Social care workers need to develop the knowledge and skills to work Essay

Social care workers need to develop the knowledge and skills to work effectively with people from similar and diverse background - Essay Example Thus, in discharging the professional duties and accomplishing social tasks, social care workers need to work hard and develop adequate cultural competence. Acceptance among the masses is a precondition to the successful workability of a care giver. Anti-oppressive practice should, therefore, be adopted and proper changes in the service-user communities should be initiated. In the course of cultural competence development, anti-racist practice must focus on the discriminations based on colour and race (Sue, 2006). Improvement in social work development and training can be brought about by the means of thorough comprehension of people’s family arrangements, social norms and values. Social work and support in a culturally sensitive environment has to be based on exploration of the diverse cultural heritages (Laird, 2008). Finally, the research question is in the form of the following statement: Social care workers need to develop knowledge and skills to work effectively with peo ple from similar and diverse backgrounds. Describe one model of cultural competence and discuss the potential benefits and limitations of applying the model. Therefore, this paper will explore a suitable cultural competence model and proceed on related discussions. ... A cultural group’s objective cultural attributes, such as art and music, are important and are included as implied assumptions. The primary and secondary characteristics of culture, developed from and expanded upon from Hage’s (1972) variable and non-variable concepts are nationality, race, colour, gender, age, and religious affiliation. Secondary characteristics are educational status, socioeconomic status, occupation, military experience, political beliefs, urban versus rural residence, enclave identity, marital status, parental status, physical characteristics, sexual orientation, gender issues, reason for migration, and immigration status. (Purnell, 2002) At the outermost interface of the model, the global society is placed. Next, there is the interface of community followed by the layer of family. The inner interface represents the person, the metaparadigm concepts. Inside this interface related to the individual, twelve cultural domains have been depicted. The dom ains are interrelated and they affect each other. The twelve domains are: 1. Overview/ Heritage: Includes concepts related to the current residence and country of origin, reasons for emigration, occupations, educational status, etc. 2. Communication: Includes concepts related to the contextual use of language, dominant language and dialects, paralanguage variations, nonverbal communication, etc. 3. Family roles and organisation: Includes concepts related to social status, lifestyle issues, child rearing, gender roles, family roles, etc. 4. Workforce issues: Includes concepts related to ethnic communication styles, assimilation, acculturation, autonomy, individualism and healthcare practices from the country of origin. 5. Biocultural ecology: Includes variations in ethnic and racial origins,

Making Choices Guide Essay Example for Free

Making Choices Guide Essay As we age our bodies and lives take on many different changes. Some of these changes are for the better and then there are changes that are not so much in our favor. Our health status is the one thing that can vary from time-to-time as we age, and for this we have to prepare ourselves for the many possibilities of needing long term care (LTC). Once the need for LTC is evident, there are many decisions to be made, and a long list of things to take into consideration. Finances, costs, demographics, and independence, are just a few variables to consider when choosing where you or a loved one will be spending the next chapter in life. Finances are the most important variable to take into consideration, mainly because plain and simple; the care is going to cost. Whether a LTC facility or a person’s home is going to be the place where the care is delivered, there will be some expenses accrued. Personal income, annuities, long term care insurance, savings, government programs (Medicare Medicaid), Veteran’s Benefits, and reverse mortgages are just a few payment options available for LTC. There are more payment options becoming available through new financial products as our populace ages. When it comes to the costs of delivering the care, and where it is to be delivered, a lot of things come into play. Residing in a LTC facility brings about a multitude of expenditures compared to staying at home or aging in place. In 2010, semi-private rooms averaged about $200 a day in a nursing home, and about $230 for a private room, and a one bedroom apartment in an assisted living facility averaged about $3,300 a month. Those costs are not all inclusive. There is usually a cost for added services such as private laundry, additional activities or programs. According to LongTermCare.gov (n.d.), it is wise to think now about how your  current residence and community will support your needs as you age and require long term care services. Staying at home or aging in place has its expenses too. A home owner’s expenses are a little less costly if they had their home built to their satisfaction to begin with. This eliminates having major work done on the home to accommodate the need for LTC. The adding of handrails and ramps, throughout the home is much cheaper than living in a LTC facility for a month. Another advantage of aging in place is the caregiver could be free of charge if it is a friend or relative. On the other hand, the cost of home health aides and homemakers range from $19 to $22 per hour. There are also programs to assist those who choose to age in place. One program is The Older Americans Act. According to LongTermCare.gov (n.d.),The Older Americans Act is a Federal program designed to organize, coordinate, and provide home- and community-based services to older adults and their families. These services and programs assist the elderly and older adults in remaining independently in their communities. Local transportation services, in-home personal care, meals delivered for the homebound (and available in the community), and homemaker services are just a few of the programs and services available through the Older American Act. These services are also extended to Native Americans. Having the feeling of belonging where you are is a comfortable feeling. When making the decision on where you plan to live your next chapter of life, it is important to keep in mind to find somewhere comfortable and familiar to you. Nothing is more familiar to a person than where they are – home. . Here is where the demographics can come into play. Most individuals are familiar with their communities and the people within them, so it is a little easier to locate services and programs in the area. Community-based programs are mostly targeted to help the elderly, disabled, and older adults to reestablish and preserve their optimal level of self-care, while preventing and prolonging unsuitable and unwanted institutionalization. According to Gibson, (1995 – 2014), these programs stress partnership with the participant, family, caregiver, primary care physician, and the community in working toward maintaining personal independence. An outstanding and reliable social support system can be a valuable asset, regardless of where your next chapter in life may take place. Having family, friends, and the support of others (staff if in a  facility) can have a positive impact and influence on the individual receiving the LTC. Regular visits and communication can also influence positive motivation. According to AHRQ (2006), social support and interaction within the facility also relate to quality of life satisfaction and reduced isolation and depressive symptoms, which is important for independent individuals. Other variables that can affect a couple’s or individual’s choice on a LTC facility includes whether or not the facility is Alzheimer’s friendly. If the individual who is needing the care has Alzheimer’s, you would want to make sure the staff are properly trained to care for them. Other things to consider is whether or not there is a wing or ward for individuals with Alzheimer’s., or if the facility is safeguarded for these individuals to roam around indoors and out. .It is important to know the staff to resident ratio. There need to be enough staff to service the residents at all times. Visiting is a variable to be considered also. Not only having family and friends visit, but if the individual’s mobility is at a doable level, are they able to do an outing with a family member or friend?  When the time comes to make the choice of where your next chapter in life is going to be spent, be sure to thoroughly research your options. Make sure that the services and programs you choose are not only available now, but also available for the future. There is an endless list of variables to consider. You would want to make sure the facility and staff are licensed and certified to provide the care needed. It is also important to know if the facility has full access to the medical care needed. A very important variable is behavior management. Knowing how the facility deals with various types of behaviors is significant to another resident’s safety. Question the facility as to whether they use chemical or physical restraints, or if the individual is shut off from the main area. These are just some of the variables and questions to consider. Keep asking questions until you are fully satisfied and happy with the answers. When older adults and the elderly are devoted and participating personally in their care, they tend to be more satisfied with where they are and the decisions they have made to get to that point.  References AHRQ, (December, 2006), Factors Important to Consumers When Choosing Residential Care, U.S. Department of Health Human Services (DHH), Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/long-term- care/resources/facilities/ltcscan/ltc5.html Gibson, H., (1995 – 2014), Choosing Well: Long-Term Care Facilities, Today’s Caregiver, Retrieved from http://caregiver.com/channels/ltc/ articles/choosing_well_ltc_facilities.htm LiveStrong Foundation, (n.d.), Assisted Living and Nursing Home Facilities, Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.org/we-can-help/managing-your-life-during-treatment/assisted-living-and-nursing-home-facilities/ LongTermCare.gov, (n.d.), Costs how to pay, Retrieved from http://longtermcare.gov/costs-how-to-pay/

Fijan Pre-History :: Fiji History Culture Fijians Essays

Fijan Pre-History The most remarkable aspect of Fijian pre-history is its antiquity. It is now known that people had reached the Fijian archipelago as early as 2000 years before the birth of Christ. Considering the fact that the Vikings, acknowledged as Europe's greatest sailors, didn't reach American until three thousand years later, or the fact that Columbus made his famous voyage only some five hundred years ago, the Fijian achievement must be seen as extraordinary. The question is, who were the first settlers. And the answer is that we don't know. There are some who are prepared to speculate and Dr Roger Green, Professor of Anthropology at Auckland University, in New Zealand is one of them. He calls this vast archipelago "Island of South East Asia". These migrants were relatively new, even though they were different from those of the people already living in the islands of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and New Caledonia. The first settlers were of Negrito stock with dark skin, woolly hair and other typical features. The newcomers were fairer, had straight or wavy black hair and we can assume were of many type stock. they would seem to have been good sailors and craftsmen and excellent potters who made a distinct type of ware we know as Lapita pottery after its initial discovery in New Caledonia. A picture emerges of these "Lapita" people. Sailors, adventurers, good navigators and consummate craftsmen. The trail of their pots, hooks, obsidian cutting tools and ornaments leads down from New Britain through some of the outer islands fringing the Solomons and Vanuatu, suggesting that perhaps they were not powerful enough to force settlements on the bigger islands which were already supporting large populations of people. In this classic difference between the two groups we see the racial characteristics of what was later to be defined as Melanesian and Polynesian stock. The Melanesians were to retain their grip on the western island of the south Pacific but it can be fairly assumed that a great deal of the "Lapita" blood found its way into its main stream. At some stage, about 2000 years before the birth of Christ, a canoe load of adventurous "Lapita" sailors either deliberately set out to the east or were driven off course by a westerly wind and made landfall in the Fijian archipelago. Dr. Green's theory is that these were the first settlers, not only because at that time they would have had the necessary maritime technology, but also because their pottery is found throughout the whole of Fiji.

