Organizations Performance Essay

An organization’s performance is vital for their success and it is important that all employees are on board with making sure the performance is of high quality. It differs from other evaluations within the company because the performance evaluation â€Å"focuses on the organization as the primary unit of analysis† (Evaluating the Performance of an Organization, 2012). Within an organization’s performance it helps determine the actual output or end results of an organization against the intended outputs or goals for the organization (businessdictionary.com). The product market performance is also included in an organizations performance. Some tools can help the organization change or â€Å"improve their policies on behalf of greater preparedness for the many futures ahead† (NYUWagner, 2011). Different areas and tools are used to determine the organization’s performance and how well they either are doing or how much improvement the organization needs to bring their performance up. â€Å"Organizations are constantly trying to adapt, survive, perform and influence† but that does not always mean they are successful at doing what they do (Evaluating the Performance of an Organization, 2012). One way that an organization can better their performance is by conducting an organizational assessment to diagnose their current performance to see what is working and what could use a little bit of improvement. This â€Å"tool can help organizations obtain useful data on their performance, identify important factors that aid or impede their achievement of results, and situate themselves with respect to competitors† (Evaluating the Performance of an Organization, 2012). The main four tools for organizational performance are effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and financial viability. â€Å"Effectiveness is the capability of producing a desired result† (businessdictionary.com). This means that if something is considered to be effective then it has an intended or expected outcome which is what is used in the organizations to determine if what is set in place is working effectively or if additional changes need to be made. There is sufficient reason and means with effectiveness and that is to accomplish a purpose. Without a purpose there is not an effective meaning behind conducting business or maintaining a successful organization. Effectiveness is a very good tool for organizations and managers to understand and become familiar with to be on the right track for success. Another tool that management should be familiar with and make sure the organization is doing is efficiency. Efficiency is not to be confused with effective even though sometimes they are mixed up and confused. â€Å"Efficiency describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well used for the intended task or purpose† (businessdictionary.com). Typically efficiency is used with the specific purpose of relaying the capability of a specific application of effort to produce a specific outcome effectively with a minimum amount or quantity of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort (Evaluating the Performance of an Organization, 2012). Relevance is a basic tool but one that can help in the success of an organization. It is â€Å"the ability to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user† mostly in the terms of an informational retrieval system (businessdictionary.com). Management need to have relevance in order to be successful because they need to be able to pull the necessary information from production, departments, and other sources to see if what is being produced or utilized is satisfying their requirements or not. For a business to be effective they need to â€Å"strive for the best possible economic results from the resources currently employed or available† (Drucker, 1963). Having an effective business is the key for the business to be able to grow and establish themselves as a company and within the community. Several different techniques are used to allow the business to become effective. One of the keys for successful management â€Å"is to examine the marketplace† and focus on the process of management versus the output (Drucker, 1963). When focusing on the process of management it is important for the company to look at strategy, planning and budgeting and understand the difference between each of them yet understand how each one works with each other to make it successful. â€Å"Strategy is a high level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty† (businessdictionary.com). For a business to be successful they need to implement some sort of strategy. Strategy is important because it helps to utilize all of the resources that are available or could be available for the project at hand. Most of the time resources are usually limited and in order to achieve the goals that the company has set in place making sure the strategy is set in place will help the process flow more smoothly. â€Å"Strategy is also about attaining and maintaining a position of advantage† over the opponents, or competition that is able to have flexibility instead of having to stick to any specific fixed plan. By allowing there to be slight flexibility that allows the company to try to keep an advantage over the competition and stay ahead compared to the other organizations. Planning â€Å"is the process of thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve a desired goal† (businessdictionary.com). Strategy could be considered the first step and then planning would be the second step in achieving the desired goal for organizational su ccess. Planning involves the construction and maintenance of a plan. â€Å"This thought process is essential to the creation and refinement of a plan† or combination of it with other plans (NYUWagner, 2011). Planning typically combines forecasting of development with the preparation for how the organization should react to these situations. For the organization to remain successful it needs to understand the importance and relationship between planning and forecasting. â€Å"Forecasting can be described as predicting what the future will look like† or what the future might hold for the company and â€Å"planning predicts what the future should look like† (NYUWagner, 2011). Organizations that do not understand the difference between planning and forecasting will not be as successful as the organizations that do. This is because looking at the numbers of what something might look like and what it should look like are two different ways of planning. For a business to be successful the need to focus on planning so their predictions are what the future should look like to be successful and stay on the right path. Budgets are also incorporated with strategy and planning, they all intertwine together. â€Å"A budget is a quantitative expression of a plan for a defined period of time† (businessdictionary.com). Several different factors can be associated within a budget such as sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities, costs and expense, assets and liabilities, and even cash flows. The budget â€Å"expresses strategic plans of business units, organizations, activities or events in measurable terms† (Evaluating the Performance of an Organization, 2012). For a company to have success in their daily operations they need to make sure the stay on budget and current with all of their projects. Many organizations create a budget for each plan however they do not follow through with the budget. It is one thing to create a budget for a product and it is another thing to actually follow through with the budget and make sure everyone stays on track. If the company goes over budget then the planning and strategy process were not calculated correctly. Everyone involved within the project needs to be familiar with the strategy, plan and budget aspects to keep the organization successful and continue moving forward instead of always having to back track. It is easy to get off of track or to change the plan in the middle of the project. It is up to the organization and the team responsible for the project to keep the budget that they were assigned. Works Cited NYCWagner. (2011). Retrieved August 21, 2013, from http://www.NYCWager.com Evaluating the Performance of an Organization. (2012). Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/managing-your-business/business-ethics.html#ixzz2afud6KU0 Business Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2013, from http://www.businessdictionary.com Ferrell. (2011). Business Ethics. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kirby. (2012). Accounting Principles. McGraw. Zain, B. (2011). Strategic Management. Pittsburg: McGraw.

Building Positive Relationships in Children Essay

To help your child understand feelings you could do a feeling chart or make a feeling tree in your home. To make a feelings chart just draw out faces with how there expression might be when they are feeling that way an do the expressions yourself when showing them. This will give your child a better understanding of their feelings and how they can express them through facial expressions. For a feeling tree its much the same idea as a feeling card but you just take in a branch from a tree and stick the faces with the expressions on it.this will help a child express themselves when they can’t do it through facial expressions. The Significance of friendship Buy them some books with plenty of colourful pictures with the theme of friendship and them to them.this will help show them how nice it is to have friends and how to make them and keep them. It is only after the age of three that children can incorperate other children into their playtime activities so at around this age ask other parents if they would like to make a playdate for their child and yours n a regular basis.this will get your child used to other childrens company.you can also talk about what they did together at dinner or quiet time alone and encourage them to do it again. Communication and Respect To help your child with communication you need to be a good example to them.talk to them as much as you can about your day and ask how theirs was.even talking about their favourite tv programme would be good as they will be more likely to talk about something that they’re interested in. To teach them about respect you need to set a good example for this as well. Giving them boundaries will also help and treating them with respect will encourage them to do the same to you. Factors that impact/Motivate children Tou tourself have a major impact on your child.they learn from how you react to situations and other peaople and will use this as a guide for themselves. Also the tv programmes that they watch will make an impact on them and can also motivate them to try new things that they wouldn’t of thought of themselves. .

