Group Communication Essay

In my opinion, group work is a type of cooperative learning that helps people to accomplish a certain task in a faster and more effective manner. Team working also helps to achieve the tasks that are impossible to finish by one individual. However, if people in a group have a lot of conflicts, group work will not be able to achieve as much as we expected. There are many reasons which lead to dissatisfaction in group work such as individualism as well as conflicts in opinion and time. Initially, I had a negative view on group working because of the challenges that I had. When I was in high school, my five other friends and I used to work together in a music competition. Although we were supposed to get together to practice for the event, we were only able to meet up once a week. In addition to having a hard time with time scheduling, we often did not have a consensus of opinion. Whenever we had a discussion, we usually ended up with no results. So it always took a long time for us to make a decision. Consequently, the performance did not turn out as well as we expected. Because of this initial failure, I thought group work was time consuming and ineffective. However, I have changed my opinion lately because of the successful results in some of my laboratory classes. In each laboratory assignment, it is nearly impossible to work by myself because there are a lot of steps and each step needs to be very precise and accurate. Therefore, a group of two or three students will work more effectively compared to an individual because they can help to remind each other and finish the assignment faster. Based on those experiences, one more time I give myself a chance to work in a group and figured out how work effectively. Finally, thank to the Small group communication class, I found out that group work can become very productive if all the members in the group cooperate and follow the principles of small group communication. In this paper, I want to talk about my recent success in my current group regarding the effectiveness of our group communication as well as my communication competence during the last four months of working together. First, I want to discuss about how we follow the principles of small group communication. Fortunately, our group usually does not have a lot of conflicts because our opinions often support each others’. While other groups need thirty minutes to make a decision, our group can make it in half of that time. I think it is one of our group biggest strength. Besides, we always favor majority viewpoints, but we also listen and analyze the idea which is different from others. For example, when we were working together in the winter survival exercise, most of the members agreed that compass is the second importance. However, Phong thought that in a heavy snow, compass was useless. After discussion, we decided to make it the sixth importance. Thanks to Phong’s opinion, we lost fewer points because compass turned out to be the most useless one. Phong is an expert with cold weather because he used to visit his friend in Alaska where the temperature usually drops under zero degrees Fahrenheit. Phong is also the most quiet group member. He only shares his opinions in the topic which he is expert of. The others group members can be considered as verbal group members because they always contribute their ideas and experiences to all discussions in the group. Regarding leadership, we only have one leader throughout because we want the leader to get used to her role. Thus, she and the group can work more effectively. Finally, I have to admit that our group is not a creative group, but we have one member who is such a creative person. Again, in the winter survival activity, I thought the old newspapers were totally useless, but Lan came up with a creative idea that it could be used to keep warm. She said she often see people who are homeless use old news papers as their blankets. At last, it turned out that the newspaper worked even better than clothes. Because of following well those principles, our group has gradually worked more effectively. Secondly, I want to mention our group climate. In my opinion, our group has a supportive climate. Each member is willing to help other members in the group to complete their tasks. Our group favors description compared to evaluation. Instead of criticizing others’ behaviors and ideas, we often tell our feelings about problems. All the group members always encourage each other to share their opinions and feelings with the group. Even though some opinions are too conflicting, the main purpose is trying to give all the members equal opportunities to talk about their ideas. Thus, the success of the group is the consequence from the equal contributions of all the members. Besides, in most of the discussions of our group, we are oriented toward problem solving; therefore, we look for the consensus of the ideas in order to solve the problems effectively and quickly. Because our group has many members who have senses of humor, we always maintain an interesting and comfortable atmosphere to gain assertiveness in the group. Sometimes, Ngoc and Phong share their experiences of how they solve their families’ problems. Through perceiving more deeply about each member’s own life, we have gradually gotten closer together; therefore, we are always honest and open to each other. Also, we do not criticize when a group member cannot finish his or her task as expected because there are always personal issues out of the class. In addition to empathy, I think that provisionalism is one of the factors that helps the group to do well. In life, there is nothing certain, so we do not expect everything to be absolutely perfect. We only try our best and hope for a deserved result. To sum up, with a supportive climate, our group can take advantage of group work regardless of difficulties that people usually have when working in a group. Also, our group does not have a difficult group member because we are cooperative and responsible for our tasks. Moreover, all the members are always willing to cover the missing roles to get the work done. I think that the supportive climate in our group really helps us to work better. In addition to the success of the group communication, I think that my communication competence is one of the most important factors. In most of the Vietnamese family, parents often attempt to have their children follow some particular rules especially being polite and respecting elders. Because I am not an exception from those Vietnamese children, I always follow those rules whenever I communicate to others in the family and in the society as well. For example, when I work in my present group whose members are different ages, I usually listen to the opinions of the older members before sharing mine. I feel that they have more experiences than I do about life. Also, I truly respect others ideas even though sometimes they are really opposed to mine such as the idea about the importance of the rope in the moon survival. I thought the rope was useless but it was thought to be the most important tool which was used to connect people together by another member. I thought it was actually reasonable in some way. Another rule in my communication is that I try to keep myself from being different. Therefore, if my opinion is opposed to the others, I hardly argue with them because I think it is best to keep a friendly and peaceful environment in a group. Accordingly, my present group always has less conflict. Thus, I think that the way I work and communicate in the group also helps the group to perform better. In the last part of his paper, I want to mention the roles and leadership in our group. Each member in the group has their own roles and tasks. First, Trang, our leader, is an energizer and a tension reliever. She loves to joke around her group members. In addition, she always gives funny ideas to make other members laugh and relieve tension. Next, Lan is a summarizer and a process observer who often listens to the ideas of all the members in her group. Then, she collects information and summarizes the group’s opinions. Besides, She usually laughs and makes jokes which helps to release the tense atmosphere in the group. Ngoc is an information and opinion giver and a communication facilitator who often shares her ideas and speaks clearly to help other members in the group easily understand her. Also, when an idea of a group member sounds too complicated and confusing, she is the one who makes it simpler to understand. I am also an information and opinion giver and an encourager of participation. I love to give my opinions of the group activities. Also, I often ask questions to have other members participate in the group. Finally, Phong and Chau are information and opinion seekers. While Phong researches information online, Chau often represents our group to communicate with other groups for more information and ideas. Lan and Trang are considered themselves as clowns because they are the funniest members in our group. Every one of us kept laughing with their interesting ideas. Because all the members have specific tasks to focus on, whenever the group is assigned, each member tries their best to accomplish their tasks; therefore, this increases cohesiveness in the group. Working this way, we ask for the responsibilities of each member in the group. Therefore, we always encourage and help each other to do things better. Finally, I want to mention the leadership role in our group. Initially, Lan was assigned to be our leader in the ball tossing activity. However, Trang emerged as a leader in the winter survival activity. She always encourages the group members to work harder, and she gives interesting and funny opinions to relieve our tension. At the end, she is the one who summarizes the group opinion and makes the final decision. We as a group think that Trang is a democratic model with participating style. When the group members are willing to share their ideas, Trang becomes a listener. She respects the others’ ideas, and her decisions always fit most of the members. Therefore, with a good leader and a specific role for each member, all the assignments have become easier when we work together. Through four months working together, I finally realized that if we all cooperate and follow the principles of small group communication, group work will be an excellent approach to solve any problem. I have experienced and learned many things from my present group. At the beginning, I was considered as a quiet group member because I rarely shared my ideas with others. However, there were some cases that my ideas might have helped if I had shared. I kept thinking about it and I had been trying to communicate more often; and eventually, I am the one who gives most of the ideas to the group. Also, I have learned that we need to be responsible for our tasks. If a person in the group does not finish his or her task, it will affect everyone in the group and the initial task cannot be accomplished. If I have a chance to work in a group in the future, I will try to follow all the factors that help my current group to perform really well.