Golden Retriever: the Trusted and Advantageous Pet for Human Beings Essay

Nowadays, it is known that thousand kinds of dogs are spread around the world. A lot of kinds of dogs live among people as pets, although there are also some which live wildly. People’s taking care of dogs is based on some purposes. Not only is dog taken care as pet, people also keeping dogs to keep their houses secure. For this reason, people usually keep the kind of ‘guard dogs’ such as Boxer, Pitbull, Herder, Rottweiller, and Doberman which is known for their fierce behavior and strong power. Another purpose is people keep dogs to help their jobs. For this purpose, people like to keep dogs from ‘utility group’ which can do some kinds of particular jobs. People in Alaska use Siberian Husky as the cart puller because of its strength and ‘navigation’ instinct. Another example is Dalmatian. People in North America, Western Europe and Mediterranean use this kind of dog to help they hunt and carry the firewood during the winter season. The other example is St. Bernard which is known as the rescue dog. This dog has a very good sense of smell that it can detect the victim who is buried under the thick snow or ruins and save the person. The other purpose is people take care of dogs for fun and make them as friends. People usually keep the dogs from ‘toy group’ which tend to have small size. Some example of this kind of dog is Chihua-hua, Maltese, Cavalier King, Pug, and Shih-tzu. People can dress the dogs with accessories they like. In addition to the pleasure purpose, people also bring up dogs for companion reason. They keep dog to be their friend in purpose. The dogs for being companion usually come from ‘gundog group’. Some kinds of dogs from this group are Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, Pointer, and English Setter. It is clear that people take care of dogs for some purposes. However, to get the purposes, people have to take care of some dogs as well. Among thousand kinds of dogs, there is Golden Retriever which is popular this decade. By having Golden Retriever as pet, people do not need to keep some dogs in their houses. People take care of Golden Retriever because it is trusted and has a lot of advantages for human beings’ life. Golden Retriever has a specific physical appearance that is different from other dogs. This kind of dog has golden fur. That is why people name it ‘Golden’. Besides having golden fur on the whole of its body, Golden Retriever also has a quite big size body. The height of an adult Golden Retriever can reach of 23-24 inches. It also has wide and semi-curved skull seen from front and sides. A good Golden Retriever should have black lip, wide chin, black or brownish black nose, reddish pink tongue, wide fall ears, strong teeth structures, proportional body, strong hands and feet, long strong tail, and lovely eyes. In this case, lovely eyes mean that Golden Retriever’s eyes have to look friendly and smart. In addition, Golden Retriever’s eyes usually colored dark or light brown. The spreading of Golden Retriever in the world itself has passed a long way. Originally, Golden Retriever’s ancestor comes from Scotland. According to Natasaputra (2004), the first person who bred the first Golden Retriever was a nobility of English, Sir Dudley Coutts Marjaribanks MP or Lord Tweedmouth. Lord Tweedmouth loved hunting very much and as a true hunter, he wanted to have a kind of dog which was able to assist him in hunting. Thus, he mated his Yellow Retriever to his Water Spaniel. From the first mating, Lord Tweedmouth got three offspring which became the ancestor of Golden Retriever. Orang pertama yang menghasilkan Golden Retriever adalah Sir Dudley Coutts Marjaribanks MP atau biasa disebut Lord Tweedmouth. Sebagai seorang pemburu sejati, Lord Tweemouth mengidamkan seekor anjing pendamping berburu yang tidak hanya pandai menjemput, tetapi juga mampu mengantarkan buruan kepadanya. Saat itu ia mendapat hadiah Nous, anjing berjenis Yellow Retriever. Secara kebetulan, ia pun memiliki Belle, anjing berjenis Water Spaniel. Kemudian Belle dikawinkan dengan Nous untuk mendapatkan keturunan anjing baru yang pintar berburu. Perkawinan tersebut menghasilkan tiga anak anjing berbulu kuning yang kemudian diberi nama Crocus, Cowslip, dan Primrose. Anjing inilah yang menjadi cikal bakal lahirnya Golden Retriever. [The first person who bred Golden Retriever was Sir Dudley Coutts Marjaribanks MP or Lord Tweedmouth. As the true hunter, Lord Tweedmouth wished for a dog to assist him in hunting which was not only able to take, but also bring the prey to him. At the time, he got Nous, a Yellow Retriever, as prize. By chance, he also had Belle, a Water Spaniel. Then Belle was mated to Nous to produce new offspring which was good in hunting. The mating produced three puppies which was then named Crocus, Cowslip, and Primrose. These dogs were the ancestors of Golden Retriever. ] In addition to the first breeding of Golden Retriever, the dissemination of Golden Retriever in the world notes a long story as well. Some of Lord Tweedmouth’s families brought the offspring of Golden Retriever out from Scotland to some countries such as North America and some countries in Western Europe. In North America, the breeding rate of Golden Retriever increases rapidly. In United States and Canada, Golden Retriever becomes very popular and lots of people take care of it. That is no wonder if some people think that Golden Retriever comes from United States or Canada. The name of Golden Retriever, etymologically, comes from two English words; ‘golden’ and ‘retriever’. People named it ‘golden’ because of its golden fur color. Furthermore, the name ‘retriever’ was taken from its behavior. At first, Golden Retriever usually became the partner in hunting. It would take and retrieve the shot prey completely to its master. Because of its ability, people named it Retriever. The combination of its fur color and natural ability make people call it Golden Retriever. Disebut golden karena warna bulunya senantiasa terlihat keemasan bila diterpa sinar. Awalnya, trah ini dibiakkan sebagai teman berburu burung dan unggas liar lainnya. Saat buruan telah tertembak dan jatuh, anjing akan mengambil dan menyerahkan buruan kepada tuannya secara utuh. Kemampuan inilah yang menyebabkan anjing ini disebut retriever. Perpaduan warna bulu dan keahlian inilah yang membuat anjing ini terkenal dengan sebutan Golden Retriever. (Natasaputra, 2004) [It is called golden because its fur color always looks golden under the light. At first, this race was bred as hunting assistant to hunt birds and other wild fowls. When the prey was shot, the dog will take and bring it to the master completely. This ability is the cause why this dog is called retriever. The combination of its fur color and natural ability make people call it Golden Retriever. ] People in the world like to take care of Golden Retriever because it is advantageous and trusted. There are four common reasons why people like to keep Golden Retriever. First, Golden Retriever has pleasant behavior. Golden Retriever is calm, tame, cheerful, loyal, and friendly dog. Because of this reason, people like to take care of Golden Retriever as friend for companion. Not like any other kinds of dogs which are emotional, especially dogs from guard group, Golden Retriever tends to behave calm. For instance, if there is a strange person comes to its master’s house, it may look at the person and then run to tell its master. It is very contrast compared to the guard dogs which will bark fiercely, move to attack or maybe bite the person. Beside its calmness, Golden Retriever is best known for its tameness, including to the little children or other animals. Although it has a quite big body size, it does not mean that Golden Retriever is fierce and aggressive. Golden Retriever is a type of cheerful dog as well. It likes to play and does something fun together with its masters, mates or other animals. For example, Golden Retriever likes to play throw-catching game. It will try to find the thrown ball or frisbee until it gets the thrown thing and retrieve the thing to its master. Another pleasant behavior of Golden Retriever is its loyalty to its master. It