Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Essays

Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Essays Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Paper Robin Hood Case Study Discussion Paper 1. Describe how Robin Hood developed his initial strategy for competing with the sheriff of Nottingham and discuss how he implemented it. Critique this approach. The original problem definition of high taxation that faced the people gave way for a new market which was stormed by Robin Hood. Seemingly an unlawful act, his mission was to â€Å"steal from the rich, and give to the poor†. As he entered the market, he was faced with rivalry of the prince and the sheriff. Robin Hood and his band of Merry men stole from the rich and gave to the poor which is in actuality is entirely opposite to the actions of his rivals. As Robin Hood entered the existing niche market he gained popularity and support amongst the common folk as he was supplying a unique good/service. He provides a free service to the poor after his operating expenses are accounted for. Also, the people had a preference for his product and tactics were not easily matched or copied by the competition. By obtaining this support, this strategy was to his advantage against Prince John and the sheriff. The opinion of numerous common folk would have persuaded Prince John to change the law of unfair taxation. Robin quickly realized that there was little he could do himself; which led to development of the organization by stimulating human resources. He sought close allies who would follow his vision of vengeance for the sheriff and the prince. These men would act as direct subordinates, however as time progress, admittance was allowed with less scrutiny whereby the only determining factor was loyalty. He believed strength lay in numbers. Robin implemented his strategy of ‘strength in numbers’ by seeking discipline from his band of men which ensured unity in the organization. This was achieved through a specific department within the organizational hierarchy. As a result they became more powerful in their battle against the sheriff. This forced the Merry Men to live outside the law which was also desired to gain sufficient discipline in the group. This organization was fairly simple. Critique By acquiring a large extent of subordinates, Robin obtained a work force that is not necessarily trained as he allowed any to join who asked few questions. In doing so, extra man-hours would have to be spent in training. Also if prescreening of the new entrants existed, the idea of using the entrants with existing skills can give way for a more efficient organization. I. e. farmers would have been used not for war but for food. As the largest internal dilemma faced the band was an increased group size infrastructure, supplies and other physical resources would quickly diminish. Thus cutting cost should be priority, thus tradeoffs can be made by employing skilled workers for defined job. E. g. famers and hunters With the ideal of improper interview, his organization could be easily infiltrated by his competitors thus relieving their plan and strategies. 2. Identify organizational characteristics and environment characteristics that would lead you to think robin hood is wise to considering a change in strategy as he enters his campaign second year? Robin’s organization could be seen as one of a hierarchy, he is the highest person in the organization which can put him in roles such as C. E. O. or chairman. His responsibility is to delegate specific task to his lieutenants, each has their own functions which contributes to the success of the merry men as a unit. For example Will Scarlett was assigned the important task of shadowing the sheriff and notifying the merry men of the sheriff next move. Figure 1: Robins Organizational Hierarchy The motivation of the band was vital to keeping them interested in the purpose of the vendetta. Motivation theory seeks to explain all kinds of motivated behavior in different situations, including behavior in the organizations. Since the majority of behavior is sense motivated, individuals are greatly influenced by their environment. Maslow’s theory of human motivation, all people have a need or desire for self respect, self esteem, and respect from others. This directly applies to the Merry Men, for they sought respect and were proud of their famous motto â€Å"Rob from the rich and give to the poor†. The resourced based model was important in the success of the group; five factors were looked at which the band demonstrated resources, capability, competitive advantage, attractive industry, strategy formulation and implementation. The resource of the group came from the merchants that travel through the forest, initially the resource was always available but t was quickly becoming sparse as merchants was choosing a different route. The men were properly trained to plan their robbery and skillful in their archery, however, the influxes of new recruits were beginning to strain the reserves of the group as training and food was costly. Robin and the merry men had the support from their customers which were the peasants and farmers but now as income was low and the maintenance cost was high they would have to tax the very people which they helped meaning that the peasants and farmers could turn on them and add to their troubles. Understanding the resource base of the group I could see why a change in strategy was wise. Figure 2: Resourced Based Model Robin and his organization were in crisis due to lack of a proper corporate strategy. The merry men were growing, with large number of new recruits but the organic structure is not cohesive. Communication and discipline is being broken down, table 3 below shows some options robin could use and their SWOT analysis. | Opportunities | Threats | Strengths| SO Strategies: Kill the Sheriff * Wipe him out, no more problems * Has the men to do it When the sheriff is gone, disband. ST Strategies: Join the barons * Has the fighting force * Get access to capital markets * Maybe ends the conflict quicker| Weakness | WO Strategies: Limit size of band * Turn the fighting band into a group of elites * Maintains discipline * Solves food issues * Basically, curtail growth| WT Strategies: Disband * Give up the cause, return to normal life * Robin flees to another country to escap e punishment| Figure 3: SWOT Matrix Problems Robin and his organization faced: * Lack of discipline Maintenance cost * Shelter/space shortage * Food shortage * training * security and vigilance (whoever wanted to join was taken in and there could be traitors and spies) These problems need to be address if the band is to have any chance against the sheriff and prince John. 3. Assume that Robin Hood has asked you to help him devise a new strategy. Identify a set of factors for him to consider in revising strategy. It was evident from the story that Robin Hood needed to change his approach owing to both internal and external factors. An uncontrolled workforce along with unsuitable supplier location led to the brink of economic viability. Changing the overall goal of his organization to fixed transit taxation would decrease his competitive advantage over the Sheriff. As a result the cost of amenities which Mr. Hood provided to the common folk would increase. If he chooses this path he would lose his loyal supporters which kept him in control of the monopolized market. The farmers and townspeople would then favor Prince John’s governance and rely on his pity for commodities. In the event of this situation Robin Hood’s main foe, The Sheriff would become stronger in light of his political connection with the prince. Although his work force was constantly growing, its productivity was diminutive. He claimed that he was not familiar with a large population of his organization. It would be in Robin’s best interest to restructure his work force. He would gain an advantage by decentralizing the team into several self sustaining units; each unit consisting of team manager, lieutenants and miscellaneous subordinates. Akin to a franchised organization, each team unit would be operating under the Robin Hood brand name, have the same goal as Robin, and operate within the limits of Robin. This structure would be less demanding to co-ordinate and allow him to devise alternate strategies. Since Robin also had a problem with a definitive Sherwood Forest location, this structure would also aid his disguise from his suppliers, the rich merchant travelers and the Sheriff. It is an imprudent choice for Robin to divert from his core competency and profound skill of banditry. The change in profession may lead to a lack of enthusiasm which would reflect poorly through the eyes of his followers and his brand name. References: Analyzing Strategic Management Cases Date Accessed: 02nd February 2011 The Business Operations of Robin Hood and the Merry men Author: Sumeet Malhotra Date updated: 2010 Date Accessed: 05th February 2011 ROBIN HOOD a Case Study Author: Misti Walker   Date updated: 05th September 2009 Date Accessed: 05th February 2011 Case Study 24 Robin Hood Book Winning In The Market Place Second Edition   Date update: 2011 Date Accessed: 07th February 2011 Robin Hood Case Analysis Author: Aaron labin, Curt Matthews, Rich Miller scribd. com/doc/37469551/Robin-Hood-Final Date updated: 14th April 2009 Date Accessed: 07th February 2011

