10 Secrets About Writing a Novel That Only a Few People Know

10 Secrets About Writing a Novel That Only a Few People Know Want to write a novel? In this video, I discuss 10 secrets to getting one written and beating writers block, including advice from an author who has sold over 350 million copies of his books worldwide.Here are the secrets Ill cover:Know how your novel will end.Make an outline, a narrative map, and then deviate from it often.Know your characters voices and backstories.Write at least 1,000 words a day, even if youre not feeling it.Write every day.Eliminate all distractions from your writing environment, including Internet access.Dont revise while writing, just write.It will likely be a different book at the end than the one you started out writing, but thats okay.Read. Your success as a writer will be directly tied to your reading habits.Work with a developmental editor who knows the industry and knows the audience you need to reach.If you need a character sketch after watching the video, you can download a free character sketch template here.

Summary of the Holocaust Research Paper Example

Summary of the Holocaust Research Paper Example Summary of the Holocaust Paper Summary of the Holocaust Paper The word Holocaust conjures up for many a mixture of emotions. Of all the events that occurred in the past of injustice against humanity, the Holocaust has to be one of the most famous. It has been argued, and not without emotional indifference, that the Holocaust is not like other records in world and Jewish history. Its hard for one to grasp the horror of the Holocaust, especially in a time and place where one is taught about unity as a necessity for the future. Although no amount of sources such as books, movies, and even Holocaust survivors themselves can account for the true catastrophic impact this event had on the victims, we can learn about the consequences and significance of it. In order to understand the Holocaust, we must take into consideration the causes, effects, and the tragedy of the lives that were affected in a way that greatly impacted and forever changed the way the world viewed human nature. In the period of 1933 to the end of World War II, the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, attempted to liquidate the Jews and others who didnt fit the Aryan stereotype (Axelrod, 15). The Nazis called their scheme the Final Solution(Wood, 90). One of the end results of the Final Solution was the emergence horrible concentration and death camps. Over six million Jews were murdered, including 1. 5 million children. Furthermore, about five million non-Jews were killed, totaling to 11 million individuals wiped of the face of the earth. The Nazis and their collaborators had many methods, like the gas chambers, to exterminate a large amount of people quickly and efficiently. The obvious reason for the success of the Holocaust was because of the popular support the Nazis received. There were many factors that allowed for the rise of the Nazi Party and Hitlers dictatorship. First, there was much unrest among the people of Germany. The economy was devastated since it never recovered from World War I and the harsh demands of the Treaty of Versailles which made Germany pay $33 billion in reparations. Another reason was that the Germans were searching for someone or something to blame for their burdens of the humiliation after the war and extremist groups, such as the Nazis, provided an answer for the German people. This made Jews and other minorities an easy target as a scapegoat. This Anti-Semitism combined with the dysfunctional economy molded a pathway for the Nazi Party to rise in Germany. It is important to point out that Hitler and the Nazis came to power by the votes of ordinary people. The Great Depression hit Germany the hardest and the Nazi message appealed more than ever (Wood, 34). The countrys hunger, unemployment, and despair left the people looking for something to cling to- and the Nazi party was it. At first, there wasnt much support for the Nazis (Wood, 34). The other parties, although much larger, were much divided and therefore had a difficult time uniting and gaining support. The Nazi partys propaganda was easy to accept: It certainty offered hope, and its provision of a scapegoat was pleasing. Gradually, the Nazi increased their influence, especially with young people with things such as the youth movements, which became almost compulsory. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, people around the world were shocked by final scores of human losses, and the people responsible were punished for their inhuman acts in the Nuremburg Trials. The Holocaust is significant to many people today, and to an equal number of people means very little. It illustrates that we are still a society thats in the process of searching for knowledge in developing how we treat one another, whether it is for race or faith. The Holocaust stands out as the most current oppressive action against a religion and from this came the most notable phrase, never again. The Holocaust was a dark time in the history of the 20th century and we must remember it in order to keep alive the memories of those who suffered and lost their lives in this terrible event.

Financial Report Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Report Analysis - Assignment Example The Group’s performance in 2012 is testament to the strength of their strategies, the quality of their technologies and the ability and determination of their employees and members. They made a final payment to shareholders of 11.9 pence per share bringing the full year payment to 19.5 pence per share, an increase of 11 per cent from the year 2011. Ratio analysis is very important to all companies as it gives an insight on the hidden features of the company performance. Rolls-Royce Company seems to be performing very well for the past five years and more so for the reports provided at the end of February 2013 (GROPPELLI, ANGELICO, EHSAN NIKBAKHT ,2000 pg. 43). All of the ratios calculated including profitability, liquidity, gearing and returns ratios exhibits the company as being on the right track in terms of growth. The returns on investment and returns on capital employed have more than doubled in a period of one year. This is a clear indication that the shareholdersâ€℠¢ funds are being employed in the right manner. On the profitability ratios, all of them have experienced growth and improvement in the last one year while maintaining a relatively constant growth in expenses which gives a good report on the company. the company is also very liquid as exhibited by the positivity and the growth of the liquidity ratios. GROUP TWO YEAR REVIEW FOR THE YEARS ENDED 31ST DECEMBER INCOME STATEMENT 2012 2011 Revenue 12,161 11,124 Profit before net research and development and share of results of joint ventures and associates 2,488 1,536 Research and development (net) (589) (463) Share of results of joint ventures and associates 173 116 Profit before financing 2072 1189 Net financing 633 (84) Profit/(loss) before taxation 2705 1105 TAXATION (410) (257) Profit/(loss) for the year 2295 848 Attributable to: Equity shareholders of the parent 2281 850 Non-controlling interests 14 (2) Profit/(loss) for the year 2295 848 Research and development (gross) (919) (908) Underlying profit before taxation 1429 1157 EARNINGS PER ORDINARY SHARE: underlying 59.27p 48.54p basic 123.23p 45.95p Payments to shareholders per ordinary share 19.50p 17.50p BALANCE SHEET assets 18115 16423 liabilities (12010) (11904) Net assests 6105 4519 Ratio calculations Type of ratio formula 2012 2011 Liquidity ratios Current ratio Current assets Current liabilities 9593= 1.33 7194 8315 = 1.202 6916 Acid test ratio Current assets- stock Current liabilities 0.95 0.83 Net working capital ratio Net working capital Net assets 2399 = 0.39 6,105 1399 = 0.31 4,519 Working capital Current assets – current liabilities 2399 1399 Cash ratio Cash + marketable securities Current liabilities 1317 = 0.183 7194 223 = 0.032 6916 Leverage ratios Debt ratio Total liabilities Total assets 12010 = 0.66 18115 11904 = 0.725 16423 Debt /equity ratio Total liabilities Net worth 12010 = 1.97 6105 11904 = 2.6 4519 Long-term debt ratio Long term liabilities Net assets 11405 = 1.87 6105 11723 = 2 .6 4519 Profitability ratios Gross margin ratio Gross profit sales 2745 = 0.2 12161 2448= 0.2 11124 Operating margin EBIT sales 2705 = 0.045 12161 1105 = 0.019 11124 Operating ratio operating expenses sales 1918 = 0.16 12161 1714 = 0.15 11124 Net profit margin Net profit sales 2295 = 0.19 12161 848 = 0.08 11124 return of investment (ROI) Net profit after taxes Total assets 2295 = 0.127 18115 848 = 0.052 16423 Return on capital employed ROCE Net

