The sense of taste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The sense of taste - Essay Example Also referred to as gustation the sense of taste involves a complex interaction between receptors on the individual’s tongue and mental perception. As the saliva in one’s mouth breaks down food, the taste sense receptors in the tongue relay messages to the neurological aspects of the nervous system. As one might expect there are a broad array of receptors in this region, which has led some researchers to argue that there is actually more than one sense of taste; instead they contend taste constitutes a variety of distinguishable characteristics. For instance, of the most readily distinguishable receptors function to identify tastes for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter; another receptor, referred to as the umami receptor, detects the amino acid glutamate (‘Umani Taste Receptor’). There are a number of notable elements and features related to one’s sense of taste. One of the most interesting is that while all individuals are born with a sense of taste, l ike fingerprints all individuals taste receptors are slightly different. It’s also true that as individuals age their taste receptors will correspondingly change. At an early age taste buds function around the entire individual’s mouth, but as individuals age these surrounding taste buds shrink so that they are ultimately limited to predominantly the tongue (‘Taste’).

Administrative Distance Essay Example for Free

Administrative Distance Essay In computing there are languages that the commands with each language. This paragraph is going to give commands of Cisco command which change the administrative distance of EBGP routes to the same value as IBGP routes and Cisco IOS commands to change the administrative distance of RIP to four. The commands for Cisco IOS command to EBGP routes are as follows: IOS Cisco vs. Juniper JUNOS: The technical differences IOS usually is a monolithic operating system, which means it runs as a single operation and  all processes share the same memory space. Because of the latter feature, bugs in one setup can have an impact on or corrupt other processes. In addition, if a user wishes to add features or functions to the operating system, IOS has to be disabled while a completely new version with the chosen features is loaded. JUNOS, on the other hand, was built as a modular operating system See more: Defining research problem and setting objectives Essay The kernel based on is the open source FreeBSD operating system, and processes run as modules on top of the kernel are separate out in exclusive, protected, memory space. Users thus can add features and functions to the version of JUNOS running on their systems without disabling the entire operating system a characteristic known as in-service software upgrades that also enhances uptime and availability. The major difference is operational, says Jeff Doyle, president of IP consultancy Jeff Doyle and Associates, who has worked with both.

University Tuition Costs are Too High Essay -- College Costs Are Out O

The cost of tuition for higher education is quickly rising. Over half of college freshmen show some concern with how to pay for college. This is the highest this number has been since 1971 (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). The amount of college graduate debt has been rapidly increasing also. With limited jobs available because of the high unemployment rate, college graduates find themselves staying in debt even longer. Although grants and financial aid are available to students, students still struggle to pay for their college tuition. Higher education costs are prohibitively expensive because the state’s revenue is low, the unemployment rate is high, and graduates cannot pay off their student loans. One reason that higher education is not affordable is that the states’ revenue is low and the states are in debt. Because of their decreasing tax revenues, many states need to make cuts in their budget. As a result of this, tuition is rising and other changes are happening throughout colleges. Some of these changes include: higher student to faculty ratios, less but larger classes, and fewer on-campus jobs that normally support students (Hulsey 24). These changes affect students and impact their view and decisions of certain colleges. The tuition rate has also â€Å"been rising at about 6 percent a year for most of the past ten years† (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). This percent inevitably makes it harder for students to find an affordable college. High tuition prices also keep some people from attending their dream college. All of these changes have an effect on the students and the rising tuition prices. Another result of the different states being in debt is that they are giving colleges less financial help. â€Å"Prior to ... ...or all students. One reason for this is that the states’ revenue is low. High unemployment rates also contribute to this problem. Another cause of this is the inability of students to pay off their loans. Nearly two-thirds of college freshmen feel concerned about how to pay for college and almost the same amount graduate with debt (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). Since high tuition and loans drastically affect a person, many students feel forced to take this into consideration when making plans for their future. Many plans and dreams that high school students have become altered when reality hits them about the cost of continuing their education. Therefore, students just cannot afford higher education.

Italian Culture and Work Ethics Essay

History teaches us that it is through the family that new generations are equipped with ethics and values regarding work. The advent of bourgeois society, with its characteristic openness towards other social classes, appears to have relegated the promotion of working values by families to the background. This study sets out to test the hypothesis according to which the family continues to maintain an important role in the transmission of working values. Based on data from the Work Importance Study (Super and Sverko, 1995: Life Roles, Values, a n d Careers, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass), two subgroups were compared (working adults, and high school and university students), considered as representing two different generations (youths vs adults). Some results from cluster anatysis show how substantial similarity exists between adults and youths in terms of ideal values, expressing ‘what would be important in an ideal world’. The difference between the subgroups lies in expectations (termed ‘expected values’) relating to ‘what would be important in my actual work environment’. Here, relatively more important values for young people are relatively less important for working adults. Another result presented concerns the relationship existing betiveen value typobgies (classed into six categories) and personal character associated with birth order. What emerges is that the only children are prevalently the ‘tough type’, while the first bom, considered by some to be custodians of family traditions, tum out to be more independent than the second or third bom, identified above all by their calm and sociable characters. Introduction: the work ethic and the family ethic This study presents the results of a survey conducted nationaUy in 1995 on a sample of 1523 subjects (represendng the three main geo-cultural areas of Italy: North, Centre and South—see BeUotto, 1997). The objecdve of the survey was to determine values associated with work. For this a quesdonnaire, a values scale (VS) was used, devised by an intemadonal team pardcipadng in a world-wide survey called the Work Importance Study—WIS (Super and Sverko 1995). With the data coUected, a profile of the value judgements of Italian families was formulated. The importance of working values within the family context has been little explored from a psychological point of view. Yet the family is characterized by the ethical nature of the reladonships it contains, hence its values (Boszormeny-Nagy and Spark, 1973; Cigoli, 1992). The family is rightly placed in that class of insdtudons that Hegel indicated as the ethical horizon of human society. ‘ There are very few Italian studies on the processes of value transmission within families, not to mendon the handing down of working values. While one of the principal funcdons recognized as typical of families is the socializadon of the individual, studies regarding the socializadon by families with regard to work are rarely encountered. 1351-1610/99/040583-13 Â © 1999 Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences 584 Massimo Bellotto and Alberto ^atti The lack of research in this field can be partly explained by the relatively recent history of the concept of the ‘family’ as a scientific subject for study in social psychology. At least until the end of the 1940s, families were considered as a group typology (Lewin, 1951). Successively, interest focused on the pathology of family relationships (Bateson et al. , 1956; Epstein et al. , 1982; Bamhill, 1979; Watzlawick et al. , 1967). It was only in die 1970s that the so-called ‘normal’ family was considered worthy of psychological investigation as a scientific subject (Scabini, 1985). In recent years, however, the theme of values and the ethical importance of families has emerged strongly in a variety of fields, from individual and family psychotherapy to organizational psychology. In this article we would like to propose that a terminological distinction be made between ethics and morality. Ethics are, as the etymology of the word suggests, the study of the ‘customs’ (ethos), the social habits, the relational practices of a people or social grouping. Morality relates more to the theme of how much certain behaviour corresponds to a reference model. In this sense, it is important to distinguish between ethics and morality when studying the customs and habits, in a word, the ethics of families (and not their morality). This is to avoid the pitfalls associated with referring to a particular set of values held by the family being analysed. What exacdy are the working values held by families? What relationship exists between these values and family needs? What are the motivations that stir the family organization? And which family values can be linked, even indirecdy, with work? Let us seek some answers to these important questions. Families in history have also been units of production. The peasant family, craft guilds, the factory worker families of the first and second industrial revolutions (Manoukian, 1976) are the most emblematic examples. In medieval society the chances of changing one’s profession from the one inherited from the family were rather hmited. Children continued the working traditions of the family without having much choice in the matter. The transmission of working values within family groups, historically speaking, seemed to go without saying. However, it would be worthwhile to pose the question of how families educate their members today with regard to work. Families in Westem society have changed profoundly. The social mobility intrinsic to the very idea of bourgeois society (Weber, 1904) has led to the privatization of family relationships (Aries, 1960) and to the specialization of family practices to the sentimental sphere. The educational role of families is becoming more and more marginal, being delegated to collective institutions such as schools. Moreover, from the viewpoint of economic history, families have become increasingly characterized as units of consumption, losing in part their role as units of production. From a macrosocial perspective, a fundamental problem emerges in Italy: the percentage of youth unemployment is one of the highest in Europe, especially in the South. Working Values and the Italian Family 585 majority of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 live at home: 82. 4% of males and 72. 5% of females. In the next age bracket, 25-34, many more young men sdU live at home with their parents (33. 6%) compared with young women of the same age (22. 9%). According to some demographic projecdons to the year 2000, these percentages wiU touch 36. 3% for young males and 34. 2% for young females. There are cultural and ideological reasons for this phenomenon, such as the idea that marriage is the only proper route towards adult independence (8 males out of 10 and 9 women out of 10 leave the family only foUowing marriage). However, social factors also make a contribudon, in particular, high youth unemployment and a shortage of rental accommodadon. The result is that families coundng a young adult as a member are a socially significant category. Psychological factors and value systems also play an important role. The working values tradidonaUy handed down in Italian families place heavy emphasis on permanent and full-dme employment. The definidve departure from the family is often condidonal on minimizing the risks of independence. Among others, for these two factors (permanent fuU-dme employment and minimum risk of independence), life-dme employment in government and union employment policies have come to be considered as a necessary and sufficient prerequisite for the attainment of adulthood. The quest for so-caUed ‘guaranteed employment’ has led Italian society to one of the most cridcal paradoxes in its history: the creadon of a barrier to occupadonal access for youth. Thus, the one prerequisite considered a vital and sufficient condidon for the evoludon of Italian families, life-dme employment, has become one of the major obstacles to the same end. By disallowing generational change in employment, it has become impossible for young generadons to enter the workforce, and hence to reach independence. ‘* Following on these consideradons, we decided to use the results of a study on working values (WIS 1995) to shed some light on value differences between young students and adult workers. As mendoned above, very few studies have been carried out in Italy on the transmission of values within families. While the WIS study was not designed for this purpose, we believed that it could give some indicadons regarding the generadon gap (youths vs adults) and differences in social status (students vs workers). The underlying hypothesis to tjiis study is therefore that working adult values can be considered as being similar to those of parents; likewise, those held by young students can be considered as being similar to those of offspring. The WIS survey.

