Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Retelling Experiments H,B,D, Kettlewell's Studies of Industrial Essay

Retelling Experiments H,B,D, Kettlewell's Studies of Industrial Melanism in Peppered Moths - Essay Example Hagen reports further that Kettlewell himself added to the controversies through his defense to these criticisms, sidelining his own singular achievements in these first attempts at understanding survival patterns in the peppered moths. This summary endorses his views tentatively and sets out to describe Kettlewell's experiments in the most likely manner. The papered moth (Biston betularia) is almost a mythical creature in evolutionary biology today because it helped practitioners solve an important mystery in evolution. The moth, an endemic species to Great Britain and other parts of Europe, is known to have existed in three broad phenotypes. Before the industrial revolution of the 19th century the moth, popularly ascribed later as the typical phenotype, had grayish white wings flecked with small dark spots (Hagen, 1999, p. 144). Later on, with the growth of industry and increasing pollution, especially the aerial variety from coal dust in flues, in the surrounding areas this light-winged typical variety became less and less evident and moths with darker wing colors became more manifest. The more frequent appearance of this dark phenotype (Biston carbonaria), especially in wooded regions near industrial areas, raised questions among biologists who sought to explain their strange manifestation. It is significant to note here that the carbonaria has thoroughly dark wings while intermediate varieties with varying degrees of darkness in the wing colors, Biston insularia, have been increasingly observed since the time of Kettlewell's first experiments in an wooded area near the industrial town of Birmingham (Cook and Grant, 2000). The carbonari and insularia phenotypes are popularly known as melanics, because of their darker wings, and they evolve from activation of separate alleles available at the same locus as the typical phenotype gene, construed to be the original one (Cook and Grant, 2000). Kettlewell's Experiment: Before setting out on his first observational experiments in the woods near Birmingham, Kettlewell had already settled upon a theory in explanation of the strange higher incidence of the melanic varieties over the typical ones in that experiment area (Hagen, 1999, p.146). The first experiment here lasted for 11 days. The environment was mixed with birch and oak trees. While the birches had relatively lighter trunk colors the oak trees tended to have trunk colors darkened with soot from the neighboring industrial regions (Hagen, 1999, p. 146). Kettlewell reported all three phenotypes of the moths existing at the site. The typical ones tended to merge with the lighter colored birches while the melanics tended to do so on the darker oak trunks. For Kettlewell, the selection hypothesis suggested that the numbers of melanics would be

Monday, October 28, 2019

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay This course focuses on the issues, challenges, and opportunities presented by U. S. population diversity. Workplace issues related to employee diversity in terms of gender, race or ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and cultural background are emphasized. Policies Faculty and students will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: †¢ University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. †¢ Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Harvey, C. P. , Allard, M. J. (2009). Understanding and managing diversity (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Schaefer, R. T. (2011). Racial and ethnic groups (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. All electronic materials are available on the student website. |Week One: Workplace Diversity | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives |Recognize the dimensions of diversity. |6/10/13 | | | |Differentiate the concept of inclusion from the concept of diversity. | | | | |Describe diversity and inclusion in the workplace. | | | |Reading |Read Ch. 1 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Read Ch. 17 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Read Introduction to Section I and Section I of Understanding and Managing Diversity. | | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. |6/10/13 |2 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |6/10/13 |2 | |Learning Team |Create the Learning Team Charter. | | | |Instructions | | | | |Learning Team Charter | | | | |Learning Team |Review the Week One objectives and discuss insights and questions you may have. | | | |Instructions | | | | |Weekly Team Review | | | | |Individual |Apply critical-thinking skills to answer the following questions based on this week’s |6/10/13 |5 | |Thinking About Diversity|readings. The response to each question must contain 150 to 300 words. | | | |and Inclusion | | | | | |What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by | | | | |referencing both textbooks. | | | | |With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your | | | | |social circle have in common. | | | | |What is the difference between diversity and inclusion? | | | | |What is the importance of workplace diversity training? | | | | |What is your experience with workplace culture? Could there be, or could there have been, more| | | | |inclusion? | | | | | | | | | |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | | |Week Two: Prejudice, Stereotypes, Discrimination, and Privilege | | |Details |Due |Points | |Objectives | |6/17/13 | | | |Explain how the concept of culture is used to construct group identity. | | | | |Analyze the social concept of race. | | | | |Describe how behavioral and thinking patterns apply to diversity issues. | | | |Reading |Read Ch. 2 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Read Ch. 3 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Read Ch. 5 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Read Introduction to Section II in Section II of Understanding and Managing Diversity. | | | |Reading |Read Are African Americans Still Experiencing Racism? | | | | |in Section II of Understanding and Managing Diversity. | | | |Reading |Read Inventing Hispanics in Section II of Understanding and Managing Diversity. | | | |Reading |Read To Be Asian in America in Section II of Understanding and Managing Diversity. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 6 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 7 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 8 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 9 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 10 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 11 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 12 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 13 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Review Ch. 14 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. | | | |Reading |Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | | |Participation |Participate in class discussion. |6/17/13 |2 | |Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |6/17/13 |2 | |Learning Team |Submit the Learning Team Charter. | | | |Instructions | | | | |Learning Team Charter | | | | |Learning Team |Review the Week Two objectives and discuss insights and questions you may have. | | | |Instructions | | | | |Weekly Team Review | | | | |Learning Team |Begin working on the Equal Rights Proposition Outline assignment due in Week Three. | | | |Instructions | | | | |Equal Rights Proposition| | | | |Outline | | | | |Individual Multicultural|Resources: Culturegrams database and Racial and Ethnic Groups |6/17/13 |15.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

English Studies :: Teaching Education Essays

Feminist and Critical Pedagogies in English Studies This is going to be one of those classes that I look back upon and say, à ¬Wow, that course really changed the way I think about things.à ®I have been thinking a lot about what I want to say in this statement and now that I am finally writing it, it seems I am at a loss.I know, though, that the affects of this class, for me anyway, will be far reaching.It has helped me to think in new ways about a multiplicity of things: empowerment, nurturance, the rhetoriticity of race and gender, power, what it means to be an intellectual or a professional.If I were to try and sum up the immediate (and what I would think are rather superficial in that I think the influence of this class upon who I am as a citizen/teacher/woman/student/intellectual is only just beginning) impact that this course has had upon me, I would say that it has helped me to begin to think of writing/teaching/living as both public and private acts at the same time.Reconciling the personal and the public aspects of my life, à ¬moving away from oppositions and towards multiplicities in [my] thinking (reading essay7)à ®, and thinking of myself not in terms of à ¬this-or-thatà ® but à ¬both/andà ® have been continuous threads throughout my reading essays. I think that taking this class at a time in my life where I was experiencing teaching my first college course helped me to be very open to many of the ideas within the texts we read.I was constantly looking to the readings that we did in relationship to how they might help me become a better teacher/professional/student/person.I was always looking at them and trying to make meaningful connections between what I was reading and what I am living.And it worked.I began to look at myself and see how I occupy multiple subject positions in society and how those subject positions influence not only how I am seen by others but how I see others and myself.For example, I began to see how I am seen by other people, not just as a graduate student, but as a woman graduate student.This might sound like I am whining or trying to make an argument that we are living in a sexist society, but thatà ­s not my point.My point is that I am seen as both a woman and a graduate student at the same time.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Effects of Unemployment Essay

