Sample Apa Research Paper

Sample APA Research Paper Sample Title Page Place manuscript page headers one-half inch from the top. Put five spaces between the page header and the page number. Running on Empty 1 Full title, authors, and school name are centered on the page, typed in uppercase and lowercase. Running on Empty: The Effects of Food Deprivation on Concentration and Perseverance Thomas Delancy and Adam Solberg Dordt College 34 Sample Abstract Running on Empty Abstract This study examined the effects of short-term food deprivation on two The abstract summarizes the problem, participants, hypotheses, methods used, results, and conclusions. cognitive abilities—concentration and perseverance. Undergraduate students (N-51) were tested on both a concentration task and a perseverance task after one of three levels of food deprivation: none, 12 hours, or 24 hours. We predicted that food deprivation would impair both concentration scores and perseverance time. Food deprivation had no significant effect o n concentration scores, which is consistent with recent research on the effects of food deprivation (Green et al. , 1995; Green et al. , 1997).However, participants in the 12-hour deprivation group spent significantly less time on the perseverance task than those in both the control and 24-hour deprivation groups, suggesting that short-term deprivation may affect some aspects of cognition and not others. An APA Research Paper Model Thomas Delancy and Adam Solberg wrote the following research paper for a psychology class. As you review their paper, read the side notes and examine the following: ? The use and documentation of their numerous sources. ? The background they provide before getting into their own study results. The scientific language used when reporting their results. Center the title one inch from the top. Double-space throughout. Running on Empty Running on Empty: The Effects of Food Deprivation on Concentration and Perseverance 3 Many things interrupt people’s a bility to focus on a task: distractions, headaches, noisy environments, and even psychological disorders. To some extent, people can control the environmental factors that make it difficult to focus. However, what about internal factors, such as an empty stomach?Can people increase their ability to focus simply by eating regularly? One theory that prompted research on how food intake affects the average person was the glucostatic theory. Several researchers in the 1940s and 1950s suggested that the brain regulates food intake in order to maintain a blood-glucose set point. The idea was that people become hungry when their blood-glucose levels drop significantly below their set point and that they become satisfied after eating, when their blood-glucose levels return to that set point.This theory seemed logical because glucose is the brain’s primary fuel (Pinel, 2000). The earliest investigation of the general effects of food deprivation found that long-term food deprivation (3 6 hours and longer) was associated with sluggishness, depression, irritability, reduced heart rate, and inability to concentrate (Keys, Brozek, The introduction states the topic and the main questions to be explored. The researchers supply background information by discussing past research on the topic. Extensive referencing establishes support for the discussion.Henschel, Mickelsen, & Taylor, 1950). Another study found that fasting for several days produced muscular weakness, irritability, and apathy or depression (Kollar, Slater, Palmer, Docter, & Mandell, 1964). Since that time, research has focused mainly on how nutrition affects cognition. However, as Green, Elliman, and Rogers (1995) point out, the effects of food deprivation on cognition have received comparatively less attention in recent years. Running on Empty The relatively sparse research on food deprivation has left room for 4 urther research. First, much of the research has focused either on chronic The researchers exp lain how their study will add to past research on the topic. starvation at one end of the continuum or on missing a single meal at the other end (Green et al. , 1995). Second, some of the findings have been contradictory. One study found that skipping breakfast impairs certain aspects of cognition, such as problem-solving abilities (Pollitt, Lewis, Garza, & Shulman, 1983). However, other research by M. W. Green, N. A. Elliman, and P. J.Rogers (1995, 1997) has found that food deprivation ranging from missing a single meal to 24 hours without eating does not significantly impair cognition. Third, not all groups of people have been sufficiently studied. Studies have been done on 9–11 year-olds (Pollitt et Clear transitions guide readers through the researchers’ reasoning. al. , 1983), obese subjects (Crumpton, Wine, & Drenick, 1966), college-age men and women (Green et al. , 1995, 1996, 1997), and middle-age males (Kollar et al. , 1964). Fourth, not all cognitive aspects have been studied.In 1995 Green, Elliman, and Rogers studied sustained attention, simple reaction time, and immediate memory; in 1996 they studied attentional bias; and in 1997 they studied simple reaction time, two-finger tapping, recognition memory, and free recall. In 1983, another study focused on reaction time and accuracy, intelligence quotient, and problem solving (Pollitt et al. ). According to some researchers, most of the results so far indicate that cognitive function is not affected significantly by short-term fasting (Green et al. , 1995, p. 246).However, this conclusion seems premature due to the relative lack of research on cognitive functions such as concentration and The researchers support their decision to focus on concentration and perseverance. perseverance. To date, no study has tested perseverance, despite its importance in cognitive functioning. In fact, perseverance may be a better indicator than achievement tests in assessing growth in learning and thinking abilities, as perseverance helps in solving complex problems (Costa, 1984). Another study also recognized that perseverance, better learning techniques, and effort are cognitions worth studying (D’Agostino, 1996).Testing as many aspects of cognition as possible is key because the nature of the task is important when interpreting the link between food deprivation and cognitive performance (Smith & Kendrick, 1992). Running on Empty The researchers state their initial hypotheses. 5 Therefore, the current study helps us understand how short-term food deprivation affects concentration on and perseverance with a difficult task. Specifically, participants deprived of food for 24 hours were expected to perform worse on a concentration test and a perseverance task than those deprived for 12 hours, who in turn were predicted to perform worse than hose who were not deprived of food. Method Headings and subheadings show the paper’s organization. Participants Participants included 51 undergraduate-student volunteers (32 females, 19 males), some of whom received a small amount of extra credit in a college course. The mean college grade point average (GPA) was 3. 19. Potential participants were excluded if they were dieting, menstruating, or taking special medication. Those who were struggling with or had The experiment’s method is described, using the terms and acronyms of the discipline. truggled with an eating disorder were excluded, as were potential participants addicted to nicotine or caffeine. Materials Concentration speed and accuracy were measured using an online numbers-matching test (www. psychtests. com/tests/iq/concentration. html) that consisted of 26 lines of 25 numbers each. In 6 minutes, participants were required to find pairs of numbers in each line that added up to 10. Scores were calculated as the percentage of correctly identified pairs out of Passive voice is used to emphasize the experiment, not the researchers; otherwise, active voice is used. a possible 120.Perseverance was measured with a puzzle that contained five octagons—each of which included a stencil of a specific object (such as an animal or a flower). The octagons were to be placed on top of each other in a specific way to make the silhouette of a rabbit. However, three of the shapes were slightly altered so that the task was impossible. Perseverance scores were calculated as the number of minutes that a participant spent on the puzzle task before giving up. Procedure At an initial meeting, participants gave informed consent. Each consent form contained an assigned identification number and requested the participant’s GPA.Students were then informed that they would be notified by e-mail and telephone about their assignment to one of the Running on Empty three experimental groups. Next, students were given an instruction The experiment is laid out step by step, with time transitions like â€Å"then† and â€Å"next. † 6 sheet. These written instructions, which we also read aloud, explained the experimental conditions, clarified guidelines for the food deprivation period, and specified the time and location of testing. Participants were randomly assigned to one of these conditions using a matched-triplets design based on the GPAs collected at the initial meeting.This design was used to control individual differences in cognitive ability. Two days after the initial meeting, participants were informed of their group assignment and its condition and reminded that, if they were in a food-deprived group, they should not eat anything after 10 a. m. the next day. Participants from the control group were tested at 7:30 p. m. in a designated computer lab on the day the deprivation started. Those in the 12-hour group were tested at 10 p. m. on that same day. Those in the 24-hour group were tested at 10:40 a. m. on the following day.At their assigned time, participants arrived at a computer lab for testing. Ea ch participant was given written testing instructions, which were also read aloud. The online concentration test had already Attention is shown to the control features. been loaded on the computers for participants before they arrived for testing, so shortly after they arrived they proceeded to complete the test. Immediately after all participants had completed the test and their scores were recorded, participants were each given the silhouette puzzle and instructed how to proceed.In addition, they were told that (1) they would have an unlimited amount of time to complete the task, and (2) they were not to tell any other participant whether they had completed the puzzle or simply given up. This procedure was followed to prevent the group influence of some participants seeing others give up. Any participant still working on the puzzle after 40 minutes was stopped to keep the time of the study manageable. Immediately after each participant stopped working on the puzzle, he/she gave de mographic information and completed a few manipulation-check items. We then debriefed and dismissed each participant outside of the lab.Running on Empty Results The writers summarize their findings, including problems encountered. 