Thursday, December 26, 2019

John O Sulliv Manifest Destiny - 1164 Words

Americans wanted to head west, this mindset was given the name of â€Å"Manifest Destiny† by John O’Sullivan. Manifest Destiny was a term that was prevalent during the 19th century. It expressed the belief that America’s mission was to expand their civilization across North America; this expansion would create liberty and economic progress through territorial gain. President Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, all collectively believed in the Jeffersonian’s mindset, these presidents encouraged such movement; they actively thought that it was best for the United States to expand coast to coast. This expansion created a cultural war. Manifest destiny affected the United States’ relationship with others such as Mexico and the Amerindian Indians because of the way they treated these individuals to gain land from them. Even though the United States made a lot of mistakes due to their beliefs in the manifest destiny, it helped the United States become an emerging world power. It helped expand and create jobs in the west. People used the Oregon Trail to move west and find a better living. Manifest destiny helped California become one of the most populous states after the gain of California as a state, due to everyone moving there because of the gold. The main positive effect of America s belief in manifest destiny is that was that America gained more land and was able to help bring America to the greatness that it is today. The problem with manifest destiny was that the Americans believedShow MoreRelatedJohn O Sulliv Manifest Destiny1779 Words   |  8 PagesEffects of Manifest Destiny Conquering this new foreign land was the plan for English settlers that sailed here and landed on to the eastern coast of America. After many years had passed, John O Sullivan, a democratic leader, named this progressive movement Manifest destiny in 1845. The term Manifest Destiny originated in the 1840s. It expressed the belief that it was US Americans mission to expand their civilization and institutions across the breadth of North America. Manifest Destiny wasn’t just

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Research Paper Water Bottle Consumption - 1609 Words

Research Paper: Water Bottle Consumption This use of a plastic water bottle wasn’t popular in the United States until 1989, when a new plastic material was introduced to the public that made the idea of a plastic water bottle more appealing. This new plastic was called polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET), and revolutionized the plastic water bottle industry. Before the used of PET’s, a substance called polyvinyl chloride plastic, which turned out to be dull, heavy, and relatively expensive to produce. (How did water bottles get so popular?) The question I found myself asking relative to water bottle consumption was how could the University of Oregon reduce the amount of plastic, recyclable bottles consumed while educating people around campus? I came up with this question because ever since I could remember, everyone around me has used plastic water bottles. In middle school, my school had just developed a recycling system to try and ‘go green,’ but th e amount of plastic continued to grow. Is there something tangible that I could to make in impact on people and change their mind in respect to using plastic water bottles? To do this, it is important to understand what factors play into why people rely on plastic water bottles. The first reason people might be dependent on plastic water bottles is the lack of clean drinking water available to people. Living in Oregon has made us spoiled as to the cleanliness of the water coming out of our tap. For people living inShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Bpa On The World1287 Words   |  6 Pagesmake polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins (MNT, 2014). The key factor for ideal health is a suitable diet and the plastics and epoxy resins made from BPA are used to make a variety of consumer products many being food containers, baby products, water bottles, canned foods, and pop cans (Walters, 2011). BPA has allowed engineers to expand their scientific knowledge as this chemical has unique charac teristics that offer high performance benefits in a wide range of consumer and industrial applicationsRead MoreRecycling Is Not A Waste Essay1527 Words   |  7 Pagesthe home, at the office or at work, at school or on the road yet we are reluctant to engage in recycling and waste reduction. We need to avoid waste instead of causing it. Taken the ecological benefit of recycling through the reduction of air- and water pollution and also greenhouse gas emissions, some might ask if recycling is economically worthwhile. Building new, more effective, recycling plants to process reusable products and upgrading existing waste processing facilities involves high initialRead MoreHow The Festival Can Be More Environmentally Friendly1550 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen held for 44 years, yearly Glastonbury is trying to make improvements to the effects on the environment. This literature review will focus on current issues around how the festival could become more environmentally friendly in future festivals. Research from A Greener Festival claims that that 48% of respondents stated they would pay more for a greener event. On the 19th of September 1970 Worthy Farm Festival was held by Jenny and Michael Eavis on their farm land. Approximately 1,500 people attendedRead MoreProduct Market Analysis Essay777 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis COM/100 November 17, 2013 Product Market Analysis Paper In 1873, Adolph Coors and Jacob Schueler, both German immigrants established Golden, Colorado brewery. In 1880, Coors bought out his partner and became the sole owner of Coors Brewing Company. Today Molson Coors Brewing Company is the third largest brewing company in the United States (Molson Coors, 2013). In 1990, Coors Brewing introduced Coors Rocky Mountain Spring Water. The product was short lived and was taken off the marketRead MoreItems and the Resources behind Them1468 Words   |  6 Pagesinto five specific things I make common use of in a week. I chose to conduct my research on plastic water bottles, mechanical pencils, plastic grocery bags, cell phones, and ear phones. I will expand on the materials that go into making these items, and where they come from. Additionally, I will look into what happens after they have fulfilled their purpose and whether they are recyclable or not. Each type of water bottle has a different story. For the most part however, they are made up of similarRead MoreThe Effects Of Bpa On The Adult Brain And The Behavior Of Infants743 Words   |  3 PagesSince the 1960s plastics are made using bisphenol A, an industrial chemical which until recently did not raise any concern. Research shows that BPA; being used to make plastic and resins, coating the inside of metal products, raised major health concerns (FactsAboutBPA.org. 2015) .Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible effects it has on the adult brain and the behaviour of infants. A study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2003 concluded that there were noticeablyRead MoreThe Use Of Bisphenol A ( Bpa )1647 Words   |  7 Pagesproduction of BPA exceeding 4 million metric tons, humans are exposed to BPA through a variety of routes, including ingestion through dietary sources, dermal exposure through thermal receipts, and inhalation of household dust (Michalowicz, 2014). Animal research models have extensively demonstrated the endocrine disrupting potential of BPA. Furthermore, correlational epidemiological studies in humans have demonstrated an association between BPA exposure and myriad health effects including infertility, polycysticRead MoreEssay on Decreasing Energy Consumption in Dining Facilities 1587 Words   |  7 PagesUniversity. Central Michigan University went completely trayless during the fall 2008 semester in their Residential Restaurants, and were able to reduce the waste by 33% (Central Michigan University, 2011). Ce ntral Michigan University saw how much water, chemicals, and energy was being wasted by continually washing trays, and they decided to completely cut trays from their dining, and as the statistics show, it was beneficial for them (Central Michigan University, 2011). By implementing the completelyRead MoreOverpopulation of the World and the Problems It Creates893 Words   |  4 Pages the world needs to consider minimizing consumption, lowering waste byproducts, and keeping a hand on land management. Consumption is the act of using resources at an uncontrolled rate. It is mainly the result of overpopulation. The population of the world is growing by approximately 212,970 people per day and is said to reach nine billion people by 2040 (World Population). As the population increases at this rapid rate, the demand for food, water, and shelter will also rise just as quicklyRead MoreChemistry Research Paper : Chemistry1551 Words   |  7 PagesVanessa Squires Mrs. Thompson CHEM621A October 28, 2016 Chemistry Research Paper We often take for granted what items we have and the impact they can have on the world or the defect that they can cause as well as what they can do to the earth if thrown onto the ground and left there. This being the idea with the bottled water that is now available for our usage at any given time of day, which then means that people are going out and buying all that they want without even batting an eye. With

