Obesity Epidemic Obesity And Obesity - 1634 Words

â€Å"The percentage of children aged 6–12 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012† (cdc.gov). Subsequently, the obesity epidemic has continued to increase over the past few years in the United States. There are many different aspects that have contributed to the obesity epidemic. For example, many people today choose to be convenient instead of eating healthy, which results in the consummation of processed foods. Processed foods have a significant effect on the risk of obesity. With a current society always on the go, adults and children have become more susceptible to junk and fast foods. As a result this has caused an increase in the energy intake which results in storing fat thus gaining weight. In addition, having less to no physical activity is also a contributor to obesity. For example, sixty minutes of physical activity is needed for the prevention of obesity (ncbi.gov). These contributions to obesity results i nto the many different health risk. With this in mind, I believe as a student, schools have the influence to help prevent young students from childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a condition where a child has unnecessary grossly fat. Many children who are overweight suffer from medical to self-esteem issues. These issues can have a big impact on a child’s educational success. Therefore, there are ways that schools can get involved to help prevent young students of becoming obese and in the process help studentsShow MoreRelatedThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity1133 Words   |  5 PagesObesity has always been a topic that many have had due to the increase attention it has received. Across America, there has been a lot of attention on the obesity epidemic. In America and the inner cities, more people are eating meals away from home in addition to consuming larger portions from fast food restaurants. At this rate, gaining weight is the likely outcome. High energy dense food has become convenient and affordable. Fast food is almost everywhere in America and, contributes to the growingRead MoreObesity : The Obesity Epidemic1509 Words   |  7 PagesThe Obesity Epidemic What is obesity? According to the Health Reference Center Academic, â€Å"Obesity is a clinical condition characterized by an excess of body fat†. Obesity causes serious and life-threatening diseases. Obesity can be calculated using the BMI or Body mass index. The higher the BMI the more obese a person is considered. More than 1 third of the population in the US is obese. Medical costs for treating obesity were estimated at $147 billion in 2008. Non-Hispanic black and Mexican AmericanRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity967 Words   |  4 Pagesthe issue. There has been substantial encouragement, which has pressured governments and politicians to implement restrictions on the publicising of unhealthy foods, particularly those targeting children. (Jolly, R. 2011) Researchers of the epidemic of obesity are inclined to emphasise environmental aspects, including the convenience of high-calorie appetising junk foods in conjunction with the influence of television programming, video games, computers and tablets that discourage exercise. TheoreticallyRead MoreObesity : The Obesity Epidemic Essay1321 Words   |  6 Pagesevidence that Americans are among the most overweight across the globe, this issue is constantly ignored. We hear about obesity being one of the most prevalent issues in America yet through the years this issue seems to worsen. Although Obesity may not be taken seriously by many, it is one of the leading health issues in America today. Many don’t understand the causes of this obesity epidemic, but being educated on this topic is the best way to prevent and control this issue. A recent study from the NationRead MoreObesity : The Obesity Epidemic2984 Words   |  12 PagesThe Obesity Epidemic What is obesity? A condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body; obesity is when someone is so overweight that it is a threat to their health (â€Å"What is Obesity?†). Obesity is an increasing global health problem. Corpulence is an important matter because of the astounding magnitudes that this disease has reached in the past 30 years (â€Å"Health and Aging†). Obesity is the reason for nearly 10 percent of the national medical budget, whichRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity Essay1503 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Obesity is becoming an outrageous and alarming health issue in today’s society. Children are rapidly getting engulfed by this pandemic every day. According to the book Public Health 101: Health People-Healthy Populations, pandemic can be defined as, â€Å"An epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and affecting a large number of people† (Riegelman, Kirkwood, 2015). The World Health Organization estimates that 43 million children worldwideRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity2517 Words   |  11 Pagesof obesity in children is on the rise in America. One in three children in America is obese (Kelly). Anyone can recognize there is a problem with the growing numbers of children overweight, however, no one has come up with a way to stop the obesity epidemic. This epidemic in children has been caused by numerous factors now numerous solutions can stop this if they are put in use. Children are weighing more than they ever have. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, â€Å"Obesity hasRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Of Obesity2053 Words   |  9 Pagesrise in obesity has reached global epidemic proportions (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2015). Obesity is defined as an â€Å"abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.† Body Mass Index (BMI) is a common tool used to measure a person s weight in kilograms divided by their height in meters squared (kg/m2) (WHO, 2015). An individual with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is considered clinically obese (WHO, 2015). However this may not be the most valid way of measuring obesity as itRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Obesity And Obesity1319 Words   |  6 Pages There’s an appalling epidemic in today’s society sweeping across not only the United States, but all across the globe. This horrible epidemic isn’t the bird flu, or any type of sickness, rather obesity. Today, obesity rates are at an all time high in America. This disease, obesity, is being passed down the family both genetically, and by the terrible eating habits developing in the US. Kids growing up in this generation are facing frightening issues such as increased risk of heart disease, diabetesRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic : Obesity Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesThe obesity epidemic proves to be an issue in America and continues to grow with time. In simple terms, obesity is a disorder where the subject has increasing amounts of fat, leading to health problems in the future. This epidemic has steadily increased in American bodies for decades and researchers have tried to find the root causes of this problem. Though there is controversy as to what is the pr imary cause of this rising epidemic, it is clear that there are many factors that contribute to the

Mexican Americans Essay - 1102 Words

Starting in the late nineteenth century until the end of World War II, the immigration policy in the United States experienced dramatic changes that altered the pace of immigration. High rates of immigration sparked adverse emotions and encouraged restrictive legislation and numerous bills in Congress advocated the suspension of immigration and the deportation of non-Americans (Wisconsin Historical Society). Mexican American history was shaped by several bills in Congress and efforts to deport all non-Americans from the United States. The United States was home to several Spanish-origin groups, prior to the Declaration of Independence. The term â€Å"Mexican American† was a label used to describe a number of Hispanic American groups that†¦show more content†¦Mexican Americans and American Indians have been traditionally more disadvantaged than other Americans in regards to income, and education (Mitz). According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau report, 21.5 percent of Mexican Americans and 25 percent of American Indians live at or below the poverty level (Health). However, both groups have been able to maintain a large majority of their traditions when compared to other Americans. Their traditions and culture can be seen through religious beliefs, value systems, cuisine, and economic structures (Healey). Despite over a century of powerful attempts to Americanize both Mexican Americans and American Indians, both groups have successfully been able to preserve their heritage and traditions. Mexican Americans also shared problems of poverty and discrimination with African Americans. According to Healy, Mexican Americans, like African Americans, have been viewed as cheap, unskilled agricultural labor that has been methodically excluded from mainstream America. Unlike most immigrants from Europe, who lived in urban areas, Mexican Americans and African Americans were prone to live and work in rural parts of the United States. Because both gro ups lived in less urban areas they had limited resources for education, skill development and economic opportunities. At the same time, however, Mexican AmericansShow MoreRelatedMexican American And Mexican Americans1731 Words   |  7 Pages II. Mexican Americans A. Brief explanation regarding the history of this ethnic group Mexican’s American who are they, and why did they migrate to American; what were they in search of. Mexican American’s are one of the largest ethnic group in America today average of more than half of the populace; nearly reaching more than 30 million in the United States alone. Compassed by these immigrants more than half are here illegally that migrated over to the United States in search of a betterRead MoreMexicans, Chicanos, Mexican Americans2395 Words   |  10 PagesMexicans, Chicanos, Mexican-Americans, Indigenous, and more are just a few of the terms used to refer to people of Mexican descent. Many Hispanics attempt to enter the United States in search of a better life and to have an enjoyable way of life. However, living in constant fear of being deported and consistently being judged simply because of one’s color, or the inability to communicate in English; that does not sound like the American dream. Typically, people have real reasons to emigrate to theRead MoreMexicans And Mexican American Youth2035 Words   |  9 Pagesminorities in the United Sta tes can largely be seen in the treatment of Mexicans and Mexican American citizens in the times surrounding World War Two. Such hostilities are reflected in our treatment of Mexican Americans in the late 19th after the Civil War and early 20th centuries, the Sleepy Lagoon murder responses, and the Zoot Suit riots. My primary source reveals a feeling of inferiority in the United States by the Mexican American youth due discrimination that they faced, which can be better understoodRead MoreThe American And Mexican American Organizations1548 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscriminated against in one form or another, but an extreme example of this is with the Mexican and Mexican American citizens in the United States of America. This group of people have seen almost every form of discrimination to not being allowed in schools, to not being appointed fair and civil court cases. In order to stop the unequal treatment the Mexican American population formed LULAC, the League of United Latin Americ an Citizens. LULAC has worked throughout the years to stop discrimination againstRead MoreThe American Of The Mexican Revolution1229 Words   |  5 Pagesbefore and during World War II white Americans considered themselves the only true Americans. In the 1900s during the Mexican Revolution, many Mexicans migrated to the United States, to escape the violence that came from a national uprising against Mexico’s government. After the Mexican Revolution, many Mexicans fought for the United States in World War II. Mexican American patriotism helped to soften racist attitudes. Hector Perez Garcia was a Mexican American Rights advocate, looking to change theRead MoreMexican American Culture1658 Words   |  7 Pagesthese traits but is not limited to these specifically. This essay will provide detailed information on Mexican Americans, and their ancestry and heritage. I will also explain about this cultures central beliefs and values, while incorporating information on Mexican Ame ricans, cultural patterns, cultural identity, and their cultures communication characteristics and styles. Mexican Americans were decedents of Mexico, or â€Å"Estados Unidos Mexicanos† as their culture would say. Mexico is borderedRead More The Struggles of Mexicans in Mexican-American History Essay2031 Words   |  9 PagesThe Struggles of Mexicans in Mexican-American History Mexico’s problems originally began upon the arrival of the Spanish in 1492, as illustrated in Major Problems in Mexican American History by Zaragosa Vargas as well as in the video documentary, Chicano!. The sequence of events which date back to the precolonial Spanish days and take place in Mexico’s history eventually provoke the national movement that called for social justice and equality, especially after the signing of the Treaty of GuadalupeRead MoreMexican American And Mexican Americans Essay1126 Words   |  5 Pagesin the United states are Mexicans (Gonzales-Barrera Lopez, 2013). Mexican American’s are considered minorities in the United States. There are many reason why I am choosing to explore Mexican Americans for this paper. As a minority myself, I can relate to some of the struggles that Mexican American’s may face. However, there are some things that I will never relate to or know the personal aspect of the Mexican culture. Just like any ot her population, Mexican Americans have their own culture, valuesRead MoreMexican American Males and Alcoholism1354 Words   |  6 PagesRuth Gutierrez Proff. Julia Curry MAS 160 9 a.m. 12 May 2009 Mexican American Males and Alcoholism Drinking alcohol is a behavior that diverse ethnicities and cultures have adapted as a form of leisure, celebration, socialization, or cultural practice. Mexican American males have engaged in drinking alcohol for all of these reasons. It is important to analyze the process of acculturation Mexican American experience and how it affects their ability to persuade and control their alcohol consumptionRead MoreBecoming Mexican American Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesBecoming Mexican American George J. Sanchez Becoming Mexican American is George J. Sanchez’s document how Chicanos survived as a community in Los Angeles during the first part of the twentieth century. He goes into detail of how many thousands of Mexicans were pushed back in to Mexico during a formal repatriation. Those that survived in Los Angeles joined labor unions and became involved in New Deal politics. The experience of Mexican-Americans in the United States is both similar, yet different

