#1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

#1 - Essay Example As such, the seven sins as provided by Brown are applicable in describing the nature of man and the character that may dwell in him if controlled by them. Besides, Brown names seven virtues which are cardinals to human living. These, he relates to faith, hope charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The temperance of a person determines the ability to take charge and respond to a situation properly and whether hot or cold, it must be controlled. By virtue, man lives by faith and hope, it is what keeps him going and living. In the event of acquiring more wealth, it is good to be helpful and have mercy to others. This is a true virtue of charity (Olsson, pg.80). The traits provided are guidelines to what human character should be based on. Like Mahatma Gandhi wrote, knowledge without character and science without humanity could be among the blunders that cause violence. It is also true to note that a society lacking the necessary virtues and possesses by the described sins may be a plagued

Free Public Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Free Public Transportation - Essay Example As a preliminary matter, the public is turning to public transportation as an alternative to private transportation. As noted by the American Public Transportation Organization, "Steady increases in transit investment have dramatically improved and expanded public transportation services, attracting record numbers of riders on state-of-the-art systems in metropolitan, small urban and rural areas alike" (2008: n.p.). These are fee-based public transportation systems, but the data demonstrates that extraordinarily large numbers of the public are choosing public transportation and that this trend applies equally in both heavily and less populated areas. The demand, in short, is both strong and demographically diverse. In addition, the data has linked a number of benefits to public transportation. For instance, there has been "improved mobility, safety, security, economic opportunity and environmental quality" where public transportation systems have been implemented (The Benefits of Public Transportation, 2008: n.p.). These benefits do not apply only to a narrow segment of the population; quite the contrary, they benefit individual workers, families, businesses, governmental units, and even national goals such as energy conservation and the health and security of citizens.

A Look At British History History Essay

A Look At British History History Essay It was a turbulent century in British history. A brief study of the era of 1550 to 1650 clearly illustrates why. This was a period of invention, scientific advancement and astrological discoveries, yet it remained filled with supernatural notions, superstition, mythology and plain ignorance. During this era, Britain embarked on an age of great world exploration and mighty conquests while fighting bloody wars of religion, class and political dominance at home. This century was marked by a great rebirth of the arts in which intellectuals and artists flourished in Britain, yet it was also a time of strife, hardship, disease and hunger. It was during this chaotic era that Britain came to be known as the center of Western civilization under the humane and rational rule of Queen Elizabeth I (World). It was also during this time that the poet and playwright William Shakespeare lived, worked and wrote some of historys most remarkable literary works having been influenced by and having drawn upon the social thought, religious conviction and political landscape of this tumultuous era (World). Prior to and during the time of Queen Elizabeth and the time of the Renaissance, Britain was a breeding ground for religious and political unrest. Beginning in 1531, the countrys official religion changed five times in accordance with the choice of the King or Queen who was in power at the time (Elizabethan). Since most of the English common people believed that Kings and Queens were directly connected to God and must be obeyed at all times, the monarchs chosen religion was also followed by most of the monarchs subjects (Time). Britains official religion was Catholic until 1531, then it was Protestant until Queen Mary took the throne after which it became Catholic again and then back to Protestant during Queen Elizabeths reign (Time). Each change in power led to a change in the nations official religion which, in turn, led to persecution of the non-ruling religious group. The political thinking during this period was controlled by a small number of powerful ruling families and jealou sies and rivalries within these families made these political conflicts even more severe (Time). During this era, England was a leader in world exploration and soon became a major commercial power. It was also a time of advancements in technology and invention. All of the unrest and uncertainty, however, left the common people feeling discontent and afraid of the many changes that were happening to their nation. The era in British history between 1550 to 1650 during the time that Queen Elizabeth held the throne has been characterized by British people as one of the best epochs the country ever had (World). While it is true that during her time in power Queen Elizabeth calmed religious unrest, established Britain as a leading world power and ushered in the age of the Renaissance or rebirth of new ideas and new thinking, the life of ordinary citizen was harsh. The majority of the population, referred to as common people, lived short lives filled with hard labor, little food, no schooling, rampant disease, poverty, violence, crime, high infant mortality and inequality between men and women (Time). In cities, life was particularly filthy, brutal and short. There was no running water in homes and so most people were dirty and smelly. Human and animal waste was thrown out directly onto the streets (Time). These unclean conditions formed a breeding ground for the spread of diseases such as typhus, bubonic plague, tuberculosis and influenza (Time). Rogues and vagabonds roamed the roads begging and stealing (Time). Riots were common and could turn violent. Such harsh conditions at home were one of the reasons that many British common people chose to travel to the colonies in the New World in search of a better way of life. It is, therefore, no surprise that entertainment was extremely important to the common people. Even the poorest of the people enjoyed entertainment from acting troupes, dancing, jugglers, strolling players, and plays. Theatre was especially popular with the common people and it was inexpensive to attend (Tudor). It was during this time that open air playhouses first came to be in the cities of Britain, including the Rose, the Swan, and the Globe Theatre in London which was owned, in part, by Shakespeare (Tudor). William Shakespeare fed upon the atmosphere and the feelings occurring during this turbulent era of British history and he used them extensively in his plays and other literary works. One such example is a speech by a character named John of Guant in Shakespeares 1601 play, Richard II, expressing his love for England and his concerns about the countrys future (Time). All of the major events, people, places and problems of this era, including class structure, religious discont ent, fate, rebellion against authority and prominent figures of the time, influenced Shakespeare and provided inspiration and background for his literary works (Who). In his plays, Shakespeare chose to write about many of the periods topics of conversation and disagreement, including classical Greek and Roman tales, superstition, love, revenge and rebellion. The works of playwrights such as Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe contributed to Londons eventual rise as a center of culture and art. Their contributions to this time period will forever mark the social, religious and political thinking of the time and illustrate the conflicts that made the era of 1550 to1650 one of the most turbulent eras in British history. Works Cited Elizabethan Period. ELIZABETHAN ERA. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Time Travellers Guide to Tudor England. Channel 4. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . The Tudor Church. UK Travel and Heritage Britain Express UK Travel Guide. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Who Was around in 1550 to 1650 in Great Britain? WikiAnswers The QA Wiki. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . World History of 1550 to 1650. 2020 Site Wedding Invitation Wording, Family Crests, Trees and Other Eclectic Information at 2020. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .

Hypnosis :: essays research papers

Hypnosis The British Medical Association and the American Medical Association has called it "a temporary condition of altered attention in the subject that may be induced by another person," (Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia) but there is still much about hypnosis that is not understood. Because it resembles normal sleep, it was studied and was found that the brain waves of hypnotized people are more similar to the patterns of deep relaxation than anything else. Rather than a psychic or mystical idea, hypnosis is now looked upon as a form of highly focused concentration in which outside influences are ignored. The most known feature of the hypnotic trance is that hypnotized person becomes easily influenced by the suggestions others-usually the hypnotist. They retain their abilities to act and are able to walk, talk, speak, and respond to questions; but their perceptions can be altered or distorted by external suggestions. At the command of the hypnotist, subjects may lose all feeling in a place on the body, and any kind of pain will not cause them any pain. The heartbeat can be slowed or quickened, and a rise in temperature and perspiration can be created. They can be commanded to experience visual or auditory hallucinations or live the past as if it were the present. Also, recently a scientist discovered that the way the subject's mind experiences time can be altered so that hours or even weeks can pass in second, from the subjects point of view. Subjects may forget part or all of the hypnotic experience or recall things that they had forgotten. The hypnotist may also make "posthypnotic suggestions" that are instructions to the subject to respond to a something after awakening. For example, the hypnotist might suggest that, after the subject wakes up he will have an urge to remove his left shoe, and the more the subject resists, the greater the urge to remove it will be, and once it is removed the urge leaves. These suggestions are sometimes used by specialists to repress or suggest away symptoms in a patient such as anxiety, itching, or headaches. Hypnosis is produced essentially by creating a deep relaxation and focused concentration in the subject. They then become mostly unresponsive to ordinary forms of stimulation, and although they are sometimes told to sleep, they are also told to listen and be ready to respond to commands made by the hypnotist. The word sleep is used in hypnosis not to induce actual sleep, but in practice it is understood that sleep is simply the hypnotic trance. The prefix hypno- is named after the Greek god Hypno which means "sleep.