Navajo’s Resistance on Education

There are many ways to define the word â€Å"resistance. † One way that the Standard College Dictionary defines it as: To strive against; the act of resistance; act counter to for the purpose of stopping, preventing, defeating, etc. That†s how the dictionary defines it. Personally, my definition of â€Å"resistance† is the act of being against someone†s orders, rules, or demands. The reason why we resist some of these orders, rules, or demands is because our belief, morals, and religion come into play. The way that we were brought up plays a big role in our ability of making our own decisions. If we were brought up one way, and someone tries to force us to become someone else, or to mold us into something else, we would not feel right. Due to the fact that we grew attached to many ideas, beliefs and religion. The only natural thing to do is to refuse to give in to the idea of change. It†s a basic and a natural instinct. That†s exactly what the Navajos carried out. The Navajos rejected the idea of being force to become â€Å"civilized,† even after being put into the Bosque Redondo Camp. The only thing to do now was to survive and by all means refuse to accept the idea of becoming â€Å"civilized. There were several activities that the Navajos executed while they remained at the camps which showed there resistance against the ideas of General Carleton of forcing them to become â€Å"civilized. † One of the activities that the Navajos resisted against was the idea of sending their children to school and get educated. To the Navajos it seemed like a good idea, but they had other things in mind. Such as: worrying how are they going to gather the next meal to feed their families? They were living in the worst conditions imaginable. No food, shelter, or extra spare of clothes. They were very venerable to the conditions they were put in. For those reasons many of them got sick and eventually past away. But they did consider the advantages of the education program. Most of them took advantage of the opportunities given. Thinking about survival, they took such training in Carpentry, leatherworking, and blacksmithing (Osburn, The Navajos at The Bosque Redondo: Cooperation, Resistance, and Initiative,† 159). These programs are very useful only when the resources are available. When realizing that the resources were not available, they changed their priorities. Education was the very last thing on their list. Their primary priority was to find a way to get food and survive. As the Osburn states, â€Å"Yet the Indians claimed they were not opposed to education; they were simply more absorbed with the immediate concern of daily survival and considered the benefits of education to be peripheral to more urgent matters, such as obtaining enough food to fend off starvation. Their attempt to procure money and extra ration coupons for sending their children to school demonstrates the Indians† shrewd survival strategy†(159). The Navajos used simple and obvious strategies just to stay alive. It†s very much like if your stranded in an island, away from civilization. Your first instinct is not to worry about your make-up or your clothes. The first thing you have to worry about is how are you going to survive. Which eventually leads you to sub categories as: food, shelter, clothes, etc. It†s easy to say, but it is hard to do. The Navajos had to undergo many obstacles. When they realized that they were not getting enough coupons for food, and forging them wasn†t enough, they had to take drastic measures. Many of the Navajo women had to do things that were against their religion and their morals. The very last resort had to be taken, which eventually brought shame to the Navajo tribe and families. Many of the woman thought that the only way to attain extra food was prostitution. Osburn states, â€Å"Another method of obtaining extra food was prostitution, which was not a standard practice under less stressful conditions. Navajo women were generally considered to be modest and decent before and after the Bosque Redondo years†¦ While the Navajo recognized the degradation of prostitution at Fort Sumner, they also indicated that the women were compelled to set aside their moral prescription because of poverty and hunger†(159). Anybody would set aside his or her morals just to stay alive. Even if it means to kill someone just to gather food. It†s like Darwin†s theory: Survival of the Fittest. The weak people die and the strong survive. It takes valor to do something drastic like this. That is why I respect them so much. It makes people think of just the things we are capable of achieving if we just put our morals aside for awhile, and think about survival when put in a aquared situation and are forced to take extreme measures. Another activity that the Navajos resisted was the idea of â€Å"barrack housing. † Forcing them to start a new life as â€Å"civilized† people and living in a civilized community, the Navajos rejected the idea of living somewhere else that wasn†t their homeland. As the article states,† Carleton had originally planned to house the Navajo in neatly ordered barracks similar to the type of housing found in Pueblo villages. The Navajos, however, found this scheme unacceptable because their traditional housing was widely dispersed. Furthermore, they rejected the idea notion of permanent homes because of their beliefs about departed souls†(160). Lots of people wouldn†t mind starting off fresh and living in a house that was given to them. The reason being because he or she have had bad experiences in their past home and life. They are ready for a change. However, it wasn†t like that for the Navajos. They were already customed to the surrounding in which they were living before the â€Å"white people† took them out of their homeland. It†s like they stated, † The custom of our tribe†¦ is never to enter a house where a person has died, but abandon it. † Assuming that the past owners of the houses were probably killed, they rejected Carlton†s plan. Not only because they believed it was bad luck to enter someone else†s† house, but also because they were being put in an environment that they have never been exposed to. People find themselves very venerable if they have no control of the surroundings in which they are being put into. Very much like a parakeet in a cage. For years, a parakeet depends on its owner to give him food. What if the cage†s door was left open and the parakeet escapes or was left to be free. How would it live in the wild, without having the necessary skills to survive? Knowing that there is a harsh world just outside that cage, the parakeet takes his or her chances. Most of them end up finding a way to survive; yet, many of them just die of hunger because they couldn†t gather food. It†s exactly the way that the Navajos felt. The Navajos have already been customed to the surroundings of their homeland and were not prepared when they were being put into camps or the houses that were provided for them. They had no control over the resources that were provided, if they were any. They harvested many crops, but no luck. It wasn†t enough for everyone. Very much like the parakeets, they starved and died. If they did live through starvation, many of them were exposed to disease, which eventually killed them little by little. Knowing that the Navajos were sick, they never took advantage of the clinics or medicine that was provided for them. The last activity that the Navajos refuse to accept was the idea of getting medical attention. The refusal of â€Å"Anglo medical treatment. † â€Å"†¦ For similar reasons the Navajos refused medical treatment and the post hospitals. The Indians explained that they shunned the hospital because â€Å"all that have reported there have died†(160). When the Navajos noticed that many Indians were dying, the realized that the â€Å"white† people had to do something with it. Perhaps they believed that they were being slaughtered and killed. Not only that, but the Navajos didn†t want to be exposed the â€Å"white† medicine. They had their own ways of curing their sickness. Very much like people nowadays. Many of them do not believe in modern medicine and have their own way of curing themselves. For the Navajos, the only way to cure themselves and to purify their body without any modern medicine was to perform a traditional dance called â€Å"Squaw Dance. † They had their own views on how they believed they got sick. â€Å"According to this ceremony some sicknesses are the result of the ghosts of aliens, either those whom a Navajo warrior has killed or those who died from other causes and with whom the Navajo may have had contact, sexual or otherwise. Touching the corpse or stepping on the grave of an â€Å"outsider† may also cause alien ghosts to torment a Navajo with sickness† (160). Behind every culture, there are many reasons why they perform or do different things to get themselves better instead of using modern medicine. For example, â€Å"In the Navajos world view, illness is an example of disharmony in the cosmic order that the performance of a religious ceremony can correct. During the ceremony, the Navajo invoke their Holy People to rectify the disturbance or order. If the ritual is correctly carried out, the deities are obligated to grant the mortals requests, for a principle of reciprocity governs the exchange. In this regard, Navajo oral tradition emphasizes the importance of healing ritual at the Bosque (160). Nowadays, everyone grew up with an idea on how to get rid of an illness without the use of medicine. For instance, if someone has a nosebleed how do you stop it? Many people believe that lying down is one way, others to pour water over your head and pinch your nose with a wet towel and remain standing. There†s not an exact way. Probably all of them work. It†s just that most of us have been custom to one of these methods, and will not use any other one. It†s just the way we were brought up. Likewise, the Navajos didn†t want to try nothing new. Their beliefs and morals don†t allow it. The only thing left to do is to pursue your values and principles. The Navajo†s struggle for survival depended not only on resistance by their part but also the strategies that they used to attain it. Their primary objective was to survive. They accomplished this by many â€Å"patterns,† but one of those patterns stands out the most. The idea of â€Å"resistance. † They resisted â€Å"formal education,† â€Å"barrack housing,† and â€Å"Anglo medical treatment. † By refusing these ideas, many of them had to perform such tasks that would bring shame, not only to them but to their families too, just to survive. Many women became prostitutes, while others Navajos forged coupons, raided the camps but also fleeing from them, and performed ceremonies for spiritual cleansing. All of these activities played a big role in trying to change the way the Navajos lived their lives. Forcing someone to change, or to mold them in something they are not, will result in confrontation. That is why the experiment at Bosque Redondo failed to work. Gen. Carlton forced the Navajos to become â€Å"civilized† against their will, and in return was confronted and his ideas were retaliated. It was the only way that the Navajos could prevent the â€Å"white† people from forcing them to change their lifestyle, morals, beliefs, and tradition. So in conclusion, the Navajos† actions can be considered â€Å"resistance,† due to the evidence provided.

