Saturday, August 31, 2019

Importance of Line or Staff Departments and Methods of Effecting Change Essay

Which type of department (line or staff) is most important to an organization? Why? Could an organization function without either of them? Why or why not? In every organization, authority is divided in order to make sure the firm is successful. This division ensures that no one department is responsible for everything. As an organization grows, there must be two departments that are given the authority to make decisions to benefit the firm. These are the Line department and the Staff department. While both have management authority, there are certain differences. Line departments â€Å"headed by a line manager, are the departments established to meet the objectives of the business and directly influence the success (profitability) of a business.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 7) These managers are on the frontline, responsible for producing goods, marketing and distribution. â€Å"Line managers who head such departments exercise line authority† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 7) Staff departments â€Å"headed by a staff manager, provide assistance to the line departments and to each other.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 7) These managers are there for support, giving advice, service and assistance. Examples of staff departments may include: the I.T. department, legal or Human recourses. While not directly contributing to the firm’s objectives, they are there to lend a helping hand. In my experience, it is the line department that is most important to the success and profitability of the company. While it may be agued that without the staff department one couldn’t market and sell the goods and services produced by the line department. But it is ultimately it is the line department that generates the revenue to sustain the company and there fore is most important. Granted that one cannot function without the other, and it is that synergy that ensures longevity and further success of the organization. Discuss three (3) different methods of effecting change. Why are most organizations and individuals resistant to change? What can managers do to facilitate change? Use practical examples from your experience or knowledge,  and describe your experience in implementing change. Effecting change in one’s environment can be a daunting task. Many individuals are reluctant to change and react differently when it occurs. â€Å"Most will accept the need to learn new skills and update their knowledge, but most resent efforts to change their attitudes† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 8) To solve this problem Kurt Lewin developed a three-step approach that consists of three phases, unfreezing, change, and refreezing. In the first step unfreezing, mangers must identify and discover the source or cause of the deficient behavior. â€Å"They confront the individual with the behavior and the problem it causes; they then begin to convince the him or her to change by suggesting methods and offering incentives.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 8) This step is the foundation to helping the insubordinate employee open up an discuss why this deficient behavior is occurring. Often time this causes the employee to become emotional and upset. The second step change, the employee discomfort increases. This will cause the employee to question their reasons for their conduct, it is then that the manager has the chance to provide a role model to foster the preferred behavior. â€Å"As the individual adopts that behavior, performance will improve; but the manager must support and reinforce that behavior if it is to last.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 8) In the third step refreezing, new desired behaviors should be rewarded. Frequent praise at first is important for the continuation of preferred behaviors. Also, if any incentive was promised, then it must be honored. Failure to do so will cause a reversion to old deficient behavior and the manager would have to start again. In my experience, cold calling is a requirement to draw up business. Earlier last year, sales were down. An increase in production was needed to boost our P&L, so management enforced mandatory call nights. Each employee was given a list of clients to set appointments. Many of the veteran  employees saw this as a waste of time, and although they attended, did little or no work. Management sat with each of these employees individually to figure out what the cause of the issue was. Management created a reward system in which the employee with the most booked appointments gets a free lunch the next day and the employee with the most booked business from these appointments gets to take off the next two Mondays. This incentive had everyone dialing clients consistently and business increased dramatically. To reinforce these behaviors, a scoreboard was put up and the leading 5 employees numbers were updated weekly. Giving a competitive twist to this approach really helped motivation for pr oduction, especially in sales. References Plunkett, R. W., Allen, S. G., & Attner, F. R. (2013). Ch 7 Organizing Principles, Ch 8 Organizational Design, Culture and Change . Management: meeting and exceeding customer expectations (10th ed., ). : Mason, OH :. Footnotes 1[Add footnotes, if any, on their own page following references. For APA formatting requirements, it’s easy to just type your own footnote references and notes. To format a footnote reference, select the number and then, on the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, click Footnote Reference. The body of a footnote, such as this example, uses the Normal text style. (Note: If you delete this sample footnote, don’t forget to delete its in-text reference as well. That’s at the end of the sample Heading 2 paragraph on the first page of body content in this template.)

Friday, August 30, 2019

Masculinity and Femininity Essay

Throughout history and across culture, definitions of masculinity and femininity have varied dramatically, leading researchers to argue that gender, and specifically gender roles, are socially constructed (see Cheng, 1999). Cheng (1999:296) further states that â€Å"one should not assume that ‘masculine’ behaviour is performed only by men, and by all men, while ‘feminine’ behaviour is performed by women and by all women†. Such historical and cultural variations oppose the essentialist view that masculinity, femininity and gender roles are biologically ingrained in males and females prior to birth (Cheng, 1999). These socially constructed stereotypes surrounding masculinity and femininity coupled with their cultural and historical variations are the focus of this essay, leading into the sociological implications of the findings. Whilst practices of gender roles have varied dramatically across history and culture, the stereotypes surrounding masculinity and femininity have remained fairly stoic (Cheng,1999). Masculinity has been continually characterised by traits such as â€Å"independence, confidence and assertiveness†, with these traits relating directly to aspects of dominance, authority, power and success (Leaper, 1995:1). Cheng (1999:298) links these traits of masculinity to hegemonic masculinity, as â€Å"a culturally idealised form of masculine character.† Connell (1995:76) agrees, stipulating that hegemonic masculinity is culturally and historically variable, being simply â€Å"the masculinity that occupies the hegemonic position in a given pattern of gender relations.† This serves to emphasise that, if hegemonic masculinity is at the top of the pyramid of a set of gender relations, and these gender relations (as seen below) can vary, hegemonic masculinity itself can also vary ac ross cultures and historical periods. This indicates that the previously alluded to traits of masculinity are instead the Western traits of hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1995). Femininity, on the other hand, has often been categorised as the complete opposite of hegemonic masculinity (Leaper, 1995). Leaper (1995:1) has emphasised many stereotypically feminine characteristics, including â€Å"understanding, compassion[ate] and affection[ate].† These characteristics often perpetuate the gender role of the loving, nurturing mother and domestic home-maker, emphasising success (as opposed to the masculine success of wealth and status accumulation) as a  tidy house and well-fed children (Hoffman, 2001). Various scholarly research has highlighted how such stereotypes of masculinity and femininity are continually perpetuated by the wider population, with Leaper (1995) reporting there is much distaste for a masculine woman or feminine man. However, regardless of the stereotypes associated with masculinity and femininit y, cultural variations of these stereotypical gender roles exist. It has long been argued that definitions and practices of masculinity and femininity vary across cultures (see Cheng, 1999), with evidence surrounding variations in masculinity being drawn from Japan, the Sambia region of Papua New Guinea, America and Latin America. Sugihara and Katsurada (1999:635) reiterate this perspective by stating that â€Å"[c]ulture defines gender roles [and] societal values†. Sugihara and Katsurada’s (1999:645) study of gender roles in Japanese society characterised Japanese hegemonic masculinity as â€Å"a man with internal strength† as opposed to the physical strength typically emphasised within Western societies’ ideal man. In contrast, the American notion of hegemonic masculinity is predominantly seen as to include heterosexism, gender difference and dominance (Kiesling, 2005). Specifically, as stated by Kiesling (2005), masculinity in America relies upon being heterosexual, in a position of power, dominance or authority and believing that there is a categorical difference between men and women in terms of biology and behaviour. It is this Western notion of masculinity that is often seen to perpetuate stereotypical gender roles, as alluded to previously (Leaper, 1995). Further variations in masculinity across cultures can be seen in recent research in the Sambia region of Papua New Guinea, where it was discovered that masculinity â€Å"is the outcome of a regime of ritualised homosexuality leading into manhood† (Macionis and Plummer, 2005:307) Such engaging in homosexual acts, whilst considered an example of hegemonic masculinity in the Sambia region, is considered a subordinated masculinity in the Western world, indicating how hegemonic masculinity can vary across cultures (Connell, 1995). Another cultural variation at the opposite end of the spectrum to the homosexuality of the Sambia region, the internalised strengths of Japanese men and even in contrast to the authoritative dominance of American masculinity, is the ‘machismo’ construct of masculinity in Latino men. The masculinity shown in  Latino men can be described as an exaggerated form of American hegemonic masculinity, with a focus on physical strength, toughness and acting as both a protector and an authority figure (Saez et. al, 2009). These four variations alone – between Japanese, Sambian, American and Latin American masculinity – emphasise the cultural differences in masculinity. Femininity, however, shows to some extent, even greater variation cross-culturally. Delph-Janiurck (2000:320) suggests that femininity focuses on â€Å"social relations†¦ the home†¦ [and] (re)creating feelings of togetherness†, re-emphasising the traditional stereotypical gender role of the nurturing, motherly home-maker. This definition of femininity can be reiterated by Sugihara and Katsurada’s (1999:636) study, where they found Japanese women portrayed aspects of Connell’s (1995) emphasised femininity, in that they were â€Å"reserved, subservient and obey[ed] their husbands.† However, these traditional traits of femininity are not the same across cultures. Margaret Mead’s study of the Mungdugumor and Tchambuli tribes of Papua New Guinea stand in stark contrast to the femininity previously emphasised. The Mungdugumor tribe showed both males and females as aggressive and powerful, typically masculine traits to the Western world (Lutkehaus, 1993). The Tchambuli tribe, in contrast, reversed the Western gender roles completely, resulting in the males being more submissive and females acting more aggressive (Gewertz, 1984). In the Western world and specifically Australia, variations in comparison to other cultures could not be more obvious. Harrison (1997) emphasises how the English tradition of debutante balls, adapted by many religious institutions in Australia, promotes a feminine ideal of monogamous heterosexuality, coupled with passivity, beauty, modesty and virginity. This version of femininity stands in stark contrast to the subservience of Japanese women, and the aggressive traits of both the Tchambuli and Mungdugumor tribes’ women, as a cross-cultural example of varied femininity. These examples further serve to emphasise how variable masculinity and femininity are across cultures. However, such variations are similarly evident across historical periods. Historical variations in masculinity and femininity also exist, further serving to emphasise that gender roles are a socially constructed  creation. Cheng (1999:298) reiterates this stating that, â€Å"[a]s history changes, so does the definition of hegemonic masculinity†, emphasising how variable social constructions of gender roles are. In the last century alone, the American version of hegemonic masculinity has witnessed significant changes. Before the first World War, hegemonic masculinity was portrayed through the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, before being overturned by the â€Å"more physical, muscular, violent and sexual† Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone (Cheng, 1999:300). Another example exists in Australia, where masculinity has seen a similar shift from the 1950s until now. Pennell (2001:7) has emphasised how masculinity in Australia started with the patriarchy, the belief that â€Å"moral and legal authority derives from the masculine.† The 1950s particularly portrayed masculine males as the breadwinners and feminine females as homemakers, examples of the gender role stereotypes continually perpetuated today (Pennell, 2001). As the years progressed, sports stars such as Donald Bradman and, more recently, Shane Warne and Olympian James Mangussen, began to portray typical hegemonic masculinity, with more emphasis being placed upon physique, dominance and power, than simply material wealth (Pennell, 2001). However, masculinity is not the only thing that has seen significant historical change. Femininity, however, has not changed as dramatically as masculinity, remaining, as emphasised by Cheng (1999), the subordinated gender. Matthews (in Baldock, 1985) emphasises the changes that have occurred in femininity over the twentieth century, from women portraying their femininity through submissive acts of unpaid work to women’s emancipation and allowance in joining the workforce, emphasising a less submissive, more powerful and independent notion of femininity. Whilst the feminist movement showed significant improvements to women’s rights, historical notions of femininity – passivity, domesticity and beauty – continue to be perpetuated in Australian society (Cheng, 1999). This emphasises how society may not change as fast as evidence surrounding the social construction of gender roles arises (Cheng, 1999). Various sociological implications arise from these examples of  varying masculinities and femininities across culture and history, particularly that it suggests gender roles are â€Å"not homogenous, unchanging, fixed or undifferentiated† (Cheng, 1999:301). To some extent, such evidence can dispute claims that gender roles, masculinities and femininities are biologically determined and can argue against the essentialist argument that there are two and â€Å"only two bi-polar gender roles† (Cheng, 1999:296). The evidence, that masculinity and femininity vary cross-culturally and over historical periods has the ability to argue against the essentialist argument, as it shows the more than two gender roles exist, with variations between cultures (such as the varied femininities across Japan and PNG) and within historical periods (such as the variations in American hegemonic masculinity). In a societal sense, evidence suggesting that gender roles are not biologically constructed, but instead vary throughout culture and history, emphasises that such perceived inevitable functions of society, such as the patriarchal dividend and gender inequality are not inevitable biological constructs (Hoffman, 2001). They could be argued, instead, as socially constructed blockades to female empowerment and equality, that, such as can be seen in the Tchambuli tribe of Mead’s study, can be reversed (Lutkehaus, 1993). The evidence that masculinities and femininities vary diversely across culture and historical period further empahsises that gender roles and gender divides are socially constructed. With evidence drawn from as far reaching as PNG and Japan and over vast historical periods, it can be reiterated that gender roles and perceptions of masculinity and femininity are not unchanging (Cheng, 1999). As emphasised throughout this essay, such evidence disputes essentialist arguments regarding the supposed inevitable patriarchal dividend and, in relation to society, reiterates that gender roles can change.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Can India Become a Superpower Essay