Psychological Effects of Unemployment and Underemployment The current state of the economy continues to be an enormous stressor for Americans, with 78 percent reporting money as a significant source of stress (APA, 2009). Unemployed workers are twice as likely as their employed counterparts to experience psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, low subjective well-being and poor self-esteem (Paul & Moser, 2009). Like unemployment, underemployment (e.g., people working part-time because they cannot find full-time employment) is unequally distributed across the U.S. population, with women, younger workers and African Americans reporting higher rates of involuntary part-time employment and low pay, as well as higher proportions of â€Å"discouraged† workers who have given up on searching for a job (McKee-Ryan et al., 2005). Unemployment not only affects those who lose their jobs. Coworkers who are still employed may experience a heavier work load and suffer from anxiety that they too will soon be unemp loyed, (Kivimaki, Vahtera, Elovainio, Pentti, & Virtanen, 2003). Unemployment and underemployment also affect families and communities. ————————————————- Effects on Families According to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues’ Policy Statement â€Å"The Psychological Consequences of Unemployment,† the stress of unemployment can lead to declines in individual and family well-being (Belle & Bullock, 2011). The burden of unemployment can also affect outcomes for children. The stress and depressive symptoms associated with job loss can negatively affect parenting practices such as increasing punitive and arbitrary punishment (McLoyd, 1998). As a result, children report more distress and depressive symptoms. Depression in children and adolescents is linked to multiple negative outcomes, including academic problems, substance abuse, high-risk sexual behavior, physical health problems, impaired social relationships and increased risk of suicide (Birmaher et al., 1996; Chen & Paterson, 2006; Le, Munoz, Ippen, & Stoddard, 2003; Verona & Javdani, 2011; Stolberg, Clark, & Bongar, 2002). ————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Effects on Communities Widespread unemployment in neighborhoods reduces resources, which may result in inadequate and low-quality housing, underfunded schools, restricted access to services and public transportation, and limited opportunities for employment, making it more difficult for people to return to work (Brisson, Roll, & East, 2009). Unemployed persons also report less neighborhood belonging than their employed counterparts, a finding with implications for neighborhood safety and community well-being (Steward et al., 2009). High unemployment and growing income inequalities are key factors in declining social climate (International Labour Office, 2010). The United Nations (2010) claimed that growing social inequality fueled by extended, global unemployment will increase social unrest and tension and a growing sense of unfairness. Increasing inequality in advanced economies is fundamentally linked to growing rates of physical, emotional, social and political disorder (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2010). â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Unemployment and Stress in Different Populations Unemployment does not affect all groups equally. Rates are higher among Latinos/as (13.1%) and African Americans (15.7%) than European Americans (9.5%). Immigrants (Kochhar, 2009) and people with disabilities (Shapiro, 2009) are also especially vulnerable to layoffs as are those without college degrees (Leonhardt, 2009). Unemployed women report poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction than unemployed men (McKee-Ryan et al., 2005). Women are more likely to report that they have consumed unhealthy foods, or skipped a meal as a result of stress. Women are also more likely to report physical symptoms of stress, including irritability, anger, fatigue and lack of interest or motivation and energy (APA, 2009). In combination with other health disparities, the unequal impact of unemployment on some groups may have devastating effects on already vulnerable communities. ——————————————†”—- Solutions and Recommendations The negative effects of unemployment can be lessened. Individuals who face unemployment with greater financial resources, as well as those who report lower levels of subjective financial strain, report better mental health and more life satisfaction than those who experience unemployment with fewer economic resources and a greater sense of financial stress (McKee-Ryan et al., 2005). Social support can also mitigate the negative impacts of unemployment and underemployment (Belle & Bullock, 2011). For example, being married is a protective factor during periods of unemployment and underemployment (Dooley & Prause, 2004; McKee-Ryan et al., 2005). APA supports critical and proven programs to prevent unemployment and provide support for those who are unemployed, and urges Congress to: Support the National Commission on Employment and Economic Security Act. Sponsored by Representative Alcee Hastings (D-FL), this legislation would establish a national commission to study and address employm ent and economic insecurity and their effects on mental health. The commission would examine issues of economic and psychological insecurity within our workforce due to employment displacement. Furthermore, the commission would provide recommendations to Congress and the President on how to reduce economic and psychological effects of unemployment. Fund job training and reemployment programs that take into account the psychological and emotional needs of workers and help prevent long-term unemployment. For example, the Michigan Prevention Research Center (MPRC), a program funded for 20 years by the National Institute for Mental Health, developed and evaluated the JOBS Program to help unemployed workers effectively seek reemployment and cope with the multiple challenges and stressors associated with unemployment and job-searching. Currently supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the JOBS Program is a group-based intervention that has the dual goals of promoting reemployment and enhancing the coping capacities o f unemployed workers and their families. Reauthorize and expand the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to provide temporary assistance to the long-term unemployed. APA supports more federal support for increased benefit levels for States, more time for clients to access mental health services, and suspending the work first requirement, to encourage training and education.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Leadership and Management Paper Essay

Ursula M. Burns is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Xerox. She has held this position for the last five years. She started out as a summer intern in 1980, and signed on in 1981. From then until she became CEO she has led several business teams and positions within Xerox, all along growing within the company. According to Fortune, she is the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. In addition to the Xerox board, she is a board director of the American Express Corporation and Exxon Mobil Corporation. Burns also provides leadership counsel to community, educational and non-profit organizations including FIRST – (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), National Academy Foundation, MIT, and the U.S. Olympic Committee, among others. She is a founding board director of Change the Equation, and President Barack Obama appointed Burns vice chair of the President’s Export Council (â€Å"Xerox: Ursula Burns, CEO†, 2014). Leadership and Management Holding a management title does not necessarily equate to holding leadership skills. Leadership is defined in many ways, and depending on who you ask can simply be â€Å"coordinating the work of others†. However that is taking a very limited view on leadership. Leadership is a combination of rationale, inspiration, science, and art. It is said, â€Å"Leaders are thought to do the right thing, while managers do things right† (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2009). Not all leaders are managers, look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is argumentatively the most important Civil Rights leader, however many would not look to him as a manager. According to Forbes, Ursula has made Xerox a profitable and viable company, this past year, Burns helped Xerox generate adjusted earnings per share of $1.09, up from $1.02 in 2012, and  post $21.4 billion in full-year revenue (Forbes, 2014). Her skills as a manager aided in building Xerox to the power-house they are today. Burns is responsible for the largest acquisition in Xerox history, and has allowed them to invest in business services, which is a $600 billion industry. Making these decisions requires hard decisions, including outsourcing, closing offices that are not performing well, and adopting a work from home culture. Because of this Burns has found herself on the 2014 Worst CEO list put together by 24/7 Wall Street and Glassdoor. Burns received a positive review from fewer that the 140,000 employees Xerox gained in the business services acquisition. Only 30% approved of her performance (Brown, 2014). Also something that does not help Burns gain leadership approval is the fact that she was paid on average $13 million dollars for 2010 – 2012, while over 500 people were laid off. While Burns has made moves in hopes of ensuring the stability of Xerox there are some that are calling for her to be fired. Burns’ recent letter to shareholders showed just how badly the transaction had go ne. Over the course of 2010 to 2013, revenue, net income and operating margins are flat to down. In particular, revenue fell 1% to $21.4 billion in 2013. In the fourth quarter, revenue dropped 3% to $5.7 billion. Net income was down 1% to $1.2 billion last year. In the fourth quarter, the drop was 4% to $311 million (McIntyre, 2014). When measuring success of a leader, there are many ways to do that and depending on which way is chosen could render different results. Using unit performance indices, Burns appears to be very successful as a leader. Unit performance indices can be used to examine what impact leaders have on the â€Å"bottom lines† of their organizations. Since she has taken over as CEO, Xerox shares have gone up 50% and the S & P is higher by nearly 100% (Brown, 2014). Based on this information and her average salary the board must be happy with how she is performing. However, another way to measure success is by subordinates ratings of effectiveness. Subordinates may be relatively satisfied or dissatisfied, may be motivated or unmotivated, may feel relatively committed or uncommitted to the organization, or may believe their leader is relatively effective or ineffective. Because Burns has found herself on the worst CEO’s list of 2014 it can be said that she has been unsuccessful as a leader (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2009). Conclusion Overall it is important to remember that there are many dynamics to measuring leadership and management. Leadership and management can have many different meanings. Burns is a prime example of this. I believe she is an effective manager, because businesses are in the business of making money and her shareholders are happy. She also sits on the board of several inspirational companies like FIRST and Change the Equation, which could have many people looking at her leadership abilities. However, when it comes to Xerox her primary focus is making the shareholders happy, when could indicate she is not being a true leader in a way that motivates, inspires, encourages, or simply speaks to their employees. Refrences Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C., &e Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hills. Xerox: Ursula Burns, CEO. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.xerox.com/about-xerox/executive-leadership/ceo/enus.html McIntyre, D.A. (2014). Time for Xerox Board to Fire CEO Burns. Retrieved from http://247wallst.com/investing/2014/03/20/time-for-xerox-board-to-fire-ceo-burns/ Brown, A. (2014). Xerox’s Ursula Burns Named One of Worst CEO’s in Corporate America. Retrieved from http://madamenoire.com/418058/xeroxs-ursula-burns-named-one-worst-ceos-corporate-america/ Forbes: #22 Ursula Burns. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/profile/ursula-burns/

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Guideline on How to Make a Manga

