Disease Profile Copd Essay - 2574 Words

DISEASE PROFILE Date Assigned to Patient: 9/14/2011 Name of Major Medical Diagnosis: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Definition: COPD is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe. Progressive means the disease get worse over time. It can cause coughing that produces large amount of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms. Etiology: Most cases of COPD occur as a result of long-term exposure to lung irritants that damage the lungs and the airways. In the United States, the most common irritant that causes COPD is cigarette smoke. Pipe, cigar, and other types of tobacco smoke also can cause COPD, especially if the smoke is inhaled. Breathing in secondhand smoke,†¦show more content†¦The main test for COPD is spirometry. Other lung function tests, such as a lung diffusion capacity test, also may be used. Spirometry; During this painless test, a technician will ask you to take a deep breath in. Then, youll blow as hard as you can into a tube connected to a small machine. The machine is called a spirometer. The machine measures how much air you breathe out. It also measures how fast you can blow air out. Your doctor may have you inhale medicine that helps open your airways and then blow into the tube again. He or she can then compare your test results before and after taking the medicine. Spirometry can detect COPD long before its symptoms appear. Doctors also may use the results from this test to find out how severe your COPD is and to help set your treatment goals. The test results also may help find out whether another condition, such as asthma or heart failure, is causing your symptoms. Other Tests Your doctor may recommend other tests, such as: * A chest x ray or chest CT scan. These tests create pictures of the structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. The pictures can show signs of COPD. They also may show whether another condition, such as heart failure, is causing your symptoms. * An arterial blood gas test. This blood test measures the oxygen level in your blood using a sample of blood taken from an artery. The test can help find out how severe your COPD is and whether you mayShow MoreRelatedChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Case Study1659 Words   |  7 PagesChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occurs in the trachea and bronchi of the lungs. In a healthy, immunocompetent patient, flora, including viruses, are not usually present in the lower respiratory tract. However, Streptococcus spp., H. influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Corynebacterium spp, Pseudomonas as well as others, can colonise in the lower respiratory tract.1 Gary has a past history of COPD and presented with increased cough and shortness of breath. These symptoms are consistentRead MoreThe Prevalence Of Respiratory Diseases Essay722 Words   |  3 Pages Table 1. Prevalence of Respiratory Diseases in percent (%) for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population aged 12 or older, Canada (2005). Condition Aboriginal Non-aboriginal All Men Women All Men Women Asthma 11.7 9.8 13.5 8.3 6.8 9.6 Bronchitis 4.9 3.5* 6.2 2.4 1.9 3.0 Emphysema 1.0* 1.3* 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.6 COPD 0.6* n/a n/a 0.7 0.7 0.7 All respiratory diseases 15.2 13.3 17.0 10.4 9.0 11.9 Data Source: Centre for Rural Northern Health Research 2010; using data from the 2005 Canadian CommunityRead MoreSmoking : Smoking And Smoking1615 Words   |  7 PagesBushwick Cigarette smoking affects nearly all organs in the body. Smoking leads to negative health outcomes such as various kinds of cancers and chronic diseases and reduces the overall health of individuals. Some diseases caused by smoking are - oral cancer, lung cancer, chronic diseases such as - stroke, blindness, cataract, periodontitis, COPD, diabetes, smoking during pregnancy causes pregnancy complications. (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, 2015) Cigarette smoking and mortality- (HealthRead MoreImportance Of Metabolite Concentration In Cells1147 Words   |  5 Pagesperiods of time. The importance of metabolites in drug development cannot be overstated. When an organism’s biological systems are disturbed by disease, genetic mutations or environmental factors, the profile of metabolites produced often changes. This makes metabolites excellent candidates for biomarkers; they are particularly useful for understanding disease states, toxicities, drug interactions, mechanisms of action and other areas of biology. Nearly every internal and external factor impacting aRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Communicable Diseases1012 Words   |  5 Pageschronic diseases and easing away from the traditional acute care model of care. Institutionalized care is giving way to medical care in the community. Invasive procedures are giving way to less invasive pharmaco-medical treatments. Neglected diseases in the least developed countries are finally being attacked in force.But one shift has yet to occur. Middle-income countries, such as Brazil, China and India need to concentrate more, as their prosperity grows, on non-communicable diseases ratherRead MoreAwareness Of Smoking Damages On Health1310 Words   |  6 Pageswith the health† problem because of the significant damages that linked with it. Many people in the entire world have the awareness of what they should expect if they smoke or keep smoking or stay with smokers starting from respiratory system diseases to end up with death, However , the 20th century had a huge rise of cigarette production and with it the quantity of smokers raised. In addition at the beginning of the 21st century more than a quarter of adults in the world even increasing numberRead MoreCauses And Disadvantages Of Lipoproteins737 Words   |  3 Pagesand Apo-B, and a fall in HDL and Apo-A in smokers; and this association is dose dependant [9,10,13][14,15]. It has been suggested that smoking, even of short duration and moderate consumption of cigarettes, is associated with adverse lipoprotein profiles [16]. Apolipoproteins are known to determine the structural stabilities and metabolic directions of lipoproteins. Of the apolipoproteins, Apo-B has identified in VLDL and LDL and thus appears to be a measure of the total number of atherogenic particlesRead MoreCommunity Profile Essay4424 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿ UNIVERSITY OF TEESSIDE SCHOOL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies, Adult The Role of the Nurse in Improving Health and Wellbeing (CCH1037-N-BJ1-2012) Community Profile Megan McCallion J9238068 Word Count: 3,704 Thursday 24th January 2013 Contents page Chapter One- Introduction........................................................................Page 3-4 Chapter Two – The Health Improvement Issue......................................Page 5-8 Chapter Three – ServiceRead MoreDiagnosis And Treatment Of The American Heart Association1726 Words   |  7 Pageshypertension for 15 years, mild obesity, and hyperlipidemia. She has a 20-pack year history of smoking and no history of alcohol or illicit drug abuse. Her risk factors for coronary disease include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking. She has no diabetes, kidney disease, or family history of early heart disease. Her medications include hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 25mg daily, which she has taken for the last 10 years and simvistatin 20mg daily. Recent history includes one month of progressiveRead MoreGeneric Drug Profile : Salbutamol1288 Words   |  6 PagesGeneric Drug Profile - Salbutamol New Zealand trade names: Ventolin, Respigen, Salamol, Asthalin, Salapin and Broncolin. Drug Class: Therapeutic class: bronchodilator. Pharmacologic class: sympathomimetic (stimulates the sympathetic nervous system). It is also classified as a SABA (short acting ÃŽ ²2-agonist). Formulations: The most common administration is by inhalation of a pressurised metered dose aerosol. Inhalation of Salbutamol directly reaches the lungs and acts rapidly with fewer side effects

