Breathing Rate

Breathing into a wrapping tube that’s quite long will most likely have the same effect as when breathing through a paper bag, a practice most commonly associated with trying to relieve hyperventilation. Although the wrapping tube is open at the other end and will not totally hamper breathing, it seems long enough to contain the carbon dioxide that the child exhales so that when the child inhales again he will probably breathe in a considerable portion of the carbon dioxide that he breathed out earlier. Naturally, this would lead to an increased amount of this gas in the lungs and in the blood.Although what our body utilizes in the production of energy is oxygen, it is the carbon dioxide levels which the brain monitors, so that when it falls below or rises above its normal level, the brain sends signals to the body to regulate breathing correspondingly. This is irregardless of the oxygen levels, i. e. the amount of oxygen in the blood might stay at normal levels but if the amou nt of carbon dioxide fluctuates, the body will alter the breathing or respiration rate accordingly (Science Museum of Minnesota).As the child breathes repeatedly into the wrapping tube, an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the blood will tell his brain that his body needs to take in more oxygen so that the normal carbon dioxide-oxygen balance is restored. This will therefore lead to an increase in the respiration rate so that more oxygen can be taken in. However, if the child goes on breathing through the tube, then he will continuously inhale air which has more carbon dioxide and he will be at risk for more serious physiological effects (e. g. headaches, dizziness) as the carbon dioxide levels in his blood continues to rise (Smith).This is the reason why there are arguments against the use of the â€Å"paper bag technique† to alleviate hyperventilation. For mild cases, breathing into a paper bag may help counter hyperventilation since doing so will increase the carbon dio xide levels just enough to induce the appropriate breathing rate that will restore the carbon dioxide-oxygen balance in the body. However, it is not advisable to breathe continuously into a paper bag (Youngerman-Cole) since, as with the case of prolonged breathing into a wrapping tube, the inhaled carbon dioxide levels may reach levels that are high enough to cause serious physiological effects.Works Cited: Science Museum of Minnesota. Habits of the Heart : Ins and Outs of Respiration. 2000. 5 Mar. 2008 . Smith, Garry K. Nucleo De Espeleologia De Condeixa: CARBON DIOXIDE, CAVES and YOU. 1997. 5 Mar. 2008 . Youngerman-Cole, Sydney . CIGNA : Hyperventilation. 21 Nov. 2006. 6 Mar. 2008 .

Rubik’s Cube Instructional Speech

In 1974, a twenty-nine year old Hungarian named Erno Rubik was trying to solve a structural design problem. He was working on a model that would help him explain a three-dimensional geometric when he finally ended up creating the famous, colorful cubical form we know as a Rubik’s cube!However, Rubik did not give the cube his name—he called it the â€Å"Magic Cube.† It was renamed the Rubik's Cube by the Ideal Toy Corporation in 1980. Little did Rubik know that his cube would become a sensation around the world with the first world championship held in his native, Budapest, in 1982, with a sixteen year old Vietnamese girl winning the competition, unscrambling the Cube in 22.95 seconds. Solving a Rubik’s Cube requires some study and decision-making.There are a variety of methods used to solve a Rubik’s Cube, but the most popular and the most effective is called the Fridrich method. In the next few minutes, I would like to share with you how to solve t he Rubik’s Cube. As I said before, there are many different algorithms and ways to solve a Rubik’s cube. But the one that I have found to be easiest to understand was the Fridrich Method. Now today, I’m only going to explain how to solve one face of the cube due to the limited amount of time. Start with solving the cross. I like to start with the color white, so I will describe the steps according to starting with the white cross.Each side of the cube has a different color center. The center color determines the color of the side. I chose to start with the white center piece on the bottom and the opposite side yellow piece on the top, simply because that’s the way I learned.1.Look around the cube for white edge pieces, not corner pieces but pieces that outline the cross shape. Move the pieces to the top of the cube around the yellow piece.†¢ Each white piece of the cross will have a color adjacent to it.2.You want to match up the, say white blue piec e to the blue center piece and the white red piece to the red center piece and so on.3.Then you want to make sure the white piece is matched up with the bottom white center piece and flip the from face 180 degrees clockwise.†¢ Do so for every color until you get the all-white cross.4. Now each white piece should still be matched to the same color center piece.5.Next you will solve the corners.†¢The next 2 steps are the hardest to follow but I will try my best to explain clearly.6.Look around the cube for white corner pieces. If you have a white corner piece on the top you have to memorize a move. Up clockwise, to 180 degrees, then right goes right back down. This move can be used on any side.7.Now look at the other color that is adjacent to the white on its side, not top. Match the adjacent color diagonally to its same color by moving only the top layer. Then do the following move: move the right side clockwise, top clockwise, right counter clockwise.8.Do the same steps wi th the other white pieces. It could take a few tries to get it right but keep repeating it until you get it.Now you should have the bottom of the cube solid white and the bottom layer of each side filled with one color.If you’ve ever tried to solve the Rubik’s cube and given up, I encourage you to try it again now using the Fridrich method I began to explain. For further instructions you can visit http://www.wikihow.com/Solve-a-Rubik's-Cube-(Easy-Move-Notation). But first let me warn you; as â€Å"Cubing† infects people of all ages around the globe, there has actually been a name given for those that are obsessed with a Rubik Cube. They are called â€Å"Cubaholics†. Many of real Cubaholics are said to suffer from ‘Rubik's wrist' and ‘Cubist's thumb'! Beware!

