Critically Evaluate Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as Way of Understanding Employee Motivation in Contemporary Chinese Business

Critically evaluate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as way of understanding employee motivation in contemporary Chinese business. Because of the great developing and consume potentials in China, more and more multinationals are attracted. Companies who had rich successful experiences in west have difficulties to manage in this unfamiliar emerging market (in Alas, 2008). To define the way of understanding employee in China, needs and motivations of Chinese employees should be considered first. Maslow's hierarchy of needs as one of the most discussed theories which related to people motivations should be included.According to Maslow’s model, individuals have the same order of needs all over the world. Some criticisms pointed out that needs would change under different cultures. Furthermore, following the great changes of China, employee motivations between new China and contemporary China changed as well. Due to the reform in China, Chinese people have more chance to communic ate with western which gave a important impact on Chinese employees’ work values and motivations. This essay will evaluate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as way of understanding employee motivation in contemporary Chinese business.From Maslow’s perspective (in Geren, 2011), human needs are the same worldwide. It indicated that the hierarchy of needs which developing based on U. S. society can be applied all over the world. Whereas the research of Hofsted (2001) reported that people under different cultures have diverse values which have a motivational influence on life choices and behaviors (in Alas, 2008). Compared with the individualism culture in U. S. , China exists as a collectivist society due to its long history of traditional culture and the dominant position of imperial power.Individuals in the individualistic society are concerned more about self-success, but for Chinese people, maintain harmony within their social environment is more significant. Accordi ng to Kirkman and Shapiro (in Alas, 2008), there are some crucial links between cultural values and job attitudes which can be the approach to study employee motivations between U. S. and China deeply. A diagram about the hierarchy of needs of the People's Republic of China by Nevis (in Gambrel and Cianci, 2003) showed that the order of needs of Chinese people and employees are: social belonging, physiological, safety and elf-actualization. Employees in China tend to emphasize social needs more over individualistic needs which means the status and identity were concerned more in a society, while employees in more individualistic society such as America stress more on individualistic needs. A famous case was at Lenovo when Chinese and American employees worked as a group, Chinese employee considered the team as the key for company’s successful. However, The Americans were trying to identify individual high performers (Gallo, 2008).The hierarchy of needs model seems not appropr iate for understanding the employee motivations in China business. However, an ambitious reform program was launched in China. Instead of a relatively closed system previously, an open, market-driven system had been set up. A series of actions including entering the WTO, opening the western region of China and building up an information network have given dynamic to support the system and take the way to develop. As a result of these great changes of China, employee motivations and work values between new China and contemporary China changed as well.According to studies by Ralston et al. (in Jaw, 2007), Work values of contemporary Chinese leaders who get a higher score on individualism differ from those older generation of the past. It indicated that new generation of Chinese manager characterized more individualistic. Furthermore, because of the experiences to western thought and management practices, Chinese employees who ever had under western cultural influence are more aggressi ve (in Jaw, 2007). It stated that work values are different between Chinese employees who have western cultural experiences and those who have not.Chinese employees who have western cultural exposure experiences focus more on individual values, especially self-esteem and self-actualization which can be applied in Maslow’s model. As the number of those employees increasing, this tendency will become more obviously. For those Chinese employees who do not have a western background, they put more emphasis on the material standard of living and work conditions which can be seen as the first level of Maslow’s model. For example, high wages have been seen as one of the most significant factors to attract employees in contemporary Chinese business.In order to motivate employees more effectively, Google’s office in China not only provide fresh fruit and high quality food, but also create relax and comfortable working environment (Marre, 2011). The ANOVA test of work valu es in 4 areas showed that Chinese respondents pay more attention to the provision of welfare than employees in the other areas (in Alas, 2008) . When employees’ age is old enough to retire, they need the welfare to support daily life without working. It reflected the importance of the security of their work.The reasons behind their needs were attributed to the different developments in the economy after experiencing a centrally planned economy in China and low material standards of living (in Jaw, 2007). Although China has been seen as the emerging market with full of power, the country had experienced a socialist regime which have considerable less wealth than traditional capitalist countries and started to develop only around 30 years. That caused most of Chinese employees still strive for the lowest need and also explain the rationality of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in China. To sum up, as the representer of U.S. middle class values during the period of individual achievements were stressed, Maslow’s model is not applied across all cultures (in Jaw, 2007). However, as a result of the reform in China in 1978, links between China and the world connected. By the influence of western culture, Chinese manager and employee who had a background in foreign countries shown more aggressive and ambitious which closer the stage of self-esteem and self-actualization among Maslow’s theory. On the other hand, general employees focus more on income, work environment and welfare which explain Maslow’s model in a practical way.Although Maslow’s model is not apply in a collectivistic society, it becomes more proper to express Chinese employees motivations after 30 years’ development. Word count:1004 References: Alas, R. (2008) Attitudes and values in Chinese manufacturing companies: A Comparison with Japanese, South Korean and Hong Kong companies. Chinese Management Studies Vol. 2 No. 1 pp. 32-51 Marre, W. (2011) Is GOOGLE Emp loyee Heaven? Available from: [March 2012] Gambrel, P; Cianci, R. (2003) Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs: Does It Apply In A Collectivist Culture. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship; Apr 2003; 8,2; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 43 Gallo, F. (2008) Business Leadership In China: How to Blend Best Western Practices with Chinese Wisdom, Publisher: Wiley; (August 1, 2008) Geren, B. (2011) Motivation: Chinese theoretical Perspectives. Journal of Behavioural Studies in Business Vol. 3 [online]. Available from: [March 2012] Hofstede,G. (2001) Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nation(2nd ed. ), SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA Jaw, B-S; Ling, Y-H; Wang, C. Y-P; Chang, W-C. (2007) The impact of culture on Chinese employees' work values. Personnel Review Vol. 36 No. 1, 2007 (pp. 128-144)

Cyber crime Essay

In the 21st century, with the improvements in technology and science new concepts are integrated in our lives. Cyber crime is among those concepts that did not previously exist 15-20 years ago. Back In the old day’s only conventional crime was discussed, which refers to those traditional, illegal behaviors that most people think of as crime. In today’s one has to be careful not only against conventional crime but also cyber crime as it is the latest and the most complicated problem in the new century. Cyber crime consists of all criminal actions against communication devices in a network such as Internet, telephone lines or mobile networks. Cyber crime can be observed among people at various age groups as it is easier to commit compared to other types of crime like murder, kidnapping or human trafficking. According to, (Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para8) can divide cyber criminals into four groups. This division may be classified under what they have in their mind. These group s are, children and adolescents between the age group of 6 – 18 years, organized hackers, professional hackers, crackers and discontented employees. Cyber crimes can be divided into 11 groups and each of them is different. Those are unauthorized access to computer systems or networks (hacking), theft of information contained in electronic form, email bombing, data diddling, salami attacks, denial of service attack, virus and worm attacks, logic bombs, Trojan attacks, internet time thefts and web jacking. International estimates announce that cybercrime costs approximately $50 billion annually. Cyber crime costs the United States more than $5 billion per year. According to Michigan State University Library, in England, cybercrime is estimated to cost approximately 250 million pounds or $417.7 million annually. Looking at these figures it can be said that cyber crime is a concept that should be reviewed carefully taking different aspects of it into consideration like the causes, victims and statutory provisions. Still there are so many countries that have not updated their laws against cyber crime. The lack of strong regulations ma kes it nearly impossible to arrest cyber criminals in those countries. In order to diminish cyber crime all organizations and governments should cooperate, as it has no boundaries. Firstly, it is important to know why people commit cyber crime and what they have in their minds, as it is not possible to resolve a problem without knowing its real cause. According to(Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para8) Children and adolescents between the age  group of 6 – 18 years are committing cyber crimes because of exploring new things, curiosity and to be outstanding amongst other children in their group. Younger people are more motivated to learn and try new ideas, which make them bolder. As they also have less life experience they are more prone to cyber crime. Another group consists of organized hackers who are the most dangerous ones. They are organized and ordered properly to make a move. According to the analysis conducted by the institute for security technology studies at Dartmouth college, the reason is generally political and these hackers may deface elect ronic information sites all over the world to spread disinformation and propaganda. Pakistani hackers can be given as an example who are the most skilled and qualified hackers in the world. Their main target is the Indian government sites but also NASA and Microsoft sites are also being attacked by them often. The third group is made up of professional hackers, who are only after money. They crack or steal information for their customers. Generally competitor companies hire them to get information about their rivals. The final group consists of discontented employees, which includes people who have been fired from their job and want to take revenge from their employers. As a result it can be stated that the authorities should approach cyber crime from various angles as each criminal group has different motives. The victim of crime is another aspect that has critical importance as the impacts of cyber crime and the damage it creates depends on the target subject. Although authorities in developing countries do not agree with this argument and pay no attention to the issue, by taking customized precautions to protect specific victim group’s cyber crime can be avoided before it takes place. This shows that only developing countries give importance to the matter, which makes the problem more serious. The classification of subjects of cyber crime is as follows: individuals, organizations, society at large and nation s. At the individual level cyber crime can be against a person or personal property. According to(Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para9), this can take several forms as harassment via e-mails, cheating & fraud, defamation, transmitting viruses, IPR crimes etc†¦For example to protect individuals more secure operating systems can be used instead of stand-alone anti-virus programs. As operating systems are not secure enough to provide protection against cyber attacks people have to pay for anti-virus programs. When organizations are taken  into consideration firms, companies, foundations or even governments can be the victims. The most common methods are unauthorized control/access over computer system, possession of unauthorized information, distribution of pirated software and cyber terrorism against a government organization. Organization wide trainings can be a solution for companies or institutions as people tend to be more precautious when they know about the potential threats and fear f rom losing their jobs. Some government organizations and private companies in developed countries use training as a tool to stop cyber crime. The most signification damage is given to the society at large as more people are affected by the results of cyber crime. Pornography is one significant example, which may take several forms including child harassment. Uncontrolled websites with harmful material have negative impact on young people and especially adolescents who are easily brainwashed. This affects moral values of the society, increases the rate of conventional crime and creates an insecure environment for people. Trafficking is another example of cyber crime where masses can feel the damage. Materials that cannot be explicitly sold by other means are traded on the Internet, which can include illegal items. Financial crimes, forgery and online gambling are other examples of cyber crime that have impacts both on individuals and the general public. Authorities should carefully examine these different groups, which are open to cyber crime and take measures specifically to protect them. Considering all the negative impacts it is becoming necessary to enforce legal sanctions on people or organizations that commit cyber crime. The most important step is to adopt legislations that define cyber crime, regulate and control the activities in cyber world in an effective way. Although certain governments do not view the problem seriously, developed countries like the U.S. have established mechanisms like Computer Crime and International Property Section (http://www.cybercrime.gov/) to take fast action against cyber crime. The Model Law on Electronic Commerce adopted by the United Nations Commission on Trade Law is an example to statutory provisions, which was followed by the Information Technology Act. The Information Technology Act deals with various types of cyber crimes like unauthorized downloading, virus attacks, disruption, denial of access, interference with the service availed by a person, hacking and tampering with computer source documents. According to the Information Technology Act,  the measures against cyber crime may include imprisonment up to 2-3 years to 10 years. According to(Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para3), the following are criticisms against Information Technology Act (ITA). First of all, the ITA does not serve the desired purpose and only deals with e-commerce. Additionally it does not deal with issues like cyber harassment, cyber nuisance etc which can have harmful effects. Another weakness of the ITA is that it is not comprehensive or exhaustive at the same time the definitions a re not clear enough. There should be a uniform law in the world against cyber crime it is a worldwide issue. Along with other issues, universal jurisdiction is also a very important aspect of the problem as cyber crime is a universal concept. Although some countries do not view the problem as a global one, provisions enforced in other countries should be accepted. As mentioned before, the International Technology Act focuses on e-commerce and does not deal with other types of cyber crimes. As a result it is necessary to raise a cyber army like Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of the Central Bureau of Investigation, which deals with various forms of cyber crime. In developing countries like Turkey the laws against cyber crimes are not very effective although some authorities believe that the necessary action is taken. As relevant measures are not implemented by the Turkish Government the problem is getting worse everyday. For example child porn is a very serious problem, which cannot be stopped without serious action. During the last months several child porn cases were reported by the TV channels in Turkey. Another example is internet fraud which is very common in Turkey. Turkish people are not willing to use internet banking because they are afraid of fraud. As Turkish laws are not effective enough these problems are not resolved. Instead of dealing with these serious issues Turkish authorities put a ban on websites like Youtube. In order to avoid cyber crime relevant legal measures should be taken through international cooperation. It is also important to build a control mechanism and develop a uniform law against it. Although it is not possible to totally stop cyber crime there are steps that can be taken by countries and international organizations like the United Nations. Another important thing is to educate people about the cyber risks and tell them what their rights are. If people are informed about the actions they can take against cyber crime the problem can be solved. To reduce the level of cyber crime it is necessary to have a strong legal mechanism worldwide. REFERENCES criminal justice(2008) retrieved from http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/cybercri.htm Cyber life and coping with identity theft (2010) retrieved from –http://www.naavi.org/pati/pati_cybercrimes_dec03.htm cybertech crimes of the 21st century retrieved from- http://digitaloman.blogspot.com/2006/10/cyber-crime-age-no-bar.html Witt, J (2011). Soc.2011 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 McGraw Hill Database: EBSCO Publishing Citations government’s hold on cyber bullies retrieved from http://www.cybercrime.gov/ Web Accessibility at Academic Libraries: Standards, Legislation, and Enforcement,Library Hi Tech); 2007 Vol. 24 Issue 4, p494-508, 15p. Document Type: article; (AN LHT.BD.DID.PROVIDENTI.WAALSL) [Citation Record]