Analysis of the article ‘What makes a good teacher?”

It is important to understand what students value most in teachers especially nowadays when the continuing employment of a teacher depends on the performance of students. Studies of what constitute an expert teacher are motivated by several factors. For instance, the study will help in conducting initial education to teachers, their appraisal and better curriculum reforms. The knowledge of a teacher should include the ability to contextualize and personalize the content for the learners as well as create strategies and principles of class management.In addition, the teacher should have knowledge of the characteristics of the learners and be able to interact well with them. It is also necessary to recognize the values and purpose of education. There are different ways that are used in the identification of expert teachers. The most common criteria are by reputation and performance of students in standardized tests as well the experience of the teacher. Another way of identification is by asking primary and secondary students their most effective teachers and qualities that made them that good.Expert teachers have highly organized knowledge bases with complex interconnected schemas which are easily accessed. Besides they have skills and routines that are executed smoothly and effortless. Expert teachers work towards their pedagogical goals while evaluating and monitoring their actions. This is through knowledge of the subject matter, the techniques of teaching it at different levels of learning and finally effective classroom management. A study was done to investigate views of a good language teacher to complement the findings of the characteristics which emerge from general education literature.The subjects were students of applied linguistics and TESOL in post graduate as well as diploma levels. Some had experience in teaching while others had none and they were from different cultural backgrounds. The methods used to collect data were interviews and questionn aires. The findings of the qualities of a good teacher starting with the most frequently mentioned were a teacher who understands the needs, expectations, strengths and weaknesses of students. Secondly, the knowledge of the subject matter plus an understanding of teaching techniques.Ways of keeping up to date with the language and the teaching methods of a particular language was the least mentioned. There are different views between teachers and students concerning what constitutes a good teacher. According to students, the two qualities of a good teacher that were repeatedly mentioned include the ability of a teacher to explain to students so that they can clearly understand. Another quality pointed out was being helpful, understanding, empathizing and leadership as well as organization.On the other hand, the two qualities seen as crucial by teachers were organization of the classroom and secondly fostering participation of the students. Other characteristics of a good teacher inc lude technical skills which mean knowledge of the subject matter, pedagogical skills as well as interpersonal skills and personal qualities. However, the simplest answer to what constitutes a good teacher is that good teachers care more about the learning of their students than their own teaching. Some people distinguish two types of teachers as the expert teacher and the good teacher.The expert teacher teaches good learning strategies for passing examinations while the good teacher teaches technical skills but places less emphasis on pressuring students to pass exams. Instead the teacher tries to understand them and establish good relations with them. Teachers can either be pragmatic or emphatic. The former refers to those who get good exam results while the latter refers to those who meet wider interpersonal, social and affective needs of the learner. It can however be argued that an expert teacher should have a combination of the two.Perceptions and qualities that make a good tea cher can therefore be summarized as keeping up to date with knowledge and skill, having personal qualities of being humorous and finally being patient and enthusiastic about the work. Article Response Pedagogy is the technique, principles and methods of instruction that a teacher uses to teach learners. There are many ways of teaching students and they vary from one teacher to another depending on the level of the learners as well as the content of the material that they are learning.Even though each teacher has a different way of teaching, the basic principles should be applied to avoid drifting away from the education perspective. What constitutes an expert teacher is an arguable topic that keeps changing between different individuals. This is because each individual is different and has his own way of understanding things. Therefore, the opinion of what makes an expert teacher may vary from one person to another. A good teacher should be able to relate well with students through knowing the learners characteristics well, being courteous and respecting them.The teacher has to be more understanding and establish good relations while at the same time try to teach them about life (Mullock, 2003, pp. 17). In addition it is important to learn the students strengths and weaknesses so that the teacher may have an idea about which teaching methods to use hence knowing where to put more effort. A good teacher must know the subject of study thoroughly and be able to simplify the contents for the learners.For this to happen, knowledge and understanding of the subject matter is required since it becomes the framework for constructing other forms of declarative and procedural knowledge that are important for teaching (Mullock, 2003, pp. 10). Moreover, the teacher should be capable of transforming content knowledge to make it more interesting and comprehensive for the learners. This can be done by using fascinating topics, activities and giving accurate and helpful feedba ck. Another important factor that contributes to a good teacher is interesting personnal characteristics.This include things like a good sense of humour, enthuthiasm during teaching, involving the students in heated debates as well as outdoor activities. Making a lesson interesting is a very good way of capturing the attention of students. Students will tend to look forward to the next lesson since they are enjoying the learning activity. Futhermore, it will be much easier for the students to remember the lesson and what they were taught if it was exciting rather than if it was boring. A teacher should develop strategies of teaching and planning their lessons in effective and creative ways.These skills help to execute basic skills smoothly and efficiently (Mullock, 2003, pp. 13). This is important in managing not only the lessons but also the students in a planned manner. In addition, the students will be organized in their work, hence being neat just like the teacher. A teacher sho uld be an opportunistic planner, that is, having the ability to think on their feet. This means the ability to develop contingency plans for situations that are likely to occur but were not expected. An expert teacher should never provide incrorrect information to the students.This mostly happens when a teacher is unsure of a certain fact and does not want to admit lack of knowledge to the students. Some teachers may argue here saying that to admit lack of knowledge means lack of credibility. However this is not the case since the teacher can always give the answer at a later date or time after doing a research. Giving out incorrect information is misleading a student. A good teacher should know what to teach and keep students in the instructional process to ensure smooth learning. Article ComprehensionThe article was easy to read since the terms used were comprehensive. The writer has explained everything in a simple manner and as such there was a smooth flow of ideas. The study do ne to investigate what makes a good teacher was thorough and each aspect was taken into consideration. In addition, the findings were clearly discussed and presented (Mullock, 2003, pp. 7). The article begins by introducing what other people have said about the subject. The topic of the article was also discussed briefly giving the reader an idea about what is going to be talked about.This include defining a teachers knowledge and what exactly a teacher should know (Mullock, 2003, pp. 4) The article has used a lot of comparisons which make reading not only interesting but also simple. This include comparing views of two categories of people and stating clearly the differences while giving lucid examples. An instance is where the writer has evaluated the opinion of both teachers and students on what constitutes a good teacher (Mullock, 2003, pp. 5). The information is then presented in a table for easy comparison and interpretation.Another association was between a ‘pragmaticâ €™ teacher and an ‘emphatic’ teacher with the distinctions plainly being presented in a table (Mullock, 2003, pp. 17). Finally, there are slight contrasting points that were obtained from the study done and the article has tried to elucidate them. An example is when a respondent distinguished two types of teachers, the expert teacher and the good teacher. The article explains clearly the different ways in which respondents views may differ and in the end gives a clear outlook (Mullock, 2003, pp. 17). There are however few parts of the article that were intricate.This was mostly because of use of difficult words. An example is the use of the words ‘lexico-grammar, phonology and semantic’ in a certain paragraph while trying to explain the knowledge of a language and how it works in making of a good teacher (Mullock, 2003, pp. 11). All the words have been used in one sentence without explaining what they mean. This article does not have an index to explain hard words. An index is important to a reader because whenever a complex term is encountered, it can always be checked out, assuming that the reader does not have a dictionary in hand at that particular moment.Some of the tables in the article which were used in data presentation were also not very clear especially in the numerical content. For example there is a table in the article that represented the most frequently mentioned characteristics of a good TESOL teacher. The characteristics have been listed clearly and comprehensively but the frequencies have been presented in a confusing manner (Mullock, 2003, pp. 10). It takes a reader a long time to be able to correctly interpret the data. This may lead to wrong translation or a misunderstanding of the facts.Important information obtained from the article Before I read the article, it was not clear to me what exactly a teachers knowledge should consist. Most people have the assumption that a teacher should only have technical ski lls, content knowledge and curriculum knowledge. However this article has clearly defined what knowledge of a teacher should include and it is much more than the three just mentioned above. It has defined the knowledge of a teacher as content knowledge and also pedagogic content knowledge which is the ability to simplify the contents for the learners.In addition a teacher should have general pedagogic knowledge, meaning to be familiar with the principles and strategies of classroom management and also have knowledge of characteristics of the learners. Finally the knowledge of education purpose and values has also been mentioned in the article (Mullock, 2003, pp. 4). This is important because having learnt what a teacher should know, it is up to the reader to ensure that they possess all these knowledge which will contribute to better teaching methods and practices.Furthermore, equal effort can be applied to each section when relating this knowledge so that a lot of concentration is not put on one side while ignoring the others. Having content knowledge means having the knowledge of the subject that you teach. This is important since a teacher should be conversant with the topic of study so that any problem presented by student concerning the topic can be tackled correctly and professionally. The article also mentions that a teacher should have knowledge of educational context.This means knowing the surroundings, the group, the classroom, the community and the district. Most teachers would ignore this and only concentrate on the students and the immediate surrounding which is the school. However light has been shed on the importance of expanding the knowledge of the teacher in respect to the external environment which would help in addressing some external problems that students may occasionally have. The article has also mentioned that a teacher should know the values and purposes of education (Mullock, 2003, pp. 4).Most teachers assume that their only purpose is to teach. However this article has stated that a teacher should know the importance of education and the values, aims and objectives of education. This is important because whatever a teacher teaches the students or whichever method is used to teach, it will be of quality since the teacher understands that education is more than just teaching. Another important point learnt from the article is keeping up to date with teaching techniques (Mullock, 2003, pp. 15). Majority of teachers only go for training once.After that, they plunge themselves into the teaching profession and start teaching until they retire. However this should not be the case since changes will always take place. Something new may be introduced for example a new subject, materials of teaching or even new modes of teaching. It is therefore important for teachers to refresh their courses after every few years. This fact was not clear initially but after reading the article, its importance was clarified. Article Re levance The importance of this article is that it will help in understanding the different ways that a teacher should use to teach students.The article has compared different views of what really amounts to a good teacher and helps in learning the correct techniques that should be adopted. The study done could help in dealing with a challenge that most teachers face which is variance of learners. Each learner has their own way of grasping things. The article has discussed what students think of how a teacher should teach. This can help through combining these factors and finding an appropriate way of teaching that will benefit all the students hence each one of them understanding the concepts being taught.This article has raised the issue of whether teachers should be taught how to teach. It does not matter if the teacher has had previous training. There are new changes every day that come with invention and teachers must keep up to date with such changes. Therefore just like their students it is necessary to always be on the lookout while coming up with new, easier and better ways of teaching. The study of teaching methods helps in improving teaching techniques which in the end will make a teacher be good in what he or she does.The article points out the need for further studies to correlate perceptions of a good teacher with behavior of teachers in the classroom context and with larger number of subjects of different languages and educational backgrounds (Mullock, 2003, pp. 21). The article has focused mainly on TESOL which is Teachers of English to Students of Other Languages. From the study, it is clear that for any teacher, knowledge of the subject matter is necessary. A language teacher should be fluent in the language being taught which includes in writing, reading, speaking and translation to the language the students are speaking.This means that the teacher should be fluent in both the language the students are speaking and the language the students a re being taught. The article has pointed out that students nowadays are more critical and less accepting of teachers whose language skills are poor (Mullock, 2003, pp. 20). Good TESOL teachers know the language and how it works. It therefore draws attention to the importance of knowing thoroughly the field of study or the subject matter to avoid critism from students.Finally the article has highlighted all the qualities that make a good teacher from different perceptions. It is not possible for a teacher to have all the characteristics and just like a student, a teacher has both weak and strong points. It is therefore up to the teacher to look at these qualities and find out which ones suits his or her personality and then find a way to make good use of these traits and apply them in teaching. From the article, it is also clear that teaching technique depends on the level of learners and the subject being taught to the learners.This helps a teacher to understand that a technique tha t may be successful to one group of learners may not be successful to another group. It can be concluded that the article has underscored important points of teaching techniques and qualities that make a good teacher hence answering a question that most teachers find complex about how to be a good teacher and what really constitutes to this. Reference Mullock, B. (2003). WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER? THE PERCEPTIONS OF POSTGRADUATE TESOL STUDENTS. Prospect , 18 (3), 3-24.

