Knowledge and Skills Core to Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Knowledge and Skills Core to Journalism - Essay Example These programs are used for many purposes such as video editing, sound editing and photo editing. The paper also discusses need for a journalist to be; Entrepreneurial and Business Savvy, Multi-skilled, an Open-minded Experimenter and a Multimedia Storyteller. The paper also analyses journalism job market demand of Programming Skills, Fundamental Journalism Skills and Subediting Skills. The objective of this paper is to identify and evaluate the crucial skills needed by a journalist seeking to enter the Journalism and Communication industry. Logic Pro This is a must-have skill by any journalist who is actively seeking for an employment opportunity in this modern age. Sound is important in passing out messages from a journalist since it gives his / her work the correct sound track for improved quality and effectiveness is expression of the mood. Logic Pro is a MIDI sequencer application and hybrid 32/64 bit digital sound workstation for the Mac operating system X platform. This applic ation was first created by Emagic, German software developer, but later became a property of Apple after Apple bought Emagic in the year 2002. Logic Pro is henceforth a segment of Apple's Logic Studio bundle which is important to works done by a journalist (Burns, 2007, p. 121). A journalist needs to understand the working of the major features of Logic Pro. With Logic Pro skills in hand, a journalist with Logic Pro skills is more marketable in 2012 since he / she is able to broadcast his / her message with high quality that enhances his message. Final Cut Pro X Final Cut Pro X is software that is of great use to journalists as it contains several unique features that enable them perform their duties more efficiently and time consciously. It was issued in 2012 and is the most recent version of Final Cut Pro that enables one to organize, import, edit, sweeten, add effects, rate and deliver. One will observe discovery characteristics in all components of the work flow (Keeble, 2009, p . 98). Final Cut Pro X does not merely represent a different cut but is a completely new product that is characterized by a great new timeline, wonderful functioning and an active media system that basically eases the work of getting clips. The Final Cut Pro X has several fundamental features. There are three major divisions of the features which include: powerful media organization, revolutionary video editing and incredible performance. Since organizational skills are fundamental in this line of work to ensure meeting of deadlines and quality final products, knowledge in this software is fundamental to a modern day journalist. This is because it ensures orderliness and therefore making an individual with skill in it a prompt and efficient worker which is a key requirement of every employer in the field of journalism. Given that journalism is a time-oriented profession, knowledge in Final Cut Pro X is a must have for an individual seeking employment in this modern times. This is be cause of the high speeds that are directly proportional to quality associated with the software. Individuals proficient in the operations of this software are therefore at an added advantage when it comes to employment opportunities (Chapman & Marie, 2009, p. 81). Employers have been known to give top priority to those who are equipped on matters concerning

Finance crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Finance crisis - Essay Example ing to Keynes (1936) the smooth flowing world economy was destabilized during the late 2000s and such a scenario was seen in Iceland for the very first time and even in the world. Krugman (2008) explains economic crisis is one the retarding factors that have pulled down the steep growth of the world economy including the subsequent growth of the smaller economies which have gained a new impetus in the growth of their economies. Kothari (2010) defines economic crisis as a collection of varied circumstances that results in the huge loss of the nominal value of their financial assets. He further explains that an organisation or a company has a number of stakeholders who are directly or indirectly related to the organisation or company through a financial relation. An economic crisis turns a company into a dried well of financial resources and a result the stakeholders of the company even suffers through immense lack of financial resources. According to the observations of Kothari (2010) the economic crisis faced by the entire world has turned a disturbingly huge number of people jobless and thus penniless. People all over the world lost their jobs while others bargained for the job in exchange of one of the most meager sum of money. As more and more people turned jobless the chaos and panic regarding being jobless seemed to engulf them over a long time. He further elucidated the different kinds of economic crisis. Firstly it is the banking crisis where the depositors of the respective banks immediately ask for returning their deposited money. The bank faces a crisis over the availability of the funds within a stipulated time period. The second form of economic crises is the stock market crash which clearly suggests that it refers to the drastic decrease of stock prices over the larger section of the stock market that hugely depreciates the amount or value of the stocks resulting in excessive loss for the investors. The third form of economic crisis comes in the form

Understanding Difference Diversity to Develop Empathy

Understanding Difference Diversity to Develop Empathy Phil Makins 13th December 2016 Session 8 The topic of discussion today was Understanding Difference Diversity to Develop Empathic Understanding. We explored why an understanding of difference and diversity was important when using counselling skills in helping roles. We then went on to broaden that understanding and consider difference and diversity within our own personal relationships and in the wider social context to understand how this impacts on counselling. The reason difference and diversity is an important part of counselling training is to recognise that we are not all the same, everybody on the planet is a unique individual, even identical twins will have many differences in the way they feel and respond to different things. Whilst researching this topic I have come to realise that it is more complex than I first thought and goes far beyond the common diversity issues of gender, race, religion, and disability. Diversity runs much deeper than this and also comprises diversity of personalities, experiences, beliefs, and reactions to events. It is important to recognise such diversity if empathic understanding is to be provided to clients, but what is empathic understanding? And why is it so necessary? Empathic Understanding is one of the three core conditions of Person-Centred Counselling, the other two being Unconditional Positive Regard and Congruence. To be empathic has been described as seeing the world through the eyes of another person or walking in another persons shoes. It means that the counsellor accurately understands the clients thoughts, feelings, and meanings from the clients own perspective. When the counsellor perceives what the world is like from the clients point of view, it demonstrates not only that that view has value, but also that the client is being accepted. Could I show empathic understanding to a person or group whom I harbour stereotypical views or prejudice about? I doubt that I could be truly empathic in that situation so I would either change my mindset and try to remove the prejudice or take advice from my clinical supervisor. Further to this, empathy has often been confused with sympathy but they are very different. Empathy is something that is don e with someone whereas sympathy is a reaction to someone. Sympathy suggests feeling sorry for someone and that in turn suggests some sort of power imbalance, i.e. the person sympathising is in a greater position of power. Empathy is about being on an equal footing by entering into the clients world to try and understand and also communicating with each other to clarify and confirm that understanding. Without recognising diversity, it would be all too easy to impose our own thoughts and feelings onto a client, especially if the client is experiencing something we have experienced as It is human nature to look for similarities in other people and to identify with them. As counsellors, therefore, the challenge comes in identifying difference and being ok with it working with it, rather than being threatened by it. The counsellor who cant do this is merely placing more conditions of worth onto the client, which is incompatible with another one of the Core Conditions mentioned, namely, Unconditional Positive Regard. I started to think about my own beliefs and prejudices, do I have any prejudices? Surely not, I am a trainee counsellor and I work in a bank! But whenever I hear a Birmingham accent I`m afraid I do think that the person talking must be stupid. When I hear a Liverpool accent I think of youths, hoodies and joyriding. A quick bit of internet research shows that the three most disliked accents in the United Kingdom are Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow in that order with Birmingham being the most disliked. I know that for me to think all people from Birmingham are stupid and all youths from Liverpool are criminals is incorrect and wrong but our prejudices are deeply ingrained in us and difficult to remove as they have probably been instilled in us over a period of many years, possibly (probably) since childhood. So, how do we start to work towards removing our own prejudices? I should imagine one good way would be to Increase your exposure to or contact with those who belong to the groups toward which you have learned some prejudicial stereotypes. Misconceptions remain effective only when you avoid contact with those about whom you have misconceptions but, unfortunately, I do not know anyone from Birmingham or Liverpool. However, whenever I have prejudicial thoughts now I try and examine these thoughts and analyse why I am thinking them. I normally find that there is no real reason for my generalisation or prejudice and try and tell myself to remove the prejudicial feelings. If I keep reinforcing this I am sure it will start to work. We all experience things in a different way. A situation that could upset or annoy me could be viewed completely differently by another person. An example of this could be when theres a traffic accident and the police ask for witnesses to come forward and describe what happened. They like to have as many witness statements as possible so that they can build up enough evidence to give them a broader, more realistic version of events. In a traffic accident, there will be many different perspectives on what happened. The driver of one car will have one view, another driver or a passenger will have yet another view. Each onlooker who witnessed the accident will have a slightly different perspective, depending on where they were, how far away they were, how good a view they had, what else was going on, how much danger they felt they were in, how the accident affected them, what the accident means to them etc. Its the same principle with everything each situation, event or conversation means something different to all those involved, and also to those not involved. We give different meanings, according to our belief systems, and how we are affected by the event.

Analysis of Flea by John Donne :: essays research papers

The Flea The narrator in The Flea is a youthful man trying to convince a young woman to give her virginity to him. He tries to do this by comparing their relationship to a flea that is in the room. The flea bites them both and Donne explains to her that this is symbolic of both of their worlds combining into one. He says that the flea is now the realm of love, lust, and marriage. At first this poem seems to be just about love, commitment from a male to a female, who says no his lustful desires. However, a deeper look than just the superficial reveals that the male in this poem is actually revealing a valid point to his lady: that the loss of innocence, such as her virginity, does not constitute a loss of her honor. At first, this poem seems to be simply about a young, sexually hungry man who is trying to convince a girl to give into his sexual wishes. She denies the ?wanna be? lover because she believes that the act of intercourse before marriage is a dishonorable sin in the eyes of the church. The lady ends up killing the flea and symbolically killing the false world the man had constructed in the flea. She then says that neither of them are any worse by killing the flea, which the male agrees with. The man concludes his point by granting that the death of the flea does not really have any consequences, just like her fears to loose her respectability and honor. His main point in all his talk about the flea is to show her that her honor will not be ruined if she yields to him. John Donne?s poem connects flesh and spirit, worldly and religious ideas in a fascinating way between seemingly unrelated topics. He compares sexual intercourse to a bite of a flea and says that now their blood has mixed inside the flea. He also compares the inside of the tiny flea to the entire world, including the couple.

