Interpersonal Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example First, I am very opinionated. I do not necessarily have an opinion on every issue, but when I set my opinion on a certain issue, it is most probably because I evaluated the idea carefully and thoroughly. I have always thought that being such, I have the right to force my opinion on other people. I am usually like this with my friends, or those who are around my age bracket. I have no bad intentions in doing so. Usually, I become forceful in talks when I feel like I am doing the other person a favor by correcting his or her mistake. I usually put their opinion on the hot seat, and then point out the areas why that opinion is a mistake. I do it in a matter-of-fact manner that I usually do not care if the other person is getting offended or hurt. I notice that the other person will usually just say yes to me to close the topic, or keep quiet until he or she finds an opportunity to change the subject. Second, I have always believed that when I am right, I need to prove it. Sometimes, I go to lengths such as dissecting the issue just to show the other person that I was right. I do not have an issue in admitting that I am wrong if I am wrong, that is probably why I expect other people to be the same. I usually do this with my parents, especially when I feel that they underestimate my ideas just because I am younger and have lesser experiences than they have.I do not feel, however, like scoring points. ... I do not feel, however, like scoring points. I just want them to realize that there are times when I am right too. However, such conversations would end up either heatedly or with me being forced to shut up, which I do not appreciate. This would make me put a double effort in proving that I am right (usually by bringing up past conversations or arguments) when the next opportunity comes. Third, despite being opinionated and having strong character, I am a very happy person to be with. However, I seem to be very direct, or my sense of humor sometimes offends others who are a bit sensitive. For me, it is usually to break the ice or to encourage a cheerful mood when it gets awkward or dull. I always make it a point to be politically correct, but others still see my sense of humor as insensitive sometimes. While my upbeat personality may draw people to me and make them generally happy to be with me, I want to change some of my communication styles because I do not like offending or hurti ng people unnecessarily, even if they had been unintentional. Research on Self-Analysis of Communication Styles I have recently noticed how easy it is for my conversations with people who are close to me to go around in circles. What starts as a normal conversation would lead to an argument. Looking back to all those times, a big percentage of those arguments were due to trivial matters. I figured out it must have something to do with my communication styles. I remember a famous line that says, â€Å"It is not what you say, but how you say it.† This is the major point of my research regarding interpersonal communication. I believe that what is flawed is not my intention nor my message, but how I express my thoughts. As I have earlier mentioned, I

ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING CONCEPTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING CONCEPTS - Essay Example Moreover, the tax expense figure provided in the consolidated income statement was $10.704mn. (a) The author of the journal article performed a statistical method which involved recalculation of earnings per share after reviewing 489,000 quarterly reports of 22,000 companies. They recalculated EPS to 1/10 of a cent instead of keeping it in penny. By doing so they found out that the occurrence of the three digits including 2, 3, or 4 in this format was significantly low as compared to other digits which raised doubts as each of these digits should have appeared 10% of the time (Thurm, 2010). (c) It has been indicated that adjustments are made to valuation of inventory or they are done in the form of assessment by the companies regarding the proportion of accounts receivables which they expect not to collect and therefore is recorded as bad debts. These are examples of ways in which companies can report higher earnings. It could therefore be stated that these adjustments are subjective to the assessment and consideration of factors by companies and those who are analyzing the accounts. However, if reasonable basis for justifying these estimates are made by companies then such steps are not considered illegal. (d) When companies are required to prepare earnings restatement reports when their previous published financial statements are found to contain errors, omissions, or misstatements. From the article it could be indicated that the authors of the article through their methods found that those companies were informed to restate their earnings or were alleged for accounting violations which had low number of occurrence of digit 4 in the 1/10th place. Such companies could therefore be considered as the ones which are involved in rounding off their earnings figure. (e) From the article it can be understood that the authors are of the view that even a single penny difference in the reported EPS can have impact on the

Green Growth And Developing Countries Economics Essay

Green Growth And Developing Countries Economics Essay This scoping report is to discuss different models of partnership between donors and businesses. By partnership, we refer to an arrangement whereby an individual business (or small group of businesses) works with one or more donors in a joint project or programme to deliver a specific outcome. Alternatively, it could include facilities which are set up to facilitate a number of partnerships between business and donors such as the Business Innovation Facility, or Challenge Fund approaches, or the Business Call to Action. This particular component of the wider scoping output focuses on describing and discussing partnership approaches which have been developed between (multilateral or bilateral) donor agencies and individual businesses, or overarching facilities designed to develop those kinds of partnerships with the specific objective of promoting green or low-carbon investment or innovation by business. We have visited partnerships established in a range of different relevant sectors, including agriculture, energy (inc. energy generation and energy efficiency), forest, disaster reduction, water supply (inc. sanitation), recycling/waste management, green buildings construction, transportation, heavy industry and manufacturing, and some cross-sector issues. The review provides a long list of case studies (attached to this report), drawn from developing countries around the world, showcasing different partnerships adopted between business and donors. In this report, after a brief introduction to the concept of green growth and its relationship with developing countries; as well as a description of the conventional contributions from donors and businesses in a partnership, a framework or typology will be developed to categorise the different types of partnerships. It will go on to analyse and compare primarily their pros and cons, and their potential value and suitability for different development purposes. Green growth and developing countries The most serious problems facing the world today water and food supply crises, extreme volatility in energy and food prices, rising greenhouse gas emissions, severe income disparity and chronic fiscal imbalances either stem from environmental mismanagement or inequality, both. Aside from the chronic fiscal imbalances that mostly concern the developed economies, developing countries are the most vulnerable to all of these risks. The key question if whether (and how) environmental goals can be reconciled with growth and poverty reduction in the developing world. The concept of green growth offers real opportunities for more inclusive growth in developing countries while protecting the environment. Developing countries are the key to achieving global green growth. Although today most developing countries contribute only minor shares to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, their emissions will increase if they follow the same path to economic growth as developed countries have followed. Increasingly developing countries are becoming sources of global economic growth, but accompanied by growing emissions and more intensive use of natural resources. The potential economic and social impacts of environmental degradation are particularly serious for developing countries given their dependence on natural resources for economic growth and their vulnerability to energy, food, water scarcity, climate change and extreme weather risks. All these factors are challenging their ability to develop. Developing countries have the greatest opportunities for capitalising on the synergies between environmental and economic sustainability. A green growth approach is the chance for emerging and developing economies to leapfrog unsustainable and wasteful production and consumption patterns. They can still factor environmental issues into their infrastructure investment decisions and can further develop agriculture and other natural resources in a way that improves livelihoods, creates jobs, and reduces poverty. They are less constrained than developed countries, which are now locked into investment choices and sunk capital from previous decades. Adequate financing and capacity would offer developing economies the opportunity to lay down the infrastructure and networks needed to support a sustainable development path. Collaborations between developed and developing countries are essential in efforts to move towards global green growth. But there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for implementing a green growth strategy. National development strategies must be based on each countrys strengths, bottlenecks and constraints. Developed, emerging and developing countries will face different challenges and opportunities in greening growth, as will countries with differing economic and political circumstances. (OECD, 2012) What is green growth and why it is important for developing countries If the world continues a business as usual approach to meeting the rising global demand for food, energy and infrastructure, the world will exceed its ecological carrying capacity. Volatile commodity prices, uncontrollable pollution, severe damage to human health, and irreversible loss of biodiversity systems will be the consequences of these business-as-usual investment decisions. The concept of green growth reframes the conventional growth model and re-assesses many of the investment decisions in meeting energy, agriculture, water and the resource demands of economic growth. The OECD defines green growth as a means to foster economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies. In this concept, natural capital plays a significant role in ensuring that production and welfare gains are reaped. (OECD, 2012) Some elements of a green growth path to development The overarching goal of green growth is to establish incentives or institutions that increase well-being by: improving resource management so as to boost productivity; encouraging economic activity to take place where it is of best advantage to society over the long-term; finding new ways of meeting the above two objectives, i.e. innovation; Recognising the full value of natural capital as a factor of production along with other commodities and services. Greening the growth path of an economy depends on its policy and institutional settings, level of development, resource endowments and particular environmental pressure points. Policy action requires looking across a very wide range of policies, not just traditionally green policies. Matching green growth policies and poverty reduction objectives will be important for adapting this framework to emerging and developing countries. There are important complementarities between green growth and poverty reduction, which can help to drive progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These include: more efficient water, energy and transport infrastructure; alleviating poor health associated with environmental degradation; and introducing efficient technologies that can reduce costs and increase productivity, while easing environmental pressure. Given the centrality of natural assets in low income countries, green growth policies can reduce vulnerability to environmental risks and increase the livelihood security of the poor. Source: Based on OECD (2011b), Towards Green Growth A summary for policy makers, OECD, Paris. Green growth and sustainable development Sustainable development provides an important context for green growth. Green growth has not been conceived as a replacement for sustainable development, but rather should be considered as a means to achieve it. It is narrower in scope, entailing an operational policy agenda that can help achieve concrete, measurable progress at the interface of the economy and the environment. It provides a strong focus on fostering the necessary conditions for innovation, investment and competition that can give rise to new sources of economic growth, consistent with resilient ecosystems. Green growth strategies need to pay specific attention to many of the social issues and equity concerns that can arise as a direct result of greening the economy both at the national and international level. To achieve this they should be implemented in parallel with initiatives centring on the broader social pillar of sustainable development. The goal for many developing economies is to achieve diversified and sustainable growth over time, which leads to poverty reduction, increased well-being and major improvements in the quality of life of its citizens. This is achieved by taking into account the full value of natural capital and recognising its essential role in economic growth. A green growth model promotes a cost-effective and resource efficient way of guiding sustainable production and consumption choices. Put simply, green growth will help developing countries to achieve sustainable development. (OECD, 2012) Green growth benefits for developing countries Many developing countries face different and more difficult policy choices than developed countries in defining and implementing green growth strategies. Choosing not to bring more land under cultivation because of the high environmental costs will be difficult for a country with high levels of rural poverty. Though, options for increasing the productivity of existing cultivated land should be explored. Evidently, systems to pay poor countries for ecosystem services and increase the economic and welfare benefit accruing to them and their citizens from maintaining environmental assets will be critical for the political feasibility of green growth strategies. Emerging evidence has reiterated that green growth activities can offer both short term and longer term benefits and opportunities to developing countries. Payment for ecosystems services in Costa Rica, sustainable natural resource extraction in Azerbaijan, social enterprise to promote organic waste treatment in Bangladesh have de monstrated the economic opportunities from investing in natural resources and promoting sectoral sustainability. In the short run, green growth policies are most likely to deliver local benefits in improved environmental management through sustainable waste treatment, better access to water and energy and more desirable health outcomes from controlled pollution. However, these short run benefits should be examined against the immediate costs of identified policies. Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies will trigger higher energy price which will burden both consumers and producers; air pollution controls will affect competitiveness and the prospects of specific sectors, potentially threatening jobs; providing fewer incentives for agricultural fertiliser usage to boost soil productivity and promote sustainable agriculture could decrease the income of many small-scale poor farmers. There are certainly trade-offs in the policy implications although the scale varies according to the nature of the economy and the implementation of the green growth measures. In many cases the poor are potential losers as a result of shifting to green growth. In some cases, powerful actors, including political parties, unions, and the private sector face disadvantages from shifting away from their countrys current development plan. Hence, the short-term benefits can become more visible if appropriate and targeted social complementary policies are implemented hand in hand with green growth measures. In the longer run, the recognised infrastructure deficits to support economic activities are considerable, but there is potential for technology leapfrogging and climate-resilient implementation. Severe shortages of electricity supply and high urbanisation rates demand more efficient energy and public transportation systems in cities. There may be potential job creation, for instance, through sustainable management of natural resources which could on one hand release the tension of urban migration given most of these opportunities are available in rural areas; on the other hand to preserve local livelihoods from environmental impacts, in particular of climate change. (OECD, 2012) Green growth: what can it bring developing countries? Economic benefits Increased GDP production of green goods and services Increased revenue from pricing ecosystem services (or their reduction prevented) Economic diversification, i.e. improved management of economic risks and reduced vulnerability Innovation, access and uptake of green technologies, i.e. improved market confidence Environmental benefits Increased productivity and efficiency of natural resource use Natural capital used within ecological limits Reduced adverse environmental impact and improved natural hazard/risk management Social benefits Increased livelihood opportunities, income and/or quality of life, notably of the poor Decent jobs that benefit poor people created and sustained Enhanced social, human and knowledge capital Reduced inequality

