Bibliography This Is My First Biology Paper. My Major Is Psychology.

Bibliography: This is my first Biology paper. My major is Psychology. I attend an university in Maryland part-time. I am a college Sophomore. I work in Communications. UNDERSTANDING THE AIDS VIRUS Will I live to see tomorrow? Is there a hope for the future? These are probably the most commonly asked questions among AIDS patients today. This paper delves into the heart of the AIDS topic by giving a detailed definition of the virus, risk factors associated with transmission, and the best treatment methods studied by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and other research organizations. AIDS. The word alone strikes fear into every sexually active individual. Why is this? The reason is that everyone can relate to the consequential symptoms of the disease, but not everyone knows the real meaning of AIDS. AIDS is an acronym for "Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome." The Centers for Disease Control defines AIDS as the presence of at least one of several opportunistic diseases, along with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). An opportunistic disease is described as a disease that has an opportunity to occur because the immune system has been weakened. Examples of opportunistic diseases would be Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, Kaposi's sarcoma, or toxoplasmosis. The combination of such diseases, plus HIV, deplete the complex natural defense system protecting the body from infection by viruses and microorganisms. The definition of AIDS has also been expanded to include a CD4+ T cell count less than 200 cells per cubic millimeter (mm3) of blood. AIDS is characterized by the progressive loss of the CD4+ helper cell, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight off certain infections. This cell is also known as the T, T-helper, and T4 cells. The CD4+ cells are white blood cells that stimulate B lymphocytes to produce antibodies, lead to a severe reduction of functions of the body's immune system (immunosuppression), neurological complications, and opportunistic infections that rarely occur in persons with intact immune function. Although the precise causes leading to the destruction of the immune system have not been fully discovered, the detailed studies of epidemiology, virology, and immunology support the conclusion the HIV is the underlying cause of AIDS; hence HIV invades and destroys the CD4 cells. Primary HIV infection is often associated with as abrupt decline of CD4 cells in the peripheral blood. The decrease in circulating CD4 cells during primary infection is probably due to two factors: 1) depletion by HIV, and 2) to redirect cells to the lymphoid tissue and other organs. The median period between the infection of HIV and the onset of clinically apparent disease is approximately 10 years in western countries, according to prospective studies of homosexual men. This period also applies to HIV-infected blood transfusion recipients, injection drug users, and adult hemophiliacs. In 1981, clinical investigators in New York and California observed among young, previously healthy, homosexual men a strange clustering of cases of rare diseases, notably Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), as well as cases of unexplained, persistent lymphadenopathy. It soon became evident that these men had a common immunologic deficit- the impairment in cell mediated immunity, resulting from a significant loss of CD4 cells. The widespread development of KS and PCP in young people with no previous history of disease was unusual. After detailed studies and searches of autopsy records, medical history books, and tumor recordings, results showed that KS and PCP had only occurred at very low levels in the United States previously. KS, Kaposi's sarcoma, is a skin neoplasm that affected older men, cancer, or transplant patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. Before AIDS became a big issue, the only reports of KS in the United States were 0.02 to 0.06 per 100,000 population. In addition, the disease was generally found in certain parts of Africa among younger individuals. By 1984, men in San Francisco were found 2,000 times more likely to develop KS! By 1994, at least a whopping 36,693 patients with AIDS had been reported. This shows how fast the spread of the disease takes place. PCP, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a lung infection caused by a pathogen, was extremely rare before 1981. Taken from a survey in 1967, only 107 cases had been

Ethics, CSR and Leadership Report - Business Must Act Ethically The WritePass Journal