FCS 3215: Observation Assignment Essay

Dr. Isabella, this project requires that you observe two preschool-age children in the Child and Family Development Center (ground floor of the Alfred Emery Building) and, on the basis of your observations, report on a particular aspect of their development. In the following pages, three options will be presented–you may focus on either language development, play, or emotional behavior. Thus, the option you select will determine the nature of the observation you conduct, but it is also true that all projects must follow the same guideline. First, you must decide which of the three options you will pursue. Second, you should become familiar with the objectives of your observation (based on the descriptions presented in the following pages as well as any reading from the textbook that would prove useful in this regard). Third, you should begin planning your observation; this should include decisions regarding what you will focus on during your observations (e.g., behaviors, specific features of the physical and social context), what kinds of things you will try to take notes on in the course of your observation, which preschool class you will observe, and when you will plan to conduct your observation to assure that you will leave yourself enough time for a second chance should you fail to gather all of the necessary information on your first observation attempt. Fourth, you should conduct your observation, paying very careful attention to the behaviors and situations that you have (beforehand!) decided are most importan t–in all cases, you will have to observe two children for 15 minutes each. Take notes and remember that these notes are all you will have to work from when writing your paper. I also would recommend that you allow yourself approximately 1 hour for your observation. This would allow you at least a few minutes at the beginning of the observation to get a feel for the classroom and the children in it and to identify the two children you will observe; ample time to observe each child for 15 minutes (which may be split into 5 minutes now, 5 minutes in a short while and 5 more minutes at the end of your hour); and even some time to make up for observations that don’t result in any useable information. Fifth, you must rely on your notes and the details of the assignment to  prepare your paper. In all cases, I am asking that you provide some general, objective information about what you observed in each child, and that you interpret your observations in terms of what youâ₠¬â„¢ve learned about preschooler development. In addition, the introduction of your paper should provide a brief description of who you observed, when you observed them and what was going on in the preschool classroom during your observation period. Finally, at the end of your paper, briefly comment upon your experience as an observer. For example, How easy or difficult was it? What did you learn? How confident are you in the representativeness of the behaviors you observed for each child? As usual, all papers MUST BE TYPED. You are limited to 3 typewritten pages so think carefully about how best to organize all of the information you wish to present. Papers are due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, April 15. The preschool schedule is as follows: There are three different preschool classes (children ages 3-5): one meets Mon/Wed/Fri, 8:30-11:30, one meets Tues/Thur, 8:30-11:30, and one meets Mon thru Fri, 12:30-3:30 pm). In all cases, there should be no problems if you observe (quietly) from the observation booths attached to each classroom, or from outside the playground fence. If you wish to observe from within the classroom, or if you wish to go onto the playground with the children, you will need the permission of the head teacher. Simply tell them about the project, mention the class and instructor’s name, and there should not be a problem (do this ahead of time!). Following are descriptions of the three options, each focusing upon a different feature of preschoolers’ development. [Adapted from Bentzen, W.R. (1985). Seeing your children: A guide to observing and recording behavior. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers Inc.] I. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT A. Background Information Language is one of the more prominent behaviors in the preschool child. The preschooler is rapidly acquiring speech vocabulary and is refining his grammar to conform more closely to adult speech patterns. For many people, language is an indication of intellectual and social progress. In this exercise, you will be concerned with describing and analyzing the child’s speech and determining such things as the depth and variety of his/her vocabulary. 1.It is important to look at the child’s speech in terms of Piaget’s concepts of egocentrism and sociocentrism. Egocentric speech is speech that does not take the other person into account; it is speech that, for all practical purposes, is private. There is no real effort to communicate with the other person; therefore, whatever is said is meaningful only to the speaker. Piaget identified three types of egocentric speech: (a) monologue, in which the individual talks only to himself and with no other persons present; (b) repetition, in which the individual repeats words and phrases over and over again as if to practice them or as if he simply enjoyed making the sounds; and (c) collective monologue, in which two or more persons are talking together but none of them is paying attention to what the others are saying. Each â€Å"conversation† is independent of the other conversation. Socialized speech, on the other hand, is public speech. It is intended to communicate with someone and each person takes into account what others are saying and responds accordingly. Q1: 2.Does the child engage in egocentric or socialized speech? What are the circumstances under which these types of speech are used? Vocabulary is the foundation of speech. We communicate by putting individual words together into properly constructed sentences and paragraphs. Presumably, the greater the number of words in our vocabularies, the greater the number and variety of sentences and ideas we can utter and transmit to others. Words have different meanings and serve different purposes. Moreover, words must be placed in the correct position within a sentence; thus, there are rules of grammar and syntax. Q2: What do you observe about the child’s vocabulary? In particular, examine the child’s speech for words that express relations and oppositions, for example, words such as and, or, not, same, different, more, less, instead, if, then, and because. Also, how varied or rich is the child’s vocabulary when he/she talks about the world and the people/things in it? Think in terms of general classes or categories of objects, persons, and events, then assess how many different words the child uses to discuss those categories and/or how many different categories the child uses. B. Observational Objectives To learn about the language production abilities of preschool children, and how children of preschool age use language as a means of social interaction. C. Procedure For this exercise, your purpose is to observe and record the language behaviors of children as they are engaging in social exchanges. Basically, you will need to write about the vocabularies demonstrated, the ways in which children use their language for the specific purpose of communicating with others (either adults or other children), and the degree to which language appears to be influenced by the setting in  which it occurs. For this purpose, select two children and observe each of them for 15 minutes during a time when they have opportunity to interact with others in a small group setting–free-choice periods are probably best. (Do not try to observe two children at the same time!). As you observe, take notes regarding the nature and variety of words used by each child (writing down exactly what the child says would of course be very useful), the child’s specific use of language to communicate with others, and the context in which all of this is going on. For each child, your paper should include a brief description of the language used (including information about vocabulary, communication and context) as well as an interpretation of each child’s language behavior in terms of what you’ve learned about development during the preschool years. II. PRESCHOOLERS’ PLAY A. Background Information Play is considered by some psychologists to be the most important activity in which the young child engages. Indeed, play activities pervade the lives of children from infancy throughout childhood. Some play seems obviously linked to the child’s observation of adults; other play seems to stem from the child’s fantasies and from experiences that she finds particularly enjoyable. There are a number of explanations of the major purposes of play. These range from play as getting rid of excess energy to play as a means of socioemotional expression. Play can be a group or an individual activity. Play is distinguished from non-play by its special characteristics, the most important of which are its voluntary nature and its complete structuring by the participants, with little regard for outside regulation. When play is governed by consistent rules, we say children are playing games. These rules give play a social dimension. The participants must put their own personal wishes i nto the background and abide by the requirements of the game and the wishes of the larger group. It is important to note that not everything children do is play, although they will sometimes try to make play out of what adults intend to be serious. Parten (1932) has identified six types of play, which are given in an accompanying list (next page). Remember that play, like all behavior, occurs in a physical and social context. Therefore, include in your report information on the equipment and materials the child was using in his play and who the child was playing with, if appropriate. B. Parten’s Six Classifications of Play or Social Interactions 1. Unoccupied Behavior: Here the child is not engaging in any obvious play activity or social interaction. Rather, she watches anything that is of interest at the moment. When there is nothing of interest to watch, the child will play with her own body, move around from place to place, follow the teacher, or stay in one spot and look around the room. 2. Onlooker Behavior: Here the child spends most of her time watching other children play. The child may talk to the playing children, may ask questions or give suggestions, but does not  enter into play. The child remains within speaking distance so that what goes on can be seen and heard; this indicates a definite interest in a group of children, unlike the unoccupied child, who shows no interest in any particular group of children, but only a shifting interest in what happens to be exciting at the moment. 3. Solitary Play This is play activity that is conducted independently of what anyone else is  doing. The child plays with toys that differ from those used by other children in the immediate area within speaking distance, and she makes no effort to get closer to them or to speak to them. The child is focused entirely on her own activity and is uninfluenced by other children or their activities. 4. Parallel Play: Here the child is playing close to other children but is still independent of them. The child uses toys that are like the toys being used by the others, but he uses them as he sees fit and is neither influenced by nor tries to influence the others. The chid thus plays beside rather than with the other children. 5. Associative Play Here the child plays with other children. There is a sharing of play material and equipment; the children may follow each other around; there may be attempts to control who may or may not play in a group, although such control efforts are not strongly asserted. The children engage in similar but not necessarily identical activity, and there is no division of labor or organization of activity or individuals. Each child does what he or she essentially wants to do, without putting the interests of the group first. 6. Cooperative or Organized Supplementary Play The key word in this category is â€Å"organized.† The child plays in a group that is established for a particular purpose: making some material product, gaining some competitive goal, playing formal games. There is a sense of â€Å"we-ness,† whereby one definitely belongs or does not belong to the group. There is also some leadership present–one or two members who direct the activity of the others. This therefore requires some division of labor, a taking of different roles  by the group members, and the support of one child’s efforts by those of the others. C. Observational Objectives To learn about the distinguishing characteristics of different forms of play, specifically according to Parten’s classification of play behaviors. D. Procedure Familiarize yourself with Parten’s classifications of play as described above. Select two children in the preschool and observe each of them for 15 minutes, preferably during a free-choice period when the children are free to move about the room and play with who or what they wish. (Do not attempt to observe both children at the same time!) As you observe each child, look for examples of each type of play or social interaction as described by Parten. Also, in addition to classifying each child’s play behaviors, observe whether there are any patterns to their play. For example, are there particular situations in which a child tends to be an onlooker, but in other situations he/she engages in parallel or cooperative play? As you observe, you should take notes regarding these relevant issues so that you will have something to work from in writing your paper. For each child, your paper should include a brief description of the types of play exhibited (including information about which type(s) are exhibited most frequently) and the social context which characterized each type of play. Additionally, you should provide an interpretation of your observations based on what you’ve learned about development during the preschool years. III. EMOTION BEHAVIOR A. Background Information Emotions are such a basic part of our psychological beings that we sometimes take them for granted. Some of our emotions are clearly identifiable by us. We know when we are angry, frightened, or joyous. At other times, however, we can have feelings that are not so clear; we may not be able to label what we feel. Whatever the case, emotions are internal experiences that are private and directly accessible only to the individual experiencing them. This being so, we cannot state with certainty what emotion another person is feeling. She   must tell us, or we must infer the emotion on the basis of the individual’s behavior, facial expressions, and the event that preceded and might have caused the feeling. A child’s emotional behaviors become more refined and extensive as she matures. Therefore, a four- or five-year-old will typically be more emotionally expressive than a two-year-old. In this exercise, you will be trying to gain some understanding of the child’s emotional behaviors, of the range of her emotions and the kinds of situations that prompt these behaviors. Again, you can only infer what the child is feeling and cannot observe emotions directly. Therefore, be cautious in your interpretations and concentrate on the child’s obvious behaviors and the contexts in which they occur. 1.There are several emotions that are commonly found in preschool children: aggression, dependency and fear. Aggressive behavior is frequently defined as behavior that is intended to physically or psychologically hurt another person (or oneself) or to damage or destroy property. An important issue is whether a behavior is intentionally aggressive or simply an accidental occurrence. Further, it is argued by some that in order for a behavior to be termed aggressive, the aggressor must feel anger or hostility toward the â€Å"victim† and must derive satisfaction from hurting the victim. This kind of aggression is called hostile aggression. In contrast to hostile aggression, there can be cases where the aggressor is interested only in getting some object from the victim or achieving some goal. This is called instrumental aggression, and it need not involve anger or hostility. Q1: Q2: 2.Observe the child’s behavior for instances of aggression, either toward  another child or an adult, or towards objects in the environment. Be certain to differentiate between intentional, hostile and instrumental acts of aggression. What kinds of situations or frustrations make the child angry? What behaviors by other people anger the child? How does the child express his/her anger? Dependency consists of such behaviors as clinging or maintaining proximity to adults or other children, seeking approval, recognition, assistance, attention, and reassurance, and striving for affection and support. It is important to recognize that all of us are dependent. The issue is to what degree and under what circumstances we show our dependency. It is also useful to distinguish between two basic types of dependency: a) instrumental dependency, which essentially is the necessary reliance we have on others for certain things that are beyond our capacity to do; and b) emotional dependency, which is a need to be near others and to have their support, affection and reassurance. It can also be the unwillingness or the selfperceived inability to do things for oneself that one can or should be able to do. It is important that, where possible, you distinguish instrumental dependency from emotional dependency behaviors. It is also important to note that as children mature, the character istics of their dependency behaviors change. Very young children are likely to show clinging and proximity-seeking behaviors, whereas older children, who also have greater cognitive abilities, will likely seek attention and approval. Q3: 3.Fear is demonstrated by such behaviors as crying, withdrawing, seeking help, and avoiding the fear-producing situation. Fear can promote both dependency and aggressive behaviors. Nonetheless, fear can be expressed in such a way that it, and not aggression or dependency, is the primary emotion. Q4: 4.In what situations or activities is the child dependent, and, for example, seeks the presence, direction, or assistance of others? In what situations is the child independent and does not seek direction or assistance from others? What kinds of objects or situations appear to scare the child? In what ways does the child express his/her fears? How does he/she deal with his fears (e.g., by withdrawing, confronting the fearful situation, seeking help)? In addition to the emotional behaviors just discussed, there are other feelings that children are capable of experiencing and expressing. You should be alert to as many of the child’s affective states as possible. For example, there are the feelings of pleasure and displeasure, frustration, boredom and sadness. Like adults, children will differ as to how accurately they can identify and/or express what they feel. Q5: What kinds of things does the child find pleasant? What activities, play materials, stories, games and so on, seem to be particularly attractive to the child? How does the child express that pleasure? Q6: What kinds of things are unpleasant or uncomfortable for the child? In what situations does the child appear to be ill at ease? How does she express her displeasure? Q7: Are all or most of the child’s feelings expressed with equal strength, or does their intensity vary with the particular feeling or situation? B. Observational Objectives To learn about the differences in children’s emotional behaviors and the range of emotional responses in preschool children. C. Procedure Select two children, observe and record each child’s behavior for a 15-minute period (do not attempt to observe both children at the same time!). Record behaviors in as much detail as possible (attending to the kinds of things that would help you answer the above questions) and be sure to include descriptions of the physical and social context as they apply to the emotional behaviors observed. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU OBSERVE CHILDREN DURING THE VERY BEGINNING OF THEIR PRESCHOOL CLASS SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THEM AS THEY ARE BEING DROPPED OFF BY THEIR PARENTS AND THEN MAKING THEIR INITIAL ADJUSTMENT TO THEIR PRESCHOOL SETTING. Your paper should include a brief description of each child’s behavior (including the different kinds of emotions, the contexts in which they occurred and the relative frequency of each expression) as well as an interpretation or comment on each child using some of the questions and background information provided above. Finally, compare the two children, looking at the range of emotional expression, intensity of expression, and what evokes the emotional responses. In short, summarize how the children differ from each other in this area of functioning.

Management Decision Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Management Decision Making - Case Study Example In arriving at a decision, the team applies to cause and effect diagram, which investigates business systems for possible problems which cause inefficiencies. A decision making chain slows down due to lack of harmony among team members tasked with that responsibility. In the same way, a processing machine slows down hindering the continuous flow of goods in the conveyor belt. The team given this mandate uses cause and effect diagrams to come up with overall facts about the system. The process starts with investigations which look into possible reasons for a particular effect. In this case, the team investigates the Executive Information System (EIS) and finds out that major problems lie in the implementation. This is because the management is not equipped with the right skills required to run the system during the implementation stage. Cause and effect diagrams list from the biggest cause for the problem to the least, to guide the team in prioritizing courses for action (Sproull, 200 1). A Pareto chart is a combination of a line and bar graph, used to bring out the differences in data validity, and highlights the most useful ones. This helps quality assurance managers in testing the system for any faults which affecting business process. For instance, when investigating why ATM cards are taking too long to process at a bank, all ATM application issues are listed in order of frequency to establish where the gap is mostly concentrated. This is where problem-solving commences when addressing system issues. The team used a combination of these tools to come up with the recommendations, which excluded software and hardware components from the EIS implementation issues. In establishing the cause, right decisions are made in singling out the two issues. This two-tier approach is ideal for bringing out the most valid reasons for low uptake of the system. The only problem with this approach is that minor issues might be overlooked with has a potential of causing hitches later on in the system.