7 Perseverance data from one control-group participant were eliminated because she had to leave the session early. Concentration data from another control-group participant were dropped because he did not complete the test correctly. Three manipulation-check questions indicated that each participant correctly perceived his or her deprivation condition and had followed the rules for it. The average concentration score was 77. 78 (SD = 14. 21), which was very good considering that anything over 50 percent is labeled â€Å"good† or â€Å"above average. The average time spent on the puzzle was 24. 00 minutes (SD = 10. 16), with a maximum of 40 minutes allowed. We predicted that participants in the 24-hour deprivation group would perform worse on the co ncentration test and the perseverance task than those in the 12-hour group, who in turn would perform worse than those in the control group. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant effect of deprivation condition on concentration, F(2,46) = 1. 06, p = . 36 (see Figure 1). Another one-way ANOVA indicated Figure 1. 100 â€Å"See Figure 1† sends readers to a figure (graph, photograph, chart, or drawing) contained in the paper.All figures and illustrations (other than tables) are numbered in the order that they are first mentioned in the text. Mean score on concentration test 90 80 70 60 50 No deprivation 12-hour deprivation 24-hour deprivation Deprivation Condition The researchers restate their hypotheses and the results, and go on to interpret those results. Running on Empty a significant effect of deprivation condition on perseverance time, F(2,47) = 7. 41, p < . 05. Post-hoc Tukey tests indicated that the 12-hour deprivation group (M = 17. 79, SD = 7. 84) spent significantly less time on the perseverance task than either the control group (M = 26. 0, SD = 6. 20) or the 24-hour group (M = 28. 75, SD = 12. 11), with no significant difference between the latter two groups (see Figure 2). No significant effect was found for gender either generally or with specific deprivation conditions, Fs < 1. 00. Unexpectedly, food deprivation had no significant effect on concentration scores. Overall, we found support for our hypothesis that 12 hours of food deprivation would significantly impair perseverance when compared to no deprivation. Unexpectedly, 24 hours 8 of food deprivation did not significantly affect perseverance relative to the control group.Also unexpectedly, food deprivation did not significantly affect concentration scores. Figure 2. 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 No deprivation 12-hour deprivation 24-hour deprivation Mean score on perseverance test Deprivation Condition Discussion The purpose of this study was to test how different levels of food deprivation affect concentration on and perseverance with difficult tasks. Running on Empty they would score on the concentration task, and the less time they would spend on the perseverance task. In this study, those deprived of food did 9 We predicted that the longer people had been deprived of food, the lower ive up more quickly on the puzzle, but only in the 12-hour group. Thus, the hypothesis was partially supported for the perseverance task. However, concentration was found to be unaffected by food deprivation, and thus the hypothesis was not supported for that task. The findings of this study are consistent with those of Green et al. The writers speculate on possible explanations for the unexpected results. (1995), where short-term food deprivation did not affect some aspects of cognition, including attentional focus. Taken together, these findings suggest that concentration is not significantly impaired by short-term food deprivation.The findings on perseverance, however, are not as easily explained. We surmise that the participants in the 12-hour group gave up more quickly on the perseverance task because of their hunger produced by the food deprivation. But why, then, did those in the 24-hour group fail to yield the same effect? We postulate that this result can be explained by the concept of â€Å"learned industriousness,† wherein participants who perform one difficult task do better on a subsequent task than the participants who never took the initial task (Eisenberger & Leonard, 1980; Hickman, Stromme, & Lippman, 1998).Because participants had successfully completed 24 hours of fasting already, their tendency to persevere had already been increased, if only temporarily. Another possible explanation is that the motivational state of a participant may be a significant determinant of behavior under testing (Saugstad, 1967). This idea may also explain the short perseverance times in the 12-hour group: because these participants took the tests at 10 p. m. , a prime time of the night for conducting business and socializing on a college campus, they may have been less motivated to take the time to work on the puzzle.Research on food deprivation and cognition could continue in several directions. First, other aspects of cognition may be affected by short-term food deprivation, such as reading comprehension or motivation. With respect to this latter topic, some students in this study reported decreased motivation to complete the tasks because of a desire to eat immediately Running on Empty took the tests may have influenced the results: those in the 24-hour 10 after the testing.In addition, the time of day when the respective groups group took the tests in the morning and may have been fresher and more relaxed than those in the 12-hour group, who took the tests at night. Perhaps, then, the motivation level of food-deprived participants could be effectively tested. Second, longer-term food deprivati on periods, such as those experienced by people fasting for religious reasons, could be explored. It is possible that cognitive function fluctuates over the duration of deprivation. Studies could ask how long a person can remain focused despite a lack of nutrition.Third, and perhaps most fascinating, studies could explore how food deprivation affects learned industriousness. As stated above, one possible explanation for the better perseverance times in the 24-hour group could be that they spontaneously improved their perseverance faculties by simply forcing themselves not to eat for 24 hours. Therefore, research could study how food deprivation affects the acquisition of perseverance. In conclusion, the results of this study provide some fascinating The conclusion summarizes the outcomes, stresses the experiment’s value, and anticipates further advances on the topic. nsights into the cognitive and physiological effects of skipping meals. Contrary to what we predicted, a perso n may indeed be very capable of concentrating after not eating for many hours. On the other hand, if one is taking a long test or working long hours at a tedious task that requires perseverance, one may be hindered by not eating for a short time, as shown by the 12-hour group’s performance on the perseverance task. Many people—students, working mothers, and those interested in fasting, to mention a few—have to deal with short-term food deprivation, intentional or unintentional.This research and other research to follow will contribute to knowledge of the disadvantages—and possible advantages—of skipping meals. The mixed results of this study suggest that we have much more to learn about short-term food deprivation. Running on Empty References All works referred to in the paper appear on the reference page, listed alphabetically by author (or title). 11 Costa, A. L. (1984). Thinking: How do we know students are getting better at it? Roeper Review, 6 , 197–199. Crumpton, E. , Wine, D. B. , & Drenick, E. J. (1966). Starvation: Stress or satisfaction?Journal of the American Medical Association, 196, 394–396. D’Agostino, C. A. F. (1996). Testing a social-cognitive model of achievement motivation. -Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities & Social Sciences, 57, 1985. Eisenberger, R. , & Leonard, J. M. (1980). Effects of conceptual task Each entry follows APA guidelines for listing authors, dates, titles, and publishing information. difficulty on generalized persistence. American Journal of Psychology, 93, 285–298. Green, M. W. , Elliman, N. A. , & Rogers, P. J. (1995). Lack of effect of short-term fasting on cognitive function.Journal of Psychiatric Research, 29, 245–253. Green, M. W. , Elliman, N. A. , & Rogers, P. J. (1996). Hunger, caloric preloading, and the selective processing of food and body shape words. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 35, 143–151. Green, M. W. , Elliman, N. A. , & Rogers, P. J. (1997). The study effects of food deprivation and incentive motivation on blood glucose levels and cognitive function. Psychopharmacology, 134, 88–94. Hickman, K. L. , Stromme, C. , & Lippman, L. G. (1998). Learned Capitalization, punctuation, and hanging indentation are consistent with APA format. ndustriousness: Replication in principle. Journal of General Psychology, 125, 213–217. Keys, A. , Brozek, J. , Henschel, A. , Mickelsen, O. , & Taylor, H. L. (1950). The biology of human starvation (Vol. 2). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Kollar, E. J. , Slater, G. R. , Palmer, J. O. , Docter, R. F. , & Mandell, A. J. (1964). Measurement of stress in fasting man. Archives of General Psychology, 11, 113–125. Pinel, J. P. (2000). Biopsychology (4th ed. ). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Running on Empty 12 Pollitt, E. , Lewis, N. L. , Garza, C. , & Shulman, R. J. (1982–1983). Fasting and cognitive function.Journal of P sychiatric Research, 17, 169–174. Saugstad, P. (1967). Effect of food deprivation on perception-cognition: A comment [Comment on the article by David L. Wolitzky]. Psychological Bulletin, 68, 345–346. Smith, A. P. , & Kendrick, A. M. (1992). Meals and performance. In A. P. Smith & D. M. Jones (Eds. ), Handbook of human performance: Vol. 2, Health and performance (pp. 1–23). San Diego: Academic Press. Smith, A. P. , Kendrick, A. M. , & Maben, A. L. (1992). Effects of breakfast and caffeine on performance and mood in the late morning and after lunch. Neuropsychobiology, 26, 198–204.

