Addiction and Genetics

Alcohol abuse is one of the most research subjects. Many people, young and old, are addicted to it though they already know the negative effects of it. Some researchers try to prove that alcohol abuse is inherited. To sum degree, alcohol abuse or alcoholism is adapted by an individual from his environment. What an individual observes daily may be inherited. It has great effects on our health and in our society.Many crimes and accidents happen because of drinking excessive alcohol. However, not all crimes are the result of alcohol intake but most likely, crimes happened because of excessive drinking of alcohol. True or false? In large amounts, alcohol is a depressant; in small amounts, it is a stimulant.False. Small doses of â€Å"spirits† may indeed, enliven a drinker, but they do so by slowing activity in brain centers that control judgment and inhibitions. Alcohol facilitates urges that the individual might otherwise resist by focusing attention on the immediate situation an d away from future consequences (Steele & Josephs, 2000). If provoked, people under alcohol’s influence respond more aggressively than usual.If asked to help, people under alcohol’s influence respond more helpfully than usual. In everyday life, alcohol disinhibits both harmful tendencies, as when sexually coercive college men try to disinhibit their dates by getting them to drink (Mosher & Anderson, 1999), and helpful tendencies, as when restaurant patrons tip more when tipsy (M. Lynn, 1999).Thus, alcohol makes us more aggressive or helpful—or self-disclosing or sexually daring—when such tendencies are present. Whatever urges you feel when sober, you are more likely to act upon if intoxicated.Low doses of alcohol relax the drinker by slowing sympathetic nervous system activity. With larger doses, alcohol can become a staggering problem: Reactions slow, speech slurs, and skilled performance deteriorates. These physical effects, combined with the lowering o f inhibitions, contribute to alcohol’s worst consequences—in America, the more than 100, 000 lives claimed annually in alcohol-related car accidents and violent crime (Lord, 2001).This paper scrutinizes the relation of alcohol abuse of an individual to genetic factor.II. BackgroundA. Negative effects of Alcohol abuseAlcohol has an intriguing effect on memory. It impairs neither short-term recall for what just happened nor existing long-term memories. Rather, it disrupts the processing of recent experiences into long-term memories.Thus, the day after being intoxicated, heavy drinkers may not recall whom they met or what they said or did the night before. This memory blackout stems partly from an inability to transfer memories from the intoxicated to the sober state (Eich, 2000). Blackouts after drinking may also result from alcohol’s suppression of REM sleep.Alcohol has another intriguing effect on consciousness: It reduces self-awareness. Compared with people wh o feel good about themselves, those who want to suppress their awareness of failures or shortcomings are more likely to drink. The Nazi doctors who selected â€Å"unfit† inmates for the gas chambers often did so while drunk, or got drunk afterwards (Lifton, 1999).As with other psychoactive drugs, alcohol’s behavioral effects stem not only from its alteration of brain chemistry but also from the user’s expectations. Many studies have found than when people believe that alcohol affects social behavior in certain ways, and believe, rightly or wrongly, that they have been drinking alcohol; they will behave accordingly (Leigh, 2002).For example, alcohol per se has some effect on sexual arousal, by decreasing cognitive inhibitions (Crow & George, 1999). But people become even more responsive to sexual stimuli if they believe alcohol promotes arousal and believe they have been drinking. From their view of research, Jay Hull and Charles Bond concluded (2001) that for so me people alcohol serves â€Å"as an excuse to become sexually aroused.†Consider one such experiment by David Abrams and Terence Wilson. They gave Rutgers University men who volunteered for a study on â€Å"alcohol and sexual stimuli† either an alcoholic or a nonalcoholic drink. (Both drinks had a strong taste that masked any alcohol.) In each group, half the subjects thought they were drinking alcohol and half thought they were not.Regardless of what they drank, after being shown an erotic movie clip, the men who thought they had consumed alcohol were morel likely to report having strong sexual fantasies and feeling guilt-free.Thus, being able to attribute their sexual responses to alcohol released their inhibitions—whether they actually had drunk alcohol or not. This illustrates an important principle: A drug’s psychological effects are powerfully influenced by the user’s psychological state.   

Concept Analysis

Concept Analysis Stephanie Hobbs NR 501: Theoretical Basis for Advanced Nursing Instructor: Dr. Patricia Fedorka September 30, 2012 Introduction According to McEwen & Wills (2011), concept analysis is an approach to clarify and define terms so that writers and readers have a common language. The process of a concept analysis is to: 1. Select a concept 2. Determine the aims or purposes of analysis 3. Identify all the uses of the concept possible 4. Determine the defining attributes 5. Indentify model case 6. Identify borderline, related, contrary, invented and illegitimate cases 7.Identify antecedents and consequences 8. Define empirical referents The concept health is referred to as the ability to function independently; adapt to life's stressors; achievement of one's full potential and unity of mind, body and soul. Jean Watson identified health as one of many concepts used to understand the theory or science of human caring (McEwen & Wills, 2011). Purpose of the Analysis The purpose of this analysis is to clarify and define the term health. Clarification of this concept is essential to the function of caregivers.Everyone responsible for providing care should be knowledgeable of what health is. Many believe they know what health is but after a closer look, it is revealed that at best, it is fleeting and partially understood. Also, it is necessary for medical personnel to understand the difference between health, care and nursing (Lee & Ross, 2008). Uses of the Health Concept According to Walker & Avant (2011), dictionaries, colleagues, thesauruses, and scholarly literature should be used to identify the uses of the concept. A search for the literature on health was done by using Medline, CINAHL and Google Scholar.An online dictionary and thesaurus was also used. Dictionary Definition The English version of this word has many meanings. Webster defines health as the condition of being sound in mind, body, or spirit; especially: freedom of physical disease or pain . Other definitions by Webster are the general condition of the body, a flourishing condition, and a general condition or state (Merriam-webster. com). Defining Attributes Attributes as described by Walker & Avant (2011) are characteristics or descriptors. These attributes will help distinguish health from nursing and care. A state of complete physical, mental and social well being * A dynamic state of functioning within the limitations of the person (Artinian, 1991) * Unity and harmony within the mind, body and soul (Watson, 1999) * The expanding of consciousness; an evolving pattern of the whole of life (Newman, 1999) Model Cases 1. A 17 year old has given birth to twins and been referred to the Following Baby Back Home Program. On the initial visit, the nurse finds the mother is withdrawn and displaying signs of depression. She knows very little about the babies behaviors and is not very concerned about what the nurse or social worker is saying.Upon further assessment, the mother reveals that she and the father are no longer together. The nurse also finds out later that mom was severely anemic at discharge and experiencing excruciating headaches. On the next visit, the nurse convinces mom to schedule her follow up appointment and she explains how anemia affects her and her ability to care for the babies. Although the client denied feeling depressed, the nurse discussed signs of post partum depression and got the client to sign a contract saying she would call for help if she felt like urting herself or the babies. After returning to the office, the nurse called the physician’s office to make him aware of her involvement with the client and her assessment. The nurse also refers the client to a program called ACCESS. This program provides parenting classes as well as counseling for teen parents and emergency help with diapers and formula. After visiting the client for a few months there is a noticeable difference in the way she interacts with the babie s as well as her overall appearance and energy level.The client is also attentive and interested in what the home visitors are talking about. The client states that she is taking medication for the anemia and on birth control. She is getting counseling and taking a parenting class through the ACCESS program. She also says she enjoys the program because she interacts with other teenager going through the same thing she is. This model reflects health because it contains many of the defining concepts. Any of the concepts missing could cause the client to not be in good health.It also demonstrates why the nurse must have good assessment skills and address as many areas as possible that affect the client’s health. 2. An elderly lady diagnosed with Hypertension and Type II Diabetes presents to a Community Health Center for a follow up appointment. During triage, the client’s blood sugar is 357mg/dl and her blood pressure is 180/206. After speaking with the nurse, it is revea led that the client has been evicted from her home, has little to no food to get her through the month and did not purchase her medication due to a lack of money.The nurse shares this information with the physician and the social worker. After the physician gets the blood sugar and blood pressure under control, the social worker enrolls the client into some med assistant programs and calls the nearest women’s shelter to secure her a bed. The nurse gives her enough samples to last until her meds come in. The client states she will follow the regimen prescribed by her physician. This model clearly demonstrates how social issues affect overall health. After the clients social needs were met, she was able to focus on taking care of her physical health.This model also reflects many of the defining concepts. Borderline Case A borderline case gives another example of the concept’s use, but some of the defining attributes are excluded. Borderline cases give readers an idea of what the concept is not (Speros, 2005). A 55 year old male attorney presents to PCP complaining of chest pain, fever and shortness of breath for 3 days. He is told that he has to be hospitalized for a cardiac workout because a myocardial infarction is suspected. He is also told that he will have to have a cardiac catheterization.The patient reads the consent and refuses to sign it because he does not understand the medical jargon. He leaves against medical advice but is told to take 2 propranolol 80mg and see his physician in 2 weeks. He takes 2 pills once a day and does not return to see his doctor. Contrary Case The following case is contrary to health because it does not reflect the defining concepts. A 26 year old mother from a very small rural community brings her 6 year old to clinic wheezing and short of breath. The mother smokes about 30 cigarettes a day, is very soft spoken, has a limited vocabulary and reads on a fifth grade level.Mom also has problems spelling words corre ctly, prints when writing and reverses some of the letters. The child is diagnosed with Asthma and sent home with a nebulizer with albuterol and saline, a peak flow meter, steroid inhalers with spacers, and oral medication. Before leaving mom is asked if she understands how to give the child her medication? Mom states she understands and is then told to stop smoking around the child and return to the clinic in 1 week. Mom verbalizes understanding and leaves. Three days later mom presents to the Emergency room with child in respiratory distress and smelling of smoke.She states she did not use the nebulizer because she could not â€Å"work it†, she gave the both medication twice a day as opposed to each medication daily and she did not have peak flow readings because she thought it look more like a toy. The child smelled strongly of smoke (Speros, 2005). This case clearly shows two people in poor health. It obviously is contrary to the defining attributes of health. Antecedents and Consequences Walker and Avant (1995) describe antecedents as events or incidents that must precede the occurrence of the concept. For some time there was very little theoretical clarity of health for nursing science.In 1946 The World Health Organization attempted to define health and has since changed or added to the definition a couple of times. Walker and Avant (2005) also described consequences as events or incidents that occur as a result of the concept. Defining or clarifying the health concept has been important and useful to the theoretical basis of nursing. It has helped developed theory, instrument and research (Wang, 2005). Empirical Referents According to Cheng, Foster& Huang, empirical references present how the concept is to be measured or what the observation of a phenomenon should in reality be (tzuchi. om). Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring defined three concepts with health being one of them. Margaret Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Cons ciousness model uses two concepts one of those being health. These theories demonstrate the existence of health and how it has helped the nursing profession. Conclusion The concept of health was selected because of the many changes and variations to its definition. The World Health Organization defines health as a complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (who. int).Regardless of the definition, health is a concept that has helped develop the nursing profession. The Reference Artinian, B. M. , (1991). The development of the intersystem model. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 164 -205. Lee, V. and Ross, J. , (2003). ‘What is Health? ’ Campaign. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 94(5), 360. Ne Newman, M. A. , (1999). Health as expanding consciousness (2nd ed. ). New York: National League for Nursing Press. http://userwww. service. emory. edu/~mrisjor/documents/Rethinking. pdf http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary /health http://www. tzuchi. com. w/file/DivIntro/nursing/content/92-3/3. pdf http://www. who. int/about/definition/en/print. html Speros, C. (2005). Health Literacy: Analysis Concept. Journal of Advance Nursing, 50(6), 633-640. Walker, L. O. & Avant, K. C. (1995). Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing, 3rd ed. Appleton-Century-Crofts, Norwalk, CT. Walker, L. O. & Avant, K. C. (2010). Strategies for theory construction in nursing. Boston: Pearson Wang, Y. (2005). A concept analysis of health. Hu Li Za Zhi The Journal of Nursing, 52(1), 40-43. Watson, J. , (1999). Postmodern nursing and beyond. London: Churchill Livingstone. .

