Unit 1 D2

Amy Holihan CACHE Level 3 Unit 1 D2 â€Å"Multi Agency working brings together practitioners from different sectors and professions to provide an integrated way of working to support children, young people and families. † (www. education. gov. uk 18. 10. 2021) Multi Agency Teams are made up of professionals who are brought into the childcare setting for a variety of different reasons.They ensure that all children, young people and families who need additional support have exactly the right professionals they need in order to support them. A Multi Agency Team could involve anyone who’s voluntary or job puts them in contact with children, young people or families. Other professionals who may work as part of a Multi-Agency Team are social workers, educational psychologists, health visitors and paediatric dieticians.They help children and young people who may be suffering from special needs, learning in difficulties or behavioural difficulties they assess these children and give them individual support and together with their families. The Multi Agency Team approach has many benefits such as there is better support for the parents and easier to meet every child and families individual needs and to address them more appropriately and children seeing professionals around then working together as a team.Communication between different services and confidentiality is crucial when working in a multi-agency team to ensure that all children and families get the support they need and their rights are never breached. â€Å"The CAF should be offered to children who have additional needs to those being met by universal services unless a child is presenting a need it is unlikely the CAF will be offered. The practitioner assesses needs by using the CAF. † (www. education. gov. uk 18. 10. 2012) The common Assessment Framework is to be used by all professionals who are in contact with children young people and their families.It is used to help practitioners i dentify a child’s need and offer them extra support before it reaches crisis point and to ensure important needs of children are not overlooked. Information is also shared between other practitioners so that parents only have to tell one professional information about their child. Parents also get to see the assessment information and get to voice their views and opinions with practitioners. Families play a big part when developing an action plan for meeting all children’s additional needs and consent must also be given by the parents.

That Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Brooke Zimmerman Heskett 31 January 2013 English 102 That Crazy Little Thing Called Love The following verse is from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always hopes, always perseveres. † This verse is an example of many peoples view on a kind of love that is â€Å"perfect†, a kind of love that is understanding, non-judgmental and, most importantly, respectful.As individuals, everyone has their own cultural and social beliefs that they must uphold. Is sex before marriage okay? Is sex before marriage not okay? There are many questions surrounding the debate on whether sex before marriage should be frowned upon or if it should just be accepted and people shouldn’t be judged about it. Different people have their own opinions and everyone tends to think that their opinion is right. In general, sex is a very private and special thing no matter how old or what kind of person someone is.Your sexuality is a huge part of who you are as a person. Sex should be between consenting adults. Not because people need to be a certain age to have sexual interactions per-say, but because of the amount of mental risks that are involved with them. There are many emotional consequences of premarital sexual involvement and many worries that come along with it. Worry about pregnancy and STD’s is normally at the top of the list. For many people, this is a huge emotional stress and can really take a toll of a person family life and social life.Regret, self-recrimination and guilt come next. For girls, they are more likely to â€Å"see sex as a sign of commitment in the relationship† and when all of a sudden the relationship gets broken off, they feel cheated and cheap (Linkota, Par. 4). Al so with the guiltiness comes a kind of loss of self-respect. Many people feel a loss of self-respect for many reasons. For example if they discover that they have a STD they all of a sudden feel â€Å"dirty† and like a low-life.Even if someone doesn’t contract an STD, temporary sexual relationships can lower the self-respect for both the person that was being used for sex and the person that was the one using someone. Casual sex can lower self-esteem, which can eventually lead a person into a cycle of casual sex to try to find some kind of self-worth. Though this cycle can be a possibility for some comfort, it eventually catches back up with someone and the self-esteem breakdowns occur sooner or later. When people go through many breakdowns and feel so down on themselves, they will start to develop trust issues and a fear of commitment.Younger people who feel like they were used only for sex in a relationship may experience difficulty with trusting people and letting t hem in when it comes to future relationships and may also start to feel very cynical towards the emotion or even the idea of love and being in love. On a more serious note, after being hurt so many times and after feeling betrayed and used so many times, some people will go into a deep depression and even consider suicide because they feel that they have absolutely no self-worth or that they have no other purpose in life other than just being a sexual item to be tossed around from person to person.In the past 25 years, teen suicide had tripled. In a 1988 survey by the U. S. Department of Health and Human services, one out of five adolescent girls and one out of ten adolescent boys had stated that they had tried to kill themselves because of the feeling of being used in a relationship. Along with all of these negatives, there also seem to be some positives to premarital sex. Many people say that there truly are some great positives that can come from premarital sex. Marriage should b e viewed as a commitment that a person makes for the rest of their life.In olden times, many people waited until marriage to have sexual relations and found that they were very unhappy with their sex life and this unhappiness is what caused many divorces and love affairs. To be sure that marriage will have a chance at lasting, a person should â€Å"probably participate in some safe sex prior to the marriage† (Rlanda par. 6). Another thing that people find beneficial about sex before marriage is the intimacy that it brings upon us before marriage. Many couples who later become married and have never had any sexual relations before that marriage typically don’t really have any idea what to o when it is finally â€Å"okay† for them to have sexual relations with someone. Having sex before marriage helps a couple explore each other’s sexual compatibility. It also exposes a person to the kind of intimacy that his or her partner likes. Typically, sexual intercou rse with a person for the first time is very uncomfortable no matter how â€Å"experienced† someone is. Sex before marriage helps in â€Å"making sex life better after marriage† (Kamalasanan par. 7). Another benefit to sex before marriage that people always seem to refer to is that it gives you experience.It is believed that if a person has sex before they are married, they will have better experience and will have certain knowledge about what to do when they finally decide to settle down with someone for the rest of their lives. Nobody wants to sit there awkwardly on their honeymoon when they first get married and have no idea what to even do. I tend to think that there are more cons to sex before marriage then there are pros. In the relationships I’ve witnessed that have included premarital sex, almost all of them seemed to end in heartbreak.No, not the little heartbreaks that people get over in about a week, but the kind of heartbreaks that take months and mo nths to get over and cause depression and self-image issues. With the breakups that I’ve witnessed, the girls that didn’t have sexual relations with their boyfriend- of the time had a quicker recovery time when it came to the breakup compared to the girls that broke up with their boyfriend that they did have sexual intimacy with. The way I see it, sex is for people that truly love each other and plan on spending the rest of their lives together and not with anyone else.Even if couples have promise rings to each other, I still don’t think that means it’s acceptable to have premarital sex because I’ve witnessed couples that had premarital sex and promise rings to each other still ended up breaking up, which caused the girls great heartache because they thought that that guy was â€Å"the one†. All in all, everyone will have their different views and ideas about sex before marriage. Whether it’s from personal experience or religious-base d beliefs, two people will almost never have the same exact view on this subject.Even though the subject has many obvious views as to why sex after marriage is better than sex before it, there are really no specific rules regarding why someone shouldn’t have premarital sex if that person really wants to. Works Cited Kamalasanan, Bhadra. â€Å"Should People Wait for Marriage to Have Sex? † Should People Wait for Marriage to Have Sex? N. p. , 3 Apr. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2013. Linkota, Thomas. â€Å"What’s the BIG DEAL About Sex? † Physicians For Life. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. Rlanda. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Sex Before Marriage. † HubPages. N. p. , 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.