Spoilage Rates Free Essays

India Agriculture Spoilage Data Per 2010  FAO  world agriculture statistics, India is the world’s largest producer of many fresh  fruits  and vegetables,  milk, major  spices, select fresh meats, select fibrous crops such as  jute, several staples such as  millets  and  castor oil  seed. India is the second largest producer of  wheat  and  rice, the world’s major  food staples. India is also the world’s second or third largest producer of several  dry fruits, agriculture-based  textile  raw materials,  roots  and  tuber  crops,  pulses, farmed  fish,  eggs,  coconut,  sugarcane  and numerous  vegetables. We will write a custom essay sample on Spoilage Rates or any similar topic only for you Order Now India ranked within the world’s five largest producers of over 80% of agricultural produce items, including many  cash crops  such as  coffeeand  cotton, in 2010. India is also one of the world’s five largest producers of livestock and poultry meat, with one of the fastest growth rates, as of 2011. India exported about 2 billion kilograms each of wheat and rice in 2011 to Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh and other regions of the world. Aquaculture and catch fishery  is amongst the fastest growing industries in India. Between 1990 and 2010, Indian fish capture harvest doubled, while aquaculture harvest tripled. In 2008, India was the world’s sixth largest producer of marine and freshwater capture fisheries, and the second largest aquaculture farmed fish producer. India exported 600,000 metric tonnes of fish products to nearly half of all the world’s countries. Lack of cold storage and harvest spoilage causing over 30% of farmer’s produce going to waste, India lacks cold storage, food packaging as well as safe and efficient rural transport system. This causes one of the world’s highest food spoilage rates, particularly during Indian monsoons and other adverse weather conditions. Food travels to the Indian consumer through a slow and inefficient chain of traders. Indian consumers buy agricultural produce in suburban markets known as ‘sabzi mandi’ such as one shown or from roadside vendors. As per the report by Shri M. S. Swaminathan (Planning Commission 1981), up to 40% of certain fruits and vegetables go waste due to their perishable nature and non-availability of appropriate post harvest infrastructure. As per nother study (TIFAC – 1996), wastage in certain food is as high as over 30% and in vegetables the losses are up to 20% to 30% at the post harvest stages due to poor storage, transportation, lack of infrastructure and the inadequacy of the marketing set-up. As per this report, India wastes more fruits and vegetables than are consumed in a country like U. K. The total wastage in all food sectors is high and worth Rs. 500,000 million. It is also estimated that the wastage cost of fruits and vegetables is Rs. 350,000 millions per year which is four to five times than those of food grains. Even in food grains the loss is reckoned at 5-10% on account of insect infestation and inadequate storage. Types of Food Spoilage Food spoilage and contamination are defined as those adverse changes in quality caused by the action of specific conditions or agents that induce physical and chemical changes and also includes micro-organisms, insect, bird and rodent pests. Mechanical damage is also instrumental in spoilage. Bruises and wounds are such defects, which frequently cause chemical and microbial spoilage. The primary causes of food spoilage include the following: †¢ Biological – these include micro-organisms like bacteria, yeasts and molds, and other agents like insects, rodents and birds †¢ Chemical – these include enzymatic or non-enzymatic reactions †¢ Physical – these include breakage, bruises, crushing and cut or otherwise dismembered surfaces Figure 2 depicts the â€Å"Food Pipeline† and summarises the physical and biological ways of occurrence of food loss. Meat and Poultry Processing The production of meat is steadily increasing with an annual production of 4. million tonnes, which is contributed mainly by pigs followed by sheep, goat, buffalo and poultry meat. Meat producing industry in India is largely confined to the unorganised sector and there is very limited upgradation of technology. The constraints are absence of farms for rearing meat producing animals and absence of cold-chain facilities. The market for scientifically and hy gienically produced meat products is expected to grow rapidly due to constantly developing urbanisation. As a result of changing lifestyles, the21 demand for ready–to–cook food is growing rapidly. Overall very little of meat production is scientifically produced, processed and packaged as branded products. Most meat consumed in India is in fresh form. Less than 1% of meat is processed into value-added products like sausages, ham, bacon, luncheon meat, kababs meat balls etc. Figure 6 gives the production of meat and meat products. Lack of cold chain demand makes the cold chain infra costly (more demand – more competition – lesser price), the additional cost (in comparison with non cool chain products) eventually gets loaded on the products serviced through high cost cold chain. Now, if supposedly some inferior product is available at a lesser price, very few in India shall buy a superior product serviced through cold chain, particularly when product in question is considered â€Å"fresh† only when it comes outside the controlled atmosphere (read cold store). Remember – fresh peas here sells @ Rs 150 a kg during off seasons against frozen at Rs 50 Kg. You need to have customers. Therefore, I am of the view that future demand for cold chain in India shall be driven not by fresh foods but by foods and pharmaceutical categories which compulsorily requires cold chain. Ready to eat frozen products, frozen vegetables, imported fruit etc comes to mind here. If these categories grow in India – infra to handle this shall automatically grow. Increased growth of cold chain shall drive down the cold chain price for more adopters to follow, reducing the cost. I can foresee a strong correlation between cold chain growth with growth of microwave ovens. At the end of the day it is all about markets. It is not only the demand of right products that hinders the growth of cold store industry in India, services too share equal blame Few years back we built a world class cold storage infra for potatoes and apples at the only clock auction market for fruit and vegetables in India. This cold stores had all the modern bells and whistles like pallets, forklift, screw compressors et al. Know what happened. Third party apple storage for trading at this store turned out to be a non-starter as apple trading in India is based on samples for small lots which could not be drawn out for inspection by traders as quickly as they are drawn out in an ambient environment or a traditional cold store. Moral of the story. Trade’s service demand dictate the cold storage needs. FTA agreements July 23, 2012 –  The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today met with representatives of the Canada-India Business Council in Montreal, where he highlighted the launch of a fifth round of negotiations toward a Canada-India trade agreement. A Canada-India joint study concluded that a trade agreement between the two countries could boost Canada’s economy by at least $6  billion. Reference: http://www. thestar. com/news/world/article/1176287–india-s-wheat-left-to-rot-due-to-lack-of-storage http://anilchopra. com/blog/personal/why-cold-storage-industry-is-not-growing-in-india/ http://smallb. in/sites/default/files/knowledge_base/best_practices/RoleofplasticsinconservationofFoodResources. pdf How to cite Spoilage Rates, Essay examples