Guideline on How to Make a Manga How to Write a Manga Script Creating a manga script may seem too complex and formidable at first sight. However, it always proves to be absolutely worthwhile when you see the final product.   Manga is a Japanese style of a comic book, which appears in a smaller format and is featured by a distinctive drawing style. The most recognizable characteristics of manga are long, thin characters with huge eyes, eye-catching hair, and other extraordinary features. Even if you are not an adept at drawing, you can still make a contribution to this compelling visual medium by creating a script for an artist to work with. Guidelines That Help You to Make a Manga Script and Incarnate Your Characters in Drawing The Idea The first thing you need to take care of is to come up with a brand-new idea for your story. Some really brilliant ideas can germinate in your mind any time, so be ready to jot them down. Research Manga You should keep in mind that manga, with its own rules and conventions, differs from regular American comics. Thus, you need to familiarize yourself with its peculiarities and at the same time, focus on the genre of the story you want to create. While reading, be especially mindful of the format, pacing, character depiction and plot resolutions. Familiarize yourself with manga writing and art techniques On the Internet, you will find multiple information on how to write a comic. You can make use of this information since some of the rules in comic writing are also applicable in manga. In fact, you can benefit from any information on how to develop this visual art form. But other from that, you can research comic authors and artists and find their own websites where they share information about their own personal styles and techniques. Stick to publisher’s guidelines Visit the websites of manga publishers you intend to send your script to. As a rule, they contain precise information about the format, pacing, dialogue, as well as guidelines you need to stick to. Study these guidelines and thes they give. If you want your script to be published, you should offer the publisher exactly what they are asking for. Outline your plot Strangely enough, but writing by hand in early stages may boost your creativity. However, if working with a computer is more convenient for you, do so. Lay out your ideas, brainstorm crucial scenes. Create a rough outline. Create a separate note card for each plot part and dwell on it on its own note card. Calculate an approximate number of pages it may take to elaborate on this part. Put this number in the upper right-hand corner.  Lay these cards out on your table in the order you want your script to appear. This small trick will enable you to see the plot, and rearrange the elements to ensure a perfect flow of your script. Estimate the length of your manga Stick to the publishers guidelines on page requirements. If your script should not exceed 120 or even 50 pages, it will influence how much you will need to edit the script and how many details you are allowed to include. Break your script into three sections: the introductory part, main plot, and conclusion. If your required manga length is 100 pages, your script should contain 20 pages of the introductory part, 60 pages of the main plot, and 20 pages left for the conclusion. Break the cards down into these three categories. Add up the approximate page numbers, which you have put down on the cards. If your introductory part constitutes 22 pages, you will need to cut 2 pages or borrow from the allocated pages for your main plot.  As soon as you have the required number of pages for all sections, you can get down to your final outline. The Page Breakdown When having a more or less clear-cut plot, some writers also create the â€Å"page breakdown,† which contains information on how many pages the story may take and gives a brief description of the actions that take place on each page. This step helps to feel how the whole story will appear and what effect it might produce. Additionally, some writers create a â€Å"rough thumbnail sketch† – small drawings for each page, which they send to the artist to give the insight into how to visualize each page. How to Make a Manga Script Focus on the first few cards. Work up the general plot and dialogue for the first part. The most important rule is to keep your manga simple. Additionally, remember that in the case of manga, being concise is fundamental. Your dialogues should have a natural form while the action and expression of the characters should be central in your story. As a rule, manga has from four to six panels. A five-page section will thus include twenty to thirty panels. Work through your written scene and number the sections that will constitute the panels. If you eventually have a redundant or insufficient number of panels, edit them to satisfy the length requirements. Remember that big plot points should be described in larger panels, so you may have some pages, which will contain only one or two panels. Make use of blank paper and break down into sections.  Create a rough outline of your drawings to see how your panels will be located. To do this, you do not need to have any special artistic talents; stick figures will suffice. Visualizing the basic arrangements of characters and plot will help you to imagine how drawings and the script would go together. Additionally, it will help you to get rid of redundant sections and see whether there will be enough space to put both a dialogue and a drawing. Put the corresponding number on each piece of paper. Number the panels one by one. Provide a complete version of the script that the artist will be using. Stick to the publishers format guidelines. Make use of your notes and basic drawings to give the artist an insight into the action. Tips on Manga Script Writing Ensure clarity Give the artist guides as for how the characters bodies are positioned, where they are standing in relation to each other, the location of objects. Additionally, explain what the characters feel to visualize their feelings and emotions on paper. Add sound and emotion effects Depending on the publishers requirements, add the details that would convey the true atmosphere of the scene such as the screech of a cars tires, etc. Provide reference photos You can have a perfect image in your mind but the artist may have no clue of what you are trying to convey whatsoever. Elaborate descriptions are helpful, but if you are depicting a particular historical costume, try to find an appropriate photo on the web and include it in your script. Spell check and proofread your manga Ensure that script pages and panel numbers are coherent and that you have not left out any numbers or sections. Stick to the publishers guidelines before sending your script. As a rule, they require you to send a summary, outline, and elaborate character descriptions for the artist. Include photos for the character depiction when necessary. Tips The arrangements of the panels and portrayal of the action are the most difficult aspects of creating a manga. Here the familiarity with other manga comics will come particularly in handy. At times, just taking a look at how a similar situation or scene in another manga was developed may give you insight into how to present yours. If a particular scene is crucial but you cannot fit it into the allocated pages or panels, write your script the way it looks best. In case the publisher refuses to accept a longer work, cut those pages out of some other part of the story. As a rule, there are some redundant or unnecessary sections that you can put in a simpler way or cut out completely. Warnings Remember that repeating details in the script is necessary, even if they seem evident. For example, always mention that a particular character has a cigarette in his hand. Sometimes, artists can just follow your description and forget what happened before.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Unit 12 Health and Social Care Essays

Unit 12 Health and Social Care Essays Unit 12 Health and Social Care Paper Unit 12 Health and Social Care Paper What is Public Health? Key Aspects of Public Health Practice Strategy How is this done? Examples (at least 2) Monitoring the health status of the population Following changes in the health of the population and notifying people to possible problems. The rising levels of obesity within the population. Identifying the health needs of the population Once trends and patterns are recognised, the likelihood of implications for services can be identified. In relation to obesity, this can mean measuring the likelihood of higher needs for diabetes support services. Developing programmes to reduce risk and screen for disease  Trying to lower the levels of ill health by presenting new programmes that recognise people as being ‘at risk’ of a condition and engaging them in preventative programmes. For example, a doctor recognising that an individual is at risk of getting diabetes because of their obesity and referring them to weight management programme for support in losing weight. Controlling Lowering the impact of infectious While there are clear examples such as communicable disease diseases through immunisation and other control measures. measles, mumps and rubella, this may also include food hygiene measures in restaurants  and take-aways to control the spread of food poisoning. Promoting the health of the population Health-promoting activities to lower ill health in the population. For obesity, this may include campaigns inspiring people to be more active or eat more fruit and vegetables. Planning and evaluating the provision of health and social care Measuring the provision of relevant health services and whether or not they are having sufficient impact on the problem. In the case of obesity it may include measuring whether or not: ?local services can meet the request for weight management support ?there is sufficient ‘capacity’ (i.e. service provision) to meet the increase demand for obesity-related services? the existing model of services in managing to support people to lower their weight and sustain that change. Target setting Important targets for a locality, region or country that may to disease result in reduction, improved vaccination rates, etc. A national government target is to halt the rising rates of obesity in children under the age of 11 by 2010. A relevant local target might be based on weighting and assessing reception and Years 6 children. This data could be used to track progress against the national target.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Timeline of the European Union

A Timeline of the European Union Follow this timeline to learn about the series of steps over decades that led to the creation of the European Union. Pre-1950 1923: Pan European Union society formed; supporters include Konrad Adenauer and Georges Pompidou, later leaders of Germany and France.1942: Charles de Gaulle calls for a union.1945: World War II ends; Europe is left divided and damaged.1946: European Union of Federalists forms to campaign for a United States of Europe.September 1946: Churchill calls for a United States of Europe based around France and Germany to increase the chance of peace.January 1948: Benelux Customs Union formed by Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands.1948: Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) created to organize the Marshall Plan; some argue this is not unified enough.April 1949: NATO forms.May 1949: Council of Europe formed to discuss closer co-operation. 1950s May 1950: Schuman Declaration (named after the French Foreign Minister) proposes French and German coal and steel communities.April 19, 1951: European Coal and Steel Community Treaty signed by Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Netherlands.May 1952: European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty.August 1954: France rejects the EDC treaty.March 25, 1957: Treaties of Rome signed: creates Common Market / European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community.January 1, 1958: Treaties of Rome come into effect. 1960s 1961: Britain tries to join the EEC but is rejected.January 1963: Franco-German Treaty of Friendship; they agree to work together on many policy issues.January 1966: Luxembourg Compromise gives majority vote on some issues, but leaves national veto on key areas.July 1, 1968: Full customs union created in the EEC, ahead of schedule.1967: British application again rejected.December 1969: Hague summit to â€Å"relaunch† the Community, attended by heads of state. 1970s 1970: Werner Report argues economic and monetary union possible by 1980.April 1970: Agreement for EEC to raise own funds through levies and customs duties.October 1972: Paris Summit agrees on plans for the future, including economic and monetary union and ERDF fund to support depressed regions.January 1973: UK, Ireland, and Denmark join.March 1975: First meeting of the European Council, where heads of state gather to discuss events.1979: First direct elections to European Parliament.March 1979: Agreement to create the European Monetary System. 1980s 1981: Greece joins.February 1984: Draft Treaty on European Union produced.December 1985: Single European Act agreed; takes two years to ratify.1986: Portugal and Spain join.July 1, 1987: Single European Act comes into effect. 1990s February 1992: Maastricht Treaty / Treaty on European Union signed.1993: Single Market begins.November 1, 1993: Maastricht Treaty comes into effect.January 1, 1995: Austria, Finland, and Sweden join.1995: Decision taken to introduce the single currency, the Euro.October 2, 1997: Treaty of Amsterdam makes minor changes.January 1, 1999: Euro introduced in eleven counties.May 1, 1999: Treaty of Amsterdam comes into effect. 2000s 2001: Treaty of Nice signed; extends majority voting.2002: Old currencies were withdrawn, ‘Euro’ becomes the sole currency in the majority of EU; Convention on the Future of Europe created to draw up a constitution for larger EU.February 1, 2003: Treaty of Nice comes into effect.2004: Draft constitution signed.May 1, 2004: Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Slovenia join.2005: Draft constitution rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands.2007: Lisbon Treaty signed, this modified the constitution until it was deemed a sufficient compromise; Bulgaria and Romania join.June 2008: Irish voters reject the Lisbon Treaty.October 2009: Irish voters accept the Lisbon Treaty.December 1, 2009: Lisbon Treaty comes into effect.2013: Croatia joins.2016: United Kingdom votes to leave.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Portfolio risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Portfolio risk management - Essay Example tfolio analysis studies the performance of different portfolios under different circumstances (Reilly & Brown 2011).Portfolios can be grouped according to industries, countries or sector. Each group consists of sub-unit. For example, the financial sector can be made up of several banks or the Airline industry can be made up of several airline companies. The analysis of each portfolio helps an investor in making a decision when investing. Most likely, a rational investor will choose the best portfolio and screen out the ones that are not essential based on objective criteria. A good portfolio is characterized by high returns on investment (Reilly & Brown 2011). Portfolio analysis requires subjective judgment as it is not easy to segment different industries. Portfolio analysis is a process as different financial instruments have to be evaluated one by one. The process is time consuming and involves a lot of effort. In spite of these odds, Markowitz the fonder of modern portfolio analy sis has simplified the process by suggesting use of expected return and variance (Brigham & Houston 2009). In this report, we will discuss four steps of constructing a portfolio. Q 1.a Construction of a portfolio The portfolio we are to construct consists of IBM and Shell Gas shares using weekly data from 2007 to 2012. A good portfolio is characterized by high returns and moderate risk. It is also well diversified just like in our case where we have IBM and Shell Gas shares. The first step in constructing a portfolio is an assessment of your expectations and attitude towards risk. Basically, there are two types of investors, the aggressive investor and the conservative investor. An aggressive investor is willing to take more risks by devoting larger portions to equity and less to bond and other fixed income securities. On the contrary, the conservative investor takes less risk as his main goal is to protect the value. On the other hand, an aggressive investor aims at maximizing retu rns by accepting more risk. A moderately good portfolio is one which satisfies the tolerance of average risks, attracts all those people who are willing to take in more risks in their portfolios in order to help them in the achievement of a balance of capital growth and income. Therefore, as an investor you should be in a position of knowing the category where you suit. The second step is choosing the portfolio. In our case, we consider the individual shares that have high returns and have the outperformed the FTSE 250 mid-cap index (FTMC). The portfolio will have 21 shares. Below is the portfolio f our choice: After choosing the portfolio, the next step is to identify, risk and return. In identifying risk and return, we use mean-variance analysis which was derived by Markowitz in 1952. Markowitz (2000) suggests that a portfolio with the lowest level of risk is to be

