Letter of Intent for College of Medicine Essay

I am Emillie Grace D. Tombucon, registered nurse and currently working as a staff nurse of Northern Palawan Provincial Hospital. I am writing you this letter to express my great intent to pursue my Graduate Studies at your esteemed University for the prestigious Medical Course. The University of Perpetual Help- Dr Jose Tamayo Medical University (UPH-DJGT) is my first choice in pursuing my dream. I believe that one of the key ingredients to be a sucessful and effective professional is the right ethical values and beliefs. The strong Christian values inculcated in the quality education of the University inspires me the most in realizing my aspiration to be a good physician. It was my childhood dream to be a doctor. I remembered that my Mom was very proud when I ended my speech in Kindergarden Graduation that it was my dream . Years gone by, I finished my Bachelors Degree in Nursing, my mother want me to continue my studies to Medical School, but I immediately worked both in the clinical and academic field of nursing. I also finished my Masters Degree in Nursing this last April, 2013, but I felt that I need to expand my horizons through continued education. After five years of working as a nurse clinician and educator, I’ve experienced a lot things which contributed to my knowledge, skills and attitude as a proficient nurse and a community servant. I chose to work in government hospital and institutions so that I can serve my fellow Palawenos. Having been exposed to the rural community areas, I’ve learned that there are inadequacies in the health workforce specially in the medical field. I also want to enhance my personal, intellectual and social skills thru the quality education your University offers. Thus I decided to finally realizing my dream and the first step is to enroll in a topnotch learning institution like UPH-DJGT Medical University. It would a great honor to be a part of UPH-DJGT family. I know that I can be a good contribution to the University. Hoping for your kind consideration. Thank you very much and more power!

US and California Compared

The United States Census is taken every ten years in order for the U. S. government to count exactly how many people live in the country to the best of its abilities. Aside from taking the population, the census asks many other questions, such as the age of the persons living in a given household, their race and ethnicity, the languages that are spoken at home, their educational attainment level, and household income. These questions, when answered by the entire population, provide the government a sense of the composition and the needs of its people. Without this information, public services such as education, hospitals, health care, and social security cannot be provided to all in need and therefore it is important data that deserves our careful examination. For my term paper, I have decided to compare the data of the state of California to the United States of America to discover how similar or different the sets of data may be. I would predict some of these data to be similar, such as age distribution, due to the fact that California is a relatively large state with a large enough population that it would serve as a pretty good sample of the entire nation. However, I would expect to see differences in factors such as race and ethnicity and the languages spoken at home, because California has a relatively larger Hispanic and Asian population than most other states in the US. Also, the income level of California will be slightly higher than the nation due to the existence of two large metropolitan cities in the state. The paper takes a careful look at the various socio-demographic variables that are taken by the United States Census in order to compare the state of California to the nation as a whole. The first obvious step in my analysis is to look at both populations counted by the 1990 United States census. The population of the United States is estimated to be 248,709,873 and California is estimated to be 29,760,021. This data is important to this paper because when making comparisons between the two geographic locations, I will use percentages taken from the actual data given in the census divided by the total populations. This way, the comparisons are scaled in relation to one another and it is easier to analyze and to make comparisons. The first demographic variable that I will examine is the age distribution between the two areas. The age distribution given by the population age pyramid (Graph 1) show that both are quite similar, with a pyramid-like shape starting from age 25 to 80+, with the large base of the pyramid beginning at age 25. From age 0 to 24, there is an overall tapering in from the base of the pyramid above as the ages decrease, indicating a fewer number of people aged 0 through 24. It means that the largest number of persons in both regions is between the ages of 25 and 34 in 1990. This implies that there were a larger number of births in the 1950s and 1960s than in the 1970s and 1980s. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the baby-boom children had reached reproductive stage in their lives and gave birth to many babies in the 50s and 60s. There is also relatively fewer people aged 45 to 80+. The upper narrow upper region of the graph, ages 65 and up, can be explained by the fact that the life expectancy in the United States is around 70 years old and it is natural to see a tapering off of the population at these ages. However, the age group from 45 to 64 is also quite narrow. This is most likely due to the fact that these are the people who fought in World War II. Looking at the graph, the only noticeable difference between the two regions is that California has a relatively fewer number of people aged 10 through 19. This could be due to many economic, social, and physical factors in the 1970s that affected California births, but not the entire nation. I would predict that since children of the baby-boomers (ages 25 to 34) have now reached reproductive stage, the census 2000 would show that the base of the graph would continue to grow a little bit wider, from babies being born in the 1990s. The second demographic variable I will focus on is the racial composition of California and the United States. Graph 2 shows the percentages of the total population, which fall under the five racial categories: 1. White 2. Black 3. American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut 4. Asian or Pacific Islander and 5. Other. It is important to note that people of Hispanic origin are mainly categorized as either White or Other, depending on how each individual has chosen to categorize him or herself. The category, Other, also include people who are mixed, such as Mulatto, Creole, and Mestizo. The breakdown of the races are pretty similar, as can be seen by the graph with Whites being the overwhelming majority of the total population for both regions. However, it may be interesting to note that the origins of the people who make up the White category for the two regions may be quite different. For the United States, the composition of the people who make up the White category are mostly of European origin. The origin of people who make up the White category for California also include many people of European origin, but also many of Hispanic origin. This is due to the fact that California shares the border with Mexico and therefore would have a larger Mexican or Latino population. Also due to the large Mexican and Latino population, the Other category for California is almost 10% larger than for the United States. The lower Black population in California can be attributed to the fact that the majority of Blacks in this country are concentrated in the southern states of the US, such as Alabama, raising the composition for the nation, but not for California. Lastly, the Asian and Pacific Islander category is almost 8% higher in California because many Asians tend to be concentrated on the west coast of the US. The third socio-demographic variable I will examine is language spoken at home. The first thing to note on Graph 3 is that English is spoken in the majority of homes both in California and the United States. The population speaking languages other than English at home is higher in California due to the racial composition examined above. The higher Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino concentration has raised this California percentage to twice that of the US. Of these â€Å"other† languages, the existence of Spanish spoken in homes is more than 10 percent higher in California than in the rest of the nation. Subsequently, the English at home contingent will be smaller in percentage comparison for California. This type of data is extremely important to the government because it raises issues such as the appropriateness of ESL programs, bilingual education, and public services that must be provided to the public in many languages. Comparing two different regions such as California and the US may seem useless due to the similar data, but it is differences such as these that make the census crucial data that deserve our careful analysis. Educational Attainment is another variable I will analyze between the two regions. Graph 4 reveals that in the US, highschool graduates (including equivalency) make up the highest percentage of education attained. This is not surprising because formal education in the US is required for all children until the age of 14 through 18, depending on the state, and therefore it is expected that most children would finish high school. In California, people attending some college without obtaining a degree make up the highest percentage. This implies that California†s students have a tendency to pursue their education further than the national student. The higher percentage of Californian†s attending some college can be attributed to the proliferation of junior colleges in the state. The concern for California should lie in the fact that a higher percentage of children do not progress beyond the ninth grade than in the nation. This may be attributed to the large Spanish speaking population who are cushioned in schools by bilingual teachers during their elementary and secondary schooling years but are left to themselves in non-bilingual high schools to survive on their own and as a result, drop out. Finally, the comparison of household income between California and the US shows that income levels for both regions are concentrated under $60,000 per year (Graph 5). In analyzing these data, I have taken the income data from the census and divided that figure with the total number of households, not the population, so that a direct comparison between the income of each households would be possible. In general, Californians have higher income than the US as a whole. The 1990 Census shows that the median household income of California is $35,798. This figure is higher than the national median household income of $30,056. The data on the graph shows that the higher percentage of Californians earn incomes higher than $30,000. The higher income in California can be attributed to the two metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco as mentioned earlier and additionally, to the recent boom of the computer and internet industry in Silicon Valley, which has increased the number of Californians earning higher wages. The different variables examined in this paper have revealed several demographic trends between California and the US as a whole. While the two regions share similar demographic profiles, several differences arise upon closer analysis of the data. Generally, California has a higher concentration of racial minorities. Thus, more families speak languages other than English at home. The data also shows that a higher percentage of Californians pursue degrees in higher education than the national percentage. Since college graduatess and advanced degree holders tend to earn higher wages, the data for household income is consistent with the previous observation as more Californians are in the higher income bracket. It can then be concluded that California is more racially diverse than most other states, and that Californians tend to do better economically than the rest of the nation. This type of analysis would not have been possible without the United States Census, which I believe is an important tool that allows researchers to do their own analysis with the hard data that it provides. The different conclusions I have drawn from this paper clearly indicate a need for different public programs that are specifically designed for each individual state because the United States is not made up of a homogeneous group of people, but is composed of an exremely diverse group of individuals.

