An individual report which debates a contemporary issue in E-Business Case Study

An individual report which debates a contemporary issue in E-Business - Case Study Example Moreover, the case studies that will be utilized will be that of the 2013 annual reports from Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft. By analyzing these recent annual reports, it is the hope of this particular student that the reader will be able to gain a level of inference concerning how security issues and legal issues are represented within these and serve to define the approach to the market that these companies are taking. Rather than these two particular issues serving as considerations for the way in which business is conducted within three of the largest tech companies within the United States, is the understanding of this particular analyst that these see concerns are so intrinsically important that they are not only represented as focus point for business development but serve as a fundamental definition for how these companies engage with the market and develop their current and existing, as well as future, strategies for continuing to remain profitable. As one of the most profitable and successful pioneers of the computer operating system, Microsoft has long placed a high emphasis on the importance of security and dedicated entire teams and departments towards ensuring that this particular goal is accomplished (Dvorak, 2012). However, as with many companies, the failures of Microsoft to ensure a completely and entirely secure experience for its users, and the lapses in overall security that have come to be tabloid sensations over the past several decades, has created a difficult situation for Microsoft as it seeks to transition towards a new dynamic for engaging profitability. As the annual report of 2013 for the Microsoft Corporation indicates, the company is deliberately shifting towards a more service oriented approach to the market (Foley, 2012). This does not indicate that Microsoft windows or other long time/profitable engagements will cease to exist; however, the means by which the user engages

A Brief Survey and Analysis on Procrastination Among Undergrads Essay Example for Free

A Brief Survey and Analysis on Procrastination Among Undergrads Essay In this survey, we developed a set of questions asking students in the unit of a dormitory. We asked individual students to assess their degree of procrastination, the specific occasions when they have significant sign of procrastination and their difficulties in solving the problem. We then asked them to think about one of two occasions when they were highly productive in order to see and compare what serves for and against their procrastination. Then, choosing the dormitory as a whole sample, we asked students to name one of them who is most productive generally, and asked them if they’ve noticed the difference and invited them to figure out the reason for this difference in productivity. In this way, we have managed to attain a number of individual samples to analyze their procrastination as well as group samples from which we may conclude the peer influences in this group of students. Results Based on the various results of individual survey, we have selected and categorized several typical cases presented in the form of case study as follows. Case 1: Procrastination with Trivial Things In one of the dormitory we carried out the survey, a student lost his key but just refused to get another one. Instead, he phones his roommates to open the door for him when he can’t enter, causing much trouble to his roommates. Another student we surveyed was said to have kept his dirty cloths for ages and not want to wash them simply because of the cold weather. Everyone may be reluctant with specific tasks for various reasons, especially boring and time-consuming work such as laundry. Case 2: A Whole Night in Dormitory without Finishing Homework Many of the students we surveyed mentioned their low-productivity in the dormitory. Often is the case when students find the clock ticks time away without awareness of what they have just done. In this case, distraction in dormitories plays an important role in students’ procrastination. With roommates playing games, listening to music or simply just walking around, it calls for great effort to stay focused. And it is even worse when there is work to be done on the computer with access to the Internet, as there is much more distraction online such as games, videos, IMs and SNS, which can easily attracts students from what they should be doing. Case 3: Perfectionism Perfectionism is another classical cause for procrastination. Students who want to have a perfect outcome often turn out to find nowhere to start, fearing that they would screw things up. Being back and forth with the project ahead may also lower his self-esteem and then possibly put him into a vicious circle of low self-esteem-caused procrastination. Case 4: Endless Entertainment No matter if it’s Sitcoms, SNS or computer games, many students have at least one type of entertainment from which they can tear away from. Many students surveyed mentioned the very typical scenario when they tell themselves to start working by six but still enjoying the â€Å"last† episode or round hours later. With more and more distraction and entertainment around, students show much more difficulty to stay focused without external control. Case 5: Vicious Circle From what we have learned from the survey, it is rather easy to fall into a vicious circle because of procrastination, which in turn worsens one’s procrastination. Many students will feel depressed and low mood because they’ve left too much of tasks behind and therefore cannot focus, suffer low-productivity, thus undermining their self-esteem and making it harder to accomplish the tasks next time. Case 6: Wrong Reward Many experts suggest setting a period of time for oneself when he or she focuses the tasks at hand. Then reward him or herself for having concentrated during this period. This may serve to build up one’s self-esteem and concentration with the time period set longer and longer. But there are cases in which the rewards are too appealing (for example one’s favorite game) that students either hurry to finish the task simply to enjoy the reward with poor quality or get stuck with the reward and keep excusing himself for extending the time, which holds up later schedule and puts him back to procrastination. Case 7: Enjoying the Last-Minute-Accomplishment Some of the students surveyed admitted that after accomplishing their tasks right before the deadline for several of times, they become fond of this kind of schedule and planning. These students often achieve extraordinarily high productivity during the last minutes with results turning out to be not bad. Students therefore become dependent on this external driving force and used to completing tasks in the last-minute. General Analysis In the cases described above, we can see that lack of self-control is a very dominant cause for procrastination. How well can a person resist his temptation, control his entertainment and avoid distraction largely affects his degree of procrastination. There are also certain psychological mechanisms contributive to one’s procrastination. Noticeably, these many of the causes mentioned above are inter-connected, meaning there’s hardly an easy one-way solution to procrastination. Discussion From the specific cases mentioned above, we can already spot some of the causes for procrastination. Furthermore, these causes are often also related. We will first further discuss the different causes for procrastination in this section and then specially analyze the peer influences in the scope of procrastination. Peer Influences on Procrastination From the group samples we’ve collected in the survey, we analyzed the cases when students become either more or less productive because of their peer and concluded three major types of peer influence on procrastination. Competition In one of the dormitories we’ve surveyed, one student who completes tasks much faster than his roommates has been nominated as the most productive and executive. When asked about his productivity, he attributed it to his competition with his high school classmate. Another student also mentioned what he heard form friend in Qinghua University where students in a dormitory are highly competitive and look up to the best and fastest, which creates an atmosphere of positive competition driving each one to speed up and work hard. We believe that competition is one of the most effective external driving forces apart from the looming deadline itself. Though there isn’t necessarily a competitive atmosphere, it is not very hard to look for a peer to compete with so as to urge and encourage each other. Peer Reference Peer reference here indicates the psychology when one looks on his peer to excuse himself from not working. Many people may have this kind of voice echoing in the mind: â€Å"It’s OK. Nick hasn’t started yet. Leave it some other day!† What’s worse, some students admitted that in order to keep this excuse valid, they often do not urge the other one to start working purposely but join in him dragging the to-do list instead. We believe that this overlooking and following of peer procrastination is due to lack of . And this crowd psychology in many cases contributes to the atmosphere of procrastination. On the other hand, it is rather crucial for the one with higher productivity to actively urge and influence his peers to prevent procrastination as a â€Å"shepherd†. Peer Pressure Throughout our survey, some students with low productivity turn out to be surprisingly efficient in team work, because they feel compelled to fulfill their share of responsibility in a team working on a same goal otherwise they will hold up the whole schedule. Therefore, it is crucial for team leaders to set a common goal and emphasize the importance of every individual’s work. However, this peer influence doesn’t always work as there are always irresponsible people in a team. Summary From the interconnected influences discussed above, peers do have certain influence on procrastination, either positively or negatively. When one wants to drag things on, others’ procrastination can be a good justification. However, it appears a little harder to impose positive influences on procrastination as it calls for certain mechanism, i.e. competition, peer urging or team cooperation. And the conclusion can be safely drawn that when there are more mechanisms functioning, individuals are easier to prevent his or her procrastination with the assistance of his peers. Therefore, apart from one’s own effort, actively seeking positive peer influence is also a good solution. Recommendations True as it is that solving procrastination needs multiple methods, we will elaborate our recommendations in a separate way so that students with different types of procrastination can find the suitable solution for his particular case more easily. While the methods are many, the philosophy behind is simple: actively seeking external influence. And specific methods are elaborated as follows. Avoid Distraction/Disturbance For students finding it hard to concentrate and work effectively, we recommend they go to the library, classrooms or other quiet places for serious business. One may also turn off the cell phones to further avoid any distraction or disturbance. For those who find themselves often wasting hours on games (either computer games like DotA or video games on little gadgets like Angry Birds) or surfing, it is also a good idea to go somewhere else to work or study, leaving anything that can distract you back in the dormitory or locked up. Peer Influence As discussed earlier, peer influence does play certain roles in the scope of procrastination. So to find a right peer who pushes you to work hard or poses challenge as a competitor is also a solution to procrastination. Or maybe, as some researchers suggest, pre-commitment supervised by peers is also a good idea. You can simply post on your SNS sites that you will finish your thesis in a week or not visiting renren.com for 5 days and encourage your friends to see if you make it. Technical Assistance Sometimes you have to use the computer or the Internet to do some research or write an essay when you cannot leave them away. How to avoid the temptations to click on the button? There are certain applications or extensions that help you control your time. For example, stayfocused is a Google Chrome browser extension which limit your visit to certain sites such as Facebook (well, the GFW has already done the favor), renren.com or tudoou.com etc which can easily suck hours out of your schedule. Once you set the time limit, you cannot change it that day. And if you try to change the limit when the allowed time is running out? Small windows will keep popping up to ask you if you’re sure to change the limit and not cheating. And even link to an article on procrastination as you finally clicked â€Å"yes†. This is just one example of the use of technology on the fight against procrastination.

