Organizational conflict Essay

Conflict can arise when two or more people or individuals in an organisation have different interests and they pursue these interests intensely. It can also occur when people in a group have different opinions about something even though they both are working to attain the same goal; they just cannot agree on how to go about it. Therefore, conflict can be defined as a process that starts when one individual or group believes that another is negatively affecting their progress in something. Conflict is also an interactive process manifested in incompatibility, disagreement, dissonance between two social entities, e. g. individuals, groups or organisations. Causes of conflict in an organisation Some of the causes of conflict in an organisation include; 1. Poor communication – some individuals in organisations can be rude, or messages can be misinterpreted due to bad communication etiquette or poor communication. This therefore leads to conflict between individuals. 2. Scarce resources or time – when the resources are scarce, people tend to fight over the ones available, for instance, if there is only one photocopier in an organisation of about 20 people and most people want to make copies at the same time, then they will tend to argue over it, others might want to make copies before others maybe because of deadline issues. 3. Poor performance and its associated pressures – if an employee is performing poorly, the supervisors or those above him/her would be very harsh and pressurize them to complete tasks in time, or improve the quality. This can cause conflict between the two. The employee can even get fired for such. 4. Ambiguity in tasks or goals for a team and its members – some team leaders or supervisors, set goals that cannot be achieved or give out tasks to their juniors. This can cause hatred and conflict, causing them not to get along 5. Struggles for power and favour – employees in most organisations are always in a competition for power and favours from those in management. They always seek promotions from their current positions to higher positions in the organisation. Therefore, if two people are fighting for the same position, they get to be in conflict with one another. 6. Social Inequality – There are social classes in all organisations, those that are rich, the middle class and the poor. There can be discrimination with regard to the same whereby the rich oppress the poor, for instance the workers who serve tea or clean the washrooms in organisations can be discriminated upon by the managers who view themselves to be in a higher social class than them. 7. Differing Inter-organisational Values – People in an organisation have different values; for instance, one can be humble and full of integrity while another can be very aggressive, and rude. These values that people hold can cause conflict between individuals. Effects of conflict in an organisation Organizational conflict can have either positive or negative effect to the organisation, some of these effects include; 1. Change- Conflict accelerates change in an organization, especially in small businesses, where it is easy to formulate and implement new policies. Conflict prompts modification of policies and operation procedures in the organization. When the conflict is extreme, an organisation may conduct a complete overhaul of its leadership, bringing in new managers with ideas. 2. Decrease in Productivity – when an organization spends much of its time dealing with conflict, members tend to focus less on the project at hand and more on conflict. As a result, organizations can lose money, donors and access to essential resources. 3. Innovation – Conflict that results into healthy competition cultivates innovation and inventiveness amongst employees. In times of conflict, there is a high sense of necessity that results into the emergence of divergent viewpoints amongst employees. 4. Waste of Time and Resources – The business may lose precious time and resources at times of conflict. Instead of concentrating on meeting their objectives, employees waste time on divisive issues. Misuse of business materials and funds is quite rampant when conflicting parties engage in â€Å"warfare. † Wrangles, stress and emotional confrontations reduce the workers’ productivity, and eventually, the profitability of the business. 5. Violence – When conflict increases without mediation, intense situations may arise between organization members. It’s unfortunate, but organizational conflicts may cause violence among members, resulting in legal problems for members and possibly the organization. 6. Members Leave Organization -Organization members who are increasingly frustrated with the level of conflict within an organization may decide to end their membership. Strategies of managing conflict in an organisation There are five main approaches or strategies for managing conflict between individuals in an organisation; 1. Avoiding – this occurs when both parties realize that they are in conflict but act by withdrawing from it or postponing the conflict. It is a very passive approach and is best used as a stopgap measure to give oneself time to decide how best to resolve the underlying problem that is causing the conflict. 2. Accommodating – this occurs when one side resolves the conflict by giving in to the other side at the expense of at least one of his or her interests or needs. It is also a passive approach but it can be rational if the other party has too much power and is willing to use it. Accommodating might be useful if the relationship between the people in conflict is more important to them than the conflict itself, thus each side might be inclined to accommodate the other. 3. Compromising – this occurs when both sides gain or lose in order to resolve the conflict making each side both partially satisfied and partially dissatisfied. 4. Forcing – This occurs when one side decides to satisfy their own needs regardless of the impact on the other side. It is a very aggressive approach. 5. Collaborating – this is an attempt made by one or both parties to fully satisfy the needs of both parties. It assumes that both sides have legitimate goals and that creative thinking can transform conflict into an opportunity for both of them to achieve their goals.

