Strategic Thinking And Change Management The WritePass Journal

Strategic Thinking And Change Management Abstract Strategic Thinking And Change Management ). Threat of substitutes With intense competition in the Market, there is a potential threat of substitute products. In fact, as Netflix and Blockbuster battle it out, others are gaining ground in substitute offerings as seen with Video-on-demand which has grown at double digit rates in the past two years. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers are likely to have less purchase power especially given the acquisition of Movielink. If this acquisition leads to more online downloads, the company will have little need for plastic cases and DVDs and as such, the bargaining power of suppliers is likely to reduce (Janjua 2012). Intensity of competitive rivalry The rivalry in the market is definitely high. Already, Blockbuster has lost many of its customers to Netflix. The company must reinvent and implement strategies that would sway back customers. How Blockbuster can realign itself to the needs of the external environment The corporate strategy would require the company to capitalize on innovative emergent technologies to provide it with strategic breakthroughs in the competitive business environment, while not losing sight of its in-store operations (Fryman 2010). As such, a click and brick strategy would be more suitable for the company. Blockbuster must realigns its business processes with IT and use it in their favour. In realigning their business processes with IT, the company must access the strategic alignment model in terms of purpose, initiatives, project leadership, infrastructure and goals that will create a paradigm shift (Carr 2010). The realignment process must enable the company to embrace online opportunities which Netflix and Redbox have already perfected. Realigning business process with IT (Kalakota 2011) Whilst Blockbuster seems to have already embedded IT into their core business model as seen with the total access program which enhances online customers experience, this has not helped much as the company has lost most of its customers to online retailers such as Netflix and Lovefilm .The failure by the company to quickly adapt to the changing business environment and consumer habits is suggested to have been the main problem. The company took long to transform its business model and when it did, the competitive landscape had already been fundamentally altered and the tradition model destroyed by the new platform model (Carr 2010). The company needs to conduct a massive marketing campaign which should focus on growing their online rental subscriber base. The company could also form an alliance with cell phone companies and arranging with these companies to allow customers to stream movies on their cell phones.   This would be a great idea considering that people have their cell phones all the time. With larger cell phone screens, customers would be able to stream movies from anywhere including in the subways, bus stations and even at workplaces. Viewing could be per subscription or pay-per-view (Clark et al. 2013). Another strategic move would be to partner with airline companies in order to implement a blue box program at airports such as the Redboxes at McDonalds (Jordan 2011). The blue box program would enable travelers to pick up a movie at one airport and to return it to another airport or blockbuster store. Further, the company should focus on strengthening customer relationship management by implementing a business strategy that maintains relevant value across all its customer groupings and introducing new customer proposition initiatives that would provide them with an edge over their competitors (Afuah 2009). Additionally, Blockbuster needs to implement an ERP system that will enable it to track their inventories. The system can be implemented incrementally from one region to another. This will reduce the time and duplications that the company currently has, thereby increasing efficiency. Currently, for customers to check out their movies from different blockbusters, they are required to register with each store individually.   Given that the ERP system integrates data and allows for sharing of information across multiple departments, this may benefit the company through quicker processing of orders and faster shipments. . Whilst recognizing the need to realign business process with IT, the company should not to lose sight of its in-store operations. Customers of today have become savvier and are increasingly taking charge of their own shopping experience (Deloitte 2011). Retail stores must equally evolve to become part of the complex relationship between the retailer and customer by providing new ways of experiencing breadth and depth of range (Deloitte 2011). In-store theatre and a touch and feel experience around the product item should be able to sway more consumers back to shopping in high streets. Provision of personalized services and guided shopping experience should equally encourage more consumers to go back for rental services from the stores. Critique of contemporary strategic management research and practice But while strategic thinking and change management has a greater role to play in resuscitating high street retail stores, such practices are not always successful. For example, while the ERP system may increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management decisions, failure of such systems may adversely impact on the organization resulting in cost overruns and supply chain problems (Morgan Smith 2002). Moreover, a strategy formulation that positions a firm in a niche may narrow the firm’s perspective (Mintzberg et al., 1995). That is, such a strategy may overlook opportunity if they are only concentrating on a certain group of market. Another criticism is that strategic planning systems are designed as top-down planning systems and as such strategic decisions are only relegated to top management (Morgan Smith 