Analysis of the Book Bitch and the Movie Based on the Book Essay

Analysis of the Book Bitch and the Movie Based on the Book - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of the Book Bitch and the Movie Based on the Book" presents the comparative analysis of the book "Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women" and the movie "Taken" based upon the book. In the 2008 movie "Taken" directed by Pierre Morel was released, the story is a spinoff from Elizabeth Wurtzel’s book "Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women". It used to be that in the old days, girls and women used to have to be accompanied everywhere they went. In Medieval Spain, women had to be accompanied by a chaperone when they were asked out by a gentleman who would come calling. There are traces of this in the movie when Liam Neeson’s character, Bryan, insists that his daughter not goes alone to France. Even when his daughter insists that she is taking her peer and friend Amanda with her to France - who is also 17 years old - Bryan is not convinced that it’s the best idea. He has a bad feeling about it. His wife Lenore, however, insists that he will never let his daughter do anything. She will come to later regret urging her husband to allow the teen to go with her friend to Paris. It is when the girls take a trip in a Parisian taxi that things go horribly wrong, and an Albanian gangster kidnaps the girls and sells them into slavery. This is when Bryan, the ex-CIA officer, springs into action - as he is told he only h as 96 hours max to save his daughter before she is lost forever. The author’s contentions that the way girls and women are perceived today is an accurate portrayal of what goes on in real life.

HRM Case Study on You Never know Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRM Case Study on You Never know - Essay Example Many deserving people are fighting to get a basic job which will at least pay their mortgage and on the other hand, people who cannot even read properly, let alone develop strategies for a company, get great jobs. Why is this? It all boils down to the resume. If someone has carefully crafted their resume by making even their simplest and easiest tasks show up as if they have climbed Mount Everest, it is obvious that it will impress the company. On the other hand, there are also those who are so gullible that they will not show up their most important experiences clearly so that they become overshadowed in the resume and don’t earn them as much credit as they deserve. The fault can also be ascribed to companies for not being thorough in their selection. More often than not they may drop a very worthy candidate’s resume in the bin just because the font was not right or his English Language might be a little weak. I personally know a case from â€Å"Reckitt & Benkiser† who rejected a girl candidate for their Management Trainee program because her father was a retired employee of â€Å"Unilever†. They might have had this assumption that she will pass on secrets to a rival company. Everyone does not make their own resume. As a business student I know that there might be a handful students who â€Å"really† know how to do this job well and everyone will come up to them to get their resume made. Either this, or there may be people who hire professional help to get their resumes made. This practice happens in abundance because companies look for, and hire, only those candidates who have a snappy line in their resume which will catch the eyes of the company. Writing a goal has never been tougher. Simply writing â€Å"to get a good job in a multinational company to make a career† is never enough. You have to write â€Å"explore my horizons in the prestigious working environment this company offers and make my time in this

Impact of Data on Competitive Strategy

Impact of Data on Competitive Strategy Prachi Mankotia Will data transform competitive strategy? (A) Argue that competitive strategy, from the perspective of Michael Porter, is essential for firm success (hence Philip Evans is not correct in arguing that strategy is invalid). What is Strategy? Before explaining the concept of strategy, it is essential to highlight the term Value Proposition. A value proposition is a thirty-second elevator speech stating the specific benefits a product or service offering provides a buyer. It answers why the product or service is superior to competing offers. As such, the value proposition becomes a critical component in shaping strategy (Principles of Marketing, 2015). Strategy is often misinterpreted with aspirations, actions, and vision of the firm. It is interesting to note that many people say that it is our strategy to be number 1 or it is our strategy to grow, our strategy is to do international business, etc. but these are not strategies. Strategy defines the companys distinctive approach to competing and competitive advantages on which it will be based. Thinking strategically is the starting point to the firms success. The firms try to be the best in the market, be it the best car, the best toothpaste, or anything for that matter, but this is the worst error that firms make. They try to compete in the same dimensions. Instead, they should try to be unique. The process of strategic planning Strategic planning is a process that helps an organization allocate its resources to capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace. Typically, it is a long-term process. The strategic planning process includes conducting a situation analysis and developing the organizations mission statement, objectives, value proposition, and strategies (Principles of Marketing, 2015). A situational analysis includes analysis of both internal and external factors. Organizations conduct SWOT analysis based on this situation analysis. The strengths and weaknesses depend on the internal factors whereas the opportunities and threats depend on the external factors. Once a company has analysed its internal and external environments, managers can begin to decide which strategies are best, given the firms mission statement. This is a very broad model but Michael Porter came up with a better model to make this concept clear. Competitive strategy: essential for success of the firm A companys economic performance results from two different causes, one being the industry structure and other strategic positioning within the industry. Strategic thinking must encompass both these factors. Michael Porter developed an approach for analysing industries and the model was called the Five Forces Model (Porter, 1980). This model helps the firms to identify their current competitors as well as those who can be competitors in the future and firms can find the best way to position themselves in the industry. The second part in strategic thinking is the strategic positioning which means achieving superior performance within an industry. Only two ways can achieve profitability; by being able to command a higher price(differentiation) or by being able to produce an equivalent product at lower cost. So, the firm needs to identify its root to competitive advantage. With this comes the concept of value chain. Value chains is the set of activities that the company does to deliver value to the customers. All competitive advantage resides in the value chain. Strategy is manifested in choices about how activities in the value chain are configured and linked together. Often, operational effectiveness is presumed to be a strategy but it is not a strategy. Though it is a necessity but it not sufficient for the company to be profitable eventually. This is because over long run, the competitors will figure out the companys best practice and then it will be hard to be distinctive. This is also known as strategic convergence which leads to lower prices and no one is profitable, all try to stay in the game. Therefore, the company should consider strategic positioning because it presumes that the company is operationally effective. It is about making choices to be unique, to be different to meet different needs to the set of customers that the company chooses to target. Some examples of competitive strategy This section of the paper illustrates examples for both industry structure and strategic positioning within an industry, which are essential for the success of the firm. Airline industry vs Business Software industry Michael Porter gives an example of the industry structure using the Five Forces Model (Porter, 1980). He explains that for any industry to attain average level of profitability, it is essential to understand the fundamental structure of forces. The airline industry has horrendous profitability since decades because of unattractive industry structure. It is very easy for customers to switch airlines; the airframe and engine manufacturers also have a lot of power and there are high levels of rivalry because of costs being fixed. Many few airlines make money and even they dont make it for a long time. Business software industry, on the other hand, has a very attractive industry structure. This is because it becomes very difficult for the customers to switch from one software to the other. The costs of producing a software and bringing it up is also very high, so there are not much substitutes. This makes the software industry very profitable. This is not random and it is very important for the industry to understand the underlying structure to make profits and succeed. IKEA: Furniture Retailer Company This example portrays all important attributes that a company needs to cover to create a successful strategy. The very first attribute is to have a unique value proposition, i.e., who are your customers, what are their needs and what relative price you must offer. A strategy is when a company competes to be unique. The value proposition of IKEA includes customers who seek quality and sophisticated design but at a very low price point. They have a wide array of stylish and space efficient furnishings. They made many key choices in the value chain to be unique, and that is what a strategy is, a combination that suits your companys value proposition. IKEA delivers its products in a box, there is no fixed furnishing, everything is dismantled and packed compact in a box. Another attribute to strategy is to make clear trade-offs and choosing what not to do. Part of a successful strategy is that a company cannot seek to make everybody happy, it must choose its target market and focus on the ir needs and not compromising on certain factors to include everybody. Michael porter also makes it clear that a company shouldnt imitate IKEA because in this way, it might be altering the advantages it has. No one can imitate them because strategy is about making choices and tying them together to benefit the organization. Another attribute to a successful strategy is how the activities in the value chain are connected. Like in IKEA, all its activities are mutually connected, their design, production, the way they do logistics, etc. This is another reason no one can copy a good strategy because for that everything needs to be copied which wont work because the company from whom youll be copying, is doing that for a long time now. The last attribute that makes a successful strategy is that change is continuous but not change in strategy, not change in value proposition. Conclusion All the above examples and concepts clearly indicate that a strategy is often misinterpreted with a firms aspirations, visions, and actions. A strategy is the means to get to those aspirations, it is the core understanding of distinctive issues, it is the set of choices a firm makes to deliver those values. Thinking strategically means to compete to be unique and not the best. Strategy is about making choices, and with choices comes trade-offs. A good strategy is a unique set of choices made from the value chain that Michael Porter has introduced and a competitive strategy leads to a firms success. Phillip Evans mentioned his point of data taking over strategy but even he is not sure of it. He quotes value chain can breakup but not necessarily. His views are based on assumptions whereas Porters view proves that competitive strategy is essential for the firms success. Moreover, data can help a firm to increase its potential for competitive advantage, but Porters value chain is important for a firm to decide the combination of choices to make to use its competitive advantage in the right direction to achieve success. Therefore, it is evident that Competitive Strategy, from the perspective of Michael Porter is essential for firm success. References Principles of Marketing (2015). University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition. https://youtu.be/KvYwKM5bY0s http://www.ted.com/talks/philip_evans_how_data_will_transform_business http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/porters-generic-competitive-strategies/ http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valueproposition.asp https://www.information-management.com/opinion/big-data-and-analytics-help-business-transform-and-gain-competitive-advantage