Labor Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Labor Discrimination - Essay Example The intention of this study is labour discrimination refers to the discriminating behaviour practices within the process of hiring, promoting, assignment and allocation of job responsibilities and compensation to the employees. There are several types of harassment also included in labour discrimination like sexual harassment, cultural harassment and wages discrimination etc. There have been several jurisdiction implemented to prohibit different types of labour discrimination and the victims have been given the right to file lawsuit against the employers in case of encountering discrimination at work place. Labour discrimination could occur intentionally or intentionally due to prejudice or ignorance. The discrimination of labour has been evolved as an important and serious area of concern for the business related people, workers and general people because all over the world it is common to see filing of lawsuits against major companies of the world on the charges of labour discrimin ation.If the lawsuits are filed against well-known companies then the cases often turn sensational and gain the attention of the community to look for the outcome of the case. Several cases of labour discrimination have been ended with multimillion dollar settlement. The class actions taken against the companies are usually supported and favoured by the people because they think that decisions in favour of labour put pressure upon the employers to change their practice and make it justified and fair with the workforce. (Susan et al, p28). The paper discusses two lawsuits filed against popular American companies Abercrombie & Fitch and Wall Mark on the allegation of labour discrimination. These two cases were widely followed by people because they involved popular retail brands of the country. These cases ended up with different conclusion and the accused companies are given different decisions. Abercrombie & Fitch was ordered to pay $50 million compensate the plaintiffs however, the case of Wal-Mart was blocked by the Supreme Court due to lack of sufficient evidences about the existence of discriminating labour practice by the management of Wal-Mart. The decision of Abercrombie & Fitch encouraged the class workers to raise voice for their due rights however, the case of Wal-Mart clarifies that the lawsuit must be filed with complete preparation and practice so that the court become able to make a justified decision. These two important lawsuits of the U.S. business world are discussed below and their comparative analysis has also been conducted to illustrate the practical implications of these decisions to the business world and labour management practice. Abercrombie & Fitch Lawsuit Abercrombie & Fitch is a popular American retailer company that main deals with the casual wean for the consumers age group 18-22. It also operates three other offshoot brands of children wear and other fashion wear. The company has established around 300 locations across US and t he process of international expansion is also on its way. The company employs over 22,000 workers in over 700 stores. Most of the employees are college age adults of different sex, race and ethnic groups (Jane, p2). The case was filed by the employees of the company who charged it for discrimination of the work force at workplace. The case against Abercrombie & Fitch was settled on the 14th of April 2005 when Judge Susan Illston of U.S. District Court for the Northern district of California finally approved the settlement of case Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch. The court required Abercrombie & Fitch to pay $40 million to several plaintiffs that were mostly females and others belonged to minority community (Shiffer et al, p7). After the settlement of the case the company established settlement fund to distribute the amount among the workers. The plaintiffs were sent the award checks in

Interpersonal Conflict in Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpersonal Conflict in Film - Essay Example Based on the movie presented, there were two identified sources of conflict. One of these conflicts is the people-focused conflicts and the other one is the informational deficiencies. People-focused conflicts were based on emotions and feelings and present an argument by means of personal attack (Hammond, 2011, n.p.). People-focused conflict was demonstrated on the film when Sarah attacked the personal integrity of Hitch as a date doctor, seeing Hitch’s job as a scam. People-focused conflict does not only center on the main characters since it is a movie dealing with emotions. In fact, people-focused conflicts were also observed on Albert’s confrontation with Hitch telling him that love was not Hitch’s life but his job; on Sarah’s best friend attacking the integrity of the unknown date doctor; on a newspaper vendor judging Albert as Allegra’s boyfriend; and on people in the story who judged Hitch’s personality. Actually, the movie projected a predominantly people-focused conflict against the main actor, making him the person to blame for all of the related conflicts.  On the other hand, informational deficiencies such as misinterpretation from different conclusions were observed. This was demonstrated on judging Hitch unfairly as a date doctor. His viewpoints about his work have been different from the understanding of society and interpersonal conflict arises because of misunderstanding.Effective Handling of Conflict  

Is Virginia Woolf a Feminist Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Virginia Woolf a Feminist Writer - Essay Example Does this style predispose Virginia Woolf as a feminist writer because she was female and wrote about issues that were important to women? Is she still a feminist if her emotional dependence upon men was greater than her intellectual dependence? Or through current retrospect, do we see her as a champion of feminism because she overcame the prevailing male attitudes within her family and society to write about what she thought was essential? Critics offer the opinion that â€Å"†¦her life has come to stand for a great deal; it has become a heavily loaded symbol in the current dialogues over gender, class, madness, and marriage. The famously gifted, original, neurotic, courageous, difficult, and very imperfect human being she once was has disappeared†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .Virginia Woolf gained prominence during the first-wave of political feminism in the early 20th century, but the major focus of this effort revolved around suffrage. She has been portrayed as a feminist, but her writing supports idealist views that humans, in general, should be free to pursue activities that make them whole, regardless of the sexual orientation, gender, or culture. Eyal Amirane asserts that biology is not destiny, and the use of specific language is not synonymous with having a feminist philosophy, â€Å"Thus feminist analysis can take a textual form that is not bound to the body, though it is already (always) about the body†¦it takes place not on the writer's body but in the body of the text†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .... synonymous with having a feminist philosophy, "Thus feminist analysis can take a textual form that is not bound to the body, though it is already (always) about the bodyit takes place not on the writer's body but in the body of the text" (Amirane, np). A writer can be of either sex, since art is created in the mind first, and passed through the body of the artist. When Woolf tells us that, "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is going to write", she intimates to us that there is no need to establish a political philosophy, just the need for privacy and economic support. (Lavender, np). Woolf did not embrace a specific political ideology and was ambiguous about suffrage, but still believed in being feminine, and her definition meant assurance by allowing " women the fundamental right to control their own lives and income" (Allen, np). In Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa wants to perform purposeful roles-wife, mother, lover, and hostess, with aplomb. The role created for her character is one of a strong feminine tradition. She is artificial and shallow, but tries to be everything to everyone. Her party is a tribute to the prestige of her husband and family's reputation. Her selfish attitude and demeanor exemplify the divisions in social class, the acceptable exclusions, and how snobbish women can be towards each other. Clarissa is a strong protagonist and she is stereotypical in her assertions and behavior. We are privy to the inner emotional workings of the characters, but within the context of this novel these are not special or unique (Crawford, np). This novel might be considered an example feminine writing, but not feminism. This work does not espouse a feminism point of view. The context is about everyday life and events, plain and ordinary, and

Article synopsis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article synopsis - Essay Example One among the most important concern is the way in which the characters are depicted in the video games. The next concern is the relationship and communication between a male character and female character. This changes the mind of the people and it creates a belief that sexism is common. Another major concern is the appearance of female characters in the video games. (Dill & Kathryn, 2007). Though it is an animated picture, the way in which a female character is depicted and gender depiction does not have any reservation. These are the major concerns of the author. The authors have explored the appearance of both the male and female characters. They have also explained how magazines and other forms of media represent these games and the concept of gaming. The content of such video games leave behind a negative effect on the people’s mind, but hardly any magazine or media realizes it. The central concepts of their study are to explore how gender communication and gender portrayal plays a major role in defining the characters. The authors have defined these concepts with the help of surveys and researches which indicate the young people’s perception of video games. The authors conclude that female characters in such games are often underrepresented and male characters are shown to be more aggressive. This article describes the way in which video games influences the people, mostly kids and young adults. I would say that the authors have come up with a realistic representation and they have clearly explained how a women and men are differentiated and represented in these video games. When considering the author’s concern of how a woman is depicted in these games, it is acceptable that women are often represented as sexual characters. (Dill & Kathryn, 2007). The way in which they are characterized seems to be stereotypical and they are none of these games provide a remarkable knowledge. I would definitely say that magazines and media have also

Importance of Practical Experience in Clinical Nursing Essay

Importance of Practical Experience in Clinical Nursing - Essay Example A lot of challenges face nurses in the field today as regards the extraction of information from the patients. As Kurtz, Silverman, & Draper, (2005) mentions, closely intertwined and vivid explanations of the undertakings need to be clearly outlined in order to deduce the correct mechanisms for arresting the situation. Failure to achieve this often leads to misappropriation of the necessary measures and steps for various problems (Seidal, Ball, Dains, & Benedict, 2010). This paper as a reflection on my personal experience as a practicing nurse in the medical field, it addresses my encounter with a patient I attended to who had an eye injury following blunt trauma and was quite distressed as he was in pain and unable to see out of the eye initially. As a practicing nurse, this was the most trying moment of my life. I confess having not experienced such incidences before and dealing with the condition above was a great challenge yet a greater opportunity to learn much on how to deal with various traumatizing medical issues that I am yet to face in the course of my practice. I had been taught of the various instances of trauma in various categories of patients but did not get a practical system to strengthen and seal fast the theoretical applications. Having met the patient was the most fulfilling part of my life that I cannot easily forget. I was terrified at the sight of the patient upon his reception and especially when I was included in the team of nurses who were to attend to him. Trauma according to medical research is one of the most endearing factors in human life. Several outcomes are expected in different patients depending on the various ways in which the patient or persons close to the patient help him or her in managi ng the trauma (Springhouse, 2008). Having acquired serious musculoskeletal injuries, the patient had experienced serious infection on his left eye leading to its immediate loss.

Why is technology such an important part of academic life Essay

Why is technology such an important part of academic life - Essay Example Companies and individuals apply technology in the daily life to achieve certain goals and objectives since technology has the capacity to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, improved performance, and ease of doing work. The academic sector is one of the sectors that rely on technology to achieve certain goals. Notably, technology is very significant to the students as it helps them in learning, research, interacting among other functions. It is thus clear that nowadays technology has become a very important thing in our daily and academic life, because it makes it faster and easier, useful for students, and tutors to be successful in the education sector. Body Numerous benefits make technology an important part of academic life in the modern world and thus we cannot ignore the significance of technology in this sector. The internet is part of the technologies that we experience in academic life where it acts as a great source of information. The technological networks help in passing academic information between students across the globe. Indeed, because of the internet and the presence of technological networks, the academic can now adopt online education where students in very remote areas can access high quality education across the internet (Williams 1). Through online learning, students can acquire online degrees and training courses, which enhance the rise of literacy levels and professionalism in the world. Online learning allows for a flexible acquisition of education, as students are free to learn when they want while they engage in other endeavors. Because of the World Wide Web, academic information can now reach a wide range of academicians through the computer networks. Moreover, the use of technology has made teaching and learning interesting and thus enhancing overall academic performance. Technology derives flexibility in the academic sector where students and tutors can retrieve entertaining information from the internet with little effort. Such information is equally easy to understand thus motivating students to perform better. Technology, which encompasses computers, has the capacity to store and present information that makes the learning process much easier and more effective (Williams 1). This may come inform of lecture notes, educational CDs, PDFs, and various literatures, which reside on certain websites making the access and sharing of academic information more efficient. Additionally, technology improves learning and academic success among rural, urban, and students of all backgrounds and abilities thus helping them to meet their academic goals (Jobe 1). Technology helps new and potential teachers to research on their subjects of concern thus leading to highly qualified tutors who enhance overall academic performance. In fact, technology helps teachers to upgrade their knowledge, skills, and credentials in core academic subjects (Jobe 1).Technology is also significant to school administrators as it helps them to c ollect and store relevant academic data, which consequently helps them to make decisions and implement educational policies (Jobe 1). Technology also enhances online research which promotes analytical and problem solving skills as students work individually and collectively to gather information and draw relevant conclusions. It also encourages the development of learning skills, such as interpersonal, writing, thinking, reading and math skills, information and communication skills (Jobe 1). Technology contributes to the decline in the number of school dropouts, improves student attendance, and motivates students to learning since it makes the process of learning very entertaining and less challenging. More so, technology allows students in their higher education to establish a