Nursing Theory Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Nursing Theory Analysis - Assignment Example Before coming up with the Jane Watson theory of human caring, Dr. Jane Watson, who is also the founder of the Watson Caring Institute, received her bachelors, masters and Doctor of Philosophy qualifications. Apart from her professional and academic expertise, Dr. Jane Watson’s personal experience played a huge role in the development of the theory, which mainly focuses on human caring. Going through Dr. Jane Watson’s teachings, publications and writings, one will not fail to recognize the fact that human caring is diverse than had been perceived by other scholars as it incorporates the emotions of the healthcare provider as well as the inner subjective feelings. That explains why in most of her works, Dr. Watson strives to provide both voice and spiritual credibility to the practice of human caring. Dr. Watson asserts that her personal experience made her realize the extent to which the practice of human caring had been neglected in the models and practices of medicinal science. This follows a traumatic injury that she had, an uncanny golfing accident she went through with her grandson as well as the sudden demise of her devoted husband who committed suicide. The streak of unfortunate events made Dr. Jane Watson aware of the fact that both human caring and healing are the main principles of human nursing as a practice. Moreover, human caring should not only be left to nurses, but all healthcare professionals, health educators, health service workers as well as all the other entities involved in the caring journey should join hands in ascertaining that life is sustained. Apart from Dr. Jane Watson, who established the theory, different scholars have written various works on the hypothesis. Moreover, the scholars have reaffirmed that the practice of human caring should be founded on a professional, academic and personal

Organization and Behavior Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organization and Behavior - Term Paper Example Functional denotes the hierarchy of functions while project denotes the incorporation of complexity unto such. Companies working on areas like project management or specialised areas work based on such organisational structures (Johnson, Scholes, and Whittington 402-403). (NordNet 349) Functional organisation structure helps in the development of different functional teams within the organisation. Knowledge and skill of the different functional groups is enhanced owing to such specialised organisation structure. This type of an organisation structure best works in case of knowledge based organisations or for concerns conducting specialised services (NordNet 349). (NordNet 353) The divisional organisation structure works based on the decentralisation functions where the entire organisational task is allocated among people pertaining to different departments. Consumer relationship activities are enhanced through such organisational structure and it also helps in enhancing the coordinat ion of people belonging to different teams. Divisional organisation structure works best for large organisations. These organisations conduct their activities operating through a large number of people spread along different geographical boundaries. Further the organisations also work to help produce a plethora of products and thus needs both specialisation and coordination (NordNet 353). Answer 2 Wal-Mart operates based on the functional organisation structure such that it works to render specialised services and products to its consumer groups. The company operates based on specialised sets of people working in different formats that focus on rendering products at affordably low prices to the consumers. Procter and Gamble is a leading consumer products concern that works based on a divisional organisation structure. This concern has several global units based in different geographical territories constituted by people belonging to divisions focusing on production and marketing. Th e product division is further subdivided into other subdivisions and also the marketing team is also divided into other marketing development divisions or groups. The organisation culture also promotes large scale interaction between the different divisions (NordNet 349, 350-351). Answer 3 Procter and Gamble through the operation based on separate divisions tends to create a competitive advantage for it to compete effectively against other competitors. The company works on separate product units focusing on sectors like infants, women and family care, fabrics, health and beauty commodities and on other food and beverage items. People working in the product units work together for the enhancement of the brand image pertaining to the different products. Brand enhancement activity of the different product divisions is conducted by linking such with the activities of the marketing development team to gain significant competitive advantage (NordNet 350-351). Organisation and Behaviour-As signment No.1, Part 2 Answer 1 To, Mr. Siddall, John Siddall (Printers) Ltd. As per the observation made a change culture can be

How does stock price and dividends reflect the value of the firm Term Paper

How does stock price and dividends reflect the value of the firm - Term Paper Example For example, if a corporation issues 100 shares in total, each share provides 1% ownership to the shareholder in the company. Share prices can increase or decrease based on the market conditions and the performances of the company. Corporations often keep certain percentage of its annual profits for future expansion of the company and pay certain percentage of the profits to its shareholders. The annual profit paid to the shareholders by the company is often referred as dividends. The amount of dividend supplied to the shareholders in a particular year depends on the profit achieved by the company in that particular year. In other words, when the company gets more profits, the shareholders get more dividends and vice versa. This paper analyses the importance of stock price and dividends with respect to the value of the firm. â€Å"A company's worth - its total value - is its market capitalization, and it is represented by the company's stock price. Market cap is equal to the stock p rice multiplied by the number of shares outstanding† (What is a company's worth, and who determines its stock price?, 2011). When the company grows or performs well, its share prices will increase whereas when the company underperforms, its share prices will decreases. When a company shows signs of growth, more demand will be created in the share market for its shares. Share purchasers often offer higher prices to the shares of growing companies and the shareholders who sell their share or stake in a growing company may get higher prices in the share market. â€Å"A company’s value for many investors is its ability to generate a satisfactory return over a long holding period. A number of things including financial strength, market dominance, growth potential, and so on, determines that value† (Little, 2011). For example, recently, the share value of many companies dropped drastically because of global financial crisis; however the share value of many other compan ies did not undergo many fluctuations as a result of the recent crisis. The companies which performed better in share market even in the crisis situations are generally perceived as better companies and the investors may invest more heavily in those shares. The share prices of better performing companies may not dip drastically even in unfavorable market conditions. In short, share price of a company is directly proportional to the growth of the company; when the company grows, the share prices will increase and when the company underperforms, share prices will decrease. Since dividend is a portion of annual profit made by a company, no company would be able to pay dividends to the shareholders when it underperforms. At the same time, it is not necessary that a company which is able to pay higher dividends is better than some other companies which are paying fewer dividends or no dividends at all. The value of the company can be better judged based on its operations or activities. O nly by generating more cash than it needs to finance its operating plan, should a company pay a dividend. Thus, for a company like Google with attractive growth opportunities, dividends are basically irrelevant to estimate its value. For mature companies, late in their life-cycle, paying dividends is a way to ensure management does not waste funds on silly projects, or build empires. Further, when a company is relatively mature, and it establishes a well-communicated dividend program, it attracts a particular investor

Ch 40 dis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ch 40 dis - Essay Example No doubt free market economy reaps free trade benefits, businesses, and consumers the consumers as well. These have been classified into four main areas a) agreements between competitors b) contractual arrangements between sellers and buyers c) maintenance of monopoly power and d) mergers (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law 1997). The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 is the focal point for antitrust law which subsequently followed by the other States of the United States of America. The congress addressed the weaknesses of given acts and amended it accordingly. In this respect, we may refer the acts of Clayton Act of 1914 and the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936. The efforts of the Congress with regard to enforcement of law are highly appreciated. It should be taken into account the ongoing analysis influenced by economic, intellectual, and political changes. The U.S. Supreme Court has had the leading role in shaping up and applying these laws (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law 1997). Since the association of bakeries is responsible for creating monopolistic environment and raising the retail price of bread from 75 cent to 85 cent at their own whims and fancies, hence found violating and negating the antitrust

5 Understand the application of theories and models of reflection and Essay

5 Understand the application of theories and models of reflection and evaluation to reviewing the students own practice. 1 Be able to investigate practice in your own area of specialism - Essay Example He argued the model of professional training which he termed â€Å"technical rationality† of charging students with knowledge in training schools so that they discharge them in the world of training. The cultivation of the capacity to reflect â€Å"in action† (while doing something) and â€Å"on action† (after you have done it) has become an important feature in professional training programmes. Its encouragement is seen as a particular important aspect of the role of the mentor of the beginning profession. It can be argued that â€Å"real† reflective needs a mentor to guide and ensure the reflection is in line rather than bogged down in self-justification or pity. He suggested that the four lenses offered tools and practices to support good teaching. The faculty to ask the teachers to engage at least one of the lenses from the students and document the progress they see in the students. Teachers’ wishing for excellence may engage more deeply using different lenses that fit the student. The four lenses are; c) Student Lens: engaging with student views of the learning environment can lead to more responsive teaching. Evaluations, assessments, groups focus, can each provide cues to improve teaching and learning d) Literature Lens: Teaching theories provides the vocabulary for teaching practice, and offers different ways to views and understand your teaching. Here you will find ways to utilize scholarly literature in your teaching and critical reflection David A. Kolb was highly influenced by earlier research conducted by John Dewey and Jean Piaget. Kolb’s reflective model shows the idea of experimental learning and is centered on the changing of information into knowledge. This takes place after a situation has occurred, and involves a practitioner reflecting on the experience, gaining a general understanding of the concepts encountered during the experience, and then testing these general understanding

Over Sea under Stone by Susan Cooper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Over Sea under Stone by Susan Cooper - Essay Example So, the children get their Great Uncle Merry to help and protect them. After many exciting adventures, they find the chalice. But to protect it from capture, they throw it to their great Uncle whose waiting for them in a boat just off the shore. Great Uncle merry catches the chalice but a tube which was inside it falls into the sea. This is going to be the start of a new adventure for the Drew brothers and sister. The idea of setting the story in Cornwall came to me after long, hard thinking. In the first place, it had to be somewhere in England because the adventure relates to the legend of King Arthur and his knights. In the second place, I did not want to set the story in an imaginary place but, in a real place which was still full of mystery. After putting all this together, I came up with Cornwall. It's a very remote seaside part of England. It's also a very exciting and mysterious place. Many ancient artifacts were discovered there over the years and the weather in Cornwall is mostly foggy and dark much of the time. Therefore, it has a very adventurous, ancient and dangerous atmosphere. I thought, because of all that, it would be an ideal setting. The three children, of course, are very brave. However, they are also very knowledgeable.

