Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management Essay

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management - Essay Example The competition is very tough and the company finds it difficult to compete with others. (Blake 2000).The investment form the customers are the basis for running such institutions. Only if the contributors are more and they get attracted with the institution, they will deposit more funds. To attract the contributors and increase the inflow, the company must follow new policies and strategies. The fund withdrawals must always be less than the fund inflows. If the withdrawals exceed the inflow, then the company will undergo a tough time. It will be difficult for the company to increase the inflow once the level of withdrawals becomes more. To maintain the stability between the inflow and withdrawals they have to adapt to the new management policies and should alter their investment plans accordingly. (Bodie et al 2009). The company must decide the plans and policies on the day of investment committee meeting. The committee must discuss on the future strategic asset allocation and tactical asset allocation ranges. The current scenario in the investment environment is completely different than the one that prevailed earlier. Since there are various other investment institutions that offer other benefits and offers, the company must makes sure that they maintain their investors and the level of their assets. The investment institutions follow various forms of fund operations and investment options. The company provides fund for educational purpose and they cannot change the basic formalities and procedures. The characteristics of a investment institution is to make the public deposit funds and to provide them a time period after which they can withdraw either a part or the specified amount form their contribution.(Buckle, Thompson 2004). These financial institutions concentrate more on providing the investors with a good investment option that will fetch the company a long term investment. The present situation in the financial market is not much

Motivation as a critical success factor Dissertation - 1

Motivation as a critical success factor - Dissertation Example Employee motivation has attracted immense research and debates in the last few decades in the post-modern era of industrial age. Many theories and models have been proposed, and implications of employee motivation on various aspects of organisational development, whether at organisational performance or growth of business, have been profound. Employee motivation has been defined in many different ways by different researchers and management specialists, most of which revolve around employee needs and psychologies. This thesis attempts to explain employee motivation and various dimensions associated with it, as perceived from different motivational theories described in the literature associated with organisational behaviour, leadership and motivation. Further, this proposal describes specific methodology and conceptual framework for carrying out the research, which is aimed at researching the impact of management practices and policies followed by a specific organisation and its perf ormance; in this process, it attempts to illustrate how employee motivation plays a role in organisational performance. ... This plan presents justifiable explanation for attempting the proposed methodology as well as considers all potential limitations. A brief note on tentative time plan for the research has also been drafted, which can help in staying focused and also measure the progress. 2. Aims and Objectives of the study: The main purpose of this study is to focus on the increasing significance of role of employees in an organisation’s success and sustenance in the most competitive global market experienced by the organisations in current scenario. This study strives to evaluate the growing trend of employee motivation as a new way of achieving and sustaining organisational performance against new and changing standards. In particular, this study seeks to analyze and evaluate if employee motivation would continue to hold its importance in future of organisational development. Secondly, this study aims to examine the prominent aspects of employee motivation and its impact on organisational su ccess in comparison with other elements of organisational performance and success. Objectives: Against this background, the dissertation will seek to answer the following questions †¢ What is the place of employee motivation in organisational strategy? †¢ What are the variables that motivate employees? †¢ What is the relationship between employee motivation and organisational goals? How has employee motivation, as a concept, evolved during last two decades? †¢ How is employee motivation related to other organisational elements? 3. Relation to previous research and theory: Motivation in the workplace plays significant role in harnessing the tremendous hidden potential within every employee. However, the factors impacting motivation or arousing motivation may be extrinsic or intrinsic. The

Implementing Green Initiative In Malaysia Environmental Sciences Essay

Implementing Green Initiative In Malaysia Environmental Sciences Essay The main objective of this research proposal is to discuss how the research process will be carried out on the selected topic. The topic for this research is Service Industry (Food and Beverage industry) perceptive on implementing Go Green initiative in Malaysia. This topic is chosen due to the fact that there is a limited research that applies to the Malaysian FB market. The purpose of this proposal is to shows how the actual research will be carried out on the topic. However, due to the limitation of the research, the research content will contain background analysis of green practices in Malaysia as well as in other counties. An other aspects of the research are based on demographic, attitude and behaviour of how the service industry has perceived in implementing such concept from its dimension of awareness, understanding and acceptance. By breaking down and studying these aspects, it will help to provide the actual information that is useful for the service industry players to become a sustainable FB industry and take initiative on such practices. This proposal will later discuss how this concept has been implemented in other countries. This is to develop a theoretical framework of these aspects and form a Go Green framework. This includes comparison of current implementations of Go green initiatives. Moreover, the research will also look into whether the government should enforce regulations on the FB industry for Go Green initiatives as default practices. Introduction Irrespective of industries, a business is governed with the intension of being Profitable, Sustainable, Productive and aims at achieving the highest level of customer loyalty towards their products and services. Achievements of profitability in businesses are focused more on increased revenue, lower cost of operations and higher profits. Long term growth, consistent revenue and profits, low cost of labour and resources, and being self-sufficient is the focus of businesses in terms of sustainability. Optimal usage of resources, Better utilization and optimal usage of assets are the main focus of businesses for productivity. Increased customer loyalty and increase in customer traffic are the focus of businesses for customer loyalty. In the above mentioned context, sustainability and productivity is a major impact to the FB organization to achieve positive profitability. As a result of industrys major impact, Going Green concept focuses service industry to become sustainable and productive with low cost, and optimal utilization of both assets and resources. Research Problem The idea of going green is relatively new to the food service industry in Malaysia compare to other industry sectors. This is due to the fact that there is limited industrial research and government regulations undertaken on green restaurant concept implementation and its practices in Malaysian market context. Malaysian FB industry is not a highly regulated market by the Malaysian government. Licenses to operate a FB outlet is not a combined effort of various agencies but limited to Ministry of Health and other licensing agencies. Department of environment and other agencies are generally not involved. The legislations / rules and laws of Department of environment and other related agencies are more concentrated on environment issues that are generated by commercial establishments in terms of pollution control and not green initiatives. Therefore, this research focuses on understanding and comprehension of various processes, methodologies and best practices for a Go Green framework for the food and beverage industry in Malaysia. There are two reasons that this research has carried out on this specific topic. Green related articles were already published in Malaysia. Environmental concerned green programmes have been implemented in Malaysia since many years ago. And also many articles that related to its programmes has being published in various sectors like waste management, green building, recycle policy, organic food sectors, hospitality and tourism sector, and etc. Especially in service industry perceptive, there are very limited or almost none have been published green related articles. Provided government regulations are not clearly specify for service industry. There available data like environmental education, green building index, green technology guidelines and process, however, there are no clear information that are stated for service industry to follow. Appendix 1 shows that industry commitment in Green initiative has increased from 2008 to 2009, thus research was analyzed by restaurant industry forecast, 2010. However, such kind of focus has not been done in Malaysia restaurant industry. These shows that service industry in Malaysia has very limited research that give clear information on Go green implementation. From this research, industry will benefit the actual information of industry players perceptive and the best suitable framework of Go green implementation in Malaysian market context. Research Objective To measure the degrees of industry awareness towards the green restaurant concept in Malaysia market context. To identify and understand existing knowledge of green restaurant concept among Malaysia market. To discover the market acceptance ability of green restaurant concept. Develop a framework for the industry to accept Go Green concept to be implemented for long term sustainability. Objectives of the research aim to understand the used of Go green concept in service industry. This is due to limited research has not been done in this particular study area in Malaysia. The outcome of the research will not only benefits to the industry players but also will give a clear framework of how industry can sustain by developing this idea. Therefore, the research will carry out to investigate how industry perceived and identify needs of framework to implement the concept. Research Questions How good is the industry player aware of a green restaurant concept? What is their understanding of the Green restaurant concept, and what is their current contribution towards going green? What is their existing methods or processes of having a sustainable business? Is the Malaysian Food and beverage market willing to accept green restaurant concept practises? Is the food and beverage industry acceptable for the Go green initiatives to be a government regulation? Literature Review Definition Go Green or Going Green is a concerned with the protection of the environment (Oxford Advanced learners Dictutionary, 2000); steps to conserve energy, reduce pollution and save money ( The U.S. Chamber of commerce Small Business Nation). Caroline S. Tauxe (2009, Vol.5 No.1) mentioned that green practices as a cost-saving response to the effect of high energy prices on operations and on supply and distribution chains, and these measures are valued first in terms of efficiency gains. In restaurant industry, green restaurants may be defined as new or renovated structures designed, constructed, operated, and demolished in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient manner (Lorenzini 1994, 119) cited by Hsin-Hui Hu, H.G. Parsa, and Self.J, 2010. In Union for reform Judaism (2010) stated that going green defines as the activity of adding sustainability principles and considerations into the planning process of an event or organizational or personal lifestyle. According to Ministry for the environment of New Zealand defines a sustainable industry as an industry that anticipates economic, environmental and social trends to minimise risk and takes opportunities to improve comparative advantage. A research of Schubert.F (2008) mentioned that companies across all sectors try to develop products and practices with minimized environmental effect as part of social responsible practices, but also in order to establish themselves in a new niche for consumers with environmental concerns this is also true for the hospitality and tourism industry where businesses often rely on the integrity of the environment. Hotels located in natural areas such as mountains or beaches for example, are especially dependent on the healthiness of their sites, and therefore some have been engaging in green practices and eco-tourism for several years. Restaurants however, are often less dependent to such environmental factors and have therefore shown less care for these issues. Areas of green practices Green restaurant association (GRA) explained that fully transformed green restaurant provides a comprehensive and user-friendly method of rewarding existing restaurants foodservices operations, new builds, and events with points in each of the green restaurant associations seven environmental categories. Seven categories which compiled with water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical and pollution reduction. Hence, the restaurant who are pursuing for becoming fully integrated green restaurant from GRA are also require to use products like- chlorine-free paper products, nontoxic cleaning and chemical products, renewable power, and green building and construction (Wallace.A, 2005). One of the most popular going green concepts is done by practicing the 3R principle which is by reducing, reusing, and recycling the resources used, using organic products, and installing equipments with green technology. In the restaurant industry, small daily savings often make the difference between long-term profit and loss (Restaurant waste minimization guidebook, State of Havaii). In addition, a restaurants costs go up when it installs pricey equipment to make its operation more sustainable and pay extra to source ingredients that meet sustainability standards (Observer,2010). Furthermore, Schubert.F (2008) highlighted that the details of creating an Environmentally Sustainable Restaurant Industry- Green restaurant association (GRA) has also provides guideline for the following areas: Energy Efficiency Conservation: Energy efficient technologies and conservation practices exist for lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, foodservice appliances, office equipment and transportation. Water Efficiency Conservation: Water efficient technologies and conservation practices exist for foodservice appliances, equipment, and landscaping. Recycling Composting: Recycling services exist for many waste products such as glass, plastic, metal, cardboard, mixed paper, grease, ink toner cartridge. Food waste can be diverted from landfills and made into nutrient-rich soil through the use of a composting service or an on-site system. Sustainable Food: Sustainable food products support the long-term maintenance of ecosystem and agriculture for future generations. Organic agriculture prohibits the use of toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, irradiation, sewage sludge, and genetic engineering. Locally grown food reduce the amount of pollution associated with transportation primarily by fossil fuels. Plant-based food require fewer natural resources and create less pollution per calorie consumed. Pollution Prevention: Pollution prevention is achieved through source reduction, reuse, or improving operational practices. Recycled, Tree-free, Biodegradable Organic Products: Recycled products are made from materials that are collected from post-consumer or post-industrial waste sources. Tree-free products are made from alternative plant sources such as hemp or kenaf. Biodegradable products are capable of being decomposed by biological agents, especially bacterial. Organic products are grown without the use of toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, irradiation, sewage sludge, and genetic engineering. Chlorine-Free Paper Products: Chlorine-free paper products are unbleached or whitened with alternatives such as hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, and ozone. Non-toxic Cleaning Chemical Products: Non-toxic cleaning and chemical products are biodegradable, free of hazardous ingredients, and are safe for people, animals and environment when used properly. Green Power: Electricity and power is available from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro and biomass. These energy sources cause dramatically less air pollution and environmental damage compared to fossil fuel, nuclear, and large-scale hydroelectric energy sources. Green Building Construction: Green design and construction practices significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment, occupants, and the local community. Education: Education of staff on the environmental impact of the restaurant industry and a path toward ecological sustainability. Benefit of Go Green Publicity The GRA and its certified green restaurants have been featured in the following media outlets: NBC Nightly News, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR) and etc (cited by dinegreen.com). Cut costs In dine-green website mentioned that some restaurants that are green certified save thousands of dollars each year, and through the help of the GRAs consultants, are able to access rebates, incentives and other money saving programs. Improve staff productivity and morale Staff awareness of going green due to the fact that the industry is currently run by young entrepreneurs who are aware of the environmental issues. GRA have reported that staff productivity and morale increase upon their certification. Restaurant employees have demonstrated that they want to work for businesses that are making real, credible and transparent environmental changes. Being a part of the solution to our worlds environmental problems goes a long way in gaining a restaurant employees loyalty. (Cited in dinegreen.com) Increase in new customers and customer loyalty Eating out has always been considered a splurge or extravagance in the average Americans budget. The growing trend in restaurant dining is that consumers want to feel as if they have done something good, other than just having nice meal. This fact alone can drive in new customers and create loyal ones. (Cited in dinegreen.com) Stay ahead of legislation Environmental legislation for restaurants is sweeping across the world, from plastic bag and Styrofoam bands, to recycling mandates. More and more cities are in the process of either considering or passing legislation relating to matters of restaurants and the environment. Because Certified Green restaurants have already completed these important environmental changes voluntarily, when legislation strikes, the GRAs restaurants are able to continue running their businesses while their competitors are scrambling to comply with the latest mandates. (Cited by dinegreen.com) Industry perception and acceptance of Go Green According to Oxford Dictionary for the Business World (1993), perception is an intuitive recognition of and an aesthetic quality; a way of seeing, understanding. Perception is the terms used to cover those processes, which gives coherence, unity and meaning to a persons sensory input. It involves all those processes we use to select, sort, organise and interpret sensory data to make meaningful and coherent picture of our world (Rice, 1993) cited by Kamal Izzuwan Bin Ramli, Noor Suhaila Binti Yusof, Muharis Bin HJ. Mohamed, 2004). A frequent research by Hu.H.H, Parsa.H.G and Self.J (2010) said that knowledge of sustainable restaurant operation is an important determinant of intention to patronize a green restaurant. Research Conceptual Framework Awareness of going green The following are some points that will be made during the awareness stage. Awareness of the businesses on the green initiatives, Availability of information for these businesses about going green Understating green objectives The following are some points that will be made during the understanding stage. Existing knowledge on going green Knowledge on the impact of the current environment on not going green. Knowledge on how they can be profitable and have a sustainable business by going green Acceptance of going green The following are some points that will be made during the acceptance stage. Weather they are willing to invest in going green initiatives Participation in going green by changing business processes Investments into resources to go green Methodology Methodology of this research will be used base on the primary data and secondary data. Primary data will be collected by using survey questionnaires to the restaurant managers and owners around Kuala Lumpur. Secondary data will be gathered from the relevant academic journals, books, published magazines and articles, and also internet sources. Basically, the survey questionnaires will be distributed to three different types of restaurant such as: fast food restaurants, casual dining restaurants and semi-fine dining or fine dining restaurants. Approximately 30 survey questionnaires will be distributed as sample. The questionnaires will be demonstrated in demographic, attitude and behaviour study on each type of restaurants. This is to ensure there is a balance in different types of service restaurants owner perceptive on Go green concept implementations in Malaysia. The outcome of this survey will give better understanding on how restaurant owners aware and deep analysis of their understanding on this concept. And also it will help to indicate the best options of practices needed for the Malaysian market context. Secondary data will be collected from academic journals, books, relevant magazines and articles, and internet sources. This will enhance the better understanding on theoretical framework of Go green concept practices. In additionally, local government data and non-government organisation data will also include in this research. This is to clarify such concept has been performed in other industry sector as well as to identify the availability of Green supply chain in Malaysia. From above mention data collections, this research will shows industry perceptive on implementing Go green concept and it will also show the best options of practices for Malaysia market which may or may not be an exact practices to compare to other country.