M3A1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

M3A1 - Essay Example Emotional intelligence, therefore, offers a way in which managers working in different cultural settings than their own can adapt and achieve success in their new setting. For example, Deirdre who works as a broadcast director for a London-based company was tasked to ensure all units adopt a single negotiating strategy. Instead of fighting it out with the managers who resisted this change, she had one-on-one meetings to find out their reasons for resisting. Later, she shared ideas with them and revised her negotiating methods to incorporate the approaches the managers had found successful. The managers chose to co-operate other than resist. An effective leader exhibits five components of emotional intelligence. These are self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills and motivation (Hofstede, 1985). He further explains that emotional intelligence is necessary for building trust, solving problems with others, participating productively in a group and creating a sense of identity and efficacy. Emotional intelligence, however, has its weaknesses as shown by Earley & Mosakowski (2004). They give an example of an American expatriate engineer working with two German counterparts. After some time of the Germans shooting down other people’s ideas, the American mistakenly equated the action of the two as that of all Germans. With emotional intelligence alone, the manager is unable to show how much of the behavior of the engineers had been idiosyncratic and how much was culturally determined. He did not know how to influence their actions (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). Earley and Mosakowski state that human actions, speech and gestures that a person encounters in a foreign setting are subject to wide interpretations that may make misunderstandings likely and cooperation impossible (Earley&Mosakowski, 2004). Hofstede states

Friday, October 18, 2019

Analysis of the Movie The Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of the Movie The Women - Essay Example The major technicalities that will be studied in the paper from the source of the Crystal Allen character are presentation and representation acting, personalization, emotional life of the character and importance of casting etc. Presentational and Representational Acting The role of Crystal Allen in the story can be presentational acting at the second interval of the film. The technicality of presentational and representational acting has a variance in its context. Representational acting is merely noted in plays where the actors have to play more than one role. This is associated with the simple background and context to the story. In the presentational acting, it is quiet evident that the actor plays a single role with a customized setting. As studied by the authors Hagen and Frankel, â€Å"Formalized, external (Representational) has a strong tendency to follow fashion. Internal acting presentation rejects fashion and consequently can become timeless as human experience itself (H agen and Frankel, 2nd Chapter). This clarifies the position of characterization of Crystal in the movie. It should be noted that the character of Crystal has shown vibrancy by appointing villainous role. The nature is practical in real life and, thus, it does not challenge the conscience of the audiences. The director projects a different view of the character by appointing her villainous side mentioning a setting which is real. The audiences of the movie are able to witness the reality of relationships which might miss out on trust. There is no representational acting done so far by Crystal as the role remains customary where she is depicted as a vamp of the story. The change or transition in the context of her character becomes obvious when the director presents Crystal to become consciously unfaithful to her husband despite knowing that he divorced her wife in order to marry her. This shows that the presentational acting is up to the mark and indicates the audiences about the rea l slot which they might have around them. This is how audiences relate their lives with the stories of film (Cukor). Emotional life The character of Crystal Allen is relatively strong in the movie because she has a dilemma of keeping sincerity with her partner. On the front, it can be observed that she is a bad woman in the story but it should be noted that the negativity of her character in the film is merely because of emotional imbalance in her life. As per analysis of the character, it can be said that she was nothing in terms of personalization as she has been depicted to be a perfume stall sales girl who cannot have a true relationship with a rich guy. Seemingly, it’s her emotionally imbalanced life that she gets involved with a man who is already married to someone. This imbalance of her emotional life continues to affect other characters of the story making it easy to notice that, being an emotionally imbalanced woman, she is not accepted by the audience (Cukor). Furt hermore, the emotional imbalance in her life is noted to become severe when she gets involved in a relationship with Buck after marrying Steven. This clarifies that she is not satisfied at all being married to Steven. She seems to be satisfied emotionally with the materialistic environment. Her desires and aspirations are greatly materialistic making it evident that the role of Crystal is of the typical women who want to have all the comforts

The Power of Positive Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Power of Positive Thinking - Essay Example When a thought feels comfortable in people’s minds, it stimulates the development of neural pathways that turn out to be extremely resilient to transition (Quilliam 21). Over time, people’s routines of thought can turn out to be so profoundly entrenched that they are conscious of how they are nourishing their minds. Notably, how an individual perceives a glass as half full or half empty reflects on his or her general viewpoint on life and themselves. A positive thinking sees the bright side of things and yields delight, health, happiness, auspicious results in life, broadens the mind, and builds skills and healthy relationships. If an individual adopts a positive mind, they train their minds to anticipate noble outcomes, growth and success. Health Benefits Researchers have continued to explore the benefits of positive thinking on people’s health. Existing research indicates that positive thinking have a myriad benefits to an individual’s health. It reduces the risks of cardiovascular diseases in spite of factors such as smoking habits, age and obesity. It also contributes to a longer lifespan, increased immunity to common cold, better adapting skills during hardships, and decreased levels of stress and depression (Mayo Clinic 1). A study carried out on college students at the begging and the end of the semester established that positive thinking is associated with low stress levels. Additionally, positive thinking lowers blood pressure and allows an individual to age gracefully. This is primarily because of reduced stress levels (Mayo Clinic 1). ii. Bringing Happiness and Healthy relationships When an individual thinks positively, he or she is surrounded by auspicious thoughts. This yields happiness, which is contagious. It makes the people that hang around an individual happy too. This also assists people shun negative thoughts and become more optimistic (Peale 32-4). On a different angle, this increases a person’s luck in love. People will accept an individual who is positive and will yield healthy and happy relationships, since they focus on the noble and favorable aspects of the other person (Quilliam 34). iii. Building skills set The benefits of positive do not just stop after feeling happy and healthy. Indeed, the most paramount benefit of positive thinking is the improved aptitude to build skills and develop resources that can be used later in life. For instance, a child who frolics, plays with colleagues and swings in branches outside develops his or her physical skills, social skills of communicating and int eracting with other people freely and creative skills of examining and exploring the world around them. In this manner, the positive feelings of play and happiness trigger the child to develop skills that are essential in daily life (Clear 1). These skills stay for a long time than the emotions that caused them. Later in life, the athletic skills obtained by the child may earn a scholarship into a college or the communications skills attained may assist him or her be a desirable and effective business manager (Byrne 27-30). The joy that prompted the exploration and generation of new capabilities is long gone in this stage, but the skills still remain. Researchers have named this phenomenon as â€Å"widen and build† because positive thoughts widens an individual’s sense of possibilities and opens his or her mind resulting to development of new skills and resources that offer value to other fields and aspects of life (Clear 1). iv. A broad sense of mind and Increased Pos sibilities When an individual thinks positively and experiences positive emotions such as joy, satisfaction and affection,