Globalization to Beat Inequality Essay

Indeed, globalization is the most popular trend in international economics. Increasing integration of world markets and exchanges of information and technology are definitely expected to help the least developed nations, thereby bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Thus, the thesis of Bhagwati’s (2004) book, In Defense of Globalization – that, in fact, globalization helps the poorest people of the world – must be agreed with. After all, foreign direct investments are an extraordinary boost for the economies of the developing world. Moreover, by importing and exporting more goods and services than before, a developing nation may very well increase its income and also improve the standard of living of its peoples. It is generally believed that an increase in international trade is accompanied by an increase in income inequality, seeing that the majority of the people in developing nations are poor and cannot afford to purchase relatively expensive foreign goods in the local market, nor form gigantic enterprises to sell to the foreign public. Furthermore, globalization involves the risk of foreign companies taking advantage of the undeveloped regulatory structures in developing nations. As an example, a foreign water company in Argentina, after the mass privatization of Argentinian business, was said to have been very ethical before it entered Argentina. The company had connections with France and the United States. All the same, the company turned to poor service in Argentina soon after privatization. The water company was eventually taken over by the Argentinian government for its careless, irresponsible behavior (Hacher 2007). If managed correctly, though, globalization is expected to help our world in significant ways. The famous observation of Friedman (2000) must also be considered in this analysis: â€Å"No two countries with McDonald’s have fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald’s. † Indeed, peace is conducive to global economic growth. But, so is equality. Even though the gap between the haves and the have-nots has been widening in recent years, good management of globalization may work wonders for the global economy. The World Trade Organization protests globalization on behalf of the poor nations. As an effect of globalization, the developing nations – just because they are doing business with the richer ones – are asked to accept the standards of environmental and labor protection that only the rich nations are able to afford at this point in time. Seeing that one of the accompaniments to globalization is acceleration, the World Trade Organization wants to emphasize that developing nations must be given more time to adjust to change. The fact that these nations require more time to adjust to change is illustrated by the experience of India with respect to child labor law. In point of fact, child labor law in India took a long time to be developed. The law was implemented at various levels over the course of many years, the reason being that India required children to work in its factories because of the Indian economy’s dependency on cheap labor. Besides, the parents of Indian children who worked could not afford to support their children that did not work (Pandey 2006). The debate over agricultural trade is by and large the most important issue for the World Trade Organization to deal with. Pitting rich nations against the poor, the debate emphasizes that the world’s poorest nations have few exports to offer besides basic agricultural products. Given that international trade is a necessity in today’s internationalized world, developing nations must compete against the giant nations, such as the United States and Japan. Developed nations support farmers with subsidies. If they do not support their own farmers, the latter would go out of business. This assistance – amounting to approximately three hundred billion dollars every year – increases the supply of basic agricultural products on the world market. As the price of agricultural produce is lowered, it is the poor nations that are hurt. In other words, the average cow in the European Union receives a daily subsidy of more than two U. S. dollars, and this figure is greater than the daily wage of twenty percent of the world’s population (Kaplan & Calzonetti 2005). Although Blinder (2006) is correct to state that the developed world would have to deal with tremendous change if â€Å"offshore outsourcing† is highly popularized in the coming years, it is not the rich world that requires help at this point in any case. Moreover, by mostly considering the changes that the rich world would have to experience, there is no way that economists would be able to convince the developed nations to effectively work with the developing nations. Therefore, it is essential to popularize offshore outsourcing by describing the benefits that both the developed and the developing world would accrue by means of it. After all, the developed world is in an excellent position to grant more jobs to people in the developing world. It would certainly be a win-win situation.Furthermore, it would help to bridge the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, thereby ensuring sustainable development too. REFERENCES Bhagwati, JN 2004, In Defense of Globalization, Oxford University Press, New York. Blinder, AS 2006, ‘Offshoring: The Next Industrial Revolution? ,’ Foreign Affairs, Mar/Apr 2006, available at http://www. foreignaffairs. org/20060301faessay85209-p0/alan-s-blinder/offshoring-the-next-industrial-revolution. html. Friedman, TL 2000, The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization, Anchor Books, New York. Hacher, S 2007, ‘Argentina Water Privatization Scheme Runs Dry,’ Global Policy Forum, 26 Feb 2007, available at http://globalpolicy. igc. org/socecon/bwi=wto/wbank/2004/0226argwater. htm. Kaplan, E, & Calzonetti, C 2005, ‘The WTO’s Troubled ‘Doha Negotiations,’ Council on Foreign Relations, 9 Dec 2005, available at http://www. cfr. org/index. html. Pandey, G 2006, ‘India Tightens Child Labor Laws,’ BBC News, 10 Oct 2006, available at http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/default. stm.

Promoting Emotional Wellbeing in Working with Children and Young Essay - 1

Promoting Emotional Wellbeing in Working with Children and Young People - Essay Example Teenagers who are strong in their emotional foundation are more capable of taking the advantage of the positive opportunities available in the surrounding. However, those teenagers, who belong to disadvantageous backgrounds (HM Government n.d., 1), are not capable of making the most of their youth as they lack support, ability and emotional foundation to utilize the benefits that teenage has to offer. This increases their frustration and drives them to take wrong decisions and indulge in anti-social behavior, drugs and sex (HM Government n.d., 1), which further deteriorate their physical and psychological health. The case study of a teenage girl Carla, which is discussed in this paper, is a good example of how a teenager from disadvantageous background can get in a repetitive destructive behavior pattern and lose all control over life. This paper aims at understanding the core of problems related to young people from disadvantageous background and what can individuals, society and go vernment initiatives can do to improve their lives. It has been found that teenagers who lack the emotional strength and well-being suffer the additional loss as they not only lose on life opportunities but also develop a negative and destructive pattern in life which continues in their adulthood and destroys all the chances of growth, happiness and success in life. Hence, to make the most of life, every teenager should be provided with emotional well being by giving them all the support that is needed in their familial, educational and social environment and more importantly, they should be counseled to develop a strong self-esteem as only a strong self-esteem can drive them to refuse in becoming a victims of negative patterns in life and choose the best that life has to offer. Carla Case Study Carla is 14 years old girl who is going through lots of emotional, psychological and educational problems. She has a history of getting involved in destructive relationships, indulgence in u nsafe sex and abortions. Currently, she is 16 weeks pregnant and it is her fourth pregnancy. Two of the pregnancies were early terminations with the last being at 20 weeks gestation, and they all with different abusive partners. Carla has a chaotic lifestyle and although she claims not to ‘use’ Class A drugs, she is a frequent Cannabis user and heavy drinker which makes it difficult for her to focus on her studies. Sadly, Carla’s mother has been in a succession of abusive relationships since Carla can remember. The insecurity and unstable home environment made Carla to spend two years between the age of 8 and 10 years, under the care of the local authority (her two younger brothers have been placed in care for the foreseeable future). Carla does not know her father and her mother is an alcoholic. Carla’s mother is incapable of giving emotional and financial support to Carla as she herself is fighting addiction, financial insecurity and emotional problems. This has negatively affected Carla’s life. Carla’s attendance at school throughout her younger years has been sporadic with exclusions for assault, theft and arson. She is currently under the supervision of the youth offending team. Carla has difficulty in building healthy relationships so she has no friends to offer support. Carla and her family are known to the local Social Services Department and Safeguarding Board. Analysis of the Case Carla’

Quantitative business and management journal Essay

Quantitative business and management journal - Essay Example elaborates that the relation of transfer of knowledge and contribution with the motivational level in the different network structures. The involvement of the employees in the knowledge sharing makes them feel their importance in the firm and the decision making of the company and hence increase the motivational level of the employee. The motivational level of the employees is increase as with their involvement in the knowledge sharing along with that when the involvement is done from every employee the contribution is of wide variety and different aspect of knowledge is contributed which is beneficial for the company as a whole. The research of this paper is aimed as to determine the different network structures in which the contribution from different and variety of sources improves the quality of the research and information and how different collaborating sources improve the motivational level of the employees. The knowledge sharing within the organization is seemed to be benefic ial for the company as a whole or not by including the motivational level increase within the employees and the benefits of the contributions as a variety of angles and perspective. Theory The theory in this paper is that the motivational level either intrinsic or extrinsic leads to the connectedness of the employees. There are several factors that lead to intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. The internal satisfactory factors that leads the sharing of knowledge of an individual leads to intrinsic motivation. The internal satisfaction may be of different intensity and thus they have the relative impact upon the sharing of knowledge of the individual. The extrinsic motivation comes along the external satisfactory conditions which are in terms of reward which may not necessarily be quantitative. The theory in this paper has been studied before as to the individual extent only where the motivational level relation with the connectedness of knowledge sharing of the individuals within the social circle. In this paper the research includes the involvement of the employees in the knowledge sharing of the company which shall be beneficial for the company as whole. The connectedness of the employees with the organization comes along with their involvement in the knowledge sharing of the employees as it enhances the motivational level of the employees. the employees’ extrinsic motivational and connectedness is dependent upon the rewards, hence as long as the employee is employee is rewarded then the contribution and the sharing of knowledge continues but as the reward is not awarded then the sharing of knowledge stops. In this paper the implication of the motivational level of the individual within the organization as the sharing of knowledge is dependent upon the network of the organization. Thus the implication of the motivational level and the connectedness within the organization is done. Quantitative Method and Analysis The connectedness of the empl oyee within the organization in terms of sharing of knowledge is related with the intrinsic motivation of the employee. Employees within the organization develop a social circle where the connectedness and sharing of knowledge is enhanced. As the theory elaborated the sharing of knowledge is done when the full innovative transfer of knowledge network is provided to the employee the motivation of the employee enhances. The hypothesis that the intrinsically motivated employees are well connected provided with the network of innovative transfer of knowledge is carried upon and tested with the practical implication within the organization. Hypothesis The hypothesis in this research is the relationship between the connectedness and intrinsic motivat

Project portfolio using Prince2 methodology Essay

Project portfolio using Prince2 methodology - Essay Example The prime purposes of the project of P3 are to penetrate into the business markets of London and ensure long-term sustainability. With regards to the new product launch, the expectations of the customer will be mainly concerned with the quality of the same in alignment with the changing trends of the market in relation to similar aspects. The team structure of P3 mainly comprises highly skilled professionals possessing varied complementary abilities as well as skills that might aid will certainly aid in introducing the innovative product in the London business markets. In order to meet the specification of the customers of London, the product designing team of P3 will be responsible. In respect of developing the unidirectional microphone and speaker set product in the London business markets, the applicable standards will be mainly building the product in such a manner that complies with the respective needs of the customers. An effective organisational structure will help the R&D team to obstruct mismanagement and improve productivity at large. Thus, in order to meet the quality standards with the customers’ specifications, the product will be tested through pre and post launch. From the strategic viewpoint, it can be inferred that P3 will remain highly engaged in ensuring proper care regarding the display of products in different stores through applying varied effective strategies including dust reduction and proper storage among others. With regards to maintain proper management and succession, P3 needs to get prepared for the technological reforms and communicate in regular manner with the development team for making future changes and improvements. Configuration management plan is effective in order to manage any possible change in internal along with external forces. Moreover, the written plan will be effective for the different department employees to understand their respective job roles. It can

Apple Unveils Its Offline Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Apple Unveils Its Offline Strategy - Essay Example As losses mounted Jobs was brought back as the CEO who realized that licensing Mac operating system had contracted the market by taking away the customers (Bryson et al., 2006). The strategy was changed immediately and Apple began to sell directly by phone and internet. This strategy did bring about better sales but the market was saturated and there were miscalculations on the consumer demand. Since they were performing poorly and the sales were shrinking as competition had set in, the company changed their strategy and business objectives. Having performed poorly in the traditional computer market they decided to integrate the product development strategies with the digital technologies in the consumer electronics market. Their strategy was to innovate. Based on the new direction provided under the new CEO, the company was steering towards growth and it was subsequently ranked number one as Fortune’s most admired company for innovation. Apple was no more seen â€Å"in a battle for PC market share -- instead, as the platform becoming a premium PC, capturing selective demand† (Bryson et al., 2006). The objective of the company was to position Apple products as an integrating platform for a range of household products like cameras, vide o recorders, and music players. Apple’s strategic business units now include personal computers, software, iTunes, QuickTime, iMac, and support as per the chart below: With the changed strategy, the company was operating in an environment that provided several opportunities but competition and its own damaged reputation posed threat to its existence. Nevertheless, the strengths of the company saw it through the threats. The main strengths of the company were the vision of the CEO, Steve Jobs, the iPod, and the brand loyalty.  