Tattoo Ink Carrier Chemistry

Tattoo Ink Carrier Chemistry Tattoo ink consists of pigment and a carrier. The carrier may be a single substance or a mixture. The purpose of the carrier is to keep the pigment evenly distributed in a fluid matrix, to inhibit the growth of pathogens, to prevent clumping of pigment, and to aid in application to the skin. Among the safest and most common ingredients used to make the liquid are: ethyl alcohol (ethanol)purified waterwitch hazelListerinepropylene glycolglycerine (glycerol) However, many other substances have been and may be used, including: denatured alcohols (are toxic and can burn the skin)other alcohols (methyl alcohol or methanol and isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol are commonly used, although they are toxic) ethylene glycol (antifreeze, which is toxic)aldehydes, such as formaldehyde and gluteraldehyde (highly toxic)various surfactants or detergents There are many other substances that could be found in an ink. A tattooist has the choice of mixing his or her own ink (mixing dry dispersed pigment and a carrier solution) or purchasing what are called predispersed pigments. Many predispersed pigments are as safe or safer than inks mixed by the tattooist. However, the ingredient list need not be disclosed, so any chemical could be present in the ink. The best advice is to make sure the ink supplier and the particular ink has a long history of safety. Although I have applied the word toxic to many substances listed on the pigment and carrier list, that is an oversimplification. Some of these chemicals are mutagens, carcinogens, teratogens, toxins, or else they  participate in other reactions in the body, some of which may not show up for decades.

Reflections on AngloSaxon Life essays

Reflections on AngloSaxon Life essays The Anglo-Saxons set the foundations on which the English nation developed. In spite of continual internal warfare, they built upon those foundations and developed a high degree of civilization. In Beowulf, Burton Raffel portrays many aspects of Anglo-Saxon lifestyle, especially the importance of weaponry, women's role in society, and the significance of Christianity. There was not a single object that mattered to Anglo-Saxons more than their weapons. The Anglo-Saxons "delighted in beautiful weapons" (Crossley-Holland 19). They associated usefulness with beauty. Anglo-Saxons decorated their swords with ornamental patterning. These warlike people considered the sword to be the "king of weapons" (Crossley-Holland 20). The gift of a sword was a symbol of the bond between a lord and his follower. Warriors remained "prepared behind [their] high shield" (Raffel 35). Shields were the most common forms of defense. They decorated the shields as well, which declared the wealth of its owner. It was an Anglo-Saxon warrior's practice to be ready for battle incessantly. Women had a well-defined role in Anglo-Saxon society. A thane's wife had responsibilities that she fulfilled on a daily basis. Her primary chores consisted of looking after the family and supervising the household. Other duties included overseeing the brewing of ale, and managing the weaving and dyeing of clothing for her family. She had a public persona, such as when "Welthow went from warrior to warrior, pouring a portion from the jeweled cup for each" (Raffel 24). Presumably, a thane's wife was the mistress of ceremonies in the mead halls. Women also had their own rights that were "quite independent of [their] husbands" (Crossley-Holland 68). A woman had the right to own land, defend herself in court, to inherit money, and use it at her own discretion. The role of women in that time period was truly extraordinary. Christianity was also an aspect of Angl...