2002). This implies that the planning systems serve to fulfill only the goals and interests of the top management and not that of the organization. Strategic management is based on rational decision making. But because most of the time we have incomplete information, fully rational decisions may not be possible and change process may result in adverse effects (Jofre 2011). Hence whilst change management may be intended at increasing the firms adaptability, structures developed to promote rationality may have opposite effect (Jofre 2011). Nonetheless, it is clear that high street retailers need to realign their business processes to meet demands of the changing business environment. Conclusion There is no doubt that the past few years have seen a crisis as major high street chains such as Blockbusters, Jessops, JJB sport, and Comet among many others go into administration. The collapse of well-known retailers into receivership is a clear indication of a declining fortune of Britains high streets. All these retailers which have gone into administration do share certain commonalities. They all tend to have a significant number of stores and have all had difficulty adapting to the changing business environment and retail habits. For these retailers to continue to thrive in the industry, they must reinvent and realign themselves to the needs of the external environment. For example, Blockbuster needs to realign its business processes with IT and use it in their favour. The company should adopt a click and brick strategy. That is, the company must embrace online opportunities without losing sight of its in-store operations. The company could also form alliances with cell phone companies to allow customers to stream movies on their cell phones. The company may as well partner with airlines and implement a blue box programs at the airports such as the Redboxes at McDonald. The company may also implement ERP systems to increase their efficiency and effectiveness of management decisions. Its retail stores must also evolve and should be able to provide customers with new ways of experiencing breadth and depth. In-store theatre and a touch and feel experience around the product item should be able to sway more consumers back to shopping in high streets. Provision of personalized services and guided shopping experience should equally encourage more consumers to go back for rental services from the stores. Reference Afuah, A., 2009. Strategic innovation: new game strategies for competitive advantage. University of Michigan. NewYork: Routledge publishers Anon 2013. A strategy life-cycle: Blockbuster. [Viewed on 22nd May 2013] available from http://strategydynamics.com/info/blockbusters-strategy.aspx Anon, 2013. The death of the high street or the birth of a new kind of retailer? [Viewed on 19th May 2013] available from enterprisenation.com/blog/the-death-of-the-high-street-or-the-birth-of-a-new-kind-of-retailer/ Janjua, A., 2012. Make it a blockbuster night. Blockbuster Carr, A., 2010. Blockbuster CEO, Jim Keyes, on competition from Apple, Netflix, Nintendo,  and Redbox. [Viewed on 19th May 2013] available from fastcompany.com/1656502/an-interview-with-blockbuster-ceo-jim-keyes-part-ii Clark, M., McKelvey, L., Robinson, B., Sampson-Rasberry, S., 2013. Blockbuster analysis. [Viewed on 20th May 2013] available from http://laurenmckelvey.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/blockbuster-analysis/ Deloitte, 2011. The changing face of retail. The store of the future: the new role of the store in a multichannel environment. Deloitte LLP. Ferrell, O.C. and Hartline, M., 2007. Marketing strategy. 4th edition. Cengage   Learning publishers Fryman, 2010. Transitioning business models: Are there any  businesses that successfully transitioned from brick-and-mortar to completely online? [Viewed on 19th May 2013] available from http://ask.metafilter.com/167587/Transitioning-business-models Hawkes, S., 2011. Jane Norman is high street fashion victim. The Sun. [viewed on 18th May 2013] available from thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/money/3663189/Fashion-chain-Jane-Norman-becomes-the-latest-high-street-casualty.html Jofre, S., 2011. Strategic management: the theory and practice of strategy in (business) organizations. University of Denmark Jordan, A., 2011. The Effects of Netflix and Blockbuster Strategies on Firm Value. Claremont McKenna College Kalakota, R., 2011. ‘Brick, Click and Mobile: multi-channel strategies for satisfying your customers’. In: Mbusiness: the race to mobility. [viewedd on 20th May 2013] available from www.ebstrategy.com Konsynski, B.R., 1993. ‘Strategic control in the extended enterprise’. IBM Systems Journal, vol.32 (1), pp. 111-142 Miller, Y., 2010. Blockbuster analysis. [Viewed on 19th May 2013] available from keeparticles.com/blockbuster-analysis_a13497.htm Minton, A., Skelton, D., Sennett, R., Umunna, C. and Jones, E., 2013. How can we save the street? The Guardian. [viewed on 18th May 2013] available from guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/15/how-can-we-save-high-street Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J.B. and Ghoshal, S. 1995. The Strategy Process (European Edition), London : Prenctice-Hall. Morgan, N. and Smith, E., 2002. Contemporary issues in strategic management. Kagiso publishers Pettigrew, A.M., Homas, H. and Whittington, R., 2001. Handbook of strategy and management. Sage publications Porter, M. 1979. ‘How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy’, Harvard Business Review, vol.57 (2): 37-145. Shrivastava, P., 1986. ‘Is strategic management ideological?’ Journal of Management, vol.12 (3), 367-377 Todnem, R., 2005. ‘Organizational change management: a critical review’. Journal of Change Management, vol.5 (4), 369-380 Watkis, N., 2013. What can marketers learn from the surge of high street store closures? [Viewed on the 19th May 2013] available from mycustomer.com/topic/marketing/what-can-marketers-learn-high-street-store-closures/161721

