenever our mind is embedded with the phrase: â€Å"I can’t do this! † If you believe that you will be successful in any endeavor you want to take, then, you have taken the first step to becoming a person who is the â€Å"king or queen of success. † I myself have noticed that whenever I put into mind that I will â€Å"win,† the outcome turns out to be truly positive. This essay can help readers realize that their goals can be achieved by first believing in themselves. If a person always expects that he/she will succeed in something specific, then his/her expectations will most probably turn into a reality as what the so-called â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† suggests. Rosenthal, in his book: â€Å"Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research,† said: â€Å"Events tend to turn out as one has hypothesized, not because of some great insight but because one behaves in a manner to achieve this outcome. † Believing in this theory would mean that we would have to love ourselves more, believe that we have what it takes to win in this â€Å"game† called life, and, at the same time, because of our mind set, act in such a way that enables us to achieve our dreams. Bear in Mind: Success is in your hands, just believe! Belief, however, is the first step to success. The confidence and passion to go where no man has traveled and the will and perseverance to stay that course are the next steps on the road to success. It is easy to claim the belief in success but it is a totally different matter to take concrete actions to prove that resolve. Many people have claimed to have the utmost confidence in succeeding in life but there are only a few who can say that they have really succeeded in life. The reason for this is that without action nothing will result. As the rule of Isaac Newton on action and reaction dictates, â€Å"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. † This means that one must take definite steps in life in order to even be considered as a success in life (Mills 3). As the world continues to change and becomes more and more challenging and competitive, it becomes imperative for anyone looking for a successful life to not only have the drive to succeed but also the training and expertise to do so (Mills 3). While it has been said by Rosenthal that love for one’s self is the most important thing, there are other factors that one has to seriously consider in order to become successful in life. Once one has realized what one wants to do in life, the next step lies in realizing that dream. There is only so much that one can realize by dreaming without taking definite action. The thing that sets successful people apart from everyone else is the fact that these people have lived the dream. They were not simply content to dream and believe in themselves. These people have failed and still continued to believe in themselves. They did not falter when the whole world did not believe in them. The thing that counted the most for them was that they believed and they did something about that belief. The â€Å"will to succeed† and the â€Å"will to begin† are the two most important rules for success in the world today. Everyone can have the â€Å"will to succeed† but not everyone has the â€Å"will to begin. † To be a winner in life, one has to have the will and the act. One cannot achieve anything without both of these traits. Works Cited: Mills, Dawson A. â€Å"Continuing Education Offerings Abound. † The Virginian-Pilot [Virginia] 28 January 1996:3. Rosenthal, Robert. Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966.

Ethics and Moral Sensitivity

Every person approaches life with a certain perspective or worldview which could be identified with a specific ethical theory. Which ethical theoretical framework best describes your personal worldview? Support your response with examples. The larger community-citizens, patients, inter professional team members, and nursing peers expect and are entitled to more than simply knowledge and competence. They expect good character from us.Virtues related with good character in nursing have progressed over time from those such as cleanliness and self-sacrifice to include several depicted in the framework and considered essential to the process of developing a healthy workplace and generous ethical climate such as compassion, fidelity, veracity, and prudence. Compassion is known as the cornerstone of healthcare providers' practice, a critical trait necessary to the delivery of morally good care.For example, practicing compassion with other members of the acute and critical care team may also contribute to sustaining an ethical practice environment, because it is a component of moral sensitivity. Moral sensitivity is necessary to recognition that an ethical dilemma exists. Without moral sensitivity and compassion, members of the healthcare team may not be able to see that a problem exists or may unknowingly tolerate ethically objectionable acts or conditions.This recognition also involves the ability to appreciate the perspectives of others, including team members, by acknowledging their values, beliefs, and obligations. Compassion and moral sensitivity include awareness of the various courses of action and how each may affect all members concerned, the patient, family members, and others on the inter professional team (Mickey, Catherine, 2009) Reference: Mickey L. Parsons PhD, MHA, RN, FAAN, Catherine Robichaux PhD, RN, CCRN, CNS