will obey its entire master’s order, as the master has trained it before, happily. Furthermore, it also will wait its master coming home faithfully and welcome its master happily. Beside Golden Retriever is calm, tame, cheerful and loyal, it is also a kind of friendly dog. Golden Retriever likes to play with the member of family, makes friends with other dogs or animals, and kind to everyone. In other word, Golden Retriever is a kind of dog with warmhearted behavior. The second reason is Golden Retriever can help people in doing some particular jobs. In United States, Golden Retriever helps people in rescuing the victims who is trapped or buried in the building ruins. People, especially the police, in United States also have Golden Retriever to track down narcotics, bomb and other illegal things. In United States, as well, there is Canine Companion for Independence (CCI) which is the biggest and the oldest dog training academy in the world. In CCI, the trainer trains a lot of dogs including Golden Retriever as service dog. For example, Carol, a Golden Retriever, has accompanied Nicole Sibottom for five years. Nicole, a handicapped person can not use her hands properly. In this case, Carol helps Nicole in doing some particular things, for instance, in the book store, Carol bringing Nicole book, taking it to the cashier and paying for it. Carol also helps Nicole taking the fallen pencil and taking off Nicole’s Shoes. Carol –seekor Golden Retriever- yang pintar dan rajin telah menemani Nicole Sibottom selama 5 tahun. Nicole terlahir dengan kondisi cacat. Tangannya tidak bisa digunakan sebagaimana mestinya. Tugas itulah yang dilakukan Carol. Misalnya saat diajak ke toko buku, Carol mengambil, membawa, hingga membayarnya di kasir. Saat pensil terjatuh pun dengan suka cita Carol memungutkannya. Bahkan, Carol mampu menarik tali sepatu dengan cekatan saat tuannya ingin mencopot sepatu. (Natasaputra, 2004) [Carol, a Golden Retriever, which is smart and diligent has accompanied Nicole Sibottom for 5 years. Nicole was born handicapped. Her hands can not be used properly. That is Carol’s duty. For example, when it is took to a book store, Carol takes, brings, and pay for the book in the cashier. When the pencil is fallen, Carol takes it happily. Even Carol is able to pull the shoes rope skillfully when its master wants to take it off. ] Natasaputra (2004) also states that in Japan, people train Golden Retriever to help blind people. There is Eye Mate Incorporation (EMI) which trains Golden Retriever to guide blind people. Di Jepang, Golden Retriever dimanfaatkan untuk membantu orang buta. Di Ginza Street, Tokyo, dengan lincah anjing itu mampu memandu tuannya yang buta di antara hilir mudik orang yang penuh sesak. Anjing itu dididik oleh Takhasi Suzuki, pelatih anjing dari Eye Mate Incorporation (EMI). Sebagai pelatih anjing berpengalaman, ia telah melatih 100 ekor anjing untuk membantu orang buta. [In Japan, Golden Retriever is used to help blind people. In Gimza Street, Tokyo, the dog is skillfully able to guide its master which is blind through the heavy traffic. The dog is trained by Takhasi Suzuki, a trainer of Eye Mate Incorporation (EMI). As an experienced dog trainer, he has trained 100 dogs to help blind peole. ] The third reason is Golden Retriever has a high intelligence. Most people like to train Golden Retriever because of this reason. In other word, people can train Golden Retriever easily because of its high intelligence. The true example is in the movie â€Å"Air Bud†. There is a Golden Retriever named Buddy who is being sport star in basketball, soccer, baseball, and volleyball. Not only is Buddy good at any kinds of the sports, Buddy also helps to save its family from the bad guys. From this example, it is clear that Golden Retriever has a high intelligence that it can play in a movie. The last reason is that people like its appearance. In addition to the advantages of taking care of Golden Retriever, people also confess that they like Golden Retriever’s physical appearance which looks glamorous and cute. Its long golden fur supports its glamour and its cute appearance make people interested in keeping this dog as their pet. Besides giving a lot of advantages in human beings’ life, Golden Retriever also needs a good treatment in order to support achieving the advantages continuously. Some important things in taking care of Golden Retriever are to provide the needed utensils, suitable diet, and appropriate treatment. In keeping Golden Retriever, people necessarily provide some utensils such as stable, food and drinking bowl, toys, fur-brush, and dog rein. The stable should be suitable with the size of dog. Otherwise, it is better to have the larger stable for dog so the dog can move freely. In addition to the needed utensils, people also have to provide food and drinking bowl. To keep the dog’s health, it is necessary to keep the food and drinking bowl cleanness because the dirty bowls may cause illnesses. As Golden Retriever is a kind of cheerful dog, people ought to provide some kinds of toys such as ball, fisbee, bone toy, etc. to keep the dog out of stress. Dog toys must be harmless for dog so the dog can play safely without feeling worry of being hurt. Another utensil that is very important is fur-brush. Fur-brush is very important to keep the beauty of Golden Retriever’s fur. People need to do regular brushing in order to keep the dog’s fur tidy, clean, and beautiful. The other utensil that people must have in taking care of Golden Retriever is dog rein. The dog rein is useful when the owner takes the dog for some walk. However, the owner does not need to keep the dog in the rein all the time. The using of rein is just when the dog walk to a new place in order to manage it easily if something is likely to happen. Besides providing the utensils that are necessary for Golden Retriever, people have to give the suitable diet for dog too. A good diet has to contain carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin, and mineral. â€Å"Pada umumnya komponen utama pakan yang seluruhnya masih diimpor ini terdiri dari protein, lemak, karbohidrat, mineral, dan vitamin† (Untung, 2004). [Commonly, the main diet component which is entirely still imported is consist of protein, fat, carbohydrate, mineral, and vitamin. ] The giving of diet has to suit the age and activity of the dog. For puppies, it is a must to give the diet, in this case is dog-food, for puppies. People may not give the diet for adult because of the difference of food composition that is harmful for puppies. The giving of diet is also different to each dog. The dog with less activity needs only adequate amount of food, whereas the dog with a lot of activities and breastfeeding dog need twice up to three times amount of adequate food. Not only are important utensils and suitable diet necessary for Golden Retriever, regular treatment is also has an important role in keeping Golden Retriever’s health. People has to bathe the dog at least once two weeks, clean the dog’s ears, eyes, and teeth, brush its fur, and cut untidy claw. It is also crucial to vaccinate the dog regularly, on the certain period, to keep the dog’s immunity so it will not easily suffer from illnesses. In conclusion, Golden Retriever is a kind of dog which has a lot of advantages in human beings’ life. Its history and dissemination to some part of the world make Golden Retriever existing until today. People like to take care of Golden Retriever because of its pleasant behavior and ability in helping people doing some particular jobs. The Golden Retriever’s appeal also lays in its physical appearance which is glamorous and cute and its high intelligence that people can train it easily. In taking care of Golden Retriever, people have to know how to take care it properly so it will support the given advantages continuously. As long as the development of Golden Retriever in human beings’ life for those who want to have pet with a lot of advantages and excellences, Golden Retriever is a good choice. References Natasaputra, I. (2004). Golden retriever, anjing cerdas nan anggun sahabat keluarga. Jakarta: Penebar Swadaya. Untung, O. (2004). Merawat dan melatih anjing. Jakarta: Penebar Swadaya.