Sassy, Funny, Girly Quotes for Women With Attitude

Sassy, Funny, Girly Quotes for Women With Attitude As Cyndi Lauper sang, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. When a bunch of girls get together for a girls night out, you can imagine how raucous they can get. These girly quotes focus on appreciating the good things in life - with a big dash of fun. Enjoy being a sassy girl and entertaining your friends with these quotes from activists, entertainers, writers, and poets. Katharine Hepburn If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. Beyonce I embrace mistakes, they make you who you are. Dolly Parton   Im not offended by all the  dumb blonde  jokes because I know Im not dumb...and I also know that Im not blonde. Kesha Just because Im sassy and have a mouth on me doesnt mean Im coming from a negative place. Coco Chanel A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous. The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. Alyssa  Edwards Dont get bitter, just get better. Kayci Diane I love the person Ive become because I fought to become her. Drew Barrymore Lets get down and dirty. Lets be a real girl. Tallulah Bankhead Its the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time. Gloria Steinem The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. Proverb The whisper of a pretty girl can be heard further than the roar of a lion. Katy Perry Too many girls rush into relationships because of the fear of being single, then start making compromises, and losing their identity. Dont do that. Marilyn Monroe A woman knows by intuition, or instinct, what is best for herself. Jeanine Pirro Youre a beautiful girl, and you can do anything you want in life. Erma Bombeck If you cant make it better, you can laugh at it. Albert Einstein Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. Elizabeth Taylor Big girls need big diamonds. Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together. Colette What a wonderful life Ive had. I only wish Id realized it sooner. Taylor Swift If you have something about yourself thats different, youre lucky. Its not a curse. Maya Angelou I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Lifes a bitch. Youve got to go out and kick ass. Mae West Too many girls follow the line of least resistance, but a good line is hard to resist. Im single because I was born that way. Maryon Pearson Behind every great man, there is a surprised woman. RuPaul If you cant love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else? Eleanor Roosevelt No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

Response and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Response and Analysis - Essay Example â€Å"Somewhere his family is weeping for him. His friends call for my blood. Maybe he had a girlfriend who really believed he would come back† (Collins 240). However, at the beginning of the game she thought that he is a enemy for her, that she will have to kill him to live. And after the claim that both of tributes can win the game, pace of the book suddenly speeded up. And the fight against the powerful tributes began. We can consider Catone as a negative character to be one of the tributes, despite the fact ,that he had the alliance with other experienced in killing tributes, he also didn’t have understanding of respect to the groupmates. He was cold-blooded killer and he left the Glimmer dying from the bites of insects. He didn’t want to help her, probably because she will fight with him when all other tribute will die. â€Å"Glimmer and another girl, the one from District 4, are not so lucky. They receive multiple stings before they’re even out of my view. Glimmer appears to go complete-190 ly mad, shrieking and trying to bat the wasps off with her bow, which is pointless. She calls to the others for help but, of course, no one returns.† Moreover, he was very sadistic and cruel for other tributes, even helpless and weak. He had no mercy towards the people who were less experienced. And after betrayal of Peeta, Cato has hate to everybody. â€Å"What are you still doing here?† he hisses at me. I stare uncomprehendingly as a trickle of water drips off a sting under his ear. His whole body starts sparkling as if he’s been dipped in dew. â€Å"Are you mad?† He’s prodding me with the shaft of the spear now. â€Å"Get up! Get up!† I rise, but he’s still pushing at me. What? What is going on? He shoves me away from him hard. â€Å"Run!† he screams.

