Sexual Deviances Essays - Psychiatric Diagnosis, Human Sexuality

Sexual Deviances Sexual disorders are categorized into three general groups. The groups are sexual dysfunctions, sexual deviations, and homosexuality. These are not necessary abnormal, but what is considered out of the norm by either the mental health establishment, or society, or both. The first group, sexual dysfunctions, have increased significantly over the last decade. Which, in turn, has increased the progress in the study and treatment of sexual dysfunctions. One important aspect that came out of William masters and Virginia Johnson's research is classifying the various forms of dysfunctions. Closely related is Kaplan's system which groups sexual dysfunctions according to the phase in the sexual response cycle in which they occur. There are three phases in the sexual response cycle. The first one, called the desire phase, involves sexual fantasies and interest in sexual activity. Failure to feel this in either a man or woman is called hypoactive sexual desire. The second phase is called the excitement phase. In this phase, the sexual fantasy, or encounter is usually followed by physiological changes. The absence or weakness of these responses is called erectile dysfunction (or impotence) in men, and general sexual dysfunction in women. The third phase is called the orgasm phase. This is the phase of sexual response. If the man is unable to exert control, and ejaculates very quickly, this is called premature ejaculation. If, on the other hand, ejaculation is greatly delayed, or does not happen at all, this is called retarded ejaculation. A delay or absence of orgasm in women is called orgastic dysfunction. There are two more types of sexual dysfunction that do not fit completely with this typology. The first is a female disorder called vaginisimus. This occurs when, during coitus, the walls of the vagina contract involuntarily, making insertion of the penis difficult or impossible. The second disorder is dyspareunia, or pain during intercourse. This occurs in both sexes, but is usually a female complaint. To make these types even more specific, Kaplan subdivides these disorders into two dimensions. They are primary and secondary. Primary dysfunction has been with the individual as far back as their earliest sexual experiences. In a secondary dysfunction the response has been normal on at least one occasion, but is abnormal at the time of diagnosis. Sexual inadequacy is a common fear among men and women alike. Many psychologists state that this fear is almost always present in cases of individuals growing up of strict religious orthodoxy households, and that were taught that sex is sinful and repulsive. ?One woman seen by Masters and Johnson was told by her mother on her wedding day: It would be her duty as a wife to allow her husband ?privileges?. The privileges were never spelled out. She also was assured that she would be hurt by her husband, but that ?it? would go away in time. Finally and most important, she was told that ?good women? never expressed interest in the ?thing?. Her reward for serving her husband would be, hopefully, in having children.?(Acocella 266) Sexual deviations, which are now spoken of casually, were talked about in whispers no more than twenty-five years ago. There are ten different areas of sexual deviations. These ten are: fetishism, transvestitism, exhibitionism, voyeurism, pedophilia, incest, rape, sadism, and masochism. Fetishism is the strong sexual attraction to inanimate objects. The most common objects of fetishism are women's shoes, underpants, wigs, and fur. One case was cited about a man being sexual gratified by the sight of well-formed automobile exhaust pipes. Virtually all of the reported cases of fetishism involve males. This does not necessarily mean that there are not any cases involving females, but, it just means that females are much less likely to be arrested, or even reported, than males. A woman with obvious sexual quirks or abnormalities may attract attention or scorn, but most people do not consider her dangerous. Males, on the other hand, with this behavior, tend to be viewed as a public menace. Transvestites are similar to fetishists in that they are sexually excited by inanimate objects. But, transvestites go one step further, and actually put on their fetishes, which are the clothes of the opposite sex. Because of the association with female clothing, transvestitism is easily confused with homosexuality, but they are two quite separate patterns. Some homosexuals do cross-dress, but these individuals are referred to as ?drag queens'. ?..according to one study of 262 transvestites (Buckner, 1970), the cast majority of transvestites think of themselves as heterosexuals.?(Acocella 273) Transvestitism is thought to be relatively rare, but as with female sexual aberrations, the reported rarity may be due to lack of public exposure of public alarm. Many transvestites lead quiet, conventional lives, cross-dressing in