Teens and Drunk Driving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teens and Drunk Driving - Essay Example This research paper would be presenting those circumstances, the thought process of teenagers, the reaction of teenagers towards drinking, and the hazards of driving after drinking. The drunk driving by the teenagers is another topic under discussion by the school systems, parents, and media because it brings lots of dangers and hazards from both safety and health point of view. The arguments for this statement would be presented in the rest of the paper. Driving is a very responsible duty but driving while being intoxicated or drunk is highly regarded as irresponsible and risky for the drivers because it increase the risk of accidents, injuries and deaths every year around the globe. Drunk driving to the limit where driving capabilities become impaired with that of driving motor vehicle is highly prohibited legally in almost every country in the world. In fact, it is a crime in most countries around the world. In some countries, for example, Canada, the prohibited amount for driving starts from Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) 80mg/100ml of blood. People get drunk in parties and friends or family gatherings and drive recklessly which is dangerous not only for the driver, but the people sitting with in the vehicle and the other pedestrians (Mittelman and Inc NetLibrary 178). The issue of drinking by the teenagers is there sinc... Drinking - Forbidden Fruit for Teenagers The issue of drinking by the teenagers is there since centuries. It has been said that young adults used to drink buckets of ale in the Pre-Revolutionary America. At present, in the present United States, drinking publicly is prohibited for the young adults less than twenty-one years of age. This has created the image of liquor as forbidden fruit for the teenagers. The number of drunken teenagers is growing rapidly these days and it is considered very harmful for the young adults. The drinking habits of teenagers can start from occasionally at indoor family gathering (which is obviously comes under the restrict guidance of parents or guardians) and then can grab the habit of becoming habitual with friends and off campus whenever they get a chance. Although, the teenagers are not legally permitted to buy liquor from any authorized dealer or store, but they somehow find a way by bribing an adult friend who could easily buy all the required drinking materials for his young adult friends . The increasing number of drinking teenagers has increased the tension between the school systems and parents because they get highly tensed how to overcome this problem by convincing their kids not to drink liquor (Jacobs 13). The reason for extreme limit of drinking by the teenagers is because of the fact that they are not allowed to have it openly and is prohibited from their parents, guardians and school systems. This not only increased their urge to drink liquor more frequently, but they ought to take drinking as adventure while partying and having little friends' get together. The drinking slowly and gradually turns into habitual drinking which is very dangerous from the health

Bureaucratic budgetary process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Bureaucratic budgetary process - Essay Example The social work profession must be able to confront the issues that have arisen because of the dramatic increases to longevity accomplished in the 20th century, and social workers must be ready to meet the distinctive needs of the countrys rapidly expanding aging population. The increase in the number of elderly necessitates an increase in the number of social workers equipped to deal with the specific challenges of the elderly. However, at this point, workers currently working in the field note that there is a desperate shortage in the number of social workers who have the specialized knowledge and skills required to care for the elderly population. In addition to this there is a need of improving in the field of knowledge and restoring the up gradation of the techniques required in subject. Technologies change, time changes and along it the principals of management in the field of old age care change and it is only logical to take the most of the technologies available monitored by newly applied principals. Consisted of exercises that would help them share memories and feelings about common subjects and enhance feelings of belonging, share personal background to increase understanding of self and others, stimulate reminiscence to enhance feelings of identity and self-worth, promote resolution of past emotional issues, promote interpersonal awareness by increasing knowledge about the backgrounds of others, work through unfinished or unresolved feelings about mother or mother figure/father or father figure, and practice reminiscence in a group setting to strengthen identity and self-esteem. Everyone participated with guidance and direction on the topic at hand. As a leader of this group I acted more as a facilitator and listener. I had to get the group involved by directly asking them questions one at a time. Thus, it can be stated that the goal of the study was to improve recall, cognition, and communication skills along with