Can India become a Superpower? The question is common and comes in evey mind, the topic is everlasting and in limeline. For being a superpower a country must have to solve his external and internal conflicts,its true that no country an become a superpower if ts not a developed one and india has yet to devlope andcan be said as an emerging power. Walking on this path is not so smooth you will find thorns that make you lame and sometimes huge rocks are ready to crush you so as India is facing it in this present senario (courption and repeatedly millitant attacks). India: A brief discription India so called as democratic country struggling to become a developed country has got a vast heritage. The overall population of India is 1.2 billion in 2013 and according to survey it will be going to become 1.4 billion in 2025 and in 2050 it will become 1.6 billion. Putting some light on political arena, Indian constitution has parliamentary system, multiparty system, liberal and conservatives. But it doesnt matter what rights we have there in our constitution because all are violated either by us or by governmennt, cant blame on a particular society or league of people. Now, the question comes, why it is not so easy to become a superpower, even we have proved ourself in every section of development? It is not so significant either you have taken your first steps in every section of development but it mainly depends on the factors that converts a country from developing to a developed country. Historical mistakes India has suffered a lot and yet it is suffering from illness, in historical time illness was that we were always being ruptured by foreign invaders Mughals, Englishmen, Portugese etc. The reason was our weakness because at that time trading were made on a large scale and to fullfill our needs manual manufacturing starts declining and industrial revolution take place which was the father of modern history and guess who was the mother none other than renissance that is â€Å"re birth†. Re birth of rationalism so the people of India were divided in many parts and didnt accept this change, now we are facing a big problem as at that time we belive in rituals not on reasons. The reason was, we were not united and till now we are facing the same problem of unity. Internal conflicts As disscused above the first problem we face is † Being a united nation but not a united one† that is, we say that India is a secular country, every one can follow his/her religion and yes we are enjoying it alot but somehow religion has divided us. The best example, RESERVATION, it is boldly mark because the worst thing to face and to fight, its quite similar to a railway reservation, for that you have to wait for your call, but it never comes because the middle man has reserved all the tickets for journey, here the middle man are bureaucrats. And on other hand the politicians are using it as a weapon to fill their vote banks, the manner, is giving reservation on the bases of religion and earning votes according to it. They alone can’t be blame because its we who support them for our own cause. Not only reservation there are many problems like Hindu Muslim conflict, telangana case, diffrent language (yes its also a cause for not being united) et c are also responsible and wrtting on this will take a lot pages and suffcient time. External conflicts India is surrounded by lot many neighbours like Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Bangladesh, Afganistan and Sri Lanka. India Has bilatreal relation with all its neighbours and trying to maintain it but if we talk about Pakistan one of the oldest enemy of India causing a lot trouble supported by China. Recently there was a heavy load of firing in Poonch, Kashmir after PAK elects its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who promised to solve problems with India regarding there relation. If we recall our memory Sri Lanka used to say that the LTTE is supported by India to break them. So its quite clear even though we have bilateral relation with our neighbours, we are facing a sense of rebel from there side. Terrorism One of the most significant problem faced by India which is restraining it to become a super power. The word terrorism always recall us Kargil war(1999), 26/11 mumbai attack, Dantewada tragedy and recently the attack on congressmen, not only this a lot many more attacks we have faced. PAK millitants has threaten so called heaven Kashmir anad on eastern side and central part Naxalites responsible for killing innocent people. Naxalites are considerd as terrorist organisation after Unlawfull Activites (Prevention) Act 1967 and also a most dangerous internal threat. Terrorism does not posses any shape, size, face, religion or community it is only to threaten people with gun power. Courption Last but not the least courption one of the major threat which is rotening our admistrative system from inside getting us weak and if we are weak than its only a dream to become a superpower. It adversly effects our economy. No particular person is responsible for it we all are responsible for it. All those scam like 2g colgate and CWG has an immense effect on our GDP rate,4.7% fourth quatqer of 2013 from 6.2% according to 2011-12 fiscal, which make us to count on Hindu rate of growth that is slow rate of growt. The above mention are some of the significant cause apart from others, which are blocking India to become a superpower. No doubt its true that after independence we have raised ourself to a better level in the feild of science, tourism, culture etc, but the goal is far away to achive and presently India is emerging as a superpower.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Marketing Practice For Unsigned Independent Artists And Their Essay

The Marketing Practice For Unsigned Independent Artists And Their Music - Essay Example However, McCarthy (1987) prefers a more explicit explanation ÃŽ ¿f the marketing mix, suggesting that the mix is "a set ÃŽ ¿f controllable variables which the organization puts together to satisfy a target group." A representative marketing mix involves a product provided at a price, combined with some level ÃŽ ¿f promotion to attract potential customers, along with a way (a "place") to meet those customers (McCarthy, 1987). In service marketing, McColl-Kennedy and Kiel (2003) identify three extended elements for marketers. In addition to the traditional 4 Ps, McColl-Kennedy and Kiel (2003) stress the core role ÃŽ ¿f people in a service industry, including both employees and customers or potential customers. Additionally, the service process and physical evidence take on additional importance in service industries. All process can produce best results for the marketing of unsigned independent artists and their music. Kotler defines the product as a combination ÃŽ ¿f goods and service s (Kotler et al, 2001). Given the service focus ÃŽ ¿f their work, McColl-Kennedy, and Kiel (2003) define a product more generally. They term a product merely as a bundle ÃŽ ¿f attributes--some tangible, some intangible--offered to a buyer by a seller.Marketing and management theorists agree on the simple concept ÃŽ ¿f price.