Dengue in Malaysia Essay -- Health, Diseases

Dengue has now emerged as one of the major public health problems in Malaysia. It was first reported in 1901 in Penang and since then the disease has become endemic concentrating mostly in urban areas. The objectives of this study were to utilize the temporal-spatial model to determine high risk areas for the dengue outbreak. This study examined a total of 25000 confirmed dengue fever cases, geo-coded by address in the city of Subang Jaya between Jan 2006 and December 2009, were included in the study. The results were drawn from a measurement of the three temporal risk characteristics (Frequency, duration and intensity) in order to determine the severity and magnitude of outbreak transmission.The values of the three indices were considered high in a spatial unit when their standard values were positive. Measurement of the three temporal risk indices found that there were areas with significant high value for each of the temporal indices. This suggested that areas within Subang Jaya M unicipality had different temporal characteristics for dengue occurrence. The utilization of three risk measures enabled to identify higher-risk areas for the occurrence of dengue fever, concentrated in the city’s northern region. The correlation coefficient for all the three types of relationship was above 0.7. The value indicated that there was a strong correlation between each temporal risk indices. Even though case notification data are subject to bias, this information is available in the health services and can lead to important conclusions, recommendations and hypotheses. As a recommendation, the temporal risk indices can be utilized by public health officials to characterize dengue rather than relying on the traditional case incidence data. ... ...rrupted cases. This index gives an idea of the persistence of transmission and represents the average duration, in weeks, of epidemic waves that occurred in the given period. †¢ Intensity index (ÃŽ ³), characterized as the mean incidence of cumulative dengue cases occurring in consecutive weeks per epidemic wave that had persisted for more than two week. It can be expressed as: ÃŽ ³ = TI / OE where TI is the incidence rate during the given period and OE is described above. It assesses the severity of transmission, and is based on sequences of weeks with the occurrence of uninterrupted cases. High values mean time-concentrated transmission. The dengue cases were provided by MPSJ where dengue cases were summarized according to the housing area, on a weekly basis. Therefore, this study used a week as a temporal unit for better comparison on different indices.

Analyzing Edmund Spenser’s Sonnet 54 Essay

Edmund Spenser’s â€Å"Sonnet 54† The world is like a theater and his love is like watching drama unfold on stage. Love has it’s ups and downs, sometimes you’re happy and feel like you are watching a comedy, but then soon after you can become miserable just like the sadness you feel when watching a tragedy. The woman he loves doesn’t seem to happy when he is nor does she try to make him feel better when he is upset, instead she makes fun of him and mocks his feelings. She doesn’t seem to be affected by anything, so he comes to the conclusion that she isn’t a caring person nor can she be, she’s just a heartless human being incapable of love. The rhyme scheme is that of a Spenserian Sonnet. Spenser uses conceit throughout the first two quatrains in order to get his points across of how love compares to the shows of the theater. Beginning in the third quatrain, Spenser shifts from talking about what his love is like to talking about how the woman he loves mocks him. Spenser uses Caesura in line 13 of the couplet. â€Å"What then can move her? if nor mirth nor moan,† This pause is used to get you to understand the importance of this question. He’s so distraught by the fact that this woman is so void of emotion, he can’t believe that nothing affects her and that she can treat him so badly. He ponders if anything could make her feel. It is interesting how the third quatrain makes somewhat of a different point than the first two. Typically the first three quatrains are used to restate the point of the writer. Each of the three quatrains form their own sentence, as well as the couplet. I believe Spenser does this in order to try and make each point of each quatrain important to the reader. Each quatrain describes something specific but different, they do however all keep with his description of his love. It seems that the couplet’s sentence show’s that the woman is the main cause for his ups and downs and he comes to the conclusion that she will never change. Spenser uses many poetic devices such as his conceit of love being like someone watching a play, enjambment, breaks and caesurae to get his points across. The content of Sonnet 54 still rings true today, most people probably feel as if their love life is like that of a production on stage.

Human Behavior in an Organization Essay

In an organization there are lots of factors to be considered for the company to achieve its goals and objective and succeed. These factors include communication, motivation, leadership skills, personal characteristics of employees, interaction between and among employees and teamwork. Communication is significant in transferring information because the information to be transferred must be precise and accurate to avoid miscommunication. Failure to communicate proper information might cause a negative long-term effect on the company. Furthermore, miscommunication may result to personal conflicts between members of an organization. Persons or employees in the organization must feel motivated to achieve the goals and objectives that should be met. This motivation may come from personal factors, such as for family and self-competence, or external factors, such as salaries or benefits are tied to performance of doing a job. Highly motivated members are the ones who mostly done their job efficiently. Management must motivate employees for them to do their jobs efficiently and effectively so as to lessen any probable negative impacts to the organization. There is always a person or a group of persons that will initiate any activities done by an organization and we usually call these people as leaders. A leader must be sensitive to feelings of others but not to the extent that it would prejudice any undertakings made by the group. We see different kinds of leaders, there are those who are autocratic or who don’t listen to what others has to say but there are also those that listens, hears and considers the point of view of others. Conflicts may arise in an organization primarily because of the personal characteristics of each employee that are not acceptable to others. This should not be done because everyone is different in his or her own way. Conflicts between employees would result to negative effects that would cause to fail to meet the objectives. These problems between members must be resolve to build a better relationship between them and to be able to prevent this problems to arise again in the future. In any activity that an organization should do, teamwork must always be present. This is very important to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives efficiently. In a team, each one must do their part to help achieve the goal and not help prejudice the activity. In a team, together everyone achieves more, which means that if members would just work together, all of the objectives, even the least important objective will be met. There are weaknesses and strengths inside a group and this must be taken into considerations, to eliminate these weaknesses and improve those strengths. Team building activities may be done by the organization to improve the relationship between and among members so as to have a team that works together for a common goal. Hence, goal congruence arises, which is very important factor that must exist inside the organization. Thus, proper communication, motivation, leadership skills, relationships between members and teamwork must exist within an organization. In this way, any goals and objectives of the organization will be met. As long as each one of the members do their parts well, nothing could go wrong and the organization will be successful in any activities they will undertake.

Free Essays on Family Life Cycle

The family life cycle consists of six stages, which for the basis of a person’s life. It begins with The Young Adult in which parents learn to accept separation from their children, the development of intimate peer relationships and becoming independent financially. I will be entering this stage soon enough to the point where my parents have told me about their struggles and what I should do when entering this stage. I have learned to become dependant on myself financially and how to separate from them in the future. The second stage involves The Newly Wed Couple in which a couple commits to a new relationship. They learn to adjust to each other, set up a joint home and interact with both families. Both of my parents found the separation from their families hard to do because once they had their arranged marriage they would move from India to Canada. They would be leaving a familiar environment and living with a complete stranger. My parents had to start from the beginning and learn how to accumulate their finances within a joint account. This taught me how to become prepared for a similar situation I will face in the future and how to become responsible for my significant other and myself. The family life cycle continues with The Couple with Young Children, and how they learn to accept new members into the family unit. â€Å"This includes adjusting the marital relationship to accept children, taking on the roles of being parents, and realigning relationships with families of orientation to include grandparent roles.† – Text Book.... Free Essays on Family Life Cycle Free Essays on Family Life Cycle The family life cycle consists of six stages, which for the basis of a person’s life. It begins with The Young Adult in which parents learn to accept separation from their children, the development of intimate peer relationships and becoming independent financially. I will be entering this stage soon enough to the point where my parents have told me about their struggles and what I should do when entering this stage. I have learned to become dependant on myself financially and how to separate from them in the future. The second stage involves The Newly Wed Couple in which a couple commits to a new relationship. They learn to adjust to each other, set up a joint home and interact with both families. Both of my parents found the separation from their families hard to do because once they had their arranged marriage they would move from India to Canada. They would be leaving a familiar environment and living with a complete stranger. My parents had to start from the beginning and learn how to accumulate their finances within a joint account. This taught me how to become prepared for a similar situation I will face in the future and how to become responsible for my significant other and myself. The family life cycle continues with The Couple with Young Children, and how they learn to accept new members into the family unit. â€Å"This includes adjusting the marital relationship to accept children, taking on the roles of being parents, and realigning relationships with families of orientation to include grandparent roles.† – Text Book....

