Monday, September 30, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 24

November 13, 1864 I am cursed. It is obvious now. Maybe that's what being a vampire means. Maybe tragedy and evil come with the hunger and the fangs; it isn't just having to live off human blood. It is the unending aloneness, being cut off from real life and from real relationships. Death will always be there to separate me from those I loved. There is a scroll of names in my head, and the list kept getting longer every day. Rosalyn was the first to die because of me. Katherine couldn't stand that I was engaged, so she killed the girl. Even Katherine's blood was on my hands. Though she came into my and my brother's lives and turned them upside down. She died as a result of my actions. I should never have tried to reason with my father, never tried to convince him of a different viewpoint. As soon as he confided in me about the vampire hunt, I should have done everything I could to get Katherine out of town. Pearl. She, too, could have escaped. I don't know exactly what her story was, but she seemed far more peaceable than Katherine. Alice the barmaid. All the humans I fed on in New Orleans. Too many to name, even if I had bothered learning their names. They were just unlucky folk who accidentally crossed my path when I was hungry or needed something. Callie. She died because I was stupid enough to think that she would be rewarded for helping out two vampires. The Sutherlands. Bridget, Lydia, Mrs. Sutherland, and Winfield. A normal family who just happened to catch the attention of one insane, vengeful vampire. And now Lexi. Lexi should have stayed in New Orleans in her hostel for the undead, safe in her own world where she could continue her own version of doing good. She will be the next to die unless I figure out how to save her. I have spent too much time in New York bemoaning my fate, moping, feeling cursed. By standing idly by, by complaining, I am letting evil occur all around me. Now is the time for action, for justice. I must channel my loneliness and despair into rage. I must stop being a coward, as I've always been, in both life, when I let my father bully me into a marriage I didn't want, and in death, when I've allowed Damon to torture me and kill the people I love. Never again will I let others bend me to their will. From now on I will fight. And I will free Lexi, if it is the last thing I do. I crumpled the piece of paper in my fist, growling with anger. How had he taken her? I hadn't heard a thing, even with my vampire senses. The servants, a couple of mice and rats in the walls, but nothing else. The vampire Lucius had come in complete silence and managed to seize – or disable – Lexi before she was able to cry out. What speed, what Power this beast must have! But for all of the vampire's ancientness, for all that he was a â€Å"direct descendant from Hell,† for all of the monster he was, he had, with that single piece of paper, revealed one very human weakness about himself. He had a very petty need to gloat. If Damon were in his place, I would have come downstairs and seen Lexi dead on the floor. But the beast wanted me to know that everyone around me was in danger, to scare me before he killed me. Now there was only one thing on my mind. If Lexi was still alive, it was my duty to go after her and save her. And if she wasn't alive†¦ it was my right and pleasure to kill Klaus's foot soldier. This I swore. What was it he had said in the prison? An eye for an eye. He took something valuable from me and Damon, our wives and their family, because we had taken Katherine from him. But the Sutherlands were human, of no importance and very easily disposed of. His beloved Katherine died in a church fire. What if†¦ The words struggled to the surface of my brain. What if he planned on killing Lexi the same way? Suddenly I felt like I had a chance again. But which church? There had to be hundreds in the city. I ran outside. The smell of decay hung heavy in the air, as though Lucius had unwittingly laid a path for me. I followed it south, feeling as though I were gaining strength with each step that brought me closer to where Lexi might be – and who I should be. I had tried to stay away from humans, and that hadn't worked. I had tried living with them, with disastrous results. But I had never tried a more moderate path. I would never be human, but I could help them, as I'd helped Bridget that night in the park. I could never live among humans, but I could find companionship among humans like Mrs. Sutherland and vampires like Lexi. Those ties would tether me to this world and keep me honest. I ran past a brick town house and grabbed a pigeon in midflight from the air, tearing into its neck for extra fuel. The stench was stronger now, and I saw an Irish Catholic church just two streets away. I knew people had actually been worried about this particular structure being torched, as had been done to others during the religious riots in Pennsylvania. But the place was quiet, with several old women sitting in the front pews, and oddly, the scent of decay that had permeated the air outside so strongly had evaporated. There was no odor of anything besides candles and incense burning at the altar. I slunk into a back pew and regarded the rose oculus window. The scene depicted a grieving Mother Mary in lapis lazuli blue as the sun, a bloody garnet, rose behind her. I closed my eyes and thought, hard. Why had Lucius thrown me off his scent? Was I wrong to assume that he wanted to bait me, so I could arrive at the correct church just as he put the match to the powder keg? What church would he choose – and why? Then it hit me: I was being stupid. The vampire had done due diligence and found out exactly where my bride's family lived; he wouldn't have just chosen a random church to burn down. He would have picked the chapel in which I was married. I knew the truth of this deep in my bones. But just as surely I knew that I couldn't go after him by myself. And there was only one person who was capable of helping me. Damon. Damon, who had trapped me into the stupid marriage that got the Sutherlands all killed. Damon, who had killed Callie. Damon, who swore to make my life a living hell for all eternity. But in the end I needed him. I had seen him control his powers in ways I could not. And I would need all the Power I could get on my side if I was to find a way to defeat an old one. Lexi had rescued us from prison, and surely even someone as debased and fallen as Damon would recognize that we owed her. The only problem was finding him. And now, I think I'm ready for a drink was what he had said. For most vampires that only meant one thing. For my brother, well, he could easily have meant hitting the bottle as well as draining a person or two. But where? In the weeks between following me to New York and â€Å"finding† me at the Chesters' ball, he had, as Lexi said, been sweeping the New York society scene as an Italian count. He had probably talked – or compelled – his way into any number of private clubs or restaurants. I wracked my brains, trying to remember the prattle Bridget had bored me with, about who was seen where with whom, and where was the latest place to go, and how there was an oyster bar serving genuine Pimm's Cup, just like in England. For lack of any better idea, I went there first. It was a lovely place in an otherwise unwholesome area at the southern seaport. Uncertain-looking sailors wandered from pool of streetlight to pool of streetlight, gathering in twos and threes to quietly discuss the seedier side of import and export, laugh loudly, and sing old drinking songs. Among all of this rotting seaweed, though, fancy livery and decorated carriages were parked: society men lured by the oysters, Pimm's Cups, and the dangerous aspect of the place. Inside there were quite a few of the young men I had seen at the Chesters' ball, as well as at my own wedding. Even Bram was there, but he was keeping to himself and looked ill. His face was ashen and his eyes sunken, and he wore black ribbons around his sleeves for mourning. His drink was untouched and he just stared sadly out the windows at the river. I turned my back to him, not wanting him to call out that a murderer – as he no doubt thought I was – was in their midst. I beckoned for the hostess to come over. â€Å"Has D – uh, the Count DeSangue been by here tonight?† I asked. The girl looked me up and down, face flushing with excitement. â€Å"With him accused of murder and this being his favorite place and me being his favorite girl, what on earth would make me tell you something like that?† I could see by the thick scarf she wore around her neck that she wasn't just warding off the cold night air – this had definitely been one of Damon's haunts. I started to reach into my pocket for bribe money. She saw where I was going and shook her head. â€Å"Not on your life, love. Not for Damon.† â€Å"You have no idea who he is, or what you're getting involved in,† I growled, grabbing her wrist. Her face fell and she tried to struggle out of my grasp. â€Å"Listen to me. I'm Stefan Salvatore – the other man accused of murdering the Sutherlands. Neither one of us did it, all right? We're both on the run from the police. Now tell me where he is.† I didn't compel her. I didn't exactly threaten her. But she nodded mutely and I relaxed my grip. â€Å"I don't know,† she said, rubbing her wrist. â€Å"I know he liked a drink at some of those fancy uptown places like the Skinny Black Cat and Xerxes' Repose. He even had his own table at the Twenty-Two Club.† At that moment a waitress came out. â€Å"Are you talking about the count?† she asked, an excited grin spreading across her face. I sighed. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Well, he once took me to Strange Fruit just a few blocks down.† â€Å"He took you on a date?† the hostess said, envy apparent in her voice. The waitress nodded proudly. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, meaning it. Lexi or Damon would have compelled the women to forget me at that point. I sighed, thinking about how much easier life would be if my Powers were stronger and my will weaker. I checked Winfield's pocket watch. It was five A.M.; an hour had passed since Lexi and I had first entered the mansion. Time was ticking by far too quickly for my liking, and every minute seemed to seal Lexi's fate more completely. Seconds later I was standing inside the door of Strange Fruit, a large, low, dark bar with giant wooden fans slowly turning overhead. The sailors who couldn't get into the oyster bar were there, along with every type of shady personality, lost soul, and criminal genius that managed to stay just this side of the law. Damon sat at a small rickety table by himself in just his shirtsleeves, a half-empty bottle of bourbon before him. â€Å"Nursing your wounds?† I asked, walking over. He didn't even bother looking surprised. â€Å"A minor setback, brother. Don't forget I have those dowry checks. As soon as things quiet down a bit I, and they, are out of this town.† â€Å"Doubtful any bank would cash a check for a suspected murderer.† â€Å"You really need to stop thinking like a human and start thinking like a vampire. There is no bank teller I can't compel.† He stretched languorously and poured some drink into his glass. Then he offered the glass to me, and chugged a big swallow directly from the bottle. â€Å"I need your help,† I said, pushing the glass away. I handed him the piece of paper and filled him in on what had happened. He squinted his eyes as he read it. â€Å"So?† I looked at him, gape-mouthed. â€Å"He has Lexi,† I repeated. Then, afraid he was too drunk to understand what that meant, I pointed out the obvious. â€Å"We have to save her!† â€Å"Mm.† He thought about it for a moment. â€Å"Nope.† He made a big show of slowly kicking his legs back up onto the table, as if he had been in the midst of an important activity when I had interrupted him. â€Å"What is wrong with you?† I demanded. â€Å"You saw him – he'll destroy her!† â€Å"So what?† Damon asked. â€Å"It was her choice to come to New York. No one asked her to come up here.† â€Å"She got us out of prison – â€Å" â€Å"We, excuse me, I was doing, just fine in that department. You forget. We could have gotten out on our own. We didn't need her for that. She was meddling. If further meddling got her captured, well, that's her own damn fault.† The anger that had ignited in me upon finding the note from the beast was now stoked into a rage that almost had me turning into full vampire mode. For just a moment, I didn't care who saw me. â€Å"You,† I said, trying to calm down, trying to put the blackness I felt into words. Damon sat up and looked me in the eye almost eagerly, waiting for the fight. â€Å"You are†¦ you are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I spat. â€Å"I am what you made me,† Damon said dully, lifting his glass as though to toast me. I grabbed his shoulders. â€Å"No. You don't have to be a heartless killer. Even Katherine wasn't that.† Damon's eyes flashed. â€Å"Don't speak to me about who Katherine was! I knew her better than you did.† I shook my head. â€Å"Even you know that's not true. You loved her more, but I knew her just as well. All Katherine wanted was for the three of us to be together forever. She would not have wanted us to be at odds, fighting. She would not have wanted this.† The surprise and anger on his face at what I'd said was almost worth it. Almost. â€Å"I'm going to save Lexi. Or die trying. And if by some miracle I don't die – I never want to see you again.† And before he could prepare some witty comeback or some threat, I banged my way out into the night, leaving my brother behind forever.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