Test Questions: Hispanic and Latino American Diversity

Many of the immigrants made their move based on what they perceived to be better economic opportunities in the US during the sass's. Perceived economic opportunities escalated the northward movement in the asses. These groups had been classified as non-whites in the ass's and since the mid ass's many of the immigrants have made their migration based on civil unrest in their homelands. Immigrants from Central and South America have increased in numbers rapidly since he sass's and have even outnumbered the Mexicans that have migrated. WOW) Although economic opportunities is the main reason for the migration of so many central and south Americans, the fighting and unrest is an equal motivator for these people, as the demographic ranges from peasants to wealthy individuals. In America there was a conscious effort to degrade and cheapen the Spanish language. The school systems were allowed to continue to discourage the use of Spanish in classrooms by Spanish speaking children. This was do ne systematically by separating the Spanish children from the White children. There was an initiative to place Spanish students in Mexican schools to keep White children separated from them.This was known as the De Cure school segregation. These Mexican schools were severely under capitalized. In 1970, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled, in Concerns v. Corpus Christi Independent School District, in favor of Concerns. This was a major win for the long term war because the Supreme Court deemed that the De Cure segregation was unconstitutional. However, for the short term battle, this ruling did little for the immediate treatment of the Spanish students in Florida, New York and he Southwest, children who spoke Spanish at school were punished, given detention, fined and even expelled from school.There were various stages of Cuban migration to the United States which started AC n EYE ruling ten revolution. I nerve were tenure major large migrations Into ten US through the US. The first round of immigrants to the tune of 200,000 Cubans made their move after Castor's assumption of power, that first group of immigrants stopped when the missile crisis in October 1962, at this time all legal talks were at a stalemate. AC Immigration started up again in 1965 after Cuba and The US came to a round of dual agreements, which is known as Freedom Flights, which involved charter flights from Havana to Miami.More than 340,000 refugees made their migration to the United States between 1965 and 1973. The majority of these people settled in Miami. The third major and most controversial migration took place in 1980, The Maries boatload. More than 124,000 refugees escaped from Cuba. These Cubans fled political and economic oppression when arriving into the United States, these people were very poor and Castro made his political points by punishing the people, rationing food on a monthly basis and wrongly imprisoning people.

How Globalization Can Affect International Business Essay

In today’s ever globalizing economy, global managers must utilize specific skills in order to navigate and overcome the cross-cultural situations which affect international business practices. Dependant upon the situation, both native and expatriate managers can be qualified to handle these cross-cultural challenges. There are a plethora of cultural differences that can have an affect on how business is done internationally. These differences can be any number of actions that we take for granted when interacting in one’s own culture. Every culture has deep structures built upon religious, social and ethical values which will influence the way in which another will reason and react as well as how they will listen or what they will expect from us (Burnam 1998). An example of a cultural difference that could affect international business is the misinterpretation of hand gestures. In the United States the â€Å"thumbs up† hand gesture is a common sign relaying a positive meaning usually meant to convey the message â€Å"good† or â€Å"OK†. This is different than in the Arab culture where the same hand signal is the equivalent to one of our more negative hand gestures here in the United States. Therefore using this signal with someone from an Arab culture would most certainly not produce the desired positive effect but rather a negative one. One skill a manager could develop to combat the ignorance of another culture with whom he is doing business with is to immerse himself into that culture and learn their customs through observation and interaction, becoming aware of how to adapt to the situation. This developed ability to observe and adapt would no doubt aid a manager in future cross-culture settings. This type of adaptation is evident in Cassandra Hayes’ article â€Å"The Intrigue of International Assignments†. One of Hayes’ subjects in the article, J. Eric Wright, describes how by immersing himself into the South African culture, he was able to learn through observation one of the local customs concerning respect for elders, which was detrimental to his success while there (Hayes 1996). This communication hurdle is better suited for a native manager as they already possess the knowledge of the local customs, traditions and social norms. They would be better equipped to handle challenges in which  proper and appropriate communication are paramount to an organizations success. Another example of a cross-cultural conflict is the overstepping of boundaries involving another culture’s code of etiquette. The social interactions we take for granted in our own culture may be considered rude or out of line in another culture. Hayes’ article also touches upon a situation relevant to this. Another of Hayes’ subjects, Belinda Miller, received a shocking reaction from an employee after giving advice. Miller was transplanted in China and received a first class education in cross-cultural differences and how they could affect working with someone from another culture. After greatly upsetting her employee by offering criticism in a direct manner, Miller learned that this situation was very different than dealing with an American employee and that advice or criticism must be subtly given in this culture. Having awareness and being culturally sensitive are extremely pertinent to an overseas assignment (Hayes 1996). Again in this situation it seems that a native manager would be much more prepared and able in preventing cross-cultural conflicts such as this, the reason being that they are already engrained into the culture and possess a working knowledge of social and professional do’s and don’ts. One more example of how a cross-cultural difference can affect how an organization’s success internationally is the improper translation of language. In an example cited in the Touro University International’s College of Business Administration MGT 501 CD-ROM mistranslation is demonstrated. The Intercultural Communication page states that, â€Å"One American airline operating in Brazil advertised that it had plush â€Å"rendezvous lounges† on its jets, unaware that in Portuguese (the language of Brazil) â€Å"rendezvous† implies a special room for having sex.† (Intercultural Communication). It is Obvious to see the fundamental lapse in meaning, which could be interpreted quite inappropriately. Skills that a good manager could develop in an attempt to prevent these type of mistake is to develop good habits of researching another culture and its language translation as well as always possessing the awareness of the message being conveyed. Proficiency in another foreign language would be an important  critical skill a global manager could add to their improvement. Yet again this looks to be another cross-cultural situation in which the native manager is favored as a result of his already being fully aware of the cultures norms and language. The native manager would possess the knowledge to identify the misinterpretation before it was too late. Cross-cultural differences can affect doing business internationally in a number of ways. Through misunderstanding, misinterpretation and being unaware, cross-cultural differences can affect organizations business across borders by causing a deal not to be finished, accomplishing an agreement without establishing a long-term relationship and by causing an escalation in tension or confrontation while negotiating. It is evident that in today’s world, globalization demands cultural awareness and the ability to adapt in the international business world. This can be perfectly summed up in a saying used by Josephine Song in her article â€Å"Transcending Borders†. It says, â€Å"If you are going to do business with people who are in different parts of the world, you had better understand and speak their language†. A better understanding of these cultural differences can be reached with the aid of the Hofstede Model. The Hofstede Model helps to explain some of the discrepancies inherent when comparing respective culture values to one another. Four of these variables are masculinity/femininity, tolerance or avoidance of uncertainty, power distance and individualism versus collectivism (Louis). Masculinity and femininity deal with the values of achievement, material possessions or wealth and aggression as opposed to relationships, compassion and quality of life. Tolerance or avoidance of uncertainty is the extent to which people must have certainty in order to feel secure. The less tolerance a culture has for uncertainty the more likely they are to have and maintain a rigid structure of rules establishing a code of conduct. Power distance is the level of acceptance that a culture has for its social, economic and political separation and power distribution. Individualism versus collectivism is exactly what it sounds like, the extent to which a culture is concerned with individual achievements or collective success (Beebe, Beebe and Redmond 1996). Through the juxtaposition of these different degrees of values in international  business, inefficiency is created which must be bridged by cultural awareness and adaptation in order to achieve success. There are many specific skills that global managers could utilize in order to address these differences. Cultural awareness training could be the most relevant and most helpful aid to global managers in overcoming cultural divides through the development of pertinent skills. A program like this could help global managers train for specific scenarios and common pitfalls met in cross-cultural situations (Burnam 1998). Foreign language proficiency is definitely a skill that would greatly benefit global managers, allowing them to better communicate with their counterparts and help to avoid awkward misinterpretations or misunderstandings that could make or break a business relationship. A high tolerance for the unknown and curiosity to learn is detrimental to a global manager’s growth as a professional in the international business community as they will no doubt encounter many new customs and situations. This will enable a global manager to use patience to understand and adapt to his surroundings. This can be associated with the extremely important skills of being generally aware and having keen observation. A global manager could avoid awkward or potentially relationship ending situations solely by picking up on them beforehand. Perhaps the most important skills for a global manager to possess are the abilities to be both flexible and adaptive. As the global manager is continually introduced to new experiences they will be able to overcome cross-cultural differences in order to cement a new relationship or deal. Although in the three specific examples of cross-cultural differences cited above native managers were favored, it is probably more important than ever that organizations send expatriate managers out across borders to gain experience and knowledge. This is truly the most effective way to secure the globalization of an organization. Expatriated managers can return to train other members of the organization. This in turn will allow an organization to utilize loyal employees who most likely bear greater allegiance to them rather than a native homeland (Burnam 1998). The organization would also have a manager with a better knowledge and understanding of the organization embedded in the culture. An organization that could train the majority of  its managerial workforce to become more aware and sensitive toward other cultures would be heavily prepared for the continual evolvement of globalization as well increasing its effectiveness in the global market. Both native and expatriate managers are well equipped to handle an organization’s international business. Whether native or expatriate managers are more qualified or better equipped depends on the situation and an organization’s goal. By utilizing specific skills which pertain to enhancing cultural awareness and communication barriers, today’s global managers can better prepare themselves to meet the challenges of the many cross-cultural situations in our ever globalizing economy. References: 1. Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (1996). Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 345-365. 2. Burnam, E. â€Å"Managing Cultural Diversity in a Global World†. Workinfo.com, 1998. http://www.workinfo.com/free/downloads/299.htm3. Hayes, C. (1996) â€Å"The Intrigue of International Assignments†. Black Enterprise, (26)10, 98

