Crime and punishment morally ambigous character Essay

Several morally ambiguous characters played different vital roles in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In fact, most characters illustrated in this twisted novel can be evaluated as possesing â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† qualities. Sonia Marmeladov is especially ambiguous and important in this novel. Her contradicting social and moral statuses along with her contrasting roles as a saintly liberator and sinner allowed Sonia to play a crucial role throughout the novel. Not only that but her character further strengthens the theme of religious awakening. At times Sonia’s character becomes hard to categorize as â€Å"good† or â€Å"evil† because of her actions. The first descriptions the reader gets of Sonia are from her drunk father, Marmeladov. She has lived her life with little money, poor housing conidtions described as having â€Å"every sign of povery† (294). Sonia tries to make an honest living by making linen shirts but â€Å"do you suppose that a respectable poor girl can earn much by hard work? Not fifteen farthings a day can she earn†(15). Not merely enough to support a family along with her drunk father’s habits. So Sonia eventually becomes a prositute in order to to support her family and gains a â€Å"yellow ticket† (16) This is what gained Sonia her title as a sinner and which puts her character at question. However, Marmeladov explains to Raskolnikov how Sonia goes to them â€Å"mostly after dark, she comforts Katerina Ivanorna and gives her all she can†( 16). This part of Sonia’s character depicts her as a loving daughter willing to sacrifice herself to save her family. This portrayal in some ways resembles Christ as â€Å"He himself bore our sins† in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. † He sarcrificed himself as she sacrifies herself. Does that change the fact that she is committing a sin? No of course not and that is exactly where the conflict of her morality takes place. The world sees her in â€Å"such an attire†(163)which puts her to shame in her â€Å"guady finery† (163) Yet the reader sees a young, timid girl who was pushed to take drastic decisions in her life. It is Sonia’s actions which are â€Å"evil† but her purpose and pure soul make her more saintly than most of the character’s in the novel. Because her character plays this role, it is her who helps Raskolnikov find his religious faith and who leads him to finally come clean later on in the book. Another circumstance where Sonya is morally ambiguous is where she has to decide to either have a relationship with Raskolnikov, or leave him out of the picture when he tells her that it is he who murdered the pawnbroker. Sonya knows that it is right to help Raskolnikov because he could be lost and go even deeper into his madness. However, Sonya knows that Raskolnikov is a killer and it would be wrong to be associated with somebody who knowingly commits sins as extravagant as murder. Sonya is also aware that Raskolnikov has issues and his madness could drive him to do other things that could lead to even worse consequences. Sonia does tell Raskolnikov that he must turn himself in and confess his sins but she also hugs him and kisses him as to comfort him. Her odd response is to tell Raskolnikov â€Å"I will follow you, I will follow you everywhere†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I’ll follow you to Siberia† (407). As she tries to find a valid excuse as to why he killed those women, she finds that there was no good intentions in his mind, yet she still sticks by Raskolnikov’s side. This response leaves the reader wondering whether Sonia is doing this to help a lost soul and play her role as a saintly liberator or does her love blind her and is she simply not caring that what Raskolnikov committed was murder. However, even though the last part of the book depicts Sonia as an accomplice to a morally wrong crime, the epilogue illustrates her as a saintly liberator. In Siberia, the image which she carried back in part one and part two of the book are stripped and she is loved by the prisoners in the camp. They even called her â€Å"little mother Sofya Semyonovna†(538), and although it is clearly stated that Sonia herself did nothing special to be liked, their preference for her depicts that they sensed her moral â€Å"goodness. † Without direct statement, Sonia herself was the reason why Raskolnikov felt in some way his religious reawakening. Through her unconditional love, she and her role made this â€Å"story of a gradual renewal of a man† (542) happen. Dostoevsky theme of religion was carried on and developed by Sonia’s character through her moral ambiguity. Though her character appears to be immoral in several cases, in the epilogue the reader sees how it all comes together and how Doestoevsky uses Sonya illustrates important social and political issues that were of concern to him, such as the treatment of women, the effects of poverty, the importance of religious faith, and the importance of devotion to family.

Managed Care Organization Essay

USLegal.com A managed care organization (MCO) is a health care provider or a group or organization of medical service providers who offers managed care health plans. It is a health organization that contracts with insurers or self-insured employers and finances and delivers health care using a specific provider network and specific services and products. They provide a wide variety of quality and managed health care services to enrolled workers keeping medical costs down through preventative medicine, patient education, and in other ways. These organizations are certified by the director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). MCOs vary in their constitution as some organizations are made of physicians, while others are combinations of physicians, hospitals, and other providers. For instance, a group practice without walls, independent practice association, management services organization, and a physician practice management company are the common MCO’s. Patient Advocate Foundation Providers of care, such as hospitals, physicians, laboratories, clinics, etc., make up a â€Å"managed care organization† delivery system often known as an â€Å"MCO.† Seven common MCO models are: 1. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) An arrangement whereby a third-party payer (health plan) contracts with a group of medical-care providers who furnish services at agreed-upon rates in return for prompt payment and a certain volume of patients, perhaps under contract with a private insurer. The services may be furnished at discounted rates, and the insured population may incur out-of-pocket expenses for covered services received outside the PPO if the outside charge exceeds the PPO payment rate. 2. Point-of-Service Plan (POS) Also known as an open-ended HMO, POS plans encourage, but do not require, members to choose a primary care physician. As in traditional HMOs, the primary care physician may act as a â€Å"gatekeeper† when making referrals; plan members may, however, opt to visit out-of-network providers at their discretion. Subscribers choosing not to use a network physician must pay higher deductibles and co-payments than those using network physicians. 3. Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) A  network of providers that have agreed to provide services on a discounted basis. Enrollees typically do not need referrals for services from network providers (including specialists), but if a patient elects to seek care outside of the network, then he or she will not be reimbursed for the cost of the treatment. An EPO typically does not provide the preventive benefits and quality assurance monitor. 4. Physician-Hospital Organization (PHO) A contracted arrangement among physicians and hospital wherein a single entity, the Physician Hospital Organization, contracts to provide services to insurers’ subscribers. 5. Individual Practice Association (IPA) A formal organization of physicians or other providers through which they may enter into contractual relationships with health plans or employers to provide certain benefits or services. 6. Managed Indemnity Program A program in which the insurer pays for the cost of covered services after services have been rendered and uses various tools to monitor cost-effectiveness, such as precertification, second surgical opinion, case management, and utilization review. Also called managed fee-for-service programs. 7. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) HMOs offer prepaid, comprehensive health coverage for both hospital and physician services. An HMO contracts with health care providers, e.g., physicians, hospitals, and other health professionals, and members are required to use participating providers for all health services. Model types include staff, group practice, network, and IPA. They differ in their financial and organizational arrangements between the HMO and its physicians. Some HMOs combine various attributes of the four principal models. WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES When a person decides to enroll in Family Care, they become a member of a managed care organization (MCO). MCOs operate the Family Care program and provide or coordinate services in the Family Care benefit. The Family Care benefit combines funding and services from a variety of existing programs into one flexible long-term care benefit, tailored to each individual’s needs, circumstances and preferences. View a list of items covered in the Family Care benefit package. In order to assure access to services, MCOs develop and manage a comprehensive network of long-term care services and support, either through purchase of service contracts with providers, or by  direct service provision by MCO employees. MCOs are responsible for assuring and continually improving the quality of care and services consumers receive. MCOs receive a per person per month payment to manage care for their members, who may be living in their own homes, group living situations, or nursing facilities. Some highlights of the Family Care benefit are: When a person decides to enroll in Family Care, they become a member of a managed care organization (MCO). MCOs operate the Family Care program and provide or coordinate services in the Family Care benefit. The Family Care benefit combines funding and services from a variety of existing programs into one flexible long-term care benefit, tailored to each individual’s needs, circumstances and preferences. View a list of items covered in the Family Care benefit package. In order to assure access to services, MCOs develop and manage a comprehensive network of long-term care services and support, either through purchase of service contracts with providers, or by direct service provision by MCO employees. MCOs are responsible for assuring and continually improving the quality of care and services consumers receive. MCOs receive a per person per month payment to manage care for their members, who may be living in their own homes, group living situations, or nursing facilities. Some highlights of the Family Care benefit are: People Receive Services Where They Live. MCO members receive Family Care services where they live, which may be in their own home or supported apartment, or in alternative residential settings such as Residential Care Apartment Complexes, Community-Based Residential Facilities, Adult Family Homes, Nursing Homes, or Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. People Receive Interdisciplinary Case Management. Each member has support from an interdisciplinary team that consists of, at a minimum, a social worker/care manager and a Registered Nurse. Other professionals, as appropriate, also participate as members of the interdisciplinary team. The interdisciplinary team conducts a comprehensive  assessment of the member’s needs, abilities, preferences and values with the consumer and his or her representative, if any. The assessment looks at areas such as activities of daily living, physical health, nutrition, autonomy and self-determination, communication, and mental health and cognition. People Participate in Determining the Services They Receive. Members or their authorized representatives take an active role with the interdisciplinary team in developing their care plans. MCOs provide support and information to assure members are making informed decisions about their needs and the services they receive. Members may also participate in the Self-Directed Supports component of Family Care, in which they have increased control over their long-term care budgets and providers. People Receive Family Care Services that Include: Long-Term Care Services that have traditionally been part of the Medicaid Waiver programs or the Community Options Program. These include services such as adult day care, home modifications, home delivered meals and supportive home care. Health Care Services that help people achieve their long-term care outcomes. These services include home health, skilled nursing, mental health services, and occupational, physical and speech therapy. For Medicaid recipients, health care services not included in Family Care are available through the Medicaid fee-for-service program. People Receive Help Coordinating Their Primary Health Care. In addition to assuring that people get the health and long-term care services in the Family Care benefit package, the MCO interdisciplinary teams also help members coordinate all their health care, including, if needed, helping members get to and communicate with their physicians and helping them manage their treatments and medications. People Receive Services to Help Achieve Their Employment Objectives. Services such as daily living skills training, day treatment, pre-vocational services and supported employment are included in the Family Care benefit package. Other Family Care services such as transportation and personal care also help people meet their employment goals. People Receive the Services that Best Achieve Their Outcomes. The MCO is not restricted to providing only the specific services listed in the Family Care benefit package. The MCO interdisciplinary care management team and the member may decide that other services, treatments or supports are  more likely to help the member achieve his or her outcomes, and the MCO would then authorize those services in the member’s care plan. For a complete list of the services that must be offered by MCOs, refer to the description of the long-term care benefit package in the Health and Community Supports Contract. People Receive Services Where They Live. MCO members receive Family Care services where they live, which may be in their own home or supported apartment, or in alternative residential settings such as Residential Care Apartment Complexes, Community-Based Residential Facilities, Adult Family Homes, Nursing Homes, or Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. People Receive Interdisciplinary Case Management. Each member has support from an interdisciplinary team that consists of, at a minimum, a social worker/care manager and a Registered Nurse. Other professionals, as appropriate, also participate as members of the interdisciplinary team. The interdisciplinary team conducts a comprehensive assessment of the member’s needs, abilities, preferences and values with the consumer and his or her representative, if any. The assessment looks at areas such as activities of daily living, physical health, nutrition, autonomy and self-determination, communication, and mental health and cognition. People Participate in Determining the Services They Receive. Members or their authorized representatives take an active role with the interdisciplinary team in developing their care plans. MCOs provide support and information to assure members are making informed decisions about their needs and the services they receive. Members may also participate in the Self-Directed Supports component of Family Care, in which they have increased control over their long-term care budgets and providers. People Receive Family Care Services that Include: Long-Term Care Services that have traditionally been part of the Medicaid Waiver programs or the Community Options Program. These include services such as adult day care, home modifications, home delivered meals and supportive home care. Health Care Services that help people achieve their long-term care outcomes. These services include home health, skilled nursing, mental health services, and occupational, physical and speech therapy. For Medicaid recipients, health care services not included in Family Care are available through the Medicaid fee-for-service program. People Receive Help Coordinating Their Primary Health Care. In addition to assuring that people get the health and long-term care services in the Family Care benefit package, the MCO interdisciplinary teams also help members coordinate all their health care, including, if needed, helping members get to and communicate with their physicians and helping them manage their treatments and medications. People Receive Services to Help Achieve Their Employment Objectives. Services such as daily living skills training, day treatment, pre-vocational services and supported employment are included in the Family Care benefit package. Other Family Care services such as transportation and personal care also help people meet their employment goals. People Receive the Services that Best Achieve Their Outcomes. The MCO is not restricted to providing only the specific services listed in the Family Care benefit package. The MCO interdisciplinary care management team and the member may decide that other services, treatments or supports are more likely to help the member achieve his or her outcomes, and the MCO would then authorize those services in the member’s care plan. For a complete list of the services that must be offered by MCOs, refer to the description of the long-term care benefit package in the Health and Community Supports Contract. A managed care organization (MCO) is a health care provider or a group of association of medical examination providers who proposes accomplished health plans. It is a health group that bonds with insurers or self-insured employers and funds and provides health care by means of a definite provider system and precise facilities and products. An MCO is an insurer that delivers both healthcare amenities and payment on behalf of services. They offer a comprehensive range of quality and managed health care services to the joined employees by keeping medical charges down through preventive medicine, patient teaching, and in additional ways. These organizations are certified by the director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). MCOs vary in their constitution as some organizations are made of physicians, while others are combinations of physicians, hospitals, and other providers. For instance, a group practice without walls, independent practice association, management services organization, and a physician practice management company are the common MCO’s.

