Second assignment topshop lt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Second assignment topshop lt - Essay Example In the context of the present study, it needs to be mentioned that while analyzing the overall international business structure, the key business issues required to operate a business in the international market have been considered, which include marketing, logistics, organisational structure and communication. However, even before describing the proposed international business structure, it is important to provide a brief insight about market trend of the behaviour exhibited by the African consumers (Burgemeister, 2003, p. 192). African Retail Industry The launch of Topshop stores in Johannesburg and Durban shows the degree of attractiveness of the South African retail market. In the year 2011, The African Development Bank and AFDB provided a report that described the middle class of the country as those people having daily consumption of US$2-20 per day. Industrialists, however, wish to think differently. Mr. Mncane Mthunzi, the executive director of Massmart, believes that compan ies should not focus too much on the so-called definition of the African middle class. According to Mthunzi, as per the retailers, the disposable income should be decided by the fact whether the people coming to retail store have the money to buy the designated product or not. According to experts, the fact that the sub-Saharan Africa does not have modern retail outlets or major shopping malls does not imply the fact that the south-African consumers do not have the purchasing power. Experts believe that South African customers can be categorised as wealthy or upper class, rising or higher middle class and also rural customers. Analysts actually believe that the major retailers including global as well as local firms should actually focus on the rising middle class segment (Churchill, 2009, p.211). This is a group that is becoming more judicious in the consumer behaviour. Such groups are looking for quality branded products. Analysts also added that this is the trend that can be seen throughout the continent. However, as compared to other African neighbours, South Africa has shown rapid growth in the retail segment. The country has been able to get over the aftershocks of 2008 economic slump. In 2012, the country saw an economic growth of 2.6%. The retail sales have increased by 3.9%. The consumer spending has increased by $4,291 per capita. Managing the international distribution network One of the major decisions that a company has to make while aiming at internationalisation is managing the overall channel and distribution. One of the key elements of the distribution strategy is to decide upon the market entry strategy. There are various modes of entry that a company can choose, including joint ventures, strategic alliances, acquisitions, green-field strategy and franchising. While making the market entry decision into a foreign country, one of the key factors to be considered is the risk factor. In the context of this, it is to be mentioned that despite of growth potential, the African retail industry can be tagged as a virgin market. Also the disposable income of the people of Africa may not be as high as other European and North American nations since the African

Kate Winslet Essay Example for Free

Kate Winslet Essay These past few years of highschool have had its ups and downs, but overall its been amazing. Id like to thank my friends and family for always believing in me. Congratulations to the grads of 2013, see you all in 10 years! A discriminating reader may take pleasure in reading The Destructors, over an immature reader. A discriminating reader is a reader that takes deep pleasure in fiction that deals with life significantly, expects characters, plot and themes that are complex or realistic and that may challenge his or her beliefs and view of reality. This means that a discriminative reader would enjoy reading interpretive literature, like The Destructors. The Destructors will appeal to a discriminating reader because it deals with life problems and events that have happened, a deeper meaning and the theme and the story challenges beliefs and views of reality. The Destructors demonstrates life problems and events that have happened in history, this intrigues a discriminative reader into wanting to read the book or story. The story shows life problems, where there are gangs that are wanting to make trouble and let loose; just have freedoms and not let others or themselves have special treatment. An examples of this is when Old Misery offers then gang three packages of smarties and the its stood there puzzled and perturbed by this action and tried to explain it away. Bet someone dropped them and he picked em up,. They tried to think of all different reasons why Mr. Thomas would do this and they figured it was a bribe. This would make a discriminative reader keep reading, as the story is also set time is during the London blitz were bombs destroyed hundreds of house and places. Not only does a discriminative reader become interested by life problems and historical events, but also by the theme and deeper meaning. A discriminative reader, unlike an immature reader, can figure out the deeper meaning or theme of a story easily and doing this keeps them interested. The these is not usually easily present in a story that a discriminative reader would read because they would want to stay interested and try to figure it out as they read it by themselves. The theme of The Destructors is not innocence because the war has taken that away from them and replaced it with something the reader can make up and believe. The reader, being discriminative, expects the theme to be complex and realistic, and as the story continues the boys, Blackie and T. , have a conversation about the one thing T. wants to destroy. Well burn them [the notes/money], one by one and taking it in turns they held a note upwards and lit the top corner, so that the flame burnt slowly towards their fingers. The grey ask floated above them and fell on their heads like age. This makes the readers think the theyre not to be innocence anymore by selfishness and rebelliousness, also the war has aged them by not giving them a childhood. From what has been said, a discriminating reader is able to figure out a deeper meaning by analyzing and expecting or guessing what the theme and meaning of the story is to be. Through doing so, they may challenge their beliefs and view of reality. As a discriminative reader reads a story, along the way they challenge their own beliefs as well as the authors belief. Whole doing this, they could perceive reality differently or challenge how or why reality was done this way. In particular, the discriminative reader may read, Of course I dont hate him [Old Misery], I said. Thered be no fun if I hated him. The last burning note illuminate his brooding face. All this hate and love, he said, its soft, its hooey. Theres only things, Blackie, he looked round the room crowded with unfamiliar shadows of half things, broken things, [and] former things. A reader may see this and think do I really need this or that and challenge what they believe in and if something is right or wrong, better or worse. Overall, the discriminative reader loos at a story and challenges why they believe or dont believe this and how come reality is this way. Discriminating readers can use many ways to look at a story and analyze it; they may take pleasure in to why the story deals with life problems and events in history, also the theme and or deeper meaning, as well as challenging beliefs and reality. The Destructors demonstrates all of these and that is why this story could be appealing to a discriminative reader.