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Developmental Theories In Relation Health â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Developmental Theories In Relation Health? Answer: Introducation This essay is about a 4 month old boy Jay who is admitted in the pediatric due to emergency. He has experienced symptoms of vomiting, poor diet, no actions in bowel and intermittent spasmodic abdominal pains. After the ultrasound was conducted, intussusception was considered to be the main reason of present symptoms experienced by Jay when he was admitted in the ward. He was observed by the doctors and the nurses and electrolyte monitoring and IV therapy was conducted until a contrast enema could be implemented to correct the intussusception. The doctors have advised him to stay for at least 2 days and during this period, Jays mother is informed that the rotavirus vaccine was given to him is the main reason of his health issue. His mother is quite concerned about the vaccines he will be taking in future. This essay demonstrates the pathophysiology of intussusceptions and the growth and developmental theories in relation to the health disease suffered by Jay. It also demonstrates fami ly centered care and the effects of hospitalization on Jay and his family members. Intussusception occurs when a part of intestine interferes with the lumen of intestine and results in the destruction in bowel. Pathophysiology involves an imbalance in the forces which occur in the walls of intestine due to disorganization in the peristaltic movement. Due to peristalsis a portion of intestine interferes into the lumen of bowel adjacent to it. It also involves prevention of lymphatic return and impairment of venous drainage due to increase in pressure in the wall of intussusceptum (Ewart Perea,2017).Due to the continuation of obstructive process, an increase in pressure inhibits the inflow of arteries. This ultimately results in the perforation of the gangrene. There are several growth and development theories such as JMD theories which include psychoanalytical theory proposed by Freud. He was the first to identify the development of an individual through several stages such as oral stage, anal stage, phallic stage, latency and Genital stage. This theory played an important role in helping nurses in understanding the behavior and condition of mental health in different patients (Hahn, Coricelli Matteo, 2016).It also helps in understanding different behaviors of patients related to ego and id. Freud theory helps individuals to accept who they are and improve their health and well being. Piaget theory of cognitive development focuses on the fact that interaction with the environment plays a significant role in the development of human beings. The nurses gain knowledge and understand the main features of developmental psychology and it helps them to assess the stage of development a childhas attained. This helps them accomplishing several tasks of development. Piagets theory has made a significant contribution in understanding the intellectual level and cognitive development in children. There are several examples of cognitive development for this age group such as the brain of the child grows at a rapid rate as compared to any other organ in his body (Mischel, 2013). Maslows hierarchy of needs theory is a theory of psychology that aims to motivate individuals and is based on a five stage model that includes biological and physiological needs such as air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, and sleep. Safety needs include protection and security, law, stability, order, and freedom from fear (Maslow, 2013).Love and belongingness needs include, friendship, intimacy, trust and acceptance, receiving and giving love and affection, social interaction among family, friends, and work. Esteem needs include achievement, independence, status, dominance, which plays a very important role in realizing potential of self, self-fulfillment, seeking personal advice for growth and development. This theory helps nurses and health care professional to motivate patients suffering from different types of disorders and diseases (Maslow, 2013). Jay should be treated empathetically and with courteousness by the nurses. They should help them in all the daily activities such as playing, eating, providing proper training and improve his learning skills. Nurses should monitor his vital signs and symptoms efficiently. A nasogastric tube should be inserted to reduce the size of the bowel. IV fluids should be administered effectively as prescribed by the doctor. His mother should be counseled that she should not worry about vaccination of Jay in future. He should be provided proper rest and sleep intake so that they do not have any health effects in future. The nursing staff along with the doctors and clinicians should provide proper assistance and psychosocial care which would help in his proper growth and development (Curtis et al., 2013).It may prevent mental issues such as anxiety and may have a positive impact on the psychological condition of Jay. Family centered care plays a significant role in improving the well being of the members of the patient. It involves providing care sucgh as emotional care, motivation and guidance which helps them to prevent depressive symptoms and other health disorders related to it. Healthcare staff should have a responsible attitude towards their patients as well as their family members. The doctors and the nursing staff should act as a guide and provide support in all their problems and issues (Festini, 2014).They should advise them about the precautionary measures to be followed .This will improve the psychosocial health of the family members of the patient and help her in getting cured in less amount of time. Cognitive development is the field of studying psychology that focuses on the development of child on the basis of his or her ability to learn, process the information and the development of brain (Lehne Rosenthal, 2014). Cognitive behavioral therapy should be provided to Jay that would play a significant role in getting well soon (Ehde, Dillworth Turner, 2014).The nurses should have patience during communication with his family members. They should treat them with respect and also understand their requirements. Palliative care should be given to her in a proper manner which is special type of care to that provides relief from both physical and mental pain and stress (Poulsen et al., 2014).The nursing staff should process the information gathered by them by analyzing the data by proper understanding of important signs and symptoms in the patient They should discriminate correct from incorrect information to avoid any errors in the treatment procedure. Jay should be advised to follow several precautions such as proper sleep intake balanced diet and regular exercise. His mother should be guided to take advice with other children who have experienced the same health issue. He should be provided counseling with a psychiatrist to share her feelings that will instill positivity in her. Nurses should treat him with empathy and courteousness towards Jay and should provide quality care according to his needs (Mischel, 2013).There are several nursing care goals for providing priority nursing care in relation to the nursing issues that have been identified. Jay should be empowered and provided care by understanding his medical condition. He should be advised to follow a few precautions to manage emotional issues like taking proper sleep and a well balanced diet. There would be negative effects of hospitalization of the child, on the child and her family. The main reason behind it is that he is very young to bear the pain of the surgical procedure and has been advised to stay in the hospital for 2 days which is quite longer for a child of4 months. He might also not feel comfortable with intravenous therapy, electrolyte monitoring and ultrasound. The family members of the patient also suffer from several issues due to hospitalization such as financial crisis, responsibilities related to house old, negative effects on the education of other children, and boredom (gotneset al.,2016). The hospitalization of Jay might to depression and other mental issues in the family members. The family members of the patient should be taken care of by the hospital staff and helped whenever in need regarding to the treatment of patient and other issues related to accommodation and transport. The nurses should give respect and handle them with patience. They shou ld also think from their point of view by providing proper solution to their doubts (Lehne Rosenthal, 2014). Involvement of proper communication skills with the patient would plays a majior role in improving the hospital journey in Jay. It would delay the tratment if there is no appropriate communication and may alos lead to a negative impact in the health condition of Jay(Curtis et al., 2013). It would ultimately reasult in a lack of trust and satisfaction in the medical treatment provided by the doctors nad the nuring staff. Doctors and nurses should have a responsible attitude towards Jay as well as her family members (Gordon et al., 2012).They should be provided adequate training in which will help in proper growth and development of their child. Jay should be advised to have a nutritional diet along with plenty of fluids which would help in the regeneration of tissue and healing.. Nurses and other hospital staff should wash hands properly as it is significant in preventing infection. They should use clean and aseptic techniques in order to prevent contamination. It can be summarized that the clinicians and the nursing staff should provide appropriate care and follow ups after the treatment to Jay. His family members should be counseled and guided properly to take appropriate rest and follow several precautions to improve the condition of his health. Jay should be provided proper nursing care as advised by the doctors. He should be advised to manage the disease and be positive about his health. which would result in improvement of his health condition. This will help him getting proper mediacal treatment and patient satisfaction and would alo improve trust between Jay and the doctors and the nurses of the hospital. References gotnes, G., Jacobsen, F. F., Harrington, C., Petersen, K. A. (2016). A Critical Review of Research on Hospitalization from Nursing Homes; What is Missing?.Ageing International,41(1), 3-16. Curtis, J. R., Back, A. L., Ford, D. W., Downey, L., Shannon, S. E., Doorenbos, A. Z., ... Arnold, R. W. (2013). Effect of communication skills training for residents and nurse practitioners on quality of communication with patients with serious illness: a randomized trial.Jama,310(21), 2271-2281. Ehde, D. M., Dillworth, T. M., Turner, J. A. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for individuals with chronic pain: Efficacy, innovations, and directions for research.American Psychologist,69(2), 153. Ewart, Z., Perea, L. (2017). Intussusception. InAcute Care General Surgery(pp. 79-82). Springer International Publishing. Festini, F. (2014). Family-centered care.Italian journal of pediatrics,40(1), A33. Gordon, B.K, Miles, S., McLeod, M., El Ali, M., Gale, P.L. (Eds.) (2012). Child, adolescent and family nursing. Sydney: Pearson. Hahn, F., Coricelli, F., Di Matteo, M. (Eds.). (2016).New Theories in Growth and Development. Springer. Haley, C. (Ed.). (2016). Pillitteri's Child and family nursing in Australia and New Zealand (2nd ed.). North Ryde, New South Wales: Lippincott Williams Wilkins Pty Ltd. Lehne, R. A., Rosenthal, L. (2014).Pharmacology for Nursing Care-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. Maslow, A. H. (2013).A theory of human motivation. Simon and Schuster. Maslow, A. H. (2013).Toward a psychology of being. Simon and Schuster. Mischel, T. (Ed.). (2013).Cognitive development and epistemology. Academic Press. Poulsen, S., Lunn, S., Daniel, S. I., Folke, S., Mathiesen, B. B., Katznelson, H., Fairburn, C. G. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of psychoanalytic psychotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa.American Journal of Psychiatry,171(1), 109-116.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Essay Example

