Defining Abnormality †Towards a definition Essay

The statistical approach is based on the idea that certain behaviours are statistically rare in the population. If you measure any type of human behaviour you should find that people with varying degrees of the behaviour are normally distributed around the mean. For example there are a lot of people who are of average height but few people who are very small. If we plot a graph of for example IQ scores, It is bell shaped. The majority of individuals are clustered around the mean (the curves highest point). The further you go away from the mean, the fewer people there are. Problems Desirability-some statistically infrequent behaviours, e.g. being a genius are desirable. Cut-off point-who decides at what point you are to be considered abnormal? Statistical Definitions-The Same standards or norms are not relevant to all social groups/ ages/cultures for example in terms of anxiety. Children have more irrational fears than adults. Deviation from social norms Social norms are behaviours that are desirable for both the individual and society as a whole. Deviance from social norms is both undesirable and abnormal. Most mentally Ill people do behave in a socially deviant way but this doesn’t mean that you can base clinical abnormality on this theory alone. Moral standards-social norms change over time and basing mental illness on deviation from social norms is dangerous. Context-for example, wearing few items of clothing on the beach is acceptable, on the high street it is not. Sub Cultures-for example in the Mormon religion it is acceptable to have several wives. In England that is a crime called bigamy Good/Bad-in some certain circumstances being socially deviant is a good thing for example in Nazi Germany people who were opposed to Nazism were socially deviant. Collectivistic cultures-cultures which emphasise the greater good of the community rather than focusing on individual achievement would not find the first three characteristics relevant. Difficult-most people would have difficulty fitting all these criteria at most times in their lives. Cultural relativism A limitation to all ways of defining abnormality is that no definition is relevant to all cultures. Also cultures definitions change over time. For example Homosexuality was considered to be a mental disease till the 80’s.

Hca 322 Week 5 Assignment

A Deeper Look into Ethics and Laws Regarding Surrogacy HCA 322: Health Care Ethics and Medical Law A Deeper Look into Ethics and Laws Regarding Surrogacy When one or more persons contract with a woman to gestate a child than relinquish that child after birth to the person or couple is known as surrogacy. It is a course of action that goes outside of natural reproduction. For some, it is the only method of having children, extending family. Surrogacy has been stirring up many controversies over the years. Ethics, morals, laws, religious views, etc. ave played a major role in the issues that follow the topic of surrogacy. Laws and regulations pertaining to surrogacy vary from state to state. Some states have no enforceable laws towards surrogacy, while others only permit surrogacy contracts that are uncompensated arrangements and gestational agreements (Trimarchi, 2011). Some states prohibit same sex couples from entering into any form of surrogacy contracts. In this paper, I will be a ddress the legal and ethical issues involved and other aspects of surrogacy. History of Surrogacy and Case Study Surrogacy was assumed to have been around since the Babylonian times.Alternatively, the most credible records to date allocate managing legal passivity and the public responses during the middle of the 20th century. Surrogacy did not become public in 1976, when Attorney Noel Keane negotiated the first ever surrogacy agreement (â€Å"History of surrogacy,† 2011). Attorney Noel Keane and Dr. Ringold created the first ever fertility clinic (surrogacy clinic) in the United States. Many laws and regulations were not implemented until the case of Elizabeth Kane and the case of Baby M. Elizabeth Kane was the first woman to enter into a compensated surrogacy agreement in 1980.She was to be compensated with $10,000. She, however, was unwilling to leave the surrogacy agreement without the baby. It was the decision of the court to not grant custody of the child to Elizabeth K ane due to her signing a legal contract. This is the case known for starting the implementation of some laws in some states. In 1986, Mary Beth Whitehead (surrogate mother) and the Stern family entered into a surrogacy agreement. This is the notorious case of ‘Baby M. ‘ It was agreed that Whitehead would receive $10,000 if the child were born healthy, and the surrogate maintained the guidelines and restrictions stated in the contract.However, if there was a case of miscarriage or still born, Whitehead would only receive $1,000. Also, once the child was born Mrs. Stern could legally adopt the child. Once the child was born, Whitehead decided she did not want to give custody of the child to the Sterns. She fled the state and was soon taken into custody. Judge Sorkow, ruled that custody of Baby M would be given to the Stern family, enforcing the surrogacy contract. Whitehead was also deemed an unfit mother. Mrs. Stern was given permission to adopt Baby M. Whitehead appealed the court's decision.New Jersey's Supreme Court overturned Judge Sorkow's ruling, invalidating commercial surrogacy contracts as a disguised form of baby-selling (Tong, 2011). Whitehead was granted visitation to baby M. Cases like ‘Baby M' assisted in triggering some but not many regulations on surrogacy. Ethics and morals, and forms of discrimination against women arose after the case of ‘Baby M. ‘ Some believed that the ruling was justified, whereas others felt that it exploited financially unstable, young, minority women searching for an easy way to earn cash (Tong, 2011). The case of ‘Baby M,' had some thinking that if Mrs.Whitehead were financially stable, like the Stern Family, she would've been granted full custody of the child. On the other hand, those favoring the decision stated that most surrogacy advocates chose women who are 20-30 and have had a child. They also noted that majority of surrogates chosen are Caucasian women. Surrogate agencies now seek women who are unselfish and are financially ready to be the role of a surrogate. Legal Issues A contract is considered to be an agreement, written or verbal, outlining terms and conditions (legally binding obligations) between two parties.Contracts are legally enforceable. In regards to surrogacy, contracts are drawn up with terms and conditions for the surrogate as well as the intended parents. While a majority of the population feels this is a legally enforceable contracts others see the contract as null and void. Due to the close resemblance of ‘baby selling,' which is illegal in every state, there has been, and still is a bit of a divide on decisions in legislation in regards to surrogacy. â€Å"Court decisions and legislation in the United States are split on the issue of whether or not to prohibit surrogacy contracts† (Pozgar, 2012).The surrogacy field has some regulations, such as the use of contracts, which are considered to be law binding, as of right now . The topic of surrogacy is a topic, with much needed deliberation. Before any couple may move forward with the surrogacy process, there are certain factors that must be considered. This includes: Is surrogacy permitted in the state? Are surrogacy contracts permitted? Is there the option to transfer parental rights (adoption)? Once one has these questions answered, they have to determine other factors.Such as: costs for both surrogate (if any) as well as intended parents, contract agreement, testing procedures, medical expenses for the surrogate, etc (â€Å"What are the,† n. d. ). If an agreement has been reached, and all aspects of the surrogacy are agreed to, a surrogacy contract can be entered into without any issues developing. However, this does not mean no issues will arise later in the surrogacy. Some aspects may have been over looked, or the surrogate could develop issues once the child is born, hence the case of ‘Baby M. ‘There is nothing in federal legis lation in regards to surrogacy. Laws regarding surrogacy vary from state to state. As of this moment, several states prohibit acts of assisted reproductive technologies. In those states any surrogacy contracts are unenforceable, proclaiming all contracts void (Hansen, 2011). Some of these states consider acts of surrogacy a crime, punishable by law. While some states allow surrogacy by only to married couples or to couples where one of the intended parents is related to the child. A majority of the states allow surrogacy to take place.In fact they have allowed the surrogacy field to prosper (Hansen, 2011). These states do not have any regulations on surrogacy. Surrogacy contracts are binding just as any other drawn up contract. When entering into such a potentially controversial contract, lawyers should be present to discuss any issues, and to witness the agreement. All parties involved in surrogacy have legal rights. Ones that should not be over looked. For instance, all parties in volved in surrogacy have a right to confidentiality. The right to privacy and confidentiality should be underlined in the contract drawn.The intended parents of the child as well as the surrogate mother must keep all information private. While information between the surrogate and the intended parents may be shared, a third party (surrogacy agency) tries to keep all information to a need to know basis. For example, the intended parents may want to know of any mental or physical issues of the surrogate. Otherwise, all information should be kept private. Both parties in the surrogacy contract have the right to an attorney. Due to high risks of controversies, all parties should have legal representation.Lawyers can assist in explaining the contract. They can also give legal advice if the other party has a ‘change of heart. ‘ With legal representation comes attorney-client confidentiality. The attorney hired must keep all information private. Ethics & Morals Surrogacy raises many ethical issues. All too which must be evaluated before entering into a surrogacy contract. The biggest ethical issue pertaining to surrogacy is the mental and physical displacement the surrogate mother endures. The surrogate mother must be capable of releasing the child once she has completed labor. In a surrogate situation, the gestational mother is the woman who carries the baby to term. This can be a very taxing process both physically and emotionally – and unique in that after the surrogate mother physically carries the baby throughout the pregnancy, she needs to physically and emotionally detach herself from the child once it is born† (The ethical issues,† n. d. ). For some women this issue is effortless, they simply see their body as a temporary home for the child, a ‘womb for rent'. While others form an attachment with the child while in the gestational period.This attachment presents difficulty for the surrogate mother once the child is born. à ¢â‚¬Å"After the child is taken, the surrogate mother may be negatively impacted as her feeling of isolation is felt along with the reality of the sale of her body † (Pozgar, 2012). This, in the long run, could cause more negative impact for the surrogate mother than positive. Women's values in liberty and autonomy need to be weighed against other values like exploitation, health and welfare. When entering into a drastic contract, the fear of infidelity weighs heavy on all parties.Trust in one another is a major characteristic that must be displayed. â€Å"It is easy to praise a successful arrangement in retrospect, but the danger always exists that an arrangement one is planning would cause moral harm to the surrogate and/or the commissioning parents† (van Niekerk ; van Zyl, 1995). If the surrogate mother were to change her mind after the child were born, it could cause an emotional impact on all parties, including the child. In the case of ‘Baby M,' Whitehead gre w attached to the child. At first, she was considered to be unfit as a mother and lost all rights.However, she continued her efforts to custody of the child. After two years, she was awarded visitation to the child, and the intended mother was unable to adopt the child. The emotional devastation felt had to have been overwhelming. The child was subject to the custody battle and confusion of ‘who is my mommy? ‘ While the Stern family (intended family) had to endure in sharing a child too which they would have full custody. What about the rights of the child? This is a question stirring around controversy. The child is usually never considered when people decide assisted reproduction technologies.The child is not given the option of knowing his/her gestational mother, or of any other details pertaining to her (unless otherwise stated, like in the case of ‘Baby M'). The child is also denied the ability to know if his/her biological parents (if sperm donation and/or eg g donation is used). â€Å"Transferring the duties of parenthood from the birthing mother to a contracting couple denies the child any claim to its â€Å"gestational carrier† and to its biological parents if the egg and/or sperm is/are not that of the contracting parents† (â€Å"Surrogacy: A 21st,† ).Also, the baby may have identity issues upon being informed of the nature of his birth, that is if the intended parents decide to disclose this information to the child. Awkwardly, there has been deliberation that surrogacy is close to resembling prostitution. Commercial surrogacy (paying a surrogate mother for gestation of a child) is said to be considered a form of prostitution because the woman is selling her body for someone else's contentment. Although surrogacy is not for intimate purposes, people feel it is the same concept.They feel it is immoral. However, those favoring surrogacy argue that ‘we live in a society where physical labor is compensated wit h money or material items. ‘ They feel that this argument is invalid (van Niekerk & van Zyl, 1995). . Lastly, ‘baby-selling' is the issue surrounding surrogacy. Selling a child is illegal and unethical in any state. Infertility clinics and surrogacy agencies are growing more popular in the United States. These clinics and agencies do take a portion of the money involved in the surrogacy.This little fact gives more power to the argument of ‘baby-selling. The agency or clinic is considered to be the third party in the process, assisting with finding probable surrogates for intended families, drawing up a contract, what each party is responsible for throughout the gestation period of the child. An infertile couple pays an agency $10,000 to find a surrogate, and another $10,000 to the surrogate for any expenses she made covered while carrying the child. The infertile couple also pays the medical expenses, prenatal and postnatal care.So some like the state of Michigan, this is unethical and illegal. It is classified as ‘baby-selling. ‘ However, if a woman who bears a child gives the child to a infertile couple for free, this is completely legal and ethical. In my opinion/ Conclusion In the future, the topic of surrogacy will still be controversial. However, with technology becoming so advance, I foresee a solution to infertility for couples coming to an end. States have their different opinions on the subject, and because of those opinions laws and regulations have been placed on surrogacy.Some states laws will change, as the issue of surrogacy arises. † As surrogate/contract parenting arrangements are normalized and routinized, the U. S. public will probably press federal and state authorities to pass clear legislation governing surrogacy† (Tong, 2011). Woman are given the gift to bare children. However, some are incapable due to some form of medical issue. If a family wants to extend their family by having children (legal ly) that is their given right. Of course this varies from state to state. Surrogacy does cause many ethical and legal issues.However, these are issues that all surrogate mothers and intended families take into close consideration before pursuing. It is important that all parties involved weigh in liberty, autonomy, fidelity, ethical and moral values against all other standards and values. Many issues are bound to arise when entering into such a highly drastic contract, but with close monitoring, fidelity and understanding, the contract should be capable of being carried out with no issues. References Hansen, M. (2011, March 01). As surrogacy becomes more popular, legal problems proliferate.Retrieved from http://www. abajournal. com/magazine/article/as_surrogacy_becomes_more_popular_legal_problems_proliferate/ History of surrogacy. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. findsurrogatemother. com/surrogacy/information/history Pozgar, G. (2012). Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professio nals (3rd ed). Jones ; Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781449685065/id/ch02lev1sec10 Surrogacy: A 21st century human rights challenge. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. cbc-network. org/issues/making-life/surrogacy/ The ethical issues of surrogacy. n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. modernfamilysurrogacy. com/page/surrogacy_ethical_issues Tong, R. (2011). Surrogate parenting. Retrieved from http://www. iep. utm. edu/surr-par/#H4 Trimarchi, M. (2011). Surrogacy overview. Retrieved from http://health. howstuffworks. com/pregnancy-and-parenting/pregnancy/fertility/surrogacy3. htm van Niekerk, A. , ; van Zyl, L. (1995). The ethics of surrogacy: Women's reproductive labour. Journal of Medical Ethics, 21(6), 345-345. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/216336102? accountid=32521 What are the