Technology is a Positive Influence in the Education Field :: Teaching Education Essays

Technology is a Positive Influence in the Education Field Everywhere you look there are computer games, but it just isn’t the fun computer games anymore, they are making more and more learning programs. I have seen learning programs from the preschool level all the way up to the college level. I think this is wonderful it gives children or young adults the chance to practice at home or even before the class the starts, it gives you a little introduction. I have a six year old sister who uses those programs all the time, and they help her. When she was in preschool it helped her count and now the levels are getting harder now that she is in first grade. My family, me especially because I am going into the education field think that these programs are very beneficial, they help the students get a good grasp on things. I think technology has positively impacted the education field. When I see my little sister practice and play on the computer I can tell it is helping her in her school work, but at the same time she is enjoying it. Because it is on the computer it doesn’t feel like she is doing homework or school work, but in her mind she is playing on the computer, for fun. I know for the most part many people use these programs as an introduction to a course or for a certain grade level. This helps the student prepare themselves for the up coming tasks. These computer programs allow students to get their feet wet before they go in for the dive. During my senior year I was a student aide for a first grade class, and even in the classroom the teachers were using computer programs as a certain center or station. Students can practice their numbers or letters, their typing, and their work with the computers all at the same time. A lot of the students got a lot of joy from this, you could tell by their facial expressions, and also their excitement that they showed when their name was called to work on the computers. I remember when I was that age and we had a Tandy computer at our house and I never thought computers were that much fun because I never had all these fun learning games.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 18

