My Riding Trip in the Mountains

My Riding Trip in the Mountains One day in April I was playing games in my room and my dad asks me if I want to go to the mountains to ride four wheelers and dirt bikes, and I said yes. So me and my dad walked up to the garage and put the trailer on the truck. The next day was Thursday and I had to load everything on to the trailer and into the truck. The first thing I had to load up was the clothes, sheets, blankets, tooth brushes, tooth paste, and a couple towels. Then I had to load up the two four wheelers and 3 dirt bikes that we brought. The first four wheeler I had to load up, I had to put in the back of the truck. So I went down to the first garage and got the four wheeler and brought it up to the trailer. Then I went in to the first garage and got the little yellow ramp sand put them in the back of the trailer. Then I got the big wooden ramps and set them up to where I could ride the four wheeler up on to the trailer. Then I rode the four wheeler up onto the trailer to the beginning of the yellow ramps. I got off to get the big ramps and set them up so that I could ride the four wheeler from the trailer to the truck. Then I rode the four wheeler up the ramps and into the truck. The next thing I loaded up was the other four wheeler. So I rode it up the ramps and into the trailer and twisted it side ways. After that I loaded up the yz 125 and twisted it side ways and did the same for the other two dirt bikes. I put the gate on the trailer, loaded up the gas cans, two cycle oil and oil and we were ready to begin our 3 hour ride to the mountains. At about 5:00 we began our journey to the mountains and it was a long boring ride. We arrived at the lodge around 8:30 because of traffic. When we got there we dot our blankets and clothes and went inside for the night. When we got in we each picked a room and put our stuff in it and went back into the living room and watched T. V. As about an hour passed we all went in our rooms and went to bed so we could go riding the next morning. The next morning some unexpected people came to the lodge. There names were brad and jess, and they had four wheelers in the back of their truck. Bra and jess unloaded their four wheelers while we unloaded ours then we went riding. We rode for hours, we went to a bunch of hill climbs, and we crossed a creek twice. We rode 20 miles away from the lodge into Orvinston where we got caught in a parade. So we started to head back towards the lodge and came to the first creek crossing. Brad went first, jess went next, and my dad went third, and I went after my dad but I laid my dirt bike over in the creek because I hit a big slippery rock. Luckily we had a tow rope in the four wheeler. I tied one en of the rope to the rack of brads four wheeler and the other end to my handle bars of my dirt bike and we tried to pop start it. The first couple of times it didn’t work but the fifth time it did so I untied the rope and ran all of the water out of the air box. I noticed that the whole crew was following behind mend then I came to the second creek crossing. I was scarred to go across at first but I did any way and every one followed behind me. I ended up leading the way back to the way back to the lodge, where we ate lunch and rested for about an hour. At about 2:00 that day we back out for another ride. We went up a couple of hill climbs and rode a lot of roads to get to a big mud pit. I rode through it a couple of times on a little four wheeler and got cocky. Bra asked me if I wanted to try his 600 grizzly and I did I planed across it twice and then brad yelled hit it with the throttle pinned, and I did just that. The next thing I knew the four wheeler flipped heals over head and landed on top of me. My helmet flew off and I instantly pushed the four wheeler of me with my feet. I was knocked out for a few seconds and I woke up under water. I managed to get my self up on to my feet and all that I saw was brad running through the water to see if I was ok. The four wheeler was lying on its side. I helped brad push it back over and start it back up. The four wheeler started right up and brad rode it out of the mud pit. I walked out of the mud pit and got on my dirt bike. My helmet was wet so I strapped it to brads four wheeler and we rode back to the lodge. Before I knew it our time to ride was over. We stayed one more night and packed everything up the next morning. Brad had one more thing to do before we left and that was to put a tree stand up for hunting season and I went with him to help him. That took about an hour and when we got back to the lodge every one was ready to leave. Brad locked all of the doors and the gate and we got in the truck and left. That was the end of my riding trip to the mountains.

The New World

The Spanish, French and English explored America and left a lasting mark on the New World’s development. Different methods of colonization were used by the Spanish, French and English. The Spanish and English had similar ways of colonization, and the French had quite a different style. When he Spanish conquered the New World, they were the most wealthy and powerful of the three. The Spanish brought epidemic disease that depopulated areas over many years causing civilizations to collapse, along with brutal killings of Natives.Spanish integration with the Indians over time resulted into a modern distinction between Latinos and Spanish into a new population. Forced labor and Christianity pushed the Spanish wealth into accidental discoveries of Tobacco, Chocolate, and Vanilla Spices. The English were similar to the Spanish of their brutal behavior towards the Natives, slavery and the epidemic of disease. On discovering the America’s, a belief of new shipping lanes were form ed. This proved to be an advantage for trading because it provided quicker routes.Agriculture was founded and traded due to success of using slavery. Gold, copper and the products of farming were traded and used for power. The French had a very different approach unlike the Spanish and English, as they used commerce versus conquer. Accidently being discovered while exploring, the French came across the Natives and started trading furs. This turned out to be long lasting relationship and provided a different way to cohabitate with the Native’s, instead of taking the land.The Spanish, English and French had similarities that were common. The English colonies were better fed and clothed as the French and Spanish had much larger empires. Slavery, trade routes, farming and religion were very common of all, and benefitted in establishing the New World. Faraher, J. M. , Buhle, M. J. , Czitrom, D. , & Armitage, S. H. (2009). Out of Many: A History of the American People (5th ed. ). U pper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

4 mat review entwistle Essay

In the book, Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity by David N. Entwistle (2010) the reader is first introduced to the conflict of the integration of psychology and Christianity. The thought is that Christianity is based on faith and psychology is based on truth. As a result, it is the idea that Christianity and psychology may be impossible to coexist. â€Å"The integration of psychology and theology is virtually inevitable due to their mutual interest in understanding the ambiguities and mysteries of human behavior and healing human brokenness.† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 51) Essentially, this statement is a summation of the entire reading. Even though Christianity and psychology are at two opposite ends of the spectrum, the two ideas still carry the ability to be integrated with one another and implemented. Entwistle, explains the integration of psychology and Christianity by first providing a historical overview of scientific and theological communities in order to provide a more in depth understanding of the modern process of integrating psychological thought with Christianity. Entwistle states that the term â€Å"integrated† should also be viewed as a noun because he says, â€Å"If Christ lays claim to all of life, then the work of integration becomes not just feasible, but imperative, as we attempt to understand the essence of unity.† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 16) To continue, Entwistle explains that science and faith have always been conflicting ideas because science is contradictory to theological concepts. Entwistle some what agrees with this idea but based off of a person’s previous assumptions or knowledge about psychology and theology. If a psychologist were to recognize their faith bias when operating in their chosen specialty of psychology, then they could use science as a means of evidence or testament to the auspiciousness of Christ (Entwistle, 2010). As the book goes on, Entwistle introduces five different disciplinary relationships, which include enemies, spies, colonialists, neutral parties, and allies (Entwistle, 2010). Enemies can either be secular or Christian but the common factor is that they agree that there can be no coexistence of faith and science within the field of psychology. Spies are members of the Christian faith who happen to have a background in psychology but are only interested  in the â€Å"benefits of their own religious system† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 182). Spies could also include those who wish to explore the effects of faith on an individual. Colonialists use parts of psychology integrated with their own ideals and beliefs. Neutral parties are indifferent to both secular and theological arguments for the integration of psychology. However, neutral parties are able to maintain that indifference by keeping science and Christianity separate (Entwistle, 2010). The allies’ mode is different from neutral parties model because it is against that idea that theology is docile to psychology and that faith is a â€Å"vehicle to express psychological truth and to foster psychological benefits† (Entwistle, 2010, p. 206). The remaining reading is geared towards understanding truth as it relates to the psychological and theological mindset. In order to better understand the integration of psychology and theology and the similarities and differences between the two, Entwistle explains that we can gain a better understanding of human ps yche and consider completing developmental research in order to come up with counseling techniques that will be valuable for future generations. Concrete Response As a young child I remember growing up my parents explained to me that I would have to work hard in order to achieve success. My parents are very successful people with multiple degrees and although I was a stellar student, I wasn’t the least bit interested in school. I would much rather play sports or dance. My mom came to me one day and said, â€Å"I don’t know if you’ll ever be a doctor or lawyer the way we planned but whatever you decide we will be proud.† I was happy and sad at the same time because although she knew that I am intelligent, she didn’t try to press upon me something that her and my father’s plans for my life. However, I didn’t feel like my parents believed that I could become someone great. I must say that my parents have allowed me and continue to allow me to flourish into the person that God designed for me to be. Even though I appreciated my mother for making that clear to me, I still felt as if I had something t o prove to them. I set out to take as many collegiate level classes as possible in high school and even pushed myself to the limit in my undergraduate courses. On top of all of my schoolwork, I pushed myself to commit to extracurricular  activities within my church and school. When I first read Entwistle’s description of the allies’ model, I immediately thought of myself as an ally. Although our goal at the end of the day is to please God, I felt as if I had to please my parents through my education but I would eventually have to follow God’s plan for my life. While I took the time to find myself, I was forgetting about my religion and solely focused on my psychological wellbeing. I definitely had to get to a place where I was able to integrate both my mental health and well being as well as focus on my relationship with Christ. Reflection In the book Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, the reader is introduced to the understanding and correlation of psychology and theology. The study of psychology is referenced throughout this book many times but one ideal that is not addressed is the answer as to what a Christian should do with the ideals that are presented in this text. As it is well written, this particular text is invaluable to students and professors or those who wish to study the integration of psychology and theology as it relates to academia. On the converse, what about a regular church pastor or missionary who would like to be more well-versed in their counseling strategies or teaching people who to heal and deal with mental health conditions. The book is well written in the fact that any person who is not familiar with psychological or theological terminology can also understand the content of the text. Although the book many questions in relation to the integration of psychology and theol ogy, it is apparent that the author did not mention the definitions of â€Å"nature† versus â€Å"unnatural.† Nature does not exist today because of the fall of man therefore, we as humans today only know the unnatural. This is a part of the reason that we find human beings to be so unnatural in their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Because of sin, there is no more innocence of creation has been destroyed and can only be restored through the blood of Christ. As psychology and theology integrate, humans can be studied in their natural state. Action For a counseling psychologist or anyone who would like to practice professional counseling, one of the most important steps would be to understand the disciplinary models presented in the text. The Christian community may not be knowledgeable how a person would be classified within the five models. The typical Christian would not know whether or not they would be helping or hindering the individual if they were not familiar with the ideals and beliefs that goes along with each particular model. Having a better understanding of each model will allow a psychologist, or even a regular church pastor to understand where they fall within each model and which model will allow them to provide the best care plan for that client. The following step would be to also evaluate scientific models of psychology in order to better understand which model would integrate well with theology and the five disciplinary models. Understanding what each option and/or technique will provide will allow evidence of Christ through science. As a result, disciples will be brought to Christ because then they will believe. Integration of psychology and Christianity (theology) is more than just ideas and techniques, but the integration of the two will provide insight as to how we as humans live our lives before Christ (Entwistle, 2010). References Entwistle, D. N. (2010). Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: an Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration (2nd ed.). Eugene, OR