Lufthansa: Going Global Essay

Lufthansa Aviation group has become a worldwide leader in the airline industry with several powerful business segments, inclusive of a passenger airline component, business component, logistics, MRO catering and IT services. The aviation success has been largely due to their focus on quality, innovation, safety and reliability. Head quartered in Germany, Lufthansa has lead the pack with regard to international airline business. The Aviation Groups’ International Business Strategy has evolved to that of a corporate level transnational strategy, whereas there is a shared vision to achieve global efficiency yet effort to strengthen its local responsiveness in Germany (Hitt, 2009). Evident with the strategic alliance with Star Alliance, the development of Lufthansa Regional serves as a local response provision of a low- cost carrier, in addition to the modernizations of various traveler hubs and welcome lounges throughout the major key traffic hubs located in Germany. This international business strategy is considered a combination of multi –domestic and global strategies (Hitt, 2009). A transnational strategy uniquely offers the benefits inherent in both global and multi-domestic strategies; under this strategy each business component of Lufthansa can successfully exercise independent innovation given its decentralized structure. Lufthansa understood early, the benefits and advantages of international expansion evident through post WWII with travels to various countries (Lufthansa, 2010) later the formation of an strategic alliance with Star Alliance, which serves a global airline network. Star Alliance was established in 1997 with Lufthansa being one of its core founding members. Despite industry ups and downs related to international travel through the early 1980’s with the Iraq war, and then the frightening threat of terrorism post September 11, 2001, Lufthansa remained optimistic as did the rest of the airline industry, and responded to globalization appropriately. The majority responded in a like manner forming alliances in an effort to compete with the newly entered No-frills and lower cost competitive airline flights offerings. Competition of this kind, along with slow recovery of international travelers, increase in gas prices; the constant pressure to  reduce pricing order to remain competitive has taken a toll on the entire industry over the last decade. Lufthansa’s also crafted Lufthansa Regional which accounts for 50 percent of the Aviation group’s German and European flights. This Wholly owned subsidiary is entirely owned and controlled by Lufthansa the parent company, and was established to meet the need of low-cost carriers. Within Lufthansa Regional, exist Eurrowings and the partly owned City line. Through this development Lufthansa can offer a lower cost airline and reap the benefits of passengers opting for this Intercontinental airline versus going to a larger hub. Lufthansa used an acquisition strategy with the accumulation of SWISS AIR in 2005, a strategic move to prevent the competition British Airways and One World Alliance to seize the opportunity. The strategic alliance with Star Alliance was a concerted cooperative strategy to provide customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience (StarAlliance,2010). This remains as a shared objective for Star Alliance, Lufthansa and the other members of this alliance. It is understood that it is relatively impossible to survive in a global network outside of an alliance. This cooperative strategy serves as a mechanism for the Aviation Group to enter the market swiftly, and with greater impact with the support of the alliance. The airline industry has historically been a standard –cycle market, the same is true with this alliance thus allowing for savings and benefits to extend across its members (Hitt, 2009). The addition of Air China and Shanghai Airlines added as members, serves as a solid example of Star Alliance’s capability to assist in global expansion for all its members; and a unique opportunity to tap into a market that would be quite challenging if attempte d independently. This strategic network serves as a valuable cooperative arrangement to take place between the 18 members within the Star Alliance. This alliance allows for the sharing of cooperative relationships with stakeholders, customers, suppliers and competitors (Hitt, 2009). Air carriers commonly participate in multiple horizontal complementary alliances; this is demonstrated with the relationship between Star Alliance and Lufthansa. However, these type of business-level cooperative strategies present challenges with perception of loyalty, and speculation of illegal collusive activities this feeds into the discussion  of other risks. Lufthansa has faced some friction with regard to making compromises counter to its culture. However; the use of the cooperative strategies such as the alliance formed with Star Alliance proves reasonable given the high uncertainty of the industry and risk associated with pursing growth opportunities independently. It is considerably important to evaluate these uncertainties and challenges when pursing business outside of the national boundaries. The risk of a network cooperative alliance such as Star Alliance carries the risk of opportunistic behavior. What may have initially been viewed as a partnership, could become compromised with potential for failure due in part to a false perception of trustworthiness amongst members. (Hitt, 2008) Additional risk, may also include misrepresentation; full disclosure of what each member can bring to table and imbalance of alliance-specific investments as detailed with the example partnership of Disney and Pixar within the text. With regard to Lufthansa and its compromises counter to standards, these challenges were revealed in the case study and make mention of compromises made throughout the years running counter to the culture of Lufthansa. An important example of this was the mention of the IT component, and the belief that the customer interfacing with electronic check in completion was less than desirable, and not in alignment with the Lufthansa standard with response to customers. However, collaboration of Star Alliance IT infrastructure would rob Lufthansa IT systems of their customers (Hitt, 2009). Consideration of current globalization trends and future efforts of the airline industry must be evaluated operating outside of national boundaries. An analysis of the varying social culture and institutional attributes of global markets require evaluation. Strategic leadership involves the analyzing of the environment in order to identify and an anticipate changes and trends that are likely to occur. An analysis focusing on strengths, weaknesses, threat, and opportunities (SWOT), should be conducted in order to properly evaluate the industry environment. The risks associated with operating beyond national boundaries or Germany as in the case with Lufthansa would benefit from evaluating a competitive model such as the five  forces competitive model as a method of gaining knowledge about the industry inclusive of Threats of new entrants, Bargaining power of suppliers, Rivalry among competing firms, Threat of substitute product, and Bargaining power of buyers (Hit, 2009) The evaluation of the organizations structure and controls of Lufthansa indicate a great deal of complexity that requires extensive management. Given that the organizational structure is the foundational support for the organization and specifies the organization’s formal reporting relationships, procedures controls, authority and decisions making aspects it is imperative that the structure is solid but with room for flexibility as changes arise. The case study touches upon the six business lines within Lufthansa and the strategic mission of the organization to unite every aspect of the organization under one â€Å"strategy roof†. The Aviation Group has streamlined much of its endeavors inclusive of the dissolving of the once â€Å"integrated† cooperation. Strategic controls of this nature include improving the flow of communication between management and front line employees and translating the over arching values of the organization into â€Å"leadership values†. Providing a degree of accountability, to every employee with targets, and dialogue with management about their endeavors through an annual evaluation. There is an aggressive effort to restructure the business model focusing on cost cutting and streamlining anything that may be impacting the cash flow significantly. Strategic and Financial controls are necessary to maintain a balance within the organization, thus the use of a balance score card would be ideal. This score card would serve as a check and balance system between what the organization has set out to accomplish and strategic and financial controls used to assess their performance. The old adage â€Å"if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it† lends to the legitimacy of using such controls. An example of such a financial control for Lufthansa was the elimination of discounted tickets used by independent travel agencies and promotion of direct booking using the internet or call centers. Financial operating goals have become a high priority with a direct focus on intervening in areas which impact the cash flow. Lufthansa has demonstrated  great resiliency given its financial crises during the 1990’s, now holding a positive investment grade rating. Given that experience the organization is prepared to implement controls in order to maintain financial discipline in avoidance of succumbing to financial failure. Improving the organizational structure requires making a significant investment in its Human Capital this means developing the leadership skills of individuals within the organization. Many believe that the human element in any organization is most important. The word â€Å"Capital† is typically referred to as an asset that can be utilized in the production of more wealth. Therefore investing in what one would consider as its most valuable assets â€Å"human capital† , productivity is likely to increase. Lufthansa should begin with an organization wide initiative aimed at restoring the trust and loyalty of its employees. There is such a rich history of Lufthansa dating back to the 1930’s and employees should be reminded of this history built on quality and pride at one time to be a â€Å"Lufthanseat†. The message of â€Å"value† i.e. corporate values, and how valuable every employee is, can be incorporated into the current town halls held and worked into the â€Å"corporate university† curriculum. The organization has become quite complex with the many subsidiaries, strategic alliances and acquisitions that perhaps the employees doing the front line work feel left out of the loop. There should be a financial investment made in providing effective training and development programs tailored to every employee within the organization. Every employee within an organization can benefit from continued education and learning opportunities. Continuing learning and leveraging the firms expanding knowledge base are linked with strategic success (Hitt, 2009). A concerted effort by management and workforce education professionals should be made to development up and coming managers and future leadership. Developing relationships inside and outside of the organization inclusive of those organizations partnered with enhances the social capital of the organization. Given the competitive nature of the job airline industry, it would prove advantageous for Lufthansa to use their strategic alliances to foster their social capital positively. It is inconceivable to envision an organization reaching is maximum potential without cultivating its organizational culture and defining its mission and vision. The case study divulges occurrences where the workforce has become fragmented with varying interests, perceptions, communication channels and expectations. This is evidence that the organizational culture inclusive of ideologies, symbols and core values must be addressed and strategically in alignment with the vision of the organization (Hitt, 2009). Competencies can be derived and influenced by the organizational culture in order produce desired outcomes. The culture of the organization should positively impact its workforce, fostering an environment of innovation, transparent communication and trust, and in the case of Lufthansa a commitment to quality and upholding of standards. Strategic Leadership means focusing on incremental changes, with celebration of small success to maintain the momentum of the cultural change. Top leadership must fully buy-in to the cultural change endeavors in order to ensure its success. The selection of management and employees at all level with an intrinsic desire to contribute to the organization in a positive manner is important. There should be a sincere desire to act responsibly and ethically and avoidance of opportunistic behavior and other behavior which could destructive to the culture of the organization. A positive organizational culture feeds an entrepreneurial spirit and opportunities within an organization. The importance of entrepreneurial opportunities cannot be under stated. This entrepreneurial-state of mind facilitates the energy and enthusiasm necessary to promote innovative â€Å"out of the box† thinking. The freedom of expression, sharing of ideas, and asking the â€Å"Why† questions is tremendously valuable to an organization such as Lufthansa and any organization interested in competing globally. The five dimensions of autonomy, innovativeness, risk taking, proactivenesss and competitive aggressiveness should be capitalized upon throughout training initiatives and encouraged in order to create an entrepreneurial mind set work force. The workforce should be challenged to come up with better, faster; more efficient was of accomplishing tasks or streamlining processes, and recognized by Lufthansa Leadership for doing so. Lufthansa has expressed and exercised a number of initiatives aimed at reducing complexity of its organization. The dissolving of business segments and evaluation of process improvement strategies all serve as advances towards building an organizations model in alignment with business simplicity versus that of complex nature. Lufthansa can experience tremendous simplicity in appropriately managing the various business elements within the organization by acquiring a global mind set, and providing flexibility to address the need of each segment. An in depth look at core competencies and measurement of how much value each segment is contributing to the overall success of the organization and how the internal characteristics of the organization measure up to the competition ; meeting the needs of the customer is a great starting place. The environmental uncertainty of the airline industry and other customer base for the varying business units does increase the complexity and range of iss ues to consider when evaluating the internal environment (Hitt, 2009); however, it is essential in order to understand the organizational complexity in its entirety. Ashby’s Law of Variety suggests that organization can handle high external complexity on by a similar internal complexity (Hitt, 2009). Recommendations regarding the reduction of complexity are as follows: †¢Development of a unified vision that is shared across the organization, in an effort to eliminate the diversity of values, aims, cultures and types of behavior. †¢A shared global strategy communicated throughout the organization in the fulfillment of a common goal. †¢Education regarding the benefits of a culturally diverse workforce; recruitment of a diverse work force with varying ethical and professional backgrounds yet committed to the success of Lufthansa and a shared vision. †¢Standardizing of processes and norms throughout the organization Lufthansa possess the organizational know how and strategic leadership to face future uncertainties of the airline industry. It has proved its strength and resiliency in its survival of a turbulent industry and shows promising potential despite uncertainties regarding global warming issues. Here education is key and it would be advantageous for Lufthansa to continue fostering positive social relationships with environmental agencies and other social activities.

The Communist Form of Government and why it sucks essays

The Communist Form of Government and why it sucks essays Communism is supposed to be a perfect society. It is a society without money, without a state, without property and without social classes. People work together to carry out a task or to respond to some need of the human community but without the possibility of their work taking the form of a business that involves making money or the exchange of its products. The circulation of goods is not accomplished by means of exchange. Quite the contrary, the by-word for this society is "from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs".1 Above all, it will takes control of everything. It takes control of industry and of all branches of production out of the hands of competing individuals, and instead institutes a system in which all these branches of production are operated by society as a whole. This is for the common account, according to a common plan, and with the participation of all members of society.2 It will, in other words, abolish competition and replace it with association.1 Moreover, since the management of industry by individuals implies private property, and since competition is really the way that the by private property owners control industry, it means that private property is part of competition and the personal management of industry. So, communism states that private property must be abolished and in its place must come the 1The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, 1848 2-Communism: A History (Modern Library Chronicles), by Richard Pipes. Published: Modern Library, New York, N.Y. 10171 common utilization of all production and the distribution of all goods according to common agreement. This is know as the communal ownership of goods.3 Unfortunately, the difference between businessmen and farmhands is destined to appear. The management of agriculture and industry by the same people ra ...

