Concept of Self

The Concept of the Self in the Social World University Of Phoenix Understanding What Self Concept is Self Concept is the gathering of information about self, including ones personality, character, capabilities, and values. Self concept begins as an early as infancy, during this time the individual begins to formulate information about themselves. This process allows them to prepare and began to understand how they are related to others in their social world. Individuals’ going through this process of development is an exact reaction that is a result of their relationship with their peers and family members. A child’s self concept is less likely to be as defined but more set on things like physical looks, skills, and what materialistic things that they have in common. As the individual gets older the self concept becomes more compound and defined. The individual takes into consideration the social comparison. This paper will discuss self concept in the social world according to Myers, examples of how self concept is related to me and two social experiences that have had an effect on my development personally. Self Concept in the Social World The most essential aspect of you is you (Myers 2010). Self concept is a combination of various things that an individual feels contributes to who they are. Self concept involves what gender or gender role you play, how smart or not smart an individual sees themselves, even their sexuality. The components of an individual’s self concept and those exact things that an individual believes makes them who they are called self schemas (Myers 2010). Self schemas is the mental way that we classify ourselves, tall or short, big or small, rich poor. Self schemas also help the way the we perceive others and ourselves. An individual’s self concept also helps the way we perceive ourselves in the present form and the way we perceive ourselves in the future (Myers 2010). Our social behavior is also affected by our self concept. In the social world we are often placed into new roles in our life. These new roles help us to discover things that may not have been considered before, leadership or teaching are some examples. Social Comparison The way we view ourselves as being smart, lazy, or rich have to do with the way we compare ourselves to our social world. The majority of our life is based off of social comparison (Myers 2010). We often times view ourselves differently than what we view others. When people are doing better than us we tend to compare ourselves in hopes that we will reach their level of greatness (Myers 2010). The way that others view us are also a part of what affects our social concept. If people in the social world view us smart or pretty, dumb or ugly then there is a chance that we will view ourselves the same way. Charles H. Cooley developed the looking glass self which states that we use how we think people perceive us as the way we perceive ourselves. George Herbert Mead came and filtered Cooley’s theory by saying that it doesn’t matter how others see us but how we think they see us. Applying Self to My Life Self Concept When I consider what self concept is exactly, how I view myself, (Myers 2010) I think back to my social surroundings. Prior to this class I never considered how big of a part my up bring affected the way that I view myself. There may have been a time when I viewed myself as dumb instead of not comprehending something. When in actuality it doesn’t mean that I am dumb but that I just didn’t grasp an understanding of the problem. As an adult and having younger people looking at me I try to create a sense of positivity around them, so that they can see past the current situations that they may be facing. I never considered this to be a part of me having an impact on their self concept. Self Esteem Self esteem is a part of self concept. I believe my self esteem plays a big part in my personal worth and the way that I value myself. Studies show that low self esteem can result in violence (Roy & Smart & Boden). I think that my self esteem affects the way that I dress, the compared to hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow, hierarchy of needs, suggests that we not only need the esteem from others but also the respect that I have for myself. For myself my self esteem has helped me have pride in myself and hold my head high in different situations. Personally I believe that my self esteem has helped me make some of the choices I’ve made about my body and mind. Esteem set to highly in high school can lead to poor achievements (Purkey). Although my self esteem has been good for the most part people that I’ve surrounded myself with have kept me humble. Self Efficacy My self efficacy like my self concept and self esteem started when I was younger. I was always told to reach for my dreams and set my mind to whatever it is I wanted out of life I go for it. Similar to my self esteem I think my self efficacy has had an effect on my motivation and the way that I behave. I think that life throws curve balls but because of my self efficacy even though I don’t succeed in the beginning I don’t allow those things to let me give up. I also believe that because of my self efficacy when I am very interested in something I usually dedicate myself to it 100 percent. Two Social Experiences Growing Up I kind of grew up with the good vs. vil lifestyle. Although both my parents grew up in the same neighborhood they were raised differently. My mother grew up in a very religious house, my father grew up on the slightly criminal and drug environment. I grew up with my father being on drugs and an alcoholic. It actually started right after I was born. This left me feeling like I was the cause for a long time even though in reality I ha d nothing to do with it. My mother was forced to work a lot of jobs, as many as four at one time. I can’t remember being told I was pretty from my parents but I had 3 brothers who did. I also had my grandparents who influenced my life for the better, I think instead of taking the negative I tried to use it as a positive. Instead of me judging or hating my mother because she was never around I looked at her as having a lot of strength. I learned that no matter the situation you have to keep pushing. In return I don’t think I show emotions a lot of times. My father’s situation made me stay away from drugs for the most part minus my experimenting with weed. Being Helpful My grandparents for as long as I can remember gave whatever they had to help even though they didn’t have a lot. I’ve always been the type of child who always wanted to make sure those older than me where okay. As I grew older I in a way it was by chance that I walked into my career choice. In the beginning it was because I needed a job, but my desire and passion to help others has kept me there for as long as it has. I have always wanted to help people no matter the age, gender, or circumstance. I also believe that this is the reason I have stuck with psychology. I have had many setbacks since I began the quest for this degree in 2000, but I feel like this is my life’s calling and I have to graduate. Conclusion The concept of the self I a social world is really amazing. It’s very interesting how your social surroundings as small as infants can carry on to adulthood and play a big part in the individual that you become. I believe if more people realized the importunacy of self concept, self esteem, and self efficacy then individuals could possibly have a better life and an outlook on life. Work Cited Baumeister, Roy F. ; Smart, Laura; Boden, Joseph M. (1996). Relation of threatened egotism to violence and aggression: The dark side of high self esteem. Psychological Review, 103 (1) 5-33 Bracken, Bruce A. Ed), (1996). Handbook of self-concept: Developmental, social, and clinical considerations, (pp. 38-90). Marsh, W. Herbert, Shavelson, Richard (2010). Self Concept: Its Multifaceted, Hierarchical Structure. 107-123 Mcleod, S. A. (2008). Simply Psychology; The Self Concept in Psychology. Retrieved 19 December 2011, from http://www. simplypsychology. org/self-concept. html Myers, D. (2010 ). Social Psychology (10th ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. Pajares, Frank; Miller, M. David. (1994) Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 86(2), 193-203. Purkey, William Watson. (1970). Self Consept and School Achievment.

Analysis of the Fast Food Industry Essay

Introduction Airline industry is the topic I researched in this analysis. Companies in this industry provide scheduled domestic and international passenger transportation, mail and freight transportation. Major US companies include American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United Continental, as well as the air operations of express delivery companies such as FedEx and UPS. The industry key survival factors are efficient operations, reliability of services, and safety. The drivers of change are internet economy, globalization, and low cost competition. Based on the key survival factors and drivers of change, large companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing and the ability to provide more extensive services. Small airlines can compete by serving local or regional routes. All the information was collected from online journals, news, and research and report papers. The sources include industry reports such as Hoover, Bloomberg, and Forbes. The data was organized by folders and then summarized i nto Words before putting in the paper. Each source was written in a separate Word file every time it was used. The analysis uses the Porter’s 5 forces and PEST analysis. Key Survival Factors In airline industry, demand depends highly on the health of the economy, which affects spending on business and leisure air travel. Since many costs are fixed, efficient operations act as a core factor to determine the profitability of airlines companies. The basic operations of airlines include acquiring and maintaining airplanes and airport facilities, acquiring passengers and/or freight, managing staff, and operating flights. The flight equipment (airplanes) that an airline uses is crucial to efficient operations. The next key survival factor for airline industry is safety. Air traffic is growing rapidly, airports are more congested, and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"with two million passengers in the United States boarding more than 30,000 flights every day, maintaining that safety record will be a challenge.† Therefore, all airline companies should have a procedures encompassing the theory, investigation, categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulatio n, education, and training. The company could have lost the public image if they don’t have a procedure in advance to response quickly enough in case of emergency. Last but not least, reliability of service is another key survival factor for airline industry. A positive public image could be developed among customers due to a reputation for reliable services, which can lead to more repeat business. Reliability in the airlines industry includes: reports of mishandled baggage, the on-time arrival of flights, involuntary boarding denials from overbooking flights, and passenger complaints. Those airlines that are able to control these elements could provide better service to the customer, and thus offer more reliable service. Drivers of Change The internet and e-commerce has completely altered the airlines distribution (the booking and ticketing of passengers for air travel). Nowadays, travelers can book e-tickets on their flights through the airlines’ websites or a third-party website. This has allowed airlines to eliminate paperwork, reduce operational expenses, and bypass travel agent commissions. Moreover, the potential in the global travel market makes airlines companies focus more on globalization. To facilitate international growth, U.S. airlines are lobbying for â€Å"open skies† treaties between the U.S. and other nations. These treaties are bilateral agreements that essentially deregulate travel between the involved countries, thus opening up certain markets to competition. â€Å"The U.S. currently has signed more than 60 open skies treaties with nations around the globe.† Finally, the rise of the low-cost carriers has forced a change in the competitive environment of the air travel industry. Southwest, and JetBlue implement low-cost strategies that allow them to offer relatively low airfares. These low fares change the entire industry and force rivals to lower their costs and decrease their fares in order to stay competitive. Overall Assessment The airline industry is currently not very attractive. Both business and  tourist travel are reduced when the economy slows. â€Å"Global aviation traffic typically rises and falls at twice the pace of economic output, so a change in the economy can double the impact for airlines.† Because of relatively high fixed costs of airplanes, airport facilities, and labor, airlines can’t easily adjust to reduced passenger traffic. Based on the financial results on Hoover’s database, the industry has a very low growth rate of personal consumption expenditures as of 2014, and it was forecasted to grow at an annual compounded rate of 4 percent between 2014 and 2018. Works Cited Mouawad, Jad, and Christopher Drew. â€Å"Airline Industry at Its Safest Since the Dawn of the Jet Age.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . â€Å"Competitive Environment of the Airline Industry.† Competitive Environment of the Airline Industry. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . â€Å"Good times for the Airline Industry.† The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 27 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. . Fulton, Jeff. â€Å"Airline Industry Key Success Factors.† EHow. Demand Media, 29 July 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. .

