Small business and its challenges Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Small business and its challenges - Case Study Example Long term forecasts allows company time to better position itself in the market competitively and at the same time enable it to implement any new approaches. Advance planning will help her reduce expenses, organize her resources, and cope with new trends therefore avoiding unnecessary surprises. With regard to her services, she should be more focused on how to ensure that they are satisfying to her customers hence ensuring a stable operation that can last for long. In every business, slight changes are necessary in order to better meet the needs of the target market. Therefore, it would be of benefit if Mort introduced slight changes or advance versions of her old service, such that she is able to keep up with the new trends. It will ensure that the business future is stable and at the same time keep the legacy of the family. The long term planning will help her know what modifications to make and know when to implement them which will help her business stay afloat regardless of competition, (Morrell, 2001). Capital expenditure is cash spent by an enterprise to obtain or renovate fixed, tangible, non-consumable assets, like buildings and equipment or a new business for a profitable purpose. Since Mort’s business has been there for long, is obvious that the building is worn out and might as well require renovation. She should, therefore, put aside some money that would cater for an overall upgrade. It can involve a little more partitioning of the entire building into a customized way that almost match the current models. Also, she should acquire newer versions of equipment used, such as freezers, in order to better preserve the bodies. Since technology is here to stay and new and advanced ones get introduced very often, it would be advisable if she embraced technologies such as computers. They will assist her in keeping records and vital information in good state and even upgrade her way of keeping tabs on which bodies are

The Diamonds (author J Sorie Conteh) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Diamonds (author J Sorie Conteh) - Essay Example The story is a classic example of traditional African culture in disagreement with contemporary justice. The Diamonds explores the human misery and social meltdown caused by Sierra Leone's great diamond rush of the 1950s. Gibao Semabu, a successful peasant farmer, leaves his village for the Brave New World of diamond mining at Sewa. It is a totally different, corrupt world, where money is made quickly and then lost, theft is accepted, as long as one is not caught, and prostitution is very much a part of life. Initially timid but driven by an extraordinary ambition to get rich quick, Gibao succumbs to the greed and graft of the mines, and takes things further: he commits ritual murder after being told by a sorcerer that this will help him find large-size diamonds. The Diamonds, on one level, is a parable of the destruction of peasant life by encroaching modernity - in the manner of Thomas Hardy, it juxtaposes the bucolic, beautifully ordered society of rural Sierra Leone with the graft-ridden, violent world of unregulated capitalism, showing how a clash between the two leads to the destruction of the former.

Sas Institute’s “Best Employer Award” Essay Example for Free

Sas Institute’s â€Å"Best Employer Award† Essay SAS Institute’s â€Å"Best Employer Award† is based largely on its financial success and the overwhelming job satisfaction its employees report. From free health care to copious amounts of MMs, SAS spares no cost to keep their â€Å"chief assets† happy, for, as their CEO / majority owner says Contented cows give more milk. Still, today’s talented workers are not apt to spend the majority of their careers at one company because of luxurious perks. The truth is that what seems like random and excessive, is actually a well-crafted and impeccably executed strategy to create an unparalleled work and life environment. SAS is successful in applying the principles of Cognitive Evaluation Theory that emphasize keeping employees’ cognitive attention on intrinsic rewards rather than extrinsic ones. SAS steers clear of Insufficient Justification or Insufficient Punishment by deemphasizing such extrinsic rewards as pay and promotion, and instead emphasizing intrinsic controllable rewards as membership within a community and a way of life. For example, SAS’s unique sick-day policy which, in contrast to industry standards, does not have a set number of allowable sick-days. David Russo states, â€Å"If youre out sick for six months, youll get cards and flowers†, and â€Å"We expect adult behavior. The result is that SAS employees average only two sick days annually. The focus on â€Å"Adult behavior† makes employees feel responsible for their obligation to the company as part of their overall reciprocity for all that the company has done for them. The lack of any real explicit punishment actually creates intrinsic pressure on the individual employee to not to take advantage of the policy in order to keep his self-perception in line with beliefs about being a good and accountable employee. By downplaying pay as an extrinsic reward and gauge of performance, SAS successfully uses Insufficient Justification to help in sidestepping the usual salary comparisons issues. The informational aspect of Cognitive Evaluation Theory is crucial to the understanding of SAS’s unique structure and policies. SAS avoids assigning tasks that have high probability of failure. Also it allows its employees freedom in choosing what to work on. As Goodnight states, â€Å"If theyve grown bored with their job, they have great freedom to move horizontally instead of having to hunt for another employer.