What Are Good SAT Scores for Colleges 101 Schools + Advice

What Are Good SAT Scores for Colleges 101 Schools + Advice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As you apply to college, it's important to understand how high of an SAT score you will need to aim for on test day. This raises the question:what aregood SAT scores for colleges? And notjust any colleges, but your colleges specifically? In this article, we’ll examine the SAT scores needed for college and how these scores can varydue todifferences in factors such as school prestige and competitiveness. We’ll then show you how to look for average SAT scores for colleges and how to set your own SAT goal score. What Are Good SAT Scores for Colleges? First off, what are good SAT scores for colleges? In reality, there's no single answer to this question because good SAT scores for universities vary depending on where you’re applying. For some schools, an SAT score of 1400 will be significantly high, whereas for others (i.e., top-20 colleges) it’ll be fairly low. As you might've guessed, ultra-competitive,top-ranked schools typically look for some of the highest SAT scores in applicants. Below is a chart containing thetop 25 US schools (as ranked by US News) and their ranges of SAT scoresfor incoming students. This data highlights the SAT score you'll need to get in order to give yourself the best shot at securing admissioninto ahighly competitive school.For each school, we give you theaverage SAT score, 25th percentile score, and 75th percentile score of incoming students. A 25th percentile score means that 25% of students scored at or below this threshold, while a 75th percentile score means that 75% of students scored at or below this threshold. Thus, the 25th and 75th percentiles represent the middle 50% SAT scores of admitted applicants- the average SAT score range for a particular school.GoodSAT scores for universities are usually those in the 75th percentile or higher (i.e., anything above the middle 50%). Note:For those curious about what kinds of SAT scores are required for Ivy League schools, I’ve bolded all eight Iviesin the table below. This should make it easier to compare the SAT scores of Ivies with those of non-Ivies. SAT Scores for Top 25 US Schools School US News Ranking 25th %ile SAT Score 75th %ile SAT Score Avg SAT Score Princeton 1 1430 1570 1500 Harvard 2 1460 1590 1520 Columbia 3 (tie) 1450 1580 1515 MIT 3 (tie) 1490 1570 1528 UChicago 3 (tie) 1480 1580 1530 Yale 3 (tie) 1420 1590 1505 Stanford 7 1390 1540 1465 Duke 8 (tie) 1390 1580 1485 Penn 8 (tie) 1420 1560 1490 Johns Hopkins 10 (tie) 1460 1580 1520 Northwestern 10 (tie) 1420 1560 1490 Caltech 12 (tie) 1530 1590 1560 Dartmouth 12 (tie) 1430 1560 1478 Brown 14 (tie) 1405 1570 1488 Vanderbilt 14 (tie) 1400 1550 1475 Cornell 16 (tie) 1390 1550 1470 Rice 16 (tie) 1490 1580 1535 Notre Dame 18 1370 1520 1445 UCLA 19 (tie) 1240 1490 1365 WUSTL 19 (tie) 1470 1570 1505 Emory 21 1350 1520 1435 Georgetown 22 (tie) 1350 1520 1435 UC Berkeley 22 (tie) 1330 1530 1430 USC 22 (tie) 1300 1500 1400 Carnegie Mellon 25 (tie) 1430 1560 1495 UVA 25 (tie) 1290 1470 1365 As you can see from this chart, the SAT scores you’ll need for top 25 schools vary slightly but are overall quite high.Of these schools, UCLA has the lowest SAT scores: the middle 50% of its incoming students scored between 1240 and 1490, or the 80th and 98th percentiles. By contrast,Caltech maintains the highest SAT scores:only 25% of incoming studentsscored at or below 1530- an extremely impressive SAT score in the 99th percentile! Even more impressive, a whopping 75% of Caltech students scored at or below a near-perfect score of 1590. Top schools are like center brownies: lots of people compete for them, but only a few will win access to one. But what if you’re not interested in applying to only top-25 schools? To lend you a hand, we've gathered SAT score information for 76 additional schools.All of the schools selected for this listare relatively well known- some more so in their respective regions- andvary from large public institutions to small liberal arts colleges. Whereas some are extremely competitive, others are more laid-back. But all are definitely worth considering for college! All schools below areorganized alphabetically.To find a specific school, use ctrl + F to type in the name of the school you're searching for. Note that University of California schools are listed using "UC." SAT Scores for 76 Popular Schools School 25th %ile SAT Score 75th %ile SAT Score Avg SAT Score American University 1180 1350 1260 Amherst College 1430 1560 1492 Baylor University 1190 1360 1275 Binghamton University 1290 1431 1361 Boston College 1320 1490 1405 Boston University 1300 1480 1380 Bowdoin College 1290 1510 1390 Brigham Young University (BYU) 1210 1410 1310 California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) 1220 1400 1293 Chapman University 1190 1360 1270 Claremont McKenna College 1420 1560 1490 College of William and Mary 1300 1480 1390 Drexel University 1160 1360 1260 George Washington University(GWU) 1280 1440 1355 Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) 1090 1520 1295 Harvey Mudd College 1470 1570 1520 Indiana University Bloomington 1140 1350 1246 Lehigh University 1270 1430 1347 Loyola Marymount University 1180 1360 1269 Miami University 1190 1380 1285 Michigan State University(MSU) 1100 1320 1204 Middlebury College 1320 1510 1404 New York University (NYU) 1290 1490 1382 Northeastern University 1370 1520 1445 Ohio State University(OSU) 1260 1450 1344 Pace University 1070 1240 1137 Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) 1160 1340 1247 Pepperdine University 1200 1390 1294 Pitzer College 1310 1490 1394 Pomona College 1370 1530 1450 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute(RPI) 1320 1500 1399 Rutgers University 1190 1400 1300 Scripps College 1290 1460 1384 Stony Brook University- SUNY 1210 1410 1304 Syracuse University 1160 1350 1255 Temple University 1130 1310 1221 Texas AM University 1140 1360 1252 Texas Christian University (TCU) 1130 1330 1230 Trinity College 1190 1440 1320 Tufts University 1410 1540 1475 Tulane University 1330 1490 1410 UC Davis 1120 1360 1240 UC Irvine 1170 1410 1286 UC Riverside 1090 1300 1179 UC San Diego(UCSD) 1140 1380 1257 UC Santa Barbara(UCSB) 1270 1500 1385 UC Santa Cruz 1160 1370 1263 United States Military Academy(West Point) 1185 1400 1300 United States Naval Academy 1250 1450 1410 University of Alabama 1050 1280 1177 University of Arizona 1100 1340 1182 University of Cincinnati 1120 1340 1233 University of Colorado Boulder(CU Boulder) 1150 1345 1248 University of Connecticut (UConn) 1110 1390 1250 University of Florida 1240 1410 1318 University of Georgia (UGA) 1200 1370 1281 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign(UIUC) 1340 1500 1420 University of Iowa 1100 1400 1240 University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) 1180 1360 1269 University of Miami 1220 1410 1316 University of Michigan 1330 1500 1415 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 1270 1480 1358 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) 1260 1440 1347 University of Pittsburgh 1240 1418 1330 University of Rochester 1250 1490 1370 University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) 1160 1390 1275 University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) 1220 1430 1315 University of Vermont 1180 1350 1259 University of Washington 1190 1420 1310 University of Wisconsin- Madison 1280 1450 1359 Vassar College 1370 1510 1420 Villanova University 1250 1440 1345 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) 1180 1360 1268 Wake Forest University 1260 1440 1350 Wellesley College 1360 1530 1437 Williams College 1400 1570 1468 School 25th %ile SAT Score 75th %ile SAT Score Avg SAT Score The list above is only a fraction of the length of Santa's naughty-or-nice list. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! How to Find Average SAT Scores for Colleges With these two charts, we've given you- in addition to the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for each school- the average SAT scores of admitted applicants. These averages tell us what kinds of SAT scores you shouldaim for in order to match (or even possiblyexceed!) the qualifications of previously admitted students. But where can you findaverage SAT scores for colleges? The two best resources to look for SAT averages are ourPrepScholar database andofficial school websites. Method 1: Use the PrepScholar Database We at PrepScholar maintain a robust databaseyou can use to get more information onthe SAT scores needed for college. Start by typing in "[School Name] PrepScholar"or "[School Name] PrepScholar SAT"on Google. For example, here's the page I got when I searched for "university of oregon prepscholar": Click the link to either your school'sAdmission Requirements page orSAT Scores and GPA page in our database. I decided to look at the University of Oregon's Admission Requirements page(the first link in the screenshot above). Once on your school's PrepScholar page, scroll down to look for a section about its SAT scores. Straight away, you should be able to spot your school'saverage SAT score in a blue banner: If you'd like to see the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for your school as well, simply scroll down to look at the percentile chart: This is all you need to do to find the average SAT scores for colleges. However, if you’re having trouble locating a specific school in our PrepScholar database, move on to Method 2. Method 2: Use Official School Websites This method involves lookingfor SAT score information on aschool's official website.The easiest way to do this is to hop on Google, search for "[School Name] average SAT scores," and then click any links to official pages discussing SAT scores for your school. Another (slightly less convenient) method is tobrowseyour school'swebsite and intermittently usectrl + F to look for anymentions of SAT scores. The best pages to searchare those offering information onadmission statistics, the new freshman class, and facts and figures. That said, not allschools report average SAT scores. Whereas some won't release any SAT score information at all,other schools might report SAT scores of admitted applicants in the form of 25th and 75th percentile scores. One example of this is Princeton, whichoffers middle 50% SAT score ranges for both sections on the SAT. According to this Ivy League school, the middle 50% is 730-790 for Math and 700-770 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. In other words,25% of students scored1430 or below and 75% of students scored 1560 or below. Although this range isn’tthe same as an average, it does give us the information we ultimately want to know:what kind of SAT scores are considered better than average (and below average) at this particularschool. This freakishly beautiful kitten is anything but average. How to Set an SAT Goal Score We've seen how widely SAT scores for universities can vary; now, it’s time to figure out what score you'll need for your colleges specifically. In other words, what shouldyourSAT goal score be? A goal score is the SAT score most likely to get you into at least one of the colleges you're applying to (excluding safety schools). Ideally, it'll get you into all of them! Because SAT expectations can vary greatly by school and because there's such an enormous array of colleges you can apply to,your SAT goal score will be yours and yours alone.Other students might have higher or lower goal scores than you- but none of that matters. In the end, what does matter is your goal score’s likelihood of getting you into the college of your dreams! To find your SAT goal score, follow these three simple steps. Step 1: Make a Chart First off, make a table for the schools you're applying to and their 25th/75th percentile SAT scores. You may download our worksheet or draw a table similar to the one below. On the left, list all the schools you plan to apply to (excluding any safety schools you’re about90% certain you’ll get into). Here's an example: School 25th Percentile 75th Percentile UT Austin Texas AM Baylor TCU Step 2: Find SAT Score Info Online Your next step is to look for SAT score information for each of the schools in your table.To do this, follow the same steps as outlined in Method 1 for finding average SAT scores for colleges. Once again, here are the steps you'll need to take: Step 1: Search for "[School Name] PrepScholar SAT" on Google and click on the PrepScholar page for your school (either the Admission Requirements page or SAT Scores and GPA page will work). Step 2: Scroll down to the SAT section on this page to find a chart listing the 25th percentile, 75th percentile, and average SAT scores for this school. Step 3: Recordthe 25th and 75th percentile scores in your chart. In addition to using our database, you can search for "[School Name] SAT scores" on Google and look for official web pagesfor your school. Many schools will report either average SAT scores or the middle 50% of SAT scores(which is what you'll want for your chart). As a reminder, the minimum score in a 50% range is the 25th percentile, and the maximum is the 75th percentile. Once you've found SAT score information for all your schools, your chart should look like this: School Name 25th Percentile 75th Percentile UT Austin 1160 1390 Texas AM 1140 1360 Baylor 1190 1360 TCU 1130 1330 Step 3: Find Your Target Score Now, you’ll use the information in your chart to findyour target SAT score. To do this, simply look for the highest 75th percentile score in your chart.This will be your SAT target score. You must hit this (or near this) score in order to give yourself the best chance of admission to all the schools you're applying to. In this case, my goal score would be 1390 (for UT Austin), as this is the highest score in my chart. To figure out your (estimated) goal scores for each section (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing + Math), you candivide your goal score by 2.So a composite 1390 goal score would come out to a 690-700 EBRW goal score and a 690-700 Math goal score. My goal score? 100% completion in Breath of the Wild. (Brett Chalupa/Flickr) Summary: What Are Good SAT Scores for Colleges? Simply put, there is no one definition for good SAT scores for colleges. On the contrary, the SAT scores needed for college can vary significantly depending on schools' SAT expectations and where you’re applying. While some institutions might look for scores in the 99th percentile, others might accept scores closer to the national average. In general, good SAT scores for colleges are those that arein the 75th percentile or higher for your schools.Such a scoreshould elevate you well above the average SAT scores for yourschools, ultimately allowing you tostand apartfrom other applicants. Tofind average SAT scores for colleges, we recommend perusingeither our PrepScholar database or your schools' official websites. Finally, to set an SAT goal score, just follow these three easy steps: Step 1: Make a chart with all of the schools you're applying to(excluding safety schools) and their 25th and 75th percentiles. Step 2: Find SAT score information online by using either our database or your schools' official websites. Record the 25th and 75th percentilesin your chart. Step 3: Locate the highest75th percentile score in your chart.This will be your SAT goal score, as it's the one most likely to get you accepted to all the schools you're applying to. What’s Next? Still curious about good SAT scores for colleges?Read all about average SAT scores to see how they vary for different groups of test takers and learn what great, good, and poor SAT scores look like. Need additional help with setting an SAT goal score? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to seta target score for your schools. Readyto get the best SAT score you can get?With our completely customizable prep program, you can target your weaknesses and hone the skills you'll need most for test day. We also offer a ton ofexpert SAT tips and tricks to help you get the score you need for college! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Argumentative Essay : My Argumentative Synthesis Essay -- Writing, Essay

