Analysis of a Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Honesty in Marriage In A Doll’s House, Ibsen uses role reversal between Nora and Christine to show the importance of honesty in a good marriage versus dishonesty. Nora and Torvald have the dishonest marriage and that proves to turn out badly for their relationship in the end. Christine remained an honest person and ended up with a rekindled relationship with her old love. At the very beginning, everything seems fine with Torvald and Nora if Nora’s initial act of dishonesty is ignored. Torvald calls to her first. â€Å"When did my squirrel come home? (Act I) Right after answering him, Nora does her best to hide the macaroons she had eaten against Torvald’s wishes by stuffing the bag in her pocket and frantically wiping the evidence from her mouth. All is seemingly well between them besides Nora’s lack of willpower against cookies. When Christine comes on the scene, she is alone. She has come to where Nora lives to find work (even though she feels overworke d). She is completely honest about her situation with Nora though. From the beginning Christine seems to have nothing to hide.She explains how she spent her life taking care of her family and how she no longer has someone to care for other than herself. Later in the play, when Nora and Torvald go to the party, Nora’s mind is less on dancing the Tarantella and more on the letter Krogstad had written for Torvald. In the letter was the truth about how Nora was able to pay for Torvald’s treatment in Paris. All this time, Torvald was thinking the money came from Nora’s father when in reality, Nora illegally forged her father’s name in order to obtain a loan from the bank at which Krogstad was employed.Nora broke to law by doing business without a man and had not notified her husband. Now Nora is doing her best to stall Torvald in hope of not letting him read his letter from his letterbox. She does her best to be subtle by begging to stay at the party longer. T orvald refuses to give in to her pleas and eventually reads the letter. The result is not pretty. Torvald becomes furious, â€Å"And as for you and me, it must appear as if everything between us were just as before–but naturally only in the eyes of the world. You will still remain in my house, that is a matter of course.But I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you. To think that I should be obliged to say so to one whom I have loved so dearly, and whom I still–. No, that is all over. From this moment happiness is not the question; all that concerns us is to save the remains, the fragments, the appearance—† (Act III) Torvald’s idea of a solution is to do his best to hide the situation as best her can by trying to appease Krogstad. Then he wants to keep Nora as a prisoner in her own home while simultaneously isolating her from her own children indefinitely.All this time, Nora’s lies has cost her the relation ship she thought she had with her husband. At the same time, Torvald has been hiding his true self from Nora. She never expected him to react in such a way and this lead her to make, more than likely, one of the hardest decision’s she’s ever had to make. While Nora stresses about Krogstad’s letter, Christina decides to pay him a visit and does what Nora should have done with Torvald. Christine tells Krogstad the truth. She explains to Krogstad why they could not be together in the past.She explains how much she needed money to care for her helpless mother and two brothers. She could not afford to wait around for Krogstad. That much, Krogstad can understand. Notice how, their conversation does not involve any talk of shunning the other in anyway. Because Christine is honest with Krogstad, he accepts her the way she is, flaws and all. In the end, Nora feels it is best for her to be on her way even after Torvald changes his mind. Krogstad decides to forget the debt and not hold it over Nora’s head as blackmail any longer.Torvald gets really happy and tries to act as if everything can go back the way it was, â€Å"Listen to me, Nora. You don't seem to realise that it is all over. What is this? –such a cold, set face! My poor little Nora, I quite understand; you don't feel as if you could believe that I have forgiven you. But it is true, Nora, I swear it; I have forgiven you everything. I know that what you did, you did out of love for me. † (Act III) He wants to believe that since Krogstad has relinquished the bonds, the situation is all over and everything her said before is in the past.Unfortunately for him, Nora is not so sure. She thinks about how he was so ready to shun her and put her away like a common criminal. She realizes that Torvald is not the noble man she thought he was and she is not the woman for him. She is tired of living like a man’s plaything all her life. Torvald is the one who helps her realize it and she leaves. Christine and Krogstad decide to revive their lost love and live together as a happy couple. So in the end, Nora and Torvald go through their marriage and lying to themselves and each other.As a result, the marriage falls apart and Nora makes the decision to walk away. She hopes to find herself in the world by allowing herself to be honest. Christine walks in with no one. She hides nothing and stays honest with herself. This gives her the freedom to be honest with her long, lost sweetheart, Krogstad. Her honesty gives them both the ability to truly love each other, unlike Nora and Krogstad. Nora and Christine have essentially switched places all because Christine was honest and Nora was not.

How does Black Death Impact the Medieval History Essay

According to Robert s. Gottfried The Black Death, â€Å"the black death was defined as a combination of bubonic, pneumonic, and septicaemic plague strains. It devastated the Western world from 1347 to 1351, killing 25%-50% of Europe’s population and causing or accelerating marked political, economic, social, and cultural changes. People were astounded, bewildered, and terrified.† (Gottfried Robert S., The Black Death; Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe, United State of America, 1985, print, Introduction. ) It is a great plague occurred in Europe in the middle ages and it was an unprecedented disaster in human history. The most important part from the Black Death is the bubonic plague, this plague comes from dead black rats and it will affect from rats to people. This devastating disease was started from the plains of central Asia, then, the plague from rats have spread in Silk Road; additionally, people and things that participated in the Silk Road were carri ed this plague into North Africa and Europe. From Gottfried and Spielvogel’s book, they accounts three main aspects to shows The Black Death drastically influenced medieval Europe, these three parts are European’s economy, population and their psychological. First, The Black Death plays a significant role in the economics part, the disaster was leaded population quickly decreased in Europe. This phenomenon caused the depression across the land, no one have enough time to focus on the farm or to improve the productivity. Moreover, The Black Death also pushed serf system broken fast. People during thirteen century to fourteen century realized it is important to product more and more foods, they started work hard for themselves in order to gain a better life. Moreover, the open trade goes well to the rest of world from 1400 to 1600, like the book said, â€Å"it was a period of transition, in which northern Europe played an increasingly important commercial role, and in which the center of economic activity was sifting from the Mediterranean to the northwest.† In conclusion, The Black Death really change the economic strategy a lot during the medieval Europe.( Gottfried Robert S., The Black Death; Natural and Human Disaster in Medieva l Europe, United State of America, 1985, Print, Chapter 7, P144) Second, The Black Death made famine and population parts were got a hard hit. â€Å"Some  historians estimate that famine killed 10 percent of the European population in the first half of the fourteenth century.† (Spielvogel Jackson J. Western Civilization, Eight Edition, Volume I : To 1715, 2012, 2009, 2006 Wadsworth, Chapter 11, Famine and Population, P307.) Between 1347 to 1351, the plague across almost cities in Europe, it cover such as France, Spain, Germany and more, until 1351, the plague was disappeared in north Europe. The death happened frequently in the populated part and the urban area. On the other hand, famine causes the decrease in population, too. People ate limited food or sometimes they even kept hungry for a long time, in the other words, it meant that long period unhealthy diet has directly impact the population. Third, plague attacked people’s psychological area. With the increasing number of mortality, People eventually shows their nature, it also represents the dark side of the human nature. It is hard to make a choice when People faced diseases and family or friendship. An example of the book which accounts that â€Å"one related the word of a child left behind: oh father, why have you abandoned me? †¦ Mother, where have you gone? † (Spielvogel Jackson J. Western Civilization, Eight Edition, Volum e I : To 1715, 2012, 2009, 2006 Wadsworth, Chapter 11, P308.)From the question he or her asked, it is not hard to define that, people in that time were very fear about death and fear to touch with any disease. For those parents who abandon their kids, this cruel behavior were totally broken all the normal human relation. In conclusion, The Black Death made a numerous people suffer in the painful world. But it still was an unavoidable event for the whole word, the disaster bring the social evolution for the whole Europe. In my point of view, I think people’s psychological part from the Black Death have made a greater impact on society. Last but not least, The Black Death definitely had a great impact than a war or a person, because it caused a lots of effects on the human and the natural world. Reference: 1. Gottfried Robert S., The Black Death; Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe, United State of America, 1985, print, Introduction. 2. Gottfried Robert S., The Black Death; Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe, United State of America, 1985, Print, Chapter 7, P144 3. Spielvogel Jackson J. Western Civilization, Eight Edition, Volume I : To 1715, 2012, 2009, 2006 Wadsworth, Chapter 11, Famine and Population, P307 4. Spielvogel Jackson J. Western Civilization, Eight Edition, Volume I : To 1715, 2012, 2009, 2006 Wadsworth, Chapter 11, P308

Learning experience of international students Essay - 1

Learning experience of international students - Essay Example In a survey conducted in 2010, 8 out of every ten international students were satisfied with the experience of studying in the UK (Ripmeester, & Pollock, 2011, p.4). The higher education administrators have successfully managed a wide range of international students’ expectations. One of the primary strategies adopted by the UK to favor international students in the country is the Prime Minister’s Initiative for International Education that was launched in 1999. (Ripmeester, & Pollock, 2011, p.6) The strategy aimed to increase the number of international students studying in the UK by checking on the quality of education for this group of students. The program has led to the establishment of different academic resources that the staff and students in institutions of higher education can rely upon. One of the academic strategies that favor international students in the UK is the inclusivity initiative. The initiative aims to provide a favorable learning environment for both the international students and other students. The institutions have also continuously engaged with the students by seeking to use their feedback in academic improvement. The international students in the country are represented in different student engagement activities that ensure that the existing academic policies accommodate the needs of foreigners in the country. Another strategic initiative by the UK higher education program is the guarantee that the information provided to the students in all academic levels is accessible, accurate, and clear across all the institutions. Clear explanation is also adopted in the delivery of courses where the use of technical terminology is unavoidable. The university and college staff in the UK has access to development and training opportunities that help them recognize, understand, and meet the needs of international students. The instructors are made to understand that they deal with a diverse global

