Stages of Growth Diagnostic

Various models illustrate the growth of businesses. The size of a company and stages of growth are used as the standards for determining business growth. This paper will examine a growth framework based on existence, survival, success, take-off and resource maturity phases.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stages of Growth Diagnostic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Existence At this stage, the organisation is at infancy and the owner is struggling to attract clients. For a small business, the owner handles all management duties including supervision of junior staff and decision-making. Many small business start-ups fail at this stage due to various challenges. Some businesses that succumb to these challenges are sold off at net present value (Poole 2002, p. 75). Survival Businesses at this stage have successfully overcome the challenges of the first stage. At this stage, the business has enough capacity of custom ers who are satisfied. The main objectives for the business are to break even and gather enough funds for expansion. The number of employees start to increase although the decision making function is still performed by the owner. At the end of this stage, the business may achieve growth in size and profitability. Some businesses however remain at this stage for a long period surviving on marginal returns until they cease operations based on the decisions of the owner (McKeown 2007, p. 61). Success Businesses at this phase have achieved growth and have collected enough funds that are capable of financing expansion. Market penetration and the volume of customers at this stage are healthy. The business can either expand or remain at this level while providing the owner with funds for diversification since the profits are above average. An increase in size of operations and the accompanying revenues prompt the owner to hire competent managers to oversee various functions within the busi ness (Singh 2010, p. 15). The systems are developed and financial planning and other methods are introduced to ensure smooth operations. To ensure survival, the company should adapt to changing conditions in the industry especially competition. For instance, many automobile makers did not make it past the 1970s and 1980s since they could not adapt to changing conditions (Rao 2002, p. 214).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Take Off The company at this stage experiences rapid growth and the main concern is financing the growth. The owners delegate most of the duties to managers to improve efficiency. The managers should be competent enough to handle environmental dynamics. The systems at this stage are under duress from growth and they are therefore improved to accommodate the extra workload. Planning and decision making are improved. For decisions to be made by the owner, vari ous factors have to be considered due to the increase in stakeholders and independence of the business from the owner. To graduate to the next level, the owner of the business must show maturity in management and financial planning (Churchill and Lewis 1983, p. 126). Resource Maturity The objectives of a company at this stage are to strengthen and manage well the financial gains achieved from the other stages. To cope up with the rapid growth, the company should also expand the management or it will succumb to the ineffectiveness arising from growth. At this stage, the business should be a separate entity from the owner. The systems should be broad and well developed. Moreover, the company should have adequate staffs who are experienced in their fields. List of References Churchill, N Lewis, V 1983, The five stages of small business growth, Harvard Business Review, New York. McKeown, L 2007, Predictable success: Getting your organization on the growth track, Green Leaf Group Press, New York. Poole, M 2002, Handbook on organizational change and innovation, Oxford University Press, New York. Rao, M 2002, Organization design change and development, Discovery Publishing House, London.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Stages of Growth Diagnostic specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Singh, J 2010, Evolutionary dynamics of organizations, Oxford University Press, New York. This essay on Stages of Growth Diagnostic was written and submitted by user Lea Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995

The Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995 At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a 5,000-pound bomb, hidden inside a rented Ryder truck, exploded just outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The explosion caused massive damage to the building and killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children. Those responsible for what became known as the Oklahoma City Bombing were home-grown terrorists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. This deadly bombing was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil until the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack. Why Did McVeigh Plant the Bomb? On April 19, 1993, the standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidian cult (led by David Koresh) at the Davidian compound in Waco, Texas ended in a fiery tragedy. When the FBI tried to end the standoff by gassing the complex, the entire compound went up in fire, claiming the lives of 75 followers, including many young children. The death toll was high and many people blamed the U.S. government for the tragedy. One such person was Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh, angered by the Waco tragedy, decided to enact retribution to those he felt responsible- the federal government, especially the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). In downtown Oklahoma City, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building held numerous federal agency offices, including those of the ATF. Preparing for the Attack Planning his revenge for the second anniversary of the Waco disaster, McVeigh enlisted his friend Terry Nichols and several others to help him pull off his plan. In September 1994, McVeigh purchased large amounts of fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) and then stored it in a rented shed in Herington, Kansas. The ammonium nitrate was the main ingredient for the bomb. McVeigh and Nichols stole other supplies needed to complete the bomb from a quarry in Marion, Kansas. On April 17, 1995, McVeigh rented a Ryder truck and then McVeigh and Nichols loaded the Ryder truck with approximately 5,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. On the morning of April 19th, McVeigh drove the Ryder truck to the Murrah Federal Building, lit the bombs fuse, parked in front of the building, left the keys inside the truck and locked the door, then walked across the parking lot to an alley. He then started to jog. The Explosion at the Murrah Federal Building On the morning of April 19, 1995, most employees of the Murrah Federal Building had already arrived at work and children had already been dropped off at the daycare center when the huge explosion tore through the building at 9:02 a.m. Nearly the entire north face of the nine-story building was pulverized into dust and rubble. It took weeks of sorting through debris to find the victims. In all, 168 people were killed in the explosion, which included 19 children. One nurse was also killed during the rescue operation. Capturing Those Responsible Ninety minutes after the explosion, McVeigh was pulled over by a highway patrol officer for driving without a license plate. When the officer discovered that McVeigh had an unregistered gun, the officer arrested McVeigh on a firearms charge. Before McVeigh was released, his ties to the explosion were discovered. Unfortunately for McVeigh, almost all his purchases and rental agreements related to the bombing could be traced back to him after the explosion. On June 3, 1997, McVeigh was convicted of murder and conspiracy and on August 15, 1997, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. On June 11, 2001, McVeigh was executed. Terry Nichols was brought in for questioning two days after the blast and then arrested for his role in McVeighs plan. On December 24, 1997, a federal jury found Nichols guilty and on June 5, 1998, Nichols was sentenced to life in prison. In March 2004, Nichols went on trial for murder charges by the state of Oklahoma. He was found guilty of 161 counts of murder and sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences. A third accomplice, Michael Fortier, who testified against McVeigh and Nichols, received a 12-year prison sentence and was fined $200,000 on May 27, 1998, for knowing about the plan but not informing authorities before the explosion. A Memorial What little remained of the Murrah Federal Building was demolished on May 23, 1995. In 2000, a memorial was built on the location to remember the tragedy of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

