Bipolar Essay - 2455 Words

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a common, recurrent, and debilitating mood disorder which causes extreme shifts in energy and mood. The word bipolar indicates the two main polar extremes which a person with the disorder experiences. According to NIMH, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that oversees neurological and psychological research, this disorder affects about 2.3 million adults in the United States and about 1.2 percent of the population worldwide. The first signs of this disorder usually appear in adolescence and early adulthood, with cases seldom occuring in childhood. No findings have been made to indicate a difference in frequency among those of differing race or ethnicity. Bipolar†¦show more content†¦The two week period during a major depressive episode is arguably the most dangerous time for people who suffer from bipolar disorder because it is the time when the vast majority of them contemplate death. This can range fr om the idea of suicide without any specific plan to an actual suicide attempt. These episodes are usually not diagnosed when the same symptoms could be connected with the recent loss of a loved one or some other traumatic experience. Usually speaking, people with bipolar will usually be depressed far more often than they are manic. A mixed episode, also known as a dysphoric manic episode, is a combination of depressive and manic symptoms, such as agitation, change in appetite, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thinking. Severe depression or agitation in this state can also be accompanied by symptoms of psychosis. These symptoms include delusions and hallucinations. Bipolar individuals often describe these episodes as ‘sad mania. This episode is the one most commonly seen in children. Though not uncommon, mixed episodes are not widely recognized. Studies show that only 40 percent of people who have both manic symptoms and a sufficient number of depressive symptoms are diagnosed as being in a mixed depressive and manic state. Studies have also shown that suicidal thoughts are greatly increased in people while in a mixed state. Its treatment has not beenShow MoreRelatedEssay on Bipolar1335 Words   |  6 PagesBipolar Disorder Introduction to Psychology November 29,2012 Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity, and the ability to function on a daily basis. People in general have many different mood swings, but someone who has bipolar disorder has severe mood swings that may cause damage to personal relationships, job performance, and the ability to function in school. Diagnosing bipolar disorder can be difficultRead MoreEssay Bipolar Disorder1447 Words   |  6 PagesBipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness affects about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population (8). It is defined by fluctuating states of depression and mania throughout ones life. Those who are depressed may be restless, irritable, have slowed thinking or speech, decreased sexual activity, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, suicidal thoughts as well as other changes. Those in a manic state may have increased activity or energy, more thoughts and faster thinkingRead MoreBipolar Disorder Essay1615 Words   |  7 PagesBipolar disorder, also commonly referred to as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual and heightened swings in a person’s mood, energy level, and ability to function. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe and therefore, they are quite different from the normal shifts in mood that everyone goes through on a daily basis. The effects of bipolar disorder can result in broken relationships, poor performance at wor k or school, self-mutilation, and even suicide. HoweverRead MoreBipolar Disorder Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesBipolar disorder also known as manic depression has always been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that it can appear in almost everyone. Bipolar disorder causes mood swings in energy, thinking, and other behavior. Having a bipolar disorder can be very disabling (Kapczinski). A study was evaluated and about 1.3% of the U.S population of people suffers from bipolar disorder. Stressors and environmental influences can trigger and cause a person to go through numerous episodes. BipolarRead More Bipolar Disorder and the Essay979 Words   |  4 PagesBipolar Disorder and the War on Drugs Bipolar disorder, also known as, manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that results in unusual shifts in a persons mood, energy, and ability to function. More than two million American adults (or, about one per cent of the population aged eighteen and older in any given year) are afflicted by this affective disorder (1). Yet, because it cannot be revealed by a blood test or other physiological means, patients may suffer for years before it isRead MoreEssay on Bipolar Disorder 1279 Words   |  6 PagesMental illness comes in many forms one of the most prevalent forms facing people today is depression. The realm of depression encompasses many different types and forms, some of these are, Seasonal Affect Disorder commonly called SAD, Bipolar Disorder, Postpartum, Chronic Depression, and situational depression to name a few. When many people think about depression they think about a person who is stereotypically down on life. However they don’t see the people who suffer from extreme highs, as wellRead MoreEssay on bipolar disorder502 Words   |  3 Pages Bipolar Disorder also known as Manic Depressive Illness involves outstanding mood swings. The individual has periods of depression, and periods when they feel either unusually good or pressured and irritable. It affects 1-2% of the population. Genetics plays a significant role. About 15% of children with one bipolar parent develop the disorder. Treatments include medication, supportive psychotherapy and occasionally ECT. Medications include lithium, anticonvulsant drugs (carbamazepine (Tegretol)Read More Bipolar Disorder Essay1536 Words   |  7 PagesBipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder is a type of manic depression classified by those affected having extreme polar opposite emotions. Those who suffer from bipolar disorder, go from extreme highs (mania) to very lows, (depression). Because this illness deals with such drastic changes in behavior, it is essential that those who suffer take medical action in treatment of their disorder, unlike other depressions that may be treated with therapy only. Medical treatment with the useRead More Bipolar Disorder Essay1022 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I have been diagnosed with what is called a Bipolar disorder. For all of my life I have been moody, so I guess when my I had mood swings my parents chalked it up to being a teenager. I always knew that it was more than just moodiness, but I had no idea what was wrong with me. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;When I am in a manic state I feel empowered and clever. In this phase, people find me very charismatic I also love myself and others and am very creativeRead MoreEssay on Bipolar Disorder1556 Words   |  7 PagesBipolar Disorder The aspect of bipolar disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. It was rumored that Vincent Van Gough suffered from bipolar disorder. There is a large group of people suffering from this disorder, however there are no causes or cures for it. Bipolar disorder impairs one’s ability to obtain and sustain social and occupational success. The journey for even a cause will continue for many years to come. Affective disorders are characterized by a depressed

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Cosmetic Surgery - 994 Words

Other failures related to cosmetic plastic surgery are often linked to the use of Botox. For instance, e all know or have seen this one person who has received an excess of Botox injections and ended up having unnaturally, protruding cheeks. Although using Botox is nonsurgical, it is still classified as cosmetic plastic surgery because it restrains our muscles from carrying out any movement. Many people believe that since this process does not involve cutting through a patient’s skin, it does entail as much danger as surgical operations. Researchers claim the opposite. Less commonly known as botulism neurotoxin, Botox is a toxin produced by a bacterium. Contact with this bacterium can actually cause the person to contract a fatal disease called botulism. Poupard expressed his concern in his work, â€Å"The same chemical that caused a dreaded disease is now used to paralyze completely healthy and functioning facial muscles and is the most common minimally invasive cosmetic pro cedure performed today.† Are we voluntarily putting our lives in peril simply for the sake of smoothing out unpleasant wrinkles? Has our society become too consumed by image and appearance that we have come to this point where we would do anything to become a tad prettier? Even more frightening is the fact that this medical field is largely unregulated, especially in the United States. Friedman clarifies, â€Å"†¦Any licensed physician can perform plastic surgery, and – in some states – even dentists are allowed toShow MoreRelatedPlastic Surgery : Cosmetic And Cosmetic Surgery879 Words   |  4 PagesI) Definition Cosmetic and plastic surgery According to the merriam-Webster website, plastic surgery is another common word for Cosmetic Surgery which means, in general, a type of operation to improve parts of the body. The medical term of Plastic Surgery comes from Greek in 1638. Cosmetic is a type of ornamental surgery which helps patients to reform and rebuild part or demonstrative of their body in order to embellish their appearance and be beautiful. The defect for that could be congenitalRead MorePlastic Surgery And Cosmetic Surgery1496 Words   |  6 PagesPlastic surgery has become an extremely popular trend throughout the past years of the American culture. There are many reasons why people get plastic surgery, however, our society is the first to judge an individual for getting a procedure done. The controversy regarding plastic surgery is extremely relevant and has received major attention through celebrities, television, and social media. However, many individuals are unaware that there is a difference between bot h plastic surgery and cosmeticRead MoreCosmetic Surgery : Plastic Surgery2001 Words   |  9 Pages In most sources about cosmetic surgery, they explain the good or bad about it and also give examples of people that have gone through cosmetic surgery. For most people that go through cosmetic surgery, it takes around 6 months for the swelling to go down and for most of the scars to heal and begin to go away. The majority of people that have an opinion of cosmetic surgery, think that it’s the worst part of the new society and feels like the people that get the procedure done are weak and are easilyRead MoreCosmetic Surgery : Plastic Surgery1836 Words   |  8 Pagesin Norfolk, Va.† (Goleman, 1991). I know many of you have heard of cosmetic surgery, also known as â€Å"plastic surgery†. Many people have considered cosmetic surgery in order to feel better about their self. This topic really interested me because I know there are many different viewpoints on it. W hat I wanted to focus on most is how the media portrays cosmetic surgery, how they portray women, the pros and cons of cosmetic surgery, the cost, and ways that we can get more people to be comfortable inRead MorePlastic Surgery And Cosmetic Surgery1480 Words   |  6 Pagessociety, women lose countless nights in depression. People have found a way to overcome this problem, its plastic surgery. People are spending billions on achieving the perfect body and face, and they feel good about it. They say it makes them more confident and now they can get rid of all their problems. People find cosmetic surgery more appealing than therapy. And think that plastic surgery has more finer results than therapy. It has been taken as the new trend. And you will find people of allRead MorePlastic Surgery And Cosmetic Surgery2042 Words   |  9 PagesPlastic Surgery In today’s culture, plastic surgery has become very popular in this society. When people think of plastic surgery, they think of cosmetic surgery. Although both plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery deal with enhancing a person’s body, the training, research, and the goals for patients are different. Therefore, both specialties are entirely different from one another. According to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, Plastic Surgery is defined as a surgical specialty dedicatedRead MoreCosmetic Surgery : Plastic Surgery And Teenagers2046 Words   |  9 PagesAccording to â€Å"Plastic Surgery Teenagers†, â€Å"teenagers who want to have plastic surgery usually have different motivations and goals than adults† (â€Å"Plastic Surgery For Teenagers Briefing Paper†). Thus, meaning that most young adults get cosmetic surgery, which is the reshaping of body parts to improve their physical characteristics. However, changing your physical appearance ju st because you want to or do not feel pretty enough should not be the case of spending all that money and time on a non-maturedRead MoreCosmetic Surgery : The Plastic Surgery Capital Of The World893 Words   |  4 PagesMany people know that South Korea is known as the plastic surgery capital of the world. Plastic surgery was once a major taboo in Korea, where those who have gotten it done would be looked down upon on by family and friends, but now the pursuit of perfection has made cosmetic surgery much more popular and open to the public. About one in five women in Korea would have some kind of plastic surgery done, and many neighborhoods and subway stations are lined with advertisements and billboards to promoteRead MoreThe Use Of Modern Plastic Surgery And Cosmetic Surgery1468 Words   |  6 Pagesmodern plastic surgery has evolved from a procedure used to provide treatment for disfiguring facial of the soldiers during WWI into a slave of modern beauty culture, more commonly k nown as â€Å"cosmetic surgery† (Gillies H, 1920). Although, the term â€Å"plastic surgery† and â€Å"cosmetic surgery† are used interchangeably, they are intrinsically different. On one hand, cosmetic surgery aims to enhance a patient’s appearance, which can be performed in all areas such as breasts, nose of body shape. Plastic surgeryRead MoreCosmetic Surgery : Plastic, Reconstructive Surgeries Have The Word `` Surgery906 Words   |  4 PagesCosmetic, plastic, reconstructive surgeries have the word â€Å" surgery† in them, so there are risks go together with them. No surgical procedure is a hundred percent safe. Actually, several surgeries in this area are major surgeries; they are a not all minor surgeries like many people think. According the department of surgery of University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester in New York, â€Å"Breast reconstruction is major surgery, with the risks, discomforts, and recuperation period of most major surgery