I started out by rewriting my entire first body paragraph which had a lot to do with coffee and its crucial role to the United States, and the South American economy. I had to delete the majority of this paragraph and re-read all my sources. I rewrote this paragraph and stated out in a lot of detail the importance and beneficial role that coffee had to play in the American economy. This time I did so in my own words. I elaborated in all the details such as how coffee affected small coffee houses and how it contributed in the making of worldwide jobs. The organization in this essay wasn 't so great so i ended up organizing it much better. I started out by first talking about how coffee benefited the U.S economy, and then i moved on into the effects it had on the South American economy. ce on how caffeine can be a risk reducer towards type II diabetes and liver cancer was a walk in the park metaphorically speaking. Another strength of mine is my wordplay. While this can also be a big w eakness because at times I can write some really awkward sentences it can also bring about some creativity on how I state things out. I used this to my advantage and used it on my first essay, the explanatory synthesis essay. Concluding this essay as a writer i feel more knowledgeable and in a sense my skills have vastly improved. I know how to use sources and scientific articles. I 've also learned how to cite sources and write a good bibliography. My knowledge has also expanded to the point where i now know how to use scholarly journals. As a growing writer I feel as if I have a lot more to learn in the near future and i feel like i have a lot of growing left to do.

Discussion Questions - Strategic Sourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Questions - Strategic Sourcing - Essay Example The choice of the right assessemtn tool depends on the needs of the organisation, as well as the convenience the organisation wants to have in the process. These assessment tests are often used in predicting whether particular job applicants can take part in the many counterproductive activities at the work place like unsafe behavior and other related activities. These tests are also essential in predicting the tenure for the job applicants as well as their effectiveness in the job. These tests have also been found to be very effective in helping the organisation to avoid most of the costly mistakes in the hiring process like violence, theft and various other forms of counterproductive behaviors (Gilmore, 2009). Integrity tests are essential in the provision of low cost alternatives in the process of getting the most effective and reliable employees. While assessment tools are often used with much success in different organisations, some of them have to be avoided because they are not effective in producign the best lasting results. One of these assessment tests is the use of perfomance tests. These tests are always not effective because they do not focus on the ability ot the employees to learn new skills and knowledge as the organisation grows and develops. These assessment tests are also not preferred because they often lead to screening out of employees that can be trained to undertake the roles of the organisation. Additionally, it also focuses onsome of the skills that the potential job candidates may not use in the course of their work practices. The human resource management often uses various selection tools in the process of getting the right staff for their work practices. Most of these tools are those that have been ratified by the labour laws and policies in the country. All succesful organisations often rely on policies and regulations ratified by the economic

ESD ( Emergency shout down) tool (chemical engneering) Essay

ESD ( Emergency shout down) tool (chemical engneering) - Essay Example With all the components functioning properly, ESD can process an incoming input from the sensors and sends an output signal to initiate a response that handles the emergency. The principle parts of the system are the sensors, valves actuators and the logics units. When an output signal is sent to the valve in the event of any risk, a solenoid valves responds by initiating failure response and the programmed logical action is carried out. An impedance device with direct current power system boosts the solenoid operations, the power also runs the processor, but it has to be converted back to alternating current. In most cases, emergency tools or devices are used to perform safety operations, which includes shutting down an equipment or process when a fault is detect, such faults includes damage to the system or improper operation that can lead to damages. In some cases, emergency shutdown system can isolate a part of a system that may be presenting some risks such as deactivating hydrocarbon inventories, stopping hydrocarbon flow and depressurizing the system. ESD gives the operator a variety of integration options; one can integrate it as a stand-alone or full integration courtesy of its unique circuit design. It has a fully loaded library with operative commands that includes graphics, trend extended automation entities such as faceplates, graphic elements, trends, document links and alarms and events. In addition, ABB provides a broad family of industry-specific libraries that contain Control Modules, Function Blocks, Data Types and graphic elements including special safety systems features for ESD applications1. These pre-tested and safety-certified libraries significantly reduce the time required to engineer, test and maintain control while minimizing project risks. These libraries are certified for Safety Integrity Levels 3 and 2. The visualization system can be designed specifically fit the

Healthy People 2020 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Healthy People 2020 - Research Paper Example Finally, in 2010, Healthy People 2020 was launched to guide health work for the next 10 years or up to 2020. Sometime during the mid-period or thereabouts of each of the ten-year programs, a mid-course review is conducted. For instance, the mid-course review for Healthy People 2010 was started to be published in December 2006. Presumably, therefore, a mid-course review for Healthy People 2020 will be done sometime 2015 or thereabouts. The launching of Healthy People 2020 was announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through an official press release on 2 December 2010. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011), there are four overarching goals in Healthy People 2020. First, the attainment of â€Å"high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury and premature death.† The second overarching goal is the achievement of health equity, elimination of health disparities, and improvement of health of all groups. The third overarching goal is the creation of social and physical environments that promote good health. Finally, the fourth overarching goal is the promotion of a quality of life, health development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages. The four overarching goals are declared in the official website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its healthy people programs in www.healthypeople.gov as well as in a brochure produced in November 2010. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2010, p. 4), the population of Montgomery was estimated at 366,900 as of 1 July 2010. Approximately, 60 percent of the population resides in Montgomery County. Further, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2010, pp. 4-5), Montgomery’s population was growing at an average of 1.3 percent annually during the 1990s but the population growth rate dropped to 0.1 percent annually since 1 July 2008. Unemployment rate in

Psychology insight paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology insight paper - Essay Example Another example is in sports, there are students which evidently have the potential to be an athlete but others excel more. One observation related to the reason for such cases is the initiative of a person to work and excel in specific areas. One student who is always reviewing math problems tend to join activities that can enhance the skills he has. On the other hand, the student who has more innate logical and mathematical skills achieves relatively lower marks. A realization regarding the matter came up when I personally inquired the reason why the student perceived to have more potential fails to enhance his skills and he gave a response that was based on his self perception. He perceived that he is not capable of excelling in the subject matter. Self-perception then became the focus of personal reflection. This is the manner by which a person sees himself. This can affect different aspect of his behavior and attitude. Generally, it can affect a person’s performance. If t he person perceives himself to be less than what he really is, his success and achievements are limited and hindered. On the other hand, when a person perceives himself to be more than his innate skills and talents, he can excel.