Consumer Behavior Trends

Consumer Behavior Trends Free Online Research Papers Faith Popcorn identified 17 trends that drove the business and people’s life in her book â€Å"Clicking† ten years ago. According to BrainReserve, trends are not fads. They endure, evolve and represent underlying forces, first causes, basic human needs, attitudes and aspirations. They help us navigate the world, understand whats happening and why, and prepare for what is yet to come. This paper will investigate one of the trends Popcorn has identified – Fantasy Adventure – particularly focus on its development in the last ten years. I will examine related evidence observed in various industries and make the claim that this trend has not declined but further developed. Fantasy Adventure refers to the behavior that consumer crave excitement and stimulation as an escape from stress and boredom in essentially risk-free adventures.(Popcorn, 1998) The excitement are taken in small doses, and allow us to return to our â€Å"normal† life at the end of the day. They make us feel courageous, open to new exotic experience, and most important of all, they give us the sense of transforming to a better person. There are three underlying forces in creating this trend: the increasing stress brought to us by our routine yet increasingly competitive life, the rising number of cases of the unsafe, uncertain events happening around our environment and the advancement of technologies. In the 1990s only 40% percentage Canadians reported stress in workplace but the statistic had increased significantly recently.(JobStress, 1997) More than 6 in 10 Canadians reported in 2002 that they have experienced a â€Å"great deal of stresses at work because of the increasing difficulty to maintain work-life balance while managing the greater then ever demand at work. (StressMap, 2002) Popcorn (1998) pointed out in her book that we all want to retreat from the reality with Fantasy Adventures to relieve for a moment. The tight schedule most people have also means we are not allow to take off to a vacation or go away for a longer period of time to have a â€Å"real† adventure. With the increasing statisti cs of work-life stress, it is clear that demand for Fantasy Adventure has only increased during the recent period of time. Another component of Fantasy Adventure is the promises of safety. The environment is not safe as it was a decade ago, and consumers learn to choose a safer way of entertainment instead. Last but not least, with the improvement of technologies, people now can access more information about others’ lifestyles and can imagine larger possibilities. One thing worth mentioning is the evolvement of the trend Fantasy Adventure – the cos will be illustrated in the following sections. Roy William (2004) argued in his article that, the Fantasy Adventure trend had reached its end and sharply declined, as the people now ask for the truth. I agree that nowadays consumers may be more skeptical about the information and facts released by large firms, however the fact that people still in need of escape from reality does not change. There are more and more products available to fulfill this crave of fantasy especially in the media industry. A popular theme for television series is superpower for instance the â€Å"Heroes† and â€Å"Smallville†. Fantasy and horror movies are still a big hit and stay on top of the most popular movie categories. â€Å"Pirates of the Caribbean†, â€Å"Harry Potter† series and the â€Å"Lord of the Rings† Trilogy are just a few examples. These television series and movies grant consumers a room for imagination and indulge themselves in something not real, and of course, back to their normal life after these two or three hours. For television show, a common pattern could be observed: a group of ordinary people come out, compete with talents and there they are, the tomorrow super stars. Just to name a few: â€Å"So You Think You Can Dance†, â€Å"British Got Talent†, â€Å"Paris Hilton’s My New BFF†. Another powerful source of fantasy engagement is Manga, or comics. In Japan the best selling manga are always about adventures or super power. A perfect example is â€Å"One Piece† which is about a pirate with a rubber-like body (super-power) setting off to an adventure to look for the biggest treasure in the world, being the greatest pirate and have fun. These media are all common in the way they take the audience on the flight of imagination; allow them to have an imaginary adventure in their comfort zone. Food experience continues to be one of the greatest ways for many consumers to seek Fantasy Adventure. In Toronto’s restaurants, more exotic ingredients were brought to the once ordinary dishes, and there is increasing growing number of theme restaurant. In 2006, the first dark restaurant in Canada was opened in Montreal, where dinners undergo the entire dinning experience in total darkness. (Comm-odities, 2006) The theory is with one sense completely impaired, your other senses are fully heightened and the food will taste completely different. These restaurants provide extraordinary experiences to customers through different physical and emotional instruments thus offer a little adventure to the consumers. Among all products in the entertainment market, digital games may be the single platform that really fulfills the need of Fantasy Adventure. This includes video games, Role Playing games and Virtual network online. The Entertainment Software Association announced in 2007 that sales of computer games and video games have increased by 22.9 percent to $11.7 billion in the US. The average age of most frequent game player has shifted to 39 years old. (ESA, 2007) We can identify the trend that more people are willing to pay and indulge themselves in the form of video gaming. Video games has uncountable content, however may it be action, sports, role playing, shooting etc., the principle is the same: the player transform to a â€Å"Hero† and do the impossible. Figure 1. (a) Top Selling Game Genres in 2006 Figure 1. (b) Top Selling Game Genres in 2007 Figure 2. Frequency of playing games by frequent players In 2001, Microsoft released a sixth-generation video game console – the Xbox and entered the competition in the gaming console market. 24 million units were sold as of May 2006. In 2002, Halo 2, a shooting game, set the record of being the highest-gross release in entertainment history with over $125 million in the first day. Xbox was replaced by Xbox 360 in 2005 which made a even bigger success as over 30 million units was sold in mere 3.5 years. There were over 1000 games available in the end of 2008, labeling the success of Xbox 360. These numbers are only a part of the overall consumption of video game playing, which suggested that consumers continue to seek the imaginary adventures, buying into brand and products in order to escape reality. One unique feature of Xbox 360 is its online game feature on the platform Xbox Live. This feature enables the players to have interaction and communications when playing games with other players. This development makes the gaming expe rience more realistic then ever and thus more profoundly fulfill players’ dream of fantasy adventures. It also fits the theory of Baker that now consumers want a more active role in creating their Fantasy Adventures. Second Life, an innovative concept launched in 2003, is another example that illustrates how people escape the reality and embrace a second identity in the virtual world. Second Life is a virtual world that allows users to interact and socialize via the internet. There are no particular missions or goal to accomplish, and there is no winning and losing, unlike almost all the traditional online games. However the users cherish the complex capability of interaction in this virtual world, as well as the feature of customizing a personal avatar, and thus the ability to create a fantastic self via this creative toolset. In 2008, an average of 38,000 users was logged in at any moment, and the accumulate user hours reached 112 millions in the end of 2008. These soaring numbers show us exactly how a product that fits the consumer insight can quickly capture a large portion of the targeted market. Figure 3. Total signups of paid accounts for Second Life Figure 4. User Hours per Quarter for Second Life 2006-2008 The continuous trend of Fantasy Adventure could be utilized by marketers. For example the promotion video of the Red Light Social Center, an adult virtual community has the phrases like â€Å"enter a Realistic world†, â€Å"create a NEW you†, â€Å"it’s Safe†. Bingo! These are exactly what fantasy cravers look for. â€Å"The drift in advertising over recent decade has been toward limited factual information and more symbolic, emotional, humorous and fantasy-oriented meanings.†(Mick, 2008) Here I identify two approaches in advertising that are very common: the get-a-taste-of-something approach and transform-to-your-better-self approach. Recall the promotion campaign of Tropicana that â€Å"Offers a Taste of Tropic† and that of Kraft’s â€Å"a Little Taste of Heaven†. (Chiasson, 2009) They both suggest that with a little sip and dip you would feel like being in a fantasy or exotic place immediately, an escape from the reality. The second approach is even more observable, as majority of advertisements implies a transformation upon using the advertised product. There was a series of advertisements by SK-II with the slogan â€Å"Correct Your Age†, which they sold the idea that the anti-aging product helps you return to your younger self. Celebrity endorsement also falls under this approach because they suggest that using the product will let consumer be more like the popular icon. The above examples suggest that the consumer behavioral trend of craving excitement in small dose and in a safe manner has not declined. Moreover consumers now want a share in creating the fantasy by involving in the process. Video games and virtual network became one of the most significant platforms where consumers seek their fantasy escape. At the same time, marketers capture the psychology of consumer and make use of fantasy-oriented approaches in advertisement and promotion strategies. Fantasy appeal is most likely to continue to be one of the most influential approaches in the future marketing. Reference F. Popcorn L. Marigold. (1998). â€Å"Clicking: 17 Trends that Drive your Business – and your Life† P. K. Day. (2008). Faith Popcorn’s Prediction Five Years Later. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from chicagotribune.com/topic/la-et-popcorn-predicts01-2008oct01,0,5034903.story?page=2 on 4th June 2009. F. Rauh. (2007). Living the Dream. SPC Business. Retrieved form cosmeticsbusiness.com/story.asp?storyCode=1218 on 4th June 2009/ Dining in the Dark, a Feast for the Senses. (2006). Comm-oddities. Retrieved from cbc.ca/consumer/comm-oddities/2006/09/dining_in_the_dark_a_feast_for.html on 4th June 2009. R. H. Williams. (2004). A Feel for Real. The Monday Morning Memo. Retrieved from mondaymorningmemo.com/?ShowMe=ThisMemoMemoID=1508 on 4th June 2009. D. Mick. (2008). Degree of Freedom of Will: An Essential Question in Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology 18 pg 17-21. A. Baker. (2008). Understanding the Role of Co-Creation in Fantasy and Fun. Advances in Consumer Research 35. Entertainment Software Association of Canada (2007). Essential Facts about the Canadian Computers and Video Game Industry. Retrieved from theesa.com/facts/index.asp theesa.ca/pdf/esa_e.pdf ACNielsen. (2005) â€Å"ACNielsen Reports Continued Rapid Growth For Video Gaming Industry.† acnielsen.ca/News/VideoGamingFirstQtr2004Results.htm. Retrieved on 30th May,2009. L.J. Paul. (2005).†Canadian Content in Video Games† Author and Digital Games Research Association. Linden Research Inc. (2008) 2008 Result Review. Retrieved from https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/01/15/second-life-residents-logged-nearly-400-million-hours-in-2008-growing-61-over-2007 on 8th June G. Chiasson (2009) Tropicana Campaign Offers a Taste of the Tropics. Retrieved from pubzone.com/newsroom/2009/1x090122x041107.cfm on 7th June 2009 Research Papers on Consumer Behavior TrendsThe Fifth HorsemanInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Project Managment Office SystemThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMind TravelMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review Example The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Book Review Example All people perceive the external reality from their subjective perspective, as the impact of culture, worldview, and traditions are always implicitly present. It is especially applicable to the representatives of the dominant Western culture. People tend to assume that their worldview is necessarily correct if they enjoy high standards of living and are â€Å"civilized† according to some widespread criteria. This position becomes clear when the interaction and cooperation of Western people with the members of the minority ethnic groups is examined. This paper is a book review of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1997) by Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1997) by Anne Fadiman This book is unique as it integrates a large number of social and cultural issues while examining the story of a girl with epilepsy. It demonstrates how the same events and processes are evaluated differently by the representatives of different cultures. The author does not impose her views on the readers and allows them to make their conclusions and interpretations. The review will concentrate on several levels of analysis: The first one refers to the story of Lia Lee presented in the book. The second one is the underlying assumptions present in American and Hmong cultures. The third one is a possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation of two different cultures and the principles that should be followed to enable it. The book seems to provide a coherent philosophical system that can be extended and applied to a large number of social issues. Author’s Credentials The author of the discussed book is Anne Fadiman, a freelance journalist and the editor of The American Scholar (Konner, 1997). Fadiman is a well-recognized expert in her field. She specializes on the multi-cultural studies and the most urgent problems of the society. Therefore, the author provides reliable analysis of the situation and related issues as well as clarifies the scope of complementary problems that should be addressed in the near future, both by individuals and nations in general. Summary of the Book It is reasonable to present briefly the major episodes and characteristics of the book under analysis. It centers on the life of Lia Lee (Fadiman, 2012). The problem comes from the fact that she is diagnosed with the strong form of epilepsy. However, the