Social Penetration Theory Psychology

Social Penetration Theory Psychology Abstract The Social Penetration Theory is a communication and psychology theory first written by Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor. The theory outlines concepts of social interaction that takes place when two people are getting to know each other. Altman and Taylor proposed that closeness occurs between two people through a gradual process of self-disclosure. The theory relies heavily on the ‘Onion analogy that suggests that people are like multi-layered onions and have different layers of their personality that they may or may not reveal over time depending on the interaction that takes place. The theory also outlines other aspects of social interaction such as the ‘cost and reward concept. This concept suggests that people base their relationships around the cost and reward outcomes and how they can benefit from that relationship. This report explains in detail the key concepts and ideas of the Social Penetration theory as well as other theories that are related with social penetration such as the Social Exchange Theory. To further investigate the effects of Social Penetration experimental research was found to support the effects of self-disclosure in regards to the Social Penetration Theory. After comprehensive study and research on this topic it was found that closeness between two people develops over a period time and through a process of self-disclosure. If self-disclosure is not apparent then the relationship is likely to fail. According to the theory people base their friendships on a process of cost and reward benefits but will usually do this sub-concisely without knowing that they have used this method to determine their relationships. Key ideas such as ‘comparison levels suggest that an individual determines whether the relationship is working by the process of profits = Rewards – Costs. Introduction Purpose The purpose of this report is to understand the social interaction that takes place between people and to study the fundamentals of human behaviour during the gradual process of social penetration. This report is aimed at giving the reader a better understanding of key concepts of the Social Penetration theory and how it is used in everyday situations. Scope To fully understand and explain this theory research was conducted over several areas that directly relate to the Social Penetration Theory. These areas of research came from 6 main literature sources ranging from journal articles to large-scale social experiments that put the theory into practice. Internet research was also conducted. Limitations The limitations of this report include: Availability of information Due to the detail needed to fully understand the concepts of this theory commonly used sources such as libraries proved to be of little help when finding information to write this report. Detailed Internet sites were also hard to come by when researching this theory. Time restrictions: At first time was not considered to be a major issue but due to the availability of information in both library sources and databases time restrictions did become a concern nearing the deadline of this report. Research methods When conducting research regarding the Social Penetration Theory commonly used sources such as libraries were not as useful as they normally would be. Although two of the 6 sources were gathered from libraries other information that was found in books was concentrated into sections of no more than 5 pages. Because this report needed to be detailed and informative these sources were of no use. When detailed books were finally found they were still not as useful as the longer articles found using Internet sites and databases. When searching for information using Internet databases such as Proquest I was able to find much more in-depth and detailed information into the study of Social Penetration. Searching for information using Internet articles and journals proved to be the best way to find accurate sources. Structure of report This report is organised into the following structure: Title page, including submission details and abstract. Table of contents. Introduction, includes details on purpose, scope and research methods used to produce this report. Literature review, Provides detailed information on each individual source including background information on the author/s. Findings, includes descriptions on the theorists, outlines the key concepts of the theory, application of the theory and an evaluation of the theory. Conclusion, summarises the key points and concepts of the theory and critique of the theory. References and glossary of terms, references alternative web-sites and books that were also used when researching as well as a glossary of terms that explains key words used in this report. Literature review West, R., Turner, LH. (2007). Introducing Communication theory Analysis and Application (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Summary The information from this source highlights the key components of the Social Penetration theory such as the Onion analogy and assumptions of social penetration. It also has an in-depth section on the Social Exchange theory in regards to relational costs and rewards as well as guidelines for self disclosure relating to social penetration. The source also produces a lot of useful case studies and examples that put the theories into practice. It has examples that use a script to depict a conversation between two people in order to highlight the use of social penetration, social exchange and self disclosure. There is also an expanded references section that references the sources of information used for this book. Accuracy And Validity The information contained in this book offers a high level of accuracy in regards to the Social Penetration theory, Social Exchange theory and self disclosure. Both authors have done extensive research on communication theory and wrote numerous books and articles on the subject. Co-author Richard West is an accomplished Professor and has a Ph.D from Ohio University. His research spans a number of different areas, including family communication, instructional practices, and classroom communication. He is the recipient of various teaching and research awards at USM, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Outstanding Teacher-Scholar and the Faculty Senate Award in Communication Research. Co-author Lynn H. Turner teaches in the College of Communication at Marquette University. She received her Ph.D. from North-western University in 1989. She is the author of several journal articles, books, and book chapters focused on communication studies. She is the recipient of the Marquette Uni versity College of Communication Research Award and numerous other awards for communication analysis and theory. DeVito, J. (2004). The Interpersonal Communication Book (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc Summary This book covers the main concepts of The Social Penetration theory and the Social exchange theory. The section on the Social Exchange theory also features information on comparison levels in relationships as well as profits, rewards and costs and briefly describes aspects of the equity theory in regards to social exchange. It also goes into detail on intimacy and risks of relationships and deterioration of personal relationships. There is also detailed information on the depenetration of relationships and the stages that it involves such as withdrawal, decline in self disclosure, deception and positive and negative messages. Accuracy And Validity The author of this book is Joseph A. DeVito a famous U. S. Communication scholar from Hunter College, New York. He is a member of the National Communication Association, the Eastern Communication Association, the International Communication Association, The International Society for General Semantics and the Society for the Study of Personal Relationships. He is has written over 15 textbooks on communication which are used by thousands of students worldwide. His articles have appeared in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Communication Monographs, Communication Quarterly, Southern Speech Communication Journal and Central States Communication Journal. His extensive knowledge in communication and publication experience gives this textbook a high level of accuracy. Kito, M. (2002). Self-Disclosure in Romantic Relationships and Friendships Among America and Japanese College Students. Proquest physiology journals, 145(2), 127-140. Summary The information in this journal was produced by doing an experiment regarding self-disclosure and the Social Penetration process. It also explains in detail the key concepts of social interaction and self-disclosure. The author examined whether the level of self disclosure would differ across four types of relationships: passionate love relationships, companion love relationships, same-sex friendships and cross-sex friendships. The experiment was done by American and Japanese participants to examine any cultural differences in self-disclosure. The results produced three main hypotheses, Japanese students scored lower than American students in self disclosure regardless of relationship type, Self disclosure was higher in same sex friendships than in cross sex friendships in both American and Japanese students and self disclosure was higher in romantic relationships than in friendships among both American and Japanese students (Kito, M. 2002). The article also has information regarding each relationship type and previous authors that have studied similar topics and experiments. Accuracy And Validity This article and experiment was written by Mie Kito from the Department of psychology, California state university. She is a student at the university and won an award for research and creativity for this paper. She was also awarded the honour of presenting the theory at a psychology seminar in Vancouver, Canada. Allensworth, N. (1996). Social penetration: A description, research and evaluation Communication theory. PP. 1-25 Summary This document covers the main concepts of the Social Penetration Theory. It has a detailed description of the history including the history and progress of Altman and Taylor and the way the theory came into existence. It also incorporates the Onion diagram and describes the layers of social penetration in great detail. The article also has studies that were done in regards to self-disclosure