Why is United Airline a good company to I have an internship on it Research Paper

Why is United Airline a good company to I have an internship on it - Research Paper Example The airline company employs over 80,000 people across the world and carries over 210,000 passengers all through the week. Moreover, the company has the most fuel-efficient fleet among U.S network carriers (â€Å"The World’s Leading Airline†). Through Star Alliance, the foremost global network, United’s customers are able to access over 729 destinations across the globe. In 2010, United Airlines merged with Continental Airlines in a bid to create synergy within two dissimilar employee performance review procedures. HR teams from both companies came to a decision that saw a new working philosophy established; where two cultures were integrated and a culture of working together was reinforced. This reflected on United Airlines valuing of a culture centered on working together (Kuehner-Herbert). In August 2013, United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek in an interview said that the company now has the capacity to provide more stable careers through consolidation and capacity d iscipline. This was after he had insisted that he intended for employees to view the company as a business not merely an airline.

Problem Solving & Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problem Solving & Decision Making - Essay Example Different studies present varying models of a typical decision-making process depending on their perspectives. Some models follow eight steps, others five. For purposes of making intuitive choices, the Harvard Case Approach (HCA) following four steps would be utilized. The four steps of this natural, intuitive decision-making process are: Step 1: Define the problem; Step 2: Alternative Courses of Action; Step 3: Analysis; Step 4: Recommendation. Initially, there is a situation where one of the subordinates, a security personnel, who was scheduled for regular work on a 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM slot, requested for a change in schedule due to emergency reasons. His wife called in early at 8:00 AM and informed the appropriate channels that the security personnel had to undergo immediate surgery for appendectomy. Therefore, he would be on emergency leave for five days. The shift sergeant was immediately informed of the situation and necessary changes in shift schedules have to be reviewed to fill in the temporary vacancy. a. Recall a security personnel on scheduled vacation leave. This option calls for determining a personnel on leave during the five-day period, who can be recalled for emergency purposes and who would be requested to report on the specified 10PM to 6AM schedule for five days. After which, he can resume his leave. b. Require overtime for current security personnel. Utilize security personnel to extend their shifts to at most four hours. Security personnel from the PM shift could extend from 10PM to 2AM and AM shift personnel could be requested to report four hours early (2AM instead of 6AM). The first alternative would entail some time and effort to locate and contact the security personnel on vacation leave. This option’s viability depends on where he is spending his vacation, the time he could return, the persons to be affected

A Bakery in Downtown, New Delhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Bakery in Downtown, New Delhi - Essay Example The preliminary research has revealed that there are very few bakeries in the populated areas of New Delhi and hence, the competitive edge of the bakery would be its location inviting a lot of pedestrian traffic on a daily basis. The main customers of the bakery would be office going youngsters and students who like mobile food and snacks and have a preference for Western origin food more than their local origins. The initial setup cost of the bakery including the construction, rentals, machinery, raw material, etc. is around $ 76,000, which is an estimate calculated from the data of bakeries of similar capacity. New Delhi hosts majority of the Indian elite and average income people, and investing in a bakery that has numerous future prospects seems like an investment that is worthwhile. Moreover, bakery items have long changed their place from that of being luxury commodities and have now become necessities. Therefore, opening a bakery in downtown New Delhi would prove to be an extr emely profitable venture with the rising share of the bakery industry. The Gantt chart of the project shows that it would take the bakery more than two months approximately starting from research up until its launch. Project Description The objective of the project is to set up a small bakery that sells hot breads, rolls, cakes, etc. ... The bakery would host products such as freshly baked breads, rolls, muffins, various cakes, biscuits, sandwiches, and other similar bakery items. The star product of the bakery would be different kinds of hot freshly made breads baked continuously during the day as ordered. The bakery would also setup tables and chairs in its premises to provide seating facility to the customers. It would also have attractive packaging for takeaways and gifts. Market study has revealed that food business, specifically bakeries, restaurants, and other similar outlets suffer less even in the time of recession. Moreover, the business are easy to setup and not a lot of technical expertise is necessary. The revenue model of such a venture is also very simple and the risk involved is not very high, typically for investors investing in such a business. In order for a bakery to be successful, we need very few basic things: a need in the market, taste and quality in the product. New Delhi is a sophisticated c ity and majority of India’s elite is located here. Here people have the income and the resources to spend on luxuries such as eating out and spending on bakery items. In addition to this, the star product of the bakery, i.e. the freshly baked bread is not even considered a luxury anymore. It has become a necessity for every modern household’s breakfast table. Besides, a survey of the city areas where the offices and schools are located reveals that there are not many bakeries close by. Hence, a bakery that is in the middle of the daily hustle and bustle is bound to be successful, as it would get tremendous amount of attention and pedestrian traffic on a daily basis. Work Breakdown Structure WBS LEVEL WBS LEVEL 2 WBS LEVEL 3 Cost

Preschooler observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preschooler observation - Essay Example Among his fellows he was looking aggressive and a bit ailing (Berger, p.210-212). The three were standing in a row while about four or five children were motivating them to start the race. One of them count up to three and the race begun. Jacob fell to the ground and lost the race, but his reaction was very unnatural. He started crying and called himself a loser who cannot win anything. I approached him and asked why he is crying? He replied quickly that I am a loser because I didnt win the race and I never wins, furthermore, that "all my mates think I am a loser in light of the fact that I always cry. They make fun of me for my crying." I attempted to console him and let him know I did not think he was a loser. He was just assuming himself a loser on the basis of his past experiences but have no logical understanding (Berger, p. 182). I told him that his friends were playing with colorful cards while he was trying to climb rings. This made him tired while his fellows were relaxed and full of energy. Some of his friends called him to play with them, but he refused and remained crying. I tried to convince him that his friends are still eager to play with him because for them he is their friend not a loser. He was hard to convince because at the time he was relating many other things to his failure, perhaps the behavior of his parents, siblings and caregivers (Berger, p. 216). His attitude made me think about his family and I assumed that he is from a family where his parents are too busy to spend time with him and his elder siblings may tease him and discourage him in doing things. Jacob’s social and emotional behavior was influenced by his fellows at the center. His fellows won the race and this made him cry and aggressive that why he didn’t win the race. His stressed reaction showed that he never got encouragement from others, hence he strongly believed that he cannot win as he has no traits of winners. At this age group, children are open to

The Nature of War and US Security Policy in the Aftermath of the Cold Essay

The Nature of War and US Security Policy in the Aftermath of the Cold War - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that as one of the most significant conflicts in modern human history, the Cold War was marked by high expectations of conflict and violence, as well as continuous detailed planning and mobilization for war by the USSR, the US, and their respective allies. Over the course of the Cold War, hegemonic relations and alliances around the US and the USSR incorporated most of the free world with both countries occupying opposite and confrontational positions on most international issues. As a result, countries in the sphere of each hegemon were always in a state of military readiness and the risk of war was ever-present. Indeed, the most bloody post-WWII wars were fought by proxies of the USSR and the US, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War. With the end of the Cold War in 1991, however, global conflicts did not decline and, in fact, there were over 115 violent conflicts reported in the first ten years of the post-Cold War period. Gray states that while some aspects of war have changed since the end of the Cold War, the objective nature of war has remained unchanged even as the subjective nature of war has changed. Deutsch also notes that war has not dissipated with the fall of the Soviet Union, but has only changed in terms of strategy and symmetry. This paper aims to show that the end of the Cold War altered the security policy of the US by replacing a conventional military adversary with a more mobile and asymmetrical adversary. Newman broadly defines the Cold War as the relationship that developed between the USSR and the US following their joint triumph against Nazi Germany in WWII. The unique nature of this relationship came to dominate international affairs for almost five decades and led to several major crises like the Hungarian revolution, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, and the Soviet-Afghan War. Possibly the tensest issue was the proliferation of nuclear weap ons and other weapons of mass destruction in preparation for eventual war.

PERSONAL FINANCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PERSONAL FINANCE - Essay Example The two children attend a nearby secondary school and likely to attend university. As a planner, I will ensure that the advice give to the Jameson family is suitable to the financial circumstances, and situation of the family and the financial plan will match their level of financial literacy. This paper will produce a comprehensive financial plan for the Jameson family under the following headings: 1. Current financial situation Before setting goals and strategies, it is important for the Jameson Family to determine its current financial standing. Determining the current financial position is the first step in the creation of a personal financial plan (Gitman and Joehnk, 2008). Having a thorough understanding of ones current financial position will help in the formulation of well informed and realistic goals. Therefore, the Jameson will need to determine the family’s current net worth by getting the total of their current liabilities less the total current assets. The followi ng charts will be used in the calculation of the net worth of the Jameson Family- it is simply a family balance sheet for the Jameson Family. ... wner Value Cash expenditure Joint $80,000 Insurance premiums Phillip Belinda 1,546.48 478 Total current Bills 82,024.48 Outstanding Debt Owner Value Mortgage loan Joint 100,000 Personal loan Belinda 17,000 Credit Card Joint 5,000 Total outstanding debt 122,000 Total liabilities 204,024.48 Net worth of the Jameson Family Total assets less the Total liabilities= 1,312,641- 204,024.48= $1,108,616.52 A net worth of $1,108,616.52 for the Jameson family is an indication of a better financial position for the couple/family. The client’s situation Broad category Age Group (years) Characteristics Middle age 45-55 Children usually leave home or attend tertiary education. Level of income increases. Superannuation, debt reduction, asset accumulation and risk management would be important in this stage. 2. Objectives Setting financial objectives and goals is the second step in the preparation of a personal finance. Setting of goals or objectives will give the couple a direction for their p lan as well the destination toward which they should head (Gitman and Joehnk, 2008). Some of the obvious objectives include monthly savings and retirement investments. The goal should be very smart, measurable, realistic, time based, attainable and specific. The objectives of the Jameson Family will be categorised as short term, long term or even intermediate. The development of these objectives will allow the family to achieve successes early in the plan while keeping their eye towards the future (Koh, 2012). It is also quite important for the family to establish its priorities, consider its net worth in order to make realistic objectives which align with their financial situation (Melicher and Norton, 2011). The objectives or goals should be stated as dollar amount against its future date or