traditional Hmong culture perceives this issue differently in comparison with American one. As a result, the conflicts of cultures occur, and Lia Lee’s health tends to deteriorate. Lia’s family members consider that her illness makes her special, and she could even become a â€Å"shaman†. When they realize that her state of health is very problematic, they begin using the methods that are widespread among Hmong culture. They try to call back her soul and optimize her internal mental state in this way. However, these methods are inefficient as they do not address the essence of epilepsy symptoms. Lia’s doctors who advocate the Western lifestyle and worldview adopt a pure rationalist position (Fadiman, 2012). They neglect the traditional views of Hmong culture as they consider them as being irrational and irrelevant. Although the doctors are motivated to provide the high-quality care, their neglect to cultural issues leads to new problems. In particular, the diagnosis is not formulated precisely and correctly from the very beginning due to the absence of interpreters. However, even when the diagnosis is specified, the doctors are unable to enforce the needed treatment as Lia’s family members do not share doctors’ principles and are unable to follow all the requirements. They are mostly concerned with the negative side effects and do not believe that doctors’ interventions could be efficient and lead to the desired results. All these factors have contributed to the situation when her mental state starts to deteriorate. Jeanine Hilt, a social worker, proposes the way to organize the medication process which will allow her family to be reunited. However, the situation has not changed radically, and her brain dies. The doctors suggest that she will probably die in the near future. Her family take her home, and she is able to survive for the next twenty-six years. Although her mental state is very difficult and problematic, the care and attention of her family contribute to the positive results. Moreover, the Western doctors consider such impressive results to be impossible. The Hmong follow their rituals, and they help to improve the mental state of Lia even though it is difficult to explain from the perspective of the traditional medicine. Author’s Thesis Fadiman states that all cultures have their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, every country can generate better outcomes for some categories of people. Therefore, it is important to respect all cultures and select the treatment strategy in accordance with the patient’s cultural beliefs and worldview (Fadiman, 2012). If the high level of cultural competence is achieved, the positive results may follow. It is also incorrect to evaluate the essence and implications of other cultures from the perspective of one’s culture. Criticisms In general, the author presents the story persuasively and provides a number of explicit and implicit arguments in favor of her thesis. Fadiman realizes that the conflicts of cultures and corresponding implications are very widespread nowadays. For this reason, she presents her story not as a unique case from the life of Hmong girl but as an illustration of one of the most serious social problems and concerns of the 20th and 21st centuries. Fadiman presents her story quite objectively as it shows how the same events are interpreted differently by different parties. It seems that both Hmong people and doctors realize that Lia has serious problems. At the same time, their interpretation of her mental state is different. Doctors realize that epilepsy is a very dangerous disorder that should be treated immediately. However, Hmong people do not consider epilepsy to be an exclusively negative event. Many such special people were chosen to be â€Å"shamans,† as their qualities were d ifferent in comparison with others. Fadiman states, â€Å"although the Hmong believe that illness can be caused by a variety of sources †¦ the most common cause of human illness is soul loss† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 10). For this reason, the Hmong orient to the person’s internal world and beliefs rather than any physical symptoms. The author presents these different interpretations without imposing her views on readers and allowing them to make their suggestions about the future course of events. The differences between both cultures become even more severe when they try to deal with the symptoms of epilepsy. It seems that the following two characteristics are evident in this context: First, every culture believes that its approach is effective and can improve the situation. Second, every culture neglects the prescriptions and suggestions of other cultures completely. People even do not try to comprehend the justification and arguments delivered by the representatives of other cultures. Neither doctors nor Hmong people make any steps in the direction of understanding the underlying causes and motivations by the representatives of other cultures. This issue may demonstrate the existing problems in the U.S. healthcare industry. As American doctors are â€Å"civilized† and follow the most developed and reliable practices, they are supposed to act according to cultural competence considerations. However, the positions of other cultures are considered as being irrational, and doctors do not pay any attention to Hmong’s attitude towards their prescriptions. It seems that the author deliberately demonstrates the attitudes of American doctors in all details to stress that the fact of being â€Å"civilized† does not mean that the desired results will be achieved automatically. As any treatment process necessarily presupposes the active collaboration of different individuals including patients, positive results may be achieved only if the proper coordination between all parties is established. If all parties try to impose their understanding on others, the treatment process is negatively affected. Although Fadiman presents the story objectively, it is evident that she evaluates the traditional Hmong culture positively. She has comprehended that it is also meaningful, and it should not be rejected from the very beginning. The author demonstrates that even Chinese people perceived the Hmong highly negatively. She states that â€Å"the Chinese called the Hmong the Miao or Meo which means †¦ â€Å"barabarians†, â€Å"bumpkins†, etc.† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 14). However, it seems that the author does not agree with such an attitude as she writes that â€Å"it was an insult† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 14). In the U.S., this attitude has become even more widespread. All Hmong rituals are considered as being irrational, and both the doctors and the public in general do not desire to comprehend the hidden meaning of Hmong actions. It seems that the author implicitly stresses the differences between the underlying assumptions regarding American and Hmong cultures. The American culture is mostly individually-oriented. Each social member is responsible for his/her life and choices. It has a number of implications for the treatment process: First, it is assumed that everyone is motivated to improve one’s health. Therefore, American doctors appear to be absolutely unprepared to Lia’s hesitations and the absence of any support from her family. Second, the American doctors believe that medicine will have a specific and predetermined influence on individuals. As they deal with the patients who share Western principles, they understand the patterns of this influence and consider it to be equally applicable to all social members without any exception. The author shows that the Hmong culture adopts a very different perspective on examining the external world. This culture is more collectively-oriented, but it is still very different from other collectivist cultures such as the Chinese one. The Hmong suggest that they should help each other especially when the soul of one of their members is in danger. They have developed a set of rituals that can lead to the desired results, i.e. may improve the mental state of a given person. It seems that the positive effect is achieved due to the combination of several factors: First, all Hmong people share this belief and they are absolutely certain that it will help a person in need. Second, all their rituals are implemented in the atmosphere of love and support. This psychological climate is highly important for all individuals especially those who experience serious mental problems. The author explains that without additional efforts, both cultures will evaluate the situation from their perspectives without taking into consideration the positions of each other. It leads to even further misunderstanding and a higher possibility of social conflicts. Moreover, all parties are mostly oriented to addressing the opposite views of each other rather than assisting the person in need. The author shows that under the conditions of such a mutual misunderstanding the methods adopted by the culture that is closer to a given patient prove to be more effective. It is important to make a patient an active participant of the treatment process. Only in this way the results can be positive. If the interests of the medical personnel and a patient are antagonistic, even the most reliable medicine cannot generate the improvement of the patient’s physical and mental state. The neglect of American doctors to Lia’s beliefs and Hmong traditions has contributed to the situat ion when her mental and physical state has become critical. Despite the existing problems, it seems that the author admits the possibility of a mutually beneficial cooperation between the representatives of different cultures in the future. Although the underlying assumptions of cultures and their orientation to individualist or collectivist principles cannot be changed by any external force, it is possible to promote tolerance among people and respect to the culture and traditions of others. Fadiman reports the thoughts of the anthropologist Eric Crystal who states, â€Å"How extraordinary it was to hear the Hmong language spoken †¦ on J Street,† although previously it was impossible (Fadiman, 2012, p. 228). Thus, the author appreciates the diversity of languages and cultures and considers it to be highly important for the development of the modern civilization in general. It seems that the attentive readers can come to similar conclusions. The reason is that when people face different alternatives, it is more likely that they will make the correct choice. Moreover, even if the majority of cultures are not highly open to transformations, they still experience the influence of other positions and worldviews. All cultures affect one another, and people also represent the mixture of cultures rather than the only one. It seems that the author encourages the readers to become more responsible and orient not only to their narrow interests but to those of other social members and the society in general. The overall principles of justice seem to be simple: First, people should respect the views of others as other people can also be correct in some issues. Second, in case of disagreement, only persuasion can be used, while any forms of aggression (both physical and mental) are inadmissible. The author presents her views very effectively as she concentrates on the objective facts related to Lia’s life. Fadiman demonstrates how various measures taken by American doctors do not lead to the expected results. At the same time, the non-scientific approach adopted by Hmong people appears to be more successful and effective in the long run. Although the readers can make their own conclusions, the objective facts show that positive results can be achieved only if the interests of a given patient are considered. Even the dominant culture should not adopt its world perception of specific individuals as it is both unethical and incorrect. One of the necessary prerequisites of the tolerant attitude to the representatives of other cultures is adopting an honest and objective perception of reality. For example, the author states, â€Å"the most frequent accusation I heard was that the Hmong were terrible drivers† (Fadiman, 2012, p. 241). It is evident that Americans had a negative perception of Hmong people due to the existing cultural differences. However, they do not explain their reasoning fairly and tend to create some irrelevant claims to support their already formulated position towards Hmong people. In such cases, it is evident that the problem is not in other social members but in the people who are unwilling to accept the diversity of cultures and the contrasting opinions. In the modern democratic world, people tend to believe that that their position is correct if they belong to the majority group. However, the fact of belonging to the majority does not mean that one’s position is correct. Fadiman concentrates on people’s individual responsibility and implicitly advises to evaluate all cases objectively and be ready to accept the highest level of responsibility regarding the future development of the society. It may be concluded that Fadiman’s book provides a unique foundation for considering the major inter-cultural problems and challenges of the 20th and 21st century. On the one hand, the ideas of mutual tolerance are cultivated actively, and a large number of people claim to support them. On the other hand, at the stage of the actual implementation of these ideas, numerous problems emerge. People do not tend to accept other cultures or consider them to be a priori inferior in comparison with theirs. It creates numerous hidden problems and may lead to the social isolation of several individuals. The case of Lia Lee shows that health-related issues are also highly sensitive to cultural perceptions. Thus, the narrow implication of the book is a need for becoming more culturally competent by modern doctors and practitioners. However, the broader implication refers to all social members without any exception. All people should realize that they are the members of the global society. Thus, the needs and concerns of other people are also their personal responsibility. However, the mere positive intentions are insufficient in this context as it is important to be aware of the major cultural characteristics of other people and make the decisions that correspond to their cultural perceptions. Only in this way the desired changes and the social progress can be achieved. The reviewer recommends the book by Anne Fadiman as the major work for understanding the existing cultural challenges and the ways for overcoming them. This book may be reread several times in order to comprehend all h idden messages and meanings. In any case, it is highly relevant nowadays for the members of all social groups and citizens of the global community.