The Concept of Self-Transcendence Essays

The Concept of Self-Transcendence Essays The Concept of Self-Transcendence Essay The Concept of Self-Transcendence Essay Essay Topic: The Metamorphosis Wallace Stevens Poems Life is full of obstacles that thwart one’s ability to discover the true meaning of existence. In The Unheard Cry for Meaning, psychologist Viktor Frankl explains that â€Å"An eye with a cataract may see something like a cloud, which is its cataract; an eye with glaucoma may see its glaucoma as a rainbow halo around the lights. A healthy eye sees nothing of itself – it is self-transcendent. † The concept of self-transcendence requires one to overcome the different â€Å"cataracts† of life, and ultimately view the world through an altruistic perspective. When one conquers the notion of seeing â€Å"nothing of itself†, one can comprehend the true meaning to living a full and healthy life. In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the main character Gregor Samsa has lost himself in his continuous world of routine, in which his grueling profession takes away from his ability to recognize the components that make life meaningful. Thus, his job is the â€Å"cataract† that disables him from truly living, and keeps him from establishing relationships with those around him and wholly expressing his creativity. Gabriel Conroy experiences similar feelings of disillusionment in James Joyce’s The Dead. Gabriel lives in a â€Å"cloud† of misperceptions, and constantly suffers from obsessive misinterpretations of how others perceive him. As a result, Gabriel possesses a close-minded and defensive attitude, which affects his ability to experience true love and wholly appreciate his life. Gregor’s obsession with his job, and Gabriel’s constant fear of being judged by others, hinder their abilities to reach self-transcendence. Once they break these barriers, they learn to possess this theory of self-transcendence, and ultimately seek to espy the true essence of life. Gregor’s physical transformation â€Å"into a monstrous vermin† (Pg. 3) frees him from the distractions and obligations that permeate his mindset, such as his responsibilities to earn money, pay off his parent’s debt, and support his family. Prior to his metamorphosis, Gregor is so preoccupied with his â€Å"grueling profession† (Pg. 4), that it prevents him from â€Å"ever becoming anything closer than acquaintances† (Pg. 4) with the different individuals in his life. After his metamorphosis, Gregor is able to build a relationship with an object to create a link with humanity that his life is lacking. The picture of the beautiful woman exemplifies Gregor’s desire to create a relationship to feed his hunger for love, and the picture’s frame symbolizes the amount of creativity that Gregor possesses within himself. The picture, which Gregor â€Å"had recently cut out of a glossy magazine and lodged in a pretty gilt frame†¦showed a lady done up in a fur hat and fur boa, sitting upright and raising up against the viewer a heavy fur muff in which her whole forearm had disappeared† (pg. 3). Gregor is frustrated that his job never allows â€Å"relationships to last or get more intimate† (Pg. ), and is distressed that the individuals in his life come and go without making any sort of impact on his life. Therefore, the woman in the photo may depict Gregor’s desire for love, and his desire to form a meaningful relationship with someone that is important to him. Gregor spends â€Å"Two or three evenings† (Pg. 11) carving a â€Å"gilt† or g old lined frame for the picture because it temporarily relives him from his desolation. The care that Gregor expresses toward the frame is shown by the degree to which he pays attention to every minor detail while crafting it. In addition, the time he spends carving the frame also reveals how important the picture is to him. Though he is not conscious of the reason why he values the picture so much, Gregor deeply cherishes the picture because it momentarily enables him to escape his solitude, and experience the love and creativity that he longs for. Music is the creative art form that enables Gregor to rekindle his love for his sister Grete, and also provides Gregor with unknown nourishment that satisfies the need for beauty in his life. Grete’s violin playing â€Å"forces Gregor out of his confinement, and moves him to show his appreciation for the beauty of her violin playing that no one else could express. † (Pg. 46) Gregor’s persistence to â€Å"inch himself farther onto the immaculate living room floor† (Pg. 46), despite being physically soiled and â€Å"completely covered with the dust that blanketed his room† (Pg. 45), suggests his dire craving for human love, and his determination to further draw himself to the splendor of his sister’s music. Gregor’s exposure and admiration to music temporarily moves him from his depression, and his metamorphosis serves as the medium through which he feeds his longing. After Gregor’s metamorphosis, Gregor undergoes dejection in which he finds himself uncomfortable, uncertain, and lost due to the lack of compassion that others express toward him. Once transformed, Gregor realizes that music is the â€Å"food† that satisfies his hunger for comfort and hope, qualities of humanity that he has regained after being transformed into a vermin. In pursuing Grete’s music, Gregor understands that he can cure his melancholy by showing a livelihood that reflects hope in the realization that love and beauty still exist in the world. Through his actions, Gregor triggers the yearning to escape his solitude, and discover his â€Å"soul† by pursuing the music that comforts him. At the novel’s end, Gregor’s family comes to the conclusion that they must abandon the notion that the monstrous bug is Gregor. Grete reasons that if the bug were really Gregor, he would have gone away on his own and spared them the torment of caring for him. In his deathbed, Gregor agrees with his sister and dies while thinking of his family with love and affection. Gregor’s interaction with Grete’s music dissolves the anger he felt in his depression, and allows him to pass from his life with a peaceful and serene mindset. Gabriel’s encounters with Miss Ivors and Greta reveal his habit of misinterpreting how others perceive him, and how this embeds Gabriel with an insecure and defensive attitude. Miss Ivors is introduced as, â€Å"a frank-mannered talkative young lady† (Pg. 187), who, at the onset of her encounter with Gabriel states, â€Å"I have a crow to pluck with you. (Pg. 187) She proceeds in their conversation by addressing Gabriel’s job with â€Å"The Daily Express†, and claims in a jokingly manner that Gabriel is a â€Å"West Briton† (Pg. 188) who is too pompous to handle her criticism. This initiates Gabriel’s immediate belief that Miss Ivors dislikes him, though there is no direct evidence of this contempt. Gabriel reflects a solicitous attitude that instantly takes offense toward any statement that threatens his self-image. Flustered by her bold statements, Gabriel’s does not â€Å"know how to meet her charge† (Pg. 88), and simply â€Å"continues to blink his eyes trying to smile and [murmurs] lamely that he sees nothing political in writing reviews about books. † (Pg. 188) This initial incidence exemplifies Gabriel’s constant consciousness toward how others judge him, and his tendency to take offense toward any remark against his social status. Miss Ivors continues to â€Å"pluck† at Gabriel’s vulnerability through questioning his desire to leave Ireland for vacation, and criticizes Gabriel’s disregard to explore beautiful areas of his own native country. Gabriel becomes extremely frustrated by Miss Ivors’ frank statements and exclaims, â€Å"To tell you the truth†¦I’m sick of my own country, sick of it. † (Pg. 190) Gabriel immediately feels the need to cover â€Å"his agitation† through such a remark, because he fears that Miss Ivors will see his anxiety and look condescendingly upon him. After the party, Gabriel continues to misinterpret his interactions with others, demonstrated by resentment in his failure to physically and mentally connect with his wife. Gabriel’s superiority, shown through desires such as longing to be â€Å"the master of Gretta’s strange mood† (Pg. 18), feels threatened after learning that Mr. D’Arcy’s performance of The Lass of Aughrim reminds Gretta of a â€Å"gentle boy† named Michael Furey. An initial â€Å"dull anger begins to gather at the back of Gabriel’s mind† (Pg. 220) to hear that this is the source of her morbid state, and he begins questioning his wife in an ironic and detached tone. Gabriel feels emotions of jealousy, humiliation, and anxiety; spurred on by the menace that Michael Furey poses after hearing that he may have influenced Gretta in the past. Gabriel’s reaction reveals that his â€Å"socially polished† way of life feels threatened by the thought of Michael Furey, no matter how â€Å"delicate† of a young boy he had been, and Gabriel resumes to question Gretta’s past and present intentions in a satirical and subtle manner. Gabriel does not understand how a dead boy manages to disrupt his ability to become closer to his wife. Gabriel’s insecurity and defensive attitude evaporates when he begins to see the world outside himself, and acknowledges his shame in feeling threatened by a young, passionate boy in the gasworks. Gabriel felt humiliated by the failure of his irony and by the evocation of this figure from the dead† (Pg. 221), and suffers from a â€Å"shameful consciousness of his own person that assails him† (Pg. 221). Whereas his initial tone of interrogation was cold and ironic, his new tone changes to one of humility and indifference. Gabriel sees the senselessness in h is original motives of sexual advancement, and goes on to comfort his wife by â€Å"caressing† her hands, and empathizing with her sadly over Michael Furey’s memory. Though it is evident that Gregor’s prior tendencies of insecurity and defensiveness exist, demonstrated by his initial reaction of jealousy upon hearing that Michael Furey died for Gretta, he learns to repress this emotion through reason and compassion. Whereas Gabriel had originally expressed a type of superiority complex about him, he diverges into feelings of generosity and friendly pity for his wife. Gabriel also expresses respect toward Michael Furey’s bravery, and honors his memory by commenting that it is â€Å"better to pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age. (Pg. 224) As Gabriel reflects in the hotel room, he sees his soul â€Å"approaching that region where dwell the vast hosts of the dead†¦His own identity fades out into a grey impalpable world: the solid world itself which these dead had one time reared and lived in was dissolving and dwindling† (Pg. 225) In such a way, Gabrie l’s soul is leaving the â€Å"solid† world he is used to, a world of disillusionment and self-gratification, and is beginning to view the world in a more sensible manner. Within the Holy Bible, archangel Gabriel is known for expressing a gentle and caring nature, and is also known for serving alongside archangel Michael during the birth of Jesus Christ. Also following the theme of birth, Michael Furey’s story of relentless passion serves as the message sent to rebirth Gabriel from his life of solicitude, and enables him to see how his close-minded attitude paralyzes his ability to connect with others. Gabriel begins to view the world through humble eyes, without his own personal facade blurring the image as it once did. He states, â€Å"Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland†¦It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried† (Pg. 225) The snow serves as a recurring symbol throughout The Dead to reflect the purity that Michael Furey’s passionate love represented. Gabriel views the snow as a facet that unifies elements of the dead, such as Michael Furey’s story and the memories of all those deceased, with the lives of the living. He finally understands that the distance between life and death is closer once an individual accepts the constant messages sent by the dead, and self-transcendence can only be reached by living a fervent life such as the life of Michael Furey. Both Gregor and Gabriel reach self-transcendence by breaking down the barriers that permeate their abilities to see the meaning of life. The moment their characters learned to disregard prior obsessions, they were able to see the world in a way that appreciated qualities of love, passion, and beauty that they never took the time to notice before. In the same way, Emily Dickinson created this feeling of awareness in many of her poems by describing ordinary objects in an extraordinary manner to reveal their significance. In â€Å"This was a Poet†, Dickinson indicates that poetry compels readers to break through the barrier of ordinary thoughts, and remove the â€Å"film of familiarity† (Coleridge) on all aspects of life by exploring the significance of everyday happenings. This â€Å"film of familiarity† can also refer to the â€Å"cloud† of obstruction that Frankl discusses in his metaphor comparing a non-healthy eye to a healthy eye. By viewing the world through non-healthy eyes, this â€Å"cloud† creates a hazy perception of the world and distances one from finding out the meaning of life. External or internal forces push individuals to reach a state of self-transcendence, which like poetry allows them to lift the â€Å"film of familiarity†, and dispel the clouds that once obstructed their vision and view life in an altruistic manner. Wallace Stevens once said, â€Å"Let’s see the very thing itself and nothing else, let’s see it with the hottest fire of sight. † When an individual sees the world through healthy eyes, they are able to see the very qualities of life that make living meaningful, and in turn focus their full attention toward pursuing these qualities. For both Gregor and Gabriel, a submissive revelation saves both their lives, and leads them to see the importance of love and passion with the hottest fire of sight because of the self-transcendence that has transformed them.