Drowling Mountian free essay sample

As a community resort, there are massive pressures to cover fixed assets and operating costs, this is a result of not being able to attract â€Å"big city† customers. New York City is roughly five hours away from Syracuse and three hours away from Albany. With no out of the norm marketing plan, Drowling Mountain falls into the states clutter of resorts when skiers decide where to ski or snowboard, when visiting in the Syracuse area. With commonality in the resort industry, Drowling Mountain is in bad financial disposition. Ownership has change a various number of times, as well as there is a lack of top ranking leadership, and the complete absence of customer loyalty is affecting the mountains potential. Ultimately, the resort is experiencing declining revenues, high levels debt and increasing losses. While management attempts to create a solution, the lack of understanding the actually problem seems to be a bigger issue for management. Problem Definition: What innovative strategy will enable Drowling Mountain Resort to increase market share as well as loyalty to skiers of all experience, given the downward trend that the mountain experienced from 2006 to 2010? Analysis: Drowling Mountain is facing many threats from internal and external pressures. Below is an analysis that will help understand what issues are most vital to the resort as well as which issues are and pushing down on management. External Environment: Demand: Snowsports Industries America ranks the U. S. participation rate for snow sports at about 7. 5% of the total population (2010). Participants in the age of 6+ have slowly but steadily increased in the three years. Demand for Drowling Mountains, offering has steadily decreased since 2006, from 64,000 visitors to 46,000 in 2010. Overall decline in state level tourism and the recent economic recession has also affected the industry. A survey in November of 2010 shoed the average customer only visiting Drowling Mountain twice each season. The ski resort offers challenging terrain as well as some of the tallest ski hills in the state (NY State). Demand was sought by experienced, casual, and non-skiing individuals. With 34 other resorts to choose from, the state has a clutter of offerings; demand for the particular mountain is volatile to all other offerings available to the state of New York. Trends: * Drowling Mountain seems to still capture local support, which is essential to the bottom line success of the resort. * Nationwide; slow but steady increase in participation. * Downward trend: losing market share over time (2006-2010). * Price sensitivity by participants it has steadily declined over time. * Overall decline in state level tourism and the recent economic recession has also affected the industry. * Declining dollar influenced international travel to ski reports (mainly destination establishments) Competitors: It is important to use Porters Five Forces as a tool when assessing an existing firm; it provides a relatively subjective framework which helps show important values that help depict strategic direction, as well as aids in allocating resources accordingly. This industry is very complex, when it comes to competitors, on one hand all 34 resorts in state of New York are competing for market share. Each resort does target different geographical segments as well as classify its’ self by what type of establishment they are (destination or community resort). On the other hand, at a local level, slow growth and aging facilities create a highly competitive industry for community resorts that are neighboring. As an industry there seems to be an industry wide understanding that the more people ski the better off all resorts will be. More locally, Drowling Mountain competes for market share with Timber Valley which is known for its upscale resort, its’ challenging slopes, winter horseback riding trails and dog sledding, and its summer offerings of zip-lining. Although a higher price, consumers seemed to justify higher prices with the numerous offerings and quality of the mountain. Drowling Mountain also competes with Devils hill, although a smaller resort its slow are much easier and a more diverse offering. The prices levels are smaller and its offering is attractive to families and groups as well as beginners. 1. Barriers to Entry: The threat of new entrants is minimal to the resort industry. With high startup cost, the cost of continuous maintenance to facilities, and the cluster of mountain destination options there is little room left for another offering. 2. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Drowling Mountain has low bargaining power relative to its suppliers. It is harder to define the bargaining power to the suppliers for a mountain resort because the resort main offering is not a tangible product. The resort does rely heavily on generosity of local suppliers allowing overdue accounts, and still allowing the account to be labeled as good standing. The company does however; rely on snow (real or man-made) to help fill the slopes of the hills. With snow only being optimal roughly four months out of a total year it give better position to the resort, but the state wide fragmentation allows consumers to make other choices, thus there is a presence of substitute inputs. The importance of volume to supplier is also crucial to the success thus knowing what point break-even is crucial to price setting. 3. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Satisfied customers are vital to the success of the resort, long term and short term. The resort depends highly on the volume of customers to satisfy its fixed cost. With no demand the resort must lower prices to stay competitive. 4. Threat of Substitutes: As a winter sport, the ski resort relies heavily on consumers who are looking for a winter activity. As the market grows new offerings will affect the resort. Some new variations or new offerings will positively affect the resort (think snowboards when skiing was popular). 5. Existing Rivalry: As previously mentioned the tourism and a free market system, allow consumers to choose between offerings. But the industry wide understanding that more skiers or snowboarders help the industry as a whole Technology: The required and continuous amount of money to keep equipment and lifts up-to date is a huge factor in most resorts success. Staying ahead of the game is always a factor for companies especially when consumers are looking for low prices as well as diverse and competitive offerings. Internal Environment: SWOT: Strength: * The resort is relatively close to the third largest city in New York * High mountain peaks allow for competitive courses * Positive support from local businesses Weakness: * Far from 2 largest cities in New York * No clear advantage offering * Minimal summer time offerings Opportunities: * Use Competitive slopes as a marketing advantage * Rework pricing packages * Allow the restaurant to be ran by an external company Threats: * Local competition * No cash, back-up support * Limited by budget Strategy Options: The resort has a lot of potential but capturing its potential is what the management is having problems with. Although the resort is performing low there are a number of strategy options available. * Differentiating the mountain is a must; it has continual been lost in the clutter of offerings. * Offering the same activities but in different ways would also be a creative an impactful offering. Recommendation: I recommend creating a new marketing plan that would enable Drowling Mountain to stand out and ahead of other resorts. It uniqueness is a feature that must be exploited to capture market share. Challenging terrain should be, literally challenging those that ride the course. Creating tournaments and weekly competition that would draw positive attention to the resort. Also offer similar snow activities for free or on discount if participants already have a pass for the mountain, such as snow tubing or zip-lining. If the resort offered higher end food, by an external restaurant, it may be able to capture consumers’ wiliness to pay for quality food. The resort does need to take time to plan this out, since it is working with a limited budget.

Background Investigation Essays - Criminal Records, Law Enforcement

Background Investigation Background/Character Investigation Any precinct or department may exclude from an examination any person because of: I. Dismissal of the application or eligible from the public service for good cause, or his resignation pending charges. II. Criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful or dissolute conduct, or bad character. III. The knowingly making of a false statement by any person in his application for examination, and every connivance by him at any false statement made in any accompanying certificates, or the commission of or attempt to commit any fraud against civil service law or rules or regulations or any complicity by him in any such fraud, before, during, or after any examination.1 This third point found above is actually, in short, the meaning of a background investigation. The background investigation is essentially a systematic collection of facts and opinions from persons who know / have known the particular candidate, and also from those persons who have custody of the records of his past.2 A report of the background investigator is reviewed, with accompanying documents to determine if that candidate will be acceptable to appoint as a police officer. The purpose of this background investigation process actually has three branches. The major objective is to see how the candidate behaved throughout many different circumstances and predict his performance as an officer in the future. The second is to verify as truthful all the statements made by the candidate. The third is to prevent that particular department from hiring a candidate that will prove to be unqualified for the position. The first step to the investigation procedure will include the investigator getting organized, and to do this he will need some basic documents. First of all, he will need to inform the candidate that he is being given serious consideration for appointment to the force. When this is done, the candidate will be required to submit a detailed history statement that will be the basis for the background investigation.3 Other documents that are most often required are: a birth certificate, diploma, driver's license, any military discharge papers, and any marriage certificates/ divorce decrees. The department should also obtain fingerprints and photographs, an authority for release of information, and also an authority for release of military information. The actual background check will usually include the following ( a general outline of steps involved): I. Opening - includes brief description of applicant, picture, age, date of birth, and place of birth. II. Residences - starting with present addresses and working backwards. III. Educational Background - College, High School, and Grammar School. IV. Financial History - including Credit Bureaus, banks, and charge accounts. V. Military Service - including contacts with former members of units. VI. Criminal and Traffic Record - including any incidents in either category. VII. Past Employment - including talks with employers, supervisors, and fellow employees. VIII. Family Relations - interviews with various family members IX. References X. Personal Relations - friends, past dates, any evidence of alcohol/drug abuse, etc. XI. Medical History - interview with family physician XII. Summary - including any uninvestigated leads, summary of personality, and if accepted the last paragraph will be a recommendation of the applicant. In my opinion, the background check is a very thorough but necessary procedure. I think that the background check could not be more thorough than it already is, if it is followed correctly. It was pointed out in one reference that sometimes a criminal record check should go beyond simply requesting that both criminal and juvenile checks be made.4 The investigation should include whether any complaints were ever filed against or by the candidate. This can reveal such items as serious marital disputes, which would otherwise be overlooked. Also, a thorough traffic record check should be done regardless of what he reveals about his vehicle operators record. One thing that could deceive a department is the fact that not all law enforcement agencies uniformly fingerprint persons arrested on criminal charges. Therefore, it is possible that an applicant may have been arrested in a different jurisdiction, but it is unknown to anywhere outside that agency. Besides these few instances, the background check seems to be a very sound process of elimination for those wanting to become police officers. I believe that the background/character investigation is a very necessary procedure to be included in the hiring process. I would not want anyone with a shady