Adolescence and Puberty - 1617 Words

Puberty: Developmental Stages of Adolescents As stated above, adolescence is a stage in a young persons life where great deals of changes take place. In early adolescence a young person begins puberty. Puberty brings on many changes physically, intellectually, and emotionally. From our required readings I have learned that Erikson argued that the childs early sense of identity comes partly unglued because of the combination of rapid body growth and the sexual changes of puberty (Bee, 2000). It is during this phase that a young person makes the transition from a child to an adult. During this stage Erikson refers to the identity of adolescents as going through a crisis. He refers to the crisis of adolescents as a stage of identity†¦show more content†¦(Arnett, 2000) Boys like to mature early. And those who do so seem to gain in self-esteem. Being more muscular than late maturers, they are stronger and better in sports and have a more favorable body image (Papalia, 2002). They also have an edge in dating. However, an early mature sometimes has trouble living up to expectations that he should act as mature as he looks. Unlike most boys, girls tend not to like maturing early; they are generally happier if their timing is about the same as that of their peers (Papalia, 2002). Early-maturing girls tend to be less sociable, less expressive, and less poised; more introverted and shy; and more negative about menarche than later-maturing girls. Girls feel rushed into confronting the pressures of adolescence before they are ready; they are more vulnerable to psychological distress and remain so at least through the midteens (Papalia, 2002). They may have a poor body image and lower self-esteem than later maturing girls. Early-maturing girls are at increas ed risk of various behavioral and mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, disruptive behavior, eating disorders, early smoking and drinking, precocious sexual activity, substance abuse, and attempted suicide (Papalia, 2002). In the adolescent stage being in the in crowd is a major concern for young people. Young people feel the need to be accepted by their peers as they pursue to discover their identity. Erikson describes it as aShow MoreRelatedAdolescence, Body And Mind, Section Puberty1735 Words   |  7 Pages1. Chapter 9, â€Å"Adolescence† Body and Mind,† section Puberty explains the physical and mental changes that teenagers go through, it’s the state in which they transition from children to young adults, incapable of completely just one or the other (Berger, 315). The first changes of puberty, physically-wise, begins around the ages of 9 – 13 years’ old for both boys and girls, which include facial and body hair, deepeni ng of the voice, and of course body growth; such as the hands, feet, face, and privateRead MoreAdolescence : Everything Changes? Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesAdolescence: Everything Changes Adolescence is a transitional stage of development that has been defined as starting with puberty and lasting the years a person is roughly aged ten to twenty. Dramatic changes take place during adolescence; no other time period of a person’s life except infancy contains so much development into such a short time span. Puberty has historically been viewed as the starting point of adolescence and several factors play a role in determining the timing of puberty suchRead MoreDevelopment Stages Of Adolescence And Adolescent Sub Stages1276 Words   |  6 Pagesfollowing ways : ïÆ'Ëœ it will explain the nature and development stages of the adolescence. ïÆ'Ëœ it will enlist the development task during the adolescence . ïÆ'Ëœ it will explain the behavioral issues , challenges ,factors effecting the adolescence . ïÆ'Ëœ also discuss the gender disparity and phenomenon of the generation gap . ________________________________________ Adolescence: Concept of adolescence: adolescence is the dramatically evolving theoretical construct informed through physiologicRead MoreAdolescence : The Transitional Period Between Childhood And Adulthood1549 Words   |  7 Pagescome happiness, sadness, and excitement. Adolescence is the time where we may have had the best times and the worst times while going through the stage of life. Adolescence is the time when young adults begin to change mentally and physically. During this stage of life, adolescents are introduced to many things such as the changing of the body, interest in different people, and trying to find themselves. When adolescence occurs they will experience puberty, growth spurts, development of body partsRead More Adolescence Development Essay886 Words   |  4 Pages Adolescence is a period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity. The adolescent is no longer a child, but they haven’t yet reached adulthood. Adolescence is considered people between the ages of 13 and 21. Puberty is the physical maturing that makes an individual capable of sexual reproduction. Puberty is important to adolescence because when a child hits puberty, that’s when the child is becoming an adolescent. Puberty is a big part of an adolescent’sRead MoreAdolescence Essay1057 Words   |  5 PagesAdolescence is a time of rapid physical, emotional, and cognitive development. During adolescence, teenagers are exposed to a wealth of new and confusing changes that greatly impact their paths in life. The development that occurs during this time are highly influential and can create lasting effects. Changes that happen during adolescence include: physical changes, cognitive development, and new school environments. One of the most impactful changes that an adolescent goes through is puberty;Read MoreAdolescence: Defined By Biology or Society? Essay703 Words   |  3 Pages Adolescence begins in biology and ends in society. The definitions we accept to describe the onset of adolescence revolve around puberty, biological changes of the body. Therefore I consider adolescence to begin in biology. Adolescence ends in society. Entrance into adulthood marks the end of adolescence. The definitions of who is considered an adult are defined by society and therefore I contest that adolescence ends in society. The onset of adolescence is marked by a sudden increaseRead MoreThe Role Of Self Identity For Adolescents939 Words   |  4 PagesThe life transitions are the major changes that occur throughout individual’s lifespan. Adolescence is often classified as one of the most challenging and significant stage during life transition. In this phrase, the individuals not only developing physical and sexual maturation but also experiencing the development of identity and transitions into social and economic independence (WHO, 2014). This essay will discuss the different concept of self-identity for adolescents, the important predictableRead MoreThe Differences between the Self-Esteem of Boys and Girls During Puberty1247 Words   |  5 Pages Puberty is a time of many changes. Your body changes, your voice can change, and your emotions are on overdrive. The changes going through an adolescent’s body can be very confusing. Not everyone going through puberty knows what is happening to them. Plus, even if an understanding is there, it can be very uncomfortable. Almost every part of an adolescent’s body is affected when going through puberty. Psychologically, an adolescent is affected too. One psychological effect of puberty is a decreasedRead MoreEarly Puberty And Childhood Social And Behavioral Adjustment1337 Words   |  6 PagesMy research focuses primarily on Early Puberty and Childhood Social and Behavioral Adjustment. Early puberty has been connected to increased rates of mental health problems in adolescence. However, despite previous studies starting after the initiation of puberty being unable to explore whether early puberty is leading to higher rates of these problems. Puberty marks a changeover in mental health, with the differences in predominance rate and sex ratios of mental and behavioral disorders after the

Building Effective Teams Free Essays

Work teams of all types are being empowered to perform tasks that previously were employees’ responsibility. As organizations move toward more highly empowered work teams, the organizations that invest resources to train teams can increase both team and organizational effectiveness. Management often rushes to form work teams without considering how the behaviors needed for effective team work differ from those needed for effective individual contributions. We will write a custom essay sample on Building Effective Teams or any similar topic only for you Order Now Team members may receive little or no training to ensure that they can perform the required tasks and achieve the goals set. Communication Issues in Situations 1. Not informing other departments of status and updated schedules. Improving communication in organization involves more accurate encoding, transmitting, decoding and updating at the interdepartmental level. People can overcome barriers to effective communication. They must first be aware that barriers exist and can cause serious organizational problems. Then they must be willing to invest the effort and time necessary to overcome the barriers. When departments do not communicate or update the status of information, then, there will be confusion in the process. To avoid this, employees must be able to follow up to determine whether important messages have been understood. Feedback doesn’t have to be verbal; in fact, actions often speak louder than words. The sales manager who describes desired changes in the monthly sales planning report receives feedback from the report itself when it is turned in. If it contains the proper changes, the manager knows the message was received and understood. Managers who tell everyone to see the big picture often create a serious communication overload. Rather than trying to keep everyone involved, top-level management need follow the â€Å"need-to-know† principle transmitting communication and updating people in other areas of the organization that need the necessary information. Sometimes it is useful to regulate the flow of information and procedures that need to be brought to the attention of the people in the other departments. As long as performance falls within the acceptable range, the regular procedures aware followed. Misunderstandings and confusion can be reduced when adequate and timely feedback of information is done. Information must always be updated. Feedback mechanisms and reporting systems need to be established so managers know whether their messages have been understood, accepted and followed. Sometimes, a useful technique here is to manage the timing of messages so they are received in an orderly manner. This principle is similar to the procedure many executives use in responding to their in-basket. Incoming mail is sorted into piles of related topics. A similar procedure can be used, to some extent, with verbal communication where specific time periods are scheduled for discussing a specific topic. â€Å"Knowledge work is a process requiring knowledge from both internal and external sources to produce a product that is distinguished by its specific information content† (Kappes and Thomas). 2. Blaming between people of different races This is a big communication barrier that needs immediate remedy. When one has a grudge against someone, he tends to make that someone responsible for everything he finds wrong. When a person in one department blames someone, his desire to judge and punish is often what is at work. Someone blames another hen he is angry because the action made things turn out differently than he wished—if not through his words, then through his manner and tone of voice. One can put all the responsibility for what happened to him, in a way that implies what he did was â€Å"wrong† or â€Å"bad. † Moreover, blame breeds resentment. â€Å"it’s your fault! † is a red-flag phrase. It is to a person what a matador’s cape is to a bull. The hooker in blame is that smidgen of truth in what one said or implied. One can seldom say, â€Å"That’s just what you feel-it has nothing to do with me. † When a person’s blamer goes to work, it is very canny. It knows exactly where to go zap, where to pick out that nasty kernel of truth. A put-down artist is an expert at zeroing in on where you feel bad about oneself and making him feel even smaller there. Two messages get mixed up in blame: one party’s statement of how he feels (I’m angry and disappointed†) and one’s evaluation of the other party (â€Å"Scum like you shouldn’t be aloud to work in this company. †). The feelings about the situation are often hidden in the â€Å"you-are-bad† message, instead of being said straight out. One-way blaming in the organization is overcome is help open up communication between two blaming departments. Members of these departments must also be reminded that they need to take responsibility for their part in what happened. 3. Lack of standardization among terms used with different departments. This signifies uniform and consistent procedures or knowledge of terms that employees are to follow in doing their jobs. They must be aware of not only the terms used in the different departments but also the written procedures, job descriptions, instructions, rules and regulations to standardize the routine aspects of jobs. Standards among terms used with different departments allow people to reinforce values important to the organization’s success. This approach may seem mechanical, but if terms were not standardized, many organizations couldn’t achieve their goals and will have confusion of meanings in the process. Terms serve to bind as well as to separate departments. Terms sometimes block more than they reveal. They can prevent a true look. One is unlikely ever to know the whole truth of something. Someone else may see or touch a thing in a different way than one does, and know another side of it. An idea or statement, or concept is true to the degree that it helps one accurately experience the thing or event it represents. Some of the terms team members use are: free riding which means that a member does not contribute fully to team performance but still sharing in team rewards despite making less effort than the others; groupthink which is an agreement-at-any-cost mentality that results in ineffective work team decision-making and may lead to poor solutions; productive controversy which occurs when team members value different points of view and seek to draw them out to facilitate creative problem-solving (Hellriegel et al 1996). Dryer and Ericksen (March 2004) propose that human behaviors in high-reliability organizations can affect organizational performance. They examine several Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) strategies that engender and reinforce certain human behaviors that in turn can result to reliability in organizations that â€Å"operate under trying conditions, i. e. , those that manage complex and interdependent systems subject to substantial external volatility. † They believe reliability in organizations (like mining firms) is a â€Å"critical process-based† measure of organizational performance (Dryer and Ericksen, 2004). Communication Strategy Team discussions are important. This is crucial especially in discussing feelings for these reflect the emotional climate of a tram. The four feelings most likely to influence work team effectiveness and productivity are the feelings of trust, openness, freedom and interdependence. The more these feelings are present, the more likely the work team will be effective and the members will experience satisfaction. These feelings probably are present in a formal or informal group to which one belongs if they agree with the following statements: – Trust- Members have confidence in each other. – Openness – Members are really interested in what others have to say. – Freedom – Members do what they do out of a sense of responsibility to the group, not because of a lot of pressure from others. – Interdependence – Members coordinate and work together to achieve common goals. Indeed, in organizations, departments can easily get into trouble when they forget that they are sometimes dealing with abstractions, and then act as though they were concrete things and events. REFERENCES Dryer, L. and Ericksen, J. (March 2004). Towards a Strategic Human Resource Management Model of High Reliability Organization Performance: A Working Paper. Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Cornell School of Labor and Industrial Relations. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2006 at: http://www. ilr. cornell. edu/depts/cahrs/downloads/pdfs/workingpapers/WP04-02. pdf Hellriegel, D. Jackson S. and Slocum, J. (1996). Management. USA: International Thomson Publishing. Kappes, S. and Thomas, B. A Model for Knowledge Worker Information Support. Knowledge Worker Information Management. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2006 at: http://www. cecer. army. mil/kws/kap_supp. htm How to cite Building Effective Teams, Papers Building Effective Teams Free Essays Building a global-based team is not as easy as building a new internal team in the company. There are many things to be considered. Creating a single team composed of different nationalities with different cultures should be done with thorough research and full attention. We will write a custom essay sample on Building Effective Teams or any similar topic only for you Order Now Several factors need to be looked at and taken into consideration to build an effective global team working together despite the geographical barriers. A good mix of international team members can only be obtained if the right criteria in the selection are correctly set. The rest of this paper discusses some of the criteria that would best help in the purpose of building a global-based team working effectively towards a common goal. Selecting Global Sales Team Members As an HR Manager tasked to come up with an effective global sales team, there should be some criteria that would better facilitate the selection of team members. Some of these criteria can be the following: †¢ Each member should be open to the fact of working with other members from other countries. †¢ The member should have a proven record of being responsible and reliable in their jobs especially when it comes to important tasks or assignments. †¢ Excellent communication skills, especially when it comes to dealing with business projects and endeavors, need to be exhibited by the global team member. †¢ The member should have a sense of independence and organization. Working in a global-based team means a possibility of working in a virtual environment where members are not directly supervised by a manager. The member should be able to work on his own at times and organized enough to be able to manage his own time in order to accomplish all the deliverables on time. As mentioned, if a global sales team is desired, there is a possibility that the members will work together in a virtual environment. With this in mind, I would probably decide on building a team composed of highly experienced professionals with proven and excellent track record. These professionals should also exhibit the criteria and characteristics mentioned above. All of those things are necessary in building an effective global sales team. As the manager who is in charge of building the team, I would ensure that every member of the team is aware of the team’s nature. They should be briefed when it comes to differing time zones, languages, culture and work ethics of each member since they belong to different nationalities. The members of this global team should fully and clearly understand the objectives and goals of the global team. Since the members do not work in just a single location, they should exhaust all possible means of communication. With today’s technology, working in a virtual team, with members located in all parts of the globe, is now easy because of all the advanced means of communications easily available to anyone just like email, mobile phones and internet telephony. An effective communication is crucial in the success of any global-based team. For a global team to build trust and integrate well with each other, Mitchell (2000, p. 162) said that â€Å"team members [should] realize that each culture has much to offer. The team [should] take the best from each culture and mold them into a team personality that reflects the diverse nature of team members. † References Mitchell, C. (2000). A Short Course in International Business Culture. Novato, CA: World Trade Press. How to cite Building Effective Teams, Papers

