Verble & Non Verble Communication

Assignments – Marks Allocation Breakdown | | Setting the scene | |Introduction and issue analysis | |Exposition | |Directly addresses the question | |Uses a wide range of information drawn from course material to address the issues | |Uses a wide range of information drawn from other sources (journals, articles, etc) to address | |the issues | |Contextualises the learning to the workplace | |Quality of conclusions and recommendations implemented | |Data collection and qualitative analysis/literature review | |Originality | |Attempts original research and analysis, creative and challenging insights to balanced | |perception | |Structure and presentation | |Logical sequence with sections well linked | |Good flow and clarity of presentation | |Balance between text, use of charts, diagrams, headings, sub-headings, etc | |Professional business-like style | |Compliance | |Word count | |Submission on time | My topic of choice is Verbal and Non-verbal Interpersonal Communication I will assess each below 8 A) Verbal InterpersonalCommunication Verbal Interpersonal Communication uses language as means of communication between cultures. In languages, there are set of rules about the use of words in the creation of messages. The usage of language in interpersonalcommunication can be either spoken or written. Below are some features of a language or connected with language: a) Phonology – sounds of language ) phoneme – smallest unit of sound, example; cat, tdk – why is cat correct but not tdk, English has 45 phonemes (ch, th) c) Morphology -smallest units of meaning, example, morpheme, happy, happiness, unhappiness d) Semantics -study of meaning of words, the understanding of vocabulary in order to function in a language. There are two types of meanings in languages: i) denotative meanings – public, objective, legal meanings of words ii) connotative meanings – personal, emotionally charged meanings For example, What does test me an to you? e) Syntactics -relationships of words to one another, word order f) Pragmatics – effect of language on human perceptions and behaviors ) Translation – transfer of written verbal codes between language, has time h) Interpretation – oral process of moving from one code to another Examples of Language Language follows culturally determined patterns which influence thinking. Some examples: – English is linear, Arabic combines ideas through conjunctions, hard to discover main idea when translating into English. – England, Ireland, Canada, USA – all speak English, is it the same? – Arabic â€Å"inshallah†, intonation, Arabic uses exaggeration, overassertion, repetition, elaboration, 10 words for English, 100 words for Arabic. – Writers Shakespeare used 34,000 words, today a good writer 15,000-20,000. Eskimos have 30 words for snow. 9 B) Non Verbal InterpersonalCommunication Non-verbal InterpersonalCommunication uses non-verbal codes as means of communication between cultures. Non-verbal codes are as the following: †¢ is a multichanneled process †¢ spontaneously performed †¢ possess nonlinguistic behaviors †¢ enacted subconsciously †¢ can be intentional or unintentional †¢ is not taught, but learned through observation and experiences Characteristics of Nonverbal Codes Non-verbal codes function as a silent language and impart meanings in subtle and covert ways, continuous, natural, blur into another, less precise. Relationship of Verbal to Nonverbal: 1. accent the verbal 2. omplement the verbal (smiling, pointing) 3. contradict the verbal (nonverbals are opposite to spoken) 4. regulate the conversation (looking, gestures) 5. substitute, take the place of the verbal Cultural Universals in Nonverbal Communication 1. same body parts are used 2. convey similar meanings 3. accompany verbal 4. motives are the same 5. control and coordinate contexts and relationships that are the same Cultural Variations in Nonverbal Communication 1. repertoire of behaviors are different 2. display rules – when and where 3. interpretations of meanings. 4. random 5. idiosyncratic 6. shared meaning and significance Body Movements – Kinesics Refers to gestures, head movements, facial expressions, eyes. 1. Emblems – nonverbals that have direct verbal counterpart 2. Illustrators – accompany the verbal, more easily understood 3. Affect – show feelings, emotions, body and face 4. Regulators – synchronize behavior, control the flow of conversation 5. Adapters – reaction to physical state, scratching, unintentional Space – Proxemics Refers to how people use physical space. Example: cold means having large physical distances and warm means having smaller physical distances. Touch Affects positive and negative feelings and may denote the following meanings: †¢ playfulness †¢ control †¢ ritual purpose †¢ task related Time – Chronemics Here, time is the main determinant of communication and is used in various: Example, past oriented means having a circular approach to life , present oriented means enjoying the spontaneity of the situation and future oriented means tomorrow. Voice Refers to the use of different tones of voices when communicating. Example, Through pitch, rate of talking, rhythm and volume Chemical codes Here, smell is used when communicating, for example wearing perfumes 10 Conclusion 1. Communication is a process when a sender transmits a message to a receiver using a particular medium. The medium used can either be verbal or non-verbal, which includes printed or electronic medias. 2. Culture refers to a group of people or society that has the share the same norm (what is expected of an individual) and values (what is considered good or bad in that particular group or society). 3. A group or society that live in close proximity with one another is called a community. 4. Cultures can be distinguished based on certain dimensions like Low Context Culture, High Context Culture, Individualism, Collectivism, High Power Distance, Low Power Distance, Low Uncertainty Avoidance, High Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculine, Feminine, Monochronic, Polychronic, Acquired Status and Given Status. 5. For the people in a group or society to interact with one another, communication is necessary.

“How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words” by Paul McHenry Roberts Essay

Paul McHenry Roberts’ 1956 article, â€Å"How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words,† deals with the common traps faced by many young writers while writing essays. His advice includes tips on making a dull subject exciting, engaging the reader with unexpected topics and arguments, and developing a fully thought out essay that will be sure to earn a good grade in the classroom. Roberts says to come up with a list of arguments off hand and write them down but do not use any of them, as they are most likely overused and predictable. Instead he suggests to take the path most people would avoid, since it will most likely be easier to make your writing interesting. In addition, do not overuse generalities by never truly getting into a subject. Include facts and stories to get readers interested, instead of a dull sentence with your point of view. Roberts says to get rid of the extra words that fill papers and really give no extra value to your writing. He calls this â€Å"padding† in your paper. It is just a way to reach your word goal without saying much at all. Come up with more real content and take out the extra. Give your ideas and then prove why you are correct. Whatever you need to say, say it without apologizing. Roberts advises writers to avoid overused, common expressions such as, â€Å"over my dead body† or â€Å"under cover of darkness†. He says even the best writers cannot avoid them all together, but they should only be used when nothing else seems to fit, as they add nothing special to the paper. The last of Professor Roberts’ recommendations is the importance of using â€Å"colorful, colored and colorless words.† Using colorful words paints the reader a picture and describes a subject further, although sometimes there may be no need to do so. Colored words are words that everyone can associate with, or would have mutual feelings towards. These include certain people, places or things anyone can relate to. Writers must be careful when using words that lack a strong emotional association with their audience, as failure to do so will send the wrong message. Similarly, colorless words are words that are common and have a very general meaning. They fail to add much when used to describe a subject and are recommended to be avoided when possible.

