Divorce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Divorce - Research Paper Example Psychologists have extensively researched on the effects that divorce has on children and evidence converges at the point that it ultimately leads to the deterioration of their mental health even adulthood. In this paper I will be arguing and justifying why the procedure of divorce is harmful in terms of impact especially on the moral status and ultimate behavior of the children who suffer it. Divorce has a tremendous negative effect not only the children but also the separating parents and ultimately society as it alters the family structure. Children may suffer the inevitable feeling of inadequacy, having to start a new life in a very unstable single parent family, and deprivation that may lead them to resent. Aggression and mood problems may be some of the behavior changes that the affected children develop as they adjust to the new order. A wide body of research has shown that those children who are brought up in stable families with both parents present show stability and good behavior as compared to their counterparts who encounter divorce. Children who have suffered divorce in their lives are prone to delinquency and aggression. This is because these children go through a very intense period of loss and are subjected to tremendous, unexpected and inevitable changes when parents divorce and separate. There is no doubt most of the impacts of divorce are extremely det rimental to our society and as such there is need for deliberate efforts at curbing its growing popularity. The family which is society’s basic building is worst affected by divorce. The relationship between the parent and child will never be same again after a divorce occurs. In fact, following the divorce and ultimate separation of the couple, another form of divorce inevitably occurs which involves the separation of children from their parents.

One of the Free

One of the Freedom Fighters; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. He was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. Kings efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. On October 14 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. In the next few years leading up to his death, he expanded his focus to include poverty and the Vietnam War. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986. Hundreds of streets in the U.S. and beyond have been renamed in his honor. Here’s an excerpt from his famous speech â€Å"I have a dream†: I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

Finding the End to Genetic Diseases :: Genetics Science Genes Health Essays

The United States has a very diverse heritage. There is no "American" race. Americans are the blending of many cultures throughout many generations. With this blending of cultures comes a blending of genes. In the past, genes have not been well understood. They were not understood until Mendel did experiments on plants to find out why different plants of the same species had different characteristics. His goal was to find the key to unlock the mystery of inheritance (Copeland and Hammer 12). After many years of collecting data, he unlocked the door. He discovered that the child gets one element from each parent for every trait. He also discovered that one of them is more "dominant," and shows up over the other, recessive, one (Brown 16). He published his results, but their significance was not understood at the time. "Sixteen years after his death, three people believed to have the key. Looking for other results to verify the ideas, they came across Mendel's results" (14). Their dat a agreed, and with this a new science was born - the science of Genetics (15). Due to modern medicine, such as antibiotics and rehabilitation, many genetic diseases have been allowed to survive. In nature, these diseases would not have survived to the extent that they do now. Advances in science and medicine have allowed these problems to thrive. Further advances in science may be able to terminate genetic diseases through cloning. Genetic problems have plagued the United States for centuries. Genetic diseases and mutations are more prevalent in today's world than ever before, due to advances in medicine (CHMG). Charles Darwin's theory of evolution stated that only the strong survive (Lutz 10). Modern medicine has changed that theory by allowing the weak, or people with genetic diseases, to survive. Genetic defects are caused by mutations. "When genes change in any way, they produce permanent new characteristics called mutations" (Copeland and Hamer 19). On that note, "there have been many which have had little effect on us, while others have been important in our development" (19). Along with the necessary mutations, there are "mutations that can cause serious, and sometimes fatal, disease" (Brown 16). There are many factors that may cause mutation, such as genetic accidents, environmental hazards, and human sources. The genetic accidents are regular mutations in the cells where "chemical changes in the cell cause a breakdown in the normal structure of a gene or a group of genes" (28).

paradigm shift in utopian fiction :: essays research papers

Utopian fiction or the imaginary projection of a perfect society in which all need and want have been removed and conflict is eliminated, has a long history. Sir Thomas More’s Utopia is a focal point in the tradition of the genre, and More’s contemplation of a society removed from daily struggle to a place of ease, has had a powerful and lasting effect on subsequent visions of the future. Dystopian fiction is the natural correlative of this literary mode and presents visions of imaginary worlds in which the worst of all possible social conditions pertains and where all ethical, aesthetic and metaphysical judgments are consequently problematised. A strict definition of utopia would serve no useful purpose; as Nietzsche says, ‘only that which has no history can be defined.’ A utopia always maintains a close and specific relationship with the sociopolitical environment from which it stems. Utopia is thus a game played between the two poles of reality and fiction.( George Orwell, A reader’s guide to essential criticism, edited by Daniel Lea,2001) The term â€Å"utopia† first appeared in the 1516 work Utopia by Sir Thomas More , literally meaning â€Å" nowhere†, it represents the perfect society. Thus, the idea is inherently ironic in that can never be achieved. Utopian Literature of the 20th century stands out / marks out through the relinquishment of the perspective which governed the utopia of past centuries: a positive utopia, confident in institutions and progress- an internal law of utopian genre. In the first years of the 20th century, utopia ceases describing the advantages of progress in the service of community, eliminating individual. In the first half of the 20th century, utopian history is dominated by H.G.Wells’ s work.. His creation marks the transition from one period to another. Social and political themes are still present ,but this time are accompanied by scientific speculation. Characteristic to the 20th century is the next mutation or shifting : political and social regimes are no longer a concern or an interest, but rather the human nature, altered gradually, eugeny or controlled evolution; utopia abolishes history and past, in general, being placed in a parallel present, but in the 20th century, it is planned in the future. Anti-utopia or dystopia continues the tradition of utopia from the point of view of invention and of technique, but it differs regarding intention. Instead of welfare and prosperity, we have despair and misery; instead of flourishing, the end of humanity.

The Definition of Performance Management

A local council has just received approval for  £15 million from the National Lottery to build a new Arts, Media and Cultural Centre but it needs to find the matching capital Money for the project. It has also to find the annual running costs of  £1 million for the new facility at the same sound as it needs to reduce its total Leisure and Arts budget by  £5 million. How can performance management and review processes assist with this complex decision and ensure that effective delivery of the project if agreed? The local council has three main problems to resolve from this scenario. These are: 1. Matching the capital money and running costs of the proposed project. 2. Significantly reducing the leisure and arts budget, the sector in which the proposed project is in. 3. Keeping all major interest groups internally and externally from the project, relatively content. However, the problems involving the interest groups are virtually impossible to resolve. This is due to people's contradicting needs; this creates the task of catering for each individual group†s needs, which is unobtainable. Therefore, the council must take an interest in the most significant party, the public; this includes the implications of the other major problems. Performance management and review can be an aid to this project, by analysing the various options and solutions and deciding on the best course of action. Each of the three main problems may be divided into a list containing various sub problems, which create the overall problems. Each of these problems must be solved by prioritising in order of importance, in order to produce the most effective solution to the project. Performance management has been defined as â€Å"a strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organisations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors: (Armstrong and Baron 1998). Another definition however is that performance management is the systematic design, collection, analysis and review of information. In order to manage there is a need to establish and quantify what may be managed and how. For the ability to use performance management within the project, it needs to be segmented into various sections that can possibly be measured over the duration of the project. The project has multiple objectives that need defining. These objectives are usually defined and the outcomes normally judged using the five E†s: Economy: The effective acquisition of inputs, largely a value for money concept. Efficiency: The ratio of inputs to outputs. The efficiency level will be increased if the output is consistent while input levels fall, or output is raised while input while input remains consistent. Effectiveness: The extent of goal acheivement Equity: Observance of criteria of fairnesss. This is probably the most significant condition for good performance. Electability: Political affirmation of good performance that will prove essential for survival. These five factors aid in providing parameters for judging performance. To enable measurements of the performance, the project needs to be subdivided into various sections known as milestones. To achieve the various milestones, the manager will need to create an action plan. This is a breakdown of what, where and when various activities are going to occur. There are many problems associated with public sector performance management. Some of these problems are as follows: There are not enough targets to attain. There tends to be too many indicators. There is a lethargic reporting style, however the reporting systems tend to be loose. In the case of this project for the local council there needs to be a hierarchy of objectives, these must range from corporate to individual objectives. The corporate objectives for the local council may be as follows: 1. To design, build and tender for the centre within the budget allocated and within any time frame allocated by the capital provider. 2. To allocate appropriate funds from the local authority budget to enable the project for the centre to proceed. 3. To increase, restructure or divert the revenue budgets of the local authority to accommodate the running of the centre. The examples of the objectives above are broad in context. This is deliberately to enable any changes through revenue and allocations of funds to the centre to be accommodated for within the objectives. There may be political issues involved within the development of obtaining these major corporate objectives. These may include the raising of tax, the proposed centre having to match the running costs or possibly the allocation of funds from other local authority departments. These objectives are not as narrowly defined as those from the private sector or if it were a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) project, this is due to the need to insure that all stakeholders may be taken into consideration. Although these objectives are corporate, they usually are allocated to an individual to oversee. This method within the public sector could cause problems within the board; these problems are due to the possibility of one-upmanship. Within the local authority, there are other objectives which must be satisfied, these link and are interdependent with the corporate objectives. An example may be that the Arts and Leisure Director needs to set out his objectives for achieving the design and building requirements. Example – Objective Carry out the Tender procedure within 6 months: – Activity or milestone Action Deadline A. Appoint Consultant By End of Month 1 B. Approve Budget By Start of Month 2 C. Finalise Design By End of Month 2 D. Send spending specification By Start of Month 3 E. Evaluate Tenders By End of Month 4 F. Appoint Contract By End of Month 5 G. Complete Contract By End of Month 6 The Milestones are time related, they can be measured and if slippage occurs, action can be taken to bring the plan back on schedule or negotiations can take place to approve an extension. Another example may be that of the Director of Finance or the treasurer's objective, such as the following: 1. Reassign budget areas and make alterations to the allocations Negotiate the Leisure and Arts Budget. 2. Reallocate revenues for the proposed Leisure and Arts centre for the first year of opening. 3. Construct and consider various options for revenue generation to support the running costs of the proposed facility. Each of these objectives would have numerous milestones, which would be addressed in order to achieve the set objective goals. The objectives and milestones flow down the organisation, each linking into the one higher up the pyramid. The objectives set need to be linked to a review process. This is a crucial tool in timing strategic argument into practical actions – a lever to effectively policy implementation.