How to make a good impression at acollege Essay

Style of dressing for college varies from place to place, culture to culture, environment to environment, so I can’t recommend you a specific type of dress or style of dressing, instead I had an exclusive and powerful tip for you to determine â€Å"what type of dress you have to wear on first day of college to give a great first impression†. Visit your college before first day or observe senior students of your college and check their dressing style to decide what suites you on first day of your college and in which dress you can make good first impression. Your look First thing counts in your first impression is your look because visual works much more earlier than the any other impression For males I suggest shiny hairs, fresh look and well shaved, smiling and charming face. For females light look, unique hairstyle and updated fashion works well. Neatness and uniqueness are the plus points to create good first impression on the first day of college. Hand carry Choosing your hand carry or college bag is simply recommended to be comfortable and light to carry preferably better suites your personality (height, weight). To get out of confusion you can also take help from your observation of senior students of your college, but I recommend you not to copy them instead develop a unique style of your own to choose college bag or to handle it. Selection of shoes Shoes recommended to wear on first day are that pair of your collection which suites you most and you can feel comfortable in them so you are then able to give your concentration to other necessary matters of giving good first impression instead of fighting with shoes. First day of the college Now come to some simple points you must have in your mind on the first day of college to make a good and powerful impression. Be punctual First thing is be on time. Embed your self in the new environment Don’t worry about finding yourself on the new environment; feel free and easy because those who will meet you are also humans. I had observed myself that many students at first day of the college are terrified that how they face new persons and new place, I suggest you to be normal and feel pleasant to make great impression on first day you must avoid any shyness and don’t be afraid and terrified. Your confidence Take care of your self-confidence its help you to face new environments and persons. Self-confidence doesn’t mean to be overconfidence; it may ruin your good first impression. Be careful about your self respect, self respect is in your hand. Be mature I suggest you to act more mature then other students so you can impress them and make a good start of your college life. Use your smile Use curve of smile to make the new problems and complexions straight. Step by step method of how to make good first impression on your first day of new job First impression Use your body language as a powerful weapon to create good first impression on others but remember not to over act. Handling your face impressions in front of others helps you great on the first day of your college. Manners have their own importance in expressing yourself to others, I suggest you to be well mannered with your fellows and teachers. I think you also known to the most famous saying that â€Å"first impression is the last impression† so observe it and follow it and give your best on every person you met in your college. Place yourself on your teachers place and observe yourself from his/her eyes, it helps you greatly in creating your first impression. Talk and treat politely Politeness attract everyone, keep it in mind don’t prefer to be harsh, it may break hearts. Don’t ever think that others are fools, remember that they also have minds and they can notice any foolish thing done by you. Be friendly and try to blend yourself in those whom you like on first sight. Speaking more then need isn’t good on the first day, lose talking and your volume matters greatly in making your good first impression on the first day of college. Be social Check names of all your teachers and try to meet them and introduce yourself to them personally, it’s a tip I have tried myself in college and after effects of this great first impression on my teachers are so good that I can’t have words to tell you that how much my this act of meeting personally on the first day of college works on my teachers. Try to recognize your fellows, who are going to be in future on your side and who are going to start competition with you in future. Try to recall the names of new fellows. Initial days are most important to create great first impression on your teachers and professors, so use these days to make an impression of brilliant and genius student in front of them, give them your company and be active before them and show yourself a bright and corporative student of your class. Your laugh Laughing a number of times harms your first impression on the first day of college but smile leaves some better points to you. Simple planning Configure your position in the class and seat to sit; it helps you to plan better for the further college life. Your first impression A smart and useful course on methods, tips, techniques and ways you need to build and improve your s Don’t be over smart One point that I had faced during first day of my college is that I tried to be over smart and think â€Å"what I know is unknown to others†, later I came to know that I was totally wrong and big fool, because of my that mistake I now recommend every student going to college â€Å"Please don’t be over smart in first days of college†. Be prepared for odds Be prepared for any ragging or teasing by seniors, I think its better to manage some distance from your seniors who wants to tease you in initial days of college. If you accidently caught by them face them calmly and don’t bother and feel unconfident. Take everything openly and recognize it with open mind don’t hyper of little troubles and problems which comes to as new student of the college. Check your studies Check out your subjects; if anyone comes to your interest, consult it, be active on that subject to create a good first impression in initial days of college, discuss that subject with teachers and fellows to be social. If you feel that some subjects are hard for you, don’t take tension, try to give them your concentration, I hope you can do it but in all cases keep yourself calm and please don’t bother. If you feel insecure, give your self time and take deep breath to boost yourself against the new challenges, feeling free is the main thing you need to prepare for the great first impression on the first day of college. Remember no one come to help you, in college you alone have to help yourself, so be prepared. Be social and try to discuss with others about different matters, there is nothing to worry about on the first day of college.