Strategic management case on Penn National Gaming Study

Strategic management on Penn National Gaming - Case Study Example The report will be primarily divided into three sections. The first section will be presenting a brief overview of the company. Apart from that, this section will also shed light on the history, competitors, mission and vision statement of the company. The second section will discuss and analyze the current strategies of the company. In addition, the financial data will also be covered. The last section will emphasize on the findings from all the strategic and financial analyses. Finally few recommendations will be provided to improve the efficiency of the company. Penn National Gaming: History Penn National Gaming is a gaming operator, which is currently headquartered at Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, United States. The root of the company dates back to the early 1970s when the company opened its first venture ‘Penn National Race Course’ in the year 1972 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ... Penn National Gaming (PNG) with its subsidiaries also operates in the field of racing and gaming industry. Company Overview: Penn National Gaming PNG or Penn National Gaming is a multi jurisdictional, diversified and manager and owner of pari-mutuel properties and gaming. According to the recent report, the company operates with around 29 facilities throughout 19 jurisdictions. The list includes Mississippi, Texas, West Virginia, Florida, Maine, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Mexico, Indiana, Maryland, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, and Ontario. Apart from that, Penn National Gaming also manages a casino in Canada. The total operated facilities of the company nearly accounts to 850 table games, 36,800 gaming machines, 2,900 hotel rooms and a gaming floor space of 1.6 million square feet. The company presently operates with around 17,000 employees. As of 2011 the net revenue of the company was US $ 2, 742.25 million. The major products and services of the company include Casino gaming, Off-track wagering facilities, Horse racing and Slot machines (Plunkett, 2009). Some of the company owned properties include Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Off-track Wagering Facilities, Argosy Casino Riverside, Hollywood Casino Joliet, Argosy Casino Alton, Account Wagering/Internet Wagering, Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge, Pimlico Race Course, Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis, Hollywood Casino Tunica, Sioux City, Argosy Casino, Boomtown Biloxi, Black Gold Casino at Zia Park,