The money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The money - Essay Example As I never witnessed any struggle for money, I thought money comes easily and could not understand why people keep pondering over the thoughts to be rich and wealthy, when it is so easy to get money! As any child of the similar status I also framed the impression that money is happiness and if I have money I am able to do anything to accomplish my aspirations. As time passed, my understanding changed. I was quite aware about myself, started perceiving things from a different outlook. My thoughts started shaping my psychology. My domain enhanced, I started meeting people belonging to different economical spheres. I met individuals not from a similar background and status but those who have witnessed the true struggle of life and have come up. They seem to be relatively mature, adaptable, full of empathy and human values. They were quite efficient and never wasted money on ineffective and worthless deeds. I discerned, their psychology was different, could be because they are being brought up in an environment where life did not show much mercy and procuring money was tough. There was another group of people who enjoyed harassing people and used to draw pleasure out of this. Money and power corrupts that I heard but this group made me an onlooker for the same. With time my knowledge about the world, circumstances and situations is enhancing and it is a continuous process, I believe this is what we call maturity. My family atmosphere never inculcated the notion and concept to misuse money for power. I observed every aspect of life from happiness to suffering of people. Watch the happenings around the world on television, read in the newspaper, what a chaos! Where are we heading? People are wealthy but do not have empathy, everyone seems to be in some rush, a haste to be wealthy, a haste to own all materialistic objects, people are obsessed. Today, inhabitants want to earn and

An investigation into the impact of branding on growth of tablet Essay

An investigation into the impact of branding on growth of tablet computer for the UK market - Essay Example Branding in the tablet industry 17 2.7 Chapter Summary 20 2.8 Research Hypothesis 20 Chapter 3: Research Methodology 21 3.2 Research Method 22 3.3 Research Design 22 3.3.1 Types of study 23 3.3.2 Theoretical vs. empirical 24 3.3.3 Nomothetic vs. ideographic 24 3.3.4 Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal study 24 3.4 Data Collection Design 25 3.3.1 Qualitative vs. quantitative study 25 3.4 Sampling Design 26 3.4.2 Variables 28 3.5 Data Collection, Measurement & Analysis 31 3.5.1 Sample size and instrument for data collection 32 3.5.2 Scaling 33 3.5.3 Ethical Issues in Collection of Data 33 3.5.4 Data Analysis Technique 33 3.6 Conclusion 34 Chapter 4: Analysis & Findings 34 4.1 Analysis 34 4.1.1 Quantitative Analysis 34 4.2.2 Analysis of Qualitative Survey 62 4.2 Findings 67 4.2.1 Major Findings of the quantitative survey 67 4.2.2 Other findings of the quantitative survey 70 4.2.3 Findings from (interview) qualitative survey 70 Chapter 5: Conclusion & Recommendations 72 5.1 Conclusions 72 5 .2 Recommendations 79 Chapter 6: Reflections 81 6.1 Reflections about the topic 81 6.2 Reflections as a researcher 83 As a researcher, the sheer magnitude of involvement required, the difficulties in arranging the respondents for both the qualitative and quantitative study, designing and developing the instrument vis-a-vis the aims and objectives of the study, made to believe that a study of this nature is a supreme type of learning. Being a student of electric engineering in the undergraduate programme, this was the researcher’s first encounter with learning the business knowledge, particularly in marketing and branding. Though initially, it was... This chapter provides an overview of the entire dissertation, starting with the background of the study that brings out the phenomenon of study. This is followed by a delineation of the need of such a study and its significance, which then leads to formation of the research question and setting the aims and objectives of the study. Subsequently, the chapter deals with a brief description of the research methods to be adopted for the study covering such issues as the research design, sampling, data collection and analysing. 1.2 Background In the information age, two things have invaded into most of individual’s life – one is a mobile phone, and the other a PC. Over the decades, the need for diminishing size and increasing mobility of the personal computer; and increasing size and functionality of the mobile has given rise to the birth of Tablet PC. In other words, a tablet PC can be seen as a blend between a mobile phone and a PC that has evolved from consumers’ preference for larger and larger mobile phones and smaller and sleeker laptops. With the release of iPad in April 2010, Apple created a revolution of table computers, even though a host of other companies such as Dell, and Samsung published their tablet computer in the same year; and followed by Blackberry PlayBook, HP Tablet, Asus Eee Pad, Data Ltd Tablets which were released in 2011. The tablet PC market has taken the technology market by surprise in terms of growth, product innovation, and marketing innovation.

Starting the lesson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Starting the lesson - Essay Example The thinking maps discussed by John Hattie focus on the power of passionate teaching and cognitive engagement of students. Taking John Hattie’s quote from Paul Brock in his 2012 book ‘I want †¦ teachers †¦ to nurture and challenge my daughters’ intellectual and imaginative capacities†¦to care for Sophie and Millie with humanity and sensitivity†¦ to strive to maximize their potential.’ (Hattie, 2012) signifies the shift in the overall teaching domain. In this very book Professor Hattie has listed fourteen new interventions that were not a part of his Meta analysis and among those the most crucial one is teacher’s credibility. As mentioned in the abstract had the learning be a little more practical rather than subject oriented the teacher would have taught in a markedly improved fashion. It is important for the teachers to show genuine care and educate knowledge that can add to the students’ overall well being. The students w ho do well are the ones whose teachers are credible and the students perceive their credibility to the fullest. Therefore it is important for the teachers to enhance the effective learning process of the students by possessing the right amount of knowledge and facts and sharing their knowledge in a genuine way through modern teaching

In the movie The Hurricane what was Ruben Hurricane Carter's Identity, Essay

In the movie The Hurricane what was Ruben Hurricane Carter's Identity, meaning and relationships with other chartecters - Essay Example Carter has personally authored the screenplay which is the reason why it fundamentally portrays the opinion of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. The film portrays Carter as a passerby who is innocent and is not involved in the act of murder. According to the story’s plot, Carter was driving with a friend of his named John Artis towards home. They were on their way back from a club in Paterson when the police made them stop and inquired them about the murder of three people in a bar. The police’s suspicion was flared up by the claim of Alfred Bello that Artis and Carter were the witnesses of the act of murder. The police arrested Artis and Carter due to the allegations imposed by Bello upon the two and later, Carter was sentenced for life thrice. Carter maintained his position saying that he was being humiliated because of his African American race and his active participation in the civil rights movement. Despite the fact that Arthur Bradley and Bello recanted their allegation in 1974, Artis and Carter faced reconviction. Carter’s case was reinvestigated in 1980s by the state of New Jersey upon the insistence of Lesra Martin, a Brooklyn teenager who was working with activists from Canada. The Federal District Court decided in 1985 that the conviction of Carter happened solely because of racism.