and social penetration. They include various experiments that were carried out and the findings of the study. There is also a section on intercultural research to do with social penetration and self disclosure. Accuracy And Validity This paper was presented by Nicole J Allensworth at the Annual Meeting of the Southern States Communication Association (Memphis, Tennessee, March 27-31, 1996). The document was presented to researchers involved in communication research studies to affectively demonstrate the effects of communication within personal relationships. No other information was found on this author. Baack, D., Fogliasso, C. Harris, J. (2000). The personal Impact of Ethical decisions: A Social Penetration Theory. Journal of business ethics, 24, 1, 39- 49. Summary This Journal article discusses peoples ethical reasoning and beliefs in regard to social penetration. It talks about the structure and make up of each individual as well as personal characteristics and describes personal benefits in the form of cost and reward outcomes relating to social exchange and social penetration. The article also talks about Altman and Taylor and their understandings of social penetration theory. The article features the Onion diagram to establish the basic concepts of the Onion analogy and also has examples of these processes to put the theory into a real life situation. Accuracy And Validity This article was written by Donald Baack, Christine Fogliasso and James Harris. Donald Baack is a University Professor of Management at PSU. He has an undergraduate degree from Dana College, an MBA from Southwest Missouri State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. Baack teaches undergraduate level Organizational Theory and Behavior, Advanced Organizational Behavior, and graduate level Behavioral Management. Professor Baack is the author and co-author of eight books. Three are college textbooks, in the areas of Management, Organizational Behavior, and Integrated Marketing Communications. Christine Fogliasso is a University Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing at Pittsburg State University. Her Bachelors degree was earned at Pittsburg State University, and her Ph.D. at the University Of Kansas School Of Law. Her teaching and research areas are business law, ethics and communication. No information was found on author James Harris. Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships. (2001) . NewYork: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Retrieved from http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/interpersonal/socpen.html Summary This internet article has a brief summary that identifies the main concepts of the social penetration theory. The article also has a section on scientific assumptions which tries to explain that social penetration can be referred to as a scientific theory. It argues this point by saying that if self disclosure is high then the relationship will develop; this statement can be seen as an equation and therefore can be viewed as a scientific. Critique is another scientific concept that is explained in this article. This refers to predictions that are made on the relationship development based on the levels of self-disclosure within the relationship. The article also explains in detail how Altman and Taylors Onion analogy operates and how the theory compares people to multilayered onions. The ideas behind breadth and depth are also explained in this article. Accuracy And Validity This article was written by a company called Holt, Rinehart and Winston. They are an educational company that specialises in publishing textbooks and articles for secondary school students around the world. The company is based in Austin, Texas and has been providing educational tools since the early 1900s. Holt, Rinehart and Winston supply textbooks, learning CDs, eLearning sites and many other kinds of support material for teachers and students. Because Holt, Rinehart and Winston is a internationally known for producing high quality learning tools and equipment its accuracy and validity is of a high level. Findings:  Background of theorists Irwin Altman Irwin Altman was born on July 16th 1930 in New York. Altman mainly specialises in social psychology and social interaction and is experienced in most areas of communication. His tertiary achievements include a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in 1951, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1954 and a Ph.D. also achieved from the University Of Maryland in 1957. Altman also studies environmental psychology and believes there is a strong link between environmental psychology and social psychology, Altman has based many books and articles that relate to this subject. While developing the Social Penetration theory Altmans work was heavily based on human behaviour within different environments. Altman is heavily involved in associations including The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Association of Applied Psychology and the American Psychology Association. Irwin Altman is currently a professor at the University of Ut ah in Salt Lake City teaching psychology and social communication. Dalmas Taylor Dalmas Taylor was born in 1934 in Detroit, Michigan. After showing an interest in psychology in his teenage years he later went on to study for his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His research and interest in psychology eventually lead him to further his studies when he received his Masters degree in psychology from Howard University in Washington D.C and his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Delaware. Taylor also gained a certificate from Harvard University Business School. Early in his career Taylor worked with the SPSSI (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). During the late 1960s Taylor was the chairman of the Dissertation Award Committee and served for the SPSSI council for several years. During the 1970s Taylor began to teach psychology at various universities throughout North America and eventually became a Professor at the University of Maryland where he taught for 16 years. Taylor also worked with the APA (American Psychological Association) and eventually became a member of groups such as the Board of Ethic Minority Affairs, the Committee on Employment and Human Resources, the Policy and Planning Board and the Committee on Ethics Code Revision. His work with the American Psychological Association made very well known among psychologists and he received numerous awards from the APA. Later in his courier Taylor received the Distinguished Contribution to Education and Training Award of the Association and in 1992 he received the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest. In final stages of his career Taylor served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Dalmas Taylor died in January 1998 at the age of 64 due to medical conditions. Outline Of Theory/key Issues Psychologists Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor first established the Social Penetration Theory in 1973. The theories main objective was to explain how relation closeness develops over time. Altman and Taylor suggested that closeness develops within a relationship through a gradual process of self-disclosure, they believed that this process could occur both consciously and sub-consciously when any kind of relationship is developing. This section of the report will describe the Social Penetration Theory by explaining its key concepts including: The onion analogy Self-disclosure Cost and reward outcomes/ Social Exchange Theory Depenetration and withdrawal The Onion Analogy The Onion analogy can be seen as the most notable aspect of the Social Penetration Theory. The model literally depicts an onion and is used as an analogy by Altman and Taylor to explain the foundations of social penetration. The analogy states that humans consist of layers much like an onion. Each layer reveals more about an individuals personality, the outer layers contain less personal information and the deeper layers consists of the most private details of a persons character. As a result the more layers penetrated the harder it becomes to ‘unlock the next layer. Often the type of relationship will have a heavy impact on the degree of penetration that occurs for example family relationships, personal relationships, same sex friendships and opposite sex friendships may all have different degrees of penetration that take place during a relationship. The penetration of the layers can be associated with two concepts. The first is ‘breadth which refers to the amount of issues and variety of topics being discussed and the second is ‘depth which refers to the degree of intimacy being applied on each topic. Each layer has a level of ‘breath and ‘depth depending on how personal the relationship has become for example friendships may have different levels of ‘breadth and ‘depth compared to a more personal relationship with a partner. Surface Layers The surface layers can be seen as superficial information about an individual such as what they look like, how they dress, their body language and how they talk. Information on the outer layers is given out a lot faster than the inner layers because it is not as personal. The surface layers can often be altered so that an individual can change the appearance they are producing when entering a social situation often for the first time. These changes will usually be things like the way they look and dress or material items such as cars or jewelry. The surface layers help to create a first impression to the outside world and is readily available to anyone who wishes to notice. After the initial surface layer is penetrated information such as their likes and dislikes, favorite movies, musical preferences etc. are revealed as the relationship progresses through the beginning stages. Central Layers The central or middle layers of the Onion Model can be seen as the characteristics of an individuals personality. This includes aspects such as religious beliefs, personal values and what they consider to be right from wrong. The central layers hold more understanding into a persons upbringing and culture. The central layers are usually only penetrable by people who know that individual well. In most cases it is unlikely that common friendship will go beyond the central layers. Inner Layers The inner layer of the Onion model holds a persons most intimate secrets and beliefs. It is the foundation of