The battles of Trenton and Princeton altered the course of the Essay

The battles of Trenton and Princeton altered the course of the American Revolution - Essay Example ate the spirit of the debilitated and, thanks to the poor oversight of an inept Continental Congress, nearly-destitute army of disillusioned soldiers in the wake of an initial series of major setbacks and stinging retreats. Conversely the battles of Trenton and Princeton might be said to mark a point in the war when the over-confidence and inscrutable miscalculations of conquering British troops and Hessian mercenaries left their better-equipped ranks susceptible to unexpected Patriot maneuvers and stunned alarm at the remarkable tenacity of the all-but-subjugated revolutionary upstarts. New York had recently fallen, and the Continental army had fled in full retreat across New Jersey, with the superior British forces at their heels (Ellis 96). Frightened citizens, fearful the colonial capital was doomed to fall to the British as well, were fleeing Philadelphia with their families and possessions (Rodney 13). Washington and his men had managed to traverse the Delaware river into Pennsylvania and to prevent the British from following by demolishing every sea-worthy vessel, save those required for the troops, for sixty miles along its banks (McCullough 263). Without the slightest hesitation or apology, two brigades, a full two thousand of Washingtons men, had simply abandoned the fight, their enlistment up (McCullough 256). Inexplicably, rather than go after his clear advantage, the British General Howe opted for wintering down on the opposite side of the Delaware river, establishing outposts in a chain of forts stretching from New York through New Jersey, fully antici pating victory over the hapless insurrection by the following spring (Green and Pole 301). It was December of 1776, and a Hessian brigade led by Colonel Johan von Rall was stationed in Trenton, directly across the Delaware from the Patriot forces. The Hessians typically maintained outposts on round-the-clock watch, and had been alerted by a Loyalist to a possible attack (Ellis 98). The Hessians, who

Youth Justice in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Youth Justice in the UK - Essay Example Between arrest and sentence, it could take anywhere between 70 to 170 days. In spite of the efforts of schools and parents, training and employment, services for tackling drug and alcohol abuse, as part of the developed strategy, youth crime have not fallen much. Crime and Disorder Act 1998, sections 37 to 43 deal with crime, warnings, punishments, rehabilitation and various programmes to improve a lot of youth offenders. In spite of many efforts and Acts, youth justice had not been achieved in the UK. Â  United Nations has taken steps for international youth justice. UN Youth Flash like websites encourages youth online participation. UN General Assembly defined youth as persons between the age group of 15 and 24, both inclusive and according to this definition, UN says that approximately 1 billion youth live in the world today and 85% of them are in developing countries and 60% of them are in Asia alone. UN identifies as priority issues of youth are education, employment, hunger and poverty eradication, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time activities, girls and young men, the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision making. UN hopes that Governments of the world take care of these matters. UN believes in empowering youth in development and peace, keeping in mind their aspirations, and that they are the key agents for social change economic development and technological innovation. UN recognizes that it is nece ssary to encourage their imagination, ideas, energy, and vision while noting that they represent society's hope, but have uncertain future. Their intellectual contribution and ability to mobilize support is not overlooked. UN tries to maximize the resources, funding, eradicate inequalities of economic, social and political conditions, ethnic prejudice and unemployment. UN is working against gender discrimination, insecure livelihoods, conflict, exclusion, homelessness, continuous deterioration of the environment, hunger, malnutrition, disease and lack of education and employment opportunities. Â  In 1965, UN has asked the Member States to endorse the Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the ideals of Peace, mutual respect and understanding between peoples. In 1995 it strengthened its commitment by directing international community to address youth problems like drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, and social development under Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which also cover rights of health, education, and employment along with disability support. Global Youth Conferences insist on 'empowering youth for action' and that youth issues should be tackled from local, national, regional and international levels. Youth should be treated as a challenge and a resource and should be allowed for economic, social, cultural and political participation. UN reiterates working for and with Youth while laying stress on inter-cultural, inter-regional and international interactions to promote World Youth Forum of the United Nations System. Â  

The battles of Trenton and Princeton altered the course of the Essay

The battles of Trenton and Princeton altered the course of the American Revolution - Essay Example ate the spirit of the debilitated and, thanks to the poor oversight of an inept Continental Congress, nearly-destitute army of disillusioned soldiers in the wake of an initial series of major setbacks and stinging retreats. Conversely the battles of Trenton and Princeton might be said to mark a point in the war when the over-confidence and inscrutable miscalculations of conquering British troops and Hessian mercenaries left their better-equipped ranks susceptible to unexpected Patriot maneuvers and stunned alarm at the remarkable tenacity of the all-but-subjugated revolutionary upstarts. New York had recently fallen, and the Continental army had fled in full retreat across New Jersey, with the superior British forces at their heels (Ellis 96). Frightened citizens, fearful the colonial capital was doomed to fall to the British as well, were fleeing Philadelphia with their families and possessions (Rodney 13). Washington and his men had managed to traverse the Delaware river into Pennsylvania and to prevent the British from following by demolishing every sea-worthy vessel, save those required for the troops, for sixty miles along its banks (McCullough 263). Without the slightest hesitation or apology, two brigades, a full two thousand of Washingtons men, had simply abandoned the fight, their enlistment up (McCullough 256). Inexplicably, rather than go after his clear advantage, the British General Howe opted for wintering down on the opposite side of the Delaware river, establishing outposts in a chain of forts stretching from New York through New Jersey, fully antici pating victory over the hapless insurrection by the following spring (Green and Pole 301). It was December of 1776, and a Hessian brigade led by Colonel Johan von Rall was stationed in Trenton, directly across the Delaware from the Patriot forces. The Hessians typically maintained outposts on round-the-clock watch, and had been alerted by a Loyalist to a possible attack (Ellis 98). The Hessians, who

Conflict in Sudan Essay Example for Free

Conflict in Sudan Essay There have been many conflicts in different regions of the world, causing a lot of effects to the humanity and the natural environment, which has always remained a silent victim. Many people have been killed because of these conflicts, while causing lot of devastating effects to the environment. During the war, a lot of pollutants are released to the environment which ends up affecting human beings and the natural resources. Other resources are depleted in the ensuing conflicts. The major concerns on the current issues about conflicts, both internal and regional are found in the developing countries. These countries do not have the economic capacity to deal with the conflict situation, hence making the problems even worse (IRIN, 2007). Africa has had along time history of civil war from the colonial times, and many are still evidenced today. Â  Most of the African nations fight over borders, which were mostly demarcated by the colonialists. These are regional conflicts, while internal conflicts arises due to the people fighting for scarce natural resources, for instance fertile farming land, and water. The Sudanese president is a wanted man on the list of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in the conflict that has been taking place in the country for almost 20 years, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead (Goldberg, 2009). Causes and Effects of War in Sudan There has been a long civil war in Southern Sudan that has led to the international community through the United Nations and the African union to try and broker peace. The war witnessed in the region is considered as a fight between the different ethnic and tribal groups (IRIN, 2007). The mostly known conflicting groups are the government side and the Janjaweed rebel group. There is however other smaller rebel groups that have complicated the matter further. The major cause of the war in Sudan has been attributed to fighting for water between the Baggara nomads who moved to the South (an area occupied by the farming community), in search of water. This conflict has led to many deaths in the region, despite the presence of the peace forces. There are other reasons that have been cited as having contributed to the conflict, although the major reason has been the increase in population which the natural resources are not able to hold, hence making the groups to fight over the scarce resources. On the other hand, there have been claims that the Arab dominants, who are Muslims, have been fighting the Black Africans, who are mostly Christians to wipe them from the region. This is what has led to the US declaring this to be a form of genocide, which has taken place under the watch of President Al Bashir who the ICC wants arrested for the crimes (Goldberg, 2009). As already mentioned, the war was triggered by fighting for scarce resources, which was water. However, considering the continued fights, the environment is even endangered more, making it more impossible to support the population. This on the other hand aggravates the situation when the natural resources are not able to support them. The conflict over resources in Sudan started at a local level in Darfur region, but developed into becoming a national issue whereby economic and political marginalization has been heightened. The situation has been made worse because of ethnicity differences. Therefore, despite economic and political and religious factors contributing to the conflict in Darfur Sudan, the major problem has surrounded the environment. The Sudanese Arabs who are nomads moved southwards in search of greener pastures and water for their animals and entered the territory of the Black farmers, leading to the two groups to conflict. The Black farmers complained to the Khartoum government, but on realizing that the government was not keen on solving the problem, the Black farmers rebelled against the government. This rebellion led to fighting between the people, destroying a lot of property, both manmade and naturally (Borger, 2007). The two groups fighting each other have distinct life styles, hence through their fights; each tries to destroy the strategic areas that the other depends on, as a way of weakening them. For instance, the nomads usually would graze their animals on the crops of the farmers, destroying their source of livelihood. On the other hand, the farmers set the grazing land for the nomads on fire so that they lack animal feeds. Furthermore, as the nomads are known of moving from one region o another in search of greener pastures, the farmers have blocked their migration paths, forcing them to overgraze in one region, hence also affecting their source of livelihood. Such actions from both camps have made the situation to be worse as the conflict continues. Many of the refugees from Sudan have fled to the neighboring countries like Chad. The asylums in the neighboring countries have not made the refugees completely safe, but have even put the lives of the residents of the host country in danger. This is because the Janjaweed rebels have been following the refugees to their camps, and attacking them from there. This has made the residents in the host country who live near the refugee camps to move away from them to areas that are more secure. In essence, the citizens have been made insecure in their own land. This on the other hand might thus cause conflict between the refugees and the citizens of the host country, which again might rise to the national level (Gouroukoun, 2006). Conclusion The major effect of the Sudan’s conflict has been on the number of the people who have been killed. This is basically a major concern to everybody, including the humanitarian groups that are mostly found in Sudan, and the international community. However, it has to be understood that since the Sudan conflict is directly linked to the natural resources, which is an environmental, issue, the conflict has continued to affect the environment even to higher magnitude. The Arab Sudanese have always been cutting trees which the farmers have planted in their farms, as well as grazing on the farmers’ crops. On the other hand, the farmers have been burning the grazing land for the nomads. All these actions have got detrimental effects to the environment. The nomads moved southwards in search of greener pastures, yet they are cutting the trees that are important in rain formation, then it is obvious that a dry spell would be in the region for a long time. On the other hand, as the Black farmers burn the grazing ground, this also affects their farming activities since important macro organisms are killed. Therefore, all these environmental impacts would make the conflict to remain for a long time as long the involved bodies are only concerned with solving the immediate humanitarian crisis, rather than looking at the root cause of the problem, and how to avert it occurring in future. Reference: Borger, Julian (2007). Darfur conflict heralds era of wars triggered by climate change, UN report warns. Retrieved on March 24, 2009 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/23/sudan.climatechange. Goldberg, M. L. (2009). The President of Sudan to be a Wanted War Criminal, retrieved on March 24, 2009 from http://www.undispatch.com/node/7698. Gouroukoun (2006). Chadians Increasingly Feel Impact of Darfur Conflict, Retrieved on March 24, 2009, from http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-04/2006-04-21-voa44.cfm. IRIN. (2007). Sudan: Climate change only one cause among many for Darfur conflict, retrieved on March 24, 2009 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2007/06/mil-070628-irin03.htm.