Reginald Fessenden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reginald Fessenden - Essay Example rks on electric power distribution systems for one year when he moved to Thomas Edison as a chief chemist and it is that he developed interest in the new media radio (Riley, 1999). He later became a professor of electrical engineering at Purdue in 1892 and University of Pittsburgh in 1893where he taught and did research for seven years. He then moved to the United States Weather Bureau to develop a wireless network for communication with weather stations where he invented the liquid barrater as a wave detector (Riley, 1999). In 1900, he sent the first voice via radio for a distance of 50 feet and later National Electric Signaling Company (NESCO) to develop wireless communication commercially. He then set up a 420 tower for two-way trans-Atlantic telegraph a followed by other radio inventions. In an effort by NESCO to publicize and market the wireless system, he made the first public voice broadcasts on Christmas 1906 (Riley, 1999). His other inventions include electrolytic detector, alternator development, heterodyning, sonic depth finder, efficient tuned antenna circuits, and continuous waves (Riley, 1999). In 1921, the Institute of Radio Engineers awarded Fe ssenden with its IRE Medal of Honor. His inventions spread across the world and at the age of 65 years, he left a significant mark in Engineering and

External Business Enviroment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External Business Enviroment - Essay Example De Rome (2006) describes environment as the surroundings where a person or an entity gets influenced. This means the circumstances that surround us are the environment. Same as we perceive the surroundings, the businesses gets affected the same way. Environment is very important when we discuss the nature of the business and its location. Perhaps, the environment controls businesses and can either make them profitable or else shut these off. The word external is described as any force, issue, person, or anything connected to outside, (Bradley C. Karkkainen, 1994 ; William H. Rodgers, 1994). This refers to everything that is connected with the exterior of a certain thing, is called external. External in this report, will be discussed with reference to the forces that influence a change in the business environment and its strategies. U.K. is a well stabled, prosper and a developed nation, and that’s a major reason behind many businessmen who want to invest in United Kingdom. United Kingdom’s environment is a business friendly and is also very welcoming to new trends, which makes the market profitable and every business find a way to the profits because of the cosmopolitan nature of the country. London is considered to be a magnet for global businesses and investors. Moreover, the European Union serves as an addition to the market of London. Businessmen just intend to enter in to the single largest market of the world, with the world leading financial services of the world. By now, it is fairly understood that how is the U.K. environment in terms of businesses, operate and why are the investors so keen to invest in the pool.

Art binder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art binder - Essay Example I will then paint Canada Newfoundland where I took two years of high school, Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego, and finally Pennsylvania. Therefore, I will have seven paintings each representing the above-mentioned places. I paint because of my passion to exploit and expose the beauty that is before us, but people rarely notice. In my work, I communicate the energy and exciting nature of my subjects by use of vibrant colors combined tactfully to create exemplary compositions. My desire to paint these places is brought by what I have felt, seen, and experienced while staying in the different towns. Additionally, I am interested in exploring human emotions, and thus, this is another area that I focus on in my artwork. My goal is to become a professional renowned artist and inspire other young people in my community who are interested in becoming artists. I am writing in response to the above referenced position. I would like to express my keen interest in joining your company in the position of Exhibition Assistant. It is my firm conviction that I will make a valuable contribution in steering the given task to fulfill the mandate of the company and lead it to levels of higher productivity and growth. Extensive learning about art and communication coupled with internship and volunteer involvement has given me a good background in handling and organizing exhibitions. In college, I majored in Art and Communication, which I have just finished awaiting graduation. Additionally, I have participated in voluntary program at the T.E.E.N and internship program at Karin Weber Gallery. These have helped me develop valuable skills especially communication and organizational skills on top of my creative thinking and decision-making ability. Additionally, I am well versed in computer programs and applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Filemaker Pro. Moreover, I have

Exploration of The Challenges Affecting the Implementation of Distance Dissertation

Exploration of The Challenges Affecting the Implementation of Distance Learning System in Higher Education Institutions - Dissertation Example As such, a challenge like inadequate leadership and management can be solved by redesigning the leadership and management structure of organisations that tend to be affected by a such challenge (Dettmer 1997). Arguably, such a measure, which is highlighted by TOC can be used to improve performance of the organisation because organisations that have better results have been associated with competent and effective leadership and management. In another dimension, TOC is used to understand both internal and external constraints. This means that external challenges such as cultural differences could be analysed and articulated upon by a way of understanding dynamics of how gender and language barriers could be approached differently in order to improve organisations’ performance. General system theory In an attempt to actualise functionality of GST, this theory stipulates on several levels through which organisations can improve performance. The most notable one is the static struc ture (Greene 1999). This level is analysed to represent the anatomy of the universe. It is represented by the patterns of electrons around a nuclear (Weckowicz 2000). However, whereas such anatomy can be used to explain complexity of an organisation, some important aspects of external challenges facing an organisation cannot be well addressed since they cannot be part of the nuclear (of the organisation). Challenges such as different learning styles by different students and gender-based participation barriers appear to be forces outside the organization. Besides, distance learning encompasses diversification of a single organisation into a complex set of education tools to be used by a single organisation. Therefore, it would be difficult to focus or address some of the challenges affecting distance learning using this theory. Contingency theory The emphasis of this theory is mainly on the importance of leader’s personality and the situation under which the leader operates ( Bacher 2007). In essence, Fielder Edward and his associates outlined two main styles of leadership that is articulated by the theory; task motivated and relationship motivated style (Donaldson 2001). As much as these two styles can be put into the context of helping to improve distance learning organisation, there is much that needs to be looked at especially on how such motivations can be applied in the context of issues affecting other persons/stakeholders of the organisation apart from the leaders of the organisation. In light with this, challenges emanating from students and the environment cannot be solved using this theory. Socio-Technical Theory In regard to the challenge of inappropriate digital infrastructure, it is apparent that this theory can shade some lights on how to approach such a challenge (Miner 2007). This is in light with what the theory underpins its argument that an organisation’s technical sub systems which comprises tools and techniques that can be im proved by adjusting social systems in order to maximise organisation’s performance (Avison & Fitzgerald 2006; Jackson 2000). However, challenges such as cultural differences of students, who in the relation to the theory are customers, cannot be addressed using the theory because its main focus is on how to improve the performance of the organisation, which in this case are the employees and their wellness. Communication System Theory As much as this theory can be

The Strategic Audit of Nokia Corporation through the Use of Frameworks Essay - 8

The Strategic Audit of Nokia Corporation through the Use of Frameworks such as Porters Five Forces Model, Porters Generic Strategies, and Resource-Based View Approach - Essay Example In this study, it can be understood that strategic analysis falls under strategic management which is an important part for Nokia to sustain in the prevailing market. Moreover, through the use of secondary sources, the company’s overall performance in the year 2013 has been revealed that provides an understanding that Nokia’s performance in the market for the past few years has been declining. Thus, the company must effectively use its resources in order to improve its performance and get the competitive advantage in the global market. Nokia was founded in the year 1865 by Fredrik Idestam and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. It is a multi-national company which is specialized in producing mobile phones that provides telecommunication services to its customers. In the year 2013 Nokia had employed more than 87,771 employees across 120 nations and the company has been selling its product to 150 nations. Moreover, it was witnessed that Nokia earned revenue of 30 billion euros in the year 2013 and the company is a public limited-liability company; it is listed in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Helsinki Stock Exchange (HSE). However, presently the company’s market share has been declining due to the tough competition faced by Samsung and Apple. Besides, lack of innovation in the recent time has been identified as a major reason behind the company’s losing market share worldwide. Correspondingly, the study is primarily focused towards strategic analysis of Nokia Corporation through frameworks such as Porters Five Forces, Porter’s Generic Strategies and Wernerfelt’s Resource-Based View framework. Moreover, the study focuses to provide the recommendation to Nokia Corporation through the strategic analysis so that it can regain its supremacy in the global industrial context. Strategic management is a systematic process that involves the combination of actions such as strategic analysis, preparation of strategies along with its implementation.Strategic analysis is an integral part of strategic management that involves examining the organization in relation to the organizational structure and culture, strengths as well as weaknesses, product, people along with services.

