Primary and Secondary Succession Essay

Ecosystems are environments where biotic (living) organisms and abiotic (non-living) components interact together to create a functional, complex network of nutrient and energy cycling. These balanced environments take time, sometimes many years, to develop. During the course of development, species are replaced by other species within the ecosystem, a process known as succession. Primary succession happens when species grow in locations where organisms have never previously existed. Secondary succession occurs after an ecosystem disturbance. The basic difference between primary and secondary succession is the presence of soil. When primary succession begins, soil is not present; in the case of secondary succession, soil is already in place. What occurs during primary and secondary succession? How can an ecosystem recover from a natural or man-made disaster? By examining the workings of an ecosystem and a case of primary and secondary succession, environmental scientists can find the answers to these questions. What is an Ecosystem? As stated above, an ecosystem is a place where biotic and abiotic components interact within their environment. Living parts of an ecosystem include animals and plants. These animals and plants perform roles of producers, consumers, or decomposers. According to Raven & Berg (2004), these three roles are indispensable within ecosystems. Producers provide food and oxygen, consumers create balance between producers and decomposers, and decomposers prevent accumulation of dead organisms and waste products (p. 72). Non-living components of ecosystems include soil, sun, and weather conditions. Working together, the biotic and abiotic components cycle nutrients within the ecosystem. This is vital action because without nutrients the ecosystem and its inhabitants would not survive. Where do ecosystems come from and how do they begin? The answer lies in the definition of primary succession. Primary Succession The very beginning of an ecosystem happens when primary succession occurs. After devastation from volcanism, glaciations, or sand dunes, an environment  is devoid of soil and living organisms do not exist. From this barren emptiness, primary succession begins with a pioneer community. Raven and Berg (2004) give an example of primary succession within Glacier Bay, Alaska (p. 87). In the case at Glacier Bay, rocks remain after a glacier’s retreat and the pioneer community is lichens. The lichens form soil, where colonies of moss thrive. The soil condition slowly progresses to the point where grasses and ferns can grow. Eventually the soil increases enough for shrubs to grow. Thanks to primary succession, over time the emptiness of Glacier Bay becomes a forest community. Once living organisms unite with non-living components, much like what happened at Glacier Bay, a new ecosystem is born. As the example at Glacier Bay has shown, primary succession is a birthing process. On the other hand, secondary succession is similar to a re-birthing process. To see how the re-birthing process works, environmental scientists can travel to Yellowstone National Park or North Carolina. Secondary Succession What happens when an ecosystem’s important cycle experiences a disturbance such as from fire or human activities? Once disturbed, ecosystems proceed through periods of changes that affect their structures and functions. This process of change, known as secondary succession, occurs very quickly because soil is already present. An example of severe destruction followed by a re-birth occurred in Yellowstone National Park. As a result of the fires that burned in the park in 1988, 1.2 million acres was scorched ecosystem wide (â€Å"The Great Fires of 1988†, n.d.). Amazingly, secondary succession happened quickly in Yellowstone National Park and within one-year herbs and lilies covered the ground area (Raven and Berg, 2004, p. 87). Another example of secondary succession is witnessed in North Carolina where abandoned farmland progresses through almost predictable restoration stages. For the first year, the uncultivated farmland is overcome with crabgrass. The second year finds horseweed dominating the area. Since the horseweed roots strangle the horseweed seeds, the third year observations find completely different dominating species within the ecosystem. Regardless of which species dominate, the ecosystem has successfully experienced a re-birth thanks to secondary succession. Humans and Ecosystems Many scientists are trying to learn all they can about ecosystems by observing healthy, thriving ecosystems in action. Humans, even though their intentions are often good, can upset the fine balance that exists in an ecosystem. Some examples are land clearing and damming can upset the sediment yield within river systems. A local project is actively testing two hypotheses regarding trophic structure and its affect on estuaries. This project is a joint effort between many organizations including the National Science Foundation. Many scientists all over the world are attempting to find answers to questions about saving natural ecosystems. Only in this way will our Earth be able to sustain future generations. Conclusion Since the components of ecosystems all work together to sustain their environment, changes in any single part of the process, biotic or abiotic, can affect the entire ecosystem. Outside influences can also wreak havoc on an established ecosystem. These disturbances can result from natural or man-made disasters. Primary and secondary succession, although their instances of occurrence differ, both provide a type of birth and re-birth to an ecosystem. By observing and studying ecosystems, along with primary and secondary succession changes, environmental scientists can learn how to help and not harm Earth’s precious ecosystems. References: Bearman’s Yellowstone Outdoor Adventures, (n.d.). The great fires of 1988. Retrieved June 24, 2005, from Yellowstone National Parks Year of Fire web site: http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/yfire.html Berg, L. & Raven, P. (2004). Environment (4th edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Learning Goals and Their Impact on Performance

At the same time, personality and dispositional goal orientation are iintegrated through a hierarchy of goals where personality is associated with higher order goals (values), which affect intrinsic motivation. The link to performance is hypothesized through the impact of goal orientation. Under a performance orientation, individuals are less likely to increase effort when they encounter difficulty because they assume that if they do not possess the ability to solve the situation, an increased effort will do little to help. This lack of effort when facing challenge is likely to depress their performance.On the other hand, under a learning orientation, individuals will experience an adaptive pattern and they are more likely to increase effort when encountering difficulty and this effort is likely to increase performance. Short Description A model evaluates the influence of distal factors, such as culture on individuals? dispositions to adopt either learning or performance goals with p erformance. The paper presents several hypotheses on the influence of cultural dimensions, dispositional goal orientation, and individual performance.Keywords Cultural Values Goal Orientation Organizational Behaviour Human Resources 5 Goals and Performance of Global Firms Personality and Culture: Learning Goals and Their Impact on Performance of Global Firms Much research in organizational behavior has often ignored the impact of national culture on the individual (Boyacingler and Adler, 1991). This is not surprising since national culture’s influence in organizational behavior occurs at such a deep level that people are not usually aware of its influences (Triandis, 1983).For example, even though it is clear that values and goals of societies differ, most theories on work motivation have been made in the US with a US perspective (Boyacingler and Adler, 1991). This may encumber the generalizability of some of these motivation theories to a global environment because, as Hofst ede (1980) affirms, even when some principles in motivation may be almost universal, the way managers implement them depend on individual differences in values and goals.These differences are determined by local conditions (Hofstede, 1980), and can be analyzed through the predominance of specific cultural dimensions. This paper contributes to fill the void of culture in many motivation theories, and considers the influence of cultural dimensions on intrinsic motivation, specifically, how cultural dimensions may influence an individual’s goal orientation. Culture and mid-range theoriesLytle, Brett, Barsness, Tinsley, and Janssens (1995) suggest some guidelines for the study of how culture can affect mid-range theories like goal orientation: The first step includes the development of a functional definition of culture and its dimensions, then the identification of a mid-range theory, in this case goal orientation within intrinsic motivation, and finally, the generation of speci fic hypotheses about why and how those cultural dimensions will influence goal orientation.

Analysis of Citizen Kane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Citizen Kane - Essay Example and Orson Welles, was full of remarkable scenes and performances. It was able to deliver good narrative techniques and showed fantastic innovations in photography, editing, and sound. However, the film was linked to controversies and negative gossips. In fact, the persons behind the making of this film had received threats through intimidation, blackmail, newspaper smears, discrediting and even was subjected to FBI investigations before the day of its premiere in 1941 in New York City (â€Å"Citizen Kane†). Some watchers found the film as wonderful and extraordinary; others said it was just a mere fiction. Despite the good compliments of some, the film was accused of drawing remarkable, unflattering, and uncomplimentary parallels, not to mention the scene where Susan Alexander Kane character--how it was portrayed to real life. In addition, many did not give ‘nod’ to the film because it was accused of negative fictionalizing and caricaturing of certain events and i ndividuals, especially individuals like in the life of William Randolph Hearst, a prominent and powerful newspaper magnate and publisher.

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Knowledge Management - Essay Example In order to efficiently control people who comprise the desired tacit knowledge, it is fundamental to take into consideration their cultural and social values, likings and dislikings, feelings and eagerness’s for creating new knowledge (Asian Foundation, 2008). The paper includes the recognition and analysis of knowledge management as a crucial component in organisational progression and also the importance of managing the people who deal with managing knowledge in the organization as well as the effect of wrong culture on reducing the effectiveness of knowledge management. Significance of Knowledge Management in the Organisational Context Knowledge management is one of the most critical arguments in this world of globalization. It is famous both in the industry and the information research world. In reality, an individual deals with huge amount of data and information but these do not become knowledge unless certain value is found out of it. For this reason, knowledge managem ent is required. Knowledge management deals with the processes of acquiring, creating and sharing knowledge and cultural and technical justifications that can substantiate them. Knowledge management is the collection of numerous technologies of information that are used to simplify the gathering, organizing, alteration and transformation of knowledge among employees. Knowledge management has both benefits as well as limitations. The various advantages are focused in a brief way. In every organization, there is need to find the specific knowledge which can be utilized by individual’s for future requirements. This would rather help to gain more knowledge in a short time frame. Besides, the other crucial aspect is the ability of all individual employees to use the organization’s knowledge and... The intention of this study is knowledge management as one of the most critical arguments in this world of globalization. It is famous both in the industry and the information research world. In reality, an individual deals with huge amount of data and information but these do not become knowledge unless certain value is found out of it. For this reason, knowledge management is required. Knowledge management deals with the processes of acquiring, creating and sharing knowledge and cultural and technical justifications that can substantiate them. Knowledge management is the collection of numerous technologies of information that are used to simplify the gathering, organizing, alteration and transformation of knowledge among employees. Knowledge management has both benefits as well as limitations. The various advantages are focused in a brief way. In every organization, there is need to find the specific knowledge which can be utilized by individual’s for future requirements. Th is would rather help to gain more knowledge in a short time frame. Besides, the other crucial aspect is the ability of all individual employees to use the organization’s knowledge and experiences in their own way so that it can be helpful in the path of life. Moreover, another significant point of concern is availability of the knowledge, at exact time and in right manner so that it can be transmitted according to the needs. Thus, knowledge management enables an organisation to gather required information for reference in any point of time by any employee.

