Hr1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Hr1 - Essay Example Clarify the Purpose of Human Resource Management Policies in Organizations 16 3.2. Breaking down the Impact of Regulatory Requirements on HRM Policies of Millennium Hotels 18 3.2.1. Positive Impacts of Regulatory Requirements on HRM Policies 18 3.2.2. Negative Impacts of Regulatory Requirements on HRM Policies 19 Task 4 20 4.0. Inspecting Human Resource Management in an Organization 20 4.1. Investigating the Impact of Organizational Structure and Culture on HRM 20 4.2. Effect of Culture on HRM 21 4.3. Adequacy of HRM on Monitoring Organizational Performance 22 4.4. Suggesting Steps towards Improving HR Functions 23 Conclusion 24 References 26 Introduction The associations in the present serious business condition try to expand their capacity of overseeing and controlling the exhibition of their workforce to rival their significant adversaries and achieving predominant serious position. In this comparative setting, the thought concerning Human Resource Management (HRM) of various asso ciations assume a major job towards fortifying the ideal execution of the workforce and empowering the associations to increase by and large business or operational productivity in this composite business condition. The origination of HRM extensively guarantees to give satisfactory likely cooperative energy so as to enable the generous development of a specific association. In addition, the idea of HRM can likewise be considered as one of the major impacting variables of an association which encourages to appreciate sufficient ability of expanding the presentation of the workforce and achieving the ideal targets of the associations (SAGE Publications, n.d.). With regards to Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), the idea for example HRM can be viewed as an all encompassing methodology which guarantees to adjust human asset (HR) related elements of an association with its vital goals. The essential target of SHRM suggests the act of recognizing the key territories of HRM and cre ating successful technique to meet a definitive authoritative objectives and destinations (Salaman and et. al., 2005). With this worry, the essential goal of this report is to comprehend the commitment of SHRM in Millennium Hotels towards the achievement of its ideal business targets. Furthermore, the conversation would additionally recognize and investigate the main considerations that supports the need of a satisfactory HRM plan for Millennium Hotels. Moreover, the reason for HRM approaches and their potential effects will likewise be examined as per the HRM strategies of Millennium Hotels. Finally, the report will be finished up through dissecting the effect of hierarchical structure and culture in the HRM rehearses and looking at the productivity of HRM in Millennium Hotels. Errand 1 1.1. Noteworthiness of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Functions The act of SHRM can be seen as the methodology of protecting powerful interrelation between the hierarchical key choices a nd by and large HRM methodologies. It means to construct a foremost methodology for an association on accomplishing a more noteworthy level of overseeing ability to productively achieve its foreordained business objectives (Gratton and Truss, 2003). With regards to Millennium Hotels, the methodology for example SHRM can be seen as one of the significant traits behind the constant accomplishment of the association in the worldwide friendliness industry. Corresponding to the wildly developing intensity in the advanced business

The Historical Importance and Latest Findings of the Great Wall of China

JDBC essays

JDBC expositions The term customer/server appeared during the mid 1980s while organizing PCs got famous. The essential idea driving the model is that there is one machine that demand a help and one machine that offers an assistance. The machine making the solicitation is known as the customer and the one offering the support is the server. Prior to the customer/server model was presented there were two principle conveyed framework models being normally utilized however both were indicating their age in the cutting edge figuring The first of these was the centralized computer design. This had a ground-breaking focal host PC that completed all the preparing. To utilize the framework the client associated with the centralized computer through a fake terminal. Anyway as the business moved towards the utilization of Graphical User Interfaces this model began to flounder as joining them was extremely troublesome. The subsequent sort is the document sharing engineering. In this model the server sends the mentioned document to the terminal where it tends to be utilized. This implies it utilizes the terminals assets taking a great deal of strain off the server. Anyway it has issues if the measure of information being moved is high and it can likewise prompt issues with information consistency since two individuals can call the record simultaneously both make distinctive alters and afterward both spare. The individual who spares the document first will lose all there changes once the subsequent individual recoveries. The quantity of concurrent clients was likewise restricting. Just 12 individuals could associate at once before execution turned into a huge issue The customer/server model varies from these models since it utilizes a database server rather than a record server. The old centralized computers are frequently utilized as the server in this framework. This permits a client to inquiry the documents without downloading the entire scrapes along these lines chops down the measure of traffic that goes over the system. The Database Management framework likewise guarantees that referential respectability is... <!

Women In Politics Essays - Gender Studies, Womens Rights

Ladies In Politics Ladies in Politics Starting with the mid nineteen hundreds, ladies from everywhere throughout the nation have limited together, shaping alliances and clubs for equivalent rights. Nonetheless, it wasn't until today at the beginning of the twenty-first century, states and global network can no longer disprove the way that mankind is comprised of two genders, not only one (Oliveria 26). Why has the womans move for equity a few seconds ago begun to adjust itself? All things considered, the appropriate response is very basic; ladies are quite recently being taken a gander at as semi-rises to. They are starting to become corporate administrators in organizations, and mainstream in the field of medication and law. Ladies have made a decent attempt to propel themselves forward in the public arena to make a reasonable and amicable economy thus far it has been fruitful. Obstructions of the sum total of what sorts have been broken, well, all aside from a couple, primarily in governmental issues and with the data I have gathered I will show why. Politicswhen one stops and thinks about the word legislative issues what normally rings a bell? Our establishing fathers, Presidents George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson; the famous political figures of today, President Bill Clinton, George W. Shrub and Al Gore; or do we consider Belva Ann Lockwood, Jeannette Rankin, Frances Perkins, and Eugenie Moore - who? At the point when American's consider governmental issues, Lyn Kathlene, writer for the Higher Education Chronicles, expresses that ninety-five percent of the time they imagine a man who is accountable for running, or assisting with running, their nation. Is society to fault for this confusion that ladies don't hold significant jobs in government and take part in settling on significant choices for our nation? Not so much, individuals just dont hear or read about ladies in legislative issues as regularly as they do about men. As a great many people learn all through rudimentary and middle school or center school, our country originally framed government in 1776 when Thomas Jefferson previously drafted our constitution. During this time ladies didn't have a job in government, nor would they for the following one hundred and eight years, until a lady would attempt to pursue position. In 1884, Belva Ann Lockwood the primary lady to attempt a case before the United States Supreme Court ran for Presidency (Arenofsky 14). All things considered, to nothing unexpected she lost, however her pivotal battle made it conceivable and simpler for Jeannette Rankin, thirty after three years, to run and become chosen for Congress for the territory of Montana. In any case, even with this earth shattering experience, ladies were as yet looked downward on for their absence of experience. It wasnt until 1920 when ladies' testimonial finished and the nineteenth amendment to the constitution, allowing ladies the option to cast a ballot, that ladies were officially brought into governmental issues. Nonetheless, even with casting a ballot benefits, ladies were still taken a gander at as powerless weak animals. The absence of certainty and the powerlessness to be viewed as solid disapproved of females who were not reluctant to voice their sentiment hurt the female sexual orientation gigantically. It wasnt until Eleanor Roosevelt, spouse of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, befuddled the nation talking about social issues and filling in as the quintessential good example for the politically dynamic female that ladies started to observe how to introduce themselves with certainty (Arenofsky 14). At long last, with ladies' certainty on the ascent and their new understanding and perspectives toward government, ladies were beginning to accomplish a higher status in the political field. The huge break for ladies originated from the choice by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1933 delegated Frances Perkins to the bureau as Secretary of work (Hogan 4). With this huge break, ladies were at long last pushing ahead in government and there was no thinking back. All in all, after the entirety of this difficult work and commitment by early women's activists to accomplish a voice in governmental issues, was it worth the battles and did it pay off? Rosiska Darcy de Oliveria, writer for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Courier, accepts so. She expresses, ladies' ascent to control and their cooperation in governmental issues are the fundamental indications of a solid majority rules system, which would bode well since the United States is a free nation where everybody is assume to be equivalent to their neighbor (26). Notwithstanding, others accept that political