The main functions of public parks Essay Example for Free

The main functions of public parks Essay History The first parks were land set aside for hunting by the aristocracy in medieval times. They would have walls or thick hedges around them to keep game in and other people out. These evolved into the landscaped parks set around aristocratic houses from the sixteenth century onwards. These may have served as hunting grounds but they also proclaimed the owners wealth and status. An aesthetic of landscape design began in these parks where the natural landscape was enhanced by designers such as Capability Brown. With the Industrial revolution parks took on a new meaning as areas set aside to preserve a sense of nature in the large industrial cities. Sporting activity came to be a major use for these urban parks. Areas of outstanding natural beauty were also set aside as national parks to prevent them are spoilt by uncontrolled development.    In the twentieth century a number of meanings arose which associated the designed landscape of a park with other uses such as business parks, theme parks and parkways.   Public Parks, It’s Functions and How They Have Been Accommodated      Public parks, found in population areas such as towns and cities and accessible to the public, are usually ornamented spaces with lawns, flower beds and trees. Intended primarily for recreational use, public parks offer resting-places, paths and sometimes play areas. They vary in size from a small town square to a large tract of land and they often accommodate official functions.    Many smaller neighborhood parks are receiving increased attention and valuation as significant community assets and places of refuge in heavily populated urban areas. Neighborhood groups around the world are joining together to support local parks that have suffered from urban decay and government neglect.    A linear park is a park that has a much greater length than width. A typical example of a linear park is a section of a former railway that has been converted into a park (i.e. the tracks removed, vegetation allowed to grow back). This Parks are sometimes made out of oddly shaped areas of land, much like the vacant lots that often become city neighborhood parks.    The a good example of public park is the Public Gardens of Halifax, conceived by Richard Power, landscape gardener, they were opened to the public in 1875. Power had incorporated earlier gardens developed by the Nova Scotia Horticultural Society from 1837 as well as a municipal garden created in 1867.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today the Public Gardens( Public Park) of Halifax consist of winding paths, flower beds in geometric form surrounded by grass, borders of both perennials and annuals, statues, fountains and a bandstand, the latter attesting to the Victorian taste for open air musical performances.    The principal function of horticultural gardens (Public Park) is for scientific research and public education, although their recreational and aesthetic qualities are often featured. Into this category there were experimental farms (where crop research, agricultural utilization studies and the breeding and testing of ornamental plants for hardiness are carried out), nurseries (where young plants destined for thinning or for use as stock are grown), botanical gardens (where plant species are cultivated, classified and identified for methodical study) and arboreta (nurseries devoted to the experimental cultivation of trees of different species). The Royal Botanical Gardens of Hamilton, established by provincial legislation in 1941 but with an unofficial history dating back to the 1920s when the city began acquiring land for it, is an example of the horticultural garden (Public Park). It consists of vast landscaped gardens including a notable collection of irises, a rock garden, a rose garden, an arboretum (including a lilac garden), a childrens garden, a garden with medicinal plants, natural areas for explaining ecosystems, as well as a program of courses and research. Its activities are principally directed to scientific research, teaching, public education and also amusement.    The institutional garden (Public Park) is a pleasure garden whose function is to complete or enhance public buildings such as hotels, hospitals and factories as well as religious or administrative buildings. Its raison dà ªtre is often directly connected with the buildings function but it also provides an aesthetic complement to the architecture. In the first decades of the twentieth century, gardens were laid out next to schools so that the children could learn the rudiments of gardening. These gardens (Public Park) had a pedagogical function.   In the same period, almost everywhere in the country, gardens were laid out next to small railway stations. They served to beautify the sites and, particularly in the West, to promote the development of new regions.    The grounds laid out between 1875 and 1879 by landscape artist Calvert Vaux in front of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa were designed to reinforce the institution of government. The buildings architects, conscious of the importance of the project, were concerned from the beginning that the grounds be in harmony with the buildings. Vaux included elegant steps leading to a large terrace, a broad sweep for the arrival and departure of vehicles, along with enclosures and low walls, which lend considerable grandeur to the whole. Over time these grounds have acquired an importance derived from their association with major events in Canadian life (ceremonies, celebrations, protests); they have contributed to the symbolic value of the place.    Residential gardens (Public Park) have a much more private, intimate character, whether they are pleasure gardens, vegetable or kitchen gardens or even small plots of aromatic herbs laid out next to private or official residences. Maplelawn in Ottawa, built from 1831 to 1834 by William Thomson, a farmer, had an adjoining walled garden. In its early stages it was probably a kitchen garden for the domestic use of the household. In the 1940s perennial borders were laid out. Today, the garden still has the four-square layout of the beds. Often many such distinct gardens are incorporated into the formal or informal design for the grounds of one residence. For example, the W.B. MOTHERWELL HOMESTEAD in Saskatchewan, developed over time since 1883 and taking into account the local climate and the scientific expertise of the time, contained various pleasure gardens, vegetable gardens, orchards and shelterbelts. RIDEAU HALL in Ottawa, with its fine perennial gardens, is an example of a pleasure garden situated in the pastoral setting of an official estate.    Specialized gardens (Public Park), often designed in response to changing fashions, exclusively feature a single physical element such as water, rocks or roses, or a structural element such as greenhouses, glass-walled rooms or statues. Aquatic gardens, perennial gardens, rose gardens, sculpture gardens, zoological gardens, enclosed gardens, winter gardens, roof gardens and even greenhouses are familiar examples of specialized gardens. A notable example of this garden type is the Cascade of Times rock garden at Banff, constructed in 1935 and intended to display the geology of the Rockies. References Braun, Bradley M.  (May 1992) Science Parks as Economic Development Policy. Castells, Manuel and Hall, Peter. (1994). Technopoles of the world: the making of twenty-first-century industrial complexes. London ;  Ã‚  New York :  Routledge. Duroso, Thomas. (July 8, 1996). Research Parks: Forming Strategies to Adapt to End of Building Boom. Levitt, Rachelle. (1987).  The University/Real Estate Connection: Research Parks and Other  Ventures. Washington, D.C.:   Urban Land Institute.

The Part Time Workers Essay Example for Free

The Part Time Workers Essay Introduction Working part time can be a good way of balancing ones work and personal commitments. Part-time workers have the right to be treated fairly in comparison to their full-time colleagues [icn.ch]. A part-time worker is one who works fewer hours than a full-time worker.  Theres no specific number of hours that makes one full or part-time. The reasons for working part-time vary from one individual to another. It may be that one simply wants to have a different work-life balance, or one may have caring responsibilities. Part time work means different things to different people. Part-time work may be defined as regular wage employment with hours of work substantially shorter than normal in the establishment concerned [direct.gov.uk]. It may mean working at night to some people or working during the day to others. This depends on the custom and practice of each work place. For example in developing countries night duty is viewed as a part time job whereas advanced countries adopt a system of part time employment where employees work per hour. Hence it can be implemented by day or night. The aim of this paper is to introduce the part time workers regulations 2000.This law was implemented [europa.eu] to facilitate the development of part time work on a voluntary basis. It also aimed at contributing to the flexible organization of working time in a manner that takes into account the needs of workers. It was amended in the year 2000 but came into force on 1st October 2002. Its aim was to prevent part time workers from less favourable treatment such as discrimination in redundancy, promotion, training, pension schemes and job benefits, pay and appraisal. Amendments to the part time workers regulations 2000 According to the policy of the relevant Australian government perspective [cpe.sa.gov.au], part time workers regulations were amended as follows: Part-timers must be treated at least as well as equivalent full-time workers, unless the reason why not can be objectively justified. An equivalent full-time worker is one doing a similar job on the same type of contract. 2) The regulations include temporary staff such as agency and casual workers but part time agency workers cant compare themselves to full time permanent workers. The regulations dont stop employers giving better terms to part-timers, perhaps to encourage a more balanced workforce, but the employer will need to be sure that doing this is not against other discrimination laws. 3) Part-timers must be treated at least as well as equivalent full-time workers, unless the reason why not can be objectively justified. An equivalent full-time worker is one doing a similar job on the same type of contract. 4) The regulations include temporary staff such as agency and casual workers but part time agency workers cant compare themselves to full time permanent workers. The regulations dont stop employers giving better terms to part-timers, perhaps to encourage a more balanced workforce, but the employer will need to be sure that doing this is not against other discrimination laws. 5) Employees wanting to work part time should discuss their requirements with their manager. If it is agreed that part time work can be arranged there should be a written agreement which includes the period of part time work, the actual hours of work, and the duties and responsibilities for the part time work arrangement. Any changes to these arrangements should be agreed to by both parties. 6) Employers are expected to give reasonable and positive consideration to requests to work part time. They should also provide objective justification of why vacancies are not suitable for conversion to part time.   They should develop a part time policy which ensures that employees are treated fairly and have equal access to general conditions of employment.   7) Appropriate management of part time employees is crucial. Managers need to consider ways of formally redesigning jobs to provide for part time work and ensure that part time employees are given equal access to training, development and promotional opportunities. Managers should check that the work load for part time employees is not the same as that of a full time employee and is commensurate with the hours worked [cpe.sa.gov.au]. RIGHTS OF PART TIME WORKERS Part-time workers rights are synonymous with analysing their rates of pay. In this regard, part-time workers must get at least the same hourly pay rate as a full-timer doing a similar job [eoc-law.org.uk]. This means that the part time bonus should be in proportion to the hours.   Ã‚  For example if a full time worker gets a  £1000 bonus, a part time worker working half the number of hours should get  £500. The employer should set the same working hours for enhanced overtime pay as for full timers. So the part timer might not get overtime pay until he/she has worked more than the normal hours of a full-time worker [eoc-law.org.uk]. Pension opportunities and benefits Employers should not discriminate between full-time and part-time workers over access to pension schemes [eoc-law.org.uk]. Other company benefits (such as company cars, employee discounts, and health insurance) should be given pro rata if possible. If this is not possible then the employer will have to decide whether or not to offer the benefit to everybody. Training and career development Part-time workers mustnt be excluded from training and career development opportunities [compactlaw.co.uk]. Training must be organised at times that suit most workers, including part-timers. Holidays All workers have the right to a minimum amount of annual holiday   [compactlaw.co.uk]. Many employers give more than the statutory minimum amount of holiday. Under the regulations part-timers should be treated no less favourably; this normally means that a part time worker will get a pro rata proportion of what the full-time workers get.   The employer should not round down the number of days given, because this would be unfavourable treatment, but fractions of a day might be given as hours. Sick pay, maternity, adoption and paternity leave and pay Part-timers are entitled to the same rights to sick pay and maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay, and parental leave as full-time staff. If companies give more than the statutory entitlement, part-timers must also get these contractual benefits [compactlaw.co.uk]. Selection for promotion and transfer, or for redundancy Being part-time cant be used as a reason for selection for transfer or redundancy, or refusing a promotion, unless it can be justified objectively [eoc-law.org.uk].   A part-timer who meets the promotion requirements have the right to be promoted. A part –timer who is transferred to the hardship areas should also get the same hardship allowances as a full-timer. Flexibility in working Its important to balance your work and home life. The right to ask for flexible working aims to help employers and workers agree on work patterns that suit everyone [compactlaw.co.uk]. Any working pattern adapted to suit one’s needs. Common types of flexible working are: Part-time: this is where one works less than the normal hours, perhaps by working fewer days per week. For example, if there are forty normal working hours in five days a week, one may choose to work for three days a week. This means that the part-timer will work for twenty four hours weekly. Flexi-time: in this case, one works at his/her convenient time. There is usually a core period during which one has to work. For example one can decide to do his/her duties in the night while another person prefers to work during the day. Annualised hours: your hours are worked out over a year (often set shifts with you deciding when to work the other hours). Compressed hours: working your agreed hours over fewer days Staggered hours: different starting, break and finishing times for employees in the same workplace. Job sharing: sharing a job designed for one person with someone else Home working: working from home   Effectiveness of part time workers regulations 2000 a) When reorganising workloads employers [direct.gov.uk] must be careful to ensure that part-time workers are not treated less favourably than full-time workers, unless the employer can justify the different treatment on objective grounds. This will mean for example, making a wider range of job types open to part-timers, such as levels of management. Part-timers should be given equal opportunity to seek promotion whether the post is full-time or part-time. The Department of Trade Industry recommend as best practice that employers periodically review whether posts they are offering could be performed by part-time workers and seek to maximise the range of posts designated as suitable for part-time work or job-sharing. b) Employers need to ensure that part-time staff are not excluded from profit sharing or share option schemes as such exclusion will be unlawful [direct.gov.uk]. However, if the exclusion can be objectively justified then it may be permissible, e.g. where a pro rata entitlement to share options by part-time staff would mean their share options would be so small as to be worthless, as it would cost more to realize the shares. c) Part-timers should have the same access to occupational pension schemes as full-timers, unless exclusion can be justified on objective grounds [direct.gov.uk]. d) It is no longer acceptable to choose to make part-time workers redundant before full-time workers. This would be unlawful under the Regulations and might also amount to sex discrimination if the majority of the part-time workers were women. The criteria for selecting jobs for redundancy must be objectively justified and not cause less favourable treatment between full-timers and part-timers [direct.gov.uk]. e) As far as perks such as health insurance, staff discounts, company cars and subsidized mortgages are concerned it may not be possible to divide these on a pro rata basis for part-timers and in that case an employer can decide whether or not to withhold these benefits from part-timers, but their decision must be capable of justification on objective grounds. If ways can be found to provide the perks then they should be provided [direct.gov.uk]. For example, in the case of a company car for full-timers an employer might calculate the financial value of this perk and give that value to a part-timer pro rata by other means such as a car allowance. f) Although there is no legal right for a worker to be able to change their hours of work the employment tribunals have in the past made rulings that where women returning from maternity leave are refused part-time hours that this could amount to indirect sex discrimination. As such employers must be sensitive to requests to work part-time and look at such requests sympathetically. Employers should consider establishing written procedures for considering requests by workers to change their hours [direct.gov.uk]. Conclusion The part time workers regulation 2000 has been effective in so far as it meets the purpose of this law which was to prevent part time workers from less favourable treatment has been achieved [direct.gov.uk]. It has facilitated the elimination of part time workers discrimination. It has also helped to improve the quality of part time work. It has also facilitated the development of part time work on a voluntary basis where the worker is allowed to make choice on the working time convenient for him/her. This law has also contributed to the flexible organization of working time in a manner which takes into account the needs of employers and workers. The law has also ensured that there is an agreement between the employer and the employee on various issues. These issues [direct.gov.uk] include: How the hours of work will be divided Communication strategy to be put in place Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each employee Continuity strategy to be put in place Review arrangements to be put in place. Part time workers in this country will therefore have a reason to work in an environment of increased security, both of personal rights and freedoms, and those related to employment. Works Cited Advantages of claiming under the Part-Time Workers Regulations http://www.eoc-law.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=2676 [Cited: 19 July 2007]    Amendments To The Part-Time Workers (Prevention Of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/workandfamilies/part-time/page19035.html [Crown copyright 2007]    Council Directive 97/81/EC of 15 December 1997 concerning the Framework Agreement on parttime working concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC. [ See amending acts ] http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c10416.htm    Equal Opportunities Commision.   http://www.eoc.org.uk/default.aspx?page=15286 [Cited: 12 June 2007] Flexible working and work-life balance: an introduction http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10029491    Key Skills Development Through Part-Time Voluntary Work http://www.corporate.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/iiabf?ii_app=modcatprocname=displaymodulecrse_cd=01997acdmc_sssn_cd=04/05    Part-time work. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/EmploymentContractsAndConditions/DG_10027738    Part-time Employment http://www.icn.ch/pspart-time00.htm [Cited: 2000] Steps for introducing part time and job share arrangements http://www.cpe.sa.gov.au/policy.asp?a=viewid=15572view_id=15615o=idL1=854idL2=69idL3=idL4=       The Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 http://www.compactlaw.co.uk/free_legal_articles/part_time_workers_regs_2000.html    Why I Started a Virtual Company http://members.aol.com/nancyds/ess-telecom.html