Web Filters are Not the Solution Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

Web Filters are Not the Solution The scene is perfectly clear in my mind. Twelve years old and just home from an overnight stay with a friend, I walked in the door with a Sex Pistols patch on my backpack, a clip-on earring in my ear, and a cherry Kool-Aid dye job. The initial looks of shock and horror on the faces of my parents were priceless - that is until they opened their mouths. I was grounded for a month, forbidden to stay overnight at any friends house for the rest of the year, and told that any music I bought would have to be screened by my parents first. In the age of the Apple IIe and long before MP3s ever existed, my parents knew - or at least believed - that such a policy would give them control over what music I heard. They were wrong. Adolescents, by nature, are resourceful and cunning, and I was no exception. Within days, I had arranged an elaborate system of shadow purchases and smuggling to ensure that the punk rock well from which I had started drinking would never run dry. To be certain, todays determined parent wou...

Mcdonalds – Tnc

McDonald's – the 90th largest economy in the world – feeds about 1 percent of the world's population a day. That's 68 million people! It hires more than 1 million workers In the US per year and Is the world's largest toy distributed. McDonald's also created the Ronald McDonald House charity, which houses more than 6000 families a year in Australia alone. However, this Illinois-based company is undeniably threatening the ‘global village'. It is doing so in a lot of ways, including the damage it inflicts to the environment, its exploitation of foreign and domestic labor and its active impacts on traditional cultures.In this seminar, I will be analyzing different pictures that support my argument that McDonald's Is directly destroying the global village. I think that through the Impacts It has upon the environment In which we live, McDonald's is directly destroying the global village. As a large company, McDonald's needs a lot of resources to fuel its growth. For exa mple, Americans alone consume over 1 billion pounds of beef at McDonald's every year. A cow produces 250 ml of methane per day on average. Think of how much methane is created by the sows needed to produce 1 billion pounds of beef!McDonald's has also been accused by Greenback of feeding Its chickens with soybeans grown on farms In the Amazon rainforest's. These soybean farms are cleared Illegally. Leading to mass deforestation In the Amazon. By doing this, McDonald's not only encourages illegal traders in the Amazon, but also sends a worldwide message that deforestation is a viable option that can lead to contracts selling produce to McDonald's. Encouraging excessive methane production and deforestation are Just a few of the ways in which McDonald's helps to destroy the environment.McDonald's also negatively affects the global village by exploiting members of the workforce. This Is done through the misuse of domestic and foreign labor. McDonald's has always been the target of accusa tions that they exploit teenage labor, paying them wages that are too low to be readily lived upon. These reduced rates can be seen in this table. But most recently McDonald's has tried to tackle these accusations head on by releasing an example budget for someone who works for the company. From the start this budget was flawed, as you can see here, the employee would have to work two Jobs to survive.This fact shows that an employee could not be sustained on a McDonald's wage. Secondly, McDonald's cited that health cover costs $20. This is not the case, for that amount you would be likely only to get say, ambulance cover. Thirdly, try spending only $25 a day on Just food, let alone drinks, clothes and other necessities. This budget on its own, is certain evidence that you would not be able to live on a McDonald's wage. In extreme cases some people have had to choose between paying bills and eating food.This exploitation of cheap labor is another reason why I think McDonald's Is cont ributing too diminished global village. McDonald's Is also destroying the global village by abolishing various cultures from around the world. As seen in the picture here, McDonald's is intervening with traditional culture, replacing traditional pastimes, like food-preparation and consumption, with an internationalists product. Often in these traditional cultures, things like food can be tied up with rituals, so food is linked to their cultural heritage.By replacing chance to pass on their cultural stories through food. However some people in other parts of the world have realized that this tragic loss of culture is occurring. For example, the people of a small town east of Melbourne called Tacoma has recently protested against there being a McDonald's built in the town. 80 000 people thus far have signed a petition demanding that a McDonald's franchise not be installed in their town. The fact that the company destroys culture and that people are realizing it is another reason that McDonald's is destroying the global village.

