Recruitment process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recruitment process - Essay Example Recruitment is the process of identifying and hiring qualified candidates for a job opening. However, recruitment process involves attracting, hiring, and interviewing new employees. On the other hand, selection process is the evaluation of candidate, through interview, for specific job. There is a difference between recruitment and selection process. Recruitment process mostly involves attracting candidates who are later hired for a job upon qualifications. The selection process involves identifying the qualities needed for a candidate to quality for a job. Internal methods of recruitment are usually done for the preparation of a recruitment process. There are a number of internal methods of recruitment. The first process in recruitment is job analysis. This entails reviewing the manpower plan of the company frequently so as to establish a gap. The Human Resource Manager liaises with the head of departments so as to see whether a job position in a given sector is necessary. Such a position should be ideal in that it should allow for future promotion and expansion. Once such a job position is confirmed, the concerned HR manager fills a requisition form which is sent to the Line Manager. The Line Manager then submits it to the Recruitment Manager upon its approval. The Recruitment Manager has the final say hence his approval leads to creation of a vacancy. (Lee, 2012:19).this new development comes with a myriad of details that include: job posting which involves the possibility of workers within the company applying for the created vacan cy; reference number of the vacancy, postal postal association and the academic qualifications, skills and experience required for the vacancy. The second stage involves writing the Job Description and PS. The departmental heads are vital components when it comes to giving the boundaries of the job in the form of a job description. This is simply because he or she is

Sinises film version Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Sinises film version Of Mice and Men Essay Analyse both the beginning and ending of Steinbecks novel with the opening and closing sequences of Sinises film version Of Mice and Men They are many of difficulties that a director faces when adapting a classic novel to the big screen. One of the biggest difficulties Sinise would have faced in adapting Of Mice and Men in to a film would have been living up to the standard and expectation of the book. Imagination is a lot different to reality but imagination is extremely hard to capture on the Big Screen because there is possibility that what someone imagines is completely different to the film and therefore be disappointed in the film. There is also a lot of description in the book that paints a picture for the reader and he will have to try and involve some of this in the film. They story of Of Mice and Men is set during the depression that followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929. It involves the effects of poverty and the difficulty of getting a job. It follows two men, George and Lennie and their struggle to find employment. The novel show a great bond between them and how the two try and overcome Lennies disability. In the beginning of the novel Steinbeck creates a calming mood wereas in the film it starts with action. He also used a lot of effective description that helps the reader get a clear understanding of the setting he uses On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees- willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf juncture the debris of the winters flooding When describing the two men he gives the reader the impression that one seems to be more powerful than the other even in the open one stayed behind the other. He also describes the first man as having restless eyes this tells you he is always looking out for his friend. His friend was the complete opposite , a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. The way he has described the way he walks shows his strength. The beginning in book and film is most important because the author or film maker needs to attract the attention of the audience, interest them in what is going on and make them want to read or watch more. The way Steinbeck and Sinise have done this is both effective and creative but both different. They both start in different settings. The book describes every thing about the setting and its surroundings and doesnt introduce any characters till about the fourth page. It also starts as if everything is happening there and then and doesnt mention anything about a flash back, whereas in the film it starts as a flash back.. In the film George is shown on a train in a fast mid-shot sitting in the corner lonely and isolated in a crouched position, it shows him in thought. It then goes on a CU of George that shows we are going into his thoughts. It cuts to an MS of a woman running in a red dress (representing danger) which is ripped. It zooms in slowly and ends on a CU of woman and shows her emotions and tells the audience she is afraid and terrified. This is not mentioned at all in the beginning of the book. It soon cuts to a LS of two males running. There are rapid changing of shots showing action in the film. MS on males, cuts to a CU of viscous dogs barking and then LS on horses that gives the impression of hunting and also shows time in setting. The audience is involved when the camera is placed in the water that the males (George and Lennie) run through. The music in the film is slow at the start which creates a mood of sadness to the film and relates to the persons emotions, it tells you that George is upset. The music starts slow then gradually gets faster and tells you something is happening (chasing) it is also serious. Not a lot of dialogue is used at the beginning. You hear a woman screaming sounding frightened. You also hear a man shouting Come on! Lennie This tells us that they need to get away from what is happening and also gives one name of a character. There is a lot of SFX are used effectively during the beginning, dogs barking, a train, the music ends abruptly and you can hear the woman out of breath. You can also hear men running and splashes of water. The book lacks action and starts more calmly than the film. The book doesnt tell you why the men are running away and doesnt mention the woman, train or dogs at all during the beginning. The introduction to the two characters (George and Lennie) is very different. In the book it starts with a great deal of description. The film shows you they are in some kind of danger whereas in the book it introduces them calm and with a lot of description about setting and location. The death of Lennie shows alot more emotion in the novel, compared to that of the video. this is because it is slow, and it moves the reader, and makes the reader become emotionally involved. Steinbeck has used some short sentences to create a more dramatic effect of for example: George was silent. This shows Georges emotion. Not long after And he fell silent again. This again shows his emotion and that he just cant cope. Lennie at this point is confused, he has realised that he has done another bad thing but doesnt understands why George isnt angry at him. Lennie tries hard to understand and came to his own conclusion that George would live a better life without him and was willing to leave and let George carry on with his life. George lets him know that he doesnt want him to leave him, even though deep down he agrees that without Lennie he would live an easier life, not having someone to watch all the time. They then start talking about the dream they both had where they would own a place of their own and every thing was perfect. George shakily said Take off your hat Lennie The way he said it shows that he is not showin confidence. George told Lennie to look away, this gave him time to get ready and he used Carlsons Luger too. Which is the same way the dog died, this tells the reader that a death might occur. He looked at the back of Lennies head, at the place where the spine ant the skull were joined. He is thinking very hard here at which would be the least painful for Lennie, who is still no wiser that soon he will die, by his best friend. He is very child like and the book shows this by him giggling while thinking of the dream. He also has an obsession on rabbits (like the way a child would) and shows a lot of excitement towards the dream because he would finally get to tend the rabbits. George wanted Lennie to die happy and finally built up the courage to do it at his happiest. At first his hand shook violently this again shows his emotion. Steinbeck now used another short sentence for effect He pulled the trigger. This is used to shock the reader and also show emotion towards Lennie. The novel ends coldly with a cold-hearted remark from Carlson, Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin them two guys? In the film the death of Lennie is a lot quicker and shocking. When talking about the dream George shoots him first time Lennie says and I get to tend the rabbits Lennies child like features are shown again when he is dead because once he is shot he lies curled up like a baby with George standing over him. It shows Georges emotion towards Lennie and the close bond the had. In the film it doesnt show the audience his struggle to build up the courage to shoot him. It then cuts back to a CU George on the train again, like in the beginning. This time we again go in to his thoughts as he remembers the good times with Lennie. It then shows George and Lennie side by side, Laughing and smiling. Lennie puts his arm around George like a child wanting affection from his mother. This caption is in slow motion to show the audience how close they were and it also gets the audience emotionally involved again and makes them feel sorry. The music used in this part of the film is sad and slow, again for emotion. In my conclusion I have found that there can be a lot of differences between the book and the film. In my opinion I didnt prefer either one because I liked both of them but for different reasons. I liked the book because I liked the idea that Steinbeck emotionally involved the reader with the death of Lennie. It was in my opinion more emotional than the film even though it is upsetting because the music sad and the flash back at the end makes you feel sorry for Lennie and also George.

The Isolate Passenger :: Short Stories Crime Punishment Books Essays

The Isolate Passenger It was a Saturday the day he cried. Early and bitter, the tears were warm and moved in spurts down his face, his whiskers aiding in the formation of tributaries. Cloaked in an afghan and the capitulation of his loneliness, he sat, legs forming a peak, hands clasped loosely in front. Rocking forward and slightly back, he attempted to shake the burden of his inconsiderations. They had mounted and surmounted and he felt ill. He appeared ill, his affect manic as he trembled from an appearance of indignation to trepidation to apathy. Before rising from the chair he felt warm and resolute, lucid. But that was before, and only briefly. He snapped his legs forward and to the floor with the precision of a samurai, composed. The uncoreographed motions that followed were spastic, his fists and arms and palms striking the sky with malice. Such a fit had resulted in a broken hand 5 years earlier. Four months prior to that, such a fit had pinnacled with pieces of a convenient end table mottling th e carpet. This most recent occurrence ended where it started and he dressed, with little consideration for hygiene or otherwise. Exiting, he snatched a back pack and swung the door towards him, managing to forge a distance of 6 feet between himself and the house before it latched precisely behind him. His house was in the residential district of a typical college town, approximately ten blocks removed from campus. Oak trees lined the block, squandering the rain they had collected from the previous evening’s shower; above average sized drops fell randomly on and around him. He had only within the last year begun to enjoy the rain. Before it had been significant only as an agent of somnolence, but now the ominous gray skies and consequential downpours were almost preferred. That Saturday the sky was opaque. It paralleled his mood. Walking a half-step behind what would have been determination, he crossed the paths of seventeen night crawlers and one stray cat before reaching a tunnel that ducked under and around a stream that ran perpendicular to his mood. His eyes were level with the ground, his hands dan gling from his thumbs, his thumbs hooked to the backpack straps. Within sight was the opulent green of a park littered with picnic tables and grills, surrounded on three sides by looming Oak and Maple