Overcoming Cultural Differences And Understanding Organisation Culture Commerce Essay

Overcoming Cultural Differences And Understanding Organisation Culture Commerce Essay What is culture? Culture is something you belong to. Here a few definitions of the word culture. Geertz describes culture as a system of shared meaning, (Griffin, 2003, p. 273), Pancanowsky said culture is not something a organization has, a culture is something an organization is. (Griffin, 2003, p. 273) Philipesen describes culture as a socially constructed and historically transmitted pattern of symbols, meanings, premises, and rules.(Griffin, 2003, p.420). In this case study EUROCOM Systems is a German organization and SOFTCOM is an IT organization in New Zealand.EUROCOM Systems is taking over SOFTCOM. According to the above definitions about culture, we can see that EUROCOM Systems and SOFTCOM are two different types of organizations with two different cultures. Firstly their languages are different, and also the German organization has a very traditional management style. Their staff are expected to wear traditional business suits and ties and keep to fixed daily working hours. The New Zealand organization has an easygoing and relaxed atmosphere, including a dress code and flexible working hours that suit their customers. There are also other problems that could happen in the new organization. As the case study mentions that EUROCOM will send their own managers to New Zealand. These managers have to face a new environment, so could have a lot of anxiety. During the takeover, it will be two different countries with different cultures merging together; obviously this could cause culture conflict. How can these cultural differences be overcome? The above provides two hypotheses, using some theories to help to achieve the hypotheses. Agenda-Setting Theory Maxwell McCombs Donald Shaws Agenda Setting Theory uses framing where they select a feature and put this into the mind of people making them think about it. For example, SOFTCOMs flexible working hours change to fixed daily working hours. If at lunch time or outside working hours, the customers has some software problems needing speciality help, who can serve them to figure out the problems. Does the customer have to wait until the speciality staff are back from lunch? No, no one has the patience when they have a problem. They want the company solve the problem at once. As no one can run a business without customers, SOFTCOM should put those points to frame the cultural differences, and let EUROCOM think about by changing SOFTCOM culture it may cause many problems, and even lose customers. Social Penetration Theory Cultural approach to organization Theory Social Penetration Theory is when the onion is peeled by layer the two nationalities will soon be friends and appreciate each other. (Griffin, 2003, p. 133) Once they penetrate well below the surface, the Germans and New Zealanders will become close. Story and ritual (Using the metaphor) can help to understand an organization culture. So in this case, SOFTCOM can tell some stories through ritual that will help EUOROCOM Managers to understand SOFTCOM culture. Below is an provide an example combining these two theories. When the managers of EUORCOM come to New Zealander at first, they might feel uncomfortable and not know what to say to SOFTCOM staff, but after a few days they will start to know each other. Also SOFTCOM can provide some rituals such as a party or a BBQ, and by corporate stories, collegial stories or personal story telling increase their relationships and help them understand the SOFTCOM culture. Understanding organization culture Communication theories: Information Systems Approach to Organisations Cultural Approach to Organizations Face-Negotiation Theory Narrative Paradigm Theory From the case study, it seems that SOFTCOM Systems is a culture system and belongs to Individualistic culture. EUOROCOM Systems is an information system and belongs to collectivistic culture. Below are some theories to identify the statement, and also will provide a strategy for SOFTCOM to keep the unique features of the organisation. Information Systems Approach to Organisations Theory According to Weicks Information Systems Approach to Organisations theory, every organisation as living organizations that must constantly adapt to changing environment in order to stay alive. (Griffin, 2003, p. 259). Weick talks about the information and how it relates to the organisation, whereas organisation systems depend on the information system. Weick considers in his theory the hierarchy structural of the organisation. Every employee is put on different levels of positions. The boss is at the top, flows down to the associate managers, along the path to the next level will be the workers at the lower level. From this hierarchy structural, Weick forms up the chain-of-command lines of communication. Information is pushed down from the top, where the boss is, down to his associates and from the associates to the workers below. Information flows in the organisation. Cultural Approach to Organisation Theory Geertz and Pacanowskys theory of the Cultural Approach to Organisation base on Information Systems Approach to Organisations theory, but they state that culture is not something that an organisation has; culture is something an organisation is. Geertz describes culture as a system of shared meaning, (Griffin, 2003, p. 273), From the above explanations of the two theories, we can see EUOROCOM is an information system, because the boss at top level pushes information down to the next level associates, and to the workers. The workers do not have a chance to raise opinions to the managers. As the case study said the EUOROCOM organization has a very conservative management style. SOFTCOM is a culture system. As EUOROCOM the boss from the top pushes the information to the next level and to the workers. But SOFTCOM have effective communication and a shared meaning about the information. The case study says SOFTCOM has an easygoing relaxed atmosphere, which is why SOFTCOM is an innovative and creative software development. Face-Negotiation Theory According to Ting-Toomeys Face- Negotiation theory, she distinguishes national cultures within collectivistic and individualistic categories. (Griffin, 2003, p. 436). Collectivistic culture means where people identify with a larger group loyalty thus acting from a We-identity. The collectivistic culture has a high context communication or message. Individualistic culture means where people look out for themselves and their immediate families thus acting from an I-identity. The Individualistic culture has a low context communication Using these definitions we can see that EUOROCOM is a Collectivistic culture, because the EUOROCOM System values collective needs and goals over individual needs and goals. In EUOROCOM, staff behaviour is controlled by the company, for example, the EUOROCOM System boss asked the SOFTCOM staff to wear traditional business suits and ties everyday, and they had no choice, but to do it no matter whether they want to it or not. EUOROCOM has a very high context on sending messages from their boss to staff. The power gap between the boss at the top and his associates below is wide. It is hard for the worker to communicate their thoughts to the top level. The SOFTCOM system is an individualistic culture; because SOFTCOM treat every person as unique. SOFTCOM has a very low context communication between their boss and staff. Its a narrow hierarchy structure. The power gap between the boss at the top level and his associates below (the workers of the organisation) is narrow. In other words, communication between the workers is easy and they help each other, not like the high context communication staff of EUOROCOM Systems. So their company is conducive to more innovation than EUOROCOM. How can the take over be effective? In the case study EUOROCOM will create a more disciplined culture in the new organization which means the Germans will run the merged organisation to their collectivistic culture. How could the New Zealanders persuade the Germans not take away the unique features of SOFTCOM? Here using narrative paradigm theory could persuade EUOROCOM to keep the SOFTCOM system, so that SOFTCOM will not lose the unique features of the organization. Narrative Paradigm Theory Using Walter Fishers theory Narrative Paradigm would be effective. Fisher says that people are storytelling animals and to reason to others we use stories. SOFTCOM could persuade the Germans and point out that the organisation is living in its own culture and they do their own work according to the features of the culture of their organisation and their effect on the society. So they can use their customers to tell a story to EUOROCOM to persuade the Germans to confirm the takeover without taking away their unique features. Customers might say they are familiar with the service that SOFTCOM gives them because SOFTCOM serve them on their own way. If EUOROCOM takes that away, loss of customers could turn out to be true which EUOROCOM would not want to happen for the sake of the organisation.