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Research Methodology, Design and Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Research Methodology, Design and Process - Essay Example Nursing practice, like other professions, has constantly been enriched and improved by research critical evaluation strategies. As a result, research critical evaluation involves the most effective means of collecting, analyzing, and evaluating information regarding any aspect in (nursing) practice (Stebbins 2006). The critically generated information becomes the basis of making decision in any field with the aim of improving or filling out the deficiencies that other materials demonstrate. Conducting research is a process that follows specific steps, where in most cases, it has been found seven critical steps are followed. The seven steps are: defining research question, asking for help, developing research strategy and locating resources to use in conducting the research, utilizing the most effective search techniques, reading critically, synthesizing and seeking meaning, understanding the scholarly communication process and citing sources, and lastly, evaluating the sources in the most effective critical way (Stebbins 2006). ... In addition, the review will involve establishing whether the author (s) state explicitly the ideas and information contained in the article; what contribution the article has on the topic it presents; and kind materials presented in the work. This is in addition to how the materials have been expressed and argue about the topic being presented; what alternatives exist in terms of arguing on the materials presented; the available and presentation of theoretical issues in the article; and lastly, the impersonal reaction/argument with regard to the article presented. Quantitative and qualitative research works are both utilized in the nursing practice, with the processes of critique evaluating these two types of information differing greatly. In this research project, critical evaluation of two articles will be conducted whereby, the quantitative critique review will be conducted on an article titled, ‘Measuring self-perceived public health nursing’, while qualitative crit ical review will be conducted on an article titled, ‘Barriers to, and facilitators of post-operative pain management in Iran Nursing’. The third article selected to be used in enriching information for the two articles is the article titled, ‘Delineating the role of a cohort of clinical research nurses in a pediatric cooperative clinical trials groups’. It should be known that the basis of article critical review and evaluation would largely be carried out within the precepts of purpose and objectives of the article, design process, and nature of the article, setting framework of the article, sampling procedure and technique, methods of investigations, research variables, findings, and applicability of

MANAGING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MANAGING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR - Essay Example A critical analysis and understanding of people’s personality is essential for ardent management of human behaviors especially in organizations large teams of employees. Hopcke (1992) argues that Jung’s typology test aids in assessing someone’s personality and understanding the influence of personal perception on life issues. In fact, it gives an insight of suitable carriers and opportunities available regarding an individual’s personality type. After carrying out the Jung typology test, the results for the questionnaire emerged as follows; moderate preference of introversion over extraversion (56%), slight preference of thinking over feeling(12%), slight preference of thinking over feeling (12%) and finally moderate preference of judging over perceiving (44%). The results are a prospect of my general personality and are important for assessing workplace behavior, interaction with fellow colleagues in the workplace, anger management and motivational factors. Essentially, personality has great influence on someone’s career and performance when assigned tasks. In fact, personality type is a crucial determinant of how an individual relate with coworkers and the type of career to pursue (Hollway, 1991). From the above outcomes, my personality is best suited to working in a quiet place and interacting with just few people or none. The personality type postulated by the above outcomes does not accommodate working in organizations with large number of employees. Unfortunately, most workplace settings involve several employees working together with the aim of accomplishing organizational goals. It is important to examine the personality types of employees in order to discover the place each individual can fit best. For instance, people with introverted personalities work best in a secluded location. On the contrary, people with extraverted personality are suitable working in teams and in areas involving interaction with huge crowds of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Research Methodology, Design and Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Research Methodology, Design and Process - Essay Example Nursing practice, like other professions, has constantly been enriched and improved by research critical evaluation strategies. As a result, research critical evaluation involves the most effective means of collecting, analyzing, and evaluating information regarding any aspect in (nursing) practice (Stebbins 2006). The critically generated information becomes the basis of making decision in any field with the aim of improving or filling out the deficiencies that other materials demonstrate. Conducting research is a process that follows specific steps, where in most cases, it has been found seven critical steps are followed. The seven steps are: defining research question, asking for help, developing research strategy and locating resources to use in conducting the research, utilizing the most effective search techniques, reading critically, synthesizing and seeking meaning, understanding the scholarly communication process and citing sources, and lastly, evaluating the sources in the most effective critical way (Stebbins 2006). ... In addition, the review will involve establishing whether the author (s) state explicitly the ideas and information contained in the article; what contribution the article has on the topic it presents; and kind materials presented in the work. This is in addition to how the materials have been expressed and argue about the topic being presented; what alternatives exist in terms of arguing on the materials presented; the available and presentation of theoretical issues in the article; and lastly, the impersonal reaction/argument with regard to the article presented. Quantitative and qualitative research works are both utilized in the nursing practice, with the processes of critique evaluating these two types of information differing greatly. In this research project, critical evaluation of two articles will be conducted whereby, the quantitative critique review will be conducted on an article titled, ‘Measuring self-perceived public health nursing’, while qualitative crit ical review will be conducted on an article titled, ‘Barriers to, and facilitators of post-operative pain management in Iran Nursing’. The third article selected to be used in enriching information for the two articles is the article titled, ‘Delineating the role of a cohort of clinical research nurses in a pediatric cooperative clinical trials groups’. It should be known that the basis of article critical review and evaluation would largely be carried out within the precepts of purpose and objectives of the article, design process, and nature of the article, setting framework of the article, sampling procedure and technique, methods of investigations, research variables, findings, and applicability of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Hybrid Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hybrid - Movie Review Example It is natural for human to seek for beauty, and it is impossible without designing work. It is preferable to sit, for example, on not only comfortable and quality chair, but also on that one that looks good and makes feel that it is aesthetically well done. A home can be compared to a machine to see whether it is possible to adjust it just the same way like a machine. This will of customization leads to further creativity in such matters as the furniture location, the wallpapers color and pattern, the carpets and other pieces of interior, which is impossible without imagination and, consequently, designing work. The desire for customization, optimization and rationalization may lead to some extravagant ideas that can be understood incorrectly or even fail. The ideas of Bauhaus survived both ways: one of them failed, others lived up till today. Based upon information received about this project, the conclusion is that the best idea of a home, and the life at all, is to rationally combine the desire for beauty, the design, and pragmatism, the desire to rationalize and make the things more

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Rocking Chair Test Essay Example for Free

The Rocking Chair Test Essay By saying The Rocking Chair Test, Jeff refers to the time when he will be old and spend most of his time in the rocking chair thinking about things he has done in his past. Jeff wants to bring the facts of life to the readers notice and suggests that the rocking chair is not very far. He wants to show how small things which he did would reflect on his future and in the end, would it be worth the effort, put in for that action. Jeff figuratively points out whether the work that he does today capitalizes in future. Rather than wasting his time on smaller, irrelevant things, he could do something that may be more memorable or productive and would make him happy whenever he thinks about it. Jeff wants to cherish all the time that he will have lived when he will be old and sitting in his rocking chair thinking of his past. Jeff suggests, everyone should apply daily activities to the rocking chair test. He thinks that if everyone relates their daily chores to the rocking chair test, everyone would lead a cheerful life when they are older. Everyone will be contended by doing everything worthwhile in the past. In one of the extracts Jeff also portrays that doing something is better than owning. According to Jeff, a person will not cherish what he would had bought, more than what he could had done, in the past. 2]. According to Jeff, balancing the enjoyments of the present with the responsibilities of everyday life is trickier than what it sounds. It is mostly a personal opinion on what one would like to spend his time on. One has to decide individually, whether the acts done in the present would satisfy the doer when he thinks of it when he is old. Jeff wants to instill the rocking chair in everyone’s lives, but he says that the test results could vary for different people with different opinion. Both, leisure and work are an essential part of our lives. We often aren’t able to decide, what the best course of action is, and generally land in a dilemma. Jeff suggests gauging all acts against the satisfaction scale of the rocking chair test. It is a potential answer to this problem. Everyone has obligations, they need to honor. Some of these may be quintessential. The rest may just be of PPatil Page 2 4/12/2017 no relevance. Rationalize on what would be more pleasing to you when you think about it, sitting on your rocking chair. There will always be options that may entertain you, but then will it really amuse you when you think of it in your old age. The rocking chair test is certainly a good principle to live by if you want to live happily ever after. 3]. Things that would not pass Jeffs rocking chair test may not necessarily fail for everyone. One may give more importance to reading books and the other would feel that firsthand experience would be of more relevance. The decision would be purely personal based on individual thought pattern. If I get to apply the rocking chair test to my life, there would be a number of things I would eradicate from my schedule. Things like smoking would make no sense on the rocking chair test. I will never feel, Damn, I should have smoked some more. Health related stuff would gain priority so that the rocking chair stays as far as possible. I would take a more logical approach towards the future with the rocking chair test at hand. The rocking chair test will restrain television time to almost negligible. I certainly don’t want to miss reviewing a few, recent artist albums but I think experiencing a big release concert would make all the more logic. Also when applied to job, I would make most out of my time and effort, only to cherish the present achievements in future and reap their benefits. Jeff concludes that the rocking chair is closer than we think and I think that Jeff is right by all means.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Signaling and Screening Approaches in Car Manufacturing