Character study on Inspecter Calls by J.B Priestly :: essays research papers

AT THE END OF MOST PLAY, SOME CHARACTERS HAVE CHANGED AND SOME HAVE NOT. DISCUSS TWO CHARCTERS: ONE WHO CHANGES, AND ONE WHO DOESN’T IN THE PLAY CALLED â€Å"AN INSPECTOR CALLS† – BY J.B. PRIESTLY The play ‘An Inspector Calls† by J.B Priestly, is set on an April evening in 1912. The play concerns the Birling family and Gerald Croft quietly celebrating over Gerald and (Mr. Birling’s daughter) Sheila Birling’s engagement, when an Inspector arrives unexpectedly amidst their family celebration to enquire about a suicide of a young pregnant girl called, Eva Smith. Through questioning, the inspector uncovers that they all have some kind of an involvement to the young girl’s death. In the play, some characters are changed by the Inspector’s arrival and news. Some however, remain the same. One character who remains the same is Mrs Birling. In Act One, we are given a general impression of her; a well-mannered woman but one who knows her power of authority (being the wife of a well-off businessman and the chairwoman of Brumley Women’s Charitable Society). In Act Two, Mrs. Birling introduces herself in a polite and respectable manner to the inspector (quite unlike the character that she progresses into) but he finds it hard to get information out of Mrs. Birling, this can be shown with the these quotes (taken from just after the Inspector has shown Mrs. Birling a photograph of Eva); (Inspector) â€Å"You recognise her?† (Mrs Birling) â€Å"No. Why should I?† Later in the play, the truth comes out that Mrs Birling had met the girl in the photo. Sheila supported the Inspector when Mrs Birling wouldn’t give out any information about Eva and tried to persuade her mother to talk but Mrs Birling took her as being rude and insolent and showed that she doesn’t like being contradicted. When Mrs Birling does tell the Inspector about Eva coming to her committee for help, she showed no remorse for the young girl. She took Eva as being impertinent when Eva said that her name was ‘Mrs Birling’ and was prejudiced against her case. Therefore, she used her power and authority (as being the chairwoman) to influence the others on the committee to abandon her case. Mrs Birling tried to reason with the Inspector about her judgments of Eva and with a clear conscience; she said she was, â€Å" . . . perfectly justified in advising my committee not to allow her claim for assistance.

Newell Company Case Essay

Newell Company created corporate advantages by following the company’s mission and philosophy. The philosophy â€Å"Build on what we do best† was started by CEO Mr. Dan Ferguson. This philosophy can be described as Newell focus on selling multiproduct to large mass retailers with high-volume and low-cost. Their mission is â€Å"Newell is a manufacturer and full-service marketer of consumer products for serving the needs of volume purchasers.† The company’s philosophy and mission has a great influence on its strategies. Newell creates various strategies to accomplish the company mission. For example, one of Newell’s key strategies is serving the mass retailer. The strategy of acquisition helps to improve manufacturing processes in order to get high-volume and low cost product. Newell’s strategies align with its philosophy and mission. It can create corporate advantages in the industry. Moreover, the basic strategy of total Newell strategy is t hat â€Å"merchandise a multi-product offering of brand-name staple consumers products, with an emphasis on excellent customers service, in order to achieve maximum results for our stockholders†. The acquisition Rubbermaid and Calphalon enhanced Newell’s strength in terms of merchandise multiproduct offering and rise Newell’s brand popularity. However, with negative feedback of Rubbermaid’s customers, Rubbermaid’s strategy of customer services could not alignment with Newell’s mission and basic strategy that lead to a negative influence on shareholder satisfactions. Even though Calphalon’s competitor Meyer have the lower price than Calphalon, Caphalon is for the younger and more fashion oriented market which is not efficient to use the low cost strategy for the high-end product, because Newell maybe unable to match the cost structure of the firm operating with less overhead and fewer product lines. According to the Newell acquision experience, Newell’s strategy is to acquire and integrate business which is nonfashion product, to acquire the company for the fashion ortiented market is Acquisition Newell’s strategy was to grow and expand their product line. In our opinion, the company is focused on more acquisition strategy than organic growth which represents the true growth for the core of the company. This excludes any growth acquired from takeovers, acquisitions or mergers. Newell acquired different companies in the basics home and hardware products since 1996 (exhibit 3). According to Mergers and Acquisition article, acquisition benefits the company by increasing Company’s value and market power. Two companies together will generate synergy that improves revenue and cost saving of the company. Furthermore, acquisition can create shareholder value as well because two companies together are more valuable than two separate companies. Newell and acquiring companies benefit in many ways from the acquisition. such as, development capabilities. The acquisitions allow Newell to add more products to its products line. It creates complement capabilities which two different abilities of the companies which fit well together. As the result, Newell is able to offer differentiated products of the same category to suit different customers. Moreover, in transferring its technologies to the acquiring companies, Newell has a technology advance such as EDI. The company is able to deliver products according to retailer’s request, making it more efficient, and improving its reputation as a â€Å"Good Shipper†. After acquisition, Newell transfers its technology to acquiring companies in order to deliver the products in an efficient way. Acquiring companies learn new technologies from Newell and they both are able to develop the innovation process. The company put acquiring companies through a process of streamline as known as â€Å"Newellization†. Growth through acquisition is very profitable to Newell’s corpor ate strategy. Corporate governance Corporate governance is about managing company and defined as the distribution of power in the company. Corporate governance is the system of rules, practices and process by which a company is directed and controlled. Newell corporate structure is made to maintain the flexibility in relations between corporate centers. The corporate office control and coordinate different aspects of a huge corporation working together. For example, the top financial responsibilities were divided between two corporate executives  who respectively take charge of the internal operation and external management. The benefit of company is to make sure the integration for the financial. Normally, there is just one person who takes on the financial responsibility of the company which can lead to accounting fraud. At the same time, the two positions have responsibility to report to the CEO which enhances the supervision to the company’s financial situation. In Newell’s company structure, the group president is one level below the company president. This structure benefits Newell because it centralizes subsidiaries and their operations. This centralization structure forms a unique manage method known as â€Å"Newellization†. Newellization: Newellizaiton is the process of streamlining focused on operational efficiency and profitability. Newell got the opportunity to gain market share through the distribution channel from subsidiaries. Acquisition of Corning’s housewares business in Europe, which is alignment with part of the company’s vision of globalization, effectively helped Newell to expand its distribution channels to gain greater the market share in the global market. According to the case article of â€Å"Newell Company†, there are three categories systems to implement Newellization. The first is the integrated financial system, the second is the sales and order processing system, the third is flexible manufacturing system. Normally, Newell acquired subsidiaries to get more opportunities to gain greater access to distribution channels even though subsidiaries possess low-technology, non-seasonal, non-cyclical, and non-fashion products. Newellization was effectively integrated these companies by implementing systems to make the companies more efficiency and profitability. For example, the successful acquisition implement with Newellization is Anchor Hocking Company. Even though sales revenue of Newell was lower than Anchor Hocking’s sales revenue, but profit margin of Newell was higher than Anchor Hocking. Newellization improved the operational efficiency to manage the cost which is efficiency capability to the company. Newell dismissed the high-level Anchor executive, employees, reduced the number of the retail stores, reduced the excess inventory and eliminated the product line. Also, the improved operational efficiency help Anchor Hocking reduced the average length of time needed to fill a customer order which is benefit to increase  the competitive advantage of Anchor Hocking. For Rubbermaid, the Newellization can help the company to deal with the problem on the inefficiency of operation and management. Financial Objectives: In the financial perspective, the first of financial objectives of Newell Company is achieved sales and earnings per share growth averaging 15% per year. However, most of companies were acquired by Newell company are regarded as inefficient on operating. Those acquired companies are manufactured low-technology, non-seasonal, non-seasonal, non-cyclical, non-fashionable products, which have more higher maintains cost in every individual company. Therefore, most of companies have high sales revenue but with high cost that resulting in the less 10% operating margins. After Newell Company made an acquisition, with the consolidation and centralization management, not only bring more profit for Newell Company but also saving more operation cost Also, it is the reason why Newellization is regarded as an efficient operating method by acquisition multiple products. Therefore, the ultimate target is to achieve maximum earning per share (EPS) for Stockholders. Newellization bring a remarkable success for Newell Company, however, with the aggressive of Newellization, the negative business influence show up, such as, in the Exhibit 4, the newell company net sales decrease from 1992 to 1997. According to the article of â€Å"navigating a path to smart Growth†, there are two limits can restrict growth in order to gain maximum growth of company, including financial limits and managerial limits. According to course material of â€Å"merger and acquisition†, the benefit of acquisition for Newell Company is to gather other multiple product strength to increase profit. In details, Newell company can adjust acquainted company’s mislead cost structures in order to make all acquisition consistently with Newell efficient and effective management model. For Newell, Calphalon has a good brand which is benefit for Newell to expand their distribution channel. However, Rubbermaid has the bad reputation on the customer service which will influence the reputation of the â€Å"no problem† supplier in the industry. At the same time, Putting both Calphalon and Rubbermaid under the same roof of Newell is a great risk for integrate the two companies, because it will be hard for Newell to impletment the Newellization which is the mature and experienced method to  integrate the new company they acquired. Resources and Capability One of Newell crucial resources is collecting multiproduct from various industries including hardware, house ware, home furnishings, and office product. In addition, one of Newell’s capabilities comes from the acquisition of other companies. There are example is Newell reward system in 1990; Newell changed its bonus’s structure by adding a bonus for internal growth on the top of existing return on assets (ROA) goals which facilitated Newell is ability it’s to increase their accountability capability. The reason why Newell implemented the bonus structure is that new reward system more related to the performance of the company. The Newell University plays an important role for the company by helping which is benefit for the company to increase the strategic unity capability, learning capability and the leadership capability through training the Newell’s mangers to understanding corporate cultural, focus on core product and profit-orientation. At the same tim e, most of the mid-level executives from other customer goods companies would take the particular management traits before they were accepted by Newell which also build the good foundation for the leadership capacity. Meanwhile, to leverage the resource, Newell deliberately moves managers across the business unites and from the business to the corporate level. This special character for Newell is benefit for the company to increase the efficiency of the resource by the collaboration capacity. Also, McDonough maintained the communication with their major customers to build the relationship which represent Newell’s strong customer connectivity capacity. According to the competitor for Calphalon of Meyer, Calphalon has the better customer service which is their competitive advantage. Meanwhile, after the acquisition, Newell can share the customer connectivity capability with Calphalon which enhance the Newell’s competitive advantage. For Newell to acquire Rubbermaid which has good brand equity, and the product innovation capabilityis benefit for adding the different kind of resource for Newell. Even though Rubbermaid have the innovation capabilitywhich is benefit for the Newell Company, the Rubbermaid products are more technologic than Newell products. This acquision might bring Newell high cost on the research and development. Conclusion Calphalon and Rubbermaid acquisition just partially align with corporate strategies. Newell’s mission is a core purpose of the company that influences to create resources, businesses and organization structure. Many acquisitions fit to corporate strategies enlarge and diversify range of products, but still focus on their core product that low technology, non-seasonal, non-cyclical, non-fashion products. Newellization has a profound influence on Newell growth in terms of managerial, operational, and financial effect, which gathers more capitals from shareholders. Recommendation: 1. To balance between â€Å"Newellization† and protecting the integrity of the Calphalon 2. Use the customer connectivity capabilityto create the good reputation for customer service of Rubbermaid 3. Use part of the Newellization to help Runnermaid to solve the problem of the inefficiency of operation and management 4. Organic growth instead of focuing on the expaning by acquision.

