The Importance of Friendship

It’s impossible to know all of the different cultural differences in body language that you can run into. And trying to abide by all of them is even tougher. If I did, I’d be running around not looking at anyone with my hands in my pockets. Of course, then I would be offending both Turkish people (hands in my pockets) and all of my friends in the States. This is article is a compilation of my research. I apologize if I omit anything or make a mistake – there’s so much information in regards to this subject, and it’s difficult to capture it all.Drop me a line or comment if you see an error or want to add something. 1. Eye Contact: In the United States and Canada, INTERMITTENT eye contact is extremely important in conveying interest and attention. In many Middle Eastern cultures, INTENSE eye contact between the same genders is often a symbol of trust and sincerity however, between opposite genders, especially in Muslim cultures, anything more than BRI EF eye contact is considered inappropriate. Additionally, in Asian, African, and Latin American cultures, extended eye contact is considered a â€Å"challenge.†The Japanese tend to consider even brief eye contact uncomfortable. And, in some cultures, a woman should look down when talking to a man (thanks to thank Denise Gerdes, a former Peace Corps volunteer from Minnesota for that information). 2. Handshakes: In my handshake article Networking 101: You Better Get A Grip and Read This, I talked about the handshake in Western cultures. Between cultures, however, there are differences that could throw you off! For example, in parts of Northern Europe a quick firm â€Å"one-pump† handshake is the norm.In parts of Southern Europe, Central and South America, a handshake is longer and warmer – meaning the left hand usually touches the clasped hands, the elbow, or even the lapel of the shakee. Beware that in Turkey, a firm handshake is considered rude and aggressive. I n certain African countries, a limp handshake is the standard. Men in Islamic countries never shake the hands of women outside the family. 3. Greetings: In America, we have the standard greeting: â€Å"Hello, my name is.. † with a handshake.At a networking event, chances are persons from a different culture will probably assimilate into everyone else’s style, however, there are other greetings out there of which you should be aware. In Japan, people bow. In Italy, people kiss cheeks. There is a very interesting list over at Bruce Van Patter’s website. 4. Personal Space: I get freaked out when someone gets too close to me – and I immediately try to end the conversation. However, in some cultures it is normal to be â€Å"in the bubble.†In China, if someone is doing business, it is widely accepted to have NO personal space at all. Strangers regularly touch when standing near each other. On the other hand, some cultures require much more space than in America. Keep in mind, that personal space will differ for everyone based on their upbringing. The advice that I would give, is that if you are unsure, start with your comfort zone, and let the other person move to where they are comfortable. 5. Touching:This is a big no-no. It may look okay, but you could be fooled.For example, did you know that in some sects of Judaism, the only woman that a man will touch in his lifetime is the woman he is married to? In Japan, Scandinavia, and England, touching is less frequent. In Latino cultures, touching is encouraged. This may not have a place in this article, but still interesting: NEVER touch a person’s head. This can be religiously offensive. Really, when you are out networking, just DON’T touch – except to shake hands. If you are comfortable, let the other person guide what is appropriate to them. 6. Small Talk: It’s tough to make small talk.And to make it even tougher, sometimes it is different in cultures ou tside of America. There was not much research on this, however, some of my loyal readers were able to help me out. Susanne Ebling of Washington, D. C suggests that in other cultures, just because you are asked â€Å"How are you? ,† it doesn’t mean that the other person is asking for a full health report. Keep in mind that this is not always a cultural thing. If someone you don’t know asks you how you are, you should never say anything but, â€Å"excellent,† or â€Å"fine,† or some derivative.Also, James Yoakum from New York reminded me that in America, often it is appropriate to ask what a person does for a living in a conversation. In fact, that’s how most people make small talk — and, in certain situations, it’s completely wrong, which I will discuss in another article. However, what you need to know now is that for many cultures it is inappropriate to ask this altogether. I say, learn how to network without making this part of your â€Å"small-talk† routine. 7. Personal Dress and Hygiene: I don’t know of any culture where it is acceptable to not brush your teeth.I could be wrong. However, everything else can vary! Some cultures don’t shave – their mens’ faces (or womens’ legs or underarms). Some cultures never wear deodorant and others don’t bathe as frequently. You must be careful to make sure you do not offend anyone. And yes, sometimes odors that are quite odd to you might be very acceptable in another culture. 8. Gestures:They mean different things everywhere. Seriously, keep your gestures to yourself. If you want to flip off the business card warrior, it might not have any effect at all if he/she is from a different culture.In fact, in some cultures, it’s used as a pointer. The thumbs-up has all different meanings too. At the peril of destroying my reputation, I am not even going to write about them. Also be careful with the American â€Å"A -Ok† sign and putting your hands on your hips. Conclusions: The two most important ideas to take away from this article is that you know these differences exist and that you treat others how you would want to be treated. Once again, the best policy is to let the other person lead the interaction if you are unsure. That way, you can never be wrong!

Benefits of security awareness training

Security in information systems training has come to be one of the most needed requirements in an organization. As Acquisti (2008) explains, in today’s fast moving and technically fragile environment safe communication systems are required to be secure in order to benefit both the company and the society as a whole. This fact needs to be clearly highlighted so that adequate measures be implemented not only to fosters the organization’s daily business transactions but also ensure that the much needed security procedures are implemented within the accepted companies code of ethics and thorough training given.Think of a case where company’s data is exposed to malicious attacker, this situation is constantly increasing especially among the security illiterate staff having access to sensitive and secretes business information. This information can be like sensitive company’s data, browsing the company’s website through an insecure gateway, receiving emai ls from suspicious sources and the threat posed by Instant messaging (IM). This paper aims at giving a critical review on the benefits of security awareness training on IT systems to an organization.Provide better protection for assets We need to help employees identify potential threats since this is one of the most valuable technical advantages a society can get (Brancik, 2008). We need to provide updated information to our staff on the new security risks that have been discovered. The staffs need also to be updated on the current technology so that they easily are aware of security breaches within the e-commerce environment.Furthermore employees, Brancik, (2008) asserts, business partners, and contractors should be informed that the data on their mobile phone devices and computers portable document format (PDFs), smart phones and thumb drives though are devices that are of value are vulnerable to security breaches so that they are alert whenever a security threat is discovered wi thin their systems. This can enhance swift action to be taken by the IT professionals to cap the situation. Save moneyAccording to Pfleeger and Pfleeger (2007), to reduce the number and extend in security breaches then training is vital. If a security breach is discovered sooner then ways of dealing with it promptly can be devised. , cost to notify customers of breaches, Cost to recovering data altered or lost during an a security breach, non-compliance fines and lost productivity, lost customers(indirect costs), resolving breaches and hoaxes ,time spent investigating) will reduce.These enables control measures to be added into systems other than adding them into the system that has been installed. Coordination and measuring of all security awareness, education, training should be enhances while duplication of effort is reduced (Pfleeger and Pfleeger, 2007). Improving the Competitive Advantage of your organization and protection of its brand One of the factors in the world of commer ce that is focused on by almost all companies is the ability to gain a competitive edge over similar companies.As explained by Killmeyer (2006) customers should be informed that your organization is considerate in protecting their data. Take a situation where Barclays Bank received when the management decided to protect customers installing ATMs that hides the users’ identity from its printout transaction receipt, if a malicious user were to gain access to unprotected receipt (having users identity and password) what harm will he do to customers’ account?

Context of practice education Essay

Sunita has been in mentor’s area of clinical practice for few weeks; she gives the impression to have some difficulties in coordination, still lacks confidence, and appears to be poorly organized. The mentor is going to focus on the possible reason why Sunita is having difficulties in planning and linking evidence base and theory to clinical practice whilst underperforming. Sunita might be struggling with learning difficulties or feeling stress as she has other family commitment as a mature student. My role as mentor is to support my student and critically examines the reasons for underperformance. Mentor will look at how stress and learning difficulties would affect Sunita and how this affecting her ability in meeting the requirements for the episode of patient care in the clinical placement area. It is also vital for the person to recognize areas that are being shunned and strive to discover other ways of overcoming the struggle. Once they qualify, student nurse will be expected to function independently in this case. Hence mentor must make sure that Sunita is being evaluated on all required proficiencies as well as not shunning areas they find challenging RCN (2010). Morris and Turnbull, 2006 states that nurses with learning difficulties are normally very mindful of their potential challenges and strengths. So they are really cautious about verifying issues they are less assertive about sequentially to avoiding mistakes, mostly all individuals that engage in patient care, however educational standards should not be expected to be lower in order to accommodate disabled learners Corlett, (2004). All student nurses must meet all the requirements for learning competencies and skills, as well as those are have acknowledged a disability, as they are expected to give a demonstration they are fit for practice as highlighted by the royal college of nursing (RCN 2010). Mentor will Student an evaluation form based on the theory by Honey and Mumford (2000). As there are numerous theories on learning styles. Honey and Mumford (2000) is model broken down into four Reflector, categories Activist, Pragmatist, and Theorist. The characteristics of a reflector are cautious observers. An activist is open minded, passionate and enjoys engaging themselves in new skills while using all the evidence available to them to make decisions. Pragmatist acts right away on notions and is eager to put new procedures into practice. Finally, Theorists think stuff through in a reasonable manner and value logically and objectivity. The delegation was the skill that mentor and Sunita aimed at in this practice. Therefore it was appropriate to demonstrate this skill by giving Sunita the opportunities to shadow mentor and other colleagues at placement and prior to that Sunita will be encouraged read through some journals and guideline regarding delegation. Mentor and student will then discussed possible reasons why as a nurse you would be responsible for the day to day smooth running of your shift, despite each day has its own differences. According to Gopee 2010, there must also be loyalty to work linked to policies and protocols, and also to the professional codes of practice. As a reflective student mentor felt that I should enlighten Sunita how her knowledge and ability and knowledge of delegation would help her when employed as a qualified nurse in the futures as mentor tries to relate to practice. We then went through the process presenting with allocating clinical or non-clinical care or treatment to a compe tent person as nurses will remain responsible for the overall management of the service users, and accountable for their decision to delegate (NLIAH, 2010).

