Online Shopping vs Traditional Shopping Essay

Shopping always has been associated with long, dragging lines, parking issues, and the hassle of driving around from store to store until we finally find what we need; but not anymore. Online shopping has given people the freedom to shop at home wearing only their pajamas and still get what they want. Although this might seem like the answer to prayers of many people, online shopping has its flaws as does traditional shopping. To facilitate this decision we have to see if online shopping can measure up to the purchasing power of traditional shopping. To do this we need to weigh both methods to see how they compare to one another. Online and traditional shopping offer choices to shoppers; knowing the risks and benefits of both alternatives is necessary for them to make a smart decision. Online Shopping: When it comes to online shopping the idea of shopping in the comfort of your own home is very appealing to most people. You also have the choice of browsing different sites to find what you need instead of wasting gas and time driving around different stores. Also, many people dread standing in long lines especially during the holiday season. Online shopping offers a retreat from these situations. Another good thing about online shopping is that things are easy to find online. You just type whatever it is your looking for on a search engine and you will get many suggestions of sites on the item. And perhaps the best feature of all is the price reduction offered by the online option. The reason for this is because taxes seem to be lower or nonexistent on some products in some states when shopping online. Online shopping also prevents consumers from walking around with a big wad of money that can be easily lost or stolen. The flaws of online shopping usually come between the reliability of the websites, the risk of identity theft, and the risk of credit card fraud committed by computer hackers. There is also a risk of running into a website that can infect your computer with various kinds of viruses. Reading online reviews about certain websites can sometimes help in this matter. Quality is sometimes an issue with online shopping because you don’t physically see or try out the product before you make the purchase. That is  a huge turn off for most people because research has shown that motor skills are very important when it comes to activities such as shopping and people just plain and simple want to see and test out what they are purchasing. For example, ladies want to test out the new perfumes but cannot do that through the computer. Sometimes there are certain items people like to try out and physically see what it looks like on them, but obviously they can’t do that online. Another disadvantage to online shopping is the fact that you have to wait to receive your item. So, if you are in a rush then you are out of luck. This probably means that grocery shopping online is not a good idea. Method of payment is another risk by itself. Usually credit cards are the preferred method but sometime you can use PayPal. But, it is risky to use credit cards online because you don’t know who is looking at your information. With that being said, it is probably a good idea to make sure you are using a good anti-virus program before going on a shopping spree online. Traditional Shopping: In traditional shopping you simply get in your car, drive to your favorite store (possibly with a friend with you) and buy what you want. It is an opportunity to socialize as well as having the excitement of being in a store with millions of products which you can see and try before you purchase. This method allows you to get the item right now without having to worry about the product being lost in the mail. Also, if you don’t like something or if something doesn’t fit you can just simply take it back to the store and get a refund or your money back instantly rather than waiting for the postal service. Conventional shopping has a certain vibe or electricity to it which is hard to experience from a computer. Traditional shopping sounds great; however it does have its issues. Some of the problems with traditional shopping include gas money spent driving around to different stores looking for what you want. Sometimes what we are looking for might be available in a store in a different state. And that makes it pretty impractical to obtain that item which leaves us to basically wait until it comes to our favorite store. Also, trying to find parking at big department stores and malls can be very troublesome. Some  people simply forget where they parked. Some people accidently lock the car keys in the car, or sometimes we have to deal with traffic jams that cause unnecessary stress. It is just the overall consumption of time and energy that most people find difficult. You will also experience a phenomenon known as shopping rage which is more common during the holidays. People get tired and frustrated during the holidays and let their frustration out on other people when shopping. It is very uncomfortable in those situations especially if you have your kids w ith you at the store while shopping. This is something you won’t have to deal with when you are safe at home on your computer. The online shopping industry is growing more and more and there is good reason to believe that this growth will continue. One major factor to this prediction is that people are in fact saving money online because of the vast availability of items and because of the competition this creates among online stores. Despite its advantages, online shopping is still a relatively new concept for most people and because of this online shopping will fall behind the traditional shopping market, at least for now. It is a personal preference when it comes to choosing the two different shopping methods. Just like anything else they have their pros and they have their cons. Just remember to shop the way you feel comfortable and you will automatically become a smart and knowledgeable shopper. Happy shopping!!!

Different learning styles Essay

Equality means that we should all have equal access and equal opportunities to learn and be successful regardless of gender, race, religion, and ability. Diversity refers to the fact that we are all different. Some of us are male, some female, some tall, some short, some dark skinned, some light skinned. We come from different cultural backgrounds, different faiths, and different family groupings. And we have different learning styles, different personalities, etc. Because we are all different, or diverse, from each other, every classroom is diverse and every teacher must be prepared to work with a great variety of students. Inclusion is the practice of including differently abled learners into a mainstream classroom of students with primarily standard abilities. Discrimination refers to the practice of treating someone differently due to characteristics beyond their control, or for which they should not be treated in a negative manner. Some people discriminate against others because of their sex, their age, or the color of their skin. This sounds silly, but a lot of us do it without even realizing we are doing it. We need to accept people at face-value instead of judging them based on minor circumstances or superficial characteristics. The Children Act (2004) places a duty on all services to make sure that every child has the support they need to achieve .Inequality and discrimination can stop children from reaching these outcomes, so we have a duty to challenge this. Equality Act 2010 Disability Act 2005 Employment Equality Act I actively encourage and support young children in embracing both diversity and equality. I make sure each child feels a sense of belonging. I observe and listen to children’s play and adult interaction to identify any bias or discrimination then develop methods to deal with issues that arise. Every aspect of the setting comes into play: how children relate to each other, and how language is used, how and what discussions take place, and what activities are undertaken.

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to Essay

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to reproductive success, and how this has affected human mating preferences - Essay Example The reproductive value of males is not determined by physical appearance but reproductive investment (Ellison 14). Genetics and behavior reveal that males are aggressive and competitive though certain traits strengthen the capacity of other individuals. Behavioral traits such as boldness, assertiveness and activeness make the dominant male more attractive to the females. A high status male is quite preferable as a mating partner. The male guarding trait is significant in the reproductive success because a male who protects his offspring has the potential of achieving reproductive success. The age and maturity of a dominant male affects reproduction. Younger males are viewed as fit for copulation and breeding in comparison to older males. Fertility in males is also important in reproductive success because sperm competition is linked with length. The longer the sperm tail, the faster it can swim and the higher the chances of fertilization. Human males with longer sperms are more viable and vice versa. Human male height is quite preferable because it is associated with strength and protection by the female counter parts. The male body size is significant in selecting a mate. It is a fact that women prefer men with broad chests and muscles as compared to thin short men (Cartwright 87). Females choose their breeding mates after considering certain factors. An example is good genes because they look for males with certain phenotypes with the hope that these characteristics will pass on to their offspring. Hormone regulation and age is a major determinant of reproductive success in females. Estrogen is an important hormone in human females during breeding and pre breeding. Its concentration is associated with reproduction success. Older women who have attained menopause are incapable of conceiving while younger women are highly prolific (Ellison 124). Fertility limits females’ reproductive success in humans. In addition,

Developing Winning Competitive Strategies Essay

Developing Winning Competitive Strategies - Essay Example The digital camera users have appreciated our company's products and for this case, they have developed as a substantial worldwide market share. Our company emphasis on the market share in all continents although we failed to achieve a substantial market share in the United States and Asia since the amount of profit per share we were making was at minimal. We had a notion that the price of our products would assist as gain a substantial market share and for this case, we overlooked investing in the marketing department even though we had invested heavily on in the market share. Our main marketing strategy was our image rating as we believed that this would eventually as it expressed the quality of our product since it attracted more customers to purchase our products. Our sales increased gradually since our customers believed that our quality of the products was high as the quality of the product goes with the image rating as it was our case. ... Another strength that has assisted our company gains a substantial market share is advertising. People have to be made aware of a product for them to be purchased and it does not if the quality of a product is high, if people do not know of its existence, then a low quality may have a large market share since people of its existence. Our company invested heavily in the advertisement as they always exceeded their advertisement budget of $300 to the actual spending of $537 in advertising. Another strength that assisted our company to succeed against its competitors is the market share. We started from the beginning to market our products in all the continents in the world in order to increase our sales revenue. This strength really helped us since we increased our sales and eventually our profits went up as our products were made known throughout the world.

HRM IN BUSINESS CONTEXT Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HRM IN BUSINESS CONTEXT - Coursework Example Along with this another reason for the slowdown in the market is the inflow of the inferior quality of products into the market for futon which has acquired all the market share of the first time buyers or the students. The Furniture Manufacturer’s association have also appealed to the European Union for the control of such imports from India and the countries of the Far East (Hill and Jones 43-45). The changes in the policies of exports and imports of the government may have an effect on the revenue of the company. This will have an effect on the production level of the company and it would employ less people in the process of production. Thus there is threat of competition from the foreign countries. The company is also influenced by the government grants and in order to set up factory in such areas these grants are essential. Therefore it might be difficult for any other competing firm to open operations in Nottingham at ease (Palmer and Hartley 99-116). The availability of the hardwood and the softwood would have an influence on the costing of the company. Thus the barrier to entry is high for the new entrants. The company needs to have enough labour supply in order to continue with the production process. Since there is unemployment in the area the company can get adequate supply of labour. This means that the bargaining power of the labourers is low. The company is also influenced by the various laws relating to the emissions in the organisation. If the levels of emissions are not maintained the company would have to pay a huge amount of fine to the government. Niche Market for Futons and Sofa-beds The market for sofa beds and futons is a niche market because it is targeted towards those customers who are the students or the first time buyers. This market is an extremely specialised market in the town of Nottingham. The market is of the size of 10.7 billion pounds. The company though produces only a certain line of products, the company appeals to people of all the income groups. This is because the company has product made for the people who have lesser amount to spend as well as for those customers who generally look for the premium priced products. The company also caters to the unique styles and the wacky design segments for the furniture cover. These products are preferred by people with a different kind of taste. The import markets of the UK are mainly driven by China which account for 33% of the market share. The furniture is also imported from the Italian as well as German Markets. STEEPLE Analysis Social The products of the company are purchased by the people from different groups of income. Thus the portfolio of niche products of the company includes something to offer to each of the segments. The company has an opportunity to cater to the other markets. Technological The new methods of technique are used in the production process of the company. The company can use the advanced techniques of incorporating the high efficiency cyclones that would reduce the level of emissions. The incorporation of the new technology would also reduce the requirement of people in the company because the production process would be more automated. This would also be an opportunity for the company if the manufacture the various new technologically advanced products. Economic There are several economic factors that may affect the operations of the company.