Old SAT Scores How to Get and Use Them

Old SAT Scores How to Get and Use Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you graduate from college a while ago and now a prospective employer wants to see your SAT scores? Did you take time off after high school and now have to send your SAT scores to colleges? No matter the case, you'll need to know how to access your old SAT scores. In this article, I'll explain how to get and use old SAT scores.I'll teach you how to retrieve old scores and discuss how to present them to prospective employers. // When Is an SAT Score Considered Old? Once you have left high school and have not tested for a year, your SAT scores and responses to the SAT Questionnaire are removed from the active file- in other words, they'rearchived. When an SAT score is archived, it's not as accessible, and there is an additional $31 fee to get an archived score from the College Board. However, SAT scores can still be retrieved for reporting to you as well as any colleges, universities, and/or scholarship programs you designate. // Why Might You Need Your Old SAT Scores? Some employers request SAT scores.Companies such as Amazon, Cvent, Baines Co., McKinsey Co., and Goldman Sachs are known to request SAT scores from prospective employees. Even middle-agedjob applicantscould be asked for their SAT scores! You might also need to retrieve your old SAT scores if you take off more than one year between high school and college and are just now applying to colleges. // Be sure to check the admissions requirements for the schools you're applying to so you can know whether you'll need to have your old SAT scores when you apply. If you graduated from high school more than five years ago, you might not have to submit any SAT scores when you apply. Finally, be aware that score reports that are sent to colleges five or more years after a test date are accompanied by a message claiming thatthe results might be less valid predictors of academic performance than more recent SAT scores will be. // How to Send Old SAT Scores There are a couple of ways you can get old SAT scores from the College Board. We go through each of these in more detail below. Note that you cannot send old SAT scores via your online College Board account(though you should be able to view your scores). Fees for Sending Old SAT Score Reports Let's first go over the two different ways you can order old SAT score reports and the fees for both. Regular Score Reports Regular SAT score reports cost $12 per report. However, because you're sending old SAT scores, there is an additional $31 archived fee. This comes out to a total of$43 per old score report. // Rush Reports If you need to send old SAT scores quickly, rush reporting is usually available. This option costs an extra $31 (in addition to the $12 and $31 archived fee per score report). In other words, you'll pay a total of $74 per rushed old SAT score report. With rush reporting, SAT scores are typically sent to colleges within two to four business days. Note that although scores are sentfaster, this does not mean that colleges will process them any faster than normal. // SAT Score Reporting: 2 Options Once you've chosen a type of score report to send, you have two options for how you can request an order of your old SAT scores. // Method 1:By Mail To send your old SAT scores by mail, simply download an Archived Score Report Order Form from the College Board website and complete each section on it. You'll need your exact test date and registration number to fill it out.This information can be found on your SAT admission ticket. However, if you took the test a long time ago, I'm guessing you don't have that ticket anymore. In that case, it'll be easier to order your scores over the phone (see the next section for instructions on how to do this). // If you decide to order by mail, send the completed form and proper payment to this address: SAT Program PO Box 7503 London, KY 40742-7503 USA Method 2:By Phone To retrieve your SAT score by phone, call the College Board customer servicenumber at 866-756-7346 if you're in the US, or 212-713-7789 if you're outside the US. Make sure you havethe following information ready to give over the phone: Your current name and address Test date and registration number (if available) Your name and address at the time you tested College and scholarship program codes of score recipients Your credit card number and expiration date // What to Do If Employers Ask for Old SAT Scores Most employers who ask for SAT scores don't require official score reports. However, be prepared to provide one, if asked. Also, make sure employers know whether the maximum score when you took the test was 1600 or 2400. The date when you took the test shouldn't matter much to employers for making comparisons. A 2000/2400 from 2015 should be equivalent to a 2000/2400 from 2007. Both SAT scores should indicate the same skill level and percentile score. (We talk more about this below.) However, know that scores from the current SAT, which was redesigned in March 2016, are slightly inflated relative to previous versions of the test. Can You Compare SAT Scores From Different Years? In general, an SAT score will mean the same thing no matter when you take the SAT.In other words, a 1250 on an SAT from 2016 should equal a 1250 on an SAT from 2018, 2019, 2020, and so on. This means that you should be able to compare an SAT score from one year with another SAT score from a different year without issue. The only major problem when comparing scores from different years is the scoring scales used. The SAT changed dramatically in 2016, when it shifted from a 600-2400 scale to a 400-1600 scale. As a result, the scores for these years will look quite different. (However, you can roughly convert them using our conversion tables.) The following chart shows SAT percentiles for the past six years. Note the change in the scoring scale for 2016 and 2017.Also, be aware that some scores are estimates if exact percentiles were unavailable. Year 99th %ile 75th %ile 50th %ile 25th %ile 1st %ile 2017* 1480-1600 1190-1200 1050-1060 910-920 400-680 2016* 1510-1600 1210-1220 1080 950 400-680 2015 2220-2400 1720 1480 1260 600-830 2014 2220-2400 1720 1490 1270 600-840 2013 2220-2400 1720 1490 1280 600-850 2012 2210-2400 1720 1490 1280 600-860 *Reflects current SAT scoring scale of 400-1600. As you can see, we don't have much data for the current SAT. However, based on the old scoring system, we can see that the score you needed to achieve a certain percentile didn't actually change much from year to year.So if you were aiming for the 75th percentile, you'd want to get a minimum composite score of 1720, regardless of when you tested. You might have also noticed that the scores for 2016 and 2017 show more noticeable changes than the scores for the old SAT do.This is mainly a result of the fact that the current SAT format hasn't been around that long. Once a few more years pass, though, these percentiles should start to become more stable. For more information about historical SAT percentiles, see our guides to SAT scores from 2016 and 2017, and SAT scores from 2011 to 2016. What's Next? For more tips on sending SAT scores, check out our guide tosending your scores to colleges. As you read this, remember to look up thecollege codes and school codes for your score reports. Curious about what a good or bad SAT score is? Read our popular article on good SAT scores to learn how you can set a goal score. Aiming high? Thenyou'll definitely want to read our expert guide to how to get a perfect 1600 on the SAT. Finally, be sure to check out this post to learn who uses SAT scores. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Rudy Giuliani NYs Superman essays

Rudy Giuliani NY's Superman essays Hard on the heels of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center Mayor Rudolph William Giuliani with his political career as the Mayor of New York endured his share of debacles, including an ill-fated attempt to block "objectionable" art from local museums, and widespread charges of police brutality. And many New Yorkers criticized him for being far to extreme. But, his excellence towards unwavering commitment towards humane feelings and beliefs that he dispelled that over the years. In a city of over seven and half million belonging to varied ethnic groups, this Mayor of New York out dueled many of the insiders and Democrats by reinventing his focus towards the quality-of-life issues resulted in tangible achievements for the Capital of the World. "There is no more eloquent testimony to the mindlessness of term limits than the performance of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani during this time of crisis," one Maryland resident wrote to the New York Times. (Jessica Reeves. 2001[ ]) Giulianis major political feats were innumerable but it was his political role in reducing crime within New York that made him a courageous political legend within American politics. Time prevails and Rudy, with his political accomplishments downsized the crime-ratio of the city, which once was generally accepted as the most ungovernable states. Rudy defied and disagreed to the premonition and by the time when he left his office; New York was indeed the safest of all the metros in the USA. As Rudy stated, Tragedy is, after all, one of the best platforms for campaigns and Guilianis political performance proved him true to all entirety. (Deroy Murdock 1999[ ]) Ironically, the strategic efforts initiated and implemented by Giuliani by the name Broken Window proved to a successful step. It was an ambitious program aimed to specifically address the criminal goings-on related to domestic violence, police corruption, youth crime, ...