Morphology Is a Valid Strategy for High School Students Essay Example for Free

Morphology Is a Valid Strategy for High School Students Essay Theoretical Explanation Many researchers have proposed that teaching students word roots unlocks the meanings of unknown words. The majority of words in the English language have origins from Greek and Latin. Ninety percent of English words over one syllable are Latin based, and the remaining 10 percent are Greek based (Rasinski, Padak, Newton, Newton, (2008, p. 11). Just as phonics teaches word families, Greek and Latin roots will help students sound out words and determine the meanings of words (Padak, Newton, Rasinski, and Newton (2008, p. 29). Nagy Anderson, 1984, found morphology played an important role in learning vocabulary by allowing students to make semantic connections between related word families. They concluded, â€Å"The ability to utilize morphological relatedness among words puts a student at a distinct advantage in dealing with unfamiliar words† (p.323). While research supports the teaching of word roots, no formalized instruction in roots exists at my high school. Purpose of my study: Students need vocabulary deciphering strategies in high school. Morphology is a valid strategy for high school students to improve vocabulary. Studies also show an increase in reading comprehension and spelling. Third through sixth grade students performed better on reading and spelling with morphophonemic training than with just training in phonics (Henry 1988, 1989, 1993). In the study, â€Å"Contributions of Morphology Beyond Phonology to Literacy Outcomes of Upper Elementary and Middle-School Students,† Nagy, Abbott, and  Berninger (2006) found â€Å"Results showed that when the shared variance among morphological awareness, phonological working memory, and phonological decoding are controlled statistically, morphological awareness contributes at all grade levels to reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, and spelling† (p. 143). Corson, a British sociologist, even suggests that it is differences in language ability, more than any other observable factor, that affects childrens potential for success in school. He makes the point that learning the Latin and Greek word roots allows children to begin learning the specialist words in contrast to the Anglo-Saxon performance vocabulary. He suggests that some social groups do not learn these special words in their natural environment. (1985, p.28). The purpose of this study is to develop student morphemic awareness and increase their knowledge of the meanings of word roots including prefixes and suffixes. New avenues of learning roots will be explored. The goal is to improve students’ potential to decipher the meaning of new vocabulary. Learning Targets First, students will be able to divide multi syllable words into word parts or morphemes. On Ellen Gagnà ©s level of complexity in human skills, using Discrimination students can identify and separate roots, prefixes, or suffixes in a word. Next, students will learn the meanings of common prefixes, suffixes and roots. Ellen Gagnà © would label Greek and Latin roots Defined Concepts. I hope to show students will be able to determine a word’s meaning based on their knowledge of the words parts. Ellen Gagnà © would label this Higher Order Rules. Students will need to apply their previously learned definitions, to form a new definition of a new word. Area of Focus Roots to be studied will be pulled from various resources including: Stauffer, 1942, identified the fifteen most common prefixes from the 10,000 words in the Thorndike Word Book: ab (from) ,ad (to),be (by),com (with),de (from),en (in),ex (out),in (into), in (not),pre (before), pro (in front of), re (back), sub (under), un (not) (pg. 455). â€Å"Brown (1947) noted that 80% of the English words borrowed from other languages come to us from Latin and Greek and make up approximately 60% of our language. He analyzed Latin and Greek word roots and concluded that 12 Latin and 2 Greek roots, along with 20 of the most frequently used prefixes would generate an estimated 100,000 words (see Table 1)(Henry, 1993).Browns fourteen roots: 1.tent, ten, tin, tain 2.mit,miss, mitt 3.cap,capt, cip,cept , 4. 14. scribe,script 5. sat, stat, sist 6. graph,gram 7. log,logy 8.spect 9. plic,pled, 10.ply11. tens,tend, tent 12.duc,duct 13. pos,pon 14. face,tic, fact Padak, Newton, Rasinski, and Newton (2008) identified a series of level 1, level 2, and level 3 roots for primary, intermediate and middle school students (pgs. 12-15). Their lists includes prefixes, suffixes, and bases (roots) from both Latin and Greek. The Least You Should Know about Vocabulary Building by Glazier, Friend, Knight.  Greek Latin Roots:Keys to Building Vocabulary by Rasinski, Padak, Newton Newton. Past Problems Achieving Learning Targets My school does not teach Latin. Also, vocabulary building is not built into the English standards. Students without previous exposure to word roots, suffixes, and prefixes will not get additional exposure at our high school. The school I teach at draws students from 27 different towns throughout northwestern Connecticut. Students do not come with a consistent core of learned roots. Significance Students need to increase their vocabulary to be able to read and comprehend complex texts. Students that can use context clues and knowledge of word origins to decipher a new words meaning. Students need to interpret vocabulary for standardized tests, when reading their textbooks, and other daily reading. If†¦it is ones goal top promote generalized vocabulary acquisition by equipping readers with strategies that will enhance their independent vocabulary learning, then instruction in morphemic and contextual analysis becomes the preferred approach (Baumann et al. 452). â€Å"The language of school, especially in the upper grades, is often driven by content area texts. Most of the speciality words in math, science, and social studies come from Latin and Greek origin† (Henry, 1993). Research Question I am interested to know if students can increase their ability to define unknown words if they have knowledge of dividing words into morphemes and have learned prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Learning Plan Ideas wiki/notebook flash cards/virtual flashcards/app for I touch/I Pad/I Phone i touch applications Resources Baumann, James F. , Edwards, Elizabeth Carr, Font, George, Tereshinski, Cathleen A. , Kameenui, Edward J., Olejnik, Stephen. (2002). Teaching morphemic and contextual analysis to fifth-grade students. Reading Research Quarterly. 2, 150-176. Baumann, James F., Boland, Eileen M., Edwards, Elizabeth Carr, Olejnik, Stephen, Kameenui, Edward J. (2003). Vocabulary tricks: Effects of instruction in morphology and context on fifth-grade students’ability to derive and infer word meanings. American Educational Research Journal. 40, 447-494. Bromley, Karen. (2007). Nine things every teacher should know about words and vocabulary instruction. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy. 7, 528-537. Brunner, Brett L. (2006). Word Empire:A Utilitarian Approach to Word Power Brett L. Brunner, M.A. Star Nemeton Educational Innovations, LLC Bryant, Peter, Hurry, Jane, Nunes, Terezinha, Pretzlik, Ursula (2006). Improving literacy by teaching morphemes. New York, NY: Routledge Carlisle, Joanne F, Stone, Addison C. (2005). Exploring the role of morphemes in word reading. Reading Research Quarterly. 4, 428-449. Fresch, Mary Jo (2007). Word study: Ways to captivate reluctant learners. Adolescent Literacy in Perspective. March, 8-11. Glazier, Teresa Ferster, Knight, Laura, Friend, Carol. (2004). The least you should know about vocabulary building: Word roots. Wadsworth Publishing Green, Tamara M (2008). Greek Latin roots of English. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Haag, E Stern (2003). In search of the benefits of learning Latin. Journal of Educational Psychology 95, 174-178. Henry, Marcia. (1993). Morphological structure: Latin and Greek roots and affixes as upper grade code strategies. Reading and Writing. 2, 227-241. Holmes, Thomas C., Keffer, Ronald L (1995). A computerized method to teach Latin and Greek root words: Effect on verbal SAT Scores. The Journal of Educational Research. 1, 47-50. Langer, Judith A. (2001). Beating the Odds: Teaching Middle and High School Students to Read and Write Well. American Educational Research Journal 40, 447-494. Menn, Lise, Peters, Ann M, (1993). False starts and filler syllables: Ways to learn grammatical morphemes. Language. 4, 742-777. Nagy, William E., Anderson, Richard C. (1984). How many words are there in printed school English? Reading Research Quarterly. 19, 303-330. Nagy, William, Abbott, Robert D., Berninger, Virginia W. (2006). Contributions of morphology beyond phonology to literacy outcomes of upper elementary and middle-school students. Journal of Educational Psychology 98, 134-147. Newton, Rick M., Newton, Evangeline (2005). A little Latina lot of English. Adolescent Literacy in Perspective. June, 2-7. Otterman, Lois. (1955). The value of teaching prefixes and word-roots. The Journal of Educational Research, 8, 611-616. Padak, Nancy, Newton, Rick M., Newton, Evaneline, Bromley, Karen (2008). Greek and Latin roots: Keys to building vocabulary. HuntingtonBeach, CA: Shell Education. Padak, Nancy, Newton, Evangeline Rasinski, Timothy, Newton, Rick M. (2008). Getting to the root of word study: teaching latin and greek word roots in elementary and middle grades. In Farstrup, Alan E., Samuels, S. Jay, What research has to say about vocabulary instruction (6-31). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Scanlan, Richard, T. (1976). A computer-assisted-instruction course in vocabulary building through Latin and Greek roots. Foreign Language Annals. 6, 579-583. Stauffer, Russell G. (1942). A Study of prefixes in the Thorndike List to establish a list of prefixes that should be taught in the elementary school. The Journal of Educational Research. 6, 453-458.