The Myth of Atalanta Free Essays

â€Å"The Myth of Atalanta† What is the cost of adoration and bliss? Atalanta is a lovely lady who was breast fed by a she-bear during her soonest years. At that point she was raised by a few trackers, including Artemis, the goddess of the chase. Therefore, Atalanta experienced childhood in the wild to be a gifted tracker. We will compose a custom article test on The Myth of Atalanta or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now Atalanta was bound to be distant from everyone else and chaste, until Milanion a youngster that abhorred ladies went gaga for her. He started the pursuit despite the fact that others had lost their lives doing as such. Atalanta was a talented tracker and sprinter, so she tested the best and most intrepid of the town’s men to go up against her. It was said that she could outrace any man. She even needed to join the gathering that scanned for the Golden Fleece yet was precluded the open door on the grounds that from claiming her magnificence. Wonderful ladies were viewed as an interruption to men. This is to state that where people are as one there is additionally extraordinary pressure developing and the work that should be done may not be cultivated. This isn't really a result of anything the lady has done. It is basically a result of her quality and the consideration that each man figures he should give to her so as to shield her from different men. Atalanta was fit for dealing with herself since she was a gifted grappler. On one event she battled and vanquished the town’s legend and no man needs to be known as the one that was pounded by a lady. Subsequent to being denied the chance to chase for the Golden Fleece, she partook in another chase - the chase for the Calydonian Boar. It is here she met and went gaga for the Prince of Calydonia. Furthermore, it was during this chasing season the delightful Atalanta got pregnant. In any case, before she could have the child the Prince passed on. There is no proof to help this hypothesis however it appear that the Princes was thoughtless and occupied by the lady that he adored. It might have cost him his life and in view of this she covertly brought forth a child kid and left the infant on the mountain. The loss of her sweetheart made her carry on with an existence of abstinence yet men despite everything discovered her extremely appealing. They were eager to give their lives to make her their better half. Admirers needed to fight for her adoration and the assignment was difficult. The expense of disappointment was one’s life and numerous a man had lost his life for her. In any case, that didn't prevent others from attempting. Is love extremely worth kicking the bucket for? We can seek Jesus for the appropriate response. For, Jesus left his home - a spot where, agreeing the good book, each living being bows down in His essence and cries â€Å"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,† - so as to come into this transgression filled world (King James Bible, Revelations 4:8) . He came to kick the bucket for you and me since He cherishes us with an everlasting adoration. Milanion saw her magnificence and was beguiled by it during their continuous visits and chases together. He started to see her and turned out to be increasingly more pulled in by her excellence. He attracted himself closer to all her odds he got and even to the point of conveying her chasing nets. Milanion once set himself in the method of an undesirable admirer. That admirer lost control and attempted to hurt Atalanta. Milanion was seriously harmed so Atalanta executed the lowlife at that point breast fed Milanion back to wellbeing. In the interim, Atalanta started experiencing passionate feelings for Milanion. Love, in any case, would not come modest for them since Milanion needed to confront a similar test as the various admirers just with the goal that all could see that her adoration must be won by her one genuine sweetheart. As it states in the good book, â€Å"In a race all run yet only one wins† (Bible, Romans 9:24). Milanion petitioned God for help and it was given to him. He went to the race arranged and during the race he adhered to the directions given to him by XXXX. Atalanta, be that as it may, was much the same as Eve. She overlooked the admonitions given to her and surrendered to the desire of the tissue. Additionally like Eve, she picked the products of the soil not express appreciation, as was reviled to be a creature for an amazing remainder. Determination: Atalanta a delightful lady breast fed by a she bear and raised by trackers was a gifted tracker, grappler, and sprinter. She went gaga for the Calydonian sovereign however lost him while they were both still exceptionally youthful. Having been cautioned of what marriage would mean for her, she chose to carry on with an existence of chastity. Sadly, her excellence pulled in numerous men and she battled them off by moving them to a foot race that would cost them their lives in the event that they lost. At long last she energetically lost the race to a man that she herself was infatuated with and was in the end transformed into a creature alongside her sweetheart. Work Cited Rom 9:24 KJV Bible Rev 4:8 KJV Bible â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- How would you reference a site page that rundowns no creator? â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- How would you reference a page that rundowns no creator? When there is no creator for a page, the title moves to the main situation of the reference passage: Example: New kid immunization gets financing support. (2001). Recovered March 21, 2001, from http://news. ninemsn. com. au/wellbeing/story_13178. asp Cite in content the initial not many expressions of the reference list passage (for the most part the title) and the year. Utilize twofold quotes around the title or curtailed title. : (â€Å"New Child Vaccine,† 2001). Note: Use the full title of the page on the off chance that it is short for the incidental reference. Articles found on the web, similar to the model above, are not stressed in the reference section and are not emphasized yet encased in citations in the in-content reference, much the same as a paper or magazine article. Reports found on the web would be emphasized in the reference list, as in Publication Manual (sixth ed. ) Examples 31, 32, and 33 on pp. 205â€206. They would likewise be stressed in the in-content reference, much the same as a book. (adjusted from the 6th version of the APA Publication Manual,  © 2010) Step by step instructions to refer to The Myth of Atalanta, Papers

Its Simple: Online Band 9 PDF Essay Samples Exist For Almost Every Test

It's Simple: Online Band 9 PDF Essay Samples Exist For Almost Every TestThere are a number of different online IELTS practice essays and essay samples, and the good news is that almost all of them are identical. There is no other way to say it: the majority of the work on an IELTS test is identical. There is only a small percentage of differences between various types of essay.For instance, the study guides for the IELTS study test are almost all the same: they contain about 80 minutes of research material, and they contain questions. This is almost identical to a course on how to prepare for the IELTS test. The only real difference in the materials is the formatting, which means that you can use the same format as the essay samples for your own test.The majority of the IELTS essay samples - Band 9 of, for example - are completely identical. You will find that there are a few differences, but they are so minute, you won't be able to notice them. In fact, if you read through the sampl e essays you have for reference, you might not even recognize them as the same thing. The formatting has been changed slightly, but that doesn't mean that you need to worry.The only problem you will probably run into is when you look at the covers of the Band 9 of essays. For example, when you look at the Cover, there are the same number of bubbles in the same style, but they are all slightly different. If you compare the covers, you will see that they all have the same basic layout, which means that the formatting is different, but it also means that they look almost identical.The next problem you might run into is when you look at the Read Me files for the Band 9 of essay samples. The majority of these will be identical to each other, with the only difference being the length of the essay itself. While some of them are slightly longer than others, it doesn't look like there is any real way to tell what the length of the essay was before it was formatted for Band 9 pdf.The three ex ample tests that the Band samples contain are the same exact question and answer material that you will encounter on the actual test. Even though the format will be different, the essays themselves will still look the same from one section to the next. The only real difference is that you might have a slightly different layout for your essay.Most people who take the test have absolutely no trouble understanding the Band 9 of essay samples, or even the Band online test. The only time you might get a little confused is when you look at the formatting and you can't really tell whether the paper is the same as the other Band online test papers. You can be sure that the majority of people who have taken the online tests have enjoyed the same experience - that is, they understand the concepts and then move on to the next section.You should find that the online test is the easiest and most convenient way to study for the exam, because it is the only easy way. The reason that it is easy is because you don't have to worry about commuting, or being late for a class, or dealing with traffic. The only reason why you might find the Band essay samples to be a little more difficult is if you are actually trying to prepare for the test, and forget that you have a test in front of you.

Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls - Literature Essay Samples

Throughout Ernest Hemingways For Whom the Bell Tolls, Robert Jordan struggles to assign some value to human life specifically, to his own life. This struggle reveals a weakness in Jordans cold, calculated nature, a weakness that Hemingway poignantly depicts through Jordans conflicted attitudes towards his father and grandfather. While Jordan clearly admires and aspires to be like his grandfather, a brave soldier in the Civil War and the Indian wars, he endeavors to rid himself of the image of his fathers cowardly suicide, for which he shows great disdain. This conflict is intensified by Jordans almost imminent death. The conclusion, at which point his conflict is resolved as he realizes the value of all life, provides insight into the changes that he endures to reach this stage. Through Jordans noble death, a clear repudiation of his fathers suicide, Hemingway is making a statement on the immense difference between willingness to die and desire to die. Jordans conflicted feeli ngs towards his father and grandfather expose a discontinuity in his usually steadfast emotions, and eventually aid him in resolving his inner struggle concerning death and the value of life.Often throughout the novel, Hemingway returns to the motif of the significance of human life, which he mainly depicts through Robert Jordans self-conflicts. Amidst all the killing of the war, Jordan searches for meaning in the dead mens lives. At times, his uncompassionate nature is strongest in this conflict, as in the passage in which Jordan relates the difference between him and Kashkin to Agustà ­n: I am alive and he is dead, Robert Jordan said. Then: Is that all it means to you, now? It never meant much, he told himself truly. You tried to make it mean something, but it never did (289). However, it is clear that Jordan has been emotionally affected by the killing he has done: How many is it that you have killed? He asked himself. I dont know. Do you think you have a right to kill a nyone? No. But I have to (303). His commiseration with the men he has killed is a sign of the break in his usually strict control over his emotions, a break that results in internal conflict: Listen, he told himself. You better cut this out. This is very bad for you and for your work. Then himself said back to him, You listen, see? Because you are doing something very serious and I have to see you understand it all the time (304). Although Jordan has not realized the value of life yet, this conflict is the first step in bringing about some change in his nature that will make him do just this.Robert Jordans feelings towards his father contrast sharply with those towards his grandfather, another conflict that causes him to lose strict control of his emotions. For his grandfather, from whom Jordan derives great pride, he has admiration similar to the feeling one would have towards a role model. While worrying about the mission, Jordan wishes he could talk to [grandfather] now and get his advice, illustrating his desire to be more like this man who he believes, as a model soldier, would know the significance of life and death (338). Jordan realizes, however, that both he and his grandfather would be acutely embarrassed by the presence of his father (338). His scorn for his father borders on the edge of derision and arrogance, as he thinks, maybe the good juice only came through straight after passing through that one (338). Jordan hardly even acknowledges their real relationship. Instead, he makes his father inferior to himself he had felt suddenly so much older than his father and sorry for him that he could hardly bear it (406). Clearly, Jordan has trouble keeping his emotions under check when thinking about his father.When Jordan is injured and his death all but certain, he is forced to decide what importance his life still has, forced to choose the path of his father or his grandfather. In this last passage, Jordans inner conflict reaches its cl imax, and his true grit is being tested. Blinded by the intense pain from his broken leg, he nearly capitulates and decides to do that business my father did (469). Arguing with himself as to whether or not to commit suicide, Jordan finally comes to the realization that, although his life may not have any value to himself, it is very valuable to others, especially if he is able to slow the cavalry in pursuit of his guerrilla group. I think it would be all right to do it now? Dont you? No, it isnt. Because there is something you can do yet. If you wait and hold them up even a little while or just get the officer that may make all the difference (470). Jordan has figured out what his father never knew: that everybodys life is worth something, that every man is a piece of the continent, and that the bell tolls for all. With Jordan enlightened with this newfound knowledge, Hemingway concludes the novel with a very sensual passage, emphasizing the pureness and simplicity of li fe by focusing on the heart, the simplest sign of animal life: he could feel his heart beating against the pine needle floor of the forest (471). On this note, glorifying every individuals life and utterly rejecting his fathers suicide, the passage and the whole novel are concluded.Hemingway uses Robert Jordans conflict concerning his father and grandfather to make him realize the importance of life on a larger scale than suicide and the killing involved in a war. Through his reverence of his grandfathers bravery and disgust at his fathers cowardice, Jordan discovers how his life and the lives of others are inter-related. His struggle to assign value to his life, aided by emotions brought out in him by the killing he has done, comes to an end with Jordan changed man, full of new resolution. Jordans decision not to kill himself is a hopeful message from Hemingway one that exhorts emotion and the sacredness of life, a rejection of Jordans fathers suicide.

