Friday, November 29, 2019

Death Of A Salesman Essays (5216 words) - English-language Films

Death Of A Salesman Arthur Miller is one of the most renowned and important American playwrights to ever live. His works include, among others, The Crucible and A View from the Bridge. The plays he has written have been criticized for many things, but have been praised for much more, including his magical development of the characters and how his plays provide ?good theater?. In his plays, Miller rarely says anything about his home life, but there are at least some autobiographical ?hints? in his plays. Arthur Miller is most noted for his continuing efforts to devise suitable new ways to express new and different themes. His play Death of a Salesman, a modern tragedy, follows along these lines. The themes in this play are described and unfurled mostly through Willy Loman's, the main character in the play, thoughts and experiences. The story takes place mainly in Brooklyn, New York, and it also has some ?flashback? scenes occurring in a hotel room in Boston. Willy lives with his wife Linda and their two sons, Biff and Happy in a small house, crowded and boxed in by large apartment buildings. The three most important parts of Death of a Salesman are the characters and how they develop throughout the play; the conflicts, with the most important ones revolving around Willy; and the masterful use of symbolism and other literary techniques which lead into the themes that Miller is trying to reveal. Arthur Miller was born in Manhattan on October 17, 1915 to Isidore and Augusta Barnett Miller. His father was a ladies coat manufacturer. Arthur Miller went to grammar school in Harlem but then moved to Brooklyn because of his father's losses in the depression. In Brooklyn he went to James Madison and Abraham Lincoln High Schools and was an average student there, but did not get accepted to college. After high school, he worked for 2 ? years at an auto supply warehouse where he saved $13 of his $15 a week paycheck. He began to read such classics as Dostoevski and his growing knowledge led him to the University of Michigan. While at the University of Michigan, Miller worked many jobs such as a mouse tender at the University laboratory and as a night editor at the newspaper Michigan Daily. He began to write plays at college and won 2 of the $500 Hopwood Playwriting Awards. One of the two awarded plays No Villain (1936) won the Theater's Guild Award for 1938 and the prize of $1250 encouraged him to become engaged with Mary Grace Slattery, whom he married in 1940. Miller briefly worked with the Federal Theater Project and in 1944 he traveled to Army Camps across Europe to gather material for a play he was doing. His first Broadway play, The Man Who Had All the Luck, opened in 1944. Since then he has written 13 award winning plays and more than 23 different noted books. He had two children with Mary Grace Slattery, Jane and Robert, but divorced her and in 1956 married Marilyn Monroe. He then divorced her later that decade, and, in 1962, married Ingeborg Morath and had one child with her, named Rebecca. He n ow lives on 400 acres of land in Connecticut and spends his time gardening, mowing, planting evergreens, and working as a carpenter. He still writes each day for four to six hours. His father always told him to read. He once said, ?Until the age of seventeen, I can safely say that I never read a book weightier than ?Tom Swift and the Rover Boys', but my father brought me into literature with Dickens?(Nelson, Pg. 59). His father's good-natured joking was used to invent the character of Joe Keller's genial side. After the Fall (1947) is a play written by Miller where he sneaks in some small autobiographical notes. The character traits exhibited by the main woman in the play indicate his mother's early encouragement to his literary promise. The Depression still troubles him today, especially for the hard times that he went through as a child. In an interview, he once said, It seems easy to tell how it was to live in those years, but I have made several attempts to

Monday, November 25, 2019

Overview of the Economics of Demand

Overview of the Economics of Demand When people think about what it means to demand something, they usually envision some sort of but I want it sort of scenario.  Economists, on the other hand, have a very precise definition of demand. For them demand is the relationship between the quantity of a good or service consumers will purchase and the price charged for that good. More precisely and formally the Economics Glossary defines demand as the want or desire to possess a good or service with the necessary goods, services, or financial instruments necessary to make a legal transaction for those goods or services.  Put another way, an individual must is willing, able, and ready to purchase an item if they are to be counted as demanding an item. What Demand Is Not Demand is not simply a quantity consumers wish to purchase such as 5 oranges or 17 shares of Microsoft, because demand represents the entire relationship between quantity desired of a good and all possible prices charged for that good. The specific quantity desired for a good at a given price is known as the quantity demanded. Typically a time period is also given when describing quantity demanded, since obviously the quantity demanded of an item would differ based on whether we were talking about per day, per week, and so on. Examples of Quantity Demanded When the price of an orange is 65 cents the quantity demanded is 300 oranges a week. If the local Starbucks lowers their price of a tall coffee from $1.75 to $1.65, the quantity demanded will rise from 45 coffees an hour to 48 coffees an hour. Demand Schedules A demand schedule is a table which lists the possible prices for a good and service and the associated quantity demanded. The demand schedule for oranges could look (in part) as follows: 75 cents - 270 oranges a week70 cents - 300 oranges a week65 cents - 320 oranges a week60 cents - 400 oranges a week Demand Curves A demand curve is simply a demand schedule presented in graphical form. The standard presentation of a demand curve has price given on the Y-axis and quantity demanded on the X-axis.  You can see a basic example of a demand curve in the picture presented with this article. The Law of Demand The law of demand states that, ceteribus paribus (Latin for assuming all else is held constant), the quantity demanded for a good rises as the price falls. In other words, the quantity demanded and price are inversely related. Demand curves are drawn as downward sloping due to this inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. Price Elasticity of Demand The price elasticity of demand represents how sensitive quantity demanded is to changes in price.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Services to At-Rick Youth Programme Research Proposal