How to Conjugate Agir (to Act) in French

How to Conjugate Agir (to Act) in French As you continue to learn French, you may want to use the verb  agir, which means to act. Conjugating this French verb to match the subject and tense of a subject is actually quite easy because it is a regular verb. This quick French lesson will show you exactly how to do that. Conjugating the French Verb  Agir It is necessary to conjugate French verbs so they make sense in the context we wish to use them. We cannot simply use  agir  anytime we wish to say something or someone is acting or has acted. Instead, we need to change the ending of the verb and this is called conjugation. The good news is that  agir  is an easy one to conjugate. It follows the typical pattern of  regular  -ir verbs  to tell us which ending to use. This makes learning the conjugations for similar verbs rather easy. In the case of  agir, you can use the chart to discover the proper form to use based on the subject pronoun the I, he, we, etc. which are j, il, nous in French and the tense required. For instance, to say I act, you would say jagis in French. Subject Present Future Imperfect j' agis agirai agissais tu agis agiras agissais il agit agira agissait nous agissons agirons agissions vous agissez agirez agissiez ils agissent agiront agissaient Agirs Present Participle The  present participle  of  agir  is  agissant. Its a very useful conjugation as it can act as a verb, meaning acting, or you can utilize it as an adjective, gerund, or noun. Another  Past Tense of  Agir Its likely that you will use the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  for the past tense rather than the imperfect in many instances. Its even easier with a verb like  agir  because theres no need to worry about the subject as all instances use the same form of  agir. In order to use the  passà © composà ©, you must first conjugate the auxiliary verb  to match the subject. For this verb, we use  avoir.  You will also need the past participle, which is agi. To put these pieces together, if we want to say I acted, it would be jai agi in French. Likewise, we acted is quite simply nous avons agi. You will note that ai and avons are the conjugates of our auxiliary (or helping) verb  avoir. More Conjugations of  Agir Among those conjugations above, you should be familiar with the present, future, and  passà © composà ©. The other forms, as well as those below, will be used on occasion. While its not necessary to memorize them, you should be aware of them. The subjunctive is a verb mood that is used when the action is undecided. Likewise, the conditional verb mood is used when the action is dependent on conditions it may or may not happen. The last two columns contain the  passà © simple and imperfect subjunctive of the verb  agir. These forms are used in formal writing. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Passà © Simple Imperfect Subjunctive j' agisse agirais agis agisse tu agisses agirais agis agisses il agisse agirait agit agà ®t nous agissions agirions agà ®mes agissions vous agissiez agiriez agà ®tes agissiez ils agissent agiraient agirent agissent The final conjugation of  agir  that you need to be concerned with is the imperative. This is another mood verb form that is used on occasion. The catch here is that you do not need to use the subject pronoun. Instead, it is implied in the imperative verb.   For instance, instead of tu agis you can simply use the verb  agis. Imperative (tu) agis (nous) agissons (vous) agissez Expand Your Understanding of  Agir Not only is  agir  a regular verb, it is also an impersonal verb. This means that it can be used in the impersonal form of  sagir de  which means to be a question of or to have to do with. Also, when you want to say to act like you will need to use the proper preposition. For  agir, that would be  agir en.

Propylene Glycol Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Propylene Glycol - Assignment Example PG is also known under the name 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,2-dihydroxypropane, 1,2-propanediol, ethylene glycol, and methyl glycol. The proper IUPAC chemical name is propane-1,2-diol. Its CAS Registry Number on the U.S. EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory of chemical substances is [57-55-6]. Common commercial names of this substance are Propylene Glycol Industrial (PGI) and Propylene Glycol USP (PG USP) (Martin and Murphy, 2006). The physical properties of propylene glycol are presented in Table 1. All of the glycols are very miscible with water, ethanol, acetone, and chloroform. Propylene glycol is also a hygroscopic compound (Martin and Murphy, 2006). The structural formula of propylene glycol is given in figure 1. Its structural isomer with the same formula is 1,3-propanediol. PG has also two enantiomers: one is (R)-1,2-propanediol and the other is (S)-1,2-propanediol. This compound has two functional hydroxyl group: primary and secondary that distinguish it from the ethylene glycol (McKetta, 1993). Chemical properties of propylene glycol are typical for this group of compounds. It undergoes the reactions with carboxylic acids, and their derivatives (halides and anhydrides) forming esters; reaction with hydroxides of alkali metals forming salts, and interaction with aldehydes and ketones where the products are acetals and ketals. The reaction with acids is important for obtaining polyesters. The next important commercial product is polyether obtained by dehydration of propylene glycol. Reactions with aldehydes and ketones are used for protection of aldehyde or ketone functionality in organic synthesis (Martin and Murphy, 2006). Propylene glycol is used in organic synthesis, synthesis of polymers, medicine, and cosmetics. Its mixture of water has the low freezing point and, thus, this compound is used as antifreeze.  