Erasmus-Praise of Folly Essay

Erasmus of Rotterdam (c. 1466-1536) is one of the supreme figures of the Renaissance humanist movement, which deserted Middle Ages pious nesses in support of a productive new image of the individual’s impending. Praise of Folly, scripted to engross his friend Sir Thomas More, is Erasmus’s famous work. Its incredible combination of flight of the imagination and spoof is recounted by a incarnation of Folly, appareled as a comedian, who fetes adolescence, happiness, crapulence and sexual aspiration, and goes on to berate human pretenses, mannerisms and debilities, to deride theologians and monks and to admire the ‘folly’ of simple Christian faithfulness. Erasmus’s humor, jousting and knowledge made the book an immediate accomplishment, but it also concerned what may have been sales- advancing criticism. He was apprehensive with the sleaze that had broadened all the way through the spiritual positions of organization. On the other hand, Erasmus believed that religious rebellion led openly to lawlessness; consequently he took the side of neither the Pope, nor the restructuring major, Martin Luther. Erasmus went for to intensify people into quizzical their poise in devout influence through his work as divergent to dialogue unswervingly next to the Romanists. As a result both parties, Luther and the Romanists, detested him. Spiritual influence: Erasmus wrote The Praise of Folly as a spoof in hopes that people would begin to query the Romanists’ spiritual influence. It is written from the viewpoint of Folly, a Greek goddess, who is appalled with the unawareness and pride of her believers. The goddess discriminates diverse classes along with her believers and discloses their mistakes. Erasmus insinuates that the faults of the followers which Folly remarks are those of the Romanists. One such group is that of the Scientists. They are criticized for conceiving that they are enhanced than all other individuals. They â€Å"teach that they alone are wise while the rest of mortal men flit about as shadows (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 67). † Erasmus is concerning to the forged propose that the Pope unaided has the capability to construe the Holy Christian Bible, as well as the insinuation that the Pope has a heavenly understanding that comes corresponding with his heading of workplace. Erasmus’ vision of the Pope and the Romanists is that they â€Å"know nothing in general, they profess to know all things in particular; though they are ignorant even of themselves, and on occasion do not see the ditch or the stone lying across their path, because many of them are blear eyed or absent minded; yet they proclaim that they perceive ideas, universals forms without matter, primary substances, quiddities, and ecceities; things so tenuous (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 67). † devoid of properly speaking out alongside the Pope, Erasmus entails that the Pope put on a frontage as an all-knowing, all-powerful mortal. Erasmus states here that the Pope has no true knowledge as to what God expects from his worshipers. He cannot believe that â€Å"these lucky scientists find people to believe them (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 67). † With this last account, he calls to the people of the church not to accept the whole thing that are told to them from dishonest power statistics. Erasmus assaults theologians through the voice of Folly when he says that they will not waste haste to proclaim heresy in order to â€Å"terrify any toward whom they are ill-disposed (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 67). † Erasmus does not accept the word of theologians as religious law, and therefore is not intimidated by their accusations of wickedness upon his surprised of influence. They are arrogant beings who overlook that they blunder as every human does. Their idea that they â€Å"already inhabit the third heaven they look down from† is proof that they have lost their humility in front of Christ (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 67). They have sheltered themselves with â€Å"scholastic definitions, arguments, corollaries, implicit and explicit propositions† and shaped resistance to any indulgence they may commend (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 67). To the Popes, Cardinals, and Bishops, Erasmus inquires why they believe that they have the information to respond any and all experiential doubtful nesses regarding human source and human fate. How is it that to blunder is human personality, but the Pope can direct a life devoid of intrude or responsibility? Is he not human being? These figures of spiritual influence are more apprehensive with their roles of ability than they are about their spiritual responsibilities. (Erasmus, The Praise of Folly, in Workbook, 71). Religious aspects: The most important premise found in Erasmus’ book considers with his thoughts toward belief and the Catholic Church. he inquiries the responsibility of the church leaders. What they are and what they should be. When Erasmus elaborates that Bishops don’t meet the requirements according to the role of work, compassionate, taking pains but care more about creasing in the income, it demonstrates that he wants revolutionize but not in a turbulent way. Erasmus thought that the Church could transform the industrialist in quest of Bishop into his suitable responsibility. Fundamentally the Church had turn out to be too concerned with wealth and control. The Churches role now had developed from stringently a spiritual meaning to an association that was accurately running the state and schooling. Erasmus also believes that the role of the Church leaders has been mislaid and that authority they now have has become dishonest. To a certain extent, it should go back to an establishment that mainly deals with the religious inspiring of the people. These ideas were believed to be carried out wordlessly and methodical inside the Church member of the aristocracy. as a substitute of a religious war between paragons, Erasmus required a tranquil amalgamated church serenely rehabilitated from inside. The alteration that is desirable would help concentrate on Erasmus’ predicament with the Churches misinterpretation of how spiritual observances should be accomplished. J. Huizinga details out that Erasmus is incapable to be pleased about the Churches workouts because of its succeeding domination it had in all fields of the social order. Connecting in well with the other writers aims that the Church demands to discontinue and re-examine its position in the general public. Erasmus’ thoughts were discarded in anticipation of the reorganization was over and the Counter-Reformation was in dangle. Erasmus considered scholasticism as the most caricature of the spiritual strength of mind; according to him this deterioration passe from the prehistoric Christological arguments, which induced the church to mislay its Christian church believing in personal conversion ease and turn out to be the fatality of word-splitting thinking, which climaxed in scholasticism. With the end there came out in the church that hypocritically pious which based uprightness on fine works and simple holiness, and on a observance underneath whose influence the Christian spirit was muffled. Alternatively committing itself to everlasting deliverance of mortals, scholasticism drove back the faithfully tending by its fine-spun unimportant conjectures and it’s over inquisitive conversation of impenetrable secrets. In Erasmus’ work, Mistress Folly addresses while admiring herself. â€Å"And to whom is it generally agreed life owes its beginning if not to me? For it certainly isn’t the spear of ‘mighty-fathered’ Pallas or the shield of ‘cloud-gathering’ Jupiter which fathers and propagates the human race†. She laughs at the Gods and denudes them of their abilities.

Contain communism Essay

Communism had always posed a threat to the interest of the U.S. and their attitudes towards the U.S.S.R. had proved they had not entertained the idea of communism much. But it was not until February 1946 did it all come out and the U.S.A began to act towards containing communism. The policy of containment meant the U.S. actively prevented the psreading of communism.There were several ways with which the U.S. tried to contain communism some of which were futile and others effective. However, for every move the U.S. made the U.S.S.R. had a retaliation. One way with which the U.S. tried to contain communism was with the use of the atomic bomb. The dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima was a method that was used to bring the war between the Japanese to a quick end with few loss of American lives. Described by Truman as † the greatest thing in history† the bomb had a very devastating effect taking up to 70 000 lives. After that another bomb was dropped in Nagasaki, this was particularly to impress Stalin and scare him if possible. However this was to blow up in Truman’s face. Stalin feeling that it was an insult that he was never informed of such a weapon by his allies was not impressed and also became more suspicious of the U.S. And the fact that he was also denied the islands in the far east since he had nothing to do with the defeating of Japan also irritated him more. Truman’s attempts did not work instead Stalin sought a production of his very own atomic bomb, and alhough it was initially predicted the Soviet Union would get the bomb within 10 years, mysteriously the bomb was in the hands of the Soviets a lot sooner than that, they had it within 4 years. So Truman had nothing against Stalin now. This was one of the unsuccessful means of containing communism because it rather increased the already existing tensions between both countries during the cold war. And because it was a suspicious thing that the U.S.S.R. got the bomb so soon and the U.S. neglected to mention the weapon to the U.S.S.R. suspicion between both countries increased and the gulf between the countries expanded further. Another way in which the U.S. tried to contain communism was through propaganda. The methods through which communism was extending its influence throughout eastern Europe was blatantly unprofessional. The method was given  the name ‘salami tactics’ where by countries in eastern Europe fell one by one into the influence of communism. For example, Czechoslovakia was the last democratic country in eastern Europe until 1948. The elections were coming up in May but because the communist were blamed for the country not receiving the Marshall aid the communist party was expected to do badly. However, before the election there was a coup d’etat where the police force took over and removed every non-communist personnel from office. In February, representatives of opposing parties were removed and Jan Masaryk the foreign minister who opposed communism personally mysteriously â€Å"fell out† of the window during the coup. The Czech communists took over with little blood shed and with no help from the Soviet Union. These was how the communist parties took over in other countries, by dissolving opposing parties and killing their leaders. This was the method that was used in east European countries such as Poland in 1947,Bulgaria also in 1947, in Romania and Albania, 8 countries in total were taken over using the ‘salami tactics’.and the only response the U.S. could give to this was verbal abuse. They simply, verbally condemned the acts which were committed and were hoping that the U.S.S.R would perhaps feel guilty and digress but unfortunately that did not work at all. This method of containment was perhaps the weakest of all mehods because the U.S.A. in no way showed any opposition to the methods used. This could be assumed as slacking in the part of the U.S. to containing communism. The most successful was the combination of policies, that is, Marshall plan and the ‘iron fist’ policy. The iron fist was a result of the long telegram of February 1946 by George Kennan,deputy chief of mission in the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The telegram though it was lenghty simply said the Soviet Union was â€Å"neurotic†. He saw them as aggressive and insecure and concluded that there should be no compromise with the Soviet Union. Another factor that added to the development of the ‘iron fist’ approach was that the U.S. were not prepared to make the same mistake that was made by the British. The Britains had a policy of appeasement with Nazi-Germany. They had negotiations with Hitler and gave him whatever he requested for as long as it was seen as â€Å"reasonable† but the appeasement only encouraged Hitler to ask for more and soon there was an outbreak of war in 1939. Truman and other  politicians agreed that they did not want the same thing to happen with the U.S.S.R. so therefore the ‘iron fist’ approach was justified where by Truman refused totally to negotiate with the U.S.S.R. The Marshall plan also was another technique used. George Marshall was the new U.S. secretary of state and he had travelled through western Europe and was disheartened by the devastation he saw and was shocked by the economic crisis of the region. When he came back, he suggested that america invest in the economy of Europe, he argued that as America was a marketing economy Europe would have been a good consumer base but if there was no way for Europe to be able to afford their goods then no profit would be made and the economy of the U.S. would suffer. Therefore investment in the European economy was the solution. Though he asked for 17 million dollars, he was granted 13 million and so this money was distributed through out western Europe. Ofcourse the U.S.S.R. reacted negatively to this and also formed the comecon which organised economic assisstance to the countries of eastern Europe. But unfortunately this was no match for the Marshall plan. Added to this, in Germany, the Yalta and Potsdam agreements had stipulated that Germany be divided into two buffer zones. The western zone was to be under the supervision of the western powers while the eastern zone was under the U.S.S.R. However, in the eastern region, the U.S.S.R. continued taking reparations from Germany because of the damages of world war 2 where as, The U.S. kept putting money into the western zone. Soon it became obvious that the western zone was flourishing compared to the eastern zone. This caused the Berlin blockade of 1948-49. The U.S.S.R.’s attempt to divide the eastern zone from the western zone. But this was where the Marshall plan and the iron fist came into play. Truman through the approach of the iron fist refused to give into these manouvres of the U.S.S.R. And with the money from the Marshall plan, the west were able to supply aid to Berliners, they flew food and supplies to them through the Berlin airlift and they were able to provide to over 2 million Berliners. The result of this was that Stalin had to give in and brought down the Berlin blockade by May 1949. A successful combination of the ‘iron fist’ approach and Marshall plan, the west were able to gain an initiative giving the situation that happened in czechoslovakia and other east European countries. Another successful means of containing communism was the Truman doctrine.In February 1947, the British warned the U.S. that they could not keep their troops in Greece any longer which they had been in since 1944. But after the second world war, the British government began to feel the effect in their economy as they owed 3000 million pounds. This scared Truman because he believed communism was taking over and so by March 1947 he issued the Truman doctrine that specified that any country that had a democratically elected government and was fighting off communism would be given militarial support. And so with this, support from America was given to Greece and the communists were defeated. Stalin, however saw this as â€Å"U.S. imperalism† although he had no retaliation for this because in the first place, he had kept an agreement with Churchill that Greece was an area of British influence. None the less, the U.S. were still able to fight off communism in Greece. These were some of the ways the U.S. had contained communism or tried to.Through militarial means, that is the Truman doctrine and financial mean such as the Marshall plan. And also through propaganda, when they tried belittle the communists because of their use of ‘salami tactics’. They also tried the use of terror which was the A-bomb but that proved unsuccessful. Like some of the techniques used and on the other hand, others were quite successful indeed.