Chalchiuhtlicue - Aztec Goddess of Rivers and Oceans

Chalchiuhtlicue - Aztec Goddess of Rivers and Oceans Chalchiuhtlicue (Chal-CHEE-ooh-tlee-quay), whose name means She of the Jade Skirt, was the Aztec goddess of water as it collects on the earth, such as rivers and oceans, and so was considered by the Aztecs the patroness of navigation. She was one of the most important deities, as protector of childbirth and newborns. Chalchiuhtlicue was linked to the rain god Tlaloc, in some sources as his wife and feminine counterpart. In others, she is Tlalocs sister and some scholars suggest she was Tlaloc himself in a separate guise. She was also associated with the Tlaloques, Tlalocs brothers or perhaps their children. In some sources, she is described as the wife of the Aztec god of fire god Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli. She is also associated with different mountains in different Aztec communities. All rivers come from the mountains in the Aztec universe, and the mountains are like jars (ollas) filled with water, that spring from the womb of the mountain and wash down to water and protect the people. A Watery Rule According to the Spanish conquistador and priest Fray Diego Duran, Chalchiuhtlicue was universally revered by the Aztecs. She governed the waters of the oceans, springs, and lakes, and as such she appeared in both positive and negative guises. She was seen as a positive source who brought full irrigation canals for growing maize  when she was associated with the corn goddess Xilonen. When displeased, she brought empty canals and drought and was paired with the dangerous snake goddess Chicomecoatl. She was also known for creating whirlpools and big storms making water navigation tricky. She was also the goddess who ruled over and destroyed the previous world, known in the Aztec mythology as the Fourth Sun, the Mexica version of the Deluge Myth. The Aztec universe was based on the Legend of the Five Suns, which said that before the current world (the Fifth Sun), the various gods and goddesses made four attempts to create versions of the world and then destroyed them in order. The fourth sun (called Nahui Atl Tonatiuh or 4 Water) was ruled by Chalchiutlicue as a world of water, where fish species were marvelous and abundant. After 676 years, Chalchiutlicue destroyed the world in a cataclysmic flood, transforming all the humans into fish. Chalchiuhtlicues Festivals As the partner of Tlaloc, Chalchiuhtlicue pertained to the Aztec group of gods supervising water and fertility. To these deities was dedicated a series of ceremonies called Atlcahualo, which lasted the entire month of February. During these ceremonies, the Aztecs performed many rituals, usually on the mountain tops, where they sacrificed children. For the Aztec religion, the tears of children were considered good omens for abundant rain. The festival month of February dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue was the sixth month of the Aztec year called Etzalcualiztli. It took place during the rainy season when the fields were beginning to ripen. The festival was conducted in and around the lagoons, with some objects ritually deposited within the lagoons. The festival involved fasting, feasting, and auto-sacrifice on the part of the priests, and the human sacrifice of war captives, women, and children some of which were dressed in the costume of Chalchiuhtlicue and Tlaloc. Offerings included maize, the blood of quail birds and resins made of copal and latex. Children were also sacrificed to Chalchiuhtlicue at the height of the dry season just before the rains were due; during the festivals dedicated to Chalchiuhtlicue and Tlaloc, a young boy would be sacrificed to Tlaloc on a mountaintop outside of Tenochtitlan, and a young girl would be drowned in Lake Texcoco at Pantitlan, where whirlpools were known to occur. Chalchiuhtlicues Images The goddess Chalchiuhtlicue is often illustrated in the pre-Columbian and colonial period books called codices as wearing a blue-green skirt, as her name illustrates, from which flows a long and abundant stream of water. Sometimes new-born children are portrayed floating in this water flow. She has black lines on her face and usually wears a jade nose-plug. In Aztec sculpture and portraits, her statues and images are often carved out of jade or other green stones. She is occasionally shown wearing Tlalocs mask. The allied Nahuatl word chalchihuitl means drop of water and sometimes refers to jade. The word is also used in connection with Tlalocs goggles, which may themselves be a symbol of water. In the Codex Borgia, Chalchiuhtlicue is wearing a serpent headdress and dress ornaments with the same markings as Tlaloc, and her half-moon nose ornament is the serpent itself, marked with stripes and dots. Sources Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst. Almere Read K, and Gonzalez JJ. 2000. Mesoamerican Mythology: A Guide ot the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of Mexico and Central America. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Berdan FF. 2014. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press.Brundage BC. 1983. The Fifth Sun: Aztec Gods, Aztec Worlds. Austin: University of Texas Press.Carlson JB. 2015. The Maya Deluge Myth and Dresden Codex Page 74. In: Dowd AS, and Milbrath S, editors. Cosmology, Calendars, and Horizon-Based Astronomy in Ancient Mesoamerica. Boulder: University Press of Colorado. p 197-226.Garza Gà ³mez I. 2009. De Calchiuhtlicue, Diosa de rà ­os, lagunas y manantiales. El Tlacuache: Patrimonio de Morelos 2009:1-4.Heyden D. 1983. Water symbols and eye rings in the Mexican codices. Indiana 8:41-56.Leon-Portilla M, and Davis JE. 1963. Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nahuatl Mind. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.Taube K. 1993. Aztec and Maya Myths. Fourth Edition. Universi ty of Texas Press, Austin, Texa.s Van Tuerenhout DR. 2005. The Aztecs. New Perspectives, ABC-CLIO Inc. Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO and Oxford, England.

Implementation of human resources strategies in the chosen Essay

Implementation of human resources strategies in the chosen organization - Essay Example 2.0 SHRM Practice 1 (Training and Development) Introduction and Importance. The first step of any organization after recruiting any employee is focussing upon the aspect of training and development (T&D). In this regard, training is often viewed to be an educational process which provides better understanding to the employees regarding entire work procedure, reinforcing existing knowledge along with skills, new work or operational process and ideas among others. On the other hand, development is often viewed to be the process through which an organization tries to make the employees more efficient towards facing critical challenges and perform significant responsibilities. It is a process which concentrates or focuses on developing the broader skills of the personnel that are applicable to a wider variety of situations like creative thinking, judgment making and managing workforce among others. In short, it can be affirmed that training is generally related to a particular subject ma tter, whereas, development deals with a wide variety of subjects. The importance of T&D is quite vital for any organization as it supports the organisations towards enhancing organisational effectiveness along with raising overall productivity. It is worth mentioning that the main purpose behind conducting along with implementing the aspect of T&D is to develop the skills of the employees resulting in developing their operational performance at large (Salvi, n.d.). 2.1 Critically Explain and Elaborate In Terms Of Stages and Steps, How It Can Be Implemented In the Chosen Company. The stages or steps relating to training and development have been portrayed hereunder. The Mission Statement: It... From the overall analysis, it can be affirmed that in order to maintain an effective flow in the organisational process, it is quite vital for Nokia to incorporate as well as to execute different vital SHRM practices. These practices might encompass performance management, compensation and training along with development among others. It is worth mentioning that different important HR related aspects like analysis along with the design of work force, planning, recruiting, and employee relation plays a decisive part in supporting organisations towards accomplishing its expected business targets. Thus, it can be concluded that the above-discussed SHRM practices would eventually support Nokia towards developing its progress in the next five years in terms of enhancing their entire business performance and raising productivity by a greater level.

Marketing comm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing comm - Essay Example entire spirit.The report discusses HP’s failures in its conservative management and how ESS has stepped in to launch a good strategic marketing campaign.All these changes are evaluated through the Business Scorecard analysis.The report then evaluates the truth in the future concerns of ESS and whether they can and if so how they should survive.It is concluded that this can only be done if ESS thinks fast to save itself or chooses to immerse and disappear in HP’s ocean of conservative management. The primary reference for this report is a Case Study(2000) prepared by the Stanford University pertaining HP’s interal marketing strategies involves the identification of its internal customer support processes. Assess the extent to which internal factors support the externally facing processes. This should include an identification of the organisation’s current relationship marketing strategies.The study explores how based on this analysis, and on customer buying processes, the organisation can achieve improvements in either their internal or external processes The concept behind e-services is there’s a particular task, asset, or capability that you want to gain access to, that now can be made available to you over the Net, because it’s now being created as an Internet service. This report pertains to the current business position of Hewlett Packard (HP),its current business problems and the way ahead for this business organisation.My first impression at the outset of ESS (E-Services Solution)group is to point out that this venture may be a successful at the outset given the period 1999 until 2000 but it has all the ingredients of becoming a victim of its own success and potentially damaging the work culture of HP with the so called aim of â€Å"infecting† the entire spirit.(see Case Study 2000).I would reach such a bleak conclusion for many reasons which I will discuss below but the pith and substance of my analysis as a management consultant is that

Legal Provision in Mental Health Services Essay

Legal Provision in Mental Health Services - Essay Example While dealing with the patients with mental health problems, the care-providers are often faced with situations of dilemma that require proper decision-making. The traditional approaches to decision-making that concern a patient with a mental disability involved the professionals at the central position and the families of the patient. Little or no attention was given to the feelings of the patient. The patients were required to follow the directions of the professionals and the available members of the families. However, significant changes have been recorded with the increasing needs to protect the rights of these patients with mental health problems. To make the appropriate decisions, the care providers should integrate both the professional ethics and the regulatory provisions that guide the provision of care to these individuals with mental health problems. The individuals should be included in making all the decisions that are likely to affect their health. The patients have to be guided to make a decision. The professionals need to explain to the patients all the possible courses of action to be taken and their respective consequences. This will enable a patient to make an informed consent on the kind of intervention that is appropriate. The practitioners and carers have to understand that even though this patient has mental problems, he/she still has the rights to make decisions on his or her life. The legal provisions require that they are consulted.

