Providing Structured Physical Activities And Healthy...

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether providing structured physical activities and healthy nutrition education to students in grades first to sixth during their after-school hours, instead of the less structured physical activities offered during typical after-school programs will promote increased physical activity and healthier food choices. This evaluation will be the first of two reports from the evaluation of the Let’s Move National Program implemented in community-based afterschool program of Kids Incorporated. The After-School Institute, in collaboration with the National After-School Alliance has developed an internal evaluation team that will lead and execute the Kids Incorporated - Let’s Move Program Evaluation. It has been determined that adolescence have less physical activity and an increased consumption of processed and sugar based food and drink during the peak hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., the evaluation team will address those students who participate in this after-school program; and the efforts to outcomes with better health and wellness outcomes, reduced risk of obesity, and better food choices. In addition, the parents of these students will develop commitment and investment in promoting physical fitness, have a greater knowledge of the effects of their food choices, and reduce the negative health problems associated with childhood obesity. The National After-School Alliance will conduct a one-year evaluation of the Let’sShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pagesobesity (BMI-for-age percentile of 85 or higher)† (Maryland Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan, 2016). Obesity in children have a great impact on physical and psychological health effects. Overweight children are prone to obesity even in adulthood, leading to increases the risk of health conditions including chronic illnesses, hypertension, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases compared to those children with a healthy weight. â€Å"Childhood obesity is now being rightly referredRead MorePhysical Activity in Primary School Children Essay1559 Words   |  7 PagesPhysical activity is crucial for a child’s development and lays the foundation for a healthy and active life. Children are becoming overweight and obese due to poor food choices and an increasing sedentary lifestyle (McDevitt Ormrod, 2010). High calorie food and increased indoor activity, such as watching television or computer games, are fuelling the unhealthy lifestyle epidemic in children. Physical activity in middle childhood, (8 to12 year olds), is a cruci al component in addressing and preventingRead MoreObesity : Childhood Obesity And Obesity955 Words   |  4 Pagesmothers play a major role in preventing overweight and obesity among the children. Their knowledge of nutrition, food selection and family meal structure has major impact on their children’s food habit. The preschool age is crucial for the children to learn and develop their lifelong habits. Education starts from home, where parents are the primary source of teaching their children about health, nutrition and food choices. They are the first liner in prevention of childhood obesity. When children startRead MoreMy Job As A Wellness Educator961 Words   |  4 Pagesbeen interested in health, wellness, physical activity and healthy behaviors. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to teach or do something in the health-related field. I have always played sports and been active my entire life. I am driven to eat well (although not perfect), stay healthy and s tay in shape. This belief and practice was instilled early in my life by my parents. Recently, I have been more drawn to actively become more proficient in the nutrition-specific content (thus enrolling inRead MoreThe Incidence of Childhood Inactive Behavior Growing at an Alarming Rate1750 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction/Overview It is accepted that the incidence of childhood inactive behavior is increasing at a disturbing rate. The physical activity level and health behavior of the youth population has the capability to be a valuable instrument in countering this undesired behavior and the obesity pandemic as well as lowering all-cause mortality (Tudor-Lock et al., 2011). According to the center for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity rates have doubled among children since 1980 (McNamaraRead MorePublic Health Systems Essay962 Words   |  4 Pagesawareness and the services. In addition, there is coalitions work that promotes quality living in the focus areas for maternal and child health to prevent infant mortality and HIV/AIDS and another group focuses on diabetes and cardiovascular related activities in the communities. The promotion and prevention of health of this population do not rely alone on the DHHS and stakeholders but also from hospitals such as Holy Cross hospital and some indiv iduals on the various focus area of their needs. ThisRead MoreFamily Diagnoses1421 Words   |  6 Pagesand interventions focuses on individual patient crises, specific interventions, or medical diagnose (Warren, 1998). â€Å"It is imperative that information on common nursing diagnoses and interventions be researched, discussed, and incorporated into education and training† (Warren, 1998). The purpose of this paper is to identify three nursing diagnoses that related to TD and her family, summarize potential interventions related to each diagnosis, discuss how Watson’s theory of human caring influencesRead MoreThe Importance of Physical Activity Essay1229 Words   |  5 PagesPhysical Activity is undeniably good for everyone, not only does it keep you fit and healthy but when started at a young age, it can set up good habits for life. Sometimes however, people do not take care of their physical wellbeing, resulting in obesity and other eating disorders which can be detrimental to their health. Obesity is the condition of being seriously overweight. It is now considered a global health epidemic by the World Health Organization (2000) (McDevitt Ormrod, 2010). PhysicalRead MoreThe Importance Of Physical Activity And Nutrition1618 Words   |  7 Pagesimportance of physical activity and nutrition. Exercise and diet play a major role in contributing to health and quality of life. â€Å"Not only is 1 in every 8 Americans older than 65 years, but a person aged 65 can expect to live an average of 18 more years (Drewnowski, 2001).† The fact that people are living longer involves many factors, however, taking care of ourselves is an essential one. While each of the two are vital together they also go in depth individually. First, physical activity is any bodyRead MoreThe Louisiana Department Of Health And Hospitals778 Words   |  4 Pageswell protect and promote health, develop and stimulate services by others. Lastly, in order to fulfill its mission utilize available resources in the most effective matter. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is led by an appointed structured leadership with years of experience. An important issue is the Affordable Care Act and it influence on Louisiana health care. The Honorable Governor Bobby Jindal is an outspoken opponent of Affordable Care Act and has composed is own version in

Canadian Agency Of Drugs And Technologies - 1510 Words

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to introduce a health-related organization that we were not familiar with and to investigate the organization. For this paper, the organization that will be investigated will be the Canadian Agency of Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). The following sections will discuss what the organization is about, its mission and mandate, how the organization is structured, how are they funded, and why does the organization exist and do the work that they accomplish. What is the organization? The Canadian Agency of Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that is based in Ottawa but has liaison officers across Canada. The pan-Canadian organization is responsible in providing Canada’s health care decision-makers with objective evidence to help them make informed decisions about the optimal use of drugs and medical devices within our healthcare system. They are considered to be an organization that is a trusted source of credible health care evidence across the nation (CADTH, 2015). The organization’s purpose states that it harmonizes the scientific approach of its products and services. They have also increased the production of its health technology assessments (HTAs) and rapid reviews. On the customer side, the organization has invited patient engagement, and welcomed the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review - one of their major key initiatives - to the organization. Their work is one ofShow MoreRelatedCanadian Agency For Drugs And Technologies1451 Words   |  6 PagesCanadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health Introduction The purpose of this paper is to introduce a health-related organization that we are not familiar with and investigate the organization. For this paper, the organization that will be investigated will be the Canadian Agency of Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). The following sections will discuss what the organization is about, its mission and mandate, how the organization is structured, funding, and why does the organizationRead MoreA Report That Analysis Integrated Practices1299 Words   |  6 Pagesmajor factors in the company’s external environment (for example political, economic, social, technological, competitive and other factors as appropriate), company’s strategic approach. Brief description Of The Company Apotex Inc. is the largest Canadian pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1974 and provides job to over 6000 people in its company. Apotex is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It started its business with 5000 square foot warehouse with limited number of employees. It is the trustedRead MoreHealth Informatics And The Health System1717 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is health informatics in Canadian health system? Health informatics transforms health care by assessing, analyzing, integrating, and applying health communication and informational systems (Anderson, 2007). Health informatics schemes are funded federally and implemented provincially in Canada with each province creating its own dynamic programs to help improve both the population and individuals health outcomes, enhance patient’s care and to strengthen the patients-caregiver relationshipRead MoreIs Melafind Optical Scanner And Early Detection Of Melanoma1017 Words   |  5 PagesEmerging Technology Brief MelaFind Optical Scanner and Early Detection of Melanoma Overview: The most deadly form of skin cancer is melanoma. Of importance to me, the only way a doctor can know with certainty if a mole is cancerous, using current policy is to perform a surgical biopsy. Consequently, large amount of cautious looking moles after invasive surgical biopsy, end up being benign or non cancerous. In an effort to decrease the amount of melanoma biopsies being performed, decrease the numberRead MoreThe Issue Of Orphan Drugs1352 Words   |  6 PagesOrphan drugs are drugs that treat rare diseases that are life-threatening, seriously debilitating, or cause serious and chronic conditions that affects only a relatively small number of patients. Rare or orphan diseases in Canada are those which affect less than 5 in 10, 000 people. About 6,000 to 8,000 rare diseases have been identified worldwide. Most (~80%) are genetic disorders and the remainder are from either viral or bacterial infections or are caused by environmental factors. orphanRead MoreU.S. Customs of Border Protection (Cbp)754 Words   |  4 Pageswhat the CBP do is effective and how so. Also it will be explaining how they prevent terrorist attacks and how they work with other law enforcement agencies. 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In other words, the internet has become a part of the day-to-day lives of Canadians with the figureRead MoreThe As A Priority Assessment1734 Words   |  7 Pagesprevent her from harming herself. Another behavior that might justify short-term involuntary treatment is if Anna is unable to meet basic self-care needs. It is essential to ensure Anna is not jeopardizing her health. In what classification of drugs is the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac)? Fluoxetine (Prozac) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It is an antidepressant medication. What is the major action of SSRI antidepressants? The major action of SSRI antidepressantsRead MoreGenetically Modified Food in Canada Essay1511 Words   |  7 Pagesof fresh and packaged goods displayed in an inviting manner to attract customers. Everything appear familiar and reassuring, right? Think again. A closer microscopic inspection discloses something novel, a fundamental revolution in food technology. The technology is genetic engineering (GE), also known as biotechnology. Blue prints (DNA) of agricultural crops are altered and â€Å"spliced† with foreign genes to produce transgenic crops. Foods harvested from these agricultural plants are called, geneticallyRead MoreAnalyzing the Effective Growth of Population in Alberta1354 Words   |  6 Pagesincluded non-permanent residents, returned emigrants, was considering is the very high in contrast of the other countries. In general, most of the immigrants decide to move to the large and developed city. Furthermore, stable job market and secure Canadian embassies give a chance to newcomers to move to Alberta. For instance, as a publication Alberta Population Projections, by Census Division, 2010-2050 (2010) related †For the period between 2000 and 2009, Calgary at 59% and Edmonton at 29% accounted