Air New Zealand Essay

Air New Zealand began as Tasman Empire Airways Limited which from 1940 has been operating Short Empire flying boats on trans-Tasman routes. Tasman Empire Airways Limited has operated flights in world war II weekly from Auckland to Sydney and also added Fiji and Wellington to its route. In 1953 New Zealand and Australian governments purchased 50% stakes in Tasman Empire Airways Limited and the airline ended flying boat operations in favor of propeller and turboprop airliners by 1960. With the introduction of the DC-8 in 1965, Tasman Empire Airways Limited became Air New Zealand—the New Zealand government purchased Australia’s 50% stake in the carrier. In 1978, the domestic airline National Airways Corporation and its subsidiary Safe Air were merged into Air New Zealand to form a single national airline, further expanding the carrier’s operations. As a result, NAC’s Boeing 737 and Fokker F27 aircraft joined Air New Zealand’s fleet alongside its DC-8 and DC-10 airliners. In 1981, Air New Zealand introduced its first Boeing 747 airliner, and a year later initiated service to London, United Kingdom. 1985 saw the introduction of Boeing 767-200ER airliners to fill the large size gap between the Boeing 737 and 747. In 1989 the airline was privatized with a sale to a consortium headed by Brielle Investments Ltd. The New Zealand air transport market underwent deregulation in 1990, prompting Air New Zealand to acquire a 50% stake in Ansett Australia in 1995. PART A- TASK 1 Outcome 1- assess the potential for market segmentation A) Resource implications: We urge the Advisory Group to consider the human resource implications for these employees and the consequent impact any restructuring consultation has on their morale and productivity. HRINZ (Human Resource Institution of New Zealand) is the professional organization for people who are interested or involved in the management and development of human resources in the workplace. HRINZ (Human Resource Institution of New Zealand) represents the interests of individual members only. B) Understanding and meeting customer needs: They meet every requirement of the customer travelling in air new Zealand. They provide every kind of facility to the customers and fulfill the needs and demands of people. C) Identification of competitor activates: The following is a list of airlines,  other than Air New Zealand, who have joined the domestic air travel market in New Zealand over the last 20 years: Ansett New Zealand Kiwi Air Freedom Air Origin Pacific Jet Connect D) Evaluation of market performance: There are some kind of problems with air new Zealand like people feel like food is not proper but now they have evaluated the things. They provide better service to the customers and they are happy. E) Segment viability and attractiveness: Air New Zealand topped eight of the ten attractiveness categories in national airline, which offers the best salary, career progression and work-life balance opportunities, as well as quality training and strong management. Air New Zealand was rated well in the study, which assessed organizations perceived attractiveness amongst the country’s working and non working population. In 2012, Air New Zealand took out the top spot for strong management, interesting job content, pleasant working atmosphere, and salary and employee benefits, and was also noted for providing good training for its employees. PART B- TASK 2 Outcome 2- apply market segmentation processes 2. Profile the segmentation A) Geographic segmentation: Geographic Segmentation calls for dividing the market into different geographical units such as nations, regions, provinces, parishes, cities, or even neighborhoods. A company may decide to operate in one or a few geographical areas, or to operate in all areas but pay attention to geographical differences in needs and wants. World region or country: Europe, Spain, Africa, Ivory Coast, Middle East, Qatar, North America, Canada Country region: East Asia, South Asia, North Asia City size: Under 5,000; 5,000-20,000; 20,000-50,000; 50,000-100,000; 100,000-250,000; 250,000- 500,000; 500,000-1,000,000; 1,000,000-4,000,000; over 4,000,000 Density: Urban, suburban, exurban, rural Climate: Northern, southern B) Demographic segmentation: Demographic Segmentation divides the market into groups based on variables such as age, gender, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion, race, and nationality. Age Under: 20-34; 35-49; 50-64; 65+ Gender: Male, Female Family size: 1-2; 3-4; 5+ Family life cycle: Young, single, married with no children, married with children, single parents, unmarried couples, older, married, no children under 18 or older, single, other Income: Under â‚ ¬ 20,000; â‚ ¬ 20,000-â‚ ¬ 30,000; â‚ ¬ 30,000-â‚ ¬ 50,000; â‚ ¬ 50,000-â‚ ¬ 100,000; â‚ ¬ 100,000-â‚ ¬ 250,000; â‚ ¬ 250,000 and over Occupation: Professional and technical, managers, officials, and proprietors; clerical; sales; craftspeople; supervisors; farmers; retired; students; homemakers; unemployed Education: Primary School or less, some secondary school, secondary school graduate, some college, college graduate Religion: Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, other Race: Asian, Hispanic, Black, White Nationality: British, Swiss, Spanish French, German, Italian, Japanese C) Psychographic segmentation: Psychographic Segmentation divides buyers into different groups based on social class, lifestyle, or personality characteristics. People in the same demographic group can have very different psychographic profiles. Social class: Lower lowers; upper lowers; working class; middle class; upper middles; lower uppers; upper uppers Lifestyle: Achievers; strivers; survivors Personality: Compulsive; gregarious; authoritarian; ambitious D) Behaviour segmentation: Behavioral Segmentation divides buyers into groups based on their knowledge, attitudes, uses, or responses to a product or service Many marketers believe that behavior variables are the best  starting point for building market segments. Occasions: Regular occasion; special occasion; holiday; seasonal Benefits: Quality; service; economy; convenience; speed User status: Nonuser; ex-user; potential user; first-time user; regular user User rates: Light user; medium user; heavy user Loyalty status: None; medium; strong; absolute Readiness stage: unaware; aware; informed; interested; desirous; intending to buy Attitude toward product: Enthusiastic; positive; indifferent; negative; hostile 3. Evaluation on segment potential for following A) Product usage and potential: they product used in air New Zealand are of very good quality. If you’re booked to travel in Economy on a 777-300 long-haul international service, you can choose to upgrade to our Skycouchâ„ ¢ with this upgrade product option. It is important that you request your product upgrade on the website for the currency you used to purchase your flights. For bookings paid in Euros, please use our Continental European website, www.airnewzealand.eu, to upgrade the products in your booking. B) Competition: Due to poor industry returns, the airline industry is fiercely competitive. In the long-haul market, Air NZ is exposed to both direct competition, as well as competition from different airline alliances (West, 2009). Comparatively, competition in the long-haul market isles intense than short-haul and domestic markets due to the lack of substitutes as well as increased brand identity. Additionally, competitive pressure in the long-haul market is somewhat all evicted as a result of codeshare alliance agreements. C) Segment attractiveness: There can be no greater vote of confidence in the growth potential of the airline, and of the attractiveness of New Zealand as an international destination, than expanding and upgrading our fleet. D) Organizational objectives and resources: Key goals are maximize the overall Group return on capital employed , Bring diversity and balance to the Group’s earning streams , Take full advantage of the Group’s competencies in ma rkets where we have influence. PART C- TASK 3 Outcome 3- Determine target market and positioning strategy 4. Select one that is suitable and why other strategies are not suitable. A) Undifferentiated marketing- An undifferentiated targeting strategy is used when a company decides to communicate the benefits of its product by sending the same promotional message to everyone. For an undifferentiated strategy to be successful, the company’s product must be readily available and affordable and must provide the same benefits to all consumers. Very few companies with consumer products meet these criteria. B) Differentiated marketing-Differentiated product markets are those in which the product offering of suppliers varies to some degree and in which buyers make their purchase decision on the basis of product characteristics as well as price. In such a market, suppliers’ products are imperfect substitutes for one another and less close substitutes impose a lesser competitive constraint than others. C) concentrated marketing-A concentrated marketing strategy is targeted to one specific market segment or audience. For example, a company might market a product specifically for teenage girls, or a retailer might market his business to residents in a specific town. Concentrated marketing strategies are often geared for smaller groups of people, because they are designed to appeal to a specific segment. 5. Justify strategy in terms of organizational marketing objectives A) Sales- By selling the Product to the purchaser, Air NZ does not guarantee any freight services. Any such services must be arranged and paid for with Air NZ separately and will be subject to Air NZ’s Conditions of Carriage – Cargo which can be viewed at Conditions of Carriage Cargo International. Air NZ does not guarantee that the Product will meet Air NZ’s cage requirements (such as fleet hold size and / or capacity on any particular flight), or IATA requirements, for cargo or baggage on any da te in the future on which the purchaser wishes to use the Product for carriage of any animal, on Air NZ or any other carrier. The current requirements can be found at Travelling with Pets. B) Attitude: As a final variable to the behavioural segmentation is attitude toward a product. People can be divided into segments based on whether they have an enthusiastic, positive, indifferent, negative or hostile attitude toward a product. By considering the customers’ attitudes toward a brand or product the company will get a wide-ranging view of the market and its segments C) Revenue- Air New Zealand has refreshed its core strategy to drive  sustainable, profitable growth across the Air New Zealand Group. Optimise your career in this opportunity to create value at the core where key business decisions and plans impact shareholders’ value and deliver to the growth strategy. Lead and develop the long term strategy and maximise revenue growth and performance and manage the Ancillary Revenue Team. You will develop a long term strategy for ancillary revenue that maximises revenue growth opportunities and delivers product enhancements that customers value. As well as defining annual roadmaps for ancillary product development that deliver the strategy. You will also lead the tactical performance management of ancillary revenue performance process across multiple sales regions and channels. D) Organizational goals- Air New Zealand Limited is an international and domestic airline group that is publicly listed on both the New Zealand Stock Exchange (ticker: AIR) and Australian Stock Exchange (ticker: AIZ). We are principally involved in providing air passenger and cargo transport services to, from and within New Zealand. Air New Zealand directly serves 51 cities in 13 countries (including 26 destinations within New Zealand). The most recent additions to the route network include direct flights to Adelaide, San Francisco, Shanghai, Vancouver and Beijing. In the financial year to June 30, 2008, we carried almost 13.2 million passengers Flights range from a 25 minute Wellington to Blenheim trip, to a 14 hour, 11,571 km flight from Vancouver to Auckland. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest multi-national alliance, providing access to 965 airports in 162 countries. E) Awareness-New Zealand’s brand awareness is flying high following recent wins for best image and number one dream holiday destination. In April, both UK and India travellers voted New Zealand number one dream holiday destination in Trip Advisor’s bi-annual Trip Barometer study, with 33 per cent of Indian travellers voting for New Zealand and nearly seven out of ten respondents saying they planned to travel abroad in 2014 to destinations including New Zealand 6. Establish positioning variables of market segments A) Usage and users- The usage rate segmentation divides the customers  according to how much they use a product. They are divided into groups of non-users, light, medium and heavy product users and companies often seek to target one heavy user rather than several light users . This is due to the fact that the heavy users constitute a small percentage of the market but account for a high percentage of the total buying .Thus a company should seek to adapt their marketing strategy according to these customers B) Product class- health and safety in employment act- safeguarding passenger and airline staff safety. Ensure best standard food for people. C) Competition- Air New Zealand’s low-cost operator, Freedom Air was established in 1995 in response to the launch of Kiwi Air (see above). The airline operates services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji, and briefly operated on the main-trunk domestic routes.On September 6, 2007, Air New Zealand announced it was folding Freedom Air into the main airline, pointing to changes in the market, and the fact that there was little difference in consumer pricing between the two airlines. D) Lifestyle factors-Lifestyle and environment affect health and are shaped by socio-economic factors. The material circumstances of people’s lives and the behavioural choices they make are influenced by things like income, employment status and education. E) Consumer needs and benefits- following is the example for consumer needs and benefits: Delivering baggage on time: Air New Zealand will make every effort to ensure your bags arrive at your destination on schedule. Despite all care being taken, baggage sorting systems are complex and involve both human and mechanical interaction which sometimes results in baggage being delayed. In the event that your baggage is delayed, Air New Zealand will endeavour to have it returned to you within 24 hours of receiving your written missing baggage claim. We will provide you with an amenity kit on request and if we are not able to return your bags within 24 hours, authorise limited emergency expenses to be issued to you. PART D- TASK 4 Outcome 4- Identify, research and evaluate opportunities for business development 7. Implications for marketing strategies for each of organizational market The following are some implications for marketing a New strategy for new times b Segment and decide c Look at distribution channels d Help the consumer- teach, train, comfort and reassure e Communication f Find new pastures, Keep permanent hand on pulse of consumer 8. Monitoring mechanism for market positioning strategies to strategic marketing plans. Air New Zealand target to provide best service to the customers with unique and refresh kiwi way. Air New Zealand challenges with finding forward the thinking ways to engage and provide services to the customers. Air New Zealand and UK sought out new styles top use email to focus on customer relationship and their feedback to their unique services. Air NZ welcomes this approach. It is a much needed departure from the artificial distinctions previously drawn between â€Å"aeronautical† and â€Å"non-aeronautical† in respect of an airport’s business. There is widespread international acceptance of airports’ market power in operations such as car parking, retail space in the terminal, and taxi access to airports. Customers just loved the all facilities available for them at air new Zealand and the unique service provided to the customer during their journey. They have online support when we have any enquiries regarding their services and all about the journey. If any complaints air new Zealand committed to meet customers’ expectations and make customers to have an amazing journey with them. Air new Zealand dedicated to reach a goal of zero complaints across their business.

MKT301A-Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MKT301A-Homework - Essay Example By 2013, the world’s Internet population was estimated at 2.4 billion users (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2013). This implies that two-fifth of the world’s population is online. In this regard, both the videos and textbook are of the opinion that Internet advertising can reach a wider customer base at once, since anyone who is online across the globe can access information. They also point out that web-based advertising is used in almost all the industry sectors. One of the most important and obvious benefit of online business marketing is convenience and flexibility something which both the videos by and the book Marketing by Grewal and Levy agree with. With Internet availability, one can sell and order products globally, thus driving brand awareness. Both the print and electronic information sources on Internet marketing posit that social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn), video-sharing sites (YouTube), micro-blogging sites (Twitter), and photo sharing (Instagram), among many others increase product awareness and enhance customer rapport, allowing for an increase in sales as well as customer’s loyalty. The other similarity between information in the videos and information in the textbook is that the use internet advertising is much cheaper than the traditional promotional and advertising activities. The textbook clearly shows the link between the benefits of using social networks to any business enterprise. On the other hand, the videos on internet marketing do not outline how web-based marketing strategies allow a firm to take advantage of social media, for instance, Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn, and Twitter to market its product. While the videos do not mention anything about the cost, the textbook argues that the Internet is a versatile and highly flexible advertising medium because changes can be made to the ads without incurring much additional cost. The other difference is that while the videos start by giving a background information about online

Innate and Adaptive Immunity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Innate and Adaptive Immunity - Assignment Example   IgG antibodies appear after a longer period and then remain in the bloodstream permanently, providing protection against re-infection (New Jersey Department of Health, 2011). In view of this, quarantine should be imposed on the patient if the IgM antibodies are present. This would mean that this is a case of the first infection. Otherwise, the patient should not be quarantined. IgG antibodies can be present in blood because of vaccination (Lab Tests Online, 2012). Question 2 A secondary infection occurs when a pathogen attacks an organism whose immune system is weak due to an earlier infection. Secondary responses result from the stimulation of B cells. The clonal expansion theory has three key areas: specificity, memory, and tolerance. Specificity comes about since the production of antigen-specific antibody is in response to triggering of antigen-reactive clones. Memory is because subsequent responses to an antigen are stronger than the initial one. Tolerance is because of the destruction of self-reactive B and T cells. When an antigen with multiple epitopes gains enters the body, different clones of B cells recognize and produce antibodies against the different epitopes. The pathogens have antigens on their surface. Antibody response to protein antigen actively involves T cells and B cells. Since CD4 T lymphocytes stimulate B cells, they are known as helper T cells. Cytotoxic T cells kill other cells that virus-infected, allografts or cancer cells. Helper T cells secrete cytokines. Cytokines provide amplification mechanism by proliferation and differentiation (stimulation of B cell clonal expansion). They also determine the type of antibodies produced (Sridhar, 2012). Question 3 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks a protein, CD4, on helper T cells of the immune system and associated with it. These cells are the immune system’s main infection-fighting cells. T helper cells are necessary for the activation of B-cells and cytotoxic T-cell immu ne responses. During this time, the body cannot make antibodies properly. Destruction of infected cells cannot occur without helper T-cells. Production of antibodies occurs in an effort to fight the virus. An HIV blood test is one that detects HIV antibodies. The body produces antibodies in response to HIV antigen. Therefore, in as much as the virus is destroying the helper T cells, the body continues to produce antibodies to fight the virus. These are the antibodies detected in an HIV antibody test. A negative result on a blood test means that either the person is not infected or that one is infected, but production of antibodies has not occurred. This is because, after the initial infection, it takes time for the body to produce antibodies. Seroconversion is the process of conversion from antibody negative to antibody positive blood (Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, 2007). Question 4 Innate immunity exists prior to antigenic exposure while adaptive immunity develops in response to antigen exposure. For adaptive immunity, resistance develops with repeated exposure to antigen, but for innate immunity, repeated exposure has no effect on resistance. Innate immunity is not specific to any antigen. The adaptive response, on the other hand, is antigenic specific. This means the ability to respond in a quickly during re-exposure to a pathogen (University of Arizona, 2008).  

