Stress among Nurses - 2813 Words

Stress has become such an ingrained part of our vocabulary and daily existence, that it is difficult to believe that our current use of the term originated only a little more than 50 years ago. The term â€Å"stress†, as it is currently used, was coined by Hans Selye in 1936, who defined it as â€Å"the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change† (American Institute of Stress [AIS], 2012). When stress was first studied in the 1950s, the term was used to denote both the causes and the experienced effects of these pressures. More recently, however, the word stressor has been used for the stimulus that provokes a stress response. Stress is particularly acute among people who work in the â€Å"helping profession† (Isikhan, Comez, Danis, 2004; Gilbert Daloz, 2008; Siegrist, Shackelton, Link, 2010) and can have devastating effects on healthcare staff and their work environments (Lambert, Lambert, Yamase, 2003). Depending on the nature, intensity, an d duration of the one’s relationships, stress can have negative effects on both physical and mental health in the work environment. The hospital environment contains a number of factors that are unhealthy and cause suffering in nursing professionals. In fact, the nursing profession is considered one health profession with a high level of occupational stress (Costa Martin, 2011). Problem/Significance Stressful events are an inevitable part of life. Stress is the major factor that nurses have to frequently deal with in theirShow MoreRelatedStress And Burnout Among Nurses2101 Words   |  9 PagesStress and burnout is always a popular issue in journal article, academic books and the press (Jonathan Halbesleben, 2008). Professional burnout is understood as the psychological reaction to chronic work stress as well as globally recognized problem among various specialties of nursing (Maslach, Jackson Leiter, 1996). Burnout has been reported one of the occupational hazards in the work place, which is debilitated to workers, costly to agencies and detrimental to clients (Hayes, 2010). NursingRead MoreThe Effects of Stress Among Female Registered Nurses4470 Words   |  18 PagesINTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Prior research has suggested that nurses, regardless of workplace or culture, are confronted with a variety of stressors. As the worldwide nursing shortage increases, the aged population becomes larger, there is an increase in the incidence of chronic illnesses and technology continues to advance, nurses continually will be faced with numerous workplace stressors. Thus, nurses need to learn how to identify their workplace stressors and to cope effectivelyRead MoreConcept Analysis on Stress Among Nurses Essay5023 Words   |  21 PagesKnowledge in Nursing 10.1177/0894318405277527 18:3, July 2005 ARTICLE Unity of Knowledge in the Advancement of Nursing Knowledge Clinical Research Specialist, Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA Clinical Nurse Specialist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA Gerontological Nurse Practitioner, Assistant Clinical Professor, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA During the past 20 years, we have witnessed an explosion in nursing knowledge providing the discipline with diverse andRead MoreNursing Research: Work Related Stress Among Nurses Essay example2208 Words   |  9 PagesSelye said, â€Å"It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.† Stress can cause it’s victims to suffer from emotional and physical anguish. If stress occurs for prolonged periods of time with little to no reprieve it can result in serious and sometimes fatal health problems. It is ironic that stress can lead to major health concerns, yet some of the most stressed people are those in the healthcare profession. According to an article from the Nursing Standard, stress is a leading cause ofRead MoreThe Effect Of Job Rotation And Role Stress Among Nurses On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment1748 Words   |  7 PagesChing Sheng Chang, Ying-Ling Shih and Rong-Da Liang in their research article â€Å"Effects Of Job Rotation And Role Stress Among Nurses On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment†, conducted a field study and the purpose of study was to inspect how role stress among nurses could affect their organizational commitment and job satisfaction, and if the job rotation system might encourage nurses to recognize, relate to and share the vision of the organization, it will result in enhancing their job satisfactionRead MoreStress in Nursing Practice780 Words   |  4 PagesStress is a common occurrence in the workplace. In health care in particular, there are high levels of stress which can have a negative impact on the environment, the staff, and ultimately the patients. Nurses are subjected to a great deal of occupational stress which in turn impacts the quality of patient care. Occupational stress can be defined as, â€Å"the destructive physical and emotional response that occurs when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities or desires of the employee†Read MoreManaging An Overwhelmed Staff995 Words   |  4 Pagesregarding nursing leadership and management is how to help staff manage work complexity and stress. In health care there is an association between the quality of patient care, staff satisfaction and effective nursing leadership. Nursing is constantly evolving and nurses take on a significant level of responsibility with hardly any control of workload or work environment. This leads to high levels of stress amongst nurses. An overwhelmed staff leads to an increased possibility of compromised patient careRead MoreStress For Community Home Health Nurses856 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent areas of stress for community home health nurses. Importance of the Study This study is important because it will help nurses and supervisors to identify areas that can causes potential burnout among community nurse in the workplace, which in terms can produce stress. In addition, this study is also important because it will analyze and examine different strategies that can be put in place that can prevent mental, physical, and emotional disturbances to nurses as a result of stress. ResearchRead MoreStress Of Nursing Leadership And Management1549 Words   |  7 PagesStress of Nursing Leadership and Management On a daily basis, everyone experiences stress. Stressful situation without making adjustments can effects your health and well-being. For example, I worked as a charge nurse and mostly as a RN supervisor. This job requires to use managerial skills as well as clinical expertise. The work environment of the skilled nursing facility was mostly short staffed, lack of resources, and overloaded. I, as a charge nurse, was expected to always be available, to beRead MoreStress Of Nursing Leadership And Management1267 Words   |  6 PagesStress of Nursing Leadership and Management As a normal part of life, everyone has stress. Stressful situation without making adjustments can effects your health and well-being. For example, I worked as a charge nurse and mostly as a RN supervisor. This job requires to use managerial skills as well as clinical expertise. The work environment of the skilled nursing facility was mostly short staffed, lack of resources, and overloaded. I, as a charge nurse or RN supervisor, was expected to always be

Business Btec Free Essays

Definition of marketing is the management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. For example, new Apple products are developed to include improved applications and systems, are set at different prices depending on how much capability the customer desires, and are sold in places where other Apple products are sold. Marketing is based on thinking about the business in terms of customer needs and their satisfaction. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Btec or any similar topic only for you Order Now The overall concept of marketing is a management philosophy according to which a irm’s goals can be best achieved through identification and satisfaction of the customers stated and unstated needs and wants. Companies should identify the needs of their customer and produce products and services to satisfy those needs. The production concept is a philosophy that consumers will favour products and services that are widely available and highly affordable and that management should therefore focus on improving production and distribution efficiency this is relevant to Nike as they do this with small products cheaper products such as accessories and ports equipment relying on economies of scale to make profit on products that are priced cheaper. Private sector can be explained as a business owned by private individual or groups and there main aims and objective and one of those objectives is to make a profit, and growth mean that they can -maximise their profits by reinvesting in the business. The main aim of a private sector business is survival as they want the business to last and not go bust. The main aim and objectives of my two business which are Apple and Nike theirs is to remain marketing leader in there industry. Public sector is part of an economy that is controlled by the government and is not run for profit such as schools and hospitals. The Voluntary sector is part of the economy that consists of non-profit making organisation such as charities and is run by volunteers. The public sector and voluntary measure their progress not by profits but with other factors such as service provision, growth of range of provisions, cost limitations and meeting quality. Service provision the act of performing a task for a business or person that wants or requires it in exchange for acceptable ompensation. A business that using service provision needs high quality trained staff such as the fire department that are available to preform what is need of them in a situation and doing the Job to the best they can. Growth of range of provisions is the number of services a public or voluntary sector do and the quality they do such a school offering extra courses things such as after school clubs to helps the student’s and develop. Cost limitation is used to see if the businesses have used the funds they have at had adequately as for public sector organisations such as school hey will need to distribute the money they receive to get the best out of there students. Meeting quality standards are used in the public and voluntary sector as for hospitals they rely on this as lives are in danger and will need to provide a standard to the people seeking help. Marketing objectives the group of goals set by a business when promoting its products or services to potential consumers that objectives may be based on factors other than survival and growth. Market leadership is the position of a company with the largest market share or highest profitability margin in a given market for goods and services. Market share may be measured by either the volume of goods sold or the value of those goods. This links both to Nike and Apple as they are the market leaders in the given markets. Brand awareness is the likelihood that consumers recognise the presence and availability of a company’s product or service. Creating brand awareness is one of the key steps in promoting a product both for Nike and Apple they do this very well as they are recognised globally plus have such iconic logos that are easily recognisable. Perception of customers is a marketing concept that encompasses customer’s impression awareness and/or consciousness about a company or its offerings. Customer perception is typically affected by advertising, reviews, public relations, social media, personal experiences and other channels. Ansoff was known best for developing a strategies he Identified as the four categories for growing and the categories are market penetration, marketing development, product development and diversification. Market penetration the activity or fact of increasing the market share of an existing product, or promoting a new product, through strategies such s bundling, advertising, lower prices, or volume discounts. Marketing development is the act of increasing the total market served by a company by finding new customers and markets, or providing new products to existing customers and markets. An example of this for Nike is their sports clothes and trainers are always developing and coming out with new ideas. Product development this strategy entails finding new markets for existing products. Market research and further segmentation of markets helps to identify new groups of customers. An example for Nike is producing a new winter line or a new product or material such as Dri-fit. Diversification this involves moving new products into new markets at the same time. It is the most risky strategy. The more an organisation moves away from what it has done in the past the more uncertainties are created. However, if existing activities are threatened, diversification helps to spread risk. Survival strategies are used by many businesses as they are faced with having to develop there strategies to survive such as economising the business to reduce expenses. This would lead to the business being less profitable and have a smaller market impact and awareness. In business a rand is a unique design, sign, symbol, words, or a combination of these, employed in creating an image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors making it stand out and easy to remember. The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding is used by both businesses as they have brand name, a logo and a slogan. They are both such powerful brands worldwide. They both have brand extension and are always looking to keep brand building as well as both do brand extension. How to cite Business Btec, Papers