Project Management Recommendation Essay Example for Free

Project Management Recommendation Essay Dear Mr. Gritsch: In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. My feasibility study focused on Return on Investment (ROI), length of project, risk level and overall benefit to Piper Industries. See below for the results. Juniper: Return on Investment (ROI): 77% or $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years Length of project: Uncertain Risk of completion on time: Low Overall benefit: Enhancement of current product, increased product demand Palomino: Return on Investment (ROI): 69% or $450,000 for a period of 5 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: Medium Overall benefit: New product, use of existing technology, custom part, constant demand Stargazer: Return on Investment (ROI): 278% or $1,600,000 for a period of 3 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: High Overall benefit: Research Development of a new product, market leader, project in-progress Five Phases of a Project: A project can have any number of phases depending on how you break it down. A project for land reclamation in dump site would probably have three phases such as: 1. Facility Decommissioning Phase 2. Waste removal phase 3. Landscaping Phase. While a project involving the building of a new factory may contain four phases such as: 1. Environmental Impact Assessment Phase 2. Design Phase 3. Construction Phase 4. Commissioning Phase. It is therefore assumed that what is been referred to here as five phases of a project is what is known in project management as process groups. The following phases / process groups will be used to complete the project: 1. Project conception and initiation The conception of the project is that the project is a new line widget product including enhancements through the use of existing technology. The initiation of this project will be upon the approval of the project by the CEO. 2. Project definition and planning Stage two of the project is making a project plan. The project plan will be completed by the project team with the consultation of the technicians and experts. The project plan will be in writing and will be well defined. 3. Project launch or execution The project plans and task will be discussed amongst all team members and the task will be divided among the project team. 4. Project performance and control The project manager will be the leader of the project. His or her task will be to monitor performance and control. All project team members are responsible in evaluating each other and helping the team to perform better together. 5. Project close The project will be closed only upon completion of the project, evaluation of the project, and client approval of the project. Key deliverables associated with the selected project: If after the Estimated Budget at Completion of $575,000 is spent and the  product is developed as specified in the project plan, then the project would have met the substantial product deliverable. Secondly, if the Piper Industries Corporation is able to deliver the product within 12 months, the company would have met the project schedule deliverable.

Ask for Help Essay Example for Free

Ask for Help Essay Describe the process that you used to take a sample of the puddle-shaped burn pattern on the floor. Why did you also take samples from the portion of the floor that was not burned? To take a sample of the burned floor we scraped the burnt wood will we got loose pieces of it. We did the same to take a sample of the wood that had not been burned. We took a sample of the burned and non-burned wood to compare what made them burn differently. What evidence did the space heater provide? What did the evidence indicate? The space heater was on when the fire started. What information did you gain from the pictures taken at the scene? The information we gained from the pictures taken at the scene was, the victim was laying on the floor during the fire, The crazed glass window is not conclusive, And the fire burned more intensely in the puddle shaped area. (May involve some type of liquid.) To whom did the fingerprints on the match box belong? What characteristics of the fingerprints helped you to determine they were a match? How long does the average IAFIS search take? The finger prints belonged to Donald Parker. The Characteristics of the fingerprints are, Hook, Bridge, Ridge ending, Island, and two bifurcation. It takes 30 minutes for the average IAFIS search. Why is there a charcoal strip inside the containers that you used to collect the floor pieces? Why are these pieces saved after the solution has been prepared for the GC? What elements were present in the gas chromatograph from your puddle sample? How did this differ from the control graph? While performing the autopsy to determine if the victim died in the fire, what signs of inhalation did you look for? Based on the graph, what percentage of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood is deadly? While performing the autopsy the signs of smoke inhalation we looked for was soot in the victims mouth and airways. How does the spectrometer work? What does the absorption of light waves help you to determine? How did you use the calibration curve to determine the blood alcohol content? Explain how the evidence helped you to determine how Trevor  died and whether the fire was accidental or arson.