Ethics, CSR and Leadership Report - Business Must Act Ethically 1.Introduction Ethics, CSR and Leadership Report Business Must Act Ethically , p. 2). 3.Lessons Learnt from News Corporation Scandal This question will discuss the different lessons companies can learn from the News Corporation Scandal. In doing so, a review as to what led to the scandals taken place will be undertaken, followed by a discussion relating to the importance of ethical polices with respect to Corporate Social Responsibility. The 2011 News Corporation phone hacking scandals have taught businesses a valuable lesson to ensure that they have effective compliance programmes in place. This is because the scandals that took place clearly illustrated that compliance risks were not being managed appropriately, which subsequently led to corrupt practices being undertaken by the News Corporation properties. Whilst the scandal initially appeared to involve a single journalist, it soon became apparent that there was a much wider pattern of wrongdoing that took place. The News of the World newspaper was subsequently closed as a result of the scandals, which demonstrates just how serious unethical business practices are. Businesses that have personal ties to political parties are at a higher risk of being bribed and in cases such as this, it is imperative that effective controls are in place to deal with this. This could be achieved by creating policies that deal with compliance risks appropriately and red flags should be raised by compliance departments if such relationships exist (Wrage, 2013, p. 2). In addition because the majority of employees found to be wrongdoing were at the top end of the hierarchal system, businesses must ensure that all of their employees are committed to compliance regardless as to what level they are at. Businesses could also compel their employees to take part in compliance and ethics training (Daft and Marcic, 2011, p. 153). This will not only allow the business to test its employees on compliance risks but it will also allow employees to test their abilities in dealing with ethical issues, such as bribery.   Another lesson that companies can learn from the scandal is the need to undertake internal investigations on a regular basis by an independent investigator. This appears to be something that News Corporation had in place, which allowed the investigations to take place efficiently (Romm, 2011, p. 1). Since news of the scandals broke out, it seems as though there has been a furore of internal investigations taking place across the whole industry. This is common practice for a corruption scandal and often sees organisations taking a more robust approach with their compliance responsibilities (Urofsky et al, 2012, p. 1145). Although the lessons to be learned have been known for some time, it seems as though businesses are now starting to take compliance risks more seriously than they had done previously after seeing the consequences of non-compliance (Cobert and Pascal, 2012, p. 14). It is particularly important for businesses to have in place corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies since the concept of corporate governance has become a significant issue over the years. Many corporate collapses have lef an overhaul in the way corporations are to be regulated and as put forward by Gobert and Pascal (2012, p. 14); â€Å"it is timely to think further about how best not just to regulate but to control corporations and their directors, whether to use and in what combination, administrative, civil or criminal laws to address corporate misconduct.† The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) is just one of many organisations which seeks to ensure that governments can tackle the economic, social and governance challenges that frequently emerge within a globalised economy. Nevertheless, because there are no specific rules surrounding CSR it is generally up to the organisation to ensure compliance. It has thus been said that there is a â€Å"lack of prescription as to how the company’s board organises itself and exercises its responsibilities† (McColgan, 2001, p. 16). Still, the Combined Code on Corporate Governance (UK Corporate Governance Code 2010), that was issued by the FRC in 2003 does seek to ensure that good corporate governance practices are being adhered to by all companies. It is questionable just how effectiv e this is, however, since companies can employ a different approach than that encouraged by the Code. 4.Role of Corporate Leadership in Ethics and CSR This question will discuss the role a company’s leadership should play in the promotion of ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. The primary feature of good governance is the relationship between the company and its stakeholders. A company’s leadership therefore plays an important role in making decisions and conducting business with the interests of the company’s stakeholders in mind (Bryan, 2012, p. 14). The provisions under the Code demonstrate the need for leadership; accountability; remuneration and relations with shareholders. However, it cannot be said that these principles are always being adhered to (PIRC, 2007, p. 2), yet it is apparent that compliance with the Code is on the rise. All companies need to be managed appropriately, whilst also providing accountability to its shareholders. This will certify that appropriate safeguards are in place for a company’s shareholders whilst also preserving a company’s ability to develop. Hence, as pointed out in the Cadbury Report (1992, p. 32); â€Å"the effectiveness with which boards discharge their responsibilities determine Brit ain’s competitive position. They must be free to drive their companies forward but exercise that freedom within a framework of effective accountability.† Accordingly, a system of good governance is important for any organisation if CSR and ethics are to be promoted. In order for CSR and ethics to be promoted an appropriate corporate structure needs to be implemented that is individually suited to the business needs as one approach will not be suitable for all. Although, this enables corrupt practices to be employed more easily, companies are still required to adhere to the Code and other legislative provisions. The UK thereby imposes duties upon all organisations to conduct business in an ethical manner, yet because of the difficulty in identifying whether this is being achieved additional strategies need to be implemented by businesses themselves. This can be achieved by a more robust management and control system. A number of precautions may be taken by organisations in order to eliminate or reduce compliance risks and preserve the interests of the company as a whole. This will inevitably benefit the economy overall and fewer corporate scandals and corrupt practices will be undertaken. Such precautions include risk management strategies, the conduction of regular reviews and internal investigations. As put by Ferran (2008, p. 95); â€Å"to minimise the risk, policymakers contemplating the imposition of higher minimum capital requirements for companies generally would need to take on the complex task of designing a carefully set of requirements that achieved a degree of commensurability between the specific risks undertaken by individual companies and the amount of capital that each of them was required to hold.† All companies should therefore minimise any risks by implementing various controls that assess the risks associated with the business. CSR does help to promote business ethics t o a large extent since the actions of a company will be strictly monitored under CSR policies. This will prevent unlawful and unethical conduct from taking place and will also assist in sustainable development (European Commission, 2011, p. 3). Corporate transparency is one of the most important traits a business can have since it will allow greater transparency and accountability to be effectuated. Hence, as pointed out in the Cadbury Report (1992, p. 32); â€Å"the lifeblood of markets is information and barriers to the flow of relevant information represent imperfections in the market.† Not only will this benefit the economy but it will also benefit the organisations as investors will be more likely to invest in a transparent company than a non-transparent one. As such, all companies should ensure that they are fully compliant and transparent when it comes to disclosing their business affairs. 5.Conclusions Overall, in considering the recent corporation scandals that have occurred in recent years, it is imperative that all businesses act ethically by managing compliance risks in an effective manner. Because of the importance business ethics has on the community and on the business itself it is integral that policies and procedures are in place that are aimed at dealing with the main risks that are applicable to the business in question. This will ensure that the interests of the business and society are being protected. Given the increasing emphasis that is being placed upon business ethics, those that are not found to be compliant will suffer the consequences as stakeholders will not be interested in any aspect of the business. This will have a major effect upon the business as a whole which is why adequate procedures need to be in place that deals primarily with business ethics. 6.Recommendations It is recommended that the organisation implements policies within the day-to-day running of the business so as to avoid any possible risks that may arise. When agents are being used organisations must ensure that they receive prior approval from a senior executive who will be able to perform a risk assessment as to whether there is any likelihood of corruption. When considering facilitation payments organisations must also ensure that conditions are attached if they are a necessary requisite of the business activity. In addition, internal reviews and investigations should be undertaken frequently and appropriate training should be given to all staff on how to deal with business ethics. 7.Bibliography Brown, M. E., and Mitchell, M. S., (2001) Ethical and Unethical Leadership: Exploring New Avenues for Future Research, Business Ethics Quarterly, Volume 20, Issue 4. Bryan, C. S., (2012) The role of leadership in fraud deterrence, Financial Executive. Cobert, J., and Pascal, A., (2012) European Developments in Corporate Criminal Liability, Taylor Francis US. Daft, R. L., and Marcic, D., (2011) Understanding Management, Business Economics, 8th Edition. European Commission., (2011) Sustainable and Responsible Business, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainable-business/corporate-social-responsibility/index_en.htm [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. Fenando, A., (2010) Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, Pearson Education India, Business Ethics. Ferran, E., (2008) Principles of Corporate Finance Law, OUP Oxford. Groenendikj, N., (1997) A principal-agent model of corruption, Crime, Law and Social Change, Volume 27. Healy, P. M., and Ramanna, K., (2013) When the Crowd Fights Corruption, Harvard Business Review, The Globe, http://hbr.org/2013/01/when-the-crowd-fights-corruption/ar/1 [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. Institute of Business Ethics., (2013) Frequently Asked Questions, ibe.org.uk/index.asp?upid=71msid=12 [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. Loscher, P., (2012) The CEO of Siemens on Using a Scandal to Drive Change, Harvard Business Review, The Globe. McColgan, P., (2001) Agency Theory and Corporate Governance: A Review of the Literature from a UK Perspective, ppge.ufrgs.br/GIACOMO/arquivos/gov-corp/mccolgan-2001.pdf [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. OECD., (2005) OECD Principles of Corporate Governance 1999 and 2004, oecd.org/document/49/0,3343,en_2649_34813_31530865_1_1_1_1,00.html [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. PIRC., (2007) Review of the Impact of the Combined Code’, pirc.co.uk/publications/FRCresponse.pdf [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. SFO., (2010) Enforcement of the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act – Facilitation Payments, sfo.gov.uk/media/225554/enforcement_of_the_uks_bribery_act_facilitation_payments_061212.pdf [Accessed 07 November 2013]. Romm, J., (2011) News Corp and the Hacked Climategate Emails: Time for an Independent Investigation, Climate Progress, http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/07/19/272361/news-corp-hacked-climategate-emails-time-for-an-independent-investigation/ [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. The Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance and Gee and Co Ltd., ‘The Cadbury Report’ (1992), ecgi.org/codes/documents/cadbury.pdf [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. The Times., (2013) Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Case Studies, http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/anglo-american/business-ethics-and-corporate-social-responsibility/why-should-a-business-act-ethically.html#axzz2jzaIe2vQ [Accessed 06 November 2013]. United Nations., (1999) Prevention: An Effective Tool to Reduce Corruption, Programme Against Corruption, CICP-2. Urofsky, P., Moon, H. W. and Rimm, J., (2012) The FCPA at thirty-five and its impact on global business, Ohio State Law Journal.    Wrage, A., (2013) 5Compliance Lessons from the News Corp Scandal, Forbes, forbes.com/sites/alexandrawrage/2013/04/03/5-compliance-lessons-from-the-news-corp-scandal/ [Accessed 06 November, 2013].