Teaching and Learning Support Essay Example for Free

Teaching and Learning Support Essay Know the structure of education from early years to post-compulsory education. 1.1 Summarise entitlement and provision for early years education. It is the entitlement of each child between 3 and 4 years to receive free part time early years education. The government (in this case Cheshire East) ensures that all children receive 2 free years of education before reaching school age. Early years provisions in schools is about making sure children learn through play rather than through formal education for example in a classroom. However it is to follow the EYFS curriculum until the end of their early years education. 1.2 Explain the characteristics of different types of schools in relation to educational stages and school governance. There are 4 types of school in the UK which all follow the national curriculum which are: Community schools which are run and owned by the local authority and as such will provide support through creating links with the community and providing support services as well as making use of school facilities for example adult learning. Voluntary schools which can either be voluntary aided or voluntary controlled. Voluntary aided schools and run by religious bodies and governed by them. Whereas voluntary controlled schools are funded by the local authority which employs staff but both are usually owned by a charitable organisation. Foundation and trust schools are run and owned by their own governing body but consult with the local education authority. Trust schools will often partner up with a local business which they buy into but gain continued support from said business. Specialist schools are secondary schools with specialist status and through successfully doing so will receive additional funding. Additionally there are now Academies which have usually been set up by sponsors but are now able to do so through community support. The have close links with the local education authority and have more freedom. 1.3 Explain the post-16 options for young people and adults. There are many Post-16 options for young people to undertake and the government guarantees that by the time they leave compulsory education they will have moved to one of these options. Either fulltime or part time education at a college or sixth form. An apprenticeship which includes a job or work placement. Entry to employment or employment with training such as an NVQ level 2.

Donald J. Trump Essay Example for Free

Donald J. Trump Essay Donald John Trump is a real-estate developer who shot to international fame after his hit television series â€Å"The Apprentice†. The best-known facet of his life also happens to be the most motivating one How he bounced back from bankruptcy to being a billionaire again, through a very innovative idea. Donald Trump was born on 14th June 1946 in New York (Allen 2007). The son of billionaire real-estate businessman Fred Trump, Donald Trump or â€Å"The Donald† as he is popularly known, was born with the proverbial silver-spoon in his mouth. After finishing his schooling from the military academy he entered the Fordham University. He went on to study Economics at the Wharton School of Finance, at the University of Pennsylvania. After finishing the college education in 1968, Donald Trump started his career at the Trump Organizations, owned by this father and started assisting him in his business (AE Television Networks). He worked with his father for five years. During this time he made several successful business deals but was disillusioned by the low-profit margins. He shifted his base to the more affluent Manhattan in 1971, to make higher profits and also gain public recognition. He hobnobbed with many rich and influential people and built a niche market around them, by making properties having unique architectural designs. He focused on exclusivity instead of cost-saving schemes, which was the mantra for the builders at that time. His name is associated with the most influential and posh addresses like the Fifth Avenue skyscraper, Trump Tower; the luxury residential buildings, Trump Parc, Trump Palace; Trump Plaza, 610 Park Avenue, The Trump World Tower and Trump Park Avenue. He was also the owner of many hotels like Plaza Hotel, the St. Moritz Hotel, Trump International Hotel and Tower etc. (http://www. nbc. com/nbc/The_Apprentice/bios/Donald_J. _Trump. html) However, the recession times in the 1990s saw a sharp fall in the real estate market. His net worth fell from $1. 7 billion to $500 million. When he was unable to pay a $2 billion bank loan, creditors seized his assets. This left him with about $900 million in personal debt and approximately $3. 5 billion in business debt (Allen 2007). This made him declare bankruptcy. He could bail himself out only when his father died in 1999; and real-estate business was sold. He bounced back both financially and publicity-wise via the reality telly-show â€Å"The Apprentice†. Currently his financial worth is estimated as close to 2. 5 billion dollars, and his catch phrase â€Å"You are fired† is embedded firmly in the minds of the public (http://www. atouchofbusiness. com/business-topics/success-stories/business-leader-trump-0006. html) The huge popularity of the TV show and the financial success it brought enabled Trump to venture into other fields like clothing Trump Mens Collection, magazine Trump Magazine, liquor Trump Vodka, tours – online portal named GOTrump. com, and even education when he opened Trump University in 2005 which offers a degree in business . Personality Traits Donald trump sets himself apart from other people in his leagues purely due to the sheer force of his personality. While his flamboyant nature and his many associations with women have gained him a lot of notoriety, no one can deny that he possesses ‘something’ which sets him apart from other rich people. This has made him make a brand name which sells many businesses including the very successful television series and the many books he has written on his life experiences and means to gain success. One of the most obvious traits he has is intelligence. This does not merely mean possessive a superior technical or business mind, it also points to the amount of calculated risks he has taken over the years and succeeded. While seeming to always go against the flow, his decisions in retrospect always seem to be the most logical way to succeed. As Columbus once said when to his detractors â€Å"Any one would have found newer lands, I thought of it first! † Another obvious trait he possesses is confidence, which shines through all the situations he has faced. For instance, his shifting to Manhattan would have been pointless is he could not get into the inner circles of the rich and famous people in New York. Though he was almost broke when he went to Manhattan, it took him no time to charm the committee people in many exclusive clubs to give him contracts (Biography Channel 2007) Still another trait that has helped him to get past difficult situations is his immense determination to succeed. The adverse situations have merely spurred him to think of unique, away from the stream, way to bounce back. In addition to his many businesses, he also a philanthropist who believes in uplifting the society where one lives. He is associated with many charities and donates generously to social causes. He also has a very charming personality which is probably the main reason for the huge success of his television show. Skills and Strengths Donald Trump in addition to having distinctive personality traits also possesses certain skills that have helped him succeeding in his various ventures. Even in the very early days of his career Trump was known for his consummate skill in making business deals. In fact his father often said that, â€Å"some of my best deals were made by my son, Donald everything he seems to touch turns to gold. † (NetGlimse 2007) He made his first successful deal at the age of 25, when he bought property off a transportation firm which was having financial troubles and sold it to the government. His negotiating skills often allowed his firm to secure loans with little collateral (Allen 2007) He is also an opportunist and is known for spotting successful business opportunities. As an example, while the real-estate business of his father was doing fairly well Donald chose to move his focus from their traditional business of middle-class rental housing to commercial real estate development (Allen 2007). In addition, he also decided to shift the business from Brooklyn to New York which the rich and famous lived. He is known to be a very successful self-promoter, which has led him to become a very successful brand name. From the buildings he has built which bear the Trump name to constantly telling potential ‘apprentices’ that the way to succeed is to be like him, he is carved out a public image in the minds of the people as a cocky, arrogant but immensely successful personality. He has cashed on this celebrity status to sell many books which also bear his name like â€Å"Trump: The Art of the Deal†, â€Å"Trump: The Art of Survival†, â€Å"Trump: Surviving at the top†, many of which have been best sellers. (http://www. nbc. com/nbc/The_Apprentice/bios/Donald_J. _Trump. html ) Leadership in situations As Donald Trump’s television show preaches – leadership is the name of the game. The word leadership means different things in different situations. Trump’s unique leadership qualities make him a cut different than others. For instance the very essence of leadership is having the conviction and guts to take on risks and few have taken risks which Trump has taken. As mentioned earlier in the report Trump was almost broke when he decided to venture into the real estate business for the rich and famous. It was a bold decision to take on especially considering the fact that the immensely rich people do not really allow any outsider to enter their circles, let alone a person who is not of their social standing. That his business was worth billion in a few years span shows how right he was in taking the risk (Chandy 2007) Another important leadership quality is the ability to capture the attention of people positively. Needless to say the huge popularity of his show, demonstrates that he does have this quality which makes people sit-up and take notice. Successful leaders also take responsibility of their actions and have absolute control over decisions. Again as mentioned earlier in the report each of the ventures of Donald Trump unmistakably have the imprint of his persona, not to mention his name. He does not believe in passing around the blame to others when decisions do not gain expected results. Leadership Outcomes The phenomenal success of the â€Å"The Apprentice† is due to the person who has conceptualized the show i. e. Donald Trump. The way the show is run clearly points his personality. The contestants are judged on a weekly basis and there are no appeals to the finals decision. In his words I mean, theres no arguing. There is no anything. There is no beating around the bush. Youre fired is a very strong term. Even the contestants are usually asked to stand up for themselves, which in itself means being leaders (NetGlimse 2007) Leadership also means facing challenges head on. This is evident in Trump’s decision to sell of his family business to bounce back from bankruptcy. There are times when an unsavory decision might be the best decision to overcome a situation. Trump would have to fend off creditors indefinitely if he had not decided to sell off the business. Another leadership trait which Trump possesses is the conviction in his decisions. He has succeeded in making many complex business deals due to this trait. For instance, when Trump moved to Manhattan, he decided to try his hand into building luxury hotels. With this view, in 1974 Trump focused his attention The Commodore. This hotel was unprofitable, but was very centrally located. He managed to convince Hyatt Hotel Corporation to enter into a business deal concentrating on the fact that Hyatt did not have any manor downtown hotels. He also managed to successfully arrange financing for this venture and proceeded to completely renovate the hotel. The hotel was renamed The Grand Hyatt in 1980, and became very popular, making Trump the city’s best known and most controversial developer (AE Television Networks). Conclusion Donald Trump is many times seen as a self-promoter whose proclamations are not credible. In fact people even question his present worth of 2. 7 billion dollars (Allen 2007). However, no one can question the success he has gained through his unique qualities as a pioneer in many types of business. His business decisions have been maverick and controversial but have been hugely successful. He believes in leading by example, which is the chief draw factor of his reality television show. Although his self-promotion comments can be termed as immodest, people modeling themselves after him would immensely profit from his no-nonsense attitude and self confidence. These are the two major qualities leaders need when they are dealing with others if they do not wish to be pushed around by other people. There are many books what preach about the qualities of the leader in a very idealistic way; however people can rarely succeed following only idealistic principles of anything. Another thing which can be learnt from Trump is his â€Å"Never say die† spirit. Every time he come up with an adversity, he just sees it as a means to demonstrate his skills to find a unique solution to the problem. In conclusion, the personality traits of Donald Trump which are mentioned here are the true reasons for his success. While these traits may not make everyone a billionaire, they will surely make people a much confident and self-assured person. References Allen S, â€Å"Donald Trump Billionaire Real Estate Tycoon and Host of The Apprentice†, 2007, New York Times Company http://entrepreneurs. about. com/od/famousentrepreneurs/p/donaldtrump. htm AE Television Networks, â€Å"Donald (John) Trump Biography (1946-)† 2007, http://www. biography. com/search/article. do? id=9511238page=1 Biography Channel â€Å"Donald Trump†, 2007, http://www. thebiographychannel. co. uk/biography_story/1123:1290/1/Donald_Trump. htm Chandy A, â€Å"Donald Trump Biography†, 2007, http://www. buzzle. com/editorials/4-28-2005-69193. asp â€Å"Donald J. Trump as Executive Producer/Host†, 2007, http://www. nbc. com/nbc/The_Apprentice/bios/Donald_J. _Trump. html A Touch of Business, â€Å"Donald J. Trump The Business Leader Who Thrives on the Art of the Deal†, 2007 http://www. atouchofbusiness. com/business-topics/success-stories/business-leader-trump-0006. html NetGlimse, â€Å"Donald Trump-Biography†, 2004, http://www. netglimse. com/celebs/pages/donald_trump/index. shtml

