Meaning of life †Mind Essay

The meaning of life is a question that is thrown around from person to person asking them what they think. Some people have an idea of what the meaning of life is and other has no clue. Some believe that you just live life and others believe while living life you discover the meaning. During this essay I will be talking about what other people think about this question. When I had a conversation with my father about what the meaning of life is all about he had the same response to the question that basically everyone else had came up with. The one difference that he said while we were chatting was that life is full of choices and decisions. I thought long and hard for a while about what he said thinking that there was more behind it then just what he had stated. What I came up with was that maybe he was implying that what we do during our term of living is what sets up the next thing that happens in life. So each choice that we make is important in that it’s not the meaning of life that’s so important but the concept of what we do during life is the meaning. Some might disagree and imp still thinking about what my father has said to, but its just another point of view and I have no problem looking at it from a different angle. Another big topic when it comes to the question of the meaning of life is music. Music is a great way to hear what other people and especially artist think about the meaning of life thought their songs. Sometimes it’s hard to hear but if you listen closely there is always a message somewhere that says something about the meaning of life. For example in the song â€Å"I don’t wanna be† By the artist Gavin Degraw he speaks out about what he thinks about the meaning of life threw what other people are and what he doesn’t want to become. â€Å"I’m surrounded by liars everywhere I turn Imposters everywhere I turn surround me I’m surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn Am I the only one who’s noticed? I can’t be the only one who’s learned I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately All I have to do is think of me and I’ve peace of mind I’m tired of looking ’round rooms wondering what I got to do Or who I’m supposed to be I don’t want to be anything other than me† (www. sing365. com) What these lyrics are basically saying is that he can see that everyone around him is acting like something that there not. Then he says that he doesn’t want to act like everyone else and not know who he is but he just wants to be he and live life the way he wants to. The next topic that is a good place to find out the meaning of life is the creative minds of artist and there art work. Art work is always a good place to find out the meaning of life because again the artist have a message in there work hidden and you have to find what there saying. The only difference from music is instead of saying the message they paint the message in a form of image weather it’s a paining or it’s a sculpture. There is many ways that you can discover meaning of life. In some ways its not what you find the meaning of life in its more about what you perceive of the meaning of life. When you look at something like a painting or a song what do you think it is trying to say? Does it paint a picture in your head and what does that picture look like? I find that the best way to see the meaning of life is threw movie. Movies are an image of the life that we live but it shows us the true meaning of life in a way that we can all understand. People are blind when it comes to what makes them in this world. In a movie the character is set up to live there life and threw events shows us what makes them unique. In one movie the Shaw shank redemption the main character Andy is convicted for a murder that he doesn’t commit and is forced to go to hail for life. In the movie you think that he has nothing to live for anymore but in a way they present what his meaning of life is and how it comes clear to the characters eyes. The character see’s that he needs certine things in life to live. Friends was one of the things that he discovered was important to live a happy and full life. Hope is another one; if you don’t have hope then you have nothing to look forward to so then what is the point of living. The main thought in the movie was get busy living or get busy dieing. What this is suppose to mean is if your not going to start living and doing all the things you want to complete in life you might as well start on dieing. The meaning of life is very complex and you can’t always pick up everything that it’s going to throw at you. That’s why movies, art and music in around so that other people who think about the topic more can show you there incite. If you listen and look at thoughts things you can learn things that will show you what the meaning of life is or at least what you can do to get started on living your life.

The Difference Between Civil Law and Criminal Law

Student Handout 3. 1 – The Difference Between Civil Law and Criminal Law When is a legal problem criminal and when is it civil? What difference does it make whether it is criminal or civil? One way of looking at criminal law is that it is dealing with something of public interest. For example, the public has an interest in seeing that people are protected from being robbed or assaulted. These are legal problems that fall into the criminal law.Criminal law involves punishing and rehabilitating offenders, and protecting society. Since the public has an interest in having criminal law, we give the government the power to put it in place and enforce it. The police and Crown Prosecutors are hired by the government to put the criminal law into effect. Public funds are used to pay for these services. If you are the victim of a crime, you report it to the police and they have the responsibility to investigate. They arrest and charge the suspect.In most cases, if a charge has been prop erly laid and if there is evidence supporting it, the Crown Prosecutor, not the person who complains of the incident, prosecutes it in the courts. This is called a system of public prosecutions. Long ago the person who had been wronged prosecuted the case. The power to prosecute privately remains, but is used rarely now. Even if a person starts a prosecution privately, the Attorney General has the power to take over the prosecution of the case. As a victim, you do not have to be responsible for enforcing the law.The police and Crown Prosecutor do their jobs for the public at large, not for you personally. In a criminal case, the Crown prosecutor must prove the defendant’s guilt â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt. † This means that at the end of a trial the judge or jury can only find the defendant guilty if they are left without a reasonable doubt about the defendant’s guilt. In other words, there is no logical or rational reason to doubt the defendant’s gui lt. This is not the case in civil law. Civil law is about private disputes etween individuals or between individuals and organizations. Civil matters include areas such as contract law, family law, tort law, property law and labour law. The person suing for a wrong has the burden of proving their case on a â€Å"balance of probabilities. † This means that a judge or jury must believe their story and evidence more than the defendant’s version. They do not need to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil disputes usually involve some harm, loss or injury to one party or their property.Unlike criminal law; however, civil law is primarily involved with compensating victims. If a civil action is successful, the defendant will be responsible for the wrongful action. While a defendant in a criminal case may be found â€Å"guilty† or â€Å"not guilty,† a defendant in a civil case is said to be â€Å"liable† or â€Å"not liable† for damages. If you have a civil law problem, you have to take action yourself if you want to get a legal remedy. You can hire a private lawyer, and you will have to pay the expenses of pursuing the matter.For example, if you hire someone to paint your house and they do a poor job, it is a dispute between you and the painter. The police do not get involved. If you want to sue the painter for breach of contract, it is your responsibility to do so. Sometimes criminal law is referred to as part of our public law because it applies to all Canadians and regulates relationships within our society. Similarly, civil law is sometimes referred to as private law because it regulates private relationships between individuals in our society.

Analysis of Health Education Pamphlet Essay

Analysis of Health Education Pamphlet: Helping Yourself Heal When Your Spouse Dies Mental health is an important component of overall healthcare, but it is often overlooked. Although society has become more aware of mental health issues, there is still a stigma perceived, and individuals are often reluctant to disclose their mental health issues for fear of rejection, prejudice or avoidance by others (Turner, 2013). Grief and the grieving process is a common aspect of mental health; this pamphlet’s target audience is individuals who have lost their partner (Wolfelt, 2011). The goal is to provide information and reassurance that their grieving is normal and necessary. The analysis of this pamphlet will include an examination of its layout appeal, content and quality of information, an assessment of the reading level and its appropriateness for the target audience, clarity, examples of health care promotion, usefulness, cultural sensitivity and competence, along with helpful tip s for self-care and health management. Layout Appeal A first glance at this pamphlet shows a soothing but attractive picture of a dandelion in full seed. The background is a muted brick red/brown, with the dandelions depicted in light blue that lighten further to bright white in the center. The title is in white with the word â€Å"Spouse† enlarged. This certainly catches one’s eye and clearly announces the target audience it intends. The interior of the pamphlet is all text but divided into titled sections of two paragraphs each. The section titles could read separately from the rest of the content and still lend insight to the reader. For example, the first four section titles are as follows: Acknowledge Your Loss, Allow Yourself to Mourn; Recognize Your Grief is Unique, and Talk Out Your Thoughts and Feelings. The background of the interior is white, the print in black, with the exception of the section titles, which are in blue ink. There are faint pictures of dandelions on the interior, carrying over the cover design. Overall it is very pleasing and attractive. Content and Quality of Information The content of this pamphlet was developed by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Wolfelt has  written extensively on the subject of grief and loss, as well as conducting classes in the subject. Each of the titled sections is two paragraphs and covers just one aspect of grief and loss. It can be read in one sitting or one section at a time. The information of the pamphlet covers the entire grieving process and offers reassurance, comfort, and empathy without being rigid about the grieving process. It allows an individual to take in as much as they can, and then refer to the pamphlet as a reference. Reading Level/Appropriate Literacy Level Delgado and Weitzel conclude in their study on literacy of lower-income urban adults that most participants had â€Å"reading and comprehension levels at beginning high school level† (Delgado, 2013), and suggest that clients may have difficulty understanding the offered information. They recommend that printed information for the general public be written on a level to ensure comprehension by the target audience – at the 8th to 9th grade level (Delgado, 2013). The content of this pamphlet flows nicely and was analyzed using two different reading level assessment tools: ATOS (ATOS Assessment, 2014) and SMOG (SMOG Assessment Overview, 2012). The ATOS scoring placed the content of the pamphlet at the 8th grade reading and comprehension level, with the SMOG scoring slightly higher at the 9th grade reading and comprehension level. Overall, the pamphlet meets the recommendations of Delgado and Weitzel, and should be readily understandable by most adults. As this pamphlet is targeted for adults who have experienced the death of a spouse, the pamphlet is entirely appropriate in reading and comprehension levels. Clarity The target audience and intent of this pamphlet are clear from the first glance and onward. It contains concise and useful information and gentle guidance while stressing individuality. The content is written in plain language and is easily understood. Each section has a title and addresses only what the title states, creating manageable bits of information. It does not overwhelm the reader. Usefulness This pamphlet provides much useful information on the grieving process. It gives examples of the types of emotions one might experience during grief and reassures the reader that each person grieves in their own way. It gives valuable information and reassurance without becoming â€Å"preachy† and patronizing. Different aspects of grief are explored and explained, and the reader is encouraged to embrace their grief, experience it and know that to suppress the grief and emotions accompanying it can be detrimental. Cultural Sensitivity and Competence While the pamphlet does not address specific cultural differences, it does acknowledge that there are cultural differences exist. The author also encourages the reader to embrace their own cultural traditions pertaining the death, loss and grieving that will bring them and their families comfort. Helpful Tips for Self-Care and Health Management Many helpful tips are offered in this pamphlet; from acknowledging grief and mourning to finding support systems to dealing with the possessions of the deceased. The overall tone of the pamphlet is one of acceptance, reassurance, and comfort. It encourages the reader to be compassionate with oneself, to be open about the pain of loss and not to repress emotions. It also informs the reader that they will experience a range of emotions, sometimes within a short period of time, and that it is normal. This is a gentle and useful pamphlet that offers both comfort and a guideline to aid a person through the grief of the loss of their partner. Reference ATOS Assessment. (2014). Retrieved from Renaissance.com: http://www.renaissance.com/Products.Accelerated-Reader/ATOS Delgado, C. &. (2013). Reading comprehension levels in a sample of urban, low-income persons. Health Education Journal 72(3), 345-350. SMOG Assessment Overview. (2012). Retrieved from Havard.edu: http://www.cdnl.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/135/2012/09/pdfSMOGoverview Turner, R. N. (2013). Combating the mental health stigma with nostalgia. European Journal Of Social Psychology, 43(5), 413-422. Wolfelt, A. (2011). Helping yourself heal when your spouse dies. Fort Collins, CO: Companion Press.

