Nurse Scheduling Problem

Nurse scheduling refers to the process of assigning working schedules or programmes to nursing practitioners in their places of work.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Nurse Scheduling Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The process entails giving different working schedules to a certain number of nursing practitioners who possess varied skills and qualifications, while at the same time conforming to important aspects that needs to be addressed such as personal preferences, existing working practices, rules and regulations, and ethical standards (Coomber Louise, 2007). This, actually, is part of a larger capacity plan that needs a more effective implementation to ensure that the nursing role is achieved within various units of health care. Obviously, a well-planned nurse scheduling exercise is likely to satisfy the interests of nurses, thus generating a positive impact upon the services extended to p atients in health care facilities. The many problems associated with the scheduling of nursing practitioners can be observed from vast areas of medical and health care application in both public and private sectors. In fact, these problems are of great concern to human well-being, and for that reason, have attracted the attention of numerous researchers from allover the world. The researchers are eager to develop appropriate systems that can successfully be used to undertake these crucial processes. This paper examines the literature research of nurse scheduling problem along with a general overview of some of the different techniques that have been used to address this complex issue of health care. Nurse scheduling problem is actually a major issue of concern in the health care department, considering its diverse constraints that are likely to affect the quality of nurse responsibilities in hospitals. Nurse scheduling simply entails the short-term timetabling of nurses in their wor k. This timetabling is a very crucial aspect of the health care department, since it ensures that proper and effective nursing care service is provided to patients in health care facilities around the clock (Azaiez Al Sharif, 2005).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this regard, the implementation of the entire plan will depend on some key considerations that would include the period of planning, type of shift, soft constraints and hard constraints, work-related constraints, workplace regulations, and categories of knowledge or qualification, among other crucial aspects. As it would be observed, some of the various techniques that have been used to schedule nurses in their work have failed to offer credible results, thus making nurse scheduling one of the biggest challenges in health care matters. Numerous studies have shown the scheduling of nursing practitioners to be a common problem when it comes to the assignment of staff personnel in hospitals and other health care facilities. Long-term and short-term staffing of nurses in modern-day health care units comes with many challenges, possibly because of the many variations in staffing needs or requirements. However, most of these challenges will tend to come as a result of various factors such as imbalances of the nursing responsibilities between different working shifts in a day, and variations in the personal wishes of nursing practitioners and the need to maintain acceptable service levels. Nurse scheduling is not just about ensuring that health care facilities have sufficient number of nursing practitioners, but also that there are enough nurses who possess the desired skill mix on duty around the clock to take care of the patients (Burke et al., 2004). Nurse scheduling problem is mainly about nurse shift and holiday assignment, whereby the nursing professionals have wishes or restrictions that must be recognized and respected. The big problem here, however, is to come up with perfect schedules or programmes that would both fulfill the ultimate goal of health care in a particular setting and respect the diverse constraints of the nursing practitioners within that setting.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Nurse Scheduling Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this regard, good nurse scheduling systems must be able to satisfy a number of factors to ensure patient in different health care environments have access to effective and proper health care. Nursing practitioners face both hard constraints and soft constraints in matters regarding scheduling. One common constraint faced by these professionals in their job is that, they cannot be assigned to all the shifts in a day, without being given a break (Louw, Nieuwoudt Vuuren, 2007). Nursing practitioners can also leave for holidays, an d in that case, will not be expected to take duty shifts in the course of that time. Another common constraint here is that, it would not be possible for nurses to take night shifts and day shifts consecutively. In this regard, there is always a need to ensure that all these constraints are taken into consideration when conducting nurse scheduling. In other words, the wishes and preferences of nurses should be maximally satisfied, but not to an extend where they can compromise the quality of health care given to patients. There are various objectives for proper nurse scheduling in any health care facility, and these would include things such as the required skills and available workforce size (Ernst, Jiang Krishnamoorthy, 2004). A wide range of solution approaches have been applied in an attempt to solve the broad issues associated with nurse scheduling. These approaches, however, are grouped into several categories that include automatic approaches, systematic approaches, heuristi c or mathematical approaches, and manual ways, which have been in use across the world for a very long time. The most common techniques drawn from the above approaches that have been used to tackle nurse scheduling problem include GRASP, integral programming, linear programming, heuristic approach, constraint programming and mixed-integer programming.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Manual approaches mostly comprise of the ancient techniques that were used to tackle the issue of nurse scheduling within health care facilities in the past. Unlike the modern techniques that are performed using computer-aided programs and other sophisticated ways, the early techniques mainly relied on manual procedures, such as the use of hand (Refalo, 2004). However, even though these techniques had proved to be useful in the past, they are faced with many challenges when it comes to modern aspects of health care. In other terms, the early techniques cannot effectively address the diverse complexities of nursing demands and interests presented by the current world where everything appears to have taken a different course, owing to the influential impacts of modernity. This explains the reason as to why many health care facilities across the world have decided to settle for computerized scheduling systems, which are more effective and reliable compared to the early techniques. As i t would be observed, the early techniques are associated with a number of advantages and disadvantages. One big advantage of these early is that they are cheap, since their application entails manual operation. However, a common limitation with the approaches is that they cannot be reliable for effective scheduling, since they have a lot of errors. GRASP simply stands for ‘Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures.’ This multi-start process operates in two main phases. First, there is the construction phase, which establishes a feasible answer to a problem, and whose surroundings are studied until a local minima is identified. Then there is the local search phase, which uses the procedure of a local search to the constructed outcome or result in hope of modifying it further. According to Bellanti, Carello Croce (2004), GRASP is arguably one of the most effective heuristic approaches commonly applied to provide better solutions for nurse scheduling problems in the co ntemporary world. There are numerous advantages linked to this approach, and some of these will include guaranteed optimality at the end, easy implementation, and better solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. However, one major limitation associated with the technique is that, it is stuck in a local minima, thus lacking robustness on a wide scope of problem instances. Linear programming is another methodology that has proved to be very effective when it comes to matters of nurse scheduling. This is a mathematical approach applied using computer simulation to establish the best possible solution to nurse scheduling problems. The concept was first introduced in the course of the Second World War, with the aim of optimizing the allocation of material and resources that were critical to the war success. This technique is used to establish optimal solutions to issues that can be expressed with the use of linear equations and inequalities (Harmeier, 1991). In fact, researchers have found the method to be very accurate in finding the best solutions for real world problems such as nurse scheduling. In this case, a linear program would comprise of variables, linear constraints that describe the limit on the values of applied variables, and a linear objective function that shows the impact of each variable to determine the expected results. This approach offers a number of advantages to the vast areas where it is applied. One of the most evident advantages of the approach is that it provides optimum application of the necessary productive factors. The approach also provides for improved qualities of decisions. More importantly, the technique applies sensitivity analysis, which enables people to make modifications on the linear problem to obtain the modified outcome. Apart from the benefits highlighted above, this technique also has a number of limitations on its side. One major problem with the technique is that, it can only be relevant to situations where li near goal functions and limitations apply. Another common drawback of the technique is that, aspects of climate conditions and other doubts are usually not put into consideration, and this is likely to interfere with the outcome credibility. Integer programming is the other technique that has proved effective in tackling the issue of nurse scheduling problem in hospitals. Typically, this approach will express the optimization of a subject of a linear function to various linear constraints. In cases where this approach is applied to solve real world problems such as nurse scheduling, a modeling phase upon which the problem is translated into a mathematical concept will be required. One major advantage of this technique in solving combinatorial optimization problems is that, the problems can be resolved to optimal results within a reasonable period of time. This technique has proved to be sufficiently flexible in addressing nurse rostering demands within health care units, and for tha t reason, it is widely applied in hospitals across the world to ensure that nurse timetables are tailored to fit their personal interests, without having to compromise the quality of care targeted on patients (Okada, 1992). Just like other techniques used in research based on combinatorial optimization problems, integer programming is also associated with a number of advantages and disadvantages. One common advantage of the approach is the absence of rounding errors. This particular aspect plays a significant role in improving the credibility of outcomes in research. More importantly, it makes comparison of figures or numbers simple and more reliable. In terms of the limitations, the technique has a limited value range, which is arguably one of the biggest disadvantages associated with it. As it has been shown in this research paper, nurse scheduling problem is a crucial and complex practice that calls for a lot of attention from hospital managers and other service facilitators in t he health care department. The wide scope of literature about this particular matter is a real manifestation of the big concern of humans in matters of health, particularly the ones that are affiliated to nursing responsibilities in health care facilities. It is also evident from this research paper that, even though early techniques of tackling nurse scheduling are no longer effective, there is much hope in the computer-aided approaches and other sophisticated systems that are used in the modern day. However, based on findings from previous literature, there is room for further studies to address the complex issue of nurse scheduling problems. References Azaiez, M., Al Sharif, S. (2005). A 0-1 goal-programming model for nurse scheduling. Computers Operations Research, 32(3), 491-507. http://www.pom.ir/wp-content/uploads/PDF/goal%20programming%20model%20for%20nurse%20scheduling.pdf Bellanti, G., Carello, F., Croce, R. (2004). A greedy-based neighborhood search approach to a nurse rostering problem. European Journal of Operational  Research, 153(15), 28-40. Burke, K., De Causmaecker, G., Vanden Berghe, H. Landeghem, V. (2004). The state of the art of nurse rostering. Journal of Scheduling, 7(15), 441-499. Coomber, B., Louise, B. (2007). Impact of job satisfaction components on intent to leave and turnover for hospital-based nurses: a review of the research literature. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 44(2), 297-314. http://www. journalofnursingstudies.com/article/S0020-7489%2806%2900066-6/abstract Ernst, A., Jiang, H., and Krishnamoorthy, M. (2004). Staff scheduling and rostering: A review of applications, methods and models. European Journal of Operational  Research, 153(1), 3-27.http://www.sciencedirect.com /science/article /pii/ S037722170300095X Harmeier, P. E. (1991). Linear Programming for Optimization of Nurse Scheduling. Computers in Nursing, 9(4), 149-151. http://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 21245916_Linear_Programming_for_opti mization_of_nurse_scheduling Louw, M., Nieuwoudt, J. Vuuren, V. (2007). Finding good nursing duty schedules: A case study. Journal of Scheduling, 10(7), 387-405.http://link.springer. com/ article/10.1007%2Fs10951-007-0035-7 Okada, M. (1992). An Approach to the Generalized Nurse Scheduling Problem- Generation of a Declarative Program to Represent Institution-Specific Knowledge. Computers and Biomedical Research, 25(5), 417- 434.http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ycbmr/article/0010-4809%2892%2990002-R/abstract Refalo, P. (2004). Impact based strategies for constraint programming. CP2004, 11(7), 557-571. http://www.crt.umontreal.ca/~pesant/BIRS/pesant-IBS.pdf This research paper on Nurse Scheduling Problem was written and submitted by user Dayton Ortiz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Theorist of Choice