Ancient Commerce in China Essay

1- The route The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is the most famous and important historically trading route of ancient Chinese civilization. This historical network of interlinking, with more than 4000 miles, between East, South, Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa began to be used under the Han Dynasty (202 BC – AD 220). Originally, the Chinese trade silk occurred internally within the empire, but the caravans were often attacked by central Asian tribes, hoping to find some valuable commodities. In order to protect these caravans, the Han Dynasty extended its military defenses further into Central Asia. Later came the idea to expand the silk trade to central Asia. Silk Road extension: The land routes are red, and the water routes are blue Source: http://en.wikipedia.org 2- Name and Purpose The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade that was the major reason to sustain the route for so wide area. Some scholars prefer the term â€Å"Silk Routes† because of the several network of routes existed there. Trading silk was not the only purpose of the Silk Road, many other commodities were also traded. In addition to silk the route carried other precious goods like gold and other precious metals, ivory, precious stones and glass, exotic animals and plants were trade as well. Indeed the silk was the most remarkable goods, mainly among the Romans, it became very popular in Rome for its soft texture and attractiveness making the Romans sees the route mainly as a Silk Route. Although this fact, the name â€Å"Silk Road† originated in the nineteenth century, coined by the German scholar, von Richthofen. 3- Routes The intercontinental Silk Road had two different overland routes bypassing the Taklimakan Desert and Lop Nur. The northern route started at Chang’an (now called Xi’an), the capital of the ancient Chinese Kingdom, which, in the Later Han, was moved further east to Luoyang. The route was defined about the 1st century BCE as Han Wudi put an end to harassment by nomadic tribes The southern route was mainly a single route running from China, through the Karakoram, where it persists to modern times as the international paved road connecting Pakistan and China as the Karakoram Highway. It then set off westwards, but with southward spurs enabling the journey to be completed by sea from various points. Crossing the high mountains, it passed through northern Pakistan, over the Hindu Kush mountains, and into Afghanistan, rejoining the northern route near Merv. From there, it followed a nearly straight line west through mountainous northern Iran, Mesopotamia and the northern tip of the Syrian Desert to the Levant, where Mediterranean trading ships plied regular routes to Italy, while land routes went either north through Anatolia or south to North Africa. Another branch road traveled from Herat through Susa to Charax Spasinu at the head of the Persian Gulf and across to Petra and on to Alexandria and other eastern Mediterranean ports from where ships carried the cargoes to Rome. The Silk Road in the 1st century Source: http://en.wikipedia.org 4- Mongol Age In central Asia, Islam expanded from the 7th century onward, bringing a stop to Chinese westward expansion at the Battle of Talas in 751. Further expansion of the Islamic Turks in Central Asia from the 10th century finished disrupting trade in that part of the world. For a long time during the Middle Ages, the Islamic Caliphate often had a monopoly over much of the trade conducted across the route. Under the command of Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire rapidly proceeded to conquer a huge region of Asia, the Mongol expansion throughout the Asian continent from around 1207 to 1360 helped to bring political and stability and re-establish the Silk Road. The partial unification of so many states under the Mongol Empire allowed a significant interaction between cultures of different regions. The trading started to happen again and the route became important as path for communication between different parts of the Empire once more. The Mongols, in general, were more open to ideas, more sympathetic to different religions and nationalities promoting the trading. Around 1288, the Venetian explorer Marco Polo became one of the first Europeans to travel the Silk Road to China, he was not the first, however, the most well known and best documented visitor. In his tales, The Travels of Marco Polo, he describes the way of life in the cities and small kingdoms through which his party passed, with particular interest on the trade and marriage customs, opening the western eyes to some of the customs of the Far East. 5- The Peak, Decline and the Sea Route In seventh century, the Silk Route had its height of importance at this time during the Tang dynasty China was a living a relative stability after the divisions of the earlier dynasties since the Han. The art and civilization of the Silk Road achieved its highest poin in the Tang Dynasty. Changan, as the starting point of the route, as well as the capital of the dynasty, developed into one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities of the time. By 742 A.D its population reached almost two million people and in 754 A.D it had around five thousand foreigners living in the city. During the Mongol Empire as mentioned before, the route established a new good period but despite the presence of the Mongols, the route never reached the heights that it did in the Tang dynasty. Furthermore, with the disintegration of the Mongol empire, that was fairly short-lived, the barriers rose again on the land route between East and West. After the Mongol Empire, the control of the Silk Road became economically and culturally separated. The demise of the Silk Road developed the Silk Route by sea at that time it was becoming easier and safer to transport goods by water than overland (Later however, the sea route suffered a lot of problems like bad weather and pirates). Beside this the sea route passed by promising new markets in Southern Asia at that time. The commerce with China and Asia at that time was very profitable and this situation is significantly important in explaining several factors about the present economy. It was the main driving factor for the Portuguese, and later Europeans, explorations of the Indian Ocean, including the sea of China. 6- Nowadays The last link along the Silk Road was completed in 1990, when the railway connecting Lanzhou to Urumchi was extended to the border with Kazakhstan, providing an important route to the new republics and beyond. Beside this the trade route itself is also being reopened, trading between the peoples of Xinjiang and Russia has developed quickly. The new republics in Central Asia have been contributing much of the heavy industry of the region. Trade with China has also utilized the route it was encouraged by the socialist market economy and its benefits to the market. 7- Conclusion The Silk Road played a key role in the development of the ancient economy in Asia, especially in China, In China it was the main responsible to significantly increase the number of foreign merchants present in China under the Han Dynasty and exposing the Chinese and visitors to their country to different cultures and religions. Buddhism spread from India to China because of trade along the Silk Route. This route was very important in foreign trade, during all history of civilization in the last 1200 years, placing China and India, and all East Asia, in a major role for contact with the western world in a time when this region was isolated by deserts and oceans. During the Mongol Empire, based on the Mongol’s idea of liberty about different religions and cultures, once more, the route had a very important role in the foreign trade and culture exchange between Asia countries and some countries of Europe and Africa as well. Later, the great population and the varieties of products attracted the European interest (economic center of the world at that time), by sea several expeditions in order to explore the commerce in that region change the course of the world, affecting the Americas and Africa as well Asia, being decisive in the current political, economic and social aspects of several countries in these continents.

