Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Conceptualizing Addiction Paper Essay

Introduction For many years, individuals have battled substance abuse and addiction. My position comes from hearing about it, having seeing results from it, and reading about it, also developing my own thoughts about addiction. Weil and Rosen (1993) believe that a drug use (and addiction) results from humans longing for a sense of completeness and wholeness, and searching for satisfaction outside of themselves. McNeece and DiNitto (2012) says the reason why people continue to use drugs to the point of becoming a physically and/ or psychologically dependent on them are more complex, some have tried to explain this phenomenon as a deficit in moral values, a disease, conditioning or learned behavior, or as a genetic prosperity. Still some see it as a â€Å"rewiring† of the brain (Mc Neece & DiNitto, 2012). At this point, there is no one single theory that adequately explains addiction (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). Addiction is not easily defined. For some, it involves the â€Å"continued, self-administered use of a substance despite substance- related problems, and it results in tolerance for the substance, withdrawal from the substance, and compulsive drug- taking behavior due to cravings† or drives to use the substance (Schuckit, 1992, p. 182). No single theory adequately describes the etiology of addiction or dependence (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). Most models of addiction is an â€Å"addictive disease† (Washton, 1989, p.55). In this paper will compare and contrast the moral model and the disease model conceptualizing addiction. Describe the two on how they take competing views on addiction, and a summary on a theory that can be most useful in helping to intervene on addiction. The Moral Model One of earliest theories offered to explain the etiology of addiction is humankind’s sinful nature (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). Since it is difficult  to show empirical evidence of a sinful nature, the moral model of addiction has been generally discredited by modern scholars. However, the legacy of treating alcoholism and drug addiction as sin or moral weakness continues to influence public policies regarding alcohol and drug abuse (McNeece & DiNitt o, 2012). Competing Views The model appeals to our common sense because it is consistent with liberal views. In a liberal society, free will and individual autonomy are highly emphasized and valued ideals (Wilbanks, 1989). Addicts are conceived as free willed individuals making rational choices and the reason they engage in drug use is because they have bad morals. However, individuals with â€Å"good† morals are just likely to use drugs such as alcohol or marijuana. If this is the case other factors are present. In the face of reality, the moral model is insufficient to capture the phenomenon of drug addiction (Wilbanks, 1989). The Disease Model The disease model of addiction rests on three primary assumptions predisposition to use a drug, loss of control over use, and progression (Krivanek, 1988, p.202). These physiological alterations cause an undeniable desire to take more drugs (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). Addicts are viewed as individuals with an incurable disease with drug addiction as the symptom. The disease model argues users cannot be held accountable for their addictions (Kirvanek, 1988). Competing Views As the disease model argues that there is no cure for addiction, the only treatments available aims to reduce or suppress the urge to use drugs (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). Firstly, addicts are encouraged to acknowledge that they have a sickness that cannot be dealt with alone and to seek help from professionals such as counselors and therapist (Schaler, 1991). For instance, Narcotics Anonymous uses twelve step program where addicts must first admit that they are â€Å"powerless† over their addictions and must appeal to a â€Å"power greater† that themselves to overcome addictions. Critics of the disease model believes that it takes responsibility away from the addicts and instead characterizes them as victims (Schaler, 1991, Wilbanks 1989). Compare and Contrast The moral model describes addiction as exclusively a matter of choice, where the disease model illustrates it as something that is beyond the control of the individual. With the disease model choice is a factor only insofar as a person actually chooses to treat their disease, not in actually feeding of having the addiction to begin with (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). For instance, where the moral model conceptualizes addiction as a matter or weakness or sin, the public response within this framework is naturally one where the only appropriate action is a corrective or punitive one (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). Theory most helpful to intervene on Addiction The two models are very different, with the moral model essentially discounting most of what hard sciences offers, and the disease model embracing it to a large degree (Miller & Gold, 1990). Morality concept in addiction offer the counselor, and client very little to build on in terms of congruence, because they also dismiss physiological, and neurobiological factors as a cause of addiction (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012). So with that been said the disease model would be most useful helping to intervene on addiction. Conversely the disease model allows the counselor to illustrate an individual’s addiction as something that can be explained in terms of hard science, as well as in terms of how an individual has certain obligations inside the healing process (Comer, 2004). Conclusion In conclusion writing this paper was very interesting, and informational learning about the different models they have to help with drug or alcohol addiction. Comparing and contrasting the moral model and the disease model was helpful in understanding the differences they both had to offer, and competing views. Also being able to choose one model to which would be helpful in intervention of addiction was pretty interesting doing research, and learning that the disease model would work well for intervention purposes. Lastly, McNeece & DiNitto (2012), says no single theory adequately describes the etiology of addiction or dependence. References McNeece, C. A., & DiNitto, D. M. (2012). Chemical dependency: A systems approach (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Krivanek, J. (1988). Heroin: Myths and realities Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Schaler, J. A. (2000). Addiction is a choice. Chicago: Open court. Schuckit, M. A. (1992). Advances in understanding the vulnerability to alcoholism. In C.P. O’Brien & J. H. Jaffe (Eds.). Addiction states (pp.93-108). New York: Raven Press Wahshton, A. M. (1988). Cocaine addiction: Treatment, recovery, and relapse prevention. New York: W. W. Norton. Wilbanks, W. (1989). The danger in viewing addicts as victims: A critique of the disease model of addiction. Criminal Justice Policy. Comer, R. J. (2009). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology. New York: Worth Miller, N. S., Gold M. (1990).The disease and the adaptive models of addiction. A re-evaluation Journal of Drug Issues, 20(1), 29-30

Bose Marketing Structure

A History of Bose Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, then professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As an MIT grad student in the 1950s, Dr. Bose decided to purchase a new stereo system. He was disappointed to find that speakers with impressive technical specifications failed to reproduce the realism of a live performance. The quest for better sound was on. Extensive research in the fields of speaker design and psychoacoustics—the human perception of sound—led to the groundbreaking 901 ® Direct/Reflecting ® speaker system in 1968.Its unprecedented approach to sound reproduction came much closer to the essence and emotional impact of live music, and won immediate acclaim. The list of major Bose innovations continues to grow. Fourteen years of research led to the development of acoustic waveguide speaker technology, found in our award-winning Wave ® radio, Wave ® music system and Acoustic Wave ® musi c systems. Acoustimass ® speaker technology reshaped conventional thinking about the relationship between speaker size and sound, enabling palm-sized speakers to produce audio quality previously thought impossible from speakers so small.Auditioner ® audio demonstrator technology removed the guesswork from sound system design for arenas and other large venues. It allows builders, architects and facility managers to hear precisely what a Bose ® system will sound like in their building, before any equipment is installed, even if the building only exists as a blueprint. Bose Lifestyle ® systems provided a welcome alternative to conventional component-based systems by offering fully integrated home entertainment solutions. Lifestyle ® systems deliver award-winning performance and elegance from elements specifically engineered to work together.The systems approach has paved the way for numerous Bose solutions, audio and beyond. Integrated systems account for the acclaimed perfor mance of Bose automotive sound systems and Acoustic Noise Cancelling ® headsets. The revolutionary Bose suspension system and ElectroForce ® linear motion system rely on proprietary Bose software and hardware working together in harmony. All feature technologies available only from Bose. Today, you can find Bose wherever quality sound is important. From the Olympic games to the Sistine Chapel. From NASA space shuttles to the Japan National Theatre.In the home and on the road, from large outdoor arenas to intimate neighborhood stores, restaurants and clubs, you can hear the realism of the most respected name in sound—Bose. | Organisational Structure of Bose Corporation – February 2nd, 2011 Bose Corporation (pronounced /? bo? z/) is a privately held organization, based in Framingham, Massachusetts, that specializes in audio equipment. [2] Founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, the company operates 5 plants, 151 retail stores (as of October 20, 2006) and an automotive subsi diary at Stow, Massachusetts. With respect to sales in the U. S. or home audio retail and portable audio retail sales, Bose was ranked third for the period of November 2008 to April 2009. [3] Bose is known for the 901 speaker series. CEO Amar Bose CFO Daniel Grady * Forming – during this stage of group development, the members get acquainted with each other. During this stage, the group establishes ground rules. * Storming – this stage is characterized by a high degree of conflict within the group. I consider the storming stage as the most crucial stage. In this stage, the group members and the leader have to resolve the issues that may affect the group in the future.If the group is unable to resolve the issues, it may be disbanded. If the issues are resolved the group will become cohesive. * Norming – during this stage, the group becomes more cohesive and identification as a member becomes greater. During this stage, the group members start to develop relations hips. * Performing – during this stage, questions about group relationships and leadership have been resolved and the group is ready to work. Each member devotes his/herself to getting the job done. * Adjourning – during this stage, the group will cease to exist. This is because it has met its goals and is no longer needed.Another interesting topic is group structure. Group structure refers to the characteristics of the stable social organization of the group, the way the group is ‘put together’. I learned that the way the group is structured affects its performance and ability to function. Through class discussions, I learned about the factors that affect group performance. * Size – the size of the group affects its ability to function. I learned that is best to maintain a small group with 10 members. In a small group, everyone feels needed and everyone is given responsibility. Nature of the task – the nature of the task affects the groupâ⠂¬â„¢s ability to function. The task should contain the right amount of challenge that will excite and push members to perform better. * Resources and support – adequate resources also affect group performance. * External recognition – rewards and recognitions are linked motivation.The members must feel that their work and efforts are valued. * Group composition – it is important to maintain a small group with diverse talents and skills. * N. B: Bose products are found in homes, theaters and large sports arenas. The U. S. ilitary and NASA have contracts with the company Bose Mission Statement The challenge of accurate music reproduction The ability to differentiate live music from all others is what makes its reproduction so challenging. The singular mission at the heart of Bose ® is to reproduce music as true to the original performance as possible. And that involves research, technology and a strong commitment to excellence. Bose Company Objectives Bose main tains an exceptionally strong commitment to research, for it is within the discipline of research that yesterday's fiction becomes tomorrow's reality.We strive to identify things which, when made better, improve people's lives. But it's more than just research. We aim for excellence in everything we do. From the way we run our business to our customer service. From the products to the owner's manuals you'll use to set them up. In everything we do, we truly believe that â€Å"good enough† is merely a starting point. We've taken our commitment and our passion for innovation and applied them to developing unique sound solutions to meet virtually any audio challenge in any application, even the space program.While many of our products are designed for entertainment and home audio solutions, you'll find Bose sound is prevalent in both the aviation and automotive industries, too. We've also designed professional sound systems for many applications, including stadiums and auditorium s, houses of worship, retail businesses, department stores and restaurants. Our commitment has served us well. Today, Bose has operations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. The Bose ® Commitment to Customer SatisfactionAt Bose, an overriding goal is to create value for our customers by offering products and services that meet their needs. Our experienced sales and applications specialists strive to understand your specific testing needs, and then provide a solution for you. We put customers at the center of a dedicated focus on quality and service, and we measure success by the satisfaction of our customers. We are dedicated to bringing you products of superior quality and performance, and exceptional service so you can achieve your goals.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Coffee Shop Essay