L course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

L course - Essay Example They can get access to important numbers such as the ID numbers and other personal information such as the product preferences of customers. This may end up causing significant losses to the companies as well as to customers. This applies to banks too whereby hackers have had access to information in several banks causing significant losses. Another modern way to attack individual privacy is using surveillance cameras and traffic cameras. This is usually meant to be a step by the government towards ensuring people’s security but instead end up being interference to privacy since these cameras can monitor the movement of people from place to place. CCTV cameras as well are used to enhance surveillance. These have software that even recognizes faces and can even records sounds. In addition, wiretaps which are used the US government to identify a group of individuals who were suspected to be associated to terrorists. Corporation has also been viewed as spying on people, from their strategy of obtaining targeted people’s information from others. The corporations have achieved this by using club cards, rebates and raffles, which may even be sold to other parties. Use of customer lists have also led to the attack towards privacy, whereby one corporation may sell customer names and identities from their customer lists to other corporation thus the information of the customers extending to these other corporations, who thereafter start contacting these customers. Radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) have also been seen as a way of attacking people’s privacy. They are microchips with antennas in bar codes of products, for the purpose of tracking the products’ use. They track the period that products stay in the stores, the movement to customer houses and finally their disposal. This way, the companies are seen as being spies on people who buy their products. Surrendering

Pharmacology Practical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharmacology Practical - Essay Example The experiment provided a uniform temperature (37 degrees) for the enzyme activity, whereas in living systems the temperature usually varies within a given range. According to Yun, crude extracts of orlistat also contain an inactive component, which is a possibility in the in vivo action of orlistat that leads to the disparities between experimental values and theoretical values of IC50 (2010). The suggested dose of Orlistat is one 120 mg capsule immediately before, during or up to one hour after, each main meal. From the statement, In general, at therapeutic doses detection of intact Orlistat in plasma is sporadic and concentrations are extremely low ( Orlistat’s systemic absorption is minimal because most of it is largely maintained in the gastrointestinal tract. This is why extremely low plasma concentrations are observed after the intake of the drug (Bryant et al. 2011). Systemic absorption of Orlistat is not necessary for its activity because it provides its therapeutic action in the stomach lumen and ileum. Orlistat binds irreversibly to the amino acid residues serine present in the active sites of gastric and pancreatic lipases through the formation of covalent bonds. This binding inactivates the enzymes making them unavailable for the hydrolysis of dietary fat (triglycerides) into fatty acids and monoglycerides (Orlistat STADAÂ ® 60mg/120 mg 2011). Consequently, a caloric deficit ensues because of failure of absorption of the undigested triglycerides. The caloric deficit has a helpful outcome on the regulation of

Risk Management In The Airline Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Management In The Airline Industry - Essay Example This essay compares two worldwide famous airline corporations such as British Airways and EasyJet. At the end of 2008, the total revenues of British Airways earned were 15,012 million dollars. As opposed to British Airways which is a larger corporation and a major fleet carrier, EasyJet is the largest low fare airline for leisure and business passengers, operating all over Europe. In both airline companies, the element of risk and insurance policies are highly managed. This essay focuses on ways that these companies use to reduce losses and gain certain profits. The main aspects of risk, that are discussed in this comparative essay are: the single loss of aircraft or its part, a collision between two aircraft, terrorist acts, economical crises, pandemics and changes in government regulation or laws. Insurers of the big airline companies, such as British Airways need to plan for such events and to create a special insurance funds. That is why risk managment is highly important issue these days. This essay also contains some tables on fuel pricing and currency rates throughout recent years and a risk management strategy, that provides the airline with protection against sudden increases in oil prices. In conclusion of this comparative essay, British Airways and EasyJet are also analyzed on their complicated strategies to managing changeable currentsy rates and fuel pricing, including the increasing of ticket pricing, foreign exchange conversions and hedging to manage these risks.

HRD 394 assignment #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HRD 394 #2 - Assignment Example Investigations are ongoing. However, it is still unclear on the cause of the blast. Now all fingers are pointing at the leadership of Massey Company led by its belligerent C.E.O. Don L. Blankenship. Blankenship have been at the center of controversy when it comes to matters of safety measures. He tried to justify the violations by stating at one time that Violations are, unfortunately, a normal part of the mining process (Moore, 2011). The Massey Energy Company is the biggest mining coal business in Central Appalachia has always been a host of fatalities. It has found itself under scrutiny that has unearthed dismaying records on safety measures in place. Reports state that as recently as last month it attracted hefty fines for inadequate ventilation as per the federal records. According to the federal prosecutor, the company has a record of having paid the highest settlement in terms of fines. The move is after the investigations proved his guilt of violating safety rules. The violations resulted in the death of two mineworkers who burned to their deaths following a fire outbreak in one of its mine. That year (2008) alone the company paid fines worth $20miilion another record for the Environmental Protection Agency for violations of clean water. Unfortunately, workers chose to remain mum on such issues, as they fear losing their jobs if they come aloud (Moore, 2011). The Gulf oil spill is the nastiest oil spatter in American history. On 20 April 2010, the blast and tumbling of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico left 11 people dead. Cameras Underwater revealed that there was a leakage on the BP that leaked oil and gas on the bed of the ocean. From projection, 3.19 million barrels of oil emptied in the Gulf having been on leak for about 87 days. The oil situated over 5000 feet underneath the water surface in the cosmic leading edge of the deep sea. The surrounding characterizes by constant cold temperatures above

Corporate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corporate - Research Paper Example Established in 1985 as an energy company in Houston, Texas, Enron Corporation, in a move to diversify along its business, created SPEs (Special Purpose Entities). In this spree, the much needed amount for the creation of such vehicles was received from the internal employees of the company itself. Adding to the woes, Enron started selling the energy commodities by acting as a broker and profited by the difference between the prices of sellers and buyers, as it had entered into separate contracts with them (AACSB 2002). â€Å"Enron was fond of another procedure known as mark-to-market, which allowed it to increase the value of present assets held by the company by estimating future market prices. Since Enron dominated the energy trading business, the prices by which it marked-to-market were largely subjective- that is, determined by Enron itself in accordance with the earnings it wanted to report.† Defying the laws further, Arthur Anderson, with an intention to show loyalty to the company, provided consultancy to the Corporation and presented misleading and faulty audit data of the Corporation to the stakeholders and investors (Rittenberg et al, 2009, p. 427). The results were graver than imagined. It left Enron bankrupt, due to losses running into billions (debt- $3 billion and losses- $638 million). Apart from financial losses, it also suffered blemishes on its reputation and delisting of its shares and stock. Employees also suffered the loss of their jobs. Data is valuable only if it is in the right hands and used in the right sense. Information contained in data is sensitive and can ruin the fate of the organization handling the data. Thus, data analysis suffers from reliability, validity, authentication and verification. Enron Corporation acted against the transparency and responsibility of being an ethical organization for its investors and invited lethal damage to its

Derivative Instruments, Debt, and Contingencies Essay

Derivative Instruments, Debt, and Contingencies - Essay Example The third issue that the company must deal with is the possibility of patent impairment. This memo will discuss the topics of contingencies, debt rewritten based on bankruptcy protection, and impairment of patents. A contingency can be defined as a possible loss/liability or gain/asset, which may or may not be realized in the future (Ecfa, 2011). There are different types of contingencies such as obsolesce of inventory, employee claims, impairment of machinery and equipment, and lawsuits. Your company is currently facing a legal contingency resulting from the possibility of a lawsuit. The accounting statement that deals with contingency is SFAS No. 5 (Pwc). There are different scenarios that the firm must analyze in order to determine whether or not the contingency must be reported in the financial statements or as notes to the financial statements of the company. SFAS No. 5 establishes precise rules and guidelines that accountants must follow in order to comply with the generally accepted accounting principles. The probability of occurrence of the lawsuit is one of the determining factors on whether or not it the lawsuit should be reported within the financial statements of the company. The second factor to consider is whether of not the loss contingency can be estimated. The general rules to follow in relation to loss contingencies are illustrated in the table below: Based on the table above the company can determine the proper accounting treatment. I recommend that the accounting department have a close meeting with the lawyers of the firm to determine the actual probability of the lawsuit occurring. If the lawyers are not able to determine this data then the firm should proceed to hire a risk management consultant to determine the probability of losing the lawsuit. The table in this memo provides the exact guidelines the company should follow to comply with the generally accepted accounting principles.

Smoking ban in London Parks Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Smoking ban in London Parks - Coursework Example To alter this, there is the need to ban smoking from all public places, including the parks that are in London. This will begin to assist with the problems with pollution while ensuring that others aren’t affected by the harmful substances of cigarettes. Aims The aim of this specific project will be to ban the smoking that is currently in public areas, specifically which is occurring in places such as parks and areas where children and youth are. The aim achieve will be based on providing assistance for health among those who are exposed to the cigarette smoke while offering an alternative to those who are conscious of the environment and aren’t interested in the complexities smoking leads to with the environment and health. By banning the smoking in London public parks, there will be further opportunities for better health and initiatives for environmental awareness in the community. Methodology To ban the smoking in public areas, there will first need to be a focus on the parks and the governance which creates the main policies within the area. The policies will need to consist of fines or other consequences if individuals are caught smoking in the parks, as well as agreements on how to initialize consequences to stop the smoking in the public areas. The ban that will take place will then need to be followed by ways to communicate this to the public through press releases, marketing campaigns and initiatives that will support the policy on stopping public smoking in the outdoor areas in London. Background The current changes with smoking in public areas began in 2002 in the United States with the initiative to stop public smoking in bars, restaurants and work areas. This led to a nation wide ban which supported the initiative to stop smoking, specifically with academic leads which showed that smoke – free workplaces led to better options for health, working and habits for those within a given area. The main ideal was to create a space in which non – smokers were protected from passive smoking, specifically with evidence which led to the health problems which were stimulated with second hand smoke. This was combined with the environmental problems of not having fresh air within the buildings and the ways in which this could harm the health of those that were located in an area where there were smoking bans (Fichtenberg, Glantz, 2002). The smoking ban which was first initialized was tested in several areas, specifically to see if this resulted in changes with health and from those which were said to be affected through second hand smoke. It was found after the first smoking bans were initialized that admittance into hospitals for complexions such as coronary heart disease began to rapidly decline. This decreased from an average of 47% to 39% within a year, showing a difference in the amount of health issues, specifically which related to the smoking ban and the monitoring of health effects of those who were bei ng affected by the environmental smoking and the complexities which it had for those with severe health problems (Khuder, Milz, Jordan, 2007). Another study which was initiated after the smoking ban was conducted on the environmental health and the air pollution which was a part of each of the areas. The environmental tobacco smoke which was associated with the ban was studied in several areas, including bars, hotels and general office areas which allowed