History of Coca-Cola essays

History of Coca-Cola essays Id like to talk today about the history of Coca-Cola. Ive divided my talk into three main parts: The period before WW the inter-war period and the period from WW2 to our days. Lets start with the period From 1886 to 1914. Pharmacist Dr. John Slyth Pemberton invented the first recipe of Coca-Cola in the spring of 1986 in Atlanta. Dr. Pemberton used African Kola Nut extract and coca leaves, which are both strong stimulants, in his potion. The product was sold as syrup that would help people feel better. One tea spoon had to be diluted in one glass of water. In 1887, Pemberton found out that carbonated water was tastier than plain water. The coca-cola beverage as we know it today was born. Coca-Cola was named by Frank Robinson, one of Pemberton's close friends, from the names of its two basic ingredients. He also penned the famous Coca-Cola logo in unique script. During the summer of 1887, Pemberton was forced to sell his license because he was in poor health and covered in debt. Asa Candler, pharmacist and friend of Pemberton, was interested in the product after having used it successfully for his headaches. Candler became the leader of the company in the summer of 1888. In 1891, Candler created the Coca-Cola Company. Five years later, Candler could already announce that Coca-Cola was drunk in all states and territories of the USA. From 1901 to 1910, sales progressed from 4000l. a day to 40 000 l a day in 1910. From the start coca-cola invested a lot in advertising. Because of its success, coca-cola became the target of plenty of imitators. Lawyers of the coca-cola company prosecuted brands as Koke company, Karo-Cola, Curo-Cola, Sola-Cola, Koka-nola and Taka-Cola. From the beginning, the sales of coca-cola increased continuously. But in 1917 production of the syrup had to be decreased because of the restrictions on raw materials as sugar due to the entry of the USA in the wa...

Haymarket Riot essays

Haymarket Riot essays As result of the Industrial Revolution, people in America earned more money, most of which they used to open new businesses and factories. There were now many different types of machines to do the work that people had to do themselves in the past. Thus, machines rapidly replaced people. Now with less people working and getting paid, there were people that could afford what these factories were making. Most of the people working in the United States at this time were immigrants, so they were forced to work for very low wages. A working adult would be considered lucky to bring home a daily income of only $2.00. Kids on the other hand, only made about 70 cents a day for spending their entire childhood sorting through coal or performing other strenuous jobs. Most people worked between ten and fourteen hours each day with peanuts for income. As result, Chicago Illinois, as well as many other cities in the United States, fell into poverty. However, not all employees at this time were cruel and blackhearted. Most at the time though just wanted to get the most out of their employees for the least amount of pay. Soon the Labor Union movement started. People in this union wanted to ban child labor, increase pay, and to create shorter workdays. Conflict after conflict broke out spawning from the Labor Union; many of which the police were brought in to settle. By 1886, the major concern of the Labor Union was to establish an eight-hour workday. By now there were several unions, all of which could not agree with one another on how to fight for this rightfully deserved demand. Finally, the Knights of Labor, who originated in Chicago, organized a nation wide strike. However, the newspapers, business leaders, and politicians didnt agree with these actions. They said, the new eight-hour workday would promote loafing, gambling, rioting, debauchery and drunkenness (Simon). Knowing that they would be fired, workers still stood up f...

PAPER WRITING SERVICE for College and University Students

PAPER WRITING SERVICE for College and University Students The known fact is students during their educational process are overwhelmed with studies and assignments. It is wise to obtain professional writing help when the deadline is close. Professional paper writing service available on line today are ready to accommodate any type writing request. Whether it is an essay or complex research project, professional writer is able to address the problem and to deliver the quality written essay to anyone who needs it. The specific requirements that clients may have can be done easily as well. Another great feature that our company does offer is an option for Revision. Already written paper may have some adjustments that must be done. The client is able to order a revision of already written offer and receives as many revisions as he likes completely free of charge within 30 days since the order has been placed. It is easy to order an essay writing online. We have carefully gathered a team of professional writers who have over 5 years of essay writing experience. We are able to do the assignments of any complexity. It takes just minutes to place an order. If you have questions, the customer support team will be able to address your questions immediately.

REPORT ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN QATAR4 (Part in green) Research Paper

REPORT ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN QATAR4 (Part in green) - Research Paper Example tion which comprise of schools, second is known as secondary education level which includes all colleges in country and top level is higher education that is known as tertiary education in which universities are placed. The Council was founded by Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani along with his wife, SheikhaMozahbintNaseer Al-Missnad. All education related matters are handled by this Council and has even directing and controlling power to make decision from primary level to higher education level. It recently initiated Education for a New Era Reform with the aim of restructuring education system of the country (Supreme Education Council, 2012). However, education controlling power is shared in between Supreme Education Council and Ministry of Education; since funding to the Ministry is reduced to a greater extent, majority of schools, colleges and universities are under the control of the Council. The main aim of this Council is to offer its assistance to citizens so that they are encouraged and motivated to acquire higher education. Similarly, private institutions and foreign universities are being attracted to increase education level and offer varying degrees of programs to students that are compatible with job demands in the market (Coughlan, 2012). It has been given complete responsibility for designing of educational polices and also oversee its reforms; the Evaluation Institute has power of undertaking student assessment on periodical basis to provide details about performance of schools and the Education Institute assists in development of Independent Schools that are new and design curriculum standards that enhance education quality. In order to have access to information about the Council, the most effective way is to either call on their telephone lines, post a letter on P.  O Box 35111, Doha, Qatar, Communication Office, Phone:   Hot line 155 - 44044564 - 44044567- 44044371 - 4044370, fax on their number 44044571 - 44044572  or email to concerned