McDonalds Foreign Direct Investment and Distribution strategy Essay

McDonalds Foreign Direct Investment and Distribution strategy - Essay Example McDonald’s foreign direct investment focuses primarily on investment in restaurants and the food industry. The company made its foreign direct investment for the long term, with the distinct purpose of making a profit. As a multinational firm, McDonald’s has significant foreign investment assets that comprise of the parent company in the US and foreign affiliates domiciled in host countries. The company has the capacity to derive and transfer its capital resources globally and operate restaurants and penetrated markets in other countries worldwide. McDonald’s foreign direct investment not only focuses on controlling affiliate restaurants in developed countries but developing countries, as well. Investing overseeing has generated immense benefits to McDonald’s and its investors. Inward investors continue to gain easy access to markets in foreign countries, particularly since the company’s products can be made using local ingredients.It makes apparent commercial sense for McDonald’s to set up local restaurants, which make use of local ingredients instead of exporting ingredients directly from the US.McDonald’s establishment of affiliate firms in other nations allows the company to gain access to a vast array of resources, which include among others cheap and skilled labour, as well as local expertise and knowledge inherent in the foreign nation. McDonald’s builds restaurants in other countries thereby exploiting the economies of scope.

The Organization of the Islamic State (Da'ash) Thesis

The Organization of the Islamic State (Da'ash) - Thesis Example This essay stresses that terrorism and violent protesting activities are considered as destroying factors for the entire globe. These factors can affect the normal growth of human life and prohibit individuals to lead a developed and peaceful life. It can be apparently observed in this similar context that those people who live in terrorist control regions become highly affected from the brutal and cruel activities perform by the protestant groups. It is worth mentioning that attacks make by a rebel group generally create major chaos in the political stability of a country and make adverse impact upon its economic stability. It will be vital to mention in this similar concern that the rebel group Da’ash mainly operates its protestant activities within the territory of Iraq and Syria by following the ideologies of the terror group Al-Qaida. This paper makes a conclusion that it has been also observed that the people who are living in Syria and Iraq often become the victim of the violent actives perform by Da’ash. Specially mentioning, after the separation of Al-Qaida and Front Victory, the level of violent activities has been increased at an alarming rate. Da’ash has conducted several attacks upon Syria in a regular basis. It is observed in this similar context that the higher authorities belonging to the above stated two nations failed to control the increasing power of Da’ash. It has been claimed that Da’ash is indirectly controlling several parts of Syria and Iraq by raising violent protestant activities within the two countries.

Breast Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Breast Cancer - Essay Example little more than 2.47 million women who had experienced having breast cancer, women should be informed the proper way of conducting a self-breast examination as a way of increasing their chances of survival. For this study, the student nurse will discuss the importance of breast cancer screening followed by explaining the proper way to screen breast cancer and the step-by-step physical assessment to enable women detect early signs of breast cancer. Healthy women should undergo the most common screening test like mammogram at least once a year in order to detect signs of breast cancer at an early stage. (Breast Cancer, 2009a) Early detection of breast cancer is important since women can have higher chances of survival. This is because of the fact that early stage cancer is easier to treat as compared to late stage breast cancer. (Breast Cancer, 2008g) Aside from the use of mammogram test, other ways to screen signs of early stage breast cancer is through the use of other imaging test like the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Breast Cancer, 2008c). The blood marker tests can also be considered when screening a patient. In case cancer protein or blood markers like CA 15.3, TRU-QUANT, CA 27.29, CA125, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is present in the blood (Breast Cancer, 2008a), there is a strong possibility that the patient has a breast cancer. Because of the limitations of mammogram when screening for breast cancer, the use of digital tomosynthesis is now being considered as the best alternative for mammograms (Breast Cancer, 2008d). Although a lot of physicians believe that the use of mammography is the best method for detecting breast cancer, the Mayo Clinic 2008 study result suggest that the use of molecular breast imaging (MBI) is better than mammography in terms of detecting tumors in the breast (Breast Cancer, 2008f). Also highly recommended for women who have high risk of developing breast cancer, a new technique known as the ductal lavage can be

Organizational Behavior And The Criminal Justice System Term Paper

Organizational Behavior And The Criminal Justice System - Term Paper Example With the idea that the criminal justice system consists of diverse individuals, it is clear how the organization can be characterized by numerous personalities, attitudes, and perceptions that can define or influence the overall organizational culture and impact its objectives. Such diversity can lead to chaos, non-performance, and inefficiency. In order to convert this into an advantage, the study of organizational behavior can be undertaken. For example, there is the job-skill match principle. Here, human resource managers in the criminal justice system must take pains to ensure that people being employed matches or fits their job. Say, a police officer's qualifications, character, and attitude must be suitable to his position. A good fit or match, wrote Mills et al. (2006), is one in which the potential employee and organization are compatible. (p. 98)Another excellent example is the way prisoners are managed in correctional facilities. As prisons play the important function of pr otecting the community from criminals, its fundamental responsibility is to rehabilitate offenders so that they do not become recidivists when they finally return to society. Rehabilitation programs involve changing the prisoners’ criminal behavior and tendencies that is why the organizational behavior is crucial. The sheer number of prisoners – with their varying profiles and attitudes – must be considered in measures that would provide opportunities for personal change and skills acquisition. This example leads us to the need to regulate and direct the way individuals within the organization interact with each other. In prisons, offenders in their relations with each other could create conflict when unchecked. Directing organizational behavior can help establish effective rules as well as mechanisms of conflict resolution and negotiation. Organizational Processes There are many other instances wherein individual processes in the context of organizational behav ior can help organizations to function better and become more productive. Because of this the top organizational managers of the criminal justice system make it a point to define and direct the organizational behavior of their respective organizations. For instance, the Central Office Strategic Apex of the American Correctional organization, in its mission statement, aims to: ensure that organizational behavior is in accordance with organizational goals and values; and, correct significant deviations in the

Chemistry of Swimming Pool Disinfection Term Paper - 1

Chemistry of Swimming Pool Disinfection - Term Paper Example Of course, if this is the case, then neither should it be surprising that swimming pools need to be maintained in order to guarantee the best possible experience for people who use them. To be more specific, the regular use to which swimming pools are put requires that they be cleaned on a regular basis. Exposed as they are, and frequented by a lot of people, swimming pools are places that are especially prone to infection if neglected. This paper, then, is intended as an explanation of the various measures taken by operators of swimming pools as to how to keep their waters safe, as well as how the public can do their part. As detailed in a report by the World Health Organization (2006), swimming pools are vulnerable to pollutants such as bird droppings or even the rain. And while indoor pools are much safer, even they need to be cleaned at least once in a while just to be absolutely sure. Either way, as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009), pathological contaminants often abound in swimming pools, which can cause a myriad of conditions such as diarrhea. A pool that is cleaned regularly is in effect guaranteed to be safe for the public to enjoy – guaranteed safe for them to swim in. Otherwise, anyone who takes a dip may be in for a nasty surprise somewhere down the line. In order to avert such an unsavory scenario, those in charge of maintaining the pool regularly subject it to chemical treatment in order to make sure that it remains safe and fit for public consumption. In the words of the Division for Environmental Health (2011), the only way to maintain safe and consistent swimming pool operation is through proper water chemistry. The exact process involved is often rather varied, not only in the chemicals that may be used but also in the methods employed. For one thing, disinfectants may be used to rid the water of harmful, objectionable or

Have people become overly dependent on technology Essay

Have people become overly dependent on technology - Essay Example Body Paragraph 1: Human beings are dependent on technology for entertainment. 97% of the surveyed population stated that they prefer playing video games and they play these games on a continuous basis (Lee, 2010, p.60). Paragraph 2: Organization’s pursuit for excellence, effectiveness and efficiency has led to the replacement of human labor with robotic labor. Drones are used to conduct surveillance and attacks. Paragraph 3: Technology has even influenced and become a major part of the society’s educational sphere. Presidents of 77% of the colleges surveyed state that their college is now providing online courses (Parker, 2011). Paragraph 4: Technology is used by human beings to socialize. Use of Face book and mobile phones has replaced face to face communication. Paragraph 5: Counter Arguments Conclusion Dependency on Technology Introduction Technology is recognized as a monster and even as a prophet. Individuals today have become so addicted to technology that they sp end several hours of their life on computers, just clicking the mouse for the entire day. Similarly, there are those who simply sit on their beds or any other comfortable place and continue to burn their thumbs while texting to different friends at the same time or alternatively. All they do is share and talk about things that might not be of any importance to both the text sender and the receiver. There are even events when individuals tend to spend limitless days in their room without being concerned about the outside world and their work. Such people even tend to experience anger if for even a minute second their internet connection breaks down and they are not able to be online. Technology has become a part and parcel of every individual’s life, technology has become a part of education, business as well as entertainment and this has resulted in heavy dependency of individuals over technology. It is commonly believed that with the assistance of technology life has become quite easy, but the truth is that technology has made society heavily dependent on it and Technology has become a part of different aspects of society including: entertainment, employment, Education and socialization. Body One of the major negative impacts of technology is that the current generation especially the teenagers and young adults have become very lazy as compared to previous generations. Several examples of such events can be seen in the everyday life of the individuals living in the society. For example: previously children use to go to different grounds and sporting events to gain entertainment and play different outdoor games. Now children have changed this preference and they spend huge amount of time playing games at home with the assistance of the computers, PSPs and PlayStations. According to a research conducted by PEW on 1,102 individuals who aged between twelve and seventeen, 97% of the surveyed population stated that they prefer playing video games and they pl ay these games on a continuous basis and around 50% of these respondents even stated that they had played such games the day before the survey was conducted (Lee, 2010, p.60). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention have figured out that during the period of 1980 there were a total of 7% obese children in US and twenty eight years later, the number of obese children elevated to 20% (Theoharis, 2012, p.191). This strongly shows that

Colorimeter Essay Example for Free

Colorimeter Essay Record the absorbance values for 4ppm Methyl orange, making sure to zero the machine with the deionised water cuvette after each reading is taken. After I measured out my methyl orange I diluted each with deionised water up to the calibration mark on the volumetric flask. 4. I then poured each solution into separate cuvettes. 5. Recording the absorbance values for each always â€Å"zeroing† in between each reading with a cuvette containing deionised water. 6. Get the absorbance value of the unknown solution. 7. Record results in Tables 8. Prepare a standard curve graph 9. Estimate the concentration of the unknown solution on your graph. Results Part Two Concentration Discussion Using a colorimeter I used different coloured liquids to prove beer lamberts law. I did this experiment three times each time recording my results. I believe I proved beer lamberts law and this can be seen by my results which I have listed. I was also able to find the concentration of an unknown solution by plotting it on my graph using its absorbance number.

