Analysis of Variance Essay

How would you explain the analysis of variance, assuming that your audience has not had a statistics class before? When one does a study of data, generally this implies an evaluation of the â€Å"mean† or average of that data. .i.e. What is the average time it takes a 5th grader to complete his final math exam? A t test is used to test differences between two means. i.e. the mean of the experiment group vs a control group. An ANOVA test, on the other hand, is indicated when there are three or more means or populations to be examined. When only two samples are looked at, the t test and ANOVA test will yield the same results. Beyond two examples, the t test can be used to evaluate other means using many t tests, but this method becomes unreliable and subject to increased error. ANOVA or analysis of variance allows one to use statistics to test the differences between two or more means and decreases the probability for a type 1 error, which might occur when looking at multiple two-sample t tests. This is why use of the ANOVA is indicated for testing hypotheses where there are multiple means or populations. ANOVAs essentially takes the t test and applies it when testing or comparing three or more groups, means or variables. Example experiment: Study different types of protein consumption on weight gain. Is the effect of each type of protein consumption on weight gain significantly similar or different? 50 men total, 10 men per group, each group fed equal amount of protein calories but from different type of protein classification. One way ANOVA – looking at effect of 5 different feeding strategies to increase weight gain. (i.e. high natural red meat protein diet, high vegetable protein diet, high protein powder diet, high fish protein diet, etc.). This is a one way ANOVA study because there is only one category (protein) that will be examined, as it relates to its effect on weight gain. It is balanced as there are an equal number of men (10) consuming the same type of protein. Simplistically put, the study will give us information as to whether or not each type of protein produces similar or different results (weight gain). Two way ANOVA, as the name implies, includes the addition of a second variable that may be looked at as affecting weight gain. i.e. amount of exercise. Three way ANOVA, as the name implies, includes the addition of a third variable. i.e. consumption of â€Å"other calories†. In the end, the experiment may lead one to conclude that different types of protein consumption leads to weight gain. Unfortunately, experiments are never that cut and dry, and there are always other variables that must be accounted for. There is what’s called â€Å"error† due to â€Å"chance† and â€Å"beyond human control† or â€Å"variation† associated with â€Å"assignable causes†. An F test must be used to compare these errors and/or variations, to determine if the population variances are the same or different. If the variances are the same or equal, the F ratio will be 1. This will allow one to complete their study / experiment and make final conclusions. References: https://explorable.com/anova http://onlinestatbook.com/2/analysis_of_variance/intro.html https://people.richland.edu/james/lecture/m170/ch13-f.html

Impact of a Deaf Child on Families

Impact of a Deaf Child on Families A bird calls and the phone rings. Yet the girl makes no move to listen to one or to answer the other. A baby’s cry goes ignored and the tea kettle on the stove continues to whistle. Most, but not all cases of childhood deafness and hearing-impairment are diagnosed between the ages of 18 months and 3-years-old (Mapp 50). Sometimes called the invisible handicap, hearing loss explains why sign language is the third most used language in the United States (Jones 54).While recognition of sight problems or physical impairments may be triggered by spotting eye glasses or a wheelchair, deafness must be discovered through acts of direct communication. The girl walks down the hall and does not acknowledge her friend calling her name. The term disabled has been much debated in recent years. It is both a classification of a functional limitation and a branding stereotype that scars a certain type of person. More than 90 percent of deaf children are born into hearing families.Before the 1970s, the impact this group of unique children had on their families and how the family structure adjusted was little studied (Mapp 7). Though raising a deaf child is challenging at times for parents and influential on how siblings are treated, it can also be a rewarding experience and an adhesive to hold together a family. When a child is diagnosed with deafness, it is the flag marking the beginning of a series of potentially draining events for his or her parents.Though many parents say that raising a deaf child differs in subtle yet slight ways from the already challenging aspects of raising any child, they also agree that their child’s disability tends to amplify emotions, especially in the early stages of diagnoses. There are feelings of disbelief, confusion, and disappointment that lead to anger while guilt mingles with a sense of mourning. Through all of these overwhelming responses, parents learn to deal with the seclusion, to recogni ze the drawbacks of their situation, and to effectively develop strategies for their families.Though it is too generalizing to say that all parents react the same way to their child’s hearing loss, many parents do react in similar manners. It is the hearing parents that are affected the most by the arrival of the news of hearing loss in their child. Deaf parents, on the other hand generally embrace the handicap of their child because they realize they have the resources and language knowledge to help the child. In studies done comparing deaf hildren from hearing parents with those from deaf parents, the children from deaf parents significantly outscored their counterparts in areas such as vocabulary, reading, social skills, and mathematics. An explanation for this may be that the children of hearing parents experience something called â€Å"language deprivation† by which they are stripped of the knowledge commonly passed down through the direct exposure to a language n atural to their parents (Mapp 190). For this reason, the stresses of raising a deaf child fall heavier on hearing parents.Many hearing parents feel this diagnosis shatters the illusion that their child is and will be perfect. This loss of innocence is a sentiment that many parents mourn. Many parents of deaf children have had little or no contact with the deaf community and are forced to comprehend a subject entirely foreign to them. Shock is a common response and works well as a defense mechanism that enables parents to begin the stages of mourning the illusionary loss of their normal child (Luterman 6). This shock gradually fades to disbelief as parents grasp at the permanent and incurable meanings of the word â€Å"deaf. Many ask how such a thing could happen in their family and occasionally the hearing problem is kept a secret. Though she was diagnosed in kindergarten, the girl begged her parents to keep her secret for years, senselessly believing that if no one knew about it t hen the problem did not exist despite the molds she wore in her ears. On top of denial, many families feel overwhelmed and that they have been given too much information in too short of a time period and may feel either ill-equipped to face the challenges of the diagnosis.With this fear often times comes anger and most parents of hearing impaired children feel a fundamental anger without an outlet through which to vent. There is anger at themselves, at the world, and even at the deaf child themselves. Sometimes this anger turns itself inwards and manifests itself as depression; other times it is capable of either strengthening or creating rifts within family systems and relationships. Perhaps one of the most prominent emotions felt by parents of deaf children is guilt.The future they had envisioned for their child has been violated in ways they never expected. Many parents would agree that having a hurting child and being helpless to assist them is one of the most distressing feelin gs they will ever experience (Luterman 9). Although having a deaf child can be rewarding in many ways it is very hard to see this in the beginning and the diagnosis affects parents in some very unique ways. Since the 1970s, studies have been done directly assessing the impact a deaf child has on families, especially on parents.It became clear from these studies that mothers and fathers deal with the stresses of their ill child in very different ways. Since mothers are typically invested in the daily stresses of raising a deaf child, studies have shown that they are more likely to be very involved in health and safety issues. Fathers on the other hand are typically found to engage in more distant roles of parenting due to occupational time consumption and are more successful at developing relationships with their child that does not revolve around the child’s disability (Luterman et al. 34-35).Studies have also shown that the time following a child’s diagnosis can be pa rticularly trying on husbands as they are trying to reassure their wives that everything will be fine while privately attempting to deal with their own deep and emotional grief (Luterman et al. 7). The separate roles each parent takes on complement each other by providing unique skills for their child. One of the most emotional taxing yet gratifying parts of raising a deaf child is that the mother is typically the one member of the family most capable of communicating with the deaf child.She becomes not only a mother, but an educator, social guidance counselor, communication specialist, interpreter, and audiologist consultant (Mapp 15). The girl’s mother went to the school district when the girl entered high school hoping sign language classes were available as a precaution in case her half deaf child continued to lose her hearing. They refused to even consider letting sign language qualify for her foreign language requirement. Another recurring theme in the challenges faced by parents is the abundance of ignorance in the faculty of school systems themselves.One frustrated parent wrote said about mainstreaming her deaf child into a hearing school, â€Å"†¦the teacher sometimes forgets†¦her limits and limitations†¦and does something incredibly dumb, such as the time in fifth grade when the teacher gave my daughter an oral spelling test of single words† (Luterman 175). Though most studies have focused extensively on the impact of a deaf child on parents, it is equally important to understand how it affects siblings. Family dynamics as well as parental reactions shape whether the hearing problem will strengthen the family structure or create tenuous situations.The definition of a family is a system of which all parts are inextricably interconnected (Luterman et al. 41). The sibling of a deaf child is typically forced to grow up faster than other children their age and assume greater responsibilities. One of the greatest favors a paren t can do for the sibling of a deaf child is to realize that an entire family unit cannot be healthy when revolving around the limitations of one of its members. In 70% of the cases of deaf children, there is one or more sibling involved in the family’s makeup (Mapp 65).These children can suffer from having a disabled sibling because their parents may feel both physically and emotionally exhausted after caring for the child that seems to need more attention. The sibling may feel neglected and guilty that they somehow evaded deafness themselves while their brother or sister is suffering. There may be feelings of shame and embarrassment when an adolescent child draws attention by signing with their sibling in public. Older children may feel a deep rooted anxiety that their own children will suffer from hearing loss.As with the relationships between parents, it is important that siblings be given a venue of open communication to vent their anxieties and frustrations. Clear commun ication is the key to a successful family structure. It has been found that some siblings may react with attention-seeking strategies like poor academic performance, illnesses, and recurrent tantrums. Other children may internalize their issues and end up with innate resentment issues when they are older (Luterman 143).While having a deaf sibling undoubtedly has drawbacks many siblings reported positive attributes as well. The recurring theme was that compassionate individuals with greater sensitivities to prejudices came from families with disabled children. These siblings also attributed the bond their family shared to their ability to form a cohesive unit during times of crisis (Luterman et al. 50). In order to thrive, it is vital that the family copes properly with the stressors associated with a deaf child.One of the most damaging, yet well intentioned acts a parent of a deaf child can commit is overprotection. Parents of handicapped children regularly underestimate their child ’s abilities, thus not allowing the child to make mistakes and learn. Overprotection leads to feelings of incapability and will hinder the child later in life. It must be acknowledged and accepted that even with interpreters, communication in a mainstream school will only be at about 75 percent for a deaf child (Jones 53). Instead of shielding a child from this barrier of communication, a parent must learn to mbrace it as a time of growth and a test of patience. Many parents see having a deaf child as a gift, as an opportunity to tap into strengths they never before realized they had. Though mothers of deaf children are likely to name healthcare providers as sources of support whereas hearing mothers named friends, it seems as though the levels of happiness of both women are consistent (Mapp 118). A parent’s attitude toward having a deaf child molds not only interfamily relationships, but the success of the child themselves.The original confusion of their child’ s diagnosis can morph into knowledge; the anger becomes a steady energy and focused drive, while the guilt turns into a lifelong commitment. The most important part of having a deaf child is that it forces ever member of a family to reevaluate life and realize just how precious of a gift it is. A disability only becomes a handicap when an individual allows it to skew their perception and hinder their accomplishments in life (Duckworth et al. 2). The girl smiled at her parents as she boarded the plane for college.It was through the hard work of her parents that she had made it so far. Never had they allowed her to see herself as tainted. They dealt with their issues quietly and ensured that the girl’s sister was never left behind. Through a sense of humor, teacher meetings, hard work, and patience they had shown her that her limitations led to endless accomplishments. The diagnosis was a hearing impairment and the girl is me. Works Cited Duckworth, Derek and Mark Philp. Childr en with Disabilites and their Families. New Jersey: Humanities Press Company, Ltd. 1982. Print. Jones, Reginald L. , ed. Reflections on Growing up Disabled. Virginia: The Council for Exceptional Children, 1983. Print. Luterman, David M. and Mark Ross. When your Child is Deaf: A Guide for Parents. Michigan: York Press, Inc. , 1991. Print. —. Counseling Parents of Hearing-Impaired Children. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, Inc. , 1979. Print. Mapp, Idalia, ed. Essential Readings on Stress and Coping among Parents of Deaf and Hearing- Impaired Children. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. Print.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Rights Review Paper

Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Rights Review Paper Klista Odgers HRM/300 University of Phoenix Online October 29, 2012 Dwight Walker Introduction In the face of rising technology, globalization, and productivity some workers find themselves at a disadvantage to their efforts to retain employment. To prohibit discrimination, the United States has governed laws that protect the citizens from all types of discriminations. This allows organizations to focus on promoting employment based on a person’s abilities. The two laws chosen for review are the Pregnancy Act of 1978 and Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.We will also discuss Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. Provide a General summary of each Law The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, was an amendment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy (â€Å"U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission†, 2012). That section 701 of the Civil Rights Ac t of 1964 is amended and states the terms â€Å"because of sex† or â€Å" on the basis of sex† include, but not limited to, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions (â€Å"U. S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission†,). The act states women affected by the above terms shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes. Next, is Family and Medical Leave Act of1993, entitles employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with the continuation of group insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. The final summary describes the Drug-Free Workplace of 1988. This act requires certain related groups to make sure that their workplace is drug free.The importance of this act is that it ensures the safety of all employees by ensuring that no one will be working under the influence of drugs. For each selected l aw or issue, locate a present-day court case The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 Months ago, a statement was made by a contributor for the Presidential Campaign, suggesting that there is no reason why business owners should be obligated to provide any special provision to the medical health plan in the workplace for female comprehensive insurance plans for contraceptive.This individual felt as if the Federal Health Care Reform Law was not necessary, but the Institution of Medicine, researched and found that access to contraceptive is vital to a woman’s health, and as August 2012, women are able to file Temporary Disability, at work after giving birth or during pregnancy. They can ask for special accommodations because of this medical condition, and the employer must provide insurance which covers any related issues to reproduction. Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states cannot sue under the Family and Medical Leave Act for refusin g to give an employee time off to recover from an illness. One justice said the decision â€Å"dilutes the force â€Å"of the law that allows millions of working Americans time off to care for sick family members or to have children. Daniel Coleman asked for a 10-day medical leave to deal with hypertension and diabetes in 2007, and said he was wrongfully fired after his request was denied. He sued for $1. million in damages under the Family and Medical Leave Act, but his lawsuit was thrown out, with the 4th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying states could not be sued under the FMLA (the Huffington post). Drug Testing Currently, in the state of Florida the Federal Appeals court is battling arguments of a judge ruling against the idea that the government would violate the rights of the citizen of Tallahassee, by requiring any individual wham applies for public assistance benefits would have to adhere to drug test prior receiving any public assistance.The district judge thinks that individual whom receive assistance already provide a wide range of information in order to participate in the program, and by asking them to submit to a drug screen in order to receive benefits in an invasion of privacy and violates the constitution’s reasonable search ban. This case is currently being heard in Atlanta, Georgia, all because of a Navy Veteran, former college student, whom is a single parent applied for benefits back in 2011, meet the requirements of the program but felt it would be an result to be asked to participate in random drug screens in lure of help.The following media publicity of this case has implemented the state if Florida employees to be required to do drug testing. What are the implications for HR department in managing the employer-employee relationship in the contest of the law or issue? Within the workplace, the HR department has to deal with conflict issues that arise between employees and employers. Because employment relationships are so c omplex and depending on the different types of situations that can arise, there are employment laws that are in place to protect the employer and employee.Important HR laws include the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII, Age Discrimination (ADEA, Equal Pay Act (EPA, 1866 Civil Rights Act, Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ADA- Public Accommodations, Executive Orders 11246 & 11478, Drug-Free Workplace Act, National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Byrnes Act, Worker Adjustment & Retaining Act (WARN), Rights of Servicemen (USERRA), Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA), Immigration Reform & Control Act (IRCA), Health Maintenance Organization Act (HMO), Employee Retirement Income security Act (ERISA), Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), Health Insurance Portability (HIPPA), New Hire Reporting, Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FACRA), Federal Bankruptcy Code, Jury Systems Improvement Act, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, and Export Administration Act of 1977. For each law or issue, write an example that shows compliance with the laws or acts discussed. Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978An eligible employee is entitled to take unpaid maternity leave if the employee is for work because of: 1. Pregnancy-related illness or 2. Preparation of birth of a child Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for: 1. The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth 2. The placement with employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement. 3. To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition 4. A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job 5.Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, dau ghter, or parent is covered military member on â€Å"covered duty 6. Twenty-six workweeks if leave during a single 12-month period to care for covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the service member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave). Drug-Free Workplace Act When it comes to drug-free workplace, human resources have policies to ensue employees, vendors or customer is not using alcohol or drugs. It is crucial for this department to be firm to their procedures to ensure this does not happen during work time.Some of the implications for HR departments in managing the employer-employee relationship are to have a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol. In conclusion with all the laws against discrimination there are still people that are being discriminated against. The laws have helped in the workplace and for many people to have a safe workplace and place they can work with being afraid of bein g fired because of their race, color, sex, religion, or age. Reference: Holland, Jesse J, Supreme Court Makes Ruling in Maryland Sick-Leave Case. Retrieved October 28, 2012 from www. huffingpost. com Saunders, j; â€Å"News Service of Florida†: retrieved October 29, 2012; from Ledger. com Likert, R. , 1932 â€Å"Studies in the principles of judgments and attitudes†

What would the impact on globalisation be if the internet collapsed Essay

What would the impact on globalisation be if the internet collapsed for a prolonged period of time - Essay Example iduals had to consume goods and services imported from other countries; globalisation in the 1990’s also improved the capability of individuals to influence political institutions both within and outside the frontiers of their own country (Bimber 2002). Several analysts claim that the Internet is a dynamic society. Probably not unexpectedly as it provided the originality of the new digital media, there is trivial agreement on the specific changes that occurred. The unparalleled technical innovations that led to the creation of the Internet have been thought about from various views and perspectives, above all by professionals such as engineers and computer scientists. However, a substantial aspect of the success of the Internet, the production and development of management, and authority arrangements that have facilitated the interconnection of geographically scattered computer units throughout the globe, is still something of an enigma (Cooke 1993). The processes that government officials, technocrats, entrepreneurs, and other elites in the area of leadership from multiple and diverse autonomous nations have been capable of influencing co-operations in an exceptional short period of time. These processes have prompted co-operation s to design and enforce policies and directive for the relatively stabilised functioning of the Internet, within intricate business-related and legal structures at the global lever are still under study (ibid). This research study aims to develop sound and well-documented answers to the possible impact of the collapse of the Internet and the affect this would have on globalisation, specifically in international politics and democracy. Several analysts have coined the term â€Å"electronic democracy† (Dimaggio 2002, 307) to imply two separate meanings. The first is the scheme and operation of digital information and communication technologies to improve democratic political means. The second is a new level of democracy, a level during

Communication and self-concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and self-concept - Essay Example When I was six years old, I was so much interested in drawing and painting. This is because my elder brother was an artist and I enjoyed what he used to do. I used to see him spend countless hours in his room drawing and painting. Although my paintings did not mean so much to me at the time, I enjoyed drawing. My early interest in drawing and painting was increased by the communication in the family. My parents, relatives, and family friends would always talk of drawings and paintings that my brother used to draw and therefore, my world became centered in drawing. They gave me the direct definition by nicknaming me the baby painter. As I continued to grow, the concept of particular others came into play. I began being influenced by my peers and role models on television shows. This increased my passion for soccer. I saw myself in the eyes of favorite soccer players. I wanted to be one of the best football players and this became part of my life. I played football all through my adolescence until I reached age 17. Some of the life scripts that determined my passion for soccer changed and began working against me. Playing soccer was an acceptable and expected way of life for teenagers in my neighborhood. For example, my parents used to tell me that all work without play makes jack a dull boy. They always taught me to socialize with other people of my age through social activities such as soccer. They believed that socialization makes people to be successful in life. However as I reached age 17, the expectations of the society changed. I was expected to behave in a more mature way by performing well in academics. According to the society, people who have good academic certificates enjoy a higher social status than those without one. The theory of social comparison came into play this time. This happened at the time when I moved to U.S for my studies. I feel that I need to do good academically in order to be successful in the society. After viewing

Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management - Assignment Example 329). Leadership has many functions that bring the team closer to their goals to carry out .The significance of leadership is reflected in the following functions: providing inspiration to employees, securing cooperation in the team, creating confidence among individuals, providing a conducive environment for employees, implementing changes, maintaining discipline among the members, representing them, and setting goals. (Murugun, pg.328) There are many factors that affect how a manager exerts leadership. The most important and the first one that comes to mind is his personality. Leadership style largely depends on the nature of a manager. Moreover, the experiences of a manager also define his leadership style. He may lead in a certain way because his practices and situations in the past expect him to go forward in that manner. In addition to that, it is also based on the beliefs and values of the leader. He will also manage and lead his team according to the organisation's environment, culture and needs. To get to the point, there are a number of leadership styles, defined by a number of individuals. For example, Likert's four main leadership styles: Exploitative authoritative, Benevolent authoritative, Consultative and Participative styles (Likert 1967). Or , for example, Goleman's, Boyatzis' and McKee's (2004) six emotional leadership styles: The Visionary Leader, the Coaching Leader, the Affiliative Leader, the Democratic Leader, the Pace-setting Leader and the Commanding Leader. But in this paper, we will only go over the ten most common ones out of which the first three are Lewin's Leadership styles (Lewin, Lippit and White 1939): 1. Autocratic leadership 2. Democratic leadership or Participative leadership 3. Laissez-faire leadership 4. Bureaucratic leadership 5. Charismatic leadership 6. People-oriented leadership or Relations-Oriented leadership 7. Task-oriented leadership 8. Servant Leadership 9. Transactional leadership 10. Transformational leadership Autocratic Leadership Style is a rigid way of leading. It is when the leader feels no need to consult his team members before making important or even unimportant decisions. This makes one think that it will essentially de-motivate workers or employees. This is, in fact, very true so ideally, this style is adopted when not seeking employees' input doesn't motivate or de-motivate them. It could be implemented in a situation where employees are inexperienced and are unable to make decisions for themselves let alone for the team as a whole. It could also be used in a situation where the leader is extremely experienced, competent and blindly trusted by the team members. The limitations of this style of leadership are apparent; it leads to de-motivation and low self-esteem of the subordinates. They are never allowed to make decisions, even the smallest ones, and this puts pressure on their self-actualization or self-realization needs. Their job satisfaction must be close to nil. It discourages subordinates that could be potential managers and leaders to reach their aptitude. It seems like this style of leadership would hardly produce leaders in the future. Furthermore, an autocratic leader creates a very unfriendly and peculiar environment which prevents employees from showing any innovation at all. Democratic

The Influence of Social Media on Organizations Essay - 16

The Influence of Social Media on Organizations - Essay Example Social media has significantly assisted in the marketing of most organization since there is wide access by many people in different parts of the world. The drawbacks can be handled in a way that they do not hinder certain media, first the organizations need to come up with techniques which ensure that sensitive information regarding the organization is not leaked through social media, the administrators should maintain interest and motivation. Â   Social media sites should be free, neutral and unbiased to any group of people. Most of the information that should be censured is any information that is unethical or attempts to ruin the organization reputation. Some of the information I would avoid making part of my social media strategy include, hate speech, racial discrimination, false information, or any other information that is not socially acceptable. Email and blogs are among the most useful social media sources to send communications to customers and stakeholders, different social media like Facebook accounts, twitter, and LinkedIn are more suitable for employees. This media source enables the organization to be accessible by many people from different parts of the world. The social media are extremely efficient since the stakeholders, management, and personnel can discuss a matter online. People can interact with the organization from all corners of the world. With time meetings in organizations may be organized through social media. Technology is changing exceptionally fast, and new ideas are born every day and night. There is a lot in the store since there are many developments in the field of information technology. Social media is going to take over as the most reliable mode of communication. The security features in the social media are going to be increased, and this will invite more people.

What theory do you believe best explains why Organized Crime has Essay

What theory do you believe best explains why Organized Crime has flourished and why Please be very specific - Essay Example In addition to this statement, he also stated that a certain criminal activity is undertaken by any human being after making a rational decision or in simple terms, the benefits and drawbacks of the decision is highlighted before actually committing the criminal act by the person. The theory of choice explains that a criminal takes part in any negative act by judging the advantages and disadvantages of the crime and if the benefits are higher in any regard from the drawbacks then the criminal idea will actually transforms into reality by becoming the part of it (Walker, 2007, p.117). For instance: if the criminal considers that the criminal rules and justice system is not strong and related authorities are not highly concerned about the crime then ultimately he concludes that he will not get the exemplary punishment even after committing the most abhorrent crime. This thought will make him perform the negative acts in actual. Similar is the case with abductors and they use the same c hoice theory. For instance: According to abductors, the only major risk involved in kidnapping is of being caught that can be minimized by threatening the family of the abducted individual not to inform the criminal justice authorities or else they will kill the kidnapped

Calcium within the Human Body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Calcium within the Human Body - Essay Example A fascinating interplay of pathways and signals are involved in calcium regulation. As research and new technologies evolve, new aspects are elucidated in these complex mechanisms. Various animal models have been used in order to understand the cellular responses and the hormonal regulation (Eckermann 2008). Moe (2008) states "normal homeostatic regulation maintains serum levels, intracellular levels, and optimal mineral content in bone", summarizing the intricacy of structures and organs that contribute to "normal" levels. The major organs involved in the regulation of its metabolism are the parathyroid glands, the kidneys, the skeleton, and the gut (Wysolmerski & Insogna 2007). Our body obtains the necessary amount of calcium from two major sources: diet (through intestinal absorption) and bones (through calcium mobilization). Foods that include a high amount of calcium are diary milk, cheese yogurt, and green vegetables. The amount of calcium people need varies: young people need a high intake, so that growth and development are assured. Older women need calcium supplementation in order to prevent osteoporosis. Calcium is absorbed in the very beginning of the small bowel: duodenum and the first portion of the jejunum. The intestinal absorption is regulated by Vitamin D, and its mobil ization is tightly regulated by various hormones and signaling mechanisms, with a continuous remodeling of calcium storage. For example, if calcium is not adequately obtained from diet, a series of hormonal mechanisms are set off in order to get the necessary amount from bones; if this process is sustained for a long period of time, bones weaken. The kidneys are also important organs which regulate calcium metabolism and keep its blood levels (Choudhury & Levy 2007). In the different portions of the kidney, calcium is reabsorbed, so that equilibrium is achieved in the blood. Additionally, in both the proximal and distal nephrons, filtrated calcium is passively or actively absorbed into the bloodstream obtaining adequate levels in the urine. Those mechanisms can be modified with different drugs, which are used in certain conditions such as renal calculi. To review the impact of kidney disease in calcium metabolism, Hamdy (2007) has published an article where he explains the role of chronic kidney disease and the major disturbances seen in bone and mineral metabolism. A review of calcium metabolism would not be complete without addressing bone processes. Bone undergoes remodeling in all life stages, but certainly this process is faster in younger individuals, and more significant in trabecular bone than cortical bone. Normal bones are formed by different substances. Most of the body's calcium is stored in the bones, along with phosphorus and, mostly, as calcium phosphate salts. The great majority (almost 99%) of the calcium is found in the skeleton and approximately 1% moves freely from and into the bones (Matos 2008). Two principal cells regulate bone formation and destruction: osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts resorb bone and are formed by numerous monocytes that fuse and take shape of a multinucleated cell. On the other hand, osteoblasts deposit new bone and arise from mesenchymal cells. The remainder component of bone