Theorist of Choice In an effort to explain sociology based on how relevant it is in daily life, many sociologists today find the term sociological imagination coined by C. Wright Mills inevitable in their discussions. Through his work under a similar name, Wright Mills stands out as the most appealing sociological theorist to me.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theorist of Choice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, as pointed out by Mills, sociological imagination gives me a deep insight of the nature of sociology. It goes further to shed light on how it directly connects with the lives of individuals in the contemporary society. However, one might want to know what sociological imagination entails. Sociological imagination through Mills’ own words is the capacity to shift from one perspective to another. In other words, it is the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote transformations to the intimate featu res of the human self, and to see the relations between the two of them (Mills, 1959, p. 3). The ability to connect between the two, according to Mills, is the driving force behind sociological imagination. The key to this theory is the reality of the existence of public issues, as well as private troubles. Public issues originate from the society. They go down to individuals who take them as being a result of their personal failures rather than seeing them for what they ought to be. On the other hand, private troubles arise because of a personal character. For instance, in a society where jobs are hard to get, circumstances may force a person to accept that he is not working simply because he is lazy. This, however, may turn out to be a public issue when many people cannot find anywhere to work, hence forced to stay idle. Wright Mills, through sociological imagination theory, gives an emphasis that sociology mostly focuses on the manner in which social institutions and forces shape the individual behaviors of people in the society. It shows how the affected people respond to the influence. By being able to see the bigger picture, and derive connections between public issues and private troubles, a person is more enlightened and aware of the happenings in his society. According to Brewer (2005, p.134), people will always be interested if their personal problems can be addressed merely by solving other external factors. It is pertinent to note that, when addressing issues in the society, it is indispensable to do so with the inspiration from Mills’ sociological imagination to see the issue in totality. By so doing, one stands a better chance to address it comprehensively.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is only through the ability to see the larger picture, as put forth by Mills, that people can derive sociological solutions and explanat ions. Other theorists under the inspiration of Mills came up with explanations on how some things happen in the society (Vissing, 2011, Para.3). For instance, Mills’ work formed a basis for theorists such as Emile Durkheim who came up with a theory to explain suicide in societies. The sociological imagination theory has, therefore, proven concrete since other scholars in the discipline view it as the only elaborate theory that brings forth reliable sociological explanations. In conclusion, a sociological theory should aim at giving details on sociological problems. By providing an avenue for one to relate issues in his/her private lives with the happenings in the society, Mills’ theory ensures that the real causes of problems in the society are analyzed. It provides accurate solutions to avoid future occurrence of such problems. Reference List Brewer, J. (2005). â€Å"The Public and the Private in C. Wright Mills Life and Work†.  Sociology, 39(4), 661-677. Mil ls, W. (1959). The Sociological Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Vissing, Y. (2011). Introduction to Sociology. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Web.

Chemalit Chemicals

Less: Amortization expense (1041. 67)123,958. 33 Total assets $491,197. 91 Liabilities 0 Stockholders Equity Contributed Capital 500,000. 00 Retained Earnings (8,802. 09) Total Stockholders equity 491,197. 91 Total Liabilities and Stockholders equity $491,197. 91 CHEMALITE, INC Cash Flow Statement For the period ended June 30, 2003 Cash flows for operating activities Cash paid to suppliers $ (75,000. 00) Cash paid for legal fees, charter printing costs (7,500. 00) Net cash flow from operating activities (82,500. 00) Cash flows for investing activities Cash paid to purchase machinery (62,500. 00) Cash flows from financial activities Cash received from shareholders 375,000. 00 Cash at end of year $230,000. 00 4. Financial Statements for stockholder’s for year 2003 CHEMALITE, INC Balance Sheet At December 31, 2003 Assets Cash $ 113,000. 00 Accounts Receivable 69,500. 00 Inventory 55,000. 00 Property, Plant and Equipment$ 212,500. 00 Less: Accumulated Depreciation10,885. 42 201,614. 58 Patent 125,000. 00 Less: Amortisation 25,000. 00 100,000. 00 Total Assets $ 539,114. 58 Liabilities 0 Stockholders Equity Contributed Capital 500,000. 00 Retained Earnings 39,114. 58 Total Stockholders equity 539,114. 58 Total Liabilities and Stockholders equity $ 539,114. 58 Income Statement For the period ended December 31, 2003 Revenue $ 754,500. 00 Expenses Cost of Goods Sold $ 545,000. 00 General and administrative expense 87,500. 00 Research and development expense 23,750. 00 Advertisement expense 22,500. 00 Interest expense 750. 00 Amortisation expense 25,000. 00 Depreciation expense 10,885. 42 Cash Flow Statement For the period ended December 31, 2003 Cash flows for operating activities Cash received from customers $ 685,000. 00 Cash paid to suppliers and employees(600,000. 00) Cash paid for administrative expenses(87,500. 00) Cash paid for research and development(23,750. 00) Cash paid for Advertising(22,500. 00) Net cash flow from operating activities $ (48,750. 00) Cash flows for investing activities Cash paid to purchase machinery(212,500. 00) Net cash flow from investing activities (212,500. 0) Cash flows from financing activities Cash received from shareholders 375,000. 00 Cash paid for interest on loan (750. 00) Net cash from financing activities 374,250. 00 Cash at end of year $ 113,000. 00 5. Report to Shareholders:- To Our Shareholders The year 2003 has been a very significant year for Chemalite, Inc with a successful commercial launch of its product and revenue earnings of over $700,000. The initial profits made in the first year are moderate due to the high ini tial expenses made on setting up the business and advertising. The financial health of the company is healthy with zero liabilities and a positive cash balance throughout the year despite the huge cash outflow from initial investment behind machinery and installation. The new invention of Chemalite has been patented by the company and is showing good value for business use. In addition to our current revenue sources we are expecting a great deal in the coming year which will be prestigious for the company as well as profitable. The committee for the Olympic Games, Athens 2004 has placed a firm order with us for 60,000 Chemalites which will generate $90,000 in revenue. The Olympics committee wants to give a Chemalite to each person in the opening ceremony. The athletes and fans will light their Chemalites which will be symbolic of the Olympic flame. This will bring us publicity and will improve our future marketable value. Going forward, we will have guaranteed sales from any demands for fireless ignition as Chemalite does not expect any competitors to come up with a similar product before five years. Lastly, we thank the shareholders for their continuous support and belief in the company.