The Influence of Gangs in Teenagers Free Essays

Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today†s cities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang is both an acceptable and honorable way of life? The long-range answer to these questions can only be speculated, but in the short term the answer is easier to find. We must find ways and means to effectively implement the various strategies to end gang violence. We will write a custom essay sample on The Influence of Gangs in Teenagers or any similar topic only for you Order Now I believe that three important institutions play a vital role in our struggle to fight gang violence. Some believe that gangs are caused by peer pressure. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all sound glamorous. Other teens will use money as a crucial factor. A kid is shown that they could make a couple of hundred for small part time gang jobs. This includes selling drugs and robbing other people. In other areas like Bronx or the very worst case, Compton, children will be beaten and robbed if they do not join gangs. This is one reason why teens in these areas have to have friends in order for them to survive. Poor parenting also play†s a role why teens turns to gangs. Imagine in poor families with many children or middle-class families where parents are always working, the children will often feel deprived of love and attention. Parents often feel that putting food on the table is enough love. Children of these families may often go to the gang firstly out of boredom and to belong somewhere. As time goes on, a form of love develops between the gang members and the child. It is then that the bond between the kid and the gang is complete because the gang has effectively taken the place of the family. Most parents do not have enough time to talk and listen to their kids. They do not spend any social activities with their children. Even teaching their kids the right values is jeopardizes. Most of the time, parents do not know what their children are doing for two reasons. First, most of the parents† lives is outside the local community, while the children†s lives are lived almost totally within. Second, in a develop community, the passage of relations gives every parent, in a sense, a community of guards who can keep him informed of his child†s activities. In modern living-places, like cities or suburbs, where such a network is abused, he no longer has such sentries. Last but not least is the poor educational system. A lot of students are deprived of basic educations, which includes good skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. If the educational system somehow ensure that each student actually does have access to equal opportunity for a quality education, then perhaps we will find these kids have a better future that holds something more than quitting school, hanging out in the â€Å"hood†, and making money at selling drugs. This is why gangs are more predominant in public school than private school. I am interested in this issue because I want to find out the best way I could prevent my kids from joining gangs. I do not have any experience growing up in this type of environment. I grew up in a place where gang affiliation is unheard of. This is why this is a major concern for me. These are the major factors why most of the teenagers turn to gangs. I believe that proper parenting plays the major role in preventing kids in joining gangs. Everything starts at home; from teaching your kids the right values and helping them develop self-esteem. Parents should teach their kids to value education because this is their key to better future. Parents should serve as a role model to their children. They should do everything possible to involve their children in supervised, positive group activities. Parent need†s to praise their children when they are doing well and encourage them to do their very best, to stretch their skills to the utmost. How to cite The Influence of Gangs in Teenagers, Papers

Analysis of Internation Marketing For PESTEL & SWOT

Question: Discuss about the International Marketing for PESTEL and SWOT Analysis. Answer: Introduction Wine as a product reflects the countrys position contributing to a multicultural hub resorting to luxuries in wine and beer. Wine in the Fiji market constitutes to be used in celebrations and serves as a key component in attracting buyers. Although, the product that has not been still been imported from Australia is Coonawarra Red Wine which is a South Australian Wine from the terra rossa soil. The indigenous wine produced in Australia is one of the prized products that was started to celebrate the ridge of the earth (Anderson Aryal, 2015) On the other hand, the study analyses the market for South Australian Coonawarra wine in the market of Fiji depicting that the market is best fit for the wine as per the normal trend in the market. However, to evaluate the market for wine, it is important that situation analysis of the product be carried out. Conversely, situation analysis will be carried forward based on PESTEL, market and competitor analysis of the wine market in Fiji. Situation Analysis The situation analysis taken here is to justify the market for South Australian wine in Fiji so that a long-term evaluation is done that only suits the market and business environment but also to the customers that constitute to be one of the mainstay of the analysis. Business Environment The business environment determines to keep a check on the circumstances for the current market as well as analyze the environment for the future perspective as well. However, the business environment can be effective if the systematic factors are followed to gauge the environment (Kotler et al., 2015). In this case, Fijis wine market will be studied on the political, social, economic, legal, environment and technological factors. Political factor Politically, Fiji is a recommended market for Australian companies as well as product in the market. However, doctrinally, political culture of Fiji with Australia is financial stable as there are bilateral relations that exist between the two (Austrade.gov.au, 2016). However, Australias travel restriction have also been lifted in 2014 as announced by Ms. Bishop (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2015). Additionally, steps have been taken towards Fijis transition towards a democratic state that not only builds confidence in the system but also welcomes the international community. Economic factor Overall, the environment terms to be favorable the relation between the two countries has been old as well as strong. Moreover, the Australian investments in Fiji accounts for 2.3 billion dollars in 2014-2015 and two way trade in services has been on 1.7 billion dollars annually. However, a new policy has been announced in 2013 to enhance the engagement to build stronger cooperation, political and economic relations between the two. Economically, according to 2016 budget, the country lays foundation for moderate consolidations over trade. The Australian trade in exports to Fiji accounts for a growth of 14.7% and the imports accounts to a growth of 18.3% in 2015. However, alcoholic beverages exports to Fiji accounted for 8 million dollars in 2015 (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2015). Social factor- On the social forefront, the wine market in Fiji is highly dominated with Austrlia and New Zealand accounting for 600 wines constituting to be 35%. However, the brand market for wine attracts 675,000 tourists a year that is enough for the new indigenous Coonawarra Red Wine to make its place in the current market (Wilkinson, 2013). Technological factor The technological factor can be helpful in providing through the synergy of advertising as well as promotional and marketing programs. Moreover, the advertisers in the Fijian islands are of the view that public relations and TV and radio advertisement are constituted to be good for the product to reach to masses (Prasad Asa, 2013). Moreover, technological innovations can further be provided by better hygiene and control of production process that can be established in Australia by Fiji market to suite the palate of consumers that are contemporary in nature. However, this can be established by combining traditions of millennia with innovative approaches to deliver high quality products with sustainable healthy lifestyle (Cont et al., 2014). Environmental factor The environmental factor highlights that the energy waste in the land of Fiji has been comparatively less because the traded wine is tested for geographical authenticity and quality as being a multicultural hub and for the safety of tourists (Guides, 2015). Legal factor Legally, there are two regulation on which the Australia can deal in the Fiji market is Free Trade Agreements as well as Export Grants. The EMDGs are highly preferable for Australian exporters in Fiji as it not only helps in removing communication costs from the expenditure category but also illustrates the provision for the reimbursement of in-country travel while excluding ineligible expenses from the trade between Australia and Fiji (Austrade.gov.au, 2016). In addition, the wine products from Australia are regulated under tax such that in Fiji Import Excise Tax is of 15% mounting up with 15% value added tax in the region (Wilkinson, 2013). Market Analysis According to market analysis, Fiji has the largest supplier as Australia for imported wines by a large margin comprising it to be 66% (Wilkinson, 2013). The wine market in Fiji is high competitive as there has been a constant influx of new brands in the market. Pricing seems to play a major role in deciding which brands to carry. However, Coonawarra wine being a new band in the market will savor the taste for the tourist market, as it is constituted to be one of the popular indigenous product in Australia. The tourist market in Fiji is the main market segmentation that needs to be focused on because the sales were generated through the public in various events as well as celebration that take place such that the branded vine was mixed with the Fiji Bitter beer. However, according to market analysis, wine constitutes to be one of the staple yet key product category in Australian supplies in Fiji (Guides, 2015). Competitor Analysis According to competitor analysis, the market of wine is highly competitive as apart from Australian supplies, Victoria Wines is one of the greatest distributor that deals with the premium market of wine. However, there are no reliable statistics but according to Hindle, 52% of all imported wines were received in a period of six months in 2012. The other competitors that govern the market of wine are Jim Barry, Rockford, Glaconda, Yalumba, Henschke, Vasse Felix and other wine that can be stretched to early 1990s (Victoriawines.com.fj, 2016). On the other hand, Victoria wines sells the popular white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Australian Shiraz and Pinot Noir sales are increasing over time as they are the competitors with company driven price advantage over New Zealand and Australian wines (Wilkinson, 2013). The other key distributors that terms to give competition in the market are Yees Cold Storage Seafood, Punjas Wines Spirits, Motibhai, P. Meghji, Tappoo and Lawhill Ltd. Organization Assets and Skills The Coonawarra red wine is considered one of the asset that the Australian wine market such that many wine known producers follow the suit Yalumba and Penfolds. However, the various wines that Coonawarra red wine possess are Shiraz, Malbec,Petit VerdotandMerlot in Australia. Moreover, the excellent red wines specifically Cabernet Sauvignon is the secret to the red magic of Terra Rossa soil that has been cellared up to 60 years (Grey-Smith et al., 2014). In addition, the wine market in Fiji will be benefitted not only by the new brand in the market but also by the vibrant, sophisticated and by the passionate community that supports the spirit of Coonawarra red wine in Australia. Moreover, this old wine in South Australia embraces innovation while salutes the long tradition in Australia. As a result, product of wine brand is termed to be valuable for the tourism market in Fiji and will provide rich taste to the tourists (Coonawarra.org, 2016). SWOT Analysis The market SWOT according to the win market for Coonawarra Red Wine can be given under two heads that is internal and external analysis. The internal analysis comprises of strengths and weaknesses whereas external analysis comprises of opportunities and threats. Strengths Weaknesses The wine market at Fiji has strong recognition and with Coonawarra indigenous red wine strong presence, it is going to increase the popularity in Fiji market (Hall, 2013). The trade agreement with Australia seems to be the mainstay of the wine market (austrade.gov.au, 2016). Fiji has large tourism market that will help in adding competitive edge to the Coonawarra wine. There is lack of domestic wines that can attract market The wine products from Australia and New Zealand has lower wine value in the Fiji market (Wilkinson, 2013). There is no concentration of one wine product as the market penetration has been on different wine products. Opportunities Threats Fiji has a growing wine market. The changing tourist needs. There are many wine substitute in the wine market of Fiji. High as well as intense competition. There is growing trade of other alcohol beverages like tropical cocktails in Fiji market (Hall, 2013). Various taxes imposed on imported wine like import excise duty, turnover tax and value-added tax (Austrade.gov.au, 2016). The difficulty in finding the right distributor for the Coonawarra red wine distribution (Keys, 2015). Other issues like economic downturn, business cycles and natural disasters can be issues that can affect the market. Strategic Impact and Findings The strategic impact and findings of the indigenous Coonawarra red wine distribution will play an important part in the wine market in Fiji. This is because of the certain findings the popularity of wine in the tourist destination in Fiji. Moreover, with growing trend, the domestic wines will be efficient in attracting tourist from abroad. Hence, the change experienced in Fiji in wine market will help in building competition in the market. Conclusion To conclude it can be said that Coonawarra red wine, as a wine product in Fiji will be helpful in attracting as well as retaining tourism market in Fiji. Moreover, the wine market in Fiji and Australia has been in a trading business and Australia has been exporting alcohol and beverages to Fiji since a long time now. Being an indigenous wine product, it is about efficient enough to gather market because of the tourists that tend to have developed different tastes for wine. In addition, the market has been growing and with this growing market, the marketing of Coonawarra red wine can prove to be effective. References About - Victoria Wines. (2016).Victoriawines.com.fj. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://www.victoriawines.com.fj/Who-We-Are About | Coonawarra Vignerons, Coonawarra South Australia. (2016).Coonawarra.org. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://www.coonawarra.org/page.php?id=4 Anderson, K., Aryal, N. R. (2015).Growth and Cycles in Australias Wine Industry: A Statistical Compendium, 1843 to 2013(p. 610). University of Adelaide Press. Changes to the EMDG Scheme for the 2016-17 Grant Year - Export Market Development Grants - Austrade. (2016).Austrade.gov.au. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://www.austrade.gov.au/Australian/Export/Export-Grants/schemechanges Cont, F., Vrontis, D., Fiore, M., Thrassou, A. (2014). Strengthening regional identities and culture through wine industry cross border collaboration.British Food Journal,116(11), 1788-1807. Fiji country brief. (2016).Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://dfat.gov.au/geo/fiji/pages/fiji-country-brief.aspx Fiji. (2015).Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://dfat.gov.au/trade/resources/Documents/fiji.pdf Food and beverage - Fiji - For Australian exporters - Austrade. (2016).Austrade.gov.au. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://www.austrade.gov.au/Australian/Export/Export-markets/Countries/Fiji/Industries Grey-Smith, U., Robins, N., Stehbens, W., Elson, C., Norris, Y. (2014). Regional roundup: South Australia.Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker, (602), 18. Guides, I. (2015).Insight Guides: New Zealand(Vol. 18). Apa Publications (UK) Limited. Hall, C. M. (2013).Wine, food, and tourism marketing. Routledge. Keys, T. (2015). Key files: Wine exporting: Understanding the ins and outs-part 1.Wine Viticulture Journal,30(1), 11. Kotler, P., Burton, S., Deans, K., Brown, L., Armstrong, G. (2015).Marketing. Pearson Higher Education AU. Prasad, N. Asa, A. (2013). A Comparison Of Effectiveness Of Service Advertising On TV Between Fijian And Chinese Consumers: A Case Of Macdonalds.International Journal Of Scientific Technology Research,2(7). Retrieved from https://www.ijstr.org/final-print/july2013/A-Comparison-Of-Effectiveness-Of-Service-Advertising-On-Tv-Between-Fijian-And-Chinese-Consumers-A-Case-Of-Macdonald.pdf Wilkinson, M. (2013).Across the Ditch: Fiji Time.mishasvineyard.com. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://www.mishasvineyard.com/wp-content/uploads/WBM-August-13_Fiji-Time.pdf