Management theories and methods in Construction Projects Essay

Management theories and methods in Construction Projects - Essay Example The leader has to lead the team and train them at the same time. A true leader is supposed to find out the root causes of issues and solve them in a way which is thoroughly acceptable to various individuals involved (Nicholas, 1990). In the current scenario, the sub-contractor team is not working properly because of the lack of motivation in them. It is the job of the leader to identify this issue and devise a strategy to motivate the team and boost their morale. Leaders must have high degree of emotional intelligence for identifying the hidden aspects of the issues and for finding out solutions to them. Understanding the mindset of employees and workers is very important because it aids the management in catering for the employees. the needs theory clearly explains how a leader can take control of a scenario and achieve the maximum output. In the current scenario, the mindset of the subcontractor team should be analyzed thoroughly for identifying the problem (Goleman, 1998). Maslows theory of motivation provides the leaders with an easier way of attending to the employees. Since the sub-contractor has gained other contracts with the organization as well, he might have achieved his personal targets already and that is why he is not interested in ensuring quality work. The style theory asserts that managers have different styles of leadership and their employees often respond to each theory differently. The leader in this case first identified the issue, after that there is a simple talk with the sub-contractor in order to help improve on efficiency. As the construction site manager, my responsibility is to convince the sub-contractor about the benefits of working efficiently (Linstead, Fulop & Lilley, 2004). A true leader should be able to convince the employees, workers and sub-ordinates that individual and personal targets can only be achieved if the project is successful. The delays and inefficiency of one team is detrimental for

Learning Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Learning Styles - Essay Example c) move around a lot, fiddle with pens and pencils and touch things 14. I choose household furnishings because I like: a) their colours and how they look b) the descriptions the sales-people give me c) their textures and what it feels like to touch them 15. My first memory is of: a) looking at something b) being spoken to c) doing something 16. When I am anxious, I: a) visualise the worst-case scenarios b) talk over in my head what worries me most c) can't sit still, fiddle and move around constantly 17. I feel especially connected to other people because of: a) how they look b) what they say to me c) how they make me feel 18. When I have to revise for an exam, I generally: a) write lots of revision notes and diagrams b) talk over my notes, alone or with other people c) imagine making the movement or creating the formula 19. If I am explaining to someone I tend to: a) show them what I mean b) explain to them in different ways until they understand c) encourage them to try and talk them through my idea as they do it 20. I really love: a) watching films, photography, looking at art or people watching b) listening to music, the radio or talking to friends c) taking part in sporting activities, eating fine foods and wines or dancing 21. Most of my free time is spent: a) watching television b) talking to friends c) doing physical activity or making things 22. When I first contact a new person, I usually: a) arrange a face to face meeting b) talk to them on the telephone c) try to get together whilst doing something else, such as an activity or a meal 23. I first notice how people: a) look and dress b) sound and speak c) stand and move 24. If I am angry, I tend to: a) keep replaying in my mind what it is that has upset me b)... Someone with an Auditory learning style has a preference for the transfer of information through listening: to the spoken word, of self or others, of sounds and noises. These people will use phrases such as 'tell me', 'let's talk it over' and will be best able to perform a new task after listening to instructions from an expert. These are the people who are happy being given spoken instructions over the telephone, and can remember all the words to songs that they hear! Someone with a Kinaesthetic learning style has a preference for physical experience - touching, feeling, holding, doing, practical hands-on experiences. These people will use phrases such as 'let me try', 'how do you feel' and will be best able to perform a new task by going ahead and trying it out, learning as they go. These are the people who like to experiment, hands-on, and never look at the instructions first! People commonly have a main preferred learning style, but this will be part of a blend of all three. Some people have a very strong preference; other people have a more even mixture of two or less commonly, three styles.

Case Study Physical Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study Physical Assessment - Assignment Example the different forms of data and assessment procedures that a health assessment should take, which should follow the elements that â€Å"form the database of the assessment of the person’s health† as provided in chapter 1 in Jarvis (2012, pg.2). There are two types of data collected, the subjective data and the objective data. The subjective data is collected through collecting and analyzing what the patient is saying while conducting the examination. On the other hand objective data is the data collected by the medical examiner through inspecting, percussing, palpating, and auscultating while performing the medical examination (Jarvis, 2012). While it is crucial for an objective assessment to be conducted, the subjective data that allows one to understand the patient better is essential in understanding the patient better and come up with the best diagnosis as well as the treatment process for the patient. One of the main assessments that need to be analyzed is the cultural considerations of the patient. In the case study, the patient is an African American adolescent that has been exposed to different conditions that are not favorable to the development and well-being of the child. JP lives with the grandmother and was raised in a violent family where the mother and father were in constant altercations. The mother died of Heroin overdose and has also lost his father who died five years ago. These factors affect the normal up-bringing of JP and with the sickle-cell disease that he is currently enduring the cultural background is one of the main factors that will affect his condition. According to Jarvis (2012) the musculoskeletal function is affected by the cultural background and the life of the patient. According to Jarvis chapter 15, the musculoskeletal system â€Å"provides locomotion, an upright posture, and protection for the body† (Jarvis, 2012, pg. 177). In this regard looking at JP is African-American the muscles are deemed to be different and hence the

Hypothesis Exercise on Green Logistics Chain and Issues (CO2 emissions Essay

Hypothesis Exercise on Green Logistics Chain and Issues (CO2 emissions from Freight Transport in the US) - Essay Example They can end into obliging an increased usage of maintainable skills or alternate energies or merely they can confine individual zones or kinds of cars from being employed. It can be anticipated that the execution of supportable conveyance rules forces the logistic business to use environmentally unsafe means of transportation and consequently apply green logistic tools. Additionally since there are less of fuel efficient vehicles through the car fleet in United States of America, the logistic firm opt for use cargo wagons that are the chief causes of greenhouse gas discharges. Again, the requirement to meet the client’s fulfillment is one of the vital roles of the logistics. Customer fulfillment can be realized by several means such as haste of transport, quality of the transported goods and chattels or the likelihood of returning properties owing to recoveries. It can be assumed that a greater need for the client for justifiable and Green Logistics helps the dissemination of Logistics plans. The growing awareness of environmental problems can result to stimulating task for the logistics firm. As transportation and the involved business are among the vilest contaminators an intensifying consciousness in such a way can lead to weight illogicality and disgrace contrary to it. So as not to create a bad appearance it is undeniably vital to adjust to those inclinations. It can be assumed that it is essential for the logistic firm to conform to a growing environmental awareness in an extensive fragment of the community through executing Green Logistics policies. Has the Green Logistics fully succeeded in reducing the rate of pollution United States of America? Green logistics has both failed and succeed in dressing the environmental issues. Oil is the organic base for vestige energies for example petrol; diesel and paraffin that are the most frequently used powers for

Emancipation Proclamation and it’s Impact Essay Example for Free

Emancipation Proclamation and it’s Impact Essay The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 as the nation approached its third year of civil war (â€Å"The Emancipation Proclamation†). This proclamation was a significant step towards the objective of ending slavery and making African Americans equal citizens of the United States. The context of the proclamation declared that â€Å"that all persons held as slaves â€Å"within the rebellious states â€Å"are, and henceforward shall be free†. The proclamation became a significant road to slavery’s final destruction and became one of the initial inspirations for human freedom. The proclamation though the intention was good has many underlying aspects to be noted. The application of the proclamation was â€Å"limited only to those parts of North America which were under the control of the armed forces of the Confederate States of America† (â€Å"Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation†). President Lincoln had no power to liberate slaves generally because such act during that time would have been unlawful or unconstitutional. He could only issue such only from his capacity as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy and as a necessary war measure (Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation†). However despite the limitations, the proclamation of liberty had tremendous effects that possibly help shaped America. Although the practical effects of the proclamation was only limited to some areas â€Å"it did serve as an important symbol that the North now intended not only to preserve the Union but also to abolish the practice of slavery† (Emancipation Proclamation Further Readings). The success of the proclamation after the Civil War motivated Lincoln to completely support the liberation of the African American black people. This paved the way for the proposal of the Republican Party 1864 that calls for the gradual abolition of slavery by constitutional amendment. The proclamation also prevented Europe from supporting the Confederacy and encouraged enlistment of black soldiers, as a result, the North America towards slavery in Civil War was defeated (The Emancipation Proclamation: The Document that Saved America). The end of Civil War definitely reunited the rebellious states of United States with the Union which also made America a very big nation and eventually powerful country. The Proclamation gave joy and hope to millions of black people who was been enslaved by the Southern United States Americans. The Civil War from 1861- 1865 between Northern Defenders of the Union and the Southern members of the Confederacy (the name for the states that had separated themselves from the United States to form their own country in a bloody conflict) changed the focus of the war from â€Å"the rights of the individual states† to freeing the slaves (â€Å"Slaverys End Brings Both Joy and Confusion†). Civil War after the Emancipation was already about freedom. When the Civil War ended, the emancipation of blacks though left the White Southerners to be bitter and angry who can not yet fully accept that the slaves’ unpaid labour will be ended. Being defeated by the Southern members of the Confederacy, Northern whites felt that it is impossible for them to rebuild their shattered life without the blacks. The multitude of negative emotions felt by them highlights and manifests the racist attitude of Northern European descent. Blacks, after the Proclamation of Emancipation and eventually after the Civil War, learned that it is not true that they came from inferior race. And that it is not true that they are simply properties and they also realized that they became a victim of slavery because of ignorance. As free and learned men, they no longer had to put up with the brutalities they experienced and endured as slaves. The end of slavery gave them the opportunity to re-establish their identity, their individuality and their society. The Proclamation also became effective social awakening about slavery and human freedom. It illustrates that human beings of different culture, sexes, religion and races are created equal. The Emancipation Proclamation brought about great changes in the American society. The awareness of black’s slavery inspired literature, arts, music and films about freedom and liberty. Affirmative action, freedom of religion and the establishment of different organizations and groups that support the black community inspired its growth. Not only did the world focuses on the United States from then on in regards to slavery but the world started to open their eyes about the different existing slaveries, example Apartheid in Africa during early 20th century. Work Cited Page: THe Emancipation Proclamation. Feartured Documents. The National Archives. U. S. National Archives and Records Administration. Washington, US http://www. archives. gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/ Lincols Emancipation Proclamation. Fighting Salvery Today. Anti Slavery Society Boston. 2008 November 09 http://www. anti-slaverysociety. addr. com/index. htm Slaverys End Brings both Joy and Confusion. Emancipation Proclamation Summary. Boog Rags. Glam Publisher Network. http://www. bookrags. com/research/slaverys-end-brings-both-joy-and-co-rerl-01/ Emancipation Proclamation Further Readings. American Law Encyclopedia Vol 4. Law Library American Law and Legal Information. Net Industries. 2008 http://law. jrank. org/pages/6410/Emancipation-Proclamation. html The Emancipation Proclamation: THe Document that SAved America. A Journal for the Lincoln Collecter. The Rail Splitter 1998 http://www. railsplitter. com/sale10/boker. html