Response to Progress Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response to Progress Report - Essay Example Also I would like to see the questionnaire form, so please send it to me a.s.a.p. What exact periodicals have you chosen for your secondary research? And have you surveyed the representatives of government agencies? Taking into account significance of the analyzed problem, we are planning to invite directors of different organizations, public agents and independent foreign guests from Germany, who are able to be in our city on December 14th, 2002. Therefore, let’s put the date of presentation forward on 15th of December at 10 a.m. in conference hall. In this respect, I am waiting for your draft form of the report on December, 10th. Due to the importance of the impending event, there are some instructions, which I want you to follow. Please pay attention to health centers and hospitals and represent brief information about their performance and financial indicators. In addition, provide detailed analysis of statistical findings in our region compared to neighboring areas. Do not forget to explain the procedure of charity and main directions of its usage. Give instructions concerning agencies within our organization, which need charitable donations drastically. Furthermore, after the presentation it will be useful to spread business cards with contact information of our agencies to all guests. In addition, I would like to get some recommendations from you, suggesting how to solve the problem of decline in charitable donations. Please show me preliminary draft with any possible propositions by the end of the next week. Also in two weeks I would like to make a public action that will raise people’s awareness and propagandize charity. I want you to draw a plan of this event, displaying information about all requirements for materials, needed quantity of assistants and

Economics Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics Assessment - Assignment Example Gross Domestic Product (GDP) The GDP is an important primary economic indicator for assessing economic growth of a country as it impacts on the businesses, industries and people. The economic growth measured by comparison over a period of time indicates trends in the economy. GDP Real growth rate refers to GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for inflation and measured on year-over-year basis. GDP real growth rate North Korea South Korea 2012 (est.) 2.7% 2011 (est.) 0.8% 3.6% 2010 (est.) -0.5% 6.3% 2009 (est.) -0.9% The GDP real growth rate of South Korea during 2010 to 2012 reflects the effect of slowdown in the international economy consequent upon the US subprime crisis and financial crisis in Europe due to its level of exposure to international trade. The strength of the country’s economy could be assessed meaningfully by comparing its GDP growth rates with the other developed countries’. ... The developing countries like India (4.5%) and China (7.9%) have higher GDP growth rates as they were not affected by subprime or European financial crisis. North Korea’s GDP growth compared to many of the developing and under-developed countries has been poor. The country had negative growth in 2009 and 2010 against good performances of several Asian and African countries during this period. The industrial development achieved by South Korea over the period of time is linked to its external trade and GDP growth as can be observed from the following table. External Trade of South and North Korea (USD 100 million) North Korea (A) South Korea (B) B/A 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 Trade Amount 41.7 63.2 8916.0 10796.3 213.8 170.8 (22.3) (51.3) (29.9) (21.1) Exports 15.1 27.9 4663.8 5552.1 308.9 199.0 (42.5 (84.2) (28.3) (19.0) Imports 26.6 35.3 4252.1 5244.2 159.9 148.6 (13.2) (32.6) (31.6) (23.3) Notes: 1) Excludes bilateral trade between North and South Korea. 2) Figures in par entheses represent rates of growth over the previous years. Source: The Bank of Korea, p. 6. â€Å"Historically, from 1971 until 2012, South Korea GDP Annual Growth Rate averaged 7.23 Percent reaching an all time high of 18.20 Percent in September of 1973 and a record low of -7.30 Percent in June of 1998. South Korea’s economy became one of the most diversified and technologically advanced in the world in the last 50 years† (Trading Economics, 2012). The sanctions imposed on North Korea by the US and European community has affected the country’s internal trade severely. Apart from South Korea, other trading partners of North Korea are mostly the developing nations of the world. The comparative performance of the two countries reflects the weakness in the political system

Commodity chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Commodity chain - Essay Example Among the alternatives to the traditional plastic grocery bags, the study of Environmental Agency UK Draft Report showed that that cotton bags has the lowest potential for global warming. Compared to the traditional plastic grocery bags that is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), cotton bags can only pose to be harmful to the environment after using it 131 times compared to HDPE bags usage of only 3 times (The Green Supply Chain Editorial Staff, 2011). Cotton, which is the basic material of reusable cotton bags are grown in 90 countries but the four main producing countries of cottons were China, India, USA and Pakistan accounting for three quarters of the world’s output of cotton (UNCTAD). Most cotton bags however came from India and China due to the ready availability of raw materials (cotton) and cheap labor. The process begins with the harvest of the soft fiber that grew around the seeds of the cotton in a cotton plantation in India (or China). The fiber is then spun into thread to make it into a yarn. It is then weave into a cotton cloth which can be later sewn into a cotton bag. The plantation, harvest, spinning, weaving and sewing is done India (and China) due to the cheap cost of growing the cotton (land) and also the cheaper cost of labor. Unlike other products where the several stages of production are separated, producing the cotton bag can be done in one country where a single or a few number of company can do the planting the raw materials to producing the final goods because it only use one raw materials (cotton) and the process of its production is uncomplicated. The process of producing it is however labor intensive which made it a competitive product of India and China because of its lower labor cost. When the final product is already manufactured, the reusable cotton bags then undergo a process