their personality and their self-concept. This layer can only be penetrated by the people who are closest to individual such as family members or their partner. Even then a persons most inner secrets might only be accessible by the individual them self. The inner layers of the Onion Analogy will heavily influence the central and surface layers because it is the basis of their personality. Self-Disclosure The term self-disclosure refers to the act of revealing details about oneself to others. This process can happen both consciously and sub-consciously depending on the degree of intimacy at any given point throughout the relationship. Personal and intimate details about our personality are usually revealed over time as the relationship becomes more meaningful and important to us. Altman and Taylor believed that the only way a relationship can develop is through a gradual process of self-disclosure. This process is necessary in both romantic relationships and friendships. The act of self-disclosure is one of the main principals in the study of social penetration as well as psychology. Altman and Taylor state that this is the key process that decides if a relationship will succeed or fail particularly if it is a romantic relationship. Altman and Taylors ideas on self-disclosure have sparked many studies on the effects of self-disclosure in both close relationships and common friendships. In 1986 Berg and McQuinn tested self-disclosure by asking couples that had recently started dating to complete a self-disclosure examination. Four months later the couples were then asked to take the same examination. It was found that couples that were still together four months later reported greater self-disclosure at the initial contact then those who had later broken up. T his experiment suggested that the level self-disclosure was not only based on the length of the relationship but also the satisfaction levels of the individuals when they were first getting to know each other (Berg McQuinn.1986). Altman and Taylor believed that the process of self-disclosure allowed for a relationship to develop to a more personal level. By allowing this process to occur penetration can take place through the various layers of the ‘onion (the onion analogy). Altman and Taylor believed that the process of penetrating the inner onion layers is especially important when long-term relationships are developing thus making the process of self-disclosure one of the key concepts of the Social Penetration Theory. Cost And Reward Outcomes/Social Exchange Theory The cost and reward outcomes of the Social Penetration Theory were initially based around the concepts developed from Social Exchange Theory. Psychologists John Thibaut and Harold Kelly were seen as the main developers of the Social Exchange Theory in 1959. The Theory is based on a model of cost and reward outcomes of relationships (both friendships and personal relationships) and states that people develop relationships based on whether or not they will profit in the long run. Thibault and Kelly claim that based on the equation: profits = Rewards – Costs, people will continue being in a relationship if the profit or outcome is in their favour. The idea of costs and rewards is analysed in the theory by using the concept of ‘Comparison levels. This concept suggests that people have a general idea of what they expect or what they deserve to get out of any particular relationship whether its a personal relationship or friendship, this is your known as your ‘comparison level. For example in a personal long-term relationship the individual might expect high levels of trust, love and commitment. If the relationship has just started however they may expect lower levels of privacy, sexual activity and deep communication. When the rewards and profits out way this comparison level the satisfactory level of the relationship will increase for that particular individual. ‘Comparison levels for alternatives ‘refers to the suggestion that people will compare the rewards they are getting out of their current relationship with rewards and profits they could get out of an alternative relationship. For example an individual may feel that they are getting the maximum profits out of their current relationship therefore they are likely to stay with their current partner. If however they feel the relationship has more costs than rewards they are likely to leave that relationship to find a more profitable relationship (DeVito, J. 2004). Altman and Taylors Social Penetration Theory relies on this same method of cost and reward outcomes to determine the path of a relationship. Depenetration And Withdrawal Although the Social Penetration Theory examines how a relationship develops it also acknowledges and describes the ways in which depenetration and withdrawal can occur. This occurs when the relationship begins to deteriorate either because of a falling out or simply because the individuals begin to grow apart. The first stage of deterioration is usually ‘intrapersonal dissatisfaction, this occurs when everyday life with the individual seems to be less and less eventful or for filling. If this dissatisfaction continues then the relationship will proceed to the next stage of deterioration. This stage is known as ‘Interpersonal deterioration, this stage involves growing further and further apart and spending less free time with that individual then they would have at previous points in the relationship. The process of withdrawal or depenetration occurs when one or more of the individuals begin to close of areas of their lives that had once been open in the earlier stages of the relationship. As a result the ‘breadth and ‘depth which once made the relationship more intimate and personal will now begin to reverse. This process can be seen as taking back what has already been used to build the foundations of the relationship, if the foundations are no longer apparent then the relationship becomes unstable. Altman and Taylor have compared this stage of depenetration to watching a movie in reverse (Griffin,EM 2006), in other words everything that has been put into the relationship will now begin to be withdrawn to some extent. A decline in self-disclosure will also be apparent because of the fact there is now less communication and social activities taking place. If there is a decline in self-disclosure levels then the relationship will no longer move forward. The absence of self-disclosure can often be due to a number of contributing factors including; one or more of the individuals no longer feeling comfortable to communicate with the other on a personal level, they are no longer trust worthy or they are simply not worth the effort. The depenetration and deterioration of a relationship rarely ends in a sudden burst of realisation but rather a gradual process of withdrawal due to lack of enjoyment and intimacy levels in the relationship. Application Of Theory The process of social penetration is solely based on communication and social interaction. As a result this theory is put into practice every day in a variety of situations from common greetings to a work mate to a personal conversation with a family member. Different social interactions will involve different levels of self-disclosure and communication. To illustrate how the theory affects people in everyday life an experiment was found to describe the effects of social penetration and self-disclosure in common relationships including friendships and romantic relationships. This experiment was done by Mie Kito from the California State University as part of her undergraduate honors program in 2003. The experiment gained her an award for research and creativity and was presented at the 83rd annual Western physiological Association Convention in Vancouver in May 2003. The purpose of the experiment was to examine different levels of self-disclosure among American and Japanese college students. She examined students that were involved in romantic relationships, companionate relationships and same sex and opposite sex friendships to find out if both cultural background and relationship types played a major role in the level of self-disclosure that was applied in everyday situations. To gain an accurate sample she found a selection of 145 college students, 64 of the students were American and 81 were Japanese. The purpose and aim of the survey was not disclosed to the participants and the information they provided was confidential and no names were obtained t o ensure the participants remained anonymous. The methods and procedures she used where as follows: Three standardized methods were used within the survey gain an accurate sample. These methods were the self-disclosure index (Miller. Berg. Archer.1983), the Passionate love scale (Hatfield Spencer. 1986) and the companionate love scale (Hatfield. 1986). The self-disclosure index is a target specific tool that can be used to measure self-disclosure among certain groups. The main differences between the companionate love scale and the passionate love scale is that passionate love refers to the feeling of unity with another individual who is not currently present where as companionate love refers to the bond between someone who is already heavily involved within an individuals life. When answering questions about passionate relationships the participants were asked to think of their current partner, if they did not currently have a partner then they were asked to think of the last partner that they shared deep feelings for. If the questions involved any friendships they were then ask ed to think of their closest friendship with either a same sex friend or opposite sex friend depending on the required relationship type for that question. The self-disclosure index included 10 questions of personal information including personal habits, things that the participant wouldnt do in public and their personal feelings on certain issues. Each relationship type was modified to relate to the available answers that could be chosen by the participant. For example one of the questions for the self-disclosure index for a Passionate love relationship was, â€Å"I am willing to talk about my deepest feelings on a personal issue with the person I am romantically involved with† and another question for self-disclosure in a same sex friendship was â€Å"Im willing to talk about my deepest feelings on a personal issue with a same sex friend†, She then provided the participants with scale of answers to choose from ran