Music in the Twentieth Century Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Music in the Twentieth Century - Case Study Example An artiste achieves his goals through distortion, embellishment, primitivism, and castle in the sky and throughout the glowing, raucous, fierce, or vibrant use of formal rudiments. In a broad sense Expressionism is one of the major existences of arts of 19th and 20th centuries, and its excellences of vastly individualistic, delicate, spontaneous expressiveness are distinctive of a wide array of contemporary artistes and arty groups (Norman 1985). Expressionism is the past continuance of the common practice era. Not like Neo-classicism, which was a come back to the ancient times, expressionism pursued an almost continuous procession. Expressionism is often linked with the word ATONAL (which is equivalent of "without a tonal center") (Arnold 1967). Harshly speaking, this is vague, since the entire playing fields are in Expressionism are of equivalent meaning. Most inquisitive changes that come to mind are that tunes and harmonies be likely to build in a similar way. There is small, if some, difference between perpendicular and parallel configurations; in the Common practice era, melodies had a prevalence of step-by-step movements but harmonies were built in 3rds. Expressionism has a propensity for utilizing the same doctrine in constructing them both. Not like Impressionism, its objectives were not to make a re... The hunt for harmony and various forms of melody isn't as imperative as aiming to attain the maximum expressional strength, both from the aesthetic standpoint and consistent with inspiration and human being critics. Although openly atonal, Pierrot lunaire scores a come back to counterpoint and looks ahead to the prearranged "atonality of serialism" (Allen 2002). But, the feature of Schoenberg's Expressionist way which had the maximum impact on later on musicians and composers was his beginning of melody as open and free, twelve-tone chromatic pitch where any pattern of pitches could operate as a "standard" (Allen 2002). Appropriate composition, where every work describes its own exacting language and way, can only be comprehended in context of these new broader perimeters. The work "Au clair de la lune, Mon ami Pierrot" is a histrionic, a form well-liked at the moment, containing poems spoken beside an instrumental backdrop (Allen 2002). Schoenberg's label explains the work of art as "three times seven poems by Albert Giraud in German translation by Otto Erich Hartleben." Pierrot lunaire is the final imperative work of Schoenberg's Expressionist era (1907 to World War I ). An extremely influential part is the influence of expressionism on musical approach. Towards the closing stages of the 19th century, there was a rising gap between traditionalists' areas of skill and pioneering ones, conventional in a variety of themes (Norman 1985). This 'distance' can be simply noticed in Vienna's structural designs: the majority of organizational structures in the region of the Ringstrae were constructed in neo-Classical way, convening the flavor of the rather dyed-in-the-wool Habsburgs and other graciousness (Norman 1985). More or less this time

What are the benefits and drawbacks to using medications in treating Research Proposal

What are the benefits and drawbacks to using medications in treating psychological disorders - Research Proposal Example t of very superior inroads into the ‘psyche’ of human beings with the aid of modern diagnostic techniques & equipment, and the understanding of the physiological functioning of the brain, attempts to influence any aberration in normal behavior by medical and other means have been made, both successfully and otherwise. Psychological disorders can have a biological origin where the imbalance of hormones and other biochemicals in the body can precipitate them. In other cases they could be purely the result of any emotional event or incidence which influences a person to react in an abnormal way. Such disorders are also dependant on and peculiar for different ages, sexes and cultures. Certain psychological disorders are secondary to purely infectious or immunological disorders such as diseases involving the brain [Examples: Brain tumors, Epilepsy, cerebral malaria, neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinsonism and some liver diseases causing hepatic en cephalopathy (pathological changes in brain)]. Such disorders definitely require medical interventions. Other disorders which are purely emotional can be treated by a trained psycho therapist, with or without the aid of drugs. The benefits and drawbacks of treating psychological disorders with drugs has always been the subject of debate where proponents of both methods of therapy (pharmacotherapy & counseling) have supported their views in the long history of psychotherapy. Plain psychotherapy without drugs has been classified by the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com) on the basis of either ‘ changing the current behavior patterns’ of a patient or by ‘ understanding past issue’ in the patients’ history. The website lists the different approaches in psychotherapy as â€Å"Art Therapy, Behavior Therapy, Cognitive therapy, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, Dialectical behavior Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Play Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and

Industry Analysis by Stage in PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industry Analysis by Stage in PLC - Essay Example The market is expected to grow continually for a decade. At 2013, the forecasted market value is $10.7 billion with a 9.4% growth from 2008 and a market volume of 3.8 billion liters with an 8.5% increase since 2008. (Datamonitor, 2008) The condition of the ice cream industry is influenced by several external factors. Social factors such as health issues can affect the buying behavior of consumers. The recent peanut butter recall due to contamination has decreased retail sales on peanut flavored ice cream. Obesity concerns and health trends has pushed manufacturers to launch new products that address the growing trends. (Peot, 2008) Economic factors such as recession affect the buying behavior of consumers and packaging techniques of producers. According to Berry, consumers budget their purchases during slower economic times and prefer to eat ice cream at home. The supermarket sales of ice cream increased because of this purchasing behavior. (Berry, 2009) Supermarket store chains have benefited an increase in sales of their private labels through this change (Ice Cream Going Private Label, 2009). Manufacturers, on the other hand, downsize its packaging due to increased raw material costs and energy expenditures. They have decreased the packaging volume in order to maintain, if not lower, the retail price of their products. (Berry, 2009) The US ice cream market is assessed as highly competitive. ... The market is dominated by three large companies. Unilever, Nestle and Blue Bell Creameries are the three well known companies. (Datamonitor, 2008) Unilever is a diversified company that engaged in global manufacturing and marketing of consumer goods in food, personal and homecare segments. The company generates revenues through different business divisions, one of which is ice cream and beverages. Their ice cream brands include Good Humor, Cornetto, Ben & Jerry's and Breyers. (Datamonitor, 2008) Nestle is engaged in the business of manufacturing and marketing branded food and beverages through six business divisions. One division involves milk products, nutrition and ice cream. The ice cream business carry the brands such as Slow Churned Dreyer's Grand Light, Sveltesse stick, Haagen Dazs and Legend Real Dairy. (Datamonitor, 2008) Blue Bell Creameries is engaged in the production and marketing of ice cream. The company sells its ice cream under the Blue Bell brand and has around 50 different ice cream flavors including Homemade Vanilla, its flagship flavor. (Datamonitor, 2008) Market Segments The ice cream market is fragmented. The segmentation is based on the preference and taste of consumers. The market segment is best categorized below. SEGMENT NAME SEGMENT PROFILE Premium Lovers Indulge in premium and super-premium quality ice creams; non-price sensitive; buy ice cream based on taste and high quality ingredients; prefers foodservice and dining out; mostly adults with higher incomes Wellness Aficionados Only eat ice creams that are labeled reduced fat, low-fat, non-fat or light products; weight conscious eaters; mostly women, prefer to buy based on the health benefits of the product; looks for

Managing Motivation within an Union Setting Essay

Managing Motivation within an Union Setting - Essay Example Also I have tried identify the limitations of the existing practices and further improvements for betterment of work life were suggested. The study of the subject on problems faced by employees in a unionized environment and the need for motivation is of lot of relevance in the present industrial scenario. Especially in U.K where the entire economy of the country is often controlled by powerful unions who define the work approaches to be followed by organizations, often resulting in the slowing down of the economy (Thomas Turner, et al, 2002). Presently however the situation has improved slightly in U.K because of the strong influence of European markets on U.K. economy. Employment relations in U.K, were a victim of improper communication between the stake holders and the stake holders pursuing their own interests rather than the common industry interests. As a result the scene was chaotic and conflicts rose between the Union strongholds, managements of various organizations and the Government. It is almost impossible to single out any part to blame but collectively employment relations suffered greatly, as a result economic growth took the back seat and new employable areas almost vanished. When situation looked grim and almost impossible to repair dramatic changes took place. ... What brought such a sudden change in their attitude is proper dialogue and a establishment of a transparent communication among the stake holders. It is not that there is no communication system previously, They have learnt what are the communication barriers which are hampering the process and they have successfully removed them. In U.S however the situation varies greatly. Because of the difference in social culture and work culture and different work ethics the U.S never really required the presence of unions and hence their presence never really controlled the economy (Helene Mulholland et al, 2007) of U.S nor they had a telling effect in defining work ethics to the managements of organizations. Though unions are meant for supporting the employees cause because many times they are controlling the opportunities and growth opportunities of employees. The call of the day presently in job market is professionalism. Organizations have preferred and are doing so, people with a high degree of professionalism because they expect people with a high degree of professionalism to know their job well and seemingly their efficiency will be better than ordinary employees. Presently opportunities are a plenty for people of high professionalism. Job scenario the present is vastly different from the past in many ways and presently because of the variety and the huge number of opportunities existing employees are often changing their jobs, always on the lookout for a bigger fatter deal( Smitha Gupta & Manisha Agarwal et al, 2007). Previous concepts like safe employment and employee retention for a longer duration are taking backseat. Unions used to play a stellar role in the past to