The financial performance of Marks and Spencer Assignment - 1

The financial performance of Marks and Spencer - Assignment Example etail outlets also sell mid to high priced apparel, food, and household items under the companys private label brands, including Autograph, Classic, per una, and Portfolio. The British retail icon operates in about 330 M&S department stores and some 340 Simply Food shops throughout the UK. Beyond Britain, it spreads across over 325 locations, mostly franchises, in about 40 countries, including China, India, Indonesia, and South Korea (Google Finance n.d.). The company recorded revenues of  £9,536.6 million ($15,272.9 million) during the financial year ended April 2010 (FY2010), an increase of 5.2% over 2009 (JP Morgan 2011). Past financial performance of the firm or an organization is an important indicator for predict or estimate the future of the company. Investors and shareholders measure and value this financial performance (amongst other factors) as a means to assess the expected returns on their investments (Alvarado 2011). Calculation of a number of financial ratios for the firm’s financial statements is considered a fairly safe way to evaluate the firm’s past performance, its evolution and key financial issues. The analyses are very valuable for firm’s management as well in order to identify opportunities to improve performance at the department, unit, division or organizational level. In some cases, ratio analyses can predict future bankruptcy (Loth 2011). Reading and understanding financial ratios is also the quickest method to assess the company’s operating performance. In order to understand the company well from financial statements, we need to conduct analyses at three levels: (1) Profitability analyses to see if the company is profitable or not, whether the company is a growing company or a stagnant one. (2) Financial Health analyses from ratios that indicate whether the company is sound or not and what is its presence state of solvency. (3) Finally, company specificities will be explored in terms of key growth drivers and competitive

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

How do notions of the postmodern undermine the truth of the Essay

How do notions of the postmodern undermine the truth of the photographic image - Essay Example ated to bring a revolution in ways of capturing details, critiques argue that photography is not just a mere window on the world but it has become a space for nightmares, obsessions, unconsciousness and an opening of fantasies thorough computer manipulations that stage convincing fictional images (Kostikova,2013,pp.24-28). The manipulation leads into doubts over the originality of photographs. Rather than the manipulation of photographs, other notions of postmodernism such deteriorating discipline, war photography, propaganda and political agendas can be identified to be among the causes of negativity on the truth of the photographic image. To fully understand photography, it is important to understand the origin of photography and its impact on the people of the postmodern age. The presence of photographic practice shows the ability to capture reality at a given time without any intervention by man, indicating a clear distinction from a painting that was an artistic contemplation. There had been some excitements due to the technological innovation that new gadget was capable of achieving. However, two questions were arising concerning the beautiful images produced by the camera. The first question was on the origin of the photograph image. That leads to being curious on the truth about the content of the image (Applin, 2014, pp.387-389). The second question was on the purpose of the photo image; together with the uses it can be subjected. Looking at both questions, the credibility of the photography is undermined due to the various works of art that are not original, and it becomes challenging to verifying their origi nality and the purpose of having reality on them. Hughes argues that, â€Å"Despite its apparent precision, perspective is a generalization about experience. It schematizes, but it does not really represent the way we see.† The argument can be borrowed into photography meaning that its ability to capture original experience of the world is limited

Monday, August 26, 2019

Muti questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Muti questions - Essay Example (5 marks) Pearl Harbour was the best geographical place for an attack; it was close enough to japan than other places like San Francisco. The more the Japanese attackers moved closer the more they were going to be detected hence a place far away was best suited for them. They wanted to stop any interference coming from the USA government of wanting to attack the Dutch, Singapore, Burma, Malaysia and South Asia. Japan wanted to take over the oil resources of South Asia because the American government had stopped selling oil to them because of their hostility in China (Takaki 323). The pearl harbour had the majority of the USA`s naval force. For Japan to win over America forces, they wanted to destroy most of its naval force that existed in Pearl Harbour. They wanted as well to avoid immediate retaliation of the USA because the needed time to regroup after their naval base was destroyed. Some people in the American government were getting suspicious that the Japanese would attack them, Japanese felt that were running out time and soon the USA government would discover the attack they were planning. The nearest place for them to execute their attack plan was in the harbour. The Japanese army was in control of government resources and they wished that one day that they would conquer all of China. American was not being fair by trying to stop this from happening. What led to the increase in spending in Reagan`s spending 1987? (3 marks) President Reagan financed the development of nuclear weapons. Funds were directed to the research and development of nuclear weapons. Defence spending under Reagan`s government were more than usual. The impacts of World War 2 were still being felt in the USA and the president wanted to put back the economy at its feet. What factors led to the migration of the Vietnamese to USA? (5 marks) Individuals from Vietnam were poverty stricken hence they had to move and find resources elsewhere. The Vietnam country was facing Economic hardships Continuous war in Vietnam led to the immigration of Vietnamese to the USA because peace existed there. There existed social struggle in Vietnam. The country had no Political stability. How did Harry S. Truman manage the war after the death of President Franklin (5marks) (Takaki 373) At first Truman felt he was not a man enough to take the place of Franklin who had just died. He had the problem of continuing the war which wasn’t finished. In his mind the fastest way to finish and win the war was to use atomic weapons against Japan. Trauma worked with the congress and funded heavily in the United Nations and helped in doing away with of communism. He came up with a marshal plan of rebuilding Europe which had been badly destroyed during the war time. He oversaw the lifting of Berlin and the creation of NATO. Trauma`s presidency was a turning point for the country especially in the sector of foreign affairs as America now supported foreign policies and worked closely with other countries. Why were the Americans involved in the Vietnam War? (8 marks) The USA wanted the stop of communism spread in Asia. The Americans strongly opposed communism. Already the USA was in the Vietnam supplying and providing military and financial support. They felt that they needed to be there fully and increases their military personnel. There was a growing risk and support of the National Liberation Front. This was a communist guerrilla group which had attacked the USA in the South Vietnam. The political ego of

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Coverage Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Coverage - Assignment Example Little did Laing was sent to look for her. Bud a young teen sneezes and did not have a hand kerchief. Louis asks him to go and wash her face. Terrorists bumped in the dinner taking people in the dinner hostage. Sydney detects things are not right once she detects guys with machine guns. They hide with Laing where she appears to be Laing’s savior in a number of occasions. Louis decided to go and look for his daughter where he encounters with thugs and enters into a fight. He ended up being surviving gun wounds thanks to Sydney who called for Taffy to call the policemen (Thorp, 2012). COMMENTS: The script is not only quite scary but it possesses a number of essential teachings. Human consciousness is always live and right. Sydney was suspecting something bad was cooking since the beginning of the script. It is also evident that everyone no matter an adult or a child has the potential of saving people. Were it not Sydney who made efforts of contacting the police most probably the condition would become

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Global Decision Support Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Decision Support - Essay Example That DSS tools are effective in managerial decision making processes implies managers must improve the tools’ capacities to work efficiently to yield the right information structure (Antunes et al., 2007). Thus the generation, design, implementation, interpretation and implementation of DSS tools should be done efficiently and competently to solve decision-making problems. A DSS system should thus serve as a competitive advantage that helps an organization to tackle decision-making problems based on consistent information and information structure and win markets. Background Generally, a Decision Support System (DSS) is a compilation of amalgamated software and hardware applications (tools, techniques, and models) used by an organization as the benchmark of decision making process. Since decision making requires the analysis of data, a DSS should be data-driven. The concepts of Business Intelligence (BI), Organizational Intelligence (OI), and Competitive Intelligence (CI), whi ch encompass the processes, methodologies, and reporting tools central to decision support systems to report, monitor, and analyze data are also important in DSS and decision making (Antunes et al., 2007). This paper reviews literatures on the benefits and buy-in of global DSS, the processes of implementing global DSS, the ethical issues related to global DSS, and the possible ways by which global DSS may increase global partners. A global Decision Support System (GDSS) is a computer-based interactive system used by teams from different organizations, countries or regions to make decisions, solve problems, and make choices. Specifically, global DSS aims to support groups in the analysis of problem situations and in the performance of collective decision-making tasks. From its name global DSS is quite descriptive and is a mixture of systems that uses intricate communications infrastructures and quantitative models to support decision-making processes. Literature Review As a consequen ce of increased globalization and heightened competition in the business world, entrepreneurs have resorted to using the latest technologies to make vital business decisions (Lynch, 1994). Similarly, a lot of literary work has focused on decision making and its various techniques and tools such as DSS. According to most authors, there are numerous aspects of DSS that organizations and managers should consider when venturing into global DSS. Global DSS benefits, implementation, and ethical issues are among the most extensively covered aspects of DSS in literatures. Businesses enjoy numerous benefits by implementing global DSS. For instance, for quite a long time, organizations have struggled to find an electronic commercial application that would allow them to jointly decode and interpret information to allow them to make use of these decision making tools in the accompaniment of other organizations or business partners (Lynch, 1994). The first among the many benefits of global DSS i s that it allows organizations to orient their resources towards providing managers with all the required information for strategic decision making. Global DSS offers organizations several other capabilities, including support for decision-making processes in ill-structured situations that lack full computerization and requires computer-based assistance for voluminous data accessibility and processing (Lynch, 1994). Global DSS also helps in the rapid acquisition of quantity and quality results for reaching decision by supporting the various stages of