Services to At-Rick Youth Programme - Research Proposal Example Participants are ages 7 to 17 and referred to the program for four groups---running away, truancy, family conflict, or involvement in an offense.(What) (STAR Program Evaluation , Criminal Justice Policy Council, March 2003, Tony Fabelo, Executive Director). The STAR programme is conducted, keeping in mind the various influences on young minds, especially designed for the children in the age group between 7 to 17. The pre-test is administered when the child exhibits any kind of the above mentioned problems. The post-test is taken up after the completion of the programme. The time period between the pre-test and the post-test could vary between 2 months to 6 months. (When) The procedure adopted is an interview method, with both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The process of questioning will be such that the interviewee does not feel intimidated, but is egged on to share information. The idea is to ask specific area-related questions, to get exact direct answers, instead of confusing and vague ones. Surveys could also be conducted to measure the efficacy of the programme. The Likert scale is adopted to know the quantitative mapping of data.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Multinational Corporation Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multinational Corporation Expansion - Essay Example The political and legal factors ruling the target company determine the ease with which the organization can establish its business. Proper understanding of the demographics as well as socio-cultural environment of the target market will determine the strategies and promotional plans for market growth. In the current expansion plan, the company chosen is Pfizer, largest pharmaceutical company worldwide. The target market chosen will be Vietnam, where the company has launched its operations yet. COMPANY DESCRIPTION Pfizer is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in United States (Pfizer, 2013a). It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in terms of revenue. The company is involved in manufacturing and production of vaccines and medicines for a wide range of medical conditions. The company has its operations in more than 42 countries around the globe. In the current making plan, the company is planning to launch its business in Vietnam (Pfizer, 2013b). COUNTRY DESCRIPTIO N Vietnam, also known as Socialist Republic of Vietnam and is located in the eastern coast of Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by china, Laos and Cambodia. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. The country has a single party socialist system, with the government and the president having executive powers. The country is inhabited mainly by the Viet, constituting about 86 percent of the total population. The average life expectancy is 73 years. Around 70 percent of the demographics belong to age group 15- 64 and merely 7 percent of population constitute 65 years or above. In terms of health and malnutrition, it is one of the major issues in rural provinces. The country has suffered from diseases such as malaria and has made progress in establishing a south health system. DIMENSIONS OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCE Management of international finance deals with monetary and financial decisions taken in the area of international business. High inflation of international trade is responsible f or the growth in international business. Thus, while doing international trade, involvement of trade and tariffs is normal and financial management becomes critical as these trade laws and regulations are different for different international markets. International finance is different from domestic finance. There are three dimensions of International finance which differentiates it from others; 1. Political risks and Foreign exchange, 2. Imperfections in market, and 3. Expanded set of opportunities. Political risks and Foreign exchange When individuals and companies are involved in cross-border transactions, they are exposed to risk associated with foreign exchange markets. These are foreign exchange risks and political risks. The companies are exposed to risk in terms of currency rates and nature of the foreign markets. To curb these risks, Pfizer can opt for conducting business in the local currency. Vietnam’s forex market has remained low, so to decrease the forex risk, P fizer can utilize the foreign risk management techniques used in United States. Political risks range from unexpected changes in tax laws to inappropriate or misuse of assets by foreigners. The economic development

Monday, November 18, 2019

Susan Glaspells conflict and identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Susan Glaspells conflict and identity - Essay Example The focus of all three writings is the exploration of feminine identity. Minnie Wright, the absent protagonist of â€Å"Trifles,† Jing-mei, the ‘disobedient’ daughter in â€Å"Two Kinds,† and Elisa Allen, the heroine of â€Å"Chrysanthemums,† are all women in stifling circumstances, who experience conflict. They are women who share a certain common yearning for assertion and identity and attempt to break out of the constraints of their circumstances. Minnie Wright, Jing-mei and Elisa Allen find themselves trapped in conflict and assert their identities in their own ways. Minnie Wright is trapped in an evidently unhappy marriage, and a cheerless home. John Wright is a kill-joy and a miser. Mrs. Hale asserts, â€Å"But he was a hard man† (Glaspell, 22). He is a silent, critical man whose very acquaintance is abrasive. Minnie’s life as Wright’s wife can only be a hopeless situation. Above all, Wright is a cruel man, with a sadistic streak, who deliberately stamps out his wife’s happiness in song and music by killing her pet canary. Minnie’s isolation from the community, the stifling loneliness of her life as Wright’s wife and the loss of her liveliness and love of music move her into deep desolation. . Wright’s killing of the lively, singing canary symbolizes his killing of Minnie’s singing. This brutal act finally pushes Minnie into strangling her husband as he sleeps. Minnie asserts herself by rising against the tyranny of a husband who abuses her as a woman and an individual. Tragically, this assertion of identity comes about only by Minnie being pushed over the border of sanity. This is seen in her laughter, her compulsive â€Å"kind of pleating of her apron† (Glaspell, 6), her concern for her preserves and her request for an apron in jail. She does not seem to realize the gravity of her situation. Although the concealment of her motive by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters may save her from a trial and a verdict of guilt, her ability to live a normal life remains in doubt. Minnie becomes â€Å"done up† (Glaspell, 6). She resolves the conflict in her life but pays the price of assertion by losing her sanity and her chance of enduring happiness. Jing-mei is caught in her mother’s vicarious search for wealth and fame, and her attempt to use her daughter as a vehicle to fulfill her own dreams. Jing-mei â€Å"hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations† (Tan, para. 4). Each of her mother’s experiments in making her a child prodigy ends in failure. What follows is a conflict between the ‘disobedient’ daughter who pleads, â€Å"Why don’t you like me the way I am?† (Tan, Para. 5), and the mother’s attempt to fashion her into the ‘obedient’ daughter whose achievements she can take pride in. Jing-mei rebels against circumstances in her own way. She decides to defy her moth er, and confesses: â€Å"I failed her many times, each time asserting my will, my right to fall short of expectations† (Tan, 9). She resolutely refuses to let her mother force her to meet her expectations: from failing to get straight A’s to being a college drop-out. Jing-mei remains firm in her resolution, â€Å"I won’t be what I’m not† (Tan, 4). Gradually, although her mother holds fast to her belief that her daughter has failed to become a prodigy only because of her lack of will, she accepts Jing-mei