Pros and cons of fast food Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pros and cons of fast food - Thesis Example Some of them think fast food is a new tobacco, almost a plague for it brings the decline of public health and has harmful effect on new generation. On the other hand, there are also points of view that fast food is in some way a cure-all for the economic problems, such as poverty and high level of unemployment. In other words, the society has not reached a compromise yet due to the fact that the parts consider the matter from the different angles, such as public health and economic well-being. One of the advantages of fast food is that it is rather cheap, especially ifto compare it with other facilities, which perform that sort of function. It is not a secret that fast food chains try to reach as bigger audience as possible and, consequently, increase the profits by means of competing in prices with their business rivals (Spurlock). As a result, all of the existing food chains set up prices that appear to be more accessible than the cost of healthy food at markets or prices at restaurants. For a great number of people, who sometimes live on the brink of survival (as it goes from the money they earn), fast food is a great way to have meals regularly. In other words, people do not choose between eating healthy food and junk food. They rather choose between the prices for these types of food. Overall, it is a question of money and being limited to products one can buy. In this regard, fast food is an alternative to far more expensive fresh meat, fish, vegetables and the way to save money. In addition to this, fast food industry has a positive influence on the employment trends and the state of economy as a whole. As the example of the father of fast food industry, J. R. Simplot, shows, fast food can actually invade the whole world. At the very first stages, Simplot’s company had about a hundred of workers and only in two years of operation the number of people increased to twelve hundred (Schlosser). The same works for McDonald’s. In

Key Factors that Underpin a Successful Entrepreneurial Team Engaged in Essay

Key Factors that Underpin a Successful Entrepreneurial Team Engaged in Setting up a Business - Essay Example He is also responsible to bring innovation in the business from time to time. All the entrepreneurial activities have to be planned in an effective way for succeeding in the venture. The business plans can range from plans for operation to strategic planning and financial planning. All these plans must be integrated in such a way so that the enterprise could achieve the desired objectives. The various departments should be linked with each other so that a proper coordination can be achieved among them. Nowadays enterprise is not only established by one person but a group of people who have common interest and work for the business. They work as a team in pursuit of the organisational goal. They are the entrepreneurial team. For the success of such type of entrepreneurial teams, every team member must have the qualities of the entrepreneur. They must have the vision, the capacity to arrange the resources and must act as per the plan. Apart from the basic entrepreneurial skills, there are other factors which lead the entrepreneurial teams to success. The success of an entrepreneur or the entrepreneurial team depends upon the success of the enterprise. ... , analysing the competition in the chosen field, analysing the operational work, analysing the human resource requirement, checking the financial viability of the business etc. This is a primary and very important step of setting up a business. Once the business plan is ready the next step is to analyse and take the assistance required for stating the business. The third step is to choose the location of the business. This step requires the analysis of the format of the business and the competitors. The location should be such which could be easily accessible to the customers and the suppli8ers, close to the competitors etc. The next step is to finance the business. This includes arranging the fund for the operations of the venture. Once the finance for the venture is arranged, the next step is to determine the structure of the business. In this step the suitable legal structure is determined according to the government rules and taxation policies and also the viability of the busine ss. The next step is to get the business registered as per the rules and regulations of the state. Once the business is registered, the next step is to register the organisation for the local taxes and the other taxes. After all types of registrations is done one applies for the required licences and permits for operating the business. This is a legal requirement without which an enterprise cannot function in the market. The last step for setting up a new business is to hire the required and efficient human resource needed for the enterprise (US Small Business Administration, No Date). Entrepreneurial process In the previous section the basic steps required for setting up a new business has been discussed. The entrepreneurial process is also to an extent similar to those steps. The

Informative speech Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informative speech - Assignment Example Among the Chinese festivals is the annual Chinese traditional New Year’s party. The Chinese New Year is an important festival for the Chinese people all over the world. The Spring Festival is also used to refer to Chinese New Year. There is no set date when the Chinese New year specifically happens, and the festivals fall on a diverse date each particular year. However, the festival normally falls either in January or February. The Chinese New Year festival is celebrated for a period of up to 15 days (Jango-Cohen 8). During the night New Year festivities, a family reunion dinner is usually held. All family members are required to attend the reunion dinner. On the day of the festival, children wish good luck to their parents and in return they are given red packets that contain money. In addition, any unmarried member of the family is required to receive a red packet from every married member in the family. When the ninth day of the ceremony sets in, a traditional offering is offered to the Jade Emperor believed to be in heaven. A typical Chinese New Year is marked with firecrackers (Chey 149, 150). In any Chinese New Year festivities, firecrackers are a vital ingredient. During the festivities everywhere in China and the rest of the world where the celebrations are taking place fireworks explode. Fireworks mark an important cultural belief among the Chinese people. The significant of the fireworks in the Chinese New Year celebration is to scare any bad luck away from the New Year (Gleason 4). Food serves as a central component of most of the Chinese festivals and rituals of a social interaction. Visiting friends and family during the festival are required to bring gifts of food to the host’s family home. This serve as a reaffirmation of the good relationship of the families’ involved. Fundraising can be held during the Chinese New year to support a course that benefits the community. The Chinese Buddhist Universal church was

The Role of E-Commerce Technology and the Impact of E-Commerce on the Essay

The Role of E-Commerce Technology and the Impact of E-Commerce on the Supply Chain - Essay Example The online markets tend to involve the third party element of the business in that the transaction may affect the enterprise and the consumer or the sales made by a consumer to another consumer. Moreover, e-commerce involves the selling and activities of purchasing that include two businesses such that is a business to the business transaction as the description by (Chen, Chen & Kazman, 2007). Other involvements of e-commerce are the collection and subsequent use of the data on demographics that is available from the great representations of the contacts on the web as well as the contacts in the social media. Other instances of e-commerce include the prospects in marketing that focuses on the customers and employ the electronic emails or fax that may be a part of the newsletters. In fact, electronic commerce entails the launch of various new products and new services in the online markets. The most critical attribute of e-commerce is the interactivity aspect that keeps the customers or the buyers to be in a continuous form of involvement in the processes that constitute the activities of the favorite seller. The interactivity case implies that the market has plenty of individualizations. Besides, the online businesses are cheap to operate as a basis of the usage of already existing computer applications. The applications make up the EDI that is the Interchange of the Electronic Data. The regulations are probably to ensure that the business transactions that take part in the online markets are authentic.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP System) Research Paper