Red Scare

It was November 18, 1918, the day WWI had officially ended. The last cry of help had been heard and peace was supposedly coming to the United States or it had seemed. An ideological war which prompted mass paranoia had caused, among many other things, what would be known as the Red Scare (****). The Red Scare was the label given to the actions of legislation, the race riots, and the hatred and persecution of â€Å"subversives† and conscientious objectors during that period of time.The purpose of this research is to explore the threat that plagued the United States in its’ time of great panic and anxiety, during the â€Å"first† Red Scare which lasted between 1919 to 1921. This powerful threat turned out to be Communism and it was greatly feared by almost every U. S. citizen. Communism is â€Å"system of social and economic organization in which property is owned by the state group, to be shared in common or to be disturbed among members of the community equally or in proportion to their respective needs.In 1919, no more than one-tenth of the adult American population belonged to the newly formed communist movement, and even this small percentage were greatly persecuted. After the real war ended in 1918, the ideological war, turned against conscientious objectors and other radical minorities such as Wobblies, who were members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and also Socialists. It was thought that the Wobblies and the Socialists were trying to overthrow the United States government. Wobblies, were persecuted against for speaking out against the capitalist system.Most of what they said, was only to attract attention, but it was taken seriously by the government. From the very beginning of the Red Scare, the Wobblies were attacked by the government because they were a symbol of radicalism. The government placed legislation not only against the Wobblies but also against Socialists and Communists. In 1917, the US government made a law which gave the Secretary of Labor the power to arrest or deport any alien advocating or teaching destruction of property or the overthrow of government by force. The government used deportation as a cure for the antigovernment views of its enemies.The unfair legislation passed by the government, everything was soon to become a disaster. All that everyone needed was for someone to take advantage of the anti-radical legislation and that is what Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer did in the years 1919-1920. Palmer deported members of the IWW. His Palmer raids had two main targets, which were the Communist Party and the Communist Labor Party. These two groups grew out of the IWW and the largest of the three, the Socialist Party of America, had split because of a dilemma over World War I.The Palmer Raids were attempts by the United States Department of Justice to arrest and deport radical leftists, especially anarchists, from the United States. The raids and arrests occurred in Nov ember 1919 and January 1920 under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Though more than 500 foreign citizens were deported, including a number of prominent leftist leaders, Palmer's efforts were largely frustrated by officials at the U. S. Department of Labor who had responsibility for deportations and who objected to Palmer's methods.Once Europe entered the war, the split occurred; this break up hurt the Socialist party and many who were not Socialists opposed the draft, but the party was the point of opposition. These people became targets for attack by American nationalists and the American government; members were lynched and important Socialist documents were burned. One Friday, January 2, 1920 to be exact, agents from the Department of Justice raided a Communist hideout and began arresting thousands of people in major American cities throughout the nation. They raided people who stayed in private homes, clubs, pool halls and coffee shops.The raiding got so he ctic that in many places that they started arresting citizens and aliens, Communists and non-Communists. Destruction of meeting halls and property began as well and along with putting their victims in prison, agents held them without an attorney and interrogated them. Prisoners were released a few days later unless they were members of the Communist Party or the Communist Labor Party. These two groups were formed from the American Communist movement and in only two days nearly five thousand people were arrested. Nearly five thousand were seized in the cleaning up that followed during the next two weeks.The arrests were carried out with total disregard for the rights of the prisoners. At this point and time Americans during this time were continuously on the verge of attacking anyone who wasn’t â€Å"American†. These people were extremely patriotic and ready to rid their nation of any intruder that seemed to threaten them, mainly the minorities whom they were very hosti le with. Palmer wasn't the cruelest or the most extreme of these anti-radicals. Senator Kenneth McKellen of Tennessee went so far as to propose sending all native-born radicals to a special penal colony on the island of Guam.Liberal journalist tried to mock Palmer in many different ways. In some occasions they would compare his actions to the shaving of a dogs hair and how by this it would promote growth in the society. Palmer ignored the journalist, and frankly he didn't care what they said about him and his actions. He still went on with all his raids. On December 27, around 250 deportees sailed for Russia from New York ion the U. S. S. Buford. On Friday, January 2, 1920, agents of the Justice department raided a Communist headquarters and began to arrest thousands of people all throughout the cities.In a period of two days, 5000 people were arrested and 1000 jailed. There was no reason for this doing and the treatment the prisoners got was unacceptable. The peace and security of the American nation was now being destroyed by the Wobblies and Socialists. The attacks were now focused on them, not anymore on the objectors. They were targeted by the use of the Espionage Act of 1918. â€Å"This act penalized anyone who obstructed the operation of the armed forces, or displayed disloyalty within the forces. The Justice Department convicted more than 1000 people.Surely among this number were a large number of Socialists and Wobblies. The Espionage Act was not the only law that was made by legislators to discriminate against antiwar groups. In October 1918, Congress passed the Alien Act, which gave the Secretary of Labor the power to deport any alien who, at any time after entering the United States, is found to have been at the time of entry, or to have become thereafter a member of any anarchist organization. This gave Palmer the authority to conduct his raids, during which thousands of people were arrested and detained without actually having been charged.Many tries to repeal the legislation, many Socialists became prominent figures due to their attempts to gain release for their imprisoned friends. The government had formulated and put into effect their plan to rid the country of unwanted foreign radicals, but the problem remained as what to do with those radicals were citizens of the United States. This was not to go unanswered for long, however. America was now in a state of disturbed peace and could not calm down until it rids its country of its disruptions.In the Fall of 1918, The Russian Revolution occurred and may also contribute to America's unrest. Out of nowhere in an extremely violent manner, the Communists citizens took control of the Russian government and murdered the Tsar and his entire family along with thousands of â€Å"nonconforming† Russians. Communism was established on the political philosophy of Karl Marx and was dedicated to establishing a society where there is no private ownership of property and where the government would control the making and distribution of all goods.Karl Heinrich Marx (German pronunciation: [ka l ? ha? n c ? ma ks], 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was aPrussian-German philosopher and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the establishment of the social sciences and the development of the socialist movement. Marx's work in economics laid the basis for our understanding of labor and its relation to capital, and has influenced much of subsequent economic thought. [4][5][6][7] He published numerous books during his lifetime, the most notable being The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Capital (1867–1894).Due to the horrible misconduct and the overthrow of government, Americans began to panic. If it could happen in Russia, why couldn't it happen here? No plot to overthrow the government was ever uncovered. Yet, it was the paranoid fear of Communists that drove many Americans to violence. Another reason for the Red Scare was the strike held by mine workers. They were thought to be making threats against the Capitalist system through subversive Socialist organizations. These strikes were part of a series of events which took place in 1919.This strike, which occurred in February, was of 60,000 coal mine workers. In that September, steel workers attacked. Of course the blame was put upon the American Communists, although many communists tried to oppose this strike. Nationalist Americans called for the stop of the Bolshevik Revolution that was taking place in America. This panic traveling through the United States, made a series of bombs occur. Immediately the Socialist were accused. Attorney General Palmer took advantage of the panic of the public and asked Congress for fund appropriations to help avoid further danger.Congress not only supplied funds, but made sure that all foreign radicals were deported. This plan went very well, but then the government didn't know what to do when the radicals were US citizens. Dur ing my research of this this topic, I have learned a number of things. First of all, America was caught in a web of fear and conspiracy. No one could trust his neighbor or his father for fear that he was involved in the Communist movement. Americans were not happy with their government at this time, but this didn't mean that they wanted Communism as an option.Hyphenated Americans were particularly suspected. I have also learned that although Communism might have caused a lot of panic, no plot of Communism was ever found to be true. However, just because nothing was found doesn't mean that there wasn't anything to be found. America was extremely prejudiced toward anyone who wasn't a â€Å"pure American†. The Red Scare provided Americans with a scapegoat, now that we were no longer fighting the Germans. People really believed that Communists were everywhere and were plotting to overthrow the government.Citizens were now being treated like the women who were accused of being wit ches in the Salem Witch Trials. It didn't matter if you were or we’re not a Communist if someone accused you of being one. You were branded for most of your life. The biggest fear on people's minds was a communism takeover. People thought that Russia was going to cause an internal revolution within the US that would eventually end up removing the democratic government and replacing it with a dictator and communist government. The thought of Russia even attempting to do an attack was foolish from the beginning.America was also happy with its democratic government and was sure that they would have defeated the revolution. This is why America never had any true reason to fear a communist takeover occurring in the United States. The entire Red Scare was meant to keep communism out, and the main reason they wanted to do that is so they could remain free. â€Å"On the evening of Monday, December 29,1919, members of the Central Executive Committee of Buffalo's Communist party gathe red for a meeting in party headquarters in the second floor of the Teck Theater on Main Street.At about 9:30 p. m. , thirty police officers climbed the building's front and rear staircases, and the fire escape, forced open the doors of the meeting hall and burst in. As the party members stood quietly and watched, the police confiscated party records, including a membership list, communist pamphlets, hundreds of copies of the manifesto of the Communist party of America, a small printing press, a mimeograph machine and two typewriters. Then the police arrested twenty-two party members and locked most of them up in the third precinct police station on Pearl Street. Working through the night, police raided the homes of other party leaders, picking up George Till at 1:00 a. m. , and Christopher Keegan at 2:00 a. m. Raiders aroused Franklin Brill from sleep at his Williamsville home and brought him before District Attorney Guy Moore at 3:00 a. m. † The Committee commonly known as th e Lusk Committee, after its chairman State Senator Clayton R. Lusk of Cortland—had been established in March 1919 to investigate individuals and organizations suspected or promoting the overthrow of the United States government.The raids in November, December, and early January were the culmination of months of activity that had left the country in general, and Buffalo in particular, in a state of panic. On April 28, there was a bomb found in the mail of Seattle's outspoken mayor, Ole Hanson. Another bomb was found, exploded and blew the hands off a Georgia senator's maid. One time a New York postal clerk found sixteen more bombs that had not been sent due to a plethora of insufficient postage. Not even a month later after the April 28th bomb scare, another bomb destroyed the front of the home of Attorney General A.Mitchell Palmer in Washington. May Day riots occurred in several major U. S. cities, summer race riots in others and even rhe the Boston Police strike in September , followed by the nationwide steel strike and coal strike heightened animosity against socialists and radicals who were already held to be pariahs because of their pacifist stance during World War I. In June 1919, New York state officials raided the Rand School of Social Science in New York, as well as the headquarters of the I. W. W. along with the Socialists.This raids were created by the New York legislature action that created the Lusk Committee. The idea behind this committee was anit-radical, and it's tactics spread nationwide very quickly. Even with the legislation in place, Attorney General Palmer complained that not enough was being done to deportees. Even though after the Red Scare, he argued for the release of a Socialist that was imprisoned during the Scare and during it he helped convict many. In August of 1919, Palmer created an intelligence department to deal with problems that originated with anarchists.He appointed J. Edgar Hoover to lead the new agency. One of the first assignments of this agency was to raid The Union of Russian Workers in New York. The Red Scare finally came to an end after a series of actions by high government officials. Assistant Secretary of Labor Louis F. Post began to reject most of the immigrant related cases that were brought to him. Even the Secretary of Labor himself, William B. Wilson turned against Palmer. Out of 6,000 warrants issued during the raids, less than 1,000 resulted in deportations.Even though everyone opposed his actions, he still had the dream of running for president. But He was never nominated. By 1920, the Red Scare, was disappearing and by 1921 it was virtually gone. The hysterical anti-radical outbreak in 1919 and 1920 was relatively short-lived but that it left its mark on immigration policy, labor relations, and Constitutional liberties that lasted for generations. Higham argues that the Scare grew out of a fear that a huge part of the American population during World War I derived from enemy territory

Maasai Culture v American Culture

In the tribal villages of eastern Africa the Maasai marriages are arranged by the elders without ever first consulting the bride or the mother of the bride to be. Unlike, that of my own culture in the United States of America, where I am free as a citizen to choose whomever I may choose to marry and when and if I may marry. Polygyny is that of which is practiced in the Maasai culture, as an ideal that is achieved only by that of the elder men of the tribe. Unfortunately, as a result ofthemen being much older at the time of marriage, most women become widows, knowing that it is understood that they should never remarry again. Although, I myself practice monogamy, as it is tradition in my culture and that of what is expected by me, my community, and my family. A young girl's childhood in Maasai culture is dominated by a strict avoidance of her father and other elders. Her marriage prospects and her family's reputation hinges on her ability to develop an accurate sense of respect in her community. She is socialized from birth to accept her service to her future husband as an elder and to all other elders in the community. The father is the key figure in the patriarchal family. Theoretically, his control is absolute only to the interference by close senior elders. It is tradition in Maasai culture that as long as the father is alive, no son has final control over his cattle or over his choice in marriage. It is practiced that as the younger men of the community age, the older men begin to rely on their sons to take over the management of the family. After a husband's death, the widow is then subordinate to her sons in the management of her herd. If she has no sons; she is unprotected. As this idea is not practiced in my own community, where typicallythe roles of the head of house hold is shared among husband and wife equally. Inheritance of property and land is dispersed thru the doctrine of a will written out before death or handled in the courts of law. Although, respect is greatly admired and sought out upon in my community, it does not determine the stance of potential marriages and families in the community. A young girls childhood is shared by the love and affection of a girl’s father and elders, not that of fear and solitude. Love, high morals, and affection is that of which typical childhoods are instilled with upon their growing up in my society. Similar to that of my own culture, the marriage ceremonyis one of the longest and most celebrated ceremonies in the Maasai community. It begins by a man showing interest in a woman and giving her a chain, called an olpisiai, similar in retrospect as that of an engagement ring in American society. Likewise, as the word of this proposal circulates the family as well as the community waits for the initial proceedings to begin. The Maasai man does this by finding women of his own age who will bring a gift of alcohol to the mother of the girl. This first stage called esirit enkoshoke indicates to everyone that the girl is now engaged. After some odd time, the man has to make his intentions clear again once more. By presenting a gift of alcohol to the girl's father, the man has shown this once again, as the alcohol will be brought by the same women who brought the other gift of alcohol to the women earlier. The gift of alcohol is called enkiroret, which the father of the intended bride drinks with his brothers and then summons the man asking him to declare his initial interest and to speak of the woman he wishes to marry. If the family agrees to the man's request, both parties officially establish a relationship, and the wedding planning begins to take foot. In the Maasai community and as in mine, marriage is considered very important. However, when two people are brought together to become a husband and wife in the Maasai community, the newlyweds are expected to live with each other forever; divorce is not an option. Once the Maasai man has chosen and paid for his wife he is then allowed to bring gifts to the woman's family. By first giving the presents as he sees fit, to a final point where it will become clear to those in the community that he has taken an interest in the well-being of the girl's family and that she is not to be readily available. These gifts the Maasai man has given to the girl will create the bride-to-be’s dowry, the purpose of which is not to create wealth for the bride's family, but rather to legalize the marriage. By the man putting his mark on that family, he is making itso that if anyone else tries to approach the family and offer a bride price, it will have been made clear that the girl has already been given away to another family and is spoken for. Like that of an engagement ring or wedding band worn by both the men and women in my community, as it is displaying to everyone that they are spoken for and are not available to others in the community. As the wedding day begins in Maasai culture the groom brings the bride price, including three cows, of which two are female and one is male and all are black, and two sheep, one female and the other male. The male sheep is to be slaughtered during the wedding day to remove its rich fats and oils, which will then later be applied to the wedding dress. The remaining’s of the oil is put in a container for the bride to carry to her new home after the wedding in her husband's kraal. The morning of the wedding, the bride's head is shaved and anointed with lamb fat. She is decorated similarly to that of my own culture by beautiful beaded decorations, and her wedding dress. Although unlike wise, her dress is made by relatives in the community and her mother, making the wedding dress an expression of community, not individuality. The bride is also blessed by the elders using alcohol and milk, and she is led from her family's kraal to her new home, in the kraal of her husband. There, she will enter the house of her husband's mother, where she will stay for the next two days, during which time the groom may not sleep with her or eat food in the house she is staying in. Finally, after those two days, the wife's head is shaved once more by her husband's mother, and the wedding ceremony is finally over; the man and woman are married elders. Concluding that although both cultures differ greatly in their practices and expectations there are still similarities to be understood. Both cultures dually express and display their affection towards one another in some public manor or display. Even if our ideals and morals are different, the feelings that everyone wants to be with their true love forever is evident.