I. Introduction The proposed study revolves around the creation of The Coffee House, a proposed small scale business that will be situated in the fast changing environment which is constantly changing due to constructions of buildings and other facilities in the Global City in Taguig City. The study will tackle from the history of the business up to the technical and financial aspects of the study, the said study will also develop the keen observation skills of the students in terms of the marketable value of a specific brand of their liking and will also hone their analysis skills in the business side of the proposed study whether technical or financial. II. Business History The Coffee House is a new small scale business that targets the coffee industry with an expected opening date of July of 2011 in 38th Dr. N. University Parkway, Bonifacio North Triangle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The business is a coffee shop, located near prestigious schools and business districts in the area. The business specializes in coffee, tea, and homemade pastries. There are other shops that only serve coffee in the vicinity, the nearest being over one kilometer away which is stationed at Market Market Mall in the vicinity. The target audience of the business is individuals which are both in the workforce and in the academe, students and professionals alike. Currently, there are no places in the surrounding area that cater to the said target audience. III. Vision and Mission Statement The vision of â€Å"The Coffee House† is to become the leading coffee shop in the area of Bonifacio Global City that is under the governance of Taguig city that also practices the â€Å"green† operation of its store and eventually provides a common area for business meetings, hang-out with friends and even a place for studying while enjoying the products of the business. The mission of â€Å"The Coffee House† is to bring back the appreciation of the masses to the local coffee, to break social norms through the business, to create an environment that can cater to different types of people all in the same time, to contribute to the development of one’s self being, to take part in the solution of environmental problems and to be able to encourage others in doing the same thing and lastly to help deflate the rise of unemployment in the country. Objectives The proposed studies primary goals over the next year are as follows: 1. Secure financing for start-up of at least P1, 380,000 for space and equipment. 2. Renovate our space in Global City. 3. Acquire equipment necessary for business, i. e. coffee pots, cappuccino machines, blenders, etc. 4. Make agreement with coffee distributors, and bakery vendors. 5. Create a cozy, clean environment (i. e. choice of colors, choice of music, decor) 6. Open for another branches and become the foremost coffeehouse in the area. Ownership The Coffee House is a corporation that was formed in the early stages of the study. Each individual are equally involved in the operation and management of the said proposed business. Since the ownership type of the business is a corporation type, in terms of profit, responsibility and liability each individual has equal share, therefore each decision that the business will take before it will be implemented into the business the owners will first assess the proposed implementation before implementing it on a first hand basis and if the decision fails, each one of them will also share the consequences of it. Location and Facilities The Coffee House is located at the 38th Dr. N. University Parkway, Bonifacio North Triangle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The proponents currently own the building that the proposed business will occupy. Thus, expenses for the renovation of the area will be taken from the funds of the business. Since building a business from the ground up, the proponents took a risk in renovating the proposed location to save the business for monthly increase in cost if the business will rent a commercial location. In terms of facilities, the proponents will avail the basic facilities to jump start the business and will acquire more equipment when the business has received its return of investment, which in the estimation of the proponents would be on the succeeding months from its launch date. Products and Services Description of Products and Services The Coffee House will offer high quality coffee our primary product at a very reasonable price. We will also sell homemade cookies, brownies, and doughnuts, also reasonably priced. Key Features of the Products and Services All drinks will be made with filtered water and the highest quality ingredients we can get. Frozen drinks will have caramel or chocolate syrup drizzled in the glass and over the drink. Cappuccino and hot coca will have whipped cream toppings as well as the option for candy sprinkles. Cookies will have the option of a chocolate or caramel dip and sprinkles. We will offer designer flavored cream and five kinds of sweetener, i. e. sugar, honey, Equal, and Sweet-n-Low. Cream and sweetener is at no extra charge. Production of Products and Services We will use only filtered water and will brew our coffee in commercial coffeepots that will be thoroughly cleaned between uses. We will bake cookies, brownies and pizza pandesal in our own on-site oven from proven recipes, daily. Future Products and Services Within the next three to five years we expect to branch out into catering and offer homemade pies, whole or by the slice. Comparative Advantages in Production Our low overhead and cheaper pricing will be the key to our success. Industry Overview Market Research There are other businesses that serve only coffee in the area. Size of the Industry Nationally, the coffee shop industry is quite large, but in Global City, there are only three. The nearest one is in Market Market which is less than one (1) kilometer away. Industry Outlook The coffee business does not show signs of slowing down. With new innovations such as flavorings and additives, it should continue for some time. Marketing Strategy. Target Markets – Our target market is artists and writers who need a nice quite cozy place to think and do their work. Description of Key Competitors Of the three coffee shops in the area, one is a large chain with a very expensive product, one is really a home style restaurant, the last one, and our biggest is a Famous Coffee Shop with an â€Å"Elegant Style Setting†. Analysis of Competitive Position Our pricing strategy, comfortable atmosphere and offering free wifi access will be the key to our success. None of the other shops in the area can offer this. Pricing Strategy The business will offer three sizes of drinks, small, medium and large. Which ranges from 50 pesos to 100 pesos, our cookies and brownies will sell for P50. 00 each/Pizza Pandesal P46 each Promotion Strategy We intend to advertise in the local newspapers and offer a â€Å"frequent drinkers club† discount to our best customers. We will also send out ads via direct mail, which will include cents off coupons. Management and Staffing Organizational Structure – Our organizational structure will be a simple pyramid style with the owners putting in as much work as the employees. Management Team Rachelle Ann Heyres and Marilou Deondo will share management and supervisory responsibilities equally. Rachelle for the morning shift. Marilou for the afternoon shift. Staffing We will hire two busboys, two waitresses, cooks, cashier, janitors, and also security guard these will be recruited from the STI. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Busboys- Security guard- A security guards duty is to perform the duties allotted to him either to secure a place from external infiltration of people or danger that may disrupt the functioning & assets of the organization. His responsibilities include performance of the duty allotted to him, to report to his superiors and be accountable for any lapse of duty. Janitors or cleaners- Labor Market Issues In this area there are College students looking for work, part time or full time, we want to fill that need. Regulatory Issues Global City and the state of Taguig City both have regulations regarding food service establishments. We have already obtained the appropriate business permits. Risks Market Risks – The main risk is monetary. The area may not be ready for a place like ours and we may not do a great business but it can be prevented we will offer( free wi-fi )access to all customers as long as they want as long as they are drinking our coffee. Implementation Plan Implementation Activities and Dates 1. Begin building renovation 7/11 2. Complete renovation 7/5/11 3. Begin preliminary advertising 7/6/11 4. Purchase and setup equipment 7/10/11 5. Open for business 7/15/11 Financial Plan Beginning Balance Sheet – This will be a listing of all of your assets and liabilities, before you open for business. You may want to use a spreadsheet program to make this go easier. Balance Sheet Current Assets: Building P6, 900,000 Computer P69, 000 Sound System P92, 000 Furnishings P200, 000 Equipment P138, 000 Cash Rachelle P230, 000 Marilou P207, 000 Accounts Receivable None Inventory Coffee P46, 000 Tea P23, 000 Other Assets Cups P138, 000 Total Current Assets P8, 043,000 Liabilities: Accounts Payable (monthly) Water P9, 200 Phone P6, 900 Electric P23, 000 Donut Vendor P46, 000 Warehouse Club P46, 000 Coffee Distributor P46, 000 Wages P230, 000 Advertising P46, 000 Taxes Payable Property Taxes P23, 000 Employee Taxes P92, 000 Operating Loans Payable Startup Loan P23, 000 Total Liabilities P545100 ongoing per month Projected Income This will be a listing by month of your projected income. List the projected income each month for each product, this way you can compare actual sales to projected sales at the end of the year to determine what products to concentrate on. (Below is a sample month) July 05 Coffee P276, 000 Tea P92, 000 Cookies P69, 000 Donuts P115, 000 Misc. P184, 000 Total Income for March P736, 000 Total Projected Net Profit (Cost/Benefit) P144, 900 for July This would assume 20 pots of coffee sold a day, plus an assortment of other items. This also assumes the market will not increase or decrease due to weather or economics. This would be an average month. This of course would be adjusted monthly once you start business. Then based on the adjustments and actual sales, you can build a new balance sheet at the beginning of next year. Conclusions After you have created the business plan and examined the cash flow estimation you may find that your net profits are not what you would like them to be. In this case you may have to revise your pricing strategy to fit with your expectations or change your expectations. A coffee shop is not a get rich quick idea; it takes lots of hard work and long hours to realize your dream. But, in the long run, careful planning will make it all worth it. S. W. O. T analysis Strength * The Coffeehouse will offer foods compatible to the coffee that customer’s orders. * The environment of the business is always clean and well ventilated for customers to feel relaxed. * The beverages that the business offers are locally and naturally produced that ensures the quality of the products and lowers additional costs. * Ingredients for other products that will be offered by the business like pastries, salads and the likes is organically produce in the businesses green house. * The business is located near establishments for business, academic, rising condominiums and the occasional joggers of the area. Weakness * Unlike other coffee shops the location of our store is not inside the mall. * Lot of expenses. * Slow regaining for profit. * We need to advertise our coffee shop to the public to be known unlike the others. * Low competitiveness when it comes to name or brand. Opportunities * The coffee that we offer is new to the every individuals so the opportunity in it is that the coffee drinkers may want to try our products to compare it to their usual coffee. * Threats * The other coffee brands is popularly known by every individuals that drinks coffee. *