Critic of A Family Finds Entertainment by Ryan Trecartin Essay

Critic of A Family Finds Entertainment by Ryan Trecartin - Essay Example The genius of the film is not in the plot. The story is generally reflective of a teenager’s life in a highly urbanized environment whose sense of self is driven by consumerism and mass media. It is about a suicidal teenage character named Skippy whose gender is quite difficult to define but easily recognized to be Trecatin (being such, Skippy will be addressed as a boy) being clod in an outlandish costume who started in the film hidden in the second floor bathroom of their home. Skippy was asked and pleaded to come out by family and friends but instead of coming out, indulged in a surreal self assessment in the character of Kafka that drove him to cut himself. The irony was presented with the partying and singing downstairs while Skippy is in a self-mortification mood ready to cut himself/herself up. Strangely, a seashell told him to stop and stop he did. He left home and met a filmmaker but later hit by a car. A band played in electric frenzy followed by fireworks and festiv ity. The idea of the movie was not to conform but rather to challenge which is the genius of the film. ... recatin playing a role of female makes a statement that narration should be gender neutral and characterization should depend on the personality of the characters. This explains the over emphasized dialogues of the characters with Trecatin playing as Skippy and another female character. The construction of the character is not based on physiology but rather on the articulation of its mind. The way it investigate the circumstances and progression of the life of Skippy demonstrates that narration and story-telling can be done in non linear and even unrealistic way. The speech also does not have to taken literally just like Skippy’s seeming existentialist articulation when he was contemplating of suicide. There, it requires the consideration of not just the dialogue of the character but also the accompanying juxtaposition of the character’s body and its facial expression to finally get what the character is saying. This explains why the characters are outlandish because th ey complement the seemingly curt verbiages to complete a full dialogue. To illustrate, one can feel the gravity of the proposition that confounds Skippy when he was attempting to kill himself. Yet, the narration was only a serious of short talk, with series of impressions that were cut short by editing, but we are able to get it when we factored in the facial expression, the altered speech, the unorthodox lingo and body language of Skippy. The message that was delivered by shell or snail for Skippy not to take his life seems Kafkaesque in surrealism, but we get the message clear. Taking the whole context and narration of the film, Trecatin only illustrates that there are other ways of investigating certain phenomena whose story-telling is more contemporary albeit absurd in its presentation but the

Negligence in Sports Injuries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Negligence in Sports Injuries - Essay Example Where sporting events are concerned, the finding of negligence is complicated by the volenti non fit injuria principle, whereby the underlying premise is that those who participate in sports knowing the risks that may exist5, are in effect, consenting to a breach of duty of care and hence negligence claims may not hold good6. For example, in the case of Woolridge v Sumner7 where a spectator was injured, it was held to be the result of an error of judgment rather than negligence. It was also held that liability could be established only when it could be shown that there had been a reckless disregard for the safety of the spectator/s. The notion of "reckless disregard" as laid out by Lord Diplock is inherently based upon the premise that a player acts negligently when he foresees risks and yet proceeds with his actions despite the risk. Reckless disregard thus involves a breach of not only the duty of care owed to prevent a claim of negligence, but also a duty of skill. Thus, in the case of Woolridge, for example, Lord Diplock clarified that when a participant was aware of his lack of skill to perform a sporting feat and the risk his lack of skill might pose to spectators, he would be guilty of negligence to the spectator, if he still goes ahead and performs the act in question8. As a result, while negligence implies the owing of a duty of care, reckless disregard implies the owing of a duty of care and a duty of skill. Reckless disregard is in essence, negligence applied within a sporting context, with a higher threshold to allow for the inherent risks in sports which players voluntarily assume under the volenti fit non injura principle. Reed, in analyzing the judgment rendered in the case of R v Barnes9 has explained how, within the context of sports, reckless disregard occurs when a player inflicts harm or injury maliciously10. A defendant who is "reckless" is one who is able to foresee that there is a risk for bodily harm occurring through his actions and yet, chooses to ignore the risk and continue with the offending act. "Recklessness implies a greater degree of culpability or wrongdoing than negligence" because recklessness amounts to willfully exposing another person to harm and causing injury, rather than it occurring as a result of

Atmospheric Science Essay Example for Free

Atmospheric Science Essay The first being a localised wind shear event caused by rapid cooling and descent of a column of air, the second being the build-up of ice on an aircraft as it flies through certain conditions. Each weather condition is explained in detail, with emphasis on how and why it is dangerous in the context of aviation. Two aircraft crashes, each relating to one of the weather conditions, are analysed and the meteorological factors that led to the crash examined. The official National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) documents are used as a reference. 1. 0 Introduction Meteorological conditions have an obvious influence on aviation and can be extremely hazardous in certain situations. The experience or ability of a pilot can often become irrelevant if the aircraft gets caught in a one of the many dangerous weather phenomena known to cause aviation accidents. Thunderstorms, lightning, wind shear and icing were deemed responsible for downing 4927 general aviation aircraft between 1994-2003 in the USA alone (National Transportation Safety Board, 2004). This report will focus primarily on two weather phenomena; Microbursts (Wet/Dry) and Aircraft Icing. Each meteorological condition will be explained in detail and an example of an aviation accident relating to the two types of weather condition will be analysed. 2. 0 Microburst A microburst is a rapidly descending column of air generally caused by a temperature differential associated with rain clouds. Tetsuya Fujita, a leading weather expert, defines a microburst as ‘affecting an area less then 4km in diameter’, separating a microburst from the more common ‘wind shear’, which generally affects far larger areas. Cool air descends beneath cloud cover, accelerating towards the ground before spreading linearly outward, resulting in localised high wind speeds in a radial pattern, with damage converging on the point of initial contact with the ground (see Figure. 1). For airliners and smaller aircraft alike, microbursts pose a significant threat especially at take-off and landing. Sudden and drastic variance in vertical/horizontal wind speed due to microbursts has been attributed to at least 59 general aviation crashes in the period between 1994 and 2003 (NTSB, 2004). Figure 1: The rapidly moving cold air hits the ground and spreads out horizontally. These phenomena can last anywhere between a few seconds and several minutes. Sudden wind gusts of up to 270km/h have been recorded as a direct result of microbursts. A microburst develops in three distinct phases: 1. Downburst: A body of air underneath a cloud is cooled by precipitation or virga (rain that evaporates before hitting the ground) and begins to descend. This downdraft accelerates and eventually makes contact with the ground. 2. Outburst: Having hit the ground, the air spreads out horizontally, driven by the column of air descending behind it. 3. Cushion: The air that is in contact with the ground begins to slow due to friction while the air above continues to push down and accelerate outward. Microbursts can be further categorized into ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ varieties. A wet microburst is produced as a result of warm and humid air being suddenly cooled. Precipitation or hail cools the column of air through which it is falling, resulting in a downdraft and subsequent outburst of wet air. A wet microburst is partially driven by the downward frictional force of the falling precipitation and therefore relies on a high saturation level in order to form. These microbursts are generally easy to spot as strong shafts of precipitation can be seen hitting the ground and then spreading horizontally. Dry microbursts on the other hand are generally caused by virga underneath high level cumulus clouds with little to no surface precipitation. Moisture in and underneath these clouds cools an otherwise dry and warm column of air to a point where the temperature differential creates enough negative buoyancy to begin the downburst phase. Both wet and dry microbursts depend on mid-level moisture, the adiabatic lapse rate in the sub-cloud layer and relative humidity at ground level (Wakimoto, 985). These variables are complicated to model and forecast, making microbursts extremely difficult to predict. This poses a particular risk to aircraft at lower altitudes as dry microbursts can occur in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) with little to no warning, resulting in loss of control due to sudden crosswind or severe increase/decrease in lift due to either headwind of tailwind (depending on direction of flight relative to the microburst). The smaller scale of microbursts translates to much steeper wind shear gradients and therefore a much more hazardous situation then standard wind shear. 2. 1 Crash Analysis (Dry Microburst) On 24th July 2005 a single-engine Beach N35 was destroyed shortly after take-off from Salt Lake City municipal airport, Utah. All three passengers on board at the time sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash (NTSB Incident DEN05FA114, 2005). The aircraft was found to be approximately 50kg over normal operating weight, but still within maximum parameters. According to the NTSB investigation, both the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger had checked the local weather briefing from the flight services station, and believing there to be minimal risk, proceeded to attempt take-off. Witnesses in the area reported that the plane took off without incident but stalled during climb approximately 150ft above the ground. The plane then rolled sharply, lost altitude and impacted with terrain within the aerodrome boundary. Autopsy results from the passengers ruled out any edical cause for the crash and mechanical failure was ruled out based on witness reports and examination of the wreckage. At the time of the crash, the local weather briefing included a warning for high level thunderstorms in the area; however weather data confirmed the complete absence of precipitation and minimal wind until the time of the accident. The NTSB report states that conditions were extremely favourable for the formation of dry microbursts, and goes on to state the cra sh was likely caused by ‘a dry microburst from high level thunderstorms in the area’ (NTSB Probable Cause Report DEN05FA114, 2006). Although the conditions did not seem dangerous based on weather briefings and pilot judgement, an unexpected microburst occurred in the area of the aerodrome during take-off. This likely caused a sudden increase in tailwind, stalling the aircraft and resulting in loss of height and eventual collision with the ground (See Figure 2). There is very little the pilot could have done in this situation as there was no real warning of this event occurring. This crash is a prime example of the unpredictability and hazardous nature of microbursts. Figure 2: Impact of microburst on aircraft during take-off. (Cotton, W. R, 2010). 3. 0 Aircraft Icing Icing can be a major issue for aircraft of all sizes/types and according to the NTSB, resulted in 350 general aviation accidents between 1994-2003 (NTSB, 2004). Icing will only occur in specific meteorological conditions where the atmosphere contains droplets of supercooled liquid water which will instantly form ice crystals upon contact with an aircraft. The likelihood of icing is defined quantitatively by the average droplet size, Liquid Water Content (LWC) and local atmospheric temperature. This makes icing conditions fairly straightforward to forecast given adequate weather recording systems in the area. Most aircraft are not rated to fly in known icing conditions and local weather services are obligated to warn against flying into such situations. Icing can occur in a number of ways on an aircraft. The most common is structural icing, where ice crystals form on the exterior surfaces of the aircraft. This can cause a considerable decrease in performance as the ice adds weight and inhibits the flow of air over the wing. Severe icing can also restrict movement of control surfaces and cause a pilot to lose control. Icing can also affect engine performance through carburettor or inlet icing. Icing, accelerated by the venturi effect as humid air enters the air inlet, can impede airflow and restrict the mechanical workings within the carburettor (See Figure 3). Fuel-injected systems, although not directly susceptible to carburettor icing, can still suffer from air intake icing which can slow down or completely block airflow into the engine. This can have a negative impact on engine performance and eventually lead to loss of engine function. Figure 3: Build up of Icing in Induction System (Civil Aviation Authority, 2000) According to the Terry T. Lankford in his book ‘Aircraft Icing: A Pilot’s Guide’ (1999) there are several different types of icing that can occur on an aircraft, all of which have the potential to hamper sustained flight: * Clear Ice: Supercooled liquid droplets strike the aircraft and then slowly freeze into large ice formations that can protrude out from the aircraft. * Rime Ice: Supercooled liquid droplets strike the aircraft and freeze instantly into a thin layer of ice that coats the exterior of the aircraft. Runback Ice: Droplets strike the aircraft and collect in unprotected areas of the aircraft, forming solid areas of ice that can hamper the free movement of control surfaces. * SLD Ice: Super-cooled Large Droplet ice forms when above-average size droplets strike the aircraft and freeze in a similar way to Clear Ice. This icing can occur very quickly and form large ice crystal s anywhere on the aircraft. Icing can be avoided by simply not flying into the meteorological conditions known to produce ice. However, many aircraft manufacturers include anti-icing systems that can be used in-flight in the event of unexpected icing. External surfaces can be heated by routing engine gases through ducts in the structure of the aircraft or via electrical heating. Another method is the use of ‘deicing boots’. These consist of a sealed rubber membrane stretched over the leading edge of a wing, which can inflate pneumatically in flight and break the ice off the aircraft. A more drastic method in some larger aircraft is an anti-icing fluid distribution system, which delivers fluid directly to areas where icing is occurring via tubes and spray nozzles. Within the air inlet, exhaust gases are rerouted or carburettor heat applied to minimise icing. In many aircraft, an alternate air inlet is also available in the event of complete blockage. Extreme icing can contribute to the crash of an aircraft by reducing performance to the point where sustained flight becomes impossible. Structural or carburettor icing, or in some cases a combination of the two, is a dangerous situation for any pilot if the correct actions are not taken to avoid an accident. 3. 1 Crash Analysis (Icing) On 16th of February 2007 a twin-engine Cessna 340A crashed into a snowy mountainside 3nm South-Southeast of Council Bluffs Municipal Airport, Iowa. At the time of the crash Night Instrument Meteorological conditions prevailed in the area. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash. NTSB records indicate that the pilot had obtained the local weather briefing, which stated the possibility of ‘moderate icing’ and ‘moderate turbulence’ in the area. This was confirmed by other pilots and witnesses, who had reported icing below 9000ft earlier in the day. The Current Icing Potential (CIP) for the area was recorded as being a ‘70% probability of severe icing between 9000ft and 3000ft’ (NTSB Probable Cause Report CHI07FA073). As such, the aircraft likely encountered severe icing and possibly wind shear on descent, resulting in loss of control and subsequent collision with the ground. The aircraft, a 1977 Cessna 340A, was equipped with inflatable deicing boots to prevent major icing on the leading edge of the wings. However, post-crash analysis of the wreckage reported that the system had either not been deployed or was not functioning correctly during the flight prior to the crash. In this case, the pilot failed to acknowledge the potential for icing and take the proper precautions in conditions that had been determined very likely to produce severe aircraft icing. The accident occurred at night in low visibility conditions, further hampering the pilot’s ability to safely land the aircraft. It is clear that icing is at least partially responsible for the accident, with icing on the external surfaces and air inlets likely contributing to the eventual crash. The accident occurred at night in low visibility conditions, further hampering the pilot’s ability to safely land the aircraft. The accident was probably avoidable if the weather warnings had been acknowledged and the planned rote revised to minimise the risk of icing. 4. 0 Conclusion Both of these meteorological conditions, as well as all other hazardous weather phenomena, can be extremely hazardous if weather warnings are ignored or proper actions taken to minimise risk while flying. In some cases these conditions cannot be accurately predicted, and the responsibility therefore falls onto the pilot to determine whether it is safe to fly in the area.