Role of Interstimulus Delay in Iconic Memory

Role of Interstimulus Delay in Iconic Memory Sensory memory is the initial structure in the Atkinson and Shiffrin’s modal model of memory. This memory structure temporarily stores information from sensory stimulation for processing and transferring to short-term memory. Within fractions of seconds, this memory will degenerate if remain unattended (Shiffrin Atkinson, 1969). There are two kinds of sensory memory which is iconic memory and echoic memory. Iconic memory is crucial as it stabilizes vision despite the presence of saccadic movements which disturbs visual adaptation to stimulus (Ciccarelli White, 2012). Hence, any delay in between the sensory stimulation and the recollection will cause an effect to the iconic memory. The question is; how much are we able to recall from our iconic memory after a period of delay? In 1967, Neisser coined the term iconic memory and assumed that all visual information are initially held there before being transported to longer lasting memory upon cue (Gegenfurtner Sperling, 1993). Iconic memory involves vision persistence where trails of light retained for fragments of second in memory (Goldstein, 2011). Haber (1983) described iconic memory as the availability to perceive the information briefly after terminating visual stimuli. The persistence and decay of the visual information in iconic memory is first presented in Sperling’s partial report (Sperling, 1960). In partial report paradigm, there is a brief delay prior to the selection cue in reporting the stimuli. The brief delay or known as the interstimulus interval (ISI) which is a time period in between two stimuli (Reed, 2013). ISI is the interval between the end of the visual stimulus and the onset of the cue tone before reporting the displayed information in the partial report technique (Chow, 1985). The effect of ISI on iconic memory in partial report can be explained by Sperling’s theory of iconic memory. Sperling stated that observers have the ability to temporarily store a large capacity of visual information, however as the information decayed rapidly due to the delay, the subjects were only able to report an average of 4.5 items (Sperling, 1960). Hence, as the interval prolonged, the effectiveness of iconic memory decreases despite the large capacity in storage. Besides that, another theory that can explain the cue delay in partial report is the Bundesen’s theory of visual attention. This quantitative model assumed that the sum of perceptual processing resources which determines the rate of processing is inadequate for the information displayed. Processing resources are used to filter information as distractor and target using selective attention. After the allocation of the processing resources, the information races for encoding in the limited capacity visua l short-term memory (Petersen and Andersen, 2012). As the encoding process is time consuming, the information decays as the selection cue delay prolongs thus affecting the items recollection. The partial report paradigm was pioneered by Sperling’s (1960) dissertation in Harvard University. Due to the subjects’ immediate-memory capacity in whole report, he devised a technique called partial report which was to only report a particular array of items arrangement according to different cue tones for each rows projected after the stimulus was displayed. Three to four items per row were used due to limited perceptual span. Higher tone was for upper row, medium tone for middle row and lower tone for lower row. In his study, he aimed to investigate on information decay by measuring the accuracy of the report. This study was conducted on 5 trained subjects who were scheduled for 3 sessions weekly for a total of 12 sessions. Before the subjects report the information, he delayed the instructional tone for 0.0s, 0.15s, 0.30s and 1s after the stimulus display. The results indicated steep decline in accuracy of report as the delay was longer. 91% of the subjects were ab le to accurately report the stimulus but as the delay increased to 1s, the accuracy declined to 69%. He concluded most visual information were registered in the sensory memory but decayed rapidly within fractions of a second (Sperling, 1960). Through his research, he was able to show that in testing immediate-memory, not just knowing the limit of the perceptual span actually is but the ability to recall the items seen needed to be measured. With his findings that perceptual span is actually larger than the ability to recall them, his pioneering study pointed to the discovery of sensory storage. Another study conducted by Merikle (1980) in University of Waterloo, Canada supports the findings by Sperling (1960) in terms of cue delay effect in partial report. This experiment aimed to test on partial report superiority as the cue delay increased for both categories (letters or numbers) and spatial cues (top or bottom). The partial report and whole report were tested on 18 subjects where they were shown 90 sets of stimulus displays from both types of stimulus and the cue were delayed for -250ms, 0ms and +250ms and. The results indicated that spatial cues are more effective than category cues. Both types of partial report condition performed better than whole report, but the decline in performance was greater than whole report when cue were more delayed (Merikle, 1980). This study illustrated that the advantage of partial report is compromised as the cue delay increased. Perhaps, the advantage is due to instruction to report according to rows enhances the accuracy as it involves spatial processing of the stimulus compared to whole report. On the contrary, Darwin, Turvey and Crowder (1972) findings did not show any significant change in partial report over time. This study was conducted on 12 Yale University undergraduate. In contrast to previous studies by Sperling (1960) and Merikle (1980), auditory stimulus was presented and the indicating cue was in the form of slide projection. A set of 20 stimuli with combinations of monosyllable letters and numbers were given over headphones and the ISIs was 0s, 1s, 2s and 4s. They were asked to report the item and the location as indicated in the stimuli. The findings showed that there are no significant differences of performance between each interval (Darwin et al., 1972). One might argue that perhaps this is due to the echoic memory and not iconic memory. However, Sperling’s (1960) assumption on sensory storage decay across time in partial report should apply to auditory memory. Thus, the result should indicate significant rapid decrease of accuracy in partial report. The insignificant finding could be due to the complex instruction that also tests on their spatial processing apart from recalling the items. Furthermore, Kuhbandner, Spitzer and Pekrun (2011) investigated on the consequences of emotion-inducing stimuli on the iconic memory decay. 45 with 32 females and 13 male students from University of Munich took part in this study. Emotion-inducing stimuli which were threatening, neutral and positive stimuli consisted of objects and animal pictures. The indicator was shown in a form of arrow after the ISIs of 14ms, 71ms, 229ms, 500ms and 1000ms. 8 trials were conducted for each stimuli conditions and delays. The subjects reported 4 chosen items out of 12 verbally. As expected, the iconic memory degenerated rapidly as the delay time increased however, for threatening stimuli; the results indicated slow decay of information (Kuhbandner et al., 2011). From this study, we can observe that emotion encourages persistence in iconic memory regardless of the delay period. Perhaps, due to the higher number of females in this study affected the results as emotional perception are different acros s genders. This study suggested that emotional processing occurred faster than selective attention in iconic memory processing. As we can see from previous studies discussed, various adaptations of Sperling’s (1960) partial report paradigm ware used. However, most studies on partial report that supported Sperling’s findings were conducted at least thirty years ago. A current study on the interstimulus delay effect using neutral stimulus on iconic memory needs to be conducted in order to observe whether Sperling’s assumption are still applicable to this date. Past researches have conducted partial report experiments using traditional tachistoscopes (Sperling, 1960; Merikle, 1980) however for this present study, CogLab 2.0 computer application were used for better and more comprehensive material in data collection. For this research we aimed to observe the effect interstimulus intervals on the iconic memory. Iconic memory was measured by the percentage of the recalled items. We hypothesized that the increase in interstimulus interval decreases the percentage of recalled items. Methods Study design In testing out the hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with repeated measure design. Data was gathered through convenient sampling. For this study, the independent variable was the interstimulus interval (ISI) whereas the dependent variable was percentage of the recalled items. Participants Participants in this study consist of 28 (10 males and 18 females) undergraduate Sunway University psychology students who are enrolled in Cognition and Perception course with the age range of 18 to 35 years old. As a part of the coursework, students were