† Jenn Mann echoes Goodnight when she states, â€Å"nobody much cares whether you show up at 9 or 11.† Taking the focus off such trivial extrinsic matters frees up employees to focus their attention on intrinsic motivations such as having fun. Self-concordance suggests that these intrinsic motivations are stronger, more internally justifiable and therefore much more likely to make the individual work harder to achieve his goal. SAS uses Needs Theory to focus its recruiting on people who exhibit a high need for affiliation and achievement, while paying close attention to those with an overtly high need for power. To cater to high achievers’ needs managers make sure to assign tasks that are realistically achievable within the prescribed timeframe and the individual’s competencies. Managers provide subordinates with rapid feedback through everyday walking and talking techniques. Praise and recognition are also provided through increasing responsibilities and tasking employees with full ownership of their products including placing their names on the finished product. Knowing that high achievers generally do not possess the gamblers mentality, SAS tailors its incentive package around security and predictability. Bonuses are not emphasized and stock options are not granted. Instead, employees are offered a competitive salary, full 401K contribution and a myriad of non-merit based benefits for thems elves and their families. For those with a high need for power, SAS provides autonomy, a collaborative environment and control over the life-cycle of a product. For example, each employee gets to plan his own schedule. SAS’s thinly staffed management ranks are designed to boost reliance on an honor code that emphasizes, above all else, adult behavior. This produces ample opportunities for employees to take on additional responsibilities. As a result, employees feel a sense of power and control over their work. SAS does differentiate those individuals whose need for control extends to control over others, or whose need for recognition extends to being treated like superstars. David Russo states, â€Å"SAS is not a good place for someone who wants to feel like a star or feel particularly important†. Recruiters reject these want-to-be star applicants because they believe SAS’s structure and environment cannot accommodate their needs. The need for affiliation is nurtured through a work-life balance that stresses community over personal economic gain. As stated in the article, â€Å"The perks are the most obvious manifestation of corporate munificence, but at their core they are only part of a workplace ethos thats based on a degree of trust.† SAS takes advantage of its relative isolation to reinforce its middle class utopian environment. By design, almost all essential services are provided on campus and by SAS employees. This includes healthcare, education, food services, entertainment, recreation and even subsidized housing (near the campus). The company organizes a plethora of extracurricular group activities that encourage collaboration, provide needed support and connects people on a personal level. Its success in satisfying employees Need for Affiliation manifests itself in SAS’s historical low turnover rate. An unfortunate byproduct of SAS’s homogenous environment is its relative lack o f innovation. Innovation, the better use of a novel idea or method, is a crucial element to the growth of a corporation. SAS has indubitably been successful in reshaping its own software and selling it to additional markets, but has not had the same success in branching out and innovating in other areas. Perhaps SAS, a monopoly in the data software industry, has consciously elected to steer clear of this more risky innovation because of financial and social concerns. Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) model helps explains why today’s SAS, while still being remarkably efficient at providing new or improved software, is not truly a leading innovator. SAS’s pay structure and overall emphasis on a family friendly, low stress environment is a conscious effort to attract the more risk adverse individual. The selection process takes care to repel mavericks who seek power and fame. The problem is that these competitive, challenging personalities are willing to take more chances. SAS is a g reat example of ASA’s chief assertion that â€Å"The People Make the Place†. But while preaching autonomy and individuality, SAS employees are quietly advocating for conformity, cloaked as corporate citizenship. The resulting atmosphere works, through attrition, to weed out any nonconformist. Pushing out dissident voices makes the remaining collective even more homogenous and less likely to innovate. The fact that SAS’s retention at this point is so low is another indication of the high level of homogeneity. The company’s reliance on a small number of working managers makes self-regulation or as they call it â€Å"adult behavior† an essential part of the overall strategy of an employee-regulated firm. Thus, SAS’s focus on attracting and selecting a particular type of risk adverse individual, while allowing attrition to remove dissidence is an effective use of ASA, all be it a rather insensitive one. These polices have essentially forced SAS to outsources the task of innovating to its client base through constant solicitation of fee dback and ideas. Another theory that could explain SAS’s relative weakness in innovation is Equity Theory which focuses on perceptions of fairness. SAS does a good job of shaping their employees perceptions of its overall Organizational Justice through such techniques as the allocation of offices for all, having no executive cafeterias and providing identical health plans for all. The two core