London is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities on Assignment

London is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities on the planet - Assignment Example Essentially, multiculturalism enhances a community. It regenerates cities that are on the verge of decay. This is demonstrated in the case of the staging of the Olympics in London this year. With the event, there is an expectation of a positive effect in the population movement both inwards and outwards. Britain maintains it will create a stable, progressive and sizable community that is multi-ethnic in composition. The Olympics is expected to bring in people, wealth and diversity with all the developments that will take place. The positive consequence can be specifically illustrated in an aspect of life in London affected by the influx of foreign migrants. Benedictus revealed how the diversity gave life to the food industry in the city. It was explained that culinary tradition is one of the things that the British way of life lacks and as the new immigrants crave for a taste of home, many restaurants offering foreign food open in new immigrant communities. Native Londoners were quick to welcome the changes, which led to a vibrant food industry that provides for the needs of both the migrants and the Londoners alike. This example represents how immigrants contribute new ideas, new changes and new dimension to a community. According to Parekh, multiculturalism â€Å"is not about shutting oneself up in a communal or cultural ghetto and leading a segregated and self-contained life† because it is all â€Å"about opening oneself to others, learning from their insights and criticisms, and growing as a re sult.† Multiculturalism is not without risks. The spate of riots that plagued London in recent years is evidence to this point. When social integration fails, there is always the danger of conflict. There are several reasons for this. First, there is ignorance, which according to Benedictus, breeds intolerance. Unfortunately, it happens most of the time. Then, there is also the media. It feeds ignorance and encourages discrimination by stereotyping people and

Hurricane Katrina Health Impact in Louisiana Research Paper

Hurricane Katrina Health Impact in Louisiana - Research Paper Example Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the hurricane made great unprecedented devastation, which had adverse effects on the people of the neighboring coastlines such as Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Moreover, inside the countryside to an extent of 150 miles, significant devastation was witnessed from the hurricane that could be seen many weeks after the disaster (Palser, 2007). Introduction Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive and deadliest hurricane to be reported in the United States in the modern history. The hurricane struck on the coastline on august 2005 causing devastating health problems to the people of Louisiana and their neighboring vicinities. Various health problems arose out of the hurricane. This hurricane is said to be the costliest and the one of the five deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in the history of USA. From the hurricane, at least 1833 people succumbed to injuries from the debris and suspended floods caused by the hurricane. The estimated total cost of the hurricane is $81billion as of 2005, nearly three times more than that of hurricane Andrew in 1992 (Rodger, 2006). Statement of the Problem Hurricane Katrina caused many damages to the people of Louisiana especially in the health sector. Many people contracted diseases or were infected with different diseases caused by the hurricane

International Marketing Case Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Marketing Case Study - Coursework Example The marketing strategy while strengthening the global brand should have a customized appeal for the customers of the markets of the developed economies. Customers of developed markets are usually more quality conscious rather than price conscious unlike their counterparts in developing economies. Chinese brands need to invest more on Research & Development if they want to market themselves successfully in developed economies. Capabilities in research and development can be acquired by building research & development centers in the developed markets. Li Ning has built such Research & Development Centers in Hong Kong and United States. There are also differences in consumer tastes and preferences. Incorporating these differences in the products is critical for the success of internalization of any Chinese brand. Another dynamic capability that is extremely important is to have the right distribution network so that the target segment in the developed economies can be easily accessed to. Besides the product issues there are also issues related to customer service. Every product has a service component attached to it. In comparison to China the level of customer service is quite high in the developed economies of the West. Therefore, when foraying into markets of the developed world, Chinese companies need to make their customer service more customer oriented and friendly. Last but not the least the differences in culture and business are significant between China and the more developed West (Philip Kotler, 2008). The Chinese companies need to incorporate such cultural aspects of the West like transparency, individuality and a strong sense of commitment towards the customers as stakeholders, if they want to make a mark in the developed economies. For building a sports brand like Li Ning or Nike, there can be no better brand ambassador that a national sports icon. Li Ning has done so by using the name of its founder Li Ning, a former Olympic gold medalist in

Subprime Mortgage Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Subprime Mortgage Crisis - Essay Example When home prices started falling and those loans started to go bad, Bear’s creditors got scared and pulled their money out of the investment bank. The U.S.  subprime mortgage crisis  was an unfolding of events and that were significant aspects of a financial recession and subsequent crisis that was manifested significantly in 2008. It was characterized by an upsurge in  subprime  mortgage and foreclosures, and the resultant drop of securities was backed up by the mortgages. These  mortgage-backed securities  (MBS) and collateralized debt obligations  (CDO) usually offered attractive return rates due to the high rates of interest on the mortgages but the lower quality of credit ultimately caused huge defaults. In as much as the crisis elements became more clear in 2007, most major financial institutions collapsed in September of 2008, with distinguishable disruption in the credit flow to businesses and consumers during the onset of the most severe worldwide recession. This subprime mortgage crisis was accompanied by fraud issues concerning relating to the Bear Stearns Company. Bear Stearns, had been on Wall Street feature from 1923 and had survived the 1929 crash without laying off any employees. But in 2008, its customers and creditors were worried that the billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities on its books weren’t worth what the company claimed. Therefore, they stopped doing business with Bear Stearns. Within a few days; Bear was digested into JPMorgan Chase & Co. via the help of the Federal Reserve for an approximate value of a new Madison Avenue office tower. Bear Stearns failure was attributed largely to gorging on subprime mortgages in the previous years in what was termed as a continually-rising housing market.  

Islam and Christian Traditions Essay Example for Free

Islam and Christian Traditions Essay Christianity and Islam see recurring themes in beliefs and practices. They share stories from past prophets that declare they know the word of God. God tells prophets about a time before earth and gives them knowledge to spread to man. Life holds sanctity that is not for man to wander and do as their physical bodies might allow. Both Islam and Christian traditions make examples and tell the history of how God desires man to live. There are foretellings of vast destruction when man lives among evils and sin. Muslims say that, like God, Allah will see and end of man and will only accept the faithful into paradise. Traditions of Christianity and Islam can relate to each other by commemorating a higher power as known as God. The higher power in Christianity is known as God, while the higher power in Islamic traditions is known as Allah. In Islamic traditions, Allah shouldnt be confused with the God known in Christianity because the word Allah is translated as the God in Arabic. Christian and Islamic traditions have cosmogony, eschatology, afterlife, moral codes, and duties that serve the purpose in their existence. Both Islamic and Christian traditions will see some similarities and recurring prophecies that exist in their practices. Christian traditions and cosmogony can be found in the Bible. The Bible is many stories that contains passages from prophets of God and is compiled of several books. The book of genesis describes how God created the universe. He made light, darkness, heaven, earth, fruits and vegetables. On the fifth and sixth day of the week to create the universe and earth, God made beasts and made man that resembles the appearance of God. Genesis 1:29 said to man, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food (BibleGateway, 2011). God warns Adam and Eve, the first of all mankind, that there is forbidden fruit that cannot be touched. Genesis 3:3 says, But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (King James Bible Online, 2013). When Adam and Eve consumed the forbidden fruit despite Gods warning, Adam and Eve were cursed by God to multiply the earth. Eve, the first woman, was created by God to provide Adam, the first of all man, companionship. It was in her mistake that Adam fell under temptation to then be commanded by God to take power of beasts and man to begin the teachings of God on earth. Prophets of God taught man to obey commandments in order to be prepared for the end of the world. Prophets, pastors, preachers, or bishops in Christian sects will preach the gospel of the Bible that predict when Christ will return to earth and reach final days before heaven. Most interpretations of the Bible explain how there is good and evil; Evil will cause suffering for mankind. Christians believe that Christ will return and save those who are faithful to God when there is a final judgment of man. Matthew 24:14 reads, And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come (Christian Bible Reference, n.d.). Evil will be taught through deception, so God will need true believers. There will be a place in heaven for Christians to live with God after their trial on earth. Man will be accepted into heaven if he upholds morals and duties that Christians are taught. Many Christians believe that heaven is a place on earth. The book of Luke (21:32-33) reads, Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (King James Bible Online, n.d.). In heaven there will once be so much evil that the wicked will overpower the good through violent wars. Like earth, God will create a new heaven for the blessed people. Heaven will be free from evil for many years until its end of days only through destruction and misery upon its holy place. In heaven killing is much of a sin as earth. God commands man not to sin such as killing, adultery, worshiping idols, and stealing among other things. If man upholds these morals and duties, he will be accepted to heaven when salvation comes. Traditions in Islam are similar religious practices that are commemorated through the Quran and are told how the earth and man were created. Like Christians, Muslims believe that Allah, or the God, created a heaven, a world, and the universe with all materials in it that are living or not. The book of Surat Al-Baqarah (2:29), in the Quran, reads, It is he who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then he directed himself to the heaven, (his being above all creation), and made them seven heavens, and he is knowing of all things (Quran, n.d.). Islamic traditions began when the prophet Muhammad spoke with Allah. Allah told Muhammad of the creation of the first man on earth, who is known as Adam, who had a female companion. Allah also told Muhammad how Adam ate the forbidden fruit when he was restricted not to do so. Muslims eschatology tells how there will be an evil presence who will be violent and cause destruction. There is also an afterlife of heaven and hell as Christians believe. Although the evil are wicked, they too will be brought to heaven and see a final judgment from Allah. And as for those who disbelieves, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the hereafter, and they will have no helpers (Quran, n.d.). Islamic traditions say how there will be an end of time. There will be warnings from Allah on earth. An antichrist will appear before the last day who will be cruel to man. Followers of the antichrist and the unbelievers of Allah may never reach heaven. Heaven will be a paradise that the Quran describes, No empty talk will they hear there, nor any call to sin, but only the tiding of inner soundness and peace (Religious Tolerance, 2005). Morals and duties are important to Muslims in order to avoid sin and reach heaven. Allah tells prophets of his commandments so that man will be holy and plentiful. The ones who break the covenant of Allah even after its (binding) compact and cut (off) what Allah has commanded to be held together and corrupt in the earth, those are they (who are) the losers (Quran, n.d.). Allah tells man not to steal, murder, disobey parents, covet, or commit adultery among other things. When man disobeys Allah, they are expected to know sin from righteousness and should repent for forgiveness. ..Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allah is forgiving and merciful (Quran, n.d.). The man who doesnt repent may be a sinner for life and will be questioned on judgment day. The Islam and Christian traditions both believe in a God that share similar interests for mankind. God and Allah teach man how they can return to heaven after their days on earth after Adam and Eves tribulations. Prophets will spread the knowledge to man from God as a lesson not to fail under certain temptations and have faith in God to live in paradise with him one day. After time, the rise of evil is bound to cause awfulness when man turns to disobedience and non believing even during a salvation. Heaven will be free from sin and man can live in a peaceful place until it is once again ruined by tribulations. God will continue to confide with man in order for glory to persevere.