Buddhist Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buddhist Philosophy - Essay Example The Buddha elucidates immersion into Nirvana as achieving ‘deathlessness’ ( in Pali Amata or Amravati) or ‘ the unconditioned’ and the highest spiritual attainment, which can be acquired through following a life of virtuous conduct in accordance with ‘Dharma’ (Bechert, 154). Buddhism approaches the concept of life through a sense of the higher and inner Soul or the â€Å"I† that describes the notion of void and selflessness. In Buddhism ‘Moksha’ or salvation happens when the soul or ‘jivatman’ recognizes its union with the source of all phenomenal existence – the Brahman. Advaita Vedanta says that the Self or Supreme Soul is formless, beyond being and non-being, beyond tangibility and comprehension (Bhaskarananda). An analogy is that the soul is like a drop of water, which upon salvation, merges with the ocean or the Supreme Soul. The concept of non-duality through enlightenment is best summed through the Sanskrit phrase – ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ or ‘Thou Art That’. The quest of life is to break free of separation of the ‘me’ and ‘you’ and see everything as ‘I AM’ (Bhaskarananda, 177). This is the approach of a dignified self-confidence that should one possess while enduring the stress of a modern job. It should be remembered that the ‘I’ here is not the ego but the ‘True Self’. Everything is part of this larger ‘I’ and when awareness shifts from the egocentric ‘me, mine and I† to the real ‘I’, you actually see all that is just you and break free from all duality (Bhaskarananda, 51). Thus the path to selflessness is a deep, truthful understanding of the self rather than creating a void. Moksha is seen as a final release from one's worldly conception of the self and breaking free of the shackle of experiential duality and re-establishment of one's own fundamental nature (Sinha, 88). The state of salvation is seen differently from each ones' perspective depending on the inner soul. This would be best explained in view of a modern American literature. The basic measures of the story "Exchange Value", Charles R Johnson, can be drawn directly from this phase. Charles R Johnson's empathy towards philosophy drove the conclusion of the story towards an end that could justified as completely philosophic in nature. This philosophy is dominantly backed by the teachings of Buddha where the preacher exerts a similar non utilitarian valuation of riches. It is true that the brothers in the story ere predominantly motivated by greed in the first place and it never seized to exist in any part of the story but the main aspect that the author Charles R Johnson incorporated in the story is the ultimate lack of utility or valuation of the fortune that brothers failed to notice. (Roberts, 14) There is always a value for material that could be evaluated at a scale of money, even if it is not utilized but it is still a greater truth that without proper usage any material would loose its current value is remained unutilized. This is exactly what went wrong with the brothers and specifically with the woman before them in the story. Thus, in a way, it

Inventory System Essay Example for Free

Inventory System Essay This chapter contains the Introduction and the Problem Definition specifically the Statement of the Problem, System Objectives and System Scope and Limitation within the Problem Definition. Introduction In our generation, almost all of our transactions are in database management system which is a set of programs that enables us to store, modify, and extract information from a database, it also provides us(users) with tools to add, delete, access, modify and analyze data stored in one location. There are many different types of Data Base Management Systems, ranging from small systems that run on personal computers to huge systems that run on mainframes. One of which is what we call the library computer system. A library computer system is the software used to catalog, track circulation (where appropriate) and inventory a librarys assets. It is intended for home, church, private enterprise or other small to medium sized collections. Larger libraries will typically use an integrated library system to manage the more complex activities such as acquisitions, interlibrary loan, and the licensing of online resources. The International Baptist College started as a learning center in 1973 as a missionary extension of International Baptist Church of Mandaluyong. The International Baptist College is located on Arayat Street in between the main thorough fares of Boni Avenue and EDSA in Mandaluyong City. The school then from time to time was being developed and now has the permit to offer a Nursery, Elementary, High School and College programs. The IBC uses a manual system in their library called the card catalog which is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations that is being typewritten or handwritten in a Cataloging Principles format. Because of it, the librarian has a hard time in updating book records; a large amount of time is being consumed in monitoring and checking the availability of books and slow process of borrowing, finding and returning of books. Problem Definition Statement of the Problem With the increasing demand for more books and library materials in the IBC that will support the information needs, the task required in managing there library is becoming more complicated. Some books are being misplaced because of unorganized arrangement. The process of creating the inventory was quiet difficult and time consuming. Specific statement of the Problem: 1) What are the difficulties being encountered by the librarian, students and the faculty staff of the IBC in within their Library? 2) Why do the School needs a computerized library system? 3) What are the expectations in the proposed library system? 4) How will the proposed library system improve the delivery of service to the students, the librarian and the faculty? System Objectives The researchers aim is to come up with a system that will provide the students and the faculty staffs an easy way of finding and borrowing books and to help the librarian in monitoring the inventory of the books and library materials. Specific Objectives: 1) Provide solutions to the problems and difficulties encountered by the librarian, the students and the faculty staff of IBC. 2) To determine the possible benefits of a computerize/integrated library system. 3) To find the expectations of the librarian, the students and the faculty staff as the users in the proposed system and accomplish these expectations. 4) To find out how can the proposed system improve the delivery of service to the librarian, the students and the faculty staff of IBC. System Scope and Limitation The scope of the proposed system centers on making the system as computer based to improve the process of searching, borrowing and returning of books and library materials. The Students and Faculty Staff have a limited access in the library system. They can only view the book’s information including its availability. If they wish to borrow the book, they still need to go to the librarian and present their Student’s and/or Faculty ID same as returning the book. The librarian however has a full access in the library system. He/she can update the records in books, library materials and student’s/faculty staff inventory. It includes the adding, deleting and editing of records, the process of borrowing, printing of reports needed by the management, and the computation of the overdue days and penalties of the returned books. He/she can also view the databases according to his/her choice. On the other hand, the system has the limitations of: it cannot other offenses like causing damage to books and library materials and it does not issue a receipt for overdue books.