Essay Sample on Philosophy of Supervision

Essay Sample on Philosophy of Supervision Introduction Supervision is an integral part of a job, and its presence is more than wanted for employees to complete work successfully. As such, it is crucial for a company, an institution or an establishment to setup a supervisory body not only to ensure that work is completed but also accomplish other necessary roles. Thus, supervisors need to have an implementable plan to use while at work. This allows them to plan their way around their job, and succeed in overseeing everything that matters. Moreover, supervisors work to provide the expected results to the stakeholders or management body they are working for in a clinic, for example. How and When to Implement Multiple Roles in Supervision In a clinic, the management or stakeholders employ supervisors who are in charge of other subordinate staff members. In this job position, it is expected that the supervisor checks whether the other workers are accomplishing their work as per the management’s expectations. Thus, the supervisor checks on various factors related to the work being done in the establishment. For instance, the supervisor is responsible for checking the time other staff members report for work. This ensures that all members of the workforce deliver their services within the expected period. Hence, for one to gain that position as a supervisor they have to possess various commendable qualities, for example, being diligent workers who are always on time to deliver their services as expected. When other staff members are reporting, the supervisors have to reach the place of work before everybody. This gives provides them with the opportunity to note the time when other members reported (Sarnat, 2012). Supervisors have the overall duty to check the quality of other members’ jobs. Hence, the supervisors must have the appropriate knowledge and skills to determine whether a subordinate’s work is up to standard or not. If a subordinate’s work is substandard, for example, the supervisor needs to know exactly what to adjust or ask the staff member to change. As mentioned earlier, it is essential that supervisors possess various characteristics, in this case, vast knowledge about the field they are overseeing. Such are examples of cases that prompt supervisors to exhibit multiple roles in their work. This is yet another unique feature that supervisors need to have to perform their work as expected. Moments at work change according to current conditions that may need the supervisor to implement different skills. Supervisors, for instance, need to exhibit authority in situations where confusion is thriving among the subordinates. In such times, the supervisors need to take charge of the situation and guide their subordinates accordingly. Some members of the staff may be overwhelmed by work, and a customer is dissatisfied with the services. In such a situation, a supervisor can swoop in to take care of the matter. Therefore, a supervisor needs to display flexibility at work by implementing multiple roles in their work at any time. Management also expects the same from the supervisors (Watkins, 2012). How to Build a Supervisory Alliance Supervisors need to deliver their work successfully as per the expectations of the superiors. One of the significant factors that impact the quality of the supervisors’ work is their environment. They need to work in a proper environment for them to complete and execute their plans successfully. Other members of the staff are a part of the supervisor’s environment, and it is necessary for one to know the most preferred way to deal with them. It is at this point that supervisory alliances are deemed necessary in maintaining an appropriate working environment. Supervisory alliances are forms of groupings that supervisors coin with their supervisees. The supervisees are placed in the care of their supervisors for various reasons. For example, it is important to have a leader who is ready to take control of things, in this case, the supervisor. Indeed, the supervisor has authority over other members of staff, but alliances are a preferable way for both parties to work toget her. Alliances between supervisors and supervisees work best when there are mutual agreements between the two parties. These agreements can be reached when forming the alliances. The most probable way of coming up with the alliances is the supervisor or management floating the idea to the members of staff. This is followed by collecting data and information in regards to the members’ response. When most of the members agree to create an alliance with their supervisors, the concerned parties sit for meetings. It is during such meetings that all members, including supervisors, come up with the required regulations purported to guide the way things are to be executed (Watkins, 2012). In addition, it is at this point that the two parties come to terms with the reasons behind the formation of the alliance. Taking these steps at the commencement of the alliance binds both the supervisors and supervisees to follow the rules. In case any party breaks the rules they are eligible for punishm ent without objection since they are all aware of the regulations. For example, if a subordinate staff member delivers substandard work, the supervisor has the mandate to request for an explanation from the supervisee. As such, the subordinate member is obliged to provide reasons for submitting substandard work. How to Assess and Enhance Supervisee Development Supervisors have different roles in their jobs, and guiding their supervisees is among their primary jobs. Acting as guides to their supervisees is an elaborate way of helping a clinic gain diligent workers and eventually help the establishment gain success. In addition, supervisors help supervisees know where they have made mistakes in their work. This is necessary as not all employees would work as per the company’s expectations. It is crucial for supervisors to assess their subordinates’ work, which they can do using different means. One of the common means is making direct and physical supervision of the work as it is being done. Consequently, they view the workers’ job in person. Ultimately, they can request them to make amendments or repeat the work. This is to ensure that work is completed within the company’s standards (Scott, Ingram, Vitanza, Smith, 2000). In other areas, the work done may be too large for the supervisor to make a physical visit to check whether the work done is standard or not. Such a case calls for efficient measures to keep track of the employees’ works. The supervisor may choose to scrutinize an employee’s products, but only a few samples. This way, the supervisor attains a general picture of the rest of the products. In other situations, a supervisor requests reports from the workers in concern to the work already done. Consequently, supervisors are furnished with the full details of the completed work (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 2012). In all these cases, not all the employees present commendable jobs. Such jobs need corrections and the supervisees require development. The most appropriate way to make these changes is exposing the employees to the preferred training session. Training provides employees with the necessary skills required by the clinic. Employees are taken in for a job position because they have the required skills, but these may fall short of what the employers expect. Instead of firing such employees, the employers find it preferable to take the subordinates through training. In turn, the employees hone their skills appropriately and in accordance to the employers’ expectations. Caring for employees is a sure way that employers can advance supervisee development. This is because the employees feel cared for and important to the establishment. Additionally, with such a mentality, it is clear that employees will work diligently and for the benefit of the whole institution (Milne, Aylott, Fitzp atrick Ellis, 2008). How to Monitor Ethical and Legal Compliance Clinics and other establishments often have Codes of Ethics to act as guidelines that determine how all employees function while at work. Ethical and legal compliances at work are two important factors that employees need to observe and practice. It is for the interest of the clinic and the clients that compliance of ethics must be observed. Therefore, the management has the ultimate duty of enforcing these practices and finding ways to ensure that all employees follow them. It is not easy to follow laws, but the consequences are too serious to ignore. Hence, employees at time abide by the rules to avoid facing the negative impacts. As much this may be true to many employees, it is in the interest of several employers to make the workplace as comfortable as it can be for various purposes. One of the key purposes of making a workplace comfortable is for employees to have a proper working environment. In turn, they are able to deliver their services as per their employers’ expec tations (Scott, Ingram, Vitanza, Smith, 2000). Employers have so far formulated means of helping employees work within the ethical standards provided. Use of supervisors to communicate to other employees about the ethical and legal compliances at the place of work forms a key implementation management uses to reach out to its staff members. Supervisors have authoritative capacities they can use to implement ethical standards in an establishment. The initial step the supervisors need to do is familiarize with the set ethics. With that done, the supervisors have ample knowledge to recognize when an employee has gone astray. Moreover, the supervisor will know the most appropriate means of correcting the mishap that happened. Supervisors have several ways they can use to monitor whether employees are following the ethics at work. One of the means the supervisors can use is to be physically present among the employees and make observations. In turn, the supervisors check whether the employees are acting and working as per the expectations of the employers. If they are not following the guidelines and ethics of the establishment, the supervisor has the mandate to act on the spot or later. The vital thing is to amend the situation using the correct means, for example, via word of mouth or in writing. In cases where the ethical violation is too challenging to handle, the supervisor may forward the matter to the management (Milne, Aylott, Fitzpatrick Ellis, 2008). How to Provide Effective Feedback in Supervision Feedback at work is an essential part of helping everyone work with a common goal. Supervisors expect supervisees to provide appropriate feedback to them. Concurrently, the management expects appropriate feedback from the supervisors concerning the job. In addition, feedback can be given from the management to the supervisor. The same can happen from the supervisors to their supervisees. The information provided by each party is crucial for the benefit of the institution and everyone working in it. Hence, there is a proper need for the information to be relayed effectively among the involved parties. This not only guarantees the information is relayed fast but also to the appropriate party. One of the key ways to provide effective feedback in supervision is to use a means that all the concerned members comprehend. In addition, accessibility to the means is essential because it gives the concerned parties a clear mode of acquiring the feedback. In turn, everyone is supplied with information related to the feedback and acts appropriately. The effectiveness of feedback is measured through various ways. Firstly, feedback is categorized effective if it reaches all the concerned parties. Additionally, the feedback should reach all the intended parties within the stipulated time (Milne, Aylott, Fitzpatrick Ellis, 2008). Effective feedback is also measured by the reaction of the parties who receive it. For example, if the recipient parties act according to the feedback given by the supervisor, the information relayed can be categorized as understandable. Apart from relevance, it is always necessary for the supervisor or supervisee to give feedback on time. This saves crucial time and avoids cases where the feedback loses meaning because the time to use it has elapsed. It is also vital to provide unbiased feedback at the place of work. This way, employees do not feel that the feedback given is unjust. They are able to work efficiently because the feedback targeted everyone. However, cases arise where feedback has to be directed to specific people at the workplace. It is essential for employees to recognize that such feedback is aimed at helping them become more effective at work and not a way of being biased to them. How to Balance Clinical (Client Welfare) Needs and Training (Trainee Development) Needs A supervisor in a clinical setting has the ultimate goal of maintaining the client’s welfare and trainee development. A clinic has a vital job of safeguarding its goals, which include promoting the clients’ welfare and maintaining high standards of services. Apart from that, the clinic has a crucial goal of providing the required support to see to it that the trainees work their way to become certified physicians. Thus, supervisors are a fundamental part of this journey as they keep the trainees on track. Supervisors have a duty to execute multiple roles while at the clinic, a situation best seen when they take care of trainees and the clinic simultaneously (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 2012). When clients visit the clinic, they hope to get the best services from the employees at the establishment. The supervisor expects the same from the workers. Thus, much effort is directed to ensure that the workers attend to all customers accordingly. In such situations, a trainee may be shown how to handle customers by the supervisor. However, it is essential that the supervisor and supervisee work without interfering with the client. It is challenging for a supervisor to keep track of the trainees’ progress while at the same time take care of the clients. A supervisor has to strike a clear balance between the two factors, which is best achieved by having a clear plan of handling things. This plan may involve the supervisor making observations of how the workers conduct their work. Atop that, it is necessary for the supervisor to note the strengths and weaknesses of the supervisees. Once the supervisors have ample information concerning their workers, they can sermon them at an appropriate time. The supervisors have to be meticulous not to interfere with the clients. Thus, the timing to make amendments or commend the workers needs to be perfect lest they interfere with the client’s schedule. This way, the client’s comfort and expectations are met, and the trainees’ development is maintained. As such, balance is struck between the two important factors that are vital to the functionality of the clinic. How to Demonstrate Competence in Responding To Diversity in its Many Forms in Supervision Supervisors are bound to experience diversified situations in their work because of the different supervisees they oversee. Supervisees have varying backgrounds, separate lines of thoughts, act differently at work, and respond diversely to a situation. Hence, supervisors have the ultimate duty to identify each supervisee’s characters that direct their conduct at the place of work. Comprehending these personal characters helps supervisors plan out a way that suits everyone at the clinic. Indeed, the supervisor has to be stringent in his work, but for the sake of promoting effectiveness, it is essential to leave room for understanding if a worker behaves in an unexpected manner. Supervisors demonstrate competence in responding to diversity by listening to explanations given by workers once they act in an unexpected way. Such are cases when a worker is questioned by the supervisor in concern to an inappropriate behavior or action displayed at work. The supervisor has the mandate to attain as much information as possible about an occurrence that has unfolded at work. Supervisors need to be just and offer chances to supervisees to explain their unwarranted behavior. Indeed, a clinic’s code of ethics, for example, expects supervisees to work in line with the rules. However, due to diversity, they end up functioning according to their understanding, which in this case is wrong. At this point, the supervisors need to take appropriate actions that respond to such behavior from their supervisees. Firstly, the supervisors need to identify the problem and seek a solution. Correcting the supervisees needs to be the next agenda in the plan to resolve the problems. Although the problem may be too big to handle, the supervisor needs to deal with it before handing the matter to the management. All these actions are taken as precautions to accommodate diversity and the adverse effects it has at the place of work. In addition, these actions are meant to formulate an appropriate way of resolving the issues at hand. What is needed in the Current State of Supervision Knowledge Supervisors and supervisees have vital responsibilities at the clinic with regards to customer satisfaction and deliverance of quality services. One of the leading responsibilities that both parties have is displaying adequate knowledge in relation to their clients. The ultimate goal of the two parties is to deliver quality services and meet clinic’s expectations. Hence, it is appropriate to have ample comprehension on the services their clients require and the most preferable way to deliver them. Clinic stakeholders expect supervisors to know the supervisees’ duties. In turn, the supervisors identify whether the work is done to the expected standards or not. Additionally, being familiar with the supervisees’ work makes it is easy for the supervisors to make proper corrections where the work results are substandard. In a clinic, there are several laws that all workers need to adhere to while working. Thus, all employees, supervisors and supervisees, have to be aware of as they carry out their duties. Laws and policies act as proper guidelines that each worker is expected to follow. Therefore, familiarizing with each law and policy avoids situations where employees break them without their knowledge. A supervisor is also at an advantage if they are familiar with the set laws and policies at the clinic. Firstly, they are able to identify a situation where a supervisee breaks the law. Additionally, the supervisors have the knowledge to correct the situation as per the clinic’s laws and policies (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 2012). Proper communication is a vital factor to uphold while working at the clinic. Supervisors and supervisees have vital information to relay to each other while at work. Thus, there is a dire need for both parties to communicate professionally and in accordance to the clinic’s expectations. This is yet another necessary factor that all parties in a clinic must have knowledge about to ensure that all things run smoothly. In addition, this creates functional relationships among all the workers in the clinic and patients. Clients are crucial in a clinic, and they need to be addressed accordingly, which is best achieved by proper communication. Conclusion Indeed, supervision is a necessity in a clinical setting for various vital reasons. Supervisees need an elaborate guide who is always present to ensure that the work delivered is up to the expectations of the clinic. This provides both clinic satisfaction and customers’ contentment. All parties in a clinic are essential and are expected to function in a way that gets the job done and in the expected standard. Supervisors, for instance, have the obligation to implement multiple roles to keep everything functional at the clinic. Moreover, they form alliances with supervisees to encourage cooperation between the two parties. When the supervisors and supervisees work together, the work is done as per the expected standards. It is extensively crucial for supervisors to observe the ethical and legal measures in the clinic. Also, it is essential for the supervisors to ensure that the supervisees work within the same ethical and legal measures. As such, discipline is maintained at the clinic and extended to the clients. Proper communication is vital to maintain in the clinic as it fuels effective feedback. Consequently, both supervisors and supervisees are aware of the occurrences unfolding at the clinic. Client welfare and trainee development are two crucial factors that supervisors find ways to maintain at the clinic. They are both necessary for the development and maintenance of proper services at the establishment. Visit CustomWritings.com paper writing service to order a custom essay, research paper or term paper on any topic. We work with the best academic writers.