Optical Sensors for Biological and Chemical Measurement

Optical Sensors for Biological and Chemical Measurement This Literature review is divided into three main parts. They are, Surface Plasmon Resonance, BIACORE 3000 and Winspall. In these three mechanism, Surface Plasmon Resonance stood a basic platform for optical bio- sensing whereas BIACORE 3000 is an extended version. On the other hand, Winspall is a special software used to simulate the reflectivity curves. The first part of the literature review is Surface Plasmon Resonance which explains the basic concept, sensors used in SPR and application in major areas. And also the future trend of Surface Plasmon Resonance sensors has been explained. Similarly the next section has a detailed structure of BIACORE 3000 describing its sensitivity and throughput along with new instrument software. As mention above that Winspall is a special software, it has been clearly discussed in third part. In this discussion, how the reflectivity curve is simulated with the help of Winspall software is explained with taking as an example of Reflection at air- g lass interface. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Introduction: For the past two decades there is a massive increase in the field of research and development of optical sensors for the measurement of chemical and biological quantities. Measuring CO2 and O2 Concentration were developed by optical chemical sensors which is the first optical device based on the measurement changes in absorption spectrum (Lubbers, et al. 1975). The chemical sensors and biosensors use various optical methods such as Ellipsometry, Interferometry, Spectroscopy and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). In these sensors a required amount is determined by measuring the refractive index, absorbance and fluorescence properties of analyte molecules (Wolfbeis et al., 1991). In late seventies, the potential of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) for characterization of thin films (Pockrand et al., 1978) and monitoring processes at metal interfaces (Gordon II et al., 1980) had been recognized. In 1982, Nylander and Liedberg demonstrated the typical use of SPR for gas detection and bio-se nsing (Nylander et al., 1982). For the measurement of physical, chemical and biological quantities new SPR sensing configuration as well as application of SPR- sensing devices were developed since from the scientific community SPR had received continuously growing attention. In optical bio- sensing more than 75% of the research are based on the SPR, and SPR sensors are used commercially by several leading organizations in the field of direct real- time observation of the bio- molecular interactions. What is meant by SPR: SPR has many practical applications in sensitive detectors and it is having the ability to detect sub-monomolecular coverage. This phenomenon was first observed by Wood in 1902 (Wood, 1902), according to him, SPR is a pattern of anomalous dark and light bands in the reflected light when the light is polarised on a mirror with a diffraction grating on its surface. And the phenomenon of physical interpretation was initiated by Lord Rayleigh (Rayleigh, 1907) and additionally it was enhanced (Fano et al., 1941) but since 1968 there is no detail and complete explanation of the phenomenon. In the same year Otto (Otto, et al. 1969) and Kretschmann and Raether (Kretschmann, et al., 1968) reported in detail about the excitation of surface Plasmons. Optical chemical sensors and biosensors in SPR: Usually, an Optical sensor is a transducing medium which correlates the optical and bio- chemical domains and the system which supports the optoelectronic components of an electronic system and allowing data processing. The transducing medium converts the quantity of interest change into refractive index change which may be estimated by optically interrogating the SPR. The SPR sensor of an optical system contain two parts, one is the source of optical radiation and another one is the optical structure in which surface Plasma Waves (SPW) is excited and interrogated. In this SPR interrogation process, the electronic system process and generates the electronic signal and the properties of sensors subsystem only determines the major properties of an SPR sensor. The properties of an optical system and the transducing medium is dependent to the sensor sensitivity, stability and resolution whereas the selectivity and response time of the sensor are mostly estimates by the properties of tran sducing medium. Technologies and materials used in SPR-sensing devices: There are various technologies employed in the fabrication of SPR sensors since SPR chemical sensing and bio- sensing has multidisciplinary nature. But in particular there are two technologies which are considered as most important on the fabrication of SPR sensors. They are the fabrication of the optical part of the sensing element and preparation of Opto- chemical transducing medium. Application of SPR sensors in major areas: Measurement of physical quantities in SPR Based upon the sensitivity of SPR to the momentum of the incident light wave the displacement (Margheri et al., 1996) and angular position of SPR sensors is measured. For the development of SPR -sensing devices various optical transducing materials have been exploited including the refractive index changes of porous thin layers and polymers (Weiss et al., 1996) by humidity sensor and a temperature sensor based on the thermo- optic effect (Chadwick, 1993). SPR chemical sensing: Direct measurement of refractive index using an SPR sensor can be achieved by complexity variation in the concentration of analyte and due to the adsorption or chemical reaction of an analyte with a transducing medium the measurement of SPR variation are dependent to chemical SPR sensors which results in changes in its optical properties. Surface Plasmon Resonance Bio- sensing In 1983, the first application of SPR to bio- sensing was demonstrated (Liedberg, 1983), previously the demonstration was carried out and developed by some other groups (Flanagan et al., 1984). The real time bio- specific interaction analysis method was the first survey on Surface Plasmon Resonance which is appeared on 1994 (Lundstrà ¶m, 1994) frequently used and continuously improved for examination of kinetic and thermodynamics constants of bio- molecular interactions. The direct detection of binding reaction is used for the purpose of analyte quantification, however, the adsorption of small molecules produces the increase in refractive index which is not sufficient to detect directly. Commercialization of Surface Plasmon Resonance sensor technology: The first commercial SPR bio- sensor was launched on 1990 by Swedish BIAcore AB which leads to systematic development of SPR bio- sensor technology. Then the BIAcore sensor technology has been further developed in terms of speed, throughput and accuracy. At present BIAcore offers a number of models of SPR bio- sensors (BIACORE 3000, BIACORE 2000, BIACORE X, BIACORE 1000, BiacoreQuant) (Sinclair et al., 1990). By further growth of commercialisation of optical bio- sensor system results in the development of another SPR bio- sensor system (TI- SPR- 1Experimenters Kit, Spreeta Evaluation Kit) by Texas Instrument in USA [127]. There is another SPR bio- sensor system called Kinetic instrument 1 which has been developed by Bio TuL Bio Instruments GmbH (Germany). The recent SPR sensor which is commercially available is waveguide- based device using wavelength interrogation in a multimode optical fibre developed by EBI sensors (Washington, USA). Future trends in development of Surface Plasmon Resonance sensors Even though SPR is used in many fields, there is a necessity for detection and analysis of chemical and bio- chemical substances in many significant areas such as medical, environmental monitoring, bio- technology, drug and food monitoring. SPR sensor technology holds potential for applications in the mentioned areas. At present SPR bio- sensors devices compete with other types of bio- sensors (Owen, 1997) and the currently available bio- sensors covers only some degree of area of (bio) chemical monitoring market aiming primarily at research and analytical laboratories. So, a new SPR bio- sensor is need to compete the existing system to cover the specialised laboratories and testing sites on the basis of factor such as cheap, ease of use, robustness, sensitivity and stability. Conclusion For the past 10 years there is a great improvement in Surface Plasmon Resonance sensors technology with many numbers of applications. Even more the SPR sensors technology will get growth and extend in the usage by developing new type of bio- sensors which competes the existing system and also designing low- cost, allow sensitive and fast in speed. BIAcore 3000 Introduction For label free studies of bio- molecular binding, BIAcore 3000 is considered as highest performance research system which is existing currently. The substances such as lipid vesicles, viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic cells which are ranging from small molecules to crude extracts can be studied. Speed, strength and specificity of binding and determination of active concentration of components questions have been answered by BIAcore 3000 and it is an ideal tool for functional proteomics. For the future trends, there are lot to invent technically which has to meet the highest demands for efficiency, sensitivity and flexibility. The awareness and experience of BIAcore 3000 is an effective guide for the users without effort through preparation, evaluation and experimentation has been incorporated into Wizards. This BIAcore 3000 follows the C- language Conditional IF/THEN statements to response perfectly to changes in run conditions, since it provide a trend analysis and preliminary result s at the end of runs. For an individual sample characterisation BIAcore 3000 is used to design, where the highest resolution in kinetic analysis and automation of multi- sample analyses is crucial and it provides a superior performance for kinetic analysis. Highest signal to noise ratio and a high data acquisition achieves increased resolution. BIACORE 3000 represents the logical next step in the development of BIACORE systems for sophisticated binding studies, with better sensitivity, higher throughput, improved liquid flow properties and an easier software interface than previous system in the series (Francis, 1998). High sensitivity BIAcore has an working range as little as 10 RU, but it can be able to detect up to 70000 RU (one RU is equivalent to one picogram protein per square millimetre on the sensor surface) and also it has highest sensitivity to monitor the bio- molecular binding which ensures in the interpretation of related kinetic data and in