An organisation climate analysis

An organisation climate analysis In this chapter, we will describe the research background which included a clear brief of organization climate, employee engagement, problem statement, research objective, and research question and significant of the research. Research Background The Organization Climate Organization climate usually do not have a clear definition and is simply explained as a perception that every employee in an organization feels, understood and shared (Kouzes, 1993). It is weather that a particular organization is having, reflecting how its system deal with the members. This is something that is difficult to be measured because it is senses or feels of employee perception toward the organization which is cannot be evaluated using tools. The combination of the perceptions reflects the actual work place of the organization. Organization climate is important for the junior employees to observe and adapt. Their observation and perceptions are usually is the better reflection of the truth than senior employees. This is because senior employees perceptions are affected by many factors in the organization. A positive organization climate that set by the executives could be a motivation for employees, resulting effective and efficiency in productivity. Organization climate is determined by factors from both internal and external environment. Internal environment refers to the factors that affect the perception of the employees which occur within the organization and external environment factors are occur from outside the organization which is difficult to predict and control. In our study, we focus in the internal environment rather than external environment. Background of Banking Industry in Malaysia The banking industry had gone through constant transformation over years in keeping up the changing needs of economy. Service quality is one of the important elements to the industry evolved trend (Brown and Kleiner, 2010). Today, excellent service quality had become a crucial factor for a business survival in the present banking industry. This is because the service quality is directly influencing the competitive advantages and corporate profitability. Thus, the majority banks in Malaysia is ongoing their focus in improvement of their service quality. Nowadays, to achieve the prior competitive advantages in the banking industry, the banks must increasing their demand on providing a better service quality, lower interest rate for loan and greater beneficial for the customers. The banks need to embrace changing and response pro-actively in order to maintain its competitive advantage. In the past decade, Malaysia banking industry had been transformed significantly and undertaking the effort of restructuring, placing the financial sector to a new and stronger foundation (Adbullah, Andrew and Boo, 2010). It had successfully integrate many business process and redeployed the resources to support the growth of new areas, increased the flexibility of the financial institutions, resulting in new business opportunity. Besides that, the banking and insurance sector had provide employment to over 123, 000 Malaysia citizens. The service from the sector had benefits many industry development and encouraging development of small business. Such consumers lending had increase from RM 134 billion to RM 343 billion while loan disbursed to small and medium enterprise. The domestic banking institution is expanding, building their strong position in the local country. According to Abdullah et al (2010), there are several trends in Malaysia banking sector. First of all, the trend is the changes in global economy configuration. This trend illustrate the rapid expanding in economy of many developing country had created many business opportunity for global banking sectors. The raise in India, China and South East Asia economies have increase Asias global role. The increment in countries output had boost up the economy in Asia and as a collectively region, Asia contribute about 40% of global and one-fourth of the world trade. This is an open tremendous business opportunity for Malaysia as a part of this dynamic growing region. Secondly, the trend is the current industry is shaping towards the integration of economic and financial regions. The merger and acquisition of many domestic bank with foreign bank had help the domestic bank emerge into a new market, generating a better profit and help the local bank industry expand their target market. The investment among Asias economics is increasing the financial activities. These activities involved merger and acquisition which require fund as capital rising. Thus, financial institutions of the related region are becoming the primary source for them to obtain funds. Thirdly, the trend is the Asia region is moving towards financial integration in helping on the development of financial sector. Many financial institutions were restructuring, improving their financial system in order to attract the investors. The new services or strategies that launch were private equity, structured products, Islamic finance, hedge funds and etc. In developed countries such as America and Europe countries, their financial institutions are sustain fully managed by their strong government in terms of strong economic background, beneficial policies, better living standard and etc. Malaysia, unlikely the developed countries, which is a developing country is unable to gain total control over external environment, therefore Malaysia have to rely on better control in internal environment. Trends of Employee Engagement Employee engagement can be defined as the commitment that an employee has towards the organization, attracted and inspired by the works (Rudledge, 2005). Engaged employees will put their organization in the first place to be concerned, physically and emotionally willing to play their role as part of their organization or sometimes exceeding their duty call to contribute their effort (Seigts and Crim, 2006). They will evaluate every possible alternative to maximize the benefits of their company. In year 2008, Macey and Schneider presented a framework for understanding the elements of employee engagement, illustrating that conditions of the workplace have both a direct and indirect impact on engagement. However, employee engagement required a two-way relationship among employer and employees. Employer is responsible in building clear roles for employees to take part and also figured the best ways to motivate the employees to be engaged. The first way is to remove roadblock of employees to be engaged. This roadblock refers to those barriers such as lack of confidence, negative perceptions towards the company, demotivated factors and others. The second way is creating an engaged culture that beliefs and values are wired spread along the organization. The culture can be effective only when everyone is understood and agreed upon. The third way is to set a proper reward system that is allowing the employees to perceive what they will get as the return from the engagement. Reward is a best way to serve as a motivating factor. When employer getting along with employee, he or she should communicating rather than announcing or listening rather than surveying and paying attention rather than getting attention. Thus, engagement is implemented through persuading rather than enforcing. Besides employer, employees should also play their part to be engaged in organization. They have to set their mindset that they willing to contribute towards the organization without any complaints. They have to observe what reasons that made the employee to be engaged. According to Nitin, (2007), he outlined that the levels of employee engagement can be categorized into engaged, not engaged and actively disengaged. Engaged employees form a bond between themselves and the organization, driving it to move forwards. Not engaged employees satisfied in what they have contributed. Although they are unhappy with the organization but they will not complain about that. They are putting in time but not contributing passion in their work. The last is actively disengaged. They are not only unhappy but also trying to influence others perception and denied others accomplishments. These three categories reflect the current organization climate of a company. Many organization trying to seek a way to influence their employees become engaged, result in creating a positive organization climate. In the other hands, if not engaged employees do not being pay attention, they will slowly become actively disengaged which will result in negative impact of organization climate. Problem Statement Employee engagement has long been a concern of organization climate of its construct to engagement in organizational behavioural. In engagement, people employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances. Employee engagement is very important to determine the future of the organization. Employee is a vital resource for nearly all organization and high performing employee is the organizations valuable asset. This mean when skill employee had started to leave the organization, it is an indication that the organization is in trouble. Nowadays, it is hard to having organization climate in an organization. There are few antecedent variables that will influence organizational climate toward banking industry such as leadership, communication, compensation, decision making and organization design. Based on the study, it revealed that older workers ages between 55 years old to 64 years old have been more loyal to their employers with a median of 9.3 years, while workers ages 25 to 34 have a median tenure of only 2.9 years. That means there is hardly possible to expect younger workers to spend their careers in one organization. They are more likely to resign in the particular organization if th ey get a better and attractive offer in other organization (Taylor, 2006). There is no one will sacrifice and perspiration in one organization without compensation, however, there is a complementary executive compensation strategy that employers should pursue, and it usually involves cash bonuses, stock awards, and deferred compensation plans. Any or all of these may be refined in a manner which are better positions the employer to seek judicial enforcement of loyalty covenants and provides for benefit forfeitures and claw-backs when disloyalty prevails. The lack of awareness regarding significant of employee commitment has caused the high turnover and uncomfortable among the employees. As you can see, some banks which are making huge profits and which have introduced performance appraisal systems do not give any rewards to the lowest category of workers whereas in the higher category they continue to give them huge bonuses (Solomon, 2010). As a result,  National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) members began to wearing of protest badges and slogans demanding a 30% pay increase. So, there is very hard to keep employee loyalty since there are some indistinct factors that influence the loyalty of employee. Nowadays, perhaps that the importance of employee engagement has been overlooked by the banking industry and the industry is more emphasize on looking the new employees and not retain the existing skill employees. However, the replacement can actually cost a company anywhere from 35% to 50% of an hourly workers salary. Based on the research run by loyalty research centre, for a technical or professional worker, the cost can go as high as 125% of that workers salary. According to the loyalty research centre, most of the managers do not realize that how expensive to lose a good worker, those who do their jobs well and productive. For anything less than a loyal, productive worker will cost a company; which is why performance goal setting and review are so important for weeding out the bad ones; or for providing additional training and support to those who can be developed or rehabilitated. Employee turnover is extremely costly to companies with large numbers of employees. In the banking industry, employee turnover can also mean the loss of valuable customer relationships. Hence, it is good to keep the employee rather than recruit new employee. Employee engagement is growing as more important construct, driving and influencing important factors of a business. On the other words, whether the business able to survive in the market is affecting by the employee engagement. Unfortunately, many companies struggle with measuring and improving engagement levels in their organization. Therefore, it is important for companies to have a strong understanding of engagement in order for them to be successful in improving the level of engagement. This study will look at best practices that companies can use to measure and use engagement data as their advantages. Overall, the purpose of this study is to find out where the lacuna is and to try and find what corrective measures can be taken to reserve this undesirable trend. The engagement levels of the entry level employees were observed. Besides that, various factors considered, and thereafter the attempt to address the problem of reducing the turnover level was undertaken. Research Objectives General Objective The primary objective of this study is to examine the relationship of organization climate towards employee engagement in banking industry. Specific Objective To examine the impact and relationship of organization climate which are the leadership, communication, compensation, decision making and organization design towards employee engagement. Research Questions Answer all these question will give more understanding of the dimensions in organizational climate underlying the foundation of employee engagement in banking industry. Does the leadership significantly effect on employee engagement? Does the communication significantly effect on employee engagement? Does the compensation significantly effect on employee engagement? Does the decision making significantly effect on employee engagement? Does the organization design significantly effect on employee engagement? Does the organization climate associate with employee engagement? Hypotheses of the Study H1: There is significant positive relationship between leadership and employee engagement. H2: There is significant positive relationship between communication and employee engagement. H3: There is significant positive relationship between compensation and employee engagement. H4: There is significant positive relationship between decision making and employee engagement. H5: There is significant positive relationship between organizational design and employee engagement. H6: There is significant positive relationship between organizational climate and employee engagement Significance of the Study The main importance and contribution of this research is to improve the awareness and knowledge about employee engagement in private corporate, which is commercial bank. First, this research enables banks allocate in Malaysia to further study on employee engagement with factors that will lead to the loyalty of their employees. By conducting this research, it will recommend the banks effective ways of employee engagement in banking industry. Organizational performance and retention can have a greater impact on an organizations profitability. Therefore, the managers of the particular banks will find out what resources and benefits are most desired by employees and lead to satisfaction and loyalty in that organization by considering on the five dimensions of organization climate of this research and hence make the employer to retain the talented employees. There is hardly possible for corporate researcher to do such study on organizational climate and its influence towards employee engagement in banking industry, so we decided to do such research in order to help the corporate researchers and higher education institution to have better understanding on it as well as serve as a base for the future research towards banking industry. Other than banking industry, it also helps to improve higher education institution interests and concern in employee engagement in other industry. Then, our research studied on employee engagement is also very significant for government that who act as a policy maker. It enables government to uses the research to as the guidelines to amend the policy if necessary to enhance the employee engagement in the banking industry. For example, the current compensation benefit is likely unfair to the employee. Therefore, the government could amend the current policy to be more better, which that the employee will feel more satisfy to it. Chapter Layout This paper is organized into 5 chapters namely introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and discussions, conclusion and implication. Chapter 1: Introduction In this chapter, we will explain the background of our study and clarify the research problems. Then, we will outline our research objectives and questions that to be answer by our result of research. The significant of study explain who will be benefit after reading our project. Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter aims to review the critical points of published and unpublished information on the basis of secondary data on the topic. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source in a clear and logical manner. The aid of theoretical framework and theoretical model will be discuss in this chapter, enables a more understandable problem in this research. Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter encompasses the process of data gathering procedures. This chapter also will discuss the sampling design, data collection methods, sampling design, operational definitions of constructs, measurements scales, and method of data analysis. Chapter 4: Data Analysis This chapter provides the understanding on how data is being analyzed and how the survey data relate to the research questions. This chapter provides the analysis of the related hypotheses. Chapter 5: Discussions, Conclusion and Implication This chapter provides the linkage of all chapters. Also there will be discussions, conclusion and implication of this study. This chapter also will cover the statistical analysis, discussion and limitation of the study. Finally, recommendations and conclusion will be done for the whole research project. 1.8 Conclusion In first chapter, we introduce our topic starting with research background, developed our research problem statements, objectives of our study and also the research question. From the information gathered, we developed the hypothesis of our study.