principles for SAS are â€Å"†¦that all people at SAS are treated fairly and equally† and â€Å"†¦that the workplace should be fun and people treated with dignity and respect†. The problem is that the two principles are different. The first advocates equality and the latter respect. Treating people with respect and dignity is universally accepted and supports employees’ feelings of Interactional Justice. Equal treatment for all is not universally accepted, and conflicts with the reality of varying levels of individual contributions to a company’s success. Universal equality skews the individual’s perception of Procedural and Distributive Justice. Talented, hardworking employees find it hard to stand out because both the evaluation process and the resulting recognition are purposefully watered down. This lack of strong correlation between risk and reward, input and output makes it less likely that unique innovation will occur b ecause the risk–taking innovator will perceive an inequitable Distributive Justice. The inequitable feeling is compounded by SAS casually defined performance review process which could leave successful innovators feeling a lack of Procedural Justice. Equity theory states that there are four referent comparisons that an employee can use to gauge equitability of his situation. Even if SAS is successful, through isolationist polices, in sheltering its employees from other-outside comparison, it still needs to contend with employees’ past experiences and internal company comparisons. Admittedly, general perception of equality is a major factor in SAS’s tremendous retention rate, but for those few want-to-be superstars it’s a major deterrent to joining the firm. This is evident in the interviewee who stated â€Å"I want to have performance that permits me to do whatever I want. When I walk down the hall, I want to feel like ‘I’m the man.† Who wouldn’t want their stellar performance to lead to more money, autonomy, recognition and better future opportunities? At SAS this potential innovator was quickly ushered out the door. For good or bad, SAS is built around a sense of equality and homogeneity, even if these terms are relative and somewhat reminiscent of an Orwellian Society, where all are equal, but some are just more equal than others. To protect its successful egalitarian culture, SAS would do better to create (like many other have) a separate off-campus RD offshoot. With a distinct culture and a more equitable compensation structure, this entity can compete for innovative talent.

Beowulf and Epic Hero Analysis

Beowulf and Epic Hero Analysis In his epic story, the main character, Beowulf is a warrior king who has proven to possess the battle-hardened personality of an epic conqueror. Yet, through acts of lethal skill and incredible bravery he has maintained a durable reputation and his sense of royal duty. Beowulf shows the magnitude of his bravery when he carries out the assassinations of Grendel, the Troll Wife, and the Dragon. The fearless killing of these useless creatures has brought the warrior king, yet another burden, fame and as a model, the defense of his people is one of Beowulfs most important imperial responsibilities. Beowulf shows great skill and bravery when he allegedly defeats Grendels mother, the Troll Wife. After killing the Thanes in the Mead Hall to make a point to Beowulf, Grendel says that he will able to kill her with the Hrunting. After stabbing the Troll Wife and winning the battle. Once again Beowulf demonstrates the personality traits of an epic hero. Beowulf also shows his bravery and skill while he was engaging the dragon in battle the Dragon. When battling and killing the Dragon, Beowulf knew he was ready to give up his own live in order to slay the Dragon. In addition, Beowulfs traits show him as an epic conqueror by taking care of his royal duties. Before taking his own life the king awarded Beowulf his kingdom and upon the kings death, Beowulf would assume control and be crowned king. Beowulf realizes his responsibility to rule and defend his kingdom, with his royal duties. Although he ages over time, when Beowulf battles the dragon he realizes that must defend his people from a fiery death. It is Beowulfs responsibility to protect and defend his people and kingdom from any from of attack. In the next paragraph, Beowulf clarifies why he must carry out his royal duties. Hygelac offers Beowulf his family sword, as a way to repay him from the battle but Beowulf decides to give Hygelac his land, because his sword as served him well. By means of his hands and tough sword blade, while Beowulf is delicate and aged once the Dragon came. Beowulf understands that he will repay his people by slaughter the Dragon. Beowulf believes that he was giving so much to his people and being able to kill the dragon was his royal duties to protect his kingdom. The slaughter of Grendel, the Troll wife, and the Dragon was including in his royal duty. Beowulf adapts the idea of endure reputation by taking royal obligation. Beowulf shows another trait of an epic hero during the idea of lasting reputation. The traits of enduring fame came about when Beowulf slaughters Grendel, The Troll Wife, and the Dragon. Following the killing of Grendel and The Troll Wife Beowulf is looked upon as a hero by numerous Thanes. When Beowulf murder Grendel, Beowulf stumble upon Heorot where he reward Beowulf with gold. While having a banquet in tribute of Beowulf, they told him to put on riches with true superior determination this will increase and do well and establish your strength. Beowulf has received the respect as a hero. Fate showed hold on life when it comes to an end. Beowulf also becomes familiar to the thought of endure reputation with the land that is given to Beowulf to rule. Beowulf receives