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 22

Management - Essay Example Away days refer to the special kind of days that are set aside for socialization, bonding among other core targets (Smith 2007; Stark 2007; Macionis 2006). This has mainly been as a result of poor planning and inadequate analysis of the actual utilization of the days. Any attempt by the top level management to associate the event with the needs of the business organization is sometimes met with a great deal of resentment and discord from the employees. In an Information Technology department for instance, away days could play a crucial role in enhancing the employee and management efforts to achieve the organizational goals. According to Goldhagen (1996), most Information Technology (IT) employees, together with other groups of employees, have widely been known to lack the social skills needed to relate better with clients. Away days need to be used in enhancing team work and group development. There should be a well laid mechanism to ensure that the group gets to know one another be tter (Merianne, Sheila, Jeffrey 2003). The spirit of team work needs to be developed. Employees need to appreciate their differences and plan on the best way through which all employees’ strengths could fully be exploited to the benefit of the organization. It is fundamental that the members of the organization, while on away days, get to know and appreciate the various needs and challenges that they face (Merton, 1957, p. 106 -120). In addition to team development, problem solving and addressing of the various needs of the employees could be done on these days. The activities of the away-days should never bring the real business mood. Instead, this opportunity should be used for addressing the various business challenges. In an IT environment, it is possible for the employees to enhance other skills that could be shared. A software programmer in an IT department could as well be a guidance and counseling expert

The Competencies That Are Required By Consultants In Order To Ensure Essay

The Competencies That Are Required By Consultants In Order To Ensure an Efficient Consulting Practice - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the work of the management consultant is to help the client organization to recognize the management problems, analyze the problems and provide solutions to the problems. The role of the consultants has become extremely important in contemporary times to deal with critical issues faced by the organizations. The client organization often requires the skill and expertise to deal with the critical issues faced by the organization. Researchers have established that there is a link between organizational performance and organizational characteristic and both of these are influenced by a reverse relationship. It can be argued that the organizational characteristics can also have an influence on the consulting performance. According to the views of Lundberg, the competence of an individual is a set of appropriate behavior which acts as a framework for identifying, evaluating and developing an individual’s behavior. Researchers have found out that competenc e is actually a combination of skills, knowledge, and behavior that helps in improving the performance of an organization. According to Sandberg, people who perform their responsibilities more competently than others can be argued to have the finer set of attributes. Therefore it can be argued that the competence of the management consultant is a crucial factor that influences consulting performance. The existing literature identifies that there are a set of competencies that are important for consultants. There are ten domains of competencies that have been identified namely enterprising, confidence, management, influence, facilitation, consideration, analytics, performance, organizing behavior, resilience and enterprising nature. Each of these domains has a number of characteristics under them like independence, adaptability, planning, quality orientation, problem-solving approach, conceptualizing vision and customer orientation to name a few.

American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

American Revolution - Essay Example Ramsay feels that the power of constitutional amendment is a great political innovation because through it people are able to make changes in the laws enshrined in the Constitution. The power of constitutional amendment in America will also help in ending all sorts of oppression.2) Why does Winthrop believe that a bill of rights is in the Constitution? Winthrop argues that the bill of rights is important in constitution making. He believes that the bill of rights helps in proper and efficient legislation since civil rights and freedom are respected during legislation. The bill of rights ensures the protection of minority in a republic. The protection also ensures equity in power sharing and inclusion of minorities in decision-making.3) How do Ramsay and Winthrop differ concerning how the principle of representation operates in the United States?Ramsay and Winthrop tend to differ regarding the operation of the American principle of presentation. Ramsay argues that the people determine the activities of the arms of the legislative body (Ramsay 176). The people elect the representatives who have good interests, while Winthrop argues that it is not possible for different states to come together and allow administration by one legislative system. He says this may lead to an oppressive rule (Tyranny) since large states will want to dominate the administrative system. Many states have suffered negative impact such as the Spanish provinces that collapsed due to improper administration.

History of canadian labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of canadian labour - Essay Example (Bitterman 4) Bitterman argues that many farmers began life in the Maritimes as employees, citing Jones’ three-tier system of those with capital who could hire other people, those who could support themselves and those who needed to off-farm work while undergoing the process of farm-making. He argues that thousands of people fell into this third category, thereby not having independence. Bitterman uses many primary sources to support this claim from document of the landlord John Cambridge to Lord Selkirk and the accounts of Kavanaugh. While these sources provide strong evidence for the initial dependence of early settlers on wages, they do not truly explode the myth of independence, since it is clear that often these dependencies were only true for as long as it took to establish the farm. Indeed Bitterman refers to wage work ‘in the early stages of farm-making’. (Bitterman 5). It is also necessary to consider the fact that these sources, while useful, are limited in scope and Bitterman expands this limited evidence to account for thousands of immigrants in this period. Bitterman also argues that independence varied depending on the yield and weather conditions and a family that one year was independent could be forced to seek paid work the next. He takes as evidence the observations of Baddeck who noted that even 30 years after settlement occupants of hundreds of farms in the area were not truly independent. Bitterman also traces the variety of labour opportunities available and the way in which the settlers moved between paid work and labour on their farms, using as evidence documents relating to the MacNutt farm among others. From ship building to textiles, the possibilities for paid employment are varied and Bitterman’s account is compelling in its completeness and usage of primary sources. However Bitterman accepts that the calculations of the degree of dependency of farmers on wages

Social Democratic and Economic Progress in the Republic of Trinidad Essay

Social Democratic and Economic Progress in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago between 19902005 - Essay Example It is widely known for its natural beauties, tourist locations, and attractive sceneries. The country's capital city is Port -of -Spain, which has staked its claim to serve as the headquarters of the permanent secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas.1 Everything is good for this country, which has seen several vicissitudes in relation to its economy, except for its instable political conditions. Backed by a strong multicultural, multiethnic and multi religious society, the democracy of Trinidad and Tobago has been undergoing several phases of political instability for the last decade-and-a-half seriously posing a threat to its economy in the long run. As the frequent political instability takes away the valuable time of the political parties, they find less and less time to concentrate on Governmental matters resulting in an administrative vacuum. This also generally paves the way for criminals to take an upper hand over law and order machinery over a period. If the political parties continue to fight among themselves neglecting the citizens' welfare, it will ruin the country's future Trinidad and Tobago political parties, including the smaller ones, must know that continued political instability may also result in three unwanted developments. 1. It may lead to people losing confidence in democracy and the political parties. ... 1. It may lead to people losing confidence in democracy and the political parties. Frequent elections and crises of leadership would badly shake the faith of people in the democratic system of governance. In addition, it would pose extra burden on the state exchequer with heavy and recurring spending on frequent elections. 2. Experience has shown that countries lacking in political stability are prone to invite military interference in the administration resulting in frequent coups, internal conflicts and rebellions.2 Pakistan is the best example for this. 3. Frequent political instability of a country would devaluate the country's credentials in the eyes of neighbors making it vulnerable to the pulls and pressures of big powers. Moreover, such countries would lose their bargaining power during economic negotiations at the international level. Thesis / main essay With ancestors of India, Africa, Europe, China, and the Middle East converging, residing, professing various faiths, and speaking various languages in this tiny republic, Trinidad and------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 What drives violent conflict available from http://www.strategy.gov.uk/downloads/work_areas/countries_at_risk/1factors.pdf; Internet; accessed 22 November 2005 3 Tobago mercifully presents a picture of 'unity in diversity'. During the 1990s, social awareness on the issues of harmony and coexistence had grown into wider proportions among various sections of Trinidad and Tobago people. As a country hosting residence to people of several races and groups, this nation has transformed itself into a symbol of co- existence and peaceful living. As per the information provided in the Wikipedia,

Generation X expatriates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Generation X expatriates - Essay Example ter displays the outcomes in a statistical measurement fashion, with some qualitative emphasis by way of a summary of the findings from the key informants, describing significant opinions and comments. The general analytical approach was used to analyse the interviews and descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken to identify survey outcomes. This approach has contributed to some noteworthy results on the topic of The Hidden Depths of Global Ambition. When the question was asked about the number of employees worked in the organizations of participants so there were 36% respondents who respond that there are over 1500 employee in their organization, 11% respond less than 50 employees they had in their organizations. When the question were asked to the respondents regarding their studies in abroad then there were 68% respondents who respond that they studied abroad and there were 32% respondents who respond that they didn’t studied abroad. In response of the question regarding time spent abroad, there were 41% respondents who respond that they spent about 5+years in abroad, 24% respond 2-5 years, 15% respond 1-2 years and there were 14% respondents who respond that they spent less than 1 year in abroad. When it was asked to the respondents that what motivates them to go abroad, then on the option of career advancement there were 67% respondents agreed that the career advancement motivates them to go abroad, 14% disagreed with it. When it was asked to the respondents that is the seeking better future is an important factor behind their abroad visit, 68% respondents agreed with this statement and there were 13% respondents disagreed with this statement. When it was asked to the respondents who didn’t go abroad that is the reason behind not going abroad was lack of job opportunities then from the 6 respondents there were 2 respondents disagreed with this statement and 4 respondents agreed with it. From 6 respondents there were 2 respondents respond

School Event Essay Example for Free

School Event Essay This was a very interesting post!! I am high school math teacher in an urban district and I think the students need a detox at the beginning of the year. I think the most frightening thing is how many students just â€Å"hate† school. I think educators in my school district have been lead to believe that we start teaching subject skills on day 1. We don’t always have the chance to get to know our students on day one except for their names and maybe their birthdates. I really appreciate the links to the tools you use during your detox week. We have personal learning plans for our students using our district wide online system but they are very tedious and it’s more of chore for the students because the questions focus on short and long term goals and some of them just haven’t thought about goals for themselves. I think if schools spent time getting to know their students we could avoid a lot of the misbehavior. I also think that some teachers don’t want to get to know their students because teaching is just a paying job. Teachers need to be detox as well, we could have talks during our first few days of professional development with teachers to help them let go some of negative feelings they have against their students. I don’t know if I could go ice blocking with my students but I wonder if my school could start off the school year with a spirit week instead of at the middle of or end of the school year. I think most students would like to see their teachers have a little fun instead of viewing them as the wardens at the state prison. I think the first impressions dictate how people will treat us in the future so why not share a smile and then talk about classroom environments that function safely and productively for all.