Uncertainty in Modernism: Family, Identity and Work

Uncertainty in Modernism: Family, Identity and Work Life is more uncertain now than it was in the early 1950s. Discuss this claim. Introduction This assignment will investigate the claim that life is more uncertain now than it was in the early 1950s. Beginning with a brief description of the climate of the 1950s the assignment will then look at three areas, work and welfare, the family, and identity. In doing this the assignment will draw only on material supplied for the module. Post-war Britain was quite different to what we see today. In the early 1950s there was still considerable war damage and so the Government had introduced massive building programmes to make sure that people had adequate housing. The welfare state had been introduced in the years immediately following the war. Based on the notions that the (predominantly male) workforce would enjoy full employment, and that ‘traditionl’ family life would continue, the Government claimed that it would be able to look after its citizens from the cradle to the grave. They were overly idealistic in their views and in the last fifty years Britain has witnessed massive changes in the areas of work and welfare. There have also been changes in family structures and this has had corresponding implications for peoples’ identities. Work and Welfare During the Second World War, and in the years after, people felt that they were secure in their employment. In industry particularly working class men had been conditioned to the view that if they worked hard then they would have a job for life.[1] This was not to say that ordinary people earned a lot of money, they didn’t. Normally sons and daughters would follow in father’s and mother’s footsteps once they left school, In the early 1950s Britain was a stratified society and people did not often move from one class to another. The class into which a person was born therefore was very often the one in which they stayed and this had implications for their life chances in other areas. People did not have the choices that they have nowadays few women went out to work and it was the father’s responsibility to go out and earn money to support his family.[2] There were some uncertainties of course for families who were reliant on one wage. Traditional areas of e mployment are being eroded as the number of industries has declined and more people are taking jobs in areas that were previously seen as women’s work. Nowadays both the man and his wife may be working. They might work full time, part-time, or rely on state benefits. In some households it is a mixture of things.[3] Hutton (1999)[4] maintains that the diverse sources of employment can in themselves be sources of uncertainty because in some areas (agency temping for example) people may not know whether they will have work from one week’s end to the next. This creates divisions between those families who have alternative sources of employment the ‘work rich’[5], and those whose suitability for different types of employment is limited. Such changes in employment patterns affect not only the traditional working classes but also the middle classes. In the early 1950s young middle class men could expect a secure career with a steady climb up the ladder, that is n ot the case today. Many people face redundancies, followed by the hard searching for a new job, in some cases they may find themselves dependent on state benefits for considerable periods.[6] Such changes may also have an effect on a couple’s marriage and if this ends in divorce then both people could be worse off. The wife may find herself looking for work after having been out of the labour market for some years because she was caring for children. This gets worse the further down the income scale a family is. In the past labourers and industrial workers may not have had as much job security as their middle class counterparts because some of them became unfit for work before retirement age. People did have some security however. Nowadays people can end up reliant on state benefits over a very long period and this can result in social exclusion where they are unable to fully participate in society (Mackintosh and Mooney, 2004)[7]. Changing employment patterns have, in many c ases, led to changing roles in society and this has had implications for people’s sense of identity. Identity Mercer (1990) argues that modern society is characterised by diversity and uncertainty and that this has corresponding implications for people’s identities.[8] Changing gender roles and more women in the workplace have resulted in changes in people’s sense of self. In addition to this as Mercer has highlighted Post-War immigration along with rapid social and technological change has brought with it n increasing focus on contemporary eacialised and ehtnicised identities.[9] This mixing of people’s new identities along with older ones contributes to the sense of uncertainty that many people feel is a feature of modern life.[10] Identities are relational, thus blackness is seen in its relationship to whiteness and vice versa. This has led to what have been termed hybrid identities where people draw on different cultural heritages. Social trends such s the greater exclusion of ethnic minorities from better paid jobs and decent standards of living point to the fact th at the social structure in the UK is permeated with racialisation and ethnicisation where people are seen only in terms of their skin colour and ethnicity.[11] These structures in turn, affect people’s identities because they prevent them from becoming something other than that which society has defined. On the other hand changes in society affect social structures which in turn affect people’s identities in myriad ways. Because identities are no longer fixed they are a source of continuing uncertainty. This uncertainty leads to further changes in the social structure. Contemporary people’s identities are unsettled because the changes mentioned above tend to cross ethnic boundaries. For example the changing role of women and their greater inclusion in the labour market has affected not only women’s and men’s identities, it has also led to changes in family structures. The Family Nowadays there seems to be considerable concern over what is termed the traditional family. In the papers and on television journalists are increasingly expressing concern for the death of what they call traditional family values. Critics raise the subject of cohabitation, divorce, same sex marriage, and the increasing number of lone parent households, and regularly pose the question of what is happening to British society. Mooney et al (2004) have said of this that it results in contemporary family life being viewed with a mixture of ‘fear and fascination.’[12] There is widespread concern that the changes we are witnessing in family structure will lead to wider social problems and may have troubling implications for the individuals involved.[13] This raises the question of whether such changes should be viewed with pessimism or whether they are simply a result of the different ways that people order their lives in response to changes in society. Will these changes resul t in changes in patriarchal society or will they serve to further strengthen masculine power and supremacy? Although family roles and responsibilities are changing, for example women are no longer viewed primarily in terms of their housewife role, nor men as the family breadwinner, the family is still a widely accepted concept.[14] It is becoming increasingly difficult to refer to the traditional family without making reference to the past, what some people term, ‘the golden age of the family’.[15]Numbers of people have questioned whether there was such a thing or whether it is an ideological form that served a certain period of society. Conclusion It has been claimed that life is more uncertain now than it was in the early 1950s. Certainly Britain has seen considerable changes in the last fifty years. The welfare state was presaged on notions of full employment which did not foresee the changes that would take place as the result of new technologies. Change does cause uncertainty but that does not mean that it is necessarily a bad thing. Harking back to the early 1950s as a sort of golden age is wrong. History shows that societies that do not change and are not prepared to go forward eventually die out, change may not always be easy and this can result in uncertainty, but worrying about it will not stop progress. Bibliography Block 1 (6) (3) Block 3 (3) (2) Block 1 (8) (4) Block 3(1) (2) Hutton 1999 cited in Block 3 (3) (2) Mercer 1990 cited in Block 1 (8) (4) Mackintosh and Mooney 2004 cited in Block 3 (1) (2) 1 Footnotes [1] Block 1 (6) (3) see page 153 [2] Block 3 (3) (2) see page 78 [3] Page 78 ibid [4] Cited on page 78 ibid [5] Block 3 (3) 2 page 78 [6]ibid [7] ibid [8] Cited in Block 1 (8) (4) page 130 [9] ibid [10] Ibid page 131 [11] ibid [12] Block 3(1) (2) page 46 [13] ibid [14] ibid [15] Ibid page 47