Organizational Leadership Philosophy Essay

The ingredients of my leadership philosophy which I believe will be most effective have been summarized into three pages. It is undisputable that vision, values, leadership development, managing change, care for soldiers and their families and a sense of humour are all important elements in a leadership philosophy. It is in this that I have a conviction of the ideology that, a military leader must have a personal philosophy since it will enhance accomplishment of a comprehensive and integrated view of life which is of critical essence. Personal philosophy is therefore of absolute necessity because it gives a foundation to other areas in life. To start with, vision is one of the most important elements to be put under consideration when creating a leadership philosophy. One of this is the fact that, vision ought to be idealistic in order to reflect the mental model of the organization for now and in the future. It must also have the characteristics of appropriateness, purpose, direction and standards of excellence (Wallace, 2008). It must be simple to understand, well articulated and ambitious. The organizational vision which corresponds to commander’s intent can be divided into three concepts. Operation is used to describe the intent of the commander. Purpose is what unifies the operations and involves what the organization is meant to do. Lastly, endstate is the final result that has been achieved. From the above perspective, the vision I have communicated should be understood and shared by everyone in the organization if we are to achieve our objective. We should also apply the concept of vision and revision where our vision acts as a way-point which is subject to adjustment along the way Value is the second element and it entails the morality and virtues which should form the central theme of the human nature. As an organization, the values of the U. S. army are the foundation to provide service to the country. The seven major values which guide this philosophy can be essential in any organization which includes loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honour, integrity, and personal courage. The values are moral guidelines for each soldier to lead us through the intellectual, emotional and philosophical issues that surround our lives and organization. Every leader should therefore adhere to the seven values and ensure that they play the central role in their leadership philosophy. Organizational success depends on the values of the company, its stand and the belief of its people. People who think that we cannot change or train values are wrong and should therefore go for basic training in the US Marine Corps model. In addition, I believe that lack of enough discussion and understanding of values is the major reason for unethical behaviour which the media highlights. It is my duty therefore to establish a formal training program that will enhance values within the army. Caring for one another is the third element of my leadership philosophy just as it is emphasized by the soldiers. This kind of care extends to all other people such as ensuring that soldiers and their families are taken care of. This is in as ensuring that, any mission set forth is successfully accomplished. This may appear as competitive imperatives but both of them must be successfully accomplished by a talented leader. Taking good care of my soldiers will involve ensuring quality life, safety, family support, proper equipment and training, and timely recognition of excellence. This aspect is greatly concurred within the army as the attribute is emphasized in form of an aggressive program which provides for and serves the soldiers welfare as an essential catalyst that ensures unit bonding. The full potential of a soldier is reached when their leaders are caring because modern combat needs love and care of soldiers and soldiering. Leader development is another element made up of three important components which include formal schooling, leader training and empowerment. Among the professional training I intend my soldiers to undergo include the Basic as well as the Advanced Non-commissioned Officer Course, and many other courses that will promote professional development. Although the formal educational courses may collide with training and exercises, subordinates must receive these training to sharpen their specialities. Leader development is a continuous process and I will promote attendance to formal education to supplement our professional development programs (Wallace, 2008). I will also ensure that subordinates are empowered through delegation of duties to encourage the growth of leadership within the organization The next element which is inevitable will be to manage change. Frequent deployment, downsizing, modern technology, and increased personnel and operations tempo will require the army to deal with tremendous change. My mission and purpose for the organization will clearly elaborate the need to manage change because it will be necessary for general improvement. Leveraging diversity is another element of leadership philosophy which is often overlooked by many people. Soldiers from different ethnic, religion, racial experience backgrounds should be treasured since they add value to the organization. The mechanism that I intend to use to ensure that diversity is appreciated includes open-door policy, visibility and small-group sessions in the organization. Moreover, any personnel who do not value diversity will not be tolerated. Lastly, maintaining a sense of humour ought to be preserved since it is an important element for diffusing tension (Wallace, 2008). Humour is important in developing personal rapport and enhancing the cooperation spirit. References Wallace, A. (2008). Organizational leadership: Major Principles for Effective Leadership. A Journal of Human Resource Planning, Vol. 45, p. 23-32

1 page summary of the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

1 page summary of the article - Essay Example Two problems associated with identification of ethics are: how we base our standards and how those standards are applied to specific situations. Five sources of ethical standards that can be used to identify and analyze ethics are: the utilitarian approach, rights approach, fairness or justice approach, common good approach, and the virtue approach. The utilitarian approach deals with bringing the greatest good to the maximum amount of people. Politicians often use the utilitarian approach in their decision making. The moral approach protects and respects the moral rights of those affected. The justice approach states that everyone should be treated equally. The common good approach suggests that the interlocking relationships of society are the basis of ethical reasoning and that respect and compassion for all others, especially the vulnerable, are requirements of such reasoning (Scu). The virtue approach states the ethical matters should be guided by the ideas of virtues that provide development for our society. To make good ethical decisions employees need proper ethical

Team Dynamics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Team Dynamics - Assignment Example However, it could also cost the organization due to high turnover, communication breakdowns and interpersonal conflicts. These differences determine work attitude and ultimately the success of the organization. This study examines two theories that explain how this cultural diversity presents challenges to managers. It also entails the ways in which managers can overcome the differences and instead use it to grow the organization. The integrated threat theory emphasizes on feelings of fear or threat as the leading reason why managers face challenges when working in a diverse environment. Feelings of threat or fear are closely linked to communication breakdown in an organization. According to this theory, feelings of threats are caused by four conditions including prior conflict history, knowledge gap or ignorance, status and contact. Intergroup conflict history is the main cause of conflicts in a culturally diverse working environment. Past intergroup conflicts present a backdrop on how two groups will interact today. The more stretched and damaging the past conflict is the more negative perceived prejudices and threats attitudes will exist between the two interacting groups (Guilherme, MeÃŒ ndez, & Glaser 2010). Secondly, ignorance or intergroup knowledge gap refers to how little people know about each other or how much they think they know about another group based on stereotypes. As a result, a hostile moment leads one group to perceive the other group as a threat. Thirdly, the type and frequency of contact between two culturally different groups contributes to feelings of trust or mistrust, security or insecurity and familiarity or unfamiliarity. If they exhibit a personalized and positive the contact, they will see beyond their differences. However, if contact is at surface level and negative, then negative prejudices and stereotypes will be used to justify the situation (Guilherme, MeÃŒ ndez, & Glaser 2010). Fourth,

Re-Educating Healthcare Providers on Hand Hygiene Practice Research Paper

Re-Educating Healthcare Providers on Hand Hygiene Practice - Research Paper Example Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) present a serious challenge in the provision of healthcare services to patients in hospital settings. Studies you cite only one study indicate that about 80 The numbers of patients and HAIs have continuously risen; hence, it has been increasingly difficult to identify the actual population of patients suffering from HAIs (Monnet, 2012). Nevertheless, existing literature has produced a great deal of evidence indicating that hand hygiene practices among providers reduces HAIs. However, compliance rates to hand hygiene practices such as handwashing and gelling remain small, which makes it difficult to prevent HAIs. Specifically, healthcare related infections have been on the increase in the recent years, prompting serious investigations as to whether healthcare facilities were taking hand hygiene seriously. Global statistics indicates that the rate of hospital-acquired infections revolves around 25 percent, while also increasing costs involved in treating and managing HAIs in healthcare facilities (Kim &Kollak, 2006). However, substantive epidemiologic evidence supports the fact that hand hygiene helps to reduce the instances of HAIs in hospitals (Kim &Kollak, 2006). The primary underlying factor is that compliance with hand hygiene practices reduces the rates of related infections to a greater extent (Ivers, et al. 2012).