The Impact of the OECD Standard on the Swiss Banking Industry Dissertation

The Impact of the OECD Standard on the Swiss Banking Industry - Dissertation Example The developments were of strong influence in the actual economy and as the year 2008 came to an end the whole economy had gone through the ensuing crisis (Gugler & Siebert, 2007). Despite the fact that, the Banking industry was one of the most regulated industries within the country, the ongoing financial crisis could not be curbed. More often than not, the financial crisis uncovered different imperfections in international regulation. Before this crisis, the whole banking system had been assumed to be secured for as long as each unique bank satisfied the requirements in terms of capital reserves (Brissimis & Papanikolaou, 2008). This enabled it to absorb the upcoming negative economical developments. In many cases, one theory explains that it is sufficient in supervising the banks at a micro-level, and this supervision would prevent a crisis within the entire banking system namely at the macro level. This theory holds in a non-globalized or less globalized world (Brissimis & Papanik olaou, 2008). Consequently, the current globalised world quest for new requirements for the banking sector. The recent developments in the current financial crisis emphasize the need for international regulations within the banking sector. The financial crisis made the affected banks appear to act unfavorable making an adverse impact on the refinancing mechanism with other financial institutions. This meant that, during the crisis, banks were forced to increase their capital requirements so as to prevent their defaults and as well to fulfill the new capital requirements (Gugler & Siebert, 2007). As a consequence, the banks were forced to reduce their lending to other financial institutions. The shortage in interbank lending brought about a liquidity crisis within the whole financial sector. In this respect, it was extremely vital to coordinate new international regulations at a national and international level in order to strengthen the domestic and the international financial syste m( Gugler & Siebert, 2007). Additionally, the financial crisis made the public debt increase. Many governments were forced to bail out system relevant financial institutions (De Bandt & Davis, 2000). Different governments spend out a considerable amount of money to stimulate their economies. This forced many governments to reduce their governmental spending and at the same time generate new revenues (Molyneux & Thornton, 2004). Having the requirement of raising new funds, many governments including the US and EU, promoted the repatriation of cross border assets. Switzerland is one of the world leading financial centers in terms of offshore and international banking (Tyndale, 2009). As a consequence, the Swiss banking sector was targeted by these economies. Besides the financial interest of the EU and US, it is also vital to consider the legal aspect of tax management by Switzerland. It is also crucial that Switzerland was the main target as a tax haven by the EU and US (Iwata, 2004) . The Swiss law has in many instances made a distinction between Tax fraud and Tax evasion. Tax fraud has always been a crime in Switzerland. In contrast, tax evasion is not a crime in Switzerland. Specifically, the latter assist in explaining why the EU and the US put pressure on more transparency of the Swiss tax management (Jimenez, & Saurina, 2007). However, the EU and Switzerland pursued the interest of harmonizing their tax management. The loosening of the banking secrecy made the attractiveness of the Swiss banking

Systems Analysis and Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Systems Analysis and Design - Assignment Example In this scenario, given below are some of the important aspects which can have a significant influence on the system design: (Kirwan, et al., 1997; Kariuki & Lowe, 2010; HSE, 2011; Carayon & Wood, 2010) Interface design and workplace layout: it ensures a high-quality interface Environmental considerations: this factor involves consideration of illumination noise, thermal, and air conditioning factors Communications aspects: it involves making sure dependable communications Job and team design: making easy regarding high motivation and cooperation Selection, training and procedures: the exact person intended for the job, as well as appropriate training and aids Human error and recovery: checking and correcting or keeping away from the results due to human errors, and making sure the humans are able to detect and correct machine errors/breakdowns Explain why it is or is not important to test the system on users? System Testing on User It is really significant to test the system for use rs. Additionally, the most significant feature of some testing pays attention on the user experience as well as looks for the pinpoint issues for user interaction with the website. This testing outlines what issues exist, how to enhance and improve user’s level of confidence and utility and encourage return visits and circulation with system capabilities. For the majority powerful systems in the world, as well as for one of the majority strong resources exist on the planet, Google positively has a generic technique. In addition, this is a high-quality instance of tackling system usability from the users’ viewpoint and not from a design point of view. Moreover, Google could surely jazz up their system, however they keep it straightforward for the reason that users achieve utmost usefulness by using it. In this scenario, Google is an excellent instance of a website with an extremely high level functionality, however they uphold a clean and uncluttered appearance, as a re sult users are not overcrowded by tools as well as apps screaming for user attention (RankPay, 2010; Weakley, 2007; Wong, 2010). Question No 2 2. Explain why it is important to use frames. Frames allow us to place our navigation on each system page of a website without making changes on each page. In fact, if the system navigation is in a different frame, and we alter it, it will alter each page that makes use of that frameset. In addition, frames make an advertisement that is for all time available. Additionally, by placing our ads inside a frame at the peak of the page, we make sure that that ad is noticeable still when the reader scrolls the major content. In other words, frames permit us to "brand" our website. In this scenario, we can place our logo as well as website name in a separated frame to keep that information clear and center. Furthermore, frames cover the URLs. Thus, they are not very safe, however if we want our readers to not be familiar with the URL of our pages ro utinely, frames are able to hide it. As well, when people bookmark our web pages, the URL is the major web page, rather than a deep link, that a number of websites favor (Kyrnin, 2011; Kyrnin, Why should I use frames rather than CSS or CSS rather than frames?, 2011; Boutell, 2011; HTML Code Tutorial, 2011). Explain data capture and OMR. How is it different from OCR? Scanning

The United States from the 1880s to the 1930s Essay

The United States from the 1880s to the 1930s - Essay Example These poor working conditions are eminent throughout the novel, indicating that the poor working conditions for the workers persisted during the period 1880s to 1930. The poor working conditions would see most industrial workers move from one industry or factory to the other, in search for more favorable working conditions. This can been seen from this novel, where Joe tells George that his family is moving to Cherry Alley, where life is more expensive, but it is worth, just for the sake of getting away from the cinder dump (Bell, 53). The working conditions of the industrial workers during this period were such dangerous, that losing life for the workers was a normalcy. Another social issue facing the industrial workers during this period is lack of adequate health facilities, despite the dangerous working conditions they were operating in, which leaves the workers either ill or injured (Foner, 26). While George is lucky to get some employment, he notices some deep boom on the floor of the industry, and feels the earth shake only to realize that an explosion had occurred which injured many of his co-workers. George and other co-workers go to find a doctor for the injured workers, which proves impossible and they have to put them in a train and take them to Pittsburgh, the only place they could find a hospital (Bell, 112). Social situation was also imbalanced during this period, with more men than women in the industrial towns, which triggered infidelity and marriage breakups (Bell, 91).

Economic and Business Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economic and Business Context - Essay Example in 1894 in Manchester, after wards Marks entered in to partnership with Thomas Spencer, and they established a company known as Marks & Spencer (M & S). In the initial time the company only concentrates in the area of selling of goods they are purchased the goods from wholesalers and other intermediteries after they established a good market base in UK they entered another area of business. Marks & Spencer became a limited company after adopting revolutionary policy of buying directly from manufacturers. In 1926 they stepped in textile industry. It is mainly concentrating on the selling of British produced goods for the purposes of maintaining cordial relation with British manufacturers by maintaining a new brand named ‘St Michael’ mainly they market clothing and Food products. The key factor behind their success is the motto of providing better customer service relation, by accepting unwanted goods from their customer and refunding the cash. The company tries to provide only quality goods by maintaining their reputation for offering fair value for money. In 1988 the company acquired Brooks Brothers an American clothing company and Kings Supermarket a food chain. Currently the company expands and diverse their business activities in the area of Food retail stores and Home ware retailing also. They are mainly marketing the clothing products through their retail outlets. â€Å"Marks & Spencer, leading international departmental, has drawn up ambitious expansion plans in India and China starting as early as next year, its chief executive Stuart Rose has said.† (Marks & Spencer plans to expand in India, china, 2007). The company also launched a web site for the purpose of online marketing system associated with Amazon.com. Marks & Spencer’s better customer service and quality products will helps them to improve their business in the area of online marketing also. â€Å"For years customer service has been a fundamental part of consumers offline shopping