the detection of binding events. The molecular weights of the binding partners and experimental conditions are dependent to the measurement of kinetic and affinity parameters. The controlled experimental conditions ensure precisely in the design of micro- fluidic pathway and in the detection system of BIAcore 3000. By comparing to other BIAcore systems, BIAcore 3000 has the ability to generate twice the signal from the same sample injection time. The micro- fluidic pathway of BIAcore 3000 has four flow cells overlaid in single sensor surface in which the each cell consists with a volume of 0.02  µl. During a single sample injection one cell has used to be as a true reference. The resolution and information from a single run will be maximised by automatic in- line reference subtraction and the signals will be resolved by reducing the background noise. Improved Throughput There is a significant difference in the design of IFC, between BIAcore 3000 and to its predecessors, where the height of the flow cells has been reduced to less than half. This may create some trivial sound, but the binding measurement in the screening application and kinetic analysis has important consequences. The mass transfer of analyte to the surface height is improved by the consequence of the lower flow cell, where as the height is inversely proportional to the mass transfer co- efficient for diffusion controlled transfer. If the height is increased by the factor 2, then the mass transfer co- efficient for diffusion will decreases by factor 1.6. Similarly, we can link this to the practical terms, that is, the faster kinetics can be measured without interference from mass transfer process. It also means that same response is achieved in the shorter time in a mass transfer limited situation in which the sample throughput is increased in screening situations. The improved sensit ivity enhances the gain which allows the system to work at lower relative response levels confidently. Streamlined wash routines between the introduction of new reagent rack and analysis cycles improves the automated analysis situation by throughput which allows 192 wells in two micro- plates to be used for samples. But some users of BIAcore 3000 says that clogging problems in the flow system is due to the reduced flow cell height when particular samples such as crude extracts or whole cell suspension are used. At the same time the users do not report problems when the clogging in micro- flow systems is quoted as an argument in favour of open curvette systems even when the analyses involving whole cells and there is no cause to think that the lower flow cell height in the BIAcore will built important clogging problems (Francis M, 1998). Software The BIAcore 3000 instruments have large improvements technically by introduction of new softwares which is designed to improve the analysis quality and to simplify the operation. Latest versions of the control software BIAcore 2000 have all these features. The BIAcore 2000 and BIAcore 3000 consists two- channel system BIAcore X with line reference subtraction method. Due to this, the users can progress and evaluate their data with confidently and also the data quality improves to large extent. The new IFC (Integrated fluidic cartridge) in the BIAcore 3000 is used to bypass the flow cells and to improve the cost- efficiency of chip operation. The features of BIAcore control software is due to the introduction of application wizards since the application wizard provides step by step information in a clear way to a particular kind of experiment for designing and interpreting the results with on-line help and feedback give the correct chance of achievement. The informations through on-li ne functions and the wizards were created based on the experience of binding studies over the years and it provides a new experience to the users and benefits to the companys expertise. Conclusion In summary, BIAcore 3000 is considered as most advanced system in the series of BIAcore and also it represents the present state of the art in technology for affinity- based bio- sensors. The system will extend the range of applications by the technology with higher sensitivity, improve in sampling handling and enhanced kinetic analysis facilities to cover many of the small molecules like cofactors, signalling substances present in the basic science research and drug candidates in the pharmaceutical industry. For dealing the large amount of high quality data, the refinement of hardware and computer software involved in the BIAcore system can provide and this is considered as a developed approach. Processing the data in the system becomes more and more of a bottle neck since the automated analysis becomes faster and more complicated. Winspall Introduction: To simulate the surface Plasmon resonance curves special software is designed based on the Fresnel formalism which is called as Winspall, developed by A. Scheller at the Max Planck Institute for polymer Research (Chifen, 2007). This software is very easy to use and gives accurate results when simulating the reflection curves (RES- TEC, 2010). Similarly, Winspall software is also used to determine the layer thickness in deposited LB (Langmuir- Blodgett) layers (KSV Inst, 2010). In many practical and commercial application electronic components such as sensors, detectors, displays and circuit boards provides the ability to assemble ordered molecular films with tailored functionality over macroscopic lateral dimensions. This technique is called as Langmuir- Blodgett (LB) deposition. In this deposition, technique the air- water interface contains micro particles and nano particles which are to be compressed and transferred to solid substrate. Here, the Winspall software is used to find t he deposition thickness between the particle layers and also the Fresnel coefficients of each film/ layer with recursion formalism will be calculated (Chifen, 2007). Simulation of Reflectivity curve using Winspall: As mentioned above, Winspall is used to simulate the reflection curves; this section gives a detail view how the reflected curve is simulated using Winspall software with an example. Let us consider an easy prism experiment, base of the prism reflects the laser beam and reflected light is the function of the angle of incidence. Now this reflected curve from the prism is going to be simulating using Winspall. So for this, we need the optical prism constant and air constant. The Winspall software consists of a special simulation parameter table (Fig 2) where the optical comments are to be filled; depending upon the optical parameters the simulation results will be made. For the above example we have to fill the optical components parameter such as prism and air. The first optical parameter is prism; we have to enter the thickness (no 1) 0 for in the table. And then the real and imaginary part of dielectric constant should be filled. The real part of dielectric constant is 2.29 in our example and the imaginary part is zero due to the absence of adsorption in the glass. The second optical component is air (no 2), no thickness and real part of dielectric constant is 1 and imaginary part is zero. Now the simulation parameters are filled in the table. The next step is to click the OK button to get simulation output. Once the OK button is clicked on the simulation parameter window, we will get a simulation curve as an output (Fig 3) for the filled values in the table in separate window. This is the typical curve describes the total internal reflection occurred in the prism and the reflected light separates high index from low index material. In general whenever a light passes through the interface, there will be no reflection at low angles, when the angle gets large the total internal reflection will occur. Below the window shows the simulation output for the values which were filled in the table. This graph explains that below 39 degree there is no reflection, when the angle increases the light get reflects until the total internal reflection is reached. Now to modify or to adjust the reflectivity curve, extra optical components value should be added in the table. In the above case, we are going to add another component between the glass and the air. It is 50 nm thick gold layer with the optical constants Eps-X real=-12.45 and Eps-X imag=1.3. Due to the minor differences in the evaporation process the above mentioned optical constant values for gold varies to some extent. Once these values are entered and we clicked OK button in the simulation parameter window, we will get a curve which is entirely different when compared to previous output (Fig 3). Because of reflective property of gold, first the total internal reflection becomes very thin from 0 to almost 1 and then around 43 degrees a surface Plasmon shows up a strong dip in reflectivity. Due to this strong dip, now the total intensity will jump in this Plasmon and there wont be any part of light reflection occurs. This simulation output curve describes the optical properties of a typical blank substrate used for surface Plasmon measurements. The below shown window consists of simulation output for newer optical component values Now to get real Plasmon and thin layers, a 3nm thick gold layer is added on the top with the dielectric constant of 2.11 (n=1.45) maybe some polymer or a protein. Once the new dielectric constant value in added, there will be a change in the simulation output curve (Fig 4) i.e. the Plasmon resonance shifted a little. We are now about half a degree higher. This shift can be easily measured and for the investigation of such thin layers Surface Plasmon Spectroscopy is well apt. Similarly to get thicker layer 30 nm thick gold layer used on the top which gives result as stronger shift of the Plasmon resonance. But when try to increase the strong shift of Plasmon resonance curve by using 300 nm thick layers a very sharp dip is found in the reflectivity curve at smaller angle. At this smaller a new waveguide mode occurred instead of Plasmon. By increasing the thickness i.e. by adding the thick gold layer with different nm thick on the top we will get more and more waveguides on the reflect ivity spectrum. The below window diagram shows the five waveguide modes in the range for 70 degree for 3 micro meter thick layer. At the same time waveguides can also be found in s-polarised light. This s-polarised light waveguides are also can be simulate by Winspall software. On the other hand, using the Winspall software the Surface Plasmon Resonance curve can be evaluated very easily. This is carried out by the same process, just filling the simulation parameter table. Conclusion: Winspall is special user- friendly software to represent the Surface Plasmon Resonance curves and also it very easy to carry the simulation and evaluation of reflectivity curves.