tribute when he dies. At the ending of the heroic poem, Beowulfs people are sad, and keep on being sad while promising that his kingdom will always remember him as an epic hero Beowulf. The entire trait mentioned early proves Beowulf as an epic hero. Beowulf shows ability and bravery, lasting fame, and caring out his royal duties; all these personality traits show that Beowulf is an epic hero. By slaughtering Grendel and the Dragon, Beowulf demonstrated ability and bravery to his people by demonstrating his force of will and survival. Result from the slaughter of the Dragon even though Beowulf knows that the ending will possibly lead the way to his own death, he shows the traits of his royal duty. The king offer Beowulf his kingdom to rule it as a result of his great reputation. All these are personality o f an epic hero, which Beowulf was a great epic hero. Character Analysis As Beowulf gets close to Danish ground, Beowulf is a young guy who is looking for a quest and fame. Beowulf was famous amongst his people which were the Geats, for his bravery. When Beowulf was a young man he clashed in many fights and as a consequence showed his great quality to everyone. Beowulf has several personalities which help him to be successful in fights. As he was young, Beowulf was recognized as the toughest man alive. His force permitted him to rule in fights. If not in favor of his pure force, he would not be able to beat Grendel, because Beowulf did not use any weapons since they were no match for Grendel. By fighting back with Grendel with no armaments, he releases himself up to a superior honor. Beowulfs power cant be seen as a weakness, as the outcome of his force might. Beowulfs power permitted him to control the fight, but it also made him overconfident. While his over confidence allowed Beowulf to be certain of himself in the battles, several of his friends think that was a personal mistake to fight without a weapon. While Ecglaf see Beowulf as overconfident and worthless, by asking Beowulf Are you the Beowulf who competed with Brecaswollen with pride( Burton Raffel ) as a result of his over confidents was a mistake in the judgment of others, Beowulf noticed it as self guarantee and applied it to his benefit. Beowulf as well had a tough courage of journey. Beowulfs courage of a quest was the motivated Beowulf in to battle with Grendel. Beowulfs power and courage of exploring a quest as well led him to fame in numerous battles, including the fight with Grendel. Beowulf used his fame in earlier battles to validate himself when he went to help Hrothgar. As well showing his self guarantee and recognized courage possibly guides his judgment. Beowulfs courage of making a quest he achieves a lot of fame but it may have got him into trouble, if he took the quest to an extreme. During his younger years, Beowulf uses his power for fame and gratitude. As he was grown-up his grand power was taken away, and Beowulf established himself with no one of his supreme skills. Beowulf afterward was king of the Geats, and when a dragon assaults his land, it was Beowulfs duty to defend his people. Feeling irritated and enthusiastic for killing, his men and himself went to slay the dragon. Through the fight Beowulf is overpowered by the strength of the dragon due to his lack of power, and was saved by his close friend Wiglaf. Currently, Beowulfs power, in its place of being a benefit to him, became a flaw. The failure of force, and the fight was discouraging to Beowulf; but he takes a walk. Following his fight with the dragon Beowulf realizes that his time has ended. Yet, Beowulf uses this moment on his death bed to reflect on the wrongs in his life. Beowulf as well uses his time to recover some fame, his fellow Thanes with all the great fights they fought. This is a symbol of Beowulfs person guarantee. Still although guarantee himself no lo nger show him interested in fights, Beowulf promises himself that he have finished fine in his life. Throughout Beowulf life time, Beowulf was a mighty warrior. His courage and power helped him to victory, and he made certain that every person recognized him for it. With doing this he demonstrated his pride. Nevertheless, his entire attribute; force, bravery, personal guarantee, and his courageousness helped him for good. As they might include terrible things, Beowulf approved himself healthy and was appreciated by several people with the exception of Grendel. Good versus Evil Beowulf is one of the oldest accessible pieces poetry in English literature. The poem is an Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry, which represent a legend of a heroic hero intended to conquer a fierce monster in arrange to save an empire from obliteration and casualty. The main subject matter in this classic poem is the theme of good vs. evil. The theme of good against evil was expose throughout the people and stuff that symbolize good and evil, which help reveal the topic all over the story, and explain the general result of this theme in the poem as a part of literature. There are a lot of signs that symbolize good in Beowulf. Beowulf himself is a sign of good heroic. Beowulf is controlled and civilized which are the uniqueness of good and clarity. First off, Beowulf is untainted because he shows this while facing Grendel when Beowulf removes his body armor, and promise not to use a weapon to conquer Grendel. Later overpowering Grendel, he tells everyone that the monster was no match for himself without using any body armor and sword, can beat evil in several ways as well as for Grendel. This provide as a sign of Beowulfs kindness. One more sign of good is light. Light represent daytime and joy. While light, such is the same as the sun, people seeing it gives people wisdom of calm and they dont appear to be afraid of