How Globalization Has Effected On Indian Economy Economics Essay

How Globalization Has Effected On Indian Economy Economics Essay Due to globalization, in Indian economy it affect not only to agricultural production but also employment opportunities in the rural parts, inequality between urban rural areas. Globalisation is conceived as a powerful transformative force responsible for a massive shake-out of nations, economies, international institutions the whole world order. Thus, we can say that the higher the level of international corporations/transactions, the higher will be economic growth, income level living standards the globalization process would bring. Globalisation has brought many jobs large sums of investment to India. Indias economy has been growing at exceptional rates for the past several years many new opportunities have opened up for India. Yet, India does remain quite poor. Most of those who profit from globalization in India are the upper classes, with many in the lower classes being displaced suffering from miserable labor conditions. Globalization has created a large economic boom fo r India with largely positive effects. At the present, we can also say about the tale of two Indians. We have the best of times; we have the worst of times. Globalization of financial markets has far outpaced the integration of product markets. There is sparkling prosperity, there is stinking poverty. We have dazzling five star hotels side by side with darkened ill-starred hovels. We have everything by globalization, we have noting by globalization. Heymath, a firm in Chennai, provide mathematics homework help to students lesson plans to teachers, over the net. Its initial target market was schools in Singapore, but after successfully developing selling its product there, it is now expanding elsewhere, including India. Despite these examples, however, as an economy we are still not still as open to foreign goods and services, labor, or knowledge as we should be. The five major areas where the co-operative global efforts on reform are to be concentrated are: 1. Transparency: The goal is to make timely, reliable data, plus information about economic and financial policies, practices, and decision making, readily available to financial markets and the public. 2. Internationally Accepted Standards: Adherence to international standards and codes of good practices helps ensure that economies function properly at the national level, which is a key prerequisite for a well-functioning international system. 3. Financial Sector Strengthening: Banks and other financial institutions need to improve internal practices, including risk assessment and management, and the official sector needs to upgrade supervision and regulation of the financial sector to keep pace with the modern global economy. 4. Involving the Private Sector: Better involvement of the private sector in crisis prevention and resolution can limit moral hazard; strengthen market discipline by fostering better risk assessment; and improve the prospects for both debtors and creditors 5. Systemic Improvements: Contingent Credit Lines (CCL): The IMF has created a new instrument of crisis prevention with the CCL, after cautionary line of defense readily available to member countries with strong economic policies designed to prevent future balance of payments problems that might arise from international financial contagion. Advantage of Globalization in Indian Economy: There are numerous advantages in the shift to a global economy including the possibility to increase benefits from economies of scale. The breaking down of global barriers allows companies to benefit from the largest cheapest workforces, raw material, technology. Due to globalization, in many areas of the country tomato growers, potato growers fruit growers, farmers benefited from tie-up collaborations with ketchup, potato chips, fruit juices etc. Fishermen in Kerala have increased their incomes using mobile phones to find out the best markets where the prices are highest on each day. Lock outs strikes have declined to insignificantly low levels because industrial labor is happy. Due to Globalization the business market in the world has no boundaries; they can market their products in any part of the world. This has involved the chances of laying hands on global market technologies, which would definitely increase our qualities of living standards. Globalization helps Indian En trepreneur to know more about the competitors, recent trends, Quality of products. Helps in sourcing new technology for improving their Brand Quality. Hiring competent person irrespective of the nationality. Good exposure of Indian brands to overseas market. Due to increase in healthy competition with other brands, Indian brands will be forced to improve their quality and services to the customer. It aims at increasing the production of food and improvements of the economic and social condition of farmers. It would increase efficiency of the workers. Use of seeds and heavy machines has help to increase agricultural productivity. It would improve animal husbandries would be able to import good breed of animals from the other countries. Farmers will get the privilege of the international market through export agricultural products. Disadvantages: Rise in demand for labor the rise in wage rates leading to increase in costs. Too much competition in the market leading to continuous pressure on raising productivity enhancing consumer service, improving products quality in order to survive. Voluntary retirement for many public sector units. Too many sales person chasing customers. Too many cars on the road traffic congestion. Growth of consumerism. Shortage power infrastructure affecting industrial expansion. The farmer got the exposure to global links of markets, technology investments, beneficial in terms of involving their yields, getting better prices secured off take. This leads to a major dissatisfaction among under developed/developing countries where they are cut off from the rest of the world. This has also increased the chances of inferiority complex among these nations. There is a fundamental problem with globalization which will cause international tension trade disputes without arresting the process. It may be d ifficult to survive for SSI and other industries which are unable to cope up with the changes due to insufficient funds. Indian Talent is being attracted towards other country due to higher salary and emoluments. Due to heavy taxation and levies in India, end products are being costly as compared to imported brands. All the multinational companies MNCs are examples, such as pepsi , cocacola, ibm, general electric, vodafone, almost all have its business allover the world. for a MNC target market is whole world itself. Globalization Its Impact : The various beneficial effects of globalization in Indian Industry are that it brought in huge amounts of foreign investments into the industry especially in the BPO, pharmaceutical, petroleum, and manufacturing industries. As huge amounts of foreign direct investments were coming to the Indian Industry, they boosted the Indian economy quite significantly. The benefits of the effects of globalization in the Indian Industry are that many foreign companies set up industries in India, especially in the pharmaceutical, BPO, petroleum, manufacturing, and chemical sectors and this helped to provide employment to many people in the country. This helped reduce the level of unemployment and poverty in the country. Also the benefit of the Effects of Globalization on Indian Industry are that the foreign companies brought in highly advanced technology with them and this helped to make the Indian Industry more technologically advanced. Since 1991, India has witnessed an explosion of new media. Be tween 1990 and 1999, access to television grew from 10% of the urban population to 75% of the urban population. Cable television and foreign movies became widely available for the first time. 1) Indian Agriculture: Indian farmers are offered no subsidiaries compared to the US Farmers. There has been no encouragement from the government to ensure foreign companies to set up technologies for the farmers assistance. The US Farmers has opened the market for textile China has already set up factories started production where in India hasnt woken up. On the other side of the medal, there is along list of the worst of the time, the foremost casualty being the agriculture sector. Agriculture has been still remains the backbone of the Indian economy. It plays a vital role not only in providing food nutrition to the people, but also in the supply of raw materials to industries to export trade. The financial capital of India the political of India are set to become the topmost slum cities of the world. 2) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth rate: The Indian economy is passing through a difficult phase caused by several unfavorable domestic external developments, Domestic O/P DD conditions were adversely affected by poor performance in agriculture in the post two years. The rate of growth of GDP of India has been on the increase from 5.6% to 7% in the 1993-2001 periods. The sectors attracting highest FDI inflows are electrical equipments including Computer software electronics (18 %), service sector (13%), telecommunication (10%), transportation industry (9%) etc. 3) Export Import: Indias export import is increasing many Indian companies have started becoming respectable players in international scenes. There are two alternative causes available. To sell its product in the export market. To produce those type of commodities that the rich in India could consume i.e. luxury consumption goods. 4) Technologies: IT is given special status. The reason for this is because the Indian government wants to promote it-s nation a as a technological advanced nation and in order to do this they must stimulate the IT sector. The special status- means the sector and investors (willing to invest in the sector) will receive many benefits and incentives from the government to do so. 5) Poverty: The government of India has shown decline in people living in absolute poverty by manipulating statistics. The decline happened when large number of industrial units have been closed down, number of days of work available to workers has declined, downsizing of manpower had taken place in most of the industrial undertakings and non-availability of jobs to the new entrant in employment market is witnessed. Besides, there is an all round decline of prices of agricultural products, forcing farmers to suicide. In sectors like plantation and tea, workers are virtually starving. It is just not possible that people living in absolute poverty can decline in the country under these circumstances. 6) Education: The growth of higher education and the impact of the global economies have influenced the Indian education system over the last few years. Conclusion: India has to concentrate on 5 important areas or things to follow to achieve this goal. The areas like technological entrepreneurship, new business opening for small medium enterprises importance of quality management, now prospects in rural areas privatization of financial institutions. There will be prospect growth of Indian economy very much depends upon rural participation in the global race. The rich and poor, rural and urban, service class and agriculturalists, men and women, the bi polar opposites started troubling the social development. Benefits of Globalization: Economies of countries that engage well with the international economy have consistently grown much faster than those countries that try to protect themselves. Well managed open economies have grown at rates that are on average 2 Â ½ percentage points higher than the rate of growth in economies closed to the forces of globalisation. Countries which have had faster economic growth have then been able to improve living standards and reduce poverty. India has cut its poverty rate in half in the past two decades. China has reduced the number of rural poor from 250 million in 1978 to 34 million in 1999. Cheaper imports also make a wider range of products accessible to more people and, through competition, can help promote efficiency and productivity. Improved wealth through the economic gains of globlisation has led to improved access to health care and clean water which has increased life expectancy. More than 85 percent of the worlds population can expect to live for at least sixty yea rs (thats twice as long as the average life expectancy 100 years ago!) Improved environmental awareness and accountability has contributed to positive environmental outcomes by encouraging the use of more efficient, less-polluting technologies and facilitating economies imports of renewable substitutes for use in place of scarce domestic natural resources.Improved technology has dramatically reduced costs and prices changing the way the world communicates, learns, does business and treats illnesses. Between 1990 and 1999, adult illiteracy rates in developing countries fell from 35 per cent to 29 per cent. Modern communications and the global spread of information have contributed to the toppling of undemocratic regimes and a growth in liberal democracies around the world. International migration has led to greater recognition of diversity and respect for cultural identities which is improving democracy and access to human rights. Problems of globalization: There are social and economic costs to globalisation Trade liberalisation rewards competitive industries and penalises uncompetitive ones, and it requires participating countries to undertake economic restructuring and reform. While this will bring benefits in the long term, there are dislocation costs to grapple with in the immediate term, and the social costs for those affected are high. Increased trade and travel have facilitated the spread of human, animal and plant diseases, like HIV/AIDS, SARS and bird flu, across borders. Globalisation has also enabled the introduction of cigarettes and tobacco to developing countries, with major adverse health and financial costs associated with that. Trade liberalisation and technological improvements change the economy of a country, destroying traditional agricultural communities and allowing cheap imports of manufactured goods. This can lead to unemployment if not carefully managed, as work in the traditional sectors of the economy becomes scarce and people may not have the appropriate skills for the jobs which may be created. Modern communications have spread an awareness of the differences between countries, and increased the demand for migration to richer countries. Richer countries have tightened the barriers against migrant workers, xenophobic fears have increased and people smugglers have exploited vulnerable people. Globalised competition can force a race to the bottom in wage rates and labour standards. It can also foster a brain drain of skilled workers, where highly educated and qualified professionals, such as doctors, engineers and IT specialists, migrate to developed countries to benefit from the higher wages and greater career and lifestyle prospects. This creates severe skilled labour shortages in developing countries.

ben franklin Essay -- essays research papers

Ben Franklin Ben Franklin became famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, and a librarian. Today, we honor Ben Franklin as one of the men who founded America and as one of America's greatest citizens. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He was the tenth son of soap maker, Josiah Franklin. Though Ben only had one year of schooling he was educated and loved to read and write. He worked as an apprentice to his brother, James, who was a printer, when he was fifteen years old. At the age of seventeen, Ben ran away and started a new life in Philadelphia as a result of arguments with James. Franklin found work as an apprentice printer and did so well the provincial governor of Pennsylvania promised to set him up a business if he traveled to England to buy supplies. The governor never followed up on his promise and Benjamin was forced to spend several months in England doing print work. On returning home, he opened up his own printing business. Around this period of time, in 1728, Ben fathered a child, William, of whom the mother is not known. Two years later he married his childhood sweetheart, Deborah Read. Not only did the Franklins own a print shop, they also opened a store selling almost everything and a bookstore. Ben Franklin had many accomplishments and was very successful in life. His newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, was one of the most successful papers in the colonies. He first published Poor Richard’s...