Analysis Of Mandevilles Travels And Bisclavret - 1423 Words

Monsters have always fascinated readers because of their mysterious origins and motives. These strange and unknown characteristics lead us to ask questions and really think about how humans justify their actions and consider what is and isn’t moral. Monsters also help us come to a conclusion about who we are as people in a functioning society. In the works of Mandeville’s Travels and Bisclavret, the authors help us discover who we are to unify us as a community, give us a sense of security, and identifying monstrous qualities amongst people and creatures. In Mandeville’s Travels, John Mandeville tells us his stories of the discovery of the many monsters he finds across the world. Through his stories we discover who we are as people through his monsters. His monsters tell us what we are not, and by doing this he tells us who we are, educated, civilized, kind, and caring people. In Mandeville’s first encounter with a monster, the Melk are described as incred ibly cruel people who take pleasure in murder and making other people suffer, â€Å"There are wicked and cruel folk there too. For they have no delight or pleasure in anything except slaughtering people to drink their blood. And the man who can kill the greatest number of men is the most respected and worthiest among them.†(Mandeville, 134). Through this explanation we understand how bizarre of a ritual this is because no one in their right mind would take such pleasure in taking someone’s life. Not only does this describe

Sustainable Prosperity Essay - 1090 Words

â€Å"...the core values that underpin sustainable development - interdependence, empathy, equity, personal responsibility and intergenerational justice - are the only foundation upon which any viable vision of a better world can possibly be constructed.† Jonathon Porritt Globalization and sustainability are forces that are in constant competition. In this global game there emerges a clear victor and an inevitable loss. As a political, social, and economic force, globalization has expanded to encompass our global society; it creates change. As the light falls on those affected by globalization, the practitioner and the subject are brought forth and examined. Where there is progress and prosperity for all, we bring to question the extent to†¦show more content†¦As a country progresses, its demand for natural resources—such as oil and lumber—grows; it is forced to look for internal sources and, failing that, can face a shortfall of progress. To prosper, th e economy must turn to the global economy. It is then the role of global economies to provide the resources necessary for sustaining the country and, by doing so, sustaining its prosperity. As a nation’s economy is strengthened, the consumer develops a higher purchasing power and potential; education is instituted and social services are carried out. Communication between nation increases in the interest of trade and the exchange of information because of strengthening economic ties. Lacking globalization, an economy would be forced to limits its use of resources, restricting progress. As did the natives of Brazil live off of a burn cycle, so an isolated economy would have to relocate in order to replenish or face collapse. In an interconnected world today economies cannot relocate and prosper—that period of isolation has long since ended. The global economy now seeks to encompass all people in prosperity. Socially, the people of global economies are benefiting from th e rapid spread of technology and information. As researchers search for the cures to various diseases, the most competent individuals are able to draw information from the entire world in order to stimulate their thought. This exchange of information is a definite benefit;Show MoreRelatedGlobalization : Globalization And Sustainable Prosperity1032 Words   |  5 Pagesand sustainable prosperity â€Å"To what extent does globalization contribute to sustainable prosperity for all people?† Globalization’s impact on sustainable prosperity is examined in the source. It does this by asking a question. Also examined is the impact on all people and this would include both developing nations as well as developed nations. The source is also somewhat leading the reader to question the extent of the impact, which implies that there is a positive impact on sustainable prosperityRead MoreDoes Globalization Contibute To Sustainable Prosperity For All People?960 Words   |  4 Pagesachieve sustainable prosperity for all. But if the world continues the way it is going now, destroying the earth and each other, the disadvantages can quickly take over and ruin everybody. We cannot live with only benefits like the world has provided for itself. Add in the fact that the way the world tries to get sustainable prosperity hasnt been successful, we need to settle for the current life filled with both benefits and disadvantages. Globalization has contributed to prosperity is its uncannyRead MoreThe American Government Supports The Energy Industry Through Large Investments For Research And Development1286 Words   |  6 Pagesexpansion of the energy industry through funding. The U.S is able to ‘provide a foundation of our future prosperity’, feed the workforce and achieve goals by investing in clean energy and manufacturing. The global clean energy market is worth approximately $240 billion a year and is growing. With this in mind, the U.S government looks to support a number of sectors that are critical to American prosperity. Their competitiveness in clean energy is enhanced by investments in research and development. As wellRead MoreTrade Liberalisation Always Provides Benefits Essay1668 Words   |  7 PagesThere seems to be no compelling reason to argue that the existing trade treaties have no objectives to realise world’s prosperity. For instance, The WTO expressly shows in its pr eamble ‘a view to raising standards of living, ensuring full employment’. Additionally, NAFTA has a clear-cut objective to create ‘new employment opportunities and improve working conditions and living standards in their respective territories’. However, inequality and poverty still take place in nearly half of the worldRead MoreHow is sustainable development linked to ecological footprint?1552 Words   |  7 Pages How is sustainable development linked to ecological footprint? According to the Brundtland Report, sustainable development is defined as â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† In this definition, two challenges are worth nothing: meeting the needs of world’s poor, as well as the environmental limitations brought about by technological advancements and social organizations. According to Ruzevicius (2010)Read MoreTaking a Look at Ecotourism926 Words   |  4 Pagesthe most influential ecotourism documents, the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism (2002), produced after the World Ecotourism Summit during the International Year of Ecotourism, and recognized that not only does ecotourism embrace the principles of sustainable tourism but it also embodies the following specific principles: i. contributes actively to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage; ii. includes local and indigenous communities in its planning, development and operation, and contributesRead MoreMost Industries Today Have Already Realized The Necessity1724 Words   |  7 Pagesgroups in the society. In India, there is a growing realization that business cannot succeed in isolation and social progress is necessary for sustainable growth. Today, India has made remarkable economic and industrial progress across several sectors, with an average GDP growth rate of around 7 percent. At present, we live in an age of exceptional prosperity, but also appalling inequality around the world. As per India Human Development Survey (IHDS), India is the second-most unequal country globallyRead MoreSustainable Growth and Economic Development1094 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween economic growth and sustainable development is not always necessary. Economic growth does not always contribute to environmental degradation. In the early stages of growth, quality of environment generally deteriorates but at higher levels of per capita income, it improves. The link between income and pollution arises because the composition of output changes with growth in favor of newer, cleaner technologies. Thus, sustained economic growth is the key to sustainable development. PollutionRead MoreThe Most Commonly Used Definition Of Sustainable Development1446 Words   |  6 Pagescommonly used definition of sustainable development is still that given in the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), i.e. sustainable development is ‘a process to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainable development is therefore about creating a better life for all people in ways that will be as viable in the future as they are at present. In other words, sustainable development is based onRead MoreResearch And Development Of Primary Energy988 Words   |  4 Pagesintensity has dropped by a total of 1.25% from 1990 till 2013 and has decreased in each region of the world but the Middle East where it has increased by it has been increasing by about 1.1% annually. (Copenhagen Centre Energy Efficiency - SE4ALL: Sustainable Energy for All, 2015: Renewables 201 5: Global Status Report). (7.a) The number of international cooperation and policies established can be counted especially with the help of the IEA site that can display all the ones in force nowadays. No indicator

The Yellow Wallpaper, By Susan Glaspell, And A P Essay

Gender inequality is a very interesting topic in the world today or even in the past. All through the 17th to the 18th century, women expectations were entirely different from the expectations in the current 21st century. Females were expected to work typically in their homes only; those who did the opposite were looked down by the society. The sole purpose of women was to be a maker of the home and bear kids while the man was expected to work outside the house. This type of mentality is evidenced in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, â€Å"Trifles† by Susan Glaspell, and â€Å"AP† by John Updike; they all illuminates on the submissiveness, the obedience of women to a man s authority that was considered unexceptional at the onset of the twentieth century because the themes of the inscrutability of women, domesticity, patriarchal dominance and female identity are present in all these works. Among the three works under scrutiny in the paper herein, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is arguably the one that best illustrates the theme of gender inequality. In â€Å"The Yellow wallpaper†, the author uses the imaginative story to portray how a woman is considered lesser than a man in the marriage institution by placing her in fragile and weak positions in the society. We could see she was dependent on her husband completely. In the summer, she moved into the house that she does not like she said, a haunted house, and something queer about it. But she still moved into the house thatShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper2088 Words   |  9 PagesCritical Analysis of Formal Elements in the Short Story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, published in 1899, is a semi-autobiographical short story depicting a young woman’s struggle with depression that is virtually untreated and her subsequent descent into madness. Although the story is centered on the protagonist’s obsessive description of the yellow wallpaper and her neurosis, the story serves a higher purpose as a testament