The Oxford Handbook of Business and the Natural Environment

Question: Describe about The Oxford Handbook of Business and the Natural Environment? Answer: Identification of purposes of different types of organization An organization is a group of social individuals working in a comprehensive manner under a controlled performance in order to achieve the fulfillment of combined goals. As per the legal structuring organizations can be broadly of four major types namely Public limited companies, Private limited companies, trusts and partnership companies (Daniel, Wang and Weber, 2013). As per the legal structure of the organizations the following organizations of UK are selected : Tesco Plc Public Limited Company Oreo- Cadbury Diary Milk partnership business British Red Cross society Trust Iceland Ltd Private limited company (Griffin and Pustay, 2013) Tesco Plc is a public limited company, which gives Tesco the opportunity to make its shares available for public purchase. Tesco is thus able to procure finance through sell of shares to the public and sell of shares through stock exchange. Moreover, the public limited companies get the options of getting cheaper loans from the commercial banks. The major purpose of Tesco is to expand its stores and product line base thus becoming a Plc company has helped Tesco to successfully finance its ventures (Gil Aluja and Terceno, 2012). British Red Cross Society is a registered charity in UK with around 32000 volunteers and 3500 staffs providing financial, material and mental support to the crisis affected people of UK. The registration as a charity has given the society an opportunity to gain public recognition and consequently funds for management of the activities. Moreover operating as a nonprofit organization also gives the society 100% tax relief. Evaluation of the organizations functions in meeting stakeholders needs A stakeholder is an individual or group of persons who are affected by the activities of the organization and are thus interested in the daily working within the organizations. They may o may not have shares or rights within the company functions however they are affected by the company decisions and are thus interested in company affairs. For the purpose of analysis of organizational functions involving the stakeholders two UK companies are chosen namely the British Airways and the retail company Marks and Spencer. Major stakeholders of British Airways Stakeholders Objectives Ways of meeting stakeholder needs Shareholders High dividends, corporate image CSR reports and annual reports Employees (Crew members, ground staffs, pilots, air hostesses, engineers and administrative staffs) Job security, salary hikes, training opportunities, free flight passes (Daniel, Wang and Weber, 2013) Annual reports, financial statements, incentives and reward systems Customers (business men, corporate personnel, local flight travelers) Interest about good quality flights, good food services and high quality service Prompt services, good flight experience, positive media publicity Competitors (United Airlines, Japan Airlines, Deutsche Lufthansa AG) Ticket prices, percentage of travel bookings, revenue Annual reports(Griffin and Pustay, 2013) Government (Secretary of State transport and Civil Aviation Authority) Compliance of airspace rules Legal guidance record Major stakeholders of Marks and Spencer Stakeholders Objectives Ways of meeting stakeholder needs Shareholders Investment returns Perks, AGM information, electronic communication about returns Employees (shop manager, sales persons, administrative employees) Workplace health and safety, remuneration and productive growth within retail store Health and safety policy, remuneration policy, equality policy Customers High quality products, new designs and competitive pricing Pricing policies, CSR reports Competitors (Tesco , ASDA and NEXT) Pricing strategies, monthly sales revenue Annual reports Suppliers Ethical trading, best price (Gil Aluja and Terceno, 2012) Sustainable SCM Responsibilities and strategies of an organization In case of Mark and Spencer, it is seen that the retail company uses the stakeholder mapping in order to prioritize the stakeholders before employing the strategies (Daniel, Wang and Weber, 2013). Thus, MS prioritizes the responsibilities towards the employees and the customers. For managing the employees the company provides incentives, employee discounts, has introduced policies like workplace health and safety, anti bribery policy and mental well being policy (Jacob, 2013). Moreover, the company also provides pension schemes for the retired employees. In order to manage customers MS has introduced 24 hours customer care services, uses organic chemicals in textile production, natural resources in food production etc. In monitoring of the competitors, the company focuses on the price levels of the other retail companies and prices the products accordingly. Finally, for effective management of the suppliers and stakeholders, MS presents CSR reports concerning animal welfare activities and ethical trading. The company also gives shareholders discounts, high dividends, financial statements and electronic information about returns (Griffin and Pustay, 2013). LO 2: Understand the nature of the national environment in which business operate Allocation of economic resources by different countries The economic system is the appropriate system of production, exchange and distribution of goods and resources between different countries and individuals (Jacob, 2013). Three major types of economic systems operating in different countries are capitalism, socialism and mixed economy. Resources allocation is the major problem faced by various countries. Since the demand for the resources re high hence the lack in the supply creates a scarcity of the resources. Thus keeping in mind the scarcity of resources, in an economic system the participatory are required to make decision related to economic choice and bear the opportunity costs for the alternatives made (Gil Aluja and Terceno, 2012). UK and Germany are the two countries displaying two diverse economic systems. UK adopts the mixed economic system involving both state ownership and government regulation. On the contrary, Germany adopts the capitalism economy where the participants for distribution of resources follow a two-class hierarchy system (Jacob, 2013). In the capitalist economy, the responsibility of allocation of resources rests upon the high class of individuals and they take the decision for allocation of the same to the working class giving rise of unequal distribution. However, in UK, prevalence of mixed economy helps in equal distribution of the resources by both government and public sector individuals (Gupta, 2013). Impact of fiscal and monetary policy on business activities UK has the fifth largest economy as per its current GDP of 3.002 trillion and 2.547 trillion in terms of PPP. The country has recorded around 2.70% annual GDP growth rate with the service sector recording the highest GDP rate of around 78.4%. Bank of England regulates the monetary policy of UK and has currently set an inflation target of 2%, which is favorable for economic growth (Daniel, Wang and Weber, 2013). The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets the monetary policy. The major target of the monetary policy of UK is to keep the inflation rate between CPI 2% with an increment of decrease by 1%. Moreover, in 2008-2009 Bank of England used Quantitative Easing that included creation of money electronically to purchase assets. The changes in the interest rates and Inflation rates affect the business functions of Sainsbury, which is a retail supermarket. With the rise in the rates of interest Sainsbury will face difficulty in financing cost of capital and with the rise in the inflation rates the customers purchasing power will decrease thereby making it difficult for the customers to purchase products. Moreover, changes in the exchange rates will also appreciate the monetary value of pounds in UK, which will increase the domestic sales of Sainsbury however will decrease the sales of Sainsbury in other countries. Impact of competition policy and regulatory mechanisms on organizations activities Sainsbury, which is one of the major players in the retail industry of UK, faces stiff competition from the other retail organizations like Tesco, ASDA and Marks and Spencer. Thus, the retail supermarket in order to retain its market share will focus on changing and implementing its competition policies (Kelly and Scott, 2011). Thus, Sainsbury has to frame its policies with regard to the changing policies of its competitors. The competition policy of Sainsbury focuses on cost and product diversification. The governmental policies concerning the product standards and product qualities as imposed by the UK government will have a direct impact on the product costs of Sainsbury. Thus, the governmental policies will threaten product-pricing strategies of Sainsbury along with its competitors. Understand the behavior of organization in their market environment Pricing and output decisions of organizations in UK The three major market structures are namely monopoly, oligopoly and perfect competition. Sainsbury operates under the oligopoly market structure where the price levels are decided based on the pricing strategies of the competitors and customers demand (Tebloyeva, 2010). In case of monopoly, there is a presence of only one or two companies in the market and hence the pricing strategies do not depend upon the customer demands. In this segment of market structure, the customers have little or no options and thus they are not the parties who can influence the price levels (Kelly and Scott, 2011). The seller thus possesses the whole power to set prices accordingly. However in case of Sainsbury the number of competitors are high hence the retail chain sets prices according to the customer demand and pricing strategies of other retail companies (Chikara, 2013). Evaluation of market forces shaping organizational responses Major market forces like the demand and supply graph, customers perceptions, economies of scale and cost and output relations shapes the product and pricing decisions of various organizations in UK. Sainsbury has to make production and supply decisions depending upon the demand of the UK customers and hence they use Just in time approach in order to successfully supply the products (Schaffer and Schaffer, 2012). Moreover, due the high competition Sainsbury analyses the customer perceptions before launching new products in the market. Moreover, the retail companies have the option of producing goods at a large scale. Thus Sainsbury adopts the benefits of the economies of scale in order to successfully produced large volumes of goods at low production cost. Moreover, factors like rise in the inflation rates may increase the price of the products of Sainsbury. Thus, if the price of the products increases then Sainsbury decides to produce large volumes of products in order to avail econo mies of scale and in order to gain profits (Kirpalani, 2013). Report on Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic Airways is the second largest British airlines serving some of the major cities of UK. The airline operates through Gatwick and Heathrow airports and operates in around 30 destinations around UK and other countries. The cultural, political, technological and social factor influences the operations of Virgin Atlantics (Leal Filho, 2004). In UK the political situation is stable for the organizations and thus Virgin Airlines can make the policies keeping in mind the considerations offered by the UK government. The major economic factors like GDP, interest rates, employment rates and inflation rates also influence the activities and policies of Virgin Airlines (Mackey and Sisodia, 2013). The high degree of technological inputs and outsourcing has helped Virgin Airlines to increase the quality of the airline services at a considerably low service cost. Apart from these business environments, the cultural diversities also play an important role in framing the internal emplo yee culture of Virgin Airlines (Mackey and Sisodia, 2013). Assessment of global factors that shape national business activities Business in international prospective International trade refers to the trade of goods and services between global countries. The world economic concepts are based on the supply and demand system of international trade. Thus, any change in any of the global factors can affect the demand supply and pricing techniques of the international trade. The process of international trade involves exchange of capital, products and services on a global context. In this regard on monitoring the service of Tesco Plc which has its branches in different parts of the world can show some of the major benefits that an organization derives from international trade. International trade is important for development of revenue sources for Tesco (Kirpalani, 2013). Moreover with the enhanced production techniques, highly advanced supply chain systems, rapid industrialization and outsourcing of products Tesco has also been able to focus on the product and the marketing strategy. Further, the principle of comparative pricing advantages can also be derived with the help of international trade relations. Tesco has also been able to increase the domestic competitiveness, sales, profits and attained global market share. However, there are certain disadvantages of international trade. Firstly, the international trade has increased the product cost for Tesco (Baron, 2013). Tesco has to produce different products according to fit to the various diverse cultures within of the different countries. Moreover, the fluctuations in the exchange rates have also contributed to the loss of revenue for the organizations (Mackey and Sisodia, 2013). It is opined that another disadvantage of international trade is that the organization engaging in international trade tends to ignore the welfare of the individuals of the domestic or the production country for the sake of revenue generation. International trade has also resulted in exhaustion and destruction of the resources of Tesco and in some countries, the economic decisions and the political decisions influence the trading profit of Tesco. Tesco at times has to also reduce the product prices because of the high tariff charges charged by the other countries. In order to ensure sell of the product in that country Tesco strives to reduce the price and has to bear the high tax rates (Bansal and Hoffman, 2012). Impact of global factors on UK business organizations Globalization refers to the international operations of a particular organization. The different global factors like international competitiveness, global business environment, taxation policies and exchange rates influences the global business process of organizations in UK. Companies having global branches in different countries have to focus on the global competitiveness in order to earn equal revenue in all sectors. If the competition is high in the global market from some domestic company then the UK companies find it difficult to operate in that market. For analysis of the international business environment, the companies generally undertake the PESTEL analysis. Similarly high taxation and tariff rates in the global markets like China, Germany and USA threatens the revenue of the UK companies (Cherunilam, 2010). European Union policies and their impact The rules and regulations of the European Union are to be abided by the member countries. The major policies of EU are employment policy, regional policy, global trading policy, education sector policy, and inflation and taxation policy. All of these policies have a direct impact on the business activities of the member country. Thus, the companies operating under the EU policies needs to focus on the implementation of these policies. In this context, Sainsbury operates in the segment of both taxation and global trading policy (Mackey and Sisodia, 2013). The global trading policy is influenced by the exchange rate fluctuations and the tariffs and taxation policies of different countries give Sainsbury the opportunity to frame the pricing policies. Sainsbury thus formulates the different policies in order to cater to the needs to the customers and the shareholders equally(Chikara, 2013) Reference list Bansal, P. and Hoffman, A. (2012).The Oxford handbook of business and the natural environment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Baron, D. (2013).Business and its environment. Boston: Pearson. Cherunilam, F. (2010).Business environment. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House. Chikara, M. (2013). Book Review: Business Environment.Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 17(2), pp.185-186. Daniel, F., Wang, J. and Weber, B. (2013).Business process management. Berlin: Springer. Gil Aluja, J. and Terceno, A. (2012).Methods for decision making in an uncertain environment. Singapore: World Scientific. Griffin, R. and Pustay, M. (2013).International business. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson. Gupta, J. (2013). Economic and Business Environment.Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 17(1), pp.83-85. Jacob, W. (2013). Economic and Business Environment.Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 17(1), pp.87-89. Kelly, S. and Scott, D. (2011). Relationship benefits: Conceptualization and measurement in a business-to-business environment.International Small Business Journal, 30(3), pp.310-339. Kirpalani, V. (2013).International Business Handbook. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Leal Filho, W. (2004).Environment 2010. [Bradford, England]: Emerald Group Pub. Mackey, J. and Sisodia, R. (2013).Conscious capitalism. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Review Press. Makhbul, Z. (2012). Workplace Environment Towards Health and Performance.International Business Management, 6(6), pp.640-647. Mirwoba, S. (2010). Rethinking ethical issues in global business environment.KCAJBM, 2(2). Schaffer, R. and Schaffer, R. (2012).International business law and its environment. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Subba Rao, P. (2010).International business environment. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House. Tebloyeva, V. (2010). BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FEATURES AND SMALL BUSINESS PROBLEMS IN THE NORTH OSSETIA-ALANIA.EoR, pp.192-196. Tokuoka, K. (2012).Does the business environment affect corporate investment in India?. [Washington, D.C.]: International Monetary Fund.