Strategies and Resources for Success Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategies and Resources for Success - Coursework Example ges that an online learners may anticipate may be like: how to build on the existing base of knowledge and how to evaluate the multifaceted online resources. In addition it might be very difficult for them to find an appropriate comparison groups that can help them in solving data collection problems and even in the interpretation of the program maturity impacts. This paper seeks to evaluate the challenges that the online learners may anticipate when undertaking their online studies and to give strategies that they can use to ensure that they succeed in their learning experience. One of the challenges that the online learners are experiencing is lack of the self-discipline that is needed to devote enough time to class in courses that may not have regular time schedule to meet the synchronous online (Ottenbacher & Harrington, 2010). Setting and following the specific study hours is one of the factors that can work for online learners. For example evening hour can be designated for reading the lessons and the weekend can be used for doing the writing assignment. It is very important to note that designating specific hours to read, completing the assignments and even post dialogues to other learners may be very helpful. Professional online learning requires resources like the technology, materials and even time. All these resources are dependent on the availability of funds. How these resources will be prioritized so that they can be in line with the professional needs may greatly affect the quality, access and effectiveness of the experience of the educators. When the learners are committed to ensure equity in the allocation of these resources and they have thoughtful consideration of their priorities, the intended outcome for both the learners and the educators can be achieved. Interactions of most students commonly take place through online threaded discussions that gives the instructors and the students’ time to interact in a synchronous manners. This may

Management research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management research - Essay Example I found this dissertation talked a lot about concepts similar to the business practices of the institution that I own. After reading it I deducted some information I can apply in my trading. In fact Im planning to borrow or photograph the dissertation later to use it in the development of my organization. I am working on how to use the internet in an easy and simple matter within a limited area. In addition to that I read a lot of easy things that will help me greatly in developing my business in a short period time. In fact I cannot evaluate myself currently as either deductive or inductive, but as I said at the outset that I based my reasoning on the deductive dissertation I read. They talk about things that interest me and that had very relevant content. If the dissertation talked about other subjects that do not interest me then my mentality would be inductive. I always find myself interested more in deductive topics than inductive topics. That means my reasoning is deductive in the subjects that interest me and inductive in the subjects which I have no interest in. The second dissertation I read discussed retail trade in India. As I read this dissertation I also found myself applying more deductive than inductive reasoning as I tried hard to understand the subject where the retail trade increased highly in my home country of Saudi Arabia. I liked the conclusions of the main points on the topics and the knowledge of the differences in the retail trade between India and Saudi Arabia. I plan on reading these dissertations again to I can understand them more in order to apply its concepts in my business as well as to continue my deductive reasoning about

Philosophical Ethics - Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Philosophical Ethics - Utilitarianism - Essay Example There are drawbacks to seeing things from Mill’s perspective, first of all because Mill lived in a society which was much different and much less global than today’s society. Secondly, there are problems in equating society at the beginning of the industrial revolution, in terms of quality and safety of the workplace. So, many of the early uses of the philosophy have been supplanted by new uses, in which authors like Bentham expand definitions of utility, in two basically positivist representations of utilitarianism by these authors. Mill was famous with a philosophy called utilitarianism. â€Å"An apology is due to the philosophical opponents of utilitarianism, for even the momentary appearance of confounding them with any one capable of so absurd a misconception; which is the more extraordinary, inasmuch as the contrary accusation, of referring everything to pleasure† (Mill, 2010). The author doesn’t go into a lot of detail about this philosophy or the fact that it is rather out of date today, since it enjoyed its most prominence in the Victorian era. However people still do talk about utilitarianism today, and Mill uses a basically utilitarian argument of logic to state that no one should be more or less important than anyone else, in terms of sentient beings. Compared to Bentham, Mill is the earlier writer, and therefore he supplies more of a framework of utilitarianism. He sets out to define the theory as well as defend it, and the document is very insistent that this philosophy should not be conflated with simple hedonism. Rather, it is more of an early attempt at a social capital theory, with generalized terms that would represent the equation of happiness in society. What Mill and Bentham both see utilitarianism as is a moral theory, and this is correct, and therefore the author uses the moral theory to back up their own moral philosophy. â€Å"Jeremy Bentham incorporated the essential basis