Prehistoric Art

Prehistoric man faced many challenges. For example, they had no means of communication and yet they had to work together to find and kill their own food. When making art, prehistoric man had to make their own paint brushes and create their paint. This makes prehistoric art so impressive because their paintings very accurately capture the proportions and look of the animals they drew. Prehistoric paintings are found in ceilings and high walls of caves which would have required resistor's man to make some sort of ladder to reach these areas.A last reason the art is so impressive is because they were able to symbolize important aspects of their life in artwork that still survives until today. 2. The images of people in prehistoric art are so unrealistic while animals are well observed because the animals were more important to them. In their lifestyle, animals served as a source of food and kept them alive; humans did not serve as something necessary to stay alive. Some theories formed to explain this are that resistor's man thought they would find the animal they drew, also known as sympathetic magic.It is also thought that prehistoric man believed a well drawn image of an animal would capture the soul of the animal. An example of the contrast between animal and man is shown in a pictograph depicting a group of men hunting a herd of deer. While the deer are perfectly detailed and proportioned, the hunters are stretched and seem boneless making them look extremely unrealistic. 3. The Venus of Wildflower is a small statue made from limestone in prehistoric times.Certain body parts, such as the breasts, stomach, thighs, and butt, are grotesquely exaggerated. She has no arms and no face. The Venus of Wildflower looks like this because those parts of the body would be necessary for survival in tough times. If they could not find food to hunt then they would need to have stored fat previously to use during the time of famine. Prehistoric man exaggerated the areas that he responded to. For example, seagull chicks respond to a yellow stick with one red stripe on because it looks like a seagull chicks mother's beak.When shown a yellow stick with three stripes on it they react more vigorously because the red stripe is necessary for survival for chicks. When the chicks hatch they respond to the red stripe and go to it to receive food. Without having this response the seagull chicks will die after hatching. Similarly, specific areas on the Venus are exaggerated because prehistoric man responded to the specific areas that would aid their fight for survival. For instance, the stomach and thighs are exaggerated because having fat