Christianity and Islam Essay Example for Free

Christianity and Islam Essay A few months ago, when a Vatican official announced that Catholicism was surpassed by Islam as the world’s largest faith, many news agencies around the world carried what seemed to have been a largely unnoticed issue for this present generation – religion. At least for some time, renewed debates about whether or not one should indeed consider Islam as a religion that commands world’s largest followers surfaced one after another. The issue many people think should not be dismissed is the fact that Christianity – a religion which combines an array of all its offshoots namely Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Evangelicals, among others – still has the largest adherents compared to any other religion, including Islam. Even if Christianity may be broken down into some larger or other smaller denominations, many people subscribe to idea that since all Christians root their belief in Christ, one must take them as belonging to a singular religion, the largest in the world to be exact. To consider Christianity as a single religion involves rounds of new separate debates. Surely, when the differences between the mainstream Christian blocks and the thousand of other minor denominations are brought into the fore, their respective beliefs will manifest diversity, resemblance, opposition, and even contradiction. Tedious as this process may appear, one may not yet consider the fact that even in the Islam religion itself there are further classifications of membership that must be taken into careful account. Again, it is legitimate to inquire whether it is proper to take Islam as a unitary religion, or they too must be broken down into their finer types. As one may correctly observe, inner divisions within the world’s largest religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. – appear to be a fundamentally given fact. One can perhaps inquire whether it is possible to identify a major religion with millions, if not a billion of adherents, which does not have any, or have not suffered from any inner rift at any given point of its history. It may be interesting to ask therefore, what accounts for the eventual internal fall out of world religions in history? Better yet, how must we attempt to understand what happens in a religion that has been divided into smaller aggregate types in the course of history? II. Rationale and Scope This brief study presents a case for divisions transpiring within world religions. But since the scope of studying the issue is broad (considering that there are many major world religions to cite), this research shall be restricted at tackling Christianity and Islam as chosen types. Specifically, the study shall describe the events that transpired during the Catholic-Protestant divide of the mid 1500’s for Christianity, and the Shiite-Sunni divide for Islam. To be sure, there are other identifiable divisions which can be noted in the history of Christianity. While there are small schisms involving â€Å"heretics† who refuse to accept fundamental Christian teachings, Christianity is said to have been divided into two major blocks during the 11th century. It produced the dichotomization between the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox, which until the present still exists. For the purposes of limiting this study, the Christian division which shall be discussed in this study shall dwell on the Luther-led Reformation of the 1500’s. Meanwhile, it is also insightful to note even in the Islam religion, there have been various types of smaller divisions and schisms. For the purposes of this study too, the rift between the Shiites and the Sunnis that was created in the early years of Islam religion shall be the one in focus. A short analysis and interpretation of the sample religions used shall comprise the conclusion of this study. III. Discussion Proper a. Nature of Religion Before relating the events defining the divisions that were experienced both by Christianity and Islam, it will be helpful to cite some theories to help explain the dynamics of religion. This is important since it shall provide a working perspective which is to be used later on in the analysis. Religion is a phenomenon which may be understood in many ways. Basically speaking, it refers to the common innate feeling or â€Å"belief in a Supreme Being† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Religion obviously stems from a belief that there is a higher being that must be worshiped or adored. But religion does not pertain to kind of personal belief alone. It also describes how a believer finds the need to belong to a community which shares the same belief, and thus obey a given set of rules within it. Thus, another definition for religion may also be expressed as a â€Å"unified system of belief and practices relative to sacred things† which â€Å"unites (believers) into one single moral community† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Combing both definitions enable one to fully appreciate the fact that religion pertains to both a personal ascent to God, and a commitment to a community, a set of rules and a specific set rituals. When seen under the lenses of scientific inquiry (e. g. anthropology, sociology, philosophy, etc. ) religion reveals patterns and dynamism consistent with human belief system, knowledge, interest and relationships. This means that religion is molded into the belief system of the believers. For instance, if Christians hold that Christ in his lifetime was compassionate to the poor, it follows that they too, since they follow Christ, must do something good for their less fortunate brethren. Or if Moslems take Mohammad as their example, and Mohammad was a deeply spiritual man, they too must not take spirituality lightly in their lives. Religious mindset is committed to certain courses of action (Slater, 1978, p. 6); and these actions are meaningful only because believers draw their identities from a person or a belief system they embrace – be it the Lordship of Christ, or the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad (Slater, 1978, p. 82). This is one of the primary reasons why religions possess their â€Å"continuing identities† (Slater, 1978, p. 82). So long as a group of Christians identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Catholic Church, they will remain to be Catholics. As indeed, so long as a group of Moslems identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Shiite group, they will remain to be identified with it. What explains the shift in a belief system is when one cannot anymore identify either with a teaching, or specific religious structures. It is a general rule that key to a religion’s perpetuity is establishing an identity. When people start to feel alienated with what they used to hold or believe it, it can explain why a group of believers create their own groups to accommodate their otherwise alienated belief system. To help establish the point, it may be good to lay down two glaring examples. b. The Shiite-Sunnis Divide Islam was born at least five hundred years after Christianity was already an institutionalized religion. But what started out only as a small community following Muhammad, Islam grew in exponential proportion in just a short span of time. Within the rapid growth came bitter disputes and eventual breakaways. Although Islam is a religion which does not readily recognize that there are divisions within them, scholars are almost unanimous in agreeing that some factions already broke from within the Moslem community dating back to the days when the religion itself was merely beginning to be established. In a sense, Islam is a religion broken down into at least two major divisions even before it got to be formally established as a religious phenomenon. It all started when a certain man named Muhammad, who by the way was born in 570 to a very poor family, begun to attract followers after experiencing visions and revelations (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His reputation spread in neighboring places, and soon found himself at odds with ruling empires for the large number of followers he had gathered. After this increasingly expanding community finally settled in Mecca in 630, Muhammad would die two years after (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His death would then see his community figure in a prolonged tug-of-war for rightful succession, and would officially begin the drift within the newly established religious community. One group claimed that Muhammad chose his rightful successor in the person of his son named Ali before he died. The other group contested the claim and said, no instructions were made by the Prophet whatsoever. Instead, they held that it was appropriate for to appoint leaders themselves, and eventually chose Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, as the first of the four caliphs (meaning head), to rule the Islam community. Those who embraced the leadership of Ali were eventually known as the Shiites, while the followers who believed Abu Bakr’s caliphate eventually came to be known as Sunnis. As such, the neat separation within the just-emerging Islamic religion has been established. Since it exists up until today, it can be described as the â€Å"largest institutional division within the Muslim community† so far (Renard, 1998, p. 13; Ayoub, 2004, 72). c. The Catholic-Protestant Divide The era that colored the Catholic-Protestant divide was a Church marred with controversies, silent disenchantment and an ever growing discontent among Christian faithful. As history would show, it was through and because of Martin Luther – and his whole ebb generating protests against the Church – that the radical break from Catholicism was to be established. But hundreds of years before the supposed break, there had already been numerous events that point to the restlessness within the membership of the Church which it tried to quell. What were the controversies about? As early as the 1300’s, roughly two hundred years before Luther was born, an ordained priest by the name of John Wycliffe started to publish series of attacks against some of the major teachings and traditions of the Church. In 1372, he was summoned and reprimanded by Church authorities for his teachings that dwelled on the following: his denial of the doctrine of transubstantiation (a belief that the bread and wine used in celebrating the Eucharist is transformed into the real body and blood of Christ), attacks on the authority of the Pope as the head of the Church, corrupt practices within the Church, and emphasis on preaching and the use of Scriptures for teaching the doctrines of the Church (Cook, 2008, p. 95). Wycliffe probably represented the first courageous voices which tried to confront what’s wrong with the Church. In fact, he did try to raise legitimate concerns about both the divisive doctrines and lamentable discipline which the Church at that time practiced. Years after, Luther would pick up from where his predecessors had left out. In 1517, he released his Ninety-Five Theses to the public – a collection of ninety-five protests against many Church teachings – both doctrinal and moral – and Church practices, such as indulgences (spiritual merits obtained in return for monetary donations), celibacy (the promise for priests not to marry), Eucharist, among others (Cook, 2008, p. 100). Since the general religious atmosphere at that time was already ripe for reforms, his ninety-five theses were easily duplicated and spread throughout the German empire – a testament, as it were, to a huge popular support he enjoyed for the risks he took. Luther’s break from the Church was formally established when he burned the Papal bull Exsurge Domine (a decree which threatened him of excommunication if he did not recant his protests) in front of many people in a public square (Cook, 2008, 101). After which, he did subsequently ask the authorities of the German kingdom to support his cause for Church reform. Luther is remembered as a man who broke the Catholic Church apart. True enough, even before he died, he already saw the far reaching effects of his call for reforms he perhaps initially did not intended to jumpstart. Thanks to Luther, Christianity would never be the same again. The â€Å"Germany after (the) Reformation† movement in the mid 1500’s became a home to a new breed of Christians who came to be branded as Lutherans, Calvinist, Reformers, or even Protestants (Pennock, 2007, p. 168). In principle, Luther earned the reputation of being an agent of division within the Christian religion. IV. Conclusion To be sure, Christianity and Islam are not the only major religions in the world which had suffered a kind of break-up from within. Religious divisions are commonplace, and that variations sprouting from within large communities may be brought about by various factors. When divisions occur, one normally observes that differences pertaining to a host of issues including (but not limited to) doctrines, practices, or even recognized leadership become patent. As earlier mentioned, the dynamics of religion may help explain why a feeling of alienation (or a loss of identity) can push a believer or a group to break-away from mainstream religion to form their own set of practices and norms independently. Christianity and Islam were taken as exemplifications. In the points that were developed, it was seen that they share a history with lots of bitter disputes, which in turn led to an eventual division. But both religions suffered from internal rifts quite differently as well. Islams division was more political in nature, as two major factions with their respective claims to rightful succession to their now-dead Prophet-leader tore the emerging community apart thus, the Sunnis and the Shiites. Christianity on the other hand, after experiencing many breakaway groups in the course of history, had to suffer yet another major blow from internal disputes led by Martin Luther in the 1500s on account of doctrine and practices. What followed was a Christian religion torn once again, which ushered the creation of a big faction named Protestants. Religious divisions can be put under rigorous inquiry. There are viewpoints that consider these divisions as something that separate one group after another, while there are those who propose to see the same divisions as something that merely distinguish (but not separate). While the two viewpoints may be valid in their respective senses, this study places much interest not on their â€Å"distinguishability† or â€Å"separability†, but on the fact that, truly, religious divisions from within happen. References Ayoub, M. (2004). Islam. Faith and History. Oxford: Oneworld. Cook, C.. (2008) The Routledge Companion to Christian History. New York: Routledge. McCutcheon, R. (2007). Studying Religion. An Introduction. London: Equinox. Pennock, M. (2007) This is Our Church. A History of Catholicism. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press. Renard, J. (1998)101 Questions and Answers on Islam. New York: Paulist Press. Slater, P. (1978). The Dynamics of Religion. Meaning and Change in Religious Traditions. San Francisco: Harper and Row. (Also consulted) http://ca. news. yahoo. com/s/capress/080330/world/vatican_muslims

