Academic Excellence Guarantees a Successful Life

Academic excellence guarantees a successful life. Do you agree? This topic also has been discussed with my upper six this year and they have written their version of the article. This sample answer shows beside the appropriate approach and language, how ideas should be generated and developed. The bold phrase at the beginning of each paragraph is the main idea, and after the details it is closed with a summary that relates the argument with the topic. No. I simply do not agree that academic excellence guarantees a successful life. If academic excellence means having a degree from a university, and a successful life is where a person is able to get whatever he desires and be happy with it, than there are other elements in life that helps in making life a success. It is obvious that during the last decade, academic qualification does not guarantee jobs for graduates, much to the frustration of the youngsters, who, throughout their university days were hoping for guaranteed posts in government agencies or steady private firms. Thousands were seen applying for jobs that were unpopular before, taking the teaching profession for example, where only a handful were recruited. Graduates without the extra qualities like the desire to move on, motivation, and communications skills will be left out,proving that academic excellence is not the license for a successful life. The blue-collar sector promises bright future for the non performing school students. The vast and rapid development of the various industries in the country, led by the successful automotive sector, has provided jobs for those with skills rather than academic qualification. School leavers with vocational skills, taking automotive as example, see better future compared to their counterparts on the academic line. Thus, it is a common scene nowadays to see mechanics and technicians in the various fields doing well in life, even without academic excellence. Some people who excel in academics do manage to land in secured jobs in the government and corporate giants, and went on to the highest and powerful position. These are the few lucky ones, as in most cases, there are other factors that help determine their success. It is not a secret that cronyism and nepotism are being practised everywhere, much to the dismay of those who depend only on academic qualification. Unless they really stand out with brilliant and extremely noticeable performance, they should be prepared to be ordinary officers up to the day of retirement. This is evidence that excellence in academic alone does not guarantee success. There are also people without academic excellence doing well in business. Through sheer determination and the urge to succeed, plus a little bit of aid from the bank perhaps, people have proven to be successful, earning way more than the salary of chief executives in the corporate sectors. In fact, with a hand from political influences, some are able to secure projects worth millions of ringgits. Would academic excellence be able provide this? To conclude, academic excellence does help comfort a person’s life, securing him a career to earn a living. Nonetheless, it is simply not enough to guarantee that he will be successful in life, as it takes a lot of other factors to achieve it.

Organizational Theory

There have been numerous studies regarding how the influence of technology has brought about change to the structure of an organization as well as its processes. Many of the studies have concluded that the organizational structure is strongly affected by the principal technology which the organization uses. (Volt, 2005) Technology, In simple terms, Is seen as the conversion of Inputs Into outputs using machines, equipments and processes. It Is a system based on the use of knowledge and organization, evident in physical objects for the attainment of precise goals.However, with the coming along of new technologies, as well as postmodernist and symbolic-interpretative, it has further expanded on how we think of technology to include it into the arts and social practice. This essay will look in the modernist and postmodernist perspective which will provide the different views as to how technology, organizations, management and employees are related. The modernist perspective sees ontolog y as objectivism. What this means Is that they believe In the reality which exists externally outside the Influence of humans.They see the world as something which Is not subjected to others authority, walling to be covered. They believe that technology brings about value for the organization and that technology will decide the structure of an organization. Epistemology wise, modernist see it as positivism. They have a preference towards ‘hard' data such as numbers. An assumption made would be that with the application of scientific method, it is possible to find the truth about certain events.This would then allow knowledge to best tested against the objective world. With the accumulation of knowledge, humans are than able to progress further and eventually evolve. Modernists adopt the General Systems Theory which is influenced by Mile Deuterium's structural functionalism. They are concerned with what are the factors that bring Individuals and groups together. The concept of division of labor, central to concept of social structure Is the core concept for the modernist. They believe In the quantitative methods of research.When studying organization as a whole, It must be noted that the level of analysis would be the organization and the subsystems and super system are the departments and environment respectively. The goal is to ultimately help reproduce the larger system by understanding the ‘laws' which over these systems and how an activity is being performed by the various subsystems. Modernists believe that the fulfillment of a purpose by an organization is closely related with technology to the environment. The increased improvements that technology constantly brings make it a special human venture.The example of us humans wanting to own the latest possible gadgets can be used for this instance. This brings about the creation of a market Indirectly. The advances in technology are believed to bring about advances to an organization, positively and their level of steady Improvement can be measured by Its technological advancement. Definitions of technology can be broken down Into core, high and service. Core technology simply refers to constant flow of resources that are dealt directly with the production of the intangible services which are consumed as products.Moving on, the modernist perspectives look into 3 most dominant typologies that emphasizes on how the dimensions of an organizational design is being influenced by technology. The first typology would be Joan Woodward's Industrial Organization (1965). She basically conducted tests to see if organizational principles were actually put into use. It was also shown that compatibility of companies organizing themselves with technology was commercially successful. She found out that performance were of the highest levels when technologies of mass production were put together with mechanistic forms of organization.Also, the highest level of performance was achieved when technologies dealing with small batch or continuous processing were combined with organic firms. However, one limitation of her typology was that the technologies involved in the sector of service were ignored. The second typology was James Thompson Organizations in Action (1967). Basically e suggested that the type of technology, which was different depending on the ‘degree of interdependence in the transformation process', affects the structure of an organization.He distinguished between long linked, mediating and intensive. Long linked is technologies deal with mass production and continuous processing. It is when an input is being put on one end of a long series of steps which happens in sequence which will end with the output. Mediating is technologies involved in bringing people together for exchange. Examples include those working in banks or insurance companies whose purpose of to bring customers together for exchange.Intensive technologies involve more than 1 speciali zed skill, for example, hospital emergency rooms or research labs. To put in simply, it is when there is a unique input and the end result will be a customized output. The third typology is the Charles Proper Organizational Analysis (1970). He studied the reasons why the complexities of technologies are higher than others and how it can lead to uncertainty. These uncertainties are in terms of the quality of inputs and whether they are available, and also variability involved in the transformation process.A technology with a higher level of complexity will lead to a higher amount f uncertainty. This will also lead to decisions which are less programmed and the use of discretion will be higher. There are 2 factors which will influence the complexity of technology. They are task variability and task inalienability. Task variability is the number of exceptions to standard procedures encountered in the application of given theory and task inalienability is the extent which, an exception is encountered, there are known methods to deal with it'. Hatch and Councils, 2013) These 3 typologies that have been used demonstrated how an organizational structure is affected by the different technologies. The production technologies chosen must be matched with organizational forms and also the success of an organization would be obtained if the structures and procedures are suitable to the productive technology which has been employed. The structure of an organization technology that are used for their transformation. I shall now move on to the postmodernist perspective.Ontologically, they believe that reality is merely Just an ‘illusion' which, through language and discourse, is created. ‘The world is said to be made to appear in language, discourse and artwork with no referents because there is nothing to which to refer'. Hatch and Councils, 2013) This is clearly against what the modernist perspective said. Epistemologically, post modernist believes that there ca n be no truth about reality, since there is no independence to it. The use of language is used to enforce power and social arrangements whilst organizations are merely, ‘imagined' entities.Postmodernists believe that technology can be a destructive process which can cause a change or the downfall of established organizational roles and values. They believe that technology is a form of control. An example that can be used for this statement s the British manufacturers working in the textile industry who wanted to introduce more machines but this move was greatly objected by the workers as they are afraid of the impact on their Jobs and skills if it happened. There are 3 aspects with regards to conceptions of technology by the postmodernist.Firstly would be the technologies of representation. This is basically Just the technologies involved to represent individuals and work processes. Examples would include electronic data and photographs which can all be used to control employe es. This brings about fear which the future might bring. This fear is brought about by he expected growth of ‘equivalence' which can track almost everything, from the keystroke made to the websites accessed. All this will lead to the higher possibility of online accounts being hacked into which will ultimately lead to the capturing of one's identity and codes.The second aspect is the technologies of control. This is when the value for highest level of performance achieved by the reduction of energy being expended while increasing output to its maximum capacity and is often brought about by decisions of values linked to a person or institution which are based on their contribution to efficiency. However, a disadvantage is that since integrity and fairness are not clearly in relations to efficiency, it brings about the neglecting of truth and Justice.Adding on, knowledge will be changed into a commodity by technology as the acceptable knowledge can be spread by the computer. The last aspect would be civilization. This is a hybridism kind of organization which is known to be of a techno-human' construct. This occurs when an organization is being taken over by computers or electromechanical instruments, be it in whole or Just by part. The organization is being determined not only by canines, but also by the human intervention. There are dangers involved in civilization. One of which would be technology being abused and misused.Instead of technology serving the organization which is the main point of it, organizational technology, individuals from an organization would tend to expect more from it despite the limitations of how much it can actually deliver. The social and human factors also will be inferior to the capacities technologically. Additionally, according to a French philosopher that influences post-modernism is Michel Faculty, it is power related with regards to all social, political and organization relations. The relations of power do not act acco rding to any reasonable logic or contested system.There is bound to be resistance whenever there is power involved. Employees will find way to go around the loopholes that are present in the organization. However, resistance can never lead to freedom from restraint since all social relations are in relations to power. There is no way to resist domination. Postmodernist organizations make use of surveillance mechanisms which is to control the members within the organization. This includes closed-circuit television, monitoring of computer usage and mandatory diaries.These will lead to self- surveillance since members will know that they are being monitored which will lead to dehumidifying conditions. All the points in postmodernist perspective that have been talked about draws attention to not only social, but also the historical and political creation of knowledge, humans and relations socially. This would include how every one of these will appear in the present-day organizations. W hen domination is supported, humans and organizations will be at the losing end if they overlook the construction activities by regarding the existing world as rational and neutral.Technology might be selected since it meets the necessary needs of power holders within the organization and not because of its natural superiority. The postmodernist are not all against the technology computer brings. They believe it encourages democracy and also believe it is an essential tool with regards to the economy, environment and political resistance. In conclusion, it can be seen that the modernist insights with regards to the relations between technology, organizations, management and employees are different from what the postmodernist perspective has to offer.Modernists believe that technology rings about different effects to the structure of an organization and the correct kind of productive technology employed will bring about the highest levels of performance. The post modernist on the oth er hand, sees technology as a form of power. They believe that the usage of surveillance as a form of control over its members will lead to self-surveillance. This is true to a certain extent but it also leads to a kind of dehumidifying condition since employees are then expected to take extra precaution when doing something in the workplace since their every move is being monitored.