My Favourite Writer

My Favorite Writer Robert Lynn Asprin, living in New Orleans, was born in 1946. He grew up in campus Ann-Arbor, in environment of book shops, museums and libraries. Since childhood he has got used to appreciate a variety in everything, study at Michigan University and services in army during the Vietnamese war have only strengthened this habit. Definitively Asprin’s outlook as a writer was generated 12 years which he has worked in accounts department of small firm – one of the American branches of corporation â€Å"Copier†. Interests and hobbies of the author are extremely various – from fencing and music to fishing and sewing.By own recognition of the writer whom he only was not – the teacher of fencing, the Mongolian commander, the bookkeeper etc. Asprin begins from science fiction novels – more precisely, from science fiction action, sound, but quite traditional, like â€Å"Cold War of Money† (1977), his popularity was brought to hi m by cycle of novels â€Å"World of thieves†; he is till now the editor-in-chief of this cycle together with his wife Lynn Ebby. Since â€Å"the World of thieves† Asprin becomes that Asprin which is read by millions, – the magnificent master of a comic science fiction and fantasy.After â€Å"The World of thieves† have followed â€Å"Ful’s Company† and well-known â€Å"Mythical Cycle†. In my opinion â€Å"Mythical Cycle† is so good that you can read it in one breath. However if in â€Å"Myth† except humor would be nothing, he wouldn’t receive that popularity what deservedly uses. Asprin’s books are distinguished by that, that you can see our daily life. Asprin’s heroes are real as we and relations between them are not less real, that certainly is a sign of the big literature. They love each other, scoff one at another, support and reject as well as we.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Tesco Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Tesco Analysis - Essay Example At first an extensive background of the company is given, providing the data on the past of the corporation. Tesco walked through a considerable number of obstacles on its path with a single principle: price is the most considerable factor in retailing. While using 'pile it high, sell it cheap' strategy the firm has made its name on the three main notions: perfect use of online retailing, perfect meeting of customers' demands, and perfect pricing policy. More detail to these factors is given in the next part of the report. After that the report dwells on the market environment surrounding Tesco. Interestingly, another company that used strategy similar to Tesco is also a top retailer in its domestic market environment - it is Wal-Mart. The comparison between Tesco and Wal-Mart is drawn next. The report concludes with forecasting what strategic options Tesco will have in its nearest future. Tesco was founded in 1924. However, the real history of Tesco began in 1931 when the first store was opened. At first the company specialized only in food retailing, which already had some major players, e.g. Sainsbury - a leading company of that time. Despite many differences, such as family issues in controlling businesses both companies had similarities. Both Tesco and Sainsbury families were very influential, however unlike Sainsbury, where all the managerial control belonged to the family, Tesco always had non-family board of directors (Morelli 2004). At the same time, both Tesco and Sainsbury based their success on regional strategies placing their stores in highly concentrated South Western and South Eastern parts of England. In fact, this was one of the reasons of imperfect competition between these tow companies. Tesco became a public license company in 1949. The company has been noted for a rapid and effective use of its investors in compare with its competitors. While Sainsbury's growth was incremental through the use of retained earnings for investment in new stores (Williams 1994), Tesco has been known for the effective use of share floatation to gain the necessary capital for takeovers (Morelli 1996). Sainsbury became a public licensed company only 24 years later in 1973 - the unwillingness of the company to utilize leasing was one of the reasons why Tesco has become a new market-leading company. Meanwhile the industry of retailing was developing rapidly. Upcoming trends of those days were integrated supermarkets, allowing its customers to buy everything they need within one building and self-service, which granted lower expenditures on the retailing personnel. Later, "from the adoption of still larger superstores, computerisation, stock control systems and sub-contracting out of warehousing and distribution in the 1980s, the modem supermarket retailer has been prepared to rapidly develop new organizational approaches" (Morelli 2004, p. 771). Tesco began selling non food goods in 1964. Introducing innovative techniques, such as loyalty cards, banking services, one-stop shopping, etc. has also given Tesco some advantage, although all these methods were quickly imitated by other companies. Pricing was always one of the most important issues in retailing. Being similar among all the major players of the UK retailing industry, prices were hardly anyone's advantage. There were some ways to attract customers, though. For instance, one of

Friday, September 27, 2019

Eithics reflection paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eithics reflection - Research Paper Example This goes to prove that people always care about their own than that of others when these two choices conflict, and people also always tend to be concerned not with their own greatest good but with the pursuit of something that they know or believe to be to their own detriment. While relativism is the philosophy that denies absolutes of either validity or of truth, while claiming that all things are relative and subjective depending on consideration and perception (Kreeft 28), there are no absolutes anywhere in reality. For example, religious relativism states that there is no absolute religion, no absolute truest or best religious relationship with the Absolute Being. While as metaphysical relativism states that there is no Absolute Being, God and no absolute anywhere in reality (Kreef 28). On the other hand, utilitarian ethics is the discipline that asserts that the moral worth of an action is only dependable by its contribution to the overall utility. This means that the end justi fies the means (mill vii). Some philosophers hold the view that at times, the illegality of an action makes it morally wrong, even if the action would otherwise have been morally acceptable.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Explain what's meant by Transaction Cost Economising. Also analyse Essay

Explain what's meant by Transaction Cost Economising. Also analyse between contributions made by Coase & Williamson - Essay Example For example, the searching cost (the energy and effort taken to find out the good), the cost of traveling for availing it, waiting time to get it and even the effort of paying it self are the costs incurred above and beyond the market price of that particular commodity. This ‘above’ and ‘beyond’ market price is the transaction cost. Now days, transaction cost is significant in each and every potential transaction. Transaction Cost Economics and Economizing The Transaction Cost Economics is the approach of analyzing the economic organization which considers transaction as the basic unit of analysis and it stresses that economizing the transaction cost is the central part of the analysis in the study of economic organizations. The cost of factors of production (resource inputs) , ie, land ,labor and capital, should be called as resource cost and for the better production, the resource cost should be the minimum. For enhancing the production and productivity, t he co-operation and investments in specialization are highly desirable. Co-operation between economic actors and investments in specialization are the major components of productivity enhancement. For achieving this co-operation and investment specialization, cost arises due to the inclination of self interested owners of inputs to shirk the commitments. The costs that incurred for the minimizing the shirking include: i) Searching cost incurred to identify the owners of the inputs (when, where and what type of the required good is available in the market with minimum price) ii) Negotiating or bargaining cost is the cost incurred for implanting an acceptable agreement between these two parties. In stock or asset market, it is the distance between ‘bid and ask’. It also includes the costs of any incentive given to minimize the shirking. iii) Monitoring cost and iv) Enforcement cost In spite of all these costs, residual loss from shirking may exist because of the inability of the above mechanisms to bring the shirking to zero in a complex and uncertain economy. Hence, the costs incurred to minimize the shirking plus the residual loss from shirking together constitute ‘transaction cost’(Hill, 1995). Contributions of Coase and Williams to the theory of Transaction Cost Economizing The origin of the theory of transaction cost economizing can be traced to a contributions of John R Common, 1932, Ronald H Coase 1937 and 1960, Friedrich Hayek, 1945, Herbert Simon, 1951, Chester Barnard, 1938, Philip Selznick , 1949 and Alfred Chandler, 1962. (Williamson, 1981). Among this series, the works of Ronald H Coase and Oliver Williamson are the real milestones. Coase laid the foundations of the Transaction Cost Approach while Williamson built a strong structure for the analysis. Both of them provide suitable and strong theoretical contributions to Transaction Cost Economics under the broad framework of Institutional Economics and they focus on how tran sactions have to be organized in order to economize the transactions. While describing the applications of transactional economics, it is assumed that different dimensions of transactions have to be identified and the alternative governance structure has to be described. Economizing of transactions can be achieved by discriminatory assignment of transactions to governance structures. The application of transaction cost approach lies both in the demarcation of efficient boundaries between firms and markets and in the governance

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Career management in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Career management in business - Essay Example These consequently affect the performance of an organization. These contracts are in a moment of transition. In this way, organizational relationships are turning into transactional contracts. In transitional contract, security of assets is ensured by creating safe returns from uncertain returns. There are examples of these contracts which include intermediaries offer insurance to their customers. Others include commercial paper markets working together with intermediaries likened to money market mutual funds. These changes in relationships have interfered with labour market within organization. Understanding intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships in organizations affects the means through which career management can be understood. It will influence individual career management and organizational career management (Kase and Zupan, 2007, 16-17; Gorton and Pennachi, 1988, 1-3). According to Adekola (2011, p100), a career is a lifelong process that constitute of a pattern of unde rtakings and related perspectives or conducts that happen in the life of a person as long as they are working. It is also perceived as a sequence of experiences during work, such as work related decisions; job positions, duties, and work related events as interpreted subjectively by individuals, for example, values, aspirations, things hope for, needs and feelings work that prevail within the time an individual is working. The plan and execution of organizational processes that facilitate the careers to be intended and controlled in a way that satisfies completely both the what a person prefers as per their capabilities and they are also designed to meet requirement of an organization (Yahya, Othman and Meruda 2004, p75). With the changing nature of work, it has become important for individuals and organisations to manage their careers. This is because every individual is expected to produce results that are meeting the needs of the organization. The realisation that effective usage of skills and knowledge can cause a great improvement in performance has caused many people and organisations to device ways to manage human capital. Career management is a continuous process that involves preparation, development, implementation, and tracking career plans and means to achieve career goals. Career management can be done by an individual or by an organisation. Individual Career Management (ICM) is done personally and it involves data collection about how to solve emerging challenges of the work and plans to develop their career. In this kind of career management, a person is responsible for decision making affecting their career development (Dargham, 2011, p4). Organizational Career Management implies effort an organisation put to improve the quality of life of an individual who is an employee. It involves policies, activities and programmes that are put in place to ensure that an organisation or employers facilitate the development strategies and designs of their e mployees’ careers (Adekola, 2011, p102). Career management requires analysis of the changing trends of jobs and careers in the present time. Both the organization and individual should carry out an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses they have so that they can focus on development (GMP, Not dated, p1-3). In the past, organizations could ensure job security even with changing environment. In the current days because of the competitive nature of the external market,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Case Brief U.S v. Hinkley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Brief U.S v. Hinkley - Essay Example The defense attorneys also presented medical evidence in the Court which supported their claim. On July 21, 1982, the jury acquitted Hinckley of his crime by accepting that he was suffering from insanity. The district court ordered him to be removed to St. Elizabeths Hospital for treatment of his mental condition till the time that he ceased to be a threat to himself and the community. (United States Vs Hinckley, n.d) The legislation governing â€Å"insanity† in the District of Columbia stated that a person accused of committing a crime could not be held responsible for his actions if, during the time of commission of the act, the accused suffering from a mental disease or illness â€Å"lacks substantial capacity to know the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law†. It was evident that, there was a sound legislation in the Columbia district to prevent the legal system from prosecuting mentally unstable persons who had accidentally trespassed the law. Therefore, the main legal question which had to be ascertained in this case was whether John Hinckley was really mentally sick when he had attempted to assassinate President Reagan. The verdict of the case depended on this crucial finding. (Fuller, 1982, p1) During the process of trial, Hinckley’s defense lawyers argued that he was suffering from schizophrenia: a mental impairment which compels the patients to assume different characteristics during their interactions in society. In most cases, the patient while functioning as a specific individual is completely unaware of his identity as another individual which he has assumed unknowingly. The attorneys further declared that Hinckley was obsessed with an American feature film named â€Å"Taxi Driver† and his actions on that fateful day were significantly influenced by the events in the movie. The film portrays how the protagonist undertakes an attempt to assassinate the President of his national country.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 14