A survey of student attitudes to university fees Essay

A survey of student attitudes to university fees - Essay Example Example include Market Research Surveys Government Surveys Public Health Surveys Public Opinion Polls Censuses may be another example of quantative research. Although a census does not include a sample/portion of the community, it surely does include many others modern survey methodological aspects such as interviewers and questionnaires. Surveys are an important tool for research. With the help of surveys we may be able to gather precious information not only for research purposes but also for public information. Surveys are not restricted to one field or line of information. Information may be gathered for marketing, sociological, psychological and many other aspects and fields of study (Advanced Research Seminar On Cognitive Aspects Of Survey Methodology & Jabine, 1984). A survey was conducted regarding tuition fees and related issues. Most of the respondents were international which were paying a comparatively high tuition fees. As expected, all of them were of the idea that the tuition fees were high and should be cut down. A few students were happy with their fees but it is believed this was due to the fact that they were either UK home students or EU students. Furthermore, it was highlighted that most of the international students relied on their parents to pay their tuitions fees while a few were dependent on student loans. 80% of the respondents believed that the tuitions fees of UK was considerably higher than their home countries. This may have been said to be due to different economic conditions and foreign exchange risk between the two countries but with 65% respondents claiming the tuitions fees to be considerably more, is a matter to be looked into. Respondents also claimed that such huge tuitions fees is a cause of distress for their parents back home. Few even went on saying that their family could not afford the tuition fees but still managed sending them abroad to study and obtain a degree. The students responding were usually from developing nations which have a bad economic condition as compared to that of UK. They also higlighted that if a parent is to spend so much on one siblings the rest may have to suffer and sacrifice their standard of education. The main reason cited for getting a degree was for the purposes of a job with some respondents thought to be confused of their basis of studying at a university. Nearly all of the students were of the view that the government should be paying for their tuitions fees and ensure that no financial stress and constraint should take place while studying. Respondents also were of the idea that at least some part of the fees if not all should be paid by the government. The recent floating idea of an increase in tuition fees is a prime ongoing debate. It was believed that tuition fees shall be increase further (BBC News, 2012.) After the previous tuition fees rise Parents believe that supporting one of the children had been financially tough and an increase shall only and only increase their burden. Furthermore, parents feared that their children shall be facing huge debts if they plan to obtain a degree. Many students were also of the view that they shall be put off with higher tuition fees (BBC News, 2010). Ttihe increase in tuition fees also witnessed many protests and strikes with students even been arrested (the Guardian,

Negotiations - hypothetical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Negotiations - hypothetical analysis - Essay Example It is back-and-forth communication designed to reach an agreement when you and the other side have some interests that are shared and others that are opposed.† Since there are two or more parties to a negotiation, the common belief is that one must win and the other has to lose. In this internet age, impacted by materialistic civilization, this approach will not hold good. The settlement arrived through good negotiations leads to a win-win situation, where all are winners. The author has articulated a simple and straightforward five-step system that covers the important aspect of negotiations and explains how to go about it in the practical world. The five concepts of negotiations chartered by Roger Fisher that I will put into practice to resolve the issue related to the three girl students (swimmers) are: 1. Don’t bargain over positions They call me "spineless" "heartless" "incompetent" and "lazy" in the third meeting. They also say "We've heard about you. We know that you got this job because two other school districts fired you for incompetence." I am not interested in contesting their claims. When an individual is angry, one says so many things which one actually doesn’t mean! By their verbal slangs, no damage is done to my approach and it is unlikely to change my working style. Try to understand the meanings of the words of their outburst. They have no connectivity. I will not argue with them on the issue for the present. Every argument has a counter argument, but that will not lead to solution. That two other school districts fired me for my incompetence is an incorrect statement. That they fired me is a fact; but that was due to differences as for my conciliatory approach to certain issues related to the students. That the management of the school where I am at present working is aware of the facts related to the cases, and yet they have appointed me as the Principal. They must be having their own reasons for having engaged me. My per spective of running the school administration meets with their approval. I do not believe in giving instant, harsh punishments to the students. I am supposed to look after an academic institution, not a military establishment, to take summary decisions. 2. Separate the people from the problem I would advise the parents of the bullied girl, to keep a low profile for the time being, in the overall interest of all concerned. This issue is going to be resolved, but not on their drastic terms. Expulsion is a serious step that leaves highly unpleasant consequences. It affects the future of the children, damages their psychology, and they may find it difficult to face the societal reactions. Expulsions are often challenged in the court of law, and an academic institution would like to avoid legal hassles, as far as possible. I love my student; she is like my daughter, as much as you love your daughter. Expulsion is the permanent black spot in the academic career of a student and it must be avoided at all costs. 3. Focus on interests, not positions My interest, as the Principal of the school, is to maintain the overall cordial atmosphere in the school, not the interest of just 2-3 students. I now propose to invite to the school the parents of the two students, who allegedly bullied the daughter of the parents who are the complainants. Bullying is a common trend amongst the students though, and in the present case jealousy, that the bullied girl is a superior swimmer is the root cause of the problem. I will also request the college swimming coach to counsel them individually and collectively, and if the feud is not ended immediately, their swimming career may be at stake and they will be removed from the college swimming team. So, along with the reputation of the college, their

Martha McCakey Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Martha McCakey - Case Study Example Moreover one of her old classmates working for the same company also encouraged her to join that company and finally she decided to join Praxis Associates. (Kyurinyan, 2006) Martha McCaskey was a hard working young woman who believed in good ethical standards at the work place. She never believed in short cuts to achieve targets. She has completed many successful projects at a fast pace and soon became a valuable member of the company. As a business tactics, Praxis Associates often hired ex employees of their competitors to obtain valuable information regarding the functioning of the competitors. They have divided the division into two sub groups; old guards and new guards. Old The attitude of the top management of Praxis associates was motivated only by the profit. They were ready to engage in any sort of activities to capture business and also they never believed in business ethics. For them, Business is a competitive world where only the smarter ones will succeed and the others will fail. In order to achieve targets anything can be done as per their moral standards. Moreover they forced the employees to go up to the maximum extent to achieve the targets. They never bothered about retaining the employees. It is under this circumstances Martha McCaskey asked to complete a project. It was a crucial time period of her career. The successful completion of that project will ensure her higher bonuses and promotion. But she found no way to complete the project without compromising her ethical standards. She was forced to decide whether she wanted to maintain her integrity and high standards or to compromise with all such things. Morality and ethical standards are vanishing gradually from the modern world. Globalization and liberalization policies made the competition immense in the business world. It is extremely hard to survive in a highly competitive business world by keeping all the ethical standards. Business is a smart game where most of the moves

Supply Chain Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Supply Chain Management - Research Paper Example s that allows companies to effectively utilise its people, technologies and other resources required to move its products or services from the suppliers to the consumers. It can further be explained as a network of services and delivery options that facilitate to execute the task of procurement of raw materials and make conversion of the resources available into intermediate as well as complete products along with distributing these finished products to the customers. This system or chain has been observed to be present in both the services as well as manufacturing companies. Although it has been observed that the process and complexities of this system vary from organisation to organisation. Supply chain is a very effective method in planning the overall production and distribution of companies which could further lead towards cutting down of costs of the products and would certainly enable to deliver an attractive final product that would be more preferred by the customers. A compa ny that succeeds in proper implementation of supply chain in its operations would have the competitive edge in the global market in comparison to its competitors. However, there are certain risks and uncertainties that are involved in the incorporation of supply chain network. As there are many steps involved in the process of the supply chain management such as procurement of raw materials, manufacturing of the finished products and delivery of product among others, a failure in any of the mentioned steps would undoubtedly affect the operations and functioning of organisation (Ross, 2010). With this notion, the paper aims at illustrating the risks and uncertainties that are involved in the supply chain network or management process. Furthermore, the paper would also epitomize the phenomena and behaviour of the Forrester Effect, as one of the models for demand uncertainty and would attempt to provide the countermeasures of such effect. Moreover, the paper would further intend to

The Members Church of God International and The Community Essay Example for Free

The Members Church of God International and The Community Essay The Members Church of God International, is one of the most prominent and well-established religious congregations in the Philippines today. The organization is known to be highly principled and incomparable in upholding Gods righteousness, existing for more than 40 years. Believing that one of the most important missions of the members of the Church of God International is to propagate the pure and untarnished Gospel of Christ on earth, the Church has conscientiously and fervently carries this obligation to fellowmen all over the world through the use of mass media and the Internet. As a member of the Church, one is taught to follow religiously and conscientiously the fundamental doctrines for Christians and righteousness as a way of life, and to be law abiding citizens recognizing the fundamental laws of the land they live in. The true essence of a pure religion is manifested in the Church of God’s high-regard and concern for the fatherless, widows, handicapped and disabled people. The Churchs charity and social welfare ministry, Lingap Kapatid was organized and established in 1997 to help the church in its mission to organize and help establish key orphanages in various places to house and care for our less privileged fellowmen who are widowed and abandoned. The historical and current importance of this religion and spirituality in Metro Manila, in particular, manifests in the manner of living of its members. In this community, there are more than 30,000 members who abide not only by God’s law but also by the laws of the country. The members do not smoke, nor become engaged in drug addictions, nor drink liquors. They are even encouraged not to marry if they are not yet in the proper age and if they are not physically, financially and psychologically stable. This thing leads to helping the community in promoting birth control. Religiosity influences a persons attitudes and values, providing meaning and purpose in life resulting to a healthy and safe community. Reference Soriano, Eliseo F. (2002). Leaving Behind the Fundamental Doctrines of Christ. Philippines. The Members of the Church of God in Christ.