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

Substance use - Essay Example It appears that availability of opioids and subcultural factors are key in opioid use† (Encylopedia of Mental Disorders par. 19). In recent times, opioid abuse has increased through being given routine 30-day prescriptions for opioids as painkillers for illnesses requiring only a day or two for the pain to subside (Kluger par.2). 2. Give some examples of the use of hallucinogenic plants or drugs in connection with religious practices. The article on hallucinogens published in Medical Discoveries indicates that hallucinogenic plants or drugs have been used in connection with religious practices. (1) â€Å"Medicine men, shamans, and other spiritual leaders have used natural hallucinogens found in plants and mushrooms since ancient times, believing in their power to help contact the spiritual world or mystical beings for guidance in serving their people† (par. 4); (2) â€Å"In Mexico, mushrooms called Psylocybe mexicana, which contain the fungi psilocybin and psilocin, hav e been used in religious rituals since the time of the Aztec civilization† (par. 6); (3) â€Å"Peyote is the only psychedelic agent that has been authorized by the federal government for limited use during Native American religious ceremonies† (par. 7). 3.

Oil and Gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Oil and Gas - Essay Example This could be described by a comparative analysis between a China, a developing economy and Russia, a developed economy. Diamond Theory The management of the global completions by the oil capitals can be explained with the management theory and the international competitiveness of Countries also called the ‘Diamond Theory’. The Diamond theory was advanced by Porter in 1990 to explain the competitive advantages of nations (Woolsey and Korin, 2008). The main focus of the theory was to find why some countries are more successful in particular industries than others. Four classes of country attributes were identified by Porter, which were called the National Diamond. These attributes provide the conditions underlying for the determination of the nation competitive advantage of a nation. These are the company strategy, structure and rivalry, related and support industries, demand conditions and factor conditions. Government policy and chance are two other factors that donâ₠¬â„¢t create lasting competitive advantages but support and complement the system of national competitiveness (Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen shire Council, 2001). The role of government as a stakeholder seeks to strengthen local capabilities for innovation in China and Russia using the Diamond Theory- The success of government in the Oil and Gas industry in Russia and China can be explained by Diamond Theory. Four classes of country attributes providing the conditions underlying for the determination of the nation competitive advantage of a nation were identified by Porter, also called the National Diamond are: 1. The company strategy-The Chinese government took the decision to restructure the petroleum and petrochemical industry in 1998 using the upstream and downstream principles of integration. As a result Foundation of CNPC and Sinopec took place. The merger of CNOOC Limited with CNOOC, PetroChina Company Limited with CNPC, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation to Sinopec, were successfully founded. A crucial role is played by the Oil and gas industry in the political and economic development of Russia. Russia’s energy sector accounts for approximately 66% of its exports. The GDP contribution of the oil and gas sector is 30% of its GDP and 50% of the revenue generated from Federal Budgets. (Feng, Lianyong and et al. 2013) 2. The structure and rivalry- On the basis of launch of four exploration fields including, marine, overseas, eastern and western regions, oil reserves and output steadily increased in China. A high level annual increase of 100 million tons was seen from proven Chinese oil geological reserves. In the beginning of the 21st century, a major challenge was presented to the Russian Government due to the dramatic increase in the value of oil and gas resources of Russia, greater state intervention in the economy and increased budgetary revenues were followed by the increased prices of the resources. With the increased dependency on t he energy sector in Russia as a result of the economic crisis of 2008-2009, the state-capitalist model was developed. (Sharples, 2012) 3. The

Career Goal Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Goal - Case Study Example A student learning business must have good analytical abilities, solid mathematical understanding, good communication skills, and the ability to identify problems and find solutions. Accounting is the discipline in business dedicated to identifying, tracking, recording and analyzing economy activity. The information is tracked in an accounting information system. In order for a person to succeed in this type of work the individual must be good following specific procedures and algorithms to perform their job duties. The specialty I desired to study at the graduate level is international finance. Wall Street has always opened up my curiosity. To me Wall Street is the place to be as a finance enthusiast, on the other side of the hemisphere the city of London is a place were high level financial activity is taking place right now. The stock market in both these cities is a main driver of economic activity. The investors in these areas of the world now know exactly how the information involving reporting of financial information will look like since in Europe public must utilize international financial reporting standards while in the United States public entities must follow the general accepted accounting principles. According to Salary.com the median starting salary for an Accountant

Recruitment Software Specification Essay Example for Free

Recruitment Software Specification Essay Features Functionalities of Recruitment Automation Software: This is an software for the placement consultants who work for their clients to recruit the best candidate for them. This software will have three different management systems, namely Candidate Management, Client Management and Recruiters Management. Also there will be master admin who can control all these activities. Some optional modules can also be suggested for the better management of the system. The features and functionalities: 1. Candidate Management a. All the candidate’s data can be stored in the database by filling up a form in which the name, phone, email, location, qualification, experiences, keywords and other related details of the candidate can be taken. b. The resume of the candidates can also be browsed and uploaded in the system c. The entire resume and the candidate profiles can also be searched by keyword, experience, location etc. 2. Client Management a. The client details like company name, address, contact person, phone, email, designation and the other related details can be entered in the form and saved to create the master of the clients b. The MOU with a client can be digitally uploaded in the system c. The client’s open positions can be entered and assigned to any recruiter with all the details (desired profile, job responsibilities etc.) d. The shortlisted candidate’s resume can be sent to the clients for final review/interview/written test e. The offer letter format of the client can be managed and it can be given to the candidates who are selected (closed position); similar activity can be done for the notice period agreement also f. When a position is closed, the billing of the same be sent to the client (invoice) g. If the bill is not cleared by the due date, the reminder email will be sent to the client continuously each time after a certain interval till the time the admin changes the billing status as â€Å"Received† 3. Recruiters Management a. Master (name, designation, address, Date of joining, qualification, salary etc.) b. Open position assignment with a deadline  c. Recruiters should be able to update the status of the candidates after any telephonic round of interview with them d. The candidate’s profile must be separated in such a manner that multiple recruiters do not work upon a same profile e. On the log in page the recruiters should be able to see the To Do List; e.g. To Call (23), Offer Letter (7), Joining (4), Open position (3) etc. f. The recruiters should be able to send the Daily Reports (which must not take them much time with no manipulation) to the admin with their remarks g. Recruiters can notify the admin if any position is closed 4. Reports a. Open position status (clients, positions, recruiter handling, update, last date to close etc.) b. Billing status (clients, positions closed, recruiter, amount as per bill, date to clear, received (y/n), etc.) c. Recruiter’s Performance analysis can be analyzed (recruiters, positions handled, open, closed, closing rate, revenue generated, monetary productivity (lifetime revenue / months worked) 5. Optional Features a. SMS alert for i. Billing reminder to client ii. Appointment reminder to candidate b. Flexibility to integrate the consultancy’s own JOB PORTAL keeping this system at the back†end c. Recruiter’s incentive calculation