Thesis Customer Satisfaction

CHAPTER II Review of Related Literature This chapter presents the literature related to this study. This will be conducted with the assessment of related literature to show the relevance of the literature to the study. RELATED LITERATURE Customer satisfaction is the most fundamental requirement for being in business. Therefore, every organization should plan the right strategies for dealing with customers, communicating with them, providing pleasant services and retaining them forever with specially chosen customer contact employees, all leading to their delight.Since most of the quality problems arise due to misunderstood requirements, it is essential to take steps to correctly understand, both the stated and implied requirements of the customers. The organization should not only fulfill the contracted requirements, but also make it appoint to provide unanticipated additional services to delight the customers and retaining them forever. The most important point is that organizations should provide COMFORT to the customers while serving them. Thus, the business should be oriented towards satisfying customers. (Subburaj Ramasamy; TQM-Int’l Edition 2012)Customer satisfaction is the state of mind that customers have about a company when their expectations have been met or exceeded over the lifetime of the product or service. The achievement of customer satisfaction leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. Customer satisfaction measurement must be undertaken with an understanding of the gap between customer expectations and attribute performance perceptions. Clearly defining and understanding customer satisfaction can help any company identify opportunities for product and service innovation and serve as the basis for performance appraisal and reward systems. Kevin Cacioppo; Measuring and Managing Customer Satisfaction) Customer satisfaction has been a popular topic in marketing practice and academic research since Cardozo's (1965) initial study of c ustomer effort, expectations and satisfaction. Despite many attempts to measure and explain customer satisfaction, there still does not appear to be a consensus regarding its definition (Giese and Cote, 2000). Customer satisfaction is typically defined as a post consumption evaluative judgement concerning a specific product or service (Gundersen, Heide and Olsson, 1996).It is the result of an evaluative process that contrasts prepurchase expectations with perceptions of performance during and after the consumption experience (Oliver, 1980). The most widely accepted conceptualization of the customer satisfaction concept is the expectancy disconfirmation theory (Barsky, 1992; Oh and Parks, 1997; McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000). The theory was developed by Oliver (1980), who proposed that satisfaction level is a result of the difference between expected and perceived performance. Satisfaction (positive disconfirmation) occurs when product or service is better than expected.On the other hand, a performance worse than expected results with dissatisfaction (negative disconfirmation). Studies show that customer satisfaction may have direct and indirect impact on business results. Anderson et al. (1994), Yeung et al. (2002), and Luo and Homburg (2007) concluded that customer satisfaction positively affects business profitability. The majority of studies have investigated the relationship with customer behaviour patterns (Soderlund, 1998; Kandampully and Suhartanto, 2000; Dimitriades, 2006; Olorunniwo et al. 2006; Chi and Qu, 2008; Faullant et al. , 2008). According to these findings, customer satisfaction increases customer loyalty, influences repurchase intentions and leads to positive word-of-mouth. Given the vital role of customer satisfaction, it is not surprising that a variety of research has been devoted to investigating the determinants of satisfaction (Churchill and Surprenant, 1982; Oliver, 1980; Barsky, 1995; Zeithaml and Bitner, 2003). Satisfaction can be determined by subjective (e. g. customer needs, emotions) and objective factors (e. . product and service features). Applying to the hospitality industry, there have been numerous studies that examine attributes that travellers may find important regarding customer satisfaction. Atkinson (1988) found out that cleanliness, security, value for money and courtesy of staff determine customer satisfaction. Knutson (1988) revealed that room cleanliness and comfort, convenience of location, prompt service, safety and security, and friendliness of employees are important. Barsky and Labagh (1992) stated that employee attitude, location nd rooms are likely to influence travellers' satisfaction. A study conducted by Akan (1995) showed that the main determinants of hotel guest satisfaction are the behaviour of employees, cleanliness and timeliness. Choi and Chu (2001) concluded that staff quality, room qualities and value are the top three hotel factors that determine travellers' satisfaction. Providing services those customers prefer is a starting point for providing customer satisfaction. A relatively easy way to determine what services customer prefers is simply to ask them.According to Gilbert and Horsnell (1998), and Su (2004), guest comment cards (GCCs) are most commonly used for determining hotel guest satisfaction. GCCs are usually distributed in hotel rooms, at the reception desk or in some other visible place. However, studies reveal that numerous hotel chains use guest satisfaction evaluating methods based on inadequate practices to make important and complex managerial decisions (Barsky, 1992; Barsky and Huxley, 1992; Jones and Ioannou, 1993, Gilbert and Horsnell, 1998; Su, 2004).The most commonly made faults can be divided into three main areas, namely, quality of the sample, design of the GCCs, and data collection and analysis (Gilbert and Horsnell, 1998). In order to improve the validity of hotel guest satisfaction measurement practice, Barsky and Huxley ( 1992) proposed a new sampling procedure that is a „quality sampleâ€Å". It reduces nonresponse bias by offering incentives for completing the questionnaires. The components of their questionnaire are based on disconfirmation paradigm and expectancy-value theory.In this manner, guests can indicate whether service was above or below their expectations and whether they considered a particular service important or not. Furthermore, Gilbert and Horsnell (1998) developed a list of criteria for GCC content analysis, which is adopted in this study as well. Schall (2003) discusses the issues of question clarity, scaling, validity, survey timing, question order and sample size. Customers’ requirements for satisfaction are difficult to comprehend. They have different preference when it comes to availing services from providers.Same with hospitality industry – for establishments like Bayleaf hotel of Intramuros there’s a lot of effort to make, creative thinking and strategy to stay in the competition. To be the only hotel in Intramuros, a great expectation among visitors is always present. Unless an organization evolves specific methods for measuring customer satisfaction and quantify the results, it may be difficult to say whether the customers are satisfied or not; whether customer satisfaction is improving or not it also vey essentials to measure customer satisfaction so as to stay ahead of competition.Each business unit has to conduct its business in such a way that it is able to achieve more customer satisfaction than its competitors at all times. Therefore, to face and win the competition, every organization should continue to improve their products and services and attain higher levels of customer satisfaction. Regarding on customer satisfaction, the following statement could indicate that the establishment has a lot of services to offer. Statement of the experienced customers will prove that Bayleaf Hotel can stand in a competition as a boutique hotel yet can provide 5-star experience to its valued customers.According to Dr. Deo Baraan the owner of the website (thegrandeurtraveler. com) â€Å"If you are looking for a new hotel that will show you Manila's rich history, lost magic and inimitable views, nothing would be more perfect than the Bayleaf Hotel. † In addition to what he says, â€Å"Everyone can now have a taste of an upscale accommodation in the heart of Manila's historic district†. When it comes to money issues, Vic Nair of Kuala Lumpur (tripadvisory. com) stated â€Å"Bayleaf is a great hotel with value for money.Excellent service from their young staff members. † Another statement that we got from redheelsinthecity (tripadvisory. com) â€Å"Manila, in general, is a busy, polluted and messy city. Finding a place like this is close to impossible. 9 spoons restaurant has the best food and ambiance. However what I love about the place is the Sky Deck View Bar. Especially on a cold nig ht, having a beer absolutely scratches your stress away. Not to mention you get even more amazed by the view around, very conducive for unwinding.The place can immensely cater a good service especially for occasions. Most of all, it stands in the heart of the old city called Intramuros, which I think is the best location in manila. Service of the staff and management is impeccably wonderful and impressive. â€Å" It is certainly not easy, at least to start with, to compute indices for customer satisfaction. It requires innovative people, a determined management and additional efforts by the organization for this purpose. This will pay for more than itself in the ultimate analysis.Therefore, the chief executive of the organization should be committed and persuasive in measuring customer satisfaction in the interest of the organization and provide resources for this task. A feedback or a complaint criticizing the organization should be taken as a blessing in disguise and in the right spirit. If there is no direct feedback or complaint, then the organization should look for other ways for finding out the same, since feedback is one of the most important triggers for improvement.If complaints are made, the organization should seriously make efforts to see that the complaints are result to the satisfaction of the customers. (Subburaj Ramasamy; 2012) According to Ms. Glenda G. one of the experienced customer of the Bayleaf Hotel â€Å"We booked ; paid the rooms 6 months ago ; requested a queen beds but we got 2 twin separate beds, it's also a terrible service at the roof top restaurant they're so slow in accommodating. We even said give us a wash cloth will clean the tables† Another experienced customer (tripadvisory. om) WWWorkes of Vilnius state that â€Å"All in all, this is a clean, comfortable hotel in a great location – but don't expect to be able to spend any amount of time relaxing in it – it has little to offer and generally doesn't m eet its potential† VIP on Bangkok also commented on the website regarding in his experience on the hotel – â€Å"I like its surrounding and location, but ventilation need improvement to get rid of damp smell in the room. Towels smell too strong chemical† Every complaint should lead to determine efforts by the organization to make improvements so as the result in non-reoccurrence of such complaints in the future.In short, the service provider should have a system to solicit feedbacks and complaints, deal with them dispassionately, rectify the defects immediately, compensate where not possible to rectify and analyze such mistakes to find out measures for their non- reoccurrence and implement the measures strictly. The above is also known as complaint recovery process. Every organization should have a well-defined process and procedure for getting feedback and receiving complaints from the customers and use every complaint as an instrument for improvements. SYNTHESI SChapter 2 is about the review of related literature; it is about the purpose of the review to analyze critically a segment of a published book of knowledge through summary, classification and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles. We have the foreign and local literature. In foreign literature we based on the research book. What we had is the article of Subburaj Ramasamy, Kevin Cacioppo, Cardozo's (1965), Giese and Cote, (2000), Gundersen, Heide and Olsson, (1996), Oliver, (1980), Anderson et al. (1994), Yeung et al. 2002), and Luo and Homburg (2007), Barsky, 1992; Oh and Parks, 1997; McQuitty, Finn and Wiley, 2000, Soderlund, 1998; Kandampully and Suhartanto, 2000; Dimitriades, 2006; Olorunniwo et al. , 2006; Chi and Qu, 2008; Faullant et al. , 2008, Churchill and Surprenant, 1982; Oliver, 1980; Barsky, 1995; Zeithaml and Bitner, 2003), Atkinson (1988), Knutson (1988), Barsky and Labagh (1992), Akan (1995), Choi and Chu (2001),Gilber t and Horsnell (1998), and Su (2004), and those books associates some knowledge and ideas regarding customer satisfaction and hospitality industry.For instance we also got statements from foreign customers who had an experience in staying at Bayleaf Hotel namely; Redheelsinthecity, WWWorkers, and VIP on Bangkok. For local literature we have Ms. Glenda G. and Dr. Deo Baraan, who experienced Bayleaf Hotel as well. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through these articles. INPUT: Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros as the focus of the study and as a new hotel caters to satisfy tourists within and outside Intramuros.CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK PROCESS: * Surveying through questionaires * Interview OUTPUT: Determine the level of customer satisfaction in Bayleaf Hotel and competitiveness of the establishment. The conceptual framework above shows that the input in Bayleaf Hotel, Intramuros as the focus of the study and as a new hotel ca ters to satisfy tourists within and outside Intramuros. The process of the study is done by giving survey through questionnaire and conducting interview to determine the level of customer satisfaction and competitiveness of Bayleaf Hotel.