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP System) - Research Paper Example Such advances are well catered by adopting the use of Enterprise resource planning software. The software records data that enables consumers to have access to the hotels website thus making planning easier. It is the case that has been used by the Fairmont Hamilton hotels to spur its growth within the tourism and hospitality sector. It is one of the most performing hotels of Bermuda situated in the city of Hamilton. It comprise of beautiful guest rooms, boasting of the uninterrupted view of the harbors. The proximal location of the oasis, the enterprise possesses one of the most attraction centers around the globe if not the world (Howard, 2004). The bars and restaurants are provided for in an open air that soothes it even more to customers as they enjoy the breeze while dining in their leverages. The social amenities are neither not left out, the pools and existing rooms are up to the modern trends that can influence any person to have a visit to the facility. It is an experience worth remembering if not a dream resort to any individual with the information. And to be honest, where I sit, I am flabbergasted and anticipating taking my chances one day. While to my colleagues who are wandering, I guess you should pass by for lunch or start the day over there with a breakfast may be you will have a story to tell. Hence, due to the attractive nature of the environment, customer number have risen over the past that the human labor has found it even more hard to deal with in the Fairmount hotels. But the technology has become so much available nowadays and why should the organization suffer or even tirelessly overwork the staffs when the solutions are at hand. As a result, it prompts the use of enterprise resource planning software that can aid in the management. ERP is a system that enhances information flow that can be used for various purposes through data generation. It provides for records such as sales, inventories, and web based that consumers can access

Prevalence and impact of alcohol misuse in the American, British and Dissertation

Prevalence and impact of alcohol misuse in the American, British and Canadian Armed Forces - Dissertation Example I am really thankful to them. In addition, I would also like to thank my parents and friends for their help in the execution and finishing of this project within the limited time. I am making this project not only for academic purposes but also to increase my knowledge on this public health issues. DECLARATION: I DECLARE THAT THIS DISSERTATION IS MY OWN WORK AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN PRESENTED AT ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY OR INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING. List of Tables Table 1-Nationality of participants Table 2-Region of service Table 3-Element Table 4-Work Status Table 5-Gender Table 6-Nature of deployment Table 7-Causes and Effects of Alcohol abuse in armed forces Table 8-Summary of participant remarks Abstract Alcohol misuse has been part of military life since historical times. Study findings and literature reviews attest to the high prevalence of this problem not only among active-duty soldiers but also among veterans returning home. Studies also show several disparities in the preval ence and effects of alcohol abuse among military officers. First, younger officers of age 18-25 are found to suffer more alcohol abuse and related disorders than their older colleagues. Second, male soldiers are more likely to indulge in binge drinking compared to their female colleagues. Third, soldiers on active combat duties report more cases of alcohol abuse that their non-combat experienced colleagues do. This latter disparity could be explained by the traumatic experiences and events encountered in wars. For the US, UK, and Canada, veterans of the Iraqi and Afghani wars are outstanding examples of samples used to establish the extent to which traumatic combat and non-combat experiences and events promote alcohol misuse in armed forces. Although these countries’ defense departments have initiated various interventions and designed policy statements to curb alcohol abuse in military camps and among veterans, a lot still need to be done since the responses to this problem have been rather lackluster. In fact, recommendations by concerned agencies and individual researchers have largely been ignored by authorities. The negative effects of alcohol abuse on soldiers, their friends, families, and the profession in clued mental health disorders, violence, marriage breakages, unproductively, cardiovascular diseases, and death. These effects highlight the efficiency and the urgency with which alcohol misuse should be addressed. As the authorities seek answers to this problem, soldiers are also encouraged to seek alternative treatments to the disorders that military life expose them to rather than resorting to binge drinking for immediate and short-term solutions but never really solve the underlying issues. Introduction In the current society, many people are reported to keep their consumption of alcohol within the confines of the recommended levels. These drinkers have rather low risks of alcohol-related metal, physical, physiological, and

Report 501 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

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Employee training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Business process reengineering Essay Example for Free

Business process reengineering Essay This article is about business process reengineering. business processes we can say is the core tasks that are carried out in departments in an organization for the ultimate goal of delivering a product and a high quality one at that and services to the satisfaction of the customer. Business process reengineering is the modeling of the existing processed to steer the organization towards better performance. This is not considered to be done over a long period of time but rather it is something which is done at once so in a way there is a change of the way things are done but the aim is to come up with a better way for a better benefit. Examples of business processes is the manner in which information flows in an organization,management, departmental tasks,, that is the sales and marketing, production, as well as operational and technical support. Business process reengineering strategy is to improve the business competitive advantage. In discussion is its scope and strength. In consideration is the size of the business alongside the composition of the market. Its main aim is improving the existing business processes and sees how they make a business much better than it was before. We can also call it business transformation whereby the existing organization transforms the way work is done with a way of improving the services as well reducing the costs. It is also aimed at adding value to the existing business; processes and maintain the ones which are relevant as they are while at the same time minimizing or getting rid of those that do not add value to the organization. The article also speaks about organizational culture. An organization is a work setting which comprises of employees. These may be in different departments e. g. sales and marketing, production, and transport department. These departments are interdependent and they support one another in their functions. Their main aim is for the organization to achieve its goals and objectives. It comprises of employees who are the human resources. Culture in itself is beliefs, norms, attitudes, values and experiences of an organization and the people who work there. Organizational culture is the way things are done there. There is a trend of the way the management operates and the way people behave and the manner in which they work. An example of an organization culture is the role culture where emphasis is laid on the concentration on the task carried out. Teamwork is also is a type of culture where tasks are accomplished by a group of people working together with a common goal. They however work as a tea m but this they do in order to achieve the organization goals and objectives as a whole. This is the analysis of the existing business processes in which case is the way tasks are carried out in an organization and working towards transforming them and implementing the new process with the aim improving products and services that the organization offers. A group of processes are observed whereby individual tasks are allocated to a team with a wide range of expertise to accomplish with the main aim of achieving the organization goals and objectives. It is also aimed at improving the organization efficiency and effectiveness. The main aim of BPR is to increase an organization competitive advantage and a new competitive edge. An organization can achieve its goals a fresh through business process reengineering since it is as good as new. Cost is the price at which the end product is sold for. In cost strategy the consideration is to penetrate the market with a low price while at the same time offering the standard quality product and even better than that of the competitor but a lower cost. This will be seen to give an organization the competitive edge. The key issue is to maintain the quality of the product while liasing with all the department s in order to ensure that at all costs the cost is reduced from the marketing department to the production department. Cost reduction should be considered in all aspects of the organization and in the whole business process as a whole . this will enable the organisation to reach the consumer with a high quality product and a t a favourable price. Another organization process is production. This is the conversion of the raw materials into a product. The organization has a plant in which there is manual machinery which is used in the production process. Human effort is considered in loading the materials some of them onto the machinery for production. Efficiency is required in order to ensure that the product at the end of the day is prepared on time and also should be of the standard quality. At all times the organization should seek ways to ensure that the costs of production are kept at the minimum in order to ensure that the product reaches the market at a low price, in order to enjoy a competitive advantage. This is the computerized use of machinery. The machinery in the organization is controlled using computers and all the production processes are computer controlled. This will ensure that the product is of high quality, speed will be increased since the machines work much faster than human beings. Efficiency is enhanced where there is continuity of the work being done as well as the uniformity since the machines do not take days off. This will ensure that the supply of products in the market is constant and availability is enhanced. Supplies also can be made even on orders which have been made over a short period of time since the machinery can be able to meet the production to be done with the minimum time possible. This can also ensure that there is a reduction in the cost of production where there are no many human resources required together with the expenses that go with them like medical cover, housing allowances, as well as pension funds. Cost reduction is effective, and it ensures that the product at the end of the day penetrates the market at a very low cost which will enable the organization to build a large customer base, and also expand its market share. This is a combination of beliefs, attitudes, norms adopted by people in an organization and the manner in which they work. It is best described as a collection of norms and values by people and groups working in an organization. This is a type of culture where efforts are directed towards a product or a service being delivered. it brings human resources together and also pulling resources together for the benefit of coming up with the best possible product or service. It is a team culture whereby a team is built and it is assigned a certain project with an aim of achieving a certain goal and objective. In this culture the team is composed of people qualified in different fields of expertise and is marked by sessions of brainstorming where ideas are formed on how to accomplish the set task. There is also an element of friendliness, as the members all the employees working in a team have to combine efforts and hence each one of them is as important and hence they have got to form alliances. It is from expertise that power is derived. Team members have a scope of ideas which they bring on board and contribute towards accomplishment of the set tasks. The main aim is to reduce costs in all aspects of the organization from sales and marketing and other departments to production. This will ensure that the end consumer will enjoy a lower price of the product than that of the competitor. Cutting costs should be considered in all the organization processes. When the cost is reduced the product is able to penetrate the market at a relatively lower price than that of the competitor products. This will increase the market share as well as the profits. When there is an increase in the profits the organization will also be able to run efficiently and be able to meet its consumer needs as well as enjoy growth in terms of better service and product delivery. This can be achieved through mass s production and distribution, reduction of waste and also a reduction of the market force while also maintaining a goal oriented team. This is the time for business process reengineering. It should be considered since it is for the better of the organization where it gets rid of obsolete business processes and introducing and bringing fresh ideas and ways of working in an organization in order to come up with fresh ideas as well as improve the organization efficiency in delivery of products and services. Organization culture plays an important role in the way an organization operates. It is very important that an organization adopts a culture that favours its goals and objectives and enhances the growth of the organization as well as ensure that it encourages the employees to work towards achieving the organization goals.