lost :: essays research papers

"Hello?" "Mike, it's Alex. Victoria was in a car accident last night..." "Oh my God! Is it serious?" "Yes, it's pretty serious. She's still unconscious. Hey listen, buddy, I have to go out of town for a while and I was wondering if you could call the hospital every once in a while because apparently somebody she knows should be around after she wakes up. It sounds kind of silly to me but..." "I'm leaving right now." "Do what you want, Mike. Why don't you get some more sleep; after all it's three in the morning. I've got to go- my plane leaves in an hour. Thanks so much for bailing me out at such short notice, old pal." "Hey no problem, buddy, it's only your wife; no need to be worried or anything..." Mike said sarcastically to the dial tone. Mike ran to the shower and was dressed and in the car in ten minutes. "Excuse me, could you please tell me what room Mrs. Victoria Warner, I mean Smith, is in?" "Yes, sir, she's in room 23, but you can't see her until 6:30. You may wait in the lounge at the end of the hall if you wish." "Thank you very much." Mike looked through the little square window of her door. The private room was cold and dark with green tile covering the walls halfway. She had tubes in her nose, her head bandaged heavily, her arms in casts and her neck in a brace. She had a long cut along her right cheekbone. "You're still beautiful, little Victoria," Mike murmured softly to himself as tears welled up in his eyes. He turned away and walked down the hall to the private lounge. As he walked in and sat down, he scanned the people already there. There was a seemingly nice older couple, two middle-aged women and a young boy. "I REALLY hope her foot feels better after surgery," one of the women said. "No you don't, Susie. You're the one that didn't want to pitch in some money to help her pay the bill," the other said icily. "I wouldn't talk, Jen. You don't even want to be here. I loved those fake tears of concern when they wheeled her in; that was a nice touch," Susie laughed wickedly. "She wouldn't even need to have surgery if it weren't for you dropping that iron on her foot.

Gilman Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Yellow Wallpaper essays

Gilman Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper      Ã‚   Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper," is the disheartening tale of a woman suffering from postpartum depression. Set during the late 1890s, the story shows the mental and emotional results of the typical "rest cure" prescribed during that era and the narrator’s reaction to this course of treatment. It would appear that Gilman was writing about her own anguish as she herself underwent such a treatment with Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell in 1887, just two years after the birth of her daughter Katherine. The rest cure that the narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper" describes is very close to what Gilman herself experienced; therefore, the story can be read as reflecting the feelings of women like herself who suffered through such treatments. Because of her experience with the rest cure, it can even be said that Gilman based the narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper" loosely on herself. But I believe that expressing her negative feelings about the popula r rest cure is only half of the message that Gilman wanted to send. Within the subtext of this story lies the theme of oppression: the oppression of the rights of women especially inside of marriage. Gilman was using the woman/women behind the wallpaper to express her personal views on this issue. The two common threads that connect Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the narrator in her story are depression/postpartum depression, and entrapment within their roles as of women. Specifically, Gilman and the narrator are trying to escape the function society has placed on them. First, after fulfilling their expected duties as wife and mother, both Gilman and the narrator become depressed after the birth of their child. It is this d... ...f all "of those creeping women" trying to escape from the oldness that trapped them, acted as a premonition for changes in women’s rights movement (Gilman 89). For Gilman and her story "The Yellow Wallpaper" life is imitating art.    Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." Images of Woman in American Popular Culture. Ed. Angela G. Dorenkamp, et al. Port Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1995. 78-89. Kessler, Carol Parley. "Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860 -1935." Modem American Women Writers. Ed. Elaine Showalter, et al. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1991. 155 -169. Scharnhorst, Gary. "Gilman." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. 209-210. Wagner-Martin, Linda. "The Yellow Wallpaper." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. 981- 982.   