Nursing Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nursing Profession - Essay Example Before the foundation of modern nursing, nursing like services were done by nuns and military. The philosophy of nursing is reflected from the nature of then work and then thoughts. These philosophies have taken various forms personal philosophy, institutional philosophy and professional philosophy. "The conceptualizations of nursing that have developed and of late, variously called conceptual models, conceptual frameworks, theoretical frameworks and nursing theories, appear to resemble professional philosophies of nursing- a professional philosophy of nursing being one in which what is set down, providing a basis for nursing activity. However, the opinion that these conceptualizations are not philosophies of nursing has persisted and continues to persist, in nursing thought with only questioning of the validity of this claim." (Kikuchi, J F, 1994) The idea of conceptualization were introduced for the purpose of developing professional nursing practice and research. It tried to analyze matters as what is good to do and seek in nursing and what is the nature of nursing science . Nursing theories are a body of knowledge which is used to support nursing practice. Nurses derive their knowledge from experimental learning, from formal sources like nursing research. Nursing models are conceptual models, made up of theories and concepts which help nurses to assess, plan and implement patient care. A care plan is used in a model which is changed and evaluated on a daily basis according to the patient's condition and abilities change. The first theorist to coordinate a role of nursing distinct from medical profession was Florence Nightingale. Nightingale's model is based on the idea that Nurses manipulates the environment to provide and promote patient care. Nursing theories include 4 categories - Metatheory, grand theory, Middle theory and Practice theory. Some nursing models include Roy's model of nursing and Tidal model in Psychiatry, Casey's model in children, Nightingale's model, Roper, Logan & Tierney model in Adult nursing etc. Values laden theory and the fallacy of value free science A theoretical framework embedded in an underlying philosophy give strength to the theory as a guide to practice. Nurses frameworks have incorporated many values like caring respect for all persons and attentive presence into these conceptualizations and proportions. Values are fundamental constituents of human life. Evidence Based Practice Nursing has implemented, taught and studied and standardized Evidence based practice. Evidence based practice refers to the use of rigorously derived empirical findings especially as the basis for intervention and non intervention. Evidence based practice also involves ethical considerations and other dimensions of health. Nursing practice is intentional and deliberate, guided by nursing science and other sources of knowledge, performed by nurses. The practice is to benefit persons and society. However, the actions and behavior of persons change from moment to moment depending on interrelationships with persons, families and communities. Thus, nursing practice depends on the personal and professional values of the nurse. "The process of self-awareness compels nurses to examine their own value positions so these biases and prejudices are not projected onto others, and so nurses do not reject others who do not

International Ductile Iron Pipes Co. Ltd (INDIPCO) Essay

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Intercultural communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

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Contract Law-PDPD - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that for most students, it is anticipated that the plan will have a substantial focus on identifying strategies to fill gaps and strengthen their study skills, as well as career planning, perhaps identifying skills and/or knowledge they need to acquire or further enhance, to enable them to achieve their career goals. Other steps identified as necessary to enhance employability are also likely to feature in the plan e.g. work experience and relevant extra curricular activities. The present research has identified that for those students already with an established career, your plan may feature less on employability and more on career progression and academic/or personal development. In formulating their plans and identifying goals, students must consider the key skills which our University expects its graduates to possess and which it is also likely that employers will require. The researcher states that the plan should not only set clear goals but also, to be e ffective, should identify how the goals will be achieved, a timescale for achievement and a means of knowing how the goal has been met. There is no set format for this work but you are encouraged to use the University’s SPARK template. It has been designed to be a practical means for you to document the skills in a format which can readily be transferred to application forms for employment or further study.

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT Research Paper

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Research Paper Example Based on these aspects, the report discusses about the impact of social media on project communication management. The objective of the report is to understand the extent to which social media can contribute towards accomplishment of project success. Furthermore, the report also addresses about the crucial social management tools which are helpful for accomplishing good project communication. Keywords: Social media, project management, project communication, success factors, project success Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Background 4 Problem Statement 4 Scope of the Report 5 Objectives of the Report 5 Discussion 5 Background about IT and Social media 5 Background on IT Project Communication Success 5 Literature Survey 6 Contribution of Social Media to Accomplish Project Success 6 Important Social Media Tools for Achieving Effective Project Communication 6 Interpretation of Results 7 Use of Social Media in International Context 8 Use of Social Media in South African Conte xt 9 Recommendations 10 Conclusion 11 Summary 11 Learnings 11 References 12 Introduction The report is based on evaluating the impact of social media on project management. Central to the topic is the accomplishment of good project communication for ensuring project management success. Regardless of better planning, budgeting and scheduling, weak communication among team members can make a project incomplete. Communication plays vital part in leading and integrating team members. Besides, there must be shared vision, where project managers must recognize the interest of every stakeholder and must ensure that the requirements and problems are addressed. Different project activities must be notified and monitored for accomplishing the overall project objectives. Thus, a thorough communication plan is necessary for efficient diffusion of information (Garbharran & et. al., 2009). Project managers require excellent communication skills, which can encourage formal and informal discussion of prospects, innovation, improvement and results. Thus, the subject social media fits perfectly in the topic as it is related with communication. Social media provides the tools and techniques which assist in better interaction. In project management, the success is dependent on how effectively team members interact with each other and accomplish differentiated activities in a cooperative manner. The traditional way of communication is becoming more flexible as social media brings new technology to communicate. There are different applications, which can match with project communication requirements and thus can help project manager to concentrate on critical aspects of projects without neglecting communication (Transformed, 2010). Background Problem Statement Project management teams in present days face increasing pressure for providing strong performance, while simultaneously dealing with different inherent obstacles. These obstacles comprise informal characteristics of team mem bers, continually shifting project requirements, time burdens for project delivery, increasing virtualization of team members and problems of knowledge diffusion across the teams. In reaction to these obstacles, project collaboration expertise and communication techniques are helpful for project team members to perform together in an effective manner and to support in proper delivery of projects. These aspects of projects cause dilemma for proper management of team with appropriate rigor and without

The Case Against Aid that Harms By Garrett Hardin Essay Example for Free

The Case Against Aid that Harms By Garrett Hardin Essay After reading the above reading by Mr. Hardin, I had come to the conclusion that in life there are many choices that must be made. In correlation to my Environmental Science class I can understand more of what his thought process is. In comparison, he could be talking about world hunger. His strongest points in the article were each rich nation can be seen as a lifeboat full of comparatively rich people, and in the ocean outside each lifeboat swim the poor world, who should be allowed to get in to share the wealth? By breaking down the population of many countries and showing that their population rate is expanding past their ability to feed the hungry is also another strong point. He also brings out the point of if poor countries were not given assistance with food sharing; it may possibly stabilize their population growth. But would it? According to many countries standards, women are having so many babies to try and have sons who can be strong enough to do work to bring food into the home. So by shutting out the poor would produce greater risks to their health. But there were several parts of his story I could have cared less about. For instance when he began talking about the fundamental error of spaceship ethics, I was lost and had no clue what this had to do with the rest of the article. Who cares about immigrants? This was not changing my world view on the issue of world hunger. He goes into the slang words for generations ago such as Dagos, Wops, Polacks, Chinks, and Krauts, what are half of these slang words referring to and who cares what they are referring to, it has nothing to do with the issue of preserving your life boat, what to do when there are too many mouths to feed and not enough food to go around. He also started mentioning the concept of pure justice produces an infinite regression to absurdity, okay where was he going on this one? There were a lot of things he stated in his article that I had no clue where he was going  with it and it seemed as if he was just trying to take up more space. Overall the whole article had no bearing on my worldview of my lifeboat.