Healthcare and Public Health Critical Infrastructure Sector

Healthcare and Public Health Critical Infrastructure Sector In order to optimize the security and resilience of the countries critical infrastructure, it is essential for a concerted approach that integrates all relevant partners and stakeholders. The healthcare and public health sector are crucial partners towards this end. The continuity of healthcare operations in times of emergency is quintessential. They role is disaster response and response makes them an asset and elevates their importance to national security beyond mere stakeholder status. The necessity for a sector-specific plan that optimizes the relationship between the players in the healthcare and public health industry and liaising with the department of homeland security has become vital. In the contemporary society, threats to the countries critical infrastructure have evolved diversifying into digital and biological platforms. The Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) is created to champion cross-sector effort sector and collaboration towards enhancin g security and resilience of the industries critical infrastructure covering all hazards. The guidance of the SSP is meant to customize the guidance to be relevant to the applicable industry players. This entails ensuring the strategic guidance is compatible with the risk landscape and unique operating landscape of the healthcare and public health sector. The above prevents the sector layers from expending energy on extraneous factors. The National Infrastructure Protection Plan 2013 has been instrumental towards that end. The sector has formulated an integrated approach to managing the risks to industrys critical infrastructure and corresponding workforce. The approach involves identification and preparation for the potential threats as well as hazards. Preparedness assumes that the all hazard risks are always imminent. In order to consider all dimensions of attack, the cross-sector councils are allowed to leverage simulation technology to visualize the full range of consequences in the instance of a biological attack (Almklov Antonsen, 2014). The SSP has proved innovative in its approach even utilizing potential risk scenarios inspired by films. The above is important given the last terrorist attack was attributed to a lapse in the imagination. Another strategy employed towards anticipating the above eventuality is mitigating weaknesses identified in the HPH critical infrastructure, its networks, and systems. Once the vulnerabilities are highlighted, ad hoc strategic plans to fix them are recommended lest they expand. The critical infrastructure within the purview of the healthcare and public health extends beyond the internal assets (Wulff, Donato Lurie, 2015). Even out of a sector, dependencies such as are with within their logistic and supply chain that can be exploited and other interdependencies are areas of interest. In order to optimize continuity, the approach posits adapting to the dynamic industry externalities to increase resilience faster disruptions owing to emergencies regardless their cause. The approach strives to reduce the potential impact of these eventualities and timely restoration of the critical infrastructure to optimal functioning. To ensure the efficiency of the approach optimization of public-private partnership and collaborative risk management becomes necessary. The goals and objectives of the stakeholders of the industry should be aligned from the onset and a free flow of information towards that end should be facilitated. The HPH Sector objectives from its vision, mission, and goals are validated in policy. It follows that policy impediments in the national arena and within the sector should be addressed promptly (Homeland Security, 2016). Apart from the policy, the guiding principles of the sector are formulated after consideration of multiple factors ranging from the current progress in risk mitigation, the available resources, identified capability gaps, emerging risks and the prevalent risk management priorities. These objectives are utilized to coordinate the collective operations within the sector. They reflect considerations of not only the HPH sub-sector but also the regional, local public and private partners. Efforts to mobilize public-private partnership support needs of HPH critical infrastructure are underway. The local, territorial, tribal, and federal government partners are not only involved in the conversation but their input is solicited during decision-making to increase their stake s in the outcome of the approach. The Sector Partnership Mission towards increasing the health sectors resilience aims to sustain the vital functions of the United States healthcare and public health delivery system. Similarly, it endeavors to espouse effective emergency preparedness and subsequent response to nationwide major hazards. Public and private sector partners are instrumental in evaluating risks; lobbying fro policy changes, coordinate plans, and provision of guidance towards preventing, protecting, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from all hazards threatening the HPH critical infrastructure.   The key sector-specific goals strive to manage the identified risks the vulnerabilities and potential consequences of disruptions. The risk management is the second step of the approach by translating the analyses of the sector into implementable recommendations for local and state public health departments as well as private sector facilities (Katina, Pinto, Bradley, Hester, 2014). The recommendations should be actionable and customized to the issues facing the respective institutions. The risk analyses should be translated into response and recovery efforts. To facilitate information sharing new mechanism as well as existing ones should be harness ensure the free flow of information. The flow implies it is bidirectional; each partner and stakeholders should give and receive information. Similarly, the government and the private sector should emulate best practices from each other. The sector goals should strive to develop and implement partnership engagement strategies to strengthen coordination. This will increase facilitate outreach efforts by reducing relationship constraints (May Koski, 2013). The operators and owners of the critical infrastructure should be acquainted with the behavioral patterns of their counterparts. The strengthening the relationships expedites the speed of information sharing and subsequent response time. The partnerships should be convenient by concentrating on the regional, local networks towards a national preparedness (Moteff, 2010). The purview of the sector specific plan involves also the cyber security attacks. The above would cripple technologically dependent networks like transport and even directly affect the health data framework. During response and recovery, the sector should be able to learn from past attacks and enact effective corrective measures (Perakslis, 2014). While seeking innovating strategies of increasing response speeds after disasters, it is equally essential to leverage past mishaps. The U.S. De partment of Health and Human Services (HHS) working in tandem with other industry players be required to evaluate their sectors milestones towards implementing recommendations.   An aggressive awareness campaign among the industry stakeholders to reiterate the essence of their input is required. The entire critical infrastructure community regardless their size their counsel should be considered (Solanas et al., 2014). The new approach as recognized that the vulnerabilities arise from the assets that are underestimated as insignificant, the specific sector focus is hinged on attention to detail. Beyond the traditional partners federal departments international partners and private sector owners even the perspective of an actual health practitioner has been given premium. The critical infrastructure workforce is strategic in identifying industry and system dysfunctionalities than an outsider (Therrien, Normandin Denis, 2017). The nonprofit sector has been instrumental in the post consequence period adding in the expediting resilience. The NGO has a close and sustainable relationship with the healthcare and public health industry as often their relief services compliment the sectors goals. The specific sector plan acts as a store for information and a centralized location where all the relevant stakeholders can access the data they require optimizing resilience and straightening their collaborative efforts (Torchia, Calabrà ² Morner, 2015). The interdependence of sectors in contemporary society implies that a catastrophe affecting the health sector will cripple the other accompanying infrastructure like transport. For instance, an airborne disease outbreak will inhibit mobility in public transport platforms. It follows that the public becomes a crucial stakeholder thus the need to facilitate access to non-critical information of resilience programs through the specific sector plan. The HPH Sectors critical infrastructure and its corresponding factors operate in a dynamic and increasingly complex setting. The shifting goal posts due to technological innovations and political changes may lead to confusion in managing the professional workforce, the systems, and assets, systems, and professional workforce operates in a highly complex and dynamic risk environment. For instance, the political changes have repealed the patient protection act causes the entire industry to adjust to new realities. Similarly, the changes in the climate have increased the frequency of naturally occurring threats though one can argue they there are artificially induced. The size of the sector and the interconnections of its networks further aggravate the situation. The open access to a majority of health facilities, physical facilities, operations, and system interconnections make the sector innately vulnerable. Towards strengthening preventative measure in the risk-prone environment, col laboration between government and the HHP sector becomes crucial. The sector has to capitalize on the vast resources at its disposal ranging from digital capabilities, consultancy resources, and other diverse authorities. The success of a program is attached to the proponents capabilities to harness wide spectrum of resources. Information sharing is not an option but the premise of the program. As the treats as constantly evolving, the sector should be equally flexible accommodating updates, and reprioritization of risk managements strategies towards optimizing security. The sector leadership should periodically evaluate the progress in implementing the recommendations in order to identify their shortcomings. References Almklov, P. G., Antonsen, S. (2014). Making work invisible: new public management and operational work in critical infrastructure sectors. Public Administration, 92(2), 477-492. Homeland Security, (2016). Healthcare and Public Health Sector-Specific Plan. Washington, D.C: Department of Homeland Security. Katina, P. F., Pinto, C. A., Bradley, J. M., Hester, P. T. (2014). Interdependency-induced risk with applications to healthcare. International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 7(1), 12-26. May, P. J., Koski, C. (2013). Addressing public risks: Extreme events and critical infrastructures. Review of Policy Research, 30(2), 139-159. Moteff, J. D. (2010). Critical infrastructures: Background, policy, and implementation. DIANE Publishing. Perakslis, E. D. (2014). Cybersecurity in health care. The New England journal of medicine, 371(5), 395. Solanas, A., Patsakis, C., Conti, M., Vlachos, I. S., Ramos, V., Falcone, F. Martinez-Balleste, A. (2014). Smart health: a context-aware health paradigm within smart cities. IEEE Communications Magazine, 52(8), 74-81. Therrien, M. C., Normandin, J. M. Denis, J. L. (2017). Bridging complexity theory and resilience to develop surge capacity in health systems. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 31(1). Torchia, M., Calabrà ², A., Morner, M. (2015). Public-private partnerships in the health care sector: A systematic review of the literature. Public Management Review, 17(2), 236-261. Wulff, K., Donato, D., Lurie, N. (2015). What is health resilience and how can we build it? Annual review of public health, 36, 361-374.

Comparing On the Road and Easy Rider :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Parallels in On the Road  and Easy Rider  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Released more than a decade apart, Kerouac's On the Road and Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider are replete with parallels. Both depict characters whose beliefs are not quite uniform with those of society; in both cases these characters set out in search of "kicks" but become part of something larger along the way. More importantly, these two texts each comment insightfully on the culture of their respective times. But all these similarities become superficial in the face of the inherent differences between the two. In pre-Beat Generation America, anyone who looked could find a whole society of people who, for the most part, were afraid to do the things they dreamed, unable to break from conformity. Kerouac saw this all around him, and with On the Road, he responds. He presents a tale of those who flee conformity successfully and without any significant negative consequences. Clearly, his audience consists of members of society who remain content with conventional societal norms, who are too squeamish to do what they want. To them he argues that they ought to assert their personal identity rather than be bound by an imposed social one, that they ought to follow their own desires rather than succumb to society's. This argument comes in multiple forms; criticisms by Dean are such a form. At one point he cries: "the moment it comes time to act, this paralysis, scared, hysterical, nothing frightens em more than what they want" (Kerouac 215). He also complains: "offer them what they secretly want and they of course immediately become panic- stricken" (Kerouac 209). These statements are part of Kerouac's argument in their critique of society's fearful attitude toward achieving desires. Sal reiterates the argument to disregard social identity when he accuses a girl he meets of an "emptiness. . .that reached back generations and generations in her blood from not having done what was crying to be done. . .'What do you want out of life?' I wanted to take her and wring it out of her" (Kerouac 243). But Kerouac's strongest argument of all for individual freedom seems to come from example. In On the Road, Sal and Dean live an amazing adventure together. Sure, they get pulled over a few times, but no real harm comes to them from any of their wild escapades. Apparently they are untouchable.

The Strength Trainer?s Guide to Success Essay -- essays research paper

Your body has about 650 muscles. No matter that you care about just four or five of them, all of which can be sculpted with maybe a half-dozen strength-training exercises. You still need all of them to perform the normal functions of everyday life; breathing, eating, walking, sucking in your stomach at the beach. Of course everyone wants to have the perfect body; however, few of us don’t effectively know how to reach our body building goals. Since muscle growth is such a slow process, weight-lifting should be broken down into three muscle developing stages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first stage of muscle development is the process of preparing your muscles for growth. This is the stage all beginning weight-lifters should start from. A muscle will not grow until the muscle is at its’ peak condition; this means your have to slowing condition your muscles in order to move to more powerful and intense exercises. In this stage, you want to do lots of different exercises and variations of exercises; use a high number of repetitions, at least 12. However, only do each exercise once during your workout. Most beginners have the mistake of trying to push themselves to hard at the start of their training and find themselves so sore they won’t be able to train for a week or more. Soreness is the sign that your muscle are not at its peak condition. This is why advance lifters don’t get muscle soreness nearly as bad as beginners, even when the advance lifter does much more intense workouts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try to do exercises that isolate a muscle or muscle group rather that multiple muscle exercises. An example would be doing a set dumbbell flies, instead of a set of barbell bench press, for your pectorals exercise. Try to train three times a week having at least a days rest between workouts. Set up your workouts so you are doing â€Å"push† exercises one day, such as presses and squats, and â€Å"pull† exercises on the next workout, such as pull-ups and hamstring curls. This is a good way to keep track of your training and it makes sure your muscles get enough rest in-between workouts. This stage of muscle growth takes around six months of training in order to move to stage two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stage two is the start of the actual muscle building process. After six months of training: you have largely improved your muscular strength; noticed ... ...are working the same body area in another exercise you do during the workout. Try to do about half isolated lifts and half core lifts. A good stage three workout for an upper-body â€Å"pull† day would be: abs, an isolated exercise; biceps curl variations, isolated; variations of back rows, core; and finally pull-ups variations, core. During the variations of exercises, do about two sets per variation. Stage three is three days a week with at least one days rest in-between exercises, as well. Continue in this stage until you reach your desire strength training goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Remember that muscle growth is a very long and slow process, and it needs a healthy, high-protein diet as well as weight-training. It takes time and a lot of effort in order for sufficient muscle growth to accrue. It really isn’t all that bad though; after the first month or two going to the gym will just be a habit and you won’t be walking around as sore from the lifting. Research has shown people up to the age of 65 can built muscle and strength; therefore, almost anyone, by following the three stages of muscle development and training, can reach their strength training goals with success!