Management Theories in General Electric

Question: Discuss about the Management Theories in General Electric. Answer: Introduction: Strategic management is the formulation of organizational goals and objectives based on the internal and external resources and competitive environment in order to achieve better performance (Hill, Jones, Schiling, 2014). General Electric Company is a diversified global digital industrial, infrastructure and services company. It has eleven main operating units: GE Aviation, GE Capital, GE Digital, GE Energy Connections, GE Healthcare, GE Lighting, GE Oil Gas, GE Power, GE Renewable Energy, GE transportation and GE Current. It is one of the Fortune 500 companies and operates worldwide. They help in building the cities that move smoothly and cure the world by providing integrated health care (GE Businesses, 2016). They aim to connect the world by providing safer and faster machineries. They bring electricity for the countries they operate in and are optimistic and engaged in renewable energy sector. They serve the needs of all its stakeholders(GE Businesses, 2016). Industry attractiveness is the potential of market growth and the high magnitude of profit in an industrial sector without much effort. The attractiveness of an industry is analyzed based on the future prospect of the industry rather than existing condition(Adam, Syahputra, Gunawan, 2015). The most common factors are industry structure, size of industry, variability of demand, price levels, industry profitability, macro environmental factors (PESTEL), labor market conditions, global opportunities, industry rivalry, intensity of competition, existing opportunities and threats, seasonality and the risk level (Adam, Syahputra, Gunawan, 2015). The potential of market growth for General Electric Company, the diversified industrial giant, is huge. It has adopted digital technology to stay ahead of competitors. The company calls itself a digital industrial company and expects the revenue of the business from this sector to double in coming few years(GE Businesses, 2016). The strength of the company is that it has global recognition for meeting customer needs, offering quality products and attracting big corporations government agencies. It has diversifies activities ranging from technology, aviation, insurance and other financial services, home appliances, energy and power industry. It has invested in cleaner technologies and embraced green economy as an initiative towards social and environmental responsibility. The intense focus on research and development ensures a competitive edge for the company. It has been quite successful in addressing the favorable and unfavorable factors of both the internal environment and the exte rnal environment (Brand Building, 2016). The size of the company is huge and it is growing continuously and rapidly. It offers a number of products, which are in constant demand, and seasonality does not affect them. However, the company faces threats from its competitors and has other environmental risk, but the planned strategy to tackle these risks keeps the functioning of the company smooth. The brand name and the concern for employees make the General Electrical an employer of choice and thus beating the labor market competition(GE Advantage, 2016). The resource-based view of strategic management is concerned with internal resources, which are rare, and valuable, capabilities and core competencies of the organization that contribute in sustained competitive advantage (Barney, 2012). Resources are the main determinants of the performance of the company and help the companies to achieve the strategic organizational goals (Olavarrieta, 2015). All the tangible and intangible assets, attributes, knowledge and information that the firm holds to implement its strategies successfully form part of the organizational resources. GE has Global Learning program that contributes in development of decisive thinking and business knowledge. It has decentralized organizational structure, which assists in cross- departmental activities(Brand Building, 2016). The huge investment in infrastructure sets it apart from the competitors in terms of lower cost and improved quality. Various leadership programs are designed to train the fresh graduates and others. These are in accordance with the growing demand for the skills and competencies. The company has financial capacity to invest in huge projects. These capabilities of General Electric Company are the source of core competencies of the company. It has a motivational and innovative culture, which is called imagination at work (GE Businesses, 2016). This differentiates GE from its competitors. The GE Global Learning program contributes in development of decisive thinking and business knowledge. It is a cost leader in most of the areas of operation as well product differ entiator creating unique products to meet the needs of the clients. It achieves cost leadership through various modern technologies. The companys innovative culture drives the production of unique client specific and customized products. It offers financial advice and financial assistance to support the hassle free functioning of corporations(GE Businesses, 2016). Competitive advantage is the property and a favorable circumstance that puts a company is a superior position as compared to its competitors. It is the strength of a company against its rivals(Sahay, 2013). The competitive strength is measured by the market share of the company, growth rate against the rivals, the brand name and reputation, loyalty of the customers, profitability against the competitors, value chain, cost leadership, product differentiation, and technological innovation (Sahay, 2013). General Electronics has implemented a new leadership style to attain competitive advantage. The structure of the company is in line with the companys strategies. The company has developed an orientation to focus on innovation in technology, business excellence, customer satisfaction, leadership and market segmentation (GE Businesses, 2016). It has domain expertise in most of the areas of operation that puts it in a superior position. It has a balanced business model and revenue stream, which gives it a competitive edge (GE Advantage, 2016). It has alliance with many government agencies and big corporate houses that help build the reputation of the company. The company is financially strong and has strong workforce. The companys reputation, brand name, profit level and market share are the key factors for the competitive advantage of the company(Brand Building, 2016). To improve strategic management, General Electric Company the company must reduce reliance on the GE capital and explore other financial solutions(GE Businesses, 2016). The company must invest in less explored renewable energy sector. There is vast scope in this industry as it makes up a negligible share of total energy sector. It must pursue energy markets and control internal competition. It should also increase its investment in technology, healthcare and carbon trading. It must develop a distinct value proposition and forego some of its services in which it is incompetent(GE Advantage, 2016). Bibliography Adam, M., Syahputra, H., Gunawan, B. (2015). Industry Attractiveness and Knowledge Management . Barney, J. (2012). Purchasing, supply chain management and sustained compoetitive advantage: The relevance of resourse-based theory. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 48(2), 3-6. Brand Building. (2016). Retrieved from GE Brand: https://www.gebrand.com/ GE Advantage. (2016). Retrieved from GE Advantage: https://www.ge.com/b2b/advantage GE Businesses. (2016). Retrieved from GE/ The Digital Industrial Company/ Imagination at Work: www.ge.com Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., Schiling, M. A. (2014). Strategic management theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Olavarrieta, S. (2015). Market attractiveness, resource based and evolutionary approaches to strategy: a comparison. Springer International Publising. Sahay, A. (2013). A Customer Oriented Approach to Identifying Competitive Advantage. Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.

Einstein Essay On Newton Example For Students

Einstein Essay On Newton Term Papers Cant find it here?Try MegaEssays.comAlbert Einstein By: Josh Walker Biography of: Albert Einstein Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one whose name is know by almost all-living people. While most of these people do not understand this mans work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science and mathematics is astonishing. Yes, many have heard of Albert Einsteins General Theory of Relativity, but few know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, The greatest scientific achievement of human thought. Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Alberts father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Alberts mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, a nd it was her that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einsteins sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was his fathers compass, and he often marveled at his uncles explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the gage of nine even led some teachers to believe he was disabled. Einsteins post basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the schools strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge for home. H e began not with science and math, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic that ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally passed the schools evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and it was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einsteins teachers ignored these new ideas, her was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to Switzerland. Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einsteins occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science and math. In 1903 he married Mileva Meric, a mathematician friend. In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. 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Tourism in the Himalaya free essay sample

In a developing country such as India, the tourism industry can be main source of revenue and if carried out properly the tourism industry can also give an increase to the country’s economy. This paper on the case study of the Himalayas will discuss the effects of tourism in this area. The Himalayan Mountain is the longest and highest range of mountain compared to all the other mountain systems of the world (Sharma). The Himalayan Mountain range is separated into 3 sectors from east to west, The Great Himalaya, The Middle Himalaya, and the Outer Himalaya (Anonymous). The Himalayas also has a high diversity of flora and fauna and the mountains acts a barrier against the cold wind coming from Siberia. Tourist such as mountaineers trekkers and nature lovers, from around the world visit India, and especially the Himalayas because of its beautiful scenic views and its peaceful atmosphere (Anonymous). Since 1980 the number of tourist visiting the Himalayas has raised from 800,000 to 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism in the Himalaya or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 8 million (Dayal 1989 and Kottary 1994). The issues that have arisen from the great number of tourist in the Himalayas are the degradation of the environment. Over exploitation of the natural resource places the environment’s natural equilibrium in jeopardy. The great increase in tourist visiting the Himalayas led to cutting down of trees for constructions of new roads and the meadows replace for campsites (Anonymous) and as a result of improper use of the environment, it is estimated that 1. 5 million hectors of forest is disappearing every year. Disappearing forest not only affect the tribal communities but it also has a huge effect on wild life as it disrupt the animals’ food-chain, other consequences such as landslides can also occur. The assortment of plants and flowers are also depleting due to tourist, plants such as the Juniperus bush are being pluck away because it easily catch fire while still green and it serve tourist as a source of amusement (Anonymous). The most popular activities in the Himalayas is hunting and mountaineering. Hunting is permitted only to people with license and only certain animals were allowed to be hunted, due to these strict rules many tourist have become poachers. Many animals like the snowleopards, deer, goral, are in danger because they are hunted for their valuable skin and meat. Mountaineering in the Himalayas went from being an adventure with small groups has turned into a practice sport, with a massive entourage of man and animals. The mountain trails are barren of trees because the mountaineers depend on firewood for warmth. These trees and bush being chopped down can lead to the soil wearing down and landslides. Pollution on these trails is also a problem with these expeditions as people often leave behind canned goods, gas cylinders, first aid medicine all these items non biodegradable and harmful to the environment (Anonymous). Increasing number of tourist in the Himalayas have proven to be beneficial, since the tourism industry in India is second behind only to the gem and jewelry business (Anonymous), but tourism compared to gem and jewelry is the highest in net foreign exchange (Bala 1990). The money spent by tourist it has the multiplier effect, as it creates new jobs and capital accumulation. Through tourism workers earn around $290 compared to the national average of $120. In 1993 with 1. 8 million tourists to the Himalayas, gave a revenue of USD 1. 8 billion and foreign exchange grew about 14% that year alone (Kottary 1994). The impacts of tourism and the seven categories that where introduce by Glenn Kreag, only four of these factors can be related to the case of Himalaya. The most important factor that this case focuses on is the environmental factor; this case does not mention the positive impacts. It focuses more on the negative aspects that tourist have, such as the degradation of the environment and pollutions like solid waste, noise, and visual. The destruction of flora and fauna, and the uncontrolled visitation of tourist also play a role in degrading an environment. Economic impact plays a huge role on India’s economy because it increases the employment and creates new business opportunities. Tourism also contributes to the development of transportation infrastructure. The negative impact in India’s economy is the competition for land. Crowding and congestion is the next aspect on the Himalayas, with major increase in tourist India could not accommodate every with only 750 hotels and 47, 400 rooms (anonymous) which is considered to be a negative impact. The last two categories that have the lease intensity impact on the Himalayas are taxes, services. Service such as sewage system, telephone, electricity, have been available in rural areas of the country due to the tourist relate infrastructure. Increase in taxes for hotels, shopping and restaurants have some affects on the cities revenues. The source of impact such a tourist and destination factor that Kreag introduce at the end of the article has a major effect for the case of the Himalayas. Tourist factors such as number of visitors, length of stay and choice of activities, have all been linked to the destination factor of fragility of the environment used by tourist (Kreag). Greater number of tourist creates more pollution, tourist who stay longer can jeopardized the natural resources and choice of activities lead to alteration of the landscape.

U,S. 1 E essays

U,S. 1 E essays Cultural cross-fertilization is the foundation on which the United States sits and has sat for hundreds of years. It is the mixing of cultures (English, African, Scots-Irish, Native American, etc.) that inevitably occurs when different groups of people live in the same area. The United States became the breeding grounds for different cultures well before it was even created. This cultural diversity grew tenfold when the population of the colonies started to grow to become  ½ the population of England. Groups other than the English started to migrate to the colonies, and these new cultures started to mix together to form a new American culture. This cross-fertilization of cultures has become what the U.S. is known for. Former ideas were primarily Eurocentric, such as the thought that America is just an extension of Europe. However, recent ideas from historians suggest that America has brought about a new, unique culture. This is the opinion expressed in the article called Varying Viewpoints: Europeanizing America or Americanizing Europe? The author provides very good and well-explained reasons as to why this opinion is correct. Examples of this cultural cross-fertilization can be found in society, even today. By being a 2nd generation American and the first member of my family to be a mix of heritages (German and Slovak), Im a great example of the unique culture of America. When compared to my parents, I have some aspects of both of their cultures and I also have some added ones. Religion is something that was taken from one of my parents cultures. My parents decided to go with my mothers religion, Roman Catholic, over my fathers religion, Russian Orthodox, when raising my sister and I. Although the religions are close, there are some distinct differences such as the preparations for Easter and the role of Easter in th ...