Property Law&Practice 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Property Law&Practice 2 - Coursework Example The main reason that leads to the formulation of part II of the agreement was to bring protection to the business tenants. A business tenant having protection by the act will not get any eviction simply by the receipt of notification to relinquish the house, or by the lapse of a fixed term of the tenancy evacuate the room or building. It is stipulated that the landlord, in consideration to evacuate the tenant, has to serve the tenant with an evacuation notice. The tenant, on the other hand, has to respond to, before any action including eviction can be carried out. On the same note, part II of the same act is applicable to the tenancy where the property being used obtains the protection. The act talks of an inclusion of the premises which includes those occupied by the tenant for the use of the business carried out by that tenant. The purpose might be for the specified business, or any other businesses carried out by the tenant. The act has some exceptions such as the one seen in S.4 3., for the company to improve that all the tenants take a lease period of more than six months. This is already applicable to all the tenants to ABC. The act does not provide a cover from the leases less than six months and have no scope for renewal. Even though both parties involved can agree on not to be covered, it is important to note that having a cover is very important, both to the business and its tenants, as well. Additionally, the tenancy that is granted by purpose of engagement by the guarantor has to be covered. Additionally, a tenancy that has obtained a grant by reason of occupation by the grantor gets excluded from the Act. This holds as long as there is clear agreement that states the purpose for which the tenancy exists. The condition of leasing of the building hall to the tenant who will then lease individual rooms to other businesses may prove productive in the long run. The tenant should take advantage of the fortification offered through the act. As a letting c ompany, the houses should be left under the control of the management. This will ensure maximum returns on the investment carried out. For ABC Company to make significant progress, it has to get a timely and accurate performance of the assets. It should also ensure that it gets market information relating to other people who deal in the same businesses. Any successful investor has to make sure that it embraces core assets management strategies. This has a pivotal role in ensuring that they make better investment decisions. They can also see to it that critical staff gets freed, and those left to manage the property do it diligent and efficiently. It is a common undertaking nowadays that most businesses experience fluctuating business cycles. This problem gets compounded by credit contractors and limited liquidity. Therefore, the company should seek accounting and finance services relating to the following scales; account receivable, Corporate Accounting/General Ledger, account payab le, portfolio accounting, as well as fund accounting. To avoid the risk incurred by fluctuations in business, ABC Ltd has to make sure that the terms of leases to do not rely on the profits and losses of the tenants. There are several ways that the property investment can be maximized. They include the following 1 Exit strategy: even though the business has already acquired the

Answer a sustainability memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer a sustainability memo - Essay Example Starting with nutrition, McDonalds promotes the use of natural fruits and vegetables directly from the firm. Also, it has specially designed milk products with low fat contents for children. By tailoring their efforts to meet specific consumer demands, this company has managed to cut down on wasteful supply of food products. As regards to environmental conservation, McDonalds has partnered with several other agencies to carry out research aimed at developing sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging materials. By reducing effective weight as well as improving the design of materials used for packaging, the firm has significantly reduced the amount of raw material required to make the packages. In addition, the package materials are organic in nature, hence biodegradable. This reduces the environmental impacts of the waste packets. McDonalds has further taken measures to tap the most of the recyclable green energy. In their restaurants, they have installed solar panels and wind turbines so as to utilize the solar and wind energy respectively. These actions reduce the overall dependence on oil energy that is not only non-recyclable, but also the greatest contributor to air pollution

An outline of Modern Chinese Buddhism's response to easterna and Essay

An outline of Modern Chinese Buddhism's response to easterna and western Philosophy - Essay Example witnessed immense interaction and integration of people with Chinese engage in commercial activities with both the west and the East in equal measure. Chinese spread all over the world to the Americas and Europe among other parts of the world while other people from different regions converged in China. As such, Buddhism would change some of it ideologies in order to fit the fast changing society. Iconic Buddhists of the era including Xiong Shili, Liang Shuming and Wang Xiaoxu sought to intergrate some of the western and eastern philosophies in the intrinsic Chinese religion (Zhang 540). Changing a number of features of the religion was realistic in order to position the religion strategically in the already changing world thereby enabling it to enjoy a sense of belonging in the contemporary society (Jianming 44). The response to both the western and eastern philosophies was therefore systematic with the religion’s desire to spread and safeguard both its longevity and values even as it spread to various parts of the world. Fortunately, the incorporation of some of the western and eastern philosophies such as materialism and idealism revitalized Buddhism. The dialogues that the various Buddhists had on the various philosophies coupled with their accommodative approach of the various philosophies helped make Buddhism endear to more westerners thereby making it easy for B uddhists from all over the world to interact with the various people they met in their daily endeavors. Idealism, mind matter dualism and materialism were increasingly becoming predominant philosophies that required appropriate redress in order to position the religion strategically in the society (Huajun and Milligan 29). Buddhism therefore incorporated dialogues on such philosophies with the view to accommodating more people who held various viewpoints thereby growing the influence of the religion. Idealism for example argues that the definition of reality is relative and relies on the mental