Health Risks of Coronary Heart Disease: Literature Review

Health Risks of Coronary Heart Disease: Literature Review Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the main cause of death and disability in the United Kingdom (UK) and the sole most frequent cause of early death. In spite of a drop in CHD mortality in recent years, there are approximately 120,000 deaths per year in the UK making the quotient amongst the uppermost compared to the rest of the world (British Heart Foundation (BHF), 2003). Additionally, more than 1.5 million people in the UK are living with angina and 500,000 have heart failure (Department of Health (DH), 2004) commonly, although not wholly, caused by CHD. The World Health Organization (WHO) has forecast that by 2020, CHD will be the principle cause of death and morbidity throughout the world (Tunstall-Pedoe, 1999). However, not only does CHD affect the increasing rates of early deatjh, it can also cause individuals to experience â€Å"long-term chronic health problems†. There are numerous different kinds of cardiac illnesses that include: â€Å"congenital abnormalities, heart rhythm disturbances, valvular disease, acute coronary syndromes and heart failure† (Jones, 2003). It is important to note that the latter two conditions are more likely to affect older people and are the most prevalent among those with CHD (Rawlings-Anderson and Johnson, 2003). This essay will critically analyse the literature pertaining to the one of the most relevant health risks of CHD, that of chronic heart failure. The literature to be reviewed will analyse the issues that affect self-care in heart failure. To enable this review a comprehensive search of relevant databases such as CINAHL and the British Nursing Index was undertaken. Similarly, a thorough search of relevant nursing journals such as Nursing Standard, Nursing Times, British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, and British Journal of Nursing was also carried out. Also a general internet search using the keywords CHD, BHF, long-term chronic health problems, acute coronary syndromes, chronic heart failure, prevalence and associated factors was also employed. The rationale for choosing heart failure is that every year 63 000 new cases are reported in the UK and it is increasing in prevalence and incidence affecting more than 900 000 people per annum (Petersen et al, 2002). Heart failure presents a major predicament with regard to its effect on the individual sufferers, their significant others and also on healthcare measures and supply. People with heart failure by and large suffer from recurrent episodes of acute exacerbation of their symptoms. As a consequence, admission to hospital is great and accounts for approximately 5 percent of all admissions to general medical or elderly care hospital beds within the UK. Readmission rates are as high as 50 percent in the six months following the original stay in hospital (Nicholson, 2007). It is posited that experience of illness and grim clinical outcomes are fundamentally as a result of uncontrolled symptoms through non-adherence to suggested medication and lifestyle modifications (DH, 2000a). There are various current Governmental guidelines that expound the virtues of self-care of long-term conditions. However, The Department of Health’s (DOH, 2006) Supporting people with long-term conditions to self-care: A guide to developing local strategies and practices guide proposes that self-care is any actions or behaviours that help individuals to cope with the effects that their long-term condition has on their activities of daily living. These actions or behavioural changes hope to empower sufferers to deal with the emotional aspects, adhere to treatment routines and maintain the important aspects of life such as work and socialising. A thorough research of the literature surrounding self-care for long-term conditions such as heart failure has shown that several factors are in existence that influence self-care in heart failure. These include: socio-economics, condition-related, treatment related and patient related factors (Sabate, 2003, Leventhal et al, 2005). Socio-economic standing, degree of education, monetary restrictions and social support have all been emphasised as effecting self-care in patients with heart failure. Low socio-economic status and lack of education have been established to be significant factors relating to non-adherence and inadequate self-care (Gary, 2006; Van der Wal et al, 2006). Wu et al (2007) found that those on minimal incomes were regarded as high risk for non-adherence to medication. While a superior level of education was also found to be a major predictor of adherence in research papers by Evangelista and Dracup (2000) and Rockwell and Riegel (2001). Financial restraints connected to the price of medication have been acknowledged as a hindrance to adherence (Evangelista et al, 2003; Horowitz et al 2004; Wu et al, 2008). However, these reports have been performed in the United States (US) and in the main correlate to lack of medical insurance under a Medicaid scheme. It is therefore suggested that additional research is required to ascertain whether the price of medication notably impacts on adherence in the National Health Service (NHS). A number of studies have observed that social support is an important issue in influencing self-care (Ni et al, 1999; Artininan et al, 2002; Scotto, 2005; Schnell et al, 2006; Wu et al, 2008). Ortega-Gutierrez et al (2006) found a significant contrary relationship between perceived level of social support and level of self-care. Similarly, Chung et al (2006a) examined the bearing of marital status on medication adherence and found that married patients had considerably enhanced adherence to medication than those living by themselves. Patients with a partner took more doses, were aware of the importance of taking medications on time and were more knowledgeable about names and doses. By contrast however, Evangelista et al (2001) found no association between social support and adherence to medication and lifestyle behaviours, although the authors suggest this may be due to the high levels of social support reported in this sample. The method of social support has been illustrated in numerous qualitative studies. Stromberg et al (1999) explained the important role spouses performed in medication management such as giving their partners their tablets at prescribed times. Wu et al (2007) found that a supportive family helped with medication adherence by collecting medications from the pharmacy and filling dosage boxes. These authors deduced that those devoid of the effective commitment of relatives in self-care, some patients would have trouble sticking to their drug routine. The high intensity of social support was also shown to be a feature of patients considered to be knowledgeable in self-care (Riegel et al, 2007a). A number of factors relating to specific aspects of the condition have been described in the literature. These include the nature and severity of symptoms, functional ability, prior experience, the presence of comorbidities and cognitive functioning. Severity of symptoms and functional ability are important indicators of behaviour. Symptom severity was an independent predictor of self-care in a study by Rockwell and Riegel (2001). Wu et al (2007) found that patients with poor functional ability as measured by the New York Heart Association functional classification (NYHA) had poorer self-care. However, prior experience of hospitalisation may also affect self-care with patients having prior hospitalization episodes more likely to carry out self-care effectively. It is suggested that this may be due to a high level of motivation to stay well and avoid hospitalization. Level of experience or time since diagnosis may also be important factors in determining self-care ability (Carlson et al, 2001). Although the precise mechanism is unclear, it may be related to an enhanced ability to recognise changing symptoms and the use of tried and tested strategies in response to symptoms. The presence of comorbidities, especially if symptoms are similar to those of heart failure, makes the recognition and subsequent management of symptoms difficult. Chriss et al (2004) found the number of comorbidities to be a significant predictor of self-care, those with few comorbidities having enhanced self-care. Self-management requires patients to make decisions and take actions in response to recognition of symptoms. However, cognitive deficits in heart failure have been well documented (Ekman, 1998 and Bennett, 2003). It is estimated that between 30 percent and 50 percent of heart failure patients have cognitive impairment (Leventhal et al, 2005). Wolfe et al (2005) found specific cognitive deficits of memory, attention and executive functioning, which were not related to illness severity. These deficits may impair the perception and interpretation of early symptoms and reasoning ability required for self-management. This is supported by Dickson et al (2007b) who found a correlation between impaired cognition and individuals inconsistently demonstrating effective self-care behaviour. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, common in heart failure, also deprives the body of sleep and has consequences for cognitive functioning and decision-making (Trupp and Corwin, 2008). Perhaps as a result, sleepi ness during the day has also been linked to poor self-care (Riegel et al, 2007b). Adherence to medication and lifestyle guidance has been linked to treatment-related factors such as the effects of medication or treatments, the intricacy of regimes and numerous changes in treatment. Riegel and Carlson (2002) and Van Der Wal et al (2006) found that adherence to a low sodium diet was hindered by the foul-tasting low salt food and problems when eating out in a restaurant. Limiting fluid intake was also controlled by thirst. Bennett et al (2005) found that the taking of diuretics disrupted sleep and this was a significant factor in non-adherence. Concerns about medication side effects are also of major concern to patients (Stromberg et al, 1999; Riegel and Carlson, 2002). The complexity of the treatment regime as indicated by a high number of administration times, for example, has been shown to decrease medication adherence (Riegel and Carlson, 2002; George et al, 2007; Van der Wal et al, 2007). It is suggested that individual patient characteristics have a major part in self-care behaviour. Age and gender may have some bearing on behaviour although there is relatively limited evidence. The presence of depression also had a negative impact on self-care ability. Chung et al (2006b) examined gender differences in adherence to a low salt diet in patients with heart failure. They found that adherence was higher in women. Women were also further capable of making nutritional decisions. This is in contrast to Gary (2006) who researched the self-care routine of women with heart failure and established that a only a small number of women in this sample abided by the suggested low salt diet, exercised or weighed themselves daily. The only behaviour that was practiced without fail was taking medication. Hardly any women recognised symptoms of heart failure or checked and monitored their symptoms on a regular basis. Chriss et al (2004) found that males and increasing age were separate, significant predictors of self-care. However, the relationship between age and self-care behaviour continues to be ambiguous. Evangelista et al (2003) found that elderly patients with heart failure had better adherence to medication, diet and exercise guidance than younger patients. Notably, depression influences the capacity to perform self-care behaviours successfully. There appears to be a preponderance of people who have heart failure who are also depressed. Approximately, 11 percent of out-patients and over 50 percent of hospitalised patients with heart failure are depressed (Leventhal et al, 2005). Depression has been revealed to be an important aspect predicting self-care (Dickson et al, 2006; Lesman-Leegte et al, 2006; Riegel et al, 2007b). DiMatteo et al (2000) declares that non-adherence is three times higher in depressed patients compared with those who are not depressed. The coexistence of depression i n patients with heart failure makes them vulnerable to inadequate self-care. CHD is a major cause of death and disability in the UK and is also the main cause of premature death. CHD also causes its sufferers to have long-term chronic comorbidities. One of those comorbitities is heart failure. Heart failure is increasing in prevalence and incidence every year in the UK. It not only affects the patient but also their family. Similarly, the incidences of heart failure have a massive impact on health care provision and resources. This is a consequence of the frequent acute exacerbations of the patient’s symptoms. Self-care of long-term conditions such as heart failure appear to be the Government’s current preoccupation and guidelines exist that offer strategies to those with long-term conditions that may help sufferers cope with the impact that their illness has on their everyday lives. However, evidence exists that show that there are certain factors that act as barriers and influence self-care in heart failure. These factors include lack of educa tion, financial constraints and social support. Cognitive ability, modification of life-styles, relationships, gender, age and mental illness have all been found to have an impact on the self-care of heart failure particularly with regards to medication adherence. There appears to be a dearth of research undertaken in the UK on the issues influencing self-care in heart failure. Therefore, it is recommended that further research is undertaken in the UK, as the health care and welfare provision is vastly different from that in the US. This may result in very dissimilar research outcomes. References Artinian NT, Magnan M, Sloan M, Lange MP (2002) Self-care behaviours among patients with heart failure, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 31, 3, 161-72 Bennett SJ, Sauve MJ (2003) Cognitive deficits in patients with heart failure: A review of the literature, Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 18, 3, 219-42 Bennett SJ, Lane KA, Welch J, Perkins SM, Brater DC, Murray MD (2005) Medication and dietary compliance beliefs in heart failure, Western Journal of Nursing Research, 27, 8, 977-93 British Heart Foundation (2003) Coronary Heart Disease Statistics, London, BHF Carlson B, Riegel B, Moser DK (2001) Self-care abilities of patients with heart failure, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 30 5, 351-9 Chriss PM, Sheposh J, Carlson B, Riegel B (2004) Predictors of successful heart failure self-care maintenance in the first three months after hospitalisation, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 33, 6, 345-53 Chung ML, Moser DK, Lennie TA, Riegel BJ (2006a) Presence of a spouse improves adherence to medication in patients with heart failure, Journal of Cardiac Failure, 12, 6, S1-S100 Chung ML, Moser DK, Lennie TA, Worrall-Carter L, Bentley B, Trupp R, Armentano DS (2006b) Gender differences in adherence to the sodium-restricted diet in patients with heart failure, Journal of Cardiac Failure, 12, 8, 628-34 Department of Health (2006) Supporting people with long-term conditions to self-care: A guide to developing local strategies and practices, London, The Stationery Office Dickson VV, Deatrick JA, Goldberg LR, Riegel B (2006) A mixed methods study exploring the factors that facilitate and impede heart failure self-care, Journal of Cardiac Failure, 12, 6, S124-5 Dickson VV, Tkacs N, Riegel B (2007b) Cognitive influences on self-care decision making in persons with heart failure, American Heart Journal, 154, 424-31 DiMatteo MR, Lepper HS, Croghan TW (2000) Depression is a risk factor for non-compliance with medical treatment, Archives of Internal Medicine, 160, 14, 2101-7 Department of Health (2000a) National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease: Modern Standards and Service Models, London, The Stationery Office Department of Health (2004) NHS Improvement Plan: Putting People at the Heart of Public Services, London, The Stationery Office Ekman I, Andersson B, Ehnfors M, Matejka G, Persson B, Fagerberg B (1998) Feasibility of a nurse-monitored, outpatient-care programme for elderly patients with moderate-to-severe chronic heart failure, European Heart Journal, 19, 1254-60 Evangelista LS and Dracup K (2000) A closer look at compliance research in heart failure patients in the last decade, Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, 15, 3, 97-103 Evangelista LS, Berg J and Dracup K (2001) Relationship between psychosocial variables and compliance in patients with heart failure, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 30, 4, 294-301 Evangelista LS, Doering LV, Dracup K, Westlake C, Hamilton M, Fonarow GC (2003) Compliance behaviours of elderly patients with advanced heart failure, Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 18, 3, 197-208 Gary R (2006) Self-care practices in women with diastolic heart failure, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 35, 1, 9-19 George J, Shalansky SJ (2007) Predictors of refill non-adherence in patients with heart failure, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 63, 4, 488-93 Horowitz CR, Rein SB, Leventhal H (2004) A story of maladies, misconceptions and mishaps: effective management of heart failure, Social Science Medicine, 58, 3, 631-43 Jones I (2003) Acute coronary syndromes: identification and patient care, Professional Nursing, 18, 5, 289-92 Lesman-Leegte I, Jaarsma T, Sanderson R, Van Veldhuisen DJ (2006) Depressive symptoms are prevalent amongst elderly hospitalised heart failure patients, European Journal of Heart Failure, 8, 634-40 Leventhal MJE, Riegel B, Carlson B, De Geest S (2005) Negotiating compliance in heart failure: remaining issues and questions, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 4, 298-307 Ni H, Nauman D, Burgess D, Wise K, Crispell K, Hershberger RE (1999) Factors influencing knowledge of and adherence to self-care among patients with heart failure, Archives of Internal Medicine, 159, 1613-9 Ortega-Gutierrez A, Comin-Colit J, Quinones S (2006) Influence of perceived psychosocial support on self-care behaviour of patients with heart failure managed in nurse-led heart failure clinics, Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, Spring: 160 Nicholson C (2007) Heart failure: A clinical nursing handbook, Chichester, John Wiley and Sons Petersen S, Rayner M, Wolstenholme J (2002) Coronary heart disease statistics: heart failure supplement, London, British Heart Foundation Riegel B, Carlson B (2002) Facilitators and barriers to heart failure self-care, Patient Education and Counselling, 46, 287-95 Riegel B, Dickson VV, Goldberg LR, Deatrik J (2007a) Factors associated with the development of expertise in heart failure self-care, Nursing Research, 56, 4, 235-43 Riegel B, Dickson VV, Goldberg LR (2007b) Social support predicts success in self-care in heart failure patients with excessive daytime sleepiness, Journal of Cardiac Failure, 13, S183-4 Rockwell JM, Riegel B (2001) Predictors of self-care in persons with heart failure, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 30, 18-25 Sabate E. (2003) Adherence to long-term therapies: Evidence for action, Geneva, WHO Schnell KN, Naimark BJ, McClement SE (2006) Influential factors for self-care in ambulatory care heart failure patients: A qualitative perspective, Canadian Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 16, 1, 13-19 Scotto CJ (2005) The lived experience of adherence for patients with heart failure, Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, 25, 3, 158-63 Stromberg A, Bromstrom A, Dahlstrom U, Fridlund B (1999) Factors influencing patient compliance with therapeutic regimens in chronic heart failure: A critical incident technique, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 28, 334-41 Trupp R, Corwin EJ (2008) Sleep-disordered breathing, cognitive functioning and adherence in heart failure: Linked through pathology? Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing, 23, 1, 32-6 Van der Wal MHL, Jaarsma T, Moser DK, Veeger NJGM, Van Gilst WH, Van Veldhuisen DJ (2006) Compliance in heart failure patients: the importance of knowledge and beliefs, European Heart Journal, 27, 4, 434-40 Wolfe R, Worrall-Carter L, Foister K, Keks N, Howe V (2005) Assessment of cognitive function in heart failure patients, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 5, 158-64 Wu J, Lennie TA, Moser DK (2007) Predictors of medication adherence using a multidimensional adherence model in patients with heart failure, Journal of Cardiac Failure, 13, 6, S75 Wu J, Moser DK, Lennie TA, Peden AR, Chen Y, Heo S (2008) Factors influencing medication adherence in patients with heart failure, Heart Lung The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 37, 8-16 Tunstall-Pedoe H (1999) Contributions of trends in survival and coronary-event rates to changes in coronary heart disease mortality: 10-year results from 37 WHO MONICA project populations: Monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease, Lancet, 353, 9164, 1547-1557 Rawlings-Anderson K, Johnson K (2003) Myocardial infarction and older people, Nursing Older People, 15, 6, 29-34

The Necklace Essay -- Literary Analysis, Guy de Maupassant

â€Å"The Necklace† Around the world, values are expressed differently. Some people think that life is about the little things that make them happy. Others feel the opposite way and that expenses are the way to live. In Guy de Maupassant’s short story, â€Å"The Necklace†, he develops a character, Madame Loisel, who illustrates her different style of assessments. Madame Loisel, a beautiful woman, lives in a wonderful home with all the necessary supplies needed to live. However, she is very unhappy with her life. She feels she deserves a much more expensive and materialistic life than what she has. After pitying herself for not being the richest of her friends, she goes out and borrows a beautiful necklace from an ally. But as she misplaces the closest thing she has to the life she dreams of and not telling her friend about the mishap, she could have set herself aside from ten years of work. Through many literary devices, de Maupassant sends a message to value less substance arti cles so life can be spent wisely. â€Å"The Necklace† ends up to be a very ironic story as it explains why valuing the more important things in life can be very effective towards a person’s happiness. One example of the story’s irony is when she is at the party dressed as a beautiful and fancy woman. ‘She danced madly, wildly, drunk with pleasure, giving no thought to anything in the triumph of her beauty, the pride of her success†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (pg 193). This is a form of dramatic irony because Guy explains earlier that Mme. Loisel is just a middle class woman who dreams of a wealthy life, but she is just alluding herself as a luxurious woman. Another example of irony in the story is when Madame found out that the necklace was paste. On page 196, Mme. Forestier, Ma... ...ches and expenses. The message to value more important things in order to have a wisely spent life is demonstrated very well through literary devices in â€Å"The Necklace†, by Guy de Maupassant. Madame undergoes an ironic moment in life as she learns what is worth valuing. She is a very greedy woman who only cares about herself. The reader would never think of her as the person to do work, but that thought changes as she misplaces what she thinks of as a valuable item. If Madame just learned how to live life in a way that will not make her upset and to value things that are valuable towards life instead of expenses, she will be better off. But this is how Madame views her life, while others take notice of the significance in their lives. Values are different towards people across the world, and Guy de Maupassant defines that in his short story, â€Å"The Necklace†.

