Violent Crimes Reduction Essays - Criminal Law, Sentencing

Violent Crimes Reduction The actual "law" has five major moving parts. First there is the ballot initiative (i.e. Proposition 184), then there is the actual statute that was passed, and then there are three other code sections that identify the types of violations that count as "strikes" against you. Those other types of sections are labeled juvenile felonies, serious felonies, or violent felonies. In 1997 the Wisconsin State Assembly voted 86-8 to approve what many supporters call a "truth- in- sentencing" bill. The bill proposed that convicts should serve no less than 100 percent of their sentences as a get-tough-on-crime measure. The bill also would require prisoners to be under community supervision for at least 25 percent of their prison time after they are released. Wisconsin prisoners would stay behind bars for their entire sentence without any chance for parole. Both Three Strikes and Truth In Sentencing legislation have been advocated as punitive and deterrence strategies for reducing violent crime within our communities. Three Strikes laws impose long prison sentences for third felony convictions. These laws are designed to curb repetitive serious criminal behavior. Washington State enacted the first law of this type in 1993. Since then, more than two-dozen states and the federal government have enacted three strikes laws. The state of Minnesota doesn't have an official three strikes law, although it does have a law mandating a life sentence for certain sexual offenders who commit a third sexual offense. Minnesota requires a mandatory sentence of "at least the length of the presumptive sentence under the sentencing guidelines" for persons convicted of two or more prior felony convictions for violent crimes. Also, Minnesota's heinous crimes law requires the court to sentence an offender convicted of second-or-third-degree murder to the statutory maximum sentence if the offender was discharged from a prior "heinous crime" sentence within the past ten years . Robbery, theft, assault, and motor vehicle theft continues to decline. Is there a relationship between these types of crimes and those who are now incarcerated? It is generally recognized that a minority of criminals commit a majority of the crimes; therefore, one offender may be responsible for multiple incidents within a type of crime. In defending the three strikes legislation, California Governor Pete Wilson stated that two-thirds of violent crime perpetrated by less than 10% of convicted felons. He further related that during the first three years of the law, 2,900 violent criminals were imprisoned, while overall crime dropped 20%, with violent crime down 9.3% and property crimes down 14% . Most states have initiated tougher sentencing for habitual offenders and for crimes that have a link to additional criminal acts. Since 1990, the number of people in custody has risen more than 577,100 or 1,708 inmates per week. Today, more than 1.7 million people are confined in state, federal, and local correctional facilities. As the repeat offenders are taken off the streets, it is reasonable to expect that the repeatable crimes should significantly decline. In the 1980's, crime in Texas jumped 29% creating a ratio of eight crimes for every 100 citizens. During the 1990's, after the creation of additional prison space and a concerted effort to fill it with repeat offenders, the rate dropped to 5.6 crimes per 100, the lowest since 1973 . Some of the benefits and costs of the new law are that if fully implemented, the new law will reduce serious felonies committed by adults in California between 22 and 34 percent. This reduction in crime will be bought at a cost of an extra $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion per year in current dollars . The intent of the three-strikes law is, of course, to lock up repeat offenders longer, and that requires the construction and operation of more prisons. Some police and court costs may be saved in not having to deal so often with such offenders once they are locked up, but greater prison costs overwhelm such savings. Many questions arise when getting the new law all squared away such as alternatives. What would happen if the state got rid of"strikes" and instead guaranteed that those convicted of a serious crime serve their full sentence? In other words, what about adopting a law that sends those convicted of a serious felony to prison, eliminates "good time" for such felons so that they must serve their full term, and shifts some minor felons from prison to probation? It is necessary to compare the benefits and costs of the new law and these alternatives, relative to the old law. But for all the alternatives to

Ideas for Term Papers

Ideas for Term Papers Ideas for Term Papers Do you need ideas for your academic papers? A term or research paper is a matter of reading several sources on a particular subject. The task of writing such is not too difficult if it is thought out in advance. Use the following steps to help you write a sound term paper: Choosing a subject. This is really where your paper gets its success. If you choose the right topic then you will write a good paper. Finding sources of materials. Normally you would limit your sources to those available on the campus and use materials that are not more than 20 years old. Your content must be sound and authoritative. This is a very important part and it is also quite time consuming. Gathering the notes. As you research your materials you need to make notes of material you intend to use. Ensure you record the bibliographical information as well. Be honest in your use of material. Do not mispresent it to support a point when it actually does not. Do not avoid presenting opposing views if it helps establish yours. Outlining the paper. Once you have gathered your information on your topic you need to then prepare the outline of your paper. Sort your material into main divisions. Then within those use subdivisions, being careful to stay focused and relevant on the subject. It should begin to take on a definite structure. Refine this structure until you are satisfied it covers your subject and materials in a clear and logical way. Writing the first draft. Now using the material you have gathered and following your outline begin to present your points. Write the paper around the outline, being sure that you indicate in the introduction part of the paper what its purpose is. Tell the reader what you are going to say. Then in the body paragraphs explain and support your thesis of your paper making sure your paragraphs are clear and contain a coherent idea that is supporting the topic. Each paragraph should flow logically until you have finished your presentation .Finally, bring your thoughts together in your concluding paragraph. Editing the paper. Once you have finished writing it is time to edit your paper. Read it first and if necessary rewrite parts until you are satisfied with the flow of the paper and that the introduction body and conclusion are a focused unit. If you think you will not manage to do your paper on your own you can always ask our professional writers to assist you. If you give them your requirements they will write your paper. It will be original, custom written to your needs, high quality and plagiarism free. Also, take advantage of our affordable prices and place your order right now. You can easily hire the best term paper writer to have your academic project written from scratch.