Employee Attitude And Performance Management

Employee Attitude And Performance Management Employees are the major drivers of any form of business and good employee performance is the most important need for the current competitive business environment to run successfully. Many organisations have started to attach a great emphasis towards the knowledge workers as claimed by Armstrong and Baron (1998) which makes it even more essential to understand the various practices of performance management. Performance Management and Performance Appraisal are very important tools; it helps to motivate employees to work hard and improves overall companys productivity Based on the study of Armstrong (2000) , performance management aims at improving the current results of the organisation or individuals or a group. A simple way to describe performance Management it is A process that significantly affects organizational success by having managers and employees work together to set expectations, review results and reward performance (Bowen, J. 2007). Performance appraisal is a way of giving employees feedback about their performance at work. According to ACAS (2003)  ¿Ã‚ ½Performance appraisal is an assessment of employees performance, potential and development needs. Performance appraisal is an opportunity to take an overall view of work content, loads and volumes, to look back on what has been achieved during the reporting period and agree objectives for the next( ACAS, 2003). 1.1 Background Study Research Question Performance Management , regular, balanced and systematic appraisals must be administered consistently in order to evaluate the performance of each individual in the organization. This allows human resources to pinpoint the weaknesses of an individual ¿Ã‚ ½s work style and the strengths. They can then share this information with the employee in order to affect a change in performance. This in turn will lead to more productivity and potentially better returns on human investment. Design of Organization, Analyze the work processes and recommends improvements when necessary. HRM also need to scan the world environment and identify emerging trends that will affect the organization and the management of people therein. In this role, the HR person contributes to the development of and the accomplishment of the organization-wide business plan and objectives. The HR business objectives are established to support the attainment of the overall strategic business plan and ob jectives. performance appraisal method that  ¿Ã‚ ½ranks individuals performance by counting the number of times any one individual is the preferred member when compared with all other employees in an organization ¿Ã‚ ½ (Decenzo, D and Robbins, S. 2001) According to Rue and Byars (2003) they illustrate the Paired Comparison Method using an example  ¿Ã‚ ½Suppose a manager is to evaluate six employees. The manager firstly compares the first employee with the second employee on a chosen performance criterion, such as quantity of work. If the manager thinks the first employee has produced more work then the second employee, he or she gets a higher rating. The first employee is then compared to the third, fourth, fifth and sixth employee on the same performance criterion. A better rating is given to the employee who produced the most work in each of these paired comparisons. The process is repeated until each employee has been compared to every other employee on all the chosen performance criteria. The employee with the best rating is considered to be the best performer. Likewise, the employee with the lowest rating is the lowest performer ¿Ã‚ ½. The main drawback of this method is that it can be used only in small organizations, wit h small numbers of employees, but in large organizations with large number of employees, it is difficult to compare each employee with every other employee in the organization. An appraisal method in which the employee ¿Ã‚ ½s performance feedback comes from such sources  ¿Ã‚ ½as self assessment, peers, team members, managers in the organizational hierarchy, and also from external sources such as customers, suppliers and other interested stakeholders has become very popular in contemporary organizations ¿Ã‚ ½ (Decenzo, D and Robbins, S. 2001) 360-Degree appraisal is a very useful tool, the data for appraisal is collected from a wide range of resources and it provides a very through picture of how an individual ¿Ã‚ ½s performance is viewed and can be an extremely powerful tool in analyzing performance. According to Foot and Hook. (2005) they state.  ¿Ã‚ ½To have any genuine value or meaningful impact, 360? feedback must be far more than a standalone activity. It should involve managing the individual ¿Ã‚ ½s expectations, aligning questionnaires to competency frameworks, setting goals to integrate the exercise into personal development plans and providing feedback from trained facilitators. The process surrounding the 360? process itself is complex, and how well HR and learning managers plan that process will determine what impact it will have ¿Ã‚ ½ this shows that while 360? feedback is not an easy process to introduce into an organization,  ¿Ã‚ ½it does nevertheless provides a powerful tool that fits well with t he performance management and performance appraisal approach ¿Ã‚ ½ (Foot, M. and Hook, C. 2005) Career Management, managing people is one of the most difficult aspects of organizational management .It means dealing with people who differ physical and psychologically. HR need to always talk with employees to find out what are individual assessments of abilities, interests, career needs and goals or all kinds negative feedback. 1.2 Research Questions 1. What is the relationship between performance appraisal and Employee attitude? 2. What is the attitude of employees towards goal setting? 3. What is the attitude of employees towards agency relations? 4. What is the attitude of employees towards dynamic capability? 5. What is the employee attitude towards relevant resources? 1.3 Research Objective 1. To investigate the relationship between performance Management and employee attitude 2. To investigate the employee attitude towards goal setting 3. To investigate the employee attitude towards Agency relations 4. To investigate the employee attitude towards Dynamic capability 5. To investigate the employee attitude towards Relevant resources 1.4 Problem Statement Many SME ¿Ã‚ ½s in Malaysia are facing numerous problems in the current business world which comprise of the information age, development of the technological factors at a rapid pace and globalisation are some examples, these changes are very rapid and highly unpredictable and the only department which manages this pressure is the HR department and the polices of the department which have equipped themselves to overcome these situations and volatile changes in the business environment and such policies include manpower planning performance plans and development performance plans and frequent appraisal of employees and performance guidance. Many organisations fail at this level which is a major concern, and the organisations which have overcome these obstacle have gone a long way bringing in many revolutionary changes in the business world and HR practices. (Becker et al., 2001; Zairi, 1998). 1.5 Significance of the study SME ¿Ã‚ ½s represent the major group of business organisations in Malaysia based on the Malaysia SME ¿Ã‚ ½s Report (2008) which contributes to a total of 99.2% , which in itself has its own significance and lays emphasis behind conducting this research study . The research paper also aims at establishing the relationship that exists between performance management practices and employee attitude. The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between performances 1.6 Research design and research context: The research philosophy which the researcher thinks is suitable is the positivist philosophy of research. The method used will be a survey method with questionnaires with both primary and secondary sources of data. This will include questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. The data analysis technique for the proposed research will be multiple regression analysis to find the relationship between the variables. In terms of the research context, the proposed research is based on Ahsan Ullah and Routray ¿Ã‚ ½s (2007) research employee attitude and performance management in Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s. The research will be carried in Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s. The reason for choosing Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s for this research purpose is largely due to their representation in Malaysian business as claimed by the Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s Report (2008). 1.7 Structure of Dissertation The dissertation is laid out in five chapters; the first chapter introduces the reader to the concept of Mutual funds and describes the aims and objectives of the study. The actual study begins from chapter two with Review of Literature analyzing the concept of mutual funds and assessing the previous research carried in analysing the mutual fund performance. The contents in the research report can be elaborated briefly as shown under the following headings. Chapter One: Introduction The first chapter of the research study as the name suggests the chapter introduces the study and the major area of focus in the research. The chapters clearly describe the aims and objectives of the study giving the reader glimpse about overall research. It also gives out the scope of the research and spells out the rationale behind the study. Chapter Two: Literature Review This chapter primarily prepares the study for empirical work by looking at evaluations and conclusions drawn on certain theories and concepts to check for similarities and difference made by past writers on similar or related studies. It ¿Ã‚ ½s on this basis, that later stages in the research are developed. In particular, academic journals, websites and textbooks that articulate models and related theories are used as a reference. Chapter Three: Research Methodology The Chapter three reviews a range of research methods and highlights the strength and weakness and also research design discussion. Chapter Four: Research Findings and Analysis Chapter four discusses the main research findings and provides critical evaluation of primary and secondary data ¿Ã‚ ½s about the leadership behaviors in the engineering organization. Chapter Five: Conclusions and Recommendations After careful examination, evaluation, assessment and analysis of data, in this chapter, the study points out how the aims and objectives of the research are met. It points out how the respective objectives are realized and tries to give an answer to the research question. 1.8 Limitations 1. The Research Study will be based only in Malaysian SME ¿Ã‚ ½s in Kuala Lumpur due to time constraint. 2. The research study will be cut short to just the evaluate the relationship between employee attitude and performance management 3. The research study will be carried out in Limited number of organisations only. 1.9 The Research Framework Adapted from James Kagaari (2010)

Bilateral Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Fracture Dislocation