Ritz-Carlton Hotel Organisation Culture

Ritz-Carlton Hotel Organisation Culture Introduction The ability to establish a culture that invokes high value for the people working in an organization invokes intrinsic sense of identity, innovativeness, creativity and commitment that forms the main recipe for ultimate sustainability of services and profitability. Organizations leaders and scholars concur that people are the most important elements in an organization because they not only articulate the established policies but innovatively contribute to their holistic improvements through sustained experiences. This paper provides an in-depth evaluation of The Ritz-Carlton hotel culture, challenges in changing it and key lessons that can be learned by other organizations. i) Harrison-Handy model of organization culture Though scholars appear divided over the actual definition of the term ‘organization culture, they tend to agree that all organizations create unique operating systems that fit with their internal capacities and guided towards their objectives. The Ritz-Carlton organization culture can best be described through two subunits of the Harrison-Handy model. To begin with Mullin (2008, p. 21) explains that power culture reflects centrality of authority in a highly bureaucratic outline where orders define the expected targets based on the organization objectivity. On the other hand, the role culture creates a set of rules and guidelines that do not give employees the needed room for contributing to the management. Therefore, role and power culture as Aitken and Higgs (2010, pp. 109-111) concur with Campbell and Craig (2005, 491-493) provide a highly rigid mode of operation that obscures innovation while establishing barrier between the top management and junior staff. ii) Master servant orientation The Ritz- Carlton Hotel depicts a culture strongly based on master servant relationship where employees are expected to strictly follow the established code of conduct for the hotels. While expounding on Harrison-Handy model, Laurie (2007, p. 66) explains that though its application may be employed to create a less authoritative tone, the resulting cultural impacts remain unchanged. The notion of ‘ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen is a working slogan but a principle that employees cannot fully associate with. The establishment of ‘very precise standards for treating consumers makes the employees a form of puppet that must follow specific values and guidelines without deviating from them. Owing to the long period of success, the management in the hotel has solidified strict demand for personal traits that one should have for success in such an industry. The code of behavior in the hotel is well written down and managers take no chance in enforcing it (case) . For instance, the smile is expected to come naturally (case). iii) Discourages individual innovations and creativity The Ritz- Carlton Hotels culture not only lacks the necessary room for innovation and creativity but strongly discourages their application. The aforementioned master servant relationship creates the view of inferiority to the employees; a consideration that largely discourages their voluntary input outside the management demands. The established values that have culminated to scripting expected behavior in the hotel, limits employees from introducing new concepts, ideologies or comparative connotations for improvements. Though the management has established a rewarding system, it might not invoke the necessary innovation due to lack of enough democratic space for them. As Harrison-Handy model of organization culture postulates, going against the established guidelines is often interpreted by the middle level managers to be a threat to them and therefore often scattered before considering it for implementation (Mullin, 2008, pp. 36-37). The managers in the hotel take nothing to chanc e and therefore emphasize on a fifteen minutes daily reminder of the expected code of conduct by the employees. iv) Reduced capacity to initiate and propel change. According to Mullin (2008, p. 31), organizations should embrace change that facilitates adoption of new management outsets to gather a competitive advantage over others and derive the expected sustainability. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel has maintained the key management and operation values that founders laid about a century ago (case). Though the hotel has been doing well, assimilation of change could have raised its current profitability to higher levels. Power culture in the Harrison-Handy model as William (2009, p. 541) indicates, fails to invoke the criticality of extended reference for change agents. As a result, the management becomes the sole source of visionary focus which reduces the overall ability to improve change strategies and creating identity with new propositions for all. It is from this consideration that the proposed changes in the year 2006 were seen to be a major deviation from the normal non-responsive operation mechanism in the hotel (case). a) Why do you think this type of culture might be important to a luxury hotel? Hospitality industry as Severt and Curtis (2008, pp. 121-122) explain, remains one of the most sensitive sectors and therefore demands greater care with critical assessments to beat the high competition. The Ritz- Carlton Hotels culture is therefore critical in a luxury hotel because it invokes better monitored coordination and maintenance of consistency in services delivery. By articulating strict rules and regulations that are unit-lined to customers satisfaction, luxury hotel is able to guarantee consumers the needed high quality services. Unlike in other sectors such as education, Severt and Curtis (2008, p. 125) add that hospitality industry require the luxury assurance taken to an even higher level. Creating a strong central authority in the hospitality industry forms particularistic trends in the management and therefore avoiding the uncertainties brought about by change application. Though change articulation in an organization is projected towards improvement, Sinha (2008, p. 63) concurs with Chenhall and Euske (2007, p. 634) conclusion that its articulation may culminate to key discontinuities in services delivery. Indeed, to inculcate new ideologies, it may require an external change agent, additional costs and assimilation of new code of conduct which may take time before being fully assimilated. Owing to the high sensitivity of hospitality industry, maintaining the power and role based culture reduces the possibility of creating many centers of authority experienced in other cultures. As a result, luxury hotels are able to maintain a highly responsive system to satisfy their clients and therefore sustain their repute and profitability. b) What might be the drawbacks of such a culture? Though the culture of power and role appear to work in luxury industry, it lacks the needed force for improvement. Most employees are enclosed in the roles procedures and within the established authority that suppress their personal contribution. The culture therefore lacks the needed checks that come inform of propositions for improvement either through comparison or visionary considerations. As Aitken and Higgs (2010, pp. 116-117) indicate, the culture lacks whole commitment of the employees since they do not identify with the authority, the institution or the rules laid for them. As a result, people under such cultures mostly act under pretense and therefore do not have the needed goodwill for the company. In such situations, Campbell and Craig (2005, p. 497) explain that they mostly contemplate shifting to other related occupations that appreciate them. In power and role based culture, one evident problem is that people do not exploit their full potential. The Ritz- Carlton Hotels management has maintained a scripted behavioral conduct that is often reminded to the employees every day (case). The emphasis of such orientation creates the sense that the advocated methods are the best and therefore achieved results could not have been any better. Campbell and Craig (2005, p. 490) argue that this culture is a key recipe for direct and indirect resistance by people in the organization. Though they might not directly indicate it due to fear of punitive measures, occurrence of trigger factors may be catastrophic. Particularly, simple conflicts may easily provide an outlet to the accumulated dissatisfaction; a consideration that could easily result to negative publicity and reduction in the overall profits. a) Challenges in implementing the cultural change Following a long time application of power and rule model in the company, the new culture might have encountered strong resistance to change. According to Kurt Lewins theory of organization change management, the freezing of the existing systems presents the existing managers authorities with a sense of loss as more autonomy is given to the lower level employees (Sinha, 2008, pp. 69-70). To the middle level managers, they resist this change to safeguard their roles (foreseeing application of the rules and supervising scripted behavior) because employees would have greater link with the top management while behavioral outsets would not require supervision. To articulate the new model of management at The Ritz- Carlton Hotels, the employees lacked the needed skills to implement the needed changes. Owing to the long time application of the old power and role model, many employees might have lacked the expected expanded view in relation to the new autonomy. According to contingency theory, the internal and external environment interacts to derive the needed focus for higher profitability (Laurie, 2007, pp. 36-37). However, most employees in the hotel might have coiled and stuck to the old methods not due to resistance, but due to lack of immediate alternatives after being in a closed model for along time. Unlike the old well scripted behavioral expectations, the new culture was hard coordinate and monitor at the beginning due to the high autonomy exercised by the people. According to Chenhall and Euske (2007, pp. 625-626), transformational leadership requires constant link and communication between the management and junior staff to maintain the needed bonding for greater cohesion. However, these bonds are built on trust, commitment and rewards in a system. Taking into consideration that this structure takes a lot of time to establish, changing the culture might have experienced partial discontinuity as teams and their operations, new reward schemes and communication modes were established. b) Maintaining the new culture In his view, William (2009, p. 537-539) explains that though changing an organization culture is the harder part of assimilating a new culture, its maintenance is very critical in that it determines the holistic sustainability of the company. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel maintained the better elements of the old system such as a happy guest driven by the services provided. As a result, the hotel was able to articulate the changes without negatively affecting the services provided to the consumers. In addition to that, the company increased the employees decision making autonomy and therefore encouraged naturally relaxed and innovative interaction with clients. According to transformation leadership theories, this autonomy and attachment to the management and operating system creates the needed identity for all; a consideration that invokes high creativity (Mullin, 2008, pp. 58-59). According to Robert Maslows theory of motivation, people will always struggle to get to the next higher level in the hierarchy of needs and ultimately, to self actualization (Gomez-Mejia, David and Robert, 2008, p. 88). The Ritz-Carlton Hotel therefore created this upward shift by articulating a highly motivating environment for employees. According to Carmine (2008) the management has solidified the employees involvement in decision making and therefore creating the sense of stability and satisfaction to them. As a result, customer satisfaction becomes easy to link with higher sustainability of the monetary and other benefits that employees derive from the system. One common aspect evident with new cultures that are people oriented is consideration for continued improvement. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel conducts frequent trainings to its employees to enrich their skills by creating new insights that are critical in maintaining high quality services to clients. According to American management Association (2008), The Ritz-Carlton Hotels management seeks highly experienced coaches and trainers in hospitality industry to impact new skills and therefore raisin the employees ability to make correct decisions in their duties. The case of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel brings out the critical role played by an organization culture in defining and guiding its overall operations for sustaining of its profits. Employees were brought out to be a key element when defining the culture of an organization and must be involved at all levels. Though the power and role cultures saw the company reap high profits, it was a major obstacle towards achievement higher level customer satisfaction and profitability. Employees could not go beyond the scripted behavioral demands. The Ritz-Carlton Hotels case further brings out the need for continued improvement in an organization as a critical cultural facet towards remaining relevant and therefore ahead of other competitors. Through cooperation of employees and management it is possible to maintain high level services for the clients. When employees get the sense that their management has bestowed high trust on them, they take greater responsibility oriented towards surpassing the set goals in a companys objectives. From the case, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel services remained unchanged even after withdrawing the highly authoritative culture. In any change articulation, organizations must recognize that there will always be some resistance and therefore must be effectively prepared to counter it. To concur with Severt and Curtis (2008, pp. 121-123) view, it is critical that organizations facilitate the change orientation in a manner that brings all the people aboard and therefore creating a highly acceptable final product. In a freezing-refreezing model, organizations must create the roadmap largely based on communication that facilitates addressing inherent concerns. Besides, organizations must take change to be a process and therefore expect it to take time before the actual results are identified. Though changing the culture is the ultimate choice, organizations must seek to incorporate the necessary ideals while creating a room for later improvement. The assimilated change model must be able to place the organization in a mobile note where both the employees and the management do not view the achievement of the positive results to be the end, but establish considerations to take the achievements step higher. Through professional training, teamwork and comparative orientations, organizations can be able to remain highly competitive and thereby maintaining high profitability. Conclusion From the above conclusion, this paper concludes by supporting the thesis statement, ‘the ability to establish a culture that invokes high value for the people working in an organization invokes intrinsic sense of identity, innovativeness, creativity and commitment that forms the main recipe for ultimate sustainability of services and profitability. It came out from the discussion that though The Ritz-Carlton Hotel had high returns, its power and role culture poorly invoked innovativeness and creativity. By effectively addressing the challenges evidenced by change application, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel was able to achieve the same results it achieved previously. Organizations seeking to change their cultures should therefore seek to incorporate peoples contribution to create the sense of continued improvement and thereby raise their profitability and sustainability.

Sonata Allegro :: essays research papers

Sonata Allegro form was a development of the classical era. It represents a more open form than many of the earlier Baroque forms such as fugues, rondeau form, etc. While there is a formula that can be applied, there was not a rigid, formal concept for the form. Rather it evolved over the classical era and beyond. Haydn was one of the early exponents of this form. It was named "Sonata Allegro," because the final Allegro movement of a Sonata was most often created in this form. It is by no means restricted to this general rule, however. In fact there are no hard and fast rules in writing a Sonata Allegro form. However many trends can be attributed to the form, generally, Sonata Allegro form can simplistically be described as an "ABA'" form. The first A section is called the "Exposition." ( This section is repeated verbatim in classical performance, actually making the overall form "AABA'"). The B section, or "Development" follows the Exposition. It usually uses some material from the Exposition, but in a more or less radically altered way. In the A' section or "Recapitulation," the A material returns relatively intact. Each of these sections has a relatively complex internal pattern as follows: The Exposition states the main thematic elements and has its own internal form as follows: 1) A Primary key section which contains: a. the Principal or Primary Theme which is a phrase or more in length and establishes home key, b. a Transition between the Primary Theme and the Related key section. The transition can modulate to the new key, develop ideas of first theme, change mood in preparation for related key section through mood metamorphsis, introduce new material, possibly contrasting with both primary and related key sections, anticipate of ideas in second theme, be omitted, produce a deceptive modulation, or be non-modulatory if in major. 2) A Related key section which contains the Secondary or Subordinate Theme which is most often in the dominant or relative key, and can be similar or contrast in content to the Primary Theme, the Closing section, which confirms the new key, and may be derived from other themes. Next comes The Development. This is an open and free-form section of the Sonata Allegro movement, usually based on thematic materials from the Exposition. The Development can be varied in length, sometimes short and little more than a re-transition to principal theme, sometimes a large dramatic section containing a theatrical climax, sturm und drang.