â€Å"That's not funny,† I said. â€Å"Seems like a reasonable question.† I looked at him and then wrapped my arms around myself. â€Å"Is that all you're going to say?† â€Å"I†¦I don't really know what else to say.† â€Å"This is the part where you yell at me.† His eyebrows rose. â€Å"Oh, I see. I didn't know this was already scripted out. â€Å" â€Å"That's not what†¦look. I slept with someone else. And not just slept. I didn't have to do it†¦not the way I have to with humans. You get that, right?† â€Å"Yes,† he said, still dead calm. â€Å"And I wasn't drunk or anything. Tipsy maybe, but still in control of my senses.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So aren't you mad?† â€Å"Stunned is the dominant emotion at the moment. Finding out someone impersonated you is almost more troubling than the sex part.† â€Å"He didn't impersonate you, perse†¦I mean, I knew it was him.† â€Å"I know. But it's still weird.† When he fell silent again, I could only stare with incredulity. He caught my look and retuned it. â€Å"What do you want?† This time he did sound annoyed, almost angry. â€Å"Do you want me to be mad? Will that like†¦punish you or something? Is that what you want?† I said nothing and realized that was exactly what I wanted. I had read a book once where a guy accidentally killed a girl while driving drunk. His powerful family had managed to keep him out of jail, and he'd hated it. He'd wanted the cleansing catharsis of real punishment, of paying for his crimes. Right now, I needed the same thing. â€Å"I deserve it,† I told Seth. His voice was cold. â€Å"Well, I'm not going to give it to you right now. You can't dictate what I feel. Sorry.† My mouth started to drop open, unsure what to do with this turn of events. The ringing of my cell phone interrupted my rumination. I glanced at my purse, then let the phone go to voice mail. A moment later, it rang again. â€Å"You should answer it,† Seth told me. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted to crawl into a hole. But I got the phone and read the display. No one I recognized. Sometimes that was Jerome. If I didn't answer, the demon was likely to teleport on over, and that was quite possibly the only thing that could make this scenario worse. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said softly to Seth, just before I answered. I didn't know if I was apologizing for the interruption or what I'd done with Bastien. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, Georgina. This is Wyatt.† It took me a moment. From Doug's band. â€Å"Hey, how's it going?† â€Å"Bad. I didn't know who else to call. I'm at the hospital with Doug. â€Å" My heart stopped. â€Å"Oh my God. What happened?† â€Å"He, uh, took some pills.† â€Å"What kind of pills?† â€Å"Not sure. But he took a whole bottle of them.† Wyatt's news spurred Seth and me to action. It was funny how tragedy could override anger. Whatever unresolved issues ensnared us, we put them on hold as I drove us downtown. Wyatt had briefly told the rest of the story as I'd left my apartment at a run. Alec hadn't come through with his latest shipment. Doug had crashed again, plunging into that frightening darkness I'd observed before. Wyatt didn't entirely know what had triggered the overdose. He blamed everything from a suicidal urge to a desperate attempt at recapturing the high through other means. The emergency room had pumped his stomach, and the doctor said he was okay for now, but he hadn't yet regained consciousness. Wyatt had called me because Doug had no family here, and no one knew how to contact the ones who lived out of town. Corey and Min were there when we arrived. They elaborated a bit more for us and said there was no change in Doug's condition. Seth stayed silent, but I could tell he was as concerned as I was. I asked if I could see Doug, and a nurse told me I could. I entered the room alone and found him asleep, hooked up to tubes and a bleeping machine. I had watched medical technology change over the years, from leeches to defibrillators, but that didn't mean I felt comfortable with any of it. Machines that kept people alive rubbed me the wrong way. They weren't natural, even if they did good. â€Å"Oh, Doug,† I murmured, sitting at his bedside. His skin was pale, his hand cold and clammy. The bleeping machine registered a steady heartbeat, so that was something. None of the other readouts meant anything to me. I watched him, feeling helpless. Mortals, I thought, were fragile things, and there was nothing I could do about that. Many, many years ago, Bastien and I had worked at a dance hall in Paris. Dancers in those days were almost always prostitutes too, but I hadn't minded. The opportunity had provided me with both succubus energy and monetary income. Bastien had been a bouncer and ostensibly my lover. This allowed him to sing my praises, bolstering my reputation and sending me a large clientele. â€Å"There's a young man who shows up every night,† the incubus told me one day. â€Å"He has ‘virgin' stamped all over him, but he's rich too. I've talked to him a few times. He doesn't like the idea of paying for sex, but he's completely obsessed with you.† The news pleased me, and when Bastien pointed out the gentleman, I made a lot of eye contact with him throughout the performance. Sure enough, a manservant of his discretely solicited me on behalf of his employer afterward, and I hurried to prepare myself backstage. â€Å"Josephine,† called a voice beside me. I turned and saw another dancer, an especial friend of mine named Dominique. â€Å"Hey,† I told her, grinning. â€Å"I have a nice prospect I've got to get to.† Her grim face made me pause. â€Å"What's wrong?† Dominique was small and blond, with an almost waifish appearance that made her look like she wasn't getting enough to eat. That wasn't a surprise, however. None of us in that profession ever got enough to eat. â€Å"Josephine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she murmured, blue eyes wide. â€Å"I need your help. I think†¦I think I'm pregnant.† I stopped in my tracks. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Pretty sure. I†¦I don't know what to do. I need this job. You know I do.† I nodded. From the wings, Jean – the man who took cuts from our liaisons – yelled at me to hurry up and meet my young man. I gave Dominique a quick hug. â€Å"I have to go do this. I'll find you later, okay? We'll figure something out.† But I never really got a later. The young man, Etienne, proved to be adorable. He was much younger than my apparent age, and engaged to be married. He was torn on the issue of sex. Part of him felt he needed to be pure for his bride; the other part wanted to be experienced on his wedding night. That was the part that won out, the part that brought him to my bed and gave me the succubus bonus of both a moral corruption and an energy yield. He resented me for both my lifestyle and my hold over him, but that didn't stop him from coming back every day for the next few weeks. â€Å"I hate you for this,† he told me one day after we'd been together. He lay back against the sheets, in a sweaty, postcoital repose. I stood near the bed, putting my clothes on while he watched. â€Å"Marry me.† I laughed out loud, tossing my hair – then honey blond and curly – over one shoulder. He flushed angrily. He had dark eyes and hair and a perennially brooding look. â€Å"Is that funny?† â€Å"Only because you hate me in one breath and love me in the other.† I smiled as I laced up my undergarments. â€Å"I suppose there are a lot of marriages like that.† â€Å"Not everything's a joke,† he said. â€Å"Maybe not,† I agreed. â€Å"But this comes pretty close.† â€Å"Are you turning me down?† I pulled my dress over my head. â€Å"Of course I am. You have no idea what you're asking. It's ridiculous.† â€Å"You treat me like I'm a child sometimes,† he declared, sitting up straighten â€Å"You're not that much older than me. You have no right to act so wise†¦especially since you're a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I grinned at him. â€Å"A whore?† He had the grace to look embarrassed. â€Å"And that, sweeting, is the problem. Never mind your family's scandalized reaction. Even if we managed to pull it off, you'd never get over that. You'd spend the rest of our marriage – which would probably be short-lived – obsessing about all the men I'd been with. Wondering if one of them had been better. Wondering if I'd done something with them that you thought was new and novel with you.† Angry, he stood up and pulled on his pants. â€Å"I would have thought you'd be grateful.† â€Å"Flattered,† I said coldly, â€Å"but nothing more.† That wasn't entirely true. The truth was, despite his youthful certainty and mood swings, I liked Etienne. A lot. Something about him appealed to me. Maybe it was because all that emotionality and pride came from an artistic nature. He painted as a hobby. There it was again, my unfortunate obsession with creative men. Luckily, at that time in my life, I had enough sense to avoid deep entanglements with humans. â€Å"I wish you could choose who you love,† he said bitterly. â€Å"Because I wouldn't choose you, you know. But, here we are. I can't stop thinking about you. I feel like there's some pull to you I can't fight.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said gently, surprised at the small ache in my heart. â€Å"Wait until you're married. Your wife will make you forget all about me.† â€Å"No. She doesn't even compare.† â€Å"Plain?† Egotistical of me, perhaps, but I heard it a lot. â€Å"Boring,† he replied. Then I'd heard a scream, a bloodcurdling, horror-filled scream. I forgot all about Etienne and tore out of the small, dank room. Down the hall I ran until I found a congregation of people and the source of distress. It was Dominique. She sprawled over a narrow pallet, lying in blood. â€Å"My God,† I gasped, kneeling beside her. â€Å"What happened?† But I already knew. I didn't need the forthcoming explanation from the other dancers. I had neglected her pleas for help a couple weeks ago, caught up in my own whirlwind romance. So she had sought her own solution, as so many lower-class women often did. Unfortunately, there were no machines or sanitizing in those days. An abortion was a dangerous, often deadly, business. â€Å"Oh God,† I said again. I had never lost the need to appeal to my creator, despite my theoretical renouncement. I clutched her hand, not knowing what to do. A half-dressed Etienne appeared in the crowd. I looked up at him desperately. â€Å"You have to go get a doctor. Please.† Whatever injured pride he harbored over my rejection, he couldn't refuse me in that moment. I saw him make motions to leave, but Bastien grabbed his arm. â€Å"No, it doesn't matter.† To me he said: â€Å"She's gone, Fleur .† I looked at Dominique's young face. Her skin was pale, eyes blank and glazed over as they stared at nothing. I knew I should close them, but suddenly I didn't want to touch her. I dropped her hand, slowly backing up, staring in horror. It was by no means the first time I'd seen a dead body, but something struck me about it then I'd never really considered with such shocking clarity. One moment she was here, the next she wasn't. Oh, the difference one heartbeat could make. The stink of mortality hung in the air, painting the awful truth about humans. How short their lives were. And fragile. They were like paper dolls among us, turning to ash in the blink of an eye. How many had I seen come and go in over a millennium? How many had I seen pass from infancy to a gray-haired death? The stink of mortality. It threatened to overwhelm the room. How could no one else sense it? I hated it†¦and I feared it. Feeling suffocated, I backed up further. Both Bastien and Etienne reached for me in some fumbling attempt at comfort, but I wanted none of it. Dominique, barely out of childhood, had just bled her life away in front of me. What fragile things humans were. I had to get out of there before I became sick. I turned from those who would console me and ran away. â€Å"What fragile things humans are,† I murmured to Doug. The feeling that welled up within me now as I sat beside him was not sorrow or despair. It was anger. White-hot anger. Humans were fragile, but some of them were still in my care. And whether that was foolish or not on my part, I could not shirk my duty. Doug was one of my humans. And someone had nearly cut his time short. I stood up, gave his hand a last squeeze, and strode out of the room. From the shocked glances Corey, Min, and Wyatt gave me, I must have looked terrifying. I hit the pause button on my righteous fury when I noticed something. â€Å"Where's Seth?† â€Å"He said he had to go,† said Corey. â€Å"He left you this.† He handed me a scrap of paper with Seth's scrawled writing. Thetis, I'll talk to you later. I stared at it, suddenly feeling nothing. I went numb. My mind would not allow me to focus on Seth just then. I crumpled the paper up, said good-bye to the band, and left the hospital. When I reached the lobby, I took out my cell phone and dialed. â€Å"Alec? This is Georgina.† â€Å"Hey, Georgina!† I heard the anxious note in his voice. Almost desperate. â€Å"You were right,† I began, hoping I sounded anxious too. â€Å"You were right. I need more. Now. Tonight. Can you do it?† â€Å"Yes,† he said. There was palpable relief in his voice. â€Å"Absolutely I can do it.† We set up a meeting spot immediately. It couldn't be too soon for me. I'd been on an emotional roller coaster in the last twenty-four hours, and I was about to take it out on Alec. I couldn't wait. The fact that he seemed so eager for it was icing on the cake. â€Å"Oh, hey, Georgina?† he asked, just before we disconnected. â€Å"Yeah?† His voice sounded strange; I couldn't decipher the emotion. â€Å"You have no idea how glad I am you called.†

Rethink What You Drink Essay

Between an 8oz glass of orange juice to a 24oz can of soda, one person can drink between six to eighteen teaspoons of sugar. One may not think that a can of soda a day will hurt a person greatly; but that person is wrong. If you consume one non-diet soda, sugary sport or energy drink, even juice, it can increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, even leading to chronic problems down the road. Even drinking a Five-Hour Energy or Monster in the morning everyday can lead to a caffeine related death. Keeping up homework, going to practice after school and maintaining a social life, a day being a teenager can be draining. We stay up late texting or studying for a test at the last minute, and sleep is not our number one priority. Yes, we wake up the next morning wishing we did not stay up so late, but there is always a cure for that. Almost one third of 12 to 24 year olds said they regularly down an energy drink in the morning. There is nothing wrong with consuming a Starbucks coffee or Five-Hour energy shot in the morning if it is the only thing that will keep us going. The sugar and caffeine in juice, energy drinks and coffee is one of the main factors that keep us teens moving at the pace we do. There are juices, diet sodas and energy drinks that have an okay amount of sugar and caffeine in them to where we could have one a day, and never be harmed. The National Health and Nutrition Exanimation Survey and Nutrition Services worker, Cheri Collier states, â€Å"A â€Å"sugary drink† is known as fruit drinks, soda, energy and sport drinks and sweetened bottles of water and also coffee beverages† (Gann) The consumption of sugary drinks remains high today. In fact, over a half of the American population has a sugary drink almost every day. Lisa Cimperman, registered dietitian for University Hospitals Case Medical Center said, â€Å"Many people consume too many calories each day; Liquid calories don’t make you feel full. Causing people to eat and drink more. † (Theiss) When someone has so much sugar in their system, it can lead to obesity and diabetes. It is shown that 25. 8 million Americans have diabetes (8% of population) and 191 million (2/3) are overweight/obese. (Gann) Not to say that a soda a day can lead to this, but when you are consuming mass amounts of sugar, you will become a part of that 25. 8 million. Men and women are both at risk for developing heart disease. Men who drink one sugar-sweetened beverage daily have a 20% higher risk of chronic heart disease then men who drink none. A study put on by the Harvard School of Public Health surveyed 43,000 men throughout 22 years, and results form 18,000 men were demographically similar. Results in American Heart Association journal stated: â€Å"Drinking 12oz of regular soda, fruit drinks and other sugar sweetened beverages daily was associated with higher risk of heart disease. † Dr. Frank Hu, Professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health said that the findings were notable. The same study was put on for a group of 89,000 women, and it was shown that women who drank one or less than two sugary drinks per day had a 23% increased risk of heart attack and it was four times as likely to have a chronic heart problem down the road. (Jaslow) Studying for tests, going out to parties, finishing research papers late into the night, maintaining a social life and working, life of a college student can be draining. Balancing everything usually takes a toll on one of our most critical bodily functions, sleep. So how do these college students wake up in the morning and go to class with energy? A study done by the University of Ohio stated that 74% of undergraduate students turn to energy supplements in the form of drinks or shots. A single Monster contains 14 teaspoons of sugar and a Five-Hour Energy contains over 8,000 percent of the daily-recommended intake of vitamin B12 and over 2,000 percent of vitamin B6. They say that the rush of energy one feels when consuming the drinks is due to the amount of sucralose, an artificial sweetener over 600 times sweeter than sugar and you will also see over 500 milligrams of caffeine in some drinks. So what happens to people who drink these energy drinks and Five-Hour Energy shots? According to Medicine Plus in 2007, almost 6,000 caffeine related deaths occurred in people under the age of 19, and since then, the numbers have continued to rise(Silva). When you come to thinking about drinking a nice cold 8oz soda, remember that you are putting a toxic drug into your body. You could one day have had too many sodas and be sitting at home with heart disease or diabetes. Remember not to over load yourself with a caffeine overloaded energy drink or shot. Try resorting to diet drinks with not as much sugar, or 100% fruit drinks. â€Å"Our soda habit is something we have total control over. There are a lot of things that keep us healthy that are hard work and difficult, but cutting back on sweetened drinks isn’t one of them† Dr. Stacey Rosen said, the chairman of cardiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY. Next time, rethink what you drink. Works Cited Jaslow, Ryan. â€Å"Sugary Drink Each Day Ups Men’s Heart Disease Risk by 20 Percent. â€Å"Www. cbsnews. com. CBS News, 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Gann, Carrie, and Larry Borges. â€Å"Study: One Sugary Drink Per Day Raises Risk of Heart Disease for Men. † Www. abcnews. com. ABC News, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Reidt, Robert. â€Å"Sugary Drinks Can Be Hard on Heart: Study. â€Å"Www. healthyliving. msn. com. Healthy Day, 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Theiss, Evelyn. â€Å"Consumption of Sugar Drinks in the U. S. Remains High, Study Shows. â€Å"Www. cleveland. com. N. p. , 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Silva, Evan D. â€Å"Monsters v. Students; the Battle for Energy. † Lariat. Multimedia Editor, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. .

Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay Example

Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay Example Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay IMPROVING LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS In today’s highly competitive global economy it is very important for both management and labor to work together to continuously improve the performance of the business as measured by the quality, price, and features of its products, the satisfaction of its customers, and the benefits provided to all its employees. Achieving continuous improvement requires good labormanagement relations, the timely resolution of workplace disputes, the effective use of the collective bargaining process, innovative approaches to workplace organization, mutual sharing of specialized knowledge about the business, and the shared ownership of new ideas. The SEWN program is experienced in working jointly with labor and management to resolve disputes and improve labor management relations both in crisis situations and over the long-term. Resolving Labor-Management Conflict Unresolved disputes between management and labor contribute to many company crises. While some, even sharp, conflict may in fact be a sign of healthy workplace relationships, far too often businesses are put in jeopardy by failing to implement high-performance organizational strategies and improve labormanagement relations. The SEWN program has helped a number of clients resolve crisis situations before they cost the workforce their jobs and the community an important employer. Through these efforts to retain manufacturing in the region we have learned that two key principals are critical for success: 1. The Need to Engage the Workforce To be successful over the long-run, all companies need to engage their workforce in the operation of the business by insuring that workers have the knowledge and skills to do the job as well as the interest and enthusiasm to get things done. In situations in which the workforce is represented by a union, however, management is often ambivalent about the role of the union in the operation of the business. When trust is absent it is especially difficult for both management and labor to separate the workplace situations where they compete or are in conflict from those in which they need to cooperate. Small and middle-market manufacturers, especially privately owned, closely-held firms, suffer the most when workplace relations deteriorate because they lack the resources to effectively manage the business without cooperation. Closely-held family businesses, especially those that try hard to treat their workers fairly, also tend to find it extremely difficult to accept any outside influence over the workplace. 2. The Need to Insure the Businesses’ Success Unions, too, are often ambivalent about cooperating with management and fail to recognize that their long-term interests usually depend on the viability of the business. Union leadership sometimes lack the communication and negotiation skills to broaden the union’s role in supporting the business. In other instances local officials lack the technical or political support of their union to handle the increased responsibilities of attending to not only the compensation and conditions of work but also to the successful use of its member’s talents and abilities. Local elected union officers must also contend with a wide range of local issues as well as cope with their own job and family responsibilities. The SEWN program works hard to stay abreast of the special concerns of organized labor and to maintain good channels of communication. More Than Mediation Both the state and federal government can provide excellent third-party mediation services to help resolve grievances, negotiate contracts, and improve labormanagement relations. When a business is in crisis, however, mediators, are neither able nor responsible for comprehensively examining a businesses’ operating, financial, marketplace, or other problems in order to develop a context in which to quickly bring all of the parties together on what needs to be done. Mediation services also may not be able to respond quickly enough to small distressed manufacturing companies that may be permanently out-of-business within just a few days of a crisis developing. And, mediation services typically are not called in until a problem has become acute. The SEWN program has the responsiveness, skills and resources to provide this kind of comprehensive assessment for its clients. High-Performance Workplaces One of the most critical issues to a businesses’ success is how the workplace is organized to get the job done. In an effort to find new ways to compete effectively in today’s global economy many businesses face hard decisions about what to do on a daily basis. Should the business be downsized, adopt cellular manufacturing techniques, seek wage concessions, adopt progressive workplace practices, utilize ISO 9000 production controls, or expand the role of the labor- management committee process in the operation of the business? Whatever the proper course of action, when both management and labor take ownership of the process of generating and implementing new ideas a much more sustainable process of organizational change can be fostered. Thus, the SEWN program’s approach to improving the productivity, culture, and profitability of a business is client centered. SEWN’s consultants work with all parties to analyze the problems at hand, suggest new ideas, and implement the group’s decisions

Jysk Porter 5 Forces Essay Example

Jysk Porter 5 Forces Essay Example Jysk Porter 5 Forces Paper Jysk Porter 5 Forces Paper For the external analysis I will do a Porter 5-Force analysis on the Micro environment of JYSK on the Chinese market. First I want to have a look at the Industry competitors, so the rivalry. If we take a look on the Chinese market, we can see that there is already a fierce competition going on the market. Domestic and foreign retailers like IKEA or Wal-Mart have already successful penetrated the market. The number will increase constantly, because everybody wants a piece of the cake. If we look at the entry market for JYSK, that would be Shanghai, so there is already a large furniture center. There is no concept like JYSK so far, but most of the segments they serve are already covered, like mattresses. The Chinese market suffers from plagiarism; there is no uniqueness due to that. Next I want to have a look at the potential entrants. In general there are no big entry barriers; it’s easy to penetrate the market. Costs are quiet low. The sorts of concepts you can offer are limited, there is no franchise retail chain on the market yet. IKEA is similar, but different because it’s a self-service shop. The advantage of being a famous European chain is no advantage in china any more, Chinese are brand fixed, but they don’t know European brands on the market that much. For the potential entrants there is to mention, that almost the whole world wants to join the Chinese market and there is and there will be even more beginners. Next I want to have a look at the substitutes. Substitutes do not exist due to the uniqueness of the product-level. It’s almost impossible to substitute a mattress, of course you can use an air mattress, but the possible substitutes are not worth to be mentioned. The big problem is the Chinese patent system, because there is none, the market suffers from plagiarism. Next I want to have a look at the buyers and there Power. The bargaining power of furniture buyers in china is pretty low. Furniture creates less significance for buying ambitions. Most of the time Chinese don’t even buy it by themselves due to a lack of time. If we think about switching costs in that segment, they are low. It’s hard to tie the customer, because the products JYSK sales are exchangeable without any switching costs and the possibilities will be even more in the future. As a result of that the bargaining power growths. Chinese are very open and well informed though very brand fixed, it is easier to tie them with a brand than a product. The consumers are very price sensitive, they want more for less. It’s important to consider national special features, ike not using some colors (yellow) because of their special meaning. Buyers want hard mattresses and because of the fast changing generations the trend of bed-linen and duvets will be change as well. Next I want to have a look at the suppliers. There is already a fierce competition going on at the local supplier market, mass production of less quality is floating the market. Way cheaper than JYSK products. The large number of manufacturers pushed the bargaining po wer of the Chinese furniture industry suppliers. Conclusion: Porter’s 5 Forces has shown that the Chinese furniture market is developing quite fast and changing all the time and due to this suffers from different circumstances (e. g. changing customer needs/ less raw materials). Focusing the micro-level it must be stated that the market is defined by intensive competition due to rivalry in conquering market shares. While entering the market is nothing in the way, companies must be rather careful to prevent plagiarism and stuck to what they are good at. Keep their focus on the brand and less at the variety of the products because the Chinese market offers every product already way cheaper.

A Timeline and History of the Olmec Civilization

A Timeline and History of the Olmec Civilization Olmec: An Introduction The Olmec civilization is the name given to a sophisticated central American culture with its heyday between 1200 and 400 BC. The Olmec heartland lies in the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco, at the narrow part of Mexico west of the Yucatan peninsula and east of Oaxaca. The following is an introductory guide to the Olmec civilization, its place in Central American prehistory, and some important facts about the people and how they lived. Olmec Timeline Initial Formative: 1775-1500 cal BCEarly Formative: 1450-1005 cal BCMiddle Formative: 1005-400 cal BCLate Formative: 400 cal BC While the very earliest sites of the Olmec show relatively simple egalitarian societies based on hunting and fishing, the Olmecs eventually established a highly complex level of political government, including public building projects such as pyramids and large platform mounds; agriculture; a writing system; and a characteristic sculptural artistry including enormous stone heads with heavy features reminiscent of angry babies. Olmec Capitals There are four main regions or zones that have been associated with Olmec by the use of iconography, architecture and settlement plan, including  San Lorenzo de Tenochtitlan,  La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and Laguna de los Cerros. Within each of these zones, there were three or four different levels of hamlets of different sizes. At the center of the zone was a fairly dense center with plazas and  pyramids  and kingly residences. Outside of the center were a somewhat sparser collection of hamlets and farmsteads, each at least economically and culturally tied to the center. Olmec Kings and Rituals Although we dont know any of the Olmec king names, we do know that the rituals associated with king included an emphasis on the sun and reference to solar equinoxes were built into platform and plaza configurations. Sun glyph iconography is seen on many locations and there is an undeniable importance of  sunflower  in dietary and ritual contexts. The ballgame played an important role in  Olmec culture, as it does in many central American societies, and, like those other societies, it may have included human sacrifice. The colossal heads are often sculpted with headgear, thought to represent ball player wear; animal effigies exist of jaguars dressed as ball players. It is possible that women also played in the games, as there are figurines from  La Venta  which are females wearing helmets. Olmec Landscape The Olmec farms and hamlets and centers were situated on and next to a diverse set of landforms, including floodplain lowlands, coastal plains, plateau uplands, and volcanic highlands. But the large Olmec capitals were based on high places in the  floodplains  of big rivers such as Coatzacoalcos and Tabasco. The Olmec coped with recurring floods by building their residences and storage structures on artificially raised earth platforms, or by rebuilding on old sites, creating tell formations. Many of the earliest Olmec sites are likely buried deep within the floodplains. The Olmec were clearly interested in color and color schemes of the environment. For example, the plaza at  La Venta  has a striking appearance of brown soil embedded with tiny bits of shattered greenstone. And there are several blue-green serpentine mosaic pavements tiled with clays and sands in a rainbow of different colors. A common sacrificial object was a jadeite offering covered with red  cinnabar. Olmec Diet and Subsistence By 5000 BC, the Olmec relied on  domestic maize,  sunflower, and manioc, later domesticating  beans. They also gathered corozo palm nuts, squash, and  chili. There is some possibility that the Olmec were the first to use  chocolate. The main source of animal protein was domesticated  dog  but that was supplemented with white-tailed deer, migratory birds, fish, turtles, and coastal shellfish. White tailed-deer, in particular, was specifically associated with ritual feasting. Sacred places:  Caves (Juxtlahuaca and Oxtotitln), springs, and mountains. Sites: El Manati, Takalik Abaj, Pijijiapan. Human Sacrifice:  Children and infants at  El Manati; human remains under monuments at  San Lorenzo;  La Venta  has an altar showing an eagle-clad king holding a captive. Bloodletting, ritual cutting of part of the body to allow bleeding for sacrifice, was probably also practiced. Colossal Heads:  Appear to be portraits of male (and possibly female) Olmec rulers. Sometimes wear helmets indicating that they are ballplayers, figurines, and sculpture from  La Venta  show that women wore helmet headgear, and some of the heads may represent women. A relief at the Pijijiapan as well as  La Venta  Stela 5 and La Venta Offering 4 show women standing next to men rulers, perhaps as partners. Olmec Trade, Exchange, and Communications Exchange:  Exotic materials were brought in or traded from far places to  the Olmec  zones, including literally tons of volcanic basalt to  San Lorenzo  from the Tuxtla mountains, 60 km away, which was carved into royal sculptures and  manos  and metates, natural basalt columns from Roca Partida. Greenstone (jadeite, serpentine, schist, gneiss, green quartz), played a clearly important role in elite contexts at Olmec sites. Some sources for these materials are the gulf coastal region in Motagua Valley, Guatemala, 1000 km away from the Olmec heartland. These materials were carved into beads and animal effigies. Obsidian  was brought in from Puebla, 300 km from  San Lorenzo. And also, Pachuca green obsidian from central Mexico Writing:  The earliest Olmec writing began with glyphs representing calendrical events, and eventually evolved into logographs, line drawings for single ideas. The earliest proto-glyph so far is an Early Formative greenstone carving of a footprint from El Manati. The same sign shows up on a Middle Formative monument 13 at  La Venta  next to a striding figure. The  Cascajal block  shows many early glyph forms. The Olmec designed a printing press of sorts, a roller stamp or cylinder seal, which could be inked and rolled onto human skin, paper, or cloth. Calendar:  260 days, 13 numbers and 20 named days. Olmec Sites La Venta,  Tres Zapotes,  San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, Tenango del Valle,  San Lorenzo, Laguna de los Cerros,  Puerto Escondido, San Andres, Tlatilco, El Manati, Juxtlahuaca Cave, Oxtotitln Cave, Takalik Abaj, Pijijiapan, Tenochtitlan, Potrero Nuevo, Loma del Zapote,  El Remolino  and Paso los Ortices, El Manatà ­, Teopantecuanitln, Rà ­o Pesquero, Takalik Abaj Olmec Civilization Issues The Olmec Civilization is at the center of the  mother-sister controversy, which is a debate concerning the relative strength of the Olmec society compared to other early Mesoamerican cultures.The  Cascajal Block, a large block found in a quarry that may be among the earliest written records in central America, andThe search for  bitumen  sources, which was an important resource to many archaeological societies in central America. Olmec bloodletting spoons  have a new explanation these daysWas  chocolate  first used and domesticated by the Olmec? Sources Blomster JP, Neff H, and Glascock, MD. 2005 Olmec Pottery Production and Export in Ancient Mexico Determined Through Elemental Analysis.  Science  307:1068-1072.Diehl RA. 2005 Patterns of Cultural Primacy.  Science  307:1055-1056.Flannery KV, Balkansky AK, Feinman GM, Grove DC, Marcus J, Redmond EM, Reynolds RG, Sharer RJ, Spencer CS, and Yaeger J. 2005. Implications of new petrographic analysis for the Olmec ‘‘mother culture’’ model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102(32):11219-11223.Follensbee BJA. 2008. Fiber technology and weaving in formative-period Gulf Coast cultures. Ancient Mesoamerica 19:87–110.Henderson JS, Joyce RA, Hall GR, Hurst WJ, and McGovern PE. 2007. Chemical and archaeological evidence for the earliest cacao beverages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(48):18937-18940.  Joyce RA, and Henderson JS. 2007. From feasting to cuisine: Implications of archaeological research in an early Hondura n village. American Anthropologist 109(4):642–653. Joyce RA, and Henderson JS. 2010. Being Olmec in Early Formative Period Honduras. Ancient Mesoamerica 21(1):187-200.Kaufman T, and Justeson J. 2007. Writing the history of the word for cacao in ancient Mesoamerica. Ancient Mesoamerica 18:193-237.Pohl MD, and von Nagy C. 2008. The Olmec and their contemporaries. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. London: Elsevier Inc. p 217-230.Rodrà ­guez Martà ­nez MdC, Ortà ­z Ceballos P, Coe MD, Diehl RA, Houston SD, Taube KA, and Alfredo DC. 2006. Oldest Writing in the New World. Science 313:1610-1614.  Sharer RJ, Balkansky AK, Burton JH, Feinman GM, Flannery KV, Grove DC, Marcus J, Moyle RG, Price TD, Redmond EM et al. 2006. On The Logic Of Archaeological Inference: Early Formative Pottery And The Evolution Of Mesoamerican Societies. Latin American Antiquity 17(1):90-103.Wendt CJ, and Cyphers A. 2008. How the Olmec used bitumen in ancient Mesoamerica. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 27(2):175-191.Wendt CJ, and Lu S -T. 2006. Sourcing archaeological bitumen in the Olmec region. Journal of Archaeological Science 33(1):89-97.

Ethics memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethics memo - Essay Example Instant messaging might be considered as a source of enhancing the productivity of Texas technologies. This is because IM allows the employees to perform multiple tasks in an effective manner. However, a major issue linked with this feature is that the security and privacy risks as well as legal issues of the employers can be made an increased subject of exposure. it should be concern that if no strict policy is not put into practice, the Texas technology would result in a lack of control over their employees and inevitably into a disastrous end for the company. A major concern is that the most of the employers are unaware of the pervasiveness of the use of instant messages within the company. This is mainly because the employees at Texas technology are set up IM accounts without the knowledge of the company. In order to put a stop to this issue within the Texas technology it is important that effective policies should be enforced and the employees should be educated on the matter. Certain guidelines for appropriate and suitable personal as well as business use must be enforced and set so as to ensure that the employees are utilizing the feature of IM in a professional manner at Texas technology. By educating the employees regarding the proper IM usage will lead to minimized employers risk. Due to the fact that the IM accounts are an easy target for hacker penetration, the technology should be in place because this is allow the identity of the person they are in communication with to be confirmed. The employers must be made aware of certain legal issues which result from using the instant messaging within the company. Closing: it can thus be summarized that the use of instant messaging certain employees consider as a type of break can result in disastrous effect for the company. This can be done by appropriate IM management. Defense against liability for the behavior of the employees on IM can be accomplished

Special Stain NoteBook Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Special Stain NoteBook - Research Paper Example Again, the tissue is rinsed in the stain with cold water and finally, dipped in ethanol fixate, then in xylene for forty-five seconds (Yakovlev, 2009). Procedure (Steps): Bouin’s solution, an inorganic oxide, is used in microwave for one minute and is allowed to stand for fifteen minutes. Subsequently, for five minutes, the stain is washed in tap water, followed by the application of one drop of hematoxylin and is allowed to stand for ten minutes. Correspondingly, it is again washed in tap water for five minutes and then rinse in distilled water. In the following step, the stain is dipped in biebrich scarlet solution for five minutes and then rinsed in distilled water. Then phosphomolybdic or phosphotungstic is applied with a resting time of ten minutes required to discard it. Sixth, then transferred to aniline blue solution, and is kept for five minutes. The stain is then rinsed in distilled water. Again one percent of acetic acid is applied on the specimen and rinsed in distilled water. Finally, it is dehydrated and cleared (Media Lab Incorporated, 2015). Procedure (Steps): At the initial step, sections of the tissue is deparaffinized and hydrated and then suspended in distilled water. In the second step, 250 ml of iron stain solution is added to the specimen and dipped for thirty minutes. Then the specimen needs to be washed for three times in distilled water. Again it needs to be stained with 250 ml nuclear fast red solution for five minutes and then rinsed in distilled water. In the third step, the specimen needs to be dehydrated through 95% of alcohol for two changes, followed by the final and the last process to clear it in xylene solution for three changes and for two times, before covering the slip by using permanent mounting medium (Biogenex, 2015). Procedure (Steps): First, deparaffinize sections of the liver and hydrate it to deionized water. Second, oxidize the liver section in 1% potassium

Case study of Cherie Cosmestics Ltd Elegante Division

Of Cherie Cosmestics Ltd Elegante Division - Case Study Example or a company’s top level management to put into place reliable systems that can effective coordinate communication process and other important aspects of management. The communication function of effective management is responsible for creating reliable communication channels as well as structures that can be followed by all company workers. It is important to understand that all branch managers in a large company work towards a similar goal, that of success and increase of market share, for this reason, there is a need for collaboration and consultations among the managers. However, it is important that all these consultations and collaborations have to follow certain laid down procedures to avoid conflict of interest and the need to outdo each other at the expense of company goals and objectives and the spirit of good governance. Communication is an important function of any business activity, it ensures that directives are set effectively and implemented by company workers (Kuhn 2005). Effective communication has been the chief cornerstone of any development in any organisation; in fact, it is what enables company and organizational managers to carry out their basic functions and duties in the organisation. Communication skills, whether formal or informal have always been cited as the basis for the success of any business activity (Cheney 2007). Systems that do not have poor communication mechanisms often end up having misplaced priorities with people doing what they feel is pleasant to them and not what is stipulated in the company’s effective practice. The problems affecting the management function at Cherie Cosmetics Limited can be traced down to a breakdown in the communication process. In the first place, the company’s vice president has not taken steps to address the challenges and bring about sound management systems and communication in the company. There appears that some managers like Heather have the passion of working in this company and

New York Times Article Review SEE below instructiuon Essay

New York Times Article Review SEE below instructiuon - Essay Example In case the price tag is approved by Washington, the carbon content of fuel will become as important as the fuel cost and may even define the fuel cost. The result of this policy will be the competitive capacity of alternative energies, such as wind, sunlight, uranium, corn stalks and trash or natural gas. It would also be possible to start using the so called â€Å"carbon-negative† fuels, taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The Congress should introduce a special tax or a cap-of-trade system for industries producing fuels. The estimations show that at $50 per metric ton the cost of a kilowatt-hour produced by coal will go from about 5.7 cents to 10 cents. When carbon dioxide costs $25 a ton, wind power will become competitive. Solar power is very expensive now, but the cap-of-trade system making coal fuel equal or even higher in price, solar power gets â€Å"a much larger chance to be relevant†. The carbon calculus concerns not only electricity but also ethanol, called â€Å"closet carbon†. There are possibilities to reduce greenhouse-emissions producing ethanol from trash through a newly-elaborated thermochemical method, proposed by Range Fuels of Denver. Nowadays we use corn ethanol, made using natural gas and coals, containing carbon, and sugar-cane ethanol, resulting in 10% as much CO2. Another approach, being tested in Arizona, is to fertilize algae with carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere. Scientists even propose carbon-negative products, such as synthesis gas made from biomass, with resulting carbon dioxide being captured chemically. New approaches are sought for in architecture. Today building sites are evaluated for solar orientation and prevailing winds, the possibility to use the existing mass of hillsides and the ambient temperature of the dirt, etc. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced in the process of produce of various goods for mass consum ption. The problem is that the new technologies

Evaluation of Innovation, T Mobile, Nike Considered and Swatch Assignment

Evaluation of Innovation, T Mobile, Nike Considered and Swatch - Assignment Example There are three basic techniques in which enterprises can compete they include production, development, and distribution. This is where T mobile, Nike and Swatch enterprises have developed their competitive advantage. This paper will compare and contrast the process of creativity and innovation involved, in the development of a product, a service and a process in T mobile, Nike considered and the Swatch The Swatch redesign came about because of low priced quartz watches from Hong Kong and Japan, as well as the adoption of the quartz technology, which was invented by the Swedish. There were strategic, managerial and structural problems, which led to the amalgamation of Omega and Asuag (Swedish biggest watch enterprises) into Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking. At the time of the merger, the watch market had been divided into 3 market segments: lower segment, intermediate and the highest market. It is at the instance that Swatch emerged to control cost and quality in the segments. Swatch introduced trend tied to a firm’s philosophy, which welcomes the change. Swatch configured itself to rapidly develop, launch, manufacture and deliver its new merchandises to the market via cross-functional and synchronized engineering processes and structures. Use of cross-functional crews by aided in the reduction of costs and maximization of results for Swatch. Swatch is d esigned not as a commodity but an emotional product. It became an accessory something that was not common with other brands. As an accessory Swatch was very recognizable. Additionally, to make it even more appealing, the Swatch was designed with different colors that matched with an individual’s outfit. The colors made Swatch more vibrant with crazy designs, which matched mood as well as the sense of style (Design Council 2009). Nike redesigning strategy was  influenced by the criticism it received in the 1990’s because of its poor labor and its environmental policies.  

UK LAW problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UK LAW problem question - Essay Example where a charging authority serve notice under regulation 13(6) that they do not accept that a ground on which representations were made under that regulation has been established, the person making those representations may appeal to an adjudicator against the charging authoritys decision before  -   Held: that regulation 16(2) permitted an adjudicator to direct the cancellation of a penalty charge notice where the recipient had failed to establish one of the grounds specified in regulation 13(3)(a) to (f) but there were other reasons for mitigating the penalty or totally relieving the recipient of the penalty. 1. Under the Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) Regulations 2001,while applying the relevant grounds under reg. 13 Mr. Vere may be able to plead that due to his extenuating circumstances (daughter’s ill health etc) no penalty charge should be payable by him (reg.13(c)) or that the amount that he has been charged exceeds the amount applicable in the circumstances of the case( reg. 13 (e).However it seems that he has a better chance of making this a case of mitigating circumstances under reg.13(c). Nevertheless as the facts of the case indicate he has infact done this without any success and the TFL has already rejected his representations as to his mitigating circumstances. 2. In such a case Regulation 16 will preside and allow his appeal to be heard by an adjudicator. This provision provides a flexible way out from the stringent TFL Regulations and case law suggests that the office of the adjudicator has used his authority in the past to direct the cancellation of a penalty charge notice even where the appellant failed to establish any of the grounds under 13(3).The position for Mr. Vere is not quite clear here though as he has been refused the mandate to represent his daughter’s ill health as a ground

Evaluation of Innovation, T Mobile, Nike Considered and Swatch Assignment

Evaluation of Innovation, T Mobile, Nike Considered and Swatch - Assignment Example There are three basic techniques in which enterprises can compete they include production, development, and distribution. This is where T mobile, Nike and Swatch enterprises have developed their competitive advantage. This paper will compare and contrast the process of creativity and innovation involved, in the development of a product, a service and a process in T mobile, Nike considered and the Swatch The Swatch redesign came about because of low priced quartz watches from Hong Kong and Japan, as well as the adoption of the quartz technology, which was invented by the Swedish. There were strategic, managerial and structural problems, which led to the amalgamation of Omega and Asuag (Swedish biggest watch enterprises) into Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking. At the time of the merger, the watch market had been divided into 3 market segments: lower segment, intermediate and the highest market. It is at the instance that Swatch emerged to control cost and quality in the segments. Swatch introduced trend tied to a firm’s philosophy, which welcomes the change. Swatch configured itself to rapidly develop, launch, manufacture and deliver its new merchandises to the market via cross-functional and synchronized engineering processes and structures. Use of cross-functional crews by aided in the reduction of costs and maximization of results for Swatch. Swatch is d esigned not as a commodity but an emotional product. It became an accessory something that was not common with other brands. As an accessory Swatch was very recognizable. Additionally, to make it even more appealing, the Swatch was designed with different colors that matched with an individual’s outfit. The colors made Swatch more vibrant with crazy designs, which matched mood as well as the sense of style (Design Council 2009). Nike redesigning strategy was  influenced by the criticism it received in the 1990’s because of its poor labor and its environmental policies.  

Sample case studies Essay Example for Free

Sample case studies Essay Ans: The given case consists of the product named Burnol which was owned by Boots pure drug co. private limited. The case deals with the failure of the brand in the market. Previously in the 1940’s the sales of the product were huge and at its peak but slowly and steadily as time passed by and the world came up with new technologies the sales of the product started diminishing. Earlier in kitchen housewives used charcoal ovens to cook and often used to have burns while cooking and thus since the color of the cream was yellow similar to turmeric paste the sales of the product was huge and the product was extremely reliable. The first advertisement was also an eye catching one. But from the 60’s new technologies started coming and people started using gas and the rate of accidents and burns fell down. People still now remember the brand Burnol which is used in burns but do not use it. The main issue is that the marketers tried to reposition the brand like an antiseptic or first aid product but failed miserably. It stood nowhere when compared to dettol and other strong products. Finally now the brand is owned by Morepen and is on the way of its success. Q2: What is the consumers involvement in such a product strategy? Ans: The consumers play a very important role in every product strategy because end of the day it’s the consumers who are using the product and the company is making profit. In case of Burnol the repositioning of the brand failed miserably. One reason being that the brand image of the product. The brand had high value in the mind of the consumer but as a burn cream and not some other antiseptic cream. E.g.: Can we ever think of a product like HARPIC MOUTHWASH? Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Similar products in the markets failed like Lux Shampoo, Clinic Plus hair oil, etc. All this is due to the mind set of the consumers towards a particular product. We cannot think of a brand except for some particular products. Q3: What strategies would you recommend to change consumers attitude towards the brand? Ans: A brand like Burnol whose brand image is very strong in the mind of the consumers the marketers should come up with new ideas of developing the brand in its same criteria rather than reposition it. Advertisements can be made but not showing a housewife but a teenager getting burnt while working in the chemistry lab or small kids burning themselves while burning crackers during the Diwali festival. People cannot imagine the brand to be something else besides a burn cream and trying to do so will result in only failure. Q4: Why have attempts to reposition the brand failed? Has it anything to do with the consumer’s attitudes or appropriateness of communication messages? Ans: As mentioned earlier the brand image plays a very important role in creating a position or perception in the minds of the consumer. Consumers have different kinds of perceptions in their minds regarding certain products. E.g. A person driving a Mercedes Benz drives it not merely because he has the need of a 4 wheeler but to actually show off his or her status. Therefore if Mercedes ever comes up with a small size car the brand might succeed but. Therefore if Mercedes ever comes up with a small size car the brand might succeed but model Mercedes Benz will terribly fail because that image of having a status able car will no longer will be there. Similarly no one will ever imagine Nike coming up with a Cosmetic product, if so then will miserably fail. These are the various kinds of perceptions people have which are basically known as brand personalities. Similarly in the case of Burnol the attempts made of repositioning the brand failed not because of miscommunication of messages but because of the position the brand had in the minds of the consumer. Case 2: Q1: What significant culture/ sub-culture factors have led to the introduction and sales of the new Colas? Ans: The introduction of the new cola i.e. the Mecca-cola has evolved due to the Islamic culture and their protest against US foreign policy. As we all are aware of the wars between Iraq and US the amount of innocent people dying in the wars. Thus this new cola is introduced to fight against the US. The name Mecca clearly signifies the holy shrine of Muslim religion by their founder Mohammed Hazrat. Coca cola being an American product was not liked by the people since it went against their feelings since the profit from it went entirely to the Americans. But this drink gave the people a feeling that they are not consuming an US product and thus the product was a great success especially in the African and middle east countries. Q2: In your view what significance this development may serve as a pointer for many consumer products? Ans: The main significance the product serves for the consumers is the level of satisfaction since it’s not a US product and secondly the name of the product is related to their religion. People especially who are orthodox are very particular and would not go even an inch against their religion and consuming a product of a country who is killing their own people would be of great offence for them on their part. Thus this development would lead to turning point for many products who would in the future time may come up with more number of products who are religiously related especially in a country like India where people of various races inhabit. Q3: Discuss the impact of cultural factors that may strongly influence product choice. Would they be equally true for high-involvement products as well? Ans: Yes, the impact of culture has always been of great influence on product choice. E.g. their was a baby food product which was of immense success in the United states of America. The company started marketing the product in various other countries but was seen to miserably fail in many parts of Africa. The reason behind the failure was not known. After conducting large number of surveys a point was discovered that generally in Africa the packaging of products especially food products was done in such a way that the ingredients of the products being used are shown in the outside cover. The baby food product by US showed a picture of a baby on their packet and therefore the sales when immensely down not because that the people dint know that there was practically no baby used inside the food their mentality and psychology has become like that which stopped them from buying the product as soon as they saw the baby on the cover. Thus there is a great impact of culture, religion, way of living and many such factors which affects the buying behavior of the consumers. Case 3: Q1: Would marketing in foreign countries require study of a popular country’s culture aspects and buyer behavior before marketing Khadi there? What aspects would need to be studied? Ans: Marketing khadi in foreign countries will undoubtedly require their culture but not to that extent as it would have been needed in India. Mainly because khadi is a word that is related to our nation’s father mahatma Gandhi and emotionally touched with us. The emotional touch is not so much linked with the people outside India. May be the culture aspect would be required for the Indians living abroad but other than that the aspect that needs to be concerned about would be quality, tactics of proper marketing and to make people aware of the value khadi has ands how effective it would be for their used. Q2: Suggest an approach to make Khadi garments popular among Indian youth. Ans: The Indian youth is unaware of the sacrifices our freedom fighters and people like Mahatma Gandhi have done for our freedom, the tortures the British people have made on us. The best way to make the youth aware of Khadi garments would be to make them aware of the sacrifices and the amount of hard days Indians have faced. The way our own gandhiji came up with the concept of khadi so that we don’t use the materials provided by the british. End of the day we are Indians and hence after being aware of all these facts and after realizing the fact that this free life we are living today is all because of such great people the youth will certainly move towards khadi garments. View as multi-pages

