Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity - Essay Example According to the research findings leveraged buyout first came into the picture as an important phenomenon in 1980s. It was predicted that these types of organizations would form the major portion of organization which will eventually become the dominant one. These types of private equity firms involved themselves in various measures like providing incentives based on managerial abilities, and introduced the concept of active governance. They relied upon the possibility of junk bond financing. A few years later the junk bond market crashed resulting in bankruptcy of several leveraged buyouts and the leveraged buyouts of public to private transactions vanished in the starting phases of 1990s. But the market of leveraged buyout was also suffering a gloomy phase as the private equity firms continued their operation by acquiring private companies. The US experienced the boom in market of leveraged buyout in the mid 2000s. The evidences supported by various researches on some selected com panies reveals that private equity investors took the advantages of time factor between the debt and equity markets. The importance of leveraged buyout lies in the usage of financial leverage in order to strengthen the acquisition of the company that has been targeted. The generated cash flow from the bought out business is used to cover he debt incurred in the acquisition. The debt holders are usually expected to earn affixed return while the equity holders seem to grasp all the benefits in a successful buyout. The factors that influence a good leverage buyout includes strong consumer base, small amount of debt on balance sheet, the management team consisting of dependable hands and continuous cash flow (Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth , 2003, p.p. 7-8). Private equity firms Private equity firms are characterized by firms where general partners take the initiative to manage funds while the other partners take the responsibility to provide capital. The limited partners comprise of pension funds, wealthy individuals, and companies operating in the insurance sector. It is important for a partner to contribute to at least 1 percent of the wealth of the firm. The private equity firms has the opportunity to invest the committed capital for at least five years but the period can be extended to ten to thirteen years to return the capital. Again the fund has the life of ten fixed years but can have the extension to thirteen. The limited has little liability in the working of the capital as long as the initial agreements are met. The agreements include restrictions on the amount of capital that can be invested in a company, the particular form of securities in which to invest, and on the level of debt. There are three ways to compensate a general partner. With an annual management fee which is usually a portion of the committed capital and then as a portion of capital employed when the investments are realized. The general partners also earn a share of the profits and they can also charge fees for deal and monitoring to the companies where they put their money in. Portfolio

International trade and economic growth of China Essay

International trade and economic growth of China - Essay Example China before 1980s was agriculture based economy and almost all the businesses, factories and commercial activities were under the state control. Capitalism was a forbidden and a hated world (USChina, 2011). This section examines the growth of the Chinese economy and trade. 2.1. Growth of the Chinese Economy After the people revolution, China closed its doors to external influences, seized all private factories and businesses and nationalised all the industries and banks. The result was a total shut down of free enterprise. Capitalists and scholars were hunted down and all trade, industries were state owned. As a result, the nations stagnated and led to a sharp increase in poverty. While the rest of the world saw booms and busts, China had a stagnant and stable economy that was controlled by the state. The standard of living was slow and bicycles were the main mode of transport in the city. From 1979 onwards, the Chinese premier Deng Xiaoping started the measures of liberalisation, a llowed trade with foreign nations, allowed FDI and created industrial zones along the eastern coast so that foreign firms could set up manufacturing activity (Zhang, 2007, p. 12). This far-reaching vision paid off and very soon, China started its upward trajectory of growth. The growth in the GDP and other economic indicators are given in Appendix â€Å"Table A1. China Economic Indicators – 1 of 3† to â€Å"3 of 3† that gives details of the economic indicators. Growth figures of the economy have been given for 19 indicators for the years 1980 until 2013. Projections for 2012 and 2013 are estimated figures. Following graph illustrates the growth rates in GDP, PPP and the CAB in USD billions from 1980 to 2013 (IMF, 2012).... This paper presents a comprehensive review of various trade and economic policies that China has used to promote the growth of its economy, which is illustrated with the help of analysis of data from different databases on the Chinese economy and trade. It is clear that China, which was lagging far behind the west has grown its GDP by more than 30 times from 1980 to 2011. This huge growth in GDP was brought out by growth in many sectors such as construction, industry, agriculture and trade. China has used its trade policies in a very clever manner to trap the western nations at their own games. The western nations came to China initially to make use of the low labour costs. However, the lure of China proved to be very strong and hundreds of western nations moved to China. China set up huge manufacturing centres where low cost labour was available and other benefits provided to western firms. Hundreds of firms from the west set up their factories in China and exported the goods to USA, Europe and many other nations. China carries out trade with a large number of countries. However, the maximum trade in terms of value of goods is done with only a few nations. After the acceptance of WTO treaty, there was shift in the balance of trade in Chinas favour. In the previous decade, China was a net importer since it could not manufacture many of the products. However, with increase in the manufacturing sector, exports have grown. With a positive trade balance, China offers a unique competitive advantage to western nations.

Evolution of Leadership

Evolution of Leadership Amber Goshe An Evolution of Leadership In order to thrive in the realm of leadership, companies and individual departments have started to recognize that leadership must be adaptable, continuous, and be able to play various roles to create synergy in the work place. Quantum leadership and the path-goal leadership theory are discussed in this paper, as well as, the benefits and limitations of both theories in an organizational environment. A real workplace scenario is presented with a discussion of the type of conflict presented, in addition to, strategies that could be used in addressing the issue at hand. Quantum Leadership Quantum leadership is chaotic and is based on principles of physics and constant change and transformation. It is always changing and evolving. Therefore, the leader’s role is focused on understanding the intricacy of the change and then transforming it into a way that can be understood by those it affects (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). By evaluating a change and anticipating change, a quantum leader can project to see where the change is going (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The theory focuses on adaptation, integration, interaction, and prediction (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership is not based on a hierarchy. It views an organization and its members as interrelated team members that is better served through collaboration (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership emphasizes the importance of the relationships between individuals in the organization rather than focusing on solely the individual. Leaders and the people they lead have to be comfortable with ambiguity and the challenges brought forth by continuous change (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leaders must be vulnerable and open to different realities but also be aware of their limitations (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership also embraces values for individuals and groups within the organization. There is an emotional investment that is important because it provides a perspective of ownership and integrity and should be visible because values stand out by a person’s actions every day (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Also, shared basic underlying assumptions in quantum leadership define the invisible culture and determine what makes the organization function every day (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Yet, these are basic and highly influential in a group’s behavior. This often goes overlooked until someone oversteps on one and then it usually comes out as frustration expressed by a team member that identifies the violation (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The artifacts in the culture address the things someone first comes into contact with an organization and therefore it is easy to see what one encounters but it is hard to decipher the true meaning of the culture (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Another assumption includes beliefs and values including the goals, identified goals and spoken values (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). These assumptions can be driven by groups or by individuals who have influence inside the institute. However, it can be challenging to make these underlying assumptions visible and used to add value. Quantum leadership focuses on the process and embraces that it is indefinite and limitless and does not place emphasis solely on the results and how one gets there. Quantum leadership embraces finding potential. It is not always controllable or predictable and that is a good thing because a leader should become worried once everything becomes predictable (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership lets go of control and opens up the opportunity for various leadership styles to emerge to align the motivation between team members (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). It emphasizes collaboration between members and building upon others strengths but knowing their weaknesses and limitations. Quantum leadership instills meaning into leadership but it does have its own action plans. The action plans within the organization, however, do focus on accomplishing goals appropriately and meaningfully (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The group must have good communication and interaction within the organization to accelerate success which can be aligned by the leader. The individual’s interest in the organization is also taken into account (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Path-Goal Theory The path-goal theory is based on identifying a leader’s motivation or style that best suits the employee to facilitate goal achievement. This theory focuses on three main aspects of leadership which include the leader, the subordinate or the secondary, and the environment (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The characteristics of the subordinate include their own perception of their abilities and control and leaders can adapt to this perception by approaching the leadership from different angles based on their understanding. Characteristics of the environment focus on the structure of the task and the work group. This behavior enables the employee to become empowered, it increases their motivation, and improves employee satisfaction which assists the employee in being a productive member of the institute (Wofford Liska, 1993). A main concept of the path-goal theory is that the leaders will make rewards available in order to motivate their subordinates (Wofford Liska, 1993). These rewards can be adaptable and dependent on the situation at hand which makes the leader vulnerable to opening up to acclimation. In this theory, various different styles of leadership are used for different situations. There are four original types of leadership behaviors in the path-goal theory which include directive, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. In directive leadership, the leader is specific and gives directions to the followers about what needs to be done and includes details on how it should be done, the expectations, and when it needs to be done (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The leader will still provide guidance along the way. This style of leadership can be used when dealing with a complex or unstructured task of if the subordinate is inexperienced (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The second leadership behavior is supportive leadership. In this style, the needs and well-being of the subordinate is taken into consideration, as well as, creating an approachable work environment (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). This is a larger focus than completing the task at hand. This style may be used when the task is boring or puts the subordinate at risk for physical or psychological distress.The third style of leader behavior is participative. In this style, the subordinates are consulted in the process and those ideas can be used when making decisions (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The subordinate’s opinion is highly respected in this style and often this can be used when the subordinates are the experts of the content matter. The fourth style of leader behavior is the achievement oriented leader. In this behavior, high expectations are set for the subordinates and challenging goals are set. A high level of performance is expected from the subordinates is expected while the leade r instills confidence in their abilities (Wofford Liska, 1993). The path-goal theory is flexible in that the leader adapts to the subordinate, taking into consideration the environment and task at hand. This situational framework is strength for understanding how various leader behaviors affect the efficiency and satisfaction of the workers. It also incorporates motivation principles of the expectancy theory (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). However, it can also be complex to try to integrate many different aspects of leadership. Comparing Quantum Leadership and Path-Goal Theory One major difference between quantum leadership and the Path-Goal theory is control. The quantum leader is about aligning motivation between team members and is open to different views on a subject. The path-goal theory focuses on discovering the best behaviors for subordinates and attempts to control subordinates behavior with incentives. Also, the path-goal theory refers to subordinates indicating a hierarchal system where the quantum leader focuses on horizontal communication (). Yet, a similarity is that the leader in the path-goal theory works to facilitate task achievement for the followers and in quantum leadership the leader is focusing on aligning motivation between other team members which results in task achievement. However, quantum leadership is always continuously evolving and is a process, whereas in the path-goal theory there is a specific goal and expectancies on how to get from point a to b. Conflict Scenario In 2010, I started working as a radiographer at Nationwide Children’s hospital. Before starting my new position, I had worked as a student assistant in the radiology department and I was now a peer to those who had been over me. While running images for a fellow co-worker, I noticed she would withhold images to â€Å"run† them herself. As I observed my co-worker and her method, I noticed she was deleting images when there was likely potential for motion. One day, an image was deleted after the wrong radiograph had been taken. A forearm was taken instead of an elbow and the forearm radiograph was deleted. After the elbow came back negative, the physician ordered a forearm and therefore the patient was exposed twice for the same picture unnecessarily. I found this odd, since in every other aspect my co-worker upheld patient safety and often advocated for it. The reject image rate which is calculated for patient safety is based off the images rejected in the computer syste m. Since there were images not being accounted for, an inaccurate portrayal of data occurred. When my co-worker was confronted, she stated that the information from those images was not beneficial for the department and claimed she was unaware that it held any wrongdoing. In my opinion, this is a data-based conflict due to the lack of information and limited access to information. There is some value based conflict components presented in the scenario but the big picture is that data is not being collected and therefore it is affecting patient safety. Since that information would be extremely important for the effectiveness of the department and patient safety, certain measures or in-services were not being implemented based upon false information. The clinical work suffers as a result of not acquiring the appropriate information (54). The information and how it is generated, as well as, how it is distributed and the importance of it all have an impact on the effectiveness of the organization, as well as, its integrity (55). As a quantum leader in this situation, one would need to ensure that proper processes and generation of information are set in place and appropriately structured within the organization. To address the issue presented in the scenario, as a quantum leader I would want to get a basic understanding of the issues at hand and hear from the co-worker their issue with the process put into play, ask her to clarify her reasoning for why the information is not beneficial to the department, and what her feelings are on the issue. I would want to know if she has fear about running images that have â€Å"mistakes† on them and why. I would bring up patient safety with the co-worker for common ground. I would discuss with the co-worker how I praise her advocacy of patient safety in all other aspects and ask her to reflect on the situation to determine if there were patient safety issues involved. Also, this conversation would need to be done in a safe place so she felt open to discussing the conflict at hand. Throughout the conversation, I would discuss expectations for patient safety and assure the co-worker that the data collection system put in place is for the patient safety and for the employees. That information is not used to get employees into trouble, but to help determine in a non-blame way, what could be done in the future to prevent unnecessary exposures to patients. Agreements would need to be made on the process of data collection and a plan to follow-up on the agreement action (). References Alanazi, T.R. Rasli, A.M. (2013). Overview of path-goal leadership theory. Comprehensive Research Journal of Management and Business Studies, 1(1), 01-06. Malloch, K. Porter O’Grady, T. (2009). The quantum leader: Applications for the new world of work (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Wofford, J.C. Liska, L.Z. (1993). Path-goal theories of leadership: A meta-analysis. Journal Of Management, 19(4), 857-876.