A Self Reflection Paper Analysis Social Work Essay

A Self Reflection Paper Analysis Social Work Essay Critically comment upon experiences in terms of my own counselling experience and experience working within the organisation. My practicum was undertaken at Lifeline Community Care Queensland, Fraser District in telephone counsellor role. To be eligible for a placement within the telephone counselling area, a Lifeline Telephone Counselling training course must first be completed. I was fortunate that I had completed the training a little over two years ago. Not only did I have the basic training, but I was also a current volunteer in other roles within the telephone counselling area. I benefited from being familiar with the organisation, the relevant policies and procedures, and a number of staff members. I did not have to go through new person difficulties. I believe I have a good working relationship with my supervisors. New learning activities included undertaking computer supervision, sit-in supervision and support, and providing administrative support. Continuous reading, self a ssessment and reflection, along with the keeping of journal notes proved invaluable to my learning and skills development. Discuss in light of relevant theoretical concepts and research Without it being stated Lifeline telephone counselling uses a client directed outcome informed approach (Duncan, Miller Sparks, 2004). In training we are educated in the principles of the callers story and of the need to explore with the caller their options, past coping and/or solutions to address their issue. The telephone counselling training details the Carl Rogers concept of unconditional positive regard (Lifeline Training Manual, 2009), without which it may be impossible to build the rapport needed to establish a counselling relationship. There is no measure of the service provided or feedback requested from callers to the 13 11 14 crisis line service. The Outcome Rating Scale and Session Rating Scale (Duncan, Miller Sparks, 2004) are perhaps not entirely suitable for this purpose, but might be adapted in order to provide a feedback mechanism. Some callers leave you with very clear indication of how they believe the call went and what was achieved. However in other cases I am left wondering about client satisfaction. As the service is a crisis line, there is no opportunity to follow through with a client. Scott Miller (1997), in his audio CD, Working with mandated clients, identifies three types of clients: the Customer, 15% of clients, the Browser, 65% of clients and the Visitor, 20% of clients. In telephone counselling terms I relate the customer callers to those who are in the preparation stage of change and ring to gain clarity, for support and/or someone to listen and guide them in their planned action. The browser callers can describe the problem in detail, but appear to be stuck, this category would include the yes, but callers. The last group, the visitor caller, does not identify as having any problem themselves, everyone has a problem with them. Some of the callers I have spoken to, for example, some callers with mental illness concerns, perpetrators of domestic violence, and callers who report their drug and alcohol issues, I would place in this group. Reflect on own experience and learning in light of research and theory. As the role of telephone counselling was known to me, I was in a position to begin extra reading from the commencement of the practicum placement. I chose material that I thought would provide relevant information to the provision of the 13 11 14 crisis telephone service and to improve my general knowledge. My supervisor suggested that as many as 85% of callers had a mental illness, not that all callers with an identified mental illness disclosed that as their reason for calling. In light of this high number I began my reading list with The everything health guide to adult bipolar disorder (Bloch, 2006); and A family intervention guide to mental illness (Morey Muser, 2007). These two books coupled with the Clinicians Thesaurus (Zuckerman, 2005) provided valuable information which helped to guide my questions to callers, in order to better understand their issues and expectations of their call. Callers at risk of suicide require a very high level of attention, these calls are stressful and can be challenging. My initial training in dealing with suicide was comprehensive. I later completed the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (LivingWorks, 2004). Ongoing reading into the issues of suicide, loss and grief have improved my knowledge and in turn helped me to gain a greater understanding of the pain and suffering experienced by the person at risk and their families. The need for empathic listening is clearly outlined in McKissock McKissock (1995) Coping with Grief and Appleby (1992) Surviving the Pain after Suicide, both are small easy to read, and relevant books. Reflect/examine journal entries as a whole. Go back over your supervision journal noting the main themes and patterns of thought as well and incidents and insights. Reference material, for example, Becoming a Helper (Corey Corey, 2009) and the Clinicians Thesaurus (Zuckerman, 2005) outline informed consent, detailing what a client may expect regarding confidentiality, of their rights within the counselling relationship and the decision making process. Clients are also informed of the limitations of confidentially. This is not the case in telephone counselling, where confidentially is implied. In cases where police or medical interventions are required, this can present an ethical and/or moral dilemma. If the caller has disclosed such issues that it goes against the morals of the telephone counsellor, the supervisor on call, and/or society, would it be better not to report the suicide in progress? In telephone counselling there is no opportunity to pick your calls, you cannot be a specialist in any one area. It is necessary to have the skills to work with callers on a wide range of issues. The concept of unconditional positive regard is question ed when I am faced with a caller who is drunk, abusive or is clearly sex caller (a caller who discloses unwanted explicit detail). In some cases there is a clear breach of client confidentiality, such as the case when the telephone counsellor on shift, promised the caller that she would not contact the police (journal entry 17 October 2010), even after his disclosed that he had already taken a higher than recommended dose of medication and had a history of mental illness. After contacting Poisons Information it was clear that the callers life was at risk and intervention was required. Perhaps this could be viewed as the telephone counsellor, not calling the Police, but as the action of contracting the police was undertaken by another. The clients confidentiality was technically breached several times, in the TC providing me with details, in my providing the Police with the callers information and in consultation with the supervisor. Two books which have proved very valuable as resources are the Clinicians thesaurus (Zuckerman, 2005) as quick reference including treatment for specific disorders and concerns and a Listing of common psychiatric and psychoactive drugs. The other reference is People in Crisis (Hoskinson, 2000), which has proven to be extremely helpful. I use the book to ground me, when I am seeking reassurance that I am on track, when I am faced with a challenging issue or when I am exposed to issues where I am little or no experience. Analyse your experiences and record any modifications of your views. Overall I enjoyed the roles and activities undertaken in the practicum with Lifeline and I believe that the experience was a very valuable learning experience. Additional reading undertaken improved my general knowledge of many of the issues raised by callers. Although, only one counselling approach is used in telephone counselling, strengths based approach, this is similar to the solution focused approach that I believe will become my favoured counselling approach. This belief is based on my limited experience to date and on the feedback from callers when they find their own solutions. It is gratifying to hear the light bulb moment when callers realise what they have or can achieve. Ongoing training and development, such as at the Wide Bay Womens Centre, which provides DVD viewing and networking opportunities, the Lifeline In Service Training and the GOSS nights are relevant and beneficial, as they present information that is generally immediately applicable in my role as a telephone counsellor. The Huntingtons Disease National Conference in September highlighted the art of listening. Of the problems associated with not listening with full attention, jumping ahead and interrupting the speaker and of the importance of asking the right questions and of avoiding complex questions. The National Lifeline National Conference in November provided a greater insight into suicide prevention strategies. It was inspiring to hear from some great speakers such as Professor Brian Mishara, who spoke about suicide prevention and help lines. The Lifeline Suicide Prevention Strategy was launched and a copy of the new booklet was supplied. The motivational speaker, Maggie Mackellar , the author of When it rains, spoke about her experiences. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to speak privately with her and to purchase a signed copy of her book. Review your experiences in light of any relevant research and theory that relates to the themes you have observed and highlight the implications and learning for your personal development. In a client directed, outcome informed approach to counselling there is a focuses on the relationship with the client and the clients additional therapeutic factors (Duncan, Miller Sparks, 2004). Corey Corey (2009) suggest that when we engage with a client we are not consciously thinking about what theory we are using. Rather we adjust to fit the client taking into account their willingness to engage and the trust we establish together. In telephone counselling this is referred to as building rapport and exploring caller options (Lifeline Training Manual, 2009), the telephone counsellor works with the client to understand the problem from the clients point of view, and to explore with the client what they wish to achieve and to discuss the ways they can achieve their goal. Boylan Scott (2009) describe brief therapies a descriptive summary which could also be applied to define the functions of telephone counselling provided by the 13 11 14, Lifeline Crisis Line. The service provides short term, crisis support. There is not follow up contact or counselling and no client measurable feedback. Essay should demonstrate learning that is based on both experience and theory/research. In this placement with Lifeline, telephone counselling, I was able to tie together past life and work experiences, Lifeline training, academic study and general reading. In a crisis line telephone counselling service, you never know what the next call will bring, however the extra reading has provided a greater knowledge and understanding of the some topics, but it is only is in the practice of asking of better questions of the caller that any real benefit is gained. In applying a client directed outcome informed approach (Duncan, Miller Sparks, 2004), the caller is recognised as the expert on their problem. A relationship (rapport) with the caller cannot be established without first listening and seeking to understand the callers issues from perspective, while valuing and respecting their position. Change is driven by the caller and it is important that their ideas about options, management and change are explored. The need for empathy and caring and the ability to reduce the callers stress while providing an opportunity the caller to speak openly regarding their problems is paramount. I have long been aware of the need of self reflection and self care, the importance of which has been reinforced during this placement, along with the essential requirement to keep reading, questioning and learning. I was very fortunate in having good support from my supervisors, I was able to debrief, question and discuss any topic or issue as it arose. My conclusion at the competition of CDS3000 practicum is that I remain a work in progress. I believe that I am a competent telephone counsellor, but I wonder if this will translate to face-to-face counselling.