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Stewardship versus economic decision making in financial reporting

Stewardship versus economic decision making in financial reporting The main objective of financial reporting according to the IASBs Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements framework is that of providing adequate information in order to enable shareholders conduct economic decision making. This brought the debate of whether such objective neglected the importance of the stewardship assessment by the part of shareholders. In the past decade the IASB and the US FASB have been working on a joint project to develop a conceptual framework for financial reporting. Such conceptual framework has the aim of providing a base for developing harmonised, future accounting standards. In 2008, the boards issued an exposure draft of chapter one and chapter two of the conceptual framework with chapter one tackling the objectives of financial reporting. In the exposure draft that has been lately issued by the two boards, it was identified that the objective of financial reporting should be that of catering for all the decisions that capital providers make, including both resource allocation decisions and decisions made to protect and enhance their investments. Furthermore on the underlying exposure draft there is stated that information about the stewardship of an entitys economic resources should be considered as decision-useful information. Hence in this exposure draft it is clear that the two boards shifted from focusing solely on economic decision making, to general decision making, with stewardship being included in such broader definition. Although this move to focus on decision usefulness rather than specifically on economic decision making was a means to subsume stewardship in the objective of financial reporting, authors such as Andrew Lennard still argue that stewardship and decision usefulness should be recognised as separate objectives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦stewardship contributes an important dimension to financial reporting, which should be reflected by specific acknowledgement in the objectives of financial reporting.  [1]   The majority of the authors who recognise stewardship as a fundamental objective in financial reporting, claim that financial statements should be prepared on the basis of historical costs. This ensures in providing a clear, factual account of the transactions that occurred during the year, over which management had control. Thus reporting on historical cost can aid shareholders accomplish their stewardship assessment needs better. On the other hand, to cater for decision usefulness, especially in terms of economic decision making, financial reporting would focus more on the forecasting of future cash flows. Such objective would be better addressed with valuations based on market values, since they better reflect the timing and certainty of future cash flows. This is leading to the emergence of valuation techniques based on current values, such as fair value. The adoption of fair value accounting is perhaps one of the most controversial issues currently being faced by the accountancy world. Both the IASB and the FASB have been working on this issue for the last couple years. Traditionally, financial reporting has been exclusively based on historical costs. The use of current values, such as fair value reporting emerged relatively recently, and was applied to only few selected areas. One of the areas where fair value had a major influence is in the measurement of financial instrument. Using market values to value Financial Instruments is deemed to be reliable (since markets in these items are well developed) and relevant (because the values of financial instruments can experience large fluctuations, thus historical costs depicts a very poor picture of current values). However, in the nearby future, fair value measurement is likely to be extended to other assets, especially in the light of the fact of the IASBs and FASBs perceived preferenc e for fair value measurement even where the market is not well developed. The IASB believes that fair value measurement under IFRS and GAAP is already consistent. Also, the IASB and the FASB will continue to work together to ensure that applying fair value in an inactive market is accounted for consistently  [2]  . Shareholders are divided into two main categories, private individuals and institutional investors. Although financial reporting is designed to cater for the needs of capital providers, due to the lack of knowledge commonly found within private individual shareholders, concerns may arise on what such private individual shareholders identify as useful, for their decision making. Need for the study: The dissertations objective is to identify the current needs of private shareholders and what they identify as valuable information. The dissertation shall then examine to what extent the focus on decision usefulness and the forecasting of future cash flows through fair value accounting shall aid private shareholders in satisfying their requirements. Research Methodology: The dissertation will be of a qualitative nature. The aim of such dissertation is to achieve a deep understanding of what local private shareholders value as relevant information, and to examine whether the emerging concept of fair value accounting will be providing such users more relevant accounting information. The aim of the study is not to generalise findings but to obtain rich description on the underlying topic. The method being taken into consideration to gather the qualitative data is the setting up of focus groups with shareholders. Such group discussions provide direct evidence about similarities and differences in participants opinions. Participants are not required to answer for every question enabling them to build on one anothers response. Furthermore by acting as a moderator I can ensure that the discussion is always kept on track. Finally, focus groups can be considered as a more plausible solution when compared to open ended interviews with shareholders. The response rate of shareholders to a focus group is likely to be greater when compared to a personal one on one interview, since the latter is perceived as more intrusive. The main limitation of using focus groups is perhaps the risk that people influence each others response. As a result the response of participants can be different than the response that would have been generated from a private one on one interview. Shareholders from two local, listed companies are going to be considered as the population sample. These companies are Bank of Valletta and HSBC. The choice fell on these companies because due to the recent changes to IAS 39 and IFRS 7, fair value measurement had a considerable impact on the banking sector. Thereby, due to such fact shareholders can be even more concerned and affected with the underlying subject. Two focus groups are planned to be set, one with BOV shareholders and one with HSBC shareholders, with groups ranging from six to twelve members. Shareholders list can be obtained from the Malta Financial Services Authority. The sampled population will exclude overseas shareholders, trusts and investment companies, thus focusing solely on local private shareholders. Chapters Overview: Introduction: firstly the stewardship versus economic decision making debate will be tackled, and its effects on valuation on financial reporting will be analysed. The dissertation shall then focus on the emergence of fair value as a measurement tool and its prospective usage. Furthermore fair value will be compared and contrasted with cost based valuation. The introduction will also include an examination of how each valuation method caters for the individual private shareholders requirements. Literature Review: literature review can be focused on two aspects being the debate of fair value measurement versus cost based measurement, and the debate of whether private shareholders use accounting information mostly for economic decision making, or to assess stewardship. Research Methodology: in this section I shall describe how the results were achieved, explaining how the data was collected and analyzed. This section shall contain the weaknesses and limitations of the research methods and methodology used. In the methodology I shall also include any problems that I anticipated and explain any steps taken to prevent them from occurring. Findings: this part of dissertation will contain the information generated from the focus groups. Results will be presented, interpreted and discussed in this section. Conclusion: this part will provide concluding insights on the research, and recommendations of other research questions that can be tackled to improve the research on the area. The main questions to be answered in this section are: what has been learnt from the results? How can this knowledge be used? What are the shortcomings of the research? Bibliography: Accounting Standards Board. (2007). STEWARDSHIP/ACCOUNTABILITY AS AN OBJECTIVE OF FINANCIAL REPORTING A comment on the IASB/FASB Conceptual Framework Project. UK: Accounting Standards Board. Alan Bryman, E. B. (2007). Business Research Methods 2 edition. UK: Oxford University Press. Doron Nissim, S. P. (2007). ON THE APPLICATION OF FAIR VALUE ACCOUNTING. Columbia Univesity. Lennard, A. (2008). Stewardship and the objectives of financial statements: a comment on IASBs Preliminary Views on an improved Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. UK: Accounting Standards Board. RONEN, J. (2008). To Fair Value or Not to Fair Value: A Broader Perspective. Accounting Foundation , Sydney. Schmidt, S. (2004). Fair Value Accounting. US: Governors of Federal Reserve System. Whittington, G. (2008). Fair Value and the IASB/FASB Conceptual Framework Project: An Alternative View . Cambridge: University of Cambridge.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe :: essays research papers