The Impact of Slavery on Black Women Essay -- Slavery Essays

The Impact of Slavery on Black Women â€Å"Only by experience can any one realize how deep, and dark, and foul is that pit of abominations.† (Jacobs, 120). These words are spoken by Harriet Jacobs (also known as Linda Brent) and after reading about her life experience as a slave, I have come to believe that slavery was far worse for women than it ever was for men. Jacobs never states that black slave men had it easy during the slave years, in fact she tells a few stories about how some slave men were beaten. She also tells about the life experience of a slave girl, herself. Her own experiences made me feel blessed that I was never born as a black woman during the time of slavery. I do not think that I would have been strong enough to endure such times. Let’s begin with the living conditions and the rights and honor of a slave, male or female. First of all, slaves were given one pair of shoes, two pairs of pants, and maybe one shirt that was to last them for at least a year. Most of the time, their shoes were used or old shoes. Once their shoes got holes and wore down, they wore nothing on their bare feet, even through the winter times. When it came to rights, no black slave had any rights. When I say any, I mean none. Just to name a few; they, and this was for women too, had no right to protect their families, marry who they wish, or own any property. Black men were considered to have no honor. Having honor was something that the Elite white men believed that only they could possess Honor in their eyes of the white man was represented by a dual. If you were a black slave, you could not defend yourself or your family because according to the whites, slaves and women had no honor. If they even thought about proving themse lves, which was rare, they were either whipped or killed by their Masters. Slaves were not looked at as men. They were looked as property, nothing but a working tool. The physical torture that a slave went through was not based on how they were treated in regards to work, but on how they were punished. Most of the time they were beat with a whip made from cow hide, until they bled. They would whip the slaves until the overseer (the person who watched over the slaves) was tired. Other times, slaves were not so lucky. For example, Frederick Douglas, an American slave, told a story that went like this. (Douglas, 34 & 35) â€Å"Mr. Gore on... ...tress would convince her husband to sell the child. Women were also denied the right to marry because the Mistress did not want the slave to take time away from tending or nursing her white children so that they could take care of their own baby. Hopefully I have explained enough of what I have learned about slavery to make you understand the injustice treatments that the black slaves had to endure. When I look back at what I have learned in these readings, I remind myself how lucky we are. We are able to marry who we want, keep our children, and have the right to be respected as a person. Today people whose children are abducted go through probably an unimaginable devastation, and slaves back then were expected to continue life as if nothing happened. It is very sad. Slave men did suffer but in my opinion, women by far had it the worst. Works Cited Douglas, Frederick, Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000. Evans, Sara M., Born for Liberty. New York: First Free Press, 1997. Jacobs, Harriet, Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.