Influences of Japanese Design on Western Architecture

Influences of Japanese Design on Western Architecture In what ways did the Traditional Architecture and Design of Japan Influence Western Architecture at the turn of the Twentieth Century? Japanese architecture was begun in 57 B.C. Before this time period the majority structures were pit dwellings. In early times Japans architecture was influenced by Korean architecture. The Korean historian have given evidence at time of 57 and 665 B.C in creating original buildings. At that time they built stones which includes Iksan and Miruka. Timber buildings were also made at that time. They were found in underground caves of Samschlich-ong, Yodongsonachong, and Yaksuri. The Japanese architecture tradition is based on the wooden structures of timber, for making Japan attractive they have used little stones for carving. The Japan in the fifth century was fully developed of wood. Architects have designed with gables, saddle roofs, styles and designs. Because the Islands of Japanese architecture are of volcainic origin. The best examples of Japanese architecture is the shrines of the Shinto . After every twenty years they rebuilt these shirnes , the most famous shrine is The Ise Shrine (55 x 127 yards) of the Shinto shrine. Its columns made up from cypress trees , four concentric fences, and the traditional thatched roof, it conveys the message of simplicity and purity. The styles of shrines shows both modern and domestic architecture , the Western architecture were fully influenced from Japanese Architecture. The history of architecture is interesting ,but the Tadao Ando designs forced to undergo Japanese architecture. The westerns has followed their way of structure. 1. WOODEN SINGLE STOREY STRUCTURE: The Japanese architecture is characterized from wooden single storey structure. The main lacking of this tradition is the cave dwellings and stone walls, the nation has not changed their traditional style . In the mid of sixth century ,the Buddhist architecture entered in Japan from China and Korea. The shrine architecture is regarded by the Buddhist architecture which represents the typical wooden single storey structure. The wooden structure is based on posts and beams, its structure from inside is dark that does not suits the human being, the Japanese architecture allows light and breeze, so that there outside area is opened. REFERENCE LIST: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp http://iainmasterton.photoshelter.com CANTILEVER PRINCIPLE: According to the western techniques, material and the styles into Meiji Japan was based on steel and concrete structure. In modern sky scrapers, Japan played an important role because of its familiarity with the cantilever principle to support the heavy tiled temple roofs. Frank Lloyd Wright was fully influenced by Japanese arrangements ideas of interior and exterior spaces, the opening walls of Japan are made up from sliding doors. In the twentieth century the domestic and religious architecture was in Japenese style. The beauty of modern cities sky scrapers was crowded by Tokyos skyline and the total process reflects the western modern forms. After the world war two the urban planning and reconstruction has produced the major architects such as like Maekawa Kunio and Tange Kenzo. Maekawa, the first person who supported Maekawa concept was Charles LeCorbusier , who has full command on modern works.Tange also supported Maekawa and inspire them on Japanese aesthetic ideas into contemporary buildings and the concept of tatamai flooring (sleeping mats) and the textures they were using was brightening the existing ferroconcrete , steel , gardens , sculptures into designs. In a pillar and beam system Tanga has used the cantilever principle for awakening the ancient palaces, the pillar -a hallmark Was a foundation of Japanese historical tradition which is built on timber construction. New city planning was thought by Maki Fumihiko who gave suggestions on the principles of cocooning around an inner space(oku) ,the needs were adopted from urban side. He backed the ideas of Buddhist which is based on the Japanese aesthetic principle and also favored to use the empty spaces (ma). Japanese aesthetic principle was supposed to be based on the Maki designs, which puts attention towards the view of garden and on the sky lines. The architectural concept was changed in 1970 on the metabolism of exchange , they understand the functions of parts of buildings which strongly influenced them. In 1970s and 1980s, the architect Isozaki Arata was a student of Tanga but his theory was focused on LeCorbusier traditions , turned his attention towards the geometric shapes and cubic silhouettes. He formed western technology building to modernize Japan with new styles. In 1980s again a change came to influence their designs and extend it. In the end of 1970s and 1980s they introduced the metaphycisal concepts to reexamine the geometrical shapes to produce fancy architectural designs. They made experiments on Ando Tada style of structure and balanced to modern formula. The building provides a variety of things ehich includes light soruces , glass bricks and opening up of spaces to the outside air. The inner courtyards was adopted by traditional Osaka houses, the urban architecture uses open staircases,and bridges for good atmostphere and standard living. In 1980s his ideas were existing, the buildings were built on open courtyards with terrace spaces, pedestrian walking and built bridges to connect buildings. The third Architecture was awarded, Frances Prix de lAcadà ©mie dArchitecture in 1989 . Japanese architecture was liked by all over the world , because of its modern techniques and styles . Japanese architecture also introduced industrial materials, and a developed awareness of ecological and topographical problems. Tatamai Mats paper doors REFERENCE LIST: http://gojapan.about.com U.S. Library of Congress http://countrystudies.us/japan/82.htm HORIZONTAL AXIS: The large roofs of Japanese architecture is built on horizontal axis and its low profile of shows its presence. It is an achievement of japan that these types of roofs are also present in Asia. In Japan this trend is not because of its climate but ,because of its building structure. In the nineteenith century Japanese were living in single -storey , but when they saw that western are living in two -storey houses .They also started to live in two -storey houses and taller houses. The architects also turned towards facades. In the early twentieth century it was a wake up call for European countries to turned towards Japanese architecture which is based on horizontal axis . The tradition of European architecture was based on vertical axix through facades , but to modernize themselves they started to develop both vertical and horizontal axis. In twentieth century the most prominent architect Kenzo Tange (1913-2005), merged Japanese architecture and mordernism ,which was acceptable by all over the world . It was traditionally composed on the columns and beams for making paintings. Fumihiko Maki, Arata Isozaki, Kisho Kurokawa and Yoshio Taniguchi were the successor of building new designs on horizontal and vertical axis with modern Japanese architecture. At present time Toyo Ito and Tadao continues to take Japanese architecture in new directions. REFERENCE LIST: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/ GARDENS: HISTORY: The definition of garden is where flowers , fruits and vegetables are cultivated but Japan is more forwarded. In 592 A.D during the reign of Empress Suiko, it is evident that the early gardens were very well developed comprises of artificial hills, ornamental pools and many more . In the Nara period (646-794 AD), the major development occured when japan started trading with China. Chinese changed the culture of Japan and execute the gardens in the elite class of Castles. The nobleman arrange their parties in these gardens where animals, birds and fishes provide movement. In the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the people who can afford gardens they built gardens with Japanese tradition, styles and customs. The Shinden garden is the mixture of Chinese and Japanese style, in ancient Chinese lore, the East was the source of purity and the West was the outlet of impurities. There was no change in kamkura period in Shinden garden, Buddhist priests Zen has created garden for meditation not for entertainment. The decoration of garden was fully favor the meditative qualities which includes: stones, water and evergreens, remaining constant throughout the year. There are few types of gardens which are given below: Flat gardens Tea gardens Hill gardens FLAT GARDENS: Flat gardens are built without hills and water and flat garden is also known as Hira-niwa, the garden is filled with pebbles, raked in circles , they also contains stones , trees , lanterns and many more. stones are symbols of islands. During the Edo period flat gardens are popular for their height. These types of gardens are also found in Buddhist temples. Modern flat gardens are having wells and lanternsfor the purification of gardens. These gardens are built on wood and have a system for passing water . Stones lanterns are working at night but they are not ornamental. The Western Japanese garden Daichi shown as a flat garden. 2. HILL GARDEN: Hill garden is also known as Tsukiyama-sansui which means water and hill .this garden is constructed on three dimensional shapes. These gardens are constructed on traditional and modern designs. Water is essential for hill gardens, they are made on two large stones for the appearance of distance. They are colourful because of its bushes and trees.Japanese hill gardens are the symbol of islands. These islands are built on stones and rocks and plants grow at its top. The designer has built a bridge on the island so they can worship on these objects. According to the philosophical point of view this garden have the essence of nature. The Katsura garden exhibits some characteristics of a hill garden. 3. TEA GARDEN: Tea garden plays an important role in performing tea ceremony, this ceremony is continuing for many years. Tea garden has two parts : the soto-roji (outer garden) and the uchi-roji, (inner garden). The outer garden consists of waiting area where guests waits, and the inner garden where tea is served to guest. Tea garden is built same as hill garden. The tea garden contains wash basin , resting place for the guests who attends the tea ceremony. The outer portion of garden is decorated with trees and plants which shows the symbol of peace. At present time tea garden contains flowers stones and elegant designs which attracts towards the people. The Japanese tea garden is famous all over the world . The tea house of Shugakuin is the heart of the gardens design.