Perceptual Errors Essays -- Essays Papers

Perceptual Errors Perceptual Organization (1) ï‚ § Similarity is described as the tendency to group similar items. Similarity is much like stereotyping. Stereotyping is when someone judges another person on the perception of the group to which that person belongs. ï‚ § Proximity is described as the tendency to group elements that are close together. Implicit theories allow the presence of one characteristic to bring up a list of other characteristics that one would â€Å"think† goes with it. Implicit theories group elements that close together. ï‚ § Closure is the tendency to fill in the gaps in incomplete stimuli. A perception of people that apply to closure would be the Halo Effect. The halo effect allows one salient characteristic to overshadow ones evaluation of another in multiple arenas. In other words a person will â€Å"fill in the gaps† of another person. ï‚ § Continuation is the tendency to organize stimuli into continuous lines or patterns. Selective Perception is much like continuation. Selective perception is the continuing to justify ones own values, beliefs, etc. ï‚ § Simplicity is the tendency to reduce stimuli to their simplest shapes or patterns. The Actor-Observer Bias is a good example of simplicity. The observer in the actor-observer bias only sees the actual behavior of the actor. The observer only can assume things from the behavior and not the internal factors contributing to the actor’s behavior. Perc...

Research Essay: Elements of Classic Conditioning Essay

In the Little Albert experiment of Conditioned Emotional Reactions, baby Albert was exposed to various stimuli which were paired with a loud banging noise on a bar. A rat was put next to Albert and when he would reach for the rat, they would bang that bar to get baby Albert to display fear by crying. Albert was conditioned to the point that by simply showing him the rat he would cry and want to crawl away. He knew that along with the rat, came the loud clanging noise, therefore he felt that by avoiding the rat, he would also be able to avoid the noise. â€Å"In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (US) is one that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response† (Cherry). In this study, the unconditioned stimulus (US) is the noise of the banging bar. The conditioned stimulus (CS) is the rat and the conditioned response (CR) is that of baby Albert crying and crawling away from the rat. The conditioned stimulus is a stimulus that was once neutral, but becomes linked with the unconditioned stimulus, and eventually elicits a certain response (Cherry). Little Albert was also exposed to various other stimuli, like masks, a rabbit, a dog, a fur coat, cotton and wool. In all of these incidences, Little Albert reacted negatively. He was so accustomed to the rat producing the loud bang of the bar, that he started to exhibit generalization when all of these other items were introduced. Generalization occurs when a similar stimulus is introduced yielding the same conditioned response. (Feist & Rosenberg, 2012 p. 310). There was markedly little difference in his reaction to these other stimuli in comparison to the reaction with the rat. In this research study the conditioning did not last over time due to extinction. Little Albert was exposed repeatedly to the identical stimuli and therefore the aversion to the rat and banging bar decreased. The rat no longer yielded the same results it once did. Although he still shied away from it, he no longer exhibited the fearful crying that was once present. The conditioned responses persisted, although with a loss in the severity of the response (Watson & Rayner, 1920). In my opinion, this experiment is highly unethical. First, I have to wonder what the effects of this experiment had on Little Albert later on in his life. The article stated that right up until the day he left the hospital, the experiment continued. There was no evidence of follow up or desensitization with this young infant. The other area of concern for me is that this experiment was conducted with a loud banging noise in propinquity to Little Albert’s ear. Exposure to loud noises especially noises in close proximity to the ear, can cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss (Bredenkamp & Gnaupp). There was no indication that this was even considered. These are only a few of the unethical conditions under which this experiment was conducted. This experiment cannot be conducted today because Little Albert’s well being was not protected, and in my opinion this experiment could have been quite detrimental to his overall health. ? References Bredenkamp, J. K. , & Gnaupp, F. B. (n. d. ). Noise induced hearing loss and its prevention. Retrieved October 18, 2013. from http://www. medicinenet. com/noise_induced_hearing_loss_and_its_prevention/page4. htm Cherry, K. (n. d. ). Conditioned Stimulus – About. com Psychology. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://psychology. about. com/od/cindex/g/condstim. htm Cherry, K. (n. d. ). What Is an Unconditioned Stimulus? Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://psychology. about. com/od/uindex/g/unconditioned. htm Feist, G. J. , & Rosenberg, E. L. (2012). Learning. In Psychology: Perspectives & connections (p. 310). Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf. southuniversity. edu/#/books/0077736494/pages/66379448 Watson, J. B. , & Rayner, R. (1920). Conditioned emotional reactions. Journal of Experimental Pscyhology, 2, pp. 1-14.