Definition Of A Long Term Condition Nursing Essay

Definition Of A Long Term Condition Nursing Essay The number of people living in the UK with a long term condition is increasing rapidly. As healthcare provision improves and the availability of healthcare increases, the number of people living longer increases. The proportion of the population aged over 80 years will increase to one in twelve over the next 25 years, and one in four will be over the age of 65 years. (Health Delivery Directorate Improvement and Support Team, 2009) As people get older their health may begin to change and are more likely to suffer from illnesses and chronic conditions. At present, care for people with long term conditions, particularly older people, is reactive and interventions generally only take place after an event or exacerbation of a long term illness. A system change by NHS Scotland aims to deliver an integrated, coordinated and preventative health and social care system, especially for people with long term conditions (NHS Scotland, 2007). Definition of a Long Term Condition A long term condition (also called chronic condition) can be defined as health problems that require ongoing care and management over a period of years or decades (WHO, 2012). Long term conditions can sometimes be referred to as chronic diseases. They are conditions that last for a year or longer and can greatly impact on a persons life which may result in the person requiring continued support and care. Long term conditions can affect children as well as adults and is not only the elderly who can be affected. It is also not just confined to physical illness but it can also include a range of mental health illnesses. Amongst the most common long term conditions are diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, chronic pain, arthritis, some mental health problems, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (NHS, 2012). Socio-Political Context of Delivery of Care In the past, care for people with long term conditions was generally reactive and unplanned (DHSSPS, 2011). People with long term conditions are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital, and tend to have longer hospital stays. They also account for over 60% of hospital bed days used. Most people who need long term residential care have complex needs from multiple long term conditions (The Scottish Government, 2012). Scotlands approach to the management of long term conditions is based upon the Chronic Care Model developed by Ed Wagner and his colleagues at the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation. This model suggests that if conditions are created to support a partnership that is productive between people who are knowledgeable and are capable of implementing changes and with those who have the long term conditions, then this can be positive steps towards improving the way care is delivered (The Scottish Government, 2009). In the past, care for people with long term conditions was generally reactive and unplanned (DHSSPS, 2011). In 2007, The Scottish Government developed an action plan to better manage care for people with long term conditions. Adopting Wagners Chronic Care model, The Scottish Governments plan was reflected in Better Health, Better Care. The 6 domains of the Chronic Care Model have been mapped to 6 key components of the model for long term conditions care in Scotland:- Multi-professional care teams and their partnership with people with long term conditions Self management of LTCs strategy Gaun Yersel primary care, hospitals, and social work integrating care Integrating evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines into care and support delivery processes Sharing of Data through supportive information systems Assuring appropriate delivery of care through the national performance framework, HEAT targets and the Community Care Outcomes Framework How the care is delivered In order to deliver a proactive and coordinated care management approach for people with complex and changing needs, health and social care professionals require a range of competencies and skills. Health professionals that work together to deliver this anticipatory care are community nurses, community psychiatric nurses, social workers and care managers (HDDIST, 2009). Anticipatory and Advance care planning (ACP) both adopt a thinking ahead philosophy of care. This allows practitioners and their teams to work with patients and their family members to set and achieve common goals to make sure the right course of treatment has been chosen and is carried out at the right time for the best interests of the patient and their family members or support network (The Scottish Government, 2010). Advance care planning is the term most commonly referred to in end of life care, although it does incorporate the writing of wills or Living Wills now known as advance directives or advance decisions which can be done by the well person early on in life to plan for what may happen at the end of life. Anticipatory care planning is more commonly applied to support those living with a long term condition to plan for an expected change in health or social status. It also incorporates health improvement and staying well. Completion of a common document called an anticipat ory care plan is suggested for both long term conditions and in palliative care (The Scottish Government, 2010). Anticipatory care, as an approach, was pioneered in the 1960s by Van den Dool in The Netherlands and Julian Tudor Hart in Wales. Both approaches involved identifying patients who were at high risk of specific diseases or conditions. This was achieved by reviewing patient medical records when the opportunity arose during routine consultation or when the patient made contact with their medical practice (ODonnell et al, 2012). As an individuals condition appears to be more complex it may be useful to discuss legal and practical issues, as well as individual care and support preferences. As the needs and dependency of an individual increase, it may become appropriate to discuss end of life preferences (Scottish Government, 2009). The Anticipatory Care Plan may then include information about the persons: concerns and personal goals the persons own understanding of their illness and how it will progress a persons own wishes for end of life care, including preference of where care is carried out, as well as their views about the level of interventions, treatments and whether CPR is wanted (Scottish Government, 2009). Government Programmes The Scottish Government (2010) has outlined its commitment to developing a health service that tackles inequalities in health, addressing both health and social determinants, and to delivering a health service that moves away from a reactive, episodic model of care, where the patient is a passive recipient, to a system that anticipates health needs before they arise and that delivers continuous, integrated, preventive care with the patient as partner. Such a model of care has been termed anticipatory care (ODonnell et al, 2012). Recently, the Scottish Government has established Keep Well, a national programme of anticipatory care targeting deprived populations at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which brings together a number of the active ingredients important to anticipatory care (ODonnell et al, 2012). NHS Health Scotland provides the national programme management role for Keep Well. Established before the implementation of this government programme, The National Coronary Heart Disease Demonstration Project, Have a Heart Paisley, was a Scottish Government-funded national health demonstration project (2001-2008) hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It was a partnership between the local community, primary and secondary care and the local authority (NHS Health Scotland, 2012). The initial project was established to reduce heart disease and promote healthier, longer lives for the people of Paisley. It was one of four projects outlined in the Governments White paper Towards a Healthier Sco tland. Have a Heart Paisley moved into its second phase in 2005 2008 which narrowed its focus and allowed an opportunity to build upon phase one. An anticipatory care report published in 2007 by Sridharan et al, outlined challenges for interventions such as Keep Well that are based on the vision described in Delivering for Health such as Identifying individuals within the different levels of disadvantage. Instead of a broad approach to identify a deprived area, a more focused approach may be required to help identify poor people in those deprived areas. The problem is that individuals with the greatest need (e.g. multiple disadvantaged populations with co morbid conditions) may be overlooked and the standard sampling frame such as a Central Data Repository (CDR) may not harness or identify populations with multiple disadvantages (Sridharan et al, 2007). The Long Term Conditions Collaborative (LTCC), aims to support patients to develop person centred care that is effective, safe, timely and reliable, makes best use of the skills of the multi-professional team, and is supported by good communication and sharing of information across teams and care settings (The Scottish Government, 2010). Models of Care The Kaiser Permanente pyramid is a chronic care model which was developed by the Kaiser Permanente Health Institute in the United States. This chronic care model is not a fixed model and people can move up and down the levels as their condition, ability to cope and their general sense of well-being changes (The Scottish Government, 2009). Kaiser Permanente focuses on integrating organisations and disciplines. People with long term conditions are organised and managed according to need, with intensive management targeted at those at highest risk (NHS, 2006). Supporting Literature Research carried out by Baker et al (2012) aimed to identify a population who were at risk of admission to hospital and to provide an anticipatory care plan (ACP) for them. Baker et al (2012) aimed to determine whether, using primary and secondary care data to identify this population and then applying an ACP, can help to reduce hospital admission rates. The results of Baker et al (2012) study showed that whilst not significant, having an ACP and a co-ordinated team based approach can reduce admission rates and reduce hospital bed days. Baker et al (2012) found that a reduction in admission rates is mediated by an increase in transfers out from secondary hospitals to the community hospital and home. Several factors enabled this to happen: improved community support from families and carers who had a better understanding of the course of a disease, care workers who were able to prevent admissions and provide rapid support on discharge, as well as a coordinated approach and good liaiso n between the case manager, local nursing, and the practice (Baker et al, 2012). Cleland, Moffat Small (2012) carried out research to explore stakeholder views of the utility and design of a community-based anticipatory care service (CBACS) for COPD. The key benefits of this service were seen to be reducing hospitalisation, educating patients in self-management in order to improve self-care and reduce acute admissions, and coordination of health and social care (Cleland et al, 2012). ZuWallack Nici, (2010), wrote an article describing the problems associated with the current care delivery approach for people with COPD. ZuWallack Nici (2010) proposed a Chronic Care model for the primary care of people with long term illnesses such as COPD. This model had many similarities to the care approach set out in Better Health, Better Care, with 6 similar components. ZuWallack Nici (2010) found that the integrated care approach is ideally suited to the management of chronic diseases, such as COPD. They claimed that Integrated care is patient centred but not limited to the traditional boundaries of the disease and is not overwhelmed by the complexities of the multi-morbid patient. ZuWallack Nici (2010) claims that there is great emphasis on self management strategies and the co-ordination of care, all of which increase the lines of communication amongst the agencies involved in the care being delivered. Role of the Case Manager The evolving role of case manager in delivering anticipatory care to patients with long term conditions is key to ensuring that care and services for the individual are co-ordinated and do not become fragmented, confusing and overwhelming. It is an opportunity to make best use of the advanced level of knowledge, skills and competencies that District Nurses have developed (HDDIST, 2009). Good communication, co-ordination and information sharing within and between multi-disciplinary teams are essential to ensure that where a person moves between different care settings, for example between primary care and specialist services provided in secondary care, these transitions are seamless and co-ordinated (DHSSPSNI, 2012). IN 2009, Information Services Division (ISD) developed The SPARRA tool. It identifies people who have entered a cycle of repeat admissions to hospital in the previous 3 years and predicts their risk of future hospitalisation. The information on the SPARRA lists supports the patients local team to provide the proactive, planned and co-ordinated care required for people with complex or frequently changing needs. Instead of reactive or crisis care, people and their carers will receive an improved service through a more robust assessment and care planning approach. Delivering continuous, supportive care with a single point of co-ordination improves the experience for the person and their carer; supports care at home and may prevent avoidable hospital admissions (ISD, 2009). SPARRA is only one way of identifying people at high risk of admissions. People who may benefit from care management can be identified by sharing local intelligence at Practice and locality team meetings and by using other community risk prediction tools (ISD, 2009). End of Life Care Palliative care has been described as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Problems can be encountered with the availability of medicines during the out-of-hours period. To maintain effective symptom control it is important that sufficient quantities of appropriate palliative care drugs, including CDs, are available to anticipate deterioration in the patients condition (NHS Scotland, 2012). Just in case boxes support anticipatory prescribing and access to palliative care medication for patients at the end of life. Adequate quantities of the appropriate medicines (including Controlled Drugs) are prescribed for the patient and stored in an identifiable container the just in case box in the patients home or care home. This is intended to prevent unnecessary delays in symptom management especially out of hours and at weekends (NHS Scotland, 2012). The GP will assess the individual needs of the patient and will issue a prescription for the appropriate medication If symptoms develop the nurse can administer the appropriate drugs without having the delay of contacting the GP to prescribe them (NHS Scotland, 2012). Making appropriate plans to meet a persons changing needs and aid timely transitions to end of life care are critical components of the quality improvement process in health and social care (NHS, 2011). Care planning harnesses the care of people with and without capacity to make their own decisions. The assessment undertaken is person centred and it aims to establish the persons needs, preferences and personal goals relating to their own care and the decisions made to meet these goals with the available resources (NHS, 2011). It can be oriented towards meeting immediate needs, as well as predicting future needs and making appropriate arrangements or contingency plans to address these (NHS, 2011). Where a person lacks capacity to decide, care planning must focus on determining their best interests. This can be achieved through discussions with the persons family or close friends or carers and any decisions made must act to protect the persons best interests (NHS, 2011). Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of discussions with an individual and their care provider to determine the persons wishes should their illness deteriorate in the future. ACPs can lead to an advance statement, an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT), a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision or other types of decision, such as appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney (NHS, 2011). In conclusion, planning should be tailored to individuals a one size fits all approach will not work (NHS, 2011). Individuals have the right to live well with their conditions that are managed holistically and within the boundaries of their own personal needs and desires. Everyone involved with the care planning for an individual should be available for opportunities for follow-on conversations and support. Discussing potential risks and benefits associated with different treatment options will help people make choices and have confidence in agreed treatment and care plans (NHS, 2011). Wordcount: 2743 .