Positive Organizational Scholarship Essay

Positive organizational scholarship is an emerging discipline in organizational behavior and is about positivity in organization. The need for it emerged to bridge the gap between moral and rational objectives. It is not a new science, it is the new way of looking at things, it’s like you have just changed your glasses. In today’s world, society is facing extremely tough challenges in the form of global warming, natural disasters, economic recession, unprecedented homelessness, terrorism and the draining continuation of war. So at this moment of extreme negative happenings and uncertainty, what is needed to be emphasized and brought up is positive. With all this sadness and horror, where in the world does a science based on testing happiness, wellbeing, personal growth and ‘the good life’ ? t into the modern-day agenda? So, Positive psychology; is the study of topics such as happiness, optimism, personal growth and subjective well being. It promotes the factors that allow the groups and communities to thrive or flourish. At the current stage in this world of negativity, positive psychology focuses on positive experiences at three time points a) past centering contentment; b) present focusing current happiness c) future including optimism and hope. We should know that what a good life is ? Aristotle and Plato used to believe that when people carried out a virtuous life they would become authentically happy. The happiness are of two types in positive psychology according to Seligman, one is hedonic happiness which is high level of positive affect and low levels of negative effect, in addition to high subjective life satisfaction. See more: how to start a scholarship essay Other is eudemonic wellbeing which focuses more on creation of meaning and purpose in life. (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011) A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The model of Seligman of Positive psychology is divided into three parts: The pleasurable life, the good life, and the meaningful life. The â€Å"pleasurable life† is about things like shopping, eating, drugging, meaningless sex, etc. The research is finding that having more pleasures does not increase life satisfaction. The â€Å"good life† as defined by Seligman is about understanding and using one’s core strengths/virtues in work and love and play. He, in conjunction with Chris Peterson, developed a VIA Signature Strengths Survey found that Having a life of high absorption does correlate to life satisfaction measures according to Seligman. Lastly, the â€Å"meaningful life† is when a person uses his/her strengths for the purpose of something larger than him/herself. Choosing to live a life of faith, purpose, meaning, correlates to life satisfaction measures. Marty also sees this aspect of his model directly related to Positive Institutions—those organizations that promote positive character development and/or meaning. He’s mostly focused on non-profits and religious organizations but others are applying it to for-profit organizations. (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) An approach that is positive to selection, development, and management of human resources in organizations has been emphasized by both scholars and professionals over the years. A wide variety of positively oriented high-performance work practices in placement, compensation, and motivation and their underlying strategies, structures, and cultures have also been extensively studied and supported for their contributions to organizational performance and competitiveness. Research and consulting by the Gallup Organization also supports the importance of positive, strength-based organizational cultures and human resource practices . (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001). For example, factors such as effective selection and placement practices that capitalize on employees’ talents, clear and aligned goals and expectations, social support and recognition, and opportunities for growth, development, and self actualization have been found to significantly contribute to employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and ultimately organizational profitability and growth(Harter, Schmidt, & Keynes, 2003) On the academic side, the positive organizational scholarship or POS movement has been instrumental in providing macro-level scholars with a conceptual framework for organizing and integrating their research on positive organizations (Cameron et al. , 2003). Positive refers to the elevating processes and outcomes in organizations. Organizational refers to the interpersonal and structural dynamics activated in and through organizations, specifically taking into account the context in which positive phenomena occur. Scholarship refers to the scientific, theoretically derived, and rigorous investigation of that which is positive in organizational setting. (KIM S. CAMERON & CAZA, 2004). Positive organizational scholarship (POS) is considered an alternative approach to studying organizations; it is argued that POS plays a critical theory role in contemporary organizational scholarship. By using essays on critical theory in organizational science to consider POS research, and drawing from the principles of Gestalt psychology, it is argued that the important distinctions between POS and traditional organizational scholarship lie in POS’s emphasis on positive processes, on value transparency, and on extending the range of what constitutes a positive organizational outcome. In doing so, it is concluded that the primary contribution of POS is that it offers an alternative to the deficit model that shapes the design and conduct of organizational research. (Caza. & Caza. , 2008) There are several reasons that exist for the neglect of positive phenomena in organizational science. They include a) Lack of valid and reliable measuring devices b) the association of positivity with uncritical science c) the fact that negative events have greater impact on people than positive events(Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001) The first reason for the neglect towards POS concerning measurement and instrumentation, most positively focused at work up to now has been at the psychological level. For example only surveys had been used up till now for finding out anything related to it. Most scholarly work in POS has been conceptual and definitional rather than empirical. Little empirical work has been published. (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003). The article by Losada and Heaphy uses a model to estimate team effectiveness. Communication patterns in 60 top management teams were observed and coded in day long strategic planning sessions. The ratio of positive to negative communication was ranging among high, medium and low performing teams. Positive teams performed significantly better Similarly Cameron, Bright and Caza’s study in which they surveyed organizations across a number of industry types, and eventually they found out that the organizations scoring higher on virtuousness had a better performance than the other ones. The second reason to the neglect towards POS is that the topics related to it have sometimes been associated with non scholarly prescriptions. Hope and optimism for example have been interpreted as wishful thinking. POS uses the word scholarship to identify its scientific and theoretical foundations. It is committed to documenting, measuring, and explaining usually positive human experiences in organizations. The third reason for the dearth of POS illustrated by Baumeisteret et al’s concluded that the events that are negative for example losing money or receiving criticism will always have a greater impact on the individual than the positive events such as winning money or receiving praise. Many good events can overcome the psychological effects of a single bad one. In case the numbers of good and bad events are equal then the psychological effects of bad ones always outweigh the good ones. This tells us that the neglect of problems and challenges might threaten the survival of individual. And the neglect of positive might only result into regret or disappointment. (KIM S.  CAMERON & CAZA, 2004) Identifying the factors that lead to joy and happiness, hope and faith, and â€Å"what makes life worth living† represents a shift from reparative psychology to a psychology of positive experience. Similarly, Positive organizational scholarship examines the positive side of organizational performance. It investigates positive deviance, or the ways in which organizations and their members flourish and prosper in especially humane and extraordinary ways. It investigates virtuous elements in organizations such as compassion, forgiveness, dignity, respectful encounters, optimism and positive effect, integrity, and wisdom. This emphasis parallels a new movement in psychology that is shifting from the traditional focus on illness and pathology (e. g.  , deviancy, abnormality, and therapy) toward a positive psychology that focuses on human strengths and virtues. (Dinnah Pladott, 2003) Pos is concerned with understanding the integration of positive and negative conditions. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) and Positive Psychology are focused on understanding the conditions and processes that explain flourishing. What differentiates POS is an explicit interest in understanding and explaining flourishing in organizational contexts (including individuals, groups, units and whole organizations). Flourishing refers to being in an optimal range of human functioning and is indicated at the individual level by goodness, generatively, growth and resilience. At  the collective level of groups and organizations, flourishing may be indicated by creativity, innovation, growth, resilience, thriving virtuousness or other markers that a collective is healthy and is performing in an â€Å"above normal† or positively deviant range. POS also focuses on the development of individual, group and collective strengths that represent forms of individual and collective excellence. POS unites existing domains of organizational inquiry focused on flourishing. This includes work on flourishing indicators such as creativity, engagement, flow, growth, health and well-being, as well as contributors to flourishing that consider features of the organization, group and job contexts.

Bluetooth Technology and Its Future essays

Bluetooth Technology and It's Future essays Bluetooth will become the pervasive technology to support wireless communication in various contexts of every day life, F-Secure and Secure Networks announces in their 2006 study, Going Around with Bluetooth in Full Safety.1 A low-range transmission device now commonly installed in phones and personal computers, Bluetooth has become part of the everyday life of the technological consumer marketplace and holds a very strong bid on its future. Currently operable in low bandwidth radio waves that extend, at best, up to 100 meters, Bluetooth is in a rapid state of change. While the transformations of the 1.0 and 1.1. problem-riddled versions have provided a powerful outlet for utility and created a name for the Bluetooth technology, the horizon of Bluetooth capabilities is only beginning to be seen. Ultimately, with careful planning and exacting growth methods, the Bluetooth protocol could be changed from a communication alternative to a communication norm. To its benefit, the future of Bluetooth does not require a host PC, like a LAN or USB would. Although its current place in the license-free ISM band keeps it in the lower band-widths, Version 2.0 rolled out the Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate that implemented such a higher data transmission rate nearly three times that its increase in power usage is clearly outweighed by its capabilities. At the helm of the Bluetooth frontier push is the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is compromised of leaders in the telecommunications, computing, consumer electronics, automotive, and network industries. Their dedication to Bluetooth wireless technology has been fundamental to the success of Bluetooth and its integration into the consumer marketplace. Bluetooth SIG also rallies around its media with a wide cadre of promoter groups; Intel notwithstanding, Ericsson, Microsoft, Motorola, Toshiba, and over 4500 ...

Current Events in Business Research Shari Bratcher RES351 April 28 201

Current Events in Business Research Shari Bratcher RES351 April 28 201 Current Events in Business Research RES351 April 28, 2014 Current Events in Business Research I have examined an article titled, Technology could ease textbook costs: Studies show students are slow to embrace new methods of learning by Christopher Magan, 2010. This article illustrates how the improvement of technology may not be as welcomed, as it should. In the examination of this article, we will determine the research and purpose of the article, as well as discuss the complications under examination, the used methods of inquiries, and the completion of the research. An association professor of communication at Wright State University, Lynn Disbrow, received an award recently by the Ohio Board of Regents (Magan, 2010). This award was in honor of her digitizing a public speaking courses materials, which in turn reduced the costs significantly from $90 to $35. What this does is offers students supplementary resources at a more affordable price. Possibly restructuring the textbook market in the decades to come, the introduction of new methods of learning, such as tablet computers, netbooks and handhelds, is no longer a vision but a reality. Several universities are gradually exchanging paper materials for digitized course material. Although students are committing to new technology ventures, such as social networking, studies show that students are slow to incorporate the use of new technologies into school studies. The Student Watch composed a study in 2010 that showed seventy-four percent of students would rather use printed textbooks. Sixty percent of students were unaware of digitized material made available to them at their school. Because students in secondary education were taught to read printed textbooks, it has set a mental standard for learning subsequently. Because materials need to be affordable to the students, digitalized resources are going to be a significant piece to future of education learning. McGraw-Hill publishes all of their textbooks in both print and digitally, many companies are eager to deliver the necessary materials in either way the demands of the market fall. The conversion from print to digital will come sooner than later with the immense uses of computers for education purposes. Colleges and universities are becoming paperless and are starting to provide students with online course materials, such as assignments, course syllabus and other requirements. The transition is just a matter of the adjustments people will have to make. We are now in the beginning of a digital age with the introduction of new technology. Whether students prefer printed materials as opposed to online materials is still a question that remains to be unanswered fully. Many students are embracing the idea of a paperless curriculum, while others are still comfortable to the more traditional learning methods of printed copies. Unfortunately, for now, this seems to be a less viable option in the market that has been created. References Magan, C. (2010, June 12). Technology could ease textbook costs; Studies show students are slow to embrace new methods of learning. Dayton Daily News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/497337234?accountid=458