Importance of Therapeutic Relationship in Cognitive Therapy

Importance of Therapeutic Relationship in Cognitive Therapy Within cognitive therapy, the therapeutic relationship, along with the emotional aspects of therapy in general, has historically been of less importance than for other therapeutic modalities. In the last decade this has changed and in the so-called third wave in cognitive therapy there is a much greater interest in the therapeutic relationship (Hayes, Strosahl Wilson, 2004). This essay evaluates the relevance of the therapeutic relationship in cognitive therapy with reference to the outcome research. The term therapeutic relationship covers a wide range of factors within therapy, each of which have been examined separately in the research. Hardy, Cahill and Barkham (2007) have suggested that it is useful to break down this research into three areas: establishing the relationship, developing the relationship and, finally, maintaining the relationship. Starting with establishing a relationship, Sexton, Littauer, Sexton and Tà ¸mmerà ¥s (2005) examined the first two sessions with 34 different clients using anonymous ratings at 20 second intervals. They found that better therapeutic alliances were associated with earlier meaningful connection and emotional involvement. Empathy is also thought to be a major component in establishing a relationship. The research on the contribution of empathy towards the therapeutic outcome has been subject to meta-analysis by Bohart, Elliott, Greenberg and Watson (2002). This found that between 7% and 10% of psychotherapy outcomes were explained by empathy indeed this relationship was particularly strong in cognitive therapies. Two further components central to establishing a relationship which have also garnered positive relationship with outcomes in the literature are engagement (e.g. Tryon, 2002) and mutual involvement (e.g. Tryon Winograd, 2002). The second research area is developing a relationship; in order to progress clients must have a sense of commitment, trust and openness towards their therapist (Hardy, Cahill Barkham, 2007). This means the therapist must effectively manage the relationship, including negotiating factors like transference and counter-transference (Ligiero Gelso, 2002). This area, however, has not been extensively examined within cognitive therapy. The third research area is maintaining the relationship. Research has examined how therapists deal with the inevitable problems that arise in therapeutic relationships. Better outcomes are generally predicted by successfully dealing with challenges to the therapeutic relationship. Challenges studied have included negative feelings towards clients (Gelso Carter, 1985), disagreements (Safran, Muran, Samstag Stevens, 2001) and resistance (Binder Strupp, 1997). Stiles et al. (2004) looked at the overall pattern of alliance development over the course of both cognitive and psychodynamic therapies. They found that those who had ruptures in the therapeutic alliance, which were subsequently repaired, had the best treatment outcomes. This, along with similar previous research by Kivlighan and Shaughnessy (2000) strongly underlines the importance of relationship maintenance in treatment outcome. Much of the research on the therapeutic alliance across treatment modalities has been reviewed in two meta-analyses (Horvath Symonds, 1991; Martin, Garske Davis, 2000). Both found positive support for its effect on outcome. In addition Norcross (2002) has estimated that 30% of psychotherapeutic outcomes are related to common factors mostly therapeutic alliance. This is compared to only a 15% influence of techniques a component of cognitive therapy that has traditionally been emphasised. This point, though, has proved controversial and DeRubeis, Brotman and Gibbons (2005) have criticised studies such as those cited above for merely providing correlational evidence. For example, almost without exception the studies analysed by Martin et al. (2000) were correlational. DeRubeis et al. (2005) argue that a good outcome could well be producing a good alliance, rather than the reverse. Further Safran and Muran (2006) criticise the meta-analyses for only explaining 6% of the outcome varia nce. Despite these criticisms Craighead, Sheets and Bjornsson (2005) point out that a strong therapeutic alliance is still a vital component of positive change and research continues to underline its importance in cognitive therapy (e.g. Krupnick et al., 2006). In conclusion, the research on the therapeutic alliance in cognitive therapy has generally demonstrated its association with a positive outcome for clients. The importance of establishing and maintaining relationships have both been demonstrated in cognitive therapy. Some have even suggested the supremacy of common factors such as the therapeutic alliance over specific techniques of the cognitive modality. These claims are tempered, however, by methodological concerns with correlational data, which mean that the therapeutic alliance could be a result of a good outcome. Despite this, given that current research continues to point to the benefits associated with the therapeutic alliance, it seems likely this factor will continue to emerge as a vital component of cognitive therapy. References Binder, J. L., Strupp, H. H. (1997). Negative process: a recurrently discovered and underestimated facet of therapeutic process and outcome in the individual psychotherapy of adults. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 4(2), 121-139. Bohart, A. C. , Elliott, R., Greenberg, L., Watson, J. C. (2002). Empathy. In J. R. Norcross et al. (Eds.), Psychotherapy Relationships That Work (pp. 89-108). New York: Oxford University Press. Craighead, W. E., Sheets, E. S., Bjornsson, A. S. (2005). Specificity and nonspecificity in psychotherapy. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 12(2), 189-193. DeRubeis, R. J., Brotman, M. A., Gibbons, C. J. (2005). A conceptual and methodological analysis of the nonspecifics argument. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 12(2), 174-183. Gelso, C. J., Carter, J. A. (1985). The relationship in counseling and psychotherapy: components, consequences, and theoretical antecedents. The Counseling Psychologist, 13(2), 155. Hardy, G., Cahill, J., Barkham, M. (2007). Active ingredients of the therapeutic relationship that promote client change: a research perspective. In: P. Gilbert R. L. Leahy (Eds.). The Therapeutic Relationship in the Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapies (pp. 24-42). Oxford: Routledge. Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., Wilson, K. D. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy: an experiential approach to behaviour change. New York: Guildford Press. Horvath, A. O., Symonds, B. D. (1991). Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 139–149. Kivlighan, D., Shaughnessy, P. (2000). Patterns of working alliance development: A typology of clients working alliance ratings. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(3), 362-371. Krupnick, J. L., Sotsky, S. M., Elkin, I., Simmens, S., Moyer, J., Watkins, J., et al. (2006). The role of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy outcome: findings in the national institute of mental health treatment of depression collaborative research program. Focus, 4(2), 269-277. Ligiero, D. P., Gelso, C. J. (2002). Countertransference, attachment, and the working alliance: The therapists contributions. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, and Training, 39(1), 3-11. Martin, D. J., Garske, J. P., Davis, M. K. (2000). Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 438–450. Norcross, J. C. (2002). Psychotherapy relationships that work: therapist contributions and responsiveness to patients. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Safran, J. D., Muran, J. C. (2006). Has the concept of the therapeutic alliance outlived its usefulness. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 43(3), 286-291. Safran, J. D., Muran, J. C., Samstag, L. W., Stevens, C. (2001). Repairing alliance ruptures. Psychotherapy, 38(4), 406-412. Sexton, H., Littauer, H., Sexton, A., Tà ¸mmerà ¥s, E. (2005). Building an alliance: Early therapy process and the client–therapist connection. Psychotherapy Research, 15(1), 103-116. Stiles, W. B., Glick, M. J., Osatuke, K., Hardy, G. E., Shapiro, D. A., Agnew-Davies, R., et al. (2004). Patterns of alliance development and the rupture-repair hypothesis: are productive relationships U-shaped or V-shaped? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51(1), 81-92. Tryon, G. S. (2002). Engagement in counselling. In: G. S. Tryon (Ed.). Counseling based on process research: Applying what we know (pp. 1-26). Boston: Allyn Bacon. Tryon, G. S., Winograd, G. (2002). Goal consensus and collaboration. In: J. R. Norcross (Ed.). Psychotherapy Relationships That Work (pp. 109-125). New York: Oxford University Press.

Another Holiday for the Prince Essay -- Literary Analysis, Elizabeth

In â€Å"Another Holiday for the Prince† by Elizabeth Jolley the author draws upon many themes, one in particular that Jolley illustrates is how poverty influences changes in the individual lives within one family. To begin with the head of the family; a father is never mentioned in the story, not even once. But by not having a father figure in the story the reader can understand a lot. In society the man is the one who earns the money and provides all the essentials for his family, however this story is presented in a society were the mother has to be the man of the family. Ones self-esteem can be diminished as a result of poverty, alienation; destructive effects of a week personality or society on the individual. The author effectively conveys this theme through the use of characterization, symbolism and contrast. Jolley uses characterization to individualize each character in a poverty stricken family. The son is referred to as a prince by his mother several times throughout the story even though he is a high school dropout. â€Å"Mother always called him Prince; she worried about him all the time. I couldn’t think why. He was only my brother and a drop out at that† (117). The author portrays the son to be someone with low self-esteem because he is poor and a drop out he lives a miserable life. His mother tries to provide him with as much, but is unable to do this because of her social status is society. â€Å"‘Sleeps the best thing he can have. I wish he’d eat!’ She watched me as I took bread and spread the butter thick, she was never mean about butter, when we didn’t have other things we always had plenty of butter† (117). Through this passage the author convincingly demonstrates that they are poor and cannot afford an assortment of thing... ...eral topic of school. The sister strives to graduate and go to school even though she is poor while her brother blames the school for him dropping out and not graduating. â€Å"I got out my social studies. Hot legs has this idea of a test every Wednesday† (118). This demonstrates that she is driven to study for class and get good grades while her brother tries to convince her that school is worth nothing and that there is no point in attending. â€Å"‘Why don’t you get out before they chuck you out. That’s all crap,’ he said, knocking the books across the floor. ‘You’ll only fail your exam and they don’t want failures, spoils their bloody numbers. They’ll ask you to leave, see if they don’t’† (118). The brother tries to convince his sister that school is not a necessity and that living the way he does, being a drop out living in a poverty stricken family is the best thing.

Martin Luther King :: essays research papers

Martin Luther King Jr. King was born Michael Luther King in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was one of the three children of Martin Luther King Sr., pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta (Williams) King, a former schoolteacher. He was renamed "Martin" when he was about 6 years old. After going to local grammar and high schools, at the age of 15, he entered Morehouse College located in Atlanta, under a special program for gifted students in 1944. He wasn't planning to enter the ministry, but then he met Dr. Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose manner and behavior convinced him that a religious career could be academically satisfying as well. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, winning the Plafker Award as the outstanding student of the graduating class, and the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. He completed the coursework for his doctorate in 1953, and was granted the degree two years later upon achievement of his study. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, from Marion, Alabama, who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. They were married in 1953 and had four children. King then became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery in 1954. He had been pastor slightly more than a year when the city's small group of civil-rights advocates decided to contest racial segregation on that city's public bus system. On Dec. 1, 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks had refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and as a result had been arrested for disobeying the city's segregation law. Black activists formed the Montgomery Improvement Association to boycott the transit system and chose King as their leader. He had the advantage of being a young, well-trained man who was too new in town to have made enemies; he was normally respected, and his family links and professional standing would allow him to find another pastorate should the boycott not do well. In his first speech to the group as its president, King stated: â€Å"We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice. Martin Luther King :: essays research papers Martin Luther King Jr. King was born Michael Luther King in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was one of the three children of Martin Luther King Sr., pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta (Williams) King, a former schoolteacher. He was renamed "Martin" when he was about 6 years old. After going to local grammar and high schools, at the age of 15, he entered Morehouse College located in Atlanta, under a special program for gifted students in 1944. He wasn't planning to enter the ministry, but then he met Dr. Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose manner and behavior convinced him that a religious career could be academically satisfying as well. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, winning the Plafker Award as the outstanding student of the graduating class, and the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. He completed the coursework for his doctorate in 1953, and was granted the degree two years later upon achievement of his study. While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, from Marion, Alabama, who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. They were married in 1953 and had four children. King then became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery in 1954. He had been pastor slightly more than a year when the city's small group of civil-rights advocates decided to contest racial segregation on that city's public bus system. On Dec. 1, 1955, a black woman named Rosa Parks had refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and as a result had been arrested for disobeying the city's segregation law. Black activists formed the Montgomery Improvement Association to boycott the transit system and chose King as their leader. He had the advantage of being a young, well-trained man who was too new in town to have made enemies; he was normally respected, and his family links and professional standing would allow him to find another pastorate should the boycott not do well. In his first speech to the group as its president, King stated: â€Å"We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice.