Congressional Majority and Minority Leaders and Whips

Congressional Majority and Minority Leaders and Whips While the excruciating battles of partisan politics slow the work of Congress - often to a crawl, the legislative process would probably cease to function at all without the efforts of the House and Senate majority and minority party leaders and whips. Often, agents of contention, the congressional party leaders are, more importantly, agents of compromise. Intent on separating politics from government, the Founding Fathers, after what was truly a Great Compromise, established only a basic framework of the legislative branch in the Constitution. The only congressional leadership positions created in the Constitution are the Speaker of the House in Article I, Section 2, and the President of the Senate (the Vice President of the United States) in Article I, Section 3. In Article I, the Constitution empowers the House and Senate to choose their other Officers. Over the years, those officers have evolved into the party majority and minority leaders, and floor whips. Majority and minority leaders are paid a slightly higher annual salary than rank-and-file members of the House and Senate. Majority Leaders As their title implies, the majority leaders represent the party holding the majority of seats in the House and Senate, while the minority leaders represent the opposing party. In the event each Party holds 50 seats in the Senate, the party of the Vice President of the United States is considered the majority party. The members of the majority party in both the House and Senate elect their majority leader at the start of each new Congress. The first House Majority Leader, Sereno Payne (R-New York), was elected in 1899. The first Senate Majority Leader, Charles Curtis (R-Kansas) was elected in 1925. House Majority Leader The House majority leader is second only to the Speaker of the House in the hierarchy of the majority party. The majority leader, in consultation with the Speaker of the House, and party whips schedules bills for consideration by the full House and helps set the Houses daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas. In the political arena, the majority leader works to advance the legislative goals of his or her party. The majority leader often meets with colleagues of both parties to urge them to support or defeat bills. Historically, the majority leader rarely leads House debates on major bills but does occasionally serve as the national spokesman for his or her party. Senate Majority Leader The Senate majority leader works with the chairmen and ranking members of the various Senate committees to schedule consideration of bills on the floor of the Senate and works to keep other Senators of his or her party advised of the upcoming legislative schedule. Consulting with the minority leader, the majority leader helps create special rules, called unanimous consent agreements, which limit the amount of time for debate on specific bills. The majority leader also has the power to file for the supermajority cloture vote needed to end debate during a filibuster. As the political leader of his or her party in the Senate, the majority leader has great power in crafting the contents of legislation sponsored by the majority party. For example, in March 2013, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada decided a measure banning the sale and possession of assault weapons would not be included in a comprehensive gun control bill sponsored by Senate Democrats on the behalf of the Obama administration. The Senate majority leader also enjoys the right of first recognition on the Senate floor. When several senators are demanding to speak during debates on bills, the presiding officer will recognize the majority leader, allowing him or her to speak first. This allows the majority leader to offer amendments, introduce substitute bills and make motions before any other senator. Indeed, famed former Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-West Virginia), called the right of first recognition the most potent weapon in the Majority Leaders arsenal. House and Senate Minority Leaders Elected by their fellow party members at the start of each new Congress, the House and Senate minority leaders serve as the spokesmen and floor debate leaders of the minority party, also called the loyal opposition. While many of the political leadership roles of the minority and majority leaders are similar, the minority leaders represent the policies and legislative agenda of the minority party and often serve as the national spokesmen for the minority party. Majority and Minority Whips Playing a purely political role, the majority and minority whips in both the House and Senate serve as the main channels of communication between the majority leaders and other party members. The whips and their deputy whips are responsible for marshaling support for bills supported by their party and making sure that any members who are on the fence vote for the party position. Whips will constantly count votes during debates on major bills and keep the majority leaders informed of the vote count. According to the Senate Historical Office, the term whip comes from fox hunting. During the hunt, one or more hunters were assigned to keep the dogs from straying from the trail during the chase. Very descriptive of what the House and Senate whips spend their days in Congress doing. President of the Senate The Vice President of the United States also serves as the President of the Senate. When acting in this capacity, the Vice President has only one duty: to break rare tie votes on legislation before the Senate. While the President of the Senate is empowered to preside over Senate sessions, this duty is usually handled by the Senate Majority Leader. In regular practice, vice presidents only visit the Senate chambers when they think a tie vote may be coming up. President Pro Tempore of the Senate The President pro tempore presides over the Senate when the Majority Leader is absent. As a largely honorary position, the President pro tempore is often given to the Senator of the majority party who has served the longest. The phrase â€Å"pro tempore† literally means â€Å"for the time being† in Latin.

The role of the International monetary fund (IMF) in helping poor and Essay

The role of the International monetary fund (IMF) in helping poor and debt-troubled countries - Essay Example Consequently, the institution offers advice on investments in the public sector. The IMF supports United Nations policies on development. A good illustration can be derived from the fact that IMF is primarily concerned in financing services that raise public welfare such as education and health. IMF finances various aspects of the economies of debt ridden countries to achieve general Equilibrium. Stability of the economy benefits civilian populace both economically and socially. Moreover, stability in the economy enhances security and sound governance. If IMF intervention does not stabilize the economy, a crisis is imminent, which often yield to violence in poor countries. Such conditions are evident in African countries. IMF is a financial institution obliged to offer development loans to countries. However, countries must fulfill asset of condition before their application can be granted. The eligibility conditions or criteria are several. The first condition is that the IMF should have a direct link to the program that is being rolled out with its money. The condition is aimed at enhancing accountability and control of the economic direction by the IMF. Consequently, the condition acts as security for the MF funds by avoiding misallocation or squandering by government officials. Second, the project that is supposed to be financed must be stated clearly, with the requirements. This information can be found on the IMF factsheet. In addition, the government must accompany the information with the reasons that caused of the problem and the efforts that are being made to ensure that the situation is resolved in the future. The factors that led the government to request funds from the IMF must have a proposed solution in the loan application details. The IMF can approve the proposal, reject them or offer alternative policies that can achieve similar or better results (IMF). In cases where the economic policies of the

Age Discrimination in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Age Discrimination in the Workplace - Essay Example Thus, the essay critically examines discrimination in the workplace and the application of the law of age discrimination based on specific cases. Federal and state laws protect workers against age discrimination for workers who are 40 years and above. The Age Discrimination Employment Act protects workers above 40 years against unlawful treatment by the employers or fellow employees. The employer must have at least 20 employees. The employees are protected in all the stages, including retrenchment, recruitment, workplace conditions and terms, dismissal and return to work after illness (Thew, Eastman & Bourke, 2005). Consequently, the Age Discrimination Employment Act (AFDEA) is one of the acts that protect people against discrimination on the basis of age. The act prohibits the denial of benefits to the older employees. The benefits given to the young employees should also be given to the aged. Additionally, the act prohibits mandatory retirement (Gregory, 2001). In 1993, to ensure that they were no mandatory retirement, employees such as college professors phased the elimination of mandatory retirement. That means that they would leave their workplace at an age of their choice. While, at the workplace they are entitled to all the rights. Furthermore, a mandatory retirement policy was permitted to people who are 65 years and above. After retirement, they are entitled to a pension on a monthly basis. There is also a prohibition of age preference and limitations. When advertising for a job, companies should ensure that it is open to all ages not discriminating the aged by mentioning the exact age(Gregory, 2001). Companies should also not reduce the benefits of people in the workplace based on age. If the benefits are reduced, the younger employees should also experience the same. The Age Discrimination Employment Act also prohibits discrimination in promotions, wages, layoffs, and termination of employment. Age

Events that Lead to the Civil War Essay example -- history

Events that Lead to the Civil War The civil war is known for its issues of slavery and the conflict between the north and the south. The split in the union can be traced as far back as the 1810’s, just as the industrial revolution was beginning. With the industrial revolution’s effects on the north and the south caused the economy to split. The north became more industrialized; the south started relaying more on agriculture. In the north, machines, interchangeable parts, and mass production took over, and started the building of factories. These first factories were used for making textiles and later evolved to manufacturing a wide variety of goods. This sparked opportunity for jobs, and with immigrants flooding in form Europe it was no problem filling the positions. With the factory system, it was efficient and inexpensive for the north to employ a large work force. The factories caused slavery in the north to die. In the south cotton was becoming king; it was the biggest money marker the south had. Cotton is a very laborious crop, hence the ownerships of a lot of slaves. Unlike the immigrants in the north, slaves were property. Slaves were also much less of a prophet, because when a slave got sick an owner couldn’t just replace him, they needed to take care of their property. In the north if a worker got sick, there were plenty more immigrants waiting for a job. In 1818 the power balance in congress was equal; ten free states-ten slave states. Then, Illinois became the 11th free state and Alabama followed as the next slave state. There were two more states that wanted to enter the union, Missouri and Maine. This brought about the Missouri compromise of 1820. In 1819, Missouri wanted to join the Union, but in the North, as a slave state. This would make the balance of power in congress unequal. Many Northerners were opposed to the idea, so northern congressmen refused to pass the bill. Northerners proposed that Missouri be a slave state and that no more slaves were to be brought in and all slave children would be free at the age 25, so Missouri would eventually become a Free State. Southerners were opposed to the idea. Congress debated for many months, and then Henry Clay proposed that Maine enter the Union as a Free State. He also proposed prohibiting slavery above the 36030’ latitude, the southern boundary of Missouri. The South agreed, sin... ...e planned on giving weapons to slaves so they could rebel against their owners. The south saw this as a threat, that a man was helping blacks kill them and their families. Brown was captured and hung. The election of November 1860 was the final straw for the south, after Lincoln was elected South Carolina seceded from the union. Abraham Lincoln was a republican, his main goal as president was to preserve the union, not abolish slavery. The seven deep southern states were the next to secede, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These eight states then formed the confederate states of America, electing Jefferson Davis as their president and Alexander Stephens as their vice president. The start of the War April 12, 1861, less than a month after President Lincoln was inaugurated, Lincoln already had trouble with the confederate states of America. All union troops loyal to the north had been expelled form the southern posts and sent back to the north, but one fort was still occupied by union troops, Fort Sumter. Lincoln told Davis that he was going to re-supply the fort. When the ships came with supplies the south fired on the fort starting the war.

Effects of Behavioral Interventions on Disruptive Behavior and Affect in Demented Nursing Home Residents Essay

Behavioral interventions might ameliorate them and have a positive effect on residents’ mood (affect). Objectives: This study tested two interventions—an activities of daily living and a psychosocial activity intervention—and a combination of the two to determine their efficacy in reducing disruptive behaviors and improving affect in nursing home residents with dementia. Methods: The study had three treatment groups (activities of daily living, psychosocial activity, and a combination) and two control groups (placebo and no intervention). Nursing assistants hired specifically for this study enacted the interventions under the direction of a master’s prepared gerontological clinical nurse specialist. Nursing assistants employed at the nursing homes recorded the occurrence of disruptive behaviors. Raters analyzed videotapes filmed during the study to determine the interventions’ influence on affect. Results: Findings indicated significantly more positive affect but not reduced disruptive behaviors in treatment groups compared to control groups. Conclusions: The treatments did not specifically address the factors that may have been triggering disruptive behaviors. Interventions much more precisely designed than those employed in this study require development to quell disruptive behaviors. Nontargeted interventions might increase positive affect. Treatments that produce even a brief improvement in affect indicate improved quality of mental health as mandated by federal law. Key Words: affect †¢ Alzheimer’s disease †¢ behavior therapy †¢ dementia †¢ nursing homes Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 proximately 1. 3 million older Americans live in nursing homes today (Magaziner et al. , 2000). By 2030, with the aging of the population, the estimated demand for long-term care is expected to more than double (Feder, Komisar, & Niefeld, 2000). Thus, nursing home expenditures could grow from $69 billion in 2000 to $330 billion in 2030 (Shactman & Altman, 2000). About half of new nursing home r esidents have dementia (Magaziner et al. , 2000). The disease has an impact on four major categories of functioning in persons with dementia. These are disruptive behavior (DB), affect, functional status, and cognition (Cohen-Mansfield, 2000). This article will focus on the first two categories. Disruptive behavior has received much more attention than affect has (Lawton, 1997), perhaps for three reasons. First, more than half (53. 7%) of nursing home residents display DB with aggression (34. 3%) occurring the most often (Jackson, Spector, & Rabins, 1997). Second, DB threatens the wellbeing of the resident and others in the environment. Consequences include: (a) stress experienced by other resiCornelia K. Beck, PhD, RN, is Professor, Colleges of Medicine and Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Theresa S. Vogelpohl, MNSc, RN, is President, ElderCare Decisions. Joyce H. Rasin, PhD, RN, is Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina. Johannah Topps Uriri, PhD(c), RN, is Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Patricia O’Sullivan, EdD, is Associate Professor, Office of Educational Development, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Robert Walls, PhD, is Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Regina Phillips, PhD(c), RN, is Assistant Professor, Nursing Villa Julie College. Beverly Baldwin, PhD, RN, deceased, was Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Professor of Gerontological Nursing, University of Maryland. A Note to Readers: This article employs a number of acronyms. Refer to Table 1 to facilitate reading. 219 220 Effects of Behavioral Interventions Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 TABLE 1. Acronyms Term Activities of daily living Analysis of variance Apparent affect rating scale Arkansas Combined Disruptive behavior(s) Disruptive behavior scale Licensed practical nurse(s) Maryland Mini mental status exam Negative visual analogue scale Nursing home nursing assistant(s) Observable displays of affect scale Positive visual analogue scale Project nursing assistant(s) Psychosocial activity Research assistant(s) Acronym ADL ANOVA AARS AR CB DB DBS LPN MD MMSE NVAS NHNA ODAS PVAS PNA PSA RA decreases in targeted behaviors (Gerdner, 2000; Matteson, Linton, Cleary, Barnes, & Lichtenstein, 1997). However, others reported nonsignificant reductions (Teri et al. , 2000), no change (Churchill, Safaoui, McCabe, & Baun, 1999), or increased behavioral symptoms (Mather, Nemecek, & Oliver, 1997). These studies used nursing home staffs to collect data, had sample sizes below 100, and measured an array of DB with different assessments. Only in the last decade have researchers investigated affect. Compared to studies to reduce DB, far fewer studies have measured interventions using affect as an outcome measure. Studies reported positive outcomes on affect from such interventions as simulated presence therapy (Camberg et al. , 1999), Montessori-based activities (Orsulic-Jeras, Judge, & Camp, 2000), advanced practice nursing (Ryden et al. , 2000), music (Ragneskog, Brane, Karlsson, & Kihlgren, 1996), rocking chair therapy (Watson, Wells, & Cox, 1998), and pet therapy (Churchill et al. , 1999). The studies on affect used global measures that relied on observer interpretation, which could have compromised objectivity. Theoretical Bases A number of conceptual frameworks have guided intervention research on persons with cognitive impairment (Garand et al. , 2000). The theoretical basis for this study was that individuals have basic psychosocial needs, which, when met, reduce DB (Algase et al. , 1996) (Table 2). The interventions, one focusing on activities of daily living (ADL) and the other focusing on psychosocial activity (PSA), and a combination (CB) of the two, were developed to meet most of the basic psychosocial needs that Boettcher (1983) identified. These included territoriality, privacy and freedom from unwanted physical intrusion; communication, opportunity to talk openly with others; self-esteem, respect from others and freedom from insult or shaming; safety and security, protection from harm; autonomy, control over one’s life; personal identity, access to personal items and identifying material, and cognitive understanding, awareness of surroundings and mental clarity. The section on study groups specifies which interventions were designed to meet which needs. Positive affect usually accompanies interventions that meet basic psychosocial needs (Lawton, Van Haitsma, & Klapper, 1996). Several researchers and clinicians have suggested that displays of affect may offer a window for revealing demented residents’ needs, preferences, aversions (Lawton, 1994), and responses to daily events (Hurley, Volicer, Mahoney, & Volicer, 1993). The study reported here dents and staff; (b) increased falls and injury; (c) economic costs, such as property damage and staff burn-out, absenteeism, and turnover; (d) emotional deprivation such as social isolation of the resident; and (e) use of physical or pharmacologic restraints (Beck, Heithoff, et al. 1997). Third, before the Nursing Home Reform Act (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, 1987), nursing homes routinely applied physical and chemical restraints to control DB with only moderate results (Garand, Buckwalter, & Hall, 2000). However, the Act mandated that residents have the right to be free from restraints imposed for discipline or convenience and not required to treat the residents’ medical symptoms. Thus, research ers have tested a wide range of behavioral interventions to reduce DB and replace restraints. The Act (1987) also stipulated that all residents are entitled to an environment that improves or maintains the quality of mental health. Interventions that promote positive mood or affect fulfill this entitlement. Therefore, this article will report the effects of an intervention to increase functional status in activities of daily living (Beck, Heacock, et al. , 1997), a psychosocial intervention, and a combination of both on reducing DB and improving affect of nursing home residents with dementia. TABLE 2. Basic Psychosocial Needs Relevant Literature Literature suggests that behavioral interventions offer promise in managing DB. A wide range of modalities and approaches have been tested: (a) sensory stimulation (e. g. , music); (b) physical environment changes (e. g. , walled garden); (c) psychosocial measures (e. g. , pet therapy); and (d) multimodal strategies. Many studies found significant Territoriality Communication Self-esteem Safety and security Autonomy Personal identity Cognitive understanding Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 Effects of Behavioral Interventions 221 adopted the inference by Lawton et al. (1996) that frequent displays of positive affect when basic psychosocial needs are met might indicate improved emotional wellbeing. is leg continually and without apparent reason needs redirection. This intervention lasted 45–60 minutes a day during various ADL. PSA Intervention. A PNA also conducted the PSA intervention, which involved 25 standardized modules designed to meet the psychosocial needs for communication, selfesteem, safety and security, personal identity, and cogni tive understanding through engagement in meaningful activity while respecting the individual’s unique cognitive and physical abilities (Baldwin, Magsamen, Griggs, & Kent, 1992). The intervention was chosen because it: (a) provided a systematic plan for the PNA to address some of the participant’s basic psychosocial needs; and (b) represented clinical interventions that many long-term care facilities routinely used, but had not been formalized into a research protocol or systematically tested. Each module contained five psychosocial areas of content (expression of feelings, expression of thoughts, memory/recall, recreation, and education) and stimulated five sensory modalities (verbal, visual, auditory, tactile, and gustatory/olfactory). For instance, Activity Module I involved life review, communicating ideas visually (identifying and making drawings), clapping to different rhythms, massaging one’s face, and eating a snack. Initially, many participants tolerated less than 15 minutes of the activity but eventually habituated and participated 30 minutes. CB Intervention. This treatment consisted of both the ADL and PSA interventions and lasted 90 minutes daily. Placebo Control. This involved a one-to-one interaction between the participant and PNA. It controlled for the effect of the personal attention that the PNA provided to the three treatment groups. The PNA asked the participant to choose the activity, such as holding a conversation or manicuring nails. It lasted 30 minutes a day. No Intervention Control. This condition consisted of routine care from a NHNA with no scheduled contact between participants and the PNA. Instruments: Disruptive Behavior Scale. The 45-item disruptive behavior scale (DBS), designed to construct scores based on the occurrence and severity of behaviors, assessed the effect of the interventions on DB (Beck, Heithoff et al. 1997). Gerontological experts (n 29) established content validity, and interrater reliability tests yielded an interclass correlation coefficient of . 80 (p . 001). Geropsychiatricnursing experts weighted the behaviors using a Q-sort to improve the scale’s capacity to predict perceived patient disruptiveness. Factor analysis identified four factors (Beck et al. , 1998). Two corresponded to two—physically aggressive and physically nonaggressive—of the three categories from the factor analysis of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (Cohen-Mansfield, Marx, & Rosenthal, 1989). The third category of the Inventory was verbally agitated; in contrast, the factor analysis of the DBS produced a third and fourth category—vocally agitated and vocally aggressive. To obtain a score for the DBS, a trained individual completed a DBS form for every hour of a shift by check- Methods The primary aim was to conduct a randomized trial of the ADL and PSA interventions individually and in combination (CB) for their effect on DB and affect on a large sample of nursing home residents. The experimental design consisted of three treatment groups (ADL, PSA, and Combined) and two control groups (placebo and no intervention). Individual residents were assigned to one of the five groups at each of seven sites in Arkansas and Maryland, which controlled for site differences. To demonstrate the practicability of the interventions and assure adherence to the treatment protocols, certified nursing assistants were hired and trained as project nursing assistants (PNA). They implemented the interventions Monday–Friday for 12 weeks. Afterward, one-month and two-month follow-up periods occurred. Nursing assistants employed by the nursing homes (NHNA) recorded DB. To measure affect, raters were hired for the study to analyze videotapes filmed during intervention. Research Subjects: The sample initially consisted of 179 participants. The study design allowed for the detection of an improvement in DB scores on the Disruptive Behavior Scale (DBS) (Beck, Heithoff et al. , 1997) across time of at least 1. 