Ecology of Panther a Leo (Lion)

Introduction Understanding of the ecology of animals is very interesting. According to Humphreys (1997, p. 121), many of wildlife habitat encroachment has been reported worldwide. This has mainly happened due to the general increase in population. Increased population leads to high demand for food and other resources that led many to convert the animal habitats into poaching grounds and agricultural areas to feed the hungry population.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ecology of Panther a Leo (Lion) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Panther Leo or Lion species is predominantly found in Africa where they have faced tremendous interferences from poachers who have different interests (Firouz 2005, p. 91). Some hunt the animal for skin while others do it for revenge reasons when they attack humans. Lion belongs to the genus Panther with other animals like the Tiger, Jaguar and leopard also. Lions are referred as a â₠¬Ëœking of beasts’ in the wilderness. This research focuses on the analyzing the life of a lion. Geographic Distribution of the Species Triefeldt (2008, p. 56) noted that lions are largely found in Africa and in some parts of Asia. The species is reported to be endangered in these areas. Some of the remnants are known to reside in Indian National park, the Gil forest. From the historic perspective, some of the lion species are believed to have moved away from south west of Asia and North Africa. Until the recent past, lion was the most widespread mammal seconding humans. In India, the habitat of lions is in both the forests of dry savanna and the dry forests of deciduous scrub. In Africa, the lion species is found in grasslands of savanna where there are acacia trees. In the 480BC, lions were believed to be common in Greece. They attacked a Persian king during his reign and were reported to be rare by 300BC. Most of the lions were eradicated on the arrival of firearms during the 18th century. Later in the 19th and 20th century, lions started becoming extinct in Southwest of Asia and North Africa. In most parts like India, lions have become extinct. Generally, lions are known to live mostly in the shrubby and forested areas. The picture below shows a lion in its habitat Pattern of distribution of the species within its geographic range According to Lions (1996, p. 58), different lion species are found in different environments depending on the geographical region. However, Africa is commonly known to harbor many lion species, their distribution pattern vary from one location to another within the continent.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In some parts of Africa, for example the Eastern part has a considerably high number of lion species compared to the number of the same species in other parts of Africa. In the Asian region, the most commonly found species is the P.L persica. In Africa, researches show that there are five different sub-species found within different geographical regions. These lion species include, the Panther a Leo senegalensis that is found in the parts of Western Africa and P.I.azandica found in the Northern East of Congo. Followed by the P.I.bleyenberghi, a species that is found in Angola and southern parts of Congo, and the Panther a Leo krugeri also known as P.I. verneyi that include the lion species from Kalahari and P.I krugeri, which is found in southern Africa. In the Eastern Africa, there are the P.I nubica, the lion species that are categorized into Masai, Somali, Serengeti, and Congo lions. Individual distribution Lions are well organized. Based on their sexes, there is division of roles or duties. The animals due to their form of organization rarely live in isolation. Female lions giving birth at the same time have a shared responsibility of bringing up the cubs (Riley 2008, p. 79). A part from hunting for these cubs, lioness would breastfeed them irrespective of the specific cub mothers. The male lions’ big responsibility is to protect the female lions and the young ones. Lions therefore live in groups or prides. A pride on average can comprise 13 lions, both males and females. They also do the hunting in a group and in very rare occasion, a lion will go hunting individually. Major habitats that the species occupies Hunter (2005, p. 46) says that the lion’s habitation varies. Their habitats include plains, forests, and grasslands. Quite a good population of lion species is known to reside even in the semi-arid and at high altitude areas except within the tropical rainforests and extremely desert areas. In fact, a lion species is known to live in Ethiopian Bale mountains that are 4,240 m. African lions are commonly found in savanna habitations or in plains. These areas are believed to have a high prey base. Lions in Asia found in Gir forest India. The lion prides whi ch constitute both sexes range from two to 40. Within the pride, male lions are usually more than their female counterparts are. In most instances, lions are found in groups, an adaptation that helps in increasing their efficiency when hunting and in guarding their territorial boundaries against other animals. Important habitat components According to Humphreys (1997, p. 127), lions inhibit a wide range of habitats. Mostly they prefer inhibiting in areas that are forestry and shrubby. As seen earlier, these animals like hunting in the darkness in order to hide from the prey. They also like a habitat with some kind valleys to make the hunting easier for them since such areas help them hide from the prey aimed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ecology of Panther a Leo (Lion) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As discussed earlier, lions live not in isolation but in groups. The female do most of the hunting especially hunting the light prey like gazelles and wild beasts. On the hand, male like hunting huge animals like zebras and buffalos. Both male and female lions have different preferences for prey hunted. Most of this species as seen from the discussion above, in Africa they are mostly found in Kalahari. This place is full of scattered acacia trees. They like such a place because they shelter under these trees during sunny seasons. Female lions also give birth under trees or under shade. Foods eaten According to DeGraaf (2000, p. 28) lions are predatory and carnivorous animals. The lion’s prey range from the small sized to the large sized animals. Their diet is mainly comprised of birds, rodents, buffalos Zebras and many other small and big animals. The lion as said earlier has the dominion over almost all other animals in the wilderness. Lion, the king of the Jungle, is able to straggle and kill animals like Rhinos, Antelopes, Zebra, and many others to obtain food. The animal is very cunning .After killing other animals; lions ensure that they do not share their kills and do chasing away other predators. The figure below shows a lion carrying away its prey. McGuire (1989, 40) says that in most of the occasions, the female lions do the hunting. Hunting activity is usually individually and in prides also. The prides just like female and male lions, differ in food preference. Female lions prefer hunting preys like antelopes while their male counterparts prefer large animals like buffalos (Mitra 2005, p.125). The hunting is normally done in groups and at night. Lions are much slower compared to the speed of most of their prey. Although they can also run fast, most of the preys they hunt are faster hence, hunting at night helps them in concealing their presence against the animals they hunt.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Timing and pattern of reproduction Marshall (2010, p. 114) observes that lions are polygamous in their breeding. The gestation period of lions is around 110 days. Their breeding is throughout the year. By the age of four years, most lionesses are ready for reproduction. Mating takes place at specific times of the year among the lion, which can take several days (Mitra 2005, p.35). A female lion, when on heat can mate with several different males. When giving birth, the female lion isolates to a sheltered place away from the rest of the pride. Some researches show that lions breed well in protected area such as game parks. A lioness on average can give birth from two four cubs per each attempt. After birth the female does not immediately mate again, it takes some time, usually about two years. The cubs are usually blind at birth. Their eyes open roughly after a week. The diagram below shows lions mating. Olney (1994, p. 89) says that the mother lioness hunts for its young ones and p rotects them from predation until they are able to support themselves. In a situation where many lionesses have given birth at the same time, they share the responsibility of rising as well as feeding the young ones. Cubs’ mother isolates from the rest of the pride for a maximum period of 8 weeks. Weaning of the young lions can start from the seventh month. Normally, at the age of 3 years, a male lion riches maturity and at the age of 5 years, they are in a position to defend other pride members. The female lions mature so fast and from the age of 4 years, they are ready for procreation. The male lions rule the prides and always fight for their chances to take over the ruling position in a pride (Feldhamer 2003, p. 56). There is therefore a continuous competition between female lions and males over their social structure. Conservation or Pest Status According to Skinner and Chimimba (2005, p. 118) most lion species live in Southern and Eastern Africa. It is reported that desp ite the breeding ability of lions, their number is decreasing each day. Estimations indicates that about 23,500 lions are in African protected areas against the 100,000 lions present a century before (Olney 1994, p. 119). The main pest affecting the lion species are the humans. Poaching of lions and human encroaching the lion’s habitats, has been on rise. There increased cases of human-wildlife conflicts, a factor that is facilitated by loss of habitats for these animals hence migrating to human habitations. Due to habitats loss and poaching, the population of the remaining lion species lives in isolation, a factor that encourages inbreeding leading to decrease in genetic diversity. Interference of the lions habitats buy humans as posed a serious impact on species conservation (United Nations Environment Programme 2008, p. 113). There is need to create awareness to the public on the importance and need for conserving lions and wildlife in general. A part from humans, lions al so face predation from other animals. Although lions are serious carnivores, they are predated upon by animals such as cheetahs, hyenas and leopards which are commonly known in killing the lion young ones and the aged lions. Population Management According to Fleagle (1999, p. 81), after the realization that the population of lion species is decreasing every day, a number of coordinated measures has been put in place to manage the remaining population. This plan was started in 1982 for those lions in Asia, but since the lions in this region were discovered impure genetically, the plan was suspended (DeGraaf 2000, p. 78). The plan of lion population management in Africa started a year later focusing mainly on the subspecies in the southern Africa. This plan has been faced by a series of challenges. Most of the captive lions are from an unknown origin and diversity, a factor that makes population management based on their genetic diversity difficult. Amongst the pride, lions have a wa y in which they manage their population. Lions after giving birth always like staying with their young ones in the same pride so that they can continually watch over them. This process continues up to around 40 lions, which is the maximum number for a pride. After acquiring the maximum number, that a pride can support, the incoming extra lions split and shift to a different region for easy management and foraging. This avoids competition over resources like food, water, and shelter. List of References DeGraaf, R 2000, New England wildlife: Habitat, natural history, and distribution, University Press of New England, Hanover. Feldhamer, G 2003, Wild mammals of North America: Biology, management, and conservation, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Firouz, E 2005, The complete fauna of Iran, Tauris, London. Fleagle, J 1999, Primate adaptation and evolution, Academic Press, San Diego. Humphreys, P 1997, The lion and the gazelle: The mammals and birds of Iran, I.B. Tauris, London . Hunter, L 2005, Cats of Africa: Behaviour, ecology, and conservation, Struik, Cape Town. Lions, J 1996, Lions’ commentary on Unix 6th edition: With source code, Peer-to-Peer Communications, San Jose. Marshall, C 2010, Mammal anatomy: An illustrated guide, Marshall Cavendish, New York. McGuire, L 1989, Lions, Aladdin Books, New York. Mitra, S. (2005). Gir Forest and the saga of the Asiatic lion. New Delhi: Indus. Olney, P 1994, Creative conservation: Interactive management of wild and captive animals, Chapman Hall, London. Riley, J 2008, African lions, Lerner, Minneapolis. Skinner, J Chimimba, C 2005, The mammals of the southern African subregion, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Triefeldt, L 2008, Plants animals: A special collection from the World of wonder series, Quill Driver Books/Word Dancer Press Sanger. United Nations Environment Programme 2008, Africa: Atlas of our changing environment, United Nations Environment Program Nairobi. This essay on Ecology of Panther a Leo (Lion) was written and submitted by user Muhammad Keith to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Service Delivery System Essay Example

Service Delivery System Essay Example Service Delivery System Paper Service Delivery System Paper The Lewis Partnership is in my opinion a very well organised company. Through their description in the first edition of their Occasions Magazine the reader gets in a world of dreams hopping to be there and to have the possibility to see it with the own eyes. The description is fantastic and you become the wish to be there and to know personally such a loving place. The employees describe the organisation as excellence as a culture, a work ethic and a way of life and a unique and very special place. The two most important managers Chris Lewis and Mark Lewis illustrate their both hotels as the first choice for all occasions. They want the costumer to be the King and they want to spoil the clients so that they spend an unforgettable time in the hotel. By offering luxury and elegance, by giving only the best service and by realizing the wishes of the costumers they show that they have a very well designed Customer Benefit Package. The clients appreciate very much the services offered by the hotels. This is shown with the example of the couple who chose the Moat House Hotel to celebrate their wedding. The couple was very pleased by the flexibility of the hotel manager. They were even allowed to change pictures and to put some own ones to adorn the rooms. The fact that this couple chose this hotel again for their first anniversary and for the naming ceremony of their first child shows that they were very satisfied with the service offered by the hotel. In the magazine they also express the careful choose of their providers of foods, flowers and coffee. The Lewis Partnership remarks also the high quality of their restaurants and point out the 2 AA Rosette standards. The winning of some awards is also a sign for the good quality delivered in the hotels. (Occasions Magazine / First Edition) 2. What is a Service Concept and why is it important to such a company?  The service concept of a company is the sum of the facilities and the deals that a company offers to their costumers. These depend on the point of view of the company by which the organisation wants the costumers, their employees and the stakeholders to perceive it. The point of view of the company depends on the initial vision that the creator of the company had when he or she started with the business. In the case of the Lewis Partnership they started with the idea of transforming the manor house into a pub and a small restaurant. After the vision they created the mission, a very difficult task because it is not easy to design and to change the mission once it is created. Later on when they took over the Swan Hotel they applied the same mission to this second business changing only some specific hotel own details. The mission is the way of doing things and the way that they wanted to be perceived by their environment. They decided to develop a place where people can enjoy holidays, a business travel or a simple dinner. They worked hardly over years and this way they build up on this idea. Step by step they expanded. They transformed the pub into a small restaurant. They worked very hard and they had big difficulties due to the lack of experience. But the business worked always better and later on due to the increasing demand of the costumers they decided to transform the restaurant into a hotel. After an extensive research they started the project. Due to the importance of having qualified personnel they employed an experienced team of professionals. The costumers were so satisfied with the service that the Manor house has been repeatedly named the most popular civil wedding venue. The well going Moat House Hotel and the opening of the Swan Hotel were the result of taking exceptional care of the costumers; they adapted the needs of the costumers and innovated their business on an ongoing basis. Another very important task is to be a good leader. The bottom line for all leadership efforts is customer satisfaction. Continued patronage ensures companys success. The supervisors have some contact with customers because they are working leaders, but there are the employees of the service team who handle the bulk of the customer contacts. That is why the importance of satisfied employees is so important to provide good service to the costumers. Desired behaviours only will take place when each leader and their respective managers and supervisors start modelling these behaviours to those they manage. When employees see their leaders actually leading by example, they feel good about their work and are more motivated to satisfy their guests. Guests and customers in general feel good when they deal with companies who seem to treat their people well. (www.hotelexecutive.com). In the case of the Lewis Partnership managers and the rest of the staff have a very good relationship. The employees have the possibility to be rewarded by themselves with the AboveBeyond awards. Management and rest of employees work together they built a strong team and the work atmosphere is very good. It is also important to point out that the services sector has grown steadily in the last 20 years. People not only want to be in a nice hotel and to pass there some days for holidays or business. They want to get more for their money. The competence is always harder and only satisfied clients choose the same hotel twice. The surroundings and the installations of a hotel are very important but you will not reach a second visit of a client if you do not offer a very good service. The Swan Hotel has a three stars category and the Moat House a four Starts category and this is also an important reason to deliver a good service to customers. Of course hotels with fewer stars should also give a good service but when a person books a table or a room in a four stars hotel he has a higher service expectation. (www.moathouse.co.uk) (www.theswanstafford.co.uk)  3. What features of a service delivery system appear to make this company successful in delivering quality service to their customers? A service delivery system is a mix of capabilities provided through resources. A good service delivery system depends on the coordination and effectiveness of all the characteristics around the service provided. In the case of a hotel the management has to answer many key questions and take many decisions to create a Costumer benefit package. They have to answer questions like: what wants the costumer, what are his needs, which are his preferences. The management needs to design procedures and to teach the staff on them to reach a high satisfaction by the costumers. A very helpful way for employees to follow the procedures is creating standard operating procedures, where each procedure is fixed step by step. It is also very important to measure the results to evaluate their effectiveness and to make improvements with the feedback of the environment. What is a Costumer benefit package? It is a combination of tangibles and intangibles that comprise a service. (Class Notes March 2004) For example: Why is a Costumer Benefit Package so important? Because of the upward trend in the business service sector over the past 20 years and also because competitive edge starts with a solid Costumer Benefit Package. It is vital to develop the CBP because it is a very useful tool for service providers to clarify what they do and do not offer through their services also because it helps to define service providers responsibilities to customers. In todays service oriented economy, it is important that companies develop a strong CBP to stay competitive. The management should keep in mind that there are many factors to take into consideration while designing an appropriate CBP for their company. (www.freequality.org) According to the GAP model, the personal needs of the costumer are the most important for the hotels. Especially GAP 5, which is; expected service contra perceived service is a force for the Lewis hotels. This is where they have the chance to impress the customers, and according to themselves, they certainly do. From the first step they take into one of the two hotels, they are meet by a staff member and taken care of. The whole stay is also carefully planed where the customer gets the opportunity to choose exactly what he or she wants in his or her room. You can say that the service and quality is reliable (The Lewis Partnership Magazine).