MK Syllabus Essays

MK Syllabus Essays MK Syllabus Essay MK Syllabus Essay Class participation enriches the quality of the learning experience. Students are strongly encouraged to add to the discussions. Your ability to verbally communicate is critical to your future as a businessperson. I hope to develop this skill in the classroom. Our discussion enables me to assess how well I have communicated a point. It also allows me to assess your level of preparation for a lecture topic. If, I have evidence that you have not prepared, I reserve the right to assess you formally in a quiz format. On-time attendance is required. A daily role will be taken 5 minutes after class part be calculated from your attendance. If, you miss 6 classes you will get zero participation grade. If you miss 8 classes you will fail the course. Cell phones should be turned off. Use off cell phone during class will carry a 2% overall grade penalty per occurrence. There is a short case attached to each topic. There are 3 or 4 questions with each case. You need to read and analyze the case and answer the questions. The responses will be posted on the discussion board locations designed for the case. I will grade the case answers that you have submitted. EXAMS There will be 5 exams this semester. Each exam will cover the material leading up to the exam. The exams will be given in class and will be essay short answer. Alternatively, exams may be given via Angel. There will be a comprehensive final exam of the same format as the 5 semester exams. This exam material will cover everything taught during the semester. After you have completed the case discussion and studied the case and material associated with the case you will take a short quiz which tests your ability to apply the case material and general knowledge of the case. You will answer 5 multiple choice questions and scores will be recorded in the grade book.Teaching and learning is a partnership between faculty and students. I will fulfill my partnership obligations by being prepared for every class, serving as an advisor, insulate, mentor and providing clarifications of difficult or confusing concepts. You will fulfill your partnership obligations by being prepared for each class quiz and discussion and being fully participative, responsive, working team member of the class. The exams and discussion board all play an important role in your education in this course. They are an essential part of the learning process in that they require the synthesis and extension of concepts. They also help both the student and the indicates that generally the course material cannot be adequately mastered without active involvement on your part.

girl friends and guy friends essays

girl friends and guy friends essays Its a Friday night and youve got nothing to do. Maybe you feel like relaxing on the couch at home. Maybe you want to watch a movie, or even get dinner with a friend. But which friend? A guy friend or a girl friend? This is where the decision becomes crucial. It all depends on what kind of mood youre in. You may be asking yourself, Why would my mood affect whether I call a girl friend or a guy friend? The answer to this is that girl friends and guy friends, while both obviously friends, are completely different beings, different species even. Both are friends, but could not be more opposite in conversations or actions. Because of the way they function in social situations, girl friends and guy friends are like polar opposites. Lets say a girl and a guy friend, well call them Jenna and Fred, go to the mall to look around, you know, for something to do. At the mall, Jenna sees a pair of pants she wants to try on. So she tries them on and walks out to ask Fred for his opinion. Well, theyre kind of tight on your legs. They make you look sorta thick, you know? Brutally honest. The first, and maybe most predominate, trait of the guy friend. Almost offensive, but in actuality its one of his strongest and most reliable characteristics. To be extremely forward, honest, and not take the energy to sugarcoat the truth. On the other end of the spectrum we have a girl friend, who when asked about how Jennas pants look, would say something like, Oh, those are really cute. They look good in the waist. What size are those? The girl friend dodges the trouble area. She avoids the truth, and changes the subject at all costs. She would rather lie than insult her friend. This is where the girl friend differs from the guy friend, because she would rather spare her friends feelings than have her be fully infor ...

Bravery1

Bravery1 Essay What is the first thing that comes to mind when the word bravery is said? For most people a war hero or a superhero comes into their minds. Probably every language has a word for bravery, but there is only one true meaning. The word bravery is showing a brave spirit or courage(Random, p. 164) when hard times are thrust upon or happen to them. Bravery is not only what people do, but how they do it. The concept is also showiness, splendor, and magnificence(Random, p. 164). Bravery may be shown in different ways: a person may jump from a plane or walk on fire to show that he/she is truly brave. Then again, sometimes bravery is something that a person has inside him or her and is never shown as an action at all. For thousands of years, people have used words that describe the concept of bravery. The history, or etymology, of the English word bravery is as follows. The word originated in Latin as barbarus. The Romans who spoke Latin were warriors so it is logical they would have a word that talked about their courageous actions. The Vulgar Latin, which was spoken Latin, was transformed by Middle French in the Middle Ages as well as by Middle English. This form of English was what was spoken in the 12th to 15thcenturies. From the Middle English evolved the English we speak today and with it, the word bravery. Throughout history, people have talked about the concept of bravery in many ways. The Greek writer and philosopher Euripides said, The man who knows when not to act is wise. To my mind, bravery is forethought (Euripides, p.11). In the Middle Ages, George II of England said that bravery never goes out of fashion (George, p. 261). Later, Franois de la Rockefoucould said, True bravery is shown by performing without witness what one might be capable of showing all the world (Rockefoucould, p. 12). Bravery has seemed to be an important concept or action throughout history. When Franois de la Rockefoucould spoke about bravery, he pointed out an important feature of the virtues true meaning. Then he made the distinction between peoples private actions versus their public ones, he made it clear that people who do good deed only to get rich or famous are not practicing bravery. True bravery is helping people or animals simply because their actions benefit mankind. It seems that we often misunderstand this aspect of bravery and make the wrong people famous while forgetting about others who show bravery throughout their lives. The one person that, for me, most represents bravery in this century is Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr King was born in Atlanta, Georgia when black men and white men did not mix. When he died, these two races were a little closer to peace. This was due primarily because of the great influence that Martin Luther King, Jr. had in the United States. He got on the bandwagon of the civil rights movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He kept leading the movement after his house was bombed. That was bravery because he put his life on the line to make all American black peoples lives better. Later in his life, in 1963, he and other protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, were met by police with dogs and high pressure water hoses (Norell, np). This event was shown on television. His resistence in Alabama was brave because when police came, he and the others did not back down but rather stood up for their beliefs. I dont know if Ive shown bravery or not in my life yet. READ: A Study On Child Observation And Game Essay I havent had any opportunities to save anyone or make a difference in the world. There have been times when I have stood up for my beliefs or said what I thought was right when it meant that I might not get to do something. I think Ive been brave in these situations but to talk about what Ive done and compare it to the actions of a man like Martin Luther King, Jr. is to compare apples and oranges, to make my actions greater than they were or to make his actions less important than what they .

Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

3 - Assignment Example The guide provides resourceful details on the manner in which fires relating from terrorist attacks could be handled in the most appropriate ways that would minimize the impact of the damage on the general population. The value and relevance of the guide is based on the fact that it was developed following the lessons learnt from the challenges and accidents that accompanied the botched attempts by fire fighters to contain the fires that resulted from the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center (Westermann). For instance, some of the issues that are covered under the fire include the assessment of the fire departments capabilities, support needed to prevent the occurrence attacks, preparation of the fire department for the purpose of increasing the efficiency in responding to terrorist attacks (Westermann). Another important feature of the guide is the methods and strategies of responding to terrorist attacks. As such, it becomes important to consider the fact that some of the issues that connect to the control and management of fires are dependent on the agent’s abilities to apply the appropriate methods and strategies for the purpose of controlling terrorist attacks. It might be necessary to consider the fact that some of the issues that attend to the response to disasters are determined by the availability of resources and the capacity of the organizations to develop efficient response systems that are necessary to contain fire accidents while protecting the lives of the fire fighters. The information on safety is based on the reality of the dangers that are associated with terror attacks and the limited resources for engaging the challenges. . In essence, the fire departments are structured in ways that provide them with the means and methods of combating fires that occur in industrial areas and other zones that are generally believed to be susceptible to fires.