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 70

Assignment Example It is not true that cabbage is cheaply made and is of low quality. Red wine and beef steak are complimentary goods. The goods complement each other. A complementary good is one whose cross elasticity of demand is negative. That is, the demand of a complementary good will increase if the price of another good decreases. Similarly, the demand of a complementary good falls when the price of another good is increased. As such, because red wine and beef steak are complimentary goods (are consumed together), an increase in the price of red wine will discourage people from buying beef steak and thus a fall in demand for beef steak. Red wine has a negative cross elasticity of demand with respect to beef steak. The sales of generic frozen orange juice soared during recession because it is an inferior good. Inferior goods are those that provide an alternative for consumers to reducing their expenditure during harsh economic times. The demand for inferior goods soars with a decrease in the level of disposable income. On the other hand, the sales of freshly squeezed orange juice declined because it is a normal good. The demand for normal goods falls with a fall in income level. As such, during 2007/2008 recession, people turned to generic frozen orange juice to cut their expenditure and thus high sales recorded. On the other hand, the number of people buying freshly squeezed orange juice declined as their disposable income fell. At point A, change in price produces equal change in quantity demanded and hence elastic. At point B, the demand is probably inelastic because a change in price yields less percentage change in quantity demanded. The firm’s products have elastic demand. For goods with elastic demand, a small change in price will cause a big change in quantity demanded. Therefore, every time the firm increased the price, it Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 185 Assignment Example Joycelyn’s objective of career development has been key to her high performance and provision of a worker friendly environment has enabled her to achieve a lot in her career (Mondy, Noe, & Gowan, 2005). Joycelyn has no longer taken human resource as a an administrative duty but as a responsibility to ensure that workers feel that their place of work as the right place to spend time due to the conditions that are provided by the employer. Worker motivation is a major driver to any institution that would want to get the maximum of the employees’ capability. A motivated worker has all his/her welfare well taken care of and it trickles down to the human resource to ensure that they motivate workers by providing them with essential services such as schools for their children, insurance covers etc and rewarding them fairly for the work they have done (Mondy, Noe, & Gowan, 2005). Madam Joycelyn success has come as a result of combination of various factors the work together and is geared towards the workers