Australian Law Protection for E-pBusiness Essay

Australian Law Protection for E-pBusiness - Essay Example Inventions are products that are 'novel' and different from other things that have already been made or that are known about. As with copyright, under patent law, an invention must be in some physical form: an idea in itself cannot be protected. As Australia moves from an industrial to an information society, it is clear that commerce will increasingly take place in an electronic or cyber world as opposed to a physical one. Accordingly, no firm today can ignore the issue of electronic commerce (e-commerce), and this realization has had a significant impact on Australian business, be it domestic or export. The most obvious development of e-commerce is the growth of business on the Internet where, according to an IBM advert, Every month 53,000 new servers connect to the Internet. That's 1.2 servers per minute going on-line. And the scary part is, this is only the beginning. In line with this, according to the Federal government's Australian Multimedia Enterprise, the number of business web sites in Australia is set to jump from 30,000 to over 250,000 in the next few years. The focus of this paper is e-business on the Internet (Clark & Hoyle) The Company which I have chosen for my study is Anime International with a wide range of internet and broadcast viewing. Anime International: Executive Summary: Anime International primary risk involves around the nature of its business, which is in the area of internet business; this leads to business risk exposure in the area of breaches of Intellectual property (IP) through the competitors accessing the IP through the employees and through inappropriate use of client IP by employees. A business needs to develop a more strategic, integrated approach to protect their IP and to better commercially exploit their IP portfolios. As well, they must make use of the information and knowledge which other firms and organizations have already generated. Australian businesses are 'wising up' to the real value of their IP portfolios. By developing and incorporating IP strategies into their business plans, they are protecting their competitive advantage for today, and ensuring their company's financial success well into the future! IP Australia is able to offer general advice on IP and protection strategies, but cannot provide advice specific to your bu siness. (IP Australia) Thus the law does not provide sufficient means to protect IP or individual invention. Introduction to Anime International Anime International Inc. has been operating since 2001. The main service provided by Anime International is an online retailer of Japanese Animation related products to customers worldwide from orders placed online at http://store.animeinternational.com. Anime International, Inc. has positioned itself as one of the largest Anime Suppliers Online. Anime International, Inc. is an authorized selling agent for licensed manufacturers and distributors of Japanese Animation merchandise around the world. They have been established globally for many years and have built up a strong reputation over time as industry leaders in the service they provide. Products distributed include: Dvds and Music; Manga and Books; Toys and Figures; Art Work; Cards and Games; and other merchandise such as accessories, jewelry, and even kitchenware. The company sells over 10,000 diverse products in the

Power of the Papacy Between Sixth and Eleventh Century Popes Research Paper

Power of the Papacy Between Sixth and Eleventh Century Popes - Research Paper Example The land was devastated by famine,inundations, and pestilence. This, combined with the invasion of the Lombards. Additionally, the position of the Church threatened by the claims of Constantinople for imperial power of the church.   Much is owed to Gregory, to whomstrength and firmness of character were complimented by charity and gentleness. It is through this exhibition of power, authority of the papacy that many of the evils were conquered.   Of particular significance were the Pope’s relations to the Lombards. The Pope used his position as Pope, in 592–3, to reach what amounted to a separate peace with them. Through such an unprecedented step he defined the authority of the papacy.    It was throughout this period characterized by unrest, treachery of the Byzantine authorities and aggravated by the weakness that the Pope followed a  course of independent action. Gregory the great appointed governors to the Italian cities. He further provided war materials. T his is what that established the temporal power of the papacy.   In his administration the church established vast estates. This is where the Pope spent great sums on charity work. The Pope Gregory exhibited conspicuous ability. Although his relations with the East were strained, he upheld the supremacy of the Roman church. He refused to recognize the title of ‘Oecumenical Patriarch’ that had earlier been adopted by the Patriarch of Constantinople.   Pope Gregory’s greatest achievement when head of the pontificate was the conversion of England. He selected St. Augustine, later of Canterbury, delegating to him about 40 missionaries from the Pope’s own monastery. He also intervened with great effect in strengthening the Church in Spain, Gaul, and Northern Italy.it was during the time of Gregory the Great and all through to the Popes of the 11th century that the papacy really established itself as a center of power in Rome. It is this power that has been important to the activities of the papacy up to today. Scanty evidence pieces that date back to the 11thcentury AD point to the church in Rome already attaining some form of prominence in matters doctrinal. This was among the few churches that could lay claim to the apostolic foundation. By the 3rd century, roman bishops began presenting themselves as successors of the primacy that was enjoyed by Saint Peter. They wanted to wield the universal church’s primacy of authority in all matters doctrinal. After the roman emperor granted a toleration to Christianity in the 4th and 5th century, (the Edict of Milan, 313) Christianity rose to a status of an official religion. A series of Popes, chief among them Leo l (r 440 – 61) then translated this to be a claim to the primacy of jurisdiction over the church. This claim was, however, matched by a rival. The church at Constantinople claimed jurisdictional primacy in the East that was equal to that of Rome in the west. It was the Byzantine emperor of Constantinople, for at least another century who could claim to be the functioning supreme leader of Christians in temporal and spiritual matters (Miller 89). It was during the 11thto the 16thcentury that the papacy was to rise to a position of unique prominence within the community of Christians. This position, despite vicissitudes, it has managed to retain. Pope John Paul II’s effect on our times is something conceded by critics and admirers alike. The