Drivers of Risk in Healthcare

Drivers of Risk in Healthcare CHERRY AMOR B. DAWAL These summary may pertains to the sum of all informations regarding the drivers risk on the following strategic risk, financial risk, operational risk, health and safety risk, hazard risk and information risk. Strategic Risk Drivers- it is a mean of having loss that might arise from the pursuit of not successful business plan.The organization always takes struggle well with strategic risk.In conversation of the strategic risk organizational development should always be consider in the discussion. This in connection to success that it can only be driven to capability and secondly capability development work. The risk is being assessed in purpose otherwise that the objectives,use of the risk maps is more important rather than using the risk register so it may allow level of interaction and challenge. First to do is a systematic risk analysis it may start with the data presented within the organization, which may help in the more sequential pattern in identifying and prioritizing risk. In health care organization driver risk under strategic risk may then identify on the system of planning to resolve the risk. If the plan is not so well presented there could be problem on the system wherein the solving of the identified risk lies on to have a more powerful organizational development work. When health care organizationn mada poor business decisions,from the executed decision,from inadequate resource allocation and failure to respond well to improvement in the business ambiance. Financial Risk Drivers- it is the ability that the shareholders will loose money in an investment in an organization with debt. Cash flow is inadequate to support for the financial obligations.Financial obligations in health care setting takes accountability on finances when there is high portion of debt which indicates a risky investment.It is also about the expenditure to check whether the money of the company have left to keep the business operation running. One example for the healthcare setting the number of staff is just numerous that there will be problem on the cashflow for the salary and the allowances of the employee. Therefore there will befalling to repay salary and wages in timely manner ,therefore task performance will have in effect on the health setting organization. Operational Risk- Drivers-By definition it is a risk associated with the companies business operation. It does involve different kinds of risks includes fraud which is a dishonet methods to take something valuable from another person it is a deceit or trickery. Legal, and environmental issues on the operation is also included. Hospital set-up fraud is being practice by manipulating personnel inside the organization to practice mis management on finances,and operations. It is the managers who decides to make standard operating procedures or internal controls on employees to follow to work in the business. Health and safety Risk Drivers-goals for workplace in health and safety is to reduce danger and increase task implementation on health individual in safe and productive workplace. In every country and organization the aim is to reduce work toll by focusing area where the most harm occur. Occupational health plan formation will help to solve the occupational health problems.Combination of skills, knowledge and leadership with action is the first priority.Effective imposition of health and safety in workplace makes the employee happy and productive and also regulate human and business cost -injuries. Any work related injuries or disease can bring unexpected cost and even loss of valued staff member. It plays impact on body,mind, finances and interrelationship of workers in turn and the health of their families. The group of people where in fact health of workers may also be affected. By work related factors. It is an act widely accepted that the ideal workplace is an important area for health campaign, what more accepted is the concept of the health promoting workplace . As well as the family recognize it. The ablity and the connection of a safe workplace may be interconnected through application of health and safety practices the organization may start to think safe. In HCO the following should be considered information is collected about the problem of the organization, the near misses and errors is being encourage to be reported, response is needed in the reported information, the organization should make changes in response to reporting and last is the organization should be flexible in response to safety situations.Determine whetherthe existing precaution are adequate or whether should be done.Information drive should be provided to the staff . Blood borne virus is one that is usually considered as a hazard to health workers as well as prickly needles instances. This is could be very serious problem. Substances may cause hazard in the workplace and may take in any kind such as liquids, solids,gases,mist and fumes.It may affect different areas of the body. They are classified as toxic substances. Healthcare staff are at risk and employer must take the following precaution. Creation of control of substance hazardous to health regulation that may prevent the process and activation of the harm as well as the reduction of the release of the substances to public and staff, take account relevant to the exposure,control exposure and measure appropriate to health risk,adequate control of exposure,check and review regularly elements being used,ensure the ceation and prevention will decrease the overall risk to health and safety. Hazard Risk Drivers- it could be biological, chemical,mechanical, environmental or physical agent that may in any way will cause harm. These types of hazards could also experience in HCO. Biological hazard came from organism that is foreign,chemical with virtue of its intrinsic property can cause the hazard,mechanical may involve mechanical processes,like motoe vehicles ,and others. Physical hazard is all about naturally occurring processes that has the capacity to create loss or damage. On the other hand hazard and risk oftenly used interchangeably. In relation to the statement stated above risk is the probabiltiy that the exposure to hazard may lead to negative consequence.Risk=Hazard x Dose(Exposure). Therefore a hazard will definitely will have no risk if there is no exposure to the hazard. For environmental hazard it could be both natural and man made hazard or disaster. On a day to day basis, extreme of natural phenomena have threatened humans,such as floods,volcanoes, and tsun ami.Man made could be such as threats of terrorism and failures of technology.Mitigation or reduction may include construction of prone facilities away from areas with high risk,redundancy,an emergency reserve fund,to purchase an insurance and the development and creation of operational recovery plans. In HCO set-up these particular hazard is expected and anticipated just before of the creation of the ceratin organization for such that early planning may entail protection for the site,staff,amd most importantly the HCO clients which are the patients and protection of the business as well. Information risk Drivers-every business now adays relies on information technology, the following would be the IT threats hardware and software failure,malware,viruses, spam, scams and phishing and human error. Criminal IT threats hackers,fraud,passwords theft,denialof service, security breaches and staff dishonesty. Information technology risk involve not just the negative impact of operation and service delivery which may affect the value of the organization through destruction and reduction of the worth of the organization. That is why the IT risk management is considered as a component of a wider ERM. The organization should use a systematic approach to handle the said problem for identification,assessment and management of information technology risk . If there is risk identified high probability for enabling risk associated to missing opprtunities,may happen. II. Healthcare Business Areas which are high risk company is the primary concern which account 2 based setting. A high risk industry and risk of financial drop exists. First concentrate on safety and health concern next is for companies viability and profitability. Both may affect companies status in financing,insurance and merchants accounts.The risk should be address immediately and properly so the situation will not escalate. Procedure to undergo for evaluation for inspection and auditing. For staffing shortage, staff with difficult working condition with low wages, so much workload such as overloaded number of patients, numbers of paperworks for documentation and charting of reports and billing purposes Staffing shortage may result to the overall wellness process might be hindered or prolonged,which may lead to dissatisfaction to clients and patients. Next is overcrowding ,too much number of patients in the hospital who needs immediate care, but unable to give proper patient care . Problem in bed spaces, overcrowded area and unsanitation may give more hazard and risk to patients welfare and safety. III. Potential Impact of different types of risk on the healthcare business organizations objectives. Financial objectives economic loss will occur if it will not properly handled and presented and understared. Medical objectives it is about the patients safety,quality of care and to provide patients satisfaction they do fall under the category. It emphasized on improving coordination,services, upgrading the value of patient care,and boosting the medical outcome. Management should take place,consideration of potential threat to the organization prepare to the business.Continuity plan to address threats identified,share and ensure employees the expectation in unusual functioning. Plan organization with information and procedures toprotect employee indisaster event. Information drive on emergency procedure. The employees must take all practice step to ensure the safety, both action,or inaction at work may cause harm to other. INDIVIDUAL SUMMARY PART B Risk Management on the following areas Employment practice risk management has a veri important effect on employment practices.Best risk management is the proper keeping of the personal records which may give documentation which is important in defending employment claims and have right to review of their own personal file. It is important to maintain performance records for its importance in ability to get lawsuit dismissed or win at trial.Information must be watch out to identify emplyees protection. Documentation must be ensure that it complies with the said requirement.To keep records on separate file for investigation records. Employers must have commitment to risk management ,which may utilize best employment practice,and to reduce wasteful and unnecessary employment litigation and keep premiun on lowest level. Fraud prevention measures is progressed subtantialy over the past years. The market increase in fraud risk assessment activity.Program focused on refining fraud identification and treatment, continue operation in relation to organized fraud, technical and resource capability ust be develop, work in collaboration with other agency to combat fraud and centralise the fraud analysis capability.Capacity to provide predictive warning of impending threats, includes development of appropriate risk mitigation strategies with key internal and external stakeholders. Health and Safety policy is a written policy statement which usually comprises of three elements, a statement section, which peratins about how safety should be manage ad the demonstration of organizations committment to health and safety,organization section where responsibilities are given and fit employees to overall safety management. Arrangement section contains details of specific activities and functions that has to be manage. The policy should cover all aspects the organization and must be relevant to employees. Decision has to made how to set up a policy, in small organization simple statement is more suitable for big organization lengthy policy is needed. The aim of the policy must be related to the level of risk,using the risk assessment it will help determine the explicity that is needed in the arrangement section. Reach of the policy is often the case if there is an overarching or corporate policy that may entail general issues. By informing the policy iit may depend on how big the organization is, if it is small each employee should be given a copy of the policy,if it is big notice board is necessary. What important is that the said policy is being brought to the attention of the employees. Monitoring and review is necessary and must be effective and vital, carrying out of checklist and safety inspectionshould be done so the policy must be effective enough, and also it can be achieve through audits and proper review for management reports and accident investigation. Protection of Physical assests in any business organization there is need for a balance for physical security and do business effectively at the same time. Since all organization faces risk at all times to determine how much is the risk is very important to help determine the apppropriate balance for the competing demands. Is t is necessary to provide a comprehensive approach to identify,apply, and manage physical security measures to safeguard the asset of the organization. Organization is in command to establish, implement, operate,monitor,review, maintain, and improve physical protection system.A policy which covers for commitment and willingness to lead,develop a physical assets protection policy.to establish a complete program that identify,analyze,and evaluate risk to tangible and intangeble assets.People, procedures,technologies and equiptment must be integrted to meet objective of the system, which must be constantly monitor,measure and review. Disaster management by definition it is the effective organization,which directs and utilize the present counter disaster resources which involves activities such as prevention,preparedness, recovery,mitigation and risk reduction and rehabilitation. To take preventive measures is very important to stop a hazard that it may not cause effect to the organization.Preparedness is also taken to anticipate and ensure proper actuons after the occurrence of the said event. Response is the action taken after tha said event. Recovery is the process whish is taken by the affected area, for restoration , Mitigation and risk reduction are measures which is being taken after the aftermath of the eventtaken prior to disaster impact, and lastly is rehabilitation is actions taken in after event to repair their dwellings,re -establishment of essential services and revive economic ans social activities. INDIVIDUAL SUMMARY PART C Vulnerability factors,and impacts program approaches to crisis management and healthcare business continuity planninng for the organization on the following Business Continuity Planning is also called as the business continuity and resiliency planning it may identify exposure of threats with hard and soft assets to give effective prevention and recovery,while still maintains the integrity and value of the organization. In times of adverse physical condition through BCP there is a continuation of the organizations operation. It follows cycle for maintenance, analysis,solution design,implementation and testing and acceptance.It is included in the plan the event that could give negative impact on the organization. If the place is affecte the BCP would be to move to another area which is more safer for the business operation. The impact and crisis scenario would be its basis from the business recovery plan,to plan for most wide-impact is more preferable. Building loss is best example for impact scenario which encompasses most critical business functions. Localized impact scenario would be like loss of a specific floor of the building which need to be documented. Threat assessment scenario is defined as each potential threat that may require unique recovery, such as epidemic,earthquake,fire,flood,cyber attack,sabotage,hurricane, utility outage,terrorismand piracy,war,theft,and random failure of mission critical system. Recovery solution design these may occur after the analysis phase where the technical recovery will follow for the solution phase. Business environments,such as production,distribution and warehouse are the commonly affected.Solution design the most cost effective disaster recovery that qualify on the impact analysis stage.It is a minimum requirement for data. It may determine the solution phase,secondary work areas, telecommunication,data methodology,and physical data requirement.For testing it is a work procedure where the recovery process not usable already,all must be to test as are all work processess for critical functions documented? Is it changed happened on the system for critical functions?is it the documented checklist is accurate and valuable?and last are the documented work process recovered task and may defend the disaster recovery plan pertaining to staff and recovery time objective. Maintenance and update there are three periodic activities for exercising the BCP cycle maintenance manual. Confirmation of the information must be done,roll out the staff for give them awareness for the specific training for individuals, testing and verify solutions which are technical that is needed for recovery operations,testing and verify the organizations recovery procedures. REFERENCES: Manex Strategic Risk management. Retrieved from http://www.manex.au/strategic risk-management. Investopedia-Finanacial Risk.retrieved from: http://www.investopedia/financial risk.aspx When Business Strike. The business case for disruption risk management. (2007) Risk Mitigation 2012.Risk Mitigation retrieved from: http://www.ready.govt. ACC health and safety in workplace.Prevention of injuries.http://www.ac.nz. Ministry of business innovation and employment. Work for health and safety strategy  Retrived from http://www.ministry of health. Specialty insurance blog.(2009) employment practice and risk management retrieved from: http://www specialty insurance-risk-management.html Australian Government.Department of Immigration and Citizenship.Annual report 2009 Risk management and control measures. ANSI approves physical assets protection.2013.http://www.global-asset-protection-standard. Disaster Risk Management.http://www.disaster-management