Emergency nursing

Speaking about the Emergency nursing, we should take into account the role of the emergency nurse in the modern hospital and to take into account the most widespread mistakes, done by the nurses in the emergency department. Also, to analyze the causes of these mistakes. To begin with, emergency nurse is usually the first person, meeting the patient in the hospital. Due to the triage system it is the nurse, who decide, according to the type of the injury, to what kind of doctor the patient should be sent. Sometimes nurses in the emergency department do play a role of the doctor as well –they can prescribe some kind of medicines and to give them to the patient. The kind of mistake in this case can be like this: 1.    Wrong diagnose. 2.    Non –well-organized work of the staff. As to the second one, here can be shown the episode from one of the hospitals, where the mistake was done according to the miscommunication of two nurses. A 50-year-old man with new atrial fibrillation was placed on a diltiazem drip in the emergency department for rate control. After arriving at the cardiac care unit (CCU), he was noted to be hypotensive and a saline bolus was ordered. The nurse asked a coworker to get her a bag of saline and went to check on another patient. When she returned to the first patient’s bedside, she noticed that an intravenous (IV) bag was already hanging from the IV pole, and thought that her coworker must have placed the saline bag there. Believing the patient required a rapid saline infusion, she opened the IV up, and the solution infused in rapidly. At that moment, her coworker arrived with the 500 cc saline bag, which caused the patient’s nurse to realize, in horror, that she had given the patient an IV bolus of more than 300 mg of diltiazem. The patient suffered severe bradycardia, which required temporary transvenous pacemaker placement and calcium infusion. Luckily, there was no permanent harm. The commentary to this case was given by Mary Caldwell, RN, PhD, MBA, and Kathleen A. Dracup, RN, DNSc. This case study raises several troubling issues. A patient was given an inadvertent overdose of diltiazem during a hypotensive episode due to a miscommunication involving two nurses. Intravenous diltiazem can cause bradycardia, hypotension, and reduced myocardial oxygen consumption, all serious side effects in an already unstable patient.Reported error rates for the administration phase of medication procedures are significant, ranging from 26% to 36%. With respect to intravenous medication preparation and administration, the possibilities for error are magnified compared with oral agents. In one large study, the investigators reported an overall error rate of 49% for intravenous medications, with 73% of those errors involving bolus injections. Providers are likely to encounter at least four complications specific to intravenous drug administration. First, the drug can be infused too quickly or too slowly, unlike oral agents, which have only one rate of administration. Second, IV pumps used to control the rate of administration can fail to operate properly or can be set up incorrectly by a nurse. Third, preparation of the drug can lead to error, as when the drug is added to an incompatible solution or mixed using the wrong ratio of drug-to-IV solution. And finally, the medication can be given through the wrong port, such as into the right atrium rather than into a peripheral vein. Intuitively, one might guess that the critical care environment would be the site of more medication-related errors than less acute units. In one study that compared intensive care unit (ICU) with non-ICU medication-related errors, preventable adverse drug events were twice as common in ICUs as in non-ICUs. However, when these data were adjusted for the number of drugs used or ordered , there were no differences between the settings. The fact that the patient-to-nurse ratio in the ICU is usually less than or equal to 2:1, while a single nurse on a medical-surgical unit may be responsible for 5 to 10 patients, may mitigate the risk of drug errors in the critical care setting. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices cites the â€Å"five rights† of medication use (right patient, drug, time, dose, and route) as touchstones to aid in the prevention of errors. In this case, following the five rights may have prevented the overdose. However, one must also recognize that many processes used to prevent errors are more difficult to design and implement in critical care units because of the rapidity with which nurses and physicians must act. Therefore, the basics of safe drug administration practice take on even greater importance. Building in manual redundancies (such as verbal read-backs, similar to those used when administering blood transfusions) may help when there are variances to standard protocol, such as an IV bolus. The high error level documented in IV bolus infusions provides important support for reviewing hospital policies related to their administration. System failures also contributed to the error in this case. If the patient was unstable enough to require a 500 cc bolus of saline, why did the nurse leave the room to check on another patient? Was the staffing inadequate? Workforce issues have been an enormous concern in recent years as nursing shortages reach crisis proportions. Nurses are stretched thin, and the shortage is felt most acutely among specialty nurses. The clinical impact of staffing shortages on increased mortality and ‘failure-to-rescue’ have been noted. A survey conducted by NurseWeek/A-ONE found that 65% of RNs felt the shortage impeded their ability to maintain patient safety. Although specific figures regarding the extent of shortages in critical care are not available, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses states that requests for registry and traveling nurses have increased substantially across the country, with a 45% increase for adult critical care, 50% for Pediatric/Neonatal ICUs, and 140% for Emergency Departments. In the past, most ICUs accepted only experienced nurses (with more than 2 years clinical post-graduate experience) as staff. However, this requirement of previous experience is often waived in times of staff shortages. Although new graduates usually participate in hospital ICU training programs, the learning curves are steep and new nurses may become overwhelmed, leading to errors in communication and execution. A recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report listed a number of human factors associated with medication errors. Performance deficit (as opposed to knowledge deficit), such as seen in this case, was the human factor listed most commonly (30%). Poor communications contributed another 16% to total errors. Thus, this case illustrates a common source of error—a problem of performance related to poor communication. This case study also provides an opportunity to evaluate mistakes on the personal level. A serious, commonly identified shortcoming of the current medical system is the fear of disclosing errors. When errors occur, the responsible staff member should be an active participant in an evaluative process aimed at preventing similar errors from reoccurring. Results of the evaluation on an individual, unit, and hospital level should be shared with the entire hospital so that similar errors might be prevented in the future. The tradition of morbidity and mortality conferences, used commonly by physicians, has not been adopted by nursing staff and might be an appropriate strategy if it provided a blame-free environment in which mistakes and system level issues could be discussed openly. Specific measures to prevent errors in situations similar to this case might include: Standard policy typically dictates the use of IV pumps on all vasoactive drips. (Because it was not specifically noted in this case study, we are compelled to state the obvious.) Standard policy usually dictates that vasoactive drugs be infused through a site dedicated to only that drug. Therefore, at least one other separate IV site should be used for other fluids and medications. This practice eliminates the need to use the high risk IV and the potential for an inadvertent overdose. More obvious labeling of ‘high risk’ IV drips (eg, bigger, brighter labels; duplicate labeling on IV   Ã‚  bag, pump, monitor). Independent double-checks of bolus fluids by nurses prior to administration. Reevaluation of staffing requirements if a patient becomes unstable so that the patient–nurse ratio can be appropriately adjusted. Participation of nurses as well as physicians in morbidity and mortality conferences. Sometimes the mistakes occur because of inattentiveness of the nurse. By the way, the documents, fulfilled by the nurse, have to be readable and clear not only for the nurse herself, but for the other well-educated staff as well (I mean, the doctors, etc. ). The data’s have to be collected precisely and correctly. But let’s have a look at one of the patients cards, taken from the Hospital. (Pict.1) The information is just not readable, and it is rather difficult to understand, what were the results. This patient’s card look likes an album of the child, but not as a professionally made card of the well-qualified staff.   Speaking about this case of the 72 years old woman, it is possible to suggest, that the wrong diagnoses have been done, what approximately lead to the death of the patient. As to the medicines given, it is seen, that not all the medicines needed were given to the patient (at the age of 70 there have to be given some medicines for blood –Heparin and as well some medicines for keeping the heart activity. In this case it looks like that on the base of the cough (probably pneumonia) there was a kind of heart attack (probably cardiac infarction) with the complications as pulmonary edema(or edema of lungs). 1. Bates DW, Cullen DJ, Laird N, et al. Incidence of adverse drug events and potential adverse drug events. Implications for prevention. ADE Prevention Study Group. JAMA. 1995;274:29-34. [ go to pubmed]2. Taxis K, Barber N. Ethnographic study of incidence and severity of intravenous drug errors. BMJ. 2003;326:684. 3. Cullen DJ, Sweitzer BJ, Bates DW, Burdick E, Edmondson A, Leape LL. Preventable adverse drug events in hospitalized patients: a comparative study of intensive care and general care units. Crit Care Med. 1997;25:1289-1297. ]4. Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. JAMA. 2002;288:1987-1993. 5. NurseWeek. NurseWeek/A-ONE National Survey of Registered Nurses: NurseWeek/A-ONE; 2002. ]6. Critical Care Nursing Fact Sheet. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. ]7. Phillips J, Beam S, Brinker A, et al. Retrospective analysis of mortalities associated with medication er rors. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2001;58:1835-1841.

Business Ethics & Social Responsibility Research Paper

Business Ethics & Social Responsibility - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that business ethics are moral standards and guidelines that guide the conduct of business founded on the concept of what is right, fair and wrong. Majority of business people rely on their consciences for decision making and fall back on their own religious and moral backgrounds for guidance. Business people are on the other hand affected by their immediate colleagues and superiors when making decisions and at times feel pressured to behave in unethical manner when aiming to make profits. This paper declares that many firms have in the recent past made efforts to establish and develop codes of conduct to be used as standards to guide managers in decision making in business. Corporate responsibility on the other hand is a business philosophy that stresses the need for companies and organizations to behave well as corporate citizens by conducting their marketing and production activities in such away to prevent environmental pollution or exploitation as well as obeying the law. Some firms due to their developed code of conduct behave in a more socially responsible way, partially because their managers need to do so and partially due to fear of consumer pressure groups, environmentalists and the media, as well as their concern for their public reputation. This is actually because of the argument that social responsible behavior pays off in the long run even when it includes particular short term sacrifices. (Solomon, 2004). This paper seeks to develop standards for ethic al and moral conduct in the form of a Code of Ethics. The paper will reflect upon my own ethical standards and consider from where my values and principles emerged and how they have evolved over time. Through this, the paper will include references to the moral philosophy or social issues that affect my approach to the development of this Code of Ethics. My Code of Ethics will contain the following components: Statement of values, and why the principles are non-negotiable, the moral philosophy or social issues affecting my approach to ethics, training and communication plan, implementation plan, plan for the role of leadership, corporate social issues, monitoring and enforcing plan, ethics auditing plan, and considerations for working internationally. Development of Code of Ethics involves prescribing values and principles that a firm aspires to operate in consistency to. The Code of Ethics contains the â€Å"thou shalts† and specifies the operation’s ethical rules. Mo st ethicists have argued that the development and continuous dialogue around the values of the Code of Ethics is very significant and pivotal to the business organizations. However, other philosophers have disagreed on the value of Code of Ethics and assert that too much emphasis is often put on them though the codes are not influential in ethics management at workplace. In quite larger organizations with multiple departments and programs, an overall corporate Code of Ethics is mandatory to guide and separate each department or program. I would not develop my Code of Ethics out of Legal departments or Human Resource departments alone. This is because, the Code of Ethics would be insufficient if only intended to ensure the legality of policies. I will do this to ensure that all other people see the program of ethics as driven from top management (Boatright, 2008). On reflection upon my own ethical standards and consideration of where my values and principles emerged and there evolvem ent over time, I would say that ethical principles as standards of conduct define my own conduct of behavior and therefore emerge from within myself. These principles help in establishing the criteria by which other people will judge my decisions and guide me in making such decisions as well. It is important to note that, poor personal ethics ultimately result into poor business ethics. In this regard, my own ethical standards and principles from which I would develop my Code o

Capital Investment Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Capital Investment - Thesis Proposal Example The capital investment project related to health that is selected for this paper is expansion and renovation of a diagnostic and imaging department. Effective imaging services in an emergency department begin by having enough space to cater for the high number of emergency cases. The imaging departments are known to offer a wide range of services and thus implying that they expect a high number of patients. Their services can be used in the treatment of different diseases, and injuries (Colchester East Hants Health Authority, 2014). The expansion diagnostic imaging department will be vital in creating enough space for emergency imaging services and providing enough room for new CT scanners. The room will be helpful in establishing modern environment in diagnostic imaging and ensure current standards in this emergency department are addressed. Creation of more space will also be helpful in ensuring that the issue of transferring inpatients to other hospitals is reduced. Third, there will be control and prevention of infections. The expansion will also lead to a new work environment, which will help recruit new emergency specialists and physicians. It will encourage a patient centred experience. Furthermore, there will be an opportunity to ensure that the emergency department for imaging responds to the community increasing needs. Last, it will help develop space for an ambulatory clinic. In funding capital expenditures, there are multiple sources that can be adopted (Sullivan & Steven, 2005. The source used will depend on the needs of the organization and the existence of other projects. In funding for this project, there can be an advance planning so that its funding can be considered in the coming fiscal year. In this regard, the hospital can decide and set some amount that will cater for the project for a given in time. In addition, the funds from this source can be used to supplement