Analysis Of British Petroleum And Its Competitive Environment Management Essay

Analysis Of British Petroleum And Its Competitive Environment Management Essay This report highlights three aspects of business development and market growth for British Petroleum considering the competitive environment of BP, the key business strategies of BP for five years and the resources and capabilities that are available to BP for the last five years. The competitive environment point towards new capabilities that BP has developed for years to maintain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage has been analyzed using Porters model and it is suggested that differentiation and focus could be a response to changing market conditions. The competitive environment is also affected by factors such as brand image and reputation as related to social responsibility and environmental awareness. BPs strategies have focused on IT outsourcing to energy efficiency, leadership building and stakeholder management, application of resources and technologies, safety as well as climate change concerns. BPs investments have led to sustained production and volume growth and this is expected beyond 2010. BPs capabilities and financial resources received a boost with the rise of oil prices and growing demands worldwide with BP main businesses being in petrochemicals, petroleum refining, and oil and gas exploration and production. 1. Competitive Environment of BP BP is a diversified energy products company engaged in oil and gas explorations and development or production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas. BP is responsible for refining, marketing, transportation, sale of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other petroleum products; and the production, marketing and sale of petrochemicals. The global oil and gas industry being high competitive show that with expanse and success of a company, capabilities are stronger and competitors could have problems understanding or imitating these. So developing new capabilities would be essential in maintaining competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is attained when capabilities are neither simple and highly imitable nor too complex that defies internal steering and control. Capabilities that grow through use are considered critical to success and BP and other similar companies will have to develop such capabilities (Kay, 1993). A resource based view suggests that sustainable competitive advantage could help in developing existing and new resources and capabilities in response to changing market conditions. Knowledge and knowledge management are related to value creating assets and helps in competitive advantage. As far as the competitive environment is concerned, there could be sufficient competition in the main markets of BP although world energy markets are unaffected by government policies and changes. The global economy and globalization could be some of the factors that have triggered competition in the world market and more so for the oil and gas industry (Bowman and Faulkner, 1997). The oil industry has been dominated by a few major international oil companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron along with companies of the gulf states. Seven major oil companies produced, transported and refined as well as marketed two thirds of the oil supply around the world for several years. State owned oil companies as in Saudi Arabia, Gulf and OPEDC countries are the largest suppliers of crude oil even today. Aramco has produced more than four times as much oil as ExxonMobil which is the largest private sector oil company and ExxonMobil produces twice as much oil and gas. Gazprom is anot her such company which is majority-controlled by the Russian government but also privatized and is responsible for more than 20% of world production and of exports of natural gas. The oil industry and companies in the OPEC states have diversified into refining, marketing and petrochemicals, but these may be of secondary importance when considered on a global basis although the contributions of such companies are important in certain regional markets. There are also problems of environmental awareness and corporate responsibility and BPs strategies have been framed by these considerations. Sarkis and Tamarkin (2005) addressed the ways of reducing greenhouse gases and organizations involved in reducing emissions and with emergent markets. Investment in equipment could help reduce emissions and could boost sales. However there could be a faster price rise and projects may not be economically feasible leading to the need for more stringent regulations. Real options analysis is considered an important tool for the energy industry and the energy industry is still completely influenced by greenhouse gas policies drawing attention to emissions and the role of controlling greenhouse gas emissions within the industry. 2. Key business strategies of BP over the past five years. Analysis using Porters generic strategies to discuss why this strategy was pursued or changed. Some of the key directions towards strategy included energy efficiency with BP operations such as considering the price of carbon in investment decisions and promoting low cost energy pathways through gas or power generation. The company also plans to make continued investments in alternative energy with bio fuels, wind and solar or carbon sequestration and investments in research and technology. Companies focus on safe and reliable operations with continued journey in personal safety and implements operating management system with compliance. The people efforts are on building capabilities and leadership behaviors and performances help in restoring revenues or reducing complexity and costs. Apart from the culture of leadership and restructuring, building skills and capability and diversity or reward for performance are important elements of company strategy. BP already identified new regions of access for its operations including Iraq, Indonesia, Jordan, and new acreage in Gulf of Mexico and Egypt. The reserves and resource replacement are at 12%-250% and production growth was at 4% (Hayward et al, 2010). The success story of the company has been projected as governance and shareholder alignment, safer operations and volume growth as well as steady financial performance. 2010 expected performance has been projected at $4 billion investment, production growth of 1-2%, focus on cost efficiency and development of projects with an average 1-2% volume growth until 2015 with increased potential and sustained growth to 2020. Resource bases and sources of growth beyond 2015 has been marked through expanding deepwater, leveraging expertise in gas and managing the giant oil fields of the world and enabling application of technology. The focus of the company has been on cost and capital efficiency and profit growth and diversifying the portfolio with a growing resource base. A momentum on costs and strategies and operations and an average 1-2% volume growth was expected until 2015 (Hayward et al, 2010). BP is also shown as having increased potential to sustain growth to 2020 and changes in the process could drive capital and cost efficiency. Fuel value chains through quality and integration could mean right markets and right locations for logistics and refineries and quality products and brands through marketing and channel management. BP has also highlighted supply optimization and trading and common processes at the back office. Among its infrastructural changes, BP has undergone major rebuilds of CDU to process heavy crude and for the manufacture of crude oil and also new world scale sulphur removal and gas oil hydro treating units. Refinery infrastructure upgrade shows location advantage. The market share possibilities discussed showed 40% capital employed in growth markets with leading technologies and strong customer relationships with margin share growth and premium brands. The company also gives importance to safety and efficiency, quality and integration and application of resources and technology and the emphasis provided is on safe and reliable operations. In the next 2-3 years over $2billion of pre tax performance opportunity was also identified. Costs were at 2004 levels with their refinery modification in 2012 (Hayward et al, 2010). The strategy of the company was given as a focus on the growth of profits as well as cost and capital efficiency through upstream production and downstream strategies are higher turnaround and cost efficiency. Alternative energy is seen as focused and disciplined with higher corporate efficiency and strategic growth. The focus on strategy is based on profit growth and use of alternative energy, as also a focus on corporate performance and efficiency and on cost and capital efficiency. BP was among the first multinational companies that joined in the merging consensus to address climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001). BP has focused on a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and along with solar energy, BPs other lines of business are seen as exploration, oil and chemicals. However as far as BPs position towards climate change is concerned, analysts have tried to examine Is BP reacting to inevitable environmental pressures, but conducting business as usual, or is BP seizing the moment and opportunity and using global climate change as a doorway to a new business model for the 21st century? This seems an important analysis as it marks whether BP is projecting a new business model through the climate change focus or simply responding to the global environmental pressures and challenges and whether the climate change focus within its strategy would be positive or negative for BP (Lowe et al, 1998). As far as the analysis of BPs strategies are concerned, Porter has argued that any firms strength would ultimately depend on cost advantages and differentiation. The generic strategies that should be followed by any firm for success have been given as cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter, 1998). Cost leadership is attained through low cost of materials and integration decisions and differentiation strategy offers unique products and attributes to clients giving a competitive edge, and focus provides a narrow market focus so that specific needs of segments are met. Porters general strategies could explain the key business strategies adopted by BP in the last five years and these were related to climate change as well as cost and capital efficiency and profits. Juris (1998) suggested that in the UK it is possible to move from a monopoly of one company dominating the market to a competitive environment with many players and this is true even in the natural oil and gas industry without significant structural reforms within the business environment, although this could be expensive. Structural reforms and innovation brings about differentiation and launch of products and services that the consumer perceives to be different, Any form of change or deregulation must be accompanied by regulatory and institutional frameworks and all entrants to the market should be given equal rights. With cooperation between the government and industry participants, there has to be mechanisms for appropriate balancing and operating. BP will also have to follow these regulations towards market balance despite being a major player. Industry participants have tried to reach a consensus on how to enhance the existing framework that could make markets more efficient. British oil and gas industry will have to effectively give more time and resources to developing a tariff structure for pipeline capacity and transportation services in tariff markets (Juris, 1998). BP has a role to play in stabilizing tariffs that could make the markets efficient. Cross (1995) highlighted outsourcing as a BP strategy and explained how the BP Exploration Operating Company, $13 billion division of British Petroleum Company explores and produces oil and gas and outsourcers all IT operations in efforts to cut costs and get more flexible higher quality IT resources to improve business. At BP exploration it was decided that the company no longer needed technologies that provided business information to employees and this could be outsourced. There were problems encountered with internal IT departments and the old and new machines as well as the need to focus on technological details rather than wider more important business issues led to the need for outsourcing these to technicians. As far as BPs technology strategy is concerned, BP diverted its IT support through outsourcing. Outsourcing helped in the reshaping of the IT department. At BP information technology was used as utility for operations to develop application and supply processing power as also to provide technology support. This is now given to outsourcing providers and the company buys generic applications or contracts the work. The IT department is expected to improve business rather than be an internal group that simply meets supply of the company. The company however has a different IT strategy and does not rely on a single supplier for all IT needs although this could make BP to escalate its fees and become more rigid in its services. At the same time selective outsourcing and division of IT operations led to strain on management resources. BPs IT strategy focused on buying IT services from multiple suppliers although these could be delivered in a way as if by single supplier. Contractors delivered services to 42 BP businesses worldwide. The subcontracts were also performed effectively and the cornerstone of the BP outsourcing strategy was to use services from multiple suppliers and yet project them as one. The IT department is kept separate from Operations so that the IT managers could independently work on the business rather than get involved in technicalities. Several IT services including large and small providers were used for outsourcing which was however a difficult task but had the benefits of reduced fixed costs, im proved service, and access to new ideas and technologies (Cross, 1995). However the downsides were the technical issues and the danger of operations and management getting loaded with IT problems. 3. Resources and capabilities of BP over the five years, and analysis of the extent to which the company has aligned its resources and capabilities to its business strategies The alignment or use of resources and capabilities to shape business strategies of the company shows that BP placed a great emphasis on infrastructure and profit growth by building its resources and through partnering and strategic alliances. BP has built its larger base by organizing around the smaller business units and the company has several smaller business units that work together and the resources are available easily and quickly. The company follows a decentralization strategy with its various units having independent operations although there are differing views on whether this has been particularly helpful or led to original thinking. New approaches to BP business showed how the BP business could successfully steer through crises although the recent focus has been on BPs strategy towards climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001). Considering the changes in BP strategy, it has been noted that BP had a politicized bureaucracy managed matrix structure and with the complexity performance declined and the company faced financial crisis. In recent years however BP has reported highest profits $4 billion in the third quarter of 2004 alone. The high prices of crude oil added to the profits although the companys cost efficient operations were key to strong performance. The company also absorbed two oil companies Amoco and Arco and other companies and the acquisitions helped in the expanse and scope and several strategic and organizational changes added to the remarkable turnaround in the companys performance (Roberts, 2005). BPs transformation came as it divested unrelated lines of business and divided business into units with three basic businesses with upstream oil and gas exploration and production, downstream petroleum refining and marketing and petrochemicals. There were different functioning markets and the unit s were run independently adding to the strategic advantage of the company. The company presentations showed that the US refining portfolio was fully operational and US convenience retail helped in reducing marketing footprint with cash costs down by 15% in 2008. $4billion was invested by the company for alternative energy since 2006 and employee count was reduced to 7500 and cash costs were also reduced by billions in 2009, bringing down the overall expenses of the company (Hayward et al, 2010). Among other strategic directions of the company are using solar energy as alternative energy and fuel and BP has been successfully developing the solar energy potential as one of the greener sustainable sources of energy. BP corporate strategy has also been focused on issues of climate change (Kolk and Levy, 2001) and there are two directions to this strategy. One is the potential advantage in corporate reputation and image if BP is projected as green and clean company which controls its business units and functions according to global climate conditions, and the other is the possibility of a new business model within which BP could work and using of solar energy as green energy is already a step towards this motive. In the last five years BP resources and capabilities have changed drastically. Along with addition of BP solar energy, there has been increased investments and increased profits with higher oil prices. BP has also potentially expanded its reach and operations across many new regions and continued to add new resources and capabilities including material and financial to fulfil its strategic directions. The business strategies of BP have been primarily geared towards profitability and corporate responsibility so along with cost leadership, focus, innovation, differentiation and climate change, BP had diversified and categorized its business units along with mergers and acquisitions.