Galatians Bible Argument Essay -- Religion, Bible, Paul

I. Introduction 1:1-9 In this opening chapter, Paul begins with a formal introduction of himself. He asserts the source from whom he obtained his apostolic call and ministry from- the risen Christ and â€Å"God the Father† (v.1). He follows with a stern rebuke of the Galatian Christians who have allowed themselves to be duped into to embracing the heretical teachings promulgated by the Judaizers. A. Salutation 1:1-5 Paul establishes his credentials forthrightly and formally. This was crucial in terms of validating the ensuing message of the epistle. His readership, as well as his critics (the Judaizers), needed to be reminded of his apostolic authority as he attacked the heresy that had taken foothold in the Galatian Christian community. Denunciation 1:6-10 For Paul, the subversive teaching of the Judaizers warranted the pronouncement of a curse (i.e., anathema). The fact that Paul repeats the â€Å"anathema† in v.9 speaks to the seriousness of the offense. Clearly, this was a situation that required more than a mere reprimand. Thus, the apostle is not concerned with being socially lauded, esteemed, etc. The transgression was egregious and the consequences should be as well. II. Personal: Paul’s Credentials 1:11-2-2:21 Paul reasserts the authenticity and authority of his apostleship in this section. He does so by describing the unique manner by which he was called to into the Lord’s service (cf. Acts 9:1- 18). Years subsequent to the apostle’s special call (i.e., 3 and 14 years, respectively), he met some of the other apostles (i.e., Peter, James). It was crucial that Paul reassert and defend his divine appointment so that his message to the deceived Galatian believers would be regarded as legitimately apostolic and thus authorative. ... ...cerning the intent of the Law, sonship vs. slave status, the Law vs. liberty in Christ, and the practical manifestation of justification evidenced in the production of spiritual fruit as the believer â€Å"walks by the Spirit†. Perhaps the passage that best represents the message of this theologically robust epistle is Gal. 2:16a which reads, â€Å"nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus†. This is the message that Paul asserts from his introductory comments in chapter one to his closing comments in chapter six. Moreover, Christians today will avoid the mistake of the Galatian Christians provided that we continue standing firm in the grace of our Lord Jesus. We must always be mindful of the fact that it is Jesus who is the author of our salvation (Heb 2:10)- the author and perfector of faith (Heb. 12:2).

Kate Chopin and Feminism

The name Kate Chopin is synonymous with feminism.   For generations she has caused women to about their situations in life and caused men to fear her because she made women analyze.   She started writing after she was widowed and left with a plantation and children to rear while living in a male society.   Instead of remarrying just to save the plantation, she chose to stay single and move from Louisiana with her children to her hometown in Missouri.   Her physician advised her to write to overcome her depression.Little did anyone know that this advice would lead to the writing career of one of the foremost American female writers.   From the beginning, men saw her stories and novels as threatening.   It wasn’t until after her death that she was recognized for the talented writer that she really was.   The reason the men of her generation was her feminist themes.   Two examples where this strong theme is evident are â€Å"The Storm† and The Awakening.Cho pin’s story â€Å"The Storm† is, as the title suggest, about sexual tensions of a repressive waera.   It was considered scandalous for a female from the privileged class to even entertain the thought of sexual tension during the Victorian Era, and especially to write about it.   The storm deals with two people, Alcee and Calixta, who were in love during their youth.   They go on to marry others that society says are right for them.They feel trapped by the rules of society and still desire each other.   The reader is introduced to Calixta at their home, sewing and doing other household chores, â€Å"unaware that the storm is coming.† This suggests to Wilson that â€Å"her sexuality is repressed by the constraints of her marriage and society’s view of women, represented in this passage by the housework.† Airing out on the porch are her husband’s Sunday clothes, which Wilson says â€Å"allude to society in the form of the church.†Ã‚   The story continues with other illustrations using the storm until, finally, after Alcee and Calixta’s sexual encounter, the storm finally begins to pass and everything in the world seems renewed and fresh. (Wilson 2)In The Awakening the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a young woman married to a businessman, but she is dissatisfied with her marriage.   In her society this idea was considered unthinkable.   She wants to wants to retain her individuality, her artistry, and to be sexually fulfilled.   In her novel, she seeks an identity for women that is neither wife nor mother. To achieve this end, she incorporates progressive ideas of androgyny and female-female intimacy into her writing; yet ultimately the text, through characters who cannot escape essentialist and sentimental ideologies, demonstrates the failure of her attempt. (McDonald)   In fact, the pressures of society of that era leads to the suicide of the protagonist.Kate Chopin dared to write about to pics that were groundbreaking for women in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds.   During this time women weren’t even capable of having enough knowledge to vote.   If a woman chose any path in life that did not include marriage, then she was seen as a failure.   In her writing, Chopin was groundbreaking in the area of feminism.   The questions that are raised by the articles used for this essay, is where did she get the courage to tackle the topics that she did, and why didn’t more women join here in their craft?Works CitedFaust, Langdon Lynn. American Women Writers. New York: Inger. 1983.McDonald, Erin E.   â€Å"NECESSARILY VAGUE†: KATE CHOPIN'S GENDER-AWAKENING.24, May, 1999, http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/macdonald.htmlWilson, Robert. â€Å"Feminine Sexuality and Passion: Kate Chopin’s ‘The Storm.’† The Universityof British Columbia, October 22, 1992. http://www.interchg.obc.ca/rw/eng304-1. htm.

Reliability and Validity

Reliability and Validity Reliability and validity are important with any kind of research. Without them research and their results would be useless. This paper will define the types of reliability and validity as well as give examples of each. Both the data collection methods and the data collection instruments used in human services research will also be given. This paper will also look into why it is important to ensure that data collection methods as well as the instruments are reliable and valid. ReliabilityThere are several kinds of reliability used in research. The first kind is the alternate-form reliability. This kind of reliability consists of the degree of relatedness of different forms of the same test. For example, a psychological tests where the questions are changed. The second kind is the internal-consistency reliability. This kind of reliability is the overall degree of relatedness of all items in a test or raters in a judgment study. Internal-consistency is measured between different items on the same test.An example of this would be If a respondent expressed agreement with the statements â€Å"I like to eat frozen chocolate† and â€Å"I’ve enjoyed eating frozen chocolate in the past,† and disagreement with the statement â€Å"I hate frozen chocolate,† this would be indicative of good internal consistency of the test. The third kind is the item-to-item reliability. This kind of reliability is the reliability of any single item on average. An example of this would be the reliability of two items such as a construction worker’s hammers that are identical.The last kind of reliability that I will discuss is the test-retest reliability. This kind of reliability consists of the degree of temporal stability (relatedness) of a measuring instrument or test, or the characteristic it is designed to evaluate, from one administration to another (Rosnow, 2008). Statics. com (n. d). states, â€Å"a group of respondents is t ested for IQ scores: each respondent is tested twice – the two tests are, say, a month apart. Then, the correlation coefficient between two sets of IQ-scores is a reasonable measure of the test-retest reliability of this test. † (Para. ) It is more reliable because the scores are on average between two separate situations. Validity Proving that the results of the research are correct is called validity. Construct validity refers to whether a scale measures or correlates with the theorized method. An example of this is an employer using selection methods to measure the degree to which a possible new employee has psychological traits called constructs. This includes verbal ability, intelligence, mechanical ability, and leadership ability. Content validity is the sampling of the relevant material or content that a test intends to measure.An example would be a typing test for a secretary or a test of checkbook balancing for an accountant. Convergent and discriminant validit y is the grounds established for a construct based on the convergence of related tests or behavior (convergent validity) and the distinctiveness of unrelated tests or behavior (discriminant validity). An example of this Trochim (2006), states â€Å"to show the discriminant validity of a Head Start program, we might gather evidence that shows that the program is not similar to other early childhood programs that don’t label themselves as Head Start programs.Or, to show the discriminant validity of a test of arithmetic skills, we might correlate the scores on our test with scores on tests that of verbal ability, where low correlations would be evidence of discriminant validity. † (Para. 10) Criterion validity is the degree to which a test or questionnaire predicts an outcome based on information from other variables. An example would be high school student’s grades predict his or her success in college. External validity is the generalization of an inferred causal relationship over different people, settings, manipulations (or treatments), and research outcomes.An example would be using a sample from a population. Face validity is a property of a test intended to measure something. It is the validity of a test at face value or the degree to which a test or other instrument â€Å"looks as if† it is measuring something relevant. An example would be if you have a test to measure whether students can read at a fifth grade level, and the people you show it to all agree that it looks like a good test of fifth grade reading ability, the face validity of the test is shown. Internal validity is the soundness of statements about whether one variable is the caused of a particular outcome.An example would be manipulating the variable in a scientific experiment. Statistical-conclusion validity is the degree to which conclusions about the relationship among variables based on the data are correct or ‘reasonable’. An example would be do ing a study on the relationship between socioeconomic status and attitudes about free health care. Based on the data, it may be concluded that persons with lower economic status tend to be more opposed. Conclusion validity is the degree to which the conclusion reached is credible or believable (Rosnow, 2008). Data Collection Methods in Human ServicesData collections methods include experiments, clinical trials observing and recording and events, obtaining relevant data from management information systems, and administering surveys with closed-ended questions. It is important to ensure these data collection methods are both reliable and valid because if unreliable and invalid data is used the results of the research would be false. Data Collection Methods in Managerial Research Case studies reveal the strengths and weaknesses within the agency. Case studies analyze results of information obtained from cases pertaining to the population served.The cases are also evaluated against othe r case studies to see similarities and discrepancies. Case studies give human service agencies detailed information about the individual and population studied. Performance appraisal systems are used by managers to track employees work performance. It is important for these systems to be reliable to objectively and consistently measure the employee’s performance. All employees activities and result should be measured the same. Without reliability employees would not have faith in his or her manager and the appraisal process.Conclusion Reliability and validity enable human service professionals to use true data and obtain legitimate results. Using these types of reliability and validity allows researchers to provide clients and agencies sound, appropriate conclusions. Using data collection methods managers can improve employee performance and services provided to clients. Reliability and validity ensure accurate data is used in human services research. References Rosnow, R. L. (2008) Beginning Behavioral Research: A Conceptual Primer, Retrieved from