A manager’s job Essay Example for Free

A manager’s job Essay \1. A manager’s job can be described from various perspectives. (Functions, roles, essential skills, systems, contingencies). describe what managers do using Henri Fayol’s functions approach and the contingency/situational approach. Bring out in you presentation, the advantages and disadvantages of the approach. Successful organizations are led by experienced and knowledgeable managers. Good managers are there to make work load look less difficult and their responsibility is mounting and endless. Managers oversee the use of all resources; that is to say financial, physical, information and human resources in their respective firm. All the aspects of a manager’s job are interrelated. Managers also develop, maintain and implement the organizations goals and objectives. They also lead their employees as well as motivating them to meet set targets. What managers do is represented by the term POLC. This means; planning, organizing, leading (commanding), and controlling. According to Henri Fayol, there are fourteen management principles. However not all of them apply to manager’s roles, essentials, system, functions or contingencies. Planning is a predetermined course of action in order to set up clear business objectives and making of decisions on the best use of resources. Mangers here decide on the tasks and resources that are needed to achieve business objectives. It is the most difficult among the four and therefore requires active participation of the whole organization. This then comes out as a manager’s role that is he/ she is responsible for coordinating this setup. According to Fayol, planning must be coordinated on different levels and with different horizons. Since this process involves defining goals and establishing strategies for achieving those goals and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities, the manager is responsible for such. (w ww.provenmodels.com/3/five-functions-of-management/). Planning as presented by Fayol facilitates management objectives that are it highlights the purpose for which various activities are to be undertaken. It also helps  in focusing the attention of employees on the objectives or goals of the business. However on the other hand, planning is rigid that is it has a tendency to make administration inflexible. There also is high doubt in the development of employees because of which management might have faced lot of difficulties in future. Planning therefore introduces inelasticity and discourages individual initiative as well as experimentation. Planning minimizes uncertainties that are it reduces uncertainty of the future as it involves anticipation of future events. Planning also facilitates coordination. Planning improves employee’s moral Employees know in advance what is expected of them and therefore conformity can be achieved easily. This encourages employees to show their best and also earn reward for the same. Planning encourages innovations. In the process of planning, managers have the opportunities of suggesting ways and means of improving performance. However planning is time consuming and expensive. Planning is a time consuming process because it involves collection of information, its analysis and interpretation thereof. The entire process of planning takes a lot of time specially where there are a number of alternatives available. Collection, analysis and evaluation of different information, facts and alternatives involve a lot of expense in terms of time, effort and money. Organizing according to Fayol’s perspective, is when managers provide capital, personnel and raw materials for the day to day running of the business and building structure to match the work. However, Luther Gulick and Brit Lydnall Urwick expanded organizing as establishing a structure of authority for all work. This is an essential role played by a manager. Managers arrange work to accomplish the organizations goals. Managers also are concerned with assigning and allocation of resources and duties to employees. This is quite essential since the process brings people together that is as employees are grouped they get time to actually discuss therefore covering the social need as indicated by Abraham Maslow. It is also a manager’s job in organizing that is it is entirely up to him to know how tasks are to be grouped, who is to do the tasks, what tasks are to be done and who is to report to whom. Organizing helps in the division of work that then aids in the bringing up of specialization in various activities of concern. Specialization helps reduce wastages and in turn increases the quality of products produced. This is because everyone will be obliged to a  duty and the employees in a bid to get some recognition at work, they tend to work hard. Organizing also helps enhance effective administration, coordination, scope for new changes, and classifies authority. This is to say that organizing helps to define job positions, creates clear cut relationships among positions and ensure mutual cooperation among individuals, classifies power to every manager and the way he/ she has to exercise those powers can be clarified so that misuse of power will not take place respectively. However, specialization leads to boredom that is if the person continues to work in the same department for a long time. Leading is optimizing return from all employees in the interest of the entire enterprise. Successful managers have personal integrity, communicate clearly and base their judgments on regular audits. Leading is the imparting of a vision to the organization in order to achieve a goal. It does this by formulating a well-thought out vision and then clearly communicating it. It involves managers giving orders to employees. Managers here analyze workers’ reports and in turn get to know more about an employee. This thorough knowledge of personnel creates unity, energy, innovation, loyalty and eliminates incompetence. Managers here also motivate subordinates, influence individuals or teams as they work. This comes to the point in which a manager is said to work with and through people to accomplish organizational goals. It is within a manager’s job as well to choose the most effective communication channels or to deal with any employee behavior. Leading maintains order in the sense that everyone will be under one superior hence there are chances of having an organized structure. Members know to whom they report and who reports to them. This means that communication gets channeled along defined and predictable paths, which allows those higher in the organization to direct questions to the appropriate parties. It also means that individuals tend to know who does and does not possess the authority to assign or change tasks. A clear chain of command also generates clearly defined sets of responsibilities. However, Organizational structures that have leading as a management’s role are highly at an advantage because it offers very clear, if not always easy, advancement paths. In business organizations, for example, advancement frequently means replacing a departing or advancing superior. Also a leading management role  divides these areas of concern into various department configurations that specialize. Specialization allows organizations to concentrate particular skill sets and resources to achieve maximum efficiency. However In theory, organizations pursue a goal or goals as a unified team. The departmentalizing of specializations leads, in some cases, to decisions made to benefit a department rather than the organization goals. Amongst the POLC, controlling is the last element. Mangers here identify weaknesses and errors by controlling feedback and conforming activities to plans, policies and instructions. The manager under controlling; monitors actual performance, compares actual to standard performance and takes action basing on the outcome. It is entirely a manager’s job to come up with plans, policies and instructions that can govern the business and in turn benefit the business as a whole. By allowing controlling functions to operate effectively and efficiently through coordination and control methods for Fayol, the manager is the one who overlooks an employee as a living organism that requires liaison officers and joint committees. Controlling is precisely a way of monitoring, keeping, comparing, correcting, giving explanation and evaluating how well the purposed organization is achieving and accomplishing its goals and how they are taking action to improve or increase their performance. Controlling is the process used to establish and provide structure in order to deal with uncertainties. Control helps to reduce the wastage of human, material and financial resources. This increases the profits of the organization. All the work has to be done according to these standards. So control, acts as a guideline. It guides all the operations of the organization in the right direction. A contingency approach is a situation in management where there is no one approach to management. In short, it is a situation where there is no one size fitting all. According to Wikipedia, it is also known as the situational approach that is to say that there is not a set of management principles or tools that can be used to manage an organization. This is because organizations are different hence they face different circumstances and this may require different ways of managing. The contingency theory states that managers must understand the situation contingences facing them before deciding the best way to work with and through others as they  coordinate activities. In this case it’s not that managers just sit back and relax, rather they work the hardest because they have to first observe before acting. Managers in the contingency approach, first have to evaluate and understand what type of situation they will be in. this is mainly because situations vary and change over time. The right approach to use depends on the complex variety of critical environmental and internal contingences. The manager’s job under the contingency approach is to observe and be quick to adapt to the changes inconsiderate of how extreme the situation is, the manager therefore instills flexibility in oneself so as to find relevant solutions to different contingencies within a little amount of time. The key advantages of situational leadership are that the model is easy to understand and REFERENCE RICKY W GRIFFIN (BUSINESS 6TH EDITION) (www.provenmodels.com/3/five-functions-of-management/ managementstudyguide.com/organizing_importance_htm www.ehow.com/about_7382944_advantages-disadvantages-succession-planning.html www.ehow.com/info_8416158_advantages-disadvantages-management-information-system.html http://www.ehow.com/about_5522264_advantages-situational-leadership.html http://www.ehow.com/info_8536984_advantages-disadvantages-hierarchical-structure.html