Isaac Asimovs Foundation - Psychohistory :: Isaac Asimov Foundation

Foundation   Psychohistory Psychohistory is the framework upon which Isaac Asimov's Foundation rests. It provides for diverse episodes about a variety of characters over a period 400 years, and those episodes feature a number of strong-minded individuals seeking solutions to a series of problems as they arise (Gunn 42). In the novel, these problems have all been fore-ordained long ago by Hari Seldon's science of psychohistory. Psychohistory is defined by Asimov as a "'profound statistical science' that deals with the reactions of human conglomerates to fixed social and economic stimuli" (Touponce 76). In short, this science predicts the future by treating humanity as one massive series of mathematical equations. However, the one drawback of psychohistory is that this science does not account for individual, random variables. Hari Seldon uses the science of psychohistory to predict the fall of the massive Galactic Empire. By using complex mathematical equations, Seldon is able to mathematically prove that the downfall of the Galactic Empire is eminent. In addition, psychohistory also adds a sense of determination and predestination to Foundation. The main characters in each book of the novel are aware that when a Seldon crisis occurs, they will manage to make the correct decisions leading to the inevitable turnout of the crisis. Seldon's prophesies "are revealed only after the fact, and even the solutions that he or others say are obvious are obvious only in retrospect, as in all good histories" (Gunn 41). This is first shown in "The Psychohistorians" when Salvor Hardin makes the decision that he must take over the management of the Foundation. This decision is logical in retrospect, but it causes Hardin much agonizing over the probable results of his actions before he does them. The dilemma experienced by Asimov's characters is how to achieve the predetermined outcome concocted by Seldon. The hero of the first Foundation, Salvor Hardin, decides to wait until the crisis limits his choices to only one course of action. He argues: ...the future isn't nebulous. It's been calculated out by Seldon and charted. Each successive crisis in our history is mapped out and each depends in a measure on the successful conclusion of the ones previous...At each crisis our freedom of actions would become circumscribed to the point where only one course of action was possible...As long as more than one course of action is possible, the crisis has not been reached.

I-Search Research :: essays research papers

Prospectus For my Junior English Research Project. I would look into the different theories of what attracts two people to another. I chose this topic because I just want to know a true, good, and official reason for falling in â€Å" love †. Love, Well true love is a one in a million chance of happening. So†¦ I hope to find out what the different theories is most affective and accurate. Q: What is love? A: Love is when you have strong deep feelings for someone else and care about that person very much and only want that person to be happy. (Courtney’s answer) Q: How does love changes a person from the beginning until the end? A: Q: What are the 9 types of love? A: http://dataguru.org/love/fehrtyp.asp Q: What is Love part 2. A: http://www.bigbend.edu/soc/soc220/Outline4.htm Facts: The commitment dimension of love is often viewed as the decision to stay with one's partner for life. Commitments may range from simple verbal agreements (agreements not to become emotionally and/or sexually involved with other people) to publically formalized legal contracts (marriage). However, commitment is more than simply agreeing to stay with your partner through bad times. Commitment means being devoted to doing things to nurture the relationship and protect it from harm and to fix it if damaged. Both partners care about each other's needs and must be willing to put each other's needs first--including being willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the relationship. The partners should be willing to depend on each other and feel secure that each will be loyal to each other and to the relationship. The emotional intimacy dimension of love is best characterized by feeling love for someone rather than being "in love" with them. The emotional intimacy dimension focuses on liking, friendship, trust and feelings of emotional closeness that result from being able to share one's innermost thoughts and feelings with a partner. Intimacy is achieved through a process by which one comes to know one's partner through increasing levels of self disclosure of one's thoughts and feelings. During the early stages of a relationship when the participants are still getting to know one another, strong passionate emotions may result from increasingly intimate levels of disclosure. Later, after the partners have gotten to know each other well, feelings of closeness, friendship, warmth, and caring will tend to predominate. For emotional intimacy to flourish, both partners must be understanding, open, supportive, and must feel like they can talk about anything without fear of being rejec ted.

Glory vs Shawshank Redemption :: essays papers

Glory vs Shawshank Redemption Two of the well known movies that were the abolishinst movement in Amerrica were Glory and The Shawshank Redemption.On the surface, the movies the shawshank redemption and glory seem to be completely different.But, as the movies upfold, it is evident that both the prisoners of Shawshank and the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts are in search of the same thing. For the prisoners of Shashank, normalcy is freedom. For the soldiers of the 54th, normalcy is equality. In the Shawshank Andy uses his influences to give prisoners of shawshank tastes of freedom. The solodiers of the 54th strives to be normal, but before they can be normal, they must be equal. They wanted freedom too. One point of intrest that shows Andy's spirit is indeed unbreakable was when he offered Captain Hadley some financial advice on his recent inheritance. He tells captain Hadley that if he trusts his wife he can tell the I.R.S that he is giving the inhertance as a gift from Andy to his wife. By doing this the money can not touched by the I.R.S, so Captain Hadley gains all the money without any tax taken out.In return andy Dufresne( tim robbins) asked for beer for his " Co-workers.His friend ., Red simply states," we sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men.Hell, we could have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses. We were the lords of all creation. As for andy he spent that break hunkered in the shade, a strange little smile on his face, watching us drink his beer." This quote shows how little things teh prisoners get can make them happy.Another example would be when he used the hammer to escape from prison. It started when he asked Red to get him a rok hammer, which he said he would use to shape rocks. He calms Red's conscious as he tells it would take him a thousand years to break out of prison with a rosk hammer.When he received the rosk hammer he started to shape rocks as soon as he could and hidden that hole with a poster.After he had the hole big enough to crawl throught, he asked Heywood for a six-foot piece of rope.