Definition and Examples of Agrammatism

Definition and Examples of Agrammatism Definition Broadly defined, agrammatism is the pathological inability to use words in grammatical sequence. Agrammatism is associated with Brocas aphasia, and there are numerous theories regarding its cause. Adjective: agrammatic. According to Anna Basso and Robert Cubelli, The most evident characteristic of agrammatism is the omission of function words and affixes, at least in those languages that allow it; simplification of the grammatical structures and disproportionate difficulty in retrieval of verbs are also common (Handbook of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 1999). At this time, says  Mary-Louise Kean, there are no closed issues or resolved  problems in the linguistic and psycholinguistic analysis of agrammatism . . .. The field of study, instead, is fraught with controversy (Agrammatism,  2013). See Examples and Observations below. Also see: Assemblage ErrorDysfluency Hyperbaton and Inversion NeurolinguisticsSVO (Subject-Verb-Object)Word Salad Examples and Observations Agrammatism is  a disorder that leads to difficulties with sentences. These difficulties can relate both to the correct comprehension and the correct production of sentences. That these difficulties occur at the sentence level is evident from the fact that word comprehension and production can be relatively spared.(The MIT Encyclopedia of Communication Disorders, ed. by  Raymond D. Kent. The MIT Press, 2004)[Agrammatism is a]  symptom of aphasia in which the patient has trouble producing well-formed words and grammatical sentences, and trouble understanding sentences whose meanings depend on their syntax, such as The dog was tickled by the cat.(Steven Pinker, Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language. HarperCollins, 1999) The Most Salient Feature of AgrammatismThe most salient feature of agrammatism  is the relative omission of grammatical morphemes in spontaneous production. Descriptions of the disorder have emphasized these omissions, pointing out that in its most severe form speech can consist of single words (primarily nouns) separated by pauses (e.g., Goodglass, 1976).  If it were the case that all agrammatic speech  consisted only of nouns bounded by pauses, it would not be difficult to provide a definition of the elements that are omitted. However, most agrammatic patients produce speech that consists of short sequences of words, characterized by the omission of some grammatical markers, giving the impression of syntactically impoverished utterances. The critical question is how the omission of these elements should best be characterized.(Alfonso Caramazza and Rita Sloan Berndt, A Multicomponent Deficit View of Agrammatic Brocas Aphasia. Agrammatism, ed. by  Mary-Louise Kean. Academic Press, 2013) Telegraphic SpeechThe English language has a relatively constrained canonical sentence order: subject, then verb, then object (SVO). Varying that order carries grammatical meaning (e.g., passive). Grammatically speaking, Standard American English (SAE) contains a sizable number of free-standing functor words (i.e., grammatical words) and limited inflections. Inflections generally mark tense and plurality in SAE, and, except for irregular forms, are added to the root word without altering the original word structure. Thus, in a sentence like, She is speaking, is is a free functor, whereas -ing is an inflection that marks present continuity.Agrammatism in English manifests itself primarily as the omission of, or substitution for, functors. Agrammatic speakers of English preserve word order, but omit free functors, like is, and inflections, like -ing, while retaining a telegraphic skeleton (She speak). The agrammatic speaker is thus able to produce a degree of connected speech but is m issing some required grammatical information.(OConnor, B., Anema, I., Datta, H., Singnorelli, and T., Obler, L. K., Agrammatism: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective, The ASHA Leader, 2005) Pronunciation: ah-GRAM-ah-tiz-em

Credit Crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Credit Crunch - Essay Example During a credit crunch, also known as a "liquidity crisis" or a "credit squeeze", the banks won't or can't lend. Investors can't or won't buy debts. Suddenly it's very difficult to borrow money. There is a lack of easy money. Consumers and businesses have less to spend. There could be serious ramifications for an economy. Even if the credit crunch is narrowly define as something that affects just banks, private equity and hedge funds, there is little out there to suggest that the British economy is out of the woods. Around the world, banks remain reluctant to lend to each other - or anyone else, for that matter, except blue-chip corporations or mortgage customers who can afford to furnish lenders with large up-front deposits. House prices are down 13 per cent year-on-year and rising; the boss of Countrywide, the country's biggest lender, says one in 11 borrowers are falling behind on their home loan payments; house repossessions were up 57 per cent in March compared to the previous year; consumer confidence has hit a 26-year low Almost 7,000 has been wiped off the value of the average British home since October 2007, after house prices dropped for a fifth consecutive month, according to latest survey figures. Britain's average house price fell by a further 0.6 per cent, or just over 1,000, in March, on the heels of a 0.5 per cent decline in February, the Nationwide Building Society's most recent snapshot of market conditions shows (The Times March 2008). Impacts on Interest Rates: in the past few weeks 10 mortgage lenders, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Alliance & Leicester and the country's biggest building society, the Nationwide, have increased some of their rates, despite the Bank cutting rates from 5.75 per cent to 5.5 in December. Bank of England data shows that the average mortgage rate has been inflated. When interest rates were previously 5.5 per cent - in May last year - the average mortgage rate was 5.66 per cent but when rates moved back down to that level in December the average was 5.93. Credit CRUNCH IN the United States For more than half a century, Americans have proved staggeringly resourceful at finding new ways to spend money. But now the freewheeling days of credit and risk may have run their course in the United States - at least for a while and perhaps much longer - as a period of involuntary thrift unfolds in many households. With jobs shrinking, housing prices plummeting and debt levels swelling, the same nation that pioneered the no-money-down mortgage suddenly confronts an unfamiliar imperative: More Americans must live within their means. For the 34 million American households who took money out of their homes over the last four years by refinancing or borrowing against their equity - roughly one-third of the nation - the savings rate was running at a negative 13 percent in the middle of 2006, meaning they were borrowing heavily against their assets to finance their day-to-day lives Employment and credit crunch in UK Indications of the severity with which the credit crunch is likely to hit working people in Britain are contained in a number of recent reports and press articles. These focus, firstly, on the impact of credit becoming more difficult to obtain and, secondly, on the cost of mortgages. According to the National Institute of

Hopes and fears for the college Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hopes and fears for the college - Essay Example II. The main purpose of students of going to school is for them to succeed in life and they enter the walls of colleges with the hope that they will be able to step up the ladder of success. a. The first point to be discussed is the hope of building a good foundation, especially regarding school grades. Transition sentence: Gaining good grades is essential because it establishes how professors might perceive students and eventually treat them accordingly. b. Secondly, we will explore the hope of having good experiences with professors. Transition sentence: Ultimately, class performances and relationship with professors will determine how well one socializes not only with classmates but also with schoolmates and other people outside the campus. c. Thirdly, the hope of making good friends will be discussed. Transition sentence: it would be interesting to note what could be the opposite of these positive and encouraging characteristics in students. III. Contrary to the positive outlook about college life mentioned earlier, there are also fears that one must face. a. Students fear failures. Transition sentence: Students fears can go beyond their performances and see people around them as threats, too. b. Students fear they will have strict professors who will make their lives miserable. Transition sentence: It is important to consider how professors relate with students because somehow, this will affect how they will be on their way out of the classroom. c. Students fear that they will not get along well with other people in a whole new world that they are entering. Transition sentence: These develop the many faces of students which eventually define them and their responses to the challenges of college life. IV. Conclusion: Hopes are wonderful and necessary but equally important is the presence of fear which, initially may be seen as negative, when balanced with the hopes a person has, there comes a union which propels college students to reach their dreams. Colle ge education is very important nowadays and so it has become the dream of almost every hopeful individual. Many people believe in the anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela who said that â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world†. Only a few may become famous in the challenge to change the world on a large scale however, transforming a life can be assured through education and one reformed life is less one miserable life in this world that ultimately changes the world. As such, many hope and dream to go to college and get a better life. Pursuing college education brings about hopes of young people that their dreams will come true however this is also coupled by the fears of what is beyond their imaginations and expectation. This writing will explore the common hopes and fears of college students and where these could possibly lead them in their endeavor. As one enjoys reading, it is the hope of this writer that readers will be illuminat ed about the optimism and terror that college students face. The main purpose of students going to school is for them to succeed in life and they enter the walls of colleges with the hope that they will be able to step up the ladder of success. Firstly, students hope to get good grades because this surely will help them build a good foundation for