New Product Development Silver Shark Inc. Company

Question: Discuss about the New Product Development for Silver Shark Inc. Company. Answer: New Product Development: Silver Shark Inc. Company Overview of Silver Shark Company Silver Shark is known to be the designer, manufacturer and marketer of mobile communication devices, portable digital multimedia contents (audio and video), and personal computers. Silver Shark also sells other several related peripherals, softwares, networking solutions, services, and third party digital content and some various applications that it makes. Silver Shark offers include, iPhone handsets, iPad portable multimedia, iPods line that is known to have portable video players and digital players. The company has its main headquarters in South Africa, in Cape Town. Opportunity Identified by the Company Silver Shark has recently identified some opportunities in other parts of Africa. Word about its high quality products has spread all over and now its products are in very high demand in many parts. There is a good opportunity because recent research indicates there so much technological advancements and economic growth around Africa meaning that so many people are capable of purchasing the company products. The companys target market encompasses consumers, educators, creative professionals and students around the African continent. The company has successfully managed to come up with a huge world following that has prompted a sustained demand of its products (Crawford Benedetto, 2014). Silver Shark Company Vision In its vision, the company believes that it is in the world to make great excellent products and that its not going to change it. The company also emphasizes that its only constantly focused on innovation of new quality products. The company believes in deep cross-pollination and collaboration of its different groups. This allows Silver Shark to innovate in ways that the other companies cannot. Silver Shark Company Mission Silver Shark company is always committed to giving its customers the best personal computing exposure and experience especially to the creative professionals, educators and the students by innovating great excellent products like the softwares, internet offers, and hardwares. Silver Shark Product Concept. A product concept can be defined as the main core objective or purpose of a particular service or product, its promise and uniqueness in meeting the unmet expectations of the clients. Silver Sharks concept statement gives a factual summary of its products benefits and goes ahead to even differentiate from its other competitors. However, one challenge that has for long been associated with the product concept of different companies is that these product concepts sometimes result to myopia when it comes to marketing. Silver Sharks product concept is mainly based on two concepts and they include (Kahn, 2012). Customer Satisfaction concept Customer satisfaction is considered to be the most important concept to all the companies. It gives business owners together with the marketers a good metric where they are able to improve and manage their business operations effectively. There are several reasons as to why customer satisfaction is seen to be vital to many companies around the world and they encompass; customer satisfaction reduces negative perceptions about the company; leads to consumer lifetime value; it is known to be the main point of differentiation; it enables the company to even acquire new purchasers; it is seen as an indicator of the customer repurchase of the new products from the customer. Silver Shark focuses on the satisfaction of its clients by producing high quality products that are user friendly and of high quality. Production of High Quality Products Product quality can be viewed as a way of understanding how the products provided by the manufacturers have more selling capabilities and also to make sure that the same products are not also offered by other competitors. However, caution must be taken because a company may end up producing high quality products that are not really needed by the consumers in the market. By maintaining the high quality of its products, Silver Shark has successfully managed to establish itself in the technological market world. It is praised for its excellent products around the world by many of its clientele base (Karol Nelson, 2007). Recommendations for the best concept Customer Satisfaction From my own point of view, I strongly believe that the most important concept between these two is the concept on satisfaction of customers. It is very clear that customers play a major significant role when it comes to the processes in different companies. The customers are always the first priority to be considered before any organizational structures and strategies are even put in place. Some of the questions that are often asked in any strategic planning may range from, who is going to consume the product? Where are these people that are going to consume the product? and finally will they be fully satisfied. Segmentation of the markets, designing of the product and finally creation of awareness about the product is only done after these questions have gotten some answers. This clearly shows and tells us how significant the concept of customer satisfaction is to the companies. Silver Shark Company Strategy There is really no doubt that Silver Sharks product strategy is by innovating high quality products that appeal to its customers. The company calls this strategy as the excellent product strategy. The company for many years ever since its inception has continued to hold on to its higher standards of quality products. The company has refused to be like other product manufacturers who only pack products that are always full of chock-full features. Even though these chock-full products may seem to be impressively advanced, most of them are known to be complicated when being operated in simple terms; they are not really user friendly. When it comes to packaging of its products, Silver Shark cannot be said to be lacking in this. The company is praised for being the only company that gives simple and clean but yet functional packaging of its products that is clearly evident from its satisfied customers who have praised it for that (Olsen, 2015). Silver Sharks excellent strategy is known to also center on quality over quantity. This clearly shows us that the company is only focused on selected products and will always continue to improve them rather than deciding to branch out so as to come up with other different products. According to research, it has been discovered that anything that strikes an impression in ones consciousness is often expected to have a lasting impression on the individual. Silver Shark has always endeavored to make its brands more synonymous. Due to the major role that todays technology plays in ones lifestyle, passion, innovation, and the human natures innate want to poses a small measure of control or even much more power, the company has capitalized on this to give people what they really want. The company products have given to people a sense of control over their lifestyle through the integration of the concepts of convenience and simplicity. The company has magnificently created a connection with its clients around the world that can only be defined in better terms as intimate Technical concepts of Silver Shark Over the years, Silver Shark has firmly established itself among consumers and designers alike with its major product logo of an eagle. This logo has inspired many other imaginative and even more stunning product concepts. Designers, artists, and even its fans have attempted to invent both whimsical and practical Silver Shark devices. These whimsical devices have sometimes been thought to resemble future products; sometimes they are taken to be even very strange. This clearly proves how people really love and trust the Silver Shark products. Silver Shark Marketing feasibility Silver Shark feasibility study mainly focuses on helping them to answer some essential questions like whether the company should proceed with a particular proposed project idea or not. All its operation activities are always directed at answering these questions. The company has always been using these feasibility studies to mainly focus on its proposed business ventures. It is very imperative for all companies that have business ideas to first of all conduct a thorough feasibility study so as to know the real viability of their business idea in the market before they can start doing any business development on the idea. Early determination of the success or failure of a particular business can help companies in saving money, time and future heartaches. A company that is able to withstand the risks it faces, generate enough profits and cash flow, remain stronger in the long term and also meets the main goals of its founders is said to be the best feasible business venture (Reinertsen , 2009). In the recent past, several products by other companies that compete with Silver Shark have been rejected and criticized by many consumers around the world. It is reported these consumers have been feeling more and more disgruntled with the operating systems of the other companies due to their lack of new features and innovation. Rapid innovation of different products by these companies has turned out to be a bigger problem. Some of the products that these companies innovate have been marked as experimental in the business market rather than being taken as serious products. This has made these products to even have a shorter shelf life and there is no doubt that sooner than later they will be taken away from the market. For this reason, it is very important for all companies that have a record of following product concepts to put all their energy and efforts in using technology so as to produce excellent quality products to attract an optimum client satisfaction. Role Silver Sharks product design team has always been thinking of many ways of manufacturing and designing the companys new products. However, Silver Shark does not have unlimited assets and resources that can able it to explore other multiple design approaches for its products. Silver Shark Company has always focused on getting its products launched as soon as possible. The companys product statement alone has been one way of bringing purpose, clarity to its products, cohesion and the developmental process. Components Silver Sharks product concept statement has a headline that has been praised for grabbing its customers attention, the reasons and benefits of why its customers must believe in its excellent quality products. For instance, some of its product headlines include, best value in the market today and fastest selling product in the market. Under the headlines, the company has outlined the main benefits of its products to the potential customers. For instance, the company markets its computer systems as having lower power consumption and also has a more superior performance. The companys final concept statement explains the reasons for its customers to believe in its products such as the quality of its ingredients and its product technical specifications. When it comes to its computers, Silver Shark, talks about specifications like the monitor, hard disk and the processing speed. Silver Shark Success Factors According to research, excellent concept statements have always proven to evoke feelings and moods. Such concepts although are explicit when stating the main purpose of the product, they most of the time let the reader to visualize the benefits of the product. An excellent concept statement uses a language that is simple void of any technical jargon. Silver Sharks concepts have always been realistic and clear. Considerations Silver Sharks tests its products and its accompanying statements before launching them in the market for consumers. The company has always done carried out thorough market research, as it is the only accurate way to guarantee it the potential customers acceptance. This has continually helped the company to track the consumer buying changes and behaviors when it comes to consumer preferences. The only way of influencing such a consumer buying behavior is by having the best concept statement (Trott,2012). Silver Sharks Idea Generation and Screening Any new product in the market must always start as an idea. Silver Sharks ideas most of the times are known to originate from the brainstorming sessions by its experts. Other ideas of the company normally come up as a direct response to the needs of its customers from the market or sometimes when the company wants to counter a competitor product. The companys ideas normally go through a screening process so as to take all the quality ideas. Such a screening process encompasses different general projections like profitability, market reception of the product and the cost (Olsen, 2015). Silver Shark Concept Development/Testing Silver Sharks concept testing and development phase aims to gauge its customers reaction to its overall idea on its new products. Many big companies are for using focus teams in collection of data on whether the consumers will buy their products and also how regular they are likely to buy and also know their acceptable price levels. Some of the smaller businesses are said to be using focus teams, though these teams are most of the time not actually formal. Though the questions in small companies might be informal, most of the time they yield positive valuable results (Crawford Benedetto, 2014). Silver Shark Analysis The companys new ideas have always been known to survive the testing phase and developmental concept. This has made it possible now for the company to come up with a formal analysis of all its new products viability. To be precise, analysis includes a companys expected profit margin and the production costs together with the total market size of its products. All companies are always advised to weigh the position of their product in the business market. Conclusion It is estimated that more than 27% of all new product ideas mostly emanate from either listening or watching the customers reaction towards particular products. Silver Shark uses such information to improve the acceptability percentage of its products by its loyal customers around the world. This is what has distinguished it from all the other companies that do not really pay so much attention to the needs of the clients. References Cooper, R. G. (2011). Winning at New Products: Creating Value Through Innovation. Cooper, R. G., Edgett, S. J. (2009). Lean,Rapid and Profitable New Product Development. Crawford, C. M., Benedetto, C. A. (2014). New Products Management. Kahn, K. B. (2012). The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development. Karol, R., Nelson, B. (2007). New Product Development For Dummies. Olsen, D. (2015). The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Fedddback. Reinertsen, D. G. (2009). The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development. Trott, P. Innovation Management New Product Development (5th ed.). Bibliography Alvarez. (2014). Lean Customer Development: Building Products Your Customers Will Buy. Ries, Eric. (2011). The Lean Startup: How Todays Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses.