DQ1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

DQ1 - Essay Example The court system in the United States is dual comprising of the state courts and the federal courts. Unlike the traditional system of organization where power is central, these systems work side by side with exclusive jurisdiction. There are several courts each having its own structure and procedure. The court system is very open. Any person can present a dispute in court at any time. Contrary to traditional organizations where all the decisions concerning the organization are made at the helm, the court system resolves disputes within its jurisdiction without consulting with the Supreme Court. In addition, the court system is a defender of human rights. They are important in protecting basic rights such as freedom of speech and equality to all. The courts encourage right to speech that is inhibited in the traditional organizations systems. Furthermore, the court is different from traditional organizations because they ensure that the system of governance is federal. A federal system limits the power of government by sharing and dividing power between other states. This distribution of power is important as it prevents tyranny (Howard,

CRITIQUE OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TEXT-- --POLYCARP'S LETTER TO THE Essay

CRITIQUE OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TEXT-- --POLYCARP'S LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS - Essay Example The date of the Letter is hardly satisfactorily determined; often scientists take as the reference point martyrdom of Polycarp (Palmer 3). The texts written in this period (late 1st and early 2nd centuries) have been influenced in more or less grade Jewish motifs that â€Å"pervaded Christian thinking and practice at this primitive stage† (Patristic literature). The Holy Spirit even in extremely bias translations saves all the major doctrines. In every way it leads the person to Jesus. There are several translations of the Epistle of Polycarp and each of them has something to convey and bring (Church History 39). The doubts against the authenticity of it, especially the last chapters, surviving only in the ancient Latin text, cannot be considered thoroughly, because critics did not want to accept the message of Polycarp in its full form as it contained the words about the letters of Ignatius Antioch. The Epistle to the Philippians was written shortly after the death of St. Ignatius. It was caused by a petition to the Christians of the city Philip of habeas letters of Ignatius to Polycarp and other Christians, what he had, to them. Fulfilling their request, the Bishop of Smyrna gives them a number of Christian teachings, warns against the heretics, tells the responsibilities of presbyters and deacons, men and virgins, spouses and widows, he convinces to avoid covetousness, to practice praying and fasting, and instills patience and love for enemies. For a long time the Greek text of the Polycarp`s Letter contained first only 9 chapters and the remaining 5 chapters were preserved in the ancient Latin translation. So from the point of view of contemporary scholars they could be placed to a category of Jewish-Christian literature. Polycarp`s letter is a sign of growing awareness of the traditions of Christianity. His letter is also supplemented with verses from the New Testament: â€Å"The strong root

The effects of the US 1965 Immigration Act Introduction and Annotated Essay

The effects of the US 1965 Immigration Act Introduction and Annotated bibliography - Essay Example To accomplish this it restricted immigration on the basis of how many existing proportions of the population there already were. The 1965 Act, however, set an annual limit to no more than twenty thousand from each country, regardless of how many peoples from that country already occupied the United States. By 1968 the annual limitation to any country from the Western Hemisphere was set to one hundred and twenty thousand immigrants, and visas were given on a first come-first serve basis. The equalization of immigration policies resulted in a shift in immigration from European-Asian immigrants, to Central-South American immigrants. Immigration also doubled from 1965-1970 and then again from 1970-1990. This flux of immigrants not only changed the ethnic makeup of the United States, but with the introduction of so many to the U.S workforce it also shifted the male earnings inequalities. This prompted congress to pass the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and the 1990 Immigra tion Act, in an attempt to stabilize the influx and the economy.

Airport Planning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Airport Planning and Development - Essay Example Factors such as job creation and increasing revenue to the government inform the decision to expand Heathrow airport (Holland-Kaye, 2014). The expansion of Gatwick airport, for instance, would raise 90 billion pounds of economic benefit at an afforded environmental cost because; it has never breached UK air quality guidelines since it is located in the rural, which is sparsely populated. However, the number of people affected by noise at Heathrow airport is high because it is located in a city that is densely populated and, therefore, hindering its expansion. London Heathrow airport has programs to enhance development that has small or no impact on the environment. Several factors influence the balance between the environment and the expansion of the airport in terms of its facilities and the revenue base. The pros of this issue entail factors that favor the development of an airport. For instance, to maintain the growth of tourism industry, there is need to include an additional runway, which will accommodate the high influx of tourists both domestic and foreign. Expansion of airport capacity promotes the business of a given country. A country can competitively conduct its businesses locally and internationally since there is adequate space for exports and imports. Travel growth is predicted to rise globally. Airport capacity expansion aims at meeting the rising demand for aviation services. Lack of employment is another favorable factor facilitating the expansion of an airport in terms its facilities. Expansion of the airport would create more jobs for pilots, airhostess among others. Both the public and the airport company will benefit, for instance, the public will get salary through employment while the airport company gain increased revenues through earnings. Heathrow employs over 110, 000 people including hotels