Assignment Example The new equilibrium was not set on the intersection of S1 and D curve at the point E1. Here the new price was P1. From the diagram, we can see that the government policy has decreased the prices from P to P1 and increased the sales from Q to Q1. c) The result of this policy would have been that more cars were scrapped rather than entering the market for second-hand used cars. This would have considerably reduced the supply in the second-hand car market. As a result of this, the supply curve would have moved to left, increasing the prices in the second hand market and reducing quantity of cars being sold in the second hand market. 3) Opportunity cost is the next best alternative forgone by choosing the best option. The opportunity costs for government of the UK’s government for financing this scheme could have been improving the road infrastructure in the metros of the United Kingdom. This means that by choosing to finance this scheme, the government is not being able to pursue its other aims. a) The price elasticity of demand is responsiveness of demand to the changes in price of cars. Since, in London people have a higher income, it is considered as status symbol and because it has become somewhat a necessity, as a result people have higher price elasticity of demand in London than in South west, where people have a comparatively lower income and less class consciousness. i) This can be done by informing people about the environmental benefits of the car and by telling them that these cars would eventually save them a lot of money, once the oil prices go out of control. ii) This will help the firm to raise prices without losing too much of their customers. Consumers often shift away from the product if the price of a product increases, in case of high price elasticity of demand. So, the firms can benefit by low price

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Introduction To HRM 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introduction To HRM 2 - Coursework Example Before review, human resource management was characterized by punishing employees who were not performing according to Cafe Co instead of training them. Employees were not highly valued but treated just like any other resource and paid minimum wages Furthermore, employee engagement and communication was not valued and human resource activities were aligned to company’s strategy only. All human resource roles were left to human resource department only. Cafe Co was only concerned with employee performance and not development. After the review, the company adopted much of the soft approach though it continued to align human resource activities to company’s strategy. Soft human resource classifies employees as special and treats them as human beings that need to be respected and trusted. Theory explains that employees’ skills need to be developed and nurtured. It also stresses better remuneration and taking good care of employees. Cafe Co accepted to adopt soft appr oach by appointing human resource representative to the company’s board. Kim adopted much of the soft approach after the review because she emphasized development of employees’ competency, advocating for increase in employee compensation and prioritized retention of employees. Employees are valued and referred to as colleagues and partners towards achievement of company’s vision and mission. ... There are a number of both advantages and disadvantages of devolving HR activities to line managers at Cafe Co. Employees are likely to receive quick response from their line managers, appropriate employees are likely to be selected because line managers are more likely to make correct decisions and there is possibility of increased employee productivity as employees concerns are responded in time. Devolving HR activities on the other hand may increase work load to the line managers, decrease importance of human resource specialists and line managers may be incompetent on human resource issues. Cafe Co is likely to benefit from devolving HR activities to line managers. Employees are likely to develop commitment and loyalty when their issues are responded to on time because they feel cared for. As a result, much of employee time will be used to work thus increasing their productiveness. Line managers are more likely to motivate and mentor their employees than overall HR specialists. H ow each of Ulrich’s HR roles could help the HR manager solve some of the problems in Cafe Co. According to Ulrich, human resource department act as a strategic partner, administrative expert, change agent as well as employee challenge (Holbeche, 2009). As a strategic partner, human resource department can align human resource initiatives and activities with mission and vision of Cafe Co. Strategic partner role informs Kim (human resource manager) to design work positions, strategic compensation and benefits, appraisal systems, succession and career planning as well as employee development to respond to the needs of the company. Strategic partner role pushes Kim to make employees to be more

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Song Dynasty and Tang-song Era Essay Example for Free

Song Dynasty and Tang-song Era Essay Discuss the proposition that the Tang-Song era was at the same time both innovative and conservative. The Tang-Song era was a time of shift and change in China. Things were changing within the population balance, patterns of trade and commerce, renewed urban expansions, forms of artistic and literary expressions, and technological inventions. One of the biggest innovations during the Tang-Song era was establishing the Grand Canal. This was driven by the Sui emperors and the Tang rulers due to a major population shift. The Grand Canal was made to connect the original centers of Chinese civilization of North China plain with the Yangzi river basin (over 500 miles south). Another innovation was the development of junks and flying money. Junks were Chinese ships that had watertight bulkheads, sternpost rudders, compasses, and bamboo fenders. At this point in time, Junks were the best ships around and because of these Chinese sailors and merchants became the dominant force in Asian seas and Malayan peninsula. Flying money was a credit instrument that gave vouchers to merchants that would be redeemed at the end of travel to lessen the change of robbery. As population moved south, the valleys became more fertile and became a large part of agrarian expansion. Farming methods during this time improved drastically. Productivity increased in staple crops which meant that the population support would increase. Family organization at the various class levels still resembled that of earlier times, although women began to gain higher positions, but this would later decline in the Song era. The Tang-Song era is largely known for its great improvements in science, technology, literature, and fine arts. Some very major technological and scientific breakthroughs made their way during this time. Also, the reinvigorated scholar-gentry elite was responsible for a large portion of the literary creativity. Confucian scholar-gentry made Buddhists the major producers of the art and literature thus making it so devotional and religious objects had a growing fixation in everyday life. The development of the Tang-Song era allowed for many breakthroughs within this time period. Because of the many advancements, the Chinese cultured was changed for the better, molding it into something new.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Medicolegal Investigation Of Death Forensic Entomology Criminology Essay

Medicolegal Investigation Of Death Forensic Entomology Criminology Essay The study of insects that inhabit decomposing human remains as it relates to the medicolegal investigation of death is commonly known as forensic entomology. (Byers) The diversity of the field, a general overview of common insect life cycles and habits, and the data collection methods of insects, weather information, and scene observations will all be covered. The interpretation and application of entomological data recovered from the death scene will aid the Medical Examiner in establishing an estimated time since death or postmortem interval. Forensic entomology is subdivided into: medicolegal, urban, and stored product pests. The urban aspect involves insect infestation in homes, gardens, or other buildings that cause civil disputes among neighbors. The stored product pests division typically involves insect infestations that are founding food contamination cases. The medicolegal branch deals with the feeding insects that infest humans (dead or alive). Insect infestations on living humans may indicate neglect or abuse. (Byrd) For the context of this paper the focus will be on the medicolegal branch of forensic entomology. Insect habits and life cycles play a significant role in forensic entomology. Knowledge of the insects that inhabit the human body postmortem is very important. Understanding the succession of blowflies, beetles, and other insects is crucial in establishing the postmortem interval. The blowfly is the most common fly found all over the world even though it favors warm moist climates. The life cycle of the blowfly has been well observed and documented making this a great staple in forensic entomology.(Byers) Adult blowflies begin feeding and laying eggs on a body within minutes of death.(Chang) The eggs hatch into first instar (larva stage) between 6 and 48 hours depending on the temperature and begin feeding immediately. Each of the three instar phases is followed by a moulting (skin shedding) event in which the larva grow and gain another larger mouth opening and hook for feeding. The three instar phases can take anywhere from 3 to 10 days to complete. These stages remain fairly cons tant depending on the temperature. After the third moult the larva is done growing and migrates away from the body to the ground to pupate. Pupating can take 14 days or longer depending on the temperature. Once the adult fly emerges a few hours are needed to dry its wings before the process starts over again. Adult flies can live around 30 days. This cycle is typical of most species of flies only variable being the timing of stages.(Byers) Beetles inhabit the body within two days of death. Some beetles consume flesh but most devour fly eggs and larvae. Rove beetles develop extremely fast.(Chang) These beetles inhabit early to feed on fly larvae and to lay eggs of their own inside the corpse. The emerging beetle larvae also prey on fly larvae. Some species of beetles have extended egg development periods and their larvae can be found in later stages of decomposition. Beetle larvae differ from fly larvae by the presence of 3 pair of legs that fly maggots lack.(Byrd) Dermestid beetles come during the final stages of decomposition to feed on the dried tendons and bones of the remains.(Chang) These are the only beetles that possess enzymes that break down the keratin protein components of hair. Wasps, ants, and bees come to the body to feed on the insects that are feeding on the cadaver. The problem is that they may consume vital information for establishing a postmortem interval. Moths are usually the last to arrive consuming any leftover hair. The collection of circumstantial information is very important. Notes should be taken upon arrival at the scene. The proximity of the body to vegetation, general habitat, sunlight conditions, distance from open windows and doors (if found inside), localization of insects on the body, insect stages present, and any apparent scavenging from other animals should be thoroughly noted. The ground surface temperature, maggot mass temperature, temperature of air (from approximately chest height in the shade), temperature between the body and ground, and after the body is removed the temperature of the soil directly underneath the body should also be noted. Lastly, the maximum and minimum daily temperatures and rainfall for approximately two weeks before the person went missing to five days after recovery should be retrieved from a local weather station.(Byrd) After notes are taken insect collection begins. Due to their ability to flee the scene adult flies and beetles should be collected first and placed in killing jars (jar of cotton balls soaked in ethyl acetate) to immobilize them. Once immobilized, specimens should be placed in a solution of 75% ethyl alcohol for preservation. Samples of eggs, largest larvae seen, and up to 100 larvae should collected for preservation and live observation. Pupa casings are usually overlooked but should also be collected. They have a strong relevance to entomologist. Along with the insects, soil samples are collected for further testing. Immediately after each sample is collected the vial should be labeled with all of the following information: geographical location, case number, date and hour of collection, location on body recovered from, and the person who collected the specimen.(Byrd) The knowledge from forensic entomology can assist the Medical Examiner with estimating the postmortem interval or time since death by giving an estimated time since colonization. The process can be challenging you account for all the factors that play a role in insect maturation, activity, and succession. Analyzing insect maturation correctly can give you an approximate postmortem interval within 5 to 6 hours of death. (Gannon) A fly life cycle can span between 9 and 35 days depending on the species. Identifying larvae of a known species during a particular instar phase in conjunction with weather conditions can produce a fairly accurate postmortem interval. Succession is used to establish a wider postmortem interval than when using maturation. Flies arrive almost immediately to feed and lay eggs on the body followed by beetles to feed on fly larvae days to weeks later. As time passes beetles will outnumber flies as soft tissue supplies diminish. Some case studies have documented the importance of the fly to beetle ratio. If only flies are present the postmortem interval is less than 3 days. When flies largely outnumber beetles the postmortem interval is between 3 and 13 days. When beetles and flies are almost equal the postmortem interval is 13 to 25 days. If beetles largely outnumber flies or are the only insect present studies show the postmortem interval is over 25 days. One problem with using insect succession to establish postmortem interval is that is can only be determined between a few days up to one year.(Byers) Some insects are only active during specific seasons throughout the year, so the presence of an insect (dead or alive) can narrow down the postmortem interval to a specific season. (Byers) Other major issues with using succession to estimate the postmortem interval is the reoccurrence of the same insects during later phases of decomposition, varying temperatures throw off balance the timings of life cycles, and the poor documentation of beetle life cycles.(Weiss) Forensic entomology can also reveal other circumstances surrounding the death. Postmortem body movement can de determined if the insects recovered from the body are not indigenous to the region the body is located. The absence of insects can reveal that the body may have been frozen which would not make it a desirable place for egg laying, or that the body may have tightly sealed or buried deep underground making it inaccessible to insects. An unusual succession of insects to the body may also indicate freezing or wrapping of the body. Antemortem and postmortem circumstances of the crime may present themselves by the recovery of insect species that usually only attract to fecal and urine soaked clothing, which can indicates abuse, rape or some type of incapacitation. If these conditions were not present the insects would be absent. (Byrd) Skeletonization of remains can happen quickly due to insect activity causing valuable body tissues and fluids needed for toxicological analysis to be lost. In spite of the loss of human tissues, toxicological analysis of the insect larvae that have fed on the body can be successful due to the larval tissues acquiring the toxins and drugs that were stored in the human body tissues before death.(Byrd) Forensic entomology is a diverse field that can be used in many avenues of death investigation. A general knowledge of common insects found inhabiting decomposing remains is important in helping to establish an estimated postmortem interval. In order to come to any conclusion on postmortem intervals the data collected from the insects, weather, and environment have to be analyzed collectively. Forensic entomology also aids legal personnel in evaluating special circumstances involving a death in question. Even though forensic entomology has its positive and negative aspects it can be a useful alternative in estimating postmortem intervals if other resources and information on the body found is limited. RESOURCES: Byrd, Dr.J. H. Forensic Entomology. Ed. Dr.J. H. Byrd. N.p., 1998. Web. 6 July 2010. . Byers, Steven N. Introduction to Forensic Anthropology. Third ed. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn Bacon, 2008. 122-25. Print. Gannon, Robert. The Body Farm. (includes related article on chronology of decomposition). . Popular Science. 251.n3 (Sept 1997): 77(5). General OneFile. Gale. Mott Community College. 6 July 2010 Chang, Maria L. Fly witness. Science World. 54.n3 (Oct 1997): 8(4). General OneFile. Gale. Mott Community College. 6 July 2010 Weiss, Rick. Incrimination by insect: private eyes find a friend in flies. Science News. 134.n6 (August 6, 1988): 90(1). General OneFile. Gale. Mott Community College. 6 July 2010