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Case study - Essay Example This event is investigated in light of the company’s behavior post the oil spill and their consequent reaction in front of the press and as expressed in their annual reports. More specifically, this paper looks at how BP’s reaction post the disastrous oil spill ties in with the theories about company behavior. There is extensive secondary research that discusses company behavior and explains how and why a company might behave in certain specific situations. According to the legitimacy theory, an organization only acts according to the behavior that is deemed correct and wanted by society it operates in and as deemed fit by other potentially influential parties; the actions performed by the company should thus be ‘socially acceptable’ otherwise the company will have trouble operating in a society that thinks of it as ‘unethical’, ‘immoral’ or ‘unable to comply with social norms or requirements’ and will be fast rolling downhill on its way to failure. (O’Donovan, 2002, p.344). Results of some empirical researches confirm the legitimacy theory (Branco and Rodrigues, 2006, p.232; Deegan et al., 2002, p.312) while on the other hand, some scholars and their studies outright reject the concept put forward by the legitimacy theory (Guthri e and Parker, 1989, p.343). According to research, the stakeholder theory explains how a company may be portrayed with regards to the internal relations between different units and individuals that comprise it and that this may manipulate the firm’s performance. According to this theory, the company’s stakeholders include not only shareholders, but also other groups such as employees, suppliers, society, etc that have an inherent stake in how the company performs. (Freeman et al., 2010, p.28; Jones, 1995, p.407). critics of the stakeholder theory say that the nature of the relationships between the management and investors are always different from the nature of the associations

Integrated Case Study Analysis (Prediction markets at Google). Order

Integrated Analysis (Prediction markets at Google). Order 1111879 - Case Study Example It also aims to find if the product will be successful in the market. The case study actually involves the idea of Bo Cowgill, who is an employee of Google, who joined Google in 2003 after finishing his undergraduate degree in public policy in Stanford. The basic aim of the project was to find improved ways to utilize the huge amount of information, which was at the disposal of the company. Friedrich Hayek and the Iowa Electronic Markets had tried to harness this potential amount but had failed initially to implement this idea. The main problem identified in the employees was the lack of non-monetory motivation. The employees were not interested in earning extra money but wanted to be recognised in the organisation. Thus the HR aspect of Maslow’s Heirarchy of needs can be identified as one of the main issue in this case study. Another issue that cropped up was the high involvement of the employees in the prediction market that hampered the work output of the employees. The report is case analysis based on the prediction market of Google. In the case study, there are several problems related to different domains of management and those have been identified in order to come up with a suitable solution. The different problems identified have been segregated into different parts pertaining to their respective domains such as marketing, finance, human resource, etc. In the end, each of the problems have been analysed in order to find an appropriate solution for each of them. All these solutions have been discussed keeping in mind the success of Google Prediction Markets (GPM) as an effective product for the general public at large. The case study is an in depth discussion of the Google Prediction markets from the origin of the idea and the implementation of the concept into a successful product. We are all aware of Google Prediction market or the idea of a prediction market in general. They are very similar to stock market where there is the

Question-1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Question-1 - Coursework Example In the current times, the diversity and technology have emerged as important issues within organization that significantly impact performance outcome. The various stakeholders that are influenced by the issues are: employees, consumers, suppliers, interest groups, shareholders etc. The major objective of change management is to bring about organizational change smoothly. Thus, integrating the needs of the various stakeholders and empowering them with information regarding change considerably facilitates the change process. Promoting diversity and affirmative actions within organization hugely helps to create credible image of the firm. Moreover, diverse workforce greatly promotes diverse views and cultural competencies which can provide firms with unique capabilities and help them gain competitive advantage within the industry (Adidam, Phani et al., 2009). Effective communication regarding change is key tool that promotes better understanding of change processes and how change can be exploited as new opportunities. The different beliefs, value system, ideology and cultural paradigms have become essential elements of human interaction (Bloisi, 2007). Thus, promoting cross-cultural understanding across diverse workforce greatly facilitates resolution of workplac e conflicts and helps build constructive relationship and strong teamwork based on mutual respect resulting in higher productive outcome. (words:

Internal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internal Analysis - Essay Example rategic ways on how Wal-Mart can make use of its strengths in order to take advantage of its opportunities within its external environment will be thoroughly discussed. In the process of discussing some ways wherein the company could experience continuous business growth, recommended ways that could make Wal-Mart strengthen its weaknesses and avoid unnecessary external threats will be provided. For the conclusion, whether or not it is possible on the part of Wal-Mart to strengthen its position in the market will be defended by an argument. As a retailer, Wal-Mart has successfully established a strong brand name over the years. By selling consumer products at relatively low prices, the company managed to have the biggest market shares throughout the retail industry in the United States. (Bianco & Zellner, 2003) Due to the excessively large size of the company, it becomes very difficult on the part of its purchasers to maintain the availability of some of its product within the store outlets. Because of the weak purchasing network that causes insufficient supply of T-shirts in some of Wal-Mart’s retail store outlets during the second half of 2007 (Bianco, 2007), the company experienced a huge business opportunity loss. Aside from having a weak purchasing network, Wal-Mart’s growth strategy was reported to become inefficient since 2005. (Bianco, 2007) Basically, the rapid business growth that the company has achieved over the past few years enabled Wal-Mart to capture as much of its target market. For this reason, it becomes very difficult on the part of the company to use the same growth strategy in the near future. Even though the overhead costs of Wal-Mart significantly increased from 16.4% in 2000 up to 18.6% in 2007 (Bianco, 2007), the company is often being accused of underpaying its employees with low salary of US$8.23 per hour or US$13,861 each year (Bianco & Zellner, 2003). Having the idea of following the retail store structure of European

E-commerce and the world wide web an evolving relationship Research Paper

E-commerce and the world wide web an evolving relationship - Research Paper Example The inauguration of e-commerce could be pursued way back when telegrams, telex, telephones and fax were being used for commercial activities. In 1980, with the use of EDI, efforts were made in order to systemize the business information. The network between businesses were planned and based on value added network (Amor, 2000). The efficiency of carrying out the business was improved; however the commercial growth was limited because of the costly network. In 1990s, due to the internet being commercialized and arrival of computer technology, the network became economical for businesses as well as for the individuals (Amor, 2000). World Wide Web was formed due to the interrelationship. Businesses began approaching their customers by using the internet and to give the information related to marketing or online directory of product. Since then World Wide Web has emerged as a potential place for e-commerce practices (Gundry, & Kickul, 2010). E-commerce is expanding across the globe, which is opening the challenges and opportunities for a group of websites that are able to give e-business development. ECOMMERCE AND WORLD WIDE WEB E-commerce has been increasing all over the globe. Today many businesses are using the internet, websites, extranets and electronic data interchange to carry out e-commerce. E-commerce has been emerging, and whether it is a manufacturing company, a service organization or a retail store, e-commerce is being used by almost by every firm (Smith, 2011). E-commerce through the internet has been a valuable source which could be any source like online advertising, websites, blogs, videos, YouTube, or social media etc. Today businesses form their official websites to carry e-commerce or online transactions. These websites promote the information gathered from the decision making of the consumers regarding their purchases. E-commerce websites assist in building a relationship with consumers by offering usual communications (Smith, 2011) The internet or World Wide Web is not only considered to be an excellent source of communication among the people around the world, but it is also becoming one of the fastest and the most preferred sources for business transactions. Many successful business titans around the globe are addressing e-commerce in order to operate their businesses. Not only business titans, but also many small firms are also making full use of e-commerce and websites that could allow online shopping facilities (Gundry, & Kickul, 2010). World Wide Web has the ability to recognize a huge availability of market potential. Internet is one of the most secured channels to carry out the financial transaction that is the reason why it is attracting many people. The range of e-commerce is as wide and diverse as the internet is. Today anything can be bought through the internet, from the smallest needle to the biggest jumbo airline. Hotel reservations concerning flights have now been a reality. As the population is increasing , more and more people are using these types of facilities which make them comfortable, and it is the most secured means. This field has been emerging like any other field. Businesses make strategies in order attract consumers towards their web. Internet constantly has been broadcasting as the source of communication for the transactions of commerce (Gundry, & Kickul, 2010). In 1999, out of total retail sales, e-commerce was approximated to be $15 billion, which included both business to business and business to consumer (Gundry, & Kickul, 2010). The numbers are constantly increasing after that analysis as the demand has been increasing for the online goods and services. Another reason for the evolving relationship between e-commerce and World Wide Web is that the recognition of the internet as a resource for information and commercial transaction has been on the rise (Gundry, & Kickul, 2010). For the past decade, organizations perform their businesses through the inter