Post-Negotiation †Review and Evaluation Essay Example

Post-Negotiation – Review and Evaluation Essay Post-Negotiation – Review and Evaluation Opening position Proposed by Management ?Written request by Union ?Reasonable notice must be given ?Leave of absence will be granted without pay ?Up to 2 employees for one day ?Leave of absence days may not exceed 10 days off ?Leave of Absence granted solely for the purpose of carrying out business for the Local Opening Position Proposed by Union ?Leave of absence with pay up to 2 employees; ?5 days with pay, and ?12 unpaid, a total of 17 aggregated days, ?For the purpose of carrying out business for the Local. First Attempt in the Negotiation Simulation In the first attempt the negotiation went too smoothly and came to a decision to easily. Both management and the union felt that a re-negotiation was necessary. Written Request Management wanted to ensure that all employees submit a written request to the manager or supervisor on duty. The union felt that it was fair and appropriate. Written request was agreed upon immediately. All union employees who would like to take a leave of absence must have a written request by the union. Reasonable notice must be given Management and the union both agreed that employees must give reasonable notice which is 48 hours prior to leave of absence. 8 hours is acceptable by management because it gives enough time to find a replacement Leave of absence will be granted without pay Management felt that the initial offer made by the union was unfair and unacceptable. The union was asking for too many days off and wanted additional days paid; in order to carry out business for the local. In total the uni on was asking for 17 aggregated days; 5 paid days and 12 unpaid. Management’s initial offer was 10 days without pay. Both the management and the union went back and forth and tried to negotiate a fair deal then our target position came into play. We will write a custom essay sample on Post-Negotiation – Review and Evaluation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Post-Negotiation – Review and Evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Post-Negotiation – Review and Evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Management and the union – both opening positions were unacceptable Negotiation Both opening positions were outrageous and were not acceptable. This is when our negotiation tactics came into play. Management and the union both settled on the obvious proposals first. Both management and the union agreed right away that it is only fair to have written request by the union, reasonable notice must be given, and the leave of absence granted is solely for the purpose of carrying out business for the Local. The union wanted a leave of absence with pay up to 2 employees; 5 days with pay, and 12 unpaid, and a total of 17 aggregated days. Management would not comply with this request because it would be ineffective for cost management. The negotiation began with first determining how many days would be acceptable for the leave of absence. The union wanted a total of 17 aggregated days and management wanted 12 days in total. Management and the union went back and forth and came to an understanding that 12 days is more then fair. The union learned that 17 days would be too much. The company productivity would decrease and would result in less work being done. After the total days were negotiated it was time to discuss how many days the union felt that they should be paid for. Management felt that 2 days paid is more then adequate. Most companies normally do not pay for the employee to have a leave of absence to carry out business for their local. The union felt that 5 days was more then fair. The negotiation began with reasons why each side thought that their proposal was fair. Management side was strictly based on cost and productivity. The union’s proposal was based on all employees should be compensated for work being done; and if they need more time to complete a task the union will be allowed to requested more days off. Both management and the union had similar fall backs. The union and management settled on 2 paid days with 10 unpaid days and 12 days in total. Management intended to argue the amount of days and the number that would be paid. Both management and the union argued what they intended to. 2. Observations about the bargaining process: What you learned about yourself and others at the bargaining table I learned at the bargaining table you need to be very confidence and have a direct plan on what goals and outcomes you would like to achieve. While sitting at the negotiation simulation I learned that you have to a strict outline on what should be negotiated. I also learned that being well prepared is not enough you have to be able to communicate effectively with the other side. You have to explain with good reason why you decided to change the clause. Did you apply your defined negotiation strategy, in terms of negotiation style, conflict resolution? Integrative Bargaining I wanted both sides to operate under the assumption that there’s at least one settlement that can create a win/win solution. I wanted the negotiation simulation to be just like a real one. As the management side, I would like to builds a long-term relationship that facilitates working together in the future. Whereas distributive leaves one a loser; and tends to build animosities and deepen divisions. In preparing for my negotiation I followed the guidelines for Integrative Bargaining: 1. Consider the other party’s situation. 2. Have a concrete strategy. 3. Begin with a positive overture. 4. Address problems, not personalities. 5. Pay little attention to initial offers. 6. Emphasize win-win solutions. 7. Insist on using objective criteria 8. Check Progress Were you surprised as to what you did to reach an agreement? Do you think you compromised too much, or do you think you could have been more adamant in keeping your goals? I think the first negotiation was way too simple and fast. I think the both groups agreed that the negotiation simulation should be redone. I think the second negotiation was done a lot better. I think both sides’ management and the union did very well in explaining why they were asking for what they were asking for. I think it would have been beneficial to see a real negotiation take place; so we can see how real people negotiate. Other then that I think both sides were fair in the negations; each side tried to find a common balance. Strengths as a negotiator Preparation: Preparation was essential, because it helped management to plot a course so that both parties’ interests can be met. Also it caused management to consider the interests of the other party; and what there opening position, target position and fall back position might be. This was very effective in counteracting the union’s proposals. Web – research: management researched other companies to see what their leave of absence policies were. Management noticed most companies did not pay their employees for a leave of absence. Researching the net helped the company to stay on course and end with its fall back position. Understanding the union: Learning the interests of the other side is crucial in laying the groundwork for successful negotiations. The ability to get the negotiation back on track, to refer back to the problem and stay away from personal issues or positional bargaining, is one of the strongest skills a negotiator can have. This requires superior listening and questioning skills. Weaknesses as a negotiator Management thought they were very prepared to negotiate the clause 20. 2. However; when it came down to the negotiation, management was very nervous and found no matter how prepared you are; negotiations are very ntimidating. As a negotiator, it is easy to be well prepared but it is very hard to say what you mean. Within the bargaining unit, there were several different personalities and several different objectives with that comes a lot of different strategies. Management main weakness was not being able to communicate effectively with the other side. The management’s side h ad never seen a negotiation prior to this simulation so it was difficult at first; then both sides got a chance to see what it is like and adjusted a bit easier. Negotiations are very challenging and you have to be right on point at all times, you need to understand your strategy and the financial side of the company at all times. Ideas on how you could improve as a negotiator Be more confident in the negoation Use effective communication to get your point across Have a detailed plan of your strategies Stay on track – make sure you are trying to achieve your objectives Explain why you have chosen to make your decisions Ask questions until you understand both sides Testing understanding and summarizing (take more notes) Explaining before disagreeing

Definition and Examples of Cooperative Overlap

Definition and Examples of Cooperative Overlap In conversation analysis, the term cooperative overlap refers to a face-to-face interaction in which one speaker talks at the same time as another speaker to demonstrate an interest in the conversation. In contrast, an interruptive overlap is a competitive strategy in which one of the speakers attempts to dominate the conversation. The term cooperative overlap was introduced by sociolinguist Deborah Tannen in her book Conversational Style: Analyzing Talk Among Friends (1984). Examples and Observations [Patrick] had to wait another five minutes or so before his wife remembered he was there. The two women were  talking at the same time, asking and answering their own questions. They created a whirlwind of happy chaos.(Julie Garwood, The Secret. Penguin, 1992)Mama sat with Mama Pellegrini, the two of them talking so rapidly that their words and  sentences overlapped  completely. Anna wondered, as she listened from the parlor, how they could understand what each was saying. But they laughed at the same time and raised or lowered their voices at the same time.(Ed Ifkovic,  A Girl Holding Lilacs. Writers Club Press, 2002) Tannen on High Involvement Style One of the most striking aspects of high involvement style that I found and analyzed in detail was the use of what I called cooperative overlap: a listener talking along with a speaker not in order to interrupt but to show enthusiastic listenership and participation. The concept of overlap versus interruption became one of the cornerstones of my argument that the stereotype of New York Jews as pushy and aggressive is an unfortunate reflection of the effect of high involvement style in conversation with speakers who use a different style. (In my study I called the other style high considerateness).(Deborah Tannen, Gender and Discourse. Oxford University Press, 1994) Cooperation or Interruption? Cooperative overlap occurs when one interlocutor is showing her enthusiastic support and agreement with another. Cooperative overlap occurs when the speakers view silence between turns as impolite or as a sign of a lack of rapport. While an overlap may be construed as cooperative in a conversation between two friends, it may be construed as an interruption when between boss and employee. Overlaps and interrogative have different meanings depending on the speakers ethnicity, gender, and relative status differences. For example, when a teacher, a person of higher status, overlaps with her student, a person of lower status, typically the overlap is interpreted as an interruption.(Pamela Saunders, Gossip in an Older Womens Support Group: A Linguistic Analysis. Language and Communication in Old Age: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, ed. by Heidi E. Hamilton. Taylor Francis, 1999) Different Cultural Perceptions of Cooperative Overlap [T]he two-way nature of cross-cultural differences typically eludes participants in the throes of conversation. A speaker who stops talking because another has begun is unlikely to think, I guess we have different attitudes toward cooperative overlap. Instead, such a speaker will probably think, You are not interested in hearing what I have to say, or even You are a boor who only wants to hear yourself talk. And the cooperative overlapper is probably concluding, You are unfriendly and are making me do all the conversational work here... (Deborah Tannen, Language and Culture, in An Introduction to Language and Linguistics, ed. by R. W. Fasold and J. Connor-Linton. Cambridge University Press, 2000)