Visual analysis of symbol Ferrari(Based on Arnheim's concept) Essay

Visual analysis of symbol Ferrari(Based on Arnheim's concept) - Essay Example The film while on the process is nothing but a portrayal of the things that might have happened or will happen but not the actual. The film on the other hand, no matter how we say is just a portrayal of the real and not the actual is patronized by the audience in a way that they relate the things happening in the movie to real life. Arnheim relates this idea to Gestalt psychology which in simple words refers to looking at the whole rather than its parts. In the book by J. Dudley Andrews entitled Major Film Theories, Arnheim's idea on looking at the table as an unchanging rectangular table no matter how the eyes go near it is an example of the view as a whole. He said that a person as he looks at the table at one side or at another distance does not make the table's image change. It will still be the same rectangular table in the mind of the viewer. Instead of looking at it as a trapezoidal item as the position of the viewer changes, the form stays the same. That is because the person sees it as a whole and not of a specific angle or position. Understanding these things also need a clarification of the most important view that Arnheim used in the book Art and Visual Perception. He raised the point that in order for an art to be recognized as a material that is not a limited raw material, it should achieve a general pattern coherent to nature. He said that equilibrium must be achieved between the artist's ideas and the stimuli of the world. The query is not on the understandability of the object but on how the ideas can be related to people and the surrounding elements. He also warned that artists may create ambiguity once this general pattern is not achieved. In short, the possibility to attain vagueness is just at hand once there is no balance between the relevant elements of the world and the artist's ideas. Through this so called pattern, it is not hard to connect the ideas in the accepted reality to that of the artist. Motifs like rising and falling, dominance and submission, weakness and strength, harmony and discord, struggle and conformance, underlie all existence. We find them within our own mind and in our relations with other people, in the human community and in the events of nature. Perception and expression fulfills its spiritual mission only if we experience in it more than the resonance of our own feelings. It permits us to realize that the forces stirring in ourselves are only individual examples of the same forces acting throughout the universe (Art and Visual Perception, p. 434). All these ideas mentioned are present and can be seen with the Ferrari logo. The Prancing black stallion that gestures and introduces the famous name of the Italian car manufacturer in Maranello and Modena Italy is not seen as a standalone stallion, or even a yellow-filled horse symbolizing the country through the three colors green, white, and red. It represents Ferrari. The symbols mixed together create oneness through the meaning when people would utter "Ah Ferrari!" The question is not what the Stallion stands for or why there are three colors and so on. Anyone can say that Stallion is for racing and the three colors stand for the Italian flag or it can also be of another meaning. The emphasis is on the general pattern that it

Continuation of Design principles 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Continuation of Design principles 3 - Essay Example The detailed architectural model is used to achieve the level of security in the system, the performance of the system as well as the effectiveness and efficiency (Coulouris, Dooimore, and Kindberg, 2001). There are three (3) forms of the system architecture include: the client based, server based and the client-server architecture. As the proposed system for ‘Electronic Credit Checking and Mortgage Approval’ is online, therefore, I have chosen the client server architecture. The client-server architecture for the proposed system that presents the client has to place a request to the web server by utilizing the web browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.). The web browser takes the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request, Files Transfer Protocol (FTP), data, etc. to the web server of the Mortgage Company; the web server would interact with the database server for the relevant information. The database server would send a SQL query to the database and the database returns the information against the query. The database server would reply to the web server with the information received from the database. The web server would display the information on the web browser of the client. The web application would be deployed on the web server or application server; the database server would contain the database as shown in the following diagram (Kambalyal, n.d). The system architecture that has been used for deploying the web application is 3-tier architecture that provides higher flexibility; high security can be implemented at each level of the service, and high performance due to sharing of tasks between servers, moreover, it can be extended (scalable) with the requirements of the Mortgage Company (Kioskea, 2012). The client has to use the web browser to access the web application over the internet, in order to provide security the client’s request has to be passed through the firewall deployed

History topics since 1500s Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History topics since 1500s - Assignment Example The entry of the European into the Americas had some very serious impacts on the native people who frequently fell for diseases and genocidal policies of the Europeans. It was in the period of Amerindian population decline that some other forms of coercive human labor that included slavery got exploited during the construction of the new world. The cores of the development of Atlantic commerce were sugar and slave (Coclanis, 2005). Therefore, the history of the Atlantic commerce cannot in any way be separated with the history of slavery and the act of transferring both labor and capital across the Atlantic. The transfers of slaves and capital across the Atlantic is also very closely linked with sugar production. (Coclanis, 2005) The emergences of new and improved technology together with human culture were intertwined in the advancement of the sugar industry and this acted as one of the mainstays of the new Atlantic economies. The significance of the trade is that, it led to the mass ive movement of people across the Atlantic. The migrations that were made during this period led slaves settling on their working areas. The major significance of this type of trade is that it has shaped the history of the worlds trade and it has led to a massive growth of cities across the world. In between 1450 and 1750, the two states had several comparisons. Politically, there were differences in the type of leaders who ruled these empires; the forms of governments and the political structures were all different from many other comparisons (Berktay, 1991). There is also an economic and religious comparison of the two states and they are given in the table below. The people within the states and how some of their funds are used base the economic comparisons of the two states on the type of trades that are carried out. The source of livelihood to the

@the most important political fact of the nineteenth century in Europe Essay

@the most important political fact of the nineteenth century in Europe was the growth of nationalism.' (M.S.Anderson. Discuss with reference to at least 3 major - Essay Example However, nationalism became increasingly identified with conservative elements and clashed with new ideologies such as socialism. Nationalist sentiments among nation-states turned to the acquisition of territory and prestige which led them to imperial adventurism. Nationalism had much to do with the outbreak of World War I. The defeat of the Axis powers after the Great War also saw the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. Many of their former territories became independent nations through treaties after the war, and the Paris Peace Conference firmly placed the principle of national self-determination and equality among nations (Columbia Encyclopedia). Napoleon was the dominating force in Europe by the end of the 18th century. The French emperor created the Confederation of the Rhine which grouped the individual German states bringing them together for the first time. This conglomeration of formerly separate states brought about a rise in nationalism which started in the northern states. After Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Leipzig by Russia, Prussia, Britain and Austria, this Confederation also collapsed. Napoleon’s defeat brought about the beginning of the Congress of Vienna which was formed to restore the balance of power in Europe and ensure that France would be unable to once again expand beyond its pre-war boundaries. The countries who participated in Leipzig were the principal players in the Congress of Vienna. Lands which formerly formed part of the French Empire were partitioned among the victorious powers. Prussia traded the Grand Duchy of Warsaw for Saxony with Russia. The other powers became anxious w ith the growing power of Prussia, and so it agreed to take only two-fifths of Saxony to prevent the formation of a coalition against it by the other powers. The Coalition then created the German Confederation which was similar to the Confederation of the Rhine, under the leadership of Austria. The four