Relation between Error in Healthcare prescription and the inconsistency in Technological information Essay

Relation between Error in Healthcare prescription and the inconsistency in Technological information Introduction Background Information            A lot of errors are occurring within the healthcare field lately. They are a result of many factors. Among the principle causes of error are related to wrong prescriptions. As indicated by Benjamin (770), one of the elements that is playing a key role ion this is the use of advanced technological methods. Computers have been used to aid in the computerized entry of prescription orders. Depending on the intensity of the prescription, they can result in serious injuries on the patient or even lead to fatality incidences. In turn, they lead to unnecessary court cases and legal suits that eventually cost many healthcare institutions and practitioners a lot of money that is paid to cater for the damages (Carroll 52-8). As such, there is a need to study the main causes of wrong prescription to ensure that such avoidable consequences are kept at their possible minimal rates. The main questions that will be answered in this study include:            What are the most common types of error in healthcare prescriptions?            What kind of information technology is used in the provision of proper prescription?            Are there specific errors that are related to inconsistently provided information in the same prescription order entry? Methodology            In this study, both primary and secondary data collection methods will be employed. It will include the use of surveys for the collection of first-hand information. In this sense questionnaires and interviews from the participants will also be used to gather information for the data. For accuracy and proper validation, these will be combined with secondary sources such as the national health statistics (Wu, Pronovost, Morlock 88). Data analysis            In this study, the..method of data analysis will be used. The method mainly†¦. Findings            Previous research performed on this topic revealed that†¦..Thus, in relation to this study, it was evident that†¦.. Conclusion It is important that the laid down professional ethics are adhered to in different fields. This is especially within the medical field where a slight mistake can lead to            devastating consequences. Therefore, healthcare providers are always obligated to use the knowledge that they acquired in their studies as well as new knowledge and practices appropriately. They should ensure that drugs are prescribed in the most proper ways to avoid errors. In particular, computerized drug entries should be counterchecked to eliminate disparities. However, owing to the continuous change in the nature of disease processes and hence the production of advanced drug formulas, there is need to conduct more research. These will provide more guidance to guarantee safe drug prescription by providers of healthcare services using new technological methods. References Benjamin, D. M. Reducing medication errors and increasing patient safety: case studies inclinical pharmacology. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2003; 43:768–83. Carroll, P. Medication issues: the bigger picture. RN. 2003; 66(1):52–8. Wu, A. W., Pronovost, P., and Morlock, L. ICU incident reporting systems. Journal of Critical Care. 2006; 17(2):86–94 Source document

Communication with My Father Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Communication with My Father - Essay Example My communication with my father is also characterized by kindness. I have a feeling that my father favors me over my siblings. Thus, he is often kind and gentle to me than to my brothers and sisters. I feel this is unfair and should be changed so that my siblings will enjoy the same privileges I enjoy. Nevertheless, I am grateful to my father for showing me kindness each day. He has been very supportive of me since I was a child. We spend time doing a lot of things and telling stories. We enjoy each other’s company and often while away time with stories to tell. He is like a best friend to me whom I can count on in times of disappointments. However, unlike a friend who expects something in return, he does not pressure me to comply with his expectations. This is so because I know what he wants for me and I usually do what I think would please him. I do not ever want to disappoint him because he is my role model. If I fail to be good, I know that he will be disappointed. Thus, t o avoid disappointing him, I study hard and limit the time I spend with my friends. In return, he is very kind to me and supports me in every endeavor. Love is also an important factor in our communication. The love of my father serves as my fountain of gladness. It gives me the motivation to strive hard and succeed in my dream, express hope and compassion towards others, and deal with other people with respect. I can feel the love of my father as he communicates with me. He is always to my benefit.

Navigation Incident NO.1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Navigation Incident NO.1 - Essay Example The buoy however was unharmed. DISCUSSION MV â€Å"Calamity Jane† was proceeding at a speed of 15 knots along the course of 170o (T). Visibility was determined to be good and with an excess of 10 nautical miles. The tidal stream was estimated to be setting 178o (T) at a rate of 1.4 knots. Even all of the bridge equipments such as the radar were fully functional. With everything working in top form, MV ‘’Calamity Jane’s’’ route was fully planned and she was on schedule, passing her first way point ‘’Mew Island Lighthouse’’ and enroute to the second way point ‘’South Rock Lighthouse’’. The distance between the previous way points was 18.3 nautical miles. The plan of passage was marked up on the chart (No.2093) and it determined that the ship was to proceed at a course of 170o (T) at 15 knots so that to pass between the South Rock Light Vessel, until South Ridge buoy. On passing the previous w ay point the ship was scheduled to alter her course to 210o (T) and follow up this course for 7.5 nm so as to reach ‘’Strangford Narrows Leading Lights’’, her third way point. Things began to get out of hand about 18 minutes prior to midnight, which was scheduled to be the time for switching watches between the two navigators. The 1st navigator fixed the position of the ship at 2342 and 2348 but found that the ship was 2 cables east of track while the South Rock Light Vessel was ahead of the track. This led to him altering 5o to starboard and then following up a new course of 175o (T). Subsequently, the 1st navigator took a third fix right before switching watches at 2354 and found that the ship was back on track. This incident is said to have occurred mainly due to the faults by the first navigator, who first took two fixes in a 6 minutes interval, which is good. He noticed that the ship was in the port side of the track and so made alterations to the sta rboard to a course of 175o (T) to regain the track. However, he did not consider the effects of the tidal stream that was estimated to be setting 178o (T) at a rate of 1.4 knots. Considering the course and the direction of the tidal stream together, it is understood that the ship will drift most towards the east because of the lack of resistance between the tidal stream and the ship flow. Thus, this lack of consideration of this aspect could have resulted in a largely misleading from the planned track and beginning to drift off the course. Then, less than 6 minutes before midnight, the 1st navigator tried to correct things by taking a last fix and found that the ship was right on track while navigating at the same course at 175o (T). Now, the ship was momentarily on track but not following the correct course since it was drifting towards the west. The navigator’s timing for takinf the fix was quite bad and turned out to be unfortunate for the ship. Had the fix been made even a few minutes later, the 1st navigator would have noticed that he was proceeding on the wrong course and that the ship was wrongly drifting towards the west. This is considered wrong since the east coast plays a better home for ships than the west due to the west having more hazards such as shallow water, wreck and unlit buoy which are almost impossible to notice in the dark. The 1st navigator did not consider all this while making the decision and this accident was caused due to his lack of attention.

Do Personality Changes Occur in Adults Following Traumatic Brain Essay - 1

Do Personality Changes Occur in Adults Following Traumatic Brain Injury - Essay Example The studies are reviewed according to their objectives, particular analytical design, nature of participants, the measured outcomes, the variables, if predictable or not, taken into account and, finally, the results. In essence, the scope of the review is to determine how TBI injuries affect survivors and, thus, by considering how exactly they are affected, how they can be better enabled to rehabilitate back to their personal and workplace settings. The assessment criteria for interviewing an adult TBI survivor may be broken down into three elements. These are 1) the population on which the personality model is based; 2) the source of information for generating the model; and 3) the procedure used for generating the model (Obonwasin et al, 2007). Other research groups may have used more complex criteria standards but, for the purpose at hand, the paper finds that this is sufficient. using scales with underlying personality models that have been specifically developed for populations groups other than those with TBI. Such scales, such as the NPRS[2] and the NBAP[3}, may not be effective in the sense that when they are deployed on TBI populations they are standardised for this purpose though they had been initially developed for other population groups (Obonwasin et al, 2007). Scales like the NEO-PI,[4] have been developed for the general population and when it is standardised for use on TBI populations the net effect is probably that of imposing a framework developed on personality relevant to the general population on personality changes usually deemed to be associated with TBI (Obonwasin et al, 2007). In contrast to these non-TBI specific scales NRS[5], the CPP[6] and the HIBS[7] were all developed based on information gathered from TBI survivors (Obonwasin et al, 2007). It is noted that though the CPP scale is very useful it has not led to

The Case for Reparations Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

The Case for Reparations Article - Essay Example The Mississippi region had many cases of lynching colored Americans, unnecessary arrests, slavery, discriminatory learning, and discrimination against access to resources, among other issues, (p.2, 3, 6). The article was written to expose the trauma experienced by colored Americans to diverse Americans race but the African Americans, in particular. Perhaps, AP published this article to address the American government and other legal authorities to seek justice for the atrocities carried out on the black American race. Overly, the target audience might be the global populace since racial discrimination, slavery, and reparations affect international the society. When reading through this article, a variety of evidences is showed to explain the central themes of the story. However, this paper only focuses on a few indications outlined in the article. For instance, the AP reported that Mississippi involved lynching black populace (p.2) and whoever resisted legal arrangements was gravely injured or killed (p.3). There was the lack of legal protection for the black people (p.5), and land currently developed as a country club in Virginia was forcefully acquired from blacks (p.6). In addition, Ross explains that there was meager support for educating the black race that resided in Mississippi (p.7) and that he failed to receive a legitimate mortgage just because there was no financing for black people (p.18).