Culturally relevant teaching in the American educational system Assignment

Culturally relevant teaching in the American educational system - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the documentary Beyond the Bricks offers a very candid snapshot of the systemic failures of the American educational system in regards to relating to African American students. In retrospect over fifteen years ago a literary work The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children† highlighted a similar set of circumstances and proposed systemic changes that could be made to the educational system to better relate and teach African American children.   Beyond the Bricks was released in early 2009; it focused on the goal of promoting solutions for a critical problem in American schools: the consistently low performance of African†American boys in the public education system. The documentary chronicles two African† American students Shaquiel and Erick as they struggle to succeed in the Newark, NJ public school system.   Unlike, other film portrayals of Black youth which introduce a philosophy grounded in the negative imagery associated with ‘blackness and maleness’ in America, Beyond the Bricks offers a view of the Psycho-social trappings of the stereotyping within the system and its ultimate failings.   Though the film focuses primarily on Shaquiel and Erick, the issues addressed extend universally throughout all African American communities. Beyond the statistics are the real stories of students like Shaquiel and Erick who must fight the indifference of the system to build a better future for themselves.

Ethical dilemmas that a social worker working in child protection Essay

Ethical dilemmas that a social worker working in child protection would encounter. (australia) - Essay Example Studies show that such ethical concerns reduce the scope of child protection social works since those issues prevent social workers from obtaining grip over various underlying causes of child maltreatment. This paper will analyze major ethical dilemmas a social worker would commonly experience while engaging in child protection works. The paper will also identify ethical issues in indigenous contexts separately and discuss core ethical principles of social work and community welfare practices. Social workers cannot meet desired objectives of child protection unless they can separate the child from harmful parents and move it to monitoring and surveillance facilities. However, it is not so easy for a social worker to separate the child from his parents even though they are maltreating it. The Australian federal government allows its citizens to exercise various decision rights over their children regarding religion, schooling, medical treatment, and where their child lives etc (Government of South Australia, 2010). When a child is separated from his parent, the parent cannot exercise his legal rights over his child. In addition, a parent has the fundamental right to take ultimate decisions on his child’s matters as long as the child is a minor. Therefore, separation of the child from his parents is the most ethical dilemma involved in the child protection social work. As Kumar (2004, p.34) points out, child protection social workers’ role is often coercive even though they may possess adequate skills and capabilities to work supportively. They are expected to take potential decisions to save children from abuse and negligence, and therefore social workers’ acts are considered unavoidable even though they use some brutal intervention tactics to address the problem. Hence, many of the people believe that social workers have been given the choice to behave oppressively. Such

American Printing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Printing - Essay Example This is a major icon in the technological development of the press industry. In 1885, Otto Mergenthaler invented a linotype that brought much efficiency in print production (Burr, 55). Through this invention, machine typesetting became a major preference in print productions. Compositors of this era capitalized on this inventory in their document processing. The linotype entailed a keyboard that resembled that one of the type writer. This invention was ideal for newspaper and book production. Therefore, the Mergenthaler’s invention was not for commercial document processing (Burr, 56). It purely suited composition and production of newspapers and text books. It entailed an era of stiff competition amongst the dominant publishers in the USA. Bill Barnes and McCann were the dominant compositors of the day (Rumble, 87). They would therefore engage in stiff competitions in their composition of print productions. These competitions would always qualify McCann as the victor. Therefore, he would manifest swift skills over his opponent Bill Barnes (Rumble, 88). The swifts were most popular after the invention of the linotype by Mergenthaler. This entailed coverage of the technical inventions during the early years of the nineteenth century. During this era, major developments were made in the field of science, and the print industry attained observable benefits (Rumble, 96). For instance, the invention of the linotype machine facilitated efficient print productions in this era. The technical inventions initiated the workshop culture even in the print industry. Women underwent severe discrimination during this era. The emergence and gradual development of the print industry manifested harsh experiences that faced women. The entire print industry advocated for men’s chauvinism (Burr, 53). This was evident in the structure and principles of the trade unions established during this era. Male dominance was

History of Ireland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

History of Ireland - Essay Example In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Union. [01] The heart of the country is limestone- floored lowland bounded on the south by the Armorican ridges and on the north and west by the Caledonian mountains. This lowland is open to the Irish Sea for a distance of 90 km between the Wicklow Mountains and the Carling ford peninsula, giving easy access to the country from the east. It also extends westwards to reach the Atlantic Ocean along the Shannon Estuary, in Galway Bay, in Clew Bay and again in Donegal Bay. Numerous hills break the monotony of the lowland which rises westward towards the coast in County Clare where it terminates in the cliffs of Moher, one of the finest lines of cliff scenery in Western Europe. [02] Much of Ireland was covered by ice during the Pleistocene period. This ice finally melted away about twelve thousand years ago, leaving behind evidence of its former presence in most of the minor physical features of the landscape. Throughout the greater part of the lowland the bedrock is hidden by glacial deposits which, in the north central part of the country, form a broad belt of small hills (drumlins). The glacial cover also modified the early drainage pattern and in places created groundwater conditions which facilitated the growth of peat bogs. [02] Caught in the recede and flow of the last Ice Ages over the last ... The sea level dropped 130 m (426 feet) or more during the interval from around 30,000 to 15,000 years ago, when Ireland became part of continental Europe [again], and sea levels have been generally rising ever since, albeit at a much slower rate. The image to the left represents the land mass of Europe near the time of the last glacial maximum (minus the ice sheets and the ocean water). Take a close look at the "British peninsula" and the outline of Ireland and Great Britain upon it. [05] In and around 20,000 years ago the area that would later reform the British Isles was mainly covered by a thick sheet of ice. This was during the last maximum expansion of the polar ice caps when sea levels were about 120 meters lower than today. To get another view of the British Isles when they were not islands, see this Pleistocene age reconstruction (circa 18000 radiocarbon years ago) of the outline of the European continent, or also see here. After about 9000 BC, the climate again warmed, the juniper spread, and the birch appeared in large numbers for the first time. Pine, elm and other forest trees also appeared, and Ireland began a long-term process of forestation. Other plants and animals crossed the land bridges as well. Red deer, wild boar, possibly bears, red squirrels, pine-martens, Wolves, foxes, stoats, and eagles and other birds of prey took up residence. Fish and game birds were soon present in abundance. [05] The first definite evidence of human settlement in Ireland dates from 8000 to 7000 BC. They are known from early archaeological findings to have made an appearance in the far north in the lower Bann valley near present-day Coleraine and in the southwest in the Shannon estuary. Later they are thought to spread northeast along the coast of

Motivation and Performance Factors for Bombay Palace Essay

Motivation and Performance Factors for Bombay Palace - Essay Example ey feel with appraisal at work.questionaires were used so as to get feedback of the employees and this made the study less cumbersome for the researcher. This is important to note that was conducted in a span of month month so as to ensure that each and every staff was interviewed. Motivation of employee is one key issue that is facing every organization. It is the responsibility of every leader in an organisation to ensure employees are motivated and also create a very conducive environment for them in the workplace (Koontz 1993). Though an employee may be capable to perform his/her job description without motivation every human being needs to feel a little bit of appreciation as this will spur inner urge to work well in an organisation. It is this role of a leader that he has to ensure that his workforce is motivated and if not he should identify a strategy on how to make them moretivated as this will enable him achieve his organisational goals(Marginson 1986). Motivation cannot be understated as it is always a key ingredient to help an organisation in achieving its goals. Issuinig of instructions that are well and clealy friendly (Marginson 1986). A manager first has to understand he has the right team and after it is when he should ensure that the team is motivated so as to keep the focus on objective goals.The role to motivate employees depends on very different dimesions and they cannot be for one department like the human resource but the whole organisation.Itis thus important to understand all humans have different needs and may be motivated in different ways but one of the most important task is to ensure it is done (Alous 2002). Strong needs in directing and satisfying latent needs in employees harness them in a manner that is functional for the organization. For motivation to be successfully implemented the factors that trigger motivation should be identified and analysed properly.The goal here is to identify the causes of motivation and not the