Using the Writing Process Essay Example for Free

Using the Writing Process Essay In the article that researcher Deborah Tannen wrote entitled ‘How Male and Female Students Use Language Differently,’ she relates her experiences about linguistic research and then indicates that, in the different regional, ethnic, and class backgrounds, there is great difference with the way males and females use their own languages. This paper revolves around the article written by Deborah Tannen, which was originally published in the Chronicle of Higher Education in the year 1991. In the end, it proves how males and females differ in their use of language, and that males tend to speak more when in public, while females speak more when in private. Thus, open class discussions are more apt to the male gender, while small group discussions are more apt to the female gender. Females are more shy and withdrawn when drawn to the public. Main Body Summary In the article, Tannen (1991) distinguishes some of the apparent differences when it comes to males and females’ use of language. One of the differences is that, females who come from single-sex schools â€Å"do better in later life† (Tannen, 1991, p. 38). Apart from that, males usually talk more whenever they sit next to females in classrooms. Tannen (1991) also relates how sociologists J. Lever, M. H. Goodwin, and D. Eder proves that both males and females learn to use language differently in their peer groups. Tannen (1991) recalls, Typically, a girl has a best friend with whom she sits and talks, frequently telling secrets. It’s the telling of secrets, the fact and the way that they talk to each other†¦ For boys, activities are central: their best friends are the ones they do things with. Boys also tend to play in larger groups that are hierarchical. (Tannen, 1991, p. 38) Males have a lot of experiences being with larger crowds and this entails them to talk more. Tannen (1991) mentions how males and females around the world differ in linguistic styles, their verbal rituals usually engage males in a contest or war of words, while females usually engage in ritual laments through rhyming couplets that express their feelings (p. 39). In American conversation, however, Tannen (1991) relates her teaching experiences, and comes to the conclusion that male teachers do â€Å"verbal sparring† (p. 39); female teachers, however, usually do verbal touching that makes the discussion more hospitable to many students in the class. The latter, however, appear to be uninteresting and boring to the males. Tannen (1991) mentions three reasons on why males speak more in class than females: first is because the setting appears to be public, which males find more interesting; second is because the setting is more conducive to debate-like communication; third and final is because the setting reflects different attitudes toward speaking, which males have had more experiences with (p. 40). Females appear to be more shy or withdrawn, as compared to males. Response In relation to the main topic that is: there is a great difference with the way males and females use their own languages, I personally agree to this because I always experience what she just mentioned about male students speaking more in class. In most of the classes that I attended to, it is always the male side that opens up new topics to discuss, for example, and then the females are usually the ones that stretch the topic to new horizons or angles of discussion. This makes it more lively and entertaining. However, I do not agree about what Tannen (1991) mentioned about females that come from single-sex schools doing better in life. In fact, my experiences relate that females that come from single-sex schools appear to be more withdrawn and shy when mixed in classes that are composed of both males and females. It appears that they are more apt only in communicating with females, which is opposed to what they should have learned in school. Thus, what Tannen (1991) finds, that based on her experiment in class it is better to put males and females in smaller groups, females that come from single-sex schools are more apt to this type of discussion style. There are certain styles that this type of females find obscure and incomprehensible, since they are more comfortable only with their own gender. About male teachers doing verbal sparring, while female teachers do verbal touching, this is not always the case. I have had teachers that do the opposite thing: males that do verbal touching and females that do verbal sparring. It is always better to mix male and female teachers because it makes the class more rounded when talking of discussions. Females stretch out to new horizons, while males make the topic more interesting: one that would stick to the mind of the students. Yet, as a whole, I personally agree that more females are shy and withdrawn when compared to males that are more adventurous and daring. Lastly, in relation to the three reasons that Tannen (1991) mentioned that are the following: first is that male students speak more in class because they have had more experiences to public speaking. In relation to this, it is true that speaking in class is speaking in public, especially if the class is new and the students have not yet known one another. The second reason that Tannen (1991) mentioned, about male students speaking more in class because they are more conducive to debate-like communication, in general this may be true although a lot of females also tend to debate with other students, so this is not yet closed as it is. With the third reasons that Tannen (1991) mentioned, about males speaking more in class because they have had more experiences with dealing with different attitudes, this is also not closed as it is, since there are lots of males that do not have much experiences being with the public, such as one of my associates in class. He is a male; yet, he is shy and withdrawn. Conclusion In the different regional, ethnic, and class backgrounds, Tannen (1991) finds that there is great difference with the way males and females use their languages. Nevertheless, it is never good to put both genders in closed doors. There are always exceptions to the case. Reference Tannen, D. (1991). How male and female students use language differently. In Learning at school (pp. 38-43). Place: publisher.

Violent Video Games and Increased Aggression Essay -- Media Violence 20

Video games have been a rapidly expanding industry since their inception in the 1970s. Along with their growth have come concerns about violent video games and their effects on aggression and violence in young people. The endless numbers of school shootings have pushed this issue to the forefront. These events brought about the question: do violent video games induce aggression in youth? That’s the question I set out to answer by looking at research. The research shows that there is a link between playing video games and increases in aggression in adolescents. What implications does this fact have ethically? It means that video game producers and distributors need to be held responsible for their releases and the way they end up in the hands of kids. Video games are a rapidly growing industry. There are nearly two games sold for every household in America each year (Anders 271). The vast majority of these are sold to adults, but there is no national law that prohibits minors from buying violent video games. A few states have legislation pending that will prevent this, but the fact is that minors do have access to violent video games. There is a voluntary rating system implemented by the ESRB, where games are rated based on their content. The games that are rated Mature are not supposed to be sold to anyone under seventeen and Adults Only titles, but â€Å"some retailers do not impose such limitations† (Anders 271). The bottom line is that minors do have access to these violent games. One article points out that video games have a big impact on children’s lives and that many of the games played are violent. Researchers have found that â€Å"nearly all children spend time playing video games† and studies have found that â€Å"8th graders spent an average of 17 hours per week playing video games† (Tamborini 336). Moreover, 68% of the most popular video games contain violence (Tamborini 336). So it is clear that many children have access to violent video games and they have a big impact on their lives simply because of the amount of time spent playing them. The shooters at Columbine high school, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold frequently played violent video games such as Doom, and Harris even created a modification for the game. The modification allowed two shooters to use a large arsenal weapons to shoot unarmed civilians (Anderson 353). Is seems eeril... ...ids, I would think twice about my decision to work on the project. I would realize that video games probably more good than harm in a utilitarian approach, but I would also take into consideration the social contract theory and ask, â€Å"would I like to live in a society where people are more aggressive because of something I helped to create?† I hope that I would make the right decision in that situation. Works Cited Anders, Kelly L. "Marketing and Policy Considerations for Violent Video Games." Journal of Public Policy and Marketing 18 (1999): 270. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. DePaul Library. 7 Mar. 2008. Anderson, Craig A.; Bushman, Brad J. "Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: a Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature." Psychological Science (2001). EBSCO. DePaul Library. 7 Mar. 2008. Tamborini, Ron ; Eastin, Matthew S. ; Skalski, Paul ; Lachlan, Kenneth ; Fediuk, Thomas A. ; Brady, Robert. "Violent Virtual Video Games and Hostile Thoughts." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media (2004). EBSCO. DePaul Library. 7 Mar. 2008.