Concept of Kinship in Africa Essay

The subject of â€Å"traditional family patterns in Africa† is so broad that it cannot be adequately addressed by many scholars. The cultural and physical diversity added with the dramatic social changes of the last three decades on the continent makes the family pattern situation so variegated as to defy any sweeping generalizations. This difficulty in generalization bone of diversity was already apparent to many early scholars of the African traditional family. This essay will briefly explore traditional African family patterns explaining the concept of kinship in Africa, the differences and similarities between patrilineal and matrilineal families systems. Kinship is the web of relationships woven by family and marriage. Traditional relations of kinship have affected the lives of African people and ethnic groups by determining what land they could farm, whom they could marry, and their status in their communities. Although different cultures have recognized various kinds of kinship, traditional kinship generally means much more than blood ties of a family or household. It includes a network of responsibilities, privileges, and support in which individuals and families are expected to fill certain roles. In modern Africa social and economic changes have begun to loosen the ties of traditional kinship, especially in the cities. But these ties still play a large part in the everyday lives of many Africans (coser: 1974). The basis of kinship, in Africa as elsewhere, is descent from an ancestor. The most widespread descent group is known as the clan, which can be either patrilineal or matrilineal. The members of the former type of clan comprise all those who are born from a single founding ancestor through the male line only; those of the latter comprise all those born from a single founding ancestor or ancestress through the female line only. Patriliny is far more common in Africa than matriliny, which is limited mainly to parts of Zambia and Malawi, in central Africa, and to Ghana and Ivory Coast, in western Africa. Regardless of the means of descent, authority in the family and elsewhere is always formally held by men; therefore, men have domestic authority in both patrilineal and matrilineal families (formal matriarchy is unknown in Africa). Clans, which are rarely corporate units in Africa, are clusters of kin who claim a single common ancestry but can rarely, if ever, trace the actual links of descent. Usually clans are exogamous units and may recognize various ritual prohibitions, such as taboos on certain foods, which give them a sense of unity and of distinctiveness from others (Bell & Vogel: 1960). According to stephens (1982) Clans are typically segmented into constituent groups, with each group recognizing a founding ancestor more recent than the clan founder; these are known in the literature as lineages, one of the criteria for a lineage being that its members—patrilineal or matrilineal—can trace actual kinship links between themselves. Lineages may themselves be segmented into smaller units, the smallest typically being the group around which a domestic family is established. Such a family (if patrilineal) includes the husband and his children, all members of the small lineage, and his wife, who by the rule of exogamy must come from another clan Almost every African society has some form of descent group, however transitory, as the basis of its social organization. The recognition of these variations of ancestral descent is an effective way of constructing local groups that can last for several—often for many—generations and in which the close-knit ties of kinship provide powerful links through the notion of common â€Å"blood. By claiming exclusive ancestry, such a group can claim exclusive rights to clan and lineage property. Marriages between their members, by the rule of exogamy, cement them into larger communities and societies, each possessing its own sense of common ethnic and cultural â€Å"belonging. † Although these traditional forms of family and kinship are lessening in importance, with the continuing need for urban and industrialized labor and the consequent increase in labor migration, the strength of kin groups remains great. They are well suited to traditional forms of production and exchange where these are found (which is still the case among the majority of African peoples), and they provide a sense of personal identity and security that is of high emotive value (Bell & Vogel: 1960). Kinship and marriage are closely linked in several ways. On one level, kinship rules may determine marriage partners. In this respect, North African and sub-Saharan societies differ widely. North African peoples encourage marriage within a group, often a kinship group. Traditionally, the ideal marriage is between cousins, including the children of two brothers. Among the Bedouin, for example, a boy has the right to marry his father’s brother’s daughter. Although she can refuse the cousin’s proposal, she needs his permission to marry someone else (Barnes: 1951). Most lineage groups in sub-Saharan Africa, in contrast, favor marriage outside the group. As a result, kinship is not limited strictly to lineage. An individual has important ties with two different kin groups, the mother’s and the father’s. Such ties often extend outside the village or community, offering certain advantages. If a community suffers from drought, war, disease, food shortages, or other disasters, for example, its members may go to live with kin in other areas. Marriage and kinship are also linked by customs governing the transfer of property between and within kin groups. The most common form of such transfer in Africa is called bridewealth. This is a gift from the groom or his family to the bride’s family, often in livestock but sometimes in money or other forms of wealth. Some hunter-gatherer societies follow the custom of bride service, which involves the groom moving to the home of his wife’s family and hunting or working for his parents-in-law (Stephens:1982). Traditional African kinship is a cooperative relationship between household members and members of the larger lineage group. It involves a set of social obligations and expectations that ensures that no one faces tragedy alone. In societies without welfare services provided by a central government, kinship provides a â€Å"safety net† for individuals—orphans, widows, the elderly, the disabled, and divorced women—who lack an immediate household to care for them. Although kinship relations have grown weaker—especially in the cities—they continue to serve this function. For example, African kinfolk may support women and children while their husbands are away, perhaps by helping paying school fees or other expenses. Extended ties of kinship remain a vital part of life in contemporary Africa. Descent rules define socially recognized kin groups by tracing connections through chains of parent-child ties. A society may focus exclusively on connections traced through the male parent (patrilineal) or through the female parent (matrilineal). When descent is patrilineal, the descent group is composed of people of either sex whose fathers belong to the group. Siblings belong to the descent group of their father, but their mother belongs to a different descent group, the group to which her father belongs. Therefore, a man’s children will belong to his descent group, but a woman’s children will not belong to her descent group. Analogously, if descent is matrilineal, siblings belong to the mother’s group but their father does not. A woman’s children will belong to her descent group, but a man’s children will not belong to his (Schapera: 1971). Matrilineal is a system in which descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. Matrilineal is also a societal system in which one belongs to one’s matriline or mother’s lineage, which can involve the inheritance of property and/or titles. Matrilineal descent, which traces lineage through mothers, exists in many African societies based on farming, especially in central Africa. Among the Bemba people of Zambia, mothers own the fields and pass them on to their daughters. Among the Bemba people of Northern Zambia, marriage is matrilocal. â€Å"That is to say a man goes to live in his wife’s village, at any rate for the first years of his married life. This is also true of marriage among other Zambian tribes like the Bisa, Lala, Lamba, Chewa, Kaonde, and many others. Among the Chewa of Eastern Zambia, the custom of man living with his wife’s parents temporarily or permanently was known as Ukamwini (Barnes: 1951). Societies with matrilineal social organization are not necessarily ruled by women. Some peoples who trace descent through women give political authority to men. In certain cultures men traditionally go to live with their mothers’ brothers, while women move to their husbands’ villages. Thus the men remain together, while the women through whom they trace descent are spread among the population. Because the men generally remain in the community, they have greater authority. Power and authority in matrilineal societies ultimately lies in the woman and her brother. As such children at an early age learn that their father has little authority or responsibility for them. The father knows that his children are not his ultimate responsibility but his sister’s children. Meanwhile the man and her married sister do not live in one locality, as they must maintain their marriages. Some scholars have suggested that this arrangement might be fraught with potential social problems and conflict (Bell & Vogel: 1960). More so than a patrilineal household where all the people charged with authority over the children potentially live in one household. Overall, there are two forms of social groups that from the basis of Bemba marriage and traditional family. First, there is the local unit of matrilocal marriage consisting of a man, his wife, his married daughters and their husbands and children, second, the matrilineal descent group which consists of maternal relatives and ancestors traced back to several generations. These constitute the core of the Bemba traditional African family around which the social organization of the raditional society revolves. â€Å"Both form the basis of the political structure of the tribe since the matrilocal extended family is the nucleus of the Bemba village although many other elements may be added to it, and succession to all political offices is fixed by the rule of matrilineal descent (Yizenge: 1988). A larger proportion of Zambian families are matrilineal than are patrilineal in organization. Within the country’s nine provinces, most households in the four provinces of Central, Northwestern, Luapula, and Copperbelt are matrilineal. The Namwanga and the Ngoni in the Eastern province, the Lozi in the Western, and the ILA in the Southern province are patrilineal. These groups are also patrilocal. That is, after marriage, the couple lives in the husband’s family house or close to his father’s household. Daily activities such as eating and educating the young are seldom conducted in the privacy of one’s house. Zambian villages have a central place governing the village. This place is called Insaka or Nsaka. In the matrilineal villages, the Insakas are located at the village center (Yizenge: 1988). This matrilineal descent pattern is in contrast to the more common modern pattern of patrilineal descent from which a Family name is usually derived. Patrilineal descent emphasizes the male side of the family, tracing relationships through the generations from fathers to their children. Patrilineal descent is common among pastoral societies. Because Islam arose among pastoral people in Arabia in the A. D. 600s, Islamic law tends to reflect patrilineal practices. For example, male children are favored over females in inheriting a father’s property. This and other aspects of patrilineal social organization can be found among the ARABS, BERBERS, and other Islamic peoples of North Africa. Many other pastoral groups, including the Nuer of SUDAN and the ZULU and Swazi of southern Africa, are patrilineal (Schapera: 1971). One feature of social life in Africa’s patrilineal societies is the close relationship between a man andhissister’s son—his nephew. Anthropologists call this relationship the avunculate, and in African cultures it may require the uncle to give his best cattle to his nephew or to accept teasing from the nephew. A brother might also be expected to support his sister’s children or to participate in the rituals that mark the stages of their lives. In southern Africa, where the avunculate is common, a boy’s uncle on his mother’s side may be called his â€Å"male mother† in recognition of this special link. In some groups the opposite relationship occurs, with a boy’s father’s sister—his aunt—seen as an authority figure called the â€Å"female father. † The Tsonga (Thonga) of Mozambique and the Nama of Namibia are some of the best examples of groups that practice the avunculate, although neither group follows the custom as closely as it did in the past. In patrilineal cultures when a marriage occurs the wife becomes part of her husband’s family, and if you have family names in such a culture, it becomes natural for the wife to take her husband’s family name. There may be a sense in such cultures that both the husband and wife are really part of each other’s families now, but since descent is reckoned by the male line, there is a greater sense that the wife is part of the husband’s family rather than visa versa (Yizenge: 1988). These are the reasons that the custom exists sociologically, but the origins of the custom tended to be obscured in the minds of many. When radical feminism came along, it wanted to radically tinker with the sexual status quo, to smash traditional gender roles, and even to call into question the institution of the nuclear family. (I’m talking about radical feminism, mind you, not moderate feminism that merely wanted better treatment for women. ) Doing away with the historical naming conventions would serve those goals (as well as making it harder to keep track of who is related to whom, thus undermining the family), and so not taking the husband’s name became a symbol of defiance against traditional values. Though there are some differences in these two societies matrilineal and patrilineal, there are some similarities which both societies perform as families. A Zambian family, like families elsewhere, can be thought of as a group. The most important duties of this group are to reproduce, nurture, and educate the young to become productive members of the family and the society at large. This training process is also referred to as socialization. The head of the Zambian family can either be the father or a maternal uncle. If it is a maternal uncle, the mother, more than the father, plays a crucial role in decision making within the family. These matrilineal families are very common in Zambia. In matrilineal families, the authority and power to make decisions rests with the mother and her relatives. In some family types, the father is the decision maker. These patterns of authority and power are passed from one generation to the next in Zambia (Coser: 1974). The stable satisfaction of sex needs is the Primary and essential function of family in these societies. Sex instinct is the natural urge of human being. The satisfaction of this need requires that both male and female should live together as life partners. It is the family where the husband and wife can satisfy their sex instincts easily and comfortably. Without family the satisfaction of sex need is almost socially quite impossible. A family not only satisfies but also provides the appropriate mechanism through marriage to regulate sexual behaviour of husband and wife (Coser: 1974) Reproduction or procreation is another essential function of family in both matrilineal and patrilineal familities. The family along with regulating the sexual behaviour in relation to the satisfaction of sexual needs secures a legitimate basis for procreation. Since the inception of family, it has been performing this fundamental function. This function of family contributes to the continuity of family and ultimately perpetuates the human race as a whole. Protection and care of the children is another essential function of family. It is regarded as an institution par excellence for the production and rearing of children. It is true that no other institution can take required care of the child like family. The child at birth is complete helpless and cannot survive at all without the help of the family. It is the family which provides care, protection, security (Physical, mental) and fulfils all other needs to make him fit in the society. Family is one of the primary agents of socialization. Family members teach the child the norms, value morals, beliefs and ideals of society. In the family the children first learn what is good and bad, what is right and wrong. They develop specific habits, traits of character, attitudes and values. The senior members of the family pass the family culture to the new generation thought socialization process. Thus, family acts an instrument of culture transmission. In both societies childhood is the socialization of the child in readiness for adulthood. This is sexual differentiation in socialization in which girls will become acceptable mothers and wives and boys husbands and fathers. Children are expected to help in minor household tasks. Boys herd goats, cows, and livestock. They also perform light duties for relatives. Girls at an early age are taught a wide range of household and agricultural duties including cooking, cultivation and tending children. â€Å"Girls, in distinction to boys, seldom have time to play games (Stephens: 1982). Family makes a provision of a home or a common habitation for its embers. Here both husband and if live together for procreation, protection and care of the children. It is a place of multifarious activities. All the members of the family depend on home for comfort, protection and peace. It is that institution which provides the mental or the emotional satisfaction. Members of the family exchange their love , sympathy and affection among themselves. Fostering is common in both societies. When couples fail to have children, they often become foster parents. It is also very common among siblings to foster care; that is, children are fostered by aunts and uncles. A survey of households in Kitwe, the second largest city in Zambia, found that about 14 percent of all children aged fourteen and younger, and nearly 18 percent of children aged to ten to fourteen years were not living with their parents (Ahmed 1996). The estimates of the extent of fostering in other African countries, such as Ghana, are much higher. Often fostered children are considered and treated as though they are biological offspring. When families are forced to adopt children following some misfortune, foster children may become victims of abuse and neglect. This chapter only focused on the matrilineal and patrilineal African traditional family patterns because they seem representative of the broad patterns that exists on the continent. It must be emphasized, however, that these were traditional patterns as far back as late 1800s up to as late as 1960s. The dramatic social changes in Africa during the last three decades of political independence from European colonialism have obviously affected the traditional family. And from our explanation it can be seen that the society some one belongs to dictate his or her life this is because each society has its norms and believes.