Reflective practice is an integral part of developing skills to improve

Reflective practice is an integral part of developing skills to improve Reflective writing is as a medium for an individuals reflective capacity to be communicated and examined both internally and externally. Self directed learning is emphasised through reflective writing as students engage in a more holistic approach which uncovers the reasons behind their actions. Experience and learning Moon (2004) emphasised that an individual can both reflect in order to learn or learn as a result of reflecting. Through experiencing new situations medical students are able to learn and develop new skills but the level of learning depends on the depth of reflecting of the experience. This is often why reflection is described as learning through experience. Reflection of an experience is associated with deep learning where the student is able to gain more insight into the decisions behind the actions involved. (Marton,Hounsell, Entwistle 1984) By learning through experience students are able to build on previous knowledge which covers a solid knowledge base that can be applied to changing situations and which experiences can be drawn from. Learning does not stop at reflection but involves the changing in decision making processes and actions that reflection should bring about in future situations. What is learnt from reflection must be put into practice for it to be effective. Kolb (1984) proposed that Learning does not result from having an experience but occurs when an experience is examined, reviewed and reflected upon. This process allows a connection to form between theory and actions where an experience involves preparation, action, reflection and connection back to previous knowledge. Refection involves lifelong learning as the changing nature of medicine and ethical concerns continues to challenge practitioners. Emotions and Reflection William (2002) said Actions are so much more powerful if they arise from both feelings and thoughts. Reflection involves the process of understanding and examining emotions and how they affected a situation. Emotions are an integral part of any experience and it is through reflective practice that the impact emotions has on a situation comes to light. Practitioners have to deal with many different situations that can cause psychological and emotional strain. Reflective writing allows emotions to be dealt with and not compressed. Through expressing personal feelings practitioners are able to be more focused and self-aware which can increase their capacity to feel empathy for patients situations. Empathy makes patients feel more understood and heard and through reflective writing the promotion of understanding of patients situations and vulnerabilities can be achieved. (Squier 1998) Negative feelings can hinder performance through self doubt and lack of confidence but through reflecting on negative experiences these emotions can be used to improve performance and encourage self directed learning. (Olckers, Gibbs, Duncan 2007) Reflective writing allows students to use emotion in their writing which assist in overcoming psychological and emotional barriers which they may face and provides an opportunity to examine potential moral consequences of an action. Reflective writing allows students to deal with their emotions instead of suppressing them and allows the development of strategies to deal and express emotions in different settings. This promotes a sense of practitioner wellbeing where the mental, emotional and spiritual health of practitioners is looked after. Through reflecting on emotions a connection between the medical profession will the rest of society is built where there is less risk of practitioners becoming detached and intolerant. Reflection and learning in the Professions Reflection in the medical practice can be viewed from three directions; reflection-on action, reflection-in action and reflection-for action. (Killion, Todnem ,1991) Donald Schon (1983) developed theory of reflective professional practice by developing reflective- in and reflective-on action. Reflection- in action involves connecting past experience, feelings and knowledge to a current situation. This process allows new insight and understanding to be established in relation to the situation which will influence the decisions made by the medical practitioner as the situation develops. This type of reflection is particularly important to medical practitioners who face complex and new situations regularly and who need to make fast accurate decisions and actions. (Schon 1983) Reflection-on action involves reflecting on a situation that has occurred and analysing decisions made to determine weaknesses or possible improvements that could be implemented in future practice. This form of reflection is often only undertaken when something goes badly or not to plan but it is essential for reflection to take place after experiences that went well to fully reflect on an individuals strengths and weaknesses. There is also pr-action reflection which describes a form of reflection before an action is taken. This form of reflection aims to prepare professionals to be able to deal with situations where there may be no time to reflect in action so it becomes important to reflect prior to action. (Mann, Gordon and MacLeod, 2009)Reflection prior to action is often done unconsciously where future possible actions are accessed and evaluated and goals are set. In medicine if prior knowledge of patients condition is known research through literature, past case studies and communication with other health professions can result so that possible conditions which may be present can be dealt with. Reflection for action can be used to view the situation from a variety of perspective not just from ones self. It can include perspectives of the patient, other health professional and text based knowledge. This form of reflection can reduce mistakes and prepare practitioners for possible unforeseen circumstan ces. (Keith Ong 2011) Reflection and Personal Development Reflective practice is a key skill for medical students to develop and continue to use throughout their medical careers. Reflective practice assists medical students and practitioners to refine their ability and continually challenge their own decisions making process. The goal of reflection according to Epstein, should be to develop not only ones knowledge and skills, but also habits of mind that allow for informed flexibility, ongoing learning and humility, (full text1 19) Personal and professional development is an integral part of the medical profession. This development is cultivated by reflective practice which allows self-assessment and professional identity to be uncovered. Professional identity is established through reflective writing as a medium for practitioners to express their own voice and perspective, and clarify and refine personal values which may be competing or conflicting to others. (Shapiro 2006) Through becoming more self-aware reflective practice allows practitioners to become more engaged and aware during clinical encounters and improve clinical reasoning. This is why reflection has close links to safe practice as critical though has been put into decisions allowing care to be solely patient based. (Bansman 95). Critical examination of decisions allows problem solving skills to enhance which contributes to more effective treatment of patients. Reflection assists in guiding present and future decisions and actions in a competent and knowledgeable way through allowing new experiences to draw on pervious situations to increase understanding of patients and to extend empathy towards them. (Wald 2010) Reflective writing improves clinicians stores of empathy, reflection, and courage Writing that affects the reader is art (Charon 2004) Reflective practice is shown to have many benefits for practitioners not only through clinical skill improvements but assisting in developing the whole person by developing interpersonal skills. Practitioners improve skills of empathy as they are more aware of their patients and their own emotions and how those emotions may effect the consultation or decision made by the patient. Reflective practice allows a connection to form between technical and knowledge based facets and emotional aspects. It aims to develop personal skills which will enhance and guide technical learning and performance in a clinical setting. Through assessing the bigger picture though reflective practice students are able to deal with more complex and unforseen issues. The process of reflection Reflection may be difficult to teach (Stimson 2009, Roberst 2009) although reflective frameworks can assist in engaging individuals with reflective practices and developing skills for future internal reflection. Reflection in a practical setting needs to be continuous for the knowledge uncovered during reflection to be translated into action. Gibbs (1988) created the Five stages of reflection model which can be used as a guide for reflective writing. This model represents the cycle that reflective practice is a part of. The five steps of this model include describe, reflect, research and analyse, decide, act and evaluate. Brookfield (1987) approach to reflection involves using the view points of a number of different perspectives know as the four lenses. It involves researching, analysing and connecting through critical reflection. Conclusion Reflective practice is an important attribute for undergraduate medical students as it increases self-awareness, refines problem making skills and prepares students to deal with complex, unpredictable situations. Through reflection students are able to refine their clinical skills by recognising their strengths and weaknesses which develops personal competence and identity. Although reflection takes time and effort the long term benefits create a more competent and compassionate practitioner