Integrating Social Responsibility In Higher Education Management Essay

Integrating Social Responsibility In Higher Education Management Essay The perception of Corporate Social Responsibility is generally understood to mean that corporations have a degree of accountability not only for the economic consequences of their activities, but also for the social and green connotation. This is occasionally referred to as a triple bottom line approach that considers the economic, social and ecological aspects of corporate activity. a variety of terms are used to describe CSR proposal, including Corporate Responsibility, Corporate Accountability, Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability. The implication and value of CSR may differ in various statuses, depending on local factors including culture, environmental circumstances, and the legal framework. Issues like Education, The Environment, Hunger and Equal Opportunity were once thought of as social issues to be addressed completely by government. Today, public and private organizations collaborate; amalgamation resources, skills, energies and relationships to solve what we now understand are economic issues. But every corporation cannot take on every social issue. Todays most successful corporations must make strategic choices in their approach to Corporate Citizenship. Not only cost-effectively successful, they are deeply occupied in their communities. These companies understand limitations and competencies, and use this knowledge to create a deliberate social agenda that has positive collision in what they do every day. This is the new model for corporate citizenship. A business strategy creating competitive advantage, determining standards and guiding employees in how we manage every day, in communities around the world Literature review The aim of the following literature review is to identify the most important and knowledgeably important academic and practical works throughout the past decade as well as the current practices upon the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in higher education. According to (Valentine and Fleischman 2008) CSR is defined as the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectancies that society has of organizations at a given point in time. This definition is based on Carrollà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s study (1979) where he defined three components of social responsibility and broadened the scope of its understanding (Maignan 2001, Popa 2010). Carroll suggested that businesses have to fulfill economic, legal and ethical in order to address its entire obligations to society. Economic responsibilities designate the obligations for businesses to be productive and profitable (Maignan 2001). Legal responsibilities refer to the framework of legal requirements which businesses need to meet while practicing economic duties (Carroll 1979). Ethical responsibilities are the defined appropriate behaviors by established norms that businesses should follow. According to (Filho et al. 2010) Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is defined through the ethical relationship and transparency of the company with all its stakeholders that has a relationship as well as with the establishment of corporate goals that are compatible with the sustainable development of society, preserving environmental and cultural resources for future generations, respecting diversity and promoting the reduction of social problems (Filho et al. 2010). While CSR points out a way for companies to contribute to the well-being of the society, it also gives the opportunity to create a true competitive advantage and positive reputation for the business world (Smith 2007, Porter and Kramer 2006). Under the new circumstances such as the competition in higher education industry, many higher education institutions are adapting a more business-like approach in order to compete and survive in the changing face of the industry (Weymans 2010, Gumport 2000, Goia and Thomas 1996). And during the adaptation of this business-like approach, some institutions are discovering the importance of corporate image, corporate identity, corporate reputation and mainly CSR as a reputation and an advantage building strategy (Atakan and Eker 2007, Stensaker 2007, Porter and Kramer 2006, Melewar and Akel 2005). Although issues of CSR have always been a part of the educational mission of higher education institutions, through implementing CSR strategies, higher education institutions are now using this approach as a part of their competitive strategy. Hence, by developing such strategies higher education institutions are also discovering the opportunity to move the focus beyond the classroom into thei r own institutional operations. 2.1 Higher education and CSR One of the most significant indicators of social progress is education, which also plays a decisive role for a society to achieve selfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ sustainable and equal development. With an increasing global realization of how business community can contribute to social objectives, education deserves a higher level of corporate involvement than status quo. Higher education institutions are often looked upon to take a leadership role within societies.  Ã‚  Students expect to learn by examples, whether through advanced research or by extending the bounds of justice on a global scale.  Ã‚   Now business institutions are emphasizing a lot on CSR and they are finding different ways for the implementation of CSR. Higher education institutions can choose to be followers, or they can grab the opportunity to be leader and adopt CSR a vital aspect of their competitive advantage.  Ã‚  A recent academic article on CSR suggests that higher education institutions can lead in the practices of CSR two ways, first, higher education institutions should promote a true culture of CSR throughout their organizations.  Ã‚  Second, higher education institutions should develop social marketing actions in order to better communicate and interact with stakeholders.   Higher education institutions have an opportunity to lead in an area that most businesses have recognized as important.  Higher education institutions can and should build on a tradition of the past decades of attempting to engage in positive social actions. 2.2 CSR and the Stake Holders The stakeholders of a higher education include present students, faculty and management. In the 1980s, student protest often focused on how higher education institutions were managing their large endowments.  Students wanted to have an impact; higher education institutions were grappling with how to respond. In todays era, students still care about how higher education institutions are exercising their own CSR, from climate change and recycling to making a difference with respect to global inequities in the world.   Higher education institutions can meet the expectations of stakeholders by adopting a well-conceived CSR strategy in the same manner as other organizations. Higher education institutions should look forward to grab the opportunity about the concern of stake holders (student current and potential, faculty and management). Higher educations institutions have realized that to gain a competitive edge in the market they have to satisfy the concerns of their stake holders. Therefore implementing CSR strategies in a higher education institution should be considered in order to obtain a true competitive advantage and a positive reputation. Moreover practicing what is taught and thereby generating a real example of the academic knowledge can create a unique proposition for any higher education institution The government of Pakistan needs to be focused on educational and other sector and should be socially responsible and business friendly. Now some educational institution is working to incorporated CSR into the business degrees program and courses, especially at leading business institutes such as LUMS or IBA. 2.3 CSR Practices in Pakistan In Pakistan there is a set of social pressures that force companies and other institutions to act in a much more compact and price-driven manner, thus resulting in a less than 50 percent compliance rate with basic CSR principles and objectives But In educational sector there is less awareness on CSR importance. Now some institutions are putting their efforts to implement the concept of CSR in the future business leaders. The Multi-National Companies is playing a vital role for making business student aware about what is CSR for this purpose different seminars and workshop is conducted for the student on the importance of CSR and its strategy practice and implementation and creating opportunities for the students, potential employer/employee to learn from their best practices. Some companies like Unilever, P G, Gillette, Siemens is performing their job well to aware the future business leaders Of Pakistan. 2.4 Karachi School for Business and Leadership  KSBL Is also committed to promote the core values of integrity and entrepreneurial spirit within our students. So we will be offering a leading-edge MBA programs, with a focus on ethical leadership and corporate social responsibility, to the many talented individuals in the country as well as from abroad. 2.5 Bahria University A Leadership Development Centre is functional at both the Islamabad and Karachi Campuses of the Bahria University. It is built in order to solve the issues and challenges that are faced by students in the world and to become successful leaders and are able to take higher responsibilities. To facilitate student activities, Bahria University has set up a Student Resource Centre that helps students to develop their leadership, communication, management and social skills. Bahria University believes in producing all rounder students containing various skills with themselves and therefore it has provided a platform for growth in that context. 3. Methodology The study research method will be the crucial research plan. Both the qualitative and quantitative techniques would be used in our research. Some of deans, professors and Assistant professors would be interviewed regarding Corporate Social Responsibility and integration with HEC. Students of MBA and BBA were asked to fill a close-ended questionnaire in identification of factors influencing CSR upon Higher Educations, decisions and a suggestion were also be asked from the Professors and students. Measurement Procedure Following Measurement procedures are used in this research. 1) We ask for suggestions and recommendation from the students and the professors. 2) We also rate the major factors of CSR upon higher education. Frame of reference We interacted with the faculty and student who have moderate level of experience and have sound knowledge about the CSR and the higher education system. This approach would help in our research to compile results by cumulating the opinions of the experienced people. Instrument selection Primarily we collected data through interviewing management. Through secondary method, we extracted the information by evaluating the past articles regarding CSR and Higher educations. Since this study explores the Pakistani environment from the perspective of educated professionals and students, the choice of questionnaire have been selected. People who are in consideration for useful and remarkable information for the study will be initially contacted i.e. Students and Professors Variables Main variables would be influence upon social responsibility, higher education, course integration, and Business schools. 4. CSR THE STAKEHOLDERS Faculty Faculty of the institution would be the direct stakeholder of this research as they would be benefited if the research is successful. Students Business School students are the indirect stakeholders in this research because they would be utilized in the convenience sampling of our research methodology. Management The Management would be the direct stakeholder of this research because it is the management who are the core responsible of Corporate Social Responsibility in any organization, especially in Educational institutions. I.e. Business Schools 5. Conclusion and Recommendations Business schools have a responsibility to provide practitioners with training in the basics of ethics, which would ideally act as a catalyst to stimulate socially and ethically managed business organizations. (Cornelius Wallace, Tassabehji, 2007). Business ethics course provides an understanding of ethical and social responsibility issues in contemporary business life. The aim is to enhance studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ critical perspectives in implementing ethical behavior in organizations in relation to various stakeholders as well as the institutionalization of business ethics in the corporations (Undergraduate Handbook 2011-2012). Due to the lack of jobs, recession, inflation unemployment is increasing day by day which leaves only few jobs for business graduates and companies now are focusing on those students that have an extensive knowledge in their respective specialized skills and a good knowledge about CSR and about its implementation. Now, why companies are looking for individuals with CSR knowledge because consumers today require every knowledge about the product. Consumers are demanding more information on everything from where and how their goods are produced to the environmental record of the companies they invest in Pakistan is lacking many things related to Corporate Integration and social responsibility, higher authorities are not taking necessary actions to restore things for the betterment. Integration of CSR into curriculum Offer an additional course in the BBA/MBA program on the importance of CSR its strategy building and practice. For practice and strategy building some reference is needed from case studies and seminars should be offered for the executive MBA Courses which should be make mandatory for all the business students. An additional fund is needed to trained the faculty member/professors by offering workshops related to CSR and international business leaders should be invited as a guest speaker to share their expertise. The research work is also required to do research on current practices of CSR and It should be referred to CSR in the area of their expertise. The faculty member should ask for presentations and report related to CSR model building and its implementation in Pakistan. It should be mandatory for completing the course. Executive programs and seminars on CSR can be developed to help educate business leaders and managers on CSR principles and share international and local best practices. Academic institutions should make CSR an area of academic research. Academic institutions can make an immense contribution to promoting CSR through research findings. Educational institutions can collaborate with businesses to effectively introduce future managers to ethical and responsible business etiquette. Such initiatives include making internship arrangements for practical experience to students at exemplary companies. Students and lecturers can also be involved to conduct process assessments in companies. Academic institutions should also tap into funding and resources from state agencies and business community to develop CSR curricular and facilitate better transition from academia to employment. We need serious, concerted efforts to integrate social corporate responsibility in educational Institution. Business schools should maintain and increase CSR coverage. Business schools should not only react to the growing awareness and demand of students, but also have a proactive role in responsible management education, in both teaching and research. CSR and ethics can be embedded in core subjects, but also be taught as a separate core subject. The students with their positive attitudes towards CSR should draw the demand from the suppliers of their management education to include social and ethical management issues and courses. They act upon their attitudes and values by searching for schools that teach responsible management and by creating their own organizations such as Net Impact.