Ketobemidone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ketobemidone - Research Paper Example This paper explores the synonyms of Ketobemidone, its chemical structure, its discovery and synthesis, physical and chemical properties as well as its uses. Various Names for the Compound Ketobemidone is a compound with numerous names. The compound is also using other multiple synonyms such as: 1-[4-(3-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-methylpiperidin-4-yl]-1-propanone; Cetobemidone; Ethyl 4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methylpiperidin-4-yl ketone; Cliradon; Cliradone; Cetobemidon; Cymidon; Hoechst 10720; Ciba 7115; Ketobemidonum; 1-[4-(m-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-methyl-4-piperidyl]-1-propanone; 1-Propanone, 1-[4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methyl-4-piperidinyl]-;1-Propanone, 1-[4-(m-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methyl-4-piperidyl]-; NSC 117863; or A 21 Lundbeck1. The Chemical Structure of Ketobemidone The chemical structure of the compound is: How Ketobemidone Was Discovered and Synthesized â€Å"The history of synthetic drugs with morphine-like effect is relatively short, dating back only to 1939, when Eisleb produced the now famous 1-methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester.†2 Eisleb together with his colleagues first synthesized Ketobemidone in 1942 at I.G. Farbenindustrie’s laboratory at Hoechst amidst World War II. However, for many years, research had been on-going to find synthetic substances with the same structure as morphine. Small, Eddy together with their co-workers at the United States Public Health service3 worked tirelessly to find these synthetic substances with morphine-like structure. The experiments were founded on the supposition that morphine’s analgesic effect was intrinsic in dibenzofuran, phenanthrene, dibenzofuran as well as carbazole nucleus, which were identified as components of morphine. Earlier attempts were however futile with no development of any synthetic compound with desirable analgesic effect. Organic chemistry experiments rarely yield expected results and products obtained usually come by chance. The analgesic activity of 4-phenylpiperidine s was discovered by chance in 1940s in the course of research by scientists to find antispasmodic characteristics on analogues of cocaine.4 The main focus of Eisleb and Schaumann was to find an alternative compound for atropine. The researchers discovered that the compounds had high levels of analgesic properties apart from their spasmolytic properties. Carboxylic acid exhibited the best outcomes and was later sold in Germany as dolantin, which was wrongly assumed to be non-addictive. As research intensified, several other compounds with structures like morphine were developed including methadone, which was discovered in Germany during the Second World War.5 The initial study of ketobemidone became available in print in 1946 after which it took short duration before being introduced in clinical medicine. In 1954, the Economic and Social Council urged governments to stop producing and trading on ketobemidone arguing that it is a dangerous drug.6 Ketobemidone is synthesized by alkylat ion of (3-methoxyphenyl) acetonitrile with bis (2-chloroethyl) methylamine, which is then reacted with ethylmagnesiumbromide. The resulting product is then O-demethylated with hydrobromic acid to form ketobemidone. â€Å"1-Methyl-4-(m-methoxy)phenyl-4-cyanopiperidine on reaction with ethyl magnesium bromide forms ketone intermediate, which on demethylation with hydrobromic acid affords ketobemidone.†7 Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Ketobemidone Physical Properties

Impact of International Trade and Globalisation on Corporate Strategy

Impact of International Trade and Globalisation on Corporate Strategy - Essay Example This word of "Globalisation" is not strange to a lot of people. The globe is getting in imperative respects, a solitary social arrangement owing to globalization which is made up by the association and interconnection amongst the societies and states. Such association and linkage is a multi-dimensional course but not the latest one -in the end, of19th century, there was previously unfasten global financial system, with a great deal of business, including business in currency (Gratton, Hope, Stiles & Truss C, 2008, 45). The blurry perception of globalization has been clearly explained in financial vocabulary. Corporate globalization may be viewed as the movement of items, services, and money assets or savings across global boundaries and in this manner turned into a predominately financial happenings of the world, all over which, national organisations develop into international corporations and countries are no longer seen as self-governing and closed monarch states, but as a fraction of single large financial system. If we abide by the 'best fit' theory in order to achieve the objectives of the corporate strategy, these elements must be continuously linked back, in order to reflect the business strategy employed. 1. Employee relations. This relates to the partnership between employers, and employees. It has strong connotations of 'involvement' and several key theorists advocate that without this, the strategy cannot work; it must demand a commitment to overall objectives and be practiced on every level of the business. (Macdonald, 2006, 07).

Prader-Willi Case Essay Example for Free

Prader-Willi Case Essay This essay will discuss the role of the nurse in the context of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) which is caused by a genetic disease by a deletion in chromosome 15. This can lead to insatiable hunger, excessive eating and result in obesity. This syndrome requires management from the multidisciplinary team which includes dieticians, doctors, mental health team, nurses, occupational therapist, physiotherapists and social services. This is where the role of the nurse and nursing staff can stand out as they are actively involved in patient care providing support to the patient and their family, as well as playing a role in preventing disease progression. â€Å"Make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity† (NMC, 2010). This is of utmost importance in the management of PWS, and how the individual can be educated by managing the syndrome. This essay will relate across the lifespan; childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This will be discussed in the following paragraphs. PWS is an uncommon genetic disorder that is present at birth in either male or female. It is the most common genetic cause of morbid obesity and can vary at different weights. Although the cause is complex, it results from a deletion or unexpression of genes from the paternal chromosome 15. This condition affects approximately 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 25,000 new-borns (Killeen, 2004). Individuals with this condition have serious problems controlling their weight as they have a very strong food compulsion before the age of six. The condition is diagnosed through genetic testing. It is specifically DNA-based methylation testing to distinguish the absence of the paternal chromosome; chromosome 15.This test is recommended for new borns with pronounced hypotonia (praderwillisyndrome, 2010). An early diagnosis allows for early intervention as well as early provision of growth hormone (GH) treatment. GH gives an increased muscle mass and supports linear growth. GH treatment also advantageous because it decreases food preoccupation and weight gain. During pregnancy, there can be a few abnormal signs which can indicate, but are not limited to PWS. In utero, there can be excessive amniotic fluid; a condition known as polyhydraminos. There can also be reduced fetal movements and the fetal position within the uterus may be suboptimal i.e. breech presentation. Once the baby is born, other signs such as feeding difficulties- due to poor muscular tone affecting the sucking reflex and generalised hypotonia-poor muscular tone (FPWR, 2011).The baby may feel floppy when held as their joints may be loosely extended instead of being firmly in position. An early diagnosis of these can point to an early diagnosis of PWS, hence lead to early management. The clinical presentation of PWS is not limited to physical signs and symptoms but includes linear growth and development, which can cause mental and behavioural problems. These can be presented early in childhood. Physical features can include short stature, small hands and feet, low birth weight, and classic facial features including narrow forehead, almond-shaped eyes and â€Å"down-turned† mouth (Holm et al, 1993). Behavioural symptoms can include obsessive behaviours, unpredictable temper tantrums, skin picking, stubbornness and resistance to change. Individuals with this condition are not mentally stable as they have an increased risk and suffer from depression and psychosis. They also suffer from hallucinations, loss of interests, changes in mood and poor concentration levels. As mentioned earlier, Hypotonia is poor muscle tone. Hypotonia improves with age, however if it persists by the age of two to three, it is very likely that the child may not have started walking. Walking is a crucial milestone that should be reached within the first two years of life (NLM 2010).This is because their weight gain has made it difficult to move around and their condition is already exacerbated by the hypotonia. They can be referred to physiotherapy to try and improve the muscle tone. They also have a failure to thrive and their rate of physical growth is less than their peers’. With failure to thrive, these infants may not respond to simulation as they tire easily. Infants with this condition gain weight more slowly and start to put on more weight by the age of 2-3. A child with PWS may start speaking later than other children as their verbal skills are delayed. Speech and language therapy is advisable at this point as the child will benefit with input from a ther apist. Most common speech concerns include problems with voice quality, articulation, usage as well as resonance patterns (Munson-Davis, 1988). The child constantly craves for food and eats more than they should. They constantly gain weight and may eat things most people wouldn’t deem edible; such as expired or frozen food. There is a serious compulsion towards food, and a lack of awareness of hunger satiation. In childhood, they have a tendency to be stubborn, argumentative and possessive (Nordqvist, 2010). Some infants can develop obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) along with repetitive behaviours. They can throw tantrums as they can only consume a certain amount of food per day so they do not gain weight (as per their dietary management plan). During adolescence, height becomes more noticeable as the individual is much shorter than others. The height of a female with PWS on average is 4 feet 10 inches while that a male with PWS is 5 feet 2 inches (nhs.uk, 2011). The individual would still suffer from hypotonia up until adulthood and would be extremely flexible due to poor muscle tone. Once the individual has reached adulthood, they cannot reproduce as they are infertile due to delayed puberty in both male and female from a young age. The reproductive system would not have produced enough sex hormones, which results in undeveloped sex organs. Hypogonadism is a medical term for the reduction or absence of hormone secretion or other physiological activity of the gonards. Individuals with PWS have some degree of a learning disability. Learning disability nursing practice reflected current philosophies of supporting people with learning disabilities (Clifton et al. 1992). The presence of PWS in a family can create substantial stress. Families would have had to adapt to changes within the household to be able to manage the individual with the syndrome. Parents are often exhausted from the demands of their time and energy for diet control, specialized programmes, therapy appointments and behavioural supervision. Siblings are also affected as they often feel neglected as the PWS sibling receives more attention and appears to be more loved. (Tomase-ski-Heinemann 1998) It is a nurse’s responsibility to help support and manage a patient with the condition along with supporting the individual and their family. The uncontrollable appetite leads to obesity. Obesity is a global epidemic, and is also known to be a significant risk factor for other health related problems which include heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, hypoventilation and right sided heart failure (WHO, 1948). Some people with PWS also develop type 2 diabetes mellitus which is the most common form of diabetes, where the body either does not produce enough insulin or the insulin is not working properly; insulin resistance. In addition, part of the due diligence of nurses is that in providing care for a patient with PWS that they holistically look after the patient starting from the first interaction. For example, in PWS this involves first building a rapport with the patient explaining their diagnosis and describing the nurses’ role in the management (monitoring weight, supporting diet). It should be stressed to the patient and their family the importance of confidentially and that their information will not be told to anyone outside the medical team. This ensures that the nurse has fulfilled their responsibly within the multi-disciplinary team. The Data Protection Act (1998) was put in place to maintain patient records and information. Therefore the nurse would be upholding these legislations by practising patient confidentiality. When visiting a patient at home or in the hospital, a nurse should ask for consent for patient contact i.e. assessing vital signs. Nurses’ must follow the NMC guidelines although the patient may not understand what the nurse is saying because of a learning disability for example. However, consent must be indicated in some form such as nodding of the head. The NMC (2010) states that â€Å"you should ensure that you gain their consent before you begin to provide care†. If the patient is unable to give consent and is alert, the next of kin is assigned to making the decision due to the best interest of the patient. A nurse is accountable to manage, maintain and monitor the individuals’ weight. The nurse does not only have to keep track but also the family should be involved in managing the weight. Nurses can book weekly appointments with the individual and their family/carer so their weight can be monitored to check for any improvement to the weight or not. The family should monitor the amount the individual consumes daily. They are constantly hungry and cry for more food if it is not given to them. Locks must be placed on cupboards or on the kitchen door to stop them from eating (PWSAUSA, 2009). It will be hard for the individual to cope once this is introduced as they do not know when to stop. This is where the nurse should explain to the individual how important it is to manage their weight and what it can lead to if it is not controlled. The nurse should be there to support them when the individual starts to show aggressive behaviour as it will be hard for the family as well. Adults with PWS are inactive due to their low muscle tone and therefore only require 1,000-1,200 calories a day (PWSA, 2010). Encouraging the individual to be healthy is important. Although the nurse must understand that the patient may be unable to exercise properly due to poor muscle tone, they should encourage the patient to eat healthily for example fruit and vegetables. The individual must not have too many fatty foods i.e sweets and chocolate. By promoting healthy foods will ensure that the individual does not gain more weight than they should. It will be hard for the individual to cope with the new foods introduced to them which is why a nurse will be there to support the individual and family. The nurse can also advise the family on encouraging the patient to do some exercises i.e. helping with house chores. Any sorts of movement can help burn calories. Communication skills is one of the key skills a nurse should have. â€Å"To understand the process of communication, we must understand how people relate to each other† (Faulkner, 1982). Supporting and helping patients and their families, communication is crucial. By managing the individual and their condition, team work is fundamental. It is important to work as team as the main focus in the patient care plan is the individual. Each health care professional has a role to play to help improve the individuals well-being. The main focus is the role of the nurse and how their professional issues can impact on the health and illness of people across the life span. It is important for a nurse to understand individuals and their condition because they can help make it somewhat easier for the patient and their family. This is because the nurse is an allied health professional who enjoys more interaction with the patient than many other members of the multidisciplinary team. Nurses need to respect patients from various backgrounds as PWS can affect people of all ethnicities. This syndrome can be found in people of any ethnic background (Zelweger, 1983). Nurses’ must respect the patients’ background and understand that they may not be able to communicate or understand what is being said. Makaton could be used to enhance communication and is a language programme, which is designed to provide a means of communication to individuals who cannot communicate well by speaking (Beukelman. D.R Mirenda). Makaton can also be used with individuals who have cognitive impairments and specific language impairment that have negatively affected the ability to communicate. An interpreter is also a form of communication as they are translating what the other is saying if English is not their first language. By using interpreters (sign language or foreign languages) will help the patient and the nurse understand what the other is saying i.e. explaining what the condition is. This will also leave the patient happy so they do not feel angry and upset. Some individuals may have a language barrier or cultural beliefs which can go against some forms of treatment. The syndrome is lifelong and unfortunately has no cure, but with the support and advice the nurse will have given the patient and the family, the patient will be happy and content (FPWR, 2010). This essay has included the role of the nurse for this condition and how it can be managed. Overall, the main point is to promote a healthy way of what the individual eats and how it can be managed. Keeping such foods out of sight and having a positive family, helping the individual through the tough times can promote a healthy way of living for the individual. Exercise is crucial in maintaining a healthy weight.