4 Tips for Writing a Great UIUC Essay

4 Tips for Writing a Great UIUC Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Thinking of attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? Then you've come to the right place. For this highly ranked public school, you'll need to submit a personal statement with your application. But what should you include in your UIUC essay to make you stand out? Read on to learn what the current UIUC essay prompt is and how to write a great UIUC essay. We also show you a real UIUC essay example to give you an idea of whata great statement looks like. Feature Image: Adam Jones/Flickr What Is the UIUC Essay? All applicants must write one UIUC essay on the major they've chosen and explain why they are interested in this particular major and/or field of study. You will get just one essay prompt (it's not like theCommon App essay, which offers you several prompts to choose from). Here is this year’s prompt for the UIUC essay: Explain your interest in the major you selected and describe how you have recently explored or developed this interest inside and/or outside the classroom. You may also explain how this major relates to your future career goals. If you're applying to the Division of General Studies, explain your academic interests and strengths or your future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study you're currently considering. If you’ve indicated on your UIUC application a second-choice major, then you must submit another essay on this major as well.The prompt for this essayis the same as the one above- you just need to write on the other major you've chosen and explain why you're interested in it. If you don't put down a second major on your application,you only need to write one UIUC essay. The UIUC essay must be 300-400 words in length,making it a bit shorter than your typical college essay, which is usually 500-600 words long. How to Write the UIUC Essay: Topics and Tips The University of Illinois essay is an important part of your application since it’s the only personal essay you’ll write for the school. This makes it theonly area on the UIUC application in which you can show off your personality, academic passion, and storytelling skills. The overall point of this statement is for UIUC to learn more about you as a person and why you're interested in the major you’ve selected. Though the UIUC essay prompt above might look daunting, the questions it asks are actually pretty simple. The three basic parts of this prompt are as follows: What is the major you've selected? How did you develop an interest in this major/field? What excites you about it? How do you plan to make a career out of this major/field? You could write about how you developed this interest through school (e.g., you took a class in marine biology) or outside school (e.g., you participated in a marine science club). In your UIUC essay, you must focus on your commitment to the field you’ve chosen to major in, taking care to touch on the past, present, and future- in other words,how you developed this interest, how it currently figures into your life, and what you plan to do with it in the future. UIUC is pretty clear about what it’s looking for in this essay. In fact, the official University of Illinois website offers applicants six key tips on how to approach the UIUC essay: Be memorable Be prepared Be yourself Be focused Be current Be professional In addition, UIUC has a YouTube series on admissions counseling that includes some useful videos with tips on how you can write an effective UIUC essay: Now then, what are some possible topics you could write about in your UIUC essay? Here are just a few examples: A specific (positive) experience you had, either in or outside school, with the field you plan to major in. Example:You spontaneously decided to enter a science fair, which helped you realize you have a passion for inventing things. A specific person, such as a teacher, parent, or friend, who introduced the field to you. Example: Your sophomore English teacher encouraged you to try the National Novel Writing Month event, which furthered your interest in creative writing. The first class you took in the field, why you chose to take this class (if you chose to take it), and how taking it inspired you to continue studying the field. Example: After takinga cooking class freshman year, you began to grow more interested infood science, leading you toread up on the topic in your spare time and start a cooking blog. A club/activity you did that introduced you to the field or allowed you to learn more about it. Example: You joined your school’s Spanish club in an attempt to raise your grade, but after making a few close friends through the club, you started to realize how much you actually enjoyed the challenge of communicating in Spanish. How you weren't initially interested in the field but gradually became interested in it due to the influence of a specific person, a book you read, a speech you heard, and so on. Example: You always despised commercials, but after seeing a particularly funny ad one day, you decided to look more into how this ad was created and why it was so successful in drawingviewers; now, you want to major in advertising. As you write the UIUC essay, make sure to connect your topic to the now.Simply put, what are you currently doing to learn more about this field and to keep it an active part of your life? For example, maybe you plan to major in English and now follow a rigid schedule of writing in a journal every day, even when you really don’t feel like writing or you have nothing interesting to say. Additionally, try to discuss your future with your intended major. Ask yourself: what do you hope to do professionally with this major? Do you have a dream job or career in mind? How will this major help you achieve your professional goals? How will UIUC specifically help you? Think about how possible classes; academic, professional, or extracurricular opportunities; and programs at UIUC could further yourfuture goals in the field. For instance, if you want to major in math, you could mention in your UIUC essay how you’re interested in participating in the several math contests available at the university, and how you feel these events will help mentally prepare you to pursue an advanced math degree. Finally, as with any college essay, there are a few things you should absolutely avoid doing in your UIUC essay: Focusing way too much on the past: While it’s OK to mention your childhood, especially if you developed your academic interest early on in life, UIUC wants to know more about you now, as a promising young adult, than it does you as a merely curious kid. Too many negatives: It’s perfectly fine (and expected) to have faced challenges in the field you’ve chosen and in life in general. Just be sure to puta positive twist on your topic so that you come across mature, wise, and goal-oriented. A Real UIUC Essay Example + Analysis To help give you a better idea of what your own UIUC essay could look like, here is one real UIUC essay example we found online, written by an admitted student. Note that this essay responds to a slightly different prompt (though it's still pretty similar to the current UIUC essay prompt) and has a slightly shorter word limit of 300 instead of 400 words. Here is the prompt: In an essay of 300 words or less, please discuss your academic interests and/or professional goals. And here is the essay: As a senior in high school, I believe I have my mind set on how I want my life to go after I graduate from Bloom Trail High School and move on to the "real world." While attending the university of my dreams, I will study biology while taking pre-med classes. Afterwards, I will attend medical school and study to become an obstetrician. I have an interest in studying biology while in college. After my biology honors class freshman year, I have always had an interest in the study of life. The units that I loved learning about the most were reproduction and the human body. The two struck my interests the most in the class, and even influenced me to take AP Biology my senior year and decide to major in biology in college. I also have an interest in math, which has been my best subject in school for as long as I can remember. Unlike most, math comes easy to me and since it is universally used everywhere for everything, it is probably one of my best skills, interests, and assets. My personal career goal in life is to become an obstetrician. I have a love for newborn babies and I feel this would be the most rewarding career I could have. I also would love to come back to the Chicagoland area where I was born and raised to help pregnant women and their babies have a safe and healthy lifestyle before, during, and after birth. My goal is to assist people in my community. I will feel accomplished with my life as long as I help others. Even if I only successfully help one woman and her family, I would be satisfied with myself forever. Source What Makes This UIUC Essay Work? It's clear, focused, and easy to follow:The applicant doesn’t dawdle and gets straight to the point by explaining their desire to study biology and take pre-med classes at the University of Illinois. We also learn at the start that they want to become an obstetrician; this helps us keep track of the direction of the essay. Word choice isconsistently clearas well, making the essay both relatable and easy to understand. It’s full of passion:This UIUC essay focuses on how the applicant developed a strong interest in biology, math, and pre-med, and it does a fantastic job emphasizing their passion for these fields. We learn how they became fascinated with the human body and developed a desire to help others, specifically women and newborn babies, by becoming an obstetrician. The final sentence is what really brings home the applicant's devotion to medicine and service. How Could This UIUC Essay Be Even Better? It could be more specific and creative:Although this UIUC essay is well written and tightly focused, it isn’t super specific or creative in terms of storytelling. Some admissions officers might find it a little dry and boring. Therefore, this essay could have been a more effective narrative had itincluded or opened with a personal anecdote, such as a conversation the applicant had with someone in the medical field. It could have more personality:Although we understand that the applicant is interested in studying biology and working in the medical field, we don’t get a clear sense of their voice or personality here. Had the applicant incorporated more details unique to their life or view, we readers could've felt closer to knowing who they are and what they value. 4 Essential Tips for Writing a Great UIUC Essay To wrap up, here are four essential tips to keep in mind as you write your U of I application essay. #1: Don’t Just List Your Extracurriculars While the UIUC essay prompt asks about your chosen major and what types of activities (school or otherwise) you’ve done related to your major, you don’t want to simply list your extracurriculars in your essay. The point of the UIUC essay is to give the admissions committee more detailed and personal commentary on why you’ve selected this major, what personally drew you to it, and how you believe this major will benefit your future. #2:Pace Yourself You’ve only got one major essay to write for the UIUC application (unless you put down a second-choice major on your application, in which case you'll need to submit another essay on the same prompt), so definitely take your time with it! This year,the UIUC deadlines are November 1 for early action and January 5 for regular decision. I recommend starting your U of I application essay at least two months before the application is due. This should give you plenty of time to brainstorm potential topics, write a rough draft, edit your draft, and get feedback (see Tip 4 for more details on how to do this final step). #3: Highlight Your Passion The UIUC essay might sound as though all you’re doing is simply stating what major you want to study and why- but it’s a lot more than this. With this essay,what you're really trying to do is demonstrate your academic passion to the UIUC admissions committee. In other words, what motivates you to learn? What drives you more than anything else? And why are you so enthusiastic about the field/major you’ve selected? By highlighting your passion for your intended major, you’re also showing the UIUC admissions committee who you are and what’s important to you, both academically and more broadly. To really make your passion stand out in your University of Illinois essay, take the following steps: Be as specific as possible- give us real names and use visceral descriptions to make us feel as though we’re there experiencing and feeling everything with you Be honest- the admissions committee wants to get to know the real you, and it can only do this if you’re writing in an authentic voice that’s true to who you are #4: Polish and Proofread My final tip is to give yourself plenty of time to polish and proofread your UIUC essay. In your rough draft, keep an eye out for obvious typos and technical mistakes, such as errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Also, look for any areas that are awkward, incomplete, out of place, or unclear. Once you’ve edited your essay on your own, give it to someone else to read, such as a parent, teacher, or tutor.Ask them to make technical corrections as needed and to offer you advice on what you might be able to improve in terms of story, cogency, and overall effectiveness. What’s Next? Applying to other colleges in the midwest? Check out our expert guides to how to write the UChicago essays, the Notre Dame essays, andthe Michigan State essay (coming soon). If you're using the Common App to submit your college applications, you'll need to figure out which essay prompt is the best one for you. Learn more about how to get into the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by visiting our UIUC admission requirements page. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Business Globalization-International Conferences on Business and Essay

Business Globalization-International Conferences on Business and Culture - Essay Example Communications problems in marriages of Japanese women and American men arose because of inadequate acculturation of Japanese women. The crisis in their marriages starts when their kids are grown up and identify themselves with American values and behavior norms. American and Japanese communications styles differ significantly as Americans are more straightforward whereas, Japanese prefer understanding feelings of each other. In this way, Americans are more expressive whereas, Japanese do not express their feelings and they assume that other person will understand feelings from subtle things. Moreover, significant cultural differences, religious differences and language barriers also create problems in the relations between U.S. and Japanese marriages. In a panel discussion on â€Å"Japanese Religion as Local Culture and its Global Relevance†, all panel members shared their experience when they in Japan. In the discussion, the establishment of Association of Sacred sites of Shinto and Buddhism in 2008 was considered as a cooperative relationship between the two traditions. The focus of discussion was on aspects of Japanese religion, Buddhism and Judaism in Japan. It has been highlighted by all of the panel members that Japanese have strong religious beliefs and most of the times Americans get amazed about miracles which are common things for Japanese. Like Japan other Asian countries are also nature-oriented and they believe that they learn from nature. People in Japan believe that senses are actions to be respectful and everything has a life source. They have a strong belief that God exists somewhere out there, but God is within us and even all individuals are different but they have been created by something greater than that. In the discussion on Social Justice and Global Strategies, internationalization and globalization were discussed. The main focus of discussion was on the

Discussion Board Chapter 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board Chapter 2 - Essay Example Most people have never interacted with other cultures, therefore need to be educated on the principles that they should incorporate. The main principle is making prior research on the person you wish to interact with from the different culture. This way one is familiar with the basics of the foreign culture and one can prepare on how to communicate. For instance, answering greetings from the foreign culture. The other principles involved include having a purpose for interaction with the new culture. With this in mind conversation are easy to start and to keep going for a long time. Other principles include noting the tonal variation of the other party so as to help understand what they are putting across. A tone may help recognize emotions and feelings. In addition one should avoid using slang from your own culture that would definitely shut out the other party from conversing. Moreover, generally looking at the facial expression and body movement of the other party can improve communication. In conclusion, improving intercultural communication requires efforts from both parties including being a good listener and having the need for communicating. Most individuals only go down that road with a purpose but with the knowledge on how to improve such communications, different cultures will bond easily and achieve an understanding from their

What was new about Darwin's theory of Human Nature Essay

What was new about Darwin's theory of Human Nature - Essay Example (Mayr) Darwins theory, although successful in profoundly shaking scientific opinion about the development of life, could not explain the source of variation in traits within a species, and Darwins proposal of a hereditary mechanism was not compelling to biologists. Although the occurrence of evolution of some sort became a widely-accepted view among scientists, Darwins specific ideas about evolution—that it occurred gradually by natural and sexual selection—were actively attacked and rejected. Darwins theory nearly shattered the traditional Christian notion that humanity, poised between beast and angel, was literally formed in Gods image. Darwin pointed out, long before we knew that we share 98.5 percent of our genetic material with chimpanzees, that what looks back at us in the mirror is not the face of God but is kin to the earthbound apes. As the Edinburgh Review warned at the time, "a revolution in thought is imminent, which will shake society to its very foundations by destroying the sanctity of the conscience and the religious sense." (Zimmer) Darwins theory created a revolution in thought. It took over 100 years for the shock of our humble origins to wear off and for scientists to begin to address the serious implications that Darwinian evolution has for understanding human nature. During that time, greatly due to Darwins contribution, Western cultures faith in science grew, as faith in a Supreme Being guiding our destiny diminished. Something fascinating seems to happen when human beings begin to ponder the process of evolution. Something that calls forth awe at diversity and recognizes unity in life. Even Darwin, in The Descent of Man, used his own godless logic to envision a greater human unity that borders on the spiritual: "As man advances in civilization and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members