Effective Performance Appraisal Essay Example for Free

Effective Performance Appraisal Essay In spite of this fact, however, there are some elements which are common to all effective performance appraisal systems, regardless of the actual method(s) used in the system. These elements will be discussed shortly. However, before examining these common links, a brief overview of performance appraisal as it is currently practised in American organisations is in order. Current Trends in Performance Appraisal As previously noted, controversy over the best performance appraisal system continues. The dilemma was highlighted in the 19 May 1980 issue of Business Week where the editors concluded that managers want a system that will pinpoint specific marginal behaviour that should be reinforced or discontinued, serve as a personnel development tool, provide a realistic assess ­ ment of an employees potential for advancement, and — a particularly hot issue in the 1980s — stand up in court as a valid defence in discrimination suits. Has the search for a best system affected what companies actually do in performance appraisal? A study conducted by Taylor and Zawacki[2] in 1981 set out to answer this question y sending a mail questionnaire to 200 firms located throughout the United States — these companies were selected at random from the Fortune 1000. Eighty-four (42 per cent) were returned and used in the study. The size of respondent firms ranged from less than 1,000 employees (nine), 1,000-5,000 employees (63), and more than 5,000 employees (12). Non-respondent firms did not vary significantly in terms of size. This study, which duplicated a previous one conducted in 1976, asked what kind of performance appraisal system was used for management and blue-collar employees. It also asked for the interval between ratings, productivity and employee reaction to the appraisal system, anticipated changes and respondent satisfaction to the present system. While it is not possible to go into all the detailed findings of this study, some of the most pertinent information is summarised below. ? While in 1976 43 per cent of the respondent firms had used a traditional performance appraisal system (e. g. , forced distribution) and 57 per cent had used a collaborative system (e. g. , MBO), in 1981 these figures had changed to 53 per cent and 47 per cent respectively. In other words, the proportion of companies using a traditional approach to performance appraisal had increased while the proportion of those using a collaborative approach had decreased. Several respondents provided written comments stating that they had changed to quantitative (i. e. traditional) systems in recent years in reaction to legal challenges to their previous collaborative system. In 1981, 39 of the 41 organisations using a traditional system used a graphic rating scale. Of the collaborative forms, 23 firms used MBO and 11 used a BARS system. The percentage of firms not satisfied with their current appraisal system increased from only nine per cent in 1976 to 47 per cent in 1981. In addition, those with collaborative systems were more likely to be satisfied, while the majority of firms with traditional systems expressed dissatisfaction. As far as the effect of the type of system used on employee attitudes went, 37 per cent of the ? IMDS January/February 1988 13 ? companies using a traditional approach felt that it had improved employee attitudes while 63 per cent felt it had not. Of those companies using a collaborative approach, 77 per cent felt it had improved employee attitudes and 23 per cent felt it had not. ? Of the 22 firms indicating that they anticipated changing their performance appraisal system in the near future, 12 were moving from a collaborative system to a traditional system. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that, in the 1976 study, the majority of firms indicating that they were considering a change said that the move would be from a traditional to a collaborative approach. While the 1981 study did not delve into the reasons behind this shift in attitude, Taylor and Zawacki conjectured that it was due to governmental and legal pressures for precise (i. e. , quantitative) measures which overwhelmed a desire to help people develop and grow towards becoming more effective employees. Of the firms surveyed, 49 per cent felt that their performance appraisal system had improved employee performance (roughly the same proportion found in 1976). However, the number of firms that did not believe employee performance had improved as a result of the appraisal process had gone from four per cent in 1976 to 19 per cent in 1981 — and none of these firms anticipated changing their system! (5) The appraiser should be given feedback regarding his/her effectiveness in the performance appraisal process. (6) The performance appraisal system, regardless of the methodology employed, must comply with legal requirements (notably, Equal Employment Opportunities guidelines). Since the factors listed above are consistently highlighted in the literature as essential elements of an effective performance appraisal system, each of them warrants individual attention. Performance Goals Must Be Clearly and Specifically Defined Special emphasis should be placed on this phase of performance appraisal, since the lack of specifically defined performance goals will undoubtedly undermine the effectiveness of the entire performance appraisal process. The key performance areas need to be identified, assigned priorities and stated in quantifiable terms whenever possible. The mutual goal-setting process between a manager and subordinate associated with Management by Objectives is a particularly beneficial way to foster acceptance and internal motivation on the part of the employee[3]. As is often the case, if multiple goals are established, they should be ranked so that the employee has a clear understanding of which areas may warrant more attention and resources than others. Furthermore, every attempt should be made to describe performance goals in terms of their time, quality, quantity, and monetary dimensions. This will reduce the opportunity for misinterpretation about what is to be accomplished and what limitations there are. The quantification of goals will also make it easier for the manager and the employee to measure the employees progress towards achieving the objectives. The need for quantifying objectives is succinctly summed up by George Ordione: If you cant count it, measure it, or describe it, you probably dont know what you want and can often forget it as a goal. There is still too much, do your best, or Ill let you know when its right, going around in todays organisations. If you cant define the desired type and level of performance in detail, then you have no right to expect your subordinate to achieve it. [4] ? To summarise, it would appear that while most firms wish to use a collaborative form of performance appraisal, they feel thwarted by outside forces (notably Equal Employment Opportunities requirements) in their attempts to implement such a system within their organisations. The dilemma, then, is finding a workable solution which will meet both constraints. The remainder of this article will take a look at these two seemingly conflicting areas (effectiveness vs. efensiveness) and how they can be integrated into a meaningful performance appraisal system. Elements of an Effective Performance Appraisal System While various authors use different names and modified descriptions for them, the following factors seem to be universally accepted by most authorities on the subjects as requisites for an effective performance appraisal system: (1) Performan ce goals must be specifically and clearly defined. (2) Attention must be paid to identifying, in specific and measurable terms, what constitutes the varying levels of performance. 3) To be effective, performance appraisal programmes should tie personal rewards to organisational performance. (4) The supervisor and employee should jointly identify ways to improve the employees performance, and then establish a development plan to help the employee achieve his/her goals. The Varying Levels of Performance While setting performance goals is a crucial first step in the process, managers also need to concentrate more attention on identifying what constitutes the varying levels of performance. If the organisation uses the typical poor, fair, good, very good and excellent scale of performance, the manager has a responsibility to identify at the beginning what levels of performance will produce a very good or excellent rating. However, setting specific goals for organisational performance is not enough — managers also need to relate performance to the individuals rewards. Agreeing on what is to be accomplished and what varying levels of performance represent in terms of evaluation and rewards is crucial for the performance appraisal process to be effective[5]. Since the first two steps of this process (i. e. , defining performance goals and setting performance standards) IMDS January/February 1988 14 are closely connected, an example of how these steps might be achieved is warranted. A prerequisite for setting performance goals is to establish job tasks. To measure performance realistically, objectively and productively, we must base our reviews on job content rather that job constructs. Constructs are broad, often self-evident terms which describe a general task, activity or requirement. Richards refers to them as garbage words in terms of their usefulness as performance standards). An example might be communication skills. While few would argue the need for skills in communication for many employees, the problem is how to define the term in light of the requirements of the specific job in question. Will the employee be required to: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Write memos? Write letters? Conduct interviews? Deliver public speeches? Present pr oposals to clients? Describe features and benefits of a product? Resolve face-to-face conflicts? Handle customer complaints? Write job descriptions? Describe and define job standards? Manage meetings? Present ideas to top management? Initiative: Resourceful in taking necessary or appropriate action on own responsibility. Unsatisfactory Poor A routine Often waits unnecessarily worker; usually for direction. waits to be told what to do, requiring constant direction. Satisfactory Good Excellent Seeks and gets added tasks for self; highly selfreliant. Assumes responsibility. Does regular Resourceful; work without alert to waiting for opportunities directions. or Follows improvement directions with of work. little follow-up Volunteers suggestions. Table I. drinks per bottle, etc. In turn, these indicators should be broken down into measurable standards, as shown in Table II. As shown, when identifying what constitutes the varying levels of performance, we need to decide what we can expect in terms of outstanding performance, what is satisfactory and what is the minimum level of perfo rmance we can tolerate. One could argue that these are subjective determinations, and this is of course true. What is important, however, is that once these determinations have been made, performance can be measured objectively against the standard. It is important to keep in mind that standards should be set based on what we require or need in the performance of a job and not on our assessment of a specific individuals ability to do the job. Unless we specify the behaviour we want in the context of job content requirements, it will be near impossible objectively to measure someones performance under the generic construct of communication. We must determine the sort of communicating the job requires of the employee. Some organisations attempt to aid supervisors by providing rating scales which are anchored to descriptions of performance (i. e. , the BARS approach), such as the one shown in Table I. While this type of scale is certainly a vast improvement over those that offer no anchors (rating descriptions) at all, we could still argue over the ratings. The standards are subjective and unmeasurable, both undesirable traits in any performance appraisal system. To overcome these problems, the job should be broken down into responsibilities, with a series of performance indicators provided for each responsibility. In turn, these indicators should be accompanied by objective and measurable performance standards. An example will help illustrate the process. A bartenders job can be broken down into several responsibilities, including mixing drinks, cost control, inventory control, house keeping, safety, law enforcement, supervision, customer relations, etc. In