daytime. In relationship with light, expressions like unblemished and shiny also confirm to show good. Human culture used the appearance of epic warrior, is frequently related with light the halls are illumine with joy and riches. These shows how several times have Beowulf men, swear to wait after dark and follow the terror with a brush of their swords. Plus after that, in the sunrise, this mead-hall impressive, with fresh light would be soaked with blood, every bench with red stains as well as the floors, all soaked from the beast savage attack and his worriers would be died less every day. In this explanation of Herot once Grendel slaughter past, Hrothgar express the mead-hall like impressive, with fresh light which would be soaked by blood. Now light represent good, dark signify evil within Beowulf. Grendel cave is dark and ancient, and he just hunts by nighttime, in the dark. Dark and nighttime is related with evil and Grendel blood-spattered assault. Hrothgars soldiers face the evil and darkness; however the daylight approach, just their blood is present. This demonstrates that Grendel, the monstrous whose name sock fears to the people of Herot, as well is a sign of evil. This is revealed in this quote Grendel was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever for the crime Of Abels death. The enormous crowd had evil spirit came out, near the men demons divides into many appearance of evil like spirits and beast, troll, monsters, giant, a grasp eternally opposite the Lords determination, and yet again beaten. A different monster connected among evil is the dragon. In the ending Beowulf must battle one last fight with the dragon. The dragon blow breath of flames into Beowulf since Beowulf was trying to protect himself. However as his protection was dissolving, therefore murdering Beowulf. So the final fight comes along to Good, which can be Beowulf, against Evil, which symbol was the dragon. The theme of good against evil is described all through the whole epic. In the starting of the poem there was Herot people which represented good, and Grendel, the evil. While Grendel slaughters the majority of the people in Herot, there was small good left. Except went Beowulf came to Herot there was more good. Consequently when Grendel assault Herot at night, Beowulf was waiting for him were Beowulf and Grendel battle it off. At the end evil was just a reminder of the pain Grendel bring to the kingdom. Beowulf manages to slaughter Grendel by means of rip off his arm. However a new evil prowl the dark swamp. This was Grendels mother which was greatly more evil than Grendel. Therefore Beowulf, motionless sentiment with the murder Grendel, set off her anger toward Beowulf. So the theme of good against evil rises ones more time. Beowulf then travels down to the lair where Grendels mother live she was prepared to take vengeance from Beowulf over Grendels death. Following the fight, it w as good who conquer evil once more. Yet, the next fight wouldnt t be so simple. As an outsider had taken discipline from a dragons cave to make compensation with Beowulf, which is the new king, Beowulf owns son which was the evil dragon was angry. The dragon set off to Beowulfs kingdom and breathes flames to it. Therefore, Beowulf was currently prepared for one more fight with fatality. So, this symbolizes an additional good against evil fight. Wiglaf demonstrate kindness by serving Beowulf overcoming the dragon. Although the dragon prove equivalent evil when the Dragon went down with Beowulf to a dead. Therefore, in the ending of his final fight, it can be held that good and evil disintegrating. On the other hand, Wiglaf takes control of Beowulf kingdom in the result that good once more time succeeds. In general the result of the theme include on the poem as a part of literature which Beowulf was symbolize good and Grendel symbolize evil. Beowulf had murder Grendel while Grendel had assault Hrothgars kingdom. Once Beowulf murder Grendel he include murdering Grendels mother as well. Then Beowulf went to the dark swamp to slaughter Grendels mother. Once he defeated Grendels mother after that every one in the kingdom of Herot dance, feast, and celebrate all night long. Beowulf at that time notice as a hero and was name to take over the throne to be the king. Everything was fine for years, in anticipation of an outsider stole the gold dragon from the dragons cave. The dragon after that ruined Beowulfs kingdom. As vengeance Beowulf set out to slaughter the dragon. As a consequence, he slaughters the dragon however dyeing in the procedure. Wiglaf, a courageous warrior who assist Beowulf slaughter the dragon, after that was given the kingdom. Therefore, in general result of good against evil in the heroic poem was to demonstrate that Beowulf was a fine hero and to explain that good will forever succeed no matter what difficulty you will have to conquer. In the poem of Beowulf, the theme of good against evil was use commonly all over the heroic poem. Beowulf was recognize as a fine hero, and light was known as a sign of good. Grendel was identified as the evil monstrous that brought fear to Herot, and dark was recognized as a sign of great evil creeping around near. The theme of good against evil was portraying commonly all the way through the heroic poem throughout the fights between Beowulf and Grendel, and then Grendels mother, and finally with the dragon. The theme of good against evil contain in general outcome on the heroic poem by means of no matter why type of evil he comes upon up it will be constantly conquer by goodness. This was describing when Beowulf slaughters the dragon, and still despite the fact that he was also murder, Wiglaf accepted on his good heart to rule his former friend Beowulf. As a result, good defeat evil forever.