Cause and Effects of the Rise in Cohabitation

Cause and Effects of the Rise in Cohabitation Recent decades have witnessed a dramatic rise in cohabitation in much of Western Europe including the United Kingdom (Ermisch 2005; Ermisch and Francesconi 2000a; Haskey 2001; Kiernan 2001; Murphy 2000). This rise has taken place against a dramatic decline in marriage rates. A so-called golden age of marriage that prevailed in the United Kingdom from the 1950s up to the 1970s (Festy, 1980), has been eroded. Marriage is no longer the exclusive marker of first union nor the pre-eminent context within which children are born; (Kiernan, 2001). The decline in the popularity of marriage indicates that no longer is marriage seen as the only organizing principle for relationships (Hall, 1993: 8) and therefore legal marriage has given way to a variety of optional non-traditional forms of living together (Boh, 1989: This essay will seek to examine whether the rise in cohabitation will witness a decline in marriage to a point where marriage is a rare phenomenon. This will entail an analysis of statistical evidence on both cohabitation and marriage and the explanations that have been provided. These include notions of selfish individualism (Morgan, 2000), notions of the democratic, consensual and pure relationship (Giddens, 1992; Beck-Gernsheim, 2000), Beckers (1973, 1981) model of marriage, the common-law marriage myth, commitment in cohabiting partnerships, and the use of lived law to create a DIY variety of marriage (Duncan et. al. 2005). The 1960s and the early 1970s was a golden age of marriage in the United Kingdom during which marriage was highly popular among the young ages (Kiernan Eldridge 1987) and a record peak of 480,285 marriages was recorded in 1972 (ONS, 2008). However, since the 1970s there have been considerable changes amounting to a structural shift in individuals demographic behaviour and societal norms (Haskey, 2001) and among these are increases in divorce and in cohabitation, that is, in couples who live together in intimate relationships without being legally married. Similarly, Ferri et al. (2003) have documented several demographic changes which led social commentators to lament the end of marriage. These include significant rises in cohabitation, divorce, lone parent families, single parent households, children born out of marriage and age of marriage.   These changes, it was assumed, led to the disintegration of traditional structures and codes and ultimately to the end of marriage. Statistical evidence indeed shows that there has been a long-term decline in marriage rates and a significant rise in cohabitation. From 1971 to 1995 first marriage rates fell by 90% for teenage women and 80% for women aged 20-24. Median age at first marriage rose from 23.4 to 27.9 yrs for men and 21.4 to 26.0 years for women (Murphy and Wang 1999). The decline in remarriage rates has been even more pronounced. For divorced men, the remarriage rate has fallen by 75% since 1971 (Murphy and Wang 1999). There were 311,000 marriages in the UK in 2004 and this figure fell to 270,000 in 2007. This represents almost half the number of marriages that took place in 1972 when marriage peaked (ONS 2009). On the other hand, cohabiting is the fastest growing family type in the UK (with the proportion of cohabiting couple families increasing from 9% to 14% between 1996 and 2006), (ONS, 2009). Among single women marrying during the latter part of the 1990s, 77% had cohabited with their future husband, compared with 33% of those marrying during the late 1970s, and only 6% of those marrying in the late 1960s (Haskey 2001). During the 1960s, 40% of remarriages were preceded by a period of cohabitation; and this figured had soared to around 85% in 2000. (Murphy 2000). The 2001 Census recorded just over 2 million cohabiting couples in England and Wales (a 67% increase from 1991). When the new form of cohabitation arrived in the 1970s it was mainly a child-free prelude to marriage. Increasingly, children are being born to cohabiting couples. In 2006, 56% of births in England and Wales were outside of marriage compared with 8% in 19z71. (ONS, 2009). Between 1996 and 2006, the number of cohabiti ng couples in the UK increased by over 60%, from 1.4 million to 2.3 million, ONS, 2009). The number of cohabiting couples in England and Wales is projected to almost double to 3.8 million by 2031 (which will be over one in four couples on this projection). (ONS, 2009). Social theorists have conceptualized these trends in terms of individualization theory. The theory which includes notions of the democratic, consensual and pure relationship (Giddens, 1992; Beck-Gernsheim, 2000) and notions of selfish individualism (Morgan, 2000), has emerged as the dominant contested theoretical approach in explaining whether the rise in cohabitation means the end of marriage. According to the former, modern society is viewed as having entered a late modern epoch of de-traditionalisation and individualisation in which traditional rules and institutional frameworks have lost ground, only to be replaced by more modern and rational rules (Beck, 1992 and Giddens, 1992, 1994). Institutional forces such as education, the modern economy and the welfare state have freed individuals from externally imposed constraints, moral codes and traditional customs, a development which Beck (1994) says is a disembedding of individual lives from the structural fabric of social instituti ons and age-specific norms. According to Brannen and Nilsen (2005), social class no longer has the same structuring role that it once had.   Individuals who used to have a standard biography no longer have pre-given life trajectories but are instead compelled to reflexively make their own choices and hence create their own biographies. At the same time, the project of self, with an emphasis on individual self-fulfillment and personal development, comes to replace relational, social aims. This results in families of choice which are diverse, fluid and unresolved, constantly chosen and re-chosen (Weeks 2001) and which Hardill, (2002) refer to as the postmodern household. In families of choice all issues are subject to negotiation and decision making (Beck and Beck- Gernsheim1995, Beck-Gernsheim 2002). Individuals are seen as preferring cohabitation to marriage because they wish to keep their options and their negotiations open ( Wu, 2000). The individualisation theory sees modern relationships as being based on individual fulfillment and consensual love, with sexual and emotional equality, replacing formal unions based on socially prescribed gender roles. Sexuality is largely freed from institutional, normative and patriarchal control as well as from reproduction, producing a plastic sexuality, which serves more as means of self-expression and selfactualisation rather than as a means to reproduction and cementing institutionalized partnership (Giddens, 1992). Giddens argues that that such plastic sexuality as part of the project of self is realized in pure relationships an ideal type that isolates what is most characteristic for intimacy in reflexive modernity, Giddens (1991, 1992).   This is pure because it is entered into for its own sake and for the satisfaction it provides to the individuals involved. The pure relationship must therefore be characterized by openness, involvement, reciprocity and closeness, a nd it presupposes emotional and sexual democracy and equality, Giddens (1991, 1992). According to Cherlin (2004:853), the pure relationship is not tied to an institution such as marriage or the desire to raise children. Rather, it is free-floating, independent of social institutions or economic life. The individualisation theory asserts that these changes in relationships contribute towards the decentring of the married, co-resident, heterosexual couple. It no longer occupies the centre-ground statistically, normatively, or as a way of life (Beck-Gernsheim, 2002; Roseneil and Budgeon, 2004). Instead other forms of living such as cohabitation, living alone, lone parenting, same-sex partnerships, or living apart have become more common and are both experienced and perceived as equally valid. However, most English-speaking commentators (e.g. Morgan, 1995, 2000, 2003; Bellah et al., 1985; Popenoe, 1993; Dnes and Rowthorne, 2002) have developed a pessimistic view of family change. In cohabitation they have seen a moral decline and its harmful effects on society, a loss of family values, individual alienation, social breakdown, rise in crime and other social ills and social, emotional and educational damage to children. For them, the trend in statistics is clear evidence of selfish individualism and have thus advocated for turning the clock back by promoting marriage among other things. Morgan (1995) for instance, argues that without the traditional family to socialize children and in particular to provide role models and discipline for young men, delinquency and crime will escalate and society as a whole will be at risk. To avoid this social policy should seek positively to support marriage and promote traditional gender roles for men and women. According to Morgan (2003), cohabiting relationships are fragile. They are always more likely to break up than marriages entered into at the same time, regardless of age or income. On average, cohabitations last less than two years before breaking up or converting to marriage. Less than four per cent of cohabitations last for ten years or more. She also believes that cohabitation should be seen primarily as a prelude to marriage but increasingly it is part of a pattern which simply reflects an increase in sexual partners and partner change (Morgan, 2003:127). Morgan (1999) also argues that cohabitation is concentrated among the less educated, less skilled and the unemployed. The individualization theory in its various versions, has been seen as having its merit in terms of indicating trends in post-modern societies, but has been criticized for lacking reliable methodologies and for lacking empirical and historical evidence. According to Thernborn (2004), individualisation theory should be seen as a geographically and historically limited exaggeration among the variety and long durà ©es of socio-sexual systems. Individualisation theory is seen as largely resting on the evidence