Friday, August 23, 2019

Ecological Ethics, Anissa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ecological Ethics, Anissa - Essay Example The essay points out that Taylor would have said species and matter are vital due to the fact that we need to have respect for nature. I also agree with the idea that man is part of nature and ethics as extending to the whole biotic community. This is regarded as the only view that actually incorporates the biotic community and the land and atmosphere are indispensable to the continuation processes of natural selection and evolution. It has been found that a collective approach intuitively unveils the underworking conditions and webs that actually keep us interdependent and connected. Besides it is very beneficial to be able to economically quantify the values of environmental surrounding. However, the opinion provided by Meadows is a little bit redundant. He claims that in the anthropocentric value system, humans are the fundamental focus of value. On the other hand, Russow brings back the discussion of one individual versus whole. Russow’s standpoint is that we value and protect animals just because of their aesthetic value. I also agree with the author that species matter more than just for the aesthetic value of their individual members. I may add that aesthetics is regarded as a philosophical category, and therefore, every human being across the globe has his own opinion what to consider as aesthetic. Besides, every culture has different perceptions on aesthetic values. What Western civilization regards as beautiful African or Asian cultures would consider as ugly (Carter, 2010). In my opinion, the intrinsic values of species are actually dependent on biodiversity. There are numerous reasons that justify the existence of species. For instance, reductions in biodiversity result to the ecosystem functioning negatively. We should not treat animals differently just because they are not humans. This is because the fact that whether to consider a being a member or not of a species is not morally right. This

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Path of the Stars Essay Example for Free

Path of the Stars Essay The song â€Å"Stars† from the musicale Les Miserables is sung by Inspector Javert near the end of Act I when he realized that it was Jean Valjean whom he had helped escape from the group of Thenardier. Inspector Javert is a rather curious character. A good characterization of him is well laid-out in the novel. However, in the musicale version, only snippets of Javert’s personality can be gleamed when observed carefully. â€Å"Stars† may not be one of the internationally renowned songs from musicale like â€Å"I Dreamed a Dream† and â€Å"On My Own†, but it offers a good insight into the way Inspector Javert sees himself as a law-enforcement agent, law-breakers like Jean Valjean, and his obsession, bordering on madness, in the pursuit of law-breakers, especially Jean Valjean, to face justice. Javert’s sees himself as one of the stars, â€Å"filling the darkness with order and light †¦sentinels, silent and sure, keeping watch in the night. † He sees himself as an unobtrusive individual in society keeping the order and standing as a vanguard of peace always on the watch. He is always there to maintain the peace in society. He believes that each of us, like the stars, knows his proper place and function in society and those who stray from their fixed and sure paths, law-breakers and fugitives, â€Å"must pay the price† and face justice. Law-breakers are stars that have lost their way, men who have deviated from their roles in society. They flee in the dark for they are out of graces in the eyes of God, according to Javert. As a sacred duty, Javert has taken it into himself, swearing by the stars, that he would not rest until these fugitives are brought to face justice. This duty is his role in society; his course and aim in the skies as one of the stars, â€Å"and so it must be, for so it is written. † If we follow Javert’s philosophy that all men in society are but stars with fixed path in the skies and those stars that fall from their paths â€Å"fall in flame,† this same philosophy gives us an idea of how hard Javert could be even to himself. If and when Javert, as a star in the sky, deviates from his fixed path he, as well, must pay the price. This insight into the thinking of Javert’s gives as a dark foreboding of what may happen in case he fails in his pursuit of Jean Valjean (as the case would be in Act II). Javert may not be one of the most amiable characters in the musicale Les Miserables but he gives us a good picture of a segment of our society today. People who tend to be fanatical and rigid in their views are epitomized by Javert. I am not a good authority to pass judgment on people like Javert. To some extents I agree with Javert that each of us has a role in society and when we falter we should pay the consequences. But I do not agree in the rigid application of justice as espoused by Javert. I believe that when a person commits a wrong we must temper our judgment by hearing out the reasons of the offender, assuming good-naturedly that he committed such offense unintentionally. I believe in justice with compassion. Justice, after all, has always been depicted as a lady blindfolded so that she may hear and weight with her heart the arguments laid before her.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

According to Seamus Deane Essay Example for Free

According to Seamus Deane Essay According to Seamus Deane, Translations is a play about the tragedy of English Imperialism. How far would you agree with this statement in relation to both Translations and Heart of Darkness? INTRO Although the location, language and structure of Brian Friels Translations differs unmistakably from that of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, the topic of colonisation remains central to both. While the supposed sophistication of civilised colonists is deconstructed in Conrads novella to reveal mans common darkness, Friels play deals with the ways in which the consciousness of an entire culture is fractured by the transcription of one landscape (Gaelic, classical and traditional) for another (Anglo-Saxon, progressive and Imperialistic). 1 Friel uses the apparently passive plotting of an Ordnance Survey map to emphasise the loss of indigenous Irish tradition, social history and heritage felt by the natives of County Donegal in Ireland. The translation of the place-names automatically eliminates the secrets buried within the original name; it distorts rather than restores the ontological nature of the place-name. Friel uses Owen to expose the Imperialist outlook on standardisation during his battle with Yolland over Tobair Vree: He begins a long discourse on how Tobair Vree came to acquire its name, identifying a well that once existed nearby and has long since dried up, with Vree an erosion of the Irish Brian. He then asks Yolland: do we keep piety with a man long dead, long forgotten, his name eroded beyond recognition, whose trivial little story nobody in the parish remembers? Even as he attempts to demonstrate the invalidity of Tobair Vree as rightful place-name through its seemingly illogical associations, Owen contradicts his own argument. The reality that Owen himself remembers the tale behind the name reinstates the fact that as insignificant as this narrative may be to him, it remains the carrier of history and memories, both public and private. The name not only retells the anecdote which defined Brians Well, but also evokes Owens memories of his grandfather. The Irish place-names had developed into historical, cultural and social storehouses through their varied associations and values. The reduction of such ontological knowledge to an epistemological referent through colonial dispossession therefore reduces identity in an eviction of sorts. 2 The destructive force of English Imperialism is echoed in Conrads Heart of Darkness and is revealed to us through Marlows portrayal of the Africans he encounters and the treatment they are subject to. Forced to work under the conditions of European mechanical labour, the natives acquired expressions of the deathlike indifference of unhappy savages as they became reduced to nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation. The civilised colonists place the savages in chain gangs, enslaving them; eliminating their identities and breaking their spirit as a people. Throughout the entire novel we, the reader do not learn a single of the Africans names. They are collectively labelled niggers, creatures, rebels, savages, enemies, ants and criminals by the colonisers. Even the individual natives Marlow speaks of remain unnamed, distant and alien. This is exposed through the portrayal of the helmsman; although Marlow shared with him a kind of partnership, he is nevertheless reduced and objectified as merely an instrument. Conrad discloses the dying identity of the Congos indigenous inhabitants through Marlows initial observation of the blind, white flicker which died out slowly in their enormous and vacant eyes. 3 Friel illustrates Imperialisms effect on identity unequivocally in his play through the function of Sarah. My name is Sarah. Unable to speak her own name previously, Sarahs identity finally emerges and begins to flower. Language is demonstrated to be the key to memory; identity is formulated through language. Through Sarahs speech, a hidden landscape of consciousness has been unlocked by Manus, ready to be explored. Sarahs name is crucial in her self-definition and identity, just as with the names of places; her name encapsulates not only an identity, but also an origin and a lineage. Sarah blurts out Sarah Johnny Sally to Owen when asked her name, thus providing not only her Christian name but in addition those of her parents. Owen does not hesitate to reply Of course! From Bun na hAbhann! and complete this marker of the clan. He responds furthermore with his own identity, parentage and place of origin: Im Owen Owen Hugh Mor. From Baile Beag. Irish names in Translations quickly become linked not only with identification of an entity, but also with the narrative history associated with that identity through lineage and society. While Friel insists that the play is about language and only language, the fact that Sarah is silenced again by the colonisers could represent the suppressive and inconsiderate treatment imposed on the Irish people by the English Imperialists, denying them their freedom of expression and thus their right to an identity. 4 Conrad mirrors Sarahs silence and consequent absence of identity in Heart of Darkness through his creation of Kurtzs mistress who although described as superb, wild-eyed and magnificent in her deliberate progress, reveals the suffering she has endured under colonial domination through her visibly wild sorrow and fear of some struggling, half-shaped resolve. Her formidable silence contrasts wholly with Kurtzs ability to talk. As a musician, politician, poet and humanitarian his inextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression is equated with political power, thus giving Kurtz a sense of real presence which is evidently lacking amongst the native Africans who have become disassociated from their past, their origins and their control over the future. Their only capability in expressing themselves is through their appearance of dumb pain. Exactly like Friels natives, the original inhabitants of the Congo are imprisoned in a linguistic contour which no longer matches the landscape of fact.