Should You Get a STEM Degree

Should You Get a STEM Degree SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips A STEM degree can encompass many different fields of study. In this article, we’ll break down what STEM means, whether a STEM program is right for you, and a complete STEM majors list. What Is a STEM degree? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM encompasses every sub-discipline inside the fields above. For instance, biology is a sub-discipline of science. Electrical engineering is a sub-discipline of engineering. STEM degrees often offer students a hands-on educational approach to these fields. Students who earn a STEM degree gain, in addition to their degree itself, experience in analysis, research, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Students who graduate with STEM degrees go on to be engineers, researchers, computer scientists, analysts and more. STEM Fields: Examined Like I mentioned before, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Let’s take a deeper look at each of those fields. Science The â€Å"S† in STEM stands for â€Å"science.† In this acronym, science generally refers to the natural sciences, which include fields like astronomy, biology, and physics. There are two other types of science: formal science and social science. Formal science is the study of mathematics, logic, and statistics, which is represented by the â€Å"M† in STEM. Social science includes the fields of psychology and sociology and is typically considered part of the humanities. Technology The â€Å"T† in STEM stands for technology. Students who study technology learn about the roles of technology in modern life. Technology majors can pursue careers in computer science, web/app development, video game design, and more. Engineering The â€Å"E† in STEM stands for engineering. Sub-fields of engineering include aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and more. Mathematics The â€Å"M† in STEM stands for mathematics. Students who study mathematics learn about calculus, logic, algebra, statistics, and more. Differences Between Undergraduate and Graduate STEM Programs You can pursue a STEM degree as an undergraduate or graduate student. There are Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD STEM degree options. So what should you choose? Should you plan to go to graduate school if you want to work in STEM? Let’s explore. Research Opportunities One of the biggest differences between undergraduate and graduate STEM programs is the amount of research you’ll do. As a general rule, undergraduate programs are more focused on classroom learning versus hands-on research. Some undergraduate programs will offer research opportunities, but it’s not a given. Graduate programs, on the other hand, will be heavily research focused. Most students will participate in larger research projects with professors at their university. They may even direct their own projects. Job Outlook Typically, students who earn an advanced degree will have more career opportunities and start at a higher rate of pay. Depending on the company you want to work for and the position you’re seeking, you may need an advanced degree to even apply in the first place. Top 15 STEM Majors There is a wide range of options for STEM programs. In this STEM majors list, we’ll take a look at a few of the most popular majors in each STEM discipline. Science Astronomy: Astronomy (and astrophysics) is the study of planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe. You’ll learn about space, as well as the history and future of the universe. Biological sciences: Biological sciences majors study ecology, plant, human and animal development, cell dynamics, molecular medicine and more. This major is great for people looking to go to medical school. Earth sciences: Students who study the earth sciences take classes in biology, mineralogy, geochemistry, physical geology, and more. They’ll learn about minerals, rocks, soil chemistry, and natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanoes. Physics: Physics students study scientific matter and energy. They’ll learn about electricity, magnetism, relativity, and more. Technology IT management: IT management majors learn how to use computer software and systems to manage information. IT management majors search for technology-based solutions to problems. Software engineering: Software engineers learn how to design, develop, maintain, test and evaluate computer software. Video game programming: If you love video games, video game programming might be the major for you. Video game programmers work with larger teams to create and develop new video games. Computer programming: Students in this major learn the fundamentals of computer programming. This is a solid major choice for students aspiring to be programmers. Engineering Aerospace engineering: Aerospace engineering majors learn how to build planes and spacecraft. This major is great if you hope to one day work with a company or organization like Boeing, NASA, or SpaceX. Biomedical engineering: Biomedical engineering is a cross-disciplinary field, where students learn about how engineering principles can impact human health. Civil engineering: Civil engineering deals with the design and construction of things like bridges, dams, airports, pipelines and more. Electrical engineering: Electrical engineering majors learn about the design and application of equipment related to electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. Math Mathematics: Math majors study a number of different topics, including calculus, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, computational mathematics, number theory, and more. Many math majors choose to concentrate in one specific area of math. Statistics: Statistics is a math field that relies heavily on computers, with students learning analytical and logical reasoning, information management, and quantitative reasoning. Logic and Computation: Students who study logic and computation gain skills in logic, analytic philosophy, mathematics, computer science, and more. They will go on to work in fields like computer science or philosophy. Best Schools for Stem Degrees There are numerous options for STEM degrees, both graduate and undergraduate. Here are ten of the best STEM schools in the United States. Harvey Mudd College: Claremont, California Harvey Mudd College is a private science and engineering college, part of the consortium of Claremont Colleges that share adjoining campus ground in California. Harvey Mudd is one of the best engineering schools in the world. Princeton University: Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University has topnotch engineering and mathematics departments. Located in New Jersey, Princeton offers many opportunities for research. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Cambridge, Massachusetts One of the best (if not the best) STEM universities in the world, MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT boasts an impressive list of alumni, including 58 National Medal of Science recipients, 45 Rhodes Scholars, 41 astronauts, and 16 Chief Scientists of the US Air Force. University of California, Berkeley: Berkeley, California Located close to Silicon Valley, UC Berkeley has produced some of the finest professionals in STEM fields. UC Berkeley is the home of a world-renowned engineering program. Johns Hopkins University (Hopkins): Baltimore, Maryland Johns Hopkins University was the first research university sited in the United States. If you’re interested in medicine, Johns Hopkins has one of the best medical programs in the world. Stanford University: Stanford, California Snapchat, Google, Netflix. What do these tech giants have in common? They were all founded by graduates of Stanford. Boasting one of the best technology programs in the world, Stanford also has rigorous offerings in science, engineering, and mathematics. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech): Atlanta, Georgia Georgia Tech is a research university and institute of technology in Georgia, with satellite campuses around the world. Georgia Tech has 31 majors with a focus on STEM fields. Carnegie Mellon University: Pittsburgh, PA With its headquarters near downtown Pittsburgh and satellite campuses on six continents, Carnegie Mellon is one of the best research universities in the world. Carnegie Mellon’s computer science program is ranked first by US News and World Report. California Institute of Technology (Caltech): Pasadena, California Consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world, Caltech has strong natural science and engineering programs. More than 90% of students at Caltech participate in hands-on research. Harvard University: Cambridge, Massachusetts This list wouldn’t be complete without Harvard University. Their Chemistry and Chemical Biology department alone has birthed five Nobel laureates. With numerous opportunities for research and work, Harvard is a top-notch place for any wannabe STEM major. STEM Degree: Final Thoughts A STEM degree is an excellent opportunity for students looking to break into the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. If you’re looking to major in a STEM discipline, take a look at the ten schools headlined in this article. What's Next? If you're hoping to attend college but are unsure howto begin the search process, check out this step by step guide for doing college research. Need help applying to grad school? Read our expert guide on grad school deadlines andget tips on the best time to apply tograd school! Want your GRE scores to stand out on your grad school applications?Check out our in-depth guide onmaximizing your GRE scoreand learnhow to make a foolproof GRE study plantoday!

Dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Dissertation - Essay Example This research paper provides with an overview of aims and objectives that basically drive the researcher to carry out this research with full devotion and sincere effort. After that it incorporates background of the study that highlights that why it was important for the researcher to carry out research on this particular topic. Important reasons behind studying the social impact of tourism on Manchester were highlighted in this chapter. The impacts of tourism have been reasonably well researched, particularly from the environmental and economic perspectives. More recently, attention has turned to exploring the social impacts of tourism and important research is emerging in this area. According to Mathieson and Wall, (1982, p.133) â€Å"the social and cultural impacts of tourism are the ways in which tourism is contributing to changes in value systems, individual behavior, family relationships, collective lifestyles, safety levels, moral conduct, creative expressions, traditional ceremonies and community organizations.† This report will focus on the research of attitudes and opinions of the residents of Manchester in terms of the social impacts of tourism on their lives and town. According to Butler (1974, p.103) â€Å"it is possible to breakdown the social impact into three generalized area, relating to the resources used by local residents, their economic wellbeing, and their life styles. Research into the social impacts of tourism on a community also suggests that â€Å"a number of factors influence the level of impact. For example, factors such as the state of the local economy, the maturity of the tourism destination, and the level of community attachment have been found to influence the level of impact of tourism activities.† (Gursoy, Jurowski and Uysal 2002) In Manchester, social contacts between tourists and local people results in mutual appreciation, understanding, tolerance, awareness, learning, family bonding respect, and liking. Residents

American Culture in 1920s Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Culture in 1920s - Coursework Example When he created the Model-T, along with the Ford Company, a large industrial complex was built along the banks of the Rouge River in Dearborn, Michigan. The large Rouge Plant involves production and use of raw materials to be handled by a number of workers. Ford’s idea of mass production pulled his company to a great success in setting up the demand for their Model-T to a great plateau. Since then, the use of automobiles and vehicles has driven a great advancement from urban to suburbanization. The popularity of transportation led to the production and construction of roads and to the growth of oil industry. Construction of roads led to the production and industry of several products such as rubber and concrete and also to the construction of small shopping centers. Ford’s simple concept of mass production allows production of goods in a short time and for less cost and it gave birth to a complex society evolving itself. Afterward, as a result of increasing mass production, things other than transportation industry came up. Mass communication and advertising have taken its place and the development of the use of a radio has begun. The radio in the early 1920s was a "mass-produced consumer item" in which "a major breakthrough in the field of mass communication" (Goff 121). Commercial broadcasts using a radio started its way in the midst of 1920s. Around 1922, two years after the first commercial broadcast, the first radio station in Illinois began broadcasting in Tuscola. Thereafter, several companies used mass communication to advertising. They adapted the use of technology to sell their products. As mass production is at peak, companies had the capability to increase production as well as to save cost. This, by result, made them more flexible and capable in advertising. Advertising gave them the power to set up campaigns to sell their products across the country. On the other hand, advertising alter ed the American culture. By its enduring and persuading goals, it somehow shaped the lifestyles of American citizens especially those who were living in cities and urban areas. Another way mass communication altered American culture was by means of entertainment. Mass communication led to the use of new inventions such as radios, cinemas, and music. It led to the birth of music industry and film industry. Apparently, entertainment, in 1920s, was more likely to be viewed as an essential part of American culture. Entertainment like music and cinemas became part of the lifestyles of American citizens. In the midst of 1927, several numbers of films were made. Movies influenced the American society