The Benefits of Writing Concisely - Proofread My Paper

The Benefits of Writing Concisely - Proofread My Paper The Benefits of Writing Concisely Despite popular belief, wordiness – using more words than necessary to make a point – doesn’t make a paper sound more intellectual. Rather, it clouds your ideas and detracts from the impact of your writing. Writing concisely, on the other hand, will improve your work by: Keeping your point focused Ensuring your arguments flow clearly Helping you stay within the word allowance of your assignments But how do you make sure your written work is always concise? Focus on Your Thesis Somewhere at the beginning of your paper, you should have a clear statement of your thesis. This will guide the rest of your paper, since every point you make should add to your argument. If something in your work is not relevant to your thesis, consider whether it needs to be there. Faster! Harder! Stronger! (aka Editing Ruthlessly) The first draft is only the starting point in writing a good academic paper. Once you’ve got everything down, re-read it carefully, looking for errors and considering potential improvements. In terms of readability, this will typically include eliminating unnecessary words, tightening sentence structures and making sure that each paragraph flows smoothly to the next. Avoid Redundancy and Repetition Beware of redundancy and repetition. Redundancy is when we use a phrase that includes additional terms for no reason: in â€Å"the car was green in color,† for instance, â€Å"in color† is redundant because we know that â€Å"green† usually refers to a color. Repetition, meanwhile, is the unnecessary inclusion of the same point twice. If you’ve already introduced a concept in your work, for example, there’s no need to reintroduce it later on. Cutting repetition can make your writing much more succinct. Words, Not Phrases Try not to use several words when one will do. For instance, the sentence: It was an experience that I found very interesting for many reasons and from which I learned a lot. Could be rewritten more concisely as: It was a fascinating and educational experience. Simply put, â€Å"fascinating† and â€Å"educational† are an economical way of saying â€Å"I found interesting for many reasons† and â€Å"from which I learned a lot† respectively. As such, the rewritten sentence is easier to read.

Corporate Social Responsibility at the Boston Beers Essay - 1

Corporate Social Responsibility at the Boston Beers - Essay Example This research tells that resources such as clean water and air are getting more elusive daily, both in the community, we operate within and in the world over. In Boston, Massachusetts, one of the major problems faced is water pollution. Some members of the public continue to raise concerns over the frequent pollution of their primary water sources that they use as sources of drinking water, domestic consumption, and industrial uses, among other things. Often, members of the public have articulated that unclean water infiltrates their water lines, causing the water supplied to be unusable, especially domestically. In a study conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, it was discovered that the water pollution in the Boston area went as high as 35.71% on the pollution index. The study was based on water collected from beaches, rivers and residential areas. The beach water was voted most polluted owing to the quantity of chemical effluent discovered on testin g the samples collected from them. Apart from chemicals, the water consisted of other wastes such as plastics and sewage. This has raised major concerns over the measures taken by the relevant parties in ensuring access to clean and usable water in the community. Boston Beers Company has a role to play in ensuring a reduction in the level of water pollution in the environs of the company. The company is not solely to blame for water pollution. Even so, there are several reasons as to why the Boston Beers ought to be at the front line in making efforts to reduce water pollution.

Marx's View of Material Abundance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marx's View of Material Abundance - Essay Example Karl Marx demonstrates extremely negative attitude to the bourgeois type of society. He points out that the bourgeoisie has turned ordinary people, in particular workers in goods because they have has a market value and can be sold:In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed—a class of labourers, who live only so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labour increases capital. These labourers, who must sell themselves piece-meal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market.The bourgeoisie can be seen as a huge mechanism that destroys all that hinders its market trade and the accumulation of capital. In this respect, Marx drew attention to the fact that the strengthening of the bourgeoisie led to the fact that society has become divided into two classes: a class of the poor and a class of the rich. The rich exploit the simple workers and as a result, they increase their capital and become even richer. In turn, the workers do not have the opportunity for capital accumulation, since they give their work and in return receive lower wages. Marx criticizes the unequal distribution of wealth because he believes that the society should be fair. This justice requires equal opportunities for all people as well as the removal of any social oppression that is observed in bourgeois society.

Math word problems Essay Example for Free

Math word problems Essay In a right angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse side of the triangle is equal to the sum of the opposite side and adjacent sides of the triangle (Eves, 1997). This is known as the Pythagoras triangle. There are various applications of Pythagoras theorem in day-to-day situation that involves right angled triangles. An example of the application of Pythagoras theorem involving right angle triangles in day-to-day situations is in the determination of the height of a window from the foot of the ground. It is quite difficult to accurately determine the height of a window from the foot of the ground, but with the application of Pythagoras theorem this makes it easier. Assuming, we have a rigid ladder that leans against a vertical house, touching the window whose height is to be determined. This forms a right angled triangle. The distance from the base of the ladder to the foot of the building represents the adjacent side of the triangle and the length of the ladder is the hypotenuse side of the triangle, the height of the window whose length is to be determined is the opposite side of the triangle. Let the length of the ladder be represented by h, the distance between the foot of the ladder and the foot of the building be represented by a, then the height of the window from the base of the building be represented by o. Each parameter represents the hypotenuse, adjacent and the opposite sides of the triangle. Mathematically, applying Pythagoras theorem, h2= o2 + a2 The length of the window is the opposite side of the triangle and is represented by o above. Therefore making o the subject of the formulae, We have o= v (h2 – a2). So given that we know the length of the ladder and the horizontal distance between the foot of the ladder and the foot of the building, then the height of the window can be calculated using the above formulae. The application of Pythagoras theorem in the determination of the height of a window further validates the authenticity of the theorem. Reference Eves, H. (1997). Foundations and Fundamental Concepts of Mathematics. New York: Dover Publications.

Robert E. Lee :: Essays Papers

Robert E. Lee For some the man Robert E. Lee is an almost god like figure. For others he is a paradox. Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 at Stratford, Virginia. Robert was the fourth child of a Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee and Ann Hill Carter Lee. Young Robert, the son, was raised mostly by his mother. From her he learned patience, control, and discipline. As a young man he was exposed to Christianity and accepted its faith. In contrast to the strong example of his mother Robert saw his father go from failed enterprise to failed enterprise. In part the young Robert was led to try harder and succeed. Robert was accepted to the United States Military Academy and graduated 2nd in his class. But perhaps greater than his academic success was his record of no demerits while being a cadet which today has still not been equaled. Following his graduation Lee, like most top classmen, was given a commission as an engineer. Lt. Lee helped build the St. Louis waterfront and worked on coastal forts in Brunswick and Savannah. It was during this time he married Mary Custis the granddaughter of George Washington and Martha Custis Washington. In 1845 the War between U.S. and Mexico erupted. General Winfield Scott, overall U.S. Army commander, attached Captain Robert E. Lee to his staff. Lee was intrusted with the vital duties of mapping out the terrain ahead, dividing the line of advance for the U.S. troops, and in one case leading troops into battle. Lee was learning skills he would need 16 years later. There in Mexico Lee also met, worked with, and got a chance to evaluate many of those he would later serve with and against; James Longstreet, Thomas J. Jackson, George Pickett, and U.S. Grant. Following the Mexican War Lee returned to service as an army engineer. He spent most of this time near Washington D.C. and moved into Custis mansion (now overlooking the Arlington Cemetery). Thus was Colonel Lee was available for duty to put down a believed rebellion at Harper Ferry, Virginia the site of a United States Arsenal. Colonel Lee, and a young aide Lt. JEB Stuart, and a detachment of U.S. marines, were rushed by train to Harper's Ferry where they were able to capture radical abolitionist John Brown and his followers. Brown's attempt seemed