Patient Interview Essay Example for Free

Patient Interview Essay Enable to conduct a study that could represent the population of hypertensive people, the researchers decided to divide themselves into two. This is for the purpose of having participants from two different locations. The first group was designated to obtain three patients from the clinic whereas the second group was assigned to attain at least 2 more patients from the university. The former was able to able to approach ten people hence only a ratio of 1:3 agreed to participate. The latter, on the other hand, manage to found two participants out of the eight people they have approached. Both groups of researchers followed the same approach in inviting their potential participants. Most of the participants were either patients in the clinic or employees of the university. The researchers explain the purpose and format of the interview, the terms of confidentiality, and how long will the intended interviews lasts. After the patient interviewee agreed to participate, they had lead to a less noisy environment within the vicinity of both the clinic and the university. The Patients Patient number 1 is a 63-years old man. His ethnicity falls under the African-American category. He has completed his graduate school and was now a successful businessman. He has been diagnosed to have Diabetes Mellitus two years ago and a known hypertensive at the early age of 36. He is insured under the Health Maintenance Organization or what commonly known as HMO. Patient number 2 is a 47-years old female. She originates from Canada. She’s a high school graduate and was now working as a cashier. She claims she doesn’t have any disease at all. This patient has no insurance of any kind. Patient Number 3 is a 58-years old Chinese Professor. He has recently been diagnosed to have renal problem, which could eventually lead to end-stage renal disease if not properly addressed. He has also mentioned that he has some fluctuating blood pressure readings over the past three years. As for his insurance, he was under Medicare. Patient Number 4 is a 37 years old factory worker from Sweden. He claimed he was a known hypertensive since the age of 30 because of his fondness to eat fatty foods. He doesn’t have any insurance at all. Patient Number 5 is a 70-year old retired engineer, who originates from Australia. Although old, he claimed that he was still in the pink of health except for his arthritis. This patient is insured under HMO, that he says he’s not worried if ever he would have illness in the future. These five patients came from different walks of life. But their knowledge and belief about their condition varies slightly. The study showed that the most prevalent issues among the participants were how they conceive the seriousness of having elevated blood pressure. Most of the participants were unaware of its complications. How can these patients be cured if they haven’t felt the danger it can bring to their lives? The first step to healing any disease state no matter how tough it is; is the knowledge of disease, identifying cause, risk factors of worsening the disease and barriers preventing the cure of the disease (Alexander, 2003). When these patients got to know their real health state, awareness follows. By doing so they can be able to grasp the notion of their actual condition Another issue that surfaced among the participants is the misconceptions they have about the origin and cause of hypertension. Many patients often perceive their illness as a burden they will carry out all their lives and that no matter what they do, they won’t achieve a normal state. This perception affects patients negatively because it impacts on their compliance; these perceptions and feelings make patients lose hope of curing (Ross, 2004). This is not true however, patients with hypertension might have the disease all throughout their lives but it can be kept under controlled. In addition, poor control was due to other lifestyles that patients were practicing (Egan, 2003). So with the right lifestyle, management and compliance, hypertension can stay at bay side for the rest of their lives. For any medical intervention to be effective, trust and communication between the healthcare provider and patients is a vital aspect. The interventions discussed would be very much beneficial to combat the increasing incidence of hypertension among the productive and elderly population. By distributing pamphlets that contained details regarding how to take medicines and obtain blood pressure through the use of blood pressure apparatus, we are escalating their awareness for self-care and evaluation as well. Moreover, thru this dissemination of information we can constitute reinforcement on patient’s education on how to be conscious of their health state. But one aspect should be included in that method. People should be taught regarding the normal blood pressure range and how an increase or decrease of this range can affect their whole being. The most significant contribution of this method is that, not only will it be beneficial to people with hypertension but it can also helps to identify those people who is unaware that they might already be suffering from elevated blood pressure. It is important to note here that educating patients about general knowledge and awareness is not enough to effectively treat or control hypertension. Patients should be thought to recognize and adhere to the importance of following their blood pressure readings daily to well control their state and prevent any worsening that could take place. Focusing on educating patients will for sure prevent the progression to strokes and heart diseases (Oliveria, 2004). As for the implementation of mandatory course, it will also be imperative to have this method of intervention because it can obliterate misconceptions. Many people think that having hypertension is not a serious state. By obligating them to attend courses they can be made aware that hypertension can lead to a more life threatening conditions like strokes and heart attacks. It is true indeed that when patient understands their condition, compliance is better as compared to those who do not have any idea of their real health status. But there is a drawback here; the course should be as simplified as possible. Because illiteracy is increasing worldwide, subsequently many patients won’t be able to understand complicated and technical words. Low literate patients will not be able to fully manage or comprehend medical devices to track of disease progression and prevent worsening of status (Williams, 1998). Keeping a diary of everyday’s intake and activity can lead to a more personal and specialized management. Thus it can lead in identifying what activity or food can be minimized to obtain the necessary result. In general, education brings awareness and can then lead to better compliance.

Stigmatization A Mental Health Clinical Case Analysis Nursing Essay

Stigmatization A Mental Health Clinical Case Analysis Nursing Essay During my mental health clinical rotation at Karwan-e-hayat, I encountered a 45 year old female patient with the diagnosis of Obsessive compulsive disorder and depression in her rehabilitative phase. She gave Rs 50/- to the nursing assistant to bring nimco for her which costed Rs 25/-. The nursing assistant returned with the nimco but did not returned the rest Rs 25/- to the patient by saying that no money was left. When the patient reported the incident to the nurse, the nurse did not pay any attention to the patient. In the beginning the nurse said that she dont have time to talk about it followed by the statements such as Unlike you, I have too much work to do and then when the patient went to another nurse, she ignored the patient also by saying that The nursing assistant would not have been lying. Patients like you come and go from here every day saying these kinds of things. Go and do your work. The patient went away quietly looking down. Later she verbalized Nobody takes us se riously as we are mentally ill patients. So we cant do anything. Furthermore she said Does being mentally ill means we are not humans? Stigma is a Greek word meaning mark, and is derived from the verb stizein to tattoo, to prick, to puncture. Stigma is usually a mark of disgrace or infamy, which leads to action: discrimination against the stigmatised person (Arboleda-Fl ´orez Sartorius, 2008, P.69). stigma occurs when leading social group diminishes the qualities of a less influential group. Stigma in health care is a very common entity for many groups of the community. One of which is psychiatric patients. People identified as having mental health problems are one of the most marginalised groups in society (Martin, 2009, p.6) The above mentioned case is an example of such cases whereby a mentally ill patient was stigmatized in the hospital settings by the health care professional. Many patients and surveys have highlighted this sheer reality that health care professionals themselves display stigmatizing behaviors and practices (Hinshaw, 2007). Moreover, they depict dehumanizing behavior and lowered expectation towards mentally ill. In this case scenario, the health care professional directly passed on stigmatizing comments to the client. According to Hinshaw, (2007), the health care providers sometimes use frequent comments which are hurtful jokes for the clients. They often use judgmental terms for the patients with one another in the presence of the patient, as though the patients were not even present there. This behavior from the side of the health care provider makes the patient doubt their own self, leading towards self-stigmatization (Hinshaw, 2007). This self-stigmatization in turn makes the patie nts doubt their own self-esteem, lowering their own self-image (Hinshaw, 2007; Link, Struening, Todd, Asmussen, Phelan, 2001). One of the accounts presented by Hinshaw in 2007 clearly states that a kid has internalized the belief that his grandmother punishes him because of his misbehavior as a child and self-blaming himself for the adult psychiatric episodes which he was having. In this way, public stigma makes the patients think that there is something wrong with them and they dont deserve to exist in this world. Many mentally ill people want to get settled in the society but are unable to do so because the world stigmatizes them, the health care professionals stigmatize them and then they doubt their own credibility ending up in self-stigmatizing their own selves. According to former U.S. surgeon David satchers report on mental illness of 1999, he clearly concluded that stigma leads to low self-esteem, isolation, and hopelessnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, it deprives people of their digni ty and interferes with their full participation in society. (Satcher, 1999) That clearly highlights the effected abilities of the individual on the grounds of mental illness. According to the writer, self-stigma is inevitable. This highlighted effect of self-stigma is clearly evident in the case scenario presented above by the action of the patient herself, which she has looked down and moved away. This lowered self-esteem in turn brings out hopelessness in the clients (Link, Struening, Todd, Asmussen, Phelan, 2001). Like the client in the given case scenario says that nobody takes us seriously. We cant do anything. That clearly identifies the notion of hopelessness that the patient has no hopes from life and has accepted clear defeat because of the stigma associated with mental illness. The next question is how does stigma affects the rehabilitation of the mentally ill patients. How does it affect the coping skills of the mentally ill patients? What are the coping mechanisms of the mentally ill patients which they use in stigma? What are the coping mechanisms of the patients with neurosis who are well aware of the reality and understand this notion of stigma, as opposed to the psychosis patients. According to literature, many a times, the stigma posed is due to many of the bizarre symptoms caused by psychosis and the patients with neuroses also have to take it as they all fall under the category of mental illness for the laymen regardless of psychosis and neurosis (Hinshaw, 2007). According to the ethical principle E of the American psychiatric association, the patients have the right of dignity and respect regardless of any differences; that implies to both psychosis and neurosis (Lowman, 2005). The psychotic patient as mentioned earlier is away from the reality co ntent but they surely understand that they are being treated wrongly. (Levine Levine, 2009) They are not able to think rationally but surely they are human beings and are witnessing what is going on with them. Many a times we witness that they cry over small things which are going wrong with them. They are witnessing the behavior of the health care provider but are unable to interrelate it to their past experience. Regardless of the psychosis, it is wrong to treat them any bad so how bad can it be for the neurosis client whose reality content is intact and who can rationalize everything that is going on with them and who can interrelate these aspects with their past and then can feel the shame (Hinshaw, 2007). The patient in the above mentioned case scenario would be forced to think if something is wrong with her resulting in feelings of shame and guilt. This guilt in turn takes the patient in the situation of self-stigmatization which leads on to hopelessness which clearly affects the coping mechanism of the individual since if the person would be hopeless towards his illness, the reconstitution would be delayed (Hinshaw, 2007). Stigmatization affects the personal response of the patient which is a vital part of process of coping. The personal responses are individualized and can change over time. Many a times, the strategy which patients use to avoid stigma and to preserve their self-esteem is secrecy, which preserves their self-esteem but isolates the individual from social support (Satcher, 1999; Hinshaw, 2007). stigma has an important part in determining public health consequences by revealing stigmatized individuals to health-harmful conditions, by aggregating stress, declining coping, and by putting a barrior to receiving health care (Link Phelan, 2006). According to Corrigan and Watson (2002) as cited in hinsaw, 2007 there are many new reasons emerging to justify the reason for some individuals to respond with anger whereas some to nerely ignore the stigma and move on with their lives whilst some internalize the negative message while hurting their self-image. If stigma-related threat is believed to be of greater magnitude than ones coping responses, several types of voluntary and involuntary reactions can come about, like lowered self-esteem, reduced achievement, and compromised physical health. (Hinshaw, 2007) Several questions arise Looking upon the behavior of the health care professional such as is the attitude of the nurse justifiable? Would she have had the same stigmatized responsein the case of another pfysically ill patient? If she would have then she is not following the ethical principle E of the American psychological association of respect of peoples right and dignity. This principle clearly states that the regardless of the awareness of the disability, the health care provider has to maintain the respect of the patient. For the violation of this ethical principle, who is responsible? The nurse or the society to see all the mentally ill patients on a single wavelength and stigmatize them. Who is accountable for it? The nurse or the hospital settings or either the society to be accountable for such stigmatization? Would the same behavior have happened in the western settings? If the patient would have sued the in the court, whose statements would be more valued and listened to t he nurses or the mentally ill clients who is savaged and stigmatized in the community by the names of irrational and unthinkable. Many accounts of the depressed patients state the fact that they are not been taken seriously while giving some statements because of the stigma associated whereas if some other person of pathological chronic condition gives the same statement, it is taken seriously (Shaw, 1998). In the settings of the above mentioned case scenario, would anyone have had listened to her that her rights are being violated or would this all be given the name of mental illness and let go of? One more side of stigmatization comes when we tease normal people by the names of the stigmatized people to embarrass them. In everyday life, language patterns indicates an anxiety with mental disorder across all age groups with a host of terms related to mental illness used to scapegoat and humiliate those who violate social norms. They are associated with mentally ill and words like psycho and wacho are used to compare people who go against social norms in the western community (Hinshaw, 2007). Whereas, no literature is to be found for the usage of such words due to the lack of researches in this field. Usage of variants of such terms at young ages signals the pervasiveness of the criticism of persons with mental disorders. Indeed, judgmental tags of retard or crazy are among the first terms used by children who havent even started their schoolings yet to relegate socially rejected friends in the west. (Hinshaw, 2007) Media also plays important role in stigmatizing the mentally ill . Media differs in east and west which directly effects pattern of stigmatizing. People with psychotic-level disorders, as well as milder disturbances, were portrayed as ignorant, dangerous, dirty, unkind, and unpredictable. (Hinshaw, 2007, p.118) The model which could best be incorporated in this is Link and Phelans model of stigma. In this model stigma is processed by many different components. First one is on distinguishing and labeling differences(Link Phelan, 2001). Most of the differences are usually ignored but sometimes they are not overlooked at and thus labeled. In my clinical case scenario, the patient was labeled as mentally ill having no work to do. The second component is on associating human differences with negative attributes(Link Phelan, 2001). This occurs when the labeled differences are linked to stereotypes and so my patients mental illness was stereotyped as workless people. The third component is of on separating us from them which brings the notion of stigmatization(Link Phelan, 2001). In the above mentioned case scenario also, the patient was referred to as out group as evidenced by the statement patients like you come and go each day but we have work to do, clearly defining the notion of us versus them. The last component is status loss and discrimination(Link Phelan, 2001). In the status loss, patient is connected to undesirable characteristics that reduce his or her status in the eyes of the stigmatizer. In this case, the undesirable characteristic was that mentally ill patients are laid off and redundant where as we are working people so we are higher than them and in this way stigmatized people are put down at the bottom of the hierarchy. Keeping in view the principles of American psychiatric association, the strategies which I would like to pose in this context is the nurse should look in the matter and confirmed the case with the nursing assistant as well as to the shop from which the nursing assistant got the nimco from. Moreover, nursing assistants should be taught all the rights of the patients so that being a health care provider; they would follow all the ethical principles. On an institutional level, a system should be made in which patients can have some responsible person to take care of these things instead of asking anyone they can get their hands on to. To conclude, not much research has been done on this issue of mental health and proper awareness does not exist in this society. More researches needs to be done to address this issue as stigma in mental health persists all around the world. Strategies needed to be thought about to remove this factor of stigma. More education sessions about this needs to be done on the clinical side to make the nurses and other health care providers aware of what the rights of the patients are and a check and balance system should be there to acknowledge either those rights have been followed and fulfilled or not. (word count: 2201 words) References Arboleda-Fl ´orez, J., Sartorius, N. (Eds.). (2008). Understanding the Stigma of Mental Illness: Theory and Interventions. New Delhi, India: Aptara. Hinshaw, S. P. (2007). The Mark of Shame. New York, USA: Oxford University Press. Husted, J. H., Husted, L. G. (2008). Ethical Decision Making in Nursing and Health Care (4th ed.). New York, USA: springer publishing company. Link, B. G., Struening, E. L., Todd, S. N., Asmussen, S., Phelan, J. C. (2001). Stigma as a barrier to recovery-The consequences of Stigma for the self-esteem of people with mental illnesses. Psychiatric Services, 52(12), 1621-1626. Link, B. G., Phelan, J. C. (2006). Stigma and its public health implications. Lancet, 367, 528-529 Link, B. G., Phelan, J. C. (2001). Conceptualizing Stigma. Annual Reviews, 27, 363-85. Levine, J., Levine, L.S. (2009). Schizophrenia for dummies. Canada: Wiley Publisher. Lowman, R. L. (2005). Respect for Peoples Rights and Dignity. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment Trauma, 11(1), 71 77. Martin, N. (2009). From Discrimination to Social Inclusion. Australia: Queensland Alliance. Shaw, F. (1998). Mistaken identity. Lancet, 352, 1051. Satcher, D. (1999). Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Department of health and human services.