Media Regulation and Ownership

Media Regulation and Ownership Media Ownership The concern surrounding the concentration of mass media ownership is hardly a new topic. In 1970, the Davey Committee on the Mass Media was the first to sound the alarm bell. Daily newspapers in particular were falling into fewer and fewer concentrations of corporate hands. For example, in 1990, 17.3% of daily newspapers were independently owned. In 2005 a sad 1% was independently owned. These findings, among other things, caused the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications to launch a study on Canadian news media in March 2003. Prior to that, another government inquiry, the Kent Royal Commission on Newspapers, brought these fears to light. By then, three big chains controlled fifty seven percent of the daily circulation; this is up from forty five percent in the short time since Davey issued his report. In studying the condition of the newspaper industry, both the Davey Committee and the Kent Commission noted the growing concentration of newspaper ownership were res ponsible for wide spread social costs. The Canadian newspaper markets and the accompanying rise of chain ownership would surely lead to a reduction of the news and views presented in the press. This would ultimately threaten the publics right to freedom of expression by restricting the number and diversity of voices heard in the daily press. Today, the concentration of newspaper ownership is far worse than either the Davey or Kent studies could have imagined. The three biggest chains now control more than seventy four percent of daily circulation. One company alone, the Can West Global, owns or controls more than forty percent of English language circulation. What is very troubling is the fact that there exists a complete monopoly of the daily press in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. In respect to previously mentioned facts, it is clear that the introduction of a legislation to curb the concentration of media ownership in Canada is long due. Confronted with this possibility in the past, media owners have bickered that such measures would encroach on their individual rights and transgress freedom of the press. While being conscious of this argument, the truth is that the case for imposing limits on media ownership is based solely on democratic, social and journalistic concerns. The media’s social responsibility makes them unlike any other commercial activity. Freedom of the press is not just the proprietary right of owners to do as they see fit, it is a right of the Canadian people. For the right to be valued we need to encourage diversity and openness in the media. This means creating policies to encourage wider involvement in media industries by numerous individuals, and switch the concentration of media power in fewer and fewer hands. Many countries have used and practiced this simple principle and have developed procedures to control the threat of media ownership concentration. An example of a region that is currently taking action is the European Commission. The European Commission is proposing legislation to confine the reach of big media corporations and manage the spread of cross-media ownership, as such can have a huge effect on information which in some situations can be priceless. Another great example is what is occurring in Britain. Television broadcasters in Britain are confined to fifteen percent of the national audience. In the case of newspaper mergers, the British Monopolies and Mergers Commission is obligated to evaluate the impact on the accu rate presentation of news and free expression of opinion when deciding whether to approve a merger. Sweden is another county that is taking action. Sweden has a long standing press grant whereby a number of newspapers, not always funded by private corporate advertisers, are provided public financing. The Italian Broadcasting Act of 1990 sets tangible limits on media concentration. Under the law, no one person or company may own or manage more than twenty percent of all the media In Germany, whenever a merger allows a company to control a precise press market or reinforce its already scheming position, the federal cartel office is forced to intrude to stop the merger. The policies have been used several times and with some outstanding success. Not too long ago, the cartel office banned Springer from acquiring monopoly control of the Munich newspaper market. The French government checks any group or individual from owning more than thirty percent of the daily press. However, if a company or individual has extensive interests in the broadcast media, it may only control up to ten percent of the daily press. The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom is urging the government to take action in an attempt to help encourage and defend a free and democratic press. I believe that legislation aimed at tackling the problem of media ownership concentration should have a least three broad goals. First, constrain and ultimately reverse the current level of media ownership concentration. Second, supply procedures that will encourage a diversity of media ownership. Lastly, make sure that the media effectively live up to their social responsibility and offer a wider variety of exposure and content Most developed countries have legislation that restrictions the amount of media holdings any company or individual can own. Others are functioning positively to limit cross-media ownership. Compared to developed countries, Canada has very weak requirements. There is not much to prevent or stop one company from dominating and controlling the newspaper, television or radio markets in the country. In a free and democratic society, that is clearly intolerable Precise restrictions on ownership limits are necessary. However, the Competition Bureau, the federal body which controls mergers and acquisitions, also needs to take a more vigorous role in defending the public from the adverse affect of mergers in the media area. In order to tackle the pressing problems, it would be a good idea for the following suggestions to be given power in legislation. The first proposal would be the total number of daily newspapers, radio stations, or television stations owned by one company or individual in any market should not exceed thirty five percent. Secondly, no one company or individual should directly or indirectly manage or control more than twenty five percent of the distribution of daily newspapers in Canada. Thirdly, to limit cross-media ownership concentration, it should be proposed that no one person or company may own or control more than twenty percent of all the media. Lastly, the current Competition Act should be altered so that it includes the following part: The Director of Research and Investigation should state whether or not a merger concerning media interests may be likely to function against the public interest, taking into account all matters which appear in the particular circumstances to be relevant and having regard to the need for precise presentation of news and free expression of diverse opinion. Limiting the amount of worth one company can manage is a significant step towards protecting freedom of expression. However, it will only be efficient if it came with measures to encourage new owners to enter the market and to support other forms of ownership. There is now substantial evidence presented to propose that a high degree of concentration of ownership makes it nearly impossible for new parties to enter the market. To tackle these problems, the following measures should be taken into consideration. First, the legislation should be enacted to provide special tax inducements and interest-free loans for the establishment of new newspapers by small local investors, community groups, and non-profit organizations. Second, tax incentives and interest free loans should be provided to encourage employee purchases of media properties. And thirdly, the future role of the CBC/SRC and provincial public service broadcasters is crucial to ensuring a diverse broadcasting network. Public broadcasters should be guaranteed adequate and stable multi-year financing coupled with a renewed mandate clarifying their public service goals. Media concentration can and will give birth to a number of dangers namely. These dangers include single minded perspectives on major events and debates, information handling, and the eradication of alternative views and opinions. The impact on free speech independence will be devastating. The fear of being sacked and punishments from top level managers might pressure the journalists to self-censor. However, the increase of media concentration is matched by an equally alarming shift toward collection. This occurs as non-media corporations directly or indirectly gain holdings in the media sector, a development that raises the spectre of potential editorial interference. Clearly, the increasing reach and power of these corporations gives new urgency to concerns about who controls them and whose interests they serve. Given these concerns, introducing the following legislative measures might help to encourage responsibility on the part of the current media controllers and to help diversify coverage and content. First, to further develop editorial independence from managerial interference, legislation should establish a code of professional practice to protect journalists and other media workers from possible obstructions Second, in connection with a reform of the current libel law, legislation should be enacted establishing a right of reply to inaccurate or misleading reporting. Third, the self-regulatory press councils and the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council have often proven to be ineffective in dealing with public complaints about media coverage. A proposal, that an independent and publicly accountable body, a Media Commission, be established to investigate such complaints, report publicly on its findings, and order any redress where it has decided an infraction has occurred. Fourth, media corporations, particular those involved in other sectors of the economy, should be required to provide full details about their ownership holdings and a statement of the relationship to be maintained between the editorial department, including the editor and publisher in the case of newspapers, and the corporation. Fifth, broadcasters are currently required to set aside a small amount of time for public service organizations and community groups. A similar policy should be developed whereby daily newspapers would be required to set aside a modest amount of space for community groups and local non-profit organizations. Such a requirement would help ensure more diversity of voices and issues in the press. In Conclusion, most democratic societies recognize the need to ensure the printed word and visual image should not be overly monopolized. If diversity of opinion lies at the heart of democracy, then surely no one individual or company should be permitted to preside over what Canadians see, hear, and read. The reserved legislative proposals outlined earlier, if accepted, would represent an important step toward encouraging wider diversity, openness, and choice in our media. It would encourage this by limiting and reversing the concentration of media power into fewer and fewer hands. If immediate actions are not taken, the range of news and information the Canadian public receives will be further restricted, as the pool of those who own and control its content will continue to shrink. As a result from this, what we see and hear will be what one or two individuals decide is best for us.

Frank McCourts Angelas Ashes Essay -- Essays Papers

Frank McCourts Angelas Ashes Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes is a powerful and emotional memoir of his life from childhood through early adulthood. This book is a wonderfully inspired piece of work that emotionally attaches the reader through McCourt’s life experiences. Its effectiveness is primarily due to McCourt’s evolving ‘innocent-eye’ narrative technique. He allows the reader to experience his own life in a changeable form. Through this unique story telling technique, the reader is able to watch Frank grow and evolve. Between the ages of four, eleven and fourteen changes in his writing can be easily identified. It is evident that the written text, McCourt’s thoughts, and the resultant relationship with the reader evolve and become more complex during this part of his life. When describing his experiences at the age of four, McCourt's writing style is very much like a story told from a child’s perspective. He uses simple dialogue and a ‘tell it like it is’ approach: â€Å"We’re on the seesaw. Up, down, updown. Malachy goes up. I get off. Malachy goes down. Seesaw hits ground† (19). At this point, he demonstrated a basic, staccato-like sentence structure. McCourt presents information as if heard and interpreted by a child. On page38 Mrs. Leibowitz, a kind neighbour who lives in the same building as the McCourt family, says, â€Å"Nice Chewish name, have apiece of cake, eh? Why they give you a Chewish name, eh?† The reader knows that the word Jewish is spelled as it is heard and that this is typical of child interpretations. Just as simple dialogue is used throughout the book, so are simple pattern thoughts. Children have a tangible stream of consciousness and often have a tendency to change subject matter quickly throughout a conversation: â€Å"They have their tea†¦uncle Pa Keating, who is my uncle because he’s married to my aunt Aggie, picks up Eugene† (87). The reader already knows from previous information that Pa Keating is the children’s uncle. Just as children often incorporate needless information into a conversation, McCourt does the same in his writing. The reader acquires an image that a real conversation is taking place. Frank McCourt also shows the reader, through examples such as on page 16, that his thoughts as a child are quite simple. He tries to describe the anger he feels by stating â€Å"a blackness comes over me.† Because of his age, he... ...scriptive and has an involved sentence structure characteristic of a mature writer. His thoughts and his feelings are deeply profound. The relationship with the reader has changed extremely and is quite noticeable. In the beginning and parts of the middle of this book, the reader is ‘shown’, not described, a scenario where the result is often left to be interpreted. This is not so at the end of his memoir. Frank McCourt, instead of using a ‘show and tell’ narrative method, which applies in the beginning, is in a didactic mode where he explains everything in detail and there is nothing left for the reader to interpret. To conclude, there is an evolved Frank evidently noticed from the start through to the end. As Frank McCourt grows and develops into an adult, so too does his writing. The written text, thoughts and the relationship with the reader indeed evolves and becomes more complex as Frank matures. Examples taken from the ages of four, eleven and fourteen show these noticeable differences. Through an evolving ‘innocent-eye’ narrative technique McCourt is able to establish a powerful emotion connection with the reader. Bibliography: Frank McCourt. Angela's Ashes