Business Ethics Managing Performance in an Ethical Company Term Paper

Business Ethics Managing Performance in an Ethical Company - Term Paper Example It may also take time and energy on behalf of management to implement an ethical culture. Most severely, they say, it can cost uncompromising damage to Performance Management in an organization (Aguilar). This paper discusses how performance is managed within an ethical company, what Performance Management means for a company and when integrated with Business Ethics, how it can improve business efficiency. It will discuss the challenges companies face while ensuring that their employees behave ethically, with special emphasis on the role of Directors and managers in cultivating that culture. Finally, the paper will discuss how performance is measured in relation to the business and its ethics. First off, we need to define what Performance Management means and what does it insinuate when applied in an organization. Performance Management refers to a system of processes whereby organizations engages its employees as either a team or individually in order to enhance over all organizatio nal performance and achievement of company goals and objectives (U.S. Office of Personnel Management). Companies around the world are trying to incorporate Performance Management in their organizational culture, but they still find it difficult to understand what it truly means and how to achieve it. Employee performance management involves managers to establish employee expectations and standards. They plan work and frequently monitor performance. They develop a culture of learning and development and give ample freedom to employees to show their abilities. Furthermore, they rate employee performance and provide summarized reports to higher management, prompting management to reward good performance. In addition, where managers are assessing employee performances, they are to incorporate business ethics in the culture and measure organizational effectiveness in an ethical enterprise. They need to take steps to ensure that people in their organization are behaving ethically without compromising on performance. There are many different strategies managers’ may apply to make sure that their employees are not underperforming and remain efficient. They may tackle a situation differently and adapt according to the calls of the circumstances. However, the best tactics managers have used historically to ensure performance is the Performance Appraisal. Initially, performance appraisal was only a tool to evaluate current productivity levels among employees. Studies have shown that this has gradually shifted to note an increase in productivity levels, as different factors motivate different employees. This is a huge role on the part of managers and Directors to conduct an ethical performance appraisal, as this does not only instigate worker efficiency but improves the overall organizational performance. In theory, this is a simple correlation, that is, a fair performance appraisal leading to a motivated staff leading to an efficient and ethical organization. Howe ver, it is not that easy in practice. Francis Aguilar, a Professor at Harvard University stress on the importance of ethical behaviour as a must for contemporary organizations. He points out that, employees as well as the customers are aware of, and expect companies to engage in ethical business practices. The Professor indicates that Corporate Ethics does not only motivate employee behaviour but alleviates the position and repute of the  organization in the customer's view. Ethics scandals such as Johnson &

Strategic Management of Wal-Mart Stores Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Management of Wal-Mart Stores - Essay Example It is to mention that the company that has been chosen for the study is Wal-Mart. The purpose of the study is to recognize the Wal-Mart’s strategy and further create an argument to verify if the strategy that has been adopted by the company is appropriate or not. About Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc is a company that is in America and belongs to the category of public corporation. It operates numerous chains of the discount department based stores and also warehouse stores. The company outperformed in the year 2010 and was successful at becoming the biggest corporation in the world in terms of revenue as per the Forbes Global 2000 for that particular year. It was incorporated in the year 1969. It is worthy of stating that because of the strategic actions taken by the company, it has been successful at expanding its operations in 15 countries with 8500 stores and 55 numerous names (Scribd, 2011). Wal-Mart’s Low Cost Strategy The Wal-Mart’s stores are present in alm ost every ‘nook and corner’ of the world. The obvious question that arises in the mind relates to the reason behind the successful operation of the company. The reason behind is the low prices that the company maintains for the purpose of attracting the customers. ... The main objective of the store is to maintain low prices so that the customers are happy with Wal-Mart. However, these corporations don’t take into concern the happiness of the workers in 48 different countries (Bauer, 2005). It can be argued that the company’s strategic move towards the maintenance of low price seems to be immoral and immaterial. Although by maintaining low prices, it can attract its customers and keep them happy and satisfied but it seems to be negligible towards the society. Wal-Mart Expansion Strategy It is apparent that the company has been successful at expanding its operation in various countries of the world for the purpose of rejuvenating the sales growth. It tried to expand its operation in Germany, however it was not successful at maintaining long term survival in that particular country where Wal-Mart tried to make the store profitable for many years. The reason behind the malfunction had been the company’s inconsideration towards th e German competitors, shoppers as well as the rules, cultural differences and labor unions whose strength impeded the success of the company in Germany. The same strategy has been quite successful in the United States. At this instance, it is important to assess the cause behind the disappointment of the company’s strategy of expansion in Germany. It is to be stated that different countries have dissimilar cultures and different perceptions regarding the purchase of a product. The companies need to adopt the strategies accordingly. A particular strategy that helped the organization to outperform its operation in one country may take the business to failure in another country (DePamphilis, 2009). Competition at

Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business report - Essay Example Suppose opportunities are available to the organization and within your control then they can be classified as strengths. If potential threats are identified as soon as possible then they can be proactively dealt with since being informed is a kin to being forearmed. The current Rocked product line evoked interest among potential buyers in our survey and in the focus group although the current price is rather exaggerated. The major disadvantage that comes with this is that it discourages customers from going for the rocked product. The focus group also gave us insight into changes that might make the product more attractive to potential buyers. The most prioritized concern that needs to be addressed is the high cost. For recommendation, the product should be completely redesigned and should focus on only selling bracelets until the company expands its product line. The redesign serves to resolve issues found in primary research, while still maintaining the titanium performance aspect that has defined the target from conception. The product is currently jewelry that falls into the high-end jewelry market though we believe after hearing from the focus group that if the product is supposed to have some connection to physical activity it should not have the appearance of a high-end product. The bracelet should simply be a band of .5 millimeter knitting cord with a stone pendent that is held by 2 titanium hands. This new product design would address many of the problems of the current product and most importantly, it should be much cheaper to produce hence less production costs. A single strand of nylon, a cheap colored stone, and the two titanium hands will have much lower material costs along with lower labor costs. Besides, it will also create a lighter product that can be worn at all times. Lighter weight eliminates a degree of worry for those clients who are looking for jewelry that can be

Elasticity of Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Elasticity of Demand - Essay Example When one of these two changes, the other also tends to change. This tendency is very well described by what is popularly known as Law of Demand. The law of Demand is a general law which need not be applicable in all situations. In certain situations this law seems to be unrealistic. The Law of Demand states that when the price increases, the quantity demanded decreases and vice versa, other things remaining the same. The phrase 'other things remain the same' is an important one that it portrays the exceptions of Law of Demand. The Law of Demand, therefore postulates the direction of change in one variable (price or quantity) due to the change in other variable. The law is silent about the magnitude of change. That means, it does not talk anything about the degree by which demand changes as a result of a change in price. Here lies the importance of Elasticity of Demand. This concept tells us the extent to which demand increases or decreases owing to a decrease or increase in price. Th erefore, Law of Demand is a qualitative measurement whereas Elasticity of Demand is a quantitative measurement. As stated earlier, elasticity is a measure of responsiveness of quantity demanded for a change in price. ... Mathematically, it may be computed as: (Moffatt Mike: Elasticity of Demand) To calculate percentage change in quantity and percentage change in price, the following formulae can be sued: % change in quantity = Quantity (new) - Quantity (old) / Quantity (old) (Moffatt Mike: Elasticity of Demand) % change in Price = Price (new) - Price (old) / Price (old) (Moffatt Mike: Elasticity of Demand) Price Elasticity of Demand The Price Elasticity of Demand is the measure of responsiveness of quantity demand of a product as a result of change in its own price. This is also known as Own Price Elasticity of Demand. This theory measures the rate of response of quantity demanded due to change in price. Price Elasticity is a common phenomenon because price and demand are the two closely related variables. In other words, price is the most important determinant of demand. Price of a product and its demand are negatively correlated, which means when price increases, demand decreases and vice versa. Mathematically, price elasticity of demand can be expressed as below: Price Elasticity of Demand = (% Change in quantity demanded)/ (% change in price) (Moffatt Mike: Price Elasticity of Demand) % Change in quantity demanded = Quantity (new) - Quantity (old) / Quantity (old) (Moffatt Mike: Price Elasticity of Demand) % change in price = Price (new) - Price (old) / Price (old) (Moffatt Mike: Price Elasticity of Demand) Significance of Price Elasticity The calculation of price elasticity alone is not sufficient to an economist for decision making. It is a means to an end. Thus, interpretation is more important than computation. The purpose of calculating elasticity is for analyzing how sensitive is the demand for the product due to a

Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business report - Essay Example Suppose opportunities are available to the organization and within your control then they can be classified as strengths. If potential threats are identified as soon as possible then they can be proactively dealt with since being informed is a kin to being forearmed. The current Rocked product line evoked interest among potential buyers in our survey and in the focus group although the current price is rather exaggerated. The major disadvantage that comes with this is that it discourages customers from going for the rocked product. The focus group also gave us insight into changes that might make the product more attractive to potential buyers. The most prioritized concern that needs to be addressed is the high cost. For recommendation, the product should be completely redesigned and should focus on only selling bracelets until the company expands its product line. The redesign serves to resolve issues found in primary research, while still maintaining the titanium performance aspect that has defined the target from conception. The product is currently jewelry that falls into the high-end jewelry market though we believe after hearing from the focus group that if the product is supposed to have some connection to physical activity it should not have the appearance of a high-end product. The bracelet should simply be a band of .5 millimeter knitting cord with a stone pendent that is held by 2 titanium hands. This new product design would address many of the problems of the current product and most importantly, it should be much cheaper to produce hence less production costs. A single strand of nylon, a cheap colored stone, and the two titanium hands will have much lower material costs along with lower labor costs. Besides, it will also create a lighter product that can be worn at all times. Lighter weight eliminates a degree of worry for those clients who are looking for jewelry that can be