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Classical Criminology Essay -- Crime Deviance Psychology Essays

Classical Criminology The classical school of criminology was around in the eighteenth century. It came abount in a time when the previous dominent spiritual look at defining crime and criminal behaviour was being challenged by a newer naturalistic approach of the social contract theorists. The classical school was the established ideas of monarchs, fedual lords and the fathers of the church. The main pioneers of the classical school were Cesar Beccaria ( 1738-1974) from Italy and Jeremy Bantham from Britain (1948-1832). From them writing their theories in the eighteenth century they established the essential components of the rational actor model. They both shared the idea that crime and criminal behaviour could be understood and controlled by human nature. The classical school was not intrested in studying crime and criminals, it got its theorys from law making and legal processing. The new ideas of '' enlightenment'' philoshefers were Montisque, Rasseau, Voltaire, Thomas Aquins and Locke. The fundermental principles of the classical school are made up of four main things. These are, free will, rationality, self-intrest and responsibility. Free will - People thought that god made people commit the crime, the classical school thought that people are not forced into commiting crimes. They believe that its our choice to behave in a criminal or non criminal way. We have a range of choices, and it is up to us if we want to break the law. Rationality,- This is where we think about each pro and con of each action we take, and we think about what we are doing. Self-intrest.- The classical school believed that we were all born s... ...present the state. In proportion to all this, the law must specify the relationship between law and the punishment given. The Punishment must come very soon and as quick as possible after the crime has been commited. The judge's and the jurys administer the law and punishment and interprate the law. Beccaria's theorys have a huge impact on modern criminal law. The idea of free will is built into many legal codes. Jermy Bantham was a philoshopher and a leading disciple of Beccaria. He too thought that human nature had some place in people becoming criminals. He too was a believer in that people would commit crime to minimalise pain and maximise pleasure. Bantham believed that it was incorect up-bringing that caused people to commit crime. Works Cited Roger Hopkins Burke. An Introduction to Criminological Theory

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Return :: essays research papers

The Return Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel The Return, written by Sonia Levitin, is a fascinating novel written to show the oppression that Ethiopian Jews suffer. The Return is about a young Ethiopian Jewish woman named Desta, who, with her immediate family, travels to Israel for freedom. During this journey, her brother Joas is shot and dies, she has difficulty finding the group she is supposed to walk with, and she has to stay in a refugee camp for a short period of time. Finally, she reaches her destination and lives in Israel from then on. There are three main topics illustrated in this novel. Prejudice and its effects, maturing and finding one’s own identity, and joining together to achieve common goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prejudice against Ethiopian Jews plays a big role in the Jews’ lives. For example, early on in the novel, Joas makes Desta realize that Ethiopian Jews are not even allowed to pray aloud. This relates to prejudice and its effects because praying aloud is very important for Jews and taking that away from them is the ultimate form of oppression. Furthermore, the novel explains that Ethiopian Jews are called Falasha (strangers) even though they have lived in Ethiopia for generations and are citizens. This is an example of the prejudice because calling an entire section of the population strangers makes them feel like outsiders. Also, when Desta and her aunt want to sell their pottery, the other Ethiopians pay them an unfair price. The prejudice against Ethiopian Jews is illustrated by the fact that non-Jewish Ethiopians cheat Jewish Ethiopians in commerce. Finally, when Desta and Almaz go to a small town on the way to Israel, the people of the town begin shouti ng at them, â€Å"You are buda, go before we kill you!† The people also refuse to give them food even though they are obviously starving. This episode in the novel shows the racial hatred felt by many against Jews.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the journey to Israel, maturing and finding one’s own identity plays a big part in Desta’s and her family’s lives. For example, when Joas is shot, Desta has to take care of her younger sister and lead the way to Israel. This shows maturing on Desta’s part because now she is the one in charge, she is able to take care of her younger sister and get food so that she and her sister do not starve and she never gives up on going to Israel.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The House on Mango Street Cultural Values :: House Mango Street

The House on Mango Street Cultural Values Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural values greatly influence The House on Mango Street. Esperanza's life is the medium that Cisneros uses to bring the Latin community to her audience. The novel deals with the Catholic Church and its position in the Latin community. The deep family connection within the barrio also plays an important role in the novel. Esperanza's struggle to become a part of the world outside of Mango Street represents the desire many Chicanos have to grow beyond their neighborhoods. Religion holds a powerful position in the lives of Latinos. It provides a built in censor of right and wrong in the form of extreme guilt (Aranda 150). The chapter "A Rice Sandwich" divulges the way guilt is established. Here Esperanza wants to eat at the canteen for lunch, but the nuns just insult her, and this makes her cry. She says they were "...pointing to a row of three ugly flats, the one the raggedy men are ashamed to go into. Yes...though I knew that wasn't my house" (Cisneros 45). The fact that her victimizers were nuns made her even more embarrassed about where she lived than she already was. Family can either be a brick of foundation or a wrecking ball in the Chicano world. Cisneros says, "We're very family centered, and that family extends to the whole Raza" (Aranda 150). Throughout Mango Street Esperanza's family is a brick of foundation. Esperanza's best friend is her sister. She also has fun at her aunt's expense, and she inherits her grandmother's first name. This inheritance symbolizes the strong family bond of Latinos in their effort to keep the family names alive. Esperanza dreams of someday having a satisfying life. She doesn't want her path of freedom to be cleared by having a baby or finding a husband. She has no desires to fall into the trap of dependency. As the author writes, "Her power is her own. She will not give it away" (Cisneros 89).

Monday, September 16, 2019

Animal Farm Essay

In the movie, I began to see examples of collectivism and individualism. For instance, in collectivism the group comes before the individual. The â€Å"experts† do all the thinking for the people. Which in this case, the pigs, Napoleon and snowball were the experts. They made the rules that the farm animals had to abide: all animals were equal, no animal shall be killed by another, no sleeping on beds or drinking alcohol ect. As the revolution went on, the animals helped one another,like we as people do in the everyday world. Napoleon soon felt as if snowball was getting in the way of his dictatorship and had him killed. Napoleon now became the leader, and even spread the word to other farms so other pigs could start the same revolution. The weaker animals were sacrificed the laws that were set soon changed, the farm animals became more and more like slaves , they ate less, worked dawn to dusk and no longer were equal. The law now was some animals were equal but some more than others. While the farm animals did all the hard work, the pigs got to sit back, relax and eat all the food for themselves. With that said, Collectivism is a lot like communism, the pigs had control of the farm animals, made the laws, even everything the farm animals made soon belonged to the pigs. It’s like how the world is today, part of the hard earned money and things we make go to the government. The government and the corporations are the pigs. On the individualistic side of things, in individualism the individual comes before the group. They only worry about their family and close friends. Towards the end of the movie, the horse was sold off and later killed, because he was no more use for the pigs. The donkey who is a close friend to the horse took that as a final straw and recognized what the pigs were really doing. Compared to individualism they fought with what they believed in. That no individual should work for pigs like them. That’s how it is with humans we fight with what me believe in.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Leadership Interview Essay