rewarded with 1% credit for participating. In selection of participants, the inclusion criterion was those who are wearing visual and hearing aids whereas the exclusion criterion was non-psychology students. Measurement In conducting this experiment, we have used Wadsworth CogLab online laboratory 2.0 (Goldstein, 2011) computer program. Specifically, under the sensory memory section, we have selected partial report experiment. Interstimulus interval. The interstimulus interval was between the end of the stimulus matrix display and cue tone onset. Each interval was varied at 20milisecond (ms), 100ms, 300ms, and 1000ms. Percentage of recalled items. The numbers of correct letters reported for each delay trials are recorded and totaled regardless of the order of the letters. The percentages of the scores are then calculated according to each interstimulus interval conditions. Procedure Ahead of the tutorial class, every student was informed to bring their own headphones to reduce distractions during the experiment. All students who were present on the day of the experiment gathered in the computer lab with one computer for each student. This experiment was only conducted in one session with all participants at once with estimated time of completion at about 20 minutes. All participants were assigned to complete every condition of the interstimulus intervals. As the class started under the supervision of a lecturer, the students were allowed to read the instructions and start the experiment at their own pace. They were required to fill in their student ID and put on their headphones before beginning the experiment. As they started, they were exposed to 3 different cue tones to familiarize them with indicator tone on which row to report. Low-pitched tone was for bottom row, medium-pitched sound for middle row and lastly high-pitched tone for the upper row. For a tota l of 60 trials, each trial started as they pressed the space bar and they had to fixate their vision on a small asterisk at the screen center. After one second and a half, 33 matrix of alphabets appeared on the screen for a duration of 150ms. The interstimulus interval started after the matrix flashed and at the offset of the tone. A tone was played as the indicator and the letters of the indicated row were typed. These procedures were repeated for each trial and the students were asked to keep their eyes fixated on the center throughout the experiment. The results were immediately displayed for each participant on their performance and submitted to e-Learn for pooled data collection. Results To test the decrease of percentage of recalled items as the interstimulus interval increases, the results were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA due to the nature of the experiment where all conditions were tested on within the same subjects. Interstimulus interval was classified as categorical variable with four conditions (20ms, 100ms, 300ms, and 1000ms) whereas the dependent variable, the percentage recalled was a continuous variable. The results illustrated significant decrease from the 20ms to 100ms interval on the percentage recalled, Wilk’s Lambda = .011, F (3, 25) = 4.56, p = .011. To observe the informational decay pattern, further test of pairwise comparison demonstrated that there was there was a significant decline between the 100ms interval and 1000ms interval (mean difference= 8.730; p = .02). Furthermore, between 300ms interval and the 1000ms, there was a significant decrease (mean difference = 8.10; p = .009). However, no significant decrease was found from 20ms interval to 100ms interval (mean difference = 1.99; p = 1.00) to 300ms interval (mean difference = 1.35; p = 1.00), and to 1000ms interval (mean difference = 6.75; p = .136). In addition, there was no significant decrease found between the 100ms interval and 300ms interval (mean difference = .635; p = 1.00) but. Generally, since there are greater decrease from 100ms and 300ms interval to 1000ms interval, there were overall decrease across the increasing interstimulus intervals. The mean scores for each interstimulus interval are shown in table 1. Table 1 Mean and standard deviation of percentage of recalled items after interstimulus delay Discussion This research was carried out to examine the effect of interstimulus delay on the effectiveness of iconic memory. Our hypothesis was testing on whether longer interstimulus delay causes lower performance in the percentage of the test items recalled. The statistical analysis on our data showed that there was indeed a significant decrease in percentage of recalled items across the increasing length of interstimulus interval thus supporting our hypothesis. Our result was found to be consistent with the findings from previous studies (Sperling, 1960; Merikle, 1980) which showed that the information decayed as the time delay increased. On the contrary, our outcome did not support the findings from the studies conducted by Darwin et al. (1972) which indicated no significant difference between the interstimulus intervals and study by Kuhbandner et al. (2011) which indicated persistence of iconic memory despite 1000s of delay. A possible reasoning for this finding is the iconic memory decayed over time due to the use of neutral stimulus items where 12 random letters were briefly displayed. These random letters were non-relatable to one another to make sense of the information. According to the Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1969) modal model of memory, the sensory memory acted as the pathway to the short-term memory and the information decayed rapidly if remained unrehearsed before further processing of the information. Thus, as the stimulus displayed provided no significance for participants to further process in short-term store and stimulates the information decay. This justification can be supported by the finding by Kuhbandner et al., (2011) as the usage of the emotion-inducing stimulus, particularly threatening stimulus caused longer visual persistence due to the human survival instinct. Hence, the type of visual stimulus used explains why iconic memory is short-lived. Besides that, another possible rationalization on decreasing percentage of recalled items over time was due to blinking. The blinking action momentarily disrupts our vision as we are receiving the visual stimuli. Thomas and Irwin (2006) claimed that blinking restrained cognitive processing from their findings in conducting partial report experiment. Their findings showed that more errors were found under blinking condition. As blinking hinders cognitive processing, it is aligned to the Bundesen’s theory of visual attention where limited processing resources is available hence it requires more time to process more information (Petersen and Andersen, 2012). Blinking puts further setback in the information processing thus leading to the decay of unattended information. Strengths and Limitations As we conducted this experiment in one session where all participants were tested in one sitting, all participants experienced similar external conditions including lighting and temperature that may affect the attention. The similar extraneous conditions contributed to the strength of this study. Besides that, a relatively large number of samples for experimental design research also helped to strengthen this study. For limitations, the convenience sampling method of only conducting the research on a class of psychology students is not representative of the population in Sunway University. Thus, it is difficult to generalize our findings as psychology students are more familiar with the CogLab experiments and the theoretical assumption of partial report. Furthermore, this test was conducted early in the morning as soon as the class begins. The students were not in full-alert state during that hour as they rushed to get to class hence may affect their cognitive processing. Future studies and implications To improve the present study, one of the ways that future researcher can apply is to conduct the experiment on subject from different courses in this university. To remove any biasness in sampling, psychology students should be an excluded as they have basic knowledge on cognitive processing. Besides that, another way to improve this study is by using other types of visual stimulus such as combination of letters and numbers per row to see whether it has an effect on their iconic memory. The current finding suggests that there should be very short intervals in between visual aid presentation especially in videos and movies for visual persistence. Besides that, the finding implies that rehearsals from longer duration of visual display help in retaining the iconic memory. Conclusion In conclusion, this study focuses on iconic memory where we assumed that the percentage of recalled items decreases as there is increase in interstimulus interval. The statistical data analysis indicated that there is a significant decrease in percentage of recalled items as the interval period prolonged. The iconic memory theory (Sperling, 1960) and theory of visual attention (Petersen Andersen, 2012) explained on how the delay affects the iconic memory performance. Iconic memory performance decreases over time due to the decay of information. The finding from this study has implication on filming industries to edit their video materials to reduce the iconic memory effect as cut-scene changes.