MANAGING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MANAGING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY - Essay Example In-fact, the operational efficiency of the company largely owes due to the application of advanced technologies in its various operational sections. Hence, owing to this aspect, the statement or the assumption of Carr can be contradicted up to a larger extent. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Company’s Profile in the Industry 5 Competitive Environment of the Global Retail Industry (Porter Five Forces Analysis) 6 Bargaining Power of the Buyers 7 Bargaining Power of the Suppliers 7 Threat of New Entrants 7 Thereat of Substitutes 8 Intensity of Rivalry 8 Role of Information System in Tesco PLC 9 Analysis and Conclusion 11 Analysis 11 Conclusion 13 References 15 Introduction In today’s business scenario, the success and failure of any sort of business depends mainly upon various deciding factors that impose considerable influence on the operations. These factors may be related to customers’ perceptions and their level of satisfaction among others. These ar e often regarded as major determinants of the overall organisational success. In this regard, the role of information technology (IT) has become quite crucial, acting as a major element in enhancing the operational efficiency of the business. ... It is one of those elements, which is extensively available and any company can adopt the same. Hence, it cannot be regard as a tool to gain competitive advantage. To analyse this statement of Carr in an in-depth manner, this paper will evaluate the role of IT in organisations with the help of taking an organisation named Tesco as an example. Accordingly, the statement of Carr can be contradicted or supported on the basis of the analysis made over the organisation. Company’s Profile in the Industry As per the discussion of Nicholas Carr, the presence of information technology (IT) in business does not make any difference in the overall performance of the business. According to Carr, this is owing to the fact that IT is easily accessible for each and every company in their operation and hence it cannot be implemented as a tool for gaining competitive advantage. In order to get a comprehensive understanding in this regard and analysing the statement of Carr, considering the exam ple of Tesco will be quite vital. Tesco is regarded as one of the leading grocery and merchandise retailers throughout the world, which has its operational headquarter in the United Kingdom. In terms of profit earning, the company is regarded as the second largest operator of the world next to Wal-Mart. It has widespread operations throughout the world and it performs various operational functions in a large scale. In the present day context, the company possess greater percentage of market share in the global retail industry. The large scale operations of the company can be apparently depicted from the fact that it currently employs more than 530,000 people all over the world. Observably, one of the major reasons for the

The contrasting place Essay Example for Free

The contrasting place Essay How does Barry Hines create sympathy for Billy Casper in A Kestrel for a knave? Kes is a novel written by Barry Hines set in Sheffield, south Yorkshire, in the 1960s. The story describes two different places that really contrast each other. The first place is where Billy lives all the houses are council houses, the whole area is run down and deprived of luxuries such as central heating. The contrasting place is called Firs Hill where all the houses are big, clean and very posh with lots of luxuries like hot running water. I suppose we already feel sorry for Billy because of the disadvantaged area he lives in. Kes raises a lot of 1960s issues for example, Billy has no father, his mother goes out most nights and always returns home with a new man, making us feel sorry for Billy as hes no one to look up to. Another issue is that of the education system which lets Billy down badly. He attends a boys secondary modern where he suffers draconian punishment such as thrashes from a cane or lashes from a belt. Billy will have to leave school when he is 15; his only choice of employment will be to work down the mine (pit) with his brother Jud whos a bully. Billy hates the thought of having to work down the mine, which creates sympathy as hes forced into a no hope situation. The first incident I have chosen is Sugden P. E lesson (pg. 87-108) I have chosen this because when you compare Billy to a bully like Sugden, it shows how pitiful Billy really is. In this part of the novel Hines has managed to create sympathy for Billy by showing how weak and vulnerable Billys character is. Billy has to tell Sugden hes forgotten his P. E kit and Sugden makes him wear a pair of shorts which are massive, the class roars with laughter and even Billy has to smile. The only person not amused was Sugden. This part emphasises on the hard strict character Sugden is and makes Billy look like a complete wimp. The class then goes onto the field and football teams are picked. Billy is last to be selected which shows he has no friends. You feel sorry because hes the loner of the class, not only does he get picked last, but he is made to go in goal, this appears to be a regular thing as Billy states Im fed up o goin in goal. I go in every week. In this same incident a dog wonders on to the pitch. Sugden, bringing out his bulling character, resorts to violence and tells the boys Go and fetch half a dozen cricket bats from the games store, Billy sticks up for the dog saying Itll not hurt you. And manages to lead the animal off the field without getting hurt. This shows a caring side to Billy and how he relates to animals. The end of lesson bell sounds but the match carries on. Time is being expressed in this part of the story maybe to show how slowly it is passing and to create tension as to whos going to win the game. Eventually its all over and the boys race inside to the showers. Sugden watches Billy as he changes and blocks off his exit because he didnt have a shower. Billy denies not having one and comes up with the excuse of having a cold but cant produce a sealed letter from a legal guardian to prove it. At this point in the novel you can feel the unnecessary humiliation Sugden inflicts upon Billy as he sends him into the showers not once but twice and orders three other boys to help. This part emphasises on just what a bully Sugden is and creates sympathy as Billy suffers Sugdens taunting. The film version of this incident is slightly different; it starts off with a distance shot of Sugden outside doing an over exaggerated warm-up. Circus fair music is being played which makes his warm-up seem very funny. As the camera gets closer you can see that Sugden is full of his own self importance as he comes over as being real big headed. The next shot cuts to the changing room showing an over the shoulder shot of Sugden having a go at Billy for forgetting his kit. This shot gives the impression of Sugden towering over Billy and shows how small and scrawny Billy is compared to a bully like Sugden. (The size difference does not come over in the book. ) There is also a low angle shot of the boys looking in at Sugden and Billy, which creates the impression of them crowding round to watch. This shot creates sympathy for Billy as it shows the whole class watching as Sugden tares strips of him. The shot then cuts to the outside scene where all the boys are lining up ready to be picked. It projects Billy as an isolated, pathetic figure as hes left standing alone, waiting for his name to be called. The book tells us that Billy is picked last and this shot directs attention towards him looking alone and segregated. The football scene is cut short in the film, I think this is to keep the story flowing as it seems to drag on a bit in the book. However the film missed out the dog scene, which portrayed Billys understanding of animals and how he treats them different to adults. Throughout the football scene the camera is mostly focused on Sugden. It shows in sequence Sugden taking the penalty twice and sending a boy off for a foul he made himself, then hes seen hitting two boys for not participating in the game properly. These shots are all designed to show him as a bully. The close ups show his facial expressions as being stern and strict. This emphasised his bulling character whereas the book can only reveal his character by how he talks and acts. Both make you dislike him. The final scene opens with a shot of Sugden stopping Billy for not having a shower, while Billy gets undressed Sugden starts laughing with the other boys, creating pity for Billy as everyone seems to pick on him. The shot cuts to a close up of Sugden turning the shower temperature dial form hot to cold, as in the book. This is an important scene because it shows just how far Sugden will go with his self ego and the fact that no-one bothers sticks up for Billy shows how lonely he is. The shots of Billy in the showers alone are mid shots and close ups. The close-ups show details like goose pimples and actually start to make you feel cold. The shot of him by himself make him look isolated and lonely again creating pity. This part of the story comes across a lot better in the film than in the book.