Question: In essay form, explain what this paragraph reveals about Okonkwo. Work specifically with the language proceeding through in an organized fashion. Structure of section †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Achievement o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What he wanted out of life o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Becoming a clan leader ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fear – didn’t want to be weak ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shame of childhood ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmation of his masculinity ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harsh self judgment †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss (fish) o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loss (chi) In the paragraph on page 94 near the bottom, Achebe reveals the desperation that Okonkwo has fallen into because of his banishment. Okonkwo up to this point in the book has proven to be warrior-like in his approach to all things in life, but now we see that he has lost the battle of achieving the greatness, leaving him with a broken spirit. In the first section of the paragraph it is made known that Okonkwo was â€Å"†¦ruled by a great passion - to become one of the lords of the clan.† This was evident at the very beginning of the book by his fear of failure. The loathing he had for his father and what he stood for had driven Okonkwo to work hard through his entire life. This commitment help confirm the manliness that he had be seeking for, the one thing that could separate him from the shame of his childhood. However his strong will and determination has left him with a very egomaniacal self-image that leaves Okonkwo helpless when he actually fails in something. His banishment to Mbantu was a very hard blow to his self-image, leaving him weak and broken while trying to live there. The way Okonkwo refers to his banishment was that he â€Å"†¦had been cast out of his clan like a fish on to a dry, sandy beach, panting.† This pitiful image shows Okonkwo’s personal disgust, comparing himself to a lowly creature like a fish. The image of the fish out of water shows his suffrage, that a fish cannot live without water as Okonkwo cannot live without his clan and honour. The fact that the fish is panting shows that he is still alive but most likely suffering a slow and painful death. The analogy of a slow death shows how much Okonkwo sees the banishment as something that has completely destroyed his life and legacy and that his god had turned against him. In the Ibo tribe the chi or â€Å"personal god† plays a pivotal role in each person’s life. In this section we see that Okonkwo has lost faith in his chi saying that â€Å"†¦his personal god or chi was not made for great things.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Assessment Tools Analysis