Signaling and Screening Approaches in Car Manufacturing Signaling and screening are key approaches to minimize judgmental errors in situations where there is asymmetric information. One such situation occurs when a firm wishes to assess individuals for consideration as a prospective employee. This report reviews and applies the different concepts studied to a car manufacturing company, Audi. The structure of the paper will be as follows: elaboration on various signaling approaches, an evaluation of the firm’s effectiveness and relative costs with respect to Audi, followed by showing the business outcomes subsequent to the use of different approaches. Finally, recommendations are made to allow Audi to boost its effectiveness in identifying the most suitable applicants. The Audi Group (AG) has been named one of the most successful car manufacturers in the premium and supercar segment. A total of 1,751,007 cars have been delivered by the company to clients compared to the 1,634,312 cars in the past fiscal year. Conversely, a new record was constructed when the main brand ‘Audi’ amplified its total number of units delivered by 8.3% to 1,575,480 vehicles. The AG manufactures in ten sites worldwide and these production sites consist of two plants in Germany while another eight other facilities are in Belgium, China, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Russia, Slovakia and Spain. Moreover, its front-line logistical practices; synchronised Audi assembly system and an extremely competent workforce of approximately 73,751 assure uniform standards globally. Since each Audi production site attains high standards of excellence, productivity and conservational suitability, this could be the reason for the many awards received by the AG in 2014 which includes the ‘Best Employer Award ’and ‘World Car of the Year’. While some theories hold common views, others have conflicting ones. For instance, the human capital theory identifies that an increase in level of education has critical impacts on profitability and productivity. On the other hand, pure signaling theory states that education does not result in productivity towards the society and questions the investments which individuals made when seeking them. Under human resource management, signalling often occurs during the recruitment process. This is illustrated by Spence (1973), where it shows that signaling theory is concerned with reducing information asymmetry between two parties. Spence (1973) developed the labour market to showcase education as a signal. As employers have limited information regarding on the quality of job applicants, these applicants thus obtain education to signal their quality and reduce information asymmetries. Hence, Spence’s model emphasises on education as a way in transmitting characteristics that are unobservable of job applicants. The next signaling theory utilises two variables- high and low quality firms. In this model, imperfect information exists, where firms know its own worth, while external sources such as investors and customers do not. A choice is then made by each firm on whether to signal its true qualities to outsiders, based on the different payoffs that are presented to them. For each of the different quality firms, two payoffs will result for the various decisions made. The high-quality firm will receive payoff A if it chooses to signal and B if it chooses not to. As for the low-quality firm, it will receive payoff C and D for the respective decisions. Since both firms are assumed to make rational decisions, they would choose whichever option which gives them a higher payoff so as to be better off. With this assumption, there would be a separating equilibrium where high-quality firms are motivated to signal and low-quality firms are not (i.e. when payoff A is greater than payoff B and payoff D is larger than payoff C). It also effectively enables external sources to identify high-quality firms from low-quality firms. However, a pooling equilibrium occurs when both types of firms benefit from signaling (i.e., A > B and C > D) and outsiders can no longer differentiate between the two firms. From the financial economists perspectives, firm debt and dividends are used as representation of signals on firm quality. These signals will influence the external environment of its opinions on the quality of firms. Ross refers to this quality as ‘‘an unobservable skill of the business to earn positive cash flows in the future using financial structure and/or managerial incentives as signals’’. By doing so, only firms of high-quality are able to make interest and dividend payments over a long period of time as low-quality firms cannot bear such payments. Understanding the concept of quality is important since it is a distinctive factor in most signaling models. Quality refers to the fundamental, unnoticeable capability of a signaller to satisfy the demands or needs of an outsider observing the signal. This idea of quality may be similar to reputation and prestige, but are essentially derived from the signaler’s unnoticed feature. Based on the understanding of concepts from various approaches, three elements of the signaling process are identified: the signaller, the signal and the receiver are looked upon. Moreover, each of these elements below will be illustrated using Audi, the selected manufacturing company. Firstly, signallers are known as insiders that can acquire information concerning an individual, product or organisation that external parties are not entitled to. The insiders include directors or executives of the Audi Group. Information obtained can either be positive or negative and usually consists of confidential and high level details on Audi’s products or facilities. As the information is confidential to the insiders, it allows for some aspects of privileged perception on the primary quality of the individual, product or organization. The next element is the signal itself. This is the point when insiders make a decision on whether to share the information to external parties. In a signalling theory, the focus is on relaying positive information to achieve positive organisational attributes. For example, distribution of shares is a form of negative signal which displays that executives believe the company’s stock price is overvalued. The insiders’ main aims are to reduce information asymmetry while the negative signals sent are often an unplanned consequence of the insider’s action. An efficacious signal comes in two forms signal observability and signal cost. ‘Signal observability’ refers to the extent to which external parties are able to notice signals. When the steps taken by insiders are not easily detected by outsiders, communication with receivers will become unlikely. ‘Signal cost’ under the signaling framework will contain the fact that a number of signallers can absorb the associated costs better than others. For instance, the costs related with gaining ISO9000 certification (a certification which considers different aspects of quality management) are high due to the process of accreditation being relatively time consuming as well as preventing false signaling. Nevertheless, a high-quality manufacturer would find ISO9000 certification less costly unlike a low-quality manufacturer as a manufacturer that is of lower quality would need to implement more changes in order to be presented the accreditation. False signaling occurs when a signaller does not have the basic qualities connected with the signal but trusts that the benefits of signaling outweigh the costs of producing the signal. Therefore, in order for signaling to remain effective, signaling costs have to be planned so that false signals do not pay. The final element is the receiver. Based on the signalling models, receivers are the exact opposite of signallers whereby receivers do not have access to information regarding Audi but wants to have it. Hence, there is a conflict of interest such that any deceit would allow the signaller to have an advantage over the receiver. Signaling ought to have a strategic outcome which typically comprises selection of the signaller in favour of other possibilities. The approach on this signaling is that outsiders will benefit directly or collectively with the signaller from the decision made based on the data attained. To illustrate, the receiver can choose between hiring, purchasing, or investing. By reading the signals carefully, interested applicants will be able to identify if the skills and capabilities that the individual have are the right fit for respective firms and thereby do a self-selection for the firm to consider the applicant on hiring prospects. Audi engages using various aspects, besides putting in place attractive monetary benefits, to send out indirect but positive signals to show that Audi cares about the employees’ well-being. These aspects include the provision of job security, professional development, and healthy working environment between coworkers and supervisors along with other attractive non-monetary incentives. Audi is dependent on the skills and commitment of employees of excellent traits. Thus, feedbacks are often performed amongst employees to measure the extent of satisfaction levels. Due to its prominent existence and continuous international growth, Audi is capable of using its national and international ratings to signal themselves as an attractive employer worldwide. For example, it is known that Audi has the biggest manufacturing facility in Germany and has even invested in an institution that provides training and learning opportunities to employees. This effectively allowed Audi to become the few top employers in the region with over 33,729 employees. Employers need to find ways to motivate employees in order for signaling to be effective as dedicated and well-trained staff is vital for Audi to progress and succeed. One way is through personnel development where employees are led, challenged and cheered on in the beginning so that their fortes and ideas can be applied. Thus, an organized, intensive and reliable model for the ideal improvement of all workers is being executed. The organizational structure of Audi is another signal that attracts many job applicants. What the company looks for is neither the rank nor the period of service of an employee, but rather the loyalty, performance and capabilities that makes them an asset to the firm. This shows that Audi has a decentralized hierarchy where specific knowledge is required and responsibility is at all levels. Hence, being a recruit may not necessarily be a disadvantage. Moreover, supervisors evaluate an employee’s performance by making the decision on his/her wages increment and future prospective of the individual by communicating with each other. This method is also closely linked to promotions where Audi uses the concept of ‘‘good performance – good opportunities’’. It gives an employee the opportunity to learn as much as possible from various divisions through a manner of ‘on- and off-the-job’ selection. Most companies use salaries to signal applicants and/or employees. Audi has effectively put the signal to right use when the rewards received by employees are considerably greater than the initial negotiated amount. With profit-sharing distribution, satisfaction levels are likely to increase, in turn driving motivation. Each individual employee’s credentials, proficiency and former experiences determine the amount of remuneration he/she receives. Audi ensures that new entrants are assured a healthy work life environment where a range of benefits are available and entitlement to ‘‘open-ended contracts’’. These benefits cater to families where childcares are taken into account for employees; and to individuals where health insurance is of utmost importance to maintain as a strong health-focused workplace. More importantly, Audi takes care of its employees even after retirement through the ‘old-age pension scheme’. This may be the reason for Audi’s recent achievement of the ‘‘Best Employer 2014’’ title as employees are never hesitant about praising the company to others. The above section desribed many effective signals which Audi uses to attract potential employees. However, due to the outcome of demographic change and overall value formation processes, Audi still faces the risk of a shortage of professionals and/or skilled workers. As such, the human resource division are found to be focusing heavily on individual development, supporting the employees with extensive training programs to help them develop multiple skills. However, Audi failed to realise that these signalling approaches are very costly to the firm and needs to be reviewed through the following recommendations which could reduce cost significantly and at the same time achieve efficiency. In this model, there are two periods considered: the probation period and the non-probation period. Audi can adopt the probation model by first assessing employees during the probationary period with a relatively lower pay. If the worker is able to pass this probationary period, then a high wage is given subsequently. This effectively ensures productivity and constant monitoring of employees so that the right type of applicants is attracted to the company. By having an ‘old-age pension scheme’ for its retiring employees, it shows Audi’s valuation and treatment of its employees. A suggestion to allow senior employees of various specialties to join the senior management or board of directors for recruitment assessment of new applicants could be a relatively more cost-effective measure and the risks of selecting the wrong applicants would definitely be lowered as senior employees have the knowledge and experience to screen for potential employees. Self-selection, in the context of recruitment refers to a process whereby the right employees for the business decides to apply while the wrong employees does not. Hence, it is crucial for organisations to send signals to attract applicants and it would be an added bonus if signals are presented such that individuals perform self-selection for consideration. Bearing this in mind, Audi may consider a ‘‘piece-rate contract’’ which indicates the pay levels received by the individual when he/she attains a certain level of productivity. Thus, Audi will be able to deter less skilled workers from applying and only skilled workers are being screened. Besides conducting satisfaction surveys, Audi should instead implement a suggestion scheme where employees can provide valuable inputs to improve productivity and ensure the safe operation of manufacturing. To encourage participation, a reward in the form of extended off-day leaves or sponsored specialized education can be provided to the employee whose suggestion is acted upon by Audi. Audi can consider including other forms of incentives which consists of individual incentive plans and/or team incentive plans. Individual incentive plans can be ‘‘straight piece-work’’ system where work is less challenging and more acceptable by employees since it can be easily understood. This ensures that employees are more comfortable with the task given and will be motivated to produce efficient work. While it has been noted that Audi uses profit-sharing distribution on top of bonuses, it would probably be a better incentive for the firm to use stock ownership or options as awards instead since the effect on financial statements would be minimum and the additional profits earned by the firm could be used for further enhancement in research and development. Overall, the signaling theory is a useful indictor to describe the conduct of individuals or organizations when information is available. Normally, the sender will decide on the method and audience to send its signals to while the receiver learns to interpret those signals. However, the use of signalling approaches needs to be an appropriate fit to the business so that additional cost would not be incurred at the extent of the organisation’s and employer to employee relationship growth. Taking Audi as an example, if Audi is able to improve on its signalling approaches, the business will continue to be an attractive employer worldwide in the long run.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Graduation Speech: Who Are We? :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