Parental Involvement Benefits Elementary School Childrens Essay

Parental Involvement Benefits Elementary School Childrens Parental involvement has many positive effects on both child and parent. Some of the benefits of parental involvement for children are a significantly increased cognitive development, an improvement in the child’s motivation, a stronger parent-child relationship and, of course, increased academic achievement. Some of the benefits parental involvement has on parents are gaining a more positive attitude about themselves and their parenting skills, increased self-confidence and an increased satisfaction about their child’s school and faculty at the school (Becher, 2001). There are many benefits to parents’ involvement in their elementary school child’s life, but, possibly the most important benefit is in helping the child’s academic achievement. First of all, why the recent interest in parent involvement? Many might give credit to Section 1118 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This section of â€Å"No Child Left Behind† requires any school district in the United States that receives Title I, Part A funds to execute programs, activities, and events that enable parents to get involved. Title I forces school districts to make a strong effort to communicate with and get feedback from parents who want to be involved in the programs, activities and events directed towards parent involvement. The districts are required to provide equal involvement opportunities for all parents, including those who speak limited English, are disabled, and parents of migratory children. Every school district is required to develop together, agree on with and distribute to parents the districts plan on parent involvement programs (â€Å"No Child Left Behind†, 2002).... ... Power. New York: Hyperion. This is a book I came across at the Towson public library. Kirshbaum starts off with a chapter full of various studies that have been done that prove how beneficial parent involvement is. The book is then broken down into four sections of ninety different ways parents can get involved in their child’s life and have their child get the most out of their education. Peterson, D. (1989). Parent involvement in the education process. ERIC Digest EA 43. Retrieved April 3, 2003, from http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed312776.html This article briefly discusses why parent involvement is so important. Peterson then discusses how parent involvement is particularly beneficial for at-risk children. Peterson also mentions how parents can get involved and how parent-involvement programs can be implemented on a district wide basis.