Cross-cultural interaction Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The peripatetic traveler is the quintessential image of a globalised man. Today’s traveler is driven by the commercial forces of globalization and improved communications in the World which has seen travel and tourism grow as an industry. In the ancient and medieval ages however, when traveling was not that simple and safe, a few adventurists quite literally walked across the globe or what ever was known of it then. These were men as Benjamin of Tudela, Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta, who covered vast spaces compared to capacity of transportation in the era in which they lived and have left rich sources of history documented in their travels. There is much debate over the relevance of the jottings made by these travelers to modern day history. Sceptics tend to question the authenticity and objectiveness as well as ability to portray a correct picture of a cross cultural interaction which these travelers tend to pursue from their own perspective. Travel literature has substantial relevance in providing authentic information of cross cultural interaction, the cross cultural trends, a perception of cross cultural association between people and is proving to be a good source of authentic and endearing history today as it provides a perspective in today’s world through an understanding of medieval religion and cultures. Information of cross-cultural interaction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ancient and medieval times were denoted by lack of developed communications and modes of interaction for travel. There were also very limited historical recordings and what ever existed was at the behest of the ruling cliques, thereby making it biased. The historian today is left with primary records which are substantiated by such travelogues for a dispassionate view of cross cultural interaction. Thus travelogues do serve as important benchmark documents for historical purpose. This would be evident from recounting of travels through the Middle East during the medieval period in the writings of Benjamin of Tuleda, which tends to support the various historical happenings during the period by sources from both sides of the Islam and Christian divide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Travelers as Benjamin who was a Jew could also benefit from interaction with those of his community who were spread across the region. Since the Jews were relatively unbiased during the period of the Crusades, their observations supplanted the travelers own perception providing further substance to the history of the region. While some may consider it as not the purest form of notation, in denoting cross cultural trends it could be considered more than appropriate and accurate. The excessive focus on the state of the Jews in Benjamin’s writing however to some extent indicates that the view of culture is primarily from an overly Semitic perspective of a Rabbi and authenticity is probably sacrificed but then a deeper reading would overcome this perception. Battuta’s writings span a much large cross cultural area extending from Jerusalem, Damascus, Syria, and East Africa while Marco Polo’s travelogues are also very genuine impressions of cross cultural trends. Each of the chapters he writes covers the various aspects of a particularly community that he has observed be it the cropping pattern, food habits and the monarchical way of governance. Marco very assiduously provides an overview of each facet in great detail. Perceptive Observers Providing Authenticity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intention of the travelers in their journey was multi focal. Thus some such as Benjamin did it for the purpose of seeking opportunities of trade or to find out about the state of personnel of his own community residing in various parts of the Middle East after being persecuted in their native lands. The meticulous recording of ethnographic details in his writing provides very insightful observations on cross cultural trends which highlights the capacity of its originator. Thus we find in Benjamin’s writings the details of how and when the Egyptian monarch travels, what are the proclivities of the people during various periods and the rivalries that existed even in those time between Cairo and Baghdad. It is also relevant to see that a person traveling beyond his immediate geographical and cultural setting would also be keen to obtain fresh insights into the lives of other communities. Thus observations of Marco Polo need to be taken note off with greater acceptance of the fidelity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The meticulous logging of the timings in terms of a virtual daily log provides an excellent record of the period, the state of development, the manner in which communities lived and the state of their culture in vivid details. Ibn Battuta who was overwhelmed by the need to travel and thus sets out from his native place at the tender age of 22 years, is also a very keen observer and thus his recordings attain a high quality of relevance particularly in the cross cultural context. His descriptive writings on Cairo or Alexandria are very perceptive providing an innate understanding of the era. The description of events, the handling of camels, the holding of ceremonies all are very effectively portrayed by the traveler, giving a good understanding of the period. The meticulous recording of customs such as movement of women naked in some societies as in Mali and cannibalism are stark etchings on the history of a cross cultural trend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marco Polo again has provided   a wealth of material on cross cultural trends which denotes an excellent eye for detail and power of observation across a large expanse of area from Europe to China, Tibet to India and other areas. The burning of, â€Å"black stones†, is perhaps a recorded intervention by Marco, which indicates the level and depth of his observations. Marco’s observation are supplemented by a comparison between various cultures be it Chinese, Middle Eastern or Central Asian traditions of Bokhara. This provides a deep insight into cultural happenings of the era. Perspective of Modern Day Understanding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today Islam and the West appear to be undergoing a serious crisis, some view it as a clash of civilization matching. There is very limited understanding of each others religions, traditions, culture and ideological basis. This is truly surprising given the proliferation of modern knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the writings of travelers as Benjamin of Tudela who traversed the Middle East in the 12th Century which provides us a deeper understanding of the roots of this civilizational divide thereby enhancing our understanding of happenings in today’s World. Being a Rabbi from Spain, Benjamin was relatively detached to enable a more objective assessment of the conflict which was occurring between Islam and Christianity in the medieval ages. His tour of the principal areas of the Middle East as well as Europe and Asia provided a fresh insight not just into the period but also the cross cultural linkages between these areas over the ages. The peace and prosperity in Egypt described so authentically by Benjamin provide an excellent insight in the functioning of well governed medieval states. The clash between Saladin and the Christians and the moves and counter moves of the period have been very vividly portrayed by Benjamin denoting how Islam was revived between the period of the Second and the Third Crusades.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today when we see a similar up rise in Islam which is spearheaded not by the likes of Saladin, but terrorist leaders as Osama Bin Laden, Benjamin’s travels can provide a better counter cultural perspective. A similar understanding of the culture of the Middle East is provided in the writings of Ibn Battuta which can provide us a perspective from an Islamic traveler’s point of view in a different age over three centuries apart and covering some of the same areas. In each of the places that he visits Battuta makes mention of specifics which indicate a keen eye for detail. It is natural that a person with a good view of the details will remain also particular of the accuracy of his writings. Thus enhancing their historical value. The writings provide a cross cultural dimension of the transformation that has take place in these areas over these years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marco’s writings on Tibet are another issue which enables us to correlate between the state and relations of Tibet between the modern and the medieval periods. The fascination which the Chinese felt for Tibet even then is evident as Marco observes their repeated forays to gain hold of territory which they see as a great expanse with its many provinces, the customs of the people, their mastiffs and bamboo cropping are thus set to be matching. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus it would be seen that the travelogues of Marco Polo, Ibn Batttuta and Benjamin of Tudela are important documents as they provide authentic information of cross cultural interaction, denote cross cultural trends, enhance the perception of cross cultural association between people and prove good sources of authentic and endearing history, thereby providing better modern day understanding and background of medieval religion and cultures as in the Middle East.       References Marco Polo and Rustichello of Pisa. 2004. The Travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1 and 2. E-text prepared by Charles Franks, Robert Connal, John Williams, and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10636/10636-8.txt (VOLUME I). http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12410/12410-8.txt (VOLUME II). (20 November 2006) Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354. Nd. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1354-ibnbattuta.html (20 November 2006) The itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela. 1907. Philipp Feldheim, inc The house of the Jewish book. New York. gutenberg.org/files/14981/14981-h/14981-h.htm. (20 November 2006).

Grand Theory Written Assignment Essay

Nursing theory gathers specific information regarding aspects of nursing and utilizes these findings to communicate and describe nursing phenomena. Theories provide a framework for nursing practice and processes. Grand nursing theories are broadest in scope and provide generalizations regarding nursing situations. Grand nursing theories consist of four schools of thought. Nursing theorists bring a unique definition, approach, and focus to these specific schools of thought. The first school of thought includes theories that reflect an image of nursing as meeting the needs of patients (Meleis, 2012). When a patient is unable to meet their individual needs it is the responsibility of the nurse to provide what is necessary in assisting the patient towards independence. Virginia Henderson was a needs theorist who categorized human needs into 14 components: breathing normally, eating and drinking adequately, eliminate body wastes, move and maintain desirable postures, sleep and rest, selec t suitable clothes, maintain homeostasis, personal hygiene, protect the integument, avoid environmental dangers and injury to others, communicate with others, worship according to faith, participate in recreation, learn and discover, and work in such a way there is a sense of accomplishment (www.currentnursing.com). Henderson defined nursing as assisting with these activities to help the individual achieve independence. A person’s ability to successfully perform activities of daily living is imperative to healing. Nurses can assist patients achieve this by identifying knowledge deficits and providing the person with knowledge to help restore wholeness. The next school of thought is interaction. These theories were conceived by those who viewed nursing â€Å"†¦as an interaction process with a focus on the development of a relationship between patients and nurses† (Meleis, 2012). Interaction theorists focus on illness as an experience and nurses must implement therapeutic processes to care for the patient. Imogene King was an interaction theorist that defined nursing as â€Å"†¦a process of action, reaction, and interaction whereby nurse and client share information about their perceptions of the nursing situation and agree on goals† (Meleis, 2012). King’s theory stated that the goal of nursing is to help individuals maintain their health and share meaningful interactions to achieve their goals (Meleis, 2012). The interaction school of thought is imperative because it empowers the patient to be an active and equal participant in their own health care. The third school of thought is outcomes. These theorists strived to restore stability and bring balance to the patient and their environment (Meleis, 2012). Myra Levine was an outcomes theorist the believed that nursing is a conservation of integrities and energy (Meleis, 2012). Levine also defined nursing as patient advocacy and individualizing patient needs with compassion and commitment (Meleis, 2012). These theorists believe that effective coping mechanisms can help the patient live harmoniously. The fourth and final school of thought is caring/becoming. These theories evolved from interaction theories but they are more expansive. â€Å"The process of care is defined as a process of becoming for both clients and nurses; however, transformation is only possible if each is open to it† (Meleis, 2012). Jean Watson believed the goal of nursing to be mental and spiritual growth for human beings, (nurses and clients), and finding meaning in experiences (Meleis, 2012). The caring theory focuses more on the nurse/patient relationship compared to the interaction theory. The grand theory school of thought that is most congruent with my nursing practice is the outcomes theory. I believe that every patient responds to health issues differently. I assess what they need, what their deficits are, and how I can enable their coping mechanisms. I work at a busy trauma center and we have emergency surgeries frequently. Many of these are suction dilatation and curettages. Each woman handles this differently. So I sense and assess what they need to have the best outcome possible. Some want to leave right away, some want to stay a while, some want to see their family and some don’t. It might not be the norm to keep one of these patients for three hours, but I will keep them until they are ready to leave. I believe in patient advocacy on an individualized basis. Please refer to Table 1. Grand Theorist Information for theorist comparison.

The Thunder of Hooves and the essays

The Thunder of Hooves and the essays The Thunder of Hooves and the Thrill of the Race: Technology and the Horseracing Industry There is quite possibly nothing more thrilling than standing at the rail of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky as a field of thoroughbreds comes charging around the turn; unless it is standing at the rail holding a ticket on the horse bearing down on the leader. This experience affects all six senses simultaneously. The eyes focus on the colorful silks, ears strain to hear the announcers call over the roar of thundering hooves and screams of the crowd. The aroma of the surrounding racetrack swirl fills the nostrils and the palms of the hands begin to sweat holding the pari-mutuel ticket. All this excitement joins together as the horses cross the wire in the midst of a cheering crowd. Whether the race is the Kentucky Derby or simply the first of a horse's career, everyone becomes involved in the suspense and excitement. When buying a ticket and betting on a horse, people become part of the whole scene that makes thoroughbred racing the thrilling sport and spectacle it is. Technology played a role in the thrill and excitement of horse racing from its infancy. Throughout the development of the sport, various technologies assisted in the delivery of the experience, particularly in the realm of wagering that has been a part of racing from its inception. Technology's role continues to influence racing as the industry adopts the latest measuring and computing methods to increase the interest of the public and make the sport more accessible to larger segments of the public. This is seen most recently with the advent of electronic wagering systems that provide people in remote locations the opportunity to participate immediately in wagering on races from many different venues. This paper will review briefly the history of Thoroughbred racing and the role technology has played in the past, what current technologies are employed in the...