Monday, July 29, 2019

Discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks of studying for a Essay - 2

Discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks of studying for a university degree, Which appear to be more persuasive Refer to the text and other sources - Essay Example Not only does a degree from a university improve a person’s career prospects but it also helps him socially. His societal status improves and he is respected more. Saying that, however, does not mean that attaining a university degree is a sure shot at landing at your dream job. It is very commonly seen that graduates are jobless or working at a lowly position which is not what they had in mind when pursuing their degree. The value of a university degree should not be gauged monetarily only although that is what most people do and high paying jobs are why people pursue a degree. A university degree gives other possible benefits as well that will be detailed in the rest of this paper. Nevertheless, a degree is never a waste of investment and even if a person does not end up getting a job right away he will find that later on, when he has some experience in lowly jobs, his degree is what will set him out from non-graduates and help him get a good job. I am a single mother of four, having lost my husband a year back. I have a background in nursing and 15 years of experience in the same field. Now I have decided to move into Public Health. I am currently enrolled in the program and also working a part time job side by side. The reason I decided to pursue this degree is that I have a passion for academics and I believe that it will help me a lot in climbing up my career ladder. Yes, it is a pretty hard task managing studies, work and a family and yes, it is extremely difficult to give equal time to all, not to mention it becomes very tiring and stressful too. But then, if you want to achieve something you have to sacrifice and work hard for it. I have also planned to complete my university training as that will be counted a lot. Training and experience is always a bonus in professional life. I believe that once I have this degree I can apply for a better position and be able to earn and support my family better. Even if the results

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Memo about a recent job interview you had in nursing Assignment

Memo about a recent job interview you had in nursing - Assignment Example Occasional travel may be required for training purposes. According to Gurak and Lannon (2013), â€Å"Always create a dynamic tone with active voice.† The job required people with prior experience in nursing. It also recommended education; people with proper education are much appreciated by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the job description the candidate has to perform several duties. Some of those duties include assessing patient care need, adjusting the staff appointments accordingly, and assessing the opportunities of improvement. It also requires the candidate/applicant to serve on committee as well as review and revise nursing policies. An applicant must also be ready to participate in problem solving, developing plans for the care of patients, and to formulate nursing intervention based on their identification of the diagnosis. A candidate is also obliged to consult with healthcare professional on patients to coordinate the diagnosis, to promote harmonious environment, and to initiate treatments and medications based on appropriate utilization of standing orders. Additionally, the candidate must b e able to operate specialized equipment and maintain professional knowledge through updating himself or herself by continuing learning. A candidate must also be able to perform other related duties related to the nursing profession. In other words, the candidate applying for this job must be ready to work industriously with other people. He or she must also be ready to continue learning so as to gather new technological

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Soap Opera developed from the American radio serials in the 1930s to a Essay

Soap Opera developed from the American radio serials in the 1930s to a major global television genre. Trace it s development a - Essay Example These ongoing serials, which first appeared on radio and later on television, were called â€Å"soap operas† because the leading soap manufacturers such as P&G, Lever Brothers, Colgate and others were the major advertisers, producers and financers of these soap operas (Katzman, 1972, p. 210). By the 1930s, most of the networks and advertisers were realising the potential and the size of the daytime market, as most men would spend their daytime on their job and children would spend most of the morning and afternoon at school and playing outside, which left the women and homemakers as an enormous untapped market (Baym, 1996, p. 149). Soap operas provided these networks to tap into this market and attract the advertisers since these women made most of the important purchasing decisions in their homes. Furthermore, with the advent of television and its widespread distribution and use in industrialised and modern economies, advertisers began to focus on developing soap operas on te levision and it is on television that the genre of soap opera has developed and nurtured (Nariman & Rogers, 1993, p. 152). This paper will make a brief attempt at exploring and analysing the development and evolution of soap operas in the global television industry with highlighting the significant and noteworthy changes that have taken place over the past few decades in terms of the format and content of soap operas. Discussion For the most part, a crucial defining element of soap operas has been its open-ended narrative nature, where the story line has the potential to go into so many directions. Every episode ends in such a way that it does need to explicitly run a ticker saying, â€Å"To be continued† because the viewers easily infer that the story will move on to several upcoming episodes. A soap opera may have several parallel story lines, which may intersect with each other and shape each other. Soap opera are least likely to bring all of their storylines to conclusion during the show and even if one storyline moves towards its conclusion, the other storyline is likely to take its place (Nariman & Rogers, 1993, p. 152). During the early years, when the soap operas represented stage plays and theatre settings, the actors relied heavily on blocking techniques. Every now and then, during conservations between characters, one character would suddenly change his or her direction so that they could both face the camera or the stage at the same time (Matelski, 1988, p. 37). The conversation or dialogue delivery, which takes place in such a setting, is not at all realistic but this was a technique which was heavily relied upon during the early years when most of the soap operas were shot in live format. The same does not apply to soap operas and television dramas of today, whether they are using single camera or multi camera format (Liebes & Livingstone, 1998, p. 68). During much of the 1940s-1960s, many of the soap operas never left interior settings or were shot in fictional settings of Midwestern midsized towns. Furthermore, since most of the early actors that took part in these soap opera were theatre actors, the focus remained on live broadcasting in order to provide a

Friday, July 26, 2019

Discuss a few instances of Symbolism in Gilman's Story Essay

Discuss a few instances of Symbolism in Gilman's Story - Essay Example The wallpaper in the room in which the narrator is staying is covered in yellow wallpaper, a color that she detests. This could symbolize that the author has a deep dislike for this ‘disease’ in the society of her era characterized by the oppression of the fairer sex by a patriarchal society. Her hatred for the wallpaper, its color and design is actually a hatred for how men in that era treated women because to the author, the yellow wallpaper with its â€Å"hideous color† and â€Å"torturing pattern† symbolizes exactly that. The windows in her room are another symbol, symbolizing opportunity and that the narrator keeps sitting in her room and looking through them symbolizes a desire to make use of that opportunity and acquire much wanted freedom from the current oppression they face, freedom for women to be recognized as equals to their male counterparts. Another instance is of the woman stuck inside the wallpaper that the author sees creeping around, this woman is actually a representation of the author/narrator herself. It shows us how the author perceives herself and her current role in life. She feels trapped much like the woman inside the wallpaper and she feels that she has to ‘creep’ around like the woman in the wallpaper because she wants her actions to go unnoticed by her husband. Another instance of symbolism in this story is when she talks about the pattern of the yellow wallpaper which initially doesn’t make any sense to her. The author says â€Å"I never saw a worse paper in my life,† (Gilman, Charlotte) which means that she dislikes the structure of dominance and restriction that the men had created over women in that era by refusing them status equal to that of men and by treating them like silly â€Å"little girls†. The pattern of the yellow wallpaper signifies the complex structures in her life that have bound her in her current subordinate role. The pattern sometimes feels like bars to her and she feels like she’s stuck behind them and trying to escape. There is also the issue of how her husband and brother treat the issue of her illness. They regard it as if it were but a silly whim and ignore any input from the author/narrator herself. This symbolizes how in the 1800s men thought that women were inferior to them and thus so were their opinions. The women were thus largely ignored and their thoughts and views given no real notice or importance. The author believes that some mentally stimulating activity would actually help her come out of her depression, but her husband and brother give her opinion no real thought and on the contrary forced her to undergo the ‘rest cure’ whereby she was to be confined to one room and allowed no activity that would mentally stimulate her. This in itself is another symbolism, where the author shows us through the dynamics of her relationship with her husband and his attitude towards her illness an opinions h ow he (he here stands for all the men in that era) has ‘confined’ her according to his will and it doesn’t really matter whether she concurs to his ways or not. What she thinks is of no consequence because she, as a female is inferior to her husband and thus her husband â€Å"must know better†. Not allowing her any activity also symbolizes that the men restricted women’

Thursday, July 25, 2019

History of Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History of Design - Essay Example Countries like Russia, USA and France, attended the exhibit. The palace was regarded as the first theme park offering education and entertainment. Ruskin questioned the paying of an artist on the basis of hours worked. Artistic work takes basis on very many perspectives. He stated that an artist should be paid in relation to their economically immeasurable quality of work. Artists have no power to determine their financial value but rather this depends primarily on the buyer. He postulated close monitoring of the worker through close supervision for better results. Charlie was born in Glasgow Scotland in the year 1868. He later joined Glasgow school of art in the year 1884. Having completed his studies in the year 1889, he became an architectural assistant. In the year 1890, Charlie won a scholarship in Italy which acted as a gateway to his success in the field of art. Charlie is highly regarded as a leading factor for the development of various designs. An excellent example is the textile designs and interior designs. He also brought the idea of modernism. Charlie was greatly influenced by the Japanese style due to its simplicity, style and use of natural materials. Some of these designs are’ Argyle Chair, High black chair, Hill House chair and Ingram chair. In conclusion, Charlie undertook great projects in Europe like; Hill house, Windy Hill, Former Daily Record Offices Glasgow, and Lighthouse Glasgow. Queens Cross church project was rated as one his