Chemistry report Essay Example

Chemistry report Essay Example Chemistry report Paper Chemistry report Paper Introduction: In this experiment, it is a redox titration method to standardize a solution of potassium manganate(VII) by an iron(II) salt (ammonium iron(II) sulphate). So, the word of redox is related to the oxidation and reduction. Oxidation numbers describe the number of electrons the atom will gain or lose during a reaction. Each atom in an equation can be assigned an oxidation number according to certain rules. Oxidation occurs when the oxidation number of an atom increases while reduction occurs when the oxidation number decreases. Potassium manganate (VII) (KMnO4) solution is standardised by titration against the ammonium iron(II) sulphate, FeSO4 . (NH4)2SO4. 6H2O. Potassium manganate is widely used as an oxidizing agent in volumetric analysis. While the ammonium iron(II) sulphate is used as a primary standard to standardize the KMnO4 solution. In this experiment, ammonium iron(II) sulphate crystals are the stable compound that remain as solid in room temperature. Hence, the ammonium(II) sulphate solution is obtained by dissolving into the sulphuric acid, preferably oxygen. During the titration process, the ammonium iron(II) sulphate ionises into iron(II), sulphate and ammonium ions. But, only the iron(II) ions (Fe2+) are oxidized by the managanate(VII) ions (MnO4-). The following equation represents the reaction: MnO4- + 8H+ + 5Fe2+ Mn2+ + 5Fe3+ + 4H2O Throughout the experiment, there is no additional of indicator. Manganate(VII) is an intense dark purple colour. But, there is a colour change of manganate(VII) to Mn+2, which is from dark purple to light pink. At the end of the experiment, the colour of the potassium manganate disappears as it reacts with the iron(II) ions. This is because all the Fe2+ ions are fully reacted, whereas the extra drop of potassium manganate solution will make the titration mixture turn pink. Results: Description Mass (g) Mass of weighing bottle + crystals 23. 35 Mass of weighing bottles 13. 65 Mass of ammonium iron(II) sulphate crystals 9. 70 1. 2. Volume of pipette used = 25. 00 cm3 Burette readings: Titration Number Rough Accurate 1 2 Average Final Reading/cm3 40. 6 32. 20 31. 10 34. 63 Initial Reading/cm3 14. 00 5. 70 4. 30 8. 00 Volume of KMnO4 used/ cm3 26. 60 26. 50 26. 80 26. 63 Summary: 25. 00 cm3 of the acidified ammonium iron(II) sulphate required 26. 63 cm3 of the potassium manganate(VII) solution for reaction. Calculation: 1. Calculate the number of moles of ammonium iron(II) sulphate crystals, FeSO4 . (NH4)2SO4. 6H2O in the weighed sample. No. of moles of FeSO4 . (NH4)2SO4. 6H2O = mass of substance in gmolar mass in g = 9. 70 g56+32+416+214+4(1)+32+416+621+16 = 0. 025 mol 2. Calculate the number of moles of Fe2+ ions in 10. 0 or 25. 0 cm3 of the solution pipetted. No. of moles of Fe2+ = No. of moles of FeSO4 . (NH4)2SO4. 6H2O 250. 0 cm3 of FeSO4 . (NH4)2SO4. 6H2O contain 0. 025 mol of Fe2+ ions, Thus, no. of moles of Fe2+ in 25. 0cm3 = 0. 025250 x 25= 0. 0025 mol 3. Calculate the number of moles of MnO4- which reacted during titration. MnO4- + 8H+ + 5Fe2+ Mn2+ + 5Fe3+ + 4H2O 1 mole of MnO4- = 5 moles of Fe2+ Hence, no. of moles of MnO4- = 0. 00255 = 0. 0005 mol 4. Calculate the concentration of the manganate(VII) ions, MnO4-, in mol dm-3 and in g dm-3. ( a ) in mol dm-3 Concentration of MnO4- = 0. 0005 mol0. 02663 dm-3 = 0. 02 mol dm-3 ( b ) in g dm-3 Mass = no. of moles ? molar mass = 0. 0005 ? 55+4(16) = 0. 06 g Concentration of MnO4- = 0. 06 0. 02663 = 2. 25 g dm-3 5. Calculate the mass of the potassium manganate(VII) ions KMnO4 in 1 dm3 of solution. No. of moles of KMnO4 = no. of moles of MnO4 = 0. 0005 mol Mass of KMnO4 = no. of moles of KMnO4 ? molar mass = 0. 0005 ? 39+55+4(16) = 0. 08 g Discussions: Redox reactions are chemical reactions involving oxidation and reduction occurring simultaneously. Therefore, redox reaction is also known as oxidation-reduction reaction. The number of electrons lost and gained in the both half reactions must be equal. The acidified ammonium iron(II) sulphate, ionises into iron(II), sulphate and ammonium ions. Manganate(VII) ions act as the oxidasing agent, accepting the electrons. Therefore, the iron(II) ions, Fe2+, are oxidized by the manganate (VII) ions in acid medium. As a result, it has undergoes reduction to become colourless manganese(II) ions, in which the oxidation number is decreased from +7 to +2. Reduction half equation : MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- Mn2+ + 4H2O Meanwhile, iron(II) ions act as the reducing agent, releasing the electrons to become iron(III) ions. So, each iron atom has undergone oxidation, in which the oxidation number is increased from +2 to +3. Thus, the colour changes from pale green to yellow. Oxidation half equation: Fe2+ Fe3+ + e-. Since the manganate(VII) ion is dark purple or violet in colour whereas the manganese (II) ion is nearly colorless, the endpoint in this experiment is determined by the appearing of the light pink in the solution. The redox reaction of this experiment is represented by the following overall ionic equation: 5Fe2+ +MnO4- + 8H+ 5Fe3++ Mn2+ + 4H2O In order to obtain the amount of potassium manganate(VII) which is used to fully react with acidified ammonium iron(II) sulphate, the initial and final readings of the burette is recorded and repeated 3 times, includes 1 for rough reading and another 2 for accurate readings. So, the average value of potassium manganate(VII) is calculated to get a more accurate result. In the summary of this experiment, 25. 00 cm3 of the acidified ammonium iron(II) sulphate required 26. 63 cm3 of the potassium manganate(VII) solution for reaction. There are some precaution steps in this experiment in order to obtain the results more accurately and precisely. During the process of the experiment, the pipette is rinsed with a little sulphuric acid to remove water present inside the pipette. This is the way to prevent the water from diluting the acid that is poured inside the pipette. In the same way, burette is also rinsed with a little of potassium manganate(VII) solution. Besides, a piece of white tile that placed below the conical flask is used to enable us to detect the end point clearly, which the colourless solution changes to a light pink solution. Moreover, the eyes must be placed at the same level as the meniscus of the solution inside the burette in order to obtain an accurate of initial and final readings. References: 1. Eng Nguan Hong, Lim Eng Wah and Lim Yean Ching, 2010. Chemistry SPM. Pelangi, pg 217-219 and pg 462-463.2. (n. a), (n. d). Redox Titrations [Online]. Available from: lahc. edu/classes/chemistry/arias/Exp%208%20-%20Redox. pdf [Accessed 13 September 2012]. 3. (n. a), (n. d). Redox Titration of Ferrous Ion with Permanganate [Online]. Available from: http://faculty. ccri. edu/eterezakis/1100%20Exp%205,%20Iron%20Analysis%20by%20Redox%20Titration%20_egt_. pdf [Accessed 13 September 2012]. 4. (n. a), (n. d). Redox Reaction [Online]. Available from: http://voices. yahoo. com/ib-chemistry-lab-report-redox-titration-3884928. html.

Tips for Proofreading for Yourself and Others

Tips for Proofreading for Yourself and Others The importance of proofreading cannot be overlooked. Because proofreading can often be a tedious project, below are some tips that can make the process more manageable.Tips for reviewing your own workOne of the major difficulties with proofreading is that it is very hard to proofread our own work. Often, when we review our own document, we see what we want to see rather than what we have actually written. This can lead to missed errors. Below are some tips for proofreading your own work:Slow down. Proofread line by line and focus on each line. Sometimes I cover the rest of the paragraph with a piece of blank paper so I am only looking at one line at a time.Know your own weaknesses. Make a list of common errors and check every document for those errors, one at a time.Do not proof for every type of mistake at once. Rather, do one proof for spelling, one for typos, one for consistency of word usage, one for formatting, and so on.Read your work aloud. This will often alert you to run-on sentences and other errors that you may not catch by simply reading the document to yourself.Eliminate distractions. Careful editing requires great concentration. Therefore, it is a good idea to turn off distractions such as the radio, the television and your cell phone.Make a hard copy. Always print out your work rather than reading directly from the computer screen.Sleep on it. Before you start editing your document, wait a night, preferably longer. The goal is for your brain to forget what you wrote so that it sees what is really written, not what it expects to see. You will be amazed by how many more errors you will catch!Dont be afraid to cut. Almost all of us are too wordy. If you cannot justify a point, statement, sentence or word, eliminate it. Conciseness should always be your goal.Dont overlook headings, bibliographies, tables, page numbers or footnotes. Errors often lurk in these places.Check the numbers. This is also where many mistakes can happen. You dont want to write that your product costs $10,000, when it really costs $10.00.Watch out for homonyms. Homonyms are words that share the same pronunciation or spelling, but mean entirely different things. Mixing up the words accept and except can completely alter the meaning of a sentence!Read it backwards. This is good trick to prevent your brain from automatically correcting wrong words inside sentences. In order to break this pattern, you can read the text backwards, word by word.Repeat. Unfortunately, one round of editing is usually not enough. After corrections have been made, dont forget to proof the revised document. First check to see that all of the corrections were made, then read over the document one more time to make sure you didnt miss something the first time around!Tips for reviewing the work of othersMost of us have been asked to review someone elses writing, whether it be a friend, family member or colleague. For many, this is a dubious task; but in fact it is often easier to proof read someone elses writing than your own. Although there is not one right way to edit, here are some tips to make the process a little easier:Ask for clear instructions. For example, does the writer want you to review the content of the paper or just the mechanics, such as grammar and spelling?Avoid meaningless changes. Maybe you prefer the word happy to the word glad, but unless the change makes a substantial improvement to the document, you should bite your tongue!Admit your shortcomings. If you are not sure about the proper placement of a comma or are uncertain if a word is used correctly, do not guess. Simply flag the item so that the writer can further research it if he or she chooses.Be nice. Avoid harsh comments such as I have no idea what you mean! Rather, phrase your comments diplomatically in the form of suggestions or questions, i.e. I would suggest clarifying this point so that your reader fully understands it. Perhaps, you can provide examples.Be specific. Rather than s imply stating that a paragraph is confusing, offer specific suggestions for improving it.Be consistent. Although you do not need to learn standard proofreading marks, your editing should be consistent. In other words, use the same symbols/marks for the same mistakes throughout the draft.Use the track changes feature. This is the easiest way to make your changes and comments apparent to the writer. It also allows the writer to easily accept/reject your changes.Dont proof for every type of mistake at once. This tip applies to all forms of editing. Rather, do one proof for spelling, one for typos, one for consistency of word usage, one for formatting, etc.Dont hesitate to suggest omissions. Your goal, as an editor, is to help the writer make the document more concise. Therefore, if you do not think that a word, sentence or even paragraph strengthens the writers message, do not hesitate to suggest omitting it.Make yourself available to discuss your edits and suggestions. Written comment s can be unclear and impersonal. Therefore, it is good practice to sit down with the writer to answer any questions he or she may have after reviewing your comments/edits.Stay positive. Try to point out something positive about the writing, making your praise as long and detailed as your most in-depth criticism.Proofreading skills do not develop overnight, but rather improve with practice. You can develop these skills by reviewing your own work, as well as the work of others.