Bilateral Trans-Scaphoid Perilunate Fracture Dislocation BILATERAL TRANS-SCAPHOID PERILUNATE FRACTURE DISLOCATION OF THE CARPUS. (CASE REPORT) Abstract: Trans-scaphoid perilunate fractures-dislocations are rare lesions. They occur in a high-energy trauma. The concomitent lesion of both wrists is exceptional. We report a case of bilateral trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocated wrist fracture in a 21-year-old man. The dislocation was treated by opened reduction and fractures by internal fixation. The functional outcome was satisfying after two years of follow-up. Introduction: Trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations are relatively uncommon.1 These are the most common form of the complex carpal dislocations2,3 causing marked disruption of the carpal anatomy. Time from injury to treatment (delay in treatment), anatomic classià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cation, and open or closed nature of the injury are the major factors that determine the clinical outcome in trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations.4,5 Late presentation combined with missed diagnosis often causes critical delay in the treatment of these injuries. If the acute phase is missed, then some authors recommend alternative procedures such as wrist arthrodesis and proximal row carpectomy which are relatively mutilating surgeries that leave a significant functional deficit.4,6,7 The acute phase is defined as the first week after injury, whereas the delayed phase is the period between the seventh and 45th day and after 45 days the injury is said to be in the chronic phase.4 We report the case of a patient who referred to our department two weeks after the initial trauma with bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations of the carpus. Anatomic reduction, percutaneous pin fixation of the carpus and fixation of scaphoid fractures of both wrists were performed by opened reduction under fluoroscopic control. Presentation of case: A 21-year-old, right-hand-dominant man sustained an isolated injury to his both wrists after a fall from a height of approximately 4.5 m. The carpal injuries of both wrists were missed initially and both wrists had been bandaged for two weeks after the trauma. He was referred to our department two weeks later with increasing pain. The patient reported that he fell on his outstretched hands with both wrists in extension. Both wrists were deformed in marked dorsiflexion, painful, swollen, and tender to palpation, with limitation of movement. The patient complained of paresthesia in both of his hands. On physical examination, meticulous cutaneous sensory mapping was performed of both hands to determine the area of decreased sensation. This was done with the use of the sharp end of a paperclip while applying a constant pressure. This revealed minor numbness in the median nerve distribution area of both hands (thumb, index, middle finger, and the radial side of the ring finger). The two-point discrimination was normal on both sides. The mobility of the fingers was normal but painful, and there was a slight decrase in grip strength of both hands. Motor power in abductor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis muscles was full (5/5) on both sides. The Tinels sign was negative over the carpal tunnel in both sides. The f indings of the patient led us to think that there is not any condition like acute carpal tunnel syndrome due to fracture-dislocation.We thought that the numbness of the patient was due to temporary traction injury of the median nerve caused by dislocation on both sides. The vascular status was normal on physical examination. Study of the anteroposterior, oblique and lateral plane radiographs showed that the patient had bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations of the carpi (Fig. 1). According to the classification described by Herzberg et al., the fracture-dislocations were trans-scaphoid as path of trauma and Stage 1 as displacement of capitate on both sides.4 The patient was informed about his pathology and advised to undergo surgery. If possible the patients preference was closed treatment. Therefore, we initially recommend closed reduction and percutaneous fixation. However, if this was not possible or in the situation of a failure we informed him about the open procedure. Under general anesthesia, a closed reduction was attempted with traction manoeuvre described by Tavernier8under fluoroscopic control. The reduction was not satisfactory,we opted for the open reduction by posterior approach.After anatomical reduction was achieved, intercarpal fixation was applied to carpal bones using three K-wires. The first K-wire was applied to scaphoide- lunate, the second K-wire was applied to- lunate-triquetrum and the third K-wire was applied to capitatum-lunate. After the procedure, reduction and fixation of carpal bones was confirmed under fluoroscopy. The same procedure was repeated for the other wrist. We noticed that the scaphoid fracture was reduced spontaneously along with the reduction of the carpal bones. So we performed   fixation of the left scaphoid fracture using a 3.5 mm mini Acutrak headless compression screw through the fracture line from a dorsal-proximal to a volar-distal direction. Intraoperative fluoroscopic control confirmed anatomic redu ction of the scaphoid fracture.. Finally, standard radiograms were obtained and both wrists were immobilized in a short arm cast (Fig. 2). The patient noted complete relief of symptoms the day after surgery. The pain and the paresthesia that the patient complained preoperatively was relieved dramatically and the function recovered. The post-operative period was uneventful. Four weeks after surgery, the casts and the K-wires were removed. New casts were applied for another 4 weeks when union was visible on radiographs. The casts were removed eight weeks after surgery. There was radiographic evidence of union of the scaphoid on the left side, but on the right side radiography revealed delayed union of the scaphoid. The patient subsequently underwent 3 months of intensive range-of-motion and muscle-strengthening exercises. Intermediate clinical and radiographic examinations were performed 6 and 12 months after surgery. At the two-year follow-up, the radiographs showed normal carpal bone relationships on both sides, complete union of the scaphoid on the left side(Fig.3). Wrist motion on the left side was excellent with 70 ° of palmar flexion, 80 ° of dorsiflexion, full supination and pronation, full radial and ulnar deviation. The right wrist could achieve 60 ° of palmar flexion and 70 ° of dorsiflexion, full supination and pronation, but with a mild decrease in radial and ulnar deviation. The grip strength of the right hand was 30 kg while that of the left side was 38 kg, measured with the Jamar dynamometer (J.A. Preston, Jackson, Michigan) . Fig.3 Right wrist and Left wrist anteroposterior and   lateral view after two-years. At the two-year follow-up, the patient was symptom-free concerning median nerve functions. The patient was free of pain on the left side. On the right side there was mild pain with wrist motions due to non-union of the scaphoid.The patient was able to perform activities of daily living and he had returned to all of his previous activities. The functional outcome was good on the left side, with a Mayo wrist score of 80/100. The functional outcome was satisfactory on the right side, with a Mayo wrist score of 65/100. Radiographs of both wrists revealed no evidence of radiocarpal or midcarpal arthritis. No osteonecrosis of the lunate or the scaphoid was evident. The lunate position was correct, without signs of instability. Anatomic relationships of the carpal bones were maintained. Discussion Carpal fracture-dislocations are rare injuries; thus their classification and treatment are rather difficult. Osseous variants of this injury are common; the trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation constitutes 61% of all perilunate dislocations and 96% of fracture-dislocations.4 The trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation is an uncommon injury sustained due to force transmission through a hyperextended wrist.9,10 These injuries may be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed.4 After a delay in diagnosis of several weeks or months, the clinical prognosis is poor compared with injuries that are treated acutely.11 According to the classification described by Herzberg et al., we initially diagnosed our patient in the delayed phase.4Regarding the literature, the management of such injuries in case of delayed presentation is rare.12,13Dislocation in this region requires rapid realignment, as untreated perilunate dislocation will lead to serious secondary damage.13,14 Perilunate fracture-dislocations are high-energy injuries, produced by wrist hyperextension.3,15 There is disruption of the palmar capsuloligamentous complex, starting radially and propagating through the carpus in an ulnar direction.3,15 This dislocation takes a transosseous route through the scaphoid resulting in a trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocation.10 In trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocations the fractured scaphoid is the initial destabilizing factor of the carpus.16 Regarding the literature, we believe that the mechanism of injury in our patient was fall from a height on the outstretched hands. Treatment options currently used for perilunar instability patterns include closed reduction and cast immobilization, closed reduction and percutaneous pinning, and open reduction. As the awareness of the anatomy and biomechanics of these injury patterns has evolved, authors have tended toward treatment approaches that attempt to repair the injured intrinsic and extrinsic carpal ligaments, that is, open techniques.4,8,11 Most authors agree that closed reduction is the initial treatment of choice for trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations.2,8,17 In addition, treatment often requires intercarpal fixation within the proximal carpal row. Most authors have agreed that the key to a good clinical result in the management of trans-scaphoid perilunate dislocation is the anatomic union of the scaphoid and the restoration of proper alignment of the carpal bones.17 In this case, we prefer a opened reduction and intercarpal fixation with K-wires, as well as screw fixation of the scaphoid, because we didnt achieve a good fracture alignment after closed reduction . Gellman et al. suggested that anatomical reductions of the scaphoid, as well as the mid-carpal joint, and the restoration of the articular surface of the lunate are the most important aspects determining the prognosis.11An open reduction further increases the risk of a scaphoid blood supply interruption, whereas percutaneous screw fixation of the scaphoid minimizes this risk.3,17,18 In addition, a rigid fixation with a percutaneous screw can also reduce the immobilization period and allow for an earlier rehabilitation. Acutrak screw fixation allows earlier discontinuance of the cast than K-wire fixation. In our case, the range-of-motion exercises of the wrist were started earlier after the initial operation. The nonunion rate was relatively higher in the series that were treated by closed reduction.19,20 In our case study the radiographs obtained two years after surgery revealed a non-union of the right scaphoid. We believe that the delay in treatment and maybe the malrotation of the scaphoid that we overlooked on the initial radiographs led to the interruption of the blood supply which was possibly responsible for the non-union of the scaphoid. Despite the non-union of the scaphoid, the functional outcome of our patient was satisfactory, with mild pain, good range of movement and good grip strength. Similarly, Herzberg et al.4 reported that unsatisfactory radiographs did not equate to a poor clinical outcome. We planned to perform open reduction and internal fixation with grafting for the non-union of the right scaphoid. Conclusion As the injury have led bilateral dorsal trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture-dislocations,  we therefore recommend minimally invasive techniques if an anatomical closed reduction and  a percutaneous rigid fixation of the scaphoid is achieved on the intraoperative evaluations.