Digital Piracy: A Problem Without an Effective Solution Essay

Digital piracy is making up profit from illegal copying and reselling music, videos, software videogames and other digital media which requires genuine. In 2005, loses of legal media and software industry from digital piracy was $200 billion (DSTI/IND (2007). Also, Oberholzer-Gee (2010) indicates that 60% of world wide web broadband busy by consumers’ video, game and music sharing. To avoid this issue intellectual proprietors use various methods. In this paper is shown methods to dodge problem of digital piracy. There are two ways to protect legal digital content from piracy. Firstly, there is indirectly impact to society, where manufacturers are producing additional equipment like guitars for game â€Å"Guitar Hero† and forwarding special social services where people can play with each other via internet, so while people playing, system is checking license (Goel, 2010). In addition, companies perform free software with fewer options than paid software. Moreover, some organizations such as Free Software Association and Open Source agitation, which advert spreading software for free have helped to grapple with problem of expensive software and companies that gain from this, for example, Microsoft (Hill, 2007). Secondly, there is direct impact on users, where companies and internet providers use methods which impacts directly on users such as blocking peer-to-peer connections between users and web-sites where users can download pirated software. Furthermore, closing the sources of piracy is supported by governments of countries such as China (Tong, 2008). In this paper is shown methods to protect against piracy such as copy-protected software, closing sources of piracy, legislation and distribution of free soft. Each of solution will b... ...hich are gratuitous, freeness to change and freeness to make copies. For instance, Keating (2003) confirms that in DiaDexus inc., California bioinformatics scientists use open source software in their researches and researchers say that free software helps to save money and have additional properties. For example, in this institution some experts explore source code and make add-ons and patches for areas which they need. Next, free software becomes more popular. For example, The Linux Counter (2006) estimates that there were 18 million users of freely available Linux operating system in 2001 and there were 29 million users after 4 years in 2005. Also, Wade Roush (2004) confirms that in IBM more than 7000 programmers design software for Linux, because of many consumers think that as more beneficial and more protected from viruses than Microsoft’s operating systems.

Jennifer Dunn :: essays research papers

Jennifer Dunn was born on July 29th, 1941 in Seattle Washington. Dunn lived in Bellevue and graduated from Bellevue High School. After high school, Jennifer attended the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington in 1960-1962, and Stanford University to receive a Bachelors Degree in English Literature. In 1978 through 1980, Dunn was a systems engineer; section supervisor, King County, Wash., Department of Assessments. A chair, Washington State Republican Party in 1981-1992, member, United States delegations to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 1984 and 1990. Jennifer Dunn also is a certified scuba diver. In her free time, she gardens and spends time with her two children, Bryant (33) and Reagan (31.) Jennifer Dunn represents the Republican Party. She is the lead Republican in the Washington State delegation, and has served in Congress since 1993. Also, Jennifer Dunn is considered an outstanding spokesperson for House Republicans. In 1999, she was chosen to deliver the Republican response to the Presidents State of the Union Address. Congresswoman Dunn has also served as a board member for the National Endowment for Democracy. In these capacities, she has made several trips to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Africa. Her experience in the international area goes back to her years of state and national party service. Dunn is a strong believer that no child should be left behind. She supports holding bad school accountable, giving local officials more control in the classroom, and teaching all children to read by third grade. Jennifer Dunn has accomplished much in her life, and continues to do so. In 1998, she became the first woman to run for House Majority Leader or any top leadership post. She is also the fifth woman in history to be on the prized House Ways and Means Committee. She is widely known as an expert on tax relief, particularly eliminating the death tax, expansion of free and fair international trade, welfare reform, IRS reform, overhaul of the tax code, high tech policy, and retirement security. In 1997, Dunn was appointed to the Presidential Commission on Debates, which established rules for the 2000 presidential debates. As a result of her early leadership on behalf of George W. Bush in Washington State and across the country, Dunn was tapped as one of three Deputy Permanent Co-Chairs to the 2000 Republican National Convention and as National Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee's grassroots effort "Victory 2000.

Case study in marketing Essay

By the end of your reading, you should be able to answer the following questions: 1. What do you understand by the term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? 2. Explain two actions that Amway and its IBOs are currently taking that involve CSR. 3. Analyse the key ingredients in Amway’s CSR strategy. Show how the strategy is designed to translate the vision into practical steps on the ground. 4. Recommend ways in which Amway could enhance and develop its impact on making every child matter. Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means businesses and organisations working responsibly and contributing positively to the communities they operate in. It involves working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of life. Companies that operate in a socially responsible way strengthen their reputations. In business, reputation is everything. It determines the extent to which customers want to buy from you, partners are willing to work with you and your standing in the community. The company  Amway is one of the world’s largest direct sales organisations with over 3 million Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in over 80 markets and territories worldwide. It is a family-owned business with a strong emphasis on family values. Its IBOs are often couples. Many of these are raising families. They therefore have a strong bond with children. These families are more than happy to partner with Amway, who, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, works with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. As a family company, Amway is committed to playing a part in improving the lives of children in need across the globe. In this way, the company is able to show its commitment to the support of global causes. Amway defines a global cause as ‘a social issue affecting many people around the world engaged in a struggle or plight that warrants a charitable  response’. This case study shows how Amway is a business that does more than provide customers with good quality products. It shows the practical realities of Amway’s global commitment and how it plays a key role in the communities in which it operates. Growth and responsibility An understanding of how Amway operates as an organisation gives a clearer picture of the contribution it can make to help children in need across the globe. Amway’s vision is to help people live better lives. It does this every day by providing a low-cost low-risk business opportunity based on selling qualityproducts. What does Amway do? Amway distributes a range of branded products. These products are sold to IBOs worldwide. The IBOs are Amway’s links with consumers and the communities in which they operate. The IBOs are self-employed and are highly motivated. They work within the guidelines of Amway’s Rules of Conduct and Code of Ethics, which are about being honest and responsible in trading. IBOs sell to people that they know or meet. They can introduce others to the Amway business. Typical products that IBOs sell include: personal care – fragrances, body care skin care and cosmetics durables such as cookware and water treatment systems nutrition and wellness products such as food supplements, food and drinks. IBOs play a key part in helping Amway to deliver its Global Cause Programme. In order to give many of the world’s children a chance to live a better life, Amway launched the global One by One campaign for children in 2003. The One by One programme: helps Amway to bring its vision to life declares what the company stands for builds trust and respect in Amway brands establishes Corporate Social Responsibility at a high level. Amway encourages staff and IBOs to support its One by One campaign for children. Since 2001, Amway Europe has been an official partner of UNICEF and has been able to contribute over â‚ ¬2 million (about  £1.4 million). The focus is on supporting  the worldwide ‘Immunisation Plus’ programme. This involves, for example, providing measles vaccines to children across the globe. The ‘Plus’ is about using the vehicle of immunisation to deliver other life-saving services for children. It is about making health systems stronger and promoting activities that help communities and families to improve child-care practices. For example the ‘Plus’ could include providing vitamin A supplements in countries where there is vitamin A deficiency. Since 2001, Amway and its IBOs across Europe have been supporting UNICEF’s child survival programme. The need is great. One out of ten children in Kenya does not live to see its fifth birthday, largely through preventable diseases. Malaria is the biggest killer with 93 deaths per day. Only 58% of children under two are fully immunised. The work of the One by One programme is illustrated by a field trip undertaken by Amway IBOs to Kenya. The IBOs travelled to Kilifi in 2006 to meet children and to find out what the problems are in various communities. They act as champions spreading the message throughout their groups. In Kilifi, the focus is on trying to reach the most vulnerable children and pregnant mothers. The aim is to increase immunisation from 40% to 70%. Other elements of the programme involve seeking to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS to infants. As the Amway organisation grows and prospers, it is able through CSR actions to help communities to grow and prosper too. Developing a strategy A strategy is an organisational plan. Implementing a strategy involves putting that plan into action. In other words a strategy shows how a business will achieve its goals. The strategy thus enables an organisation to turn its values into action. Values are what a company stands for. An important value for Amway is being a caring company. Amway believes in demonstrating this caring approach and this is why it has partnered with UNICEF. All Directors design strategies for the whole of an organisation. Effective strategies involve discussion and communication with others. The views of IBOs are influential in creating strategies for Amway. Amway’s strategies for corporate social responsibility are cascaded through the organisation as shown below. Amway’s Global Cause strategy involves creating responsible plans that make a difference. However, the strategy is flexible. In shaping the strategy, research was carried out to find out which global causes IBOs support. The results showed that many favoured a cause that helped children. There was a clear fit between Amway’s aims to help children and UNICEF’s ‘Immunisation Plus’ programme for children. Objectives From the outset, Amway set out some clear objectives for its strategy. These were to: build loyalty and pride among IBOs and employees enhance Amway’s reputation as a caring organisation  make a real difference to human lives. Child mortality is particularly high in developing countries because of infectious diseases. Many children could still be alive if they had been vaccinated. For under  £12 a child can be vaccinated against these diseases and has a fighting chance to reach adulthood. UNICEF’s world child ‘Immunisation Plus’ programme is a fitting focus for the activities of Amway UK and its IBOs. The UK initiative is part of a European-wide fundraising campaign for children. It recognises the importance of building good working relationships with UNICEF in each market in order to launch fundraising programmes through Amway’s IBOs and their customers. The objective is to raise â‚ ¬500,000 (about  £350,000) every year until 2010 across Amway Europe. In 2005 Amway UK’s partnership was deepened through becoming an official Corporate Partner of UNICEF UK. The Corporate Partnership is a closer longer-term relationship which benefits both partners. Working together the two parties raise money for UNICEF. Identifying stakeholders  Amway’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy has been developed with the interests of the followingstakeholders in mind: Communicating the strategy  Good, clear communication is essential in making sure that the CSR strategy relates directly to the company business objectives. Communication also helps in putting the strategy into practice. A number of communications media are used: 1. Face-to-face communication: Regular meetings take place between UNICEF, Amway and its IBOs. Through meetings with UNICEF staff, Amway is able to discuss the vision and objectives. It then passes the message on by meeting with IBOs. In 2005 the two organisations arranged a joint briefing day for  IBO Leaders. They were able to hear firsthand experiences from UNICEF staff about their roles and UNICEF’s work as well as where the money goes. 2. Printed material: Amway produces a monthly magazine for all IBOs called Amagram. 3. Public relations materials are also important, particularly at launch events for the initiative (e.g. in Milton Keynes in 2006). 4. Email communication: Email is very important in the company – it plays a significant part in keeping IBOs up-to-date. 5. Online activities: There is a micro-site dedicated to the Amway UK/UNICEF partnership on the UNICEF UK website. Fundraising Amway Europe provides support for fundraising to the extent of â‚ ¬500,000 (about  £350,000) per year through selling items such as: greetings cards multi-cultural gifts and cards stationery and wrapping paper toys for children. However, Amway UK’s support goes well beyond these activities. In addition, it involves staff fundraising events and raffles organised by the IBOs. UNICEF attends IBO major events (usually supported by 1,000 or more IBOs) where requested. A UNICEF stand outlines the work with speakers, literature and merchandise. Conclusion Amway is a family business with family values. Its IBOs are people who want to make a difference to the communities in which they operate and to the wider world community. This is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in action. The clue to Amway’s success is the careful planning of its strategy and its involvement with manystakeholders in getting the strategy right. Of course, it is early days in the latest chapter of a strong relationship between Amway and UNICEF. Evaluation is taking place to measure the success of the initiative in terms of meeting fundraising goals. Customer research is carried out to test customers‘ views on the relationship and to find out how aware the general public is about what Amway is doing in the field of CSR. Sample study questions 1. What do you understand by the term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? 2. Explain two actions that Amway and its IBOs are currently taking that involve CSR. 3. Analyse the key ingredients in Amway’s CSR strategy. Show how the strategy is designed to translate the vision into practical steps on the ground. 4. Recommend ways in which Amway could enhance and develop its impact on making every child matter.