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Final - Essay Example Democrats were of the opinion that there should be a proper democracy everywhere in US, rather than a division amongst tribes and their rule at various places. So US is bound to expand and to spread democracy everywhere across the continent. That would be very natural for Americans and would be in very much favor of country. During those times, every American was full of nationalism spirit and wanted the country to prosper more and more by acquiring other areas of the continent. This air of rather a selfish kind of nationalism was very much in air particularly after freedom war in 1812. There were many aspects behind this motivation. Religious sector was in favor of making the Indian tribes Christian so that the Christian population becomes more and the souls get satisfaction. They say that God wanted all these things to happen with US. The economic factors were also present as the trade would grow more so there had been the greed for making great entrepreneurs. So overall, there had been a great importance of the concept of Manifest destiny in US history (manifest dynasty. 2011 ). Returning to the discussion that is this concept divides us or unite us, we must keep in mind that Manifest destiny contains the concept of superiority of American over other races or people of color. There was also the concept of cultural superiority that Hispanic people and the native tribes are backward and are not able to move in the world on their own behalf. It’s the people of Texas who represent US in the whole world so they should be the ones who rule over it, alone. This concept eventually caused a lot of slavery in the area after the Mexico war particularly, when many locals were made slaves and were treated badly. This racism and color bias is still present in our society in other forms. Today, most white people consider themselves superior than people of any other race in comparison of culture, social

Clinical objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Clinical objectives - Essay Example The calculation changes on the yearly basis, however, it is crucial for hospitals to stay current on the measures which are included and how their performance on the measures during the defined performance period will contribute to the overall total performance (TPS). To improve the quality of healthcare delivery, it is crucial to ensure that there is patient satisfaction. Hospital Impatient Value-Based Purchasing (HIVBP) program, and the Medicare reimbursements are closely linked to patient satisfaction. Patients have high expectations in their care and the attitude of care givers which greatly contributes to satisfaction. In a period where physicians are being measured by the quality of their treatment, it is crucial to understand the concept of value base purchasing and Medicaid reimbursement. Value-Based Purchasing (HIVBP) program and the Medicare reimbursements are closely linked to patient

Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Paper - Assignment Example America, unlike other powers before it, was declining in both power and influence at a fast rate. It therefore needed an event that could restore it back to its former glory as the strongest in the world. Contrary to the popular belief that the war was about oil, the gulf intrusion was not. The Gulf catered to only five percent of America’s oil needs. Therefore, losing five percent of oil in the process of gaining super power status was not be an issue for America. 2. John McArthur in his book Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the 1991 Gulf War: The press has its pimps as it has its policemen. The pimp debases it, the policeman subjugates it, and each uses the other as a way of justifying his own abuses†¦ but in another sense the press is better than intelligence or progress; it is the possibility of all that and other things as well. A free press can of course be good or bad, but most certainly, without freedom it will never be anything but bad. (199) Citizens are easily manipulated by the media and it is due to this factor that the government controls and manipulates the media, especially in times of war. The public may be denied information or duped into believing that an invasion would be good to them. 4. â€Å"..driven by the imperatives of a rapidly globalizing cold war, the United States quickly dropped all pretense of championing decolonization, particularly in Southeast Asia. American policy makers not only encouraged, they actively intervened to facilitate France’s return to colonial domination in Indochina.† (Adas, p. 29) 5. â€Å"It is a budget of both opportunity and sacrifice. It begins to grasp the opportunities of the great society. It is restrained by the great sacrifice we must continue to make in order to keep our defenses strong and flexible.† (Campagna, p. 32) The Americans were forced to allocate a lot of funds to continue sustaining the soldiers in Vietnam. This is despite the fact that most people were

Essay type questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Type questions - Essay Example They provide their patients with consultation, education and research issues. Another scope of responsibilities is relevant to Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), which are more focused on ambulatory care, surgical settings etc (Utley-Smith, Phillips, Turner, 2007). Therefore, nurses with a special graduate level nursing degree demonstrate a specialized knowledge. The Nurse Educator and Nurse Administrator were excluded from the list of advanced practice nurses, because the former is prepared at the master’s level or with a doctoral degree, while the second one is responsible for schedules of nurses’ practices and other administrative issues. These two professional categories of nurses are educated at the master’s and the doctoral level. There are many challenges in education of nurses nowadays. In spite of the fact that modern nurses have expanded educational programs there are many shortages in practical hours. Therefore, nurses are focused more on skills utilization and not skills acquisition (). There is a great a variety of pathways, but these two categories have different outcomes of their education. For example, the doctoral degree of nurses is more focused on scientific underpinnings. The Clinical Nurse Leaders are more considered about quality improvement of nursing systems and organizations. DNPs are more oriented to improvement and transformation of health care, while CNLs are involved in interprofessional collaboration (Reay, Golden-Biddle, Germann, 2003). The CNL and DNP reflect changes in health care. Thus, CNLs are operating at the micro level and provide with their help small groups of patients. The DNP provide care at the system level (Stolee, Hillier, Esbaugh, Griffiths, Borrie, 2006). They are looking for various decisions outside healthcare system, i.e. they are more open for transformations. There are three positive factors in the process of EBP implementation: therapy efficiency,