Eating Disorders Essay -- essays research papers

Eating Disorders An eating disorder is a way of using food to work out emotional problems. These illnesses develop because of emotional and/or psychological problems. Eating disorders are the way some people deal with stress. In today’s society, teenagers are pressured into thinking that bring thin is the same thing as being happy. Chemical balances in the brain that may also result in depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, and bi-polar disorders may also cause some eating disorders. Other causes may be emotional events, illnesses, marital or family problems, manic depression, or ending a relationship. Over eight million Americans suffer from eating disorders. Over 80% of girls under age thirteen admit to dieting, one of the main factors linked to eating disorders. Although eating disorders are mainly found in middle- to upper class, highly educated, Caucasian, female adolescents, no culture or age group is immune to them (EDA HP, n.p.). The three major eating disorders are anorexia nervo sa, bulimia nervosa, and compulsive over-eating or binge-eating. The most dangerous eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. â€Å"Anorexia nervosa translates to â€Å"nervous loss of hunger†. It is a mental illness involving the irrational fear of gaining weight. Usually, the victim is a perfectionist, although he or she may suffer from a low self-esteem. In general, a member of the opposite sex triggers anorexia. The first disease resembling present-day anorexia is one called â€Å"Anorexia Mirabilis,† or â€Å"Miraculous lack of appetite.† It is described as McCurry 2 a disease of insanity, possibly like cancer, tuberculosis, or diabetes. It was believed to arise from a diseased mental state. Sir William Gull, a physician to England’s royal family, said that these anorexics were suffering from â€Å"a perversion of the will† (Silverson). In 1888, a French psychiatrist, Charles Lasegue viewed anorexia from a social standpoint. He believed it was a way of rebelling. The Children of this time were expected to and forced to clean their plates. They were also accustomed to well-regulated meal times. Another cause of the disease in the Victorian era may have been women’s expectations, such as to remain home after childhood. Their only job was to get married and enhance the family’s social status. No emotional outbursts, such as temper tantrums were permitted. The family life was suffocating, but a y... ...t, as the disorder is often a result in lacking in coping skills. Symptoms of binge eating include: eating more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, eating large amounts when not physically hungry, eating alone because of embarrassment of the quantities of food consumed, and not being able to purge after consuming large quantities of food (Dobie 1). Because it is not always recognized as an eating disorder, compulsive over-eating may have the most adverse effects on health. McCurry 6 Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and compulsive over-eating are extremely serious illnesses that must be recognized before they can be treated. The media is blamed for so many distorted images of the body. People are beginning to refuse the idea, however, that thinner is better. Body shapes are known to go in and out of style. In the 1800s, plumpness was a sign of wealth and class. Thinness became a sign of beauty in the 1970s with the British super-model Twiggy. There are many treatments for eating disorders today. One of the hopes of many psychologists is that humans will begin to feel happy about the way they are, even if it is a little bigger than the media portrays as ideal.