Vidkon Quisling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Vidkon Quisling - Essay Example underlying dynamics of the rise of Nazi Germany, Hitler, and the occupation of Norway and other European countries during this pivotal period in the history of the involved countries, and Europe in general. The historical records identify Quisling as belonging in the halls of infamy, having been tagged as one of the most prominent traitors from the Second World War. He served as a puppet head of Norway during the Second World War, starting in 1942, with the Nazis propping up his rule, and as a representative of Nazi rule in the country. The elected head of Norway during this period was forced to go into exile in Great Britain, a social democrat in Johan Nygaardsvold, even as Quisling held on to power all the way to the end of the war. After that, with the Nazis defeated and driven out of the country, Quisling would go on to be tried and convicted of high treason, for which he was sentenced to death by firing squad. Quisling has, since that time become associated with the word traitor in the English language, and in other major European languages besides, attesting to the notoriety that the man gained in the historical records and the collective memory of all Europeans from that time onwards to the present. Among his many crimes, for which he was put to death, was collaboration with the Nazis in transporting the Jews in Norway during his time and bringing them to their death in the concentration camps. Prior to his ascension to power in Norway, he had already developed anti-Jewish sentiments, and among his other crimes included deposing the legally installed government as well as the Norwegian monarchy from power from 1942 onwards. In the 1930’s too, Quisling had already established a party that was allied with the Nazi cause in Norway, planting the seeds of his later collaboration with Hitler when he tried to seize power on behalf of Nazi Germany in 1940. Prior to this time Norway had been neutral, and this act and his collaboration with Nazi Germany eff ectively

Plan for Establishing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plan for Establishing - Essay Example Career development process is a process that involves the identification of unique personal abilities of employees and their potential to achieve set goals in their careers. They want to pursue with regard to their careers. Given that the employees comprise of specialists in various departments, Veracity pact limited will benefit a lot from highly skilled manpower. Then employees set their goals and objectives. Every objective selected by the employees should be time-bound. It should also specify materials for the learning process, the mode of evaluation and the expected results are to be outlined. This is to help them have the blue-print of what they desire to achieve over a given duration of time. It is at this level that they are required to set the timeframe of their development goals. In addition, they are to analyze their expectations in sync with the major objectives of the organization which is to create wealth and maximize profits of the company (Rothwell, 45). The appropriate planning is paramount because financial resources are required to support the exercise of career development. In addition, the management needs to make considerations on the pattern to be followed in granting the employees opportunities to update their skills ion their various jobs. Then programme of carrying out the studies is prepared for efficiency. Their proposals are collected by the supervisors and submitted to management for it to have ample time to do strategic planning on how activities are conducted. This is performed to avoid dissatisfaction and friction from employees who are to benefit from the career development. A brief interviewing of employees is carried out by the supervisor in order to assess the career gaps that exist among the employees. For instance, there might be a lack of expertise in some fields of work, miscommunications, lack of

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Princeton Readings in Political Thought - Mitchell Cohen, Nicole Fermon. V.I. Lenin, Roskin, Sun Tzu - Essay Example Most often, however, war begins because there is an economic benefit to engaging in violence. What might end war is the growing interdependence of nations for economic stability. As developing nations continue to join the growing number of intertwined economies, world peace may be achieved where ‘war’ becomes swift takeovers through economic domination that occurs without violence. One example of a war that was fought over the declaration of a difference in ideologies but was engaged for the purposes of economic advantages is the Vietnam War. The base issue of the conflict begins with the imperialism of France and of Japan as those nations took hold of Indochinese territories with the intent of gaining economic control of those regions. As Communism began to grow in China, the leader of Ho Chi Minh began to take territories that were near to the Chinese borders, taking advantage of both France and Japan whose militaries were weak in comparison to the Chinese (Tucker). As the allied nations began to take part in coming to the aid of France in regard to the territories in question, the propaganda of the war was that it was being fought to save the Vietnamese people from the horrors of Communism, but the truth is that the allies came to the aid of Imperialistic French interests, making the war conditioned upon economics rather than ideologies. Radical belief systems do not always require an economic foundation for the attempt to dominate the world, but economics will motivate a great deal of the consequences and actions of other nations in response to war. Radical belief systems cannot be overcome by any sense of reason and must be engaged in order to stem the violence that might come from belief systems that discount the right to life. An example of this type of leader can be seen in Adolf Hitler. However, even World War II occurred

Plan for Establishing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plan for Establishing - Essay Example Career development process is a process that involves the identification of unique personal abilities of employees and their potential to achieve set goals in their careers. They want to pursue with regard to their careers. Given that the employees comprise of specialists in various departments, Veracity pact limited will benefit a lot from highly skilled manpower. Then employees set their goals and objectives. Every objective selected by the employees should be time-bound. It should also specify materials for the learning process, the mode of evaluation and the expected results are to be outlined. This is to help them have the blue-print of what they desire to achieve over a given duration of time. It is at this level that they are required to set the timeframe of their development goals. In addition, they are to analyze their expectations in sync with the major objectives of the organization which is to create wealth and maximize profits of the company (Rothwell, 45). The appropriate planning is paramount because financial resources are required to support the exercise of career development. In addition, the management needs to make considerations on the pattern to be followed in granting the employees opportunities to update their skills ion their various jobs. Then programme of carrying out the studies is prepared for efficiency. Their proposals are collected by the supervisors and submitted to management for it to have ample time to do strategic planning on how activities are conducted. This is performed to avoid dissatisfaction and friction from employees who are to benefit from the career development. A brief interviewing of employees is carried out by the supervisor in order to assess the career gaps that exist among the employees. For instance, there might be a lack of expertise in some fields of work, miscommunications, lack of

Marketing analysis or external scanning Assignment

Marketing analysis or external scanning - Assignment Example The major customer groups within this industry include autistic children and children with behavioral health issues. The size of the target market is pretty big in Jeddah and overall in Saudi Arabia at present. The target market for this business includes children with problem of autism and those having behavioral disorder problems. The critical needs of this target market include friendly environment, continuous peer to peer relationship, and frequent involvement in social activities. These needs are not met usually for autistic children which paves the way for us to open a gym for them where they can exercise all what they need. The expected market share for this business covers a big portion of health industry as there is hardly any renowned gym working in Jeddah for autistic children. As far as the pricing issue is concerned, it will depend on the behavioral condition and learning potential of the children being admitted to the gym. For children who require intensive care and training, the level of pricing will be a bit higher than those who will require less supervision. There will also be discount for siblings and cousins of the first child admitted to the gym. The market share for the gym will be high because there is not well-renowned gym operating at present in Jeddah for autistic children. Our strengths will include interactive facilities, creative and friendly environment, and the only big gym operating in Jeddah. Weaknesses will include lack of funds for the business at the start and lack of experience. As far as the challenges for the idea of a gym for kids with Autism is concerned, some of them include increasing the number of children in order for the business to achieve success and the variety of ways to deal with children with autism and their behaviors. There do not appear any major barrier that can hinder

Water Pollution Essay Example for Free

Water Pollution Essay One of the major issues that are of great concern in my town is how toxic heavy metals have been deposited into flowing waters. Toxic heavy metals in water, is as a result of untreated pollute deposited into lakes, streams, rivers, by manufacturing industries which in turn is consumed by domestic users. The effluent from such industry is deposited into water bodies or could be washed away from the top soils by flood into drainages which is emptied into such water bodies. The presence of these undesirable elements in foods (fish) is due to the ingestion of water containing industrial and domestic influent. Most of these heavy metals are deposited in the liver of certain vertebrates and fatty tissues of fishes. The amount of each of these elements present in the fish depends on such variables as the amount present in the food chain, size and age of the fishes. Most of these heavy metals (which include Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Zinc e. t. c) are toxic and hazardous to man depending on their concentration in food. Conclusion From my findings, I will recommend that waste from these manufacturing Industries be treated properly, recycled and be properly disposed. Reference D. G. Rickard and M. E. R Dully (1983) Environmental Pollution: Beries. B