Love - veterans homelessness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Love - veterans homelessness - Research Paper Example The term â€Å"homeless veterans† has been explained in two steps in the Congressional Research Service article written by Perl (2011). According to Perl (2011), a homeless veteran is a person who has actively served in the military, naval or air force and was not discharged dishonorably. At the same time a person is considered a homeless veteran if he or she satisfies the definition of â€Å"homeless veteran† according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. According to the Act a person is considered homeless if he does not have a proper nighttime residence or his nighttime residence is temporary or not appropriate for human beings. In this paper I aim to discuss the veterans homelessness in San Francisco. I intend to explore peer reviewed books and articles for an in depth analysis of the literature, history and current status of the homeless veterans. At the same time the city policy towards the homeless shall also be discussed. Towards the end some of the main causes of homelessness among veterans shall be discussed. Homelessness has been a problem in the US since 1980s. However with the American involvement in the Iraq and Afghan war the problem has become much stronger as scores of veterans that have served the country are found dying on the streets. Veterans suffer all kinds of homelessness but their number is greater in the chronically homeless category when compared with the non-veterans. According to a survey carried out by the VA and quoted by Stone (2008), there are about 2, 075 homeless veterans in San Francisco. Out of these, 533 have been categorized as â€Å"chronically homeless†. A chronically homeless person is an individual who has a disabling condition, is homeless for more than a year or has four episodes of being homeless in three years. The needs of the homeless veterans are almost similar to the demands of the general homeless population of San Francisco.

Research proposal Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Proposal - Research Paper Example This research proposal aims at establishing the impact that the use of social media as a means of communication has had on human conduct and behavior. A number of issues have been presented in favour of continued use of social media as a means of communication. Some of the arguments include quick means of information delivery, promotion of business operations, aiding learning in schools among other views. Arguments against the use of social media include loss of privacy, identity theft, loss of face to face interaction among others. However there is less information that can be used to defend either stand on the impact of social media on human beings and this forms the basis for this research proposal. The methods that will be applied in data collection will be based on both secondary and primary sources. This will include the use of questionnaires with open end questions presented to students who use social media as a means of communication, personal interviews aimed at receiving direct feedback from various categories of people and online research on the topic. The statistical analysis will take into consideration the variation between the qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data will be done by computing the mean and standard deviation of all the values. Correlation coefficients between human behavior and usage of social media will be taken into consideration. Linear regression will also be undertaken when analyzing the specific cases where social media influences the behavior of human beings. Analysis of the content from in depth interviews will form part of the qualitative

Access to Higher Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Access to Higher Education - Assignment Example umber of domestic students under two scenarios 2006-2021 by capital city Available at: http://www.universityworldnews.com/filemgmt_data/files/AUR_51-01_Birrell_Edwards.pdf Some of those recommendations include reducing the cost of access to higher education, strengthening the domestic universities to provide quality education to Australian citizens. In addition, due to the inequality level in accessing education especially among people from the lower socio-economic class, the government should aim at empowering these people to enable them compete favourably with the other social classes for positions in the universities. Discussion of the contributing factors Higher education in Australia has been faced with many challenges, these challenges have led to low enrolment in the universities and consequently a small population of the country has graduate qualifications. Some of the factors that have caused the low levels of university enrolments include the following. 1. The high cost of education- One challenge that makes increase in access of higher education hard to achieve is the cost implication that comes with it (Chen & St John, 2011, p23). The cost of acquiring a degree is very high in the country such that not everyone in the society can be able to match. This high cost of acquiring a degree is a challenge especially to individuals in the lower socio-economic class (Harmon 2010, p. 75). Very often, you will find needy students that are very bright but cannot afford to further their studies. The only hope for these students is either to find a sponsor or the government loans and grants provided by governments. The very bright ones are at an advantage because they are likely to receive sponsorship or even get free education from some universities that do this as part... The assignment "Access to Higher Education" investigates access to higher education in Australia. This paper also discusses the causes of the problems that are faced in the country, their origin and the solutions that be implemented to improve the accessibility to higher education in this country. The government of Australia has been putting policies to ensure that raises the number of adults who have a university degree to 40 per cent by the year 2025. However, several challenges stand in the way of government and attaining this dream of realizing the increased number of university graduates. Such problems include the high cost of university education, the attitudes of the people, preferential treatment of some people by the universities, commercialisation of education, which has led to university graduates not being fully equipped to enable work competitively in the job market. In order to deal with these problems in the Australian higher education, this report has given some recommendations that can improve the accessibility of higher education and help the government to attain the target of increasing the number of adult graduates to 40 per cent. Some of those recommendations include reducing the cost of access to higher education, strengthening the domestic universities t o provide quality education to Australian citizens. Due to the inequality level in accessing education, the government should aim at empowering these people to enable them to compete with the other social classes.

Crisis Communication at Glaxo Smith Kline

Crisis Communication at Glaxo Smith Kline Corporate communication constitutes the totality of companys efforts to transmit a favourable image of its internal values onto key audiences. However, businesses best efforts to be perceived in superlatives only are often inhibited by dissemination of contradictory information. Crisis communication management allows the companies to respond to such allegations to diminish their detrimental impact on stakeholder relations. GlaxoSmithKline in communication with key stakeholders attempts to convey the ethos of seeking to improve peoples lives by providing cutting-edge medicines as well as engaging in extensive corporate social responsibility actions. However, communicates projected mainly via the website, mission statement, press releases and direct-to-consumer-advertising seems achieve the goal to an extent. GSKs image is often undermined by allegations of conduct contradicting its internal values. Avandia crisis has been the most prolonged and acknowledged to date. In response to Avandia safety allegations GSK adopted a strategy based on undermining the methodological bases of studies suggesting the drug malfunction, simultaneously downplaying the risk and denying putting peoples lives at danger. This approach has contributed to further losses. Perhaps GSK should consider surveying publics attitude before responding to future crises, and adopt more emphatic approach. Introduction This report investigates the crisis communication management as an element of corporate communication function at GlaxoSmithKline. In order to fulfil the aim assigned, the paper first defines the concept of corporate communication and crisis management, and looks at their importance in the pharmaceutical industry. Next, the report introduces GlaxoSmithKline, its target audiences, core message and communication media used to develop favourable image of the business and assesses whether emitted message achieves its aim. Subsequently, the paper focuses on Avandia crisis as an example of an image crunch and critically analyses GlaxoSmithKlines response. The paper finalises with a set of recommendations towards improvement of crisis communication management in the said company. Corporate communication, crisis management and Big Pharma Corporate communication constitutes the totality of messages issued by the company to its stakeholders to transmit the organisations values and qualities that distinct it from competitors (Gray Balmer, 1998). The function holds responsibility for ensuring integrated coordination of all communication activities undertaken via communication means borderline of public relations and marketing communication (Cornelissen, 2008). The ultimate goal of the function is to develop a positive association between companys identity, and image of it held by the audiences, therefore generating sustained favourable reputation of the business (Cornelissen, 2008). Positive reputation is a source of competitive advantage (Fill Dimopoulou, 1999; Gray Balmer, 1998) and can aid the organization in achievement of strategic goals (Argenti et al., 2005) by supporting it in retaining committed employees and reinforcing positive buyer habits by enhancing perception of the quality of the brands endorsed (Smith, 1994). However, organisations best efforts to develop and maintain positive image in the eyes of contractual and community stakeholders are often eroded by dissemination of information suggesting a conflict between the values the organisation aspires to stand for and its actions, therefore creating and image crisis. Crisis communication management is an important element of corporate communication function enabling the business to respond to such revelations in a manner allowing offsetting their detrimental impact on public perception of companys standards (Fearn-Banks, 2002). Pharmaceutical companies commonly experience such challenges to their reputation, mainly in the form of accusations of malpractice (Pines, 2009) and unethical portrayals in media and culture (Parker, 2007). The presence of Internet allows otherwise marginal societal groups, e.g. NGOs, to gain access to plethora of information beyond organisations control and to exercise substantial pressure on the pharmaceutical companies (Little Grieco, 2010) holding them to account on fulfilment of the assumed moral obligation to provide safe and affordable medicines (Lee Kohler, 2010). Furthermore, Internet fosters for treatment of information as fast-tradable commodity, often leading to rapid image crisis escalation exacerbating damage to profits. Moreover, the consumer stages of the product life cycle of pharmaceutical merchandise are relatively short due to patent durability constraints (Gray Balmer, 1998) leaving the companies little time to recuperate the image in case of a crisis. Consequently, effective crisis management aimed at preventing further reputation deterioration and restoring credibility in the brand name to develop favourable conditions for new product launches (Smith, 1994) is Big Pharmas biggest concern. Corporate communication at GlaxoSmithKline GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the five top research-based pharmaceutical companies worldwide, capturing 7% of the total market, with US and Europe as the main sales-generating regions. The organisation operates in two dominant sectors: pharmaceutical and health-related products. GlaxoSmithKline is a conglomerate entity with origins in the UK, USA and New Zealand, with the present structure effective of mergers of SmithKline Beecham and GlaxoWellcome in 2000 (GSK, 2010a). Key audiences Due to varied product portfolio including prescription and self-medications as well as healthcare products, the company considers patients as participating consumers rather than end users of the merchandise. This is motivated by the pervasiveness of consumerism in the patient-medical practitioner relationship (DTC Report, 2005) and emergence of consumers actively researching information online on treatment options available (Little Grieco, 2010), rather than relying solely on the medical intermediary. The individual consumer group is particularly influential in the US market due to direct-to-consumer advertising permit. Other audiences recognised by GSK include as key to communication include (GSK, 2010b): Medical practitioners Government and regulatory bodies Stockholders and prospective investors NGOs Employe Communication objectives We have a challenging and inspiring mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. (GSK, 2010c) The end objective of GlaxoSmithKlines communication is to transmit the information on companys identity conveyed in the mission statement and Spirit of GSK values of respect for people, patient focus, integrity, and transparency (GSK, 2010c) to create and maintain positive image of the business counterbalancing common unfavourable perceptions of the company. Simultaneous communication goals include generating product awareness, informing the stakeholders on companys financial tenure, and developing brand and corporate image to generate sales (Smith, 1991). Considering the nature of GSKs business and heavy regulatory burden significant part of the product communication is devoted to the informative imperative. Organisation of corporate communication function To communicate the values constituting the centre of companys identity to key audiences in distinctive manner, however maintaining overall integrity of the communicate (Argenti et al., 2005) GlaxoSmithKline divides the function into operational units overseen by the Board, reflecting key stakeholder groups (GSK, 2010b): employees (internal communication) media NGOs investors The media unit is responsible for crisis management. Additionally, the company devotes one division to managing dissemination of information on CSR activities, which suggests companys realisation of the social responsibilitys potential to add value to the businesss reputation (Adams Zutshi2004). Key communication means Website Prominence of consumers actively searching information online on products and ethical standards of their providers enables GSK to use the website to disseminate favourable message in a fully controlled environment (Sones et al., 2009). GSKs website serves the threefold purpose of: informing and educating the consumer by providing product info boosting companys image by addressing transparency imperative through online trial database and financial reports availability airing companys efforts to bring the mission statement to life via CSR The website constitutes the most all-embracing communication tool in transmitting companys identity onto the public by developing trust in external stakeholders, as well as fostering for increased commitment and loyalty on employees part (Morsing, 2006). Mission statement and Spirit of GSK projecting companys persona in the aspects of strategy, philosophy, values and behaviours in reference to broad, objective and culturally un-constrained values of diminishing social costs and emphasizing transparency and integrity. Directed at both external and internal stakeholders to contradict the negative conception of GSK, and foster for publics affinity, and frame employee behaviour (Hackley, 1998). CSR reporting constitutes the axis of GSKs website (Sones et al., 2009). The company provides extensive data on its actions towards offsetting social costs, aiding struggle against life-threatening diseases, as well as investments in society, maintaining strong bond with the essence of the mission statement, simultaneously extending it to preserving peoples habitat Press releases are applied to communicate with media journalists and investors, serving the purpose of quick dissemination of vital positive information, or rapid response to issues and crises arising (see GSK press releases) Direct-to-consumer advertising GSK extensively applies direct-to-consumer advertising within the US market, taking the lead among Big Pharma in marketing expenditure. The company targets consumers in the American market by newspaper and magazine adverts featuring experts and members of independent bodies emphasising product credibility (FiercePharma, 2008). Similar technique is applied to OTC medicines and healthcare products, e.g. Sensodyne toothpaste campaign featuring dentists, as direct-to-consumer advertising is prohibited within EU. Communication effectiveness: corporate image maintenance GlaxoSmithKline is currently ranked 108 in the most-trusted companies classification (Reputation Institutue, 2009). Remaining ahead of some of its competitors, which suggests effectiveness of the identity dissemination, GSK attracts contradictory publicity effectively equalising its reputation to the industry average. The most widely acknowledged image crises experienced by GSK include: Accusations of animal testing Profiteering from sales of overpriced patent-protected HIV/AIDS medication Safety concerns: Seroxat/Paxil, Avandia Failure to adhere to production quality standards Avandia safety crisis is the most prominent and long-lasting issue experienced by GSK to date. Avandia crisis The case In May 2007 an article in medical journal revealed that GSKs blockbuster drug, Avandia, originally devised to lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risks of diabetic patients developing a secondary heart problem severely increases the risk of heart failure and attack. The negative side effects have been linked to deaths among the patients on the medication. Nevertheless, the drug remained on the market until conclusive data be gathered on the basis of longitudinal RECORD study; nevertheless additional usage constrains were issued by the regulators. In 2009 RECORD study and leaked staff e-mails suggested that GSK knew of potentially lethal side effects of Avandia, and might have knowingly bias pre-approval study results to conceal the dangers. This gave rise to second revision of the safety profile of the drug. In 2010, the crisis reached the third peak with US Senate Commission investigation, EU drug regulatory body withdrawing Avandia from marketing, and BBC Panorama broadcast reviving the issue in European media. However, Avandia remains on US market, again with restrictions towards its use. (Lofstedt, 2010) GlaxoSmithKlines response To manage the crisis GSK employed an integrated strategy based on distancing itself from the accusations by undermining the methodologies and statistical significance of the study findings suggesting Avandias side effects. The complexity of the disease, challenge it creates in treatment and economic savings to the public health system, as well as comparability of alleged Avandia risks to other diabetes drugs were attended to throughout. GSK also challenged the impartiality of medical periodicals publicising unfavourable results. To date GSK consequently opposes to agree with the notion of its own error and deceptive practices, repeatedly referring to studies depicting favourable results (see GSK press releases). In its appeals to investors and media through press releases largely constituting responses to allegations or pre-emptive statements, GSK emphasized compliance with regulatory requirements, openness in communication and data disclosure, as well as focus on patients safety as the priority, therefore reassuring the stakeholders on the appropriateness of a chosen course of action and lack of error (see GSK press releases). Appeals to patients and members of general public where handled through the website, with Avandia resource centre section aimed at providing information on the drug. Additionally, at the wake of the crisis the company has issued a printed letter-styled advertising copy in the newspapers, with message from the chief medical officer reassuring the public on Avandias safety and encouraging patients not to withdraw the treatment without prior consultation (TargetMarketNews, 2007). However, the attempt to pre-empt negative response and ensure consumer trust by recalling expert authority of GSK was limited to US market only, due to prohibition of direct-to-consumer advertising in Europe. Within EU the company has used the website to appeal to practitioners, only addressing the patients following Avandia recall via video message from the Chief Medical Officer (GSK Europe, 2010) Effectiveness of adopted approach In its crisis management approach, GSK failed to appreciate the context of the crisis and misjudged certain stakeholder groups perceptions of responsibility and blame, consequently adopting inappropriate response strategy (Cornelissen, 2008). This evoked consequences in the form of (Lofstedt et al., , 2009): 8% share price drop following the crisis outbreak 60% prescription rate decrease in the first 6 months following the accusatory article 50% of diabetes patients failing to switch from Avandia to any other drug following the public anxiety outbreak in the US Potential compensation expenses of 1.6$ billion extending beyond patent expiry in 2012 GSK failed to account for the publics distrust towards the Big Pharma and regulators following the infamous Vioxx case in 2004, where the drug has been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer following comparable safety concerns. The regulatory crisis transferred trust mandate to independent researchers, therefore assigning credibility to Dr Nissens research on Avandia (Lofstedt, 2010). Additionally GSKs public image has not yet recuperated from the detrimental impacts of concerns surrounding Seroxat linking the drug to increased tendencies in teenagers to self-harm and have suicidal thoughts (BBC, 2002). Given such circumstances, the response based on reference to GSKs expert authority and credibility failed due to the public perceiving the company as the one to blame (Cornelissen, 2008). GSK seems to have erred in noticing a strong emotional baggage associated with raised concerns. Public is vigilant to allegations on medicines possibly causing death and health damage, as this puts peoples lives at stake, and life is a value to the public (Parker, 2007). Concern for peoples safety combined with factors identified before, inhibited the recovery potential of GSKs assertions that patient wellbeing is their prime concern, consequently leading to loss of patient affinity. In similar vein, GSK erred in its crisis communication approach with medical practitioners, which is projected in significant slump in Avandia prescription rates shortly after the crisis outbreak. This suggests that medical practitioners made up their mind regardless of GSK consequently reinforcing message on Avandia safety. GSK has also failed to notice an important stakeholder to the crisis management relationship: consumer groups. Following the allegations a number of websites such as avandiarecallnews.com emerged projecting ex-patients and family members testimonials on Avandia, as well as reporting mounting lawsuits and providing support in filing a case (Avandiarecallnews, 2010). This significantly offset GSKs attempts to marginalise the scale of issue and its severity. Recommendations It is justifiable to assume that the current and future profit losses and still non-quantified detriment to the brand name, could have been mitigated had the company tap into stakeholders needs with the crisis response. Given the commonness of image crises in Big Pharma, it is permissible to say that accusations of conduct contradictory to the mission statement recur. Provided similarity of contextual factors, GSK should consider the following as improvements to crisis communication management: Consider surveying key stakeholder groups perceptions of the responsibility for a given crisis matter before giving a statement that is difficult to withdraw. This allows devising complimentary communication strategy, reducing the potential of public defiance. Consequently, should the public blame the company perhaps admit the error and apologise (Cornelissen, 2008). Consider JohnsonJohnsons response to Tylenol crisis as an example. Perhaps rely more on video messages from board members to address the stakeholders. This allows for more personal approach and permits to transmit strong message on companys involvement and effort to solve the issue. Consider Toyota crisis as an example. Accordingly, increase spokespeoples presence on the media. This fosters for the publics perception of the company as adopting open and frank communication approach (Fearn-Banks, 2002). Address other stakeholder groups more forcefully. Possibly intensify communication efforts with medical practitioners through symposia and representatives visits to reassure favourable relationship (Pines, 2009). Issue press releases aimed at informing NGOs on actions taken to resolve the issue and recall CSR efforts to gain publics favourable attention, thereof reducing the crisis to a single mishap in a series of positive actions (Parker, 2007). Reference section Adams, C., and Zutshi,A. 2004. CSR: Why Business Should Act Responsibly and Be Accountable? Australian Accounting Review. 14 (3) pp.31-39 Argenti, P.A., Howell, R.A., and Beck, K.A. 2005. The Strategic Communication Imperative. MITSloan Management Review. 46 (3). Pp.82-89 AvandiaRecallNews. 2010. Home Page. [online] Available at: http://avandiarecallnews.com/ Accessed: 16 December 2010 BBC. 2002. Patients May Sue Over Anti-depressant. [online]. Updated: 13 June 2002. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2041430.stm Accessed: 16 December 2010 Cornelissen, J. 2008. Corporate Communication: A Guide to Theory and Practice. London: Sage DTC Report. Internet is the Key to Integrated DTC: Study. Medical Marketing and Media.[online] Available at: Accessed: 16 December 2010 Fearn-Banks, K. 2002. Crisis Communications: A Case Book Approach. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum [e-book] Available at:http://books.google.pl/books?id=7GU4BVS-a2sCpg=PA59dq=fearn-bankshl=plei=M0MKTbqAH4XOswbqhpWxCgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false Accessed: 16 December 2010 FiercePharma. 2008. Big Pharmas Top 13 Advertising Budgets. [online]. Updated 24 September 2008 Available at: http://www.fiercepharma.com/special-reports/top-13-advertising-budgets Accessed: 16 December 2010 Gray, E.R., and Balmer, M.T. 1998. Managing Corporate Image and Corporate Reputation. Long Range Planning. 31 (5). Pp.695-702 GSK. 2010a. About Us. [online] Available at: http://www.gsk.com/about/index.htm Accessed: 16 December 2010 GSK, 2010b. Roles at GSK: Communication. [online] Available at: http://us.gsk.com/html/career/career-roles-communications.html Accessed: 16 December 2010 GSK.2010c. Culture and Values [online] Available at: http://www.gsk.com/careers/culture-values.htm Accessed: 16 December 2010 GSK Europe. 2010. Health GSK News: Avandia Information for Patients. [online] Updated 23 September 2010 Available at: http://public.gsk.com/news/138494/ Accessed: 16 December 2010 Hackley, CH. 1998. Mission Statements as Corporate Communciations: the Consequences of Social Constructorionism. Corporate Communications: An International Journal. 3(3). Pp.92-98 Lee, M., and Kohler, J. 2010. Benchmarking and Transparency: Incentives for the Pharmaceutical Industrys Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics. 95. Pp. 641-658 Little, S., and Grieco, M. 2010. Big Pharma, social movements, international labour, and the Internet: Critical Perspectives on Coordination. Labour History. 51 (1). Pp. 71-86 Lofstedt, R. 2010. Risk Communication: the Avandia Case, a Pilot Study. Expert Reviews: Clinical Pharmacology. 3(1). Pp. 31-41 Lofstedt, R., Bouder, F., Warman, J., and Chakraborty, S. 2009. The Changing Nature of Communication and Regulation of Risk in Europe. Risk and Regulation Advisory Council Report. Morsing, M. 2006. CSR as Strategic Auto-communication: on the Role of External Stakeholders for Member Identification. Business Ethics: A European Review. 15(2). Pp. 171-182 Parker, J. 2007. The Reputation, Image and Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry: Regaining Credibility. Journal of Medical Marketing. 7. Pp. 309-313 Pines, W. L. 2009. Pharmaceutical Physicians and Crisis Management. Pharmaceutical Medicine. 23 (1). Pp.7-10 Reputation Institute. 2009. The Worlds Most Reputable Companies, 2009. [online] Available at: http://www.corporatereputation.it/idee/docs/Global_Pulse_2009_Free_Global_Report.pdf Accessed: 16 December 2010 Smith, P.R. 1991. Pharmaceutical Marketing: Strategy and Cases. Pharmaceutical Products Press. in Fill, Ch., and Dimopoulou, E. 1999. Shaping Corporate Images: Attributes Used to Form Impressions of Pharmaceutical Companies. Corporate Reputation Review. 2 (3). Pp. 202-213 Smith, P.R. 1994. Marketing Communications: an Integrated Approach. London: Kogan Page in Fill, Ch., and Dimopoulou, E. 1999. Shaping Corporate Images: Attributes Used to Form Impressions of Pharmaceutical Companies. Corporate Reputation Review. 2 (3). Pp. 202-213 Sones, M., Grantham, S., and Vieira, E.T. 2009. Communicating CSR via Pharmaceutical Company Web Sites. Corporate Communications: An International Journal. 14 (2). Pp. 144-157 TargetMarketNews. 2007. GlaxoSmithKlines Niche Marketing Strategy for Diabetes Drug under Stress. [online] Updated 6 June 2007. Available at: http://www.targetmarketnews.com/storyid06060701.htm Accessed: 16 December 2010

An Inspector Calls as a Tool for the Political and Social Criticism Ess

An Inspector Calls as a Tool for the Political and Social Criticism of the Elite "An Inspector Calls", by J.B. Priestly, is in effect a method the playwright uses to convey an imperative political and social message to his readers. John Boynton Priestley was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in the north of England. After finishing school, he decided to abandon education to pursue his passion for writing and literature. In 1914 at the age of twenty Priestley was called to fight in the First World War. As one may expect, the years Priestly spent on the frontline, had an immense impact on his ideas towards the social and political system in Britain, and are what fuelled his great politically charged writings. Priestly began to ponder the state of society and the way the social system worked. Perhaps most importantly, he realised that while large numbers of people were suffering, there were many egocentric individuals who were enjoying grand luxuries. "An Inspector Calls" was written in the very week that the Second World War culminated. This shows the urgency with which Priestly wanted to communicate his message. This play, like some of Priestley's earlier work, explores the concept of time, and the phenomenon of how someone's actions can affect someone else's life in the long run. The play is set in an industrial Midlands town in 1912, just before the First World War started. There are 5 main characters, other than the inspector who appears at the very end of Act 1. These are Mr. and Mrs. Birling, their children Sheila and Eric Birling and Sheila's fiancà © Gerald Croft. All of them are upper class citizens and are shown to consider themselves to be part of the social elite. Priestley uses this soci... ...of pay. In his defence, Mr. Birling says: "Well, it's my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I'd agreed to this demand for a new rate we'd have added about twelve per cent to our labour costs." (Act 1, pg 14) Again greed and egocentricity is shown among the higher class. Birling says he had to come down sharp or else they would have been asking the Earth. To this the inspector replies: "They might. But after all it's better to ask for the Earth than to take it." (Act 1, pg 15) Here Priestley is bluntly expressing his anger at the exploitation of the poor by the rich. At its simplest, "An Inspector Calls" is just another moral story, no different from Aesop's Fables. Priestley is trying to teach his audience that individualism and narcissism are one of the greatest evils. He wants us to be aware that our actions today immensely affect events tomorrow.