The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Essay The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems Introduction Since humans have come into existence they have always been a cause of change of whatever natural areas they inhabit along with the living organisms of those natural areas. The different types of organisms such as plants, animals, and microorganisms that inhabit these areas are known as biological diversity or biodiversity. (USEPA 2010 ) Biological diversity can be affected by many different things, climate change, and area being two specific things. Humans fit into a strange niche of biological diversity. While we have a part of biodiversity and in ecosystems, the human race has spread much farther than any other breed or type of organism except for bacteria. (Diaz 2006) Humans have spread into so many other ecosystems that are not meant to be inhabited by humans and through technology, industrialization, and evolutionary changes have changed these natural ecosystems. As the population size of the human race increases the biological diversity of natural ecosystems seems to decrease. Humans have made an effect on several types of different systems aquatic, forest, and landscape conservations, changing permanently the biodiversity of these natural ecosystems in some form or fashion. White 2 Deforestation Deforestation is one major issue that has been caused by human population growth. Deforestation is the loss of forest due to the act of trees being overcut. This becomes such a big issue due to a problem known as soil erosion that occurs when deforestation happens. Soil erosion is the loss of the protective top layers of soil which take away from the ability of the soil to soak up and hold water. Stock and Rochen 2000) Beyond hurting the air quality that humans need soil erosion and deforestation becomes an issue that affects humans especially when it comes to agriculture. To have successful agricultural profit soil that has water holding properties is necessary. To yield a useful crop the top layers of soil are necessary which when deforestation is used to clear farm land are lost which keeps farmers from producing a good crop. Deforestation also causes many homes for different organisms to be lost endangerment and in extreme cases because the organisms natural habitat and food sources have been lost, extinction. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Humans on the Biological Diversity of Natural Ecosystems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Extinction becomes more likely when the majority of deforestation occurs in tropical regions for agriculture, paper from the trees, or industrialization these regions have numerous undiscovered organisms plant, animal, and microorganisms. Biological diversity and human welfare becomes compromised due to the ever extending reach and spread of the human population. Erosion Erosion by definition is the wearing down of something by grinding away, such as the wear on the Earth due to wind and water. Erosion is a naturally occurring process but yet still dangerous and aided by humans and the spreading population of humans, wearing away at the Earth, there is lost biological diversity of different plants and animals, because, the natural White 3 ecosystem and habitat has been eroded away. When erosion happens plants are lost and a lot the times made to be extinct. Which slowly but surely causes there to be a less diverse population of different plant species. And when plants disappear the animals will to in search of food causing a geographic migration of different animal populations and species. Rivers have been channelized to facilitate boat traffic, prevent flooding, and allow farming along their banks† (Audesirk 2008). As humans take from the environment we remove key nutrients and sediments from rivers and land, helping along the erosion process. Aquatic Systems As humans water is a necessary part of our diet in order to live. While we spread throughout the globe not on ly do we tamper with the balance of biodiversity of land ecosystems we also tamper with the biodiversity of aquatic systems too. As the populations of humans grow industrialization grows too, and is it known many companies do not dispose of the byproducts and waste of their companies properly; so waste, such as chemicals and other trash and debris are tossed into rivers. Eventually all rivers lead and empty out into oceans which means said chemicals are dumped into the ocean. These chemicals, waste, and debris float freely into the human population water supply and into the animals of aquatic systems water supply and habitats. These animals are exposed to the companies’ byproducts and they affect the life span, and habitat quality of the animals. Yet again human population growth can cause extinction of species, populations, communities, etc. due to the lack of regard or concern of how the biodiversity of natural ecosystems affects all species in the long run. White 4 Landscape Conservation Though humans have made a huge impact on the biodiversity of many and most ecosystems; it is recognized that for as much damage has been caused there should be some type of effort to improve and try to restore the biodiversity in some ecosystems. So was created the National Landscape Conservation System in 1969 ( CSA 2009). The mission of this system is to â€Å"conserve, protect, and restore these nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations†. (CSA 2009 ) However this system of land conservation is solely interested can only benefit Western/American land. The goal is to protect the USA’s most prized beautiful lands from being lost to the human populations’ impact on biological diversity of ecosystems. Though this system makes a good effort on protecting Western lands, there is still the matter of all the lands and waters around the world that could use protecting and preserving from humans in order for future generations to receive the full benefits that can be offered from the different ecosystems. Discussion A well educated member of society should have an understanding of this issue in order to understand the affect humans are having on our planets. As biological diversity decreases throughout the worlds natural ecosystems resources that could help the human population are continuously lost on a daily basis. Biological diversity can be related to agriculture that is highly affected when biodiversity is lost. And what the government does with land and regulations put White 5 on certain lands and waters. Biodiversity and the lack there of are major social issues that can relate back to all humans. Because as we decrease biodiversity with the spread of our population we affect our living standards as well, and those of many animals and other organisms. Science an provide all of the background information, statistics, and experimentation in the world but science cannot fix the decreasing of biodiversity when the problem is the spread of the human population into other ecosystems. Science cannot â€Å"cure† or fix population growth. While science can make one more aware it cannot fix the actual situation. Conclusion Humans hav e a major impact on the biological diversity of natural ecosystems and as time has gone on, the issue has become more apparent and prominent. Biological diversity is important in regards to humans because without it valuable information, beneficial plants and animals are lost. When erosion and deforestation occur animals and plants lose their natural habitats and are forced to migrate and some species become extinct. Erosion and deforestation also make land useless for agriculture meaning that the land after being cleared yields no purpose or goods for the human population. The aquatic systems suffer when humans show no regard to the fact that other creatures most coincide with the human population. Though companies have gotten better with what is done with their waste more is still able to be done to prevent a further decrease of biological diversity. Humans recognize now as the Earth loses more and more biological diverse ecosystems that something must be done to at least attempt to preserve the different plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in different biologically diverse natural White 6 ecosystems. Thus the National Landscape Conservation System and several other organizations were created in hopes of bringing awareness to the growing issue of the loss of biodiversity throughout the planet. Human population has a major impact on biological diversity in natural resources. Though the population tries to prevent any more damage from being done the fact is that humans have had a major negative impact on the biodiversity of natural ecosystems through the spread of the population, industrialization and negligence for the surrounding area shared by humans with other ecosystems. White 7 Works Cited United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ecosystems and Biodiversity . Washington, DC: United States Government, 2010. Web. 10 Nov 2010. http://www. epa. gov/climatechange/effects/eco. html Stock, Jocelyn, and Andy Rochen. The Choice: Dooms Day or Arbor Day. Deforestation. University of Michigan, 01/21/2000. Web. 10 Nov 2010. http://www. umich. edu/~gs265/society/deforestation. htm Audesirk, Teresa, Audesirk, Gerald, and Byers, Bruce E. Biology Life on Earth. Eighth Edition. Upper Saddle River. Prentice Hall. 2008. Print. Diaz, Sandra. Why is Biodiversity Essential for Human Life?. Sep. 2006: n. pag. Web. 10 Nov 2010. http://news. softpedia. com/news/Why-Is-Biodiversity-Essential-for-Human-Life-34980. shtml The National Landscape Conservation System. The Conservation System Alliance. N. p. , January 29 2009. Web. 10 Nov 2010. http://www. conservationsystem. org/conservationsystem

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Management Decision and Implementation Essays