5 Ways to Set Smothered Verbs Free

5 Ways to Set Smothered Verbs Free 5 Ways to Set Smothered Verbs Free 5 Ways to Set Smothered Verbs Free By Mark Nichol Nominalizations are nouns formed from verbs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; various parts of speech are transmogrified into others as part of the process of language. But such creations, colloquially known as smothered verbs, can easily complicate sentences, leading to wordiness and passive construction. Enable for more dynamic prose by allowing verbs to breathe free. Here’s how to fix such overelaboration: 1. â€Å"The companies acted as financial sponsors for the shows featuring their character toys.† Step one: Find the suffocated verb. Sponsors can be a verb as well as a noun. But only one verb is necessary, so toss out the passive one (and any other extraneous words): â€Å"The companies sponsored the shows featuring their character toys.† 2. â€Å"The primary focus of this workshop is recent developments in computer scanning. The previous sample sentence started out well, but this one’s subject is not the main event. It’s all about the workshop, so let’s start there. For further fixes, remember this rule of thumb: If you can easily excise a verb that is a form of â€Å"to be† (often, as in this case, is), do it, because the unsmothered verb will always be stronger than the weak link that is is: â€Å"This workshop focuses on recent developments in computer scanning.† 3. â€Å"Before the commencement of the program, there was a brunch served for the guests.† Another weak link is the phrase â€Å"of the†; the simple solution is to reverse the order of the words preceding and following this phrase, change the noun to a verb, and ditch the two weak little words: â€Å"Before the program commenced, guests were served brunch.† (Note that I altered the second part of the sentence, too. Yes, I retained were, a form of â€Å"to be,† but the idea is to minimize, not eliminate, such verbs; you could write â€Å"guests ate brunch,† but though that phrase is more active, it doesn’t mean quite the same thing.) 4. â€Å"There was a strong disagreement between the two sides over the estimate of damages.† Weak sentences frequently have one feature in common: They start with â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are.† Again, cut to the chase. Find the real subject and start there: â€Å"The two sides disagreed strongly over damage estimates.† 5. â€Å"The engineers could not provide an explanation for the malfunction.† What did the engineers hope to do? What action had they been expected to take? They set out to explain. So say that: â€Å"The engineers could explain the malfunction.† Phrases written on the model of â€Å"(verb) a/an (noun),† as here (â€Å"provide an explanation†) are signs of smothering. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Yay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other AcclamationsWhat the Heck are "Peeps"?

How strong was Tsarism in 1914 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How strong was Tsarism in 1914 - Essay Example If one looks at Russia before 1914 it may be possible to come to some ending about these various views. In the course of 1905 to 1907 there had been significant peasant unrest intended mainly at the gracious landowners. ‘’A lot of this had been put downward by oppression but the government also approved a number of measures intended to alleviate the circumstances, including the elimination of redemption duties and the addition of credit via the Peasant Land Bank’’ (Wade, 2005.p.25). ‘’Once he became Prime Minister, Stolypin set himself the job of pacifying the peasantry as the key to Russia’s long-term stability’’ (Gatrell, 1994.p.461). During the conflict, the administration had observed that the community had not been a warranty of rural steadiness. Indeed, it gave turbulence their consistency and organization. Thus, the solution was to support peasants to leave the community and to become confidential landowners. ‘ ’Stolypin’s plan was to make a group of peasant administrators with a stake in sustaining the regime (Polonov, 2005.p.50)’’. They could then be relied on to hold their radical neighbours in check. The rationale Stolypin surrendered the Duma for the agrarian reorganization was his wish to make a class of small, free farmers a gamble on the abstemious and the strong, which would be hard working and innovative. It was felt that the presented system encouraged the rising disintegration of the land because of the rise in population, and did not give the incentive to make advancements because the land did not stay in the family. In quintessence, what Stolypin planned was privatization. In August 1906, Stolypin prepared 6 million hectares of state and crown land obtainable for peasant buying and in October, the new management eliminated all limitations on peasant movement. Nevertheless, ‘’the key measure was his Land Law of 9 November 1906’⠀™ (Geary, 1989.p.17).’’The verdict passed this and Duma did not approve until June 1910’’ (Gatrell, 1994.p.78). ‘’It stated that in the third duma (1907-12) the main position was held by the Union of 17 October , the date of the regal manifesto of 1905, which was dedicated to working with the administration for improvement in the agrarian civil rights , field, worker’s insurance, education, justice and local regime’’(Mendum & Waugh,2001.p.47). They approved Stolypin’s agrarian improvement, passed unevenly under disaster verdict in 1906. ‘’The graciousness, which had endorsed Stolypin’s agrarian improvement, opposed him on a number of other problems where they felt their welfare or that of the realm threatened and they used their central location’’ (Saul, 1997.p. 45). If the duma had a small number of successful changes to its credit, it did alter extremely the climate of Russi an government by bringing bureaucrat mistreatments out into the open, and by empowering public talk of contentious problems. ‘’From 1912 there was a renaissance of workers’ actions following the slaughter of activists at the Lena gold mines in Siberia’’ (Bagnall & McGonigle, 2004.p.481) ‘’. Ultimately, this caused the erection of blockades and to street hostility in St Petersburg on the eve of the First World War’’ (Saul, 1997.p.34). ‘’Visions of a latest era of industrial harmony and prosperity were rudely shattered by a fresh wave of Labour complaint that began in April, 1912, once

How is this artefact the product of a particular historical and Essay - 1

How is this artefact the product of a particular historical and cultural environment - Essay Example In addition to that, in order to focus the analysis, the research will examine a pair of jeans that is in possession of the author. To begin with, it may be suitable to perform a preliminary analysis. Thus, one should point out that one of the main characteristic features of jeans is the peculiar kind of fabric that it is made of. The actual cloth that is used in production is called denim and is different from regular fabric in structure as feature an unusual combination of warp and weft (Chauncey 5). In addition to that there are metal rivets that are thought to reinforce the pockets so that they could carry more. Finally, there a special kind of thread that is used for the seams. The jeans that were the direct object of investigation are made by Gap. Keeping in mind that this company largely uses factories that are located on the island of Saipan, it would not be an exaggeration to point out that the pair of jeans in question was produced on that island (Bendix 5). It may be rather difficult to identity the time when this artefact was manufactured as there is no date indicated on the cloth. However, there may be a way to define the approximate time. Considering the fashion of the jeans, one might conclude that the pair in question was made in 2012. Speaking of the processes that were used in its production, one might speculate that they were made by hands of the hired workers. In order to gain a better understanding of the artefact one may also consider the reason why it was made. Leading aside different speculations about the possible cultural meaning and the shifting paradigm of clothes, one may point out that jeans have become the most popular casual clothes in the world (Cunningham 31). This means that people who come from different cultural backgrounds may be willing to buy a pair of jeans in order to wear it on a daily basis. That is why the

The impact of balanced scorecard on team dynamics Essay

The impact of balanced scorecard on team dynamics - Essay Example The dissertation explores the influence of balanced scorecard implementation on the team dynamics at a hygiene product manufacturing facility in the UK. The dissertation uses a qualitative approach to conduct the research for the subject and the findings are analyzed under an interpretivistic paradigm. One of the main strengths of the dissertation is that it includes a comprehensive introduction and literature review, which serves to orient the reader properly with regard to the topic of the dissertation and the direction of the research that is conducted. The introduction presents an introduction to the Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget and sets up the context for the balanced scorecard in the light of organizational management efforts towards scientific management, human relations approach, team-based structures, and so on towards balanced scorecards. The literature review also covers the essential seminal works or performance management systems including those by Taylor, Maslow, Herz berg, etc. as well as recent research by Fiske, Chan & Mak, and Clenhall among several others. In this way, the dissertation provides the reader with all the information necessary to appreciate the historical and intellectual context of the research. Another important strength of the dissertation is that it uses the triangulation approach which is necessary given that the research is conducted under the qualitative paradigm.