Pros and Cons of High Fructose Corn Syrup Essay -- Artificial Sweetene

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Abstract: High-fructose corn syrup is a commonly used artificial sweetener in foods. High-fructose corn syrup is a hydrolyzed version of ordinary corn syrup, which is produced via a steeping process. It is so widely used because it is both economically favorable and it helps to preserve food for extended periods of time. However, the drawbacks of high-fructose corn syrup include issues like potential obesity, diabetes, loss of liver function, malnutrition, and cancer. The fact that the producers of high-fructose corn syrup can deceive people that HFCS is harmless makes matters worse. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener commonly used in the United States. As its name implies, this sweetener is derived from agricultural corn. All high fructose corn syrups are corn syrups whose fructose content has been increased via enzymatic processes and then mixed with pure corn syrup. There are several different formulations of high-fructose corn syrup. The product sold in the United States (HFCS #2) has the following composition: moisture, 29%; dry substance, 71% D.S.; dextrose, 50% D.S.; ash, 0.03 D.S.; and nitrogen, 0.002% D.S. The amounts of dextrose, fructose, and other saccharides may vary slightly in HFCS #3, but the analysis is fairly consistent. HFCS #1 hasn’t been commercially sold specifically for consumer consumption in the U.S. for many years. Instead, it is used by food producers in their products. 2 The process by which high fructose corn syrup is made is complicated. To start, ordinary corn syrup must be obtained. Then, enzymatic processes increase its original sweetness. To produce the basic un-enhanced corn syrup, wet milling is a commonly used technique. Wet-milling includ... ...Jones. 2006. 24 July 2008. . Forristal, Linda. â€Å"The Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup.† Westonaprice.org. Ed. Linda Forristal. 2003. 24 July 2008. . Inglett, George E. Symposium: Sweeteners. Westport, Connecticut: The Avi Publishing Company, Inc., 1974. HFCSFacts.com. 2008. The Corn Refiners Association. 25 July 2008. Steindom, Joel. â€Å"My Food Manifesto, Part One: The Bad News.† Steidom.com. Ed. Joel Steindom, Heather Steindom. 2007. 24 July 2008. . National Academy of Sciences (U.S.). Sweeteners: Issues and Uncertainties. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1975. Lachmann, Alfred. Starches and Corn Syrups. New Jersey: Noyes Data Corporation., 1970.

Distributed Leadership Essay

Leadership is the important activity that motivates an individual to achieve the predetermined objectives. This motivation nurtures inspiration that boosts us towards the goal. Now, comes the discussion of whether the leadership can be centralized or it can be distributed among various people. Once we start the discussion of distributed leadership, it should also be known whether it is a horizontal or vertical distribution. Horizontal distribution means distributing the leadership among the same level of people whereas vertical distribution again forks into top-down distribution and bottom-up distribution. Exploring these different approaches we identify two dimensions along which to consider the knowledgeable changes they raise about measuring how school leadership is distributed across school staff – data source and data focus. We should also observe the variations between schools and between activities that are adapted for distributing the responsibilities of leadership. Let us also consider different ways of studying how the work of managing and leading schools is distributed among people in schools and the methodological and philosophical pros and cons involved in this work. If we closely observe the daily lives of schools, we can think from a distributed perspective which has the potential to provide useful insight into how management and leadership unfold themselves. In the process of distributing the leadership, we can identify numerous entities in the school across which leadership can be distributed, including people in the aspects of the situation such as routines and imaginations. While there have been recent advances in articulating the conceptual frameworks for distributed school leadership, the empirical research base in this area is less developed. With a few exceptions, most empirical work has involved small samples of schools. While performing this study of distributed leadership, we come across two important observations to be made: Across which school actors do researchers hypothesize leadership and management is distributed? What aspects of leadership and management work are hypothesized to be distributed across people? These two questions lead to many sub questions like: Who should provide evidence of distributed leadership? Leaders, followers, or both? Among leaders, should researchers seek evidence on formal leaders, informal leaders, or both? Should the proof on distributed leadership come from self-reports or from more objective measurement plans such as the reports given by others through surveys? How do these various methodological choices about measuring the distributed leadership affect the validity of data? We can use multiple ways of identifying actors within schools among whom the work of leadership and management might be distributed. A distributed perspective serves as a new conceptual frame. It helps us understand leadership practice and how leadership practices might work more effectively in the context of schools. It is not a type of leadership or a style of leadership. It’s not a model of leadership. It’s not something you place on top of a school and say, ‘Now you are doing distributed leadership. ‘ A distributed perspective is thinking about the situation as an integral part of the leadership context; it is an integrated view of leaders’ thinking, their activity and behaviors, and the situation. The distributed perspective focuses on leadership activity. In an organizational context, leadership activity might be trying to sell a vision in the context of the school or trying to transform the instructional practice in particular classrooms within a school. It is the activity that we are trying to understand. Think about the constellation of people who are involved, how the context shapes what happens with that activity, and how artifacts might be an integral part of that activity. The distributed perspective is integrative thinking about all of those pieces and on leadership activity itself. The roots of distributed leadership is an outgrowth of activity theory and distributed cognition. Activity theory is about how an activity system works. Think of the cockpit of an