Essay --

Title: Effectiveness of analgesia for pain management in patients with Sickle Cell Disease Introduction: Patient X was a 29-year-old male patient with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Aside from the complications associated with SCD such as opportunistic infections and vaso-occulsive episodes, which led to intense episodes of pain, he had no other co-morbidities. Patient X ran a family import business, which required frequent local and overseas travel. During the interview, Patient X repeatedly vocalized that the unpredictable onset and the manifestations of its symptoms was interfering with his quality of life in terms of economic cost (loss of business opportunities) and sleep. During acute episodes of pain, depending on its severity, Patient X would either contact his local GP for a prescription of painkillers or present himself at the Emergency Department (ED) to seek relief from his pain. SCD affects individuals with sub-Saharan African, Caribbean and Mediterranean ancestry. With a prevalence rate of more than 100,000 people in the United States alone and an incidence rate of 1 in 500 births among African-Americans, SCD is a major public health concern. (Givens et al. 2007, p. 239) Sickle Cell Pain (SCP) is a common feature in patients with SCD. It is characterised by episodes of severe pain. As pain management is primarily pharmaceutical in nature, the use of analgesia is of crucial importance in maintaining a patient’s quality of life. In SCP, the two major classes of analgesia used are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) and opioids. (See Table 1) First hand accounts from Patient X during interview in addition to a literature review which will be discussed later in this article highlights major psychosocial and medi... ... ED clinician attitudes, practice patterns as well as low addiction rates in this population should be highlighted to allow intervention. Following this, initiatives to improve ED management of acute sickle cell disease pain could promote more efficient ways to manage SCD pain, better dissemination of national guidelines, and efforts to improve negative physician attitudes toward SCD patients. Because of the complex nature of SCP, ideally there should be increased collaboration between front-line physicians such as the General practitioner and the Emergency Physician with subject matter specialists such as an Anaesthetist (to address acute and chronic pain management issues) and Haematologist (to treat the underlying pathophysiology of SCD). This multidisciplinary approach will not only to decrease adverse outcomes, but also increase the patient’s quality of life.

College Admissions Essay - A Willingness to Overcome Differences

College Admissions Essay - A Willingness to Overcome Differences I have a fledgling friendship with Amalia, a Spanish speaking woman. Amalia is not fluent with english, and my Spanish is wobbly and crude. So we get together whenever possible to practice each other's native tongue, half an hour of Spanish, half an hour of English. When we first started meeting, I saw a forbidding wall of words that I thought had to come down if a bond of friendship was to grow. The words that bring me such exhilaration and such rousing exchanges of ideas in English turned ornery and cantankerous in Spanish. Talking to Amalia, I was careful to bring up topics that I thought my Spanish could handle without too many searches through the dictionary Amalia and I kept between us like a life vest we had to share. Despite that, I often found myself staring at a wall of words, stranded in a maze, with the right words eluding me, defying me, mocking me from where they hid. The words turned me into a blushing, stammering nitwit. I used exaggerated hand gestures and facial expressions. I got gender and number wrong much of the time, unaccustomed as I was to having to think about that in English. I was embarrassed by my strong American accent and by the mistakes I made. When I tried to tell Amalia that I had eaten fried eggs that morning, she had to gently tell me that I was referring to male anatomy. I referred to elderly people in a degrading way. When I thought I was calling a male friend "embarrassed," I was saying that he was "pregnant". Such is the wily nature of words. Still, I decided to earn my livelihood with words because I'm enamored of them, in awe of them. I'm usually a humble person near the bottom of the food chain, but words wield... ...a and I even though objects, ideas, and feelings are expressed with different words in our respective tongues. I learned that words aren't just representational, though they are that too, but that they can also be catalysts. They can influence human interaction, even when the thing they represent is not clear or, more to the point, at precisely that time. With Amalia and I, the words impelled us toward each other. The bond grew out of a mutual determination to knock down the language barrier, not from its having been diminished. Our act of tackling words signaled to each of us that the other was a person who wished barriers between people to be gone, not reinforced. We grew close because of the language barrier, not in spite of it. The edifice of words was the bond. I'd mistaken its true form. It wasn't a wall; it was a bridge. And now we've met in the middle.

Educational psychology Essay

1. Understand the principles and requirements of assessment. 1. 1. Explain the function of assessment in learning and development. Lambert and Lines (2000) define assessment as â€Å"the process of gathering, interpreting, recording, and using information about pupils’ responses to educational tasks. † While this is an acceptable definition of assessment (as regards an educational definition), Graham Butt (Into Teaching: Part 2) expands on this definition by proposing that assessment has four main roles within teaching and learning. Firstly, it provides feedback to teachers and students about each child’s progress in order to shape their future learning (a formative role). This is very similar to the diagnostic role of assessment in pin-pointing the precise cause of a child’s difficulty. The second role of assessment is that it provides information about the level of students’ achievements at a particular point, for example at the end of a school year or at the end of a Key Stage (a summative role). The third role of assessment is as a tool by which selection by qualification can be achieved (a certification role). Finally, assessment helps people to judge the effectiveness of the education system as a while (an evaluation role). Prior to the work of Black and Wiliam (1998) very little was known about the formative role of assessment within teaching and learning, and it was clear that by 1997 the assessment emphasis within England and Wales was clearly focused on the function of assessment in learning and development is primarily to provide a measurable barometer for the students’ progress. see more:explain the importance of gaining consent when providing care or support The key to effective practice is to be able to work out what a child’s specific needs are at one time, and to find ways of creating opportunities for them to succeed (Moyles and Robinson, 2002:281). Assessment is carried out through formative (checks throughout the course), impassive (to test against previous marks), and/ or summative (at end of course) activities to help the learner see their development whilst allowing the Assessor to give valuable feedback when appropriate. Its purpose is to measure the learners understanding of the subject against the anticipated outcomes set by the criteria. For example, assessment provides clear measurement and recording of achievement during a course that provides identification of individual achievement or learners’ needs. I have found that by creating quizzes on socrative. com and/ or google forms that I can capture formative evidence of learners understanding of a task prior to the assessment deadline so I can intervene to give extra help. It is widely recognized that the form and content of student assessment strongly influence students’ attitudes to study and quality of learning (Ramsden, 1997; Shepard, 2000). The learner’s development is typically measured using formative or summative assessment that meets criteria in a fit-for-purpose Assignment and consequently reflects the required standards and performance/ assessment criteria in any given course. The purpose is to monitor development via evidence that can be quantified and used as performance review/ targets/ benchmarking throughout a course. From an Assessors point of view it is essential to ensure that assessment decisions are consistently reviewed and internally/externally verified where possible so as to contribute to the awarding institutions quality assurance and on-going development of best practice. 1. 2. Define the key concepts and principles of assessment. Principles are rules and functions of assessment which are based upon the concepts. (Gravells A. 2011, Principles and practice of assessment in Life Long Learning Sector). The key concepts and principles of assessments include: Continuing professional development – At all times maintaining currency of knowledge and competency to ensure assessment practice is up to date. Equality and Diversity- all assessment activities embrace equality, inclusivity, and diversity and respect all aspects of society. Ethics: ensuring the assessment process is honest and moral, and takes into account confidentiality and integrity. Fairness –activities should be fit for purpose, and planning, decisions and feedback justifiable. Health & Safety- ensuring these are taken into account throughout the full assessment process, carrying out risk assessments as necessary. Assessment methods must be suitable for the candidate’s needs. For example, a learner must have an option for an alternative whereby a mental or physical threat to their well-being could be presented by the assessment. Motivation- encouraging and supporting my learners to reach their full potential at an appropriate level. Quality assurance- this is an integrated process ensuring assessment decisions meet the qualification standards, and assessors are carrying out their role correctly. Record Keeping- ensures accurate records are maintained throughout the learning and assessment process, communicating with others for example and awarding organisation. SMART- ensuring all assessment activities are specific, measurable, achievable, time bound and realistic Standardisation- ensuring the assessment requirements are interpreted accurately and that all assessors are making comparable and consistent decisions. Reliability – The assessment decisions must be by an assessor with competence in the discipline the work relates to so as to ensure a judgment that is informed by a professional perspective. Risk assessments of locations my media student’s film in serve both to extend the learners understanding of health and safety whilst helping them help me make our learning space everyone’s responsibility. VACSR- is another important principle ensuring all assessed work is Valid: all the work is relevant to the assessment criteria. Decisions must be justified with clear referencing of assessment criteria stated by the examining body. Another Lecturer should be able to award the same grade for the piece of work as the same standardisation method is the barometer NOT the opinion of the assessor. Authentic: the work has been produced solely by the learner. Current: the work is still relevant at the time of assessment. Sufficient: the work covers all the assessment criteria. Reliable: the work is consistent across all learners, over time and at the required level. (Gravells A. 2011, Principles and practice of assessment in Life Long Learning Sector). All the subjects (theory or practical) the assessment is carried on the basis of assessment cycle. http://www. gillpayne. com/2014/01/guide-understanding-the-training-cycle/ Purpose. The aim, reason, and purpose of assessment is to help the learner track their progress, provide feedback, and inspire them to achieve. The trainer gains evidence of learning from assessment which can in turn be measured clearly against a criteria. This continuous assessment learning/ training cycle is designed to recognise prior learning and improve it with each assessment. The assessor grades the work so the trainer (if someone different from the assessor) can see the distance travelled on the course when compared to grades throughout the programme. The organisation can use this quantitative data to track a class, department, and/ or, entire organisations performance in relation to peer organisations so employers can often assess their own staff’s performance. COGNITIVE The cognitive domain relates to the more traditionalist assumptions of academic/ intellectual learning. In this domain Bandler and Grinder counted ‘knowledge, comprehension/ understanding’ as well as ‘application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation’. Cognitive assessment should focus on the application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation rather than towards only the acquisition of knowledge and understanding. To this end any theory in lectures must be made applicable in a video/ practical task that puts in to practice the idea/ terminology/ argument we have discussed – which in turn serves to consolidate and validate the learning. This domain relates to objectives concerned with knowledge and intellectual skills and there are six categories which can be used in lecturers: Knowledge: Asking learners to recall specific and general items of information (e. g. media terminology) and also information about methods (‘how do you add this effect? ’), processes and patterns (using software such as Photoshop). Comprehension: Encouraging recognition of items of information settings similar to but different from those in which they were first encountered e. g. relating theories and debates to contemporary issues such as Laura Mulvey’s Feminist theory of female objectification in mainstream cinema. Application: I actively build my learners understanding of our culture so they can explain previously unseen data or events by applying knowledge from other situations e. g. using simile, analogy, and metaphor in my verbal explanation/ articulation of concepts during lectures so they will do the same in their work. Analysis: Learners are presented with problems to break down the blocks of information into elements for the purpose of clarification. This can be in the form of a provocative discussion, essay question that asks them to show comprehension of ideas in a structured essay with a clear conclusion. Synthesis: Learners are constantly asked to combine elements to form coherent units of information in their responses whether it be a Vlog, Podcast, or Written piece for Assessment. Evaluation: Throughout Assessments the learners are asked to make judgements about the value of information, materials, or methods for given purposes. This is a common feature of each Edexcel Units as it demands reflection and growth on the part of the learner. AFFECTIVE The affective domain for Bandler and Grinder includes objectives which describe changes in interest, attitudes and values, and the development of appreciations. There are different levels of understanding: According to the theory the lowest level is where the learner is merely aware of the fact that other people have particular attitudes and values. As a learner progresses on our courses it is essential to develop this through their personal experience so they slowly develop affective ideas which are uniquely their own. While some values are indoctrinated – respect for others’ rights, honesty, media law, understanding of morals/ ethics, the key is to enable the learner to come to this plane of understanding through a process of development and clarification in lectures. The Affective domain for Bandler and Grinder relates to objectives concerned with interest, attitudes, and values. The five levels of the affective domain from the simplest to the most complex are as follows: Receiving: Sensitivity to certain stimuli and a willingness to receive or attend to them e. g.students receiving information from Lecturers about Media issues. Responding: Involvement in a subject or activity or event to the extent of seeking it out, working with it or engaging in it eg Twitter debates about contemporary issues such as engaging in discussion about the Woolwich attacks in 2013 using the hashtag #bcotterror Valuing: Commitment to or conviction in certain goals, ideas, or beliefs e. g. constructing and arguing a point in an Assignment such as an essay in which the learner shows the pros and cons of existing theorists’ approaches to their Assignment subject. Organisation: Organisation of values into a system, awareness of relevance of and relations between appropriate values and the establishment of dominant personal values e. g. constructing an essay that demonstrates structure and engaging with complex levels of conjecture, statement, and fact with objective, rigorous, scholarly approaches to balance in their argument beyond opinion. Characterisation by a Value Complex: Integration of beliefs, ideas, and attitudes into a total philosophy of world view e. g.  a learner composing a project based on their own interests/ perspective informed by values acquired on course. PSYCHOMOTOR This is largely defined as Physical and Motor skills. We work to develop key social and employability skills through what Bandler and Grinder categorise in to define as 6 categories: ‘Reflex Movements’ are developed with the use of equipment such as cameras and complex editing software to develop the involuntary motor responses to stimuli which in turn form the basis for all behaviour involving any movement. ‘Basic Fundamental Movements’ are developed by doing this as movements of using lighting, microphones, cameras etc. involve movement patterns which help the learner become more ambulatory. ‘Perceptual Abilities’ are tied in to this as they help learners to interpret stimuli so that they can develop their perception of visual and auditory risks, hazards, logistics to adjust to their environment and demonstrate coordinated abilities of eye and hand, eye and foot. Similarly the ‘Physical abilities’ of the learner are utilised and developed in our practical tasks as they are essential to efficient motor activity. Due to the nature of a Creative Media professional the vigour of the person is tested by activities designed to measure the individual and how they meet the demands placed upon him or her in and by the environment. ‘Skilled Movements’ are a necessity in terms of storyboarding, engaging with complex editing software, and other tasks which ask the learner to efficiently perform complex movements. The learning targets are negotiated after gathering diagnostic information from the learner to gauge the potential/ possibility e. g.  all skilled movement activities are based upon some adaptation of the inherent patterns of movement described in the ‘Physical Abilities’ demonstrated by the learner. ‘Non-Discursive Communication’ manifests itself relatively organically in our subject through interviews, debates, video-logs, discussions, podcasts, and any other form of media that captures a range of evidence of the developing communication skills from facial expressions to highly sophisticated choreography/ directing/ blocking of entire sets. [Source: Planning for Pre-Service Primary Teachers Prof Experience Unit, face of Education, QUT, Qld, 1998 (pp11-13)].