Media Content Analysis of Espn Essay

ESPN demonstrates how a monopoly works in the contemporary media landscape, a landscape in which the cost of information is diminishing and the necessity of diversified revenue streams is increasing. By distributing content across multiple platforms, like their website, their television programs, their magazine and their mobile applications, ESPN maintains a steady position as the leader in sports news. No competitor has managed to knock ESPN off its horse, primarily because ESPN can outbid practically any other network or media group for content. The media groups of individual sports leagues like Major League Baseball pose an interesting threat to ESPN. These groups develop their own networks designed to produce content for one sport only, like baseball. They’re capable of offering products that ESPN can’t due to the amount and variation of content that ESPN covers. Fortunately for ESPN, the idea of partnering and revenue sharing is appealing to these networks due to ESPN’s wide audience base. What makes ESPN special is their ability to deliver a set of experiences that other networks cannot compete with. When content becomes homogenous between networks, it’s the availability and delivery of the content that makes a difference, and right now, no one delivers sports news like ESPN. In today’s media landscape, it’s extremely difficult to dominate a market. It’s difficult to even stay solvent for many news organizations. Bankruptcy, or the threat of bankruptcy, haunts just about every major newspaper in the country, including the Chicago Tribune, who filed for Chapter 11 at the end of 2008. Broadcast audiences in most large cities are divided up among the big network affiliates like ABC, NBC and FOX, and magazine subscriptions and revenues continue to decline. Despite uncertain times, one media group maintains a monopoly on their market. Often referred to as a â€Å"cartel,† Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) has dominated the sports media industry across multiple platforms for decades. Seemingly always multiple steps ahead of their largest competitors, CBS and NBC Sports, ESPN has developed mobile apps, a network of television channels, a documentary series and other original content that simply overwhelms their audience. Being the â€Å"Worldwide Leader in Sports† comes with its criticisms, of course. ESPN is often accused of biased reporting and engaging in conflicts of interest, notably, their development of the Longhorn Network with the University of Texas. Regardless, consumers turn to ESPN for sports news and content. In their mission statement, they say they endeavor â€Å"To serve sports fans wherever sports are watched, listened to, discussed, debated, read about or played,† and that â€Å"People are our most valuable resource, and care and respect for employees and each other will always be at the heart of our operations. † ESPN is in the unique position of being the people’s champion of the sports media landscape. Since its inception in September of 1979, ESPN has appealed to consumers on a more conversational, personable level than most other sports outlets or media organizations. The network has developed personalities like Chris â€Å"Boomer† Berman and Stuart Scott who involve their audience by combining references to pop-culture with sports. As a result, ESPN has developed as an incredibly strong brand, known for being â€Å"cool. † Competitors like CBS and NBC Sports are certainly well established brands of their own, but their brands aren’t as â€Å"hip† as ESPN. By generating cross-platform content with ESPN the Magazine, ESPN. com and the more recent ESPN ScoreCenter mobile app, ESPN has carved up the sports media landscape to their liking, dictating how information is disseminated. While ESPN has done an amazing job up until now, they face the danger of losing specialized audiences to channels like the MLB Network and NFL Network who siphon off consumers with very specific sports interests. With companies like Major League Baseball Advanced Media (BAM) pioneering new applications like â€Å"MLB at Bat† and inking new television deals that revolutionize the way baseball fans follow the national pastime, ESPN has to be concerned. It’s unlikely ESPN will ever lose all of their broadcasting rights to MLB games, their audience is just too large, but once more baseball fans realize their interests might be better served with MLB. om and the MLB Network, ESPN could see declines in ratings and viewership to programming like. Sunday Night Baseball. In order to prevent that, ESPN has to consider mergers and collaborations. While the MLB might not be interested, yet, ESPN has already reached out to the NFL Network about the possibility of combining their ESPN Classics channel with the NFL Network. By doing so, the long arm of ESPN could bolster viewership and the specialized content of the NFL Network could expand advertising revenues. Whether a similar deal could be made with the MLB Network, which, as the MLBAM case study stated, â€Å"is the gold standard among sports leagues,† is uncertain, but often these specialized networks see themselves as broadcast partners, not competitors of ESPN. By Harold Vogel’s own definition in his text Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis, ESPN is a monopoly. There are no close substitutes for their output, they set prices, and there are barriers that prevent potential competitors from entering the market. In an article that appeared in the Sports Business Journal Daily in 2009 entitled â€Å"Industry wonders who will challenge ESPN,† staff writer John Ourand says that if a competitor were to emerge, they would have to do it between 2011 and 2014, when many of the major sports leagues TV deals expire. Regardless of expiration dates, ESPN is capable of outbidding just about anyone when it comes to content packages. They outbid FOX by $100 million in 2009 to secure the rights to the College Football Bowl Series through 2014. ESPN’s foothold on the sports media landscape is intimidating. Effectively, ESPN has constructed barriers to entry because no one is capable of competing with them on the same level across multiple platforms. Additionally, they’re usually willing to share revenues with other networks if it means increased viewership on their own channels. Vogel defines entertainment as that which produces a pleasurable and satisfying experience and cites Becker (1965) and DeSerpa (1971) for suggesting that the demand for leisure is affected in a complicated way by the cost of time both to produce and to consume. ESPN does a marvelous job maximizing the return on the amount of time spent consuming their products. It takes a mere moment to absorb the final score of the Chicago Bulls game via the ScoreCenter app. It takes just minutes to read an article about the game on ESPN. com and a consumer can spend upwards of thirty minutes watching SportsCenter where they can see highlights of the game and hear an analysis of it. In chapter two of Vogel’s text, it is explained that distribution power trumps control of content: â€Å"The best content in the world is not worth nything if it cannot be made readily available to audiences. † So, what is the result of the strongest distribution power and the best content in the world? The result is ESPN, a monopoly. The breakdown of gatekeeping that has affected so many media companies hasn’t resulted in a loss of control or profitability for ESPN. Instead, ESPN has embraced the greater empowerment of the user that Vogel’s speaks of. Increased â€Å"participation, engagement, connectivity, customization, personalization and collaboration† between users and the content ESPN creates has actually helped ESPN maintain and grow their audience. Viewers now send in videos to SportsCenter that are considered for segments like the â€Å"Top 10† and the â€Å"Not Top 10,† which highlight the best and worst of the week in sports. SportsCenter, ESPN. com and some of their original programming like SportsNation rely heavily on audience polls. SportsNation, in particular, is a program almost completely dedicated to polling fans about topics like the best slam dunks, touchdowns, even the best athlete’s beard (James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder). By engaging their viewers, ESPN continues to improve the user experience, which Vogel explains is what media companies are actually selling, a set of experiences. Fantasy sports are another experience ESPN is trying to sell. ESPN’s biggest competitor in the fantasy sports market is Yahoo!. It is one frontier where ESPN hasn’t completely dominated, but that doesn’t mean they’re not trying. Fantasy Sports are now incorporated into their original programming, giving the average player insights as to who to â€Å"start† and who to â€Å"bench† for a particular game. It’s just one more way for ESPN to engage their audience and diversify the digital distribution of their products. I think ESPN is an exemplary media content producer. In fact, I aspire to work for them one day. I acknowledge the potential issues associated with being considered a â€Å"cartel,† but I subscribe to the notion that if you can’t beat them, join them. I’m not entirely convinced of their biased reporting, either. ESPN employs a diverse variety of reporters who frequently disagree with one another. Additionally, they have provided a platform for female reporters pioneering their way into sports journalism. The latest irritations from viewers revolve around over-reporting of certain topics, like Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin. I personally don’t mind. ESPN does an excellent job engaging their viewers, diversifying content across multiple platforms, and embracing and monetizing digital distribution of information. I do think a competitor or two will come along in the near future, but I don’t think the downfall of ESPN is in anywhere in sight. Viewers love ESPN because it feels like home, and no one is ready to move just yet.