Event Planning

Vietnam National University The University of Social Sciences and Humanities The Faculty of Oriental Studies BUSINESS ENGLISH: PLANNING EVENT SUCCESSFULLY Teacher: Tr? n Cao B? i Ng? c, M. A Student: Nguy? n Th? Thien Thanh Student code: 0665339 Class: Australian Studies 06 Ho Chi Minh City November 27th, 2009 CONTENT I. Pre-planning5 1. Forming a team and assigning tasks5 2. Brainstorming6 3. Defining your event7 4. 4. Setting program goals and objectives8 II. Planning stage8 1. Summary8 2. Planning9 1. Draft budget9 2. Event activity list/Create a plan of action12 3. After the event24 3. Create event timeline24 III. Evaluation of event27 INTRODUCTION Chances are, at some point in your life you have organized or helped organize an event. Remember your birthday parties growing up? There must have been some planning involved, such as guest lists and food. Accordingly, most planned events, especially in the business world, require prior arrangements and preparations. Planning conferences and meetings has ecome a skilled profession these days. Conference and meeting planners, also known as event planners organize, coordinate and run conventions and meetings and make sure they function smoothly without any glitches. These events range from first-birthday parties to political fundraisers, anniversaries, fashion shows, product launches, conferences, graduations, and reunions, to name just a few! According to a recent report, it takes about 15 0 hours for a planner, working with her staff, to produce a major event from start to finish. You do the math. Millions of events multiplied by hundreds of hours spent planning equals many, many opportunities for those entering this field. Events help our organizations educate the public about environmental issues, give the public a chance to get involved in campaigns, raise money, and publicize our organizations and their campaigns and activities. Events do not just magically come together. For every conference, concert, dinner, or lecture, a dedicate group of people worked together to plan and execute the event. Planning an event means more than just deciding to have one and trying to pull it together by the seat of your pants. Planning involves taking necessary steps to accomplish a goal. When events are planned, hang-ups, which often destroy an event, can be dealt with much more easily or sometimes are avoided all together. For example, events are often ruined when weather turns foul or a speaker drops out. However, if the event was planned, an alternative location can be booked, and backup activities planned in the absence of a speaker. These following steps to successful event planning will provide you the event planner with all the various important tasks involved in event planning. The keys to successful event planning will make your event a successful one, no matter how big or small the event, the purpose of the event or whether it is personal, business, entertainment or otherwise. I. Pre-planning: Pre-event planning, as outlined in this section, will be among the most important steps you will take on your path to a successful event. You may have heard the phrase, ‘‘If you don’t know where you are going, any path will take you there. ’’ It’s true. Without knowing where you are going and why, you might as well set out on your journey and be content wherever you happen to arrive. You would not start a family vacation with this attitude, would you? Thus, key factor to a successful event is that it is well planned with plenty of time to make sure things are done as required and within time frames set down. Depending upon the type of event, look to plan the event at least 6-9 months before the actual date happens to allow for success. This also allows for any potential problems to be resolved in plenty of time. Once you cycle through your first year, pre-event planning for the following year begins the day after your event. In other words, what is best and most successful is to never go out of business— to have one event’s conclusion lead directly into the next event’s preplanning. This is the best way for organizations to continue to improve, reduce burnout of staff, and break the cycle of reinventing the wheel. In fact, the more you follow planning as a continuum from one event to the next, the easier it gets to achieve success. 1. Forming a team and assigning Tasks First, running an event alone can be very difficult, so it’s important to recruit others to help. Be sure the members of the organization are invested in sponsoring the event. They will be more likely to follow through and participate in all the planning details if they feel a sense of ownership for the event. Designate a chair person for the event to coordinate and supervise the entire process. Be sure that all of your team to fill out all the proper forms and obtain signatures. †¢ List the interests, abilities, and talents of the people in the group. For instances, who like to plan, who are skilled at handling logistics (such as organizing parking, purchasing supplies, and coordinating volunteers), and who can come up with original ideas for event- and cause-related publicity. Provide opportunities for everyone to brainstorm ideas for the group’s work †¢ Trim down the list you develop and set some priorities. Factor in how well the ideas match the interests, abilities, and talents from the initial list. †¢ Put it all on a calendar, and then take into account other commitments, like exams, holidays, or other â€Å"busy times†. †¢ Assign coordination roles, tasks, and do a â€Å"reality check† on timetables and workload. Many groups create an overly ambitious plan the first time. †¢ Check in regularly on the progress of your plans. 2. Brainstorming You would be surprised on how many great ideas your group can get from a ten-minute brainstorm! Here’s how to do it: It is really important to create a basic planning framework at the start. It is surprising how often people get carried away by a big idea and rush into planning it, without thinking through who the message is aimed at, what kind of effect it will have on its audience or even what the objectives for it are. If you do not agree objectives early on, you will not be able to judge whether you are going to get the results you hope for. So, think through the answers to the following questions: The ‘5 Ws’ – why? who? what? where? when? – may seem blindingly obvious, but the answers will help keep your planning on course: WHY Why do we want to hold the event/action? What’s the nature of the opportunity? WHO Who will do it? Who are our potential allies? Who are our partners? Who is our target? Who do we want to influence? Who is our audience? Who will participate? Who is going to do all the work? WHAT What kind of event do we want to run? Outdoor? Indoor? Site-based? Is it business related, purely social, or somewhere in between: (Celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, first communions) (Education (conferences, conventions, meetings, graduations) (Promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows, conventions) (Commemorations (memorials, civic events) WHERE Where do we want to do it? Venue? Site? Is the place available? Consider seating, parking, accessibility for people with disabilities, transportation, and any permit that may be required. WHEN When do we want to do it? Is it time critical? Is there an external agenda driving this? Is it weather-dependent? Will any other events conflict with your date? Finally there is one other vital question, and that is HOW How much is the event going to cost and where will the money come from? How long will your event last? Once you have concrete answers to the questions listed above, you are ready to move on to develop the program’s goals and objectives. 4. Setting program goals and objectives: One of the importance to pre-planning is setting objectives or goals. In order to do this, keep in mind these things. 1. Summary When planning an event need to consider a checklist of primary factors. They are: (Datewhen the event will be held. ? Locationwhat city or town it will be held in. ? Venuewhere will the project/event be held e. g. hotel, motel, conference centre. ? Budgetdraft budget – including expected income and expenditure. ? Speakerswho is going to speak/run the event. ? Inviteeswho are you targeting to attend the event. ? Sponsorscan you obtain sponsors for the event and who are they. ? Timelineproject plan timeline for the event including responsibilities for each item. Materialswhat information is required to give to attendees. ? Collationcollation of all material required for the event. ? Advertisinghow going to advert the event? And in what forms e. g. radio, newspaper, or email. ? Mediainvite media to attend event (if appropriate) or advertising of the event. 2. Planning At the initial meeting, need to set up a number of objectives and form a timeline for the project or even t. Important to plan the event with plenty of time to allow for all aspects of the event to happen without too many problems. Keep everyone in the loop so as all aware of what is happening and what every person is dealing with – means no double ups and some accountability to make sure everything is done correctly and within the time frame set. The â€Å"dates† on the timeline do not have to be set in concrete, but need to be flexible enough to make sure everything is covered. You should hold a meeting every two weeks with the committee/organizing group, just to check that everything is happening as it should be and everyone understands at what stage of the timeline the event is at. Be sure that: †¢ Assign tasks and roles appropriately †¢ Determine who will actually be executing the event †¢ Instruct clear expectations as to who will be responsible for each role and how exactly will they fill the role †¢ Involve as many people as you can because people enjoy supporting something that they played a part in planning/organizing 2. 1. Draft budget: Budgeting for an event reflects on a number of costs and needs to be as detailed as possible; otherwise, you can end up spending more than you anticipated. Therefore, identify the sources and amounts of potential revenue and expenses, and revise for realistic and necessary true cost and revenue updates. If you are not able to have exact figures for some of this, estimate – you can always correct this once you have confirmed figures and can change this for the final budget. (Speakers In initial contact with these people, check availability for the dates you have decided on. Establish with them if there are any costs to payment fee, airfares, and accommodation. Are there any additional costs like incidentals e. . taxi’s, meals? Is anyone accompanying them? Do they need transport? A key point to also ask is what are their requirements for the event e. g. are they presenting the topics on Power Point, can they supply with copy, how much material do they need for the handout material or folders? Note that your section would usually buy the speaker a gift of thanks so this cost needs to be put into the budget. All of this inform ation needs to be established at the start to give you an indication of what sort of costs will be required. (Venue Most places can send you pricing by email – this is helpful in preliminary draft budget planning. Pricing will reflect cost of room’s available (for the event), style of seating, pricing for food and beverages, electronic/AV requirements e. g. data projector. They may offer discounts on room hire or accommodation. Check when you need to confirm. (Sponsorship Need to look at whether we can get sponsorship for the event? And if so, in what form will it be e. g. money (donation towards costs), full cost or half cost of the event, may wish to pay for speakers only etc. What requirements do they have for handout material, if any? Can they supply pens, pads etc. Need to discuss this right at the beginning of planning the event and make sure decision is clear and in writing to all parties. Need to address and find out what they want out of the event and this in turn will affect the budgeting of both expenditure and income. (Event Materials Need to determine what is going to be given to the attendees. Need to follow your organization standard folder presentation. Need to design cover for each event and need to allow enough time for printing of covers and contents etc. Need sponsors logos (electronically). An agenda, contents page, list of attendees (if relevant) to event, evaluation form all need to be decided upon, the format designed and then allow time for printing plus collation of the material once printed. Need to allow time for couriering of information to venue (if necessary). All costs for this need to be examined and put into budget (Advertising and Media Here need to address who targeting to attend the event, how they will be invited e. g. invitation in mail, electronically. Some form of registration system to be put in place – ideally with one person only (so as not to duplicate any work and to have control over invoicing registrants etc). How much do we charge for registration fee Need to look at all costs (estimates) to ensure we have a successful registration fee. Do we need to involve the Media? – if so do they come to the event, can they assist in promoting the event before? Need to ask these kinds of questions and again look at relevant costs. (Note: a) Finance the event before it happens. Know where the money will be coming from. Never plan to finance an event from registration fees, ticket sales or gate receipts. b) A good way to finance an event is to create a fundraising arm of the production. *Note that the event itself and the fundraising effort should not be mixed. A good way to avoid any overlapping of the two is to assign a different planning team to the fundraising. These are two different responsibilities and they should b e planned separately. c) There are three types of fundraising effort to cover the cost. The first is a strategic alliance. Co-branding events not only provides more name recognition for your events, but it is also a way to help cover the expenses of the event. The second option to consider is sponsorship. This option allows you to generate money, but not share as much of the spotlight. The third option is charging for attendance. Depending on the type of event you hold this can be a positive or negative thing. EVENT BUDGET TEMPLATE Event: _____________________________ Date: ______________________________ |Expense |Estimated Cost |Actual Cost | |Facility Fee | | |Rentals (tables, dishes) | | | |Presenter/Entertainer Fee | | | |Audio/Visual Equipment | | | |Advertising/Promotion | | | |Printing | | | |Postage | | | |Food/Catering | | | |Decorations | | | |Transportation | | | |Security and Technicians | | | |Other ____________ | | | |Other ____________ | | | | | | | |Total Expenses: |_______________ |_______________ | Revenue |Estimated Revenue |Actual Revenue | |Ticket Sales | | | |Food Sales | | | |Vendo r Fees | | | |Event Sponsorship | | | |Donations | | |Other ____________ | | | |Other ____________ | | | | | | | |Total Revenue: |_______________ |_______________ | 2. 