of qualitative work using purposive samples of particular social groups in particular contexts and localities. They do not often use representative samples or total population figures which can accurately portray overall social patterns. According to Sayer (1992) individualization theorists have used intensive research design which are indeed in-depth and able to access social process more directly, and understand its context but points out that such work needs to be complemented by extensive research on patterns and distributions, using representative survey for example. Duncan and Edwards (1999) share the same view that the use of both intensive and extensive research designs will enable generalizations to be made. In addition intensive work will enable better interpretation of the representative patterns revealed by extensive work and to link process to pattern directly rather than depending upon post-hoc deduction, (Duncan and Edwards 1999). Critics of the individualisation theory have argued that the theory underplays the significance of the social and geographical patterning of values and behaviour and neglects the importance of local cultural and social contexts. According to Duncan and Irwin structures of economic necessity, social groups and moral codes have not gone away, although they may have changed. Family forms are still deeply influenced by local structural conditions or contexts and although people might be less constrained by older traditions, this does not necessarily mean individualisation. The traditional structures of class, gender, religion and so on have a continuing importance, (Duncan and Irwin, 2004, 2005). Individualisation theory assumes that individuals can exercise choice and shape their lives. However, the theory has been criticized for taking insufficient account of the context in which individuals make their choices. Critics of individualisation have pointed out, peoples capacity to make choices, for example in respect of separation and divorce, must depend in large measure on their environment, whether for example, on the constraints of poverty, social class and gender, or, more positively, on the safety net provided by the welfare state (Lasch, 1994; Lewis, 2001a). In addition, the context in which people are making their choices is constantly shifting. Thus the meaning of what it is to be married, or to be a parent has changed and continues to change. Actors will in all likelihood be affected by these changes over their own life course and must expect to have to re-visit the decisions they have made, for example in respect of the division of paid and unpaid work, especially at critical points of transition such as parenthood. Charles and Harris (2004) have argued that choices regarding work/life balance are different at different states of the lifecycle. The individualization theory in its various versions, has been seen as having its merit in terms of indicating trends in post-modern societies, but has been criticized for lacking reliable methodologies and for lacking empirical and historical evidence. According to Thernborn (2004), individualisation theory should be seen as a geographically and historically limited exaggeration among the variety and long durà ©es of socio-sexual systems. Individualisation theory is seen as largely resting on the evidence of qualitative work using purposive samples of particular social groups in particular contexts and localities. They do not often use representative samples or total population figures which can accurately portray overall social patterns. According to Sayer (1992) individualization theorists have used intensive research design which are indeed in-depth and able to access social process more directly, and understand its context but points out that such work needs to be complemented by extensive research on patterns and distributions, using representative survey for example. Duncan and Edwards (1999) share the same view that the use of both intensive and extensive research designs will enable generalizations to be made. In addition intensive work will enable better interpretation of the representative patterns revealed by extensive work and to link process to pattern directly rather than depending upon post-hoc deduction, (Duncan and Edwards 1999). Critics of the individualisation theory have argued that the theory underplays the significance of the social and geographical patterning of values and behaviour and neglects the importance of local cultural and social contexts. According to Duncan and Irwin structures of economic necessity, social groups and moral codes have not gone away, although they may have changed. Family forms are still deeply influenced by local structural conditions or contexts and although people might be less constrained by older traditions, this does not necessarily mean individualisation. The traditional structures of class, gender, religion and so on have a continuing importance, (Duncan and Irwin, 2004, 2005). Individualisation theory assumes that individuals can exercise choice and shape their lives. However, the theory has been criticized for taking insufficient account of the context in which individuals make their choices. Critics of individualisation have pointed out, peoples capacity to make choices must depend in large measure on their environment, whether for example, on the constraints of poverty, social class and gender, or, more positively, on the safety net provided by the welfare state (Lasch, 1994; Lewis, 2001a). According to Lupton and Tulloch, (2002), peoples choices may depend in part on the consideration they give to the welfare of others, and on how far others influence the way in which they frame their choices. In addition, the context in which people are making their choices is constantly shifting. Thus the meaning of what it is to be married, or to be a parent has changed and continues to change. Charles and Harris (2004) have argued that choices regarding work/life b alance are different at different states of the lifecycle. Scholars have examined public attitudes towards marriage and cohabitation in order to assess whether the trends in statistics confirm the deinstitutionalisation of marriage (Cherlin, 1994), in which an increase in the acceptability of cohabitation can be interpreted as evidence for weakening of the social norms. Using data from a number of British Social Attitude Surveys, Barlow et. al. found clear evidence of changing public attitudes. More and more people in the United Kingdom were accepting cohabitation both as a partnering and parenting structure, regardless of whether it is undertaken as a prelude or alternative to marriage. In 1994, 70 per cent agreed that People who want children ought to get married, but by 2000 almost half (54 per cent) thought that there was no need to get married in order to have children; cohabitation was good enough. They found increasingly liberal attitudes to pre-marital sex, with the proportion thinking that it was not wrong at all increasing from 42 per cent in 1984 to 62 per cent in 2000. By 2000 more than two-thirds of respondents (67 per cent) agreed it was all right for a couple to live together without intending to get married, and 56 per cent thought it was a good idea for a couple who intend to get married to live together first. Studies by Dyer (1999) and Barlow et al. (2005) found there was a clear difference in attitudes towards cohabitation from young and old generations, indicating a shift in social viewpoint to an acceptance of cohabitation. The younger age groups were more likely to find cohabitation acceptable than older age groups, but all age groups had moved some way towards greater acceptance of pre-marital sex and cohabitation. Barlow et al. argue that over time there is a strong likelihood that society will become more liberal still on these matters, although particular groups, such as the religious, are likely to remain more traditional than the rest. This change in public attitude is echoed by former Home Secretary, Jack Straw who was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying the important thing is the quality of the relationship, not the institution itself (Daily Mail, 16th June, 1999). This acceptance in politics as well as in society is probably one reason why people drift into cohabitation. Barlo w et a!. suggest Britain will probably move towards a Scandinavian pattern, therefore, where long- term cohabitation is widely seen as quite normal, and where marriage is more of a lifestyle choice than an expected part of life. Barlow et al, however, do not interpret the public attitudes to indicate the breakdown or end of marriage as a respected institution. In the 2000 survey, 59 per cent agreed that marriage is still the best kind of relationship. A mere 9 per cent agreed that there is no point getting married it is only a piece of paper, while 73 per cent disagreed. Despite the increasing acceptance of cohabitation, Barlow et al. therefore argue that, overall, marriage is still widely valued as an ideal, but that it is regarded with much more ambivalence when it comes to everyday partnering and   parenting. While only 28 per cent agree that married couples make better parents, just 40 per cent disagree figures virtually unchanged since 2000, (Barlow et al, 2005) According to Barlow et al. (2005), there is a body of   qualitative research that shows that for many cohabitants, living together is seen as a form of marriage rather than an alternative. Moreover, just as the majority think that sex outside marriage is wrong, the same applies to sex outside cohabitation: the large majority of cohabitants, over 80 per cent, think that sex outside a cohabiting relationship is wrong, (Erens et al., 2003). These findings give little support to the notion that many people cohabit outside marriage because cohabitation is more congruent with a project of the self, as individualisation theory would have it (Hall, 1996). Instead research seems to indicate that many traditional norms about relationships still hold true and cohabitation is seen as the equivalent of marriage. According to Barlow et al, (2008), cohabitation is socially accepted as equivalent to marriage and whilst marriage is seen as ideal, social attitudes show great tolerance to differ ent styles of partnering and parenting relationships.