12 Angry Men The Image of American Democracy with Its Flaws

12 Angry Men The Image of American Democracy with Its Flaws â€Å"12 Angry Men† is an unequaled masterpiece of American literature, which serves to unfold the poignant matters of the legal system, justice, and democracy as it is. â€Å"12 Angry Men† is a gorgeous image of the American democracy in action. Deep inside the play holds a profound patriotic credence in the legal system  in general. This dramatical piece concerns the deliberations of the jury of a homicide trial, centering on Juror Eight, who was the only hanger-back in the whole guilty vote. He didn’t want to prove that others were wrong, he wanted them to look at the situation without personal prejudices or inclinations. Reginald Rose, the author of the play, deliberately uncovers the true men’s faces to see the full picture of America itself. Democracy in Action Abraham Lincoln once said that democracy is the government â€Å"of the people, by the people, and for the people†, and â€Å"12 Angry Men† is the effort to remind about our responsibilities. The democracy will work flawlessly when we honestly carry out our duties when we try to understand each other and stay consolidated, otherwise, the nation will fall. Eventually, the whole point of the jury’s deliberation was not about declaring the accused one guilty or innocent, but about the ability of all those absolutely different 12 men to figure out how to cooperate and make a resolution. WHY DIVERSE TEAMS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL? The play uses not-using-name approach, addressing to each man as his juror number. This concept totally justifies itself, because such an anonymity makes this drama germane for anyone anywhere in America. The overall situation intends to make a disturbing social comment on the whole legal system of the country and the way prejudices influence it. Justice vs. Prejudice Each juror described in the play wants the verdict to be fair, but the problem is that everyone sees justice in a different light and there is no unique definition of it among the jurors. Juror Eight seeks to remind that when talking about JUSTICE, our desires, passions, backgrounds and failings do not count. This thought made everyone doubt about their personal definition of fairness and look for the right one. Cindy Coffey, an American history blogger, makes such a point: â€Å"This play becomes a public service announcement of sorts in reminding the public that our democratic system renders someone innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and the civic responsibilities of American citizens should be taken seriously as a right and an honor of being a member of that democratic society.† The United States Constitution, the art of compromise in the modern world, has a principle of an equitable doubt, which means that a defendant is considered to be innocent until proven guilty. This is one of the most enlightened parts of the document, still, some Americans do not understand it as intended. It is just inappropriate to accept blindly the testimony, without any pursuit to figure it out. Doubt – is a powerful thing sometimes. For the Sake of the Country In the play, we distinctly see, that jurors have different and totally unacceptable reasons to convict the accused. While Juror Eight tries to start a serious dialogue about the fate of the accused, others play Tic Tac Toe or just want to leave for Yankees game, another one gets over the flu etc. Is this the design of democracy as we want to see it? Is it really an effective system, when everyone seems to be so indifferent and unenthusiastic about the treatment the accused and so the whole judicial system? The lack of seriousness makes it pointless. Moreover, convicting someone in the terrible crime  due to their social class and/or the race makes it worthless. The democracy is about the collective sense of civic responsibility and duty as the key to justice within the society. The final shot of the film, describing Juror Eight and Juror Nine shaking their hands and introducing themselves, admits the fact, that the men overcame themselves as individuals in the courthouse in order to become unified about the choice they had to make, the decision they were responsible for and the fate of the person they governed. â€Å"12 Angry Men† is an unequaled masterpiece of American literature, which serves to unfold the poignant matters of the legal system, justice, and democracy as it is. Our duty is to be responsible to the society and to ourselves first of all for the way we act, the way we think and the way we govern our country.

Breast cancer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Breast cancer - Assignment Example The researchers observed the mutation 185delAG in 0.9% of Ashkenazim 95% limit in confidence was between 0.4%- 1.8% and there was none in the reference samples. The results led to the determination of the above number (Saunders 14). After a gene test, people are more aware of their fates thus they will tend to protect themselves more. As it is said â€Å"it is better to protection than to cure† in the cases of cancer many will prefer to protect themselves from the causative rather than wait so as to treat the defect later (Halyard 8). Ethically the Jews observed this testing genetic discrimination, there have been a long debate over the issue whereby many Jews think that this is wrong. Religiously Jews thinks that this is wrong genetic testing to them occurs as a mockery to the natural science of God, they believe that no one should tamper with the genetic makeup of a person (Saunders 15). It assists in the pre-symptomatic testing for the developing Huntington’s disease and adult-onset cancers prediction. It also aids in the estimation of the risk in developing Alzheimer’s disease and the adult-onset cancers (Saunders 16). The risk associated is normally associated both emotionally, financially or socially based on the results of the test. People will tend to be angry, anxious, guilty or depressed about their results (Saunders 17). The negative impact associated with genetic testing has lead to the recognition that is increasing. In some instances, genetic testing will lead to tension within family members because the results might reveal a family’s information on another individual related to the one been tested (Halyard 15). Mutation of BRCA2 and other genes might also lead to an inherited cancer of the breast. These genes include, the ATM which repairs damaged DNA, TP53 which aids in the production of a protein known as p53, CHEK2, PTEN, CDH1 and STK11 (Halyard 17). According to research done by scientists and doctors, the Jewish men tend to be

Transportation Security at U.S. Seaports Research Paper

Transportation Security at U.S. Seaports - Research Paper Example The United States is one of the countries with the largest coastlines across the entire globe. This provides it a number or sea ports and sea shores to use in both transport activities, especially the exports and imports trade, whereby the country brings in new products from other countries while exporting its own products to different other countries. Furthermore, these seaports equally act as entry points for people from different countries who want to visit the United States. As such, it creates a transportation avenue, whereby congestion at the seaports due to transport activities is a common aspect. However, the traffic of people and goods leaving and entering the United States through its ports poses a security threat to the entire country at large. This is especially at the backdrop of the 9/11 terrorist attack carried out on the U.S. soil whereby nearly 3,000 people lost their lives.  As such, the security at these seaports within the United States is of crucial importance to all state actors, especially the innocent and naà ¯ve passengers who use the ports for daily activities, such as fishing and transportation. Currently, the number of seaports within the United States stands at over 300. Each of these ports is different in its own manner and style, as well as the intended purposes and daily activities. As mentioned earlier and going by the statistics of the losses suffered in 2001 after the September 11 terrorist attack, the issue of security is of grave importance to the operations carried out at these sea ports.

Marketing Assignment 2 BENG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Assignment 2 BENG - Essay Example does it offer sufficient growth rate to warrant investment, and how strong the company vis-Ã  -vis its competitors in the industry i.e. how much market share it command in the industry. Estelami2 stated that BCG matrix can also be employed under product elimination decisions (55-56). Thus using this model, the company can plot all of the its businesses or products in the matrix and identify the best strategies for businesses (product) in various categories. Thus, the model gives clear guidance to a company as to how it should go about its investment decisions. The concept of product life cycle is based on the concept of human life cycle. According to Kotler & Keller (2007)3 products passes through various stages of their lives. At each stage the position of the product in the market is different and thus it have to respond accordingly. To help that marketers can use various strategies suggested for the various stages. Drive Thru – This is in the growth stage marked by recent surge in the number of drive thrus that are witnessed. There life cycle will stretched, given the busy life styles; people would love to have them. Cart and Kiosks - It have been the earliest form of coffee shops, though earlier mostly managed by unorganized nondescript market players. Then the sophisticated organized players taked it up and have introducing a lot of innovative features in to it. So I would say the organized players resuscitated this product form. Currently the product will in maturity stage given the kind of competition we see. Growth stage - Marked by the entry of competition, the stage witness a segmented approach to marketing and separate marketing mix to various segments. The firm may go for skimming by lowering the price; the product will have new features and improved versions; the advertising would shift from product awareness to preference building. Maturity Stage – This stage witness heavy price discounts and trade promotion.