Christian spirituality Essay Example for Free

Christian spirituality Essay People in this realm have diverse attention to different facet of their lives. Some of which believes in a certain perception contrary to the views of the other and it all boils down to a premise that we in this universe have enormous preferences which truly makes us unique. Similarly, it has the same wavelength when we put into account the very imperative issue of faith and strong adherence to believing in God. Donald Miller in his masterpiece Blue like Jazz, he exemplifies the avenues of spirituality and how it is possible to enlighten the views of the readers as they go through the work of art. Uplifting the souls is the focal element of the author and parallel to this, the central aspiration of this paper is also to epitomize the intriguing views of the author and at the same time squeeze out the necessary lessons in life that will ultimately open the minds of the readers. By having the views of the book by means of its meaningful experiences of the author, we could have a brilliant grasp to what really is life in a spiritual way. Any occurrences that have been demonstrated in the book will truly it will shed light to our naked eye. The personal reflections of the author contribute to our understanding to the nature of God and how to respond to this indulgent. The ingredients in Donald Miller’s Blue like Jazz are driven by the perceptions towards sex, love, community, family and God. It absolutely speaks on what it feels to have an in depth connection with God and how to examine our inner self on what we truly believed in despite the challenges of our malicious environment. The point of view as regards to searching for spirituality and believers who wanted to have a strong relationship with God was the intentions of this masterpiece. It is intended in the latter part of the paper to expound in a Christian approach the impressions and attitudes in relation to the concept of Miller. Indeed, it is expected that at the end of this paper, the readers should have a strong attachment in relation to the subject matter of spirituality and the things that it entails. Donald Miller tackles the life’s spices which includes sex. The question of does love can be truly be proven by sex is at hand. It has been said that you can love with all your heart but you cannot scientifically examine it. Accordingly, it is an intense feeling which flows inside that makes your personality fortify. The feeling surely brightens our outlook even though it does not undergo several test because what proves it is our own selves per se, â€Å"love for example is a true emotion but it is not rational, what I mean is people actually feel it, I have been in love, plenty of people have been in love yet love cannot be proved scientifically† (Miller, 2003). The author makes use of the penguins as case in point in elaborating how making love can truly transform into something essential in our lives. It says the instances wherein penguins have their own way of showing their love to their partners and at the same time giving value to their siblings. The intensity of emotions in relation to their responsibilities was intact in this scenario. The male penguins take hold of the responsibility of looking after the eggs and in due time the eggs will mature. It has been demonstrated how the female penguins goes back after sometime to witness their little penguin. This was a good elaboration of a strong connection with our loved ones. We sense the right time when it is necessary for us to be there. Similarly, Miller take hold of this picture to emphasize the essentiality of faith that without even seeing it, we know that the love of God is there for us. The timing that the penguins epitomize truly connotes a strong feeling of union that is so unique in our being rational. Being a Christian entails a lot of faith to be able to have a strong grip on what we believed in. Indeed, it signify us the right usage of our intellect and free will as we chooses to have a relationship with our God. â€Å"I don’t think you can explain how Christian faith works. It is a mystery and I love this about Christian spirituality. It cannot be explained and yet it is beautiful and true. It is something you feel and it comes from the soul† ( Miller, 2003), on a brilliant concept, the secret ingredient of a happy life is no other than the healthy bond with God hand in hand with the faith that we have in our lives. In relation to the love that has been showed to us by the instances in the lives of the penguins, we can perceive how essential it is to feel the love and give it back as well. As we all knew, love is a huge topic but at the same time the most interesting subject matter of all time. It is the one wherein we could all take part into. Furthermore, it is the area where varieties of people of all ages can adapt which makes it more interesting for that matter. The reflection of Christ love for the church can emulate in the event of marriage where two souls binds together to be one. The acceptance of differences as well as giving back the love that they received towards the other are the things that makes a real and unconditional relationship. The vocation of marriage enlightens us and ultimately gives joy to our everyday lives. Giving ourselves completely to others has a very deep meaning because it entails acceptance of other person in our life and submission of our inner self. In the circumstance that Miller shares to its readers when he had a conversation with Paul, his friend who is very happy in his married life, he got the realization how incredible it is to be in love and to be loved. Given that some of his friends give him a feedback of a wrong approach of dealing with women, upon talking to Paul he realized that marriage encompass to love your self as well. In order to protect your relationship it is essential to have a factor that will compromise the both parties. In the case of Paul and his wife, they find time to have their own privacy, in that way they’d be able to respect each other which also gives mystery to the relationship that they have, â€Å" I’m saying there are stuff I can’t tell her not because I don’t want to but because there aren’t words. It’s like we are separate people and there is no getting inside each other to read each other’s thoughts, each other’s beings† ( Miller, 2003). In accordance with this, marriage is not all about the two people that has been bind together, it is also about who is the center of their relationship which truly binds them together, â€Å"I am glad I married Danielle and I will be with her forever but there are places in our lives that only God can go† ( Miller, 2003). It is imperative to have God as the center of our relationship. He brings out the best in us when He guides us. As we consistently ask for His love and guidance, the relationship that we have will ultimately be filled with joys and abundance of love, â€Å"I mean that to be in a relationship with God is to be loved purely and furiously† ( Miller, 2003). The best exemplification of what we have learned from the undying love of God to its people was our strength to do the same with our loved one and to other people that surrounds us. As we go back to the essentiality of grace, the application of such is a contributing element in making a successful family life surrounded by blessings and guidance of our almighty. Does the connection we have with God extend a deep relationship with the people that surround us? This is an uncertainty that some of us having a hard time finding the real answer because we are in one way or the other uncertain to what we really wanted to build as relationship with the people we rarely know. Parallel to this, at some in our lives we find it hard to accept a person beyond our wavelength. We set criteria of who we are apt to build rapport to the point that sometimes neglect the importance of a person basing on his or her individuality and not in his/her spirituality. How the community that you belong really changes your outlook in life and your relationship with God? At some point in our lives, we got used to living in our own way far from other people. We live and spend our time alone that we miss the part of our lives that we get along with other people in our community, â€Å"I didn’t know what to think about living in community at first. I had lived on my own for about six years and the idea of moving in with a bunch of slobs didn’t appeal to me† ( Miller, 2003). In lieu of which the exchange of ideas that we get from other people is also essential in our existence in this realm and we could only get this by means of interacting with other people. Like that of what the author showed to us, the interaction with other people was lacking in a sense that became self centered. Some of the people that surround us might misinterpret that gestures that we convey simply because we are not used to living with other people. The lessons of life can simply be available if we look at life in a different manner – and that is to intermingle with the people in our community. On top of this, it is good to apprehend that God enlightens our perspectives in life. He usually guides us in whatever decision we come up to and in this case, God makes him realize the importance to dealing with other people and appreciate their existence, â€Å"God brought me to Graceland to rid me of this deception, to scrub it out of the gray matter of my mind† ( Miller, 2003). The capabilities that the community has could contribute to the knowledge that we have and in this manner, we can help each other grow in our own little way. Family is one of the focal points of our lives. This is where we get the strength and inspiration that we need to continue with our life. We can never deny the fact that this aspect of our life has a huge impact in our personality as well as with the attitude that we project to the people that surrounds us. It is absolutely the time of our life that we think of other people more than our selves because we prioritize our family more than anything else, â€Å"If you don’t love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure and it makes it easy to serve† (Miller, 2003). This instance does not necessarily mean that you wouldn’t love and serve God because you don’t love Him; you don’t love Him because you did not see Him. Ultimately, this is not the case when we talk about our faith and love for God. Our strong belief in the love of God for us and for humanity was undeniably great. We adhere to His principles and we follow His teachings which make us a better person. God’s love for this human race was irrevocably unconditional that he continuously accepts us despite our shortcomings in life. Enormously, God did a magical thing in our lives as he consistently touches our souls and guides our ways. As we scrutinize the importance of the author’s portrayal of what magic truly is, we might get fascinated with the allure of the thought of magic alone. It is true that when we were younger, our attention was easily derailed with the magical world but in fact everything is just a trick. In fact, there is a loop hole in every magic that has been showed to us it’s just that we are too young to recognize it. As a kid, we just focus on the elements that will satisfy our fascination neglecting the truth that magic is just a form of entertainment. â€Å"I got frustrated because everything that was magic was only a trick, meaning it wasn’t really magic, it was an illusion† (Miller, 2003), same with our lives, the figment of our imagination lies on what our naked eyes can reach but we miss the part that the reality of life is always at hand. God provides us with wonderful environment where we could exhaust all our efforts to achieve what is really beautiful beyond the temporary magic that we acquire for a moment. â€Å"Everybody wants to be fancy and new. Nobody wants to be themselves but they want to be different† (Miller, 2003), it is extremely important to pause for a while and contemplate on what we really needed in our lives. We project a gesture that we are different but what is more important is to have a closer look of what magical feeling God is providing us. Indeed, where we lived at a moment is the result of the brilliant love of God for us. What we are in this universe is the output of God’s goodness to this humanity. There are instances in our lives that at some point we have to be rigid with our faith and by doing so, one has to be profoundly knowledgeable on what really comprises his persona and what he truly believes. Having a strong faith is undeniably one of the greatest discoveries in our lives. The very essence of our trust in God is to know the principles of His words, in lieu of which we are apt to follow His commands that are very important in the foundation of our dogmatic belief in God. It is ultimately important for the people to know God and His wonderful deeds. It is beyond doubt that behind God’s creation lays an astonishing message of building ourselves completely. God is all knowing that He provides all the things that we need in continuing the path of our lives. We obey God, we follow His will and we become a better person is what truly matters in this masterpiece. In view of the great knowledge that has been embarked on us making available the work of art of Donald Miller, it gives us the enlightenment that we seek as we go along with the pages of this book. The manner in which the author presents his perception was incontestably comprehensible. It gives his reader the time to contemplate and grasp what he really wanted to go halves. Giving examples as well in the context of his elaboration of his insights truly adds to the substance of his subject matter. It really doles out the purpose of the author to stretch the faith of his readers. The values that we got from Blue like Jazz truly define the voice of God. Beneath the pages of this work of art lies the realization that life is full of magical thought, it is just in our hands to explore these things to make it visible. Our capacity to look at things in a different way is beneficial as we continue to battle with the challenges of life, like that of the book, its mysterious titles expounds what it really wanted to convey in its readers and this is what God wanted to happen, we define our selves in a manner that is reachable and at the same time life worth turning the pages.

Women in Early Twentieth Century Womens Literature

Women in Early Twentieth Century Womens Literature The Relationship between Women in Early Twentieth Century Womens Literature In twenty first century pop culture, relationships between women are portrayed as being tightly knit and balanced as displayed by characters from the book The Friday Night Knitting Club or the television show Sex and the City. While women in twenty first century media very often have a female antagonist, there are the female friends to whom she can turn to when in need of support. However, when comparing early twenty first century media to early twentieth century equivalents, there is a marked difference in the interaction between women. Literature written in the early twentieth century by women takes a significantly different look at relationships between women. When comparing and contrasting the relationships between women in Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Awakening by Kate Chopin as well as Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar there lies the subtle indication that only in a utopian world can a healthy, non-antagonistic relationship between women exist. The very basic relationships or the ones that are initially formed are within the family unit, between parent and child. The women of Herland are essentially one large family unit, one in which motherhood is the primary goal to be achieved, and the relationship between mother and child, no matter the biological connection, is a healthy one. The mothers of Herland are entirely available for their children at every waking moment ready and willing to provide comfort, guidance, understanding, and a helping hand. In contrast, however, Esther Greenwoods relationship with her own mother in The Bell Jar hardly strikes the same chords as the women of Herland. During Esthers hospitalization instead of offering comfort and understanding Mrs. Greenwood assails her daughter with guilt, mentioning that Esther had used up almost all her money and that she should be appreciative of Mrs. Guineas financial aid otherwise she would be in a big state hospital (Plath 185). I hate her (Plath 203) Esther te lls her therapist Doctor Nolan when talking about Mrs. Greenwood and serves to be the culminating statement of their relationship. Whether or not the assertion of hate made by Esther is indeed sincere or stems from her mental state is unclear, however, by merely making such a profound statement and in the context in which it is made displays the troubled relationship between mother and daughter. While it is easy to draw conclusions from Herland and The Bell Jar in regard to the relationship between mother and daughter, in The Awakening it is slightly more difficult given the fact that there is little to draw upon in reference. The Awakenings protagonist, Edna Pontellier, lost her mother at a very early age and very little is mentioned in regard to any influence her mother may have had in her life. However, still within the familial relationship, Edna briefly mentions a sister, Janet, and it can be assumed based on Ednas refusal to attend her sisters wedding in chapter twenty three t hat the two are not close. The very basic unit of female companionship in The Bell Jar and The Awakening create a polar opposite to what is witnessed in Herland in the familial sense. The distinctions between female relationships become further removed between the societies of The Awakening and The Bell Jar from Herland as friendships are explored. In the all female nation of Herland, the women work and live together not only as one large extended family but also as friends, a relationship best reflected by the characters Ellador, Celis, and Alima. These three young women mark the quintessential twenty-first century friendship. While the audience does not witness the friendship between them directly, it is safe to assume that Ellador, Celis, and Alima find one another companionable enough to spend the amount of time they do around each other. Further evidence suggests that they trust one another enough to confide the darkest truths to each other as the narrator Van suggests when he notes that he got a pretty clear account of [Alimas rape by Terry] from Ellador (Gilman 132). In contrast, Edna in The Awakening confides a good part of her troubles to Madame Ratignoll e, she does not reveal so much (Chopin 25) of it as to completely expose herself. On a very superficial level, Edna and Madam Ratignolle might, by Victorian standards, be considered friends; however, the reader senses more antagonism and completion between them. Edna shows element of scorn toward Madam Ratignolle as she describes her as the mother-woman in chapter four sewing a babys garment designed for winter wear, when treacherous drafts came down chimneys and insidious currents of deadly cold found their way through key-holes (Chopin 11). The Bell Jars Esther Greenwood also shares the same type of superficial friendship with Doreen as Edna does with Madam Ratignolle. While Esther and Doreen spend time with one another, there lacks the intimate quality on which real, solid friendships, like Celis, Ellador, and Alima share, are built. It is further shown that Esther cares no more deeply for Doreen than she would any stranger she would meet with on the streets of New York City, whe n Esther decides to dump [a drunk Doreen] on the carpet and shut and lock [her] door and go back to bed (Plath 22). Ironically, all three novels feature environments in which the primary inhabitants are female, and yet still only Herland is capable of sustaining an ideal coexistence.