Economic Growth And Development Of Nigeria Economics Essay

Economic Growth And Development Of Nigeria Economics Essay Agriculture is an important sector in the developing world. It contributes to economic growth and development as well as a major employer to majority of the people of Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria, especially those in the rural areas. This study investigated the role of agriculture to Nigerias economic growth and development. Secondary data were used for the analyses and were obtained from various publications of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Variables used for the estimations included overall gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria, agricultural GDP, government spending on agriculture, credit to agriculture and the population engaged in agriculture. The data cover the period between 1981 and 2010. Growth and Cobb-Douglas production models were estimated. The results showed that overall GDP, agricultural GDP, and government spending to the agricultural sector of Nigeria generally assumed upward trends during the period. Credit t o agriculture and government spending to the agricultural sector were the factors found to significantly influence the contribution of agriculture to national economic growth and development. It is concluded that agriculture continues to play important role in the economic growth and development of Nigeria. It is recommended that policies should be formulated to encourage the flow of more credit to the agricultural sector of Nigeria. Besides, it is important that the government of Nigeria to increase its spending on the agricultural sector since this positively and significantly influence the contribution of agriculture to national economic growth and development. 1.1 Background to the Study Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa, with an estimated population of about 158 million (World Bank, 2010). The country has highly diversified agro-ecological conditions, which makes it possible for the production of variety of agricultural products. Furthermore, agriculture constitutes one of the most significant sectors of the economy (Manyong, et. al., 2005). Agriculture in Nigeria employs about 70% of the working population and contributes with about 60% to the national income (Oluwasanmi, 1966). Its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounted for about 40% in 2010 (CBN, 2011). During the early days of independence, Nigeria was and still is relatively self-sufficient in food production, and foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports have been used over the years to support in financing imports needed for economic growth and development (Anderson, 1970). The role of Agricultural production in Nigeria is not only to provide the food needed to feed the rapidly growing Nigerian population, but also to provide the money and materials needed for industrialization and for bringing the country into the industrial and technical age (Oyenuga, 1967). In order to carry out this role, the agricultural system needs to be reorganized and new techniques of production have to be introduced, such as the use of more efficient implements, improved seed varieties and fertilizers. To do this, the country not only needs to co-ordinate its agricultural research projects and provides capital but also to make available trained field staff who can ensure the acceptance of these innovations by peasant farmers (Oluwasanmi, 1966). This is because majority of the peasant farmers live in rural areas where there is a high level of illiteracy and they hardly accept change. Despite the fact that Nigeria is buoyantly endowed with agricultural and other natural resources, the agricultural sector is still growing at a very slow rate. It is only a little over half of the countrys agricultural land is under cultivation (Manyong et al, 2005). Increased use of mechanization will help, but this is not going to be easy given that about 63% of the farms in Eastern Nigeria and 45% of them in Western Nigeria are less than an acre in size and many of them are much smaller (Oyenuga, 1967). The agricultural sector remained weak during the oil boom decade of the 1970s, and this accounted largely for the declining share of its contributions to economic growth and development of the country. The trend of the share of agriculture in national GDP reflects a substantial variation and long-term decline from about 60% in the early 1960s through to about 49% in the 1970s and only about 22% in the 1980s. It is believed that unstable and often-poor economic policies (of pricing, trade and exchange rate), the relative abundance of the sector and the negative impact of oil boom were all important factors responsible for the decline in agricultural sectors contributions to national economic growth and development. Since the oil boom of the 1970s, there has been a severe increase in the incidence and drama of poverty in the country as a result of the unstable performance of the agricultural sector, which employs majority of the poor. As a result of the dwindling performance of agriculture in the country, government have over many years formulated and implemented various policies and projects aimed at putting back the agricultural sector to its vital place in the economy. But with evidence from empirical literatures, no significant success has been achieved due to several problems confronting the performance of the sector (Yusuf, 2005). However, the contribution of agriculture in both gross domestic product (GDP) and non-oil GDP increased in the 1981-2000 periods. The share of total bank credit going into the agricultural sector increased rapidly between the 1981-1985 and 1991-1995 periods and then declined in the 1996-2000 periods. The share of the federal Governments capital expenditure going to the agricultural sector declined immensely over the periods. The share of total employment by the agricultural sector also declined. Generally, there was unstable growth performance of the agricultural sector between the periods 1981 to 2000, with some evidence of inconsistencies of trends, probably due to uncertainties in policies and policy implementation. Some of the problems leading to poor performance of the agricultural sector in the country include technical issues, resource constraints as well as socio-economic problems and organisational constrains. It has been observed that in past policies of the pre-structural adjustment period, sector-specific agricultural policies were made to improve agricultural marketing, to cut down production cost, and to enhance product prices as incentives for increased agricultural production. Important policy instruments are for agricultural commodity marketing and pricing, input supply and distribution, input price, Subsidy, land resource use, agricultural research, agricultural extension and technology transfer, agricultural mechanisation, agricultural cooperatives, agricultural water resource and irrigation development. Macro policies, institutional policies and legal frameworks complemented sector-specific policies. The structural adjustment period was enhanced more by structural adjustment pol icies. Problems to agricultural policy strength include policy instability, policy inconsistencies, weak policy formulation, poor policy implementation, and harsh institutional framework for policy coordination (Idachaba, 2005). With reference from the dual economy model, early writers predicted economic development as a growth process that needs the re-allocation of factors of production from a weak, low-productivity agricultural sector to a modern and commercialized industrial sector with higher productivity and more returns (Lewis, 1954). As a primary sector, agriculture was seen to contribute significantly to economic growth and development by providing labor and food to the industrialization process. However, this idea was taken away by the era of the Green Revolution in Asia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The possibility of restructuring traditional agriculture into a modern sector shows agricultures capability as a growth sector and its effective role in emphasizing broader d evelopment (Adelman, 2001). Although the advantage of connectivity between agriculture and non-agriculture in achieving the growth and development process had long been recognized (Hirschman, 1958, Johnston Mellor, 1961), post-Green Revolution economists stressed the role of agriculture in rural growth and development (Haggblade, Hammer, Hazell, 1991; Haggblade, Hazell, Brown, 1989; Hazell Haggblade, 1991; Hazell Roell, 1983). The vital advantage of agricultural growth on rural development was found to be effective in countries (e.g. Nigeria and other developing countries) where small farms dominated agriculture (Rosegrant Hazell, 2000). Therefore, given massive rural poverty and small-scale farming in Africa, the conventional wisdom of agriculture emphasizes a strong role for agriculture in African growth and development. With reference to the conventional wisdom of agriculture, it is important that policy objectives to promote the role of agriculture in economic growth and development in Nigeria should be realistic and capable of transforming a backward agriculture, and at the same time would also encourage industrial growth and development. The experience of other developing countries has shown that policies that promote industrial development at the expense of agriculture have resulted in food shortages and economic stagnation. Given Nigerias present stage of development, a large-scale industrialization scheme that will tend to shut out 70% of the population who are engaged in rural pursuits is not the best for the long-term interests of the country (Adeyokunnu, 1971). This is contrary to the idea behind early development strategies advocated by Rosenstein Rodan, Nurkse, and Hirshman among others, who emphasized industrial development as the main source of economic growth and development and were biased against the agricultural sector (Schiff and Valdes, 1998). This work is principally concerned with showing empirically the role of agriculture to economic and development of Nigeria. It draws on the long standing empirical studies on the role of agricultural sector to economic growth and development across the world. Widespread rural poverty in Africa and the success of Asias Green Revolution suggests that agriculture is a key sector for African development. Since almost all rural households depend directly or indirectly on agriculture, and given the sectors large contribution to the overall economy, it might seem obvious that agriculture should be a key sector in economic growth and development. Most African countries have failed to meet the requirements for a successful agricultural revolution, and productivity in African agriculture lags far behind the rest of the world. This has recently led to renewed debate within the international development community concerning the role of agriculture in African economic growth and development. This study will therefore contribute to the debate. 1.2 The Problem Statement Decline on the role of the agricultural sector in terms of its contribution to Nigerias economic growth and development in the last three decades made the government to establish different agricultural schemes and programmes to enhance agricultural productivity in the country, which includes River Basin Development Authorities, National Accelerated Food Production Project, Agricultural Development Project, Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution, National Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure, Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, National Special Programme for Food Security, Root and Tuber Expansion Project as well as National Fadama I and II programmes. This shows that aagriculture has been an important sector in the Nigerian economy for many years, and is still a major sector even with the oil boom. Basically it generates employment opportunities for the growing population, reduces poverty and contributes to the growth and development of the economy. Economic history provides sufficient evidence that agricultural revolution is important and a pre-condition for economic growth and development, especially in developing countries like Nigeria (Woolf and Jones, 1969; Oluwasanmi, 1966; Eicher and Witt, 1964). The basis of the problem in the Nigerian economy is as a result of poor concentration of the agricultural sector by the Government towards focusing more on a mono-cultural economy based on oil. Agriculture was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy before the discovery, exploration and exportation of oil and over dependence on its revenue for economic expenditure. Agricultural export was contributing to GDP with about 72% between 1955 and 1969 before it fell down to 35% because of the oil crises of early 1970s (CBN, 2002). Nigeria used to be one of the world leading countries in the exportation and production of some major agricultural products between 1940 and 1950. There is evidence from statistics which shows that the export of agricultural products in Nigeria accounted for over 75% of total exports in 1960 (Ekpo and Egwaikhide, 1994). This has changed in recent times as economic growth and development of Nigeria in recent times solely depend on the earning from oil exports that account for over 95%, but contribute with less than 25% in the real gross domestic product (RDGP). This over dependence on oil has affected the countries market forces as well as its economic growt h and development (Okoh, 2004). Because crude oil is an exhaustible asset, it is not advisable for Nigeria to depend on it for sustainable economic growth and development. Therefore, the need to push into competitive market in advanced countries with our agricultural commodities has to be considered, in order to achieve a prosperous economic growth and development in Nigeria (Thirlwall, 1999). Considering the large size of the Nigerian agricultural sector and its important role in the economy, positive reform and adjustment policies are needed in order to improve the overall performance of the countrys economic growth and development (Kwanashie et al., 1998). Besides the oil sector, agricultural sector contributes significantly to the Nigerian economic growth and development because of its rich resource base. Nonetheless, these endowments have to be used wisely so as to diversify the economy and reduce over dependence on the oil sector and on importation. As a result of unstable oil price and continues increase in the price of import goods, the Nigerian economy is not consistent. All these issues have negative effects on the countrys balance of payment, employment and other sectors productivity as well as the purchasing power of the people (Bukar, et al., 1997). At present, impact of the Nigerian agricultural sector to economic growth and development of the country is not as it was in the past periods (NPC, 2000). Nigerian agriculture is still traditional as it was in the pre-independence period (Adewumi and Omotesho, 2002). Even with the existence of the two major rivers in the country (river Niger and river Benue) the agricultural sector is still predominantly rain fed (NPC, 2004). Productivity in the Agricultural sector has declined seriously over the years and this has led to high incidence of poverty levels (Jeter, 2004). Results from the World bank data indicate that over 70% of Nigerians are living below the poverty line (less than $1 per day), showing that there has been an astronomical growth in the level of poverty in the country most of which is associated to poor agriculture since from independence up till today (Chigbu, 2005). Those engaged in farming are mostly rural people, cultivating small area of land using traditional tool s and getting low productivity (NPC, 2004). The problem therefore is that there is limited understanding of the role of agriculture in economic growth and development of Nigeria in recent times. This study seeks to address this gap by empirically examining the role of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria. 1.3 The Research Questions The questions that this study sought to answer are: What are the trends and growth of agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP) relative to the overall gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria? What have been the commitments of successive governments in Nigeria to the agricultural sector in terms of public spending in the sector? What have been the contributions of agriculture to the economic growth and development of Nigeria over the past three decades? 