Johnny got his gun :: essays research papers

When you think about it, no one likes war it is a horrible thing. The book Johnny Got his Gun defiantly proved that point, in the sense that it can leave you as a helpless human, or even kill you. If you win a war the outcome of it may be good for you but just think if you are in the position where you may not be able to move talk or even know if you are awake or asleep because your whole face has been ripped off by the shrapnel of the apposing enemy. If that isn’t torture than I don’t know what is! After reading Johnny Got his Gun, you will see the downside to the war and not just the great outcome that the public hears. Johnny Got his Gun should be read by all so they can once see the horrible part of war. You wouldn’t know it but the government hides the brutality of war very well. For instance in Johnny Got his Gun he really wanted to show the public what it was like to be a victim of the war. To do this he uses Morse code with his head to communicate to the nurse to tell them that he wants to show the public his body and what war does, but the nurses can’t because it is against the regulations of the government because they don’t want people to feel bad for him and get mad at the government for forcing him into the war through the draft. This is just one reason there are many other reasons why we should try to prevent war as much as possible. Johnny Got his Gun really brings you into the shoes of what it would be like to be a helpless war victim knowing that the rest of your life is destroyed due to war casualties. Getting the rest of your life destroyed for something you didn’t want to do in the first place just seem really out of place for our society today. The hardships that he goes through seems like hell, not knowing if you are asleep or awake, not being able to move at all, barely begin able to breath, not begin able to drink or eat, and most of all wanting to kill yourself just because you are so depressed of being a nobody, and not being able to do anything but lie in bed.

Carnival Competition and Swot

COMPETITION Carnival Corporation is part of different industries and sectors: on one hand we have the cruise industry, which is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. Carnival is the largest cruise operator in the world, so it’s the most important player of the cruise industry. On the other hand the company is also part of a bigger sector: Hotels, Resorts and Cruise Lines, in which the competition list grows, having hotels and motels and the largest segment with 92. 4% share of the sector’s value. As a company Carnival has 11 brands distributed among the segments of the cruise ship industry.These segments are based on class, average price and number of passengers per ship. The mass-market segment also known as contemporary consists of 45 ships, an average of 2,400 passengers and a price of $114. 87. As company Carnival has the largest share of this segment with two different brands, Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Cruises with 21 and 2 ships respectively, a share of 52%. Royal Caribbean, has 9 ships and a total of 21% of share in this segment, the company has a total of 40 ships that are operated under five different brands.Norwegian Cruise Line takes third place in the segment with a share of 18% and a total of nine ships, it is jointly owned by Star Cruises, the dominating company in the Asia-Pacific Market. Norwegian is known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, with little requirements. MSC Cruises is fourth with four out of a total of 12 ships, and a share of 9%, it sails throughout the Mediterranean and offers a wide range of itineraries in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, South America, among others.Carnival also plays an important role in the also known as premium segment, consists of 54 ships, an average of 2,390 passengers and a price of $167. 50; with four brands and a share of 54%, a total of 28 ships. Princess Cruises, holds 26%; Costa Cruises, 18%; Holland America Line, 8%, and Carnival Cruise Lines, only o ne ship and a share of 2%. Second places goes to Royal Caribbean and three of its brands, Celebrity Cruises, 18%; Royal Caribbean International, 14% and Pullmantur with 3% and two ships.MSC Cruises is third with only 6 cruises and 11% of share. As part of the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, Carnival’s competition increases. The rivalry level is high thanks to the dependence of intense characteristics of the sector capital, management, marketing, personnel, energy, maintenance, and technology, affect the final result. Worldwide the sector reached a value of $623. 2 billion in 2011 with a growth of 8. 2%. Hotels and motels is the largest segment of the sector, it accounts for 92. % of the total value, followed by cruise lines with 4. 7%, and resorts with 2. 9%. Even though Carnival Corporation is part of a smaller segment, it still is the leading player in the sector, generating 2. 5% share of the total value. Competing with Marriot International who holds 2%, a diversif ied hospitality company with a broad portfolio of hotels, lodging facilities, corporate housing properties and timeshare properties under various brand names.Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriot, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz Carlton, among others, are part of the portfolio that recorded revenues of $12,317 million during the financial year ended December 2011. Accor comes in third place with a share of 1. 4%, French hotel group, which operates in over 91 countries with 4,426 hotels ranging from economy to luxury, some of its brands includes, Motel 6 and Sofitel Hotels and Resorts. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide holds 0. 9%, with 1,103 properties in nearly 100 countries.Westin Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and W Hotels, are among the diverse portfolio that recorded revenues of $5,624 million. Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the largest cruise and vacation companies in the world, operating through four segments: North America, Europe, Australia and Asia cruise brands. The company is the most important player in both the Cruise Industry and in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, in a market where buyers and consumers are price sensitive and willing to switch to a new player if a better offer is presented. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths:Carnival has the largest fleet and passenger capacity in the cruise industry, being the largest operator in the world operating 99 cruise ships, 2. 4 the number of ships of its closest competitor Royal Caribbean. Being the worlds largest cruise operator enhances the company’s bargaining power with suppliers, which results in large economies of scale and significant cost advantage over competitors. The large portfolio of widely recognizes brands, which cater to different lifestyles and budgets, also targeted to different cultures and demographic groups addressing people’s diverse entertainment and preferences.The company has a solid marketing strategy that communicates the value proposition of each bra nd to the target audience intended. Having as the main theme ‘Fun Ships’. Investing heavily in print and television media, to project itself as the ultimate entertainment destination. In addition to advertising, Carnival uses different methods to encourage new customers and travel agents with discounts and commissions, this aggressive marketing and promotion techniques highlights the different brands in a highly competitive industry and sector.Weaknesses: Even though Carnival is the leading provider of cruise vacations in the majority of the largest markets, it shows and overdependence on the North America region because it’s the originator of most of the company’s revenues. Creating vulnerability to the economic situations and uncertainties of the American economy. Opportunities: As an industry there is an opportunity to further penetrate into the European cruise market.Although the cruise industry has grown significantly over the past decades it still oc cupies a very small proportion of the global vacation market, 4. 7%. With more opportunity to further penetrate the European cruise market, especially in Western European countries where the trend is moving in favor of cruise vacations. In addition a changed in demographics has been seen, with a growth in population of over 65. Marking the importance of the general trend where the majority of cruising passengers ranged from 45 to 65 years. Threats:New tax regulations announced by the United States, as a measure to address offshore tax avoidance, Carnival Corporation would be affected because it is incorporated in Panama and Carnival plc in the UK, so its exempt from taxation earnings because they come from operations of a ship documented under the laws of a foreign country. As cruise line company it also pays minimal corporation tax because it holds overseas status. Around 48% of the company’s revenues are generated from non-US regions and are reported in US Dollars, as a res ult there is a large dependence on the fluctuations of the dollar against all other major currencies.