International marketing Assignmnet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International marketing Assignmnet - Assignment Example The paper aims at assessing the scope of international marketing in Indonesia in the context of growth and development of international departmental stores in the country. For conducting an overall assessment, macro environmental analysis has been taken in consideration. The company that has been selected for this analysis is Big W, which is Australian by origin and is planning for expansion in Indonesia. Before getting into in-depth analysis a brief background of the company and its product and services has been provided. In context to overseas expansion, the motive behind such decision has also been discussed in the paper. Following company profile, a brief introduction of Indonesia has been provided along with a detailed study of economic, political, legal and cultural atmosphere of the country. Along with the environmental assessment, advantage and disadvantages associated with the location has also been discussed in the paper so that the company can evaluate the situation in a comprehensive manner before committing any resources. The paper is therefore not limited to mere analysis of Indonesian business environment. Instead, conclusion and recommendations are also provided regarding the same. Big W is one of the well-known discount departmental store chains in Australia. The retail chain is a part of Woolworths Ltd and has more than 100 stores all over Australia. The company aims at selling best quality brands at lowest possible cost. The business of Woolworths ltd is highly diverse and it can be said that the company created the subsidiary variety store for complementing Woolworths’ supermarkets. Big W employs approximately 17000 people all over Australia. The company is focused on delivering best quality at the best price, healthy and safe working environment for its employees and fair degree of return to its stakeholders. The store has a number of delivery systems that suit the consumer needs. Big W has recently diversified in the

Analyse the key developments in social accounting and discuss the Essay

Analyse the key developments in social accounting and discuss the extent to which you agree with the academic criticism of these developments - Essay Example Typically, social accounting stresses the idea of corporate accountability and has been defined in this context as an approach to reporting of the activities of a firm that stresses on identifying socially appropriate behavior, acknowledging the people to whom the company is answerable for its performance socially and development of suitable measures as well as reporting methods. It is a significant step towards assisting companies to develop autonomously CSR initiatives that have demonstrated to have more effectiveness compared to those that have been mandated by the government (Crane and Matten, 2007, p. 170). In most cases, social accounting is a collective term that is employed in describing a wide field of practice and research so the usage of narrower terms in the expression of particular interests is therefore not uncommon. For instance, environmental account may particularly denote the research or practices of accounting for the effects of an organization on the natural environment. On the other hand, sustainability accounting is employed in the expression of quantitative analysis and measuring of economic and social sustainability (Thomas and Lamm, 2015, p. 191). J R Hicks originally introduced the phrase social accounting into the field of economics in 1942 and he defined it as nothing else apart from accounting for the entire community or nation in the same manner that private accounting refers to accounting for one organization. According to Hicks, social accounting can also be referred to as national income accounting and is a means of presenting the inter-connections between various sectors of the economy in a statistical manner for a comprehensive understanding of the economic environment of the environment. It is an approach that can be used to study the structure of economic bodies and can be used as a means of presenting information concerning nature of the economy with the

Unit 3 Assignments and Discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unit 3 Assignments and Discussions - Essay Example Our staff documents numerous instances of neglect and emotional abuse, which we reported to a local childcare protective services agency (Feeney & Freeman 2012). Amazingly, investigation was conducted and the child allowed remaining in the uncles home. However, the situation seems not to improve. The NAEYC code requires rights of the children to be respected. The individuals found to promulgate child abuse stand to be sued and imprisoned. In our case, the uncle and his girlfriend should be arrested and charged for causing emotional problem to the child. You have a child in your room that has been diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He sometimes scares the younger children with his boisterous and frenetic activity. A parent who is a kindergarten teacher notices his behavior and asks you what the problem is. The problem involves my child who has been diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).The child scares the younger children with his boisterous and frenetic activity. In the process, a parent who is a kindergarten teacher notices his behavior and demanded to know from me (Feeney & Freeman 2012).. The NAEYC evaluation the teacher of the program to liaise with the children, as well as the instructors of the standard paper and pencil. The test should be conducted in a manner as to avoid stressing the children. This can be attained through preparing the children psychologically and subject them to the test at a relaxed manner. In addition to that, the aide will do a lot of work and hence this can cause commotion within the class. Essentially, the tests should be conducted within the room and cover a large number of children. Once the children are separated, there are chances to have some of them frustrated and give inaccurate results. According to NAEYC codes, the teacher should be strict on using the English language instead of