Database vs. Spreadsheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Database vs. Spreadsheet - Essay Example In section two of this paper, overview of database and spreadsheet is given. Section three of this paper discusses various types of similarity that both MS Access and MS Excel have. In section four of the paper, the technical analysis of the software’s will be presented. And at last in section five, which software MS Access and MS Excel can be used in which situation will be discussed. A spreadsheet is a rectangular table of information. It means for the format used to present bookkeeping ledgers. The most common use of spreadsheets is to manage basic information such as telephone numbers, employee names, financial data, calculations, addresses and many more other things. Spreadsheets can store data but in actual it is not performs that job as easily as a database can perform. In actual, a spreadsheet is not considered as a database. It some thing like a robust, multifaceted calculator and data analyzer that incidentally can perform some database functions. As spreadsheets are intended to handle numerical data, they will also handle text, but they are not suited to handling complex queries and intradata relationships, so they are not used in data handling systems. Various types of spreadsheet programs that are used are KSpread, OpenOffice.org Calc or Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet software programs are not database management systems. They stores data in rows and columns called worksheets and areas within the worksheet, where the rows and columns intersect are called cells. Database in general is a collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval. Database is also called as databank. In technical perspective database can be defined as a set of related files that is created and managed by a database management system (DBMS). Now these days, database management system can manage any form of data. The forma of data may include text, images, sound and video. Today some of the common database management systems

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 26

Marketing - Essay Example As discussed earlier BMW is known for its luxury cars and primarily targets the premium market segment to generate its revenues. In order to successfully develop an effective marketing strategy, satisfying the needs and requirements of the targeted consumers should be given the topmost priority by any organization. Hence, the first step towards developing an effective marketing strategy of BMW would be to analyze the consumer behavior patterns followed by the company's potential target population. The key issues that are having a significant impact on the global automotive industry are the increasing rate of urbanization, environmental issues and the changing nature of consumer behavior. The two-tier concept of the industry is changing at a rapid pace. The mature automotive markets in US and UK are expected to converge with the emerging markets like that of China and India in terms of the needs and wants of the consumers regarding safety, reliability, and quality. Moreover, the autom otive market segments comprising of low-cost and premium prices vehicles are also expected to converge. This type of changing consumer behavior and market trends indicate that the available opportunities for the automobile manufacturers would increase in relation to the increasing demand for mobility services and electric vehicles. As regards the targeted customers of BMW, they look for high standards of performance, luxury and quality in the products. There is an increasing demand for hybrid electric vehicles in the market as well.

Age of Nationalism, Realism (1850-1871), and Age of Progress Essay

Age of Nationalism, Realism (1850-1871), and Age of Progress (1871-1894) - Essay Example While Napoleon III sought to preserve the most famous medieval buildings which had been disregarded since the French revolution, he directed the flattening of Large sections of the city and the replacement of old winding streets with broad avenues and large thoroughfares. This rebuilding was very significant as it turned Paris into a city of broad tree-lined boulevards and parks that are major tourists’ attraction sites today. Another positive legacy of Napoleon in France was the development of infrastructure. Under him, the French railway network was built. This greatly contributed to the development of steel industry and coal mining in France and radically changed the nature of the economy into the second largest in the world. Coal mining and steel companies issued stocks, which saw the French stock market expand enormously. The country entered the modern age of large-scale capitalism. Tycoon such as Eugene Schneider and James de Rothschild are symbols of the period. Frances largest banks founded during that period exist even today. Napoleon III was the first French ruler to have taken great care of French economy. His restructuring of Paris made the city to be what it is today as it determined a new type of urban setting and has had a great positive productive impact on the daily lives of Parisians. In fact, all posterior trends and powers referred to these renovations to either adapt or reject them or to recuperate certain of France’s elements. However, politically, Napoleon left a negative legacy, as his martial escapades were sometimes a fatal blow to Europe’s performance. Even when it involved radical and potentially revolutionary changes in politics, Napoleon III attempted to rearrange the world map to the favor of France. He was overambitious and he had gone too far and committed severe mistakes. He entered in wars that were not necessary for instance, the war with Russia and with Prussia that led

See instructions below CJ220 wk 5 Research Paper

See instructions below CJ220 wk 5 - Research Paper Example Previously, in the early times of policing, officers were not well paid by their respectful departments. The plea of policing lay in the prospect to benefit from the corruption and gratuities that were presented to the police. During the â€Å"professional period,† ranging from 1920-960, this practice distorted. Through the initiative of police unions and the creation of other civil service transformation, police officers received benefits and better pay. This made some changes in this sector. Police officers who may probably fall into the corruption temptation (especially those on drug details and vice) should be routinely transferred to different beats or assignments. The disadvantage of this measure is that it can demolish the human resource expertise, which has been accrued by specific officers. To avoid this loss, administrators only alter a handful of police officers in specific considerations in each rotation. This department exists to ratify a measure of responsibility and quality control on actions of police officers. The department attains information by civilian review boards, criminal investigation of police officers, and public complaints. The creation of correctly functioning internal affairs unit lessens the frequency hiring of corrupt police personnel. These units are restricted solely by resources at their disposal and by the administrators’ relationships with the police

ISO 14644 FOR AN IAP CLEAN ROOM CLASS 8 IN RESPECT OF 0.5 UM PARTICLES Essay

ISO 14644 FOR AN IAP CLEAN ROOM CLASS 8 IN RESPECT OF 0.5 UM PARTICLES - Essay Example Several items must be taken into consideration when approaching the use of a cleanroom. First, air is an extremely important item to take a close look at. The air that is coming into a cleanroom must be filtered in order to get rid of dust, while at the same time, the air inside the cleanroom must be recirculated through high efficiency particulate air (also known as HEPA) and/or through the use of an ultra low penetration air (ULPA) filter in order to get rid of contaminants that can be created internally. Furthermore, in order to control any other possible contaminants that may enter, those working in the cleanroom must leave through airlocks (which sometimes also forces an air shower), along with protective clothing. Within the cleanroom, the equipment has been made to create minimal air contamination. These include the use of specialized mops and buckets. The furniture that can be found within the cleanroom also gathers a very minimal amount of particles and is easy to clean. How ever, cleanrooms are not sterile, as much of the attention here is focused on airborne particles. These levels can often be tested through the use of a particle counter (Particle Measuring Systems, 2009). In order to avoid a disruptive air leak, many cleanrooms contain items that keep them at positive pressure. This means that if there are any leaks, the air will leak out of the chamber instead of bringing in any air that might not have been filtered. To further control air, some cleanroom systems will keep humidity to very low levels. This is done often to make sure that there are no electrostatic, or ESD problems. These EST controls are also referred to as ionizers (Clearn Room Forum, n.d.). Cleanrooms are generally given their status based on the number and size of particles allowed per the volume of air. Numbers that are typically larger, like "class 100," are usually referred to by FED-STD-209E, and denote particle number at a size of 0.5um or larger, depending on the cubic foot of air. Smaller numbers refer to ISP 14644-1 standards, and these focus on the decimal logarithm of the number of particles 0.1um or larger permitted per cubic metre of air (Clean Room Certification Standards, 2009). Thus, a class 8 cleanroom has at most 108 = 100,000 particles per m.Cleanrooms in both categories of FS209E and ISO 14644-1 both have log-log relationships that take place concernint particle size and particle concentration. Therefore, a "zero" count in particle concentration is not existent. Because 1 m equals about 35 ft, both standards are mostly equal when measuring 0.5 m particles, although the testing standards differ. Ordinary room air is approximately class 1,000,000 or I SO 9 (Federal Standards, 2009).

See instructions below CJ220 wk 5 Research Paper

See instructions below CJ220 wk 5 - Research Paper Example Previously, in the early times of policing, officers were not well paid by their respectful departments. The plea of policing lay in the prospect to benefit from the corruption and gratuities that were presented to the police. During the â€Å"professional period,† ranging from 1920-960, this practice distorted. Through the initiative of police unions and the creation of other civil service transformation, police officers received benefits and better pay. This made some changes in this sector. Police officers who may probably fall into the corruption temptation (especially those on drug details and vice) should be routinely transferred to different beats or assignments. The disadvantage of this measure is that it can demolish the human resource expertise, which has been accrued by specific officers. To avoid this loss, administrators only alter a handful of police officers in specific considerations in each rotation. This department exists to ratify a measure of responsibility and quality control on actions of police officers. The department attains information by civilian review boards, criminal investigation of police officers, and public complaints. The creation of correctly functioning internal affairs unit lessens the frequency hiring of corrupt police personnel. These units are restricted solely by resources at their disposal and by the administrators’ relationships with the police