Assessment Tools Analysis The vulnerable population of single low-income mothers and their children are at risk for poor health: physically, socially, and psychologically. As a nurse, I know the importance of performing a complete nursing assessment to provide the best nursing care. It is helpful to use available assessment tools to evaluate and fully assess the patient. Nurses need to be knowledgeable in assessment tools to expand the assessment process and evaluate clients in various stages and states of health, illness, stress, and life.In this paper, I will discuss and analyze three assessment tools: The Beck Depression Inventory, The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and The Family Hardiness Index. Beck Depression Inventory According to the Center for Psychological Studies (2010), the BDI is used to measure the presence and degree of depression. This self-reporting questionnaire measures depression symptoms, such as headache, constipation, loss of appetite, backache or chron ic fatigue (Viinamaki, Tanskanen, et al. , 2004). It is a straightforward, low-cost, easy to use, 21-item test presented in multiple-choice format.The BDI is intended to be used in research and clinical settings to assess depression in adults and adolescents 13 and older. Administration of the BDI takes approximately five minutes. The test is either self-administered or verbally administered by trained personnel. Each item is a list of four statements about a particular symptom of depression, such as loss of appetite and sleep loss, and they are arranged in increasing severity. Validity and Reliability The BDI has been used for over 35 years to identify depressive symptoms and is reported to be highly reliable in being able to distinguish depressed from non-depressed patients.The new version showed improved clinical sensitivity, with the reliability of the BDI–II scoring higher than the BDI (Center for Psychological Studies, 2010). Recently, the BDI has been updated and the n ame changed to BDI-II. The BDI-II conforms more closely to the diagnostic criteria for depression and specifically assesses for depression by identifying the presence and severity of symptoms. This increased the validity. Nursing Even though mood disorders are common in the general population, many people suffering from depression remain undiagnosed (Viinamaki, Tanskanen, et al. , 2004).Because many low-income single mothers lack self-esteem, self-confidence, and adequate coping skills, leading them to feel isolated and alone, this vulnerable population is especially at risk for depression. The nurse can use the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to assess each patient for signs and symptoms of depression. Using this tool within the nursing assessment will help the nurse to differentiate patients experiencing symptoms of depression. This will then allow the nurse an opportunity for teaching and information on therapy, counseling, or outpatient psychiatric follow-up can be provided to t he patient.Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire is self-administered, low-cost, and measures multiple dimensions of social support including affect, affirmation, and aide. Nine categories are used to determine sources of support, and size, stability, and accessibility of those sources are measured. â€Å"The Social Supports Questionnaire measures include: the kinds of help and support that the parent/caregiver and youth received from people in the past 6 months, and the kinds of people who helped the parent/caregiver and youth in the past 6 months† (Kernan & Morilus-Black, 2010, p. 258).Adults and adolescents 13 or older are asked to list the first names or initials for each significant person in his or her life, such as spouse, relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. The patient then labels the kind of relationship he or she shares with each person listed Finally, the patient then rates and describes the amount of support available from e ach person on the list. The amount of social support can then be calculated. Validity and Reliability Reliability was assessed through analysis of consistency and test-retest measures taken a week apart. High levels of consistency and reliability were found.According to a study published by UCSF School of Medicine (2005), the test-retest correlations were Affect, 0. 89; Affirmation, 0. 88; and Aid, 0. 86 and response bias, which ranged from 0. 01 to 0. 17, was not significant. Nursing The nurse must accurately assess the patient’s social support, especially in the vulnerable population of single low-income mothers. According to Campbell-Grossman, Hudson, Keating-Lefler, & Fleck (2005), â€Å"Inadequate social support is related to poor public health outcomes, particularly in conditions of stress such as poverty and single motherhood† (p. 242).Nursing care of single mothers needs to focus on teaching, providing information on community resources, and providing support a nd encouragement. Family Hardiness Index Low- income single mothers experience many personal barriers to successful parenthood, usually because they suffer from the stress of new responsibilities with minimal resources to back them up. Major life changes can occur within the single parent household with family structure and function. Family and job demands, and family strengths, capabilities, and weaknesses all play a role in how families, including children, adapt to the current situation (Robinson, 2003).The Family Hardiness Index (FHI) can be used with adults and children over the age of nine to assess family adaptation. â€Å"Hardiness is defined as the family members’ internal strengths and durability as characterized by an ability to work together to find solutions to difficulties, a view of change as beneficial and growth producing rather than threatening, and a sense of control over the outcomes of life events and hardships† (Leske& Jiricka, 1998, p. 383). The Family Hardiness Index is a 20-item questionnaire.It measures four components families use to respond to stressful life events: confidence, challenge, commitment, and control (Leske& Jiricka, 1998). Patients indicate on a three-point scale how well the questions or statements apply to their life and their family situation, and the scores are calculated by adding the values of the responses. Validity and Reliability According to a study described by Leske & Jiricka (1998), reported internal consistency and reliability of the FHI is 0. 82, and validity is strong. This study was on a combined sample of 51 family members going through major life changes and challenges.Alpha reliability was 0. 98 for the total resource scores of their study (Leske & Jiricka, 1998). Increases in scores were related to adequate resources, coping, problem-solving communication, and family adaption. Response bias is possible due to the self-report nature of the questionnaire (Leske & Jiricka, 1998). Nursing The nurse needs to assess the whole person; sometimes this includes the family as one unit because children are a part of the vulnerable population too. Studies of parenting have shown that low-income families with maternal hardships impede the children’s cognitive and societal abilities (Mechanic & Tanner, 2007). Family deprivations also increase the probability of abuse and neglect of children, who then seek to escape the household early, associate with inappropriate peers, form tenuous sexual partnerships, have early pregnancies, and often replicate the pattern of inadequate parenting they experienced as children† (Mechanic & Tanner, 2007, p. 1223). The nurse can use this low-cost questionnaire to assess family functioning and family hardiness. Integrating Watson’s Theory of Human Caring Watson believes nursing should focus on health promotion and treating the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.The transpersonal caring relationship builds when the nurse show s concern about the whole person and fully commits to protect and enhance the person’s human dignity. The nurse’s caring consciousness essentially allows a deeper connection between the person and the nurse, in which each person involved can understand the others perspective (Watson Caring Science Institute, 2009). The discussed assessment tools enhance the assessment phase of the nursing process, allowing the patient and nurse an opening opportunity for conversation, leading to a caring moment, and improving the quality of health care delivered by the nurse on a personal level.Conclusion The Beck Depression Inventory, The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and The Family Hardiness Index are three tools available to assist the nurse in completing a fully assessment of the patient and families. These tools can be used with many different age groups, are low-cost, straightforward, and easy to use. Researching the tools for this paper has helped me to understand the im portance of fully evaluating clients in various stages and states of health, illness, stress and life. These tools improve the quality of health care delivered by the nurse by enhancing the assessment phase of the nursing process.References Campbell-Grossman, C. , Hudson, D. , Keating-Lefler, R. , & Fleck, M. (2005). Community Leaders' Perceptions of Single, Low-Income Mothers' Needs and Concerns for Social Support. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 22(4), 241-257. (doi:10. 1207/s15327655jchn2204_6). Center for Psychological Studies. (2010). Beck depression inventory. Retrieved from http://www. cps. nova. edu/~cpphelp/BDI. html Kernan, J. , & Morilus-Black, M.. (2010). Social supports for youth and families. Community Mental Health Journal, 46(3), 258-64. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Complete. (Document ID: 2026204261). Leske, J. S. & Jiricka, M. K. (1998). Family well-being and adaption after critical injury. American Journal of Critical Care, 7(5), 383-392. Retrie ved from MEDLINE with Full Text database, University of Phoenix Research Library. Mechanic, D. , & Tanner, J. (2007). Vulnerable people, groups, and populations: societal view. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 26(5), 1220-1230. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database. Robinson, M. B. (2003). Family hardiness index- Methodology for use with children. Ph. D. dissertation, Saint Louis University, United States-Missouri. Retrieved from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Heath Source, Publication No.AAT 3130049. UCSF School of Medicine. (2005). Summary of psychometric testing of the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://nurseweb. ucsf. edu/www/NSSQ-Psychometric. pdf Viinamaki, H. , Tanskanen, A. , Honkalampi, K. , Koivumaa-Honkanen, H. , Haatainen, K. , Kaustio, O. , et al. (2004). Is the Beck Depression Inventory suitable for screening major depression in different phases of the disease? Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 58(1), 49-53. Retrieved from Academic Search Complet e database. Watson Caring Science Institute. (2009). Transpersonal caring and the caring moment defined. Retrieved from

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Research Paper on Employee Loyalty

Employee loyalty is defined as an affective commitment of the employee towards the firm. When the employee possesses this affective commitment it gives him/her the devotion to sustain his/her association with the certain firm. The amount of devotion and loyalty of a simple employee can be a great advantage of the company. When an employee is loyal, he/she will have a greater ability to properly do his/her job as well as reduce the probability of the company to fail. Hence the employees of a business are critical components for a certain business to properly progress.A business may possess inferior employees but the huge amount of loyalty would have can send a very insignificant business to amazing heights. Likewise, those employees with unsubstantial amount of loyalty may cause tremendous business to collapse. DuPont being one of the largest chemical company in the world, it is a necessity for them to continue to work as effective and efficient as possible. To help them with such we have conducted a study on employee loyalty. With this study, we aim to come with an output that will be able to assist DuPont to design different programs to help improve the employee organizational loyalty. Through this we as well want to prove that the amount of loyalty of the employees of a business plays a significant role in the success of the corporations.Theoretical FrameworkJohn Meyer and Natalie Allen proposed the Three Components of Commitment  model, which explains how organizational commitment is a psychological-related idea. They suggested three factors that affect how an employee sees his/her organization. With this knowledge and better understanding, one can increase not only the engagement of the employees, but their well-being and job satisfaction as well. By using these components together with various appropriate approaches, a manager now has the ability to effectively motivate and work with his/her team. The first type is the Affective Commitment. This type of loyalty occurs when one is emotionally attached to one’s organization or when one genuinely identifies with the goals and values of the organization he/she works for.Unlike any other types of commitment, an affectively committed employee actually enjoys and is satisfied with his/her work. The second type of commitment is Normative. This component deals with people who stay in the organization because they have this feeling of obligation that they need to stay for whatever reason – external or internal – even if they are not happy nor satisfied with their jobs. Normative Commitment may hinder one from seeking greater opportunities, but still remains in the organization because â€Å"it is the right thing to do.† The last component or type is the Continuance Commitment. This type of commitment happens when a person always weighs the pros and cons, both of leaving the organization and of staying.The only reason behind why people who belong to this category s tay is because there is a higher risk, cost, or more losses when they leave the organization compared to when they stay. Another theory supports the Continuance Commitment – Becker’s Side-Bet Theory. Becker (1960) as cited in Cohen and Lowenberg (1990) suggests that the longer an individual stays with his/her organization, the greater number of losses he/she will have when he/she leaves the organization, which in return makes it hard for the individual to leave in the first place – this then becomes the reason for an employee’s commitment to the organization. Becker used the term â€Å"side-bets† to refer to the investments, usually material things, which one will lose when he/she decides to leave the organization.Statement of the Problem Are there a correlation and a significant difference between the employees’ monthly salary and organizational commitment?The factors affecting an employee’s commitment to an organization, specificall y the effect of an employee’s monthly salary to organizational commitment.Hypothesis Null Hypothesis: There is no correlation and significant difference between the employees’ monthly salary and organizational commitment?Researcher’s/Alternative Hypothesis: There is a correlation and significant difference between the employees’ monthly salary and organizational commitment.Significance of the Study In an organization, there are many different factors that may affect an individual’s loyalty to his/her company. With this, the study aims to establish the relationship between organizational loyalty and the employees’ monthly salary. This proposed study will help the managers, if not the owners, to be aware of what motivates their employees to be loyal to them. Furthermore, it will help the managers to know what they can do to help their employees. On the other hand, employees can use the results of this study to work more efficiently and effecti vely.METHODOLOGYResearch Design The research design that the researchers used can be classified as Descriptive. Descriptive research is used to show correlation, associations, or relationship between or among things. By using Descriptive research, the researchers can demonstrate the relationship between organizational commitment and the employees’ salary, since this study aims to find out if there is a relationship or correlation between the two.By knowing and understanding the relationship between the two, it will be easier for the researchers as well as the managers and employees to make an effective approach that may benefit everyone. Given this, it was the most appropriate  method to be used by the researchers in conducting their study on the loyalty of the employees in an organization, specifically in Du Pont.Participants The study focused on the employees of Du Pont. Out of (total population), 73 were randomly chosen by the researchers based on their availability, sin ce the survey was conducted during work hours. The respondents are (part) of the total population of the organization.Instrument For this study, the Survey technique was used and the instrument utilized was the questionnaire. This instrument was used because it is the fastest way to collect data from a number of respondents. Furthermore, it was more convenient for both the researchers and the respondents.Data Gathering Procedure The questionnaire was given to 73 Du Pont employees for them to fill up. The survey questionnaire was composed of 35 questions which revolved around the attitudes and loyalty of the respondents to the organization. A scale from 1 to 5 was used in each question to see if the respondents agree or disagree with the statement/s. A number of copies of the questionnaires were distributed to some respondents through electronic mail (e-mail) by the researchers due to time constraint. After receiving only half of the responses (through e-mail), the other copies were distributed personally by the researchers to the respondents (employees). The researchers collected the copies personally as well after two working days.Statistical Treatment The responses made by the respondents describing their gender, civil status, age, monthly salary, religious affiliation, educational background, work designation, work status, and length of service were presented. For easier analysis, the researchers used the following representations:Gender 1 – Male 2 – Female Civil Status 1 – Single 2 – Married Monthly Salary 1 – Below 15,000.00 2 – 15, 000.00 – 19, 999.00 3 – 20, 000.00 – 24, 999.00 4 – 25, 000.00 – 29, 999.00 5 – 30, 000.00 – 34, 999.00 6 – 35, 000.00 – 39, 999.00 7 – 40, 000.00 – 44,999.00 8 – 45, 000.00 – 49, 999.00 9 – 50 , 000.00 – AboveReligious Affiliation 1 – Roman Catholic 2 – Non-Roman Cath olic Educational Background 1 – Non-BS Degree Holder 2 – Bachelor’s Degree Holder 3 – Master’s Degree with Doctoral Units 4 – Full-Fledged Master’s Degree Holder 5 – Bachelor’s Degree with Master’s Units 6 – Full-Fledged Doctoral DegreeWork Designation 1 – Top Management 2 – Middle Management 3 – Rank and File 4 – Others Work Status 1 – Permanent 2 – ProbationaryLength of Service 1 – Below 3 years 2 – 3-5 years 3 – 6-8 years 4 – 9-11 years 5 – 12-14 years 6 – 15-17 years 7 – 18-20 years 8 – 21-23 years 9 – 24-26 years 10 – 27-29 years 11 – 30 years or moreResponses by the employees were statistically analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics such as the mean. Furthermore, Pearson R and T-Test for Significance were utilized to know if there is a correlation and significant differenc e between the independent and dependent variables.Analysis of Data Statistical Tools The factors affecting employees’ commitment to an organization, more specifically the effect of the employees’ monthly salary Mean Pearson R t-test for significanceRESULTS AND DISCUSSIONThe table below represents the summary of the data, where in x is the employee’s corresponding monthly salary and y is the mean of the employees’ answer to the 35 questions that relate to organizational loyalty. Answers are rounded off to the nearest hundredths.Given this data, the Pearson product-moment correlation can be used. It was developed by Karl Pearson and is considered to be the most robust method in measuring the correlation and regression. The formula for rxy is as follows:Using this formula, the rxy can be derived, which results to -0.27; this can be interpreted that employees’ monthly salary and organizational commitment has a low correlation as shown in the table belo w:Parameters Interpretation (+,-) 1.00 Perfect Correlation (+,-) 0.81-0.99 Very High Correlation (+,-) 0.61-0.80 High Correlation (+,-) 0.41 – 0.60 Moderate/Fair Correlation (+,-) 0.21 – 0.40 Low Correlation (+,-) 0.01 – 0.20 Very Low Correlation (+,-) 0.00 No CorrelationFurthermore, the amount of contribution or variances explained by the employees’ monthly salary about the employees’ commitment can be derived; this is called the coefficient of determination (COD). Also, given this data, the amount of variance left unexplained and is attributed to other factors or to the sampling error can be computed – this is named as coefficient of alienation (COA).COD= (r)2 = 0.0729 or 7.29% COA= 1.00 –(r)2 = 0.9271 or 92.71%Lastly, the significance can be tested using Dimaano’s (2001) formula:with degrees of freedom: N-2This formula is used to determine whether the two factors (employees’ monthly salary and organization loyalty) ha ve a significant relationship. Having computed the following, the group has arrived to a value of a t-computed of 2.136, and t-critical value of 2.002; hence, it can be inferred that the  decision is to reject the null hypothesis and the conclusion is to accept the researcher’s hypothesis.CONCLUSIONThat being said, the group has been able to establish a low correlation between the two given factors, which are the employees’ monthly salary and the organizational commitment. Moreover, 7.29% is the amount of contribution or variances explained by the former factor about the latter, and 92.71% is the amount left unexplained by the former. Lastly, based on the computations showed, there is a significant relationship between the two factors.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Controlled comparison Essays