1.4 The Research Objectives The main objective of this study is to examine the role of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria. Specifically, the study seeks to: Describe the trends and growth of agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP) in relation to overall GDP of Nigeria. Examine the trends and growth of spending of successive Nigerian governments on the agricultural sector. Estimate the contributions of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria over the past three decades. 1.5 Justification of the Study Policy makers can make use of the outcome of this study in multi-dimensional form. This can be done in terms of interwoven nature of rural employment with agriculture, food security and agricultural productivity. This is because the findings will provide the basis that economic growth and development in Nigeria should be led by agriculture and that the success of plans and policies implemented in the other sectors are depended on agricultural developments for their successful implementation. The outcome of the study will also help policy makers to critically examine the various key possibilities of promoting economic growth and development in Nigeria with regards to the role of agriculture in economic growth and development. Some of these which are of relevant to policy may include issues of: How different alternative economic growth and development states can be achieved using agricultural sectors contribution with the view to decide which one is the best. How societal welfare can be improved from a lower stage to a better stage using agricultural sectors contribution to the economy. How to identify all areas in which the agricultural sector fails and to consider corrective measures. How to evaluate different policy options that have been used to improve agricultural sector as well as determine their implications and consequences on the economic growth and development of Nigeria. How to provide a framework in which different agricultural growth policies can be compared using value judgement and common sense. How to make a critique of different postulates about how agricultural development policies can be improved so that it can provide a menu for better policy measures. 1.6 Scope and Organisation of the Study The scope of this study is to look at the role of agriculture to economic growth and development of Nigeria spanning the last three decades (i.e. 30 years). The study is organised into five main chapters. Chapter one is the introduction which consists of the background to the study, the problem statement, the research questions, the research objectives, the justification of the research and the scope and organisation of the study. Chapter two is the literature review which consists of literature on Agricultural Production in Africa and Nigeria, Agricultural Production and Economic Growth and Development, Commitments of governments to Nigerian agriculture, Agriculture as a Source of Employment for Poverty Reduction, Finally, summary of the literature review and conclusions. Chapter three is the methodology employed in order to achieve the research objectives which consists of profile of Nigeria, the theoretical and model specifications, data types and sources of data. Chapter four is presentation of the results and discussions. Chapter five is the summary of the findings, conclusion and recommendations. After this are the references and appendix. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter presents an overview of the relevant empirical literature in the subject matter. The chapter is divided into five main subsections. The first subsection is presentation of Agricultural Production in Africa and Nigeria. The second subsection is presentation of Agricultural Production and Economic Growth and Development. Commitments of governments to Nigerian agriculture are presented in the third subsection. The fourth subsection brings to light literature on Agriculture as a Source of Employment for Poverty Reduction. Finally, summary of the literature review and conclusions drawn are presented in subsection five. 2.2 Agricultural Production in Africa and Nigeria There is a growing argument over whether agriculture is still playing important role in economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultures theorists explain that, in most of the African countries, only the agricultural sector has sufficient scale and growth-linkages to significantly influence aggregate growth and development. Achieving such growth and development will have to do with a large sector like agriculture, which accounts for one-third of gross domestic product (GDP) for the subcontinent as a whole, and an even larger share for two-thirds of African countries. Economists also explain that agricultures poor performance leads to inadequate investment and policies that are historically biased against the agricultural sector (Fan, Zhang, Rao, 2004; Schiff Valdez, 1992; Timmer, 2005). They show the large benefits from investing in rural infrastructure and agricultural technology, and the growth and development potential from catching up to the productivity leve ls of other developing countries. During the period from 1990 to 2004, African industry, including mining and mineral-based manufacturing, grew at 1.9% per year compared to 2.5% for agriculture (World Bank, 2006). This is an indication of the importance of agriculture to economic growth and development across Africa. By contrast, there are others who doubt whether or not agriculture can successfully generate sufficient growth and development in Africa today. This doubt shows the poor performance of agriculture, weak institutions for rural growth and development, and worsening agro-ecological conditions in most of the African countries (Collier, 2002; Ellis, 2005; Maxwell Slater, 2003). The large size of the agricultural sector may be the reason for Africas failure to grow and develop, especially since past experience forecasts a significant decline in the importance of agriculture over time in successfully developing countries (Collier, 2002). For those who argue that agriculture should not be put at the center of African growth and development, although the sectors sufficient growth and development linkages proved very strong during Asias Green Revolution, it may not be so much in Africa because of a more integrated global environment (Hart, 1998). Border prices determine food prices more than domestic supply when imports can enter freely, which reduces the need to invest in domestic agriculture to maintain urban food prices and real wages and hence industrial competitiveness. Under these conditions, it is difficult for agriculture to play important role of economy-wide growth and development as well as facilitating the economic transformation shown by theory or witnessed in the past successes of other developing countries. Agricultures skeptics therefore tend to be more concerned of African industry, emphasizing that mining and manufacturing may bring viable alternative sources of growth and development. Despite contrasting opinions on the relative importance of agriculture in generating overall growth and development, there should presumably be less contention surrounding the role of agriculture in poverty reduction, which is one of the key issues for achieving economic growth and development. This is especially so given the importance of agricultural incomes for Africas poorest populations. However, even among agricultures advocates, there are conflicting views over what should be the focus of an agricultural growth and development strategy for low-income Africa (Dorward, et al., 2004). Some suggest that the best opportunities for African farmers lie in high-value commodities and, given poor domestic demand in Africa, that production should focus on export markets. Small-scale farms are seen as irrelevant due to international competition and the growing difficulties of supply-chains for both domestic and foreign markets (Reardon, Timmer, Barrett, Berdegue`, 2003). It is argued tha t rural dwellers should plan on diversifying incomes away from agriculture (Ashley Maxwell, 2001) and focus on going to urban areas (Ellis Harris, 2004). On the other hand, others argue that rural income diversification has been a reality in Africa for many years (Barrett Reardon, 2000; Reardon et al., 2003) and has yet to achieve significant income growth. Furthermore, income diversification is not a significant positive phenomenon, especially if diversification is due to stagnant agricultural growth and development (Haggblade, Hazell, Reardon, 2002) or if migration is as a result of growth in low-productivity urban activities (Lipton, 2004). The biggest market benefits for majority of African farmers comes from domestic and regional markets for staples/food crops (Diao Hazell, 2004; Rosegrant, Paisner, Meijer, Witcover, 2001). 2.3 Agricultural Production and Economic Growth and Development Provision of sufficient food for the growing population puts agriculture at the center of current growth and development issue in developing countries. This is because the level of population growth in most developing countries is far more than the level of agricultural production and growth. Malthusian theory of population growth is becoming true in these countries; hence, the need to grow and develop agriculture to meet the food requirement of the people is very important. Looking at the Malthusian theory, if food supply fail to meet demand then food prices will rise. This will also have effect on workers wages and subsequently affect industrial profits, investment and overall economic growth and development in the society (Uniamikogbo, 2007). On the supply of raw materials to the industrial sector, agriculture have been seen as the major requirement for industrial growth and development because of the sectors role in providing the necessary raw materials for industries (Child, 2008; Uniamikogbo, 2007 and Abayomi, 2006). As a result of this, the need for increasing agricultural productivity has to be considered. There is the need therefore to put more emphasis on increasing domestic output rather than focusing more on the expansion of export to finance growing food export. This means that, agriculture is the most influential sector in developing countries. It should then make a significant contribution to the overall investment requirements needed by the industrial sector such as lowering the amount of raw materials supplied from abroad by increasing the output produced locally. Agriculture has been the main stay of the Nigerian economy providing employment and source of livelihood for the teeming population. It contributes with over half of the GDP of the Nigerian economy during much of post-independence in the country. Nonetheless, the role it plays in the economic growth and development of the country has gone down over the years due to the overwhelming and dominant role of the crude oil sector in the economy, on which the country extensively depends. With the high food demand in Nigeria, the country has to make use of its abundant natural resources and to take advantage of its current democracy to increase the volume of crop production towards satisfying the food and nutritional requirement of the rapidly growing population and to ensure food security in the country (Enoma, 2010) . Therefore, agriculture can be characterized as the source of national wealth and economic growth and development in Nigeria. Agricultural Development economists have researched significantly on how agriculture can best contribute to overall economic growth and development. Looking at Lewis theory of development, Todaro and Smith (2003) indicated that the underdeveloped economy consists of two sectors, which are the ancient and traditional agricultural sector characterized by zero marginal labor productivity and the modern industrial sector. In his historical approach to the process of economic growth and development, Rostow (1960) distinguishes five stages of economic growth and development, which are: Traditional society; Pre-conditions for takeoff; Take-off; Drive to maturity; and Age of high mass-consumption. According to Rostow, the take-off stage is the most important figure in the life of a society when growth becomes its normal condition. The significance and importance of the traditional society make a decisive breakthrough and a multiple interest gets built into the society structure with agricult ure playing significant role at this stage. From this theory, it is evident that agriculture plays a significant role in the first three stages of economic growth and development (Traditional society, pre-conditions for takeoff and takeoff stages). The agricultural sector greatly influences industrial and economic backbone from which a countrys economic growth and development can take off. Therefore, beyond reasonable doubt, agricultural activities are usually concentrated and more practiced in the less-developed countries where there is an urgent need for rural transformation, redistribution, poverty alleviation and socio-economic growth and development (Stewart, 2000). Indeed, agriculture has a significant role in an economy, without it a country will surely depend on importation from other countries to feed its population. The essential contribution of agriculture to economic growth and development has been an on-going subject of debate among development economist, several theorist argue that growth of the whole economy relies on the development of agricultural sector (Schuttz, 1964, Gollin, Parente and Rogerson 2002). The growth and development of the agricultural sector could result to national output increase through its effect on rural incomes and provision of resources for transformation into an industrialized economy (Eicher and Staatz, 1984; Dowrick and Gemmmell, 1991; Datt and Ravallion, 1998; Thirtle, Lin and Piesse 2003). Johnston and Mellor (1961) reported that agriculture improves and contributes to overall economic growth and development through various inter-sectoral linkages. Which include, provision of surplus labor to the industri al sector; supply of food for domestic consumption; creation of market for industrial output; provision of domestic savings and industrial investment and generation of foreign exchange from agriculture export earnings to finance import of intermediate and capital goods respectively. However, In addition to the above-mentioned direct market-based linkages, Timmer (1995) found out that agriculture indirectly contributes to economic growth and development through its caloric nutrient intake provision to the poor, food availability; stable food prices and poverty reduction. Going by all the debated arguments, it is clear that agricultural growth and development has played a historically important role in the process of economic growth and development. However, acts from developed countries as well as developing countries indicate that agricultural sector has been the engine that contributes to the overall growth and development of a countrys economy. Agriculture therefore plays an important role in achieving economic growth and development. 2.4 Commitments of Governments to the Agricultural Se