Who to Write an Authors Note Example free essay sample

Authors note For my portfolio the two minor assignments that I decided to put in were my argumentative paragraph on the play Macbeth, and my personal language and literature essay. The major piece of work that I have put in the portfolio is my Macbeth essay. The reason I chose these pieces was because they were the three that I feel were the most interesting, two that I had the best success on, and one that I struggled on. The piece of work that I did the best on was my Macbeth essay. I chieved the goal that I had set for myself to get, which was a 70% on the essay. I feel that the reason I was able to achieve my goal was because I was able to explain my points well and I did not wait to the last minute to complete the essay. The reason I decided to put my personal language and literature essay in was because it was my first grade 11 university essay and it was also my worst. We will write a custom essay sample on Who to Write an Authors Note Example or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By doing this essay I realized that I cannot leave all my work to the last minute because I will be unable to get the piece edited, my mark showed this. The last piece of work that is in my portfolio is my argumentative paragraph on the play Macbeth. I decided to put this piece of work into my portfolio because I feel I did alright on the assignment, but I had the ability to do better. Throughout my grade 11 English course I have learned a great deal about what I need to improve on more and what I have already improved on throughout the semester. The writing skill I need to improve on most is my spelling and grammar. On all of my essays I have gotten the same comment, which usually goes something long the lines of need more editing or need more proofing. Based on this I believe that to achieve a higher mark in my grade 12 English class next year I must do this better. Another part that I need to improve on is staying in the present tense. This was another comment on all of my essays, whether it was by my teacher, or a student editing my essay. I have trouble staying in the proper tense in my essays because I have difficulty remembering this. I also seem to write in the past tense because it makes the most sense. I feel this is the major reason. It is hard to get it through my head that I need to write about something that already happened in the present tense. This is hard for me to do because when we talk to one another if we are talking about something that has already happened we say it in the past tense. Although I have parts I have to improve on I also have positives to look at as well. There were a few parts of some of my essays that were well done. These parts were the organization and the topic and concluding sentences. I feel the reason I was ble to do well on these parts is because I took my time on the topic and concluding sentences, also I feel that I was able to set up a good solid outline that helped guide me through the organization part of things. These were the two major factors why I did get the mark I wanted on my Macbeth essay as well as the argumentative paragraph. I also feel these are the two most important parts of the essay, and with a little more work on my spelling and grammar I will and higher mark that I will be proud of. be able to achieve a much better