The Benefits of Guide Dogs Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Benefits of Guide Dogs and the Process of Obtaining Them If you are 16 or older, legally blind, and have the ability to love and take care of a dog, you may be a candidate for a guiding eyes dog. Guide dogs help blind or visually impaired people get around the world. In most countries, they are allowed anywhere that the public is allowed, so they can help their handlers be any place they might want to go. To do this, a guide dog must know how to: keep on a direct route, ignoring distractions such as smells, other animals and people, maintain a steady pace to the left and just ahead of the handler, stop at all curbs until told to proceed, turn left and right, move forward and stop on command, recognize and avoid obstacles that the handler won’t be able to fit through (narrow passages and overheads), stop at the bottom and top of stairs until told to proceed, bring the handler to elevator buttons, lie quietly when the handler is sitting down, help the handler to board and move around buses, subways, and other forms of public transport ation, and finally, to obey a number of verbal commands (Fueoco, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Additionally, a guide dog must know to disobey any command that would put the handler in danger. This ability, called selective disobedience, is perhaps the most amazing think about guide dogs – that they can balance obedience with their own assessment of the situation. This capacity is extremely important at crosswalks, where the handler and dog must work very closely together to navigate the situation safely. When the team reaches the curb, the dog stops, signaling to the handler that they have reached a crosswalk. Dogs cannot distinguish the color of traffic lights, so the handler must make the decision of when it is safe to proceed across the road. The handler listens to the flow of traffic to figure out when the light has changed and then gives the command, â€Å"forward.† If there is no danger, the dog proceeds across the road in a straight line. If there are cars approaching, the dog waits until the danger is gone and then follows the forward command.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a handler – guide dog team, the guide dog doesn’t lead the handler and the handler doesn’t completely control the guide dog; the two work together t... ...to the puppy - raisers if they are thinking of one day owning a dog but are unaware of the responsibility that comes along with it. Puppy – raisers are also just doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, which is a great thing, in my eyes. I believe that the process in which these dogs go through is necessary, and extremely important if there is expected success. Success, of course, is the ability of a blind person and dog to work together and live happily. The dog serves as eyes for the owner, and the owner is a companion to a dog that is required to have much socialization during training. It is not difficult to see how wonderful this practice of guide dog training can be, and the substantial benefits that develop once the training is completed. Works Cited: Fueoco, Linda. â€Å"Guide Dog Educates Students, Gives Owner Mobility.† Pet Tales. 1.2 (October 2001). Oct. 2001. http://www.post - gazette.com/pets/20001025spet.asp http://penny.myriad.net/chosen.html http://www.guidedogs.com.au/faq/faq_dog.html http://www.guiding-eyes.org/info/getdog.html http://thepuppyplace.org/page19.html http://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/pupraise/about.html

Incest in Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays

Incest in A Thousand Acres Incest in A Thousand Acres invades all the other items: it is there, and is crucial for everything that happens, but it is hidden beneath the surface of appearances. Tim Keppel has pointed out not only that "Smiley's major departure [...] is her decision to tell the story from the viewpoint of Ginny and explore the inner lives of the so-called 'evil' sisters" (Keppel, p.105), but that "Smiley makes her most dramatic re-vision of Shakespeare" (Keppel, p.109) in the storm scene. This has traditionally been the scene when the audience form a bond of sympathy with King Lear because of his pathetic insanity, while in A Thousand Acres, the focus of the narrative stays with the sisters and gives us a strong reason to form a bond of sympathy with them instead: Rose tells Ginny about the incest they both underwent, but that Ginny has suppressed from memory. Rose inhaled, held her breath. Then she said, "He was having sex with you. [...] After he stopped going in to you, he started coming in to me, and those are the things he said to me, an that's what we did. We had sex in my bed." (189-190) That Larry has complete control of the lives of Rose and Ginny is already evident, and now we understand more of why. It is not only a matter of sexual abuse, but of asserting a perverted form of power. This is one of the links formed within the framework of the novel between women and nature: They are objects of property. "You were as much his as I was", Rose says. "There was no reason for him to assert his possession of me more than his possession of you. We were just his, to do with as he pleased, like the pond or the houses or the hogs or the crops." (191). All of this is subject to the power inscribed in Larry and the system he embodies. This connection is given a more general relevance in the overall political project of the novel, transcending the workings of one malfunctional family. First, because Larry follows a long line of patriarchal power structures: "You see this grand history, but I see blows.[...] Do I think Daddy came up with beating and fucking us on his own?[...] No. I think he had lessons, and those were part of the package, along with the land and the lust to run things exactly the way he wanted to.

Project Management Process [in Construction]