Tony Kronheiser :: essays research papers

Tony Kronheiser Tony Kornheiser is the self-admitted opinionated, sarcastic sports and style columnist for The Washington Post. Kornheiser's purpose is not to report to the reader an objective account of a sporting event, but rather to add humor to topics that range in topic from the Washington Redskins ("It's Now an Off-Road Vehicle," November 5, 1996) to his lunch-time experience the other day ("In a Real Fix," November 3, 1996). Kornheiser's diction, figurative language, and tone make his columns what they are. Often, diction, figurative language, and tone are not common in the journalistic world, but Kornheiser's humor finds room for them. Tony Kornheiser's sarcasm is almost entirely related to his diction. He contains the skills to take something as insignificant as a restaurant changing on him unexpectedly and reports about it so that the common man can relate. He is The Washington Post's Jerry Seinfeld. He blends the slang of the street man with the poetic verbs and fluid adjectives of an English teacher. For example, in "In A Real Fixe," Kornheiser says, "George was beginning to suspect that we had entered (doo-doo, doo-doo). . . The Nouvelle Dining Zone." Most people who have watched the Twilight Zone before can relate this statement as a reference to the famous TV show, so Kornheiser's slang was effective in grabbing the reader, even if a large majority of them have no idea what the word "nouvelle" means. Kornheiser uses an array of such adjectives throughout his pieces but he does not pretend to be above his readers. He fills his work with colloquial speech such as his references in "It's Now an Off-Road Vehicle" to other Washington Post columnists such as Michael Wilbon, and to his "Redskins Bandwagon." (The Redskins Bandwagon was a common phrase used by Washington Redskins fans when the team won the Superbowl in 1991). Kornheiser assumes that the reader is familiar with him, and that is clear in his informal diction that is used with the reader. It is almost to the point of a friendship, as though a coworker was letting off his steam at work during a lunch break. Kornheiser's figurative speech also add to his style quite well. The blend of diction and figurative speech is clear as Kornheiser uses several local allusions in his metaphors and similes that add to his "common man" image. For example, in "In a Real Fixe," Kornheiser compares the look of a hostess' face to one of a nurse at St. Elizabeth's, a local mental hospital. In that same article he also compares his whole experience to "going down into the Metro and

Charles Dickens - Depiction of the Hard Lives of Children :: European Literature

Every author has a certain theme to all of their novels, no matter how different they may be one can always see something within a story that links to another one of the authors stories. The themes are also different for each author, some being happiness where the characters have good luck, while other novels are sadder, and have darker themes to them. One author who has a darker theme that is connected through his books is Charles Dickens; the theme that can be found in most of his novels is one where the main character is mostly a child and they are going through a hard time in their life, but how he knew about the hard lives of children has been wondered about before and there is proof that he either had done research on it or experienced the oppression himself in his own life. Great Expectations was written in the 1800s and has escalated to the point of being one of Dickens' most well-known novels. In the novel the main character, Pip, is a child whose parents had died when he was younger. So he is forced to live with his older sister, Dickens gives the impression that Pip's sister actually hates her younger brother; she also beats him repeatedly with "The Tickler" when she sees that he has been disobedient. The only friend he truly has at the beginning is Mr. Joe, his sister's husband; who is also oppressed by his wife. Even Mrs. Joes friends oppresses Pip when they all come over for dinner, talking about him as if he doesn't exist or that he isn't there. As the story goes on he receives word that he will be sent to Miss Havisham's house to play. Pip's life changes throughout the story, the boy getting some good fortunes and some bad ones as well. (Dickens, 1999) Another one of Dickens' more famous stories in which the child character goes through a hard life is Oliver Twist. In this novel the boy, Oliver, is an orphan who is raised in a corrupt environment until he met his aunt. His mother had died when she was giving birth so he had no relatives other than his aunt. The orphanage he had lived at was abusive, and after asking for more food one time he was sold to an abusive man. He eventually ran away and joined