Constitutional Reform of 1997 in United Kingdom

The UK constitution has a modaretely successful history, it is highly tradition and has stood the test of time and, based on the fact that Britain has never suffered a violent revolution unlike France, we can therefore assume that the UK constitution has many beneficial and enduring strengths. Our constitution ensures that Parliament, and therefore Government, can act quickly and decisively as they are unrestricted by excessive constitutional constraints. It is flexible and adaptable which clearly shows thorugh after the 2010 general elections. However, the lack of restraints on the powers of Government and Parliament may be dangerous especially to minority and invidual rights. There have also been many doubts about this traditional constitution and many questions have been raised to do with the Monarchy and outdated institutions such as the FPTP system. The lack of separation of powers between Government and Parliament means that Government tends to dominate which in many eyes is seen as undemocratic. The first constitutional reform was to do with devolution; Scotland Act of 1998, Wales Act of 199 and the Belfast Agreement of 1998. The original nature of this reform was so that considerable powers were transferred to the devolved representative bodies and executives. Labour wanted to bring about this change due to the fact that they were hugely popular in Wales and Scotland and so the Acts were a means of thanking them for their support. This reform has been believed to be long overdue and has been very beneficial and have given each body the right to have more control over their region however it has caused a bigger rift of the UK and therefore has separated Britain even more. The second reform was the Human Rights Act of 1998. This reform has been extremely beneficial for minority and invididual rights, which has been reflected most recently in the Abu Qatada case where a man who had made terrorist plans has been saved from deportation to Jordan, where he would have most likely been prosecuted for his actions. The European Convention on Human Rights made this Act binding on all public bodies but the UK Parliament due to Parliament being sovereign. Although this act has been beneficial, it would have had more impact should it have been binding on Parliament. Another reform was the House of Lords ; the House Of Lords Act of 1999. Most of the hereditary peers lost their voting rights and there was a major cut down in the number of hereditary peers as it was lowered down to just 92. There was also a decision to separate the Judges from the Lords ( Constitutional Reform Act of 2005) and move them into a seperate building across the road. It is believed to be a moderate decision which has limited the powers of the Lords as many believed there should not be any hereditary peers. In fact a proposal has been put forward for a whole new house to be created. There were 3 other major changes introduced : Greater London Authority Act 1999, Local Government Act 1999 and Freedom Of Information Act 2000. The first established an elected mayor in London with an elected assembly to which s/he is accountable for, the second allowed for local communities to elect a mayor if approved by a local referendum and the third gave the citizens the right to view documents and records of public bodies. Each of these has helped to reinforce democracy within the UK and helped to protect the rights of each citizen by ensuring they are more politically involved and have the right to appoint and elect candidates for powerful positions.