Strategic management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic management - Coursework Example The article gives an illustration of Mintzberg model which tends to be in a limited context. However, the context is seen to be a valid prescription for success in strategic management. The article is important as it illustrates the factors that result to variation in strategic management, and it also attempts to give the valid prescriptions for success. The author is a lecturer at United States international university. The varying business environments tend to alter the way various organizations conduct business. Strategy is an area of management characterized by controversial theories. The article does not question the essence of strategy. The article states that strategy should reflect the demands of an organization. Strategy should be dynamic. Strategies tend to evolve as the organizational patterns also change. The approach to strategy making, can normally take a deliberate end, which tends to be more rational. The other approach is the trial and error type of approach. An organization can normally follow a specific approach, or may combine both. The article is important in relation to strategic management, as it depicts the controversial theories associated with strategic management. It also gives the different approaches to strategic management. The authors; Marius Pretorius is an associate Professor and Rachel Maritz is a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria. The article gives an illustration of company strategies, these strategies can be as a result of deliberate internal decisions, they may also depend on one extreme, and, however, there are those that may emerge as a result of external forces. The article uses an example to illustrate how a company moved from the emergent to a more deliberate strategy, despite the external forces that tend to influence its decisions. Looking at Alcan’s organizational structure, it is evident

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee Essay

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee - Essay Example Nevertheless, employers consistently infringe these laws, as the penalties are ineffective or do not exist. When working together, they bargain for better wages and improvement of working conditions to be on a position to improve their living standards and that of their life families. Union members will normally have elevated wages, promising job stability, retirement security, and availability to quality healthcare for both them and their families. It is no wonder that those who are not union members are craving to be part of one union. It is unfortunate that workers are consistently denied that fundamental rights by their employers. One out of four employers will in fact dismiss his or her workers for trying to form a union in their work place. Several employers hire expensive lawyers and anti-union consultants to interrupt and prolong the union election, occasionally for periods for more than a year. This conditions frustrate the workers often get the feeling of being defenseless People working to earn a living are aware of the disproportion of power stuck between employers and employees. With a union, the human resources win vital rights such as jobs security. Unions make it easy to remedy on biases as union contracts ensure that all employees are treated reasonably and equally by their employers. When there is a predicament in the workplace, workforce and management come together as equals to solve the problem. The conflicting parties will ascertain a schedule and length of negotiating sessions. The parties involved will agree upon time out for caucuses. The parties need to come to some understanding on the needs to be established with regard to keeping of record. They will also need to make common decisions with regard to confidentiality of the information discussed. This is the every initial meeting; in general the union brings forward all of its demands. The subsequently conference or set of meetings is where management will in turn give the

Strategic Management Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Management Plan - Essay Example In reference to the reports and records from leading economist, they advocate that, any strategic plan should begin with the initiatives from the stakeholders (Mintzberg, 2007, p.37). In precision, strategic management is an activity under a high level of managerial practices whose basis is goals over tactics. This means that the management team must formulate goals which will out do its competitors’ strategies. By so doing, the organization will have the capability of maintaining a sustainable share in the competitive business environment. This is an article discussing the strategic management plan of PPQ Parts. It s location is in United States and it is leading in meeting its customers demand. The company has not set strong root in reference to its international business structure. The article analyzes the firm’s strategic plans for the next 4 years so as to meet the gaps in its structure. Among the company’s, four years strategic plans are:- 1. Increasing the number employees by from 5,000 to 10,000 (the 5,000 employees work in the branches within USA). 2. Increasing of equipment for international expansion will rise by 80% 3. Increasing the company’s world market share from 5% to 9% 4. Increasing the stock price from $10 to $22 5. Increasing annual profit share from 6% to 13% (the firm’s annually average profits is6%) 6. ... one its corporate value) Other short term goals of the company are reduction in expenditures, high level of security, creativity and innovation, among others. This will act as the subsidiaries of the long term goals (Mintzberg, 2007, p.37). Environmental scanning of current conditions This is an explanation of the ongoing activities in the economy world. It encompasses different items, which in one way or the other may deter the achievement of the goals. These situations may also favor the achievement of the goal. It is the duty of management together with the other stakeholder to ensure that all stabling blocks do not affect the objectives. This will only be met by coordination and communication between different parties in the organization. In reference to the environment, there are many factors affect the process of meeting long term plans. This is because the plans work on the basis assumptions, by putting some of the parameters as constants yet they are not definite. These varia bles include changes in the economy, prevailing competition, and political stability (Chandler, 2010, p. 45). Economy PPQ is a company in the United; the national has a stable economy, thus favoring the stability of the economy. This is as a result of the government’s measures in protecting the business environment of the country. For the strategic plan to realist, the management of the company should consider the possibilities of changes the value of money. This is because, within the four years, there may be differences like those experienced in the year 2008 (global recessions resulting from changes in the price of oil). The company should be ready to offer terms that increase the rate of stock turnover. Other strategies, which are applicable to these instances, are innovation and

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee Essay

Should Public Employees be Required to Pay an Agency Fee - Essay Example Nevertheless, employers consistently infringe these laws, as the penalties are ineffective or do not exist. When working together, they bargain for better wages and improvement of working conditions to be on a position to improve their living standards and that of their life families. Union members will normally have elevated wages, promising job stability, retirement security, and availability to quality healthcare for both them and their families. It is no wonder that those who are not union members are craving to be part of one union. It is unfortunate that workers are consistently denied that fundamental rights by their employers. One out of four employers will in fact dismiss his or her workers for trying to form a union in their work place. Several employers hire expensive lawyers and anti-union consultants to interrupt and prolong the union election, occasionally for periods for more than a year. This conditions frustrate the workers often get the feeling of being defenseless People working to earn a living are aware of the disproportion of power stuck between employers and employees. With a union, the human resources win vital rights such as jobs security. Unions make it easy to remedy on biases as union contracts ensure that all employees are treated reasonably and equally by their employers. When there is a predicament in the workplace, workforce and management come together as equals to solve the problem. The conflicting parties will ascertain a schedule and length of negotiating sessions. The parties involved will agree upon time out for caucuses. The parties need to come to some understanding on the needs to be established with regard to keeping of record. They will also need to make common decisions with regard to confidentiality of the information discussed. This is the every initial meeting; in general the union brings forward all of its demands. The subsequently conference or set of meetings is where management will in turn give the

QWE Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

QWE Case - Assignment Example A program should be developed to dispose of the products without them affecting animals due to the plants that absorb them and are fodder for animals. The study used the strategy of putting forth questions to the respective samples and analyzing the answers to draw conclusions on the various PPCPs (Boxal, 2012). The use of critical questions was crucial in getting main points, and the study came up with a list of the final questions. The criteria for choosing the questions involved the focus on relative risk, antibiotic resistance, effects characterization among many others. The key question strategy was used to determine the potential harmful effects of PPCPs on the environment and humans especially their detection and they are spread throughout the environment. The approach used was the key question approach. The criteria of coming up with the twenty questions were crucial and used prioritization among other factors. Since the PPCPs have extensive use throughout the world, the questions would not be hard to formulate. The questions on the PPCPs took into consideration various areas in the environment and effects of the chemicals contained in them to the environment and the animals. The questions were of either low rank or high status. The high-rank questions for the study were twenty in total. Almost everyone has knowledge on the PPCPs. The spread of the PPCPS is quite significant since most of the PPCPS elements are present in sewage, ground and surface water. The questions were ranked according to the various stressors on the environment, humans, and animals. All questions were necessary, and the top ranked questions drew a lot from the other lower ranked issues. The questions covered detection, effects and exposure of PPCPs in the envir onment. Stanford et al., (2010) notes that the focus on pharmaceuticals and hormones does not have the needed

A metaphor is a literary Essay Example for Free

A metaphor is a literary Essay A metaphor is a literary device that is used by writers as a descriptive alternative to the use of adjectives, similes or other methods to describe the nature of the object described. Metaphors describe an item as if it were another item, drawing parallels between the subject of the description and the object actually being described. (Sucham, 7) In writing about organizations, there is a standard set of metaphors typically engaged. As organizations are typically complex systems, the use of metaphor to describe their design and process is a common tool for elucidation of the subject. (Sucham, 8) Commonly, the metaphor applied to organizations is that of the living organism. (Sucham, 8) It is possible to draw parallels between many of the elements of a living being and those of an organization, such as a large business. (Sucham, 9) The central component of any complex organism is the brain. (Levine, 244) The brain is responsible for receiving the environmental and internal input from the organism and its surroundings, formulating functional explanations for the phenomena, plotting a course of action, and conveying the instructions to the other parts of the organism to execute. (Levine, 245) In a large organization, the brain is represented by the company’s president and/or board of directors. (Levine, 245) Like the brain of the organism, this element of the organization receives and interprets information, formulates plans, and issues directives throughout the organization. (Levine, 246) As in an organism, any damage or defect in the brain will severely damage the functionality of the organization. (Levine, 246) As blood is the essential element of the circulatory system, so is money essential to the organization. (Blunck, 422) Like blood, money must flow into and out of the various parts of the organization in order to ensure their health. (Blunck, 423) An interruption of blood flow can compromise organs in an organism; an interruption of capital can do the same for an organization. (Blunck, 423) As is the case with the organization, in most organisms, a disproportionate amount of blood is required to maintain the brain. (Blunck, 424) A marketing division of a company acts as the sensory input mechanism for an organization. (Blunck, 426) Like the eyes and other senses, market research gives the executive â€Å"brain† important information about its environment. (Blunck, 426) The marketing department can produce information about what elements in the organizational environment are, or could potentially cause harm to the organization. (Blunck, 427) Similarly, the senses offer the brain information about environmental threats or opportunities for advantage or growth. (Blunck, 427) Like the senses, the marketing department of an organization can be a key element in targeting important priorities for the organization. (Blunck, 427) In communicating these observations and findings to the brain/executive, marketing can give useful information as to the course of action most beneficial for the organization or company. (Blunck, 428) Human resources and training departments can serve an organization in a manner similar to how the digestive system serves an organism. (Blunck, 429) Like the digestive system, HR takes material from outside the organization and brings it to the inside of the organization. The department is vital in ensuring that those items taken into the organization will help build it to be strong and healthy. (Blunck, 430) The HR system also expels waste and armful elements from the organizational body by terminating the employment of unusable or toxic personnel. (Blunck, 430) Training is another component of the HR digestive track. Training takes the raw components taken in by HR and shapes them into products that can be of immediate and direct use to the organizational organisms. In organizations, as in organisms, a great deal of conversion is necessary to turn the â€Å"food† of the organism into the nutritional components that contribute to the growth and health of the organization. (Blunck, 430) The Information Technology department of any organization acts as the central nervous system. A complicated and often delicate structure, IT is vital in the area of communication within the organization. (Blunck, 431) As in an organism, IT or nerve failure can result in negative consequences that can be as trivial as minor discomfort in a small area, or as massive as corporate paralysis. The decision-makers in an organization rely upon the information conducted to it by the IT nervous system, and are unlikely to act in the absence of information. (Blunck, 431) If they choose to do so, the results are often catastrophic. A breakdown of the nervous system can similarly cause the components of an organism to behave in a destructive or non-productive manner. (Blunck, 431) Nerve damage can result not only in paralysis, but also in flailing, intermittent shutdowns, and other destructive activities to the organism. As a metaphor for a large organization, the living organism is useful and apt. Certainly, as with any literary device, it is possible to abuse the metaphor to the extent that it no longer applies, but in the case of the organization, the interaction of the components and parts is sufficiently complex to be described as an organism. (Sucham, 12) Successful organizations, like healthy organisms, rely upon a delicate balance and good performance of several elements, each of these vital to the â€Å"health† of the overall construct. Work Cited Blunck, P. (1994) â€Å"From a Rational Structure to a Socio-Technical System: A Whole-Mind Metaphor for Organizational Change†. A Review of General Semantics, Vol. 51, No. 4. Pg. 422-431. 1994 Levine, D. (1995) â€Å"The Organism Metaphor in Sociology† Social Research, Vol. 62, No. 2. pg. 244-271. 1995. Suchan, J. (1995) â€Å"The Influence of Organizational Metaphors on Writers Communication Roles and Stylistic Choices† The Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 32, No. 1. pg. 7- 13. 1995