Words of the Bewitched in Bridget Bishop Assignment

Words of the Bewitched in Bridget Bishop - Assignment Example This affirmed the fears of the witnesses that indeed the Bishop was a witch. Each witness had an account different from the next, all of which were related to an interaction with the Bishop. In most of the testimonies, the unsuspecting culprits would welcome the Bishop into their homes as a visitor or simply interact with her as they would any other villager. However, the more her visits became, the more their miseries increased. This showed them that the torments would not have been instances of accidents but was well planned and the culprits carefully selected. The Bishop’s gender contributed to the accusations against her. Being a woman, she had gained so much influence and was living on her own. This was not common with the villagers. On the trial day, a body search revealed shambled body parts that did not resonate with the physique of a woman. A teat that was found mysteriously disappears right in the sights of her searchers. This is an occurrence that she could not let herself out of. The presence of puppets made of rugs and hogs bristles with headless pins on them were found in her house. These were weird things that the witnesses could not fathom. Their presence in her home and lack of a proper explanation of their use worsened the case against her. The bench of female jurists thus made the ruling of guilt against her based on the amount of evidence. To protect one from being accused of witchcraft, all it took was the courage to sign a book. The Bishop refused to sign this book. This is an act that proved her among the villagers as an outright witch. She could not thus be accused of routine misconduct. Furthermore, the accusation leveled against her and the following testimonials were unique in that they involved strange occurrences that inflicted pain and torture on her culprits. A large number of her culprits and the intensity of their predicament could not help matters for the Bishop either.

The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the Dissertation

The extent of gender fatigue transpiring within the workplace, and the ways it can be overcome - Dissertation Example The only viable explanation for the disparaging gender treatments is gender fatigue. It is concluded that both victims and managers need to ignore gender fatigue and deal with incidents of gender inequality responsibly to void the dangers of gender equality losing ground. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Research Questions 5 Statement of the Problem 5 Significance of the Study 6 Aims and Objectives of the Study 7 Research Methodology 8 A Review of Literature 8 Gender Inequality in the Work Place 8 Why Gender Inequality Exists in Some Organizations 10 Gender Fatigue as the Driving Force Behind Gender Inequality in the Workplace 12 Results and Analysis 15 Conclusion 18 Bibliography 20 Introduction Gender fatigue is a phrase used to describe stagnation and complacent attitudes toward reforms and calls for gender equality (Dehhehy, 2012). Initial evidence of gender fatigue was present during the 1980s when feminists were portrayed in public discourse as cartoon characters and as bitter women devoid of humour who projected a belief that all men were â€Å"pigs† and all â€Å"women are saints’ and that â€Å"women who stay at home are wasting their lives† (Sadker & Zittleman, 2009, p. 52). Kelan (2009) gives expression to gender fatigue in the workplace describing it as a situation in which organizations are self-described as â€Å"gender neutral†, yet there is evidence of gender discrimination and the prevailing attitude is one in which there is a general feeling that gender discrimination is thing of the past and â€Å"can happen,† but it is up to women to find solutions (p. 197). Kelan (2008) also argues that members of an organization will often describe their respective organizations as â€Å"gender neutral† although it is obvious to all that there is gender discrimination (p. 1). Workers will acknowledge that gender discrimination occurs in the workplace but will brush it off as unimportant to the work that they do. According to Kelan (2008), this is evidence that these workers are â€Å"experiencing gender fatigue† and that they are â€Å"weary of thinking about gender inequality† (p. 1). Kelan (2010) points out that the practice of doing gender at work takes dual approaches in which gender equality is established and juxtaposed against a situation in which gender differences are once again pronounced. For example, a task is usually performed in which gender equality is highlighted and this will be followed by the allocation of â€Å"remedial work, through which gender hierarch is re-established† (Kelan, 2010, p. 176). This research study investigates the problems created by gender fatigue in the work place. In particular, this research study is concerned with the prevailing attitude in organizations that take the position that they are gender neutral, yet gender inequality remains a part of the organizational culture. In these circumstances, described as gender f atigue, this research paper seeks to identify how the problems associated with achieving gender equality as a result of gender fatigue within organizations can be overcome. Research Questions In order to investigate the problem of gender fatigue in organizations and how gender fatigue can be overcome to

Criminal Justice 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal Justice 2 - Essay Example   The elite in the society are treated well despite their involvement in crimes this because they have money and hence can afford good lawyers who will defend them. The police will not tort the elite, in the fear of law, but the non-elite are treated unfair and nobody worries about them because they do not have the capability. In Texas, crimes are classified into felonies and misdemeanors. According to the Texas penal code-section 12.03 misdeamor are classified into three categories  in relation to their seriousness. While felonies are classified into   five categories, capital felonies, felonies of first degree, of the second degree, felonies of the third degree and lastly the state jail felonies. An individual found guilty of a class A misdemeanor is fined not more than $4000, confinement in jail not for more than a year or both. A person guilty of class B misdemeanor is fined not to beyond $2000, confinement in jail for not more than 180 days or both. While class C misdemeanor, can be fined but not to exceed $500. A person found guilty of capital felony is punished by life imprisonment without parole or death. First degree felony one is subjected to life imprisonment or a jail term not less than 5years and not more than 99years. In addition, he can be fined not to exceed $10000. Second degree felonies can be imprisoned for not more than 20years or less than 2 years. In addition a fine not to exceed $10000. A third degree felony is imprisoned for not more than 10 years and a minimum of 2 years and an addition fine of not more than $10000. A state jail felony   can be punished by a jail sentence of approximately two years and not less than 180 days. A juvenile gang is an association of peers that has a name, recognizable symbols, identifiable leadership, a territory, a regular meeting pattern and collective actions of illegal activities. Mainly the gangs are youths aged 12 to 24. Many of the youths may involve in aging when they are

Exotic animals as pets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exotic animals as pets - Essay Example Therefore, the issue needs to be demystified once and for all by understanding why the people who keep exotic animals as pets do so. I make out that this subject is fascinating and requires more research, because, there are a considerable number of people who spend their lives with long snakes, big cats, apes, non-human primates, bears, wolves, fish and other dangerous wild animals. These people keep these animals with them as companions, and mostly train them to become accustomed to staying with them. Many people may not understand this. On the other hand, there are people who are totally against the keeping of such exotic animals as pets, citing various dangers such as health concerns, cost issues, safety concerns and ethical concerns among others. They claim that exotic animals are not good pets because everything that they require is special, ranging from maintenance, diet, housing and attention. For this reason, there is a lot to learn concerning the rearing of exotic animals as pets. I have to understand the minds of those who keep exotic animals as pets and know how they manage to do it, or if they fail. I will clearly have to do a lot of research to understand the history of this problem, the history behind rearing exotic animals as pets, and the mindsets of those who rear exotic animals as pets, as well as those who are against the idea. I am researching this issue because, as a veterinary practitioner, I am likely to encounter many cases of clients bringing in exotic animals as pets to be treated and cared for. I am of the strong opinion that the issue should not be ignored, because, more and more people are embracing and keeping exotic animals as pets. People should, therefore, address the issue and know how to handle situations that may come up when rearing exotic animals as pets. The author of this book target veterinary technicians and keepers of exotic pets. The exotic animals that are most likely to be reared and