Irony in The Story of an Hour :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why do bad things happen to good people? We have heard this many times with the death of a car crash or another going bankrupt. Everyone has an ironic situation happen to him or her. Alanis Moressette performed a song about irony in the world’s lives. â€Å"†¦It’s like meeting the man of you dreams†¦then meeting his beautiful wife†¦Ã¢â‚¬  yeah isn’t THAT ironic, that seems to be my best fortune. Irony reveals a different reality than what appears. We see different types of irony in the stories we read, the songs we hear, and what we do in everyday life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Mallard is a woman who had seemed to live a sheltered life. She stayed with her husband, who worked on a railroad, to make ends meet. â€Å"There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself.† This sentence suggests that she had lived her life to please her husband, and to be there for him waiting on him hand and foot. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard cried and broke down for a moment wondering what would come next. She sat down and thought. Throughout the story, there are descriptions of spring. She looked out the window and saw the trees budding, and the clouds opening up with the sun shining through. She saw that there was new life for her. She prayed that she would have a long life that she could live, by herself. She was free from the pressure of being a wife. â€Å"Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own.† As she sits in the chair thinking about her life ahead of her, her sister Josephine is in the other room thinking her sister is going to lose it because she just lost her husband. This type of irony shows that the other characters in the story think she is grieving over the death. But a couple paragraphs later, we find that she is crying tears of joy for the newfound freedom that has come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long.† There is irony of this line and with the rest of the story. She stares out the window and prays that her days of life might be lengthened, so she can live for herself and have the freedom to do things.

The Urban Legend of a Witch in Maryland Essays -- Urban Legends Ghost

The Legend of Moll Dyer: A Witch in Maryland The first time I heard this story was in Maryland. It was told by a woman in her thirties, who identified herself as being of Irish heritage, which made the story of Moll Dyer more close to her heart. She was also an anthropology major who has had contact with local folklorists in the past. This is where she first learned of the story of Moll Dyer, which she recounted to me as follows: Moll Dyer was an Irish immigrant to Saint Mary’s County, where people began to think she was a witch. When all of the children of the town became sick, the people blamed her and tried to kill her. She ran away from them and they chased her to a large rock. She placed one hand on the rock and raised the other hand towards the sky [gestures with one hand lowered, flat, as if on the rock, and the other hand raised towards the sky], praying. She froze like that and you can still see her hand print on the rock. I’ve actually seen it and put my hand in the place. It’s pretty freaky since it really does fit a human hand. It’s at the courthouse in St. Mary’s County if you want to go see it. Although most of the stories are relatively similar to this version, there are slight differences or additions. In one of the other versions collected, it is said that Moll Dyer lived in a remote cottage outside of Leonardtown in St. Mary’s County in the 1700s. This version stated that, while most of the townspeople knew nothing of her past, they believed Moll Dyer was from a wealthy family and came to this country to escape some mysterious event. This version also gave more details of the history of the townspeople’s interactions with Moll. According to this version, she was given the label of witch bec... ...parainvestigator/Maryland/Maryland.html. Maryland Ghost & Spirit Association. â€Å"Maryland Hauntings—St. Mary’s County.† Access date: 6 April 2005. 2000-2005. http://www.marylandghosts.com/locations/stmarys.php. Maryland Women’s Heritage Trail. Access date: 6 April 2005. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/3DB5F819-6E1C-4917-8F43-5251C2D49C52/2474/MD_Heritage_41_50.pdf>. MDP. â€Å"Maryland, the old Supernatural Stomping Ground.† Access date: 6 Apr 2005. http://groups.msn.com/marylandtheoldsupernaturalstompingground/comingsoon.msnw Shoemaker, Sandy. Tobaccor to Tomcats†¦ St. Mary’s County since the Revolution. StreamLine Enterprises: Leonardtown MD. Circa 2002. http://access-somd.org/tobacco_to_tomcats/tobacco_to_tomcats.htm. United States Work Projects Administration (Md.). Records microform. Reel #23, frame 034037. 1933-43.

Rationing During World War Ii

Rationing During World War II 30 March, 2012 Rationing During World War II Rationing is defined as a fixed allowance of provisions of food, especially for soldiers or sailors or for civilians during a shortage (dictionary. com). In 1942 a rationing system began to guarantee minimum amounts of things people needed. During World War II, people couldn’t just walk into a store and buy whatever they wanted. Ration books are books that contained coupons where shopkeepers could cut out the coupon for the person to use.War ration books and tokens were issued to each American family, controlling how much gas, tires, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, nylon and other items any person could buy (Rationing on the US Homefront). The Office of Price Administration (OPA) issued each person in a household to get a ration book, even children and babies. Ration books were organized by color: buff-colored books were mostly for adults, green ration books were for pregnant women, nursing mothers and childr en under the age of five, and blue ration books were for children from ages six to sixteen (Rationing on the US Homefront).On National Registration day, 29 September, 1939, every person in a household had to fill out a form explaining with details about who lived in their house. Ration stamps were only valid for a certain period of time so it would prevent hoarding of the stamps. The government issued ration books because they were worried that when items became scarce that the prices would go up, and poor people couldn’t buy the things they needed (Barrow, 2010). Rationing made sure that people got an equal amount of food every week. The government tried their hardest to make it fair for everyone.Still, some people thought that rationing was unfair (Barrow, 2010). People were encouraged to provide their own food in their homes thus starting the ‘Dig for Victory! ’ campaign. The ‘Dig for Victory! ’ campaign was where men and women made their yards an d flower-beds into gardens to grow vegetables (Dig For Victory! , 2004). A typical ration for one adult per week was: butter 50g (2oz), sugar 225g (8oz), cheese 50g (2oz), jam 450g (1lb) every two months, bacon and ham 100g, meat to the value of 1s. 2d (1 shilling and sixpence e er week, eggs 1 fresh egg a week, dried eggs 1 packet every four weeks, margarine 100g (4oz), milk 3 pints (1800 ml), tea 50g (2oz), sweets 350g (12oz) every four weeks (Barrow, 2010). With the above list of rationed items, each person was allowed sixteen points to use on whatever rationed item they wanted. Pregnant women, mothers who are nursing their children or children under the age of five were allowed to pick their choice of fruit, daily pint of milk and double eggs first (Barrow, 2010). Clothes rationing began two years after food rationing started.During World War II, there was a shortage in material for clothing. The shortage made people to â€Å"make due and mend† so that way factory workers could make uniforms, and parachutes for the war (Giullian, 2010). The government gave each person a ration book for clothes. Just like food rationing, when people wanted to buy new clothes, all they had to do was bring their ration book to the store and then buy they clothes they wanted, then you hand over your ration book to the storekeeper and they mark off what the person got in their ration books.The coupon system allowed people to get a new set of clothing each year. Coupons were a different color so they wouldn’t use all their coupons at once. The government told the people when they could use their other coupons. At first, each person was given 60 coupons to last them the whole year. Later on the coupon amount dropped to 48. Children were assigned an extra 10 ration coupons for their clothing in case they grow during the year. What would you buy with 60 coupons to last you the whole year?Fourteen years of rationed food and it finally came to an end because meat and ba con restrictions were lifted. Rationing of food ended nine years after the war ended. Rationing ended on 4 July, 1954 (Barrow, 2010). Fourteen years of rationing, people could finally enjoy buying the necessities they needed for their daily life. Men, women, and children went back to a normal lifestyle they were used to. References Barrow, M.. (2010, Month. Day). In  Rationing During WWWII.Retrieved Mar. 26, 2012, from http://www. woodlands-junior. kent. sch. uk/Homework/war/rationing. htm (2004, Mar. 1 ). In  Dig for Victory!. Retrieved Mar. 26, 2012, from http://h2g2. com/dna/h2g2/A2263529 Giullian, M.. (2010, May. 10). In  Rationing. Retrieved Mar. 25, 2012, from http://ussslcca25. com/rationing. htm In  Rationing on the US Homefront during WWII. Retrieved Mar. 25, 2012, from http://www. ameshistoricalsociety. org/exhibits/events/rationing. htm

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) Essay

Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a family-based prevention and intervention program that deals with such juvenile problems as child abuse and neglect, early sexual involvement, alcohol and drug abuse, youth conflict and aggression. Since these problems originate within the family structure in many cases, FFT program refers to every member of the family in order to achieve the highest treatment results. It is important to emphasize that FFT recognizes that both positive and negative behaviors influence and are influenced by multiple relational systems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main positive influence of FFT is that it develops inner strengths and sense of being of each member of the family. In such a way, family members are united under the common viewpoints on life, activities and goals. As a result, the situation within the family might be improved due to different intervention and assessment phases. Functional Family Therapy consists of three specific intervention phases: engagement and motivation, behavior change, and generalization. Each of these phases has certain goals, risk and protective factors, assessment focus and therapist/interventional skills that might be related to each of the phases. The first phase – engagement and motivation – helps to increase family’s hope and expectation of change, improve trust between therapist and family, and reduce negativity within families and toward the community as well as build respect to individual values and differences. During the second phase – behavior change – therapists develop long-term plans of behavior change that can fit to certain culture, family situation and understand the unique characteristics of each family member. Cognitive, interactive and emotional components are included into behavior change phase. The main focus of this phase is to improve the quality of relations skills because of the risks dealing with poor parenting and communication skills, negativity and blaming. Thus, FFT program gives an opportunity to model the change plan, train each member and control the whole process. Finally, generalization phase helps to unite the families with available community resources in order to prevent relapses in the behavior change. It is directed to improve the ability of the family to affect the multiple systems like school, juvenile justice system, community, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since FFT program addresses each member of the family where there are problems with juveniles, it helps to identify the core reasons of juvenile behavior change which in most cases happen within the family. Parents learn to understand their children, but most important to listen to their thoughts, opinions, problems, and many other issues which are important for juveniles, but might be neglected by the adults. At the same time children learn to understand the behavior of their parents, to respect and listen to the adults as well as improve their relations with the families, school and community as a whole. Due to FFT program recidivism rates greatly decreased in the recent time. Certainly, there is no single treatment which is commonly accepted and can help all juveniles and heir families to solve the problems or prevent them. However, FFT I is considered on of the best way to prevent juvenile delinquency since it does not only solve the problem itself, but addresses the core reason for this problem to occur – the juvenile family and community he/she lives in.