My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay examples -- Philosophy of Te

Philosophy of Education For me, the decision to become a teacher is more of a way of life than a career. I have always loved school, practicing at being school marm from a young age, and voraciously devouring every shred of education offered me in my career as a student. If it were possible, I would be a student for the rest of my life. And then I still would not have learned enough. As a teacher, I hope to instill this appetite for knowledge in secondary students. They are, after all, the future leaders of the world, and what better place to expand the minds of the generations to come than here in Appalachia where education programs, especially the sciences, which I plan to teach, are poorly funded and children’s dreams often fall by the wayside under the weight of everyday life. I don’t want to control the way my students think, but to encourage them to think in ways different than the traditional, to challenge their horizons. As I stated above, I don’t believe that children are being challenged enough. I believe that students rise to meet the reasonable expectations set before them. If a teacher sets the bar a little higher than average and maintains faith in his or her students, then the children will rise to the task and feel better about themselves in the end. One of the most common complaints from students is boredom. Through the philosophies and theories I champion, I hope to combat this attitude. My philosophy is completely idealistic, with elements of pragmatism apparent. I also embrace the theories of experimentalism and progressivism. Teachers should be role models in both the classroom and the community. As an idealist, I truly believe that every single student make... ...orms are going to come and go, and are often necessary, but if teachers become instrumental in their construction, then reforms will be created that will benefit all involved without hampering the ability of teachers to educate their students. Teaching is a noble profession and a journey of lifelong learning. As an educator I will continue to further my own education while doing the same for my students. Biology especially is an ever-changing field, and that is part of the excitement of teaching it to children. There are new and different things discovered every day: things that are wonderful, things that are painful, and things that have a deep impact on the future. This is similar to students: some are truly delightful to work with, others can be a struggle, but ultimately they are all important as people and as the next generation of Americans.

Ernest Hemingways Big Two-Hearted River and Sigmund Freud Essay

Ernest Hemingway's Big Two-Hearted River and Sigmund Freud Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"iceberg theory† suggests that the writer include in the text only a small portion of what he knows, leaving about ninety percent of the content a mystery that grows beneath the surface of the writing. This type of writing lends itself naturally to a version of dream-interpretation, as this story structure mirrors the structure of the mind—the restrained, composed tip of the unconscious and the vast body of subconscious that is censored by the ego. Psychoanalyzing Hemingway’s fiction is double-sided—we must first analyze the manifest and latent contents that he probably intended, i.e., â€Å"This fishing trip will be a metaphor for a sexual act,† and then we must consider the manifest and latent content that he probably did not intend, but that arose from his own subconscious in the transference of writing, i.e., perhaps within thirty pages of intentionally masturbatory imagery, Hemingway was actually expressing his sexual repression rather than glorifying his manhood, as many literary critics in the past have claimed. Whether or not the manifest content is intentional, however, Hemingway’s precise and abundant revisions serve as a very effective tool for presenting strings of images and actions that are concrete and straightforward but not always fully developed, comparable to the strings of images in a dream. Through a sort of dream-interpretation, we uncover a new reading of Hemingway’s â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River† and we discover the techniques of dream-work, such as condensation and omission, enacted in art. From start to finish, â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River† proves to fall almost perfectly under Freud’s symbolism theories. In the first sentence a... ... readers who will not interpret his work psychoanalytically, and who will possibly find a new variation on their selves through reading the oedipal complex presented in the latent content of â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River.† For those reading psychoanalytically, however, the piece is brimming with latent meaning. Whether Hemingway understood his transference, or not, cannot be determined, and shouldn’t be determined, but one cannot help but wonder whether he resisted the analyst who questioned a title as phallic as â€Å"Big Two-Hearted River.† Biblography Freud, Sigmund. Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1966. Freud, Sigmund. â€Å"On Universal Tendency to Debasement in Sphere of Love.† Therapy and Technique. Collier Books, 1970. Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"Big Two Hearted River.† In Our Time. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1970.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 12-15