Spasticity Following Stroke: a Literature Review

Spasticity Following Stroke: a Literature Review ABBREVIATIONS UMN: UPPER MOTOR NEURON SPASM: SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR ASSEMBLY OF DATABASE FOR SPASTICITY MEASUREMENT CNS: CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM PMS: PASSIVE MUSCLE STRETCHING TS: TRICEPS SURAE TA: TIBIALIS ANTERIOR ROM: RANGE OF MOTION INTRODUCTION: Spasticity is a major disabling symptom that most commonly arises after stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, some traumatic brain injuries and other central nervous system (CNS) lesion (Dietz and Sinkjaer 2007). Lesion of the cortico-fugal pathway along with the pyramidal tracts, at any level, like cortex, brainstem, internal capsule or spinal cord results in spasticity (Carr et al. 1995). The term spasticity was derived from the Greek word ‘spasticus’ meaning ‘to pull or to tug’ (Ghai et al. 2013). The definition of spasticity that has been formerly cited is that of Lance in 1980: ‘Spasticity is motor disorder characterised by a velocity dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes (muscle tone) with exaggerated tendon jerks, resulting from hyper-excitability of the stretch reflex, as one component of the upper motor neurone (UMN) syndrome.’(Brown 1994). Though this definition is useful for diagnosis, yet for the purpose of understan ding and managing the effects of inappropriate muscle actions after stroke, it is too restrictive (Bhakta 2000). Recently SPASM (Support Programme for Assembly of database for Spasticity Measurement) redefined spasticity as â€Å"disordered sensori-motor control, resulting from an UMN lesion, presenting as intermittent or sustained involuntary activation of muscles† (Mirbagheri et al. 2009). For the purpose of study the clinicians have divided the UMN syndrome into ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ effects. The characteristics of the negative features are loss of dexterity, weakness and easy fatigability on the other hand spasticity, increased tendon reflexes, extensor and flexor spasm, clonus etc are the features of positive UMN syndrome. The later definition of spasticity includes all the characteristics of positive UMN syndrome excluding its negative features and the biomechanical changes in the joints and soft tissues (Mirbagheri et al. 2009). The negati ve features of UMN syndrome are regarded to be more disabling than the positive features (Carr et al. 1995) but recent studies have showed that spasticity adds on to the impairment of function and to limitation of activity for the affected person (Bovend’Eerdt et al. 2008). The core feature of spasticity is increase in stretch reflex, manifested as hypertonus. Muscle tone is defined as the tension of a muscle due to involuntary contractions of its motor units; it is determined both by the passive elasticity of muscular tissues, the viscoelastic properties of the fibrillary proteins contained within each muscle fibre and by the active (though not continuous) contraction of muscle in response to the reaction of the nervous system (Grabowski and Tortora, 2003). Alternately active and inactive motor units help in maintaining normal tone in a muscle. Any imbalance in the input from central motor pathways like the cortico-reticulo-spinal and other descending pathways to the inter-neuronal circuit of spinal cord results in alteration in the involuntary contraction in a muscle. The main tract restricting the spinal reflex activity is the dorsal reticulospinal tract that runs along the lateral spino thalamic tract. It arises from the ventero medial reticular for mation which has less facilitatorty control over the cortical motor areas, thereby augmenting the inhibitory drive. The main excitatory pathway also arising in the brainstem is the medial reticulo spinal tract. Damage to these tracts give rise to a net loss of inhibitory control leading to increased alpha motor neurone excitability at the segmental cord level and subsequent increase in muscle tone. Several studies also claim that peripheral neural changes also contribute to the increased muscle tone. Muscle tone has two components, neural involving CNS and musculoskeletal, where muscles are involved (Barnes, M. P. et al. 2003). Both the components help in maintaining normal muscle tone. Normal tone is the slight amount of constant tension in the healthy muscles offering small resistance to displacement (Barnes, Michael P. and Johnson 2008). There is change in mechanical, visco-elastic properties of muscle fibres as a result of paresis and immobilisation after an UMN lesion. Activation of actin and myosin cross bridges also increases muscle tone (Lee et al, 2005). CNS and neural pathways maintain tone by overlapping actin and myosin filaments on muscle contraction. Insufficient contraction results in decreased muscle tone due to insufficient development of tension (Grabowski and Tortora 2003). Through the phasic and tonic stretch reflexes the muscle spindle plays an important role in regulating the muscle tone (Cameron-Tucker 1983). These muscle spindles can be adjusted in terms of their response to stretching. Spasticity is generated due to the over activity of the alpha motor neurons. Over activity occurs when the monosynaptic input via Ia afferent fibres and polysynaptic afferent input via the Golgi tendon organs and cutaneous receptors loose descending inhibition from the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia, which is relayed through the dorsal and medial reticulospinal and vestibulospinal tracts. Spinal inter-neurons are responsible for presynaptic and reciprocal inhibition of Ia fibres. Due to the loss of this inhibition inappropriate muscle co-contraction occur disabling voluntary limb movement (Bhakta 2000). The course of development of both cerebral and spinal spasticity after an insult is slow in humans, except for the cases of high brain stem lesion like traumatic brain injury where the increase in the tone is immediate (Carr et al. 1995). The time gap between the injury and appearance of spasticity may vary from days to months, depending upon the level of lesion (Ghai et al. 2013). The effect of spasticity ranges from mild muscle stiffness to severe, very painful and uncontrollable muscle spasm. If left untreated spasticity gives rise to many problems like pain, spasm, contracture and deformity leading to a loss of mobility and dexterity, problem in self hygiene, inability to wear orthotics hence resulting in decreased functioning, participation and low self esteem (Ghai et al. 2013). A multidisciplinary approach is required for the effective management of spasticity taking into consideration other variables that might affect treatment outcome. Aim of treatment should include prevention of abnormal limb or trunk posture and facilitation of movement in the context of functional activities (Bhakta 2000). Secondary to the neural changes there are dramatic changes of the structural and mechanical properties of the spastic muscle. A review conducted by Jared et al. concluded that the following changes occur in a spastic muscle: a) alteration of the size of muscle fibre and the type of fibre distribution; b) morphologically and biomechanically measured there is proliferation of extracellular matrix material; c) increased stiffness in the spastic cell muscle; d) compared to the normal muscle there is inferior mechanical properties of extra cellular matrix in the spastic muscle (Foran et al. 2005). As a management of spasticity the researchers have tried to alter the motor neuron excitability by many interventions like electrical stimulation (Bajd et al. 1985), pressure (Leone and Kukulka 1988), muscle tapping (Belanger et al. 1989), vibration (Gillies et al. 1969), cooling (Bell and Lehmann 1987), massage (Sullivan et al. 1991) and stretch (Kunkel et al. 1993, Avela et al. 1999). Among all of these, stretching has been intensively used as it is safe, economical and convenient (Tsai, KUEN-HORNG et al. 2001). Stretching is the process of applying tension to the soft tissue structures like muscle, tendon, and vascular, dermal, connective, neural tissues for elongation. Stretching can be applied mechanically (example- with dynamometer or an intelligent feedback control device) offering well controlled intervention and manually, which is difficult to standardise but represents clinical practice better. Stretching changes the viscoelastic, structural and excitatory property of the muscle. (Nielsen et al. 2007). However many neural as well as non neural property of stretching remains unclear. Stretching aims on decreasing muscle tone, maintain or increase soft tissue extensibility leading to improvement in function (Barnes, Michael P. and Johnson 2008). Lots of variation can be done while implementing stretching as an intervention. The amount of tension, the duration of the stretch, the velocity of stretch, the number of repetition can all be varied. LITERATURE REVIEW: A study was done by Harvey et al. in the year 2000 on the â€Å"Effects Of Four Weeks Of Daily Stretching On Ankle Mobility In Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries†. 14 recently injured subjects with paraplegia and quadriplegia were taken from two spinal injury units in Sydney, Australia. Their ankle was stretched into dorsiflexion, continuously for 30 minutes with a torque of 7.5 Nm for every weekday, for 4 consecutive weeks. The main outcome measure was measuring the torque angle in knee flexed and extended position. Measurements were taken pre-test and post test. Post test measurements were also taken thrice I,e, during the study (2nd week), just after the study (4th week) and one week after the study (5th week). Intervention was given by a custom made stretching device that is able to give ankle stretch. The baselines of all the subjects were same. The result showed that even after stretching for a longer time than usual there was no significant difference in the post test value in any of the three parameters from pre test. Hence the study concluded that there is no significant change in ankle mobility after 30 minutes of stretching for 4 weeks in SCI patients. The strength of the study is good, with random allocation, blinding of assessor, similar baseline of all the subjects but the intervention device needed to be more standardised. The study has a score of 8 on PEDro scale of assessment. A study by Tsai et al. 2001 examined the effect of a single session of prolonged muscle stretch (PMS) on the spastic muscle. 17 spastic hemiplegic patients were selected for the study and as an intervention PMS was given on the triceps surae (TS) muscles by standing on the tilt table with feet dorsiflexed for 30 minutes. Here the outcome measures were Modified Ashworth scale of the TS, the H/M ratio of TS and the F/M ratio of tibialis anterior (TA) and passive range of motion (ROM) of ankle dorsiflexion,. The measurements were taken pre test, post test and 45 minutes after the test. ROM was measured with a goniometer and electromiograph was used to perform nerve stimulation and reflex recording. The results showed non-significant difference in the Modified Ashworth scale, significant change in the ROM of ankle dorsiflexion, F/M ratio and H/M ratio. There was increase in the passive ROM of the ankle dorsiflexion post treatment compared to pre treatment, additionally PMS reduced motor neuron excitability of the TS and increased that of TA in the post treatment. There was no significant difference of result with in immediate post test and 45 minutes after post test. The study was well written but the sample size was too small. The age of the effected patients varied from 33 till 79 years which is a very wide range and the acuteness of the patients varied from 4.5 months post attack to 79.6 months post attack. These factors may cause a problem while generalising the results and the amount of stiffness may vary with the duration of illness. Bressel and McNair (2002) did a study to compare prolonged static stretch with cyclic stretching on ankle joint stiffness, torque relaxation and gait in stroke patients. 10 community dwelling people were randomly allocated into two groups; one of the groups received single session of static stretch and the other cyclic stretch of the calf muscle for 30 minutes. There was a washout period for one week and then the group interventions were exchanged. The interventions were given by an isokinetic dynamometer that measured the torques and the angles also. Before and after treatment the time taken to walk 10 m was taken and stiffness of the ankle joint was calculated from the slope of the torque and angle curves before and immediately after the treatments. Over the 30 minutes stretch the percentage of the decrease in peak passive torque was the torque relaxation achieved. Results showed that there was significant decrease in ankle stiffness in both the intervention but there was not much significant difference between the post test values of the two interventions. The amount of torque relaxation was 53% greater in static stretching than that of cyclic stretching. And the 10 m walk duration did not have any significant difference pre and post test. The sample size of the study was very small to generalise the results and the wash over period between the two sessions were of just one week. Since the prolonged effect of the stretching is unknown hence it can’t be commented that whether there was any residual effect of the previous session that may have affected the results of the second session. Nowhere in the study blinding was done hence there may be a chance of being bias from the assessor. The baselines of both the groups were not similar. A study by Yeh et al. (2005) compared the effectiveness of constant-torque prolonged muscle stretching (PMS) treatment in subjects with ankle hypertonia. The study design was a pre and post test analysis. 30 subjects suffering from hemiplegia and calf muscle hypertonia were given stretching device using a motor driven stretching device for 30 minutes in constant torque or constant angle mode. The main outcome measures were Modified Ashworth scale, passive range of motion and viscoelastic property of the planter flexors were measured pre and post treatment. Result showed significant improvement in all the measures, but the in the viscoelastic component the constant torque showed more evident changes compared to the constant angle measure. This study proved that there is significant reduction in spasticity after a single session of PMS. The methodology of the study was appropriate and the analysis of the data leading to the result was done well. the study also mention about the future scope of study by changing the mode of stretch from constant to intermittent. Neither the subjects, nor the assessor was blinded in the study, so the question of bias remains. A systemic review done by Bovend’Eerdt et al. (2008) was the first review done on the effects of stretching in spasticity. Studies were taken from databases like Medline, Cochrane library, CINHAL, Web of Science, PEDro and Alied and Complementary medicine for review. 10 RCTs and 11 clinical trials were assessed. Randomised control trails were assessed on PEDro scale for methodologic quality and the other clinical trials were assessed using data extraction form containing 13 items from CASP guidelines and CONSORT statement. The methodological qualities of the RCTs were low and there was a huge diversity on the methodology, intervention, population etc. Both manual and mechanical stretching was given. The review concludes as there is not much evidence on the basis of which the review can say if stretching on spasticity has its clinical benefit. A recent study by Gao et al. (2011) aims to investigate the changes occurring in biomechanical properties of the calf muscle–tendon unit after controlled ankle stretching in stroke survivors. Comparison was done between 10 stroke patients with ankle spasticity/contracture in one group and ten healthy subjects in the control group. 60 minute ankle stretching was given as an intervention to both the groups. Joint biomechanical properties like resistance torque, index of hysteresis and stiffness were evaluated pre- and post-intervention. Length of Achilles tendon was measured with ultrasonography. The force output of the triceps surae muscles was given in torque–angle relationship, by stimulating the calf muscles at a definite intensity across different ankle positions. The device used for intervention was an ankle stretching device with intelligent control (the velocity of stretching was inversely proportional to the joint resistance torque) was used. Pre test the stroke survivors showed significantly higher resistance torques and joint stiffness, which were to a large extent reduced after the stretching intervention, especially in dorsiflexion. Stretching also significantly improved the force production of the impaired calf muscles in stroke population under matched stimulations, along with the ankle ROM. The study interpreted that at the joint level, repeated stretching leads to increased passive ROM and decreased joint stiffness; at the muscle–tendon level, calf muscle force output improved. The study provided evidence of improvement in muscle tendon properties through stretching intervention. Apart from the small sample size the study was well written and the methodology was well described. DISCUSSION: Spasticity is a disabling and often painful condition that occur secondary to the UMN lesion that leads to hypertonicity, exaggerated reflexes, weakness of muscle and loss of dexterity. Spasticity has both neural and non neural components. Stretching is a very commonly used intervention used in clinical physiotherapy. But stretching and spasticity together is a very complicated concept. From the articles reviewed one can conclude that stretching does have a positive effect on spasticity, but its effect on the neural component of spasticity alone is yet not proved. In this study the stretching that has been described are mechanical stretches, but there are various other form of stretches given through splinting, plaster cast, weights which could not be discussed because of their low level of evidence. Many studies could not be included because there stretching was combined with strengthening, stimulation, passive motion etc. Even among the articles taken in this study there is heterog eneity in methodology of stretching, its duration, the type of stretch and even the outcome measures used. Inspite of being a component in the definition none of the articles investigated spasticity by using different velocities of displacement. Due to so much of diversity it is tough to comment on which mode of stretching is most beneficial for spasticity. To come down to a conclusion, future studies are needed to be done to find a standardised protocol of stretching for spasticity. In the future studies the outcome measure should be chosen carefully and intervention should be planed keeping the aim of the study in mind. CONCLUSION: The studies taken in this review shows a great diversity in respect to methodology, intervention, population and outcome measures. Though from the reviewed articles it can be said that stretching is effective for spasticity but there is need of good quality of studies to decide on a stretching protocol, its long term and short term effects and to come down to a conclusion as to which type of stretching is most effective in spasticity . TOTAL WORD COUNT IS 2978.