Ship Machinery And Equipment Maintenance

Ship Machinery And Equipment Maintenance Ship machinery maintenance is of predominant importance for accurate operation of each ship. For this purpose, the ships machinery plant should be kept well maintained and clean at all times for assuring safe and smooth operation and functionality of the ship. Furthermore, it is most significant that ample new spare parts and equipments are carried on board in order to correctly accomplish maintenance in due time under the supervision of fully competent staff according to the manufacturers instructions. Moreover, Crankshaft deflections need to be taken frequently at regular intervals. Fuel oil and Lube oil must be analyzed in order to ensure that they do not contain any debris or contamination. Main as well as auxiliary engines result in a breakdown that cause severe damage like fire that may require the ship from terminating its services until lengthy and costly repairs and maintenance measures are accomplished. Experts acknowledge the fact that maintenance requirements are not standardized. However, these requirements will differ substantially from one ship to another. Some ship owners employ a fundamental preventative maintenance policy, while others operate more sophisticated systems based on condition monitoring. This is why machinery surveys are adopted in flexible basis so as to plan according to owners existing business processes and schedules. An approach that is based on operating at schedules intervals offers a manageable and controlled maintenance program. Although, it may not be most efficient, a maintenance program is tailored to operational performance trends, and manifested by individual elements of machinery. Furthermore, by evaluating the condition monitoring data, the extent to which machinery is opened for surveys is considerably reduced. This approach may be applied to a vast variety of reciprocating and rotating shipboard machinery. For instance, Tail-shafts can be contr olled and monitored on frequent basis, thereby allowing lengthy periods between withdrawals for accurate inspection. The time interval between raising main stream turbine casings may be extended in a similar fashion. As a result of this, unproductive repair as well as dry dock downtime may be kept to a minimum level. Interestingly, based on Reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), further optimization of the maintenance program can be obtained. This technique employs a structured assessment of functions for deriving the most efficient maintenance strategy. Also, operational performance can be improved by maintaining ship availability and keeping downtime minimal. For proper machinery maintenance and loss prevention, following measures must be undertaken: Lubricating Oil: Lubricating or lube oil sampling should be maintained at frequent levels and regularly recorded as a recommended practice. Also, lube oil purifiers must be operated continuously and adequately. The gravity disc should be chosen so as to achieve the desired oil-water interface at a maximal level of temperature nearing 90 deg C according to the specifications. Furthermore, the lube oil feed system applied to the purifiers must be evaluated for ensuring the optimum flow rate between the feed pump and the purifiers capacity. Old lube oil feed system designs utilize a direct drive pump that bears a large capacity as against the recommended flow through the purifiers. If the system contains heavy contamination of water, the lube oil in the sump tank should be transported to a settling tank, the sump tank must be cleaned, and new fresh oil must be filed to the minimum level as recommended by the engine manufacturer. Moreover, the contaminated lube oil is drained and circulated by the purifiers and after analysis, the future use if the oil is assessed. If solid particles are determined in the system, the piping system should be cleaned and the entire engine must be flushed. Crankshaft Safety: The engine should be stopped as soon as the oil mist detector alarm rings or overheating of engine is detected. To avoid further damage, the main cause of overheating of engine must be identified and correction measures must be taken before the engine is restarted. The lube oil must be kept clean as far as possible by continuously using the lube oil purifiers at the recommended temperature over 90 deg C. Also, lube oil filters must be maintained and placed in clean and suitable environment by frequent routines. Crankshaft deflections should be regularly taken in order to ensure that the operation of the engine is within the limit as permitted by the manufacturer. Bunkers: Bunkering processes that includes fuel-testing procedures must be carefully reviewed for ensuring accuracy in procedures while dealing with off-specification bunkers. Each precaution must taken to make sure that adequate amount of bunker supplies are made available in order to allow proper testing before any new bunkers are used. Furthermore, water, high ash and total sediment potential content also must be considered as well as high sodium and water content that indicates the presence of seawater within the bunkers. At sea, loss of structural integrity due to grounding and collision are the most significant contributors to accidental pollution. Hulls must be designed by considering two most important factors; (1) improvement in the hull strength as well as energy absorption, and (2) sufficient residual strength subsequent to damage for allowing salvage operations. So far, the major focus is on preventing pollution from tankers. Nevertheless, there is now greater concern related to the potential consequences of damage and accidents to bunker tanks and other types of ships, some which may be carrying thousand tones of fuel oil. Present R D, as far as improving hull strength and energy absorption is concerned, is focusing on the development and advancement of modified calculation methods that are to be used for measuring the ability of varying structural assemblies to withstand ground forces and collision. When the entire numerical simulations done by the finite element method is taken into accoun t, examining the experimental results have proven the significance of including the vertical motion of the ship especially for grounding simulations along with the motion of the struck object or striking ship to evaluate collision simulations. Moreover, significant amount of research has been dedicated to the evaluation of existing as well as proposed design solutions for improvement of collision and grounding strength. 2-D methods have been employed for evaluation of relatively simple post-accident strength for the anticipation of the collapse strength of a hull girder. By using these methods, the capability of the damaged ship to survive can be assessed by a skillful comparison between the measured strength and the environmental loads; the latter being calculated without considering the result of the accidental damage on the loads and motions acting on the ship. Therefore, research is on-going with the main objective on improvement of ship response calculation methods corresponding to the effects of damage for both mobile offshore units and the ships. The following are said to be the major R D requirements in these areas: Conceptions about ship subdivision in order to minimize the effect of impacts on the hull, as well as concepts for hull structure design for increasing the residual strength and the resistance to impact after damage. Particularly, further development and enhancement of energy absorbing side and double bottom shell designs and their evaluation through full-scale tests and models along with comprehensive numerical models. Integrating numerical models for external dynamics, i.e. ship motions, and internal mechanics. Developing ways of securing bunker tanks from grounding and collisions for new ship designs. Developing simplified calculation techniques and methods for prediction of energy absorption abilities of particular structural solutions. Developing design criteria for prevention of pollution as a result of collision and grounding Analysis of collected casualty information on grounding and collision with the main goal to develop environmental impact indexes and reference design scenarios able to talk for the energy absorption and varying structural configurations. Apart from grounding and collision, other major causes of loss of hull integrity are fatigue/fracture problems, excessive loading, and consequences of corrosion. Corrosion is reduced by supplying additional thickness to the plate at the design stage and employing corrosion protection systems, many of which are based on coatings requiring maintenance throughout the life of the ship. Also, corrosion problems can be dealt with by good detail design of the hull structure. A factor that provides potential is design for maintenance; for instance, by ensuring suitable access for inspecting local structures as well as for applying coatings. Thus, the main R D needs covering this area are concerned with the design and structuring of ship hulls for corrosion reduction/prevention and for easier inspection and maintenance. Planned maintenance system (PMS) deals with scheduling, planning and performance of each and every important machinery on board a ship. Furthermore, PMS software is deployed to every ship for carrying out the operations of the ship in an efficient manner. All the PMS functionalities are carried out according to their schedules. This not only ensures efficient working of the machinery but also help in avoiding any sort of mishap caused due to poor maintenance. To carry out all the maintenance works in a timely manner, PMS software is used. A PMS software is fabricated for a ship based on the type and number of machinery the ship possesses. A job card is assigned to every machine that consists of every detail about the machinery. Each job card has three main components. A PMS software gives an accurate estimation of the maintenance schedule overdue or nearing, and enables the user to plan and submit the completion report, by which the next maintenance date is automatically rescheduled (Hayman et al).

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Stanley Kubricks The Shining Essay examples -- Kubrick Shining Horror

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) initially received quite a bit of negative criticism. The film irritated many Stephen King fans (and King himself) because it differed so greatly from the novel. The Shining also disappointed many filmgoers who expected a conventional slasher film. After all, Kubrick said it would be "the scariest horror movie of all time."1 Kubrick's films, however, never fully conform to their respective genres; they transcend generic expectations. In the same way that 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is not just another outer-space sci-fi flick, The Shining is not a typical horror movie. The monsters in The Shining originate not from dark wooded areas, but from the recesses of the mysterious human mind-in broad daylight, at that. Perhaps Kubrick said The Shining is "the scariest horror movie of all time" not because it offers a bit of suspense, blood, and gore, but because it shines a light on the inherently evil nature of humankind on psychological and sociol ogical levels. After Kubrick bought the rights to Stephen King's 1977 novel The Shining and hired novelist Diane Johnson to help write the screenplay, both Johnson and Kubrick read Freud's essay on "The Uncanny" and Bruno Bettelheim's book about fairy tales, The Uses of Enchantment.2 Kubrick obviously wanted to surpass the intellectual depth of contemporary horror films such as The Exorcist and Omen. He said he was attracted to Stephen King's novel because "there's something inherently wrong with the human personality. There's an evil side to it. One of the things that horror stories can do is to show us the archetypes of the unconscious: we can see the dark side without having to confront it directly." 2 In order to transfer his vision of the "dark side" to the screen, however, Kubrick had to substantially alter the story in King's novel. With the help of Johnson, Kubrick threw out most of King's ectoplasmic interventions-many ghosts, the demonic elevator, the deadly drainpipe, the swarming wasps, and the sinister hedge animals that come to life. Apparently Kubrick could not find special effects to animate the shrubbery in a satisfactory manner. 2 Kubrick also dispensed with virtually all of Jack Torrance's troubled history and his gradual descent into insanity. Jessie Horsting, author of Stephen King at the Movies, said, " I loathed The Shining when it fir... ...e film with a shot evocative of Michael Snow's Wavelength1 which moves down a corridor and into a photograph, after which a dissolve provides still closer scrutiny of the photograph. The photograph shows a grinning Jack at the Overlook Hotel July 4th Ball in 1921. The date links America's independence with senseless violence, and the image of Jack suggests that his sanity now exists only in the past, while his "dark side" remains frozen in the snow-covered maze outside. In addition, as the film ends, Kubrick uses the sound of applause to blend the contemporary movie audience with the 1920s audience. The 1920s audience then begins to chatter as filmgoers would when exiting the theater. The contemporary audience members, therefore, usually overlook this soundtrack-just as they overlook Native American genocide and other instances of humanity's violence against humanity. Thus, even through its final credit sequence, The Shining attempts to disrupt the complacency and security of the audience-to hold up a mirror to viewers to show them that they were and are the guests at the Overlook Ball. For this reason, perhaps, Kubrick said The Shining is "the scariest horror movie of all time."