The great mosque of Cordoba or Mezquita

Introduction As mentioned earlier, the Cordoba mosque, also known as Mezquita, stands tall as a representative of the medieval Islamic civilization located in Spain. It is believed that the ground breaking of the mosque began in the Sixth Century AD as a Christian Visigothic church. The Mosque was, however, completed much later, in the year 987 AD, and shared for use between the Muslims and the Christians.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The great mosque of Cordoba or Mezquita specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Beginning 784 AD, an Islamist prince called Abd ar-Rahman, acquired the structure from the Christian fraternity and began refurbishing it as a Muslim worship centre. The mosque underwent a lot of †structural changes and interior design repair† (Savory 1976). This was meant to fit the mosque into the â€Å"Islamic design†. The purchase of the cathedral by the Muslims also meant tha t it would be refurbished to â€Å"rid it of the â€Å"Christian characteristics†(Ching and Prakash 2011). The magnificent building is outstanding with the huge arches and numerous columns that exceed 1,000 in number (Savory 1976). The columns consist of various valuable stones such as Jasper, Onyx and marble that have been artistically modelled to provide the artistic countenance that the mosque has. The mosque had a turbulent moment in the year 1236 when it was captured from the moors and used again by the Christian fraternity by King Ferdinand three. The proceeding kings that followed later redesigned the mosque according to the Christian beliefs and design (Ching and Prakash). Initial design During the re-designation period of the mosque, the most outstanding and notable reconstruction activity involved the construction of the Reconnaissance cathedral in the middle of the structure, courtesy of a Spanish king Carlos who was a Christian by then (Savory 1976). The Mezquit a, or the Cordoba, mosque had different measurement during the initial construction. In terms of the area, it measured a total of 73m square. Out of this area, half was a forecourt (Trachterberg 2002). Later, during the reconstruction periods, there was a need to enlarge the total area and this led to the addition of an extra 65 square miles making the total area to stand at 138 square miles. During the first construction, the worshipping hall increased two folds at the end of the 9th century and the length widened to a total length of approximately 138m. Proceeding kings that followed later redesigned the mosque according to the Christian beliefs and design (Trachterberg 2002).Advertising Looking for research paper on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Design Structure of the Mosque Arches The arches, throughout the structure, have a common shape that is referred to as â€Å"the horse shoe form† (Savory 197 6). This style is described as being very predominant with the architectural design of the Visigoths, i.e. the inhabitants of the area where the mosque is situated before the arrival of the Islamic population called the Umyyads from North Africa (Ching and Prakash). The horse shoe form was assumed to be very strong and durable by the medieval architectures other than the fact that they offered very flowery aesthetic finishing, when used in various structures and buildings, all the arches within the cathedral are oriented towards the horse shoe design template borrowed from the Visigoths. The dome The dome is located right above the mihrab or the maqrub. It depicts a large structure, of course dome shaped as the name suggests, but carries with itself numerous artistic drawings and calligraphy on the inside. The dome was constructed through an act of crisscrossing those components that form the pointed arches in the building. In the mosque, they are largely decorated in pure gold in a more or less radial and regular pattern (Ching and Prakash). The dome was constructed during the construction of the cathedral and historians argue that during the construction of this dome, a total number of sixteen columns were demolished and ejected from the main prayer hall to allow a space for the erection of both the cathedral and the dome. Simultaneously, the cathedral construction was purely based on the early Christian architectural designs. One can easily feel and see the outstanding cocktail of both Christian and Islamic designs standing side by side to depict the history of civilisation of these two contrasting yet marvellous designs. It is important to note the structure of the double arches that have been used in the building. These greatly assist in the support of the immense weight that the ceilings high above insert on the columns and further prevents the roof from falling off. These arches were conveniently designed with a lower horse shoe arch and an upper semi -circular arch whose role is to offer adequate base for the support of these arches (Ching and Prakash 2011). The arches along the passages of the mosque consist of several layered segments that run in lines which consist of red bricks and white stones piled in an alternating manner, thus, creating a spectacular pattern of stripes along the arcade, the space is large enough to permit visibility across the arcade (Ching and Prakash 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The great mosque of Cordoba or Mezquita specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More General Dimension The Mosque is approximated to measure a total of six hundred and twenty feet ft in length across the North-South orientation (Trachterberg 2002). In terms of the breadth, from the West to the East cardinal points, the mosque measures a total length of four hundred and forty feet. The shape of the mosque is considered to be rectangular inferring that it has four sides and four angles in general. Historians have always argued that the mosque initially had a total of twenty one doors when it was originally constructed. However, the number has so far reduced to only five following various reconstruction procedures by the Christians when they took it over from the Muslims. External dimension Two hundred and ten feet out of the total length from South to North, a court was effectively erected and a modern gate installed for accessory purpose. Nineteen aisles that measure three hundred and fifty feet in length by fourteen in breadth ran parallel from the Northern portion to the Southern end through the interior building that forms the central structure (Ching and Prakash 2011). The aisles have a large number of columns with a spectacular arrangement Elevation of the Mosque Each of the four fronts of the structure presents a perfectly designed wall that is crowned with crenulations all through. There is a varying difference between ea ch of these fronts in terms of their heights and decorations. Each arch presents a beautiful and well curve horse shoe form that effectively makes a reference of the widely used Moorish architecture through which the whole building is set upon Interior Design Columns The columns in the mosque presently stand at a total of eight hundred and fifty and are made out of granite and jasper together with other precious rocks. Columns display myriad splendid colours. The unique scenery formed by this creativity has been described as â€Å"majestic† by some historians (Ching and Prakash 2011). These columns have an equivalent length which stands at nine feet from the base. The shaft too, of the existing columns, reflects equivalency in terms of the size and measures approximately seventeen inches in terms of the diameter. The Chapiters on the other hand, support the arches that emanate from one column to the other where they perfectly form a horse shoe form (Ching and Prakash 2011). The beams of the mosque are extremely huge in diameter for the sole reason of offering support to the structure. The beams are numerous in number and the cross beams have been well decorated with paint to provide the aesthetic magnificent sight they possess (Ching and Prakash 2011). One of the most stunning features of the mosque is the maqsura or rather the prayer space for the ruler (Trachterberg 2002). This space was specifically preserved for the King. It was personally commissioned by the caliph himself in the 12th century. Advertising Looking for research paper on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The space is separated from the rest of the prayer section by alternating arcades that possess several lobes that offer a distinctive horse shoe form. It was then decorated using marble that were well curved together with various other precious stones like the stucco and the mosaics too (Ching and Prakash 2011) The Mihrab The interior portion of the mosque is the house of the Maqsura which is, perhaps, one of the landmark features in any Islamic worshiping centre. The Mihrab refers to a designated area on the wall of a mosque that is used to depict the direction Makka, the holy city of Islam (Trachterberg 2002). By the use of a horse shoe form arch, the architecture adorned the Mihrab in the mosque using some of the most precious gems and metals. The mihrabb is encapsulated it in a more or less rectangular frame that house numerous verses that have been keenly selected from the Muslim holy book of Koran. The writings used are indeed very artistic and clearly pointing out to the ori gin and development of the Islamic calligraphy. One can never miss the great manifest of the Islamic art at every point of the building either within the structure, or outside the structure (Trachterberg 2002). The choir loft in the cathedral is coated with wood carvings that offer it a magnificent finish. The space around the loft has overleaped ceilings together with large domes that rise above the main altar. There exists an open and easy to see difference between the chapels of the cathedral and the normal conventional chapels. The cathedral chapels are not situated around the major cathedral area but rather, the chapels occupy the area around the primary cathedral area (Trachterberg 2002). There has been a raging debate though on the reason as to why the mihrab is not facing Makka, the Islamic holy city,yet, conventionally, all the mosques belonging to the Muslim worshippers have erected the mihrab facing Makka. Now, various historians have put forth their arguments on the same but the most agreeable version is that the initial inhabitants of the structure were not Muslims and during the construction of the structure, there were no intentions of using it as a mosque in the future. This argument is very valid and easily accepted since the presence of any Muslim during the construction would have led to the proper orientation of the Mihrab towards their holy city, Mekka. All in all, it is a popular version of the story that the Muslims acquired the structure after its full construction but yet did a few modifications to fit it into the Muslim definition of a â€Å"worship place† The hypostyle hall This is the most spacious area within the Mosque (Ching and Prakash 2011). The hall is essentially filled with numerous columns that support the huge roof above it. It is called the hypostyle hall to refer to the large number of columns that stand regularly arranged around the hall (Ching and Prakash 2011). This large and expansive prayer hall appears unu sually very wide due to the mirage formed by the presence of repeated geometry, an aspect of gothic design that was essentially meant for decorative purpose and also to instil support in different structures. The repeated geometry has been widely applied in the decoration of the prayer hall. The hall is believed to have been constructed using refurbished columns that were excavated from the Roman structures (Ching and Prakash 2011). The columns are modified into a combination of two symmetrical horse shoe form arches that are formed from red brick and the stones. This distinct the arches out as well decorated and adorned to radiate immense beauty and magnificence. The Roofing The roofing of the structure was skilfully done to accommodate the large columns of the structure (Trachterberg 2002). The roof is artistically done using selected species of cedar together with pine wood. These are some of the strongest species of timber known and are conceived to remain unaffected by seasons or insects for the longest time possible. The timber is â€Å"sandwiched† with lead in a fine precision that brings out the artistry applied. Exterior view The external walls are fortified with utmost ingenuity depicting the strength of the structure. The walls are intermittently supported by buttresses which make it appear like a legion of towers (Trachterberg 2002). Below the bell tower, lies a courtyard with orange trees together with a fountain that is specifically used for lavation purposes. Cathedral The cathedral is located right in the middle of the mosque. This cathedral was constructed after the Christians acquired the structure from the Muslim believers during the reign of king Carlos of Spain. It is postulated that the cathedral must have been constructed in the sixteenth century. To the left hand side of this cathedral lies the Capilla de Villacios building that was constructed by the Moorish craftsmen earlier by King Alfonso. The Cathedral boasts of a gothic ar chitectural style that was introduced by an archictect Hernan Ruiz who worked on the structure transforming it into a gothic design which essentially refers to an architectural design of the medieval era. The bell tower The bell tower is perhaps the longest structure in the whole building. It was never part of the original building when it was still inhabited by the Muslims. However, during the reign of King Carlos and the restructuring period, the Architects designed a long tower for the purpose of erecting the bell. The tower is approximated to be ninety three metres in height and is constructed together with winding stairs that leads up to the top. The bell tower is referred to as the Torre de Alminar. From the bell tower, it is possible to have a view of the whole mosque aerially. The mosque has a total tally of three gates that are all designed using different architectural designs for accessory purposes. Conclusion The mosque describes the artistry and displays some of the ch aracteristics of Islamic civilisation. The design represents one of the last remaining representatives of the Moorish architecture. The paper has sought to highlight the outstanding features of this design and relate it to Islamic civilisation (Trachterberg 2002). The antique appearance of the structure has helped to unfold various historical issues in as far as the ancient civilisation is concerned. The structure has, in itself, revealed numerous historical facts and phenomenon that has opened up debate for critical study of the architecture of the prehistoric era, it is my submission therefore that this paper has adequately helped tie the ends by exploring these historical phenomena The mosque has had a fair share of its challenges since the Christians took over from the Muslim users. A number of violent episodes have been witnessed where some radical Islamic groups has invariantly attacked and injured several other Christian worshippers in their demand to repossess the mosque, or worship in turns with the Christians. The Spanish Muslims have been lobbying the Spanish Catholics to allow them use the cathedral, however, this has been severally rejected by the Vatican city and the Spanish Catholic administrators. This was followed by violence by a few Muslim tourists who assaulted the guards at the cathedral. References Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Prakash Vikramaditya. A global history of architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print. Savory, Roger. Introduction to Islamic civilisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976. Print. Trachtenberg, Arvin, Hyman. Architecture: From Prehistory to Post modernity, 2nd edition, Pearson; 2002. Print. This research paper on The great mosque of Cordoba or Mezquita was written and submitted by user Joaquin Leon to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Presidential Debates The Influence on Voters