Impact of Temperature on Food Rejection

Impact of Temperature on Food Rejection Abstract: Fresh cut leafy green vegetable companies that operate cold supply chains can potentially benefit from information compiled about the reasons of rejections and discarding of products. Most of the time the reason for this is temperature abuse and decay along the distribution chains. This temperature abuse is what causes decay. The vast compilation of information that is available to the cold chain operators from all the departments in the supply chain starting from procurement to the sales and customer services helps monitor and improve the success of the business. It is beneficial to the business to find the underlying cause or root cause of the temperature abuse. This thesis attempts to determine the reasons behind temperature abuse that result in the rejection of the products. If there is a better way of transporting the products without temperature abuse happening to it. If the products distribution in specific packaging and different ways within the transportation vehicle. This thesis will use statistical analysis to analyses the results compiled over a period of three months of rejections and their underlying cause. The findings of this thesis can help operators of transportation cold chains better distribute the product by using the correct packaging unit and distribution arrangement. Introduction: Technology today to monitor temperature if the supply chain environment is fairly accurate. Real-time cold chain monitoring systems are easily available and are used in different industries of perishable foods. The monitoring of these products has made the industry a little bit more clear than before, as it used to seem difficult to understand the handling of products. The information is shared by the industries to their customers. Understanding the information provided may seem difficult for the customer as it may seem like large quantities of information that is not displayed correctly. . Specifically, this thesis seeks to study how cold chain information generated in real-time during distribution process can be interpreted and analyzed on order to reduce the temperature abuse and thus reduce rejections and improve the distribution of products. Numerous areas are possible for investigation: however, temperature abuse due to packing unit, as this may have the greatest impact on the cause of temperature abuse. Additional work will focus on the packaging of the packing units in the transportation vehicles. The areas and spaces that the packing units are put on. The way that these units are packed in the transportation vehicle. The fresh cut leafy greens will be the focus if this study. Raw materials processing facilities and customer distribution centers are the focus locations of the research study. Three processing facilities are studied and these facilities serve number of customers in total around the USA. The company serves these customers all year round and in all their locations. The products are processed, packaged, put into boxes and palletized, then they are loaded onto the transportation vehicle and sent to the distribution centers or stores. As the product is transported, the transportation vehicle is monitored by until it reaches the distribution center. The information is also recorded on paper. The information on excel files on the computer. Rejection information is monitored via a tracking system that notifies specific personnel when a product has been rejected, the location, the amount and the reason of the rejection. The product is then declared or denied if the only reason it was rejected was due to look and not quality or food safety. This data can be compiled and help the business find the underlying causes f these rejections and how to better avoid them. This thesis will look at a model that identifies when a rejection will happen. This will then help the business manage the supply SC chains performance and to take the corrective actions to prevent any product damage, financial losses ad to be able to respond to the specific events in the best way possible.