We are the Class of 2012. But who are we really? In truth we are nothing but ourselves. We are the sons and daughters of baby-boomers, farmers, veterans, ex-hippies and civil righters. We have slid out of Generation X into our own. Appropriately coined Generation Y, we are the ones who ask for faster, longer, safer, fairer and better. Some of our questions include: Why are people starving when we have more than enough food? Why do we have nuclear weapons if we aren’t going to use them? Why is the smoking age 18 and the drinking age 21? Why are drive-through liquor stores legal when drinking and driving is not? Why don’t you like my music? Why can’t I have a faster computer? Why did the CIA put top secret information in a laptop anyway? And why does Mr. Sharples sing show tunes when he walks down the hall? These questions, and many others, will define not only ourselves, but the world from which we get the answers. Despite history’s trend of world conflict, my class has never known a war where military service was automatic. We now join the services for an education, not necessarily to fight. We have never felt the impact of widespread, deep-seated injustice and discontent. Oh, we may complain about the president, and hear individual cases of prejudice, but we don’t feel as if the problem is getting worse. We have never known the terror of possible nuclear war. The Cold War ended before we could understand what it was about. We have not suffered famine, global catastrophe or unpreventable, epidemic diseases. Even AIDS, which we have learned how to avoid, is being beaten back, slowly but surely. However, we are close enough to those in age who have experienced these trials. We are close enough through communication advances to see them happening in poorer countries around the world. Close enough to ask why it happened, and how we can prevent it from happening again. We are a diverse group, and accept that diversity whole-heartedly. We all have our own beliefs. We hail from the East Coast, the West Coast and all stops in-between infinity and beyond. We are actors, artists, writers and musicians. Some are mechanics, carpenters, engineers and programmers. We are runners, jumpers, hitters, throwers, kickers and catchers. And some are designers, cashiers, clerks and chefs. We are doctors, vets, entrepreneurs and therapists.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Business Communication †My Role Model in Career Essay

Mr. Mahbub Hossain, my line manager of my previous office, is my role model for my career path. He is the CSM (Customer Service Manager)of Joydebpur branch, Brac Bank LTD. In brief, he is getting MBA from IBA along with his job. Was graduated from DU (Finance), prior that he took places in both HSC & SSC examinations. As I worked with him, I found many good qualities in him. By times, I took him as a role model as his qualities impressed me. I am going to point out two of them which is leadership quality and secondly, quick decision (appropriate) making ability. As I have seen him closely, I found all the qualities that a leader should have. He guided the team successfully to achieve the organizational goal. He teamed us up too strongly & cheered us to act spontaneously to meet up the goals. He used to take initiatives for cheering us up. So that we never been tired in meeting our business targets. Theory says, a leader has to have seven qualities, but I found more in him. Out of the theoretical ones, his friendly & caring attitude made us believe that we are not only team players, even more than that. Personal recognitions helped a lot to follow his leadership willingly, not only for his designation. His interpersonal communication skill & ability of finding out team member’s strength or weakness made him a successful leader. I found him always remain calm in critical situations and controlled tactfully. Always stand with subordinates against all odds (from outside) is remarkable. His keen knowledge and prompt decision making ability is an effective quality for any career. I always found him deciding with the best option. Some of his effective decisions saved potential losses. He even made critical decisions over the phone in instant. His knowledge on current issues, updating about the recent changes made him up to this standard. We people learn from the surrounding. I passed a long time with Mr. Mahbub inside & as well outside of our office. I try to adapt these two qualities in me. I wish to be a leader like him as my team members also think like that we are in a team, not like a orderer & follower relation. To get leadership quality like him I try to spend more time with him. Whenever we meet, we share our ides. I am gathering theoretical data as I can even exceed his leadership quality. It was said, â€Å"Leader’s are born, not made. † But recent studies proved that these leadership qualities can be developed to a great extent. I attended a training program at Briddhi with him (arranged by our organization), which was meant for mid level managers and up comers. Finding out colleges ability seems tough to me. I found this as my area of developments. At any stage of career I should be prompt in making quick decisions with accuracy. As I said just ago, I discuss about every issue with him. If there is any situation I have to decide anything at once, I let him know about the issue and exchange ideas for improvement scopes. Knowledge gathering is a key to professional success. That’s why, I get myself admitted MBA here. I am studying here with hope, I can implement these theoretical knowledge at my workplace. I read a lot of articles written on banking & FI (Financial Institutes). Current issues mostly published on web or newspapers. For making myself up to date about, I go through them. Internal circulars helps a lot to updating myself.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Conformity Case Essay