Presidential Debates The Influence on Voters Introduction September 26, 1960 marked the beginning of televised presidential debates in the history of general elections in the United States of America. The constants in the 1960 debate, which occurred in Chicago, were Richard Nixon and John Kennedy. Analysts believe that it was an evenly matched debate. Additionally, most analysts believe that Nixon could have won if the date was aired only on radio. However, the television audience was inspired by Kennedy’s charm and personality, thereby considering him the winner.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Presidential Debates: The Influence on Voters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political scientists believe that Kennedy won the 1960 election mainly because of his outstanding performance during the debate (Dorning). This perspective illustrates the importance of televised presidential debates. In particular, the debates enable voters to see the preside ntial aspirants in a real world setting. This involves evaluating how candidates answer questions without scripts, as well as, their actions and reactions in public. These evaluations usually influence voting pattern and voters’ perception of the candidates. It is against this backdrop that this paper examines the influence of televised debates on presidential elections (voters). It will also examine the effect of social media and instant feedback on presidential debates. Informing the Public The United States is a large country in terms of its geographical area and population. Thus, presidential candidates cannot easily traverse the entire country in order to meet voters and to articulate their policies. In this regard, presidential debates give candidates the opportunity to inform the public about their policy stance on various issues that affect the lives of Americans. During the debates, candidates are asked the same questions and given the same amount to time to answer t hem. The importance of this system of debate is that it enables the electorate to compare candidates’ approaches to various issues that affect the country (Campbell 46). In this context, the debates help the public to decide on whom to vote for on the Election Day. Presidential debates also enable the public to understand the personality traits of the candidates. Prior to the debates, most candidates are hardly known to the public in terms of their communication styles and ability to manage their emotions, as well as, their reaction to criticism. However, the debates enable voters to examine the character of their preferred candidate in order to make informed decisions on the Election Day (Kraus 56). The factors that matter to the viewers of the presidential debates include how the candidates present themselves, their appearance, and their ability to connect directly with the audience. This indicates that the debates serve as a mechanism for assessing the character of preside ntial candidates.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, presidential debates do not always provide enough information about the candidates and their policies. Candidates are usually aware of the public expectation concerning their performance during presidential debates. Consequently, they spend a lot of time and resources to prepare for the debates. This includes rehearsing answers to potential questions and practicing to communicate in a manner that is likely to appeal to the audience (Kraus 79). In this regard, preparations enable candidates to conceal their weaknesses during the debates. Additionally, a candidate is likely to say what he believes will be appealing to the audience rather than what he believes in. In some cases, the debates are stage-managed in order to favor the candidates. For instance, in 1988 the democrats and the republicans secretly sign ed a memorandum of understanding that enabled them to control the debate. Concisely, they colluded to determine the composition of the interviewing panel and the audience, as well as, prohibiting follow-up questions (Brancaccio). The effect of this conspiracy is that the 1988 debate focused on what the candidates wanted to tell the public rather than what the electorate wanted to know. Some scholars believe that presidential debates no longer serve as an important source of information to the public. This is because post-debate analyses tend to produce so much information that usually confuses voters rather than enlightening them (William and Shah 101-117). This problem is exacerbated by the fact that analysts usually give conflicting views concerning the winners and losers in the debates. Moreover, thousands of potential voters hardly watch the debates due to time constraints. Influencing Election Outcome Proponents of presidential debates believe that they are efficient and effect ive campaign tools that can easily change the outcome of an election. This assertion is often defended by the outcome of the 1960 and 2000 elections. In 1960, John â€Å"Kennedy’s average score in the polls was 50.5% one week before the first debate† (Dorning). However, his score improved to 50.6% in the first week after the last debate. This favorable rating is believed to have helped Kennedy to win the election. Similarly, Gore is believed to have lost in 2000 due to his audible sighs and interruptions during the debates. Additionally, his faulty makeup job made the public to doubt his personality.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Presidential Debates: The Influence on Voters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, majority of the elections indicate that presidential debates have little impact on the decisions made by the electorate. For instance, John Kerry still lost the 2004 election des pite winning in three debates (Dorning). Research reveals that the influence of presidential debates on voters stems from issues pertaining to style rather than substance. The audience tends to pay attention to trivial issues such as a candidate’s response to a question that focuses on his private live rather than his reactions to questions on key issues such as taxes. In this regard, a candidate is likely to win the election despite losing in the debates as long as he can clearly articulate his policies in any other forum. The influence of presidential debates tends to be low due to poor timing. Most debates are usually held just a few weeks to the Election Day. The debates occur after the majority of voters have made decisions concerning their preferred candidates. In this regard, most viewers of presidential debates focus on finding the weaknesses of the candidate they do not like and the strengths of their preferred candidate rather than judging them fairly (Kayla). This partly explains why both analysts and viewers give conflict opinions concerning the winners and losers in the debates. Concisely, a person who has decided to vote for a particular candidate is not likely to change his mind, especially, if he doubts the authenticity of the debate’s outcome. Some voters believe that the presidential debates do not facilitate effective and adequate assessment of the leadership skills of the candidates. Proponents of this perspective believe that one’s ability to articulate his policies before a large audience is influenced by several factors that might not be in his control. For instance, poor reactions to questions often occur due to tension and anxiety rather than inadequate preparation or poor communication skills (Scott and Lavine 169-184). Thus, voters tend to give candidates a second chance by voting for them despite their dismal performance in the debates. Role of Instant Feedback In the last three decades, the media emerged as the most important stakeholder in the presidential debates. The analyses of various news channels and the type of TV used by viewers determine the influence of the presidential debates on voters. Debates are usually followed by immediate feedback in terms of instant â€Å"analysis, interpretations, interviews with experts, discussion of instant polls, replaying of highlights, and the commentary of candidates’ spokespeople† (Fridkin, Kenney and Gershon 2-44).Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These instant analyses determine the influence of presidential debates on voters in the following ways. First, instant feedback increases the information that is available to voters. The instant analyses help viewers to interpret the messages conveyed by the candidates during the debate. Thus, people who watch the debates and instant analyses are likely to evaluate the candidates based on the available information in order to make the right choice on the Election Day. Second, instant feedback reinforces the persuasion effect of presidential debates. Instant news analyses highlight and contextualize various aspects of the messages presented by the candidates during the debates. Additionally, they analyze the candidates’ rhetoric, gaffes, memorable highlights, and the implications of the debates on the candidates. These analyses influence voters’ perception of the candidates. This can be illustrated by the results of the 2004 presidential debate. In particular, people wh o watched the debate and NBC’s instant feedback rated Bush favorably in nearly all aspects of leadership (Fridkin, Kenney and Gershon 2-44). By contrast, the instant feedback by CNN.com rated President Bush as the worst performer in the debate. The people who watched the debate and its analysis on CNN.com believed that Senator Kerry was the winner. This illustration shows that instant feedback by the media can improve or worsen the influence of presidential debates on voters. However, the effect of instant feedback usually depends on the bias of the analysts. For example, a TV channel is likely to give favorable rating to a candidate it supports even though the candidate might have performed poorly during the debate. This shows that instant feedback or media analyses can play a greater role in influencing potential voters than the actual performance of the candidates during the debate. Finally, presidential debates and media analyses influence voters through the framing effec t. This involves structuring discussions about the debates in a manner that enables people to understand and to interpret candidates’ messages in particular way (Fridkin, Kenney and Gershon 2-44). Media analyses usually frame discussions in terms of who won or lost in the debates. In this regard, the analyses can improve or diminish the persuasion effect of presidential debates on voters. Concisely, the analyses and discussions by the media can improve the persuasion effect of the debates if they are framed around issues that are appealing to potential voters or the areas that the candidates had outstanding performance during the debates. The Social Media and Presidential Debates Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook play an integral role in presidential debates. Prior to the debates, social media sites act as a campaign tool that enables candidates to create awareness about their qualifications and policy stance on various issues. This involves engaging the public in discussions concerning political issues and answering questions raised by voters about the candidates (Bosmol). In this regard, social media affects presidential debates in two ways. First, it can reduce the viewership of the debates. This is because candidates usually answer most of the questions raised by the public through their social media accounts before the debates take place. Thus, the public will have no incentive to spend 90 minutes to watch the debates. Second, social media campaigns enable candidates to win the support of undecided voters and to reinforce the loyalty of their existing supporters. Consequently, the debates have little or no influence on potential voters. Social media sites also support the debates by spreading the messages conveyed by the candidates in a variety of ways (University of South California). To begin with, social media sites such as YouTube enable voters to access live feeds of the debates. This enables people who have no access to TV to wa tch the debates as they occur. The persuasion effect of presidential debates is likely to improve if candidates’ messages reach a large audience. Unlike TV channels, social media sites save the videos of the debates, thereby enabling voters to watch them at their convenience. Additionally, social media sites enhance the participation of voters in the debates by allowing them to express their opinions and to send questions directly to the candidates. In this regard, the presidential debates are likely to become more relevant and attractive to voters who want their opinions to be taken into account by the candidates. Finally, the experience of the 2012 presidential election indicates that social media plays a fundamental role in determining the results of the debates (Bosmol). Most major TV channels such as CNN and Fox news incorporated feedback from social media sites in their computations of the candidates’ scores. In this case, a candidate with the largest following i n social media is likely to obtain a favorable rating, thereby being declared the winner in the debate. Social media sites also provide a forum through which voters discuss the messages of the candidates after the debates (Scott and Lavine 169-184). These discussions can reinforce the persuasion effect of presidential debates if the voters share the candidates’ messages with their colleagues without distorting them. However, misrepresentation of the candidates’ messages through the social media can reduce the influence of presidential debates. For example, incorrect interpretation of a candidates’ policy stance can lower his rating, thereby reducing the number of his supporters. Conclusion This paper examined the influence of presidential debates on voters. The findings indicate that presidential debates have changed the outcome of elections on a few occasions. However, most candidates win the elections despite losing in the debates. Instant feedback about the d ebates determines how voters interpret and understand candidates’ massages after the debates. Thus, they can improve or worsen the ability of presidential debates to influence the voting pattern. The social media supports the presidential debates by enabling more people to watch them and to express their opinions concerning the results. However, the increased use of social media as a campaign tool might reduce the importance of debates in future. Bosmol. Impact of Social Media on the Presidential Debate. Bosmal.com, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. Brancaccio, David. The History of Presidential Debates. Public Broadcasting Service, 24 Sep. 2004. Web. Campbell, James. The American Campaigns: USA Presidential Campaigns. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print. Dorning, Mike. Value of Debates. Portland Press Herald, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. Fridkin, Kim, Patrick Kenney and Sarah Gershon. Capturing the Power of a Campaign Event: The 2004 Presidential Debate in Tempe. Academic. Tempe: Arizona State Univer sity, 2005. Print. Kayla, Webley. How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World. Time.com, 23 Sep. 2010. Web. Kraus, Sidney. Televised Presidential Debates and Public Policy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print. Scott, Basinger and Howard Lavine. Ambivalence, Information, and Electoral Choice. American Political Science Review 9.1(2005): 169-184. Print. University of South California. Social Media and Debates. University of South California, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. William, Eveland and Dhavan Shah. The Impact of Individual and Interpersonal Factors on Precieved News Media Bias. Political Psychology 24.1 (2003): 101-117. Print.

American Dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American Dream - Essay Example According to the author, thought of achieving a prosperous and rich life by sticking on the phenomenon of the American dream is inaccurate (Selby). The American dream is a psychological pressure on the lives of human being that leads the life of an individual to mass destruction and unpleasantness. The theory of American dream reflects the idea of only getting and demanding things in life which is insanity. People engage themselves in continuous efforts and hard work to satisfy their needs but at the end of the day when the demand is not fulfilled, it leads a person to dissatisfaction and discouragement. The lust of getting stuff and accumulating wealth is a nature of mankind. American dream gives rise to such unfavorable wishes that lead the society to more desperation and despair. It does not lead to the fulfillment of desire but creates a sense of envy among those who do not have the power and wealth. The concept of American Dream spread the sense of getting and demanding the stuff for themselves so that they can satisfy their needs and enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. In order to achieve such goals, people serve their entire life in working like a mad. Such people are of the opinion that the American dream can assist them in getting what they want (Laslett and Lipset). Unfortunately, such dreams lead the individual to agitation and self-destruction if they cannot meet their objective. It has also been observed that an individual not only risk their life in fulfilling this dream but also engage their loving ones with them. It shows how the American dream is building pressure on the lives of common citizens. Society is said to be ungrateful until they do not success in realizing their desire. The American dream is derailing people from their vision and putting their energy in collecting stuff that is inappropriate. A report in Times by David Leonhardt and Kevin Quealy says that the middle class of Canadians

Franz Kalfa's Metamorphosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Franz Kalfa's Metamorphosis - Essay Example Although the family continues to care for him, providing him with food and water and cleaning his room once a day, Gregor becomes more and more detached from them, eventually finding it difficult to keep track of what has been happening around him. His room becomes dirtier, his family becomes less attentive and he becomes less concerned with their welfare in connection with his own. As his sister and mother move his personal furniture out of his room, he leaves the room with a mind toward helping his sister, but is instead attacked by his father, becoming wounded in the process when an apple thrown at him becomes lodged in his back. Rather than tending to his wounds, the family locks him back in his room again where the apple is able to fester for months. The room becomes the general receptacle of household debris before Gregor’s final attempt to reconnect with his family results in such harsh and complete rejection that he simply crawls back in his room and dies. Through the story, Kafka uses the concept of work to highlight some of the problems of the human condition. It can be argued that Gregor’s transformation is a literal indication of his feelings of separation from humanity, including from the members of his own family, as can be seen in from the very beginning of the story. Despite waking up to find himself in the form of a bug, Gregor’s primary concern remains to get to work in order to continue supporting the family who has been dependent upon him for the past five years. As he reflects upon his position, he reveals the level of disconnectedness that has already occurred between himself and his family, indeed the rest of humanity, since he took a job as a traveling salesman: â€Å"And apart from business itself, this plague of traveling: the anxieties of changing trains, the irregular, inferior meals, the ever changing faces, never to be seen again, people with whom one has no chance to be friendly† (13). Even in his own home, he

Research Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Assignment - Essay Example In this scenario the priority for both of the boards were to converging IFRS and US GAAP. According to the Norwalk Agreement (September, 2002) in association with the regional bodies the IASB and the FASB started to work together for removing the differences of the accounting standards. The objectives of the project are to updating the existing concepts like setting up the standards, improve consistency and achieve completeness which would reflect the business practice changes, changes in market over the year. The boards are conducting the project in 8 phases, among these the phase A of the project was completed already and the B, C, D phases are active currently (IFRS Foundation, 2011). Status of the Project The phase A of the project was completed on September 28, 2010 and the boards have issued the concept statement no 8 which is a replacement of the concept statement no 1 and 2. ... Like in the definition of asset there is a difference between the two standards, for including future economic benefits in assets the term â€Å"expected† is in the IASB definition and there is â€Å"probable† in the FASB definition, which creates confusion among the users that which assets should actually they include; the most likely future benefits or all the future benefits they are expecting from the business. So the boards have developed the phase B of the Conceptual Framework project which provides the recognition process of elements (e.g. assets, liability and revenue recognition) of financial statements along with the requirements of laws and regulations. The objective of the phase C of the project is providing the guide for selecting the bases of measurement which is needed for satisfying the objectives of financial statements. The aim is to select a particular measurement approach for all the financial statements. This phase also establishes the framework for the measurement of fair value objective in US GAAP. The phase B and C are yet to be completed and the decisions that are already taken by the boards may change in the future board meetings. Major Changes in GAAP Proposed by the Project The Conceptual Framework project which is jointly developing by the IASB and the FASB would result in some major changes in the US GAAP accounting method. According to the US GAAP accounting method the requirements for revenue recognition are broad, for which the similar transactions can result in different accounting in contrast the IFRS has fewer requirements in case of revenue recognition. Both the accounting method would have gone for some changes but the changes required for US GAAP in revenue recognition are more than the IFRS. A

Death And Dying In Hinduism And Islam Religion Essay

Death And Dying In Hinduism And Islam Religion Essay Death and dying is equally important among all religions. Different religions have different values, beliefs, tradition, social customs and attitude regarding about death and dying. Among all of them, the most common experience is that a persons death always leaves the shadowy moment among all the relatives and the family members. Death is always connected with us and we are at the state of transition. Every living body has to die. However, religion occupies a significance space regarding about death and dying. The religion has its own norms and values to define the death. Among different religions, Hinduism and Islam define death as the period of sorrow even-though Hinduism believes in reincarnation but Islam does not. Hinduism views life as a wheel of salvation while life means a way to meet the almighty Allah in Islam. Thus, two different religions have two different perspectives of viewing life and death depending upon their religions. The Bhagvada Gita also tells about the moral of life and death. During the battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandava brother, Arjuna, has to kill his guru, Dronacharya who taught him the most powerful skill of bow and arrow. Nobody can defeat the Arjuna in archery. Since, Dronacharya belongs to the Kaurava, the Pandava brother Arjuna has to kill his own guru to win the battle of Mahabharata. The Lord Krishna chants poem about birth and living. He said to Arjuna that death in unavoidable to those who are born and birth is certain for those who had died. So, there is no reason to grieve if something in unavoidable. So, death is an inescapable. Death always stands upon its honor in the battle field. It is fair to illuminate the injustice and inequality to obtain the mokshya known as liberation. Thus, the saying of the Lord Krishna to Arjuna provides him a moral sense and knowledge of being born into this universe and reacts upon the essence of justice against immorality. Like in Bhagvada Gita, another holy scripture Ramayana also tells about the significance of death and dying. Bali and Sugriva are the brother of the same blood. Though Sugriva is younger than the Bali, Bali has treated him like a slave. However, Sugriva doesnt argue about the matter. He just wants to take care of him for the whole life. Despite the circumstance, Bali has received a terrific boon after his tough meditation for twelve years. He has a greed upon his bravery and courageous. He has captivated Sugrivas wife Tara for a long period of time. So, Sugriva is frustrated and asked about sharing of the Kiskindha kingdom. But, Bali refused it and threw him out of the kingdom. Sugriva doesnt know what to do. One day, his follower Hanuman found Rama and Arjuna wandering in the dense forest and became closer to each other. Then, Hanuman introduce Rama and Arjuna with Sugriva and Sugriva told the events about how he has to live in mountain despite having the kingdom. So, Rama told Sugr iva to call Bali upon the battle field. Sugriva did the same thing as Rama told to him. After a long battle between Sugriva and Bali, Rama killed Bali by using his archery. Upon his deathbed, Bali asked Rama about his crime. He asked what he has done to him. Who are you to kill him? Why you kill me like a terror? Why dont you show in-front of me? Then Rama replied to Bali that he has done injustice with his brother. Rama told that his father Dasaratha taught him about the moral of law and order and finally for his last question, he replied to him that the kings used to hunt deer by shading in some corners. As soon as the message spreaded over the kingdom, Tara came on the spot and cried and begged his husband back from Rama. Rama told Tara that why are you crying without thinking that the body is dead only not the soul. If you think that the dead body is your husband then why dont you think about his soul? You are on an illusion of body and soul. I respect his soul and he will be pl aced in a higher standard in the heaven. Tara realized that the body only decomposes not the soul. Even, if the person is dead, s/he will be highly recognized into the society for a long period of time. Swami Nikhilananda, the great disciple of Ramayana also said that human being should not worry about the contemporary cause and effect which is known to them. He also added that body can undergo certain metamorphism where the internal reality or the soul doesnt change rather than the illusion known as the Maya creates the desire and identifies as the self. We have to understand that the self in not the Brahmin. Following these two great scriptures, Hinduism is the religion about reincarnation. The state of being human being today is the outcome of the deeds that have been conducted in the past. After several reincarnations, we are human being now. The salvation occurs only by achieving Mokshya and Mokshya can be achieved by learning Karma yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti yoga, taking the path of devotion and learning the Holy Scripture like Bhagvada Gita and the great epic Ramayana. The ultimate way of reaching the supreme goal is to unite with Brahman. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. While Hinduism believes in polytheism, Islam believes in monotheism. Islam means submission to the god. Literally, the meaning carries a greater detail. Islam or being a Muslim means high attitude of the self. Islam believes Muhammad as the messenger of the god. The god determines the lifespan of the person. It is the gods mercy to take the person in younger age or in the older age. The Muslim believes that god created them and they have to move according to the way that the god wants. Some Muslim believes that after death, two black faced angels with blue eyes known as Munkar and Nakir visit the graveyard and ask the deceased about his life when he was alive. Upon interrogation, the person has to tell the truth. Depending upon the saying of the deceased, the process of punishment and comfort will be justified. Like in Hinduism, Islam also believes in heaven and hell where heaven means full of beautiful nymphs and the enjoym ent with the spouse while hell means the place with thorns and evil souls. When the person is lying on the deathbed, the priestly people read some passages from the Quran to facilitate the dying body to release from the physical world. After death, washing of the dead body is done and purified by the Moullana, the holy priest. The body is covered with the white cloth. The main difference between the Christianity and the Muslim is that no coffins come between the body and the earth. Building other structures are not allowed in Islam and as well as writing on the stone. Some Muslim believes that the graveyard should be dig deep enough to the dead so that the dead body can be able to sit up during the period of the Last Judgment. The grave is laid in the direction of north to south rather than east to west. The main reason behind doing that is the holy Mosque lies towards east to west. So, the deceased face is pointed towards the Mecca. It is customary to say Allah Karim which means upon the mercy of god we came into this earth and upon the mercy of him, we sh all go. Muslim views their life as a mission into this earth. The main mission is to take care of the whole life seriously as per the commandment of the god. The people have to be physically and as well as mentally fit to take care of the whole life. Spiritually, the people have to keep faith on Allah and strictly obey his saying. According to the Islam, no older person would be the burden into the society. When older person get sick or being incapable of helping themselves, the younger one should take care of them and offer them nutritious foods. The family members of the dead have to fulfill any debts of the deceased person as soon as possible. Just like in Hinduism, Islam also allows offering charity and fasting on the name of the deceased person. The family member can visit the grave to maintain the strong attachment with the deceased and as well as to observe the day of the judgment. According to Islam, death should be properly understood because it is the part of the living. Sometimes, we feel scare of discussing about death and dying because we dont want to die. We are so afraid of it. But, for Muslims, this is not the right attitude against the Allah. The Prophet Muhammad said that you have to live in this world like a traveler. Once come never return back. The destination of the journey is to meet with the almighty Allah. Death is followed by the pain and suffering. Sometimes, people become agony on death and dying. They are pathetic. According to the Allah, pain and suffering is not the curse for the Islam people. It is taken as an assignment to see how people handle it, and how they response upon it. The Quran states that Allah takes the soul at the time of death and those who are in the verdict of dying, Allah come around them and give them the clean cheat letting them to know that its the time to take a journey with Allah. The living and dying process is taken as the action where there is reaction thereafter. The faith of all Islam people is that the body and spirit unite together. So, Islam views death as the process or resurrection. The prophet also stated that being a Muslim means to challenge each and every circumstance that comes into the life. One should be capable of dealing with adversity and success. Whatever happens in life is already fixed and should take a high spirit and calmness to meet with Allah. The prophet also stated that the path towards the heaven is filled with obstacles and difficulties while the path towards the hell is filled with desire. Its up to the people to choose the path of difficulty or the path of the desire. The path of difficulty is filled wi th knowledge, sacrifice, and purity while the path of desire is filled with anger, suffocation, and greed. Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the Worlds Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. DeSpelder, Lynne Ann, and Albert Lee. Strickland. The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print. Death and Dying. KhutbahBank. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . http://civic.bev.net/icb/pdf/i43_lad.pdf http://khutbahbank.org.uk/2009/06/death-and-dying-inspirational-khutbah/