Steriods Informative Speech free essay sample

Today I would like to enlighten the class on what I’ve learned about Anabolic Steroids and the causes it has on our body. Introduction Attention material: According to Do Something. Org, Science Daily quotes that â€Å"A recent study found that 57%of high school steroid users said that they would risk shortening their life for increased performance†. Also according to Science Daily, Oregon Health amp; Science University states In 2003, seventh-grade girls were the fastest-growing group of steroid users, with more than seven percent using them. † The growth of steroids has been increasing to an extreme rate and we need to do something to decrease these numbers. Thesis Statement: Today I would like to enlighten the class on what I’ve learned about Anabolic Steroids and the causes it has on our body. Preview: First we will explain the history of steroids, second, how they are admitted in the body, and third, the overall effects of steroids in the human body. We will write a custom essay sample on Steriods Informative Speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Transitions: After hearing some surprising facts, we are going to go in depth to learn the history on how steroids began. Body I. The history of steroids can be traced from Ancient Greece but the true Steroid that is used to day was created in 1931. A. Ancient Greece was known to have used the first type of steroids back in the original Olympic games, which was to eat raw animal testicles. Although that might sounds gross and disgusting, technically it would be distinguished as Sports Doping in modern terms states. (Steroids. om/History-of-Steroids. php) B. When man truly wanted to create a performance enhancement, The Association Against Steroid Abuse states, â€Å"The 1930’s a German chemist, Adolf Butenandt started the manufacturing of testosterone marked the invention of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), as we know them today. † C. According to A. A. S. A, after the development of the anabolic steroids, the first official use for Anabolic Steroids â€Å"adapted a variety of purposes including the increase of aggression in Nazi soldiers to elite-levels athletes in 1950’s. Transitions: Now that we know about the history on steroids and where it began, lets transfer to how steroids are admitted into the body. II. There are numerous ways to take steroids such as the basic injection, orally and more complicated ways. A. The most common way steroids are admitted is through Intramuscular Injection. According to steroidabuse. com, Intramuscular Injection is â€Å"deep within the muscle, typically the buttocks† B. The next form of administration is Oral Administration. These are â€Å"available in tablet, capsule and liquid†¦requires an alteration to base molecule in order to survive passing through the liver. † (A. A. S. A) C. Another form of taking steroids is through Transdermal Administration. These steroids are available in creams, gels or patches. According to Steroids 101, â€Å"They are rubbed on directly as one would apply a lotion. This type of administration is generally used during hormone replacement therapy as it provides the most constant rate of release into bloodstream. † D. The last way of admitting steroids through your body is through Subcutaneous Injection. Association against steroid abuse describes it as â€Å"Human Growth Hormone and other related compounds being applied by injection under the skin. This requires pulling the skin away from the muscle and injecting in the pocket of air that is formed† Transitions: Since we now know the ways to take steroids, lets finally focus on the effects of steroids. III. The effects of steroids are quite common with every single user; they can differ though from men to women, both good and bad. A. According to Fitness For World, the positive effects steroids have in people is that after â€Å"a knee or shoulder injury, steroids are used in small quantities by physicians for treating some types of Anemia†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Another explain on why steroids are helpful is that it fights against AIDS. According to an article titled Effects of Steroids, it states that â€Å"It helps a person to gain weight for chronic nutritional deficiencies or AIDS wasting syndrome. B. With the use of Steroids for men, the effects can be quite scary. WebMD. om states â€Å"Men who take anabolic steroids may: Develop breasts, Get painful erections, Have their testicles shrink, and have decreased sperm count. C. According to Daniel J. DeNoon, A WebMD Health News writer, he states for woman the effects are â€Å" Growing excessive face and body hair, Have their voices deepen, Experience menstrual irregularities, and have reduced breast size. D. Common side effects for woman and men as stated in the article Health Effects of Steroids â€Å" For both sexes†¦Kidney stress/damage, High blood pressure, Hair loss, Cardiovascular diseases, Acne, Enlarged heart, and Tendon amp; ligament injuries. Conclusion Summary Statement: In short we now know the history behind steroids; the different types admissions of these drugs into the body, and the pros and cons of this drug both through men and woman. Concluding Remarks: Ultimately, you know that steroids are very attainable for men and women, young and old. So the next time you hear about an athlete getting kicked out of a sport because they were taking steroids, you know why. With all the information I have provided in this informative speech we have all learned a little more knowledge about steroids.

How to Write the Revised GRE Analytical Writing Essays

How to Write the Revised GRE Analytical Writing Essays When people study for the GRE exam, they often forget about the two Writing tasks, the Analyze an Issue Task and the Analyze an Argument Task,  facing them on test day. Thats a big mistake! No matter how great of a writer you are, its important to practice these essay prompts before taking the exam. The GRE Writing Section is a doozy, but heres a brief how-to for writing the essays. How to Write the GRE Issue Essay: Remember that the Issue task will present an issue statement or statements followed by specific task instructions that tell you how to respond to the issue. Heres an example from ETS:   To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position. First, choose an angle. The good news about the GRE Analytical Writing scoring is that you get to write about the issue from any angle. For example, you could do any of the following or choose an approach of your own:Agree with the issueDisagree with the issueAgree with parts of the issue and disagree with othersShow how the issue has inherent logical flawsDemonstrate the validity of the issue with comparisons to modern societyConcede a few points of the issue but refute the most important part of the claim Second, choose a plan. Since you only have 30 minutes, you need to make the best use of your writing time as is possible. It would be foolish to jump into the writing without scratching out a brief outline of the details and examples you want to include to make your strongest argument Third, write it. Keeping your audience in mind (faculty members and trained GRE graders), write your essay quickly and concisely. You can go back afterward to make changes, but for now, get the essa y written. You cant be scored on an empty sheet of paper. More Sample Issue Essays Write the GRE Argument Essay: The Argument task will present you with an argument for or against something and give you specific details about how you must respond. Heres a sample Argument task: The following appeared as part of an article in a business magazine. A recent study rating 300 male and female Mentian advertising executives according to the average number of hours they sleep per night showed an association between the amount of sleep the executives need and the success of their firms. Of the advertising firms studied, those whose executives reported needing no more than 6 hours of sleep per night had higher profit margins and faster growth. These results suggest that if a business wants to prosper, it should hire only people who need less than 6 hours of sleep per night. Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted. First, analyze the details. What facts are considered evidence? What is the offered proof? What are the underlying assumptions? What claims are made? Which details are misleading? Second, analyze the logic. Follow the line of reasoning from sentence to sentence. Does the author make illogical assumptions? Is the movement from point A to B logically rational? Is the writer drawing valid conclusions from the facts? What is the author missing? Third, outline. Map out the biggest problems with the prompts logic and your alternative rationale and counterexamples. Come up with as much evidence and support you can think of to support your own claims. Think outside the box here! Fourth, write it. Again, keep your audience in mind (which rationale would work best to convince a faculty member) write your response quickly. Think less about semantics, grammar, and spelling, and more about demonstrating your analytical skills to the best of your ability. Sample GRE Argument Essays The Analytical Writing Tasks in a Nutshell So, basically, the two writing tasks on the GRE are complementary in that you get to formulate your own argument in the issue task and critique anothers argument in the argument task. Please be mindful of your time in each task, however, and practice ahead of time to ensure your best score possible.

Scale Insects and Mealybugs, Superfamily Coccoidea

Scale Insects and Mealybugs, Superfamily Coccoidea Scale insects and mealybugs are significant pests of many ornamental plants and orchard trees, and cost these industries millions of dollars each year. Many other insects and larger predators eat these tiny insects, so they do serve a purpose. Some scale insects cause the formation of galls. Learn the habits and traits of these interesting true bugs, which belong to the superfamily Coccoidea. What Do Scale Insects Look Like? Scale insects often go unnoticed, although they live on many common landscape and garden plants. Theyre small insects, usually just a few millimeters long. They tend to position themselves on the undersides of leaves or other plant parts, where they arent exposed to the elements. Scale insects are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females  look entirely different from one another.   Adult females are usually somewhat round in shape, lack wings, and often lack legs as well. Males are winged, and look somewhat like winged aphids or small gnats. To identify scale insects, its often necessary to identify the host plant. Although largely considered pests, scale insects have been used in some surprisingly beneficial ways throughout history. The red pigment found in cactus-feeding cochineal scales is used to make a natural red dye for food, cosmetics, and textiles. Shellac is made from the secretions from coccids called lac scales. Scale insects and their waxy secretions have also been used in various cultures for making candles, for jewelry, and even for chewing gum. How Are Scale Insects Classified? Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass - InsectaOrder - HemipteraSuperfamily – Coccoidea There is still some disagreement on how scale insects should be classified and how the group should be organized.   Some authors rank the scale insects as a suborder rather than a superfamily. Family level classification is still very much in flux. Some taxonomists subdivide the scale insects into just 22 families, while others use as many as 45. Scale Insect Families of Interest: Margarodidae - giant coccids, ground pearlsOrtheziidae - ensign coccidsPseudococcidae - mealybugsEriococcidae - felt scalesDactylopiidae - cochineal insectsKermesidae - gall-like coccidsAclerdidae - grass scalesAsterolecaniidae - pit scalesLecanodiaspididae - false pit scalesCoccidae - soft scales, wax scales, and tortoise scalesKerriidae - lac scalesDiaspididae - armored scales What Do Scale Insects Eat? Scale insects feed on plants, using piercing mouthparts to suck the juices from their host plant. Most scale insect species are specialist feeders, requiring a particular plant or group of plants to meet their nutritional needs. The Life Cycle of Scale Insects Its difficult to generalize a description of the scale insect life cycle. Development varies greatly between scale insect families and species, and is even different for males and females of the same species. Within the Coccoidea, there are species that reproduce sexually, species that are parthenogenetic, and even some that are hermaphroditic. Most scale insects produce eggs, and the female often guards them while they develop. Scale insect nymphs, particular in the first instar, are typically mobile and are referred to as crawlers. The nymphs disperse, and eventually settle on the host plant to begin feeding. Adult females are usually immobile and remain in one location for their entire lifespan. How Scale Insects Defend Themselves Scale insects produce a waxy secretion that forms a cover (called a test) over their bodies. This coating can vary greatly from species to species. In some scale insects, the test looks like a powdery substance, while others produce long strands of wax. The test is often cryptic, helping the scale insect blend in with the host plant. This waxy coat performs several functions for the scale insect. It helps insulate it from temperature fluctuations, and also maintains the proper humidity around the insects body. The test also camouflages the scale insect from potential predators and parasitoids. Scale insects and mealybugs also excrete honeydew, a sugary liquid waste that is a by-product of eating plant sap. This sweet substance attracts ants. Honeydew-loving ants will sometimes protect the scale insects from predators to ensure their supply of sugar remains intact. Where Do Scale Insects Live? The superfamily Coccoidea is quite large, with more than 7,500 species known throughout the world. Roughly 1,100 species inhabit the U.S. and Canada. Sources: Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.Superfamily Coccoidea – Scales and Mealybugs, Bugguide.net. Accessed online February 9, 2016.Systematic Studies of Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea), by Nathaniel B. Hardy, University of California Davis, 2008.Scale Management Guidelines – UC IPM, University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Accessed online February 9, 2016.ScaleNet: Scale Insects (Coccoidea) Database, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Accessed online February 9, 2016.Coccoidea, Tree of Life Web. Accessed online February 9, 2016.