Organic food sector

This document is an information report providing a micro and macro environmental analysis of the organic industry. It gives specific attention to the European and German market and to the retail industry in particular. A brief introduction, also focusing on the reasons and criteria for the selection of such sector, will be followed by an assessment of the aspects at the micro and macro level that affect the players operating in it. To facilitate the analysis I will pretend that the writer of the following report is a manager operating in the broader food industry.Since we operate in the food retail industry, both nationally (Germany) and on the European level, I suggest, as sales director of this company, to consider entering the organic branch, since it has been growing steadily in the last 2 decades. Organic farming can be regarded as method of production that gives particular attention to environmental protection and animal welfare, thus avoiding the adoption of synthetic chemical means and the production of genetically modified organisms. The industry is highly regulated, requiring producers to acquire special certification to sell goods as organic within given borders.The market has been growing steadily, as suggested above, and is still doing so despite the economic and financial crisis; it grew globally by more than 25 per cent since the start of the global crisis between 2008 and 2011. According to the latest data (Fill and ‘FOAM, 2013), 37. Million hectares of agricultural land are nowadays organic (they were 11 million only in 1999) and 1. 8 million producers world-wide are reported (from 252 thousand in 2000). The global sales have also seen a dramatic increase, climbing by almost 200% in the last 10 years.Although this industry accounts only for 1-2% of the total food production globally, almost 10% of the total food sales share is covered by it. Fig 1 . Organic agricultural land by region, 1999-2010 Despite the number of producers and retaile rs, as I will elucidate later in this report, has been increasing year after year in order to cover the high demand for this kind of rodents (mostly driven by concerns about private health on one hand and the global environment on the other), I believe there are still good opportunities for ambitious firms to enter – at any point of the supply chain – this relatively new and steadily expanding market. . Macro environmental analysis The environment where firms operate includes several forces that affect their activity, from the acquisition of resources, through the process of transformation of such input, and finally to the creation of an output. The more external forces (general or contextual, such as political, cultural, social and legal) are the ones influencing the rim in a more general way, as opposed to the operational ones, which affect the business on a daily basis (Ian and Christ, 2006).In this part I will refer to the external range of influences and observe h ow these can have an impact on the organic industry. As said, the focus will be on the European market and on Germany, which represents the biggest player in the E area and the second largest globally. Selection of factors To carry out this task I have asked my team of analysts to perform a Pestle analysis, which takes into account political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental aspects.It is usually performed by almost every major and minor organization in order to get an overview of the whole scenario of a particular industry or branches of it. Of course the elements considered vary in importance based on the industry and the goods involved. In the organic sector's case, the socio-cultural, political and legal aspects are particularly crucial and the report will give a particular attention to these; in addition, other factors not (directly) included in Pestle but that it is important to mention when analyzing this particular industry, are the demographi c and regulatory ones.Environmental issues also represent a major concern. 2. 1 Specific macro-factor analysis 2. 1. 1 Political factors These basically represent to what extent the government (local, national or supra- national) intervenes in a particular industry. Demand for bio products and the growing popularity of organic farming within Europe has fostered the development and implementation – through the European Commission, The EX. Council and the EX. Parliament – of official rules, programmed and plans.This level of action is closely related to the regulatory one, which will be more thoroughly addressed in the section following this one. The most relevant document to mention in this part is the â€Å"European action plan for organic food and farming†, which comprises 21 initiatives in order to develop the market and get better standards by increasing transparency, reliability, efficacy and consumers' trust. Also at the national level many governments have been providing their plans and policies in order to support the growth and efficiency of the organic industry.In Germany, for instance, the range of governmental assistance in the last decade has increased significantly both through the Federal Government and the Leander; the measures are directed both to organic agriculture and to the whole supply chain (Nibbler and Kenneth, 2007). Environmental objectives, as well as the opportunity for rural development, are the main goals of the government's financial, legal and regulatory support for operators dealing in this industry. 2. 1. 2 Legal and regulatory factors The political intervention in the industry is, as discussed, very present and fundamental for its growth.Although it might benefit the overall sector, the high level of laws and regulations represent nonetheless a potential barrier for new entrants. In 2009 the EX. introduced new regulations regarding the production, control and babbling of organic goods. These put an ever bi gger attention to environmental, animal and consumer protection and health. For instance, food can be sold as organic only if 95% of its ingredients derive from organic agriculture and processing. Closed cycles (using internal resources) are favored to open cycles; external resources should be limited to natural or naturally obtained materials.Only in exceptional cases, thoroughly evaluated by the European Commission, chemical synthetic resources may be allowed if other suitable alternatives are not available. 2. 1. 3 Economic factors Europe has, according to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 25% of the world's organic farmland, but it represents almost half of the global revenue within organic industry (the American market is still the world's largest). Sales of organic products were approximately 21. 5 billion Euros in 2011 (Fill, 2013).The largest market for organic products is Germany, with almost 7 billion Euros (Nielsen and Braun, 2013), followed by the I-J (3 bil lion Euros), France and Italy (both 2 billion Euros). Fig 2. Sales growth of German market in 2012 The German market grew by 6% in 2012 up to 7. 04 billion Euros, showing a stable Roth and representing 3. 9% of the entire food market; the increase in the previous year had been even higher (9%), influenced by several food scandals that drove more and more consumers from conventional food to bio products.Fig 3. Sales growth from 2000 to 2012 Fig 4. Organic food sales in Germany (2012) 2. 1. 4 Socio-cultural factors (and demographic ones) A growing number of people are nowadays more informed, health- and environment- conscious than ever; they are thus willing to spend more on healthy natural foods, since there is widespread public belief that organic food is much safer, more atrocious, and environmental friendlier than conventional food.In any case it is important to note that â€Å"regardless of whether any measurable health benefits exist from consumption of organic produce, the pub lic perception of health gains associated with organic produce is undoubtedly influenced by statements that are not (yet) able to be supported by scientific evidence. † (Givens, 2008).Demography also plays a very important role in an increasingly aging Europe; in Germany (one of the countries with the lowest birth rate), the typical heavy consumer of this kind of rodents is in his mid ass (thus belonging to the generation of the forerunners of the ecological movement in this country) and with a good income level. Young consumers, such as students and entry level workers, tend to opt for more affordable options. The market is slowly opening to 30+ customers, mostly young professionals fond of a healthy and dynamic life-style. . Micro environmental analysis This section of the report will mainly focus on Porter's â€Å"5 forces analysis†, concentrating the analysis on those factors that can more directly influence the daily activities of a firm operating in the organic in dustry, affecting its ability to satisfy its customers and make a profit. As the producers' scenario is particularly fragmented, the study will give particular attention to the German retail industry and often assume the perspective of the five largest specialist retail chains operating in it.Three forces relate to ‘horizontal' competition, such as the threat of substitute products or services, the threat of established rivals, and the threat of new entrants; the two remaining forces represent ‘vertical' competition: the bargaining power of suppliers and the one of customers. . 1 Threat of established rivals (intensity of competitive rivalry) In Germany organic products are sold as follows: 35% in traditional supermarkets (around 40. 00 shops) 23% in specialist shops (around 2000 shops; there are 17 organic supermarket chains, the 5 biggest are Lunar, Vital, Den's Bio, Basic and Redford). 19% in discounts supermarkets (more than 10. 000 shops) Fig 5. Number of specialize d organic outlets in Germany (2008) It is therefore clear that, despite being this sector quite young, the number of actors operating in it is very high; this great level of rivalry determines a high threat to profits.It is furthermore important to note that these operators vary consistently in cost structures and have different levels of exit barriers; bigger, traditional retailers/ wholesalers (such as Metro, Rowe and Deeds) have an advantage in terms of economies of scale, although they will have to face stronger exit barriers, considering the amount of their investments. According to recent research (Bifocal, 2010), the further development of the specialized organic market sector will see a decrease in terms of market share in favor of traditional supermarkets; nevertheless, the overall turnover will increase.This is mainly due to the fact that specialized retailers can provide a wider range of products, a more regular supply, competent staff and the availability of non-foods it ems as well. 3. 2 Threat of new entrants The highest threat is represented by traditional supermarkets with re-branding strategies towards the organic sector, since completely new entrants would face and be discouraged by very strong entry barriers in terms of capital requirements, economies of scale, amount of regulations, experience curve and access to key inputs. The resulting threat to profits can therefore be regarded as medium. 3.Threat of substitute products There are not many direct substitutes for organic food and as long as a large portion of the public will be convinced that it is safer, healthier, more nutritious and even tastier than conventional one, its higher prices will be Justified and the branch will maintain if not increase the market share. Nonetheless, local farmers' markets provide a good alternative for individuals fond of food with no pesticides and with a low environmental impact; even so, their prices are not rarely higher than the ones offered in supermar kets (even if specialized) and their presence on the territory is ere scarce.There are some products and services that could be listed as indirect substitutes, since they also help satisfy the desire of a healthier and CEO-friendly life- style. Fitness centers, wellness programs and sustainable tourism are Just some of these. Despite this, it is important to stress the fact that nutrition is usually regarded as the most crucial factor when it comes to choices taken by consumers in order to improve their personal health and reduce the negative effects on the environment.The resulting level of threat to profits from substitute products can again be regarded as medium. 3. Bargaining power of buyers Consumers' power in this industry is mostly influenced by the following factors: Price sensitivity Buyers are ready to spend more than on conventional food provided that this is justified by higher levels of quality, freshness, taste and the certainty (provided by certificates and labels) th at the production and packaging of goods respect specific standards and norms.Despite this general observation, discount supermarkets have been lately offering similar products to the one displayed in specialized chains for sensibly lower prices, alerting customers that a similar quality can be obtained also or half of the usual price. Price sensitivity is therefore increasing. Information availability This kind of consumer is usually extremely educated and informed and consequently expects a high level of transparency, as well as being well aware of the different alternatives available in order to satisfy his demand.Degree of dependency upon existing channels of distribution Buyers have been increasingly attracted by the offers displayed in the Internet through more or less specialized organic e-shops. This could represent a potential threat (as well as an opportunity for further investment), although most consumers till rely on traditional channels, offering, among other services, the availability of competent and specialized staff.Availability of substitute products See above The resulting level of threat from this force can be regarded as medium to high. 3. 5 Bargaining power of suppliers Contrarily to the US market, where suppliers are extremely concentrated (with local farmers often signing contracts with big corporations) and represent the real dominant power in the organic industry, in Europe they are still very fragmented.They do not represent a big threat for the retail industry. It is furthermore not likely for suppliers to tend towards forward vertical integration. The resulting level of threat from this force can be regarded as low to medium The above mentioned observations can be summarized in the following table, which underlines the micro environmental factors within the organic (retail) industry and their level of threat. Fig 6. Porter's five forces summary 4.Further relevant specific market issues: recent developments in the target market Res earchers Budded and Ham (2011) observe that the traditional parameters necessary to define the usual buyer of organic products (e. . Level of income and education, age, as indicated above), have almost completely lost their previous importance in the last few years; the authors have thus come to the conclusion that marketing campaigns should concentrate on health-orientated specific needs, underlining the naturalness of goods and their lacking of chemically produced ingredients.