Helen of Troy Fact vs. Fiction Essay

Together, in the spur of the moment, they ran. The walls they enclosed themselves in, along with all of Troy, protected them as the ships launched and war erupted. Helen of Troy’s story of love and deceit inspired authors, such as Homer and Tisias, to write about the war caused by one woman and her act of betrayal towards her husband. As history goes and passes, questions arise as to whom exactly was Helen of Troy, and was she even real. Is the story true about the women who had â€Å"the face that launched a thousand ships† or is the mythological legend narrated as a make-believe tale expressed by the authors of past millennia? The epic tale of Helen of Troy has been told for three thousand years, since 1200 B.C.E. Before the 19th century, Helen of Troy was thought of as a myth written by the Roman author, Virgil, in the _Aeneid,_ and the Greek poet, Homer, in the _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_. However, in the late 1800’s, an archaeologist discovered the lost city of Troy in Turkey. The discovery not only supported the writings of Homer and Virgil, but was based off clues from Homer. Maps of Turkey show evidential proof of Troy and its location. There are three main aspects of the existence of Troy, Sparta, and maybe even Helen herself: literacy, historical, and archaeological. Exactly, who was Helen of Troy? There are three main versions of Helen of Troy: mythological Helen of Troy, goddess Helen, the daughter of Zeus, and Helen the historical figure. In myths, Helen of Troy can be found as the heroine in epics. In Homer’s Iliad, she was the main cause of the Trojan War. As a goddess, it’s only natural that Helen would have sanctuaries made for her. Sanctuaries could be found in ancient Greece, Palestine, Sicily, Turkey (where Troy was said to be located), and Egypt. Helen was thought of as a divine figure because she represented beauty, sexual attraction, and the troubling power of women. If one were to examine and research Helen’s  entire story, he or she would discover that her story relates to the events that occurred during the Bronze Age. Real or not, Helen of Troy had a tremendous impact on the lives of people that knew of her. In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy was the daughter of the god, Zeus, and the mortal human being, Leda. When Helen’s parents came across each other, Zeus was in the form of a swan and was being chased by an eagle. They collided into one another, and soon they began to fall in love and had a child. Leda’s baby came from an egg, in which Helen was hatched. Even as a child, Helen was the fairest in all of Greece. One day, she was captured by Theseus, an Athenian who pledged he would wed the daughter of Zeus. Helen’s twin brothers, Castor and Pollex, had to rescue her and take her back to Sparta. When Helen got older, she was still the fairest and was wanted by all the men, but she married Menelaus who then became the king of Sparta. Some years later, Paris, a Trojan prince, was promised Helen by the Greek goddess, Aphrodite. He traveled to Sparta to receive his bride, even though she was already betrothed. Paris seduced Helen, and he escorted her back to Troy with him. When Menelaus noticed his wife had departed, he implored that his brother, Agamemnon, guide the Greek army to attack Troy retrieve Helen. The Spartans and the Trojans fought a decade war in which the Trojans conquered the Spartans and prevailed throughout the battles. Paris perished after the Spartan capture of Greece, and Helen advanced towards Menelaus, where they were reunited. Based off Greek mythology, Homer writes an epic piece, the _Iliad,_ which is recognized as one of the two, first works of Western literature that agrees with the teachings of ancient Greek mythology. Although, scholars are uncertain if it truly was Homer that wrote the _Iliad_, all credit, so far, belongs to him. The _Iliad_ tells the story of the Trojan War and mainly focuses on the characters Achilles and Hector, but it also informs one about the story of Helen of Troy. The story goes as such: Helen was the wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, but when the Trojans arrived in Greece to notarize the treaty between the Spartans and Trojans, she was seduced by Paris, the prince of Troy. Helen could have either been persuaded by Paris  or set by her own motivations to leave Menelaus and her daughter Hermione, but she departed with Paris to his homeland of Troy. When Helen and Paris left, Menelaus launched his ships to have Helen returned to him. The act of sending out the ships, caused Trojans and Spartans to break their treaty and go to battle, therefore, the Trojan War began. Although Homer was the primary writer about Helen, he was not the only one to do so. Along with Homer’s epic poem, a 6th century B.C.E. lyric poet named Stesichorus wrote two versions of Helen of Troy. Stesichorus was born as Tisias or Teisias in Sicily, and he invented the choral â€Å"heroic hymn†. One of the two stories he wrote about Helen was fact, _Palinodia,_ and one was fiction, _Phaedrus_. Stesichorus first wrote the false story about Helen of Troy. In his writings, he stated that not only did Helen of Sparta not reach Troy, but that the gods sent a phantom of her in her place. Helen and Paris ended up in Egypt, where they stayed there as guests of King Proteus. After the war, Menelaus and Helen reunited in Egypt. When his story was finished, Stesichorus was struck blind. He then wrote the traditional story of Helen of Troy that was inspired by Homer, and he gained back his sight after the accepted story was complete. Homer and Stesichorus are just two of the many literary composers who wrote about the accounts of Helen of Troy. The exact location of Troy has been the search of many geologists and archaeologists’ interests, and other believers of the city. With the help of Homer, geological investigators pursue the search for the ancient city. In May of 1873, an archaeologist by the name of Heinrich Schliemann discovered the Troy, or Truva, in Turkey. Using the Iliad as a guide to find the lost city of Troy, Schliemann found a village in Hissarlik that’s location matched Homer’s writings. The geographical features described by Homer were generally in an accurate location. When Schliemann found Troy in the village Hissarlik, there was a hill next to it where he found the hidden treasure. In Hissarlik, the distance from the Aegean Sea was accurate to Homer’s writings and Mount Ida was visible. The grounds around the walls of the city were flat to the point  where someone could run around them. Through excavating, untold mysteries can be uncovered as one learns about what type of city Troy was. Troy was not just one city but several cities stacked on top of the other. When one would fail or be brought down, a new structure would be built above it. There were twelve recorded cities of Troy one built right on top of the other. Homeric Troy, or Troy VII, dated around 1325 B.C.E. to 1990 B.C.E. and was in ruins sometime from 1200 B.C.E. to 1990 B.C.E. The remains of Troy postwar were in a terrible state. It was obvious Troy VII was destroyed in a conflict that arose among the different territories. The buildings were demolished inside and outside of the city. While excavating and exploring this newly found site, Schliemann and his wife saw glinting copper from the side of a shaft. When Schliemann climbed down, he was facing in the direction of the wall, which seemed to have a copper jug hidden inside it. After carving it out, Schilemann and his wife saw that the inside of the jug was filled with golden earrings, necklaces, and pots of gold and silver. Along with the common jewelry and gold findings, were two gold diadems, crowns worn to show royalty, that only a queen or princess, such as Helen, would wear. Archaeologists now know the dates of the attack of the city because of the imported goods from the Mycenaean were declining. If the attackers were Mycenaean, it would not be a surprise that the number of Mycenaean pottery imported into the city would decrease while other imported pottery was consistent. If trading was happening, there must have been people during that time. Searching through the debris, numerous human remains were discovered. A human skull was found inside the southern gate of Ancient Troy. A lower jawbone, from an adult male, was found in the rubble of what was previously the foundation of a residence outside the city. An entire skeleton was also exposed on the surface of the stratum of ancient foundations. These bones not only prove that Troy was a habitation, but that its former residents were unable or insufficient to withstand their opponents and were all  murdered or enslaved. If there were any survivors of the final assault on Troy VII, they would have buried their deceased, unlike an adversary, who would be unconcerned with its enemy’s lifeless body completely. The location of what geographers and archaeologists believe is Troy fits the description of what was told in the writings of ancient writers. The location of the artifacts uncovered, match the weapons that the Ancient Greeks had used. The Greeks used bronze arrowheads as their tools of weaponry during battle. While excavating the remnants of the forts and city of Troy, three bronze arrowheads were discovered. Two were in the forts and one was in the city. According to scientists, Homer’s description of the Trojan battlefield was accurate. When the scientists drilled sediments in North Western Turkey to map the coastline of the city that stood 2,000 years ago, their findings corresponded with Homer’s description. â€Å"It has to be taken seriously that the Homeric picture of the fighting at Troy is in close accord with the geological findings,† John Luce stated. When mapping the coastline, the scientists noticed that the coastline was pushed back from the buildup of silt deposits. They decided to drill 70 meters of the flood-plain surface and they found marine materials, or seashells. As they drilled south, they concluded that the Aegean Sea coastline had been backed up. The story of Helen of Troy may have been misinterpreted rather than overall false because of the cultures and traditions of both the Spartan and Trojan civilizations. Both societies practiced marriage by abduction, the act of stealing a women and marrying her without her having any say. Because of rivalry, women were stolen and forced to marry. During Helen’s childhood, she was abducted by Theseus and was almost forced to marry him had it not been for her protective brothers. When she was older and already married to Menelaus, she was seduced by Paris and married him. When the war was over, she went back to Menelaus rather than stay in Troy. If Helen wanted to be with Paris, she did not show her affection by grieving over him, but instead went back to her previous husband and original homeland. There are many fictitious and factual conclusions that one can imagine about the true story of Helen of Troy. Helen has been portrayed as many different people: a goddess to look up to and worship, a mythological beauty that caused a tremendous war, a representative of the women who suffered through marriage by abduction, and even just an actual historical figure. As archaeologists, geologists, and historians strive to find clues as to who truly was Helen of Troy, one can only acquire from what one already acknowledges. Work Cited Moltenbrey, Karen. â€Å"Myth Making†. Computer Graphics World Vol.26, Issue 6.Jun 2003.California Offset Printers, Inc. Belles. â€Å"Homer’s Iliad†. Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid. 2008.http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/ Quarters/2471/Troy.html Means, Richard. â€Å"Homer: The Epics†. Homer. Jan 2006. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct= true&db=ulh&AN=19625259&site=ehost-live http://www.in2greece.com. 2/24/2007. Web mistress V.E.K. Sandels. 5/3/08. Foley, Helene. Homeric Hymns to Demeter. Princeton University Press. 1994.

Capiz Brief History Essay

Geographic location and Demography The Western part of Central Visayas, Philippines comprises the Province of Antique, Iloilo, Capiz and Aklan all located within the roughly triangular shaped island of Panay. shaped island of Panay Capiz is one of the six provinces in the Western Visayas found on the northeastern portion in the island of Panay. Shaped like an open palm, it is situated at the heart of the Philippine Archipelago at 11 ° 35†² 0†³ North latitude and 122 ° 45†² 0†³ East Longitude . The Province is bounded by the Sibuayan Sea on the North, where Roxas City and the six (6) coastal municipalities: Ivisan, Sapian, Panay, Pontevedra, Pres Roxas, and Pilar are wholly dependent on fishing for their existence. It is bounded on the South and Southeast by Iloilo Province, on the Southwest by the Province of Antique, and on the West and Northwest by the Province of Aklan. Aklan. The coast of Capiz sustains the vibrant fishing industry of the province. Its rich fishing grounds can be a basis for the claim of Capiz as the seafood capital of the Philippines. Roxas City, the provincial capital, where the largest in terms of population size Capiz has a population of 701,664 (2007 census). Among the sixteen municipalities and one city of Capiz, Roxas City, the provincial capital, has the largest population comprising 19.32 percent of the total provincial population Followed next by the municipalities of Tapaz (6.74 percent); Panay (6.21 percent); Dumarao (6.16 percent); and Pontevedra (6.13 percent). On the other hand, Sapian, Cuartero, Ivisan and Dumalaghave the smallest population with less than 4.0 percent each. Linguistic Identity Capiznon refers to the culture anguage and the people of Capiz province. The Capiznon speaks Kinaraya and Hiligaynon, with slightly different inflection compared to Ilonggo speakers in Iloilo. The towns of Ivisan and Sapian of Capiz which are already near Aklan speak Ilonggo mixed with some aklanon words. Those in the interiormost town of Tapaz, Capiz,– home of the mountain people (Bukidnon)– speak Kinaray-a. with some aklanon words. Those in the nteriormost town of Tapaz, Capiz,– home of the mountain people(Bukidnon)– speak Kinaray-a Myths, Folk Beliefs and Practices The early Panaynon believed in many gods like Bulalakaw, a bird which Gods like Bulalakaw, a bird which looks ike a peacock and could cause illness was said to live in the islands sacred mountain called Madya-as. Mediators to the gods, also said to be the first priests, were; Bangutbanwa, who prayed for good harvest and an orderly universe; Mangindalon, who interceded for sick persons and prayed for the punishment of enemies.

Michelangelo Buonaratti essays

Michelangelo Buonaratti essays Michelangelo Buonaratti was born in Caprese, Italy during the renaissance period and lived from 1475-1564. He later moved to Florence, Italy under the Medicis family rule and was found to be a talented painter and sculptor, while also being a gifted poet. Since he was skilled in the arts, he was commissioned by Pope Julius the 2nd to create his tomb, but was later assigned to paint the ceiling of the Sisteen chapel. The chapel was located in Rome, Italy on the grounds of St. Peters Cathedral. For the next five years, from 1508-1512, Michelangelo worked on the chapel and entirely finished its massive ceiling. He was a very dedicated man and took much pride in doing his work. He was first asked to paint the twelve apostles upon the ceiling, but later had a vision and was given permission to paint nine biblical scenes consisting of about 300 figures. Since he was a good Christian man and mostly faithful to the pope, he was given the right to change what he would eventually paint. In th ose long five years, Michelangelo painted through much sickness, exhaustion, pain, and hopelessness to create this wonderful masterpiece. Some of his other great accomplishments was the quote life is found in a block of uncarved marble and the soul is trapped inside, and his famous work on the David, a world renown sculpture that took him four years to create. Michelangelo Buonaratti died at the age of 89 in Florence, Italy. ...