On Why Hobbes Is More Reasonable Than Locke Essay Example for Free

On Why Hobbes Is More Reasonable Than Locke Essay KeOf all the social contract theories that have been put forth, the most influential perhaps have been John Locke’s and Thomas Hobbes’. While both are Natural Law theorists, they have completely different views of man’s state of nature. John Locke thinks of man in a natural state as a peaceful, social being while Thomas Hobbes thinks of man as an aggressive and greedy man. Both theorists also showed that man doesn’t live in a state of nature, social contracts will be formed to govern the populace. It is, however, the reasons for the formation of these social contracts that are of relevance to this essay. I believe that neither of these theories are accurate depictions of man but Hobbes seems more practical in his theory than Locke. In a state of nature, as perceived by ALL these theories, each man will live a solitary life. Therefore, when resources are scarce and each man is trying to get the best out of the environment, there has to be a way to resolve the conflict that is bound to occur. A social contract has to be made. Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes lived in an era when wars were being waged all over Europe. Hobbes saw Spanish Armada, 30 Years War, First Second Bishops’ War, Scottish invasion of England, Irish Rebellion and English Civil War. It is no wonder, then, that he has such a dim view of mankind. Locke starts off by proposing, in his treatise On the Citizen that all men are born with more or less equal faculties of body and mind. There are no natural disparities so great as to give one man exclusive claim to some benefits. People, egoistic as they are, will always try to make their life as comfortable as possible. In a state of nature, it is possible for everybody to live a comfortable life in a certain society. This, however is in the event that the natural resources are too vast to be exhausted. When resources are scarce, which was the case in Europe at Hobbes’ time, men will resort to force to get what they want. The stronger man will live the most comfortable life. This would inevitably lead to the establishment of a kratocracy. In an effort to promote peace and equality, the people will cede their power to the Leviathan, who will proclaim laws that none of the governed will have the power to go against. For this social contract to subsist, the cession of power has to be mutual between the members of the society. In this respect, he endorses our modern view of a constitution as deriving power from the people. Any further explanation of Hobbes’ theory is pointless as far as this essay is concerned. The relevance of Hobbes’ Social Contract theory Most people wrongly get stuck at the point where life is described by Hobbes as â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short†. I have no authority to describe what life was without a social contract as I have never known man to exist in a state of nature for long enough to study. More important to me is what man’s reaction to being in a state of nature is. Man strives to remain peaceful and maintain equality with his fellow man. According to Hobbes, the Leviathan ought to maintain this state by punishing those who unjustly exceed the limits of their power as per the contract. A modern view of the Leviathan is the government, which will enforce the laws that the citizens (through their legislative representatives) have agreed upon (a social contract). Hobbes’ view that the Leviathan should be a monarch is, no doubt, influenced by European politics at the time, which was dominated by monarchies. Hobbes does not argue that man is not a social animal, his argument is based on an economical point of view (self-preservation and development in the Commons). In support of the argument put forth in class, I believe that when faced with a problem that affects many people, the people will come together in an effort to solve it. Hobbes’ problem is maintenance of peace, which is essential for man to live a comfortable life, is solved by appointing an authority (the Leviathan) to ensure that this happens. The biggest argument I could draw from the argument in class was that Hobbes saw man as unable to form any relationships with another so as to achieve a common good. This, I would like to point out, is a state of nature, which I am yet to witness. Hobbes’ biggest undoing perhaps, is his infatuation with preservation of the power of the Leviathan. He says that the Leviathan has the power to punish all who undermine its authority. Elinor Ostrom’s view What I took from Ostrom’s discussion on â€Å"Economics, the State and the Third Sector† is that we should not always look to the state as the solution to all our problems. Furthermore, institutional diversity should be embraced because you cannot have a one-size-fits-all solution for some issues. Where land is a scarcity e. g. The People’s Republic of China, there is a much more urgent for land law than there is in such sparsely populated areas such as Chad’s rural lands. This part of Ostrom’s views I totally agree with. Furthermore, in her treatise, â€Å"Governing the commons†, she demonstrates man’s apathy to a state of nature, coming together to create a law that will govern their use of common property. Conclusion I believe that while man in a state of nature (and otherwise) is greedy and egoistic, being a rational being, man will look for a solution to a common problem by coming together to solve it. The solution to the tragedy of commons as per Hobbes is the establishment of a Leviathan. This eliminates indecision, which is an inherent characteristic of human beings. Clans, tribes, states, empires and monarchies are all headed by a Leviathan of sorts and it is no wonder they are so successful.