Nothing Gold Can Stay Interpretation

Taylor Sims Interpretation of Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost is a poem that means as wonderful as any life is, it cannot continue forever. That no matter what is gold in one’s eyes, such as loved ones, young stages, innocence, or one’s treasures, it can only carry on for so long. That perfect cannot remain perfect. No golden times or moments can stay. Once a flower blooms, it must die and that bloom will never be seen by eyes again.The same goes for life, once a person reaches the final stages of living, they will become only a memory. Nature’s first sprout of life is pure as gold. â€Å"Nature’s first green is gold†. Nature may attempt all she may, but it would still be fated to leave. â€Å"Her hardest hue to hold†. A flower then sprouts from the Earth. The fragile and soft petals grow and grow thus completing the blossom. â€Å"Her early leaf’s a flower†. Then, Frost tells us that the beautiful flower is not to last for long. If one had a choice, the flower would last forever.Yet, it would have to go away. â€Å"But only so an hour. † Sadly, as marvelous as the green might seem, it slowly droops and departs its’ life. â€Å"Then leaf subsides to leaf†. Because of this, Eden mourns over the death of the pure. Eden, something that people thought was going to stay perfect and holy still went down. â€Å"So Eden sank to grief†. The day goes on, and with it goes the life and beauty of the flower. â€Å"So dawn goes down to day†. Hopefully one savors the beauty of it because â€Å"nothing gold can stay†.On the whole, something or someone that is great or pure as gold cannot stay for a long time. One must treasure the golden times and moments because of just that. They are moments, and are not meant to last. However, memories can last a lifetime. The golden memories can continue to live in one’s heart. Life is a cycle , and like in any cycle there is a beginning and an end. Nature is ephemeral, and fleetingness enhances human nature. As Frost wrote, nothing gold can stay. Words: 375

Sample Charter

The various costs include: building materials, landscaping and safety equipment, shipping, labor, temporary housing, and office facilities, travel, administrative expenses, staffing, training, and stocking of inventory. Project Manager: John Tare, 011-52-444-123-1234,john. [email  protected] Com Project Sponsor: Alex R. Fitzgerald, CEO Acme Home Improvements, [email  protected] Com Project Objectives: Deploy Acme's capabilities to meet the commercial and private construction market demands in the Mexico City area.Expand into international markets to meet the competition head-on and eat them, not only at home, but also abroad. To meet this goal and compete effectively Acme must open its first store in this major metropolitan area inside 12 months. To open this store within a year, Acme will build a project team that communicates effectively, operates efficiently, and is experienced in international ventures. The project team will construct a KICK sq Ft structure, with an additiona l ask sq Ft of exterior space for garden products.The store's design must excel in supporting each of Acme's five core business areas: plumbing/electrical supplies, building materials, hardware and tools, seasonal/garden/yard, and paint/wall coverings. The project team will construct a comprehensive plan upon which they will base execution. This plan encompasses all details from site preparation through hiring and training. The project team will carry the company up to opening day. It is critical that the team stay on task and on time. Approach: ; Establish a cross-cultural team of Acme corporate personnel from the U.S. And local Acme De Mexico staff to coordinate the project. Conduct competitive analysis of home improvement stores in Mexico City. ; Develop store design. ; Develop detailed construction schedule. ; Construct and finish store. ; Plan hiring requirements. ; Prepare hiring and training plan. ; Establish supply chain plans. ; Develop advertising, promotion, and merchandi sing plan. ; Train employees in compliance with Acme corporate policies, standards, procedures, and provide specific job activity training. ; Plan and execute store grand opening.

Are Enlightenment values universal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Enlightenment values universal - Essay Example For this ground, Enlightenment values have by far, to this point, been inevitably embedded on culture under several aspects of living. The post-Renaissance curiosity in an in-depth study of man and the world after the rebirth of learning and rigorous inquisitions herein designate emphasis on humanities and the quest for means to put knowledge to practical use. Such movement toward intellectual revolution, which was mostly regarded as secularistic by nature, causing progressive changes to humanity proceeded out of several factors. For one, increase in the number of academic institutions across the 18th century Europe and North America generated more intellectual people and scholars capable of questioning the prevailing ideologies of the time based upon prominent fields as science, politics, and religion. Enlightenment was also promoted via the extensive publication of printed texts either as periodicals or books where the bulk of information read prompted and encouraged the general pu blic to express various opinions or insights on the subject matter of worldwide interest. People of middle-class society augmented in number as well and favored being financial supporters of scientists, inventors, and humanism artists. Moreover, men became further inclined to adopt materialism in the form of industries, objects of scientific innovation, and ideas the trade for prosperity of which had been made feasible by the pioneering geniuses of the socio-political, economic, and scientific disciplines. These causes primarily developed the foundations of Enlightenment along with its associated values found through the process of rationalization. At this crucial stage, 18th-century life and beyond was bound to experience and appreciate a profound sense of critical and creative mode of thinking in seeking to be stimulated by the beauty of reason. Eventually, there emerged a growing individual advocacy for human freedom upon discovery of the universal impact of reasoning according t o the basic principles of Enlightenment as perceived in rationalism, naturalism, materialism, optimism, and humanitarianism. By considering reason and science in the systematic process of acquiring knowledge and solving problems of humanity within diverse culture, Enlightenment is claimed to free humanity from the darkness of ignorance. With this end came departure from the burden of false beliefs and the destructive influence of illogical prejudices and superstition on the argument that secular society where liberty, equality, and democracy exist with scholastic endeavor potentially transforms human condition in which the miserable state of poverty and sickness is addressed. Universal ethical norms proposed by the 18th-century intellectuals thereafter transcend the narrow confines of race, color, sex, religion, and ethnicity for instance and such would not have been possible in the absence of Enlightenment values which altogether illumined Europe and brought the Western World to th e heights of drastic progress and advanced rate of modern civilization (Igwe). On the basis of one of the seven core ideals, ‘all human beings possess the ability to be enlightened’. Therefore, ‘enlightenment is universal’

Assignment 1 (Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) Case Study

Assignment 1 (Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) - Case Study Example Introduction of RSPT would lead to reduction in the income tax but it was expected that such would not lead to the reduction in revenue, since the decrease in tax would encourage companies to undertake more projects which would lead to rise in the revenue. This increase in revenue would be utilized by the government of Australia for bringing about infrastructure development in the country. The Australian Government decided to provide the resource entities with a refundable credit for the royalties paid by them in the previous years, so that the mining companies receive an extra relaxation on their taxation policies and they are encouraged towards revenue generation. Introduction The Australian Government accepted the proposal of the Australia’s Future Tax System Review to introduce a tax charge on the resource rents and the super profits earned by the mining companies from the exploitation of the non-renewable resources of Australia. This new tax policy will be known as Resour ce Super Profits Tax (RSPT). The RSPT would provide the community of Australia with a share of income that will be derived from the extraction and sale of non-renewable resources of Australia in countries all over the world. ... The RSPT was replaced by the Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) in late June 2010 because of a resulting controversy in terms of RSPT. The objective of the government in the implementation of the MRRT policy was same as that of the RSPT, along with an additional objective to overcome the controversies and adverse affect faced on the implementation of the RSPT. The area of consideration of the MRRT was limited than the RSPT, which increased its relevance and brought efficiency. The MRRT policies received support from mining unions such as Forestry, Energy Union, Construction and Mining, Australian Greens, and from the Australian Council of trade Unions. The new policy led to the reduction in tax for the mining companies, thus fulfilling one of the objectives with which the policy was introduced. Answer 1. The main features of Resources Super Profit Tax are- The nominal tax rate of 40% on assessable resource profits is applicable. The tax is to be imposed on revenue earned after deducti ng the allowance for capital expenditure. The tax is to be imposed on profits above the normal rate of return, which is determined to be 6%, being the risk-free long term bond rate. To compensate for the higher risk that is involved in the mining ventures, losses on abandoned projects were to be refunded at the mirror rate of 40% of the loss suffered (Kreiser, et al., p.227). Features of Minerals resource rent tax (MRRT) are- The proposed MRRT will apply to the coal and iron ore projects in Australia from 1st July, 2012 at 30% rate. The projects will be entitled to an extraction allowance of 25% which shall reduce the taxable profits subject to the MRRT. MRRT liability will not apply to

E-Commerce Cyber Marketing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

E-Commerce Cyber Marketing Strategies - Essay Example Internet has become of the most phenomenon technological factor to most modern organizations, tapping the cost-effectiveness and affordability of the factor to achieve their objectives and goals (Krishnamurthy, 2006). As such, the internet has ingrained itself in the modern commerce and trade. Moreover, despite its rapid growth, analysts expect the internet to growth and advance further. The central goal of most organizations is to realize future threats and opportunities, and accordingly design a strategy. Commoditization of the internet has led to the development and evolution of electronic commerce, or E-commerce as commonly known (Hanson, 2000). Essentially, E-commerce refers to the concept of selling and buying services and products over computer networks or the internet. It incorporates technologies such as internet marketing, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, inventory management, systems, electronic data interchange, online transaction processing, and automatic data collection systems. E-commerce has led to the revolution of traditional marketing concepts, initiating strategies to enhance marketing strategies referred to as network marketing (Miletsky, 2000). This paper seeks to discuss and analyze four main E-commerce cyber marketing strategies: viral marketing, online advertising, permission electronic mail marketing, and search engine man agement and optimization. The paper also provides an analysis of their pros and cons, as well as a comprehensive comparison of the strategies. Lastly, the paper provides a decision-making criterion for selecting the best strategy. In marketing strategies, the most important factor to consider is to shorten the distance between consumption and production as well as reduce the lengthy circulation of commodities through numerous links. As such, the internet provides an ideal marketing platform, allowing consumers and producers to conclude their transaction in a click of a mouse button. This is the foundation of cyber marketing. Essentially, marketing is the communication between firms and customers with the intention of persuading the customer to purchase the goods and services of the firm. The increasing growth and popularity of the internet makes it an ideal target for marketing, supported by other significant factors such as cost effectiveness, reliability, speed, and accessibility (Bhusry, 2005). Consequently, marketers have come up with innovative strategies to tap the potential opportunity of E-commerce cyber marketing, including viral marketing, online advertising, permission electronic mail marketing, and search engine optimization. Viral Marketing Viral marketing essentially refers to the online word-of-mouth advertising. In this marketing concept, the firm provides something interesting that encourages others to spread marketing information about the product or service, cost effectively and quickly without much effort from the firm. Consequently, this potentially creates an exponential growth in the effect and visibility of the marketing message (Bhusry, 2005). In other words, the message spreads like a common cold virus form one person to the other. Cyber virus marketing is a very effective marketing strategy, and a successful campaign may present an opportunity of obtaining thousands of new every year. A prime example of a phenomenon viral marketing s trategy is Hotmail (http://www.hotmail.com), the first provider of free E-mail services (Krishnamurthy, 2006). The firm began offering free accounts, attaching a