The Foils of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakes

The Foils of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare wrote the classic play, Hamlet in the sixteenth century.   Hamlet would be a very difficult play to understand without the masterful use of foils.   A foil is a minor character in a literary work that compliments the main character through similarities and differences in personality.   The audience can identify similarities and differences between any of the characters and Hamlet, however, there are two characters that share so much in common with Hamlet that they have to be considered the most important foils in the play.   These two characters are Laertes and Fortinbras.   It is the great similarities between Laertes, Fortinbras, and Hamlet that make the differences so obvious and therefore help to shape the character of Hamlet.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laertes is the most noticeable foil for Hamlet, because of his continual direct involvement in the play.   Laertes and Hamlet have many things in common.   Laertes and Hamlet are both educated men with a high social standing.   Hamlet is the prince of Denmark and Laertes is the son of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain.   Both Hamlet and Laertes desire revenge for the death of their fathers.   Claudius murdered Hamlet's father and Hamlet killed Laertes' father.   Hamlet and Laertes both had an undying love for Laertes' sister Ophelia.   Laertes showed his love for his sister when he warned her about seeing Hamlet.   Laertes knew that as head of the state Hamlet would be unable to choose who he married and that Ophelia would be hurt if she fell in love with him.   Hamlet had an undying love for Ophelia despite his actions and words toward her in Act III.   He shows this at Ophelia's burial when he proclaims that his love for h.. . ...one as important as that which he shares with Laertes and Fortinbras.   Both Laertes and Fortinbras, although in different ways, provided the admiration and pity needed to make Hamlet the tragic hero he was.    Sources Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 1-10. Findlay, Alison. "Hamlet: A Document in Madness." New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. Mark Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York: AMS Press, 1994. 189-205. Goldman, Michael. "Hamlet and Our Problems." Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Ed. David Scott Kaston. New York City: Prentice Hall International. 1995. 43-55 Rose, Mark. "Reforming the Role." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 117-128   

Switzerland Report 2005 Essay -- essays research papers fc

SWITZERLAND Switzerland is an independent country that has been able to maintain its neutrality, making them honored by the major European powers. An interesting historical fact is that Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. Switzerland’s active role in many UN and international organizations has been a positive strategy strengthening ties with its neighbors, but also letting them retain a strong commitment to neutrality. However, Switzerland did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland is located in Central Europe, east of France and North of Italy. Bordering countries are Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein and Germany. Bern is the capital city with Zurich being the largest city. It is mostly mountains and rolling hills with large lakes in the valleys. Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries that I have had the opportunity to visit. The population taken in July of 2004 was 7,450,867. Their population growth rate is .54%. The total life expectancy is 80 years. The country’s nationality is Swiss. The ethnic groups that make up Switzerland are: Germans at 65%, French at 18%, Italians at 10%, Romansch at 1%, and all others at 6%. With the diverse ethnic groups the primary languages follow suit with German speaking at 64%, French speaking at 19%, Italian at 8%, Romansch at .6% and other at 9%. The primary religions are Roman Catholic at 46%, Protestant at 40%, other religions equaling 5%, and an estimated 8.9% are non-religious. Switzerland is known as the Swiss Confederation, with a Federal Republic type of government. The federal state is made up of 26 cantons. Of which 20 are â€Å"full† cantons and six â€Å"half† cantons for the purpose of representation in the Federal legislature. Switzerland’s government is somewhat similar to that of the United States, in that they have a constitution that provides for separation of the three branches of government. Switzerland’s Federal institutions are: The Federal Assembly – a bicameral legislature (The Legislative Branch). The Federal Assembly is the primary seat of power. It has two houses the Council of State and the National Council. These two houses have equal power in all respects, including the right to introduce legislation. The Federal Council – a collegial executive of seven members (The Executive Branch). The Federal Assembly individually elects the seven Fe... ...y at 32.3%, France at 10.8%, Italy at 10.7%, US at 5.5%, Netherlands at 5%, Austria at 4.2% and U.K. at 4.1%. The main industry is services accounting for 69.1%, then industry at 26.3%, and agriculture at 4.6%. Switzerland’s energy or electricity production is 68.68 billion kilowatts, 110/220V and 50H. Switzerland is a member of the UN, The World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries and historically has served as a neutral intermediary and host to major international treaty conferences. Switzerland’s ability to maintain good relationships with so many countries and its power to stay neutral, along with its economy being so advanced and prosperous makes it a prime market for global marketing. It would be a safe market for a business to invest their time and energy in creating a marketing strategy to begin importing and exporting with Switzerland. Works Cited â€Å"The World Factbook: Feb. 10, 2005.† Switzerland. 2005 . â€Å"Michigan State University: 2001-2004.† globalEDGE/country insights. 13 February 2005 .

Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are isolated from mainstream :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are isolated from mainstream society. Discuss the ways in which Atticus Finch and one other character are set apart from the society of Maycomb To Kill A Mockingbird was set in the 1930s in the south of USA, Alabama. At that period, slavery had already been made illegal. But people in the south were a bitter about it because they still believed that they needed the slaves to maintain their cotton farms. They didn't treat the blacks as though they had the same social status as them and basically still treated them as though they were still slaves. This unfair prejudice was widespread throughout the south. "Maycomb", didn't actually exist but was meant to be the embodiment of a typical town in the south at that time. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, she has created characters who seem a little different and thus, isolated from the rest of Maycomb's mainstream society. Prime examples of this isolation are Atticus and the Ewells; particularly Bob Ewell. Probably one of the most important and obvious point to Atticus Finch's isolation is his lack of prejudice towards black people. Although this might not be seen as something unusual at the present day, it was at that time. More obviously so because the story was set in the south where prejudice against the blacks was something that was taken for granted. The people in Maycomb knew that prejudice was wrong and yet, they didn't think that prejudice against the blacks was wrong. They saw it as a separate matter. An example of this would be the teacher telling the children that "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced." The irony in it is that the reader knows that the majority of Maycomb are prejudiced against the blacks and to say that Hitler was wrong in being prejudiced was hypocritical. Atticus though, wasn't prejudiced and this was what made him different. He lets Calpurnia, a black woman, take care and act as a mother to his children. This though is not really seen by the people of Maycomb. To the people of Maycomb, Calpurnia is merely a housekeeper; but she's actually much more than that. As he told Aunt Alexandra when Aunt Alexandra wanted to dismiss her, "She tried to bring them up according to her lights, and Cal's lights are pretty good." Unlike others, he appreciates what Calpurnia did for him. "We couldn't operate a single day without Cal, have you ever thought of that? You think how much Cal does for you?" He says this to Scout when she wanted Atticus to Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are isolated from mainstream :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are isolated from mainstream society. Discuss the ways in which Atticus Finch and one other character are set apart from the society of Maycomb To Kill A Mockingbird was set in the 1930s in the south of USA, Alabama. At that period, slavery had already been made illegal. But people in the south were a bitter about it because they still believed that they needed the slaves to maintain their cotton farms. They didn't treat the blacks as though they had the same social status as them and basically still treated them as though they were still slaves. This unfair prejudice was widespread throughout the south. "Maycomb", didn't actually exist but was meant to be the embodiment of a typical town in the south at that time. In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, she has created characters who seem a little different and thus, isolated from the rest of Maycomb's mainstream society. Prime examples of this isolation are Atticus and the Ewells; particularly Bob Ewell. Probably one of the most important and obvious point to Atticus Finch's isolation is his lack of prejudice towards black people. Although this might not be seen as something unusual at the present day, it was at that time. More obviously so because the story was set in the south where prejudice against the blacks was something that was taken for granted. The people in Maycomb knew that prejudice was wrong and yet, they didn't think that prejudice against the blacks was wrong. They saw it as a separate matter. An example of this would be the teacher telling the children that "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced." The irony in it is that the reader knows that the majority of Maycomb are prejudiced against the blacks and to say that Hitler was wrong in being prejudiced was hypocritical. Atticus though, wasn't prejudiced and this was what made him different. He lets Calpurnia, a black woman, take care and act as a mother to his children. This though is not really seen by the people of Maycomb. To the people of Maycomb, Calpurnia is merely a housekeeper; but she's actually much more than that. As he told Aunt Alexandra when Aunt Alexandra wanted to dismiss her, "She tried to bring them up according to her lights, and Cal's lights are pretty good." Unlike others, he appreciates what Calpurnia did for him. "We couldn't operate a single day without Cal, have you ever thought of that? You think how much Cal does for you?" He says this to Scout when she wanted Atticus to