Pacific Rim (2013) Summary and Analysis

Pacific Rim (2013) Summary and Analysis In selecting a film, and subsequently the company behind it for an interrogation of industry workings, a more recent film would be the obvious choice for a justification in the relevance of research. However with a production process spanning seven years and no precursor or existing franchise to support it, Pacific Rim (2013), as a singular film with no preexisting fan base, would make a logical case study in analysing how corporate influence has affected the film’s box office success. In addition, having already been released for over a year, the results and after effects of the film can be analysed thoroughly without the initial fan attraction or hype associated with newly released films. The film itself is directed by Oscar nominee Guillermo del Toro. His summer blockbuster Pacific Rim is a movie of the science fiction Kaiju and fantasy action genre in which giant robots known as ‘Jaegers’ battle the invading monsters known as ‘Kaiju’ in a â€Å"go big or go extinct† fight for mankind’s survival. Starting production in February 2006, Pacific Rim eventually began filming on the 14th November 2011 under Warner Bros Pictures in association with Legendary Pictures and was then distributed by Warner Bros Pictures, a subsidiary of Time Warner. These two studios are generally well known for their collaboration work as a result pf films such as Batman Begins (2005) and Inception (2010). To truly assess how a film is affected by the influence of a well known and financially sufficient company such as Time Warner, a consideration of the metric that measures the success of all, if not most films would be beneficial to the research question at hand. While it has been taken into consideration that some films, such as Fight Club (1999), can become cult hits even after being deemed as a box office failure, the metric used in measuring the success of films are box office sales. In scrutinizing the film as a media text from an economic point of view, Pacific Rim’s basic purpose is to create economic wealth from the creative and narrative elements within the media text. Therefore by investigating box office sales and the consequences of a film’s success, this research question will allow for a scholarly understanding of how organisations influence films to create economic wealth and whether this affects a corporate company’s decision to create or add to the creative and artistic universe of a film through sequels, prequels or other narrative media texts. In order to critically analyse and examine film industry structures, procedures and mechanisms, the appropriate methodology of media industry research must be employed. Therefore selecting a methodology that studies the development and delivery of the chosen media text; Pacific Rim, would be beneficial in understanding why procedures and practices are used within the company behind it; Time Warner. An organisational analysis of Time Warner and the roles and functions of each creative subsidiary company within Time Warner would be a suitable research methodology to employ, however organisational analysis’ are generally limited to one organisation and the mapping the departments within, applying this to a conglomerate and viewing each company within it as a department may be using an organisational analysis on a larger scale than it should be used in. None the less, the employment of an organisational analysis would be the logical research methodology to be applied to this research report. As stated by Long and Wall in Media studies: texts, production, context, the first subsection of an organisational analysis to be taken into consideration is the mapping of divisions or departments such as the production and marketing behind Pacific Rim. The second branch to be considered when making an organisational analysis is the working practices such as distribution and exhibition in cinemas. In a primary analysis of the production procedures behind Pacific Rim through organisational analysis, it is suggested that the film is the result of a practice known as vertical integration; vertical integration is the process where a media conglomerate owns several companies from the different stages of production all the way to distribution. Fitzgerald (2012) details the growth of Time Warner and its subsidiaries and it can be seen that Pacific Rim is created and filmed by Warner Brothers Pictures with other supporting studios, Warner Brothers Pictures is a studio owned by Time Warner, which is a large multi-national media conglomerate. Upon further investigation into Fitzgerald’s Corporations and Cultural Industries: Time Warner (2006), the relationship and roles between the different divisions that compile Time Warner can be seen. Time Warner is also the parent company of WaterTower Music, which provided the OST (Original Soundtrack) for Pacific Rim. The films’ beh ind the scenes content and interviews with the cast and director were then promoted on Cinemax, an American cable and satellite channel owned by HBO (Home Box Office), which is also a subsidiary of Time Warner. Further research also shows Pacific Rim to be the product of media synergy. Media synergy is the coming together of two or more elements in a media conglomerate to promote a product across several types of media. Similarly, media convergence, as suggested by Jenkins (2009), is the increase in connections between media platforms and technologies. The convergence of media can also be seen in the viral marketing produced prior to the launch of the film. Convergence took the form of virtual propaganda posters and robot blueprints [Appendix A] advertised across the internet, additionally, links to a â€Å"build your own Jaeger† flash game on the official Pacific Rim website is another example of media convergence. Moreover, a console videogame and soundtrack were released alongside the movie on July 12th and June 18th respectively to help promote the movie, both of which were created by subsidiaries of Time Warner. This media synergy and convergence created by Time Warner advertises the media text; Pacific Rim across all of its creative enterprises such as WaterTower Music and HBO. However it can also be said that Pacific Rim is not a product of vertical integration as the parent company, Time Warner, does not own or monopolise all the stages of distribution, even if it does have a large hand in the production of its movies. Cinema companies today such as Vue and Cineworld are owned independently of the studios that create the films. It is this reason that vertical integration no longer truly exists in the film industry as it did in the golden age of Hollywood where the then called Warner Brothers monopolised the industry along with the other studios of the â€Å"Big Six† in an oligopoly as argued by Thomson in The whole equation: a history of Hollywood (2006). An initial study of how a film’s production process is supported or undermined by corporate backing would suggest several advantageous points in publicity; including a worldwide scale of theatrical release, worldwide advertising and large financial support from the company that produced and distributed Pacific Rim: Time Warner. While specifically not distributed by Time Warner, but a subsidiary known as Warner Brother Pictures, Pacific Rim still benefited from Time Warner through its other subsidiaries as stated in Fitzgerald’s Corporations and Cultural Industries: Time Warner (2006). A more in depth investigation into box office figures via an online secondary source, Boxofficemojo.com [Appendix B] illustrates the box office sales for the weekend opening July 12th-14th. As seen on the webpage, it is reasonable to assume the large amount of theatres screening the movie contributed to the amount of gross profit made for that opening weekend. However, in applying a theoretical analysis of power, and more importantly economic power to the research question, it can be said that Time Warner, being an economic institution with commercial enterprises across all forms of media has the influence to have Pacific Rim screened in many cinemas. (Flew, 2007) However this leads to the question of why other films, as listed on Box Office Mojo, such as Djà ºpià ° (The Deep), that released on the same opening weekend as Pacific Rim did not use or hire more cinemas and theatres to screen their film. Upon further research into the companies that produced The Deep on website IMDb [Appendix C], it can be seen that The Deep is produced and distributed by media companies much smaller than Time Warner and Warner Brothers Pictures. AGM Factory, BlueEye productions and Filmhuset Produksjoner are all minor and independent companies that have less power in persuading mainstream cinema companies into screening their product. However in consideration of their film itself, there is a strong likelihood that it may have been a conscious decision made by the film makers, producers and distributors of The Deep as their target audience may be smaller in size and are viewers of the niche genre, making it more logical to screen at a limited number of theatres. This notion of larger companies wielding more influence with cinemas is reinforced by the fact that the top three positions for weekend gross and amount of cinemas screening on the Box Office Mojo chart were held by three major studios: Disney, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. [Appendix D] These larger Hollywood studios are therefore able to screen their films in even more theatres as a result of their economic power i.e. influence and wealth (Flew, 2007). Theatres also have a higher likelihood to screen these Hollywood films as they generally have large budgets and run advertising campaigns that ensure the awareness of the general public, which would also result in an increased income for the cinemas and theatres that host these films. The end result of Pacific Rim’s box office run was a success, however upon further analysis of the process as opposed to simply interpreting the results, Pacific Rim was actually deemed as a domestic flop in the western hemisphere. Upon release on 12th July, Pacific Rim itself had a disappointing start in western markets and was dubbed by the Gaurdian Film Blog’s Charles Gant as â€Å"the latest film that is struggling to engage audiences†. However there was speculation in the industry about the high possibility of success in international markets for Pacific Rim, one account being made on website Variety by Michael Sullivan who stated that â€Å"Pacific Rim’s hopes for salvation now lie with international auds.† Sullivan makes this suggestion as international audiences are more familiar with the Kaiju genre and are therefore more likely to go and see the movie. Del Toro’s Pacific Rim can be seen as a western approach on the â€Å"Kaiju† genre, the Kaiju genre being native to the Japanese film industry. This similarity can be seen as it shares conventions such as â€Å"strange monsters† (the direct translation of â€Å"Kaiju†) attacking major metropolitan cities as seen in Japanese classics such as Godzilla (1954) (1954). Therefore it can be argued that Pacific Rim’s Iconography and structure may be recognisable and well established to audiences who are aware of Kaiju genre conventions, making it more appealing. This is reinforced by the oversees box office release of Pacific Rim in Chinese and South Korean markets, proving Gant’s guess of Pacific Rim’s â€Å"salvation† with international audiences. The international release boosted its income significantly, effectively saving it from box office failure. Appendix E, also from Box Office Mojo, details Pacific Rim’s worldwide success, with a total gross of four hundred million US dollars, also noteworthy is the fact that three quarters of that lifetime gross derives from â€Å"foreign† marketplaces. It is then reasonable to argue that Pacific Rim’s box office success was saved by its release in international markets. An investigation of how a large corporate company can be detrimental to a film’s box office success is not obvious, however a case study analysed by Long and Wall (2012) on the film Cowboys and Aliens describes the film as playing out like something more akin to a â€Å"†¦business deal than a motion picture.† Therefore in the context where corporate companies have too much of a heavy hand in the artistic and creative elements of film production, it can become â€Å"noisy, grotesque and unappealing†, Cowboys and Aliens is summarised as the best movie â€Å"a posse of major Hollywood players could come up with.† For that reason, it can be argued that the financial benefits provided by a conglomerate can have a positive effect on a film’s box office success. However any infringement on the creative and narrative elements of a film would be detrimental. Furthermore, Pacific Rim’s narrative and creative choices have had no regulatory issues, being approved and classified as a 12A film by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC); reasons for this were stated in the â€Å"BBFC insight† section of the website. The BBFC states that â€Å"moderate violence is allowed† in a 12A film but not in explicit detail and that there â€Å"should be no emphasis on injuries or blood†. The Insight publication also reveals that Pacific Rim abides by these rules and that â€Å"we see some blood† however deaths are only implied as â€Å"neither the injuries nor deaths are shown with any detail.† Overall, the film is â€Å"rated 12A for frequent moderate violence and one use of strong language.† This makes it suitable for a much wider audience than films of a higher classification. To that end, narrative decisions made during the script writing process therefore allowed Pacific Rim to maximise its bo x office success and profits by having a lower rating. A flaw in the narrative and creative aspects of the film was its genre, the kaiju genre is not well known to western audiences and while the creative minds were allowed to flourish without restraint, the end result did hinder the overall box office success. On the other hand, another case study such as Cowboys and Aliens is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of heavy corporate and business influence, to the point where it was described as playing out â€Å"like a business deal more than a motion picture.† (Long Wall 2012) Therefore with case studies of major conglomerates having been studied at each end of the spectrum, the next step in continuing a study of how a multinational media conglomerate’s organisational structure effects box office would be to select a film to use as a case study that has a box office record that isn’t affected by external factors such as being part of a business deal or being hindered by an unfamiliar genre. A better selection of case study films to represent the effectiveness of conglomerates on box office successes would truly answer the research question at hand. However to summarise based on current findings, it can be argued that not all corporately produced blockbusters are successful; this was demonstrated in the box office results for Pacific Rim found on BoxOfficeMojo.com, where the motion picture’s box office performance in domestic markets waned, only to be saved with its release in foreign markets such as China, Japan and South Korea where the ‘Kaiju’ genre, typically associated with Godzilla (1954) (1954), is well received. On this notion, it can be counter argued again from a theoretical perspective, that the wealth and influence wielded by Time Warner allowed Pacific Rim to be released in international markets, effectively saving the film’s box office run. The research results from the organisational analysis show that corporate backing does not always create box office successes, however the benefits of being produced by such an organisation allows for a synergy, and convergence, of all companies within that conglomerate to provide all the necessary components for the media text to succeed. The roles and functions of each division cooperate effectively towards a common goal in the marketing and production aspects of creative commodities such as Pacific Rim. While this specific case study, Pacific Rim, does not fare particularly well at domestic box offices, it does prove that the object of study, Time Warner, has ability to create successes.