How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in the Past Tense

How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in the Past Tense Pronouns, while they can be tricky when learning Italian, are such an essential part of sounding fluid and natural in conversation. Who wants to say â€Å"glasses† a hundred times in a situation like, â€Å"Where are the glasses? Oh, I found the glasses. Let’s put the glasses on the table†. You start to sound like a robot, which, let’s be honest, makes it a bit more difficult to make friends. To avoid this, you can use direct object pronouns, which you may know are mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, and le. Me (m) - Me Ci - Us Ti (t) - You (informal) Vi - You (all) Lo (l) - Him, it Li - Them (masculine) La (l) - Her, it Le - Them (feminine) La (L) - Him/her (formal) Li, Le - You (formal) (masculine feminine) Using Direct Object Pronouns in the Present In the present tense, using direct object pronouns is easier. For example, â€Å"I see it†, when â€Å"it† refers to a â€Å"un libro - book†, would be, â€Å"Lo vedo†. But what about when you want to express something in the past tense, like â€Å"I saw it†, with â€Å"it† still being â€Å"un libro - a book†? It would be, â€Å"L’ho visto†. So what is going on, and how can you use direct object pronouns in the past tense? How to Use Direct Object Pronouns in the Past Tense There are four moving parts to using direct object pronouns in the past tense. Is the noun you’re talking about masculine or feminine?Is the noun you’re talking about singular or plural?What conjugation must you use from the verb â€Å"avere† or essere?What is the past participle of the main verb? Once you’ve answered these questions, which trust me, will happen automatically after enough practice, you’ll be able to put together past tense sentences with direct object pronouns with ease. Let’s take a look at some examples and break down what’s happening. Abbiamo visto Teresa. - We saw Theresa. We want to say, We saw her. Is â€Å"Teresa† masculine or feminine? FEMININE.Is â€Å"Teresa† singular or plural? SINGULAR.What conjugation must I use from the verb â€Å"avere†? ABBIAMOWhat is the past participle of the main verb â€Å"vedere†? VISTO/VEDUTO So, â€Å"We saw her† would be, â€Å"Labbiamo vista.†    Why does â€Å"visto† end in an -a? That’s because the ending of the past participle, in this case â€Å"visto†, must agree in gender and number with the noun, which is â€Å"Teresa†. Notice how the pronoun â€Å"la† is shortened and combined with the verb â€Å"abbiamo†. This is because â€Å"abbiamo† begins with a vowel. Ho comprato i pantaloni. - I bought the pants.   We want to say, I bought them. Is the noun â€Å"i pantaloni† masculine or feminine? MASCULINE.Is the noun â€Å"i pantaloni† singular or plural? PLURAL.What conjugation must you use from the verb â€Å"avere†? HOWhat is the past participle of the main verb â€Å"comprare†? COMPRATO So the sentence, â€Å"I bought them† would be, â€Å"Li ho comprati†. Notice here how the last letter of the past participle â€Å"comprato† changes from an -o to an -i. This is because the ending of the past participle MUST agree in gender and number with the noun. Here’s another example. Ha ricevuto le lettere. - He received the letters. We want to say instead, â€Å"He received them†. Is the noun â€Å"le lettere† masculine or feminine? FEMININE.Is the noun â€Å"le lettere† singular or plural? PLURAL.What conjugation must you use from the verb â€Å"avere†? HAWhat is the past participle of the main verb â€Å"ricevere†? RICEVUTO So, the sentence would become, â€Å"Le ha ricevute.  - He received them†. TIP: When you have a singular pronoun, like â€Å"lo† or â€Å"la†, it will almost always combine with the verb, like â€Å"L’ho letto. - I read it.† Let’s do one more. Sono andati a trovare il nonno. - They visited their grandfather. We want to say, They visited him. Is the noun â€Å"nonno† masculine or feminine? MASCULINE.Is the noun â€Å"nonno† singular or plural? SINGULAR.What conjugation must you use from the verb â€Å"essere†? SONOWhat is the past participle of the main verb â€Å"andare†? ANDATI So if we wanted to change the sentence to â€Å"they visited him†, it would be: Sono andati a trovarlo. - They visited him. Notice that the pronoun â€Å"lo† is not at the beginning of the sentence like in the past three examples. You’re able to attach it to the end of the full verb, â€Å"trovare†, by just removing the -e. This is possible when there are two verbs (like â€Å"andare† and â€Å"trovare†) in the phrase. Also, when the auxiliary verb is essere, the verb must agree with the subject.

Performance appraisals in mc donalds Assignment

Performance appraisals in mc donalds - Assignment Example Living up by the brand name and delivering the customers with the desired services that meet their quality and taste considerations make up for the company policy. Further, ensuring equal care for the employees is also part of McDonald’s policy and procedure. McDonalds makes use of result based evaluation of the employees. This is based on the results and the satisfaction level of the customers. This is better compared to the other two mentioned because it comes directly through the customers response. Keeping the customers views as priority, the evaluation according to the customers’ response also helps assessing the employees accordingly. On the job based behavior and responses is also a key to evaluation. McDonalds Company takes into account all the professional company requirements. This is done so on account of the quality management skills incorporation. These skills and standards make the training and development process a mandatory part of the overall business procedure. This is done so by the companies in order to make up for the quality needs that are set forth by the quality assurance based companies and quality techniques such as Total Quality management and other customer centric processes and business purposes. At McDonalds, the evaluation process consists of input from number of sources. Based on this the output is a blend of external sources as well which include the supervisor’s opinion as well as the client’s response. Since the evaluation is largely based on the on the job details and descriptions and the customers are a key source to the on the job description and behavior determination, therefore the McDonalds employees evaluation is based on the multiple discipline based assessment. Multi source feedback is an essential tool of marketing and business activities with regard to determination of customers interest and overall performance of the organization. McDonalds makes use of the 360 degree feedback. This

Cause and Effect essay on The MIsfit in A good Man is Hard To FInd

Cause and Effect on The MIsfit in A good Man is Hard To FInd - Essay Example The views expressed by The Misfit are not simple, though, and there are many factors in his life that have lead him to become the person that he is. To begin examining The Misfits views, we should start with the remote causes of the Misfits agnosticism. Growing up in the South, he would have grown up with a strong religious background. He even states that his parents were good people: â€Å"God never made a finer woman than my mother and my daddy’s heart was pure gold† (456). While it may be possible that The Misfit is being sarcastic or overly-patronizing, his brutal honesty throughout would seem to contradict this. At one point he states that he â€Å"was a gospel singer for a while† (457), furthering to depict The Misfit as a man with a strong religious background. Without a religious background in which The Misfit would have learned the religious views of Christianity, he wouldn’t have seen any contradictions inherent and would have no reason to be agnostic. As far as remote causes expressed, the first time that The Misfit makes a statement showing his less than believing nature can also be viewed as a remote cause. When the grandmother asks why he doesn’t pray, the Misfit replies â€Å"I don’t need no hep†¦I’m doing all right by myself† (458). If The Misfit has no need for God, then there isn’t any need for him to try to make himself believe in something that he sees as contradictory, and this serves as an additional reason as to why The Misfit is agnostic. To move closer to the causes and effects of The Misfits agnosticism, we will need to discuss the contributory causes. These can be summed up by saying that The Misfit feels as though he has been wronged and life in general doesn’t seem to be fair or have a sense of justice. To illustrate this, The Misfit states that he â€Å"never was a bad boy that I remember of†¦but somewhere along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary. I was buried alive† (457).

Expressionism and Harold Pinters Plays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Expressionism and Harold Pinters Plays - Essay Example Expressionism is the term used to define many different pieces of artwork including paintings, sculptures, film and plays, that in some way distort reality for emotional effect. Painters can use expressionist techniques to blur solid lines, play with light or change the facial features on a portrait so that the viewer gets a real sense of the emotion of the piece; fear, despair, love (Murphy, 1999, 40). By working with expressionist techniques instead of using realism, many artists feel more capable of portraying the proper feeling of their pieces than if everything were to appear perfectly lifelike. Expressionism is meant to dig beneath a realistic surface and expose what lies beneath. In terms of the theatre, most early expressionist plays are credited to German playwrights of the early 20th century. Writers such as Georg Kaiser and Ernst Toller were two of the most successful early expressionistic playwrights; their influence quickly spread to other countries including America where this style of theatre was considered very trendy in the 1920's (Valgamae, 1972, 1-15). Plays such as these relied heavily on the ability of the actors as they were often scripted to over-dramatise emotional states and to literalise metaphor; many expressionistic plays focused on the dramatisation of a protagonist's spiritual awakening or suffering. A good example of an expressionist play can be found in Oskar Kokoschka's 1909 Murderer, The Hope of Women. In this production, Kokoschka's characters remain unnamed throughout in an effort to focus the attentions of the audience to the more obscure themes. The Man and the Woman are engaged in a power struggle and during the course of the play Man brands Women, who in turn imprisons Man (1909). The entire play is set up as a purely connotative and emotional look at what might well be a normal relationship between a man and a woman. Like other expressionist forms of art, theatre focuses on the reality behind the everyday, and achieves this with the use of literalism, metaphor and hyperbole. Harold Pinter Pinter is an English playwright who has been active for several decades in various facets of the writing world. Aside from writing 29 well-received stage plays, he has written 26 screenplays and a myriad of radio and television plays as well as having acted on stage himself. Pinter began his writing career as a teenage poet, but soon found himself on stage; in the 1950's he enjoyed an acting career under the name David Baron but eventually writing overtook his desire to pursue acting. His playwriting is very unorthodox in both Pinter's approach as a writer and in its materialisation on stage; these plays earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005 (Peacock, 1997, 13-33). Pinter has been politically active since he became a conscientious objector at 18; since then the writer has participated in the UK's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the British Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Playwright's in Apartheid Protest. He has been very active in International PEN (International Poets, Essayists and Novelists), a group of diverse writers from around the world who promote the use of literature in crossing cultural borders. Currently Pinter is a member of the Cuban Solidarity