The impact of armed conflict in Nigeria

The impact of armed conflict in Nigeria Many countries in sub-Saharan region in Africa have been plagued with ethnic and religious conflicts. Nigeria has not been immune to such conflicts. The country has and continues to witness high levels of ethnic and anti-sate violence. Ever since independence from Britain in 1960 the African nation of Nigeria has been torn apart by wars, violence and ethnic conflicts. This paper centers on the effect of such conflicts on Nigerian women with a focus on the conflict in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State. The city has continually been rocked by brutal and relentless riots in 1994, 2001, 2008 and most recently in January 2010. These conflicts have brought about extensive destruction of lives and properties. Most significantly, the conflicts have brought about gross human rights violations perpetrated against civilian populations, particularly women and children who apparently make up the most vulnerable group. Considerable work has been done regarding women and armed conflicts. Much of this work has been done by institutions concerned with human rights violations, particularly violations against women. Unfortunately, much of this work has focused on sexual violence against women and has largely ignored other important aspects of violations against women. The purpose of this paper is to consider and highlight a range of ways in which women are affected by armed conflicts (in addition to sexual violence). Using responses from interviews conducted with women who have experienced the most recent conflict in the capital city of Jos in Nigeria, we argue that there is a wide range of ways in which women are affected by armed conflict. For example, armed conflict exacerbates inequalities. These inequalities continue even after the conflicts cease. Our findings show that women experience economic hardships during and after conflict. Furthermore, women are excluded from peace building initiatives that take place during and after armed conflict. Keywords-Armed conflicts, ethnic conflicts, human rights violations, religious conflicts, and womens rights. INTRODUCTION The frequency of conflicts leading to violence and extensive destruction of lives and property especially since the early 80s in many countries of the world can, without exaggeration, be traced to many factors. Some of these factors are political, economic, ethno-religious conflicts and land boundary issues. Most of these conflicts are often presented as either ethnical or religious in nature, and oftentimes both. However these research findings indicate that the underlying fundamental factor that facilitates such ethno-religious conflicts revolves around prevailing economic and political crisis. This is the basic podium for most of the recurring predicaments. Unfortunately, ethno-religious conflicts remain the political, economic and social legacies of three decades which involves perceived marginalization, mal-governance and disrespect for the constitution. The greedy and selfish ways in which the Nigerian political leaders embarked on, in acquiring power at all cost, has overturned the true federal constitution negotiated by the founding leaders. This reveals some of the primary basis for the violent crisis in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria. BACKGROUND In 2001, a major crisis occurred in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State in the northern part of Nigeria, leading to the destruction of properties and loss of lives. There was also another crisis in 2004, 2008 and the most recent in 2010. The causes of these conflicts are seen as political, ethno-religious and indigenes settlers dispute. In most cases, it is tough to describe the Jos crisis from just the ethnic perspective without observing the political, economic or religious aspect. They are not mutually exclusive. The recurrent crisis in Jos especially the one that occurred in 2010 left a fatal impact on the society. Many people including women and children were killed. The 2010 Jos crisis recorded the highest casualty of women and children in comparison to the previous ones. About 500 women lost their lives in unpleasant circumstances while other women lost their husbands and children as well as their means of livelihood. It is rather unfortunate and unlikely that the leadership of the present government will be able to take the bold step to make required constitution changes to douse the festering ethno-religious tension and violence in many parts of the country. Nigeria is a complex society with a wide variety of religious and cultural allegiance and susceptibility. The least one could do is to come to terms with the reality of the multi-religious status and thus recognize and ensure that the rights of all Nigerians are equally protected. The city of Jos had deadly riots in 2001, 2008 and 2010, and the communal/religious crisis that erupted in Jos (Plateau) in 2001 still causes a lot of clashes in the State till date. It was shocking to many Nigerians that had nursed the notion that Jos was a safe haven for most Christians from other ethnic nationalities who fled from the States dominated by the Islamic Sharia laws. We also observed that most of the conflicts are located in urban areas, and that mostly women and their children suffered the most. Those not killed during the conflict are left to feed and fend for themselves and their children. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Many of these contestations between indigenes and settlers result in violence. As noted, Jos and most of the towns in Plateau State in 1994, 2001, 2004 in which the Beroms, Afizere and others who claim to be indigenes oppose the Hausa/Fulani tribes who are regarded as settlers from the era of the colonial masters who mostly came in to Jos town as miners and merchants. Jos Crisis: A crisis triggered by inequality. It can easily be traced to the deep inequalities in the society. In 2004, a state of emergency was declared in Plateau State (of which Jos is the capital) after which over 200 Muslims were killed in the attacks by Christian militia. In the November 2008 crisis, over 340 people were killed and properties worth billions were burnt when Muslim opposition supporters went on the rampage over alleged election irregularities after they had heard their candidate to head a council had lost to a Christian. In January 2010, being the most recent crisis, more than 500 people were killed mostly women after the Christians protested the construction of a mosque in a Christian area, and after Muslim protesters attacked a Catholic church. It is ironic that such catastrophic and bloody encounters have occurred in Jos, a city which derives its name from an acronym for Jesus Our Saviour. Perhaps, the origin of Jos a former enclave for colonial missionaries and its geographic location aptly described by some as a de facto fault line separating Nigerias mainly Muslim northern part from its mainly Christian southern region. Nigeria is a country of strong prejudice between indigenes and non-indigene natives and settlers, the Nigerian constitution even empowers this ethnic affiliation by giving credence to the State of origin and likewise some political appointments are based on ethnic and state of origin. The crisis in Jos is not immune to the State of Origin contraption the Christians are the natives, while the Muslims are the settlers. Hence the belief remains that the natives are threatened by the increasing population and prominence of the settlers. The natives are neither too keen to share their lands with the settlers nor offer their hands in partnership on the political outfit. The settlers on the other hand, feel cheated and threatened too by the natives whom they feel have failed to recognize them politically and socially despite having co-existed for decades. The fact that the two are on the opposing sides of the religious divide certainly does not help. The cumulative effect of these factors the aftermath of cultural and societal inequality is what has been happening in Jos over the years. METHODOLOGY: This research work is based on qualitative analysis methods. The principle method used is structured in-depth interviews conducted within and outside the conflict zones. Reports were drawn from rural dwellers and persons affected by the conflict including women and youths were interviewed at different times. Reports from government commissions inquiry and other investigation by setup groups were also utilized. The report of the Plateau Peace Conference 2004 was very useful for this paper. Reports from assigned committee at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution after visits to the conflict town were also very useful for this journal work. Some other researchers from the field who were also staff of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies similarly gave their report from the field work. Newspaper reports, textbooks and the web were also consulted for the completion of this paper. ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY In general, the political instability engendered by frequent communal disputes riots, armed confrontation and breakdown of law and order cannot be attractive for local or foreign investors. Jos, as it is right now from what we physically observed remains a ghost city with houses, market places, factories and company burnt down to ashes. We had met with and interviewed a business tycoon, Alhaji Busari who was a car dealer and narrated his ordeal amidst tears. He said how can this Jos riot be a forgotten incident to me when I practically lost all what I have worked and lived for in life in just one day. Billions of Naira was burnt down, the showroom where cars are parked for display was burnt down to ashes and all the cars on display were destroyed and burnt by the rioters. IMPACT OF THE CRISIS ON WOMEN Gender is thus a socially constructed identity through which roles are assigned at different levels and which can differ according to culture and can be changed by circumstances such as conflict. While the entire community suffers the dire consequences of armed conflict and terrorism, women and girls are particularly affected because of their status in society and their gender. Parties in conflict often rape women with impunity sometimes using systematic rape as a tactic of war and terrorism. A youth activist remarked as follows: The conflict inflicted psychological and emotional pain on both genders. However, the plight of women was particularly pronounced. There was the case of about twenty women and girls captured by the Boghom people and taken to a village called Kangyal in Kanam Local Government Area. The women and their daughters suffered the worst form of sexual abuse as their captors took turns on them every evening for three months. When they were eventually rescued, five of them were pregnant and tested positive to HIV/AIDS test. THE IMPACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN This also has to do with violation of human rights of women, in such situation as experienced by women of all ages, who suffer displacement, loss of homes and property, involuntary disappearance of close relatives, poverty, family separation, disintegration and those victims of acts of murder, terrorism, torture, sexual slavery. These spell out the prevailing human right violations and policies of ethnic cleansing in the war-torn and occupied areas. These practices have created inter alia a mass flow of refugees. Such women and children become refugees that no longer have homes or houses over their heads i.e. they become internally displaced persons. According to the research findings, women make up the highest group of casualties. The picture above shows women in Abuja carrying pictures of dead women and children. Mostly women and children constitute about 80 percent of the millions of refugees around the world. Other refugees including internally displaced persons are deprived of their properties, goods and also deprivation of their right to freedom of movement to return to their homes for fear and insecurity. The degree of insecurity and disorientation was identified when the Institute for Peace and Conflict researchers went to the refugee camps in Bukuru, Jos (a south Local Government Area of Plateau State) and were told that thirty-one pregnant women at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps were delivered of their babies at different camps. Reports from their spokesperson in charge of women in the IDP camps said in an interview that the women who gave birth were earlier taking refuge at the police stations and premises of Bukuru central mosque before they were later taken to another house which was converted to serve as a temporary maternity. Out of the 31 women that put to bed only two babies did not survive. However, the two mothers were in very good conditions. In a newspaper report, one of the nurses in charge of the maternity centers created mentioned that some bullets were removed from some of the pregnant mothers bodies who were shot during the crisis and they had to undergo some operations to stitch them. THE WOMEN WELFARE: Feeding and Clothing Lack of nutritious food in the camps is due to their population, although some Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) have visited some camp grounds to enhance the supply and distribution of food stuffs and clothing. Different groups have surfaced to donate generously for the refugees. Other repulsive experiences include: Snake bites in the bush while attempting to escape High rate of widowhood Loss of children Premature births due to fear and pressure Mothers abandoning newly born babies due to lack of funds and inability to survive Forced marriages This picture shows some illustrations of the impact of the conflict on women in Wase, Yelwa-shendam and Langtang south local government in Jos. In an interview, Vonnan Dashe, president of the Gani community development association, on 5th November 2004 mentioned that, Women were subjected to violence and hardship because they had to worry about the fate of their children. Some of their children actually got killed and others were wounded while others were raped by the attackers. They were not only physically harassed but also sexually abused and degraded. It was also gathered from our research team that apart from the fact that women were raped, they were also divorced by their husbands, which facilitated a worse emotional stressful and painful condition. The resort to divorce by men whose wives had been sexually abused was a means of dealing with the humiliation acquired from the conflict. EQUAL RIGHTS Even though women were affected greatly by the conflict in obviously negative way, they have been unable to set up networks and support groups to enhance their empowerment in the aftermath of the conflict. This includes the ability to participate in politics and decision making forum. Most of their voices are heard through the voices of men or proxy groups. Women make an important but often unrecognized contribution as peace educators both in families and in their societies. In addressing armed or sectarian conflicts, an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective into all policies and programs should be promoted so that before decisions are taken an analysis is made of the effects on women and men respectively. Action should be taken to promote equal participation and opportunities for women in government both at the Federal, State and Local Government levels. There were hundreds of women mostly dressed in black that took to the streets of Nigerias capital city of Abuja and also the central city of Jos in rallies against the Jos massacre. They subsequently demanded that the government put the necessary infrastructure in place to improve on the protection of women and children. This research journal reveals to a large extent how women are streamlined in the policy making groups, politics and in general, all activities. Yet it has not told the whole story, the impact of conflict on women is too profound to be narrated. Most times, they live with the pain, agony, discomfort and under oppression for the rest of their lives. A lot needs to be done, the bridge that cuts across religious, ethnic and cultural is to have women group work together. However they will need to be empowered through capacity building and enhanced controlled communication before such roles can be played. Women need to be equally represented in organizations so as to be able to contribute adequately in matters and issues that have to do with protection of women and their children during and after such conflicts. CONCLUSION It is clear from all the above that women must be involved in matters that has to do with the protection of women and their children. They must prove to the community that they are also relevant and that equality should be practiced when matters that has to do with them comes up especially in politics and decision making. Women should be courageous and exhibit fearless independence in spite of all odds especially where human right issues are involved. Women are meant to bear the image of the community. In political matters, women should not shy away from their right and their voices must also be heard. In all, this must be the new wave. The culture must evolve.