Gertrude and Helen: Wantonness in the Trojan War and Shakespeares Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet

Gertrude and Helen: Wantonness in the Trojan War and Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet is the melancholy Dane; Claudius, the smiling villain. Polonius is the oily courtier; Horatio, the loyal friend. Most of the characters in Hamlet are well defined and unambiguous; the character of Gertrude, however, presents us with many ambiguities and difficulties. Some critics see her as "well-meaning but shallow and feminine, in the pejorative sense of the word: incapable of any sustained rational process, superficial and flighty" (Heilbrun 10), while others see her as a stronger character, cool and calculating. The play presents many aspects of Gertrude's character ambiguously. Janet Adelman writes,    Given her centrality in the play, it is striking how little we know about Gertrude; even the extent of her involvement in the murder of her first husband is left unclear....The ghost accuses her at least indirectly of adultery and incest...but he never accuses her of nor exonerates her from the murder. For the ghost, as for Hamlet, her chief crime is her uncontrolled sexuality; that is the object of their moral revulsion, a revulsion as intense as anything directed toward the murderer Claudius. But the Gertrude we see is not quite the Gertrude they see. And when we see her in herself, apart from their characterizations of her, we tend to see a woman more muddled than actively wicked; even her famous sensuality is less apparent than her conflicted solicitude both for her new husband and for her son....Even her death is not quite her own to define. Is it a suicide designed to keep Hamlet from danger by dying in his place?...Muddled, fallible, fully human, she seems ultimately to make t he choice that Hamlet would have her make. But even here she does not speak clearly; her character remains relatively closed to us (Adelman 15-16).    In spite of the many ambiguities of Gertrude's character, one of her chief characteristics is wantonness, and like Helen of Troy, Gertrude's wantonness led to tragedy. Wantonness-a word that is little in use nowadays-suggests three characteristics: luxuriously rank extravagance, lack of discipline, and lustfulness. The treatment of Gertrude's character in Hamlet supports the argument that her chief fault is wantonness, for these three characteristics can be seen in her character.    The first characteristic, luxuriousness or extravagance, is not directly stated in the play but can be inferred from the actions of Gertrude. One possible reason for her remarriage after King Hamlet's death is a desire to maintain her position as queen, with all its luxury and comfort.

Causes of World War 1 :: essays research papers

Causes of World War 1 The Causes of World War I The murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on the 28th of June caused the lead up to World War I. The Archduke heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated in his car during a drive in Sarajevo. The assassination was the work of a terrorist group known as the Black Hand. This caused Austria-Hungary to call on Germany as an ally and discuss how far Germany would support them. The result of this meeting was the `Blank Cheque' which gave Austria Germany's full support. Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia asking for `complete surrender' on 23rd July and Serbia agreed 99%. Austria declared war on Serbia on the 28th of July, which created a war that would split Europe in two. War plans and war strategies a crucial to win a war so they must be planned to perfection with no flaws. In World War I Germany believed they had a perfect war plan were as if Russia mobilizes then Germany would have forty days to destroy and invade France (Russia's Ally) this flawless plan was known as the Schlieffen. The Schlieffen plan was created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen and was created to protect Germany from fighting a war on two fronts. After Schlieffen died his successor was a man named Helmuth von Moltke and he modified the plan slightly by not invading so much neutral territory. During the war the plan was an absolute failure and Germany had to fight a war on two fronts and lost. The plan was a failure because it had to many flaws e.g. Britain was not brought into the equation, France was stronger than expected. In this war plan trains with strict timetables were used to create an army of 4,000,000 to march into Paris. Once Germany mobilizes the trains would not stop or change route for anybody. When the Kaiser asked Moltke to stop the trains going to France, Moltke's reply was: "That we can't do! The whole army would be thrown into confusion. We would lose any chance of victory." Moltke This proves that the Kaiser was not in control after mobilization has started. It also proves that the trains could not be stopped by anyone after they have started without complete chaos occurring and defeat enviable. The alliances in Europe created a tension, which would snap, and a major war would occur that would split Europe in two.