President Bashar Al Assad Politics Essay

President Bashar Al Assad Politics Essay President Bashar al-Assad has also deep contacts and friendship with Hezbollah group and Iranian Mahdi Army. In the current situation of Syria between President Assads army and protesters Assad has been assisted by fighters of Hezbollah and Shiite recruited by Yemen and other countries. According to now.mmedia.me the army troops of Mahdi Army has entered in South Syria through Druze Mountain to assist President Assad in controlling protesters in the country. This intervention of Mahdi Army was a clear message to progressive socialist party leader of Syria Walid Jumblatt, who was raising his voice to get help for uprising of Syria internationally, that this uprising is going to be crushed by President Bashar with the help of Iranian guards. Iran has shown its full and deep commitments to Syrian regime by helping the regime in Damascus where a severe crackdown was implemented by President Bashar with the full assistance of Iranian Mahdi Army. This severe crackdown of Mahdi Army resulte d in the brutal killings of 6,000 protesters in Damascus. A video is been leaked in YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIQOMlk9WcI) in which a sniper soldier of Mahdi Army has been captured by the Syrian rebels, in the video this prisoner is admitting that he was sent to Syria to kill Syrian protesters to help President Bashar Assad. This sniper is the member of Mahdi Army in Iraq that means President Bashar has strong relations and contacts with Mahdi Army. Hezbollah Group: President Bashar called the Hezbollah group to crush down the uprising voices in Syria. Hezbollah is the group that has advanced artillery and well trained soldiers to face any rebellion situation. On the request of President Bashar the Lebanese Hezbollah joined the government forces to fight against the rebel groups in the country. Hezbollah is the close ally of President Bashar al-Assad and this is giving full support to assist the President in crushing the hated protest against him in Syria. In this fight, Hezbollah group have killed more than 70,000 people in Syria. Hezbollah is securing President Bashar regime like a strong wall in the country on the request of Iran. The intervention of Hezbollah in Syria has complicated the situation of Syria more intensively. One of the most important protester leaders Ahmad al-Assir has called his supporter to face Hezbollah group with full power and let them taste the sand in the fight. On his call many volunteer rebels have made them prepar e to fight against Hezbollah to the last drop of their blood. The fight between Hezbollah and rebellion groups of Syria has increased the tense situation of the country. A worst war has been out broken just because of the natural hatred against Hezbollah in the mind and heart of the people of Syria. This fight of Hezbollah and the rebellion groups had been resulted in a great massacre in Syria. A large numbers of people have died from both sides in this conflict. The situation is getting worse as time passes. The full support of President Bashar to Hezbollah has made the protester angrier and the wave of fight, protest and hatred against President Bashar has grown worse and the enmity has reached to the peak. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/hezbollah-syria-war_n_3160447.html?utm_hp_ref=world) Jabaht Al-Nusra Group: Jabaht Al-Nusra has risen as a most opposing group against President Bashar regime. This group is the major fighting force in Syria. This group is fully equipped with fully trained and ready to die fighters and the numbers of fighters in this group are increasing. Jabaht Al-Nusra has one more important characteristic of having a vast and strong network bounding relationships with other Islamic groups like Al-Tawhid, Liwa Al-Ummah, Ahrar Al-Sham, Suqur Al-Sham and Jund-Alsham. The altogether numbers of fighters in these groups are around 40,000; most of them are actually the local Syrian people who joined this group just because of getting annoyed by the policies and harsh treatment of President Bashar against his own countrymen. Jabaht Al-Nusra is in the front line of opposition against President Bashar, which are opposing Bashers regime by using weapons. Recent news has confirmed that Jabaht Al-Nusra has links with the terrorist group Al-Qaida. According to BBC News, Al-Qaida for th e very first time has announced the Jabaht Al-Nusra group as a part of its network that are fighting in Syria. The leader of Al-Qaida Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has said that the Jabaht Al-Nusra group is fighting in Syria for the establishment of an Islamic state in Syria. This declaration is made in an audio message in which the suspicious links of these two groups has been confirmed by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, head of Islamic State in Iraq. This group has claimed to be an influential power behind a numbers of suicide bombing attacks in Syria at the time of uprising which started in Syria in March 2011. The United Nation has declared this Islamic group Jabaht Al-Nusra as a blacklist terrorist organization because of its brutal and merciless suicide bombing attacks in Syria and increasing the conflict situation in the country. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22078022) 2.2 Impact of External Lobby: United States Of America: The United States of America has raised its voice against the brutal killings of civilians in Syria but has no plan to intervene in the country currently. In Syria the dictatorship is so strong that United State has no control over this Arab regime. In the start of this uprising the position of United States was vague regarding the situation of Syrian regime. It was not clear that if the United States wanted the regime to fall or sustain. The Syrian regime is providing a secure border to Israel. United States always wanted to secure Israel and in the current regime of Assad the borders of Israel are more secure. The current regime of Syria is very clear and straightforward regarding Palestinian organizations in Syria; according to current regime the Palestinian organizations and fighters groups are banned to plan or execute their martial operations against Israel from Syrian land. United States is well aware that the next regime in Syria will not give as strong border to Israel like the current regime is providing. The down fall of the current regime may bring weaker borders of Syria with Israel and the exile groups of militants from Iraq, Libya and Palestinian fighter may have an uninterrupted entrance in Israel. Thats why the intentions of U.S. for Syria are sceptical. In the past few months the news of chemical arms used by Bashar have been exposed by the media and now the U.S. are showing more concern in the situation of Syria. US President Barrack Obama has promised to conduct a vigorous investigation about the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces and warned the Syrian regime that this act of theirs can be a turning point of the relationship of US with Syria. He furthermore said that not only US but all around the world have to recognize and need to stand against the use of chemical weapon on civilian populations. (https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/obama-vows-vigorous-probe-into-syria-chemical-arms-claims) Iran Iran is the strongest ally of President Basher and his government since the time of uprising started in the country. Iran has the concept that all the riots and protest in the Syria are held on the signals of America. All the protests are pro-American and these riots have nothing to do with the benefits of Middle East. Iran is assisting President Bashar with its army and artillery to crush down the revolution. The President Bashar and Iranian government has good relationships. The main reason of this good relationship is the same religious views between them. The Iranian government is following the Shiaism religion and the regime of Syria is also the followers of same religion. This similarity of religion has brought both the allies more close to each other. Iran is assisting President Bashar with all kinds of assistance. The army of Iran is currently present in Syria to fight with protesters and rebellion groups. A large number of people are killed by the Iranian soldiers in Syria. Syrian regime is relying on the loyalties of Iran and getting a massive support from the Iran. Iran considers the President Bashar a strong ally and if Bashar regime fails in Syria then it is considered that one wing of Iran will broke. For this purpose Iran is using all its resources to secure the regime of President Bashar. All the contacts of Iran are being used by the Iranian government to save President Bashar. The main contacts of Iran are from Iraq to Lebanon. Irans defence minister Ahmed Vahidi has announced publically that if Syrian regime could not succeeded in putting down the uprising then Iran would dispatched its military help to Syria after signing a mutual defence agreement between Iran and Syria. In the uprising of Syria the Iran is assisting President Bashar to keep his power to him through all possible means like, cash, military, weapons and fighters. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444230504577615393756632230.html) Turkey In the beginning of uprising in the Syria the Turkey was concerned to keep its relation with the regime of the Syria. Initially Turkey did not say anything openly in favor of opponents of President Bashar. Turkey started to rethink over its stance on Syria by the summer of 2011 when a large number of civilians were killed brutally in Hama and Latakia by Syrian army. In August, the foreign minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu arranged a meeting with President Assad that continues for six hours. In this highly official meeting between two countries the Turkish foreign minister warned President Assad that if the killing of civilian did not stop immediately then Turkey will stop dialogue with Syria. In June the next month of this meeting, the patronage NGOs of Turkey started gathering Syrian opposition groups in Istanbul after the approval and consent of Turkish government. The participants of this gathering were not interested to discuss on titles like Change for Syria or National Freedom Conference, rather they demanded that President Assad and his supporter first step down from the government and then discussion about new Syria will started with them. The Syrian National Council (SNC) came into existence in Istanbul and it represented itself as a main political address party for opposition. Turkey unlocked its borders for the Syrian rebel groups. In July 2011, a large numbers of retired Syrian army soldiers reached in Syria under the leadership of retired air force colonel Riyad al-Assad. These groups of retired soldiers made an organization in Turkey named Free Syrian Army. The main objective of this organization was to work hand in hand to get freedom from President Assads cruel government. This organization proved itself as an umbrella organization and strongly opposed the concept of table talk with President Bashar regime. In September 2011, Turkey has decided to finish all the contacts and relationships with Syrian regime and imposed army restriction on its s outh border. The good relationship between two countries has come to an end and Turkey has announced the Syrian National Council (SNC) as an official representative of the Syrian Opposition. http://www.merip.org/mero/mero012813