Management Decision and Implementation Essays Management Decision and Implementation Essay Management Decision and Implementation Essay Manager as a Problem Solver and Opportunity Seeker Introduction â€Å"Managers are playing three characteristics and ten roles†. HenryMintzber Principles of Management- R L. Daft (p. 31) See the definition of manager. So managers have to play many roles in management. Problem Solver and Opportunity Seeker is one of the roles very important to deciding the organization’s persistence. â€Å"Decisions making is the process of identifying problems and opportunities and then resolving them. Decision making involves effort both before and after the actual choice. † †. Principles of Management- R L. Daft (p. 255) Decisions making is an important process follow by Managers who response to opportunities and threats. It can be identified as the mental processes resulting in the selections of a course of action among several alternatives. Decline or Progress of any organization is depending on the decision taken by the management. A managers primary function is to solve problems. A managers understanding of his or her approach to problems and problem-solving style most often used is an essential early step to becoming a more effective creative problem solver. Managers scout the problems, make decisions for solving them, and monitor the consequences to see whether additional decisions are required. Good decisions making is a vital part of good management, because decisions determine how the organization solves its problems, allocates resources, and accomplishes its goals†. Principles of Management- R L. Daft (p. 254) As mentioned the above managers should make the decisions ag ainst the problems and opportunities by selecting the best way and using allocated resource. Managers have to be patiently waited for the opportunity to solve the problems. That mean we can be aware of the manager as a problem solver and opportunity seeker who carefully choose the path to reach the goal. We can examine here how perform the role of problem solver and opportunity seeker by a manager. Problems, Opportunities and the Manager As mentioned the above identifying the opportunities and problems and steps taking to solve them by the managers decision making is doing in one of two basic problem-solving styles: * Systematic. Systematic thinkers are logical and rational. They prefer narrow and focused problems, step by step processes, rules to be followed, and computer programs that grind to a recommendation. * Intuitive Intuitive thinkers are more comfortable with solutions that just came to them. Compared with systematic thinkers, for the intuitive thinker, data are less important, complexity is less bothersome, changing external and internal environments are expected rather than assumed away, and being more or less right is more important than being precisely wrong. On the other hand, we can recognize three types of decision making models. 1. Classical Model 2. Administrative model 3. Political model. According to the systematic decision making system the subsequent steps are followed by the managers Six Steps of the solving problems- Decision Making Process. 1. Recognize of decision Requirements-what is the problem? 2. Diagnosis and analyse of Causes-what are the causes of the problem? 3. Development of Alternatives-what are the possible solutions to the problem? 4. Selection of Desired Alternative-Which is the best solution to the problem? 5. Implementation of Chosen Alternative- what action do we take? 6. Evaluate and Feedback. -What was the result? Decisions against the opportunities. Opportunities are concerning with the many fields of management. One can seek the opportunities for solve the problems in day to day activities. One manager seeks the opportunities to correct the wrong decision already taken. The other one will seek the rooms for expand the business. Decision are given for opportunities must be improvement oriented and the decision must be taken by considering the Sensing (Logically amp; Sensitively), Sizing (Measuring) and Seizing. First of all the steps managers are looking how to deal with the problems because of some problems are not equired solution and some are very quickly needed. So * Managers tend to deal with problems in one of three ways: 1. Avoid them refuse to recognize that a problem exists or not in harm 2. Solve them as necessary deal with the urgent 3. Seek them out anticipate avoiding them becoming urgent The following six questions are available in systematic system- step-by-step approach to problem solving: 1. What are the problem/ Opportunity? A problem occurs when accomplishment is less than expected. The expectation may be a goal, a standard of performance, a rule or a policy. Even if performance is greater than expected, a manager may still see room for improvement. This form of a problem is called an opportunity. Managers have little opportunity for success if they cannot distinguish problems from symptoms of problems. Working on symptoms rather than the base problem rarely leads to problem solution. Problem identification requires continuous surveillance of the internal and external environments within which the business operates. Attention to bits and pieces of information from various sources in combination with experience, judgment and intuition are all part of problem identification. . What are the causes of the problem? More than a careful statement of the problem is necessary to solve it. The manager needs to know the underlying causes of the problem. The following list of questions should be helpful for problem diagnosis and discovering the causes of a problem: * When did the problem occur? * Where did it occur? * Who was involved in the problem? * Were the people involved carefully selected, trained and motivated? * What equipment and facilities were involved in the problem? * What events or conditions were connected to the problem? * What were the hints of an impending problem? What calamities, crises and/or unusual events contributed to the problem? 3. What are the possible solutions to the problem? Creative problem solving requires careful attention to possible solutions for the problem. A paradigm of many possible solutions differs dramatically from satisfaction with the easy and familiar. 4. Which is the best solution to the problem? From the list of possible solutions, one must be selected. The size of the problem and complexity of the problems causes determine how much effort the manager can justify for choice of a solution. Criteria for choice of a solution should reflect the organizations mission, goals and culture. 5. What actions do we take? The first four steps are for naught if the chosen alternative cannot be implemented. Implementation requires resources, courage, persuasion, attention to detail, evaluation of progress and corrective action. Example from the Customs At the end of year 2009, many problems arose about the outside panel examinations. Situation (What are the causes of the problem? ) * 100 to 150 CusDecs were selected for panel examination per day. * 200 to 350 containers had to be examined. Most of the goods were perishable. So it was highly concerned about delay for release the cargo. * Officers have made many reports and complained to the head of the examination division and it was the time to suggest the better procedure for cargo examination. Challengers Most of the cargo allowed for outside panel examination were perishable and they have must been released within a short period. * Outside Examinations of Containers have not been done by the officers properly due to the many reasons. ( examination have to be done in very difficult situation, place in un safety) So: a. There were many threats to the economy and society. b. It was directly involved with the Customs revenue. c. It was brought bad impressions to the Customs. * Officers were faced many threats and unrest. d. Examinations have to be done at the importers place or public place e. Many places were not suitable surrounding (space, labors, equipments) f. Examination time schedules have not been followed g. Suitable transport had not been provided * As a government department it was a very difficult to provide the container examination facilities to entire importers. As the situation was unavoidable and the solutions were immediately required, examination division look in to the opportunities for solve the problems. The following conditions have been measured for appropriate solutions. * Yard for the containers examination immediate out of the Colombo port * Space for more than 250 containers per day. * Containers movement Controlling facility and security of the cargo * Facilitation for the officers The selected best solution- (Which is the best solution to the problem? Call a privet facilitator to provide the yard under the above conditions. Initiated Action (what action do we take? ) In May, 2009 a new container yard at Orugodawattha had been opened and presently all the perishable and some general cargo which were earlier released through the green channel are examine in this yard. Facilitation for the container examination, containers parking,, cargo storing , have been provided by the RCT (Ravi Container Terminal) the facilities for the sta keholders( wharf Clerks, labors, lorry drivers, helpers and officers) also have been provided by the RCT. Under the DC Cargo examination 10 Officers were appointed for the day examinations and after office hours the other officers have been roster for the examination. Outcome of the solution(What was the result) * Major problems were solved. (Mentioned above) * Government revenue is being secured * Relief from traffic inside the Port Conclusion Decision making and implementation is essential in management for survival and better future of any organization. Some time it is not possible to evade the problems. If do not seek the opportunities, the organization will be collapsed. Therefore, it is very important that the correct decisions have to be identified and implemented at the correct time. 2. Motivating employees for achieving results Introduction Managers want to motivate employees because it gets more work from them with less effort on the part of an organization. Workers are motivated when they do something because they want to do instead of have to work or forced to do. Motivated workers do more with less supervision and contribute more to the organization. If any organization wants to achieve the top results motivating employee is good tool for it. How workers deploy at work at best? Can you force them to work best without their willingness? What makes people work harder? The best answer is, no one really knows, but there are many theories, each of which has some relevance in some situations. As manager you must be able to find what motivates people in your organization. It should be considered an art, not a science. Everyone realizes that motivation in a workforce is a good thing. The question is how to get it. To learn how to get it we must first look at what it is. What is the Motivation? Motivation is defined as something that causes or influences a person to act or perform. Motivation is the creation of conditions that encourage an employee to achieve a high level of performance. â€Å"Motivation refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action. Employee motivation effects productivity, and part of manager’s job is to channel motivation toward the accomplishment of organizational goal. † Principles of Management-R L. Daft (p. 480) Researches indicate that the main reason for an employee to leave an organization is the failure of the organization to acknowledge the employees work. Rewarding the employees for their work is quite important as motivation is the key element required for the success of an organization Types of Motivation. â€Å"Motivation is a process that starts with a physiological or psychological deficiency or need that activates behavior or a drive that is aimed at a goal or incentive†- Luthans (2002) See this definition! It clearly said motivation has been linked with two facts. They are physiological and psychological needs. Theories of motivation have also been buildup within this concept somehow. Theoretically, there are two aspects to motivation techniques intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic Intrinsic relates to what has been described as psychological rewards, such as the opportunity to use one’s ability, a sense of challenge and achievement, receiving words of appreciation, job satisfaction, scoop for development, responsibility, work freedom . These always determined from the actions and the behavior of individual managers. In addition, needs and expectations can be distinguished in economic rewards, intrinsic satisfaction, and social relationships. Many of them are self generated Intrinsic satisfaction is provided by the work itself like interest in the job itself, personal growth and development which represents a personal orientation to work. Friendships, teamwork, and the need for affiliation are part of the social relationship that constitutes the relational orientation to work. Extrinsic Extrinsic relates the things that are tangible and generated by others such as rewards, salary, promotion, payment for overtime, recognition, ncouragement, support, work environment and working conditions. The extrinsic motivations are normally offered by the organization and the managers’ involvement in this regard is limited. Approaches to motivation â€Å"In general, there are many motivation theories, and have been divided into two contrasting groups: Here it is not the point to discuss all the theorie s in details, but we can identify some leading. Content theory Content theories of motivation define it in terms of satisfaction of needs. Explains why human needs change with time. Content theory includes the work of David McClelland, Abraham Maslow and other psychologists as they attempted to explain why human needs change, but not how they change. Content theories explain the specific factors that motivate people. In other words, they answer the question what drives behavior? It is important to remember that the following are theories, none of which have been conclusively shown to be valid. Nonetheless, they are helpful in providing a contextual framework for dealing with individuals. * Maslows Hierarchy of Needs: lower needs must be met first. Maslows hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with the largest and lowest levels of needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top. The lower four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called deficiency needs or d-needs: esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs. With the exception of the lowest (physiological) needs, if these deficiency needs are not met, the body gives no physical indication but the individual feels anxious and tense. * Self-actualization * Esteem * Belongingness NeedsD-needs * Safety Needs f Physiological needs Pig 1 * Alderfers ERG Theory: three key needs. This is further expansion of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs by Clayton Paul Alderfer by categorizing the hierarchy into his ERG theory. They are existence, relatedness and growth. He categorized the lower order needs (Physiological and Safety) into the existence category and love and esteem needs into the relatedness category. The growth ca tegory includes the self actualization and self esteem needs * Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory. ( Two Factor Theory ) This was developed by Frederick Herzberg. In this theory he describes two factors they are hygiene factors and motivators. He performed studies to determine which factors in an employees work environment caused satisfaction or dissatisfaction * Motivators are challenging work, recognition, responsibility that give positive satisfaction, arising from intrinsic conditions of the job itself, such as recognition, achievement, or personal growth. * Hygiene factors are status, job security, salary and fringe benefits that do not give positive satisfaction, though dissatisfaction results from their absence. These are extrinsic to the work itself, and include aspects such as company policies, supervisory practices, or salary. * McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory a three-need model. (Learned Need Theory) Need are shaped over time by our experiences over time. Most of these fall into three general categories of needs: * Need of Achievement (NAch) Seek to excel and appreciate frequent recognition of how well they are doing. They will avoid low risk activities that have no chance of gain. They also will avoid high risks where there is a significant chance of failure. Need of Power (NPow) Want power either to control other people (for their own goals) or to achieve higher goals (for the greater good). They seek neither recognition nor approval from others only agreement and compliance. * Need of Affiliation (NAff) Look for harmonious relationships with other people. They will thus tend to conform and shy away from standing out. The seek approval rather than recognition. McClellandâ⠂¬â„¢s Acquired Needs Theory a three-need model Pig 2 Process theories The theories that attempts to explain human behavior. Process theory defines in terms of a rational cognitive process. * Adams Equity Theory: Balanced give and take. Equity theory looks at an individual’s perceived fairness of an employment situation and finds that perceived inequalities can lead to changes in behavior. Employees compared what they received and other receives as a result of their inputs. Mainly we can identify three occasions as 1. EquityMy outcome = Others Out puts More inputs and more gats InputsInputs 2. UnderpaymentMy outcome lt; Others Out puts More inputs and same gats Equity (Guilt)InputsInputs 3. Over payment My outcome gt; Others Out puts Same inputs and more gats Equity (Anger)InputsInputs When individuals believe that they have been treated unfairly in comparison with their coworkers, they will react in one of four ways: * Changing their work inputs to better match the rewards they are receiving. * Ask for a raise or take legal action. * Change their own perception of the situation. * Quit. * Vrooms Expectancy Theory: We expect what we predict. Expectancy theory â€Å"attempts to explain behavior in terms of an individual’s goals and choices and the expectation of achieving the objectives. The probability of an individual acting in a particular manner will increase when an employee associates it strongly with a given, attractive outcome. The theory states that motivation depends on three variables: 1. Performance-reward linkage (the person perceives a desired outcome will result from a certain degree of performance) 2. Effort-performance linkage (the person believe s a certain amount of effort will lead to performance) 3. Attractiveness (the person sees the outcome as desirable) Motivation, then, is a function of attractiveness, expectancy, and instrumentality. An individual’s perception of all three (regardless of reality) must be high for motivation to be optimized. Expectancy theory is similar to positive reinforcement, and