Language Paper Essay Example for Free

Language Paper Essay Language can be looked at differently from other types of cognitions. There is a need for language in one form or another to have the ability to communicate with other human beings. This communication is the basis to how human beings express themselves to those around them. With this expression comes the ability to formulate thoughts. These thoughts can be translated to others through language. This language play an important role when analyzing, problem-solving, creating reasons, communicating needs, and making plans. Without the existence of language the attempt for humans to achieve goals would be almost impossible to accomplish. Goals would have to be accomplished be figuring out an alternative method than language to be used for sciences, history, mathematics, and the ability to explain past experiences or cultures. Because language is such an important communication tool, this paper will go into the definition of language and lexicon, evaluating the key features of language, with a description of the four levels of the language structure and processing, and analyzing the role of language processing in cognitive psychology. . Define Language Because there is so many different ways of language it can be difficult to provide just one. Cognitive psychology defines language as a system of communication that is governed by a system of rules and can express an infinite number of propositions. In addition, natural language has two criteria. First it must be governed by a set of rules knows as grammar. Second it must be productive – an infinite number of things can be expressed (Galotti, 2015). But there are some factors that are deemed to be critical in the communication of human language. The factors that are deemed critical are: communicative, arbitrary, structured, generative, and dynamic  (Willingham, 2007). These critical items that are necessary for the formation of language starts with communicative. Communicative will allow communication between individuals. Arbitrary which means that a sound will stand for a meaning. Language, which needs to be structured and must follow a logical order to make sense. Generative which means that there are a limitless number of meanings that are associated to the word. Dynamic which means that language is constantly changing, growing, and adapting (Willingham, 2007). Define Lexicon Lexicon is defined as the mental store and is thought to be the keeper of the cognitive processor’s knowledge of words, which also includes the spelling, pronunciation, definition, and parts of speech (Galotti, 2015). Most researchers have a belief that when people recognize words through the process of matching where the spoken word will be compared with a mental dictionary. This mental dictionary is known as the lexicon. The lexicon is the foot bridge between language and knowledge (Willingham, 2007). This communication bridge for lexicons will vary depending on how and where a lexicon is used. However, the grammaticalizations will be different depending on the type of language being used. The words and expressions used in each language will be the lexicon for that individual language. Therefore an individual person’s own set of vocabulary would have their own personal lexicon attached to it that would be their own personal storage unit of their knowledge. Evaluate Key Features of Language Charles Hackett identified 13 features of human language and how the human language is differs from other forms of communication. Four key factors are vocal-auditory channel, specialization, arbitrariness, and traditional transmissions. Vocal-auditory channel is defined as the means that the standard human language occurs vocal (creation of sound by mouth) type of communication that can be perceived by hearing it (Hyde, 1998). Specialization is the use of organs in the production of speech and these organs are able to adapt to the task of speech. Example would be the lips, tongue, a throat of a human that have been specially adapted to the task of speech and not just to assist as an eating apparatus. Whereas, dogs do not  have the physical capabilities for the speech sounds that humans have the capability of because dogs lack the necessary specialized organs (Hyde, 1998). Arbitrariness is where there is no necessary connection between form of the signal and what is being referred to. An example would be a very large object like a whale and yet it is referred to with a very short word. Some would argue that four-legged animals could then be referred to as the sounds they make. However, the sounds animals make do not always translate across culture borders and therefore even onomatopoeic words would be to some extent also arbitrary (Hyde, 1998). Traditional transmissions has the meaning that human language is not something that exist from birth. Even though language does not exist from birth humans are born with some ability to perform language. In order for humans to perform language they will need to learn, acquire, the language that is spoken around them from others who speak the language. Learning language by listening to others is different from the communications in the animal world. In the animal world animals are born knowing their entire systems. Such is the case with bumble bees who are born with the knowledge of dance and song birds that are born with the knowledge of bird-songs. Describe the four levels of language structure and processing The four levels of language structure and processing are phonemes, words, sentences, and text. Phonemes is the shortest segment of speech that if changed would change the meaning of the word (Goldstein, 2014). There are 44 phonemes that make up the basic unit of sound (Galotti, 2015). The basic unit of sounds will vary from different languages. The study of the different ways that phonemes can be combined in any language is called phonology. Once you have put the sounds together the task then becomes to put the sounds in a coherent way, identifying the meaningful units of language and this aspect is known as morphology (Galotti, 2015). These sounds then become words, sentences, and text. Words should be placed in a sentence will have importance to the understanding of the sentence. Text will be a group of sentences that once placed together will be the formation of the paragraph in reference to a certain subject. Analyze the role of language processing in cognitive psychology How humans process information is a key factor in cognitive psychology. Language is what is used as the main source of communication for humans and is influenced by both internal and external factors and since cognitive psychology is the investigation of all mental abilities the processing of language plays an important role. There are two different proposals in regards to the relationship of language to other cognitive processes. The modularity hypothesis proposed that there are some aspects of language, especially syntactic processes, will function autonomously, and independently of any other cognitive process. This recent proposal awaits a more rigorous empirical testing even though there is some evidence does exist. The second proposal is the Whorfian hypothesis of linguistic relativity, even though it is very interesting it has so far not received strong or empirical support (Galotti, 2015). Cognitive psychology is the science of how the mind is organized to produce intelligent thought and how the mind is realized in the brain (Anderson, 2015). With cognitive psychology being the study of how the mind is organized to produce intelligent thought this knowledge is through either written or verbal communication. The written or verbal communication through language enables an individual to communicate thoughts and emotions. It is these thoughts and emotions that cognitive psychology attempts to understand. Conclusion Language is a system of communication that is governed by a set of rules and can express an infinite number of propositions. Natural language has two criteria. First it must be governed by a set of rules knows as grammar. Second it must be productive – where an infinite number of things can be expressed (Galotti, 2015). Language plays an important role in the regards to cognition because it is the main communication tool used by human beings. Language has to have a storage place where pronunciation, definition, and parts of speech are stored. The storage place is called the lexicon. Lexicon is the bridge between language and knowledge. Language is a system of communication that is governed by a system of rules (Galotti, 2015). There are 4 levels of language, structure, and processing. In addition, Charles  Hockett identified 13 key features of the human language. The ability to turn language into communication through words, and then pull information from a person’s experiences, education, environment, and culture is a magnificent feat to accomplish, and it is through language that people are able to express their ideas because of the role cognition plays within language. References Anderson, J. R. (2015). Cognitive Psychology and its implications (8th ed.). New York, New York: Worth Publishers. Galotti, K. M. (2014). Cognitive psychology in and out of the laboratory (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Sensation and perception (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Hyde, K. (1998). The features of human language. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from http://people.exeter.ac.uk/bosthaus/Lecture/hockett1.htm Willingham, D. T. (2007). Cognition: The thinking animal (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Allyn Bacon