How Taoism Relates To Winnie The Pooh Philosophy Essay

How Taoism Relates To Winnie The Pooh Philosophy Essay This paper discusses how the book the Tao Of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff relates the concept of Taoism to the characters from the Winnie The Pooh by A A Milne and their application to life and therapy. In The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff utilizes characters from Winnie the Pooh to attempt to explain the fundamentals of Taoism. By observing Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Tigger, and Pooh, it is easy to see that the actions of the character Pooh best describe Taoism. One of the most important principles of Taoism used in the book is the uncarved block. Hoff uses the characters from A A Milnes Winnie the Pooh books to illustrate and explain the basics of Taoist philosophy, showing how Pooh himself is the epitome of the Taoist thinker, enjoying life with simplicity but not stupidity. The author explains that Taoists try to appreciate, learn from, and work with whatever happens in life, whereas, in contrast, Confucianism attempts to impose order, and Buddhists see lifes tribulations as obstacles to be overcome before achieving Nirvana. He describes how Tao is the Way, which can be understood but not defined, and illustrates key elements of Tao such as Pu, the uncarved block, and Wu wei, goi ng with the flow. In case you should think that this book is altogether too simplistic, I should add that Hoff touches on the writings of Lao-Tzu (author of the Tao Te Ching), Chuang-tse, the poet Li Po, and other Taoist philosophers, giving his own interpretations of the passages. Hoff shows how Pooh best explains the Uncarved Block. The principle of the Uncarved Block is that things that are simple contain their own natural power, power that can be spoiled and lost when overcomplicated. Using the characters he shows how our lives can be sabotaged by errors in thinking and how it can be prevented. Hoff uses Rabbit to show when you are racing through life you can miss out on the valuable things that make up life itself. We seem to jeopardize ourselves by thinking too much of the self. Owl is used to show that when trying to find underlying meaning for everything you overcomplicate it. Hoff uses Piglet in the sense that Piglet is always scared and as a result scared to try things, if Piglet wouldnt dwell in worry, he would accomplish more, and find happiness .Sometimes staying less in your head is an advantage. Hoff goes on to show that the character of Eeyore is always depressed and dwells in negativity. If he abstained from this life would be completely different. Now finally we come to Pooh. The author exemplifies how Pooh doesnt stay in worry, nor is he over-analytical, he stays in the spontaneous. As a result of staying in the way he finds everything goes its own course and works out as a result of his non-action. Pooh goes with the flow of nature and doesnt interfere. He leads a life of simplicity and one free of worry. This is a perfect reflection of someone who follows the Tao. I think this is more or less a basic explanation of Tao and how to apply it to our lives by modeling out behavior in a likewise manner. There arent any obscure references here only face value application. The use of the cartoon characters that we all are familiar with is a very u seful strategy. It is a way of explanation that transcends all racial, sexual, gender barriers. For example, we wont try too hard or explain too much, because that would only Confuse things, and because it would leave the impression that it was all only an intellectual idea that could be left on the intellectual level and ignored. (p. 10) He uses each chapter of the book to teach a new principle of the Uncarved Block of Taoism. In each chapter he tells a Winnie the Pooh story and then explains how it relates to Taoism. Hoff writes a chapter teaching how cleverness does not always help, but it sometimes destroys things and is the reason that things do not work out. Hoff teaches that the Taoist believe that if you understand Inner Nature it is far more effective than knowledge or cleverness. He uses a poem called Cottleston Pie. The poem explains how things just are as they are and how people try to violate these principles with their everyday lives. There is also the story of Tigger and Roo. Tigger tries to be what he is not and as a result everything goes wrong and he always ends up getting stuck in a tree. Hoff also explains that working with Nature is best in the sense that you do not screw things up with a story about Eeyore getting stuck in the river. Everybody had been trying to think of clever ways to get Eeyore out of the river when Pooh said that if they just dropped a big stone into it, then it would just wash Eeyore ashore. He did it without even thinking, because thinking would complicate things, and of course it worked. Pooh worked with Nature and things worked out for him. As you can see, Hoff uses many different Winnie the Pooh stories to teach the uncomplicated ways of the Taoist. The only argument that Hoff really presents is whether or not the Taoist way is the best way and whether or not it really works. When you look at it from the point of Pooh and the stories he is a part of, you are able to see how easily the Taoist ideology fits snuggly into Pooh and his world. Obviously if you do not believe that cleverness and knowledge are not important, then you will not agree with anything Hoff is saying, but he makes you believe in showing you how it always works out with Pooh. He argues whether or not cleverness and knowledge really are important. For example, it can be explained in the story when Eeyore gets stuck in the river. Clever ways do not work, but Poohs simple way always seem to work surprisingly well. Hoff also argues how the Taoist believes that over exhausting ourselves needlessly only works against us. He uses Rabbit to explain this. Quite simply, Rabbit is always in a hurry, he is the very face of stress itself. Hoff explains these so called creatures like a shadow. Shadows are always rushing along. They are also always trying to lose their shadows. They try to run from them not realizing that they cannot, that they are one and the same. Hoff argues that by just sitting down and enjoying a nice sunny day, like Pooh would do, you can complicate things. You do not get the full fulfillment of your life. There is the argument that this is just using examples to match the conclusions that we have already come to. I believe however, that one cannot free himself of the weight of our foolish ways until we have exposed that fallacy and this is a vehicle to do that without feeling condescended by an authority figure that many associate with other comparative theories. Case and point Hoffs adaption of Winnie the Pooh to Taoist philosophy is brilliant and yet never strays from its humility. Through this I can now see how the field of psychology, is a chaotic discipline much more suited to the Taoist approach of going with the flow-the Wu wei, then against it. In Hoffs description of A A Milnes characters I was able to see myself trying to be like the Owl, while actually being a combination of the Rabbit and the pessimistic Eeyor e. Hoff has shown me how the ideal is to be a simple character such as Pooh himself, accepting life, work, and other people as they are rather than trying to impose order on them. I now seek to accept and move with events as they occur, preferring not to try to impose change nor viewing changes it as an obstacle to be overcome. It all comes down to acceptance and will. When you yield to the flow you find that it goes along with the grain of your life instead of against it. This approach spills over into every aspect of life, keeping them simple, letting nature direct the flow as it were.

Modernism and Postmodernism in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- GCSE Eng

Othello teaches us much about our current postmodern culture. The play connects to our ideas of sexism, male-bonding, racism and capitalism. Shakespeare uses these universal and timeless flaws in humanity along with our use of language and truth to tell his tale. Iago, over a period of about three days, uses these facets of humanity to turn Othello against his wife Desdemona and his friend Cassio. Othello reveals both the struggle of the British people of the early 1600's and Americans in the late 1900's with sexism, capitalism and racism. In Othello men see women as objects to control, first by their father, and then by their husband. When Iago yells to Brabantio, telling him his daughter has gone off to marry Othello, he yells "Thieves, thieves! / Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! / Thieves, thieves!" (Othello I.i.79-80). Othello has taken away Brabantio's property, his daughter, and is called a thief because of it. Desdemona refuses to be treated like property, however and makes "A gross revolt, / tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes" (Othello I.i.134-135) to Othello. Her marriage to Othello is not an act of a free woman, but a revolt by Brabantio's property. Desdemona is also incapable of independent feelings or thoughts. Othello must have "Enchanted her" (Othello I.ii.63), "In chains of magic" (Othello I.ii.65), because she could never make such a choice on her own. In Brabantio's mind, only he can know what is in Desdemona's best interest and then choose it for her. Brabantio tries to guard he r, but Desdemona has "Run from her guardage" (Othello I.ii.70). In Othello the culture of the time treats women as objects to be guarded and watched over, too tender and gentle to fend for themselves in a dang... ...hooses for her, this taking of a different role is similar to Othello's efforts to fit into the European world. Othello's lack of definitive truth is postmodern. Othello does have an emphasis of characters over environment. Although the characters represent different aspects of society, Shakespeare takes great care in developing them and their internal traits. The lack of definitive truth in Othello's world creates chaos, but Othello refuses to just accept this chaos, he chooses Iago over Desdemona's version of events. Othello combines modernism and postmodernism in its discussion of language and truth. Although Othello contains many elements from both periods, it is mostly modern, due to it's setting and need for characters. The characters decide to fight the chaos inside themselves and in the world. This fight leads to the tragic ending of the play. Â  