CHAPTER 12 Capitol police chief Trent Anderson had overseen security in the U.S. Capitol Complex for over a decade. A burly, square-chested man with a chiseled face and red hair, he kept his hair cropped in a buzz cut, giving him an air of military authority. He wore a visible sidearm as a warning to anyone foolish enough to question the extent of his authority. Anderson spent the majority of his time coordinating his small army of police officers from a high-tech surveillance center in the basement of the Capitol. Here he oversaw a staff of technicians who watched visual monitors, computer readouts, and a telephone switchboard that kept him in contact with the many security personnel he commanded. This evening had been unusually quiet, and Anderson was pleased. He had been hoping to catch a bit of the Redskins game on the flat-panel television in his office. The game had just kicked off when his intercom buzzed. â€Å"Chief?† Anderson groaned and kept his eyes on the television as he pressed the button. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"We've got some kind of disturbance in the Rotunda. I've got officers arriving now, but I think you'll want to have a look.† â€Å"Right.† Anderson walked into the security nerve center–a compact, neomodern facility packed with computer monitors. â€Å"What have you got?† The technician was cueing a digital video clip on his monitor. â€Å"Rotunda east balcony camera. Twenty seconds ago.† He played the clip. Anderson watched over the technician's shoulder. The Rotunda was almost deserted today, dotted with just a few tourists. Anderson's trained eye went immediately to the one person who was alone and moving faster than all the others. Shaved head. Green army-surplus jacket. Injured arm in a sling. Slight limp. Slouched posture. Talking on a cell phone. The bald man's footfalls echoed crisply on the audio feed until, suddenly, arriving at the exact center of the Rotunda, he stopped short, ended his phone call, and then knelt down as if to tie his shoe. But instead of tying a shoe, he pulled something out of his sling and set it on the floor. Then he stood up and limped briskly toward the east exit. Anderson eyed the oddly shaped object the man had left behind. What in the world? It was about eight inches tall and standing vertically. Anderson crouched closer to the screen and squinted. That can't be what it looks like! As the bald man hurried off, disappearing through the east portico, a little boy nearby could be heard saying, â€Å"Mommy, that man dropped something.† The boy drifted toward the object but suddenly stopped short. After a long, motionless beat, he pointed and let out a deafening scream. Instantly, the police chief spun and ran for the door, barking orders as he went. â€Å"Radio all points! Find the bald guy with the sling and detain him! NOW!† Dashing out of the security center, he bounded up the treads of the well-worn staircase three at a time. The security feed had shown the bald man with the sling leave the Rotunda via the east portico. The shortest route out of the building would therefore take him through the east-west corridor, which was just ahead. I can head him off. As he reached the top of the stairs and rounded the corner, Anderson surveyed the quiet hallway before him. An elderly couple strolled at the far end, hand in hand. Nearby, a blond tourist wearing a blue blazer was reading a guidebook and studying the mosaic ceiling outside the House chamber. â€Å"Excuse me, sir!† Anderson barked, running toward him. â€Å"Have you seen a bald man with a sling on his arm?† The man looked up from his book with a confused expression. â€Å"A bald man with a sling!† Anderson repeated more firmly. â€Å"Have you seen him?† The tourist hesitated and glanced nervously toward the far eastern end of the hallway. â€Å"Uh . . . yes,† he said. â€Å"I think he just ran past me . . . to that staircase over there.† He pointed down the hall. Anderson pulled out his radio and yelled into it. â€Å"All points! The suspect is headed for the southeast exit. Converge!† He stowed the radio and yanked his sidearm from its holster, running toward the exit. Thirty seconds later, at a quiet exit on the east side of the Capitol, the powerfully built blond man in the blue blazer stepped into the damp night air. He smiled, savoring the coolness of the evening. Transformation. It had been so easy. Only a minute ago he had limped quickly out of the Rotunda in an army-surplus coat. Stepping into a darkened alcove, he shed his coat, revealing the blue blazer he wore underneath. Before abandoning his surplus jacket, he pulled a blond wig from the pocket and fit it snugly on his head. Then he stood up straight, pulled a slim Washington guidebook from his blazer, and stepped calmly from the niche with an elegant gait. Transformation. This is my gift. As Mal'akh's mortal legs carried him toward his waiting limousine, he arched his back, standing to his full six-foot-three height and throwing back his shoulders. He inhaled deeply, letting the air fill his lungs. He could feel the wings of the tattooed phoenix on his chest opening wide. If they only knew my power, he thought, gazing out at the city. Tonight my transformation will be complete. Mal'akh had played his cards artfully within the Capitol Building, showing obeisance to all the ancient etiquettes. The ancient invitation has been delivered. If Langdon had not yet grasped his role here tonight, soon he would. CHAPTER 13 For Robert Langdon, the Capitol Rotunda–like St. Peter's Basilica–always had a way of taking him by surprise. Intellectually, he knew the room was so large that the Statue of Liberty could stand comfortably inside it, but somehow the Rotunda always felt larger and more hallowed than he anticipated, as if there were spirits in the air. Tonight, however, there was only chaos. Capitol police officers were sealing the Rotunda while attempting to herd distraught tourists away from the hand. The little boy was still crying. A bright light flashed–a tourist taking a photo of the hand–and several guards immediately detained the man, taking his camera and escorting him off. In the confusion, Langdon felt himself moving forward in a trance, slipping through the crowd, inching closer to the hand. Peter Solomon's severed right hand was standing upright, the flat plane of the detached wrist skewered down onto the spike of a small wooden stand. Three of the fingers were closed in a fist, while the thumb and index finger were fully extended, pointing up toward the soaring dome. â€Å"Everyone back!† an officer called. Langdon was close enough now that he could see dried blood, which had run down from the wrist and coagulated on the wooden base. Postmortem wounds don't bleed . . . which means Peter is alive. Langdon didn't know whether to be relieved or nauseated. Peter's hand was removed while he was alive? Bile rose in his throat. He thought of all the times his dear friend had extended this same hand to shake Langdon's or offer a warm embrace. For several seconds, Langdon felt his mind go blank, like an untuned television set broadcasting only static. The first clear image that broke through was utterly unexpected. A crown . . . and a star. Langdon crouched down, eyeing the tips of Peter's thumb and index finger. Tattoos? Incredibly, the monster who had done this appeared to have tattooed tiny symbols on Peter's fingertips. On the thumb–a crown. On the index finger–a star. This can't be. The two symbols registered instantly in Langdon's mind, amplifying this already horrific scene into something almost otherworldly. These symbols had appeared together many times in history, and always in the same place–on the fingertips of a hand. It was one of the ancient world's most coveted and secretive icons. The Hand of the Mysteries. The icon was rarely seen anymore, but throughout history it had symbolized a powerful call to action. Langdon strained to comprehend the grotesque artifact now before him. Someone crafted the Hand of the Mysteries out of Peter's hand? It was unthinkable. Traditionally, the icon was sculpted in stone or wood or rendered as a drawing. Langdon had never heard of the Hand of the Mysteries being fashioned from actual flesh. The concept was abhorrent. â€Å"Sir?† a guard said behind Langdon. â€Å"Please step back.† Langdon barely heard him. There are other tattoos. Although he could not see the fingertips of the three clenched fingers, Langdon knew these fingertips would bear their own unique markings. That was the tradition. Five symbols in total. Through the millennia, the symbols on the fingertips of the Hand of the Mysteries had never changed . . . nor had the hand's iconic purpose. The hand represents . . . an invitation. Langdon felt a sudden chill as he recalled the words of the man who had brought him here. Professor, tonight you are receiving the invitation of your lifetime. In ancient times, the Hand of the Mysteries actually served as the most coveted invitation on earth. To receive this icon was a sacred summons to join an elite group–those who were said to guard the secret wisdom of all the ages. The invitation not only was a great honor, but it signified that a master believed you were worthy to receive this hidden wisdom. The hand of the master extended to the initiate. â€Å"Sir,† the guard said, putting a firm hand on Langdon's shoulder. â€Å"I need you to back up right now.† â€Å"I know what this means,† Langdon managed. â€Å"I can help you.† â€Å"Now!† the guard said. â€Å"My friend is in trouble. We have to–â€Å" Langdon felt powerful arms pulling him up and leading him away from the hand. He simply let it happen . . . feeling too off balance to protest. A formal invitation had just been delivered. Someone was summoning Langdon to unlock a mystical portal that would unveil a world of ancient mysteries and hidden knowledge. But it was all madness. Delusions of a lunatic. CHAPTER 14 Mal'akh's stretch limousine eased away from the U.S. Capitol, moving eastward down Independence Avenue. A young couple on the sidewalk strained to see through the tinted rear windows, hoping to glimpse a VIP. I'm in front, Mal'akh thought, smiling to himself. Mal'akh loved the feeling of power he got from driving this massive car all alone. None of his other five cars offered him what he needed tonight–the guarantee of privacy. Total privacy. Limousines in this city enjoyed a kind of unspoken immunity. Embassies on wheels. Police officers who worked near Capitol Hill were never certain what power broker they might mistakenly pull over in a limousine, and so most simply chose not to take the chance. As Mal'akh crossed the Anacostia River into Maryland, he could feel himself moving closer to Katherine, pulled onward by destiny's gravity. I am being called to a second task tonight . . . one I had not imagined. Last night, when Peter Solomon told the last of his secrets, Mal'akh had learned of the existence of a secret lab in which Katherine Solomon had performed miracles– staggering breakthroughs that Mal'akh realized would change the world if they were ever made known. Her work will unveil the true nature of all things. For centuries the â€Å"brightest minds† on earth had ignored the ancient sciences, mocking them as ignorant superstitions, arming themselves instead with smug skepticism and dazzling new technologies–tools that led them only further from the truth. Every generation's breakthroughs are proven false by the next generation's technology. And so it had gone through the ages. The more man learned, the more he realized he did not know. For millennia, mankind had wandered in the darkness . . . but now, as had been prophesied, there was a change coming. After hurtling blindly through history, mankind had reached a crossroads. This moment had been predicted long ago, prophesied by the ancient texts, by the primeval calendars, and even by the stars themselves. The date was specific, its arrival imminent. It would be preceded by a brilliant explosion of knowledge . . . a flash of clarity to illuminate the darkness and give mankind a final chance to veer away from the abyss and take the path of wisdom. I have come to obscure the light, Mal'akh thought. This is my role. Fate had linked him to Peter and Katherine Solomon. The breakthroughs Katherine Solomon had made within the SMSC would risk opening floodgates of new thinking, starting a new Renaissance. Katherine's revelations, if made public, would become a catalyst that would inspire mankind to rediscover the knowledge he had lost, empowering him beyond all imagination. Katherine's destiny is to light this torch. Mine is to extinguish it. CHAPTER 15 In total darkness, Katherine Solomon groped for the outer door of her lab. Finding it, she heaved open the lead-lined door and hurried into the small entry room. The journey across the void had taken only ninety seconds, and yet her heart was pounding wildly. After three years, you'd think I'd be used to that. Katherine always felt relieved to escape the blackness of Pod 5 and step into this clean, well-lit space. The â€Å"Cube† was a massive windowless box. Every inch of the interior walls and ceiling was covered with a stiff mesh of titanium-coated lead fiber, giving the impression of a giant cage built inside a cement enclosure. Dividers of frosted Plexiglas separated the space into different compartments–a laboratory, a control room, a mechanical room, a bathroom, and a small research library. Katherine strode briskly into the main lab. The bright and sterile work space glistened with advanced quantitative equipment: paired electro encephalographs, a femtosecond comb, a magneto-optical trap, and quantum-indeterminate electronic noise REGs, more simply known as Random Event Generators. Despite Noetic Science's use of cutting-edge technologies, the discoveries themselves