ADVANCE PROJECT MANAGEMENT Project Management Process [In Construction Project] Ibtisam, Badar Reg. No— CIIT/SP13-RPM-292/CVC CIIT/SP13-RPMEmail: [email  protected] edu. pk Project Management Process | 2 Project Management Processes A PROJECT MANAGEMENT Process is the management process of planning and controlling the performance or execution of a project. Project management is one of the critical processes of any project. This is due to the fact that project management is the core process that connects all other project activities and processes together.Project management is a responsible process. The project management process connects all other project activities together and creates the harmony in the project. Therefore, the project management team should have a detailed understanding on the all project management processes and the tools that they can make use for each project management process. When it comes to the activities of project management, there are plenty. Ho wever, these plenty of project management activities can be categorized into five main processes. THE FIVE PROJECT PROCESS GROUPS . Initiation 2. Planning 3. Implementation / Execution 4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Control 5. Closure Project Management Process | 3 Project Management Process [In Construction Project] In my all working career, I only deal with two types of projects, i. e. IT and Construction Project. So if someone asks to me where you have to invest, I will prefer these two areas. In this report, I’m discussing about construction project management process. As I believe, construction is a field which boosts jobs and help in unemployment.In this report, I want to talk about project management process according to new project of Housing society or Villas construction project. I will consider this project according to each phase and step of project management process. Project Initiating The Initiating phase of the Construction project management process is where the project gets defined and authorized by management. The inputs to this phase are usually a statement of work or a contract given to you by the project sponsor. Other inputs are the environmental factors of your organization such as policies, procedures, and cultures to name a few.The output of the Initiating process is a Project Charter, focus on project scope and costs issue, set major milestones, and a Preliminary Project Scope Statement. We value leading the Project with a commitment that allows for nothing but success. By embracing new ideas, working well with our partners, meeting challenges with enthusiasm, and serving as positive advocates for the project, we will provide the leadership required for exceptional delivery. We value managing the Project well by clarifying our priorities, defining expectations and directing all efforts toward addressing the most critical issues first.Working hard to determine what must be done to guide potential toward opportunity will provide th e focus we need to succeed. We value the resources entrusted to us. By developing and recognizing our staff, practicing fiscal responsibility, measuring and reporting on performance, delivering what we promise, keeping to a schedule, and communicating with honesty and transparency, we will demonstrate our integrity. Measures of Success †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Safety: No Recordable or lost time injuries and reportable injuries lower than the industry average Schedule: Meet or eat established project milestones Budget: Manage risks to contain costs within budget Quality: Conform to project requirements without adverse effects on milestones or budget Environmental Compliance: Complete project without permit violations. Public Perception: Strong Community Support Through Effective Communication Project Management Process | 4 Project Planning Once a contract has been awarded: It is the responsibility of the project staff to review the item material lists and arran ge for deletion of material codes that will not be required.They shall also request addition of item material codes that they determine are necessary. Site Manager staff reviews the uploaded data in Site Manager for accuracy prior to making a project active. If the contract contains more than one category, the site manager staff will discuss with the project engineer and supervising engineer (SE) the need to keep the multiple categories. The SE will determine if the Site Manager staff should process an administrative construction order to combine Categories with like federal funding. A preconstruction meeting with the Contractor must be held for all Contracts awarded.The purposes of the meeting are: †¢ To review the Contract, especially job-specific special provisions. †¢ To discuss Project features, particularly those that may present problems. †¢ To discuss Environmental Permits and concerns. †¢ To discuss the potential problems of water pollution and soil eros ion. †¢ To review the Contractor's proposed progress schedule. †¢ To review the methods of handling traffic. †¢ To review sampling and testing requirements for materials to be used throughout the construction process. Project Management Process | 5 To address any of the Contractors’ questions concerning the plans and the Contract. Any problems that cannot be resolved at this meeting will be reviewed with the District office, and the final determination will be transmitted to all concerned, and if feasible, incorporated in the written report of the meeting. Start and completion dates for utilities must also be sent to: †¢ the Manager of Fiscal and Special Projects, and †¢ The Transportation Utilities Engineer. Notification should be sent to both of the above within seven days of effective completion date so final audits can be performed.The original of all memorandums regarding project status must be addressed and sent to the Construction Division Chie f. The functional requirements for construction planning such as technology choice, work breakdown, and budgeting. Construction planning is not an activity which is restricted to the period after the award of a contract for construction. It should be an essential activity during the facility design. Also, if problems arise during construction, re-planning is required. Project Implementation/ExecutionIn this stage we deal with contract management, Construction Management , and cost management. The integration of the different design aspects almost always requires that changes in approach be made in each aspect to accommodate the others. Such changes should be made as early in the design of the building as possible, since the time and work required in making changes increases rapidly as the design becomes more detailed. It is helpful therefore to have a systematic approach to the coordination of these approaches, and the Design Brief is a good opportunity for providing this.It is sugg ested that some initial indications are included in the Design Brief at the project inception stage, and that the consultants amend these as the design develops. The building envelope consists of all the different elements that make up the fabric of the building, such as the floor, walls, windows and roof. Most of the design decisions relating to the building envelope are the responsibility of the architect and structural engineer. They have a large impact on the thermal performance of the building, and it is therefore essential that the performance of the envelope is coordinated with the design of the HVAC system.This is the area that offers most opportunities for improved building performance through an integrated design approach. Project Management Process | 6 Monitoring, Evaluation & Control In this portion we deal with risk management, quality management and also do many kind of testing. Quality control starts with matching expectations about quality levels with budget and scop e during planning and design reviews and continues through construction delivery with a program of inspections, tests, and certifications.It requires a coordinated performance among the entire project team in order for a completed building program to fully satisfy a client's and the building users' expectations. Having a process implemented at the beginning of the project will help define the goals as well as provide a continuous measurement system over time to make sure the objectives are being met. The responsibility rests withe project team and the project owner. Also the manager who has †general management† or †project owner† jurisdiction also shares in the residual responsibility.This process is done at many levels such as: – The individual professional's level – The work package level – The functional manager's level – The project team level – The general manager's level – The project owner's level Project audit s provide the opportunity to have an independent appraisal of where the project stands and the efficiency and effectiveness with which the project is being managed. Audits can be planned periodicly, but also requested when there is a sense that the project is in trouble, or when a new manager takes over in order to become accustomed with the project.Project audits should: – Determine what is going right or wrong, and why – Identify forces and factors that have prevented achievements of cost, schedule, and technical performance goals and Evaluate the efficacy of existing project management strategy – Provide for an exchange of ideas, information, problems, solutions, and strategies with the project team members The task is to manage the project as it progresses, using the project control systems to maximum advantage. Project control is best analyzed by applying the factors of a unique operation, following its output and measuring its results.All factors are to be considered; labor, materials and equipment. One might also have to consider the role of the subcontractors, as they affect the sequencing of a task. In measuring the factors, the project manager must key in on the productivity of his labor force, measuring output over a given period of time. From these results, the project manager can then make a comparison against the project estimate, and against the objectives to meet the expected goals. To be affected in managing the project, the project manager must exercise three modes of operation.These three modes are planning, communicating and monitoring of the project. The project must be well-planned, each factor of the plan properly communicated, carefully monitored and controlled. Proper planning involves one of the initiatives of the goal setting process, the preparation of the schedules, a solid logistics plan and time-based general conditions established to monitor all phases of construction. The limits of construction should be cl ear and they must comply with the language of Project Management Process | 7 the contract documents. Collectively, these are the tools needed to compile this information.It must then be the commitment of the project superintendent and labor forces to carry out the tasks within these limits. To properly implement the plan, the plan must be communicated in such a fashion that there is full understanding of its purpose. One successful mode is the construction schedule. This guide to the project must clearly show each activity starting and finishing dates, duration, resources, long lead item purchasing schedule, submittal dates, purchasing dates, materials delivery to site dates all tied together by meaningful relationships, the networking between tasks. Closer & conclusionAs part of the Project Closure Plan, Suring success of a project the Project Manager needs to remain mindful of the close-out activities that bring a job to its responsible end. The process involves several very impor tant accomplishments that are clearly defined in the construction documents usually in the general conditions section of the specification book. To be successful it is always prudent to be informed and prepared. At the startup of the project a review of each trade section would further help identify needed final submittal information, that each of your subcontractors would be obligated to produce to complete their contract.It is now time to make a close out checklist. This checklist is an excellent tool to include in each subcontract, locking each subcontractor into ownership of their respective final submittal material, whether it is warranties, record drawings, or operation and maintenance manuals a clear reminder at the set time of contract signing is a good way to identify that you are in control. Referencing this information at the halfway point of a longer project would allow you to focus on closing out subcontracts of early finish work completed early, reducing your challenge s at the end of the project.The close-out materials are generally comparable to the submission materials required for approval by the architect at the start-up of the work by any trade. At the end of the project a manual including all of these pieces of literature are assembled and you publish this collection to the client via the architect. Additional information may include as-built drawings; replications of the architect plans with markups that identify the changes made and approved throughout the construction period and most certainly, letters of warrantee from each participating subcontractor. process will be developed that will address the things most important to employees as they explore options for their future. During this process, the management team promises to: †¢ Be open and honest about decisions that affect an employee’s position on the team †¢ Work directly with employees to allow opportunities inside and outside the project to develop new skills an d refine existing ones †¢ Promptly communicate to employee’s project changes that might affect them.We want to keep employees engaged in the current project and ensure that they are ready for new challenges. Employees can share immediate and long-term plans by completing the Employee Interest Survey described above. The employee’s manager will schedule an informal meeting to discuss the employee’s responses in the Interest Survey. The outcome of this meeting will be to turn those short and long-term goals into an action plan.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 4