“A Rose For Emily” and “The Lottery” Essay

â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, by William Faulkner and â€Å"The Lottery†, by Shirley Jackson are both short stories that deal with conflict from either the community or individually. Faulkner hints us readers the main conflict in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is not only Emily but other characters in this short story. For â€Å"The Lottery†, Jackson hints the readers the conflict is more on the social side meaning the community or society not only the main characters. But the main comparisons between these two short stories are the characters, and the communities that seem to be stuck in the past. William Faulkner starts the short story off with saying the character Emily, from â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, is dead. Faulkner divides the short story into five parts, and those five parts talk about Emily’s life which is spoken from the town’s perspective. Emily is described as a burden, whose â€Å"old fashioned† and is basically a mean old lady. The first part starts off with Emily not wanting to pay her taxes and the mayor sets up a meeting of the Board of Aldermen to her home. Not only was she showing no manners, she kept saying she had no taxes to pay and tells her servant, â€Å"the Negro† to show the gentlemen out. The short story continues on with mentioning Emily’s father’s death. The town’s people felt sorry for Emily, not only on the fact that he passed away but the fact that her father was a controlling man. Controlling meaning her father didn’t want her to seek men. Emily was in denial for her father’s death, â€Å"She told them her father was not dead. She did that for three days† (151). She couldn’t let her father go because her father was her life and that was the only life she had. The other parts talk about Emily’s sweetheart named Homer Baron. Everyone in town are happy about her having a sweetheart, but it goes downhill once they find out Homer Baron liked young men. Emily ends up buying poison and it wasn’t easy buying since the druggist was curious as to why Emily wanted it for. The townspeople on the other hand assumed it was so she can kill herself since she’s going through a lot. But Emily doesn’t only purchase rat poison; she ends up buying hologram toilet set with H.B written on them. Six months has passed by and Emily hasn’t been seen, till one day when people noticed her weight gain. Towards the end of the story the people noticed the Negro (servant) runs away while Emily is dying. They then open a door and the first thing  the town’s people notice is Homer Baron’s body being decayed. Next to his body was a print of a body that seemed to lay there every night and a piece of Emily’s grey hair. â€Å"The Lottery†, by Shirley Jackson is about a small town that gathered in a square on a summer day, June 27th. When you think of â€Å"Lottery† you probably assume something positive that deals with money. But that’s not true, in this short story â€Å"The Lottery† is a ritual that’s been going on for generations. It has to do with throwing a rock to a person that gets a mark in the middle of the paper, all towns had stopped doing this ritual but this was the only town that continued. The person who’s in charge of this ritual is Mr. Summers along with a helper Mr. Graves who’s the post master. The Lottery starts off with mixing the papers inside a box and calling out the names from a list. Once everyone had picked out the paper and seen if they had got picked, the people in the village noticed Bill Hutchison ended up getting the black dot. Tessie who is the wife, stands up for her husband and say’s it wasn’t a fair pi ck so Mr. Summer gives them another chance. Everyone in the family got to pick a paper out and this time Tessie ends up getting picked. Now since it’s a ritual it was something you had to do, that’s when everyone in the village including Tessie’s family picked up rocks and threw it to her. â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right.† (192) Tessie constantly is yelling this because she knew this wasn’t right, it wasn’t right to kill an innocent over a ritual. Both these short stories seem to fall in a similar comparison which is conflict between individual and the community. The narrator in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† gives away that Emily is stubborn; she doesn’t care at what anyone says of her. But in this short story it’s not only one conflict, its several conflicts we notice. One was Emily’s father; she didn’t want to let his body go because he was her only life especially since he was controlled. Another conflict was the community and Emily. People that lived in that town would always say rumors, and basically won’t help her they would just sit back and wait. Then we have Emily and Homer Baron, Emily was lonely, and Homer seemed to be the only person that was someone she loved. Even if it didn’t turn out the way she hoped, she knew just having his presence there was enough. So this shows Emily had conflicts with reality, present and past, and being lonely. â€Å"The Lottery†, on the other hand was conflict between community and individuality, for example Tessie and the village she was living in. The whole ritual â€Å"The Lottery† symbolizes any sin or any bad behavior that has been caused to be passed down from generation to generation no matter how cruel it could be. Tessie is against this whole ritual, she finds it not fair because of killing an innocent person. Old Man Warner was also another person who noticed this ritual wasn’t right, he notices the changes throughout all the years he’s been around. He mentions, â€Å"It’s not the way it used to be,† â€Å"People ain’t the way they used to be.† (191). In â€Å"The Lottery† it shows that no matter if the box changes, the ritual will always remain the same, and instead of the town actually stopping this from happening they join. The past and the community seem to be one of the other noticeable conflicts. The reason for why Tessie could’ve also been yelling out â€Å"It isn’t fair† because this ritual has ended everywhere else but continued in this village. The village is still holding onto the ritual that’s been taking hold for so long that they aren’t really thinking of any other consequences. Both of these short stories fall into somewhat of the same conflict. Like Emily, if she wasn’t so focused into the past meaning being â€Å"old fashioned† then she would’ve fit well into the society without feeling lonely. As for Tessie and her village, if they stopped continuing a ritual that was held on for so long then Tessie wouldn’t have been killed.

Appropriate Classroom Behavior Essay

Behavior is a choice, and a teacher’s role is to aid students when learning to make good choices. Inappropriate behavior is not acceptable. It should be followed by negative consequences and therefore be discouraged. When the teacher responds to different behaviors, either positive, or negative, it teaches the student something. School is a place where students are given the opportunity to learn and receive an education as well as socialize. Part of the learning process is interaction, however, it should only occur when the time is suitable. Being in the classroom should be considered a privilege. That privilege should only be given if a student’s behavior does not interfere with the ability of the teacher to teach effectively or the ability of other students to participate in classroom learning activities. Consequences should be given to individual students who choose to interrupt the teacher’s lesson or distract others. A whole class should not be punished but should be aware of how that behavior was not right. The behavior that took place last Friday was not acceptable and should not be tolerated.

Ap Chemistry Free Response Answers

1. (a) I, III, and IV are correct. II is not correct. To explain III, de Broglie's equation states l = h/(mv), so nl = nh/(mv) = 2pi(r). Where: l = wavelength, v = velocity of electron, n = some positive integer, r = distance of electron from center, m = mass of electron. Solve, get mvr = L = nh/2pi. (b) The current wave mechanical model for the atom states that there are an integer number of wavelengths in every standing  integer number (n). 2. (a) The first shell electrons in Lithium are the closest electrons to the nucleus. In addition, there are proportionally more protons to electrons.This pulls the electrons even closer to the nucleus. And in Potassium, the outer shell electrons are a substantial distance from the nucleus. There are a greater number of protons than electrons; however, the large number of electrons dissipates the effect. This is in addition to Lithium being a much smaller neutral atom than Potassium because of the difference in the outer shells. (b) The outer shell for Cl is the same as Cl-; however, Cl-  has more electrons being  attracted by the same number of protons. This weakens the attraction per electron. Since the attraction is weaker, the electrons are farther from the nucleus.Since the attraction is stronger for Cl, the electrons are closer to the nucleus. (c) Although the normal trend is for the ionization energy to increase going to the right in a period, aluminum has a lowered ionization energy and magnesium has a raised ionization energy due to the electron configurations of these two ionizations. This reverses the order of ionization energies. (d) The ionization energy increases each time an electron is removed because there are fewer electrons attracted by the same number of protons while magnesium starts off at a relatively  high value because it begins in one of the preferred forms.The second ionization energy is lowered because losing an electron forms a preferred form and because of this, this is a smaller than normal increase in ionization energy between the first and second ionization energies. The third ionization energy is increased the most because it starts in the most standard form. When you combine this with a lower than normal second ionization energy, you get a very large increase in ionization energy. 3. (a) As you go to the right of the period, there are more protons in the nucleus.The greater attraction makes it more difficult to remove electrons and first ionization energy is the energy necessary to remove an electron from a neutral atom. (b) Although the general trend is to have Boron with a higher first ionization energy than Berylium, Boron's ionization potential is lowered and Berylium's ionization potential is raised, the order is reversed. (c) O loses one electron and makes it easier to remove the electron and lowers the ionization potential. For nitrogen, it more difficult to remove the electron and raises the ionization potential.And since Oxygen's ionization potentia l is lowered and Nitrogen's ionization potential is raised, the order is reversed. (d) Na has a lower first ionization energy than Li and also a lower ionization energy than Ne. Ne has the second highest first ionization energy of all the elements. â€Å"1s2†Ã‚  is the most preferred electron configuration. â€Å"s2  p6†Ã‚  of other shells are also highly preferred. Ne has the second highest first ionization potential because it’s â€Å"2s22p6†. 4. (a) The type of decay expected for Carbon-11 would be positron emission. 116C -; 115B + 01e (b) The type of decay expected for Carbon-14 would be Beta Decay as well. 46C -; 147N + 0-1? (c) Gamma rays have no mass or charge, so they need not be shown in nuclear equations. (d) Measure the amount of Carbon-14 in the dead wood and compare with the amount of Carbon-14 in a similar living object. 5. (a) 23494Pu -; 23092U + 42? (b) The missing mass has been converted into energy (E  =  mc2). (c) A line should be drawn curving downward from the path of the dotted line. This will represent the path of the alpha particles which are repelled by the positive plate and attracted by the negative one. A second line should be drawn upward from the path of the dotted line.This will represent the path of the beta particles which are repelled by the negative plate and attracted by the positive one. The line should curve more than the one for the alpha particles. A third line should be drawn as a continuation of the dotted line. This will represent the gamma rays. (d) Incineration is a chemical process. The only thing any chemical process can do is connect radioactive atoms to other atoms, which has no effect on the radioactivity. 6. (a) As you go down the column in the alkali metals, the outer shell electrons are farther from the nucleus.The attraction for the outer shell electrons is decreased and because the attraction is decreased, therefore the melting point decreases. (b) Intermolecular forces de termine boiling and melting points. Halogens are all diatomic, which means they bond with themselves. In these diatomic compounds, the only intermolecular force is  London forces. The larger molecules can form temporary dipoles easier than small molecules. The larger molecules as you go down the column have a greater attractive force. This increases the melting point as you go down the column. 7. a) As radius increases the heat of reaction decreases. Which means less energy released by ionic attraction. (b) As ionization energy increases the heat of reaction decreases, which means more energy is required to form M2+ while other factors remain unchanged 8. Metals are good conductors of heat, generally malleable, and react by losing electrons to form cations. They tend to have â€Å"s1†,   â€Å"s2†,   â€Å"s2p1†, or   â€Å"s2p2†Ã‚  as their outer shell. Most metals have just â€Å"s1†Ã‚  or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"s2†. Nonmetals are poor conductor s of heat, brittle, and gain electrons when reacting with metals to form anions.Nonmetals have either 3, 4, 5, or 6 electrons in the p subshell in addition to s2  of the same shell number. When the last subshell is a d, the outer shell is s2  of the next shell. Occasionally there will be only 1 electron in the s subshell and this explains when the transition elements are metals. When the last subshell is a â€Å"f†, the outer shell is s2  of the second higher shell and this explains when the lanthanides and actinides are metals. This proves how more than half of the periodic table are metals. 9. (a) â€Å"you have not learned this one yet† (b) â€Å"F2†Ã‚  has the highest  electronegativity  and  electron affinity.Thus it has the greatest attraction for extra electrons. F2   +   2e -;  2F  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1   This makes the reaction more likely to occur. â€Å"I2†Ã‚  has the lowest electronegativity and electron affinity. Thus it has less a ttraction for extra electrons making the reaction  Ã‚   I2   +   2e -;   2I  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1   less likely to occur. Because it can disperse the charge better, the reaction does occur. (c) The trend for alkali metals shows a very small variation in reducing strength without a real trend. Cesium has the lowest ionization potential and Lithium has the highest ionization potential. However, there is not a great difference in the alkali metals.