Water Pollution Is the Contamination of Water Bodies

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e. g. lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater). Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water; and, in almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities. Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.Millions depend on the polluted Ganges river. Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases,[1][2] and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. [2] An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness every day. 3] Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some degree of water pollution,[4] and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. [5] In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well.In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted. 6] Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, like serving as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water. [edit]Water pollution categories Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and managed as separate resources, although they are interrelated. 7] Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their origin. [edit] Point source pollution Point source pollution – Shipyard – Rio de Janeiro. Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U. S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes. 8] The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial stormwater, such as from construction sites. [9] [edit] Non–point source pollution Non–point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. The leaching out of n itrogen compounds from agricultural land which has been fertilized is a typical example.Nutrient runoff in stormwater from â€Å"sheet flow† over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of NPS pollution. Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However where such water is not channeled and drains directly to ground it is a non-point source. [edit] Groundwater pollution See also: Hydrogeology Interactions between groundwater and surface water are complex.Consequently, groundwater pollution, sometimes referred to as groundwater contamination, is not as easily classified as surface water pollution. [7] By its very nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that may not dire ctly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction of point vs. non-point source may be irrelevant. A spill or ongoing releases of chemical or radionuclide contaminants into soil (located away from a surface water body) may not create point source or non-point source pollution, but can contaminate the aquifer below, defined as a toxin plume.The movement of the plume, a plume front, can be part of a Hydrological transport model or Groundwater model. Analysis of groundwater contamination may focus on the soil characteristics and site geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, and the nature of the contaminants. [edit] Causes of water pollution The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, ron, manganese, etc. ) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant. Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e. g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species. [10] Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in either human or animal hosts. 11] Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that increases in the primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent negative environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions in water quality may occur, affecting fish and other animal po pulations. [edit] Pathogens A manhole cover unable to contain a sanitary sewer overflow.Coliform bacteria are a commonly used bacterial indicator of water pollution, although not an actual cause of disease. Other microorganisms sometimes found in surface waters which have caused human health problems include: †¢Burkholderia pseudomallei †¢Cryptosporidium parvum †¢Giardia lamblia †¢Salmonella †¢Novovirus and other viruses †¢Parasitic worms (helminths). [12][13] High levels of pathogens may result from inadequately treated sewage discharges. [14] This can be caused by a sewage plant designed with less than secondary treatment (more typical in less-developed countries).In developed countries, older cities with aging infrastructure may have leaky sewage collection systems (pipes, pumps, valves), which can cause sanitary sewer overflows. Some cities also have combined sewers, which may discharge untreated sewage during rain storms. [15] Pathogen discharges m ay also be caused by poorly managed livestock operations. [edit] Chemical and other contaminants Muddy river polluted by sediment. Photo courtesy of United States Geological Survey. Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances.Organic water pollutants include: †¢Detergents †¢Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as chloroform †¢Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease †¢Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical compounds †¢Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from stormwater runoff[16] †¢Tree and bush debris from logging operations Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage. Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser. †¢Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products Inorganic water pollutants include:†¢Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants) †¢Ammonia from food processing waste †¢Chemical waste as industrial by-products Fertilizers containing nutrients–nitrates and phosphates–which are found in stormwater runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use[16] †¢Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban stormwater runoff)[16][17] and acid mine drainage †¢Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing sites Macroscopic pollution—large visible items polluting the water—may be termed â€Å"floatables† in an urban stormwater context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include such items as: †¢Trash (e. . paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground, and that are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters †¢Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets †¢Shipwrecks, large derelict ships Potrero Generating Station discharges heated water into San Francisco Bay. [18] [edit] Thermal pollution Main article: Thermal pollution Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence.A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters. Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers. [edit] Transport and chemical react ions of water pollutants See also: Marine pollution Most water pollutants are eventually carried by rivers into the oceans.In some areas of the world the influence can be traced hundred miles from the mouth by studies using hydrology transport models. Advanced computer models such as SWMM or the DSSAM Model have been used in many locations worldwide to examine the fate of pollutants in aquatic systems. Indicator filter feeding species such as copepods have also been used to study pollutant fates in the New York Bight, for example. The highest toxin loads are not directly at the mouth of the Hudson River, but 100 kilometers south, since several days are required for incorporation into planktonic tissue.The Hudson discharge flows south along the coast due to coriolis force. Further south then are areas of oxygen depletion, caused by chemicals using up oxygen and by algae blooms, caused by excess nutrients from algal cell death and decomposition. Fish and shellfish kills have been repo rted, because toxins climb the food chain after small fish consume copepods, then large fish eat smaller fish, etc. Each successive step up the food chain causes a stepwise concentration of pollutants such as heavy metals (e. g. mercury) and persistent organic pollutants such as DDT.This is known as biomagnification, which is occasionally used interchangeably with bioaccumulation. A polluted river draining an abandoned copper mine on Anglesey Large gyres (vortexes) in the oceans trap floating plastic debris. The North Pacific Gyre for example has collected the so-called â€Å"Great Pacific Garbage Patch† that is now estimated at 100 times the size of Texas. Many of these long-lasting pieces wind up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. This results in obstruction of digestive pathways which leads to reduced appetite or even starvation.Many chemicals undergo reactive decay or chemically change especially over long periods of time in groundwater reservoirs. A noteworthy class of such chemicals is the chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (used in industrial metal degreasing and electronics manufacturing) and tetrachloroethylene used in the dry cleaning industry (note latest advances in liquid carbon dioxide in dry cleaning that avoids all use of chemicals). Both of these chemicals, which are carcinogens themselves, undergo partial decomposition reactions, leading to new hazardous chemicals (including dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride).Groundwater pollution is much more difficult to abate than surface pollution because groundwater can move great distances through unseen aquifers. Non-porous aquifers such as clays partially purify water of bacteria by simple filtration (adsorption and absorption), dilution, and, in some cases, chemical reactions and biological activity: however, in some cases, the pollutants merely transform to soil contaminants. Groundwater that moves through cracks and caverns is not filtered and can be transported a s easily as surface water.In fact, this can be aggravated by the human tendency to use natural sinkholes as dumps in areas of Karst topography. There are a variety of secondary effects stemming not from the original pollutant, but a derivative condition. An example is silt-bearing surface runoff, which can inhibit the penetration of sunlight through the water column, hampering photosynthesis in aquatic plants. [edit] Measurement of water pollution Environmental Scientists preparing water autosamplers. Water pollution may be analyzed through several broad categories of methods: physical, chemical and biological.Most involve collection of samples, followed by specialized analytical tests. Some methods may be conducted in situ, without sampling, such as temperature. Government agencies and research organizations have published standardized, validated analytical test methods to facilitate the comparability of results from disparate testing events. [19] [edit] Sampling Sampling of water for physical or chemical testing can be done by several methods, depending on the accuracy needed and the characteristics of the contaminant. Many contamination events are sharply restricted in time, most commonly in association with rain events.For this reason â€Å"grab† samples are often inadequate for fully quantifying contaminant levels. Scientists gathering this type of data often employ auto-sampler devices that pump increments of water at either time or discharge intervals. Sampling for biological testing involves collection of plants and/or animals from the surface water body. Depending on the type of assessment, the organisms may be identified for biosurveys (population counts) and returned to the water body, or they may be dissected for bioassays to determine toxicity. [edit] Physical testingCommon physical tests of water include temperature, solids concentration like total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity. [edit] Chemical testing See also: water chemistry anal ysis and environmental chemistry Water samples may be examined using the principles of analytical chemistry. Many published test methods are available for both organic and inorganic compounds. Frequently used methods include pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus compounds), metals (including copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and mercury), oil and grease, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and pesticide