Analysis Of Karl Marx And Communism Essays - Political Philosophy

Analysis Of Karl Marx And Communism Essays - Political Philosophy Analysis of Karl Marx and Communism Karl Heinrich Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in the city of Trier in Prussia, now, Germany. He was one of seven children of Jewish Parents. His father was fairly liberal, taking part in demonstrations for a constitution for Prussia and reading such authors as Voltaire and Kant, known for their social commentary. His mother, Henrietta, was originally from Holland and never became a German at heart, not even learning to speak the language properly. Shortly before Karl Marx was born, his father converted the family to the Evangelical Established Church, Karl being baptized at the age of six. Marx attended high school in his home town (1830-1835) where several teachers and pupils were under suspicion of harboring liberal ideals. Marx himself seemed to be a devoted Christian with a ?longing for self-sacrifice on behalf of humanity.? In October of 1835, he started attendance at the University of Bonn, enrolling in non-socialistic-related classes like Greek and Roman mythology and the history of art. During this time, he spent a day in jail for being ?drunk and disorderly-the only imprisonment he suffered? in the course of his life. The student culture at Bonn included, as a major part, being politically rebellious and Marx was involved, presiding over the Tavern Club and joining a club for poets that included some politically active students. However, he left Bonn after a year and enrolled at the University of Berlin to study law and philosophy. Marx?s experience in Berlin was crucial to his introduction to Hegel?s philosophy and to his ?adherence to the Young Hegelians.? Hegel?s philosophy was crucial to the development of his own ideas and theories. Upon his first introduction to Hegel?s beliefs, Marx felt a repugnance and wrote his father that when he felt sick, it was partially ?from intense vexation at having to make an idol of a view [he] detested.? The Hegelian doctrines exerted considerable pressure in the ?revolutionary student culture? that Marx was immersed in, however, and Marx eventually joined a society called the Doctor Club, involved mainly in the ?new literary and philosophical movement? who?s chief figure was Bruno Bauer, a lecturer in theology who thought that the Gospels were not a record of History but that they came from ?human fantasies arising from man?s emotional needs? and he also hypothesized that Jesus had not existed as a person. Bauer was later dismissed from his position by the Prussian government. By 1841, Marx?s studies were lacking and, at the suggestion of a friend, he submitted a doctoral dissertation to the university at Jena, known for having lax acceptance requirements. Unsurprisingly, he got in, and finally received his degree in 1841. His thesis ?analyzed in a Hegelian fashion the difference between the natural philosophies of Democritus and Epicurus? using his knowledge of mythology and the myth of Prometheus in his chains. In October of 1842, Marx became the editor of the paper Rheinische Zeitung, and, as the editor, wrote editorials on socio-economic issues such as poverty, etc. During this time, he found that his ?Hegelian philosophy was of little use? and he separated himself from his young Hegelian friends who only shocked the bourgeois to make up their ?social activity.? Marx helped the paper to succeed and it almost became the leading journal in Prussia. However, the Prussian government suspended it because of ?pressures from the government of Russia.? So, Marx went to Paris to study ?French Communism.? In June of 1843, he was married to Jenny Von Westphalen, an attractive girl, four years older than Marx, who came from a prestigious family of both military and administrative distinction. Although many of the members of the Von Westphalen family were opposed to the marriage, Jenny?s father favored Marx. In Paris, Marx became acquainted with the Communistic views of French workmen. Although he thought that the ideas of the workmen were ?utterly crude and unintelligent,? he admired their camaraderie. He later wrote an article entitled ?Toward the Critique of the Hegelian Philosophy of Right? from which comes the famous quote that religion is the ?opium of the people.? Once again, the Prussian government interfered with Marx and he was expelled from France. He left for Brussels, Belgium, and ,

Cuánto se demora sacar la visa americana no inmigrante

Cunto se demora sacar la visa americana no inmigrante Los trmites para la visa americana no inmigrante se pueden demorar varias semanas, dependiendo del consulado o embajada en el que se solicita. Pero es posible estimar cuntos dà ­as pasan desde el dà ­a en que se inician los trmites al de la entrevista. A partir de la entrevista, la respuesta es rpida o incluso inmediata, tanto la aprobacià ³n como la denegacià ³n. La excepcià ³n son los casos en los que la solicitud entra en una fase de demora administrativa. En este artà ­culo se explican cà ³mo verificar el tiempo de demora segà ºn el tipo de visa y consulado, quà © puede suceder despuà ©s de la entrevista, cul es el formulario adicional conocido como DS-5535 que puede pedir el oficial consular  y por quà © es recomendable solicitar la visa con tiempo suficiente antes de la fecha planeada para viajar a Estados Unidos y por quà © no se deben comprar los boletos antes de tener la visa aprobada en mano. En el caso de estar interesados en la visa de inmigrante para la tarjeta de residencia permanente este artà ­culo no aplica. En otras palabras, la informacià ³n que se detalla a continuacià ³n aplica solamente a las visas no inmigrante como, por ejemplo, la de turista, estudiante, trabajo temporal, inversià ³n, intercambio, etc. Cà ³mo verificar eltiempo de demora de los trmites para la visa Desde que una persona solicita una cita para la visa hasta que obtiene el visado transcurren varios dà ­as, o incluso meses. Todo depende de la Embajada o Consulado en el que se haga la gestià ³n, del tipo de visa y tambià ©n de las caracterà ­sticas personales del solicitante. Para saber con bastante exactitud cunto hay que esperar desde que se hacen la citas para las visas hasta que se realizan las entrevistas en la oficina consular se puede consultar la herramienta que el Departamento de Estado ha creado para este fin. Simplemente se debe buscar en la cajita que aparece en esa pgina de internet el nombre de la ciudad en la que est ubicada la oficina consular a la que corresponde decidir si concede o rechaza la solicitud de visa. Una vez elegida la ciudad, aparecer una estimacià ³n en dà ­as sobre el tiempo que hay que esperar hasta que se realiza la entrevista. Aparecern varias estimaciones, dependiendo del tipo de visa que se solicita. Ejemplos de tiempos de demora segà ºn los consulados Por ejemplo en el momento en que se escribià ³ este artà ­culo,  si una persona en Bogot, Colombia, solicita una visa de turista, deber esperar 22 dà ­as naturales (segà ºn la fecha en la que este artà ­culo fue escrito. Verificar el actual) para ser entrevistado en la Embajada americana y otros dos dà ­as laborales para que se procese su peticià ³n, si es aprobada. Pero si solicita una visa de estudiante, la espera para la entrevista se reduce a siete dà ­as naturales, precisando dos dà ­as laborales para procesar la visa aprobada. Sin embargo, en Buenos Aires la peticià ³n de entrevista para una visa de turista es de 29 dà ­as naturales y el procesamiento de las aprobadas es de cinco dà ­as laborales. Dà ­as naturales y laborales en la tramitacià ³n de las visas Es conveniente prestar atencià ³n a la distincià ³n entre dà ­as naturales (calendar days) y dà ­as laborales (workdays). Cuando se habla de los primeros, se cuentan todos los dà ­as, incluidos los sbados, domingos y feriados. Por el contrario, si se refiere a dà ­as laborales se computa sà ³lo de lunes a viernes, excluyendo los feriados de Estados Unidos y los del paà ­s en los que se encuentra la oficina consular. Quà © pasa despuà ©s de la entrevista en el consulado Pueden darse 4  situaciones: En primer lugar, la visa es aprobada. Aunque cada consulado tiene un trmite distinto para entregar a su dueà ±o el pasaporte con la visa estampada en general puede hablarse que toma menos de siete dà ­as.  Estas son las  posibilidades se tiene de que aprueben la visa de turista  segà ºn el consulado en que se solicita. En segundo lugar, la visa entra en trmite administrativo.  Es decir, no es aprobada ni rechazada. Es lo que se conoce como procedimiento administrativo 221g. La razà ³n es que se requiere realizar ms investigacià ³n antes de llegar a una conclusià ³n final. Esta es una razà ³n muy importante para no dejar la solicitud de la visa para à ºltima hora, ya que puede surgir este problema. En tercer lugar, que el oficial consular pida que se llene un nuevo formulario, que se detalla en el siguiente apartado y que incluye informacià ³n sobre redes sociales. En cuarto lugar, la solicitud de visa es rechazada. Las causas pueden ser muy variadas. Estas son las 20 ms comunes. por causa de inelegibilidad. Adems, hay que tener en cuenta estas 22 causas que convierten a una persona en inadmisible para Estados Unidos y que por lo tanto hacen que la visa no se apruebe, no se renueve e incluso que teniendo visa vigente se niegue la entrada cuando se llega al control migratorio en la aduana americana. En los casos de negacià ³n de la visa, es importante saber cundo se  puede volver a solicitarla  y quà © debe cambiar para tener à ©xito en la nueva peticià ³n. Formulario solicitando informacià ³n sobre redes sociales El oficial consular est autorizada a pedir que se llene un nuevo formulario en el que se solicita, entre otras, la siguiente informacià ³n: Lugares de trabajo y residencia durante los à ºltimos 15 aà ±osPaà ­ses que se han visitado en los à ºltimos 15 aà ±osTodos los nà ºmeros de los pasaportes que se hayan utilizado previamente al actualTodas las cuentas de correo electrà ³nico que se han tenido en los à ºltimos 15 aà ±osTodas las cuentas que se han tenido en redes sociales como Facebook, Instagram o Twitter en los à ºltimos 5 aà ±os. En principio est previsto que los oficiales consulares soliciten que se rellene el formulario DS-5535 solo en los casos en los que la identidad del solicitante pueda confundirse con la de otra persona o en supuestos que afectan a la seguridad de los Estados Unidos, incluidos los casos de pertenencia a pandillas. Este formulario es relativamente nuevo y, por lo tanto, se desconoce cunto tiempo demorar en ser tramitada  y verificada la informacià ³n que contiene, por lo que no se puede estimar el tiempo de demora para sacar la visa en los casos en los que el oficial consular pida este documento. El solicitante de la visa puede negarse a dar la informacià ³n, pero la visa no ser aprobada. En la actualidad, el gobierno de Estados Unidos est intentando implementar como obligatorio la comunicacià ³n de todos los nombres usados redes sociales, correos electrà ³nicos y telà ©fonos por parte de todos los solicitantes de visas, tanto inmigrantes como no inmigrantes. De tener à ©xito, afectarà ­a a 700 mil potenciales inmigrantes y 14 millones de visitantes temporales anualmente. Sin embargo, un nutrido grupo de organizaciones de defensa de las libertades civiles e individuales se est oponiendo a esta medida. Situaciones de urgencia y quià ©n puede viajar a USA sin visa Si se presentase la necesidad de obtener una visa urgentemente es posible solicitar una  visa humanitaria  en casos muy limitados. Chilenos y espaà ±oles  pueden viajar a Estados Unidos sin visa para hacer turismo o para negocios. Si llegan por avià ³n, necesitan una  Autorizacià ³n Electrà ³nica conocida como ESTA. Este es el  listado completo de paà ­ses cuyos ciudadanos pueden viajar sin visa. En el caso de personas de doble nacionalidad, es importante saber cunto se puede ingresar sin visa a los Estados Unidos. En la actualidad, las personas que pueden viajar sin visa y rellenan el formulario ESTA se encuentran con una pregunta opcional en la que se solicita sus nombres en redes sociales. Test de respuestas mà ºltiples Se recomienda tomar  este test de 19 preguntas que sirve para comprobar los conocimientos bsicos sobre la visa de turista. Para evitar errores tontos que pueden dar lugar a su cancelacià ³n o a que no se apruebe. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security Research Paper - 1