2. Event activity list/ Create a plan of action: The Events Activity List is good tool to use when organsing a function – as each point is raised and completed, it can be ticked off. This means nothing is forgotten and it is also a double check from the timeline document. Also if you are away for any reason, someone else can easily see at what stage you are up to with the event organization. ( Date: Set a date and check to make sure it doesn’t conflict with your target audiences industry dates, convention dates, holidays. Need to consider at least two dates so when planning the venue, you can work around any clashes that may occur. Have some dates in mind and contract the venues to see if they are available on those dates. ( Location When booking a venue, make sure it aligns with your objectives and goals. Look at your rough agenda and find out what the ideal space would be to accomplish the event's goals. ompany will incur for the event. Once you have outlined space needs for the event, brainstorm some perspective places for the event and make visits. Before you head over to visit a site, sketch a list of criteria and questions for the facility and its st aff. Visit several so you can make an effective comparison based on the event's needs and budget. Check list for facilities †¢ Is the venue centrally located? †¢ Does the venue provide plenty of parking? †¢ Is the venue located near public transportation? †¢ Will the venue support our food needs? †¢ Does the venue provide for adequate space? †¢ Will the venue support our technology needs ( Speakers and performances Before recruiting any speakers, decide what roles the speakers will play as well as how many speakers you will need in each role. Next, brainstorm a list of the people you would like to fill the roles you've defined. Next, start recruiting the speakers and performers. Start by making a packet with information about the event, your group, and a letter explaining why you want them to speak or perform at your event. Include a reply card and self-addressed, stamped envelope for your speaker prospects to return to you with their availability, contact information, title of their talk, audiovisual needs, how the speaker should be listed on the agenda, and housing, food, and travel needs. Send packets to all of the potential speakers on your brainstorm list. Once the packets have been out for about a week, make follow up calls. Follow up calls show your commitment to the event and make speakers feel more welcomed to the event. While on the phone, try to get a commitment and provide the speaker with all of the information they need to make a decision about attending the event. They need to supply you with their requirements for the event. What AV requirements do they have, are they bringing their presentation on disk or laptop? Do they need a data projector etc? What papers/material do they have for the folder(s)? Make them aware that we need this information at least a month and a half before the event, not the week before – not acceptable. If possible, make arrangements to accommodate the speaker's schedule and travel needs. In addition to your initial recruitment of speakers, you should also devise a backup plan for speakers. It's inevitable that one or more of your speakers will cancel closer to the event. If you are ready for cancellations, it will have little to no affect on the quality of your event. Go back to the list of speakers you brainstormed early in the planning. Make sure you have all necessary contact information and can reach each of them if you should need to. The back up plan will help your group plan ahead for possible pitfalls, making for smooth sailing no matter what curve ball is thrown your way. Contact speakers one week before the event and confirm their attendance, how they wish to be listed, and when and where they are speaking. Once a speaker arrives at the event, give her a name tag, remind her of when and where she is speaking, and make sure her needs have been met. Have a volunteer take the speakers to the space they will be using and make sure there is always someone available to introduce your speakers and performers to the audience. Finally, offer tokens of thanks and appreciation to the speakers and performers. Also we usually purchase a gift for overseas speakers – something based e. g. wood, stone etc ( Catering Depending on the facilities, you have several options for serving food. Initially you will need to consider what kind of food you will serve. Get quotes from different venues – look at cost and what they are offering. Is the food what you want? Can you change any menu supplied? Need to look at these sorts of things. No matter how you choose to feed the crowd, keep in mind dietary restrictions such as diabetics and restrictions on salt. Once decided on venue, look through menus and decide what you want to use for the event. Before you move on have an idea of the number of meals or snacks being served at the event and how many people you will need to feed. Closely estimate food amounts through a careful head count to minimize waste. Same with beverages as well. ( Equipment needs For every event you'll need to plan for equipment needs, which can include everything from tables and chairs to audio visual equipment to written materials. Take a look at your rough agenda and the list of requests from speakers and performers. Then, make a list of all of the equipment you will need for the event. Also, sketch out the layout for the event. Now, use the checklist below to prepare the equipment for the event. Make sure you leave room in your timeline and budget for acquiring the equipment you need. Some venues allow you to bring in your own equipment or equipment that you have hired specifically for the event as well. Checklist of Possible Equipment Needs: ? overhead projector ? VCR/TV ? microphones flip charts with markers ? dry erase/chalk boards with markers or chalk ? cups and fresh water ? podium ? megaphone Have to decide who you are targeting for the event. Then decide what kind of invitation you want i. e. printed invitation, electronic email flyer, booklet etc . All of these will have different costs associated and all costs need to be budgeted for. Also a time frame for getting anything printed – allow 2-3 weeks 2 months before, so will be able to send out the printed invitations 4-5 weeks ahead of the event and arrange to have follow up calls i. e. someone to ring every single person who has not replied about their attendance to the event. It is time consuming but done properly usually can increase numbers significantly as not everyone replies to invites, often they just arrive. This doesn’t help your section with catering, handout materials or seating for the event or budgeting so it’s important to follow up. Suggest once you have an invitation list (either printed or electronic) supply list to Administrator so they can confirm attendance/non attendance of invitees. ( Publicity This is promotions or basically letting people know about the event. *Remember part of a successful event is to actually have patrons. Without satisfactory support your event cannot be counted a success. This area requires much attention and effort. It may also be a long- term process. Remember that the advertising should be geared towards the participants you want to target. This is things you will need to take to the event such as handouts, paper, markers and white board, name tag etc. (Name badges (usually Administrator) need t o be made 1-1/2 weeks before the event. Be sure to consist of persons name and organization (do not put titles etc). Include badges for speakers as well. paper, stapler, scissors, paper clips, drawing pins and anything else that people may ask for or that you can use so as not having to ask the venue as sometimes they don’t have them. Gifts for speakers/guests especially overseas guests are necessary. Decide on awards items and identify sources to purchase them. Add cost into the budget for this. Needs to be gift wrapped and have a thank you card attached. ( Photographer If you need one for the event, book them well ahead of the event, as they are hard to get, would suggest 3-4 months before and again ring 2-3 people and get quotes. Once booked put all contact details on sheet for ease of access by anyone else who may have to contact them. Make sure they understand what your company wants from the photos. ( Logistics & Contingency Plans Good logistics planning ensures your event will run smoothly. Prior to the event you need to send out communications to event staff. Staffing to schedule: Receptionist – Make sure they are prepped with a cheat sheet if people call. Technical Staff – Make sure they are standing by and know you need the servers to be free of any large processing. Runners – Get a few people to help as needed. Train Runner and Receptionist and create information cards. Q&A Managers – Have someone assigned to handle the Q&A and chat. Plants or audience seeds – Have someone dialed in and armed with a few questions to get the Q&A rolling if necessary. Reserve the following: Technology – Phone lines and Web technology for all calls (test yourself before sending out. and make arrangements for the archive recording. Rooms – Made available for presenters and support team for all calls. Equipment – Laptops, servers, phones, back-up equipment, etc. for all calls. Contingency Plans: Backup Equipment – Modem and remote. Communication Line – Have a direct line with the operator at all times. Send your team and speakers an e-mail with everyone’s contact information in case there is a problem. ( Emergency Services (such as ambulance service, secured money transfers and handling through a reputable security company). These need to be on the scene or on call during the event *Very important The little things make a big difference: Always do â€Å"one more check† to validate the logins and phone numbers. Have water near each speaker. Have notepads and paper available. Print hard copies of all the presentations – One copy for you and one for each speaker. Test backup equipment. Create and post â€Å"quiet signs. † REMEMBER – Over-communicating is better than under-communicating! Constantly send reminder notes during the event process and planning stages. ( Running Sheet This is a breakdown of the event on the day, broken into 10-15 minute intervals (see example). All staff and speakers/guests will get one of these so as they know exactly what is happening on the day and who is speaking and for how long. There is protocol to follow when scheduling speakers as well. Here’s a sample checklist for an event that will help you work out what needs to be done and make everyone’s jobs easy to follow. Date (function date) | | |Start time | | |Finish time | | |Location address | | |Location phone number | | VIP’s | |Name |Position |Organization |Phone number | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Special Men tions | |Name |Position |Organization |Phone number | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Key Contacts | |Name |Position |Organization |Phone number | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | RUNNING SHEET | |Item |Action |Responsibility |Budget |Deadline |Completed | | |Required | | | | | |SIGNAGE | | | | | | |Production | | | | | | |Quantity | | | | | | |Delivery | | | | | | |Placement | | | | | | |Removal | | | | | | |Storage | | | | | | |Other | | | | | | | | | | | | |SECURITY | | | | | | |Venue | | | | | | |Hospitality | | | | | | |Cash | | | | | | |Other | | | | | | | | | | | | | |TICKETING | | | | | | |Branding | | | | | | |Quantity | | | | | | |Staff | | | | | | |Outlets | | | | | | |Other | | | | | | 2. 3. After the Event The final stage of the event entails cleaning up and thanking everyone who helped make the event happen. Organize a clean-up crew to make sure the facility is as clean. Do not forget to send thank you notes to speakers, performers, organizations, and volunteers who made the event a success. After all is said and done, get together with the members of your group and evaluate the event. Discuss what worked well and what should be changed for next year. Do not forget to look at whether or not the event accomplished its goals. Finally, celebrate your accomplishment and reflect on a job well done. 2. Create event timeline: (One year: Set date and site for your event Develop goals and objectives for the event Develop the theme for event Draft version of revenue & expense budget. If this is a fundraising event, contact the Office of College Development, Marketing & PR. (Six Months: Negotiate facilities, services, and contracts Prepare Event time table Construct a realistic budget for event. Building revenue sources is very important. Set event pricing. Leadership structure of event identified Specify staff responsibilities Create a plan for use of volunteers: how many needed & outline of duties Establish publicity plan in conjunction with Office of College Development, Marketing & PR Prepare press releases Design draft of invitation package & related materials Prepare guest lists Draft program and script Negotiate for special speakers Get lists of A-V equipment needed by all participants Negotiate with site and catering managers Solicit or purchase giveaways and/or souvenirs (Three Months: Clarify details and instructions for menus, receptions Arrange site layout, sound & decorating Complete in-kind solicitations Prepare checklist for items & people you need at event Arrange for a photographer Arrange for recording/taping Finalize design for invitation, program & materials (Two Months: Event invitations mailed Monitor invitation response Fine tune event schedule Fine tune event program timeline (One Month: Make or order final visuals Order necessary signage Alert press if coverage is desired Make detailed arrangement charts Arrange for last minute reproduction of papers, handouts, if needed Confirm all agreements in writing with speakers, suppliers, etc. (Two Weeks: Assemble checklist & materials for event Prepare releases for invited media Arrange for any VIP transportation, such as out-of-town invited speaker pickup at airport Reconfirm all arrangements with suppliers (food, shipping, audio-visual, etc) Set seating charts if needed Schedule any rehearsals needed (One Week: Prepare name badges Order any VIP amenities (Two days: Go over your checklist Review plans with Leadership Check on arrival of all shipped materials and equipment Secure storage of materials and equipment Check handout materials Reconfirm photographer (One Day: Check weather report for possible effect on event Review plans with electrician and other facilities staff Arrange to meet speakers and special guests Distribute duplicate event setup plans to staff Final briefings to staff on responsibilities Finalize meal guarantee if necessary with caterer Dress rehearsal (Two hours: Check room/venue setup Check micros and PA equipment Check A/V equipment Arrange handout materials for use Check for necessary personnel Check for signage in place (One Hour: Introduce invited speakers to other participants Check on place cards, if appropriate Check on recording/taping operator Check lectern light and stage props Give program participants any last minute instructions (After the event: Pay all invoices Write thank you notes and send gifts Complete your expenditures and match to budget After the event, it is crucial for the group to evaluate your efforts. The evaluation process should consist of the following: (Audience feedback Make sure that you conduct an honest evaluation of the event for a greater chance of future success. Brainstorm a list of the things that worked and made the conference a success and a list of the things you would change the next time the group organizes a conference. Ask questions such as: (Did you feel the event’s goals and objectives were accomplished? (What area(s) did you think went well? (What area(s) did you think could have used improvements? (Which vendors should be used again? (Which vendors should not be used again? (What items/services were missing? (Was the event well attended? (Was informal and formal feedback about the event positive? You can distribute the evaluation by mail, email or having it available on your organization’s website/event website. Keep evaluations on file for future reference and record in a place where future members of the group will be able to learn from your efforts. It is important to remember to celebrate your success and to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the event! CONCLUSION In many ways, event planning is linked to advertising and marketing. The planner needs to imagine the event is a product or brand, and then develop and promote it in a creative way. Ultimately, what’s important is that the attendees (the consumers) have a positive experience that leaves them feeling good about the organizers. The same applies whether the organizer is a business, charity or family. You need to be a well organized worker who is skilled in co-ordination, particularly with regard to logistics. Your presentation and communication skills should be excellent, and you should be able to motivate other people. Knowledge of marketing and press relations is invaluable, along with a creative approach to solving problems and ‘making things happen’. Above all, you must be a hard worker, who is prepared to put in extra hours to ensure that the job gets done within budget and on time. This work requires perfection, so you must be willing to pay attention to every detail. Not every event will fit perfectly into the following schedule and you’ll have to use your best judgement on handling last minute mishaps that may happen despite superb co-ordination and arrangements. â€Å"Event Planning† has become more of a necessity nowadays. It has become a fundamental part of the society, to help us to run smoothly the events, with everything professionally organized. No doubt, time is money nowadays and managing events at such short notices becomes even more impossible. Especially when behind every function success is to be certain. That’s why, we Event Planners are here for. Making every occasion more unique, outstanding, lively and of course memorable that every attendees admire. As long as you have the desire, your rewarding is your clients’ satisfactory. REFERENCES Vietnamese 1. Nguy? n Van K? t, CD-Rom Tai li? u mon Nghi? p v? thu ky van phong 2. PGS. TS. D? ng Th? Thanh Phuong, ThS. Nguy? n Th? Ng? c An, Nghi? p v? thu ky giam d? c th? i d? i m? i, NXB Th? ng Ke. Websites 1. http://www. tuvannhansu. om/cong-nghe-cham-soc-khach-hang/cong-viec-thuong-ngay-cua-dich-vu-khach-hang/102 2. http://www. tuvannhansu. com/cong-nghe-cham-soc-khach-hang/cong-viec-thuong-ngay-cua-dich-vu-khach-hang/97 3. http://www. snc. edu/planning/program. html 4. http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:5KR8QIMiwbQJ:www. feministcampus. org/fmla/pro gram-materials/pdf/6 EventPlanning%2520thru%2520Public%2520Speaking. pdf+planning+event+successfully&hl=vi&gl=vn&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgeL87csTsCUPENPIDFJaZDY8wSPoKRETYYrbx3EehSnzVVWY419IrG PCtBXBdHIF_24Da9BhjQHoH99ZN4gM_BGpwlPXIuRynGW0PFrXAxW7-oF7A95hm0BHL120w0CliGmvEj&sig=AHIEtbT9Fp8dgvD44PJCZqPLmt4Zz0Mncg 5. http://www. girlmeetsbusiness. com/plan-event