Preparing to Conduct Business Research Res/351

Preparing to Conduct Business RES/351 Preparing To Conduct Business In recent news, Bank of America publically announced its plan to make changes to debit card customer accounts in 2012 (Chang, 2011, NBC San Diego). To date, Bank of America has a â€Å"fee-free† policy on these types of accounts however; new regulations on debit card accounts are a hindrance to the Bank’s ability to maximize return on investments. As a result the bank is considering implementing a surcharge on checking accounts.However, the bank must determine if this will affect the attitudes and behaviors of customers. To achieve this, Bank of America must conduct business research. The Research Question When managers use business research a systematic inquiry to aid in the decision-making process. Because Bank of America has discovered the defined the management dilemma, a refinement of the research question is necessary. The information or data collected through exploratory research helps formulate the research question.In essence, the â€Å"research question is the hypothesis that best states the objective of the researcher or the questions that focuses the researcher’s attention† (Cooper & Schnidler, 2011, p 83, paragraph 1). Hypotheses and Variables â€Å"A hypothesis is a relational statement describing a relationship between two or more variables† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p 83, paragraph 1). These variables are designed to show a correlation to each other. The hypotheses are: Bank of America is facing angry loyal customers with the new five dollar charge whenever they use a debit card.Customers may find a new financial institution if the fee is added to their account. Based on the defined hypotheses, variables, and research question, the bank can prepare a research design strategy. Research Design Strategy Before Bank of America finalizes its decision to streamline debit card transaction fees from merchants to customers; it should gauge the attitude s and behaviors of its account holders. Therefore, the research design must be attitudinal research.Attitudinal research uses multiple measurements of attitude across time and environments to improve predictions. The attitudes of consumers must consider as â€Å"hypothetical constructs because of their complexity and the fact that they are inferred from the measurement data, not actually observed† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p 292, paragraph 6). These attitudes will be assessed on a ranking scale that captures indicators of different dimension of awareness, feelings, or behavioral intentions toward Bank of America.This ranking scale is ideal because it â€Å"constrains the study participant to making comparisons and determining order among two or more indicants or objects† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p 295, paragraph 2). In the end, Bank managers will need to gauge whether existing customers have a positive attitude toward the bank; whether or not they will develop negat ive attitudes toward the bank if they implement fee changes, and if the creation of negative attitudes will change customer behavior.Instrument Development Bank of America can resolve management dilemmas by listening to customers. Therefore, customer feedback can be gathered through surveys. By taking surveys, Bank of America will be able to determine the next course of action. Any other type of research tool is not necessary in this particular situation as the survey will provide the information necessary to make a decision. Figure 1 is a sample of the customer survey data collection design. Bank of America Customer Survey|How satisfied are they with the existing debit card services at Bank of America| * Very Satisfied| * Satisfied| * Somewhat Satisfied| * Not Satisfied| How likely are they to become dissatisfied with Bank of America if imposed a $5 flat monthly debit card transaction fee| * Very dissatisfied| * Dissatisfied| * Somewhat dissatisfied| * Not dissatisfied| How likely are the customers use another banking institution if Bank of America imposed a $5 flat monthly debit card transaction fee| * Very likely| * Likely| * Somewhat likely| * Unlikely| Figure One.Surveying Bank of America customers to discover a linkage between attitude and behavior. | Ethics and Sampling To ensure the results of the research are ethical and valid a proper sample design is necessary. A sample design consists of methods, sample frame, and sample size. The convenience sampling method will be most appropriate for Bank of America’s research as it will save time and money. The goal of the sample is to find what is most important to customers and if they would be willing to pay increased fees.Bank of America will have access to every one of their customers by way of banking or ATMs. Surveys can be assigned to ATMs, or handed out at Bank of America locations as customers arrive for their day-to-day banking needs. These samplings will be random. Probability sampling, based on random selection, ensures each population element is a known nonzero chance of selection. This provides estimations of precision and offers an opportunity for generalized findings to the population of interest from the sample population. Thus Bank of America can both conveniently and randomly survey customers.In addition to improving the validity of the sample, convenient randomized sampling promotes good ethical research practices. Finally, the convenience sample method eliminates the need to hire out the survey work or develop research teams. What sampling frame will be used Bank of America’s customer listing will act as the sample frame. This list shows the customers who have been banking with them both past and present. This will give the sampling method a larger pool to gather information to complete the research needed. What is the appropriate sampling size? The appropriate sampling size is achieved by many factors.These factors are the size of the study, population size, the purpose of the study, and the risk of selecting a wrong sample design. The size of the sample must be in a certain criteria such as precision level, confidence level, and the variability degree. In the case of sampling the attitudes of Bank of America customers and their decision to withdraw their accounts from the bank or not can be accomplished by sampling several states across the country. Determining the sample size is very important, it may vary from one to another. In work environment knowing about the sample size before start taking random samples help a lot.To determine the sample size these are the five steps that used in research. Data analysis approach After the data is gathered from the survey, the fourth stage of the research process is put together. The data analysis approach for Bank of America will use a Pareto diagram that is a chart whose percentages sum to 100%. â€Å"The data are derived from a multiple choice, single-response scale†¦the responde nts answers are sorted in decreasing importance, with bar height in descending order from left to right† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p 440, paragraph 2). Result ReportingThe result reporting part of the research should be where all the information that everyone is reading in the reports that will better understand the issues and be able to fix all the wrong issues. Reports should be in certain format and shows every bit of research done on the bank. The information should be sent to the head person who takes care of all the paperwork to be analyzed. This report should contain an introduction, about the research, the hypothesis, surveys, and the kind of issues or improvements to improve the bank, and the conclusion on all the information that was gathered from the report.The report can be written in thousands ways. The report could be displayed through a PowerPoint presentation or a well presented paper, hand wrote on note cards. Many varied objects can make this easy for them t o review the results to the report. Conclusion Even with the charge that Bank of America will be charging people to use their debit card there will be a large disagreement on whether or not customers will be happy with the business they will receiving from Bank of America.With surveys and interviews to see what the customers think will give the bank something to look at before going through with the entire process. To ensure that the bank will not lose money or customers, they must conduct extensive research to assess the consequences. References Chang, H. (2011, October 1). Bank of America to charge $5 monthly debit card fee. NBC San Diego Online Newspaper. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www. nbcsandiego. com/news/local/Bank-of-America-Charge-Monthly-Debit-Card-Usage-Fee-130803293. html? source=Facebook Cooper, D. & Schindler, P. (2011). Business research methods (11th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Huff post business. (2011, September 29). Bank of America plans to charge monthly $5 debit card fee. Huffington Post Online Newspaper. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/09/29/bank-of-america-debit-card-fee_n_987304. html? view=screen Richardson, C. (2011, September 30). Debit card fees: Why Bank of America will charge $5 for debit card use? Christian Science Monitor. p. N. PAG.