Treatment and Management of Shyness in Children Essay -- Papers Person

Treatment and Management of Shyness in Children Research and studies have found that shyness in children could be due to genetic, temperamental, and environmental influences (Jaffe, 1991, p. 270, & Zimbardo 1995, p. 56). This paper aims to discuss the types of shyness, the influences on shyness, the difference between normal and problematic shyness. Lastly, strategies will be presented to help the shy child. The basic feeling of shyness is a common problem not only among children but also among adults. According to Zimbardo (1995, p.56-57) and Jaffe (1995, p. 270), shyness is a mix of emotions, including fear and interest, tension and pleasantness. A shy child may display in his/her behaviour a downward gaze, physical, and verbal reticence. That is he/she will try to avoid eye contact or withdraw slightly or totally when being touched or talked to. The speech is often soft, almost inaudible, and at times, very hesitant. Shyness is very often a mistaken and misunderstood emotion. It ought to be distinguished from two related behaviour patterns: wariness and social disengagement. It is very normal that young infants are very wary of strangers as it is a time that attachment to familiar faces of caregivers are very important during this period of growing and trusting in the surrounding physical and human environment (Gonzalez-Mena, & Widmeyer Eyer, 2001, p. 77). For older children who may prefer solitary play and appear to have low needs for social interaction, would usually not experience the emotional tensions of the genuinely shy child (Van Hoorn et al, 2003, p. 242-243, & Cohen et al, 1987, p. 80). Children ... ...docId=5000962656&offset=1. (July 12, 2004). Feldman, R.S.(2003). Essentials of Understanding Psychology. 5th ed. USA: McGraw Hill. Gonzalez-Mena, J. & Widmeyer Eyer, D. (2001). Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers. 5th ed. USA: Mayfield Publishing Company. Hendrick, J. (1992). The Whole Child. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. Jaffe, M.L. (1997). Understanding Parenting. 2nd ed. USA: Allyn & Bacon. Reid, B., & Vans, S. (1989). In J. Valsiner, (Ed.). Child development in cultural context (pp.199-218). Toronto: Hogrefe Inc. Van Hoorn, J., P.M. Nourot, Scales, B., & Alward, K. R. (2003). Play at the Center of the Curriculum. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Zimbardo, P.G. (1995). Shyness: What it is? What to Do about it? USA: Perseus Publishing.

Investigation and prevention of child abuse Essay

Child abuse is one of the most common human right violations in the human community. According to UNCEF reports, at least one child dies every day as a result of child abuse. Nevertheless, the exact number of child deaths as a result of chilled abuse is hindered by the fact that most cases of child deaths in the communities goes without investigation. Still, an estimated over 30, 000 child in America are put under protection registers annually (American Prosecution Research Institute 12). The world is approximated to have over 100 million abused children most of whom are from the developing nations. However, these are just but a few of child abuse cases which are reported. There are numerous types of child abuse practices in the society. They range from infant shaking, to child battering, to child negligence, to child sexual abuse (Perona, Bottoms, and Vieth 42). Such practices are blamed for having a negative impact on the psychological, physical, and social development of the child. The process of preventing child abuse effectively dictates for the participation of all members of the community in ensuring early identification of such problems (Perona, Bottoms, and Vieth 51). Creating awareness among children as well as other members of the community on the rights of children plays an instrumental role in mitigating child abuse in the community. Investigation of child abuse for legal charges involves numerous methods depending on the type and magnitude of the act. For instance, Physical sexual abuse on kids can either be self evident or call for medical procedures to qualify (Myers 46). The history of family relations plays a crucial role in child abuse investigation practices by law enforcement. This paper seeks to give a detailed discussion on the prevention and investigation of child abuse. Prevention of child abuse The realization of effective child abuse prevention entails the creation of awareness on the forms and how to identify child abuse as well as engaging efforts in mitigating risk factors to child abuse in the community (Perona, Bottoms, and Vieth 51). The problem of child abuse in the community is increased by lack of awareness by the public. According to available statistics for example, child sexual abuse incidences in the American society has its peak between the onset of puberty and adolescence (American Prosecution Research Institute 67). At this age, most of the victims have mental capability to identify and avoid being victims of sexual abuse. Based on this reasoning, creating adequate awareness among the child can greatly aid in mitigating child abuse practice in the community. In this pursuit, since 1983, the American nation has set April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. In addition, the government funds child-abuse prevention initiatives through its Community-Based Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (CBCAP) (American Prosecution Research Institute 71). Still on awareness, society cohesion factor plays an important role in preventing child (Myers 102). Just as is the case with other forms of crime prevention practices, the local community members find much advantage in the early identification and thus controlling of child abuse in their neighborhoods. This is because; they are the ones living close to the sources of child abuse; the family unit. Therefore, encouraging communal living among members of the community is instrumental in preventing child abuse. Another common practice of preventing child abuse is enforcing zero tolerance policies on domestic violence. According to numerous research findings, it is established that families marked with couple violence have a higher prevalence of child abuse; both physically and emotionally (Myers 112). There are numerous risk factors identified for causing child abuse practices. Such include the social and economic position of the family and the local community and the effectiveness of the law enforcement and criminal justice system in addressing child abuse cases (Myers 108). It has been sufficiently claimed that poverty in the in family plays an instrumental factor in perpetuating child abuse practices such as neglect. Financial constrains in the family also serves to cause stress and depression among parent, a factor that negatively impacts on the parent-child relationship. Still, an idle mind is the devils workshop. Therefore, the sustainable prevention of child abuse dictates for resolving eminent economic problems that affecting members of the local community. Also found to influence the level of child abuse is the character and gender of the child. Statistical evidence indicates that most mentally or physically disabled children are found to be at risk of child abuse (Perona, Bottoms, and Vieth 61). The statistics also establish substantial evidence connecting gender classification as a clear cause of child abuse in the community. In particular, the girl child is prone to child abuse and neglect. In some countries, the girl child is rarely provided with equal education as the boy child. This is a denial of the children right to education. In addition, girls are common victims to forced marriages as well as prostitution. On the other hand, the boy child is commonly marked with forced labor. They are also the main victims of corporal punishment compared to girls. These are the reasons behind the enactment and enforcement of numerous laws mitigating practices such as child pornography and prostitution and child labor (American Prosecution Research Institute 61). Many nations across the globe including the United States have banned corporal punishment of children both in the schools and in the family. This serves the purpose of limiting inhuman punishments on children. It is worth noting that the United Nations initiative on providing basic education to all children has taken cause in many countries across the globe. This initiative is quite instrumental in influencing prevention of anti-girl child education practices in the nation as much of its emphasis is on the girl child. Such an initiative is supported by numerous community based non-governmental organization. The war on drug abuse in the community is an important tool in mitigating child abuse. According to numerous research findings, drug abuse like alcoholism is among the leading causes of domestic violence as well as child sexual abuse in the community (Myers 121). This claim has been evidently supported by the fact that drugs function in compromising the reasoning and judgmental ability of an individual. Such can also be explained by the fact that drugs enhance aggression and temper of the victim. In a move to mitigate this practice of drug abuse as a potential cause for child abuse, the American nation is found to spend billions of dollars on the war against drugs in the society. Investigation of child abuse The process of investigating child abuse is heavily dependent on the availability of claimed evidence of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. According to the available legal provisions; some forms of child abuse such as child labor neglect, and failure to provide education as well as some forms physical abuse of are self evident (Myers 132). Therefore, the investigation of such practices is mainly based on reported evidence rather than dictating for medical procedures. Also commonly involved in the investigation practices is identifying the history of a child abuse problem. According to psychological principles, human problems such as emotional stress and depression are a direct result of long term abuse in children. Based on this, the period over which such abuse on a particular child should be provided as qualifying evidence against the defendants charged with child abuse (Myers 136). As per the requirements of the law, this evidence can be self proclaimed by the victim, given by a member of the local community or from a doctor. The doctor should conduct an extensive diagnosis on the subject matter to give admissible evidence. Such might cover but not limited to the extent of physical or emotional damage impacted on the child. However, the laws protecting children against abuse prohibit against even the slightest form of action against a child that can compromise their social, emotional, academic and physical development. Conclusion Despite the numerous efforts by governments and other community-based non-governmental organizations, child abuse remains a major problem in the global community. There are various causes of child abuse in the community. Such include; domestic violence, cultural beliefs, economic status, and social practices in the community. The problem is further complicated by failure by the victims or members of the community to reports such cases to the relevant authorities for legal action against the perpetrators. Therefore, effective child abuse prevention strategies must take into account the need for creating public awareness on the problem. It should also devote much emphasis on resolving the main social and economic factors which promote child abuse. It is only through consulted cooperation among all stakeholders in the community that the war against child abuse can be successful.