Ins And Outs Of Surfing :: essays research papers

Surfing has been around for many years, in fact since 400 A.D and people are still going hard at it today and will for many more years to come. The very first surfers were the Island folk who would use the waves to get over the coral reefs and back to shore after their hard days of fishing. They found that this was the easiest and quickest way of transport over the reefs so they continued to do it for many years. As time went on the art of riding waves then developed into more of a “leisure sport'; than that of being a part of work. The first actual surfboarders originated in the 1920’s where they rode large redwood planks that weighed around 126 pounds. As technology developed the boards became shorter, lighter and became better designed. The next surfboards to follow were made in the 1950’s, this time the boards where made of balsa wood and then covered in a layer of fiberglass, these boards reached a length of about 9-10 feet long. In the 1960’s the long board was introduced and was made of Styrofoam and again, covered in fiberglass. In the 70’s the short board took over, which had a similar design to the long boards but were only around 6 foot in length. These proved to be very popular due to their faster speeds and easier maneuverability. Some of the people of today are still using the old fashioned long board, but as you would expect the design has changed significantly and they come in a few different lengths. Now the sport of surfing has grown into a worldwide attraction and people are surfing in basically every country that has a coastline, even Alaska, as showed in the surf film “Endless Summer II.'; Nowadays people are taking to waves in all sorts of weird things, such as Kneeboards, Body boards, Kayaks and many other weird and wonderful things. A few of the really dedicated surfers, and those that can afford to, will spend some of their time travelling the world trying to find their own perfect wave. Some of the lucky ones will actually find one. But now that we have all different types of boards peoples opinion of their perfect wave has changed to adapt to their type of board. As in the 60’s a perfect wave was a point break like Malibu, but also today’s people are surfing in all kinds of different places with different conditions, which also changes opinions.

Decision Making Technique with Internet Reference

The Decision Technique I chose to write about is the â€Å"Six Thinking Hats – Looking at a Decision from all Points of View.† This technique was created by Dr. Edward de Bono. Dr. Bono is regarded as the leading international authority in conceptual and creative thinking and in the teaching of thinking as a skill. Of all the decision making technique I researched, this is the one that I agreed with the most in regards to the situation that I had in mind when researching decision making skills. This technique was very interesting to me because it made you look at a problem from all points of view. You could not be biased on one opinion or force of influence. It forced you to think outside the box. When making a decision, I feel that you must look at the issue from all points of view and not just your own biases or emotions. At times making a decision can be very hard, especially when you are the supervisor and responsible for your department. When both the decision and outcome it may have will ultimately affect you and your department and add the fact that you are the one that has to answer to higher authority. This is why I really think this technique is great because you incorporate how it will affect everyone around you from the employee to higher management. How this decision making technique works is that there are literally six hat you wear and each hat has a different way of thinking. For example: the first hat you wear is the â€Å"White Hat.† This hat allows you to focus on data and/or information. This is where you identify the problem or issue with the information you have by researching the information. The second hat you wear once you have the problem is the â€Å"Red Hat.† This is where you bring in the human in yourself and others. By realizing your intuition, reflex reaction and/or emotions. You also allow others to come in by realizing how they will react to the issue, how they will feel, how they will want to handle it, etc. This is a very important step in decision making because no matter what you chose to do this is the step that will make you or break you, in my opinion. This is where you will get your decision across to others by considering their reaction/emotions as well. The next hat that will be worn will be the â€Å"Black Hat.† Just as the color is stereo typed as â€Å"bad† this is where you think of all the negative reactions and how your decision will not work. This is where you analyze the issue and your decision and see where the mistakes are in your decision. This is also an important step as you consider the impact of your decision and the â€Å"what ifs.† The next hat is the â€Å"Yellow Hat.† Like a beautiful day when the sun is out and the weather is great to be outdoors and it is your day off. This is where you think optimistically and you see the good in your decision, which is a great step from coming out of the â€Å"Black Hat.† The next hat is the â€Å"Green Hat.† This is the step that you take off on. Your have already looked at the bad side and good side of your decision. This is where you get to be creative and brainstorm your decision and/or ideas. You are free at this point to write down all your ideas with no one to stop you. Finally, the last hat is the â€Å"Blue Hat.† Not because you are blue as in sad, because the ideas are not coming out as freely or when there is a back up plan needed. Those you are presenting the decision to usually wear this hat. Blue is neither good nor bad but can lead you back to the green hat or when you need a back-up plan which will send you back to the Black Hat. Because the organization I work for deals a lot with the public investigating, the dress code is an important issue. Recently in our organization this topic came up and it was addressed in a more formal way than usual. What was sent to everyone via the email was an explanation of why a Dress Code was being presented along with a List of What is permissible and not permissible to wear. The reason I feel that the â€Å"Six Hat† Technique would have been very useful in this situation is because I do not think that whomever made the decision of what was allowed to be worn or not considered other's opinions or forces of influence. The list of what is allowed to be worn or not could be based on a person's perception, depending on which side of the fence you were on. They left it open for scrutiny and conflict among employees and supervisors. By using the â€Å"Six Hats Technique, it would of allowed those in command to bring into the decisions making the employees that this issue will affect as well as their perception or biases in regards to the list of clothes. It would of allowed them to think the process more thoroughly as it is very hard to have a dress code with a diverse culture in our organization. To speak on behalf of the Dress Code Committee, it is very hard to try to please everyone. I feel that neither this decision making technique or any other technique used would of produced the perfect Dress Code List that would please everyone. This is one of those situations that you acknowledge you will be open to a lot of criticism. Because there is such diversity in culture, age, religious backgrounds etc., the perfect Dress Code List does not exist. Whatever technique was used in this decision making issue I feel was the best that they could do. Perhaps they should sign up for this course and learn how to frame the problem and learn to use better decision making techniques when making such an important decision that affects so many employees.