Black studies about slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Black studies about slavery - Essay Example This paper gives a brief reaction to the video about Frederick Douglass, new things learnt from the video and the times he lived in, critically rating the video as a device for learning about Douglass and his times. Though the video paints a gloomy picture of what transpired from the pre-colonial Africa to the post-colonial Africa concerning slavery and slave trade, it is clear that some heroes such as Frederick Douglass spend a better part of their lifetime and great efforts in refining the American dream. One can deduce from the brief biography of Frederick Douglass that while the slave trade could not be prevented especially due to the large number of nations involved, it was possible to tame slavery more so that which consisted of torture and other inhumane acts. Frederick Douglass came out as a strong social reformer, who championed for the rights of the African Americans, his slavery status notwithstanding. This was especially so because despite being a diplomat, he was also a great orator and writer. This means that one had to be courageous enough to present a tough stance to the authorities and all the parties involves without giving it a second thought, at least according to the video. Perhaps another important point worth noting from the video is that while Frederick Douglass fought slavery through his antislavery writing and through the political front, it became apparent even to the whites that slavery was causing more polarization as opposed to driving the nation towards achieving the American dream. Although the video does not explicitly reveal how Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery, it is particularly clear that his strong stance for women’s rights gave him an edge in fighting slavery especially when more people from diverse backgrounds started believing in his ideology. Certainly, the nineteenth century was the most traumatic period for the African Americans especially those that were subjected to hard labour. From the video about

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities - Essay Example Both regional and local authorities have the responsibility of planning, and implementi8ng cycling policies. National level commitment is essential for putting right the legal, regulatory, and financial framework that lead to successful implementation of cycling initiatives. This is the city in the region with a well advanced form of League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community where bicycling is an important means of transport and recreational activity. According to the 2007-2011 American Community Survey, 4% of Newark households engage in bicycling for recreation (Delaware Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Survey). It is a normal phenomenon that all cyclists at one time have felt to be invisible to motorists. Bike Delaware has provided the â€Å"intentional blindness† that addresses this phenomenon. Another issue of safety is the question as to why cyclists’ and pedestrians’ safety is termed as invisible to traffic engineers. Most traffic engineers pay close attention to road safety and traffic congestion. Despite this safety, little is realized on the ped/bike safety projects. The federal program called the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is responsible for funding Road Safety in Delaware. According to the data collected from the research, Delaware has spent more than $8 million HSIP dollars every year on road safety improvement projects but none focused on reducing pedestrian or cyclist fatalities. As a result, motor vehicle occupant fatalities have reduced while pedestrians’ fatalities have not. Cycling around Delaware University and Newark area is a favored means of transport to students, staff, faculty, and locals living in the area. Cyclists are assisted by the Newark Traffic Relief Committee (NTRC) that has prepared a Newark City Bicycle Map. The map shows cycling and pedestrian routes in the city and provides

Scarcity and how it Applies to Micro-Economic Decision Making Essay

Scarcity and how it Applies to Micro-Economic Decision Making - Essay Example It is a fact that if anything is scarce it will definitely have a higher market value compared to those goods and services which are relatively widely available. (Riley 2006)i Scarcity essentially raises the question of which alternative to choose and which is better in which condition. These various choices have to be made on a daily basis by all consumers, firms and governments. (Steven 2011)iiA simple example is how the millions of people in New York City get to work. This choice of which mode of travel to take in order to get to their required destination in the least and most cost-effective amount of time is what troubles everyone. These small decisions are taken on an extensive scale on a daily basis and for most of the individuals this is more of a habitual routine than a choice but still at the first instance they had to figure out which mode is the best for them. This concept is followed by the most important concept in microeconomics, Opportunity Cost. Opportunity Cost meas ures the cost of any choice in terms of the next best alternative forgone. This can apply to individuals, firms and governments. For an individual whether to work extra hours or give more time to family for leisure is a choice that has to be made on a regular basis. For a government, it has to decide whether to allocate its limited budget to military or education or health. For a firm, it has to decide which machinery to use to produce the most output in the least amount of time maintaining quality. All this is not only a decision that is made without conscious thinking, it requires a lot of conscious effort from the individual’s part to investigate which option is best for him. This involves a rational Cost-Benefit Analysis. A Cost-Benefit Analysis is the process whereby individuals decide whether the advantages of a particular option are likely to outweigh its drawbacks. This is highly specific as all the known information for the available alternatives has to be taken into account and after comparing it with each other it has to be decided upon which alternative is giving the most benefit after accounting for its drawbacks (net benefit). On a micro-level thousands of millions of decisions take place to counter this problem of scarcity. A firm has to constantly perform assessment whether to hire new workers or request their existing workers to give extra hours in order to produce the excess demand. A separate department usually exists in MNC’s which has the responsibility to undertake extensive in-depth research in major financial decisions. For example, acquiring of new capital costing millions of dollars $ might be a better option than upgrading existing capital equipment. Although the initial cost will be high but the long term benefit of the first choice will outweigh the benefit of the second option. In Africa, governments have to constantly engage in a battle against poverty, healthcare and education. The question which is more important is debatable. Which sector should be given more preference depends on the positive impact it will have on the community and society on the whole. It can also mean that in a battle to provide everyone clean water and food, government might not reach its set goal for education. (CBC 2011)iii Nevertheless, it has to be viewed in such a perspective that if people are not provided the basic

Concept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Term Paper

Concept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories - Term Paper Example Nursing theories contribute an important part of the profession and according to Mary and Patricia (2008), nursing knowledge includes theories, philosophies, research and practice wisdom of the discipline. In the nursing profession, acquisition of this knowledge is essential for guiding practice (CN, 2011). Nursing theory is a group of concepts, relationships, definitions and assumptions or propositions resulting from nursing models or other disciplines. The theory illustrates an intended and systematic view of phenomena through formulating particular interrelationships among the concepts, with objectives of describing, explaining, predicting and prescribing (Cowling, 2007). In this respect, knowledge structure in the nursing profession is studied in different headings, including nursing philosophies, conceptual models and grand theories, metaparadigm, nursing theories in addition to middle range theories and nursing theories. According to Fawcett (2000), conceptual model is a representation of the way of judgment about a particular problem or a method of representing the complexity of functionality of a particular aspect. One main defining characteristic of conceptual models is that they are not usually based on a particular nursing theory. In this regard, the models are usually based on various theories, which enhance comprehension of a particular nursing problem in a different setting or context.... Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory emphasizes on the role of environment in promoting cure and health to a person. According to environmental theory, the role of nursing is to provide fresh air, cleanliness or hygiene, warmth, appropriate diet and a silent environment to facilitate curative process of patient (Barrit, 1973). In reference to the theory, Nightingale considers a person in the nursing context as a patient served by a nurse and affected by environment and as an individual possessing reparative abilities (Fawcett, 2000). To promote health, the environmental theory recommends provision of necessary physical, psychological and social support to the patients. In this respect, environment forms the basic component of the theory. The theory consists of all environmental aspects including social, psychological, physical and all other external conditions that influence a person’s health. To ensure the maintenance of health, the environmental theory holds th at the healing powers within a person should be utilized to their maximum (Mary and Patricia 2008). This is achieved by deliberately controlling the physical, psychological, and social needs to prevent the occurrence of disease. In this respect, Florence Nightingale attributed the emergence of disease to nature, argued that ill health is reparative, preventable, and managed by controlling the relevant external and internal factors surrounding the patient (Florence Nightingale Museum). Therefore, according to the environmental theory, the focus of nursing professionals is management of the patient’s health and disease, whereby they should help the affected individuals regain health by providing a favorable environment. Faye Abdella’s topology of twenty-one

Homeostasis and Pain Management in Patient with Multisystem Failure Essay

Homeostasis and Pain Management in Patient with Multisystem Failure - Essay Example Consequently, obtaining the blood pressure, respiration rate, pulse rate and temperature will reveal the vital symptoms of whatever ailments that the patient is suffering from. Determining the oxygenation of Mrs. Baker is extremely essential; this can be executed by the use of the pulse oximeter. Place the pulse oximeter on the index finger and observe the patient’s skin color, the beds of the finger nails, and also the skin around the lips (Poitout, 2004). The time intervals for capillary refills should be noted while also assessing the beds of the fingernails. Current level of consciousness should be determined by assessing the reactivity of pupils, orientation to person, time and place; ask the patient questions to estabish the state of the mind. Symptoms and signs of dehydration together with skin turgor, decreased blood pressure, lethargy, sunken eyes, confusion, dizziness, and dry mucous membranes must be investigated (Poitout, 2004). The pain levels of the patient can b e assessed successfully when the patient is in a conscious state and when he/she can still speak; for instance, the pain of the patient can be rated on a scale of 1 to 10. ... Furthermore, there is a standard standing order for intravenous medication in such situations, in this regard it important and a must to start an IV. The lab personnel must be ordered to be drawn off of the IV. Technological tools used, why they are used, and importance of the tools in determining the patient’s status Tools and technology to be used in the diagnosis include, pulse oximeter, stethoscope, glucose meter, Sphygmomanometer, Laryngoscopes, Stylets, and tracheal tubes The pulse oximeter is a medical device essential for measuring or monitoring indirectly the patient’s blood oxygen saturation, and blood volume changes in the skin. The pulse oximeter is also useful as it displays the patient’s pulse rate (Niles, 2010). The pulse oximeter is a vital tool especially in the event where patient’s oxygenation is unstable or compromised like in the intensive care unit, operating, emergency and in ward settings. As already mentioned, the tool helps in ass essing the patient’s need for oxygen and determining if there is any need for supplemental oxygen (Niles, 2010). The oxygenation levels of Mrs. Baker will be evaluated and recorded by the pulse oximeter. A stethoscope is an acoustic device used in hospitals for listening to sounds produced from within a human body or animal (Niles, 2010). In this regard, the instrument is indispensable in listening to sounds produced by lungs, heart, intestines together with blood flow in the veins and arteries. In this case scenario, the stethoscope will be used to determine the heartbeat rate, and the pulse rate of Mrs. Baker. The sphygmomanometer is vital in measuring the blood pressure by