General Motors strategy and objectives Essay

GM is considered one of the world’s most treasured automotive companies over time and has attracted most loyalty from the esteemed customers in the automobile industry. To the suppliers and dealers, the GM has been the preferred business partner. To investors, GM means a blue chip holding by virtue of a long-term lucrative growth. GM led the global automobile sales for the past 77years successive years from 1931 through 2007, which is longer than any other manufacturer; it’s currently among the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer. General Motors strategy and objectives The GM Company operates to produce the highest quality automobiles in the market worldwide and in its recent strategies it has emerged among the best in terms of embracing new technology, business diversification. Out of the total number of automobile it produced in the year 2012, 72% of them were purchased. This is a positive indication of the influence and loyalty the firm has attained in the market. The sector of automotive is experiencing a lengthy period of declined profitability and sales. To ensure future growth, GM has proposed three strategies; Retrenchment strategy focuses on product redevelopment, more specifically brand reinvention. The next approach to GM’s redevelopment is a growth strategy, which has the option of expanding GM into emerging countries. The last strategy, is a restructuring strategy which explains a way to raise profits in the long term by revising the current pension plans and health care. The main strategy focuses on the retrenchment strategy it provides the greatest amount of near-term and sustainable profitability. How should GM use its scarce financial and human resources to stop its slide? GM needs to become more competitive and turn around its financial performance and ensure long-term profitability. For the past four years, GM has successfully been formulating and implementing effective strategies to enhance growth and profits in its worldwide market and some of these strategies include, investing almost $11 billion of its capital of 35 U.S.in expanding its facilities and since 2009 it has done so to ensure, more efficient productivity and to form higher quality vehicles. The joint projects in China, which have been constructing new factories that are anticipated to improvement the company’s production capacity by about 30 % to more than usual 5 million units annually by the coming year of 2015. So far in Europe, Opel that is one of GM’s affiliates is undertaking among the largest product belligerent in its history and is introducing 23 new vehicles and ten new engines due 2016 In addition, the South America’s GM affiliate energized its Chevrolet product inventory with a full assortment of refined, fuel-efficient and technologically advanced automobiles. In its process of relocating the GM headquarter to achieve a consolidated international operations to other parts like Singapore, which will help in sharpen the companies of south Asia region, Human Resource Balance scorecard is used to measure the performance of the financial and non-financial situation in General Motors Company. The score card entails financial perspective, customer perspective, internal perspective, and growth perspective. It enables General Motors to develop a comprehensive view of their operations and to better all operating and investment activities to long and short-term strategic objectives (Mural, 2008). Balance scorecard improves employee satisfaction and increases employees motivation, in general ensures human capital development. High-performance work system Open systems, autonomous work teams and performance-based pay are known as high-performance work system (Rouse, 2000). The system is known as a high involvement work system, high commitment, and flexible work systems. In GM there are only three factors that affect the high-performance work system; technology, retrenchment of employees and layout design. Retrenchment will cause GM lose employees who are much talented and subsequently lose a competitive edge. To surviving in a competitive environment, the company must rely on their workers creativity, strong teamwork, and problem-solving ability. The use of technology is a feature in the high-performance work system, all managers in every department of GM must be able to identify the technology they use in their firm. The information System can store data on employees that can help managers in deciding which employee is performing or not. Layout of GM offices and production plants is required to design to increase employee’s pro ductivity. The job designing would be performed well by the human resource manager. GM should come up with the proposals to transform the existing layout to an improved sustainability working layout. Sustainability strategies The company has adopted a Customer-Driven Sustainability strategy over the past few years. Its priorities have largely concentrated on building the foundation of the global sustainability practice, which aims at achieving the following, †¢ Creation of operational and product guarantees †¢ Identification of impact effective areas †¢ Enlargement of sustainability reporting practices and publication of the report †¢ Formation and alignment of corporate strategies and positions †¢ Development of processes for consistent global effecting, Most part of the foundational efforts is already completed, and the company anticipates spending the next several years of the building industry leadership in those areas of sustainability where we can make the greatest impact. Innovations that grow business by presenting new products and services that clients long for, while helping GM in responding to big trends and solving environmental issues and social disquiets.Integration that enhances sustainability is adopted embraced at all levels in GM at the global, regional and local stages across all strategic utilities and are vital in all the company’s undertakings. Transparency that is vital in building trust and accountability via the development of commitments to measure as well as manage progress through regular disclosure and reporting. Engagement with employees is encouraged in order creating a sustainable mindset in the whole company and with the external stakeholders to look for opinions on issues of concern and input for further improvements. Marketing GM has decided to reduce its product portfolios and direct the focus on Chevrolet, Cadillac as its â€Å"full-line marquis. The move is a drastic moving from their previous marketing strategy which includes offering an assortment of vehicles for every brand. This marketing strategy is formulated in order to prevent the opportunity for overlapping products. Instead of producing too many average vehicles, General Motors will be able to focus on great vehicles that will make the brand stand out. The Detroit News stated that all three brands GMC, Buick, and Pontiac will be offered under a single dealership. This change was made to increase productivity and branding within each dealership. Market information The following is a representation of the data that was adopted from the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange. The Quarterly price variations based on the high and low prices from day to day trades of the GM common stock on the New York Stock Exchange, the principal market through which the stock is traded, are as follows (GM Annual report. Years Ended December 31, 2012 2011 2012 2011 High Low High Low Quarter HIGH LOW HIGH LOW1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $27.08 $20.75 $39.18 $30.00 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $27.0030 $19.24 $30.47 $28.17 3rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. $25.01$18.72 $32.08 $19.77 4th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28.88 $57.67 $26.55 $17.10 GM Company and its subsidiaries Successor Predecessor Years Ended December 31, July 10, 2009 Through December 31, 2009 January 1, 2009 July 9, 2009 Year Ended December 31, 2012 2011 2010 2008 Income Statement Data: Total net sales and revenue (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $152,254 $150,277 $135,591 $ 59,474 $ 47,115 $148,979Reorganization gains, net (b) . . . . . $128,155 $ Income (loss) from continuing operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 6,134 $ 9,286 $ 6,502 $ (3,786) $109,003 $ (31,051) Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests . . . 52 (97) (331) 511) 115 108 Net income (loss) attributable to stockholders (c) . . . . . . . . . $ 6,88$ 9,190$ 6,12 $ (4,297) $08,106 $(30,719) Net income (loss) from common stockholders . . . . $ 4,86 $ 7,585$ 4,608 $ (4,428) $109,118 $ (30,941) GM $0.01 par value common stock and Old GM $1-2/3 par Value common stock Basic earnings (loss) per share: (d)Net income (loss) from common Stockholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3.11 $ 4.95 $ 3.12 $ (3.58) $ 178.63 $ (53.47) Diluted earnings (loss) per share: (d)Net income (loss) attributable to common Stockholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2.91 $ 4.59 $ 2.88 $ (3.58) $ 178.55 $ (53.47) SWOT Analysis Strengths; it has manufacturing distribution, assembly offices and also warehouses operations in 55 countries.GM is well rooted not only in U.S but also throughout the world. GM shares are still aggressive in China experiences will make them come back in the competition. However, variety of different brands help them to reach all target markets. Weaknesses: GM has a debt with the government. Poor organizational structure since there is a lack of communication between employees from the top to bottom, profitability is decreasing. Downsizing thousands of people.Opportunities: GM can use its competitors ideas to get back, they still have loyal customers. Increasing demand for hybrid/electric vehicles, GM still have Opportunities in emerging markets. Changing clients demand new model types. Threats: The gas prices are increasing rapidly; competition is developing new car styles and efficient. The rising raw materials prices and environmental emission standards. The crisis is a threat in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Social responsibility GM addresses health and vitality of the global communities through financial contributions like donations and volunteer initiative. GM invests in projects that improves health, education, and safety and also address the needs for technology and innovation. Their actions are guided by values; they are the drivers of their decisions, essence of their code of conduct. At GM social responsibility starts with their core values particularly the values of integrity, individual responsibility, and respect. All their corporate activities are measured against these values. They put their values into practice through their Winning with Integrity guideline employee conduct. This summarizes their important legal obligations and policies in the conduct of the business. In summary, GM is working on building solutions to the challenges of the community involvement every day because they need to be a trusted company. Conclusion The determined relevant market value at the date of the overall financial statements applies to the complete year, in spite of the appropriate market value calculated during the previous quarters of the current year. Using the two-class technique to analyze basic earnings per a single share and the increased dilutive of the two-class or converting method to calculate diluted earnings per share in the previous due December 31 of 2012 and 2011. The two-class method for computing EPS, as well as undistributed earnings are oftenly allocated to common stock and the Series B Ideal Stock according to its respective contribution rights in the undistributed revenues, as if all the earnings for the time had been exhaustively been distributed.(Form 10-K Annual Report, P36-41). Unpredictability may result in calculating of earnings per share from time to time subject to whether the application of the two-class technique is essential. The application of the two-class technique occasioned to an allocation of undistributed incomes to the Series B as Preferred Stockholders and, consequently, 152 million common stock equivalent from the already conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock are usually not considered outstanding for purposes of determining the weighted-average mutual shares outstanding in the computation of diluted paychecks per share in the years (GM press release, January 2012) .December 31, 2012to the year ended2011.The MLC circulated approximately 272 million permits for its common stock for its unsecured creditors including the GUC Trust. The warrant holders can use their covers at any time proceeding to their respective expiration dates (GM press release, January 2012). Upon exercising of these warrants, the shares allotted will be encompassed in the number of basic dividends remaining that are used in the calculation of earnings per share. The securities and license necessary to buy 313 million shares of the common stock were unsettled at December 31, 2012 and 2011, and in which46 million shares were exempted in every year’s calculation of diluted incomes per share because the warrants’ exercise price was more than the prevailing market average worth of the common shares(GM press release, January 2012). Under the capital stock method, the presumed undertaking of the unsettled permits resulted in over 104 million and 130 million dilutive shares in the two consecutive years ended on December 31, 2012 and 2011.Diluted earnings per share comprised of the consequence of 15 million and 13 million investment in RSUs arranged to certain global executives in the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011.In July 2011, the 61 million dividends of common stock funded the pension plans of January 2011 met the criteria to be eligible as plan resources for bookkeeping resolutions. The shares were considered unresolved for incomes per share purposes opening in July2011 (GM press release, January 2012). The totals in the year concluded on December 31, 2012 include dwindling charges relating to the investment in PSA of about $220 million, Income linked to numerous insurance retrievals of $169 million, a fee of $119 million in connection with the entry into the contract to sell the GMS business, which later led in a drop in the carrying value to proposed fair value, and appreciation of deferred returns from technology contracts with SGMW of $115 million(GM press release, January 2012). He total figures concluded in the year ended December 31, 2011included impairment charges associated to the investment of Ally Financial of $555 million, which is reflected as a gain on the sale of Ally Financial favored shares of $339 million, and appreciation of deferred revenue from technology contracts with SGMW of $113 million. On the other hand, the amounts in the year ended December 31, 2010 include the gains from the reversal of an accumulation for contingently issuable shares of GM Company common stock to the MLC of $162 million, which was a gain accrued after the sale of Saab valued $123 million, this resulted in an improvement on the acquisition of GMS of $66 million and an increase on the sale of Nexteer of $60 million (GM Annual Report, p51-58). References â€Å"GM Delivered 9.7 Million Vehicles Globally in 2013† (Press release). General Motors. Accessed 11th December 2014 â€Å"Form 10-K Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012 Commission File Number 001-34960. Accessed 11th December 2014 General Motors Company† (PDF). General Motors. February 15, 2013. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Accessed 11th December 2014 â€Å"About GM: GM Corporate Officers†. Media.gm.com. June 19, 2012. Accessed 11th December 2014 GM Press Release (January 20, 2012). â€Å"GM global sales up 7.6% in 2011 to 9.026M vehicles; China and US largest markets†. Green Car Congress. Accessed 11th December 2014 Source document