Monday, August 19, 2019

My Life Essay -- Personal narrative, descriptive Essays

Road trips make for great writing, especially if you are driving alone. All you have is the road and your thoughts. Even the radio is turned off eventually, as silence takes precedent. This was my experience a few weeks ago, driving home from a pseudo-family reunion. My first thoughts were basic; what I had to do the following week, how great it had been to see all my friends, and how good Jordan had looked that weekend. Yet, as my drive progressed, my thoughts began to wander. I began thinking about my life; what I had already accomplished and what was still waiting for me. I realized that there are so many things that I want to do before I die. I quickly sorted through them in my mind and this is what I discovered. I want to visit the 7 Wonders of the World; walking along the banks of Victoria Falls and standing beneath the shadow of the Sphinx. These are some of the most amazing structures in the world, and I need to experience them for myself, instead of through books and photographs. I want to use my time to help others. There is an amazing organization called Sa...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Sandi Vs The Voice Of Temptation :: essays research papers

You may not recognise me at first. But trust me, you know me well. I'm the voice that makes you crave those "Light and Tangy" potato chips, and the mocha cream puff - the one with inch-thick cream and smooth lemon vanilla custard, sandwiched between light choux pastry with mocha flavoured icing on top, drizzled with chocolate. Do you know who I am now?I'm the reason you smoke 20 cigarettes every day - you try to give up, but we both know you always cave in and smoke all the more. We both know you'll never give up. You like it too much. In fact, you need one right now, don't you? Go on: have one. You know it's no risk, even sensible Logic tells you that people get killed just crossing the road. "We've all gotta die sometime" - right? And, don't worry about that cream puff - you can walk the dogs later to work the calories off. Ok, so we both know Procrastination will come along and you'll put it off until tomorrow - but don't worry about that now. You need a cigarette and one more is not going to kill you (not right now anyway). Why not enjoy the moment? Got ya! See: it works every time!Remember the other day when you "chose" not to go to school because, after all, you weren't going to miss anything important, were you? That was me. Ha! There you were, snuggled in your fluffy doona, sleepy, and warm. As you woke, you sensed the dark clouds outside dimming the room, and you heard the rain splattering on the roof and lashing at the windows, and it was such a good idea to stay there wasn't it? Yes, you certainly thought so at the time. You missed the start of a new topic at school, but hey, you'll catch up. Of course the first thing you'll have to do is finish catching up on the theory you missed from before ... but you can do it ... later. Things always work out - just go with the flow - hey, I wouldn't want you to worry now, would I? Trust me!Trust you? Now that you've revealed your true colours I realise what a fool I've been. I've listened to you all along, going against what I truly knew was good for me, all the time unaware of your power over me.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Effect of Spina Bifida on Different Age Groups

EFFECTS OF SPINA BIGIDA ON DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS Individuals who are affected with spina bifida are faced with many difficult challenges. The social factors are different in each age group (newborns to infants, toddlers and preschoolers, school aged children, adolescences, teenagers, and adulthood). Nevertheless, finding resources in your community, knowing what to expect, and planning for the future can help increase confidence in managing spina bifida, enhance quality of life, and assist in meeting the needs of all family. Spina bifida affects the entire family.People who are affected by spina bifida get around in many different ways. This may include walking without any aids or assistance; walking with braces, crutches or walkers; and using wheelchairs. Some people with spina bifida have difficulty picking up the verbal and non-verbal cues necessary for social skills. Some of the areas that might be difficulty for them are talking over differences without getting angry, persistence when facing frustration, taking turns while talking, understanding social rules, demanding immediate attention, and waiting when necessary.However, finding resources, knowing what to expect, and planning for the future can help. No two children with spina bifida are exactly alike. Children’s health issues will be different for each child. Some will have issues that are more severe than other children. With the right care, children born with spina bifida will grow up to reach their full potential. NEWBORNS AND INFANTS In many cases, infants and children with spina bifida require early and frequent hospitalization. This can interrupt normal social development.The challenge is to balance medical needs with the need to let a child develop into a confident, self-sufficient and independent adult. Regular and physical activity is important for all babies, especially for those with conditions that affect movement. There are numerous ways for babies with spina bifida to be active. Ne wborns and infants can be active by: * playing with toys, such as activity mats; * enjoy parks and recreation areas; * participating in community programs, such as the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, which is a free program n many communities; and * do exercise with physical therapist. TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS Life with a toddler or preschooler is both fun and challenging. These young children experience huge mental, social, and emotional changes. They have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for exploring and learning about their world and becoming independent. Since developing independence can be particularly trying for children with spina bifida, parents should begin helping their child develop independence early in childhood.The achievements can be measured one by one; building blocks are an effective way to think of them. In the early years, moving about and exploring things with the eyes, mouth and hands are the elements of independence for t he toddler. Parents and other caregivers can help them become more active and independent by: * educating the child about his or her body and about spina bifida; * encouraging the child to make choices, for example, have them choose between two items of clothing; * asking the child to assist with daily tasks, such as putting away toys.Children with spina bifida might require extra help at times. It is very critical that children be given the opportunity to fulfill a task before help is given. It is also important that parents give only the help that is needed rather than helping with the entire task. Parents must become skilled at learning the difficult balance between giving the right amount of help to increase their child’s independence and confidence, while simultaneously not giving the child tasks that cannot reasonably be completed? which might decrease their child’s confidence. School agedSchool connects children regularly with the larger world. Friendships becom e important and physical, social, and mental skills develop quickly during this time. Children who feel good about themselves are more able to resist negative peer pressure and make better choices. Many children with spina bifida do well in school but some can experience difficulties at school. There are children with learning disabilities (water on the brain), struggle with paying attention, work slowly, be restless, or lose things. They also might have difficulty making decisions. There are activities that children an do both at home and at school to help with these problems. These children might struggle with activities which lacks opportunity to socialize with peers. Children with spina bifida have fewer friends and spend less time with peers than typical developing children. Many social difficulties tend to be stable into adulthood. Fortunately, with the proper medical care, children with spina bifida can lead active and productive lives. Many children with spina bifida are suc cessful in school and many are actively involved in modified sports activities despite their physical challenges.With recent progress in care for these children, their outlook continues to improve. This is a significant time for children to become more responsible and independent. This is also a good time to start exploring potential lifetime interests such as hobbies, music, or sports. Acquiring independence can be challenging for people affected by spina bifida. It is important to begin working on this process early in childhood. Physical activity again is important for children of all ages, but especially for those with conditions that affect movement.For example, they can: * engage in active play with friends; * roll or walk in the neighborhood; * enjoy parks and recreation areas with playgrounds that are accessible for those with disabilities; * attend summer camps and recreational facilities that are accessible for those with disabilities; and * participate in sports activitie s and teams for people with or those without disabilities. Children with spina bifida often cannot control when they go to the bathroom (incontinence).They also can develop urinary tract infections. It is important to develop a plan for going to the bathroom that works and is as simple as possible. This can lead to increased health, participation, and independence at school and in the home, and avoid embarrassment for children with spina bifida. ADOLESCENTS AND TEENS Many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes are associated with the adolescent and teen years. Teens and adolescents develop their own personalities and interests and want to become more independent.It is important for the parents and caregivers of adolescents and teens with spina bifida to take effective steps toward making them independent starting in childhood, so that by the time they are older they can develop the necessary skills to help them reach their full potential. Physical activity is important for all teens and adolescents. There are several ways for teens and adolescents with spina bifida to be active. For example, they can: * engage in physical activities with friends; * roll or walk in the neighborhood; * lift weights; participate in sports activities and on teams for people with and those without disabilities; and * attend summer camps and recreational facilities that are accessible for those with disabilities. YOUNG ADULT The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be a time of progression and success, as well as difficulty. For people with spina bifida, it is specifically vital to begin planning for transitions in childhood so they are able to lead independent lives as adults. Young adults affected by spina bifida can face challenges, such as: * learning to take care of their own health needs; working or continuing their education; * volunteering; * finding and using transportation; * living outside their parents’ home; and * obtaining healthy relationships. Young adults can provide or manage much of their own care. Some instances include: * finding new doctors that care for adults affected by spina bifida; * obtaining medical insurance if they are no longer covered under their parents’ health plan; * talking to health care professionals about their condition; * making doctor appointments; * ordering or reordering medications and supplies; * seeking immediate medical help when needed; and managing their own bathroom plan. There are many ways for people with spina bifida to be active. Such as: * roll or walk in the neighborhood; * lift weights; and * participate in sports activities and teams for people with or those without disabilities. Transportation is important, young adults need to be able to find and use transportation safely. Many adults with spina bifida have problems that can affect safe driving. They may need a driver rehabilitation evaluation specialist in order to identify if special changes are needed to a car to ma ke it accessible for driving by someone with spina bifida.Adults also can learn to find and use other transportation safely, such as buses and cabs. Being safely mobile in their homes and communities will help adults become more independent. As adults plan for employment, college, or vocational training, they need to find and use transportation safely. Many young adults are still getting used to their new independence. They may have started working, volunteering, going to college or other training, or living on their own. Nonetheless, continuing to plan for the future is very important.This involves setting goals and how to achieve them. At times, unexpected problems can make life difficult. It is important for them not give up and to keep moving towards their goals, even if their goals sometimes need to be modified, or take longer than planned. Planning now will help adults continue to grow and succeed as they get older. In summary, people with spina bifida will face lifelong medic al challenges associated with this disorder, and the emotional and financial effects that the family will endure are overwhelming.In the United States, children born with spina bifida often live long and productive lives, even though they face many challenges. Though individuals reported having a high quality of life, they also described facing challenges and barriers that affect their ability to fully engage in life experiences. Individuals of all ages from birth through young adulthood reported experiencing common physical challenges such as pain, skin break-down, pressure sores, mobility limitations, latex allergy, and difficulties with endurance and balance.Some individuals between the ages of 6 and 18 years reported having scoliosis and breathing difficulties, during a time of rapid growth. As youth reach the teen years through young adulthood, many also reported difficulties with weight gain and concern about sexuality. Although individuals with spina bifida may experience sec ondary conditions, the role of support has shown to be a large factor that minimizes these challenges. Family support has been reported as a critical component as well as support given to families from outside sources such as friends, relatives, churches and other community groups.These supports have shown to help reduce secondary complications for individuals with spina bifida as well as ensure that they can participate fully in life activities and experiences. While individuals with spina bifida face many challenges growing up -whether they are social, physical, or academic -remember that the person with spina bifida is first and foremost a person with similar desires, likes, talents, frustrations, and concerns as all people. They will experience the same developmental milestones as all individuals -from saying â€Å"NO! in the toddler years, to becoming more independent and social in the teen years, to thinking about relationships and employment in the adult years. We are privil eged to live in a time of positive change and opportunities for people with disabilities. Expectations are changing for the positive to include individuals with disabilities in all facets of community living. Regrettably, change is usually a slow process and many of the physical and attitudinal barriers of society have not kept speed with the new positive expectations.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Introduction to Management Science Essay