Hamlet Questions Essay

On the discussion board post your answer to the questions: â€Å"What is Hamlet ‘about’?† and â€Å"What are its enduring themes and messages?†. Your response does not have to be governed by the Values and Worldviews (Dialectic) approach taken through this unit. Substantiate your own ideas with evidence from the play. Don’t research. Build on or refute with reason the responses of two others. What is Hamlet about? With knowledge of the book from previous research and actually reading the play itself in my opinion, the play â€Å"Hamlet† is about a troubled man going through very difficult time in his life after his father is murdered by his uncle which is now married to his mother (which would have been his sister in law). Hamlet throughout the play seeks revenge on Claudius for the murder of Hamlet’s father. What are its enduring themes and messages? The main theme for Hamlet in my opinion is revenge and madness. Hamlet seeks revenge on Claudius for the murder of his father, which is Hamlet’s mother’s recently new husband and has not known about the murder of her late husband. Madness is another common theme in the play because Hamlet for some scenes pretends to act mad towards his companions (Act Two, Scene One) or when he is actually angry but talks to himself about his plan to seek revenge (Act Four, Scene Four). The message I got from the play is that family is truly important in life, Hamlet had a close father-son relationship so when he lost his father it was very traumatic for him. It is always very hard when  you lose a loved one in your life but to find out that he was murdered by your uncle? I am not surprised for how Hamlet reacted to everything that happened in his life. That is a lot for one person to handle.

Power and Authority. essays

Power and Authority. essays A simple definition of power could be the ability both to demand that people do something, and to say how a thing should be done or organised. Authority, however, is where power is granted by consent; and when an individual or committee is said to have authority, the reason that justifies this authority is known as legitimacy. In general, the government has authority because it has legitimacy through: tradition, as Parliament has existed for hundreds of years; charisma, as many people may follow present PM Tony Blair through the strength and attraction of his personality; and democratically through the people, as they vote in elections for the MP or party they wish to form the government. An example of an organisation that has power but not necessarily authority would be the Mafia, which exercise their power by sometimes using violence and force, or money, status, education or sex. In Liberal Democracies such as the UK, power is split into three types: legislative power, which is the power to make laws; executive power, which is the power to implement laws; and judicial power, which is the power to interpret laws. The two concepts of power and authority can be understood in different ways, for example Steven Luke's three faces of power or Max Weber's three types of authority. The nature, sources, and limitations of political authority and power have been much debated questions since the time of the ancient Greeks. These two sociologist's theories discuss the concepts of power and authority in three stages; Weber distinguished three main modes of claiming legitimacy, and Lukes derived a definition of power in three stages. Max Weber, whose study took place in the 19th century, decided that authority was split into three types: charismatic authority, traditional authority, and rational - legal authority. The first type, charismatic authority rests on the appeal of leaders who claim allegiance because of their extraordinary virtuosit...