Important Role of Prayer in Homers Odyssey :: Homer Odyssey Essays

The Important Role of Prayer in the Odyssey What is the importance of prayer or lack of prayer in the Odyssey? I think prayer and the lack thereof is very important in understanding this literary piece. In the beginning of the Odyssey prayer seems to be a pretty common thing, especially during the times of trouble. Telemakhos prayed numerous times that the gods would help him get rid of the suitors. While is prayer was not answered immediately, he was told what he had to do to find his father and get rid of the suitors. As long as Telemakhos followed Athena and did what she said, she was with him and helped him. She would disguise herself to help and protect Telemakhos as he began his journey. Penelope was the next instance of prayer. She prayed that the gods would ease her pain and protect her son. A higher being, possibly an angel was sent to her to tell her that things would be ok and to ease her mind. She was also usually put into a deep sleep. When Telemakhos and Penelope prayed, their prayers were heard and for the most part answered, maybe not in the way that they wished, but the way the gods felt would make Telemakhos a hero beside his father and give Penelope her dream of having her husband again. Odysseus on the other hand was a different story, he did not pray or just did not mention praying during his time of trouble. Why would he not pray? I believe Odysseus did not pray because of pride. I don't think that he could let go of his pride enough to pray. I think that he believed in the gods and trusted in them, but I think as a hero, he had to do things on his own. He wanted to be able to say that he did it just as he told the Kyklops in book IX: "'Kyklops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes; son, whose home's on Ithaka!' 1" Although prayer was a way to get things done, it was not a method used by all the characters in the Odyssey. Each character was different. Telemakhos was a boy and needed help from a higher being in order to defeat the suitors. Penelope was a woman who was strong-minded, but not strong enough to get rid of the suitors.

Media and Society Essay -- Communication, Aboriginal People, Othering

Media The media is also responsible for some of the stereotypes that resonate among society about Aboriginal people. Hollywood, news and books are all media resources in which Aboriginal people might be presented in negative ways. For example, in many Hollywood movies, Aboriginal peoples are depicted as savage like or illiterate beings who abuse alcohol and women respectively. They are also overrepresented in terms of poor mothering, substance abuse, and seen as lazy in competent people instead of historical trauma victims. Aboriginal men and women are also criminalised in violence and other oppressive situations. Othering Othering is a term that is used to identify people who are different from the mainstream or majority and contributes to the territorial struggles of domination and subordination. The literature shows that othering is a way of marginalising minorities in the health care system. It is something that nurses can do without realising and can be used to identify one’s self from others. Othering someone makes them different than the norm of society or what is expected of the status quo. Raising awareness about othering is important because it can occur on a daily basis without recognition and often have consequences. Othering affects the broader health care structures and needs to be studied in order for modifications to be implemented. The concept of othering has been used in different schools of thought such as feminism and racism. Othering is a means of looking at the inequality of people. According to Bowes (1993) â€Å"Othering can affect health by creating access barriers: Tho se who have had negative experiences in the health system and those who feel unwelcome are less likely to re-enter the health system ... ...er relationships in nursing service delivery. It is about setting up systems which enable the less powerful to genuinely monitor the attitudes and services of the powerful, to comment with safety and ultimately to create useful and positive change which can only be of benefit to nursing and to people we serve† (Ramsden, 1993 as cited in Polaschek, 1998, p. 453). The point of culturally safe practice is not only for nurses to learn but to also discover why or how premeditated biases are formed and then work to change attitudes. Therefore, once insight in gained on postcolonial and socio political chronicles, attitudes should change. This will help to unravel elements of the underlying issues of what constitutes culturally unsafe care. This should be followed by changing nursing policies in health care settings and broader health care structures (Polaschek, 1998).

Socioeconomic Class and the History of South Africa :: African Africa History

Socioeconomic Class and the History of South Africa In any historical account gender, race, socioeconomic class and many more issues are closely interwoven. In fact, to try and separate them would be not only onerous but also a specious task because the resulting account, although perhaps straightforward, would be at best only partial. However, when considering the history of Southern Africa, the most encompassing account would be that of socioeconomic class. The motives behind the historical events of Southern Africa have been strongly socioeconomic, even if the motives then evoked racial or gender based issues. Thus, if one had to choose a way to understand South African history, it should be socioeconomically. The motivation for colonization was economic. It eventually became more economically efficient for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to build its own port than to continue trading with Africans on its way to Eastern Asia (Ross, 21). Dealings between settlers and Africans were based on socioeconomics, whether the interaction was buying and selling cattle and sheep or a conflict over the amount of land that settlers were taking from the Xhosa. For Africans, using a large amount of land for grazing one’s cattle was a symbol of high status because it meant that you had many cattle to graze and that you could protect a large amount of land (Ross, 22). The settler’s invasion was an economic blow. Also, the Great Trek was caused because Afrikaaners felt that they did not have the socioeconomic status they desired. Their land was being divided into small pieces, so they decided it would be better to go out and find other land than to continue to live as they were in the lower class. This was no mass movement of the â€Å"Afrikaaner People,† but only a number of small groups setting out to claim â€Å"free† land for themselves (Ross, 39). The wars between the Africans and Trekkers at these times were fought as the Africans realized that these people were coming to stay on their territory, and as the Trekkers realized that they would have to kill to keep the land they needed to secure wealth (Ross, 40).