Fedex Analysis Essays

Fedex Analysis Essays Fedex Analysis Essay Fedex Analysis Essay TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARYII TABLE OF CONTENTSIII LIST OF FIGURESV LIST OF TABLESV 1INTRODUCTION1 PART 1: TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTIC INDUSTRY2 2EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS2 2. 1TECHNOLOGICAL2 2. 2ECONOMICAL2 2. 3MARKET2 2. 4POLITICAL AND LEGAL2 2. 5ENVIRONMENTAL3 2. 6SOCIETAL3 2. 7DEMOGRAPHIC3 3INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS4 3. 1PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL4 3. 1. 1Threat of new entrants (Low)4 3. 1. 2Threat of substitutes (Low – medium)5 3. 1. 3Bargaining power of buyers (High)5 3. 1. 4Bargaining power of suppliers (Medium – high)5 3. 1. 5Intensity of rivalry (High)5 4CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR6 4. STRONG AND TRUSTWORTHY BRAND6 4. 2ADVANCED IN IT SYSTEMS6 4. 3INTEGRATION TO CUSTOMERS SUPPLY CHAIN6 4. 4LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY6 PART 2: FEDEX CORPORATION7 5COMPANY ANALYSIS7 5. 1PRODUCTS AND SERVICES7 5. 2STRUCTURE7 5. 3STRATEGY7 5. 4GENERIC POSITIONING7 5. 5KEY STAKEHOLDERS8 5. 6PERFORMANCE8 5. 6. 1Marketing8 5. 6. 2Operations8 5. 6. 3Human resources8 5. 6. 4Research and development8 5. 6. 5Information Technology8 5. 6. 6Finance8 6COMPETITORS ANALYSIS10 7SWOT ANALYSIS11 7. 1STRENGTHS11 7. 2WEAKNESSES11 7. 3OPPORTUNITIES12 7. 4THREATS12 7. 5POSITIONING OF FEDEX13 8RECCOMMENDATION14 8. 1CORPORATE LEVEL14 . 2BUSINESS LEVEL15 8. 3FUNCTIONAL LEVEL15 8. 4NETWORK LEVEL16 8. 5SUGGESTED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN16 9CONCLUSION17 REFERENCES18 LIST OF FIGURES This is the complete listing of all the figures used throughout the report. FIGURE 1 ILLUSTRATES PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL FOR TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS INDUSTRY. 3 FIGURE 2 ILLUSTRATES POSITION OF FEDEX IN SWOT. 7 LIST OF TABLES This is the complete listing of all the tables used throughout the report. TABLE 1 ILLUSTRATES IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OF SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATION13 1INTRODUCTION FedEx is the world leader in transportation and logistic industry. It was founded in 1971 as Federal Express which provides only express delivery services. Over the decades, it has transformed it self to a global logistic and supply-chain management company (Express, Ground, Freight, etc. ) through massive investment in its IT infrastructure and acquisition of Caliber systems, Inc (Figure 1) 1971 1994 Now Figure 1. FedEx Brand Transformation FedEx has always been an innovator in changing how the world works and lives. Today’s FedEx is a network of companies, worth $34 billion, offering the right mix of transportation, e-commerce and business solutions. While each company has a unique history, collectively they exhibit the â€Å"absolutely, positively† dedication to providing specialised solutions for every shipping, information and global trade needs that the world has come to expect from FedEx. But as every cloud has a silver lining, so does FedEx Corporation. Through the reading and analysis of the case study of FedEx Corp. in 2000, provided in De Wit and Meyer (2004, pp. 647-662), some recommendations have been made to address the key issues concerning the organisation, in the context of its structural transformation through e-business. : PART 1: TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTIC INDUSTRY 2EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS 2. 1Technological The development of information technology (IT) has dramatically changed the way businesses operate in express transportation and information industry. It gives organizations the ability to share information within and between organizations, and hence, promote more time and cost effective operations which leads to shorter order-to-payment cycle and better cash flow. With the use of e-commerce in transportation and logistics, the consumer can now even track the progress of the courier at any point of time, at any given hour. 2. 2Economical The globalization of world’s economy has trigger enormous demand for transportation and logistic industry. As businesses expand itself into other countries, whether for seeking the new market or cost reduction, the transportation of goods or raw-material and management of information pertaining with them are essential. To cater to this need, as of 2000, FedEx now operates in 210 countries managing over 10 million square feet of warehouse space worldwide. Other than globalization, there are more economic factors that affect the transportation and logistics industry, for example economic rates, fuel price and economic growth. Economic rates, such as interest rate, inflation rate and currency exchange rate, and fuel price affect the price management of this industry. While economic growth affects the industry in terms of the demand of the services from customers. 2. 3Market Globalization has broadened market for all industry, from nationwide to world wide. The speed and accuracy has become the critical success factors not only for transportation and logistic company but also for their customers as well. As a result, fast and reliable service is not considered as values anymore, it becomes norm which customers expected from every transportation and logistic company. Therefore, to be competitive in this industry, companies must provide value-added-services which create great satisfaction to its customers. 2. 4Political and Legal The transportation and logistic industry is greatly affected by political stability, government policies, and regulations in each country. The deregulation and trade agreement has eliminated boundaries between countries such as U. S and Mexico, and hence, encourage transportation and logistic companies to easily establish and operate within those country. In addition, the regulations on airline and trucking industry also play vital roles on this industry because it directly impacts the core operation of industry. 2. 5Environmental Weather and climate change have great impact on transportation and logistic industry due to the fact that this industry is deeply associated with travel of airplanes, truck, freighter, and other vehicles. The ability to understand and predict weather and climate change can save company from delay, loss of its fleets, all of which is directly proportional to its reputation. 2. 6Societal Social mobility affects this industry in some way. It refers to the dollars consumers are willing to spare at the cost of time; as the most important asset in today’s cut-throat world is time. One of the most important social factors for the transportation and logistics industry is the labour part which helps the organisation carry out the day to day operations and keep the cash charts ringing. 2. 7Demographic The demographic is one external environment that affects transportation and logistics industry, especially the location of the stores; distribution centres hubs and so on. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS FedEx Corporation has been operated in the transportation and logistic industry which mainly involve in delivery, and managing and controlling of goods, information, and other resources like products. 3. 1Porter’s five forces model Figure 1 illustrates Porters five forces model for transportation and logistics industry. 3. 1. 