Effect of Motivation on Employees Productivity Essay

1.1BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY One of the most erratic of all available organizational resources is human. As a matter of fact, a major perplexing issue facing the Nigerian organization over the last few years is not that of retaining the workforce because they (the workers) want to leave voluntarily, rather, it is that of finding ways and means of retaining them because the opening environment makes it difficult to continue to keep employees beyond a certain maximum number. Research reports has shown that employees motivation is essential in an organization as it is a key to a successful organization need for maintaining continuity and survival. Motivating the staff leads to broaden their skills to meet the organizational demands. The need for achievement always results in a desire for employees to do extra effort to have something done better and have the desire for success. Motivation creates a productive employee who save time and effort. Thus, the motivated employee volunteers to do more than what is expected and more successful achievement than others. Such employee could be a good resource and a model to be followed by other staff and adds positive input to the work within the organization. Furthermore, it is not just the matter of how motivated the staff are, but also how prepared they are for the job. Good performance depends on whether the staff are able to do things or are willing to do things. The level of productivity depends on the level of motivation that stimulates someone to work and carryout necessary tasks to achieve the set goals. Motivation is important in any workplace and it is personal and different for each employee. Motivation depends on different needs; different strategies will be created to satisfy these needs. The management have to learn to place the right person in the right place. A person should be given the role where they can use their skills and abilities and be concentrated towards the organization’s goals and personal goals. Misplacements can cause dissatisfaction, less motivation, less concentration that leads to turnover and shortage of staff, commitment of mistakes and loss to the organization. Several need and motivation theories have been discussed in the study to clarify what might affect the motivation. So, without motivation nothing unique will ever happen that allows the organization to specialize with its production. Quoting Charles de Gaulle , he said : â€Å"In order to become good in anything, the only talent you need is motivation† †¦ Although there is general agreement among psychologists that man experiences a variety of needs, there is considerable disagreement as to what these needs are and their relative importance. There have been a number of attempts to present models of motivation which list a specific number of motivating needs, with the implication that these lists are all-inclusive and represent the total picture of needs. Unfortunately, each of these models has weaknesses and gaps, and we are still without a general theory of motivation. All organisation are concerned with what should be done to achieve sustained high levels of performance through people. Consequently the subject of adequate motivation of workers as derived from the so many attempts made by management practitioner is to look for the best way to manage so as to accomplish an objective or mission with the least inputs of materials and human resources available. A lot of theoretical concept, principles and techniques of management have evolved in response to these challenges. In general management authors have tended to view motivation as a key component of the managerial function of leading or directing. However, leading or leadership style, although an important factor in determining the attitude of employers toward assigned job responsibilities is not the only determinant, other managerial function such as planning, controlling, staffing and organizing also play a role. In any serious and competitive society, workers are one of the tools for economic progress. Their welfare is taken into serious consideration because without a dedicated workforce an organization crumbles. The nations (Nigerian) reward system is probably the poorest in the entire globe were an average take home of the worker is put at $120 per month. Workers are used and abused harassed, treated, offended and discarded without any appreciation for their contribution to their organization and to the society at large. It is therefore apparent that the issue of adequate motivation of worker has relevance in managerial function and activities that are aimed at directing the productive effort of the workforce toward achieving organizational objectives. Babalola (2006) quoting â€Å"Knotz et al (1980)†, holds that management strives to create and maintain an environment that is conducive to the performance of individuals who are working together in groups towards the accomplishment of pre-selected objective result in the conflict of goals between individuals and their groups. Motivation is the key of a successful organization to maintain the continuity of the work in a powerful manner and help organizations to survive. Motivation is finding a need inside the employees and help to achieve it in a smooth process. Motivating the staff leads to broaden their skill to meet the organizational demands. Each manager should have the responsibility to work with the staff to find out their individual needs and put them side by side to the organization needs. Dissatisfaction also, might work as guidance for the manager to explore the need of the staff and start with it to motivate them and attract them to do better performance. Motivation drives the human beings to reach their goals and organization goals through every challenge and constraint they face in their workplace; considering it as an advantage to go ahead in the direction they have put for themselves. The need of achievement always results in a desire to do extra effort to have something done better, and have the desire for success. The management should motivate the employees to get things done through them without asking them what to do. Motivation creates a productive employee who saves time and effort. The motivated employee volunteers to do more than what is expected and more successful achievement than others. Such employee could be a good recourse and a model to be followed by other staff and adds positive input to the work within the organization. In this project, the nursing organization was chosen because it is a sensitive career that affects patient’s life; if it is not given the important consideration that is supposed to be given. In an attempt to project the ideal enhanced employees productivity, it is therefore apposite for an organization to examine what type of motivation need to be put in place for their staff as every individual is unique and each desire of every individual differs. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Nursing is a sensitive career that plays an important role in the society. It is a multi-skill career that should be rewarded because nurses are the eye of the health center staff about patient’s conditions. Nursing is associated with multiple health care professionals which increases the workload thereby conflicting demands, good discharge of duties, stresses,etc which may be the as a result of the following factors ; a)Long working hours b)Feeling underpaid c)Effect of night shift. d)Workplace hazards and injuries e)Lack of appreciation, e.t.c The questions are often asked as to what workers in general and particular want from their employers. Can there be an end to the clamour for increases in wages? Why do workers work and what induces them to give in their best? The aim of this research therefore is to find out from empirical studies whether workers, given the right incentives other than money can put in their best to contribute to the productivity and growth of the organizations to achieve the following objectives, amongst others: Reduce labour turnover, Increase workers productivity, Redesign and put in place appropriate labour laws and policies, eliminate or reduce industrial unrest, Improve management and staff relations, create a productivity culture in the organization. 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION In other to achieve the purpose of this work, the following questions were raised. i.Is there any relationship between workers comfort and higher workers performance? ii.Is there any relationship between motivational factors and higher productivity for experienced staff of State Hospital Ijebu-Ode? iii.To what extent is the effect of motivation of employee’s productivity? iv.Will monetary incentives and rewards exert a stronger influence on workers than any form of motivational incentive? 1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES I believe that work can be meaningful and satisfying to a given job incumbent only when the job elicits and stimulate his inner motivation. These views raise some research questions, which form the basis of the hypotheses for this study. The following hypotheses were formulated for testing : (Null and Alternate hypotheses) HYPOTHESIS 1 H0 There is no significant relationship between motivational factors and higher productivity for experienced staff. H1 There is significant relationship between motivational factors and higher productivity for experienced staff. HYPOTHESIS 2 H0 There is no significant relationship between monetary reward only and workers satisfaction in the organization H1 There is significant relationship between monetary reward only and workers satisfaction in the organization. HYPOTHESIS 3 H0 There is no significant relationship between workers comfort and higher organizational productivity H1 There is significant relationship between workers comfort and higher organizational productivity. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY In this project, the primary objective is to assess the quality of performance in nurses and motivation process used with them, categorized the different types of motivation theories, emphasize how importance of the relationship between motivation and the performance, proffer answers to the question agitating the minds of management of the State General Hospital, as to what to do to adequately motivate her medical staff to contribute their quota to the organizations productivity. This project also will look at the motivation from the perspective of the medical staff while seeking to validate the various models and theories of motivation by finding out from the â€Å"horse mouth† what really motivates the workers of today. 1.6SCOPE OF THE STUDY The relationship between the organization and its staff is governed by what motivates them to work and the fulfillment they derive from it. However, this study is delimited to the senior and junior medical staff in the State General Hospital. 1.7SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The findings from this study will help to highlight those areas where there are problems among the medical staff. It result will help to further highlight the likely problems of frustration and how motivation can be used to either reduce or eliminate the problems amongst the medical staff.