Consumers Behaviour Shaped By The Media Advertising Media Essay

Consumers Behaviour Shaped By The Media Advertising Media Essay The mass media in todays society has shape the way we act, think and react to certain outcomes in our lives. It has such an impact on the choices we make and the choices that are available for us to make, that we sometimes dont even know its there. This often creates an awareness of the roles and attitudes we are expected to react to through commercialism. Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they dont have for something they dont need (Rogers, 2004 ) and these desires of wanting these certain products are largely the results made by the mass media. Perhaps, marketers should look at a different way of targeting consumers without having to mould their minds in such a way that has changed our uniqueness as an individual living in todays global world. Consumer behaviour is often described as the way we make decisions in purchasing specific products. Factors such as economic, demographic, psychological and social influences have played a major role in influencing our behaviour as consumers (Quester McCarthy, 2001). However, as we go into depth, the long term consequences of commercialism are much more serious than we imagine. So are we to blame the firms and organisations for manipulating our minds as consumers? Or are we too fragile to resist such temptation. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), consumer behaviour is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behaviour, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives (American Marketing Association 2006). While another definition has defined consumer behaviour as The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society (Hawkins, Best, Convey Koch, 2004). So we ask, is this definition still effective in this scenario, especially when our attitudes and perceptions are being tampered with? Some people feel that they are not affected by advertising, but they are. The media not only advertises directly, but they also try to appeal to people on an unconscious level Its harder to persuade them when theyre thinking (The Ad and the Ego, 1997) shows just how manipulative the media can be. For example, in 2001 the tobacco industry tried persuading its customers by using terms such as light to mislead smokers into believing that those brands are safer. They also made it seem like smoking is a part of everyday life. In many ads that promote tobacco, smoking is introduced as a natural part of having a good time. This as a result encourages consumer into supporting tobacco companies by purchasing their light cigarettes. Advertising is the means by which goods or services are promoted to the public (Petley, 2003). The advertisers goal is to increase sales of these goods or services by drawing peoples attention to them and showing them in a favourable light (Petley, 2003). According to (Arens in Ayanwale, Alimi and Ayanbimipe, 2005), the mission of advertiser is to reach prospective customers and influence their awareness, attitudes and buying behaviour. They spend a lot of money to keep individuals interested in their products. To succeed, they need to understand what makes potential customers behave the way they do. Advertising is a marketing function, and Kotler (in Bokor, Werner and Richardsson; 2004) claims that advertising can have a number of different, possible objectives. One objective can be to inform customers about new product or a price change, while another objective can be to persuade. In this sense advertising is a phenomenon that aims to persuade or influence people (Bjurstrà ¶m, 199 4). Most of the critics today believe that the use of commercialism has dramatically changed the way consumers behave and the way they carry out their lifestyle. Looking at the examples present in todays society, its possible to say that these theories may be pretty accurate. For example, Advertisers often emphasize sexuality and the importance of physical attractiveness in an attempt to sell products. They often emphasise thinness as a standard for female beauty, and the bodies idealized in the media are frequently atypical of normal, healthy women. You are continually competing with everyone around you to be noticed, to be seen, to be admired, to be successful. Ads urge us to become what we behold. It is advertising which defines physical beauty for women. Modern advertising conditions women to strive for an unattainable standard of beauty all in the service of selling products. Women frequently compare their bodies to those they see around them, and researchers have found that exposur e to idealized body images lowers womens satisfaction with their own attractiveness (Magazine Models Impact Girls Desire to Lose Weight, Press Release, 2008). As a result, the depiction of thin models has adversely impacted womens body image, which has led to unhealthy behaviour as women and girls strive for the ultra-thin body idealized by the media. Advertising images have also set unrealistic ideals for males, and men and boys are beginning to risk their health to achieve the well-built media standard. Advertising that pushes people to be small and eat large supports eating disorder thinking and behaviour. The continual onslaught of emaciation, body surgery, and diet publicity actually convinces many people that the lifestyle being portrayed is normal. Such media portrayal validates starvation, cutting behaviors and binge and purge cycles. Plus, this portrayal can delay recovery work. If a person with an eating disorder is subjected to a barrage of images and messages celebrating the symptoms of her illness, she may believe she is living well and wisely and will not seek treatment. This is a cultural phenomenon that is tragic. It contributes to people taking pride in their illness, proselytizing eating disorders, destroying their health, ruining relationships and, in far too many cases, shortening their lives. So do advertisers see such an impact theyve done to consumers? The main objective of advertising is to convince the consumer to behave in a certain manner which is most favourable for the advertiser. It may influence the consumer in different ways, because the advertiser spends an enormous amount of money to sell his product in the most creative and persuasive manner possible. Before 1900 advertising was mostly informational. Ads described products and appealed to consumers logic and judgement. World War I and the 1920s saw advertising shift from text to more emotional and image-centered modes. Advertising became less about products and more about the emotional and social lives of the people buying the products. The growing industrial economy dictated that not only goods but also markets for goods needed to be mass-produced. Soon, advertisements began to promote anxiety, discomfort, and inadequacy among the population. Youre not OK the way you are, You need help. You need salvation Ads generate anxiety and doubts making us feel uncomfortable in our skins. This we call the production of discontent (Hawkins, Best, Convey Koch, 2004). Advertising sells more than products, it sells values, images, concepts, and above all, normalcy it tells us who we are and who we should be. Advertising teaches us above all to be consumers. It teaches us that happiness can be bought, that there are instant solutions to lifes complex problems, and that products can fulfil us and meets our deepest human needs. We live in a consumer culture, saturated with mass media images. Much of our physical, informational, and cultural space is for sale billboards, TV, magazines, newspapers, even the area behind home plate. All of these spaces pitch products promising to improve our lives. We are all, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously, affected by this advertising, often in very subtle ways. Whats important is not our experience of any one ad but that of living in an advertising environment which repeats certain messages again and again. We dont see it very well because we re-surrounded by it all the time. Like Richard Pollay (in Pollay, W; 1979) explains that just as a fish dont think about the sea, we dont think much about ads because we are surrounded by this ad environment from birth to death. He argues that one of educations goals ought to be to get the fish to think about the water. In order to understand modern society, he concludes, advertising is the best place to look. Humans are meaning-making creatures, always wondering who i am? and why do things work the way they do? After a century of experience, advertisers understand the power of symbolism and strive to discover symbols that make people react in predictable ways. Advertisers try to create stimuli to make individuals salivate if you can grab people their emotions, you can get them to follow. We have a cultural disposition to believe what we see. The human brain processes images and words differently. What we reflect on, consider, and even argue with logical appeals built on words, but we dont talk back to images. Advertisers realize that people are more easily influences by images than words. Seeing advertisements on the television, billboards or hearing them on our favourite radio stations has become a part of our daily lives whether we like it or not. Being exposed to numerous advertisements do affect our behaviour in some way what so ever. As a consumer myself, I strongly believe that advertising has a detrimental effect to peoples behaviour in many ways. We tend to follow our primary instincts and forget the real values in life. By acting on our insecurity and self-consciousness advertising makes us more inclined to products we are once happy with. We covet and envy our friends. We become greedy and are never satisfy with what we have. Advertising has created consumerism which affects our ability to communicate with each other. Most people nowadays prefer sharing their thoughts through electronic mail or latest cell phones than personal contacts. We have definitely become more distant from one another and consumerism is probably the main cause of this social alienatio n. On the other hand, while advertising have a negative impact on our personality it may also have a positive impact on economy. The fewer commercials we see, the less amount of money we spend. For a large company and its competitors, advertising has become the only way of introducing products to the customers and for us sometimes it is the only way to learn about what they sell. One of the main indicators of a healthy and strong economy is the money flow or how much money is spent, in other words how much money advertising has succeeded to get out of our pockets. This results in low unemployment rate and increase in our standards of living. Despite the fact that advertising will be thriving on our weaknesses in the years to come, we should try not to become slaves to material things and do our best to retain core values which after all distinguish us as human beings.

Children and Nurture Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Children and Nurture I grew up in an environment that allowed me to accept almost everything that was told to me without any questions. My parents and teachers never told me anything that didn’t feel right, so I was under the impression that anyone with authority would always tell me the truth and that was that. My bubble burst about a year ago. That was the first time that I came across something that the â€Å"experts† had to say, that did not jive with my feelings on a matter; and I was not willing to just accept what they had to say. I came across then and continue to come across articles that say in essence, that it doesn’t matter if children are cared for by their mothers or day-care and in fact that sometimes day-care is better for the child. Some go on to say that parents don’t matter at all. This could not be, after-all, doesn’t the proclamation say that, â€Å"mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.†? The proclamation refers to this as a sacred responsibility. If it is a sacred responsibility for mothers to nurture their children, then that must be what is best for the child, right? Some research tends to indicate that mothers are the best nurturers for their children. I set out to find some of this research. Baydar and Brooks-Gunn (1991), found in a study of maternal employment and its effects on children that those children who were left in the care of someone other than their mother for many hours each day had lower cognitive scores as well as more behavioral problems. In another study by Baydar and Brooks-Gunn (1991), they found that the effects of a mother working out-side of the home and leaving their baby boy in someone else’s care was especially de... ... Speech given at the world congress of families II. Ezra Taft Benson (1987). To the mothers in Zion. An address given at a fireside for parents. Gordon B. Hinckley (1997). Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book. Gordon B. Hinckley (1996, November) Ensign (p69). Hawkins, A.J., Spangler D.L., Hudson, V., Dollahite D.C., Klien S. R., Rugh, S. S., Fronk C. A., Draper R. D., Sorensen A. D. Wardle L. D., & Hill E. J. (2000). Equal partnership and the sacred responsibilities of mothers and fathers. In Dollahite D.C.(Eds.), Strengthening our families: An in-depth look at the proclamation on the family (pp.63-82). Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft. Top, B.L. & Chadwick, B.A. (1998). Raising righteous children in a wicked world. Brigham Young Magazine. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University.