both expectancy and reinforcement theory hold that a reward, or outcome, must be meaningful to the individual, and must be seen as highly likely to result from a given behavior to be effective. Motivating and achievement â€Å"You can take a horse to the water but you can’t force to drink† it will drink only if it’s thirsty- so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivate to do. For motivation you must have a skill which can and must be learnt. This is essential for any organization to survival and succeeds. Employee motivation is a central problem for leaders and managers, as an unmotivated employee is unlikely to expend much effort in the job, producing low-quality work. Multiple theories are available that propose sometimes contradictory, but often complementary, approaches toward work motivation We all are always think about money can make anything but the truth is deferent. Some time money can’t do even basic. So first of all we have to get beyond rational-economic assumptions. You know the idea that we all make decisions rationally based on what will give us the best economic outcome, i. e. , more money. Economics certainly has its place, but it tends to downplay the whole intrinsic side of human nature and motivation. People, almost all are concerning some other things instead of the money. Some clues are there. * People care about more than money and self-interest at work. * Intrinsic rewards are about emotions. * Doing the ‘right thing’ makes people feel good. â€Å"Nowadays, many organizations recognize that employees are not motivated olely by money and employee behavior is linked to their attitudes†- Dickson, (1973). Staff’s attitudes always link to the following point of views other than money: * Interesting work, * Full appreciation of work done, * Job security, * Good working conditions, * promotions, * 06. Freedom in work(mental amp;Physical) Motivation in Sri Lanka Customs It is very acceptable truth that the reward scheme of Sri Lanka Customs is number one in the same systems in Sri Lanka. Actually we are not known a program like that. Almost 100% of the officers are benefitting by working in the relevant branches in turn by turn. Reward, incentive, Commendation (appreciation), scholarships, work freedom, good environment, work satisfaction, proper support for higher education, Law enforcement power and powerful Acts are some of motivators in Sri Lanka Customs. But this situation and some related issues can be identified by some officers as de motivated factors. I also have noticed some incidents which are badly effect to motivation of the officers (De motivated factors). We have all the experience in Customs. Basic needs are filling with the salary, incentives and rewards. And job security is established by permanency, Pensionable and good income. Team works, Union activities, are example for belongingness needs. As a Customs Officer there is a unique recognize. We have a good chance for self-actualization within some branches. Some officers are specialist in some fields. E. g. DC Admin- he is the best gemologist in Sri Lanka. And Mr. Lesly Gamine- author of many books on Sri Lanka Customs amp; Law. Experience I have been working as an investigation officer in Post Clearance amp; Audit Branch (PCAB) for two years and acquired much experience about the motivation. PCAB was controlled under Valuation Division and we were allowed to investigate in to trade fraud. What we were motivated – Extrinsically We were ten officers and worked as a team. We were paid by the department. Office Space, vehicle, computer, and the other necessities had been provided. One experienced senior officer led the team. When we success and recovered the defrauded and penalty there was a reward for the team. Never were we forced to do some unworthy investigation. We had enough freedom for our family life and we were understood that our commitment was more important for our achievement. What we were motivated – Intrinsically Because of my knowledge used for impound the trade fraudsters I was proud like others and it was a good motivator for our team. We were begun to think that we are more intelligent than the fraudsters. By perused the limited No of documents we were able to found some huge tax defrauded done by famous businessmen and international companies. We were able to establish some fraud which practiced for long period with the help of some other government agencies. Sometimes, we went through the whole account systems of a company and analyzed. At that time we did our investigation with an expectation to determine the frauds by breaching the customs law. We used our subject knowledge practically and act as intelligent investigators or prosecution officer. Some time we produced the case in court as a lawyer. There was a very remarkable job satisfaction in that period. What was the result? We could take many smugglers to the law and some long time frauds were revealed. More than 100 million were recovered for two years and we thought it was our duty for the county. Conclusion. Usually managers aim is achieve the goal with less effort. In that purpose motivated employee is an assets the organization. Employees are motivated by self and organization. Self motivated employee must not be supervised or guided frequently. Modern world money has fallen in to second and many other human needs have been secured the top place in the list. If managers want to show their colors, they must be talent to identify employee’s emotion and sense. If any organization wants to achieve the top results motivating employee is good tool for it. 3. Effective Teams and Decision Implementation Introduction There are different levels of problems are arising in day to day functions of an organization and decision for them also would be a suitable level. Aimlessly and suddenly managers can be faced for some critical problems also. According to the situation suitable decisions are making by the managers who responsible for it. Most decisions are straightforward and routine. Sometimes, taking decisions for some problems are more difficult, but are usually focused in one area or functional discipline. These may require several or many team members to make the decision even though the implementation may be straightforward. Therefore, as an important tool for making decision implementation, effective team is good for further studies. What is a Team â€Å"A team is a unit of two or more people who interest and coordinate their work to accomplish a specific goal†- Principle of Management- RL. Daft (p. 545) Team management refers to techniques, processes and tools for organizing and coordinating a group of individuals working towards a common goal. A team is a collection of individuals organized to accomplish a common purpose, who are interdependent, and who can be identified by themselves and observers as a team. Teams exist within a larger organization and interact with other teams and with the organization. Teams are one way for organizations to gather input from members, and to provide organization members with a sense of involvement in the pursuit of organizational goals. Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows each member to maximize his or her strengths and minimize his or her weaknesses. Team members need to learn how to help one another, help other team members realize their true potential, and create an environment that allows everyone to go beyond their limitations. In modern world many organizations strategic decision makers regularly use teams to solve urgent problems. Most strategic-level decision-making teams exist for brief periods to resolve a major problem or to develop national policy and strategies to meet future challenges. While these teams carry great responsibilities, they are often ad hoc in nature. Types of Teams: * Self Managed Work Teams: Self managed work teams are groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors. Fully self managed work teams even select their own members and have the members evaluate each other’s performance. * Cross Functional Teams: Cross functional teams are group of employees who are from the same hierarchical level but from different work areas who come together to accomplish a task. * Problem Solving Teams: In problem solving teams members share ideas or offer suggestions on how work process and methods can be improved, they rarely have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggested actions. * Virtual Teams: Virtual teams use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. * Project Teams: A team used only for a defined period of time and for a separate, concretely definable purpose, often becomes known as a project team Members of these teams might belong to different groups, but receive assignment to activities for the same project, thereby allowing outsiders to view them as a single unit. * Informal Teams: Informal teams are generally formed for social purposes. They can help to facilitate employee pursuits of common concerns, such as improving work conditions. More frequently however, these teams form out of a set of common concerns and interests, which may or may not be the same as the organizations. Leaders of these teams generally emerge from the membership and are not appointed by anyone in the organization Process of a Team Many processing stages perform a good team. Initiated action and capacity are very useful. Members of a team without understanding of each other will be away from the path of strategic goal. * Forming Getting to Know You The first stage is when the team is formed and members meet. They learn what the team opportunities and challenge will be. Individual members may be confused about their role or not understand the need for the team. Members will agree on goals and assign actions for work, often working independently. They gating know each other and grow awareness among the members of team and strategies. * Storming High Winds Predicted During the second stage, individual expression of ideas occurs and there is open conflict between members. Members tend to focus on details rather than the issues and compete for influence. Low trust among team members is an evident indicator of this stage * Norming Charting a Course In the third stage, the team develops work habits that support group rules and values. They use established tools and methods; exhibit good behaviors; mutual trust, motivation, and open communication increase; positive teamwork and group focus are apparent. The team relationships grow and individual characteristics are understood and appropriately utilized. Encourage to work together by solving members problems. * Performing The Action Stage The fourth stage shows high levels of loyalty, participation, motivation, and group decision-making. Knowledge sharing, cross-training, and interdependence increases by exchanging their experience. Team is self-directing in development of plans and strategy to meet their goals and carry out work. Personal growth and sharing is encouraged throughout membership * Adjourning Celebrating For project teams, temporary committees, or task forces coming to an end, there will be a finalizing stage as they celebrate and recognize group achievement. Team considers their performance and feedback. Then some mourning over the dissolving of the team relationship and begin planning for the change in individual work requirements. Team Effectiveness and implementation of decision. Decisions must be implemented by the managers of an organization through a team or any other mechanism. For that purpose, team concept is highly accepted by the management teaching. Team effectiveness is fundamental requirement for the implementation of decision. The success of a team majorly depends on much reason including vision, trust and unity, nature of leadership, member’s commitment, and intrinsic amp; extrinsic motivation. The effectiveness of communication within a team is very essential and without team communication there is confusion, misunderstandings and unhappy members. Group communication allows members to freely express themselves, and can provide accurate and comprehensive information. Communication in a team creates an environment of safety and security. When a group member feels the freedom to voice his opinion, he will feel safe in that group. These may require several or many team members to make the decision even though the implementation may be straightforward. When implementing decisions, the team can use every interaction with outside stakeholders to build relationships for the future. Resolving problems quickly and sharing successes with major enterprise participants will pay long-term dividends It may be that the implementation responsibility falls on the team leader, or a subgroup of the team. When this occurs, the individuals implementing the decision need to keep the rest of the team informed on their progress to prevent surprises. As implementation proceeds, rapid feedback is helpful in identifying issues and monitoring results. When disagreements or misunderstandings occur, they should be handled directly and quickly before they escalate. Any anticipated issues during implementation, team members can get valuable feedback on the overall. For quick results, team members should be empowered and given responsibility consistent with their roles on the team and their relationships with stakeholders. Teams, like individuals, should always make sure they follow up on promised actions and represent honest, high integrity professionalism to the outside world. Team members are at their best when they have a common perception of the intent and desired results of the decision and they can communicate these to all concerned. The things we discussed at the above and any other things affected the team effectiveness can be illustrated as follows. Team Effectiveness. Pig. 3 Team work in Sri Lanka Customs. What type of team can be identified in customs and where they are? Sri Lanka Customs is a one major department which involves to the public economics behavior and its activities are directly and significantly affected to the economy. The goods clearance procedure is concerning from the central bank to consumer in the kitchen. One or two day delay for clearance of foodstuffs will lead the government change. Therefore, customs service must be accurate and efficiency. Various type of team work can be identified everywhere in this scenario. Some teams are large some are small. But their effectiveness is evenly important to achieve the goal. As a simple example, we can consider day time work in Long room. Every day the entries submitted to the long room are satisfied in the same day except quarried one. For that purpose from DC to office assistant are working as a team which is unorganized. All the CusDecs must be satisfied in the same day is not a compulsory decision or an order. But there is core understand in the long room staff to satisfy the CusDecs which were already received for the day. Air port duty turn is another example for semi organized team work in Sri Lanka Customs. It is not consistence with the permanent staff of the BIA. Roster officers after taking over the duty points for the day at BIA, continuously cover-up the duty for twenty four hours with help of each other. This team is not earlier design one or officially established. When the officers taking over duty for the day they communicate each other and plan to cover up the duty. My experience in Custom. As mentioned earlier in topic motivation, we worked as a team in PCAB (Post Audit Clearance Branch) and we made the decisions on available information and implemented the same. What type of Team- PCAB? PCAB was established for the purpose of investigation in to the duty defrauded. At the time I served it was consisted of ten numbers of Assistant Superintendent of Customs, who had experience in investigating. We were assigned to probe in to duty defrauded occasions and recover the same. We had one main target that recovers the defrauded duty. PCAB was setup at the main office under the valuation division. DDC and SC supervised and directed the investigation officers. All the officers at head office were involving into the investigation. One senior ASC worked as OIC of the office. Each and every officer responsible for some investigations which handed over by the team leader- SC. However all officers who attached to PCAB work for the same objectives. Therefore, it can be considered as project team. What is the function of PCAB? The main activity of the branch is investigation in to the consignments and importers that have revenue defrauded. With holding the authority to investigate in to the cleared goods all the official copy (Warrant Copy) of the CusDecs are collected and perused by the officers of PCAB. The warrant copies of the suspected consignments are separate for further investigation and there are opportunities to officers for contribute the probe by their knowledge and experience. If it is decided to investigate a consignment one or two officers have been assigned and others are help to collect documents and raid the premises. When one officer records the statement the other one prepare the submission. Another one is ready to prosecution. If there is defraud, within a short period (Mostly within a 2-3 weeks) it can be recovered. Conclusion For any organisation to be effective and efficient in decision implementation and , the people in the organisation need to have a shared vision of what they are determined to achieve, as well as clear objectives for each team / department and individual. In decision implementation team concept is the best mechanism while you compare the systems of achievement. It is necessary to have ways of recognizing and resolving conflict amongst the workers, so that conflict does not become so serious that co-operation is impossible. All members of any organisation need to have ways of keeping conflict to a minimum and of solving problems caused by conflict, before conflict becomes a major obstacle to organizational work. This could happen to any organization, whether it is a business or a government. At that point communication and mutual understand are very essential. Team work is the best method among the systems used for achieve the goal. Individual or group works some time will be the fine but not everywhere. But a team (Two or more) mostly fit for any type of activity because of the team is build with much values like vision, trust and unity, nature of leadership, member’s commitment, and intrinsic amp; extrinsic motivation, co-operation, variation, and Synergy. References 1. Principles of Management-R L. Daft 2. Sri Lankan Case In Management 3. http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Problem_solving 4. answers. com/topic/problem-solving- 5. managementhelp. org/prsn_prd/prob_ 6. http://changingminds. org/explanations/theories/a_motivation. htm 7. Approaches to Motivation suite101. com/content/approaches-to-motivation-a252829#ixzz11V8h5Zxy 8. foundationcoalition. org/publications/brochures/communication. pdf 9. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Team_management 10. businessknowledgesource. com/blog/how_can_i_improve_communication_within_my_teams_021634. html