Insanity of War Essay

Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut were two of the most influential anti-war authors of the twentieth century. Heller and Vonnegut served in Second World War; Heller flew sixty missions as a bombardier and Vonnegut was awarded the Purple Heart as an infantry scout. Throughout the Vietnam War, these two authors were idolized for the heroic anti-war masterpieces that they wrote. College students throughout the country carried the novels Heller and Vonnegut wrote everywhere they went. Heller first published his book in 1961, right in the midst of Civil Rights Movement, a perfect time for a book that challenges the power of bureaucracy. Vonnegut published his novel eight years later in 1969, during the Vietnam War, a controversial period for American citizens. One student was quoted saying, â€Å"Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller were part of a vanguard of writers my friends and I idolized† (Golly). Through the use of complex structures, highly effective literary styles, and character portrayal, Heller and Vonnegut helped to reveal the insanity of war. Heller and Vonnegut both use a complex structure when writing their satirical anti-war novels. When writing Catch-22, Heller intentionally created a narrative that is hard to follow. While Heller admits that Catch-22 was meticulously structured in order to seem chaotic, he disagrees with the readers that claim Catch-22 is formless (Merrill 34). Merrill also claims that Heller says the real structure is artfully camouflaged (34). He speaks the ideas of multiple characters and tells the story in an unconventional manner. While the majority of the novel is written from the ideas, actions, and feelings of John Yossarian, the protagonist, Heller uses other characters to tell the story from a different perspective. An example of this comes in Chapter 6, aptly named â€Å"Hungry Joe†, where Heller writes the ideas and feelings of Hungry Joe (Heller 51). Another comes in the twentieth chapter, where the narrative comes from Corporal Whitcomb (Heller 198). Heller also uses an unorthodox chronology while writing Catch-22. Multiple times during the text Heller makes obvious jumps in time, be it forward or back. Heller uses the number of missions to help the reader follow the chronology of this insane structure. On the twenty-first page, Doc Daneeka declares that the colonel want fifty missions (Heller). He then declares that the Twenty-seventh Air Force only requires forty missions and later on the same page they are required fifty-five missions (Heller 58). Vonnegut also uses a complex structure when writing his book, Slaughterhouse-five, but rather than switching from character to character, he changes between past, present, future. Vonnegut uses a chronological scheme that is difficult to follow as well; he actually starts the narrative during the second chapter. He starts the novel, on page twenty-three, by talking about the past and tells us that the protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, was born in 1922 (Vonnegut). Seven pages later, he jumps to 1944 describing his position of assistant chaplain and his first time being â€Å"unstuck in time† (Vonnegut 30). Then, during the fifth chapter, starting on page eighty-eight, he talks about the past again. When he was twelve years old, he went on vacation to the Grand Canyon that he hated (Vonnegut). In addition to using a complex structure, Vonnegut uses the phrase â€Å"So it goes† over one hundred times (Slaughterhouse-Five). These writing structures both work to expose the insanity of war. Heller creates a chaotic atmosphere by writing through numerous characters and through a chronology that is anything but in a logical order. While Vonnegut employs the death of over a hundred people within Slaughterhouse-Five and uses an intensely paced, chronological mess (Vonnegut). They both write chapters and paragraphs that follow the same disorganized style. With the structures that Heller and Vonnegut use, they both create a chaotic atmosphere for their readers, similar to that of war. They attempt to place the readers in a situation that makes them feel similar to the authors, when they were in the military. Heller and Vonnegut’s literary style is to create tension in the mind of the reader by shifting the narrative around from character to character and to and from different time periods. They do this in order to draw the readers closer to the soldiers and bombardiers of the Second World War. By doing so, they cause the readers to begin to wonder what will be happening next in the story; much like the way the soldiers of Catch-22 do on the fictional island of Pianosa and the Slaughterhouse-Five soldiers in the German city of Dresden (Heller, Vonnegut). The overall pace of Catch-22 is slow; Heller is very descriptive and builds the setting and atmosphere. There is, however, parts of Catch-22 that are intense and fast paced. Heller uses this slow pace to build tension before the novel climaxes. Catch-22 becomes faster as it approaches the climax and the end of the novel. This change of pace ties directly to war; at first everything is slow, then suddenly, the characters are in the middle of a firefight or bombing mission, then it quickly ceases. Slaughterhouse-Five uses a slightly faster pace throughout the novel; Vonnegut’s narrative is much shorter and does not go into as much depth as Heller’s story does. However, this is the same feeling that many soldiers of the Second World War felt. The soldiers and bombardiers do not always know what is happening next or, in regard to the current Iraqi war, which is the enemy and which is not. Heller employs another literary device, called a motif, a recurring theme or device in literature, and in the novel written by Heller, the motif was catch-22. Heller incorporates many forms of the catch-22 throughout the novel. The main catch occurs when Yossarian must continue flying missions. Obviously anyone willing to risk their lives by flying these missions is crazy. The only way to be granted permission to stop flying the missions is to ask the commanding officer, but he cannot grant permission to be grounded unless it is asked of him. However, anyone sane enough to ask a commanding officer to be grounded is clearly not insane because they have regard for their lives. Therefore, they must continue flying missions. In short, any circular argument that always works in favor of the bureaucratic system that puts it in place is a catch-22. These circular arguments trap soldiers within the chaos of war; they have no way to escape it because of the system that placed it. There is several other catch-22’s in the novel Catch-22, such as the open and close case against Clevenger in which all they need is something to charge him with and how they can only meet up with Major Major Major Major in his office when he is not in his office. Vonnegut also employs the literary device motif, within his novel. He uses the phrase â€Å"So it goes† over one hundred times in Slaughterhouse-Five (Slaughterhouse-Five). He first uses the phrase â€Å"So it goes† when talking about Gerhard Muller’s, a cab driver, mother, who was incinerated in the Dresden fire-storm (Vonnegut 2). During chapter nine, Vonnegut writes about how Billy’s wife, Valencia, dies of carbon monoxide poisoning after an accident she caused while driving to the hospital Billy was taken to after a plane accident he was involved in (Vonnegut). In the prior situation, Vonnegut ended to text with â€Å"So it goes,† this shows how the insanity of war causes death to mean so little to some people. The last use is on the second to last page, two hundred fourteen; he uses it after the death of Edgar Derby, an old, poor English teacher, who was arrested, tried, and shot for stealing a teapot (Vonnegut). Vonnegut uses the phrase â€Å"So it goes† to equalize all death. Through equalizing all death, Vonnegut brings forward how some bureaucratic systems feel about war and their effects on life. Vonnegut writes to point out the insanity of war; he shows his readers what war can cause and how his characters and their lives are affected. Heller’s characters display insanity throughout Catch-22. An example of this occurs on page seventy-five, when the following conversation takes place: â€Å"In sixty days you’ll be fighting Billy Petrolle,† the colonel with the big fat mustache roared. â€Å"And you think it’s a big fat joke.† â€Å"I don’t think it’s a joke, sir,† Clevenger replied. â€Å"Don’t interrupt† â€Å"Yes, sir† â€Å"And say ‘sir’ when you do,† ordered Major Metcalf. â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"Weren’t you just ordered not to interrupt? † Major Metcalf inquired coldly. â€Å"But I didn’t interrupt, sir,† Clevenger protested. â€Å"No, and you didn’t say ‘sir,’ either. Add that to the charges against him,† Major Metcalf directed the corporal who could take shorthand, â€Å"Failure to say ‘sir’ to superior officers when not interrupting them.† (Heller) This conversation shows just how crazy some of Heller’s characters are. Through his dialogue, Heller shows the insanity of his characters and the absurdity of war. Conversations similar to this occur a dozens of times throughout Catch-22. Another example of Heller portraying insanity occurs when the IBM machine in control of the military ranking system gains a sense of humor. After only four days of enlistment, Private Major Major Major, one of Heller’s more awkward characters, becomes Major Major Major Major (Heller). This mistake portrays another chaotic situation that war created. The bureaucratic system causes confusion and people lose control of their responsibilities. The actions of war depicted in Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-five, caused a large amount of death. The center of the book, the German city of Dresden, is approximated to have had at least thirty-five thousand and some sources say up to one hundred thousand casualties in the infamous firebombing of Dresden during the Second World War (Bombing of Dresden). A few characters from Slaughterhouse-five share the same insanity of those from Catch-22, such as Roland Weary, who is intent on glorifying himself and uses the fact that he saved Billy multiple times to do it (Vonnegut). Although the characters from Slaughterhouse-five don’t carry on crazy dialogues, they still portray madness through their actions, like when Wild Bob inquires if Billy is part of the regiment that he is colonel of, even though all his men are dead (Vonnegut). Heller and Vonnegut use their characters in a way that proves that war does really take a toll of a person’s mental situation. Through their motifs, Catch-22 and â€Å"So it goes†, Heller and Vonnegut show that bureaucratic systems and death do not mix well. Systems like this shouldn’t have control over such a life altering things, especially since they carry the attitude â€Å"So it goes† throughout the war. It really is insane for a system to be in place in which someone has absolute control over another’s life. And the ability of these people to have a â€Å"So it goes† attitude is as pure madness. The structure in Slaughterhouse-five and Catch-22 are very similar in that the both follow a chronology that is nowhere near in order. This is significant because it puts the reader into the insanity of war. The have the same confusion that soldier does until they realize what is really going on. Through the use of characters, motifs, and confusing chronologies; these brilliant antiwar authors capture the insanity of war.