Symbolism and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

Symbolism and Allegory in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown Symbolism, something that figuratively represents something else, is prominent in many literary works. One piece of literature that stands out as a perfect example of symbolism is Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." This story is completely symbolic, and provides a good example of an allegory, or a story in which concrete items or characters represent abstract ideas. Hawthorne uses both objects and people as symbols to better support the allegorical tones throughout "Young Goodman Brown." Nathaniel Hawthorne uses different people as symbols throughout "Young Goodman Brown." The largest symbolic roles in the story are goodman Brown and his wife Faith. Both of the characters' names are symbolic and representative of their personalities. "'With Heaven above and Faith below, I will stand firm against the devil!' cried goodman Brown," is just one of many quotes that directly relates goodman Brown's personality with his name (189). Goodman Brown is truly a good man. Faith, goodman Brown's wife, also has a name that is indicative of her nature. The story directly supports this point in the phrase "Faith, as the wife was aptly named . . . " (184). Faith is persistent in trying to keep goodman Brown off the path of sin in the first part of the story: " . . . pr'y thee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night" (184). Hawthorne does an excellent job of turning the main characters into symbols that are prominent throughout the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne also uses different objects in the story as symbols. One of these is the staff of the devil : "But the only thing about him, that could be fixed upon as remarkable, was his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake . . ." (185). This symbol shows the reader the evil that is involved with the devil character because the serpent is an archetype of the devil, or some sort of evil, which is prominent in many different cultures. Another object Hawthorne uses as a recurring symbol is the pink ribbon. The pink ribbon symbolizes the purity and innocence involved with Faith. "And Faith . . . thrust her own pretty had into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons in her cap," is a great example of how Hawthorne correlates Faith with the pink ribbons of innocence (184).

Macroeconomics :: essays papers

Macroeconomics IS-LM Basics A) The IS curve slopes downward and to the right. B) The LM curve slopes upward and to the right. C) The slope of the LM curve depends on the interest sensitivity of money demand. An elastic money demand function caused the LM curve to be relatively flat. An inelastic money demand function caused the LM curve to be steep. D) The slope of the IS curve depends on the slope of the investment function. If investment is highly interest elastic, then the IS curve is relatively flat. If investment is not highly interest elastic, then the IS curve is very steep. E) The quantity of money and shifts in money demand at given levels of income and interest rates will shift the position of the LM curve. F) Government expenditures, tax increases, and autonomous investment expenditures shift the position of the IS curve. Transaction Demand – Money is a medium of exchange and individuals hold money for use in transactions. Money bridges the gap between the receipt of income and eventual expenditures. Precautionary Demand – Keynes believed that, in addition to the money people held for planned transactions, more money was held for unexpected expenditures that were at times necessary. Money would be held for emergencies, to pay unexpected medical bills or repair bills of various types. Speculative Demand – Money held by those speculating on future changes in the interest rate and the relationship the interest rate had with the level of bond prices. Keynes’ Money Demand Function Md = Co + (C1 x Y) + (C2 x R) , C1 * 0 , C2 * 0 A rise in income increases money demand, a rise in the interest rate leads to a fill in money demand. Md = Money Demand Y = Income R = Interest Rate C = Parameter (Holds no economic value) Transaction Demand - Dependent positively on the level of income. Precautionary Demand - Keynes believed that the amount of money held for this purpose depends positively on income. The interest rate might be a factor if people tended to economize on the amount of money held for the precautionary motive as interest rates rose.

A question of theft

Evidently, there is a problem in the management of shifts and the auditing of the money hence the front office manager named Chad refuses to take action of the situation. When conflict arose, the cash registrar’s earnings were found out to be short; Chad tried to look for the culprit. Critically analyzing the situation, how did Chad found out that there has been an amount missing?He was so certain of the amount missing despite of his non-presence in the area and also the lack of eagerness to monitor the finances. Internal Control is the process to achieve the objectives with effectiveness and efficiency, reliable financial statements and strict compliance to the law. In this case, Chad can be classified as an ineffective leader for efficient workers.His managerial skills would have taken care of the problem hence he neglected the idea because he was confident about his employees. Another problem is that there is no consistent financial report for every employee who dwells in t he counter. For example, for every end of a shift the money should be counted and audited so that there would no discrepancies for the next employee to work and also it would be much easier to determine if there is a shortage in the finances.For this instance, the manager must have the control over his employees and authoritatively impose the rules such that the employees would develop loyalty and honesty among the system.I think the managerial position must be filled by a person that is experienced and also has good interpersonal skills so that the firm would not suffer from these small lapses.Also I would like to point out that there should be a financial report on every change in shift so that the manager can monitor the movement of the money in the cash registrar. What is needed is the end amount after each shift. Lastly, the effectiveness and efficiency of a working group must come from both the leader and its subordinates, with this, there are limitless endeavors and opportuni ties for a good working system.ReferencesUniversity Business Practices (2007). Understanding Internal Control. [on-line] Retrieved from: http://www.ucop.edu/ctlacct/under-ic.pdf on: March 5, 2008Comptroller’s Handbook (2001). Internal Control. [on-line] Retrieved from: http://www.occ.treas.gov/handbook/intcntrl2.pdf on March 5, 2008

Drawing from the K303 materials critically discuss the issues, challenges and benefits in involving the service user to shape and develop services Essay

Involving the service user in shaping services continues to be an important activity within government policy. Drawing from the K303 materials critically discuss the issues, challenges and benefits in involving the service user to shape and develop services. Introduction Health and social care services strive to maintain, increase people’s wellbeing and provide the best care practice to individuals and the community. However, discrepancies arise because generalisations about what people need and how services should operate is still an everyday issue that affects the provision of services. People’s circumstances and opinions differ from one another despite having similar needs on the surface. Therefore, different kinds of support are expected. That is the main reason why people need to become participants in designing and shaping care services. When it comes to user’s involvement, policies have shaped the way social services are delivered as they represent an essential framework to the implementation of consistent and quality practices. As a result, it is utmost for frontline managers and healthcare professionals to adhere to them. However, this process is not straight forward and difficulties emerge (Book 1, pp. 27-28). This essa y will explore the issues, challenges and benefits of engaging service users in shaping and developing services. In order to do this, I will attempt to define the terms policy and service user involvement. Subsequently, I will identify the barriers faced by managers; discuss ways to overcome these challenges. And finally, the benefits of service user involvement will be identified. Policy and Practice Policy can be defined as a plan of action adopted by a person, group or government (Collins Language, 2011). In the history of health and social care, service providers have been influenced by the legacy of paternalism that developed in Victorian times. However, it was only until the 1970 s when emphasis on participation and service user involvement took placed. Through the years, the growing significance of service user involvement helped to eradicate the paternalist approach previously adopted by the government and service providers. Thus, generating a partnership-based  approach. Service user involvement or participation is listening to what people say about the services to have an impact on the way they are delivered. This has also become a key feature of government policies (Book1, p.28). In the course materials, Jane Rees made reference to this statement by emphasizing that ensuring genuine service user involvement was fundamental to her managing role at Redcar and Cleveland MIND (K303, DVD1, Band 2). It is also important to mention that service user involvement derives from two approaches –consumerist and democratic. The first approach refers to service users as customers and consumers of welfare much as they are consumers of other products. This approach, mainly developed by the state, aims to improve efficiency, economy and effectiveness of organisations and services. By drawing on the ideas and experience of service users, it is possible to improve management and decision making (Leggett et al, 1999, quoted in Course Reader, p.22). On the other hand, the democratic/citizenship approach is related to people as citizens as it was developed by users of health and social care services. This model has to do with enabling people to have more input over what happens to them in order to bring about direct change in their lives through both collective and individual action (Priestly, 1999, quoted in Course Reader, p. 22). Why is it important to adhere to policies? And what are the consequences of not adhering to them? Recognition of the importance of service user involvement is at a higher level. Service user’s view are becoming accepted by the government as an important element of evidenced based practice and a critical component when assessing the performance of health and social care agencies (DoH2000b; Scottish Office,1999, quoted in Book1, p.29). User involvement or participation is a complex, heavily politicised and value-based activity that can be related to basic ideas of best practice. At the same time, the experience developed by organisations, service users and supportive providers provides a source of principles for good practice. Although they do not guarantee success they do impact those who ignore them (Course Reader, p 24). It could be mentioned that one of the outcomes of not adhering to policies is the move away from considering the service user’s satisfaction. When an organisation does not take into account the views of the service user’s it will find itself open to criticism and it is  likely to be told to make changes (Stallard, 2011). For example, ignoring the views of service users who are involved in services again their wishes such as adults sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 (DoH, 2007) or the right of young people and children to be consulted about their views under the Children Act 1989 (DoH 2001c, quoted in Book1, p.41) could prevent valuable understanding regarding the fairness and equality of the service user’s involvement process. Also, difficulties when measuring and monitoring the quality of the services offered can be encountered when organisations and managers do not adhere to policies. Consequently, this could lead to the miss of any practice that needs to be highlighted or resolved. Moreover, not adhering to policies prevents social care organisations from being inclusive and developing a partnership with people who use the services. This has a direct effect on carers and service users as their right to have a voice and express their individual view is denied (Book1, p.37). Issues, challenges and benefits Issues Frontline staff and managers need to bear in mind that their daily job objective is to maintain a person’s well-being and quality of life. However, that is not an easy task. Taking into consideration that user involvement is paramount to develop good care practices; it is also possible to establish that many difficulties arise when this approach is put into practice. The first issue to be considered is the amount of time it takes to manage and apply the integration of service user’s views into all phases of the social care process and, not as a ‘one off’ consultation session. As an example, considering, listening and understanding children and young people’s views about their lives as well as other people who could help is a time consuming process where preparation is the key. Albeit, preparation requires time; therefore the process can result on management exercising pressure on staff to meet time deadlines. Thus, making the procedure more difficult for practitioners and service users (Book1, p. 37) Another matter that could affect the way the service is provided has to do with power dynamics. Put simply, whether managers are ready to work in conjunction with service users instead of for them and to adopt a practice-led approach (Book1,p. 37). This means that practice could be seen as a joint product where the service users  can contribute at all stages or as long as they wish to (Course Reader, p. 24). However, this may lead to power issues as managers or owners of private social care agencies might face difficulties in relation to the shift of power, resources and engaging service users successfully. On the other hand, service users may not wish to participate or are sceptical of manager’s motives (Book1, p. 37). It could also be argued that the shift of power could place the managers into a position where they feel have little power to empower people. As a result, service users may feel powerless in front of professionals and organisations and this could prevent them from willing to participate (SCIE, 2011). Other inconsistencies may be the concerns expressed b y managers in regards to service user’s expectations as these could be unrealistic, unattainable and unsatisfactory which can result in difficulties to decide appropriate aims(Book1, pp. 37-38).On top of that, managers attitudes towards the service users competence in making decisions can affect the relationship between both parties. Managers may fear saying the wrong thing, exposing the service user’s lack of knowledge or being encountered by with anger or criticism (Harding and Oldman, 1996; Morris, 1994, quoted in Book1, p. 38). Furthermore, it is also worth to mention that in the mainstream of service users involvement to decide ‘who to involve’ represents a dilemma as well. A manager might want to find a ‘representative’ service user. However, this imposes great difficulties due to several reasons such as the diversity of service users groups in terms of culture, race, sexuality and in some cases age (older people or young groups) and different disabilities. On top of that, minority groups, for instance, can feel marginalised as they may feel under or unrepresented in the participation process. It could also be mentioned that marginalisation can occur due to lack of knowledge about user participation too (SCIE, 2011). Challenges As a result of participation challenges have emerged for both managers and service users. Firstly, elements such as time, support and financial costs represent a challenge for managers. To address these issues, it is necessary to recognise that it is imperative to allow sufficient time and support help to build trust between managers and service users. Support refers to the  provision of any help, encouragement, skills and assistant (Course Reader, p.27) Moreover, minimising the costs of participation for service users by paying for their time and travelling expenses could be appropriate. A budget should be allocated to finance the costs of those service users who have a real commitment to participate (Course Reader, p. 26). Secondly, managers encounter challenges in regards to monitoring and evaluating techniques. For example, sending questionnaires to service users is a good way to get feedback. However, a problem is experienced when questionnaires are not returned. A possible solution to this problem would be to ask the service users to fill the questionnaires at the end of a meeting, for example, to ensure they come back or to make a commitment to collect feedback. Thirdly, it is worth to mention that even when service groups reunite with professionals it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is proactive participation. In some cases, participants don’t contribute to the communication process. This could be triggered by services filing away reports about what people said. As people do not get to see the information they do not know what has been said by others or if any changes have been made. Consequently, they are reluctant to have an input as they may feel their opinions are not taken into account (Course Reader, p. 30).A course of action could be to write reports and provide feedback to user groups. These reports should inform what changes have been made in relation to the information given as well as an explanation to why chan ges have not been made (Course Reader, p. 30). Benefits Participation provides exclusive advantages for managers, service users and carers. Among the benefits for managers is the acquisition of new knowledge and experience obtained from service user’s engagement. This knowledge could help managers to understand (or improve) the different methods for involving service users and carers in the individual decision making. Moreover, this could prove to be beneficial for the development of an organisation’s structure when it comes to making changes or improving services that are being delivered. The benefits for service users and carers can be associated not only to an individual level but to a community level as well. That is to say, service users and carers can benefit on a personal level by  increasing confidence as they get to know their rights and how to access services. Service users can also take part in planning care that fulfills their individual needs. Moreover, carers might improve their skills and gain job satisfacti on as they are delivering better tailored care. They can also develop the necessary skills, experience and knowledge regarding the importance of participation trough training (Course Reader, p. 44). Conclusion Health and social care services policies have changed through the years. Current policies emphasise on the implementation of consistent and quality practices through service user involvement. Nevertheless, as there is no single user’s view managers face a series of practical issues and challenges when implementing participation. To tackle these problems, managers must find methods to address these challenges effectively. By doing this, what is considered a challenge can be turned into a series of benefits as successful user involvement proves to be a useful tool to identify issues, make changes and improve the service provided. References Collins Language (2011) [online] http://www.collinslanguage.com/results.aspx?context=3&reversed=False&action=define&homonym=1&text=policy (Accessed 3rd November, 2011) Department of Health (2007) Mental Health Act 1983[online] http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstadistics/legislation/Actsandbills/DH_4002034 (Accessed 17th November, 2011) Stallard, D. (5th November, 2011, 14:07) ‘Block 1Forum Activity’, forum message to K303 2011. The Open University (2003) K303, Managing Care in Context, DVD 1, Band 2 ‘A meeting of Minds’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2003) K303, Managing Care in Context, Chapter 2, ‘What service users say about services: the implications for managers’, Unit 2.1 ‘Introduction’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2003) K303, Managing Care in Context, Chapter 2.