Assisted Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Assisted Suicide - Research Paper Example Assisted suicide can be in form of Physician assisted suicide, whereby the physician provides the means for death, or Euthanasia which occurs in three forms which include; voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia is whereby the patient gives his or her consent for the termination of his life while non-voluntary is whereby the consent of the patient cannot be acquired maybe due to the reason that he or she cannot make independent decision for example in a child. Involuntary euthanasia refers to the situation whereby the patient is assisted to die against his or her will (Sissela, 2005). This essay will discuss issues concerning assisted suicide revolving around the following scenario. â€Å"You are the manager of the Cancer Center in a small suburban hospital. For the past two weeks you have worked closely with your nursing staff because they have been expressing â€Å"Burn Out† (frustration, dissatisfaction, or lack of interest in a job) as a result of the increase in the number of patients coming to the center who were diagnosed with terminal cancer. Nancy Nurse confided in you that she is particularly saddened about the rapid decline in Mrs. Jones’ health, a 30 year old single mother. She decided that the next time Mrs. Jones comes in for her treatment, she is going to give her an extra dose of a narcotic that could potentially end her life.† The bill of rights protects each and every person against threats to life whether self imposed or otherwise. This means that it is a crime for a person to terminate his or her life through suicide and in fact if not successful, one may face punishment through imprisonment. However, there have been heated constitutional debates on the legality of physician assisted suicide, whereby some support the act while others oppose it based on moral and religious basis (Manning, 2002). In the

EC Enforcement Procedures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

EC Enforcement Procedures - Essay Example Directive 2008/999/EC issued by the Council is regulated by Article 249 of the Treaty Establishing the European Community. The manner in which Article 249 applies to Directives is contained in the following excerpt from Article 249: Article 249 is similarly applicable to Council decisions with the result that the Council’s Directive and decision under Article 226 are both bindings on the UK and Germany. Failure to comply with the instructions to implement the Directive into local law by the time stipulated for doing so constitutes an infringement capable of invoking Article 228’s judicial process for the implementation of sanctions. Likewise, a failure to comply with the Council’s opinion under Article 226 automatically invokes Article 228’s judicial proceedings for the implementation of sanctions.5 Cumulatively, Articles 211 and Article 249 not only ensures that EC laws are adapted and applied throughout the EC Community but also imposes upon the Commission a residual duty to ensure that EC laws are implemented by the Member States. In the Commission of the European Communities v French Republic Case C-177/04 a scenario arose similar in nature to the one involving Germany and the UK. In this case, France had implemented an EC Directive on damages for product liability but had failed to reflect the actual extent of damages prescribed by the Directive. The Commission invoked Article 226 of the EC Treaty and issued a reasoned opinion in which it found that France had not fulfilled its Treaty obligations and required that it do so.  Ã‚     

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 11

Essay Example Not especially the nature of brands and how consumers perceive them. With the combined efforts of the academe and the corporate world, the art of creating Brand Equity has been greatly helped, almost to the point of evolving a specific science for marketing success, or so it seems. This report will attempt to summarize the points articulated on the Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller’s definitive reference text â€Å"Marketing Management (13th edition)†, specifically on the chapter of Building Strong Brands. This discourse will venture into the basic elements of a brand from the perspective of the brand â€Å"owner or author†; the nature of the benefits which brands are supposed to provide; observations on how marketing outcomes are determined by the consumers perception of the brand (brand equity) and how they are arrived at; how a brand’s value can be assessed and quantified; an analysis of branding strategies through the cases provided in the text, and the role of different brands in an established brand â€Å"architecture† (brand portfolio) and how consumer responses can be similarly assessed so as to provide a measure of confidence that a brand can expect from its prospective patrons (consumer equity). We can do well to use the American Marketing Association’s definition of a brand as a jumping board for analyzing the concept of Brand Equity. AMA stipulates that brands consists of a â€Å"name, term, symbol or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.† (Kotler and Keller 276) Further, this system for identifying products (or services for that matter) maybe designed so as to represent a tangible, functional or rational attribute relating to a product’s performance or any intangible associations such as those that are implied symbolically

Chicano film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chicano film - Essay Example Besides, the film Maria Full of Grace by Joshua Marston, an American film director deals with the cruelties of Columbian mafia. Thesis statement: Evaluation of the films- The Official Story, Like Water for Chocolate and Maria Full of Grace to unearth the socio-political influence on individual freedom. When one consider the purpose of a film, the mindset of the director towards his/her society gains due importance. In the film The Official Story by Luis Puenzo, the aim/purpose of the director is to unveil the crimes committed by despotic military regime in Argentina. Alberto Elana and Maria Diaz Lopez quote Jorge Abel Martin to illustrate the film’s importance as it portrays human life like a huge mirror which is capable to reflect thousands of faces in it (Elana and Lopez 182). The director’s aim is to force the viewers to identify their own emotions with that of the female characters in the film. The return of democratic system in 1983 opened a new phase of freedom to writers and directors in Argentina. The directors began to use cinema as a medium to express their views on the issues when Argentina was under military rule. So, the purpose of this film is to create awareness among mass about the recent history of Argentina. But on the other side, the purpose/ aim of the director of the film Like Water for Chocolate is to attract the attention of the viewers towards the inevitable change in the Mexican society and its attitude towards womenfolk. For instance, the female character Tita de la Garza is forced to stay unmarried due to the tradition of de la Garza family which does not allow the youngest daughter to lead a married life. Instead, Tita is forced to stay at her home and to take care of her family. This inhuman attitude supported by the tradition crush her love affair with Pedro. So, one can easily identify that the purpose of the film Like Water for

Human resources management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Human resources management - Essay Example The human resource management team looks after various functions starting from recruiting the right talent to the organization, to their compensation and retention. Moreover, they have to develop the human resource of an organization in such a way that it is able to meet the present and future goals of the organization. Effective HRM practices increases employee productivity as well as financial performance of an organization (Huselid, 1995). Such practices include: Microsoft, an American public multinational corporation, was developed in 1975. It offers a wide range of computing related products and services. Being one of the most successful companies in the world, Microsoft gives a great deal of importance to its human resource. It would be not wrong to say that Microsoft is an employee driven organization and therein lays the key to its success. The vision of Microsoft states that: ‘We recognize that leadership in today’s global marketplace requires that we create a corporate culture and an inclusive business environment where the best and brightest diverse minds—employees with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences--work together to meet global consumer demands.’ Practices: Bill Gates, the driving force behind Microsoft had one simple philosophy while hiring employees for his organization. He wanted extremely intelligent staff for his company and he gave preference to intelligence over experience. Starting from selecting the most-driven employees from the best universities, and taking them through an interview process, Microsoft hired employees who fared well not only in the knowledge department but also had great problem-solving and technical skills. Microsoft also followed the ‘n-1’ policy while hiring employees. According to this policy, the company believed in hiring the right person always rather than just filling a required position. Later, Microsoft also

Chicano film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chicano film - Essay Example Besides, the film Maria Full of Grace by Joshua Marston, an American film director deals with the cruelties of Columbian mafia. Thesis statement: Evaluation of the films- The Official Story, Like Water for Chocolate and Maria Full of Grace to unearth the socio-political influence on individual freedom. When one consider the purpose of a film, the mindset of the director towards his/her society gains due importance. In the film The Official Story by Luis Puenzo, the aim/purpose of the director is to unveil the crimes committed by despotic military regime in Argentina. Alberto Elana and Maria Diaz Lopez quote Jorge Abel Martin to illustrate the film’s importance as it portrays human life like a huge mirror which is capable to reflect thousands of faces in it (Elana and Lopez 182). The director’s aim is to force the viewers to identify their own emotions with that of the female characters in the film. The return of democratic system in 1983 opened a new phase of freedom to writers and directors in Argentina. The directors began to use cinema as a medium to express their views on the issues when Argentina was under military rule. So, the purpose of this film is to create awareness among mass about the recent history of Argentina. But on the other side, the purpose/ aim of the director of the film Like Water for Chocolate is to attract the attention of the viewers towards the inevitable change in the Mexican society and its attitude towards womenfolk. For instance, the female character Tita de la Garza is forced to stay unmarried due to the tradition of de la Garza family which does not allow the youngest daughter to lead a married life. Instead, Tita is forced to stay at her home and to take care of her family. This inhuman attitude supported by the tradition crush her love affair with Pedro. So, one can easily identify that the purpose of the film Like Water for

Poverty in Appalachia Essay Example for Free

Poverty in Appalachia Essay The people of the Appalachian Mountains have been impoverished for years. They are all settling for a lot less then they should be. Most people in the mountains see that their parents did not graduate from high school so they feel that they don’t need to. They see their families struggling with paying bills so they feel like they should not finish school and help out by getting a low paying job and settling with working at Burger King or Walmart. They lack motivation to strive for excellence and overcome the obstacles of living in the mountains and maybe someday moving out. One of the major problems of the majority of the people who reside in the mountains is drug addiction. Families are broken up by drug addictions. It is an epidemic throughout the mountain. There are more drug busts in the mountain then in any major city such as Los Angeles or New York. This is another reason that people are very poor; they spend all their money on drugs and not enough for the bills, food, or water. One main job that a lot of people have in the mountains is working in the coalmines. Working in the coalmines pays a starting salary of $60,000, but is very dangerous. Coalmining can destroy your lungs and if there is an accident in the mines, you can be stuck down there for days at a time. In the Appalachian Mountains, they have about 100 open jobs for coalminers. The only problem is that either nobody wants to work in the mines, or they cannot pass the required drug test to get the job. The Appalachian Mountains is a place where there is much poverty and hardship. It is a town where many people do not finish high school and there is an excessive drug problem. Although it is a place of all these hardships, it is also a place where families stick together and help each other out when times get rough.

Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace

Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace Phones 4 you Case Study Chapter One: Introduction Phones 4u is a large independent mobile phone retailer in the UK. Since opening in 1996, it expanded to 400 stores throughout the United Kingdom. Head office is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and was until recently part of the The Caudwell Group formed by John Caudwell. In September 2006 the group was sold and Phones 4u is now owned by Providence Equity Partners (Minter, 2003, 18) Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of the persons biological, psychological or social systems. In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. Stressful stimuli can be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical reactions. Lost car keys, tardiness, family death, and loss of job, pressure, frustration, and social changes-these are different types of stress, the process by which one appraises and copes with environmental threats and challenges. The events of daily life flow through a psychological filter that helps a person the react in certain ways. Some stress early in life is conducive to later emotional and physical growth. But stresses, or conflicts, can also threaten a persons life as well and health (Amatea, 1991, 48). Behavioral psychologists have determined there is a correlation between stress and the declination on ones behavior. One may increase his usage of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs to escape his stressful state. Other problems include arguing with friends, neglecting appearance, crying easily, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawing from family and friends. In extreme cases, stress can cause insanity. Emotional changes are also a common effect of stress. Symptoms include anger, anxiety, depression, nervousness, loneliness, and rejection. Changes in emotional state may lead to psychological disorders or even death, if not treated. Suicide is among the leading outcomes of stress-related depression (aspinwall, 1992, 48). Not only does stress effect ones emotional and behavioral states, buy it also plays a large role in ones physical state. Symptoms of stress include, but are not limited to, allergies, back pain, respiratory infections, fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, sleeping problems, and dizziness. British scientist Hans Selye made a basic point of stress. It states that although the human body comes designed to cope with temporary stress, prolonged stress can produce physical deterioration. MRI brain scans of people who have experienced a prolonged amount of stress often show the results of a shrunken hippocampus, the inner brain structure vital to laying down explicit memories. Stress can put people at risk for one of todays four leading causes of serious illness and death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lung disease. Such findings were proven true by studies done by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman in 1956. Psychophysiological illnesses are stress-related. They are i llnesses, such as high blood pressure, that are caused by high levels of stress. Immune responses may also be effected by stress. They can either speed up or slow down causing a variety of illnesses such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. Stress does not make one sick, but it does restrain ones immune functioning, making him more vulnerable to foreign invaders (Bandura, 1986, 58). Stress in unavoidable. If one can not eliminate stress by changing or ignoring a situation, one must learn to manage it by confronting or escaping the problem. Stress management may include aerobic exercise, relaxation, and social support. Without knowledge of stress and ways to manage it, people are more susceptible of disease and psychological disorders. There are various sources of stress. The very definition of stress is: A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. In todays world of competition and success, the limits of our threshold are being pushed to succeed. Success is the driving force behind many people pushing their bodies to the limits. A human body needs a delicate balance between work, and relaxation. When this equilibrium is not maintained, problems occur, which might have repercussions later. These repercussions take the forms of Burnouts, break-downs, and sometimes extreme cases of heart attacks. In most cases of the systems breaking down, there are methods of control and mechanisms of improvement of the situation. Stress can be handled very effectively in todays world. Healthy and wholesome living is the new day mantra for better work efficiencies. What causes stress? There are various triggers to stress. Work, personal life and external factors (Banyard, 1993, 45). Work: the pressures of work are one of the greatest factors contributing to the high stress levels today. Long working hours, constant pressures of deadlines, and the inevitable fear of job security pushes people to work very hard. Personal Life: outside the work place, people are always subject to constant pressures from family, friends, and well wishers. Handling these pressures in the most effective way is the tact of the new manager. Family life can cause stress, especially if there is some friction between partners, the ill heath or sudden death of a partner can cause great levels of stress. External factors: personal finances, world events and other non classifiable events also add to stress. Time management or lack of thereof is another cause of external factors of stress. How does one handle stress? There are several ways of fighting stress in ones life. This essay will briefly attempt to touch base with some important methods which can be imbibed in handling stress. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time Management: Time management is one of the greatest methods of combating stress especially in the workplace. Effective time management helps us prioritizing, planning, allocating and executing effective schedules in order to maximize our most valuable resource, time. Once a person has been able to handle time effectively, he or she would be able to handle many tasks which have been allocated (Baruch, 1987, 59). 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health: stress has a great impact on the personal health of the individual. Ageing is speeded up and white hair apparently comes aplenty. Living a healthy life helps in handling stress better. A regular routine, the offshoot of effective time management, allows us time to regularly exercise. Exercise, as many say release endorphins, these help combat stress and depression, a stress induced side effect. Healthy foods, such as greens, and maintaining a balanced diet are some other ways, which when coupled with exercise help us maintain a healthy body. 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Non Conventional Methods: going back to the basics is a term that is used very regularly today. When one says going back to the basics, it includes going back to the past. Yoga, pranayama and other methods of controlling the mind, body and soul, have existed in our country for a very long time. This is fast gaining popularity as methods of combating stress. Yoga has immense powers to help us maintain our minds and body in shape. From the above, we can see one of the greatest factors of handling stress is to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul. Prevention is better than cure, preventing stress by having a healthy life style and a healthy mind, is a plus point which has no substitute in todays world. However there is no effective way of handling self induced stress. Calming the mind and regulated breathing can ease the stress, but it will be rendered ineffective if the person is not willing to practice it in the positive way (Bem, 1981, 49). Stress is one of the greatest hindrances to efficient productivity in todays workplace. Production efficiency is the key word today and this does face a serious threat with stress. Combating stress on a war footing is the need of the hour, and some of the above points will assist in effective stress management through a healthy mind , body and soul. Stress is a combination of responses in the body. Stress can be short-term (acute) or chronic. Acute stress is the fight or flight response. If a car is careening toward you at a high rate of speed, you will (or should!) experience acute stress. It is when you experience so many common stressors, such as heavy traffic, noise, money worries, illnesses, relationship problems, rising crime rates, or work frustrations, that stress takes a chronic form. In the short term, stress can be vital. Over time, it turns destructive . How destructive can stress be on your body? Research has shown that prolonged stress can produce actual tissue changes and organ dysfunction. With the new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques, scientists are able to prove visibly that chronic stress can shrink an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. Read More On This They have found that the brains of war veterans, as well as women who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse, have a marked reduction in the size of their hypothalamus (Betz, 1987, 29). Stress also affects your brain by releasing powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). The hypothalamic/pituitary-adrenal portion of your brain releases steroid hormones, including the primary stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol affects systems throughout your body, including an increased heart rate. Your heart, lungs, and circulatory system are influenced by the increased heart rate. Blood flow may increase 300 to 400 percent. Blood pressure increases and breathing becomes rapid. Your mouth and throat may become dry. Skin may become cool and clammy because blood flow is diverted away so it can support the heart and muscle tissues. Even digestive activity shuts down. Once again, occasional stress is normal. Once youve handled the situation, the stress goes away and you heal from the episode. But, if stressors accumulate over time, eventually the body becomes inefficient at handling even the least amount of stress. The brain, heart, lungs, vessels, and muscles become so chronically over or under activated that they become damaged. It is this sort of stress which may trigger or worsen heart disease, strokes, susceptibility to infection, sleep disturbances, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, memory and learning dysfunction, digestive problems, weight problems, diabetes, pain, and skin disorders. Extensive multidisciplinary studies have presented unequivocal evidence that our psychological responses to stress and our perceptions of stress to a considerable extent affect our susceptibility to disease. In active relationship, the immune, neuroendocrine, and nervous systems respond to the brain and psyche. Virtually all illnesses, from the flu to cancer, are influenced for good or bad by our thoughts and feelings. R. Lloyd, 1990 Healing Brain: A Scientific Reader (Betz, 1987, 48) Statement of the Research Problem How do the employees cope with stress in the workplace to achieve a more balanced lifestyle at Phones 4 you ? Stress is a part of everybodys life. Depending on the level of stress, it can control our lives, especially in the workplace. We begin to spend several long hours at work, and thus have less time for other things. Stressed employees may be unhappy and thus produce nominally. Stress can deteriorate social and family relationships and eventually burn you out; ultimately it can take toll on your health. Organizations need to recognize stress as a problem and decide whether or not to act upon it. Background Information This question needs to be answered because stress is a problem that Phones 4 you must deal with; stress can cause poor work performance and lower employee morale. These factors can increase employee turnover rate and lessen quality of life. We all must deal with stress; question is how we handle and control it. With downsizing the buzz word in the modern corporate world, companies have become mean and lean. Employees are compelled to be more efficient Phones 4 you; they find themselves taking on the work of what used to be two. The result is longer hours, less time for outside activities, and consequently increased stress. According to Business Week, the typical British works 47 hours a week, and if current trends continue, in 20 years the average person would be on the job 60 hours a week. Another factor that increases stress is technological advancements. With all the new technology one is always connected to work and accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. According to Business Week, it is now possible, and thus increasingly expected, for employees to be accessible and productive any hour, any day (Bollen, 1993, 18). At a workplace, one observes several sales people working long hours, claiming it is due to under staffing. Employees reach a point of diminishing returns. The more hours they work, the less productive they are. This stressful condition causes the quality of work to dwindle. Consequently, clients recognize this, and eventually they terminate the business relationship. Soon the company loses, as it is built on these clients (Moos, 1989, 58). Statement of the Objectives This research expects to discuss factors which lead to stress in the workplace at Phones 4 you. Are individuals stressed in the workplace at Phones 4 you? What causes stress in the workplace Phones 4 you? Who is mostly stressed: men or women? Are individuals being exposed to stress management techniques? Should employers implement stress management techniques? as a future manager, I would like to be able to determine if stress is a problem for employees; if so, implement a strategy to curtail stress in the workplace. By