International education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International education - Essay Example Relevant t the above, it is important to note that the Australia’s International Education Industry accounts for the fourth largest export industry in the region (Davis and Makintosh, 2011). On this perspective, the nation has been getting more than 15 billion dollars annually due to the international education programmes. The industry has been experiencing massive growth due to the stronger influence of the international higher education. Other than the issue of being considered one of the most crucial export industries, the Australian International Educational Industry is estimated to host approximately eighty per cent of the students from Asia (Loras, 2011). This has contributed massively in ensuring that the country enjoys prestige as well as recognition in the international arena. The educational quality offered in the Australian institutions of higher learning has been one of the best. The standards have been termed world class (Mukerji and Tripahi, 2014). As such, several people have always been in need of joining these Australian international institutions. This follows that most students always like to associate themselves with institutions of higher learning that offer the best qualities in the world. The fact that the educational standards in these institutions have been of good international reputations has made several foreign students to join these institutions of higher learning in the region (Bretag, 2015). It is of crucial significance to note that the Australia’s International Education Industry has massively contributed towards raising of the Australia’s profile, as well as the Australia’s global standing (Ramar et al, 2013). The education in the Australian institutions has really contributed towards increasing opportunities for business as well as promoting the issue of research activities. This has led to strengthening of many sectors within the country. Moreover, the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Is Small Beautiful Critically appraise management styles in small Essay

Is Small Beautiful Critically appraise management styles in small firms - Essay Example In reality, approaches to business management may be based on entrepreneurial constituents. These will ultimately describe at a greater depth articulate the small business field management, something that is the center of focus in this piece of writing. Entrepreneurial style of management in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is anticipated is associated with success. This means that, through the styles of management, a small business firm would experience a high growth from one level to another. It is true to say that entrepreneurial management is associated with type of firm; that is, growth rate. The growth rate in itself may be either high or low as Eugene, Hampson, Ian and Beryl (2003) explain in their work. This work will for sure check on variability that exists in small business firms and the kinds and their managerial styles. Literature Small firms are numerous and operational in virtually all parts of the globe. They have a sense of global competence, and a thought a bout them introduces a deal of effectiveness in terms of management and style. It is better to understand the meaning and the relationship that the managers of the firms have with those that help them run their business. In the first place, it is imperative to understand the meaning of entrepreneurship. ... Following the small nature of firms, they become easy to manage in the hunt for their growth and profitability. This comes because of innovative ideas and behaviors that an entrepreneur allies with. Character traits of an entrepreneur who is success oriented clearly spring up. They cover all most aspects of growth-targeted areas that we need to see in the entrepreneurs. We will consider the character traits in a broad manner to see how successful small business owners should operate. To begin with, there is so much to do with personality traits. This makes an entrepreneur legible enough to discern what to do at the very appropriate moment. Personality traits in any small business owner cannot allow for an exceptional thing that may ruin the business. Attitude of any small business owner boosts the general outcome of the business. In fact, a positive attitude has all it takes to see success in the business. In this regard, it instills a better level of self- effectiveness, strength of a higher order and so on. In many cases, eagerness to change according to the current situations that face SMEs is a real stepping-stone to success. This is better off when still when a small business owner shows a great deal of interest in getting involved in creativity and innovation. A business becomes so beautiful to manage in the sense where there is competition aggression and that burning need for success and achievement. Consequently, these are what constitute the logic of small business being beautiful. In a small business enterprise, planning is considerably easier. Its management is swift since it offers a friendly environment for the owners and their customers at large. This does not

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Action plan reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Action plan reflection - Essay Example hest radiographic procedures with patient with pneumothorax and help me to provide good quality image of chest x-ray due to the pneumothorax condition. This area of knowledge acquired can really lead to the achievement of my personal goal to improve my knowledge in pathology. This is because as noted by the authors, the principles and management of pneumothrax form an important basis in the overall pathological pathway to radiography. 18- 20/09/2013: I read ‘Asthma and COPD’ and I acquired a lot of information about these diseases and how they effect the lung. I also learned how can I provide the management of radiographic procedure and good quality images for patient with one of these diseases. After reading this book, my knowledge about Asthma and COPD is improving. I however think that this area alone cannot be an end in itself but a means to an end. This means that I need to expand my knowledge in other areas of radiography pathology in order to make the achievement of my personal goal realistic. The reason for this assertion is that the authors noted that asthma and COPD do not form part of the most reported cases and incidence that radiographers have to deal with. In effect, to have a full understanding of the pathology requires adding some more knowledge areas. 23 – 26/09/2013: I read ‘Diagnosis and Management of Bowel Disease’. From this, I acquired so much information about various bowel disease such as diarrhea, consitaption, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. This learning improved my knowledge of the bowel disease and helped me to improve the management of abdomen radiographic procedure due to patient condition and provide good quality images. The authors from whom I learnt this have noted that abdominal radiography is a very complex process that requires a lot of expanded knowledge base on the part of the radiographer. This means that there is shared responsibility for me to know much more about bowel diseases and

Monday, July 22, 2019

Learning Styles Essay Example for Free

Learning Styles Essay The reason for doing this report is to try and discover which is my best and worst way to learn and then to come up with a strategy for improving my ability to learn. The first thing that I need to do is research what different learning styles there is, after I have done this I can determine what are my preferred learning styles. Types of Learning Styles After doing some research I have discovered that there are four main ways of learning. For each of these four ways there is a continuum, this continuum determines which particular style somebody may prefer. The first continuum of learning is Active and Reflective, this style is to do with the way in which a person may go about his/her learning. Active learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something active with it, discussing or applying it in a hands on way. Reflective learners prefer to think about it quietly first. The second continuum of learning is Sensing and Intuitive, this style is to do with the information that a person has to learn. Sensing learners often prefer to learn and memorise facts but intuitive learners prefer to learn around new ideas and concepts. The third continuum of learning is Visual and Verbal, this style is to do with the way in which the information is presented. Visual learners remember best what they see e. g. pictures, diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, and demonstrations. Verbal learners get more out of words including written and spoken explanations. The fourth and final continuum of learning is Sequential and Global. This style is to do with the way in which learners put together the information they have been given. Sequential learners tend to gain understanding in linear steps, with each step following logically from the previous one. Global learners tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then suddenly getting it. To be an effective learner you need to be able to learn in every single way depending on the way in which the information is presented or the environment in which you are learning etc. This is why the best learners have balanced learning styles and therefore can adapt the way they learn. My Learning Style Preferences are? To find out my learning style preferences I took part in a on-line test (http://www. crc4mse. org/ILS/self_test. html) which asks a series of questions and then gives you a score for each one of the four learning continuums. For three of the continuums I was biased towards one particular style, these are active, visual and global. This would indicate that I learn best when I can get involved and try things out. It also indicates that I absorb information best when it is presented visually in things such as diagrams, tables, graphs etc. furthermore, the test showed is that I learn best if I get an overview of the whole topic before I start concentrating on the smaller details. The final thing that this test points out is that Im neither sensing nor intuitive. Due to this I am able to learn the facts surrounding a subject but I am also able to grasp theories and ideas. I absolutely agree with the results of this test and would say it is a fair judgement on my learning preferences. My Learning Style Weaknesses are? As discussed before the best learners have a balanced learning style and therefore my greatest weakness is that I dont have the ability to adapt my learning style to all situations. Because of this I may miss out on some vital information because it isnt presented in a format that I am totally comfortable with. Even though I am a good learner when I learn actively I dont learn as well when there is nothing practical for me to take part in, in order to re-enforce the things that I have learnt. I also find it difficult to absorb information when it is not presented in a visual format. Another weakness of mine is that in some cases I need to have an overall understanding of a subject before I appreciate the smaller details. This is a weakness because sometimes it can over complicate a topic if I try to understand everything before I understand the basics; therefore this makes it more difficult for me to put everything into context. The fact that I struggle to adapt my learning styles isnt my only weakness, by doing a skills audit I have discovered other areas of learning where I am weak. My weakest area in the skills audit is spoken communication. This includes things such as speaking in front of a group, expressing my views verbally and delivering a presentation. I feel the reason why I am weak in this area is because I dont like being the centre of attention and when I am I become very self conscious and nervous. I am fine when talking one-to-one but when it comes to talking in front of large groups I am not comfortable at all. This needs to be improved though because it is an important skill in any industry. My Strategy for effective learning is? The first step to make my learning more effective is by identifying my weaknesses. I feel that I have done this successfully by doing the online test and by completing the skills audit. The next step is to come up with a strategy to improve my weaknesses and make the most of my strength. I am aware that my spoken communication skills will improve with practice and by using stress management techniques when I am giving presentations, talks etc. but, trying to make my learning styles more balanced may be more difficult. To improve my reflective side of learning I could take time after lectures to read through my notes again and do further reading on a topic but I could also relate the things that I have learnt in the lecture to a practical situation and therefore learn it the way that best suits me. The way in which I could improve my verbal way of learning is by getting somebody to talk through a diagram, graph etc whist Im looking at it. This will allow me to recognise the information verbally as well as visually because I will be relating what the tutor is saying to something that I can understand easier. Finally the way in which I can become more of a sequential learner is by taking topics step by step and try to forget about the overall picture until I have gat all of the pieces. This will help me because it will stop me from getting confused if I stop thinking about things that arent important in the early stages. With all of these things it may be better for me to adapt what is being taught to me and fit it into my preferred learning style, rather than adapt my preferred learning style to fit in with the material that is being taught. If I do things this way I am always going to learn things in my preferred way but realistically I know this isnt always a possibility and therefore I am aware of the need to become a more effective learner.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Organizational Commitment and Pay Satisfaction