6 units with a power of 80%. This power calculation assumed that the repeated measures would be correlated with one another at 0. 60. Inclusion criteria were age 65; a dementia diagnosis; a Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) (Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh, 1975) score of 20; and a report of DB in the previous two weeks. To form a more homogeneous group for generalizing findings, exclusion criteria were a physical disability that severely limited ADL; a psychiatric diagnosis; and a progressive or recurring medical, metabolic, or neurological condition that might interfere with cognition or behavior. Study Groups: ADL Intervention. A PNA used the ADL intervention during bathing, grooming, dressing, and the noon meal based on successful protocols that improved functional status in dressing (Beck, Heacock et al. , 1997). It attempted to meet residents’ psychosocial needs for territoriality, communication, autonomy, and self-esteem to promote their sense of safety and security. The intervention also tried to respect participants’ cognitive and physical abilities by prescribing three types of strategies specific to the individual participant. First, strategies to complete an ADL address specific cognitive deficits. For example, the person with ideomotor apraxia needs touch or physical guidance to start movements. Second, standard strategies are behaviors and communication techniques that work for almost everyone with dementia. For example, the caregiver gives a series of one-step commands to guide the resident to put on her shoe. Third, problem-oriented strategies address particular disabilities such as fine motor impairment, physical limitations, or perseveration. For example, a subject who rubs his hand back and forth on 222 Effects of Behavioral Interventions ing the behaviors that occurred. The score for a behavior was the frequency (0–8) times the weight. The item scores were summed to obtain each of the four subscale scores. Mini Mental Status Exam. The Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) (Folstein et al. 1975) provided a global evaluation of participants’ cognitive statuses for screening subjects for the study. Test-retest reliability of the MMSE is . 82 or better (Folstein et al. ). Cognition is assessed in seven areas, and scores lower than 24 out of 30 indicate dementia. Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 Observable Displays of Affect Scale. The Observable Displays of Affect Scale (ODAS) (Vogelpohl & Beck, 1997), designed to rate videotaped data, contains 41 behaviors categorized into six subscales of positive and negative facial displays, vocalizations, and body movement/posture. Raters indicate presence/absence of each behavior during five 2-minute intervals from a 10minute videotape. Scores range from 0–5 for each item. The range of scores for each scale is: facial positive (0–20), Aggression during bathing facial negative (0–20), vocal positive (0–45), vocal negative (0–50), body could stem from physical positive (0–30), and body negative discomfort or rough (0–40). Interrater reliabilities (Kappa handling coefficients) for the ODAS range from . 68–1. 00, and intrarater reliability is . 97–1. 00. Ten gerontological nursing experts established content validity (Vogelpohl & Beck). Apparent Affect Rating Scale. The Apparent Affect Rating Scale (AARS) (Lawton et al. , 1996) is designed for direct observation of persons with dementia and contains six affective states: pleasure, anger, anxiety/fear, sadness, interest, and contentment. (In later work, Lawton, Van Haitsma, Perkinson, & Ruckdeschel [1999] deleted contentment). Each item has a noninclusive list of behaviors that might signal the presence of the affect from which observers infer the affect. The observer assigns a score of 1 to 5 to measure the duration of the behavior. Visual Analogue Scales. The Positive Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS) and Negative Visual Analogue Scale (NVAS) (Lee & Kieckhefer, 1989; Wewers & Lowe, 1990) are two 10centimeter lines on separate pages for rating positive and negative affect. The PVAS has end anchors of â€Å"no positive affect† and â€Å"a great deal of positive affect. † The NVAS has end anchors of â€Å"no negative affect† and â€Å"a great deal of negative affect. † Scores range from 0 to 100. Procedure: The study consisted of six phases: (a) preliminary activities, (b) a three-week normalization/desensitization period, (c) a 12-week intervention period, (d) a onemonth follow-up period, (e) a two-month follow-up period, and f) a videotape analysis. Preliminary Activities. The institutional review boards at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Univer- sity of Maryland approved the research. Each nursing home identified residents with dementia and sent letters informing persons responsible for the residents that researchers would be contacting them. Responsible persons could return a signed form if they did not want to participate. Willing responsible persons received a telephone call explaining the study followed by a mailed written description along with two consent forms. Those willing kept one consent form for their records and signed and mailed back the other. Screening involved a review of the residents’ charts, recording their diagnoses, and interviews with the staff to find evidence of DB during the previous two weeks. Each resident took the MMSE to meet inclusion criteria. Within each home, female residents who passed these screens were randomized to one of the five groups by a drawing, but males were assigned to the five groups to ensure even distribution of their small number. Simultaneously, research staff members were hired and trained. Normalization/Desensitization. For the next three weeks, each PNA accompanied a NHNA to learn the routines of the facility but did not help care for potential study participants. A videotape technician placed a camera that was not running in the dining and shower rooms to desensitize residents and staff to its presence. In addition, nursing home staffs participated in two-hour training sessions on the DBS. Throughout the study, a gerontological clinical nurse specialist trained any new NHNA and retrained if behaviors reported on the DBS differed from those she observed during randomized checks. Intervention. During the 12-week intervention period, the first three weeks were considered baseline and the last two weeks postintervention. The PNA administered the treatment/s or placebo five days a week. Every day, they asked participants to give their assent and espected any dissents. During weeks 11–12 (postintervention), the PNA prepared the participants for their departure by telling them that they were leaving soon. To facilitate data collection, a separate form of the DBS for each of the three eight-hour daily shifts was developed. Eight one-hour blocks accompanied each item of the scale. The NHNA placed a check mark in the block that corresponded to the hour when the NHNA observed the behavi or. The NHNA completed the DBS on all participants during or at the end of a shift. In addition, a technician videotaped participants in the treatment and placebo groups every other week during an interaction with the PNA and no intervention group monthly during an ADL. The technician monitored positioning and operation of the camera from outside the room or behind a curtain to respect the participants’ privacy. One-Month and Two-Month Follow-up. One month and two months after the research team left the nursing home, Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 Effects of Behavioral Interventions 223 esearch assistants (RA) retrained nursing home staffs on the DBS. The NHNA then collected DB data on their shifts Monday–Friday for one week. tervention, week 16 as one-month follow-up, and week 20 as two-month follow-up. Participants with fewer than six observations at any time period were omitted. For each period, a total DBS score represented an averVideotape Analysis. The videotapes ranged in length from age of the participant’s data for the t hree shifts of each day less than five minutes to 40 minutes, depending on the across the five days of the observation week. Therefore, activity and the participant’s willingness to cooperate with total DBS scores were obtained for baseline (M of weeks the treatment (baseline and control participants’ tapes 1–3), intervention (M of weeks 4–10), postintervention (M tended to be shorter). To standardize the opportunity for of weeks 11–12), first follow-up (M of week 16), and secbehaviors to occur, an editor took 10-minute segments ond follow-up (M of week 20). The same procedure from the middle of baseline and final treatment eek tapes yielded subscale scores for physically aggressive, physically and randomized them onto videotapes for rating. Because nonaggressive, vocally aggressive, and vocally agitated videotaping occurred to ensure appropriate implementabehaviors for each of the five time periods. tion of interventions, the treatment groups had more A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) usable videotapes than the control groups did. consisted of two between- subjects and one within-subjects A master’s prepared gerontological factors. The between-subjects factors nurse specialist intensively trained six were intervention group and state (AR raters on the Observer III Software or MD) to account for regional differSystem (Noldus Information Technolences in scoring DB, and the withinogy, 1993) for direct data entry and subjects factor represented DBS scores the affect rating scales. The raters for the five different time periods. Each reached . 80 agreement with the speanalysis allowed for testing by intervencialist on practice tapes before they tion group, time period, and state. The Screaming may started rating the study videotapes. nalysis of the interaction effect of She monitored reliability for each tape intervention group by time period express pain or monthly, retrained as needed, and rantested the hypothesis that the intervenself-stimulation domized the sequence of rating the tions would decrease DB across time in scales. The raters entered the ODAS treatment conditions as compared to and AARS data directly into a comcontrol conditions. The analysis was puter using the Observer. The system repeated five times, once for each suballowed raters to watch videos repeatscale of the DBS and once for the total edly in actual time and slow action to score. Level of significance was set at document behaviors objectively and 0. 