Book Reporter of Swim the Fly Essay Example for Free

Book Reporter of Swim the Fly Essay Their plan failed because Matt almost got recognized by Kelly in the girl’s changing room. However, Kelly and her best friends Valerie started to pay attention to Matt because his brave move of volunteering in the 100-m butterfly (or his appearance in the girl’s changing room? ). Ms. Luntz (their swimming couch) put Matt, a poor guy who can’t even manage a single lap, in the butterfly medley relay without even asking Matt. Sean and Coop came up with an idea to pretend having a stomachache in order to avoid the embarrassment. Matt’s grandpa sent a kitten to Mrs. Hoogenboom in order to get her attention which turned out Mrs. Hoogenboom almost found out he is the one who tried to suffocate the cat. Relate: T-S connection: I also have friends like Sean and Coop in my life that can not only have fun with but also share sadness with. T-T connection: Matt volunteered for the 100-m butterfly stroke championships so Ms. Luntz figured he wouldn’t mind doing another butterfly medley relay. However, Matt couldn’t even do one stroke and weren’t capable of swimming the fly. T-W connection: I saw a movie called American Pie which described similar situation in this book, a few guys fall in love with the hottest girls in their school and manage to date them out. Reflect: There are always some friends in your life who always make fun of you yet you never get angry with them. It is normal in the western culture for an old man to impress a widow who has just lost her husband? It is kind of unacceptable for me. This part of the book is the rising action because they hadn’t achieved their goal yet. The narrator is 1st person which is Matt himself. How does Matt’s grandpa’s relationship with Mrs. Hoogenboom relate to the story? Why did the author even mention it? Always be prepared, so when the opportunity comes you will be the one grabs it. ( If Matt can do butterfly stoke well enough, he will be able to join not only the medley relay but also the championships in order to impress the girl he likes. )