turn, each of these responsibility areas can be broken down into several performance indicators. For example, performance indicators of the job responsibility mixing drinks might include complaints, returns, brands used, appearance, speed, number of Personal Rewards and Organisational Performance To be truly effective, performance appraisal programmes should tie personal rewards to organisational performance. Too many reward systems are based on time on the job, are divided evenly among employees, or offer too little incentive to increase motivation significantly. As noted by Harper[3], performance appraisal systems need to be designed with the three Es of motivation in mind. The first E refers to the exchange theory, which states that people tend to contribute to the organisations objectives as long as they believe they will be rewarded. The second E refers to the equity theory, which states that motivation is tied to the relative, rather than the absolute, size of the reward. For example, if person A does 25 per cent better than person B, but gets only five per cent more in a merit increase, then person A is likely to feel that management has actually punished him or her for doing noticeably better than person B. The third E is the expectancy theory of motivation, which asserts that motivation is a combination of the persons perceived probability (expectancy) of receiving a reward and the worth of the reward. Even when the reward is great, motivation may in fact be quite low if the employee does not believe that he or she has a reasonable chance of achieving the necessary level of performance to get the reward. Conversely, if the employee believes that the probability of receiving the reward is high, there will be little motivation if he or she does not need or value the reward. IMDS January/February 1988 15 Job: Bartender Job responsibilities Mix drinks, etc. Indicators Complaints Returns Measurements used (recipe) Brands used Appearance Time No. of drinks per bottle, etc. feedback to managers about the quality of their performance appraisal ratings would seem to have several advantages: ? ? It is relatively inexpensive and easy to develop and implement. The feedback is based on ratings made by each manager as part of the formal performance appraisal process. This enables the feedback to be tailored to the individual. The feedback can provide managers with a basis upon which to compare their ratings with those made by other managers. This normative type of feedback is rarely available to managers; as a result, there is very little information upon which they can evaluate how lenient or strict they are. A feedback system should help to ensure comparability of ratings among managers, which in turn may increase employee satisfaction with the appraisal process. That is, employees are more likely to perceive that their performance has been evaluated equitably since managers are using the same standards when evaluating performance. ? Job: Bartender Standards Job responsibilities Mix drinks Indicators Minimum Complaints 4/week Satisfactory 2/week Outstanding 0 ? Table II. In summary, then, for a performance appraisal programme to be successful in this area, it must: (1) Tie rewards to performance (2) Offer a high enough level of reward (3) Have the level of reward reflect the relative differences in the various levels of performance (4) Tailor the rewards to the needs and desires of individual employees. Development Plans Ideally, the performance appraisal programme should be comprised of two separate sessions between the manager and the employee. In the first session the manager and employee review the level of performance from the previous period — what went well, what did not, and why. This session also identifies the employees strengths as well as the areas that need to be improved. The manager then encourages the employee to prepare a development plan to be discussed at the second meeting. The development plan is intended to identify areas that should be improved upon during the coming period. The subordinate should be encouraged to: (1) Concentrate on those areas that will affect results (2) Select three or four particular areas for improvement rather than an unrealistic and unmanageable number (3) Set improvement goals that are specific and measurable[6]. Whatever the end result happens to be, the employee needs to be the principal author (although the manager should offer help and suggestions) since people tend to be more motivated to accept and implement a plan of their own making. IMDS January/February 1988 16 Indications of the usefulness of such a feedback system were documented in a study by Davis and Mount[7] in which managers were provided feedback vis a vis the ratings they gave to employees. In response to a questionnaire distributed one week after they had received feedback regarding the quality of their performance ratings, 79 per cent of the managers indicated they were either satisfied (seven per cent) or very satisfied (72 per cent) with the feedback; 93 per cent said they considered it when making subsequent performance evaluations; 70 per cent said it influenced their ratings either appreciably (47 per cent) or substantially (23 per cent), and 79 per cent said the feedback had utility for making managers ratings more comparable. The test results from this study indicated that the feedback also significantly reduced the presence of leniency error (the tendency to skew the rating distribution towards the higher rating categories) in the managers ratings. This is significant from an organisational perspective because of the multiple uses of performance ratings in organisations. Often, performance ratings are the criterion on which selection tests are validated and often provide the basis on which merit pay increases are determined. According to Davis and Mount, improving the psychometric quality of the ratings may enable the tests to be validated more effectively and provide a more equitable method for distributing pay increases — an important consideration, as previously discussed. Conforming to Guidelines Obviously, in addition to the other factors which have already been discussed, another practical consideration which must be taken into account is that any performance appraisal system, regardless of the methods employed, must comply with all Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines. While a complete discussion of this important area is beyond the scope Feedback Regarding Effectiveness It is surprising how infrequently organisations provide their managers with information about their performance appraisal ratings. However, providing of this article, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, put together by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and several other agencies in 1978, deserve special mention. These procedures were meant to clarify the exact requirements which appraisal and other selection systems must meet, and include the following points: (1) To continue using an appraisal system that has adversely affected one or more protected groups, the company must demonstrate that the system is valid, that it is job related, and that it accurately measures significant aspects of job performance. (2) The company must establish that there is no other available method of achieving the same necessary business purpose that would be less discriminatory in its effects, and none can be developed. According to the courts, the plaintiff (employee), rather than the defendant (company) must show the availability of the alternatives. The EEOC has told employers what they cannot do, but it has not provided them with definitive guidelines for solving the performance appraisal puzzle. However, some help in this regard was provided in the Autumn, 1980 issue of EEO Today[8]. (1) Base your appraisal on a comprehensive job analysis. EEOC guidelines dictate that you measure job performance against specific, clearly defined standards of performance. The performance you appraise, says the EEOC, must represent major critical work behaviours as revealed by a careful job analysis. Without a clear, written statement of job responsibilities, you increase your risk of EEO liability. (7) Submit the appraisal to several reviewers, especially if it is negative. To prevent conscious or unconscious bias from creeping into the appraisal process, develop a multilevel review system. Have your superior review and sign the appraisal. This system of checks and balances will reduce the risk of losing a court action. Final Comment As can be seen from the foregoing discussion, an effective performance appraisal system involves much more than a mere annual or biennial evaluation of an employees past performance. Nonetheless, astute managers are becoming increasingly aware of the value of their human resources, viewing them as an investment rather than merely an expense or overhead to be minimised. Accordingly, many organisations are taking the time and effort necessary to develop an effective performance appraisal system in order to help their people achieve their personal goals, which in turn allows the organisation to meet its own objectives[9]. Unfortunately, many managers still object that they just do not have the time to make performance review and development an ongoing process. However, if management is defined as the ability to get things done through people, and if we accept the fact that an effective performance evaluation process helps in getting the most important and productive things accomplished, then what else should managers spend their time doing? References 1. Fletcher, C. , Whats New in Performance Appraisal? , Personnel Management, February 1984, pp. 20-2. 2. Taylor, R. L. and Zawacki, R. A. Trends in Performance Appraisal: Guidelines for Managers, Personnel Administrator, March 1984, pp. 71-80. (2) Know the details of your companys 3. Harper, S. C. , A Development Approach to Performance nondiscriminatory policies. You and every other Appraisal, Business Horizons, September-October 1983, pp. manager in the company should aim for the 68-74. uniform application of all appraisal guidelines. 4. Mellenhoff, H ow to Measure Work by Professionals, Management Review, November 1977, pp. 39-43. (3) Avoid subjective criteria. According to the Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody decision, subjective 5. Richards, R. C. , How to Design an Objective PerformanceEvaluation System, Training, March 1984, pp. 38-43. supervisory appraisals of job performance are 6. Kellogg, M. S. , What to do About Performance Appraisal, inherently suspect if they produce adverse impact American Management Association, New York, 1975. against a protected group. To stand up to the 7. Davis, B. L. and Mount, M. K. , Design and Use of a scrutiny of the courts, these judgements must Performance Appraisal Feedback System, Personnel be considered fair and job-related. Administrator, March 1984, pp. 1-7. 8. Block, J. R. , Performance Appraisal on the Job: Making it (4) Document! Keep records. That is the only way Work, Prentice-Hall, Inc. , Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981. you can support whatever subjective judge ­ 9. Butler, R. J. and Yorks, L. , A New Appraisal System as ments creep into the appraisal process. (They Organizational Change: GEs Task Force Approach, are inevitabl e. ) Personnel, January-February 1984, pp. 31-42. (5) Aim for a group of appraisers who have common demographic characteristics with the group being appraised. This criterion was established in Rowe v. General Motors. When only white males appraise blacks, Hispanics, women and other protected groups, the courts question the fairness of the. system. Once a system is challenged and shown to have adverse impact, the company must prove its validity. (6) Never directly or indirectly imply that race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicap, or veteran status was a factor in your appraisal decision. Making any disciminatory statement, orally or in writing, will make your organisation subject to court action. Additional Reading Kaye, B. L. and Krantz, S. , Preparing Employees: The Missing Link in Performance Appraisal Training, Personnel, May-June 1982, pp. 23-9. Performance Appraisal: Curre. Practices and Techniques, Personnel, May-June 1984, pp. 5799. Heneman, R. L. and Wexley, K. W. , The Effects of Time Delay in Rating and Amount of Information Observed on Performance Rating Accuracy, Academy of Management Journal, December 1983, pp. 677-86. The Trouble with Performance Appraisal, Training, April 1984, pp. 91-2. Gehrman, D B. , Beyond Todays Compensation and Performance Appraisal Systems, Personnel Administrator, March 1984, pp. 21-33. IMDS January/February 1988 17