Social Construction of Victims | Victiminology Theories

Social Construction of Victims | Victiminology Theories â€Å"Some victims are more deserving of the label ‘victim’ than others. Critically analyse this statement in light of your knowledge of theories in this area.† The word ‘victim’ can be associated with a person who has experienced some form of misfortune or suffering, however, when the word ‘victim’ is thought of in a policing perspective it is typically â€Å"used to refer to the complainant of a crime† (Wakefield, 2008:315). This essay aims to critically analyse the statement; ‘some victims are more deserving of the label ‘victim’ than others’, using different theories in relation to this. The essay will firstly; analyse two theories in relation to victimisation, secondly; it explore Nils Christie’s approach to the ‘ideal victim’ and lastly; the media’s role in representing the ‘ideal victim’ will be portrayed through the comparison of news coverage on the Madeline McCann case and the Shannon Matthews case. Historically criminology and criminal justice have been solely focused on the understanding of criminal offending, however, since the 1960’s â€Å"a variety of paradigm shifts, scientific advances, and social and political forces †¦ provided a foundation from which theories of victimisation emerged†, also known as the study of Victimology (Wilcox, 2010:978). This shift occurred when scholars decided to investigate ‘crime’ as more than just the behaviour and conduct of a criminal, instead it was viewed as a ‘system’ which involved a victim, time and place as well as the offender (Wilcox, 2010:978). It was in the 1960’s when a more socio-political movement anticipated for greater attention to be brought to victims of crime and their rights in the criminal justice system. With both scientific and socio-political movements it created an ideal opportunity for the development of different theoretical outlooks on victimisation. Collectivel y, these perspectives focused on many casual influences from lifestyles to broad-based social inequality (Wilcox, 2010:978). A major theory which emphasis’s these different influences is the radical theory of Victomology. The theory of radical Victimology, which emerged in the 1960’s and 1970’s, can be linked to the work of Benjamin Mendelsohn (Friday, 2000:62) and can be thought to be an offspring of Radical Criminology and Sociology. Mendelsohn’s argument for a vicitimology which looks at human rights and allows and investigation into the role of the state in determining who is a ‘legitimate’ victim and how the criminal justice system is concerned in the making of criminals and victims, is what is thought to be the origins for radical Victimology. As a consequence of this argument, â€Å"radical victimology acknowledges, in particular, those victims who have been rendered invisible† (Marsh, 2004:110). These victims, according to Quinny (1972), are best described as â€Å"victims of police force, the victims of war, the victims of the correctional system, the victims of state violence, and the victims of oppression of any sort† (Marsh, 2004:110). Accord ing to Marsh, it can be said that the idea of a ‘conventional’ radical victimology is what has been an aid for representing the problems faced by the poor and powerless which is a result of a limited structural foundation of victimisation (2004:110). Similarly to radical victimology, there are critical theorists who also address the idea of whether people â€Å"are aware of their social reality† and if it is safe to think that â€Å"the state is neutral in its response to crime and victimisation† (Marsh, 2004:111). The similarity of radical victimology and critical victimology is that they both attempt to theorise about the social issues within victimology. One version of this theory of victimology can be demonstrated through the importance of labelling, and as Meirs (1990) suggests that people may â€Å"claim the label, but the key questions for a critical victimology are, who has the power to apply the label and what considerations are significant in that determination† (Davies, 2004:38). In this version, Meirs uses the hypothetical outlook of â€Å"symbolic interactionism† (Davies, 2004:38) to enlighten his practice of the word ‘critical’. In general, critical victimology looks at the problems contained in the relationship between the state and its citizens; â€Å"it does not see the state as neutral rather the states mechanisms contribute to those victims we see and those we don’t see† (Marsh, 2004:112). Therefore it is not neutral, instead self-moti vated and self-interested and according to critical victimology this would raise problems when it comes to gender, race and class and how these are expressed in policy terms. Therefore, it can be said that critical victimology is a theoretical perspective which inspects the wider social context of modern societies which focuses on â€Å"the ways in which capitalism and patriarchy influence the ways in which victims are perceived and responded to† (Marsh, 2004:112). Both these theories explore the different reasons why some people may become a victim to certain crimes. In an ideal world any person who falls victim to a crime should be seen and treated as equal victims, whether they have been hurt psychologically, physically, financially or socially, but there has been the ever standing debate of what makes an ‘ideal’ victim and Nils Christie was the first criminologist to explore this idea. In 1986, criminologist Nils Christie created the concept of the ‘ideal victim’. According to Christie, the ideal victim encompasses at least six main characteristics; the victim is weak, they were involved in a respectable activity at the time of incident, the victim was in a place at the time of the incident where they could not be blamed for being, the victim did not know their perpetrator, the offender is seen as ‘big and bad’ or can be described with very negative connotations and lastly the victim has enough impact to claim the status of a victim (Lindgren, 2011:21-22). Christie uses the situation of an elderly lady being mugged by a male drug abuser while on route to see her sick sibling as the perfect example of who an ideal victim is, but the ideal victim also has an opposite according to Christie. His example of this would entail something along the lines of a young male who is drunk and in a dingy pub and is robbed by those he is associating with, Christie believes in this situation there is the prospect to claim moral accountability: â€Å"he should not have gone to such a bar, he should not have gotten drunk, he should not have associated with those types etc† (Lindgren, 2011:22). Regardless of evidence of any physical, psychological or economical harms, if an individual is not classified as a ‘victim’ then that individual risks little or no protection evidently because they are not comprised of the ‘standard’ vision of a victim of crime. Therefore raising the argument for; is there people more deserving of the label ‘victim’ than others, and what is the decision of being more deserving influenced by? The phenomenon of the ‘ideal victim’ arises questions like why some people – normally those from a socially deprived background or from ethnic minorities – appear to be less deserving of the label victim even although they clearly satisfy each category of Christie’s theory. It can be argued that the media are at large to blame for depriving so many individuals of the label ‘victim’ because not all victims of crime receive equal attention in the news or media. It has been said that â€Å"there exists a ‘hierarchy of victimization’, both reflected and reinforced in media and official discourses† (Greer, 2007:22). On one side there are individuals who have obtained the status of being an ‘ideal victim’ and will attract huge levels of media attention, creating a shared global-scale grieving, and generating possible changes in criminal justice policies and practices (Greer, 2004; Valier, 2004, Cited by: Greer, 2007:22). On the other side of the hierarchy there are the individuals who fail to obtain a victim status or are seen as an ‘undeserving victim’ which would result in that individual receiving â€Å"little, if any, media attention, and pass virtually unnoticed in the wider social world† (Greer, 2007:22). Comparisons of the news and media coverage from the disappearances of Madeline McCann and Shannon Matthews can help to illustrate the media’s role in representing the ‘ideal victim’. In May 2007 three year old Madeline McCann was reported missing while on a family holiday in Portugal. Her parents left her and her two siblings in their apartment while they went for dinner and when they returned Madeline was missing from her bed, and unfortunately it is still unknown what happened to her today. Madeline’s disappearance sparked international attention from the media and was described by the Daily Telegraph as â€Å"the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history† (Telegraph.co.uk). Then nine months after Madeline’s disappearance in February 2008 nine year old Shannon Matthews was reported missing by her mother. Shannon was found safe on the 14th of March and her mother was later charged â€Å"with child neglect and perverting the court of justice over her daughter’s disappearance† (BBC.co.uk) as she had set the whole thing up in order to receive money. Even although the Matthews case was a set-up there was still 24 days of Shannon being ‘missing’ and the news coverage and interest on her story was majorly lesser than that of Madeline McCann’s. According to an Independent news article after nine days there were 465 UK press stories released on Madeline McCann in comparison with only 242 on Shannon Matthews (Independent.co.uk). Also their Wikipedia profiles were both very different, Madeline McCann’s profile reached 2,182 words after only nine days yet Shannon Matthews profile only managed to reach 151 words after the same amount of time (Independent.co.uk). According to the same Independent news article the rewards offered for the two girls were significantly different; the reward for Madeline McCann reached a massive  £2.6 million whereas the reward for Shannon Matthews was only  £25,000 (Independent.co.uk). Therefore the differences in the number of press stories, Wikipedia profiles and reward figures, sparks the question of how do we understand the mediaâ€℠¢s discrimination between the two stories? The answer to this question lies within the origins of legitimate and ‘deserving victims’. Madeline McCann was a classic version of an ‘ideal victim’. She was a young, pretty, and photogenic girl from a stable, middle-class family with two Doctors as parents who lived in a detached house in Leicestershire (Independent.co.uk). On the other hand, Shannon Matthews came from a working class family living in a council house in Dewsbury Moor. Her father hadn’t seen her for years while she lived with her mother, step-father and six other siblings – of which were from her mother’s relationships with five different partners (Independent.co.uk). While the public’s hearts where captured by the story of Madeline McCann, Shannon Matthews did not attract the same type of attention. Public donations for Shannon Matthews only managed to reach thousands at most (Independent.co.uk) yet public donations for Madeline McCann excelled to  £1.1 millio n and some of these donations were made by A-list celebrities such as; David Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo, John Terry, J K Rowling