Acquisition is a High Risky Strategy Essay

In the literature, several motives for takeovers have been identified. One is the desire for synergy. That is, similarities or complementarities between the acquiring and target firms are expected to result in the combined value of the enterprises exceeding their worth as separate firms (Collis and Montgomery, 1998). A second motive involves the expectation that acquirers can extract value because target companies have been managed inefficiently (Varaiya, 1987). A third motive is attributed to managerial hubris – the notion that senior executives, in overestimating their own abilities, acquire companies they believe could be managed more profitably under their control. Agency theory motive is the anticipation that firm expansion will positively impact the compensation of top managers since there tends to be a direct relation between firm size and executive pay. Contemporary specialists contend that managerial ownership incentives may be expected to have divergent impacts on corporate strategy and firm value. This premise has been recognized in previous studies. For instance, Stulz (1988) has examined the ownership of managers of target companies and has proposed that the relationship between that ownership and the value of target firms may initially be positive and then subsequently become negative with rising insider ownership. Moreover, Shivdasani (1993) empirically shows that the relationship of the ownership structure of target companies with the value of hostile bids is not uniformly positive. McConnell and Servaes (1990) have likewise analyzed the relationship of equity ownership among corporate insiders and Tobin’s q. Their results demonstrate a non-monotonic relation between Tobin’s q and insider equity stakes. Wright et al. (1996: 451) have shown a non-linear relationship between insider ownership and corporate strategy related to firm risk taking. Ownership Incentives and Changes in Company Risk Motivating Acquisitions An agency-theoretic motive for acquisitions has been used to explain managerial preferences for risk-reducing corporate strategies (Wright et al., 1996). The implication is that both principals and agents prefer acquiring target companies with higher rather than lower returns. In that, shareholders and managers have congruent interests. The interests, however, diverge in terms of risk considerations associated with acquisitions. Because shareholders possess diversified portfolios, they may only be concerned with systematic risk and be indifferent to the total variance of returns associated with a takeover. Senior managers may alternatively prefer risk-reducing corporate strategies, unless they are granted ownership incentives. That is because they can not diversify their human capital invested in the firm. In the literature, it has been argued that agency costs may be reduced as managerial ownership incentives rise. The reason is that, as ownership incentives rise, the financial interests of insiders and shareholders will begin to converge. Analysts conjecture, however, that such incentives may not consistently provide senior executives the motivation to lessen the agency costs associated with an acquisition strategy. Inherent is the presumption that the nature of executive wealth portfolios will differently influence their attitudes toward corporate strategy. The personal wealth portfolios of top managers are comprised of their ownership of shares/options in the firm, the income produced from their employment, and assets unrelated to the firm. Presumably, as senior executives increase their equity stakes in the enterprise, their personal wealth portfolios become correspondingly less diversified. Although stockholders can diversify their wealth portfolios, top executives have less flexibility if they own substantial shares in the firms they manage. Hence, if a significant portion of managers’ wealth is concentrated in one investment, then they may find it prudent to diversify their firms via risk-reducing acquisitions. In the related literature, however, takeovers and risk taking have been approached differently from the described approach. Amihud and Lev (1999) have contended that insiders’ employment income is significantly related to the firm’s performance. Thus, managers are confronted with risks associated with their income if the maintenance of that income is dependent on achieving predetermined performance targets. Reasonably, in the event of either corporate underperformance or firm failure, CEOs not only may lose their current employment income but also may seriously suffer in the managerial labor market, since their future earnings potential with other enterprises may be lowered. Hence, the risk of executives’ employment income is impacted by the firm’s risk. The ramification of Amihud and Lev’s (1999) contentions is that top managers will tend to lower firm risk, and therefore their own employment risk, by acquiring companies that contribute to stabiliz ing of the firm’s income, even if shareholder wealth is adversely affected. Consistent with the implications of Amihud and Lev’s arguments, Agrawal and Mandelker (1987) have similarly suggested that managers with negligible ownership stakes may adopt risk-reducing corporate strategies because such strategies may well serve their own personal interests. With ownership incentives, however, managers may be more likely to acquire risk-enhancing target companies, in line with the requirement of wealth maximization for shareholders. The notion that at negligible managerial ownership levels, detrimental risk-reducing acquisition strategies may be emphasized, but with increasing ownership incentive levels, beneficial risk-enhancing acquisitions may be more prevalent is also suggested in other works (Grossman and Hoskisson, 1998). The conclusion of these investigations is that the relationship between insider ownership and risk enhancing, worthy corporate acquisitions is linear and positive. Some experts assert that CEOs’ personal wealth concentration will induce senior managers to undertake risk-reducing firm strategies. Portfolio theory’s expectation suggests that investors or owner-managers may desire to diversify their personal wealth portfolios. For instance, Markowitz (1952: 89) has asserted that investors may wish to â€Å"diversify across industries because firms in different industries. . . have lower covariances than firms within an industry.† Moreover, as argued by Sharpe (1964: 441), â€Å"diversification enables the investor to escape all but the risk resulting from swings in economic activity.† Consequently, managers with substantial equity investments in the firm may diversify the firm via risk-reducing acquisitions in order to diversify their own personal wealth portfolios. Because they may be especially concerned with risk-reducing acquisitions, however, their corporate strategies may not enhance firm value through takeovers, although managerial intention may be to boost corporate value. The above discussion is compatible with complementary arguments that suggest that insiders may acquire non-value-maximizing target companies although their intentions may be to enhance returns to shareholders. For instance, according to the synergy view, while takeovers may be motivated by an ex-ante concern for increasing corporate value, many such acquisitions are not associated with an increase in firm value. Alternatively, according to the hubris hypothesis, even though insiders may intend to acquire targets that they believe could be managed more profitably under their control, such acquisitions are not ordinarily related to higher profitability. If acquisitions which are undertaken primarily with insider expectations that they will financially benefit owners do not realize higher performance, then those acquisitions which are primarily motivated by a risk-reducing desire may likewise not be associated with beneficial outcomes for owners. Additionally, it can be argued that shareholders can more efficiently diversify their own portfolios, making it unnecessary for managers to diversify the firm in order to achieve portfolio diversification for shareholders. Risk Associated with HRM practices in International Acquisitions There are a number of reasons why the HRM policies and practices of multinational corporations (MNCs) and cross-border acquisitions are likely to be different from those found in domestic firms (Dowling, Schuler and Welch, 1993). For one, the difference in geographical spread means that acquisitions must normally engage in a number of HR activities that are not needed in domestic firms – such as providing relocation and orientation assistance to expatriates, administering international job rotation programmes, and dealing with international union activity. Second, as Dowling (1988) points out, the personnel policies and practices of MNCs are likely to be more complex and diverse. For instance, complex salary and income taxation issues are likely to arise in acquisitions because their pay policies and practices have to be administered to many different groups of subsidiaries and employees, located in different countries. Managing this diversity may generate a number of co-ordination and communication problems that do not arise in domestic firms. In recognition of these difficulties, most large international companies retain the services of a major accounting firm to ensure there is no tax incentive or disincentive associated with a particular international assignment. Finally, there are more stakeholders that influence the HRM policies and practices of international firms than those of domestic firms. The major stakeholders in private organizations are the shareholders and the employees. But one could also think of unions, consumer organizations and other pressure groups. These pressure groups also exist in domestic firms, but they often put more pressure on foreign than on local companies. This probably means that international companies need to be more risk averse and concerned with the social and political environment than domestic firms. Acquisitions and HRM Practices: Evidence from Japan, the US, and Europe In contemporary context, international human resource management faces important challenges, and this trend characterizes many Japanese, US and European acquisitions.   From the critical point of view, Japanese companies experience more problems associated with international human resource management than companies from the US and Europe (Shibuya, 2000). Lack of home-country personnel sufficient international manage ­ment skills has been widely recognized in literature as the most difficult problem facing Japanese compa ­nies and simultaneously one of the most significant of US and European acquisitions as well. The statement implies that cultivating such skills is difficult and that they are relatively rare among businessmen in any country. Japanese companies may be particularly prone to this problem due to their heavy use of home-country nationals in overseas management positions. European and Japanese acquisitions also experience the lack of home country personnel who want to work abroad, while it is less of an impediment for the US companies. In the US acquisitions expatriates often experience reentry difficulties (e.g., career disruption) when re ­turning to the home country: This problem was the one most often cited by US firms.   Today Japanese corporations report the relatively lower incidence of expatriate reentry diffi ­culties, and it is surprising given the vivid accounts of such problems at Japanese firms by White (1988) and Umezawa (1990). However, the more active role of the Japanese person ­nel department in coordinating career paths, the tradition of semi ­annual musical-chair-like personnel shuffles (jinji idoh), and the continu ­ing efforts of Japanese stationed overseas to maintain close contact with headquarters might underlie the lower level of difficulties in this area for Japanese firms (Inohara, 2001). In contrast, the decentralized structures of many US and European firms may serve to isolate expatriates from their home-country headquarters, making reentry more problematic. Also, recent downsiz ­ing at US and European firms may reduce the number of appropriate management positions for expatriates to return to, or may sever expatri ­ates’ relationships with colleagues and mentors at headquarters. Furthermore, within the context of the lifetime employment system, individ ­ual Japanese employees have little to gain by voicing reentry concerns to personnel managers. In turn, personnel managers need not pay a great deal of attention to reentry problems because they will usually not result in a resignation. In western firms, reentry problems need to be taken more seriously by personnel managers because they frequently result in the loss of a valued employee. A further possible explanation for the higher incidence of expatriate reentry problems in western multinationals is the greater tendency of those companies to implement a policy of transferring local nationals to headquarters or other international operations. Under such a policy, the definition of expatriate expands beyond home-country nationals to en ­compass local nationals who transfer outside their home countries. It may even be that local nationals who return to a local operation after working at headquarters or other international operations may have their own special varieties of reentry problems. Literature on international human resource practices in Japan, the US and Europe suggest that the major strategic difficulty for the MNCs is to attract high-caliber local nationals to work for the company. In general, acquisitions may face greater challenges in hiring high-caliber local employees than do domestic firms due to lack of name recognition and fewer relationships with educators or others who might recommend candidates. However, researchers suggest that this issue is significantly more difficult for Japanese than for US and European multinationals. When asked to describe problems encoun ­tered in establishing their US affiliates, 39.5% of the respondents to a Japan Society survey cited â€Å"finding qualified American managers to work in the affiliate† and 30.8% cited â€Å"hiring a qualified workforce† (Bob ; SRI, 2001). Similarly, a survey of Japanese companies operating in the US conducted by a human resource consulting firm found that 35% felt recruiting personnel to be very difficult or extremely difficult, and 56% felt it to be difficult (The Wyatt Company, 1999). In addition to mentioned problem, Japanese acquisition encounter high local employee turnover, which is significantly more prob ­lematic for them due to the near-total absence of turnover to which they are accustomed in Japan. The US, European and Japanese companies admit very rarely that they encounter local legal challenges to their personnel policies. However, in regard to Japanese acquisitions large   amount of press coverage has been given to lawsuits against Japanese companies in the United States and a Japanese Ministry of Labor Survey in which 57% of the 331 respondents indicated that they were facing potential equal employ ­ment opportunity-related lawsuits in the United States (Shibuya, 2000). Conclusion This research investigates whether corporate acquisitions with shared technological resources or participation in similar product markets realize superior economic returns in comparison with unrelated acquisitions. The rationale for superior economic performance in related acquisitions derives from the synergies that are expected through a combination of supplementary or complementary resources. It is clear from the results of this research that acquired firms in related acquisitions have higher returns than acquired firms in unrelated acqui ­sitions. This implies that the related acquired firm benefits more from the acquirer than the unrelated acquired firm. The higher returns for the related acquired firms suggest that the combination with the acquirer’s resources has higher value implications than the combination of two unrelated firms. This is supported by the higher total wealth gains which were observed in related acquisitions. I did however, in the case of acquiring firms, find that the abnormal returns directly attributable to the acquisition transaction are not significant. There are reasons to believe that the announcement effects of the transaction on the returns to acquirers are less easily detected than for target firms. First, an acquisition by a firm affects only part of its businesses, while affecting all the assets (in control-oriented acqui ­sitions) of the target firm. Thus the measurability of effects on acquirers is attenuated. Second, if an acquisition is one event in a series of implicit moves constituting a diversification program, its individual effect as a market signal would be mitigated. It is also likely that the theoretical argument which postulates that related acquisitions create wealth for acquirers may be underspecified. Relatedness is often multifaceted, suggesting that the resources of the target firm may be of value to many firms, thus increasing the relative bargaining power of the target vis-a-vis the potential buyers. Even in the absence of explicit competition for the target (multiple bidding), the premiums paid for control are a substantial fraction of the total gains available from the transaction. For managers, some implications from the research can be offered. First, it seems quite clear from the data that a firm seeking to be acquired will realize higher returns if it is sold to a related than an unrelated firm. This counsel is consistent with the view that the market recognizes synergistic combinations and values them accordingly. Second, managers in acquiring firms may be advised to scrutinize carefully the expected gains in related and unrelated acquisitions. For managers the issue of concern is not whether or not a given kind of acquisition creates a significant total amount of wealth, but what percentage of that wealth they can expect to accrue to their firms. Thus, although acquisitions involving related technologies or product market yield higher total gains, pricing mechanisms in the market for corporate acquisitions reflect the gains primarily on the target company. Interpreting these results conservatively, one may offer the argument that expected gains for acquiring firms are competed away in the bidding process, with stockholders of target firms obtaining high proportions of the gains. On a pragmatic level this research underscores the need to combine what may be called the theoretical with the practical. In the case of acquisitions, pragmatic issues like implicit and explicit competition for a target firm alter the theoretical expectations of gains from an acquisition transaction. Further efforts to clarify these issues theoretically and empirically will increase our understanding of these important phenomena. Bibliography Sharpe WF. 1964. Capital asset prices: a theory of market equilibrium under conditions of risk. 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