â€Å"Today’s professional nurses assume leadership and management responsibilities regardless of the activity in which they are involved† (Koernig-Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2006, p. 2). D. Martin. is the nurse manager for The Spirit Medical Transportation Services (Spirit) of Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin. She started her career as an ICU nurse, and from there moved into medical transportation. She worked as a staff flight nurse in three different programs, including Spirit, for 15 years before assuming the assistant nurse manager role for Spirit, and in the past year moved into the position of manager. In an interview with D. Martin she discussed achieving of a position of leadership in our nursing community. The interview included questions about her background, and the role she has today. Leadership Style D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) describes a leader as someone who is able to work effectively with other people and facilitate getting the job done. She further discusses the leader needing to have interactive communication skills. These skills she describes as two parts; first is active listening, making eye contact and giving full attention to the person speaking; the second is being able to talk and make a point with sounding condescending. Through her examples, D.Martin has a democratic or participative leadership style. Leaders with a democratic style act as a catalyst or facilitator to guide the group towards achieving group goals (Koernig-Blais et al, 2006). Democratic leadership may be less efficient than other types of leadership, but it does allow for a spirit of collaboration and creativity from group members. This type of leadership can be extremely effective in the healthcare setting (Tappen, 2001, p. 26)Personal Philosophy and Important Qualities of Leadership When questioned about important qualities or characteristics of a leader, D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) again emphasized the importance of interactive communication. D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) stated that an effective leader needs to respect their staff, or whomever they are leading. That a leader needs to learn how to be politically correct in all settings, and the  leader as manager needs to learn how to delegate, and to be aware of the fiscal responsibilities within the institution, and balance those requirements with the needs of the department they are managing. Sullivan and Decker, 2005 p. 44 state that â€Å"all good managers are also good leaders.† D. Martin talked interchangeably of leaders and managers, because she views herself as a leader first, and a manager second. Her views are that as a staff nurse, she was viewed as a leader among the flight crew, and now as a manager, she is still that leader, but with the responsibilities of management (D. Martin personal communication, March 6, 2008). A manager is responsible and accountable to the organization for accomplishing the goals of the organization (Sullivan & Decker, 2005). When D. Martin was questioned about her personal philosophy of leadership she replied that â€Å"you are never going to please everyone all of the time, and that the most important thing to remember is that you have to be able to live with your decisions, legally and ethically† (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). According to D. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008), quality and safety should be ranked equally at number one in consideration for what can and should be done. She believes that as a manager, she needs to be the mother tiger looking out for her cubs; that she has to protect the staffs’ interests. D. Martin also believes that an effective manager should have come up through the ranks. A manager should not ask the staff to do something she has not done, or would not do. Another aspect of an effective manager is that the manager should have been a clinical leader first, that they have been there, done that for years. The manager may not always be able to keep up those clinical skills, and be able to perform the clinical aspects of the job, but if they have done it for years, they will understand the concepts when the staff needs someone to talk to (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008)Learning Experiences that have Influenced Growth as a LeaderD. Martin believes that her own clinical experiences and what she has done have had the most influence on her personal development. Her bedside clinical experience in an ICU prepared her for her role as a transport nurse (personal communication, March 6, 2008). She was involved in the start-up of two different transport services, and her third experience was a transport nurse on a well established service. The first transport service she was part of was a load and go team with one of the first mobile ICU’s in Wisconsin. Her belief is that being on the ground floor of two services, the personal growth from those experiences as the service went through it’s growing pains, makes her better prepared for the growing pains of going from peer to boss. She also emphasized that managers should not take things for granted, if they have not been where they are asking their staff to go, she feel strongly that she brings a â€Å"been there, done that† style to her leadership (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Evolution of Nursing Leadership in Healthcare TodayThe interview continued with the question of how she sees leadership evolving in nursing today. Her first response was disappointed. When she first started out in nursing, many registered nurses were from an associates program, and the recommendation for a management position, or to teach was someone with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Once she had achieved her bachelor’s, the bar had been raised with the recommendation that managers have their master’s degree, in nursing or in business, and that nursing instructors have their PhD in nursing or education (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her thought is that with the requirement of that much schooling, the people managing departments, and teaching new nurses, are so far removed from the clinical aspects of nursing, that they are not as effective as someone who has recently been a clinical nurse. She feels nursing needs instructors that have â€Å"been there,† and instructors should not be â€Å"only those with the highest degrees.† There needs to be opportunities for nurses to move up through the ranks through independent nursing practice, and recognition needs to be given to the clinical experts at the bedside. The advanced degree should not be more important than clinical expertise in a given field (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Challenges Facing Leaders in Today’s Healthcare SystemsD. Martin (personal  communication, March 6, 2008), believes that the most challenging issues in her current position are the need to have a more global perspective, and having an appreciation for it. She described one aspect of that global perspective in terms of the hospital budget. Finding out what the hospital budget is, and that it comes down from the top of the corporation, not just the top of our individual hospital. Patients are important, but from a business standpoint, money is the bottom line (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Healthcare is a business, and needs to be run as a business. She states that the biggest passion she had to give up was that the patient comes first. She had to learn how to facilitate the system, within the budget given, and with the resources available to her. Management cannot give the staff everything they are asking for, the money, and decisions come from the top down. â€Å"Management would be easy if you didn’t have to deal with the people† (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). The Impact of a Mentor on Leadership StyleD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) states that she has had three mentors in her career. Each is unique and she is grateful to them. Her first was her nurse manager of her first flight service. She states that he too came up through the ranks. He taught her the importance of creating a balance between management and work. Her next mentor was her first nurse manager when she started at Saint Joseph’s, Terri. Terri was her mentor through her master’s program, and taught her the importance of being politically correct and fair. That, as a manager, you might not agree with what is being said, but you need to have enough self control to not let them see you do not agree with the company line, or to never let them see you sweat (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her third mentor was her nurse manager for the 11 years she was a flight nurse with Spirit. Through him she learned that different management styles are okay, and that an open door policy was what she respected most about his style. He also taught her the importance of credibility, and to not make promises you may not be able to keep (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Advice to Someone Interested in LeadershipD. Martin (personal communication, March 6, 2008) discussed the difficulty going from peer to boss. Her recommendation would be for anyone in that position to take a class on effective leadership to learn more on how to delegate, find resources and about fiscal responsibility. She did inform me that Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital does offer a two day seminar to employees on this topic, and she further recommends all Neonatal Intensive Care Transport Nurses take this class, as they all function in a leadership role (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Her other advice was to be ready to put in long hours. To be passionate about whom you want to lead. Be clinically competent, and have confidence in yourself, and your knowledge. Stand up for yourself and your staff. Learn to take risks, and trust your instincts (D. Martin, personal communication, March 6, 2008). Conclusion Leadership and management are the responsibility of all professional nurses. Effective leadership and management is a learned process. Mentors can have a positive impact on the personal and professional growth of a nurse. Personal integrity, honesty, and a concern for human dignity should guide all leadership and management decisions (Koernig-Blais et. al, 2006). References: Koernig-Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. (2006). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J., (2005). Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall HealthTappen, R. M., (2001). Nursing Leadership and Management: Concepts and Practice (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