An Analysis on the Interaction of the Different aspects on Human Development

Abstract The growing up process or the human developmental process has been an interesting topic of research in the field of Psychology. Great psychologists and sociologists have already provided up of the different theories and hypotheses about growing up. However, the application of these theories may not that easy for us to understand. Therefore this paper shall describe, compare, and contrast the developmental theories according to the psychodynamic, cognitive, learning, and humanistic perspectives.An Analysis on the Interaction of the Different aspects on Human Development  on the Overall Development of a Child Development or the growing-up process is the most crucial part of a person’s life. It is the time when changes in the cognitive, emotional, and biological aspects occur. Hence, this is the stage when a person needs utmost attention and guidance. This area has been a topic of interest for researchers for several years which led to the birth of Developmental Psycho logy as a separate field of study. Developmental psychology aims to grasp and provide a better understanding of the idea and significance of growing up in reaching a person’s full potential.To explain the process of human development, various theories were proposed by several psychologists. Hence, this paper aims to describe, compare, and contrast the developmental theories according to the psychodynamic, cognitive, learning, and humanistic perspectives. Psychodynamic Perspective Freud’s Psychosexual Theory There are various theories in studying the development in human life cycle. The first one is the Psychodynamic perspective. In this theory, the names Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson hover among the others.Freud’s theory attempts to explain human development through what he calls the psychosexual stages. According to his theory, sexuality starts at a very early stage in a person’s life. Each stage is identified according to the specific pleasure source a child has on that stage. In case that a pleasure urge is not gratified, it may eventually lead to various fixations later in a person’s life (Institute of Human Thermodynamics [IoHT], 2005). Freud enumerates the different psychosexual stages as follows: Table 1 – The Psychosexual Stages Stage Pleasure source Conflict/Fixation Oral  (birth-18months)Mouth Oral Fixation- excessive eating, drinking, smoking, and biting of nails Anal (2-4 years) Anus Anal fixation o Anal retentiveness- too much orderliness/ cleanliness o Anal repulsiveness- messy Phallic (4-5 years) Genitals Oedipus (boys) or Electra (girls) complex, Castration Anxiety, Penis Envy Latency (6-puberty) Repressed sexual urges Genital (puberty onward) Physical sexual changes reawaken repressed needs. Social rules Freud also emphasized the effects of the Id, Ego, and Superego in the developmental process of a child. The id is the pleasure seeking part of individuals.This is the source of biological needs and drives. On the other hand, the superego is oftentimes in conflict with the id because it consists of the moral part of individuals, and it is more popularly described as the voice of the conscience. Finally, the ego operates under reality, and it is further described by Freud as the conscious mind which contains one’s thoughts, judgments, and memories (IoHT, 2005). In summary, the three main concepts of Freud’s psychosexual theory are: (1) pleasure and fixation; (2) sexuality at an early age; and (3) id, ego, and superego.Pleasure and fixation deals about the pleasure sources of an individual per stage and the fixation that may come if that certain pleasure will not be gratified. Sexuality at an early age on the other hand talks about the sexual pleasures an individual experiences during the early periods of life, which Freud explain to be the major source of all our frustrations as we grow old. Lastly he also talks the id, ago and superego which, for Freud, are the ce ntral controllers of our behavior. Freud’s psychosexual theory is similar to other developmental theories in several ways. First, it summarizes the developmental process into stages.Second, like other theories, this theory also talks about a child’s needs and the importance of gratification. Finally, it associates consciousness as a factor in each stage. However, the psychosexual theory appears to be different from other psychosexual theory in various ways. One of its unique features is that it deals with sexuality in the early years of a child’s development. Another distinct characteristic of this theory is that it does not involve other emotional and external factors. Lastly, it does not include other areas of growth aside from the sexual development.Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory Erikson’s theory deals with personality development. In this theory, Erikson summarized the Psychosocial Development of a person into eight different stages. The 1) trus t vs. mistrust, 2) autonomy vs. shame, 3) initiative vs. guilt, 4) industry vs. inferiority, 5) identity vs. role confusion, 6) intimacy vs. isolation, 7) generativity vs. stagnation and 8) integrity vs. despair. In each stage, a person deals with a crisis based on physiological development and the demands from the parents, guardians, or the society (Clifton & Davis, 1995).In summary, the three main concepts of Erikson’s personality development theory are: (1) a person’s search for an identity, which answers the question of why an individual goes through the different psychosocial development stages; (2) psychosocial crisis, which talks about the social and personal difficulties and problems that a person experiences whenever he or she was not able to overcome a psychosocial stage successfully; and (3) the ego psychology in agreement with Freud’s ego concept, which explains that the ego primarily controls the way a person acts and socializes.Erikson’s psy chosocial theory appears to be similar to other developmental theories in numerous ways. First, like other theories, it summarizes the developmental process into stages. Second, it talks about a child’s needs and the importance of gratification as well. Last, the psychosocial theory associates the effects of the social environment with a child’s development. However, some features of the psychosocial theory make it distinct from the other developmental theories. One of these features is that it believes that the ego is of utmost importance.Another characteristic of this theory that sets it apart from the others is that it believes that both social and sexual factors play an important role in personality development. Finally, it also deals with mental health. Cognitive Developmental Theory The most renowned proponent of the Cognitive Development Theory is Jean Piaget. In this theory, he points out that cognitive development is a process where a child’s knowledge and awareness of his/her surroundings is a function of experience and time.Piaget claims that children have this so-called â€Å"reflexes† at birth which control their behavior (Huitt & Hummer, 2003). These reflexes are then replaced with constructed schemes. He described the processes as Assimilation and Accommodation. Assimilation pertains to the process of using or transforming the environment so that it can be placed in a pre-existing cognitive structure (Huitt & Hummer, 2003).On the other hand, accommodation is the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment. Piaget further simplified his theory by enumerating what he called the stages of cognitive development: 1) Sensorimotor stage (infancy); 2) Pre-operational stage (toddler and early childhood); 3) Concrete Operational stage (elementary and early adolescence); and 4) formal operational stage (adolescence and adulthood) (Preisser, 1997).In summary, the three main concepts of Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental theory are: (1) reflexes and schemas are the main factors of a person’s behavior; (2) assimilation and accommodation, where assimilation is the process of using or transforming the environment so that it can be placed in preexisting cognitive structures, while accomodation is the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment (Huitt & Hummer, 2003); and (3) constructivist learning, which explains that the learning is mostly dependent on the learner and the teacher.It is the learner who interacts with his or her environment and thus gains an understanding of its features and characteristics (Thanasoulas, 2003). Some traits of Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory are similar to other developmental theories include the following: (1) it summarizes the developmental process into stages; (2) it talks about a child’s needs and the importance of gratification; and (3) it emphasizes the role of the parents/guardians in a child’s development. However, certain characteristics of this theory make it unique and different from other developmental theories.These characteristics are as follows: (1) it focuses on mental development only; (2) it looks at the cognitive development not just as a series of several stages but also as a process as a whole; and (3) it does not look at the other factors, such as the social and emotional aspect of a child’s development. Learning Perspective: Social Learning Theory Among other theorists, Albert Bandura is considered as the leading proponent of this theory. According to J. E. Ormrod (1999), Social Learning Theory keeps its focus on the learning that occurs within a social context.This is means that people tend to learn through observation and modeling. This theory also proposes that learning is still possible to occur even without a change in behavior. This is because according to social psychologists, a person can learn through observation alone, and this may not manifest in one’s actions. The theory also states that learning becomes possible through cognition; that is, prediction of future rewards or punishments has a great effect on how a person behaves (Ormrod, 1999).In summary, the three main concepts of Bandura’s Social Learning theory are: (1) learning through observation and modeling, where people learn easily through observation and imitating another individual’s behavior; (2) cognition as a major factor of learning, which refers to an individual’s knowledge absorption, analysis, and processing; and (3) self-efficacy, which refers to how people feel, think, motivate themselves, and behave. Such beliefs produce these diverse effects through four major processes (Bandura, 1994).Bandura’s Social Learning appears to be similar to other theories as it: (1) focuses on mental and learning process; (2) emphasize the role of parents/guardians in a childâ€⠄¢s development; and (3) mentions about the significance of reinforcements in learning. However, this theory also differs from other theory because it: (1) emphasizes on modeling as a form of learning; (2) deals with self-efficacy; and (3) centers on the stages of the learning process rather than on the development process as a whole.Humanistic Perspective: Self Actualization and Hierarchy of Needs This theory is proposed by Carl Rogers. He explained through this theory that just like animals, plants, and other organisms, human beings have that natural urge to thrive and survive (Boeree, 2007). This theory also emphasizes the importance of positive regard and positive self-regard in the process of growing up which, he says, may eventually lead a person to accomplish his or her full potential and worth—the full functionality of a person.In summary, the three main concepts of Rogers’ Personality theory are: (1) self actualization which is concerned with the awareness or realization of one’s identity which helps to draw his/her utmost capabilities and potentials; (2) positive self-regard, which, just like self esteem and self confidence, helps build up an individual’s trust in his/herself that s/he can do anything that s/he endeavors; and (3) fully functioning person—a person who achieved self actualization and consistently has positive self-regard. Rogers’ Personality theory has characteristics that are similar to other developmental theories.These similarities include the following: (1) it sees people only as good, healthy, well, or ill; (2) it perceives mental health as a normal progression in life; and (3) it is person-centered (Boeree, 2007; Pescitelli, 1996). However, this theory has features that make it different from other developmental theories. These features include: (1) it is relatively simple; (2) it looks at cognitive development, not as a series of several stages but also as a process as a whole; and (3) i t does not take into consideration other factors such as the social and emotional aspect of a child’s development.Importance of Understanding the Developmental Theories in Helping Children Reach Their Potential All new born children need and deserve the attention, love, and support from their parents. However, the support and the care do not actually stop at that period of life; rather, it has only just begun. The most important period when a child needs proper care and guidance is during his/her early years. It is during this time when various factors, both internal (e. g. , thought processes) and external (e. g. , family), shape the personality of the child and what s/he can become (Day, 2008).It is also during this stage that children find their identity—who they want to be in the society and how they want to be treated as a person. In this development process, the cognitive, physical, and emotional aspects of a child are interrelated in a way that each one affects the child’s overall development in various ways. The cognitive aspect of a child’s development is directly connected to the other two since it is the mental processes which govern the rest of an individual’s activities and behavior.The physical aspect on the other hand is important to be developed properly since the physical capacities and limitations of an individual depend to that. Lastly, the emotional aspect also poses significance in a child’s development since this will determine how strong and how weak shall this person be in dealing with personal and social emotional issues in the future. Thus, the parents cannot just focus on one aspect of development; rather, these three aspects must be taken into consideration and must be given proper attention.In addition to this, a growing child is more vulnerable and more fragile compared to adults. For this reason, children must receive proper guidance in order for them to become good and useful members of the society. Through the theories discussed in this paper, it can be concluded that a child’s development is never as simple as gaining height and weight. It is not as plain as learning to write and read better through the days spent in school.In the process, the parents and the child’s environment actually mold him/her into a person who can reach his/her greatest potentials. If parents neglect or fail in this obligation, issues and problems may arise regarding a child’s attitude, behavior, and capabilities later on when s/he grows as an adult. Hence, just like a butterfly’s metamorphosis, parents want their children to grow with the most beautiful and strongest wings possible; that is, through understanding these developmental theories. References Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Human Behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of Mental Health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998) Boeree, C.G. (2007). Carl Rogers 1902-1987. Personality Theories. Retrieved October 16, 2008 from http://www.social-psychology.de/do/pt_rogers.pdf Clifton, A. and Davis, D., Psychosocial Theory: Erikson, Haverford College. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from http://www.haverford.edu/psych/ddavis/p109g/erikson.stages.html Day, A. (2008). Why understanding your child’s personality is so important. Helium. Retrieved October 16, 2008 from http://www.helium.com/items/942762-why-understanding-your-childs-personality-is-so-important Institute of Human Thermodynamics. (2005, December 26). Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory and Thermodynamics [1873-1923]. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from http://www.humanthermodynamics.com/Freud.html Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. retrieved October 15, 2008 from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html Ormrod, J.E. (1999). Human Learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Pescitelli, D. (1996). An Analysis of Carl Rogers’ Theory of Personality.Telford Hypnotherapy. Retrieved October 16, 2008 from http://www.telfordhypnotherapy.co.uk/An%20Analysis%20of%20Carl%20Rogers.doc Preisser, G. (1997). Theories and research. Developmental Psychology Student Net Letter, Mesa Community College. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d46/psy/dev/Fall98/Theories/theories.html Thanasoulas, D. (2003). Constructivist Learning. Center for Southeast Asian Studies Northern Illinois University. Retrieved October 18, 2008 from http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Teachers_Page/Language_Learning_Articles/constructivist_learning.htm Syque. (2008). Freud’s psychosexual stage theory. Changing Minds. Retrieved October 15, 2008 from http://changingminds.org/explanations/learning/freud_stage.htm   