Ethics: Social Responsibility and Strategic Planning Essay

Strategic planning can be defined as the formulation of plans that will lead to well informed and sound decisions and actions that when implemented will help achieve all short and long term organizational goals. During this process, the creation of well defined mission and vision statements along with organizational values and policies that are directly related to the company’s goals will help the business organization achieve long term success. Because success or failure directly impacts all stakeholders, whether employees, suppliers, investors, the local governments or community in general, special considerations of their needs should be included in the strategic planning process. Because of recent well known corporate scandals, business organizations have incorporated business ethics codes and social responsibility programs as part of their strategy to boost their public image and reputation in the community along with the reduction of potential legal fees or financial settlements resulting from legal actions against the organization. Ethics refer to the fundamental principles of an individual or a group. Social responsibility is how a business performs its activities to meet its wider obligations toward the society and environment, such as by avoiding activities which may be harmful. Strategic planning is an essential preliminary step in the corporate world in which senior management defines the organization’s strategy, direction and decision-making. Ethical values and social responsibility serve an important role in the strategic planning process. Social Responsibility To the Stakeholders o Management must ensure that strategic decisions are reached after taking into account the possible impact on the stakeholders. Stakeholders are suppliers, customers, societies and anybody who is affected by the activities of the business. A socially responsible company treats stakeholders equally. Wider perspectives also have to be considered in terms of environmental and social impact of planned activities. Transparency o Members of management should provide information transparently and honestly to help all involved discuss, debate and reach better decision-making. This enables the team to identify and monitor any potential risks which may arise and find an alternative solution. In terms of social responsibility, transparency also enhances the company’s credibility toward its external stakeholders. Independence o A management meeting provides an opportunity for management team members to raise concerns and come up with new ideas. It should be conducted in a professional and coherent manner and everyone should be independent in providing ideas without fear or hesitance as this helps improve the quality of the discussion and the decisions reached. Respect o Members should respect others’ opinions by giving them the opportunity to speak and by listening to their ideas with interest. Constructive comments develop more intellectual discussion but should be dealt with in a way which does not hurt the other members’ feelings. Discussion in a friendly environment improves the relationship among the members, strengthens the strategic planning process and results in better decision-making. Fairness and Truthfulness o During the planning process, the team should take a fair and truthful look at the possible risks and impact of decisions reached. These need to be thoroughly considered to maintain the welfare of the stakeholders such as employees and the society at large. Members should be truthful and frank in providing ideas and comments. Loss of employment and retirement funds, double bonuses, tax evasion, and the dark side of office politics are some of the challenges affecting organizations like a virus causing professionalism and efficiency to be questioned. Walker and Lanis (2009) found that an organization influences and is influenced by the society within which it operates (Cengage, 2009); therefore, an organization needs to take into consideration issues such as product safety, regulations, legal, ethical and economic responsibilities to the society within which it functions. One of the methods which could be used to do so is to integrate ethical and socially responsible techniques in an organization’s strategic plan whilst taking into consideration the needs and agendas of stakeholders. This concept is supported by Drozdenko, and Jin (2010) who suggested core values and beliefs exhibited at the strategic level influences decision making and outcomes throughout an organization. The objective of this research is to explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing a strategic plan while considering stakeholder needs and agendas, including an example of a company which overstepped ethical boundaries and preventative measures which could be taken to avoid this type of situation. Ethics appears to be a subject most people take for granted. According to Ciulla (2004), most people think of ethics as practical knowledge and common sense as opposed to theoretical knowledge. Social responsibility involves operating in a society or environment not only to gain or increase profits but to do so in accordance with legal and ethical standards therefore making a positive contribution by adding to the value of life in an area of operation. What is strategic planning and what is the role of ethics and social responsibility when developing a strategic plan? Strategic planning as defined by Bryson (2004 cited from Olsen & Eadie) is â€Å"a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that share and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what it does, and why it does it† (p. 6). One of the most important needs of a strategic plan is to determine the long term effects of decision making to ensure accountability. Therefore, if an organizatio n takes into consideration its ethical and social responsibilities to its clients, employees, and stakeholders when developing its strategic plan some important areas to focus on includes: Economic Responsibilities – A business should provide goods and services which the society wants at a fair price that provides adequate profits to ensure its long term survival and growth as well as to reward investors (Cengage, 2009). Therefore, although the main objective of an organization is to make a profit, it is imperative to remember profits made should not be made at the detriment of the society. Legal responsibilities – These are laws and regulations under which the organization is expected to operate (Cengage, 2009), however if the organization does not abide by these laws if needed, there is a mechanism in place to seek redress. Ethical responsibilities – The law, according to Cengage (2009) does not cover every issue or emerging issues which may be encountered by an organization. Ethics covers activities which are prohibited even though legislation may not exist at the time the unethical act occurred (Cengage, 2009). Philanthropic responsibilities – According to Cengage (2009) this is when an organization voluntarily â€Å"gives back† to the society by providing assistance, forming relationships and making contributions to improve the community. Kaufman, Browne, Watkins and Leigh (2003) indicated that one of the issues which caused the collapse of Enron, a giant US energy company was that the focus of its executives was for self profit as opposed to seeing to the well being of the stakeholders. By inflating stocks, presenting fraudulent financial reports, cheating, lying and intimidating employees Enron caused employees to lose their jobs, retirement plans, and stakeholders to lose billions of dollars. Additionally, hundreds of dot.com companies came crashing down, shocking international markets as stocks plummeted when it was discovered that â€Å"stocks were inflated through personal ambitions rather than the value they would deliver to shareholders and external clients† (p. 31). Johannesen, Valde, and Whedbee (2008 cited from Odell) stated â€Å"a society without ethics is a society doomed to extinction† (p. 5). This also applies to an organization. Therefore, an organization that is not ethical or socially responsible is doomed to fail. This is supported by Rhodes, C., Pullen, A., and Clegg, R., S. (2010 cited Verschoor, 2004) who believed there was a need to create moral strength and character by reintroducing personal conscience, responsibility, and values in organizations. The best measures to use in order to incorporate this type of behaviour, beliefs, and values within an organization is to integrate ethical and socially responsible objectives, goals, and activities into the strategic plan. Hence to prevent unethical behaviour and social irresponsibility it is important to put measures in place. Following the implementation of the Sarsbane-Oxley Act of 2002 it is imperative that organizations ensure financial reporting is done in a responsible manner. According to Cengage (2009) this legislation was implemented to minimize the use of fraudulent financial reporting and to protect the interest of all stakeholders. Creating policies and guiding principles are also measures which guides the organization to be ethically and socially responsible to its stakeholders by taking their needs into consideration. Last but not least creating a code of conduct which should be followed by all employees not only sets a standard within the organization but can be used as a criterion to reward and punish employees who adhere to or who do not adhere to the code. Conclusion: To create an ethical and socially responsible atmosphere within an organization it is imperative to put in place optimistic, high, achievable standards which must be incorporated at all levels of the organization. By focusing on legal, ethical, philanthropic, and economic responsibilities when creating a strategic plan which sets the direction and guiding principles of an organization ensures transparency and accountability. The world is changing and stakeholders are becoming more ethically conscious and prefer to develop relationships with responsible organizations. Therefore, employee safety, human rights abuses and other concerns such as bribes, corruption, the abuse of cheap labour, questionable payments and child labour which could negatively affect and organization, its image, and reputation should be at the forefront of the minds of executives when creating a strategic plan for the future of the organization.

Ethics Final Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Final - Term Paper Example However, the challenge of the project lies with its side effects to the locals and to the environment. The keystone pipeline project entails transportation of oil from the extraction site to the storage facilities, hence passing through many regions before reaching final destination. Therefore, it has many disadvantages based on its environmental degradation in the areas. Similarly, the process of extracting oils is very difficult and risky to the locals in cases measures are not placed to curb any uncertainty that may arise (Figueiredo and Brent 8). Hence, many factors require consideration before embarking on the project. Accommodating different players involved will be crucial in the management of the project and reducing the negative impacts associated with it. One of the key people for the successful implementation of this project are engineers who have different function. One of the roles of engineers is to conduct an environmental assessment to evaluate all the claims that might hinder the implementation of the project (Figueiredo and Brent 8). It is true that oil pipelines are hazardous, especially when they break and leak into the environment. Their impacts are always immense and make people oppose them whenever they hear about their construction. Therefore, engineers must conduct an environmental assessment to determine risk and mitigation measures. Secondly, engineers have a role of informing the community where the pipeline is to be constructed on the benefits of the projects. They also need to know the risk involved and their duties for the success of the project (Figueiredo and Brent 8). This will be essential since it will give the locals an opportunity to contribute and participate in the construction of the projects. Creating awareness to the surrounding communities is critical to the implementation of any project since it becomes inclusive, and people have to give

How the IT effect Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

How the IT effect Management - Research Paper Example According to, the management expert  Peter Drucker  (1909-2005)(BusinessDictionary.com, 2012), the central  task  of management includes both the factors of marketing and innovation.   Management comprises of the interrelated  functions  of creating  corporate policy  and  planning, organizing, controlling, and  directing  an  organization's  resources, towards the path of achieving the end goals and objectives of that  policy, such as productivity and increase in sales, expansion etc. The Managers and Directors are in the controlling position and they also have the  authoritative power  and  responsibility, to control human and material resources, making layouts and if change is the best option, then planning, executing and implementing the change process, to achieve efficiency and affectivity both. The managers have the insight and experience to create a vision for the organization, using Information Technology as a tool and a guiding force. Theà ‚  size  of management can vary  from one  person  in a small organization, to a host of managerial positions in multinational  companies. ... Information Technology: Information Technology (I.T) are the Standard Set of  certain specified tools, processes, and  methodologies, such as: programming or coding,  Ã‚  data  conversion,  data communications, storage  and retrieval, and more elaborately speaking, system control, systems analysis  and  design etc, that along with  associated  equipment  employed  to collect,  process, and present  information. In wide-ranging  terms, IT also includes  multimedia, office automation and  telecommunications (BusinessDictionary.com, 2012). Various Aspects of Management and their relationship with Information Technology: Project Management, Human resource management, Change management etc. 1) Relationship between Information Technology and Project Management: Project Management can be defined by the PMI (Project Management Institute) as, applying and dedicating expertise, tools, knowledge, skills and techniques to project activities to fulfill the projec t’s requirements (PMI, 2004, p.368, as cited in LeBlanc, 2008)). Project managers are the ones, who are responsible for the project activities, its starting and end date, they are crucial to the project from start to finish. Whether, it is delivering a service, product or increasing the organization’s productivity and sales etc. The fastest growing industry, especially in the developing countries is the Information Technology sector. No organization can prosper or grow without having a strong and competitive I.T department. But as the demand for I.T is increasing, so is the need for strong project managers, as the two go hand in hand. Mostly I.T projects fail due to estimated and actual cost over-run, which is due to lack of