Workplace Sexual Harassment

Workplace Sexual Harassment Free Online Research Papers Review of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Sexual harassment is defined as the threatening or offensive behavior of a person who regularly makes sexual comments or touches someone in a sexual way. (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2010) With this being said, it is critical to a company’s reputation and success that it is handled swiftly and without bias to either the person accused of the harassment or the victim. Sexual harassment can be classified into a couple of categories. One category is called quid pro quo, when translated into English from Latin, it means something for something. (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2010) If you will do something for me, I will do something rewarding for you. Usually this type of harassment comes from someone that has power over you, such as a manager or supervisor. It is illegal, whether the victim submits to it or resists it. Another classification is hostile environment sexual harassment. This can happen when a person is subjected to offensive language, sexually suggestive pictures, explicit graffiti, or even unwanted gestures. The list can go on and on. Anyone can be responsible for this type of harassment, co-workers, supervisors, or even customers. A single incident is usually not considered harassment unless it was really appalling. Whichever way you choose to define it, sexual harassment will not and cannot be accepted in the workplace. Frank is notorious around the office for flirting with his female coworkers. In Frank’s conversation with Mary in the break room, it is unmistakably clear that he sought after Mary to go out with him in order to approve her expense report. He also implies that she did something sexual to land the account, and now he wanted her to do the same favors for him. This case is a perfect example of quid pro quo. This situation is a clear violation of Mary’s civil rights. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: â€Å"It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.† (United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, 2010) There are a number of things that employers can do to limit or even negate their liability. They must first establish a strict policy on sexual harassment. They must make sure that they educate their employees about the types of harassment and how to go about reporting an incident. They must also make sure the policy is visible, and let all employees know that all claims will be taken seriously and investigated to the fullest extent. The employer also needs to make understood that any violation of this policy will have harsh consequences. Once an employee makes a claim, the employer must make sure they investigate the claim quickly, and make sure they talk to everyone involved in the incident. Depending on the outcome, immediate action should be taken, and the employees involved should be notified promptly. Refusal of a company to establish and adhere to a sexual harassment policy could be detrimental. When a supervisor or manager abuses their authority, the company’s image is hurt. Their employee’s trust is lost. The company could lose customers and profits if a case is lost in court. In 2009, the EEOC received 12,696 reports of sexual harassment. Out of those, 11,948 were resolved either by settlements, successful/unsuccessful conciliation, withdrawals with benefits, administrative closures, or reasonable cause. Just the monies paid to employees totaled $51.5 million dollars. (EEOC, 2010) That does not include any court costs or attorney’s fees. I think the best course of action for settling this case between Frank and Mary is to terminate Frank. Frank has abused his authority. He is a volatile liability, and his negative attributes outweigh his positive elements. Swift and harsh action is needed to keep the trust of the employees, to establish the discipline policy, and as well as to reiterate the zero tolerance standard on sexual harassment. Mary needs to be assured that she is safe from retaliation, and she did the right thing by bringing it to the attention of the Human Resources department. This course of action will also limit the liability of the company should Mary choose to further this investigation. The courts now have adopted a doctrine called respondeat superior. This is Latin for let the master answer. (The Free Online Dictionary, 2010) This means that an employer will be held liable for whatever actions their employees take, whether the employer knew about them or not. Sexual harassment is a touchy subject. An employer has to be proactive and affirmative in order to maintain order and hopefully prevent this type of harassment from happening in the workplace. Employers should give additional training to their supervisors and managers to ensure that they achieve a comprehensive knowledge of sexual harassment, and what the ramifications are if they choose to ignore the policies set in place. If everyone works together, follows the written policies, and keeps a pleasant atmosphere in the office, maybe one day sexual harassment will be eradicated. Research Papers on Workplace Sexual HarassmentMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesTrailblazing by Eric Anderson19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyTwilight of the UAWThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaResearch Process Part OneNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

Land law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Land law - Coursework Example (iv) Removal of ornamental bronze statue of an African elephant and its plinth after contract exchange but before completion date. Mr. Hay without prior knowledge of the impending outcomes went ahead and acquired Bramble Farm from Mr. Major Thorn. He failed to ascertain the legality of the ownership of the land by Major Thorn from the land registry offices which could have helped him get a clear copy of the any other owner of the land. According to Land Registration Rules 2003,1 inspection of the land ownership is allowed to ascertain true ownership. The above issues ought to be dealt accordingly as discussed below so as Mr. Hay remains the legal and owner of Bramble farm, without impending conflicts. Rose having been in possession for ownership for the Land for a similar period as Major Thorn has equal rights to the land and therefore was legal entity that could have been consulted prior to the sale agreement. According to the Land Registration Act 2002,2 Rose having in possession o f the land for more than ten years is deemed by law as a legal partner in the farm. The advantage with Mr. Hay is that according to the land registry document, Rose is not recognised as a proprietor; therefore, Mr. Hay has no legal obligation binding him towards the claimed contribution towards the purchase of the land. Having no legal registration of the land only means that Rose is obligated to his partner and therefore cannot claim anything from the new owner. On the same note, transfer by way of exchange is legally binding and this confirms Mr. Hay the new owner of the land.3 Since the new ownership has been entered into the registry office, Rose has no right to object the application as evidenced clearly with Lobatiers v Mornington Estates UK Ltd case.4 The lease to Mr. Wood is a major issue that needs to be dealt legally. According to section 60(1) of the land registration rules 2003, the leasehold ought to have been transferred with regard to the new owner of the farm.5 With no prior clear information regarding the agreement of the leasehold, and the agreement of sale of the cottage in the event of ownership exchange: Mr. Hay has the right to sue Major Thorn of not disclosing all the information regarding the registration of ownership of the land. This will make sure he is reimbursed the damages he will encounter in the event of selling the cottage. According to the Baxter v. Mannion [2010] EWHC (Ch),6 since Mr. Wood has not been in possession of the lease for a period of ten years, he has no legal right to claim ownership of the cottage with regard to his agreement to the old owner. Critically analyzing the case of use of shortcut, to the local pub by the neighbours, it is imperative that the new owner comes out clearly on the private property ownership rights.7 As a matter of facts, being the current and legal owner of the Bramble Farm, Mr. Hay has the right to use the portion of the land at his swill. Therefore, the neighbor is not right by claiming he has the right to pass through the shortcut without the permission of the new owner on the basis that he had per mission from the former. According to section 118 of the Land Registration rules 2003 to acquire a legal determination of the exact line of boundary.8 These will culminate to the acquiring of a plan, or a plan and a verbal description of the exact boundary to the farm. Further, Mr. Hay should erect a fence or a barrier to the side where the

Columbus's First Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Columbus's First Journal - Essay Example It is from this statement by Hulme that this discussion is based and is intended to analyze the generic shape of Columbus first journal in regard to characteristics of a personal memoir, ethnographic notebook as well as a ‘compendium of European fantasies about Orient’. Discussion The 1492 saw Christopher Columbus plan and embark on a voyage to the Far East, which was later to gain popularity among historians and anthropologists as the great first voyage in Columbus life. In the light of understanding the objectives and purposes of the journal as is fondly, known ‘Columbus first Journal’ different literature has been written and studied. As against the common notion in which the exploratory expeditions of Columbus are often understood in, the first journal brings to light the great forces that entangled and dictated Columbus to undertake such a voyage as in 1992. It is worth noting that he was under the influence of the crown and religion as he embarked on t he voyages where the crown power required discoveries of new land for conquest and resource exploitation while the religious influence awaited such discoveries for expansion of religious influence. ... Despite the fact that the original form in which the first journal was written is not traceable to date, the truncated forms of the original documents gives great information on the details to the voyage. It is within the journal that the history of the first impression and culture that Columbus presented to the natives of the Far East and how it failed to live to Columbus’ expectations is revealed. This explains the creation of the myths surrounding the founding of the ‘new world’ as have been propelled down generational lines up to date2. It is worth noting that despite the fact that the history is seen through the eyes of Columbus as presented within the historical writings, Columbus had other people who accompanied him when in the voyage. The personnel who accompanied him in the expeditions had specific roles for which they were accountable to the crown as well as the church. They were obligated to keep Columbus under watch in order to honor the contractual ag reements to which the voyages were set. The original journal was written in first person reporting voice to imply that the author collects and puts together the accounts in detail of the first voyage as revealed by the original documents that were recorded by Columbus and the team. It gives a detailed report of the stage-by-stage or day to day exploration expeditions. It starts from the day that the sailors set off on third of August, which was on Friday 1492 and gives the account of every day as was spent before they safely landed back on fifteenth of March at the port where they had taken sail at for the expedition3. As a personal memoir or better enough a daily diary, the journal as presented contains the

College Math Unit 2IP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

College Math Unit 2IP - Essay Example The number of hours of television watched the most peaked at the age of 15. C. Find the slope of the line. Show all work to receive full credit. Slope = y2 - y1 / x2 - x1 (6 - 18)/ (35 -20) (-12)/(15) = -4/5 D. Write a sentence that explains the meaning of the slope. The negative sign in the slope shows a negative relationship between age and number of hours TV watched. The figure shows that as a person age by four years he gives up five hours of TV watched. E. Find the equation of the line that represents the number of hours of television watched. Show all work to receive full credit. y = mx + b For b. 6 = (-4/5) (35) + b 6 = -28 + b B = 34 Thus, the equation is: y = -4/5x + 34 4. The equationrepresents the total cost to run Johnny's Pizza place for a day. C symbolizes the total cost to open the pizza place, and x stands for the number of pizzas sold. A. Find the y-intercept of this graph and explain what it means in the context of the problem. Show all work to receive full credit. y intercept = value of y when x = 0 Thus, C = 2.50 x + 300 Substitute x with 0, C = 2.50 (0) + 300 C = 300. In the context of the problem, the y intercept shows the costs that Johnny's Pizza place will incur if it produces no pizza. Economically speaking, this refers to the fixed costs which the company has to incur even if it doesn't operate. B. Explain the slope of the line. The slope of the line is 2.50. This is the variable cost of producing a unit of pizza. It means that a pizza produced will add an additional 2.50 to the total costs. C. Graph the equation. 5. The director of a summer day camp estimates that 100 children will join if the camp fee is $250, but for each...However, the three in consideration even shrink from 21feet to 16 inches from years 20 to 25. In this year, the tree can be considered old and more brittle thus, becoming more easily destroyed by natural calamities like typhoon. The graph shows the relationship between the age of an individual and the number of hours the individual spends watching television. It can be seen that the survey or study covers an age group of 15 to 35 years old as plotted in the x ayis. The y axis shows the number of hours of TV watched which ranges from 0 to 25 hours. In the context of the problem, the y intercept shows the costs that Johnny's Pizza place will incur if it produces no pizza. Economically speaking, this refers to the fixed costs which the company has to incur even if it doesn't operate. A. Determine the linear equation that will represent the number of children who will enroll at a given fee. Hint: To write the slope, you need two points on the line. Show all work to receive full credit.