A Study On Data Protection Act Social Policy Essay

A Study On Data Protection Act Social Policy Essay For the sake of this unit, I must undertake an activity which will be to the benefit to one of our service participants. I must discuss the processes of this activity at every stage with this individual. Throughout this paper I shall also refer to our service participant as Dan and our service as â€Å"the Group†.   This is not the real name of our client or our group. By doing this I am complying with our organisations policy of confidentiality. This policy was designed to conform to the (ref 1) Data Protection Act of 1998. This Act ensures client confidentiality and any information written about a client is accurate, truthful and any opinions are objective, substantiated by factual evidence. The Act also allows the individual to make a formal application to see the information held on them by the Group. To identify a task which would benefit one of our service participants I had numerous thorough discussions with the manager of the Group. This was to ensure that any task u ndertaken complied with our organisations constitution which concentrates on social inclusion of adults with learning disabilities and the activity is risk assessed. We then went on to identify an individual who would enjoy and benefit from this activity. The activity I have decided upon is to support Dan to make a piece of African art that can be exhibited at our Malawi Awareness fund raising evening with others from the art group. I will give him choice in deciding what type of art he would like to make, through supplying a choice of materials and source materials. Giving Dan choices and the right to free expression complies with the (Ref A) Human Rights Act 1998. There is no widely accepted definition of a learning disability and there is an ongoing debate of the definition. However, there are certain factors that are agreed upon. Those with a learning disability have difficulties with educational success and growth. An uneven pattern of their human development is noticeable   i.e. physical, perceptual, educational and language developments.(Ref 2)[i] The NHS and Community Care Act of 1990(Ref B), implemented in 1993 saw the closure of institutions. This saw the movement of adults with learning disabilities to being cared for in the community, either by their own families or in small supported housing being cared for by the voluntary sector or social work department. (Ref 3)[ii] â€Å"The Same as You† strategy of 2000 by the Scottish executive is committed to providing fairness, equality and social inclusion for adults with learning disabilities. As a result of this strategy the local community set up the â€Å"Group† to provide socialisation to help with social inclusion of adults with learning disabilities through one to one befriending and group activities. Dan lived within a nuclear family unit where he was given the basic human requirements of food, shelter, clothing, love and socialisation to live until the age of 6. He then moved into a local institution until 1995.   With the help of his family, until the age of 6 he was able to meet the bottom three stages as seen in Maslow`s hierarchy of needs pyramid.(Ref4) Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was a humanist psychologist who developed this model between the 1940s and 1950`s in the USA. This model consisted of five stages. He stated that we are all motivated by need. He stated that we must satisfy these needs in turn, starting with the first. The first stage is the biological and,the second need is that of security, the third need is belonging and love, the fourth need is esteem and the fifth need is self actualisation which is realising personal potential. Within his family unit Dan, as sociologist Talcott Parsons(1923-1979) as cited in (Ref5[iii]) will have gained his primary socialisation and emotional stability. After the death of his elderly mother Dan relied totally on his elderly father for any continued socialisation out with the institution. Dan`s development was affected by being institutionalised he now has no social skills, no road work skills and has had no form of education. After 1995, when the government strategies of closing large institutions were implemented, Dan was given a home within supported accommodation as his father had become disabled. These strategies of closing large institutions came about as a result of the implementation of the NHS and Community Care Act of 1990 and the Human Rights Act of 1998. After being institutionalised Dan did not like to go out unless his father was with him and tended not to interact with anyone when introduced. He suffers from anxiety attacks and gets agitated when his routine changes and when in a large group situation. When with more than two people he must be able to sit on his own or at the end of a row. He does not like feeling hemmed in. He is unable to read or write and has difficulty making a decision; therefore, he can only be given limited choices. Dan`s behaviour may be explained by the theories of (Ref 6) J.B. Watson (1878-1958) who created   the term behaviourism and believed that all behaviour is learned, that it happened by association and is also determined by the surroundings. Watson showed this in the Little Albert experiment. His anxiety attacks, behaviourists claim, is a consequence of negative reinforcement, when Dan comes across a situation which makes him anxious, Dan is liable to become nervous and steer clear of the particular circumstances.  Ã‚   The avoidance behavior is negatively reinforced and the anxiety is maintained. Suddenly having his environment changed from a loving home to an impersonal institution may well have contributed to his current behavioural problems. Lev Vygotsky and Russian cognitive psychologist believed that development was guided by culture and interpersonal communication with significant adults. Being institutionalised will have reduced Dan`s chances of having regular important co mmunication with a significant adult. Vygotsky stated that to learn a range of tasks that are too difficult on their own, a child must be shown or guided by someone who is more knowledgeable. This became known as the â€Å"Zone of proximal development†. In the care setting where Dan spent his life, the chances of a child being challenged to learn new skills would have been diminished or non-existent. Vygotsky was the first to observe that social isolation caused a delay in both social and cognitive development. While(Ref 7) Martin E.P. Seligman an American psychologist in 1965 accidentally discovered learned helplessness, a behaviour resulting from an person`s apparent hopelessness over life events. Learned helplessness is common amongst those who have been institutionalised and behaviourists believe that it can also be unlearned. Dan was introduced to join the â€Å"Group† by his father in an attempt to increase his social circle and confidence by one to one befriending. Dan would have been assessed at his initial assessment by a member of the Group staff. He would have been asked a number of questions using PIES to establish what his Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social needs were.   This information would have been put into his activity plan which we use instead of a Care Plan. As under the NHS and Community Care (Scotland) Act 1990 everyone is entitled to a care plan. Dan will have such a plan set up by the social work department. To increase his social circle as requested by his father, we included him in a number of activities which has expanded his scope of social activity and made him less isolated. Dan was rather introverted and shy but through one to one befriending I found that the activity he was most interested in was painting. I mentor at the art group which helps adults with le arning disabilities gain new skills, gain confidence, improve self esteem, socialisation and self actualisation through creativity. By doing the proposed activity I hope to help Dan improve the fourth stage of Maslow`s hierarchy of needs, of esteem.(Ref 8)Carl Rogers (1902-1987) the Humanist psychologiststressed the importance of creativity in making us able to attain our full potential. Creativity and producing art is healing, rehabilitating, life enhancing as well as satisfying. Although this will be a group activity I shall be concentrating on Dan for this unit. I have used and will continue to use the task-centred model in planning this exercise; this is a short-term problem solving approach. This had five phases- Problem Identification (assessment), Agreement, Planning goals, Achieving Tasks and Evaluation. Here, the client takes concrete action to solve the problem. The Initial interview or phase allowed Dan to express his need to have more confidence when in a room with more people in order to be able to enjoy more activities. He wants to complete a painting and to be present at its exhibition. To achieve these goals, we will agree on the steps and tasks that will allow Dan to attain his goal. We will emphasise the tasks that will be required to be completed to allow Dan to exhibit his work of art and agree on timescales for the tasks. Other interviews will take place to ensure that we are on track and that Dan still feels safe and confident doing the a greed tasks, if not we will look at other options available to us. After discussing and getting the agreement of my manager I spoke to Dan in comfortable and quiet surroundings, to discuss my proposals.   I asked Dan to sit down where I used the SOLER techniques to aid in communication. Using the SOLER theory I used the five basic components used in communication. I sat squarely on at the table turned towards one another. I adopted an open posture. I sat so that we had regular but varied eye contact and that Dan could see my facial expressions and gestures to aid in communication. This also let him know that I was involved in the situation. I leaned forward slightly to convey to him that I was interested and committed to actively listen to him. For this activity my aims and objectives are to: To ensure Dan is included in the process of planning this activity. To help Dan increase his confidence and show his creativity. To ensure that he feels safe, secure and comfortable during the production and exhibition of his art work. To have him exhibit a piece of art work, along with other art group participants, influenced by Africa and or Malawi. He has never exhibited his work before in an organised exhibition. Agree timescales for what we want to achieve. Planning: I will ensure that enough art materials, resource materials and paper are available for Dan to use. These will be available from the art cupboard. . Dan and I shall discuss how to mount his art work, which colour and type of mount board to use. We shall discuss where to position his art work on the selected wall. His art work will be completed within an art group setting over a 2hr period one week prior to our evening. I will ask staff members and volunteers to become part of art sessions with Dan and give each person a time and date to come along to the sessions prior to the exhibition as a slow introduction to an increase in group numbers. All of these activities will take place at â€Å"the Group† premises where I am confident that I am able to keep Dan safe. He is familiar with this space and feels secure here. Under the (Ref 9) Regulation of care Act (Scotland) 2001Dan has a right to feel safe and secure. I will do Risk Assessments at all activities as this complies with the(Ref C) Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The exhibition will take place on May 20th2010. REFERENCES. Reference 1 : Data Protection Act 1998. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/Acts1998/ukpga_19980029_en_1 Reference 2 : http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/learning_disabilities.shtml#What is a learning disability? [ii] Reference3: The Same as You† strategy of 2000.http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ldsr/docs/tsay-01.asp [iii]Reference 4: Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Sociology of Family. In: Heinemann HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 88-89. Reference 5: Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Sociology of Family. In: Heinemann HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 124 -125. Reference 6: Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009). Sociology of Family. In: Heinemann HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 84. Reference 7: Elizabeth Bingham +. (2009)Working with People who have Learning Disabilities. In: Heinemann HNC in Social Care. Edinburgh: Heinemann. 266. Reference 8: Cathy A. Malchiodi. (2007). Creativity- Drawing on Process. In: McGraw-Hill Art therapy Sourcebook. 2nd Ed. New York USA: McGraw-Hill. 65. Reference 9:Regulation of care Act(Scotland) 2001http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2001/asp_20010008_en_1 Reference A:The Human Rights Act 1998:http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980042_en_1: Reference B : NHS and Community Care Act 1990 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1990/ukpga_19900019_en_1 Reference e C: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 :http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm Reference e D:Biza Stenfert Kroese+. (1997) Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for People with Learning Disabilities: Routeledge.

Hemophilia Essay -- essays research papers

Hemophilia is a sex-linked hereditary bleeding disorder in which it takes a long time for the blood to clot and abnormal bleeding occurs. It is a hereditary blood coagulation disorder caused by a deficient activity of plasma protein factor thirteen and nine, which affects the clotting property of blood. A coagulation disorder is a disorder associated with platelets- blood cells essential for blood clotting. The platelets don't function properly in the body of hemophiliacs. There are two types of hemophilia: hemophilia A and hemophilia B. This disease affects mostly males.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hemophilia A is the most common. Other names for it are classical hemophilia, and factor thirteen deficiency hemophilia. The bleeding disorder is caused by an inherited sex-linked recessive trait with the defective gene located on the X chromosome. The X chromosome refers to sex-linked. The recessive inheritance refers to the fact that the trait, hemophilia, is expressed only when the defective form of the gene alone is present. Females have two X chromosomes for their sex chromosomes. They must carry the defective gene on both to have hemophilia. They must have it on one to carry it, and are then able to pass it on to their offspring. Males have X and Y chromosomes for their sex chromosomes. They only have one X chromosome, therefore only require a single dose of the defective gene to express the deficiency. Fifty percent of the male offspring of female carriers have the dise...