1Threat of new entrants (Low) To be competitive in t his industry, businesses must have their own freighter, airplanes, trucks, etc. This result in very large capital investment required in order to start a business. Moreover, brand awareness is also very crucial. Without strong brand, particular company would not be able to gain trust, which is very important in this industry, from customers. For newly established company in this industry where there are already many strong players, it is not easy to create and strengthen its brand image. As a result, the entry barrier is considered very high. 3. 1. 2Threat of substitutes (Low – medium) Emergent of internet and email do reduce the necessity of express delivery of documents. There are also some moving and shipping services which target private households when they have to move aboard, or international students moving from or to their origin. But these are still in different market segment. There are still no potential alternatives which can fully replace service of FedEx. 3. 1. 3Bargaining power of buyers (High) Since there are many of companies which offer the same service as FedEx and with the increasing contribution of IT in logistics industry, buyers can easily compare prices and offers from different companies and choose the one that cheapest and most suit their needs. FedEx should provide significant service to its customers and have high differentiate products. 3. 1. 4Bargaining power of suppliers (Medium – high) The main suppliers of FedEx are fuel and other energy provider, aircraft manufacturer, and truck manufacturer. The bargaining of vehicles manufacturer is considerably medium because even though FedEx is a big organization which requires big fleet of vehicles and continuous maintenance service, but vehicle manufacturers still has other choice of buyers from various industries. 3. 1. 5Intensity of rivalry (High) The intensity of rivalry is considerably high due to the three strong competitors which are UPS, DHL, and TNT. Need more 4CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR 4. 1Brand The reliability and accountability is the most important factor in this industry. Even though the company can make the very low price with easy access and user friendly service, but if the company could not guaranteed the speed and accuracy of its services, customers would not take the risk. 4. 2IT systems The advancement of IT systems leads to more efficient operations which again lead to faster and more accurate services with lower cost. In present, from the comfort of ones home, they can use most of the services offered by FedEx, booking a delivery or tracking the progress of the courier and so on so forth. 4. 3Service quality By providing services which integrate into customers’ supply chain, the company built up barrier to protect its customer from its competitors, as FedEx delivers almost anything anywhere at the quickest time possible, which is not really exclusive but with the continuous innovation and creativity, it helps in customer retention. 4. 4Location and accessibility Location of hub has massive impact on the speed of services. Proper distributed hub location according to geographic and intensity of demand could leads to faster and more responsive services. The accessibility such as customers care centre or user friendly systems also promote more pre and post sales. PART 2: FEDEX CORPORATION 5COMPANY ANALYSIS 5. 1Products and services FedEx corporation start the business with express delivery services as Federal express and the transform it self in to a global logistics and supply-chain management company. At present, FedEx offers wide range services which include express delivery, business to business ground small package delivery, special express delivery, less than truck freight, integrated logistics and warehousing solutions, supply chain management solutions. 5. 2Structure FedEx has been through many transformation of its organization structure with the goal to make it easier and faster for its customer and also to improve efficiency of its operations. Currently FedEx Corporation consists of six subsidiaries which independently operate but collectively compete with its competitors. 5. 3Strategy Base on case study, FedEx has always emphasis on shear innovation, industry leadership and IT development and use it as its key competitive advantages and also use it as the tools to help its customers take advantages of international market. Moreover, FedEx is the first company in the industry which owns all transportation fleet and expands its business through acquiring more trucks and planes. 5. 4Generic positioning . 5Key stakeholders FedEx works in the B2B as well as B2C model, which makes the customers as well as the organisations that it caters to as its key stakeholders. Moreover, its employee from all subsidiaries; its suppliers, such as fuel provider and packaging suppliers, and environmental activist group also constitute a large share of stakeholders. 5. 6Performance 5. 6. 1Marketing FedEx has a strong marketing presence but need to market all of its subsidiaries to gain a bigger market share as only FedEx Express is the dominant one amongst all. It uses the print media as well as TV campaigns to attract customers as well as create awareness for its excellent supply chain systems. 5. 6. 2Operations FedEx’s operation was one of the critical issues in the company as learnt from the case study, where it does not operate efficiently as a whole company. Not only it had different operations department for each division, it also added to the operation costs to great extent, which otherwise could be minimalised by sharing the available resources. 5. 6. 3Human resources FedEx failed in utilisation of its HR as one person was assigned one work only, irrespective of their maximum capabilities. 5. 6. 4Research and development FedEx allocates excessive resources to its RD division in order to keep itself updated with the every-day increasing IT developments in logistics field. But it still stands a fair level in terms of the services offered for customers. 5. 6. 5Information Technology FedEx was the first logistic company which introduce the use of IT to the business in 1984, by using the first PC-based automated shipping system. Since then, FedEx has been always implementing and improving its IT system, from barcode labelling, websites, software, e-Business and so on. FedEx IT has become its competitive advantage for years comparing to its competitors. The information about a package is as important as the delivery of the package itself. - Frederick W. Smith (1979) 5. 6. 6Finance In 1998, FedEx was listed as a US$10 billion company and it used US$1 billion annually on IT developments plus millions more on capital expenditure. And in 1999, it spent US$1. billion on IT from US$17 billion annual revenue. On 31 May year ending sheet, the company out-performed the projections and posted record earnings on 73 percent increasing the net income to US$221 million. Financially, FedEx spent about US$100 million for the reorganization over three years in 2000. In simpler terms, companies operating income as well as net income has been going down since first quarter ending 31 August, 1999. 6COMPETITORS ANALYSIS 6. 1UPS oStrong in logistic and delivery, especially in US. oIT developed as well (spent $9 billion on IT) Formed 5 alliances in 1997 to disseminate its logistics software to e-commerce users oFormed a strategic alliance with Open Market Inc to deliver a complete Internet commerce solution oWorking with IBM and Lotus to standardize formats on the websites oShipped more than 55% of goods ordered over internet and offered over full range of logistics solutions to its customers oOnly market 1 brand UPS 6. 2DHL oStrong in logistic and delivery, especially in Europe. o1993 DHL announced a 4 year US$1. 