10 Ways to Speak and Understand Rapid-Fire Italian

10 Ways to Speak and Understand Rapid-Fire Italian It is no secret that Italians speak fast. This is true with both their words and their gestures, so as someone who is learning Italian, how can you keep up with their rapid-fire speech? Here are 10 pieces of advice that have helped me speed up my spoken Italian and understand fast speech. Watch Italian TV The amount of Italian programming that is available to watch online is staggering. YouTube alone offers thousands of episodes of popular shows in Italy if you know what you’re looking for. You can start with an episode from the classic shows Un posto al sole or Il commissario Montalbano or go for something more modern like Alta Infedelt. If you prefer to watch shows with a television, many cable companies offer a special package for Italian programming. Watch a Movie Whether its Roberto Benignis poignant , a neo-realismo film by Roberto Rossellini, or a Federico Fellini fantasy, an Italian language movie is another great way to practice Italian. Youll hear Italian spoken by many different attori and train your ear at the same time. If you’re watching from a computer, you can find many Italian movies on Netflix, like Cinema Paradiso or La tigre e la neve. If you can, avoid the subtitles to give yourself more of a challenge. Read the Lyrics Love Parole, parole by Mina? Look up the testo (lyrics) to the song and sing along. You can also turn it into a translation exercise using dictionaries like Context-Reverso and WordReference. Some classic songs to check out are: Piazza grande - Lucio DallaQuesto piccolo grande amore - Claudio BaglioniMe so’mbriacato - Mannarino Listen to an Audiobook If you love reading books, but you know you need more practice listening, you can combine those two factors by finding an audiobook to listen to in Italian. If you’re not in Italy, these aren’t the easiest to find, but it is possible to find excerpts of your favorite books, like Harry Potter, on YouTube. Listen to Podcasts One of the best ways to make use of tempi morti (dead time) for practicing Italian is by listening to podcasts in your car or while you’re doing a task that doesn’t require much of your attention, like ironing. You can listen to a podcast aimed at students like Al Dente, or you can listen to shows made for native speakers. Check Out Your Library Italian novels, travel guides, and books that describe Italy are excellent ways to enrich your learning experience. Read a parallel-text version (Italian and English side-by-side) of such classics as La Divina Commedia or Machiavellis , or try reading more modern Italian literature from authors like Enzo Biagi, Umberto Eco, Rossana Campo, Susanna Tamaro, or Oriana Fallaci. Investigate Your Neighborhood Close the textbooks, turn off the TV, and go out to find Italian-speaking people or other Italian language students in your own neighborhood. In many large cities there are Italian cultural institutes such as the IIC - Los Angeles, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura - New York, and the Italian Cultural Society - Washington, DC, which have language exchange programs. You can also choose to join an Italian conversation group, often sponsored by bookstores or Italian American societies. You can also find local groups (or start your own!) using Meetup.com. Hire an Italian Attend a group class in person or take one-on-one instruction using a site like VerbalPlanet or Italki. The structure and routine, paired with your independent study, will help you develop a foundation for advancing quickly in the language. This is a great environment for receiving immediate feedback and being able to practice pronunciation, like learning how to roll your rrrs. Expand Your Vocabulary Studies show that one of the biggest reasons language students find it hard to keep up in a foreign language is because their vocabularies aren’t large enough, so as you read books, listen to podcasts, and go to classes, make sure to be constantly compiling and reviewing vocabulary. The key word here is â€Å"review†. Find a tool that uses spaced-time repetition, enter what you learn, and review it on a daily basis. Some available tools are Cram, Memrise, and Anki. Go to Italian-Speaking Places Youve always wanted to visit your grandmothers hometown in Sicily, and you’re ready to venture beyond the travel memoirs that keep you daydreaming during work. When you’re at an intermediate level, traveling to Italy (or any other Italian-speaking area) will be a 360 degree classroom encouraging you to accelerate your learning. Plus, if you not only will you get to see Roman ruins, Renaissance masterpieces, and Raffaellos paintings, but you can also make friends with the locals!

Potential sheath removal issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Potential sheath removal issues - Assignment Example The blockage may be attributable to conditions including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and renal vascular hypertension. Carotid artery stenosis, venous narrowing and narrowing in dialysis fistula or grafts can also result in blockage. Patient preparation is essential. Medications, herbal supplements, recent illnesses, medical conditions and allergies should be well documented (Benson et al. 2005). This is because the procedure involves anaesthesia and iodine in the x-ray dye. Medication used especially blood thinners, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin should be reported. The procedure involves imaging using radiation. It is, therefore, essential that women be examined for pregnancy to minimize radiation exposure to the foetus. Before the procedure, patients are restricted to eat or drink except medication. The procedure involves the use of several equipment a balloon catheter, stent, sheath, wire guide and x-ray imaging equipment. The imaging procedure applies the principle of fluoroscopy to develop an angiograph (O’Grady 2002). During the procedure, the guide wire directs placement of the angioplasty balloon catheter and the vascular stent. The sheath is used for catheter exchanges during the procedure. A vascular tube is placed to allow catheter exchanges and is usually removed after the procedure by a nurse. The procedure is executed in an interventional radiology suite by an interventional radiologist. Seldinger technique is the preferred technique for percutaneous catheterization of the femoral artery. It is effective for both arterial and venous access. Although a radial approach is applicable, the femoral approach is the most preferred method. In this procedure, the ideal puncture site is the femoral artery (Berry 2004). The femoral stick is well located to avoid surgical complications. The puncture site is precisely selected to avoid complications associated with the surgical procedure.