My Personal Responsibility to Achieve College Success Essay

The definition for personal responsibility is to be accountable for the choices, words, and actions that you make. To practice personal responsibility in one’s education I think it is important to complete assignments on-time, study for tests, and actively participate in class. Becoming responsible for your academics is also very important and determines your future education and career. What is the relationship between personal responsibility and college success? Being personally responsible and achieving college success have many similarities. Even though personal responsibility does not always guarantee college success, they are associated because they share several similarities between them, both require taking charge of your current situations, performing to your best ability, and taking accountability for your mistakes and failures. Taking control of your situation is important and will determine your academic outcome. When you complete assignments on-time you are taking charge of your current situation. I have learned to effectively manage my time so that my assignments can be turned in before the due date. I also try to perform to my best ability and do whatever it takes to successfully complete assignments on-time no matter how difficult or time consuming they can be. Setting up short term goals allow me to become more accountable for my academics and will help me complete my long term goals as well. Performing to your best ability is imperative to obtaining college success. I always try to be the best that I can be by pushing myself to the limits and forcing myself to do whatever it takes to get the task completed. Studying for tests allows me to gain the most knowledge as possible and allows me to perform successfully in college. If you don’t try and make excuses for poor performance can lead to an unsuccessful academic experience. Preparing for tests and quizzes is necessary for both your learning experience as well as your grade. Maintaining a high grade point average is one of my academic goals and is something I will constantly be monitoring throughout my academic career. Actively participating in class and being responsible are important to your learning experience and success. Getting involved in discussions and asking questions are all a part of the learning process and can provide a wealth of knowledge. Asking questions when something is unclear is your responsibility. Everyone should be responsible and accountable for their own mistakes and failures. Being responsible is acknowledging that you are accountable for the choices in your life and that accepting that will determine the direction for your life. You also must have personal accountability. Personal accountability is the act of taking responsibility for your actions in the workplace or other situations. Rather than directing blame on others, individuals should seek to understand their own contribution towards the situation and how they could make the situation better. In conclusion, without personal responsibility you will not succeed academically. To be successful in life and in college you must be personally responsible for your choices, actions, and behaviors. Being successful means you need to take charge of your current situation, perform to your best ability and be accountable for your own mistakes and failures. Failing to accept personal responsibility result can result in negative consequences. When you have not accepted personal responsibility, you can run the risk of becoming overly dependent on others for recognition, approval, affirmation and acceptance. To practice personal responsibility in my education, I am working on learning self-management, preparing to learn strategies, and learning how to develop study skills. Being personally responsible is very important in all aspects of life and should always be a main priority.

Beginning and Ending Your Speech

Beginning and Ending Your Speech Since the introduction will be your audience's first impression of your presentation and your conclusion will be the final impression you leave your audience with, it is important to spend time writing and practicing both the introduction and conclusion. If you successfully get through the introduction of your speech, it improves the chances you will have a successful speech overall. First, because it will set the tone for the rest of your speech and second, because it will be a boost to your confidence.For both the informative and persuasive speech, you will have your Central Idea Statement at the end of the introduction and at the beginning of the conclusion (with a change in verb tense in the conclusion). For each speech, both the introduction and conclusion should be about a minute to a minute and a half long. If yours is longer or shorter in practice, work on adjusting it. You should not start your informative or persuasive speech with â€Å"Hel lo, my name is†¦.. † instead, start right into the professional introduction as you have created it.Your introduction for both the informative and persuasive needs to have all five elements: 1. It should get the audience's attention and interest You could do this using any of the following techniques (you might use more than one but not all seven). a. State the Importance of Your Topic Explain to your audience how important your topic is to them or the seriousness of your topic. This might include statistics or reports concerning your topic. b. Startle the Audience You might choose something that startles them, such as popping a balloon to talk about air noise.But you should not scare or terrify them. c. Arouse the Curiosity of the Audience You might start with a riddle of some sort to reveal the topic or talk about the topic in a way that leaves the topic a mystery at first. d. Question the Audience You might start by asking your audience rhetorical questions (questions you are not expecting them to answer verbal, but instead, in their own mind). e. Begin with a Quotation You might start with a quotation that somehow leads to the topic. f. Tell a StoryTell the audience a story (either actual or composite) that reveals the nature of your topic. g. Relate the Topic to Current Events You might explain how your topic is related to something that has recently happened in the news. 2. Relate the Topic to the Audience Tell your audience why they should listen to your speech; why this particular topic should be of interest to your audience. If you can't relate your topic to your audience, then why are you having them listen to it? 3. Reveal the Topic Make sure your audience is clear exactly what topic you will be discussing.It may seem obvious to you by the story you have told or the quotation you have shared, but it might not be to them. 4. Establish Credibility and Goodwill This can be difficult for a new speaker or a speaker that is unknown to the audie nce and consequently doesn't have a reputation with the audience. One of the main ways to start off establishing credibility with an audience is through professional dress (referred to as initial credibility). This way at the start, your audience has a good impression of you.In regard to the spoken introduction, explaining to your audience any association you have to your topic will help with credibility (â€Å"for the past four years I've been involved with Civil War reenactments†). If you decided on the topic simply because it was of interest to you, stating that is a good way to establish credibility (â€Å"when I first started doing research for this speech, I didn't think much about the dollar bill, but through my research I was amazed how much history there is behind this piece of paper we all use every day†).Establishing goodwill is establishing that you want to help your audience understand your topic; you have concern for their learning. You might do this by a ddressing their concerns about the topic (â€Å"I know many of you might be oppose to school vouchers but I hope you will keep an open mind about the issues I would like to discuss with you today† or â€Å"I know you might have struggled through a math class but I hope to show you how math can be a form of artwork†). 5. Preview the Body of the Speech For the most part your Central Idea Statement will fulfill this function.However, you may decide your topic needs even more of a preview than the CIS and want to add additional set up for your topic. Your conclusion for both the informative and persuasive needs to have all four elements: 1. Review the Body of the Speech For the most part your Central Idea Statement will fulfill this function. However, you may decide your topic needs even more of a review than the CIS and want to add additional conclusion for the topic. 2. It Should Relate to the Introduction Have your speech come full circle by relating to something you di scussed in the introduction.You can go back to any of the ways you got your audience's attention and interest. For example, you could finish a story you told in the introduction or go back to the questions you posed to your audience and answer them. 3. Call for Future Action in Regard to Your Topic While this seems more natural for a persuasive speech (â€Å"please go out and vote†), it can work for an informative also. You might ask them to learn more about your topic, or try the subject of your speech the next time they get a chance. â€Å"So the next time you go to see a movie, consider all the work that goes into editing a movie† or â€Å"Today I've told you some about The House on the Rock, if you'd like to learn even more, please check out the following books†¦. † or â€Å"The next time you find a spider, instead of running for the can of Raid, consider what an amazing architect you have in front of you†). 4. Give the Speech a Feeling of Conclu sion Your audience shouldn't be confused if your speech is concluding or not. You want to be sure to bring the speech to a clear and smooth ending.People are often so relieved to be finished with the speech (or they haven't spent time writing the ending) that they ruin a great speech with a terrible ending. Remember this is the final impression your audience will have of you and your speech. You should not end the speech with â€Å"thank you† since that implies that the audience was somehow doing you a favor by listening to your speech instead of listening because it was a good speech. Also, you shouldn't end with statements like, â€Å"that's it! or â€Å"that's all I have† since that just throws away the ending of the speech. Additionally, you shouldn't end with â€Å"are there any questions? † since there isn't a time set up for questions ; answers after your speech (so it is just another throw away ending). Another mistake to avoid is to start packing up or walking toward your seat during your conclusion. There is time for that after you speech. You should end your speech, in place, centered in front of your audience. You want to end your speech as strong as you started it. *** The End ****

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel called The Poisonwood Bible beautifully illustrates the lessons learned in a journey that is both physical and metaphysical. As this family travels from Bethlehem, Georgia to the Congo, Africa in order for Nathan, the father, to become a missionary, they each take their own journey of gargantuan proportions. As each character takes very different ideas out of their experiences in Africa, the reader too, is able to experience Africa from the vantage point of multiple narrators. Kingsolver asks the reader from the very beginning to take the journey with this family.â€Å"Oh, but I know better and so do you†¦Take your place then. look at what happened from every side and consider all the ways it could have gone† (Kingsolver 8). In an interview from Book Page, Kingsolver offers some explanation for looking at history. â€Å"We can never know, never look at history with anything but a narrow and distorted window,† says the author. We ca n never know the whole truth, only what's been recorded for us and what our cultural and political predisposition understands. Leah says history is never much more than a mirror we can tilt to look at ourselves† (Kanner).Many members journey from Georgia to the Congo and from ignorance to understanding. In the first section called â€Å"The Things They Carried,† Kingsolver shows the characters packing all the necessary things that they carry into the Congo on this journey. They hide objects in their waistbands that they can’t live without, like band-aids, scissors, cake mixes, and more. The cake solidifies before they are even able to attempts to use it. Before they even get there, Leah realizes these objects weigh her down. What hey realize is that they don’t â€Å"need† any of the objects they brought with them, and that our concept of need is warped by our culture.These possessions stand out against the items of the Congo. The demonstration garde n is a symbol that shows many characteristics of this journey of ignorance and understanding. Nathan’s purpose in the demonstration garden is to show the Congolese agricultural techniques. This garden is symbolic of the attitude that the family carries into the Congo. they believe that their way is superior and Africans are hopelessly backward. However, the plants that they bring are inappropriate to Africa as are the attitudes of the family.The plants are useless; they bear no fruit just like the attitudes of the family. When Mama Tataba tries to advise Nathan, he cannot heed her advice because he believes the Congolese are so backward that she doesn’t know what she is talking about. It never occurs to him that there are reasons other than â€Å"backwardness† as to why there is no agriculture in Kilanga. The journey continues as more attitudes change throughout the course of the novel. Adah believes that it is so terrible that so many children and adults die in Africa of things we can cure.So people like her have brought medicines and inoculations. However, this leads to overpopulation and food shortages and more. Another lesson the family learns on this journey is that human beings cannot change the balance of nature. Nature always finds a way to retain its own balance. Not all characters succeed in taking the journey. Nathan Price never â€Å"sees the light† of his journey. He arrogantly believes that he can change these ancient traditions to his own, and this would be for the betterment of everyone. His way of life is simply superior, but he is blind in so many ways.He actually is physically almost-blind in one eye because of an old war wound. He is figuratively blind to anyone outside his own version of his divine mission. He then loses sight temporally by ignoring Mama’s advice about the poisonwood tree. Kingsolver ultimately longs for the reader to make this journey as well, a journey to explore what really happened in the Congo. She wants the reader to question what we did in the Congo and how we respond to its destruction. This is why we hear the story from five different narrators. There is no right answer; there is only the journey of exploring the possibilities.Orleana is paralyzed at the end of the book. Rachel refuses to accept any part. Leah becomes an activist, attempting to right the wrongs of the world. Adah responds with science, wanting to figure out and understand her world. What this family’s ultimate â€Å"journey† becomes is one of arrogance and superiority to one of understanding and open-mindedness. â€Å"We aimed for no more than to have dominion over every creature that moved upon the earth. And so it came to pass that we stepped down there on a place we believed unformed, where only darkness moved on the face of the waters.Now you laugh, day and night, while you gnaw on my bones. But what else could we have thought? Only that it began and ended with us. What d o we know, even now? Ask the children. Look at what they grew up to be. We can only speak of the things we carried with us, and the things we took away† (Kingsolver 10) Works Cited Kanner, Ellen, Barbara Kingsolver turns to her past to understand the present. 1998 Retrieved June 3, 2007. from First Person Book Page site http://www. bookpage. com/9811bp/barbara_kingsolver. html Kingsolver. Barbara, The Poisonwood Bible. HarperCollins, Canada. 2005.