Free Essays on Poetry

GOOD AND EVIL The conflict between good and evil is the poem's most important theme. The poet makes it clear, however, that good and evil don't exist as mutually exclusive opposites, but that both qualities are present in everyone. Beowulf represents the potential to do good- to perform acts selflessly and in the service of others- while Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon are consumed with the blind desire to act against people and to destroy them. Yet pride, a human quality, is also a sign that evil exists. It's important, as Hrothgar points out to Beowulf, to protect oneself against feeling self-satisfied; you must not ignore the powers to do good with which you've been blessed. The transitoriness and instability of human existence make it essential that you never feel too self-important about what you've done. The poet also makes clear our need for a code of ethics. Such a code allows members of society to relate to one another with understanding and trust. The most important bond in Anglo-Saxon society was the relation between king and warrior. When the Geat warriors break the bond by refusing to assist Beowulf in his battle with the dragon, the foundation of society collapses, and chaos rules.... Free Essays on Poetry Free Essays on Poetry The poem I chose to explore based on its imagery is â€Å"Kubla Khan† written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. â€Å"Kubla Khan† is a mixture of delightful images that Coleridge writes about symbolically. This story portrayed through the imagery encompasses spirituality Coleridge longs to be connected with. Although the motivation to dream up such images can be debated, in the following paragraphs, I will argue that the imagery used has specific spiritual meaning for the paradise Coleridge has created. In the first stanza, a beautiful landscape is laid down before us. A parallel could be drawn between the imagery of the contradictory landscape and what heaven looks like. Xanadu is the name of this fantastic realm where the Khan (a representation of God) decrees his stately pleasure-dome, where the sacred Alph river (holy water) flows down to the depthless caverns (infinite eternity), and where a fountain breaks through the rocky surface (representing the power of God. This astonishing imagery of the landscape represents a heaven to Coleridge a place which the author wishes to experience. The first figure or agent in the land of Xanadu, is Khan, a character immediately identified as being important and powerful: ‘In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/ A stately pleasure dome decree’ (ll. 1-2) The Khan appears to be the ultimate warrior for his words shape his utopian reality. It is Khan, who produces such an enchanting paradise in which he protects and roams just as God would. So twice of five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round: And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree; And here were forests ancient as the hills, Enfolding sunny spots of greenery. (ll. 6-11) The pleasure dome clearly can be seen has having spiritual and religious importance. The idea being expressed here are in fact the beauty God controls as well as the protection he offers. ... Free Essays on Poetry When it comes to poetry there are a few things that make poems stick out and stay fresh in people’s minds. Three of these things are diction, tone, and theme. Diction is the way that the author wrote uses his or her words in the piece. Tone is kind of difficult to put into words. Some people get tone and diction confused because they both have to do with word usage. However, tone is how the words are used to create a certain mood in the poem. Theme is simply what the poem is about. These are three important things to look at in all poems. Those are the three things that will be discussed about â€Å"Johannesburg Mines† by Langston Hughes. The diction in this poem seems to be pretty basic. The way the author â€Å"talks† in this poem is very clear. It is not hard to stay with the words, and not often will the reader stumble on reading this selection. For one, this is not a long poem and the words are very simple. This is a poem that a third grader would be able to read, maybe not understand but read. The most difficult word is â€Å"Johannesburg† and that can be read phonetically. Overall, this is an easy poem to read. Diction is important, and it sort of similar to tone. Tone is the mood created from the words used in the selection. The tone that comes from this poem is one where the author seems to be angered at the fact that there are 240,000 native Africans working in the Johannesburg mines. It seems to be that Langston Hughes is making some sort of political statement with this poem. After reading this poem, I was not enraged, but a small rush of anger came over me. It was as if the tone that Langston had in this poem was transferred to me. I felt what Langston was talking about, what kind of poem could be made from the slave labor of 240,000 native Africans working in a mine? Not only did it make me think of the Africans in the mine but the other African Americans and black people all over the world that are... Free Essays on Poetry Poetry, form of literature, spoken or written, that emphasizes rhythm, other intricate patterns of sound and imagery, and the many possible ways that words can suggest meaning. The word itself derives from a Greek word, poesis, meaning "making" or "creating." Whereas ordinary speech and writing, called prose, are organized in sentences and paragraphs, poetry in its simplest definition is organized in units called lines as well as in sentences, and often in stanzas, which are the paragraphs of poetry. The way a line of poetry is structured can be considered a kind of garment that shapes and clothes the thought within it. The oldest and most longstanding genres for classifying poetry are epic, a long narrative poem centered around a national hero, and lyric, a short poem expressing intense emotion. Throughout its long history poetry has relied on evolving rules about what a poem is, with new kinds of poetry building on earlier kinds to create greater possibilities of expression. In the 20th century poets have increasingly used the language of everyday speech and created new forms that break the usual rules of poetry, such as its organization in line units. Yet to surprise a reader and evoke a response, the new has to be seen in contrast to the old, and thus poetry still depends upon a reader's depth of knowledge about the poetic practices of the past for its effectiveness. Though much poetry is in written form, it usually represents a speaking voice that is not the same as the poet's. In some lyric poems, this voice seems to speak about individual feelings; in epic poems, the voice seems to speak on behalf of a nation or community. Poetic voices of all kinds confront the unspeakable and push the limits of language and experience. The 20th-century American poet Michael Palmer ch aracterizes this aspect of poetry when he writes playfully, "How lovely the unspeakable must be. You have only to say it and it tells a story." At its deepest lev... Free Essays on Poetry GOOD AND EVIL The conflict between good and evil is the poem's most important theme. The poet makes it clear, however, that good and evil don't exist as mutually exclusive opposites, but that both qualities are present in everyone. Beowulf represents the potential to do good- to perform acts selflessly and in the service of others- while Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon are consumed with the blind desire to act against people and to destroy them. Yet pride, a human quality, is also a sign that evil exists. It's important, as Hrothgar points out to Beowulf, to protect oneself against feeling self-satisfied; you must not ignore the powers to do good with which you've been blessed. The transitoriness and instability of human existence make it essential that you never feel too self-important about what you've done. The poet also makes clear our need for a code of ethics. Such a code allows members of society to relate to one another with understanding and trust. The most important bond in Anglo-Saxon society was the relation between king and warrior. When the Geat warriors break the bond by refusing to assist Beowulf in his battle with the dragon, the foundation of society collapses, and chaos rules....