recognizing stress in the workplace, employers can act appropriately to reduce stress. The outcome can benefit social and family relationships, as well as preserve ones health and make us more productive in our organizations (Moos, 1982, 25). Scope The research project will comprise of a sample size of 30 individuals, randomly selected from general business areas. The study will analyze stress factors in the U.K workforce and its impact on the British organization. Effective stress management techniques will then be presented, which will allow individuals or organizations to implement. Secondary information from various sources will be utilized to explore effective methods of coping with stress. The conclusions and recommendations I will draw will be applicable to any British organization with stress as a problem. Although this study will generalize from the small population, it can be used as a starting point to recognizing the problem, as each organization can require a different approach (Parkes, 1986, 36). Limitations The sources utilized in the research will be extracted from current articles (2006-present) from online services, the Internet, and public libraries. A survey will be given to individuals of randomly chosen organizations and will not target any specific company or industry. Due to time constraints, the population will be limited to 30 individuals. The research will explore factors causing stress in the workplace and its impact on organizations. Effective methods of coping with stress will be given, but limited to ones examined in the secondary resources (Portello, 1996, 548). Research Procedures The project will focus on stress factors in the workplace and effective methods to balance a healthy lifestyle. The sample group will consist of 30 individuals randomly selected from general business areas. The survey will be conducted during lunch periods when several employees leave and return to the workplace. The questionnaire will attempt to see if the sample individuals believe stress is a problem and what can be done to resolve it. The questionnaire will be delivered in person and each individual will fill out the survey at that point. Since the survey will be conducted in a general public area, no authorization is needed to administer. Once I receive all the surveys, I will quantify the data into an Excel spreadsheet. I will report the data mostly in percentages (e.g. 70percent of the individuals acknowledge that stress is a problem in the workplace). The data will be utilized to see if stress is a factor impacting the British workforce. Stress management techniques will be presented where appropriate (Browne, 1993, 578). Chapter Two: Literature Review Stress is an adaptive response. It is the bodys reaction to an event that is seen as emotionally disturbing, disquieting, or threatening. When we perceive such an event, we experience what stress researchers call the fight or flight response. To prepare for fighting or fleeing, the body increases its heart rate and blood pressure; more blood is then sent to your heart and muscles, and your respiration rate increases (Carmines, 1981, 48). Stress is both positive and negative. Good stress is a balance of arousal and relaxation that helps you concentrate, focus, and achieve what you want. Bad stress is constant stress and constant arousal that may lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and worse. The body does not distinguish between negative and positive stress. The same physiological responses can take place whether you are happy or sad about a given situation. When extending to the workplace, stress may lead to poor work performance and end up costing an organizations several thousands of dollars. The organization loses on salary because they are not receiving satisfactory production and if the employee becomes ill, health and workers compensation rates can soar . The organization must decide whether or no to implement a stress management program, since there are several external stressors that can overtake an individual. Internal stressors, within organizations include technology and corporate downsizing which leads to longer hours and job uncertainty. If one does not know how to manage stress, it can get out of control ) (Rock, 1997, 4). Analyzing Stress on Individuals In a 1995 survey of 1,705 respondents it is analyzed that stress rises with level of education and job level and is higher than average for women (Robinson, 1996, 88). Fifty-eight percent of the women respondents possess moderate to a lot of stress in the workplace compared to 53 percent of men. From the divorced individuals, 62 percent are stressed in the workplace compared to married and never married at 57 percent, and 58 percent respectively. The widowed respondents maintain the least stress at 38 percent (Robinson, 1996, 48). College graduate respondents possess more stress at 64 percent than high school graduates at 55 percent. Only 43 percent of the less than high school respondents felt stress in the workplace. Those with more education feel more stress, possibly because their jobs involve greater managerial and financial responsibility (Robinson, 1996, 87). Stress is an epidemic in British life. In nationwide polls, 89 percent of Britishers reported that they often experience high levels of stress, and 59 percent claimed that they feel great stress at least once a week (Hellmich, 1994, 57). A five year study of the British workforce conducted by the Families and Work Institute showed that 30 percent of employees often or very often feel burned out or stressed by their jobs, 27 percent feel emotionally drained from their work, and 42 percent feel used up at the end of the work day (Hellmich, 1994, 4). Balancing work pressures and family responsibilities leaves many workers feeling burned out. Examining the Effects of Downsizing on Stress The downsizing of organizations have caused a stressful environment. Downsizing has created concerns over job security, and has forced employees to take on a larger workload. According to a local union representing U.K. West stated that work still needs to be done, but with fewer people (Scott, 1996, 41). Downsizing creates quantitative and qualitative stress. Quantitative stress pertains to doing the same amount of work with fewer people. Reengineering the organization entails shaping the company to be more efficient with less individuals. These individuals are asked to do a wider variety of work functions they are not trained to do, causing qualitative overload (Scott, 1996, 35). Occupational Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviours (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease (Rosenfield, 1989, 5). Prevalence Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in todays workplace. About one-third of workers report high levels of stress. One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations (Scheier, 1985, 65). Health and Healthcare Utilization Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to low risk workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses (Schwartz, 1993, 58). Causes of Occupational Stress Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention str ategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of Britishers work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a considerable incr ease over the previous three decades, especially for women. According to the Department of Labour, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children (Shaw, 1993, 4). Signs of Occupational Stress Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family, friend and girl/boy friends are examples of stress-related problems. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders (Sherer, 1982, 36). Prevention A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work. How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress Ensure that the workload is in line with workers capabilities and resources. Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills. Clearly define workers roles and responsibilities. Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs. Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects. Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities (Smith, 1981, 24). Chapter Three: Research Methodology Design The data reported here are from two separate data sets. In order to cross-validate the model, data from the original study of managerial women were used, and these included data from the first three assessments of a 2-year longitudinal study. In the original article (B. C. Long et al., 1992, 165), a conceptual model of stress and coping was tested and developed that was based on data from the first three assessments (Time 1 to Time 3) of 11 assessments completed over 2 years. Status, Sex Role Attitudes, and Agentic Traits were assessed at Time 1; Appraisals, Disengagement and Engagement Coping, Work Environment, and Daily Hassles were assessed at Time 2; and Distress and Satisfaction were assessed at Time 3. These data were used as a base to test the validity of the model on a new set of data obtained from clerical workers, data that have not been reported elsewhere (Snapp, 1992, 32). Sampling The managerial women (n = 249) were employed in nontraditional occupations (i.e., fewer than 35% of British employees are women). Their mean age was 38.84 years (SD = 7.68, range = 22–66). More detailed descriptions of the managers characteristics can be found in B. C. Long et al. (1992). The clerical workers who participated were employed in both large and small organizations in the same large western British city in which the managers were employed. The clerical workers volunteered in response to written requests for participants that I circulated in the media and by networking. The notices were directed to full-time female clerical workers and indicated that the purpose of the study was to investigate how clerical workers experienced Occupational Stress. No incentives were offered other than a final summary report. à Ã… ¾f the 284 respondents who made contact by telephone, 273 met the criteria for inclusion (i.e., they were employed in a clerical position, worked more than 20 hours per week, and did not supervise others). à Ã… ¾f the 273 clerical workers who met the criteria and were distributed questionnaires at Time 1, 39 withdrew from the study because of lack of time to participate, 7 no longer met our criteria because of promotion, unemployment, or leave o f absence from work (e.g., due to accident or illness), and 4 moved. The overall dropout rate was 18%. Dropout analyses were conducted on the demographic variables measured at Time 1. No differences were found between the retained (n = 223) and dropout (n = 50) respondents. Chi-square analyses of the demographic variables (marital status, education, number of children, job level, and size of the company) were not significant. Because 9 participants identified a personal rather than a work stressor, their data were omitted from the model testing. All respondents were self-identified clerical workers. Job classifications included clerks (25%), secretaries–stenographers (23%), administrative assistants (34%), and others (18%). The mean age was 39.77 years (SD = 9.46, range = 22–63 years). Fifty-three percent of the clerical workers were married, 22% were single, and 25% were divorced, separated, or widowed. Fifty-three percent were parents. Twenty-four percent had a high school education or less, 42% had special training (e.g., secretarial, clerical), 17% had a college education (2 years postsecondary), and 13% had a university degree. Household incomes ranged from less than $25,000 (British) per year (23.4%) to over $61,000 (British) per year (27.5%). The major industries represented were education (31%), service (35%), utilities and public administration (12%), manufacturing and transportation (10%), and other (8%). On average the women had been in the workforce for 17.02 years (SD = 8.74, Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace Factors Which Lead to Stress in the Workplace Phones 4 you Case Study Chapter One: Introduction Phones 4u is a large independent mobile phone retailer in the UK. Since opening in 1996, it expanded to 400 stores throughout the United Kingdom. Head office is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and was until recently part of the The Caudwell Group formed by John Caudwell. In September 2006 the group was sold and Phones 4u is now owned by Providence Equity Partners (Minter, 2003, 18) Stress is the condition that results when person-environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of the persons biological, psychological or social systems. In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. Stressful stimuli can be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical reactions. Lost car keys, tardiness, family death, and loss of job, pressure, frustration, and social changes-these are different types of stress, the process by which one appraises and copes with environmental threats and challenges. The events of daily life flow through a psychological filter that helps a person the react in certain ways. Some stress early in life is conducive to later emotional and physical growth. But stresses, or conflicts, can also threaten a persons life as well and health (Amatea, 1991, 48). Behavioral psychologists have determined there is a correlation between stress and the declination on ones behavior. One may increase his usage of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs to escape his stressful state. Other problems include arguing with friends, neglecting appearance, crying easily, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawing from family and friends. In extreme cases, stress can cause insanity. Emotional changes are also a common effect of stress. Symptoms include anger, anxiety, depression, nervousness, loneliness, and rejection. Changes in emotional state may lead to psychological