Issues In Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Issues In Criminology - Essay Example 295). Intense gender discrimination, like the refusal of numerous law schools to give access to women, the frequent segregation of women from juries, and the habit of imposing to female and male ‘offenders’ different punishments for the same offences went mostly unquestioned (Lanier & Henry, 1998, 279). The scale of the victimisation of girls and women indicated that the lack of attention on the role of violence in the lives of women was the prime issue to appeal to the interest of feminist scholars and advocates. Due to this, a large volume of literature exists on the issue of victimisation of women, particularly in the subject matters of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and domestic violence. Meanwhile, the identification of the breadths and forms of female victimisation had a considerable influence on policy making, and it is perhaps the most concrete contribution of radical feminism to mainstream criminology (Almeder, Koertge & Pinnick, 2003, 18). The influence of cr iminology and especially criminological theory was varied, although, partly because these crimes did not at appear to challenge. The impact on the field of criminology and particularly criminological theory was mixed, however, in part because these offenses did not initially seem to dispute androcentric criminology as such (ibid, p. 18). Rather, the notions of ‘victimology’ and ‘domestic violence’, while crucial in the development of feminist perspective of criminology, also provided mainstream criminologists and several practitioners of criminal justice an alternative way of understanding criminology theory and research (Flavin, 2001). The objective of this essay is to discuss the development of feminist criminology, focusing on the post-war period, especially the 1960s and 1970s. More particularly, the essay will focus on the contribution of the three feminist perspectives, namely, (1) feminist empiricism, (2) standpoint feminism, and (3) feminist postmod ernism to British criminology theory and research. Feminist Perspectives of Criminology Feminist perspectives have remarkably grown in areas that have more established practices of interpretive knowledge like history and literature (Flavin, 2001). On the contrary, the tradition of criminology persists to be profoundly ingrained in the scientific method (ibid, p. 273). A great deal of British mainstream criminology is founded on principles that ‘science is value neural’ (Flavin, 2001, 273). Research can be duplicated, as argued by positivism, since researchers generate knowledge in related ways, making criminologists similar with each other (Almeder et al., 2003, 20). Richard Powers of the New York Times recognised the ‘vesting of authority in experiment’ (Flavin, 2001, 274) as the most outstanding thought of the new century. Yet, Powers (1999) argued that scholars â€Å"from Ludwig Wittgenstein to Thomas Kuhn and beyond† (ibid, p. 81) have mentioned, ... that fact and artefact may be closer than most empiricists are comfortable accepting... That great empiricists have rejected initial data on hunches, until their observations produced more acceptable numbers. That

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Strategic management - Essay Example Aims of an organization. The way by which an organization can serve its clients, suppliers, distributers, shareholders and other stakeholders. Present organization’s situation in terms of explaining their business segment. It can include the declaration of organization’s core purpose of existing. Sense of Mission Sense of Mission creates a strong behaviour among the individuals so that they can fulfil their Mission of life. Creating the â€Å"Sense of Mission† is not creating the purpose only but it helps to achieve the purpose. â€Å"Sense of Mission† is a very important marketing principle. It states that an organization must define its mission in such a way that it should not only focus on their product and profit. They should focus on the broader social concept rather than the mere product orientation. The new generation managers are trained with a sense of social responsibility and they have a passion for achieving of bigger causes. Corporate Social R esponsibility Every organization has some obligations towards its society in which it operates. Every organization should take some initiatives to work for the environment. CSR is the contribution of an organization to the society. Corporate Social responsibility means sustaining the equilibrium between economic welfare of the organization with the social welfare. The trade off between two components can provide a balance sustainable growth for the organization. Many companies are engaged in serving the society through their corporate social responsibility. Following ethics and serving responsibility towards its society is an important part of the today’s business. For this analysis, Pepsi-Co organization has been chosen. Pepsi Co Ins. Is a multinational food and beverage company headquarter is in New York, USA. They are in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of food items and beverages and other products also. PepsiCo started its business after the merger of Pepsi- Coca and Frito-Lay. Now PepsiCo has expanded their business in many dimensions. In 2012, Pepsi-Co was able to generate more than $1 billion of retail sales. PepsiCo is the second largest food and beverage company in the World. The Mission of Pepsi-Co is to be the World’s premier consumer products in foods and beverages. Their Mission is to serve financial benefits to its investors, the opportunities for growth to their employees, business partners, other stakeholders and the society in which they operate. They want to achieve this mission in the right ethical way with honesty and transparency. PepsiCo has a strong sense of mission also. Their sense of mission states that they are not focusing on the product orientation, they focus on Customer orientation. They emphasise on satisfaction of the customers. The focus of achievement is very strong. Not only the customization but also they believe that serving customers consistently and efficiently can create a stable customer rela tionship management. Retaining customers sometimes causes a conflict between its short term objectives. Pepsi-Co‘s sense of mission says that they are not in the business for profit purpose only but their goal is to serve people (Randall, 2008, p.45). Objectives including CSR: Pepsi-Co supports continual growth of shareholders. Their objective is to use best class design for packaging. Meets value, cost and performance criteria for customer satisfaction. Maintaining hygiene standards. Strives for least environmental footprint. Pepsi-Co strives for

Is there a gender equality in Afghanistan, and have they empower women Research Paper

Is there a gender equality in Afghanistan, and have they empower women and give them the chance to represent the afghan society - Research Paper Example The HDI of Afghanistan as of 2014 is 0.468. The country became independent on 19th August 1919.The population of Afghanistan is 31,108,744 as of 2014. This includes approximately 2.6 million refugees who still live in neighboring areas like Iran and Pakistan. The only city in the country which has a pop0ltuon of more than one million is the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul. Afghanistan is one of the poorest, least developed and most impoverished nations in the world. Throughput the history of Afghanistan, gender inequality has persisted in almost all segments of the Afghan society. The afghan women have experienced major oppression and violence that have resulted in the women of the country becoming oppressed and dominated beings in the country. The processes of oppression in the Afghan culture are deeply rooted and penetrate into the lives of the women in Afghanistan. As a result of all these practices and factors, the women in Afghanistan have started having very low level of self-consciousness have also internalized their images in the society as propagated by their male counterparts. The challenges that are inherent to the problem of gender inequality in Afghanistan are twofold in nature. On one side, the male counterparts of the society consider that the oppression and violence done against the women counterparts of the society are justified as per the socio cultural norms that have been practiced in the Afghan society in the traditional formats. In contrast, the women of the country have become oppressed by these episodes of violence and discriminations because the attitude and behaviors associated with subordination and suppression and being dominated are deeply entrenched in the cultural and social systems of Afghanistan. Thus, the extensive control of the male entities in the society on the woman and the existence of patriarchal arrangements in the rural and urban areas of the country have led to the men of Afghanistan

Heterosexism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heterosexism - Essay Example A cursory analysis of available costumes illustrated that twenty two costumers were propagating hyper heterosexism. They were even segregated into sections named as ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ costumers. There were also unisex costumes like burglar costume or angel costume. However, it was evident that majority of these costumes encouraged heterosexual partnerships. This costume based stratification can be explained with the help of feminist sociology theories that support existence of a social order and values related to it that are meant to be followed by individuals in order to demonstrate their participation in a gender-based group participation (Ingraham 209). There were eight costumes that could have been seen as being suitable for same-sex partnerships. These costumes included Scottish outfits, Mario costumes, wrestler costumes, and other revealing warrior costumes. The store also had a male personification of Adam and Eve costume which was clearly supporting same sex relationship. This study helped in understanding that there was a rather limited choice for customers who do not wish to propagate hetero-normative gendered constructs. The store had a collection of object-based inanimate costumes such as Cupcakes, Robotic characters, Banners and other similar costumes that were equally famous in male and female customers, according to the store owner. These costumes are delivering clear messages about heterosexual relationships. The costumes meant for female customers included Ballerina dresses, Disney movie characters and others clearly having a feminine outlook. On the other hand, costumes meant for boys had moderate to strong masculinity attached to them as they were reflecting a degree of physical violence and aggression. When asked about a Tuxedo hanging in the Halloween section, store manager responded that it is meant for female customers as it was ‘sleeker’ as compared to