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Managing Financial Systems in the Hospitality Industry Essay

Managing Financial Systems in the Hospitality Industry - Essay Example This essay stresses that financial statement appraises the company’s owners of the financial standing of the firm. Based on this the organization takes decisions, which affect both the profitability and the risk of the firm’s operations. In the hospitality industry, management accounting system (MAS) gives an evaluation of the performance. Financial statements help to monitor business performance and analyze statement relevant to investment decisions. There is more emphasis now on risk assessment and non-financial performance measures. This paper makes a conclusion that Market analysis gives details of competition, and expected business based on macro and micro factors. It takes into account the country’s economy, the reasons for recessions and downslide and the resultant impact on the business proposed. The projections of sales and profitability can only be made once the revenue per customer is estimated. Market segmentation further helps to get a realistic picture. The value of the company is determined by the analysts and the capital market by discounting the present value of the future cash flows that will be generated by the company’s operations. The assets and liabilities also change in value over time. The revaluations are fixed with reference to either the stock market or the real estate market. In the case of the hospitality industry it is related to the real estate market. The financial analysts also deal separately with the assets and liabilities.

Universal Health Coverage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Universal Health Coverage - Essay Example esides medical care, WHO statement regarding universal health coverage also encompasses prevention of diseases, health promotion, correction of behaviour and analgesic care. A meeting held by WHO at their headquarters in Geneva in February 2013 provides a comparable definition of universal health coverage and policy (World Health Organisation, 2013). A similar definition of universal health coverage is in use in the United States of America. The Obama care which is an initiative of the President Barrack Obamas’ government also aims at reducing the amount of money individuals spend on their health coverage (Obama, 2008). Similar initiatives to those of WHO such as taxes, subsidies in health care, insurance and regulations. There is also a push for quality health services between the rich and the poor in both the United States and WHO statement. The health caregivers play an essential role in the delivering of quality medical services across the globe. To achieve quality medical services, there must be an investment in professional medics. The viability of health care providers in the health care development cannot be overlooked. To offer quality services to the population, an increment in the working force in the health department is essential (World Health Organisation, 2013). Some chronic diseases, for example, cancer and diabetes need follow-up by medical practitioners so as to ensure the safety of an individual. The essence of creating a universal health coverage is to improve the health status of a country which subsequently promotes

Strategic Management and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Contraction in Smooth Muscle Cells compared to Contraction in Skeletal Essay

Contraction in Smooth Muscle Cells compared to Contraction in Skeletal Muscle Cells - Essay Example In this assignment, based on studies, a comparison has been drawn between the contractions of these two types muscles at the cellular and molecular levels. Before going into this discussion, contraction must be defined. Contraction is defined by activation of the muscle fibers with a demonstrable shortening of the muscle fibers2. The physiological events in relation to muscle contraction have been delineated in great detail, and they reveal that basically, with neural stimulation there occurs a series of molecular events initiated by increase in the cytosolic calcium concentration. In this assignment, these events will be looked at in a greater detail to compare these events between the striated and nonstriated muscles. Each skeletal muscle is made up of a large number of skeletal muscle fibers, which are thin cylindrical multinucleated cells of variable length, which in turn are made up of myofibrils, which are bundles of filamentous structures running along the length of the fiber. While observing skeletal- or cardiac smooth muscle fibers through microscope, a series of light and dark bands perpendicular to the long axis of the fiber are very conspicuous. Actually, each myofibril consists of repeating sarcomeres, and the alignment of these sarcomeres3 between adjacent myofibrils gives rise to these bands in the skeletal muscle. The structural plan of the myofibril is such that the sarcomeres are placed end to end, and this fundamental contractile unit is visible within skeletal and cardiac muscles. On the contrary, smooth muscle cells do not show a banding pattern. Actually, the arrangement of sarcomeres leads to the striated pattern in skeletal and cardiac fibers, and sarcomeres in turn comprise of alternate arrangements of numerous thick and thin filaments in the cytoplasm to give rise to roughly 1-2 micrometer cylindrical bundles. Smooth muscles are abundant mainly in the visceral organs, such as, gut, blood vessels, bladder, and uterus, and they are to serve a particular function. For example, smooth muscles present in the sphincters are designed to maintain a steady contraction for long periods of time and then rapidly relax or in other muscles, they remain constantly activated. To suit these varied functions, the smooth muscles consists of sheets of many small spindle-shaped cells linked together by junctional contacts. Although these serve as mechanical continuity between adjacent spindles, actually, in places there are gap junctions that are designed to provide electrical continuity between cells. Each cell is uninucleated, shorter than striated muscles, and broader than a myofibril. Unlike striated muscle, no cross striations are visible, although they contain the same contractile protein filaments, actin and myosin. It is important to note that their arrangement is irregular in a loose lattice unlike th e regular arrangement of skeletal and smooth muscles. Myosin has been termed as a molecular motor. This consists of two heavy chains and two pairs of light chains. The two terminal ends of the heavy chains create a coil that aggregate in the cell to create the basic unit of a thick filament. The remainder of this molecule juts outward from the thick filament creating the cross-bridge. Thus, these polypeptides combine

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures - Essay Example Catfish is one of the types of fish that people consume, which differentiate the consumers along different lines of the economy, society and political differences. Through this differentiation, people have different perspectives of looking at the catfish both from the perspective they may have from the influence they have from their culture and social ties. The analysis of production and consumption of catfish will help in explaining the various reasons that make it a consumer product of a specific group of people within a society, which may mean a lot of structure formulation within a society. The analysis focuses on the sources of catfish and the places in which it is a common form of food while in some others; it could be a rare commodity (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004, p.27). Catfish are popularly produced in different places in the world as one of the small-fish that people consume as food for their own and which they sell to a few people around their environment. However, researc h shows that production of small-fish in sector of fishing is an aquaculture that usually target different people who fall in the low economic classes in the society. In the economy, consumption of these small-fish is therefore, related to specific people in the country who could be a having similar general characteristic (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004, p.39). Catfish is mostly common among the Vietnamese who invest in production of the organisms for food in different place in both large-scale and small-scale levels of the economy. This production is facilitated by the demand that is raised for the food that that has some contents of fish and the different levels of production of catfish through the aquaculture technology implies the different demanding issues that surround food fish production within the society. In this respect, when food fish demand increases, people have adopted various ways through which they can improve the amount of products they obtain from their investment. I n the Vietnamese culture, fish are highly regarded and therefore, people adopt aquaculture in order to meet the local demands as well as the needs of others that are away from the country. In the aquaculture for production of the catfish species of the fish, there are different factors that favour the production in the area, which motivate people to invest in the production as a mode of subsistence or as a commercial activity. In order to produce, people depend on different opportunities that the environment offers, which help people to exploit it for their benefit. In this respect, people have different ways through which they produce the catfish to the different market in Vietnam or away from the country. The most common factors that are important in determining the production of the catfish include the sources of water where the fish will grow, the availability of fingerlings that grow to be the mature catfish and the space that is available for people in to establish their produ ction and the aquaculture. In most cases, people who invest in aquaculture try to establish their production by varying the conditions in the condition of the environment to allow the production even in places that are not very favourable for production. This aquaculture in