The Character of the Curate and Marian in Old Mrs. Chundle by Thomas Ha

The Character of the Curate and Marian in 'Old Mrs Chundle' In Thomas Hardy's short story, 'Old Mrs Chundle', the Curate is a well-respected, well-mannered and considerate man. He is determined to spread the word of God to Mrs Chundle. Mrs Chundle is also a considerate woman. She does not regularly visit the church and lives alone in South Wales. At the beginning of the story, the Curate asks for some lunch from Mrs Chundle. At first Mrs Chundle did not hear the Curate, so he has to repeat what he asked earlier. The Curate is an open man; he is not ashamed of asking food from others and is willing to dine with an old woman. This shows that the Curate is a friendly man and he does not judge people. The Curate strikes up a friendly conversation, which eventually leads to Mrs Chundle lying about visiting the church once a week. Due to this, the Curate thinks he and Mrs Chundle have something in common as ho belongs in the same church, which Mrs Chundle lied about. He hopes to see Mrs Chundle again which shows that the curate has become quite friendly with her and also shows that he is a pleasant man. When the Curate is talking to his rector, he finds out about the lie Mrs Chundle told. His view of Mrs Chundle changes for a short while. He now thinks of her as a wicked woman. In Eudor Welty's short story, 'A Visit Of Charity', Marian is a typical 14-year-old teenager. She is a campfire girl trying to gain a few points by visiting old ladies in an 'Old Ladies Home'. At the beginning of the story, Marian, holding a potted plant, jumps off the bus, stops for a moment besides a prickly dark shrub and then proceeds towards the Old Ladies Home. She says to the nurse at the desk, 'I'm a Campfire girl I ... ...had not avoided her, Mrs Chundle would have had the joy of listening to God's words once more before she had died. Marian had not particularly learnt an important lesson. She is only a young adolescent. The only reason she had visited the old ladies was for a few points. When Marian came out of the Old Ladies Home, the first thing she did was take out her apple from under the bush and took a bite out of it. This shows that Marian was not affected in anyway from her experience with the old ladies. She had not gone to visit the old ladies out of her own choice but only for herself. The Curate had learnt the most from his experience as he showed the signs of confusion, guilt and had to ask for forgiveness from God. Marian had just taken a bite out of her apple as soon as she got out. She showed no signs of sympathy and compassion toward the old ladies.