Islam Dbq Essay

(first name last name) (teachers name) (Class) – (period) March 19, 2013 Why Did Islam Spread So Quickly? Islam originated in present day Saudi Arabia where the prophet, Muhammad, had been born. Islam would later be able to spread quickly through trade, the appealing nature of the Islamic faith, and military campaigns. In the â€Å"Arabian Peninsula Trade Routes† (Doc. A) it shows how Mecca was very busy with all kinds of trade. Since Mecca is where Islam would start in the upcoming years, traders would come and go taking the teachings of Muhammad with them.Mecca was both the center of trade and the center of Islam which leads to the quick spread of faith through the many traders and merchants that traveled to Mecca to trade and left with the words of Islam. It would have helped if a journal of a merchant or traveler that went to Mecca around the time Islam had begun to rise had been included so that readers can see how the people back then took to the idea of a new bel ief such as Islam so the readers can get a better understanding as to why Islam spread. In Versus from The Qur’an (Doc.B), the author, Muhammad used a didactic tone to show he believed in educating the people about Islam. This segment (Doc. B) was used to show the equality featured in the beliefs of Islam so that the â€Å"non-believers† would feel equal and would want to convert to Islam because of its appealing nature. The Qur’an helped spread the word of God by telling the way Islam should be practiced. Equality is what many people looked for and The Qur’an taught people how equality is the main part of Islam it helped spread it faster because people like to be equals and they also like harmony which is available in Islam. The Ghazu† (Doc. D) also helped in teaching others about the appealing nature of Islam by showing how Muslims are equal and they cannot attack each other. This would appeal to the nature of many citizens because it would exting uish any fear of war and it would ease any tension between any set of Muslim territories so that they can spend more time following the duties of Islam instead of worrying about war. While these people looked for peace, Islam welcomed them with open arms telling of equality and harmony.This appealed to the people and thus led to more Islam believers by showing how peace and harmony was present in the ways of Islam. â€Å"The Ordinances of Government† (Doc. E) too helped with spreading the appealing nature of Islam by telling Muslims â€Å"the rules† of Islamic faith to prevent any accidental wrongful actions. This appealed to the people because they knew â€Å"the rules† so they could be true to the nature of their faith and they wouldn’t accidentally stray from the teachings of Muhammad.Abu al-Hasan Al-Mawardi, the author, used an academic tone to show he believed in telling Muslims â€Å"the rules† about Islam so they would become better follower s and make them happier so that they could help spread Islam quickly so that others could hear the teachings of Muhammad as well. It would have helped shed some light on the subject if there was a testimony available from the point of view of a Muslim in which he retells what he looks for in Islam.This would help by seeing if these documents were getting their point across and hitting their target with the Muslims. Lastly, Islam spread quickly through military campaigns which is depicted in â€Å"The Spread of Islam (map)† (Doc. C) This map shows how the people that were conquered by the Muslims chose to convert to Islam because it was more convenient for them to convert to a new religion than it was to continuously pay taxes so they could follow their own religion. The Origins of the Islamic State† (Doc. F) also helped with the spread of Islam because in Circa 850 CE the Muslims were not able to protect the people of Hims because they were busy with their own war and t he people of Hims converted to Islam so they could get protection. This boosted the numbers of the Muslims and it showed that many people converted due to war because it was more convenient to convert to Islam than it was to fight these large armies with no help at all.Ahmad ibn-Jabir al-Baladhuri, the author, used a grim tone to help convey his belief of why the Hims converted to Islam instead of keeping their same belief. It would have helped convey the message of military conquest by getting a journal entry of a commander in the Muslim army so that inferences can be made on how the military made the conversion to Islam possible to so many â€Å"non-believers† so that readers can understand how this helped boost the Muslim population.Islam spread quickly through trade because the many people that traveled to Mecca heard the words of Muhammad and they spread the word to others creating a domino effect with â€Å"non-believers. Islam spread quickly through its appealing natu re too by telling Muslims of peace and Harmony and other things that appealed to the Muslims such as equality. Military campaigns helped spread Islam as well by forcing people to convert so they can avoid paying taxes and it was more convenient for these people to convert to Islam than it was to stay with the religion they had already.

Asessment of children, toddler, pre-school using Gorden’s functional health pattern assessment Essay