The Relationship Between Journalism and Public Relations

The relationship between journalism and public relations has been described as tumultuous. Hitchcock (2012) says there is a shifting dynamic between the two and has found that journalists are starting to become more and more reliant on public relations ‘(PR)’, while Jackson (2009) says that up to 80% of media content has come from a public relations source. In this instance, Evans (2010) says, â€Å"it is time to admit that the two disciplines of journalism and PR are two sides of the same coin and that there is now complete freedom of movement between them† (p? ). FIND PAGE NUMBERThis essay will discuss the role of both public relations and journalism in the media, followed by an examination of the symbiotic relationship these two professions share. Differing views and issues surrounding the relationship will also be considered. Furthermore, media relations and new media technology will be examined regarding the tension between PR and journalism. A conclusion wil l then be summarized to support the idea that the relationship between public relations and journalism is symbiotic to an extent, however there are other factors also to consider when making such a statement.The Oxford Dictionary (2012) defines the term symbiosis as ‘a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups’. In this case we are examining the relationship between PR and journalism and how they mutually benefit from their day-to-day dealings with each other. According to Tench (2009), PR plays an important role in shaping the news by persuading other people to convey important messages to the organisations publics. This is done with support from media outputs and can also be described as ‘endorsement’.Furthermore, the PR practitioner should use sound media relations to gain editorial coverage in appropriate media channels. By doing this, Comrie (2007) elaborates that the organization’s reputation will impact positively by integrating a strategic plan in line with the company’s mission. Journalists in the media are wary of public relations practitioners, regardless of the fact that they deal with them daily. According to White and Hobsbawn (2007) they view PR practitioners as ambiguous sources to deal with and are often cautious and wary of whether the information given could be misleading or deceptive.Furthermore, Callad (2007) says that journalist’s gut reactions to ‘PR’ in general are almost immediately related to specific PR people in which they may have had a bad experience with, instead of the response to the profession its self. This type of stereotyping is a typical occurrence in their professional relationship. The relationship between PR and journalism is seen to mutually benefit both parties. Edward Bernays (in Evans, 2010) talks of the crucial importance of the press. This is because newspaper coverage can translate social ideas into facts, which in turn can infl uence the target publics of an organisation.Jackson (2009) also supports the idea that there is a symbiotic relationship of some kind existing between PR and journalism by saying â€Å"PR is a fact of life. Journalists should recognize it as an important channel† (p2). Jackson then elaborates on the role of PR by stating that there is a very significant amount of PR material in the media and that therefore plays an important role in news making. Furthermore, Grunig and Hunt (in Tench, 2009) underwent a survey in 2000 that indicated PR sources are responsible for around half of the news printed in newspapers.Press releases sent out by the Press Association are likely to include contribution from practitioners. (Mersham et al,. 2009) says that both sport and not for profit charities use emotional content in the promotion of their organisation, which in turn appeals to media outlets. These situations support the idea of symbiosis between PR and journalism, as journalists like to run stories with high emotional content, which will then in turn generate positive publicity for the organisation.Many journalists don’t like to admit that they do rely on PR in one way or another and unfortunately in this day and time, journalists are pushed for time as media channels have rapidly increased and budgets have been tightened. Because of this, little time is left for journalists to investigate stories independently. (Lewis et,. al 2008) found that up to 60% of stories coming from either articles or broadcast news contained elements of ‘pre packaging’. This can be described as a press release being regurgitated by a journalist into a news story, with very few facts missing.Callard (2011) further describes the symbiotic relationship that is evident between PR and journalism. These two professions interact with each other daily for the production of news. PR practitioners provide journalists with a suggested story and information shaped in the way the y would like it to be publicized in a specific media channel. Moreover, journalists then request information and sources from PR practitioners that may aid them in developing a story for the public. Although this seems both parties mutually benefit from each other’s presence, it doesn’t come without its controversies.Issues with credibility of both PR practitioners and journalists are said to always exist. Journalists should only post stories of interest to the audience, while PR practitioners should use media relations to get print or broadcast coverage without interference from the owners of the publication. (Tench, 2009) agrees with this by saying that these current priorities of confliction are said to describe the tension that exists between the agenda’s of these two competitors. Similar views are expressed such as (Mersham et al. 2009) with some journalists and PR practitioners seeing each other as allies, but are more frequently seen by each other as the enemy or people that they cannot trust. In saying this, PR practitioners are also wary of journalists. Gregory (2002) says that PR practitioners have a responsibility to keep a considerate distance between themselves and journalists but continue to provide them with material that reflects the truth. Moreover, we see that they continue to hold a symbiotic relationship in relation to the work they do, but whether they value each other on a personal level is very much debatable.According to (Davis, 2007) journalism traditionally was seen to hold power over PR as they had control over what was to be published. Due to cutbacks in resources and the continuing change in media channels, PR material and sources have developed which is resulting in a change over who holds that power. Moreover, Greenslade (2003) argues that this causes tension in the relationship as journalists like to think they are more powerful and rather believing that PR can benefit them, they feel conflicted to use posit ive, helpful sources of materials that PR practitioners provide them (Haller, 2007; Tilley & Hollings, 2008).Media relations must be understood as less about breaking news, and more about tactical work that is going to target the key stakeholders of your organisation. Gonring (in Comrie, 2007) suggests that it is also about â€Å"learning to strategize and manage press coverage to shape the opinions of important constituents† (p63). To put more simply, Tench (2009) mentions that we can view media relations as a relationship between an organisation and the press. The skilled practitioner needs to make sure they form sufficient relationships with journalists so that accurate, effective stories can be produced.This is important for both parties as White and Hobsbawm (2007) say â€Å"mutual exchange of information between these two groups of information gathers and providers is necessary, and not a matter for disapproval† (p290). New media developments are having an impact on both professions and the symbiotic relationship they share. White and Hobsbawm (2007) mention that journalism is heavily dependant on PR sources regardless of their personal relations and therefore more demands are needed to produce new and exciting material for new channels of media. The phenomenon of social media is changing the way we communicate.Because of the social aspect of new media, practitioners can present information that individuals can talk directly to each other and find truth themselves. There needs to be a more realistic approach to the relations between PR and journalism, as they may not possess the same interests, but they face the same threats and the context in which they operate is the same. The main points outlined above demonstrate that a symbiotic relationship between PR and journalism does exist. It is evident that both professions require some kind of reliance on each other.In saying this however it must be considered that although some symbiosis occur s, it doesn’t come with out scrutiny from both professions. White and Howsbawm (2007) elaborate by saying journalists are heavily dependant on PR practice in spite of the fact the views they hold of them. Media relations also contribute to the love-hate relationship in which they share, but also the need of each other for the growing world of technology. The above views suggest that although the relationship between PR and journalism is symbiotic, it is also seen as unstable, and that is not likely to change in the near future.References: Bailey, R. (2009). Media Relations. Harlow, England; New York: FT Prentice Hall Callard, H. (2011) Attitudes and perceptions of newspaper journalists towards public relations practitioners in New Zealand. Retrieved from http://scholar. google. co. nz/scholar? hl=en&lr=&q=related:Bcq7pKS7k_QJ:scholar. google. com/&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=1cAwULHIMo2WiQf87oCoDw&ved=0CD0QzwIwAA Comrie, M. (2007, October 29). Media relations: From tactics to strat egy. Retrieved from  http://publicrelations4u. blogspot. co. z/2007/10/media-relations-from-tactics-to. html Davis, A. (2000). Public relations, news production and changing patterns of source access in British National Media. Media, Culture and Society, 22(1), 39-59. Evans, T. (2010). We are all in PR now. British Journalism Review  2010 21: 31 DOI: 10. 1177/0956474810374531 http://bjr. sagepub. com/content/21/2/31 Gower, K. (2007). Public relations and the press: The troubled embrace. Evanston, IL:Northwestern University Press. Greenslade, R. (2003) Press Gang: how newspapers make profits rom Propaganda, Basingstoke:Macmillan. Gregory, A. (2002). To Spin or Not to Spin? – The Ethics of Public Relations  [Lecture]. Retrieved from Leeds Metropolitan University. Grunig, J. E. , & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing Public Relations: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Haller, M. (2007). Symbiosis or antagonism: The neurotic double bind. In Merkel, B. , Russ-Mohl, S. , & Zavaritt, G. (Eds. ). A complicated, antagonistic and symbiotic affair: Journalism, public relations and their struggle for public attention (pp. 95-99). Lugano, Switzerland: European Journalism Observatory.Hitchcock, S. (2012, February 18). Tumultuous relationship between journalism and PR thawing says Waikato researcher. The University of Waikato. Retrieved August 19th, 2012, from http://www. waikato. ac. nz/news-events/media/2012/02tumultuous-relationship-between-journalism-and-pr-thawing-says-waikato-researcher. shtml Hollings, J. , Lealand, G. , Samson, A. , & Tilley, E. (2007). The big NZ journalism survey: Underpaid, under-trained, under-resourced, unsure about the future – but still idealistic.Pacific Journalism Review, 13(2), 175–197. Jackson, S. (2009, May 4). PR driving up to 80pc of content. The Australian. Retrieved August 19th, 2012, from  http://www. theaustralian. com. au Lewis, J. , A. Williams. , B. Franklin. , J. Thomas. , and N. Mosdell (2008). â€Å"The Quality a nd Independence of British Journalism’, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. Report found at http://www. cardiff. ac. uk/jomec/research/researchgroups/journalismstudies/fundedprojects/qualitypress. html Mersham, G. M. , Theunissen, P. , & Peart, J. G. M. (2009). Public