We are very excited to publish the revised thirteenth edition of a text that has been a leader in the ï ¬ eld for over 20 years. The purpose of this revised thirteenth edition, as with previous editions, is to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a sound conceptual understanding of the role that  management science plays in the decision-making process. The text describes many of the applications where management science is used successfully. Former users of this text have told us that the applications we describe have led them to ï ¬ nd new ways to use management science in their organizations. An Introduction to Management Science is applications oriented and continues to use the problem-scenario approach that is a hallmark of every edition of the text. Using the problem-scenario approach, we describe a problem in conjunction with the management science model being introduced. The model is then solved to generate a solution and recommendation to management. We have found that this approach helps to motivate the student by not only demonstrating how the procedure works, but also how it contributes to the decision-making process. From the very ï ¬ rst edition we have been committed to the challenge of writing a textbook that would help make the mathematical and technical concepts of management science understandable and useful to students of business and economics. Judging from the responses from our teaching colleagues and thousands of students, we have successfully met the challenge. Indeed, it is the helpful comments and suggestions of many loyal users that have been a major reason why the text is so successful. Throughout the text we have utilized generally accepted notation for the topic being covered so those students who pursue study beyond the level of this text should be comfortable reading more advanced material. To assist in further study, a references and bibliography section is included at the back of the book. CHANGES IN THE REVISED THIRTEENTH EDITION The thirteenth edition of Management Science is a major revision. We are very excited about it and want to tell you about some of the changes we have made and why. In addition to the major revisions described in the remainder of this section, this revised edition of the thirteenth edition has been updated to incorporate Microsoft ® Ofï ¬ ce Excel ® 2010. This involves some changes in the user interface of Excel and major changes in the interface and functionality of Excel Solver. The Solver in Excel 2010 is more reliable than in previous editions and offers new alternatives such as a multistart option for difï ¬ cult nonlinear problems. New Member of the ASWM Team Prior to getting into the content changes, we want to announce that we are adding a new member to the ASWM author team. His name is Jeffrey Camm. Jeff received his Ph.D. from Clemson University. He has been at the University of Cincinnati since 1984, and has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University and a visiting professor of business administration at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Jeff has published over 30 papers in the general area of optimization applied to problems in operations management. At the University of Cincinnati, he was named the Dornoff Fellow of Teaching Excellence and xxvi Preface he was the 2006 recipient of the INFORMS Prize for the Teaching of Operations Research Practice. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of Interfaces, and is on the editorial board of INFORMS Transactions on Education. We welcome Jeff to the new ASWCM team and expect the new ideas from Jeff will make the text even better in the years to come. In preparing this thirteenth edition, we have been careful to maintain the overall format and approach of the previous edition. However, based on our classroom experiences and suggestions from users of previous editions, a number of changes have been made to enhance the text. Made the Book Less Reliant on Speciï ¬ c Software The ï ¬ rst eight chapters on optimization no longer use output from The Management Scientist software. All ï ¬ gures illustrating computer output are generic and are totally independent of software selection. This provides ï ¬â€šexibility for the instructor. In addition, we provide appendices that describe how to use Excel Solver and LINGO. For every model illustrated in the text we have both Excel and LINGO ï ¬ les available at the website. Prior users of The Management Scientist wishing to upgrade to similar software should consider using LINGO. This will be an easy transition and LINGO is far more ï ¬â€šexible than The Management Scientist. The documented LINGO models  (not available in MS 12e), available at the website, will aide in the transition. Excel Solver and LINGO have an advantage over The Management Scientist in that they do not require the user to move all variables to the left-hand side of the constraint. This eliminates the need to algebraically manipulate the model and allows the student to enter the model in the computer in its more natural form. For users wishing to use The Management Scientist, it will continue to be available on the website for the text. New Appendix A: Building Spreadsheet Models This appendix will prove useful to professors and students wishing to solve optimization models with Excel Solver. The appendix also contains a section on the principles of good spreadsheet modeling and a section on auditing tips. Exercises are also provided. Chapter 15 Thoroughly Revised Chapter 15, Times Series Analysis and Forecasting, has been thoroughly revised. The revised chapter is more focused on time series data and methods. A new section on forecast accuracy has been added and there is more emphasis on curve ï ¬ tting. A new section on nonlinear trend has been added. In order to better integrate this chapter with the text, we show how ï ¬ nding the best parameter values in forecasting models is an application of optimization, and illustrate with Excel Solver and LINGO. New Project Management Software In Chapter 9, Project Scheduling: PERT/CPM, we added an appendix on Microsoft Ofï ¬ ce Project. This popular software is a valuable aid for project management and is software that the student may well encounter on the job. This software is available on the CD that is packaged with every new copy of the text. Chapter 3 Signiï ¬ cantly Revised We signiï ¬ cantly revised Chapter 3, Linear Programming: Sensitivity Analysis and Interpretation of Solution. The material is now presented in a more up-to-date fashion and emphasizes the ease of using software to analyze optimization models. Preface xxvii New Management Science in Action, Cases, and Problems Management Science in Action is the name of the short summaries that describe how the material covered in a chapter has been used in practice. In this edition you will ï ¬ nd numerous Management Science in Action vignettes, cases, and homework problems. Other Content Changes A variety of other changes, too numerous to mention individually, have been made throughout the text in responses to suggestions of users and our students. COMPUTER SOFTWARE INTEGRATION We have been careful to write the text so that it is not dependent on any particular software package. But, we have included materials that facilitate using our text with several of the more popular software packages. The following software and ï ¬ les are available on the website for the text: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ LINGO trial version, LINGO and Excel Solver models for every optimization model presented in the text, Microsoft ® Excel worksheets for most of the examples used throughout the text, TreePlanTM Excel add-in for decision analysis and manual. Microsoft Project is provided on the CD that is packaged with every new copy of the text. FEATURES AND PEDAGOGY We have continued many of the features that appeared in previous editions. Some of the important ones are noted here. Annotations Annotations that highlight key points and provide additional insights for the student are a continuing feature of this edition. These annotations, which appear in the margins, are designed to provide emphasis and enhance understanding of the terms and concepts being presented in the text. Notes and Comments At the end of many sections, we provide Notes and Comments designed to give the student additional insights about the statistical methodology and its application. Notes and Comments include warnings about or limitations of the methodology, recommendations for application, brief descriptions of additional technical considerations, and other matters. Self-Test Exercises Certain exercises are identiï ¬ ed as self-test exercises. Completely worked-out solutions for those exercises are provided in an appendix at the end of the text. Students can attempt the self-test exercises and immediately check the solution to evaluate their understanding of the concepts presented in the chapter. xxviii Preface ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We owe a debt to many of our academic colleagues and friends for their helpful comments and suggestions during the development of this and previous editions. Our associates from organizations who supplied several of the Management Science in Action vignettes make a major contribution to the text. These individuals are cited in a credit line associated with each vignette. We are also indebted to our senior acquisitions editor, Charles McCormick, Jr.; our marketing communications manager, Libby Shipp; our developmental editor, Maggie Kubale; our content project manager, Jacquelyn K Featherly; our media editor, Chris Valentine; and others at Cengage Business and Economics for their counsel and support during the preparation of this text. We also wish to thank Lynn Lustberg, Project Manager at MPS Content Services for her help in manuscript preparation. David R. Anderson Dennis J. Sweeney Thomas A. Williams Jeffrey D. Camm Kipp Martin About the Authors David R. Anderson. David R. Anderson is Professor Emeritus of Quantitative Analysis in the College of Business Administration at the University of Cincinnati. Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, he earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Purdue University. Professor Anderson has served as Head of the Department of Quantitative Analysis and Operations Management and as Associate Dean of the College of Business Administration. In addition, he was the coordinator of the College’s ï ¬ rst Executive Program. At the University of Cincinnati, Professor Anderson has taught introductory statistics for business students as well as graduate-level courses in regression analysis, multivariate analysis, and management science. He has also taught statistical courses at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. He has been honored with nominations and awards for excellence in teaching and excellence in service to student organizations. Professor Anderson has coauthored ten textbooks in the areas of statistics, management science, linear programming, and production and operations management. He is an active consultant in the ï ¬ eld of sampling and statistical methods. Dennis J. Sweeney. Dennis J. Sweeney is Professor Emeritus of Quantitative Analysis and Founder of the Center for Productivity Improvement at the University of Cincinnati. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he earned a B.S.B.A. degree from Drake University and his M.B.A. and D.B.A. degrees from Indiana University, where he was an NDEA Fellow. During 1978–79, Professor Sweeney worked in the management science group at Procter & Gamble; during 1981–82, he was a visiting professor at Duke University. Professor Sweeney served as Head of the Department of Quantitative Analysis and as Associate Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Cincinnati. Professor Sweeney has published more than thirty articles and monographs in the area of management science and statistics. The National Science Foundation, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Federated Department Stores, Kroger, and Cincinnati Gas & Electric have funded his research, which has been published in Management Science, Operations Resea rch, Mathematical Programming, Decision Sciences, and other journals. Professor Sweeney has coauthored ten textbooks in the  areas of statistics, management science, linear programming, and production and operations management. Thomas A. Williams. Thomas A. Williams is Professor Emeritus of Management Science in the College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology. Born in Elmira, New York, he earned his B.S. degree at Clarkson University. He did his graduate work at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Before joining the College of Business at RIT, Professor Williams served for seven years as a faculty member in the College of Business Administration at the University of Cincinnati, where he developed the undergraduate program in information systems and then served as its coordinator. At RIT he was the ï ¬ rst chairman of the Decision Sciences Department. He teaches courses in management science and statistics, as well as graduate courses in regression and decision analysis. xxx About the Authors Professor Williams is the coauthor of eleven textbooks in the areas of management science, statistics, production and operations management, and mathematics. He has been a consultant for numerous Fortune 500 companies and has worked on projects ranging from the use of data analysis to the development of large-scale regression models. Jeffrey D. Camm. Jeffrey D. Camm is Professor of Quantitative Analysis and Head of the Department of Quantitative Analysis and Operations Management at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Camm earned a Ph.D. in management science from Clemson University and a B.S. in mathematics from Xavier University. He has been at the University of Cincinnati since 1984, has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and a visiting professor of business administration at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Dr. Camm has published over 30 papers in the general area of optimization applied to problems in operations management and his research has been fu nded by the Air Force Ofï ¬ ce of Scientiï ¬ c Research, the Ofï ¬ ce of Naval Research, and the U.S. Department of Energy. He was named the Dornoff Fellow of Teaching Excellence by the University of Cincinnati College of Business and he was the 2006  recipient of the INFORMS Prize for the Teaching of Operations Research Practice. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of Interfaces, and is on the editorial board of INFORMS Transactions on Education. Kipp Martin. Kipp Martin is Professor of Operations Research and Computing Technology at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago. Born in St. Bernard, Ohio, he earned a B.A. in mathematics, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in management science from the University of Cincinnati. While at the University of Chicago, Professor Martin has taught courses in management science, operations management, business mathematics, and information systems. Research interests include incorporating Web technologies such as XML, XSLT, XQuery, and Web Services into the mathematical modeling process; the theory of how to construct good mixed integer linear programming models; sy mbolic optimization; polyhedral combinatorics; methods for large scale optimization; bundle pricing models; computing technology; and database theory. Professor Martin has published in INFORMS Journal of Computing, Management Science, Mathematical Programming, Operations Research, The Journal of Accounting Research, and other professional journals. He is also the author of The Essential Guide to Internet Business Technology (with Gail Honda) and Large Scale Linear and Integer Optimization. CHAPTER Introduction CONTENTS 1.1 1.2 1.3 PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS Model Development Data Preparation Model Solution Report Generation A Note Regarding Implementation 1.5 1.4 MODELS OF COST, REVENUE, AND PROFIT Cost and Volume Models Revenue and Volume Models Proï ¬ t and Volume Models Breakeven Analysis MANAGEMENT SCIENCE TECHNIQUES Methods Used Most Frequently 1