Learning experience paper acrophobia Essay

Have you ever been on top of a large building and were too afraid to look over the side? Have you ever climbed a really tall tree and were too afraid to climb down? I have, when I was younger I climbed a really tall tree and when I got to the top I looked down, I was too afraid to climb back down. What I was experiencing was a fear of heights know as acrophobia. Acrophobia (n.d.) according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is an abnormal dread of being in a high place: fear of heights. I believe that most people become a little scared when it comes to heights. There is nothing wrong with having acrophobia to an extent. It is a defense mechanism our bodies use to stop us from walking off cliffs. The problem is when a natural instinct becomes paranoia. For example, someone who has acrophobia would be scared, nervous, and or panic inside a safe environment like a skyscraper. Symptoms There are many symptoms of the fear of heights (acrophobia) that may occur when up on a tall building or high place. Many people with acrophobia can become dizzy, excessive sweating, nausea, sick to their stomachs, shaking, dry mouth, and unable to speak. One of the main symptoms of acrophobia is fear of dying. Some of these symptoms can then turn into a full blown anxiety attack. â€Å"Discomfort anxiety tends to be specific to certain uncomfortable or dangerous situations- and consequently shows up in such phobias as fear of heights† (Ellis, 2003, p.83). It is only believed that between 2 and 5 percent of the world’s population actually suffers from acrophobia, and that twice as many woman are affected by acrophobia then men. A common misconception with the fear of heights is people calling it vertigo. Vertigo happens to people when they are on a tall building and look down from the top. Vertigo is a sensation that causes a person to feel like  they are spinning eve n though they are not. So even though vertigo occurs to a lot of people when they high in the air, it does not mean they are afraid of heights. Some Causes What causes people to become afraid of heights? Some psychologist believe that the fear of heights enters your life from something that happened in your past. Psychologist believe that it is caused by some emotional trauma that has to do with heights. For example a person who is suffering from acrophobia may have fallen out of a tall tree when they were little. It is also believed that this condition can be triggered by trauma seen in a movie, television, or a real life event involving another person that has to do with heights. Research and Studies There has been some research done on the fear of heights. Psychologists by the name of Gibson and Walk did an experiment in 1960 called â€Å"Visual Cliff†. The â€Å"Visual Cliff† experiment was an experiment to see if babies who were still crawling would cross a thick piece of glass that covered a steep drop off. They then put the mother on the other side of the drop off to call the baby over to the other side. Even with the mother calling the crawling babies to come to them, the babies still did not cross over the glass. This experiment shows that most humans if not all humans have acrophobia at least partially ingrained in our genetics. I believe this is part of our survival instincts. The Cure Many people who are suffering from acrophobia are often prescribed medications to help them out with their fear of heights. Medications will not actually cure someone of their fears it only masks them. In some cases the side effects of the drugs may be worse than a fear of heights. One of the best treatments for acrophobia is cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy involves exposing a person to heights and helping them develop coping skills that will help them increase their confidence and change their thought process towards heights. How I would go about my fear of heights is by actually facing my fears. I would take baby steps when facing this fear. I would find a tall building, I would go to the top of it,  and I would then would walk as close to the edge as I could before the fear overcomes me. I would then mark that spot on the ground, I would then come back the next day and take 1 step closer. I would keep that up each day until I get to the edge, and each day I would tell myself to trust my body and building there is nothing to be afraid of. I believe this would be the best approach for me to overcome my fear of heights. Conclusion Suffering from acrophobia can be something that is hard for a person to deal with. I do believe that we all have a fear of heights, it may be very minute but I do believe we all have it. I think the only way to cure a phobia or fear is to face them. I personally know facing fears is very hard to do but once I overcome the fear it was an incredible feeling. References Ellis, A. (2003). Discomfort anxiety: A new cognitive-behavioral construct (part I). Journal of Rational – Emotive & Cognitive – Behavior Therapy, 21(3-4), 183. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220282433?accountid=458 Acrophobia. In Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrophobia

Risks of Youth Using Social Media ( Privacy Issues)

Clinical Report: The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke Pediatrics Volume 127, Number 4, April 2011 pp. 800-804 RISKS OF YOUTH USING SOCIAL MEDIA Engaging in various forms of social media is a routine activity that research has shown to benefit children and adolescents by enhancing communication, social connection, and even technical skills. Social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace offer multiple daily opportunities for connecting with friends, classmates, and people with shared interests.During the last 5 years, the number of preadolescents and adolescents using such sites has increased dramatically. Since a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones, children and adolescents are at some risk as they navigate and experiment with social media, because of their limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer press ure. Recent research indicates that there are frequent online expressions of offline behaviors, such as bullying, and sexual experimentation, that have introduced problems such as cyber-bullying, privacy issues, and sexting.Cyber-bullying Cyber-bullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information about another person. It is the most common online risk for all teens and is a peer-to-peer risk. Although â€Å"online harassment† is often used interchangeably with the term â€Å"cyber-bullying,† it is actually a different entity. Current data suggest that online harassment is not as common as offline harassment (Lenhart, 2007), and participation in social networking sites does not put most children at risk of online harassment (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2008).On the other hand, cyber-bullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe i solation, and, tragically, suicide (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010). Sexting Sexting can be defined as â€Å"sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or images via cell phone, computer, or other digital devices†(Berkshire District Attorney, 2010). Many of these images become distributed rapidly via cell phones or the Internet.This phenomenon does occur among the teen population; a recent survey revealed that 20% of teens have sent or posted nude or seminude photographs or videos of themselves (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2010). Some teens who have engaged in sexting have been threatened or charged with felony child pornography charges, although some states have started characterizing such behaviors as juvenile-law misdemeanors (Gifford, 2010; Walker, 2010).Additional consequences include school suspension for perpetrators and emotional distress with accompanying mental health conditions for victims. In many circumstanc es, however, the sexting incident is not shared beyond a small peer group or a couple and is not found to be distressing at all (Lenhart, 2009). Facebook Depression Researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called â€Å"Facebook depression,† defined as depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression (Davilla et al. 2009; Sturm, 2010). Acceptance by and contact with peers is an important element of adolescent life. The intensity of the online world is thought to be a factor that may trigger depression in some adolescents. As with offline depression, preadolescents and adolescents who suffer from Facebook depression are at risk for social isolation and sometimes turn to risky Internet sites and blogs for â€Å"help† that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, or aggressive or self-destructive behaviors.

ACCOR STRATEGY OF EXPANSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ACCOR STRATEGY OF EXPANSION - Essay Example The corporate strategies of various organizations. In addition to this, a few corporate strategies structured by well organizations around the world. The focus then shifted towards, the element of information technology and its significance along with the impact that it has over the corporation. The strategic impact of information technology, the actual strategy development, the importance of information technology all were topics mainly discussed within the literature review. Our findings within the literature review helped us deduce the facts that the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is a well recognized technique of thinking perilously with reference to a business. Business, its assets, with its situation. Carrying out an investigation of this kind is a fine way to evaluate a business along with its marketplaces; it can besides this support the prospective investors choose on the fact, whether their investment dollars are well invested or not. SWOT analysis is basically concerning the extrapolation of what the corporation does best , how can the corporation be sure that it progresses , whether you are availing the prospects surrounding the corporation or identifying if there are any threats , weaknesses or opportunities that they have around them . Once they are aware they can put together their corporate policy and its provisions. Thus it would not be wrong to deduce the fact that a SWOT analysis helps organizations id entify technological advances, union of corporations, or else the fickleness of the suppliers that call for analogous variation within the industry. This literature review has further directed our focus on the basic rationales behind a behind SWOT analysis, and has also opened the discussions to avenues discussing how this Analysis can be successfully carried out. SWOT Analysis is deemed by experts as being one of the most efficient diagnostic tools to guess a

Investigation of Current Performance in Inverleith Hotel (B&B) Edinbur Assignment

Investigation of Current Performance in Inverleith Hotel (B&B) Edinburg - Assignment Example Additionally, a SWOT analysis of the hotel has been conducted with the aim of understanding strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Inverleith Hotel (B&B) located in Edinburgh, which is a B&B hotel. A comparison is also made between the hotel with other similar size B&B hotels in the same geographical area. Alternatively, it also intends to explain the methods through which the current performance of the hotel can be maintained properly and the possible solutions for the expansion of the business. In order to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Inverleith Hotel (B&B), a SWOT analysis has been conducted. In this respect, the strengths, as well as weaknesses of the hotel, can be determined. The possible opportunities related to the success and development of the hotel can also be ascertained. After identifying the weaknesses and threats, the hotel can reduce the weakness by applying new strategies to improve the performance of the hotel (Practical Entrepreneurship, n.d.). The hotel is one of the leading fast food hotels in England. The hotel focuses on the preferences of the customers, which is one of the important strength of the hotel. This strength helps the hotel to attract the more customers to increase the sale as well as increase the profit of the hotel. It also helps to improve the performance of the employees so that the objectives of the hotel can be accomplished. It has multiple numbers of customers in the market. The financial growth of the hotel has increased to a substantial extent. The geographical area of the hotel is good for marketing or doing business. The facilities provided by the hotel are based on quality standards and in accordance with the needs of the customers. The rooms of the hotel are equipped with modern equipment like telephone and broadband access and with self-catering accommodation (Practical Entrepreneurship, n.d.).