were far more mystical than the cold, high-tech machines that were producing them. The stuff of magic and myth was fast becoming reality as the shocking new data poured in, all of it supporting the basic ideology of Noetic Science–the untapped potential of the human mind. The overall thesis was simple: We have barely scratched the surface of our mental and spiritual capabilities. Experiments at facilities like the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in California and the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab (PEAR) had categorically proven that human thought, if properly focused, had the ability to affect and change physical mass. Their experiments were no â€Å"spoon-bending† parlor tricks, but rather highly controlled inquiries that all produced the same extraordinary result: our thoughts actually interacted with the physical world, whether or not we knew it, effecting change all the way down to the subatomic realm. Mind over matter. In 2001, in the hours following the horrifying events of September 11, the field of Noetic Science made a quantum leap forward. Four scientists discovered that as the frightened world came together and focused in shared grief on this single tragedy, the outputs of thirty-seven different Random Event Generators around the world suddenly became significantly less random. Somehow, the oneness of this shared experience, the coalescing of millions of minds, had affected the randomizing function of these machines, organizing their outputs and bringing order from chaos. The shocking discovery, it seemed, paralleled the ancient spiritual belief in a â€Å"cosmic consciousness†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa vast coalescing of human intention that was actually capable of interacting with physical matter. Recently, studies in mass meditation and prayer had produced similar results in Random Event Generators, fueling the claim that human consciousness, as Noetic author Lynne McTaggart described it, was a substance outside the confines of the body . . . a highly ordered energy capable of changing the physical world. Katherine had been fascinated by McTaggart's book The Intention Experiment, and her global, Web-based study– theintentionexperiment.com–aimed at discovering how human intention could affect the world. A handful of other progressive texts had also piqued Katherine's interest. From this foundation, Katherine Solomon's research had vaulted forward, proving that â€Å"focused thought† could affect literally anything–the growth rate of plants, the direction that fish swam in a bowl, the manner in which cells divided in a petri dish, the synchronization of separately automated systems, and the chemical reactions in one's own body. Even the crystalline structure of a newly forming solid was rendered mutable by one's mind; Katherine had created beautifully symmetrical ice crystals by sending loving thoughts to a glass of water as it froze. Incredibly, the converse was also true: when she sent negative, polluting thoughts to the water, the ice crystals froze in chaotic, fractured forms. Human thought can literally transform the physical world. As Katherine's experiments grew bolder, her results became more astounding. Her work in this lab had proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that â€Å"mind over matter† was not just some New Age self-help mantra. The mind had the ability to alter the state of matter itself, and, more important, the mind had the power to encourage the physical world to move in a specific direction. We are the masters of our own universe. At the subatomic level, Katherine had shown that particles themselves came in and out of existence based solely on her intention to observe them. In a sense, her desire to see a particle . . . manifested that particle. Heisenberg had hinted at this reality decades ago, and now it had be come a fundamental principle of Noetic Science. In the words of Lynne McTaggart: â€Å"Living consciousness somehow is the influence that turns the possibility of something into something real. The most essential ingredient in creating our universe is the consciousness that observes it.† The most astonishing aspect of Katherine's work, however, had been the realization that the mind's ability to affect the physical world could be augmented through practice. Intention was a learned skill. Like meditation, harnessing the true power of â€Å"thought† required practice. More important . . . some people were born more skilled at it than others. And throughout history, there had been those few who had become true masters. This is the missing link between modern science and ancient mysticism. Katherine had learned this from her brother, Peter, and now, as her thoughts turned back to him, she felt a deepening concern. She walked to the lab's research library and peered in. Empty. The library was a small reading room–two Morris chairs, a wooden table, two floor lamps, and a wall of mahogany bookshelves that held some five hundred books. Katherine and Peter had pooled their favorite texts here, writings on everything from particle physics to ancient mysticism. Their collection had grown into an eclectic fusion of new and old . . . of cutting-edge and historical. Most of Katherine's books bore titles like Quantum Consciousness, The New Physics, and Principles of Neural Science. Her brother's bore older, more esoteric titles like the Kybalion, the Zohar, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, and a translation of the Sumerian tablets from the British Museum. â€Å"The key to our scientific future,† her brother often said, â€Å"is hidden in our past.† A lifelong scholar of history, science, and mysticism, Peter had been the first to encourage Katherine to boost her university science education with an understanding of early Hermetic philosophy. She had been only nineteen years old when Peter sparked her interest in the link between modern science and ancient mysticism. â€Å"So tell me, Kate,† her brother had asked while she was home on vacation during her sophomore year at Yale. â€Å"What are Elis reading these days in theoretical physics?† Katherine had stood in her family's book-filled library and recited her demanding reading list. â€Å"Impressive,† her brother replied. â€Å"Einstein, Bohr, and Hawking are modern geniuses. But are you reading anything older?† Katherine scratched her head. â€Å"You mean like . . . Newton?† He smiled. â€Å"Keep going.† At twenty-seven, Peter had already made a name for himself in the academic world, and he and Katherine had grown to savor this kind of playful intellectual sparring. Older than Newton? Katherine's head now filled with distant names like Ptolemy, Pythagoras, and Hermes Trismegistus. Nobody reads that stuff anymore. Her brother ran a finger down the long shelf of cracked leather bindings and old dusty tomes. â€Å"The scientific wisdom of the ancients was staggering . . . modern physics is only now beginning to comprehend it all.† â€Å"Peter,† she said, â€Å"you already told me that the Egyptians understood levers and pulleys long before Newton, and that the early alchemists did work on a par with modern chemistry, but so what? Today's physics deals with concepts that would have been unimaginable to the ancients.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Well . . . like entanglement theory, for one!† Subatomic research had now proven categorically that all matter was interconnected . . . entangled in a single unified mesh . . . a kind of universal oneness. â€Å"You're telling me the ancients sat around discussing entanglement theory?† â€Å"Absolutely!† Peter said, pushing his long, dark bangs out of his eyes. â€Å"Entanglement was at the core of primeval beliefs. Its names are as old as history itself . . . Dharmakaya, Tao, Brahman. In fact, man's oldest spiritual quest was to perceive his own entanglement, to sense his own interconnection with all things. He has always wanted to become `one' with the universe . . . to achieve the state of `at-one-ment.' † Her brother raised his eyebrows. â€Å"To this day, Jews and Christians still strive for `atonement' . . . although most of us have forgotten it is actually `at- one-ment' we're seeking.† Katherine sighed, having forgotten how hard it was to argue with a man so well versed in history. â€Å"Okay, but you're talking in generalities. I'm talking specific physics.† â€Å"Then be specific.† His keen eyes challenged her now. â€Å"Okay, how about something as simple as polarity–the positive/negative balance of the subatomic realm. Obviously, the ancients didn't underst–â€Å" â€Å"Hold on!† Her brother pulled down a large dusty text, which he dropped loudly on the library table. â€Å"Modern polarity is nothing but the `dual world' described by Krishna here in the Bhagavad Gita over two thousand years ago. A dozen other books in here, including the Kybalion, talk about binary systems and the opposing forces in nature.† Katherine was skeptical. â€Å"Okay, but if we talk about modern discoveries in subatomics–the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, for example–â€Å" â€Å"Then we must look here,† Peter said, striding down his long bookshelf and pulling out another text. â€Å"The sacred Hindu Vendantic scriptures known as the Upanishads.† He dropped the tome heavily on the first. â€Å"Heisenberg and Schrodinger studied this text and credited it with helping them formulate some of their theories.† The showdown continued for several minutes, and the stack of dusty books on the desk grew taller and taller. Finally Katherine threw up her hands in frustration. â€Å"Okay! You made your point, but I want to study cutting-edge theoretical physics. The future of science! I really doubt Krishna or Vyasa had much to say about superstring theory and multidimensional cosmological models.† â€Å"You're right. They didn't.† Her brother paused, a smile crossing his lips. â€Å"If you're talking superstring theory . . .† He wandered over to the bookshelf yet again. â€Å"Then you're talking this book here.† He heaved out a colossal leather-bound book and dropped it with a crash onto the desk. â€Å"Thirteenth-century translation of the original medieval Aramaic.† â€Å"Superstring theory in the thirteenth century?!† Katherine wasn't buying it. â€Å"Come on!† Superstring theory was a brand-new cosmological model. Based on the most recent scientific observations, it suggested the multidimensional universe was made up not of three . . . but rather of ten dimensions, which all interacted like vibrating strings, similar to resonating violin strings. Katherine waited as her brother heaved open the book, ran through the ornately printed table of contents, and then flipped to a spot near the beginning of the book. â€Å"Read this.† He pointed to a faded page of text and diagrams. Dutifully, Katherine studied the page. The translation was old-fashioned and very hard to read, but to her utter amazement, the text and drawings clearly outlined the exact same universe heralded by modern superstring theory–a ten-dimensional universe of resonating strings. As she continued reading, she suddenly gasped and recoiled. â€Å"My God, it even describes how six of the dimensions are entangled and act as one?!† She took a frightened step backward. â€Å"What is this book?!† Her brother grinned. â€Å"Something I'm hoping you'll read one day.† He flipped back to the title page, where an ornately printed plate bore three words. The Complete Zohar. Although Katherine had never read the Zohar, she knew it was the fundamental text of early Jewish mysticism, once believed so potent that it was reserved only for the most erudite rabbis. Katherine eyed the book. â€Å"You're saying the early mystics knew their universe had ten dimensions?† â€Å"Absolutely.† He motioned to the page's illustration of ten intertwined circles called Sephiroth. â€Å"Obviously, the nomenclature is esoteric, but the physics is very advanced.† Katherine didn't know how to respond. â€Å"But . . . then why don't more people study this?† Her brother smiled. â€Å"They will.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"Katherine, we have been born into wonderful times. A change is coming. Human beings are poised on the threshold of a new age when they will begin turning their eyes back to nature and to the old ways . . . back to the ideas in books like the Zohar and other ancient texts from around the world. Powerful truth has its own gravity and eventually pulls people back to it. There will come a day when modern science begins in earnest to study the wisdom of the ancients . . . that will be the day that mankind begins to find answers to the big questions that still elude him.† That night, Katherine eagerly began reading her brother's ancient texts and quickly came to understand that he was right. The ancients possessed profound scientific wisdom. Today's science was not so much making â€Å"discoveries† as it was making â€Å"rediscoveries.† Mankind, it seemed, had once grasped the true nature of the universe . . . but had let go . . . and forgotten. Modern physics can help us remember! This quest had become Katherine's mission in life–to use advanced science to rediscover the lost wisdom of the ancients. It was more than academic thrill that kept her motivated. Beneath it all was her conviction that the world needed this understanding . . . now more than ever. At the rear of the lab, Katherine saw her brother's white lab coat hanging on its hook along with her own. Reflexively, she pulled out her phone to check for messages. Nothing. A voice echoed again in her memory. That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . it can be found. Sometimes a legend that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason. â€Å"No,† Katherine said aloud. â€Å"It can't possibly be real.† Sometimes a legend was just that–a legend.