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Criminology Essay

This essay is going to explain a crime definition, criminology development and two different crime theories: biological and psychological. Crimes have been an inseparable companion of humanity. It occures everywhere, from upper to lower class, but as long as there are people, there will always be crime. And due to this fact, along with the flow of time, the need of studying crime emerged. So what is crime? According to Oxford Dictionaries: an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law. However the law is not the same in every country, thus a second definition, in my words, would be more accurate: socially constructed concept that changes over time and place and relates to many behaviours that go against the morals of society and actions that cause harm. Sources to look at that promote me theory would be the Sage Dictionary of Criminology and Introductory Criminology textbooks. Around the1870s the classical theory, was replaced with new one – the biological approach. This approach stated that an individual might be driven to commite a crime by abnormalities he/she had been born with. Abnormalities such as involving body function/health and facial details could determine that an individual is a criminal or not. The idea itself was meant to isolate those qualified as â€Å"bad people† from the society beforehand. This particular approach excluded those whom were born different and made rational reasoning and free will unavailable to them- one was simply born a criminal or not. (Akers 2000: p. 42) Cesare Lombroso is most known for one of the biggest contributions to a biological approach. In 1876 he published The Criminal Man where he described his conclusions after comparing body features of Italian prisoners and Italian soldiers. Lombroso called those matching the description of a criminal â€Å"atavisms† as they degenerated to a lower level. He has the physical makeup, mental capabilities, and instincts of primitive man. New born child can be indentified with stigmata (details stated by Lombroso) which are for example: an unsymmetry of the face or head, large monkey-like ears, large lips, receding chin, twisted nose, excessive cheek bones, long arms, excessive skin wrinkles and extra fingers or toes. Female criminals are also born criminals however in their case, they have only three abnormalities available for determining them to be criminal. (Akers 2000: p. 42-43; Maguire, Morgan & Reiner 2002: p. 25) This approach did not last long. It’s met harsh criticism in 1913 when Charles Goring, an English medical officer published The English Convict. He hired well educated people in order to form a team and run certain observations based on Lombroso statements. They compared people from various layers of society with various backgrounds – from prisoners, through army and hospitals, all the way up to university students and professors. The result of his research was that ultimatley, Lombroso was wrong. Goring arrived at the assumption that criminals were characterized by the defects in intelligence. His work met some criticism as well but from that point on people started slowly moving away from born-criminal theory. (Akers 2000: 43-44: Maguire, Morgan & Reiner 2002: p. 147) A second approach would be a psychological one. Let’s split it on two theories, psychoanalytic theory and personality theory. Starting off with psychoanalytic it can be said that it does not have much in common with the biological approach. Both seek for the causes of crime within the makeup of an individual. However in this case we focus rather on mind and processes going inside a subject’s head. Classical Freudians explain that someone might’ve suffered emotional disturbances or experienced abnormalities in early childhood. Those events, if not overcomed properly, could lead to insufficient development of an individual’s id, ego and superego causing imbalance. Id is an unconscious element, it’s irrational and antisocial therefore must be controlled. This can be done by properly maintaining properly ego and superego which develop around the age of three. Freudians state that a child wants to be in possession of the parent of the opposite sex and sees the other as a rival. Feelings can lead to the development of either an Oedipus or an Electra complex. The basic idea of this theory is that delinquent or criminal behaviour is caused by psychic conflict between id, ego and superego due to poor early relationship with either mother or father. It relies heavily on irrational and unconscious motivations as basic forces behind crime. Everything has it’s pluses and minuses, this theory is no different. Actions of an individual, let’s say a murder, can be influenced by something hidden deep in his unconscious mind making it practically impossible to test and check it’s reliability. (Akers 2000: p. 59-61) Personality studies have long tradition in psychology. Hans Eysenck (1916-1990) came up with his own theory regarding personality. It bases on interaction of biological, social and individual factors. He asks: Why don’t more people go out and engage in criminal behaviour? Rewards are instant, punishment if happens is temporally distant from the deed and chances of being punished in reality are quite slim. However our conscious plays a big role here, society in general pairs up an act with consequences – we have a fear of being punished. Eysenck defined three dimensions of personality during his research: extraversion (E), neuroticism (N), psychoticism (P). High ‘E’ level is meant for people who are under-aroused and thus will look for stimulation while high ‘N’ individuals are considered irritable and anxious. The best set up would be with low ‘E’ and low ‘N’ while high ‘E’ and high ‘N’ would be the worst. The ‘P’ dimension was not well described, it could refer more to psycopathy rather than psychotism. This scale is concerned with aspects of behaviour such as preference for solitude or lack of a feeling for others. (http://www. docstoc. com/docs/2216719/Eysenck? s-Theory-of-Personality–Crime ; Maguire, Morgan & Reiner 2002: p. 152-154) In personality theory the problem lies not in unconscious motivation, but the content of the person’s personality. It states that some people have specifically criminal focused personalities: impulsiveness, aggressiveness, rebelliousness, hostility and so on. These apply to self-centered individuals who have not been properly socialized into prosocial attitudes and values, they have no sense of right and wrong, lack of empathy. (Akers 2000: p. 62) Those two approaches are out of many. Cannot really say that one’s right and second’s wrong. Each has scientific points that either support or are against it. The newer biological explanations of crime have found greater acceptance in criminology, but they happened to be criticized for their dependence on research and serious methodology problems – resulted in generally weak support. Psychoanalytic and personality theories also concentrate on the causes of crime arising from within the individual, but the causes are not seen as inherited or biologically predetermined. Personality theories are more testable than psychoanalytic theories, but research has produced mixed results.