Organizational Commitment and Pay Satisfaction LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter discusses about organizational commitment and pay satisfaction and dimensions under these two variables. ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT Meyer, Allen, Smith (1993) say that the three types of commitment are a psychological state that either characterizes the employees relationship with the organization or has the implications to affect whether the employee will continue with the organization. Meyer et al (1993) continue to say that generally the research shows that those employees with a strong affective commitment will remain with an organization because they want to, those with a strong continuance commitment remain because they have to, and those with a normative commitment remain because they fell that they have to. Meyer Allen (1997) define a committed employee as being one stays with an organization, attends work regularly, puts in a full day and more, protects corporate assets, and believes in the organizational goals. This employee positively contributes to the organization because of its commitment to the organization. Organizational commitment is a psychological state that binds an individual to the organization. It is a link between an employee and the organization that makes turnover less likely (Allen Meyer, 1990). Affective commitment is defined as an employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization (Allen Meyer, 1990). Continuance commitment is a desire to continue to engage in consistent lines of activity as a result of the accumulation of Aside [emailprotected] which would be lost if the activity were discontinued (Allen Meyer, 1990; Becker, 1960). A considerable amount of research in the field of organizational commitment, which is aimed at locating the antecedents and the correlations with variables like turnover and absenteeism. In order to have a good understanding of the construct of organizational commitment, Table 2.1 was constructed to presents the historical definitions of organizational commitment. Liou Nyhan (1994), Guffey, et al. (1997) A. The attitudinal approach refers to the attitude that an employee has towards ones organization. B. The Behavioral approach states that an employee becomes attached or committed to an organization based on one;s individual investment of time, money or training that would be lost of one left the organization. A) an employee who has a high organizational commitment will: strongly belief in and accept the organizations goals and values exert a significant effort for the firms benefit desire to remain as a member of the organization Porters, Steers, Mowday and Boulian (1974) The relative strength of an employees identification with and involvement in a particular organization. Three factors influencing organizational commitment: acceptance of the organizations goals and values willingness to work on behalf of the organization strong motivation to remain in the organization. Development of organizational commitment is a process that evolves through stages over a period of time. Sheldon (1971), Buchanan (1974) Positive evaluation of the organization and the intention to work toward its goals. Buchanan (1974) a) identification adoption as ones own the goals and values of the organization b) involvement psychological immersion or absorption in the activities of ones work role c) loyalty a feeling of affection and attachment to the organization. Hrebeniak and Alluto (1973) The unwillingness to leave the organization for increments in pay, status, or professional freedom or for greater colleague friendship. Kantor (1968) Willingness of social actors to give energy and loyalty to the organization. Becker (1960) Employees organizational commitment develops through their actions and choices over time. Commitment is viewed as a function of employee behavior. Multiple definitions of organizational commitment are found in the literature. Bateman and Strasser (1984) state that organizational commitment has been operationally defined as multidimensional in nature, involving an employees loyalty to the organization, willingness to exert effort on behalf of the organization, degree of goal and value congruency with the organization, and desire to maintain membership. Mowday, Steers, and Porter (1979) identified commitment-related attitudes and commitment-related behaviors. Porter et al. (1974) discuss three major components of organizational commitment as being a strong belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals, a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization, and a definite desire to maintain organizational membership. Sheldon (1971) defines commitments as being a positive evaluation of the organization and the organizations goals. According to Buchanan (1974) most scholars define commitment as being a bond between an individual (the employee) and the organization (the employer), though his own definition of commitment. According to Maume (2006) Organizational Commitment is typically measured by items tapping respondents willingness to work hard to improve their companies, the fit between the firms and the workers values, reluctance to leave, and loyalty toward or pride taken in working for their employers (Maume, 2006). Meyer and Allen (1991) and Dunham et al (1994) identified three types of commitment; affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. Normative commitment is a relatively new aspect of organizational commitment having been defined by Bolon in 1993. AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT Affective commitment is defined as the emotional attachment, identification, and involvement that an employee has with its organization and goals (Mowday et al, 1997, Meyer Allen, 1993; OReily Chatman). Porter et al (1974) further characterize affective commitment by three factors (1) belief in and acceptance of the organizations goals and values, (2) a willingness to focus effort on helping the organization achieve its goals, and (3) a desire to maintain organizational membership. Mowday et al (1979) further state that affective communication is when the employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals in order to maintain membership to facilitate the goal. Meyer and Allen (1997) continue to say that employees retain membership out of choice and this is their commitment to the organization. CONTINUANCE COMMITMENT Continuance commitment is the willingness to remain in an organization because of the investment that the employee has with nontransferable investments. Nontransferable investments include things such as retirement, relationships with other employees, or things that are special to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Continuance commitment also includes factors such as years of employment or benefits that the employee may receive that are unique to the organization (Reichers, 1985). Meyer and Allen (1997) further explain that employees who share continuance commitment with their employer often make it very difficult for an employee to leave the organization. NORMATIVE COMMITMENT Normative commitment (Bolon, 1993) is the commitment that a person believes that they have to the organization or their feeling of obligation to their workplace. In 1982, Weiner discusses normative commitment as being a generalized value of loyalty and duty. Meyer and Allen (1991) supported this type of commitment prior to Bolons definition, with their definition of normative commitment being a feeling of obligation. It is argues that normative commitment is only natural due to the way we are raised in society. Normative commitment can be explained by other commitments such as marriage, family, religion, etc. therefore when it comes to ones commitment to their place of employment they often feel like they have a moral obligation to the organization (Wiener, 1982). PAY SATISFACTION To fully understand the concept of pay satisfaction, it is necessary to review research on the construct. From the inception of organizational science, pay has been considered an important reward to motivate the behavior of employees (Taylor, 1911). Yet it was not until theorists began exploring fairness in social exchanges (Adams, 1963) that the specific cognitive mechanisms through which pay motivates workers began to become clear. Soon after, organizational researchers hypothesized that feelings of fairness lead to organization relevant attitudes such as job satisfaction (Locke, 1969) and, more specifically, pay satisfaction (Locke, 1976), and that these attitudes impact employee behavior within organizations (Farell Stamm, 1988; Judge Bono, 2001; Scott Taylor, 1985; Tett Meyer, 1993). Pay satisfaction has received considerable research attention since the constructs introduction into the literature, although conceptualization of the construct has changed over time. Table 2.2 constructed by Faulk II (2002) traced the development of the pay satisfaction construct from pay level research to current multi-dimensional approaches. The first model includes pay and recognizes that pay has implications for employee behavior in organizations but does not explain why this is so. Initial research on pay satisfaction relied upon equity (Adams, 1963) and discrepancy theories (Lawler, 1971) to explain how individuals determine satisfaction with pay. Treated as a global construct in these models, pay satisfaction motivates individuals to engage in certain behaviors, but these approaches do not specify which behaviors will be chosen. In the late 1970s, Heneman and Schwab (1979) built upon the work of Lawler (1971) and Dyer and Theriault (1976) to develop the modified discrepancy model that proposes that pay is multidimensional; Heneman and Schwab (1979) describe five related but unique dimensions whose antecedents and consequences depend on the different ways they are administered within organizations. PAY Pay has long been considered one of the most important organizational rewards (Heneman Judge, 2000) because it allows employees to obtain other rewards (Lawler, 1971). Frederick Taylor (1911) was one of the earliest to recognize the motivating effects of pay when he proposed that workers put forth extra effort on the job to maximize their economic gains. Although this premise lost favor in the late 1920s with the emergence of the human relations school (Wren, 1994), money remains the fundamental way that organizations reward employees. Yet, despite the long-standing importance of pay, the way pay impacts the behavior of employees remains to be explained. Reinforcement theory and expectancy theory emerged as the earliest theories to shed some light on how pay influences employee behavior. REINFORCEMENT THEORY Reinforcement theory (Skinner, 1953) suggests that pay acts as a general reinforcer because of its repeated pairing with primary reinforcers. People learn from life experiences that a primary need, such as food or shelter, can be satisfied if money is obtained. Other theorists suggest that through similar experiences a drive for money itself develops (Dollard Miller, 1950). Whether treating pay as a means to an end or as an end itself, reinforcement theory does not provide a clear explanation for how pay acts as an impetus for action. People engage in behaviors because of past experiences, but the process by which past experiences determine an individuals future behavior remained unclear. EXPECTANCY THEORY Vrooms (1964) expectancy theory helped clarify how pay influences future behavior. According to expectancy theory, three components determine motivation: 1) a judgment regarding the likelihood that an effort leads to a certain level of performance (expectancy); 2) a judgment regarding the likelihood that this level of performance leads to a certain outcome (instrumentality); and 3) the importance of the outcome to the individual (valence). Life experience, the key determinant of behavior as suggested by reinforcement theory, influences the determination of both expectancy and instrumentality. If an individual has prior experience which leads him or her to believe that a certain level of effort will lead to a given level of performance and that this level of performance will lead to a given outcome, that person will be more likely to engage in that behavior, if the outcome is desirable (high valence). Vroom (1964) suggests that pay motivates behavior only if valued by the employee or if pay allows individuals to obtain some other highly valued outcome. UNIDIMENSIONAL PAY SATISFACTION One key component not specifically delineated by either reinforcement or expectancy theory is the desirability of the outcome. This suggests an affective reaction to the outcome that influences an individuals behavior. Herzbergs (1968) two-factor motivational model provides an important link between pay research and pay satisfaction research by suggesting that it is the individuals affective reaction to pay, pay satisfaction, that impacts motivation. Herzberg (1968) suggests pay is a hygiene, or contextual factor, that prevents an employee from being motivated by such things as the work itself. Herzberg (1968) suggests that if an organization wishes to motivate employees, the organization must first make sure pay and other hygiene factors are at such levels that dissatisfaction does not occur. Along with reinforcement (Skinner, 1953) and expectancy theories (Vroom, 1964), Herzbergs (1968) two-factor theory begins to explain why pay is generally regarded as a major mechanism for rewar ding and modifying behavior (Opsahl Dunnette, 1966). However, it is difficult to relate pay directly to outcomes. It is actually attitudes such as pay satisfaction that have been shown to be important intervening variables in the relationships between pay and outcomes. Once research recognized an employees affective reaction to pay is what is important, not simply objective pay, it was necessary to determine the nature and domain of pay satisfaction, its antecedents, and consequences. Initially, pay satisfaction was conceived as a unidimensional construct. It was assumed an individual has a general feeling about his or her pay and that this overall feeling is an important determinant of the individuals attitudes and behaviors (Lawler, 1971). Equity and discrepancy theories offer insight into how pay satisfaction is determined and suggests possible consequences of pay dissatisfaction. EQUITY THEORY Equity theory suggests that individuals are interested in maintaining fairness in their relationships with organizations. Fairness is determined by social comparison (Festinger, 1957) based on a social exchange (Homans, 1961). The exchange takes place between the individual and the organization. As shown in Figure 2.1, the individual examines the ratio of what is received from the organization (outputs) to what is contributed to the organization (inputs). Outputs include pay, time-off, benefits, and recognition, while inputs include experience, tenure, effort, and education. Once the ratio is determined, the individual compares his or her ratio to a referent others ratio. This referent other can be someone doing a similar job within or outside the organization, someone doing a different job in the organization, or even the focal individual at a different point in time. The more similar the ratios are, the greater the satisfaction. However, if the ratios are significantly different, t ension will result, and the individual will be motivated to reduce that tension. To reduce this tension, the individual may change his or her