Analysis of Strategy Formation Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Strategy Formation Essay Strategy is difficult to define. There are many popular and debated definitions available. One idea is that strategy is top management’s plan to attain outcomes consistent with the organization’s mission and goals (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, Lambel, 1998). Another definition is that strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions designed to exploit core competencies and gain a competitive advantage (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson 2013). Some argue that strategy cannot be defined at all because many professionals including researchers, practitioners, and theorists all have different thoughts on what strategy is, how it is formulated, and how it is implemented (Dewit Meyer, 2010). However, all of these ideas have something in common: a strategy is a roadmap for getting from here to there. It is important to understand that strategy is not a single concept, but rather a process made up of many pieces. For this paper, I will define strategy as a roadmap or blueprint for obtaining a competitive advantage. In this analysis of strategy formation I will examine the most important issues involved in strategy formation and explain why they are important, define how corporate-level strategies relate to business-level strategies and functional-area tactics and how these pieces support each other, and finally, I will outline the primary inputs to strategy formulation in a firm. But, before we answer these questions it is important to share a brief history of strategy. The word strategy originated from the Greek work strategos. Strategos was coined when Kleisthenis developed a fresh set of organizational structure in ancient Greece in order to promote a better army. The direct definition of the singular stratos means to lead (DeWit Meyer, 2010). Essentially the concept is derived directly from a need for a higher organizational structure, change and leadership development. Warfare was pas the point of simply winning a battle but instead was focused upon the coordination of units and tactical approaches to battle (DeWit Meyer, 2010). When we look at how strategy is formed today we also see a parallel in that firms must coordinate corporate-level, business-level and functional-level tactical issues in order to successful formulate a strategy. By coordinating the approach a strategy helps to gain a competitive advantage for firms just as it does for armies on the battlefield. Now that we understand the history behind strategy formation we will discuss the most important points of strategy formation and discuss what makes them important. Strategy formation can be arduous because planners love to plan out every single details of a plan and press everything into an orderly, mechanistic process (DeWit Meyer, 2010). It is critical for strategies to follow a mechanistic process with vision and end goal in mind while having a big picture mentality that takes change management and flexibility into account as the unknowns’ surface. Without a proper plan to learn and address needed adjustments the plan can become easily outdated and ineffective. Strategy formation is described as being a new way to understand old problems, however, strategic planning and formation can lead to analysis paralysis if overly complex and planned out (DeWit Meyer, 2010). Flexibility is an important piece of strategy formation and as strategists we must avoid being married to a specific set of ideas, but rather be open to learning, experimentation, balancing risks and rewards while working towards to vision that creates a competitive advantage. This pattern in a stream of decisions works to get a company to its strategic goal and vision (Dewit Meyer, 2010). A good approach to this is letting the strategies emerge in the process, rather than focusing on the strategy formation in the beginning. Outside of recognizing the importance of change and emergence there are many other important variables in strategy formation. For example, many organizations develop strategies based on rigid changes like their core competencies, resources, demographics, and market demand. But, there are also many other softer pieces can be equally important when formulating a strategy. According to DeWit and Meyer the most cited key issues in strategy formation are: 1) overall organization structure of its basic management style; 2) relationships with the government or other external interest groups; 3) acquisition, divestiture, or divisional control practices; 4) international posture and relationships; 5) innovative capabilities or personnel motivations as affected by growth; 6) worker and professional relationships reflecting changed social expectations and values nd 7) past or anticipated technological environments (DeWit and Meyer, 2010). These key components help give us a good framework for the most important parts of strategy formation, but they don’t make up everything. Many managers are comfortable with the planning piece of strategy formation, but lag when it comes to actually putting the plan into action (Hrebiniak, 2005). For many organizations putting the strategy in place is the easy part and creating a winning strategy doesn’t actually get you from here to there. A solid planned, documented and even inspiring plan of action doesn’t gain a competitive advantage in and of itself. It is the execution of that strategy that makes all the difference in the company achieving that completive advantage. Here are some key challenges that corporations face when executing on a strategy: 1) the culture of the organization and how it was not appropriate for the challenges ahead; 2) incentives and how people have been rewarded for seniority or â€Å"getting older† and not for performance or competitive achievement (the sacred cows); 3) the need to overcome problems with traditional functional â€Å"silos† in the organizational structure and 4) the challenges inherent in managing change as the division adapted to new competitive conditions (Hrebiniak, 2005). Actually getting the strategy to produce the desired results can clearly be more difficult that forming it in the first place. Execution is not the last important point of strategy formation to discuss; the stakeholders also play a fundamental role in the formation of a strategy. A stakeholder is any individuals, groups or organizations that can affect the firm’s vision and mission, are affected by the strategic outcomes achieved, and have enforceable claims on the firm’s performance (Hitt, Ireland, Hosskisson, 2010). These stakeholders can be divided into categories. Capital Market Stakeholders are the banking partner and suppliers of capital. Product Market Stakeholders are customers, suppliers, host communities, and union groups. Lastly, are the Organizations Stakeholders, which are comprised of employees, manager, and non-managers. These categories are divided from top to bottom in order of importance, which means that Capital Market Stakeholders have the highest level of influence and the Organizational stakeholders have the least. All takeholders are not created equal. The more critical and valued a stakeholder’s participation, the greater the firm’s dependency on it; greater dependence, in turn, gives the stakeholder more potential influence over a firm’s commitments, decisions, and actions (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt, 2008). A shift to more emergent characteristics in the strategy making process combining stakeholder considerations and strategic conversations during s trategy formation with select stakeholders is what makes the difference in a balanced strategy (Booth and Segon, 2008). The key point is the degree to which the stakeholder’s goals align with each other, and how those aligned elements are being addressed by the strategists in the organization. Strategic leaders are responsible and accountable for realizing the expectations of each of the many stakeholders. This accountability to the stakeholders plays an important part in developing the strategy. It can also impact the expectations of each of the stakeholders. For example, the vision and mission of the strategic leaders is shared with all of the stakeholders and their confidence or lack of confidence is a direct result of those strategic leaders. The expectations and composition of our stakeholders has a significant and direct affect in our organizations strategic formation. Of course, without security and surprise, a solid plan, execution strategy, flexibility, clear objectives, concentration, and coordinated and committed leadership, a strategy can still fail. Surprise strategy must make use of speed, secrecy and intelligence to attack unprepared opponents at unexpected time, while forcing the opponent to react to your company and not the other way around (Concept Paper #1). Security addresses keeping the core competencies, operations points and resource safe from the competition. For example, if our strategy is based on the talent of our human capital, we must work to keep the working conditions safe and happy so the competition doesn’t work to recruit our talent for their own strategy. We have outlined the most important points of strategy formation and discussed what makes them important, so now it is now time to define how corporate-level strategies relate to business-level strategies and functional-area tactics, and how these pieces support each other. Functional-area tactics are short-term activities each functional area within the firm undertakes to implement the grand strategy (Pierce Robinson, 2012). Pierce offers three characteristics that differentiate functional area tactics from business-level and corporate-level tactics: 1) time horizon, focus on immediate activities; 2) specificity, business strategies provide general direction, functional area tactics specify activities and how they are expected to be achieved and 3) participants, general managers are responsible for business strategies, operating managers establish short-term objectives and functional tactics that lead to business-level success (Pierce Robinson, 2012). These activities are put in place as a means of achieving a business-level strategy and so their relationship is one of vision versus direct action to achieve that vision. . A business level strategy is a carefully designed methodology that aids companies in implementing and carrying through with actions designed to meet the financial and other goals set by that business (wiseGEEK, 2013). Whether a firm has a competitive advantage or not, depends on the business system or business-level strategy that is has developed to relate itself to its business environment and if the configuration of resources (inputs), activities (throughput) and product/service offerings (output) intended to create value for its customers – it is the way a firm conducts its business (Dewit Meyer, 2010). Business strategy can be further understood as the decisions a firm makes about its alternatives when competing in a specific market and how those alternatives works to bring their core competencies to the surface through cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated leadership/differentiation. According to Hitt et. l, the risks associated with cost leadership are 1) loss of competitive advantage to new technology; 2) failure to detect changing customer needs; 3) the ability of competitors to imitate the cost leader’s competitive advantage through their own distinct strategic actions (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson 2013). As also pointed out by Hitt et. al. , there are also differentiation strategy risks such as 1) a customer group’s decision that the differences between the differentiated product and the cost leader’s goods or services are no longer worth a premium price, 2) the inability of a differentiated product to reate the type of value for which customers are willing to pay a premium price, 3) the ability of competitors to provide customers with products that have features similar to those of the differentiated product, but at a lower cost, and 4) the threat of counterfeiting, whereby firms produce a cheap imitation of a differentiated good or service (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson, 2013). Previously, we have identified how business-level strategy impacts functional tactical strategy and now I will address corporate-level strategy and how it, respectively, relates to these levels. A corporate strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its parts and typically comprises four concepts: portfolio management, restructuring, transferring skills, and sharing activities (Porter, 2008). Portfolio management and diversification are central strategies for any medium or large business. Market analysis demonstrates that many organizations that are medium sized and larger are made up of multiple businesses and offer several product lines that can cross industries and regions. Organizations can have very different financial characteristics and face different strategic options depending on how they are placed in terms of growth and relative competitive position (Dewit and Meyer, 2010). A portfolio strategy requires firms to grow through investment in existing businesses, acquiring new businesses and withdrawing from failing ones. As porter points out another form of corporate strategy is philanthropic involvement. When it comes to philanthropy, executives increasingly see themselves as caught between critics demanding over higher levels of â€Å"corporate social responsibility† and investors applying pressure to maximize short-term profits (Porter, Kramer, 2002). It doesn’t end there though, another piece to corporate-level strategy is corporate governance. Corporate governance is concerned with identifying ways to ensure that decisions (especially strategic decisions) are made effectively and that they facilitate a firm’s efforts to achieve strategic competitiveness by maintaining a harmony between the top-level managers and the shareholder’s interests (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson, 2013). We must also point out that mergers and acquisitions play a significant role in corporate-level strategy. Corporate-level strategy is made up of many pieces, but overall it shares the same goals as the other levels, to increase value by creating a competitive advantage. We have discussed the various elements to corporate-level strategy and now we will discuss how it related to business and functional/tactical-level strategy. Since corporate-level strategy is the highest level of decision-making and encompasses the end objective of the organization, allocation of resources, stakeholder’s goals and acquisitions is it always value-oriented, whereas, business-level and functional-level strategy is more relevant to each individual business entity. Corporate strategy is not the sum total of business strategies of the corporation but it deals with different subject matter; while the corporation is concerned with and has impact on business strategy, the former is concerned with the shape and balancing of growth and renewal rather than in market execution (Bhasin, 2010). Although there are different levels to organizational strategy they all relate and impact one another from the top down. Now that we understand the various levels of decision-making we will now turn to the various inputs to strategy formation for a firm. Before we conclude this analysis, it is important to review the different schools on strategy and those schools perceive strategy formation. There are 7 main school of strategy starting with the Design School. In short, the design school looks to create a fit between capabilities and opportunities or possibilities; it resulted in the famous SWOT analysis. Second, the Planning School also uses a SWOT like the design school to take into account internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. Although the design school doesnt delineate the steps like the planning school does. It is this dividing into delineating steps that sets the planning school apart. The three phases of this school are: Objective Setting, Strategy Evaluating, and the Operationalization phase (Concept Paper #4). Third, in the Positioning School we see that the strategy formation is really driven by analyzing the market and deliberately implemented by those analytics. Forth, The entrepreneurial school is more of a singular vision of strategy from 1 person, namely the entrepreneur, rather than a collective approach as we have learned about in previous schools. Fifth, the Learning School of thought approaches strategy formulation in two separate models: 1) the grassroots model approaches strategy as emergent; 2) whereas, the hothouse model formulates strategy deliberately. Sixth, the Cognitive School states that in order to understand how strategies emerge from under other ircumstances we must look into the mind of the actual strategists. And finally, the last school is the Configuration School, as pointed out in Concept Paper #11, different dimensions of an organization cluster together under particular circumstances and conditions to define states, models or ideal types. It was important to review these various schools because when we look at the big picture of strategy formation and analyze how it is made up and why it is important we can glean i mportant points from each of the seven school. Yes, the overall goal of each school is the same as the goal of strategy formation as a whole, to gain competitive advantage and overall value for the corporation, but it is not always as easy as following one school of thought. For example, what might work in one situation won’t necessarily work in another so as strategists we must be able to take pieces from each school and put them in place where appropriate to achieve our desired outcome for that particular problem. Now that we have some big picture understanding of the different perspectives we will now discuss the primary inputs of strategy. As we discuss the inputs it is first important to point out that there is a difference between emergent and intended strategy. Organizations always have an intended strategy but sometimes the inputs move them towards a more emergent strategy. While strategy formulation is the process by which an intended strategy is created, emergent strategies often come out of following a specific pattern in decision making. (DeWit Meyer, 2010). The primary inputs are identifying, diagnosing, conceiving, and realizing; of course within this specific framework, there are more specific activities (DeWit Meyer, 2010). The first input of identifying is outlining a mission and agenda, this could also include a vision statement. Diagnosing is the internal an external assessments, such as the SWOT analysis. Next, conceiving is the brainstorming process by which the participants envision where there are trying to go and how they will get there. This is the key component an input of strategy formation, and for most groups it can be the most difficult because it requires creative out-of-the-box thinking. Lastly, but not least, is realizing and this is where the rubber meets the road. It is here where specific activities must be undertaken to achieve the strategic plan. We have identified the most important issues involved in strategy formation and defined why they are important, differentiated between corporate/business/functional-level strategies and how they impact one another, discussed the various schools of thought on strategy formation, and finally outlined the primary inputs to strategy formation in a firm. Now it is time to dig in a little deeper and attempt to bring it all together and analyze what it means as a whole. From a big picture mentality strategy formation must encompass the important items we outlined, while also taking into account the potential for change. Having a change management protocol for the organization as a whole, as well as, for each of the subsidiary organizations is critical in today’s global market economy. Outside of change, as strategists, we must also clearly understand our competitors, threats and regions. Things like technology can play a significant part in the ability to execute on strategy. Surprise and security are also equally important to strategy formation. What this all tells us is what we discussed early on: strategy is very difficult to define as an individual concept. Rather than a singular concept see that strategy is more of a way of big picture thinking that is critical to achieving success in virtually any endeavor, not just business. Yes, you can get lucky and find success without strategy, but we could also win the lottery it doesn’t mean it is going to happen. A strategic way of thinking is also not just thinking it is an executable and traceable tool that can adjust and emerge as needed. As a metaphor we can use going to the gym for physical fitness. Our strategic vision is losing weight, increasing heart health and gaining strength. But, how will we get from here (fat, high cholesterol and weak) to there (strong, heart healthy and thin)? We start by developing an action plan, outlining the inputs and potential threats (bad eating, etc), and we follow our plan daily and adjust as needed based on what emerges from the data we gather. This methodology can be applied to any goal, and large corporate business is no different. Unless we execute by actually going to the gym, following and adjusting our strategy for maximum performance we will never achieve our goals, even if we are lucky. You cannot win heart health in a contest. The same goes for business you can’t accidentally win customers and keep them for extended periods of time with successfully executing on your strategy. As we continue and find success in the gym, we may choose to diversify and bring our success to our friend and family or co-workers. This portfolio diversification also applies to large organizations. Additionally, our goals in the gym have stakeholders like our friends, family, employers, insurance companies, communities and any organizations to which we belong, not the mention, the world as a whole that benefits from our staying healthy. This philosophy our strategic way of thinking can be with us every second of everyday, and by thinking strategically in our lives and our roles in business we not only gain competitive advantage but maintain that advantage overtime. In closing, from the origins of the word strategy, and earlier, human beings have been strategizing. We strategized how to hunt and now we still strategize how to hunt only we are not hunting mammoths, but we are hunted mammoth size endeavors that require mammoth sized strategies. As we create and execute a plan for how to get from here to there towards achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage, as strategists, we are constantly analyzing how to optimize our approach while limiting risks. Strategy as a way of thinking can also be approved upon and as humans we have the power and control to accomplish truly amazing things for our corporations and our world.