How useful is the concept of semi-presidentialism for understanding Essay

How useful is the concept of semi-presidentialism for understanding the political regime of the Fifth Republic - Essay Example The first aspect worth analyzing is to what extent France meets Duverger’s first criteria: a president elected by universal suffrage. In 1962, the then French president Charles de Gaulle passed a constitutional amendment altering the presidential election from parliamentary to universal suffrage (Curtis 2004). This meant that the president of the republic would be elected by the population, and therefore had to become a strong and appealing individual leader. At the time, this benefited De Gaulle since he epitomized charismatic leadership and desired a system were the president wielded the majority of government power and responsibility. Universal suffrage gave constitutional power to the president, as he, by virtue of being elected by majority vote, now possessed similar legitimacy to that of a majority in the Assembly. Thus, 1962 marked the beginning of a shift of power from the Assembly to the President, and is even considered by Robert Elgie to be the point that establishe d the Fifth Republic as a semi-presidential regime.   The second criteria of Duverger’s definition of semi-presidential regime is that â€Å"(2) he possesses quite considerable powers† (Duverger, 1980:166 cited in Elgie:2009). Scholars such as Robert Elgie criticized Duverger for being too vague in his definition of semi-presidential regimes. For instance, Duverger underscores the fact that the president must possess considerable powers, but never expounds on this idea in order to establish what is deemed to be considerable. Reading further on Duverger’s other work such as A NEW POLITICAL SYSTEM MODEL: SEMI-PRESIDENTIAL GOVERNMENT (1980), Duverger defined the considerable powers saying that French Fifth Republic as â€Å"A country with an all-powerful presidency† (Duverger 1980:170). He justified this proposition by citing Article 16 which states

How Can Financial Innovations Lead To Financial Crisis Assignment

How Can Financial Innovations Lead To Financial Crisis - Assignment Example Nevertheless, lack of supervision and regulations account for the negative side of integration of financial markets. Owing to the global financial markets deregulations, financial managers used creativity in spreading risks with ignorance that the same virtue will have adverse effects on the world economy (Llewellyn 2009 p.55) Financial globalization attributed to growth in the size of financing markets leading to cross-nation misbalance which caused the financial crisis. The developing countries are disadvantaged on the global financial systems. The collapse of the U.S mortgage market revealed the bottlenecks of the global financial markets with complex financial products lowering trust on the whole system. Currently, the global financial crisis is done through innovative investment instruments for instance securitization, derivatives and auction rate securities which were designed through quantitative techniques by mathematicians in an effort to eliminate risk. Securitization is the structured financial process where risks of banks are distributed by pooling loans into sellable assets. This was one of the greatest financial innovation in the 20th century where loans were being converted into securities with the buyer receiving regular payments and the banker disseminating the risk. Banks borrowed more money for lending to create more securitization for loans as they engaged in buying, selling and trading risks believing they have effectively spread the risks only to end in a financial crisis (Keys, Mukherjee, et al, 2007 p.67) The mortgage defaults were caused by the tightening of the monetary policy triggering disturbances in the financial institutions worldwide. The escalating subprime mortgage defaults led to a significant fall in house prices causing a severe liquidity crisis. The risks associated with subprime mortgage crisis involve the credit risk, which is borne by the lending financial institution representing the potential that the issuers of debt security might fail meeting the obligation of making remitting periodic payments and interest to investors.  

Reflect and evaluate Brand Starbucks marketing principles Essay

Reflect and evaluate Brand Starbucks marketing principles - Essay Example Brands absorb everything around them like Imelda Marcos in the shoe department at Nordstrom† (quoted in Kalin, 2001). By this definition, customer service and the quality of the products are actually considered part of the brand. Strong brands help companies establish a place within the international and local marketplace (Aaker, 1996). They also help the company develop a strong consumer base through brand recognition. However, brands don't become strong without offering quality products and excellent customer service. This is because brands only become strong when they have a high number of loyal consumers. Loyal consumers are made by giving them products that they enjoy and appreciate and taking care of customers when they have complaints or problems. According to Childers, satisfied customers exponentially increase in number, resulting in greater profitability for the company (2005). To see how this works, it's helpful to apply these ideas to a company like Starbucks. Starb ucks is a well-known coffee company that specializes in serving ready-to-drink single-serve coffee and other drinks to a mostly middle and upper class clientele. This company now has a very strong brand which it has gained by focusing on quality products and excellent customer service. ... Each customer was treated as a regular, whether they were or not, with their name written on their cup and plenty of customization of their order available. Now that the company has cultivated a very strong consumer base, it relies more and more on its strong brand to continue driving growth. As part of this brand, it offers customized menus for each region based upon local and national favorites. All of these different menus are brought together under the one brand identified by a simple and universal logo. Even if the menu isn't the same as the menu back home, travelers to new places can feel at home as soon as they walk into a Starbucks store because of that logo and a relatively similar approach to decor. Examining this company and assuming I have correctly identified the marketing principles it considers to be most important, I believe Starbucks is doing a good job of following these principles. Having a strong global brand is important to success in the commercial world today, but Starbucks has not forgotten that it developed that brand by offering quality products and excellent customer service. It proves this by maintaining a focus on what the local market enjoys and expects. â€Å"Experience has shown that companies need not always create one-size-fits-all global brands just because the world appears to be shrinking. Indeed, firms should recognize that adapting brands to local conditions will on many occasions be the best approach, and at times the only approach, because local conditions will leave them no other choice† (Managing Brands, 2005). By adapting their brand to local conditions but insisting that everything sold in the similarly decorated coffee houses carries the

IMF (International Monetary Fund) from 2007 to present using Research Paper

IMF (International Monetary Fund) from 2007 to present using international business perspective - Research Paper Example Globalization has huge implications for companies as it can reduce the cost structure of the companies and bring in improvement in terms of quality of products. Globalization has helped in improving international trade and investment volume as more and more companies have entered in to global market and take the shape of multinational organizations. Earlier US companies used dominate in the field of international exports and FDI. But, with changing world scenario, various European countries, Japan as well as emerging economies like India, China, Korea, etc. have reduced the dominance of USA as they are following the same footprint (Hill, 2010). For example, share of FDI of the companies of developing world have increased from less than 1 percent in 1980 to as high as 15 percent in 2008, while the share of USA based companies have declined from near 40 percent in 1980 to 18 percent in 2008(approximately) (Hill, 2010). The political scenario has also changed in this changed economic si tuation. The political dominance of US is no under great threat in this increasing market economy. Many European countries that were Communist earlier and Some Asian countries have undertaken democratic politics and stressed on building free market economies. Hence, international businesses are getting more and more opportunities to enter these economies that have in turn strengthen these economies. (Hill, 2010) In this globalized world, importance of global institutions has increased significantly in maintaining order in various economical and political fields. IMF is one of such institutes which hold an important position in this changing economic and political environment. In fact, it is helping this process of change by its policies. IMF is responsible for maintaining order and stability in the international monetary system. The performance of international businesses to a large extent depends on the operation of international monetary system. If this system operates properly, t hen, the risks associated with international business operation reduce significantly. This paper will place its focus on some important issues relating to IMF policies and its scandals since 2007 as IMF activities is closely related to the performance of international businesses. (Hill, 2010) Issues and Problems with IMF since 2007: Since 2007, a number of issues relating to IMF activities is worth mentioning as this period corresponds to the recent global financial crisis that has essentially affected internal business. Some of these issues will be looked at in this section. Failure of IMF in the early detection of US sub-prime crisis in 2007: IMF is responsible for maintaining stability in the world monetary system and any kind of crisis that my take place in future so that international businesses become aware of that event and take required steps. But IMF is being blamed for its failure to predict the materialization and severity of the financial crisis that was creates in US (B ennet, 2008). The crisis first emerged in the sub-prime market of US. There was a bubble in the market in 2006 and 2007. The movements in this market were some early sign of the upcoming event of global financial crisis. But, the IMF failed to capture those signals in sub-prime market. It is now being said that lack of technical and analytical capacity of the IMF along with US’s unwillingness to implement surveillance of financial sector by IMF were responsible for IMF’s inability to detect the early signs of the crisis and predict its emergence and severity. (Bennet, 2008; Bossone, 2008b) Changing macroeconomic Policy under global financial crisis: Although IMF failed to predict the recent global

Physical Geography Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Physical Geography Articles - Essay Example This article tries to define sand dune and ripples and the cause-effect relationship. The author argues that sand dunes are result of sand waves which piles up with a particular pattern over a large area mostly of desert. However, the article shows that bedforms that result to such land forms are not only caused by wind but any other fluid. It is therefore important to note that climate factor which in turn influences movement of wind and water is responsible for the various landforms that characterize Earth surface. The central idea of the article is that Dunes and ripples are considered bedforms. Increasing changes in global climate has significant effect on various land forms. The deserts are particularly in danger as temperatures plummets and humidity dwindles. The little vegetation that covers desert landforms is at the brink of complete elimination. In other words, deserts that already have scanty vegetation cover are likely to be transformed to bare land. This would lead to other features like sand dunes among others. Besides, the trend in the desert change is closely associated with rising water levels due to increasing global temperature that melts ice. This article therefor offers an insight into the complex consequences of climate change of various landforms. This article centers on the unforeseen benefits of global warming as the ice melts. The Glacial melt constitute shift of more iron deposits which are seen as facilitating growth of phytoplankton. These phytoplankton in turn help in absorbing excess carbon dioxide with marginal reduction in greenhouse effect. This fertilization observation is attributed to the silver lining that can be observed on glacial landscapes. The author of the article therefore offers an insight into the existing relationship between physical geography and climate