Contraction in Smooth Muscle Cells compared to Contraction in Skeletal Essay

Contraction in Smooth Muscle Cells compared to Contraction in Skeletal Muscle Cells - Essay Example In this assignment, based on studies, a comparison has been drawn between the contractions of these two types muscles at the cellular and molecular levels. Before going into this discussion, contraction must be defined. Contraction is defined by activation of the muscle fibers with a demonstrable shortening of the muscle fibers2. The physiological events in relation to muscle contraction have been delineated in great detail, and they reveal that basically, with neural stimulation there occurs a series of molecular events initiated by increase in the cytosolic calcium concentration. In this assignment, these events will be looked at in a greater detail to compare these events between the striated and nonstriated muscles. Each skeletal muscle is made up of a large number of skeletal muscle fibers, which are thin cylindrical multinucleated cells of variable length, which in turn are made up of myofibrils, which are bundles of filamentous structures running along the length of the fiber. While observing skeletal- or cardiac smooth muscle fibers through microscope, a series of light and dark bands perpendicular to the long axis of the fiber are very conspicuous. Actually, each myofibril consists of repeating sarcomeres, and the alignment of these sarcomeres3 between adjacent myofibrils gives rise to these bands in the skeletal muscle. The structural plan of the myofibril is such that the sarcomeres are placed end to end, and this fundamental contractile unit is visible within skeletal and cardiac muscles. On the contrary, smooth muscle cells do not show a banding pattern. Actually, the arrangement of sarcomeres leads to the striated pattern in skeletal and cardiac fibers, and sarcomeres in turn comprise of alternate arrangements of numerous thick and thin filaments in the cytoplasm to give rise to roughly 1-2 micrometer cylindrical bundles. Smooth muscles are abundant mainly in the visceral organs, such as, gut, blood vessels, bladder, and uterus, and they are to serve a particular function. For example, smooth muscles present in the sphincters are designed to maintain a steady contraction for long periods of time and then rapidly relax or in other muscles, they remain constantly activated. To suit these varied functions, the smooth muscles consists of sheets of many small spindle-shaped cells linked together by junctional contacts. Although these serve as mechanical continuity between adjacent spindles, actually, in places there are gap junctions that are designed to provide electrical continuity between cells. Each cell is uninucleated, shorter than striated muscles, and broader than a myofibril. Unlike striated muscle, no cross striations are visible, although they contain the same contractile protein filaments, actin and myosin. It is important to note that their arrangement is irregular in a loose lattice unlike th e regular arrangement of skeletal and smooth muscles. Myosin has been termed as a molecular motor. This consists of two heavy chains and two pairs of light chains. The two terminal ends of the heavy chains create a coil that aggregate in the cell to create the basic unit of a thick filament. The remainder of this molecule juts outward from the thick filament creating the cross-bridge. Thus, these polypeptides combine

English Lit Coursework Essay Example for Free

English Lit Coursework Essay Compare the ways in which the authors present contrasting worlds/ places and their thematic significance in Othello and two other texts. In all of the novels; Othello, Wuthering Heights and The Great Gatsby, the authors, Shakespeare, Bronte and Fitzgerald, demonstrate how contrasting worlds disrupt equilibrium, especially the harmony or even possibility of relationships. The ultimate disruption within all of these texts is the barrier of class. In Wuthering Heights, Bronte compares the two houses; Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, to highlight the distance class creates between Heathcliff and Cathy, by embodying the characters and their values in the imagery of the houses. Wuthering Heights essentially is a deteriorating farm house. Bronte represents Heathcliff with this house, its anaesthetically pleasing and neglected, described as a perfect misanthropists heaven, giving reclusive and desolate connotations, reflecting the way Heathcliff becomes remote from society and isolated. On the other hand, Bronte describes Thrushcross Grange grandly, carpeted with crimson, crimson covered chairs and tables, this choice of colour gives rich connotations, of a splendid place, The choice of lexis splendid giving an upper class tone . Nevertheless neither of Cathy or Heathcliff seems to prefer the luxurious Thrushcross Grange. Bronte does present Cathy to be superficial at times, but when Cathy tells Nelly about her dreams she explains that heaven did not seem to be my home and that she woke up sobbing for joy when she was flung into the middle of the heath on top of Wuthering Heights, Bronte uses this therefore to signify that Cathy sees Wuthering Heights and the moors as her heaven. Likewise she wants the window open when ill at Thrushcross Grange; here Bronte enforces the theme of imprisonment and entrapment, in a foreign world. Equally Thrushcross Grange has always been an alien and uncomfortable place to Heathcliff as we see when he chooses to grieve on the out skirting grounds of Thrushcross Grange in contrast with Edgar who stays inside. Nevertheless Bronte relates Cathy, a Linton to be, to Thrushcross Grange, a world of refinement and elegance, complimenting Cathys own descriptions as she grows into a lady Similarly to Wuthering Heights, Fitzgerald presents the comparison in class of two places, the buildings of East and West Egg in particular. West Egg is seen to be the less fashionable of the two, lacking in conventional aesthetics of refined and classy housing estates. This is shown by the fact Nicks bungalow is carelessly built in the space between two mansions, this paints a garish image of clashing buildings. Whereas East Egg is glittered with houses that are described as white palaces with well kept lawns, suggesting well kept, good quality people, over all setting a lavish and opulent scene. Never the less, the houses themselves are concentrated on more so in Wuthering Heights as they are the dominant symbol of the two separate worlds, whereas Gatsby concentrates on the society around East Egg and West Egg, in order to emphasize the difference of the world Daisy and Tom inhabit in comparison to Gatsbys world. Fitzgerald creates the symbolism of East and West Egg by choosing to rename Great Neck and Manhasset. West Egg is a place of newly rich settled opportunists, many like Gatsby who are seen to have acquired a fortune overnight and boast this through extravagant houses. West Egg has an overall vibrancy shown through spectroscopic gayety with this Fitzgerald suggests a bright, colourful and energetic lifestyle. East Egg however is a fashionable part of Long Island, where the wealthy descendants, of a previous money making generation, live. In contrast with the West, they seem to be more withdrawn from enjoying themselves and proud of their staid nobility, with the exception of a few lapses at Gatsbys parties. This lack of living for the moment comes across also in the way that they seem to want more in life in the East, but have no intentions of looking for it. Fitzgerald mocks the ambitionless simplicity of life that for example is demonstrated in Jordan and Daisys superficial conversation, We ought to plan something, All right Whatll we plan? What do people plan? Similarly people lack genuine qualities, everything is based on etiquette and image, a prime example of this is when Mrs Sloane invites Gatsby to supper out of politeness but doesnt expect him to actually come. Equally Shakespeare employs the theme of class, as a barrier between Othello and Desdemona, but unlike Bronte and Fitzgerald, he demonstrates the distinction through the discrimination drawn upon Othello. None the less, Shakespeare does use a comparison of two separate locations, Venice and Cypress. Shakespeare accomplishes a dramatic tone in the play Othello through the use of a variation of techniques, for example dramatic irony. Likewise Shakespeare uses contrasting worlds, for instance the contrast between Venice and Cyprus, Venice is portrayed to be a respected origin, it has a positive representation in the play, being the place in which Desdemona and Othello fell in love. Cypress on the other hand is surrounded in conflict, described as a war-like isle, a direct comparison to Venice; it is also the place where Othello and Desdemonas love suffers. The two countries are essential to Shakespeares comparison between the worlds of war and love and how Othello struggles to find a balance between the two. The warlike moor encounters the conflict between the roles of being an inexperienced loving husband and a hardened military soldier. Hes used to of course an all male environment, a soldiers life style, uneducated in the domestic world of females. He can deal with the flinty and steel couch of war yet is little blessd with the soft phrase of peace. Shakespeare devises Othellos dialogue to show how he is more comfortable with language from the semantic field of war than pet nick names, calling Desdemona My fair Warrior. Othello may be respected for his military efforts, after all this is all we see him praised for, no credit is given to the fact he is marrying Desdemona even their wedding celebration is shared with a military celebration. Considering this Shakespeare presents him very much as an outsider, the only black protagonist, he doesnt qualify as a gentleman, and is included in society purely as he is an acquaintance of Brabantio and Cassio.