Developing Positive Assertiveness

Summary Developing assertiveness is more than just learning to speak differently. Being assertive requires thinking assertively, behaving positively and feeling self-confident. We must all make a conscious effort to be consistently assertive. As we learn to become more assertive we reduce our stress, failures, dissatisfactions and conflicts. Developing assertiveness requires effort but the rewards are worth it. Successful behavior change requires thinking and doing. Behavior change is possible once you understand that it is an evolving, ongoing process that can be accomplished by moving through various stages.This essay discusses and describes the different behavioral types along with recipes to lead to successful behavioral change. It examines the effects of positive mental imagery and the self-fulfilling prophecy towards programming yourself towards success. It explores the four steps for powerful assertiveness along with how to deal and prepare for confrontation. Assertiveness is the antidote to fear, shyness, passivity, and even anger, so there is an astonishingly wide range of situations in which this training is appropriate.The case study demonstrates how after assertiveness training employees feel empowered with tools and skills to handle any communication situation. All of us should insist on being treated fairly — to stand up for our rights without violating the rights of others. This means tactfully, justly and effectively expressing our preferences, needs, opinions and feelings. We do this through the development of positive assertiveness. Introduction When we hear the word assertive most people think of someone standing their ground refusing to give an inch and pushing to have their own way.Others think of someone who is stubborn on certain issues but overall a nice individual. Others do not know what assertive behavior really is. Assertive behavior is a natural style while being honest, direct and respectful while interacting with others. Wh y is there a need for assertiveness training books and courses? They are essential as most people do not understand the importance of using assertive behavior. As more and more people develop assertiveness and start to influence others, the awareness and acceptance of this behavior type will increase.Everyone should aspire to be assertive – it is a desirable behavior, it is vital for honest, healthy relationships. It is the behavior necessary for positive outcomes in negotiation, normal business dealings, conflict resolution and also in family life. †The assertive individual is a tower of strength with high self-esteem with clear self-knowledge and able to accept their own shortcomings as well as their strengths. † Figure 1: The Assertiveness Triangle. The Three Main Behavioral TypesNo one is consistently assertive, we all follow these three basic behavioral types depending on the situation: Passive – this behavior is passive and indirect. It conveys a mess age of inferiority. By being nonassertive, we allow the needs, wants and rights of others to be more important than our own. It creates a behavior of â€Å"win-lose† situations. A nonassertive person loses or is disregarded while allowing others to win. This leads to being a victim not a winner. Aggressive – this behavior is complex, it can be either passive or active.Aggression can be direct or non-direct, honest or dishonest. It communicates an impression of disrespect and superiority. Assertive – this is when a person stands up for their legitimate rights in such a way that the rights of others are not violated. It communicates respect for others behavior. It is an honest, direct and appropriate expression of one’s beliefs, feelings and opinions. Figure 2: Assertiveness, graph mode. Figure 3: The different behavioral types. Figure 4: Examples of the different types of behavior.Successful Change of Behavior Successful behavior change requires thinking a nd doing. Behavior change is possible once you understand that it is an evolving, ongoing process that can be accomplished by moving through various stages. Real change comes only after persistent action. The more frequently people perform a behavior, the more habitual and automatic it becomes, requiring little effort or conscious attention. Figure 5: Motivation and ability graph. Figure 6: Target behavior graph showing effects of core motivators. Positive Mental ImageryWhen developing positive assertiveness you will begin to start practicing new ways of expressing yourself and handling yourself. It is a good idea to also practice the technique of positive mental imagery. This is using your imagination to visualize yourself saying and doing things successfully and assertively. Envision situations in which you see yourself being assertive, feel confident, powerful and effective. Only imagine positive outcomes. Think of positive mental imagery as being proactive in the journey of deve loping positive assertiveness.Four P’s of Successful Change Any type of change whether big or small can be challenging. For many, large scale change only occurs when after a traumatic experience. However, one does not need a traumatic upset to prompt change. To make a successful change, you do need to be prepared. There are 4 rules which help to retain these changes. 1. Protection – Change is often very scary. One of the reasons we do not change is because of fear. Our fear can be vague but enough to sabotage successful change. Having protection can help to stick with a commitment to change.It may be best to start your successful assertiveness in an environment which feels very safe. Change one thing at a time – slow and steady wins the race. 2. Potency – Change is an active process not a passive process. It is necessary to put in some mental effort, emotional involvement and physical activity. To tap into your potency: define your goal in simple, active, positive words. Write down your change goal and display it where you can see it every day. Imagine practicing your goal of positive assertiveness and visualize yourself doing this with ease. . Permission – Each of us requires permission of change ourselves. Be sure to give yourself permission to change. 4. Practice – To become skillful with any behavior requires practice. A large amount of practice may be needed before your new behavior becomes natural and integrated into daily life. Develop a practice schedule, be specific about how often, when and where. Record your efforts and successes. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy The self-fulfilling prophecy is a statement that alters actions and therefore comes true.For example, a person stating â€Å"I’m probably going to have a lousy day,† might alter his actions so that such a prediction is fulfilled by his actions. This may be an unconscious gesture. A person who embraces the self-fulfilling prophecy in a positive way â€Å"I’m going to have a great day† might act in ways that will actually make this prediction true. Programming Yourself for Success If you want to program yourself for success you will need to understand that if you only put rubbish into your head, you will only ever get trashy results in your life!The human minds works just like a computer- when it comes to basic programming the same basic rules apply: if only negative stuff goes in then only negativity will come out. If you want to program yourself for success then you need to lock your mind against every single thought that is not coloured with success and covered with positivity. Many people struggle with reprogramming themselves for success because although they practice positive thinking, they visualize and say their affirmations, negativity is still the predominant factor in their lives.It is not the affirmations and the visualizations that are getting in the way, but rather the thoughts and the feelings that are active the rest of the time! The only way you are going to program yourself for success is to go on the offensive, and to make a conscious effort to not only have a constant intake of positive, success-filled thoughts and feelings, but to also avoid any thoughts and feelings that cancel out your success-driven mentality. The Four Steps for Powerful Assertiveness There are four basic steps that can help you to become more assertive in everyday dealings with others.Step 1: Repeat the Question or Statement To add power to your assertiveness the first thing to do is to repeat the question. Ensure that you have good eye contact and speak with confident, assertive voice tones. It may be necessary to emphasize certain words the second time to increase the chances of getting your point across. Step 2: Command, don’t ask If the person continues to refuse to co-operate, switch from asking to commanding. Being directive tends to sound more powerful than a request to most.Learn to use the request for the majority of people, the average person will hear your request as polite and appropriate, there is less risk of sounding pushy. If the request does not produce results then change the request to a command. Step 3: Add Some Emotion If your efforts are still unsuccessful you can add emotion as another way to add power to your assertiveness. People are unaccustomed to open emotions and honesty and by using these you can add significant power to your communication. Step 4: Introduce Consequences By introducing consequences it is a final way to add power to your assertiveness.They are not threats, they are simply statements of what your intentions are if you do not get co-operation. Consequences need to be stated in advance to give the other person a chance to change their behavior. Consequences need to be strong and believable, the action needs to be something undesirable. You must be willing to follow through on the consequence if necessary. If you are tested by the other person and you do not take the action you said you would, you will lose all credibility and power not just with that person but perhaps also with others.Case Study Assertiveness training helps administrative assistants forge positive relationships with internal and external customers. Situation: A college recognised that its administrative assistants work with a range of internal and external customers and assertiveness training with this these employees could have a positive impact throughout the organisation. This group also tends to be passive. Challenge: The administrative assistants report to multiple faculty members, and they felt powerless to effectively juggle the assignments of multiple bosses.As the university's face to the customer (students), polished communication skills would enable them to more effectively communicate with these customers. Solution: The college hired Mary to present a communication workshop for this group. Mary customised training focused on assertive communication skills and how to work with difficult people. Also, the group participated in a personality assessment to gain insight into their individual communication style and, with role playing, learned how to communicate with people who have different communication styles.Results: The college invites Mary to conduct a communication workshop for this group every year, focusing on various communication aspects. Participants rave that the workshops are interactive and relevant to their job. They feel empowered with tools and skills to handle any communication situation. Dealing with Confrontations Many people cannot handle confrontation and start to shake, they lose control of their voice pitch and cannot control their thoughts. It is frustrating when someone is putting you down and you cannot argue back as you have a touch of confrontation jitters.It is the ‘Flight or Fight’ syndrome kicking in as it pumps adrenaline through your body in readiness of ge tting your body prepared to either ‘Flight’ or ‘Fight’. Some tips to deal with confrontation: * Take a deep breath, this lowers your heartbeat and blood pressure. * If you can, take five minutes to rehearse what you will say. Make key points for your argument. * Realise what triggers your anger and prepare a response to that trigger. By doing this you are aware of what buttons others can push to provoke a certain response.When you know your own triggers it is less likely that someone can push these buttons as you are prepared. * Make the other person aware of how confrontational they are being such as ‘why are you being so confrontational? ’ this turns the energy back on them and lets them reflect on themselves. This may calm them down as most people get lost in the moment and do not realise they are being aggressive. * Don’t get sucked into other people’s arguments where the purpose is to manipulate you into loosing and thereby s howing the other person that they are superior.If you don’t get sucked in there is no argument to win and you will come out looking the better person. Figure 7: Conflict Management Model. Conclusion This essay has examined the positive effects that assertiveness can have on your social and business interactions. It is an ongoing development process where you need to be actively involved in modifying your behavior patterns. Assertiveness includes the right to choose not to assert yourself. There is no rule saying that you have to assert yourself all the time and in some situations you may feel it is better not to say anything.Generally, though, you are likely to find that being more assertive has a significant positive impact on your life. Because some people want to be â€Å"nice† and â€Å"not cause trouble,† they â€Å"suffer in silence,† and assume nothing can be done to change their situation. We appreciate pleasant, accommodating people but whenever a nice person allows a greedy, dominant person to take advantage of them, the passive person is not only cheating themselves but also reinforcing unfair, self-centered behavior in the aggressive person.True assertiveness means without aggression, guilt or fear. It is far more effective in the long run and infinitely more satisfying. Winning others to your way of thinking, the legitimate way, is much more fun. By choosing to be assertive and by following the steps outlined in this essay, you will know that you have the power over any situation, over your own feelings and stress levels. Recommendations Being assertive is being able to express yourself with confidence, without resorting to passiveness, aggressiveness or manipulative.By developing assertiveness and being aware of your strengths and weaknesses you can learn how to modify your behavior in both social and work interactions, therefore enhancing your career prospects and improving your social life. Practice your skills on so meone you are unlikely to meet again. If you fail, realise where you have gone wrong and try again. Attending workshops and seminars can be extremely valuable especially when given the opportunity to use role-play to uncover your response in various interpersonal situations. Assertiveness is closely linked to self-esteem and body language so it is important to build on these ideas too.The Irish Training and Educational Centre (ITEC) run an ‘Assertiveness at Work’ distance learning course online for a fee of â‚ ¬330 covering 6 modules. This course can be signed up for online (https://www. irishtraining. ie/business/assertiveness_work. html) or by phoning ITEC on 01-2897579 Appendices Figure 1: The Assertiveness Triangle Figure 2: Assertiveness, graph mode. Figure 3: The different behavioral types. Figure 4: Examples of the different types of behavior. Figure 5: Motivation and ability graph. Figure 6: Target behavior graph showing effects of core motivators.Figure 7: C onflict Management Model. Bibliography Johnson J, â€Å"Developing Assertiveness†, First Edition, James Madison University, MA USA, 2004 Lloyd S, â€Å"Positive Assertiveness†, Third Edition, Thomson Learning, Boston MA USA, 2002 Mullen P, â€Å"Management/Supervisory Skills†, Logicert, Cork 2003 References https://www. irishtraining. ie/business/assertiveness_work. html https://www. ciltuk. corg. com/theknowledgecentre http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-self-fulfilling-prophecy. htm Aitchison, S. , â€Å"7 Tips For Dealing With Confrontation† http://www. stevenaitchison. o. uk/blog/7-tips-for-dealing-with-confrontation, June 6, 2011 http://www. sandiego. edu/slic/images/3%20types%20interpersonal. pdf http://www. donnaschilder. com/Inspirational-Articles/Relationships/7-Steps-to-Positive-Assertiveness. shtml http://psychcentral. com/blog/archives/2010/02/25/building-assertiveness-in-4-s teps/ http://s-wagner. tamu. edu/classes/KINE%20214/teachingstrategi es. pdf http://my. safaribooksonline. com/book/personal-development/1560526009/ensuring-successful-change/14#X2ludGVybmFsX0ZsYXNoUmVhZGVyP3htbGlkPTEtNTYwNTItNjAwLTkvMTQ= http://www. odayisthatday. com/how-to-program-yourself-for-success-by-locking-down-your-mental-hard-drive/ http://www. deseretnews. com/article/705323554/Successful-behavior-change-requires-thinking-and-doing. html http://www. improvementtower. com/Assertiveness_in_Work_Place. html HTTP://CALLTHESHRINK. BLOGSPOT. COM/2009/04/ASSERTIVENESS-TRAINING. HTML http://www. strategicinsight. biz/index. php? option=com_content;view=article;id=56;Itemid=60 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Mullen, Pat â€Å"Module 4, Management/Supervisory Skills† (2003) Pg. 60