Effective Decisions

Saumya Bhattacharya expressed her thoughts on how to come up with effective decisions and how to prevent its downsides. She quoted the source from the book of Michael J. Mauboussin, Chief Investment Strategist and a Professor of Finance at Columbia Business School, called Think Twice—Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition. Mauboussin’s first step is to have enough knowledge in the situation that you have. This would help in making effective decisions if you are understand what you are getting into. He mentioned an example of Stephen Greenspan that confirms that sometimes it is better to be wise rather than being just intelligent. Essentially, he mentioned having a decision-making journal, that whenever you have an important decision to make, you can write the decisions you have come up, how you arrived at it, and assume what are the effects of your decisions. Changing voices especially writing was challenging. It can be intimidating because it is not a common way of expressing to us non-writers. Eventually, we have to get used to in a business writing way and even scholarly way. Both are essential because in writing you have to consider your readers and what level of knowledge they can comprehend. Sometimes we tend to overly express our thoughts through fancy words that lead to deviation in the main thought, unclear message, and disorganized thoughts. To avoid this, you must be brief, use familiar vocabulary and must be logical. I can classify the differences of business writing vs. scholarly writing into three categories: purpose, format, and its readers. In business writing, you are trying attain specific goal to complete a job while scholarly writing also known as academic writing that is commonly used in academic fields. It is usually based upon research of the chosen subject. Business writing often has a brief content like memos, reports and evaluations. In academic writing, we have essays, term papers and lab reports that are usually required to have extensive research and good sources. Scholarly writing can be used to support managerial writing because it is usually based on research and mostly written by experts. Sometimes you might need to have a good source that can prove your statement correct or to prove others’ statement wrong or vice-versa. Whether you used scholarly or business writing, as long as you keep it simple, clear, and consistent, your readers will understand what you are trying to convey. References Bhattacharya, S (March 7, 2010). HOW TO DECIDE EFFECTIVELY. Business Today, Vol. 19 Issue 5, p157-157. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=968c482b-8197-48ac-9de1-e51638e99332%40sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=101 University of Houston-Victoria. ACADEMIC VS. BUSINESS WRITING. Retrieved from http://www.uhv.edu/ac/business/academic.aspx (July 18, 2013) Walden University (2013). SCHOLARLY WRITING. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/312.htm (July, 18, 2013) May, Claire and May, Gordon (2012). EFFECTIVE WRITING A HANDBOOK OF ACCOUNTANTS. One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Prentice Hall. Ask.com. Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-scholarly-writing (July 18, 2013)

The Changing Meaning of Mural

The Changing Meaning of Mural The Changing Meaning of Mural The Changing Meaning of Mural By Maeve Maddox Because I am used to thinking of a mural as a painting on a wall, I was startled to hear a local radio announcer refer to a contest for artists to submit designs to paint â€Å"murals† on storm drains. Storm drains are on the ground. They are also rather small. I think of murals as being quite large. Here’s the definition from the OED: mural (noun): a painting executed directly on to a wall or ceiling as part of a scheme of decoration. I was surprised to see ceiling included in the definition. Mural derives from the Latin word for wall: murus. The Latin adjective is muralis, â€Å"of or relating to a wall.† According to the OED, mural in the context of painting is an American coinage dating from 1908. In earlier British usage, a mural was â€Å"a fruit tree grown against and fastened to a wall.† In US urban settings, mural is used in its customary sense, but recently it has come to be used of paintings made on sidewalks, on streets, and even on such things as benches. Here are some examples from news stories originating in different parts of the country: Last year, the CARE neighborhood in partnership with Banner Neighborhoods painted a street mural in the intersection at the south side of the market. - Maryland. University Facilities and Services is coordinating a project featuring storm drain murals to encourage pollution awareness. - Illinois. Monroe Municipal Mural on sidewalk - Georgia. This year another ten local artists were chosen to  paint murals  on ten  storm drains  in the Springfield area.  - Missouri. The new FABnyc  sidewalk mural, fashioned by  Ecuadorian artist Raà ºl Ayala is among our favorite public artworks to surface this year. - New York. â€Å"Only rain down the drain,† reads a mural painted on a concrete bench on the west side of Matthews Street halfway between Green Street and Springfield Avenue. - Illinois. This expanded meaning for mural has resulted in the creation of the retronym â€Å"wall mural.† For Drew and me, painting wall murals has been a great source of extra income. Its finally time to put the finishing touches on the Library Wall Mural and seal it. We completed a big full color wall mural in Naga Gallery. Purists may cringe at the idea of â€Å"sidewalk murals,† but if the painting on a ceiling can be called a mural, I suppose that a large painting on the floor or the ground might reasonably share the term. To refer to a painting or design on a small surface such as a bench or a storm drain as a mural, however, seems to be an unnecessary stretch of meaning. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FuturePeople versus Persons30 Words Invented by Shakespeare

Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Essays

Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Essays Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Paper Self-Preservation Is the First Law of Nature Paper â€Å"Self-preservation is the first law of nature. † The above quote is an often heard line regarding an individual’s response to the demands of nature. It can be said that self-preservation and security outweigh the need to act independently and freely of the constraints of others. This is but one of the ways one can attempt to balance out the desire to act independently but also with the need for security. The idea of resolving these seemingly irreconcilable needs is brought up in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, wherein he writes of two main characters who attempt to resolve their need for independence and security. The playwright utilizes character to suggest that in the attempt to reconcile independence and security, it is ultimately the need for self-preservation that takes immediate priority. A character who is faced with the task of uniting his desire to act independently with his need for security is Hamlet. Hamlet shows a melancholy side to him when confronted by these opposing demands. From his soliloquies, the reader is immersed in the thoughts of a pensive young man who struggles with the need for safety and freedom. He debates whether â€Å"to be, or not to be,† and although he does not hold his life at a â€Å"pin’s fee,† his heart harbors discontent with the â€Å"unweeded garden that grows to seed. † It is seen that he is conflicted with the demands set upon him by his dead father, as well as that of Claudius and the people of Denmark who want to move on from the passing, and he struggles with the desire to resolve his need for security and autonomy in this matter. From this, it is seen that Hamlet values self-preservation over independence as his soliloquies are only words and not actions, and as such, are the product of his own safety thereby allowing him to immerse himself in the safety of this own thoughts. Furthermore, it is evidenced that he is a procrastinator in his quest for independent action, and this ultimately turns out to be his tragic flaw. Even though he is set upon the task of avenging his father’s â€Å"foul and most unnatural death,† he stands â€Å"unpregnant of his cause. It is clear from this that Hamlet procrastinates in order to preserve his own well being and acts in his own self interest despite the desire to take revenge upon Claudius for his father’s death. He does not wish to act independently when his security is put at risk, especially in the presence of a â€Å"smiling, damned villain,† so he procrastinates in order to put off dealing with matters that might jeopardize his wellbeing. Conversely however, Hamlet has been shown to have an impulsive streak in the face of settling his desires for safety and freedom. This is clearly seen when he â€Å"follows [the ghost]† despite the apparitions intentions being unknown. The ghost could be the work of the devil, only to condemn Hamlet to his own personal oblivion, however, he still actively seeks out the spectre because he wishes to learn the truth of the matters concerning his father’s death. As well, he displays decisive action when he says the â€Å"rat dead, for a ducat, dead. † This violent and impulsive action results in the death of Polonius who was eavesdropping on his and Gertrude’s conversation. In both of these examples it is seen that Hamlet acts independently and decisively, with the underlying intent being that of self-preservation. He seeks out the ghost’s intentions because of his desire to live securely despite the rule of Claudius, and he kills Polonius only because he was acting on behalf of his own primal instinct to preserve himself. From these examples it is inferred that in his desire to harmonize safety and the need for independent action, hamlet acts impulsively to secure the security he craves. Lastly, it is seen that Hamlet exudes an aura of intelligence and quick wit when opposed by the daunting task of reconciling safety and independence. He has an innate ability to transform a turn of events to his advantage as is witnessed when the players come to put on a show. He utilizes them in order to â€Å"catch the conscience of the king,† wherein he collects enough evidence to cement the validity of the ghost’s statements. His ability to think quickly is invaluable, as this keeps his wellbeing a top priority while still unifying his need to act freely as well. Another character who deals with the prospect of reconciling his need to act independently with his need for security is Claudius. Unlike Hamlet who is a procrastinator in his deeds, Claudius is a man of decisive action. This is clearly seen when he decides to have Hamlet sent to England with â€Å"fiery quickness† due to his â€Å"antic disposition. † It is evident that Claudius does not deliberate on matters that require immediate attention as â€Å"[he’ll] have Hamlet hence to-night. † From this, it can be inferred that Claudius wishes o preserve himself against a suspicious threat as he manages to actively deal with his adversary as well. In combination with his decisive action, it is known that Claudius is incredibly manipulative in his desire to unify freedom and safety. When Laertes makes his return to Denmark with every intention of avenging his father by killing Claudius, he does everything in his power to give†[Laertes’s soul] it[s] due content. † He placates Laertes’s indignant spirit and as a result, Laertes end up â€Å"rul’d by [Claudius]. From this, it is seen that Claudius utilizes manipulation for the sake of self-preservation while keeping his own independent actions an ulteriot motive. As well, Claudius has displayed a creative and strategic ingenuity when it comes to reconciling his own security and free will. He is determined to be rid of Hamlet, but his strategic nature indicates that he will do so by way of a cunning scheme. When Laertes and Claudius plan hamlet’s demise, Claudius maintains a skillful approach that will allow â€Å"purpose[to] hold there. It is evidenced that Claudius utilizes his own strategic nature in order to act for sake of saving his own flesh. While in the process of working towards acting independently, he also manages to keep his safety a top priority which is his ultimate motive against a dangerous opposition such as Hamlet. Lastly, it is seen that in his pursuit of uniting his own independent action and security, Claudius has shown a paranoid and guilt stricken side to him. He is responsible for the death of his own brother as his â€Å"stronger guilt defeats [his] stronger intent. † However, he cannot truly repent as his â€Å"words [are] without thought,† and as a result, they will â€Å"never to heaven go. † It is seen that because of his desire to remain secure in not only the eyes of the public, but as well as Hamlet and Gertrude, he cannot openly admit to his wrong doings. This is due to the fact that in doing so, he will risk the unbridled and justified wrath of hamlet which will compromise Claudius’s sport on the throne. Just like a scavenger whose actions are cowardly in order to live another day, Claudius too, lives securely to rule in the coming days due to his own inability to act independently. In conclusion, it is seen that in the attempt to reconcile ones desire for independent action as well as security, it is ultimately the self-preserving instinct that takes immediate control. This is clearly evidenced by both hamlet and Claudius in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, who although take different approaches to this matter, fundamentally have the same mentality of keeping their desire to be secure the utmost priority. It is derived from the play that it is almost always security that takes precedence over freedom of actions; however it is up to the members of society to decide for themselves how they wish to approach their own attempt to reconcile their own need for security as well as the desire to act independently. There are many different approaches and ways to attempt this harmonization, and as such, each is tailored to an individual’s unique ability to decipher what it is that one really values and desires.

International Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Economics - Essay Example Social and cultural characteristics also impact the production techniques since the stock of trust among Indians facilitates the maintenance of socially held knowledge that, in turn, allows the social organization of the economic activity of carpet making. In India, values, ideas, human relationships and knowledge of carpet making are transmitted from one generation to another as part of the robust Indian culture. Conversely, the carpet production process in the US is characterized by mechanization of most processes. 2This allows for large-scale production as a single carpet producer uses massive amounts of fiber each day. Resource endowment, in the US, includes massive amounts of financial and intellectual capital, high entrepreneurship and robust technologies. Additionally, income levels are relatively large, enabling entrepreneurship and the establishment of huge companies that churn out massive quantities of carpets throughout the year. Essentially, resource endowment, in the US, including land, capital, labor and entrepreneurship, is quite prosperous. Social and cultural characteristics of the US that impact carpet production include an appreciation for formal training and education, which results in highly skilled and specialized human capital essential for the production process. Question 2 Carpet production is one of India’s oldest industries, dating back to the Mughal Dynasty. However, carpet production centers on the individualistic skills and knowledge of a weaver rather than collective appreciation of carpet making acquired through formal education and training. Due to immediacy to furnishing product, several carpet manufacturing centers have developed across the country. Carpets produced in India are mostly exported since the Indian market for carpets is quite small as a result of the low purchasing capacity of local players. Presently, India’s carpet export is worth Rs.2600 crores while the local market size is approximately Rs.200 c rores. 3The industry has high growth potential as exports increased by 42.23% between 2004 and 2007. 4However, the industry is marred by challenges such as poor market channels, resulting in ignorance within the Indian market. 5On the other hand, the carpet industry in the US is highly developed. The industry shipped 1.969 billion square yards of carpet, in 2003; this was worth approximately $12 billion. Carpet shipments increased to 2.3 billion yards in 2004, demonstrating the massive potential inherent in the US carpet production industry. Presently, the US meets at least 45% of the world’s carpet needs. 6The US carpet industry is characterized by innovations and technological advances that allow for large-scale production of highly-priced goods. Technological progress is one of the primary reasons behind massive growth in the US carpet industry. The US carpet industry is highly organized, allowing for sufficient knowledge in the domestic market. 7 As a consequence, the US effectively meets at least 90% of its domestic carpet needs. Question 3 Latent demand for carpets in the USA pushes the country to become a primary importer of carpet despite being an efficient carpet producer. This is because carpet production, in the US, has been unable to offer complete satisfaction to all domestic needs and wants, resulting in a gap between what is available and desirable. The local US market has a high desirability for hand woven, Indian carpets, which are considered stylish and sophisticated. Conversely,

Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Discipleship in the Gospel of Matthew - Essay Example he concept of discipleship will be explored and subsequently validated through comparisons to the role of faith, devotional learning and ministry within contemporary Christian communities. The English word disciple customarily denotes a follower, adherent or student of a great master, religious leader or teacher.2 Discipleship, in relation to the teachings of New Testament principles, focuses around Christs establishment of a group of individuals who digest, adopt and consequently administer these lessons to other individuals for the sake of promoting Christian doctrine. Moreover, a primary objective of Christs ministry was to appoint citizens of the community of Israel to the role of disciple where, as He preached and educated them regarding His new covenant, these newly selected ministers were moved to faith for the sake of servitude to Christianity.3 It is crucial to highlight the fundamental principles of new Christian doctrine, as Jesus teachings offered a radical reinterpretation of scripture and Jewish tradition whereby He frames the invitation to an abundant life within a new Christian community through a calling to rigorous discipleship.4 In the New Testament, Christ administers His absolute authority to promote a new doctrine for acceptable living by citing His relationship as the appointed messenger of God. Through His teachings, those who were appointed as disciples formed the nucleus of the modern church and that the pattern of the relationship between Christ and his disciples was essential for the establishment of a communion between the risen Lord and members of His church.5 Thus, discipleship can from God through Christ. It is within the Gospel of Matthew where elements of discipleship are most apparent which point toward the goals of adherents to Christianity and the role of disciples in promoting Christian morality and Gods law for the sake of building not only the modern church, but in establishing salvation for others through ministry. The