Depression in Teenagers Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Depression in Teenagers As a teenager, I have experienced depression countless number of times. Many times, I just feel sad, and other times, I feel like the world is not worth living in. Innumerable incidents also have occurred where some of my friends get badly depressed. Since many of my friends would try to talk to me about how they feel when they are depressed, I see a lot the pain and dejection they are going through. Through these experiences, depression began to scare me because of how inferior and worthless it can make a person feel, and where these low feelings would lead to. I realized that depression should not be allowed to dominate a person’s life as it would slowly eat him away. I felt I had to find out what depression really is, what causes it, and most of all, how to deal with it. There are two main types of depression: minor depression and major depression. First of all, minor depression is the type of depression that is encountered most in our lives. It is usually preceded by problems such as adverse relationships, doing badly in school, or the loss of a job. In minor depression, people feel sad and anxious, cry, or are pessimistic. Second, major depression is a type of abnormal depression that might occur when a person experiences trauma such as having a loved one pass away. It can also occur when a person has hormonal imbalances or abuses drugs. In addition to what people feel in minor depression, people in major depression feel helpless and guilty, have insomnia, are lethargic and lose self-esteem. The causes of depression are not clear-cut, but the biochemistry of the brain, the environment, and personality all seem to have an effect on how prone a person is to depression.... ...d gets depressed, I have also learned that there are ways to help ease him out of depression. Through my various experiences with depression in others and myself, I believe that many people are ignorant or badly misinformed about depression. Even though depressed people tend to block out sound reasoning to wallow in disconsolation or anger, some knowledge of depression would help them get out of depression. Works Cited Bootzin, Richard R., Gordon H. Bower, Jennifer Crocker, and Elizabeth Hall. â€Å"Personality, Abnormality, and Adjustment.† Psychology Today: An Introduction. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1991. p. 547-550. Cush, Cathie. â€Å"Feeling Bad.† Teen Hotline: Depression. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers,1994. p. 32-36. Goleman, Daniel. â€Å"The Cost of Emotional Illiteracy.† Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books, 1996. p. 274-283. Depression in Teenagers Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers Depression in Teenagers As a teenager, I have experienced depression countless number of times. Many times, I just feel sad, and other times, I feel like the world is not worth living in. Innumerable incidents also have occurred where some of my friends get badly depressed. Since many of my friends would try to talk to me about how they feel when they are depressed, I see a lot the pain and dejection they are going through. Through these experiences, depression began to scare me because of how inferior and worthless it can make a person feel, and where these low feelings would lead to. I realized that depression should not be allowed to dominate a person’s life as it would slowly eat him away. I felt I had to find out what depression really is, what causes it, and most of all, how to deal with it. There are two main types of depression: minor depression and major depression. First of all, minor depression is the type of depression that is encountered most in our lives. It is usually preceded by problems such as adverse relationships, doing badly in school, or the loss of a job. In minor depression, people feel sad and anxious, cry, or are pessimistic. Second, major depression is a type of abnormal depression that might occur when a person experiences trauma such as having a loved one pass away. It can also occur when a person has hormonal imbalances or abuses drugs. In addition to what people feel in minor depression, people in major depression feel helpless and guilty, have insomnia, are lethargic and lose self-esteem. The causes of depression are not clear-cut, but the biochemistry of the brain, the environment, and personality all seem to have an effect on how prone a person is to depression.... ...d gets depressed, I have also learned that there are ways to help ease him out of depression. Through my various experiences with depression in others and myself, I believe that many people are ignorant or badly misinformed about depression. Even though depressed people tend to block out sound reasoning to wallow in disconsolation or anger, some knowledge of depression would help them get out of depression. Works Cited Bootzin, Richard R., Gordon H. Bower, Jennifer Crocker, and Elizabeth Hall. â€Å"Personality, Abnormality, and Adjustment.† Psychology Today: An Introduction. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1991. p. 547-550. Cush, Cathie. â€Å"Feeling Bad.† Teen Hotline: Depression. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers,1994. p. 32-36. Goleman, Daniel. â€Å"The Cost of Emotional Illiteracy.† Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books, 1996. p. 274-283.

Essay --

There is 317,327,804 million citizens in the United States as of 8:05pm on January 6th, 2014 (U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base). 37.4% of the United States population lives in the South, 23.5% live in the West, 21.4% in the Midwest and the final 17.7% live in the Northeast (U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base). Given the fact that the United States is the best country in the world, it is also one of the biggest. 82.3% of the population live a long way from the White House. Before the 1950s, and the development of the internet and media, it was more difficult to influence a political party to focus on certain issues from thousands of miles away. Those citizens didn't have the technological advancements that modern America have such as T.V., E-mail, and even Twitter. Newspapers were only a sufficient way of getting news a crossed the country. The average population in the 1940s that are significantly far from the White House was 75% (U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base). With the creation of linkage institutions in America, that 75% was provided the link they strived for to voice their opinion and play their part. The United States is run under democracy and a democracy depends for its very livelihood on the consequential contacts between the government and the people. The Founding Fathers of the United States destined for the members of Congress to provide the link between government and the citizens. On of the founders, James Madison explains that public views are enhanced and refined â€Å"by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country..." (Federalist #10). â€Å"In our Modern American Government, each House member represents almos... ...r office, public officials' activities, and the public service announcement of the day through television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet. The media's power to shape the American mind has often been criticized, but it also allows people to give feedback to the government† (Steve Jobs). Being able to have free media and paid media, the press is able to swing voters by informing them what issues are important at any given time. While there is a wide spread belief that they media is bias to either the right of the left, it should be less of a concern to the public because the media is largely unsuccessful in shaping opinion but it also allows people to give feedback to the government. Equally, the media is affected by the government, who is able to use the media as a political instrument by furthering the political views of whatever power is currently in office.