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Rn Heals Monthly Journal Essays

Rn Heals Monthly Journal Essays Rn Heals Monthly Journal Essay Rn Heals Monthly Journal Essay I. Activities * Took initial patient history for consultation. Assessed client for check-up and measured vital signs and anthropometric data. Administered treatment on patients based on initial assessment and findings. * Gave proper referral to patients to their hospital of choice that needed a specialist physician for their case. * Assisted the midwife in the administration of vaccines under the Expanded Program on Immunization. Administered BCG, Penta, DPT, Hep B, OPV, AMV and MMR to babies based on their immunization schedule. * Assisted the midwife during prenatal checkups. Gave proper health education to clients by giving them information on the prevention of pregnancy related illnesses. * Administered Tetanus Toxoid and skin testing for ATS to clients who just had lacerated wounds caused by accident. * Assisted the physician in the documentation of Medico-Legal cases. * Encoded disease surveillance data to PIDSR for recording. * Every week, we go on-site to assess patients for consultation and dispense medicines according to their individual case. * Attended the Community Health Team seminar held at Velarde Health Center. II. Learning/Insight * This month, I was able to administer treatments based on my clinical judgment. I was able to administer vaccines under the Expanded Program on Immunization. I was also able to administer tetanus toxoid and skin testing for ATS on my own. I am glad that I am able to learn and practice on this side of nursing; and at the same time help clients on their health needs in our community. III. Issues/Concerns * Clients lack proper health education regarding self-medication. They usually self-medicate by giving themselves antibiotics without prior consultation from a physician or from the health center. IV. Recommendation * Give clients proper education regarding antibiotics and its side effects. Explain to them that, what antibiotic works from before doesn’t necessarily mean that it would work on the client’s present illness; and that client may develop resistance to the drug if the certain antibiotic is taken regularly without change. JENEN L. VALERIO, R. N. LORENA I. CAMINO, R. N. , R. M. , M. P. H. Nurse Trainee Supervisor RONALDO I. CALINGASAN, M. D. City Health Officer.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Competencies That Are Required By Consultants In Order To Ensure Essay

The Competencies That Are Required By Consultants In Order To Ensure an Efficient Consulting Practice - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the work of the management consultant is to help the client organization to recognize the management problems, analyze the problems and provide solutions to the problems. The role of the consultants has become extremely important in contemporary times to deal with critical issues faced by the organizations. The client organization often requires the skill and expertise to deal with the critical issues faced by the organization. Researchers have established that there is a link between organizational performance and organizational characteristic and both of these are influenced by a reverse relationship. It can be argued that the organizational characteristics can also have an influence on the consulting performance. According to the views of Lundberg, the competence of an individual is a set of appropriate behavior which acts as a framework for identifying, evaluating and developing an individual’s behavior. Researchers have found out that competenc e is actually a combination of skills, knowledge, and behavior that helps in improving the performance of an organization. According to Sandberg, people who perform their responsibilities more competently than others can be argued to have the finer set of attributes. Therefore it can be argued that the competence of the management consultant is a crucial factor that influences consulting performance. The existing literature identifies that there are a set of competencies that are important for consultants. There are ten domains of competencies that have been identified namely enterprising, confidence, management, influence, facilitation, consideration, analytics, performance, organizing behavior, resilience and enterprising nature. Each of these domains has a number of characteristics under them like independence, adaptability, planning, quality orientation, problem-solving approach, conceptualizing vision and customer orientation to name a few.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

THE IMF AND WORLD BANK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE IMF AND WORLD BANK - Essay Example 1). With such goals and objectives of civilization’s best interest and financial well-being, the IMF’s and World Bank’s humanistic visions should be at the top of the list of the most essential and necessary financial institutions. It becomes somewhat anti-productive and fatalistic to envision ongoing threats against the IMF and World Bank’s purpose and comprehensive strategic plans. Is terrorism the eminent threat? However, appropriate checks and balances are part of strategic planning definitions and comprehensive operations. Who and what is the IMF? The IMF (known as the ‘Fund’) was created/constructed at a United Nations Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA in July 1944. Forty-four representative governments (The Governances) were in attendance at this conference. The visionary goal, purpose, and function were to construct a comprehensive strategic plan – a framework – for â€Å"economic cooperation that would avoid repetition of the vicious circle of competitive devaluations that have contributed to the Great Depression of the 1930s† (IMF, 2012, p. 1). IMF Activities and Public Goods The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approximately 188 countries that participate in its global membership. The IMF manages the challenges and opportunities that are results of â€Å"globalization and economic development† concerning public goods. ... ncil (July 2, 1997), â€Å"†¦Good governance is important for countries at all stages of development†¦our approach is to concentrate on aspects of good governance related to macroeconomic policies – namely the transparency of government accounts, the effectiveness of public resource (public goods) management, and the stability and transparency of the economic and regulatory environment for private sector activity† (IMF, 2012, p. 2). The IMF’s role of governance and management of public resources or public goods during global economic crisis has been focused on restoration of growth and jobs. In doing this, the IMF has emerged as a public goods and resources management institution. The IMF is referred to an institution. By definition, institution means â€Å"†¦an organization, one dedicated to public service† (Webster’s College Dictionary, 1996, p. 360). In â€Å"Interview with Joseph Stiglitz (2000)†, by Lucy Komisar, Joseph St iglitz – member and chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors – â€Å"cautioned against free market ‘shock therapy’ (Komisar, 2000, p. 1). In 1997, he became chief economist of the World Bank and often criticized the IMF and US economic politics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ peers assumed he will win a Nobel Prize† (p. 1). â€Å"I spoke with Stiglitz several times in April. He was generous with his time, unpretentious, and genial†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 1). Stiglitz purposively states, â€Å"†¦The world needs an international development agency – the World Bank. There’s the view that it represents a form of corporate welfare that is counter to the IMFs own ideology markets. But anybody who watched government from the inside recognizes that governments need institutions, need ways to respond to crisis† (Komsisar, Stiglitz, 2000, p. 1). This is in response

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The story of an hour from mrs Mallards perspective Essay Example for Free

The story of an hour from mrs Mallards perspective Essay It was my sister who broke the news to me. As soon as I gathered from her disjointed announcement that my husband had been killed in a horrific rail accident, I felt myself collapsing into an infinite depression of emptiness, silence and sorrow. My heart and soul were thrust downwards as if a cumbersome mass was depressing my frame, as the eruption of grief forced me to express a plethora of tears into the sympathetic arms of my dear Josephine. Despite the initial and genuine reaction to my sudden loss, I almost felt it my duty to weep for my deceased husband. Of course I loved him, as a companion; he was a means of fortification against the world and a way out of eternal spinsterhood and loneliness, and his mind and soul had now departed forever. Five minutes or so had passed, and I carried myself to my room with little motivation, where I sat in silence, reflecting on the news whilst giving my anaesthetised body an opportunity to recover from the horrific shock which was delivered earlier on. After a period of reflection, I realised that a new beginning seemed to be commencing for me. As I glanced out of the window, I caught a glimpse of the delightful pastel-coloured blossom beginning to appear in the trees. The wildlife animated the street below and a lively new air swept across the room, carried by the sweet spring breeze. I was perplexed, since this charming feeling had approached and briefly refreshed my mood; yet my energy had completely evaporated and my torn, slashed spirit progressed further and further away as if it had no intention of returning to me. The emptiness remained in the atmosphere like an unwelcome storm cloud spoiling an otherwise perfect blue sky. I pressed my head to the material behind me and pondered further. I was aware that I would soon need to confront my fears of seeing my husband before a burial, and the terrible emotions which viciously attacked me would return stronger. However, I also thought of the freedom; I have always wanted to escape. The claustrophobia had almost been too much to battle on occasions. Of course, I would not ever have had the means to escape and it is never considered proper for a lady to leave a respectable, healthy husband. Besides, he would not have let me go, I am quite certain. I was going to be ensnared forever. But after this, I could live without requesting permission. My mind became entranced and the idea of finally being free from eternal slavery dominated my thoughts. Josephine soon arrived at my door, calling for me to open it. Of course, I could not let her in, as I needed to clear the misty fog surrounding my head and collect together my thoughts, which were strewn everywhere. She insisted that I would become ill. However, I assured her that I would not, and immediately I descended back into deep contemplation. My entire surroundings rotated and merged together in my mind, as I managed to absorb a new soul and a positive belief of a more blissful future of freedom. I left the room after my courage was gained enough to for my legs to stand my weight and clasped to Josephine’s wrist. She led me down the staircase to where Richard was stood, and there appeared to be someone entering the house. My curiosity compelled me to glance over at the gentleman, but as I did, I recognised his face. I then realised that this gentleman was my husband. Everlasting amounts of air flooded into my lungs, as my expanding heart was speared by the savage storm of shock and dismay.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The effect of osmosis in potato cells with different concentrations of