Water Microbiology

Alyse Rose Microbiology Lab Bacterial Unknown March 25, 2013 Bacterial Unknown Report Each student was given an unknown bacteria to figure out. I was given the unknown bacteria S38. Everybody is supposed to do all sorts of test to identify the bacteria. The first thing I did was smear my bacteria on a liquid medium. I then proceeded to incubate the medium for 24-48 hours. 1. GRAM STAIN The next step I took in finding my unknown bacteria was to gram stain it.This is used to differentiate the bacteria. The different staining reagents are: crystal violet, grams iodine, acetone-alcohol, and grams safranin. Under the microscope it was a pink color, which means Gram Negative. Also, the shape was a rod. 2. KLIGER’S IRON AGAR (KIA) The next step I did was the KIA slant. This is for the Negative bacteria to see if they are in the Enteriobacteriaceae group. There are many different results than can occur, like: 1.Yellow slant/yellow deep- (A/A) glucose & lactose are fermented; if the bu tt has bubbles in it or is displaced, the tube is gas positive. 2. Red slant/yellow deep- (K/A) glucose but not lactose is fermented 3. Red slant/black deep- (K/A) glucose but not lactose is fermented and H2S2 is produced. The deep is acid (yellow) 4. Red slant/ red deep- (K/NC) neither carbohydrate is fermented. Peptone is degraded aerobically My result was a red slant and black deep. When is H2S2 is produced. Read Chapter 8 Microbial GeneticsThe deep is acid (yellow). Glucose was fermented and lactose wasn’t. 3. UREASE HYDROLYSIS TEST This test is used to see if urea is used. Proteus can be determined because there fast urease activity. Proteus is the ability to utilize lactose. My test resulted in a positive result. It was a pink color. In my end result, my unknown bacteria is Proteus Vulgaris. Gram Stain| Positive Gram Stain| Negative gram stain| KIARed slant/black deep| Urease Test| Urease Positive| Urease Negative| Proteus Vulgaris|

Human Resource Management in Multinational Banks in Tanzania Research Paper

Human Resource Management in Multinational Banks in Tanzania - Research Paper Example Standard Bank provides a variety of specialized financial services to the local population and is focused on the small business needs of the area. They have a formal hierarchy and channels of communication which run from top to bottom; making use of specific technology and softwares to manage their transactions smoothly. The strategic decisions, including HR functions are made in the Head Office with full operational control of all the activities taking place in each regional branch. The directives from the Head Office are issued to the regional Head Office and then passed on to the country branches. The Branch representatives are responsible for monitoring and implementing all the directives and for maintaining the company culture. Utilizing traditional African ideas and values the bank has a team based approach which fosters collective work mindset and a relaxed work environment. There is a structure enforced through physical space but communication is free flowing and relaxed with a mix of Swahili and English. The company is concerned with the personal and professional satisfaction of its employees stating that â€Å"The more we treat our employees fairly, the more they will work well for us† (Newenham-Kahindi, 2007). Standard Bank has strong training and development programs, bringing in expatriates for extensive training with smaller in-house training programs available as well. These training sessions incorporated input from the employees and allowed local participation. A worker’s committee made up of bank representatives also serves to protect employee welfare; even though it does not have autonomous decision making. In many ways the bank is attempting to be mindful of the local needs and the traditional work expectations. However some areas of improvement have to be management correctly as the bank moves forward. In recent

It has been claimed that Jackson Pollock was an artist of the Research Paper

It has been claimed that Jackson Pollock was an artist of the mid-twentieth century who inspired a revival of interest in Impressionism - Research Paper Example Dying at the age of 44, his work has become even more influential after his death, and many people can define and recognize a ‘Pollock’ for its unique and interesting style (Emmerling, 2003). Having had posthumous exhibitions at galleries such as the Tate Modern in London and MoMA in New York, Pollock can rightly be said to be one of the most influential modern artists, and as such his work will have inspired and influenced many others. Having this much power and influence, any art that his work references will be of interest to many, and as such Pollock can be said to have caused a revival of interest in Impressionism. Jackson Pollock, Lavender Mist: Number 1, 1950 The end of World War II created a feeling of alienation and disillusionment in the broader society (Shapiro, 2000). Vanguard artists, believing they are ‘one of the most moral and idealistic of beings’ turned to their art instead for ‘self-discovery, freedom of belief and action, and autono mous, honest creation’ (Sandler, 1978). The canvas became ‘an arena in which to act’ and to express emotions (Rosenberg, 1959). Moreover, ‘The gesture on the canvas was a gesture of liberation from value – political, aesthetic, moral’ (Rosenberg, 1959). ... ‘part of it during creation’ (West, 1996) and that ‘No artist among the Abstract Expressionists is more open about revealing the stages that led up to the surface we see’ (Varnedoe and Karmel, 2002). Pollock’s beliefs shaped his art and his biggest contribution to the revival of Impressionism and subsequent art movements in the 60s (De Zegher, 2005) and even the Feminist Movement (Nochlin, 2006) was ‘Pollock’s radical approach to painting’ for it revolutionized the potential for all contemporary art that followed him’ (Varnedoe and Karmel, 2002). To understand how Pollock is related to Impressionism, both its contribution to his work and vice versa, it is necessary to understand the movement itself. Impressionism is a late 19th century art movement based mainly in Paris (in contrast to Pollock’s 20th century New York). The main defining factor of Impressionist art work is that the paint is applied quickly and in thick strokes (Clancy, 2003) which means that the focus is on the emotions and atmosphere of the subject rather than the technical details of the piece (Herbert, 1991). The original Impressionism focused mainly on ordinary subject matter, and this is recognizable within the painting (Herbert, 1991). Another factor involved in the definition of Impressionism is that the paint colors are applied to the canvas without mixing where possible, relying on biological and psychological processes within the eye to bring them together (Clancy, 2003). Jackson Pollock, Blue Poles Number II, 1952 Bearing these details in mind, it becomes easier to see how Pollock can be seen as an extension of Impressionism and invoking a revival of it; ‘turning from the formal means of Impressionism to its expressive character, and its social and cultural

The Year of Living Dangerously - Vision Can Be a Model for Knowledge Essay

The Year of Living Dangerously - Vision Can Be a Model for Knowledge - Essay Example The symbol comes through Billy helping Guy to see. Guy internalizes traditions of the west as a way of objectifying and distancing the virtue of knowledge when he says, "I gave her to you, and now I'm taking her back (Gibson 16)". By defining self in the opposition context, Guy develops a primary demeanor and attitude of disagreement. The guy makes it clear from the start that there is no way he will involve himself in ensuing affairs. However, Billy takes the initiative of going parallel in a connective and paradoxical manner in exploring the function of vision. Billy associates vision with empathy, commitment, and contact. Billy replaces communion in likeness Guy’s opposition via difference. In his view, Billy wants the verb ‘to see’ remain synonymous with ‘feeling’ as a verb. This is different from other parts of the world as â€Å"Algonquian Indian languages do not have tenses (not that they cannot express time if they wish), but rather have "ani mate" and "inanimate" verb forms, so they automatically think in terms of whether things around them have a life essence or not.† Billy makes effort to visualize the real Djakarta that covers thousands of people living in poor conditions because of humble backgrounds. Therefore, they die from multiple diseases and starvation. Conclusively, the film in celebration of the medium as a movie highlights pessimistic statements concerning possible opportunities. Weir, the director, encounters inherent features met by the visual image when it tries entering the human conscience.

Case Analysis of Tata Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Case Analysis of Tata Motors - Essay Example It was a very conscious effort considering the situation of global car market and the company’s competitive advantages. Nano has been marketed as the â€Å"World’s Cheapest Car† and the company has adopted a very unique development and business model for this special child of it. One of the most important advantages that the company enjoys is that it has more than enough knowledge about its home market i.e. India, its competitors and its suppliers. Tata Motors and its chairman Ratan Tata want Nano to create same magic that Mini did in Britain and Beetle did in Germany. Furthermore, the company and its visionary management could foresee the future of global car market which is expected to be very much dominated by the low-cost as well as ultra-low-cost cars. This paper includes the answers of four questions that are based on a case of Tata Motors and its Nano. The paper aims to discuss the reasons behind the Tata Motors’ decision to enter the market of ultr a-low-cost cars, competitive advantages of Tata Motors as well as Nano, probable screening criteria for the Nano’s IMS process and the potential market for Nano beyond India and China. Main Reasons for Tata Motors entering the ultra-low-cost car market Global car industry and its competitive landscape have been experiencing significant alterations which are permanent and dramatic. One of the main reasons behind this is the change in nature of demand of the end users across the globe. A completely new and unique class of car buyers has been emerging in the industrializing countries like China and India. Such incident has created a huge potential for cars which can be found in the price range of $2500 - $5000. Such cars are popular among the manufacturers and buyers as ultra-low-cost cars. A report of A. T. Kearney says that till 2020, almost 16 million cars from this category will be sold every year. India and other Southeast Asian countries will be the key market for such typ e of cars (A. T. Kearney, 2008). Chinese and Russian consumers are expected to look beyond ultra-low-cost cars as they have moved ahead of their Indian counterparts in terms of income level. This new category of cars is likely to experience tremendous demand especially from India. In 2005, almost 208 million Indian had an income that theoretically allows them to buy a car that costs in between $2500 - $5000. It is expected that by the end of 2020 there will be around 439 million people who will be looking for these ULCCs. It is important to mention that most of these people will be ‘first time buyer’ of car. Research shows that if the car is priced at around $4000 then almost 270 million Indians will be in a position to buy it, whereas if the starting price is set at around $2500 then the number moves up to 530 million (A. T. Kearney, 2008). Tata Motors, being an India based car maker knows the market more than any other company. The company is very much aware of the ab ove mentioned facts and figures; hence this huge potential of ULCCs has definitely influenced Tata Motors to make an entry in ULCC market. Tata Motors did its own research before coming up with the plan of Nano. The company targeted the market that no other auto maker in the country has done it. It has targeted the two wheeler owners. India is such a country where people use two-wheelers as their

Manage people performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Manage people performance - Essay Example As the organization is already highly differentiated in terms of market segmentation the overarching company goals are expanding these market elements into larger markets, as well as creating more value for members. Still, within this context of understanding there are specific company goals that further articulate the organization’s strategic initiatives. In these regards, the first company goal has been indicated to be, â€Å"To deliver our core products and services to a standard and quality which meets or exceeds members’ expectations† (‘Racq’). In these regards, the company recognizes that while they achieved significant success, it’s necessary to continue to develop and create customer value in as effective and efficient way as possible. In ensuring that customer expectations are met and exceeded the organization can retain current customers and expand into new markets. A second primary company goal is to develop means of increasing the value of membership in a mutual gains approach for company and customer. While this may seem counter-intuitive, the company understands that in developing greater efficiency measures, strengthened partnerships, and greater strategy, membership can be both expanded as a means of offering greater value to the customer and still retaining an increased profit share. The final company goal is to develop new and sustainable income streams that function within the company’s brand and vision. Since it’s beginnings the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland has been highly successful in not simply gaining members, but also in expanding the membership benefits and sources of revenue. One considers that the company does not simply provide roadside assistance, but also gains revenue from car and automobile insurance. The company then desires to expand into even further markets as a means of gaining profit and developing the organization. There are a number of critical success factors for the

Provide a report to describe how you would plan a survey for this Essay

Provide a report to describe how you would plan a survey for this purpose - Essay Example The first requirement is regarding sample population and the data collection procedure for obtaining required information (Rubin, 2008, p. 59). Access to the sample population of visitors can be in various tourist areas, shopping malls, and other visitor attractions. Therefore, one can conduct the survey at multiple locations where visitors are likely to be. Once researchers decide about sites of the survey, a sample population must be chosen and the number of visitors to be surveyed must be decided. For instance, approximately one hundred visitor opinions can be an adequate number of responses needed for the results of the survey for generalization. After this, surveyors can focus on parameters or controls for age, gender, marital status, number of children, and income. Hence, out of the 100 respondents surveyed, 50 can be female and 50 can be male. Then the research team should divide participants further into age brackets to ensure that results may indicate opinion of people belonging to different age brackets (Schaeffer et al, 2011, pp. 112-115). The data should be collected via a verbal survey in which visitors are stopped at the site of the survey and requested to answer a few quick questions. The interviewer should fill out the questionnaire him/herself and ask a limited number of questions, which should mostly be close-ended. It is important that the first few questions should relate to personal characteristics, such as age bracket, occupation, family size, and income. Subsequently, the questions should focus on the types of shops and the types of services people visit while staying in Canterbury City. It is important that the survey should ask information regarding spending of customers on different activities and products, and if possible, regarding total budget of the visit. An efficient way will be to include quick questions regarding personal interests along with types of

Effects of Performance Evaluation Systems on Employee Morale Research Paper

Effects of Performance Evaluation Systems on Employee Morale - Research Paper Example In human resources management, morale is defined as â€Å"the extent to which an employee’s needs are met ant the extent to which the person perceives that satisfaction as stemming from his or her total job situation; (it is) synonymous with satisfaction†. Job satisfaction and employee motivation are two of the more important concerns of the human resource function in any organization as most of these recognize, that its people are its most important resources. Therefore it is to their ultimate advantage to take care and provide for the needs of their employees. People’s needs are of course determined by different sources and these needs variously control their motivations or the driving forces behind their behaviors. In the study of employee morale therefore, the theories on motivation could be useful to explain this psychological construct. One of the most influential theories upon which many managers base their performance management approach is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. As people engage in activities that increase their satisfaction, the study of Maslow’s theory becomes important as it explains what particular needs people are trying to gratify through their pursuits. The theory proposes that there are five levels of needs, namely, physiological or the need for food, shelter, water, clothing and other biological needs; security or the need to for protection and safety; belongingness or the need for affection and love; esteem or the need for recognition either from himself or from others; and the highest need of self-actualization which is the desire for self-fulfillment. Maslow emphasizes that the needs in the lower rungs of the hierarchy should be met first before an individual can satisfy the higher level needs. This theory has important implications to management as it points out cl early which needs are to be met and provided at which stage at work and which could be used to motivate them (Jones, 2007). The need for esteem in particular relates to the need of employees to be recognized for their accomplishments, expertise, or skills. If an employee is motivated by this particular need, then providing timely and constructive feedback on how he does at work may encourage him to give a better performance. Another prominent theory on employee motivation is Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory which argues that employees will be more motivated to work if they believe that their efforts will lead to higher performance and that this better performance will result to more rewards (Jones (2007). It means then that if an employee will be provided knowledge about his past performance, he can gauge the likeliness of his success or failure in a future or similar task. Performance evaluation systems should be sensitive then to detect low performance so that managers can provide encouragement and the necessary support like coaching or training to underperforming employees. In the same vein, if the evaluation results show that an employee is performing very well at work, then managers’ congratulatory notes can boost the employee’s morale and self-confidence in his abilities and success at work. Psychologists Henry Murray and David McClelland introduced the Acquired Needs Theory which posits that individuals obtain

Capitalism and United States Essay Example for Free

Capitalism and United States Essay There are many aspects of FDR’s New Deal that must be analyzed in order to determine if this collection of economic programs helped or hurt America’s effort in ending the Great Depression. The Great Depression caused both a decline in national moral and economic productivity unprecedented in United States history. The previously prestigious capitalistic economy was brought to its knees on Black Thursday in October of 1929. Roosevelt had taken office with the intent to quickly relieve a nation from Hoover’s â€Å"do-nothing approach† within his first 100 days as president. He knew he had to act fast in order to fulfill the demands of the people that could be, in part, credited because of their investments in the stock market with unstable funds. There was a rebellion in full swing. As recorded in A People’s History of the United States, â€Å"Desperate people were not waiting for the government to help them; they were helping themselves.†After the stock market crashed, the flaws in the capitalist system were more predominantly brought to surface. The system had been given a bad name among a growing socialist nation in times of desperation. To a socialist critic, the system could be depicted as unsound by nature; neglecting human needs in the pursuit of large corporate benefits. The New Deal was set in place to save capitalism from itself. In order to do this Roosevelt felt that passing a number of social programs would keep the market economy from, once again, self destructing. Through his efforts, Roosevelt had consequently formed class warfare. The faces of business leaders had become the faces of bloodthirsty, evil men which appealed largely to an American public looking for someone, something, or anything to blame for the pain they were going through. Finding that happy-medium between relieving the economic crisis of the American people and not giving the public something they could view as a government fall-back was something that the country had never had to deal with before on this large of a scale. Throughout Roosevelt’s implementation of his social programs concerns surfaced from conservative Americans. Roosevelt did not want welfare to be seen as â€Å"a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit.† FDR’s New Deal, under a growingly socialist system, in ways got the country back on its feet and may have been the fix that America was looking for at the time. At the same time; however, it could have been the spark to the gradual lazy, entitled attitude that we experience today in the United States.

Perfect competition V. Monopolies Essay Example for Free

Perfect competition V. Monopolies Essay In the American Economy, business is controlled by the government and the consumer. When a person is the owner of a business that is alone in its product that it provides for the consumer, it is said to be a monopoly. As a monopoly you have sole control over price. Monopolies are regulated by the government in order to prevent the misuse of power that a monopoly has. If a person can only get turkey, for example from one store. Then the store can charge a lot more for that turkey than it could if the store next door was selling it too because then there would be competition. Also, the store would not have to produce a better quality of turkey because there would be no reason for it to do so. In this situation the consumer is taken unfair advantage of by the business owner, in this case the store. Government regulates monopolies to promote a perfect competition economy and to get rid of the turkey situation discussed above. The benefits of a perfect competition economy benefit consumers. For example, if we go back to the store, in a perfect competition economy all of the stores have turkey. Now the stores want to make sure that the turkey that they sell is the best turkey and cost the least. In this situation they are competing for the consumers business. However, business owners of a monopoly situation disagree with the government. When there is a business that has the potential to become a monopoly the government watches it very closely and the business has to go through the government for mergers and such. The more the business becomes a monopoly, the more the government says no to the businesss requests. For example, there is Microsoft. The government has been working to keep Microsoft from being the big business that it is today. So, in conclusion, a perfect competition economy makes benefits for the consumer. Likewise, a monopolistic economy makes benefits for the business owner. On the flip side, a perfect competition shows drawbacks for the business owner and a monopolistic economy shows drawbacks for the consumer. The best way to run an economy is to have a balance between the two options. Americas economy does this.