Personal Computers are better than Macintosh Computers Essay -- Techno

The conflict between personal computers (PCs; developed by Microsoft) and Macintosh computers (Macs; developed by Apple) has occurred for many years. The two are constantly competing with each other to win over the computing market. Macintosh claims that their computers are more efficient when working with graphic design and media arts, while a PC is known for mathematical superiority and a stronger variety of hardware and software. Many myths about both systems have been spread amongst the consumer world. However, proper research can easily clarify these fictions. Someone looking to buy a new computer has a right to know the truths behind both systems. Though the Macintosh computer and the personal computer have been competing for years, a PC is a much wiser choice for the average consumer. The PC and the Mac have many factors that can be compared and contrasted. Walking through the computer store, a shopper can see the two side-by-side and begin to make conclusions. The Mac looks sleek and fancy with all sorts of different colors while a PC may appear to be nothing more than a vanilla-colored box. However, when the shopper looks around the store, it is easy to notice "that Mac titles aren't easy to find" (Kantor). Microsoft's operating system, Windows, is supported by many software developing companies, while only a small selection is made available to Mac owners. Something else someone might notice is that only Apple makes Macintosh computers, while many different companies can make a PC that supports Microsoft Windows. Taking a brief look at the interface of the systems, the Mac looks bubbly and "cute" while the Windows desktop tends to look more corporate or professional (Farmer, Harris, Kantor, Marks). Let's look a littl... ...list of companies while only Apple makes Macintosh computers. Both Macs and PCs are vulnerable to viruses, so one of Mac's few advantages is actually a myth. It would seem that a personal computer has many advantages over a Mac. Therefore, it would make sense that PCs make up "95 percent or more of the market" (Kantor). By sticking with the majority, a user has easy access to people who are trained to repair their computer and to hardware and software selections (Kantor). Due to of the reasons stated, a personal computer is a much better choice than a Macintosh computer for most consumers. People with certain needs may be happier with a Mac. However, the majority of consumers will find reliability and satisfaction in a PC. An educated shopper knows what they are personally looking for, and hopefully those who read this essay can confidently make their own choice.