and more (Independent.co.uk). Madeline McCann personified the concept of an ‘ideal victim’ whereas it was Shannon’s background which denied her the ‘deserving’ victim label. The acknowledgement of â€Å"ideal or legitimate victim status and related levels of media interest are clearly influenced by demographic characteristics (Greer, 2007:23). The media’s role in representing the cases of these two missing girls show that ‘class’ can be a major factor in portraying who becomes deserving of the label ‘victim’. Not only the factor of ‘class’ but other demographic characteristics such as age, sexuality, race and gender can sometimes determine the media’s interest in a somewhat direct style. Still, the idea remains that the majority of criminal victimisation both emphasises and imitates social inequalities and divisions, and whilst doing this â€Å"feeds into the wider structures of power, dominance and subjugation from which they derive† (Greer, 2007:42). It can be said that in the media representation of ‘victims’ of a missing persons case, or crimes similar to this, that these inequalities remain to have the greatest impact. This impact is shown through the portrayal of such victims who appear to show prospects of newsworthiness. However, the impact ca n equally be detected from the consideration of those who do not show horizons of newsworthiness. To conclude, this essay has explored the question of whether certain victims are more ‘deserving’ of the label than others, and used different theories and concepts to analyse this. Firstly the essay looked at two theories of victimology; radical and critical, and showed how different types of people may be more victimised than others – largely through social structures of the power of the state. From these theories the question arose of what an ‘ideal’ victim may constitute and this concept was explored through criminologist Nils Christie, which in his perspective the ideal victim would be a vulnerable person (youth or elderly) carrying out an innocent task (going to visit a family member or friend) and being robbed or attacked by a person out of their control (strong and perhaps a drug/alcohol abuser). Then from this concept came the issue of; is there are certain people more deserving of the label victim, and what is this decision based upon? This essay used the idea that the media plays a large role in portraying who the ideal victim is and who is not. This portrayal was used through the news coverage and stories of the disappearance of two young girls, Madeline McCann in 2007 and Shannon Matthews eight months later in 2008. Madeline McCann was a young pretty girl from a middle class background, whereas Shannon Matthews was from a working class background living in a council house with brothers and sisters who had different fathers. The news coverage of Madeline McCann was much greater than Shannon Matthews, to the point where everyone around the world knew who Madeline McCann was on a first name basis, whereas Shannon Matthews struggled to even be known by the whole of the U.K. Therefore the media portrayed Madeline McCann to be a more deserving victim than Shannon Matthews based upon their looks, backgrounds and ‘newsworthiness’ and evidence of this can be shown through the differences in; public donations, re wards, Wikipedia profiles and how many news articles where printed about each girl after nine days of each of their disappearances. Bibliography BBC. 2010.Shannon Matthews Timeline. [ONLINE] Available at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7733586.stm. [Accessed 09 March 15]. Pamela Davies 2004.  Victimisation: Theory, Research and Policy. Edition. Palgrave Macmillan Paul C. Friday, 2000.  Victimology at the Transition From the 20th to the 21st Century. Montreal, Canada: World Society of Victimology. Chris Greer, 2007. News Media, Victims and Crime. Chapter 2, Pages 20-49 Michael J Hindelang, 2009. Toward a theory of personal criminal victimology.Victims and Victimisation, Pages 26-40. Independent. 2008. Missing: The contrasting searches for Shannon and Madeleine. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/missing-the-contrasting-searches-for-shannon-and-madeleine-790207.html. [Accessed 06 March 15] Magnus Lindgren, Vesna NikoliĆ¡-RistanoviĆ¡, 2011.  Crime Victims International and Serbian Perspective. 1st ed. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Mission to Serbia, Law Enforcement Department Ian Marsh, 2004.  Criminal Justice: An Introduction to Philosophies, Theories and Practice. 1 Edition. Routledge. The Telegraph. 2008.  Master of media circus for Madeleine McCann. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1902515/Master-of-media-circus-for-Madeleine-McCann.html. [Accessed 01 March 15]. Alison Wakefield, Jenny Fleming, 2008.  The SAGE Dictionary of Policing. Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd Pamela Wilcox, 2010. Victimisation, theories of. Encyclopaedia of victimology and crime prevention. Pages 978-986. Sage Publications. Brian Williams, 2009.  Victims and Victimisation: A Reader (Readings in Criminology and Criminal Justice). 1 Edition. Open University Press. 2015.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~skenney/courses/4099/VCLASS1.2.pdf. [Accessed 13 March 2015] Kidneys: Function and Structure Kidneys: Function and Structure The kidneys are essential for regulating the volume and composition of bodily fluids. This page outlines key regulatory systems involving the kidneys for controlling volume, sodium and potassium concentrations, and the pH of bodily fluids. A most critical concept for you to understand is how water and sodium regulation are integrated to defend the body against all possible disturbances in the volume and osmolarity of bodily fluids. Simple examples of such disturbances include dehydration, blood loss, salt ingestion, and plain water ingestion. How water balance is regulated by ADH Water balance is achieved in the body by ensuring that the amount of water consumed in food and drink (and generated by metabolism) equals the amount of water excreted. The consumption side is regulated by behavioural mechanisms, including thirst and salt cravings. While almost a litre of water per day is lost through the skin, lungs, and feces, the kidneys are the major site of regulated excretion of water. One way the kidneys can directly control the volume of bodily fluids is by the amount of water excreted in the urine. Either the kidneys can conserve water by producing urine that is concentrated relative to plasma, or they can rid the body of excess water by producing urine that is dilute relative to plasma. Direct control of water excretion in the kidneys is exercised by vasopressin, or anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), a peptide hormone secreted by the hypothalamus. ADH causes the insertion of water channels into the membranes of cells lining the collecting ducts, allowing water reabsorption to occur. Without ADH, little water is reabsorbed in the collecting ducts and dilute urine is excreted. How the kidney uses a counter current mechanism Because the human body does not maintain a constant water volume, the kidneys have to compensate for the lack of or excess of water consumed. The kidneys use a transport system called the counter-current mechanism to accomplish this (Hoppensteadt et al, 186). The name is based on the fact that concentration first increases in the direction of flow, then decreases as flow continues through the ascending parallel loop. The mechanism relies on the adjacent, parallel loops of Henle and vasa recta. In the ascending loop, Na+ or any solute is actively pumped out of the tubule. Because water is impermeable in the ascending loop, the volume at the bottom of the loop is the same as that entering the distal tubule. At the bottom of the loop, the tubular and interstitial concentrations are equal. In the descending loop, the concentrations inside and outside the tubule are increasing with the current, with the maximum concentration being reached at the bottom of the loop. The increased concentration is the result of the passive diffusion of Na+ into the tubule and water out of the tubule. When the filtrate reaches the distal tubule, a net loss of Na+ and water has occurred through the loops of Henle. How the PH is controlled by the kidney The secretion of further substances not required by the body may take place in the distal convoluted tubule, e.g. hydrogen and hydro carbonate ions. This is very important in the control of plasma Ph, which must be maintained at 7.4. If the pH plasma falls, hydrogen ions are excreted by the kidney; if the plasma pH raises hydrogen carbonate ions secreted. Active Transport Active transport is the energy-demanding transfer of a substance across a cell membrane against its concentration gradient, i.e., from lower concentration to higher concentration. Special proteins within the cell membrane act as specific protein carriers. The energy for active transport comes from ATP generated by respiration (in mitochondria). Major examples of Active Transport such as: Re-absorption of glucose, Amino acids Salts by the proximal convoluted tubule of the nephron in the kidney. A mechanism of active transport which move potassium ions into and sodium ions out of a cell along with protein (or enzyme) channel. It is found in all human cells, but is especially important in nerve and muscle cells. The sodium-potassium pump uses active transport, with energy supplied by ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules, to move 3 sodium ions to the outside of the cell for each 2 potassium ions that it moves in. One third of the bodys energy expenditure is used in this process. Buffer system The kidneys and the lungs work together to help maintain a blood pH of 7.4 by affecting the components of the buffers in the blood. Therefore, to understand how these organs help control the pH of the blood, we must first discuss how buffers work in solution. Acid-base buffers confer resistance to a change in the pH of a solution when hydrogen ions (protons) or hydroxide ions are added or removed. An acid-base buffer typically consists of a weak acid, and its base (salt). Buffers work because the concentrations of the weak acid and its salt are large compared to the amount of protons or hydroxide ions added or removed. When protons are added to the solution from an external source, some of the base component of the buffer is converted to the weak-acid component (therefore, using up most of the protons added); when hydroxide ions are added to the solution (or, equivalently, protons are removed from the solution; protons are dissociated from some of the weak-acid molecules of the buffer, converting them to the base of the buffer (and therefore replenishing most of the protons removed). However, the change in acid and base concentrations is small relative to the amounts of these species present in solution. Hence, the ratio of acid to base changes only slightly. Thus, the effect on the pH of the solution is small, within certain limitations on the amount of H+ or OH- added or removed. Other buffers perform a more minor role than the carbonic-acid-bicarbonate buffer in regulating the pH of the blood. The phosphate buffer consists of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) in equilibrium with dihydrogen phosphate ion (H2PO4-) and H+. The pK for the phosphate buffer is 6.8, which allows this buffer to function within its optimal buffering range at physiological pH. The phosphate buffer