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Article Critique - Essay Example The main concern of the writer in his article is about the scientists community who remained silent and just not putting the whole picture of human induced climate change and issues like global warming and sea level increase in front of the people. Their deliberate silence bring them good fortunes in the form of more research grants. There are pressures from certain quarters on scientists not to report actual situation and affects of climate change on ice sheets and sea level. This article goes on to discuss the climate changes and its affect on ice, ice sheet of Greenland and Western Antarctica, different models of non-linear and linear types to establish scientifically that what is and will be the actual situation if the human induced greenhouse gases emissions goes on. The writer goes on to discuss IPCC business as usual scenarios and different studies and literature on the climate changes to establish scientifically that the concern about ice sheet melting and sea level rise is n ot a hoax but it’s a reality and it is actually not as reported by scientific community but even the more bigger issue. Article goes on to discuss the writer’s personal experiences and his problems of real/ actual situations presentation. Article even goes on to discuss the difference between normal people and scientists and put some moral questions that scientists must have more responsibility to put across the actual pictures of any catastrophies, which will likely to happen in future. In reporting, scientists must take utmost care and their findings should be based on some scientific evidences. Article even goes on to say that for some governmental agencies like IPCC, reticence may be proper but as an individual scientists, they have to more responsible in reporting the effects of greenhouse gases on climate and must come out from their comfort zone and say something based on pure research and evidences. Doing so they may

Discuss critically the main successes and failures of Tony Blair's New Essay

Discuss critically the main successes and failures of Tony Blair's New Labour government 1997-2007 - Essay Example This implies that the government was not stable and had no strong probability to solve governmental issues or give firm stands concerning the United Kingdom hence Blair had to work hard under his personal capacity to ensure that the UK was better placed as compared to earlier governments. Tony Blair’s regime as a Prime Minister achieved a landslide of successes though on the other side, the government failed to address some national and international challenges as discussed below (Shaw, 2012: 56). Achievements of tony Blair’s government 1. Development Tony Blair being a Member of Parliament before winning the 1997 general elections had a clue on the sidelines to follow in order to enhance development and growth of the United Kingdom. Though this seem to be unrealistic due to the less informed his cabinet was, he made a lot of positive strides across the entire world. The Prime Minister reasoned out with the all the political parties, British public as well as the media against joining the Eurozone to adopt the Euro. This act brought internal cooperation and peace as the nation spoke in one voice (Gunter & Forrester, 2008: 151). Being a learned person, Blair new well that motivation was key to success and quality work. He therefore introduced the National minimum wage and went as far as raising it. The move positively enhanced the living standards and created a great correlation to the general provision of services which include government and non-governmental based. In the early years, Tony Blair held several meetings with key African leaders showing how personally he was concerned on developing Africa and making it a free sate of success, a message that went down into giving the Africans more attention beyond the issues of aid. The Great 8 (G8) summits majorly centered on issues to do with: development through improving governance, investing in people, embracing peace and stability as well as mutual accountability (David, 2012). The long standing relationship between the South African President; Thabo Mbeki and the British government led to establishment of new approaches to develop Africa as a whole to enable the African countries to rely on their efforts unlike depending so much on donors. Today South Africa stands out to be a great republic through these unstoppable efforts (Andrew, 2013: 90). The New Labour Government invested more in realizing the goals of learning institutions through fully supporting learning processes as from lower levels to high institutions, employment of more civil servants, improving their terms of work and enhancing job creation. 2. Climatic change policy. Unpredictable weather patterns has remained a major issue to be address up to date and policy makers find it difficult due to the ever changing living patterns surrounded with scientific innovations and industrialization. The New Labour Party developed the climate change agenda in 1997 as Europe become reluctant to minimize the levels of sulp hure emissions into the air. It was later taken to be the government’s environmental policy that aimed at regulating the amount of harmful gases and other wastes eliminated into the air. Successful cooperation of Tony Blair’s government and the business firms saw more approaches developed towards tackling climatic change. Through Blair’

Rights and Obligations of the State Essay Example for Free

Rights and Obligations of the State Essay Nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, or history. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government. State commonly refers to either the present condition of a system or entity, or to a governed entity government is the system by which a state or community is governed. Rights and Obligations of the State Article 1 is all about national territory Article 2 Declaration of Principles and State Policies Article 3 Bill of rights Article 4 all about citizenship Article 5 Suffrage(Right to vote) Article 6 Legislative Department Article 7 Executive Department Article 8 Judicial Department Article 9 -Common Provision(Section 1-8 -Civil Service Commission (Section 1-16) -Commission on Audit (Section 1-4) Article 10 Local Government Article 11 Accountability of public officers Article 12 National Economy Fransistory Provisions D. Parens Patriae Literally, this means father of the country. This doctrine has been defined as the inherent power and authority of the state to provide protection to the persons property of the person. Non Sui Juris = Persons who are those who lack the legal capacity to act on his own behalf. E. Doctrine of State Immunity = The immunity of the state from suit, known as the doctrine of sovereign immunity or non-suability of the state, is expressly provided in Article XVI of the 19987 Constitution. F. Fundamental Powers of the State There are three fundamental and inherent power of the state. 1. Police Power = is the power of the for promoting public welfare by restraining and regulating the use of liberty and property. 2. Power of Taxation = is the power by which the state raises revenue to defray the necessary expenses of government. 3. Power of eminent domain = is the power of the state to acquire private property for public purpose payment of just compensation.

Just in Time Distribution Essay -- essays research papers fc

Just-In-Time Distribution and Barilla SpA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anybody who knows something about business had heard the term Just-in-time (JIT) inventory. It involves producing only what is need, when it is needed. The principle of Just in time is to eliminate sources of manufacturing waste by getting the right quantity of raw materials and producing the right quantity of products in the right place at the right time.(1) In this way, manufactures receive parts and materials â€Å"just in time† to meet the day’s manufacturing quota with hardly any extra.(3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  JIT is a manufacturing management method developed in Japan during the 70’s to meet customer demands. The individual most credited with the development of JIT is Taiichi Ohno, the vice president of Toyota Motor Company. After Toyota introduced JIT and was proven to be successful, it was tried by other companies shortly after and now today is widely used by many companies. JIT can be applied to almost any type of industry and channel relationships. JIT could someday become the norm of the business world. Before the introduction of JIT, there were a lot of manufacturing defects in the system such as inventory problems, product defects, risen cost, large lot production, and delivery delays. Some other problems also included equipment breakdowns, and uneven production levels. The inventory problems included unused inventory that was unproductive and the extra effort of storing and managing it. To store inventory, it costs money called a Carrying Cost, which can be expensive. However, with the use of the JIT system, inventory costs can be reduced by as much as 50 percent if not more. For product defects, the manufactures knew that a single product defect can cause breakdown the producer’s creditability so they must have a defect-free process. Instead of a large lot production, manufactures decided they should produce more than just one good and have a diverse line of products. And finally, the way they were running things did not manage well for the fast delivery request, so there was a need to have a faster and reliable delivery system in order to handle customers’ needs.(1) With the use of the JIT system, these problems were solved and made things run a lot more smoothly with a lot less cost. To make the JIT system successful the cooperation between manufacture and its cha... ... cooperation during negotiations and to reinforce agreements. Being a new customer they are open to new ideas, whereas the current distributors and customers are more reluctant to change. Such target markets could include the small independent shops. Barilla isn’t the only case that has tried to implement JITD. It is being use for perishables because they have such a short shelf life and need to be shipped out fast with little to no storage. Overall, I think JITD could be useful to the right companies. Who knows maybe someday it will be as popular as the famous JIT. Bibliography 1.) Wong, Nancy, â€Å"Conceptual Theory†, Iowa State University, http://www.clubpom.com/Student_Wing/Public/JITtutorial.html 2.) Russell, Roberta S., and Taylor, Bernard W., Operations Management, 4th Edition, ch. 11, pg. 511-535. 3.) Rosenbloom, Bert, Marketing Channels, 7th Edition, 2004, pg. 405-406. 4.)Harvard Business School, â€Å"Barilla SpA (A)†, Boston, MA; Harvard Business School Publishing, 14 June 1994. 5.) â€Å"Just in Time distribution: the time is right.†, Supermarket News, 19 August 1991. http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?docid=1G1:11145856&refid=ink_tptd_mag&skeyword=&teaser=