Climate Change Impact On Sub Saharan Africa Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Change Impact On Sub Saharan Africa Environmental Sciences Essay The vulnerability to climate change is considered to be high in developing countries due to social, economic and environmental conditions that amplify susceptibility to negative impacts and contribute to low capacity to cope with and adapt to climate hazards. In addition, projected impacts of climate change generally are more adverse for low latitudes, where most developing countries are located, than for higher latitudes. The developing countries face many challenges poverty, a high disease burden, rapid population growth, food insecurity, and limited water access. Climate change is likely to drive the majority of the population into destitution, as assets are lost and resources are diverted to deal with emergencies, instead of being used for development. Historically, the earth has experienced periods of cooling and warming, with mean temperatures remaining relatively stable. These changes were due to the energy balance between land, sea and atmosphere. However, human activities s uch as burning fossil fuels and deforestation have contributed to the increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. These trap much of the heat that would otherwise escape from the earth, leading to a generally warmer world. An agricultural expansion seems unlikely and increases in agricultural productivity are needed in order to avoid additional people being forced into poverty and hunger (Cline 2007). Current climate hazards and the impacts of projected climate change threaten human development (African Development Bank et al, 2003). Climate is linked to all the Millennium Development Goals, but is most directly relevant to the goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, reduce child mortality, combat disease, and ensure environmental sustainability (Martin-Hurtado et al, 2002). Agriculture, which is highly sensitive to climate and which is projected to be negatively impacted by climate change in much of the tropics and sub-tropics, is the direct or indirect source of livelihood for about two-thirds of the population of developing countries and is a substantial contributor to their national incomes. About 70% of the worlds poor live in rural areas. Management of climate hazards and climate change impacts in the agriculture sector and rural communities will be critical for success. Climate change threatens the basic elements of life for people around the world access to water, food, health, and use of land and the environment. The vulnerability of people to food insecurity, which accompanies poverty, is increased due to the degradation of the natural environment and the products (e.g. fruits, fish, water and range-fed livestock) and services (e.g. regulating climate) that it provides (Biggs et. al., 2004). Degradation is due to a number of trends including climate change, soil erosion, the conversion of ecosystems into croplands, overgrazing and urban expansion, among other factors (Biggs et. al., 2004). Climate change poses a serious threat to ecosystems in the developing countries in both the medium and long term. Increases in temperature will lead, not only to an increase in the frequency of extreme events, but also to severe degradation of biodiversity and the loss of water resources that are already scarce (Biggs et. al., 2004). Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most vulnerable to the impacts of change because of widespread poverty and low levels of technical development which limits adaptation capabilities. There is considerable evidence that climate change is already affecting Africas people and its environment to the greater extend than any other region of the world in terms of their livelihoods (Lindsay, et al 2009). The impacts of climate change are predicted to affect the livelihoods of most people in developing countries and most especially in Africa in many ways. By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are predicted to be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change. By 2020, yields from rain-fed agriculture in some countries could be reduced by up to 50 percent, increasing food insecurity and hunger. By 2080, an increase of 5 to 8 percent of arid and semi-arid land in Africa is projected. Climate change is likely to affect the distribution patterns of infectious diseases; for example, there is likely to be an increase in mosquitoes which spread dengue and yellow fever. Sea levels are projected to rise by around 25cm by 2050; Africas coastal areas are already experiencing environmental problems including coastal erosion, flooding and subsidence. (Said Kolawole et al 2009). Alessandra Giannini, et al, 2008, reviews the evidence that connects drought and desertification in the Sahel with climate change past, present and future in the sub-region. Their study concludes that there is a correlation between the desertification and climate change in the Sahel region of Africa. The African Sahel provides the most dramatic example of multi-decadal climate variability that has been quantitatively and directly measured. Annual rainfall across this region fell by between 20 and 30 per cent between the decades leading up to political independence for the Sahelian nations (1930s to 1950s) and the decades since (1970s to 1990s). Lindsay, et al 2009, further throws more light on the impacts of climate change, drought and desertification and how they are closely interlinked, and most acutely experienced by populations whose livelihoods depend principally on natural resources. Their paper examines three interlinked drivers of adaptation; climate change, desertification and drought, assessing the extent to which international and national policy supports local adaptive strategies. 2. Problem Statement The unimpeded growth of greenhouse gas emissions is raising the earths temperature. The consequences include melting glaciers, more precipitation, more and more extreme weather events, and shifting seasons. The accelerating pace of climate change, combined with global population and income growth, threatens food security everywhere. Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines. Although there will be gains in some crops in some regions of the world, the overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security. Populations in the developing world, which are already vulnerable and food insecure, are likely to be the most seriously affected. In 2005, nearly half of the economically active population in developing countries-2.5 billion people-relied on agriculture for its livelihood. Today, 75 percent of the worlds poor live in rural areas. (Gerald C. et al 2009). Climate change issues require multiple stakeholders, global challenges and social sustainability issues. This is because there are varying debates on the causes, impacts of climate, adaptation and mitigation issues when identifying sustainable solutions on the topic. The presence of significant uncertainties has led researchers to emphasize the analysis of regional and national effects (Mendelsohn Dinar, 2004). The issue of climate change is without doubt important for developing countries with an agrarian economy and very difficult to apprehend easily as it is multi- faceted in approach. The topic is very complex, transnational in nature and integrated in perspective and approach. The linkage of social impact of climate change in the developing countries have not been well researched and most especially in connection with Sub Saharan Africa and non-Sub-Sahara Africa (NSSA) countries. Climate Change has several livelihood impacts in developing countries as it reduces yields, household incomes, health issues, environmental problems and the vulnerability of the disadvantages in rural communities. 3. Hypothesis The socio-economic impact of climate change is much more likely to affect Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) than non-Sub-Sahara Africa (NSSA) countries and socio-economic dimension of adaptation respectively. 4. Overall Objective To undertake a comparative studies on the socio-economic impact of climate change and their socio- economic dimensions of adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and non-Sub-Sahara Africa (NSSA) countries. 5. Empirical Research Questions 1. To review literature on the socio-economic impacts of climate change in the developing countries. 2. To identify the linkages between Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and non-Sub-Sahara Africa (NSSA) countries in terms of climate change socio-economic impacts. 3. To analyse the socio-economic dimensions of adaptation in these countries, taking into account, pro-poor adaptation, microfinance, safety net, new technologies, index insurance and livelihoods. 6. Theoretical and Conceptual Issues A substantial amount of research has been conducted on the potential effects of climate on agricultural productivity (Parry, 1990; Leemans Solomon, 1993). Some studies have used climate induced changes in crop yield to estimate potential global economic impacts (Kane et al., 1992), while others have examined the indirect impact on economic variables such as farm revenue and income (Lang, 2001; Molua, 2003). Schimmelpfennig et al. (1996) present a simple taxonomy that classifies the method of analysis as either structural (Adams et al., 1990, 1995, 1998) or spatial analogue (Darwin et al., 1999; Kurukulasuriya Ajwad, 2007). This study would employ some institutional economics theories and the sustainable livelihoods framework analysis in doing the comparative studies. 7. Methodology The study would make use of quantitative and qualitative reviews of literature from secondary sources and data already collected from the various regions and undertake the comparative review and analysis. The study would as well make use of participatory rural appraisal methods when visiting the field for data collection to get first hand information on the impacts of climate change and adaptation in the various regions. Quantitative analysis and econometrics methods would be applied in this study as well. Data analysis would as well be made with reference to the research problems and objectives. Data collected would be classified after the collection process and Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) would be used to analyse all the data collected in the field.

David Letterman :: Essays Papers

David Letterman Anyone that has met, seen, heard of, or listened to David Letterman can immediately tell he has a likable and humorous personality. Anyone studying him can see that his â€Å"clowning,† as he called it, is more than simple clowning in its accepted sense. In inventing weird disasters and making up places that did not exist, which he did quite often as a weather man for channel 13, he was indulging himself in another facet of his complicated humor. It was â€Å"nonsense†-nothing more, nothing less. And the nonsense that David found most compatible with his sense of humor was fragile, soap-bubble thin, and as transparent as butterfly wings. This easygoing, laid back sense of humor has brought him were he is today. On the other hand, anyone that has met Garrett Scharton has more than likely been stung by his sarcastic, witty remarks. His sense of humor, derived from his ever- changing childhood, has taught him to always â€Å"be on his toes.† Garrett’s hardships in his early years have opened his eyes to see the lighter side of everything to keep his sanity. This sometimes gets in his way of experiencing new things. The lingering insecurities in the back of his mind, which are shadowed by his unsurpassed wit, put a wall in front of anyone trying to get close. David Letterman and Garrett Scharton’s sense of humor are comparable in two ways. David’s peachy, childish remarks surprise even the most intelligent of observers. He cracks jokes, plays pranks, and â€Å"clowns around,† to have fun. He makes people laugh to hear them have a good time. While Garrett, stings with words to keep people at a distance. David jokes around to have fun, while Garrett does it for protection. All throughout his life David performed sub-par academically compared to his older and younger sisters. His â€Å"C† average convinced him to lower his goal for going to Indiana State, and settle for Ball State. His less than professional training as a radio talk show host gave him a chance to find his own, special angle to look at news, politics, and daily life. He now gives a lot of credit for his successful career to Ball State. In 1985, to show his appreciation to Ball State, he funded a scholarship that is eligible for â€Å"C† students only.