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 10

Project Management - Essay Example oppages in delivery of passable resources to set up project requirements; budgetary and workers transforms; and, imperfect research or knowledge of the project manager. These risks guide quickly to holdup in release dates and financial plan overages that be able to harshly weaken assurance in the development and in the project manager (Martin et al, 2004). There are lots of risk those are attached to the project development and cause a serious problem for the better management and administration of the project. These risks are also the main cause for the breakdown of the most of the projects. From project management viewpoints, project managers have to find out the most recent insights, methods, and developments in project management field. This will provide him a better understanding regarding the efficient project management and solutions for emerging risks (Johnson et al, 2005). Good qualities of project risk judgment. If a project manager is able to distinguish the key stakeholders and make sure that they evidently recognize the project scope and main objects of the project (Anderson). Project management basically comprises the phases that independently add to the achievement of a task. These stages are independent but mutually related. Here in the first stage we conduct a detailed analysis the problem situation and device an appropriate solution for that stage. Then we plan for the achievement of our goals. This plan includes the cost and human resource allocation for the project management. Here we also carry out a risk measurement study to find out the potential risks in the project. The quality assurance stage is aimed to assure the quality of the project and determine if the expected results have been achieved. The final stage of the project management involves the analysis of the results accessed for the project implementation to declare the project success or failure (Monk and Wagner). This project is about the implementation of the wireless sensor

The Neo-Realist Understanding of State Conflict Essay

The Neo-Realist Understanding of State Conflict - Essay Example The study will also take the effects of the Cold War, and making of new contracts at regional, continental and global levels, which have introduced new alliances and rivalries among the nation-states. The study is also interested in exploring the causes behind the establishment of new alliances and rivalries, and consequences of the same on the administrations and subjects of the first and third world countries. The paper will also be supported by the classical and realist approaches of international relations in order to elaborate the topic under analysis. Attributed to the contemporary era US theorist and political thinker Kenneth Waltz, neo-realism approach views the modern age of international relations at the age of the growth and development of independent states system at the international stage (Waltz, 1988, p.617). The perspective is of the opinion that after the emergence of several former Asian and African colonies as independent states during 1945-1965, nation-states have turned out to be the most effective and influential actors of international politics (Baldwin, 1993, pp.26-7). As a result, the balance of power is expected to be shifting from the imperialist states to the poor countries as well. Consequently, the recently emerged nation-states would play a vital role, according to the perspective, in respect of the formation of political policies and strategic schemes by keeping in view the interests of the downtrodden masses belonging to the third world countries. In addition, these nation-states will also embark upon the arduous task of maintaining peace and condemning violence had been being practiced by the powerful states since perhaps the known history of the world at large. It is, therefore, neorealist perspective appeared in order to replace the age-old Realism theory, in the light of which there would be conducted researches in respect of international relationships, and nature and scope of state conflicts from various international plat forms (Powell, 1994, p.318). The claim has partly been articulated by keeping in view the distress, destruction, and damages the previously-subjugated nation had undergone from the eighteenth century onward at the hands of western imperialism (Ihuegbu, 2002, p.22). Since the subjects belonging to these colonised countries have witnessed cruel suppressions and oppressions unjustly inflicted by the foreign invaders upon them, these former colonies of European states must contain the natural tendencies in respect of condemning and protesting of atrocities on the weak nations by the strong and powerful nations at large, which is sure lead to lead the world Fascism, by challenging the Marxist doctrine of equality and democracy (Reich, 1980, pp. 6-7). As a result, the presence of these oppressed nations as the member of international forums and platforms including the United Nations, NATO, NAM and several others, the world would never witness the incidences of exploitations of weak and po or nations by the big powers of the globe. However, the time has turned down the notion supporting the rise of nation-states as completely sovereign and independent ones in such a way that they could be in a position of making policies regarding their internal problems and external affairs without undergoing any pressure or threat from the external powers. Nevertheless, the idea of being set free from the cruel clutches of former masters appears to be just a wild goose chase for the third world.

Music History Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music History Report - Essay Example The Romantic era was a period of vast change and emancipation. While the Classical era was restricted by laws of balance and restraint, the Romantic era moved away from that by allowing artistic freedom, creativity, and experimentation in their compositions. The music of this time was very expressive, and melody became the dominant feature. Composers even used this means of expression to display nationalism. This became the driving force in the late Romantic period, as composers used elements of folk music to express their cultural identity (â€Å"The Romantic Era†). As in any time of change, new musical techniques came about to fit in with the current trends. It was in this era when the nocturnes were developed. Nocturnes, defined as music inspired by the evening or night, is one of the most renowned style of music in present times. The nocturnes were first developed by Field in the 1800’s, and were popularized by Chopin in the later years. Chopin, being a child prodig y pianist, composed and played music leaving behind Field. These serene, calm, and tranquil by nature night pieces stir emotions in individuals making it one of the most remarkable developments in music. As one listens to the nocturnes, the listener stirs a feeling of reflection, realization, as well as nostalgia – creating drama into the life of the night.

Choose from the list of topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose from the list of topics - Essay Example Just because a behavior is unusual to some, does not make it unusual to others. For example, Catholics can choose to attend their religious services once a week, not at all or every day, depending on the neighborhood in which they leave. While it might seem unusual to some to want to go to church every day, are they hurting anyone? As a Muslim, I am required by my faith to pray five times a day. May I choose to pray more? Of course I may, but if I were to pull out my prayer mat and pray more than five times a day, I may be seen as unusual. That does not, however, mean that I need to be treated for a religious disorder, because I am not harming myself. I can also pray more than five times a day while conducting my daily life without much interruption. Since unusual religious behavior is a rather broad term, I have used rather broad examples above. However, there are religious behaviors that are not only unusual, but harmful to a person physically and mentally. In some religions, there is a consumption of alcohol. If a person felt that by drinking the alcohol that was served until it was gone, they would become closer to their God, then this is a behavior that would not only be considered unusual but also harmful. Alcohol poisoning, drunkenness, and other factors must be taken in play. Another example to consider is a person who feels that they cannot and should not leave their house of worship, for any reason. A person that feels that only within those walls were they safe from death, fear, destruction, sickness, or any other factors. This, clearly, is not only unusual harmful mentally but also impedes living of their daily life, and therefore, the root cause of this behavior must be treated psychologically so that this person may resume their daily life. Temptation is, by its very nature, all around us. Every day we face temptation in varying degrees. Evil is all around us, and tries to tempt us into making the wrong decision; by being strong, we avoid the evil actions. We cannot, however, avoid the evil or blasphemous thoughts, from wishing the person that just cut off our car on the freeway would crash to glancing twice at the person that looks just a little bit better-looking than our significant other. Normal religious behavior is to accept the guilt for these actions and ask for forgiveness, after which we are forgiven and can go on about our daily lives until the next temptation pops up in our face. A person that feels that they must pray for forgiveness, even out in public, for the transgressions that have occurred should not be considered unusual, as they are simply practicing their faith and quietly asking for forgiveness. However, if a person was praying constantly, excessively, refusing to stop and wracked with guilt over the slightest transgression, that would be both harmful to them as well as prohibit them from living their daily life. They should then be treated for a religious disorder. Along those same lines, if a person felt that they were doomed to hell, becoming depressed and despondent because of what they saw as the many numerous transgressions that they had committed, they should be treated for a religious disorder. They have become a danger to themselves, sinking into deep depression and unable to live their daily lives as they are constantly dwelling on these so-called transgressions and what they see as a need for forgiveness. Persons in this state

Both obsessive-compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder Essay

Both obsessive-compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder are linked under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. What a - Essay Example OCD is characterized by repetitive obsessions with a particular kind of phenomenon. One of the aspects of this disorder is through the use of rituals. For example, someone who is OCD about bacteria might was their hands an obsessive amount of times in order to make sure they have gotten rid of the bacteria. It is the fourth most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder. There is strong evidence to support that this condition not only has environmental and behavioral triggers, but also that there is a biological component involved in the neurochemistry of behavior. The most common forms of treatment for this disorder is through the use of behavioral therapy in which a therapist tries to make the ritualistic behavior, obsessions and compulsions extinct through classical and operant conditioning. Also, in some cases psychopharmacology is used in order to help supplement the counseling therapy. PTSD is a condition which often is the result of some sort of traumatic incident in a personà ¢â‚¬â„¢s life. This can range anywhere from military combat to sexual abuse.