7 Tips for Brainstorming

7 Tips for Brainstorming 7 Tips for Brainstorming 7 Tips for Brainstorming By Mark Nichol Whether you’re trying to develop the topic of an essay or the plot of a short story, or you and some of your colleagues have been assigned to propose an idea for a product or a project, a brainstorming session is a means to a successful outcome. Here are some tips for the brainstorming session’s procedure. 1. Create ground rules: Withhold comment on or evaluation of items during the initial brainstorming session; just record them. Accept every suggestion, unless the person who suggested it retracts it (and even then, the group can override the retraction). Respect others and their ideas. Be uninhibited and imaginative. 2. Set a time limit based on whether you’re brainstorming on your own or based on the number of fellow brainstormers five minutes, fifteen minutes, half an hour. (Longer periods will probably produce diminishing returns.) 3. Create a mind map a constellation of main topics and subtopics or of related points on a large sheet of paper, a whiteboard, or another surface that all participants can see, or simply list suggestions in roster form. 4. Don’t go into details about any item, though other items inspired by a detail can be added to the list. 5. Don’t stop the initial brainstorming session until the time is up. If the individual’s or group’s momentum falters, review the list to prompt new items, or explore details or tangents. 6. If, despite the additional efforts described in the previous point, no new ideas are produced, search for random terms in a dictionary, a pertinent document or publication, or any written content. 7. Don’t stop brainstorming just because what seems at that moment to be an ideal suggestion seems to obviate further progress. Mark the item for emphasis and keep brainstorming. At the end of the session, organize the list sequentially or by headings and subheadings. Then discuss the merits of the list items and reduce the list to a manageable number of items. If the goal is to select or recommend one item or a short list and report results to one or more other people, produce those results and, if necessary, draft a proposal or assign brainstorming group members to do so after the meeting. Then, reconvene in person or distribute proposal materials electronically to finalize the proposal. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid26 Feel-Good WordsCaptain vs. Master

Overweight essays

Overweight essays Imagine a man wearing a dress to a wedding reception and crying at the moment the couple are announced husband and wife. Is a man wearing a dress and crying a little too feminine in a situation like a wedding? The point is, should boys ever act and be like girls? Cooper Thompson, who wrote "A New Vision of Masculinity," proposes to change the masculinity in males by "[socializing] boys more like girls" (Leonard Eron qtd. in Thompson 70). Thompson also claims traditional masculinity is "life threatening" if used to "exploit and dominate others" (69). He considers replacing the old views of masculinity with a new form where men and women can be equal by teaching males at an early age in schools to avoid violence and aggression while learning to accept feminine qualities. Thompson's views of traditional masculinity being harmful to society are wrong. His limited vision allows him to see the positive sides of men and their masculinity. Violence and aggression are never taught in public schools, but those actions are stopped at the instant a fight starts or unfair competition arises. The problems that occur in society are not because of male masculinity but by unselfish acts and carelessness. The focus should not be on changing the views of masculinity because it does no harm to our society now. Thompson defines traditional masculinity as having "independence, pride, resiliency, self-control, and physical strength" and these qualities create "competitiveness, toughness, aggressiveness and power" (67). He continues to point out that these qualities lead men and boys to having homophobia and misogyny, hatred of gay men and women because of their feminine qualities. The traditional views of masculinity, that Thompson states, "are indeed positive qualities for males, provided that they are not manifested in obsessive ways." Therefore, it is not harmful or dangerous except for very specific situations of war, terrorist or ...

Persuasive Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persuasive Memo - Essay Example However, it has come to our attention that the company is currently suffering some heavy blows brought about by the crisis being experienced worldwide. As much as we would like to continue paying for your AeroFitness membership fee of $300 per year, I grieve to inform you that we have to cut on some expenses to keep the company going. It has been studied that the allowance for employees’ membership for the said program will give the company great financial help and will greatly benefit employees as well in this time of need. Therefore, I seek your understanding of this situation and I assure you that this sacrifice will just be minimal compared to what can happen if the company continues to pay for the program. Should you like to continue with the program, I solicit your full consideration in personally handling the said fee. I appreciate your open-mindedness in this matter and I look forward for your continued exemplary performances despite this

Art Lesson Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Lesson Plan - Essay Example Instructional Objectives: †¢ The student will read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. †¢ Assessment: †¢ The teacher will monitor the student’s drawing session assisting with the utilization of paper and different colored ink. Materials and Equipment: †¢ The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein †¢ Drawing paper †¢ Brown paint †¢ red and green ink Vocabulary: †¢ Gratitude †¢ Selflessness Grouping: †¢ Individuals †¢ Groups (of two) Literacy Connection: (if applicable) †¢ The teacher will explain the symbolic connection between the tree and the hand print drawing. Instructional Procedures: Introduction: †¢ Introduce the book outlining its relevance to the art lesson. †¢ Explain the link between the literal piece and the upcoming drawing activity. Step-by-Step Strategies: †¢ Strategic integration: explaining the story’s significance then establish a connection between the story and the drawing act ivity. Closure: †¢ The teacher will ask the students to describe emotional state of the hand print drawing of the tree by comparing their hand print to their description of the tree in the story. Extended Follow-up Activities: †¢ The teacher can divide the students into groups of two and instruct them to discuss their drawings of the symbolic hand. Accommodations for English Language