Global Response to Failed States

Global Response to Failed States Introduction According to Max Weber, a modern functioning sate is an institution claiming a â€Å"monopoly of legitimate use of physical force in enforcing its order within a given territory† (Garner, Robert, Peter Ferdinand, and Stephanie Lawson, 2009, 27). Therefore, a state, in broad terms, is an entity that can support itself through the use of legitimacy to enforce its rule and to provide its population with the adequate â€Å"public† goods. Based on the definition of a strong state, a weak or failed state is a political being that, within the scope of international politics, supplies the state with both scare qualities and quantities of political â€Å"public† goods and simultaneously, no longer has abundant control over violence within their given boundaries. Failed states cannot provide basic rights or needs such as education, security, or governance. (Helman and Ratner, 1992) Often this failure to provide the institutions is caused by violence or poverty in certain a reas of the state. These structurally and politically fragile institutions of government can cause internal and external problems. Internally, these governments are so weak or ineffective that they have little or no control over the majority of their territories as well as the lack of provision of â€Å"public† goods, leading to civil wars, rebellions, and full on warfare among separate factions within the state. Internationally, these areas can be both the cause and result of widespread corruption and criminality, refugees and involuntary movement of populations, sharp economic decline, and the potential of national security problems through the threat of terrorists and international criminals. However, the external threats not only come from the state but from outsiders as well. Occasionally, groups like the United Nations or a bordering state step into intervene and stop a disaster in the making (Langford, 1999). Although the intent is not to harm the states, these interna tional powers can also be the cause of the problem. This paper explores the reasons that current responses are ineffective and how global powers could better respond to failed states in that it is far better for them to be created into a non-state society rather than have them become a state that is sustained by international intervention alone. The existing response of international superpowers to the issue of failed states is based on an assumption that the state in question was once actually a state, and can become a functioning entity again. Within the spectrum of the validity of these states comes the question of sovereignty. Even strong states face challenges from outside and inside of their borders, but these failed states have no sovereignty whatsoever because they cannot control their capacity or autonomy. Their authority is questioned and they require support to remain functional and it comes to question whether the states actually had any sovereignty to begin with. Due to this, the attempt of international world powers to transform the failed state back into a successful state through use of international resources and efforts with the assumption that they will be able to function without international support is a meager counter to the problem. Legitimacy The level of a failed state is measured by the extent to which the states are susceptible to any form of challenges to its legitimacy, whether internal or external. Based on shared knowledge of values that define a state, legitimacy is the acknowledgment that a state has, or is assumed to have, a right to rule whether legally or morally. In history, a state existed was considered legitimate if it existed. Because of this definition, most states met the traditional requirements of statehood. As said by Weber, the foremost characteristics of a state was having the capacity to act internationally and to maintain a monopoly of force within their territories, but it was not limited to just that. A state was also to have defined borders, a government, and a permanent population. Although these are the criteria required to have statehood, most states gain their independence without one or more of these principles. These states are still recognized by the global community as state actors eve n though they could not fully meet the requirements that were set before them, including a percentage of their population disregarding both authority and legitimacy of the state itself. The state was presumed to be the only authority, despite whether or not the people believed it to be legitimate. Simply put, the assumption of legitimacy applied to all states by the fact that all states documented by the United Nations were believed to be legitimate. These fragile states have contributed to an incredibly dispersed world. In this world, struggles and violence are key players. Discourse has created chances for states that are more powerful to press the power held within their region. It is possible that the power stretches even further and these hegemonic states begin to exploit the weak states in order to form new types of coalitions, partnerships, and connections between different actors, both state and non-state, as well as a plethora of problematic challenges which they must struggle to fight for their future. Just as discourse creates chances, absent or declining legitimacy also creates causes for problems. Once the legitimacy of a state has been called into question, there is a rush for groups, movements, and other state entities to fight over which group will fill the void. In order to take control of the state and undermine its legitimacy, these state entities exert their power in both violent and nonviolent ways. In the ma jority of fragile states in the modern world, these battles are being lost to other actors because the weakened governments do not have the power to provide the security and core functions that the other actors can readily provide (Krasner, Stephen D., and Carlos Pascual, 2005). Once these states have entered into this conflict, the protections services within the state, such as those serving to keep the peace, have either stopped operating or have ceased to exist altogether. In other cases however, these services are being utilized for actions that they were never intended to be used for (Rotberg, 2002). Global Responses These efforts to remanufacture the failed states are clearly formed on political and economic views of the Western superpowers. The two essential areas of failed states, according to the aforementioned group, are the failure to provide political goods and the incapability to meet the plain economic essentials of the people. These hegemons seek therefore to shape and improve the state’s institutional capacity to respond to failure. The economic factors of rebuilding failed states place an emphasis on this capacity to build certain institutions, but the aims are completely different and come from a separate perspective. While political attempts to rebuild states focuses on strengthening state institutions such as the government, peacekeeping forces, the restore of rule of law, and the provision of security, the economic efforts try to diminish the government power by releasing the economy and freeing the market services. In general, the measures suggested by the groups involved in the attempts to end state fragility or failures vary in range that it compiles a rather large list of things to be done. The tasks center around economic, political, and security based things. However, the problem is that this task list runs off the assumption that these failed states can actually be revived by rebuilding them. The state in an isolated environment, as decided by Western policy makers and scholars, is the root of the problem. However, they also see it as the source to solve the problem. But the error with the opinion of the West is that it overlooks the issues of interdependence as well as any political or economic interactions (Garner, Robert, Peter Ferdinand, and Stephanie Lawson, 2009, 432). Systematic efforts have been lacking to study state fragility and failure in terms of interconnections and linkages between the West and these failed states. What drives the state building process in these areas is the occupying power and their political ideologies, values, economic interests and strategic perceptions. These are based on defective calculations and wrong policy priorities. Alternative Methods Several policy recommendations could come in handy when dealing with these problems. First, instead of focusing on state building along the Western lines, there should be a development of nation building. The idea of national identity is not just feeling making the population feel like citizens. It requires the involvement of all the separate things that make up society such as ethnic background, cultural tradition, and the different types of social or political views. All of these things need to be integrated into the society because they are the factors that make up the people who actually make the nation. In times when there is no unity in a failed state, it is hard to feel like an actual citizen, therefore there is no desire for the state to become normal again. In the throes of the clashes between the groups who feel alienated, state institutions can’t continue developing. These groups, despite the fact that the institutions are meant to improve the political and economic functions and production of goods, will eventually reject the institutions because they do not do anything for the general population because their development has ceased. Any efforts to actually rebuild the nation into any form of functionality is clearly lacking due to the internal absence of unity (King, Gary, and Langche Zeng, 2001). Just as important is the basis for the need of a domestic economic base for the failed states. There should be a change in the way the economy works, instead of laboring for political points, there should be a push for the creation of a stable base for the economy. The current strategy, although supplying enough money to certain areas, such as the social and economic bases, is ineffective. The majority of the money that is donated goes to the already urban areas, instead of the rural places where it is needed most. Some of the funding skips the government completely, leaving it nonfunctional, and goes straight to the elites, giving more room for their power to grow. The goal is to ensure that the state, without the help of any international powers, is able to grow and function on its own, at least economically. Without this, there is no way for the state to function. A move towards understanding the roots of the conflicts and the different situations they are based in as well as an attempt at communication between the opposing groups is also imperative. So far, there have been no movements to actually understand the issues that have formed in the failed states. There should be a large push for any occupying power as well as any entity funding the state to figure out the roots of conflict. Things that need to be addressed are simple: why does this conflict continue in such a manner, why do the parties involved in the conflict have such different goals, and what incentive could be used in order to bring them together to compromise on a way to end the continuous warfare. This has been lacking approach has been lacking and some of the policies placed by the occupying power exclude certain opposing parties and it exacerbates the conflicts instead of resolving them. At one point in time, a state could not be questioned on its authority, even with a temporary loss of power and authority over its territory. It was a theory accompanied by the practice of protection from violence if a state could no longer function correctly. This was international law. However, the people wanted the right to self-governance, as the basis for involvement within the global community, and it was pleaded for. This global community, or similar organization posing under the same name, understands the call for human rights. The right to govern themselves would ultimately allow the states to participate in their own internal affairs. They would be protected against any outside attacks from conquering entities, all for the sake of restoring the authority that was required by the state for a proper functioning of international ruling. Although the state has seen such as such has seen its presence justified, the issue of what methods can be used to revive the states at such l evels remains to be answered. Because the causes of the problem are generally internal in the root of the problem, it would only be proper that the very same internal services would provide assistance in the recovery process. There have been attempts, using their own practices, by the population of these failed states to build their state back over a course of time. In this manner, the voices of the people and the will of the state has the potential to rally behind a movement around various points for different purposes, such as education, local government, transportation, agriculture, or other methods and organizations, both public and private, which gives the people cause to move toward the common motivations which would further the cause of reconstructions. Equally, incomplete arrangements could also serve as a drive for enthusiasm in the creation of an inclusive public segment and institutions which serve to represent the people. In the long term, this would then allow the government, as a lone entity, to regain the legitimacy that is required of it. The things that need to be realized are two things which are essential for the formation of a legitimate state. This state, although based on tolerance, encouraged by principle, and coupled with the ability to peacefully cooperate, has to enable the people to be within a political setting as well as maintain their sense of national identity. The two things, which are the combined efforts and remedies which allow human coexistence and the will to become a state bound by unity, must be achieved. The outside influences, such as global entities with different institutions, can only move to help the formation of self-improvement. Conclusion When considering the problem of failed states, it has become evident that to some powers and viewpoints, they are happenings that are to insignificant in the scheme of things to be considered important. Within the realm of these occurrences of failed states, it is difficult to place them into the category of legal ideology because it forms essential challenges. These challenges are placed to against law, both international and constitutional. Furthermore, the inquiry that needs to be asked is whether these instances of the failing of states, however infrequent they may appear, are actually the mere beginnings of a much more intricate threat posed towards civil society as it is known. Since there is potential for the destruction and dismemberment of law and order within these politically based civilizations, the question of whether such aggression is considered to be basic human nature is called into play. The initial global responses approach the states with an attempt at equalizing the states strength as well as the power held. This is something that is incredibly generalized and is a factor in including states within the classification that is a failed state. It infers a certain dependence on the power of politics as well as a certain weakness that is permanent and cannot be changed. This theory, although efficient, give signs and examples without actually giving them any meaning whatsoever, making it incomparable to the weaker states within the area due to the vagueness of the actual meaning.

Diminishing Discrimination :: Essays Papers

Diminishing Discrimination Times are changing; people who used to be discriminated against are now starting to be treated with more equality and respect. The disrespect and abuse that the disabled community has gotten in the past is a very dark topic that comes with many sad and scary truths. There are many groups and laws at the present time that are helping this community grow. By integrating more disabled people into public services helps them gain a higher esteem for themselves. The abuse problem amongst the developmentally disabled still does exist today. The most controversial abuse problem happened behind closed doors, in the institutions. The one institution that was in Tucson was called Arizona Training Program Tucson (ATPT). In these such institutions, people with all many varieties of disabilities. This problem of institutional abuse was recognized for at least two centuries (Sobsey, 89). The term institutional abuse refers to neglectful, psychological, physical, an/or sexual abuse that took place in the managed institutional car of human beings (Sobsey, 89-90). Hearing stories from both the patients in these institutions to the workers is horrifying. Some of the things the staff would do to the patients: use heavy sedation, locks, restraints, sexually abuse them, take inappropriate pictures, time outs for long periods of time, and takedowns with several large staff. Other things that were done to the patients was doing the same r outine over and over never teaching new tasks, no outside contact, and no luxury items just bed dresser and clothes. Yes, ATPT was one of the better institutions there were. Many were worse. Institutional abuse is characterized by the extreme power iniquities that exist between staff and residents. In extreme cases, staff control when residents wake up, sleep, eat go to the bathroom, wash, communicate, exercise, rest, and virtually every other aspect of their lives. These extreme disempowerment of institutional residents is rationalized by the paradoxical notion of â€Å"good intentions† (Sobsey, 90). The public was hidden from the real truth till recently when they were shut down or changed into day programs and smaller residential settings, to be more like a home environment.

Illegal Immigrants and the Educational System Essay -- Argumentative P

Illegal Immigrants and the Educational System Secondary education is a highly debated subject. Many critics of secondary education say that inner-city high schools and students are not receiving the same attention as students from non inner-city high schools. Two of the biggest concerns are the lack of school funding that inner-city high schools are receive and the low success rate in sending inner-city high schools graduates to college. Critics say that while inner-city high schools struggle to pay its teachers and educate its student’s non inner-city high schools don’t have to deal with the lack of school funding. Also students from non inner-city high school are not being given the opportunity to attend colleges once the students graduate. But opponents of these critics blame an entirely different issue; and that is illegal immigrant students over crowding and attending high school at the expense of taxpayers. It cost millions of dollars a year for illegal immigrant students to attend high school and th is is the main reason why schools are experiencing budget problems. Teaching illegal immigrant students creates a difficult learning environment and that is why students in inner-city high schools are not moving on to a higher education. This paper will explore the controversy and issues of secondary education; it will expose the hidden truths and prove that illegal immigrants are taking a toll on the education system. So why has this become a problem that has grown way out of proportion? An organization known as Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) published a report on Immigration and School Overcrowding, with the help of David W. Stewart, author of Immigration and Education: The Cris... ...ration and School Overcrowding.† Online posting, October. 2002. http://www.fairus.org/ImmigrationIssueCenters/ImmigrationIssueCenters.cfm?ID=1272&c=17  · â€Å"Plyler v. Doe† Online source. U.S. Supreme Court. Gov. 1982. 15 June. 2005 < http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Plyler/> 1 Plyler v. Doe also found that there is no fundamental right to education, that Texas had not proved its argument that admission of illegal alien children to public schools would damage the educational opportunities provided to U.S. citizen children, and that there was no evidence that the U.S. government seriously intended to deport the parents of the illegal alien children. The Court could reverse the ruling if these circumstances were to change or if Congress were to make the exclusion of these students explicit by legislation. Source: U.S. Supreme Court: Plyler v. Doe (1982)