Hcl marketing stratergies

Later there was limited choice for mostly products and companies didn't have to put much efforts to sale their product. But today's scenario is totally different. Consumers have choice because of availability of varieties and options. We can say today's consumer is the king of market. So it is important to know his buying behavior and try to fulfill his demand. Company's aim should be customer delight not costumer satisfaction. The purpose of this dissertation project is to know the marketing strategies which HOC Manifestoes Ltd. Sees to become the market leader in the field of Personal Computers and Different marketing strategies adopted by HOC to compete with others. HOC Manifestoes how much is fulfilling the customer needs and try to sale the maximum of personal computer This dissertation report making was really good learning period for me. I got opportunity to know the theoretical knowledge related to marketing strategies. This dissertation report is part of course of PAGE progr am, which is set by CACTI, and it is necessary for every student to under go for dissertation project.This project report is also made for submission to Institute of Management Education, Sahib's. Sustains including in this report are research methodology, analysis of activities, conclusion and bearing from this project Bibliography is also given in last to know from where information has been taken to complete this project. I hope this project will serve the purpose. IT HARDWARE INDUSTRY: AN INTRODUCTION The Indian IT industry is, undoubtedly, a shining Jewel in the country crown. The achievements of our IT companies have earned us the respect of the most developed nations of the world.The skills, ingenuity, dedication and drive of our young IT professionals is acknowledged worldwide. Today, there will hardly be a company of any stature anywhere in the globe where Indian IT professionals are not making a stellar contribution. However, most of the growth in IT has been in the softwa re services and support segment. I do believe that if we are going to continue our thrust and growth in the IT industry, it is imperative that we develop a robust hardware industry and emerge as an important destination for high end product development.While software development has been the more visible face of our IT industry, we cannot deny the fact that ultimately it is ‘hardware' that runs the ‘software'. While ‘hardware' is of no use without software, the converse is also equally true. The development of a vibrant ‘hardware' industry in India has been lagging behind on account of various factors. The underlying fact is simple. Unless companies are able to manufacture products that can compete with the world's best in quality and unless they manufacture in volumes that make them cost efficient and globally competitive, they will not survive.A major bottleneck in the development of the ‘hardware' industry has been the lack of a strong local componen t industry. It is my humble suggestion that the government, both at national and state levels do everything in their power to promote such industries so that by the end of this decade, we can have a strong and world-class component industry. Sure, we have a long way to go to catch up with Taiwan or China or even Malaysia, but I believe with the right encouragement we can develop a strong ‘hardware' industry. I must make a point here about the viability of ‘hardware' as an industry in India.It is a myth that the ‘hardware' business is not profitable. This point of view has been largely perpetrated on account of the large number of players who made half hearted or weak attempts to enter this business. To be a success in the hardware business requires both vision and grit. I often give the example of my own company D-Link (India) which, starting out as a small manufacturer of modems has grown to become a RSI. Billion company with a product range that extends from mode ms to routers. But success has not come easy.We have made massive investments in both plant and people and have spared no effort in getting the best of equipment and talent. More importantly, we have set up a strong R&D backbone to support our manufacturing. Which brings me to the next point: the importance of R&D? Technology in the IT space changes very rapidly. Technological obsolescence is not just a ‘click'- it has thrown strong companies out of business. In this scenario, the importance of R&D can hardly be overemphasized. It is vital that those who venture onto ‘hardware' industry are seized of this fact.Only through strong R&D can manufacturers ensure continuous product improvements and keep their offerings truly ‘state-of-the-art'. Over a period of time, with a strong R&D base, Indian companies can look forward to developing innovative products and own Intellectual Property Rights (par's) on such products. I dream of the day, and I believe it's not too far away, when technology for products developed by Indian companies would be licensed to global manufacturers as well as innovative products manufactured by Indian companies would be available worldwide.The state of our hardware industry and R&D infrastructure is quite the same as that of the software industry a couple of decades ago. Visionaries like Unmannerly and Skim Preemie have shown that we have the potential to achieve global stature in a business. Extending our sights a little further, we have seen how a Armband or Dry. Redder have got recognition for Indian R&D in the Pharmacy industry. There is no reason, therefore, why we can't develop a strong R base in the IT industry as well.The development of a strong hardware industry base would also go a long way in increasing the IT penetration in our country, which is still very low. I do believe that we have all the elements to become a significant player in both IT hardware as well as R. As IT penetration increases, as organizatio ns across the country network, as we build more robust IT backbones in various spheres of our activity, we will need more and more hardware. Rather than be totally dependent on imports, we need to have a thriving component and hardware industry backed by strong R.Along with our strength in software services, it will provide another cornerstone towards India truly becoming a global IT superpower. India a Global IT Super Power The Indian computer hardware industry has growing at a rate of over 30 per cent annually for the past few years and this pace is expected to be maintained until 2005. As the first table above shows, domestic manufacture has been increasing, but so also have imports. The locally manufactured computers cater to low-end applications while the imported computers continue to facilitate CAD, CAM, CASE, multi-media, and other high-end applications.Indian computer hardware and peripherals industry segments are dominated by U. S. Joint ventures and suppliers. IBM in coll aboration with Tats, Hewlett Packard in association with HOC Limited, Digital Equipment Corporation with Hindsight Group, Silicon Graphics with Tats, Oust to mention four major Joint ventures) manufacture computer hardware for the domestic and export markets. Compact, Silicon Graphics, and Dell have opened offices to sell their computers in India. Sun Microsystems and Apple distribute their products through Wiper Information Technology Limited.Most business firms in India have not computerized. Many of those who have, still use outdated products such as dot-matrix printers instead of laser and ink-Jet printers. As more and more international companies set up office in India, the demand for hardware will increase. The growing awareness of the case to shed fat in the public sector will call for more automated operations; this too will generate demand for computers. The prospects for both exports to, and investment in, this sector are excellent.IT hardware manufacturing in India is a c lassic case of the chicken and egg syndrome. Should we wait for the market to grow to high volumes that Justify creating a manufacturing base in India, or should we Just kick-start manufacturing so that prices then come down and thereby create volumes? The debate has raged on long enough and no consensus seems to be emerging. Rather, things took a turn for the worse with recent years witnessing a perceptible decline in manufacturing activity.Therefore, when a recent MATT study, conducted Jointly with Big Five firm Ernst & Young, concluded that the Indian hardware industry had the potential to reach a size of $62 billion by 2010, it not only raised many an eyebrow, but derisive laughter from skeptics. Sample some salient conclusions of the study which paint a rosy future for India Hardware Inc: By 2010, the Indian hardware industry has the potential to grow to twelve times its existing market size, with the domestic market counting for $37 billion and exports accounting for another $ 37 billion.The study has identified major export opportunities in the areas of innovative new devices, contract manufacturing and design services. The study says that component exports offers an opportunity worth $5 billion, while that of design and related services in embedded systems and wireless telecommunication services can bring in another $7 billion by 2010. Further, ambitious projections have been made in the area of contract manufacturing, which represents a $11 billion opportunity if India succeeds in capturing a share of only 2. Percent of the global pie by 2010. Though the rosy projections look good on paper, is this growth really possible?Skeptics deride the study as an attempt by the hardware industry to copy its software counterpart, which has been tom-timing Mascot and Muckiness's projection of $87 billion in software revenues by 2008. MATT officials are however quite upbeat. Says Avian Deckhands, president of MATT, â€Å"There are four key steps which we need to ta ke to make India a manufacturing-friendly country. Firstly, market India as a hardware destination and build a brand akin to software. Making India manufacturing-friendly through improvements in infrastructure and logistics should follow this.We should also emphasis on design and innovation through the development of Indian solutions for Indian needs. All these initiatives need to be backed up by the government with adequate funds. † The bright side For a country whose economy is so heavily dependent on agriculture, a vibrant hardware industry has the potential to generate three million Jobs, especially for Indians who come from economically underprivileged sections, who aren't very highly educated. So, in the words of Deckhands, the hardware industry can be some sort of a panacea for Indian's unemployment problem.Also, with the size of the contract manufacturing industry expected to be over $500 billion by the year 2010, Indian firms could grab a significant chunk of the pie in a manner pretty similar to Indian's emergence as a key player in the global BOP stakes. And, with a potentially huge market in embedded systems emerging, Indian firms with the right mix of hardware and software can be big players here. For the record, of all the high-end processors produced in the world, only 6 percent are used in PC's and the remaining 94 percent are used in entertainment electronics, non-PC devices, communication products and embedded electronics.The hardware revolution is also essential for the continued high growth of the software industry. As Vine Meta, director of MATT, puts it: â€Å"India can lose out on the software advantage it has already built up, and the future potential, if it does not concentrate on the hardware front. For example, the estimated domestic hardware requirement by 2008 to meet the software target of $87 billion is $160 million. † And now the problems But before India Inc. Can go into ballistic mode on the hardware front, there are lots of serious issues that need to be addressed.Issues like lack of local availability of input raw material, ever changing government policies, inconsistent sales tax structures in different states, high interest rates, customs duties on capital goods, poor infrastructure, inordinately long and variable transit times all add to uncertainty, delays and increased costs. Something that hardware manufacturers dread. Explains Mango Church, country manager-manufacturing, IBM India, â€Å"Everyone in India cribs about duty, but even China has a similar duty structure.The main reason why companies prefer to locate their manufacturing operations in China is because customs processing in China is much faster. Here, even after a manufacturer's raw material arrives at a port it might take another month or so before the goods reach his factory. In the fast changing world of technology, that's virtually suicidal for companies into hardware manufacturing. Besides, labor laws in China are al so very flexible. In India, laments Raja Sara, chairman and managing director of Zenith Computers, there are a lot of restrictions for the hardware industry. The software industry has grown in leaps and bounds simply because there have been no restrictions. On the other hand, even if I do manufacture in an SEE in India, I Anton sell my products in the domestic market. The government says everything should be exported. But it should