disorders or even death, if not treated. Suicide is among the leading outcomes of stress-related depression (aspinwall, 1992, 48). Not only does stress effect ones emotional and behavioral states, buy it also plays a large role in ones physical state. Symptoms of stress include, but are not limited to, allergies, back pain, respiratory infections, fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, sleeping problems, and dizziness. British scientist Hans Selye made a basic point of stress. It states that although the human body comes designed to cope with temporary stress, prolonged stress can produce physical deterioration. MRI brain scans of people who have experienced a prolonged amount of stress often show the results of a shrunken hippocampus, the inner brain structure vital to laying down explicit memories. Stress can put people at risk for one of todays four leading causes of serious illness and death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lung disease. Such findings were proven true by studies done by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman in 1956. Psychophysiological illnesses are stress-related. They are i llnesses, such as high blood pressure, that are caused by high levels of stress. Immune responses may also be effected by stress. They can either speed up or slow down causing a variety of illnesses such as lupus or multiple sclerosis. Stress does not make one sick, but it does restrain ones immune functioning, making him more vulnerable to foreign invaders (Bandura, 1986, 58). Stress in unavoidable. If one can not eliminate stress by changing or ignoring a situation, one must learn to manage it by confronting or escaping the problem. Stress management may include aerobic exercise, relaxation, and social support. Without knowledge of stress and ways to manage it, people are more susceptible of disease and psychological disorders. There are various sources of stress. The very definition of stress is: A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression. A stimulus or circumstance causing such a condition. In todays world of competition and success, the limits of our threshold are being pushed to succeed. Success is the driving force behind many people pushing their bodies to the limits. A human body needs a delicate balance between work, and relaxation. When this equilibrium is not maintained, problems occur, which might have repercussions later. These repercussions take the forms of Burnouts, break-downs, and sometimes extreme cases of heart attacks. In most cases of the systems breaking down, there are methods of control and mechanisms of improvement of the situation. Stress can be handled very effectively in todays world. Healthy and wholesome living is the new day mantra for better work efficiencies. What causes stress? There are various triggers to stress. Work, personal life and external factors (Banyard, 1993, 45). Work: the pressures of work are one of the greatest factors contributing to the high stress levels today. Long working hours, constant pressures of deadlines, and the inevitable fear of job security pushes people to work very hard. Personal Life: outside the work place, people are always subject to constant pressures from family, friends, and well wishers. Handling these pressures in the most effective way is the tact of the new manager. Family life can cause stress, especially if there is some friction between partners, the ill heath or sudden death of a partner can cause great levels of stress. External factors: personal finances, world events and other non classifiable events also add to stress. Time management or lack of thereof is another cause of external factors of stress. How does one handle stress? There are several ways of fighting stress in ones life. This essay will briefly attempt to touch base with some important methods which can be imbibed in handling stress. 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time Management: Time management is one of the greatest methods of combating stress especially in the workplace. Effective time management helps us prioritizing, planning, allocating and executing effective schedules in order to maximize our most valuable resource, time. Once a person has been able to handle time effectively, he or she would be able to handle many tasks which have been allocated (Baruch, 1987, 59). 2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health: stress has a great impact on the personal health of the individual. Ageing is speeded up and white hair apparently comes aplenty. Living a healthy life helps in handling stress better. A regular routine, the offshoot of effective time management, allows us time to regularly exercise. Exercise, as many say release endorphins, these help combat stress and depression, a stress induced side effect. Healthy foods, such as greens, and maintaining a balanced diet are some other ways, which when coupled with exercise help us maintain a healthy body. 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Non Conventional Methods: going back to the basics is a term that is used very regularly today. When one says going back to the basics, it includes going back to the past. Yoga, pranayama and other methods of controlling the mind, body and soul, have existed in our country for a very long time. This is fast gaining popularity as methods of combating stress. Yoga has immense powers to help us maintain our minds and body in shape. From the above, we can see one of the greatest factors of handling stress is to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul. Prevention is better than cure, preventing stress by having a healthy life style and a healthy mind, is a plus point which has no substitute in todays world. However there is no effective way of handling self induced stress. Calming the mind and regulated breathing can ease the stress, but it will be rendered ineffective if the person is not willing to practice it in the positive way (Bem, 1981, 49). Stress is one of the greatest hindrances to efficient productivity in todays workplace. Production efficiency is the key word today and this does face a serious threat with stress. Combating stress on a war footing is the need of the hour, and some of the above points will assist in effective stress management through a healthy mind , body and soul. Stress is a combination of responses in the body. Stress can be short-term (acute) or chronic. Acute stress is the fight or flight response. If a car is careening toward you at a high rate of speed, you will (or should!) experience acute stress. It is when you experience so many common stressors, such as heavy traffic, noise, money worries, illnesses, relationship problems, rising crime rates, or work frustrations, that stress takes a chronic form. In the short term, stress can be vital. Over time, it turns destructive . How destructive can stress be on your body? Research has shown that prolonged stress can produce actual tissue changes and organ dysfunction. With the new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) techniques, scientists are able to prove visibly that chronic stress can shrink an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. Read More On This They have found that the brains of war veterans, as well as women who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse, have a marked reduction in the size of their hypothalamus (Betz, 1987, 29). Stress also affects your brain by releasing powerful chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). The hypothalamic/pituitary-adrenal portion of your brain releases steroid hormones, including the primary stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol affects systems throughout your body, including an increased heart rate. Your heart, lungs, and circulatory system are influenced by the increased heart rate. Blood flow may increase 300 to 400 percent. Blood pressure increases and breathing becomes rapid. Your mouth and throat may become dry. Skin may become cool and clammy because blood flow is diverted away so it can support the heart and muscle tissues. Even digestive activity shuts down. Once again, occasional stress is normal. Once youve handled the situation, the stress goes away and you heal from the episode. But, if stressors accumulate over time, eventually the body becomes inefficient at handling even the least amount of stress. The brain, heart, lungs, vessels, and muscles become so chronically over or under activated that they become damaged. It is this sort of stress which may trigger or worsen heart disease, strokes, susceptibility to infection, sleep disturbances, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, memory and learning dysfunction, digestive problems, weight problems, diabetes, pain, and skin disorders. Extensive multidisciplinary studies have presented unequivocal evidence that our psychological responses to stress and our perceptions of stress to a considerable extent affect our susceptibility to disease. In active relationship, the immune, neuroendocrine, and nervous systems respond to the brain and psyche. Virtually all illnesses, from the flu to cancer, are influenced for good or bad by our thoughts and feelings. R. Lloyd, 1990 Healing Brain: A Scientific Reader (Betz, 1987, 48) Statement of the Research Problem How do the employees cope with stress in the workplace to achieve a more balanced lifestyle at Phones 4 you ? Stress is a part of everybodys life. Depending on the level of stress, it can control our lives, especially in the workplace. We begin to spend several long hours at work, and thus have less time for other things. Stressed employees may be unhappy and thus produce nominally. Stress can deteriorate social and family relationships and eventually burn you out; ultimately it can take toll on your health. Organizations need to recognize stress as a problem and decide whether or not to act upon it. Background Information This question needs to be answered because stress is a problem that Phones 4 you must deal with; stress can cause poor work performance and lower employee morale. These factors can increase employee turnover rate and lessen quality of life. We all must deal with stress; question is how we handle and control it. With downsizing the buzz word in the modern corporate world, companies have become mean and lean. Employees are compelled to be more efficient Phones 4 you; they find themselves taking on the work of what used to be two. The result is longer hours, less time for outside activities, and consequently increased stress. According to Business Week, the typical British works 47 hours a week, and if current trends continue, in 20 years the average person would be on the job 60 hours a week. Another factor that increases stress is technological advancements. With all the new technology one is always connected to work and accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. According to Business Week, it is now possible, and thus increasingly expected, for employees to be accessible and productive any hour, any day (Bollen, 1993, 18). At a workplace, one observes several sales people working long hours, claiming it is due to under staffing. Employees reach a point of diminishing returns. The more hours they work, the less productive they are. This stressful condition causes the quality of work to dwindle. Consequently, clients recognize this, and eventually they terminate the business relationship. Soon the company loses, as it is built on these clients (Moos, 1989, 58). Statement of the Objectives This research expects to discuss factors which lead to stress in the workplace at Phones 4 you. Are individuals stressed in the workplace at Phones 4 you? What causes stress in the workplace Phones 4 you? Who is mostly stressed: men or women? Are individuals being exposed to stress management techniques? Should employers implement stress management techniques? as a future manager, I would like to be able to determine if stress is a problem for employees; if so, implement a strategy to curtail stress in the workplace. By recognizing stress in the workplace, employers can act appropriately to reduce stress. The outcome can benefit social and family relationships, as well as preserve ones health and make us more productive in our organizations (Moos, 1982, 25). Scope The research project will comprise of a sample size of 30 individuals, randomly selected from general business areas. The study will analyze stress factors in the U.K workforce and its impact on the British organization. Effective stress management techniques will then be presented, which will allow individuals or organizations to implement. Secondary information from various sources will be utilized to explore effective methods of coping with stress. The conclusions and recommendations I will draw will be applicable to any British organization with stress as a problem. Although this study will generalize from the small population, it can be used as a starting point to recognizing the problem, as each organization can require a different approach (Parkes, 1986, 36). Limitations The sources utilized in the research will be extracted from current articles (2006-present) from online services, the Internet, and public libraries. A survey will be given to individuals of randomly chosen organizations and will not target any specific company or industry. Due to time constraints, the population will be limited to 30 individuals. The research will explore factors causing stress in the workplace and its impact on organizations. Effective methods of coping with stress will be given, but limited to ones examined in the secondary resources (Portello, 1996, 548). Research Procedures The project will focus on stress factors in the workplace and effective methods to balance a healthy lifestyle. The sample group will consist of 30 individuals randomly selected from general business areas. The survey will be conducted during lunch periods when several employees