Cultural Differences Essay

Sexual development is a natural part of life. Sex is a biological form of the male and female make up. Sexual development is considered a universally biological aspect of life. Although, sexual development is the foundation of human existence everyone that is biologically labeled as a male or female do not identify themselves as such. Also social encounters that an individual experience develops gender identity. In this paper I will discuss the implication of the sociopolitical factors of gender and sexual identity/orientation in multiculturalism. I will address the following questions; what is gender identity and sexual identity/orientation? What is the role of gender identity in cross-cultural societies? What is the role of sexual identity/orientation in cross-cultural societies? Finally what of their significance in understanding cultural difference? Gender identity has been defined as the possession by somebody of a conviction of belonging to a particular sex, regardless of whether this corresponds to his or her anatomical sex (Segall, pg 227, 1999). The universally acceptable definition is the specification of a sexual role whether male or female it is not the biological make up as of sexual identity. There are many different perceptions of cultures within gender identity given it is socially-cultured influence for example the LGBT community which is a socially created group in result of behaviors developed from external factors. Gender identity is a socially driven aspect of sexual make up. â€Å"Gender refers to the meanings attached to being male or female, as reflected in social statues, roles, and attitudes regarding the sexes†¦gender roles, gender identity, and sex-role ideology are not inherently biological. Therefore gender identity is not an inherently developed part of the human. In fact it is a psychologically developed discipline because it is a behavior and can be influenced by external factors. Given that gender is easily manipulated and not manifested, male and female react to their gender roles in different ways. â€Å"Conditions in subsistence-level societies that can produce sex differences  in psychological differentiation through socialization practices that may differentially influence the two sexes† (Segall, pg 232, 1999). Sexual identity is how an individual sexual identify them as and sexual identity has a direct correlation to refers to whom one is sexually and romantically attracted to. Sex alone is the biological make up of a human genital. In today’s society many cultures will consider a person sexual identity as identification of sexuality. Also in a more traditional conservative culture sexuality identity is of what GOD created one as at birth. Yet for evolutionist sexual identity is how one identifies one’s self as. In contrast sexual orientation is the nature of sexual preference, the direction of somebody’s sexual desire, tow ard people of the opposite sex, people of the same sex, or people of both sexes (Segall, pg 229, 1999. Unlike gender identity sexual identity is a physiological make up of human sexual desires and orientation. The difference between gender identity and sexual identity is the nature vs. nurture concept. Gender identity is a product of nurture, and learned behavior while sexual identity/orientation is nature and apart of biology it is inherent. Gender identity is a universally accepted termed that is used in most cultures. Gender is a very controversial topic is conservative cultures. â€Å"The perspectives on the politics of difference obtained from poststructuralist queer theory underdetermine identity as it is experienced by a distinct subset of individuals, emblematized by non-traditional, non-conforming, and transgressive black queers† (Phillips & Stewart, pg 379, 2008). In mainstream society the ideology of gender identity has transitioned from male and female roles into gender confusion roles, which birth the LGBT population. In terms of cross-cultural correlation gender identity has a ethnocentric concept, meaning identity is very one side and biased. The groups that does not fall in the null group has to from a negative opinion of why they choose to have a gender iden tity verse a normal mainstream male female given identity. â€Å"Identity allows [groups] to attain voice and visibility against a context of social repression as did discussions concerning the identities of people†¦reinforcing social ascription and categorization† (Phillips & Stewart, pg 380, 2008). Sexual identity/orientation as it relates to cross-culturalism is an inherented from of humans. Sexual formation as a biological form has very little  variance across cultures due to the intangibility of sexual make-up. Yet in today’s society the relaxed notion of sex has transition into a not so culturally acceptable concept. Sexual identity/orientation is now the freedom of choice. A individual has the ability to decide which sex they want to identify which also the partner they want to share that identity with. â€Å"Behavior differences between the sexes are not identical in every society is enough to suggest that culture plays a role in shaping sex differences† (Segall ect, pg 227, 1999). External factors has shape to roles of sexual and how it impact each specific group, for example the LBGT population. In traditional perspective of sexual identity/orientation cultures associate sexuality with religion and considered sexual promiscuity as a sin. â€Å"Social articulation of sexuality had been organized primarily by religion and it was fundamentally the religion monopoly over the sins of the flesh† (Parker, pg 253, 2009). Finally the significance of gender identity and sexual identity/orientation in understanding cultural difference are the generalizations associated with the terms. Across cultural both factors have played a significant role in the liberal society from conservative. As children each culture bestow key gender roles as a form of upbringing from simply playing with dolls or truck to assisting the women in the kitchen and the men at work, each culture has a general ways of teaching socially accepted roles into their children. â€Å"All societies observed different inborn behavioral tendencies in males and females and shaped their socialization practices to reinforce such biologically determined tendencies† (Segall ect, pg 237, 1999). In conclusion although, sexual development is the foundation of human existence everyone that is biologically labeled as a male or female does not identify themselves as such. Also social encounters that an individual experience develops gender identity. The universally acceptable definition is the specification of a sexual role whether male or female it is not the biological make up as of sexual identity. Reference Nuttbrock, L., Bockting, W., Hwahng, S., Rosenblum, A., Mason, M., Macri, M., & Becker, J. (2009). Gender identity affirmation among male-to-female transgender persons: a life course analysis across types of relationships and cultural/lifestyle factors. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 24(2), 108-125. Parker, R. (2009). Sexuality, culture and society: shifting paradigms in sexuality research. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 11(3), 251-266. doi:10.1080/13691050701606941 Phillips, L., & Stewart, M. R. (2008). â€Å"I Am Just So Glad You Are Alive†: New Perspectives on Non-Traditional, Non-Conforming, and Transgressive Expressions of Gender, Sexuality, and Race Among African Americans. Journal Of African American Studies, 12(4), 378-400. Segall, M. H., Dasen, P. R., Berry, J. W., & Poortinga, Y. H. (1999). Human behavior in global perspective: An introduction to cross-cultural psychology (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Distributed Leadership Essay