Power of Mind

â€Å"The power of the mind† The Human Mind is a very unique gift Heavenly Father has given us. It is the most powerful and precious gift ever given to any living thing that have ever walked and that will yet to walk the earth in the years ahead. The mind alone stands out from anything. It has the power to make the invisible visible and the undoable doable. 100 years back, human kind would never believed nor willing to entertain the idea of traveling from one country to another using the sky as the highway.Fortunately the Wright Brothers envisioned and perceived in their minds the idea of people traveling by air using a different form of transportation known to us today as aeroplanes. The power of their minds made it possible for them to make their idea a reality which of course has contributed so much to the betterment of the lives of people living in their times onwards to this very day. We are very blessed to have minds given to us by our creator to enable us to think and d o the things that our minds are capable of doing.There is no limit to how much we can do when we use our minds to their fullest capacity to make big dreams that seem to be unreachable come to reality. One of the problems that prevents human kind to excel and do extremely well in life is the lack of understanding of the power and capability of their minds. To ensure one does extremely well in life, it is very imperative that there is clear understanding of how mind functions. The mind somehow is very powerful. Whatever accomplishments and achievements some people have made in life were all initiated in the minds as thoughts and ideas.These thoughts and ideas will only come to reality if we allow our minds to entertain such thoughts and ideas for the purpose of achieving positive results that will contribute to the improving of our lives. The mind is just like a plot of land where it does not care what type of plant you plant on. The mind is divided into two parts one is known as the conscious mind and the other is the unconscious mind. The conscious mind’s function is to gather information and ideas. It does not care what comes in and out.However, once we know exactly what to do to allow our conscious minds to gather and process only ideas that will provide countless benefits and advantages to our lives, we will be well on our way to a successful future. The conscious mind picks up ideas and turns them into meaningful ones which then goes to the next phase of the mind known as the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind somehow is the part of our brains that controls ideas and process them in such a way that these ideas and thoughts turn into energy or vibrations connecting to the rest of our body.These vibrations are too strong that they will always force us to perform tasks that will lead to the accomplishment or achievement of the thoughts and ideas we initially conceived in our minds. Mostly what we have in our subconscious minds become our habits. They become paradigms that control every movement and actions we do in our lives. The conscious mind will work day and night to solidify the thoughts and ideas we once have and recognise them as sound ideas and thoughts that we accept as part of our daily living.