November 5, 1864 It feels like so long ago, but in reality little time has passed since my transformation, since my father killed me. It was barely a month past that Damon and I tried to save Katherine's life, and her blood saved ours. Barely a month since I was a living, warm-blooded human, who sustained himself on meals of meat and vegetables, cheese and wine – and who slept in a feather bed, with clean linen sheets. Yet it feels like a lifetime, and by some definitions, I suppose it is. But just as quickly as my fortunes turned after New Orleans, leaving me to live as a vagrant in a rocky hollow in the park, here I am at a proper desk under a leaded window, a thick rug at my feet. How quickly I am slipping back into human ways! The Sutherlands seem like a kind family. I picture tempestuous Bridget and her long-suffering older sister as mirror versions of Damon and myself. I never appreciated how harmless Damon's and my father's fights were back when they were just about horses and girls. I was always terrified one of them would say or do something that would end forever what semblance of a family we had left. Now that my father is dead and my brother and I are . . . what we are, I realize how much more serious things can get, and how simple and easy life was before. I shouldn't even stay here, even tonight. I should sneak out the window and flee to my place of exile. Being enfolded in the warm, living embrace of the Sutherland family for any amount of time, no matter how short, is dangerous and deceptive. It makes me feel like I could almost belong to the world of humans again. They don't realize they have welcomed a predator into their midst. All that would need to happen is for me to lose control once, to slip from my room right now and take my fill of one of them, and their lives would be filled with tragedy – just as mine became when Katherine arrived on our doorstep. Family has always been the most important thing to me, and I would be lying if I didn't admit how comforting it is to be among people who love one another, if only for one borrowed night. . . . For the first time since I'd left New Orleans, I rose with the sun, intent to slip out of the mansion and disappear into the morning mists before anyone came to wake me. But it was hard to resist the pull of crisp linen sheets, the soft mattress, the shelves of books, and the painted ceiling of my room. After admiring the fresco of winged cherubs above me, I pushed off the soft covers and forced myself out of bed. Every muscle in my body rippled under my pale skin, full of strength and Power, but every bone in my rib cage showed. The Sutherlands had taken my clothes to be washed but hadn't given me a nightshirt. I enjoyed the feeling of morning sunlight on my flesh, the glowing warmth fighting with the chill in the room. Though I'd never forgive Katherine for turning me into a monster, I was grateful at least for her lapis lazuli ring that protected me from the sun's otherwise fatal rays. The window was open the slightest bit, ushering a cool breeze into the room and setting the diaphanous curtains aflutter. Though temperature no longer affected me, I closed the window, locking the latch with some puzzlement. I could have sworn all the windows had been shut tight last night. Before I had time to further consider the matter, the tell-tale thump of a heartbeat sounded close by, and after a light knock, the door cracked open. Lydia stuck her head in, then immediately blushed and looked away from my nearly naked form. â€Å"Father was afraid you might try to leave without saying good-bye. I was sent to make sure you didn't charm a maid into helping you.† â€Å"I'm hardly in a state to sneak away,† I said, covering my chest with my arms. â€Å"I will need my pants to do that.† â€Å"Henry will be up shortly with your trousers, freshly pressed,† she said, keeping her eyes on the ground. â€Å"In the meantime, there is a bathing room just down the hall to the right. Please feel free to refresh yourself, and then come down to breakfast.† I nodded, feeling trapped. â€Å"And, Stefan.† Lydia looked up briefly and met my eye. â€Å"I do hope you'll be able to locate a shirt as well.† Then she smiled and slipped away. When I finally came downstairs for breakfast, the entire Sutherland clan was waiting for me – even Bridget, who was alive and stuffing toast into her face like she hadn't eaten in a fortnight. Except for a slight paleness to her complexion, it was impossible to tell that she'd nearly died the night before. Everyone turned and gasped as I approached. Apparently, I cut a different figure from the hero in shirtsleeves the night before. With freshly polished fine Italian shoes, neat pants, a new clean shirt, and a borrowed jacket Winfield had sent up for me, I was every inch the gentleman. I'd even washed my face and combed my hair back. â€Å"Cook made you some grits, if you like,† Mrs. Sutherland said, indicating a bowl of gloppy white stuff. â€Å"We don't usually indulge, but thought our Southern guest might.† â€Å"Thank you, ma'am,† I said, taking the empty seat next to Bridget and eyeing the spread on the large wooden table. After my mother passed away, Damon, my father, and I made it a habit to dine casually with the men who we employed on the plantation. Breakfast was often the simple stuff of workers, hominy and biscuits, bread and syrup, rashers of bacon. What was laid out at the Winfield residence put to shame the finest restaurants in Virginia. English-style toast in delicate wire holders, five different types of jam, two kinds of bacon, johnnycakes, syrup, even freshly squeezed orange juice. The delicate plates had blue Dutch patterns, and there was more silverware than I was accustomed to seeing at a formal dinner. Wishing I still had a human appetite – and ignoring the fire in my veins that thirsted for blood – I pretended to dig in. â€Å"Much obliged,† I said. â€Å"So this is my little sister's savior,† said the one woman in the room I didn't know. â€Å"Allow me to introduce the eldest of my daughters,† Winfield said. â€Å"This is Margaret. First married. And first with grandchildren, we're hoping.† â€Å"Papa,† Margaret admonished, before turning her attention back to me. â€Å"Pleased to meet you.† Where Bridget was full of life and the plumpness of youth and Lydia was the elegant, cultivated one, Margaret had something of a practical and inquisitive good sense, an earthiness that showed in questioning blue eyes. Her hair was black and inclined to straightness. â€Å"We were just discussing what prompted my child's rash actions,† Winfield said, bringing the conversation back to the previous night. â€Å"I don't know why I ran off,† Bridget pouted, drawing deeply from a cup of orange juice. The older sisters gave each other looks, but their father leaned closer, worry lines marring his forehead. â€Å"I just felt that I absolutely had to leave. So I did.† â€Å"It was foolish and dangerous,† her mother reprimanded, shaking her napkin. â€Å"You could have died!† â€Å"I am glad to see you are doing so well today,† I said politely. Bridget grinned, displaying teeth that had little bits of orange pulp stuck in them. â€Å"Yes. About that.† Margaret spoke up, tapping her egg spoon on the side of her plate. â€Å"You say you found her covered in blood in the park?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I answered warily, taking the smallest piece of bacon on my plate. This sister sounded more astute than the others and wasn't afraid to ask uncomfortable questions. â€Å"There was a lot of blood, and Bridget's dress was torn.† Margaret pressed, â€Å"Did you find it odd that there was no actual wound?† â€Å"Uh,† I stammered. My mind raced. What could I say? The blood was someone else's? â€Å"I thought there was a knife wound last night,† Mrs. Sutherland said, pursing her lips and thinking. â€Å"But it was just clotted blood, and wiping it down cleared it away.† Margaret pierced me with her eyes. â€Å"Maybe she was afflicted with a nosebleed . . . ?† I mumbled lamely. â€Å"So you're saying that you didn't see any attacker when you came upon my sister?† Margaret asked. â€Å"Oh, Meggie, you and your interrogations,† Winfield said. â€Å"It's a miracle that Bridge is all right. Thank goodness Stefan here found her when he did.† â€Å"Yes. Of course. Thank goodness,† Margaret said. â€Å"And what were you doing in the park last night by yourself?† she continued smoothly. â€Å"Walking,† I said, same as I had answered her father the night before. In the bright light of morning, it struck me as odd that Winfield had asked me nothing more than my name and why I'd been in the park. In times like these, and after his daughter had just suffered a great blow, it was hardly standard to accept a stranger into one's home. Then again, my father had offered refuge to Katherine when she'd arrived in Mystic Falls, playing the part of an orphan. A nagging piece of me wondered if our story could have ended differently, if the entire Salvatore brood would still be alive, if only we'd pressed Katherine for answers about her past, rather than tiptoeing around the tragedy she'd claimed had taken her parents' lives. Of course, Katherine had Damon and me so deeply in her thrall, perhaps it would have made no difference. Margaret leaned forward, not politely giving up the way Winfield had the night before. â€Å"You're not from around here, I take it?† â€Å"I'm from Virginia,† I answered as she opened her mouth to form the next, obvious question. In a strange way, it made me feel better to offer this family something real. Besides, soon enough I would be out of this house, out of their lives, and it wouldn't matter what they knew about me. â€Å"Whereabouts?† she pressed. â€Å"Mystic Falls.† â€Å"I've never heard of it.† â€Å"It's fairly small. Just one main street and some plantations.† There was some shuffling movement under the table, and I could only assume that either Bridget or Lydia was trying to give Margaret a good kick. If the blow was successful, Margaret gave no sign. â€Å"Are you an educated man?† she continued. â€Å"No, ma'am. I planned to study at the University of Virginia. The war put a stop to that.† â€Å"War is good for no one,† Winfield said as he stabbed a piece of bacon with his fork. â€Å"The war put a stop to much casual travel back and forth between the states,† Margaret added. â€Å"What's that to do with anything?† Bridget demanded. â€Å"Your sister is suggesting that it's an odd time for me to come north,† I explained. â€Å"But my father recently died. . . .† â€Å"From the war?† Bridget demanded breathlessly. Lydia and Mrs. Sutherland glared at her. â€Å"Indirectly,† I answered. A war had claimed my father's life, a war against vampires – against me. â€Å"My town . . . it burned, and there was nothing left for me anymore.† â€Å"So you came north,† Lydia said. â€Å"To try your hand at business, maybe?† Winfield suggested hopefully. Here was a man with three daughters, three beautiful daughters, but no sons. No one to share cigars and brandy with, no one to push and encourage and compete with in the world of business. I was both worried and amused by the gleam in his eye when he looked at me. Surely there were families with sons in Manhattan who would make for more auspicious marital alliances. â€Å"Whatever I can do, I aim to make my way in the world on my own,† I replied, taking a sip of coffee. I would have to, without Lexi or Katherine to guide me. And if I ever saw Damon again, the only thing he would guide me toward was a newly sharpened stake. â€Å"Where are you living?† Margaret continued. â€Å"Do you have family here?† I cleared my throat, but before I had to tell my first real lie, Bridget groaned. â€Å"Meggie, I'm bored of this interrogation!† A hint of a smile bloomed on Lydia's lips, and she quickly hid it behind her napkin. â€Å"What would you prefer to talk about?† â€Å"Yourself?† Margaret said with an arched brow. â€Å"Yes, actually!† Bridget said, looking around the table. Her eyes glowed as green as Callie's, but with her petulance on full display, she no longer reminded me of my lost love. â€Å"I still don't know why I ran out on the party.† Margaret rolled her eyes. Lydia shook her head. â€Å"I mean, you should have seen the looks I got!† she started up, waving her knife in the air for emphasis. â€Å"Flora's dress was the worst, especially considering she's a newly married woman. And my new sash – oh no, was it ruined last night? I would hate to have it ruined! Mama! Was it on me when Stefan brought me home? We have to go back to the park and look for it!† â€Å"How about we go back to the park and look for the person who tried to kill you,† Margaret suggested. â€Å"We've already had a discussion with Inspector Warren about it. He promises a thorough investigation,† Mrs. Sutherland said. â€Å"But, Bridget, you must promise not to run off from the Chesters' ball this evening or I will be forced to stand watch over you in your bedroom.† Bridget crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. â€Å"And neither shall you run off,† Mrs. Sutherland said more pointedly to Lydia. The middle sister blushed. â€Å"Lydia has fallen in love with an Italian count,† Bridget confided, her pout evaporating as she indulged in gossip. â€Å"We all hope he asks her hand in marriage – wouldn't that be splendid? Then we'd all be like royalty, sort of, and not just rich merchants. Imagine, Lydia a countess!† Winfield laughed nervously. â€Å"Bridget . . .† Bridget fluttered her thick eyelashes. â€Å"It's so wonderful that Lydia has a suitor, much less a count. After Meggie was wed, I was afraid Mother and Papa would become traditional and not let me marry until Lydia did and who knew how long that was going to take.† â€Å"Lydia is . . . particular,† Mrs. Sutherland said. â€Å"Oh really, Mama,† Bridget rolled her eyes. â€Å"As if anyone even had an interest before. And now she has a count. It's really . . . it's really not fair, you know, if you think about it . . . if I had a proper coming out . . .† I shifted in my seat, at once embarrassed for everyone, and yet glad to be involved in something as ordinary as a family squabble. This was the first time I'd been among company since leaving Lexi in New Orleans. â€Å"So many handsome, strange men in our lives these days,† Margaret said, somewhere between whimsy and warning. â€Å"What an odd coincidence, Mr. Salvatore. Perhaps I needn't make the grand tour, after all.† â€Å"Hush now, Margaret,† Winfield said. â€Å"And actually I have no one to go to the Chesters' with anyhow, Mama,† Bridget was continuing, actually growing red in the face as if she was trying quite hard to cry. She looked at me sidelong the entire time. â€Å"I am sure Milash won't escort me after last night. . . . I am in dire need of rescue. . . .† Bridget widened her green eyes at her father. Winfield frowned and stroked his muttonchops thoughtfully. In that moment, Bridget seemed as powerful as a vampire, able to compel her father to her every wish. Margaret put a hand to her head as if it ached. â€Å"Mr. Salvatore will take you,† Winfield said, gesturing at me with a fork full of biscuit. â€Å"He's rescued you once; I'm sure he's a gentleman who wouldn't leave you in distress again.† All eyes were turned on me. Bridget perked up, smiling at me like a kitten just offered a bowl of cream. I balked. â€Å"I'm afraid I haven't the proper attire . . .† I began. â€Å"Oh, that is solved easily enough,† Mrs. Sutherland said with a knowing smile. â€Å"Once again,† Lydia murmured, too low for anyone else to hear, â€Å"we are holding poor Mr. Salvatore at our mercy. With pants.†