Influence on the General Motors Corporation Essay

This report analyzes the primary internal and external influence on the General Motors Corporation and the influence of changing political environment on policy making and response of the corporation. Then the report discusses the changing political environment in and its influence. The influences of political environment on policies and decision making to the corporation are analyzed. The corporation response to the political environment changing is critically evaluated. At last, some improvement suggestion for the corporation in the response of the changing political environment is demonstrated. IntroductionGeneral Motors Corporation is the largest automobile manufactures in the world. The corporation, which is located in Detroit, employs more than 260 millions people and sells cars and trucks in about 35 countries. The corporation has a dominant influence in automobile market in the United States and other developed market such as the United Kingdom, Canada and so on. The corporation also enjoys a large market share in the rapid growing market of developing countries such as China and Brazil. However, the corporation is in face of changing internal and external environment. Discussion and AnalysisIn the first part of the report, the primary internal and external influence is analyzed following the SWOT Matrix, which is a modern tool for analysis of internal and external environment. In the SWOT Matrix, the S stands for strengths, W for weaknesses, O for opportunities, and T for threats. The strengths and weaknesses are the analysis of internal influence while the opportunities and threats stand for the influence of external environments. In the following part of the report, the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that have influence of the organization is discussed one by one. Internal influence: Strengths This section analyzes the internal strengths of the corporation. The General Motors are rich in brands and product lines. The General Motors Corporation acquired and mergers many brands and auto companies in the early stage of its history. The General Motors Corporation acquired Buick and Oldsmobile after it is founded. Then it brought Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland and so on. As a result, the corporation owns many brands  which are fit for different segmented markets. Comparing to Ford’s only providing black Model T cars in the early years the General Motors Corporation provides various models, colors and brands for different markets. For example, the practical and economical Chevrolet are designed for entry level consumers, the Buick are make for middle class buyer and luxury Cadillac for high end consumers. (Warell, 2008) The advantage of multi brands strategy is to satisfy the needs and wants of different group of consumers to enter more segmented markets. The multi brands make GM a giant automaker and enjoys large market share. The General Motors Corporation has the strength that it governs the advance technology and has an influencing power in the distribution channel. The General Motors Corporation has developed for a century since it is founded in 1908. During the time, the technology and channel influence is accumulating and increasing. The technology is of great importance in the motor industry, but the technology accumulating needs a long period. The General Motors Corporation now governs the advanced technology that it can make more sophisticated automobiles which are more durable, more safety, and have a rapider speed. On the other hand, the General Motors Corporation has a dominant power in the distribution channel. The General Motors Corporation has been the top automobile manufacturer for a long time accordingly it has a strong bargaining power in the distribution channel. The corporation can distribute it product in the United States and all around the world. The technology and distribution chan nel can be a great assistant in the further development of the organization. Internal influence: Weaknesses This section analyzes the internal weaknesses of the corporation. One of the most significant weaknesses is that the cost of production is too high. The Japanese automakers such as Toyota are dangerous competitors for the General Motors Corporation and the have scrambled for quite a large part of market shares if the GM in America and the global markets. The Japanese competitors cut down the cost tremendously by lean production. However, the production cost is still high in the General Motors Corporation. And the inefficiency of production cause the high price of its automobiles and the market share shrinks accordingly.  (Coffey, 2005) Especially in face of the financial crisis, the General Motors Corporation has much to learn form lean production to cut down its production prices. The bureaucratic culture is another weakness in the corporation. The General Motors Corporation employs more than 260 millions staff, which composes a huge and complex organization. The General Motors Corporation had taken the lead in organization. For example, the corporation had injected into matrix organization that combined the functional and project patterns of department in the same corporation in early years. The General Motors Corporation also organized with strategic business unit that classified products and product lines in the same independent business department in ahead of other corporations. The decentralization makes each department a profit centre. However, after ages of development the departments and business units concerns more on their own benefits and become bureaucratic. The well defined division of departments and united became deficiency and resistance to change. Formal and informal networks formed in the corporation. The bureaucratic culture is accumulating and hander the further development of the corporation. External influence: Opportunities This section analyzes the external opportunities of the corporation. The emerging markets of developing countries provide a great opportunity for the General Motors Corporation. The market of developed countries is fully covered and closed to saturation in the modern days. For example, in the United States there are two cars in a family in average so the market can not keep a rapid growing rate. On the country, market in developing countries shows their potential. The sales volume in China and Brazil is second only to the market of the United States. Many international automaker groups are scrambling for these markets. The large and potential markets of developing countries will provide opportunities for the corporation. The achievement in technology is a great opportunities for the General Motors Corporation. The technology makes breakthrough achievement in fields of information, manufacturing, fuel and so on. The advance of information  technology and implementation of management information system make it possible to collect and analysis accurate data and information all around the huge organization. The computers and instant communication tool help the corporation to organize and manage the supply chain. The new methods in manufacturing, such as lean production, can increase the efficiency of production while cutting down the cost. The leading edge achievement on fuel and new energy engine can promote the upgrade of automobiles. The General Motors Corporation is huge enough to afford the cost of R&D center and the implement of new technology, which in turn can raise the competency of the corporation. (Sengi et al, 2004) External influence: Threats This section analyzes the external threats of the corporation. The increasingly growing price of petroleum is a threat to the General Motors Corporation. On the one hand, consumers turn to other transport tools when they can not afford the high petro price. On the other hand, they want to purchase energy saving automobiles. Many products of the General Motors Corporation are large in size and heavy in weight and they are high fuel consumption motors. The fluctuation of oil price has a negative effect on the sales volume of the automobile of the General Motors Corporation. Some political affaires such as wars and conflictions in the Middle East, the â€Å"oil shock† caused by OPEC with economic and political purpose, the environment protection organizations anti-automobile movement and so on, enhance the threats of oil price turbulence. The competition, both in the United States and the global market, is a vital threat to the General Motors Corporation. There are three automaker giants in the United States. They are the General Motors, Ford, and Daimler Chrysler. They compete fierce in the United States and in global market. In the Europe, there are strong competitors such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Peugeot etc. In the 1970s, with the raising of oil price, some Japanese automakers gradually seized the automobile market shares. The low cost and energy saving cars, such as Toyota, Honda and so on became world famous brands. More and more automobile brands enter into the United States and they also scramble the global automobile market. (Loomis, 2006) They compete and try to meet consumers’ different needs and wants with lower production cost. The competition in and abroad America is fierce and threats the  survival of the General Motors Corporation. The following is the second part of the report. This section of the report discusses the changing environment in and aboard the United States. First, the influences of political environment on policies and decision making to the General Motors Corporation will be analyzed. Second, the corporation response to the political environment changing will be critically evaluated. At last, some improvement suggestion for the corporation in the response of the changing political environment will be demonstrated. Influence on policies and decision makingThis section analyzes the influence of political environment change on the policies and decision making of the corporation. The political environment has great influence on the operation of the General Motors Corporation. One of the key political influences of the General Motors Corporation and automobile industry is the increased protectionism for fear of the decline of employment in the industry. The major automakers employ so many employees that the decline of automobile sales volume will cause the significant increase of unemployment in a country. As a result, many governments tend to support the automobile industry, no matter in the form of fund assistant, protective tariff or quota. The government of the United States has a tradition of protecting its automobile industry. For example, the America government used high protective tariff to protect the automakers from the competitors from Europe and Japan in the last century. The government also gave financial assistant to the automaker that is at the verge of bankruptcy such as Chrysler. In the modern time, the automakers fall into trap again and the financial crisis enhance the tendency. The America government aims to give a large quantity of money to the automakers and use other protection methods to protect the automobile industry. It can be seem that the changing of political environment has significant influence on the policy and decision making of the General Motors Corporation. (Bowler et al, 1996) However, different presents and its government in the United States may have different attitudes on the protectionism of the Automobile industry. The General Motors Corporation should take serious consideration on the change of political environment and make full use of it. The Country Alliances and Economic Blocs and other regional cooperation organizations are another main tendency of the political environment. The competition extends form national to blocs, even global. (Cho, 1998) The North American Free Trade Agreement, which including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, formed in 1994 with the purpose of freeing the trade, eliminating tax barriers and promoting fair trade in the North America. The NAFTA also extended to Free Trade Area of the Americas, which including country in the North America, Latin America and Caribbean countries. Many European countries ally with each other to form the European Union. After years of development, the union own 27 membership countries and creates a common economic area, in which people move and trade freely. There are many other Country Alliances and Economic Blocs such as Association of Southeast Asian and so on. The political tendency of regional cooperation requires the top managers of the General Motors Corporation to consider and resolve the benefit conflicts between one power countries blogs and another when making decisions and policies. The Country Alliances and Economic Blocs and other regional cooperation organizations provide opportunities for the automobile manufacturers but the organizations in other area also became threat to the United States. The decisions and policies makers of the General Motors Corporation have to make strategy to cope with the tariff and nontariff barriers within and between the Country Alliances and Economic Blocs. The corporation should rethink its strategy. (Tay, 2007) The structure of the corporation according to different regional cooperation organizations should be considered when making decisions and policies. (Sastry, 1997) The new staffing and leading methods to deal with culture diversity also influence the policy and decision making of the Genera l Motors Corporation. The labor union, environmental organization and other political groups are gaining more and more power. The United Auto Workers is a key labor union in the automobile manufacturing industry. The union fights for the benefits of workers such as less working hours, more salaries, health insurance and pensions and so on. The labor union cause the high cost of the General Motors Corporation. The total expense on employees is almost twice as much as the workers in other industry in the United States, and much more than  the employees in competitors’ factories, such as Honda and Toyota. (Benders and Morita, 2004) The union is blamed as the reason of the uncompetitive of the General Motors Corporation and the crisis of the automobile industry. However, the methods to deal with the strong political power are the problem to the policies and decisions makers of the General Motors Corporation. In 2007, the United Auto Workers went on a strike against the General Motors Corporation, which causes tremendously negative effects on the General Motors Corporation. So the policies and decisions of the corporation should balance the interest of the employees. The environmental organizations are gaining more and more power. With the increasingly dangerous environment problems, many green groups, which become independent and influencing political power, claim for the protection of the earth. Motor vehicle exhaust is considered as the main effects of the greenhouse effect. Some green groups are against the using of automobiles, which cause the decline of the automobile sales volume. As the increasing of environment protection power and the widely acceptance of the green opinion, the managers should make new policies and decisions such as designing alternative fuels vehicles. Evaluation of GM’s responseThis section critically evaluates the corporation’s response to the changing political environment. In face of the dynamic changing political environment, the General Motors Corporation makes some responses accordingly. The General Motors Corporation makes full use of the protectionism policies and financial assistance of the government to maximize its benefits. In order to be more influence in political, the General Motors Corporation spends a lot of money on political contributions. Statistics shows that the General Motors Corporation spent quite a lot of money as the political contribution for both the Democrats and the Republicans. The spending on lobbying the members of parliament is also quite large. Besides the political contributions, the General Motors Corporation also spends plenty of money on charities. For example, the General Motors Corporation is the exclusive financial source of â€Å"Safe Kids Buckle Up† program, which p rotect the children through education and inspection. The political and charitable contributions are positive and active response to the changing political environment. On the one hand, the General Motors Corporation strengthens its influence and enhances the  connection with the government. On the other hand, the corporation undertaken its social responsibility, which wins the corporation positive reputation so the General Motors Corporation can easily get the support when in crisis and consumers tend to purchase automobiles of the corporation. In the behavior of giving political and charitable contribution, the General Motors Corporation well response to the political change and gain more political influence, which helps the corporation get protection from the government. The Country Alliances and Economic Blocs and other regional cooperation organizations are a main political change these decades. In order to minimize the hindrance and the conflict between different Economic Blocs, the General Motors Corporation makes trade strategy, ally with other automaker group, and establish joint venture in some countries. For example, the United States and China have different ideologies and economic situations and they belong to different Country Alliances and Economic Blocs. The Chinese government forbids the wholly foreign owned subsidiary in the automobile industry. The China customs also charge tariff on the automobiles. In order to enter the market of other Country Alliances and Economic Blocs, the General Motors Corporation establishes joint venture with Chinese company. The Shanghai GM joint venture is created by the General Motors Corporation and a Chinese company, in which the automobiles of China’s market were manufactured. The General Motors Corporation brings advance technology, operation experience to the venture. The joint venture employs local workers whose salaries are quite low comparing with the workers of the United Auto Union. The joint venture brings profits for both sides and the General Motors Corporation avoids the high tariff and nontariff protection between different countries and different Economic Blocs. The General Motors Corporation makes an effective response to cover the gap between the Country Alliances and Economic Blocs. The labor union and environmental organization become increasingly influencing political powers. The General Motors Corporation tries hard to response properly to the increasingly strong power of the labor union. The United Auto Union is blame as the cause of uncompetitive of the General Motors Corporation for the members’ salaries in the union are much higher than its foreign competitors. The General Motors Corporation tries to cut down costs of the workforces in face of the financial crisis and problem of the automobile industry. The General Motors Corporation makes a policy of eliminating the lifetime health benefits of the white collar retirees. It is a hard decision after negotiation to response the political environment change and the automobile industry crisis. The General Motors Corporation has a long way to go, but it has taken a constructive step to response to the changing of political environment. In response to the political force of green groups, the General Motors Corporation designs energy saving vehicles which implement alternative fuels and electric. The corporation researches and designs some alternative technology vehicles and some flex fuel burning vehicles. The General Motors Corporation also builds an automotive battery laboratory to research on battery for the electric vehicles. The hybrid electric vehicles are a more practicable automobile in the future. The General Motors Corporation introduced the hybrid concept vehicle in 2005. Up to now, the corporation owes several hybrid electric automobile models and even all electric vehicles. The General Motors Corporation does a good job in developing alternative fuels and electric vehicles in response to the environment protection political power. Areas for improvementThis section demonstrates some areas for improvement of the corporation. The General Motors Corporation does well in response to the challenge of changing political environment. However, there are still some areas for improvement for the corporation. The most important improvement area is to raise the manufacturing efficiency. The average cost of manufacturing in the General Motors Corporation is high comparing with its main competitors such as Toyota. The Toyota is scrambling the market share of the GM little by little in the United States and all around the world. The competitiveness of Toyota come form the low cost caused from lean production. The core spirit of lean product is more value with less work. The purpose of production is to provide value to the final consumers. The expense for other goals is considered as a waste, by which the waste of resource is eliminated and the manufacturing efficiency promoted. It can introduce advance assembly line and reorg anize the logistic department,  through which the supply chain is organized. (Kochan, 2003) The lean production and be combined with six sigma quality and total quality management to maximize the efficiency and cut down the cost. (Dahlgaard and Dahlgaard-Park, 2006)The General Motors Corporation can make a reform on culture. It can build a harmonious culture as in Japanese automobile manufacturing factories to coordinate the relationship and benefits between managers and workers. On the one hand, the harm of the Union Auto Workers can be minimized and the cost of manufacture can be cut down. On the other hand, the harmonious culture can promote the efficiency of manufacturing. The General Motors Corporation also needs to fight against the bureaucratic culture. The organization structure can be reformed and reconstructed break out the barriers between different departments and stimulate the cooperation of different profit centers. Different methods can also be implemented to motivate confidence, communicate and collaborate between staff in different level. ConclusionThis report analyzes the internal and external environment of the General Motors Corporation in the first paragraph and then discusses the changing political environment of the corporation. In analysis, the strengths of branding strategy and advantage in technology and channel, the weaknesses of high production cost and bureaucratic culture, the opportunities of emerging markets and achievement of technology, and the threats of petroleum price fluctuation and strong competitors are analyzed with the SWOT model. In the second part of the report, the influence of political environment change is discussed in three perspectives. They are the protectionism from government, the tendency of Country Alliances and Economic Blocs, and the growing in strength of labor union, green groups and other political groups. Their influence on policies and decision making and the response of the corporation are analyzed and critically evaluated. Then some suggestions are given on several areas for improvement of the corporation. Recommendations As is analyzed in above, the General Motors Corporation can improve in two ways. First, the corporation can introduce new manufacturing methods, such as the lean production, the six sigma quality and total  quality management and so on. By implementing advanced manufacture methods, the corporation can promote its efficiency in manufacturing while reducing the cost. Second, the corporation can build a harmonious culture and fight against the bureaucratic culture, through which the barriers between different departments are broken while the staff in the corporation is motivated. Reference: Benders, J. and Morita, M. (2004), ‘Changes in Toyota Motors’ operations management’, International Journal of Production Research, 42(3), pp: 433-45. Bowler, S. et al. 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