Survey On Different Energy Harvesting Methods

Survey On Different Energy Harvesting Methods Mubashir Hussain, Sami-Ur-Rehman Khan Telecommunication Engineering Dept FEST, Iqra University Main Campus Karachi, Pakistan Abstract This paper serves as a survey on energy harvesting from different sources and their methods presented after a brief literature review of different technical papers available in the public domain. The Process of extracting energy from our surroundings is known as energy harvesting. The energy harvesting got its origins from the water wheels and windmills. Energy can be scavenged from sources around us like, light, water, wind, heat, radio waves, mechanical vibrations etc. In the present age we need more reliable, low cost and efficient power sources for our systems. The new systems require less energy and give out great output similarly the sources are supposed to be more efficient and effective, in this paper we have presented that how the energy which is presently wasted around us due to radiations, friction or reflection can be scavenged to make them useful of our everyday use. Keywords: Energy Harvesting Networks, Different Energy Harvesting Sources, Methods for Energy Harvesting Introduction Conventional batteries are not always beneficial as they require human involvement for replacing batteries. Hence, require electrical power to make these devices functional. Therefore, consideration of alternate type of energy source to traditional batteries is required. The electrical power is required to operate these devices can be obtained by converting the light, mechanical or thermal energies available in the ambient environment. This conversion of energy available in ambient environment can produce unlimited energy for the lifetime of the electronic device. This process of extracting energy from the ambient environment and converting them into consumable electric energy is known as Energy Harvesting. Typical energies available in ambient environment are mechanical energy, solar energy, RF energy and thermal energy. Since, it is proven to be an efficient alternative to give lifelong electrical power to electronic devices, there is an increasingly volume carried out on energy ha rvesting, these days [1-10, 22-28]. Energy harvesting sources can be utilized to maximize the ability and lifetime of the devices by augmenting the usage of battery [18-20]. Electrical devices switched on by energy harvesters can be utilized to give important information on structural and operational circumstances through positioning them in unapproachable whereabouts [21]. Different Sources Used for Energy Harvesting The categorization of energy harvesting can be done on the basis of the types of energy being used to harvest energy, available in ambient environment, into electrical energy. The different yet widely used sources for energy harvesting are photovoltaic cells, thermoelectric generators, wind turbines, and mechanical vibration devices such as electromagnetic devices and piezoelectric devices [11]. Table I highlights some of the energy harvesting sources with their power generation capability [12]. Table I: Energy Harvesting Sources [12] Mechanical Vibration When a device vibrates, an inertial mass can be utilized to generate movement. This vibrational movement can then be converted into electrical energy using 3 mechanisms including piezoelectric, electrostatic and electromagnetic. Energy used here is mechanical energy. Electrostatic Energy Harvesting This type of energy harvesting mainly depends on the varying capacitance of vibration-dependent varactors (variable capacitors). Vibration causes the separation between plates of an initially charged varactor, which causes mechanical energy to be converted in electrical energy. Electrostatic generators are simple mechanical devices that produce electricity by using manual or mechanical power [13]. Roundy, et al. [31] define the categorization of the electrostatic generators into three main classes namely: in-plane, in-plane gap closing and out-of-plane gap closing, and overlap. The different electrostatic generators under the three distinguished classes are debated in various papers. Piezoelectric Materials These are the materials that convert mechanical energy, produced by applying force, pressure or vibrations, into electrical energy. These materials are able to generate electrical charge when mechanical load is applied on them. This property of piezoelectric materials is considered by the researchers to develop various piezoelectric harvesters in order to power different applications [14, 15]. The very first example of extracting electrical energy from piezoelectric materials is from the collision of leaving steel ball bearing on piezoelectric transducer [29]. 3.3 Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting Electromagnetic energy harvesting can be attained by principles of electromagnetic induction. Electromagnetic induction can be described as the method of generating voltages in an electric conductor by varying the magnetic field around it. One of the most effective ways of producing electromagnetic induction for energy harvesting is with the help of permanent magnets, a coil and a resonating cantilever beam [8]. Electromagnetic induction gives the benefit of better mechanical damping and reliability as there will not be any mechanical intercourse between any parts; therefore, no distinct voltage source is needed [30]. Photovoltaic Cells Photovoltaic cells are the devices that transform light energy into electrical energy. The form of energy harnessed is typically light energy usually received from sunlight. Usage of photovoltaic cells would be effective and efficient at places where the availability of light is guaranteed and usage of batteries and other means of power supply are not feasible or expensive. While designing sources which harvest solar energy, constituents such as accessibility of day light, periods of smoggy cloud and snow cover, effects of operation at higher latitudes, functionalities of the photovoltaic cell used, the strength of the incident light, power supply needs are to be considered [9, 16]. Thermoelectric Generators Thermoelectric generators work on the principle of thermoelectricity to generate the required electrical energy. The phenomena of generating electric current with a temperature difference and vice-versa can be named as thermoelectricity. The thermal energy here is harvested to get electrical energy to power-up electronic devices. These devices are mostly used in space and terrestrial applications. Solid-state thermoelectric generators are considered to have long life, low maintenance and high reliability. However, their usage is limited because of their low energy conversion efficiency and high costs [17]. Microwaves Energy Harvesting Recently, researchers have designed a device that is converting the lost microwaves, generated from Wi-Fi, into electrical energy. The lost microwaves are converted into electrical energy using metamaterials. Metamaterials Literature Review As we know that in today’s world, energy crisis is one of the biggest issues as the demand of energy is increasing day by day and the supply is not enough to facilitate everyone. In such shortfall of energy supply and high demand for consumption, energy harvesting is truly a magnificent approach to bridge the gap between supply and demand. Using energy harvesting networks, we can harvest the ambient energy available in surrounding such as light, heat, electromagnetic and mechanical energy and can convert them into useful energy. Though, the amount of energy being produced by energy harvesting network is low, however, it can still be used to power small and portable electronic devices including our cellular phones –one of the most important devices used for communicating, all around the world. As the researchers are doing extensive research in this field to discover new techniques to produce more and more energy from energy harvesting networks, it seems that, in coming w orld, energy harvesters would be fulfilling more than 50% of our energy requirements. The rapid demand of energy harvesting modules can be observed by the given graph over certain period of time. Key Findings Due to rapidly increasing demand of energy, it is observed that the traditional energy producing networks are not efficient enough to facilitate everyone and people are now looking for alternatives to overcome the shortfall of energy. When it comes to find alternatives of traditional energy-producing networks, energy harvesting networks are on top of the list. Energy harvesting networks are the most efficient yet low cost energy producing devices that harvest the energy available in environment and convert them into electrical energy to power up electrical devices. Previously, solar energy and mechanical energy were two of the main and only known sources that were being used to generate energy. However, after the continuous hard work and research in this field, researchers have introduced such energy harvesting networks that can harvest electromagnetic waves, as well as radio waves into electrical energy to produce energy. The recent Wi-Fi energy harvesting network developed by the s tudents of Duke University, England, can produce electrical energy up to 3.7 volts that is equivalent to the average electrical energy produced by USB –we use to charge our gadgets. Therefore, it can be said that energy harvesting networks are the only best alternatives to traditional energy producing networks to overcome the shortfall of the energy in today’s and upcoming world. Open Areas Recently, researchers have designed a device that is converting the lost microwaves, generated from Wi-Fi, into electrical energy. The lost microwaves are converted into electrical energy using metamaterials. Metamaterials are composite materials having a structure that exhibits such properties that cannot be found, usually, in natural materials, especially the property of having negative refractive index. Metamaterials are capable to capture different forms of wave’s energy and tune them into useful applications. There is no doubt at all that energy harvesting of electromagnetic and other radio waves is the future of energy harvesting networks as they are most commonly founded waves in our today’s tech-world environment –as our communication is mainly done via electromagnetic and radio waves and it would be keep going in future too. So, the Electromagnetic energy harvesting networks would be helping the people, in coming world, to power up their devices for free, anywhere, anytime, wirelessly. Conclusion Harvesting energy from the ambient environment is being considered as a valuable alternate to replace the existing power supplies for energy constraint embedded systems. Especially, the latest research done on energy harvesting of microwaves, radiated from Wi-Fi mainly, has enlightened a new hope among the researchers to identify such energy harvesting methods that can raise the amount of power generated using the power harvesters. These methods would be going to assist in placing the energy harvesters as one of the best power sources for portable power devices in the field of wireless technology. References [1] Amirtharajah R and Chandrakasan A P, â€Å"Self-powered low power signal processing,† IEEE Symposium, VLSI Circuits, Digest of Technical Papers, 1997, pp 25–26. [2] Amirtharajah R and Chandrakasan A P, â€Å"Self-powered signal processing using vibration-based power generation,† IEEE Journal of Solid-Stage Circuits, v 33 n 5, May 1998, pp 687–695. [3] Arakawa Y, Suzuki Y and Kasagi N, â€Å"Micro seismic power generator using electrets polymer film,† Power MEMS Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 2004, pp 187–190. [4] Atwood B, Warneke B and Pister K S J, â€Å"Preliminary circuits for Smart Dust,† Proceedings of Southwest Symposium, Mixed-Signal Design, 2000, pp. 87–92. [5] Cavallier B, Nouira H, Foltete E, Hirsinger L and Ballandras S, â€Å"Energy storage capacity of vibrating structure: application to a shock system,† Proceedings of Symposium on Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS/ MOEMS DTIP0, Montreux, Switzerland, 2005, pp 391–393. [6] Bayrashev A, Robbins W P and Ziaie B, â€Å"Low frequency wireless powering of micro-systems using piezoelectric magnetostrictive laminate composites,† Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2004, v 114, pp 244-249. [7] Beeby S P, Tudor M J, Koukharenko E, White N M, O’Donnell T, Saha C, Kulkarni S and Roy S, â€Å"Micromachined silicon generator for harvesting power from vibration,† Proceedings of Transducers, Seoul, Korea, 2005, pp 780–783. [8] Beeby S P, Tudor M J and White N M, â€Å"Energy harvesting vibration sources for Microsystems applications,† Journal of Measurement Science and Technology, 2006, v 17, pp 175-195. [9] Callaway, Jr and Edgar H, Wireless Sensor Networks, Boca Raton, Florida: Auerbach Publications, CRC Press LLC, 2004. [10] Cavallier B, Berthelot P, Nouira H, Foltà ªte E, Hirsinger L and Ballandras S, â€Å"Energy harvesting using vibrating structures excited by shock,† IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, 2005. [11] Park G, Farrar C R, Todd M D, Hodgkiss W and Rosing T, â€Å"Energy Harvesting for Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Networks,† Technical Report, Los Alamos National Laboratories, LA, February 2007. [12] Atwood B, Warneke B and Pister K S J, â€Å"Smart Dust mote forerunners,† Proceedings of 14th Annual International Conference on Microelectromechanical Sytsems, 2001, pp 357–360. [13] Peano F and Tambosso T, â€Å"Design and optimisation of a MEMS electrets-based capacitive energy scavenger,† Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2005, v 14, pp 435–529. [14] White N M, Glynne-Jones P and Beeby S, â€Å"A novel thick-film piezoelectric micro-generator,† Smart Material Structures, August 2001, v 10, pp 850–852. [15] Williams C B and Yates R B, â€Å"Analysis of a micro-electric generator for microsystems,† in Proceedings of Solid-State Sensors and Actuator and in Eurosensors IX. Transducers, 1995, v 1, pp 369–372. [16] Raghunathan V, Kansal A, Hsu J, Friedman J and Srivastava M, â€Å"Design Considerations for Solar Energy Harvesting Wireless Embedded Systems,† Fourth IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information Processing in Sensor Networks, April 2005. [17] Fleurial J P, Snyder G J, Herman J A, Smart M, and Shakkottai P, Giauque P H and Nicolet M A, â€Å"Miniaturized thermoelectric power sources,† Intersorie Energy Conversion [18] Kansal A and Srivastava M B, â€Å"An Environmental Energy harvesting framework for Sensor Networks,† Proceedings of International Symposium on Low Power Electronics and Design (ISLPED ’03). ACM Press, 2003, pp 481-486. [19] Kansal A, Potter D and Srivastava M B, â€Å"Performance Aware asking for Environmentally Powered Sensor Networks,† Proceedings on the Measurement and Modeling of Computer Systems in Joint International Conference, ACM Press, 2004, pp. 223–234. [20] Kansal A and Srivastava M B, â€Å"Distributed Energy Harvesting for Energy Neutral Sensor Networks,† IEEE Pervasive Computing, v 4, January-March 2005. [21] Park G, Farrar C R, Todd M D, Hodgkiss W and Rosing T, â€Å"Energy Harvesting for Structural Health Monitoring Sensor Networks,† Technical Report, Los Alamos National Laboratories, LA, February 2007. [22] Sodano H A, Inman D J, and Park G., â€Å"A Review of Power Harvesting from Vibration Using Piezoelectric Materials,† The Shock and Vibration Digest, 2004, v 36, pp. 197–205. [23] Sodano H A, Inman D J and Park G, â€Å"Comparison of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Devices for Recharging Batteries,† Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. 2005, v 16, pp 799-807. [24] Sodano H A, Simmers G E, Dereux R, and Inman D J, â€Å"Recharging Batteries using Energy Harvested from Thermal Gradients,† Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, January 1, 2007, v 18, pp 3 10. [25] Sterken T, Baert K, Puers R and Borghs S â€Å"Power extraction from ambient vibration,† Proceedings of 3rd Workshop on Semiconductor Sensors and Actuators, November 2002, pp 680–683. [26] Sterken T, Fiorini P, Baert K, Borghs G and Puers R, â€Å"Novel design and fabrication of a MEMS electrostatic vibration scavenger,† Power MEMS Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 2004, pp 18–21. [27] Staley M E and Flatau A B, â€Å"Characterization of energy harvesting potential of Terfenol-D and Galfenol,† Proceedings of SPIE, 2005, pp 630-640. [28] Tashiro R, Kabei N, Katayama K, Tsuboi F and Tsuchiya K, â€Å"Development of an electrostatic generator for a cardiac pacemaker that harnesses the ventricular wall motion,† Journal on Artifcial Organs, 2002, pp 239–245. [29] Umeda M, Nakamura K and Ueha S, â€Å"Analysis of the transformation of mechanical impact energy to electric energy using piezoelectric vibrator,† Japan, Journal of Applied Physics, 1996, v 35, pp 3267–3273. [30] Roundy S J, â€Å"Energy Scavenging for Wireless Sensor Nodes with a Focus on Vibration to Electricity Conversion,† Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2003. [31] Roundy S, Wright P and Pister K, â€Å"Micro-electrostatic vibration-to-electricity converters,† Proceedings, IMECE, 2002, pp 1–10.

King Leopolds Ghost Essay -- Essays Papers

King Leopolds Ghost King Leopold's Ghost tells a story of the Belgian King Leopold II and his misrule of an African colony, named (at the time) the Congo Free State. It is a wild and unpleasant story of a man's capacity for evil and the peculiar manifestation of it. In telling this story, Hochschild does a wonderful job of giving detailed descriptions, especially of the colorful individuals involved, both good and bad. His analysis of the situation is very solid, starting with the movement when the Congolese hero (Morel) finds out a very terrible fact and moving on through his (Morel) analysis and actions, all the while telling the story of a treacherous monster. Set in the palaces and boardrooms of Europe and in the villages of central Africa, it tells the story of the tragedy that took place during Leopold's so called rule, a tragedy that is so familiar to African-Americans, being told of our African brothers residing in the homeland. This "horror" story is just in fact that, a horror story, giving and revealing the utter most secrets of the respected King Leopold. Allow me to take you on a journey, pointing out the King's determination and, reasoning for what he'd done and the scars he left deep within the heart of the Congo. In the introduction I stated that Morel was the character that I considered to be the hero of this story, now the main question behind that would be, why? Along with, Who is Morel? His complete name was Edmund Dene Morel; he was a young clerk who worked for a Liverpool based firm where his duties were to supervise the unloading and reloading of the ships arriving in Antwerp, Belgium. As Morel watched the shipments arrive he noticed something, a great amount of ivory and rubber were being transported into Belgium but nothing was being taken out, as the book states: "There is no trade going on here. Little or nothing is being exchanged for the rubber and ivory†¦with almost no goods being sent to Africa to pay for them, he realizes that there can be only one explanation for their source: slave labor." (p.2) With his newfound revelation at hand Morel does not sit still. Demonstrating that he refused to turn a blind eye to what fortune had allowed him to see, he soon becomes active with his newfound knowledge. Soon afterward Morel devoted his life to stopping slavery in the Congo. From the early 1900's until afte... ... their own, getting educated, and even going to the lengths of forming Greek organizations, that their fellow brother in Africa were being brutally mutilated and stripped of their humanity. Hochschild has done an exemplary job of writing this book by gathering details and evidence not to mention the wonderful writing skills that he's displayed throughout the entire book. In my opinion, the account of shocking and brutal nature of Belgian colonial rule, is worth reading on it's own, if only to remind us of the horror of the colonialism from which the US has recently escaped. And anyone with an interest in the way we car for or mistreat other humanbeings may find a great deal of food for thought here as well. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Hochschild, a renowned journalist has taken on Stalin and Russian psyche in previous books. He has been criticized the almost exclusive focus of the CRA movement on Belgium, citing comparable brutality by the US in the Philippines, the British in Australia, the Germans in what is now Namibia. Bibliography: Hochschild, Adam "King Leopold's Ghost:a story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial Africa. First Mariner Books 1998. New York