Simple Conjugations of Guérir (to Cure) in French

Simple Conjugations of Guà ©rir (to Cure) in French The action of healing is described in French by using the verb  guà ©rir. Literally meaning to cure, to heal, or to recover, it is a useful addition to your French vocabulary. Now, you just need to understand how to conjugate it. A quick lesson will demonstrate the simplest forms. Conjugating the French Verb  Guà ©rir Guà ©rir  is a  regular -IR verb, meaning it follows a relatively common conjugation pattern. When you learn the endings for this verb, they can be applied to many others, including  grandir  (to grow) and  grossir  (to grow fat). As with any French verb conjugation, begin by identifying the verb stem. For  guà ©rir, this is  guà ©r-. To this, a variety of infinitive endings is added to match the subject pronoun with the present, future, or imperfect past tense. For example, I am healing is je guà ©ris and we will cure is nous guà ©rirons. Subject Present Future Imperfect je guà ©ris guà ©rirai guà ©rissais tu guà ©ris guà ©riras guà ©rissais il guà ©rit guà ©rira guà ©rissait nous guà ©rissons guà ©rirons guà ©rissions vous guà ©rissez guà ©rirez guà ©rissiez ils guà ©rissent guà ©riront guà ©rissaient The Present Participle of  Guà ©rir Add -ant  to the verb stem of  guà ©rir  to create the  present participle  guà ©rissant. It is a verb, though, in certain contexts, it can also be used as an adjective, gerund, or noun. The Past Participle and Passà © Composà © The  past participle  of  guà ©rir  is  guà ©ri. This is used along with a conjugate of the auxiliary verb  avoir  to create a common past tense in French known as the  passà © composà ©. Its rather easy to construct: I recovered becomes jai guà ©ri and we have cured is nous avons guà ©ri. More Simple  Guà ©rir  Conjugations to Learn When the action of healing, curing, or recovering is somehow questionable or uncertain, you can use the subjunctive verb mood. In a similar fashion, if the action is dependent on something else also occurring, then the conditional verb form may be used. Those two are great for casual conversation, though the passà © simple and the imperfect subjunctive are literary forms. While you may not use these yourself, its a sound idea to be able to associate them with  guà ©rir. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Passà © Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je guà ©risse guà ©rirais guà ©ris guà ©risse tu guà ©risses guà ©rirais guà ©ris guà ©risses il guà ©risse guà ©rirait guà ©rit guà ©rà ®t nous guà ©rissions guà ©ririons guà ©rà ®mes guà ©rissions vous guà ©rissiez guà ©ririez guà ©rà ®tes guà ©rissiez ils guà ©rissent guà ©riraient guà ©rirent guà ©rissent To express  guà ©rir  in short requests and demands, the imperative verb mood is used. For this, theres no need to include the subject pronoun, so tu guà ©ris can be simplified to guà ©ris. Imperative (tu) guà ©ris (nous) guà ©rissons (vous) guà ©rissez

8 signs your coworker is toxic

8 signs your coworker is toxic There’s nothing quite as uniquely stressful as a toxic coworker- and if you’ve been a victim of one you know precisely how difficult a situation he or she can be. They can be toxic for a wide variety of reasons, from a negative energy that they give off to a detrimental effect they have on your team, department, or entire workplace. The effects can be wide ranging- from making your work environment uncomfortable to seriously impacting productivity and workplace satisfaction. While in other parts of your life you can usually avoid a person who’s toxic, it’s not quite as easy to do so at work. And given that we typically spend a minimum of 40 hours at our jobs per week- a significant part of our waking lives- it can be a real problem, and often one without an easy solution.Are you wondering if a coworker of yours is toxic? There are signs that you can look for to know for sure, and once you know you can set up a plan for dealing with the situation. Inc. rece ntly published an article that covers 8 signs you should look for to determine if your coworker is toxic. Use this information to help you navigate this tricky situation!1. They’re â€Å"secret† know-it-alls.Do you have a coworker who’s perfectly pleasant and agreeable- even a team player- when the boss is paying attention but quickly reverts to an annoying know-it-all who can’t seem to allow room for any other opinion but they’re own? This sort of toxic coworker can be impossible to work collaboratively with and can make it really hard to function comfortably at work.2. They act as if they’ve already paid their dues.Most of us have experience with this sort of toxic coworker- they think that the sheer fact that they’ve been at the workplace longer gives them some level of superiority or special pass to behave in any way they wish (and often it’s in a terrible way). Often, they get by doing as little as possible and expect newe r employees who are currently â€Å"paying their dues† to shoulder a greater amount of the work. It’s never fun to be around this sort of coworker, and it’s certainly not a recipe for workplace efficiency.3. They like to say, â€Å"Yeah, but that’s not my job.†This type of coworker can be a real nightmare to be around. They have a very narrow and rigid view of what their jobs entail and leave little or no room for flexibility or taking one for the team. They treat everything that they don’t want to do like a â€Å"hot potato† that they quickly pass along to others. Being around this sort of person never feels good- they never truly gel with the rest of the team.4. They think experience is a tangible commodity.Some people wrap themselves in the vague notion of their perceived â€Å"experience,† without it pointing to any clearly defined skill set or measurable contribution to the team. These people often fail or refuse to learn new skills, grow, and adapt. The truth is, experience is great- but in a fast-paced, constantly evolving workplace, experience is not the sole commodity that some toxic coworkers make it out to be, and it can create clear weak links in the employee chain.5. They love gossip.Who hasn’t had a coworker who seems to spend more time gossiping than getting actual work done? They can talk endlessly about a wide range of useless subjects to any coworker who’ll listen- as long as they don’t involve actual work-related topics. Not only is their work output minimal as a result, they’re often a drain on others around them as well- a real lose-lose situation.6. They use  peer pressure to hold other people  back.To these sorts of toxic coworkers, the workplace is like a reality TV show in which they create alliances and enemies and manipulate others around them to achieve their selfish goals. Often peer pressure is their tool of choice, and they use their perceived influence with their coworkers to manipulate and hold other people back while propping themselves up.7. They’re quick  to grab the glory.Rather than view successes as the result of teamwork and collaborative effort, these coworkers like to hog the spotlight and pretend that every success is the sole result of their own influence and contributions. These toxic people somehow manage to tarnish every workplace win with their selfish behavior.8. They’re even quicker to throw others under the bus.Consider this the flip side to the previous point- as quick as these people are to grab the glory after a big win, they’ll just as quickly point the finger at others and assign blame when things go sour. These toxic coworkers keep everyone on edge and on their toes at work- and not in a good way.If you recognize any of the signs mentioned above, you might just have a toxic coworker. If so, recognizing it is the first step. Consider your options for following up- sometimes a simple talk with the coworker can make a world of difference. Be patient, be kind, and stand up for yourself in a professional manner. Aim to be the coworker you wish you had.