airplane – the people in the cockpit, the instrument panel, the people who are trying to help the plane land – and try to think about the activity of landing the plane not as something an individual person does, not as something the instrument panel does without the people, not as something a pilot could do without the air traffic controller. Try to think about the whole activity system. This is comparable to what is meant by leadership activity. With distributed cognition, we are trying to think about how sense making is stretched over social interaction and artifacts in an environment. The context and social system matter. Distributed cognition suggests that people’s thinking and actions don’t happen in a vacuum. Thinking happens through social interaction and interaction with the environment. These impact how the leadership activity happens. Distributed leadership integrates these central ideas from activity theory and distributed cognition. We think of leadership as an influence relationship – the ability to influence the practices of others in ways that bring about a ‘major change in form, nature, and function of some phenomenon. But distributed leadership moves beyond trying to understand leadership through the actions and beliefs of single leaders. It is constituted through the interaction of leaders, teachers, and the situation as they influence instructional practice. Distributed leadership is a powerful way to understand leadership activity in schools in more complex and interconnected ways. Distributed leadership can also be called as ‘dispersed leadership’, ‘collaborative leadership’, ‘democratic leadership’ and ‘shared leadership’. ‘Dispersed’ appears to suggest leadership as an activity that can be located at different points within an organization and pre-exists delegation which is a conscious choice in the exercise of power. The idea of dispersed leadership is captured by David Green’s term ‘leaderful community’ which involves a community in which people believe they have a contribution to make, can exercise their initiative and can, when relevant to the task in hand, have followers. The Collaborative leaderships operates on the basis of ‘alliance’ or ‘partnering’ or ‘networking. ’ Network learning communities, sponsored by NCSL are an expression of collaboration across the boundaries of individual institutions. Collaborative leadership may also apply to an ‘inter-agency context’, expressed in schools’ joint work with community agencies, parents, teacher groups, and other external stakeholders. Leadership as ‘democratic’ is by definition antithetical to hierarchy and delegation. Elsbernd suggests four defining characteristics (i) a leader’s interaction with, and encouragement of others to participate fully in all aspects of leadership tasks (ii) wide-spread sharing of information and power (iii) enhancing self-worth of others and (iv) energising others for tasks. Democratic leadership can either take the form of consultative (where a leader makes a group decision after consulting members about their willingness) or participative decision-making (where a leader makes the decision in collaboration with the group members – often based on majority rule). Shared leadership is best understood when leadership is explored as a social process – something that arises out of social relationships not simply what leaders do. It does not dwell in an individual’s qualities or competencies but lies between people, within groups, in collective action, which defies attempts to single out ‘a leader’. A common message that runs through these definitions is that leadership is not the monopoly of any one person, a message that is central to the notion of distributed leadership. In distributed leadership, it is not only the headteacher’s leadership that counts but also the leadership roles performed by deputy heads, substantive teachers, support teachers, members of school councils, boards or governing bodies and students. Leadership is ‘dispersed rather than concentrated’ and does not necessarily give any particular individual or categories of persons the privilege of providing more leadership than others. In this light ‘distributed leadership’ cannot be said to be a new leadership technique but rather an intellectual label that seeks to re-enforce the fact that leadership needs to be a shared activity in schools. It should therefore be conceptualised, not simply as another technique or practice of leadership, but, just as importantly as a way of thinking about leadership in post-heroic terms rather than a heroic phenomenon. In this way, we can distinguish clearly between delegation – as a heroic phenomenon – in which distribution is initiated solely from the top (headteacher) and distributed leadership – as a post-heroic phenomenon – in which distribution does not solely depend on the headteacher’s initiative. Everyone in the schools should have the opportunity to exercise leadership from the youngest child through out and not just a selected few (Secondary head) and problems in the schools should be dealt openly and honestly with the involvement of other people (secondary head). Staff who have only been in the school for a short time could also be school leaders in that they show by their personality, by their vision, by their jobs, commitment, expectations and values that they have got the capacity to lead. In a sense, anyone can be a leader. It is a process that a lot of staff can demonstrate. Formally, the process of distribution is initiated by the headteacher who identifies and delegates leadership responsibilities to individual teachers. Schools, in some places are structured in terms of designated leadership and managerial roles through which the headteacher delegates responsibility. Such delegations may be driven by a headteacher’s recognition that others have expertise that he/she does not have. Distributed in this way, there is an expectation of delivery and the headteacher’s role is to ‘support and provide’. The formality characterising the distribution process gradually leads unto a less formal or informal approach as headteachers develop trust in their teachers and become more confident in teachers’ leadership capabilities. As headteachers become more comfortable with their own authority and feel more able to acknowledge the authority of others they are able to extend the compass of leadership and to ‘let go’ the more. This is evident in one headteacher’s comment: ‘I think initially from top-down through delegation and as it progresses it becomes both bottom-up and top-down. People who show willingness to take some levels of initiative from any direction are really encouraged. And I love to see it really happen and that’s when I become happy’.