History And Background Of Amazon Marketing Essay

History And Background Of Amazon Marketing Essay There are so many reasons for adopting mergers and acquisitions strategies in companies. However, in general, the main reason for takeovers is company is seeking improvement in its financial performance. Mergers and acquisition take place when company takeover its potential competitors to reduce its competition and try to increase or gain market shares in the market. Another reason could be because of the company want to branch out its brand name either into related or unrelated area to increase its size. To gain another companys resources, operation technology or its brand name so that it would be more secure when entering new markets or introduce new products, could be one of the reasons for adopting mergers and acquisitions in business (OHara, 2012). Kraft foods is the second largest food company after Nestle in the world and it produces chocolate, candy, biscuits, gum, coffee and powdered beverages. It is trying to become a world leader in snacking environment with good quality products. The significant acquisition and divestitures of this company are the purchase of Cadbury which is a British confectionary company on June 2010 and the sale of its frozen-pizza business to Nestle on March 2010 and the author will be going to present about why the company did acquisition and divestment. First of all, according to the CEO of Kraft, the reason for Kraft buying Cadbury Company is to make it big its brand name into the foreign markets such as India and Brazil as the Cadbury has already had its brand image in those markets (Namazi, 2010). Furthermore, the intention of the acquisition of Cadbury was to present Kraft a strong presence in confectionary and chocolates business and to develop their snack products power across the globe and to expand its company portfolio. Secondly, no doubt every business has to face competition in its respective area. Especially when it comes to foods company, there are so many rival companies either local companies or international companies that the company is going to face. Cadbury is a British iconic brand of confectionary and it probably would be rivals for Kraft foods too if Kraft wouldnt decide to acquire. But as Kraft foods acquired the Cadbury, not only Kraft foods gain the place in confectionary products but also they enter the Euro markets and it has less competition in confectionary products area. After Kraft and Cadbury joined together, according to Jones (2010), Nestle, which is the worlds largest food group as well as always holds the first or second places in all food categories, falls to the third place in chocolate world after Mars-Wrigley and Kraft-Cadbury. Last but not least, Ruddick (2010) states that another reason of acquiring Cadbury is Kraft foods is trying to grow its product broadly in market, expand its product range and to become world leading brands in sweets, chocolate and chewing gum. Cadbury itself has achieved a great product quality and brand image in chocolate world as well as Kraft foods itself has got its brand name in the snacking environment such as Ritz, Oreo cookies. With those products, Kraft foods has achieved fairly in peoples taste and already has a firm position in the biscuit market though it is still weak in chocolate field. However, with the Cadbury besides dominating the top positions in chocolate field is no longer a problem for Kraft and even this would make Kraft to become one of the leadership in chocolate brands. However, there had been a divestment of one of its own pizza business to its rival Nestle Company just before Kraft foods acquired Cadbury on early 2010. In the financial news release of Kraft on Jan 2010, the company announced it agreed to sell its frozen pizza business to Nestle. The reason for this divestment is the company want to focus on the products which can take international markets place swiftly and effectively. Unlike confectionery products, frozen foods are not easy to deliver across the globe efficiently and it would delay the goal of Kraft which is to become the largest food company worldwide. Andrejczak (2010) outlines that owing to a thought it could get a bit closer to purchasing Cadbury, the Kraft foods sold its frozen pizza business to its largest competitor, Nestle. Both in a sense to waste the Nestlà ©s competition power in bidding the Cadbury and also in one that it could get money to raise for the Cadbury bid. Birchall (2010) as well as in the Financial News release of Kraft mention that it is clear that Ms Rosenfeld, the CEO of Kraft, is keener to focus on confectionery products which have high profit margin and can be marketed globally rather than frozen pizza business which is limited global potential and Kraft is trying to boost its company profit and gain its brand name in everywhere. Thus, the company is prepared to get rid of its lower margin and low growth business to sharpen its products portfolio in emerging markets plus global markets. This is one of the reasons why Kraft sold its frozen pizza business to Nestle. Amazon.com Inc Amazon.com Inc is established on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and it is the largest electronic commerce company to date where customers can buy almost everything they can imagine online and the company is always trying to provide the lowest possible prices to its customers. On March 2012, Kiva Systems Inc agreed to be acquired by Amazon.com Inc for $775 million in cash and it is the second biggest takeover of Amazon. Kiva Systems Inc. is the manufacturer of robots that move around warehouses, grabbing and moving shelves and crates full of products. On the report of Barr (2012), it is cited that the reason of Amazon takeover Kiva is that the acquisition of Kiva took place when Amazon adds a lot of new distribution centres in recent years to service its rapidly growing business. Dave Clark, the vice president of Amazon of global customer fulfilment said in a statement that Amazon has long used automation in its fulfilment centres, and Kivas technology is another way to improve productivity by bringing the products directly to employees to pick, pack and stow. Therefore, Kiva warehousing technology is making retailers fulfil online orders quickly and with fewer workers. The author also believes that the competition within rival companies is one of the motives for Amazon to buy Kiva systems. Kiva is an innovative product and since Amazon acquired Kiva, the company is supporting Kiva systems to get the best methods to provide a better service in coming years. To cope with its rival companies such as eBay or Apple which are largest companies in e-commerce fields, the company has to be more innovative in technology operation and always has to find an efficient system to delivering the products to its customers in much better way than its rivals. Kiva technology is helping not only to simplify the tasks but also reduce cost while maximising flexibility of the warehouses tasks from receiving orders to picking the products to shipping to stay ahead of its rivals. Finally, another reason for buying Kiva is to reduce costs. According to Trefis Team (2012), Amazons earning with revenues was up 29% year after year, reaching to $12.83 billion in the second quarter of 2012 report of Amazon. Most of its revenue was coming from the increasing sales of general merchandise and electronics. It increased 34% in international markets and around 41% in the North American markets. On the other hand, the operating margins of Amazon were remarkably declined because of the margin pressures as it has been spending money on its expansion of fulfilment centres continuously in recent years to enable to carry on its rapid growth of business. Since the company is a retail business and furthermore it is growing rapidly, it needs a large amount of storing place to hold the different types of goods. It is not very easy task to do for labour in locating the goods in the warehouse and carry the correct goods swiftly and efficiently whereas the robots can easily identify the goods with bar codes. Thus, by using Kivas automated warehousing technology systems at the warehouses, things will get done faster than before and it will boost the speed of productivity which will lead to reduce the cost of company. Another acquisition of Amazon that the author is going to present is Zappos. Zappos is online shoes and apparel retailer which has become a leader in online market giving the best possible service to its customers. Zappos agreed to be acquired by Amazon on July 2009. All the reasons, that are going to present about why Amazon acquired Zappos by the author, are referred to YouTube video from (07272009july, 2009) Jeff Bezos about Amazon and Zappos. The reason why Amazon interested in Zappos is that Zappos is unique. Jeff Bezos said in the video that Zappos has a unique culture that no one has and it is a very significant asset. It has its own reputation, brand representation and its employees and it is the main reason for Zappos to maintain its brand since it has gained the customer trust and known as the customer based business. Amazon is customer based business and so does Zappos. As both businesses go to the same direction and focus on giving the best service to their customers, it is important for both companies to give customers a good representation of their products. Jeff Bezos also said that Zappos is under the great hands of great leadership. It can be one of the reasons why Amazon acquired Zappos because it is not easy to find good leaders though it is easy to find an achieved business. An Achieve business cannot secure a good future but good leaders can promise a bright future. In this case, the author would say it is a bonus for Amazon since it acquired Zappos which is under the great leadership with a good brand image in its market area at present and with a lot of potential growth ahead in the future. Another reason could be that not only Zappos has great leaders it is also connected to Amazon for being a customer obsessed company. In addition, there are even more amazing things. Because of the images of both Amazon and Zappos, it will affect greatly on Amazon which is also a customer based and at the same time Zappos image will also be greatly affected since Amazon is one of the most achieving online retailer businesses which means it has broad market. When Amazon merged with Zappos, they can approach customers from both sides which double the customer, make the companies to enter the market broadly and expand their existing business. As synergy which is two plus two equal five, both companies have good image and good service in their respective areas and thus, joining and participating companies together can enhance the value and brand of both companies in the market positions. Furthermore, both companies can share their strategies, technologies and operation experiences as the best as they could to achieve both brands reputation and services and even grow faster in the market. Part 2: Key Opportunity Kraft foods Kraft sold its own frozen pizza business and made a far wider move in confectionery area by acquiring Cadbury. Both Kraft and Cadbury already have their own brands, values and customers in snacking markets. In addition, early this year, Kraft- Cadbury has established a new research and development centre in Birmingham. It is an opportunity to explore new product technology and new product development and best practices for its brands. Besides, there are plenty of things they can do together. They can share the ways they operate, create new ideas for product design and explore new tastes for its customers to gain customers attraction. Together they can make more innovative products not only to expand its products range but also to compete with its rivals. Therefore, they both have opportunities to enter new emerging markets together bringing new products and dominate the confectionery market in the upcoming years. Amazon As Amazon acquired Kiva robotic warehousing systems, there will be a great impact on labour in the future. Manual workers will be being replaced by robots which means, this will lead reduction in labour cost in coming years and thus, the annual labour costs for the company will decline in the upcoming future. Instead of labour costs, the company will only have to pay for the maintaining cost of the system. However, the initial planting cost for folding the system into Amazon will probably be quite a big cost for the company, even so Amazon has bought Kiva which means it buy its own product to enhance the system so there will be not much cost compared to buying external supplier. According to Stynes (2011), $2.4 million was spent by Amazon in installing air conditioners in four of its warehouses due to the collapse of workers by high temperature in summer. In the warehouses that use Kiva system need only a few workers and Kiva robots dont need the same level of climate control, meaning that Amazon can reduce its overhead cost. As not like human workers, Kiva robots can work without light (Madrigal, 2012) and this is another lightning overheard that Amazon can reduce and boost its profit margin. Nevertheless, if Amazon planned to replace the Kiva system once and for all, Amazon could face a pinch. Not only it is going to cost a big amount of initial cost but also the labour turnover cost. The biggest problem may be concerned with redundancy. Firing labour might combine and bring the Amazon a protest since it holds a considerable amount of labour. So the government will not stay still and the governmental involvement must be considered too.