Blushing and Physiological Arousability in Social Phobia Essay

Blushing and Physiological Arousability in Social Phobia Introduction This paper will provide a critique of the article titled â€Å"Blushing and Physiological Arousability in Social Phobia,† (Gerlach et al., 2001) located in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology (Vol. 110, No. 2). Blushing is defined as: â€Å"to become red in the face especially from shame or embarrassment. † It is believed that blushing involves physiological, behavioral, and cognitive factors which react with one another. The actual cause of one blushing is physiological; the amount of blood in one’s face increases causing the amplification of a red hue in the blush region. The blush region is defined to be the face, forehead, ears, neck, and sometimes the upper part of the chest. The DSM-IV defines social phobia as marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. Since blushing occurs when one is embarrassed, the researchers hoped to find a link between blushing and the reasons of in social phobic persons. Hypothesis The researches hypothesized that persons with social phobia who complain of blushing would show more blushing as opposed to those who are social phobic without complaints of blushing or the controls. The researches came to this hypothesis because it is believed that if one is aware of their uncontrollable blushing, they have an increased awareness cognitively towards their blushing problem. In turn, one may exaggerate the amount of blushing they are experiencing which in turn will increase the actual physiological process heightening the blush level. Also, because the relation between heart rate and phobic anxiety exists, it was also hypothesized there would be a difference in heart rate between the subgroups. The researchers believe that heart rate reliably shows the amount of phobic anxiety one is enduring. Therefore, it is believed that the participants who complain of blushing will also have a higher heart rate compared to the other two subgroups. Participants The study consisted of 44 participants (54% female, 46% male). The mean age of the participants of all three subgroups was 39.9 years of age. The mean years of education among the participants were 16.23 years. The participants all originated within Silicon Valley and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. All were highly educated and economical... ...t even though the intended reason for the study did not follow through, the found evidence could be helpful for future studies. Researchers in the future studying this matter would no longer have to test heart rate palpitations; they will now know it does vary on the diagnosis of the person. I believe the basis of the study was good, but it was carried out in a hurried state. The participants and time spent on testing were both minimal. I think that the subject was unique and would help others studying this factor because it is one that people are curious about. A physiological change by external stimuli in a person is always a topic of concern and curiosity. Surgery has been suggested to those with blushing problems to help lessen the obvious nature of it. As this study and the researchers have suggested, one should be wary of such surgery. They found there is no apparent evidence stating that one with social phobia blushes more than one without. I think this piece of advice in itself shows that this study has had an impact in the scientific world and the human population. Merriam-Webster Dictionary Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Vol. 110, No. 2. (2001) Page248. Blushing and Physiological Arousability in Social Phobia Essay Blushing and Physiological Arousability in Social Phobia Introduction This paper will provide a critique of the article titled â€Å"Blushing and Physiological Arousability in Social Phobia,† (Gerlach et al., 2001) located in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology (Vol. 110, No. 2). Blushing is defined as: â€Å"to become red in the face especially from shame or embarrassment. † It is believed that blushing involves physiological, behavioral, and cognitive factors which react with one another. The actual cause of one blushing is physiological; the amount of blood in one’s face increases causing the amplification of a red hue in the blush region. The blush region is defined to be the face, forehead, ears, neck, and sometimes the upper part of the chest. The DSM-IV defines social phobia as marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. Since blushing occurs when one is embarrassed, the researchers hoped to find a link between blushing and the reasons of in social phobic persons. Hypothesis The researches hypothesized that persons with social phobia who complain of blushing would show more blushing as opposed to those who are social phobic without complaints of blushing or the controls. The researches came to this hypothesis because it is believed that if one is aware of their uncontrollable blushing, they have an increased awareness cognitively towards their blushing problem. In turn, one may exaggerate the amount of blushing they are experiencing which in turn will increase the actual physiological process heightening the blush level. Also, because the relation between heart rate and phobic anxiety exists, it was also hypothesized there would be a difference in heart rate between the subgroups. The researchers believe that heart rate reliably shows the amount of phobic anxiety one is enduring. Therefore, it is believed that the participants who complain of blushing will also have a higher heart rate compared to the other two subgroups. Participants The study consisted of 44 participants (54% female, 46% male). The mean age of the participants of all three subgroups was 39.9 years of age. The mean years of education among the participants were 16.23 years. The participants all originated within Silicon Valley and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. All were highly educated and economical... ...t even though the intended reason for the study did not follow through, the found evidence could be helpful for future studies. Researchers in the future studying this matter would no longer have to test heart rate palpitations; they will now know it does vary on the diagnosis of the person. I believe the basis of the study was good, but it was carried out in a hurried state. The participants and time spent on testing were both minimal. I think that the subject was unique and would help others studying this factor because it is one that people are curious about. A physiological change by external stimuli in a person is always a topic of concern and curiosity. Surgery has been suggested to those with blushing problems to help lessen the obvious nature of it. As this study and the researchers have suggested, one should be wary of such surgery. They found there is no apparent evidence stating that one with social phobia blushes more than one without. I think this piece of advice in itself shows that this study has had an impact in the scientific world and the human population. Merriam-Webster Dictionary Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Vol. 110, No. 2. (2001) Page248.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X philosophies Essay -- civil rights

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. The Civil Rights Movement began shortly after the end of World War II. The United States took a big turn with the Supreme Court’s decision in the Brown vs. the Board of Education case. This decision sparked a revolution that forever changed America. Once this movement began, it didn’t stop, there was no turning back and Martin Luther King Jr. realized this while Malcolm X didn‘t. He preached a change that African Americans would grow but only through nonviolence. Martin Luther King’s philosophy made more sense for America in the 1960’s because it pushed America forward, it stopped killings through nonviolence and love, and it called to make everyone equal and together. Although Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X seem to have mutual respect and warmth, their philosophies were quite different from each other .Malcolm X made it clear that he believed that the African Americans and the White people should remain separate but should be considered equal to each other. He told white people â€Å"work in conjunc...