Leadership is the important activity that motivates an individual to achieve the predetermined objectives. This motivation nurtures inspiration that boosts us towards the goal. Now, comes the discussion of whether the leadership can be centralized or it can be distributed among various people. Once we start the discussion of distributed leadership, it should also be known whether it is a horizontal or vertical distribution. Horizontal distribution means distributing the leadership among the same level of people whereas vertical distribution again forks into top-down distribution and bottom-up distribution. Exploring these different approaches we identify two dimensions along which to consider the knowledgeable changes they raise about measuring how school leadership is distributed across school staff – data source and data focus. We should also observe the variations between schools and between activities that are adapted for distributing the responsibilities of leadership. Let us also consider different ways of studying how the work of managing and leading schools is distributed among people in schools and the methodological and philosophical pros and cons involved in this work. If we closely observe the daily lives of schools, we can think from a distributed perspective which has the potential to provide useful insight into how management and leadership unfold themselves. In the process of distributing the leadership, we can identify numerous entities in the school across which leadership can be distributed, including people in the aspects of the situation such as routines and imaginations. While there have been recent advances in articulating the conceptual frameworks for distributed school leadership, the empirical research base in this area is less developed. With a few exceptions, most empirical work has involved small samples of schools. While performing this study of distributed leadership, we come across two important observations to be made: Across which school actors do researchers hypothesize leadership and management is distributed? What aspects of leadership and management work are hypothesized to be distributed across people? These two questions lead to many sub questions like: Who should provide evidence of distributed leadership? Leaders, followers, or both? Among leaders, should researchers seek evidence on formal leaders, informal leaders, or both? Should the proof on distributed leadership come from self-reports or from more objective measurement plans such as the reports given by others through surveys? How do these various methodological choices about measuring the distributed leadership affect the validity of data? We can use multiple ways of identifying actors within schools among whom the work of leadership and management might be distributed. A distributed perspective serves as a new conceptual frame. It helps us understand leadership practice and how leadership practices might work more effectively in the context of schools. It is not a type of leadership or a style of leadership. It’s not a model of leadership. It’s not something you place on top of a school and say, ‘Now you are doing distributed leadership. ‘ A distributed perspective is thinking about the situation as an integral part of the leadership context; it is an integrated view of leaders’ thinking, their activity and behaviors, and the situation. The distributed perspective focuses on leadership activity. In an organizational context, leadership activity might be trying to sell a vision in the context of the school or trying to transform the instructional practice in particular classrooms within a school. It is the activity that we are trying to understand. Think about the constellation of people who are involved, how the context shapes what happens with that activity, and how artifacts might be an integral part of that activity. The distributed perspective is integrative thinking about all of those pieces and on leadership activity itself. The roots of distributed leadership is an outgrowth of activity theory and distributed cognition. Activity theory is about how an activity system works. Think of the cockpit of an airplane – the people in the cockpit, the instrument panel, the people who are trying to help the plane land – and try to think about the activity of landing the plane not as something an individual person does, not as something the instrument panel does without the people, not as something a pilot could do without the air traffic controller. Try to think about the whole activity system. This is comparable to what is meant by leadership activity. With distributed cognition, we are trying to think about how sense making is stretched over social interaction and artifacts in an environment. The context and social system matter. Distributed cognition suggests that people’s thinking and actions don’t happen in a vacuum. Thinking happens through social interaction and interaction with the environment. These impact how the leadership activity happens. Distributed leadership integrates these central ideas from activity theory and distributed cognition. We think of leadership as an influence relationship – the ability to influence the practices of others in ways that bring about a ‘major change in form, nature, and function of some phenomenon. But distributed leadership moves beyond trying to understand leadership through the actions and beliefs of single leaders. It is constituted through the interaction of leaders, teachers, and the situation as they influence instructional practice. Distributed leadership is a powerful way to understand leadership activity in schools in more complex and interconnected ways. Distributed leadership can also be called as ‘dispersed leadership’, ‘collaborative leadership’, ‘democratic leadership’ and ‘shared leadership’. ‘Dispersed’ appears to suggest leadership as an activity that can be located at different points within an organization and pre-exists delegation which is a conscious choice in the exercise of power. The idea of dispersed leadership is captured by David Green’s term ‘leaderful community’ which involves a community in which people believe they have a contribution to make, can exercise their initiative and can, when relevant to the task in hand, have followers. The Collaborative leaderships operates on the basis of ‘alliance’ or ‘partnering’ or ‘networking. ’ Network learning communities, sponsored by NCSL are an expression of collaboration across the boundaries of individual institutions. Collaborative leadership may also apply to an ‘inter-agency context’, expressed in schools’ joint work with community agencies, parents, teacher groups, and other external stakeholders. Leadership as ‘democratic’ is by definition antithetical to hierarchy and delegation. Elsbernd suggests four defining characteristics (i) a leader’s interaction with, and encouragement of others to participate fully in all aspects of leadership tasks (ii) wide-spread sharing of information and power (iii) enhancing self-worth of others and (iv) energising others for tasks. Democratic leadership can either take the form of consultative (where a leader makes a group decision after consulting members about their willingness) or participative decision-making (where a leader makes the decision in collaboration with the group members – often based on majority rule). Shared leadership is best understood when leadership is explored as a social process – something that arises out of social relationships not simply what leaders do. It does not dwell in an individual’s qualities or competencies but lies between people, within groups, in collective action, which defies attempts to single out ‘a leader’. A common message that runs through these definitions is that leadership is not the monopoly of any one person, a message that is central to the notion of distributed leadership. In distributed leadership, it is not only the headteacher’s leadership that counts but also the leadership roles performed by deputy heads, substantive teachers, support teachers, members of school councils, boards or governing bodies and students. Leadership is ‘dispersed rather than concentrated’ and does not necessarily give any particular individual or categories of persons the privilege of providing more leadership than others. In this light ‘distributed leadership’ cannot be said to be a new leadership technique but rather an intellectual label that seeks to re-enforce the fact that leadership needs to be a shared activity in schools. It should therefore be conceptualised, not simply as another technique or practice of leadership, but, just as importantly as a way of thinking about leadership in post-heroic terms rather than a heroic phenomenon. In this way, we can distinguish clearly between delegation – as a heroic phenomenon – in which distribution is initiated solely from the top (headteacher) and distributed leadership – as a post-heroic phenomenon – in which distribution does not solely depend on the headteacher’s initiative. Everyone in the schools should have the opportunity to exercise leadership from the youngest child through out and not just a selected few (Secondary head) and problems in the schools should be dealt openly and honestly with the involvement of other people (secondary head). Staff who have only been in the school for a short time could also be school leaders in that they show by their personality, by their vision, by their jobs, commitment, expectations and values that they have got the capacity to lead. In a sense, anyone can be a leader. It is a process that a lot of staff can demonstrate. Formally, the process of distribution is initiated by the headteacher who identifies and delegates leadership responsibilities to individual teachers. Schools, in some places are structured in terms of designated leadership and managerial roles through which the headteacher delegates responsibility. Such delegations may be driven by a headteacher’s recognition that others have expertise that he/she does not have. Distributed in this way, there is an expectation of delivery and the headteacher’s role is to ‘support and provide’. The formality characterising the distribution process gradually leads unto a less formal or informal approach as headteachers develop trust in their teachers and become more confident in teachers’ leadership capabilities. As headteachers become more comfortable with their own authority and feel more able to acknowledge the authority of others they are able to extend the compass of leadership and to ‘let go’ the more. This is evident in one headteacher’s comment: ‘I think initially from top-down through delegation and as it progresses it becomes both bottom-up and top-down. People who show willingness to take some levels of initiative from any direction are really encouraged. And I love to see it really happen and that’s when I become happy’.