Organizational Research and Theory Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Organizational and Theory - Research Paper Example Hence this remains a pivotal understanding that environments do shape up the organizations and vice versa (organizations shaping environments) because these are inter-linked and bring the value that is envisaged from their domains. What is even more interesting here is the fact that the organizational environment is the embodiment of how an organization would try to inculcate its culture amongst the people who work within its folds and the ones who are externally linked with it, i.e. the stakeholders, customers and the third party middlemen. Thus there is immense linkage happening at different perspectives and positions. In this paper, an effort has been made to comprehend how the organizational environment brings value and how both the organizations and the environments shape up each other, while discussing the basis of coalitions and their pertinent contexts. Also professional understanding of the issues that explain the basis of the organizations and the reason as to how these org anizations are strategically related with their environments is made note of. Managing the organizational change and the transformation processes are deemed as very significant for gaining an understanding that is related with the organizational environments. If these change elements are not producing the value quotient that is expected out of them, then this could mean serious issues coming to the reckoning of all and sundry. If however these change elements are shaping up the organizational environments then this is a totally unique and different matter altogether. What remains to be seen is how the change discussions center on the organizational environments and what are the aftereffects of the changing scenarios that are taking place within an organizational context (Macher, 2009). If the company believes in manifesting change but not in drawing up an environment which is true to its employees and indeed the entire organization, then this would mean merely working towards changi ng but not properly bringing in any successful areas within the change premise of the organizational environments. If however the change is in-depth and has a long-lasting value and ramification for the organizational environment, then this change has happened for the wellness of the company and it must be appreciated across the board. The need is to remain one step ahead and be proactive about the dealings of the organizational environments so that change is a vital element and not something that happens on its own. Organizational change is indeed the changing over or transformation of cultural and social values as well as the human linkages over a period of time. This time duration usually depends upon a host of factors which essentially makes up the organizational change in essence. They key features of the organizational change are that it takes place on a constant basis and is proactive for most of its undertaking. It is brought forward by an organizational intent yet its plann ing phases are not decided by anyone. Within an organizational context, the environment is very important because it is the environment itself that shapes up actions and behaviors on part of both the employees and the top management realms in the organization. If the environment

Ethical Enalysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Enalysis - Essay Example AFP solved the issue by superimposing a digitally created AFP logo over the VyT sign, thereby blocking it out. This paper analyses the above case study with respect to different ethical theories, like Kantianism, Utilitarianism and Social contract theory. Kantian views of ethics can be summarized as follows; â€Å"What a person should do and what a person wants to do are often not compatible. Doing what one wants to do would usually bring immediate gratification/happiness, but might not benefit the person in the long run. On the other hand, doing what one should do may cause immediate discomfort/unhappiness, even if it is good for the person† (Maccarelli, 2006) Kant identifies imagination as the very root of finite reason. He believed that reasons are subjective in most of the cases. (Rockmore, 2000) It is not necessary that the â€Å"rights† of a person might be the â€Å"right† of other as well. We are living in a society which consists of different people engaged in different activities having different beliefs as well. But in order to live in a society, man should follow certain norms of the society. These norms may not be always viable for a person for his own selfish interests. The society can think in term s of the general well-being of the communities rather than the individual comfort. In the given case study, AFP’s action may bring immediate success to the company. But in the long run such things may not provide any goods either to the company or to the society in which the company is operating. AFP has given the right of telecasting the actual things happened on the specific location during the occasion. In a live show, they have no moral right to alter things or the environment. Editing can be done in television programs but not is reality shows or live programs. If the television companies try to manipulate things in their

Compare and contrast Judaism and Christianity Term Paper

Compare and contrast Judaism and Christianity - Term Paper Example Usually, the Christ’s statutes are prevalent in both Testaments that act as a prediction of the coming of the Christ (Spencer, 2007). The faith has various denominations: the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and the Protestants. Though there are small diversities in their beliefs, they adhere to the same statutes. Christians hold the notion of Eternity reserved for the upright and perpetual damnation as a reprimand for unrighteous life on earth (Doerfler, 2011). Judaism versus Christianity Judaism is a Jewish creed that that sticks to the statutes unraveled to Moses by God. The main belief of Judaism is the notion that persons of all denominations are God’s children (Taubes et al., 2010). They believe in equality before God. The Jews do not acknowledge Jesus is the Messiah; they usually contend with argument that their Messiah, the real one, will emerge when the entire world attains peace. Christians embrace Christ as their Messiah and liberator (Taubes et al., 2010). The Jews normally claim they are God’s elect and live in accordance to His directives contrary to other nations. This argument emanates from the old patriarchs whom they emulate. Though their creed normally refers to them as â€Å"forefathers† due to their astuteness, statutes they adhered to are irrefutable and attained them from the Almighty (Spencer, 2007). Since the time epoch of the forefathers, much time has elapsed; Jews, however, are not ready to abandon their teaching as they refute other doctrines and consider them fake. Despite the Messiah having emanated from their land and been rejected by their ancestors, they think that those who believe in him have false convictions (Taubes et al., 2010). ... The Christians claim that they sinned, so God sent Jesus for their liberation. Some Christian denominations like the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church utilize statues to portray Christ and the saints. Conversely, Judaism seldom allows the use of statues because it perceives them as idolatry (Spencer, 2007). Argument behind the statutes is that they are tools that remind the faithful of heavenly things in diverse occasions. Catholics are notorious with this style where the images are constituted of saints or remarkable events that occurred in the past (Taubes et al., 2010). Additionally, there are medals which bear significant implications such as protection by saints or angels. Conversely, this belief is nonexistent in Judaism since it is God who is the doer of everything and certain entities cannot assume His place (Spencer, 2007). The Christian and the Judaic creeds are alike in that they both worship one superlative being, though people mistake Christians for portraying Trin ity (Spencer, 2007). Christians perceive Judaism as an incomplete creed for it does not acknowledge Christ as the Messiah. They also contend that Islam and Buddhism form false religions (Taubes et al., 2010). Jews hold the notion that Christians believe in the false Messiah. The rationale is that the world has not attained the rightful age of 6000 years. These religions amidst them do have diverse and acute differences that they normally protect or argue fiercely when one raises any criticism against them. For example, Jews fail to recognize Muhammad as a spiritualist of the Islamic belief (Taubes et al., 2010). The Protestants refute that Holy Mary through prayer can

Organizational Research and Theory Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Organizational and Theory - Research Paper Example Hence this remains a pivotal understanding that environments do shape up the organizations and vice versa (organizations shaping environments) because these are inter-linked and bring the value that is envisaged from their domains. What is even more interesting here is the fact that the organizational environment is the embodiment of how an organization would try to inculcate its culture amongst the people who work within its folds and the ones who are externally linked with it, i.e. the stakeholders, customers and the third party middlemen. Thus there is immense linkage happening at different perspectives and positions. In this paper, an effort has been made to comprehend how the organizational environment brings value and how both the organizations and the environments shape up each other, while discussing the basis of coalitions and their pertinent contexts. Also professional understanding of the issues that explain the basis of the organizations and the reason as to how these org anizations are strategically related with their environments is made note of. Managing the organizational change and the transformation processes are deemed as very significant for gaining an understanding that is related with the organizational environments. If these change elements are not producing the value quotient that is expected out of them, then this could mean serious issues coming to the reckoning of all and sundry. If however these change elements are shaping up the organizational environments then this is a totally unique and different matter altogether. What remains to be seen is how the change discussions center on the organizational environments and what are the aftereffects of the changing scenarios that are taking place within an organizational context (Macher, 2009). If the company believes in manifesting change but not in drawing up an environment which is true to its employees and indeed the entire organization, then this would mean merely working towards changi ng but not properly bringing in any successful areas within the change premise of the organizational environments. If however the change is in-depth and has a long-lasting value and ramification for the organizational environment, then this change has happened for the wellness of the company and it must be appreciated across the board. The need is to remain one step ahead and be proactive about the dealings of the organizational environments so that change is a vital element and not something that happens on its own. Organizational change is indeed the changing over or transformation of cultural and social values as well as the human linkages over a period of time. This time duration usually depends upon a host of factors which essentially makes up the organizational change in essence. They key features of the organizational change are that it takes place on a constant basis and is proactive for most of its undertaking. It is brought forward by an organizational intent yet its plann ing phases are not decided by anyone. Within an organizational context, the environment is very important because it is the environment itself that shapes up actions and behaviors on part of both the employees and the top management realms in the organization. If the environment

Compare and contrast Judaism and Christianity Term Paper

Compare and contrast Judaism and Christianity - Term Paper Example Usually, the Christ’s statutes are prevalent in both Testaments that act as a prediction of the coming of the Christ (Spencer, 2007). The faith has various denominations: the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and the Protestants. Though there are small diversities in their beliefs, they adhere to the same statutes. Christians hold the notion of Eternity reserved for the upright and perpetual damnation as a reprimand for unrighteous life on earth (Doerfler, 2011). Judaism versus Christianity Judaism is a Jewish creed that that sticks to the statutes unraveled to Moses by God. The main belief of Judaism is the notion that persons of all denominations are God’s children (Taubes et al., 2010). They believe in equality before God. The Jews do not acknowledge Jesus is the Messiah; they usually contend with argument that their Messiah, the real one, will emerge when the entire world attains peace. Christians embrace Christ as their Messiah and liberator (Taubes et al., 2010). The Jews normally claim they are God’s elect and live in accordance to His directives contrary to other nations. This argument emanates from the old patriarchs whom they emulate. Though their creed normally refers to them as â€Å"forefathers† due to their astuteness, statutes they adhered to are irrefutable and attained them from the Almighty (Spencer, 2007). Since the time epoch of the forefathers, much time has elapsed; Jews, however, are not ready to abandon their teaching as they refute other doctrines and consider them fake. Despite the Messiah having emanated from their land and been rejected by their ancestors, they think that those who believe in him have false convictions (Taubes et al., 2010). ... The Christians claim that they sinned, so God sent Jesus for their liberation. Some Christian denominations like the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church utilize statues to portray Christ and the saints. Conversely, Judaism seldom allows the use of statues because it perceives them as idolatry (Spencer, 2007). Argument behind the statutes is that they are tools that remind the faithful of heavenly things in diverse occasions. Catholics are notorious with this style where the images are constituted of saints or remarkable events that occurred in the past (Taubes et al., 2010). Additionally, there are medals which bear significant implications such as protection by saints or angels. Conversely, this belief is nonexistent in Judaism since it is God who is the doer of everything and certain entities cannot assume His place (Spencer, 2007). The Christian and the Judaic creeds are alike in that they both worship one superlative being, though people mistake Christians for portraying Trin ity (Spencer, 2007). Christians perceive Judaism as an incomplete creed for it does not acknowledge Christ as the Messiah. They also contend that Islam and Buddhism form false religions (Taubes et al., 2010). Jews hold the notion that Christians believe in the false Messiah. The rationale is that the world has not attained the rightful age of 6000 years. These religions amidst them do have diverse and acute differences that they normally protect or argue fiercely when one raises any criticism against them. For example, Jews fail to recognize Muhammad as a spiritualist of the Islamic belief (Taubes et al., 2010). The Protestants refute that Holy Mary through prayer can