only plays a minor role in the blood, however, because H3PO4 and H2PO4- are found in very low concentration in the blood. Haemoglobin also acts as a pH buffer in the blood. Protein can reversibly bind either H+ (to the protein) or O2, but that when one of these substances is bound, the other is released (as explained by the Bohr effect). During exercise, haemoglobin helps to control the pH of the blood by binding some of the excess protons that are generated in the muscles. At the same time, molecular oxygen is released for use by the muscles. The symptoms of kidney failure: There are two types of kidney failure; one of them is acute renal failure and the other type is: Chronic renal failure. Acute renal failure. Blood loss, causing a drop in blood pressure. Vomiting and diarrhea, causing dehydration. Crush injuries. If large amounts of muscle are damaged there is a release of toxic protein substances that are harmful to the kidneys. Sudden blockage of urine drainage. Chronic renal failure The damage to the kidneys is usually silent and not noticed at an early stage. It may be discovered incidentally from blood or urine tests done for other reasons. High blood pressure very commonly occurs with it. Symptoms are uncommon unless kidney failure is far advanced, when any of the following may be present: The symptoms of Chronic renal failure Tiredness Itching Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Breathlessness Fluid retention, shown as ankle swelling Weakness. The importance to the body to maintain acid base levels All the cells that make up the human body are slightly alkaline and the alkalinity must be maintained in order to function and remain healthy. However, their cellular activity creates acid and this acid is what gives the cell energy and function. As each alkaline cell performs its task of respiration, it secrets metabolic wastes and these end products of cellular metabolism are acid in nature. Although these wastes are used for energy and function, they must not be allowed to build up. An example of this would be the lactic acid which is created through exercise. The body will go to great lengths to neutralise and detoxify these acids before they act as poisons in and around the cell, ultimately changing the environment of the cell. The human body is very intelligent; as the human body become more acidic the body starts to set up defence mechanisms to keep the damaging acid from entering our organs. Its known as that the acid gets stored in the fat cells. However, if the acid does come to contact with an organ the acid has a chance to eat holes in the tissue which may cause the cell to mutate (change in a chromosome or a gene). The oxygen level drops in this acidic environment and calcium begins to be depleted. So as a defense mechanism, our body may actually make fat to protect us from our overly-acidic self. Those fat cells and cellulite deposits may actually be packing up the acid and trying to keep it a safe distance from our organs to safe them from damage. The effect of exercise on body fluid requirements Optimal pH of the blood is 7.2, the body will do everything it can to maintain that pH. This is necessary to run the entire bodys biochemical pathways for detoxification, building, and general maintenance. The body has several control mechanisms to keep it at this pH and they include getting rid of excess acid or base by-products through the lungs, saliva and urine. When the body is sick in any way this pH is disrupted. Most times your body is trying to keep up with the extra acid produced. Acids are produced from lack of oxygen, eating an imbalance of protein and carbohydrates and other acid producing foods, and by cell breakdown and production of metabolic waste. During exercise, the muscles use up oxygen as they convert chemical energy in glucose to mechanical energy. This O2 comes from hemoglobin in the blood. CO2 and H+ are produced during the breakdown of glucose, and are removed from the muscle via the blood. The production and removal of CO2 and H+, together with the use and transport of O2, cause chemical changes in the blood. These chemical changes, unless offset by other physiological functions, cause the pH of the blood to drop. If the pH of the body gets too low (below7.4) this result in a condition known as acidosis. This can be very serious, because many of the chemical reactions that occur in the body, especially those involving proteins, are pH-dependent. Ideally, the pH of the blood should be maintained at 7.4. If the pH drops below 6.8 or rises above 7.8, death may occur. Fortunately, we have buffers in the blood to protect against large changes in pH. Production of CO2 is a result of normal body metabolism. Exercise will increase the production of CO2 through increased respiration in the lungs. When oxygen (O2) is inhaled and CO2 is exhaled, the blood transports these gases to the lungs and body tissues. The bodys metabolism produces acids that are buffered and then excreted by the lungs and kidneys to maintain body fluids at a neutral pH. Disruptions in CO2 levels and HCO3 -create acid-base imbalances. When acid-base imbalances occur, the disturbances can be broadly divided into either acidosis (excess acid) or alkalosis (excess base/alkali). Urine becomes increasingly acidic as the amount of excess acid retained by the body increases. Alkaline urine, usually containing bicarbonate-carbonic acid buffer, is normally excreted when there is an excess of base or alkali in the body. Secretion of acid or alkaline urine by the kidneys is one of the most important mechanisms the body uses to maintain a constant body pH. As we exercise the urine pH becomes more acidic because the condition which known as acidosis have occurred and this results from a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood, as well as starvation and dehydration. As we exercise the temperature increases, and the amount of O2 released from the haemoglobin. Heat is a bi product of the metabolic reactions of all cells and the heat released by contracting muscle fibers tends to raise body temperature. Metabolically active cells require more O2 and liberate more acids and heat. If we have an increase in temperature, it causes the rate of respiration to increase too. Because O2 tends to be released from the haemoglobin compared to when the weather is cold. This explains why during fever, a person will breathe faster than normal person. In contrast, during hypothermia (lowered body temperature) cellular metabolism slows and the need for O2 is reduced, and more O2 remains bound to haemoglobin. Body Adjustment to improve fitness levels Exercises help our body to adjust and improve its capacity for physical activities. In order to increase our overall fitness level we have to concentrate on three different areas: Cardiovascular training Strength training Flexibility training Cardiovascular training Cardiovascular training is aerobic exercise that involves the large muscles like legs and helps make the heart and lungs stronger. Cardiovascular exercise has lots of health benefits like lowering the blood pressure, and also it can burn lots of calories. This type of exercise leads to improvements in the hearts ability to pump blood through the body to the working muscles and improves overall cardiovascular health. It is also linked to a number of health improvements including a decreased risk of many diseases, decreases in total cholesterol, blood pressure and levels of body fat. Strength training In order to improve our strength, a change is needed to be made, otherwise if we simply lift the same weights, the same way, then we will stay the same our training is maintenance based. If we want to improve our strength training, then we will need to apply a number of different variations into our workout routines to avoid letting the body become adapted to the current strength training workouts. A muscle will only strengthen when forced to operate beyond its customary intensity (overload). Overload can be progressed by increasing the: (1) Resistance e.g. adding more weight. (2) Number of repetitions with a particular weight. (3) Number of sets of the exercise. (4) Intensity, i.e. reducing the recovery periods Flexibility training Flexibility is a joints ability to move through a full range of motion. Flexibility training, also called flexibility stretching that helps balance muscle groups that might be overused during exercise or physical activity. There are many benefits to flexibility training. Some of the benefits are: Improved Physical Performance. Decreased Risk of Injury. Increased Blood and Nutrients to Tissues. Stretching increases tissue temperature, which increases circulation and nutrient transport. Increased circulation and nutrient transport allows greater elasticity of surrounding tissues and increases performance. Maintaining Fluid Balances Fluid balance defines the state where a bodys required amount of water is present and proportioned normally among the various compartments; this state is inseparable from electrolyte balance. Under normal conditions water loss equals water gain and a bodys water volume remains constant. Avenues for water loss include the kidneys, skin, lungs, feces, and menstruation. Water is sourced mostly from dietary intake; this is called preformed water. Water is not produced by the body to maintain homeostasis; metabolic water production is simply a by-product of cellular respiration. The body regulates water intake via the thirst reflex which stimulates us to drink. When water loss is greater than water gain the body reaches a state of dehydration, and dehydration stimulates the thirst reflex in three ways: The level of saliva drops resulting in a dry mucosa in the mouth and pharynx; There is an increase in blood osmotic pressure which stimulates osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus; There is a drop in blood volume, which leads to the renin/angiotensin pathway stimulating the thirst centre in the hypothalamus. When the blood looses excessive fluid dehydration occurs and the blood becomes more viscous (reduce ability to flow). This results in insufficient blood supply to the working muscles. After exercise, a drop in body fluid results in an increase in blood tonicity and a decrease in blood volume which in turn causes the release of renin in the kidneys and stimulation of osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus.Therefore after exercise, the exerciser must focus on the following areas: Effect of drinks Cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses to fluid ingestion Carbohydrates feeding and exercise performance Sports drinks must be formulated to taste best when people are hot and sweaty so that they can drink as much as they possibly can. The sports drinks are absorbed faster than plain water during exercise and rest. During exercise fluid consumption is vital for two primary purposes safe guarding health and optimizing performance Therefore, we need to consume more carbohydrate which helps maintaining blood glucose and increases carbohydrate oxidation, assure skeletal muscle and CNS sufficient supply of energy. Sources Used http://www.enotes.com/nursing-encyclopedia/acid-base-balance http://www.shodor.org/Master/biomed/physio/dialysis/kidfunc.htm http://www.8candlesonline.com/purify/what_is/alkalinity.html http://mcb.berkeley.edu/courses/mcb135e/kidneyfluid.html http://www.ann.com.au/MedSci/fluid.htm Books Essential AS Biology by( Glenn and Susan Toole) AS Biology by (Pete Kennedy and Frank Sochacki)