Behavioral Influences Essay

Expectancy theory is related to the motivation of the employees which is dependent upon the employees’ behavior and incentives given by the management. If the management is able to motivate its employees they will put in more effort while working, which means efficiency higher returns for the company. The three components of the expectancy theory are expectancy, valence and instrumentality (Vroom, 1964). All of these three variables are required if an employee needs to be motivated positively. The expectancy component is the belief that increase in efforts will accounts for better performance and vice versa. This means that a person is motivated if there is a positive relationship between efforts and performance given that he has proper training, resources and direction to perform the job. Expectancy is also affected by the confidence the employee has about on his capabilities. Valence component in the expectancy theory refers to the value people place on the expected outcome or rewards of their efforts. If a person is motivated mainly by money, he might not value free insurance given by the company. Valence is the intensity of the desire of a worker for extrinsic and intrinsic rewards such as promotion, fringe benefits, bonuses, overtime and satisfaction (Droar, 2003). Instrumentality, the third component of expectancy theory is the confidence on the higher authorities that if the performance is well, the desired or promised reward will be received (Vroom, 1964). Instrumentality will be affected by the trust in people who make decisions of the outcomes and degree of biasness of the process of getting an outcome. Therefore the theory tells us that the relationship between the effort and performance is positive, which means that increase in effort will enhance performance (Vroom, 1964). According to the theory the relationship between performance and rewards is also positive, which implies that better performance will result in more rewards. In the given scenario, Supervisor A’s employees are facing difficulty in coping up with the new production process. The main reason for this is that the employees are not being compensated for their work. Those who achieve their goals are not given enough compensation therefore they feel unmotivated. When employees are not motivated, they do not put in enough effort to achieve their goals and hence their performance is not fine. The employees who have mastered the production process are not worried about accomplishing their goals because they know that even with added effort if they attain their goals, the compensation they will get is not worth the effort. Other employees, who have not mastered it, are not putting in enough effort because they think they are not capable of doing so. Therefore there is a dire need for motivation of the employees who are under Supervisor A. The supervisor should find out what resources, training or management of employees is needed to motivate the employees; this is the expectancy component of the expectancy theory. The supervisor should also find out what do the employees value, their bonuses and salaries should be increased according to their performance; this is the valence part of the expectancy theory. Supervisor also has to make sure that the perception of the employees about their supervisor’s promises is correct, they should be compensated as promised; this is the instrumentality component. In the scenario, the employees’ salaries are not being increased as promised by the supervisor; their bonuses after withholding tax are very small. Thus if the supervisor is able to fill the gaps in all of these three components, he will be able to motivate the employees to increase effort and hence performance and the goals will be achieved. Task 2 The leadership style of Leader B is transactional, Leader C is transformational and Executive has a â€Å"Level 5† leadership style. Transactional leadership focuses on setting specific goals for each team member and encourage them to meet the agreed upon goals (Bryant, 2003). In the scenario it is given that Leader B establishes clear goals by clarifying role and task requirements and continually guiding subordinates in the direction of these goals, and therefore it is a characteristic of transactional leadership. In transactional leadership, the team members are awarded when they are able to achieve their goals on time and punished when agreed upon goals are not achieved or are not achieved on time (Iain, 2007). In the scenario given, Leader B considers the team member to be personally at fault if the delegated task is not completed and issues punishments for failures. Transactional leadership recognizes accomplishments of individual subordinates and they are rewarded for achieving the objectives agreed upon (Iain, 2007). In the scenario given, Leader B believes in a clear chain of commands and in rewarding good performance and recognizing employee accomplishments. Leader B also rewards subordinates for their successes. Leader B’s transactional leadership style has been justified now by including the examples from the given text. Transformational leadership depends more on personal relationship with subordinates and is supported by trust rather than committing to contracts (Jung & Avolio, 1999). In the scenario it is given that Leader C tried to remember his team members’ birthdays and makes an effort to work with them as their coach instead of their manager. Transformational leadership also tries to satisfy its followers’ self-interest and encourages the followers to replace these interests with the interests of the team. In the scenario, Leader C encourages the group to surpass their own self-interest for the betterment of the organization. This type of leadership also focuses on organizational change through stress on new values and different vision of the future which transcends the status quo (Gellis, 2001). Leader C in the scenario also believes that the group can have great success when they are passionate and enthusiastic about a vision. Transformational leaders motivate its followers to achieve their goals through nurturing their individual skills and capabilities (Barbuto, 2005). Leader C in the scenario sets high hopes for subordinates, instills individualism of employees for the benefit of organization and takes a rational problem-solving approach. The Level 5 leadership is described as being hesitant and unruly, shy and fearless and modest with a stern commitment to high standards (Jon Jenkins and Gerrit Visser, 2001). This type of leadership takes struggling organizations from being fine to great and produces other fine leaders within the organizations for future. The Level 5 leadership takes responsibility for the failures and accredits other leaders for accomplishments (Jon Jenkins and Gerrit Visser, 2001). This leadership also establishes unique ideas, long-term vision and values for the organization. In the scenario, Executive A is clearly a level 5 leader as he shies away from attention and accredits others for achievements. He accepts responsibility for failures and poor results; and feels delighted to produce strong leadership within the organization. Therefore it is apparent that Executive A is a Level 5 leader as he took the struggling organization into hands and reshaped the stock prices and company profits into eye-catching ones and he also shares his long-term vision, ideas and values with other leaders of the company. When the Executive A retires and if Leader B is appointed as the CEO, then most of the employees in the organization will start working for their own interest as they will be held responsible for their failures and accomplishments and will be compensated accordingly. Supervision of the employees will become an integral part of managers’ routine as they may use organization’s resources for their personal interests. Transactional leadership is successful in stable organizations because it helps to improve control over employees and reinforces constructive administrative actions through rewards and punishments. Therefore Leader B may find his style appropriate in the organization. Transformational leadership maintains employees’ performance through loyalty to organization, trust in the leader and changes in values and standards of the organization. Leader C has this style of leadership, and if appointed the CEO, the employees will surely have higher motivation and self-confidence; they will get chances and supervision to improve their skills and capabilities. Through self-realization of employees and personal relationships with them, Leader C will be able to make them feel an integral part of the organization and increase their performance beyond expectations. Task 3 Individuals often take one of the bases of power in an organization in which they are employed. There are five bases of power which act as a source of organization; they will be discussed one by one. The first one is Position in Hierarchy (Woldring, 2001), that is the rank of the individual in an organization. The higher the individual’s place in the organizational rank structure, the greater the power he will have. In the given scenario, Employee 1 is using position in hierarchy as the source of his power. He has worked in the marketing department for 12 years and he frequently comes to the office on weekends or stays late to make sure smooth running of tasks. The second base of power is Referent Power (Woldring, 2001); this is the personal relation of an individual with others who are higher in the organizational hierarchy. It only exists if the individual can actually reference the authenticity of relationship so that it can act as a basis of power. Employee 2 has this power as he negotiated with his manager to work four days a week and is the only person who is allowed to have a shorter work week. Third type of power is Reward Power (Raven, 1959); individuals who have a greater degree of control over resources of organization, have greater power. Individuals even lower in the organizational hierarchy can have greater controller over resources of the organization (Woldring, 2001). This power is based on the ability to give valuable reward to others who perform well (Raven, 1959). In the scenario given, Employee 1 has this power as he is controlling the resources of his department to get the large bonus at the year end, and he will spend this bonus on his vacations. The fourth base of power is Demonstrated Expertise (Woldring, 2001); an individual who has an exceptional capability or special knowledge that no other has in the organization. Only having expertise is not sufficient, others should know about the importance of this person’s expertise and its value. Employee 2 has this power as he is the only company employee who can prepare financial statements. The fifth and final source of power is Personality Power or Coercive Power (Woldring, 2001); the perceived personality of the individual is the power here. If the person has strong interpersonal skills, charming and attractive personality, then he will be able to influence others to conform to his ideas or demands (Raven, 1959). This is the case with Employee 3, who has been in the organization for just a year, but because of his personality power, he was able to change entire department’s beliefs. Relationship between Bases of Power and Dependency: The Bases of Power use the concept of Dependency. An employee can only use its base of power on another employee if the other one is dependent on him. As Emerson (1962, p. 32) argues that â€Å"power resides implicitly in the other‘s dependency† and that â€Å"the power of A over B is equal to, and based upon, the dependence of B upon A†. Therefore if a person B is dependent of another person A, only then the power of A exists. The level of power of person A depends upon the degree of dependence of person B on person A and the alternatives available to person B. If there is no dependence then power over another person does not exists. The accounting manager in the given scenario is the person who is dependent upon Employee 2 because of the Expertise power of Employee 2. Employee 2 is the only person in the organization who can prepare the financial statements and so the manager is dependent upon him to prepare it. Employee 1 is dependent upon marketing manager for the award he wants, that is why he stays late in the office to make sure of the completion and accuracy of the work and he often come to office on weekends. Employee 3 was selected as the leader of the team working on new project; all others related to the project are dependent upon him because of his Coercive power. Task 4 The first problem with the company’s current evaluation form is that the rating scales in the form mostly focus on relationships with other employees and on the personality; it is more of a personality test rather than performance and skills evaluation. Instead of evaluating the neatness of the workplace, relationships with peers, attitude with others and friendliness, the questions should be more specific to the performance and quality of work. Performance factors such as knowledge, skills, abilities, quality and timeliness of work, efforts of the employee, works habits, supervisory factors, cooperation, adaptability and effectiveness of communication should be evaluated. The second concern in the evaluation form is that the rating scales are not specific and measurable. The scale being used is to rate an attribute is not numeric or scalar, high, low-medium, medium are being used to score against the attribute. A better approach of scoring will be to use a scale with numeric scale, the highest described as â€Å"Superior† and lowest as â€Å"Unsatisfactory†. Another option of â€Å"Not Applicable† should also be present with all attributes. The use of measurable scale will ease the work for evaluator and he will be able to rate the employee’s attributes more accurately. The third concern in the evaluation form is that the performance factors are not specific. When the manager had to give rating on the engineer’s attitudes, he had to take in to account the engineer’s attitudes towards his job and tasks that he is assigned to do and also his attitudes towards co-workers and manager. The factors should be more specific so that the evaluator can give the ratings to specific attribute and every attribute is taken into account. In the scenario, the manager gave engineer a low rating in the attitude factor although his attitude towards work was very serious and he completed his tasks in a very well manner. He got a low rating because of his poor attitude towards the peers and manager. The 360-degree approach to employee evaluation involves supervisor, peers, and subordinates into the evaluation of an individual. This approach has its own pros and cons. Many people participate in evaluating a person so it gives complete view of the performance of the person. The performance view is captured from the supervisor, peers and the subordinates, they respond as they see the person’s performance. It reduces the bias of the supervisor or the manager towards an employee. It the supervisor does not likes the attitude of appearance of the employee, and then he might rate the employee with a lower score. If the employee’s attitude with the supervisor is not favorable but the peers and subordinates like the attitude of the employee, then this can be captured in the evaluation process. Many people participate in the evaluation process, so the score becomes more reliable and more accurate. The supervisor may not have a personal relation with the employee and may not know him too well to rate his personality and attitude towards work. It is also possible that the employee have had some kind of incident with the supervisor in the past and since then the attitude towards the employee had become unfavorable. Then the supervisor would obviously rate him low in the performance factors. Most of the times in an organization, peers and co-workers know the employee better than the supervisor; so when the peers will evaluate the employee, they will be able to give the ratings more accurately and their ratings will be more reliable than any others. The attitude of a person towards his sub-ordinates is also very important, this attitude can be recorded when sub-ordinates will take part in the evaluation process of the employee. And then after the evaluation, the employee can leverage his strengths according to others’ perception of his performance and personality. So, 360-degree approach to performance evaluation helps in evaluating the employee from many views and in recording reliable and more accurate information then the traditional forms of evaluations and is not only helpful to the management to make important decisions but also is useful to the person being evaluated . There are some disadvantages too of including the supervisor, peers and subordinates in the evaluation process. One of the main disadvantages is that all the peers and subordinates may not like the personality of the employee being evaluated and may rate him very low based on his attitude and personality. The main purpose of evaluating an employee is to evaluate the performance and skills and attitude towards the work and tasks assigned to him. The co-workers and subordinates may have issues with employee being evaluated because of personality clash, and although his work is up to the mark and performance is well, but still the peers, supervisor and subordinates might give him low score on performance. There are a handful of employee performance evaluation methods; three of them are top-down, peer-to-peer and 360-degree. Top-down is the most commonly used in the organizations today. It involves the direct manager of the employee in the evaluation process and is only useful if the manager knows his employee well enough. Peer-to-peer entails the employees of the same levels to review each other. Nobody knows the capabilities and performance of an employee better than his peer or co-worker. While it can be effective method, it can also be very unsuccessful at times. If there is jealousy among the co-workers or if there is competition then it is obvious that they will not rate each others in a reliable manner. When there are multiple managers or multiple peers of an employee then these methods prove successful. The third method is 360-degree evaluation which takes into account the reviews of peers, subordinates and the managers or supervisors. In some organizations even suppliers and customers are involved in the evaluation process. While the advantage of multiple points of views is clear, it poses some threats also. Sometimes the subordinates may not give the true feedback of their managers because of the fear that manager will get to know about it. The following are the errors and biases that commonly affect the accuracy of performance evaluation. The first one is that the employees may favor the evaluation questions of their manager as they will fear that the manager will find out and so their review will not be true. The second is that the peers might not be mature enough or experienced enough to evaluate each other and they may form a cartel and rate each other well. The third example is that the manager does not the performance of his employee whom he is to evaluate because of no interaction with him, and he might just do the evaluation providing inaccurate information. In the given scenario, the evaluation form should be made more reliable and bias free and should be more oriented towards the performance of the employee rather than the friendliness and the attitude towards the co-workers. The scale used should be numeric with the highest being the best and lowest being the most poor. Customers, subordinates, and co-workers should also be included in the evaluation process to make it fairer. References Online Journal Iain, Ph. D. Hay. (2007 ). Transactional and Transformational Leaderships Compared. Leadership of Stability and leadership of vola tility, Volume 4, Issue 4. Retrieved 04 16, 2009, from Academic Leadership database. Website Organization/Website/Author name. (Year, Month Day). Title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from www. url. com Value Based Management. net/Victor Vroom. (2009, 03 23). Motivation and Management Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. Retrieved 04 14, 2009, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_vroom_expectancy_theory. html Arrod. co. uk/Dave Droar. (2006, 12 31). Expectancy theory of motivation. Retrieved 04 14, 2009, from http://www. arrod. co. uk/archive/concept_vroom. php Imaginal Training/Jon Jenkins and Gerrit Visser. (2001). Level 5 Leadership. Retrieved 04 14, 2009, from http://www. imaginal. nl/articleLevel5Leadership. htm Workplace Competence International Limited/Roelf Woldring. (2001). Power in Organizations: A way of Thinking About What You’ve Got, and How to Use It. Retrieved 04 16, 2009, from http://www. wciltd. com/pdfquark/powerorgv2. pdf