How Will Our Life Go on Without Internet

How will our life go on without internet? It’s hard to imagine that we live in a world without internet which plays an important role in many aspects of our lives. Thus, it’s worth discussing how our life will go on without internet to see what benefits and disadvantages it brings to us. It’s beyond question that our life will be inconvenient if we’re not available to internet. For one thing, we students surf the internet for information frequently in order to write papers, find materials for self-study and so on.In response to the hypothetical situation, we can only go to library for help but the resources there are limited, making us anxious without adequate and prompt information. For another, it’s a waste of time and labor power to put up notices in campus in every aspect. Assume that we should go to somewhere to check messages every day, how troublesome it is for everyone including students and workers in school. Online shopping is so popular f or its multiple choices for us.If not, we’ll spend much more time on selecting goods in real shops if we want to make comparisons. Besides, we’ll lack a lot of fun if we can’t download music or movies. It’s no wonder that a great number of boys will complain about disappearing online games. Certainly, our life will carry on in the assumption, but it won’t be as colorful as today by narrowing our range of entertainment. But, there’re still some advantages in terms of no internet.We’ll spend more time with our family or friends instead of being absorbed in online activities. In addition, we don’t need to worry about false information it delivers and turn our focus on reality, avoiding falling in love with someone deceiving for purposes or students being addicted to internet. To conclude, our life tends to be a mess if we don’t have access to internet. As long as enjoying the convenience, we still need to treat it with rati onality, trying to minish the negative effects as possible.