Managing A Work Life Balance Social Work Essay

Managing A Work Life Balance Social Work Essay Work-life balance is a broad concept which is closely related and derived from the research of job satisfaction. There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which affected perceptions of job satisfaction within individuals. Intrinsic factors referred to job characteristics specifically. However, the extrinsic factors referred to the social and cultural norms the individual holding the job operated by. Hence, Work-life balance was considered one of the inputs of this extrinsic factor. Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics Model Work/life balance is the ability to do great work and get all of your other priorities accomplished, too. That means giving people the freedom to choose when and where to do their work so they can best balance every aspect of their life. The point is, people are working. Work/life balance isnt about doing less work. Its about having the freedom to choose when and whereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Introduction:- Why is it important to develop a work-life balance? The answer lies in how we deal with that old adversary stress. Maintaining a work-life balance is essential in handling stress. Balance is the key to dealing with stress and a chaotic life. Balance provides us with necessary time to ourselves, enhances our relationships with our families, friends and gives us opportunities to relax. Balance brings our lives into focus, sharpens our perceptions and gives us time to discover ourselves. Balancing time spent at work and time spent at home doing other activities should be equally balanced. We all need a breather from work and from time to time we require a break from home life. Balance gives us the means to bring our lives into harmony. Relationships with family, friends and partners suffer when there is an imbalance between work and life. Not only do relationships suffer when there is an imbalance but our work performance suffers as well. If we give our all to one we neglect the other. This creates chaos and stress in our lives. Stress is the byproduct of imbalance and steps should be taken to reduce or avoid stress by balancing work and life. How can we develop a work-life balance? In order to develop balance between work and life we must start with giving equal time and attention to both. Never take your work home with you and leave your home life and all of its problems at home. When you are at work be wholly and completely at work and when at home be completely committed to caring about family matters only. This will reduce unnecessary stress on yourself, family and coworkers. Work Life Balance Work Life Balance Day was initiated by the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance Policies in 2001. The Committee seeks to encourage and support employers to put in place a range of flexible working arrangements which help employees to combine employment with the other commitments in their lives. The Committee established a Panel of Consultants who will advise employers on putting in place a Work Life Balance Policy and associated arrangements. Work Life Balance initiatives can be advantageous to both employers and employees: For employers, Work Life Balance options can make an organization more attractive to recruitment candidates, as well as supporting the retention of current employees. When recruiting, employers can attract individuals from a wider pool of candidates, providing the organization with the best prospect for selecting high quality employees; For employees, Work Life Balance options can allow them to remain in, or re-enter, employment while meeting commitments in other parts of their lives (family, education etc). 16 Ways to Encourage Work/Life Balance in Employees By David Hakala on April 16, 2008 As a recession looms and companies slash their payrolls, it is more important than ever to keep remaining employees productive and happy. One issue that employers constantly wrestle with is work/life balance, the allocation of employees time and energy between work and family, health activities, hobbies and all of lifes nonwork requirements. Studies have shown that too much work can lead to a variety of stress-related illnesses that sap workers vitality, making them more prone to errors on the job, absenteeism, burnout and turnover. The tendency for work to dominate employees lives is increased when layoffs and hiring freezes leave fewer workers with more to do. The remaining workers are often the hardest to replace because they are the best. It behooves companies to encourage employees to sustain healthy work/life balances. Here are some tips that companies can use to keep their work forces healthy and productive. On-the-Job Training:- Management ManagementHYPERLINK http://www.hrworld.com/management/ support for work/life balance is critical, and it must come from the top. Too often, the perception that hard work is the only way to rise in a company keeps employees at the grindstone, working themselves into illness. Survey of employee Surveys of employees work/life issues can help a company understand workers needs and design appropriate policies to meet them. Studies have shown that respect for work/life balance needs is high on employees lists. Set priorities for all work When priorities are unclear, employees tend to overwork because they think that everything must get done at once. Setting priorities allows workers to schedule tasks over a reasonable period of time. Train line managers to recognize signs of overwork. Supervisors can spot increasing error rates, absenteeism and signs of stress-related burnout more easily than anyone else in the organization. Workers who show these signs of a poor work/life balance can be referred to employee-assistance programs. Seminars on work/life balance It can help employees understand its importance and find ways to achieve it. Such seminars teach employees how to better manage their workloads, eliminate unproductive work habits, get sufficient exercise and negotiate more flexible work conditions that meet their needs. Make Work More Flexible Flextime It is one of the most useful tools in helping workers achieve a good work/life balance. Companies should identify which jobs lend themselves to flexible work scheduling and implement formal policies for coordinating flexible schedules with an employees supervisors and coworkers. Telecommuting It is a way for employees to work from home while taking care of a sick or dependent family member. It also cuts down on stress and unproductive time due to a commute. Studies have shown that telecommuters can be 30 percent more productive than their office-bound counterparts. Many companies are implementing formal telecommuting programs on an as-needed or permanent basis. Telecommuting can be a terrific recruitment tools as well. Job sharing It can keep two valuable employees busy while reducing work-related stress. In a job-sharing arrangement, two workers work part-time and share the workload of one job. Careful coordination between the two workers, their supervisor and their co-workers is necessary to make job sharing work. Allow for Time off from Work Encourage the use of vacation and sick-leave time. Supervisors should advise employees to use their vacation and sick-leave benefits when signs of burnout or illness arise. Companies can implement use-it-or-lose- it policies to encourage employees to take time off when it is necessary. Leave policy: A formal leave policy for employees with dependents recognizes and encourages the need to care for sick children or elderly parents. Paid childbirth or adoption leave gives women and men the flexibility to keep their jobs while attending to a new addition to the family. This option is almost always cheaper than the alternatives of burnt-out employees or those who leave the company. Limit how often employees take work home. The line between work and home lives tends to blur when employees regularly take work home. This practice should be monitored by management personnel, who should also develop plans for making sure that work gets done at the office instead of at home.Some companies allow employees to take leave for community service. These firms recognize that employees obtain life satisfaction from projects or work outside of their regular jobs. Bringing Life to Work Bring-your-kids-to-work day It is a way to get employees families involved in their work lives. The opportunity to share a day of work with children is a benefit that many employees appreciate. Sponsoring employees It family-oriented activities is another way to combine work and life. Sporting events, excursions to amusement parks, fishing trips and other family-oriented jaunts are good opportunities to help employees strike a work/life balance. Companies need to promote their work/life-balance policies year-round not just in employee orientations and handbooks. Frequent, positive communication of these benefits reinforces managements commitment to help workers achieve work/life balances and gives employees the feeling that it is OK to live a little. Balancing Life and Personal Commitments Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance. Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that. We want to make sure you have the resources, services and tools you need to get the balance that is right for you and to help you in your personal and professional endeavors. WORK LIFE BALANCE: Benefits to the organization Measured increases in individual productivity, accountability and commitment Better teamwork and communication Improved morale Less negative organizational stress WORK LIFE BALANCE: Benefits to the individual More value and balance in your daily life Better understanding of what your best individual work life balance. Increased productivity Improved relationships both on and off the job Reduced stress Balancing Work and Life Your department and colleagues can contribute to your work-life balance Managers play an important role in helping faculty and staff achieves the right work-life balance. When you create and promote a work atmosphere that makes it easier for your team to achieve a better work-life balance, you have happier, healthier employees who are more productive and satisfied in their work and a less stressful work environment overall for your team. Being flexible and understanding the needs of each of your employees will help you to build a more positive and successful work environment. Tips for helping your team achieve a better work-life balance Consider flexible schedules, alternate work arrangements or job sharing where appropriate and be supportive of these arrangements (they shouldnt have a negative impact on career growth and success) Be flexible, considerate, and respectful of personal or family responsibilities Allow for time to pursue professional development and community service opportunities Promote a positive work environment through your leadership and support of employees Promote a disconnect from work atmosphere when employees have scheduled time off (no cell phones or lap tops) where possible You can contribute to your own work-life balance It is important that you, as an individual, find ways to create the right work-life balance for yourself. The best work-life balance for you may be different than that of your coworkers or your manager. For some, working long hours creates value and balance in their lives. For others, it is not a routine they can productively or enjoyable maintain. The best work-life balance also changes for each individual over time and is usually different for someone just starting in their career than someone who is retiring. A good work-life balance for someone who has no children may be different than that of someone with children, and many people are caregivers to older family members as well. Your best work-life balance will change, and while we strive to help create an environment that allows you to integrate your personal and professional lives, you must find ways to create the right balance for your self. Suggestions for getting a better work-life balance that is right for you: Define and create your own work-life balance Be accountable for balancing your personal and professional commitments Help your manager understand the right balance for your life and help to work out an arrangement that supports your needs Strive for meaningful achievements and enjoyments in work, family, friends, and self each day Work life balance what are the benefits and barriers associated with the achievement of a work life balance for employees and employers? The importance of the achievement of a work-life balance and the issues which can be faced when initiatives to achieve such a balance are implemented One issue surrounding the concept is that work life balance is often loosely defined as simply referring to the balance between an individuals time spent at work and on home life. In fact employees are usually monitored on various factors including their attention whilst at work. Central to definitions of work-life balance then is the notion that the modern employment relationship is a negotiation to establish the boundaries around the attention and presence required, creating the need for employees to consciously incorporate practices into their lives to integrate the work and non-work aspects. Work-life balance can be defined as a reconciliation of paid employment and life. It has suggested by McKee and colleagues that a series of historical shifts has shaped, to some degree, the debate about work-life balance. Broadly speaking they suggested these were the absence of fathers from home through war, imprisonment or long working shifts, the entry of large numbers of women into the workforce; the changing composition and structure of the family; expanding male unemployment; the increase in singe working parents; the intensification of working hours; an ageing population and the growing number of cared for groups; and the growth of equal opportunities. (McKee and colleagues) It is accepted that the feminization of the work force increases the need for family friendly policies, however studies are said largely to have narrowly focused on the experiences of women with the double burden of employment and domestic and child care tasks, at the expense of a broader concept (Ransom, 2007). It also must be noted that the Work-Life Balance b/w personal and professional life When an individual maintains a balance between his personal and professional life, the phenomenon is called Work-Life Balance. This expression holds worth a lot because it is very important to have a balance between personal and professional life. Work life balance is at the forefront of the world of work. Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy for continuous improvement, along with the role of information technology (IT) helps and guides the management people, to get the maximum output with the help of available resources. The balance between personal and professional life vary from person to person and the organization where he or she is working. When an individual does not maintain a balance and works too much in the organizational setting, this may cause him some medical, psychological and behavioral consequences, as a result his or her productivity will also be low. Studies have shown that work life stress is harmful to the employees. Late sitting and working too much can cause imbalance in an individuals personal and professional life; however there are some techniques to manage the work life stress e.g. time management, task management, relaxation, flexible working hours, working from home and exercise etc. Work life balance improves individuals health, job satisfaction, commitment, involvement and reduces absenteeism and presenteeism (state of physical presence but not productive). Despite of the progress in the betterment of maintaining work life balance, there is still more to be done. One important factor is the degree to which work life balance are generally applicable across the whole hierarchy of the organization. Those lower down the organizational hierarchy are sometimes not entitled for some benefits or uninformed about relevant company policies. Work life balance can assist employers and employee to be healthy and productive in their personal and professional life. Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices. Betsy Jacobson. For some people spending more time in the organization is more important than the time they spend at home. However, there are people who give priority to the personal and family life. In this technological era, some organizations also offer flexible working hours. One can carry laptop, PDA, black berry and is connected with suppliers, venders through internet 24 hours a day. The moment he gets any query, he responds to it. There are some work-alcoholics who take their laptops and PDAs to the vacation and face the annoyance of their wives while checking the emails. People are more interested in looking for a job that gives them flexibility at work. Necessary arrangements for work life balance are required by all workers at different times in their lives because balance is instrumental in quality initiatives by preparing an individual to deal with the change. An individual can give his best only in a conducive environment e.g. students want to study and work at the same time; parents want to have time with their children and the older worker approaching retirement to have the opportunity to stay in the workforce on reduced hours. Mostly the employers and the employees agree that organizational objectives are more important, so it is the obligation of the employer to help people in work life balance. CONCLUSION Work life balance does not just happen; it is your own personal strategy of the manner in which you make a conscious choice to put balance in your life. Work life balance means different things to different people. It is a personal decision on how you want to balance your time between work and your personal life. It is a decision on balancing and maintaining a focus on what is most important to you. No two people share the exact work life balance preferences. Examine what is important in your life and what is your highest priority. Examine what your personal life goals are related to your job and your personal life. Personal life goals should reflect the value and principles that you focus your life on. None of the priorities are set in cement and there should always be room to make changes because your priorities and goals can change.  Whenever you are experiencing competing priorities, stop and take a close look at your situation. Look at what is being expected for you to accompl ish and make an accurate estimate of what you can accomplish and what you cannot accomplish.   This should be a honest accounting of yourself and your priorities. Avoid setting yourself up to fail because you are trying to accomplish more than you can effectively balance in your life. If you over extend yourself your work life balance will be out of control. Work/life balance is not a nice to have when were in a boom time. It can have a fundamental impact on the corporate performance at all times. Companies who focus on and measure staff wellbeing are in fact being very prudent. Theyre making as big a contribution to their bottom line as those who are looking at ways to increase sales or cut costs