Why are environmental issues becoming more important for international Essay

Why are environmental issues becoming more important for international business - Essay Example It is a fact that environmental issues have managed to strike â€Å"increased discussion on the international business horizon† (Cherunilam 2010: 670). It is generally suggested that environmental trends and standards play a significantly valuable role in determining relative success of different products in the international market so the importance of efforts directed at protecting the global environment should not be undermined on the basis of a few negative effects. This belief has resulted in fueling the development and implementation of many environmental management systems around the globe. Different ways by which environment influences business are heavily acknowledged now (Lozada & Polonsky 1993: 20). Recently, the popularity regarding the existence of the link between business and environment has exploded. A wide variety of reasons could be found explaining why businesses now lay a greater emphasis on their environmental policies and services instead of solely focusi ng on profit maximization which would be contemplated in this essay with the help of research literature. Research evidence identifies that modern environmental concerns challenging the business world â€Å"have their roots in the 1960s† (Johnson & Turner 2010: 382), but it has only been some years that these issues have really exploded onto the surface. General consensus today is that with growing awareness the business world has undergone gigantic transformation for the better and as a result of which international business has remarkably affected the environment as well. It is proposed that environmental issues are becoming increasingly important for businesses because low environmental protection standards lead to depressing losses every year. Even those countries which have embraced high environmental standards and where business organizations take great pains to establish strictest policies have to suffer from significant losses which are estimated to be 1-2% of GNP. Th e condition is even worse in the developing world where businesses have not yet adopted high standards due to gross economical contractions and where losses resulting from poor environmental protection have been reported to reach 3-5% of GNP (Wysokinska & Witkowska 2005: 270). This is why more stress is laid on environmental protection in the modern business world now because flawed policies and insufficient investments made in this field adversely affect business organizations. Also there are more governmental environmental regulations and requirements set by the government, customers, and suppliers now due to which business organizations come under pressure to address these issues (Lozada & Polonsky 1993: 20). Research literature makes it obvious that this obsession of international business with different environmental issues encompass a wide variety of subjects from promoting protection of natural resources and discouraging the imports of products deemed destructive to the envir onment to banning any products which may pollute the atmosphere or contain toxic metal compounds. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency in the US establishes certain restrictions on â€Å"the importation of lead and lead articles that constitute toxic substances† (Hinkelman et al. 2005: 829). As a consequence of banning the import of all goods which hold the potential to negatively interfere with natural environment, both positive and negative effects influence the economy of a country. Research indicates that while limiting the import helps in raising the environmental standards by reducing the rate of goods which could destroy or pollute the environment like noisy vehicles, this practice also exerts a bad influence on the regular â€Å"

Genetic Counseling--Christian Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetic Counseling--Christian Perspective - Essay Example Preparations for Hemophila can be life saving for the child (Lehrman, 1998). If the child is cut, the parent does not waste time trying to stop the blood. Counseling after the child is born until they reach adulthood can also be helpful. An early diagnosis helps the parent and child cope with their illness. Abortion is murder, but so is euthanasia. Reputable doctors do not counsel people to commit suicide or perform euthanasia on an ill patient. What makes an unborn baby with an illness that is not even certain different? Genetic testing cannot give 100% yes or no answers. Even if the child has one of the above conditions, genetic testing cannot predict symptoms or severity of the disease (Rutter). No Christian counselor can condone abortion. Under the law, they cannot prevent abortions, but it is a Christian genetic counselor’s duty counsel against termination of pregnancy. A Christian genetic counselor cannot deny Biblical teachings. The Bible states â€Å"thou shalt not kill† (Exodus 20:13, King James Version). To counsel a woman to have an abortion would be under any circumstances wrong. The Christian counselor must reinforce man’s way is not God’s. A child with a genetic defect can be healed by God, but a sick child can also be a blessing. Even if the parents go ahead with the abortion, maybe later in life the parents can be convicted by what the counselor witnesses today. Either way God will bless the counselor for relying on His

Why are environmental issues becoming more important for international Essay

Why are environmental issues becoming more important for international business - Essay Example It is a fact that environmental issues have managed to strike â€Å"increased discussion on the international business horizon† (Cherunilam 2010: 670). It is generally suggested that environmental trends and standards play a significantly valuable role in determining relative success of different products in the international market so the importance of efforts directed at protecting the global environment should not be undermined on the basis of a few negative effects. This belief has resulted in fueling the development and implementation of many environmental management systems around the globe. Different ways by which environment influences business are heavily acknowledged now (Lozada & Polonsky 1993: 20). Recently, the popularity regarding the existence of the link between business and environment has exploded. A wide variety of reasons could be found explaining why businesses now lay a greater emphasis on their environmental policies and services instead of solely focusi ng on profit maximization which would be contemplated in this essay with the help of research literature. Research evidence identifies that modern environmental concerns challenging the business world â€Å"have their roots in the 1960s† (Johnson & Turner 2010: 382), but it has only been some years that these issues have really exploded onto the surface. General consensus today is that with growing awareness the business world has undergone gigantic transformation for the better and as a result of which international business has remarkably affected the environment as well. It is proposed that environmental issues are becoming increasingly important for businesses because low environmental protection standards lead to depressing losses every year. Even those countries which have embraced high environmental standards and where business organizations take great pains to establish strictest policies have to suffer from significant losses which are estimated to be 1-2% of GNP. Th e condition is even worse in the developing world where businesses have not yet adopted high standards due to gross economical contractions and where losses resulting from poor environmental protection have been reported to reach 3-5% of GNP (Wysokinska & Witkowska 2005: 270). This is why more stress is laid on environmental protection in the modern business world now because flawed policies and insufficient investments made in this field adversely affect business organizations. Also there are more governmental environmental regulations and requirements set by the government, customers, and suppliers now due to which business organizations come under pressure to address these issues (Lozada & Polonsky 1993: 20). Research literature makes it obvious that this obsession of international business with different environmental issues encompass a wide variety of subjects from promoting protection of natural resources and discouraging the imports of products deemed destructive to the envir onment to banning any products which may pollute the atmosphere or contain toxic metal compounds. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency in the US establishes certain restrictions on â€Å"the importation of lead and lead articles that constitute toxic substances† (Hinkelman et al. 2005: 829). As a consequence of banning the import of all goods which hold the potential to negatively interfere with natural environment, both positive and negative effects influence the economy of a country. Research indicates that while limiting the import helps in raising the environmental standards by reducing the rate of goods which could destroy or pollute the environment like noisy vehicles, this practice also exerts a bad influence on the regular â€Å"

Price Elasticity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Price Elasticity - Research Paper Example The greater the percentage of income the commodity represents, the greater the elasticity because it will attract people’s attention as a result of its high cost (Moschandreas, 2000). If a commodity represents a small percentage of the consumer’s income, on the other hand, it will have little effect on demand, and is deemed to be inelastic. Therefore, the purchasing power of the consumer affects elasticity a great deal. Necessity also profoundly affects elasticity. If a product is necessary, that is, if one cannot do without a product, elasticity is reduced because people will still buy the product irrespective of the change in price (Ferrell, 2010). The availability of alternative goods affects elasticity. If a substitute good is close and readily available to the market, elasticity will be high since people will have the choice to switch to the attractive alternative. This can be necessitated by the slightest of changes in prices, and therefore largely affects elasticity (Ferrell, 2010). Substitute goods availability and reach is a factor that many companies look at in price consideration due to its massive impact on elasticity. Some factors have the least effect on elasticity. Though relative, the effect that these factors have is thought to be negligible. Time is one such example. Price changes that persist for short time periods affect the demand for a good, and subsequent sales far much less than price changes that hold for a long time. If a price change holds for a long time, elasticity is likely to be high since the customers will have time to find suitable alternatives (Moschandreas, 2000). Loyalty to a specific brand affects elasticity. This is so because if a consumer is loyal to a brand, elasticity is low as the variables that affect the product will not affect its demand. However, it s worth noting that with time and availability of better alternatives, loyalty eventually

Education Role in the United States Essay Example for Free

Education Role in the United States Essay Through out the history of our nation, education has played an important role in the United States. Republican and Democrats can both agree that education is absolute necessary in out country. Recently, the federal government has take control over the states duties. The education system was first set out for the states responsibility but the federal government has taken over.so, with educaiton being the one of the polices in the agenda, george bush passes the No Child Left Behind act. This law was put into affect to make sure that all students are finding sucess in school. while, this act has a intantion the act   had fail and has actually caused harm than good.