Communication Skills of the Mental Health Nurse Essays

Communication Skills of the Mental Health Nurse Essays Communication Skills of the Mental Health Nurse Essay Communication Skills of the Mental Health Nurse Essay Abstract This work attempts to examine a number of issues generated by the discussion on the communication skills of the mental health nurse. Nursing actions are planned to promote, maintain, and restore the clients well-being and health. Clients and nurses alike come to the communication with unique cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities that they use in their joint endeavor of enhancing the clients well-being. Mental health nurses are responsible for encouraging this interchange of ideas, values, and skills. In an effective helping communication there is a definite and guaranteed interchange between clients and nurses in all three dimensions. The communicative role of the nurse is, thus, an important one. Communication Skills of the Mental Health Nurse Communication is a life-long learning process for the nurse. Nurses make the intimate journey with the client and family from the miracle of birth to the mystery of death. Nurses build assertive communication for this journey. Nurses provide education that helps clients change life-long habits. Nurses communicate with people under stress: clients, family, and colleagues. Nurses deal with anger and depression, with dementia and psychosis, with joy and despair. Nurses serve as client advocates and as members of interdisciplinary teams who may have different ideas about priorities for care. Despite the complexity of technology and the multiple demands on a nurses time, it is the intimate moments of connection that can make all the difference in the quality of care and meaning for the client and the nurse. As nurses refine their communications skills and build their confidence, they can move from novice to expert. Nurses honor the differences in clients with humility and learn and grow i n their ability to trust their intuition - the sacred moment of connection when we ac- knowledge the divine presence in each of us, the essence of each person. Communication involves the reciprocal process of sending and receiving messages between two or more people. This work will focus on the communication skills of the mental health nurse. Communication can either facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship or create barriers (Burleson 2003). In general, there are two parts to face-to-face communication: the verbal expression of the senders thoughts and feelings, and the nonverbal expression. Verbally, cognitive and affective messages are sent through words, voice inflection, and rate of speech; nonverbally, messages are conveyed by eye movements, facial expressions, and body language. Senders determine what message they want to transmit to the receiver and encode their thoughts and feelings into words and gestures. Senders messages are transmitted to the receiver through sound, sight, touch, and occasionally, through smell and taste. Receivers of the messages have to decode the verbal and nonverbal transmission to make sense of the thoughts and feelings communicated by senders. After decoding the senders words, speech patterns, and facial and body movements, the receivers encode return messages, either ve rbally, through words, or nonverbally, through gestures.   Figure 1 illustrates this reciprocal nature of the communication process. At any point in an interpersonal communication we send and receive verbal and nonverbal messages about thoughts and feelings. The assertive nurse appears confident and comfortable. Assertive behavior is contrasted with nonassertive or passive behavior, in which individuals disregard their own needs and rights, and aggressive behavior, in which individuals disregard the needs and rights of others (Figure 2). The communication between mental health nurse and clients typology is divided into two broad categories: client–nurse communications and person-in-situation, or environmental, interventions. There are six intervention methods within the client–worker communications category: 1. Sustainment. Communications designed to convey interest, understanding, confidence, and reassurance constitute the bulk of sustainment. Frequently, these are nonverbal cues, such as attentive posture, minimal prompts (repeating a word the client has used ina questioning manner), nods, and smiles. Sparingly used supportive statements such as â€Å"You seem to be coping well with an enormous amount of pressure† or â€Å"It is to be expected that this would be difficult to deal with† reflect a level of understanding of the clients situation and sustain the communication. 2. Direct influence. This communication type is really a continuum of interventions that range from tentative suggestion through directive advice giving. Giving direct advice is seldom appropriate to the mental health nurse. Even so, suggestions such as â€Å"I wonder whether it might make sense to consider X strategy for handling this problem† or â€Å"Have you thought about trying to do X in that situation?† fall within the range of mental health nurse work interventions in health care settings. 3. Exploration, description, and ventilation. These communications are designed to promote client disclosures through questions and other techniques. Although using minimal prompts and nodding are also involved in sustainment, the goal differs when they are used in this context. The exploration of clients problems, motivations, and strengths, their descriptions of interactions and situations, and their opportunity to allow open expression of emotions are all goals of this type of intervention. 4. Person–situation reflection. Reflection of client communications is often a main goal of intervention. Burleson (2003) divides the types of reflection into six further categories: reflections of others (clients own health or other aspects of the exterior world); client behavior (including its effects on others or on self); the nature of clients behavior, thoughts, and feelings; the causes and provocations of behavior; self-image, values, and principles from an evaluative stance; and feelings about the nurse or the client–nurse relationship. 5. Pattern–dynamic reflection. Communication for the purpose of reflecting back general patterns in the clients behavior and the motivations behind the behavior are given a separate category. Much interpretive and analytic work is done with this type of communication. 6. Developmental reflection. Like pattern–dynamic reflection, this type of communication identifies patterns in client motivation and behavior; however, the focus is on historical developmental patterns. Framing reflections in terms of prior client development is a hallmark of this type of interaction. Acceptance, and its associated value of being non-judgmental, is extensively examined in communication skills. It involves ‘respect and concern’ and ‘an uncompromising belief in the innate worth of the individual human being’ (Atkinson 2002). It is essential not simply that the worker should have these beliefs, but that the client actually experiences himself being respected by the worker.   We do not display unconditional positive regard: there is an expectation by the worker that change will occur. Acceptance, however, requires humility. Indeed, it may go beyond simple refusal to judge, but actively to seek to understand can be a prerequisite to acceptance. A final element is the commitment implied by acceptance: that although the client may behave in ways disapproved of, the relationship will continue as far as the nurse is concerned. Atkinson (2002) stresses consciously attempting to suspend personal value judgments, opinions, attitudes and feelings ab out the issues raised, and concentrate on accepting the client’s values, feelings and opinions (p. 174). The nurse should accept the patient as he or she is, and in addition to accepting him/her as he is, the nurse should treat the patient as an emotionally able stranger and relate to him/her as such until evidence shows otherwise. Nurses must remain true to their values while accepting the patient’s right to follow his/her conscience, they must display tolerance of themselves and others and must be non-judgmental so the patient feels free to express his/her real feelings. To be accepting is, at base, to be friendly. Empathy, listening and individualizing are a closely related cluster of qualities. Empathy is perhaps the most widely discussed element in nursing communication skills. Atkinson (2002) suggests it is imaginatively understanding others: ‘the power to feel imaginatively the experience of the other person†¦to â€Å"get on the same wavelength† as them’. The nurses attempt to ‘put themselves in another’s shoes’. However, this should not overwhelm them. Burleson (2003) calls it controlled emotional involvement. Burleson identifies a continual movement between merging with the client and regaining an objective stance. We recognize that we are a separate person, and this is necessary to maintain a sense of proportion. There is a clear intuitive dimension. Jordan (1979, p. 20) considers ‘it requires the exercise of all her [the worker’s] intuitive and imaginative capacities’ to go beyond the detail of the message. It also has a more cognitive element. It involves ‘building up our knowledge’ (Atkinson 2002) and methods of reasoning†¦to make an objective analysis†¦ [and] the theoretical knowledge [to obtain]†¦a mental representation of the other (Burleson Planalp 2000). Listening is a closely associated practice element. Indeed, it would appear a prerequisite to any degree of accurate empathy. Although non-verbal cues may be used, the ability to listen significantly facilitates understanding of the client and the meaning for him of his circumstances. Listening, however, is not a passive activity. Atkinson (2002) emphasizes nurse involvement, and the active seeking for ‘information’: ‘a listener who is able to respond actively and appropriately to the messages he receives’. Riley (2000) considers likewise it is not a passive ‘hearing’. It is an active search for the meaning in and an active understanding of, the client’s communication. (p. 168) It is this active striving for meaning which links it to empathy, the attempt to understand. It is ‘listen and know what I mean’ (Worden 2003). Listening, though, has a further positive element: actually encouraging the client to express himself. It involves listening hard, not only to the words which the client is using, but also the overtones of what he is saying together with encouraging the client to formulate and express his worries. Individualization is also closely associated with empathy: for to empathize is to do so with an individual who has unique qualities. Individualization is the recognition and understanding of each client’s unique qualities based on the right to be treated not just as a human being, but as this human being with his personal differences. Individualization possesses two central characteristics: like others it involves recognition of uniqueness, but also one of value a valuation of an individual’s potential accomplishments. Barrett (2003) identifies three ways in which it occurs in practice: in the present through the current nurse-client relationship; in description of the past through which the client presents their biography; and discussing future actions contributing to his/her personal identity. Overall treatment should be geared to individual needs. Above all, individualization means being free from projecting stereotypes on to people. Communication skills of mental health nursing also discuss empathy. It is the ability to perceive accurately the feelings of another person and to communicate this understanding to him. It is the capacity for participating in a vicarious experience of another’s feelings, volitions or ideas. Atkinson (2002) considers it to be an absolutely essential element of interpersonal communication. Nurse authors recognize it goes beyond simply what another person says: it is the ability to perceive accurately the internal frame of reference of the other and involves the latent meaning of what has been said. It is necessary, though, to retain some separateness: it is the quality of objectivity which distinguishes empathy from sympathy. Overall seeing things through the other person’s eyes involves, first, responding to the words and reflecting them, and second, picking out the unspoken feelings behind what is said. A further cluster of related concepts are authenticity, genuineness and openness. Authenticity requires the nurse be real and human in the communication. It implies spontaneity, the willingness to share one’s own feelings and reactions. Genuineness on the other hand means that there is a striving towards congruence between the nurses’ feelings and their behavior. Authenticity, then, means retaining one’s essential ‘humanness’, while genuineness is significant in the generation of authenticity: the worker openly providing information requested, and when appropriate initiates information sharing. This involves being honest about the reality of the nurse’s position: that the nurse’s powers and limitations are stated clearly when appropriate. Authenticity and openness, therefore, involve being authentic as a professional and not just a private person. Congruence means that nurses bring honest matches the underlying value system and essentia l self as a professional person. At a personal level it motivates a warm and nurturing heart, on objective, open and disciplined mind (heart and head). It is the synthesis of personal and professional which is significant: without this there is a loss of spontaneity with the worker appearing as a guarded professional. How does the nurse demonstrate genuineness? The nurse should give time, be sincere and be consistent in the attitudes and behavior shown during the communication. However sincerity does not involve cushioning the patient inappropriately from reality. This work has examined issues relating to communication (or its likely effect) and client involvement in the process of intervention. The role of the mental health nurse in health communication bears both similarities and dissimilarities to that of the physician. The nurse is in a pivotal position on the patient care team. Often nurses claim that patients should be treated as people rather than cases, they do not communicate as they profess they should nor as they think they do. In summary, this work highlights the importance of practice and preparation in the development of mental health nurses communication skills. Changing and improving the way health care providers interact with patients is complicated for several reasons. First, many nurses have developed a style of communicating that they perceive to be effective and easy to use, especially if they have been practicing for a number of years. To diversify their communicative repertoire, nurses must believe in the need for change , learn new responses (e.g., open-ended questions, attentive listening), and identify and refrain from problematic behaviors. Because of these factors, it is unlikely that a single, brief intervention will lead to significant improvement in a health care providers communicative skills. Research to date indicates that the most successful communication skill interventions will be those that are intensive and employ diverse pedagogical techniques including expert and patient feedback, role playing, modeling, practice, group discussion, and watching ones performance on videotape. References Atkinson, Mary. (2002). Mental Health Handbook for Schools. Routledge/Falmer: London. Barrett, Sheila. (2003). Communication, Relationships and Care: A Reader. Routledge: New York. Burleson, B. R., Planalp, S. (2000). â€Å"Producing emotion(al) messages.† Communication Theory, 10. Burleson, Brant R. (2003). Handbook of Communication and Social Interaction Skills. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah, NJ. Riley, Julia Balzer. (2000). Communication in Nursing. Mosby: St. Louis, MO. Worden, J. William. (2003). Grief Counselling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. Brunner-Routledge: Hove, England. Figure 1  Ã‚   The Human Communication Process Figure 2 Assertive and Nonassertive Style of Communication Characteristics Assertive Nonassertive Aggressive Attitude toward self and others Im OK Youre OK Im not OK Youre not OK Im not OK Youre not OK Decision making Makes own decision Lets others choose for him or her Chooses for others Behavior in problem situations Direct, fair confrontation Flees, gives in Outright, assaultive Verbal behaviors Clear, direct statement of wants; objective words; honest statement of feelings Apologetic words; hedging; rambling; failing to say what is meant Loaded words; accusations; superior, haughty words; labeling of other person Nonverbal behaviors Confident, congruent messages Actions instead of words (not saying what is felt); incongruence between words and behaviors Air of superiority; flip- pant, sarcastic style Voice Firm, warm, confident Weak, distant, soft, wavering Tense, shrill, loud, cold, demanding, authoritarian, coldly silent Eyes Warm, in contact, frank Averted, downcast, teary, pleading Expressionless, cold, narrowed, staring Stance Relaxed Stooped; excessive lean- ing for support Hands on hips; feet apart Hands Gestures at appropriate times Fidgety, clammy Fists pounding or clenched Pattern of relating Puts himself or herself up without putting others down Puts himself or herself down Puts himself or herself up by putting others down Response of others Mutual respect Disrespect, guilt, anger, frustration Hurt, defensiveness, humiliation Consequences of style I win, you win; strives for win-win or no lose solutions I lose, you lose; only succeeds by luck or charity of others I win, you lose; beats out others at any cost STUDENT NAME_________________ DATE___________________________ GRADING GRID / CRITERIA: FORMAL APA PAPER TOPIC SELECTION: (15%)_____  § Relevant to professional nursing  § Timely/current  § Appropriate for length and course STRUCTURE: (35%)_____  § Correct use of grammar and spelling  § Expression of ideas well organized, clear, and concise  § Appropriate length of paper and paragraphs  § Appropriate use of tables, graphs, etc.  § Correct use of APA editorial format CONTENT: (35%)_____  § Information generates interest  § Illustrations and examples used as needed  § Information is accurate  § Resources/references underpin structure of the paper and salient points  § Implications for nursing practice or research identified REFERENCES: (15%)_____  § Less than 4 years, unless nursing or other theory or supporting reference  § Scientific nursing, medical, or allied health journal or other scholarly Publication