Digital Supply Chain Managment

| CLICK AND MORTAR TO PURE PLAY| HOW APPLE AND DISNEY ARE MAKING THE MOST OF THEIR DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAINS A Management Information Systems Project Assignment: Select two organizations in the same industry and study their SCM. Prepare a report on how the companies are managing their customers and suppliers. Make some recommendations as to how they can improve their efficiency. Submitted to: Sir Waqas Saeed Submitted by: Muhammad Babar Suleman Hassan Irshad Atif Murtaza Arslan Sadiq Arslan Zafar Ran Amjid Mehmood Ehtisham-ur-Rasool 01. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 AMR SUPPLY CHAIN TOP 25: STRONG SHOWINGS BY APPLE AND WALT DISNEY Apple stays on top with an unbeatable combination of killer financials and stellar opinion scores. AMR Research The AMR Research institute recently published its list of the companies boasting the best Supply Chain Management procedures (see Appendix 01). Two of the top 25 players represented a radical departure from the traditional Supply Chains. Apple tops the list with a supply chain which is as much a revolution for traditional supply chains as it is a negation of almost everything the supply chains have previously been characterized by. For one, Apple’s supply chain for its online store iTunes is completely digital in nature. It is the apex and materialization of what Management Information Systems and Information Technology Disney combines demand-driven advancements had hinted at. Another company in the top 25, the entertainment giant Walt Disney combines a digital supply chain with a streamlined traditional one with spectacular results. replenishment with new collaborative models for pure content distribution. AMR Research As lines between companies’ offers of physical and digital products become blurred, Apple and Disney are the forerunners of what will be the future of supply chains: The Digital Supply Chain. Additionally, both the companies’ supply chain models are based on the â€Å"demand driven excellence† model which is the modern solution to meeting the needs of the global market. 1. 2 GROWING IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY The reason why the supply chains of Apple and Disney were able to rank so high is because both the companies were able to recognize the immense significance of digital content and Intellectual Property in the modern era. The music industry has by far experienced the most significant effects (positive AND negative) of digitization of music (in the form of mp3s and other digital formats). However where piracy quickly became the biggest challenge for the industry, sales of digital music have exploded over the past couple of years, thanks to Apple’s ubiquitous online store iTunes. iTunes started with 99 cents per song- now it’s a thriving market leader that encompasses music, movies, TV shows, apps, eBooks, podcasts and so much more. Disney benefits from â€Å"the best of both worlds† (as the title character of its popular Hannah Montana TV show would say) by combining a digital supply chain with its traditional practices such as that of supplying stores such as Blockbuster and Netflix with DVDs of its movies and TV shows. 2. THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN 2. 1 WHAT IS THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN? At the core of Apple and Disney’s fantastic success is the digital supply chain. The question arises as to what the digital supply chain is and how it differs from traditional supply chains. Before getting into the specifics, it is important to define the di gital supply chain. According to Wikipedia: â€Å"Digital supply chain is a new media term that encompasses the process of the delivery of digital media, be it music or video, by electronic means from the point of origin (content provider) to destination (consumer). Similar to how a physical medium must go through a supply chain process in order to mature into a consumable product, digital media must pass through various stages in processing to get to a point where the consumer can enjoy the music or video on a computer or television set. † All supply chains work within the same framework- the delivery of product from its origin to the hands of the end-user, while being worked on in every step on the way. Broadly, the digital supply chain involves the process of transferring digital content (music/video) from the content provider to the end consumer online and in a suitable format. The digital supply chain is different in four major ways: 1) 2) 3) 4) It exists solely online and for digital items. It is highly compressed and shorter. It has lower attached costs. It has an unbeatable inventory turnover rate. Recognizing the market forces and new technologies that are reshaping the industry, Capgemini has introduced its practice of digital supply chain, the content value chain: Capgemini is not the only company that has invested in digital supply chain solutions. HewlettPackard (HP) offers Digital Entertainment Services- solutions for digital supply chain needs of companies. The reason why the digital supply chain works is because of the immense increase that digital content has seen in its adoption. The results of a recent IBM digital consumer survey show a high trend towards digital content in every leading economy. Online access to digital content is most common in: Media and Entertainment (Music, Movies, Games, eBooks etc). E-learning Software Given the evolution in media, technology and the marketing scenario, the supply chain to manage this evolution requires a new set of complexities and metrics. Warehouses are being replaced with data centers, boxes replaced by bits, and trucks replaced by bandwidth. And it may very well be an easier supply chain to manage, with no inventory carrying costs, purchase orders, supplier scorecards, MRP, trucks, excess and obsolete, or quality issues, but it will take a new way of thinking. Long gone is the plan, buy, and make functions supply chains have been built on. Within the digital supply chain, you receive one item into inventory and sell it a million times over without restocking. Vendors can be paid for each digital asset sold, without having to stock inventory that may never move. Combine the enormous growth of the mobile market, a highly fragmented market expertise, and the asset costs to build and maintain a digital supply chain, and it’s clear the model is transforming traditional practices. So far, digital supply chains have been controlled by the innovators. But with the amount of digital content increasing dramatically and the Internet providing a point-to-point access for customers, the following will become increasingly important: Innovation—This goes for product and supply chain delivery methods. Time to market—Since digital products can be made once and sold many times, speed of collaboration between design and delivery will be a major measure of success Customer service—This includes quality of the transaction and product, speed of activations, and ease of refunds. 2. 2 THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN PROCESS The digital supply chain involves three players: Content Provider (Task: Encoding and Ingesting) Content Processor (Task: Vaulting and Processing and Transformation) Digital/Physical Retailer (Task: Packaging and Distribution) Intermediate components include processes like Quality Control, Digital Asset Management, Metadata entry, Digital Rights Management and the Content Delivery Network. †¢Media is converted from source to file. Vaulting †¢File based media mezzanines are stored and backed up. †¢Content is processed and transferred according to consumer needs. Packaging and Distribution †¢Media files are packaged and delivered to customers over the network. Encoding and Ingesting Processing and Transformation Apple and Disney both have a high degree of streamlining at every step of the process. The main functions of a digital supply chain are as follows: True on-demand product availability Ease of use and speed for content search and activation Pricing and subscriptions Quality management built on licensing and refunds One thing to remember is that there is no ONE digital supply chain. It’s as dynamic as it is flexible as you can see from the table below: Different media types Different business models Different technologies Different maturity of markets Different distribution models Audio / Video / Software / Games / Books Electronic sell through / subscriptions / free content Devices / offline vs. nline usage / formats / DRM Established structures vs. new models Direct-to-consumer / Aggregation 2. 3 COMPARISON WITH TRADITIONAL SUPPLY CHAINS The following table compares the digital supply chain with the traditional structure on the basis of some key processes associated with SCM. Value Addition Because of the inherent structure, each step of the digital supply chain has a higher percentage of contribution to the value delivered. As mentioned earlier, computer storages have taken the place of physical warehouses. The digital supply chain is at a high risk of security issues because of problems relating to piracy, hacking, viruses and data mishandling. Virtually, self-replenishing and never runs short! Because of superior communication, time costs are reduced. Disney is a good example of how on-demand product availability made possible by digital supply chains Increasing Download Speeds, Content Quality, Speed of Activation and Ease of Refunds are some of the benefits offered by the digital supply chain that give it an edge over the traditional supply chains when it comes to Customer Service. Physical Storage Security Stocking Time to Market On-demand product availability Customer Service 03. DEMAND DRIVEN EXCELLENCE The â€Å"Demand Driven Excellence† model has three overlapping areas of corporate responsibility: Supply Management (Manufacturing, logistics and sourcing) Demand Management (Marketing, sales and service) Product Management (R&D, engineering and product development) Basically, Apple and Disney’s strength is that they don’t treat their supply chain as an isolated business process. It is a crucial part of what makes the entire thing work and in order for its maximum efficiency, management of demand and products is essential simultaneously. Only thus, the supply chain is able to give such top-notch results. With visibility, communication and reliable processes all these three functional units can be made to work together for optimum performance. When these overlapping areas work together, thanks to compatible and efficient business processes, businesses are able to respond directly, quickly and efficiently to opportunities arising from demands from the market or the customers. Because all the three areas are able to rise up to any occasion of business opportunity and the tasks keep shifting back and forth among the units as required, in a hybrid, dynamic web of solution formation, Apple and Disney are Defining characteristics of supply chains built able to achieve superior results while each to this design [demand driven excellence] of their functional area benefits from include the ability to manage demand rather collaboration with the other two. AMR Research cites the demand driven exellence model as the reason why companies like Apple and Disney are able to perform so well. The new phrase that’s making the rounds in the corporate world is that â€Å"pull† is the new â€Å"push†. Creating solutions and coaxing customers to purchase them is fastly becoming a redundant technique. The modern business strategy is responding dynamically to consumer needs and making your solutions fit their demands than just respond to it, a networked rather than linear approach to global supply, and the ability to embed innovation in operations rather than keep it isolated in the laboratory. The demand-driven model is inherently circular and self-renewing, unlike the push supply chains of our factory-centric industrial past. AMR Research like a glove. The focus is to make them want what you are offering- and not wanting them to purchase what you’ve put out. Apple’s iTunes store is the perfect example. Previously, record labels put out albums out on the market and they were expected to sell based on the couple of singles released to the airwaves. The albums were â€Å"pushed† to the customers. These days, iTunes allows consumers to purchase individual tracks- and only the ones they want to- from any album. That way they are shifting control of the purchase entirely to the customer and it has only helped in mutual growth. The demand driven global supply chain is assessed by two key measures: Operational Excellence (Key Metrics: Perfect Order Rate, Total SCM costs) Innovation Excellence (Time to Value, Return on New Product Launch) The relationship of demand driven excellence and the key measures can be see in the following table which differentiates between market leaders and losers on the basis of their performance in the above mentioned areas. 4. APPLE AND DISNEY 4. 1. SPECIFICS Apple’s digital supply chain comprises procuring content from record labels and television networks (among others), processing the content to digital format and then making it available on its iTunes store. eBooks, Podcasts and Applications for its iPod and iPhone devices also form a big portion of the content that is distributed on its digital supply chain. The success of Apple’s digital supply chain is due to â€Å"an intoxicating mix of brilliant industrial design, transcendent software interfaces and consumable goods that are purely digital†, according to the authors of an AMR Research write-up. The authors also note that â€Å"the mechanical and financial benefits of this approach include extremely high inventory turns, minimal material or capacity limitations to growth, and excellent margins. † Following is an excellent article by a blogger on how iTunes manages suppliers and customers. ARTICLE 01: By Cara Smith As far as iTunes is concerned, both upstream and downstream supply chains apply. I feel iTunes use both strategies simply because in the case of upstream, iTunes acquire the vast majority of its digital content from well known music labels and film producers, who will trade with iTunes who will then use a downstream approach in order to sell their products and services onto their customers. Push vs pull supply models Nowadays with the digital music market at an all time high with sales hitting the roof, customers are experiencing a new way of purchasing. In terms of iTunes we can see that ‘pull’ is the new ‘push’ simply because customers are able to purchase individual tracks produced by an artist rather than having to purchase the entire album to only like one or two songs from the track listing. This then gives the customer the opportunity to customize their very own iTunes library or playlists with a range of songs made my various artists meaning that customers will want to hear what is in that playlist without having tracks or items pushed towards them. With the pull strategy concentrating solely on the customer the main importance of the company is to ensure they provide value and ensure the service will be one in order to ensure customer satisfaction as well as attracting new customer leading to a broadened customer base as well as increased sales rather than to deter customers from purchasing or visiting at all. Vertical integration vs disintegration vs virtual integration I would say that iTunes would most likely operate using ‘Virtual Integration’. I feel iTunes would operate using this strategy in its day to day running simply because they rely on management activities being undertaken and controlled by outside sources such as the record labels, film producers, application developers and many others, supplying them with all their up to date, high quality digital media and services of which their customers will purchase or subscribe to. Due to dealing with so many widely known record labels and film producers etc, iTunes always ensures to maintain a strong relationship in order to help secure any future deals these labels may offer as well as trying to broaden their supplier base at the same time. Evidence of value networks In terms of value networks I would say that by ensuring their customers are well looked after by providing them with everything they need and are satisfied with the products and services they are receiving, including the time in which it takes for a product to download or the quality of their purchase, iTunes will always maintain a good relationship with its customer and supplier base in terms of how they work in partnership with each other. By ensuring that their customers are always happy with what they are receiving it will be hard for iTunes to loose many of its customers at any one time unless some new top of the range platform was developed with extraordinary features of which iTunes has never thought of. Through continuously updating its platform and interface, whilst adding new and improved features and services iTunes always has something new for customers to explore giving them a sense of ease as they know customers will always be around to check out what new meaning that they are more likely to stay around and use its facilities. Evidence of efficiencies in supply chain As Apple iTunes continuously strive to provide the best quality service and produce top of the range goods they are always making changes to the way in which they deliver products and services to customers. With iTunes being considered the ‘Number 1’ music platform and online digital retail store, iTunes have proved they can be successful in every way possible by exceeding cashflow and turnaround targets through the huge demand for online digital content of which many of music record labels and film producers supply and give permission for iTunes to sell on to its customers at price. With this success iTunes will do anything and everything in order to keep its existing customer and attract new customers in, so with their ideas of continuous new and improved updates to the iTunes interface and by introducing better ways of syncing and managing your iPod or iPhone contents on the iTunes platform. In terms of ensuring customer have all the content they require iTunes it always up to date with the current charts and applications, however when a customer has made a purchase the item(s) will automatically start to download and will be accessible to listen to or view as soon as the download is complete. ttp://csmithcom425. wordpress. com/2009/10/30/week-6-supply-chain-management/ Apple’s revolutionary digital supply chain (nurtured by its demand driven excellence focus) is in addition to its distribution of its own physical products, the aforementioned iPod and iPhone as well as Macs and Macbooks. Whereas the line between the products that travel through Appleâ⠂¬â„¢s digital supply chain (music, movies, eBooks) and the ones that are distributed through its traditional supply chain (iPods, Macs) is quite distinct, Disney has a more blurred array of products offered on its digital and traditional supply chains. While it maintains its practice of maintaining top-notch physical distribution channels with its retailers (such as Blockbuster which carries Disney DVDs) the same content is also offered through its digital network (on-demand movies, online premieres, digital books), albeit not in the same format. The simultaneous existence of both the supply chains is necessary for Disney even though the content distributed differs only in format because the modern market demands ask for digital content whereas it has to fulfill the continued, if diminishing, demands of its physical etailers and varied businesses such as the supply chain needs of its theme parks. The Arvato Digital Services model can be used to understand how Disney manages the distribution of the same content across the two channels, digital and physical. Also, see the model on the next page for more detailed insight on how the Digital Supply Chain relates to Disney and other entertainment industry players. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS Our recommendation for both the companies would be to draft better licensing deals, capitalize on the immense potential of the digital supply chain, and use the internet to distribute digital content worldwide and not a select list of geographic locations. People in third world economies like Pakistan can make online purchases and download digital content as well. Without incurring significant additional costs, Apple and Disney can make their entire repository of digital content and access available without exceptions on the basis of location, and reap the financial benefits that will surely come. Apple has been doing a fantastic job of managing its supply chains but whereas its physical chain is finally sounder than it once was, the company needs to be careful not to underestimate the incredible popularity of its online content. Recently, during the rollout of a new iPhone, the physical supply chain was able to endure and accommodate the rush of early purchasers but the digital supply chain became overtaxed with demands of device activation and content synchronization which led to a slew of wait times, customer service issues and of course, unhappy customers. Disney should start preparing for a future where distribution of its content, that can be provided digitally, would be extinct. That would pose several new challenges for the company- Should it form lucrative liaisons with online retailers like Apple’s iTunes or sell its own content such as the TV Network NBC? An analysis of the pros and cons of both the alternatives could make better decisions possible in planning its supply chain strategies for the future. The biggest challenge we've been confronted with, preparing for, and have every expectation we'll be successful in is how technology will dramatically change the way consumers worldwide enjoy entertainment content,† DVD sales are already facing a slump (they slid by – Bill Patrizio, senior VP of 6. 9% last year). Studios are facing the dilemma of strategic sourcing and devising profitable solutions for the new age while procurement for Disney. trying to maintain profitability from the decreasing momentum of th e cash cow that was the DVD market. Our recommendation in this respect would be to brainstorm a fresh business model instead of trying to teach the old dog new tricks. A complete overhauling of the way the company thinks of content could be the solution for the problems that are sure to arise in the near future. The rumored â€Å"Keychest† could be a step in the right direction. Disney has always shown business savvy (as is obvious from the quote from 2005 display above) and we’re sure the company has some smart strategies thought out. REFERENCES Wikipedia Digital Supply Chain http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Digital_supply_chain AMR Research www. amrresearch. com PC World â€Å"How Apple’s Supply Chain fared during the 3G Rollout† http://www. pcworld. com/businesscenter/article/148429/how_apples_supply_chain_fared_during_t he_3g_rollout. html Cara’s Com425 Blog http://csmithcom425. wordpress. com/2009/10/30/week-6-supply-chain-management/ â€Å"Understanding the Digital Supply Chainâ⠂¬  Presented at Media-Tech Conference, 23rd April 2009 by Sven Deutschman, CEO, Arvato Digital Services EMEA http://www. media-tech. et/fileadmin/templates/europe09/pdf/presentations/MEDIATECH_2009_Sven_Deutschmann. pdf Business Week â€Å"Hollywood Is Worried as DVD Sales Slow† http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/09_09/b4121056770437. htm MESA Disney developing ‘Keychest’ for Digital Content Access http://mesalliance. org/blog/2009/10/21/disney-developing-‘keychest’-for-digital-content-access/ Information Week â€Å"Q&A with Disney's Patrizio: Digital Content Is the Future† http://www. informationweek. com/news/globalcio/interviews/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=160403913