Employee Turnover Types, Theories and Effects

Employee Turnover Types, Theories and Effects In this chapter, the literature review is aimed to present the concept, models, theories and previous research to the causes and correlation of employee turnover. The contents focus on employee turnover, the factors that influence the employee turnover: personal characteristics, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and perceived alternative job opportunities. Employee turnover has been defined by Price (1977) as the movement of members across the boundary of an organisation. As Mobley (1982) defined that turnover is the voluntary cessation of membership in an organisation by an individual who receives monetary compensation for participating in that organisation. This definition emphasises voluntary behavior because primary turnover model seek to explain what motivates employees to withdraw from the workplace. Furthermore, this concept focuses on separation from an organisation and not includes accession, transfer, or other internal movements through an organisation. Moreover, there are many definitions in same perspective from many authors as Van der Merwe and Miller (1996) stated that employee turnover is a permanent withdrawal and also function of the person-work relationship. The authors emphasise that there should be a fit between the worker, the agency and the environment. If this fit is not present or available, turnover is likely to occur. This relationship is considered pervasive. It can be affected by any or all aspects of the job situation, both inside and outside the employing organisation. Lane (2001) described employee turnover as the result of both quits and layoffs and further states that some turnover is a result of jobs in one firm being destroyed and jobs in another firm being created and hence due to the reallocation of jobs across the economy in response to changes in product demand. From the descriptions above, the researcher could conclude that job turnover is when employees leave their employment permanently and the entrance of new employees to the organisation. That employee turnover can either be positive or negative, but all have a significant impact on productivity (Boxall and Baldwin, 2002) Types of employee turnover There are two different types of employee turnover in an organisation that many authors have identified the following types of employee turnover: Voluntary turnover Gomez-Mejia et al (1997) defined voluntary turnover as a separation that occurs when an employee decides for personal reasons to end the relationship with the employer. The decision could be based on the employee obtaining a better job, changing career, or wanting more time for family or the present job is unattractive because of poor working conditions, low pay or benefits, and bad relationship with supervisor. In most cases the decision to leave is a combination of having attractive alternative opportunities and being unhappy with aspects of the current job. Sims (2007) conceded that voluntary turnover occurs when an employee initiates the termination of their employment of their own free will. Quits is one type of voluntary turnover. Grobler et al (2002) defined quits as occurring when an employee leaves the organisation without giving the normal period of notice (e.g. one month). It is usually a sudden decision by the employee. Thus, it should be noted that quits can occur at any time and mostly when the organisation least expects it. This can be serious impact on the organisations total performance and productivity. Although organisation can not do much about employee quitting, they can try to determine the possible reason for leaving or for making that decision. Involuntary turnover Gomea-Mejia et al (1997) defined that involuntary turnover occurs when management decides to terminate its relationship with an employee due to economic necessity or a poor fit. The organisation or the employee cannot control this type of turnover. It is further stressed by the authors that involuntary turnover results in very serious and painful decisions that can have a profound impact on the entire organisation, espacially the employee who loses his or her job. Mkhize (1998) concedes involuntary turnover as when an employee is asked by the organisation to leave. Involuntary turnover represents employer-initiated job separations over which employee have little or no personal say, such as dismissal or layoffs. Sims (2007) also concedes that involuntary turnover arises when employment is terminated against the wishes of employees. Those authors from their definitions stress the fact that with this type of turnover is result from the employers decision rather than the employee. It mig ht be employers would not want to keep poor performers or excess manpower. The costs of employee turnover Kelly (2001) stated that employee turnover costs are the problem that most executives are aware of but do not acknowledge as a potential loss of revenue. A lot of disadvantages that are brought up by employee turnover are clearly evident in cost benefit analyses. Human resource mangers know that employee turnover is a major cost and significantly impacts an organisation (Irvancewich, 1994). Many managers refuse to face up to these costs, but they might be forced to do so when considering the various factors necessary to calculate the cost of employee wastage (Stewart,1998) According to Mitchell et al (2001), employee turnover imposes extensive cost both the individual and the organisation level. At individual level, it does not matter if the person leaves voluntarily to another job or is forced to leave and take a personal toll. For organisation level, the problem arises when leaving employees take their valuable knowledge and expertise gained through experience with them. This turnover leads to numerous costs for the organisation, such as: Exist interview time and administrative requirement Payout of unused vacation time Cost of temporary workers Overtime for co-workers Training costs Replacement costs, include advertising, processing of candidates, interviewing, selecting. Potter (2002) postulated that employee turnover is a critical cost driver for American business. The cost of retaining and filling vacancies, lost productivity from vacant jobs and cost of training new employees increase operational costs. Elements of the cost of job turnover very widely and depend on whether all cost elements are recognised. The author further identifies three primary elements of employee turnover costs that include the following; Staffing Costs Sometimes are referred to as cost per hire. These include the costs of recruiting job applicants (such as advertising or job board posting, screening applicants, personal search, service brokerage fees, relocation expenses and signing bonuses). Vacancies cost While a position is vacant the productivity of the former employee is lost and the productivity of the overall organisation is reduced as the remaining workers cope with being shorthanded. Jay (1998) referred to these as the temporary replacement costs of getting the work done while the post is vacant and can include overtime, temps and many others. -Training cost The replacement employees time, other employees time and valuable resources must be expanded to train each employee and to facilitate the transition because no new employee starts working at 100% efficiency. Jay (1998) added the induction costs to the training and refers to this as direct costs and pay during unproductive early stages. Stone (2002) maintained that this phase is the non-productive time because it is characterised by dislocation of the other employees work as the new employee tries to settle down and incurs the same view on the lost productivity. Thus, training costs includes an organisations expenditure to orientate and train replacements and opportunity costs caused by inefficient production. The further statement identified an extension of those elements as follows: Redeployment Redeployment of an existing labour force as a result of labour turnover involves extra costs as this creates vacancies in the system. Assimilation and efficiency lost cost incurred before the new employee is fully proficient. Relocation Costs These costs include hotel charges, direct disturbances allowance, for example legal fees, removal fees, house purchase assistance and temporal travel subsidy of the new employee. Leaving costs These costs are associated with creating the vacancy, the closing of the previous appointment, for example refunding, superannuation payments, etc. Ham Griffeth (1995) refered to the leaving costs as the separation costs and describe them as those that quitting produces directly. A good example is exit interviews that are conducted when the employee leaves the employer to determine the reason for leaving. The researcher conceded that high employee turnover in an organisation means increased recruitment, selection and training costs. It can also mean a disruption in the efficient running of an organisation when knowledge, experienced personnel leave and replacements use be found and prepared to assume a position of responsibility. Theories related to employee turnover Expectancy theory holds that people are motivated to behave in ways that produce desired combinations of expected outcomes. Generally, expectancy theory can be used to predict behavior in any situation in which a choice between two or more alternatives must be made. For example, it can be used to predict whether to leave or stay at a job and whether to try substantial or minimal effort at task (kreitner and Kinicki, 2001). Vrooms expectancy theory (1964) According to Vroom (1964), the strength of tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of expectancy that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the value or attractiveness of that outcome to the actor. Motivation, according to Vroom, boils down to decision of how much effort to put in specific task situation. This choice is based on a two-stage sequence of expectations that are effort-to-performance and performance-to-outcome. First, motivation is affected by an individuals expectation that a certain level of effort will produce the intended performance goal. Motivation also is influenced by the employees perceived chances of getting various outcomes as a result of accomplishing his or her performance goal. Individuals are motivated to the extent that they value the outcomes received. There are three key concepts within Vrooms model, which are expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. Expectancy According to Vrooms expectancy theory, expectancy represents an individuals belief that a particular degree of effort will be follow by a particular level of performance. In other words, it is an effort-to-performance expectation which refers to a degree of effort to which individual feels that it will lead to achievement of desired goal (kreitner and Kinicki, 2001) Instrumentality Instrumentality is a performance to outcome perception. It represents a persons belief that a particular outcome is contingent on accomplishing a specific level of performance (kreitner and Kinicki, 2001) Valence Valence refers to the positive or negative values people place on outcomes. For example, most employees have a positive valence for receiving additional money or recognition. In contrast, job stress and being laid off would likely be negatively valence for most individuals. In Vrooms expectancy theory, outcomes refer to different consequences that are contingent on performance, such as pay, promotion, or recognition. An outcomes valence depends on a individuals need (kreitner and Kinicki, 2001) Peter and Edward Lawlers Expectancy Theory (1969) Lyman Porter and Edward Lawler III developed an expectancy theory of motivation that extended Vrooms expectancy theory. This theory attempted to identifies the source of peoples valences and expectancies and link effort with performance and job satisfaction. There are three key variables which are predictors of effort, predictors of performance and predictors of reward and satisfaction (kreitner and Kinicki, 2001). Predictors of effort Effort is a function of perceived value of reward which represents the rewards valence and the perceived effort to reward probability. Employees will exhibit more effort when they believe they will receive values rewards for task accomplishment. Predictors of performance Performance determined by more than effort. The relationship between effort and performance is contingent on an employees abilities and traits and role perceptions. That is, employees with higher abilities attain higher performance for a given level of effort than employees with less ability. Similarly, effort results in higher performance when employees clearly understand and are comfortable with their roles. This occurs because effort is channels into the most important job activities or tasks. Predictors of rewards and satisfaction Employees receive both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for performance. Intrinsic rewards are self- granted and consist of intangible such as a sense of accomplishment and achievement. Extrinsic rewards are tangible outcomes such as pay and public recognition. In turn, job satisfaction is determined by employees perceptions of the equity of the rewards received. Employees are more satisfied when they feel equitably rewards. Finally, employees future effort to reward probabilities is influenced by past experience with performance and rewards. Models of employee turnover To reinforce the previous definitions of employee turnover Man Sararat (1984) stated that a labour force movement was a process whereby labourers would make decision in regard to where and when they would work. It means the labourers choose their own employers and locations where they will work, and may change their jobs and companies as many times as the wish. Personal characteristics The concept of personal characteristic The personal factors include individual qualities that can be viewed as personal traits the employee possesses and which are distinctive to the individual (Harmse, 1999). The author further asserted that it has to do with what and who the individual is within his total being and which guide his behavior or functioning. According to the researcher, the employees general outlook on life is one of the major factors that influence employee turnover. An employee with a high self-esteem, confidence in his or her abilities and with a positive outlook on life is more likely to stay than the one with a negative attitude. Thus, these factors are inherent in human behavior. The following are the personal factors that influences employee turnover as identified by different authors. Relationship between personal characteristics and employee turnover A large number of research studies have identified the importance of individual or personal characteristic factors as predictors of employee turnover (Arnold Feldman, 1982; Cotton Tuttle, 1986; Lee Mowday, (1987). Among the characteristics most commonly examined are age, education, and tenure (length of time a person has worked in an organisation) (McBey Karakowsky, 2000; Mowday, 1982) The personal characteristic differences had been identified as potentially important correlates of turnover. This was because gender and age may be important negative correlates of turnover intention and turnover (Thatcher et al., 2003). Various studies had attempted to look beyond the traditional relationship theorised between job satisfaction and voluntary turnover. Gleser (1990) states that sex, race and age variables should be