leave and return to the workplace. The questionnaire will attempt to see if the sample individuals believe stress is a problem and what can be done to resolve it. The questionnaire will be delivered in person and each individual will fill out the survey at that point. Since the survey will be conducted in a general public area, no authorization is needed to administer. Once I receive all the surveys, I will quantify the data into an Excel spreadsheet. I will report the data mostly in percentages (e.g. 70percent of the individuals acknowledge that stress is a problem in the workplace). The data will be utilized to see if stress is a factor impacting the British workforce. Stress management techniques will be presented where appropriate (Browne, 1993, 578). Chapter Two: Literature Review Stress is an adaptive response. It is the bodys reaction to an event that is seen as emotionally disturbing, disquieting, or threatening. When we perceive such an event, we experience what stress researchers call the fight or flight response. To prepare for fighting or fleeing, the body increases its heart rate and blood pressure; more blood is then sent to your heart and muscles, and your respiration rate increases (Carmines, 1981, 48). Stress is both positive and negative. Good stress is a balance of arousal and relaxation that helps you concentrate, focus, and achieve what you want. Bad stress is constant stress and constant arousal that may lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and worse. The body does not distinguish between negative and positive stress. The same physiological responses can take place whether you are happy or sad about a given situation. When extending to the workplace, stress may lead to poor work performance and end up costing an organizations several thousands of dollars. The organization loses on salary because they are not receiving satisfactory production and if the employee becomes ill, health and workers compensation rates can soar . The organization must decide whether or no to implement a stress management program, since there are several external stressors that can overtake an individual. Internal stressors, within organizations include technology and corporate downsizing which leads to longer hours and job uncertainty. If one does not know how to manage stress, it can get out of control ) (Rock, 1997, 4). Analyzing Stress on Individuals In a 1995 survey of 1,705 respondents it is analyzed that stress rises with level of education and job level and is higher than average for women (Robinson, 1996, 88). Fifty-eight percent of the women respondents possess moderate to a lot of stress in the workplace compared to 53 percent of men. From the divorced individuals, 62 percent are stressed in the workplace compared to married and never married at 57 percent, and 58 percent respectively. The widowed respondents maintain the least stress at 38 percent (Robinson, 1996, 48). College graduate respondents possess more stress at 64 percent than high school graduates at 55 percent. Only 43 percent of the less than high school respondents felt stress in the workplace. Those with more education feel more stress, possibly because their jobs involve greater managerial and financial responsibility (Robinson, 1996, 87). Stress is an epidemic in British life. In nationwide polls, 89 percent of Britishers reported that they often experience high levels of stress, and 59 percent claimed that they feel great stress at least once a week (Hellmich, 1994, 57). A five year study of the British workforce conducted by the Families and Work Institute showed that 30 percent of employees often or very often feel burned out or stressed by their jobs, 27 percent feel emotionally drained from their work, and 42 percent feel used up at the end of the work day (Hellmich, 1994, 4). Balancing work pressures and family responsibilities leaves many workers feeling burned out. Examining the Effects of Downsizing on Stress The downsizing of organizations have caused a stressful environment. Downsizing has created concerns over job security, and has forced employees to take on a larger workload. According to a local union representing U.K. West stated that work still needs to be done, but with fewer people (Scott, 1996, 41). Downsizing creates quantitative and qualitative stress. Quantitative stress pertains to doing the same amount of work with fewer people. Reengineering the organization entails shaping the company to be more efficient with less individuals. These individuals are asked to do a wider variety of work functions they are not trained to do, causing qualitative overload (Scott, 1996, 35). Occupational Stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviours (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease (Rosenfield, 1989, 5). Prevalence Stress is a prevalent and costly problem in todays workplace. About one-third of workers report high levels of stress. One-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. Three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Evidence also suggests that stress is the major cause of turnover in organizations (Scheier, 1985, 65). Health and Healthcare Utilization Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems. Many studies suggest that psychologically demanding jobs that allow employees little control over the work process increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the basis of research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and many other organizations, it is widely believed that job stress increases the risk for development of back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders. High levels of stress are associated with substantial increases in health service utilization. Workers who report experiencing stress at work also show excessive health care utilization. In a 1998 study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were nearly 50% greater for workers reporting high levels of stress in comparison to low risk workers. The increment rose to nearly 150%, an increase of more than $1,700 per person annually, for workers reporting high levels of both stress and depression. Additionally, periods of disability due to job stress tend to be much longer than disability periods for other occupational injuries and illnesses (Schwartz, 1993, 58). Causes of Occupational Stress Job stress results from the interaction of the worker and the conditions of work. Views differ on the importance of worker characteristics versus working conditions as the primary cause of job stress. The differing viewpoints suggest different ways to prevent stress at work. According to one school of thought, differences in individual characteristics such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress-in other words, what is stressful for one person may not be a problem for someone else. This viewpoint leads to prevention strategies that focus on workers and ways to help them cope with demanding job conditions. Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. Such evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention str ategy. Personal interview surveys of working conditions, including conditions recognized as risk factors for job stress, were conducted in Member States of the European Union in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Results showed a trend across these periods suggestive of increasing work intensity. In 1990, the percentage of workers reporting that they worked at high speeds at least one-fourth of their working time was 48%, increasing to 54% in 1995 and to 56% in 2000. Similarly, 50% of workers reported they work against tight deadlines at least one-fourth of their working time in 1990, increasing to 56% in 1995 and 60 % in 2000. However, no change was noted in the period 1995–2000 (data not collected in 1990) in the percentage of workers reporting sufficient time to complete tasks. A substantial percentage of Britishers work very long hours. By one estimate, more than 26% of men and more than 11% of women worked 50 hours per week or more in 2000. These figures represent a considerable incr ease over the previous three decades, especially for women. According to the Department of Labour, there has been an upward trend in hours worked among employed women, an increase in extended work weeks (>40 hours) by men, and a considerable increase in combined working hours among working couples, particularly couples with young children (Shaw, 1993, 4). Signs of Occupational Stress Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family, friend and girl/boy friends are examples of stress-related problems. The effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress. Nonetheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders (Sherer, 1982, 36). Prevention A combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work. How to Change the Organization to Prevent Job Stress Ensure that the workload is in line with workers capabilities and resources. Design jobs to provide meaning, stimulation, and opportunities for workers to use their skills. Clearly define workers roles and responsibilities. Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions and actions affecting their jobs. Improve communications-reduce uncertainty about career development and future employment prospects. Provide opportunities for social interaction among workers. Establish work schedules that are compatible with demands and responsibilities outside the job. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company conducted several studies on the effects of stress prevention programs in hospital settings. Program activities included (1) employee and management education on job stress, (2) changes in hospital policies and procedures to reduce organizational sources of stress, and (3) establishment of employee assistance programs. In one study, the frequency of medication errors declined by 50% after prevention activities were implemented in a 700-bed hospital. In a second study, there was a 70% reduction in malpractice claims in 22 hospitals that implemented stress prevention activities. In contrast, there was no reduction in claims in a matched group of 22 hospitals that did not implement stress prevention activities (Smith, 1981, 24). Chapter Three: Research Methodology Design The data reported here are from two separate data sets. In order to cross-validate the model, data from the original study of managerial women were used, and these included data from the first three assessments of a 2-year longitudinal study. In the original article (B. C. Long et al., 1992, 165), a conceptual model of stress and coping was tested and developed that was based on data from the first three assessments (Time 1 to Time 3) of 11 assessments completed over 2 years. Status, Sex Role Attitudes, and Agentic Traits were assessed at Time 1; Appraisals, Disengagement and Engagement Coping, Work Environment, and Daily Hassles were assessed at Time 2; and Distress and Satisfaction were assessed at Time 3. These data were used as a base to test the validity of the model on a new set of data obtained from clerical workers, data that have not been reported elsewhere (Snapp, 1992, 32). Sampling The managerial women (n = 249) were employed in nontraditional occupations (i.e., fewer than 35% of British employees are women). Their mean age was 38.84 years (SD = 7.68, range = 22–66). More detailed descriptions of the managers characteristics can be found in B. C. Long et al. (1992). The clerical workers who participated were employed in both large and small organizations in the same large western British city in which the managers were employed. The clerical workers volunteered in response to written requests for participants that I circulated in the media and by networking. The notices were directed to full-time female clerical workers and indicated that the purpose of the study was to investigate how clerical workers experienced Occupational Stress. No incentives were offered other than a final summary report. à Ã… ¾f the 284 respondents who made contact by telephone, 273 met the criteria for inclusion (i.e., they were employed in a clerical position, worked more than 20 hours per week, and did not supervise others). à Ã… ¾f the 273 clerical workers who met the criteria and were distributed questionnaires at Time 1, 39 withdrew from the study because of lack of time to participate, 7 no longer met our criteria because of promotion, unemployment, or leave o f absence from work (e.g., due to accident or illness), and 4 moved. The overall dropout rate was 18%. Dropout analyses were conducted on the demographic variables measured at Time 1. No differences were found between the retained (n = 223) and dropout (n = 50) respondents. Chi-square analyses of the demographic variables (marital status, education, number of children, job level, and size of the company) were not significant. Because 9 participants identified a personal rather than a work stressor, their data were omitted from the model testing. All respondents were self-identified clerical workers. Job classifications included clerks (25%), secretaries–stenographers (23%), administrative assistants (34%), and others (18%). The mean age was 39.77 years (SD = 9.46, range = 22–63 years). Fifty-three percent of the clerical workers were married, 22% were single, and 25% were divorced, separated, or widowed. Fifty-three percent were parents. Twenty-four percent had a high school education or less, 42% had special training (e.g., secretarial, clerical), 17% had a college education (2 years postsecondary), and 13% had a university degree. Household incomes ranged from less than $25,000 (British) per year (23.4%) to over $61,000 (British) per year (27.5%). The major industries represented were education (31%), service (35%), utilities and public administration (12%), manufacturing and transportation (10%), and other (8%). On average the women had been in the workforce for 17.02 years (SD = 8.74,