How to do qualitative research Essay Example for Free

How to do qualitative research Essay Introduction: Qualitative research is about asking questions and gathering information through words, to then later analyze. One way of doing this is through ethnography. But before any research can be done, there must be a research question. In this case, Do the Olympics cause their audience to act differently than when they are watching any other popular TV show? This question was chosen to clearly outline the process of ethnography, and how it is useful in finding out the information needed to answer this research question. Methodology: An ethnography is A Research approach to understanding the culture of a group (patterns of behaviour/attitudes, how they create meaning), by immersing oneself in the activities of the specific group over a period of time and then writing up a descriptive summary. (Savage 3). An ethnographic approach includes being engaged in and listening to conversations, taking regular notes and collecting artifacts of the group being studied (Savage 7). All of these things later help in writing up a summary of findings that where gathered from the ethnography. There are two main types of ethnography, first there is an overt ethnography where the participants are told they are being observed. This type of ethnography is most commonly used and is less risky because the participants are aware of the study that is taking place. The other type is covert. This is where the researcher is unknown by the participants (Savage 10). The ethnography done about whether the Olympics change the way an audience acts is a covert ethnography. The subjects were unaware of the researcher and the fact that they were being studied and just watched TV as they normally would. Although this study was in a closed setting, there is always a chance of a risk when doing a covert study, because one of the participants may not want to be studied (Savage 9-10). Another important aspect of doing an ethnography is gaining access. Gaining access all depends on whether it is a closed setting or an open setting. Open settings are public settings are are fairly easy to gain access to. They include places like a street corner, or a movie theatre lobby, or city council meetings (Savage 9). Closed settings are non-public settings that are harder to gain access to because they usually require a contact, or permission to get into. Closed settings include families, firms, doctors offices and political parties (Savage 9). These are places that access is only granted to people who have permission. Although, in most cases, a lot of groups that are in a closed setting, have both open and closed settings, so if permission was not granted, then there would still be an opportunity for an ethnography when the group is in an open setting. The ethnography that was done took place in a closed setting and access was granted due to it being at the researchers house. This made it easy to gain access without having to worry about any limits that can sometimes come with closed settings. Summary of Findings For this topic, one would find that using ethnography would be the best way to go about making a research project about the Olympics causing an audience to act differently then when they watch other popular TV shows. This is because the study was about to view two different settings, one of subjects watching a popular TV show (American Idol), and one of subjects watching the Olympic Games. This allowed for a very good comparison between the two, and made answering the research question fairly easy. While doing the ethnography in both settings, being a fly on the wall allowed the researcher to observe how the subjects acted in both situations without being noticed. The setting also helped in disguising the researcher, because the subjects were just told it was homework, or they were used to the researcher being on the computer anyways. If this study were to be conducted as an in-depth interview, the results would be quite different. The interviewee may not know how they react when theyre watching television, or may not notice that they act differently and vise versa, which would then make it difficult to get the desired information. This would put the study at a halt because no relevant information would have been gathered. Conducting an ethnography is the only real way to go about answering this research question. There is a certain level of control that comes with doing an ethnography for this question because the researcher is unknown, this also ensures that the subjects are acting the way the normally would and not acting the way the think they should act. Which is sometimes the case when people are told they are being studied. Also, (in this case) the subjects are somewhat being forced to watch the desired television show. This ensures that the subjects are being exposed to the same show and can allow for more specific research. Ethnography is also useful because it allows for change. If the ethnography were to go on, there would most likely be more television shows to compare the Olympics to, but in this case, the research question could be narrowed down to Do the Olympics cause their audience to act differently than when they are watching American Idol? . If the study were to continue, because it is an ethnography with multiple subjects for each show, there is room for change, and the data that was already collected would still be useful. Whereas if an in-depth interview was to done, and data was collected there is no guarantee that each subject watches the same television shows to be able to compare among the different subject that were interviewed. Key Learnings After choosing to use an ethnography to answer this research question, some things became quite clear. First, when conducting a covert ethnography, sometimes it is not so easy to remain unknown to every subject, and it is difficult to judge what they are thinking or what they will do if they were to find out. This raised the question of what should the researcher do if they are in a closed setting that they cannot leave and a subject did not want to be studied and was very angry? In most closed setting situations, the chances are that it will not be a covert ethnography, but after this covert closed setting ethnography, it was made clear that the position of research should not be made known for the safety of the researcher. This leads to another question about ethics and who should be harmed in that case. If the researcher is in danger of being harmed if they were to tell the subject that they were being studied, and if the researcher did not tell the subject, then it is considered unethical because the subject is being lied to. Does this issue then become an issue of choosing the greater good? In which case, who decides what the greater good is? Second, when doing an ethnography there is not always something useful to take note of. This causes ethnography to be very time consuming because the research must wait until they have all the information needed which may take a very long time if nothing is happening. This causes a problem because there is no guarantee that anything will happen at all that would help the researcher answer their research question. Conclusion: In discussing using ethnography to answer the question of Do the Olympics cause their audience to act differently than when they are watching any other popular TV show? and what was learned, it is safe to conclude that ethnography is the best way to approach a question like this. This is largely due to the method being more successful at gathering information than its alternative, and because there are a number of way that is can be performed to ensure that the researcher is able to get the information needed.

Historical Materialism Essay Example for Free

Historical Materialism Essay Social structures fall and crumble, and new ones take their place. This is a fact of civilization that has been with humanity since before the beginning of recorded history. Marxist theory takes this concept of change and asks an important question of it. Why do societies revolutionize themselves? Marxist theory, in this particular vein of thought, concerns itself with society’s motivations for change. In answer to this question Marxists use two distinct yet related forms of Materialism, Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism. They seek to use these concepts to apply logic to a seemingly random event, and there are indicators in history that this interpretation works. The important question to ask afterwards is do these interpretations still apply in a modern context. First, though, it is important to understand the Marxist concept of how revolution occurs. The Marxist interpretation of Materialism can be roughly broken up into two groupings, Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism. The aims of both of these concepts are the same though. Based on Marxist ideals these two concepts aim to explain the development of human history and give concrete motivation as to significant changes in human history. By considering both concepts in tandem one gains a full understanding of the Marxist interpretation of Materialism. Dialectical Materialism is based in two separate concepts, Dialectics and Materialism. Dialectics is one of the three original liberal arts, first developed in the classical world by the Ancient Greeks. (Saksena p543) Together with Rhetoric and Grammar, these liberal arts were developed as a means to fully understand the art of persuasion. Dialectic itself refers to the logic behind the argument, having a sound backing for your points. As such it is heavily grounded in logic. By combining this with materialism, the monist concept that everything in existence is made up of matter, you get a unique understanding of the basic makeup of Marxism. (Saksena p544) This is the lens through which the Marxist views the world, analytical and logical, with all things made up of a base product. When considering this with history, Historical Materialism is formed and Marxist understanding is applied to historical developments. Historical Materialism concerns itself with asking why and how Social progress is driven. The basic idea of this theory is that Human Society is based around how humans work to produce the means to live, and that all actions present in history are intrinsically tied to this. (Sober p310) There is also, in tandem with this, the concept that labour is divided into social classes, and that class division is dependant on the means of production. Finally, in terms of social movements, this theory states that these actions only occur when the dominant class is displaced by a newly emerging one. Eckstein p912) There are a series of ideas that go along with this concept of Historical Materialism. First and foremost is the concept that social progress is directly related to material progress, without some advancement in the process of production, social change will not occur. (Crimmins p523) Innate to this, it should be mentioned, is the concept that humans are involved with production. By tying societal progress intrinsically into manufacturing process, it ties the development of humanity, at its base level, to the worker. The worker then, becomes the means through which social progression is achieved, and also has some power over how humanity develops as a society. This power is not to be ignored, as this power is the central means to change in the Marxist view of history. By giving the workers this power it puts the means to change directly into their hands and makes them responsible for the future, and also for the past. But there is still the question of how this sect of society is motivated to action. Two distinct and yet related forces act in the concept of Historical Materialism, Production Relations and Productive Forces. Production Relations, here, can be understood to refer to the interaction between those producing the product and those paying the labourers to produce the product. (Manicas p241) Productive Forces refer to the actual labour pool that powers the productions. (Manicas p241) Understanding those two distinct terms, there is another sequence of required concepts in Historical Materialism that go along with those two concepts. Production Relations, it should be noted, develop relative to the development of productive forces. Manicas p244) An emphasis on production determines the speed of production force development. In other words, social progression is inversely relative to the way workers are treated. The change, for Marxist theorists, comes from dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. If the workers are happy they will have no desire to change the situation. If the current state is not in their favor, however, they will be motivated to action. This of course will result, op timally, in a change in society. That is what is central about this concept, the impact it has on society. The theory believes that the structure of a society is intrinsically tied to the mode of production, or in other words the structure of a society is an expression of the mode of production. (Manicas p245) For example, a society built around a production structure heavily dependant on mechanical production will find an increase in the repair and maintenance industry, whereas a society based around manual labour will require a large number of individuals working to achieve its product. Stating that the product developed by a society has an impact on its structure can essentially sum up this whole concept. Moving beyond simply the types of jobs that would be desired, this speaks towards what the educational system of that society would be like, what the pay scale would be, what the living conditions would be at. This is all relative to the skill of the labour and the amount of education necessary to do the job. If the market is based around specialized jobs that require immense amounts of schooling, then the pay scale and standard of living for that society will be higher than a manual labour society which requires little to no education for the job. To put it simply, the more difficult the standard job for the society, the better off that society will be. But what of the problems that would arise form this formation. Critical Marxist theory believes that these concepts are tied in to some of the problems present in societies. Every state, they believe, is an institution of the ruling class. (Mayer p143) As such the laws and values of that state would seek to reinforce the means to profit. They would be utilizing everything down to the structure of the state to optimize the goal of the collective. In a capitalist structure, for example, the value structure is built around profit. As such, according to the Marxist theory, the values and systems inherent to this state would reinforce this ideal. Taking into account modern corporate practices of exporting service and manual labour to other countries where it is cheaper to attain, one sees the profit-based value structure of the capitalist system affecting their policy. The second important factor in this consideration is that State power is usually only transferred through upheaval. Sober p323) This is an extremely destructive means to achieve change, and this should be noted. It does not make it untrue, however. This violent upheaval, combined with the obliteration of the previous system, combine to show the means to change. As upsetting as it may be to think that our system is based on a wholly violent means to achieving its end, every indication through history shows this factor working time and again. Finally, this particular mode of production has to give out at some point as new technologies discover more efficient means of production. Thus the final belief of the Marxist Historical Materialist perspective is that when current production relations no longer function, progress is either stalled, or there is revolution. (Stiermotte p112) So the final catalyst, the straw that will break societies back, will be the death of production. This idea makes perfect sense when taken in terms of the whole of the argument. If motivation for change were present in the means to production and the relations between producer and employer, then the death of production would mean the end of that society producing. That is a perfect catalyst for setting off change. If there is no profit then the system, inherently built on it, fails and must be replaced. This is the full circle of Marxists Historical Materialism, the concept that when production fails, revolution will occur to re-imagine production systems to increase profit and thus advance that society. The hard question, however, is to what extent does this view of Historical Materialism apply today? Is it still a prescient means to understand societal development? If it is then perhaps it can be applied to see the future of society, maybe as a means to ensure we are not heading down a path we would not agree with. The system that comes afterwards is based in the values of those who are generally in opposition to the ruling class they have just ousted. As such they, logically, would seek to be as contrary to the original as possible. Before revolution occurs, one must contemplate what the most likely scenario would be and whether it is favorable. But before that can even occur, the question of whether this theory does indeed apply or not must be answered. As such there are four basic questions that must be answered in the affirmative for this to be the case. Is the motivation still present? Is there still a need for change? To this the answer would be affirmative. Present still in this world are primary causes for change; poverty, social inequality. These motivators are still present as a means to have the â€Å"poor† class desire change. The best example would be the rising unemployment rate in the UK. As is stated in the article, the rate of employment in the UK has descended from a â€Å"low unemployment economy to the high unemployment reality of the present era. (Leslie p371) So not only is there the sort of motivator to initiate change, the situation is actually getting progressively worse. Are there current social classes? Is there immense inequality between the classes? Yes, there are rich and poor classes in our current time and there is a distinct difference between them. Moreover the capability to move between classes is but a faint hope and it is not often that this occurs. Are these classes developed based on the mode of production? If one observes the poorer classes and their particular jobs, then one must see that their poverty is indeed tied in to the mode of production. Most often the only means of employment is to work for the rich class in a company owned by them. (Mayer p144) The ruling class here is utilizing the labour forces as a means to production. Is the state an institution of the ruling class? Does it enforce their values? In a capitalist society the values are based around profit. The values inherent to the state thus reinforce the values of the ruling class, the desire for profit before any other considerations. This is seen through the mutually declining state of employment and also health care in the UK. Through putting profit before the welfare of the employee, considerations that should normally be considered mandatory are lost by the wayside. Healthcare, in particular neonatal health care, declines as suicide and para-suicide rates increase. (Cook p73) All together this forms the impression of the powers in charge of production being unmoved by the plight of the labour force they are using. The factors for change, as outlined through Historical Materialism, are still present in current culture. Action, however, is not present. But this action, according to Historical Materialism, will only be sparked when production fails. This failure will either stall production or bring about revolution. Production, at this time, has not stopped so the final motivation for revolution is not present. But Marx never did suppose that any progress would be instantaneous, rather he stated quite the opposite. His logic was grounded in the development of the world from a proto-communist/tribal society, through ancient civilization, to feudalism, to capitalism, and finally to the ideal communist state. Marx’s worldview is that humanity is slowly progressing towards a communist state of peace, yet by his own admission; the world actually began in a proto-communist state, and then progressed away from this. Is the end state of Communism actually a step back, or is it a cyclical view of the world wherein, upon reaching the communist state at the end, the cycle begins anew and humanity goes back to ancient civilization. Progression does not necessarily entail constant forward movement in the Marxist view, only that a new class will replace the ruling elite, and society will be accordingly supplanted with a new structure. Nowhere does it emphasize this progress as a positive development. What we must really ask ourselves is, is this the future we want for our society? Do we want to go back to where we began? Do we want to develop the same way we have for years or have the myriad of problems that have arisen accordingly shown us that perhaps searching for a better means to development is the best option? Do we want history to repeat itself, or do we want to shape it?