behavior, cognitively adjust his or her inputs and/or outputs or those of the referent, change the referent, or exhibit withdrawal behaviors (Adams, 1963; Campbell Pritchard, 1976). Clearly, providing an employee with a satisfactory pay package is important to the operations of an organization. If employees do not feel they are being treated fairly, they will act to reduce the tension caused by inequity. For example, if the employee feels the output/input ratio is below the referent other, the employee may reduce the number of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) exhibited (Organ, 1994; Williams Anderson, 1991). Alternatively, the individual may come in late, miss work altogether, or quit the job. If the employee is a strong performer, none of these activities benefit organizational operations. Equity theory is an important advancement in the study of pay satisfaction because it explains how individuals form an attitude regarding pay. Equity theory also suggests that once an attitude regarding pay is formed, this attitude will cause individuals to act in certain ways, either maintaining their current behavior or changing their behavior in order to reach a state of satisfaction. Although equity theory offers a range of behaviors that individuals may engage in to reduce perceived inequity, it does not suggest how strong an influence perceived inequity has on each of the outcomes. DISCREPANCY THEORY Another relevant social cognitions theory that is important in the development of pay satisfaction research is discrepancy theory (Lawler, 1971). As shown in Figure 2, discrepancy theory builds on equity theory by incorporating inputs and outputs to form a perception of fairness and uses a referent other in this assessment. However, discrepancy theory adds important variables, revises the mechanism by which individuals determine their level of satisfaction, and incorporates expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964). The focal individual assesses his or her level of inputs and uses a referent others inputs and outcomes to partially determine the amount of pay that should be received. A difference between this model and equity theory is that the individual also takes into account perceived job characteristics including job level, perceived difficulty of the task, and perceived responsibility when determining the perceived amount of pay that should be received. This set of perceptions forms one half of the key comparison in the discrepancy model that determines pay satisfaction. The other half of the comparison is the perceived amount of pay received that is determined by actual pay received as compared to the perceived pay of a referent other. If there is a discrepancy between an individuals perception of how much he or she receives and how much he or she feels should be received, the individual will be motivated to reduce the dissonance in much the same way explained by equity theory. According to discrepancy theory, and unlike equity theory, motivation to engage in behaviors to reduce tension is not solely determined by a difference between what is expected and what is actually received. Lawlers discrepancy model further enhances equitys explanation of pay satisfactions relationship with behavior by incorporating a component of expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), valence, to determine whether a person will react to the discrepancy. If the outcome is has a low valence, the individual will not react strongly to the discrepancy. If pay is important, a discrepancy will have an impact on the individuals behavior; if it is not, the individual will not be motivated to change his or her behavior. The incorporation of valence is important because it explains why two individuals in the same inequitable or discrepant situation react differently. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS The majority of global pay satisfaction research focuses on its antecedents. Considerable progress has been made in identifying the causes of pay satisfaction (Berkowitz et al., 1987; Dreher, 1981; Dyer Theriault, 1976; Sweeney et al., 1990). For example, perceptions of future inequity (Berkowitz et al., 1987), education (Lawler Porter, 1966), occupational level (Schwab Wallace, 1974), actual pay level (Berger Schwab, 1980; Dreher, 1980; Dreher et al., 1988; Hemmasi, Graf Lust, 1992; Rice, Phillips, McFarlin, 1990), and the sources of an individuals information regarding compensation (Capelli Sherer, 1988) have all been found to explain variance in pay satisfaction. Although several articles emphasize the importance of determining the impact of global pay satisfaction on outcome variables (Blau, 1994; Heneman, 1985; Shaprio Wahba, 1978), very few have explored the question empirically. Using a sample of 2000 middle managers, Miceli, Jung, Near Greenberger (1991) found global pay satisfaction related positively to global job satisfaction (r = .28), lack of job search (r = .23), and intent to stay until retirement (r = .26). Motowildo (1983), using a sample of 89 salespeople, analyzed the relationship of pay level satisfaction and withdrawal behavior. He found that pay satisfactions relationship with turnover is indirect through turnover intent, and that relationship between quantity of pay and turnover intention is mediated by pay satisfaction. Pay satisfaction explains an additional 15.9% of the variance in turnover intention after age, tenure, general satisfaction, pay, and pay expectation have been entered in the regression equation. Althoug h positively correlated with termination (r = .23, à Ã‚  Global pay satisfaction research has advanced the understanding of pays importance in organizations in significant ways. First and foremost, the shift in focus from objective pay to the affective reaction to pay provides an important intervening variable between pay and outcomes. Secondly, the theoretical underpinnings of this research stream, equity theory (Adams, 1963) and its close derivative, discrepancy theory (Lawler, 1971), expand on the theories used in pay research to provide a process by which pay satisfaction is determined. Finally, these theories offer suggestions regarding the effect of pay satisfaction on outcomes (Adams, 1963; Campbell Pritchard, 1976; Lawler, 1971). What this stream of research does not explain is which of these possible behaviors will be chosen. Two other concepts in equity and discrepancy theory are left unexplored if pay satisfaction is conceptualized as a unidimensional construct. First, equity theory allows the comparison of other variables such as recognition, time-off, and benefits when determining whether or not the individual is treated fairly. A unidimensional conceptualization of pay satisfaction focuses solely on pay; arguably pay level (Heneman, 1985). Secondly, discrepancy theory borrows the concept of valence from expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) to explain differing reactions to the same inequitable situation. To determine pay satisfactions domain and nature, researchers needed to explore the possibility that pay satisfaction may include other dimensions that will impact outcomes differentially. This need led to the creation of a multidimensional approach of pay satisfaction. MULTIDIMENSIONAL PAY SATISFACTION Soon after Locke (1969) hypothesized that pay was a facet of job satisfaction that warranted singular attention, he suggested that pay satisfaction might be a multidimensional construct. The first to explicitly explore this possibility were Heneman Schwab (1979). They suggested that pay satisfaction consists of four related, but distinct dimensions, and developed the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) to test the hypothesis (Heneman Schwab, 1985). Their model has received considerable attention but is not universally accepted. The basis the models is the administrative independence concept, which builds upon discrepancy theory. ADMINISTRATIVE INDEPENDENCE The premise of the administrative independence concept is similar to that of equity and discrepancy theories (Heneman, 1985). An individual makes comparison with referent others based on what the individual offers an organization and what he or she receives in return (Adams, 1963; Lawler, 1971; Heneman Schwab, 1979). According to the administrative independence concept, it is how these outcomes are administered, not simply whether or not the individual receives a certain amount of compensation, that has consequences in an organizational setting (Heneman Schwab, 1979). While discrepancy theory focuses on a unidimensional conceptualization of pay, administrative independence suggests pay is multidimensional and divided into two categories: direct compensation, consisting of salary, wages, and raises, and indirect compensation consisting of benefits such as time off, health insurance, and retirement plans (Heneman, 1985). One must distinguish between the different components of pay be cause the components have different determinants and consequences (Judge, 1993). To look at the components as a single construct compromises attempts to explain pay satisfaction and its influences (Ironson, Smith, Brannick, Gibson, Paul, 1989). An individual may be satisfied with one component of his or her pay while being dissatisfied with another. Administrative independences extension of discrepancy theory is the basis for subsequent multidimensional models of pay satisfaction. MODIFIED DISCREPANCY MODEL Heneman and Schwab (1979) expanded upon the discrepancy model (Lawler, 1971) by suggesting that pay can be broken into four distinct categories: pay level, pay structure, pay system, and pay form. Heneman and Schwab (1979) defined these dimensions as follows (pp. 1-2): Pay level is the average of several wages or salaries in the organization. The average may be based on individual pay rates for a single position or on pay averages for a number of positions. Pay structure is the hierarchy of pay rates or levels among jobs in an organization. Pay system is the method the organization uses to determine pay raises for individuals which can be computed in terms of the amount of time the employee spends on the job (time-based systems) or for his performance or efficiency (performance-based systems). Performance-based systems include individual and group incentive systems, merit systems, commissions, cost-reduction schemes, and profit sharing. Pay form is the type of pay that is received by the employee. Pay may be viewed as direct remuneration for time worked or performance, or it may be viewed as indirect remuneration in the form of fringe benefits or services. Pay Policies and administration (added on 1985). Based on the conceptual work of Dyer and Theriault (1976) and a subsequent empirical study by Weiner (1980), Heneman (1985) added a fifth dimension, pay policies and administration. In a study using Canadian and American managers, Dyer and Theriault (1976) tested a category of variables previously not included in the study of pay satisfaction: perceptions of pay system administration. Their hypothesis that employees may be dissatisfied with their pay because they do not agree with, or understand, how it is administered is supported by their initial test. Weiner (1980) provided further support for Dyer and Theriaults (1976) hypothesis when it was found that including pay system administration in Lawlers (1971) model explained more variance in absenteeism than did the original discrepancy model. Comparing Figures 2.2 and Figure 2.3 shows that the same mechanism that drives satisfaction in the discrepancy model remains, but there are now comparisons made for each of the dimensions. Heneman (1985) proposes that it is necessary to divide pay satisfaction into these dimensions because the components frequently have separate policies, procedures, and practices (p. 131), because employees may experience a separate satisfaction for each dimension, and because these affective reactions may be related, but unique, feelings. If Heneman (1985) is correct, it is necessary to treat each dimension as a separate construct and to determine the antecedents and consequences of each. EMPIRICAL FINDINGS Most of the work testing the modified discrepancy model focuses on antecedents. Although the point of the model is to treat pay satisfaction as a multidimensional construct, much of the research does not. Studies take one component of the model, usually pay level, and attempt to determine the relationship of that dimension with other variables, or collapse the four dimensions into a summed scale. If researchers only wish to study pay level satisfaction or collapse all of the dimensions into a unidimensional construct, the object of conceptualizing pay satisfaction as multidimensional is lost. One study that attempted to test the discriminant validity of the modified discrepancy models dimensions by relating them to other variables was Judge (1993). He attempted to relate ten antecedents with the four dimensions. Using a LISREL (Joreskog Sorbum, 1999) model, Judge was able to demonstrate that the predictors differentially related to the factors as hypothesized. These differential relationships support the importance of treating the dimensions as related, but distinct, dimensions of pay satisfaction as suggested by the modified discrepancy model. The above study provides support for the modified discrepancy model beyond a factor analysis. If only one dimension is studied, proving differential relationships exist is difficult. Using the modified discrepancy model, two studies explore the relationship between pay satisfaction and outcome variables by collapsing the dimensions into a global factor. Miceli, Near and Schwenk (1991) found pay satisfaction is negatively related to whistle blowing, while Welbourne and Cable (1995) suggest pay satisfaction may be positively related to OCBs. Although these studies use the mechanism specifically designed to measure the multidimensional conceptualization proposed by the modified discrepancy model, the PSQ, collapsing the dimensions provides no information to either prove or disprove the possibility that pay satisfaction is multidimensional and that those dimensions impact outcomes differentially. Several studies have been done since the modified discrepancy model was introduced, but the model is not being used to its full potential to offer insight into how pay satisfaction fits into the overall picture within organizations. More studies need to follow the design of Judge (1993) in order to test the assumptions of the model. Several studies have attempted to validate the factor structure of the PSQ, but only Judge (1993) has used the measure to relate the hypothesized dimensions to a wide variety of antecedents proposed to differentially relate to the four dimensions. To provide further support for the model, a similar study should be undertaken to test the differential relationships pay satisfaction dimensions have on consequences. Despite the failure of researchers to adequately test the model, the modified discrepancy model represents a major advancement in the study of pay satisfaction because it proposes that pay is not a unidimensional construct, but is composed of mult iple related, but unique components and that each has a separate influence on outcomes of interest. The modified discrepancy model also suggests that these dimensions may have differential impact on outcomes. If this is the case, how managers approach compensation policy may be altered based on future research findings. It has been suggested that general pay satisfaction will