Laughter Is the Best Medicine Essay

I. Introduction A. Humour has good healing power and it is good for you. B. Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. C. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. D. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being. E. Laughter is the best medicine. II. Body see more:laughter is the best medicine article A. Laughter activates the Immune System. 1. First sub point a. In their study, the physiological response produced by belly laughter was opposite of what is seen in classical stress, supporting the conclusion that mirthful laughter is a eustress state — a state that produces healthy or positive emotions. Research results indicate that, after exposure to humor, there is a general increase in activity within the immune system. b. An increase in gamma interferon, which tells various components of the immune system to â€Å"turn on.† c. An increase in the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells. d. An increase in activated T cells (T lymphocytes). There are many T cells that await activation. Laughter appears to tell the immune system to â€Å"turn it up a notch.† e. An increase in the antibody IgA (immunoglobulin A), which fights upper respiratory tract insults and infections. f. An increase in IgB, the immunoglobulin produced in the greatest quantity in body, as well as an increase in Complement 3, which helps antibodies to pierce dysfunctional or infected cells. The increase in both substances was not only present while subjects watched a humor video; there also was a lingering effect that continued to show increased levels the next day. B. Laughter decreases â€Å"stress† hormones. 2. First sub point a. The results of the study also supported research indicating a general decrease in stress hormones that constrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity. These were shown to decrease in the study group exposed to humor. b. Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm and increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen. c. Laughter brings in positive emotions that can enhance – not replace — conventional treatments. d. Hence it is another tool available to help fight the disease. Experts believe that, when used as an adjunct to conventional care, laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process. For one thing, laughter offers a powerful distraction from pain. e. In a study published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, patients were told one-liners after surgery and before painful medication were administered. Those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn’t get a dose of humor as part of their therapy. Perh aps, the biggest benefit of laughter is that it is free and has no known negative side effects. III. Conclusion A. Many of us feel awkward in joking in front of terminally ill patients. Many may even consider it inappropriate or insensitive. However, it has been known scientifically that the best thing you can do to your friends is to provide a humorous environment and let them â€Å"forget† about their condition. Sitting and feeling sorry for their condition will not help them much. B. Laughter really is the best medicine. Sources: * http://www.holisticonline.com/Humor_Therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm * ————————————————- Top of Form

IP Art Appreciation AIU Online Essay

Among the three artists Rubens, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt there have been many magnificent works of art. There are many different similarities and differences within each Artists works, aesthetic qualities and symbolic significance, as well as the artists’ points of view for each work of art. Rubens, (Peter Paul Rubens) â€Å"was a prolific seventeenth-century Flemish Baroque painter, and a proponent of an exuberant Baroque style that emphasized movement, color, and sensuality. He is well-known for his Counter-Reformation altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects.† He began by visiting many famous artists and copying some of their works of art to develop a sort of sense of understanding for this type of art and how it is create. One of his paintings â€Å"Head of Medusa† can be seen by many as very grotesque, yet it is incredibly detailed and realistic. Medusa was known as a Gorgon in Greek mythology, and that was of evil. Many often described her as a winged type creature with head of snakes. Though, she was mortal and Perseus killed Medusa by decapitating her. Medusas death is found in the epic, Argonautica. This painting is most likely depicting the defeat of evil, and intended to be very dramatic, catching the viewers’ attention immediately. (Rubens.org 2013) Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) â€Å"was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. He is commonly placed in the Baroque school, of which he is considered the first great representatives.† He was also one of the many artists that Rubens copied in his times of studying art. â€Å"The intense realism or naturalism, for which Caravaggio is now famous, is used in the majority of his paintings. He preferred to paint his subjects as the eye sees them, with all their natural flaws and defects instead of as idealized creations. This allowed a full display of Caravaggio’s virtuosic talents. He was also widely known as the most famous painter in Rome. His painting of Medusa in a leather jousting shield is very similar in meaning to that of Rubens painting, though  Caravaggio’s depicts that of the incident where the Goddess Athena placed in upon her shield because any who looked upon the head of Medusa would turn to stone. Both Caravaggio’s and Rubens painting are grotesque and dramatic, yet a beautiful display of their own imagery. (Caravaggio.org 2013) A writer named Walter Wallace gives an incredible and justifying description of Rembrandt ( Rembrandt Van Rijn). He states â€Å"In life Rembrandt suffered far more misfortune than falls to the lot of an ordinary man, and he bore it with the utmost nobility†¦. The child of poor, ignorant Dutch peasants, Rembrandt was born with near-miraculous skill in art. As an uneducated young man, he established himself in Amsterdam, married a beautiful, wealthy, sympathetic girl named Saskia, and enjoyed a brief period of prosperity and fame. However, because men of genius are always misunderstood by the public, fate snatched him by the throat†¦. Rembrandt responded with a masterpiece, a fact unfortunately apparent only to him and his wife. Everyone else, from the burghers to the herring-peddlers, thought the painting was dreadful. Rembrandt’s patrons hooted in rage and derision, demanding changes that the artist, secure in the knowledge that posterity would vindicate him, stubbornly refused to make.†(Wallace 1968) Like Caravaggio and Ruben, his works could be just as realistic and gruesome, yet seem to take your breath away at the meaningful imagery that they all portrayed. One of his paintings The Blinding of Samson, he depicts armored men holding down Samson, and taking a knife to his eyes, thus blinding him. This is of course representing the Blinding of Samson that is portrayed in the Holy Bible. This artist captures the viewers attention by the emotion of this moment. It was also very common to see stories of the Bible depicted in artists work during this time period due to The Roman Catholic Church’s stand point at that time. The three artists Ruben, Caravaggio, and Rembrandt all created amazing works of art, with similar interests as well as display of their own imagery. All three works of art depict similarity that suggests they are from the same time period, such as the style, detail of dramatic facial expressions, and that each was of some sort of mythology or theory that they firmly believed on or felt an intense obligation to share. References: Caravaggio, The Complete Works. (2013). Retrieved on September 28, 2013 from: http://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/Medusa,-painted-on-a-leather-jousting-shield,-c.1596-98.html Peter Paul Rubens, The Complete Works. (2013). Retrieved on September 29, 2013 from: http://www.peterpaulrubens.org/biography.html Wallace, Walter. (1968) â€Å"The Legend and the Man,† in The World of Rembrandt: 1606-1669. pp. 17-25.