Controlled comparison Essays Controlled comparison Essay Controlled comparison Essay Controlled comparison is applied to comparative studies of small size. One of the scientists, who worked out this approach, Eggan, assumed that â€Å"the combination of the anthropological concepts of ethnology with structure and function, allowing the researcher to pose more specific questions on a broader range of subjects† (qtd in Hoerder, p. 36). Coding approach includes collecting information from two various sources – ethnographic sources and reports of HRAF files, or taking for consideration coded information from ethnographic sources, previously coded, or from other studies. (Hoerder) To make detailed picture of the observed phenomenon it’s necessary to give some details related to basic notions, related to the conception of cross cultural contact. The first of them is â€Å"within-society contact†. This term is used to describe relations that exist between ethnic groups in the society of multiple cultures. Prosperous and developed countries with multiple cultures represented may include various ethnic groups that are integrated into social pattern with the help of special institutions and arrangements that promote shared viewpoints and shape common feeling of being a united nation. USA is the example of such country. Since the early times of its history, a diversity of nations and cultures were introduced to the society. Under such social conditions people face with others, who may have quite different color skin, traditions, viewpoints and religion. In modern advanced societies with developed methods of providing successful inter-cultural contact, this process makes the lives of native population richer. (Furnham, 1986) The other term demanding detailed observation is â€Å"cultural shock†. Within the last 50 years, the number of travels abroad significantly increased. There are multiple reasons for it, including development of fast means of transport, like jumbo jet. In addition to speed, these new means of traveling made traveling abroad cheaper, easier, and, in turn, more available for many people. Global changes in economy also made this process faster. The process of globalization is much spoken about today, and this process refers to entertainment and education equally as to commerce and industry. According to the statistics, â€Å"in 1999 overseas assignments by United States companies exceeded 350,000 business persons, a figure that does not take into account all the other nations sending their executives abroad. It has been estimated that at any given time there are about a million and a half students and scholars attending educational institutions abroad. The figures for tourists are even greater: The World Tourism Organisation has projected that by the year 2010 the number of international tourist-related journeys will rise to a total of 940 million trips per year. † (Hoerder, p. 98) The notion of cultural shock was first used by Kalervo Oberg, anthropologist, who applied it to describe people’s reaction to strange surroundings. The other scientists, that continued to study this condition, offer not to understand it literally: â€Å"that it reflects some of the feelings and experiences of travelers who suddenly find themselves in new, strange, or unfamiliar places. The unknown can be an uncomfortable and at times terrifying experience. However, the use of the word shock places too much emphasis on the threatening circumstances of contact with novel situations, without acknowledging that such experiences may also have beneficial consequences for the participants. † (Hoerder, p. 88) In the cultural dimension several theories have been created to explain the differences between the personalities in the cross cultural aspect. Considering these theories critically, it should be assumed that they have not been created without any reason, and there have existed solid grounds to assume that depending on what culture of origin is the source of social patterns for the personality, it is possible to define the basic criteria of personality characteristics. For example, the theory created by Hoerder states that the cultures endow individuals with different principles that influence behavior. The author of this theory argued that one of the cultural dimensions is always measured through the line of individualism versus collectivism, and these traits should be included into the set of basic characteristics peculiar of the personality in the cross cultural perspective.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Warner Bros Values in the Production Setting Term Paper