The effect of osmosis in potato cells with different concentrations of sucrose solution Aim: To test the effect of different concentrations of sucrose solution to osmosis in a potato cells by putting potato pieces in test tubes of water containing different concentrations of sucrose solution. Scientific Theory: Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane from a region of high water concentration to a region of low water concentration. In a high concentration of water the amount of solute (e.g. sugar) is low. This could be called a weak or dilute solution. In a low concentration of water the amount of solute (e.g. sucrose) is high. This could be called a strong or concentrated solution. When two such solutions are divided by a partially permeable membrane the water will move from the area of high concentration to the area of low concentration, until both sides are equal (have reached equilibrium). Knowing that osmosis will occur across a partially permeable membrane whenever there is a difference between the water concentrations on the two sides of the membrane, and knowing that when this happens to cells they will either become turgid if water flows into them, or flaccid if water flows out of them, and thus change their volume, we want to test the hypothesis that: If the concentration of a solution into which a cylinder of potato is placed is greater than a certain level the cylinder will contract, and if the concentration is less than that level it will expand. The cell membrane in cells is partially permeable and the vacuole contains a sugar/salt solution. So when a cell is placed in distilled water (high water concentration) water will move across the partially permeable membrane into the cell (lower water concentration) by osmosis, making the cell swell. This cell is now referred to as turgid. If done with potato cells the cells would increase in volume and mass because of the extra water. If these potato cells were placed in a solution with a low water concentration, then the opposite would happen. Water would move out of the cell into the solution. In extreme cases the cell membrane breaks away from the cell wall and the cell is referred to as flaccid. The potato cells will have decreased in volume and mass. The greater the concentration of water in the so... ... for example, with a carrot or an apple to see if osmosis affects them in the same way as it does potato. I would also widen the range of sugar concentrations to include 1.1M 2M. Moreover, I would like to see if and when the cells reach a maximum and minimum weight. Temperature could also be changed, for example the samples could be placed in different test tubes at different temperatures to see if temperature played its part in the osmosis of potatoes. 5 sets of 3 potatoes could be placed in test tubes at 10oC, 20oC, 30oC, 50oC and 60oC. Then leave them for 24 hours making sure all the variables in the first experiment still apply however just using one molar solution. Then after 24 hours re-weigh the samples and record the result. I would expect that at high temperatures the potato samples would gain the most weight. This is because at high temperatures the water molecules would move faster and therefore equal the concentration faster. A preliminary experiment could be set up beforehand to find out how long the experiment should be kept going because if the concentration of the potatoes equalises then the weight of the potatoes will be almost exactly the same.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Bank of America Marketing Plan Essay

Abstract Bank of America is a financial institution, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses, corporations and Governments with a range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. I choose Bank of America for many reasons: it is brand name and good financial position largest bank in the America market and stable and growing sector in US. Through its banking and various nonbanking subsidiaries throughout the United States and in international markets, the Company provides a range of banking and nonbanking financial services and products through five business segments: Consumer & Business Banking, Consumer Real Estate Services, Global Banking, Global Markets and Global Wealth & Investment Management. Bank Of America Marketing Plan Current Situation Bank of America is a financial institution, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses, corporations and Governments with a range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. Through its banking and various nonbanking subsidiaries throughout the United States and in international markets, the Company provides a range of banking and nonbanking financial services and products through five business segments: Consumer & Business Banking, Consumer Real Estate Services, Global Banking, Global Markets and Global Wealth & Investment Management. In October 2013, Bank of America Corporation announced the completion of the merger of its Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. subsidiary into Bank of America Corporation. Competitors Some of Bank of America competitors are Wells Fargo, HSBC, JPMorgan, and Citigroup. Market Objectives Meredith Verdone, is Bank of America’s head of brand marketing. In an interview she said that the bank is trying to have more â€Å"humility† approach for a change. Bank of America focus is on customer needs. Bank of America has a new campaign; â€Å"life is better when we are connected.† Message of bank of America is to be in the background and help people in their day-to-day lives. Product Strategy Bank of America offers products and services to consumers and businesses. It offers checking, Savings, credit cards, loans, mortgages and investing options. Bank of America has competitive price based on the product and services they offer to their clients. Place Bank of America serves its cliental worldwide. It is based locally and internationally. Promotion Strategy The launch of the consumer campaign gave Bank of America’s retail branches, outfitting them with iPads and ATMs with videoconferencing capabilities– as well as improvements to the bank’s website and mobile offerings. Bank of America claims that they see 50,000 downloads a week of its mobile app. Action Programs Bank of America uses more human advertising and approach to its client. It wants to be involved with client’s day-to-day activities. They frequently advertise on television using real situations with the logo â€Å" life is better when we are connected.† Budget Bank of America’s annual marketing budget is $2billion. Measurements Salaries The average salary for measurements & reporting analyst bank of America jobs is $42,000. Average measurements & reporting analyst bank of America salaries can vary greatly due to company, location, industry, experience and benefits. WOT Analysis SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong brand name and good financial position Largest bank in the America market Stable and growing banking sector in US Excellent Service and product innovation Over 285,000 employee across the world Serves clients more than 150 countries ATM Convenience Weak asset position Consumer credit controversies Bad Mortgages Criticized by its customers for raising interest rates High staff turnover Weak wholesale banking Opportunities Threats Expansion in other countries Diversifying portfolios for customers Growing credit card value for the consumers Further consolidation in the banking industry Changing government regulations and financial crisis like recessions Competition from other banks Restrictions in capital market The Mission Statement of Bank of America: â€Å"Our mission is to offer lending and investment products that Serve low-and moderate-income individuals and families Improve underserved low- and moderate-income communities Create sustainable practices for the long haul†

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Marriage in a Man’s World

Marie de France’s epic poem â€Å"Lanval† is an outstanding work of satire that pokes fun at the societal norms of the author’s time, including government and the institution of marriage.   Though she never directly states it, de France paints marriage at the court level as a farce, a facade, and an arrangement of convenience rather than passion, love, or commitment. Marie de France wastes no time in laying the groundwork for the subtext of this poem.   Within the first few stanzas, as she paints a picture of the great and noble King Arthur, she manages to slide in a reference to King Arthur providing his Round Table members with wives as â€Å"gifts.†Ã‚   She mentions these gifts in the same breath as â€Å"lands,† which suggests the King views women as property and the institution of marriage as a kind of purchase agreement.   The art here is in the subtlety with which de France inserts this subversive idea into what seems like a simple description of a man’s virtues. The author reinforces her statement on marriage – specifically the sexist nature of marriage and relationships at the time – with the introduction of the mysterious, wealthy and beautiful maiden.   The maiden acts as a caricature of a male fantasy, approaching him out of nowhere with the offer of free love and devotion.   Only her physical and financial features are praised, and when Lanval agrees to her terms, she immediately allows him to sleep with her.   Lanval has found himself in the perfect situation – sex and wealth from a beautiful woman, and all he has to do is not acknowledge their relationship. It is not long before Lanval’s loyalty is put to the test and de France puts another nail in the coffin of marriage.   King Arthur’s wife, the Queen, apparently unconcerned with the fact that that she is married, offers herself to Lanval.   The author treats this as though a Queen coming on to a knight was common practice, even expected.   When Lanval denies her wish, the Queen is incensed; one gets the idea that she is no stranger to such an arrangement and not used to being turned down.   When Lanval professes his love for his fantasy maiden, he does so to disprove the Queen’s suggestion that he is homosexual. As one would expect, King Arthur is extremely angry when he finds out what has happened between Lanval and the Queen, though the version he hears is not the whole truth.   Arthur vows to bring the knight to justice in court, which is heavily swayed in the King’s favor.   However, when he brings the charges against Lanval he fails to mention that Lanval attempted to sleep with his wife.   Instead, he focuses on Lanval’s statement that his lover’s maidens were fairer than the Queen.   As it seems logical that King Arthur would be far more upset with the idea of Lanval sleeping with his wife than speaking these words, readers get the idea that perhaps King Arthur does not believe the Queen’s accusations.   Perhaps he knows and ignores the Queen’s unfaithful ways, and perhaps he is guilty of the same behavior. After a series of ridiculous happenings in which the male members of the court are nearly put into trances by a series of half naked maidens on horseback, Lanval’s beautiful maiden comes to his aid.   Upon witnessing her beauty, all side with Lanval immediately, King Arthur included.   By pardoning this man who has supposedly wronged the Queen, King Arthur gives insight into his priorities.   Since the mystery maiden is far more physically attractive and wealthy than the Queen had ever been, there was no way Lanval could have made such an advance on the Queen.   And even if he said the things he said, he spoke the truth.   In this comical twist by de France, the King is more than willing to put aside his honor and the honor of his wife for an attractive stranger. Marie de France makes her final comment on the male-female, love-marriage tradition with the image of Lanval leaping onto the back of the maiden’s horse and riding into the distance.   Clearly, de France is turning the typical boy-rescues-girl scenario upside down, and perhaps is suggesting that things in her time are out of hand and need some strong women to turn things around.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Mid summer essays

Mid summer essays In Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" the mortal teenage characters fall in love foolishly, and the character Bottom states, "O what fools these mortals be". They are foolish because they act like children. Although Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena appear grown-up, when they are in love they act foolishly. The four teenage Demetrius is a fool because he is unaware that his love changes through out the play. At the start of the play Demetrius does not love Helena. (II ii,line 188) Demetrius says, "I love thee not, therefore pursue me not." (II ii,line 194) "Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more." In III ii, Demetrius after being juiced begins to love Helena. (III ii,line 169-173) Demetrius says, "Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none. If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone. My heart to her but as guest- wise sojourned, And now to Helen is it home returned, There to remain." This proves he is a fool, because he is not aware of his changing love for Helena. Helena is a fool because Demetrius does not love her but she still persists in chasing him. Demetrius shows no love for Helena. (II i,line 227-228) Demetrius says, "I'll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts." (II i,line 199-201) "Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or rather do I not in plainest truth Tell you I do not, nor I cannot love you?" Demetrius clearly illustrates to Helena that he has no interest, but Helena persists. (II i,line 202-204) Helena says, "And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you." (II i,line 220-222) "Your virtue is my privilege. For that It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night;" This proves that Helena is a ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