Make and Recieve Telephone Calls

The telephone that I use for work is a complicated phone and I don’t use all of its features, the basic features it has are the function to answer the phone and transfer calls to another person, it also allows me to answer a call from some else’s phone that is in my group. To transfer calls to another colleague I have to press R on the phone and then enter my colleague extension number for the call to be transferred. If I wanted to answer another colleagues phone I simple have to press *84 on the keypad and pick up the phone to receive their call.I am able to adjust the volume of the ring and I am able to place the call on loud speaker. I am also able to turn on or off the microphone in the handset as well as view the list of the numbers that I called last. I am also able to create a directory of number on the phone to be able to make calls quickly, on top of this there are 12 preset phone numbers with quick dial buttons on the phone however the previous owner had set t hese up and I am unable to change them.The phone is also capable of diverting the call to another phone and send messages between phones although I haven’t used this yet. Before making a phone call it’s a good idea to identify the purpose of the call as it would make me the caller sound more professional as I know exactly what I want and would waste no time with anything else, it would also allow me to have information that I can then use to prepare questions to ask and get the necessary details which I may require.An example of this is when a colleague requested that I acquire some information regarding the prospectus of the local colleges I had to identify whom I was going to make the call to and what the call would be regarding, after speaking to my colleague more and gaining the knowledge of exactly what they wanted me to get I was able to identify that the purpose of this call was to contact the college and ask what lessons they would be providing that relate to t he request made by my colleague.There are multiple ways to acquire the telephone number of people in my organisation as I can use the local address book to get there details, for example if I only knew there phone number which within the organisation would only be their extension number, I could use that to acquire their name and location as well as the department they work in, and I could do the same with only their name. Another method of gathering the contact details of someone is either using the internet to look up their business and get the information from their or ask a colleague if these have access or know the individuals name or number.I was request to book a venue for a stakeholder workshop for a colleague and they provided me with the specifics of the workshop but not where the workshop would be, they left that up to me to decide, therefore I had to determine which venue would best suit the requirements made. I spoke to another colleague that recommended Dillington Hous e, however they were unable to provide any contact details for me. Due to Dillington House not being within the organisation I was unable to use the local address book so I had to use the internet to acquire their contact numbers.After locating their website via a Google search I found the contact details for a Robin Kyd who arranged bookings. To finally make the call to the individual within the organisation I would simple enter their extension number on my phone and the call would be put through. On the other hand if I need the contact details of someone outside the organisation I would either have to research their details on the internet, this would include looking up their business, and getting their number from their website.However this number may only be a general enquiry number and I would then contact them and ask for the relevant details I need. However to make the phone call to someone outside the organisation I simply have to enter the number 9 before entering their ful l phone number to make the call. An example of me doing this is when I had to make a phone call to Dennis Quick who works for Taunton Deane, I was given his contact details from a colleague when they passed a message along to me.When I first made the call the line was engaged and I couldn’t get through, but when I rang again later that day I reached Dennis’s secretary who said he was available and transferred my call along to him, it was confirmed that I was speaking to the correct person when he introduced himself as Dennis Quick. The purpose of giving a positive image of myself and my organisation is to give me a polite, efficient and professional image otherwise people will not respect or take you seriously and if you have a professional image then this reflects well on the organisation.If you have a positive image then communication between people both within and outside the organisation would be better and more efficient possibly allowing for the transfer of infor mation quicker and efficiently. Summarising a telephone conversation before the call ends can be beneficial to both parties as it allows everyone to agree on what has been said and ensure there are no confusions this is especially useful when the telephone conversation has been going on for a long period of time and various things have been discussed, its easy to lose focus on what has previously been said and summarising overcomes this.It also allows objectives to be clear and information fresh in the mind for both parties to write down or relay to another person or persons. An example of this is when I had to make alterations to a booking that I had made with a business called Monks Yard in Ilminster. After discussing with the person that was arranging the meeting on their end, I ended the telephone conversation by asking the person to repeat the amendments that I wanted them to make and once I was happy that he had everything correct by checking with the list that I had in front of me at the time, I thanked them and ended the call.When a call comes into the office I’ll always take a name (full if possible and preferably) and the company they are calling from, I’ll try and obtain from the caller either what the problem is exactly or from which department the problem arisen from and if they know who within the department they spoke to. I’ll pass messages along to departments or relevant staff members and see what information can be found to resolve the problem.If this is not possible try and locate a member of staff who can help from the information obtained from the caller e. g. A company was expecting a Goods Receipt Note via SAP a week ago, I logged into SAP and saw that I needed to send the Goods Receipt Note but as I didn’t have an training and didn’t know what to do, I located a staff member who I knew had training on this and could help me, I contacted her department and was put through to her and she talked me throug h the problem, however I hadn’t been set up correctly and couldn’tsend out a Good Receipt Note and had to contact IT and get it fixed, during this entire period of getting it fixed and finally sending out the GRN I kept the company informed on what happened and gave them an estimated time that they would receive the GRN. The organisational structure of County Hall is that of a hierarchical structure which uses clear reporting lines and it is easy to see what each team is called and how many people are in that team and how they relate to other people in the system.The communication channels for us are different per team or department for me my phone is linked with everyone else’s in my team and I am able to answer their phone by entering *84 however I am not able to answer any other phone on the floor this way. I can contact anyone internally as long as I know their extension number as this is the main method of contacting anyone internally and I can call anyone externally by simply entering the number 9 before entering their phone number.When I make a external call I introduce myself by saying my name and company that I’m calling from, if I know prior to the phone call which member of staff or department that I want to call I would request to speak to them. If I don’t know who I’m reaching I would explain why I’m calling and request help on locating the member of staff that can help me. When I’m connected to this person, I ideally should have some questions ready or know exactly what information I require.At the end of the call I should summarise the call and recap information to make sure that it is accurate. If a fault was to occur with my telephone I would simply call the IT department and inform them when the problem occurred and how frequent it is happening, they would resolve the issue by either providing a replacement handset until it is fixed or locating the fault and fixing it at their earliest c onvenience.When I received a call I should identify who the caller is and their needs to do this I should follow my phone call procedures and gather the callers name and who they calling from, with this done I have now identified my caller and go about identifying their needs. Sometimes the caller will not provide you with their name at the start of the call as for example in a telephone conversation I had with a man asking for a colleague who was away from the desk, after following call procedures I asked to take a message, once the caller had given me his message, I asked who the call was from and he provided me with his name.Following procedures I will then ask the caller what I can help them with and they should briefly explain why they are calling, depending on why they have called and what my job entails I will either transfer them to another member of my team who can deal with their call, check the availability of a team member and inform the caller that they will call them b ack at a certain time or providing the information that they require to the best of my ability, although I will inform them that I am new and may not be able to answer all their questions.An example of this is when I received a phone call from a lady who wanted to submit a complaint to our department, after taking her name and contact details, she proceeded to tell me why she was complaining and what she would like done about it.During this telephone call I was taking notes so I could pass along her message when the call had ended, at the end of the call when she had finished explaining the problem, I repeated to her the points that I had taken and asked if these were correct, after making some small arrangements I summarised the information that she had given me and once she confirmed it was all correct, I informed her that I was going to pass this along to the relevant person and he would respond as soon as he can, I also informed her that I would call her when I had done this so she would know that action had been taken and it would also create a positive image of myself and my team. Giving accurate information to callers means when someone calls they have done so with the anticipation of getting their question or query answered promptly and professionally. Having up to date information available in a clear and concise manner will confirm in the callers mind that they question has been answered properly. For example if someone rang up asking for details on the most recent consultation regarding one of the teams projects and I gave them a out of date or incorrect document details then it would make a bad impression for the team and could affect their reputation as they may be deemed unreliable.From a callers point of view they want their personal details kept secure and confidential by showing this when dealing with a caller I am showing them that I can be trusted with their personal information and from my point of view, I need to keep the information priva te and respect their privacy otherwise I could become liable for prosecution under the Data Protection Act and with the information that my team handles a lot of it is private and confidential so this is a daily thing. If any confidential or information to do with security is given out, then it is causing a threat to others. Types of information that could affect confidentiality and security are people’s personal details so in my case it would be personal phone numbers and addresses. Therefore to reduce the risk of breaking confidentiality the information should only be handled by those that absolutely need access to it and if anyone requests the information then I should ask the persons whose information it is if they can have it or inform the person asking that someone will contact them.The Data Protection Act was setup to prevent confidential and security information from being given out and it is breaking the law if I was to do so. All these sorts of information should be handled by a maximum of 2 people and seen by no one else; this way no information will be revealed. After answering the call following the team’s procedure, I’d ask the caller if they know the name of the person they wish to speak to, if they don’t ask regarding which department. If they caller doesn’t know who to speak to then I would find out briefly, as they call may be regarding a private matter, what the call in about. Using the information I had gathered it would make it easier to transfer the call to the right person or department.If the person the caller is trying to reach is unavailable either because they are out of the office or away for the moment, then I would try to located someone else that may be able to take the call and explain to them the name of the caller, and what they are calling about as this would save time for the caller as they wouldn’t have to relay the information again. A lot of the time the case with transferring a c all is that the caller would either leave a message or inform me that they would call later, however with some calls that I receive the person they are trying to reach have left the desk momentarily and return while I’m still talking to the caller allowing me to transfer the caller to the person they were trying to reach. I would then inform the caller that I am transferring them to that particular person and explain why they would be more useful and helpful to deal with their request.Another option would be to leave a message I would either leave a message on their answering machine or a note on their computer, I would leave the following details; who the caller was, full name, where they were calling from, the time that they rang and the details of the call and any specific details or requests the caller wanted the intended receiver to know. A problem that could occur and has occurred it when transferring a call to a colleague the connection to the caller has become lost du ring the transfer, To amend this I would simply call them back apologising for the inconvenience, also ringing them back would show that I am keen to help them and am trying my best to provide good customer service. I would then log the problem as a technical fault, however if the problem kept occurring then I would report the problem with the IT department.Another problem that could occur is that I may transfer the caller to the wrong person this may have happened due to a system fault or a technical fault, though in my case it could be due to the fact that I’m new and could have made a mistake. If the caller went to the wrong number then the call would circulate around back to me and I would deal with the call accordingly. However if a call had been transferred to me by mistake then I would explain to the caller that unfortunately they had been transferred to the wrong person, though not necessarily the wrong department. I would apologise to the caller and ask for them to e xplain the problem and then transfer them to the correct person.I would then take a note of the problem and if the problem continued I would contact the transferee informing them that they have transferred the call to the wrong person and if it persists then I would inform IT about the problem. When receiving a phone call from an individual I would follow my teams phone call procedures this would involve doing the following things. If it was my phone that was ringing I was answer it as promptly as possible with the greeting, â€Å"Isaac Young, Major Programmes†, If it was another member of my teams phone that was ringing and due to the layout of the office it is hard to tell which phone is ringing, It is procedure to wait for the phone to ring three times and if it hasn’t been answered by then, I would enter *84 on the phone to take the call and answer with the previous greeting.Once I am connected to the caller I would obtain who the caller is and where they are from, by now the caller has usually mentioned the person they wish to speak to, if the caller mentions why they are calling this is noted when transferring the call and it is not company procedure although it is recommended that you ask what the call is in reference to. When reporting a fault to the IT department I have to be as exact as possible as this will help the issue to be resolved as fast as possible. Having an accurate account of when the problem first started and the frequency the fault occurred, what is actually happening, which can be obtained by the fault log that I have written down. I would request IT to provide a replacement phone while the problem is amended.

Macbeth Essy

Hayley Von Oepen Hour: 1 English 11 Guilt Can Affect Your Fate Macbeth was a manipulative man. He wasn't like this before, but his wife told him that he was a coward and that there would be no way he could be king because he was too weak. So basically, Lady Macbeth had to help him plot to kill the king. Macbeth's fate was to be king; however his best friend Banquds children were supposed to be king after Macbeth. Macbeth did not like this and plotted to kill everyone in his path, thus causing his guilty conscience. A guilty conscience can get in the way of things leading to fate, and fate may not be how one wants it to be.Shakespeare's play Macbeth shows many themes. One of the themes is the role of a guilty conscience. Macbeth's guilt builds up after everyone he kills. For example, when Macbeth finds out that he isn't the only one who will be king he hires thieves to kill Banquo and his children. When Macbeth was having dinner with the Lords, he kept seeing Banquds ghost and was sca red. Lady Macbeth told everyone that he does this all the time and that he has done this since he was a little boy. She says, â€Å"Things without all remedy / Should be without regard. What's done is done† (3. 2. 3-14).Lady Macbeth is saying that undoing the past cannot be done and disregarding past deeds should be done. Think of the present and the future to come. Macbeth is furious that he won't remain king. He says, â€Å"For Banquds issue have I filed my mind; / For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered, / Put rancor's in the vessel of my peace / Only for them, and mine eternal Jewel / Given to the common enemy of man / To make them kings, the seeds of Banquds kings† (3. 1. 7()-75). Macbeth basically is saying that he is angry that Banquds kids get to be king and his do not. He did everything he could to be king and realizes that it was all for nothing.He did this all for Banquds kids, or Banquds seeds as quoted above. Macbeth was talking to one of his servants and his servant said, â€Å"It is the cry of a woman my good Lord†¦ / The queen is dead† (5. 5. 1()-11). Macbeth's guilt grows more when his wife dies even if he doesn't show it. He realizes that he shouldVe been there for his wife and that she shouldVe been here in the hereafter. And so, the role of a guilty conscience can get into the way of fate. Unfortunately for Macbeth, he realizes it too late and everyone he has loved was killed either by im or suicide.Also, in the end, once he killed so many people, Macbeth realizes he should have let fate take its course thus giving him a guilty conscience. Another one of Shakespeare's themes is Fate vs. Free Will. When the witches told Macbeth he is destined to be king, that it is his fate. Macbeth states smugly and powerfully, â€Å"If chance shall crown me without my stir† (1. 3. 158); which means that if he is the one who should have the crown, King Duncan would give it to him without Macbeth having to do anything ra sh. When he isn't crowned, Macbeth decides he must kill Duncan.Also meaning, that Macbeth is following his â€Å"chance† and the chance is his me to the utterance! † (3. 1 . 70-71). This basically means that Macbeth is challenged by his fate. The words â€Å"come fate† means to let the fate come. So basically, Macbeth is challenging fate toa fight to a bitter end. At the beginning of the supper that Macbeth had with the great Lords, he told the murderers that it will not only be Banquo that dies, but his son, Fleance, will die too. He tells them â€Å"†¦ must embrace the fate / Of that dark hour† (3. 1 . 136-137). Here â€Å"fate† means a terrible thing that is going to happen.And because it is Macbeth, it is going to happen. As it turns out, Fleance escapes this particular â€Å"fate† and lives. In conclusion, Fate vs. Free will is basically the cause of a guilty conscience. Macbeth's fate to stay king, made him lose everything, includi ng his wife and his best friend. Macbeth's free will said that he could change the fate that the witches prophesied to him. However, Macbeth did not change his fate, and even if he tried to it wouldVe been too late because of all the guilt he has obtained. To sum it up, a guilty conscience and fate can lead to bad consequences, even if they risk your life in the end.

Albert Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity

Albert Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity Free Online Research Papers Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Wurttemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later he and his family moved to Munich, where he later on began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland. In 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he earned his diploma and received a Swiss citizenship and he accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he went for his doctors degree. In 1914 he was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained in Berlin until 1933. He became a United States citizen in 1940. During the 1920s he lectured in Europe, America and the Far East and he was awarded Memberships to all the leading scientific academies throughout the world. He gained numerous awards for all of his work, including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935. He married Mileva Maric in 1903 and they had a daughter and two sons. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey. Introduced in 1905, Albert Einsteins Special Theory of Relativity is based on two ideas: the law of physics is constant for anyone moving at a constant speed, and the speed of light is constant for anyone, in any frame of reference. If the speed of light is constant, then time and space must be relative. After 1905, Einstein continued working in all three of his works in the 1905 papers. He made important contributions to the quantum theory. In 1907 he said that if mass were equivalent to energy, then the principle of equivalence required that gravitational mass would interact with the apparent mass of electromagnetic radiation, which includes light. By 1911, Einstein was able to make the first predictions about how a ray of light from a distant star, passing near the Sun, would appear to be attracted, or bent slightly, in the direction of the Suns mass. At the same time, light radiated from the Sun would interact with the Suns mass, resulting in a slight change toward the infrared end of the Suns optical spectrum. At About 1912, Einstein began a new phase of his gravitational research, by putting his work in terms of the tensor calculus of Tullio Levi-Civita and Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro. The tensor calculus made calculations in four-dimensional space-time, a notion that Einstein had obtained from Hermann Minkowski in 1907. Einstein called his new work the general theory of relativity. After a number of false starts, he published the definitive form of the general theory in late 1915. In its original form, Einsteins general relativity has been verified a number of times in the past 60 years, especially during solar-eclipse expeditions when Einsteins light-deflection prediction could be tested. The theory of special relativity says if all the laws of physics are equally valid in all frames of reference moving at a uniform velocity and that the speed of light from a uniformly moving source is always the same, regardless of how fast or slow the source or its observer is moving. The theory has as consequences, the relative mass increases rapidly for moving objects. Some criticized Special Relativity for many reasons, such as lack of evidence, rejection of mathematical physics, philosophical reasons. Examples people who criticized him are: Max Abraham, Friedrich Adler, Henri Bergson, Herbert Dingle, Harald Nordenson, Hugo Dingler, Louis Essen, Herbert E. Ives, Emanuel Lasker, Hjalmar Mellin, Albert Abraham Michelson, Menyhà ©rt Palgyi, Walter Ritz, Georges Sagnac. Other critics had already concluded that there had to be air in the upper sky (aether) which carried the light as the Earth moved through it. The two results suggested opposing results: was the aether local and fluid, or was it universal and rigid? Although there still are critics of relativity outside the scientific mainstream, most of scientists agree that Special Relativity has been proven in many different ways and there are no inconsistent things within the theory. Research Papers on Albert Einstein's Special Theory of RelativityAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Effects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementQuebec and CanadaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

Attributes of the employees

Attributes of the employees Attributes of the employees Employees are the most critical part of an organization as they provide their skills for an organization’s operations and they are the one who can drag the organizational performance because of these reasons the employers wants to hire the people having the best attributes. In the following I have selected out the attributes of the employees valued by the employer through from different websites and different books also address the same attributes. 1. Communications Skills By far, the one skill mentioned most often by employers is the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively. Successful communication is critical in business. It saves time, minimizes mistakes & reduces conflicts. 2. Analytical, Research Skills Deals with ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information if necessary, and identify key issues that need to be addressed. 3. Computer, Technical Literacy Almost all jobs now require some basic under standing of computer hardware and software, especially word processing, spreadsheets, printers, telephone and email. 4. Flexibility, Adaptability, Managing Multiple Priorities Deals with ability to manage multiple assignments and tasks, set priorities, and adapt to changing conditions and work assignments. 5. Interpersonal Abilities The ability to relate to co-workers, inspire others to participate, and mitigate conflict with co-workers is essential given the amount of time spent at work each day. 6. Leadership, Management Skills While there is some debate about whether leadership is something people are born with, these skills deal with ability to take charge and manage co-workers. 7. Multicultural Sensitivity, Awareness There is possibly no bigger issue in the workplace than diversity, and job-seekers must demonstrate a sensitivity and awareness to other people and cultures. 8. Planning, Organizing Deals with ability to design, plan, organize, and implement projects and tasks within an allotted timeframe. Also involves goal-setting. 9. Problem-Solving, Reasoning, Creativity Involves the ability to find solutions to problems using creativity, reasoning, and past experiences along with the available information and resources. 10. Teamwork Because so many jobs involve working in one or more work-groups, employee must have the ability to work with others in a professional manner while attempting to achieve a common goal. 11. Personal Values Employers Seek in Employees Of equal importance to skills are the values, personality traits, and personal characteristics that employers seek. 12. Honesty, Integrity, Morality Employers probably respect personal integrity more than any other value, especially in light of the many recent corporate scandals. 13. Dedication, Hard-Working, Work Ethic, Tenacity Employers seek job-seekers who love what they do and will keep at it until they solve the problem and get the job done. 14. Dependability, Reliability, Responsib ility There’s no question that all employers desire employees who will arrive to work every day – on time – and ready to work, and who will take responsibility for their actions. 15. Loyalty Employers want employees who will have a strong devotion to the company — even at times when the company is not necessarily loyal to its employees. 16. Positive Attitude, Motivation, Energy, Passion The job-seekers who get hired and the employees who get promoted are the ones with drive and passion — and who demonstrate this enthusiasm through their words and actions.

Write an article with a right wing and left wing about exclusions and Assignment

Write an article with a right wing and left wing about exclusions and the summer riots - Assignment Example 42% of the students were identified as coming from low income earning families and were eligible for claim the free school meals (FSM), it was also identified that 16% of all the 11-15 students analysed were from high schools as at 2011 January. It was also identified that a proportional that was considerable in number of the 10-17 year that appeared before the courts were categorized under the SEN, the students with needs. The percentage identified was 2two third of the population sampled representing a 66% of students between 10-17 years old. Absence rates were also analysed among the 10-17 year old. The absenteeism rate was high than average as those whose attendance data was available were 9%. The rest lacked attendance data indicating a high level of absenteeism. Statistics on social exclusion were also identified and reported. Incidences were high of the social exclusions among students in the bracket of 10-17 year old. According to the statistics, 36% of the analysed students identified that they had one fixed period social exclusion during the study year of 2009. Another proportion of 6% also identified that it had at least one fixed period of exclusion during 2011. The statistics chosen for the analysis is on free school meals. It is evident that it may be the fault of these students. Another look on it is that students may also be right in rioting. From this point, the various students in these institutions are faced with challenges that the institutions are not able of effectively providing. According to Mrs. Martins a teacher at a local high school â€Å"some of the main issues of concern to the students are the issues to do with unfair treatment of the students, issues culminating from ineffective services by the teachers, poor teaching by the teachers, issues to do with poor services soffered at the various cafeterias†. An aspect like food, which is poorly

ETHICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ETHICS - Essay Example This is because the patients have knowledge that their health professional will protect the information, which they disclose (Buppert, 2011). Full revelation of patients’ medical background and condition enables physicians to diagnose the ailments of their clients. In addition, the patients receive the correct treatment. However, dilemmas around confidentiality when it privacy conflicts with ethical principles such as avoiding danger to patients and public. Therefore, there are exceptions, which compels health professional to breach the confidentiality. To start with, a breach of confidentiality occurs when health professional feel that the actions of their patients can put the public at risk. Second, health professionals can release patients’ information if they think it can cause harm to their clients. It is possible for patients with severe medical condition such as HPV and HIV AIDS to contemplate committing suicide. Lastly, physicians can expose patient’s inf ormation when in order to get the right follow- up of their medical condition (Buppert, 2011). The breach of confidence has serious ethical implications. To begin with, breach of confidence stigmatizes patients. With knowledge that certain patients have a particular disease, the public is bound to segregate such a sick people. Segregation can direct patients to commit repugnant actions such as committing suicide. ... Second, revealing patients’ medical information fosters disrespect. The basis of relationship between patients and health professionals is respect and trust. The two virtues allow sick people to share their medical information freely with the health care providers. Therefore, when the medical professionals violate the confidentiality deal depicts disregard of patients’ autonomy (Guido and Watson, 2010). This can lead to mistrust of patients in health professionals. This is because patients feel that health care givers have broken the promise they had with them. Third, ethical matters may compel health professionals to disclose patients’ medication information. For instance, in cases of severe diseases such as HIV AIDS, physicians may make it public that a particular patient suffers from a deadly disease. This will enable the sex partners of such a patient to take actions to know their status and minimize the risks of infections. In addition, revelations of patien ts’ information deter affected patients form infecting future sexual partners. Weighing the ethical implication of the patients and the public, I believe that it is sometimes prudent to disclose patients, medical conditions. This is because of the dangers, which lack of disclosure may bring to the public. The action of breach of confidentiality borrows a lot from the theory of consequentialism. This theory considers the consequences of breaching and failure to breach confidentiality. In one hand, the contravening confidentiality may make patients lose trust in health professionals. This can limit patients’ freedom ton access health care in future. On the other hand, failure to disclose patients’ medical condition may deny parties important information that would have detrimental implications

Radio Coverage Comparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Radio Coverage Comparisons - Assignment Example II. Event Being Covered (116 words) The event being covered are the protests over the bill that would effectively shut down Wisconsin unions’ ability to collectively bargain. Protesters have been inside the capitol of Madison for over a week now, protesting the passage of the bill in the Senate. Senate â€Å"†¦Democrats have fled the state† according to WTMJ.1 WTMJ is Milwaukee’s top-visited radio station. According to a document obtained from WIBA, Madison’s radio station, â€Å"†¦if Senate Democrats refuse to return to Wisconsin and cast their votes in the next day the option to refinance a portion of the state's debt will be off the table.†2 This means that, if Democrats don’t return to the bargaining table, jobs will be cut for sure. III. Where Each Radio Story is Broadcasting From (25 words) As mentioned before, WTMJ is broadcasting from Milwaukee, while WIBA is broadcasting from Madison in Wisconsin where the protests are taki ng place in the capitol. IV. How Does Geographic Location Affect The Way Information is Being Presented? (32 words) WTMJ did not mention this document presented by Scott Walker. Since the protest is taking place in Madison, it is probably due to geographical location that the better information is at WIBA. V.

Collective Memory in Homiletics

Collective Memory in Homiletics Chapter Six Theological markers for the use of collective memory in homiletics 6.1 The Bible and remembering. The debate about memory in contemporary theological disciplines has yet to reach the level of intensity evident within history and sociology and their associated applied studies, but there is nevertheless evidence of a growing interest in the topic. Scholars well known for their work on social approaches to memory are increasingly cited by theologians, or are themselves offering ways into a theological extension of their works. In biblical studies, for example, the American Sociologist, Barry Schartz, presented a keynote address at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2003 (published in Kirk and Thatcher, 2005); and from this side of the Atlantic, Jan Assmanns work on cultural memory provides a way into mnemonic devices in a ground-breaking study of Marks Gospel from the perspective of the performative oral culture in which it arose (Horsley, Draper and Foley, 2006). Such publications are the beginnings of what is likely to become a major area of interest and d ebate in theology and biblical studies. As exciting as that prospect is, this chapter concerns itself with one small and closely delineated area where social memory theory and theology in practice are, it is argued, closely related, namely collective memory and preaching. If, as it is being argued in this thesis, the practice of Christian preaching in contemporary European society must consciously address the mechanisms of collective memory and the issues raised by the decay of that memory, what are the theological resources available to support that task? This chapter seeks to answer that question within a theological discourse that views use of the Bible as the primary step in such ongoing resourcing. Just as Christian preaching in order to be Christian preaching cannot be seen in isolation from the biblical text, so this chapter will argue that a theological understanding of Christian tradition as memory cannot be isolated from an understanding of social memory work present in those same biblical texts. Consequently, this chapter seeks to establish that memory and remembrance, understood as fundamental components of a life-creating faith, are evidenced in the biblical texts themselves. It will be argued that our forebears in the continuing traditio n of Abrahams faith were conscious users of the social dimensions of memory. Establishing this point is key to the whole thesis, since it indicates that the homiletic theory advocated here is more than a knee-jerk response to the social amnesia indentified as being so destructive of Christian social memory. In straightforward terms, memory work will be established as a core component of Scripture and, therefore, a core component of preaching that seeks to use those same Scriptures for the remembering of Christ. That theological resourcing of the tasks of Christian collective memory will be established through an examination of some key concepts developed in the work of the Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann. Brueggemanns work is a good place to begin because he writes as a Christian preacher as well as a biblical scholar. The fact that he has also addressed memory issues very directly in his recent work adds a third justification for the focus of the analysis that follows. After the examination of some of Brueggemanns ideas, consideration will be given to the mechanisms of collective memory with particular regard to issues of boundary and development, and how these things are evidenced in Scripture. From New Testament evidence the focus will shift to worship and God as the ultimate referent of Christian memory. 6.2 Imagination as interpretative tool in the works of Walter Brueggemann. The American Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann delivered the 1988-9 Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching with the title Finally Comes the Poet: Daring Speech for Proclamation. The somewhat enigmatic quality of the title is typical of Brueggemanns style, and his published papers have included many similar aphorisms (for example At Risk with the Text, An Imaginative Or, The Shrill Voice of the Wounded Party, all in The Word Militant: Preaching a Decentering Word (2007); and Together in the Spirit–Beyond Seductive Quarrels, Reading as Wounded and as Haunted, and Texts That Linger, Not Yet Overcome in Deep Memory, Exuberant Hope: Contested Truth in a Post-Christian World (2000)) but arguably this particular title signifies more than presentational style. Finally Comes the Poet is Brueggemanns echo of a line from a poem entitled Passage to India in the Walt Whitman collection Leaves of Grass (1871): After the seas are all crossd, (as they seem already crossd,) After the great captains and engineers have accomplishd their work, After the noble inventors, after the scientists, the chemist, the geologist, ethnologist, Finally shall come the poet worthy that name, The true son of God shall come singing his songs. The poem has its origin in reflections on the grand technological achievements of Whitmans era, exemplified in the Suez canal and the American transcontinental railway. Its reference to great and new achievements as but a growth out of the past indeed fits well with Brueggemanns insistence that the old texts of Scripture when imaginatively interpreted are productive of new ways of seeing and living in the present (2000: 6): but there is, perhaps, a more playful and a yet more profound echo at work than simple topical reiteration. Whitman began Leaves of Grass as a conscious response to Ralph Waldo Emersons call in 1845 for the United States to have its own indigenous and unique poetry. The poems, despite being full of traditional biblical cadences, were to prove controversial since they used an innovative verse form with frequent colloquial language and some of them exalted the body and sexual love. Whitman worked on the volume throughout his life; the first edition of 1855 contained just 12 poems, but that grew to nearer 300 by the so-called deathbed edition of 1891-2. In other words, Whitmans work represents an ongoing creative enterprise that in its imaginative expansion and re-working sought to offer a new perspective on experience in an authentically American idiom of English. In that sense the poet comes last, as it were, to take imagination to shores far beyond those to be reached by rail or sea. As the poem concludes: For we are bound where mariner has not yet dare to go, And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all. O my brave soul! O farther farther sail! O daring joy, but safe! are they not all the seas of God? O farther, farther, farther sail! Imagination that goes beyond the immediately obvious; creativity that constructs alternative ways of giving an account of reality and interpretive language that profoundly resonates with the contemporary are themes that figure prominently in Brueggemanns work. In his Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination, he writes: The tradition that became Scripture is not merely descriptive of a commonsense world; it dares, by artistic sensibility and risk-taking rhetoric, to posit, characterize, and vouch for a world beyond the common sense. (2003a: 9) This interpretive imagination that enables ancient texts to speak with forceful authority to the contemporary believer is at the heart of Brueggemanns hermeneutic. His conviction is that engagement with the biblical texts can be creative of real alternatives to the prevailing and destructive dominant worldviews. His insistence on not what the text meant but what it means (2007: 83) presents a striking challenge to biblical methodologies that dwell on historical understandings of the text. In Brueggemanns work, both historical and redactive analysis are but steps towards this more fundamentally purposeful interpretation. His work is, therefore, of particular importance to this study since it so clearly demonstrates ways in which the biblical text can be interpreted anew so as to offer a fresh and challenging voice amidst the clamour of contemporary society. It is hardly surprising then that Whitmans poetic fresh voice provides Brueggemann with the teasing frontispiece to his lectures on preaching as a poetic construal of an alternative world (1989: 6). Nor is it surprising that in the years since his Lyman Beecher lectures, beyond his major studies (for example, First and Second Samuel (1990); Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (1997); and Deuteronomy (2001)) Brueggemann has written extensively about the preaching task (for example, in works such as Cadences of Home: Preaching among Exiles (1997); Deep Memory, Exuberant Hope: Contested Truth in a Post-Christian World (2000); The Word Militant: Preaching a Decentering Word (2007)). His is an approach to Scripture that is essentially homiletical since, whilst remaining academically rigorous, it always looks to how the text resonates with contemporary existence. Indeed, Brueggemann asserts that the key hermeneutical event in contemporary interpretation is the event of preaching (2007: 92). 6.3 Imaginative remembering as a way into the text. In his use of tradition Brueggemanns method is presentist in just the way that collective memory theory suggests. He writes that remembering is itself shot through with imaginative freedom to extrapolate and move beyond whatever there may have been of happening (2003a: 7). Accordingly, his determination is to make the interface of ancient text and contemporary community more poignant and palpable (2003a: xi). In this he is following an understanding of how classic texts work in the life of faith that has an ancient pedigree and is exemplified in contemporary scholarship by David Tracy: I will understand not merely something that was of interest back then, as a period piece, whose use, although valid then, is now spent. Rather I will grasp something of genuine here and now, in this time and place. I will then recognize that all interpretation of classic texts heightens my consciousness of my own finitude, my own radically historical reality. I can never repeat the classics to understand them. I must interpret them. Only then, as Kierkegaard insisted, do I really repeat them. (Tracy, 1981: 103) In this understanding, interpretation, even when it appears novel (as long as that novelty is in an appropriate measure consistent with the tradition), is a legitimate extension of the tradition as represented by the text. Hence, for Brueggemann, what he terms imaginative remembering (2003a: 8) is both a way of understanding the formation of the text and an essential way into the text now. He writes of the Old Testament: What parents have related to their children as normative tradition (that became canonized by long usage and has long been regarded as normative) is a world of meaning that has as its key character YHWH, the God of Israel, who operates in the narratives and songs of Israel that are taken as reliable renderings of reality. Given all kinds of critical restraints and awarenesses, one can only allow that such retellings are a disciplined, emancipated act of imagination. (2003a: 8) This retelling is, in Brueggemanns methodology, a necessary extension of the memory work evident in the Old Testament texts with which he works, since those texts are themselves a sustained memory that has been filtered through many generations of the interpretative process, with many interpreters imposing certain theological intentionalities on the memory that continues to be reformulated. (2003a: 4) Brueggemann is at pains to assert the force of this continuity right up to the present time. The preacher, in his understanding, does not stand as a remote and objective commentator on the text, nor as a skill-laden technician who applies ancient wisdom to contemporary life, but is rather in her or his labours at one with and contributing to the ongoing flow of a living stream of tradition: All the forces of imaginative articulation and ideological passion and the hiddenness of divine inspiration have continued to operate in the ongoing interpretive task of synagogue and church until the present day. (2003a: 12) This ongoing process of memory work that makes faith possible for the next generation Brueggemann terms traditioning (2003a: 9). Although he does not use the language of collective memory theory in his writings, it is clear that he is alert to the mechanisms it suggests. For example, he points out that each version of retelling has as its intention the notion that it should be the final retelling that presents the newly interpreted or understood correct version. As that retelling comes to prominence and wide use, however, it is itself subject to further retelling that will eventually be productive of a fresher version that will displace the earlier version, partly or wholly (2003a: 9). It is not hard to see in this process what Halbwachs described as new memories created by the pressure of current needs and relationships and the forgetting of other memories that no longer have a supporting social framework. For Brueggemann, this process of retelling and discarding works to reinforce his demand that an exegetical and homiletical use of the text that is creative and imaginative is both legitimate and advantageous. The exegete or the homiletician can use the traces of earlier memories in the ongoing task of traditioning. Brueggemann writes: The complexity of the text evident on any careful reading is due to the happy reality that as new acts of traditioning overcome and partly displace older materials, the older material is retained alongside newer tradition. That retention is a happy one, because it very often happens that a still later traditionalist returns to and finds useful older, discarded material thought to be beyond use. (2003a: 9) Brueggemanns usage also echoes Halbwachs contention (see section 3.3) that changes in religious collective memory are often strengthened by an appeal to the recovery of ancient memory that has somehow been forgotten. What marks the difference between the two approaches is that Brueggemann sees this reclamation as necessary for a creative and imaginative handling of tradition rather than simply a way of socially legitimizing what might otherwise seem to be corrosive of the tradition. In collective memory theory as delineated by Halbwachs, change and development in Christian religious memory is seen as inimical to faith, whereas Brueggemann believes that variations over time are not only conducive to faith but are required if the text is to retain its power to change perceptions in every age. In acknowledging this process, Brueggemann also acknowledges that the memory held is far from being a straightforward and simple storage of information, or, as he terms it, an innocent act of repo rtage (2003a: 9). Far from seeing the social construction of memory as a denial of faith, Brueggemann uses that constructionism as a way to advance a socially responsible close engagement with the biblical text. This bears on the subject of this study in two very direct ways. 6.4 Living tradition as a field of artistic endeavour. First, it is important to acknowledge that although Brueggemanns hermeneutical method is an expression of impatience with biblical scholarship that dwells on historical, redactional and textual issues to the exclusion of social concerns; it is also more than that. His conviction is that the logic of modernity with its passion for linear, objective, and systematized thinking, and its insistence on only working with the given facts, has too often effectively silenced the Bible even in the churches (2003a: 28). He writes: Our technical way of thinking reduces mystery to problem, transforms assurance into certitude, revises quality into quantity, and so takes the categories of biblical faith and represents them in manageable shapes. (1989: 2) His is a style of engagement with the biblical text that goes beyond historical and technical categories (though readily employing those tools when needed) to imaginative and rhetorical aspects embedded in the text so as to focus not on the cognitive outcomes of the text (though there finally are cognitive outcomes) but on the artistic processes that operate in the text and generate an imagined world within the text. Such artistic attentiveness takes seriously the exact placement and performance of words and phrases, of sounds and repetitions that give rise to an alternate sense of reality. (2007: 76) In terms of homiletic theory this emphasis on artistic attentiveness calls to mind the work of R.E.C. Browne (1976) (see sections 2.3 and 5.2.3 above) and the suggestion he first voiced in the 1950s that preaching is an artistic activity requiring similar processes of social understanding and interaction as those necessary to the production of music, poetry or painting (Browne, 1976: 18). Indeed Brueggemann is arguably more in sympathy with the approach of Browne than with his American New Homiletic colleagues. The inductive methodology of New Homiletics beginnings all too easily with human experience, and, according to Brueggemann, its effort to induce from understandings of human experience connections to the biblical text is the wrong starting point. He cites what he perceives to be an increasing inclination amongst seminarians who prefer for preaching some idea, some cause, some experience, some anything rather than the text. A community without its appropriate text clearly will have no power or energy or courage for mission; it will be endlessly quarrelsome because it depends on ideology and has no agreed-upon arena where it adjudicates its conflicts. (2007: 42) With the New Homileticians Brueggemann is determined to connect the text and the world, but since his homiletic conceives the text as always challenging and critiquing commonplace understandings of experience and reality, those commonplace understandings cannot be the interpreters beginning. Interestingly, the word relevance is a term he studiously avoids in his consideration of how preaching properly works. Indeed, in a recent article he asserts the text is not directly addressed to us, and we should not work too hard at making it immediately relevant (2007: 39). As an alternative he uses the term resonates as a way of indicating that the preachers task is to enable a word to be heard that comes from outside our closed system of reality (2007: 4). Preaching, he insists, must always be subversive (2000: 6) and he means that literally: it offers a version of faith lived in reality that gets under the dominant versions and opens new ways of existing. He writes: My theme is alternative, sub-version to version, the sermon a moment of alternative imagination, the preacher exposed as point man, point woman, to make up out of nothing more than our memory and our hope and our faith a radical option to the normalcy of deathliness. (2000: 9) So, far from being a simple preservation mechanism, traditioning, in Brueggemanns methodology, becomes a creative activity in which each generation of faith reworks the tradition so as to maintain its liveliness: We now know (or we think we know) that human transformation (the way people change) does not happen through didacticism or through excessive certitude but through the playful entertainment of another scripting of reality that may subvert the old given text and its interpretation and lead to the embrace of an alternative text and its redescription of reality. (2007: 26) This is a radical understanding of faiths collective memory in that it lays the emphasis on traditions continuity being found in the telling and retelling which is properly productive of changes and shifts in traditions content. Here, the maintenance of a living tradition is clearly paramount; but processes of that maintenance are acknowledged as continually bringing to birth new ways of understanding how that tradition is experienced as living. The ways collective memories change are an aspect of how tradition functions effectively rather than being seen as a threat to the preservation of tradition. Brueggemanns traditioning works towards the creation of world-views in the anthropological sense; it is an insistence on an epistemology that shuns a too strident and dominating objectivism. As he puts it: Reality is not fixed and settled it cannot be described objectively. We do not simply respond to a world that is here, but we engage in constituting that world by our participation, or action, and our speech. As participants in the constitutive act, we do not describe what is there, but we evoke what is not fully there until we act or speak. (1988: 12) In this Brueggemann offers an understanding of the preachers task that is akin to David Buttricks phenomenological approach (Buttrick, 1987) in that it calls forth a sermonic language that can construe the world in new ways. Thus Brueggemanns definition of imagination is: The God-given, emancipated capacity to picture (or image) reality — God, world, self — in alternative ways outside conventional, commonly accepted givens. Imagination is attentiveness to what is otherwise, other than our taken-for-granted world. (2001: 27) This imaginative ability allows new insights and understandings to develop from within tradition. Processes of displacement and forgetting may indeed be at work in this, as collective memory theory suggests; but that does not necessarily mean that previous memories are just abandoned. Rather, imagination enables a reviewing incorporation of new perspectives that are beyond the easy conventions previously assumed. 6.5 Preaching as contested production. Preaching is at heart, according to Bruggemann, about the construel of alternatives. This assertion discloses a second point about how his work has a direct bearing on this study; and that shifts the focus from the nature of tradition to the practice of preaching. If traditioning is fundamentally about epistemology then preaching, as a mechanism of memory maintenance, must itself be productive of this shift in knowing. Consequently, preaching is, in Brueggemanns estimation, always a dangerous, indeed hazardous, activity since it is essentially a process of production understood in its widest creative sense. Like any productive process there is much that can prospectively go wrong in the process itself, let alone in its ultimate consumption as a product whose characteristics are potentially suspect or unwelcome. The dominant worldview in which both preacher and hearer exists is one in which reductionism with its relentless crude simplification of complexities and subtleties holds sway most of the time (1987: 13). In such circumstances preaching that is a creative weaving of the tradition into fresh resonant patterns can come as an unwelcome shock; it appears to put a question mark against more usual didactic, doctrinal or moralizing homiletical styles (2007: 29). That, of course, is precisely Brueggemanns purpose: Preaching is a peculiar, freighted, risky act each time we do it: entrusted with an irascible, elusive, polyvalent subject and flying low under the dominant version with a subversive offer of another version to be embraced by subversives. (2000: 6, italics original) Brueggemann situates preaching in precisely that area of contestation and change related to operative social frameworks that is familiar to collective memory theorists. That Brueggemann applies notions of production and consumption to the text and its exposition might seem strange in that kindred concepts such as commodification and consumerism are things he frequently criticises severely. In doing so he is, perhaps, making the point that the tendency of the dominating economic model to corrupt and distort underscores its seriousness and makes using its terms all the more resonant when applied to preaching. Preaching is to be taken with the utmost seriousness precisely because the world it aims to create offers a profound alternative to the dominating economic worldview. Preaching presents a new choice which challenges the hegemony of the usual way of viewing production and consumption, but the resonance of that choice is such that terms themselves are appropriately used: When the community has thus produced a text, it is the task of the community to consume the text, that is, to take, use, heed, respond, and act upon the text. The entire process of the text, then, is an act of production and consumption whereby a new world is chosen or an old world is defended, or there is transformation of old world to new world. The purpose of using the categories of production and consumption is to suggest that the textual process, especially the interpretative act of preaching, is never a benign, innocent, or straightforward act. Anyone who imagines that he or she is a benign or innocent preacher of the text is engaged in self-deception. Preaching as interpretation is always a daring, dangerous act, in which the interpreter, together with the receivers of the interpretation, is consuming a text and producing a world. (2007: 87) In other words, to facilitate this consumptive production, it is essential that the text be kept in conversation with what the congregation already knows and believes (2007: 100). This conversation is at its most effective when it is clearly opposed to both a false kind of objectivity that assumes the world is a closed, fixed, fated, given and a kind of subjectivity that assumes we are free or able to conjure up private worlds that may exist in a domesticated sphere without accountability to or impingement from the larger public world (2007: 100). Preaching has to keep the conversation going—an inevitable conclusion, given Brueggemanns dynamic understanding of tradition. It is intended that this analysis of Brueggemanns writings will have made plain the numerous points at which his thought provides fruitful links to the subject of this study. However, before moving to an examination of continuity and community in relation to collective memory it is worth reiterating some of the keys issues at a little length. In particular, the relationship between tradition, as represented by the Scriptural texts and contemporary concerns, will be examined further. That in turn will allow some extended discussion of the way in which this tradition is able to generate more than a straightforward replication of itself out of those contemporary concerns. Tradition is seen here as an environment within which the preacher is empowered towards an imaginative and artistic creativity that both sustains and develops that environment. That discussion will provide a conceptual bridge into the consideration of a brief but significant essay contributed by Anthony Thiselton to th e 1981 Doctrine Commission of the Church of Englands report Believing in the Church. Through Thiseltons work, issues of continuity and transmission will be directly addressed. 6.6 The presentist use of tradition. Brueggemanns perspective on the preaching task fits well with collective memory theory in that it is essentially presentist in its nature. Indeed, Brueggemanns insistence on what the text means now provides a positive theological and ministerial undergirding of the processes of collective memory. His understanding of imaginative remembering as the core tool of the preachers interpretation re-positions those collective memory processes as purposeful rather than simply inevitable. The preacher as hermeneutikos enters the stream of the ongoing flow of a living tradition and strives to be part of that lively continuity through homiletic activity; what Brueggemann understands as a continuing process of traditioning. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Brueggemann places this dynamic understanding of tradition at the very centre of faithful living. If so fundamental to the practice of faith, then that traditioning must also be essential to Christian mission. As Rowan Williams puts it: The Christian is at once possessed by an authoritative urgency to communicate the good news, and constrained by the awareness of how easily the words of proclamation become godless, powerless to transform. The urgency must often be channelled into listening and waiting, and into the expansion of the Christian imagination itself into something that can cope with the seriousness of the world. It is certainly true that, for any of this to be possible, here must be a real immersion in the Christian tradition itself. (2000: 40) In Brueggemanns thought, preaching becomes a key component of contemporary biblical interpretation in that it makes explicit in a demonstrable way just how tradition works. The essential rootedness of homiletics in a faith tradition becomes its greatest strength. This point needs to be underlined because it is not to be taken as special pleading for preaching as an exceptional kind of communication that must by its nature be allowed an ideological position inappropriate elsewhere. Instead, this is a declaration that the explicit rootedness of preaching exposes the reality of similar, but frequently denied rootedness, in other areas of discourse. Furthermore, that that very rootedness provides a platform for a sometimes radical re-evaluation of realities previously simply assumed—what Brueggemann understands as a construal of alternatives. In terms of collective memory, the recasting of memories becomes not the rather defensive mechanism Halbwachs described in his consideration of religion, but a creative and imaginative weaving of new possibilities out of the warp and weft of what has been inherited. This allows an adjustment of Halbwachs rather positivistic functionalism towards a more phenomenological perspective that is alert to the dynamism inherent in the tradition itself. Some words from Peter Ochs study of Peircean pragmatism in relation to Scripture seem apposite: For the Christian community, the Bible is thus not a sign of some external reality, but a reality itself whose meanings display the doubly dialogic relationships between a particular text and its context within the Bible as a whole, and between the Bible as a whole and the conduct of the community of interpreters. (1998: 309) The denial of an objectivizing distance between the preacher and the text may be justly assumed in the ministry of preaching, but Ochs study and Brueggemanns practice are suggestive of more than that: they point to a kind of knowing and learning only available through tradition. What is being challenged here is the easy assumption that a tradition-free, abstract, universal rationality is superior to such tradition-embedded thinking. Indeed, traditioning considered in the widest terms must put a question mark against the very idea of tradition-free knowing. In considering the influential works of Michael Polanyi (1891-1976), Alasdair MacIntyre (born 1929), and Charles Taylor (born 1931) Bruggemann makes the point that the imagination so crucial to development and change is generated from within tradition (2001: 31). 6.7 The generative nature of Scripture as tradition. Although, as acknowledged earlier, the relationship of tradition and rationality raises large epistemological issues beyond the direct scope of this thesis the subject needs to be broached here since it draws attention to an important aspect of tradition, namely its ability to seed fresh, creative understandings that are generative of new developments whilst retaining congruity with the tradition from which they arose. Colloquial usage of the term tradition makes it synonymous with preservation, but that fails to acknowledge this generative ability. Brueggemann sees generative traditioning at