realism that the industry will always flock to an area where there are least restrictions. † The government can also take a cue from the fact that if the industry is allowed to grow to three times the size it currently is today, it can earn more tax from its revenues.The manufacturing industry in India also suffers from a lack of proper environmental standards. With environmental concerns mainly ignored or casually overlooked by Indian corporate, Macs desist from setting p manufacturing bases here since there is no compliance with ISO 14000 standard s, which deal with environmental issues. On the design front too, there are lots of opportunities left to be explored. Design exports are a $7 billion opportunity in areas like embedded systems and wireless telecommunications.While Indian firms do some work on hardware design exports, many unfortunately show this as software exports to avoid tax. Fact is, some experts say a robust design sector could play a huge role in bringing down PC prices too a significant reason why PC penetration remains low in India. For example, on a CPU that costs $150, the material cost is not even $4. Adds Deckhands, â€Å"If we can get a design, like say a PI, made either by ourselves or if we can get the government to buy out a design and start manufacturing here, this would bring costs down substantially in PC's. The silver lining The Indian hardware industry could learn a thing or two from the Taiwanese hardware industry, where companies started off as component assemblers some years ago. Today, the same firms are world leaders, and in fact outsource their manufacturing designs to other countries. A majority of Taiwanese firms are now original manufacturers of chippies. Another instance that could inspire companies to set up local manufacturing bases is the example of D-Link. D-Link is one of the very few hardware companies in India that does local manufacturing.Recently, the company tied up with Taiwan-based Gigabyte Technology to manufacture and market motherboards locally. D-Link will manufacture approximately 30,000 motherboards per month. Besides giving D-link a key advantage in terms of technology, it also means utilization of D-Links manufacturing facilities. The cost savings per motherboard when manufactured here works out to be approximately $5. Hence, if illume are huge, it does makes sense to outsource contract manufacturing to India.And for skeptics who doubt the quality of Indian products, Ram Augural, managing director, Wiper peripherals has a ready answer, †Å"Doubting Thomas who keep on questioning the quality of Indian products should know that Legend computers, the largest maker of PC's in China, buys network interface cards from India. † Going forward, if the government and the hardware industry proactively decide to work together and solve issues rather than have one hand clamoring for duty concessions, and the other avoiding issues, the Indian hardware industry could finitely go the software way-as MATT and Ernst & Young have said.The only question to ask is whether the government and the industry are up to it. Around the world, enterprise IT spend has been on the decline. The economic downturn coupled with inconsiderate or unplanned spending on IT in the last decade, has contributed to all this. So what is the scenario in India? As per last year's survey (IS 2002-?June issue of Network Magazine), Close had committed to spend an average of RSI 554 Lack on IT-related investments. This spending was more or less equal to what t hey had spent in the previous year (2001-2002). So, did Indian enterprises spend that amount?As per this year's survey, the average amount spent on IT was only RSI 468 Lack. This implies there has indeed been a decline in IT spending. Close did not fully utilize the amount they had budgeted for IT related projects. The largest spenders in 2002-03 were BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, and Gobo. /US. The average amounts spent were RSI 1109 Lakes, RSI. 954 Lack, and RSI 649 Lack respectively. All other industry verticals show modest spends. Technology is a key component for BIFFS and Telecoms/let/lets verticals. This explains why spending on IT is high in these sectors.Also, nationalized banks have been spending substantial amounts on computerizing. Us have traditionally been big spenders, given the need to link distant locations. And with various state governments and quasi-government institutions pushing initiatives like e-governance, technology has been of high-priority here too. So, which were the technology verticals that received a maximum chunk of the shrunken IT budget? 68 percent Close said they invested in Bandwidth/connectivity last year. 64 percent in Enterprise hardware procurement, and 48 percent in Enterprise packaged software.Security comes fourth with 47 percent having invested in this area. More or less ? We were keen to find out the number of Close who had spent more than the amount budgeted. Nearly 60 percent said they had spent the exact amount budgeted for IT in 2002-03. 20 percent said they had spent less, while only 1 5 percent claimed to have spent more than the amount budgeted. A majority of those who had spent less than the amount budgeted are from large-sized companies (turnover exceeding RSI. 500 scores). Nearly 22 percent large-sized companies spend less on IT.The reason Enid this is obvious: Most of the large-sized companies already have sizable investments in IT when it comes to automating back-end and front-end processes. In this particu lar case, the reasoning was to build a buffer within the IT budget, to provision for any last minute or unforeseen procurement/maintenance costs that may arise. Even in the case of leading IT spenders like BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, Gobo. / Us, more than one-fifth of companies have spent less than the amount budgeted, indicating a slowdown in IT spending.On the rise again The IT spend in 2003-04 is on the rise again, albeit slowly. This year companies plan to spend on an average RSI 493 Lack, indicating a 5 percent increase in IT spending. The major spenders are again the BIFFS, Telecoms/ IT/TIES, and Gobo. / US verticals. The BIFFS vertical is registering significant spends; their average budget has climbed from RSI 1109 Lack in 2003-04, to RSI 1310 Lack in 2004-05. In Telecoms/let/lets and Gobo. / US, both major spenders last year, the allotted budget is same when compared with last year.In almost all other verticals, companies are registering a small increase in the budget allotte d for IT. In terms of turnover, IT spending in medium-sized impasse is expected to grow by 20 percent, while in large organizations the IT budget may actually shrink by 11 percent. What technology? This brings us to our next question: Which technologies are companies investing in? The top areas of IT spend, in terms of technologies, are: Bandwidth/connectivity (57 percent plan to invest), Enterprise hardware (55 percent), Storage (46 percent), and Security (46 percent).Both Storage and Security are clearly gaining prominence in the BIFFS sector where information security and availability is critical. The Indian IT and Electronics market in 2003-04 was worth SIS$ 20. 3 billion of which SIS$ 12. 7 billion consisted of software. Electronics and IT hardware production stood at SIS$ 7. 93 billion. Some 3,500 units are engaged in electronics production manufacturing goods as diverse as TV tubes, test and measuring instruments, medical electronics equipment, analytical and special applicat ion instruments, process control equipment, power electronics equipment, office equipment, components etc.Market researcher DC estimates that the market-value estimate over next 3 years for hardware products is RSI. 75,OHO scores. The Indian electronics and hardware industry as been lagging behind the impressive performance of the software sector. Most of the hardware requirements of the burgeoning software and telecoms sectors are met by imports which are about 25%. The Ministry of Information Technology, Gobo. Of India has estimated that the total requirement of hardware and components by 2008 would be in range of SIS$ 160 billion and the investment required in the manufacturing facilities would be US$ 16 billion.MASCOT, the leading IT industry body estimates that to achieve a software export target of SIS$ 87 billion in 2008, the hardware requirement would be US$ 50 billion. By far the most comprehensive study was carried out by Ernst & Young in association with MATT, the hardwar e industry body in 2002. It estimates that given the right incentives, Indian's electronic hardware industry has the potential to reach SIS$ 62 billion by 2010, twelve times its existing size with the domestic market accounting for SIS$ 37 billion and exports of SIS$ 25 billion.The major export opportunities would be in the area of innovative new products, contract manufacturing and design services. This shows that there are large opportunities for Indian companies to increase their strength and grave these opportunities for future growth. HOC Manifestoes Ltd is one of those companies which are working to increase their network and making innovative new products. HOC Manifestoes Ltd. Is currently engaged in selling manufactured hardware (like PC's, servers, monitors and peripherals) and traded hardware (like notebooks, peripherals) to institutional clients as well as retail channel partners.Besides, it offers hardware support services to existing clients through annual maintenance c ontracts, net work consulting and facilities management. In 2003-04, He's total hardware turnover was RSI. 12. 97 billion, higher by around 24% veer the corresponding fugue for 2002-03. Of this, manufactured hardware constituted 60%, traded hardware 32% and hardware support services 9%. The company's reported operating margins in 2003-04 (including six months of OH, telecommunication and software businesses) increased to 6. 7% from 5. 9% in 2001-02, primarily because of better margins in hardware.While average material costs declined in 2003-04, the company was able to retain a part of the margins in its product realizations. Better margins in hardware resulted in the return on capital employed (RACE) from hardware increasing from 1 1. 9% in 2002-03 to 25. % in 2003-04. In the domestic home PC organized sector, HOC Manifestoes is the market leader. Other players include Zenith Computers, MM, Sun Microsystems, Wiper, Hewlett Packard. Assembled personal computers have a large presence in the domestic home PC market, accounting for a chunk of the total sales.The overall market for desktop personal computers registered a 28. 2 percent growth during calendar year 2004 as compared to the previous year. What is significant is that branded PC's continue to make impressive gains against the gray market. According to DC, the share of branded PC's grew from 36. Percent in 2004 to 49. 2 percent in 2005, registering an impressive growth rate of 74. 3 percent. Interestingly, the gray market remained flat, registering a growth of 2. 2 percent, while the total desktop PC market registered a growth of 28. 2 percent.According to DC, the recent re-surfacing of finance-based purchase options had an accelerating effect on the consumer desktop market, which is already witnessing a consistent drop in end-user prices for both the branded and unbranded PC segments. Among the vendors, HOC Manifestoes emerged as the market leader with a share of 13. 7 percent. The company registered a 9 1. Percent growth during 2004 as compared to the previous year. HP followed HOC with a market share of 1 1. 9 percent. HP too grew at a blistering pace registering a growth rate of 73. 03 percent.IBM is in the third place with a market share of 6. 2 percent. DC is not the only research firm confirming the signs of robust growth. Gardner, in a recent report, states that the Indian desktop market grew by 31. 5 percent in 2005. Says Viand Nair, Analyst, Computing Systems, Gardner India, â€Å"Peaking business confidence based on strong economic growth catcalled PC purchases in both consumer and corporate segments throughout 2005. † While every research firm has given different figures, one thing is common-the PC market is booming at double-digit growth rates.MATT (Manufacturers Association of Information Technology) estimates that the desktop PC market grossed 17. 1 lakes units in the first half of fiscal 2004-05, registering a growth of 37 percent over the same period of the pr evious fiscal. With the Indian economy booming, MATT estimates that PC sales will touch the 40 lakes mark in fiscal 2004-05. The buoyancy in PC sales can be attributed to increased consumption by traditional industry verticals such as telecoms, banking, financial services and insurance, BOP, manufacturing and government.Consumption also increased in non-traditional sectors such as education, retail outlets and self-employed professionals. In future, He's hardware sales to the institutional segment are likely to remain stable, with sustained hardware spending by all the verticals, especially the banking and financial services sector. Besides, in retail hardware sales, a continued reduction of price points, facilitated in part by the recent reduction in excise duties on PC's,