Monash Carbon Footprint report

Monash Carbon Footprint report This report presents interpreted data after Monash university conducted a carbon footprint assessment between 2005 till 2014.   Introduction Today we can see for ourselves the damage we have caused to our home planet. overshoot is known as the consumers demands for earths resources are going beyond the level which the earth can regenerate. According to dahl(2008), improving global governance and our ability to manage the earths resources is thus a key part of any solution. Preventing overshoot and collapse is a challenge of our time. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Monash university has assessed their carbon footprint from 2005 to 2014. Monash university consists of the Berwick, Caulfield, Clayton, Parkville, and Peninsula campuses within all of Australia, Carbon dioxide(co2) is emitted daily when we account for the burning of fossil fuels to supply heat and to cool rooms, to run appliances, transportation, and the management of water and waste products. According to the united states environmental protection agency, co2 is then trapped within our earths atmosphere and are termed as greenhouse gases as co2 is a direct threat to our ozone layer and is also a major contributor to global warming. There are three scopes consisting of either direct or indirect. Monash universitys gross total emissions started out with 168,838 tonnes of co2-e/year after being recorded in 2005 and at the end of 2014, Monash universitys gross total emissions were calculated at 190,874 tonnes of c02-e/year. Characterizing the scopes Scope 1: this is a direct method of emitting greenhouse gases (GHG) by Monash universitys use of natural gas at all sites, the types of fuel used for transportation, the types of fuel used for other purposes, use of appliances such as refrigerants, methane emissions, and commercial c02. Scope 2: this is an indirect consequence by monash university of GHG emissions released for their use of electricity which is purchased from another party. Scope 3: this is also an indirect way of GHG emissions being released into the earths atmosphere which generally accounts for electricity, natural gas, paper/cardboard waste, food waste, recyclables, transport fuel, water waste, air travel, taxi cabs, fire extinguishers, and public transport. GHG emissions from scope 1 according to marty mccarthy (2015), scientists gathered a national study was taken where over a 1000 cows were tested and the method of measuring the ghg emissions under the factor of livestock methane is by putting the livestock animal in chamber which can be used to measure methane. Then the next step is to monitor the air in and out and then calculate the concentration in that of the air mixture. It can be observed that the emissions have tripled over the course of 9 years. A reason to this might be the amount of food that is been fed to the livestock animal, or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. upon checking the ghg emissions within all of the sites of monash university, it is most important to check the fuels used for transport purposes and to separate the types of fuel since different fuels produce different emiisions. according to the national greenhouse account factors (2014), there is a formula which calculates the ghg emisiions released by different fuel types. there is a trend to be seen and it could be seen that the ghg emissions are slowing declining after each year. A reason to this might be the adaptation of hybrids and electric carsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the ghg emissions can be measure by the equation given below, scope 1 Refrigerants When we use refrigerants, we never account for the harmful emissions that are released into our atmosphere. Beck in the day, ghg emissions like chlourofluoro carbons(CFC), halons, and hydrochlorofluro carbons (HCFC) went unnoticed for a very long time. To combat CFCs , halons, HCFCs, substitues such as hydroflouro carbons (HFC) and perfluoro carbons (PFC) have been used to regulate the substances that deplete the ozone layer. This occurance was due to the amendment of the montreal protocol in 1990 which is known to be widely successful due to the universal ratification of fighting ozone depleting substances (ODS). Emissions from regrigerators and ari conditioners can be a resulted from the manufacturing process of the product, from leakages, or from poor service of the operation life of the products. Any reduction of the ODSs can have huge potential benefits since ODSs pose a threat greater than 1000 times that of co2. during the period of assessing monsh univeritisys carbon footprin t, it can be see that there is a linear trend where ghg emissions are increasing over time. This can be a result of opening up new builings within the campuses and the addition of commercial unitary air contioning units to have comfortable room temperatures in the given buildings, or it can be from the transport of refrigerated goods, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Scope 2 electricity The ghg emissions from the comsumption of purchased electricity from the grid has a physically toll on our environment but this is not a direct result from monash university as aforementioned. The burning and processing of coal, natural gas, or the refinement and transport of crude oil(petroleum) can have the direct response of ghg emission released into our environment. Emissions from electricity (scope 2) can be meure by the equation below, According to scope 2 guidance by GHG protocol, there are two methods to determine for the emission associated with electricity consumption. The first metheod is the location-based method, where it can be applied to every grid, and it focues on the connection between collective comsumer demand for electricity and how much emisiions re leased from the local electricity generated. The other method which is market-based method, focuses on hoiw much electricity is consumed by the choices of the consumer. Observing Monash Univeristys scope 2 emissions, is can be seen in the graph that the lowest reading of GHG emissions occurred in 2005, and throughout the years of recording scope 2 emissions, it can be seen the number fluctuates each year till the period of 2009 till 2014 where the number have a staggering amount where the ghg emissions ranges around 120, 000 tonnes of CO2-e per year, but during 2014, the ghg emissions have sort of been regulated. A reason for the increase of ghg emission s might be negotiating with a company whose primary source of energy might be from coal, and a way to reduce this would be to switch to a low carbon electricity supplier, or to purchase certifictaes from low carbon energy generation. Scope 3 https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/fung_01/ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-14/impact-of-cattle-on-methane-emissions-downgraded/7027088 http://www.chlorinated-solvents.eu/index.php/regulatory-compliance/ods-regulation http://www.environment.gov.au/protection/ozone/montreal-protocol http://ghgprotocol.org/files/ghgp/Scope%202%20Guidance_Final.pdf http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/NGER/About-the-National-Greenhouse-and-Energy-Reporting-scheme/Greenhouse-gases-and-energy http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/DocumentAssets/Documents/NGER%20Energy%20production%20and%20consumption.pdf http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-measurement/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-factors-dec-2014 https://www.monash.edu/environmental-sustainability/get-involved/staff/green-program https://www.monash.edu/environmental-sustainability/get-involved/students/do-one-thing https://www.monash.edu/environmental-sustainability/campus-initiative/energy/renewable-energy http://www.greenpower.gov.au/About-Us/ https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/01/health/antarctic-ozone-layer-healing/ http://sciencing.com/co2-deplete-ozone-layer-4828.html http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/NGER/About-the-National-Greenhouse-and-Energy-Reporting-scheme/Greenhouse-gases-and-energy http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/faq http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-measurement/publications/nger-technical-guidelines-2014 http://www.ghgonline.org/othershfcs.htm https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/alternatives_en https://www.epa.gov/ods-phaseout http://www.energyaction.com.au/energy-procurement/electricity-procurement http://www.ghgprotocol.org/scope_2_guidance http://www.treasury.gov.au/PublicationsAndMedia/Publications/2015/2015-Intergenerational-Report http://www.treasury.gov.au/~/media/Treasury/Publications%20and%20Media/Publications/2015/2015%20Intergenerational%20Report/Downloads/PDF/2015_IGR.ashx https://www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Environment-sustainability/National-livestock-methane-program https://www.monash.edu/environmental-sustainability/our-commitment/environmental-sustainability-policy https://www.monash.edu/policy-bank/management/facilities-services/enviro-procedures http://iefworld.org/ddahl08d.htm https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/783617/Environmental-Sustainability-Policy-Australia-only.pdf https://phys.org/news/2007-11-atmosphere-carbon.html http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-measurement/tracking-emissions http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/da7bde5c-1be2-43f7-97d7-d7d85bb9ad6c/files/nger-technical-guidelines-2014.pdf http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/5e11ecad-6d23-4e4b-bf9d-d4630a4e523b/files/nger-technical-guidelines-2012.pdf https://carbonneutral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Carbon-Offsetting-and-Carbon-Neutralilty-Explained.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-07/documents/fugitiveemissions.pdf http://www.treasury.gov.au/~/media/Treasury/Publications%20and%20Media/Publications/2015/2015%20Intergenerational%20Report/Downloads/PDF/2015_IGR.ashx