The Life and Works of David Ricardo - a Biography

The Life and Works of David Ricardo - a Biography David Ricardo - His Life David Ricardo was born in 1772. He was the third of seventeen children. His family was descended from Iberian Jews who had fled to Holland in the early18th Century. Ricardo’s father, a stockbroker, emigrated to England shortly before David was born. Ricardo began working full-time for his father at the London Stock Exchange when he was fourteen. When he was 21 his family disinherited him when he married a Quaker. Luckily he already had an excellent reputation in finance and he set up his own business as a dealer in government securities. He quickly became very rich. David Ricardo retired from business in 1814 and was elected to the British parliament in 1819 as an independent representing a borough in Ireland, which he served up to his death in 1823. In parliament, his main interests were in the currency and commercial questions of the day. When he died, his estate was worth over $100 million in todays dollars. David Ricardo - His Work Ricardo read Adam Smiths Wealth of Nations (1776) when he was in his late twenties. This sparked an interest in economics that lasted his whole life. In 1809 Ricardo began to write down his own ideas in economics for newspaper articles. In his Essay on the Influence of a Low Price of Corn on the Profits of Stock (1815), Ricardo articulated what came to be known as the law of diminishing returns. (This principle was also discovered simultaneously and independently by Malthus, Robert Torrens, and Edward West). In 1817 David Ricardo published Principles of Political Economy and Taxation. In this text, Ricardo integrated a theory of value into his theory of distribution. David Ricardo’s attempts to answer important economic issues took economics to an unprecedented degree of theoretical sophistication. He outlined the Classical system more clearly and consistently than anyone before had done. His ideas became known as the Classical or Ricardian School. While his ideas were followed they slowly were replaced. However, even today the Neo-Ricardian research program exists.

Book Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book Assignment - Essay Example This book acts as a call to corporate leaders and as an intimate indication of a scandal that shook the business world. This book has twenty-nine chapters, each highlighting a certain theme or an aspect of a theme. Among the most striking themes are the topics on how the author and her team exposed the fraud, how her background from her childhood molded her to become a whistleblower and how she become one of the Time’s 2002 persons of the year. I also found the highlight of how she managed to overcome the challenges she encountered and how healing more striking came through sharing lessons with the younger generation. My professional life has had a lot of up and down but now I have found solutions to some of my problems. First, I will be co-operating fully with my co-workers while respecting other employee and their roles in the company. This is out of the knowledge I have gained on the position of junior staff in the team and their contribution to the success of the company, which is almost equal to that of the senior staff. I will also as much as possible avoid bringing by personal emotions and other issues to my profession and also do my best in encouraging other people in my team to perfect in their area of specialization. From what I have learned from this book, I will always be trying to do things right no matter the ridicule. I will always be investigative especially when I suspect something fishy around my area of operation. In addition, I will ensure that I strengthen my personality because I have realized that it defines the person I am. Lastly, from the author’s courage to share her experience, I feel stirred to share my lessons and experience with the less experienced. This will help them to not only avoid falling into similar traps but also assist them in making informed decisions in life. I have had a very good experience with the book. The use of simple

UK financial services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK financial services - Essay Example This in turn led to a sequential inductive effect on other countries’ economies, which eventually caused a global financial crisis. This shows the power that that the United Kingdom’s financial services sector wields. This paper will discuss various aspects of the financial services sector in the UK, including the main financial services product types and their functions; financial advice; UK taxation and social security systems; and inflation, interest rate volatility and other relevant socio-economic factors. By the end of this paper, I hope to have examined, evaluated, and discussed the United Kingdom’s financial services sector with regards to these aspects. Key words Financial services; interest rate volatility; inflation; social security systems i) The Main Financial Services product types and their Functions Banking UK banks are generally public limited companies (plcs) that are owned by shareholders.The banking sector in the UK has the second largest asse ts in the world ($11 trillion). It offers borrowing and lending services, corporate financing, financial advice, and other financial services. The Bank of England regulates lending and borrowing rates by setting interest rates. By doing this, it also regulates foreign exchange services, cost of goods and services, the money market, and the cost of doing business. When it comes to international banking, the UK is the largest individual market for bank borrowing and lending. Approximately 20% of cross-border trading and 22% of borrowing is organized in the UK. The county also has a long tradition of well-developed systems for processing complex transactions, as well as a strong regard for corporate activity. The UK banking industry is very diverse, and this is shown by the presence of over 551 international banks in London alone in 2007. By comparison, New York has 250, Paris 271, and Frankfurt 280 (British Invisibles 2009, pg. 22). The UK also has very dynamic money markets which cat er for institutional/corporate customer activity in forward and spot markets as well as the proprietary trading activities of banks. In April 2009, the United Kingdom estimated to have a 36% share of the total worldwide foreign exchange turnover with around $1.7bn daily. Local retail banking is entrenched in the UK, with 5 big banks leading the way. These are Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, HSBC, Santander, and RBS Group. Together, these banks control around 65% or more of the total retail banking market in the UK (Copperfield 2010, pg. 27). There are about 52 building societies which complement banks. The largest of these are Yorkshire, Skipton, Coventry, and Nationwide. There are also a couple of retail groups (Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury’s) which provide a variety of financial services products ranging from current accounts to credit cards and insurance (Copperfield 2010, pg. 33). Capital Markets Securities trading and issuance (including trading of commodities an d derivatives) is done by more than 170 firms headquartered London, and is dominated by international banks like Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and JP Morgan. It is a sub-sector that is also consolidated since 60% is controlled by the top seven entities. The UK accounts for about 25% of the total banking fee revenues in the Europe, while London

Use of paramedics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Use of paramedics - Essay Example provide Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid treatment before or during the transport to the hospital as there are some cases where the medical care given during the transport to the hospital is at most crucial in saving a life. People who provide paramedic care are usually called â€Å"Ambulance Paramedic† or â€Å"Ambulance Officers†. Although there is no institutionalized education attainment required to be a paramedic officer, paramedic schools prefer to accept those with University degrees (What is A Paramedic, n.d.). Today, the roles of Paramedics are continuously being redefined especially because of the increasing demand for their services. Reportedly, there has been a higher incident count of those who suffer cardiovascular and mental illnesses that require paramedic care. Also with the aging population that is usually involved in medical conditions that need immediate care, nurses are slowly being replaced by paramedics to respond to community needs (What is A Paramedic, n.d.). There are a lot of reasons why paramedics are slowly taking the roles of nurses today. One of which would be the shortage of nurses in some communities due to the educational requirement that a lot of people are not able to complete (Paramedics fill in for ICU nurses, n.d.). Aside from that, there is a high percentage of medical cases today that need immediate medical care as patients learn about their illness only after experiencing an attack and needing cure already rather than being able to practice prevention. This says a lot of about our current lifestyle where people are surrounded with stress, busy schedule, inactive routine, and a lot of fast food alternatives which are unhealthy. With this said, helicopter emergency services is now being integrated in emergency rescue process. Helicopter emergency services are used to improve the efficiency of patient transport and increase mortality rate among severely injured patients especially those that are in inaccessible places

Active LNG 4 & 5 CRJ 520II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Active LNG 4 & 5 CRJ 520II - Essay Example Yes, Motivational Interviewing should be taught to all Probation Officers including those with years of experience on the field of corrections. This should be done through training workshops. The training should focus on strengthening core skills, role play, and coaching. The trainers should have prior experience with probation services and on the field of corrections. According to Clark, Walters, Gingerich and Metzler (2006), Motivational Interviewing brings officers back into the "business of behavior change." Probation officers become enforcers of court orders, but not active participants in the offenders behavioral change. Motivational Interviewing helps probation officers to build a positive and collaborative relationship with offenders. This creates an atmosphere of trust where offenders can express themselves and talk about change (Clark et.al, 2006) Motivational Interviewing trains probation officers in basic listening and speaking strategies such as ask open questions, affirm positive talk and behavior, reflect what you are hearing and seeing and summarize what has been said. This technique enables probation officer to gather information about offenders such as their personal strength and assist them in planning (Clark et.al, 2006). Motivational Interviewing encourages officers to be honest with offenders about supervision and sanctions should they go wrong. Clark, M.D., Walters, S., Gingerich, R. & Metzler, M.(2006). Importance, Confidence and Readiness to Change: Motivational Interviewing for probation and parole. Journal of American Probation and Parole Association. 30(1), 37-45 The ability to conduct Motivational Interviewing is one of the essential skills of a Probationary Officer because it facilitates the "business of behavior change." While Probationary Officers may not be the active personnel to

Leadership - leadership versus followership Essay

Leadership - leadership versus followership - Essay Example Bad Leader believes that employees working under him are basically lazy and the work, assigned to them, is distasteful to them. They assume that people are motivated by money. Leaders with bad leadership traits normally or wrongly assume that there must be very detailed work routines and enforced milestones to ensure that every work gets done. According to Allio, a bad leader apart from failing both professionally as well as personally, would destruct the organizations and regrettably the employees and the shareholders A good leader must be tough enough to win a fight, but not tough enough to kick a man when he is down. They find strategies to increase the owners fund, encourage change in the wrong direction rather than resisting it. Further they influence their subordinate in a negative rather than coerce them into a positive path. The Bad leaders are corrupt, misguided and have disregard for the stakeholders. They bring disrepute to the organization and are painful to the employees. Dean B McFarlin & Paul D Sweeney in their book â€Å"Where EGOS Dare-The Untold Truth about Narcissistic Leaders & how to Survive them† defines Narcissistic Leaders as the ones who are fundamentally, insecure individuals who will crave adoration and will act in a negative way to get adoration, eventually only getting negative adoratio n. They compensate by projecting an inflated sense of self worth & competence to those around them. The next important point raised by Allio in the article is that, most leaders start as visionaries having great ideals to lead the organization into high growth. They exhibit high integrity and they take the right path to retain the idealism for what they had dreamt of in the beginning. However, the environmental and resource constraints influences idealism and they become practical and think of alternative ideas. They start of in a big way but when their plans fail to deliver, they take wrong decisions