Is Print Media Dead? Essay -- essays research papers

Print media and journalism in general has a bright future in the upcoming decade. I do believe that it is shifting, and we may have to redefine journalism. Journalism has always defined newspapers, magazines, and the printed word. Broadcast journalists also earn that distinction but to a lesser degree because of the medium they work in. I do think that the printed works of journalists are here to stay for a long time. The area that I see changing is where the words are going to be printed. Words are they going to be on paper or on electronic screens? I have always liked newspapers. They can be taken anywhere by anyone. They can also be folded into paper airplanes and thrown around classrooms. The final resting-place of many newspapers is the bathroom. I know that in my house that is where the front page and sports section is. This particular journalism class likes newspapers. I walk in and see many of my classmates reading one everyday. The technology for the extinction of newspapers has been around for fifty years. Fifty years has passed and still newspapers and magazines hold a dominant place in the culture of every race on earth. What makes them so attractive? The information they contain is the main attraction. A poor family in Italy can find out how their favorite soccer team did against the English. A starving Ethiopian can find out when the next shipment of humanitarian aid is coming to his village. We Americans can find out if McDonalds is coming out with a new combo...

James A. Michners: TEXAS :: essays research papers

In this magnificent historical novel, James A. Michner skillfully combines fact and fiction to present one of our most expansive and diversified states. Spanning nearly four and a half centuries, Michner begins with the first Spaniards to explore parts of present day Texas, Cabeza de Vaca and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and continues on to the emergence of Texas as one of our most powerful states. Michner’s use of historical fact is extremely accurate in his portrayal of events in Texas history. Particularly when he writes of the fight for Independence from Mexico. Michner only strays to fiction in an attempt to illustrate to the reader what the lives of early Texans must have been like. His characters interact with actual historical figures and create very believable scenarios of the events depicted in his novel. One Scenario in particular is the Battle of San Jacinto. This is a historical event which ended in a decisive victory for the Texas Army and Independence for Texas. Michner’s depiction of this battle is very accurate except for two important points. In his novel, Stephen F. Austin is sent to destroy a ferry owned by a former lover, Mattie Quimper. This was to prevent the Mexican Army, under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, from crossing the river and give more time to the Texans to prepare for the inevitable battle. This incident is fictional, but it is similar- to another factual event. At San Jacinto, General Sam Houston sent one of his men to destroy a bridge crossing the San Jacinto River. This was to prevent reinforcements from joining Santa Anna’s forces, which were already on the Island. The second point which was fictional ,but was based on an actual event, was the capture of General Santa Anna. In Michner’s novel, a bumbling Yancy Quimper, comes across a half naked Santa Anna, who was trying to evade capture by hiding in the trees. Quimper, being a coward, nearly shoots himself in the process. This alerts another fictional character, Otto MacNab. MacNab takes Santa Anna into custody and presents him to General Houston. In actuality, a Texas Army Sergeant captured Santo Anna the day following the battle. Michner includes these fictional characters as part of a sub-plot designed to keep the reader interested in what is a purely military campaign. He remains true to historical facts and only adds fiction to color his amazing storytelling abilities.

Aggressive driving Essay

Aggressive driving refers to dangerous driving that disregards safety and courtesy. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines aggressive driving as occurring â€Å"when individuals commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.† Driving behaviors that commonly constitute aggressive driving include: †¢speeding, †¢racing, †¢frequently changing lanes, †¢cutting off other drivers, †¢failing to signal, †¢running red lights, †¢failing to yield, †¢tailgating, †¢slowing rapidly to discourage a tailgater, and †¢boxing other cars in and using other intimidation maneuvers. In addition, aggressive drivers may further try to intimidate their victims by shouting or making obscene gestures at them. Several different legislatively-defined driving offenses are similar in some ways to aggressive driving. While statutory definitions vary from state to state, they include the following: Careless, inattentive, distracted, or negligent driving involves failing to exercise normal care, or endangering people or property, while driving a vehicle. Many states are adding to their statutes specific language prohibiting use of certain technologies while driving. Some states include negligent driving under reckless or impaired driving statutes so that defendants plead to the lesser negligent-driving charge to avoid the more serious charge. Reckless driving is a more serious form of careless or negligent driving. It is variously defined as creating a substantial or unjustifiable risk of harm, a conscious or wanton disregard of safety, and/or a gross deviation from reasona ble behavior in the situation. Aggressive driving addresses many of the same behaviors covered by reckless driving statutes, but adds a notion of a pattern of behaviors occurring over a short period and/or intention. As intention is difficult to prove, states with statutes that require the standard of intention be met often see aggressive driving charged as reckless driving. Driving behaviors included  in the definition of aggressive driving could result from aggression, selfishness, or competition. As many of the behaviors that constitute aggressive driving could also occur in the absence of aggression (if a driver is inattentive, for example), some state legislatures use a threshold of three or more potentially aggressive driving behaviors committed in a sequence or over a short period in their statutory definitions. Aggressive driving definitions should cover hostile, competitive, and selfishly motivated driving behaviors. Road rage is a more extreme form of aggression that involves criminal intimidation and/or violence precipitated by driving activities. Road rage involves an intent to harm, can involve use of the vehicle as a weapon, or can take place outside the vehicle(s) involved. Driving provokes anger more often than other activities. Driving is a goal-oriented activity, the purpose being to get from point A to point B expeditiously; yet peop le easily and frequently thwart driving goals. Driving is also a stressful activity that exposes drivers and passengers to potentially significant dangers. Incivility amongst drivers is common and reliably provokes anger in its recipients. For all these reasons, drivers report frequently feeling angry. Anger may, but usually does not, lead to aggressive driving or road rage. Situational, cultural, and individual factors combine to cause angry drivers to behave aggressively behind the wheel. Prevalence of Aggressive Driving Two-thirds of traffic fatalities involve behaviors commonly associated with aggressive driving, such as speeding, running red lights, and improperly changing lanes. One-third of all traffic injuries result from aggressive driving. Speeding, a common element in aggressive driving, contributes to about one-third of fatal crashes Several studies have shown that somewhere between 20 percent and 35 percent of drivers have honked their horns, yelled, obscenely gestured, and cursed at other drivers. Estimates indicate that from 6 percent to 28 percent of drivers have tailgated or blocked other drivers’ vehicles. These behaviors can be part of a pattern of acts that constitute aggressive driving, and they can also provoke anger that could lead to aggressive driving in others. Research findings are mixed on whether aggressive driving is more prevalent today than in the past. What is known is that aggressive driving occurs frequently and is a significant  contributor to injury and fat ality collisions. While the violent and assaultive acts that constitute road rage are rare, they deserve police attention. . Occasionally, motorists have found themselves in unpleasant situations involving abusive gestures or language from another driver who takes issue with how they drive. Anxiety and frustration can quickly spark an aggressive or careless driver who tailgates, speeds, fails to yield the right of way among other behaviours. Aggressive driving behaviour may lead to incidents of road rage where motorists have been threatened and/or subjected to retaliatory actions by angry motorists. If people drive responsibly they will reduce the chances of conflict on the road and help make our roads safer. Experts recommend the following tips to help avoid road conflicts: †¢Plan your route in advance. Some of the most erratic and inconsiderate driving occurs when motorists are lost; †¢Make a conscious decision not to take your problems with you when driving; †¢Combat the warning signs of stress by getting fresh air and breathing deeply and slowly. Listen to relaxing music; †¢Avoid long drives if you can. If you take a long trip, stop every few hours for a rest. Before and during a long drive, avoid heavy meals which tend to make a person lethargic; †¢Drive in a courteous and considerate manner. Give way at busy intersections and where traffic lanes merge; †¢Don’t compete or retaliate. If someone’s driving annoys you, don’t try to â€Å"educate them†. Leave traffic enforcement to the police; †¢Don’t take other driver’s mistakes personally; †¢Avoid honking your horn unless absolutely necessary and, if you must, tap on it lightly; †¢Say, â€Å"Sorry† if you make a mistake. An apology can reduce the risk of conflict; †¢If you are being physically threatened, stay in your car and lock the doors. If you have a cell phone call the police. Use your horn and lights to attract attention; †¢If you think you are being followed, do not drive home. Go to a police station or a busy public place; †¢Don’t carry a defensive weapon; it might provoke a potential assailant.