ACT Score Decrease How Much Can It Drop and Why

ACT Score Decrease How Much Can It Drop and Why SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips How much can an ACT score drop by? How likely is it your ACT score will decrease if you retake the test? Or are you wondering why your ACT score went down on a recent retake? Find out how likely an ACT decrease is, how big that ACT score decrease could be, and how to make sure your score goes up, not down! Read on if you have a retake in store. How Likely Is an ACT Score Decrease? The ACT has provided some data about how likely score decreases are when you retake the test. Of the students who took the ACT more than once: 57% increased their Composite score 21% had no change in their Composite score 22% decreased their Composite score Stats via the ACT Student website. So the odds are your ACT score will go up, but that is far from a guarantee. In fact, the odds are roughly 55/45 between your score going up or your score staying the same or decreasing. So if you retake the ACT, it’s almost as likely your score will stay the same or decrease rather than increase. This means you absolutely can’t slack when studying for a retake! Reasons for an ACT Composite Score Decrease The reasons your ACT score could decrease will depend on how much it decreases by. There is, after all, a big difference between going from a 28 to a 27 than a 28 to a 23. We'll discuss the reasons behind different ACT score drops. Statistically Likely Drops (Up to 3 Composite Points Down) A small step down for your score, a giant step down for your ego. Although you’re probably eager to discover the reason your score went down on your retake, it may be that you got lucky the first time you took the ACT. Maybe the first test went especially well for you – you did better with timing than normal, picked up extra points with guesses, had a great test center, and felt pretty comfortable with all of the reading passages and questions. Your first ACT score might have actually been a bit higher than you actually should have scored, so the second test is just a correction of your first score. However, it's also quite possible to run into worse luck on your retake. Even slight score changes could cause your overall composite score to decrease. For example, even if you did slightly better on two sections of the ACT, if you ran into bad luck and struggled with the two other sections, your composite could decrease. As an example, check out the following two hypothetical ACT scores. Even though this student improved their English and Science scores, bigger drops in Reading and Math caused their overall composite score to decrease. Test 1: 26 English, 27 Math, 29 Reading, 27 Science (Composite: 27) Test 2: 27 English, 24 Math, 25 Reading, 28 Science (Composite: 26) It’s not unheard of at all to see drops like 27 to 24 Math or 29 to 25 Reading. By losing just 4 or 5 raw points on each section, you could see a decrease like that. And you could easily lose that many raw points if you lose track of timing, or run into a tough Reading passage you don’t gel with, or Math questions you find more challenging. In short, even small changes in luck could have a big effect on your score. Also, did you study enough? The less you study for your retake, the more susceptible you’ll be to bad luck, struggling with timing, or having a hard time with test questions. It may be you studied a bunch before you took the ACT for the first time, but underestimated the time you would need to spend for the retake, so your score decreased. And how did you study? Were you timing yourself carefully? Analyzing your mistakes? Focusing on weak spots? If you just lazily reviewed some concepts you missed the first time or went through practice sections without recreating test conditions, your studying might not have been effective enough to raise your score. Finally, think about outside factors: Was your test center significantly worse the second time around? Were there unclear instructions from the proctor? Was your test center too hot or cold? (Read more about bad test centers and what to do about them here). Or were you sick or otherwise unfocused on your retake day? (Remember to also consider the reverse: were conditions especially good on your first ACT date and just average on your second one?) Any one of these factors or a combination of them could easily be enough to cause a composite score to decrease by 1 to 3 points. Large Score Drops (More than 3, Less than 5 Composite Points) You dropped the ball. If your ACT composite falls by this much, you likely have a more serious issue that you need to identify. Maybe you’re using a new strategy that just isn’t working for you – like trying to read through the reading and science passages first before reading the questions or plugging in the answers instead of solving with algebra on the math section. If a strategy is causing you to lose more than 5 raw points on a section, that could bring down your score enough to make your composite fall by 3 to 5 points. It's possible you didn't study at all (or only studied a little) before your ACT retake, thinking you could wing it. This would leave you wide open to struggling with timing, unexpectedly tough questions, or other bad luck on test day. Or maybe you were particularly sick or unfocused on your second test day, or your test center had serious problems. Regardless, you need to figure out what went wrong before attempting another retake! Very Large Drops (More than 5 Composite Points) A very serious issue is occurring if your score drops by this much. Maybe something was egregiously wrong with your test center, you filled in answers one line off for a whole section, or you were particularly sick or unfocused. Okay, so a 7-point ACT score drop probably isn't quite as dramatic as the Hindenburg disaster, but it may feel that way to you! First of all, examine your composite and section scores to see where the drops were. This will help you figure out where the problem occurred. Compare these two hypothetical students to see what we mean: Student A Test 1: English 29, Math 26, Reading 32, Science 30 (Composite: 29) Test 2: English 25, Math 18, Reading 26, Science 24 (Composite: 23) This student experienced big point drops in every section, leading to a much lower final composite score. Due to the drops in all sections, something must have happened with overall test strategy, for instance struggling with pacing or using a bad guessing strategy. It's also possible the test center was particularly bad, or the student was feeling quick sick. In short, the student needs to figure out what it was that caused their overall performance to suffer so much. Student B Test 1: English 29, Math 30, Reading 31, Science 30 (Composite: 30) Test 2: English 28, Math 15, Reading 29, Science 28 (Composite: 25) This student had a super large drop on one section (Math 30 to Math 15) and smaller, statistically likely drops on other sections. This means that, obviously, something went way wrong on math – maybe on this section the student started bubbling their answers one line off, resulting in a slew of wrong answers. It’s also possible that maybe the student implemented a new strategy on Math that turned out to be disastrous. But in this case, since the other sections weren’t affected, it’s less likely the problem was due to the test center, a bad overall test-taking strategy, or illness. This student needs to figure out what went wrong in Math. Finally, if you experience a 5-point composite drop or larger, you should consider the possibility your test was mis-scored. If you can't figure out any other logical reason your score would have dropped by so much, you might consider ACT’s hand-scoring service to find out for sure. How to Prevent a Score Decrease Given that your ACT composite score could easily decrease or remain the same if you retake the test, how can you make sure your score goes up? Follow our advice to make sure you don't waste your ACT retake. 1. Focus on Your Weak Points When studying for your retake, spend plenty of time studying for the section (or sections) you got the lowest scores on the first time. You want to make sure you get the points you missed the first time around. For example, if your Math score was a 24 and all your other sections were between 28 and 30, you would definitely want to make sure to improve your Math score to improve your overall composite. If you can make sure you earn points you missed on your first test, you’re reducing the chances of a score decrease. Not sure where to start? Here are some resources to help tackle a weak subject area or two. English The Best Prep Books for ACT English The Top 9 ACT English Strategies You Should Use More guides from grammar rules to diction errors Math How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Math Plugging in Answers: A Crucial Strategy More guides on everything from fractions to statistics Reading The Best Way to Practice ACT Reading Questions The Four Types of ACT Reading Passages You Should Know How to Stop Running Out of Time on ACT Reading More fine-grained guides from comparison passages to author intent Science A Complete Guide to ACT Science 9 Reasons You're Missing ACT Science Questions ACT Science Strategies You Should Be Using 2. Don’t Neglect Your Strong Areas Even if you fix your weak spots, it’s not unlikely that your highest section could go down if you don't study for it. In other words, think of this as preserving the points you earned on your first round of the ACT. Even if you manage to raise the score on your weakest section, if your other section scores decrease – by even just a point or two! – your composite could decrease or stay the same. Check out the hypothetical ACT scores below to see what we mean: Test 1: English 28, Math 24, Reading 30, Science 29 (Composite: 28) Test 2: English 27, Math 27, Reading 28, Science 27 (Composite: 27) Even though this student brought up Math, their lowest section, from 24 to 27, the slight score decreases on other sections caused their composite score to fall. This means you need to be practicing for the entire test, even your strong sections, to guarantee a composite score increase. Being prepared for the test as a whole is the best way to shield yourself from ACT composite decreases. So how can you prepare for the ACT as a whole? Use complete practice tests, time yourself strictly, and understand how the test is scored. Also look into getting a strong overall ACT prep book to help you study. 3. Practice, Practice, Practice Even though you've taken the ACT once before, that doesn't mean you don't have to practice much before your retake. In fact, you may want to consider practicing even more than you did before your first ACT! The more consistent you can be, the better. Practice will reduce the score variation caused by harder/easier test questions or good/bad luck on test day. Think of it this way: any challenge you encounter in practice is one you will be prepared for on test day. Whether that’s an extra-hard math question, a tricky reading passage, or personal fatigue, learning how to deal with challenges in practice can help you achieve your target score on test day. Use strict timing whenever you study, and aim to consistently hit your target score on each section. Also, be ruthless about analyzing your mistakes – don’t just note your wrong answers, figure out why you got them wrong and how to make sure you won’t ever make the same mistake again. (Read more about how you should be analyzing your mistakes.) 4. Logistics In addition to adopting a smart study plan, you also want to make sure outside factors don’t mess with your ACT retake score. Make sure you’re using the best test center for you. Also, be sure that you’re getting enough sleep and following the guidelines to be ready the morning of the test. Finally, give yourself enough time before a retake – if you rush to retake the ACT on the next possible test date, you might not give yourself enough time to practice and improve. Make sure you give yourself enough time to study and prepare for your ACT retake! What’s Next? Check out ACT tips from our resident 36 full-scorer. If you can incorporate all these tips, the odds of your score decreasing will go WAY down! Learn more about how the ACT is scored to know how many questions you need to get correct for a score increase. Also read about ACT timing so you can be efficient about your time per question. Need motivation to study for your ACT retake? Discover scholarships you can earn for high ACT scores. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and ACT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: