Summarize idea on the article paragraph reaction, response, question Essay

Summarize idea on the article paragraph reaction, response, question - Essay Example tive difficulties but at the same time many researchers are now recommending a more widespread use of these cognitive enhancing drugs to help people concentrate more, be awake longer hours and a lot more. However, with an increasing access to these drugs, there is a lot of arising issues that come up, such as the efficacy of this activity and the proven benefits that it can give rather than the problems it can cause. One of the main concerns with the use of these pharmaceutical drugs is the adverse effects it can wrought a person. All we know today is that cognitive enhancing drugs can really give immediate mental which can be attested by the many people who have already tried taking these drugs and have felt and experienced a significant wakefulness, energy, stamina, and memory. In certain surveys, a lot of people take these drugs before testing, while they are doing a paper, or perhaps during long hours of no sleep and they liked the fact that these drugs have delivered in the aspect of urgency by allowing them to think quickly and have an active body. However, speaking of the long term effects of which, little data is available. This is the problem that we have to deal with when it comes to bringing the use of cognitive enhancing drugs to the mainstream. Also, another thing to consider would be the fact that these people who can attest to the effectiveness of the drug cannot truly confirm tha t they actually got great results in the long run, such as the quality of a paper/dissertation, a result to a test, or, perhaps, a grade for a recitation they used the drug for. Thus, though quantity could be the strength of cognitive enhancing drugs as you can do more at a certain period of time, quality is not something they could guarantee. We all know that it is human nature to want to push against our limitations, but what about the risks? This is that one question we need to ask ourselves regarding the use of cognitive-enhancing drugs. Take Ritalin as an example. It

Business report about Mountain West Health Plans Inc Essay

Business report about Mountain West Health Plans Inc - Essay Example This had become a problem to the management because it was labor intensive and consumed two thirds of the annual budget. Therefore, the company’s management had been yearning for Evelyn Gustafson’s replacement so that they could curb the increasing labor costs. Evelyn Gustafson had a long history with the company because she had worked there for a long time. She started her career as a customer service staff until she was promoted to being the director of customer service. Her leadership style was centered on putting oneself in the position of the subordinates. She used this style due to her experience in working in that department, and she understood what the employees went through. In her leadership style, she focused on involving the employees in the tasks by making them understand the company products and policies. She also focused on the quality of service that the subordinates offered to customers. In addition, Evelyn emphasized on employee training on the product s, problem solving and customer service techniques, which helped to ensure customer satisfaction. Her relationship oriented leadership style also involved ensuring the comfort of employees when performing their tasks by allowing them flexible schedules and breaks. However, her leadership style was not was not appealing to the top management, and they endeavored to change it after her retirement by appointing Erick Rasmussen to the post of director of customer service. Erik Rasmussen is a fresh college graduate in business administration, and therefore, he has no experience in the post. He sought to embrace a leadership style that ensured that the top management objectives of lowering costs of operation were achieved. He used a no-nonsense bureaucratic approach in directing and controlling the employees. He introduced the use of performance measurement standards to measure efficiency and performance of employees. This method measures employee performance based on the number of calls or customers that they handle per hour. This approach emphasizes on working speeds of subordinates, and requires them to handle as many customers as possible during their working time. This method would help to reduce the number of employees being employed in the department. His method also introduced a regulation requiring employees to work in monitored schedules. He ensured that employees spent minimal time on each customer they attend to with an objective of reducing call hold time. This method was completely different from the previously used method, which the employees were used to. Through Rasmussen’s method, the company achieved its objective of efficiency and non-flexible scheduling and cutting back on costs associated with employees. A leader should focus on being in charge of command, organizing and directing, setting processes in motion, and being the reason for others to act or change (Scouler and Chapman, 2012). Leadership styles are classifications of the leader ’s behavior in performance of their duties, during our study of the Mountain West Health Plans Inc’s customer service department; we identified several leadership issues, which are highlighted below. Firstly, there is no connection between the leader and the employees (Hendricks, n.d). We found that the leader does not understand the needs

Audience Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Audience Analysis Paper - Essay Example For the purpose of this analysis these persons are expecting the correspondence of quarterly sales information. In order to relay information accordingly considerations must be made for appropriate channeling, consideration of audience characteristics, and specifics toward audience diversity. Aside from these matters assurance must also be made to ensure that the message is perceived effectively by the corresponding audience. Discussion When dealing with large groups and presentation methods it must first be established what the speaker can control. In this case it would be the type of presentation that is warranted for a large group and how to maintain the information that will be delivered. By establishing what type of presentation is best suited, the speaker needs to determine the characteristics of the audience. This can be accomplished by utilizing audience recognition. In the case of groups it is best to focus on generalization or what the members of the group have in common ba sed on demographics and psychographic profiling (Adapting your message to your, p. 44). In this case of having to deliver one specific message to a large group of stakeholders it can be assumed that these individuals will be interested in profit margins and best selling merchandises that can be revealed in the reports. By figuring the place of the individual stakeholders (i.e. who is the customer, who is the manager, who is the salesperson) the amount of understanding the individuals will have about the information can be determined. In the case of having to disclose quarterly sales information the presentation should be done at a level that the customer can understand. The customer will more than likely be the least likely persons out of the group that does not have the common education level of the others on the subject. That means that the group presentation should be presented to an education level that is equivalent to the customers. Based on the lack of information that the cu stomer may have an appropriate channel would be to have a written record of information that will be discussed in the meeting. The written information (outlining document that follows the speaker in presentation with points from the report) should also be accompanied by definitions of terminology and emphasis on important points (Adapting your message to your, p. 49 - 56). This channel of trade is needed to give the lesser informed members of the audience insight on what the presentation is attempting to correspond. In this case the customer portion of your audience may be lacking appropriate knowledge of quarterly sales reports. For all intensive purposes the presentation can be classified as a lecture and it is likely that visual aids may be needed. Based on lecture characteristics it is assumed that audience attentions dwindle after about 30 minutes into the presentation and they retain about 3 pieces of information from an hour long sitting (Robertson, pg 237.) Audience lack of retention as previously stated implies that transferring verbal information without the use of visual aid does nothing for group retention. To offset the negative effects of long presentations the active learning process is promising for positive retention of the audience. The human interactive system is embodied in a PowerPoint that employs a interactive system (Robertson, p. 237 - 238). Aside from the characteristics of the audience it is likely that the diversity of the group can be

Is Total Quality Management Enough For Competitive Advantage Essay

Is Total Quality Management Enough For Competitive Advantage - Essay Example ers are becoming more and more aware, empowered, enlightened, and exposed to more products than anytime on the history of this planet (Tenner, & DeToro, pp. 123-159, 1992). They have substitutes for everything, businesses are being done at global levels and no part of the world is now isolated from the other parts (Ross, & Perry, pp. 78-96, 1999). This situation led the experts to come up with new ways to survive and magnify revenues. The concepts of total Quality Management and competitive advantage are a couple of them. This paper is devoted to the discussion that is total quality management enough for competitive advantage. Before the paper moves any further, it is important at this stage to understand and reflect on the basic concepts of Total Quality management and competitive advantage. Experts view total Quality management as a â€Å"Management or corporate philosophy that asks firms to strive for making the best use of all the available resources and integrating all organisational functions such as Research and development, Planning, Manufacturing, Customer Service, etc so that organisational goals of maximum profit and customer satisfaction could be attained in the best possible way† (Hakes, pp. 12-38, 1991) (Gummer, & McCallion, pp. 45-92, 2007). There are many other elements attached with it. Authorities in Management studies regard total quality management as process through which, companies can successfully move on to the road of continuous enhancement and expansion, enchanted customers, empowered workforce that lead to lowest possible costs and highest possible returns (Ross, & Perry, pp. 78-96, 1999). It is imperative to understand here that there is a huge amount of debate going on the scope and dimensions of Total Quality management and different scholars have different approaches towards it (Gummer, & McCallion, pp. 45-92, 2007). There are a number of ideas regarding total quality management; however, all diverge on the single point of

The Cosby Show Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Cosby Show - Essay Example This study looks into The Cosby Show that would be best categorized under the conflict area of sociological theory. The sitcom challenged negative ideas of African Americans that have been embedded in American society for far too long. On the surface, The Cosby Show may have seemed like a simple television show, but the series had a far-reaching impact on American pop-culture and society. The show made people rethink how African Americans were perceived in the United States. Because of The Cosby Show, it was possible for other African American shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Family Matters to be successful on television. Even though African American shows like Good Times preceded The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby’s series was the first to present black people as having esteemed professions and living an upper-middle class life. In the show, Cosby’s character was Heathcliff Huxtable, a prominent obstetrician, and his wife, Clair Huxtable, was an attorney. Even tho ugh the show premiered in the middle of the eighties, there was still widespread prejudice and racial fears of black people. In the minds of many Americans, professions such as a doctors and lawyers were traditionally reserved for whites. In previous years, not only were blacks not qualified for these jobs but also they were deemed inept and unable to be successful in these professions according to the widespread notion of racial superiority. The Cosby Show had proved this assertion wrong. Not only did the show have a positive, successful black male, but the inclusion of a professional, black woman on television was groundbreaking within its own right. In America’s history, black women could only attain jobs as wash-maids or domestic servants. To see a woman of color doing neither of those jobs and being a successful lawyer was also a monumental shift in the way black women have been categorized and stereotyped. For far too long, black women have had to face hurdles and obsta cles of their own. Within the confines of America’s racial and patriarchal history, black women have had to carry the extra burdens of being black and female. Black women have had to contend with their own stereotypes, including the mammy role, the sensual mulatto woman, and the docile domestic servant. The image of Clair Huxtable contradicted assumed roles of not only black women but also women as a whole. The image of a black, professional woman who was not dependent on her husband challenged established racial bias and female and gender roles within American society. The show pushed back and made people question gender norms and racial categorization. The series defied not only established assumptions of gender but also of class. Because of America’s racial caste system, African Americans were thought to remain forever at the bottom of the social ladder. One of the main selling points for coming to America has been the typical rags to riches story, the idea of comin g to the land of opportunity and moving beyond one’s social station. However, the reality was that where a person was born and what skin color he or she had determined a person’s social status in life and still does to this day. With the odds stacked against non-white people, however, there have been ethnic groups that have managed to move within the American class structure, including African Americans. The Cosby Show was an example of African Americans being able to become successful and not remaining at the bottom of the class scale as prescribed by many white Americans. The series also created conflict by defying who could rise above class and who could become wealthy. The Cosby Show revealed the fact that the

Things Fall Apart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Things Fall Apart - Essay Example They knew that they would capture the natives in their trap which was in form of assistance (Okpewho 32). With respect to the coming of the white man in the village, the white religion started. The villagers thought that it was good to adapt, follow it and this caused them to continue changing with time. Could not withstand the forces of the changing people who could not stick to their traditional way of living Okonkwo followed the community’s traditions strictly all the times. For example, he beat his wife Ojiugo who failed to do her duty of preparing a meal for her husband and the entire family because she came late after plaiting her hair. The wife adapted the British lifestyle whereby women had the rights to do what they wished because they had power while the African culture, the role of a woman in the society was to make sure that she handled all the responsibilities assigned to her with great commitment. For example, according to the religion, during the peace week, no one was right to beat anyone. Okonkwo did it because according to his culture it was right to beat a woman any time when she wronged. Probably, he forgot that it was against the practices of the African culture to do it during the peace week. According to the beliefs, he committed an offence unacceptable to the gods. (33).The introduction of the white’s religion caused so many changes to the natives of t he Lbo society for it prevented them practice their culture and beliefs. In addition, the coming of the white man in the society caused confusion to Okonkwo’s traditions and ended committing suicide. This was an abomination in the African culture and beliefs. Ibo villagers’ way of living continued to show great diversity as by 1900’s because of the British who wanted their culture to dominate in the area and the villagers started absorbing it. Native values of the community went on diminishing. Okonkwo’s son, ‘Nwoye’ was always calm, cool,

Developing educational leadership in study circle Essay Example for Free

Developing educational leadership in study circle Essay As previously mentioned, Study Circle leaders are highly look upon as respectable individuals in the program. Even though the leader is just a representative or could be consider as equal among others, it could not be deny that their role is crucial in the success of the Study Circle. According to Blid (2000), there are two main functions that can be used to identify a leader. One is the ability to secure that studies progress smoothly and two, the ability promote a positive social climate during meetings. The first characteristic of the leader implies that he is willing to set aside his personal time to ensure that the program would run smoothly and effectively. However, the Study Circle was created to work collectively and each member is expected to be responsible for their own progress so it doesn’t mean that the Study Circle leader should do everything. He is just their in order to guide the participants in accordance with the program. Most of his organizational functions could be consider as presidential or secretarial work (Bjerkaker, 2003). The second functions or commonly known as the social and emotional role of the leader is consider as an important tool in developing a positive atmosphere of cooperation and respect wherein everyone would feel at ease while learning (Blid, 1990)). A Study Circle leader may be the key to an inspiring first meeting or a failure leader would cause the Study Circle to lose some of its members or participants. In order to carry out those two functions, Kindstorm (2002) cited some tasks that would help them perform their task. They are the following: 1) Helping the participants in strengthening their self-confidence; 2) Developing team spirit so that participants would feel welcome and secure; 3) Putting the participants own development in focus and ask the right questions; 4) On the process of knowledge, applying common views from time to time will help the participants to apply what they have learn in different situations of their everyday life; 5) Preventing competition by promoting cooperation among the participants; 6) Encouraging the participants to discuss solutions and ask questions among other through dialogues; 7) Making different options very clear; The leader will always play a crucial role in the interplay of the group. He/she, for an instance, need to face problems that could inhibit the members from participating in activities or learning from the program. The course subject that the Study Circle will tackle will be in accordance to the leader’s general knowledge. On the other hand, Study Circle leaders are considered as unpaid work since it is look upon as part of their engagement in a voluntary organization (Persson, 2006). However there are some who get paid but most of them are either retired or were specifically hired for the job due to certain circumstances. Most Study Circle leaders do have ordinary employment and their only few who are consider as full time Study Circle leaders and most of them are teachers. Methodology Introduction A multiplicity of concepts and ideas may bring confusion in terms of meanings. Clarity of key concepts, ideas and how could they be applied after the study would be an important parts in determining whether they are qualitative or quantitative. The purpose is to generate information about the application of the research design and its method to the current study. Research Design By focusing on textual data and spoken word rather than relying in numerical data and statistical method, qualitative research is meant to describe human experiences in various subjects and topics. The multiple perspectives of each participant are the direct source of data for this research design. By analyzing frequent phrases, patterns or statements from the participants, the researchers are in the process of developing a theory or foundation needed for the study. Furthermore, this procedure may often produce additional information that could start further research. In order to carry out their goal, the researchers should observe and jot down notes during the process of the research (Patton, 2002). According to Patton (2002), qualitative design is very tedious and time consuming. Researchers are force to adapt to the participants conditions and situations in order to extract the information they needed without jeopardizing the content and value of the data. However, analysis of data could pose as a major threat to the success of the study. After being influence by the participant’s environment, interpretation of this data could be subject to biases and personal opinions of researchers (Myers, 2002). However, the risk of taking this design lies in its descriptive reports and explorations of human views that could offer the future readers of the study a better understanding of the problem. Research Method While the Study Circle shall be used as a method, the characteristics of Focus Group Discussion to capture multiple perspectives of different participants at the same time will be useful in this study. Similar to the Study Circle, by assembling group of people to discuss certain topic, focus group discussion could generate social interactions between these people that are not acquainted with each other (Heiskanen, 2008). By generating interactions among them and seeing it evolve, various ideas and concepts are generated at the same time. Ideas and concepts are being generated through a communal process wherein participants could share and elaborate their viewpoints about the subject and concern topics. Furthermore, researchers could understand how participants handle, react and approach the issue being presented to them by observing, recording and analyzing the interaction and discussion of the group (Heiskanen, 2008). Multiple ideas and concept necessary to form the foundation of the school-community framework could be supplied by focus group discussion while minimizing time and cost for the research. Furthermore, the concept of Study Circles and focus group discussion are parallel with each other, thus preventing overlaps of information.