Complex process of human development

Complex process of human development Introduction Human Development varies from a person to person and is a highly complex process'[1]. It develops as a result of the effect of various factors influencing the growth at different stages in a lifetime of an individual. The following essay is divided into two parts. In part one, we will be analysing the work of a professional practitioner and for this I have interviewed the Youth Worker of St Andrews church in Charminster. In part two, we will be examining a real life case study which centres on the problem of rebellion and we shall analyse it in detail looking at the various issues surrounding it and the possible solutions. Youth Worker Charminster is one of the places in Bournemouth which is constantly monitored by the police due to the presence of drug dealers and high crime rates within teenagers. Therefore, especially here the youth worker is an important role in the development of the community. Youth workers promote the personal, educational and social development of young people. Roger Baker, who is the current youth worker of St Andrews, says that working in Charminster is a challenging and an interesting place to work. Roger has 10 years of rich Christian youth work experience and prior to that he worked with the council as a youth worker and also as a probationer officer. Job Description His overall objective is to increase the churchs community involvement with the young people, to strengthen the relationships with the local schools, to work in partnership with other organisations to engage with the young people for their welfare and development. Mainly his role on a yearly basis includes: Assessing the needs of young people, running various youth clubs on Friday nights for the youth of the community. Multi agency working in line with the informal youth project. Agencies like Bournemouth Youth Services, Youth Offending Team, Connexions and Bournemouth Council. Alsoacting as an advocate for young peoples interests and presenting them to the required agency. Taking the Bible studies during the week for different age groups and discipling the young people into a Christ like character. Managing developing the youth and community projects and resources Serving the needs of the young people in the community including the delivery of sports programmes, supporting recreational activities, providing advice and counselling. Drawing up business plans, writing reports and making formal presentations to funding bodies. Over and beyond the job description the youth worker does many more informal activities for the church and the community. Advantages of the role Since previously Roger worked with the council as a secular youth worker, now he compares his former role to his present role as a Christian youth worker and says that the latter has more advantages and more opportunities. As a secular youth worker in case of emergency he couldnt drive in a car alone with a young person. Besides, he said that they worked only during their working hours in a day after which they didnt think about youth work at all and they worked just because its their job and spent less time with the youth. Now, he says that Christian youth work role is more relaxed and comfortable with no set timings to work and therefore he can focus on a particular issue or work giving it the time required in order to resolve or to work on it. According to Bruce Britton, what young people want from their youth workers is not their organisational ability, but willingness to focus and to listen to their views and spend time with them as per their availability.[2] Though this is Rogers perspective, however I think this is how youth workers actually need be irrespective of whether they are secular or religious feeling comfortable with time and spending meaningful time with the youth. He said that he had less opportunities for detached youth work whilst working with the council. If a young person had a problem they had to come to the centre, only then they could help them. But now they can operate without the use of a centre and can go to the place where young people are, both geographically and developmentally. He gave an example where one young guy (19 yrs) called him and said that he had an interview and was little nervous and asked him to accompany him to the interview. So Roger did accompany that young person which made the young person feel confident. He said that this wouldnt have been possible if he had been with the council. According to Erik Eriksons 8 stages of development youth who are 19-25 yrs wrestle with the Isolation versus Intimacy.[3] This is the stage where they need someone to guide, comfort and build a relationship with them. Stresses and Strains In his work there are few stresses and strains which they are trying to work out. He says the main issue is the ever changing staff team with in the youth team. People who come to help as volunteers or those who come on placement stick with the youth club for 6-12 months and then they move to a different place. He says that this is where the whole problem lies with maintaining continued relationships with the youth. Suddenly that person moves out and a new staff member who works with a different approach or method takes more time to build that same relationship with the youth and because of that there is no consistency. They currently get close to 40-60 kids during a Friday youth club and low staff resourcing is a problem in supervising these kids. Another issue he raised was that of finances. They have enough projects and plans for the local youth, but they lack funds to run these projects. Also he says that since its a church setting, for effective discipleship of youngsters the church needs to come and help the youth groups on a random basis supporting the youth worker. Skills for Practice Roger is a trained professional in the area of youth work. He did few former roles like youth worker and probationer office with the local council. His role as a youth worker with the church is twofold. The first task according to his priority is working with the unchurched youth of the community contributing to their growth and development and the second aspect being discipling and nurturing the youth of the church. He often keeps himself updated with some of the books written by youth and community workers. He said that the book Joined Up: An Introduction to Youth Work and Ministry'[4] with itsfour core values of youth work: voluntary participation, empowerment, equality of opportunity and informal education were very helpful and gave a great insight in understanding the youth work within the church and outside the church. He used to draw his skill for his youth work from the national occupational standards of the National Youth Agency when he started working with the youth. However now he draws his expertise from various available sources. He subscribes to the major youth work magazines and draws the latest news and developments from them. Sometimes he does take the Sunday Bible studies for the youth from the Youth Work magazine and basically he goes by the current trend of the youth compared to the prescribed theory within the youth work. Theory to Practice The challenging part of the youth work is executing the theory into practice. When I asked him for a live example he shared with me the story of a young person whose name is Allan and he was aged 13.[5] Allan was attending behavioural school and was in trouble with the police for couple of times. His mother is in recovery from drugs and his father lives somewhere else. There were complaints from his neighbours and went through isolation in the school. The whole idea in working with this young person was to gain his trust and to give him responsibility and contact with other young people to develop social skills with his peers. Josh McDowell, says that teens that are vulnerable to rejection and peer persecution come from homes of broken families and its is not important to minimize their pain but to give them a chance to express themselves without reproach in a loving relationship.[6] Since they need a chance to express themselves in a loving relationship, Allan was asked to help in t uck shop and rewarded him with a voucher to spend. He also helped as a leader during juniors youth club. Roger did school visits with Allan and his mum to look around the school and to meet the staff and pupils. With a bit of regular counselling there is a change in Allan today.[7] In his practice he says that reflection plays a vital role and he often reflects on this practise and develops his youth work as the situation demands. He also made an important comment saying that theory doesnt work always. We need to go out of the box especially when working with the teenagers. In his words Theory is nothing but suggested practice, but suggested practice is not always the right one. So always go according to the situation and create the theory. Case Study Rebellion In my youth group I have this guy whose name Ill keep it anonymous and for the purpose of this essay we shall call him Joe. Joe comes to the youth Bible study that I lead every Thursday. He comes to that group not because he likes it, but only because his best mate comes to this group and partly also because he gets a tuck of crisps and a drink. The main issue as I categorize it with Joe was Rebellion. Especially with teenagers the word rebellion sounds synonymous with them. We will be looking at this in more depth with the PARC steps of Theory-Practice model. Practice Joe, who is 14 years old lives with his both parents and has an elder sister who is four years older than him. Both his parents are Christian and are actively involved in the church activities. His sister sometimes comes to the various youth groups and often helps the staff team in supervising the groups. Joe is an average student at school and is brilliant at sports, especially football and cricket. He plays for his school and also in some different leagues. If I organise any cricket match within the church, he is my key player of my team. Joes mum loves him very much and wants him to be a good Christian but Joe thinks that his mom is asking something impossible from him. I have heard Joe couple of times saying, Im not a Christian, just because of my mum I come to church, I dont believe in God, He doesnt talk anyways, My dad never keeps his promises, last night he said that he would watch a football match with me and he didnt turn up, My sister is in her own world. There is a lot of confusion and agitation going inside of Joe, which is ultimately resulting in his rebellion against his family. Key point to be noted here is that his rebellion is mainly seen on his spiritual side though it has its effects on his physical and social aspects. Analysis From his background we can clearly see that his problem is mainly coming through his own family. Joe is in his key transitioning period of moving from dependency to independence. He is going through a lot of changes like biological, cognitive, psychological and spiritual and all of these changes in one way or the other are contributing to his discomfort and rebellion. Childhood experiences, environmental stresses and hazards can also influence his problem during this stage, but in my view these dont explicitly affect him.[8] In his situation we can the main causes of rebellion are due to: Poor relationship with his family: I agree with Josh McDowell where he says when parents try to lay down rules without first establishing a real relationship with their kids, they sow seeds of rebellion.[9] In Joes situation that was the exact problem. Though he doesnt show an outward rebellion directly he is growing an inward rebellion which is very unhealthy for his personal development. His poor relationship with his sister adds to his predicament. Discipline method: On the Sunday morning Joes mum asks him if he is coming to the Church and his usual reply is NO and then carries on sleeping. I think Joes parents are too lenient on their methods of discipline with Joe. Proverbs 22:6 says that parents should train a child in the way he should go. I am not saying that they have to be threatening or smacking him and make him come to church but the lack of strict discipline from his childhood and being lenient on him is one of the causes. Anger and Frustration: Olson tells that rebellious behaviour is caused by aggressive impulses that are turned inward.[10] In Joe we see that he is frustrated with God and at times is angry with his mum and dad. This Anger is being suppressed and hence leading to a rebellious nature in Joe. When we look at this rebellious nature in Joe, the main person who is being affected is his mother. Every time I ask her about Joe, she looks very concerned and worried. Whenever she talks about him, her eyes are filled with tears and sometimes have sleepless nights. I dont know about Joe, but his mother looks like she is going through depression and there is this anxiety and fear in her about her child. Comparatively his mother is getting affected by his rebellion than himself. Relating Theory Olson cautions that counselling rebellious and delinquent youth is a very difficult, slow and often frustrating task and success might be marginal at best.[11] From a biblical perspective Bible is very straight forward to kids who are rebellious. Deuteronomy 27:16 says that cursed is the man who dishonours his father or mother. God gives a lot of importance in honouring ones parents. The fifth commandment is to honour ones parents. Proverbs 10:1 says a wise son brings joy to his father,but a foolish son grief to his mother. There is a very harsh Old Testament law which talks about a rebellious son. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says, If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him,then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. Joes situation is not as bad as the above passage therefore a clear biblical and psychological counselling is sufficient to solve his problem. I am currently working on Joes case. I lead the Junior Pathfinders group on Thursday evenings. I asked the group to come up with all kinds of questions that they face regularly at school or in the community so that I can prepare Bible studies exclusively addressing those questions. Joe came up with few questions like, Why should I be a Christian in the first place?, Can I really feel God?, These are tough and genuine questions for a young person and I thought it was right to address these first and we looked at one question each week, looking at its consequences and how to deal with them both biblically and in practice. On a psychological level, Josh McDowell gives a good pattern to deal with this problem and that is in the form of an acrostic LEADER.[12] It goes in this order: Listen: Rebellious teenagers often expect criticisms or Bible verses. Listen with the eyes as well as with the ears and understand where they are coming from. Empathize: Reflecting and trying to see the things through the eyes of the young person. Affirm: Affirming the honesty to come and talk with you and the goodness within that teen. Direct: Here we outline a structure of direction working towards a negotiated agreement and long term plans in dealing with their rebellious nature. Enlist: The teenager must be convinced that rebellion is not the best way to respond by which he slowly eliminates that character. This is cognitive strategy. Refer: In extreme cases where it cannot be handled, then he has to be referred to the respective more qualified counsellor with their parents consent. Overall his parents also need counselling. The two essential dimensions of parenting are relationship (support) and empowerment (guidance).[13] Their relationship with Joe needs to be first set right before going on to the empowerment. They need to start fulfilling their promises and need to make a full effort not to disappoint him in the future with their promises. Change There are many things that could have been done. In this case Joes sister can come into picture and can be a lot of emotional help and someone with whom he can identify with in his family. Since his mates at the youth group are his main interest in coming to the group, his friends can help him to overcome this rebellion with encouragement and support. Once happened can always potentially take place again, so in case of a future similar rebellious behaviour we need to quickly assess the root of the rebellion and start working from there till the problem is resolved. Conclusion Developmental psychology is an endless fascinating topic especially because teens of similar ages develop at different rates according to their cognitive capabilities and social status. Anyone who decides to work on any developmental issues one has to clearly understand the underlying cause and effects according to the age of the person. Methodology and techniques are consonant with the work of the Spirit and therefore its very imperative that as Christians we need to depend on the Spirit as much as we depend on our methods in counselling. Appendix 1 Robbie-20 Years Background: Low attendance at school. Biological father with drink problems. Step dad smoking cannabis. Mum holding down three part time jobs. Robbie in bottom sets in all of his classes. Bullied by others living on the same housing estate. Once having to go to A and E because of injuries sustained. Grandparents supportive and positive influence. Spending long periods of time at home in fear of going out alone. Priorities: To build up Robbies confidence and self esteem. No exams being taken in year 11. Need to find alternative qualifications. Get him involved in a hobby or sport. Support mum with time management with multiple jobs and siblings. Obtain and pass information to step dad with regards to the effects of smoking cannabis and the legal implications. Action: Get Robbie involved in setting up and helping at youth club. Sign him for local football team and to attend training one night a week. Offer to the school an extended work experience placement. Complete an Asdan award scheme. Attend a youth world cup competition in Sweden, 1500 teams from all over the world. Raise money for trip by sponsored walk and car washing. Secure some private coaching from ex professional goal keeper to increase Robbies ability and confidence. Support application for training courses later to support application to join the Army. Currently after sustaining an injury waiting to re- apply in June 2010. Elliot-19 Years Background: Mum and dad living together but for previous 15 years lots of arguments and living apart for periods of time. Police involved and accusations made by mum towards Elliot and dad but never proven. Mum using two names at different times with different people. At least twice Elliot coming home from school and finding her after she had taken overdoses of tablets and being submitted to hospital. Moved home several times sometimes with dad and sometimes with mum. Elliot was kicked out of home several times whilst living with mum. Attending school outside of the area travelling daily to attend a distance of about thirty miles. Priorities: To stabilize some of Elliots circumstances giving some consistency. Speak with mum and dad to rationalize long term issues. Get him involved with youth club. Help with anger management. Find group to support mums behavior. Build father son relationship. Action: Encourage mum to attend overcomers outreach a twelve step recovery group meeting. Get father and son to attend and help at youth club. Work alongside Elliot to discuss how he feels in certain situations that then turns to anger and methods to deal with that anger. Support Elliot during the times when mum and dad are not together more recently to support an application for Elliot to obtain a place in the YMCA having been kicked out of home December 2009 after an argument with dad and his new girlfriend. Currently no contact with mum. April 2010 help Elliot to move from the YMCA to Fortuna house supported lodgings for around twelve young residents. Support Elliot to secure a place on a full time training course prior to finding a job. Bibliography: Balswick, Judy., and Balswick, Jack., Piper, Boni., Piper, Don, Relationship-Empowerment Parenting, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003. Boyd, Denise., Bee, Helen, Lifespan Development, 5th (ed.), Pearson, 2009. Britton, Bruce., Youth Workers as Social Workers, in Jeffs, Tony and Smith, Mark, (ed.), Youth Work, London: Macmillan Press, 1987. Brierley, Danny, Joined Up: Introduction to Youth work and ministry, Authentic Media, 2003. Brierley, Peter, Reaching and Keeping Tweenagers, London: Christian Research, 2002. Flannagan, Andy, Distinctive Worship: How a new generation connects with God, Authentic Media, 2004. Geldard, Kathryn., and Geldard, David, Counselling Adolescents, 2nd (ed.), London: SAGE Publications, 2004. Greene, Roberta., and Kropf, Nancy, Human Behavior Theory: A Diversity Framework, 2nd (ed.), AldineTransaction, 2009. McDowell, Josh., and Hostetler, Bob, Josh McDowells Handbook on Counselling Youth, Word Publishing, 1996. Olson, Keith, Counselling Teenagers, Loveland: Group Books, 1984. Denise Boyd Helen Bee, Lifespan Development, 5th (ed.), Pearson, 2009, 3. Bruce Britton, Youth Workers as Social Workers, in Tony Jeffs and Mark Smith, (ed.), Youth Work, London: Macmillan Press, 1987, 25. Roberta Greene, Nancy Kropf, Human Behavior Theory: A Diversity Framework, 2nd (ed.), AldineTransaction, 2009, 84. Danny Brierley, Joined Up: An Introduction to Youth Work and Ministry, Authentic Media, 2002. The name of the young person is changed due to disclosure and privacy reasons. Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, Josh McDowells Handbook on Counselling Youth, Word Publishing, 1996, 162-163. During my interview Roger shared couple of more examples. Listing those examples are not under the scope of this essay. Please see appendix 1 for a detailed description. Kathryn and David Geldard, Counselling Adolescents, 2nd (ed.), London: SAGE Publications, 2004, 16. McDowell and Hostetler, Youth, 235. Keith Olson, Counselling Teenagers, Loveland: Group Books, 1984, 476. Keith Olson, Counselling Teenagers, Loveland: Group Books, 1984, 480. McDowell and Hostetler, Youth, 239-241. Judy Jack Balswick and Boni Don Piper, Relationship-Empowerment Parenting, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2003, 18.