The Behaviour Of A Supralittoral Gastropod Biology Essay

The Behaviour Of A Supralittoral Gastropod Biology Essay The species chosen for this experiment (or rather set of experiments) is Melarhaphe neritoides. This is a very common (small) species of snail found distributed along the rocky Maltese shores. It is listed in the Phylum Mollusca (Class Gastropoda) and grows to about just under 1cm. Its sides are flat (unlike the more common rounded shell found amongst molluscs) and has a high pointed spire. An operculum covers an oval aperture and a white periostracum leads to the dark blue/black shell. Its niche is located in a very specific stretch on the shore labelled the supralittoral zone. This is that area located just above the high tide mark. It is not submerged but is frequently splashed by sea spray when it is windy/stormy (in fact it is also known as the splash or spray zone). It is an unforgiving environment and organisms living here must be very well adapted to its instability. The Melarhaphe neritoides snail must be able to withstand; high temperatures, freshwater, salt and brine water , desiccation and exposure to air and of course any shore line animals which might prey upon the snail. In the summer months, the sea round the Maltese islands is very calm and the snails environment is rarely wetted. Also the snail lives in direct contact with the hard rocky surface which reaches high temperatures up to 50 degrees easily (which for most organisms this would be lethal). On the other hand during the winter months, storms are frequent and wave action is very violent on the supralittoral zone. Not only this but when there are no waves, pools of fresh water may form in these rocky patches which for most creatures adapted to a salty (high water potential) environment will cause osmotic problems. As opposed to the summer months, the temperature of the rocks in winter falls drastically some times even below freezing point. In fact as the mollusc is very well adapted to this environment, it is the dominant macro-faunal organism found there. To accommodate such drastic chang es in its environment, Melarhaphe neritoides has many behavioural adaptations. Such adaptations include; becoming inactive, taking refuge in pits/rocky overhangs, aggregating in groups and becoming active only when conditions are suitable. To be able to accurately avoid the harshness of the environment, the mollusc must have some kind of sense as to when to actually begin aestivation periods or when to come out of them, which spot is suitable (offers enough protection) to take refuge in etc. It is these behavioural adaptations that this experiment investigates. A set of different habitats and conditions are prepared and a number of snails tested to see their reaction and preference. Such an experiment must be conducted as accurately as possible as there are many factors which induce errors. In fact the test subjects where freshly caught and a number (10) of individuals were tested with each method to ensure usable and explainable data. Also the individuals tested where seen to be ab out 0.7mm in height. This is the height of juveniles not too young or too old as it is in this part of its life time in which an animal is most probably going to respond as expected in individuals seen in the wild (as old or young specimens may be less active or inhabit different regions of the environment). Procedure: Apparatus Petri dishes Graph paper Plastic aquariums Ruler Timer Acrylic plates (drilled) Measuring cylinder Black bags Glass Rod Gravel Fine Sand Coarse Sand Circular glass trough Materials Calcium Chloride Sea Water Distilled water Vaseline grease Blu-Tack Method Experiment.1 A plastic Petri-dish was partitioned by means of thin plastic into 3 separate parts. One part filled with fine sand, another with coarse sand and the other with gravel. Ten inactive snails were scattered across on these 3 different sabstrates and any movement made noted every 1,2,6,24,36 hrs. Experiment.2 Two identical Petri dishes had their bottom ruled to form a 44 grid at 1 cm intervals. One snail was placed on each grid line intersection. One dish contained a container full of Calcium chloride, whilst the other housed distilled water. Both dishes were sealed and observed over a period of 3 days. A plastic Petri-dish was floated over a pool of water in a circular glass trough. Ten inactive snails were placed in the Petri-dish which was left opened, but the glass trough was covered. After one hour, the cover was removed just enough to get the snails out. These were tapped gently with a glass rod a few times and put back in the trough. The number of active snails after the treatment was noted. Experiment.3 Two identical Petri dishes as in exp.2 (with a 44 grid) were prepared with one inactive snail per intersection. One dish is filled up to about 1mm with sea water, whilst the other one was left dry. Both dishes were sealed with Vaseline grease and observed over a period of one hour. This procedure was repeated only using fresh water instead of sea water. Snails which had been left in dry air for one hour were tapped sharply on the shell and immediately placed in 1cm of sea water. The time taken for the first noticeable movement of the snails operculum was noted. Experiment.4 Two identical measuring cylinders were filled with sea water one to a depth of 5cm and the other to a depth of 20cm. Individual inactive snails were placed in each cylinder, and the time taken for the snail to move 5 cm up the wall in each container was noted. Experiment.5 Two identical measuring cylinders are filled to a depth of 3cm with seawater. Each cylinder was marked at 3 cm intervals starting from the water surface. One cylinder was stoppered tightly whilst the other was left open. The movement of each snail up the cylinder was noted with time. Experiment.6 Two identical plastic aquaria are filled to a depth of 1.5cm with sea water. Regular plastic plates that were drilled with a pattern of regular holes were attached to the walls of one of the aquaria. The aquaria were marked off at 3cm intervals starting from the water surface. Ten inactive snails were placed in each aquarium and covered with a lid. After 3 hours the number of snails at each level was noted. The procedure above was then repeated but instead of the walls, the drilled plate was placed at the bottom of the aquarium. The number of individuals remaining submerged was counted at intervals of 1,2,6,24,36†¦ hours. Experiment.7 The procedure of experiment 5 was repeated only this time both the cylinders were tightly stoppered and with 10 snails in each one. One of the cylinders is placed in an opaque black bag whilst the other one is left in the light. The number of snails at each level for both cylinders at intervals of 1,3,6 and 24 hours was recorded. Precautions Snails that were used for an experiment were not reused but placed separately in a container to note that they have already undergone some treatment. This was done so as not have active snails from a previous experiment ruin the results of the next experiment. The snails were all freshly caught (not more than 2 days) so as to have an accurate result as possible. In most experiments a good number of individuals were used (like 10) and others were possible were replicated. Enough time was left to elapse for results to be collected as the stimuli that activate the snails may be over a long period of time. Snails used were chosen to be of similar size (0.7cm shell height) and handled very gently. Errors Handling of snails from capture site to lab and from tray to the experiment may have activated the snails prior to the actual experiment taking place. Most experiments could have been done only once to the long waiting time, and with a relatively small number of individuals (ten snails may not yield a representative result). The experiment tried to replicate the conditions that the snail would be in the wild. This can never be fully achieved and so the experiment its self is not so accurate. Movement of apparatus or activity on the bench could have changed snail position in other experiments or activating them due to the vibration not to the variable tested. The snails themselves may have moved other snails in experiment 2 and 3 giving errored results. Results Experiment 1 Time / hr Fine sand Gravel Rough sand 0 3 3 4 1 3 3 4 2 3 3 4 6 3 4 3 24 2 5 3 36 2 5 3 48 1 5 4 No snails were noted to have accumulated on the smooth plastic surface of the Petri-dish. Experiment 2 Part 2A: Time/hr RH=0% RH=100% 0 0 0 6 1 2 30 1 2 54 1 3 Part 2B: Snails active: Before tapping After tapping 0 2 Experiment 3: Part 3A: Time/hr Number of snails moved 0 0 1 5 6 12 24 14 32 15 48 16 56 16 Part 3B Time for first discernible movement of operculum after left in: Dry conditions Dry conditions followed by tapping Immersed in seawater 1 40 8 2 2 14 8 3 3 29 20 4 4 33 16 40 5 28 9 20 6 19 7 53 7 8 38 62 8 11 45 1 9 21 14 13 10 12 10 50 Part 3C Time/hr Number of snails moved 0 0 1 0 6 0 24 0 32 0 48 0 56 1 Experiment 4: Replicate 5cm water 20 cm water 1 2340s 4140s(69 mins) 2 2400s 86400s (1day) 3 9000s >2 day 4 9900s >2 day 5 86400s >2 day 6 >2 day >2 day 7 >2 day >2 day 8 >2 day >2 day 9 >2 day >2 day 10 >2 day >2 day Experiment 5: A total of 2 snails were placed in each measuring cylinder. The numbers in the table show the number of snails recorded at each level marked. Closed Open Time/hr 1 2 6 24 32 48 56 1 2 6 24 32 48 56 0-3cm 2 2 2 2 2 2   2 2 2 1 1 0 0   0 3-6cm 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 6-9cm 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 1 1 0   1 9-12cm 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 12-15cm 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1   1 15-18cm 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 18-21cm 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 21-24cm 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 24-27cm 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 27-30cm (top) 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Experiment 6 Part 6A After 3 hours: At the bottom of the tank (smooth) In crevices On smooth wall Submerged in seawater 8 0 1 0-3cm above water 0 0 1 3-6cm above water 0 0 0 Part 6B: Time/hr 1 2 6 24 32 48 56 submerged In crevices 6 8 9 9 9 9 9 On smooth wall 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 Above seawater In crevices 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Not in crevices 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 Submerged (the only one required others are extra) 10 9 9 9 9 9 10 Experiment 7: Light Dark Time/hr 1 2 6 24 32 48 56 1 2 6 24 32 48 56 0-3cm 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3-6cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 