Logistic-food supply chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Logistic-food supply chain - Essay Example Summary The purpose of the author is to analyze the interaction between consumer social responsibility and corporate social responsibility strategies and contribute to the theory building approach by establishing an interaction model. The author included a detailed literature review in this research. In addition to this, he developed a CSR/CNSR interaction model for logistic-food chain. CSR is specifically an organo-centric response to a specific series of key supply chain drivers. It generally promotes effective use of resources and product or corporate differentiation in a competitive market place. In case of change in consumer engagement or lack of consumer engagement, the corporate social responsibility can be considered as of limited value to the organization. The author have summarized that several recent economic drivers have influenced the consumer social responsibility behaviour with the consumerism constituent rather than caring constituent of consumer social responsibility playing major role. According to the author, the organizations should determine that their CSR activities should remain similar with the CNSR activities as it will help the organization to maintain and improve customer loyalty and market share. ... Review & Evaluate The author expertly portrayed the concept of corporate social responsibility and consumer social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility is the concept that defines how an organization integrate environmental and social concerns in its business operations and how the interact with its stakeholders depending on this integration on a voluntary basis. The author expertly asserted that significance interest in corporate social responsibility benchmarking for environmental and social performance led to the increase in codes and guidelines of practice in food supply chain management. Organizations used to implement CSR activities in order to bring sustainability in business through several sustainable business practices, such as employee engagement in decision making, customer loyalty, green business operation strategy, proper financial disclosure and maintain relation with the stakeholders according to the business or corporate culture. It is important for a food manufacturing and distributing organization to ensure the quality of food products. It will help the organization to maintain good relationship with the external stakeholders as effective interaction of profitability strategy, and sustainable manufacturing and distribution strategy can help an organization to maintain good reputation among the customers and other external stakeholders. He used various CSR models in this article to prove that effective corporate social responsibility activities can help an organization to improve its business performance and mitigate several internal or external challenges. The authors used appropriate methods to gather effective evidenced in order to prove his thesis statement. First of all the use of corporate