Mobile Phone Conversations vs. Face-to-Face Conversations

Mobile Phone Conversations vs. Face-to-Face Conversations Mobile Phone Conversations vs. Face-to-Face Conversations in Public Settings: An Annotated Bibliography Margarita Parker Cell phones burst into our life in the early 90’s and became an integral part of the modern world. They are convenient and essential. They are not only communication devices but also our friends who keep our secrets and save our happiest moments. They remind us about important events and wake us up in the morning. However, more and more people find it inappropriate and unethical to be involuntarily involved in other people’s cell phone conversations in public settings. At first, this paper was planned to be designed as a research critique paper on a study found in the textbook. The study I found interesting was conducted in 2008 by Scott Campbell, professor of Telecommunications in the University of Michigan (Campbell, 2014). His study, Perceptions of mobile phone use in public: The roles of individualism, collectivism, and focus of the setting (Campbell, 2008), was mentioned by Keyton (2010) in terms of â€Å"how mobile phone use in public settings was influenced by cultural and individual differences† (p. 45). I located the study online at ECU Joyner Library, read it, and found the results interesting. Campbell (2008) found that â€Å"participants with a collectivistic orientation [are] more tolerant of mobile phone use† in public settings that participants with an individualistic orientations (Campbell, 2008). While reading the study, I noticed that Campbell often mentioned the study by Monk et al. (2004) who found that people perceive cell phone conversations in public settings more annoying than face-to-face conversations of the same loudness. I located this study online at ECU Joyner Library, found it very interesting, and my initial research question – â€Å"How people of different cultures perceive the use of the mobile phones in public setting?† – changed to the other one: â€Å"Do people find cell phone conversations in public settings more annoying than face-to-face conversations?† Thus, I shifted my focus from a study in the textbook to an annotated bibliography. The study of Monk et al. (2004) became as incitement for its replication by Forma and Kaplowitz (2012). Therefore, this study was located online at ECU Joyner Library, read and analyzed carefully, and an annotated bibliography of the two studies was written. Monk, A., Carroll, J., Parker, S., Blythe, M. (2004). Why are mobile phones annoying? Behaviour Information Technology, 23 (1), 33-41. doi: 10.1080/01449290310001638496 In this study, Monk and the colleagues investigate the participants’ perception of mobile phone conversations and face-to-face conversations in public places. Monk et al. (2004) suggested that people might be more annoyed when hearing a cell phone conversation than a face-to-face conversation. They hypothesized that there were a few explanations to it. Frist, they suggested that it could be explained by the content or the volume of the conversation. Second explanation could be the novelty of the mobile connection technology. â€Å"People are used to others having face-to face conversations in public spaces and have learned to ignore them. The mobile phone is relatively new and hence more noticeable† (Monk et al., 2004). Third factor was suggested to be the fact that the one only hears a half of the cell phone conversation thus could not fully understand the content of the conversation. The experiment involved sixty-four randomly chosen participant – a half of them in the bus station, another half in the train carriage. The participants were exposed to the same staged conversation – one was face-to-face and another on the cell phone. The conversations lasted about one minutes. After that the participants were asked to read six statements and rate the conversation one the card displaying the Likert scale from 1(‘strongly disagree’) to 5 (‘strongly agree’). Each of the six statements was analyzed separately to find out â€Å"how the three independent variables, context (bus station or train), medium (mobile phone or face-to-face) and loudness (normal or loud), affect the ratings† (Monk et al.). A three-way between-subjects analysis of variance, Levine’s test for heterogeneity of variance, a two-tailed t-test, and a Mann-Whitney U-test were used to analyze the data. Analysis of Statement 1, The conversation was very noticeable, showed that the participants found the mobile conversation more noticeable than the face-to-face conversation of the same volume and content. Most of the ratings of Statement 2, The conversation was intrusive, were low. Analysis of Statement 3, I found myself listening to the conversation, revealed that the participants tended to listen to the cell phone conversation more than the face-to-face conversation. The participants were not strongly agreed or strongly disagreed on Statement 4, I found the ring tone of the phone annoying, as well as Statement 5, I found the volume of the conversation annoying. The rating of Statement 6, I found the content of the conversation annoying, were low. The findings provide evidence that in general, cell phone conversations are perceived as more noticeable and annoying than face-to-face conversations at approximately the same volume and content. The authors conclude that the study supported one of their hypothesis – cell phone conversations are more annoying because one hears only one side of the conversations that means people would rather hear a dialogue of two people than a monologue on the call phone. One of the advantages of the study is the random selection of participants as well as conducting the study in the real public settings were participants could do what they usually do in this public setting. However, the level of background noise was not taken into consideration. It can vary from very loud to very quiet in the bus station as well as on the train. This could affect the results of the study. More could be done on studying the effect of the context and content of the conversation. The authors of this study refer to Wei and Leung (1999) who found that public transportation settings were to be less irritating than restaurants, schools, and libraries (Wei Leung, 1999; Monk et al, 2004). Thus, the experiment could be conducted in the different public places such as restaurants, schools, theaters, hospitals, shopping malls, etc. in order to ensure validity and reliability of the experiment. The content of the conversation could be manipulated from being very annoying (talkin g to a customer service representative) to being very pleasant (congratulation on a new baby). The study is interesting but quite outdated. As stated in one of the hypothesis, cell phones were perceived as novelty. They were the novelty in the 90s but not anymore. However, the cell phone conversations in public setting are still perceived as rude and annoying. Thus, this study needs expansion as well as replication in the current time. Forma, J., Kaplowitz, S.A. (2012). The perceived rudeness of public cell phone behavior. Behaviour Information Technology, 31 (10), 947-952. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2010.520335 The authors report two studies on the perception of face-to-face and mobile phone conversations. The first study was designed to find out if people speak louder when talking on the cell phone than when talking face-to-face. 90 participants were found on a university campus â€Å"30 cell phone users and 60 people having face-to-face conversations† (Forma Kaplowitz, 2012). The participants were observed in two public settings – in a food court on campus and in a lobby outside the food court. 30 cell phone and 30 face-to-face conversations were discretely recorder by one of the authors of this study who sat within 1 m of the participants and recorded the average dB level for 1 minute. The analysis of the collected data confirmed that people talk louder on the cell phone than face-to-face. The second study was a replication of the study of Monk et al. (2004). The goal of this study was to confirm or disprove the findings of Monk et al. (2004) that mobile phone conversations in public settings are perceived more annoying than face-to-face conversations. As in Monk et al. (2004) experiment, Forma and Kaplowitz (2012) used two actresses who engaged in cell phone and face-to-face staged conversations on a bus. In some of the face-to-face conversations, both actresses were audible while in others only one actress was audible. Participants were students riding the bus on the campus. After the conversation was over, the participants were asked if they noticed the girls’ conversations. Those who answered â€Å"yes† were given the questionnaire. 160 participants completed the questionnaire similar to the one Monk et al. (2004) used. The analysis of the results confirmed the findings of Monk and the colleagues that people perceive cell phone conversations in public places more rude that face-to-face conversations. Moreover, Forma and Kaplowitz (2012) found that face-to-face conversations in which only one person was audible were perceived even more annoying than cell phone conversations. Both studies of Forma and Kaplowitz (2012) are fairly recent, well designed, the topics are deeply analyzed, and the authors’ claims are strongly supported with evidence. The replication of the study of Monk et al. (2004) included more participants (160 vs 64) that could increase validity and reliability of the study. However, there are some factors that could make the validity and reliability of both studies of Forma and Kaplowitz (2012) slightly questionable as the participants were mostly young students, and the sample did not include people of different ages and occupations while in the original study by Monk et al. (2004) participants were randomly selected on the train and the bus station. Lastly, I would like to mention that the studies conducted by Monk et al. (2004) and Forma and Kaplowitz (2012) based on some of the findings in the work â€Å"Blurring public and private behaviours in public space: policy challenges in the use and improper use of the cell phone† by Wei and Leung (1999). This work deserves a special attention. However, this assignment is limited to two annotations. Thus, I am planning to return to this work in the future. References Campbell, S.W. (2008). Perceptions of mobile phone use in public: The roles of individualism, collectivism, and focus of the setting. Communication Reports, 21 (2), 70-81. doi: 10.1080/08934210802301506 Campbell, S.W. (2014). Curriculum Vitae. University of Michigan. Retrieved from http://sitemaker.umich.edu/scott.campbell/files/campbell_cv_aug_2014_.pdf Forma, J., Kaplowitz, S.A. (2012). The perceived rudeness of public cell phone behavior. Behaviour Information Technology, 31 (10), 947-952. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2010.520335 Keyton, J. (2010.) Communication Research: Asking Questions, Finding Answers (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Monk, A., Carroll, J., Parker, S., Blythe, M. (2004). Why are mobile phones annoying? Behaviour Information Technology, 23 (1), 33-41. doi: 10.1080/01449290310001638496 Wei, R., Leung, L. (1999). Blurring public and private behaviours in public space: policy challenges in the use and improper use of the cell phone. Telematics and Informatics, 16, 11–26. doi:10.1016/S0736-5853(99)00016-7

A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck :: A Long Way From Chicago Richard Peck

â€Å"A Long Way From Chicago† by Richard Peck The book â€Å"A Long Way From Chicago† is an adventurous and funny story. The story takes place at Joey Dowdel’s Grandmothers farm house in the country. Joey and his sister Mary Alice were sent to their Grandma’s house during the summer because their parents had to go to Canada for their work. At first, Joey felt uncomfortable with his Grandmother because he had never met her before but eventually he got to know her and they became close friends. On the first week at Grandma’s, a man named Shotgun Cheatman died. Everyone in the town went to the funeral because he was the well known assistant to the Mayor. The funeral was held in Grandma’s house and a creepy thing happened that night when Tom the cat crawled inside the casket. The next day, Joey, Mary Alice and Grandma left the house and walked across fields of tall grass and â€Å"cow pies aplenty† to Salt Creek to go fishing. They found an old wooden boat and Grandma rowed the boat out into the creek. While on their fishing adventure, they encountered a cottonmouth snake that fell into the boat and a party of drunken men on land dancing in their underwear. Strange things began to happen the next couple days. First, Joey was in the living room of Grandma’s house making a jig saw puzzle. He heard the sound of a horses hooves walking slowly on the street then the sound stopped in front of the house and heard someone put something in Grandma’s mail box. Joey heard the horse walk away and a little while later Grandma’s mailbox blew up. Next, Ms. Wilcox’s outhouse was destroyed by a cherry bomb. Then, a dead mouse was found floating in the bottle of milk that was delivered to the front

Divorce and Its Effects on Children :: Divorce Children Marriage Kids Essays

Divorce in our society has become increasingly common. Fifty percent of all marriages will end in divorce and each year 2 million children are newly introduced to their parents separation, (French). Demographers predict that by the beginning of the next decade the majority of the youngsters under 18 will spend part of their childhood in single-parent families, many created by divorce. During this confusing period of turmoil and high emotional intensity, the child must attempt to understand a complex series of events, to restructure numerous assumptions and expectations about themselves and their world. He or she may be uprooted to a new school, city or neighborhood leaving their familiar social ties behind. They must often assume new household duties, possibly feel the financial loss and most importantly receive less support and nurturing from their parents. These are just a few implications of divorce but demonstrates how it changes the lives of children. Each child is unique, so the short and long term functioning of the children after divorce varies widely. Wallerstein and Kelly (1980) observed and interviewed parents and children three times in five years, and reported an estimate of one third of the children come out of divorce unharmed. Another one third function adequately, but experience difficulties, and the remaining one third have severe upsets in their developmental process. However the authors of the "Family in Transition", approach this finding with caution because the conclusions were made without comparing the children of two parent families. Never the less they do note there are overall trends in the functioning of children after divorce. The areas most often discussed are intellectual performance, juvenile delinquency and aggression, social and emotional well-being and cognition and perception, (A & J Skolnick p. 349). Most research shows that boys are more vulnerable than girls to divorce related stress and recover more slowly. A. and J. Skolnick offer the possibility that living with the opposite sex is more difficult than with the same sex and because the custodial parent is often the mother, boys are exposed to this situation more often. Another perspective is that girls are likely to be just as troubled by divorce as boys are, but demonstrate their feelings in a manner that is more appropriate to their sex role, namely by being anxious, withdrawn or very well behaved, (Kaslow and Schwartz p. 164). In examining the data on the factor of age influencing a child's adjustment to divorce, it seems that older and younger children at the time of separation experience different short term effects, but share commonalities in the long term effects.