Dimensions of Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dimensions of Culture - Research Paper Example This means that people in the United States do not conform to each other and operate while giving precedence to their own interest over the interest of the society and their family (Clearlycultural.com, 2009). In the context of the cultural dimension of masculinity, Americans experience more of a masculine cultural orientation. This is because in the United States more preference is given to the values of individual attainments as well as individual success as compared to the feminine cultural values such as caring for others. The American citizens have no issues in managing and acting in uncertain situations. The citizens of America are more likely to face new challenges and new scenarios in a positive manner and are always ready to accept change. Lastly, the people of the United States do not have a future oriented approach in their life (Geert-hofstede.com, 2015). They are more likely to live in the present and care about the present. This can be witnessed through the fact that th e people in the United States do not plan on saving money and using it later in life and they rather obtain goods and services on credit and pay for them as they

Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet Essay Please complete the following exercises, remembering that you are in an academic setting and should remain unbiased, considerate, and professional when completing this worksheet. Part I Select three of the identity categories below and name or describe at least 3 related stereotypes for each: †¢Race †¢Ethnicity †¢Religion †¢Gender †¢Sexual orientation †¢Age †¢Disability Category Stereotype 1 Stereotype 2 Stereotype 3 Age Old people are slow Young people are trouble makers Young people are lazy Gender Men work harder than women Women should do all house work Women have more feelings than men. Race Black people are better at sports Asians are smart White people get better jobs Part II Answer each question in 50 to 100 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. What are the positive aspects of stereotypes, if any? One benefit of stereotypes to those being stereotyped is that the stereotype itself may be positive. Of course, this can backfire if you benefit from a stereotype of a group in which you fit and it becomes clear that the stereotype does not apply to you. One example of a positive stereotype is that Asians are good at math. Another example of a positive stereotype is that Jewish people are good with money. What are the negative aspects of stereotypes? By stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have. Stereotypes lead to social categorization, which is one of the reasons for prejudice attitudes. Most stereotypes probably tend to convey a negative impression. Part III Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Stereotypes and Prejudice Worksheet ETH/125 Version 8. 2 Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. Define stereotypes and prejudice. What is the difference between stereotyping and prejudice? Use examples to illustrate the differences. Stereotypes are assumed characteristics. They do not have to carry a moral judgment (although many time they do). Example: The French like good cooking. Or, Icelanders dont mind the cold. Prejudice is preferring one kind of person over another. It may be based on stereotypes (I dont like Jews because theyre cheap), or not (I dont like Irish people because an Irish kid beat me up long ago). What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? The relationship is that one is having the wrong impression of the person before meeting them, the other is GUESSING that they are all the exact same as the one, or two, that you have met. They are both assuming things about someone and judging someone based on the difference in them. It is either from experience or from what you heard but either way it is a judgement before you meet them or after. What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring? Let schools teach children that all people are equal regardless of race, gender, orientation, etc, let governments introduce laws that explicitly promote equality for all. But I think first of all it starts at home. I think if we teach our children that no matter what we are all equal and treat each other with respect. I think that if we all did this and showed them as also as tell them, then all the judgement will die down a lot. Copyright  © 2012 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Financing Shipping companies

Financing Shipping companies There are several advantages for a shipping company to outsource a particular service or department. The main advantages with outsourcing are better cost control, lower risk and the outside suppliers expertise. Better cost control is achieved because outsourcing leads to less fixed costs and more variable costs. This means that the company in the short term is more flexible, and able to adjust costs faster and in some cases with less hassle. Outsourcing a service or department also lowers the need for an initial investment by removing the capital injection necessary for establishing a department/service. Less fixed costs and less long term fixed assets means lower risk for the company. In economical theory there also is an general opinion that outsourcing in many cases leads to cost reductions, due to a small internal department within the company not having the same degree of expertise as a bigger outside supplier and therefore not being able to deliver the services at a competitive cost. This lack of expertise compared to the outside supplier that specialises in the segment might also lead to a lower quality of service if the work is kept in house. With regards to expertise there also is a big advantage in that the company can keep focus on their core business where they have the necessary know-how and stay clear of outside disturbance. There are however also disadvantages with outsourcing. The main problem is loss of control due to the company not having the same supervision over the work being done. Another problem is that the outside supplier might not be able to adjust the service as well as an inside department after the companys needs at any given time. The degree of the advantages/disadvantages with outsourcing varies greatly with the complexity of the work that has to be done, the potential savings and the importance of in-house supervision. A certain degree of outsourcing of services will always exist i.e. transportation for a companys employees, postal services, big IT reforms etc. Solstad has decided to keep outsourcing at a minimum and integrated shipping operations are a part of the companys philosophy[1]. The company manages the total operation of the vessels[2], and have a large onshore support mechanism which includes freight, crewing, accounting, chartering, technical, and other administrative functions. The company is nevertheless open to outsourcing services and will evaluate whether it is possible to achieve more cost effective operations and an optimal return on capital employed in cooperation with new suppliers with a view to long-term strategic co-operations[3]. Such collaboration is also evaluated with regard to risk and capital injection. How has your company financed its vessels? Explain advantages and disadvantages by such financing. It isnt possible to find public information on how most of the specific vessels have been financed. However according to a news article in Skipsrevyen[4] about the acquisition of the M/S Normand Seven, the long term financing for that vessel is provided by Eksportfinans in cooperation with Nordea Bank, Fokus Bank and Danmarks Skibskredit AS. The companys balance sheet doesnt show in detail to whom the long term liabilities is owed, so to answer the question we will have to assume that the financing of the M/S Normand Seven is representative of how Solstad normally finances its fleet. As of the end of 2008 the company have long term fixed assets in vessels and new buildings of 7.289.858.000 NOK[5]. This equals just over 70% of the companys total assets of 10.213.357.000. The assets are financed with a total equity of 3.697.624.000 and total liabilities of 6.515.734.000. Out of the total liabilities long term loans to credit institutions/leasing obligations amounts to 4.831.208.000. In economic theory an equity ratio of 30 % is generally considered healthy, and the company also states in the annual report that the aim is to be financed by the owners (equity) with a ratio higher than 30 %. The total equity in percentage of total assets in 2008 was 36%, well above the companys goal. The companys equities are important when you need to raise capital from outside sources, as it may provide security for the lenders. Assuming that the financing of M/S Normand Seven is representative for the entire fleet the long term liabilities is provided by commercial banks like Nordea bank, Fokus bank, and Danmarks Skibskredit as well as government backed ship credit schemes like Eksportfinans. According to the annual report some of the fleet is also financed by leasing agreements. The advantages in getting mortgage-backed loans from commercial banks are that capital can be raised quickly and flexibly, while the owner is still left with full ownership of the business. The disadvantages by such financing is that commercial banks are uncomfortable with loans that are longer than 5-6 years[6] and often prefers to receive a balloon payment that might be difficult to handle for the shipping company. A leasing company is often more attractive if the borrower want longer finance than a commercial bank is willing or able to take onto their balance sheets. Eksportfinans also offers longer term finance than is usual for commercial banks, and offer repayment periods for up to 20 years[7]. Commercial banks normally take little risk and require a lot of security to protect their investment. According to the annual report[8] some vessels are placed as security for the mortgages. In addition, accounts receivables and bank deposits (2007) are tied. Solstads loan agreements are also subject to the owners working capital being positive at all times and that the market value of the vessels amounts to at least 110-125% of the outstanding loans. The company states that they satisfy all conditions of the loan agreements at 31.12.08[9]. Name three of the most important conventions your company must adhere to. Give reasons why those are among the most important ones. Solstad have ships registered in the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), Isle of Man Ship Registry (IOM), and the Norwegian Ship Register (NOR). Some of the criteria for NIS/IOM/NOR registered vessels are that they adhere to international conventions such as Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS 74), Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) and Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping (STCW 95) as well as other international regulations ratified by the flag states. Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS 74) is the most important international treaty protecting the safety of merchant ships in the world. The first version of the treaty was passed as early as 1914 in response to the sinking of the Titanic.[10] It prescribed numbers of lifeboats and other emergency equipment along with safety procedures, including continuous radio watches. The intention had been to keep the convention up to date by periodic amendments, but a completely new convention was adopted in 1974. The convention regulates among other things use of the global maritime distress safety system, set construction criteria (subdivision and stability, machinery and electrical installations), fire protection/detection/extinction, obligatory life-saving appliances and arrangements, radio communications, safety of navigation etc. and is the centrepiece of maritime safety. Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes[11]. It was designed to minimize pollution of the seas, including dumping, oil and exhaust pollution. Its stated objective is to preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances. MARPOL contains 6 annexes, concerned with preventing different forms of marine pollution and covers pollution by oil, chemicals, harmful substances in packaged form, sewage, garbage and air pollution. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping (STCW 95) sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships[12]. The aim of the convention was to introduce internationally acceptable minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for officers and crew members. Today there are amendments concerning quality standards systems, oversight of training, certification procedures and rest period requirements. The amendments require that seafarers are provided with familiarization training and basic safety training which includes basic fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal survival techniques, and personal safety and social responsibility. This training is very important in ensuring that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and can respond appropriately in an emergency. Literature and references: Annual report (2008). Annual report 2008 Solstad Offshore ASA. Skudeneshavn. * Financial report (2009). 3rd quarter 2009 Solstad Offshore ASA. Skudeneshavn. Â · International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) (1973). http://www.imo.org/Conventions/contents.asp?doc_id=678topic_id=258 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) (1974). http://www.imo.org/Conventions/contents.asp?topic_id=257doc_id=647 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) (1978). http://www.imo.org/Conventions/contents.asp?doc_id=651topic_id=257 * Misje, M. (1989). Solstad rederi A/S 1964 1989. Skudeneshavn: Solstad Rederi. * Misje, M. (2004). Solstad rederi AS: 40 Ã ¥r 1964 2004. Haugesund: Nils Sund boktrykkeri. Presentation 3rd quarter (2009). Presentation 3rd quarter 2009 Solstad Offshore ASA. Skudeneshavn. Solstad Offshore ASA website. http://www.solstad.no * Stopford, M. (2009). Maritime economics 3rd edition. New York: Routledge. * Zachariassen, J. E. (2008, 21. April). M/S Â «NORMAND SEVENÂ ». Skipsrevyen. Eksportfinans website. http://www.eksportfinans.no/Bransjer/Skip.aspx [1] Annual report, page 2 [2] Annual report, page 13 [3] Annual report, page 13 [4] Zachariassen, 2008 [5] Annual report, page 26 [6] Stopford, 2009, page 284 [7] Eksportfinans website [8] Annual report, page 49 [9] Annual report, page 49 [10] International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 [11] International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 [12] International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978