INTRODUCTION: Ever since the first experiment on conformity was conducted by Jenness in 1932, psychologists have tried to measure conformity under various situations. Historically, conformity has been measured in numerous ways, though the most widely used methods have been behavioural observations and self reports (Scher and Thompson, 2007). While Asch’s Experiment (1951) remains the most popular work on conformity, Zimbardo (1971) and Milgrams’ (1974) work are noteworthy. AIM AND HYPOTHESIS: We wanted to find out whether undergraduate students conform to social norms or not? Also, what are the likely reasons for their behaviour? For this, we created our own experiment. However, let us define conformity and other key variables first. Kalat (2008) defines conformity as changing one’s behaviour to match other people’s behaviour or expectations. It is the dependant variable (DV) in our experiment and we gave it an operational definition. We measured DV by the subject’s correct gender identification and subsequent action of walking through the door assigned for their respective gender. This is further elaborated under the Research Method section. The independent variable (IV) in our experiment was self-monitoring attitude. We chose IV as our group believed that it is primarily high self-monitoring people are more conscious about their social image and are thus more likely to conform in general than low-self monitoring people and vice versa. The operational definition for self monitoring attitude was the score on Self-Monitoring (SM) Scale created by Mark Synder in the early 1970’s. Frayer believes that the personality test measures how much an individual would change his behaviour to suit situational cues. It has 25 questions in total and has been attached in APPENDIX 1 for your reference. The results were interpreted as high, intermediate or low score depending on how many questions the subject got corr ect using the answer key provided by lckes and Barnes (1977) attached in APPENDIX 2 for your reference. Our goal was to examine therelationship between self-monitoring attitude (IV) and   conformity (DV). We expected a positive co-relation due to our group belief mentioned above. Besides, Scher and Thompson’s (2007) experiment, which was our inspiration, had found a significant positive correlation relationship between self-monitoring and behavioural conformity. Our target population was the undergraduate students at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). However, our sample consisted of only forty HKU students composing of twenty female and twenty male students. RESEARCH METHOD: Let us elaborate on how we went about conducting our experiment. Firstly, we chose to conduct the experiment at Chi Wah composite building since many undergraduate students go there to study. Secondly, we replicated Sarah Lisbene experiment on gender conformity. Lisbene had pasted gender signs on an entrance of a building to observe whether people would conform to the gender symbols on the doors. We duplicated her gender conformity situation at the main entrance on the first floor of Chi Wah as it has precisely two doors. We stuck gender symbols on each door at the eye level right besides the door handles ‒ a male only sign on right door and a female only sign on the left door. Then, we shut both the doors at the entrance. Anyone who wanted to enter the building from this entrance was bound to read the gender sign before opening the door and thus would have to make a decision to conform, observable by his/her action of walking through the appropriate gender-marked door. Thirdly, we used simple systematic sampling method to choose our subjects. Every 10th person was invited to participate in our experiment by filling in a two paged survey. The survey was actually the SM Scale mentioned in AIM AND HYPOTHESIS section. We calculated their scores on the SM Scale by their marked responses to measure the IV and its relationship with DV. Lastly, we tried to observe participants in their natural setting. To remain unnoticeable, we dressed up in casuals and stood far away from the entrance, trying to avoid giving any additional situational cues to the participants. We wanted to prevent any bias adversely affecting our study and carefully observed the behaviour of the subjects reading the signs, recording their decision of walking through either door and then approached them, requesting to fill in the survey. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS: Though the response and the reactions from the subjects varied, a common trend in our experiment emerged. The participant would read the sign on the door when he/she approached to open the door and get confused. Then, he/she would take a step back and try to locate the other gender sign on the other door and finding one would relieve him/her and change their emotion. Then they would make a decision to walk through either door. The mean score on the SM scale was 12.1, an â€Å"Intermediate Sco re† as it falls in the band width of 9-14. It suggests that HKU undergraduates self-monitor themselves to a moderate degree on average and would be conscious of their social image. Our hypothesis would suggest that undergraduates are likely to conform to their respective gender roles. The statistics obtained from our sample were consistent with our expectations in general. In fact, 28 out of the 40 or 70% participants conformed to their respective gender role. We found a modest positive co-relation of .4049 between SM Scale and conformity. It suggests that self-monitoring attitude may lead to gender conformity. We observed two major group differences based on the data collected. The first group was divided on basis of gender while the second on their score on SM Scale. Firstly, the SM Score mean for females was slightly higher (12.2) than for men (12). The standard deviation for females (3.578) was lower compared to men (4.193) and the range for females was 4-21 and 3-18 for men. The data and statistics obtained are indicative of females conforming marginally more than males. Out of the 28 subjects that did conform, 16 or 57.1% were females and only 12 or 42.9% were males. Secondly, a score of 15-22 is high and 0-8 is low on the SM scale. Out of the 7 subjects who scored low on SM scale, only 3 or 42.9% conformed. Out of the 23 subjects who scored intermediate on SM scale, only 16 or 69.6% conformed and out of the 10 subjects who scored high on SM Scale, 9 or 90% conformed. This suggest that people who score high on the SM Scale are more likely to conform than people who score lower on the SM Scale. A third group difference, which is based on our observation of arrival of participant in a party or not can be suggested. In a group of two females and three males, a male pointed out the discrepancy at the entrance which surprised the whole group. They talked among themselves and even had a laugh, pointing at the symbols. Nonetheless, the group split up and members walked through respective doors and then rejoined once inside the building. This may suggests that people are more likely to conform if they arrive in a party consisting of both the genders. CONCLUSION From our data and observations in the experiment, we can make a few conclusions. Firstly, though HKU undergraduates are likely to conform to gender roles, females are more likely to do so. Secondly, there is a modest correlation between self-monitoring attitude and conformity, though we could not establish a direct causal relationship between the two variables. Thirdly, it seems that people who are scored higher on the SM Scale are more likely to conform to gender roles than those who scored lower on the SM Scale. Lastly, subjects are more likely to conform to gender roles when they arrive in a party consisting of both the genders. CRITICAL EVALUATION: Booker (2012) says that behavioural conformity is linked with youth happiness. Conforming behaviour enables us to create a strong social world and experience belongingness to a group, thereby facilitating social identification and security, leading to equilibrium of contentment. This suggests the importance of conforming in order to ac hieve happiness. Secondly, conforming behaviour is actually a â€Å"self-defining act† and people conform to keep their â€Å"state of peace† (Santee and Jackson, 1982). This too may explain why people conform in general. Furthermore, there is a difference in the view of conformity between both the genders ‒ men regard non-conforming behaviour as â€Å"self-image enhancing† while women regard conformity as â€Å"positive† and â€Å"self defining†. This helps explain why women are more likely than men to conform. Another plausible explanation for gender differences in conformity is given by Maslach, Santee and Wade (1987), who believe conformity is based on personality traits of men and women. Men are supposed to be â€Å"assertive† and â€Å"independent† while women are supposed to be â€Å"sensitive†. Recently, researchers from University of London (2011) have even found a mild genetic influence explaining gender conforming traits (31%) in women. According to Fraser, most people would like to maintain a positive public image and are perceptive to what people think about them. This may explain why high self-monitors who actively apply impression managem ent are more likely to conform than low self-monitors. The fear of distorting their public image or even dampening their social popularity would be a powerful incentive for high self monitors to conform. Lastly, individuals composing a group face a stronger effect of normative social influence than a collection of individuals who do not form a group (Deutsch and Gerard, 1954). This may explain why the conformity increases when subjects arrive in a party consisting of both genders. I would now like to talk about potential flaws in our experiment and some methods to improve our model. Firstly, conformity is not completely dependent on a single variable and we should have used a multi-variable regression model to estimate it instead. In our experiment, one of the omitted variables is lack of social pressure or incentive to conform. The subjects may not have sufficient incentive to walk through their gender assigned door as there was no reward or penalty in terms of social acceptance or rejection. Also, as many as 9 subjects reported that they did not notice any gender symbol and walked in using random door. None of them was suffering from any eyesight problem like colour blindness. Furthermore, Livingstone brings to light a potential confounding variable ‒ civility. Civility primarily depends on disposition of the subject, which in turn depends on parenting, school education and cultural background. We could have included all these variables in our model. Another potential flaw in experiment is not having a control group. Maybe the female lavatory near the left door favoured the female participants to walk through the left door, increasing their conforming number. Either a control group or interchanging the symbols on the doors after the first 20 subjects had filled in the survey would have removed this bias. To improve our model, we could have used better operational definitions too. The SM Scale is controversial and walking through a door marked by a sign may not be a relevant gender issue. Secondly, we could have used a larger budget and more time to improve our model. For instance, it took us four days to get permission to conduct the experiment at Chi Wah. If we had more time, we would have conducted the experiment in the Main Library and Medical Campus to get a representative sample. Increasing our sample size would have enabled us to detect micro trends and be more accurate. We could have offered subjects who refused to fill in the survey monetary compensation. Our study may have been subject to experimenter bias in spite our full effort to minimise the bias as we were expecting a positive correlation. Blinding was too expensive an option for us. PERSONAL REFLECTION: Though this experiment answered some questions, it has left me wondering about many more. If given the opportunity, I would like to conduct a few follow up experiments to seek some answers. Firstly, I would like to find out if there is any link between stress levels and gender conformity. This relationship arises from my observation that some subjects in our experiment who walked through the wrong door and also refused to fill in the survey seemed to be impatient and rude. Though there may be some other reasons behind their gender non-conformity behaviour and mood like being short on time, we cannot say for sure and will have to find out for ourselves. Also, I would like to find out if there is any threshold level for conformity? For instance, participants may refuse to conform by walking through a door in our experiment but they would probably conform while using a lavatory. If non-conformers conform if they know they would be severely rebuked for their actions, what precisely is that threshold level? The experiment also cleared my misconceptions of conducting experiments. I thought that it would be very easy to design and conduct an experiment. However, given our goal, there were so many ways of going about it that was very hard to select the best method given our resources and time constraint. Carrying out the experiment has its own fair share of struggles. I would also like to mention my experience with experimenter bias. While drafting the experiment, I was very confident that I could not be susceptible to experimenter bias. However, when we started the experiment, it was very hard not to hand out the survey to our friends and acquaintances who happened to come in through the doors but were not the 10th subject as per our systematic sampling rule. Finally, after having finished the experiment, I think it was painstakingly work involving a lot of planning and careful evaluation. Nonetheless, I had fun conducting the experiment. REFERENCES 1. Scher, N., & Thompson, T. (2007). Self-Monitoring and Conformity: A Comparison of Self-Report and Behavioral Measures. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research X (2007) Retrieved December 1, 2012, from http://www.uwlax.edu/urc/jur-online/PDF/2007/scher&thompson.pdf 2. Kalat, James W. (2008). Introduction to Psychology, Ninth (International) Edition. Wadsworth: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 3. Fraser, M. â€Å"Mhaire†. Self Monitoring Notes and Resources. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from De Anza College Website: http://faculty.deanza.edu/frasermary/stories/storyReader$157 4. Montclair SocioBlog. Livingston, J. (2009). Civility or Mindless Compliance? Retrieved December 2, 2012, from http://montclairsoci.blogspot.hk/2009/07/civility-or-mindless-compliance.html 5. Booker, Karene. (2012). Youths’ well-being linked to how well they conform to gender norms Retrieved December 4, 2012, from http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/news/youths-well-being-linked-how-well-they-conform-gender-norms 6. Santee, R.T., & Jackson, S.E. (1882). Identity Implications of Conformity: Sex Differences in Normative and Attributional Judgements. Social Psychology Quarterly, 45(2), 121-125. Retrieved from December 7, 2012, http://faculty.rhodes.edu/wetzel/223webproj/conformity%20and%20gender/ 7. Maslach, C., Santee, R. T., & Wade, C. (1987). Individuation, Gender Role, and Dissent: Personality Mediators of Situational Forces. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(6), 1088-1093. Retrieved December 7, 2012,from http://faculty.rhodes.edu/wetzel/223webproj/conformity%20and%20gender/ 8. Science Daily. Jul 9, 2011. Sexual Orientation and Gender Conforming Traits in Women Are Genetic, Study Finds Retrieved December 9, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110707173319.htm 9. Morton, Deutsch and Gerard, B. Harold. (1954). A Study of Normative and Informational Social Influences upon Individual Judgement. Research Center for Human Relations, New York University Retrieved December 10, 2012, from http://web.comhem.se/u68426711/8/deutsch55.pdf