Examples of Interpersonal skills The WritePass Journal

Examples of Interpersonal skills Professional development for strategic managers, including technical competence, social and human skills, and conceptual ability Examples of Interpersonal skills Professional development for strategic managers, including technical competence, social and human skills, and conceptual abilityIntroduction1.1   Personal Skills required to achieve Strategic Goals.Time managementEffective DelegationCommunication and the Management of ConflictStress Management1.2   Techniques to assess the professional skills required of a Manager2.1 skills audit to evaluate the strategic skills needed to meet current and future leadership requirementPsychological Testing2.2 Application of appropriate techniques to identify preferred learning styleReferencesRelated Professional development for strategic managers, including technical competence, social and human skills, and conceptual ability Introduction In order to carry out the process of management and the execution of work, the manager requires a combination of technical competence, social and human skills, and conceptual ability. As the manager advances up the organisational hierarchy, greater emphasis is likely to be placed on conceptual ability, and proportionately less on technical competence. (Mullins,1999). 1.1   Personal Skills required to achieve Strategic Goals. According to the work of Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, as cited by (Mullins, 1999) From their experience of the nature of management work and research project, they identify 11 attributes which were possessed by successful managers and which could not be found with less successful managers. The attributes are grouped into three different levels but many of the qualities are interconnected and possession of one contributes to possession of another. Basic knowledge and information- this is needed by the manager in making decisions and taking action. This is the foundation level. (Mullins, 1999) The specific skills and qualities- this directly affect behaviour and performance. That is the skill or quality of continuing sensitivity to events allows managers to acquire basic knowledge and information. The ‘meta-qualities’ allow managers to develop and deploy skills and resources, and to deploy the situation-specific skills needed in particular circumstances.(Mullins, 1999) Below are other personal skills of an effective manager: Time management Though it is currently a popular topic of attention, the significance of time management has long been recognised as an inherent feature of management. Drucker (1988) as cited by (Mullins, 1999) refers to time as the limiting factor for effective executives. Time is an irreplaceable resource you cannot rent, hire, buy or otherwise acquire more time. He further says that the supply of time is totally inelastic; time is completely irreplaceable and everything requires time. There are a number of suggested procedures and techniques for managing time, but the basic requirement of good time management include: Clear objectives; The ability to delegate successfully; Careful forward planning; The definition of priorities and action Stewart (1988) as cited by (Mullins, 1999) suggests that it is often helpful for managers to compare what they think they do against what they actually do in reality. Answers to the following questions will help managers decide what, if anything , they should check, and to review their effective management of time. I. Am i dividing my time correctly between different aspects of my job? Is there, perhaps, one part of my job on which I spend too much of my time? II. Am i giving adequate attention to current activities, to reviewing the past and to planning for the future? III. Am I certain that I am not doing any work that I ought to have delegated? However, inspite of developing interest in time management, it should not be viewed in isolation from related tasks of management, such as delegation and leadership. (Mullins, 1999) Effective Delegation Delegation is described as a process of entrusting authority and responsibilities to others, it is not just about illogical apportioning of work. It is the creation of a special manager-subordinate relationship within the formal structure of the organisation. (Mullins, 1999).Delegation should lead to the optimum use of human resources and improved organisational performance. Effective delegation allows manager to make profitable use of time, to concentrate on the more important activities and to spend more time in managing and less in doing. This should lead to a more even flow of work and a reduction   of bottlenecks.(Mullins, 1999) It will make managers more accessible for consultation with subordinates, or other managers, hence improving the process of communication. Effective delegation provides a means of training and development, and also of testing the subordinate’s suitability for promotion. It can be used as a means of assessing the likely performance of a subordinate. If managers have trained competent subordinates capable of taking their place this will not only aid organisational progress but also enhance their own prospects for further advancement. (Mullins, 1999) Another area to be discussed is the area of communication and the management of conflict Communication and the Management of Conflict It has been made known that diverse perspectives, practices and perceptions have to be accommodated, or otherwise made productive, in order to meet an organisation’s overall goals. (McCall and Cousins, 1990).These differences can, depending on the circumstances, be overt or covert. They can take place between superiors and subordinates. In the great majority of situations conflict is either present or threatens to be present. However for manager to handle conflict effectively, a useful framework of Pondy (1967) as cited by (McCall and Cousins, 1990) who saw conflict as having a number of different phases. The first phase is latent conflict, in which two or more parties co-operate with each other and compete for certain rewards. This could be measurable in terms of bonuses or effectiveness benchmarks. The second phase is perceived conflict. This is a situation where group rely on each other and one believes that the other is pursuing a course of action which is harmful to its members (McCall and Cousins,1990). The third phase is felt conflict, in which differences of interests and opinions are given expression in specific issues which take on and added significance because they symbolise how the parties feel about each other. It is at this stage that the manager start to make choices. How he defines situation may be a conscious or unconscious choice, depending on the manager’s awareness of the alternatives and the forces at work on him; how they orient themselves in terms of degree of assertiveness and co-operativeness will influence the ease with which conflict can be managed. (McCall and Cousins, 1990) Strategies for managing conflict – the strategy to be adopted by a manager will vary according to the nature and sources of conflict.(Mullins, 1999) Personnel policies and proceduress are : job analysis, recruitment and selection, job evaluation; systems of reward and punishment, arbitration and mediation. Development of interpersonal/group process skills- this may help to encourage a better understanding of one’s own behaviour, the other person’s point of view, communication process and problem solving. Leadership and management- a more participative and supportive style of leadership and managerial behaviour is likely to assist in conflict management. For example, showing an attitude of respect and trust; encouraging personal self-development. A participative approach to leadership and management may also help to create greater employee commitment. Clarification of goals and objectives- the continual refinement and clarification of goals and objectives, performance standards, role definition will help to avoid misunderstandings and conflict. Socio-technical approach- viewing the organisation as a socio-technical system, in which psychological and socio factors are developed in keeping the structural and technical requirements, will help in reducing dysfunctional conflict.(Mullins, 1999) Stress Management Stress as defined by McKenna and cited by (Mullins, 1999) as any condition that is seen as threatening, burdensome, ambiguous or boring is possibly to result in stress. (Mullins, 1999) cited Handy who suggests some organisational situations that are likely to result to stress for individual at work. These are; Integrative or boundary functions- the particularly stressful role to the coordinator, link person or outside contact, perhaps due to the lack of control over their demands or resources. Career uncertainty- if future career prospects become doubtful the uncertainty can quickly become stressful and spread to affect the person’s duty. Relationship problems- difficulties with boss, colleagues or subordinates. For certain people, especially those with a technical orientation, the need to work with other people is a worrying complication. Strategies for coping with stress; I.   Need to examine the reward system- for example pay and intangible rewards II. Relaxation techniques- this includes considering counselling and advice systems. III. Employee appraisal- manager can review target setting and controlling expectations IV. Training- this could be on stress awareness, assertiveness, time planning. (Mullins, 1999) 1.2   Techniques to assess the professional skills required of a Manager As Management has become more about managing people than managing operations, however, and social and human skills reflect the ability to get along with other people are progressively important attributes at all levels of management. However a simplistic approach, the following framework provides a useful basis from which to examine the combination and balance of the qualities of an effective manager. The degree of technical competence or conceptual ability will vary according to the level of the organisation at which the manager operates. Conceptual ability – this is required in order to view the complexities of the operations of the organisation as a whole, including environmental influences. It also involves decision-making skills. The manager ‘s personal contribution should be related to the overall objectives of the organisation and to its strategic planning.(Mullins, 1999) Technical competence-   this involves the application of particular knowledge, methods and skills to discrete tasks. Technical competence is likely to be required more at the supervisory level and for the training of subordinate staff, and with day-to-day activities concerned in the actual production of goods or services. Social and human skills- has to do with the manager’s interpersonal relationships in working with and through other people, and the application of judgement. A distinguishing feature of management is the ability to secure the effective use of human resources of the organisation. This involves effective teamwork and the direction and leadership of staff to achieve co-ordinated effort. It is under this that effective manager could find sensitivity to particular situations, and flexibility in adopting the most appropriate style of management. (Mullins, 1999) 2.1 skills audit to evaluate the strategic skills needed to meet current and future leadership requirement It is undeniable that various occupations require different skills, competencies and abilities. It is also the case that individuals differ with regard to their mental capabilities and the degree at which they relate them at work. The ‘happy’ scenario is that a match should occur between the individual’s abilities and their occupation, but reality suggests that this is not the case always. The excesses include employees bored inflexible with a simple task who become careless in their attitude and make a succession of mistakes and the employees who have been promoted beyond their capability. The result could be stress either for the individuals unable to cope or their work colleagues who are picking up the debris left behind. It can be assumed that a person’s ability is dependent upon his or her intelligence. (Mullins, 1999). In a similar vein to the studies of personality, different schools of thought have emerged with regard to the study of abilities. Simi lar debates to the ones that surround the study of personality have also twirled around the research on intelligence. (Mullins, 1999) Psychological Testing Furthermore the early tests of intelligence have evolved into a large psychological business. Tests are broadly divided by the British Psychological Society into: Tests of typical performance. These assess individual typical responses to given scenarios. Here, answers indicate an individual’s choices and strength of feelings. Answers are not right or wrong as such, but identify preferences. Personality assessment and interest inventories are examples of such tests. (Mullins, 1999). Tests of maximum performance. These assess an individual’s ability to perform effectively under standard conditions. Performance on these tests, which include ability and aptitude tests, can be judged as right or wrong. Ability tests come in many various forms and may test a general intellectual functioning or a specific ability (such as verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, etc.) Modern Occupational Skills Tests are an example of specific ability tests and measure a range of clerical and administrative skills: verbal checking; technical checking, numerical estimation, etc. they claim to be an aid in the selection of administrative staff. Other methods that could be used to conduct the skills audit include: Checking current records for example, training records to identify what staff have been trained in. Observing staff as they carry out their various tasks and analysing the outcomes for quality. Using surveys to find out what peers or supervisors observe are the skills, knowledge, needs and weaknesses. Carrying out interviews with employees. This could be part of a performance review. (www.records.nsw.gov.au) 2.2 Application of appropriate techniques to identify preferred learning style It is essential for the long-term health and future of the organisation that managers understand the learning process to ensure that not only the needs of individuals are met but that the store of wisdom and ‘know-how’ can flow effectively. Theories of learning can act as a framework for managers to help in the identification and analysis of problems. (Mullins, 1999) In order to understand how people learn, cognitive factors must be taken into account. Observing changes in behaviour is only part of the learning process. Attention must be given to a countless of individual factors, in order to understand how and why the people learn. People learn not only by association and rewards, but by having knowledge of their results and by receiving feedback. The success of their desired aims and goals motivates and drives people to learn. This has brought about making theorists and educationists to consider the ways in which people learn through experience. (Mullins, 1999)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://academic.regis.edu  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Some cognitive theorists have emphasised the cyclical nature of learning and its active nature. Davis(1990) as cited by (Mullins, 1999) for example, claims that ‘experiential learning is an integration and alternation of thinking and doing’. Kolb’s learning cycle is typical of this approach and is the one that is most often used in the management literature. It provides beneficial insights into the nature of learning: It shows that learning is endless, but only another turn of the cycle. It identifies the significance of reflection and internalisation. It is a useful way in recognising problems in the learning process. Learners are not passive recipients but need to actively explore and test the environment. (Mullins, 1999) Moreover, the approach highlights the significance of the fusion between an individual’s behaviour and the evaluation of their actions. The important part of the learning process is the reflection of what has been learned in order to experiment with new situations and to become aware of new possibilities. It is the real essence of action learning; by going through the cycle that learners are opened to applying, reflecting and testing out their learning. This encourages individuals in habits harmonious with the concept of life-long learning. Hence, it is no surprise that Kolb addresses his concepts to managers and suggests that experiential learning will enable managers to cope with change and complexities. He made a suggestion that: A main function of strategic management development†¦is to for managers to have access to knowledge and relationship networks that can aid them in becoming life-long learners and cope with issues on their continually dynamic agendas. Relating his learning cycle to the study of individual differences, Kolb demonstrated that individuals may have a preference for one of the main stages and therein lies their learning style, (Mullins, 1999). The four different styles of learning identified by Kolb are: Accommodative-strong penchant for concrete experiences and active experimentation (hands on); Divergent preference for concrete experiences, but to reflect on these from different viewpoint; Assimilative prefers to swing between reflection and conceptualisation and will use inductive reasoning to develop new theory; Convergent prefers to apply ideas, and will take an idea and test it out In practice. (Kolb,1985) as cited by (Mullins, 1999) Honey and Mumford(1992) as cited by (Mullins, 1999) refined Kolb’s learning style questionnaire by simplifying his learning cycle. The outcome is that managers can identify whether they are predominantly: Activist  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   what is new? I’m game for anything. Reflector  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like time to think about this. Pragmatist  Ã‚   how can I apply this in practice? Theorist  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   how does this relate to that? The scholars assert that an understanding of one’s learning styles will improve learning effectiveness. And also that an integrated and effective learner will be prepared to manage all four styles even though they may have a favourite. References ATKINS, M.J., BEATTIE, J. and DOCKRELL, W.B., Assessment Issues in Higher Education, Department of Employment (October 1993), p.51. CHARSLEY, W.F. ‘Effective Management-so you think you’ve got it right?’ British Journal of Administrative Management, vol.1, November 1986, pp.11-12. See also: ALLEN,T. Hands off Local Government’, Management Today, September 1993, p.5. DAVIS,L. Experience-Based Learning Within the Curriculum, Council for National Academic Awards (1990) DRUCKER, P. The Practice of Management, Heinemann Professional (1989), p.3. GALLWEY, W.T. The Inner Game of Golf, Jonathan Cape (1981), p.19. HANDY, C.B. Understanding Organisations, Fourth edition, Penguin (1993) HONEY, P. and MUMFORD, A. The Manual of Learning Styles, Third edition, Honey (1992) HONEY, P .’Styles of Learning’ in MUMFORD, A. (ed.) Handbook of Management Development, Fourth edition, Gower (1994) JOHNS, T. Perfect Time Management, Century Business (1993) and VAND DE VLIET, A. ‘Beat the Time Bandits’, Management Today, May 1997, pp.90-2. KOLB, D.A., Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, Prentice- Hall (1985) LUTHANS, F. ’Successful vs. Effective Real Managers’, The Academy of Management Executive, vol.11, no.2, 1988, pp.127-32. ‘Managing Your Time Effectively’ Management Checklist 016, The Institute of Management, 1997. McCALL, I. and COUSINS, J. (1990) Communication Problem Solving, ‘The Language of Effective Management’, Courier International LTD, Essex. MULLINS, L.J. ‘Successful Training- A Planned and Systematic Approach’, Administrator, July 1991, pp.4-5. MULLINS, L.J. (1999) Management and Organisational Behaviour, Fifth edition, Pitman Publishing, Great Britain. REES, W.D. The Skills of Management, Fourth edition, International Thompson Business Press (1996), p.26. SNAPE, E., WILKINSON, A., MARCHINGTON, M. and REDMAN, T. ‘Managing Human Resources for TQM: Possibilities and Pitfalls’, Employee Relations, vol.17.no.3, 1995, pp.42-51. STEWART, R. Managers and Their Jobs, second edition, MacMillan (1988), p.123. ‘Training for Advantage’, Management Today, May 1997, p.89. Training Learning Consultancy LTD. Bristol, England. STERNBERG, R.J. and WAGNER, R.K. Practical Intelligence, Cambridge University Press (1986) http:// academic.regis.edu/ed202/subsequent/Kolb2.htm. (accessed on 18th of June 2011) www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/government-recordkeeping-manual/guidance/guidlines-17/guideline-17-part-2. (accessed on 18th June 2011)