25 billion capital spending programme aimed at investing in handling system, automation, facilities and computer technology. Launched website in 1995 o25% owned by Deutsche Post and 25% owned by Lufthansa Airlines oDominated UK market oProjected an increase in worldwide turnover of 18% to US$5. 26 billion 6. 3TNT oOnly provide express delivery service. oLaunched website in 1998 oLaunched the first global price checker service on its website that allow customers to calculate the price of sending a consignment from one place to another anywhere in the world o1999, TNT launched QuickShipper, nonstop online access to TNT entire range of distribution services SWOT ANALYSIS 7. 1Strengths Innovation and creativity. Strong and well established research and development centre for IT systems to promote more efficient operation. Very advanced â€Å"Global Operation Command Centre† which allows FedEx to prioritise hundreds of variables (eg. world event, weather patterns, and real time movement of its freighter) involved in the successful operation. Excellent reputation in the industry. Own all transportation fleets. Strong business networks in the US. 7. 2Weaknesses Historical image of the company makes customers perceive FedEx as just an express delivery service company. Complex and inefficient organization structure. There are too many part of organization that duplicates each o ther. Entirely reliant on manual labour to a great extent, which can be a prospective weakness in some circumstances Insufficient promotion of the other sectors and fields where FedEx offers its services Disproportionate branching of FedEx subsidiaries thereby increasing the operating costs which can be otherwise be reduced by sharing the resources. . 3Opportunities Government deregulation of airline industry, permitted the landing of larger freight planes, thus reducing operating cost of FedEx Deregulation of the trucking industry, which allowed FedEx to establish a regional trucking system to lower costs further on short haul trips Trade deregulation in Asia Pacific, which opened new market to FedEx, expanding globally became a priority for FedEx Technological breakthroughs and applications innovations promoted significant advances for customer ordering, package tracing and process monitoring. Rising inflation and global competition gave rise to greater pressures on businesses to minimize the costs of operation, including implementation of JIT inventory management system and created demands for speed and accuracy in all aspects of business. 7. 4Threats FedEx advantages were quickly eroding as newer technologies became more powerful, developed faster, and less expensive – more affordable for its competitors. Potential financial crisis due to too much fixed cost, such as aircrafts, vehicles and other heavy equipments. On the lines of blue ocean strategy, CHEP is a possible/prospective threat to FedEx as it explores altogether new approach in the supply chain industry. Rocketing fuel prices which increase the transporting cost to sky-end. 7. 5Positioning of FedEx Figure 2 illustrates position of FedEx in SWOT. Base on the SWOT analysis, even though FedEx has many strong points but its historical brand image has put limit on almost all of its strength. Due to this constraint, it is known only as Express Delivery Company. As a result, FedEx is currently located in weaknesses-opportunities quadrant. If FedEx could widen the perception of its current and potential customers, and fully utilize its own strength to pursue its opportunities, it would be one of the strongest in its industry. 8RECCOMMENDATION 8. 1Corporate level Get slim: FedEx could shrink down its structure by integrating some division of its subsidiaries together to reduce cost and time caused by duplication of works. And by doing so, it would encourage lateral flow of information between each business unit. And as a result, its operations would be more efficient which leads to more flexible profit margin and more customers’ satisfaction. Add pic Acquire CHEP: CHEP is a global leader in pallet and container pooling services. It is not actually a logistics company. It provide and manage, returnable and reusable supply chain packaging solutions (such as pallets and containers) to help customers to store, protect and move their products through the supply chain in a cost-effective, safe and environmentally sound way. By acquiring CHEP, FedEx will benefit from immediate horizontal expansion of its company and also its customer base. Moreover, acquisition of CHEP will also allow FedEx to integrate more into its customers supply chain and hence create strong barrier from its competitors and substitutes. Take serious concern on environment: Due to the fact that the nature of FedEx businesses required extensive amount of transportation activities which results in largely emission of green house gas that create global warming effect. Therefore, in order to get strong support from community and environmental activist such as Greenpeace, FedEx should then come up with the environmental concern vision to make its fleet cleaner and be more environmental friendly. This could be done by modifying its fleet or support or joint-research with any car company or institute to develop an alternative cleaner power source. Moreover it could establish its own manufacturing plant for shipment package and protection (such as cardboard boxes, paper envelope, bubble wrap, shredded paper) by emphasis on recycle of material. 8. 2Business level Promote brand awareness of all FedEx subsidiaries: Now FedEx is struggling with its historic image which narrows customers’ perception to FedEx as only an express delivery company. To deal with this problem, FedEx should promote all of its services by strong marketing campaign. This could be done by advertisements in television, its website, or major video clip website such as Youtube. Alternatively FedEx could collaborate with 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Picture to create a film, which represent all the of its services, as it was done before in â€Å"Cast Away†, 2000. 8. 3Functional level Developing and training for multi-task oriented employees: In order to successfully shrink down company structure as proposed before in corporate level recommendation, FedEx should develop a training program for its employee to be multi-task oriented. By doing so, FedEx encourage its staffs to be able to work in more than one job. This does not means that FedEx should overworks its staff, but it should be able to rotate its staff around for different roles such that one staff could delivery a package to customers and in the same time pick up another couple of packages which one suppose to be sent by ground and another one by express air. Create strong marketing division FedEx should establish a separate marketing division which in charge in creating strong marketing strategy for all of its subsidiaries. FedEx should allocate some portion of budget from its research and development to its marketing division in order to support strong marketing strategy which is very vital for creating brand awareness for all of its subsidiaries. 8. 4Network level Alliance with companies in IT industry: The research development and advance in IT systems are one of FedEx competency. But with too high budget allocation, this could cause adverse effect to the company. FedEx should make strategic alliance with IT systems company such as IBM or HP in order to reduce their cost of operation. 8. 5Suggested implementation plan Table 1 illustrates implementation plan of suggested recommendation