Microsoft shares the wealth :: essays research papers

Why MICROSOFT decided to pay dividends in 2003? 1.1 The company might see itself stepping in  ¡Ã‚ §Maturity Stage ¡Ã‚ ¨ -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harder to grow, revenue growth slide down Investors buy stock for one of two reasons; either it will grow in value or pay a dividend. If a company stops growing, stockholders will demand a dividend. If they don't get it, they will sell their stock. In the history, Microsoft enjoyed incredible growth, so dividend was unnecessary. Recent Microsoft dividends may tell us that the company has ended its growth phase and is now a 'mature' company. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More competitions from Open source like Linux and open office Windows and Office continue to supply most of Microsoft ¡Ã‚ ¦s profit. But that profit is being squeezed as more and more companies are using Linux servers and even Linux desktops. For example, China is developing its own OS (Operating System) and planning to use for the whole country (their intention is to keep Microsoft away from the country). The company has been forced to slash prices for some key customers to avoid large scale defections, which leads to difficulties to locate the right price because high price may reduce the market share, but low price to compete against open source may reduce its core revenue. 1.2 Expecting the stock price will increase after dividends paid - Investors can buy more shares Experts say most investors will also likely use the extra cash to buy more shares. And there ¡Ã‚ ¦s no guarantee the investors will spend money in the economy. Indeed, most investors will probably reinvest it or keep it in a cash account at their brokerage. - Stocks buyback policy from Microsoft itself Even if Microsoft use  ¡Ã‚ §Optimal Distribution Policy ¡Ã‚ ¨ in which there is a balance between cash dividends (around 32 billions USD) and stock repurchase (around 30 billions USD). This may affect the decrease in stock price a little while after the announcement of dividend payout, however investors still hope for the rising price in the future. 1.3 The company reserves the great amount of cash liquidity As we can see from the article that Microsoft can pay around 32 billions USD for cash dividend, 30 billions USD for stocks repurchase and another 3 billions USD, for the goodness, to Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. Agree / Disagree with the decision, explain why? AGREE because: „I  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the company is reaching the maturity stage, dividend payout is another option instead of company growth only „I  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30 billion USD buy back will contribute to keep the stock value up and make investors happy

Formative and Summative Assessment Essay

Assessment is a term that includes all of the various methods used to determine the extent of an individual’s achievement. In teaching and learning situation, assessment refers to the methods used to determine achievement of learning outcomes. Similarly in professional contexts, assessment is concerned with the achievement of professional standards or competence.(Aranda & Yates,2009). Assessment also provides a number of major benefits including: †¢ Grading: assessment may be used to define achievement and to measure the students’ preparedness for professional challenges. †¢ Motivation: assessment may focus on real learning by creating an opportunity that carries with it the rewards of completion or grades. †¢ learning process: assessment activities can guide individuals to learn and relearn subject content efficiently. †¢ Feedback: assessment provides opportunities for individuals to monitor the quality of their performance and identify areas for improvement. PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT It is easy to become so immersed in the job of teaching that we lose sight the exact purpose of a assessment. There is then the possibility that we are overlooking another form of assessment which might be more appropriate. We actually assess students for quite a range of different reasons – motivation, creating learning opportunities, to give feedback (to both students and staff), to grade, and as a quality assurance mechanism (both for internal and external systems). Because all too often we do not disentangle these functions of assessment, without having really thought it through assessments are frequently trying to do all these things, to varying degrees.(Oxford Brookes University,2011). In fact it is arguable that while it is desirable for assessments meeting the first three of these functions to be conducted as often as possible, the final two do not need to be done anywhere near so frequently; it is simply important that they are done somewhere. The implications of this are that while an essay question, where all the answers are double marked and the marks count towards the students’ final grades, may fulfil all these functions, for all assessments to be this rigorous would be prohibitively expensive in staff time, while a peer-assessed seminar presentation, which does not count towards the students’ final grades but is simply a course requirement, could fulfil the first three functions and may not even require a tutor to be present. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Formative assessment is typically contrasted with summative assessment. The former supports teachers and students in decision-making during educational and learning processes, while the latter occurs at the end of a learning unit and determines if the content being taught was retained.(Wikipedia,2013). Formative assessment is not distinguished by the format of assessment, but by how the information is used. The same test may act as either formative or summative. However, some methods of assessment are better suited to one or the other purpose. CHARACTERISTICS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT During formative assessment, learning is the shared goal of both teacher and student and alterations to the teaching and learning process take place as needed to further the goal. This allows both the teacher and the student the opportunity for assessment and improvement as an ongoing process instead of an end product. Formative assessments are assessments for learning, rather than assessments of learning, according to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Focused Formative assessments are focused on the learning process as well as the learning progress. While other assessments may only focus on the end result, formative assessments check the students progress consistently so that adjustments can be made to reach learning goals. Ongoing A formative assessment is consistent and ongoing throughout the learning process. It differs from assessments that focus on the end result. Ongoing assessments give both teachers and students the chance to make adjustments to teaching and learning strategies so learning ultimately takes place. Immediate While other forms of assessment focus on the end result, formative assessments provide immediate feedback to both teachers and students due to ongoing assessment practices. The immediate feedback teachers and students experience can be used to motivate and further learning. LIMITATIONS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS Although offering many benefits, effective formative assessment can be difficult to achieve at scale. It may be logistically impossible to provide detailed descriptive feedback for each student in a large class. Even with a smaller number of students to deal with, formative assessment is time-consuming as it requires significant, ongoing dedication and effort from the teacher to sustain. This is especially true when combined with the summative assessments teachers are required to complete. The layered accountability chain in education — student to teacher, teacher to school, school to district, etc. — creates systemic pressure for student performance to be objectively and comparatively measurable at each level. Formative assessment, by definition, doesn’t easily provide that kind of accountability. This explains why, although the advantages of formative assessment have been repeatedly articulated since the distinction between it and summative assessment was first made in 1967, empirical studies continue to show that very few teachers consistently make use of it in actual practice. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Summative assessment measures attainment and allows for the recording of the learning progress. It usually takes the form of tests and examinations, though it is becoming increasingly common for summative assessment to include other tasks such as a project completed during the school year. This move away from assessments based on a single examination gives learners the opportunity to perform to the best of their ability. Not all learners perform well under examination pressure. Furthermore,examinations do not always lend themselves to eliciting the range of language structures and uses that have been the objective of teaching CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT The results of summative assessment allow us to determine the degree to which learners have attained specific learning objectives. Such a decision may have an important consequence on learners’ future prospects. It is therefore crucial that not only is the assessment valid, but that the results obtained are reliable. Validity relates to whether the assessment tasks assess what they intend to assess. Reliability, on the other hand, refers to the results obtained and whether these would be the same if the same learners took the assessment on another occasion provided that no further learning had taken place and regardless of who marked the assessment if more than one person was involved in the process. (Summative assessment,2005). Whether summative assessment is norm-or criterion-referenced will be determined by the purpose of the assessment. If we need to select the best candidates to, for example, continue with their education, then norm-referencing would be appropriate. However, if we are interested in whether candidates have mastered certain skills, then we would not get the required information through norm-referencing.(Meason) For example, when assessing airline pilots we are interested in whether they can fly a plane safely to a very high level of proficiency. Knowing which trainees were the best would not suffice since it is possible that no trainee of a given group would have reached the required standard to safely fly a plane LIMITATIONS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT Students can face anxiety in preparation for a test, an anxiety that grows as the perception of the test’s significance grows. Summative tests advise schools to commit to prolonged pretesting procedures and preparation classes, which can increase student anxiety.(Spiral). In addition, some students simply do not test well, and the result is a testing procedure that fails to adequately assess the real talents of individual students, while a formative assessment would allow a teacher to evaluate these conditions and better assess a student’s ability Summative assessments fan have an overall negative impact on student self-esteem, resulting from the perception of inferiority that standardized tests can give test-takers. Students who perform poorly on standardized tests were found to suffer from lower self-esteem in situations where these same students had not previously exhibited signs of self-esteem problems.(Boggiano,1992). Even students who perform average or well on standardized tests can suffer from the failure to meet their own higher expectations. The result can be a reduction in educational motivation.(Hammond). EXAMPLES OF FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT FROM TEACHING AND LEARNING PERSPECTIVE CONCLUSION In my view,both types of assessments are better,that is a balanced assessment.A balanced assessment system in one in which a variety of assessments are used for a variety of purposes and communications about results facilitates student involvement and ownership of learning.Formative assessment can be vital importance in helping the teacher and students determine the quality of learning that is taking place and can allow them to forecast the results of summative tests some time in advance of the summative testing.Such results can be used as the basis for altering the teaching learning situation early enough to change the immediate as well as alter the forecast. Learning is a process which can be observed and evaluated as it is taking place.Formative evaluation can be used to make the process more effective long before the summative evaluation.Recognition of the interaction among formative evaluation teaching and learning and summative evaluation can do much to improve teaching and lea rning before it is too late. REFERENCES Aranda S,Yates P.An Overview of assessment.Canberra: (EdCaN),Australia;(2009).Retrieved from: www.edcan.org/pdf/edCanOverview.pdf Boggiano A,Pittman T. Achievement and Motivation: A Social-Developmental Perspective.(Eds).(1992).Cambridge Press.New York. Hammond,K.eHow.Education.Summative assessment weaknesses.Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8568251_summative-assessment-weaknesses.html Meason C.eHow.Education.Characteristics of Formative assessment.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6732311_characteristics-formative-assessment.html Oxford Brookes University.(2011).Purpose of Assessment.Retrieved from: www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/resources/assessment/purposes.htm Spira M.eHow.Education.Disadvantages of Formative Assessment.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8502289_advantages-disadvantages-formative-assessment.html Stiggins,R.,Arter,J.,Chappuis,S.(2008).Classroom assessment for student learning.Educational Testing Service.Retrieved from: http://www.bcsd.org/district.cfm?subpage=55380 ‎Summative assessment.(2005).Retrieved from http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/eng/tba_eng_sec/web/3_1w.htm Spira M.eHow.Education.Disadvantages of Formative Assessment.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8502289_advantages-disadvantages-formative-assessmen