Construction of femininity Essay Example for Free

Construction of femininity Essay The very titles of both plays, Gertrude, The Cry and Ophelia Thinks Harder offer the grounds for the presumption that the central theme is related to a woman. Furthermore, in the light of postmodernism one may presuppose to read the revisionary approach on the womans question. Now when Gertrude and Ophelia have become the archetypes, their reading in the postmodernist works gives the possibility to understand the principles of the latest tendencies of the literature. The play expresses the modern understanding of Hamlet by throwing the light upon the subjects that were left enigmatic by Shakespeare. Reading the archetypes in the modern adaptations allow a better understanding of postmodernism. The study’s focus is the representations of Shakespearean Hamlet women in the modern plays. Despite a series of transgressive forms of language in both literary pieces (in particular in Barkers), the plain-spoken parody on the original play, the focus on the problem and the atmosphere of femininity appear close to original Shakespeare. The atmosphere around femininity in both plays seem more authentic to the heroes of original Hamlet that for example in the representations of 19th [1] century when the femininity was a cult and the femininity of Ophelia was the idyllic example. Is it the genius of Shakespeare to create a play that seems to have constantly the necessity to be unveiled? Is it the work of poststructuralist philosophers that influenced the postmodern authors to re-understand the women in Shakespeares literature? Has the urgency of rethinking of the female role through rethinking the femininity finally found its proper reflection in the fiction? Of course, Gertrude and Ophelia represent different and sometimes quite the opposite female types. Gertrude is in her maturity while Ophelia is in her puberty. This difference gives the opportunity to study the whole picture of femininity on different levels. To make the picture complete, both authors introduce new feminine characters. In order not to eclipse Gertrude, Barker omits Ophelia in his adaptation; however he introduces Isola, Claudius mother and Ragusa, somewhere at Ophelias place. As for Betts, there are Maid and Virgin Mary; however the plot is formed in a way that to the end of the play there are more female characters than male. Gertrude and Ophelia characters symbolize the eternal problems that women are facing. Different as they are, they always converge. And the study of both of them is necessary for this course of effort to bring the answers to the questions raised above. The philosophical debates over essentialism and femininity, the problems of gender, the rethinking of its ontological construction, the post-structuralism and the deconstruction have been largely introduced in the course of the 20th century [2]. Although, they have some differences in approach, commonly they agree that the femininity is to be socially constructed. It is rather clear that both postmodern writings of Barker and Betts could possibly not disregard these approaches when writing on women. Moreover they are industriously participating in the debates. For example, the plot Ophelia Thinks Harder is explicitly under-wound on gender construction. Barker is focusing more on the relation of femininity and the power. Betts claim on Queen: â€Å"We have to work at being women (Queen,3,17) highlights the coercive nature of femininity and can recall one the Beauvoir’s famous claim that one is not born, but rather becomes a woman[3]. Femininity construction in the conventional understanding is regarded as the the art that [all the heterosexual women] must master(Queen, Scene 3, p. 16). It is quite natural that all the compulsory is to be criticized in the western democratic society. However the femininity is compelled so slight and subtle that one can possibly not be aware of it. But the outcome of this compelled femininity can be more dangerous to the point that one can believe and can touch all the levels of human being. This is what this study will attempt to highlight in this work. It is sad to mark that this is the prevailing philosophy as for gender problems finds its supporters mainly in the homosexual ranges. [4] With all my respect for the diversity, in some cases it is like Barkers Hamlet who will write the Book of Love whilst having never oh not ever loved (Hamlet, Scene 13, p. 55). While the heterosexual women suffer of so many not less urgent problems of no solution. What is the role for example of the philosophy on gender, treating the problems of femininity in the issue of domestic violence. A 1992 Council of Europe study on domestic violence against women found that one in four women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes, 400 hundred women die because of their partner’s violence every year [5]. Generally speaking, the contemporary philosophical orientation is hardly finding something constructive to propose at least for heterosexual women leaving the contradiction unresolved. Efrat Tseelon criticizes the modern authors regarding the womans question in The Masque of Femininity: â€Å"My claim is that this tradition covers very different theoretical explanations. It ranges from mythological and theological descriptions which define the essence of a woman as dissimulation, to psychoanalytic accounts and contemporary social theory which define the essence of femininity as an inessential social construction[6]. Majority of the postmodern writers and philosophers, who are focusing on femininity, give the answers principally on the deconstruction of gender. Some tendencies for internationalized feminism take into consideration the women of the third world situations as highly appreciable [7]. However, similar problems in the western society do not have the sufficient treat. Even if theories exist, they are too difficult to adopt in real life for the heterosexual majority of women as it is proved in Ophelia Thinks Harder. In this context literary works treating questions concerning women again become more important. They are indispensable in understanding femininity in modern terms. Inasmuch as studying them contributes to the working on the consciousness. And it is due to the quality of the literature independent of the conventional construction or philosophical trends and largely contributing into both, to intersect the theory and the real life. Whereas Howard Barker’s intentions are rather cryptic, Jean Betts provides the both in her work: her work is full of incomparable imagination, she provides the historical and philosophical data from Aristotle to Queen Elizabeth and the outline of Christian thought over femininity and she evokes for the representations of women in all the dimensions. Of course such approach helps her preliminarily to put some light on the original character of Shakespearean Ophelia by the introduction of the thought on femininity in the period when Shakespeare created Ophelia, the post-Elizabethan period, the beginning of the 17th century. This information in the guise of fiction makes apparent the true reason of Shakespearean Ophelias collapse. Women were regarded as physiologically â€Å"failed men† as a product of incomplete development caused by insufficient generative heat in the womb. They were seen as the effeminate man, the aberrations of effeminacy. Womans sexuality was thought of almost a separate organism within the woman, with a will – womb[8]. Calling back to these perversions in the postmodernist frame allows the reader to question the hegemonic cultural discourse of nowadays. Whereas Betts is trying in her own words to help to dismantle some of the foundations of this deeply buried prejudice against women, (Writers Notes, Ophelia Thinks Harder), Barker is focusing more on the sexuality of the femininity as the power and the tragic outcome of the excess of the femininity and feminine sexuality. He questions the verity of the sexual feminine liberation and if it really liberates the woman. Undoubtedly a certain sexual feminine liberation has become a part of the conventional construction of femininity. However, there is no seamless category of conventional femininity, no for femininity as there is no seamless category for the woman. The very subject of women is no longer understood in stable or abiding terms[9]. The best possible definition for the conventional femininity gives Betts’s Gertrude: display her wares youll dazzle them all a fantastical cosmetic and corset fitting process; e. g. Eyebrow plucking, leg waxing, arm oiling, nails, garish face mask, fierce corsetry, grossly padded bra, chastity belt, etc You will delight, but not over-excite. a pure sweet, submissive little virgin The conventional femininity is double-faced. Having Chaste Mary as an ideal, the feminine best culmination is â€Å"to play the cards right. What Ragusa has actually performed. † marriage is the greatest moment in a womans life to be a bride the day of all days † (Ragusa, Scene 15, p. 63). Trying her best to construct the feminine self, she married Hamlet and inherited the throne after his death. Ophelias Mother suggests: â€Å"women are treacherous, sly, scheming, deceitful †. Even making children in the conventional understanding