Interview Questions - The influence of a parent or other family Essay

Interview Questions - The influence of a parent or other family memebers on participation in Sport - Essay Example ho encouraged students to engage in sports, who discouraged them from engaging in sports, whether parents participate in physical activities, and the role of health in promoting the participation of a child in physical activity. On this note, the minor themes that relate to the major theme of this report are; family, health condition and childhood. The research conducted manages to highlight these themes through fifteen questions, which focus on the role of parents in promoting physical activities amongst their children, their role in hindering physical activities amongst their children, the role of health care in sports, and the manner in which an individual engaged in physical activities. By looking at how the fifteen questions are structured, though they depict a minor theme, an answer to them contributes in answering the major theme of the research. This major theme is the role of parents or family in influencing their children to engage in sports/ physical activity. In this report, the four individuals interviewed highlighted the importance of family members in their socialization process, and this process led them to engage in physical activities. Family socialization process refers to the methodologies that people learn, and thereafter develop into adulthood possessing the characteristics that they have. For instance, there are high chances that an adult person who is a fan of football engaged in the sport during his or her childhood (Sansone and Harackiewicks, 430). Chances are likely that this engagement was motivated by their parents or family members. This is because as a child, a person requires guidance in all the affairs of their lives; from education, to the sports and recreational life they engage in (Sansone and Harackiewicks, 417). From the findings of the interview, this report proves that parents, through their guidance, play a role in influencing their children on the kind of physical activity they engage in. This report analyzes the

Apple INC Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Apple INC - Term Paper Example Jobs, Apple Inc. has undergone reorganization processes, where the main focus was made on the more profitable competencies. During the next years the company has pursued several acquisitions and expanded its business lines (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 9). Nowadays, Apple Inc. is a well-known and established technology company that offers personal communication devices, accessories, operating system software, application software and related solutions (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). It is a company’s mission actually ‘To create great things that change people’s live’ (Kotler and Kotler, 443). Some of the major products include iPhone, iPod, iPad, the iOS and OS X operating systems, consumer and professional software applications, iCloud, and others (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). In addition to technology products the company sells and provides its services through the App Store, Mac App Store, iTunes Store, and iBooks store (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). The company operates globally, including South and North Americas, Asia Pacific and European regions. In order to sell its products the company uses integrated approach, by utilizing not only retail stores and direct sales force, but also online stores, whole sales, value-added resellers, and third party-cellular network carriers (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 4). The company’s total revenue has grown from FY 2013 to FY 2014 by 7%, generating $182, 795 million. In FY 2014, Apple Inc. has achieved substantial sales growth in Americas, which accounted for more than 40% of the total revenues, while Europe was accounted for 25, 4% (â€Å"Apple Inc.†, 21). More detailed revenue generation breakdown by geographical aspect is presented in Figure 1. Comparing the sales of FY 2014 with the previous FY, it is worth to mention that some products of Apple have shown strong increase (for example, iPhone product line +11,7%, Mac Product line +12,1%, iTunes +12,5%, and accessories +6,8%), while other product lines have shown weakening position

Preludes by T.S Elliot and Vitae Lampada by Sir Henry Newton Essay Example for Free

Preludes by T.S Elliot and Vitae Lampada by Sir Henry Newton Essay Reading both poems for the first time, there seemed to be no distinct or even vague similarities between the two poems, Preludes, by T.S Elliot and Vitae Lampada by Sir Henry Newton. However, after reading each thoroughly a few more times and carefully evaluating them, several key similarities and as always, differences, began to reveal themselves. Both Preludes as well as Vitae Lampada begines with a time introductory statement. Theres a breathless hush in the close tonight. From Vitae Lampada, and The winter evening settles down from Preludes. Both these sentences inform us of the time, a sort of evening, just after dark. The very next sentences from each poem are also similar. Ten to make and a match to win and With smells of steaks in passageways. These sentences are written by the poets to set a scene, as one would set a scene in a drama play, but in poetry, with words. These two sentences give us a strong visual image of what the rest of the poem is about. Ten to make and a match to win is similar to that of a game of cricket, and as in cricket, it gives a certain tension of the stakes, to win the match. Preludes With smells of steaks in passageways gives us a vision of a lonely passageway, with smells of steaks suggests that the person the author is describing could possibly be an outcast of society, wondering around the streets in evening. Vitae Lampada goes further into describing itself. And Its not for the sake of a ribboned coat, or the selfish hope of a seasons fame. -immediately tells us that what they are encountering in their match, what they need to win, is not a one man team, but rather the whole team working as one. Not for personal glory but for much higher stakes, for the entire team. Preludes now introduces a picture of a low, dirty place. The grimy scraps, of withered leaves about your feet. A grimy place, a dirty place, somewhere that is not well maintained, with stray withered leaves across the floor. The next few lines The showers beat on broken blinds and chimney pots. Once again an image of a badly maintained place, with rain beating on broken pots that are left behind. On the whole, a negative image. Vitae Lampada, is also setting in a negative image, an image of lost hope and despair. The sand of the desert is sodden red -Red with the wreck of a square that broke; A square, in this case is referring to a formation of troops. Sir Henry Newbolt is comparing the aspect of war, with a game of cricket and this extended metaphor has worked exceedingly well in managing to contrast and yet bring the two closer together. Sodden red suggests that a great many soldiers have died and their blood spilled across the battlefield. The next two lines, add deeper to the feeling of despair. The gatlings jammed and the colonel dead, And the regiment blind with dust and smoke The soldiers that Sir Henry Newbolt is referring to here is not in a bright situation, with their guns jammed, and their leader (colonel) dead, and the entire regiment of them blind in the dust and smoke, it is indeed apparent that a deep feeling of desolation is introduced. And, as in Preludes, a negative image is painted. Revolving around time appears to be the main theme in Preludes. The start of the second stanza the morning comes to consciousness, lets us know that the morning has come, after the evening in the first stanza. And time is also in the fourth stanza the conscience of a blackened street. could possibly mean after dark. And a few lines before, four and five and six oclock suggests that time is moving quickly. The final stanza of Vitae Lampada uses a few strong words possibly to reinforce its meaning. Every one of her sons must hear, and none that hears it dare forget. Her sons, this of course, means the countrys people and the strong word must hear, hear the patriotism perhaps? And dare forget. dare is a strong word, a threat even. Threatening them to remember their loyalty, and to never forget it. Vitae Lampadas last few lines, bring a sudden contrast, compared to the rest of the poem. The second stanza is an image of despair, but here, the final touch to the sense of patriotism is added. Bear through life like a torch in flame, and falling fling to the host behind. This sentence carries a great deal of meaning to the main theme of the poem. Bear through life like a torch in flame suggests that these troops, instead of hopelessness, now carry a symbol, a beacon of light. The torch, could be as a baton is passed on in a game of relay. As falling fling to the host behind. When a soldier falls in battle, his effort is not lost, not wasted, but instead, passed on to those behind, as they march forward, with the flaming torch. These two poems have indeed, very different ideas and themes, but they both have several things in common. For a start, both Preludes and Vitae Lampada use time description to allow the reader a window in which to see the rest of the poem. Both are describing, metaphorically, aspects of life. And they both, to an extent, use negative images to describe, to paint their visual images to the reader.

Examining Victimology Definitions And Paradigms Criminology Essay

Examining Victimology Definitions And Paradigms Criminology Essay The increased incidences of criminal offences in nations is a global menace which has effect on those subjected to crime and the offenders who engage in crime actions. The act of crime is brought about by breaking the law enforced by the government of nations thus there is violation of rights entitled to individuals and disruptions of well being. Victimology is category within criminology with fields such as juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, assault, murder, rape, robbery and burglary. Any one can become a victim and some are more vulnerable to victimization than others. Victimology is field of study to find facts why people are victimized and criminology is a field of study to find why crime is committed. Both fields are characterized by social, economical and political factors. Victims are blamed by society to be careless and not being able to defend themselves. There is need to understand victimizations and being a victim in order to put the strategies and precautions of being vulnerable to being a victim. Therefore there is need of Victimology as a career field to form Programmes of assisting victims to cope with the situation. Victimology as scientific field of study which focuses on physical, emotional and financial factors that people suffers from hand of criminals and the events leading to victimization, thus victimology entails study of precursors, vulnerabilities, events, impacts, recoveries and response of people, cultures and organization related to victims. The process of victimization from one phase to another is stated below as individuals can be victims of different circumstances in day to day life. Victimization is associated with sufferings, sacrifices and deaths hence victims deserve to be made whole again by restoration of their dignity and self-esteem. Definitions According to Garkawe, S. (2000) Victims are those who experiences assault. Murder, rape, robbery and burglary, loss or hardship subjected to them. The case study from Jailed: A very damaged young man and Tragic past translates to stolen future. Defines victims a: The victimization suggested here shows that individuals become victim of several circumstances caused by themselves or the surroundings. The case explains; Matthew Stuart Pearce (28) became generally victimized by the natural catastrophes which were beyond his control during his childhood. General victimization is whereby a person has suffered physical, financial or emotional damages and had experiences of their property taken, occurrence of terrific events and natural calamities. He subjected himself to juvenile delinquency victimization by becoming own victim through abuse of drugs to evade the harsh circumstances he was going through and associating with people of no help to him. Another form of victimization is child abuse; characterized by sexual harassment, physical, emotional and psychological injury. This is further caused by neglect by parents, guardian and care takers. Matthew was abused by his the parent who adopt him. Victim trauma is a result of painful and physical experienced which has a long life effect on person life. The death of mother and siblings through murder exposed him to traumatic occurrences which had high risk in harming emotional stability. Concept of Conservative Victimology S. Garkawe (2000) Statement suggests that Restoration of Justice is a systematic formal legal response to crime victimization that emphasizes on healing the injuries that resulted from the crime that had effect on victims offended, offenders and communities. This process is a derived from the traditional form of justice dealing with criminals and victims which traditionally have generally perpetuated the conflict which resulted in the original crime. It is supported by law and advocates order, this encourages offenders responsibility, involving victims in system of justice thus cutting down the government expenses. This is limited to petty offences in which the proceedings from criminal court do not result to imprisonment. Conservative nature has great effect on criminal justice policy. Suggestions for change and interventions in criminal justice is in favour of crime victims which is dominated by law and order with objective of lowering criminal victimization by emphasizing lawful and orderly society. The failure to rehabilitate and reform the policies leads to decline of support of criminal support. These increase police power and resources; they also have great influence in favour of conservative governments. They invoke victims in order to bargain for more powers and resources though penal policy is dictated to protected the community. His statement also depicts that there is believe of an individual to take responsibility. Social factors are considered not important to criminals; offenders take all blame of crime acts. Individuals are perceived to take initiative in prevention, avoidance, resistance and recovery from victimization. This is important when crime rates are predicted to have fallen down. Traditionalists emphasizes on self- reliance concept by putting stress on victims and society oriented crime prevention measures, they believe criminal acts are beyond government powers hence it is responsibility of individuals, families, institutions and religions to reduce crime. Specific victim policies as suggested by law and order are limited to personal crimes of violence against property mainly by strangers resulting from assaults, murders, rape, robbery and burglary. These instill fear of crime and useful to law and order lawyers by playing with emotions of public. Victims are perceived to be virtuous while offenders are evil doers; the advocates take advantage by appealing to emotions of public. This is more so relevant to conservative supporters specifically the advocates of victims who understand the system well making the victims statement most effective thus empowering the victims by enhancing the prosecutions successful with strong penalties achieved by spending minimum cost of government resources. This is main goal of lawyers compared to more elaborate measures to better treatment of victims within criminal justice system. Other factors associated with conservations are government initiative of compensating victims, which is viewed with ambivale nces by advocates of law and order, many will not want government to get involved in funding but prefers settlement be done by offenders. Some conservative jurisdiction governments have significantly lowered the pay for victims compensation. Restitution order is part of conservation in favour of victims of part of offenders criminal sanction. Law enforcers are in agreement that should be encouraged to save governments cost for victims compensation to enhance that offenders are accountable. Victim support services are encouraged to enhance successful prosecution so long as government expenditures not involved. Mediation between Offenders and Victims this is a formal meeting between the offenders and victim in presence of mediator to dialogue in order to find solution of the offence. This is done with aim of reconciliation by creating a mutual acceptance plan to repair harms and damages that occurred during crime offences to eliminate conflicts between the parties involved in disagreements as stated by John P. J. Dussich. Concept of Critical and Radical in Victimology It is viewed differently from conservative victimology; it is an outcome of unequal social factors like unemployment, poverty, patriarch and racism causing crimes. The need for great resources to be devoted to law enforcers agencies and prisons are agents of social control. Some suggests to be terminated where as others want to be replaced with informal justice system and that society should take responsibility for crime as a whole but not individuals. It is asserted to be no division between victims and offenders, all groups of people in society are victims. Victim compensation expands social control by insistence that victims reported the matter to police reinforced by restricted eligibility. State sponsored victims programmes are agents of supporting social control with major guiding influence not being compassionate for victims, programmes are predicated on needs of prosecution. It is opposed that crime victims having formal rights in criminal justice system and concept of victim participation in proceeding includes the effects of victims statement. Involvement of victims in justice system aids government in conviction of defendants and advocates higher penalties increasing likelihood of incarceration hence increase of social control. Restitution order against offenders is often unrealistic and lengthens offenders involvement with criminal justice in case of serious crimes; it seems genuine alternative and paradigm shift away from existing retributive criminal justice system. The concept supports mediation as explained by S. Garkawe (2000). Thus the radical paradigm concludes that crime is seen as significant problem affecting people lives, reality in crime should be analyzed beyond immediate appearance and crime control must be taken seriously. Circumstances of offenders and victims should be put into considerations when making decisions of criminal policies and the crime must be tackled by been keen with present situations in the society. Criminal justice system, prisons department and police force should not be terminated but reforms be made to put social control in place. Conclusion The laws should include services of victims, restitution from offenders, information about criminal justice system and right to formal participation of criminal justice process. The field of victimology should have professionals people with specialized training in dealing with criminal acts, offences, and victims well being to help victims to fully recover. Formal victim assistance programmes should be established by social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors to help in counseling the victims.