Hawthorne Studies: Impact on Modern Management Essay

The Hawthorne Studies is one of the most frequently debated phenomenons in modern work management. Evolved in the 1930’s this represents a progression from pure scientific management determined by Taylor to introduction and influence of behavioral sciences in the management of work, workers and work places. Given the long time that the theory has been in vogue and the intense research in management sciences, Hawthorne effect has provided varying interpretations briefly summarized in three main streams of thought. One group of researchers considers that the Hawthorne effect has an impact on productivity due to the effect on people’s behavior when they know they are a part of an experiment. (Champoux, 2003) (Nelson & Quick, 2003). Some others deem this to be the changes brought about due to special attention to behavior at the work place. (Jewell, 1998) (Newstrom & Davis, 2002). While yet another interpretation is that it is an effect caused by a novel change in the work environment.  (Jex, 2002) (Schultz & Schultz, 2000). These however appear to be limited explanations of the Hawthorne effect. The most significant impact of the experiments is in establishing correlation between human psychology, behavioral sciences and scientific management. (Franke & Kaul, 1978). This integration has resulted in overcoming the overly simplistic principles of scientific management by Taylor (1911). In as much as modern management is concerned the Hawthorne experiments established principles for organizing small group processes which remain relevant to this day. (Franke & Kaul, 1978). Thus the impact of these experiments have to be examined in relation to linkages established between worker productivity and social groups at work, attention to individuals and groups and finally creation of a conducive work environment within the group. These three key parameters can be applied effectively in modern management practices in concurrent spheres which results in improvement in work output once workers feel that management is interested in their welfare and devotes attention to them, increased productivity through a sense of responsibility and discipline which comes from within a group rather than from higher authority, and finally production enhancements resulting from an ideal social environment for the work group. (Mayo, 1933). Welfare of the worker through greater involvement of management is an important derivative of the Hawthorne Experiments which has applicability in modern management. The focus of the Hawthorne studies in worker welfare was determined by factors such as providing adequate breaks for rest, manipulating work hours and creating ideal environment for productivity through control of humidity and temperature. (Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939). The implied meaning of such measures was that the management was concerned about and interested in the welfare of the worker. The workers were not as much concerned of the issue of genuineness of interest or productivity related needs of the management in their welfare. In the modern management context however large scale mobility of the work force is related to two spheres, availability of greater opportunities and a perceived sense of selfish rather than proportionately altruistic interest of the management in welfare of the work force. Where workers feel that the management is interested in their welfare only as a measure of productivity, it may not have a singular impact. Creating intrinsic sense of responsibility within a group is one of the prime motivators at work which can result in increased productivity. The Hawthorne experiment proved this dictum by manipulating experiments in various ways and also by creating a sense of permanency in the work groups. The groups seem to select themselves and enhance their commitment and productivity. (Mayo, 1933). In modern management creating sense of responsibility may be considered a function of effective group formation as well. This will result in a sense of purpose creating accountability of individuals to the group. Ironically the John Henry effect, frequently considered as the opposite of the Hawthorne effect supports this premise. Here a control group which is devoid of interventions enhances its efficiency by benchmarking performance based on the experimental group. (Zdep & Irvine; 1970) Thus implying that creation of group cohesion and a sense of responsibility towards productivity may lead to incremental improvements independent of interventions per se. However mere creation of a group may not sustain productivity, this will have to be supported by a conducive community atmosphere within the group. Social environment of the work group surely has an impact on worker productivity. (Mayo, 1933) (Gillespie, 1991). While work place manipulation has become a norm for greater productivity in modern production houses, it is the management of groups which is critical to the same rather than provision of physical improvement of work place beyond a certain limit. Social environment of the work group has impact at two stages in the modern work place. One is the repetitive nature of work performed by groups similar to those in Hawthorne studies. The other more complex form is work frequently carried out in a series, where an error in the chain could compound or negate the entire process. Thus the need may be to build much deeper social networking amongst groups to support not just productivity but also creativity and emotional bondage. Some of the areas which could be envisaged in this sphere are software development where relay chain nature of work would imply need for positive social environment within the work group for completion of the task with minimum errors. A critical examination of the study would reveal that most examinations have focused on the nuances of conduct of experiments rather than the overall impact of these trials. While Elton Mayo had good reason to deliberate on the experiments as this was the first time such scientifically controlled experiments were being undertaken linking behavioral sciences with industrial management, there is a tendency in subsequent works to focus more on the experiments per se rather than findings of the research derived from manipulating the processes of work. Thus critics are restricted to the integrity of the process of experiments thereby missing the essence of the argument of Hawthorne Experiments. This anomaly would be evident in the argument of novelty at the work place. (Jex, 2002) (Schultz & Schultz, 2000). The case of innovation is seen by some writers as incongruent with the conclusions as it was considered difficult to maintain novelty over a period of two years. Yet recycling newness could create conditions in the experiment which to the workers could bring about change thereby resulting in productivity improvements brought about by transformations in small work groups. A second critique of the Hawthorne experiments involves political interpretation of exploitation of workers by capitalists. (Rice, Nd). The argument that the management was interested in workers welfare has been interpreted in a way that it was not interest in the employee per se that had involved the management but the need to increase productivity. This may have relevance when attempting to understand the phenomenon of industrial polity in the modern workplace; but will not be relevant to the issue of application of the conclusions as given above in improving worker productivity. However given the extensive interpretation of the Hawthorne experiments over the years, it can be assumed at this stage that the political bias if any has been removed through the rigor of analysis by a vast body of researchers. One final critique of the Hawthorne studies in relation to modern management would be the underlying lack of importance to the group leader which is implicit in the experiments. The small group was allowed to manage through processes which do not seem to have entailed evolution of a group leader. This appears highly unusual given the natural proclivity of a primate to emerge in a group of people. In a modern setting of say software development, given the serial nature of work and equity in capability, yet importance of nominating a group leader for work group coordination has been highlighted. Nonetheless despite these and other infirmities, Hawthorne studies will continue to remain significant in modern management for the linkage provided for the first time between scientific managing, behavioral sciences and development of potential through principles of human resources.