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay According to Nelson (1980) social work was one of the first professions to recognise the importance of communications skills and the link to effective practice. Communication skills can be essential to the task of assessment, interviewing and later decision making for social workers. In practice, communication tends to be defined primarily as: The verbal and nonverbal exchange of information, including all the ways in which knowledge is transmitted and received (Barker, 2003: 83 in Trevithick, 2005, p 116). The latter elements of communication, which can often translate the emotional content of the communication, are also referred to as interpersonal skills. According to Thompson (2002) social workers use such skills to communicate ethically sensitive practice (p.307). The purpose of this essay is to highlight the role and importance of verbal and non verbal communication skills involved in social work practice. According to Koprowska (2008) communication is both interactive and context related. Therefore, careful consideration needs to be taken when communicating. There may be several barriers involved in communication, such as: authority; language; ability; personality; gender; age; and class (Thompson, 2009). True communication can only be achieved if the barriers are identified and removed. This can be attained by the practice of an anti oppressive and anti discriminatory approach to communication on the part of the social worker. Verbal Communication In practice good communication skills, practically listening and interview skills, are crucial for establishing efficient and respectful relationships with service users and lie at the heart of best practice in social work (Trevithick, 2005, p116). Social workers must demonstrate several skills while assessing or interviewing a client. Verbal communication is a key skill in social work practice and refers to face to face interactions and involves the impact of the actual words we use in speaking (Thompson, 2009, p100). It is importance for social workers to be aware of how and what they say in certain situations; for example, in regards to the issue of formality. If the social worker does not access the situation correctly they may be conceived as being too formal or informal and thus will inevitable create barriers. Further, many service users tend to come from vulnerable sections of society. It is possible that their involvement with social workers may invoke feelings of shame or f ear. It is likely that this will then leave them vulnerable to feeling misunderstood and not listened to. It is therefore fundamental that social workers treat each client as an individual and assess their situation as a unique case. In order to build a good relationship with each client the social worker must demolish any power or untrusting issues that may be present. This power may be either perceived or real in certain situations. For that reason, congruence plays an important role during the interview process. It may not be completely possible to eradicate the power imbalance but it is a key skill to be aware of the need to achieve congruence. This can be active by using the appropriate language so that the client can fully understand and be listened to. It is through such skills that social workers can convey genuine warmth, respect and non-judgement for the service user. Indeed, verbal communication skills also play a major role when working with other colleagues and professi ons, and are essential for decision making and assessments (Cournoyer, 1991). Non Verbal Communication Non verbal communication is a major component for interpersonal skill repertoire and includes posture, facial expression, proxemics, eye contact, and personal appearance (Kadushin and Kadushin, 1997, in Trevithick, 2005, p120), and it can support or contradict verbal communication. The importance of non-verbal communication is not a new concept in the social work field, in an article by DiMatteo, Hays, and Prince (1986) maintained that there are two dimensions of nonverbal communication, firstly decoding or sensitivity and secondly encoding or expressiveness. According to DiMatteo et al nonverbal decoding refers to the capacity to understand the emotions conveyed through others nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body movements, and voice tone. Nonverbal encoding refers to the capacity to express emotion through nonverbal cues (p 582).For example, much of the understanding of non verbal communication can be gathered through using observation skills. Observation skills can be v ital for social workers interviewing a client. According to Kadushin and Kadushin (1997) there are five thousand distinctly different hand gestures and one thousand different steady body postures so precise observation of non-verbal behaviour is important(P 315). The client may tell the social worker they are coping fine and dont need any help but by observing their facial expression or lack of eye contact they may contradict this. Sheldon stresses that social workers must be aware of their own capacity for self-observation, although always somewhat limited, provides us with an opportunity to analyse our own role and impact. (Sheldon 1995: 132-3 in Trevithick, 2005, p123). Active listening Research has verified listening as the most utilized form of communication. If frequency is a measure of importance, then listening easily qualifies as the most prominent kind of communication (Adler Rodman, 1997, p. 283). Listening may appear to be straightforward but active listening skills need to be learned, practised in training, developed and refreshed for effective use in real situations. Active listening describes a special and demanding alertness on the part of the social worker involved in interviewing a client. For Egan, active listening is about being present psychologically, socially and emotionally, not just physically (Trevithick 2005,p.123). By using skills such as paraphrasing, reflective questioning and open and closed questioning the social worker can convey full interest and understanding to a vulnerable client. Self awareness The concept of self-awareness is important in social work interviewing. Burnard (1992) defines self awareness as the process of getting to know your feelings, attitudes and values (in Thompson, 2009, p.3). A key aspect of self awareness is being aware how we may be perceived by others. In regards to interviewing the social worker may believe they are being laid back, however for the client it may be conceived as being uncaring. Supervision is therefore an important tool to gain feedback and explored any issues. Further importance of self awareness included understanding how possible external factors may affect social workers. Social workers need to aware of concepts such as transference, triggers and blind spots during interviewing process. Thompson stressed that the worker can be affected by a situation without knowing. Therefore, the use of self is extremely important. Empathy Empathy is another important communication skills involved in social work interviewing. This skill involves understanding or appreciating the feelings of others, but without necessarily experiencing them (Thompson 2009, p111). Social workers must show sensitivity and respect to the feelings of the client. There is however a difference between sympathy and empathy. Therefore there is a fundamental skill to achieving empathy not merely expressing sympathy. It is clear from the above information that the failure to achieve efficient communication between the social worker and client can lead to serious consequences. Poor communication can contributed to the harm and inadequate care clients. For example, in recent times such failures of communication among a range of professionals have been highlighted in the public inquiries into the death of several children known to be in the care of social services.(rewrite) Personal Learning