Definition of Force in Physics

Definition of Force in Physics Force is a quantitative description of an interaction that causes a change in an objects motion. An object may speed up, slow down, or change direction in response to a force. Put another way, force is any  action  that tends to maintain or alter the  motion  of a body or to distort it.  Objects are pushed or pulled by forces acting on them. Contact  force  is defined as the force exerted when two physical objects come in direct contact with each other. Other forces, such as gravitation and electromagnetic forces, can exert themselves even across the empty vacuum of space. Key Takeaways: Key Terms Force: A description of an interaction that causes a change in an objects motion. It can also be represented by the symbol F.The Newton: The unit of force within the International system of units (SI). It can also be represented by the symbol N.Contact forces: Forces which take place when objects touch each other. Contact forces can be classified according to six types: tensional, spring, normal reaction, friction, air friction, and weight.Noncontact forces: Forces that take place when two objects do not touch. These forces can be classified according to three types: gravitational, electrical, and magnetic. Units of Force Force is a  vector; it has both direction and magnitude. The SI unit  for  force is the  newton  (N). One newton of force is equal to 1 kg * m/s2 (where the * symbol stands for times). Force is proportional to acceleration, which is defined as the rate of change of velocity. In calculus terms, force is the derivative of momentum with respect to time. Contact vs. Noncontact Force There are two types of forces in the universe: contact and noncontact. Contact forces, as the name implies, take place when objects touch each other, such as kicking a ball: One object (your foot) touches the other object (the ball). Noncontact forces are those where objects do not touch each other. Contact forces can be classified according to six different types: Tensional: such as a string being pulled tightSpring: such as the force exerted when you compress two ends of a springNormal reaction: where one body provides a reaction to a force exerted upon it, such as a ball bouncing on a blacktopFriction: the force exerted when an object moves across another, such as a ball rolling over a blacktopAir friction: the friction that occurs when an object, such as a ball, moves through the airWeight: where a body is pulled toward the center of the Earth due to gravity Noncontact forces can be classified according to three types: Gravitational: which is due to the gravitational attraction between two bodiesElectrical: which is due to the electrical charges present in two bodiesMagnetic: which occurs due to the magnetic properties of two bodies, such as the opposite poles of two magnets being attracted to each other Force and Newtons Laws of Motion The concept of force was originally defined by Sir Isaac Newton in his three laws of motion. He explained gravity as an attractive force between bodies that possessed mass. However, gravity within Einsteins general relativity doesnt require force. Newtons First Law of Motion says that an object will continue to move at a constant velocity unless it is acted upon by an external force. Objects in motion remain in motion until a force acts on them. This is inertia. They wont speed up, slow down, or change direction until something acts on them. For example, if you slide a hockey puck,  it will eventually stop because of friction on the ice. Newtons Second Law of Motion says that force is directly proportional to acceleration (the rate of change of momentum) for a constant mass. Meanwhile, acceleration is inversely proportional to mass. For example, when you throw a ball thrown onto the ground, it exerts a downward force; the ground, in response, exerts an upward force causing the ball to bounce. This law is useful for measuring forces. If you know two of the factors, you can calculate the third. You also know that if an object is accelerating, there must be a force acting on it.   Newtons Third Law of Motion relates to interactions between two objects. It says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When a force is applied to one object, it has the same effect on the object that produced the force but in the opposite direction. For example, if you jump off a small boat into the water, the force you use to jump forward into the water will also push the boat backward. The action and reaction forces happen at the same time. Fundamental Forces There are four fundamental forces that govern the interactions of physical systems. Scientists continue to pursue a unified theory of these forces: 1. Gravitation: the force that acts between masses. All particles experience the force of gravity. If you hold a ball up in the air, for example, the mass of the Earth allows the ball to fall due to the force of gravity. Or if a baby bird crawls out of its nest, the gravity from the Earth will pull it to the ground. While the graviton has been proposed as the particle mediating gravity, it has not yet been observed. 2. Electromagnetic: the force that acts between electrical charges. The mediating particle is the photon. For example, a loudspeaker uses the electromagnetic force to propagate the sound, and a banks door locking system uses electromagnetic forces to help shut the vault doors tightly. Power circuits in medical instruments like magnetic resonance imaging use electromagnetic forces, as do the magnetic rapid transit systems in Japan and China- called maglev for magnetic levitation. 3. Strong nuclear: the force that holds the nucleus of the atom together, mediated by gluons acting on quarks, antiquarks, and the gluons themselves. (A gluon is a messenger particle that binds quarks within the protons and neutrons. Quarks are fundamental particles  that combine to form protons and neutrons, while antiquarks are identical to quarks in mass but opposite in electric and magnetic properties.) 4. Weak nuclear: the force that is mediated by exchanging W and Z bosons and is seen in beta decay of neutrons in the nucleus. (A boson is a type of particle that obeys the rules of Bose-Einstein statistics.) At very high temperatures, the weak force and the electromagnetic force are indistinguishable.