Neil Postman Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the span of the past few weeks I have traversed the globe, visiting several countries and regions, only to realize that although new methods develop, language as a way of expressing ones self has remained the most effective. Despite this fact, language still has its pitfalls. Neil Postman, in his essay “Defending Against the Indefensible,'; outlines seven concepts that can be used to aid a student in better understanding the language as a means of communication. He describes how modern teaching methods leave a student vulnerable to the “prejudices of their elders';, further stating that a good teacher must always be skeptical. He urges teachers of all subjects to break free from traditional teachings as well as “linguistical tyranny';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His first principle regards the process of definition. As I sit in an every day classroom I notice several things. Many, if not all student simply nod their heads while a teacher explains, be it a theory in Math, or a formula in Science. Not once have I encountered a student willing to raise their hand and question the definition, or meaning that a teacher has rambled off to them. Neil Postman states his feelings on this best when he writes, “ It is a form of stupidity when to accept without reflection someone else’s definition.'; He wants people to realize that definitions are not god given, and that to question the validity is acceptable. Upon looking in a dictionary at any word you will see that all have several meanings. The same may apply to our lives, while one definition may apply to you another may not.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ability to question a definition is a crucial part of communication. For example: in the practice of law a case might call for someone to define the freedom of press, and that very definition may mean two completely different things to two different people. Postman’s first principle was one that I feel needed to be addressed. Too often our teachers impose the same definition they learned, valid, or not. If one is not allowed to defend a definition, especially an unjust one, then communication becomes more difficult.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “All the knowledge one could ever attain is by asking questions, so logically these questions should be properly formed.'; Postman&... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A metaphor, used as a communication skill, is best described in a political way. Think of Reagan’s Voodoo economics, or Bill Clinton building a bridge to the 21st century. Politicians can easily scam an ignorant voter, should one not understand a metaphor. For example: Clinton refers to building a bridge, but does not tell us with which tools he intends to build it with. This particular concept is valid alone for the above reason. Whether you are talking to a teacher or watching television, metaphors need to understand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fifth concept is that of reification. This means confusing words with things. We falsely associate simple words with things they don’t even resemble. This occurs many times when we communicate. Sometimes used to exaggerate the importance of a detail when telling a story, or trying to increase the appeal of consumer goods. Postman wants reification to be taught in school so students may see the inner workings of it. Reification is a very potent thing in every day life, and the study of reification in school is an admirable thing. Students should be made wary of advertising gimmicks.

About My Childhood Essay

My name is Rouda Mohammed Al-Suaidi. I started kindergarten at the age of 4 in one of the finest schools in Abu Dhabi, which is Al-Worood Private School. I felt so scared on my first day of school and I didn’t go to school alone. My mother used to stay with me in class which made some of my classmates laugh at me. I remember they used to call me â€Å"A baby† and â€Å"Mommy’s little girl†. I used to cry a lot when they call me this. I spent my whole childhood there from kindergarten until High School. Throughout my childhood, I faced several successes and challenges. One of my successes in my childhood is being a famous basketball player in school. It first started at home, where I used to have a small basketball hall to practice and play with my family and friends especially in the weekends. At first, I didn’t have any idea on how to play this sport, but with the help of my precious father and uncle, they taught me all the ways and techniques to be an excellent basketball player. After being taught by my father and uncle, I started implementing the techniques and ways in mini basketball competitions, which were just amongst the students from grade 6-12. Although I was a fat, chubby young basketball player in school, my P.E teacher wanted me to compete with other international schools in Dubai and Sharjah. In the beginning, I was anxious and worried to compete with the schools in Dubai and Sharjah. Moreover, I was terrified because I had an image in my mind that the students their will make fun of me and laugh because I was fat. See more: Social process essay My P.E teacher motivated me and started training me after school time. After a lot of training and support from both my P.E teacher and family, I competed with the other schools and our school was ranked the 2nd best school in playing basketball. I was so happy about it but I wished to be ranked the first, but it never de-motivated me in practicing more and more. My father always told me: â€Å"be optimistic and never be pessimistic† and since then, I’ve been following my father’s quote until my recent life. Another success in my life was helping my cousin in raising two of her only children, a boy (Ali) and a girl (Sarah). At that time, Ali was just 18 months and Sarah was only 3 months. Ali and Sarah were everything to me. They were staying with me most of the time from the afternoon after I directly come back home from school till the evening around 10. However, in the weekends, they used to sleepover in our house. When I come back home, I used to eat lunch quickly and finish my school work quickly just to spend time with them. After I finished all my studies, I used to play with them, feed them lunch and dinner, bathe them at night before they leave in the weekdays and create a time for their naps during the day. The reason behind me helping my cousin in doing the mother duties is because my cousin was going through a process of having a divorce. After the divorce, my cousin went through depression and when I saw her like that, I offered to help her in her duties towards her children. So, she showed me how to do several things like: changing their diapers, play gently with them and taking turns while playing, share toys with each other, how to make them sleep, feed them and many other things. Although it is a very hard job raising a child, it didn’t prevent me from learning to be a successful mother in the future when I have my own children. Also, it didn’t stop my studies in sch ool. Moreover, it made me more focused in class and become a better student. Being a make-up artist is my third success through my childhood. In order to reach that success, I had to watch a lot of people putting make-up, ask them to teach me the techniques on how to put make-up and arrange the colors of the make-up when drawing the eyes, understanding and knowing the differences of all skin types for the make-up. Also, I used to watch people putting make up through T.V programs, watch the whole program and write down my questions on a piece of paper and send them an email in order to ask my questions and wait for their reply. Being a make-up artist was my childhood dream and after learning the basics and imitating it on the people, I became more confident and would want to expand my dream into opening my new make-up beauty center in the short term time. Although there were some successes in my childhood, I also faced many challenges. One of my greatest challenges was feeling embarrassed and lonely. During my childhood, I was always embarrassed of myself because I was very fat. The students in school used to make fun of me and call me different names: like â€Å"you look like pumba†, â€Å"you look like an old cow†, and many other names. I used to cry a lot to my mother when I go back home. Because I stood quiet and listen to students for years making fun of me, I turned to be a lonely person in my childhood. I used to be alone in the music lessons, art lessons and in the break times. I used to like walking alone, not playing with other children like all other normal children do. The reason behind this was my worry of the children making more fun of me because I was fat. This issue affected me a lot as a child but as I grew up, I started to be more sociable with the people. Another challenge is to know and understand the quality of time. As a child, I always wanted to play and have fun. I never organized my time and never valued the quality of time. I always wanted to lose time when I was assigned for any job for my mother or finish my school work very quickly and not caring about my work at all. All I wanted is time for playing only. As I grew older, I had many commitments to do in life like studying to become an excellent student and get high grades that would allow me to enroll in one of the best universities in Abu Dhabi, being with my family by visiting them, living my personal and social life and others. Unfortunately, I realized that I couldn’t mange my time at all and I was eager for help. My family was very supportive. They got me books on time management and I started reading those books, learning the techniques on how to organize your time. After a period of time, I started organizing my time, appreciate and value the quality of time. Finally, meeting my family’s expectation was also one of my challenges in life. The reason behind it is that parents expect a lot from their children. They expect to be successful, talented, hard working, enthusiastic and many other things. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your parents, because they always think that they’ve raised a perfect child whereas no one is perfect and everyone has negative and positive side effects. In my childhood, my parents expectations to me was being an excellent students, getting high grades in my exams and quizzes. I felt overwhelmed, pressured and exhausted because I didn’t want embarrass myself with my parents and I didn’t want them to get angry and mad at me for not at least trying to reach their expectation. I was trying very hard to meet their expectations in any of the issues and expectations and eventually I did.