1 1 6-9cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 1 1 9-12cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 12-15cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 3 3 15-18cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 18-21cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21-24cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 24-27cm 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 27-30cm (top) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 Discussion The results were organized in the form of tables usually with length in movement or number of snails against time. In the first experiment, habitat preference was tested. Rough gravel and fine/coarse sand are the typical supralittoral substrates and snails may have a preference to one and not the other. As observed from the table up to the first few hours, no movement was noted. On the sixth hour a single snail had changed substrate from the fine sand onto the gravel. At the end of the experiment two of the 3 snails placed on the fine sand had moved onto the gravel or coarse sand and one from the coarse sand had moved onto the gravel as well. This indicates that the organisms somewhat dislike a loose substrate such as the fine sand (only 2 remained) but prefer rough gravel (5 snails remained). The coarse sand was somewhat in between the two with 4 snails remaining. This is the expected result as these organisms are found between small rocks and in crevices. The fact that not all of t he travelled to one substrate could have been due to the lack of space as with 5 or 4 snails in one section, the Petri-dish became somewhat crowded. No snails were observed to go onto the smooth Petri-dish surface and this is also explained by the fact that their habitat preference is towards rocky terrain. In the second experiment, the effect of humidity on the inactive snails was observed. In part A which consisted of the two Petri-dishes with the grid, the difference in humidity was created by using calcium chloride (anhydrous). This chemical can absorb the water present in the atmosphere creating dry conditions whilst the other had a tap with water giving the environment 100% relative humidity. In the dry dish 6% of the snails moved whilst in the wet dish, 18% of the snails moved. Although not so many snails moved the difference from dry to wet is already evident with about 3 times the snails moving in the 100% RH than the 0% RH. This shows that although it is not that strong of a stimulus, the relative humidity plays a part in the activation of the sails. In part B of experiment number two, the snails were once again exposed to an atmosphere of 100% RH, but they were also tapped on the shell after one hour and placed back for a few more minutes. The tapping seems to have some effect on the snails as unlike the 100 % RH in part A where the snails took days to move, 20% of the snails in part B after only one hour were noticed to be active (which is roughly the same amount as in part A at 100% RH). This suggests that probably the wave action on the snails combined with the high humidity (as they are wetted) are effective stimuli to activate the snails. Experiment 3 consisted of three parts. In the first part, the Petri-dish had a grid on the bottom where 16 snails were placed. In the one which contained the 1mm of sea water by the second day all the snails had moved. The period where most snails became active was between the 6th and 24th hour. This when compared to the previous experiment where only the humidity was at 100% shows that water is a much stronger activator as all the snails moved (the dry control had no noticeable movement). This would make sense as if there was wave action apart from high humidity and the mechanical force its self (both of which have shown positive results) , the snails would most likely become submersed in little pockets of sea water. Interesting to note that when as in part 3C the water used was fresh water, no snails moved up to 24 hours and only one moved just slightly over the 3 days period (probably due to humidity not the water its self). This is interesting to note. It can probably be explaine d by the fact that if it were to rain over the snails which in August or September (although rare) it might, although the snail would feel the mechanical force, be in an atmosphere of high humidity and covered in water it would not be beneficial to come out of dormancy as the environment would not yet be suitable and so it must be sea water to activate the snail as this would only come ashore from waves (indicating a suitable environment). In part B of experiment 3 the time taken for each snail to become active was noted. Prior to the experiment, they were sharply tapped. This tapping followed by the immersion in sea water instantly brought about a response from the snail which opened its operculum. This was very fast, in fact an average time of 17.5 seconds was recorded between the ten snails tested. This once again replicated wave action only a faster response was obtained due to the fact that actual sea water was used and not high humidity or tapping only (which continues to sugg est that the snail becomes active after summer during the winter storms). Up till experiment 3, sea water was known to bring about a response, the question then was (answered by experiment 4) if more water would bring about a faster reaction. Apparently this is not so as the time taken for the snails to travel a distance of 5cm up the wall of the cylinder containing 5cm of water was less than the cylinder containing 20cm of sea water. This can probably be explained by the fact that the snail is not adapted to live in deep water but it is actually semi-terrestrial only venturing into the sea to lay its eggs. Thus a higher hydrostatic pressure of 20cm would indicate an unsuitable environment and the snail will most likely remain dormant. Therefore only frequent wetting and not submerging (in more than 10cm of water) brings about a response (once again pools brought about by waves are usually not as deep as 20cm in small crevices where the snail aggregates). Experiment 5 was somewhat baffling and probably should not be considered as a representative result. Only a few snails were activated and the snails which travelled most up the cylinder were in the one not stoppered! An expected result based on the other previous experiments and knowledge of the snails habitat preference would be something as follows. Upon introducing the snails to the 3cm of seawater, they would become active and since they would be submerged find a way out which would be to climb onto the cylinders side. Since their habitat lies a fair distance from the sea, the snail should continue to climb up to a good few centimetres. The snails in the stoppered cylinder should reach the top as the high humidity indicates that they are still very close to the water and travel up as far a possible. In the open cylinder having a dryer atmosphere, the snails would probably not move up to the top as they would be under the impression that they are a fair enough distance from the se a located at the bottom. Experiment 6 was an extension of experiment 5 where the upward movement from a submerged place was tested only this time the variable was not humidity but terrain brought about by the drilled plates stuck to the sides of the tank. Again the data was not as expected so much so that the slightly different version experiment part 6B did not have the same results as A but was as expected. The reasons for experiments 5 and 6A being somewhat not accurate could be due to the errors mentioned in the sources of errors section above. If one were to follow the result brought about by experiment 6A it would be concluded that the snails prefer to remain submerged and on smooth surfaces rather than in the crevices. This of course is not the case as the snails prefer crevices in rocks as seen from experiment 1 and also in the wild these are found in crevices not submerged on smooth surfaces. In part B where the drilled plate was placed at the bottom, the snails aggregated in the pits and stayed sub merged. This would indicate that they actually do prefer crevices and pits which offer protection against the elements. The pits were submerged, but the expected result was that despite this the snails should not go out of the water. This is because they were submerged under only 1.5cm and in the wild this would be something common for a snail in a small pit to experience a few mm of sea water. So in the pits and under water the mollusc is actually in its preferred environment. Finally experiment 7 tested if the snail is photosensitive. According to the results obtained, when in light the snails (all 10 of them) became active faster (in the first hour even) and climbed a distance of 3cm, whilst in the covered cylinder half as much became active and over a longer time period. The strange thing was that in the light, the snails did not reach the top and in the dark only 1 did. Considering the high humidity in both, all the snails should have gone up to the top, the only difference (if there is) would be in the time taken. Taking into consideration all the results obtained and considering the concordant data, it is noted that the snails become active via various stimuli. In summer humidity is low and the snail would be in a crevice seeking refuge from the direct sun. When the first storms come along, the crevice the snail would be in becomes wet with sea water and very humid (a sort of micro habitat). The pounding action of the waves also has an effect on the snail. The mollusc is at home under a few centimetres of water and in fact in November to March during high tide the snail travels from its habitat to the Eulittoral zone (which is covered in water during this period of the year) and lays its eggs. The snail is affected by hydrostatic pressure (experiment 4) and so only travels a specific distance into the sea (which would be the optimum place to lay its eggs). It also detects the relative humidity and only ventures up shore a fixed distance (up to the supralittoral zone) from the sea. In this zon e lichens also grow in the winter and spring times. These are a prime source of food for the snail and may be another reason why it aestivates as in summer, this food source dries up. Conclusion Having done the experiments and observed the results, it can be concluded that there are various factors which play a part in activating the snail. Each factor affects the snail to a certain degree and the combination of all of them (humidity, mechanic wave action, sea water etc) brings about a reaction either to be inactive due to their lack or to be activated due to their presence.