Warner Bros Values in the Production Setting - Term Paper Example Warner Bros had been engaged in production and focused on a mentioned theme that upheld the production motive. The trend had to be set in Hollywood to predict the efforts applied by variable production companies. Crime and survival measures had been the strategies applied in Warner Bros and the developed gangster film proved the specialized theme applied. The production focused on self-styled, which are referred to as blue-collar champions who had the message to pass during the period marred with depression in society. The upright means to acquire wealth had failed and left the solution to be in crime, which had been the norm during the period (Jowett, 1988). The movie had been the reflection of the actual events depicted within the society that had made the headlines in the newspapers. Tom had grown to find crime as the best solution when he joined the gangsters at a young age. The thieves had taught him the value presented in the easier articulation of wealth that had been used to progress in the unjust society. He grows up to pick the vice as the chief leader in the gang to acquire his riches through unlawful methods that had been the setback to progress. The movie had been set in a growing city where criminal activities thrived in the darkness as the sole platform for presenting criminal behavior (Leff & Jerrold, 1988). Hollywood had delivered the need to present specialization in movie production to regulate the costs used in completing the production of a movie. Warner Bros values in the production setting revealed the struggle of the majority in articulating survival measures within society. The movie industry has been advanced to predict the social events that reflect the behavior of the individuals within the society. The norm presented has led to the estab lishment of guidelines to be met to complete the existence on a stable platform. Movie production has reflected the behavior of humanity and set the lifestyle that has been recorded to promise the majority of the benefits towards sustenance of the available entities.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Ayurvedic Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ayurvedic Medicine - Essay Example One of the most common physical sequelae of pregnancy is nausea and vomiting. While exact figures vary, most research indicates that anywhere from 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women have nausea and/or vomiting during pregnancy (Flake et al., 2004; Wilkinson, 1999). Quinlan and Hill (2003) indicate that generally nausea and vomiting begin between the fourth and seventh week after a woman's last menstrual period, and resolves by the 20th gestational week for 90% of women; Wilkinson (1999) notes simply that "morning sickness usually starts early in the pregnancy with symptoms peaking at 8-9 weeks and then disappearing by about the 14th week." Meltzer (2000) wisely notes "Studies of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy are often made more challenging because of the subjective nature of the symptom of nausea versus the objective sign of vomiting." One indisputable danger from uncontrolled nausea and vomiting is development of hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum, defined as, "persistent vomiting that is serious enough to cause fluid and electrolyte disturbance" (Jewell, 2003a) often necessitates hospitalization to rehydrate the woman and ameliorate electrolyte imbalances. Though the prevalence of hyperemesis gravidarum is estimated at only .3% (Fisher-Rasmussen, 1990) to 3% (Hollyer et al., 2002), its consequences can be tragic if untreated. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) impacts more than only the pregnant woman. Hollyer et al. (2002) report study findings where almost 50% of employed women reported reduced work efficiency due to pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, 25-66% reported having to take time off from work, with almost 50% reporting that the nausea and vomiting negatively affected their relationship with their partner including having an adverse effect on the partner's [italics added] day-to-day life. Clearly, finding a treatment to lessen NVP is long overdue, but fraught with risks. Since the 1960's thalidomide tragedy, research on medications used for pregnant women has been limited. Ethical concerns preclude "experimentation" of medications or treatments for a pregnant woman, thus much research relies on that which is known to date or is discovered spuriously. Treatments for NVP span both "traditional" (Western) and "complementary" (Eastern) medicine. A lengthy discussion of these treatment alternatives is beyond the scope of this paper, though Jewell (2003b) provides a concise summary in Clinical Evidence. This paper focuses on one particular treatment for NVP, the use of Zingiber officinale (ginger). As will be noted, ginger can be found in varying forms (syrup, tea, capsules, food products) and this variation may confound the inter-study correlations. Zingiber officinale (ginger), as noted in the Alternative Medicine Review (2003), has a long history of medicinal use, primarily in India and China, dating back 2,500 years. Though the reasons for its anti-emetic effect are not well defined, it is thought, "the aromatic, spasmolytic, carminative, and absorbent properties of ginger suggest it has direct effects on the gastrointestinal tract (Alternative Medical Review, 2003). Combining the known benefits of ginger in Ayurvedic and "Eastern"