Social Performance and Social Influence Essay Example for Free

Social Performance and Social Influence Essay Social psychologist, Dr. Robert Cialdini has researched basic principles that govern how one person may influence another. You will read about these six principles in his 2002 article The Science and Practice of Persuasion. Social Performance Aristotle first called humans social animals. People tend to gather, play, and work in groups. Groups fulfill a variety of functions such as satisfying the need to belong, providing support and intimacy, and assisting in accomplishing tasks that individuals could not accomplish alone, etc. In Chapter 13 of the textbook, groups will be defined as two or more people working together on a task in which the outcome is quantifiable. This discussion will focus on two major areas that have been researched since the end of the 19th century: social facilitation and social loafing. Social Facilitation At first glance, these terms seem to be opposing behaviors: social facilitation refers to the fact that people work harder in groups, whereas social loafing describes their tendency reduce their efforts when in groups. The difference, it appears, is how people view the individuals in their groups–whether they perceive those in the group as being with them us or against them. If group members are against them, they perceive them as competitors, evaluators, or sources of comparison, which is likely to increase or facilitate their efforts. If they are with them, sharing in the demands of the task and evaluation, they are likely to loaf or reduce our efforts. These findings appear counterintuitive. Research on social facilitation began with Triplett (1989) who observed that cyclists pedaled faster, or performed better, when others were present than when performing alone. He argued that the other biker was a stimulus, arousing a competitive instinct in the cyclist. He tested his theory by asking children to wind fishing reels either alone or beside other children. The majority of the children turned the wheel faster when working alongside another child than when reeling alone. Allport (1924) termed this effect social facilitation. Still, it seemed that many disagreed about whether the presence of others increased or decreased performance on tasks. Zajonc (1965) renewed interest in social facilitation, and suggested that the presence of others enhanced a dominant response–which is the most probable response on a given task. If the task is simple and well-learned, the dominant response will be facilitated. For example, if you were a skilled concert pianist, performing in front of others would increase your proficiency on the task; you would play beautifully. Since you are not skilled at this art, being observed by others would no doubt cause anxiety and would result in quite the opposite effect, inhibiting your performance. Zajonc was suggesting that the presence of others increases drive. Others were still arguing that it was the evaluation or the competition associated with others being present that produced the drive. Whether it was mere presence or evaluation apprehension that increased the drive, the drive theory remained the dominant thought of the time. Alternative approaches to social-facilitation effects fall into three classes: The first was the continued thought that the presence of others increases drive by evaluation apprehension. The second thought suggested that the situation places demands on the individual to behave in a particular way; individuals are engaged in self-presentation and self-awareness. The third idea argued that the presence of others affects focus and attention to the task, meaning that the task becomes cognitive. Hence, the controversy over whether it is the mere presence of others or evaluation that causes social facilitation is unresolved. Social Loafing Social facilitation research demonstrates that the presence of others sometimes enhances performance, yet at times reduces it. But, how does working with others affect motivation? Many would argue that groups should energize and motivate. The tendency for individuals to work less hard on a collective task than on an individual task is called social loafing. For example, those group projects at work or school where a few individuals did the majority of the work–social loafing. Research in this area has been conducted in a way that makes individuals believe that they are either working alone or working with others–then measures efforts toward the task. For example, Ringelmann (Kravitz Martin, 1986) had volunteers pull on a rope as hard as they could in groups of varying sizes. Their efforts decreased as group sizes increased. This was explained in two ways: their motivation decreased as groups size increased or maybe the larger groups were not able to coordinate their efforts efficiently. Researchers sought to tease apart these two factors, focusing on motivation. You can imagine that it was difficult to devise methods that lead participants to believe they were either working alone (when they were not) or with others (when they were working alone), which lends to the difficulty of studying social loafing. However, over 100 studies (Steiner, 1972; Griffith, Fichman, Moreland, 1989; Jackson Williams, 1985; Henningsen et al. , 2000) have tested the effects of groups on motivation, and social loafing has been replicated in most of these studies. Other theories have attempted to explain social loafing. Social impact theory states that when a group is working together, the expectation is that the effort should be diffused across all participants, resulting in diminished effort. Arousal reduction postulates that the presence of others should increase drive only when they are observers and reduce our efforts when they are coworkers. Evaluation potential suggests that social loafing occurs because individual efforts are so difficult to identify during a collective task; one can easily hide in the crowd or may feel they will not be acknowledged for their hard work. Dispensability of effort argues that individuals may feel their efforts are unnecessary or dispensable. The group simply does not need them. An integrative theory: the collective effort model states that individuals will work hard on a task only to the degree to which they believe their efforts will be instrumental in leading to outcomes they value, personally. Hence, the value they place on the task (and their efforts) depends on their personal beliefs, task meaningfulness, favorable interactions with the group, the nature of the rewards, and the extent to which their future goals are impacted by the task. Social loafing can be moderated, or reduced, when individuals efforts can be identified or evaluated, when individuals are working on a task they deem as important or of personal relevance, or when individuals are working with cohesive groups or close friends. Individual differences or characteristics also influence who engages in social loafing less because they value collective outcomes. For example, a need for affiliation, a hard work ethic, or high self-monitoring can influence effort. It should be clear that the mere presence of others is arousing. It appears that if others are competitors or evaluators they facilitate motivation to work harder. If individuals see others as a part of themselves, they can hide behind them or their efforts can get lost in the efforts of others. Further research in this area can help us determine how our view of others affects our motivation and performance. Social Influence Processes of Control and Change Social influence is one of the primary research areas in social psychology and refers to the ways in which opinions and attitudes influence the