Changes in US higher education Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Changes in US higher education - Dissertation Example This essay discusses a goal of higher education that is for students to be in an environment where they can focus on their academic success. Pressure has been placed on many universities to ensure that all students complete their degree. The growing importance of degree completion has led to the increased need for leaders to ensure that the mission and goals of their institutions are aligned with students completing their education. Within universities, departments such as athletics are examining their role in providing student athletes with opportunities for full participation in the college experience. Leaders within the university are challenged to provide a student athlete with an environment where they focus on their academic success. Other challenges include ensuring institutional practices and policies are not being compromised for the sake of athletic programs and to ensure student athletes are being fully engaged through the integration within their campus academic communiti es. Some of the challenges that leaders face in higher education today are law, distance learning, response to change, gender, diversity and retention. The implementation of change in higher education can be quite costly and initiate faculty and personnel changes within the pedgological construct and dynamic of the university. This paper will address the challenges leaders face in organizing a successful preparation to these dynamics. However, prior to dealing more on this issue, the essential background of some of the problems in US higher education shall be discussed first. Background of some of the problems in US higher education In the United States, higher education is under local government control and capitalism, and a gateway to transform an individual into a middle-class (Eckel and King, 2004). In this regard, the US higher education has become a reflection of American character which primarily depicts independence, suspicion of government, ambition, inclusiveness and compe titions (Eckel and King, 2004). This makes US higher education so complex and diverse that in one way or another it is difficult to describe standard practice for all those exercised in the states. The US higher education is subdivided into three different institutions which includes four-year, two-year and less than two-year courses which can be public, private and not-for-profit, and private and for profit. Considering that the US higher education is not controlled by the federal government, each of the 50 states is therefore responsible for its local management and control on higher education. This resulted to the fact that there is a significant variation in the degree of control for higher education from state to state (Eckel and King, 2004). As a result, there is variation of policies from different states regarding the establishment and management and control of colleges and universities. These variations although would not be so much of an issue at some point, but have signi ficant impacts on the US higher education in the future. This could be explained further through the following situations. Although higher education remains to be at the third priority of the most states in the US in the budget allocation, it is also the first priority to undergo budget cut especially in bad economic times and fall of state tax revenue (Eckel and King, 2004). This is a corresponding problem in higher education for having the full potential to organize itself and achieve substantial amount of profit for its self provision. Today, colleges and universities in the US are trying to expand their revenue stream through different strategies including online education system, niche-oriented degree and non-degree academic programs, expansion of research capacities, engagement in licensing and sponsorship agreement, and obtaining auxiliary enterprises (Eckel and King, 2004). These strategies could prove as substantial evidences that the US higher education is highly commercia lized and has become intended for profit-making activity.

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Research Proposal Example It is the best form of communication tool that may be adopted by the business establishments to promote their products to the mass, which helps in more customer acceptability. This ultimately helps the business to maximise the profit. However, in context to the proposed research study it is necessary to analyse the influence of consumer likeness on the advertisement success of restaurants. The restaurant industry of the UK is highly developed and there is a large diversity in the particular sector (Restaurant Growth UK, 2015). The country is surrounded by a chain of restaurants ranging from high end types to the take away outlets. However, in the research paper discussions will be made regarding the advertising strategies that would help Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to prosper more in the country with sustainability. Therefore, it is necessary for the restaurant to develop effective advertisement techniques that will attract the customers. For this, the choice, preferences and tastes of the consumers should be highly considered (Haymarket, 2013). Advertisements act as a promotional tool thus it is necessary to demonstrate the advertisement in such a way that customers are attracted and are well informed about the added facilities provided. An analysis of the consumer behaviour will also be conducted in the research paper that will help in understanding the response related to the given topic. Consumer behaviour is the main attribute that the restaurant owners should focus on, which includes the social, economical as well as psychological aspects of consumers in a service industry (Peter & Olson, 2010). It is also necessary for the restaurant to select proper medium for advertising to reach customers more effectively and create a positive impact on the minds of customers (Abideen, 2011). Charles Zaiontz, 2014. Correlation Data Analysis Tool. Real Statistics Using Excel. [Online] Available at:

Changes in US higher education Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Changes in US higher education - Dissertation Example This essay discusses a goal of higher education that is for students to be in an environment where they can focus on their academic success. Pressure has been placed on many universities to ensure that all students complete their degree. The growing importance of degree completion has led to the increased need for leaders to ensure that the mission and goals of their institutions are aligned with students completing their education. Within universities, departments such as athletics are examining their role in providing student athletes with opportunities for full participation in the college experience. Leaders within the university are challenged to provide a student athlete with an environment where they focus on their academic success. Other challenges include ensuring institutional practices and policies are not being compromised for the sake of athletic programs and to ensure student athletes are being fully engaged through the integration within their campus academic communiti es. Some of the challenges that leaders face in higher education today are law, distance learning, response to change, gender, diversity and retention. The implementation of change in higher education can be quite costly and initiate faculty and personnel changes within the pedgological construct and dynamic of the university. This paper will address the challenges leaders face in organizing a successful preparation to these dynamics. However, prior to dealing more on this issue, the essential background of some of the problems in US higher education shall be discussed first. Background of some of the problems in US higher education In the United States, higher education is under local government control and capitalism, and a gateway to transform an individual into a middle-class (Eckel and King, 2004). In this regard, the US higher education has become a reflection of American character which primarily depicts independence, suspicion of government, ambition, inclusiveness and compe titions (Eckel and King, 2004). This makes US higher education so complex and diverse that in one way or another it is difficult to describe standard practice for all those exercised in the states. The US higher education is subdivided into three different institutions which includes four-year, two-year and less than two-year courses which can be public, private and not-for-profit, and private and for profit. Considering that the US higher education is not controlled by the federal government, each of the 50 states is therefore responsible for its local management and control on higher education. This resulted to the fact that there is a significant variation in the degree of control for higher education from state to state (Eckel and King, 2004). As a result, there is variation of policies from different states regarding the establishment and management and control of colleges and universities. These variations although would not be so much of an issue at some point, but have signi ficant impacts on the US higher education in the future. This could be explained further through the following situations. Although higher education remains to be at the third priority of the most states in the US in the budget allocation, it is also the first priority to undergo budget cut especially in bad economic times and fall of state tax revenue (Eckel and King, 2004). This is a corresponding problem in higher education for having the full potential to organize itself and achieve substantial amount of profit for its self provision. Today, colleges and universities in the US are trying to expand their revenue stream through different strategies including online education system, niche-oriented degree and non-degree academic programs, expansion of research capacities, engagement in licensing and sponsorship agreement, and obtaining auxiliary enterprises (Eckel and King, 2004). These strategies could prove as substantial evidences that the US higher education is highly commercia lized and has become intended for profit-making activity.

Propsal Essay revison Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Propsal revison - Essay Example The immediate effects anticipated in these circumstances are extreme reduction in the ingenuity and creativity among the working group often leading to lower productivity levels. Such type of situations could also result in the lowering loyalty to their task that ultimately causes radical reduction in the profits. Various successful initiatives have been reported across the world towards the retention rate of the employees in the organizations, ex: study at NASA. The aerospace industry faces Herculean tasks of retaining a satisfied team with very few graduating into the employment scene from the schools. Therefore the committed and capable team being forced to look out for alternate employment the shortage of adequate talent and high pressures on meeting the specific business targets. The research on NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre shows that practicing appropriate and innovative ways to retain their employs is fruitful (Herdey et al, 2008). Ineffective understanding and communication are the reasons that often turn employees restless and lead to disastrous outputs. Such a scenario finally ends in job switching, where he hopes to have better environment of work. To take hold of such migration across organizations, different techniques are practiced to boost motivation. And from a large pool of different methods, incentive systems are found to be most widely practiced. But most often the incentive systems make the employees to orient them towards the inventive component rather than achieving organizational goal. Also, an effective incentive, that promotes retention, drastically varies across persons, teams, companies, organizations and customers (Pavla, 2002). Quanta Energized Services, largest electric service contractor which provides total system solutions to the new challenges emerging in the electrical utilities sector resulting from deregulation and open transmission. The major business activities are related to the maintenance,

Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay As I see you beaming with pride and eagerly waiting to enter a higher education, I am reminded of the words of the German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who says, â€Å"On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. Just like the mountains of truth, you have made a tremendous effort to climb the ladder that will take you to a greater height of success. You all deserve to be here today. Some may be clouded with sadness as you leave your alma mater while reminiscing the unforgettable days with your batchmates and teachers. This is the day that you will always cherish and the time has come for you to assert your inner glow, shine and be the light of our school. In the number of years of being with us, we have journeyed together, earned success and have learned from our mistakes. Each tiny steps that we have taken, made us better, stronger and wiser. Each of you has contributed to our success and we are so proud of you. When you participated in the Rizal competition, a competition that has showcased your creative writing, chess, art and other talents, you have earned honors for your alma mater. This may be a game of fun for many competitors like you because of the talent, interest and enthusiasm that you take with you in every competition that you have participated in. Our academic and non-academic activities and competitions have honed your skills and made you discover the innate talents that you have. This school serves as the avenue that has paved the way in enriching your minds, polishing your skills, and making you understand the importance of discipline and education. How could we forget the fire drills that we had that would prepare you to any similar disaster that may or may not happen in your life? This is an important preparation in light of some unavoidable or unexpected disasters that are happening in many parts of our country. In this drill, you have also shown others the value of being of help to your fellowmen regardless of who they are. This is a giant step in understanding the value of saving lives and in being big brothers and big sisters to one another. You have also made a great effort in our water conservation campaign. We must be thankful for the abundance of water that we are enjoying in our community and in our country. However, being blessed with a life giving water resources must not come with its careless and abusive usage. Each of you has learned to become vigilant to dripping faucets and excessive use of water for our daily needs. It is now our task to continue this practice in our homes and in our communities. These are few of the many programs and activities that we have undertaken together and without your help and effort, we will never succeed in our undertakings. With that, allow me to personally say, â€Å"Thank You† to the graduating class and their parents. To all the teachers and staff, I salute you for the many hours that you have spent in helping your students learn and succeed. You have worked beyond school hours and have supported me in implementing our programs. Although there are talks about the possibility of closing this school amidst all our challenges, rest assured that we are working hard and doing everything we can to keep this school open and functioning well so new students can enroll, and old students can continue their studies and eventually graduate similar to the current batch who are right before me today. I would like to conclude my speech not with a farewell to the graduates and their parents but with a reminder that in being a light for your alma mater, you can serve someone other than yourself and serve something bigger than yourself. God bless you and your families.