Every Woman Is A Novel :a Jest Of God :: essays research papers

Rachel often addresses her thoughts to God. How does she imagine Him (Her or It)? Does Rachel's concept of God change during the course of the Novel? Explain. Rachel Cameron, the heroine of "A Jest of God", is not simply as an individual literary character but as a psychological portrayal of women of Rachel's time and inclination. Even we can easily find someone who has the same problem Rachel has in the friends of us, or maybe in an early morning when we get up; stand at front of the mirror; we will suddenly have a idea, "I am Rachel too." She has a common Cameron heritage. She is a gawky, introverted spinster schoolteacher who has returned home to Manawaka from university in Winnipeg, upon the death of her alcoholic undertaker father Niall Cameron, to care for her hypochondriac mother May. Nevertheless, the family resemblance is obvious: their shared Scots Presbyterian ancestry, which Laurence views as distinctively Canadian, provides an armour of pride that imprisons her within their internal worlds, while providing a defence against the external world. To overcome that barrier between personalities, she must learn to understand and accept their heritage in order to liberate her own identities and free herself for the future. She must also learn to love herself before she can love others. Rachel receive a sentimental education through a brief love affair: as a result of learning to empathize with their lovers, she learn to love herself and the people she lives with. Laurence's emphasis is, as always, on the importance of love in the sense of compassion, as each of her solipsistic protagonists develops from claustrophobia to community. The beginning of "A Jest of God" extends beyond its Canadian perimeters in Rachel's branching imagination, both into the fairytale dream world which gives depth and pathos to the disappointment and despair of her present and out into a wider world in time and space than the grey little town of Manawaka. The first lines of the novel tell us everything basic to Rachel's mind, her temperament, and her situation. The wind blows low, the wind blows high The snow comes falling from the sky, Rachel Cameron says she'll die For the want of the golden city. She is handsome, she is pretty, She is the queen of the golden city. They are not actually chanting my name, of course, I only hear it that way from where I am watching the classroom window, because I remember myself skipping rope to that song when I was about the age of the little girls out there now. Twenty-seven years ago... (p. 1) The reader is engaged in sympathy with Rachel by the sadness of the gap

Industrial France And England :: essays research papers

Andrew Battaini   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2/16/00 Industrial France and England   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The impact Industrial Revolution was immense on the countries of France and England, which caused large changes in the social classes. Another class of peoples emerged in England and France; they were the middle classes. The middle class was made up of intelligent people who made their money through their smarts and not how they were born. This was clearly proven in France when it's middle class emerged and being influenced by the philosophies filtered ideas of natural rights (life, liberty, and property). This in turn created ideas of revolution in France which eventually overthrew the monarch and set up there own government. Both of these countries however used the Industrial Revolution to there advantage in terms of new inventions and bettering the economy. This essay will show the impact of the Industrial Revolution on France and England.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  England started its Industrial Revolution at its peak by first having the proper tools available at the right time. One of the reasons England did so well before the Industrial Revolution was that it had a strong merchant marine which got the materials that didn't occur naturally on there island. This also allowed them to gain news of technological advances and soon machines replaced the gape where workers couldn't be because of the limited work force. And due to England's supremacy of the sea anything they couldn't make now they could trade for it. This led to a better economy, which fell into the time slot of the industrial revolution. Through out all of this the classes remained the same except the small percent of peasants that moved up to the middle class. Family life was very similar through out Europe and there was no exception in England , the father was the head of the family and worked while the women stayed home and took care of the children an did most of the household chores. Rural life did not change much but urban life did with people moving to the cities to work in factories so population in cities grew gradually, but this sudden flood of people made many of them homeless because there was not enough room for them ,so they ether walked many miles to work or if lucky enough a person could find a room to live in. This view of the industrial revolution in England shows that it was beneficial for the economy and upper class but it was horrid for

President Wilson in the Twentieth Century :: Essays Papers

President Wilson in the Twentieth Century President Woodrow Wilson was an early twentieth century president that held a large amount of power. Not only did he have extreme power in the United States, but he made important decisions based on his own personal beliefs and ideas that effected the world. President Wilson was geniunely concerned by the sufferings of humans. Wilson felt that his role in office was to serve the public as best he could. Contrary to popular belief he was not the â€Å"machine-like psychotic,† so many people make him out to be. In his inaugural speech, given in March 1913, he stated, â€Å"This is a not a day of triumph, it is a day of dedication. Here muster, not the forces of party, but the forces of humanity. Men’s hearts wait upon us; men’s lives hang in the balance; men’s hopes call upon us to say what we will do. Who shall live up to the great trust? Who dares fail to try? I summon all honest men, all patriotic, all forward-looking men, to my side. God helping me, I will not fail them, if they will but counsel and sustain me.† This was the attitude that Wilson carried out all of his activities with. He jumped into the Presidency with complete dedication. He truly loved the executive responsibility. The outlines of Wilson’s presidential character could not be clearer. He did not just work hard, he slaved away, often to point of complete exhaustion. In letters to his lady friends, one can see the determination and sense of drive that Wilson exemplifies. â€Å"I work hard, of course (the amount of work a president is expected to do, but it is not that that tells on a fellow. It’s the anxiety attending the handling of... affairs in which you seem to be touching quicksilver...I have been under a terrible strain as I have undergone ever since Congress convened in April,† (Barber 65). This dedication carried over to people all over the world. Another powerful move for Wilson was the Fourteen Points. One aspect was a proposal to end secret treaties. Therefore, European couldn’t go behind each other’s backs in time of war. The second point was freedom of the seas. This was that no one could control the oceans.

Chapter Syanade

Furthermore, following the Basic Education Curriculum, some enhancement, enrichment and upgrading of skills in Technology and Livelihood Education were made, wherein the students are required to undergo specialization using their basic academics in their chosen field like food trades, cosmetology, garments, agriculture, auto mechanics, radio chances, industrial electricity, civil technology, drafting, and computer technology. This enhancement paved the way of producing skilled graduates capable of employment, thereby fulfilling the school's mission and vision. Jacob Z.Gonzales Memorial National High School had been using the traditional way of teaching their students. Sometimes it's hard for the students to gather information for their assignments because of the limited number of books. It's also hard for the teachers to catch the attention of the students because sometimes they are not interested in a topic or lesson. Today we all know that technology continues to flow all over the world, computers are now more efficient to use because with the use of this device we can lessen our work. With the use of Information System for Science Subjects students can easily get information for their assignments.All students can easily understand some important or vocabulary words by the use of glossary which is also included in this system. This can also be used as the visual presentation of the teachers in teaching their students. The School of Jacob Z. Gonzales Memorial National High School has a unique equipments and facilities. They have here some computers and projectors which are provided in every room of the school. They also have their computer laboratory room that's why it is easy to use and install software or any system that will be beneficial for the school.Computer Aided Instruction is very applicable in a classroom setting specially in Environmental Science. It covers the five major themes: Human Population, Sustainability and Carrying Capacity, Urban World, Global Perspective, and Science and Values. The subject is more interesting when it integrates Computer Aided Instruction. Videos, Graphics, Text, and Sounds will be added n this software for better teaching and learning. The integration of multimedia and fresh information would help the teacher in teaching the subject and would help in getting the attention of the students.This kind of technology would be sufficient for learning especially for those who wants to excel in the subject Environmental Science. Multimedia as a part of the proposed Computer Aided Instruction would not only help the users but also to experience the innovative technology. Computer Aided Instruction for Environmental Science can be a powerful tool in education especially to those who need a large amount of reading. Students nowadays need a different kind of approach in learning, instead of traditional classroom teaching. 1. Statement of the Problem 12. 1 General Problem How to design an Information System fo r Science subjects Gonzales Memorial National High School? In Jacob Z. 1. 2. 2 Specific Problems 1 . How to design a System that will generate information about science? There is only limited number of books that's why the students find it difficult to search for their assignments. Also, the users could hardly find their needed information from the internet and library. 2. How to design a system that will help the teachers in providing a restoration for their teaching?Sometimes, the students are getting bored, listening to the lesson that their teacher is discussing in front of the class that's why the researchers choose to provide this system to make it easier for the teachers to discuss the lessons. The system can catch the attention of many students because once they open this program there is music, lots of animation and video presentations that can make the lessons more interesting. 3. How to design a system that will provide pictures and videos for presentation? Sometimes, it is hard for the teacher to discuss the lesson wherein there is need for a video presentation.The system will provide videos for the topic that is needed by the students and teachers. 1. Abject of the Study 1. 3. 1 General Objective The main objective of this system is to develop an Information System for Science subjects for high school which will provide pictures, videos and meaning of unfamiliar words. The researchers also acknowledged the use of Microsoft database to record the name and the score of the students who take the quiz in every science topic. The researchers also include here a login form which only the Science teachers can access to allow them to view the corded scores of their students.And also to know who among their students have taken the quiz. 1. 32 Specific Objectives 1. To design a system that will generate information. The system will provide a list of vocabulary words with its corresponding meaning so that the student will easily understand it. The researcher s have provided a glossary in every subject so that they can easily find the meaning of the unfamiliar words. 2. To design a system that will help the teachers in providing a presentation for their teaching. The teachers can easily use the system using a projector. 3. To design a system that will provide pictures and videos for presentation.