FRANK LlOYD WRIGHT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FRANK LlOYD WRIGHT - Term Paper Example But Wright was not interested in staying at the university and left in 1887 to work for J.L Silsbee in Chicago. Wright worked under Silsbee learning architectural detail. It was here that he drafted the construction of his first building, the Unity Chapel. Wright then moved on to work in the firm of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, where he not only progressed to become chief assistant to Sullivan but also met and then married his first wife Catherine Tobin. Wright was He worked here until 1893 and then opened his own architectural practice where he worked for the next five years. In 1909 Wright moved to Germany but returned in 1911. He then moved to Spring Green with Mamah Borthwick Cheney to work on a piece of ancestral land his mother had given him. It was here that Wright constructed one of his famous works, Taliesin. However in 1914, one of their servants went insane and tragically murdered Cheney and six others, thereby destroying what Wright had so lovingly built, but he refu sed to allow it to stop him and to the surprise of many, ended up rebuilding Taliesin. Wright eventually began spreading his influence and in 1914 he was asked to build the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. In 1932, Wright converted Taliesin into an architectural fellowship where 30 young students paid to become his apprentices and learn from him. It was also during this particular period that Wright married his third wife Olivanna Milanoff. Eventually however as Wright began getting older, he desired living in a warmer more comfortable climate and therefore, in 1937, moved from Wisconsin to Phoenix Arizona. Here, Wright built Taliesin West which served the same purpose as Taliesin, i.e. an architectural fellowship where students could pay to learn from him. Wright spent a happy 20 years here but in 1959, at the age of 92, Wright died. Fallingwater Fallingwater or Kaufman residence is considered one of the most famous works of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was constructed in 1935 as the residence o f the wealthy Pittsburg businessman, Edward Kaufmann, with construction taking a little more than two years, and the house being complete by October 1937. It is one of the most recognizable images of modern architecture, marked by the waterfall running beneath the house and strongly characterized by distinctive horizontal and vertical lines. The house is breathtakingly admired not only for its general beauty and picturesque location but rather by the seamless integration between these two things, i.e. man-made architecture and the natural surroundings it is located it. Stone and reinforced concrete were the two materials used to make most of the house. The floors and ceilings were all made from reinforced concrete but there were raised stone slabs on the floor and the walls too were made of rough, untreated stone. This gave the house a very natural yet modern look, with a mixture of natural wood, concrete and stone, complemented by glass enhancing its natural appeal. Wright understo od the balance between wanting to be with nature as well as wanting to be sheltered from it and so he made big, broad windows of glass on the exterior so that the water and the nature around the house would be clearly visible but he then made sure the

Leadership - leadership versus followership Essay

Leadership - leadership versus followership - Essay Example Bad Leader believes that employees working under him are basically lazy and the work, assigned to them, is distasteful to them. They assume that people are motivated by money. Leaders with bad leadership traits normally or wrongly assume that there must be very detailed work routines and enforced milestones to ensure that every work gets done. According to Allio, a bad leader apart from failing both professionally as well as personally, would destruct the organizations and regrettably the employees and the shareholders A good leader must be tough enough to win a fight, but not tough enough to kick a man when he is down. They find strategies to increase the owners fund, encourage change in the wrong direction rather than resisting it. Further they influence their subordinate in a negative rather than coerce them into a positive path. The Bad leaders are corrupt, misguided and have disregard for the stakeholders. They bring disrepute to the organization and are painful to the employees. Dean B McFarlin & Paul D Sweeney in their book â€Å"Where EGOS Dare-The Untold Truth about Narcissistic Leaders & how to Survive them† defines Narcissistic Leaders as the ones who are fundamentally, insecure individuals who will crave adoration and will act in a negative way to get adoration, eventually only getting negative adoratio n. They compensate by projecting an inflated sense of self worth & competence to those around them. The next important point raised by Allio in the article is that, most leaders start as visionaries having great ideals to lead the organization into high growth. They exhibit high integrity and they take the right path to retain the idealism for what they had dreamt of in the beginning. However, the environmental and resource constraints influences idealism and they become practical and think of alternative ideas. They start of in a big way but when their plans fail to deliver, they take wrong decisions

The Hidden Christians Essay Example for Free

The Hidden Christians Essay The Portuguese Catholic Missionaries introduced Christianity in Japan in the 16th century. After its introduction the religion experienced unprecedented growth for about fifty years when the Tokugawa government under Hideyoshi, issued a decree outlawing the religion in 1614. This was because he was alarmed by the colonization and conversion of Philippines (Japan’s neighbor) by Spain. The edict led to the expulsion of the Christian missionaries from Japan. About 150,000 natives who had converted to Christianity went underground and continued to practice their faith secretly, they are known as the â€Å"Hidden Christians† because of their secretive nature. There followed widespread repression of the Christians who numbered about 750,000. Great repression was witnessed in the southern fringes of Japan where about 6,000 Christians were killed. The repression was to continue for almost 300 hundred years until the arrival of Commodore Perry in 1853 when the persecutions eased. In 1873 Christianity was legalized in Japan. Missionaries returned again in the late 19th century in the southern islands of Japan that are remote to coax about 50,000 of the hidden Christians to come out in the open. After the isolation ended some of the hidden Christians continued to practice the secretive belief that had been handed down to them by their ancestors. There are some of the hidden Christians today in Japan. The belief and practices entail the existence of three persons who are responsible for leading various ceremonies, conducting of baptisms, and helping out in ceremonies including maintaining some level of contact between the members. Four fundamental issues that include Polytheism, Present gain, ancestor worship and ritualism on the other hand characterize the belief system. Today the faith of the hidden Christians is facing one of its greatest challenges. Instead of the persecutors of yester years the faith is facing indifference especially from the young generation who lack the time to learn the ancient chants. Works Cited Ann m. Harrington: Japans Hidden Christians Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1993. P12-14 Miyazaki Kentaro: Hidden Christians in contemporary Nagasaki: Retrieved on 24th April from http://www. uwosh. edu/faculty_staff/earns/miyazaki. html Turnbull,Stephen: The Kakure Kirishitan of Japan. Japan Library. Curzon Press. 1998 12-14 Thelle, Notto R.: Buddhism and Christianity in Japan: From conflict to dialogue: 1854 1899. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1987 34-35 New York Times Article: Lack of Oppression Hurts Christianity in Japan: Apr. 3, 1997 James Brooke: Once Banned, Christianity Withers in an Old Stronghold: Ikitsuki Journal; December 25, 2003 Retrieved on 24th April from http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9B02EFDC163EF936A15751C1A9659C8B63 www. reuters. com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUST14106220071219: Japans Hidden Christians face extinction: Article dated19 Dec 2007:Retrieved on 24th April 2008

Conventional and Water Sensitive Urban Development

Conventional and Water Sensitive Urban Development Literature Review The Difference between Conventional Urban Development (CUD) and Water Sensitive Urban Development (WSUD) Introduction Urban development in cities around the world has come under constraining pressure due to population growth which leads to urban sprawl and the effects of anthropogenically induced climate change impacts on environmental ecosystems. The increase in the development of infrastructure such as impervious surfaces on roads, walkways, and public parks triggers increased flooding due to surface runoff and changes of landscapes, which adversely impact environmental ecosystems (Zhang et al., 2017). Other urban development dilemmas, as pointed out by Ercan et al., (2017), were increases in greenhouse gases (GHG) and conventional air pollution due to an increase in transportation industries. A Conventional Urban Development (CUD) approach as a solution to such glitches was introduced to control storm water and flooding, but ignored further contemplation on the carrying and receiving environment, in this case, the streams, lakes and ocean ecosystems. A sustainable pathway to urban development required a more holistic approach that was pertinent in capturing roles of nature in urban or city developments. According to Bell, (2015), Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) might be a solution as it exemplifies a sustainable approach to urban nature and provides a useful foundation for moving beyond drainage and into the water supply and waste water technology and discourse. This article will identify the differences between Conventional Urban Development and Water Sensitive Urban Development. Furthermore, it will elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches and predict an overview on the future of the integration in relation to the sustainable cities metaphor. Comparison of Conventional Urban Development and Water Sensitive Urban Development Conventional urban development was introduced as an engineered structure in addressing storm water management and reducing flooding in cities in most parts of the world. The approach was largely focused on flood mitigation and health protection (Fletcher et al., 2015). Roefs et al., (2017) identified three types of conventional urban development based on sanitation systems; namely, centralized, conventionally activated sludge treatment; on-site sources for separation of grey water and black water treatment; and a hybrid of both systems. Urban stormwater runoff has become a challenge for urban planners and communities at large due to the source of degradation to stream ecosystems, as it only emphasised urban stormwater runoff originating from every roof, road and car park of a city. Therefore, another approach, which is more or less an integration of the conventional urban development, was introduced as a Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD). Water sensitive urban design is an integrated water management of water supply, wastewater and stormwater aimed at achieving multiple objectives beyond conventional or normal design and attentive on social amenities, protection of receiving waters, reduced consumption of external waters and other resources, and an improved microclimate within an urban natural environment (Walsh et al., 2016 Sharma et al., 2016). The water sensitive urban design is widely supported by many city planners and engineers as one of the novel technologies for sustainable cities (Bell, 2015 Sharma et al., 2016). Pros and Cons of Water Sensitive Urban Design Although there was an imbalance pointing more to the increased social understanding of water sensitive urban design and its benefits, there were also some contradictions in implementing the systems in many cities around the world. According to Sharma et al., (2016) Niemczynowicz, (1999), this new principle of integrated water management required close communication by water engineers, ecologists, and municipal planners to actively participate in the planning process. Also, it was identified by the authors that there were gaps in knowledge on the technical, economic, and social and institutional aspects of the Water Sensitive Urban Design implementation. In contrast, Water Sensitive Urban Development integrates all elements of the water cycle and their interconnections to achieve results that allow a healthy environment that meets the need of human consumption, waste water and pollution, precipitation and runoff, watercourses and water resources, and floods (Ulian et al., 2017). The concept of a Water Sensitive City is picked by many cities around the world as the option for resilience toward population growth and climate change impacts. For instance, according to Wong and Brown, (2008), the concept of a Water Sensitive City is a state goal of Australia to make every city water sensitive. Conclusion Populations will continue to grow and natural environments will continue to be affected as a result of anthropogenically induced climate change, which will lead to challenges of urban water management in urban centres around the world. Conventional Urban Development has been underpinned by the new water sensitive urban design to another level of water management in cities. The difference separating the two methods of engineering is that for Conventional Urban Development more consideration is put forward for removal of stormwater from urban areas so as to avoid flooding and to improve sanitation, while the Water Sensitive Urban Development considered removal of wastewater and was making sure that the water was controlled or cared for without adversely affecting the ecosystems. In simple terms, the Water Sensitive Urban Development (WSUD) is how urban stormwater is protected, reused, and recycled, so that the health of the ecosystems may be sustained and the goals of sustainable citie s could be achieved. References Bell, S. (2015). Renegotiating urban water. Progress in planning, 96, 1-28. Ercan, T., Onat, N. C., Tatari, O., Mathias, J. D. (2017). Public transportation adoption requires paradigm shif[B1]t in urban development structure. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 1789-1799. Fletcher, T. D., Shuster, W., Hunt, W. F., Ashley, R., Butler, D., Arthur, S., Mikkelsen, P. S. (2015). SUDS, LID, BMPs, WSUD and more-The evolution and application of terminology surrounding urban drainage. Urban Water Journal, 12(7), 525-542. Niemczynowicz, J. (1999). Urban hydrology and water management-present and future challenges. Urban water, 1(1), 1-14. Roefs, I., Meulman, B., Vreeburg, J. H., Spiller, M. (2017). Centralised, decentralised or hybrid sanitation systems? Economic evaluation under urban development uncertainty and phased expansion. Water Research, 109, 274-286. Sharma, A. K., Pezzaniti, D., Myers, B., Cook, S., Tjandraatmadja, G., Chacko, P. Walton, A. (2016). Water Sensitive Urban Design: An Investigation of Current Systems, Implementation Drivers, Community Perceptions and Potential to Supplement Urban Water Services. Water, 8(7), 272. Ulian, G., Cartes, I., Lima, M. M. C. L. (2017). Water management assessment methodology for urban planning. Revista Ambiente and à gua, 12(1), 33-46. Walsh, C. J., Booth, D. B., Burns, M. J., Fletcher, T. D., Hale, R. L., Hoang, L. N. Wallace, A. (2016). Principles for urban storm water management to protect stream ecosystems. Freshwater Science, 35(1), 398-411. Wong, T., Brown, R. (2008, August). Transitioning to water sensitive cities: ensuring resilience through a new hydro-social contract. In 11th International Conference on Urban Drainage. September. Edinburgh. 10p. Zhang, D., Gersberg, R. M., Ng, W. J., Tan, S. K. (2017). Conventional and decentralized urban storm water management: A comparison through case studies of Singapore and Berlin, Germany. Urban Water Journal, 14(2), 113-124. [B1]Your second and third lines should be indented for your references.

Progress and Necessity :: Essays Papers

Progress and Necessity That theater has undergone many changes since its early incarnation in ancient Greece is a fact obvious even to the casual observer. And it is likewise clear that, as the cultural and social structure of the world shifts and changes over time, it is appropriate that its art forms change as well, in order to address appropriately the new reality in which they exist. However, perhaps not too unexpectedly, there are those who reject our modern manifestation of theater as insincere or false -- indeed, as there are in every time those who contest the latest evolutions of all types of art. Chief among those who disapprove of the theater of their own (and, in fact, nearly all) time is Friedrich Nietzsche, a philosopher who seems to have made his reputation largely by being gloomy and arrogant. It should not be surprising to us that a man who had little good to say about anything (other than himself and the things he liked) would criticize the greater portion of the history of any art form, but what is interesting -- and, moreover, an instance of a particular mistake which seems to have afflicted others as well -- is the reason he gives for his displeasure. According to Nietzsche, worthwhile tragedy perished even before the fall of ancient Greece, and the cause of its demise was the rise of reason. As he says in The Birth of Tragedy, "When after all a new genre sprung into being which honored tragedy as its parent, the child was seen with dismay to bear indeed the features of its mother, but of its mother during her long death struggle. The death struggle of tragedy had been fought by Euripides . . . . Tragedy lived on there in a degenerate form, a monument to its painful and laborious death (Nietzsche 70)." As we find out later, Euripides was merely acting under the influence of Socrates -- a terrible man, a plague upon the Athenian state, whose listed faults remind one of Nietzsche himself -- but that is little comfort; the damage is done. And what is the crime of Euripides, this upstart dramatist, who dared introduce a new element to the theater? Apparently, that he "succeeded in transporting the spectator onto the stage (ibid.)" -- that he permitted the common man in the audience to identify with the actors in a more personal way, and therefore shortened, perhaps eliminated, the distance between the two camps.

Cloning is Bad! :: essays research papers

   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The coelacanth is an amazing creature full of mystery and exciting discoveries. It was once thought to be extinct for more than360 milllion years ago until one was caught in1938.Its scientific name is Latimeria chalumnae .An adult coelacanth can grow at least to 180 cm in length and weigh 98 kg and each fish has a distinctive pattern of pinkish white blotches that enables scientists to separate one individual from another. The coelacanth has several very recognizable anatomical features.The skull is in two parts with an intra cranial joint which lets it go an up and down movement between them. A strong pair of muscles beneath the skull-base lowers the front half of the skull, giving the coelacanth a powerful bite .The eyes and olfactory organs are in the front part of the skull, and tiny brain and inner ear are in the rear.In the middle of the snout is a large pit filled with a jelly-like sac that opens to the outside through three pores.This sac is called the rostral organ .It may be used to detect weak electric currents and help the coelacanth to find hidden prey. The fins Coelacanths belong to a group of bony lobe-finned fishes and have 8 fins (2 dorsals, 2 pectorals, 2 pelvics, 1 anal and 1 caudal). The first dorsal fin of the coelacanth is much like that of other fishes and can be folded down or erected. The other fins have a well-developed, muscular, limb-like basal lobe projecting from the body wall, and a fringe of unbranched rays like a fan attached to the outer end of the base. The fleshy scale - covered lobe can be bent or rotated so that each fin can work like a paddle or sculling oar. The tailhas three divisions: a characteristic small projecting middle lobe between the longer upper and lower lobes of the fin. The skeleton Most of the skeleton is made of cartilage. In place of the vertebral column, a large notochord extends from the skull to the tip of the caudal fin. The notochord is a thick-walled cartilaginous tube filled with oil-like fluid which is under slight pressure; it is tough and elastic and does the job of a backbone, since no complete vertebrae are developed around it. The scales The body is covered with hard scales with small toothy-like growths called denticles on the outer surface which protect the coelacanth from the rocks and predators. The swimbladder