Paper as a Metaphor in A Streetcar Named Desire -- Tennessee Williams,

"[M]ortgages, foreclosures, directions, letters, poems, telegrams, newspapers, appraisals, songs, even moons (Kolin 1)." What do these all have to do with each other? Paper and A Streetcar Named Desire. Philip C. Kolin points out this metaphor in his article " 'It's only a paper moon': The Paper Ontology' in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire.'" Kolin has found that Williams has used paper as a metaphor to describe Blanche's and Stanley's faults and desires. Kolin finds this to be a common thread in Williams' work but mainly focuses on Streetcar. Williams himself finds paper to be an interesting creation: "In Williams' own words, paper, when properly inscribed, can be sacred, yet when it is subjected to corrupt or untruthful imprints it is profane" (2). It's true paper seems to play a very important role in this play. One of the first things Stanley does is throw a "red-stained swatch of butcher paper" (3), at Stella. After reading or viewing this play, a bloodstained paper and Stanley definitely seem to intertwine with each other. Kolin argues Stanley uses paper ...

Angels Demons Chapter 42-45

42 Cardinal Mortati was sweating now in his black robe. Not only was the Sistine Chapel starting to feel like a sauna, but conclave was scheduled to begin in twenty minutes, and there was still no word on the four missing cardinals. In their absence, the initial whispers of confusion among the other cardinals had turned to outspoken anxiety. Mortati could not imagine where the truant men could be. With the camerlegno perhaps? He knew the camerlegno had held the traditional private tea for the four preferiti earlier that afternoon, but that had been hours ago. Were they ill? Something they ate? Mortati doubted it. Even on the verge of death the preferiti would be here. It was once in a lifetime, usually never, that a cardinal had the chance to be elected Supreme Pontiff, and by Vatican Law the cardinal had to be inside the Sistine Chapel when the vote took place. Otherwise, he was ineligible. Although there were four preferiti, few cardinals had any doubt who the next Pope would be. The past fifteen days had seen a blizzard of faxes and phone calls discussing potential candidates. As was the custom, four names had been chosen as preferiti, each of them fulfilling the unspoken requisites for becoming Pope: Multilingual in Italian, Spanish, and English. No skeletons in his closet. Between sixty-five and eighty years old. As usual, one of the preferiti had risen above the others as the man the college proposed to elect. Tonight that man was Cardinal Aldo Baggia from Milan. Baggia's untainted record of service, combined with unparalleled language skills and the ability to communicate the essence of spirituality, had made him the clear favorite. So where the devil is he? Mortati wondered. Mortati was particularly unnerved by the missing cardinals because the task of supervising this conclave had fallen to him. A week ago, the College of Cardinals had unanimously chosen Mortati for the office known as The Great Elector – the conclave's internal master of ceremonies. Even though the camerlegno was the church's ranking official, the camerlegno was only a priest and had little familiarity with the complex election process, so one cardinal was selected to oversee the ceremony from within the Sistine Chapel. Cardinals often joked that being appointed The Great Elector was the cruelest honor in Christendom. The appointment made one ineligible as a candidate during the election, and it also required one spend many days prior to conclave poring over the pages of the Universi Dominici Gregis reviewing the subtleties of conclave's arcane rituals to ensure the election was properly administered. Mortati held no grudge, though. He knew he was the logical choice. Not only was he the senior cardinal, but he had also been a confidant of the late Pope, a fact that elevated his esteem. Although Mortati was technically still within the legal age window for election, he was getting a bit old to be a serious candidate. At seventy-nine years old he had crossed the unspoken threshold beyond which the college no longer trusted one's health to withstand the rigorous schedule of the papacy. A Pope usually worked fourteen-hour days, seven days a week, and died of exhaustion in an average of 6.3 years. The inside joke was that accepting the papacy was a cardinal's â€Å"fastest route to heaven.† Mortati, many believed, could have been Pope in his younger days had he not been so broad-minded. When it came to pursuing the papacy, there was a Holy Trinity – Conservative. Conservative. Conservative. Mortati had always found it pleasantly ironic that the late Pope, God rest his soul, had revealed himself as surprisingly liberal once he had taken office. Perhaps sensing the modern world progressing away from the church, the Pope had made overtures, softening the church's position on the sciences, even donating money to selective scientific causes. Sadly, it had been political suicide. Conservative Catholics declared the Pope â€Å"senile,† while scientific purists accused him of trying to spread the church's influence where it did not belong. â€Å"So where are they?† Mortati turned. One of the cardinals was tapping him nervously on the shoulder. â€Å"You know where they are, don't you?† Mortati tried not to show too much concern. â€Å"Perhaps still with the camerlegno.† â€Å"At this hour? That would be highly unorthodox!† The cardinal frowned mistrustingly. â€Å"Perhaps the camerlegno lost track of time?† Mortati sincerely doubted it, but he said nothing. He was well aware that most cardinals did not much care for the camerlegno, feeling he was too young to serve the Pope so closely. Mortati suspected much of the cardinals' dislike was jealousy, and Mortati actually admired the young man, secretly applauding the late Pope's selection for chamberlain. Mortati saw only conviction when he looked in the camerlegno's eyes, and unlike many of the cardinals, the camerlegno put church and faith before petty politics. He was truly a man of God. Throughout his tenure, the camerlegno's steadfast devotion had become legendary. Many attributed it to the miraculous event in his childhood†¦ an event that would have left a permanent impression on any man's heart. The miracle and wonder of it, Mortati thought, often wishing his own childhood had presented an event that fostered that kind of doubtless faith. Unfortunately for the church, Mortati knew, the camerlegno would never become Pope in his elder years. Attaining the papacy required a certain amount of political ambition, something the young camerlegno apparently lacked; he had refused his Pope's offers for higher clerical stations many times, saying he preferred to serve the church as a simple man. â€Å"What next?† The cardinal tapped Mortati, waiting. Mortati looked up. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"They're late! What shall we do?† â€Å"What can we do?† Mortati replied. â€Å"We wait. And have faith.† Looking entirely unsatisfied with Mortati's response, the cardinal shrunk back into the shadows. Mortati stood a moment, dabbing his temples and trying to clear his mind. Indeed, what shall we do? He gazed past the altar up to Michelangelo's renowned fresco, â€Å"The Last Judgment.† The painting did nothing to soothe his anxiety. It was a horrifying, fifty-foot-tall depiction of Jesus Christ separating mankind into the righteous and sinners, casting the sinners into hell. There was flayed flesh, burning bodies, and even one of Michelangelo's rivals sitting in hell wearing ass's ears. Guy de Maupassant had once written that the painting looked like something painted for a carnival wrestling booth by an ignorant coal heaver. Cardinal Mortati had to agree. 43 Langdon stood motionless at the Pope's bulletproof window and gazed down at the bustle of media trailers in St. Peter's Square. The eerie phone conversation had left him feeling turgid†¦ distended somehow. Not himself. The Illuminati, like a serpent from the forgotten depths of history, had risen and wrapped themselves around an ancient foe. No demands. No negotiation. Just retribution. Demonically simple. Squeezing. A revenge 400 years in the making. It seemed that after centuries of persecution, science had bitten back. The camerlegno stood at his desk, staring blankly at the phone. Olivetti was the first to break the silence. â€Å"Carlo,† he said, using the camerlegno's first name and sounding more like a weary friend than an officer. â€Å"For twenty-six years, I have sworn my life to the protection of this office. It seems tonight I am dishonored.† The camerlegno shook his head. â€Å"You and I serve God in different capacities, but service always brings honor.† â€Å"These events†¦ I can't imagine how†¦ this situation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Olivetti looked overwhelmed. â€Å"You realize we have only one possible course of action. I have a responsibility for the safety of the College of Cardinals.† â€Å"I fear that responsibility was mine, signore.† â€Å"Then your men will oversee the immediate evacuation.† â€Å"Signore?† â€Å"Other options can be exercised later – a search for this device, a manhunt for the missing cardinals and their captors. But first the cardinals must be taken to safety. The sanctity of human life weighs above all. Those men are the foundation of this church.† â€Å"You suggest we cancel conclave right now?† â€Å"Do I have a choice?† â€Å"What about your charge to bring a new Pope?† The young chamberlain sighed and turned to the window, his eyes drifting out onto the sprawl of Rome below. â€Å"His Holiness once told me that a Pope is a man torn between two worlds†¦ the real world and the divine. He warned that any church that ignored reality would not survive to enjoy the divine.† His voice sounded suddenly wise for its years. â€Å"The real world is upon us tonight. We would be vain to ignore it. Pride and precedent cannot overshadow reason.† Olivetti nodded, looking impressed. â€Å"I have underestimated you, signore.† The camerlegno did not seem to hear. His gaze was distant on the window. â€Å"I will speak openly, signore. The real world is my world. I immerse myself in its ugliness every day such that others are unencumbered to seek something more pure. Let me advise you on the present situation. It is what I am trained for. Your instincts, though worthy†¦ could be disastrous.† The camerlegno turned. Olivetti sighed. â€Å"The evacuation of the College of Cardinals from the Sistine Chapel is the worst possible thing you could do right now.† The camerlegno did not look indignant, only at a loss. â€Å"What do you suggest?† â€Å"Say nothing to the cardinals. Seal conclave. It will buy us time to try other options.† The camerlegno looked troubled. â€Å"Are you suggesting I lock the entire College of Cardinals on top of a time bomb?† â€Å"Yes, signore. For now. Later, if need be, we can arrange evacuation.† The camerlegno shook his head. â€Å"Postponing the ceremony before it starts is grounds alone for an inquiry, but after the doors are sealed nothing intervenes. Conclave procedure obligates – â€Å" â€Å"Real world, signore. You're in it tonight. Listen closely.† Olivetti spoke now with the efficient rattle of a field officer. â€Å"Marching one hundred sixty-five cardinals unprepared and unprotected into Rome would be reckless. It would cause confusion and panic in some very old men, and frankly, one fatal stroke this month is enough.† One fatal stroke. The commander's words recalled the headlines Langdon had read over dinner with some students in the Harvard Commons: Pope suffers stroke. Dies in sleep. â€Å"In addition,† Olivetti said, â€Å"the Sistine Chapel is a fortress. Although we don't advertise the fact, the structure is heavily reinforced and can repel any attack short of missiles. As preparation we searched every inch of the chapel this afternoon, scanning for bugs and other surveillance equipment. The chapel is clean, a safe haven, and I am confident the antimatter is not inside. There is no safer place those men can be right now. We can always discuss emergency evacuation later if it comes to that.† Langdon was impressed. Olivetti's cold, smart logic reminded him of Kohler. â€Å"Commander,† Vittoria said, her voice tense, â€Å"there are other concerns. Nobody has ever created this much antimatter. The blast radius, I can only estimate. Some of surrounding Rome may be in danger. If the canister is in one of your central buildings or underground, the effect outside these walls may be minimal, but if the canister is near the perimeter†¦ in this building for example†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She glanced warily out the window at the crowd in St. Peter's Square. â€Å"I am well aware of my responsibilities to the outside world,† Olivetti replied, â€Å"and it makes this situation no more grave. The protection of this sanctuary has been my sole charge for over two decades. I have no intention of allowing this weapon to detonate.† Camerlegno Ventresca looked up. â€Å"You think you can find it?† â€Å"Let me discuss our options with some of my surveillance specialists. There is a possibility, if we kill power to Vatican City, that we can eliminate the background RF and create a clean enough environment to get a reading on that canister's magnetic field.† Vittoria looked surprised, and then impressed. â€Å"You want to black out Vatican City?† â€Å"Possibly. I don't yet know if it's possible, but it is one option I want to explore.† â€Å"The cardinals would certainly wonder what happened,† Vittoria remarked. Olivetti shook his head. â€Å"Conclaves are held by candlelight. The cardinals would never know. After conclave is sealed, I could pull all except a few of my perimeter guards and begin a search. A hundred men could cover a lot of ground in five hours.† â€Å"Four hours,† Vittoria corrected. â€Å"I need to fly the canister back to CERN. Detonation is unavoidable without recharging the batteries.† â€Å"There's no way to recharge here?† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"The interface is complex. I'd have brought it if I could.† â€Å"Four hours then,† Olivetti said, frowning. â€Å"Still time enough. Panic serves no one. Signore, you have ten minutes. Go to the chapel, seal conclave. Give my men some time to do their job. As we get closer to the critical hour, we will make the critical decisions.† Langdon wondered how close to â€Å"the critical hour† Olivetti would let things get. The camerlegno looked troubled. â€Å"But the college will ask about the preferiti†¦ especially about Baggia†¦ where they are.† â€Å"Then you will have to think of something, signore. Tell them you served the four cardinals something at tea that disagreed with them.† The camerlegno looked riled. â€Å"Stand on the altar of the Sistine Chapel and lie to the College of Cardinals?† â€Å"For their own safety. Una bugia veniale. A white lie. Your job will be to keep the peace.† Olivetti headed for the door. â€Å"Now if you will excuse me, I need to get started.† â€Å"Comandante,† the camerlegno urged, â€Å"we cannot simply turn our backs on missing cardinals.† Olivetti stopped in the doorway. â€Å"Baggia and the others are currently outside our sphere of influence. We must let them go†¦ for the good of the whole. The military calls it triage.† â€Å"Don't you mean abandonment?† His voice hardened. â€Å"If there were any way, signore†¦ any way in heaven to locate those four cardinals, I would lay down my life to do it. And yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pointed across the room at the window where the early evening sun glinted off an endless sea of Roman rooftops. â€Å"Searching a city of five million is not within my power. I will not waste precious time to appease my conscience in a futile exercise. I'm sorry.† Vittoria spoke suddenly. â€Å"But if we caught the killer, couldn't you make him talk?† Olivetti frowned at her. â€Å"Soldiers cannot afford to be saints, Ms. Vetra. Believe me, I empathize with your personal incentive to catch this man.† â€Å"It's not only personal,† she said. â€Å"The killer knows where the antimatter is†¦ and the missing cardinals. If we could somehow find him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Play into their hands?† Olivetti said. â€Å"Believe me, removing all protection from Vatican City in order to stake out hundreds of churches is what the Illuminati hope we will do†¦ wasting precious time and manpower when we should be searching†¦ or worse yet, leaving the Vatican Bank totally unprotected. Not to mention the remaining cardinals.† The point hit home. â€Å"How about the Roman Police?† the camerlegno asked. â€Å"We could alert citywide enforcement of the crisis. Enlist their help in finding the cardinals' captor.† â€Å"Another mistake,† Olivetti said. â€Å"You know how the Roman Carbonieri feel about us. We'd get a half-hearted effort of a few men in exchange for their selling our crisis to the global media. Exactly what our enemies want. We'll have to deal with the media soon enough as it is.† I will make your cardinals media luminaries, Langdon thought, recalling the killer's words. The first cardinal's body appears at eight o'clock. Then one every hour. The press will love it. The camerlegno was talking again, a trace of anger in his voice. â€Å"Commander, we cannot in good conscience do nothing about the missing cardinals!† Olivetti looked the camerlegno dead in the eye. â€Å"The prayer of St. Francis, signore. Do you recall it?† The young priest spoke the single line with pain in his voice. â€Å"God, grant me strength to accept those things I cannot change.† â€Å"Trust me,† Olivetti said. â€Å"This is one of those things.† Then he was gone. 44 The central office of the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) is in London just west of Piccadilly Circus. The switchboard phone rang, and a junior content editor picked up. â€Å"BBC,† she said, stubbing out her Dunhill cigarette. The voice on the line was raspy, with a Mid-East accent. â€Å"I have a breaking story your network might be interested in.† The editor took out a pen and a standard Lead Sheet. â€Å"Regarding?† â€Å"The papal election.† She frowned wearily. The BBC had run a preliminary story yesterday to mediocre response. The public, it seemed, had little interest in Vatican City. â€Å"What's the angle?† â€Å"Do you have a TV reporter in Rome covering the election?† â€Å"I believe so.† â€Å"I need to speak to him directly.† â€Å"I'm sorry, but I cannot give you that number without some idea – â€Å" â€Å"There is a threat to the conclave. That is all I can tell you.† The editor took notes. â€Å"Your name?† â€Å"My name is immaterial.† The editor was not surprised. â€Å"And you have proof of this claim?† â€Å"I do.† â€Å"I would be happy to take the information, but it is not our policy to give out our reporters' numbers unless – â€Å" â€Å"I understand. I will call another network. Thank you for your time. Good-b – â€Å" â€Å"Just a moment,† she said. â€Å"Can you hold?† The editor put the caller on hold and stretched her neck. The art of screening out potential crank calls was by no means a perfect science, but this caller had just passed the BBC's two tacit tests for authenticity of a phone source. He had refused to give his name, and he was eager to get off the phone. Hacks and glory hounds usually whined and pleaded. Fortunately for her, reporters lived in eternal fear of missing the big story, so they seldom chastised her for passing along the occasional delusional psychotic. Wasting five minutes of a reporter's time was forgivable. Missing a headline was not. Yawning, she looked at her computer and typed in the keywords â€Å"Vatican City.† When she saw the name of the field reporter covering the papal election, she chuckled to herself. He was a new guy the BBC had just brought up from some trashy London tabloid to handle some of the BBC's more mundane coverage. Editorial had obviously started him at the bottom rung. He was probably bored out of his mind, waiting all night to record his live ten-second video spot. He would most likely be grateful for a break in the monotony. The BBC content editor copied down the reporter's satellite extension in Vatican City. Then, lighting another cigarette, she gave the anonymous caller the reporter's number. 45 â€Å"It won't work,† Vittoria said, pacing the Pope's office. She looked up at the camerlegno. â€Å"Even if a Swiss Guard team can filter electronic interference, they will have to be practically on top of the canister before they detect any signal. And that's if the canister is even accessible†¦ unenclosed by other barriers. What if it's buried in a metal box somewhere on your grounds? Or up in a metal ventilating duct. There's no way they'll trace it. And what if the Swiss Guards have been infiltrated? Who's to say the search will be clean?† The camerlegno looked drained. â€Å"What are you proposing, Ms. Vetra?† Vittoria felt flustered. Isn't it obvious? â€Å"I am proposing, sir, that you take other precautions immediately. We can hope against all hope that the commander's search is successful. At the same time, look out the window. Do you see those people? Those buildings across the piazza? Those media vans? The tourists? They are quite possibly within range of the blast. You need to act now.† The camerlegno nodded vacantly. Vittoria felt frustrated. Olivetti had convinced everyone there was plenty of time. But Vittoria knew if news of the Vatican predicament leaked out, the entire area could fill with onlookers in a matter of minutes. She had seen it once outside the Swiss Parliament building. During a hostage situation involving a bomb, thousands had congregated outside the building to witness the outcome. Despite police warnings that they were in danger, the crowd packed in closer and closer. Nothing captured human interest like human tragedy. â€Å"Signore,† Vittoria urged, â€Å"the man who killed my father is out there somewhere. Every cell in this body wants to run from here and hunt him down. But I am standing in your office†¦ because I have a responsibility to you. To you and others. Lives are in danger, signore. Do you hear me?† The camerlegno did not answer. Vittoria could hear her own heart racing. Why couldn't the Swiss Guard trace that damn caller? The Illuminati assassin is the key! He knows where the antimatter is†¦ hell, he knows where the cardinals are! Catch the killer, and everything is solved. Vittoria sensed she was starting to come unhinged, an alien distress she recalled only faintly from childhood, the orphanage years, frustration with no tools to handle it. You have tools, she told herself, you always have tools. But it was no use. Her thoughts intruded, strangling her. She was a researcher and problem solver. But this was a problem with no solution. What data do you require? What do you want? She told herself to breathe deeply, but for the first time in her life, she could not. She was suffocating. Langdon's head ached, and he felt like he was skirting the edges of rationality. He watched Vittoria and the camerlegno, but his vision was blurred by hideous images: explosions, press swarming, cameras rolling, four branded humans. Shaitan†¦ Lucifer†¦ Bringer of light†¦ Satan†¦ He shook the fiendish images from his mind. Calculated terrorism, he reminded himself, grasping at reality. Planned chaos. He thought back to a Radcliffe seminar he had once audited while researching praetorian symbolism. He had never seen terrorists the same way since. â€Å"Terrorism,† the professor had lectured, â€Å"has a singular goal. What is it?† â€Å"Killing innocent people?† a student ventured. â€Å"Incorrect. Death is only a byproduct of terrorism.† â€Å"A show of strength?† â€Å"No. A weaker persuasion does not exist.† â€Å"To cause terror?† â€Å"Concisely put. Quite simply, the goal of terrorism is to create terror and fear. Fear undermines faith in the establishment. It weakens the enemy from within†¦ causing unrest in the masses. Write this down. Terrorism is not an expression of rage. Terrorism is a political weapon. Remove a government's faà §ade of infallibility, and you remove its people's faith.† Loss of faith†¦ Is that what this was all about? Langdon wondered how Christians of the world would react to cardinals being laid out like mutilated dogs. If the faith of a canonized priest did not protect him from the evils of Satan, what hope was there for the rest of us? Langdon's head was pounding louder now†¦ tiny voices playing tug of war. Faith does not protect you. Medicine and airbags†¦ those are things that protect you. God does not protect you. Intelligence protects you. Enlightenment. Put your faith in something with tangible results. How long has it been since someone walked on water? Modern miracles belong to science†¦ computers, vaccines, space stations†¦ even the divine miracle of creation. Matter from nothing†¦ in a lab. Who needs God? No! Science is God. The killer's voice resonated in Langdon's mind. Midnight†¦ mathematical progression of death†¦ sacrifici vergini nell' altare di scienza.† Then suddenly, like a crowd dispersed by a single gunshot, the voices were gone. Robert Langdon bolted to his feet. His chair fell backward and crashed on the marble floor. Vittoria and the camerlegno jumped. â€Å"I missed it,† Langdon whispered, spellbound. â€Å"It was right in front of me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Missed what?† Vittoria demanded. Langdon turned to the priest. â€Å"Father, for three years I have petitioned this office for access to the Vatican Archives. I have been denied seven times.† â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I am sorry, but this hardly seems the moment to raise such complaints.† â€Å"I need access immediately. The four missing cardinals. I may be able to figure out where they're going to be killed.† Vittoria stared, looking certain she had misunderstood. The camerlegno looked troubled, as if he were the brunt of a cruel joke. â€Å"You expect me to believe this information is in our archives?† â€Å"I can't promise I can locate it in time, but if you let me in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I am due in the Sistine Chapel in four minutes. The archives are across Vatican City.† â€Å"You're serious aren't you?† Vittoria interrupted, staring deep into Langdon's eyes, seeming to sense his earnestness. â€Å"Hardly a joking time,† Langdon said. â€Å"Father,† Vittoria said, turning to the camerlegno, â€Å"if there's a chance†¦ any at all of finding where these killings are going to happen, we could stake out the locations and – â€Å" â€Å"But the archives?† the camerlegno insisted. â€Å"How could they possibly contain any clue?† â€Å"Explaining it,† Langdon said, â€Å"will take longer than you've got. But if I'm right, we can use the information to catch the Hassassin.† The camerlegno looked as though he wanted to believe but somehow could not. â€Å"Christianity's most sacred codices are in that archive. Treasures I myself am not privileged enough to see.† â€Å"I am aware of that.† â€Å"Access is permitted only by written decree of the curator and the Board of Vatican Librarians.† â€Å"Or,† Langdon declared, â€Å"by papal mandate. It says so in every rejection letter your curator ever sent me.† The camerlegno nodded. â€Å"Not to be rude,† Langdon urged, â€Å"but if I'm not mistaken a papal mandate comes from this office. As far as I can tell, tonight you hold the trust of his station. Considering the circumstances†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camerlegno pulled a pocket watch from his cassock and looked at it. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I am prepared to give my life tonight, quite literally, to save this church.† Langdon sensed nothing but truth in the man's eyes. â€Å"This document,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"do you truly believe it is here? And that it can help us locate these four churches?† â€Å"I would not have made countless solicitations for access if I were not convinced. Italy is a bit far to come on a lark when you make a teacher's salary. The document you have is an ancient – â€Å" â€Å"Please,† the camerlegno interrupted. â€Å"Forgive me. My mind cannot process any more details at the moment. Do you know where the secret archives are located?† Langdon felt a rush of excitement. â€Å"Just behind the Santa Ana Gate.† â€Å"Impressive. Most scholars believe it is through the secret door behind St. Peter's Throne.† â€Å"No. That would be the Archivio della Reverenda di Fabbrica di S. Pietro. A common misconception.† â€Å"A librarian docent accompanies every entrant at all times. Tonight, the docents are gone. What you are requesting is carte blanche access. Not even our cardinals enter alone.† â€Å"I will treat your treasures with the utmost respect and care. Your librarians will find not a trace that I was there.† Overhead the bells of St. Peter's began to toll. The camerlegno checked his pocket watch. â€Å"I must go.† He paused a taut moment and looked up at Langdon. â€Å"I will have a Swiss Guard meet you at the archives. I am giving you my trust, Mr. Langdon. Go now.† Langdon was speechless. The young priest now seemed to possess an eerie poise. Reaching over, he squeezed Langdon's shoulder with surprising strength. â€Å"I want you to find what you are looking for. And find it quickly.†

A factors that may affect communication Essay

Often when we communicate there is always an overall power within that communication. The speaker may create the status of ring leader. This power throughout communication may be seen as a strength, as they are leading the conversation, however this power may be perceived negatively. The recipient in the conversation may feel small and belittled as there is no chance for them to talk, this may therefore cause communication to be less effective. In health and social care both the care provider and patients have power. The patient would have power over final decisions that need to be made concerning their care, however the care provider would have power over the level of care given. This balance of power should always be shared positively. Power throughout communication plays an important role. The care giver should always take the lead. It is important for the patient to have their say on any decisions that may be made, however if the care provider feels they are making the wrong deci sion they should use their all their power of medical intelligence to persuade the patient to make the right decision. Abuse of power may be seen in the workplace. As an example a care worker may be the subject of abuse) by senior management. The senior management may think that the care worker won’t tell anyone due to his or her higher status. This would be an abuse of power on their behalf as they are using their higher level of management to intimidate. This care workers communication throughout the job may also suffer due to their being in a vulnerable state. A strategy that may help any use and abuse of power being stopped may be to promote individual rights within the workplace. This could help to ensure everyone is clear of what help they could have. Putting staff in touch with trade unions may also help. In relation to the above-mentioned case study, an abused care worker might apply the strategy  of speaking to someone in higher management. If the care worker did not feel comfortable doing this, another idea might be to report it to a complaint company or the police. Reporting to higher management may be seen as a positive or a negative. The positive to this strategy is that fast action could take place to ensure the problem is resolved. However the negative could be that the situation isn’t kept private as each different manger might have to discuss it, this may in turn cause the care worker to feel embarrassed and unsafe. In conclusion I feel the use and abuse of power is a key consideration for the care worker and one that will certainly need to be applied strategically. The use of various strategies to meet various situations will create an image of the personality of the care worker in the eyes of their patient. The final factor which effects effective communication would be the use of alcohol and drugs. When having to care for persons under the influence of these substances the lack communication will become a great struggle and may cause great difficulties. A case study example could be in an A and E unit. If the carer is dealing with a person under the influence they would have to be very patient. The person receiving the care may be angry, the best way to defuse this anger is to make sure the person has enough space, if they feel overcrowded this may make them more angry as they are unaware of what is going on. As a carer you would ensure yourself to talk slowly, you may also find that you have to often repeat yourself. While communicating with someone who has drank or taken substances they may either be quiet and be struggling to talk or they may say things that don’t make any sense. As a carer you would try to make them understand where they are and what is going on. Reassuring may gain trust as they know you are only trying to help. If a carer had to undertake a procedure while the patient was under the influence communication would be key. Making sure the person understands what is happening and why is very important. If the person cooperates this will make the procedure a lot easier however there could be a possibility that the person may decide half way through the procedure that they no longer want it or as the drugs or alcohol are wearing off they may feel more confused. Confusion could cause the patient to become angry against the person who is caring for them. Their only defence mechanism they  may feel they have to defend their- selves may be to act physically against the carer. To help ensure this does not happen communication throughout the whole process is vital. However if the patient still reacts angrily having another carer there should ensure more safety. By making the patient aware of their surroundings could bring both negatives and positives. The positive side to this is the patient is aware of where they are, this may help by them being more comparative in any procedures that may need to take place. However this action could also be looked at negatively by telling the patient about their surroundings might make them not want to be there this may cause their cooperation to be poor. Receiving effective communication with a persons under the influence of drink and drugs can be proven difficult however talking slowly and using appropriate strategies should ensure the communication is as effective as possible.

Ethics in Economics and Finance Essay

Ethics is defined as a standard of human behavior that offers how to act in many situations with friends, family members, employees, business people, professionals, etc. It is necessary to mention that to make really ethical decision means to use trained sensitivity to ethical issues. In other words, ethics is associated with acceptable human behavior in this or that everyday or scientific field. Ethics incorporates norms of conventional morality to distinguish ‘wrong’ behavior from ‘right’ behavior. Generally, ethical norms suggest honesty, truthfulness, fairness, integrity, justice and respect for others. Ethics is applied to all aspects of life as, for example, medicine, psychology, business, finance and economics. Financial and economic ethics is considered subset of general ethics. (Frowen, 1995, p. 46) Ethics and Ethical Norms Researches argue that ethical norms and values play important role in maintaining harmony and stability in social life as ethics suggests proper ways of human-human interactions. Ethics recognizes human needs and aspirations, as well as cooperative efforts, fairness and truthfulness. Ethics contributes social stability and ensures balance in all spheres of life and business. Social evolution has developed instinct care in humans to take care of ourselves and of others. Ethical norms are necessary for guiding human behavior and it is refereed to when it is necessary to resolve conflicts between selfishness and selfishness, between conscience and material needs. In finance and economics ethical violations are associated with inconsistency in modern financial-economic theory. Violations are also attributed to inconsistencies in use if principal-agent model of relations in economic and financial transactions. It is noted that the financial-economic theory is based on the rational-maximizer paradigm which promotes capitalist system stressing that individuals are egoistic and they tend to behave rationally when looking for ways of maximizing their own interest. The problem is that modern financial-economic theory contradicts ethical norms of loyalty, fidelity, trustworthiness and stewardship. Moral values are the core of traditional concept of agency, but if humans are claimed to be rational maximizers, then traditional sense is impossible. (Frowen, 19995, p. 47-49) For example, Duska argues that â€Å"to do something for another in a system geared to maximize self-interest is foolish. Such an answer, though, points out an inconsistency at the heart of the system, for a system that has rules requiring agents to look out for others while encouraging individuals to look out only for themselves, destroys the practice of looking out for others†. (Duska, 1992, p. 61) Ethics in Finance Ethics in finance plays important role as it aims at ensuring fair deals and transactions. Moreover, ethics in finance addresses corporate governance, and agency relationships which should be purely contractual. In financial sphere, ethical behaviour should be based on carrot-and-stick approach. In corporate governance the conflict between stockholder and management is described as agency problem. To deal with this problem an agency theory was developed. It stresses that the principal and agent are both self-interested aiming at generating their gain. (Dobson, 1993, p. 7) Researchers say that we tend to entail our needs as, for example, management of retirement savings or stock and bond investing, to financial services as we may fail to carry them effectively. We are not as organized as financial managers, but we are not aware of agency problem. Lack of necessary information limits our ability to monitor managers’ behaviour. Therefore, modern world is characterized by selfish behaviour as people are willing to get their things done by others. Such paradoxical situation explains ethical problems in financial sphere stressing that declining in morality is observed. (Dobson, 1993, p. 8) Ethical violations in finance are rather frequent nowadays and that mainly associated with stakeholder interest, insider trading, investment management and camping financing. Loyalty and trust in public and private dealings are often violated. The most common occurrences are fraudulent financial dealings, corruption in government and public institutions, influence peddling, cheating customers about their trading profits, insider trading, unauthorized transactions, misuse of customer funds in order to obtain personal gain, larceny and corruption in banks, improper pricing of customer trades, etc. Most frequently, unethical behaviour is associated with insider trading which is defined as trading in securities of particular company or organization with an effort to take advantage of information about material side of the company. In such a way, trade is provided with unfair advantage over other competitors in the same security. (Dobson, 1993, p. 59) Therefore, ethical codes are very important in financial filed as they set standards of acceptable behaviour, fair dealing and honest relations with customers. Ethical codes in finance tends to replace egoistic paradigm and to create such system which would promote, honesty, altruism and virtuous traits. It is rather common to fid ethical codes in modern financial markets and financial corporation. In financial markets such ethical codes are established by official regulatory agencies which are trying to ensure ethical and responsible behaviour as important part of all operations and transactions. Furthermore, re-examining of the core principle of capitalist society helps to address ethical problems in both financial and economic fields. Financial ethics suggests that individual should be presented as honest and altruistic promoting honesty and fairness in public and private dealings. The primary purpose of ethic in financial sphere is to set standards of internal good. (Dobson, 1993, p. 60-61) Ethics in Economics Ethics is related with economic sphere in three ways: economists should follow ethical values trying to shape the way they are doing economics; economic actors have ethical values which shape their own behavioural standards; finally, ethical values are important for economic policies and institutions as they affect people differentially. However, from economic perspective ethics is defined as a matter of choice for everyone. Many economists argue that ethical values contribute positively economic welfare. However, there are ideas that economics is ethically neutral. Economists are interested in implication of Adam Smith’s idea that all human are driven by self-interest and egoism. Smith argued that self-interest led to the common good of nation. (Wilber, 1996, p. 135) However, he agreed that human should act in terms of internationalized moral law and police power of the state. Therefore, it is recognized that in economic sphere all figures should act on the basis of acknowledged ethical norms as economy of every country needs efficient ethical behaviour to improve country’s reputation at the world scene. In economics ethics suggests avoiding corruption in government and promoting fair decision-making. It is a matter of fact that ethics is not an easy task for economic system and business as there will be always interest groups which will challenge ethical standards and values. Therefore, economics should pay more attention to ethics and social responsibility, as well as to set ethical codes of behavior. For example, businesses are defined as important institutions in any economic structure. Therefore, they are expected to follow ethical norms when deciding how to organize the work and to produce necessary goods and service. Businesses reflect the overall economic system and unethical behavior may create unfavorable reputation. (Wilber, 1996, p. 139) Conclusion Ethics plays crucial role in all aspects of life, especially in financial and economic sphere. In financial field ethics is associated with fair transactions and dealings, honest buyer-customer relations and avoidance of corruption. In economic field ethics is associated with social responsibility, ethical decision-making as the whole nation depends on them, and, of course, with no corruption on national level. Ethics is necessary not only for maintaining balance and harmony, but also for improving reputation of company, organization, and even country. (Frowen, 1995, p. 68)

Fast Food Popularity in China Essay

Examine the reasons for the popularity of fast food restaurants in your country. When, why, and how have these restaurants become so popular? (Cause) Demonstrate the impact of this popularity on your country’s culture, i. e. , food, health, economy, lifestyle. (Effect) You will need to do some research on the fast food chains growth, menus, nutritional background, business models, and perhaps more. Your research should include more than one fast food restaurant. Recently, McDonald’s announced their plan to expand outlets from 1300 to 2000 by the end of 2013 in China. It is reported that the main purpose is to compete with KFC, which is the largest quick service restaurant brand in China with over 4,200 restaurants in more than 850 cities across China. The growing huge market and politic strategies taken by restaurants make fast food popular in China; this in turn has a great influence on China’s economy, culture and health. There are several of causes for fast food popular in China. On the first place, the growing market and industry attract plenty of fast food restaurants. China’s fast food market worth over 700 billion yuan in the last year and had a rapid speed–about 12 percent in the past several years. Furthermore, the market is estimated to grow to 1400 billion yuan by 2015. The second main cause of this popularity is some strategies taken by fast food brands especially localization. Take KFC for example, the brand adds many localized product like Beijing Chicken Roll, tomato egg soup and corn salad to meet Chinese consumers demand. The popularity also brings some effects especially for Chinese culture. First, the change reflects on food consumption habits. For example, Yum! China’s menu is dominated by meat-rich food except for breakfast. Furthermore, fast foods are becoming affordable by most people so that the brand opens almost one third of its restaurants in countryside. Second, traditional wedding has been influenced with wedding services provided by some fast food brands. Nowadays, to compare with Chinese traditional, extravagant and tawdry weddings, more and more young people in China prefer smaller, easier and cheaper weddings. Many fast food restaurants contribute to this tendency like McWedding offered by McDonald’s, which is held by restaurant assistants with a more intimate and less costly way. In short, fast food popularity has an effect on Chinese eating habit and wedding tradition. Also, the popularity has an effect on economy. For one thing, it increases the revenues for economy. The revenue of fast food industry in 2011 is $74. 8 billion which benefits the economy in turn. More important thing is that the revenue will keep growing at the rate of 14. -15. 0% in the next five years. For another thing, it influences the agriculture. With the explosive development of fast food industry, many grain farms are out of use. In 2011, there are roughly 700 thousand hectares of arable land are reconstructed to raise livestock or fowl instead of growing grains. As a result, China needs to rely more on importation and increase grain imports. In 2010, China imported 927 (1000 MT) wheat, while in 2012, nearly 3200 (1000 MT) wheat were imported. It is obvious that the popularity benefits China’s revenue while harming the agriculture foundation. Finally, the popularity also carries two problems for people’s health: obesity and diabetes. The number of overweight people has grown from 18 to 100 million in the last 5 years with the rapid development of fast food industry. As a result, many complications like high blood pressure and diabetes become more common in China. Take diabetes for example, there are over 92 million adults suffer from diabetes and the costs of diabetes make up nearly 1. % of GDP. It is undeniable that fast food restaurants make Chinese people cost a lot on their health especially on the treatment of diabetes. In conclusion, the pursue towards maximum profits and proper strategies contribute to the popularity of fast food in China, as a result, China’s culture, economy and Chinese health. In the foreseeable future, the popularity of fast food will last for a lone time and will have long-term effects in china.