Model Driven Development Vs Test Driven Development Computer Science Essay

Model Driven Development Vs Test Driven Development Computer Science Essay Model driven development is a top-down, traditional approach that has been around for a long time. Test Driven Development (TDD) is a bottom-up, new approach in the sense that it has picked up its value in the recent years. The focus of MDD as the name implies is on the models rather than on code that guides the development of software whereas focus of TDD is on the tests. There have been several changes to MDD since the beginning to deal with the changing environment and complexities raised by projects. TDD started as a part of extreme programming (XP) methodology and has gained popularity among many developers as a separate practice itself. Traditional, hard cored MDD developers are accustomed to developing software that seems more natural to them considering it to be an Engineering approach. TDD developers approach the problem in a totally different perspective concentrating on customer views of the system. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. For a high qual ity software product that meets the goals of the organization, it is important to understand and apply the most suitable methodology while making certain trade-offs if necessary. The best approach to follow depends on several factors including the type of organization, type of project, and experience the developers have. This paper is aimed at explaining Model driven and Test Driven development along with case study and observations. 1. Model Driven Development or MDD. Model can be precisely defined as â€Å"a description of a system from a particular perspective, omitting irrelevant detail so that the characteristics of interest are seen more clearly†. (Source: Patterns: Model-Driven Development Using IBM Rational Software Architect) Consider an example in which there is a pressing business need such as automation of certain processes and understanding the data collected in the business. In this situation a Business exists and there are people who are performing certain business activities in certain way. These are the people who are thinking of having a tool or a software product to help them increase their productivity and their functionality. These people who are called Domain Experts or Subject Matter experts or Business Experts know what they want. However, they currently do not have any software product that will help them to meet their needs. In this situation Domain Experts are the driving force. They do things in a certain way and expect the software product developed for them meet their needs should also do things in that manner. However, they do not know how a new software product will look like and how it will help them to meet their needs. People who develop this software product understand the needs , but they may miss the intricacies of the desired end product. Building a MODEL will help alleviate this situation. A MODEL can be a diagram, an animation or a presentation. If the Software that has to be developed is very small or involves 1 or 2 people, then the process need not be so much structured, even though it helps. However, while developing a large product which will involve tens or hundreds of people having different expertise, model will help them to accomplish this easily. A new product development building a Model is absolutely necessary. This is analogous to a civil Engineer creating a model of Building before it is actually built. Model Driven Development (MDD) is a methodology that focuses on designing models at an abstract level without considering the implementation details that guide the development process, focusing on one part of the system to manage complexity. Models help to analyze the problem and visualize the process. Most commonly used language for this purpose is Unified Modeling Language (UML). It establishes certain vocabulary and structure so as to understand and communicate between various developers. Artifacts are produced from the models, so the models are machine-readable, which is an important aspect of MDD. MDD is also called as â€Å"Model Driven Engineering†. An implementation of MDD is given by Object Management Group (OMG)s Model Driven Architecture (MDA). Focus of MDA is on forward engineering, i.e. creating code from modeling diagrams. Apart from MDA, there are also other views of MDD such as Domain Oriented Programming, Agile Model Driven Development, etc. MDA uses platform-independent model (PIM) to describe the system functionality as the first step. Platform Independent Model (PIM) is a generic way of representing the end view of the product without considering any technology or platforms going to be used. This model just transforms the Business requirements into a Model. This format does not contain any particular software code but shows the end state of the product in one of the Model development modes such as Diagrams, Flow Charts, and Animations etc. Based on the PIM and considering some economic conditions or availability, a proper platform is selected to develop the software. A model is then converted from PIM to platform specific model or PSM. . This contains software code at a higher level. Platform is a loose word in this context. This can be referred to type of hardware, software, operating system, programming language or combination of any of these put together. That is why choosing a platform is related to economic viability also. PSM can be thought of Developers model where as PIM can be thought of Domain Experts or End users model. UML representation using IBMs Rational Rose can be considered as PIM. Whereas, tools like IBM WebSphere Studio and Borland Together/J are used for developing PSM. In these, we have CODE VIEW and MODEL VIEW. These two views are synchronized together. When code is changed in Code View, it is reflected in the Model View and vice versa. The models may contain fixed and variable data, business requirements, presentation elements (forms, reports). If one of these elements changes, they can be incorporated into the model to see the changes that occur due to interdependencies. Based on the affects, all the other depending code can be changed accordingly to accommodate these changes. Models also describe what is called the Gap Analysis. Models are first built with an Ideal situation, but in reality the business processes and other aspects may be different. Therefore, the models will show the difference between the Real Life situation and the End State Ideal situations. This will help the Business units to define the changes in Business Practices or the Developers to meet the Business needs and bridge the gap. A well defined Structured System Analysis and Design (SSAD) is required to develop software based on Models. In this process, the design (Model) is taken as the basis to start with the development and as the development process is advanced, it is analyzed with the design and tested against the Model and re-visited to meet the requirements. Hence, software development using MDD approach requires Domain (Business) experts, software developers, Team leaders and Integration experts. Someone should also be able to play a Liaison role to understand both sides of the table Business side and Software side. This person will help each of the expert groups to understand the needs of other groups and will bridge the gap. Number of iterations in the project development process will be reduced drastically if this Liaison person has good knowledge and is an expert on both sides. MDD is used with many development processes such as waterfall model, iterative model, spiral model, etc. In MDD approach, a model plays an important role and forms the basis or driving mechanism to develop a software product. Test Driven Development: Test Driven Development (TDD) started its roots in Extreme Programming (XP) approach. Later on, it became a popular method by itself. TDD was originally called â€Å"Test First Programming†. TDD can best be described in three words as â€Å"Red-Green-Refactor† (source: Kent Beck). Simple essence of TDD is to write tests before the code is written. First, unit tests are written from the requirements. These tests will definitely fail because the code for it has not been written. In order to write the tests, it is necessary for the developer to understand the requirements well. Then, code that implements the test cases is written. The code that is written should be just enough so that the tests pass, no more, no less. This means that no prediction about the future story must be made. Test driven approach is â€Å"then there† approach. This means that code is written at that time from the user story requirements without making any assumptions or predictions about fu ture. After writing the code, the tests are run and seen if they succeed. If they do, then programmer can be assured that the requirements were met. After this, a process called refactoring is done. This refers to improving the quality of code and removing any duplication in the code. If the design is changed for the better, the developer can be sure he is not breaking any functionality by running the tests again. This process is repeated for the test cases that follow. This process is shown as a flowchart below: Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test-driven_development There are different issues to consider in this process. Test cases are written taking small steps at a time, such as implementation of one method. It is important to know the size of the test case and when the test case exceeds its limit of functionality to test. A test case contains the following: condition that specifies the systems state, an event that is to be tested, and finally systems state after the event has occurred. Almost every language has associated tools for writing these tests. In general, they are XUnit tests available for each language. For example, java has JUnit, C++ has cppUnit, .Net has NUnit, etc. The amount of designing that has to be done in TDD depends on developer. In Extreme Programming, no designing is done, directly jumping to test cases. However, some developers prefer to spend some time on design. Too much time should not be spent on the designs and deciding on that right amount of time to spend on it comes with experience. As suggested by Dave Chaplin, it takes almost a year for a good developer to learn most of the techniques in TDD. He divides the learning process in three stages. First stage would take three months to master writing the tests correctly. TDD is a totally different approach to take in developing software and most developers believe that hardest part about it is getting used to it and thinking in that direction. It takes another six months to learn about Mock objects. Last would be to be able to draw UML diagrams in a TDD perspective. This takes about three months. Those that become familiar with TDD find many advantages in it. These advantages are explained later in the paper. Pair programming is considered one of the best ways to develop a program using TDD. This is because another person can make sure you are going in right path. It is hard to make developers believe that this approach works. Also, management believes that it is a waste of money to make two people work on one feature while they can work on different features. Through test driven development, the focus is on customers requirements. TDD is now part of many other methodologies, such as Scrum, Agile Unified Process (AUP), and Rational Unified Process (AUP). TDD gives confidence to the developer and produces enthusiasm as they can see parts of the program coming together when they run the tests and see them pass. Case Study: Results of TDD and MDD are seen more effective by example. Therefore, I consider a case in which a Software Engineering class was given a choice of either doing MDD or TDD project. The projects were done for the same problem using different approaches. It was a calendar program that consisted of certain functionalities to fulfill. For TDD people, six user stories were given one after another without knowing what the next user story is. MDD people were given a problem definition and they were to submit GUI, design, code, tests at regular intervals. The functionalities that had to be implemented included finding the following: next date, previous date, zodiac sign, day of the week, next Friday the 13th, number of shopping days left until Christmas. These were each given as a user stories to TDD people. From the results of these, the following statistics were made: Model Driven Development approach results Criteria MDD User 1 User 2 User 3 User 4 User 5 User 6 Time To Code (hrs) 8 52 89 8.67 11 17 Time to Test (hrs) 2 15 13 3 3.3 2 NCSS (non comment source statements) 275 600 692 499 280 Number of Test Cases 109 142 51 Technology Used VBA Java Java (using Eclipse) C#.NET VS2008 C# VS Express C# Decision Complexity 79 59 Referential Complexity 26 52 Cyclomatic Complexity 105 111 83 GUI yes yes yes yes yes yes Test Driven Development approach results Criteria TDD User 7 User 8 User 9 User 10 User 11 User 12 User 13 User 14 User 15 User 16 User 17 User 18 Time to code 16.5 22 17 33 28 13.5 33 19.5 33 15 28 12.75 NCSS(non comment source Statements) 349 397 276 654 240 233 1095 279 196 298 328 277 Test cases 150 84 124 70 107 247 112 88 262 56 889 128 Technology C#.NET VS2008 Java Java Java VB.Net Express C VB .Net VBA Java Java VB.NET Java Decisional Complexity 106 66 76 76 97 115 62 57 77 145 81 Referential Complexity 12 43 40 24 24 34 19 102 9 160 29 Cyclomatic Complexity 118 109 117 100 65 121 149 81 159 86 115 110 GUI no no no no yes no no no no no No no Number of Times Refactored none 1 2 none 5 none 5 4 6 1 1 3 Observations: Even though there were almost twice as many people who did TDD as MDD, certain trends can be seen from the statistics. Since majority of the projects were developed using object oriented technology such as Java and C#, most of the observations are made based on these languages only. First and major difference that can be seen is creation of GUI. Only 1 out of 12 TDD people developed GUI while all of the six people who did through MDD developed it. One of the reasons for this is that in MDD, designing of GUI was first part of the task. In TDD, although there are tools that test a user interface, it is hard to obtain them and so user has to manually test them. Since it wasnt part of the requirement also, many had chosen to omit it. I noticed that neatest and well designed code came from most of MDD people. Even though there is refactoring in TDD, many had chosen not to do it. This can be seen by the statistics that 6 out of 12 people have either not done refactoring at all or did it only once. As research suggests, TDD is supposed to lead to high quality code. However, most of TDD projects code was of less quality. This comes to the point that in order to successfully carry out TDD, experience is needed. The lack of experience that most people had in doing a TDD might have been a factor for such quality. Many of TDD people had no experience in TDD methodology including me. As suggested by Dave Chaplin, in order to carry out TDD effectively, minimum one year of learning the techniques involved in the approach is needed for a good developer. Even though the quality and design is neater in MDD, number of lines of code was much less in TDD than MDD projects. In object oriented languages such as Java and C#, MDD projects had lines of code as 518 on an average while TDD projects had 350. This is partly due to refactoring eliminating unnecessary conditions and mostly due to the reason that since code was developed based on test cases, just about enough code that was necessary was written. Since the whole point of TDD is to start out with test cases, TDD projects have more test cases compared to MDD projects. For object oriented languages, TDD tests were 124 on average while MDD was 100. Although theory says that TDD results in highly cohesive and loosely coupled, but in practice, it is seldom like that. This point can be seen in this study. Most of the MDD projects were more cohesive and loosely coupled resulting in more reusable code compared to TDD. In TDD projects, it was seen that most of them had 2 or 3 classes at a maximum reducing cohesive nature and reusability. I observed that this is due to unpredictability of future user stories. MDD people can carefully plan the code such that it results in certain functions that can be used by other functions. In object oriented languages, correct amount of responsibilities and collaboration among objects in my opinion can be done more effectively if more designing is done. This is because it is much easier to see visually through the models. The reusability of the code in TDD also depends on the order of the user stories given. Most people reused day of the week code in shopping days till Christmas user story or Friday the 13th user story. Suppose that the user stories are given in a different order, then different approaches might be taken that might not result in the efficient piece of code. Refactoring tells you to remove duplications and keep the code clean, but the logic of the code will not change. In our case, if suppose number of shopping days left before Christmas was given before day of the week user story, then different approach might have been taken and the reusability of the day of the week code wouldnt have existed. It is easier to see collaborations and responsibilities of objects when the whole picture of the problem is present. Even the small amount of reusability that existed in TDD was due to the logical order in which the user stories were given. The time spent on the whole project for TDD is much less than MDD. Considering object oriented languages, TDD average time spent was 21 hours while MDD was 42 hours (almost double!!). TDD is proven to be faster and easier technique than MDD. In TDD, concentration is on current user story and it is faster to write test cases and code directly from user requirements. The time spent on test cases is paid off since no debugging has to be done at the end. Time and effort can be distributed and planned in advance in MDD. However, in TDD, since the amount of time and effort for the next user stories is hard to predict, it is difficult to plan. Some user stories take less amount of time while others consume lot of time. This can be seen in the case study. Most people said that finding zodiac sign took very less time and effort compared to finding the number of shopping days till Christmas . Pros and Cons of Using MDD approach From research and experience, these are some of the observations that were made on the MDD approach in general. A model in projects has following advantages It helps to break down the project into smaller code development pieces or modules which can be assigned to different teams. It helps each team to understand their role and how their part of the development is integrated into the whole product development The project managers and team leaders will understand on how to integrate all the modules and do testing. The end user will be able to visualize the integrated end product. If enough of time is spent in building a model properly, even though it takes time and effort, it will greatly reduce the time to build the product. A properly built model will also help in reducing the iterations of testing process, thus creating the integrations much quicker. There is also an economic advantage of building the models. A model will help to present a product to the investors easily and attract investments to fund the projects. Some disadvantages of using MDD approach The disadvantages of using MDD approach are not related to the approach itself, but rather it is related to the application of this approach. If MDD is not used properly, there will be extended delays in the product developments. Some of these possible setbacks are Building a Model will take lot of time and resources. MDD is not always â€Å"fit for all approach†. The project and product has to be analyzed before this approach is taken. Some people visualize a Model as an abstraction layer hiding all the complications of the product development process. Too much of abstraction may be good to certain audience in the project, but it over all defeats the purpose of building a model in the first place. So, care should be taken as not to ABSTRACT too much. If proper resources, such as, proper Domain experts are not involved while building a model, then the model as well as end product will be disastrous failure. MDD should not always be thought of the end point. Always underlying approach for each module should be associated with proper testing. Failure to consider the real life situations also causes the MDD unusable. The key to the whole process of Product development using MDD approach is having a proper liaison between Business group and IT group. Pros and Cons of Using TDD approach Some of the advantages of using TDD are: Since test cases are developed first, developer understands the requirements thoroughly in order to write them. The focus is on the functionality perspective of the client. TDD involves taking small steps at a time and focusing on one task at a time. Even though it consumes lot of time to write many unit test cases covering all possibilities, this makes it an advantage as it avoids debugging at later stages in the project. Finding bugs as early as possible is always beneficiary in terms of time and cost. Fixing bugs at a later stage is difficult because it is hard to determine what caused the bug. Since just enough code to pass the test is written, TDD will result in thorough testing covering all possible paths. If tests are written well, then it will produce stable code. Code is developed faster and there is working piece of code at every level, which inspires confidence and encourages the developer. Developer is aware of the progress made and can set goals to achieve a particular goal. TDD results in good design because of many factors. With experience, TDD can be a very effective method as it lets the developer think in small units of code leading to modularity and good design. This is also the result of looking at the problem from customers perspective to understand how it will be implemented. Refactoring also leads to producing good designs. Mocking and faking is beneficial in the sense that it will define the boundaries of the classes. This is because through mocking, you will find out what your classes should and should not know about the other class. This is the basic essence of encapsulation in any object oriented language. The test cases provide support for faster regression testing. On next iteration or anytime in future, when you add more tests, you can run all the tests to make sure that it works and if it doesnt, it is easy to see what part of the code broke. Some disadvantages with TDD approach are: TDD requires commitment and supporting management. Developers should be committed and write proper tests. If the tests are deleted or changed accidentally or purposefully, it will give false impression that the code is bugs-free. Support from management is important and they have to believe that this methodology works. If either of them does not exist, then TDD approach fails. Functional tests need to be done for programs that use a database or for creating user interfaces. For such things, using TDD approach is difficult. Tests and code are written by the same person most of the time and if the developer overlooks certain things, then it will affect the code as well and may not result in what is supposed to happen. If he interprets the requirements wrong, then the tests he writes and the code that implements them will turn out to be wrong and will lead to code that will not be as efficient as it should be. Another example would be if the developer doesnt check for certain specific inputs, then the code that needs to implement that will never be implemented. Having large number of working unit tests may build up over confidence that will lead to less concentrations on additional activities such as quality assurance evaluations. Unit tests only tell if the piece of code you wrote works. Other tests such as domain testing, integration testing, etc have to be done. Amount of coverage and details of testing that is done in TDD development cannot be reproduced at a later stage. So, these tests become an important aspect and it is necessary that they are well-written. There is no way to predict the type of user stories and it is not possible to gain a complete understanding of the system from the user stories. This leads to extensive code rewriting and refactoring. WHEN to use WHAT? This leads to the question of when is it appropriate to use TDD and when is it appropriate to use MDD. Software development is a process of developing a product to meet a certain business need. In a well defined environment and in large houses Software Development is done using the techniques described in Software Engineering and experience gained over the years. Many factors have to be taken into consideration when deciding on the methodology to use. These include things such as type of organization, management, type of project, experience of the developers, and availability of effective tools. Type of Project: Software development is done under two major circumstances 1. To develop altogether a new product a. A product that never existed before, but there is a need in the minds of people. A great example of this in recent years is ‘Youtube. There was no such product before, however, people had thought about having some kind of sharing videos. So, there is direc