Discuss Social Class, Gender, Marital Status, Age, Socio Economics Statues and Their Relationship to Functionality

Discuss social class, gender, marital status, age, socio economics statues and their relationship to functionality. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. Anthropologists, historians, and sociologists identify class as universal, although what determines class will vary widely from one society to another. Even within a society, different people or groups may have very different ideas about what makes one â€Å"higher† or â€Å"lower† in the hierarchy. Different defining characteristics have developed in societies around the world and have changed through history. Depending on the definition used, class can also be associated with social status, or one's social position in a culture. Because of the vagaries of the word, the idea of social class has been the object of much study in fields such as sociology and economics. Some of the more famous theorists of class include Karl Marx and Max Weber. Despite the work of these intellectual heavyweights, the value of the notion of social class is still questioned as it becomes even more difficult to define in an increasingly fluid and globalized society. Beyond the problems in theoretical conceptualizations, the practical impact of social class on society is important. Any system that divides people and then assigns different values to the groups is inherently problematic in the establishment and maintenance of a harmonious society. If vertical divisions among people can connote no difference in value, only in role, experience, or responsibility in society, then social class may be considered a useful concept

Psychological Testing Essay

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children measures simultaneous and sequential processing skills as well as subscales that measure academic achievement. The age range this test investigates is ages 2-12 years. There are ten mental processing subtests as well as six achievement subtests. Only three of the subtests are administered to all ages groups, making the sub-testing age-specific. The older the child in question, the longer the tests will take. The sequential processing scale measures short term memory and problem solving is organized around sequences. The simultaneous scale measures several problems that need to be solved at the same time. Achievement scales measure applied skills of the individual. b) Intelligence in children of preschool age is very unstable whereas their intelligence begins to stabilize as they reach school age. The assessment tools for infants are different to school-going children in the sense that they measure development rather than academic foundations. These tests measure how quickly the child is developing in terms of motor skills, linguistic development, adaptive behavior and social interaction. It has to be given that school-aged children have a higher vocabulary and language skill that can be better tested than the infant who is still using monosyllabic noises rather than words. Motor skills also develop more rapidly as well as reasoning skills. c) Mental age does not refer to the actual age of the person in question. A person with a mental age of 5 years may actually only be 4 years chronologically and vice versa. Due to this anomaly, data derived from IQ testing does not follow a bell-curve on data sheets. The deviation IQ is implemented to smooth out inconsistencies. Instead of actual scores, the person is allocated a percentile score so that it can be placed more realistically on a normal curve chart. Mental age does not necessarily increase over time in the same way that chronological age does and this age difference gradually decreases around adolescence. For these reasons a deviation IQ is used as opposed to actual raw scores. d) Originally named the Binet-Simon test, the Testing underwent several revisions over time with the most significant change being that it included the first Intelligence Quotient after 1916 when it became the Stanford-Binet test. The Binet-Simon test was initially used to determine the intelligence of retarded children, came to the conclusion that rather than portraying a chronological age, the children displayed a mental age instead. The 1986 version of the test include a wider perimeter sample group in order to decrease inequities that occurred in race and gender previously. It had been engineered for children alone but in 2003 was amended to accommodate adults as well. Design changes were made also to accommodate and measure behavior at age levels. e) Fluid and crystallized intelligence both form part of general intelligence. Fluid intelligence relates to reasoning and problem solving and is largely thought of as being independent of learning or experience. It is therefore an inherent or instinctual intelligence. Crystallized intelligence on the other hand refers to the intelligence that you gain from experience and what you have learnt in life. This intelligence is something that increases with age due to experiences and the assimilation of knowledge through what we have learned. Fluid intelligence therefore decreases with age and peaks during adolescence while crystallized intelligence will continue to grow. f) The general intelligence factor (g-factor) is meant to be a measurement of the persons overall intelligence. The two-factor theory was initiated by Spearman who derived a g-factor from two functions: a generalized ability and a specific ability. Therefore according to Spearman a person’s intelligence could be determined by a general intelligence as well as a specific intelligence (s-factor). Multi-factor intelligence theories implement the individual ability to be intelligent in various fields. Thurstone found that there were multiple areas in which a person could display intelligence and derived 7 factors that he called primary abilities: word fluency, verbal comprehension, spatial concept, numerical facilitation, memory by association, reasoning and perceptual speed. g) Individual tests require one-one-one consultation and measure verbal and non-verbal abilities. The Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler tests both require this environment. Group tests are most often administered to large groups and do no require one-on-one consultation. These tests are most often aptitude tests or cognitive abilities. Scoring in these terms is most often more objective than in individual tests and also simplify the role of the coordinator. Group testing is not culture-specific as opposed to individual testing which can be more culturally loaded and also more subjective. It is not as easy to establish a relationship with the person in a group testing environment as it is when the person is tested individually. h) Army alpha and beta tests were prototypes initially used in group testing to place soldiers during the First World War. Alpha groups were those who were proficient in the English language. Those who were not initially considered alpha groups were those who were placed in beta groups who were intelligent but not native English speakers. This hypothesis was that people’s intelligence was inherited. This method was first used to identify where in the army the person was likely to be placed, given their responses to the tests and the results. The beta test decreased its use of verbal knowledge presumably because they are non-English and it used mainly pictographic references. i) Aptitude and achievement tests are both standardized. Aptitude testing assesses the ability of the person to learn in certain areas. These tests are developed in order to determine which field of proficiency the person is most likely to excel in. These also measure numerical and literal ability as well as mechanical and abstract reasoning. Achievement tests on the other hand measure how well a person has achieved a skill. It is mostly used to ascertain academic levels and therefore is useful in determining whether a person is inherently able to learn something or not. An aptitude test will be able to validate that a person is most likely to achieve highly in a certain area and not as highly in others. j) The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is an individual test that does not require reading or writing. It measures verbal intelligence and response times which can be useful in the diagnosis of Attention Deficits or other such disorders/abnormal patterns. This form of testing is significant in that it supplies the coordinator with information as to how fast the child can assimilate and react to questions. It also ascertains the quality and efficiency of vocabulary as well as word processing. The test is significant also in that t determines the respondent’s concentration levels and possible problems in their attention span. This is useful in that answers require verbal reactions. k) Physical disability does not necessarily mean that there will be discrepancies in the IQ of the person. Testing a person who is deaf for instance, requires a different approach to testing as well as a different means for the test. These individuals need a non-verbal based test and verbal ability is therefore a non-entity in their testing. A blind person on the other hand will not benefit from spatially based tests or units that require sight. The tests used to identify IQ would have to be verbally based and not pictorial. This considered, a speech impaired individual will also not have the same verbal component as someone who is able to speak. However, this does not mean that a mute person is not able to understand verbal interjection. For this reason, the IQ test has to be tailored to the specific disability reflected by the individual. l) Certain cultures encourage some skills more than they do others. The culture fair test is non-verbal and does not therefore test linguistic understanding insomuch as if the person tested is not an English speaker, they cannot be expected to understand English word and sentence structure. The culture fair test therefore measures analytical and reasoning ability and makes use of abstract and unusual visual spatial pictographs. From this the spatial and pictorial representations are believed to be universal to all cultures and thus understood well from one culture to the next. It was initially meant to reduce cultural or ethnic bias that can be produced when a test is designed to be effect for a certain culture. It is also independent of educational foundations and therefore measures inherent skill rather than acquired skills. 2 a) Personality testing identifies certain traits inherently part of an individuals psychological make-up. These tests basically help you determine what personality attributes you have and therefore help to identify what career types may be more pertinent to whom. Aspects of the personality often denote what particular attributes the personality has and thus what lifestyle s better suited to whom. Jung and Myers-Briggs typology identify different personality types that are said to help the individual determine their best career path. The ability test measures a person’s ability to learn new skills and also their potential in certain fields. Ability tests also seek to ascertain what the person has learnt or assimilated in terms of whatever they are studying, for example, school tests. b) Personality traits are characteristics of the individual and certain personality qualities that are inherent to the person. There are theories that propose that all traits are present in all people but to varying degrees (lesser or more). Idiographic personality trait view maintains that each person has a unique psychological structure that is not shared by anyone else. For this reason, it is impossible to compare any two people. The nomothetic view however, sees people as unique in their combination of traits. This means that while they do share personality traits to various degrees this can be compared by degrees of each trait in comparable people. c) Items are chosen depending on the specific group that is being studied. For example, screening of normal behavior in police officer applicants will be given items that pertain to the criminal justice system. The group is split into two: one group is what the coordinator would think of as displaying abnormal reactions/behavior and the other would be normal. Items are distributed equally in both groups and reactions towards the stimuli are recorded. The empirical criterion key does not assume that respondents are able to observe their own behavior but rather sees the objects or items as stimuli that require a response. Those they believe to be normal are used as a scale by which abnormal behavior can be compared. d) Forced-choice format gives a more well-rounded result then standard testing. The forced choice format basically allows the respondent one of two statements that they most likely agree with. The advantage of this is that it not only gives an accurate representation of reality, but it prevents the choice from becoming monotonous. It is easier to score these kinds of questions than if the respondent was asked multiple choice questions. As a design this format prevents the respondent from being consciously manipulated and therefore makes sure that the answers are truthful. This form of questionnaire is also shorter, preventing the individual from becoming tired and losing focus on the questions that are being asked. This prevents answers from becoming distorted. e) Response sets or response style refers to the person’s propensity to answer the same response for all or most of the questions. For instance, if the person responded ‘yes’ to the above question and then ‘yes’ again, regardless of the nature of the question. This is usually counterbalanced in tests because there are times when the person is biased towards a certain question based on its contents. Counterbalancing this response requires the same question to be asked in a different way and later in the questionnaire. This situation of response bias is also termed ‘acquiescence’ as the person performs this unconsciously or with lack of interest in the nature of the questions. f) Factor analysis is used to describe variables in a research situation. For instance, we have a research questionnaire that we now have to translate into data specific terms. We have the variables that were studied and the scores for each variable. In psychometric intelligence testing we could have any number of variables that determine the overall factor. An example of this would be that while we are aware that there are multiple factors within the intelligence study, all these factors contribute to the g-factor or general intelligence factor. In this case ‘g’ is the only factor that is common in all persons. What this analysis does is ascertain what particular factors which people are most affiliated with. Basically we could determine which factor is specific to which person. g) Objective self reporting methods of personality assessment is based on standardized questionnaires with limited responses available as well as a fixed scoring system. It is based on nomothetic principles and is therefore less ambiguous then the progressive methods. Progressive personality assessment techniques use intuitive responses and the intuitive scoring is also use. This personality assessment is based on idiographic principles which make it entirely different to the objective method. The problem with progressive techniques is that there is no fixed scoring system, however the problem with the objective method is that it does not leave room for intuitive or interpretive responses which are natural human conditions. h) Word association tests require the coordinator to present the group or person with a word. The person responds to this with the first word that comes to mind. This is a free association and therefore does not give the person the chance to think about their answer. A table measures the test word, the response time and the response. Responses to the words can be either the opposite in meaning; an association with the word (green-yellow); or even a definitive answer. The basis of this test is that it provides a pattern of how the individual sees words and how they associate with things. The association of about 100 words will give the coordinator a pattern of response that can be determined as normal, abnormal or as an anomaly. Most people will have a set pattern of responses. i) The interaction between a need and a press is called a thema. There is a need that is ensued by a press. To simplify this, Murray identified 28 needs and forces that press them into fruition. This makes the relationship interactive and determined by this interaction is the thema. The thema therefore can be linked to other units of these interactions to form serial thema. The greatest portion of the persons thema is dependent on the amount of press and needs that are present in that specific thema. This theory is used to determine personality types that are identified by specific needs and forces of press. Murray conducted this typology on Adolf Hitler in order to ascertain the needs and forces that culminated in his erratic behavior. j) Interest inventories conduct in-depth investigation into a person’s likes and dislikes and this helps to determine what type of career path is best suited to the individual. Clearly you should not study or undertake careers in which you would have to partake in activities you intensely dislike. Neither would it be advisable to become involved in vocations that you are indifferent to. The key would be to become involved in a career that contains more of your inventories ‘likes’ than ‘dislikes’. These interest inventories help you to discover what it is exactly that you like or dislike. This particular form of inventory is highly related to personality in the sense that certain personalities are more likely to enjoy certain key activities. An example of this would be an artist or writer enjoying solitude in a way that an actor might not. 3 b) Test name: Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Test uses: The Stanford Binet was initially indicated for the correct placement of children in educational settings. It is now one of the most widely used intelligence tests. It is useful for determining cognitive skills and intelligence in children and adults. Population test was designed for: As already stated, it was designed for children in educational settings in order to ensure that they were placed in the right class environment. Administration of test: The time it takes to administer this test depends on the age of the respondent and how many subtests are administered. It may take from 45-90 minutes standard but may take longer depending on the conditions at the time and the variables concerned. The respondent is timed at each subtest and is determined by estimated entry level. Timing is approximately 5 minutes per test. Depending on the age, the articles measured include: fluid reasoning, knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing and working memory. Characteristics of normative samples: The Stanford Binet normative sample reflect the 2000 U. S census and bias reviews are conducted on race, ethnicity, gender, religion and socio-economic status. Because it is a standardized test, normative or mean scores are derived per age group and the representative sample is matched to the individual standing. It was standardized on a national representative sample of 5 000 subjects. Reliability information: Reliability in this test is considered high. The internal median consistency score was . 97. Subtest reliabilities differ from age-group to age-group. Reliability coefficients ranged from . 91 to . 98, with coefficients for the five factor indices ranging from . 90 to . 92. Subtest coefficients ranged from . 84 to . 89. Validity information: correlations in the validity were considered high with an approximate value of . 90 compared to earlier Stanford Binet editions and high compared to other tests. Strengths of the test: This test can assist in the diagnosis of learning disabilities as well as determine the level of competency for young children compared to a normative structure. It can be used to determine developmental stages and knowledge and can be used in all age-groups from pre-school to adults. Weaknesses of the test: Due to the lack of co-operation sometimes shown in very young preschoolers the test results may not be indicative of true ability because of their lack of interest in partaking in the study. Different age-groups are administered different subtests which may also be considered a criticism in terms of its universal application.

The Growth and Development of Civilization Essay

The Growth and Development of Civilization - Essay Example It must be noted that the significance of architecture, although perhaps disregarded by many analysts, is perhaps the most important single determinant of the representation of the 12th-century renaissance. This is due to the fact that architecture is one of the few aspects of human knowledge and representation that can instill and a level of awe in the subject and constrain/define behavior on the part of the societal stakeholder in a certain manner. Further, as a direct result of the increase in knowledge and the thirst for further understanding that could be gained with regards to the many subjects that came to be represented during the 12th century, the rise of the University was a further defining element through which this renaissance came to be reflected. Of all the information that is been put forward thus far, little emphasis has been placed with regards to the interpersonal levels of societal growth and evolution. Whereas architecture can instill a level of respect and pride in the society and the growth of science and technology that is able to represent such structures, these are ultimately impersonal aspects. By much the same token, the University experience and the acquisition of knowledge is something that, although it directly benefits society and the individual, is not necessarily engaged with interpersonal interaction nor promote a broader societal consciousness. However, as is definitively represented within the legends of King Arthur, an emphasis upon the codes of chivalry, romance, and courtly love is a prime element for the manner in which these stories are told and understood by the reader (Rydstrà ¸m-Poulsen 799). The ultimate significance of the institution of chivalry and the process of courtly love was not only as a means of providing a formalized structure through which interpersonal relations could take place.

Reference Checks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reference Checks - Assignment Example dit-screens, full-blown background investigations, pre-employment written skills (aptitude) tests, and written personality-profile tests† (Perritt and Perritt, 6). In Europe, there is a more democratic practice of prospective employees themselves providing information â€Å"about themselves† (Perritt and Perritt, 11). In case of any unlawful behavior by employees, this document can be used as the employer to validate his/her innocence in the matter. US multi-national employers often conduct â€Å"written pre-hire tests† to assess whether the candidate has â€Å"the right skill sets or aptitudes† (Perritt and Perritt, 13). But in Europe, this kind of a test is not favored because of the â€Å"cultural and human resources† issues involved (Perritt and Perritt, 13). It is argued in European countries that such a test will evoke comprehension problems, translation issues and cultural confusions in overseas employees (Perritt and Perritt, 13). As the appl icant test responses are usually â€Å"private data†, in Europe, such tests will be against the data privacy laws (Perritt and Perritt, 15). Also, in Europe, there are severe restrictions on firing employees (Perritt and Perritt, 17). This makes the hiring mistakes tougher to rectify (Perritt and Perritt, 17). Even in such a situation, the European companies are known to stay away from intruding background check. There is also the instance of pre-hire drug tests, the approach to which US and European context differ greatly. In US, such tests are prevalent, while in Europe, they are unheard of (Perritt and Perritt, 3). But in Europe, â€Å"interviews with applicants’ past employers† is a tool that companies use to verify the background of their employees (Perritt and Perritt, 4). But in US, such an act may invite defamation litigations and misrepresentation suits for the previous employees and so they never disclose negative information (Perritt and Perritt,

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 16

Public health - Essay Example In addition, baby boomers are busy people who are determined to improving their lives and those of people who matters to them. Therefore, becoming internet scurvy people is a survival strategy that they use to enhance their success. Unlike people from the previous generations, baby boomers are less likely to take or believe the words of authority figures and, hence they are obliged to find information though their own ways. â€Å"Monitoring patient satisfaction is important because it allows administrators, practitioners, and organizations as a whole to have an idea of what the consumers (patients) feel about the level and quality of care that is being administered.†Ã‚   Successful health care marketing strategies are established on long-term relationship with the society. It is evident that people from different generations have varied expectation from the health providers. This requires health practitioners, administrators, and organizations to have a constant monitoring system that allows them to identify the needs of the society. In addition, regular monitoring of the health system allows health providers to achieve a personalized approach in the health care system. Success in the health care sector will only be achieved when healthcare providers achieve a significant level of personalization in healthcare and service

Econometric Regression Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Econometric Regression Analysis - Assignment Example The productivity differed from almost wholly effectual to almost entirely unproductive. Outputs regarded consisted of patient days for three age groups. The two techniques generated similar measurements of efficiencies with a single exclusion. The findings from the translog model would generate a standardizing consequence for economies of scale. Therefore, it means that they are general and consistent returns. The DEA exemplar was capable of recognizing cases of both rising and lowering returns. The lowering was discovered for hospitals with augmented quantities of elderly patients. States with a past of civil disagreement or extensive pervasiveness on HIV/AIDS were less effective than other states. Performance was raised with health spending per capita. The researcher is mainly interested in a substantial research of applied numerical and econometric review. This review should use zonal methodology and demographic exchanges, alongside information gathered from collective three-dimen sional departments of observation. This information is normally influenced by a range of measurement issues, ending in three-dimensional reliance and three-dimensional heterogeneity. Nevertheless, a majority of the scientific work did not succeed in considering this crucial aspect of econometrics. In this article, the researchers have tackled the problem of the level to which three-dimensional impacts in practical regression review. An overview of the official technical issues is provided and associated with the literature in three-dimensional econometrics.

Treatment for Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Treatment for Autism - Essay Example Because the cause is uncertain, there is no precise remedy for the disorder. Treatment approaches are primarily for improvement, rehabilitation and education on appropriate social, vocational, and communication skills. This paper will discuss Asperger Syndrome in adults, their characteristics; impairments in social functions and social and emotional factors that affect their behavior. Likewise, this paper will talk about their direction towards diversity through possible employment. Treatment and management will also be highlighted. Asperger Syndrome Asperger Syndrome (AS) was initially recognized in the early 1940s by Austrian pediatrician, Hans Asperger. In his practice, he observed four of his young male patients with typical intellect and verbal communication development but demonstrating autistic traits. Abnormalities in social interaction and communication, together with restrictive and repetitive behavioral patterns were noted. It was in 1944 when the disorder was officially n amed Asperger Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome falls under â€Å"Pervasive Developmental Disorders,† as stated in Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association (1994) (Myles et al, 2005). Asperger Syndrome is a developmental disorder under the scope of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). AS individuals generally have normal or superior intellect. The disorder is typified by qualitative impairment in communication, social interaction and cognition; peculiarities in sensory input; restrictive number of extreme and highly focused interests; and difficulties in organization and motor movements (Attwood, 2003). Asperger Syndrome characteristics may be manifested to a bigger or smaller extent. AS individuals may have a tendency to experience exclusion and isolation and may have difficulty understanding the world around them, eventually resulting in disappointment, despair, resentment and self-disrespect (Attwood, 2003). Common Characte ristics of Asperger Syndrome Adults Asperger Syndrome individuals frequently display a restricted ability for natural social communications, difficulty in initiating and maintaining friendships, repetitive behavioral patterns, and a narrow topic of interests. While a few of them may exhibit definite dilemmas in communication, such as poor nonverbal communication and obscure speech, several of these individuals demonstrate good and even higher cognition and verbosity. Asperger Syndrome comprises delays in gross and fine motor development, including walking abnormalities and peculiar gestures (Brasic, 2009). Individuals with Asperger Syndrome have normal or above average intellectual capacity but may not show social sensitivities or sympathy towards family and friends. Evidences were reported that AS individuals manifest excellence in the fields of music, mathematics, physics, and computer science. Whereas the delays demonstrated are usually devastating, several of these individuals e xperience optimistic results, particularly those performing extremely well in matters independent on social interaction (Brasic, 2009). Majority of AS individuals are actually proud to be diagnosed with the disorder. It is strongly believed that famous men of history such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison both have Asperger syndrome features (Hamilton, 2010). Qualitative Impairments in Reciprocal Social Interaction AS individuals are usually socially detached; not sensitive to the feelings of

Cash flow Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cash flow - Coursework Example From the above hypothetical cash flow, we can see that the cash from operation $2837 million and net profit is $124 million. There is a difference between the cash generated from operating activities and net profit. It is because cash from operations includes capital expenditure, income from sales of plants, equipment and property and cash acquisitions but when we compute net profits then we deduct all the expenditures from the sales revenue. Thus the net profit and cash from operations may not always be equal. A company can earn net profit but it may earn negative cash from operations which indicate the company actually has no cash in its hand. Cash flow from operating activities can be done by using either direct method or indirect method. These methods are different from each other. In the direct method information about main elements of gross cash payments and gross cash receipts is shown as separate and the information about the receipts and payments can be gathered either from records of accounts or by adjusting the cost of sales, sales and other elements in the income statement. But on the other side in case of indirect method, profit and loss is adjusted on elements which are related to financing and investing activities and effects of noncash transactions like changes in receivables, payables, inventory, provisions, depreciation, amortisation, gains and losses in foreign currency and differed tax liabilities are also adjusted for the items (Thornton, 2012, p.15).

Post-Keynesian and Austrian criticisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Post-Keynesian and Austrian criticisms - Essay Example The Neoclassical perspective of competition narrates the determination of prices, output and income distributions in markets via equality of supply and demand. This theory is based on three fundamental assumptions: 1. People have rational preferences defined over all variables that can be identified and associated with a value. Rationality in this context refers to the fact that each agent’s objective to operate in self-interest and maximize their individual benefits. This naturally leads on to the next assumption. Based on these assumptions, neoclassical theory of competition essentially is a doctrine that postulates the allocation of scare resources by firms to maximise profit which in turn, leads to a wide range of economic activity. Equilibrium is the result of individual optimization procedures. Utility maximization by consumers provides individual demand functions or correspondences which can be aggregated under certain assumptions to form the market demand function. Similarly, the market supply function is obtained from the optimization exercise by firms. The equality of these identifies the set of prices and quantities that are optima for producers and consumers alike and this is the competitive equilibrium. It should be convenient for future reference to note here that profit maximization requires a firm’s marginal cost is equal to its marginal revenue (MC=MR) since this corresponds to the maximum point on the total profit curve. Under perfect competition there are a very large number of firms in the market, each selling an identical product. Consequently, each firm caters only to an insignificant share of the market and is thus only a price taker. The profit maximization leads to P=MR=MC. There can be supernormal or positive profits only in the short run. In the long run, there is free entry and as a result, only zero profits can be sustained. In contrast, the monopolist can make positive profits both in the long run as well as the short

Psychologial Delvelopment on HIV-infected Teen Essay

Psychologial Delvelopment on HIV-infected Teen - Essay Example 274). There are a lot of issues faced by Teenagers according to their temperaments but the few which are common among most of them includes Disclosure, Medical Adherence, Relationships, and Psychological Issues. (Hosek, Harper, Domanico, Page no. 272). Most teenagers contract HIV through Intravenous Drugs, Unsafe Sexual Practices like taking the risks of not wearing condoms, or uncircumcised penises, or engaging in homosexual activities etc. The first issue is about the Issue of disclosure; people tend to keep the information about their condition to themselves cause of the fear how the surroundings or environment is going to react. (Hosek, Harper, Robinson, Page no. 356) The prime fear is not about how they are going to take it, the prime fear is about how they are going to react, whether they’ll just say your sick its your problem, or some people feel proud and say â€Å"I told you so†. Also what matters is the general teenage philosophy of the 21st Century is that â €Å"Needing Someone is a Sign of Weakness† and if they show someone their vulnerable side they might look like a wuss. Another issue is the Issue of Medication, Teenagers doesn’t like to rely on anyone, they don’t like to work in a timetable, they do their tasks as they come along they don’t like to work in a routine, the dilemma here is that HIV cocktail have to be taken in an order, the patient cant miss any scheduled medication, cause it messes with the already compromised Immune system. The issue with a normal teenager as I mentioned above is that they don’t like to rely on anyone, they think of it as something that’s just extending their life and not in an affirmative way and starts living with the faith that they are almost as good as dead. Many other problems came across such if you are at work, it s difficult to take the medications cause of the primal fear of

A Love Story in Boracay Essay Example for Free

A Love Story in Boracay Essay Philippines is a nation located at South-East of Asia, just east of Vietnam. It is surrounded by three different seas, namely, the Celebes Sea, the South China Sea, and the Philippine Sea. Comprising of 7, 107 islands, this country has a total area of 300, 000 sq km. Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are the three islands that form the main island groups of the Philippines. There are numerous tourist attractions in the Philippines. One of them is the famous Boracay Island. This island has white, sandy beaches and luxurious resorts.   One day, I spent a lazy twilight just wading through the calm waters. The sea was very much alive yet it the air seemed romantic. I was pondering on important things when I saw a couple fighting. The woman was close to tears and the man was regretful. Something he said must have hurt the poor woman’s heart. The woman walked away, leaving the man confused and unsure of what to do.I thought, â€Å"Maybe love isn’t enough to keep relationships last.† I for one did not really believe in love. But I decided to approach the guy and offer a helping hand anyway. I asked him if he’s okay. He said, â€Å"I don’t know. It’s just that she’s too vulnerable. I don’t know how to handle her.† The man got something from his pocket. It was a little heart-shaped case that no doubt contained a ring. â€Å"I was supposed to ask her to marry me but she burst out crying even before I popped the question. I have no idea what’s wrong with her. Could it be that she loves someone else?†, he said. I shook my head. â€Å"No, she loves you. I saw the way she looked at you. It was a look of love but it had a hint of pain. Maybe you did something to cause that pain. You know, women are really sensitive.† â€Å"So what do you reckon I should do?† He looked at me with hopeful eyes. This man really loves her woman so I thought hard on helping them. We were sitting with our backs on a tree when something came up my mind.mâ€Å"I know!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You should treat like she’s the most beautiful girl in the planet.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"How?† The next day, he asked the woman for a date at a grandiose restaurant in Boracay. When the woman arrived at the place, she was lead into the balcony at the second floor. She couldn’t be more surprised to find that the whole place was closed or reserved just for the two of them. While they were eating, the favorite band of the lady was hired to provide music for that very special night. After eating, they open a bottle of Champagne and as soon as the guy had poured the Champagne into the wine glass, the woman noticed a diamond ring floating happily. She blushed and giggled. She was about to ask for an explanation from the guy when fireworks began to color the night sky. The scene was oh so breathtaking. When the fireworks display was almost over, up in the sky, written were the words: â€Å"I love you. Please marry me.† The two of them were married three months after that and I was really happy to have helped save their once-drowning relationship. Even now, when I think about Boracay, I remember those two persons who were madly in love with each other despite their differences. And, most importantly, I now believe in love. It was not the help that I gave that propelled their relationship into the right direction. It was their love that conquered everything; I just gave it a little push. Works Cited http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Philippines/Where+to+Go. 2007. Online. May 23, 2007.

Australian Indigenous and Non-indigenous Health Issues

Australian Indigenous and Non-indigenous Health Issues Introduction: The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the health issues of Australian indigenous and non-indigenous people. It will also provide an overview of comparison of with Australian immigrants and the strategy used to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people will be summarized. In this paper the contribution of non-indigenous people, which include all the communities such as Europeans and religious based organizations, to the current conditions of Australian aboriginals regarding current health issues and psychological concerns will be discussed. In other words it will show how the health of indigenous people is disadvantaged in relation to non-indigenous population. The health issues of Australians indigenous people will be compared with indigenous people of other countries. Health promotion strategies used to improve the health outcomes in aboriginal community will be identified and some other interventions will be proposed. Closing the gap: There is a gap of health and life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous people of Australia and some of the aboriginal communities experience unacceptable levels of disadvantage in living standards. It is unquestionably assured that the health of Indigenous people after the trauma of colonisation, has been significantly under threat. To achieve a significant improvement in health status of Indigenous Australians, a campaign is built by an Australian government which is called ‘Closing the Gap’. It was approved by Australian Government in 2008 in response to social justice report 2005. According to this strategy, Council of Australian government has six set targets to achieve in particular time frame that are related to life expectancy, health, housing, employment, education and early childhood development in aboriginal people. In other words ‘closing the gap’ strategy is an effort of the government to engage with indigenous community and help them to find effective solutions to the withstanding issue and change their living condition to maintain health. Mortality and morbidity rates among indigenous and non-indigenous Australians: There is an unacceptable gap in health status between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Aboriginal community in Australia faces the poor health status than other Australians mainly due to the lack of equal access to primary health care which affects their health outcomes negatively. The death rate in indigenous people was 1.9 times higher than non-indigenous in 2006-2010. Estimated life expectancy of aboriginals who were born in 2005-2007 was around 11 years less than non-indigenous people. The death rate of indigenous people due to cardiovascular disease was 1.7 times higher than for non-indigenous in 2006-2010 and in following two years 1.6 times of aboriginals were admitted to hospitals for heart diseases than other Australians. The rate of indigenous people who suffered and died because of cancer was higher in indigenous community as well. The prevalence of other diseases such as diabetes, respiratory disorders, kidney problems and eye or ear health issues is higher in i ndigenous people versus non-indigenous population. In respect to communicable diseases, indigenous people suffered from tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and influenza 11.1, 3.6 and 20 times respectively higher than non-indigenous people in the time period of 2005-2011. Comparison of health issues with Australian Immigrants: In shaping Australian society, immigration has been a major factor who represent one quarter of the population of Australia. Most of the Australians who are born overseas have risk factors for a lot of long term health conditions such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions and lung cancer. According to Australian institute of health and welfare the health behaviors of concerns for immigrants are less exercise, be obese, unhealthy diet and more likely to smoke. Recent immigrants from under developed countries are likely to have tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, parasites disease, malaria and leprosy which might means that their health outcomes is poorer than indigenous people in Australia. Inadequate vaccination, vitamin D and nutritional deficiency, dental diseases and infectious diseases are commonly found in Australian immigrants. People from Asian background especially Chinese and Indian have high chances of developing coeliac diseases. Large amount of Immigrants from United Kingdom and Ireland suffer from lung and breast cancer. Due to low rates of Pap smear testing in Asian women there are high chances of cervical cancer. Immigrants from Southern Europe and North Africa had high diabetes mortality rates. Africa born Australians are known to suffer with high rates of active tuberculosis, especially in the first year of migration, than Australian indigenous and non-indigenous people. Refugees are known to have poorer health than other immigrants. They have shorter life expectancy than indigenous people in Australia. Poor mental health, post-traumatic stress, grief, infectious and communicable diseases are some of the common concerns in Afghani refugees immigrants. On the other hand there are some overseas born Australian who has less mortality rates than people born in Australia like Vietnams have 50% lower rates, Chinese 30 % and Italian 13 % lower rates. However immigrants from UK, Germany and Ireland have similar rates of mortality as Australian born people. Effect of colonization on indigenous community: Psychological and physical health, social position and economic situation of aboriginal people deteriorated significantly after the colonization of Australia. Due to European colonization their traditional spiritual beliefs which were their identity started disappearing. Trying to adjust in a new lifestyle which was different from their way of life was stressful. European people at the time of arrival in Australia did not even consider indigenous people ‘human beings’ or equal to them. They moved aboriginals to those areas where natural resources were insufficient. Living in a poor condition away from their land affected their life mentally as well as physically. A lot of actions of European people affected psychological health of indigenous people. Aboriginal people were moved to reserves and they were not allowed to practice their own culture or speak their language. Their children were taken away from them to teach them European lifestyle in institutions where they lost their language and cultural identity in order to adopt new cultural values. Aboriginal people suffered a trauma of stolen generation as a result of assimilation policies of the Australian government that had direst relevance to the psychological issues of Australian indigenous. European colonization, family separation, loss of culture and land and racism are the main factors contributed to poor health and other issues in Australian aboriginal people. The social and cultural trouble experienced by Australian Aboriginals has had an intense effect on Aboriginals mental well-being. Indigenous Australians have had decades of transformations forced on them. Majority of indigenous people were facing poor living condition, unemployment and poverty which affected their overall health and well-being that resulted in chronic stress. Within few weeks of colonization aboriginal people start suffering from disease, like smallpox, that European people bought in Australia and it was one of the most immediate consequences which killed 50 % of aboriginal population. Introduction of a lot of diseases, loss of land and food and water resources, stolen generation and violence reduced their population by 90% in following years. Aboriginals were thousands in number before colonization but after that their number dropped down really quickly due to which they lost their culture and history. The health status and wellbeing of indigenous people was affected greatly by colonization and it still has a significant part in their health outcomes. Today diabetes, infectious diseases and renal failure are wide spread conditions in indigenous people which are linked to colonization somehow. Eating habits and life style of indigenous people is considered healthier before the colonization due to which they did not have all these epidemic diseases. They were physically strong even though they must have had some health concerns but the new and disrupted lifestyle worsens their health. Due to poor social and emotional health aboriginal people had to face disadvantage and poor outcomes lead them to intergenerational trauma. To deal with the symptoms of this trauma most of them adopted alcohol and substance abuse which according to them was a quick and short term solution. Alcohol and substance abuse and use to illicit drugs were one of the most negative impacts that European colonization has bought to indigenous Australians. Comparison of health in Indigenous people in other countries: Experiences of loss of traditional roles, a history of conflict and dispossession and failed assimilation are not isolated to indigenous Australians but have been experienced by indigenous peoples of other countries like who have been colonized. The history of Indigenous Australians is similar to the Indigenous populations of Canada, New Zeeland and the United States. Traditional life of Indigenous cultures was affected by the arrival of European settlers. It is unquestionably assured that the health of all aboriginal people around the world, after the trauma of colonization, has been significantly under threat to better maintain health. Out of all these countries, Canada, the United States and New Zeeland have somehow managed to improve the health status of indigenous communities but Australian aboriginal people are still suffering from worse condition. (Comparing aUstralian and conadian) As it has been established that health can be a reflection social determinants, it would be fair to say that the social status and relations of international indigenous people are further along than Australia. Canada, New Zealand and the United States all have specifically designed treaties of political, legal and cultural significance which were designed in consultation with the Indigenous people that have established indigenous and nonindigenous relations with ‘governments using treaties and treaty-making as part of a wider approach to developing a better relationship with and addressing the socio-economic problems of indigenous peoples’. The United Nations has estimated that there are about 370 million Indigenous people in the world today living in at least 70 countries (Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2009). An estimated seven million of these people live within the high income countries of the United States, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. These four nations share a colonial history associated primarily with the British that commenced between 400 and 500 years ago in the Northern hemisphere (US, Canada) and just over 220 years ago in the Southern hemisphere (Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand). Despite the vast difference in time and place, familiar stories of the colonisation experience and its lasting impact on the health status and challenges faced today in striving for recovery emerge as a shared legacy of unfinished business. Profound health and social inequities persist between Indigenous and non-indigenous populations of all four nations, as this paper and other evidence documents extensively.( Artilce ) https://www.lowitja.org.au/sites/default/files/docs/AustIndigneousHealthReport.pdf Health Promotion strategies and their effectiveness: Additional Interventions: A health impact assessment of the current governments Northern territory Emergency Response (NTER) points out that the Aboriginal understanding of health as having f ive dimensions ‘cultural, spiritual, social, emotional and physical-within which are a number of layers that ref lect historical, traditional and contemporary inf luences on health’ (O’Mara 2010,p.547). It is needed that Indigenous people have greater control over these dimension of their daily lives in order f or the indigenous disadvantage to be improved (Maddison 2009). O’Mara, P 2010, ‘Health Impacts of the Northern Territory Intervention: Af ter the Intervention Editorial’, The Medical Journal of Australia, vol .192, no.10, viewed 8 October 2010, pp.546-548, http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/192_10_170510/oma10307_f m.pdf . Brennan, S, Behrendt, L, Strelein, L Williams, G 2005, Treaty, The Federation Press, Sydney, NSW. In conclusion, it is clear that indigenous people are disadvantaged in relation to non-indigenous people’s health care. Health standard of indigenous people is not equally the same with non-indigenous people. The current disparity between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous people could be reduce by access and equity in health care, greater connectivity between indigenous people and their advocates, cultural sensitivity and cultural saf ety in all health care practices, community self -determinism and self empowerment on the basis of capacity building, public recognition of the unique needs and sensitivities of indigenous people, public awareness of the implications of environmental degradation and globalisation on indigenous people, and reconciliation with other people of the world . In order to promote Indigenous health in Australia, governments must work cooperatively with Indigenous elders and communities, in order to achieve effective results. http://scu.edu.au/schools/nhcp/aejne/archive/vol3-2/lmacervol3_2.html

Benefits of Owning a Dog

Benefits of Owning a Dog Dogs and Human Relationship Dogs are widely referred to as ‘Man’s Best Friend’. Dogs are included as part of human society. Our relationship with the dog is much more varied, intense, and independent than with any other living species. Keeping a dog as a pet is a joy and a privilege, but it is also a responsibility. Although dogs have their basic requirements similar, different breeds, have very different emotional needs, but you can always count on their loyalty, the dog’s superior physical design and senses were obvious to our ancestors and by harnessing these attributes, the dog became – and still remains throughout the world – our best animal friend. That relationship continues to evolve and develop, with dogs more popular now than they have ever been. You can observe a great dog human relationship is when a dog really knows his owner by the way he communicates with him. A dog can be part of a family as the protector. They will always be there and protect you no matter what happens. Dogs also have feelings that can cope with humans. If you feel sad, they can comfort you. They know how to make you happy. Sometimes dogs need attention, that’s why sometimes dogs do things like, nibbling your slippers or gnawing your fingers. But dogs do little things that make us smile. They always bark to greet you at the door; they know when you need them, etc. A dog can be the best pet for you but it is up to you if you prefer cats than dogs. As a dog owner, I have 10 reasons why dogs are called man’s best friend. They dont need to say anything to make you feel better on a really bad day. Dogs literally don’t speak like us, humans. They just bark, whine, and wag their tails. They do this just to put a smile on our face. If you have a bad day, try talking to your dog about your problems even they don’t understand what you’re saying, they will just tilt their head and stare at you but in the end they end up making you happy by doing little things like hugging you, licking you (it means kiss to them) They’ll protect you. Always! Throughout history, one of the main jobs of the domesticated dog has been to protect its owners and guard against unwelcomed people or animals. While many modern dogs will spontaneously act as home guardians, there are particular breeds that are known for holding the characteristics needed to best avert unwanted intruders. Expert dog trainers consider the following breeds to be the top 10 best guard dog breeds: 1. Bullmastiff– This breed is known for its physical strength, protection instincts, courageousness, and extreme family loyalty. If an intruder crosses its path, a Bullmastiff will typically use its strength to knock them over or block their path. The breed is very docile in a family environment, however, and makes a great household pet. 2. Doberman Pinscher– If you have a large piece of property that you are trying to protect, a Doberman pinscher is a great guard dog for you. This breed is incredibly fast and is able to reach an intruder in a short amount of time. Known as the fifth-smartest dog breed in the world, Dobermans are fearless, alert, and loyal dogs. 3. Rottweiler– Originally bred as cattle-protecting dogs, Rottweilers are known to be relentless protectors of their pack. They are an intelligent breed and extremely loyal to their owners. Rottweilers are known to be aloof with strangers until properly introduced to them and are very quick learners. 4. Komodor– Traditionally used to protect herds of sheep, the Komodor possesses natural guard dog ability. This breed is active, courageous, loyal and known for its dignity and strength. If properly socialized and trained in obedience, this breed makes a devoted family pet. 5. Puli– Pulis are known for their suspicious nature. They are always alert and will bark to alert their owners of anything out of the ordinary. Pulis are very smart and require constant companionship. They make great additions to families with active lifestyles, as they love hiking, running, and outdoor activities. 6. Giant Schnauzer– Giant Schnauzers are strong, powerful, and dominant dogs that require strict training. This breed requires a lot of mental and physical stimulation and requires constant attention. Giant Schnauzers are powerful, compact, and intimidating. Their extreme family loyalty makes them excellent guard dogs. 7. German Shepherd– German Shepherds are bold, confident, and fearless. They are extremely intelligent and quick to learn commands, thus making them a favorite police dog breed. German Shepherds have a calm demeanor when in a household but can quickly react when their family or home is threatened. 8. Rhodesian Ridgeback– Originally bred to hunt lions, this dog has a strong prey drive and tends to be independent in nature. Ridgebacks are loyal and make natural watchdogs. They are said to be selective in their barking so when a Ridgeback barks, it needs to be taken seriously. Rhodesian Ridgebacks must be properly trained and managed, as they are not naturally obedient. The breed loves to cuddle and often thinks it’s a lapdog. 9. Kuvasz– This breed is very territorial and has a strong instinct to guard its family and home. The Kuvasz tends to be aloof with strangers but craves affection from its family. 10. Staffordshire Terrier– Often confused with the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire terrier was bred for bear and bull fighting. Their aggressive and protective natures make them excellent guard dogs but require them to be properly socialized and trained from an early age. Staffordshire Terriers make great household pets, known to only be aggressive when protecting a family member. Owning a guard dog comes with great responsibility. In order to ensure the safety of family members, guests, and neighbors, guard dogs must be properly socialized and trained, and need to view their owners as their pack leaders. Dogs have your back. Dogs always have your back when you fall down. They don’t leave you behind. Like a true friend, they have the same problem as you are and the one you share everything with. They are always there right beside you when you feel down. They find things that you can’t find. They just love to take care of you. Dogs are likely to care about you even though you’re the one that should take care of them. They secretly watch over you even when you’re asleep just to be sure that you’re safe. They know how to make you feel safe around them. Instant stress relievers. Dogs are blessed for having a cute face. You can never resist their cuteness especially when they are still a pup. You can just stare at them the whole day to relieve from stress and depression. They’re like a stuff toy that you can play with. They will do anything for you just to make you happy. Dogs are motivational tools. Dogspreferbeing active, at least when they’re younger. Make use of their abundance of energy and take them on walks, or, runs. They’ll be exhausted and supremely entertained, and you’ll be on track to becoming a healthier person. Dogs are very smart. Intelligence varies depending on the kind of breed you get, but overall, dogs are some of the most intuitive animals around. This is demonstrated by their multiple facial expressions their ability to deviously hide toys in the strangest of places, and more. You’ll never feel alone. When you are alone in your house, you always have your dog beside you. You can do many things with him. You’ll have your best bud for the rest of your life. Dogs won’t leave you. When the time comes that you don’t feel you need a company of a dog, the dog will always be beside you because you are his leader. He is faithful to his owner even you scold at him. He is like your partner in life that you’ll never regret. They know how to make you feel special. Even though you are not that special to others, your dog always makes you feel special. You are his world; he follows you forever like a tail. He’ll never leave you nor make you sad. That’s how special you are to him. There are also studies that have been conducted to research the physical, emotional, and social benefits of canine relationship. Physical Benefits Studies of people undergoing stress tests or physical examinations have demonstrated that the presence of a dog lowered their heart rate and blood pressure during testing. People who own pets often have better physical health due to the need to exercise and care for their pets. People with pets have been found to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared to people who did not have pets, even when matched for weight, diet, and smoking habits. Emotional Benefits Pet owners tend to feel less afraid of being a victim of crime when walking with a dog or having a dog in the home. Pets can help us relax and focus our attention away from our problems and worries. More and more studies show how important touch is to our physical and emotional health. Pets decrease our feelings of loneliness and isolation by providing companionship to all generations. Pets can help ease the sense of loneliness or isolation we feel. Everyone needs to feel needed and have something to care for. Many elderly citizens or people living alone will tell you their pet gives them a reason for living. Having a pet can help us remain more active. We may not only get more exercise from walking a dog, but we also increase our activity through feeding, grooming, and otherwise caring for our pet. Pets provide some consistency to our lives. Caring for a pet can significantly affect our routine and gives us something to do and look forward to each day. Social Benefits A study in a veterans hospital showed that the residents had more verbal interactions with each other when a dog was present in the room than when there was no dog present. Dogs were also shown to increase socialization among persons with Alzheimers disease in a Special Care Unit of a nursing home. Residents in long-term care facilities were more likely to attend activity sessions when an animal was going to be present. Dogs have not only offered love and affection, but worked side-by-side with their human counterpart for centuries. That is why dogs are called a man’s best friend. A dog will be your loyal friend for life. They say dog is a man’s best friend. They are always there when you feel sad or depressed to comfort you. Dogs share a bond with us that are difficult to replicate with people. Caring for a dog involves a lot of responsibility. Dogs treat you like how you treat them. If you give so much love to them, they will give a lot more than you gave them. You treat them as a family member. Why dogs are the best pet? Dogs are the best pet because they never ask for anything in return but your love. You could say that they are the best pet, friend, or family you’d ever had, they will unconditionally love you. They are smart and can be trained and they very easily become part of the family. They are much more interactive than a pet that you just keep in a cage and have much more personality as well. They are also protectors of your home and family. He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. A dog thinks of you as his life, his love, his leader. A dog will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. That’s was it like to have a dog as a best friend. References Alderton, D. (2010). The Dog Selector: How to Choose the Right Dog for you. New York: Barrons. Dogs Are Better Than Cats. (n.d.). Retrieved from Buzzfeed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/tag/dogs_are_better_than_cats?s=mobile Edward Jesse, E. (1846). Anecdotes of Dogs. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26500/26500-h/26500-h.htm Fogle, B. (2006). RSPCA Complete Dog Care Manual. London: DK Pub. Introduction to Dog Types. (n.d.). Retrieved from Purina: http://www.purina.co.uk/content/the-right-pet-for-you/choosing-a-dog/getting-a-new-dog/introduction-to-dog-types Leighton, R. (1910). Dogs and All About Them. Cassell and Company, Ltd. Youatt, W. (1845). The Dog. London.

Mechanical design systems :: essays research papers

PROBLEM STATEMENT:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The design is to engineer a drive system to operate two extrusion rolls in opposite directions to compress the caramel. The drive system consists of a flexible drive system that operates a spur gear drive, which in turn operates the extrusion rolls at equal and opposite speeds. The power source to this design is a five horse power normal torque AC electric motor, operating at 1160 rpm. The system must be designed to run 24 hours per day, 3 days per week. There will be 4 shafts is the drive system. The shaft that is being driven by the flexible drive system directly is to be called shaft A, for design reference. The extrusion rolls shafts are to be called shaft B1 and B2, for design reference. The last shaft C is in the system only to reverse the direction of rotation of one of the extrusion roll shafts. The speed of shaft A is to be determined by the designer. The speed of the extrusion rolls is to be 200 rpm. When designing this drive system calculate all forces, life expectancies and stresses for both systems. The centerline distance from motor shaft to shaft A is to be 72 inches. 2 DESIGN DECISIONS:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While designing this multiple drive system there are many decisions to be made in order to successfully design the system according to the problem statement. The first is deciding whether to use a belt drive or a chain drive; one would realize that the system is operating at fairly low speed so a chain would be ideal. The next step to designing this system is to consider and analyze a speed for shaft A. Factors must be considered while deciding the speed of shaft A. The factors are that the speed of shaft A should be high enough so that the speed ratio of the gears is large enough, so that the gear sizes make a large enough distance between extrusion rolls. When designing this system one would choose around 480 rpm. Using the rpm out of the flexible drive one would select the appropriate gears for the application. Which the designer will find is a difficult task considering contact stress. When choosing the proper chain size and sprockets one will find that a numb er 40, 19 tooth â€Å"n1† and a 45 tooth â€Å"n2† are optimal stock components and get you fairly close to the desired 480 rpm.

Survey of Wireless Computing :: Wireless Technology Networks Computers Essays

Survey of Wireless Computing Abstract Wireless technology can provide many benefits to computing including faster response to queries, reduced time spent on paperwork, increased online time for users, just-in-time and real time control, tighter communications between clients and hosts. Wireless Computing is governed by two general forces: Technology, which provides a set of basic building blocks and User Applications, which determine a set of operations that must be carried out efficiently on demand. This paper summarizes technological changes that are underway and describes their impact on wireless computing development and implementation. It also describes the applications that influence the development and implementation of wireless computing and shows what current systems offer. 1 Introduction Wireless computing is the topic of much conversation today. The concept has been around for some time now but has been mainly utilizing communication protocols that exist for voice based communication. It is not intended to replace wired data communication but instead to be utilized in areas that it would be otherwise impossible to communicate using wires. Only recently has the industry been taking steps to formulate a standard that is more suitable to data transmission. Some the problems to be overcome are: (1) Data Integrity - relatively error free transmission, (2) Speed - as close as possible to the speed of current wired networks, (3) Protection - making sure that the data now airborne is encoded and cannot be tapped by unwelcome receivers, (4) Compatibility - ensuring that the many protocols that sure to be created subscribe to a standard to allow inter-operability, (5) Environmentally safe - strengths of electromagnetic radiation must be kept within normal levels. In our study of the theories and implementation concerns of wireless computing, we found that it is being treated in an object oriented fashion. Scientists and development crews, including the IEEE, are doing their best to implement wireless connectivity without changing the existing computer hardware. As a result, a lot of focus is on using existing computer hardware and software to convert data to a format compatible with the new hardware which will be added to the computer using ports or PCMCIA connections that already exist. This means that wireless communication will be transparent to the user if and when wireless computing is utilized on a wide scale. Wireless computing applications covers three broad areas of computing today. Replacement of normal wired LAN's need to retain the speed and reliability found in wired LAN's. Creation of semipermanent LAN's for quick and easy setup without the need for running wires. This would be necessary for events such as earthquakes. The last category is that of mobile computing.

Hernan Cortes - Reasons for Success :: American America History

Hernan Cortes - Reasons for Success Why was Cortes with 508 soldiers able to conquer the Aztec Empire with millions of people? Cortes was able to conquer the Aztecs for several very different reasons. In combination these reasons allowed him to have the upper hand in the conquest of Mexico. Arguably these reasons can be sorted into six different categories. The various causes for Cortes' success will be assessed in a climax pattern. To begin with the Aztecs had a harsh tribute system that was not popular among the people of Mexico. This cruel tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a liberator. Furthermore, with the Spanish brought several diseases into Mexico in witch they were immune to but the Aztecs were not. The spread of diseases such as small pox reduced the Aztec population and furthered Cortes' success unintentionally Also Marina was a tribal girl given as a gift to Cortes, she proved invaluable in translating local dialects in combination with Geronimo de Aguilar. Also an important aspect of his success was due to Montezuma's belief that Cortes was Quetzakoatl. A predominant reason for the Spanish success was due to their weaponry especially their armour and firepower. Perhaps the most important reason of all was that of Cortes' Indian allies such as the Tlaxcalans who made up the majority of his combined army. All these reasons worked together to allow Cortes, originally with 508 men to conquer the Aztec Empire of millions of people. To begin with, the Aztec's cruel tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a liberator. The process of human sacrifice was extremely common and was feared by the majority of the common people. The Aztecs as a nourishment for the Sun and all other gods needed human sacrifice. The Aztecs sacrificed between 10,000 and 50,000 victims per year. As the majority of those who were sacrificed were war captives who opposed the Aztecs, they obviously greatly feared the brutal tribute system. However not only war captives were sacrifices, common adults and children were also sacrificed at times. Cortes himself was disgusted at the thought of human sacrifice, this allowed him to gain Indian allies as well as gain respect among Mexican tribes that feared and opposed the Aztecs. The majority of the population feared the process therefore making Cortes, whom despised the process, an appealing alternative. Many followed Cortes as they shared the same views on the 'human sacrifice' topic.

Women in World War II

Women served an important role in WWII. They not only took the challenge and stepped up to take the places of the men off fighting in the war to work in factories, but they also fought side by side with those risking their lives and fighting for their country. They were needed everywhere during the war. There were an unbelievable amount of job opportunities for women during the war and many supported the brave acts of voluntary enlistment. â€Å"‘A woman’s place is in the home’ was an old adage, but it still held true at the start of World War II. Even though millions of women worked, home and family we considered the focus of their lives† says Brenda Ralf Lewis. Without the help of those women who were brave enough to step, the war may have not ended as successfully as is did. Women’s jobs were very important in WWII. Women participated a great deal on the home front war effort. While the men in their lives were off fighting in the war, women were working in factories fulfilling the men’s jobs producing ammunition, tanks, and other weapons urgently needed during the war. According to Buzzle. com, â€Å"Women took over places initially meant for men and excelled in the same as well. If women weren’t in factories they were at home providing for their families. Supplies were rationed because of the shortages caused by lack of trade from other countries that were at war as well, such as Japan and Southeast Asia. Families were given booklets for each member which determining the amount received. Utilities such as toaster and waffle irons; flashlights and batteries; tea; toys and games; vacuum cleaners and vending machines were no longer manufactured because the materials were more of a priority for scrap metal to build the necessities for war. Use it up/ Wear it out/ Make it do/ or do without† became a well-known saying around the United States during the war according to Dot Chastney. During the war women were expected to step up in the places of the men. Some were brave enough to go out into the field while others didn’t have much of a choice but to work in factories in order to stay closer to home with their families. The war had an impact not only on the fighters and workers, but on the children as well. They were deprived of the education they deserved because funding started to go to the war efforts. Having to deal with the war caused people all around to make decisions that were best for everyone around rather than a specific group of people. One good thing that came out of the war was the extraordinary opportunities offered to women. Not only did it show that women can work as well as men did in those working conditions, it widened women’s work options, and let them contribute what they had to offer to the war. While men were at war, jobs were needed to be filled. War was heating up and according to Brenda Ralf Lewis. It was not entirely unexpected and anticipating the event was different from experiencing it first hand, which caused upheaval as m millions geared up to cope with its demands. † Jobs were a huge demand at this point and who else to fill the jobs? That’s right. The countries very own women. Women were granted with extraordinary opportunities. â€Å"Women learned new skills as they replaced men in war work, using expertise and physical strength many never knew they possessed. This did not always go down well with men still working in the wartime factories†, acknowledges Brenda Ralf Lewis. Being able to work in factories, women learned techniques they never knew they had and if it hadn’t been for the war, they probably never would have ever experienced it. Opportunities for women consisted of Army nurses, Navy nurses, Women Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), women Marines, the Coast Guard preserve, jet pilots, and so many other amazing opportunities. There were not only needed for fighting on the front, but for factory jobs as well. Women quickly learned to work with the machines and build the necessary weapons that were in high demand during the war. Rosie the Riveter was a metaphoric figure used to represent the strength, dirty jobs, and work women provided for the war effort. Penny Colman states â€Å"Rosie the Riveter was supposedly based on Rose Bonavita, a riveter in the United States. † During the war more than six million women joined the workforce. In August of 1943 Newsweek Magazine reported: â€Å"They [women] are in the shipyards, lumber mills, steel mills, foundries. They are welders, electricians, mechanics, and even boiler makers. They operate street cars, buses, cranes, and tractors. Women engineers are working in the drafting rooms and women physicists and chemists in the great industrial laboratories. † Ever since then women proved that they can work in a man’s workplace and do just as well. Any job that was a man’s, was a women’s as well. Women were soon â€Å"the most needed workers of all† according to Brenda Ralf Lewis. Factory workers became known as â€Å"the soldiers without guns†. If women hadn’t stepped up to the line, winning the war wouldn’t have been as easy as it was for us. Not only did the women in factories and shipyards have a big part in doing their part in the war contributions, but so did the women who were out on the field fighting alongside with their men risking their very life. Women working and fighting on the line of protection had the toughest jobs. â€Å"Those working on the front line lived in constant danger as they worked to preserve life while everything happening around them was designed to destroy it† says Brenda Ralf Lewis. In the beginning women were discriminated and were doubted when doing the jobs on the front line. Thousands of women joined the women’s uniformed services in World War II. There was, inevitably, resistance to the idea of women in uniform, but their contribution was vital† reports Brenda Ralf Lewis. Not long after joining the armed forces they were able to prove the doubters otherwise. The Allied armed services drew thousands of women into military life, from all over the world. The United Stat es and Britain accounted for most employing women in all three armed forces and, in the case of the United States, in the Coast Guard and Marines as well. There were many different military branches women were able to join at that time. Some included Women’s Arm Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), Women’s Army Corps (WAC); Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) was incorporated with the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) as well. Other countries such as Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, Burma, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and the Soviet Union all offered forces dedicated to women and the services they offered. Many questioned the fact if women should be allowed to serve at all. Women in the military had image problems. They were seen as femme’s fatales; their role was trivialized or they were dubbed ‘unfeminine’ for deserting their proper place, home. Not only did they prove them wrong by going out into the field and fighting on the front, but they also put their feminine qualities to work. Women became great undercover spies. According to Simone Payment, â€Å"Spies have been used in times of war and peace since the beginning of civilization and women have long been involved in these espionage pursuits. In the United States, female spies participate in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. But it wasn’t until World War II that they became an official-and incredibly important-part of the war effort. Many female spies made a difference in World War II, often at a great personal cost†. Many never questioned the thought of a dainty and delicate woman to be able to posses such power. Women were able to go undercover easily by just being themselves and going along with their daily lives. Women took the risks of being captured and tortured if they were ever discovered. Some women that contributed their lives to the ware are: Tatiana Nikolaevna Baramzina who was born on December 12, 1919 in Glazov and was also the recipient of the Gold Star Award. In 1943, Tatiana was sent to the Central Women's Sniper Training School and upon her graduation in April, she was later sent to the 3rd Belorussian Front. She managed to kill around 16 enemies in the first three months itself. Unfortunately, she was captured by the enemies and tortured before she was shot point blank. Tatiana Nikolaevna Baramzina passed away on July 5, 1944. Today, the street where she grew up has been re-named in her memory. Another woman that dedicated her life to the war was named Hannah Szenes who was born on 17th July, 1921 and was trained to parachute by the British army into Yugoslavia during World War II. This task was given in order to save the Jews of Hungary. Her secret mission was not revealed even when she was tortured following her arrest at the Hungarian border. Hannah Szenes had to brave immense tortures, yet she did not lose heart. She bravely battled it out and tried to sing to keep her spirits high. She also kept a record of events in her diary till November 7, 1944, when she was finally executed by a firing squad. During the war, the efforts of many women had gone by unnoticed. Overall women had and enormous impact on the war with their contributions and dedication to help provide, step up and win the war. Without the help of the women, we might have never won. Every woman had an important role and they did it with great honor. To this day, women are in all different branches of the military.

Case Study in Abnormal Psychology Essay

The study of any case in Abnormal Psychology views multiple aspects of self-concept and various behaviors and is the foundation of defining normal and abnormal behaviors. In the complex process of defining and exploring the vast concepts of behavior multi faceted information must be incorporated. Individual behaviors, perspectives, attitudes, and personal identity reveal the internal workings of how specific aspects of life coincide to determine ones concept of normal and abnormal behavior. Throughout history individuals have sought to find out the difference between normal and abnormal perspectives and the purpose for ones existence thus it is only through self realization that society and the people within can find this answer. The exploration of behavior and the many areas that humans search to find a deeper understanding of exactly what the concept of normal behavior leads to a profound investigation of internal and external aspect of life which shapes every angle of one’s self definition. As previous generations have sought to find the answers to this important life question it is the purpose of this paper to continue that great quest into the most definitive goal of society, which is the comprehension of the many, interlinked experiences that define self. The various aspects of behavior and attitudes such as personality traits, abilities, physical characteristics, beliefs, values, goals, and roles help psychologist define normal and abnormal behavior. During the early stages of life children develop an organized and multilevel perspective of information about themselves in the process of acquiring the ability to understand the relation between self and the behavior. Behavior is present in children and centered on many levels of concrete cognitive characteristics, such as physical characteristics and skills. While the focus and perspectives of behavior change from childhood  to middle childhood, behavioral concepts become more integrated and differ as the child engages in social comparison and more clearly perceives the self as consisting of internal, external, and psychological characteristics (Self Concept, 2010). The process of understanding behavior becomes more defined as individuals reach adolescence. It is during this developm ental stage of adolescence that individuals become increasingly aware of the presence and influence of the definition of behavioral characteristic through acquiring a broader perspective of new concepts such as abstract views of the world around them, new experiences with complex issues of cognitive mental representations or self-schemas, which direct the processing of self-relevant information. Social interaction is a key element of behavioral development in which individuals learn foundational skills that aid in the comprehension of self. Through interaction with peers individuals explore or investigate new aspects of self and social interaction by recognizing like interest with peers, social behaviors, emotional responses, and social learning and problem solving skills. These developmental building blocks teach individuals vital insights of self that can be incorporated throughout life such as the development of cooperation, social exchange, demonstrating and understanding empathy as well as experimenting with different roles with behavioral settings. Interaction with society is a defining factor in ones understanding of behavior and is the building block for future and present relationships and definition. Through these various interactions with society integral relationships shape the individuals connection to the world around them and in turn lead to stability within t he internal processes which determine the individual’s perspective of behavioral concept, self esteem, and self efficiency and aids the psychologist in treating an individual with behavioral problems. Definitive concepts that an individual must comprehend in addition to understanding in relation to the hierarchy of normal and abnormal behavior concept in order to understand the complexity of self and the role that individual plays within society. Behavior is by definition the positive or negative reactions to individuals’ society and towards oneself and is viewed as the internal evaluation of one’s self worth and value. It is clear that behavior is one of the fundamental aspects of development and self, a healthy perspective of one’s life must reflect positive values and  definitions of self in order for an individual to develop a healthy mental state. The totality of an individual’s comprehension regarding behavior is a valid developmental concept that must reflect all thoughts and feelings in relation to self and society (Paterson, 2010). Self efficiency describes an individual with confidence in his or her ability to think, understand information, self control, and a defined sense of self worth. It is an important aspect of development of perception to thoroughly understand the impact that these concepts of behavior have on an individual’s life and should be valued as priority (Paterson, 2010). Two distinct experiences that affect personal development are the values of personal beliefs and social factors. In a case study of children’s behavior parents instill values that have shaped the children’s’ perspective of many social and self perspectives. In this case the behaviors displayed by a child growing up in a lower middle class family in rural America was viewed by the parents as abnormal or normal, the child’s behavior in many factors are defined by what he or she has accomplish, and the belief or worth came from validation that he or she needed and that all other aspects of life were just reflections of what society viewed as normality. Over the years many the individuals’ behavior felt as if he or she did not really know that the displayed perspectives of behavior were being viewed as abnormal. Growing up the individual gained a new perspective of exactly what normality was and realized that many of the behaviors displayed were abnormal it was this behavioral awareness that lead to psychological help. When the individual entered high school more abnormal behaviors were displayed and societal definitions determined many of the treatments used by the psychologist. There is no other concept within psychology that shapes individuals as much as behavior. It is in understanding how one’s life is changed based on the situation and experiences, the behaviors and attitudes, and the internal sense of self worth that motivates individuals to step into a deep understanding of life. Reference Self Concept. (2010). Self Concept. Retrieved March, 2011 from: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/itf09socemodev.asp Paterson, C. (2010). Measuring Changes in Self-Concept. Retrieved March 7, 2011 from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/6/7

Case16 Alarm Ringing: Nokia in 2010

Strategic Management Case Analysis Firm Analysis Roy L. Simerly Department of Management 3106 Bate East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353 (252) 328-6632 (Work) (252) 328-4094 (Fax) [email  protected] ecu. edu Strategic Management Case Analysis Firm Analysis Abstract This is the second part of a two part series dealing with the complexities of case analysis in Strategic Management courses. One of the primary function of Strategic Management is to serve as a cap-stone course integrating the material students have accumulated throughout their course of study within a business school.There is a need for instruments that will provide the necessary integration and opportunity for application of acquired knowledge. There is also the reality that students do not remember all that they should from previous courses. Equally important is the necessity to impart the basics of Strategic Management as a discipline in its own right. It is the theoretical foundation of Strategic Manage ment that provides the rational for the integration. The purpose of this article is to provide an outline for analysis of a firm. I use this method at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.The only difference is that graduate students are expected to show more sophistication in their presentations. Strategic Management Case Analysis Firm Analysis This is the second of a two part series dealing with one approach to case analysis in Strategic Management classes. This paper takes the view that Strategic Management is a cap-stone course intended to integrate the material students have accumulated throughout their course of study within a business school. Strategic Management is, in fact, the only course that has as its stated purpose the integration and application of key management concepts.Normally, students are expected to have a working knowledge of the primary business management disciplines of accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and operations, when entering the course . When instructors present case analysis, it is usually as a three-step process progressing from economic, to industry, and finally, to company analysis. In doing so they face the challenge of creating a classroom experience that enables students to conceptualize the framework as an integrated whole. The challenges for the instructor are interesting to say the least.First, there is the need for the instructor to understand the intent of each of the primary business management disciplines, as well as what the student can be expected to accomplish. Second, there is the need for instruments that will provide the necessary integration and opportunity for application of acquired knowledge. Third, there is the reality that students do not always remember all that they should. This leaves a great deal to be accomplished within one semester. An equally important challenge is the necessity to impart the basics of Strategic Management as a discipline in its own right.It is the theoretical fou ndation of Strategic Management that provides the rational for the integration. More importantly, the students needs an understanding of ‘when’ to use ‘what’ techniques in the business world. Given these challenges, I use – among other classroom techniques – case analysis. Students are required to provide analysis and discussion for a number of short cases throughout the semester. All are taken from current publications such as, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes and The Economist. I find that text book cases do not provide the currency necessary.These cases are used to demonstrate the text theory under discussion, and to show the relevance of specific elements of the major written cases. I require two major written cases. The first is an analysis of an industry, and the second is an analysis of a firm within that industry. Both are essential to achieve the learning objectives for the course. The learning objective for the course is: to understand how the top manager (CEO) is responsible for ensuring the long term survival of the firm within its competitive environment.The learning objective for the written case analyses is: to arrive at a point where they can develop a sound business plan to ensure the survival of their chosen firm within its competitive environment. Also, to appreciate the complexities of collecting and understanding the relevance of the vast amount of information available. The learning objective for the industry analysis is: to determine the opportunities and threats that exist for firms within a competitive environment. They should be able to appreciate how the various forces operating in an industry create or limit the chances for survival.The learning objective for the firm analysis is: to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a firm; and, to determine the core competence that can be built on to establish a competitive advantage. The final step is to develop a business plan that will align the cap abilities of the firm with the requirements of the competitive environment. Students are required to work in teams to complete the two major case write-ups. They will later make a presentation of their findings. I require teams because the most difficult part of management is the management of human resources.By setting specific guidelines for students I make their grade contingent on their management abilities as well as their ability to complete the projects. Team size is limited to 3 or 4 members. They are free to choose their firm and its industry. I strongly suggest that they select a firm that has a production function. This makes it easier to see the four organizational functions being integrated. I also encourage them to select an industry that would be suitable for employment based on their particular interests, and primary area of concentration.For example, accounting majors are encouraged to examine an accounting firm. Finance majors are pointed toward the banking industr y. In the end, the students make choices based on group consensus and personal interests. However, a mixture of majors can be an advantage when working on the papers. The possible collaboration and integration of different perspectives is one advantage; another is the opportunity to work on a part of the papers that is relevant to their discipline. How firm’s performance is defined is left to the student. I must approve all choices prior to the student beginning work.In this way, I am sure that the projects are do-able. No two groups are allowed to do the same firm within the same class, but they can do different firms within the same industry. There are no ‘easy’ industries or firms. Each has its own challenges. A significant amount of time is spent covering analysis techniques, and the resources available, prior to the students starting on the projects. They are also encouraged to divide the work up into specific areas. For example, for the firm paper: do the f our functional areas first, then do the introduction and conclusion.This gives a reasonable balance to the work load. One common complaint about this approach to case writing is that a student working on one section of the paper will not learn about the other sections of the paper. Every approach to case writing has a limitation, but I think that this one is manageable. First, the intent is not to teach students about one particular industry. It is to teach them the relevance, and the techniques, of industry and firm analysis. Stressing this point early on is very important. It is important to note that I do not give the students too many specific directions.I want them to do their own research and make discoveries along the way. There is no one right answer. Correctness – if such exists – is a product of the logic used in the analysis. For example, two measures of economies of scale are required. It does not matter which measures are used, what matters is that the stu dent reasons through the problem and finds a means of justifying a position. If I give too much detail it limits the imagination of the student and prevents discoveries that could be significant. To help get the students oriented, I do provide complete ‘sample’ papers from a previous class.I am careful to ensure that the sample papers are on an industry and firm not currently being done. I do not have to worry about copying, or other forms of cheating. The papers must be up-to-date, which means significant recent citations in the bibliography. Additionally, I do provide the students with the opportunity of sending in parts of the project as they write. I then provide feedback to prevent them going off on tangents and wasting valuable time. Most students find this method beneficial as they work. I find the quality of the papers improves dramatically over the course of the semester.It is critical to stress that this is a business report, and not an English paper. Each pap er will take on significant proportions (30 to 50 pages) if just the required work is done. If focus is not maintained, the size becomes unmanageable. Assumptions and common knowledge are not accepted. Everything has to be proven in some manner, if just by an interview with a business person. Quantitative and qualitative analysis are required. I give a number of examples in class of how wrong ‘common knowledge’ can be. The firm paper analysis that follows has been adapted from the work of Wheelen & Hunger (2000)[1].Their model for the evaluation of firms has been evolving for over a decade, and represents one of the more concise approaches to firm analysis. This approach is compatible with a number of Strategic Management text and can easily be adapted to most situations. In addition, my own experiences in the business world have been incorporated. In what follows, I cover in some detail the outline for the firm paper. This outline is given to the students in its entire ty. FIRM PAPER OUTLINE This outline is only a guide. Each firm is unique, and you are responsible for adapting your paper to fit the circumstance.Form is important, but must not replace reason. Learning Objective: to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a firm; and, to determine the core competence that can be built on to establish a competitive advantage. Method: Firm analysis and the development of an abbreviated business plan to ensure long term survival within the competitive environment. Compare your firm to a better performing firm within the same industry, or to the industry trends that you created in the industry paper. Maintain your focus on the questions being asked. Provide conclusions for each section and sub-section.A decision matrix should be provided at the end of each section, and an overall matrix provided in the conclusion section. Where quantitative analysis is required, provide numbers expressed as ratios. Use five years of data to establish trends. Where qu alitative analysis is required, provide citations to support your arguments. Assumptions and common knowledge are not accepted. Continuity: I do read these papers! Be sure that if you make a declarative statement in one section, you do not contradict yourself in another. While it is a team project, I read it as the work of one person. Integrate the paper.Please number pages, and use section headings and sub-headings. Help is just a mouse-click away! I strongly encourage you to show me your work as you progress. I can, and will, save you hours of frustration if you will show me what you are doing. I. Current Situation A. Brief firm history. What industries and industry segments is your firm involved in, and what will be the focus of the paper? You can not do all of the industries or segments in one semester. Make a rational choice that aligns the firm paper with the industry paper. Provide a statement of the current position or situation of your firm within the industry (i. e. how go es it). How diversified is this firm? Related or unrelated (you may discuss this wherever you think most appropriate)? B. Strategic Posture. 1. What is the current mission? Did you have to deduce it, or was it stated. Is there a clear point B (an objective that we can quantify)? You should be concerned with both the quality of the mission statement, and its appropriateness for the competitive environment. You will be able to address this issue after you complete the firm analysis. 2. What is the current (Porter’s generic) strategy? Since you are only doing one segment, you are concerned with business-level strategy only.Is this strategy consistent with the mission, appropriate for the environmental context, being followed by management? Again, this is best answered after the analysis is complete. II. External Environment (Opportunities and Threats. ) This section is a restatement of some of your industry paper work. You restate your findings with respect to this specific firm . A. Socio-cultural. What general environmental factors among the socio-cultural, economic, political-legal, and technological forces are currently affecting both the firm and the industry in which it competes?Which present, current, or future threats or opportunities are important to your firm? B. Task Environment. Which of the five forces (Porter’s) in the immediate environment are currently affecting the level of competitive intensity within the industry? Which present current or future threats or opportunities important to your firm? III. Internal Environment (Strengths and Weaknesses) The only way to know if your firm is doing well is through comparison. Therefore, almost all of the elements that follow require the analysis of your firm and then a comparison to a better performing firm, or to industry standards.A. Management. The objective of the management function is to ensure the long-term survival of the firm within its competitive environment. Begin with your assess ment of how management has addressed this objective. 1. Board of Directors. The objective of the board is to provide oversight of the firm. Based on your observations is this board appropriate for the competitive environment of this organization? a. What is the board size and composition (averages for all firms is 74% external, with 14 members total). b. What are their skills? Do you have the four functional areas covered? c.Do they own a significant percentage of stock? Here you are testing elements of agency theory. d. What is their level of involvement in the oversight of the corporation? That is, what committees are they on? How often do they meet? 2. Top Management (usually only the CEO). The objective of management is to ensure the survival of the organization within its environment. Is management achieving that objective? a. What are top management's chief characteristics in terms of knowledge, skills, background, and management style? Is top management sufficiently skilled t o cope with likely future challenges?Has it established a systematic approach to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and control of strategic management? Is there a vision, clearly articulated, guiding corporate activities (i. e. , does this manager know where the organization is headed)? What is the degree of stock ownership, and is it appropriate? b. Organizational Structure. What is the present structure? Discuss decision making authority, degree of autonomy, team building, empowerment, etc. Is the structure appropriate for the competitive environment and consistent with the current strategy and mission? c. Culture.Is there a well defined or emerging culture composed of shared beliefs, expectations, and values? Is the culture a source of support or hindrance to achieving the mission/strategy of the corporation? B. Marketing The objective of the marketing function is to maximize market share. Are they achieving this objective? You should be able to provide a graph of marke t share change over time compared to another firm or the industry. What is the market share change of the firm in relation to market growth? Remember to use ratios, not raw numbers. How well is the corporation performing in terms of market position and marketing mix?You answer this by comparing the 4 P's to a better performing firm. 1. How well does your firm's product offering (product mix) compare to a better performing firm? 2. Is the firm's pricing appropriate? 3. Compare the place (distribution system) of the product offering. 4. Evaluate the promotional efforts of the firm. What is the payoff for the money spend on advertising? Is there a relationship between advertising and market share change? Provide a conclusion to this section. What trends do you see from analysis of their past performance? I suggest using a decision matrix.From your analysis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this function? C. Operations/Production. This section will be revised for those teams doi ng a service firm. While the basic arguments are the same, the methods will be different. Consult with your instructor before beginning this section if you are doing a service organization. The objective of the operations function is to increase productivity. Are they achieving this objective? This is also the functional area where you can best evaluate whether your firm is following the logic of re-investing in itself (the logic of the managerial enterprise)? 1.In order to achieve improvements in productivity, the firm must be re-investing in itself. What is the trend in capital spending? What is the trend in productivity improvement? 2. In combination with the marketing section, has this firms emphasized product development, or diversification, for growth (the Chandler argument)? No longer required. 3. Operating leverage. How has the mix of people to capital changed over time – are fixed costs rising? What are the trends in costs per unit of labor, inventory control, etc.? 4. Research & Development. What return is the corporation receiving from its R&D investment?Is the firm technologically competent? How well does the firm's investment compare with similar corporations? What is the bang for the buck! Provide a conclusion to this section. I suggest using a decision matrix. From your analysis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this function? D. Finance The objective of the finance function is to maximize shareholder wealth. Are they achieving this objective? I would prefer total returns to investors over time as the measure here. The data are available. 1. Remember to use at least five years of data for the most important factors. What trends do you see emerging from this analysis?Suggested ratios are contained in the text. 2. How well is the corporation performing compared to competition? 3. Capital Asset Pricing Model. (Class lecture notes) What is the cost of capital for this firm? What impact does this have on competitiveness? What does your analysis tell you about the probability that management will reinvest in the firm? 4. Debt to Equity policy and susceptibility to external forces, such as debt covenants, take-over attempts, etc. As lecture material points out, the capital structure decision is very important to the survival of the firm. Crunching of numbers is not the objective here.You are looking for significant trends that can impact the survivability of the firm. As you find negative trends that could effect other organizational functions, tell your team mates. What have they discovered? This section can not stand on its own, it has to be integrated into the overall paper. Provide a conclusion to this section. I suggest using a decision matrix. From your analysis, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this function? E. Human Resource Management. If applicable – i. e. , are unions involved? If so, you are concerned with the HRM function of the organization. F. Management Information Systems.If applica ble. Is you firm having problems with its MIS system? Readings from articles should give a clue. If no problem is noted, you do not have to include this section. IV. Critical Success Factors. From your industry paper, discuss how your firm is addressing these factors. Most of these factors (2 of 3) will lend themselves to quantitative analysis and comparison. V. Strategic Problem. From your analysis, what is THE strategic problem of this firm. This is only one paragraph and not a laundry list. Clue – your paragraph will begin: Management has failed to ensure the long-term survival of this firm because†¦.. VI.Strategic Alternatives. Provide appropriate strategic alternatives stated as strategies, not as elements of a strategy. Discuss the pro's and con's of each. The current strategy, if appropriate, could be one of the alternatives if the firm simply needs to improve the implementation of that strategy. VII. Recommendation. From your alternatives, what ONE strategy do yo u recommend, and why? This is only one or two paragraphs. VIII. Implementation. This is the section where most teams lose it. Remember that strategy is a pattern of actions and activities. A. Give SPECIFIC recommendations on how you would implement your strategic choice.Provide details addressing each of the four functional areas. B. Show how you are solving the weaknesses and building on the strengths of each functional area. C. What is the core competence of this organization? Can we build a sustainable competitive advantage within this industry? D. Include a basic pro forma for at least 5 years out to see the impact of your changes. Use your best guess on the numbers, indicating your assumptions. E. Conclude the paper with your prognosis for the firm. This is the grade sheet for the firm paper Case Name_________________________ Bibliography:Appendices, graphs, tables: Firm Business Segments: Strategy: Mission: Corporate ownership: Board of Directors: R: Type and Degree of Diversi fication: Capital investment related to performance: Social/Environmental programs: Growth rate of firm: Cost of Capital (CAPM): Take over target: Asset base compared to competitors: Historical financial data: S. W. O. T. : C. S. F. ‘s: Analysis of the functional areas: Management: Marketing: Operations: Finance: ———————– [1] Wheelen, T. L. & Hunger, J. D. 2000. Strategic Management. Upper Saddle River, N. J. U. S. A: Prentice Hall