Socializing in the internet

Socializing in the internet Socializing in the Internet The Internet, even though it revolutionizes the way people communicate with each other, it could actually be the very cause of many people having an acute case of social defect. Socializing is being rewritten in these last few years, with information going around so easily people are not trying so hard to make human contact, which could be the cause of many people suffering from social defect. Even though it may not be the only cause, it is proven by many research papers that the discovery of â€Å"The Internet† is the main tipping point of the modern social trend. Internet is actually not made to serve the multiple purpose it serve today, it was actually only made to be a place to store information, and even the idea itself is born for military purpose. The original plan is to spread large numbers of information all over the United States, so even if one center of information is destroyed, the information is not completely gone, or at least just the copy of it is missing. Although the U.S. military is the first instance to come up with the idea, the European or to be more specific the people at France is actually the first instance who successfully executed the idea. From there to the development as of today is another story to tell, but what makes it more than an information highway is something not to be missed. Information sharing in its simplest form is through the Internet, and its called an information highway cause the rate of it is mind numbing. Although the rate is relative to its importance and relevance to what most people are searching for, compared to other media the Internet is the fastest. For example, the news of Michael Jacksons death is spread across the world in mere second after the news is announced, and of course, its supported by the quantity of people spreading it. How fast the Internet share information is not just being upheld by the fact of how easily it is to share it, but also by the fact that the quantity of people sharing it is way far from small and the place to share it, is a plenty is an understatement. Once upon a time a boy asks a wise man â€Å"Which is the most; the fishes, or the stars?† then the wise man answered â€Å"The fishes, of course.† â€Å"Why?† the boy asks, the wise man answered, â€Å"Because no matter how much fish you take itll never run out†. As much as there are fish in the sea, there are a lot more places in the Interwebs where people socialize, and that number is increasing day by day just like the fish in the sea. In addition those places are divided into four main categories; forums, chat rooms, blogs, and social websites. One of the oldest place to socialize, and still as strong as it was if not more stronger is the forums, which is the root of everything thats about socializing in the Internet. In essence, Internet still serves its original purpose, and that is a place to gather information. Therefore, the Internet is basically a large forum that involves a humungous number of people from all parts of the world gathered in a single place. Almost everything in the Internet is a forum, only the form is different, and the people participating in it is even more so. Most people wouldnt probably think so, because the Internet have changed so much that its simply hard to be called a forum, though essentially it is. An article is also a forum, because of the comments or critiques that it sparked. Even a simple statement could also grow into a forum depending on the respond it received. In short, everything thats in the internet and receive a response from other people it can already be called a forum, because people are talking about something and discussing it. Forums are not a place for written words anymore, it have evolved to something more. Forums have evolved since its olden times, from town halls, to written things that are on monitors. Though the form is simple, it have proven to be an effective place where people can; discuss things, give opinions, and coming up with a solution. Moreover, there is no discrimination between the members of the forum, in fact anonymity is encouraged to make people focus on the problem at hand rather than the person whos providing the voice. Therefore, the biggest change for forums is its clarity, everybody is taking notice, and everybody is listening. Even so, there are times that a statement needs something to make it clearer. The forums itself is not limited to written words anymore, images are often used to convey the message more clearly or a little more blunt than whats needed. Because sometimes images convey the message more clearly than words, certain forums caters to its needs and they call it imageboards or forums on steroids. In short, imageboards is a forum that puts a full emphasis on the image posted rather than whats written, someone can write the greatest story in the world there, but people would probably not give an ass if it doesnt have the image to support its monstrosity, it is actually better to put a great picture and not write anything about it. 4chan is the greatest example of an imageboards, and at the same time the worst example of a sensible forum. Despite the lack of common ethics (or because of it), many Internet history is made there, even the rules of the internet is born there. Although it sounds crazy, 4chan itself is not a place of common sense, it probably is the place where all the wrong things the Internet have to offer are, and it could actually are where â€Å"curiosity [really] killed the cat†. Even though there are many bad things to say about 4chan, there is also a good side to 4chan. 4chan have been actively organizing protest against The Church of Scientology, a cult that cons people for their money. Surprisingly the protest are well organized, theres not even a single conflict with the official. Whats amazing is they promote healthy protest, where they told all the members to protest on the sidewalk only, even the littlest form of disturbance is not tolerable by members of the protest, and they all actually doing it wearing Guy Fawkes mask. There is another reason to the Guy Fawkes mask other than the impact it brings, and its anonymity. Anonymity is a key ingredient to the whole process, without it, maybe they wouldnt be what they are today or people would look differently to what they are trying to convey. Anonymity is something that couldnt be separated from the modern age forums. Although its not an essential part of a forum, its embedded in the culture. Moreover, people dont care who they are talking to, they only care about what the person say. For that reason, the character is not build by how people look anymore, but it is born by how that person contribute his/her opinions to the forum itself. However, when anonymity is not emphasized, where faster, more personal and contact that is more direct is wanted people usually go to chat rooms. Chatting is like a miniature forum, except it is faster, more personal and more direct than forums, people usually chat with their closest persons, rather than strangers. If forum is a place where people gather to think, then chat rooms is just a place where people just talk or catching-up with the person close to them. The communications in chat rooms are faster because people can get an instant reply, more personal because people choose the person whose participating in it, and its more direct because no one can interfere unless they are allowed to. In its own way, chatting is better, but only at a personal level, and to make a large number of people to voice their opinion needs a lot more effort than what people usually need in a forum. For the reason that each person that they want to talk to have to be available at the same time as they make the chat room. Therefore, even though chatting has its own strong points, it became its own weaknesses at the same time. Then again, what is a problem without a solution, chatting itself has its own kind of forum and they usually call it IRC. IRC or Internet Relay Chat is probably what people call chatting turned upside down, because the order of interaction is reversed. When in normal chats people usually find the one they want to interact with then make a room, in IRC the room is already prepared then people who wants to voice an opinion enters it. To put it in another way the room is not there just for certain people, but also for the people who wants to participate in it. So IRC is putting less emphasize on the personal aspect and focusing it more on the gathering aspect. Even so, IRC is very traditional and old, and not much people develop it mostly because â€Å"why reinvent the wheel?† the system have proven that it works for decades in fact the root of chatting is in the IRC itself. IRC have existed for decades maybe even before the term Internet is widely introduced. The days when messenger software is not even planned computer geeks spend their time chatting in IRC over the internet. Then suddenly a couple of guy thought that why not make it more user friendly, so that more people can use it, and to make it more simple we should put an address to each people rather than just putting a simple username so people can contact each other directly and not interfered by other people. Then e-mail services, messenger software, etc. that supports the chatting protocol comes to life. After that, the history of chatting writes itself as one of the milestones of the modern social trend. After that many things happens in chat rooms, but its not always flowers and rainbows. Chatting is a perfect place for evil-doers to lurk about, many crimes have happened there, mostly that involves kids under age. Nowadays people cant put trust so easily on the people they chat with, the number of people who can do harm is not small, especially people who eagerly offer to meet in person. Therefore kids are usually a soft target to those predators who god knows what reason kidnap them. Many cases of kidnapping or worse child molestation starts with the children making contact with the criminal and as time goes the child starts to put trust in the criminal thats when the criminal starts to take its chance to meet and kidnap the child. Surprisingly this happens a lot, more than anyone couldve imagine, whats worse is the difficulty of catching the criminal is increased because the lack of identity, witness, and location clarity. Luckily, technologies today have advanced far enough for us to detect the location of the criminal, and theres even a department dedicated to tr apping and catching these kinds of criminals. Even so, its still hard to say that its completely safe, because the crime happens in numerous numbers, and their technique in disguising themselves is getting better and better. Rests assure it only needs a little common sense to avoid the crimes happening in chats. The development in chatting is not only on the crime side, but also in its interactivity. As internet connection getting faster and faster, the possibilities expand beyond what people could think of. Now we could not only send text and pictures, we could also send continuous stream of moving pictures, or video is what they call today. With this breakthrough we can see live the person at the other end of the world, and we could actually simulate the whole socializing experience on the internet. Many important meetings are actually done this way, because it is cost effective and less hassle than meeting in person. Even though, its available, people mostly still prefer chatting, simply because it needs way less resource than video chatting. Even if video chatting is grand and all, it has its own disadvantage. If someone wants to have a video chat, the other person must have a webcam or some sort of contraption that can record a video, if not then its impossible to establish it. Besides that it needs a fast internet connection for the experience to go smoothly, so if you have a slow connection might as well not do it. Although, it needs plenty of resource, people still go through miles for it, simply for the experience. For those reason people still prefer chatting than video chatting because its simple and straightforward. But if someone wants to express themselves better, chat room is not the place, they usually use what they call a blog. Blog is what people call the modern diary minus the privacy, more or less a journal. People usually makes blog to express their inner feelings, whether its sadness, happiness, or just a little something in between. Blogs ranges from talking about casual daily lives, to topics that baffle the minds. People even use it to store their precious moments by writing it in their blog, or maybe they want the world to know about their wonderful experience. Therefore, blog are places where people can express everything you want, but dont be surprised if theres a response from other people. Many people actually hope for their blog to get a response, in a way they want attention. By putting their views on the internet, they are shouting in a big open field filled with many people crossing from many places around the world, hoping that they would get a response. Heaps of people would probably ignore it, but peoples that share the same interest in their views would probably willingly listen to what they say, and with pleasure provide support, question or constructive criticism as to what they write about. However not all response are positive, there are usually people who simply like to spam, or vent their frustration to what other people say. Negative response, is usually initiated by a different view as to what the writer says, and what actually makes it negative and not constructive is the fact that they cant give enough reason to oppose the idea. In addition, most of it is because they simply want attention and want to disturb other people. Another form of negative response is when they promote their own blog senselessly without even contributing any plausible response whatsoever. But whats dangerous is when negative response gives birth to flame wars. Flame wars is when two or more people are trying argue as to what they think is right, or people usually call it an unhealthy debate. Even though a flame war usually happens in forums, it could actually happen in blogs as well, often at that. This war is usually born when someone propose one thing is better than another, and people starts to support it and other simply not agree with it. As a result, people are trying to prove their argument, and mostly with little vocab held back. Despite that flame wars could actually have positive result, because we can get more information from the facts that they provide while they are arguing. Although blogs are usually a place to lament, its functionality has actually gone beyond that what people might think of. Blogs have many functions in this modern age such as, money maker, news source, reviews, just to name a few. These functions show that blogs have limitless possibilities, and its function depends on what the owner desire. In fact, not many people use blogs for diary anymore, people usually use it for something else. There are many reasons as to why people start doing this, and one of it is about the thing that makes the world go round. Because people can get money out of blogs, not small numbers of people thought to stereotype their blog for the masses, so it can get more popularity that equals to more income. In addition, its also one of the reasons why many people are making one. Even though, its hard to make any amount of money thats worthwhile to spend on, people are still trying to venture in this business, since it doesnt need too much effort and resources to start with. There are many blogs that is successful and making an amazing amount of money with their blog, not only that their large income is huge, their fame rose as their income skyrocketed. Fame is not exclusive to the real world only, but its also available in the internet. Many stars are born from the internet, and some of them enter the TV business, like Perez Hilton, and Danny Choo. These peoples, who are famous, usually offer exclusive content that are not available at any other blog. Therefore, many people always come back to their blog, and the people who dont know their blog will know because their names echo through the internet. Surprisingly, the source of their income is the same as those TV companies, and it is advertisement. Advertisements on the Internet are spawning like a colony of ants that found a whole heap of sugar. There is almost not a single page on the internet that doesnt have any advertisements whatsoever, not only blogs, many websites are supported by advertisements that are shown there. Sometimes there is website that has too many advertisements that it got to the point where its not worth it anymore to go there. Various ways are made to force the user to see the advertisements, and sometimes the user fights back with an ad-blocker they install on their browser. However some websites didnt allow the usage of such stuff, by blocking the user to their content if they install an ad-blocker. But no matter how much advertisements people put it is useless if there is no one that visit their blog, thats why there are many services that offer popularity. These services that offer popularity, is usually a website that ranks blog and list them, there is also a website that aggregate links that are usually focused on a specific genre or field, and blogs could also provide these kind of services. Blogs provide the service by sharing their link with one another, by doing that they are making a vast network that connects to one another. People usually use this method because it needs little effort than other method, though its not highly effective, at least it brings some more traffic. While the other method takes a little more effort, it brings more traffic than sharing links with other blogs, like ranks blog and list them. Websites that rank blog and list them are usually a good place to start popularizing a blog, because they provide an easier way for other user to find your blog. But it needs more effort on the blog owner side, they need to register to the website that provide the service, and its usually followed with a certain catch or qualification that needs to be fulfilled before the blog is accepted to be listed at their website. Although, the qualification are not that intricate to fulfill as websites that aggregate links. Aggregate means a collection or a cumulative of something, so links are being collected and shown, and these websites are usually split between genre or field. The qualifications to these websites are usually more intricate than the ones that ranks and list blog. However they usually share one common qualifications and that is the maturity of a blog, how much post have that blog post, or how long have it been standing. These qualifications are strongly upheld to sustain the quality of the links there. Without those qualifications some random links would just enter, even the ones thats not related to the website, and people will start to rarely go there because the quality of the links available there. Whats amazing is these websites automatically post the link of the new post with the same time as when the owner posts its recent post. As a result, what people get at those websites are near live update of the blogs that are registered at that site, with that people can rest assure th at they get the latest from their favorite blogs, and the blog owners can relax that their blog are shown with each new post. Links are not the only thing that aggregate on the internet, but people also. People that dont know; facebook, friendster, and websites that are alike to those, are probably living under a rock. These websites are the craze of the modern age, and probably one of the biggest tipping points in the modern social trend. Social websites is what they usually call it, websites like these offer the best in social interactivity over the internet. In addition, people can stay in touch with their dearest friends, even though they are miles away or on the other side of the world. However, their interaction is not limited to the people they know in the real world, but they also interact with the people they just know over the internet. Social websites expand the world of many or opening the door to a whole new universe to countless people. Gone are the days where peoples social connections are limited to the place where they live or where they have gone to, its only limited to how far people are willing to go to find the person they are looking for. As a result, people are interacting at an amazing speed, and socializing on steroid is an understatement. Social interactivity is highly different in social websites, people interact like they do in real life minus the face-to-face, but plus the media interactivity. Media interactivity is enhanced greatly in social websites, in fact it maybe one of the advantage that it have contrast to other form of socializing in the internet. People can share things more easily in these websites, though they mostly share it with the people they know. They can even share a live update about their daily lives if they want to, and everything that you change or input to, can have a comment, even the most absurd thing. Socializing is all about interactivity or response, and that is what social websites is, its a place where people can positively expect a response from someone you know. People usually comment on photos that capture a special moment, a video that makes them laugh their ass off, or the sudden change in marital status. To comment on everything is not a taboo anymore, in fact its a culture that just appear naturally on the scene. But all this interactivity sometimes makes people forget that real life actually exists. Shut-in are people that somehow dont care about the real world that much, they completely replace reality with everything virtual, its like they completely move their mind somewhere else. Since socializing itself is changing, peoples habits are too. Things like going outside are a taboo for them, and socializing in real life is somewhat something impossible to do. People like these usually shut themselves in their room, and utilize their internet connection to their fullest potential. However, people like this can be considered a hero in the internet with their contribution to the community its in. Heroes in the internet world can actually be a loser in the world, because their focus lays too much on the things available in the internet. This reason, cause delusion to many people who have set their heart on the internet, they abandon their life completely for their own selfish reason. In addition, they cant differentiate between something that is real and something that is not. Their image of reality is distorted in such a way that they are afraid of whats to come in reality. In the end, everything thats good always has a dark side to it. In conclusion, though the modern social trend is a breakthrough out of the old socializing method, and brings many benefit and conveniences to a lot of people, it also brings numerous negative effects. Therefore, any technologies no matter how ideal it is, will always show the bad in people if they are used recklessly or for terrible purpose. However only at these kinds of times that people are starting to show whats been hiding in them, either its the good or the bad, people could only hope for the best.