My relationship with God

As a start for developing a closer relationship with God, I decided that I wanted to try daily devotionals and Bible reading. I considered finding a devotional guide, but instead decided to begin by simply reading the Bible for myself. I thought about finding a daily devotional guide, but chose instead to start my devotional readings by simply reading the New Testament and letting God speak to me as He determined not as some other person might have been inspired.My decision was partially based on a need for this to be a personal journey and a knowledge that many people who attempt to read the Bible begin at the beginning and get discouraged when they reach the histories of the Books of Law. And, as a Christian, I believe the importance of the New Testament speaks for itself. This was a particularly difficult task for me. Choosing a time to read regularly and coupling it with prayer for understanding and meditation to determine the meaning of the scriptures was very difficult.I discov ered that the first thing in the morning was not a good time for me to try to read my Bible. Too often, I was overly tempted to hit the snooze button and often did not find my concentration level where it should be to really understand the scriptures, even though most of it was familiar territory. I then tried to do my devotional reading at the end of the day and found that too was a bad idea. Some days exhaustion seemed to bull me away from my studies in an untimely manner and I decided that too was a bad time. Instead I chose to set aside an hour every morning just before lunch.This seemed to be the best time for me to be able to devote my attention to the Bible and not be distracted. I set an alarm to let me know when I could be done and then tuned out all distractions. In the three weeks, I managed to read through all of the gospel of Matthew and get started in Mark without feeling like it was a chore. As the time wore on, I found myself looking forward to my daily devotional mo re than I had in the beginning and found it was easier to maintain once I found the appropriate time. Intercessory prayer as a devotional tool also appealed to me.Like many churches, the church I grew up in had a prayer chain devoted to praying for those in need. Remembering the peace and joy that came from praying for another person without any goal or personal motivation lead me to choose intercessory prayer Practicing this devotional method reminded me of the need to be more worried about others than I am about myself. I thought this was going to be my favorite devotional form, but I found that it wasn’t. Too often it felt like I was pushing my will onto God instead of allowing His will to work through me.The other two devotional forms I chose were praise singing and random good deeds. These are the two forms of devotion which I believe had the biggest impacts on my life. I chose to do my devotional singing while in the car. I turned off the radio and began singing hymns i n the car and immediately noticed a change in my attitude. I was no longer as willing to spout off angrily at other drivers, no longer feeling the need to drive unreasonably fast and no longer impatient in traffic. Changing my heart through song made my daily commutes easier and relieved tension in my life.I found myself with an sincerely improved attitude and a greater desire to praise God for the miraculous things he was working in my life and int eh world around me. The author says that the practice of doing good deeds simply for the sake of doing them is a good thing because it reinforces the image that we want non-believers to have of Christians. I found that the biggest impact it had on me was that this is a manner I believe Christians should act in. By committing daily random acts of kindness I felt better about myself.I felt that I was behaving more the way that Christ would want me to behave. My random acts of kindness included letting others go first in the grocery line an d putting coins in parking meters. Finally, last week, I also purchased a small quantity of stuffed animals and placed them randomly on the windshields of cars at the doctor’s office. I believe that the act may have helped just one other person to get through a rough day and that is what God has called each of us to do. These actions are things that I will continue.I believe that the daily Bible readings will be the most difficult to consistently maintain, but I also believe it may be the most important for my continued spiritual growth. The praise singing and random good deeds are easy to maintain because they have an immediate uplifting effect. The Bible reading requires the biggest commitment, but a better understanding of God’s purpose for me should be found in His word. I believe that the intercessory prayer is also going to continue to be a part of my life, though I am interested in determining how I can best pray without feeling like I am placing demand on my Lo rd.

Classic Comparative Advantage vs. Porter's Competative Advantage Essay

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American Minorities and Sports Essay Example for Free