Causes of students sleeping in class hours

It is a bad habit Of each every one Of us, mostly we experienced it because Of many reasons, and social media is the major reason of our laziness. Social media is not always positive. Students usually multi-task while studying, they check their social media sites while on the process of studying. Their ability to concentrate on the task at hand is significantly reduced by the distractions in posting comments, tweeting and online gaming. Later on they will be totally distracted by their social media activities thus forget about the subjects that hey should focus on, in the first place.This is one very common problem faced by the students not only in this present era but most likely since the formal education was being taken and introduced. The popularity of social media can caught the attention of many students like us. There's no doubt that students are energetic and actively engaged in online communities such as: posting comments, tweeting and online gaming. A. Statement of the Prob lem Laziness occurred because our attention is caught by the social media and we're not aware that our interest in our studies is now losing. In this kind of search, we prepare some questions about this.What are the contributions of social media to the laziness of the students? Why is it that the social media is the number one cause of the laziness of the students? What can we do to overcome this bad habit? B. Hypothesis In this research, we give some answer on the following questions. This answer would be the possible answer of the students about this. For students, who always feel lazy, bored, not interested and sleepy during class hours. It is because they prefer using computers in useless things. Instead of using it on doing your homework, lessons, and projects.Some students feel lazy during class hours for the reason that they're lack of sleep and rest. Some of them are still using computers, browsing nonsense things or playing online games even if it is late at night. We can a void this laziness by having a motivation or a goal. By setting our minds that we should use computers in a good way. Don't use computers too much in doing our school works, we can still browse some information from a reference book. C. Significance of the Study We all know that we can avoid this kind of activity. This research can change their bad habit. This can help them to stay focus on their studies.This research provides awareness to those students who are always lazy when it comes to study but so energetic when it comes to social networking sites. This can also help them to know and realize that using computers for your school works has a bigger difference than using computers to any useless things. Eke, online gaming and always using social networking sites while studying, that's why they can't stay focus on their studies. D. Scope and Delimitation's of the Study Our research is focused on the contributions of social media activities to the jazziness of the students.Through this research we will have more knowledge and deep understanding about its contribution. The selected students of San Guillemot Academy from grade seven to fourth year are our respondents. Thirty (30) students from grade seven, thirty (30) students from grade eight, thirty (30) students from Third year and ten (10) students from fourth year. For a total of 1 00 respondents. Bored, not interested in class, not interested to the subject and sleepy because you're lazy and all you want to do is to use computer time to time.Chapter II Theoretical and Conceptual Framework Review of Related Literature Cutting back on sleep for school work is counterproductive Students who Stay up late to cram for a test or finish a project have lower comprehension and worse performance in the classroom as a result, research shows. By Mary Mclean August 22, 2012 Los Angels Times The old aphorism that â€Å"you snooze, you lose† doesn't apply to students who stay up late to cram for a test or finish a class project. New research shows that sacrificing sleep for school work is a bad trade.Researchers from Class Jane and Terry Semen Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior enlisted students from three Los Angels high schools to help them figure out whether academic performance suffered the day after a late night of studying. It turned out their hunch was correct: Lost sleep resulted in less comprehension during class and worse performance on tests, according to their report, published online Tuesday in the journal Child Development. â€Å"Sacrificing sleep for studying seems to be counterproductive,† said Andrew J.Fulfilling, a developmental psychologist at UCLA and the stud's senior author. The researchers gave 535 teenagers checklists to keep track of their sleep and duty time for three 14-day periods when they were in ninth, 10th and 12th grades. The UCLA team found that regardless Of how much time a high schooled normally spends on homework each day, a student who gives up sleep for extra study time will have trouble the next day understanding material in class and be more likely to struggle with an assignment or test the opposite of the student's intent.The researchers didn't quantify the increased risk for academic problems following a longer-than-usual study session, but they said the number of problems was â€Å"surprisingly greater. † The allegations held up no matter how academically ambitious the student was, as measured by the amount of time spent studying on a typical day, and it became stronger as students progressed through high school. The results rang true to Aka Daniels, a college-bound senior at the Los Angels Center for Enriched Studies, a Mid-City magnet school. On occasions when she's stayed up late to study, she's had more trouble absorbing material in class, she said. I'd have to retrace myself at night,† she said. The finding â€Å"makes a lot of sense,† said Mona el-Sheikh, a professor of human velvet een and family studies at Auburn University whose research includes sleep. Several new studies are showing that the quantity and the quality of sleep are important for remembering new information and consolidating learning, she said. Students who get too little sleep don't have enough time to process what they study, she added; even just one night of sleep deprivation can have a negative effect.Parents should do what they can to make sure their children have sufficient and consistent sleep, she said. Fulfilling said he could not disclose which schools took part in the research. The dents varied in ethnic and economic backgrounds, as well as in their level Of academic achievement. Their checklists revealed that study time did not change over the course of high school -? the average was just over an hour per day -? but sleep time decreased by an average of 41. 4 minutes. Ready, willing, and able?Sleep hygiene education, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavior therapy for inso mnia in an Australian high school setting Journal Article By Mineral Cain Publication: Education and Health Date: 2012 Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia is well-regarded as an effective retirement for insomnia in adults. Previous studies also suggest that CB-I can be successfully applied to adolescents experiencing insomnia and other sleep problems, which most commonly involve delayed sleep timing. The recommended treatment involves a combined program of morning bright light therapy, stimulus control therapy, and education about sleep hygiene.Improving sleep pattern regularity by getting up earlier on weekends (I. E. , at a time closer to the weekday wake-up time) can play a particularly important role in increasing total sleep time during the week and decreasing daytime leafiness. Recent research suggests that the school classroom may be a promising arena for the dissemination of sleep interventions for adolescents. However, many of the earlier studies in this area have been plagued by problems such as inappropriate outcome measures, small sample size, lack of control group, and lack of follow-up data.Reporting has also been poor, with a number of studies presented only in abstract form. Results have been mixed: some studies showed improved knowledge about sleep, despite having no data about actual changes in sleep habits or behaviors; another duty measured sleep habits but found no change from pre- to post- treatment. Finally, some studies found changes in sleep habits from pre- to post-treatment, although these results must be interpreted with caution due to the previously mentioned problems of small sample size, lack of control group, and lack of follow-up data.A series oft studies conducted by researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, attempted to overcome the limitations of previous research by conducting randomized controlled trials evaluating school-based intervention programs aimed at improving the sleep of adolescents. Full det ails of these studies can be found in earlier publications; however, an outline of the main findings are presented here, along with recommendations for others planning school-based interventions for adolescent sleep problems.Impact of Delaying School Start Time on Adolescent Sleep, Mood, and Behavior Journal Article By Judith Owens Publication: Arch Pediatrics's Med Date: 2010 Objective: To examine the impact of a 30-minute delay in school start time on adolescents' sleep, mood, and behavior. Design: Participants completed the online retrospective Sleep Habits Survey before and after a change in school tart time. Setting: An independent high school in Rhode Island. Participants: Students (n=201) in grades 9 through 12. Intervention: Institution of a delay in school start time from 8 to 8:30 AM.Main Outcome Measures: Sleep patterns and behavior, daytime sleepiness, mood, data from the Health Center, and absences/tardiest. Results: After the start time delay, mean school night sleep d uration increased by 45 minutes, and average bedtime advanced by 18 minutes (95% confidence interval, 7-29 minutes [24th=3. 36; PC the percentage of students getting less than 7 hours of sleep decreased by 79. 4%, ND those reporting at least 8 hours of sleep increased from 16. 4% to 54. 7%. Students reported significantly more satisfaction with sleep and experienced improved motivation.Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and depressed mood were all reduced. Most health-related variables, including Health Center visits for fatigue-related complaints, and class attendance also improved. Conclusions: A modest delay in school start time was associated with significant improvements in measures of adolescent alertness, mood, and health. The results of this study support the potential benefits of adjusting school schedules to adolescents' sleep needs, circadian rhythm, and developmental stage. Middle School Start Times: The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep for Young Adolescents Journal Article By Amy R.Wolfs Publication: Behavioral Sleep Medicine Date: 2007 With the onset of adolescence, teenagers require 9. 2 hrs of sleep and experience a delay in the timing of sleep. In the â€Å"real world† with early school start times, however, they report less sleep, striking differences between their school-weekend sleep schedules, and significant daytime sleepiness. Prior studies demonstrated that high coolers with later school starts do not rather delay bedtime but obtain more sleep due to later wake times. This study examined sleep-wake patterns of young adolescents attending urban, public middle schools with early (7:1 5 a. . ) versus late (8:37 a. M. ) start times. Students (N = 205) were assessed at 2 time periods. Students at the late- starting school reported waking up over 1 hrs later on school mornings and obtaining 50 min more sleep each night, less sleepiness, and fewer tardiest than students at the early school. All students reported similar school-night bedtime , sleep hygiene practices, and weekend sleep schedules. Related Studies Sleep Complaints Affecting School Performance at Different Educational Levels By James F. Page and Carol F.Swastikas Published online 2010 November 16. Prepossessed online 201 0 July 21 Abstract The clear association between reports of sleep disturbance and poor school performance has been documented for sleepy adolescents. This study extends that research to students outside the adolescent age grouping in an associated school setting (98 middle school students, 67 high school students, and 64 college students). Reported restless legs and periodic limb movements are significantly associated with lower Spa's in junior high students.Consistent with previous studies, daytime sleepiness was the sleep variable most likely to negatively affects high school students. Sleep onset and maintenance insomnia were the reported sleep variables significantly correlated with poorer school performance in college students. This s tudy indicates that different sleep disorder variables negatively affect performance at different age and educational levels. Keyset;rods: adolescent, college, sleep, restless legs, school, insomnia, GAP Introduction A growing body of work documents the association between disordered sleep and school performance.Students who report insomnia, inadequate sleep, daytime sleepiness, irregular sleep patterns and/or poor sleep quality do not perform as well in school as others (Blue et al. , 1990; Link and Nicolai- Israel, 1995; Hoffman and Strength, 1 997; Wolfs and Sarandon, 1 998, 2003; Shin et al. , 2003; Mailman,2005). Children enrolled in remedial school programs report significantly more sleep problems (Blunder and Chervil, 2008). Reported abnormalities in sleep including sleep latency [SSL]>mini and more than one arousal per night at least two nights/week have shown an association with an increase in school failure rates (Kahn et l. 1989). A large study in the Spanish secondary sc hool system (N=11 55, mean age 14) found a significant correlation between class failure and sleep complaints, and morning sleepiness (Solaced et al. , 2005). Better school performance is associated with more time in bed, better sleep quality, fewer nighttimes arousal, less napping and less difference between weekday and weekend sleep times (Link and Nicolai-lesser, 1 995; Hoffman and Strength, 1997; Wolfs and Sarandon, 1998).The association between sleep complaints and poor school performance is supported by in-lab experimental studies that demonstrate negative effects for sleep deprivation, sleep restriction, and sleepiness on laboratory measures of motor skill, memory, attention and problem solving in children and adolescents (Shades et al. , 2002; Teaser et al. , 2002; Sarandon et al. , 2004). Experimental restriction Of sleep in students (ages 6-12) has been shown to lead to academic difficulty in the classroom as well as increased severity of school related attention problems (Fallen et al. 2005). There are suggestions in the literature that sleep variables affecting school performance differ based on age and educational level. In seven year olds, short sleep duration is associated with higher emotional liability (Nixon et al. , 2008). Adolescent aged delayed sleep phase develops at the onset of puberty with the associated daytime sleepiness affecting school performance in the high school aged population (Wolfs and Sarandon, 2003; Mailman, 2005). In a large study of Canadian high school students (N=3,235, mean age 16. ) twenty-three percent of students felt that their grades had dropped in high school because of daytime sleepiness (Gibson et al. ,2006). A similar study in Korean high school students N=3,871 , mean age 16. 8) reported excessive daytime sleepiness (DES) to be present in 15. 9% of students. DES was significantly associated with perceived sleep insufficiency, two or more insomnia symptoms and low school performance (Joy et al. , 2005). The p roportion of students reporting insomnia appears to increase with increasing age and higher educational level.Among Japanese adolescents, both difficulty initiating sleep and reported insomnia gradually increase from 7th to 12th grade (Kanata et al. , 2006). Up to 30% of college students report chronic Severe sleep difficulties including both daytime sleepiness and insomnia with 1 1 % meeting criteria for delayed sleep phase syndrome (DADS) (Brown et al. , 2001 , 2006). Sleep disturbances are likely to continue to affect school performance in adults. Cognitive function test scores have been noted to fall in both medical students and residents after sleep deprivation (Wallach et al. 2003). Disordered sleep has also been noted to effect behaviors other than school performance. For example, daytime sleepiness was shown to negatively affect student participation in extracurricular activity (Gibson et al. , 2006). Studies have documented the effect of disordered sleep on the behavioral a nd emotional performance of elementary' school children (Meandered et al. , 2006; El-Sheikh et al. ,2007). Children with fragmented sleep score lower on tests of neurologically functioning and have increased parent-reported levels of behavior problems (Shades et al. 2002). In adolescent boys reported tiredness and sleepiness associated with lower perceived academic performance is also associated with negative mood states, problematic alcohol use, perceived mistreatment or abuse, antisocial behavior, intention to use or current use of illegal drugs, ND feelings of isolation (O'brien and Mindful, 2005; Anyone et al. , 2007). Treatment protocols proposed and utilized in the treatment of sleep disturbance in students A variety of treatment protocols have been proposed for general application in student populations.The finding that early high school start times are associated with student reports of less sleep and increased sleepiness has led to proposals for changes in school start time s (Dexter et al. , 2003; Joy et al. , 2005). In some states and communities school Start times have been changed based on legislation. It is currently unclear hither this approach leads to an improvement in school performance (Liaison et al. , 2002). In elementary students treatment suggestions for sleep complaints include attempts to resolve the marital conflicts (El-Sheikh et al. , 2007).Emphasis on the behavioral basis of daytime sleepiness in high school students has led to the development and application of co-educational programs emphasizing sleep hygiene (Joy et al. , 2005; Gibson et al. , 2006). Melatonin used as a pharmacological treatment for adolescents aged 10-?1 areas in the treatment of DADS has been shown to exult in fewer of these students reporting school difficulties (Ginsberg et al. ,2006). Some studies have suggested, based on data derived from high school studies, that co-educational treatment approaches and delayed class start times be utilized in the treatment of college students (Brown et al. 2006; Gibson et al. , 2006). In the effort to improve school performance at all educational levels, there appears to be a tendency to apply one-size-fits-all programs for the treatment of sleep disturbance based on data from high school studies (Brown et al. , 2006). This study presents data evaluating the association between questionnaire-reported sleep disturbances and school performance in three separate groups of students extending from grade 6 through college (age range 10-?54).It is the authors' hypothesis that the sleep variables affecting school performance in elementary school and junior high differ from those affecting school performance in high school, and those affecting college students. If this hypothesis is correct, it becomes increasingly important that future research studies and treatment protocols should clarify the age and educational level association of sleep disorder variables with school performance. Materials and Methods Th ree samples of students were analyzed for this study: middle school (grades 6-8), high school (grades 9-11) and college students.The first samples were assessed in the science and heath classes at associated middle and high schools in Pueblo, Colorado near the end of the 2005 school year. The college sample was assessed in psychology, nursing and medical classes at the local community colleges as part of an invited presentation on â€Å"Sleep in Young Adults† in 2007. Although all three studies used the same questionnaire instrument, because of differences in the settings, statistical imprisons were made within, but not across the three educational levels.An RIB approved, 18-question frequency-based pediatric sleep disturbance questionnaire, based on validated and indexed questions (Chervil et al. , 2000, 2003; Page et al. , 2007), was used for all three samples. The questionnaire consisted of five ordinal response categories: I-?never; 2=rarely (once a month); 3=sometimes (o nce a week); 4=occasionally (twice a week); 5=always (every night). In order to simplify interpretation of the data and reduce categories with small numbers of responses, we aggregated the sleep ATA to compare response categories 3-5 to categories 1 and 2.This differentiated those who reported having the sleep problem at least once a week from those who had it less often. Assessment of school performance was based on self reported GAP (Range 2. 0-4. 0), which is a common method for defining academic performance in sleep research (Blue et al. , 1990; Hoffman and Strength, 1997; Wolfs and Sarandon, 1 998; Mailman, 2005). Although questionnaires were distributed to 238 middle and high school students, only 165 (69. %) reported their GAP While only the students porting GAP could be analyzed for this study, chi-square analyses revealed that none of the sleep variables differed significantly between those who provided GAP data and those who did not. In addition, a proportion of post- seco ndary school students were enrolled in either nursing or medical training programs that did not rate performance based on GAP and therefore could not be included. This study included 98 junior high students (Grades 6-8), 67 high school students (grades 9-11) and 64 college students (mean age 27. , range 17-?59). GAP was not normally distributed and therefore was split at the Edwina to form two groups within each educational level: Low GAP and High GAP. Within each of the three educational levels, chi-square analyses, using Fisher-exact one-sided tests, were run to compare each of the sleep disturbance variables by GAP (low or high). Results Table 1 displays descriptive information for demographic and sleep variables for the three groups. Notably, there were more Hispanic students in the two younger groups and more African American and white students in the college group.There were also substantially more males in the college group than the two younger groups. However, within each ed ucational group, there were o significant differences in age, ethnicity or gender by GAP. For all three groups, the most common sleep associated problem was feeling unrepressed/tired in the morning, followed by having trouble waking up in the morning. The least common behaviors were trouble with breathing when sleeping and taking sleep medication. Table 1 Demographic and sleep variables for all three groups.