Utopia-Religon

Thomas More wrote Utopia a few years before the Protestant Reformation, during a period rife with religious instability. Not everyone trusted the corrupt Roman Catholic Church, and many Europeans looked elsewhere for their religious inspiration. Though the Utopian religion has some similarities with Catholicism and Protestantism, it is an entirely unique belief system uninfluenced by the numerous European faiths of the period. The main thing the sets the utopian religion apart Is its complete religious tolerance.While all the utopian religions are monotheistic and all their god by a general Utopian term of Matthias, they disagree on who exactly Matthias is. The only belief that is not allowed is atheism. Utopians feel that if an individual does not think that he Is responsible for his actions, and that there Is one Supreme Being who controls the world, then there is nothing to stop him from breaking laws and causing disorder. The Utopians don't believe in predestination like many sec ts of Protestantism does.All the religions meet at one church and serve under the same priest. In church one is not allowed to say anything that's offensive to another religion because of on early Utopian law saying that no one should suffer or be made uncomfortable due to his religion. A Utopian can try to convert others to their religion if they are able to present their argument calmly and reasonably. All this is very deferent from any of the European religions, who were constantly going to war with each other In the name of god.Catholic kings would go on crusades against the Muslims; Jews during the Spanish Inquisition were kicked at of their homes and persecuted for believing differently, and after the protestant reformation Catholics ND Protestants had years of bloody warfare. Even the religious leaders themselves would start war, such as when Luther declared war on the Jews and the peasants. Religious tolerance was something that didn't come to Europe until much later. Anothe r thing that shows the uniqueness of the utopian religion is the way they elect and serve their priests. Priests are chosen by the people in a secret election.Unlike Catholics and Protestants who have numerous corrupt priests, utopians have very few, because of difficulty finding someone moral enough for the Job. The Priest Is also he highest power in the land. This is very opposite of Protestants, who believe in a â€Å"priesthood of all Believers† that the priest is equal to the parishioner. Priests, similar to Lutheran are allowed to marry, and their wives are treated like high members of society. Priest also cannot be punished for crime, utopians believe that someone who dedicated himself to god can only be punished by god himself and not through human hands.A widowed elderly woman is also allowed to become priest which is something that's not allowed by any other religion. The priest also went to war with he utopians for the purpose of Inspiring the troops, preventing ex cess killing, and pacifying the enemy's vengeance. The utopians worship their god in a very unique way. In church they do not sacrifice any animals because they do not think that a merciful god would enjoy senseless bloodshed. This shows how the Utopians would not have approved of the flagellant movement In the fourteenth century.The flagellants were groups of clerics that would go from town to town and whip their bare skin to inspire public repentance. If the Utopians wouldn't even draw an 1 OFF animal's b tort no reason they would never nave approved to hurting oneself tort a oddly purpose. The Utopians do burn incense, because they feel that the scent somehow raises people's thoughts. They do not burn them for god because they know he has no use for such things. Similar to the Protestants the Utopians don't focus on acts of devotion. The Utopians, unlike the Catholics, have no visual representations of god anywhere. They also don't believe in omens and fortune telling.Their calen dar, like the Catholic one, is based on a solar year divided into lunar months. The Utopian religion has a confusing stance on female equality. On the one hand they allow woman to become priests which is something that's unheard of in any of the European religions, but they also make woman confess all there wrong doings to their husbands before any holiday. They give woman a chance at equality, but then also show them how they are inferior to their husbands. While this does seem paradoxical, it does offer more gender equality than any other religion. The Utopians are also hypocritical with their religious punishments.They have a law eying a priest cannot punish a sinner because that is the Job of the government. The most drastic punishment they allow the priest to give is excommunication. Yet if the excommunicated one does not convince the priest that he is reformed, he is arrested and punished by the counsel for sinfulness. So the priest technically has the power to punish in a ver y roundabout but powerful way. He can decide who is reformed or not and through that he is given the power to imprison. If a counsel can arrest and try an individual for impiety, doesn't that mean a person is suffering because of their elision.This proves that although the Utopians say they offer complete religious freedom, a person can still suffer because of his beliefs. The truly devout Utopians do one of two things. The holier ones take vows of chastity similar to the Catholics, and eat a very strict diet consisting of no meat. The less holy yet more admired ones take upon themselves heavy labor that will benefit the community. It is more admired in Utopia to do heavy work for the community then to live a life of chastity. This is very different from the Catholic mentality.Catholics admire priests as holy and serve them only because the priest was able to devote his life purely to god and give up human desires. The peasants who spend the whole day doing backbreaking labor are vi ewed as the lowest of society even though what they do greatly benefits everyone else. Thomas More would not have though the Utopian religion was ideal. More himself was a devote Catholic who even died for his faith. He played an integral role as Lord Chancellor in persecuting the Protestants after the reformation. He would not have proved of the complete religious toleration of the Utopians.Also the Utopian laws allowing euthanasia, divorce, and married and female priests are completely against the teachings of the Catholic Church. He wrote Utopia as a way of criticizing the Catholic Church for all of its corruptions not as a blueprint for a new religion. At the end of the book More says that while Hathaway was speaking he kept thinking how some of the Utopian laws were Just bizarre. He says â€Å"quite apart from such things as their military tactics, religions, and forms of worship, there was a grand absurdity on which their whole society is based, communism without money. (Utop ia 113) This quote proves how Mores intention in writing Utopia was not to create a new way of life, but to criticize the fraudulent doings of contemporary European society. Although Utopia is championed as the ideal place to live there has yet to be a country that NAS tried to mimic its way to elite. Even More himself would nave rejected its unique religion. But regardless of its desirability, the Utopian religion has proven to be a completely unique belief system uninfluenced by contemporary religious beliefs.

Talent Planning

This report has been written on Talent Planning, within this report the following will be indentified and assessed: At least four ways that affect the organisations approach to attracting talent, three organisation benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, three factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitment and selection methods, three purposes on induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations and I will include our organisations induction plans that will identify areas covered in the plans, including timelines and those involved in the process.Main Identify and assess at least four ways that affect the organisations approach to attracting talent Skill Shortage: finding the right people outside of the organisation can be a challenge, in cases where companies are expanding into new markets that they’re not aware of, expanding into new business’ where they may not have the core skills. Identify at least three organisation benef its of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce.Employing diverse individuals can support an ease of communication within the market places for example; employing somebody who can speak more than one language could be usual to United Biscuits if they were to be part of a UB International sales team. By employing a diverse work force the organisation shows that is has an understanding of culture and beliefs, it is compliant with the Equality and Diversity Act 2010. The company must ‘protect individuals from unfair treatment and promote a fair and more equal society’ (Equality Act 2010).Ensuring a diverse work force also means that the employee has a wider skill base; individuals from different backgrounds etc can introduce new ways of working, or be able to bring new ideas and opinions to the workplace, that could benefit the business in many ways. Three factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitment and selection Cost of advertisement Role requirements and person specification. How many employees are to be taken on for the role and contract length. Three benefits of different recruitment methodsThree different types of recruitment methods that Untied Biscuits use and the benefits of each are: Recruitment agency: benefits of recruiting through an agency are, the agency work with the company’s requirements/specifications to filter candidates for interview process, the agency can be involved at interview stages. More time efficient and effective than a manager searching through a number of applicants and CVs. Employee Referral: candidates are known and trust by a current employee.Contract Staffing: are not employed directly through the organisation, can ‘get rid of’ at any time, can shop around for cheaper contractors, aren’t managed through the organisation. Three benefits of different recruitment selection – see workbook slides. Interviews Psychological testing Assessments Referencing Three purpos es on induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations It is important for any employee to receive a full and correct induction at the start of their employment, whether they are office or factory based, this is important because it is essential that both United Biscuits and the employee:Following correct policy and procedures from the start. This can avoid any company policies not being complied with or even any laws being broken for example, health and safety act 1998. The employee has background and information on the company in which they have joined. Include an induction plan that identifies areas to be covered, including timelines and those involved in the process. United Biscuits has varied inductions plans depending on your role within the business whether it is in the corporate function teams or a factory based employee.I have attached a copy of our Corporate Induction presentation that is used when a corporate function member of staff joins the business (please see appendix). The induction plan for a factory-based employee is slightly different as this induction includes information, which is relevant to the site they are based in and also to their role within the site. This induction includes a presentation as does the corporate functions, and a number of rules that must be followed at all times whilst on site, for example, certain factories are ‘nut free’ zones this means that you cant take any form of nut, or food containing nuts on to the site.It is important for these rules to be made clear from the start of an employee’s employment to avoid disciplinary action/dismissals from the business at a later stage if these rules are not followed. A factory employee will also have to attend various Health & safety courses etc, normally where possible in the first weeks of employment. All employees based on a factory site are taken on a guide of the factory and are provided with the correct clothing on their first day. Talent Planning IntroductionThis report has been written on Talent Planning, within this report the following will be indentified and assessed: At least four ways that affect the organisations approach to attracting talent, three organisation benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, three factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitment and selection methods, three purposes on induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations and I will include our organisations induction plans that will identify areas covered in the plans, including timelines and those involved in the process.MainIdentify and assess at least four ways that affect the organisations approach to attracting talentSkill Shortage: finding the right people outside of the organisation can be a challenge, in cases where companies are expanding into new markets that they’re not aware of, expanding into new business’ where they may not have the core skills.Identify at least three organisat ion benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce.Employing diverse individuals can support an ease of communication within the market places for example; employing somebody who can speak more than one language could be usual to United Biscuits if they were to be part of a UB International sales team. By employing a diverse work force the organisation shows that is has an understanding of culture and beliefs, it is compliant with the Equality and Diversity Act 2010.The company must ‘protect individuals from unfair treatment and promote a fair and more equal society’ (Equality Act 2010). Ensuring a diverse work force also means that the employee has a wider skill base; individuals from different backgrounds etc  can introduce new ways of working, or be able to bring new ideas and opinions to the workplace, that could benefit the business in many ways.Three factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitment and selectionCost of advertisement Role re quirements and person specification. How many employees are to be taken on for the role and contract length.Three benefits of different recruitment methodsThree different types of recruitment methods that Untied Biscuits use and the benefits of each are:Recruitment agency: benefits of recruiting through an agency are, the agency work with the company’s requirements/specifications to filter candidates for interview process, the agency can be involved at interview stages. More time efficient and effective than a manager searching through a number of applicants and CVs. Employee Referral: candidates are known and trust by a current employee. Contract Staffing: are not employed directly through the organisation, can ‘get rid of’ at any time, can shop around for cheaper contractors, aren’t managed through the organisation.Three benefits of different recruitment selection – see workbook slides.Interviews Psychological testing Assessments ReferencingThree purposes on induction and how they benefit individuals and organisationsIt is important for any employee to receive a full and correct induction at the start of their employment, whether they are office or factory based, this is important because it is essential that both United Biscuits and the employee:Following correct policy and procedures from the start. This can avoid any company policies not being complied with or even any laws being broken for example, health and safety act 1998. The employee has background and information on the company in which they have joined.Include an induction plan that identifies areas to be covered, including timelines and those involved in the process.United Biscuits has varied inductions plans depending on your role within the business whether it is in the corporate function teams or a factory based employee.I have attached a copy of our Corporate Induction presentation that is used when a corporate function member of staff joins the business (ple ase see appendix).The induction plan for a factory-based employee is slightly different as this induction includes information, which is relevant to the site they are based in and also to their role within the site. This induction includes a presentation as does the corporate functions, and a number of rules that must be followed at all times whilst on site, for example, certain factories are ‘nut free’ zones this means that you cant take any form of nut, or food containing nuts on to the site.It is important for these rules to be made clear from the start of an employee’s employment to avoid disciplinary action/dismissals from the business at a later stage if these rules are not followed.A factory employee will also have to attend various Health & safety courses etc, normally where possible in the first weeks of employment. All employees based on a factory site are taken on a guide of the factory and are provided with the correct clothing on their first day.