The 70 Most Conservative Colleges in America

The 70 Most Conservative Colleges in America SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you hold strong political beliefs, you may want to go to a college where the students, faculty, and administration share your values. You’ll be more likely to find student groups that are aligned with your interests and beliefs. The values of the college will be more likely to coincide with your own, and you’ll probably have a more enjoyable college experience. In this article, I’ll give you the names of some of the most conservative colleges in the United States. Furthermore, I’ll detail the traits of conservative colleges, explain the possible advantages and disadvantages of attending a conservative college, and advise you on how to find a conservative college that's a good fit for you. Traits of the Most Conservative Colleges Conservative colleges are politically right-wing. The students tend to favor conservative positions like outlawing abortion, reducing the size of government, and protecting gun rights. Christian colleges are often more conservative. Many Christian colleges adhere to more traditional social views and rules that attract conservative Christian students and faculty. Furthermore, conservative colleges are more strict and regimented than liberal colleges. Conservative religious colleges like BYU and the College of the Ozarks have strict rules that all students must follow. At BYU, male students can’t have beards or long hair. These colleges are much less tolerant of alcohol and drug use than liberal colleges. Also, the armed service academies are known for being conservative. They have many more rules than the average college regarding personal appearance and conduct. Finally, the most conservative colleges often reflect the political leanings of their locations. Many of the most conservative colleges are located in conservative states. Examples of conservative colleges in conservative locations include Clemson University (South Carolina), Utah State, and the University of Alabama. However, there are conservative colleges in liberal states. Pepperdine and Thomas Aquinas College are conservative colleges in California, but they’re both Christian colleges. Possible Advantages of Attending a Conservative College If you're a self-described conservative, you may be more comfortable and happy at a college with many other conservative students. At very liberal colleges, students are often not that accepting and think negatively of conservatives. If you attend a conservative college, you’re more likely to meet people who share your political and social views, and you won't be ostracized for your beliefs. Also, at a conservative college, the faculty and administration are more likely to accept or believe in conservative values.Studies have shown that college faculty tend to be much more liberal. If you’re a conservative student, you may not prefer having your opinions evaluated by a professor who is likely to hold very different beliefs. Additionally, conservative colleges are generally more accepting of religious Christian students. Many of the most conservative colleges are Christian colleges that profess Christian values and attract Christian students. Even conservative colleges that are not Christian colleges have a larger proportion of Christian students than liberal colleges. Lastly, conservative colleges are more likely to stress discipline. The service academies require students to follow many rules regarding conduct and appearance. While young people often abhor rules, the discipline of service academy graduates may facilitate their success. The US Naval Academy and the US Military Academy both finished in the top 10 in Payscale’s rankings of the best colleges and universities by salary potential. Similarly, The College of the Ozarks makes all students work, but it’s a tuition-free college. US Military Academy Possible Disadvantages of Attending a Conservative College Depending on your beliefs and your ideal college experience, conservative colleges may not be a good fit for you. On issues of sexuality, conservative colleges are less likely to have resources for and be accepting of LGBT students. Similarly, the students at conservative colleges are more likely to be opposed to gay marriage. If you are looking for a college where LGBT students are welcome, you may feel like a misfit at a conservative college. Conservative colleges tend to have more structure. If you prefer more freedom and independence to direct your education and social lives, then you may feel restricted by the discipline of conservative colleges. For instance, some colleges have harsh rules regarding when you can have visitors in your dorm, drinking, and drug use. Finally, if you want a college where a wide range of students attend and where you can have your beliefs more regularly challenged, conservative colleges may be too homogeneous for your tastes. Conservative colleges tend to attract primarily students of conservative leanings. If you want a more liberal environment or a wide representation of beliefs, conservative colleges may feel one-note for you. Lists of the Most Conservative Colleges Niche Niche is a website that provides reviews, rankings, and statistics about neighborhoods and schools. It provides many different college ranking lists from the overall best colleges to the top party schools to the most liberal colleges. The Niche rankings of the most conservative colleges are based on a political poll of 50,000 students from 747 colleges. A full 80% of the rankings is based on student survey responses regarding the students' personal political leanings. The remaining 20% is based on student survey responses regarding the political leanings of other students at the college. The List Here are the top 50 most conservative colleges according to Niche, with #1 being the most conservative. There is a high percentage of private Christian colleges on the list. Most of the public colleges,such as Utah State, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Arkansas, are located in conservative states. University of Mississippi (JR P/Flickr) School Location Acceptance Rate 1. Liberty University Lynchburg, VA 24% 2. Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID 24% 3.Brigham Young University Provo, UT 48% 4.Cedarville University Cedarville, OH 69% 5.Bob Jones University Greenville, SC 87% 6.Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH 79% 7.Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO 94% 8.Utah State University Logan, UT 90% 9.Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI 68% 10.Biola University La Mirada, CA 65% 11.Oral Roberts University Tulsa, OK 68% 12.LeTourneau University Longview, TX 44% 13.Ouachita Baptist University Arkadelphia, AR 67% 14.Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK 61% 15.Samford University Birmingham, AL 91% 16.Cornerstone University Grand Rapids, MI 63% 17.Southwestern Assemblies of God University Waxahachie, TX 23% 18.Evangel University Springfield, MO 75% 19.University of Mississippi University, MS 78% 20.Weber State University Ogden, UT 100% 21.University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA 75% 22.Southeastern University Lakeland, FL 46% 23.Anderson University - South Carolina Anderson, SC 54% 24.Lee University Cleveland, TN 87% 25.Grove City College Grove City, PA 82% 26.Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, FL 93% 27.Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX 50% 28.Crown College Saint Bonafacius, MN 54% 29.Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, OK 60% 30.Harding University Searcy, AR 70% 31.University of Northwestern - St. Paul Saint Paul, MN 87% 32.Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI 90% 33.Brigham Young University - Hawaii Laie, HI 27% 34.Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX 43% 35.North Greenville University Tigerville, SC 59% 36.Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott, AZ 76% 37.Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA 63% 38.Union University Jackson, TN 63% 39.South Dakota State University Brookings, SD 91% 40.Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL 78% 41.Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS 87% 42.University of Dallas Irving, TX 80% 43.South Dakota School of Mines Technology Rapid City, SD 85% 44.Ohio Christian University Circleville, OH 65% 45.Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT 72% 46.Campbell University Buies Creek, NC 81% 47.University of Saint Francis - Indiana Fort Wayne, IN 97% 48.Northwestern College - Iowa Orange City, IA 66% 49.Wheaton College Wheaton, IL 79% 50.Asbury University Wilmore, KY 70% Brigham Young University Princeton Review The Princeton Review rankings for the most conservative colleges are based on students' responses to the question "Politically, are you left-wing, Democrat, middle, Republican, right-wing?" The List All of the colleges that made the Princeton Review list for the top 20 most conservative colleges are religious, located in conservative states, or service academies. The schools that made both the Niche and Princeton Review lists are the University of Dallas, Brigham Young University, Grove City College, and Wheaton College. School Location Acceptance Rate 1.Grove City College Grove City, PA 93% 2.College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO 16% 3.Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI 36% 4. University of Dallas Irving, TX 47% 5.Hapden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA 59% 6.Baylor University Waco, TX 39% 7.Wheaton College (IL) Wheaton, IL 85% 8. Auburn University Auburn, AL 84% 9.The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa, AL 59% 10.Iowa State University Ames, IA 89% 11.Mercer University Macon, GA 73% 12.Brigham Young University (UT) Provo, UT 52% 13.United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO 12% 14.United States Military Academy West Point, NY 10% 15.Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 95% 16.Ohio Northern University Ada, OH 69% 17.Wofford College Spartanburg, SC 69% 18.University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA 56% 19.Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX 41% 20. Berry College Mount Berry, GA 66% Texas AM Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas AM/Flickr Student Reviews Niche also offers student reviews of colleges. Here are some comments written by students of some of the most conservative colleges in the United States. I tried to include positive and negative aspects of each school related to its very conservative environment. Texas AM I absolutely love my school. There is a strong love and passion for the university reflected every day on campus. Most importantly, the importance of being honest and having strong character is reinforced at Texas AM University. I would not have wanted to have attended any other university. After receiving my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics-Finance and Real Estate, I decided my time here was not over. I will now be attending graduate school to pursue my Masters of Real Estate. If I could do it all over again, I would not change a thing. Texas AM has to have the most ignorant, absurdly extremist right-wing culture I have ever encountered. I consider myself a conservative, but the sheer amount of bigotry and intolerance at this school is simply unacceptable for what is supposed to be an educated environment. I was always told that college was meant to expose you to a diverse group of people and help you prepare for a globalized world. AM does the opposite. It is a sheltered bubble for racist, homophobic, ethnocentrism coupled with extreme Christian and Republican views. Any sense of worldly knowledge, open-mindedness, or cultural exposure is met with disdain if not outright hostility. Brigham Young University I love attending Brigham Young University because it provides a learning environment that is compatible with my religious beliefs. The surrounding mountains are spectacular, and there are plenty of museums, theaters and libraries nearby. I hate the lack of diversity. I feel like although my classes are amazing, I'm not learning real life lessons because I'm in a Mormon bubble. However, there are a lot of cool opportunities. I love my professors and it's easy to get involved. US Military Academy Excellent options. You'll be making a lot of money. And people will want to hire you after the army. Drug tests are monthly, no civilians are allowed in cadet area, you cannot leave post hardly ever unless you are a senior, and you better drive the speed limit on post or you'll get pulled over. Grove City College My school has high academic, extracurricular and moral expectations. While others may dislike the high pressure to excel in multiple areas, Grove pushes us to do our best - to strive to reach our potential. In addition, Grove has a close-knit community. The school promotes and provides many opportunities for forming close connections with others. The campus is beautiful and the professors are superior. Grove City is a great college. Inter-visitation hours (where boys can go into girls dorms and vice versa) include Wednesdays from 7-10 PM, Fridays from 7PM-12 AM, Saturdays from 1PM-12AM, and Sundays from 1-10PM. While a boy/girl is your room, the door must be open 4 inches and a light other than the TV has to be on. You may think that those are just rules and people probably don't follow them. You would be wrong. Everyone follows them. If you have a boy in your room, you have to sign him in with your RA and then they go around during their shift to check to make sure your door is open and they can see a light. If they don't, they knock and come in to tell you to keep the door open or to turn the light on. Time limits are strict too; you gotta have them out right on time or the RA will kick them out. I'm not joking. This really happens. I've heard of people sneaking in on other days, but I've never seen it myself. There's no alcohol on campus and even if there is it's hidden away in someone's room who probably isn 't going to share. Grove City College How Should You Use These Lists of the Most Conservative Colleges? If you want to go to a very conservative college, you should research the colleges that interest you on the Niche and Princeton Review lists to determine if they’re schools you should apply to or attend. There are many factors to consider to determine if a college is a good fit for you including location, selectivity, support services, and the majors offered.Look at the school’s website, and use guidebooks, college finders, search websites, and other ranking lists to help you in the college selection process. If possible, consult with teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni. What If You Want to Go to a Conservative College, but a School You're Considering Isn't on the Lists? Just because a school didn’t make either list doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not conservative. Look at the school’s website to see if there are student groups that are aligned with your political and social views. There may be student groups for Republicans, conservative politicians, or members of the NRA. Sometimes, there will be an organization contact listed on the website. If so, you can contact a representative of the organization and ask about the atmosphere on campus. Also, you can consult other sources that evaluate or grade how conservative a college is. On the Niche profile for each college, under "diversity" for each school's guide, there is a category called "political activity" that describes the political activity on campus. For example, this is how Duke's political activity is described: Duke, like most universities, has a strong liberal streak, but conservatives have made their voices heard, as well. There are a variety of political organizations on campus that are populated by a significant percentage of the student body. Students advocate for a wide range of political causes, and the University regularly schedules guest political speakers, which are usually very well attended. For example, in 2010, more than 1,000 tickets to see Al Gore lecture sold out in a matter of minutes. Also, on the College View college finder, you can select that you’re â€Å"only interested in schools with a very conservative climate† and search for colleges that fit that criteria, and there are 20 other search categories to help you narrow your college search. Finally, remember that the political leaning of a college is often reflective of the area where the college is located. For example, colleges in the Northeast tend to be more liberal, and colleges in the South tend to be more conservative. You can determine if a specific city or town is liberal by looking up the candidates it supported in the last election and its views on various political and social issues. Keep in mind that there are conservative cities in liberal states and vice versa. Also, Christian colleges and service academies are typically more conservative regardless of their locations. Based on the past four presidential elections, the red states are the most conservative. What's Next? Because Christian colleges tend to be conservative, you may be interested in checking out my post on the best Christian schools. If you're applying to college soon, learn everything you need to know about the college essay. Finally, if you need to raise your SAT score to get into the college of your dreams, check out our 15 SAT tips to improve your SAT score. If you're taking the ACT, here are our tips to improve your ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Essay Example

Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Essay Example Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Paper Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Paper Essay Topic: Water pollution The assessment identified following pollution prevention opportunities at this facility: recycling the spent chrome tanning wastes, oxidize the sulfide containing wastes, decreasing the volatile organic discharge by changing finishing materials, decreasing water use by batch washing, and using solid wastes from the waste stream as fertilizer. Chromium recycling. This step allows the collection of the spent chrome Nanning solutions, without dilution or contamination, for use in the pickle and tanning process. Since the tannery also tans splits, the spent chrome tanning solution can be used here as well. The tanning of splits results in very good fixation of chromium, so the concentration of chromium in the final effluent should meet effluent regulations. This system results in a saving of about 25 percent in the chromium chemicals used. Solvents. The suppliers of finishing products have developed water-based lacquers with significantly lower volatile solvent contents. These materials are now widely accepted as quality products, and their use is strongly advised. Process Water. In some hide wetting processes there is an opportunity to recycle the final rinses. The final rinse wastewater in this process is compatible with fluids used for the first wetting of the hides. Solid Waste. Elimination of solid leather waste discharges through the use optimizing in reconstituted leather will ease the burden on landfills. Capital Intensive Modifications. Eliminating sulfides from the effluent is very important, as they will corrode pipes, cause objectionable doors, and may cause fatal accidents. The sulfide-lime solution, and washes from this process, can be collected without contamination from other solutions. These collected wastes can be placed in a tank and the sulfides oxidized by air with a catalyst. This method is effective and can destroy the sulfide in 4-8 hours. At this point the lime waste, with high BODY and suspended solids, can be used to neutralize the acid wastes that are being continuously discharged. The acid and alkaline wastes from the tanning process will react to produce a expectoration of much of the suspended lids and BODY. This is done with a mixing tank and automatic pH control. Coagulants can also be added at this point. The neutral streams can then flow to a primary clarifier for the removal of suspended solids as sludge. The sludge can be dewatered in a sand bed to more than 50 percent solids for disposal. Although this effluent is somewhat high in BODY, over 80 percent of the pollution load have been removed. The sludge is a good soil conditioner, and if used as such, will eliminate possible high disposal costs. Secondary Treatment. In the future, a secondary treatment system can be added for BODY removal. The secondary system need only be as large as needed for the clarified wastes, and it may consist of a trickle filter, a secondary clarifier, and/ or a filter press. Environmental and Economic Benefits implementation of the suggestions will lead to a number of positive environmental and economic benefits. Chromium recycling will decrease the chromium in the discharge by 80-90 percent. It decreases chromium to less than 3 MGM/l. Costs were estimated at $20,000 (US), savings at $60,000 per year ND therefore payback period of 4 months. The reduction of volatile solvents will decrease VOCE releases to the atmosphere by 60-90 percent. Changes to water usage patterns will decrease effluent volume by 20-40 percent. Elimination of solid leather waste discharges through the use of trimmings in reconstituted leather eases the burden on landfills. This decrease leather waste by 60-80%. Costs were estimated at $1 0,000 (US). Destroy sulfides by air oxidation decreases sulfide wastes by 95- 98 percent. Costs were estimated at $30,000. (US) With primary and secondary treatment, the BODY an be reduced by 75 percent.

EXERCISE MODULE 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EXERCISE MODULE 8 - Essay Example The company may need to finish the project according to a predefined deadline, it may be done to improve project cash flow, it may be a way of avoiding liquidation damages, it may be a way of recovering early days, it may also be a way of avoiding oncoming danger, for example adverse weather conditions that might affect the project’s progress, and it may also be a way of releasing key resources for an oncoming project (Kohli, 2007). It is also important to recognize that as projects continue, there are several indirect costs incurred that can be eliminated by shortening the duration time. These costs include; cost of equipment, interest on investment, machinery, facilities, personnel, labour, and the cost of time lost when some employees do not come regularly to work (Roy, 2005). Project duration can be reduced depending on the type of work being carried out, and the availability of resources. Projects involving installation or development of new software for a company’ s systems for example, may require a specific skill. This can only be obtained from specific persons. Reducing project duration considering this case will require additional labour time for the specialist. He or she will then be required to work overtime. This however, needs additional resources, for the specialist has to be paid for extra time worked. Project duration time can be reduced by: application of multiple-shifts work, offering incentive payments to increase the productivity, using additional resources when necessary, working extended hours, working on holidays and weekends, and using alternative methods and sequences among others (Roy, 2005). Reducing the time taken to complete a project involves reducing the activities’ duration, or adjusting overlaps between activities. This however, has an effect on the original plan in terms of the cost. Whenever activity duration is reduced, the cost increases. This is because, with reduced time for the activity, it means that additional resources were used to ensure a lot of work is done within a short period. Take an example of construction of a building. For a normal duration, there are seven workers employed to do specific duties. It is expected that their work will be completed in a month. Since the project duration has been reduced to two weeks, the company will have to employ additional workers with the same skills to speed up the work. The workers will have to be paid, therefore, additional resources. The tools and equipment used will also have to be added. A similar understanding can be obtained from overtime work. This requires additional wages, as well as costs used to correct quality problems (Kohli, 2007; Roy, 2005). This shows that there is a relationship between the direct cost, and time of completing an activity. The cheaper the resources, the longer the time they take to complete an activity. If the duration is shortened, there is an increase in direct costs. Direct costs are such as; th e cost of equipment, labour, and materials. This should however, not lead to an assumption that there is an automatic inverse relationship between the project duration and the quantity of resources deployed. This is because, not all activities are similar. There are those that can be done in a short time by deployment of more resources, and there are those that deployment of more resources does not reduce the time needed. For example, it should not be

In a study in this unit, you found an organizational improvement Term Paper

In a study in this unit, you found an organizational improvement model, process, or tool for addressing health care laws or poli - Term Paper Example The nurse supervisor studies surveys and other quantitative and qualitative data as a basis for implementing significant changes to improve the health care facilities’ current service quality. Currently, the changes in the present organization’s health care policies are to slow. This is understandable because some persons deter the unfavorable effects of change. On the other hand, some health care subordinates feel disgruntled with the disparity between current health care policies and the real situation in a typical patient – nurse relationship. The current policies are too outmoded or too general. The policies are made without regular consultation from the most affected persons – the nurse subordinates. The current health care policies are implemented without conducting an in-depth survey of the real situation within the wards and other departments of the health care facilities. Paul Bate (2007) reiterated the nurse supervisor should not focus on gatheri ng of data as an end. On the other hand, the nurse supervisor must implement a timely gathering of relevant data to update and enhance the health care facilities’ present patient-based policies.