A Lesson in Reinvention

A case study on the lesson in reinvention is what this paper will focus on and the paper will also try to establish the successes and major challenges that a company known as Hampton in Virginia City has faced over the last years since its inception.   Hampton organization is currently under major reforms that have led to changes in its organizational culture.There are a range of activities that were taking place with the most of the 1,300 city employees having participated in the available more than 115 task forces, committees, advisory groups, self-directed teams all who worked under different jobs that were not their usual jobs.For instance, the city’s assistant manager, Mary Bunting was preoccupied with the task of digging ditches with a city’s sewer crew, development of a new city park that was required by another agency was performed by a certain heavy construction team that worked under the public works department, the chief housing inspector Mr. Donald Gurley on the other hand was busy organizing for an exhibition that concerned the provision of city services for a college in the neighborhood which was also a training program that could be made available to the city’s residents, Kevin Gallagher who was in charge of the city’s recycling programs assisted the street crews in clearing ice and snow (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).All these activities that were taking place mainly because of the change that Hampton’s city manager Bob O’Neil had initiated.   He wanted his assistants to integrate well with various agencies and this could only be achieved by making them to work in conjunction with various agencies so as to be able to know and understand how these organizations operated.As a result, this strategy led to various impacts on the employees of Hampton organization.   The assumptions and beliefs that the employees had about each other changed as the case of Mary Bunting’s assumption on sewer employees.   She found out that these employees were actually more flexible and skilled on their new responsibilities.   Motivation was also apparent on the employees under the heavy construction team.   Teamwork is evident and created a positive impact on employees and employers.For instance, Kevin Gallagher enjoyed the teamwork that was created as it connected him to other employees as well as understanding their roles and responsibilities.   This is informal connecting and creation of networking among the employees as a result of the collaboration that was among the employees of Hampton as they tried to achieve the organizational objectives (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).This change as offered by city manager Bob O’Neil was essential for Hampton because of the existence of a non-competitive economic as well as fical development structure and the â€Å"inside the box â€Å"standardized issue of bureaucracy that was intense in the organization was causing a major stagnation to Hampton .In the past, the employees at Hampton did not portray much flexibility and bureaucracy was felt in the city government whose boss was the manager.   The departmental heads were directed on what to do by the assistant city managers and on the other hand these heads of departments guarded their hoarding decisions, their turf and information by commanding supervisors and middle managers who were responsible for controlling the everyday work of employees.Another issue concerning bureaucracy is that employees as well as managers were preoccupied with operational procedures that were mainly detailed and the chain of command was evident in communication processes in Hampton.   In other words the past Hampton organization greatly prized the aspects of stability, control, loyalty and certainty (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).As a result, Hampton was slowly dying as noted by James Eason.   The impacts then were high population growth rate, high taxes, reduced per-capital income and home values were among the lowest in the region, a strain on the budget that was caused by debt-repayments and lastly there was business loss in the city to the neighboring communities.This therefore proved that Hampton was non-competitive hence the city council opted to find a suitable city government that could be quick to respond to the needs of the community, an innovative city government as well as action – oriented and flexible.The city council identified Bob O’Neill who had once worked as an intern in the city hence he clearly understood the bureaucracy right from the inside.   Bob O’Neil was given a performance contract that was written by the city council that contained clearly specific and spelled out for city government (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).Upon his arrival to the Hampton organization, O’Neill instructed his assistant managers to work on long-term strategic policies rather than micromanaging their departments.   Moreover, he asked directors to full y control their agencies.He also worked with the city council through the method of â€Å"core† strategy in order to achieve the set goals.   He also put the heads of department under performance contracts which contained spelled out results that they were expected to attain and also included bonuses for any achievements made by these departmental heads (Lane, 1999 p. 412-418).

Peace Like a River

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. ‘ This is verse 14 from Psalm 77 in the Bible. This verse shows that God is constantly working in people's lives. It also shows us that He wants their faith to grow in Him. The miracles of Reuben continuing to live in spite of hardship, Jeremiah walking on air, and Jeremiah surrendering his life for Reuben are Important In the novel because they help him build his relationship with God. The first miracle Reuben witnesses is during his birth.After not breathing for twelve minutes, his father revives him. This miracle is significant for Reuben because he realizes that God is capable of doing anything. Also, He has something planned for Reuben because he lived and did not die. The miracle of Reuben's birth starts off with an understanding of how God works in mysterious ways. The second miracle Reuben witnesses is when he sees his father actually walk on the air. While he was walking, he was deep in pr ayer. This is Important because Reuben sees his father â€Å"walk on the hand of God†. This miracle shows Reuben that with God, all things are possible.It also pulls him Into a relationship with God. The third and final miracle that Reuben witnesses is the death of his father in a valiant effort to save his life. The miracle is important because Reuben realizes how blessed he is to have a humble, self- sacrificing father who loves him and would do anything for his children. Jeremiah's death symbolizes Christ's death on the cross for us. His love for Reuben represents Jesus' love for everyone. This miracle shows Reuben that even through tragedy; God will always be there and will never leave nor forsake him.Thus, allowing him to grow a close relationship with the Lord. ultimately, miracles are only miracles If they are witnessed. Reuben, the witness, develops an Inseparable relationship with God through the miracles of his birth, his father walking on air, and his father sacrif icing his life for him. Reuben knows that God is always with him because of the many hardships he has been through. This contributes to the meaning of Peace Like a River which Is: there Is more to life than the bad things. Life Is about witnessing to the good things that are more important than the bad things. Peace Like a River You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. ‘ This is verse 14 from Psalm 77 in the Bible. This verse shows that God is constantly working in people's lives. It also shows us that He wants their faith to grow in Him. The miracles of Reuben continuing to live in spite of hardship, Jeremiah walking on air, and Jeremiah surrendering his life for Reuben are Important In the novel because they help him build his relationship with God. The first miracle Reuben witnesses is during his birth.After not breathing for twelve minutes, his father revives him. This miracle is significant for Reuben because he realizes that God is capable of doing anything. Also, He has something planned for Reuben because he lived and did not die. The miracle of Reuben's birth starts off with an understanding of how God works in mysterious ways. The second miracle Reuben witnesses is when he sees his father actually walk on the air. While he was walking, he was deep in pr ayer. This is Important because Reuben sees his father â€Å"walk on the hand of God†. This miracle shows Reuben that with God, all things are possible.It also pulls him Into a relationship with God. The third and final miracle that Reuben witnesses is the death of his father in a valiant effort to save his life. The miracle is important because Reuben realizes how blessed he is to have a humble, self- sacrificing father who loves him and would do anything for his children. Jeremiah's death symbolizes Christ's death on the cross for us. His love for Reuben represents Jesus' love for everyone. This miracle shows Reuben that even through tragedy; God will always be there and will never leave nor forsake him.Thus, allowing him to grow a close relationship with the Lord. ultimately, miracles are only miracles If they are witnessed. Reuben, the witness, develops an Inseparable relationship with God through the miracles of his birth, his father walking on air, and his father sacrif icing his life for him. Reuben knows that God is always with him because of the many hardships he has been through. This contributes to the meaning of Peace Like a River which Is: there Is more to life than the bad things. Life Is about witnessing to the good things that are more important than the bad things.

8 Tips to Prepare for Your Comprehensive Examination

8 Tips to Prepare for Your Comprehensive Examination Virtually all master’s and doctoral programs require graduate students to take comprehensive exams. Such exams are exactly that: Comprehensive, intended to cover the entire field of study. It’s a big deal and your performance on your masters or doctoral comprehensive exam can make or break your graduate school career. Learning all there is to know about your field is daunting, but dont let it overwhelm you. Be systematic in your preparations and follow these tips to get your studying underway and prepare for your comprehensive exams. Locate old exams Students often do not take individualized exams. This is especially true for master’s comps. Comprehensive exams are often administered to groups of students. In these cases, departments usually have a stack of old exams. Take advantage of these exams. Sure you likely will not see the same questions, but the exams can provide info about the kinds of questions to expect and the base of literature to know. Sometimes, however, comprehensive exams are tailored to each student. This is particularly true for doctoral comps. In this case, the student and advisor or sometimes a comprehensive examination committee work together to identify the range of topics covered in the exam. Consult with experienced students. More experienced graduate students have a lot to offer.  Look to students who have successfully completed their comps. Ask questions like: How are comps structured? How did they prepare? What they would do differently, and how confident did they feel on exam day? Of course, also ask about the content of the test. Consult with professors. Usually, one or more faculty members will sit down with students and talk about the test and what to expect. Sometimes this is in a group setting. Otherwise, ask your mentor or a trusted faculty member. Be prepared with specific questions, such as how important is understanding and citing classic research as compared with current work? How is the exam organized? Ask for suggestions on how to prepare. Gather your study materials. Gather classic literature. Conduct literature searches to gather the newest most important pieces of research. Be careful because its easy to become consumed and overwhelmed with this part. You won’t be able to download and read everything. Make choices. Think about what you’re reading. It’s easy to get swept away with the task of reading, taking notes, and memorizing oodles of articles. Dont forget that you will be asked to reason about these readings, construct arguments, and discuss the material at a professional level. Stop and think about what youre reading. Identify themes in the literature, how particular lines of thinking evolved and shifted, and historical trends. Keep the big picture in mind and think about every article or chapter - what is its place in the field at large? Consider your situation. What are the challenges you face in preparing to take the comps? Locating and reading study materials, managing your time, keeping productive, and learning how to discuss the interrelations of theory and research are all part of studying for comps. Do you have a family? Roommate? Do you have the space to spread out? A quiet place to work? Think about all the challenges you face and then devise solutions. What specific action will you take to combat each challenge? Manage your time. Recognize that your time is limited. Many students, especially at the doctoral level, carve out time that they devote exclusively to studying - no working, no teaching, no coursework. Some take a month, others a summer or longer. You need to decide what to study and how much time to devote to each topic. Its likely that you have a better grasp of some topics than others, so distribute your study time accordingly. Devise a schedule and make a concerted effort to determine how you will fit in all of your studying.  Each week set goals. Each day should have a to-do list. Follow it. You will find that some topics take less time and other more time. Adjust your schedule and plans accordingly. Seek support. Remember that youre not alone in preparing for comps. Work with other students. Share resources and advice. Simply hang out and talk about how you’re approaching the task and help each other manage the stress. Consider creating a study group, set group goals, and then report your progress to your group. Even if no other students are preparing to take comps, spend time with other students. Reading and studying in isolation can lead to loneliness, which certainly isnt good for your morale and motivation.