Health Care Decisions of the Mentally Ill

The mentally ill are an extremely vulnerable group when it comes to receiving adequate health care as well as being â€Å"allowed† to make those critical decisions that affect their lives. Although the perception exists that as a whole the mentally ill are ill equipped if not downright incapable of making those decisions, the reality is not so carved in stone.   The stereotypes of the mentally ill both lessen their ability to â€Å"participate in the management of their illness and achieve desired treatment outcomes,† and â€Å"encourages pessimistic and non-therapeutic attitudes and behaviors among clinicians making them receptive to the requests of their mentally ill patients.† (National 2006 p. 80). The perception is that the mentally ill pose a danger to both themselves and society, therefore need to have all â€Å"important† decisions made for them, just as a child would. The mentally ill are often coerced into making decisions that are neither true to their wishes, or good for their lives. In reality, the majority of the mentally ill are quite capable of making their own health care decisions, and only rarely does their illness affect those decisions, requiring a family member or friend to step forward. Research has shown that the mental health population has â€Å"elevated rates of some disease and health complications from psychiatric medication,† and, in fact tend to die at significantly younger ages than the general population. (Mental 2006 p. 1).   There are, of course, circumstances where intervention by another party becomes a necessity.   In the more severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or severe bi-polar disease, the ability to make rational decisions can become severely impaired, requiring a guardian ad-litem to make decisions that are in the best interest of the patient. Our current system of HMO’s also put the mentally ill patient at a further disadvantage because â€Å"psychiatric disorders leave people ill-equipped to handle the bureaucratic roadblocks inherent in managed care.† (Perina 2002 p. 1). Because there are no concrete routine blood tests or CAT scans that definitively say that a person is ill, the science is much more subjective, therefore more fraught with stumbling blocks. As stated, in most cases, the mentally ill are still quite able to make their own health care decisions and should be allowed to do so without the stereotypes and hardships to make those decisions more difficult. Works Cited: Mental Health Articles (March 15, 2006). Creative Strategies Improve Medical Care for Mentally Ill. Retrieved May 31, 2006 from: http://www.emaxhealth.com/7/4939.html National Academics Press (2000). Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance Abuse Patients. Retrieved May 30, 2006 Perina, Kaja. (Mar/April 2002). Battling for Benefits. Retrieved May 31, 2006         

American Minorities and Sports Essay Example for Free

American Minorities and Sports Essay Sports have always had an enormous impact on American society and culture. People use sports at all levels, whether it’s youth, high school, college or professional, to help build an identity, connect with others and grow as individuals. Even though American is a diverse country made up of different races, nationalities and ethnicities, discrimination has been in issue throughout America’s history. Sports took on an even greater meaning for some minorities during the 20th Century, especially Europeans and blacks. They used sports as a means of vertical mobility in order to advance themselves socially in America. The idea of social mobility was one concept that originally drew many immigrants to the country. Between 1880 and 1915, around 26 million immigrants moved to the United States, and about half came from several areas of Europe (Moore, 2011a). America offered the chance for people to better themselves and someone from any background could become successful and rise above their parents. During this time, Americans were already viewing sports as an important and democratic part of life, because it judged people on their talent and skill alone (Reiss, 1980). Competition was an opportunity to prove and show off your â€Å"manliness† and power. Sports were also seen as a way to gain vertical mobility, and for Europeans, it was a way to become more accepted into the American culture. Although they received more respect than blacks, they mostly were not considered truly â€Å"American† (Moore, 2011a). Boxing was a popular sport among young immigrants. Boxing was a sport that proved â€Å"manliness† and toughness, and turning professional meant chances to earn prize money. Most immigrants from Europe lived on the East Coast in cities that quickly became crowded and poor, and fighting was a functional skill to learn while living in the ghetto neighborhoods (Reiss, 1980). Boxing became a social ladder for ethnic groups since one group seemed to dominate until another group became better. Whoever were better boxers at the time were viewed as the tougher race. In the 1800’s and early 1900’s the Irish held most of the Heavyweight Championship titles, with boxers like John L. Sullivan, Jack Kilrain and Gene Tunney (Sowell, 1983). In the 1920’s and 30’s Jews began to have success in the ring, with 1913 being the only year in since the start of the century that there was no Jewish champion. In the two decade span they held 18 titles (Moore, 2011a). These champions were important to the Jewish in proving their worth to the country and countering the discrimination that the Nazis in Germany were trying to spread. Boxing for European ethnic minorities served as a way to prove their race’s toughness, and prizefighting was a way to leave the poor ghettos and make a decent life for themselves. Italians were slower than other groups in their involvement with sports. Between 1899 and 1924 about 4 million immigrated to the United States and settled in the crowded East Coast cities (Reiss, 1980). The Progressive movement was gaining popularity at the time, but because of their past in Italy, many Italians mistrusted governments telling them what to do and what their children should do (Moore, 2011a). However, 2nd generation Italian-American children were given opportunities to play sports through the creation of the Public School Athletic League. In 1905 historian Camillo Cianfarra tracked the Italian youth development in sports and observed: â€Å"In our public elementary school competitions, our children are not inferior to the children of other nationalities, in the lists of gymnastic [track and field] winners the Italian names appear quite frequently as they appear in the rosters of teams involved in inter-high school competition† (Reiss, 1980). Baseball soon became a popular sport with the Italians, and they became very successful with the sport. By the time of the Depression, Italians were becoming a majority in the Major Leagues (Moore, 2011a). Italians success in baseball gave them social mobility, but they were also still discriminated against. Some of the best players in the league in the 1930’s were Joe DiMaggio, Tony Lazzeri, Frank Crosetti and Ernie Lombardi (Baldassaro, 2005). Joe DiMaggio helped Italians gain more exposure and respect when he became the best player in the league and an American celebrity (Moore, 2011a). Blacks in the United States had similar involvement as the Europeans with ports and social mobility, although they faced much more discrimination and rejection than the other minorities. Blacks used sports as a main way to try and prove their equality to the rest of the country. They viewed successful black athletes as heroes and passionately supported them, and used them as a more subtle channel to showcase their fight against the discrimination and hate that they faced daily. Boxing featured several black champions and was a popular sport, just like it was with the European minorities. One of the earliest black champions was Peter Jackson, an Australian who won the Heavyweight Championship over there in 1886. He traveled to America in 1988 to fight John L. Sullivan, who held the Heavyweight Title, but Sullivan refused to fight him because he was black. Besides that setback, he was considered one of the best boxers of the time, and blacks loved him because he was a respectable man and proved black equality with his victories. Frederick Douglass at the time said, â€Å"Peter is doing a great deal with his fist to solve the Negro question† (Moore, 2011b). He was also respected within the white community because he never bragged or belittled an opponent (Moore, 2011b). People around the country of any race looked up to him as a role model. Although Peter Jackson helped gain some respect for blacks in white America, it wasn’t until Joe Louis that Americans found a black athlete that was embraced as an American hero. Louis was born in Alabama in 1914 as the son a sharecropper and great grandson of a slave. His family moved to Detroit in 1924 where he soon took up boxing. After ten years of hard work he won the Golden Gloves as a light heavyweight and his career took off from there. One of his biggest victories was against former heavyweight champion Primo Carnera in front of a crowd of 62,000 at Yankee Stadium (Official Site, n. d. ). Louis’s symbol as an American hero though didn’t fully happen until he avenged his loss against German champion Max Schmeling with a first-round knockout in 1938, during the time of the Nazi’s dominance in Europe. It was this victory that caused the American people to see him not as just another black fighter, but as an American hero. It helped to counter the impression of successful black athletes that Jack Johnson, the previous black heavyweight champion, had left, and in a way almost transcended his race (Schwartz, n. d. ). â€Å"What my father did was enable white America to think of him as an American, not as a black,† said his son, Joe Louis Jr. â€Å"By winning, he became America’s first black hero† (Schwartz, n. d. ). In the 1960’s, black athletes used the world’s biggest sporting stage to fight racism and show their protest against the discrimination that they were still facing. In October 1967 the Olympic Project for Human Rights was established by sociologist Harry Edwards and others, mainly athletes. The goal of the organization was to protest segregation and racism in sport and society. A boycott of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics was suggested but never happened, yet several members still used the Games as an opportunity for the organization. Many on the US Track and Field team wore black socks as support of the black community, or badges of the OPHR (Henderson, n. d. ). The most famous act of protest however was from sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who finished 1st and 3rd in the 200m final. On the medal podium, they each raised a fist while wearing a black glove. The act led to the International Olympic Committee president, Avery Brundage, suspending them from the rest of the competition and forcing them to leave (Moore, 1991). Although the protest had negative consequences for the sprinters, it was another key moment in sports that showed how the black community rallied around its athletes and used sports as a way to come together and fight for civil rights. Sports and competition were important in minorities efforts to advance in 20th century America through vertical mobility, although the reasons were different for each race. Europeans struggled with adjusting to a new country and culture, and sports helped serve as a way to assimilate more with the American culture and be accepted. Because of the large numbers of immigrants in the late 1800‘s and early 1900‘s, most lived in poor, crowded urban areas. Being successful in sports meant a chance to become professional, leave behind poverty, and make a life for yourself. It was essentially the â€Å"American Dream. † Sports had a slightly different meaning for black Americans. The United States was still a country of discrimination and oppression, and black society used their successful athletes to empower and unite them. Through heroes like Joe Louis, they fought against the discrimination and tried to prove their equality to whites. Both minorities in the 20th century viewed sports as a key tool in their struggle for acceptance in American society. American Minorities and Sports. (2017, Jan 08).