The Working Girls

Women are entering the labor market in greater numbers and are staying in it longer and for a larger proportion of their work lives (Looking 1996). When asked what they want, women respond in survey after survey† â€Å"pay equity,† â€Å"better wages,† or â€Å"more money† (Looking 1996). In other words, women believe they are not being paid what they are worth (Looking 1996). This is a common response up-and down the income spectrum, â€Å"women from the executive suite to the factory floor, from the office to the washroom,† all feel that they are underpaid (Looking 1996). During the 1970's, women earned 59 percent of what men earned, and today they generally earn approximately 72 percent of what men earn (Looking 1996). However, although women's earnings have risen, about 3/5 of the narrowing of the gap is due to the fall in men's real earnings (Looking 1996). Moreover, the wage gap grows as women and men age, the gap is relatively small for young women and men, but thereafter men's wages increase sharply while women's do not (Looking 1996). In fact, the average woman in her working prime, in her early forties, makes only about the same as a man in his late twenties (Looking 1996). About fifteen years ago, it all seemed possible, to â€Å"bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, split the second shift with some sensitive New Age man,† however slowly the upbeat work-life rhythm has changed for professional women (Wallis 2004). Although many countries have given women the right to maternity leave and, sometimes, generous subsidies for child care, and some have even initiated a 35-hour workweek, however, the norm for most executives is still 50 hours a week for women (Wallis 2004). According to Catalyst, a U. S. esearch and consulting group, the average number for executives in the U. S. is roughly 70 hours a week (Wallis 2004). And for dual-career couples with children, the combined work hours have grown from 81 hours a week in 1977 to 91 hours per week in 2002, according to the Families and Work Institute (Wallis 2004). The U. S. Census data reveal an increase in stay-at-home moms who hold graduate or professional degrees, these are the very women who seemed destined to blast through the glass ceiling, yet 22 percent of them are home with their children (Wallis 2004). A study by Catalyst found that one in three women with M. B. A. s are not working full-time, compared to one in twenty of their male peers (Wallis 2004). Sylvia Ann Hewlett, economist and author at Columbia University in New York City, who sees a brain drain throughout the top 10 percent of America's labor force, says â€Å"What we have discovered in looking at this group over the last five years is that many women who have any kind of choice are opting out† (Wallis 2004). According to a new study released in March 2006 by Accenture, a global management consulting company, women executives around the world still face an uphill battle in workplace equality, despite significant gains during the past ten years (Most 2006). The study, entitled â€Å"The Anatomy of the Glass Ceiling: Barriers to Women's Professional Advancement,† is based on a survey of 1,200 male and female executives in eight countries (Most 2006). The respondents were asked to score factors they believed influenced their career success across three dimension: individual (career planning, competence, assertiveness, etc. , company (supportive supervisors, transparent promotion processes, etc. ), and society (equal rights, government support of parental leave, etc. ) (Most 2006). The differences between male and female respondents' answers were sued to calculate the current â€Å"thickness† of the glass ceiling, a term used to describe an unacknowledged barrier that prevents women and other minorities from achieving positions of power or responsibility in their professions (Most 2006). According to the study, 30 percent of women executives and 43 percent of male executives believe that women have the same opportunities as men do in the workplace, thus supporting the existence of a glass ceiling (Most 2006). Although there has been some progress in shattering the glass ceiling over the past twenty years, organizations and societies need to understand how important it is to capitalize and build upon the skills of women (Most 2006). In the Bem Sex Role Inventory, researcher Pamela Butler focused questions on real problems women face in changing stereotypical perceptions (Merrick 2000). According to Butler, there is intense pressure for professional women to conform to stereotypical roles such as â€Å"cheerfulness,† â€Å"tenderness,† and even â€Å"gullibility† (Merrick 2000). As women move into management in increasing numbers, it has become more apparent that these stereotypical beliefs ten to limit their advancement (Merrick 2000). The ‘Catch 22' is that when women try strategies of gender-reversal and adopt the so-called male characteristics, they often find that they face another set of problems, that of alienation and hostility, because as Butler points out, becoming one of the boys is harder than it looks (Merrick 2000). According to Butler, it takes cooperation from peers on the job to make strategies work, because research shows that attitudes held by those around a woman, even herself, hinder working relationships between women and men, and these attitudes ultimately are realized in losses of productivity and of real dollars to organizations (Merrick 2000). The purpose of Butler's research was to explore the ethics of perpetuating gender stereotypes in management, and to investigate how the woman manager operates under the system with feminine traits that are perpetuated by socialization and, vice versa, as well as how she operates under the system when she adopts masculine traits that break gender roles (Merrick 2000). The choices of leadership styles pose ethical dilemmas for women, because to get along, the new-age woman manager often finds that she has to act one way on the outside while being driven by a very much different psyche on the inside (Merrick 2000). Moreover, she may discover that in the same way, her male colleagues act toward her one way on the outside yet feel very much differently about her on the job (Merrick 2000). The new-age woman manager also might find herself playing a cruel double game in which she is utilized to show the organization has non-discriminatory hiring practices, â€Å"and at the same time she find she has to handle covert hostility from her colleagues in the workplace, who feel they have been forced to work with her to avoid trouble with the powers that be† (Merrick 2000). Data collected by L. K. Brown reveals that 5 percent of the total worldwide managers in 1947 were women, while only 6 percent of all managers in 1978 were women (Merrick 2000). In the United States, the figures were 14 percent in 1947, compared to 22 percent thirty years later (Merrick 2000). However, most of the managerial positions held by women are in the fields of health administration, building supervision and restaurant management, meaning there are more women managers in fields that have traditionally been perceived women's work (Merrick 2000). A survey carried out by Fortune, found that only ten of 6,400 people who worked at managerial positions in 1,300 of the nation's largest companies were women (Merrick 2000). Moreover, according to Brown, only 3 percent of women managers in the United States earn more than $25,000 annually (Merrick 2000). Brown concludes that larger companies are not promoting women on a large scale, and that women seeking top management posts may prefer smaller companies instead of large male-dominated companies (Merrick 2000). According to a Canadian survey, 55 percent believe that it is easier for men to advance in the workplace than women, and 42 percent of female executives who were surveyed believe that gender-based discrimination will never completely disappear from the workplace (Pollara 2000).

Prince Edward Island †Essay Essay

Executive Summary: Prince Edward Island Preserve manufactures and produced high- quality, high priced specialty food products. P.E.I.P.C. experienced rapid growth in its short history. In the first few years of its existence, founder Bruce MacNaughton expanded his company from one manufacturing and retail outlet in 1989, following a second retail outlet in 1991. The company also diversified and opened two restaurants in 1989 and 1990 respectively. It is anticipated that P.E.I.P.C. will continue to grow, with projected sales for the year ending January 1992, to reach one million dollars. In August 1991, MacNaughton, contemplated on future expansion. The two cities under consideration were in Toronto and Tokyo. Options under consideration include adding retail outlets in the aforementioned regions. Also under consideration is to increase wholesaling, and the use of distributors (hotel and airlines). Expanding the mail order business is also an alternative. Although MacNaughton has weighed some or all options to diversify P.E.I.P.C’s operations, it is unequivocally clear the company lacks clear vision, strategy goal and objective. MacNaughton’s business had been built on gut and emotion rather than analysis. However, this approach may prove to be insufficient for the future. It is difficult to execute a strategy if goals are not specific, can’t be described or understood. However, guided by the proper analysis of the external environment (SWOT), together with the firm-level analysis (VRINE Model), MacNaughton’s can improve P.E.I.P.C.’s long term competitive business position. Key Problems: This case highlights various strategic challenges MacNaughton face while contemplating expansion, and how to complete this objective successfully. The difficulty is to know when to close the gap between the firm’s aspiration and its current capabilities, resources and market position. The core issues identified in this case are: 1. Future Expansion 2. Product imitation 3. Product promotion – reluctance to explore the use wholesale and distribution networks 4. Financial Constrains– unable to secure suitable financing, experienced period of cash flow shortages 5. Managerial constrains 6. Seasonal Staff – inability to attract and retain quality staff due to the seasonal nature of the business Analysis and Evaluation: P.E.I.P.C.’s key resource is its geographic location. Prince Edward Island is most notable known for its pastoral beauty, slower pace of life, North Shore beaches and global image of Anne of Green Naples. Prince Edward Island’s well known reputation for the high quality of strawberries is the basis of P.E.I.P.C.’s marketing strategy and product differentiation. As the company grew, P.E.I.P.C. developed and achieved a diverse product line. This resource helped the company to establish a competitive advantage. In addition, P.E.I.P.C’s higher prices did not compete with low end products charges by competitors. However, this marketing strategy to differentiate their brand, introduced P.E.I.P.C to a variety of competitors. Another key resource is financing. Although previously listed as a core issue, the company has the ability to raise $100,000 of addition capital to finance future expansion by issuing preferred stock. P.E.I.P.C.’s manufacturing plant i s another key resource. Currently, P.E.I.P.C.’s production capacity is underutilized. The manufacturing plant operates five month a year, on a single, five days per week. Productivity levels can increase from fifty per cent to one hundred per cent by extending the hours of operation. Automating the bottling process could increase productivity substantially. The final key resource is its customers. Prince Edward Island and P.E.I.P.C. attracts thousands of tourists from over the globe. In additional to local marketing efforts, the reliance on tourists could increase P.E.I.P.C.’s global presence and raise consumer awareness of its products. A strategy must be formulated for the purpose of gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. MacNaughton should critically evaluate P.E.I.P.C’s performance measure for resources and capabilities by utilizing the VRINE model. The VRINE Model Value – A resource is valuable if it enables P.E.I.P.C to exploit opportunities to establish competitive advantage or negate threats. Japanese tourist comprises a large number of visitors to Prince Edward Island and Prince Edward Island Preserve, Co. outlets. The popularity of P.E.I and P.E.I.P.C’s products are well known to Japan. Essentially, the high level of spending by the Japanese, their fascination with P.E.I., traditions of gift giving and the amount of disposal income available to them, indicates that opportunities in Japan might be successful. Rarity – P.E.I.P.C can enjoy temporary competitive advantage, so long as the content of ingredients used to make its specialty preserves remain rare and scarce relative to it competitors. Inimitability/Non-substitutability – Other firms in P.E.I. has begun to retail specialty preserves in hopes to profit from P.E.I.P.C.’s success. Competitors might be able to imitate or substitute the value and resou rces quickly, at a low cost. Exploitability – With a solid vision, financial base, coupled clear strategy formulation and implementation of its objectives, P.E.I.P.C. can exploit their brand and products domestically and manufacture their products globally with the resources available. P.E.I.P.C can protect and increase competitive advantage by expanding its wholesaler and distribution network in Toronto. Initially, MacNaughton’s interest in Toronto was due to its size and local awareness of P.E.I. Successful expansion in Toronto can prove to be quite profitable for the company. Strategy planning for P.E.I.P.C. must also include a SWOT analysis in order to identify its internal and external factors that are favorable and/or unfavorable in achieving its objective. SWOT Analysis of Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. StrengthsWeakness Brand LoyaltySeasonal Business Structure Product DifferentiationAttract and Retain Quality Staff Local ReputationLimited Advertisement Broad Product MixCash Flow Shortages Ability to Raise Capital OpportunitiesThreats Expansion in Japan and TorontoProduct Imitation Extensive Distribution ChannelsVariety of Possible Substitutes Ability to meet Competitive PricingSupplier Power to Competitors Recommendations: P.E.I.P.C can also explore expanding its marketing reach in efforts to bring brand awareness through e-commerce and web based advertising. Additionally, plans should include hiring a sales and marketing team to assist in strengthening the company’s brand name and appeal. Emphasize on mail order sales by improving the quality of the catalogue and distribution reach. P.E.I.P.C. should consider automating the bottling process to increase production capacity and annual volume. The company should also analyze the profitability of large scale orders with wholesalers, hotels and airlines, and perhaps consider opportunities to expand in the U.S. Implementation: MacNaughton should take into consideration the use of additional key strategy formulation concepts such as, the strategy diamond, the five forces model off environment threats and the PESTEL model to help his firm establish and sustain competitive advantage.