Marketing Mix And Promotion Mix

Marketing Mix And Promotion Mix Ethics have been an important aspect of business activities across the world for a long time. Ethical considerations are always in inseparable elements of business activities, thus advertising cannot be ignored. So we can say that ethics play quite an important role in advertising. Some of the ethics in advertising are: There should be no offence to the generally accepted norms of decency. Claims and representations should be true and honest. There should not be careless use of advertising products which are harmful either to individuals or society. The principle of fair competition should be respected in case of comparative advertising. The dignity of the human person should be maintained. Manipulative techniques should not be used, that means those techniques that play on a customer emotions etc. Ethical considerations are different from legal considerations. Legal considerations are enforced by law, but in case of ethical considerations they can or cannot be enforced by law. Ethical consideration have more to do with responsibility of a person towards the society, while legal considerations are something that has been written, approved and then enforced by the Government. Different companies have different ethical considerations towards a particular product or services, but legal considerations will always remain same as the opposite will be against the law. If we take the case of cigarette advertisement, the writing which says that cigarette is injurious to health is legal consideration; they cannot sell it without that phrase. The non use of vulgarity or obscenity can be seen as an ethical consideration more than a legal consideration. Communication is quite important in business. Ineffective communication causes a huge amount of damage to the company. There are a lot of barriers to communication, which stops the message being transferred. So to ensure that the messages are not impeded barriers to communication should be taken to consideration. So barriers to marketing communication campaign are: Variation in tone or style: If the marketing communication being informal or friendly or if the letters written in the message is threatening, can be a barrier to marketing communication. Noise: Noise can be a barrier as it can cause disturbance and may lead to confusion. For example when talking to a customer faults in telephone line causing some noises could cause disturbances. Differing perceptions: We know that each person is different, so people can take things differently, so a message should always be loud and clear. For example let us consider the advertisement of green tea, if the message that it is green tea is not mentioned loud and clear people could think it as normal tea. Language: Most misunderstandings can happen due to the difference in spoken interpretation. As we know language is most important for communication. For example the usage of jargon can often distort a message, it is not necessary everyone understands it. Lengthy message: If the messages are long people may tend to not to read or hear it fully and the message may not be conveyed in the right way. For example the TV advertisements are mostly about 30 seconds to 45 seconds, if it is more than that most people tend to get annoyed and would not listen to carefully. Prejudices: Some people tend to hear what they tend to hear but not what is said, so it may create false assumptions. Overload: Too much information in the messages can cause problems and the targeted audience may get confused. For example the TV ads regarding toothpastes in which it says the ingredients of the toothpaste, if the names of all ingredients are said people would get confused. Inconsistency: If the messages received are conflicting or inconsistent people tends to ignore them. For example the ad regarding soap, in the ad the company claims some effects of the soap and if anyone who had used it before never got the result would tend to believe the message is false. Channel barrier: If the channel used to send the message is not proper the message may not be received. For example the advertisement have video scenes can only be communicated via TV or internet but not through newspaper. Physical distractions: For example if the message is communicated through E-mail and there are spelling or grammar mistakes, the person who receives it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be able to concentrate on the message. Electronic Medias have always played an important role in communication. The evolutions of technology have made communication far easier. The electronic media includes Television, Radio, Telephone, Computers, Internet, Fax, DVD, CD-ROMs etc. As we know there are advantages and disadvantages for everything. The advantages of electronic media in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s communication campaign are: Messages can be communicated quickly. For example an E-mail can be sent quickly to people. Messages can be communicated at a time to a large number of people. For example an ad on television is seen by a lot of people at the same time. Distance is no longer a problem. For example a message can be communicated to a person at a far distance through telephone, e-mail etc. Audio, video and text can be used in the same medium. For example take the case of advertisements on television, in an ad there is video, audio and also text. It can be recorded and can be stored for future use. For example a message can be stored DVDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and can be used for future use. Powerful impact on people. For example an advertisement on television can have a lasting and powerful impact on people. The disadvantages of electronic media in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s communication campaign are: They are less intimate. For example an e-mail message is not as close as communicating directly. The mechanism of feedback is slow. For example the response to a television advertisement cannot be known quickly. The medium is expensive. For example a computer is expensive to buy. To make programmes special trainings are required. For example trained people are required for the making of an advertisement which is aired on television. In rural areas the access is limited. For example in many rural areas in many countries the internet is not available so e-mails cannot be used as a medium of communication. They are not permanent. For example and advertisement cannot be aired permanently, they will be taken off air after a considerable time. 6. Marketing Communication objectives are derived from marketing objectives. The main objectives of marketing and marketing communication objectives are to increase brand awareness, increase sales, encourage action from the targeted audience, improve customer relations, establish themselves in the industry etc.

The Old Man And The Sea :: essays research papers

The Nobelprize winning book: The old man and the sea, has been written by Ernest Hemingway and was published in 1982, though the original American print had been published in 1952. The title is exactly what the book is about. It is a short story. The story is written in one continuous whole and is written from the view of the writer, it is very realistic. The description of the setting are the dominating factor in this book. The author spends a lot of time, for describing the sea, and what takes place. There are a lot of dialogues in the book. Example:"Who gave this to you""Martin. The owner""I must thank him""I thanked him already," the boy said."You don't need to thank him.""I'll give him the belly meat of a big fish," the old man said. "Has he done this for us more than once?""I think so""I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us."The next fragment I find really representative for the whole book, because it is a fragment in which the old man is talking to himself, like he does all the time, and he is saying how great the fish is, which he does quite a few times too."He is a great fish and I must convince him, hethought. I must never let him learn his strengthnor what he could do if he made his run. If I werehim I would put in everything now and go untilsomething broke. But, thank God, they are not asintelligent as who kill them; although they aremore noble and more able."The book is about an old man, who goes out fishing (his profession, not as a sport) one day. He decides to go really far out, before the sun comes up. Then one of his lines goes under, and he hooks the fish. But the fish is so strong, that he can't pull him up. The old man thinks that if he lets the fish pull his boat, a sailing-boat the size of a rowing-boat, the fish will go out of strength and die soon.But it's a very very strong fish and he keeps pulling for a day and a half. Then the fish gets out of strength and starts circling around the boat, a sign of tiredness. But when the fish is close to the boat the old man sees how big he really is, he thinks he is about 1500 pounds.

Presentation Methods :: essays research papers

There are many different ways to train. Indeed, entire books have been written on the ways to deliver training. How can a manager charged with training his or her employees choose an appropriate method? This article defines some of the most common training methods and reviews pros and cons for each one. The method by which training is delivered often varies based on the needs of the company, the trainee, and on the task being performed. The method should suit the audience, the content, the business ¡Ã‚ ¦ environment, and the learning objective. Ideally, the method chosen will motivate employees to learn, help employees prepare themselves for learning, enable the trainees to apply and practice what they've been taught, help trainees retain and transfer what they have learned, and integrate performance with other skills and knowledge. Other factors affecting the choice of a training method include: -Age, gender, or level of education of the trainees -Learning styles of the trainees -Number of trainees -Budget -Trainer's skills and training style Common group training methods include: Lecture A lecture is the method learners often most commonly associate with college and secondary education. Yet, it is also considered one of the least effective methods to use for adult learners. In this method, one person (the trainer) does all of the talking. He or she may use handouts, visual aids, question/answer, or posters to support the lecture. Communication is primarily one-way: from the instructor to the learner. Pros: Less time is needed for the trainer to prepare than other methods. It provides a lot of information quickly when it is less important that the trainees retain a lot of details. Cons: Does not actively involve trainees in training process. The trainees forget much information if it is presented only orally. Demonstration Demonstration is very effective for basic skills training. The trainer shows trainees how to do something. The trainer may provide an opportunity for trainees to perform the task being demonstrated. Pros: This method emphasizes the trainee involvement. It engages several senses: seeing, hearing, feeling, touching. Cons: It requires a great deal of trainer preparation and planning. There also needs to be an adequate space for the training to take place. If the trainer is not skilled in the task being taught, poor work habits can be learned by the trainee. Seminar Seminars often combine several group methods: lectures, discussions, conferences, demonstrations.