05. The researchers believed that the precisely. The raters indicated their small group sizes justified the liberal perception of the participants’ positive and negative level of significance. For the videotape analysis, analyses of affect by placing a vertical mark at some point between covariance occurred for the 14 variables observed from the the two end anchors of the PVAS and NVAS. They videotapes during intervention. The baseline score served marked neutral affect as negative. s a covariate for the final score. While a multivariate analysis would have been desirable, it would have had Intervention Integrity: The PNA and video camera techniinsufficient power with this number of variables and subcian underwent two weeks of intensive training on general jects. The 14 univariate analyses do inflate the Type I error aging topics, stress management, information on dementia, rate. and confidentiality/privacy issues. Training also involved instruction on the study interventions, DBS, and research Results protocols. Of the 179 initial participants, 36 did not finish; the greatA gerontological clinical nurse specialist viewed treatest attrition occurred in the no intervention control group. ment and placebo videotapes biweekly in a private office to Attrition resulted from death (39%), withdrawal of fammonitor PNA compliance with research protocols, provide ily’s consent or at nursing home staff’s request (26%), discorrective feedback to PNA, and help PNA recognize and charge (18%), and change in health status/medications meet participants’ needs as they changed during treatment. hat did not meet inclusion criteria (17%). This left 143 The possibility for contamination appeared to be low participants: 29 in the ADL, 30 in PSA, 30 in CB, 30 in the because NHNA were unlikely to change their care practices placebo, and 24 in the no intervention, but 16 with incomand had little opportunity to observe PNA. Further, NHNA plete data were dropped. Table 3 gives the demographic were b linded to the hypothesis of the study, the nature of the statistics for the 127 participants with complete data. No interventions, and the participants’ group assignments, statistically significant demographic differences emerged although they probably could identify the no intervention among the five groups. In short, this sample primarily conparticipants. sisted of elderly, white females with severe cognitive impairment. Analysis: Reviewers checked for completeness of all data. For the videotape analysis, the final number was 84 The researchers designated intervention weeks 1–3 as baseparticipants with 168 videotape segments. Most were line, weeks 4–10 as intervention, weeks 11–12 as postin- 224 Effects of Behavioral Interventions Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 TABLE 3. Description of the Sample by Intervention Group No Intervention 19 89. 5 78. 9 84. 2 86. 47 (6. 37) 11. 47 (6. 43) ADL Number in group Percent female Percent white Percent widowed Mean age (SD) M MMSE (SD) 28 78. 6 82. 1 64. 3 82. 29 (8. 40) 11. 44 (7. 69) PSA 29 82. 1 85. 7 66. 7 82. 18 (7. 64) 10. 65 (6. 76) CB 22 81. 8 77. 3 77. 3 82. 82 (9. 81) 7. 91 (5. 41) Placebo 29 75. 9 86. 2 75. 9 86. 45 (6. 92) 11. 11 (6. 39) Total 127 81. 0 82. 5 72. 8 83. 64 (7. 97) 10. 55 (6. 64) Note. ADL = activities of daily living; PSA = psychosocial activity; CB = combination. emale (79%) and widowed (69%) with a mean age of 83 (SD 7. 44). Participants had a mean score of 10 (SD 6. 34) on the MMSE, indicating moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Table 4 displays the means and standard deviations for the DBS overall and the four subscales across the five time periods for the five groups. No significant differences emerged for the interventi on-by-time interaction for any of the dependent variables. Thus, the results failed to support the hypothesis that the interventions would decrease DB across time in treatment groups as compared to control groups (statistical analysis tables on Website at: http://sonweb. nc. edu/nursing-research-editor). However, the main effect of state was significant in three analyses. Arkansas recorded significantly more behaviors than Maryland did for the dependent variables of physically nonaggressive (p . 001), vocally agitated (p . 001), and overall DBS (p . 002). Further, the main effect of time was significant for overall DBS (p . 002) and the four subscales of physically aggressive (p . 001), physically nonaggressive (p . 027), vocally aggressive (p . 021), and vocally agitated behaviors (p . 008). The significance resulted from increased DB after the PNA had left the home (generally from intervention or postintervention to first follow-up). For the videotape analysis, the hypothesis stated that treatment groups, compared with control groups, would display more indicators of positive affect and fewer indicators of negative affect following behavioral interventions. In general, neither the positive nor the negative affect scores were particularly high, indicating that this sample had relatively flat affect. Results from the analysis of covariance tests supported increased positive affect but not decreased negative affect. Compared to the control groups, the treatment groups had significantly more positive facial expressions (p . 001) and positive body posture/movements (p . 001), but not more positive verbal displays on the ODAS. The treatment groups displayed significantly more contentment (p . 037) and interest (p . 028) than the control groups did on the AARS. For the negative affects on the AARS, the treatment groups had a shorter duration of sad behaviors (p . 007) than the control groups did. Comparison of VAS scales likewise showed that the treatment groups displayed more positive affect (p . 012). Discussion In contrast to other studies (e. . , Hoeffer et al. , 1997; Kim & Buschmann. , 1999; Whall et al. , 1997), this study found no treatment effect on DB. The interventions were a synthesis of approaches believed to globally address â€Å"triggers† of DB and meet psychosocial needs (Boettcher, 1983). They did not address the specific factors that might have been triggering the particula r behavior (Algase et al. , 1996). Such triggers include under/over stimulation, unfamiliar or impersonal caregivers, and particular individual unmet psychosocial needs. For example, aggression during bathing could stem from physical discomfort or rough handling (Whall et al. 1997). Interventions much more individually designed require development. Increasing DB across all groups was reflected in the DBS scores at 1-month follow-up. Two factors may explain this increase. First, the PNA had warned participants that they would be leaving. Second, the ADL and CB participants no longer received care from the familiar PNA, and PSA, CB, and placebo participants no longer had a daily activity or visit. The increased stress and time constraints for NHNA as they resumed caregiving of the ADL and CB participants may explain the heightened DB in the control groups. Such changes may trigger increased behavioral symptoms in persons with dementia (Hall, Gerdner, Zwygart-Stauffacher, & Buckwalter, 1995). Two measurement issues may have affected outcomes. First, observers view behaviors differently (Whall et al. , 1997) and come to expect particular behaviors from certain residents (Hillman, Skoloda, Zander, & Stricker, 1999). If the NHNA were accustomed to a participant’s DB pattern, such as persistent screaming, they may have overlooked decreases in that behavior. Initial training and retraining of raters occurred as needed; however, some Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 Effects of Behavioral Interventions 225 TABLE 4. Weighted Scores for Disruptive Behavior by Intervention Group and Time Period No Intervention (n = 19) Mean (SD) 408. 71 (427. 24) 303. 69 (408. 44) 281. 97 (410. 85) 418. 31 (630. 58) 292. 85 (405. 15) 114. 66 (202. 89) 90. 85 (182. 70) 77. 98 (173. 15) 130. 92 (257. 12) 128. 20 (195. 67) 191. 97 (157. 75) 117. 11 (112. 30) 118. 23 (137. 08) 154. 46 (225. 05) 100. 45 (153. 30) 55. 16 (74. 70) 42. 89 (54. 54) 33. 26 (47. 06) 64. 72 (77. 89) 28. 09 (37. 02) (continues) DB Category Time Period DBS total Baseline ADL (n = 28) Mean (SD) 172. 51 (191. 47) 182. 45 (181. 3) 164. 56 (154. 95) 207. 22 (205. 58) 190. 70 (291. 06) 20. 67 (30. 52) 32. 59 (51. 29) 15. 02 (26. 10) 44. 18 (100. 62) 21. 45 (36. 47) 95. 50 (105. 28) 87. 58 (87. 58) 85. 04 (89. 60) 88. 81 (85. 69) 148. 75 (187. 28) 22. 85 (32. 10) 28. 37 (32. 50) 21. 15 (26. 54) 30. 72 (48. 95) 18. 28 (24. 55) PSA (n = 29) Mean (SD) 348. 02 (467. 50) 306. 81 (393. 03) 303. 24 (367. 54) 373. 17 (533. 05) 300. 20 (366. 42) 85. 87 (199. 01) 83. 94 (167. 53) 82. 82 (166. 93) 113. 49 (235. 71) 81. 30 (151. 85) 162. 41 (206. 65) 130. 82 (142. 72) 133. 92 (145. 97) 141. 47 (188. 99) 164. 92 (223. 63) 49. 64 (93. 15) 43. 80 (64. 6) 37. 90 (53. 43) 54. 47 (90. 33) 40. 26 (45. 26) CB (n = 22) Mean (SD) 287. 66 (373. 73) 300. 84 (379. 33) 286. 21 (365. 78) 374. 10 (510. 10) 312. 83 (433. 18) 68. 84 (126. 18) 67. 14 (137. 79) 61. 04 (127. 78) 92. 68 (205. 52) 60. 40 (131. 54) 136. 67 (189. 03) 124. 64 (164. 49) 125. 99 (157. 78) 159. 97 (202. 75) 146. 53 (201. 83) 34. 49 (55. 91) 40. 73 (52. 60) 31. 18 (33. 85) 36. 95 (42. 70) 32. 82 (51. 32) Placebo (n = 29) Mean (SD) 325. 96 (337. 14) 337. 60 (328. 94) 336. 80 (366. 55) 389. 92 (434. 43) 319. 15 (384. 59) 49. 26 (90. 24) 62. 10 (112. 71) 59. 67 (106. 37) 76. 79 (165. 45) 48. 25 (101. 4) 167. 01 (177. 80) 164. 62 (161. 48) 175. 36 (189. 80) 201. 68 (212. 06) 87. 67 (127. 38) 47. 20 (79. 70) 39. 55 (57. 74) 32. 69 (55. 77) 29 . 30 (47. 60) 30. 18 (52. 85) Intervention Postintervention 1 month follow-up 2 month follow-up Physically aggressive Baseline Intervention Postintervention 1 month follow-up 2 month follow-up Physically nonaggressive Baseline Intervention Postintervention 1 month follow-up 2 month follow-up Vocally aggressive Baseline Intervention Postintervention 1 month follow-up 2 month follow-up 226 Effects of Behavioral Interventions Nursing Research July/August 2002 Vol 51, No 4 TABLE 4. Weighted Scores for Disruptive Behavior by Intervention Group and Time Period (Continued) NoIntervention (n = 19) Mean (SD) 47. 65 (97. 22) 68. 32 (103. 13) 68. 01 (116. 62) 84. 50 (112. 48) 73. 07 (117. 12) DB Category Time Period Vocally agitated Baseline ADL (n = 28) Mean (SD) 33. 49 (84. 39) 33. 91 (62. 52) 43. 17 (72. 10) 43. 48 (64. 39) 50. 53 (117. 95) PSA (n = 29) Mean (SD) 46. 92 (98. 70) 52. 84 (96. 03) 52. 50 (90. 78) 68. 22 (98. 89) 48. 89 (92. 33) CB (n = 22) Mean (SD) 62. 49 (98. 97) 70. 43 (110. 85) 69. 08 (107. 29) 82. 14 (118. 97) 75. 80 (129. 67) Placebo (n = 29) Mean (SD) 50. 0 (92. 05) 48. 25 (81. 63) 48. 59 (72. 20) 63. 74 (95. 30) 54. 11 (80. 61) Intervention Postintervention 1 month follow-up 2 month follow-up Note. Scores were created by assigning each behavior with a severity weight prior to summing and then averaging across day and then week(s). DBS = disruptive behaviors; ADL = activities of daily living intervention; PSA = psychocial activity inte rvention; CB = combination of the two interventions. NHNA appeared to continue to consider participants’ behaviors, such as repetitive questioning, to be personality characteristics or attention-seeking efforts rather than DB. Thus, they may have under-reported behaviors. Further, staff may prefer withdrawn behaviors, such as isolating self and muteness (Camberg et al. , 1999), and view them as nonproblematic. Second, categorizing a behavior as disruptive without understanding its meaning to the person with dementia may be conceptually flawed. For example, screaming may express pain or self-stimulation. Two design features may explain differences between the findings of this study and others. First, this study had both placebo and no intervention control conditions. Just a few other studies randomized subjects to treatment or control groups or included two control groups (e. g. , Camberg et al. , 1999). In most studies, control conditions preceded or followed treatment conditions (e. g. , Clark, Lipe, & Bilbrey, 1998). In both designs, subjects served as their own controls, which limits examination of simultaneous intra- and extra-personal events that might affect DB frequency. Second, many control groups came from separate units or different nursing homes (e. g. , Matteson et al. , 1997), which makes it difficult to control for differences in environment, staff relationships, and personalities. This study occurred at seven sites in two different geographical areas, but at each site, the randomization of female participants distributed the groups across all nursing units to control for environmental and staff characteristics. Acknowledged limitations include the following. First, in spite of the large overall sample, the group sizes were small (range 19–30) with the greatest loss in the no inter- vention group. Larger groups might have provided more definitive findings on the relationship between behavioral interventions and DB frequency as Rovner et al. (1996) did (treatment group 42; control group 39). Second, NHNA served as data collectors because using independent observers would have been cost-prohibitive. These results suggest that future intervention research should consider the individual characteristics of the person with dementia (Maslow, 1996) and the triggers of the behavior (Algase et al. , 1996). Studies that have individualized interventions have demonstrated decreased DB (Gerdner, 2000; Hoeffer et al. , 1997). Researchers need to continue to refine methods for identifying what works for whom (Forbes, 1998) to minimize the prevalent trial-anderror approach to DB management.