Balanced Scorecard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example Although the first Balanced Scorecard was designed by Art Schneiderman in 1970, the concept of Balanced Scorecard was extensively developed and widely popularized by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. According to them, a Balanced Scorecard â€Å"defines the set of near-term objectives and activities, the drivers that will differentiate a company from its competitors and create long-term customer and shareholder value, the outcomes.† (Kaplan & Norton, 2001, p.76). The most fascinating feature of a Balanced Scorecard is that a set of financial and non-financial tools are presented in a single succinct report by comparing each tool to a ‘target’ value. This strategic performance management tool was developed with intent to replace traditional operational reports and to present a concise summary that includes the most relevant information. The first versions of Balanced Scorecard held the view that its relevance was greatly related to corporate strategy and the pr oposed design methods. As noted by Kaplan & Norton (2001), during the initial stages, it was believed that this tool would most fit the needs and requirements of mid-sized firms and hence the model was mainly employed to measure aspects like customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth (pp.76-77). This tool was periodically modified and it became popular across the globe by the end of the 20th century. However, modern management experts argue that this model is not sufficient enough to manage complex strategy implementation processes. This paper will critically analyze the potential limitations of the approach while comparing it with the emerging approaches to organizational strategy. Limitations of the Balanced Scorecard approach It is identified that the Balanced Scorecard model of Kaplan and Norton is not really effective. In the modern complex business environment, setting right objectives and following them properly is extremely essential to ensure the sustain able development of any organization. In order to follow the objectives properly, it is absolutely vital to monitor every action with a more strategy focused measurement system. Today’s scholars opine that the Balanced Scorecard model is not so optimal and strategy focused; and therefore, this system cannot ensure a sustainable business environment. In the view of Rillo (2004), one of the most noticeable limitations of the Balanced Scorecard model is that it could not effectively connect cause and effect relations time-wise. The author continues that an important strength â€Å"that the Balanced Scorecard is claimed to possess is the strong causal interrelations between the different elements that are mapped using the core strategy of an organization as a source as the financial measures have been considered merely a reflection of past activities already taken place† (Rillo, 2004). Critics argue that this model is not supported by the Hume criterion for cause and effec t relationship, which states that one activity leads another in time and there exists a causal connection between these two activities. Furthermore, it seems that this concept does not give necessary emphasis on time factor, which is vital to ensure the success of a strategy execution process. Likewise, Kaplan and Norton (2001) tell that strategic objectives must be categorized into budgetary measures so as to be pursued on predetermined basis (pp.294-296). As per this view, different objectives cannot be monitored until predetermined intervals and the measurement method is capable of providing relevant information for analysis. Many of the modern theorists do not know whether or not there exists a causal interrelation between customer, internal business processes, and learning and growth in

Catch-22 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Catch-22 - Research Paper Example He was ready to comply with the U.S. Air Force standard of twenty-five combat missions and go home. However, Colonel Cathkart dreaming of fame at any cost, patriotically increases the number of required missions and it makes Yossarian’s desire to go home unreal. Actually, in some time Yossarian begins to fight worse and worse. Going up in the air he has a single goal – to return alive, and he totally does not care where they drop bombs – on the enemy’s object, or in the sea. But the commanders fight bravely, ready to carry out the most daring operations, as long as their subordinates risk their lives. They heroically disregard the dangers borne by others. It is not a problem to bomb the Italian mountain village, even without warning civilians. They are not afraid that there will be casualties, since it will create a perfect jam for enemy equipment. They are fiercely fighting each other for a place under the sun. Thus, General Peckem is plotting the defeat of the insidious enemy, which is the other American General Dreedle. For the sake of the general’s epaulettes Cathkart mercilessly exploits his pilots. Each of the many characters in this literary mural has its own war to win in, and for the victory they would spare neither effort nor life, someone else’s life. ... , gaining freedom), it serves not only to reveal the image of the protagonist of the novel Yossarian, but also the ideological and philosophical perspectives of Catch-22. Images and perspectives are revealed step by step: with each new episode of the central themes of the novel acquire new sensual fullness and variety of interpretations: The most significant aspect of the structure of Catch-22 is its chronology. Behind what appears to be merely random events lies a careful system of time-sequences involving two distinct and mutually contradictory chronologies (Gaukroger 71). This is largely due to the multi-faceted structure of the novel, â€Å"disparate elements of its structure as the seeming chaos of its surface text and its unrelenting comedy† (Woodson 153). Chaotic at first glance, the text of the first chapters of in the end of the novel acquires a clear structure; isolated episodes are arranged into a single event line. With immersion into the atmosphere of Catch-22 a c omic element is reduced to a bitter sarcasm and almost disappears in the final chapters. According to Joseph Heller: But certainly there is nothing funny about death; there is nothing funny about the death of a young man, and the fact I often in Catch-22 present the death of somebody in a flippant or disrespectful way was not only intended to have almost a contrapuntal effect—to avoid sentimentality—but also to make it perhaps more effective by dismissing the seriousness of death briefly as well (quoted in Meredith 50) Absurdity, which at the beginning of the novel is perceived more as a literary device, is gradually revealed as an existentialist category. The same event is described repeatedly, shown through the lens of views of different characters, the same facts are presented in different