Self Study Paper Essays (3732 words) - Human Behavior, Mindfulness

Self Study Paper Essays (3732 words) - Human Behavior, Mindfulness A Self-Study: Mindfulness as Means of Reducing Stress Levels Psych 6104: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Counselling Yorkville University Abstract Graduate studies, while rewarding, add a level of stress to one's life which already has many levels of stress. It can be challenging to balance academic responsibilities, family dynamics, work obligations and social commitments, let alone other random stressors that may appear. The curre nt self-study aims to conclude whether daily mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and increase time spent on academics for a 28-year-old, female, graduate student. The Lazarus Stress Theory along with the Preventative Stress Management Theory suggest that stress is perceived and based on one's appraisal of the stressors they encounter ( Krohne 2002; Quick et al, 2006) . An adapted Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, 1994) was used to collect data on perceived stress levels . The conclusions of this self-study are that daily mindfulness intervention may not have a direct impact on perceived stress levels but can increase resiliency in the participant. Keywords: stress, mindfulness, resiliency, coping. A Self-Study: Mindfulness as Means of Reducing Stress Levels Graduate studies, while rewarding, add a level of stress to one's life which already has many levels of stress. It can be challenging to balance academic responsibilities, family dynamics, work obligations and social commitments, let alone other random stressors that may appear. Timothy Melchert brings up the concept of b iopsychosocial factors in his book titled, Foundations of Professional Psychology, where he explains that there are many factors from different areas of one's life - biological, psychological, or social - that contribute to one's well-being ( Melchert , 2011). The question that arises is if stress can be managed through daily mindfulness interventions thus increasing productivity and focused time on graduate studies. Stress is , obviously , a factor contributing overall academic success and if left unmanaged could have debilitating biopsychosocial effects ( Melchert , 2011, p.34). That Lazarus Theory of Stress has for many years been a well-renowned theory on psychological stress. According to Folkman, Lazarus, Dunkel- Schetter , DeLongis Gruen (1986), a ny psychological stress theory must include two concepts, appraisal and coping. Krohne (2002) explains appraisal, as an "individuals' evaluation of the significance of what is happening for their well-being, and coping as an individuals' efforts in thought and action to manage specific demands (as cited in Lazarus 1993). Lazarus Theory of S tress has seen many revisions since its conception in 1979 however in "the latest version (see Lazarus 1991), stress is regarded as a relational concept, i.e., stress is not defined as a specific kind of external stimulation nor a specific pattern of physiological, behavioral, or subjective reactions" ( Krohne , 2002, p. 3) . This definition points to the relationship between one's environment and their ability to cope or the coping strategies available to them. In addition to the psychological aspects of stress, s tress can have many physi ological effects. Quick et al. (1997) define the stress response as the "generalized, patterned, unconscious mobilization of the body's natural resources when confronted with a demand or stressor" (p. 3). Hargrove, Quick, Nelson Quick (2011), describe " four mind-body changes that characterize the stress response via the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system: 1) Redirection of the blood to the brain and large muscle gro ups allows the body to prepare physiologically for a legitimate emergency. 2) The reticular activating system in the brain stem is activated, resulting in a heigh tened sense of alertness and increased sensory awareness. 3) Release of glucose and fatty acids as fuel to sustain the individual during the response. 4) A shutting down of the digestive, restorative and immune systems in order to make more resources available for the emergency response" (p. 184). These are considered normal human responses to stress. In the Preventative Stress Management Theory (TPSM) there can be positive and negative responses to stress. Negative stress is the "physiological, behavioural and/or psychological deviation from healthy functioning resulting from a stress response" (Quick et al., 2006, p. 217). Graduate studies, like stated before, can impose many stressors. For example, a looming due date would evoke a physiological response such as the redirection of blood to the

Innovative Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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