considered since minority group may face discriminatory practices and may approach job satisfaction differently than more normative groups. Age and employee turnover Drafke and Kossen (2002) maintained that employee turnover typically increases with age. Older employees have more work experience. They have a better understanding of what work needs can satisfy and overall they have a more realistic view of work and life. Young employees have comparatively little or no job experience with which to compare their current jobs and because of this they are more likely to substitute the opinions of other people, their own beliefs about other peoples jobs and their own idealistic views of what should be their lack of experience. In another way, Younger employees had more entry-level job opportunities and few family responsibilities, thus making job mobility easier. They may also have inaccurate expectation regarding working, which are not fulfilled in their early jobs (Porter Steers, 1973; Wanous, 1980). Therefore, younger employees are more likely to terminate their employment than older employees. Furthermore, Mc McCullough (2002) who stressed that age is a widely known factor that influences employee turnover. The author further states that the younger employee, the stronger likelihood of employee quit. The longer that employee stays, the more turnover risk goes down. Similarly older employees are less likely to quit than younger ones, as younger ones are more likely to take employment risks and hop to other jobs. The author still concedes that research has confirmed that the older employee, the lower likelihood of quitting. Education and employee turnover Neither a strong nor a consistent relationship between education and turnover is evident in the literature (Mobley, 1979; Price, 1977). Since many turnover studies are based on individuals with similar educations, a relation between turnover and education is difficult to establish. However, Arnold and Feldman (1982) and Brief and Aldag (1980) stated that education is positively related to employee turnover. Wong et al. (1999) found that individuals with higher education levels are better informed of the alternative opportunities available in the external labour market. Managers with high educational qualifications, by virtue of their high employability, they are greater discretion in their choice to turnover. If mangers perceive that reward levels are not commensurate with education or human capital value and performance levels, it is likely that they will report a greater number of turnover cognitions (Trevor et al., 2007) Tenure and employee turnover According to streers (1997) and Mobley (1982), there are many research studies which suggest that a negative relationship exists between tenure and turnover. The research has indicated that relatively high turnover occurs among new employees (Mobley, 1982). It should be noted that tenure has been considered as a covariant of age (Bedeian et al., 1992; Kacmar Ferris, 1989), and consequently its influence is similar to that of age. As an employees tenure increases, the formal benefits (e.g. compensation and promotions) and informal benefits (e.g. status) also increase. Given these issues, employees with higher tenure are less likely to leave their organisation for fear of losing these benefits upon entry into a new organisation (Hellman, 1997). Job satisfaction The description of job satisfaction There are many authors define job satisfaction in the literature. Job satisfaction is influenced by economic factors such as pay, benefit and rewords as well as structural and procedural factors reflecting autonomy or fairness. Hersey and Blanchard (1993) defined the job satisfaction is a consequence of the past which refer to employees feeling about the reward they have received when comparison with work role input and its outcome. Robbins (1996) conceded that job satisfaction refer to a collecting attitude toward ones job which is different between the amount of rewards workers receive and the amount that they should receive. Mitchell et al (2001) stated that employees who feel satisfied with their jobs have a positive experience of their pay, supervision, chances for promotion, work environment, clear roles and met expectations. Furthermore, Weiss and Cropanzano (1998) stated that job satisfaction represents a persons evaluation of his or her job and work context. It is an appraisal of the perceive job characteristics and emotional experiences at work. Satisfied employees have a favorable evaluation of their job based on their observation and emotional experiences. In the same way, Schermerhorn et al (2000) define job satisfaction as the degree to which individuals feel positively or negatively about their jobs. It is an attitude or emotional response to ones tasks as well as to the physical and social conditions of workplace. According to Locke (1976), job satisfaction is really a collection of attitudes about specific facets of the job. Employees can satisfy with some elements of the job while simultaneously dissatisfy with others. Different type of satisfaction will lend to different intention and behavior (McShane and Glinow, 2002). To access ones job satisfaction, five facets of job satisfaction should be measured following (Kreitner and Kinicki, (2001) : Work- itself (job) Harmse (1999) described a job as a position within an organisation depending on the scope of the organisation, which can be as small as one. The author still mension that it can also be viewed as a group of positions that are nearly as identical with respect to primary duties and tasks that are sufficiently similar to be included in less than one title. Kolen (1997) argued that a job is fully specified. Kolen (1997) defined the job as the kind and amount of work to be performed by a person or a piece of equipment within a given time period. The author still maintains that every well-conceived job definition should always consist of two parts namely: Job description- This is a detailed statement of the content of the job in terms of major tasks the sequence of those tasks and the conditions under which they will be performed. Mondy Premeaux (1994) described job description as a document that describes the tasks and responsibilities of a job and its relationships to other jobs. According to Harmse (1999), the job descriptions are beneficial for both the individual employee and the organisation. . According to Harmse (1999), the job descriptions are beneficial for both the individual employee and the organisation. The author further identifies the following advantages: The employee has a concise picture of why he or she is employed, The employee can easily identify how he or she will be assessed, The parameters of authority and accountability are clear, Given the big picture, i.e. the mission statements, the value of this specific position for the organisation can be identified, It assists in placing the right person in the right position, There is more efficiency and effectiveness throughout the organisation as tasks and responsibilities are identified. Job specification- This states the qualification an individual must posses to perform the job. Mondy Premeaus (1994) viewed a job specification as the minimum acceptable qualifications a person possess to perform a particular job. Luthans (1992) mention that work-itself is one of the major source of satisfaction. In additional, some of the most important ingredients of satisfying job included interesting and challenge work, work that not boring and a job that provided status. Van Dyk (2001) stressed that any job should have key characteristics that directly affect employee performance and satisfaction and thus in turn influences job turnover. The authors further identify the following three job characteristics; Variety-refers to the number of different tasks and activities included in the job. Challenge- is the level of difficulty of job tasks and activities. Autonomy-refers to the extent to which an employee can carry out his/her tasks independently on the job. The job that does not consist of the above job characteristics will not seem to have any meaning. Employees would what to do the job that is exciting and be able to use their abilities in doing it. Without these, chances of employees leaving their employers are accelerated. Pay Perceived competitiveness of pay refers to employees perceptions that salaries are Promotion Luthans (1995) described promotional opportunities as advancement in the hierarchy. Nel (2001) ascertained that a promotion occurs when an employee is moved from one job to another that is higher in pay, responsibility or organisation seniority. Various approaches can be used to promote employees and this can be based on the persons promotion potential, development needs and talent shortages in the organisation. Skidmore (1995) stated that promotions are important in the functioning of the organization. Nearly every employee wants to move ahead, both in position and in salary. The procedures and standards for promotion should be clearly defined through sound administration. Co-worker According to Robbins (2001), human need social interaction from their workplace in supporting, cooperate, comfort, advice, and assistance to the individual work. Therefore, to have friendly and supportive co-workers could lead to increase job satisfaction. Lance (2007) concedes that perception of co-worker integration and cohesiveness among peers directly affects job satisfaction. In the opposite way, turnover tends to increase for employees who are dissatisfied with their co-workers (Watt and White, 1988). Supervisor Lewis Souflee (1994) described that supervision is process that involves helping a less experienced person increase his or her effectiveness in service delivery. Through the vehicle of supervisory relationship, the supervisor provides support and encouragement, helps build skills and competences and oversees the supervisees work. According to Luthans (1992), supervisor is another moderately important source of job satisfaction. To the extent that supervisor provides technical assistance and behavioral support such as treated employees fairly, offers praise for good performance, listens to employees Kadushin (1992) stressed that supervision in an organisation is important because it enhances the morale of the staff while maintaining the system; meaning supervisee are supervised according to their different levels. For example, the less experienced tend to be supervised according to tutorial model, whereas those with more experience achieve similar purpose through case consultation, peer group consultations, peer group interaction, staff development programs and work teams. Skidmore, Thackery Farley (1997) shared this view by mentioning that supervision is a major part of work because it is concerned with helping the staff to use their knowledge and skills in getting the job done efficiently and well. Theories related to job satisfaction Luthans (1995) conceded that Herzbergs two factor motivational theories cast a new life on the content of work motivation. The theory offers an explanation specifically to the work place and job design (Grobler et al 2002). Robbins (1993) stated that Herzberg believed an individuals relation to his or her work is a basic one and that his or her attitude towards his work can very well determine the individual success or failure, and referred to this as motivation-hygiene theory. Herzberg concluded that there is a relation between job satisfiers and job content; job dissatisfiers are allied to hob on text. The author named the motivation factors satisfiers and called dissatisfiers hygiene factors. The hygiene factors are preventative because they can prevent dissatisfaction and are environmental in nature, and therefore are roughly equivalent to Maslows lower level needs (Luthans 1995). The motivators are intrinsic and related to job satisfaction for example achievement, recognition, and the work-itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth. The hygiene factors are extrinsic and comprise company policy, administration supervision, salary, interpersonal relations and working conditions. Robbins (2001) postulated that according to Herzberg, the factors that lead to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction. Therefore managers who seek to eliminate factors that create job dissatisfaction can bring about peace, but not necessarily motivation. Thus, managers who hire wages will be placating their workforce rather than motivating them. It is evidenct that the Herzberg two factor motivational theories indicate that the more resources are poured down the hygiene drain for example increasing fringe benefits, the more resources will be needed in future. This is because with hygiene factors, ever-increasing amounts are needed to produce the same effect. A classic example is the issue of salary that never seems to be resolved; employees will still be discontent over wages even after concluding salary negotiations. As indicated earlier, motivators are intrinsic in nature and reflect the work content of the job. The supervisor cannot disperse them to the employees but they are controlled by employees and are administered personally. It is evident that no one can give another person the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing a particularly challenging job. According to the researcher, the need to motivate workers is a very crucial one. Motivation is required if the workers are to make a significant impact on their work given the limited budgets they operate on and the very difficult circumstances. In any situation, every employer would like to have employees who are motivated to do their work efficiently and effectively. This bears fruitful results and enhances organisational productivity and a lot of problems associated with de-motivation like absenteeism and late coming can be avoided. Relationship between job satisfaction and employee turnover During the past century, a variety of conceptual models for the turnover process have been developed (Lambert et al., 2001). It has been extensively studied, both as a dependent and independent variable. In 1976, Locke estimated the number or articles and dissertations dealing in some manner with the subject of job satisfaction to be over 3,300. By 1996, Spector estimated that the number of studies that have incorporated job satisfaction in some manner to be over 12,000. While these models have diverse origins from a wide array of disciplines, many researchers have theorized that job satisfaction is a key antecedent of worker turnover (Mobley et al., 1979; Price Mueller, 1986; Williams Hazer, 1986). Roznowski and Hulin (1992) contended that overall job satisfaction measures are the most informative data a manager or researcher can have for predicting employee behavior. Further, it has been theorised that high levels of job dissatisfaction lead to employee withdrawal, particularly in terms of voluntary turnover. According to Danserau et al. (1974), Mitchell (1981), Porter and Steers (1973), job satisfaction has been related to turnover. Muchinsky and Tuttle (1979) analysed nineteen articles dealing with job satisfaction and turnover. Overall, there was a negative relationship between job satisfaction and turnover although the strength of the relationship varied form study to study. In general, satisfied workers are less likely to leave their jobs than those with high job satisfaction quotients. The review noted that the relationship remained constant over different types of samples, organisations, and measures of job satisfaction (Birdseye Hill, 1995). Organisationa