Feedback in Communications Essay

When you make a conscious choice to give and receive feedback on a regular basis you demonstrate that feedback is a powerful means of personal development. Done properly, feedback need not be agonizing, demoralizing, or daunting and the more practice you get the better you will become at it. It may never be your favorite means of communicating with employees, co-workers, or bosses but it does have the potential to make your workplace a much more productive and harmonious place to be. No doubt the process of giving feedback is seen as unnerving and fear provoking. And the workplace can sometimes be the wrong emotional environment in which to discuss performance, introduce suggestions for improvement, and talk about goals for the future. This is a shame, because giving and receiving feedback is some of the most important communication you can engage in with members of your organization. When done in the right way and with the right intentions, feedback communication is the avenue to achieve good performance. Employees have to know what they are doing well and not so well. For them to really hear your thoughts and suggestions on ways to improve, though, that feedback has to be delivered carefully and frequently. Giving feedback effectively is a skill. And like all skills, it takes practice to build your confidence and improve. The following is a collection of â€Å"feedback giving† tips that organizations can try and use. Try to make is positive. Before giving feedback managers or employees should remind themselves why they are doing it. The purpose for giving feedback is to improve the situation. Being confrontational will not accomplish anything.. That’s not to say you must always be positive. There is a role for negativity and even anger if someone isn’t paying attention to what you’re saying. However, this should be used only if necessary. You’ll most often get much more from people when your approach is positive and focused on improvement. Be Timely The closer to the event you address the issue, the better. Feedback isn’t about surprising someone so the sooner you do it, the more the person will be expecting it. IT is much easier to give feedback about an issue that was just completed/not completed than is it to give feedback about a whole years performance. The exception to this is if the situation involved is highly emotional. Waiting until everyone has calmed down before you engage in feedback may help you avoid further confrontation on both sides. You can’t risk letting yourself get worked up and risk saying something you will regret later. Make it Regular When something needs to be said, say it. People then know where they stand all the time and there are few surprises. Also, problems don’t get out of hand. This is not a once-a-year or a once-every-three-months. While this may be the timing of formal feedback, informal, simple feedback should be given much more often depending on the situation. Be Specific Tell the person exactly what they need to improve on. This ensures that you stick to facts and there is less room for vagueness. Remember to stick to what you know first hand: You’ll quickly find yourself on shaky ground if you start giving feedback based on other people’s views. Criticize in Private and Use â€Å"I† Statements While public recognition is appreciated, public scrutiny is not. Establish a safe place to talk where you won’t be interrupted or overheard.. Give the feedback from your perspective. This way you avoid labeling the person. Say, â€Å"I was angry and hurt when you criticized my report in front of my boss† rather than â€Å"You were insensitive yesterday.† Limit Your Focus and Talk Positive A feedback session should discuss no more than two issues. Any more than that and you risk the person feeling attacked and demoralized. You should also stick to behaviors the person can actually change or influence. A good rule is start off with something positive. This helps put the person at ease. It also lets them â€Å"see† what success looks like and this helps them to take the right steps next time. As long as it’s not forced, it can also help to give positive feedback at the end of a feedback session too. Otherwise, people can finish feeling despondent and worthless. Provide Specific Suggestions and Follow Up Make sure you both know what needs to be done to improve the situation. The main message should be that you care and want to help the person grow and develop. Set goals and make plans to monitor and evaluate progress. The whole purpose of feedback is to improve performance. You need to measure whether or not that is happening and then make adjustments as you go. Be sure to document your conversations and discuss what is working and what needs to be modified. The Benefits of Receiving Constructive Feedback Constructive Feedback is important to the achievement of any professional business connection. Providing feedback is something individuals do to offer suggestions or assessments of someone else’s job performance. As stated in the article, â€Å"Giving Constructive Feedback,† giving constructive feedback is an essential and effective tool in boosting much-needed morale, supporting career progression and encouraging good teamwork. Constructive Feedback should not make people feel discouraged, but make them feel like their work and contributions are appreciated. Constructive Feedback can also better a person by the improvement of work performance. Here are some benefits of receiving constructive feedback listed on helium.com: 1. â€Å"It gives individuals the ability to correct any mistakes you make before you either make the same mistake again, or make your current error worse†. 2. â€Å"It Help individuals learn a new skill as quickly as possible.† An examp le of this is learning a skill such as self defense. If the teacher does not give constructive feedback on how the student is shaping their method, progress will come much slower. 3. â€Å"It helps individuals improve on their current skill set.† For example, many professions benefit from others giving them feedback on their current projects. Feedback is like guidance that will allow employees to learn as well improve their quality of work. 4. â€Å"Trust is established between management and staff when constructive feedback is rendered.† When the staff sees that management care, they will begin to care as well. There will be a change in how feedback improves the interpersonal relationships with higher authority and employees. 5. â€Å"Managers providing constructive feedback practice a process of mentoring and developing their staff to stardom within the organization.† 6. â€Å"Providing feedback can improve employee morale and reduce confusion regarding expectations and current performance†. Some individuals do not have the ability to give others constructive feedback. Feedback should be significant and beneficial. If an individual is put in a position to give another person feedback, that individual must make sure the criticism is helpful, not cruel. â€Å"Constructive feedback presents you with the perfect opportunity to grow and learn from your mistakes. But, one of the biggest things that can harm your chances of getting constructive feedback is to become defensive or not listen to the person when they are giving you the feedback† (helium.com). As stated in the article, â€Å"The Importance, Benefits and Fundamentals of Providing Feedback in Sales,† it is suggested that an individual giving constructive feedback should identify the problem, explain how the behavior is wrong or detrimental, help the individual acknowledge the problem, develop goals with the individual, and then monitor the individual’s performance.The main benefit of constructive feedback is to help individual’s advance, acquire information faster, or to better themselves. Examples of effective and ineffective feedback Throughout this paper, giving and receiving feedback has been defined. Also, the different ways to give and receive feedback has been established. This section will elaborate on examples of giving and receiving feedback. Many people experience ineffective feedback on a daily basis. Most often the cause is a supervisor or manager who does not want to release control, however, ineffective feedback is not limited to this particular situation. In the book, Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore, he states there are â€Å"five levels of feedback that are in common use† (Whitmore, 2010, p. 123). Below is a scenario that will be used to show the different types of criticism most commonly experienced by most people. Scenario A project has been assigned to Jane who is a new member of the Cost-Cutters Team. The goal of the team is to brainstorm, propose, and implement a new way of cutting the company’s cost in the most effective manner. Jane is to write the proposal which will be submitted to board for approval. Once the brainstorming has been completed, the team leaves everything in Jane’s hand with a warning. They tell her, â€Å"Do not mess this up.† Jane feels confident she can write the proposal and does not take the warning personal. Once the proposal is finished, Jane comes back to the team to receive feedback from them. The proposal is handed around to each member of the team with many comments being made on everything from the design of the proposal to the steps of implementation. Ineffective feedback Team member #1 stated, â€Å"You really missed the mark with this assignment.† Making this type of statement does not help anyone. The feedback is extremely critical and offers no direction or opportunities for the receiver to learn or make improvements. Personal criticism is a very ineffective way to critique (Whitmore, 2010, p. 124). Team member #2 told Jane, â€Å"This will not do. We will have to scrap this and begin again.† According to Whitmore, the feedback displayed by this statement is judgmental and by directing the comments at the proposal instead of the person, â€Å"damages self-esteem† (Whitmore, 2010, p. 124). Team member #3 made this statement to Jane. â€Å"You have a clear plan; however, the design and packaging of the proposal will not be well received by the board.† Team member #3’s statement is mildly better than the two before. The beginning of the statement gives some direction for Jane. The plan outlined in the proposal is a good one. When it comes to a design for the proposal, however, Team member #3 did not give any clear instruction or insight to assist Jane, leaving her on the outside (Whitmore, 2010, p. 124). Team member #4 asked Jane this question, â€Å"Do you like your proposal?† Although the statement allows Jane the opportunity to actually acknowledge she is the â€Å"owner† of the proposal, without more in-depth questions, Jane is still left without clear direction. Effective feedback Team member #5 took a different approach to the situation by asking a series of question to get Jane to thinking about the proposal and how it could be improved (Whitmore, 2010, p. 124). Team member #5 also thanked Jane for taking on the assignment in the first place because it freed the other members to focus on other issues assigned to the team. According to Don and Sheryl Grimme, authors of The New Manager’s Tool Kit, use of this type of positive feedback increases the chances that Jane will â€Å"repeat the desired behavior† in the future and not shrink away from an assignment (Grimme & Grimme, 2009, p. 82). The questions not only got Jane to thinking about what she was trying to express with the proposal, the questions reminded Jane that she wrote this proposal. It was â€Å"her† proposal and she regained her confidence in her ability to produce an acceptable proposal for the board. Whitmore says that by asking a series of questions void of criticisms and judgmental comments leaves room for â€Å"accelerated learning and improved performance (Whitmore, 2010, p. 124). How Feedback Can Effect Development Feedback plays a critical part on a person’s cognitive development because it is a method to how individuals associate with others and the world around them. It is how people learn to make decisions. However, there is more to giving or receiving feedback when it is a matter of cognitive development concerns. Instead it becomes a question of how much feedback is necessary and what other functions can help to receive beneficial results. Therefore other functions are introduced such as physical activity, practice or repetition. The idea is to combine both feedback and practice, where as the two components become interdependent. The research of Motor Learning in Children: Feedback Effects on Skill Acquisition may help to understand why considering how much feedback for an individual is really necessary. There are various methods of feedback and examples that will further exemplify how cognitive development and feedback play a major role in today’s experiences. According to recent case studies by Katherine J Sullivan, Shailesh S Kantak, and Patricia A Burtner, cognitive theory is one of the factors among effective feedback-processing capability from the receiver. In their study, processing capability determines the affect of feedback among motor skills training. Half of the participants, both children and young adults receive either %100 feedback with motor skill practice or reduced feedback with motor skill practice. The result of the study is all participants who receive %100 feedback show more signs of accuracy and consistency. On the other hand young adults with reduced feedback still show signs of accuracy and consistency with additional practice; which means equal results can come from reduced feedback. Another interesting fact in the research is how children processed information differently than that of adults. It’s obvious that children would need more practice in order to process the information, but does that mean adults do not need as much feedback as children? Although the example above surrounds skill development among children and young adults, it is still informative for all professionals in various settings to determine the frequency of effective feedback along with helpful components. This may be relevant in situations where professionals such as managers, teachers, or doctors- who preside over various groups or individuals have to determine the level of feedback that is necessary to gain the intended result. Furthermore, there are similar ways of feedback that are used for adults as it is for children, such as corrective feedback, by immediately responding to an error. However, adults do not require continuous or %100 feedback to gain a skill, or retain new information as children do. For example: a manager is presenting a new system for meeting daily quotas. This new system requires employees to rearrange his/her method for recording data. After training, employees are judged by production and/or quality for the next three weeks to determine whether employees are using the system correctly. If not, the employees are given feedback, either by verbal correction or additional training. Then, after that period, employees are not as often monitored or corrected by superior staff. This is because adults do not require %100, feedback. Reduced feedback along with practice or other active components can produce the same results. For children, the frequency of feedback is much more intense due to children’s cognitive processing capabilities. The children involved in the research previously mentioned are between the ages of 8 to 14. According to Piaget’s Stages of Development, a child within these ages is within the concrete operational stage, which explains why feedback is important for children this age. It’s because children are at a stage where they are capable of thinking logically- associating action with a reaction. Hence, feedback is frequently used in many ways for their benefit. For example, children receive report cards and progressive reports from school; rewards for good behavior and grades. Children also receive feedback from their peers and adults (good or bad). For instance, if a child is a disruptive student in class and other students laugh or encourage the behavior, then the behavior will more likely continue. However, if the teacher provides corrective feedback to redirect the behavior and maintain appropriate behavior in the classroom, then the child can associate the teacher’s feedback with his/her actions. Feedback also may spark motivation for academic achievement, which teachers or parents may use to encourage children with rewards, such as money or privileges. Summary Feedback is a very important factor in any situation. The way feedback is given will directly impact the outcome of the situation. Ineffective feedback can leave the receiver feeling inadequate and diminish the receiver’s self-esteem. Surprisingly, the least effective methods are the ones most commonly used (Whitmore, 2010, p. 125). On the contrary, effective feedback will empower the receiver and allow learning and critical thinking to take place (Whitmore, 2010, p. 124). Not only will the receiver benefit; the person giving the feedback will benefit also. When someone learns to give effective feedback, that person becomes an effective leader and is able to guide others into their full potential. Giving and receiving feedback is a very strong; necessary tool in any situation. Reference Grimme, D., & Grimme, S. (2009). The New Manager’s Tool Kit. New York:American Management Association. Huether, Katherine. â€Å"The Benefits of Constructive Feedback.† Helium. Helium, 02 Sept. 2007. Web. 01 Feb. 2013 Moore, Krista. The Importance, Benefits and Fundamentals of Providing Feedback in Sales.† The Importance, Benefits and Fundamentals of Providing Feedback in Sales. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. Sullivan, K., Kantak, S., & Burtner, P. (2008). Motor learning in children: feedback effects on skill acquisition. Physical Therapy, 88(6), 720-732. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20070196 Wardy, Joseph. â€Å"The Benefits of Constructive Feedback.† Helium. Helium, 27 Jan. 2010. Web. 01 Feb. 2013 Whitmore, J. (2010). Coaching for Performance 4th Edition. Boston: Nicholas Brealey.