Administration of Colonoscopy Reflective Account

Administration of Colonoscopy Reflective Account This essay aims to provide a reflective account of the authors personal and professional experience of a patient being admitted for a colonoscopy. To achieve this, a model of reflection will be used and a rationale provided to support this choice. The main point of discussion is communication and advocacy. Advocacy is central to communication and part of a caring nurse-client relationship (Arnold Boggs, 2003). The author as a newly appointed nurse on the Endoscopy Unit, will reflect upon how they could have been a better advocate for the patient in question. Ethical and legal issues will be examined. Finally implications for practice will be discussed. Using a model of reflection allows the nurse to re-appraise the care they have delivered to a patient/client and in doing so can evaluate the effectiveness of that care (Basford Slevin 1995), thus with the intention of influencing future practice for the better. Before starting the reflection process it will be more helpful for the professional to have a guideline or framework from which to work from (Palmer, Burns and Bulman 1994). Palmer et al (1994) view the process as something that is dynamic and they advise a cyclical style model using questions to provide a format for reflection. It is for these reasons that the Gibbs Reflective Cycle has been chosen (Gibbs 1998) for this essay. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards on respecting confidentiality in practice, all names and locations have been made anonymous (NMC 2008). As this is a reflective essay the author will refer to herself as I where appropriate. The reflective cycle is divided into six sections each with their own key questions. These are: Description: What happened? Feeling: What were you thinking and feeling? Evaluation: What was good or bad about this experience? Analysis: What sense can you make of the situation? Conclusion: What else could you have done? Action Plan: If it arose again what would you do? (Gibbs 1998) These areas for reflection provide the main topics for the rest of this assignment. When the practitioner has developed an action plan they can then return to the beginning of the cycle with the extra knowledge they have obtained from the first reflective experience (Gibbs 1998). It is here though with the description of the incident that the reflective cycle will begin. The following situation led me to question my actions when admitting a patient for a colonoscopy. The patient a 43 year-old male was referred for a colonoscopy by his GP following a three-week history of fresh rectal bleeding, anal itching (pruritus ani) and a change in bowel habit. Two weeks prior to the scheduled test, a pack containing a letter of appointment was sent to the patient by the endoscopy administration staff. Enclosed were two sachets of Picolax bowel preparation, full instructions for usage, highlighting the need to follow instructions precisely to ensure clarity of view and aid diagnostic accuracy. Included with this pack was a pre-endoscopy questionnaire to enable the nurse to assess the patients general state of health and identify any potential risk factors or complications, which may arise. A booklet was in this pack explaining the procedure, reasons for the test, complications and risks and what to expect during the test. The booklet stated other available investigations in order that he could make an informed decision and enable him to give informed consent for the test to go ahead. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) state that before any treatment or care is given to the patient, consent must be obtained. The BSG (2008) warn that consent issues are a major source of problems, sometimes leading to both complaints and litigation throughout the NHS. Therefore valid and robust consenting is now a required standard for the Endoscopy Global Rating Scale (GRS, 2009) which is a tool that enables endoscopy units to assess how well they provide a patient-centred service. Information in the booklet covered the option of sedation and the need for appropriate after-care. A consent form was enclosed for him to sign at home, providing the patient had read, understood an d agreed to under-go the procedure. A morning appointment was made for the patient and he arrived at the unit by himself. He was greeted by myself, I checked his personal details. This is in accordance with the BSG (2008) guidance for obtaining a valid consent for elective endoscopic procedures as it states that identity checks at key stages in the procedure are essential as some patients have even been known to undergo procedures intended for another due to loss of autonomy and anxiety which can result when entering the hospital. When this information was confirmed he was made to feel comfortable in the preparation room. The patient was clearly anxious. He was looking down a lot and he had his arms folded. He spoke very quickly and with a quiver in his voice one of the first things he said to me was, please knock me out for this. I explained to the patient that although we could give him some sedation which would make him feel more relaxed, he would still be awake as it would be unsafe to knock him out for the test. The sedation used for all endoscopic procedures is conscious sedation. This has been defined as: A technique in which the use of a drug or drugs produces a state of depression of the central nervous system enabling treatment to be carried out, but during which verbal contact with the patient is maintained throughout the period of sedation. The drug and techniques used to provide conscious sedation should carry a margin of safety wide enough to render loss of consciousness unlikely. BSG (2003, p3). He explained that he saw on the consent form that sedation would be offered and he interpreted this to be a general anaesthetic. I further explained to him that although the patient may feel sleepy, he would be conscious throughout the test and he would be able to talk to us. Cotton and Williams (2003) agree, believing that the desired effect of the sedation on the patient is sleepy, relaxed but rouse able. The patient clearly expressed a preference for sedation and it was established that the patients wife could collect him after his procedure and would remain with him over the next 24 hours. It is a requirement that any patient undergoing a procedure with sedation should be accompanied home by a responsible adult who will remain with them for 24 hours as sedative effects are known to remain in the body system for up to this period of time (Royal College of Surgeons, 1993). At this point, I as a newly appointed staff nurse on the unit was unsure whether the consent form that the patient had signed was valid as he originally thought that he was going to have a general anaesthetic when he had signed the form. I had been trained in taking consent which is documented in my e-portfolio as regards the national GIN training programme (Gastrointestinal in Nursing Training Programme), but was unsure what to do in this instance as I had never experienced the situation before. My initial thought was that is was not valid as the patient had a different perception of the test. I explained to the patient that I was just going to get some advice from my colleague (who had worked in the endoscopy unit for several years) as regards the validity of his consent form. I said that I would need to explain the situation to my colleague and he agreed to this joking that we did not both want to get into trouble from the headmaster and get a detention. I said that I would only b e a couple of minutes and left the room to find advice. I explained the situation to the nurse who was sat in recovery. The nurse said that the Endoscopist performing the procedure would go over consent again in the procedure room and not to worry about it. I expressed concern at this because I knew that consent must never be obtained in the procedure room. Guidelines readily available in relation to consent include British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines (BSG) (2008) and the Joint Advisory Group Guidelines (JAG) (2001). Booth agree that consent should not be taken in the procedure room. Guidance on good practice in consent implies that all patients must have had adequate time to absorb and reflect upon new information. This is not achieved if consent is obtained at the last possible moment which is in the procedure room itself. The nurse was dismissive and made unpleasant comments regarding men in general. There was a short distance between the nurse and the preparation room where the patient was so it is likely that the patient heard her remarks. I did not comment at this time even though I felt her remarks to be inappropriate. Luckily this gentleman was the first patient on the mornings list and as such, no other patients were in recovery to here the comments. The nurse picked up the patients notes and knocked on the preparation room door. I thought that I had better observe too as the nurse looked ready for a challenge. The nurse was very brusque in manner and asked the patient if he had read the booklet which the unit has sent out for the test and the section regarding sedation. The patient said that he had read the booklet and indeed the section regarding sedation but there was no mention that he would be awake after he had been given the sedative and assumed therefore that he would be asleep. The nurse then got a copy of the booklet. As she was flicking through trying to find the page with the relevant sedation information on, she said it clearly states in the booklet that if sedation is given, the patient will be awake throughout the test. However, when she got to the page regarding sedation there was no mention of this. It just stated that sedation would be offered prior to the colonoscopy but if the patient decided to have sedation that it was essential that someone was available to stay escort the patient home and stay with them overnight. The nurse went bright red, but did not apologise to t he patient and said that she was going to have words with the administration staff and left the procedure room. I felt guilty that I had not challenged the nurse regarding her rude manner with the patient at the time but felt intimidated and unable to voice my opinion, I also felt I had failed in my duty of care. I thought that the nurse had made a big deal when there was no need. I apologised unreservedly for my colleagues attitude and said that I would take steps to make sure that the booklet was clearer. I then realised that my original question regarding the consent form had not even been answered. I asked the patient if it was okay if I asked another colleague their opinion. The patient said yes but not that do-lally nurse and said that he would be making a complaint regarding her attitude. I then found the endoscopist who was actually going to be undertaking the patients test and asked them about the consent issue. They said that the consent form was fine as long as I reiterated that the patient would be awake and that they fully understood the test. The Endoscpist said that they would d iscuss the consent form with the patient again prior to the procedure as this is normal practice. I went back into the preparation room and said that the consent form was not a problem and that we would discuss it further. I spoke to the patient in a reassuring way, trying to compensate from his previous treatment from my colleague. I asked the patient if he understood the test he was about to have and its related risks. When I felt like the patient had a clear understanding of the procedure I asked him if he had any questions regarding the procedure, the patient replied he had no further questions. He added that he was even more nervous now after the experience with the nurse but just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. I began to explain the procedure that he was going to undergo and asked if he knew why the GP had referred him for this procedure and relayed the benefits of viewing the bowel in this way. The patient was happy that a diagnosis might be forthcoming from this test. I then reiterated the possible risks of the procedure to the patient explaining that they w ere rare but never the less very real. The patient said that he understood the risks involved but wanted to go ahead with the test to obtain a diagnosis of his problems. I stated that if the patient was going to have sedation, then he should not drive or operate any machinery and should not sign any legally binding documents as the