Human Resource Management Plan Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management Plan Essay As a startup healthcare staffing agency for per diem, temporary and travel healthcare employment, human resources are our product; as such, a Human Resource Management Plan is vital to the success of this agency. This plan has been put together with input of management/ recruitment, sales and employee representatives. This is tool to aid in the building of this company, clearly defining roles and job responsibilities of the administrative staff; stressing the laws with which this company will comply; adding clear cut job descriptions for the labor force; and includes information on staffing, employee development/training and compensation strategies. Roles and Responsibilities Manager – Is responsible for the overall success of the human resource department. The manager will implement and define job descriptions; the training program; and contracts. The manager will procure all insurance, will assure compliance with JCAHO regulations and make sure that all state and federal statues are met as well as that all relevant laws and regulations are adhered to. The manager is responsible for acquiring human resources as well as being the final decision maker as to the hiring and termination of all employees. The manager must possess the following skills: leadership/management, budgeting, compliance will all legal binds, and effective communication. Sales Manager- the SM will be responsible for: initiating all contact with clients; following up on these contacts; negotiating for a contract between this company and client; ensuring that all contractual agreements are complied with; and developing a working relationship with client’s HR departments. The SM must possess the following skills: leadership, compliance with all legal binds, effective communication, the autonomy to make decisions and the ability to project respect of client and engender the appearance of trust, integrity and a positive image of the company. Support Personnel – the SP will be responsible for: all coding and billing; answering phones; requesting all background searches (criminal as well as credit); light booking such as time sheets and payroll; keeping track of all licenses, certification, contract and insurance expiration dates; scheduling of all employees; sending and sorting all correspondence; placing advertisements; and updating the website as needed. The SP must have the following skills: organization, trustworthiness, ability to comply with all reasonable requests by management and sales, keep a consistent and reliable work schedule, have the ability to keep all information private, and have a good work ethic and personality that reflects the image this company wants to convey. Legal Requirements The sales product of our company is its human resources. As such, there is a myriad of laws and statutes that require total attention to address HR legal compliance. Adhering to these regulations is tantamount to success for this company. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act is the chief statute that this company must adhere to. Every attempt will be made to reduce/avoid violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act that protects against discrimination of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion and national origin (EEOC, 2012). Nor will there be violations of the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 and its’ amendments. There will be training in and awareness of disparate treatment of applicants including the EEOC’s new regulations on not hiring based on criminal background so that these laws are not violated (EEOC, 2012). It is our responsibility to give our clients the best candidate to fit their requirements so the job description should reflect clearly and without any ambiguity, the limitations of each position. However, records will be kept in accordance with EEOC regulations of all applicants as well as ensuring that all accommodations are made for any disabilities Punitive and compensatory damages can be levied against this company for violations of these acts. Benefits Required Until this company acquires 20+ employees it is not required to offer certain benefits (EEOC, 2012). The majority of its’ employees will be contract workers and as such, they are required to possess their own liability insurance, will not have access to company provided health insurance, disability or retirement benefits. Government required assistances such as COBRA, FMLA and ERIS plans will not be included in any benefit package until such time as this company hires salaried employees at the required minimum (EEOC, Disabilities 2012). At that time this policy will be revisited. OSHA regulations will be strictly enforced at the company’s geographical location and the appropriate information will be posted. Violations can be subject to penalties of up to $500,000. 00 and up to six months in jail (U. S. Legal, 2010-2013). Job Description of Contract Staff Attached is a sample job description for a RN with a psych component and psych experience. (See addendum 1). This description has been carefully analyzed and developed in accordance with all laws and regulations and will be give to our clients for comparison so that their HR department’s job escriptions are legally within all perimeters required and reflect essential job functions. This description was designed with help from the O*Net Online website and the Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures. This company’s mission is to supply RNs’, LPNs’, CNAs’, NAs’, Social service, therapeutic, as well as any other healthcare related staff on temporary need basis for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, including home care. Our job descriptions must reflect this clearly and include the requirements given us in the contract with our clients. Any limitations are those supplied to us by our client’s HR department and do not represent limitations on hiring by this company or any employees of this company. Each individual HR department will provide NOLA Nursing Agency with their job descriptions but we reserve the right to change any portion of this design to reflect current laws in agreement with the client’s HR department (Fried and Fottler, 2012, pp. 171,173,174, 176). Staffing and Employee Development Staffing will be guided by each individual job description. Jobs will be filled with the applicants who best fit with the requirements of our clients, suitability of the position and expectations of NOLA Nursing. Our hiring motto is â€Å"Best Person, Best Fit, equals Best Care. † To ensure excellence in training of our per diem staff by NNA before additional training is undertaken after hire, we will use the COPA model by Lenburg. The COPA model of assessment of competency by Lenburg provides for a framework to ensure that teaching and learning of skills by nurses are interactive and student focused. NNA will use this framework to prepare per diem nurses/healthcare staff for employment. Below are the four major questions complied in this model: 1. What are the essential competencies and outcomes for contemporary practice? 2. What are the indicators that define those competencies? 3. What are the most effective ways to learn those competencies? And, 4. What are the most effective ways to document that learners and/or practioners have achieved the required competencies? To further prepare our healthcare staff will use Lenburg’s eight core practice competencies with sub skill to grade new staff and use the data collected to fill out each individual’s skill set. See Addendum 2) It will also be incumbent upon NOLA Nursing Agency: * To recruit the best applicants to fulfill the specified job qualifications for our clients. This will include the initial structured interview which will test job-competency and access the applicant’s suitability for the position. A realistic job preview will be given to the chosen applicant before selection to increase th e success of the person-job/organization fit. (Fried et al, 2012, pp. 209, 211-212) * An employment agreement will be drafted and signed by NNA along the candidate and will be enforced by NNA. A separation agreement will also be initiated by NNA after receiving information by client and if necessary, an exit interview will be performed by same. * Preform all background checks including: job and education histories, criminal and civil backgrounds, validation of licenses/certifications/credentials, and checks of personal and professional references. A report will be made available to clients with signed permission of the applicant and adhering to required laws. Drug screening and physical abilities confirmed if required on job description, * Current individual liability insurance validated: copies kept on file as well as expiration dates of the insurance for each contract employee. * Protected class applications will be cataloged and statistics will be submitted to the appropriate government regulation agencies * CEUs for each applicant will be kept up to date and appropriate to the job description * Each applicant will be tested in a skills inventory and given necessary instruction in weak skills. A web bank of nursing skills will be made available so contract applicants can improve on their skill base. * Compensation and any benefits will be negotiated between NOLA Nursing and the applicant * Any issues that arise in the working environment will be mediated by NOLA Nursing and our client. * NOLA Nursing will monitor their contract employee’s job performances and any deficits will be addressed. * A critical incidents analysis will be kept on each contract employee to better select quality candidates for our clients Recruitment will be through advertisements in web based Job Boards, newspapers and participation in job fairs. An active bank of all applicants will be kept updated with a surplus of personnel available for each potential position. All necessary legal regulations and statutes will be considered in job placement and all information given on a particular candidate will be considered on a need to know basis. Our focus should be on giving our client a smooth, issue-free solution to their staffing deficits. While all attempts will be made to make a right person/right fit for each job description, voluntary and involuntary terminations will occur. To this end, the employment agreement between NNA and the applicant will include a section to negotiate issues resulting in a voluntary termination in an attempt to stay the dissolution of the contract. In case of a non-voluntary termination, NNA will act as representative of the employee to mediate any solutions that could result in the fulfillment of the contractual period. With due diligence performed by our company, turnover rates of temporary staff should be above the rate of regular employees. We make all efforts to satisfy our clients and our most important resource, our employees. Evidence based research by Cummins, J. in the online article, Nurse retention strategies: A growing priority, and Perrine, J, in Recruitment and retention report: Strategies to boost RN retention, have shown that the following strategies have improved retention rates, increasing motivation, satisfaction and performance: 1. Promote an environment where RN’s actively participate in the decision making processes that occur at the unit on the institutional level 2. Improve the perception of respect 3. Improve access between RNs’ and the organizational leadership 4.  Assist staff with education and training to meet the changing market needs 5. Lead by Example Compensation Contracts between job applicants and NOLA Nursing will be finalized after compensatory benefits are agreed upon and contracted by NNA and our client. Compensation will be on an hourly and per diem basis. HR will be cognizant of the market pay scale for each job description and compensation will stay above market value to attract competent candidates. Special attention will be given to equal pay for equal opportunities (Equal Pay Act). Diversity Evidence based research by Singleton, K and Krause, E (Sept 2009) in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, has found a correlation between the improving health of a patient and the nurse being of the same culture as the patient. Within legal limits, considerations will be given to the population climate of the institution where the deficit of nurses is occurring. We are an equal opportunity employer so anyone who applies will have the same opportunity to be placed in a position per the job description perimeters. Selection will not be determined by race, age, gender, sexual preference, color, religion or national origin. Realities are that nationwide, 90% of U. S. nurses are Caucasian, and blacks and Hispanics are underrepresented per the US population (Aiken, 2007). All applicants will be looked at equally and attempts will be made to place any qualified applicant. Historical Perspective and Current Trends With the cycles of supply and demand on nursing labor market, the opening of the 21st century found healthcare systems trying to catch up with demand (Fried, et al, pp. 90). Many foreign nurses were brought into the States to meet the demand; nearly 15,000 passed the Nclex in 2005 according Aiken, however at the time, â€Å"American nursing schools were turning away applicants because of capacity limitations. † (Aiken, 2007) Projections are that the shortage in 2020 could reach 800,000 to 1. 1 million with a large block of nurses looking to retire from the labor force by 2020. Aiken quotes that graduation of nurses fell from over 95,000 in 1994 to below 70,000 by 2001 with a false increase from 2002-2005 being older nurses reentering the workforce and foreign educated nurses. Current trends have been to raise salaries, provide scholarships and give other incentives to retain and gain nursing staff. However with the lack of nursing teachers, and facilities, there will be again a nursing shortage of graduate nurses and on the other end of the spectrum; retiring nurses. Per Fried and Fottler (pp. 90), more than 30,000 qualified applicants were not accepted into baccalaureate nursing programs in 2007. With the increase in Magnate policies and the increase in associate nursing programs, there will be a shortage of 4 year nurses in the near future. Per Aiken, increases and shortages of nurses into the labor market is contingent upon federal subsidies. When there was a trend toward nursing layoffs in the period between 1995 to 2000 graduations fell causing the latest shortage of nurses. Wages grew 12. 8 % between 2000 -2004. This caused an upsurge in nursing school applicants and many were turned away. Aiken feels that graduations of nurses into the labor pool seem to be keeping up with demand. However the Affordable Care Act will open up primary care to an additional 40 million Americans with a rise in the market for additional nurses (Wakefield, 2010). Government subsidies have changed per the HRSA scholarship opportunities in the last two years. Where concentration was on increasing RN subsidies, now HRSA is concentrating on grants for nurse practitioners and nursing educators and has significantly reduced the monies offered to two and four year RNs. Once again the cycle of reduced enrollments in nursing school should follow the trend of reduced federal subsidies less nursing candidates. This bodes well for our job market niche and should be the basis for growth in this company