Effects of Global warming on Sea Otter Essay

The effects of global warming are with us, different parts of the world are experiencing catastrophic phenomenon which are directly attributed to the rise in global temperatures. Global warming basically refers to the increase in temperatures on the earth surface over a period of time. It has been established that the global temperatures has risen by almost two degrees centigrade for the last one century. This condition has been attributed to the increase in the green house gas concentrations in the atmosphere. This is directly as a result of human activity which has resulted in the increased emission of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Human activities are largely to blame for the condition that is threatening to change the weather and climatic patterns. This condition if it goes unchecked for some years to come the whole world populations may be wiped out. The effects of this phenomenon are so serious that the lives of all the creatures on earth are at great risk. Global warming has been responsible for the climate and weather changes being experienced in different parts of the world. Temperatures have risen to high levels which have never been witnessed before. Ice is melting leading to rise of sea levels this is causing and will continue to cause displacement to people and animals that live near the sea shores. Cities which have for long time enjoyed closeness to the sea are being submerged. It has been pointed out that in some years to come entire cities along the coastlines may be submerged. This will lead to serious loss of lives, both for people and animals. Properties worth billions will be destroyed as the nature takes its course perhaps as a reaction from the selfish lifestyles of the human beings. The changing patterns of climatic conditions are causing deep problems as some animals species are finding it hard to survive in areas where they have lived for ages . Animals which have largely depended on these conditions for survival have their populations being reduced in a great margin. In all parts of the world extreme weather conditions are being experienced. In some cases temperatures are rising to levels which have never been recorded before whereas some regions in Europe are experiencing extremely cold seasons which are forcing some of the sea animals to migrate to other areas in search for food and better places to live. The mass migration of animal species is impacting negatively on the lives of the humans and other animals. As they move they may lead to more destruction of the environment, this means that the problem that has brought us to this end will be with us for a long time. The changing weather patterns will lead to so many changes in the world; this will include the eating habits of the animals. This has already happened in some parts of the world as some animals are turning to non traditional sources of their food as a mechanism to survive the harsh conditions which are directly related to the global warming. The size of the Artic region is expected to decrease with the possibility of the ocean being free of the summer ice in a period of less than fifty years. The response of the Artic region to this climatic catastrophe has been worrying the scientist as it poses even more serious dangers to the world than what we are experiencing at the moment. There is a possibility of more green house gases being released in to the atmosphere as a result of thawing process of methane and other harmful elements. Releasing of these gases into the air will hasten the global warming leading to more serious problems. The effects of global warming are far reaching; they are affecting every aspect of our lives. Sea otter have not been spared either by this phenomenon which is threatening to wipe out the entire population if these marine mammals in Europe. According to Kruuk Hans the population of the sea otters in Europe has been on a sharp decline due to various reasons where one of the most cited has been global warming exposing these creatures to predators and conditions which are no favorable. (Kruuk H 2006 229) Extreme low temperatures in some parts of Europe have lead to mass migration of sea otters to areas where they are being an easy prone to the predators. As they move around searching for food they are exposing themselves to the wolves’ whales and humans who are hunting them for economic use. Although this has been happening even before, the changing climatic conditions as a result of global warming has greatly contributed to the change in patterns in the lives of these marine creatures which have been known to inhibit cold sea regions. (Pine, S 1993 78) Global warming has led to the increase in diseases some of which were not common in some parts of Europe. These diseases are spreading far and wide in this region causing panic among the populations. This is threatening the lives of people and animals too. Some diseases which were only common in tropical and temperate areas have now found their way into the coldest regions of Europe. Some diseases causing organism have found conducive conditions in areas which in less than half a century could have been described as diseases free zones. Ocean warming and the fall of the Artic ocean ice levels which is a direct effect of globalization have been pointed out as the main cause of the spread of a virus which is causing the death of sea otters. Phocine distemper virus has been identified as the cause of many deaths among these marine creatures in some parts of Europe and America. Scientists have pointed out that sea otters are dying as a result of a syndrome which they were referring to as step syndrome. This is a clear indication of how global warming will affect the lives of all creatures in the earth. It will not spare the innocent animals which largely depend on cool atmosphere for their survival. Global warming if not checked threatens to wipe out entire population of some species. Sea otters population has been on sharp decline due to the threats by human who consider it valuable economically. (Silverstone, V and Silverstone, A 1995) Predators such as whales are now prowling on this tiny sea creature as their traditional sources of food are dwindling due to climatic changes. Global warming is a real threat; lives of many animals are at risk due to this phenomenon. The major forests in the world are shrinking, deserts are expanding and agricultural yields are at the lowest points ever. Immediate actions need to be taken to ensure that this condition is reversed; such efforts will guarantee the lives of animals which are facing extinction and at the same time guarantee human beings a bright future. This can only be done if the governments in different parts of the world especially in Europe and America take action on carbon emission in their countries. Efforts to reduce human activities which lead to emission of green house gases will save the world and its inhabitants. This will go along way in checking the amount of carbon being released in to the atmosphere ultimately checking global warming. Such efforts will ensure that the lives of all animals including the sea otters are safeguarded. Work Cited Pine, S The World of Sea Otter, Vancouver, Greystone Publishers (1993) Silverstone, V and Silverstone, A Sea Otter, Brokefield, Millbrook Press (1995) Kruuk, H Sea Otter, Oxford University Press (2006)