Cell Phones – Boon or Bane

Is a knife useful instrument or a perilous weapon? It depends on how it is used. Same implies with the case of technology. The greatest invention are those which affect the mass of people; and of those greatest invention is cell phones . It would be very ungrateful on our parts not to recognise how imperative are they to us. Cell phones have revolutionised the human existence . This is possible only because they are getting cheaper and cheaper day by day. Discounted cell phones accessories have made it even easier to keep the phone intact and give it a longer life. Undoubtedly , if cell phones are in right hands ,then they are a marvel ! Firstly they are proved to be a gratuity on the account of uniting not only the country but the entire planet as a â€Å"global village†. No matter how far we are sitting we can gossip anytime anywhere! In fact it’s bliss to the parents as well as children . Parents can every time monitor their children and children are also safe. If anyone is in any kind of danger s/he can call for help immediately . It arrests mishaps. The delight of watching favourite tv shows, songs, etc is unmatched; as now cell phones are embedded with all high tech features. Also discounted cell phone accessories have added cherry on the top. Accessories such as wireless Bluetooth handset (can be used to talk without even locating the cell phone ) , cases and pouches (keeping the phone intact and out of harm's way ) , charger ,adapter battery covers ,screen protectors are so easily available that they help people to uphold their cell phone with an ease. There are always two sides of a coin . The Time creation aspect of technology has posed a peril which we keep ignoring . The cell phones have progressed rapidly at the rate of knots. Also at the same time they have provide us with a cushion to challenge more task than what we would have attempted if cell phones would have gone on a French leave! This invites element of multitasking. This deprives a person of enjoying his own hard earned money! Also when a person is multitasking rather than completing a single task he merely juggles between a huge number of tasks. This causes burden and hence results in Stress . Stress is a bane to the modern era. Due to our ill capacities of not understanding the correct usuage of resource, our life has turned into a Frankenstein’s movie! Also cell phones have made terrorist attacks in the world very easy. This has become a global matter of concern . Not going far beyond and viewing things aerially and focusing solely on our lives children are growing in precocious manner ,which is again a big matter of concern for parents . Also discounted cell phone accessories have made it easier for children to buy them and keep them unnoticed! They burn their time to ashes by playing games on it, listening songs etc. Instead of going out and playing, they stick to their easy chairs or couches and play games on their phones , which turns their reflexes into slow responses! We have heard of batteries blasting when they were put to charging. This is again on the account of using discounted cell phone accessories . The retailers replace the original piece with duplicate ones, to which customers are totally unaware of. Over utilisation of any resource is harmful . Now mobile phones have interweaved into our lives so much ,that some have started considering it as an inevitable part of their lives. They are addicted to it like a drug addict is addicted to drugs and some have gone even worse! This has consequently given rise to new phobias! Such as Nomophobia (the fear of being out of cell phone) ,Phantom ring (imagining call phone to be ringing when it is actually not) , Human antenna (holding phone high up in the air so that it can catch signal! )and so on. Not only this usage ,of cell phones driving have contributed 10% to the road accidents. We should always remember , that there lives a wise man between the valley of two mountains. Plain and pleasure are a result of modern technology . Usage of cell phones as a boon or a bane ; the answer lies in our hands!

Gender Roles in United States Essay

Gender role can be defined as number of professed personality trait and manners observed by males or females in a given society.   Different culture imposes a different set of expectations on men and women (faqs, n.d). Every culture has a different number of norms that they use to differentiate a perfect male or female with an imperfect one. Who sets these gender roles? What if one is unable to be the perfect male / female? Is it right to restrict people to grow out of the perceived roles into something that is entirely opposite? Why is it assumed that a female will stay home to cook and clean while a man will be the sole bread earner of the house? An extensive debate has been going on for years regarding this topic. Looking around us a commercial selling razor blade will show a man who is rugged and well built and in a shampoo commercial will have a female who couldn’t be any prettier yet she still does the normal things in life. A magazine will always cover a top model and not a housewife. Why does media always shows beautiful, perfect physique females and tall, handsome men, be it an advertisement of food product or a house or any cars? Though over the years, people are being acceptable towards deviation in gender roles. Men and women are working together to understand and adjust to the shift occurring in gender roles Women work hand in hand with men to support living, media shows program covering normal people from the streets and both genders of a family are involved in taking major decisions. This change will defiantly result in better environment at workplaces, better atmosphere at homes, better standards of living for the young generation and an air of equality will amongst the upcoming generation. References Faqs. â€Å"Gender Roles† (Internet), www.faqs.org (Accessed on January 11, 2009)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/8/Gender-roles.html