side effects from the sedation would still affect him for twenty four hours. I explained that the endoscopist would endeavour to complete the investigation however, if complications were to occur such as patient distress or poor bowel prep that the test would be abandoned. During a Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Related Procedures Course at The University of Sheffield (Feb 2010, SNM 2215/3232) it was suggested that the guideline for informed consent was signified by the acronym EMBRACE, Explanation of the procedure, Motive for the procedure, Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Complications and side Effects of the procedure. I believe that these guidelines were fully complied. Following the taking of a medical history and completion of a further in-depth health check questionnaire to ascertain any condition or reason to which sedation would be contraindicated such as elderly patients who may have significant co-morbidity and even in younger patients, the presence of heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung disease, liver failure, anaemia, shock and morbid obesity (BSG, 2003). It became evident that sedation would be an option. I explained to the patient that a nurse would be with him continuously throughout the procedure and would encourage him to breathe through any discomfort he may feel, or to push some of the air out of his bottom to relieve any pain. The patients blood pressure, pulse and saturations were taken and all were within acceptable limits. This provides a good baseline of the patients observations for the procedure itself and can determine any changes that may occur as a result of the cardio or respiratory depression that may be induced by sedation. Pascarelli (1996) states that during the procedure, the nurses primary responsibility is to monitor the patients vital signs along with communication with the endoscopist, administration of medications and emotional support to the patient. Clarke (1994) warns that patients who undergo invasive procedures are usually anxious and their vital signs are commonly elevated however the sedation lessens the anxiety, and all of the vital signs decrease therapeutically to that patients resting level. The sedation of choice in my workplace is intravenous Midazolam. Midazolam is a benzodiazepine reputedly well suited for use in endoscopy. It has an amnesic affect causing a reduction in memory recall. Clarke (1994) agrees saying that the goal of IV conscious sedation is some degree of amnesia. Patients will occasionally remember some parts for example, the initial introduction of the colonoscope. It is for this reason clear written discharge instructions are given to the patient prior to discharge, with a contact telephone number in the event of any problems and this was explained to the patient. Sedation may be indicated for many reasons. In the main these may include allaying of fears regarding a procedure, and aims to facilitate compliance with repeat procedures as a result of the amnesic affects induced. In many cases it assures co-operation and eases difficulties for the endoscopist and generally provides a rapid, safe return to the normal activities of daily living. The patient was asked to undress from the waist down and to put on the gown provided. When the patient was ready he was taken by myself into the procedure room and introduced to the endoscopist and the appointed staff nurses where the issues of consent and sedation would once more be discussed with the patient as it is the endoscopists ultimate responsibility. Throughout the experience, I felt that several important issues had been highlighted. One issue is that of the booklet that is sent out to the patients prior to the test. I believe that individual patients perspectives regarding the effects of sedation may vary greatly, from a mild sedative to a general anaesthetic. I conclude this to result from the individual interpretation of patient information received and relatives and friends giving a distorted image of their own experience due to the amnesic affect of the sedation. I would advocate good effective communication skills are paramount in allaying misconceptions and fears and the giving of a realistic overview is therefore essential. It was clear that there needed to be some improvement of the explanation of conscious sedation as I felt that is merely skimmed the surface explaining that the option of sedation was there and that there needed to be someone to escort the patient home and stay with them overnight. I felt that it needed to be clearer in the fact that it needs to mention that the patient will not actually be anaesthetised and furthermore that amnesia is a common side effect from the sedation given. This has subsequently been mentioned to the ward sister and the booklet has been updated to clarify conscious sedation. Perhaps one of the most obvious issues is that of the attitude of the other nurse. The BSG (2008) state that the patient must not be put under any pressure and have sufficient time to digest the information in order for consent to be valid. I felt that the attitude of the nurse in question did put pressure on the patient and caused further anxiety for the patient. I felt that the nurse spoke to the patient in a degrading way and showed a lack of professionalism. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008) state that nurses must treat people as individuals and respect their dignity, must not discriminate and must treat people kindly and considerately. This was not the case in the above example. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (2008) state that no matter your circumstances you should always be treated fairly and with respect when using healthcare services. The Department of Health (2008) cite the UK Human Rights Act in their guidelines about human rights in healthcare when they state that people have an absolute right not to be treated in a degrading way. This means that it is unlawful for the NHS organisations to act in a way that is incompatible with the human rights act. Endoscopy nurses and indeed all NHS staff should be thinking about their practice and how their response to a situation may impact on a patient or clients human rights. If the patient had chosen to complain (as he said he was going to do) about the nurses attitude towards him, then the nurse may have well been in trouble. This experience has made me question my future practice as a registered nurse and how I would deal with a similar situation. Arnold and Boggs (2003) suggest that an advocate is someone who speaks out; supporting a person so that their views are heard and their rights are upheld, with the sole purpose of maximising the patients health. I was not assertive as I did not defend the patient and therefore did not fulfil my duty of care by becoming an advocate for the patient, ensuring he was treated with dignity and respect. I was worried about what may happen if I challenged the nurses practice. I need to develop my assertiveness and be able to communicate confidently and effectively with both patients and health care professionals. It is quite easy for a nurse to be an advocate for the patient when there is no stress involved but it can be quite difficult when it goes against other health professionals (Kendrick 1994). In this instance there was a conflict between the patients best inter est and my fear of challenging the nurse. If I had been a more experienced nurse on the endoscopy unit and known the nurse involved in this situation better, I think I may have been able to foresee her reaction to the patient and perhaps may not have approached this particular nurse or used my communication skills together with advocacy to diffuse the situation. Gates (1994) states advocacy is one of the main responsibilities nurses have; it is part of communicating on behalf of the patient and/or their families, acting as a mediator to express their needs and experiences. In health care, communication is fundamental to promoting the safe and effective care of patients. The Department of Health Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) (DoH 2004) is a competence framework to support professional development and career progression through the NHS and is about lifelong learning. It has core dimensions essential to providing quality care. Core dimension 1 (level 4) is concerned with communication. It states that the purpose of communication may include advocating on behalf of others. In order for me to progress as a nurse on the endoscopy unit I need to be familiar with and work within the KSF and other guidelines. On reflection, I feel that I did communicate with the patient well. Smith (1995) proposes that reflection does not necessarily entail an incident that was dramatic or negative; it could easily be something positive that a person finds they obtain valuable learning experience from. Communication with the patient has to be one of the most important aspects of nursing care. An integral part of this process is the way a nurse should use and understand body language (Wilkinson 1991). It is as vital a part of the communication process as speaking and should be treated as such. Body language can convey all human emotions either consciously or not and can show a persons true feelings regardless of what they have said (Pease 1984). I could tell by the way that the patient was communicating non-verbally that he was anxious. His facial expressions and posture showed the classic signs of someone being anxious (Teasdale 1995). Seeing this, perhaps I should have explained to the nurse beforehand t hat the patient was anxious so that she may have acted with a bit more respect towards the patient. It is clear that good clear communication skills can improve patient satisfaction and compliance, thus reducing anxiety. I believe that during the admitting process with the patient I did actively discuss the procedure with the patient. I felt that I gave the patient opportunity to ask questions and allay any fears he was harbouring. I sat beside the patient and spoke to him about the procedure in an informal and pleasant manner, giving him opportunity to voice any concerns that he had. I believe that the patient is at their most vulnerable and anxious upon entering the endoscopy unit and some encouraging reassurance makes the patients experience less of an ordeal. It is my opinion that an assessment of a patients personality and level of understanding regarding consent and sedation enables the development of a communication strategy accordingly thus providing a sound knowledge of the test, sedation offered and therefore informed consent. This essay has allowed me to reflect upon my own practice and how I should have acted differently by standing up for the patient at the time, not allowing my own lack of confidence to prevent this. I understand that the care of the patient is my first concern and that I must work with others as a team to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of those in my care (NMC 2008). Perhaps with this understanding, I will be less anxious about felling inferior around other professionals. I will articulate my professional judgement given a similar situation, using what I have been taught which is the best evidence based practice to rationalise my reasons for questioning their practice. I will aim to develop my assertiveness (as I realise that assertiveness does not come naturally to me) to speak out in the interests of the patient, whatever the situation. I will develop my ability to communicate with both patients and other professionals to offer them the opportunity to rationalise their own care delivery and reflect upon it. I believe these actions will enhance my professionalism and promote best practice, in the interest of the patient. I had chosen to focus on communication and advocacy as these are areas in which I feel I need to work on. Gibbs (1998) reflective cycle was used in this assignment because it is a familiar tool that I have found to be useful and uncomplicated. Learning from an experience and then reflecting on that experience is an excellent way of improving the skills in my chosen profession (Kolb 1984). From my own personal point of view, I went into this assignment with some degree of emotional imbalance for the fact that I did not speak out for the patient but now I feel that I have gained in several areas. I feel my reflective skills have increased and with it my confidence regarding tackling such situations again. Also I feel more relaxed with the idea of reflecting uncomfortable incidences because I can see the benefits in doing so.