of the femininity is corresponded to please or manipulate man: â€Å"They want kids, do it. They dont – well come to me and Ill help you when the time comes. ; A woman with a son is powerful. (Queen, Scene 3, p. 17; 19) However, in the original version Gertrude had nothing but sufferance and the collapse of her life because of her son, who did not accept her mode of life. The response is paradoxically given by the same all feminine Betts Gertrude: -and we are inconsiderate enough not to give a shit what driveling adolescents like you think. (Queen, Scene 7, p. 54). Of course, Barkers power of Gertrude is certainly far from her bearing a son. Unmasking the masquerade Insomuch as the womans question is to be read the titles of both plays, the unthought-of before or rethought (thinks harder) and a sore utterance of the extreme feelings (the cry) are manifesting. Shakespearean women thus have a chance to cry out their repressed truths. It is absolutely normal when taking in consideration the historic-cultural context of the role of gender in the Shakespearean period that women like Gertrude and Ophelia, were shown and identified by their relation to men. It is of the great achievements of Shakespeare to draw the remarried widow as the tragic hero when for playwrights of the early modern period, a remarrying widow was a subject for comedy[10]. Today, in the light of deconstruction, what was identified as the feminine can turn to be masculine and vice-versa theoretically [11]. Practically, the process of choosing the gender is not without the desperate torments. The femininity as the obstruction to the knowledge in Betts version and the extreme feminine sexuality of as the pseudo pluck of the apple of forbidden knowledge in Barkers are the central themes in the plays. Betts Ophelia hence thinks harder than the original Shakespearean one. What does this possibility to think or to rethink presents for the female? Shakespearean Ophelia’s life was predicated by what men around her thought. Her father and brother decided how she should behave herself. Hamlet’s refusal of her was fatal. Betts offers Ophelia the choice to think herself for her life, what will it turn to? As for Gertrude, will her cry hush the desperate attempts of Hamlet to de-sexualize her? Is the cry the horror and sexual pleasure of her femininity or does it stand over female and masculine categories? Modern Shakespeare suggests that Gertrudes flagrancy, her over sexualized femininity cost the life of another feminine innocent Ophelia [12]. Indeed desire and death go traditionally together as proved above, but what is the place of the femininity in desire? Even if it is true, why should the feminine sexual desire be identified with femininity? And why should the masculine desire excuse itself by femininity? In Betts rewriting, Ophelia is in the same cultural context, the oppressed woman, the same â€Å"mad fool† (Queen, 7, 52) boyfriend Hamlet. It should therefore come as no surprise, that her desperate attempts of thinking meet the terrible attacks from all the members of the society. To condemn these attempts on failure, they take an argument that thinking is not feminine, accusing Ophelia of not being feminine. Throughout the play Betts is proving that the imposed conventional femininity is an instrument to prevent the woman to think. She focuses in particular on why thinking for a woman is so dangerous in the conventional understanding. The power stands for the explanation and certainly not a psychotic clown who sets the rules. The power serves as the relationship between individuals. The one who possesses the knowledge possesses the power. Isn’t after overcoming the conventional femininity and get educated that: â€Å"we dress up to learn, to write, to get published be lawyers, doctors, lead armies, run countries † (RG, Scene 8) that the gender war is foreseen to happen: â€Å"I see strife; I see gender war; I see the initial X†(First Woman 4, 26). At first glance, Barkers Gertrude possesses the power. She is evidently more delighted with her sexual power than the political one that she posses with her statute of the queen. From her comes out the cry, the extreme point of ever possible desire and pleasure and of horror. The extreme desire is always conventionally associated with sin as well as with feminine. This is evident in the story of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. The first sin has become sexualized with Eve’s violation of God’s specific instruction [13] The Cry is like the reproduction of the first sentiment that the new sinful world lived: the desire and the horror. Gertrude possesses this cry. Is the extreme femininity the way to posses the cry or does it come out of the brain that has no binary category? â€Å"MY BRAIN IS WHERE DESIRE IS† (Hamlet 5, 28) Where is the place of the intellect in the conventional construction of the femininity? Knowledge and desire go together. As mentioned above was it not for the desire of knowledge that the first sin occurred? Therefore, knowledge is interpreted as unnatural to female. As the epigraph to Ophelia Thinks Harder proposes: Laborious learning or painful pondering, even if woman should greatly succeed in it, destroy the merits that are proper to her sex (Kant). In the course of all these tormenting moments of thinking, Betts’ Ophelia is read as what is in the psychoanalytic terms called bisexual: not feminine, not masculine. At least she is resisting to become feminine. Before getting down on why she is refusing the conventional femininity, one should clearly make the difference between the biological sex and the socially constructed femininity or masculinity. Freud claims that the child is born bisexual and femininity or masculinity is constructed [14]. Following the psychological steps related to his parents the child develops his/her masculinity/femininity. Then as it is developing it is influenced by the socio cultural frames. Together with the theory of deconstruction they would consider us to read Ophelia bisexual. Indeed she claims that she does not want to be the man, nor the woman (Scene 3, 17). However her bisexuality is also determined by the social frames. She does not want not to be the man, nor the woman because she does not want to be seen like conventional feminine or masculine. The conventional understanding of the femininity does not correspond to her individuality. Hence, she is refusing the conventional notion of being feminine: â€Å"Behavior as instinctive as a cats with a bird † (Hamlet, Scene 1, p. 3); â€Å" viper like Eve would arouse in him evil and lust (Hamlet, Scene 4, p. 29) or â€Å"The lady doth protest too much†(III,ii,225) She is refusing to be tough and try to corrupt the man she is not. She is refusing to be tough to be overwhelmed with her sexuality as something shameful. â€Å" Hormones, cycles of blood, reproductive turmoil-you are flushed with your female destiny-you are adulated, euphoric-yes-you are clearly in love † (Hamlet, Scene 1, p. 3). If choosing gender in the natural way is as impossible as it was in the original version and if we know that the femininity is rooted in the social construction is it left to the society to decide if she becomes a normal woman [feminine]? Is there a solution to stand out the opinion of the society? On one hand Barkers Gertrude is independent from the societys opinion, on the other she is strongly dependent on others, as she needs to astonish. The conflict in Ophelia Thinks Harder lies in Ophelia’s resistance to the psychic subordination of the conventional. Being female, according to the social conventions her body must be superior to her mind, while the masculinity would be gifted with mind and femininity with body. Ophelia is forced to be separated from her mind and to delight and be delighted by her feminine body. She is not abnormal or exceptional. â€Å"The thousands of us† (Scene 8, p. 66) had to disguise as men to be disjoined from their minds. Judith Butler is decisive upon Beauvoir proposal that the female body ought to be the situation and the instrumentality of the womans freedom, not a defining and limiting essence [15]. She writes: â€Å"In the philosophical tradition that begins with Plato and continues through Descartes, Husserl, and Sartre, the ontological distinction between soul (consciousness, mind) and body invariably supports relations of political and psychic subordination and hierarchy†. While Betts uncovers the diverse and dissimilar states of female’s self-construction, Barker is focusing on the exploration of the body. Helen Cixous is speaking about the writing of the female body [16]. Quite in a similar way, Barker is studying the possibility of â€Å"learning to approach their [womens] own forbidden bodies†. Indeed one can mark the parallel even in the titles with The Laughter of Medusa and Gertrude The Cry. Barkers Gertrude claim â€Å"I’ve made an instrument out of my body (Scene 14, p. 62). Gertrude explores and perceives the knowledge through the possibilities of her body. Of course Barker has not invented that Gertrude is exploring her sexuality. Shakespearean theme is also read in Betts: â€Å"it may come as a shock, little boy, but quite a lot a lot of people over 30 fondle each other. Oh yes; Claudius and I HAVE SEX. (Queen, Scene 7, p. 54).

Barriers to Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Barriers to Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Communication is a process and has many aspects to it. Communication is a dynamic process by which information is shared between individuals (Sheldon 2005). This process requires three components (Linear model Appendix figure 1.1), the sender, the receiver and the message (Alder 2003). Communication would not be possible if any of these components are absent. While Peate (2006) has suggested that communication is done every day through a linear process, Spouse (2008) argues that it is not so simple and does not follow such a linear process. He explains that due to messages being sent at the same time through verbal and non- verbal avenues, it is expected the receiver is able to understand the way this is communicated. Effective communication needs knowledge of good verbal and non-verbal communication techniques and the possible barriers that may affect good communication. The Nursing and Midwifery council (2008) states that a nurse has effective communication skills before they can register as its seen as an essential part of a nurses delivery of care. (WAG 2003) Reflecting on communication in practice will also enforce the theory behind communication and allow a nurse to look at bad and good communication in different situations. This will then enforce the use of good communication techniques in a variety of situations allowing for a more interpersonal and therapeutic nurse patient relationship. This assignment discusses health care communication and why it is important in nursing by: Exploring verbal and non-verbal communication and possible barriers By exploring the fundamentals of care set out by the Welsh assembly and the nurse and midwifery councils code of conduct a better understanding of the importance of communication is gained. Reflecting in practice using a scenario from a community posting. VERBAL COMMUNICATION Verbal communication comes in the form of spoken language; it can be formal or informal in its delivery. Verbal Language is one of the main ways in which we communicate and is a good way to gather information through a question (an integral part of communication) and answer process (Berry 2007; Hawkins and Power 1999). Therefore verbal communication in nursing should be seen as a primary process and a powerful tool in the assessment of a patient. There are two main types of questioning, open-ended questions or closed questions (Stevenson 2004). Open-ended questions tend to warrant more than a one word response and generally start with what, who, where, when, why and how. It invites the patient to talk more around their condition and how they may be feeling and provoke a more detailed assessment to be obtained (Stevenson 2004). The use open-ended questions make the patient feel they have the attention of the nurse and they are being listened too (Grover 2005). It allows for a psychological focus to be given, this feeling of interest in all aspects of the patients care allows for a therapeutic relationship to develop (Dougherty 2008). Closed questions looks for very specific information about the patient (Dougherty 2008). They are very good at ascertaining factual information in a short space of time (Baillie 2005). There are two types of closed questions: the focused and the multiple choice questions. Focused questions tend to acquire information about a particular clinical situation (e.g. asking a patient who is been prescribed Ibuprofen, are you asthmatic?) whereas multiple choice questions tend to be more based on the nurses understanding of the condition being assessed. It can be used as a tool to help the patient describe for example the pain they feel e.g. is the pain dull, sharp, throbbing etc (Stevenson 2004). For verbal communication to be effective, good listening skills are essential. Sharing information, concerns and feelings becomes difficult, if the person being spoken to doesnt look interested (Andrews 2001). Good active listening can lead to a better understanding of the patients most recent health issues (Sheldon 2005). Poor listening could be as a result of message overload, physical noise, poor effort and psychological noise. Therefore being prepared to listen and putting the effort and time are essential in a nurses role (Grover 2005). NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION This type of communication does not involve spoken language and can sometimes be more effective than words that are spoken. About 60 65 per cent of communication between people is through non verbal behaviours and that these behaviours can give clues to feelings and emotions the patient may be experiencing (Foley 2010, p. 38). Non-verbal communication adds depth to speech; to re affirm verbal communication; to control the flow of communication; to convey emotions; to help define relationships and a way of giving feedback. The integration between verbal language and paralanguage (vocal), can affect communication received (Spouse 2008) Berry (2007, pg18) highlights the depth of verbal language due to the use of paralinguistic language. The way we ask a question, the tone, and pitch, volume and speed all have an integral part to play in non verbal communication. In his opinion, personality is shown in the way that paralanguage is used as well as adding depth of meaning in the presentation of the message been communicated. Foley (2010) identifies studies where language has no real prevalence in getting across emotional feelings, in the majority of cases the person understands the emotion even if they dont understand what is being said. Paralanguage therefore is an important tool in identifying the emotional state of a patient. Non-verbal actions (kinesis) can communicate messages, such as body language, touch, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. By using the universal facial expressions of emotion, our face can show many emotions without verbally saying how we feel (Foley 2010) refer to Appendix table 2. For example, we raise our eye brows when surprised, or open our eyes wider when shocked. First impressions are vital for effective interaction; by remembering to smile with your eyes as well as your mouth can communicate an approachable person who is open. This can help to reassure a patient who is showing signs of anxiety (Mason 2010). BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION An understanding of barriers in communication is also very important. The Welsh Assemblys fundamentals of care (2003) showed that many of the problems associated with health and social care was due to failures in communication. These barriers may be the messenger portraying a judgmental or power attitude. Dickson (1999) suggested that social class can be a barrier to communication, feeling inferior to the nurse may distort the message being received, making communication difficult to maintain. Environmental barriers such as a busy ward and a stressed nurse could influence effective communication. This can greatly reduce the level of empathy and communication given as suggested by Endacott (2009). People with learning disabilities come up against barriers in communicating their needs, due to their inability to communicate verbally, or unable to understand complex new information. This leads to a breakdown in communication and their health care needs being met (Turnbull 2010). Timby (2005) stresses that when effectively communicating with patients the law as well as the NMC (2008) guidelines for consent and confidentiality must be adhered to. This also takes into account handing over to other professionals. He suggests that a patients rights to autonomy should be upheld and respected without any influence or intimidation, regardless of age, religion, gender or race. The use of communication in practice is essential and reflecting on past experience helps for a better understanding of communication, good and bad. REFLECTION Reflecting on my experience while on placement in a G.P with a practice nurse in south Wales Valleys, has helped me understand and gain practical knowledge in communicating effectively in nursing practice. The duration was for one week and includes appointments in several clinics to do with C.O.P.D (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). I will be reflecting upon one appointment using the Gibbss reflective cycle (1988). Description Due to confidentiality (NMC, 2008) the patient will be referred to as Mrs A.E. The Nurse called Mrs A.E to come to the appointment room. I could see she was anxious through her body language (palm trembling and sweaty, fidgety, calm and rapid speech). The nurse asked her to sit down. The nurse gained consent for me to sit in on her review (NMC, 2008). The review started with a basic questionnaire the nurse had pre generated on the computer. It was a fairly closed questionnaire around her breathing including how it was, when it was laboured. Questions were also asked around her medication and how she was taking her pumps. Reflecting on these questions, I feel the questions did not leave much opportunity for Mrs A.E to say anything else apart from the answer to that question. The nurse controlled the communication flow. The Nurse did not have much eye contact with the patient and was facing the computer rather than her patient. I wondered if the nurse had notice the anxious non-verbal communication signs. The patient seemed almost on the verge of tears, I wasnt sure if this was anxiety, distress from being unwell, or she was unhappy about something else. I felt quite sorry for her as all her body language communicated to me that she was not happy. She had her arms crossed across her body (an indication of comforting herself) and she did not smile. She also looked very tense and uncomfortable. The Nurse went on with the general assessment and did the lung test and I took the blood pressure and pulse, gaining consent first as required by the NMC. Once all the questions had been answered on the computer the Nurse turned to face Mrs A.E and I noticed she had eye contact with her and had her body slightly tilted toward the patient (non verbal communication). The Nurse gave her information on why her asthma may be a bit worse at the moment and gave her clear and appropriate information on how she can make manage her COPD at this time of year. The Nurse gave her lots of guidance on the use of her three different pumps, and got her to repeat back to her the instructions, to make sure she understood. I could feel the patient getting more at ease as the communication progressed and also on the confirmation that she understood the instruction. The Nurse knew this patient well and then set the rest of the time talking to the patient about any other concerns she had and how she was fe eling in herself, using a more open question technique. The nurse used her active listening skills and allowed the patient to talk about her problems and gave her empathy at her situation as well and some solutions to think about. She gave the patient information of a support group that helped build up confidence in people with chronic conditions and helped them deal with the emotional side of their condition. Feelings After the patient had gone, my mentor explained that the patient was a regular to the clinic, she had many known anxiety issues which werent helped by her chronic asthma. Through-out the beginning of the review I felt very awkward. I thought, because I was sitting in on the review, may have been the reason the lady had not said why she seemed so anxious and upset. I also felt the nurse was not reacting to the sign of anxiety from Mrs A.E and this made me feel uncomfortable. I felt like I wanted to ask her if she was ok, but felt that I couldnt interrupt the review. However by the end of the review I felt a lot better about how it had gone. I did feel that by building up a relationship with the patients allowed the nurse to understand the communication needs of the patient and also allowed her to use the time she had effectively. She used empathy in her approach to the lady and actively listened to her. I understand that the start of the review was about getting the facts of the condition using a lot of closed questions, whereas the later part of the review was a more open questions and non verbal communication approach, allowing the patient to speak a bout any concerns and feelings about those questions asked earlier. Evaluation Effectively using closed questions allow for a lot of information to be gathered in a short space of time, and can be specific to the patients review needs. These pre-generated questionnaires are good at acquiring the information needed by the G.P. and also for good record keeping which are essential in the continuity of care delivered to the patient (NMC 2008). It can also protect the nurse from any litigation issues. The use of open and closed questions also allowed for the review to explore the thoughts and feelings of the patient, thus allowing for empathy from the nurse and is considered a vital part of the counselling relationship (Chowdhry, 2010 pg. 22). However the use of the computer screen facing away from the patient, did not allow for good non-verbal communication skills to be used. The lack of eye contact from the nurse may have exacerbated the anxiety felt by the patient. Hayward (1975, p. 50) summarised in research that anxiety highlighted an uncertainty about illness or future problems. This link to anxiety was also linked to increased pain. Nazarko (2009) points out, it is imperative that a person has the full attention of the nurse when they are communicating. He states that being aware of ones own non-verbal behaviours, such as posture and eye contact can have an effect on how communication is received by the patient. As evident in the reflection, the patient at the beginning of the review was anxious, upset and worried. By the end of the review her body language had significantly changed. The patient looked and felt a lot better in herself and had a better understanding of how her condition was affecting her and understood how to manage it. However if this information was badly communicated, the patients anxiety could have been prolonged (Hayward, 1975). This also links back to the need to understand medical conditions so that communication is channelled to the patients needs at the time. The fundamentals of care set out by the Welsh Assembly Government (2003), states that communication is of upmost importance in the effectiveness of care given by nurses. By looking at all the fundamentals of communication and the effect on patient care we can understand and recognise that the communication in this reflection was good communication in practice. Analysis The closed questions were used at the beginning of the review, had their advantages. They allowed the nurse to focus the on the specific clinical facts needed. The start of the review used mainly closed questions to get all the clinical facts needed to be recorded, such as Personal information, Spirometry results, blood pressure, drug management of COPD (Robinson, 2010). The structured approach allows the nurse to evaluate using measurable outcomes and thus interventions adjusted accordingly (Dougherty, 2008). The closed question approach allows the consultation to be shortened if time is an issue. However the disadvantage of this as identified by Berry (2007) is that important information may be missed. The use of closed questions on a computer screen hindered the use of non-verbal communication. Not allowing for eye contact, which is an important aspect of effective communication. The use of open questions in the review allowed the patient to express how they were feeling about their condition or any other worries. The nurse used active listening skills, communicated in her non-verbal behaviour. It gave the opportunity to the patient to ask for advice on any worries they might have. The use of open questions can provoke a long and sometimes not totally relevant response (Baillie, 2005), using up valuable time. Eye contact is another important part of communication in the reflective scenario. The eye contact at the start of the review was limited. The nurse made slight eye contact when asking the closed questions, but made none when given the answer. This may have contributed to the patients anxious state. However, the eye contact given during the open questions section. At this stage, there were several eye contacts between the nurse and patient and information was given and understood. The value of eye contact in communication is invaluable and has great effect at reducing symptoms of anxiety (Dougherty 2008). Reflection conclusion The use of communication in this COPD review was very structured. The use of closed questions helped to structure the consultation and acquire lots of information from the patient. The open questions allowed for the patient to express any feeling or concerns. The nurse used verbal and non-verbal communication methods, to obtain information about the patient; assess any needs and communicate back to the patient, within the time period. However in my opinion, if the computer screen was moved closer to the patient during the closed question section, better interaction could have been established from the beginning. It would also allow the nurse to look at the patient when asking the questions leading to a more therapeutic relationship, whilst still obtaining and recording a large amount of information. Therefore, the use of effective communication skills as seen in this review along with a person centred approach can significantly increase better treatment and care given to the patient (Spouse, 2008) and thus signifies good communication in practice. Action Plan The goal of the plan is to increasing patient participation in the use of the computer as an interactive tool. By allowing the patient to see what is on the screen and being written, allows the patient to feel more involved in the assessment and takes away any feeling of inferiority from social class difference. In attempt to achieving these goals, the following steps would be taken: Set up a team to investigate the issue which could involve nursing staffs or other hospital staffs. Drawing up a feedback questionnaire, to investigate how patients feel about the closed questions on the computer, including a section on how they would feel if they were allowed to look at the screen. Collation, analysis and review of the results of the feedback Identify barriers to the implementation of the plan (e.g. willingness of nurses to this change). Inform the NMC on the issues and the findings from the feedback questionnaire. Implementation of the plan. Set up a monitoring and evaluation team to see if the plan is being implemented appropriately. CONCLUSION This assignment has looked at communication and its importance in nursing practice. Communication is thus an important process involving the interaction between one or more persons using verbal and non-verbal methods. Understanding the barriers to communication contributes significantly to how effective a nurse communicates in practice. The use of questioning in nursing has been a valuable tool in assessing a patient and obtaining information. However the way this is done can have an effect on the development of empathy, trust, genuineness and respect, between the nurse and the patient. 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