Physical Restraints on Dementia Patients Essay

Introduction A patient’s safety is one of a nurse’s primary concerns. It has become a big issue focused on by the general public and policy-makers after medical errors have been increasingly publicized and more hospital-related injuries are reported (Stanford University, 2001). The International Council of Nurses define a nurse’s role as someone who can work on his own and/or in a team to care for people of all age groups, their families, social groups, and communities, whether well or unwell, and in different settings. Nurses promote health, prevent illness, and look after the sick, disabled and the dying. Furthermore, they advocate for a safe environment, participate in research and moulding new policies to better the health care system. (International Council of Nurses, 2010). But what happens if a nurse has to decide between a patient’s safety and upholding that patient’s right to freedom, dignity, and respect? For this assignment, the researcher wishes to take a closer look on physical restraint use in the elderly, specifically on dementia patients and why nurses find the need to use restraints important despite the drive of facilities and hospitals to eradicate or lessen their use. With the decrease in cognitive capability in some of the elderly patients, how comfortable are nurses in putting them on restraints? Do they find these patients are ripped off of their independence? If restraints are not to be used, then what alternatives are nurses left with? These are some of the questions the researcher aims to answer through a review of current literature on the topic. Background Old age brings about numerous problems including physical, emotional, and functional disorders. (Butler & Lewis, 2003). Storrs (2008) describes old age as a biological change which causes diminishing powers of adjustment. This is evident when we see patients unable to cope with their surroundings. Some common physical changes in old age include decrease in cardiac output, increase in blood pressure, impairment of gas exchange, elevation of blood glucose, decline in lean body mass, and loss of muscle mass which makes an elderly person’s locomotion difficult (Boss &  Seegmiller, 2001). Not only do changes occur physically, but the elderly also experience various mental alterations. Mental changes may occur following normal aging, medication side effects, and natural functional loss. (Woodward, 2004). Common mental impairments associated with old age include decline in memory retention, depression, and increased anxiety. (Woodward, 2004). Physical and mental changes in older adults make them vulnerable to accidents, often ending with them hurting themselves. This is more so if the patients suffer from Dementia. Although not a normal part of ageing, Dementia is a common disease in people over 65 years of age. (Ministry of Health, 2013). Dementia is a term used to describe decrease of brain function resulting in memory loss, poor communication skills, absence of reasoning, and inability to perform activities of daily living. (Bupa, 2010). It causes patients to be forgetful and confused, with little or no regard to hazards around them. Confusion, lack of insight, and impulsiveness can result to a display of behavioural problems, thereby making patients with Dementia prone to accidents and injuries (Ministry of Health, 2013). A study by Cunningham (2006) investigates why institutionalised Dementia patients tend to be more â€Å"disruptive†. He states that an unfamiliar setting combined with memory problems can be a scary situation for Dementia patients and they react to how they see fit. Adding to this, hospital routines may be misinterpreted which can lead to behaviours that are challenging. (Cunningham, 2006) However, there is a strong suggestion that nurses must try to understand the meaning behind challenging behaviours, and seek ways to inculcate familiarity and lessen distress amongst Dementia patients. (Cunningham, 2006). The numerous mental, physical, and emotional problems of patients with Dementia leave nursing staff to assist and supervise these patients in most of their activities (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). It is therefore vital that nurses take extra precautions when looking after patients with Dementia to prevent them from doing things that may hurt them or the people around them. Because of the continuous demands to keep patients safe while allowing time to perform daily tasks, some nurses are forced to involve coercion in the form of physical restraints. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). A physical restraint is any mechanical or physical means or equipment attached to a person, which restricts movement, mobility, or access to a one’s body. (Health Care Financing Administration,  2000). It may include, but is not limited to, anklets, vest, straight jacket, and lap belts. A device may be considered as a restraint depending on its effect on a person. For example, a sheet may not be a restraint when used as a blanket; however, tucking the sides under the mattress and restricting the person from getting out of bed makes it a restraint. A geri-chair or a tray table are ordinarily not restraints but if they are used to stop a person from getting up, then it becomes one. (Health Care Financing Administration, 2000) Physical restraints are not medical interventions, and its application can be based upon a caregiver’s decision. The Nursing Interventions Classification define physically restraining a patient as putting on, taking off, or causing a device to limit his mobility (Sullivan-Marx, 1996). Account of current practice Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function which is more than what is expected to occur as a person advances in age. It is a non-specific disease which affects brain function, memory, communication skills, problem solving, and attention. (Nordqvist, 2009). In New Zealand, it is estimated that 60% of residents in care homes are diagnosed with moderate to severe Dementia, and every year an additional 250 beds are allocated for new admissions with the same diagnosis. (Bupa, 2010). An article in The New Zealand Herald reveals that 50,000 people in New Zealand are now living with Dementia, and the number could triple by 2050 (The New Zealand Herald, 2013). However, with the increase in dependency in aged care, there is an alarming decrease in the number of qualified staff willing and able to care for these patients (New Zealand Labour, 2010). Because Dementia patients are unable to reason and decide for themselves, their welfare is almost always left in the hands of the nurses looking after them. But with the complex patients that are handled by nurses daily, it is common for staff to use physical restraints on patients to get them to do what the nurses expect them to do, within the time frame they are expected to be done. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). But nurses are not just to restrain patients. As professionals governed by a specific body, nurses’ use of restraints is to be limited. In 18 July 2005,  a policy was released by the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) Restraint Approval and Monitoring Group stating that all care facilities and acute hospitals in the region are to limit restraint use on patients. (Restraint Approval & Monitoring Group) In the United States, 7%-10% of Dementia patients are at one point restrained during hospitalisation, with 8% actually being tied down (McHutchion & Morse, 1998). These numbers were gathered 11 years after strengthening of the Residents’ Bill of Rights in the USA which included the patients’ Right to freedom from physical restraints. (Klauber & Wright, 2001) In New Zealand, 3.4%-21% of acutely ill patients were restrained during hospitalisation, with the restraint duration of 2.7 -4.5 days. It is quite different from the number of cases of restraint use in residential care. It was reported that 12%- 47% of patients were restrained in care facilities, with 32% of them restrained no less than 20 days a month. There is a wide range of duration of restraint use from a day to 350 days in a year. (JBI, 2002) These numbers paved way for more researchers to look into the finding ways to effectively lessen restraint use. However, most studies still show that nurses are resistant to the idea of totally removing restraints as an option. Review Aim The rate of prevalence of Dementia cases, the decline in the number of qualified staff to look after them, and the rampant use of physical restraints on these patients are all very alarming. Even with policies in place to limit restraint use, nurses seem to still use physical restraints on patients. Basically, this review will circle around how much knowledge nurses have about physically restraining dementia patients. This review aims to discover nurses’ understanding of restraint use and unmask the reasons behind their choice to use physical restraint on Dementia patients. It aims to discover any restraint policy on restraint use in Dementia patients. It will compare data amongst available literature on nurses’ perception of physical restraints and their take on the drive for minimisation of its use. The effects of physical restraint on patients will also be uncovered as articles are subjected to analysis. Literature will also be analysed for any suggestions on how to totally eradicate or avoid restraint use. A study by the Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services reveal that within the last decade, there has been a constant decrease in the number of physical  restraint use in care homes. From 1999, 21.1% of care facilities would physically restrain elderly patients. However, in 2007, the report states that less than 5% support restraints use. (Center for Medicaid and State Operations/Survey and Certification Group, 2008) The researcher aims to draw out a conclusion on the reason behind this change and discover why despite the constant drive of administrative bodies to minimise restraint use, nurses still apply physical restraints on the elderly patients. Search Strategy Search engines like the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and Medline were utilised to find significant articles in relation to the review aim. Key words ‘physical restraint’, ‘dementia’, ‘long term care’, ‘nurse’ ‘attitude’ and ‘behaviour’ were used. Google and Yahoo search engines, and the New Zealand Nursing magazine Kai Tiaki, were also used to find related studies. After reading the found articles, the researcher finalised the most relative articles based on search criteria set out. The search criteria included full reports, quantitative or qualitative studies, and literature reviews. The articles have to be in English, published from 2000 to present, can be accessed fully, participated on by nurses, and limited on physical restraints used on Dementia patients. Because of the limitation in results, the researcher broadened the search and included studies done in acute settings, as long as the patient in restraint has a diagnosis of dementia. After further deliberation, 7 journal articles were chosen for the review. Critical analysis of the literature Three themes were drawn from the literatures chosen. These themes are a) factors that affect a nurse’s decision to use restraints b) why restraints are used and c) effects of restraints on dementia patients. a. Nurse Education influences decision-making The studies revealed that the nurse’s level of knowledge about restraints dictates their decision on whether to use restraints or not. According to the study by Yamamoto et al (2009), a nurse must have either a positive cognition or a negative cognition about restraints to consider its use or  choose not to act on a situation. Nurses also have to analyse the situation and decide on how to cope. Their coping dictates their decision-making. (Yamamoto & Aso, 2009) For this study, the authors surveyed 272 nurses in general wards in Japan using a questionnaire involving the ethical dilemma of using restraints. This study wanted to elaborate on how nurses make up a decision of restraining a patient based on how well they cope with difficult or challenging patients. Another study by Weiner et al (2003), states that a nurse has to have knowledge on patient’s rights, code of ethics, and restraint guidelines for them to decide on restraint use. The study further shows that restraint application can be viewed beneficial either to the patient, the nurse, or the institution. Comparing nurses in acute settings to those in care homes, it was found that the latter are less likely to agree to the use of restraints. This may be because most nurses working in care facilities have more knowledge about their facilities’ restraint guidelines. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003) Unlike other researchers, this study involves the institution and gives light to how big a role it plays in how a nurse decides about restraints. Testad et al (2005) performed a randomised single-blind controlled trial in four nursing homes in Norway. In their study, they conducted seminars and guidance sessions over six months for nurses working in care facilities. There was a documented decline of 54% inrestraint use after the educational programmes were concluded. (Testad, Aarsland,, & Aarsland, 2005) b. Reasons for Restraint Use Though nurses are trying to keep patients safe by applying physical restraints, these restraints are more harmful. Scherder et al (2010) view restraint use as detrimental to a dementia patient’s cognition and physical activity. They emphasize that using physical restraints on dementia patients causes more harm than good. Keeping dementia patients on restraints reduce physical mobility, increase patient’s stress, and even accelerate incontinence. (Scherder, Bogen, Eggermont, Hamers, & Swaab, 2010) A study in Israel by Natan et al (2010) 120 nurses were used as samples. 67.2% of these nurses admitted to having had restrained a patient over the past year. Some decision-making factors that nurses point at are subjective norms, the resident’s physical state, and the nurse’s own stress level. Nurses turn to restraints when a patient becomes increasingly difficult to manage and starts to prevent treatments such as intravenous infusions, catheter or tube insertions. (Natan, Akrish, Zaltkina, & Noy, 2010) Cotter states there is a greater likelihood for restraints to be put on dementia patients because they pose the most threat to fall, hurt themselves or hurt others. (Cotter, 2005) â€Å"In moderate to severe dementia, the risk for falls is greater because of gait apraxia and unsteadiness. Agitation, disorientation, and pacing behaviours from delirium and dementia can precipitate staff to use restraints.† (Cotter, 2005) c. Effects of Restraints on Patients One common denominator amongst the literatures in the review is the concern for the dementia patients on restraints. Some of the listed effects of physical restraints mentioned in these articles include function decline, pressure sores, incontinence, and increased agitation. Cotter referred to dementia patients as most prone for restraint application because of their increased confusion, wandering, poor memory, poor judgement and distraught perception. (Cotter, 2005) Wang (2005) states that there is no scientific evidence that states physical restraints protect patients. Though nurses believe that restraints can keep patients safe, it may be contrary to the fact. (Wang & Moyle, 2005). Accidents like asphyxiation when patients are caught between their restraints, and falls from when they try to climb out of bed rails have been documented. Another reason that restraints are not so good to use is because patients get fatigued from struggling when in restraints and then become unsteady once they get off the restraint. (Cotter, 2005) Restraints also leave a very negative experience on the patient. Dementia patients respond with anger, resistance, fear, and humiliation. The following is statement made by a patient after being restrained: (Strumpf & Evans, 1998) â€Å"I felt like a dog and cried all night. It hurt me to have to be tied up†¦the hospital is worse than a jail† Discussion Recently not a lot of studies have been made on the use of restraint on dementia patients. Most articles are outdated and not applicable anymore. With the mushrooming of nursing care homes and the booming industry of  nursing facilities, researches should be made on how nurses feel about eradicating or lessening restraint use. The locale of these studies is also not very diverse. More studies should be conducted in various settings and environments. A patient in acute care may have a different set of concerns compared to patients in long term care facilities. A thorough analysis of why patients would need restraints in respect with the different settings they are in would have been beneficial. Like knowledge, cultural beliefs may impact on a person’s decision. A study by Hamers et al (2009) used cross-sectional method to find out about reasons, consequences, and appropriateness of restraint use as seen by nurses from different parts of the world. They discovered that some degree of cultural differences determine these nurses’ ideas towards restraint use. (Hamers, Meyer, Kopke, Lindenmann, & Groven, 2009). Conducting studies in a more global approach can draw out an idea of why some nurses prefer physically restraining patients while others don’t. The studies show a decline in restraint use after education sessions were presented to nurses. They occur at short term, all within a 6-month period which may influence the outcome of the study. The lectures may have influenced the participants’ attitude towards restraint use because they were recent, and not because they were meaningful to their practice. The studies in the review indicate that nursing education plays a very important role in influencing nurses’ decision on using restraints. A nurse has to be presented the rationale, risks, and alternatives to restraint use for them to be able to make a decision. The Hawthorne Effect may play a part in the studies conducted. The term Hawthorne Effect was coined Henry Landsberger in 1953 to refer to participants altering their answers because of the knowledge that they are being observed. (Sonnenfeld, 1985). The nurse-participants may have opted not to restrain patients at the time the research was being conducted because of fear of being judged for their decisions. Another grey area not thoroughly discussed in the literatures reviewed is the influence of policies set out by governing bodies or administration on nurses’ decision making. It was briefly mentioned in the study by Weiner (2003) but never really elaborated on. The study stated that the institution is taken into consideration when nurses decide on restraint use. Nurses view the institution as one that benefits if restraints are used. (Weiner, Tabak,  & Bergman, 2003) A comparison of institution policies should have been made. These institution policies on restraint use differ in most care facilities and comparisons of how well nurses are in following them can draw a different angle on the situation of physically restraining patients. Also, the effectiveness of these policies should be evaluated to allow for their improvement. The studies also focused on reasons why patients are put on restraint. Not very well discussed was what happens with the nurse before he/she decides to use the restraint. The studies in the review failed to look at the situation from a nurse’s perspective. The clear message of the literatures reviewed is that restraints can and must be avoided in patients with Dementia. No scientific evidence shows that restraints promote safety for these patients. On the contrary, more studies show detrimental effects of restraint application. Personal review and implications for nursing practice The results of the studies reviewed all indicate that there is a need to highlight lack of education amongst nurses regarding restraint use. Because knowledge and sense of accountability play major roles in restraint application, keeping nurses updated with trends and new policies should be prioritised. Even with reports of decrease in restraint use, a number of incidents involving misuse of restraints are still rising. One in particular is the incident last September 2010 involving a known nursing care facility wherein it was proven that an 85-year old patient has been wrongly restrained on numerous occasions. The patient’s wife has been repeatedly objecting restraint use but the hospital did not oblige. The staff reasoned that the patient had a high falls risk, and high levels of agitation, aggressiveness and restlessness. The cause of the breach was said to be due to systemic failure (Otago Daily Times, 2013). This shows that though policies may be put in place, it is not an assurance that they are being followed. A closer look at the effectiveness of these policies and their appropriateness to the setting has to be taken into consideration. Currently the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has a restraint minimisation and safe practice guideline in place. This supports their aim to reduce restraint use and treat restraints as a last resort to protect patients from harm. Nurses can be directed with the guidelines to ensure  safe practice. (Canterbury District Health Board, 2012) As mentioned earlier, a nurse’s perspective is often looked past. A study by Lai (2007) indicate that at times nurses feel that when it comes to issues on restraints, their â€Å"inadequacy and inaccurate knowledge† have always been magnified but rarely is the pressure to â€Å"do what is right† in d ifficult situations brought up. According to the study, nurses still use restraints despite ambivalence because of fear of responsibility. A patient may fall and break his hip because he was not restrained despite poor mobility. Another reason nurses tend to use restraints is because of lack of support from management. As the nurses reported, even if they do their best, issues on short-staffing can still push them to use restraints as an aide to keep patients safe. (Lai, 2007) Another reason mentioned by Lai (2007) in her study is the constant pressure that nurses feel from management. Often it is the culture of the unit that dictates a nurse’s willingness to restrain a patient. A ward that strives to keep fall incidents at a low would be happy to apply physical restraints on patients to achieve that goal. Conclusion The researcher observes a strong connection between how a nurse views a situation and the options he has on how to act upon that situation. These nurses must be given the opportunity to learn and relearn restraints to help them make valid and safe decisions for their patients. Without available options in place of restraint use, nurses will continue to utilise physical restraints because of the pressures they have to face with regards to the patients’ needs. A discussion of available options in place of restraint application is needed to allow for a more acceptable choice. Accountability of outcomes because of failed actions, like not applying a restraint, appears to be greater than putting a restraint on a patient. A dementia patient is still a human being entitled to his rights of freedom and dignity, and nurses have to weigh this with the notion that these patients may also be challenging. It is therefore necessary to refer to available guidelines to assist nurses in making a decision with regards to patients care. Also, keeping updated with trends in patient care may help nurses make informed decisions. Restraint use can easily become a norm when nurses feel it has been a common occurrence in a unit. All decisions have to be weighed in and thought of properly, exerting all other possible  interventions before restraints are utilised. A restraint-free environment is far from being realised when nurses, families and administration still regard it as a solution and not a problem. With that said, nurses should not be viewed as the culprits in restrai nt application. Instead, nurses should be part of the solution.