Education and its impacts in students learning Essay

The paper is about education and how its impacts enhance students learning. Universal access to education is one of the millennium goals of development. The main observations have been made together with the impacts. There is a brief introduction to what education really is. In addition, the essay further concludes by giving recommendations to what should be done to ensure every person has access to learning facilities both in the developing and undeveloped countries. Introduction Education can be termed as wealth of awareness. It can be picked up by a person and passed from one generation to the next after studying a certain subject or undergoing life lessons. It can be said to be a form of learning. Unfortunately, universal access to education has not been completely attained. A great education begins at home hence the kind of a background a child comes from will have an impact on their education. Observations made on education It has been observed that poverty particularly in developing countries is a major cause for education inequality. Secondly, the importance of education in modern world cannot be taken for granted. For instance, some sectors such as the military previously did not put emphasis on education requirements but currently they have raised minimum education requirements. It has also been observed that most countries are adopting modern technology in their learning institutions. There has been an increase in use of electronic devices such as laptops and I pads. More so, learning has been made easier since one can be educated from home through the e-learning. The observations made can be compared to the education indicators as listed by Aud et. al (2013). Impacts on students learning The Social economic status is based on the parent’s level of learning, their profession, earnings and their position in their social order. Parents with a high social economic status are likely to lay a good background for their children education than those of low status. They can afford to buy their children most of education materials they require such as pens, books and toys for young kids to enhance their early schooling. They are also capable of ensuring that their offspring have access to quality health care. In addition, these parents can access information about the well performing schools and they can also afford to pay the fees. On the other hand, parents with low social economic status usually do not have high levels of education hence their children will not be well prepared at home to start schooling unlike those with high social economic status. Gender in most African countries is still an issue to be looked upon. Boys are always preferred when it comes to access to education especially when resources to take children to school are limited. For instance, even if a girl had a better score than a boy, parents in most of African countries will prefer to take the boy for higher learning. Studies have shown that most of the poorest women in most countries have not even completed their primary school. Poverty is another impact on education. Children from poor households are less likely to perform well in class. These children usually have less participation in class, their level of terminology is low hence unlikely to perform well. Their parents cannot afford good nutrition for their kids and as a result, kids may have nutritional related illnesses and their education is disrupted. Parenting is the process of upbringing children. A child’s parent is commonly their first educator. Parents have roles of ensuring that their children are prepared for school, for example by ensuring that they have sufficient food and good health, this is necessary for a child concentration in class which results to good performance. It is at home that parents mostly emphasis on virtues such as hard work, integrity and commitment. The Society also has an impact on education. Community customs and practices have a great impact on education, which can either be helpful or damaging. For example, communities with traditions that encourage early marriages for girls prevent them from accessing their fundamental right to education. Technology, which is being embraced quite well in most countries, has a great impact on students’ performance. This is majorly for students in higher learning institutions. Students with access internet are able to complete their assignments in time. Most of higher learning institutions have embraced modern technology and they are offering some courses or units online, this is convenient for those students with access to internet because they can take classes at their free time and can also learn at their own pace. Conclusion Social economic status and poverty have the greatest impact on children access to education. Other factors with impact on education are access to technology, parenting, and race among others. These factors may have positive or negative impacts on children access to education. Undesirable effects such as inequality in education can be dealt with by making primary school education free and compulsory. If possible, education at each stage should be made free or affordable to everyone, promoting women education, discouraging child labor and school dropouts. Embracing modern technology improves education quality worldwide. References Aud, S. , Wilkinson-Flicker, S. , Kristapovich, P. , Rathbun, A. , Wang, X. , Zhang, J. , & National Center for Education Statistics, (2013). The Condition of Education 2013. NCES 2013- 037 . National Center For Education Statistics, accessed on 24th May 2013.