Working in an EBL group Essays

Working in an EBL group Essays Working in an EBL group Paper Working in an EBL group Paper The other important concept in the profession of nursing is the empowerment of nurses themselves. Empowerment of nurses, like that of clients holds the importance of autonomy and independence. A nurses empowerment is mainly defined by the use of Kanters (1993) theory of organizational empowerment, where in order to feel empowered the nurse must be able to have access to information, support, resources and opportunities to grow and develop with the nursing environment (Lashinger and Wong 1999). These empowering structures have a personal effect on the nurse, causing the nurse to have more feelings of independence and self of this is during my clinical placement, nurses go on study days to help in their professional development. Empowerment of nurses also brings accountability which is ability to give explanation for ones actions. Accountability is becoming more and more detrimental to the health field and is playing a bigger role in the outcome of empowerment. Education and training is important in the process of empowering the nurse. Education causes knowledge and skill, which allow the nurse to first provide healthcare and second know the reason behind what he or she is doing, which empowers the nurse as knowledge is a precursor to feeling in control (Dooher and Byrt 2003). One of the hurdles in the empowerment of nurses is the tendency to rely on the management. One of the hindrances of empowerment is caused by hierarchy within the situation, whether it is between the client and nurse or the client and management. A further challenge resides not so much in the obstacles to achieving nurse empowerment but in the likely consequences of it. That is there are risks involved for those who are sufficiently empowered to speak up and challenge vested political and economic interests as part of a broader health promotion role (Kendel 2004). A final point worthy of consideration concerns not so much the challenge of empowering nurses, but the issue of empowering patients in a care setting, facilitating the ability for them to exert greater control over their care and decision making may not always be appropriate and desirable. In spite of the arguments, there is the underlying assumption that by acting in an empowering way, health professionals will become more effective and people will become healthier (Kendel 2004). In conclusion, nurses power may arise from three components: a workplace that has the requisite structures that promote empowerment; a psychological belief in ones ability to be empowered; and acknowledgement that there is power in the relationships and caring that nurses provide. (Jack 1995) REFLECTION on EBL Reflection has been defined by Taylor (2000) as: The throwing back of thoughts and memories, in cognitive acts such as thinking, contemplation, meditation and any other form of attentive consideration, in order to make sense of them, and so make contextually appropriate changes if they are required. In order to reflect on the process of the presentation, I will adapt the Gibbss reflective cycle. Description  As a group the concept of empowerment was given to us. A chair, a scribe and time keeper was appointed. We also divided the group into three sub group because it was a large group. On the first session, list of things was achieved which includes ground rules, different definition of empowerment, means, importance of and the pro and cons of empowerment. Each sub group was then allocated a topic to research and report back with. On the second session every sub group delivered their findings to the whole group but we still lacked the major points. These lead to delayed progression of the work. Decision was reached to use PowerPoint presentation and for each sub group to type their work and send it to the scribe. On the last session, we still lacked some major information but managed to put the whole work together. On the whole there was a lot of ideas and information but we lacked organisation. We had no time for practice run. The presentation was done but on reflection, our weakness and strengths was well acknowledged. Feelings  I often felt anxious and uncertain about what the group are expected to do. I felt that everyone wanted their piece of work to be used. I thought that the time allocated to the presentation was limited. I strongly believe that the group put a lot of time and effort into the process but did not show this at sometimes. I felt unable to assert my views, so I avoided open conflict in favour of an outwardly harmonious team. Looking back I wish I had the courage to challenge some views being expressed. According to Johns and Freshwater (2005) that the process of learning is experiential and it not on a conceptual level. Evaluation  The aims of the presentation were clearly stated. We had a clear indication of the purpose in the introduction. Although we had appropriate delivery of presentation, but it could have been developed using variation in the PowerPoint presentation. We should have assessed and looked at how the information was verbally presented. It was a good group work and we worked well to develop the contents, however material represented was often not referenced and on occasions unclear. We also had limited links to practice. Nevertheless, we provided quite a background to empowerment and overall, this proved to be a positive experience that made me learn to adapt to the circumstances around me. Analysis  Working in an EBL group helped me to develop and practice the skills of communication like listening, eye contact, tone of voice and team working that are essential for caring for patients in my practice area. Johns and Freshwater (2005) emphasis that communication group learning and guidance takes place through dialogue and the first art is listening. It helped me to make joined and collective decision making. I was able to learn how to share tasks and responsibilities. I acquired the knowledge of negotiation and reflection as a group. Through it, I learnt concept of empowerment as a whole. In relation to my clinical experience, I will be able to share information, knowledge and skills which will help me to participate in patient self empowerment and decision making. My own process of learning has improved dramatically through this process. Conclusion We could have focused more in analysing and looking at the concept of empowerment. We should have ensured that the aims identified were properly addressed and explored other variation of PowerPoint presentation. The link to practice could have also been clearly demonstrated. According to Johns and Freshwater (2005) reflecting on experience after event draws insights that may inform your future practice in a positive way. Action plan  If in the same situation, I will suggest to the group that we be less descriptive and provide more analysis of the concept of empowerment. To use a more coherent approach when presenting and allow time for practice run and communicate more. In regards to me as the chair, I will be more assertive in a different way. REFERENCES 1. Dooher, J and Byrt, R. (2003) Empowerment and the Health service User. Vol 2 Quay Books London. 2. Gibbs, G. (1994) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further education Unit. Oxford University. 3. Gibson, H.C. (1991) A concept analysis of Empowerment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16, 354-361. 06/04/07. 4. Jack, R. (1995) Empowerment in Community Care. Chapman and Hall. London. 5. Johns, C and Freshwater, D. (2005) Transforming Nursing through Reflective Practice. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford. 6. Kanter, H. (1993) The Theory of Organisational Empowerment. Galerie Hellingman. London.

Scuss about current cultural shift in contemporary Japanese essays

Scuss about current cultural shift in contemporary Japanese essays Japan's brutal colonial rule over the Korean peninsula during the first half of the 20th Century left many Koreans distrustful of their larger neighbor. Therefore South Korean government banned importing Japanese cultures including music and films after the liberation. It was only in 1998 that South Korea's government began to relax a ban on distributing and selling Japanese pop music and films. This had a great impact in Korea, but more in Japan as Korean marketers decided to occupy Japanese market. While ethnic Koreans make up the largest minority in Japan, they have often faced discrimination and been treated as second-class citizens. Second class citizen includes an aboriginal Japanese people in Japanese society and they have alien registration card which foreigners obtain. Even in APU there are few Korean-Japanese, known as ethnic Korean, who can not speak Korean at all. There nationality is stated as Japanese but still treated with discrimination. Fortunately, these attitudes are changing. 2002 jointly-hosted World Cup was successful in both the result and in better understanding of each nation, when Korea was firmly in Japan's media spotlight. Korean pop star BoA now tops the Japanese charts and Brotherhood, which is a Korean movie about Korean War, took the Japanese box office by storm this summer. But much of the current boom has been fuelled by a Korean TV series drama called A Winter Sonata, and its leading man Bae Yong-joon, or Yon-sama as he is affectionately known in Japan. Today, Yon-sama is well known celebrity in Japan, and he has lighted up Korean boom in Japan result many people to learn Korean. Yon-sama is so popular that even Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently joked, "Yon-sama is more popular than me." Korean cultural storm is also happening in South East Asia including China and Taiwan. But Yon-sama is not the case of the boom. This is not the first time that J...

The Fourteenth Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Fourteenth Amendment - Essay Example For this reason, there were increasing inequalities in criminal proceedings between whites and blacks. The constitution had stated that one could only enjoy the fundamental rights if they belong to a particular state (Rife & Smith, 2006). The former slaves were not recognized as citizens of any state. There was a salient need for amending the constitution so that it could allow African-Americans gain citizenships in different states. Prior to the amendment, southern states practiced high levels of discrimination denying African-Americans an opportunity to enjoy their fundamental rights because of their race. The first section of the fourteenth amendment highlighted that states would no longer discriminate individuals based on race or ethnicity. The fourteenth amendment had positive changes in the United States because it allowed African Americans to be recognized as citizens through either birth or naturalization. Former slaves had the opportunity to become officially citizens of different states and be in a position to enjoy fundamental rights. Additionally, the fourteenth amendment served to nationalize the federal bill of rights by compelling each state to regard it highly. The ratification of the fourteenth amendment bill served as a milestone in the American history as the country would finally allow former slaves to be treated equally as the whites (p. 67). However, the amendment did not completely protect the rights of African Americans. In some states, African Americans were still viewed as lesser people.

Critique of education material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique of education material - Essay Example The material has also given tips for exercises and better eating. It emphasizes on the need of consulting doctors concerning children’s health in general. It is quite clear that the material has provided health education through pictures and graphics. In fact, it has shown how children should exercise and eat appropriate food. Printed material showing how children should engage in physical activities and a critical analysis on how children should feed has been provided. In this case, the printed material portrays a lot on how exercise is a key issue in children lives. Parents with young children are the intended audience for this material. Parents have been advised and given tips on how to provide a healthy diet and plan exercises for their kids. The material has therefore, targeted young parents who are bringing up a family. Parents who are able to read are suitable for this material since the material has wordings and syllables to be contemplated upon. However , those who don’t have reading skills require to be educated upon by a second party. The cultural practices of parents on eating habits are also manipulated when he or she reads the material. In this case, he or she needs to stick to a given diet for the sake of their children’s health regardless of cultural eating habits. For instance, some cultures prohibit pregnant mothers to take some foods which may be nutritious for the baby’s health. If such mothers access this material, they are able to diminish such taboos and stick to the diet suitable for their babies. The material is easy to read and analyze due to its proper display of the wordings and diagrams. The graphics are self explanatory of what it takes for tips on proper diet and exercise. Since it is not written in prose form, punctuation and spelling problems are minimal. It has generally