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

Reflective essay of personal and professional development

Reflective essay of personal and professional development This assignment is a critical analysis and reflection of my continuing personal and professional development (CPPD) needs in practice. This account will identify practical needs that I must improve with supportive evidence based research, and evaluate the impact of this need for my personal development as a future qualified nurse. My learning need was with assertiveness in communication when working with a staff nurse during admission. To meet the need and demonstrate the ability to engage in advancing my care, Gibbs (1988) framework model of reflection will be used. To maintain confidentiality as emphasised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008), a pseudonym Tommy will be used to protect the patient’s anonymity. In addition, I will be using the post-registration education and practice (PREP) guidelines (NMC 2011) to maintain up to date knowledge and skills as well as empowering a lifelong learning in my nursing career. (NMC 2012) My skills in communication have improved in all contact and this has been acknowledged in every practice. However, I thought of this learning need, when I recognised my weakness was with assertiveness in communication when working with a staff nurse, faced with a difficult patient during admission. I took part in this learning activity in November, 2014 during my placement in hospital. I identified this need during the second week of placement, as I was able to perform patient admissions under the supervision of my mentor. The need to improve this skill was established from my mentor’s feedback and I agreed that it must be developed in order to help avoiding errors in future practice, improving my decision-making skills and professional satisfaction. I have spent a good amount of time to research and critically analyse this learning need However I felt this could be an ongoing process of improvement as Webb (2011) identified, supported by the Department of Health’s (201 3) ongoing process of improvement in the NHS to be more efficient and less bureaucratic. I again felt this was important for me to work on because it had an impact on the patient and me as a future qualified nurse (Fowler, 2008). Tommy is a 50 year old who suffers from right leg cellulitis and lives alone with his cat. I felt my first meeting with Tommy was challenging as I found it difficult to present myself as a self-assured, assertive and empathetic student nurse due to the impression that the situation was out of my comfort zone. I observed from the beginning of the visit that this gentleman was unable to cope; however I felt that I could not make a direct statement without coming across as patronising or a dominant student nurse. On the positive side, I chose to improve this learning need so that I would learn to be prepared with the knowledge and set of skills I must have in managing complex patient care in future placements (Fowler, 2008). Having encountered patients who have refused requests from other student nurses and staff nurses alike by expressing their dislikes, disagreements and sometimes even anger when offered treatment, I have observed that patients sense how the student nurses present themselves and could base their decision on the student nurses’ abilities to communicate assertively (Fowler, 2008). This also made me think about my self-awareness and empathetic skills. As I listened to Tommy’s emotional concerns, he opened up about being terrified of not having anyone in his house to feed his cat while he was in hospital because he had no close relatives. I responded calmly and confidently, using clear language that my intention was to obtain his permission to allow health professionals offer long term support to him (Fischhoff et al, 2011). As student nurses, our main role involves patient interaction and several studies have indicated that student nurses lack assertive skills evidenced by Bekkum and Hilton (2013) McCabe and Timmins (2005) qualitative study in two schools (n=30). It highlighted that most student nurses were assertive but chose not to display this skill to maintain positive interpersonal relations and avoid conflict. However, quantitative study (n=72) by Almost (2006) deemed it important to measure nursing students’ level of assertiveness prior to, and near completion of their pre-registration programme and to offer help throughout their programme to develop their assertiveness. Almost also considered the conflicts mainly developed from the multi-professional roles that student nurses have and that the basic nursing functions of caring and controlling can result in tension. Many researchers have challenged these such as Iglesias and Vallejo (2012) qualitative study identified that work have established that conflict resolution techniques can be achieved through compromise and collaboration which the nurses can use for their specific work environments. However all the previously mentioned approaches suffered from serious limitations as Tommy’s safety could have been compromised when nurses failed to speak up or be heard, identified by Page’s (2004) qualitative study. I found Almost (2013) very appropriate when giving personal care because this technique would have enhanced my learning need earlier in my nursing programme to improve patient care. Bekkum Hilton, (2013) qualitative study support and acknowledgement on these account findings imply that, education programs ought to be taken into account. The perceptions of the participants risks involved in not being assertive and the focal point must be on changing these perceptions rather tha n attempting to change student nurses’ values or focusing solely on specific assertive behaviours to improve student emotional intelligence. Based on the findings, I realised that my practice was out of date therefore would cost the National Health Service (NHS) and impact negatively on patients’ care. As identified by Smith’s (2012) phenomenological study, 75 per cent (n=20) of student nurses felt unable to verbally express their concerns when working with qualified nurses. Yet Jones’ (2013) qualitative study identified that 60 per cent (n=30) of student nurses felt confident by the end of their training. However, there is little consensus in the research available although I feel my experience reflects Smith’s (2013) findings. My inability to be assertive during patient admission was because I was working with an experienced qualified nurse and hiding behind my mentor limited my development in skill. This impacted on my clinical ability when I failed to be an assertive student nurse. It also shows in these research studies I was not using up to date practice. White’s (2009) phenomenological study identified that 75 per cent (n=28) nursing students in clinical placements suffer from self-doubt, have anxiety about their clinical performance and do not possess the characteristics of strong self-confidence. A qualitative study conducted for student nurses by Jones, Mccoy and Pitt (2013) have indicated that majority of student and staff relationships highlight that a sense of belonging was central for student nurses for a good clinical experience. A students sense of belonging and feeling a part of the team were essential before students could learn. This is reflected in Lathlean and Levett-Jones’ (2009) quantitative study (n=200) of student findings on third year student nurses who participated in the study as they had been on a number of clinical placements. This explanation, however, seemed to overlook the fact that many students feel compelled to work hard in order to fit in the nursing team rather than become motivated to le arn. This has made me realise that although being in a good nursing team, I would still prioritise looking after my patients by paying more attention to the patient needs and expectations. A qualitative study conducted by Lyndon (2006) mentioned that student nurses’ ability to make a clinical decision could be influenced by patient situation, availability of resources and interpersonal relationships. Student nurses, however, on a variety of situations, can experience moral distress as Ganske, Iseminger, Lachman and Murray (2012) have identified in their phenomenological study. These two articles revealed that the ability to communicate with patients should not cause moral distress as student nurses would neither be aggressive nor patronising, nonetheless the interaction would achieve the patient’s best interest. This is reinforced by Grumbach and Bodenheimer, (2004) qualitative study which identified (n=18) of student nurse, who noted that greater disability may be as a result of anxiety in some cases and loss of self-confidence. However, Begley (2010) phenomenological study (n=20) identified and argues, little has been investigated to explain the reasons why assertive behaviour occurs in one situation and not in another. Results suggest that, student nurses’ standard measures of assertiveness and of anxiety are irrespective of their scores p=00.1 chances. One should consider the consequences of student practitioners being assertive, while making a decision regarding how to behave I felt this was helpful in reminding me how important self- confident skills can aid improved patient care. Although, their underlying theories of subjectivity are very different, there are some important affinities between the researches that correlate which I believe would help me care better in future pla cement. In addition, Begley’s (2010) qualitative study established that patients were to be considered as partners in their health care delivery. Trust does not come easily for people and I have since learnt from past experiences that patients need to be included and actively involved in the planning and evaluation of their care. By learning to ask open questions helped promote and encouraged patient expression and enabled patients to enhance trust in a relationship as I have shown my interest and investment in the patient’s care and treatment. This study has an impact in addressing my need and offered help on how to be assertive when dealing with difficult patients. As highlighted by White (2014) qualitative study, majority of student nurse depend on their mentors to be assertive and sometimes adopt it as coping strategies. Even though, this is a small number of student nurses, (n=30) to base a judgement on, it provides statistically relevant data and allows an insight into practical experiences. I also felt this research was significant for me to work on my assertiveness, because it had an effect towards the patient and me as a future qualified nurse. I solely depended on my mentors for assertiveness as a coping strategy. Conversely, these poor coping strategies I adopted were highlighted in a qualitative study by Fischhoff et al, (2011) where common coping strategies utilised by student nurses being assertive in clinical settings are explored. Although this is a small sample size (n=18) which does not provide statistically relevant data, it is qualitative design allows an insight into the student nurses experience of assertiveness coping strategies (Parahoo, 2006). I found these results of the thematic critical analysis linked to my own clinical experience, including the poor coping assertiveness strategy I adopted. This was due to underestimating my capacity from the onset of being self-assured and self-confident without being aggressive (REF). I found that these researches gave me insight into how unethical and limiting avoidance practices are when dealing with patients, which was seen in a small number of participants in this study (n=3) (Morris Turnball, 2006). I felt this was helpful in remindi ng me how important assertiveness skills can improve patient care (Morris Turnbull, 2006). Besides, Fischhoff et al, (2011), descriptive study postulates assertiveness in student nurses who become attached to their mentors remain as consistent helpers for weeks in their placement during the period from the first till the third year, and it is suggested that this is due to the students underestimating their capacity from the onset of being self-assured. Although this is a small sample size (n=207) which does provide statistically significant relevant data, 60 percent (n=127) were more positive compared to 40 percent (n=83). Its quantitative design allows an insight into the student nurses’ experience of assertiveness skills (Begley, 2010). Nonetheless, Phillips and Simmonds (2012) phenomenological study supported this descriptive study and further on said this is a key concern for some student nurses within practice setting. The concept of assertiveness and understanding concept as student nurses will enable them to consider that the patient’s aggressiveness might be about other issues rather than their care. In a phenomenological study of (n=50) nursing students in London, Monsu (2014) identified that greater disability may be as a result of anxiety and loss of self-confidence dealing with a difficult patient. Findings of these researches do not seek to be generalised but were reliable to me due to the appropriateness of the methodology and the thematic analysis being correctly applied. This will aid me in caring for my patients in future practice. In a questionnaire survey of (n=200) student nurses in London, Smith (2013) identified that 70 per cent (n=49) of university students preferred mentors to do all the assertiveness communication for them due to underestimating their ability. Only 20 per cent (n=4) of students responded and of those who did respond, many of them did not fully complete the questionnaire. The data suggested that 70 per cent of students who preferred a mentor to do all the assertiveness communication do not constitute very strong evidence. Yet Monsu (2013) argues that from his own experience as a student in placement, there was a strong attachment with mentors being assertive in all him / her communication which did help with the assertiveness skills needed for future practice. This cannot be generalised as Monsu (2013) is not referring to a piece of empirical research but to his own experience. Having identified the context of Monsu’s (2013) own experience argument, I found it very relevant to me and it topped my hierarchy of evidence, but does not appear to have been undertaken in a thorough manner to help my caring for patients in future due to their lack of a soundly-based qualitative theory compared to Smith (2013). Having discussed with my mentor what happened during the admission; it felt good to have attempted the interaction with the patient and recognised some of his needs. Even though the patient seemed reluctant, I demonstrated the ability to remain calm although I did struggle with my approach when I spoke to him about offering more support. Instead, I focused to help the client respond to my questions and identify what his concerns were. I believe during that incident, I showed assertive behaviour because I maintained my duty of care to the patient. I have reflected that this would have an effect on my clinical ability if I had failed to be the patient’s advocate. With the DOH (2009) updated work on providing guidelines on consent to treatment and putting these principles of consent into practice, my actions caused me to consider my practice whether obtaining informed consent would be an issue. Tommy fully realised that he should comply with the nurse as she understood the conseq uences if his pains were not treated (Cole, 2012). According to Baldwin, Duffield, Fry and Merrick (2011) the interaction between the decision-making, skill development opportunities, social support and identity comes with the nursing role so as to be prepared for the upcoming nurse population to meet new challenges. When this type of situation happens again, I believe I have the skill to show my assertiveness skills by using compromise as well as recognising the boundaries of my actions. Using clinical decision skills and asking open questions, which I can gain from meeting other patients would enable me to show that I am a self- assured, reliable and trustworthy student nurse. I need to try and achieve leadership skills that could be essential for patient satisfaction and to achieve this, I have learnt to engage in leadership activities such as handovers and undertaking tasks on behalf of my mentor. I recognised that once I fitted into the clinical environment, I needed to be more actively involved in challenging clinical situations such as detecting unpredictable patient deterioration and learning to make quick clinical decisions. Cook Leathard (2004) suggested that good student nursing leadership and good quality nursing care will be effective if nurses go through leadership training program mes during the early stages of their career. This can help me in preparation to become more aware of how I feel, think and act in front of my patients. Reflecting and learning to be assertive can increase my confidence and self-esteem through appreciating what I have done well and maturely, accepting the improvements I must make to become a better nurse in the future. Having said that, I was satisfied that I had the opportunity to practice nursing handover, as it is one of the vital roles of a qualified nurse and one aspect of nursing care that is required of me when I am qualified.Loseby, Hudson Lyon (2013) wrote, handovers are information that can influence the delivery of care. In the process of this learning experience I felt well supported by my mentor giving me several opportunities to practice my handover until I felt more confident and less anxious because she created quality time for me and necessary feedback that helped my learning need as well as other aspects ofnursing. McCloughen, O’Brien Jackson (2010) defines a mentor as someone that helps others grow by teaching them, encouraging them and being interested in their success. This is also further supported byHamric, B.A., Hanson, M.C., Tracy, F.M., OGrady, T.E.,(2013) who indicated that a good mentor is one who spends quality time to foster growth, committed to the developme nt of their learning need, willing to share and feedback on any rough spot in their career development. In conclusion, I have critically analysed and reflected on clinical learning needs, which are essential for my continuing professional development. As a student, critical analysis and reflection helped to facilitate good learning outcomes so that I can relate and apply concepts to clinically orientated situations as well as explore and evaluate evidence. Also my clinical learning need was acknowledged through mentor feedback by showing assertive skills in communication with difficult patients. This need is an on-going process of development for me. However; I recognised that attempting interactions with patients and collaborating with nursing staff will help in my development to be a more self-assured nurse. Participating and engaging in leadership activities such as handovers and task delegation would be beneficial at this stage of my learning. Through the reflection and recognition of these learning needs, I could only move forward and continue to develop my learning proficiency as a student nurse towards professional competency as a qualified nurse. 1 | Page