The Travel Expense Billing Controversy and False Claims Act Essay

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), a major accounting firm, was engaged in unethical billing practices that generated millions of dollars in additional revenue to the company. PwC was charging its clients the full price of airline tickets and other travel expenses, such as hotel rooms and car rentals, while it was actually expending only a small percentage of the full amount billed to its clients due to applied rebates and discounts it received under travel agencies and airline contracts and negotiations. Therefore, the company was â€Å"overcharging†¦ clients and pocketing the difference without revealing the practice† (AccountingWeb). However, since Neal A. Roberts, a PwC employee, discovered his employer’s travel billing practices, PwC found itself in a very difficult situation. Mr. Roberts wasn’t in agreement with his company’s billing method and made several attempts to address the problem while working for his firm without much success. He reache d out to the company’s ethics department and to an in-house PwC lawyer, but only managed to have the company’s policy revised, not corrected. A group of people (mostly the company’s partners) decided that under the new policy, PwC would have to disclose most of the discounts to its clients but still keep 8 percent of the rebates as a â€Å"cover our costs† fee while retaining the â€Å"millions†¦ collected previously on the earlier rebates† (Carroll and Buchholtz 630). Despite these policy changes, Neil A. Roberts remained dissatisfied and decided to file a False Claims lawsuit against PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The False Claims Act is a federal legislation that was established to make sure companies were not circumventing the government. Under this legislation, anyone who knows about â€Å"companies that are defrauding the government may sue on the government’s behalf and share in the proceeds of the suit† while being protected from workplace retaliation under the qui tam (also known as a whistle-blower) provisions of the Act (Carroll and Buchholtz 630). In December 2003, Mr. Roberts won the False Claims lawsuit against PwC after much investigation, and â€Å"the accounting firm agreed†¦ to a settlement valued at $54.5 million† although it denied the fraud allegations (Weil 1). Considering this travel expense billing controversy, the company failed to obtain integrity and professionalism by carrying out this unethical pr actice for its own benefit. It was selfish, only seeking profit, and neglected its reputation in front  of clients and the market. In addition, the firm also failed to elaborate important policies and regulations in regards to this unethical practice in order to prevent employers from attempting this illegal action. Moreover, the accounting firm was lacking an effective stakeholder management and important principles that could have helped build stakeholder relationships. Since the company’s primary and secondary social stakeholders are the employees, managers, clients, ethics committee, management committee, travel companies/airlines, and federal government, PwC should develop a strong stakeholder culture and stakeholder management capabilities. They can effectively address stakeholder issues and relationships, analyze the stakeholders’ power, monitor their interests and needs, communicate with them regularly, and stay engaged with them. In doing so, the company would be able to identify strategies for dealing with the key stakeholders and consider the relative power of different stakeholder groups along with their importance to the issues confronting the organization. PwC desired to be seen as an ethically responsible company by having an ethics committee, but instead, it was only trying to be ethically responsible through legitimation, which is â€Å"a dynamic process by which business seeks to perpetuate its acceptance† (Carro ll and Buchholtz 95). The firm wanted to continue to obtain financial gain even though Mr. Roberts and other partners had already questioned its practices. For instance, modifying its policy to offer discounts of 28 percent while still keeping 8 percent as a service fee. As a result, all these issues influenced Neil A. Roberts’ decision in filing a False Claims lawsuit against the accounting firm. The False Claims Act is good in its sense, which allows an individual to report a company whenever it is engaging in illegal activities, but Mr. Roberts could be using this Act to gain financial gain as he also participated in the False Claims lawsuit against IBM that settled in 2007. Consequently, these allegations create some concerns in regards to Mr. Roberts’ intentions. Was he acting ethically to overturn unethical companies or was he just acting to simply obtain financial gains, as the Act awards individuals a share of the winnings when they seek fraud damages on behalf of the government? All things considered, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP could have avoided this multimillion dollar lawsuit and scandal if only it had maintained its corporate legitimacy by observing all laws and regulations, and practicing good ethical principles towards its stakeholders. Works Cited AccountingWeb. PwC to Settle Travel Expenses Lawsuit for $54.5 Million. 23 December 2003. Web. 28 September 2014. Carroll, Archie B and Ann K Buchholtz. â€Å"Corporate Governance: Foundational Issues.† Business & Society ; Ethics, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Management. South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. 94-120. Paper. Carroll, Archie B and Ann K Buchholtz. â€Å"The Travel Expense Billing Controversy and False Claims Act.† Business & Society ; Ethics, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Management. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. 628-31. Paper. Weil, Jonathan. â€Å"Court Files Offer Inside Look At Pricewaterhouse Billing Clash.† The Wall Street Journal Online (2004): 1-4. Web. 28 September 2014.

Prolix Initiative †Care workers case study Essay

Kevin Pudney and Malcolm Rose have worked in the care sector for over 20 years. Their most recent job is part of a European project aimed at improving training and development in business and ‘speeding the time to competency’. More information on the research project is available on the Prolix website (www.prolixproject.org). The project was conducted in partnership with Social Care Institute of Excellence. The social care sector in UK was chosen to test the new systems developed as part of the project. The researcher spent 3 years in Suffolk working with 6 care homes owned by The Partnership In Care (TPIC) group. The Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE) [1] is responsible for this social care ‘test-bed’ and will assess the impact of the project. What’s the problem? Statistics from the Labour Force Survey show that Care Assistants and Home Carers report higher than average levels of stress related illness caused or made worse by the work they do. The PROLIX project aimed to develop systems that would help improve working lives of managers and staff at the homes. The project was not about work related stress, but the researchers recognised that there were factors present that can be associated with cases of work related stress. Staff turnover was about average for a sector that has a generally high turn over rate at around 25%. However, it was particularly high in one home after management problems, where analysis showed turnover in the previous two years of 57%. As skilled staff are replaced by unskilled staff, it increases the training demands on management. It is well established that people who need help with social care want the same carer to care for them consistently; especially those who need help with washing, dressing etc. Where homes have a high turn over rate or rely on temporary or ‘bank’ staff they struggle to offer this consistency of care to the people who live at the home. Other issues identified as part of the testing included; low pay, high job demands, low staffing levels, IT issues and needs of residents as being key issues for staff. Job demands included: 1. The care needs of residents 2. Requirements to record information on care given 3. ‘Required’ skills and knowledge in over a dozen ‘mandatory’ areas of competence. Control issues included: 1. The care needs of residents 2. Lack of control over how work is carried out 3. Lack of control over when work is carried out What did they do about it? The initiative focused on improving the management of training and development in order to give staff the skills they need to do the job and satisfy the legal requirements set by Care Quality Commission (CQC). The aim of the work was to help managers understand the issues faced by staff and for Care Assistants to get the training they need so that they could be more skilled and perform better, stay in the role longer and give residents the care that the are looking for. The general study involved all staff and managers at The Partnership in Care homes, and subsets of staff for particular areas of research. One area involved asking care staff to rate themselves on a scale of 1-10 for a set of 17 areas of competency. These areas were based on the requirements set out by CQC and other areas identified as important by the local training manager. Managers were then asked to rate each of their staff in the same competency areas. They had not seen the results from their staff when they did their assessment. This exercise helped staff identify their own Areas For Improvement (AFI) and managers to identify AFIs for staff. It also allowed comparison between staff and managers. This enabled the training manager to identify areas where members of staff did not feel confident in their role or where managers did not feel confident that staff had the necessary skills. It also allowed the training manager to look for trends within teams, for example where there were differences between the ratings given by staff and a manager. It could also identify where people may be over-confident or where they needed more support. The general findings from this competency exercise were shared with staff and managers in a supported environment to help them identify issues and properly interpret data, where training was needed and where staff felt there could be an improvement in the services offered to residents. The detailed individual results were treated as confidential and discussed further in supervision. The final results of the project research were delivered to staff and managers at each home in a day-long session at the end of the project. This enabled the consultant to explain the exercises and the results and spend time with staff and managers to give them support in receiving and delivering the results. It also enabled them to explain how these results would be fed into the development needs of the people who had taken part. There are some 600-800 person training units to be delivered per home to skill all staff to a basic level, with a significant proportion repeated annually as ‘refreshers’ and for new unskilled staff. The organisation owns 6 homes, making this a huge and time consuming activity. The Partnership in Care group has a full time training manager who is responsible for arranging and delivering these training units. Kevin and Malcolm worked with the training manager to help develop a spreadsheet that would enable trainers and managers to see at a glance who had the training they needed, what training was outstanding and when refresher training was due. â€Å"The training system has helped us see at a glance what training is outstanding and made sure that we can get people trained when they need it and nobody is missed out.† – Care home manager What else could have been done? They feel that one of the things they would do differently is to help the organisation try to identify suitable people at interview stage. This would help The Partnership In Care group to identify staff development needs at an early stage and invest in those people who have the desire to forge a career or vocation in social care from the beginning of their employment. This would help keep them with the organisation. How can it prevent stress related ill health? It must be made clear that this exercise was not put in place with work related stress in mind. The objective was to help improve the organisation and delivery of training and development within the company. However, demands and control issues were identified as part of this study. By improving the levels of competence of staff and managers and in helping them think about the skills they need to be successful in their work and improve the lives of the people who rely upon them, the work has helped address some of these demand and control issues.