opinions and attitudes of others. Two types of social influence can be identified in groups: influence aimed at maintaining group norms (social control) or changing group norms (social change). The most common form of social control is conformity, where an individual complies with or accepts the groups views. Since the influence is typically within a context of a group of people influencing an individual, it is referred to as majority influence. Another type of social control is obedience, where individuals obey an authority figure, often against their will. For group norms to change, a small subset of the group must resist the majority view, which is termed minority influence. If minorities never resisted, group opinions would persist, fashions would never change, innovations would not come about, etc. It must be clear that the term majority refers to the larger group of people who hold the normative view and has power over others. Minority groups tend to be small, hold nonnormative positions, and wield very little power. This study textbook is concerned with two influence processes: processes that ensure that others adhere to the groups position (social control; conformity and obedience) or processes that aim to change the groups position (social change: innovation and active minorities). Social influence has studied how individuals conform to the majority, often by giving an obvious erroneous response to a question. According to Festinger (1950, 1954), this occurs because there are social pressures for groups to reach consensus, especially when there is a group goal. Individuals seek social approval and seek others to verify their opinions. Deutsch and Gerard (1955) distinguish between normative social influence (conforming to expectations of others) and informational social influence (accepting information from the group as reality). Another view is that people conform over concerns for positive self-evaluations, to have good relationships with others, and to better understand a situation by reducing uncertainty. Social influence also addresses why people comply with acts that clearly cause harm to another. The study of obedience is intimately tied to one social psychologist–Stanley Milgram (1963). His post-WWII research aimed to understand why people willingly engaged in the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis. People probably preferred to believe these were evil, disturbed men who were intrinsically evil? However, many of them claimed they were not responsible for their behavior. After all, they were simply following orders. In Milgrams (1963) classic study, he led participants (who were assigned to be teachers) to believe they were administering harmful shocks to the learners each time they made an error on a task. The experimenter (the authority figure) demanded they increase the level of shock for each incorrect response. As shocks increased, the receiver (the learner, who was out of the sight of the teacher) responded with distressed reactions. However, the teacher was encouraged, even demanded, to continue the experiment, even though he believed the learner was experiencing extreme distress. The question was, to what extent normal people would obey the instructions of the authority figure and administer harmful levels of shock to harm another individual. Milgrams results showed that a full 65% of all participants administered every level of shock, surpassing levels believed to do fatal harm to subjects. Milgrams findings have been replicated with consistent results. Why did they obey? Milgram offered the following explanations: (a) they had entered into a contract with the experimenter and did not wish to spoil the experiment; (b) they were absorbed in the experiment and lost sight of the implications of their actions; (c) the participants are acting for the experimenter; they may be pushing the buttons, but they are not responsible, the experimenter is. Notice these are all situational explanations; participants were put into a powerful role relationship with the experimenter. However, when the experimenter was not visible, or another participant played the role of the experimenter, obedience rates decreased, but did not fall to zero, indicating the role relationship did not fully account for their obedience. Milgrams research remains some of the most intriguing and influential in social psychology. Minority Influence Moscovicis (1976) book Social Influence and Social Change, he argues that minorities can create conflict by offering a different perspective, thereby challenging the dominant or majority view. Moscovici claims that people trying to avoid conflict may dismiss the minority position, and possibly denigrate it. However, when the minority demonstrates commitment to their position, the majority may consider the minority view as a viable alternative. He called this the minoritys behavioral style–meaning the way the message is organized and communicated. By standing up to the majority, the minority demonstrates that it is certain, confident, committed, and not easily persuaded. Researchers have compared majority and minority influence. Conversion theory is the dominant perspective and argues that all forms of influence, whether minority or majority, create conflict that individuals are motivated to reduce. However, people employ different processes depending on whether the conflict is the result of majority influence or minority influence. Comparison process suggests that people focus attention on fitting in, or complying with what others say. Their goal is to identify with the group and comply with the majority position, often times without examining the majoritys arguments in detail. Social comparison can drive majority influence, but cannot motivate minority influence, according to Moscovici (1976), because people desire to disassociate themselves with undesirable groups. Because minority groups tend to be distinctive, they stand out, and this encourages a validation process where some examine the judgments in order to confirm or validate them–to see what it is the minority saw or to understand the minoritys view. This process can lead to increased message processing which results in an attitude change on an indirect, latent, or private level. Convergent-divergent theory is proposed by Nemeth (1986) and simply states that people expect to share the same attitude as the majority and to differ from the minority (the false-consensus heuristic). Stress is the result of realizing that the majority has a different perspective than oneself, especially if one is in the physical presence of the majority. Stress narrows ones attention and majority influence, and then leads to convergent thinking. Minorities, on the other hand, do not cause high levels of stress, since they hold different views, which allows for less restricted focus of attention and leads to a greater consideration of alternatives that may not have been considered without the influence of the minority view. This results in creative and original solutions. Other theories that integrate minority and majority influence include mathematical models, objective-consensus models, conflict-elaboration theory, context/comparison model, and self-categorization theory. More contemporary models include social-cognitive responses with an emphasis on information-processing such as the elaboration likelihood model and the heuristic systematic model we discussed in an earlier chapter. New research continues to develop. Conclusion This module reviewed social psychological research that has made great contributions to the understanding of human behavior. Early research (e. g. , Triplett, 1898; Zajonc, 1965) led to the beginning of the relatively new field of social psychology.