Identity essays

Identity essays Identity at first sight appears to be a movie about ten travelers who are caught in a savage rainstorm and are forced to seek refuge at a strange desert motel. The movie soon develops into a thriller as the audience learns that there is a killer among the group and one by one, they are murdered. As the storm rages on and the dead begin to outnumber the living, and one thing becomes clear: Each of them was drawn to the motel, not by accident or circumstance, but by forces beyond imagination, forces that promise anyone who survives a mind-bending and terrifying destiny. Underneath all this, the audience discovers that the entire motel scenario was a creation in the mind of Malcolm Rivers, a mental patient diagnosed with Split/Multiple Personality Disorder. Malcolm Rivers is on trial for murders he committed in the past. The doctor, judge, and lawyers attempt to determine his sanity at the time of these murders and to bring him to justice accordingly. The doctor discovers, through evidence in Malcolms diary and through his own tests and sessions with Malcolm, of the existence of 10 personalities or identities in Malcolms body Rhodes, Paris, Larry, Ed, George York, Alice York, Timmy York, Ginny, Lou, and Caroline Suzanne. We discover that each identity is slowly killed off to reveal Malcolms true identity. There are many takes and theories on the actually true identity of Malcolm Rivers, but the one seems most plausible to me personally is Timmy York. Timmy is the last surviving identity in Malcolms body. He appears to represent Malcolms shattered bo yhood that was traumatized by his prostitute mothers abandonment of him at a motel. This makes sense as the entire movie generally takes place in a motel and Timmy ends up killing Paris, a prostitute, last as if taking revenge on his mother. For some reason, Timmy becomes aware that the others at the motel were only iden ...

Criminal Justice - Trayvon Martin Poll Finds Stark Racial Divide Case Study

Criminal Justice - Trayvon Martin Poll Finds Stark Racial Divide - Case Study Example In the recent polls, not less than 55 per cent of all Americans are in the view that minorities, as well as blacks, receive unequal treatment in the criminal justice system. In as much as whites remain undecided on the issue, it is vivid that the whites are of the same view that blacks do not get fair treatment. This is from the statistics that half of white Americans believe in the fact that African Americans do not get fair treatment. Gorge Zimmerman who was not jailed for the murder bases all the above arguments on the fatal shooting of Trayvon (Thompson & Cohen, 2012). The criminal justice system of America, therefore, causes grapple among people causing the looming racial divide experienced in the region. In the count of ten blacks, eight out of the total, claim Trayvon murder unjustified, in addition, not dealt with appropriately. This is statistics, which is compared, with the 38 per cent support from the white people population reveal that each race purports its own. From the data collection on the common, stand your ground law, it is clear that not all is well. This is because as the blacks oppose the law, which discriminates against them, the whites continue to encourage it. This shows the enmity and hatred developing between the two races a factor, which if not solved can cause diverse effects on the general outlook of the American criminal system. In as much as current events try to shape the criminal justice system as proposed by Dennis Parker, more emphasis is still needed in order to create reforms in the sector which gets worsened by racial discrimination (Thompson & Cohen, 2012). According to Parker, publication of racial discrimination occurrences, instigate the widening gap. He, therefore, proposed limited use of the media in covering such cases a factor that can help in revitalizing the whole justice system. In my view, blaming the media is like an escape goat to the non-human activity where a teen gets killed, and no conclusive investigation can be done to punish the people responsible.

Survey Research and Sampling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Survey Research and Sampling - Assignment Example This method of research is an important measurement area applied in social research within fields such as psychology, sociology, politics and market research (Creswell 2002, p.57). The approach often adopts interviews or questionnaire administration as the data collection modes. The survey method was introduced in the 1930s by a popular sociologist known as Paul Lazarsfeld (Sarah 2012b). Surveys are commonly classified according to instrumentation (questionnaires or interviews) and according to the time-frame of the study (longitudinal or cross-sectional) (Marczyk, DeMatteo&Festinger, 2010, p. 27). Surveys find wide application, but they are best suited for gathering information currently not available from other sources (Sarah 2012c). They therefore, could act as precursors to further and specific research in a quantitative, experimental approach. Surveys conducted in qualitative perspective can lay ground for the development of clearly defined and deeper studies in a quantitative a pproach (Sarah 2012c). This happens after research questions and variables get clearly defined in the preliminary qualitative surveys. Surveys are also important research instruments whose application is favored by various advantages that are inherent to the approach. For example, surveys offer a low cost approach to conducting efficient studies, especially when questionnaires are used. Unlike other approaches to research, surveys could also be tailored to take less time, and therefore, enhancing time efficiency and cost effectiveness (Sarah 2012a). Apart from cost and time effectiveness, surveys also provide high levels of representativeness (Sarah 2012a). This is important in enhancing validity of inferences made and generalization of findings to wider populations. Surveys are also important because they offer convenience in data collection, which could adopt various models such as interviews (face-to-face or telephone) and questionnaires (via mail, e-mail or hand delivery) (Sarah 2012a). This convenience could even allow globalized scale of data collection. Survey approaches are also important and appropriate when numerous variables are involved (Fink 2002, p. 71). Precision and standardization of surveys is also an important element that results from the clear definition and standardization of questions that equally assess participants. Criteria of a good sample in surveys Survey sampling entails the careful selection of survey participants by defining the inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as sample size (Sarah 2012c). Sampling is a critical phase in surveys because it determines the validity and reliability of the overall study. In order to be confident that the survey findings are truly representative of the target population, it is critical to ensure that the sample size is large enough and its components undergo random selection. In order to obtain a good sample a clearly defined criterion for the participants should be set so as to acquire a sa mple from which participants can offer reliable information for the assessment of the phenomenon of interest (Sarah 2012a). For example, in order to assess satisfaction in healthcare delivery, it would be appropriate to sample from the patient population rather than the medical practitioners’ population. Sampling the appropriate target population ensures the sample obtained is good for research. Randomness should also be enhanced so as to improve representativeness, which ensures the sample