Phantom Limbs: A Neurobiological Explanation Essay -- Biology Essays R

Phantom Limbs: A Neurobiological Explanation Severely injuring a digit or limb can result in unrepentant damage and amputation. However, the painful sensations experienced in regard to that limb do not necessarily cease after amputation. The concept of feeling sensations in a limb that is no longer attached to the body is referred to as feeling a "phantom limb." This phenomenon is experienced by approximately 80%-100% of all patients who have lost a limb (1), and has therefore sparked wide interest in scientific community. Phantom limb sensations are common for people with missing limbs or digits. In most cases, a phantom arm hangs straight down at the side when the person sits or stands (2). The subject feels as though the limb is there even though he or she is consciously aware that it is no longer attached to the rest of the body. For example, a story by S. Weir Mitchell was written in 1866 in which a civil war soldier undergoes amputation of both legs after a battle. Before the patient knows that his legs have been amputated, he asks the nurse to scratch them for him as he feels discomfort. The nurse and doctor are surprised and dumbfounded since they both are aware that the soldier no longer has these limbs and therefore should not being feeling any pain or discomfort stemming from them (2). While the story of this soldier is fictitious, similar events occur constantly in patients who suffer the loss of a limb. There are phantom sensations that are not painful, including warmth, tingling, itching, movement, and uncomfortable positioning (1).. However, phantom pains are also common in which the subject feels stabbing, cramping, burning, and shooting pains in the phantom limb (1). The biology behind phantom limbs ... ... to uncover and understand. Perhaps after finding a definitive explanation for the sensations, subjects experiencing uncomfortable phantom pains will be able to seek some kind of therapy or treatment. The phenomenon is an excellent example of the interesting ways that neurons and the nervous system function, and it continues to question the concepts of knowing and consciousness. References This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments

Geometry Kite Making

1) Search for a kite you’d like to build. It can be any shape kite, but keep in mind that the easier the build, the more difficult I grade it. The harder it is to build, the more chance it won’t be completed in time. So evaluate yourself & the directions to determine which kite you decide on building. a. Google the web (not videos, nor images) – â€Å"How to build a kite with step by step directions† †¦ You can word your search in any way that is similar to what I just gave you. b. Be sure what you pull up has Step by Step Directions on how to build the kite (i. e. t will tell exactly how & where to cut the material, where to place the dowels, where to tie the string, etc, etc).c. Be sure what you pull up has Clear Materials Listed – meaning you will be able to list off what is needed to build a kite (i. e. exact centimeters or inches of dowels, the diameter of the dowel, if plastic tubing is needed, string length, etc, etc). d. Print all this out – preferably with photos (always helpful when building). 2) Write up a materials list with the totals (dowel length, string length, fabric, etc) on a lined piece of paper so that it’s legible.This is for me to go shopping with, so I need the exact total & I need to read it. I’m not interested in how many ___ sized pieces of dowel you need because we’ll just cut up the total length later; I just need you to calculate from your internet, printed materials list the exact totals of each item. 3) Build your kite – we’ll be doing this in class as a group. You won’t be taking any of these items home, so you need to make sure you are here for each class we designate as build days. e.Each â€Å"build day† you will need: yard stick (science lab has some), pencil, pen, lined paper for calculations, calculator, ruler, protractor, kite instructions & a servant’s heart (because we’ll need to bring other items to & from my c lassroom each of these days = teamwork). f. Measure the perimeter & area of your kite, once completed. g. Were there any angles in your kite? What types; how many; what degrees were they (calculate algebraically being sure to write down how you calculated †¦ same side interior, complementary angles, etc. )? h.Are there any parallel &/or perpendicular lines? Transversal lines? i. As you build along, rewrite the steps in your own words so that someone else could build your kite. Use as many geometric terms as articulately possible. Reason: 1) I asked; and, 2) the directions you find on the internet are often more complicated than need be, so you’ll be helping someone else out. Maybe we’ll start our own website someday! 4) Project items from the book: j. Page 453: You’ll need to draw diagonals on a plain, white sheet of copy paper using a yard stick for accuracy.Mark off your half-inch measurement (the  ½ inch past center point) with a pencil so that it†™s visible to others. The â€Å"front corners† are considered the ones where you folded the paper, not the ones where it’s unfolded. **There is a â€Å"typo†: you’ll be folding the corners & stapling them about 3-4 in. from the front of the kite. You will staple those folds together perpendicularly to the first fold. ** Tie one end of string through the back of the staple. Open up the unfolded paper to create a kite surface. ~ You are not creating a paper airplane, and so therefore will follow these directions with the book’s directions to create a paper kite. ~~ k. Page 468: When â€Å"describing† each effective area, the book is asking you to compare the effective area to the actual kite (i. e. : does the effective area have the same area as the part of the kite that’s facing the wind; or less, or more; etc, etc). When you compare, do so in words (using as many geometrical terms as possible) as well as with some calculations.l. Pa ge 476: SKIP †¦ this is what you did in Parts 1 & 2. ) REPORT: Research the history of kites, and be sure to write down your sources for use in a reference page later (when you hand in your final project). m. When were they first used? What were they used for? In what country did they first get used predominantly? n. Find examples of how kites were used for: rescuing sailors, vanquishing enemies, predicting the weather, etc. Give me any other uses for kites †¦ be thorough & creative. o. Tell me any interesting facts you discovered about kites while doing this research.