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Brief History of Art Therapy

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ART THERAPY Randy M. Vick This history of art therapy focuses on the precursory and continuing trends that have shaped the theory and practice and the literature that reflects this development. Scholarship, like history, builds on the foundations laid by others. I am indebted to the authors of four other histories that I found to be particularly useful in the preparation of this chapter. Both Malchiodi (1998) and Rubin (1999) have assembled histories based on contributing trends, as did Junge and Asawa (1994) who have pro-vided extensive details on the personalities and politics involved in the formation of the American Art Therapy Association. My fourth primary source (MacGregor, 1989), while never intended as a book about art therapy, has proven to be an excel-lent â€Å"prehistory† of the field. Each of these references provided information as well as inspiration and I encourage readers to consult them for additional perspectives. Finally, it should be noted here that art therapy was not a phenomenon exclusive to the United States. Readers interested in art therapy's development in Europe should consult Waller's (1991, 1998) two books on this subject. History is like a tapestry with each colored thread contributing not only to the formation of the image but to the strength and structure of the fabric itself. Imagine for a moment a tapestry with bobbins of different-colored threads, each adding a hue that becomes part of a new creation, and we can better understand the history of this field. INFLUENCES FROM THE DISTANT PAST AND NEIGHBORING FIELDS Art therapy is a hybrid discipline based primarily on the fields of art and psychology, drawing characteristics from each parent to evolve a unique new entity. But the inter weaving of the arts and healing is hardly a new phenomenon. It seems clear that this pairing is as old as human society itself, having occurred repeatedly throughout our history across place and time (Malchiodi, 1998). The development of the profession of art therapy can be seen as the formal application of a long-standing human tradi-tion influenced by the intellectual and social trends of the 20th century (Junge & Asawa, 1994). 1 From the Realms or Art Art making is an innate human tendency, so much so it has been argued that, like speech and tool making, this activity could be used to define our species (Dissana-yake, 1992). In his book, The Discovery of the Art of the Insane, MacGregor (1989) presents a history of the interplay of art and psychology spanning the last 300 years. This history covers theories of genius and insanity, biographies of â€Å"mad† artists, depictions of madness by artists, and the various attempts to reach an understanding of the potential art has as an aid to mental health treatment and diagnosis. In 1922, German psychiatrist Hans Prinzhorn (1922/1995) published The Artistry of the Men-tally III, a book that depicted and described the artistic productions of residents of in-sane asylums across Europe. This work challenged both psychiatric and fine arts professionals to reconsider their notions of mental illness and art (MacGregor, 1989). Even today, debate rages within the field variously titled outsider art/art brut/visionary art/folk art as experts struggle to place work by self-taught artists (some of whom have experienced mental illness) within the art historical canon (Borum, 1993/1994; Russell, 2002). Contemporary writers from art therapy and other disciplines continue to explore the notion of art practice for the purpose of personal exploration and growth (Alien, 1995; Cameron & Bryan, 1992; C. Moon, 2002) and to reevaluate the traditional boundaries between personal and public art (Lachman-Chapin et al. , 1999; Sigler, 1993; Spaniol, 1990; Vick, 2000). Medicine, Health, and Rehabilitation Hospitals have long served as important incubators for the field of art therapy. For better or worse, medical model concepts such as diagnosis, disease, and treatment have had a strong influence on the development of most schools of thought within Western psychotherapy, including art therapy. While psychiatry has always been the medical specialty most closely allied with the field, art therapists have worked with patients being treated for AIDS, asthma, burns, cancer, chemical dependency, trauma, tuberculosis, and other medical and rehabilitation needs (Malchiodi 1999a, 1999b). Our understanding of the interplay between biochemistry, mental status, and creativity continues to evolve and a new medical specialty, arts medicine, has recently emerged 2 (Malchiodi, 1998). All this seems to suggest that art therapy will continue to have a role in exploring the connections between body and mind. TRENDS IN 19TH- AND 20TH-CENTURY PSYCHOLOGY For much of human history mental illness was regarded with fear and misunderstanding as a manifestation of either divine or demonic forces. Reformers such as Rush in the United States and Pinel in France made great strides in creating a more humane environment for their patients. Freud, Kris, and others contributed to this rehumanization by theorizing that rather than being random nonsense, the productions of fantasy revealed significant information about the unique inner world of their maker (MacGregor, 1989; Rubin, 1999). Building on these theories, many writers began to examine how a specific sort of creative product—art—could be under-stood as an illustration of mental health or disturbance (Anastasi & Foley, 1941; Arnheim, 1954; Kreitler & Kreitler, 1972). Other authors began recognizing the po-tential art has as a tool within treatment (Winnicott, 1971). Soon enough, the term â€Å"art therapy† began to be used to describe a form of psychotherapy that placed art practices and interventions alongside talk as the central modality of treatment (Naumburg, 1950/1973). The significance psychoanalytic writers placed on early childhood experiences made the crossover of these theories into education an easy one (Junge & Asawa, 1994). Some progressive educators placed particular emphasis on the role art played in the overall development of children (Cane, 1951/1983; Kellogg, 1969; Lowenfeld, 1987; Uhlin, 1972/1984). This trend toward the therapeutic application of art within educational settings continues today (Anderson, 1978/1992; Bush, 1997; Henley, 1992). PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH In addition to psychoanalysis and the rehumanization of people with mental illness, one of the strongest trends to emerge within modern psychology has been the focus on standardized methods of diagnostic assessment and research. Whether discussing the work of a studio artist or the productions of a mentally ill individual, Kris (1952) argues that they both engage in the same psychic process, that is, â€Å"the placing of an inner experience, an inner image, into the outside world† (p. 115). This â€Å"method of projection† became the conceptual foundation for a dazzling array of so-called projective drawing assessments that evolved in psychology during the 20th century (Hammer, 1958/1980). These simple paper-and-pencil â€Å"tests,† with their formalized procedures and standardized methods of interpretation, became widely used in the evaluation and diagnosis of children and adults and are still employed to a lesser degree tod ay (though often with revamped purpose and procedure). Two parallel themes from this era are the relatively unstructured methods of art assessment (Elkisch, 1948; Shaw, 1934) and the various approaches to interpreting these productions (Machover, 1949/1980). The impact of psychoanalysis on the early development of art therapy was pro-found. Hammer's (1958/1980) classic book on drawing as a projective device illustrates the diversity within this area and the inclusion of two chapters on art therapy by pioneering art therapist Margaret Naumburg demonstrates the crossover of influences. Many of the more common stereotypes about art therapy (specific, assigned drawings; finger painting; and the role of the therapist in divining the â€Å"true meaning† of the drawings) can, in fact, be traced directly to this era. Nearly all the major art therapy writers from this time developed their own methods of assessment consisting of batteries of art tasks with varying levels of structure (Kramer & Schehr, 1983; Kwiatkowska, 1978; Rubin, 1978/1984; Ulman & Dachinger, 1975/1996). Even today, the notion that artworks in some way reflect the psychic experience of the artist is a fundamental concept in art therapy. Despite this common history, there are distinctions between the approach to assessment used in psychology and that found in art therapy. The key difference is the art therapy perspective that the making and viewing of the art have inherent therapeutic potential for the client, a position not necessarily held by psychometricians. In addition, art therapists tend to use more varied and expressive materials and to deemphasize formalized verbal directives and stress the role of clients as interpreters of their own work. Finally, art therapists are also quite likely to improvise on the pro-tocol of standardized assessments to uit a particular clinical purpose (Mills & Goodwin, 1991). An emerging theme in the literature is the unique role the creative arts therapies can play in the assessment and evaluation of clients (Bruscia, 1988; Feder & Feder, 1998). Contemporary developers of art therapy assessments have abandoned ortho-dox psychoanalytic approaches in favor of methods that emphasize the expressive potential 4 of the tasks and materials (Cohen, Hammer, & Singer, 1988; Cox Frame, 1993; Gantt & Tabone, 1997; Landgarten , 1993; Silver, 1978/1989). Early art therapy researchers also looked to psychology and embraced its empiri-cal approach for their research (Kwiatkowska, 1978). More recently, models from the behavioral sciences and other fields have been used as resources in conducting art therapy research (Kaplan, 2000; McNiff, 1998; Wadeson, 1992). THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ART THERAPY LITERATURE The development of any discipline is best traced through the evolution of that field's literature. The historian's convention of artificially dividing time into segments is employed here to illustrate three phases of growth in the profession of art therapy. Classical Period (1940s to 1970s) In the middle of the 20th century a largely independent assortment of individuals began to use the term â€Å"art therapy† in their writings to describe their work with clients. In doing so, these pioneering individuals began to define a discipline that was distinct from other, older professions. Because there was no formal art therapy training to be had, these early writers were trained in other fields and mentored by psychiatrists, analysts, and other mental health professionals. The four leading writers universally recognized for their contributions to the development of the field during this period are Margaret Naumburg, Edith Kramer, Hanna Kwiatkowska, and Elinor Ulman. The lasting impact of their original works on the field is demonstrated by the fact that their writings continue to be used as original sources in contemporary art therapy literature. More than any other author, Naumburg is seen as the primary founder of American art therapy and is frequently referred to as the â€Å"Mother of Art Therapy† (see Junge & Asawa, 1994, p. 22). Through her early work in the innovative Walden School, which she founded (along with her sister Florence Cane), and later in psychi-atric settings she developed her ideas and, in the 1940s, began to write about what was to become known as art therapy (Detre et al. , 1983). Familiar with the ideas of both Freud and Jung, Naumburg (1966/1987) conceived her â€Å"dynamically oriented art therapy† to be largely analogous to the psychoanalytic practices of the day. The clients' art productions were viewed as symbolic communication of unconscious material in a direct, uncensored, and concrete form that Naumburg (1950/1973) argued would aid in the resolution of the transference. While Naumburg borrowed heavily from the techniques of psychoanalytic practice, Kramer took a different approach by adapting concepts from Freud's personality theory to explain the art therapy process. Her â€Å"art as therapy† approach emphasizes the intrinsic therapeutic potential in the art-making process and the central role the defense mechanism of sublimation plays in this experience (Kramer, 1971/1993). Kramer's (1958, 1971/1993) work in therapeutic schools (as opposed to Naumburg's psychiatric emphasis) allows for more direct application of her ideas to educational settings. Ulman's most outstanding contributions to the field have been as an editor and writer. She founded The Bulletin of Art Therapy in 1961 (The American Journal of Art Therapy after 1970) when no other publication of its kind existed (Junge &c Asawa, 1994). In addition, Ulman (along with her coeditor Dachinger) (1975/1996) published the first book of collected essays on art therapy that served as one of the few texts in the field for many years. Her gift as a writer was to precisely synthesize and articulate complex ideas. In her essay â€Å"Art Therapy: Problems of Definition,† Ulman (1975/1996) compares and contrasts Naumburg's â€Å"art psychotherapy† and Kramer's â€Å"art as therapy† models so clearly that it continues to be the definitive presentation of this core theoretical continuum. The last of these four remarkable women, Kwiatkowska, made her major contributions in the areas of research and family art therapy. She brought together her experiences in various psychiatric settings in a book that became the foundation for working with families through art (Kwiatkowska, 1978). Like Kramer, she had fled Europe at the time of World War II adding to the list of emigre thinkers who influenced the development of mental health disciplines in the United States. She also coauthored a short book that helped introduce the field of art therapy to the general public (Ulman, Kramer, & Kwiatkowska, 1978). Each of these pioneers lectured widely on the topic of art therapy and served as some of the field's first educators. It was also during this period that the first formal programs with degrees in art therapy were offered (Junge Asawa, 1994; Levick, Goldman, & Fink, 1967). Finally, it is important not to forget the other early pioneers working in other parts of the country, such as Mary Huntoon at the Menninger Clinic (Wix, 2000), who made contributions to the developing profession as well. 6 Middle Years: Other Pioneering Writers (1970s to Mid-1980s) The 1970s through the mid-1980s saw the emergence of an increasing number of publications that presented a broader range of applications and conceptual perspectives (Betensky, 1973; Landgarten, 1981; Levick, 1983; McNiff, 1981; Rhyne, 1973/ 1995; Robbins & Sibley, 1976; Rubin, 1978/1984; Wadeson, 1980), although psychoanalysis remained a dominant influence. The development of the literature was also enriched during this period with the introduction of two new journals: Art Psychotherapy in 1973 (called The Arts in Psychotherapy after 1980) and Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, in 1983 (Rubin, 1999). The in-creasing number of publications, along with the founding of the American Art Therapy Association in 1969, evolved the professional identity of the art therapist, credentials, and the role of art therapists vis-a-vis related professionals (Shoemaker et al. 1976). Contemporary Art Therapy Theories (Mid-1980s to Present) The art therapy literature continues to grow. In 1974, Gantt and Schmal published an annotated bibliography of sources relating to the topic of art therapy from 1940-1973 (1,175 articles, books, and papers), yet Rubin (1999) notes that in that same year there were only 12 books written by art therapists, a number that crawled to 19 some 10 years later. By the mid-1980s this pace began to incre ase so that there are now more than 100 titles available. Rubin (1999) also speculates that art therapists may be more comfortable with an intuitive approach than other mental health practitioners because as artists they â€Å"pride themselves on their innate sensitivities, and tend to be antiauthoritarian and anti-theoretical† (p. 180). Recently, approximately 21% of art therapists surveyed by the American Art Therapy Association described their primary theoretical orientation as â€Å"eclectic,† the single largest percentage reported (Elkins & Stovall, 2000). This position is in keeping with one delineated by Wadeson (in Rubin, 1987/2001) and should not be surprising in a field that itself draws from a variety of disciplines. The next five most frequently reported models: psychodynamic (10. 1%), Jungian (5. 4%), object relations (4. 6%), art as therapy (4. 5%), and psychoanalytic (3. 0%) all place a strong emphasis on intrapsychic dynamics, and this cumulative 27. 6% suggests that much contemporary practice is still informed by generally psychodynamic concepts (Elkins & Stovall, 7 2000). In a landmark book, Approaches to Art Therapy first published in 1987, Rubin (1987/2001) brought together essays by authors representing the diversity of theoretical positions within the field. Perspectives from these and other relevant sources are briefly summarized here. PSYCHODYNAMIC APPROACHES The ideas of Freud and his followers (see Chapter 2, this volume) have been part of art therapy since the earliest days, although contemporary writers are more likely to apply terms such as â€Å"transference† and â€Å"the defense mechanisms† to articulate a position rather than employ classic psychoanalytic techniques ith any degree of orthodoxy. Kramer, Rubin, Ulman, and Wilson (all cited in Rubin, 1987/2001) and Levick (1983) all use psychoanalytic language and concepts. Interpretations of the newer developments in psychoanalysis such as the theories of Klein (Weir, 1990), self psychology (Lachman-Chapin) and object relations theory (Robbins) can also be found in the art t herapy literature (both cited in Rubin, 1987/2001). With his emphasis on images from the unconscious, it was natural for Jung's concepts of analytical and archetypal psychology to cross over into art therapy (see Chapter 2, this volume). Work by Edwards and Wallace (both cited in Rubin, 1987/ 2001), McConeghey (1986), and Schaverian (1992) all reflect this emphasis. HUMANISTIC APPROACHES Elkins and Stovall (2000) suggest that only a small number of art therapists operate from a humanistic position (among humanistic, Gestalt, existential, and client centered; the highest response was to the first category with 2. 9). Yet if these approaches can be defined as sharing â€Å"an optimistic view of human nature and of the human condition, seeing people in a process of growth and development, with the potential to take responsibility for their fate† (Rubin, 1987/2001, p. 119), these figures belie a sentiment held by many art therapists (see Chapter 3, this volume). Garai (cited in Rubin, 1987/2001) has written from a general humanistic position, Rogers (1993) and Silverstone (1997) use a person-centered model, and Dreikurs (1986) and Garlock (cited in Rubin, 1987) have adapted ideas first articulated by Alfred Adier. Other models that fall under the humanistic heading include existential (B. 8 Moon, 1990/1995), phenomenological (Betensky, 1995), and gestalt (Rhyne, 1973/1995) approaches. LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACHES Perhaps because they are perceived to be mechanistic, those psychological theories that emphasize learning tend to be less popular with art therapists. In the Elkins and Stovall (2000) survey, cognitive-behavioral (see Chapter 6, this volume), cognitive, developmental (Chapter 8, this volume), and behavioral received an ndorsement of over 2%. Yet there are art therapy authors whose work has been informed by these theories. Silver (2000) has written extensively on assessment using a cognitive approach, and the work of Lusebrink (1990) and Nucho (1987) is based in general systems theory. Art therapists working with children with emotional and developmental disabilities have also adapted concepts from developmental (Aach-Feldman & Kunkle-Miller, cited in Rubin, 1987/2001; Willia ms & Wood, 1975) and behavioral psychology (Roth, cited in Rubin, 1987/2001). FAMILY THERAPY AND OTHER APPROACHES A number of writers (Landgarten, 1987; Linesch, 1993; Riley & Malchiodi, 1994; Sobol, 1982) have built on Kwiatkowska's early family work, particularly in California where art therapists become licensed as marriage and family therapists. Riley (1999) also incorporates concepts from narrative therapy into her work (Chapter 5, this volume). Relational (Dalley, Rifkind, & Terry, 1993) and feminist (Hogan, 1997) approaches question the hierarchy in the client/therapist relationship and empower-ing the client and have also shaped contemporary art therapy practice. Publications by Horovitz-Darby (1994), Farrelly-Hansen (2001), and McNiff (1992) reflect an emphasis on spiritual and philosophical concepts over psychological theory. Frank-lin, Farrelly-Hansen, Marek, Swan-Foster, and Wallingford (2000) describe a transpersonal approach to art therapy. Alien (1992) called for a reversal of the perceived trend in overemphasizing the clinical orientation and encouraged art therapists to refocus on their artist identity. Writings by Lachman-Chapin (1983); Knill (1995), who espouses an expressive arts therapies approach (Chapter 8, this volume); and C. Moon (2002) reflect this studio approach to theory and practice. 9 CONCLUSION Every art therapist knows there is much to be learned from the process of making an artwork as well as from standing back and viewing the finished product. The tapes-try that is art therapy is not a dusty relic hung in a museum but a living work in progress. There is pleasure in admiring the work that has already been done and excitement in the weaving. It is my hope that readers can appreciate the processes and the products that have shaped this profession. 10