Toddlers may come to know that being sick means feeling bad or having to stay in bed, but they have little, if any, understanding of the meaning of health. They depend on their parents for health management. A normal assessment finding for the toddler is being current on their immunizations. Because their immune system is still maturing, a normal assessment finding would be frequent minor upper respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Their passive immunity to communicable diseases acquired from breast milk has disappeared and active immunity through the initial immunization series is usually completed by 18 months. An abnormal assessment finding is not having been immunized or being behind in their scheduled immunizations. A potential problem for the toddler can occur when their parents don’t model healthy behaviors such as eating a balanced diet. The toddler may end up having nutritional deficiencies or become overweight. Nutritional-Metabolic Pattern Toddlers are usually weaned from the breast or bottle before or during toddlerhood. A potential problem with that can be inadequate iron intake since regular cow’s milk is low in iron and can interfere with iron absorption from other food sources. A normal assessment finding in toddlers is a decrease in growth rate and appetite and can becoming picky eaters. A potential problem is nutritional deficiency if the parents offer empty calories from unhealthy snacks just to get them to eat something. Pattern of Elimination A normal assessment finding for the toddler is increased development of voluntary control over their bladder and urinating less frequently. Their average urine volume for the day will be between 500-750 ml. Their emotional and physical readiness for toilet training rarely develops before 18 months of age. A potential problem is frustration for both the parents and toddler if toilet training is attempted before the child is ready. The toddler’s gastrointestinal tract reaches functional maturity and most will develop sufficient voluntary control of the internal and external anal sphincters for bowel control. This usually happens before urinary control. Pattern of Activity and Exercise Toddlers are increasingly becoming more mobile and are able to coordinate their large muscle groups better. The toddler generally does not show complete dominance of one-sided body function and may still switch hands when eating or throwing a ball. They are always busy and will advance from taking their first step to running, climbing stairs, and pedaling a tricycle. Because of their exploratory nature and limited skills they are vulnerable to injury. They will want to play with other children in parallel play. A potential problem is the over use of television to entertain the child. Recent research demonstrates that for every hour they watch television they know 6 to 8 fewer words than toddlers who didn’t. Pattern of Sleep and Rest The toddler’s need for sleep is 12 hours a day which includes 1 or 2 naps. They need to have a bedtime ritual to help them sleep. A potential problem with the active toddler is that they may not be aware of their fatigue and become overtired and unable to relax enough to sleep. The toddler may suffer from night terrors where they don’t awaken completely for several minutes and look terrified. Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern The toddler’s receptive language skills outweigh their expressive language ability and they often use gestures until they can find the right words to express themselves. They may become frustrated and will default to using â€Å"no† to gain control and express themselves. The toddler’s play can be repetitive and ritualistic. That is how they learn skills and decrease anxiety. A potential problem with the toddler’s endless energy and curiosity is frustration of the parents or caregiver which may lead to child abuse. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions at birth and if not detected speech, language, cognitive, and emotional development can be impeded. Self-Perception-Self-Concept Pattern The toddler is ready to develop a sense of self separate from parents. They are delighted in their emerging independence and achievements. Their task of exerting autonomy means they have to give up their dependence on others that was enjoyed in infancy. If they continue to be dependent, they may get a sense of doubt about their ability to take control of their actions. To develop a sense of autonomy they must explore the physical world and the interpersonal aspects of relationships. A potential problem is their safety as they investigate their environment and they are susceptible to accidents. Temper tantrums are a response to frustration when the toddler’s need for autonomy conflicts with parental expectations, safety limits, or the rights of other people. This can result in child abuse from the parent who is not equipped to deal with it. Roles-Relationships Patterns The toddler understands his parents and siblings’ roles in terms of how their roles relate to him. Their most important relationships are their family. The desire to be like or have what a sibling does can lead to sibling rivalry. If a new baby comes along and gets too much attention and becomes a nuisance, they may revert to infantile behaviors such as wanting to be fed or dressed and losing their toilet skills. The toddler’s behavior can be trying for the parents and abuse can occur. Sexuality-Reproductive Pattern The toilet training process may precipitate curiosity about the genital area. The parents might name the parts a cute name rather than the correct anatomical terms. This can create problems of learning about sexuality and communicating effectively if sexually abused. Coping-Stress Tolerance Pattern Temperament is the style of behaviors that a child uses to cope with demands and expectations of the environment. The three common temperament patterns are the easy child, the difficult child, and the slow to warm up child. The difficult child is less adaptable, more intense and active, and has more negative attitudes which can be distressing and frustrating to parents and caregivers and make them feel inadequate in their roles because they don’t know how to deal with them. Toddlers often imitate their parent’s methods of dealing with stress. This can be a problem if the behavior modeled is inappropriate and counter-productive. Values-Beliefs Pattern Toddlers believe rules are absolute and behave out of fear of punishment. Most of their developing values and beliefs depend on their interactions with their parents. Parents often attend to the toddler only when they are misbehaving and leaving them alone when they are good. This is a potential problem because the toddler’s negative behavior is reinforced because they only get attention when misbehaving. Preschooler Pattern of Health Perception and Health Promotion By age 4 or 5 the preschooler begins to understand that they play a role in their own health. They may become upset over minor injuries and they may view pain or illness as a punishment. They contribute to their own health management by brushing their teeth, taking medication, and wearing appropriate clothes for the weather. Since the immune system is not fully developed they will continue get contagious illnesses. Nutritional-Metabolic Pattern A normal assessment finding for the preschooler’s food consumption is that about half of their diet consists of carbohydrates and the other half consists of protein 5% and fat 30-40%. They will develop food preferences because of their increased ability to react to the taste and textures of food and their realization that expressing an opinion about food is a way to have control. If offered too many sweets and processed foods along with little physical activity it can lead to obesity and diabetes. Conflict can arise when the preschooler and families have extreme differences over food preferences. Pain from dental caries, infection, and poorly cared for teeth affects the appetite and chewing ability that impacts their nutritional status. Children from low income households are mostly affected. The prevalence of food allergies in children that develop before the age of two in the United States is increasing. Elimination Pattern Older preschoolers are capable of and responsible for independent toileting. By the end of preschool their daily urine amounts total from 650 to 1000 ml. Children achieve full voluntary bowel control. Acquired lactose deficiency often appears and is more common in Black, Asian American, and Native American children. Activity-Exercise Pattern Play continues to be the primary activity for preschoolers and they demonstrate increased coordination and confidence with motor activities. They play simple interactive games and dress themselves. The preschooler can regulate body activity better than toddlers. Many preschoolers spend a lot of time watching television. Sometimes parents may use the television to entertain the child and a significant amount of the shows focus on adult themes and violence. Many experts agree that television disengages the child’s mind and supports less learning. Watching too much television can mean missed opportunities for interacting with other children. Sleep-Rest Pattern Most preschoolers sleep from 8 to 12 hours a night and for older children a nap may not be needed. They usually need a bedtime ritual to move from playing and being with others to being alone and falling asleep. They prolong bedtime routines more often than the toddler. They challenge the parents with their resistance to bedtime and learn to use behaviors that meet their needs and control the family and cause disruption. The preschooler can experience night terrors and nightmares. Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern Many children are starting formalized education during their preschool years. Their facility with language resembles that of an adult. The preschooler’s vision continues to undergo refinement and by age 6 the child should approach 20/20 visual acuity level. Depth perception and color vision become fully established. The child may develop myopic vision which will require glasses. Hearing develops to the level of an adult’s. The hearing ability can be hindered by recurrent ear infections and may cause language delays. Pattern of Self-Perception and Self-Concept The preschooler is developing a mastery of self as an independent person, with a willingness to extend experiences beyond those of the family. Social acceptance helps them feel successful in their role as a child, sibling, and friend. They investigate roles through imagination. When they perceive their value in the world they demonstrate improved mental and physical health. Preschoolers remain sensitive to criticism and when ridiculed for ideas or behavior they may develop feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Role-Relationship Pattern They use play to explore while experimenting with who they are, who they might become, and how they relate to others socially. The drama of play allows them to view themselves from another perspective. Peers are becoming more significant. Ideas about gender differences in work roles and other activities are based on models in the home, at child care or preschool centers, and on television. Preschoolers use play to experiment with new roles and to understand others’ roles better. Younger children may admire and imitate an older sibling which can be a source of irritation and frustration for them. Divorce commonly creates disruption in the family and may cause regression, confusion, and irritability in the preschooler. Sexuality-Reproductive Pattern Preschoolers know that there are two genders and identify with their own gender. They see representations of both genders in role models and on television to interpret and they can define their own roles. They are curious about the bodies and sexual function of others. When they are teased about this interest or it is implied that sexual information is unacceptable or naughty it will promote negative self-esteem. Being a victim of sexual abuse will cause many emotional problems. Pattern of Coping and Stress Tolerance Play is an important strategy for the preschooler to use to reduce stress. They are able to verbalize their frustration and show more patience in dealing with difficulties. They also use the coping mechanisms of separation anxiety, regression, fantasy, denial, repression, and projection. Sometimes projection can lead a parent to consider the child as dishonest when they blame somebody or something else for something they did. Temper tantrums normally disappear as a response to stress in the older preschooler. Temper tantrums that persist through the fifth year indicate a lack of matured coping responses. Pattern of Value and Beliefs Preschoolers lack fully developed consciences. At the age of 4 or 5 years old they do demonstrate some internal control of their actions. Preschoolers control their behavior to retain their parent’s love and approval. Moral actions are demonstrated in simple activities such as standing in line. Life and death fascinates the preschooler. Because of their limited emotional experience with death they may become upset with the idea of dying, assuming that when someone becomes angry and wishes them dead that they will cease to exist. Children who lose a loved one can have sleep disturbances and other behavioral changes as part of the grieving process. School-Aged Child Pattern of Health Perception and Health Management Most children are relatively health during this time. They learn to accept personal responsibility and participate in self-care such as personal hygiene, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and safety. Due to a child’s cultural obligation to obey authority figures, children can become passive health care consumers, asking few questions, doing as they are told, and perpetuating poor choices. Some school-aged children may choose unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or illicit drugs. Leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer. Nutritional-Metabolic Pattern School-age children often eat foods low in iron, calcium, and vitamin C, and foods that have higher fat and sodium content than their parents did at their age. There is a discrepancy between current dietary intake and recommended dietary intake of these children placing them at risk for poor nutritional habits, iron deficiency, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. A child’s nutritional pattern usually reflects their family patterns. This could be a problem when a child doesn’t want to eat breakfast because their parents don’t. Pattern of Elimination Most children will have full bowel and bladder control by age 5. Their elimination patterns are similar to an adult’s, urinating 6 to 8 times a day and 1 or 2 bowel movements a day. Children with primary enuresis have never achieved bladder control. Some may have nocturnal enuresis. This can cause disruption in the family and self-esteem issues and have profound effects socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. Children with encopresis face similar issues. Pattern of Activity and Exercise The school-age child is generally naturally active. Those children who don’t live in a safe neighborhood or don’t have a parent who exercises are less likely to exercise themselves. The school aged child has the potential to perform more complex fine motor and gross motor functions. Physically active boys are slightly stronger than girls. Many children get their exercise through group activities and organized sports. Concerns exist that children have had too much physical and psychological pressure to perform in sports. Children can also get injured from playing in sports. Pattern of Sleep and Rest Most school-age children have no problems with sleeping and their requirements of sleep are similar to an adult’s. They sleep 8 to 12 hours a night without naps during the day. The most common sleep problems are night terrors, sleepwalking, sleep talking, and enuresis. Cognitive-Perceptual Pattern The school-aged child’s vision should reach optimal function by age 6 or 7 years of age. Peripheral vision and the ability to discriminate fine color distinctions should be fully developed. They should have a visual acuity in each eye of at least 20/30. Many children need glasses to prevent academic difficulties, headaches and dizziness when reading or doing close work. Many children may have myopia or astigmatism. The child’s hearing ability is nearly complete by the age of 7 years. Chronic serous otitis media is the common cause of hearing deficits. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. Pattern of Self-Perception and Self-Concept The school-age child’s concept of the body and its functions is changing. Changes or differences in their body may frighten the school-age child if they don’t understand their normal developmental process. Physical differences can provoke ridicule and isolation. Children with chronic illness worry that their peer relationships will suffer if they know about their illness. Role-Relationship Pattern Parents and caregivers serve as authority figures that establish rules needed for the functioning of the family and the safety of the child. The school-aged child’s increasing independence and responsibility begin to reduce the amount of parental authority and structure needed. They prioritize school and peer group relationships. They broaden their interests outside the home. Some may become involved in gangs or behavior that is stressful for both them and their family. Relationships between children and adults are not always positive and sexual abuse has become a more common but hidden problem. Sexuality-Reproductive Pattern The child enters the school-age years identifying with the parent of the same sex and continues to learn the concepts and behavior of the gender role. This is a significant challenge, especially for homosexual children. Stereotypes continue to influence the child’s ideas of male and female roles. When physical changes of puberty have begun, concern and curiosity about sexual issues grow. A lot of parents are uncomfortable or unsure of what sexual information to give to their children. Pattern of Coping and Stress Tolerance A threat to the child’s security causes feelings of helplessness and anxiety that may affect their ability to function successfully. Grief over the death of a loved one, divorce, or loss of acceptance from a peer group may cause behavior problems. The family environment provides a sense of security that allows the school-age child to cope with stress. In uncontrollable situations children may become depressed or somaticize. Pattern of Value and Beliefs Cultural, religious, and parental values influence a child’s moral development, concept of right and wrong, and consequences of not demonstrating moral behavior. Some moral behavior problems are common during school-age years such as lying, stealing, or cheating. These actions can be very upsetting for the parents. Compare and contrast identified similarities as well as differences in expected assessment across the childhood age groups. Mostly similarities were found within all three age groups for the Gordon’s Functional Health Pattern Assessment categories. All of them looked to their parents as role models and for guidance in every category and could either be positively or negatively influenced by them. By example from their parents or by what they are offered to eat from them, they could either learn to be healthy eaters or end up with nutritional deficiencies, obese, or have health problems. All three age groups learn from their parents how to cope with stress and look to them for comfort. They are all affected by their parents and their culture. The three age groups are each exploring themselves regarding their roles and relationships in life and their sexuality. They are all susceptible to the negative influences of the television. They all need a structured bedtime and adequate sleep. All of them showed an increased desire for and sense of independence. As they each grow older they are able to express themselves and communicate better. The biggest difference was that the toddler and preschooler get more contagious illnesses than the school-age child. Summarize how a nurse would handle physical assessments, examinations, education, and communication differently with children versus adults. Consider spirituality and cultural differences in your answer To assess a child’s growth, the nurse uses the CDC growth chart to compare the child’s weight to national averages of which there are ethnic differences. The assessment and examination of the child is different than that of an adult. The head to toe sequence for adults is varied in children according to their response and developmental level. The nurse uses play techniques and the child is allowed to play with the instruments. The child may need to sit on the parent’s lap during the exam. Education and communication is different towards children. The child’s health perception and management is greatly influenced by the parent and their culture so the nurse has to work in partnership with the parent. Most of the history is obtained from the parent although an older child may be able to provide some of their own history. Because the child may not be able to say what hurts or articulate their fears and needs, the nurse needs to be able to interpret behaviors and reactions and be intuitive and reassuring to both the child and parents. The nurse needs to identify and overcome any barriers to understanding the child and parents whether because of language, culture, or stage of development (Nursing and Midwife Council [NMC], 2008). Reference Nursing and Midwife Council (2008). Advice for nurses working with children and young people. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from www. nmc-uk. org/nurses-and-midwives/advice-by-topic/a/advice/advice-on-working-with-children-and-young-people/