Communication’s Effect on Effective Conflict Management

The process of effective conflict management is very complex. There are many elements that one must master in order to become effective at conflict resolution. In life, we will be faced with a myriad of people, all with different views and opinions; so naturally, we will be faced with conflict at some point in our lives. Once conflict is initiated (intentionally or not), it is important to keep a cool head and remember a few steps. According to our textbook, there are 5 stages for successful conflict resolution which are prelude to conflict, the triggering event, the initiation phase, the differentiation phase, and the resolution phase (Cahn & Abigail, 2007). It is very important to identify and learn these stages so they can be present in our minds during times of conflict. The first stage is the prelude to conflict stage. This stage deals with the tension that arises right before a conflict becomes external. Communication plays a large role in this stage. If communication fails, conflict will ensue. Communication can fail if one or more involved parties communicate with a negative connotation, tone, or word choice. Other things such as sharing too much information or not enough can also have a detrimental effect on communication at this point. All of these factors, although generally considered small components of communication, can lay the foundation for conflict. During this stage, the correct thing to do is to stop talking for a brief moment and examine one’s own emotions in an attempt to control them. Oftentimes, our inability to control our emotions will cloud our judgment and will only help to escalate the issue. It is also important to deal with the preconceived notions that we may have as these too can have an impact on our judgment. According to the attribution theory, â€Å"people act as they do in conflict situation because of the conclusions they draw about each other† (Cahn & Abigail, 2007). In most cases, our body language will also betray us and will project the negative feelings we may be experiencing. Many times, we can misread a person and this may lead to what is known as false conflict. â€Å"Perception of conflict is a cognitive factor that encompasses an individual’s position toward conflict in general,†(Ben-Ari & Hirshberg, 2009). It is for this reason that it is very important to make a serious effort to eliminate prejudgments and any negative body language that goes with it. Taking these steps during phase 1 will prevent setting a tone of hostility and will eliminate any unnecessary conflict. Phase 2 of the conflict refers to the actual event or events that trigger the conflict. This is a very important factor because by determining the trigger, we can focus on what the real conflict is and identify it. By focusing on the trigger, we can focus on the events and facts, rather than on the emotions behind the conflict. When addressing a conflict it is important to stay professional at all times,† (â€Å"Diffusing conflict,† 2010). This will help keep the focus on the conflict itself and should help keep communication from becoming hostile. It is also important to isolate and identify the true conflict as oftentimes, resulting emotions will cloud our better judgment. Once we have a better assessment of what the true conflict is, we can move to the next phase of the process. The next phase is known as the initiation phase. During the initiation phase, it is important to state the problem. Ideally, this process should foster communication. In order to move forward towards a successful resolution, it is important that all sides get to state their side of the conflict. Communication at this point becomes critical to solving the problem. It is also important to keep an open mind and listen to everything that is said. In many cases, others may have been offended by something we do or say without us knowing it. In order to successfully resolve the conflict, it is not enough to simply state the conflict and listen to all sides of the issue, but rather it is important to present possible solutions to the problem. The most effective way to ensure resolution is to formulate an adequate conflict strategy. Conflict strategies are â€Å"overall plans consisting of a cluster of behaviors that people use in a specific conflict situation† (Abigail & Cahn, 2007). This should occur during the following phase which is known as the differentiation phase. During this phase, it is advised that you analyze the information exchanged in the previous stages and work to formulate an adequate conflict strategy suitable for this particular conflict. Ideally, this process should foster an open, honest communication amongst the affected parties. It is important that everyone involved keep an open mind so that all possibilities are heard and so that we may keep our conflict strategy flexible. Again, communication plays a pivotal role in determining the success of the conflict strategy. The use of active listening and clear communication will be useful in getting all resolution ideas out on the table. It is important to be clear about what you expect from this conflict but it is of equal importance to listen to what the other party is seeking from this conflict. The final phase is the resolution phase. During this step, the affected parties should work together to achieve a realistic resolution that will benefit both parties. Part of good communication is having good listening skills. Once you reach this step, the conflict should be de-escalated and should be much easier to find middle ground. Since all sides have stated their positions and desires in the previous steps of this conflict, it is important to remember that emotions may still be raw. Communication and respect should take precedent in this phase in order to avoid falling into the pitfalls of conflict once again. A good resolution should fulfill certain requirements in order to be considered a success. First and foremost, the resolution should be considered fair and reasonable. Although, realistically, not everyone will get their way, everyone should be able to feel like they understand why they are not getting what they feel like they deserve. Feeling that the resolution was fair and unbiased will help prevent future conflict. The agreement should also be realistic and specific enough so that everyone may know what needs to be done and when. In order to proceed, everyone needs to understand what their role is for this resolution. It is also important to clarify the details of the resolution such as defining whether it is self-governed or whether it counts on others to enforce it (Ohrd, 2010). Once these precedents have been set and everyone understands the terms of the agreement, resolution is complete. One additional step is to follow up. Following up is not a traditional step in the conflict management process, but it has become a very important way of â€Å"going above and beyond. It serves as a gesture of goodwill and also helps to ensure that the terms of resolution are being met. It is also just as important to ensure that one keeps their own end of the resolution during the follow up phase as failure to do so will only cause yet another conflict to arise. As a customer service representative, I am faced with conflict on a daily basis. My communication skills have to be sharp as I am an over-the-phone representative for a national cell phone company. I deal with people from all walks of life and from all parts of the country. Usually, when a person phones in to the cell phone company, it is because they are experiencing an issue or are upset about something. Finally understanding the affect communication has on the conflict process has helped me improve in my conflict resolution skills at work. While at work, my main tool is communication since I am over the phone and I must get my point across verbally. One of my main functions is to de-escalate a customer that is calling in upset. Often, a customer will call in screaming and yelling because of their anger and frustration. At first, it was very hard not to get upset and respond in a similar manner. I have learned that I am the face of the company and in the customers’ minds, I am the company itself so the conflict is not with me personally, but rather the company. With this in mind, I realize how important it is for me to keep my tone and word choice professional. Phase 1 is extremely important in my job because it lays the foundation for how the call will go. Once a call gets off to a bad start, it is very hard to turn it around, so I have to get it right. Phase 2 usually occurs very early on in the call since the customer calling already knows what their conflict is. It is my job to actively listen to what issues the customer is experiencing and then move on to phase 3 so that I may analyze what the customer said and identify the problem. Although most customers are very straightforward with stating the problem, sometimes even they are not sure about what the real conflict is. They only know the issues they are experiencing. One common example of this is when a customer calls in to cancel their line because their bill is consistently high. After listening to what they feel is the problem, my phase 3 procedure is to analyze their account and identify the cause of the high bills. On my most recent example, the cause of the high bills was minute overages. I proceeded to check their account’s history and they had consistently been going over in their minutes for months. Phase 4 of my conflict resolution in this case would involve explaining the true cause of the high bills and suggesting a plan that better fits the customer’s needs. This solution is often met with some resistance, initially, because the customer does not see the benefit for them. They see a plan with more minutes that will cost them more money, so it is my job to help the customer see the benefit of what I am proposing. Someone who usually pays $30 in overages on average per month would benefit greatly by changing to a plan that is $10 more per month but would include enough minutes to suit their use. In order to achieve this, effective communication must take place. By phase 4, I should have already calmed the customer down, listened to their issues, and identified the problem. When presenting the solution, I must also be very careful in my tone and word choice as these are my tools to resolve the conflict. Both my tone and word choice have to project confidence and professionalism. Customers need to feel that they are dealing with a professional who is a specialist to help them so that they can keep an open mind to what I will suggest to them. The 5th phase is the resolution phase. In this particular situation, the customer has the last word in choosing the resolution, but it is my job to steer them towards a resolution that is positive for both the customer and the company. This final process requires that we recap all of the information discussed and reinforce that the decision being made is the correct one. This provides additional closure to help the customer feel confident that they are making an informed decision with a professional company. The last step of the conflict resolution process in this scenario is the follow-up. We have several methods of performing follow-ups with our customers. One way of following up with the customer is through our post-call surveys. Customers receive follow-up calls from our customer service department and answer a series of questions as to how their customer service representative treated them and if their conflict was solved adequately. This is a very important step because aside from re-affirming the importance of communication with our customer, it also helps the company know what types of conflict are not being resolved efficiently. Another way that the company seeks to follow-up with our customers is by having customer service representatives perform follow-up reviews on customers’ accounts. Generally, we are given time at the beginning of our shift to review the accounts we have handled previously. We document whether or not the customer has called back within 48 hours of their last contact with us. The theory behind this is that if we are doing an effective job of resolving conflict with the customer as a company, the customer’s issue should be resolved in one call. If the customer has called back within 48 hours of their call with you, then you did not adequately solve their issues and the conflict continued. By performing follow-up reviews, the company can keep track of your one call resolution accuracy and can coach each representative on specific types of calls that they need help on based on their one call resolution review. This follow up review is effective in that it shows the company’s commitment to getting the conflict resolved for the customer and it also shows the company’s commitment to helping the employee succeed and improve. The process of conflict management, although complex, relies heavily on the use of effective communication. Conflict management is a part of daily life and recognizing the importance of communication will increase the rate of success in dealing with conflict. Learning to communicate clearly and openly will make mastering the art of conflict management a much more pleasant experience.References http://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/onlinetraining/resolution/step8.htm