Study into Mapping Blind Spots

Study into Mapping Blind Spots Though the blind spot is a part of the retina that is devoid of photoreceptors, therefore relaying no visual information, it does not lead to the experience of a dark hole in our visual field (Sakaguchi, 2001). This is due to the perceptual phenomenon of filling-in, whereby a visual attribute such as colour and brightness is perceived in the blind-spot, even though it only exists in the surround (Komatsu, 2006). A long-standing question has been whether perceptual filling-in ignores this absence of information or actively fills it in (De Weerd, 2006). The symbolic theory proposes that early visual areas only extract information at the surface border with the colour and shape of the surface reconstructed in higher areas (Komatsu, 2006). Conversely, the isomorphic theory assumes that the retinotopic map in the primary visual cortex (V1) receives information from the entire surface with visual features such as colour activated in early visual areas (De Weerd, 2006). Hence Komatsu (2006) proposes an amalgamation of the theories, that neural activity is higher along the edge of the blind-spot with these signals then spreading across a two-dimensional array of visual feature sensitive cells in early visual areas. Hence the mechanisms of filling-in depend upon activity along the physiological edge of the blind-spot as Spillmann, Ottee, Hamburger and Magnussen (2006) found that a ring as thin as 0.5 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° had been sufficient in inducing colour filling-in. Li et al., (2014) analysed this through 2.5à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° mono-coloured annuli, finding that it filled in completely, providing evidence for active colour filling-in from a small border. Fahle and Schmid (1987) proposed that the mean distance between photoreceptors is slightly higher for the temporal side compared to the nasal side in the retina with the ganglion cells distributed in a similar asymmetrical fashion. This spatial arrangement of the image as it is processed within the retina is maintained in V1 (De Weerd, 2006). Hence Li et al., (2014) extended the study of homogenous stimuli to bi-coloured rings, revealing the presence of a retinotopic rule in perceptual filling-in that favours the nasal side. Whilst this validates rapid colour filling-in as preattentive, these spatial arrangements may be affected by other preattentive factors which contribute to global processes such as relative salience (Brown Thurmond, 1993). Hence the current study aimed to examine ambiguities in perceptual filling-in when responding to both lower and higher-level processes. More specifically, whether differences in the relative salience of bi-coloured annuli affected the nasal or temporal processing (retinotopic rule) in filling-in blind-spot. As Brown and Thurmond (1993) infer that relative salience contributes to higher processes, exposure to increased saturation may alter the retinotopic rule. Based on these two studies, it was hypothesised that the average choice probability for asymmetrical filling-in would decline as the relative saturation for the nasal side decreases. Reciprocally, it was hypothesised than asymmetrical choice probability would increase as relative saturation for the temporal side decreases. Method Participants Fifteen students from the University of Sydney (4 men, 11 women; M age = 21, SD = 2.03), participated voluntarily. All participants had normal or corrected-to normal vision. With the exception of the three experimenters, participants were naà ¯ve to the experiment. Materials Stimuli: All stimuli was generated using Microsoft PowerPoint Software. Stimuli consisted of bi-coloured (red and green) annuli, with a width of 2.5 ° (derived from Li et al., 2014). For each participant, the diameter of the stimuli was adjusted so that the annuli overlapped with the edge of the blind spot. The two halves of the bi-coloured annuli were juxtaposed symmetrically on the nasal and temporal sides of the blind spot. Each side was counterbalanced across trials wherein half the trials were comprised of nasal-red: temporal-green stimuli and the other half, nasal-green: temporal-red. The saturation was adjusted for one side to 100%, 50% or 25% of the original saturation, while the other half was maintained at 100% saturation (that is, 100:100, 100:50, 100:25, 50:100, 25:100). Controls used reversed stimuli, such that the fixation cross appeared on the right and the stimuli on the left. Thus, 36 randomised trials were conducted, consisting of six controls and three repeats of ten test stimuli (Appendix A1). Choice Panel: This illustrated the spread of the two colours in coloured disks and consisted of ten choices (refer to Appendix A2). Procedure The experiment was conducted over two sessions, one week apart. In the first session, the blind spot of each participant was mapped using Microsoft PowerPoint. Participants were seated in a dark room with a chin rest at a distance of .57m away from an ASUS S400c 14-inch screen. Participants were instructed to fixate on a white fixation cross presented on a black background with their right eye and left eye covered. Using a digital pen tool, a small white test dot was moved across the screen by the experimenter. The positions where the dot disappeared and reappeared were verbally reported by the participant and digitally marked when it was not visible. The process was repeated until the blind-spot had been mapped out adequately. In the second session, participant were asked to report the perceptual filling-in of the blind-spot. The fixation slide (5 sec) and the stimulus slide was presented (3 sec). Participants were then presented with the choice panel and asked to report the choice that best resembled what they observed. At the completion of the study, participants verbally reported their experiences with filling-in (Appendix B). Results Paired sample t-tests were conducted, with participants reporting nasal colour dominance significantly more often than either symmetrical filling-in, t(1,14) = 2.37, p =.03 (nasal red: M = 40.1%) and t(1,14) = 3.09, p M = 51.2%), or temporal colour dominance t(1,14) = 5.79, p M = 60.1%) and t(1,14) = 9.13, p M = 75.6%). A 5 x 2, repeated measure analysis of variance was carried out on colour and relative saturation on average choice probability for nasal dominance filling-in, after which quadratic trend contrasts were conducted. Averaged over relative saturation, choice probability for nasal dominance filling-in was significantly greater when the nasal colour was green than red (mean difference = 21.4%), F(1,14) = 15.30, p F(4, 56) = 3.56, p = .01. Quadratic trend contrasts revealed that this effect increased significantly as the nasal relative saturation increased from 25% to 100%, but decreased as relative saturation decreased from 100 to 25 on the temporal side, F(1,14) = 19.92, p F(1,14) = 0.00, p = .99, nor was there a significant cubic trend, F(1,14) = .37, p = .55. Figure 1. Average choice probability for nasal dominance filling-in as function of type of relative saturation (N = 15). Discussion Participants reported asymmetrical nasal dominance filling-in significantly more than symmetrical or temporally dominant filling-in. This replicated preliminary findings by Li et al., (2014), that filling-in from the nasal side occupied a much larger region than filling-in from the temporal side. A colour effect was revealed with a preference for green over red whilst controlling for salience, which Hamburger, Prior, Sarris and Spillmann, (2005) account for through higher-level processing of colour information. They postulate that typical background colours in natural scenes, i.e. green and blue, fill-in more easily than colours that are attributed to the foreground i.e. red and yellow. Hence in future studies, more colour pairings including blue and yellow should be tested to validate this theory. Yet, this colour effect may also reveal that relative salience was poorly controlled for in this study, as Brown and Thurmond (1993) manipulated saturation, reporting that a more salient colour is favoured when filling-in. This is because the green provided more contrast than the red as Hamburger et al., (2005) suggests that perceptual qualities of surfaces, e.g., saturation, affect other properties such as contrast and luminance. This raises concerns in the current study in the me asure of relative salience, as is it unclear whether changes in saturation alone prompted a global process that overruled the local processes involved in filling-in. Hence, in future studies these visual characteristics need to be carefully controlled for to ensure that it does not have a confounding effect on salience. As predicted, asymmetrical choice probability declined as the relative saturation for the nasal side decreased. This concurs with Li et al., (2014) that the strength of colour filling-in is determined by the retinotopic rule, whereby the direction of filling-in is correlated to greater cortical projection on the nasal side. Furthermore, Fahle and Schmid (1987) contend that the nasal side has a lower contrast sensitivity threshold compared to the temporal side which implies that the receptors on the nasal side were more easily able to detect a change in saturation, which increased the relative salience of the temporal side. This offered access to greater filling-in, which decreased the nasal-preference for asymmetrical filling-in of the disk. This can be extended for future research by also examining the effect of an increase in relative saturation e.g., 150%, 200%, 300% which may have an additive effect by strengthening the retinotopic rule (Brown Thurmond, 1993). However, contrary to the hypothesis that the asymmetrical choice probability would increase as relative saturation for the temporal side decreased, nasal dominant filling-in decreased as saturation decreased on the temporal side. As mentioned, the perceptual qualities of surfaces interact as Komatsu (2006) implies that the brain needs to integrate lower level visual information such as colour and brightness and decode it at the retinotopic map. This signal is then transmitted to higher cortical areas to eventually generate surface perception. Cortical processing in these early visual systems are heavily biased toward the detection of local contrast in luminance, resulting from edges, which is necessary in surface perception (De Weerd, 2006). In the present study when saturation was decreased on the temporal side, it also changed the luminance of the green colour, making it more salient relative to the red, amplifying the edge between the two colours. Hence, considering this local pro cessing preference for variations in luminance, Sakaguchi (2001) contended that the physical edge that exists in the annulus can activate the neurons coding them, as the two colours differ in luminance. This increased the salience of the temporal side, permitting a greater percentage of the temporal side of the disk to fill-in. Another limitation of the present study is that a majority of participants verbally reported seeing a black spot mainly on the temporal side, implying that the annulus did not fill-in completely. Yet as Li et al., (2014) argues that colour perception processes are rapid and preattentive, this incomplete filling-in cannot be attributed to an inadequate fixation time. Rather, this can be explained by other methodological issues as Spillmann et al., (2006) attribute this partial filling-in to improper fixation and involuntary eye movements that displace the annulus relative to the blind-spot. Spillmann et al., (2006) highlight the significance of this partial-filling in effect in validating that filling-in is an active physiological process generated by a narrow edge at the blind-spot. However as this dark shadow was reported mainly on the temporal side it can be explained by the more sparse distribution of receptors on the retinotopic map resulting in weaker temporal processes. As the width of the annuli remained constant, the nasal side filled in better due to a denser distribution of receptors (Li et al., 2014). Hence future studies should consider the relative width of the stimulus to suggest a width for the temporal side of the annulus in order to achieve symmetrical filling-in. In summation, this study presents evidence for active neural processes in retinotopically organized lower order areas, but also a role for higher order cognitive factors such as surface description (De Weerd, 2006). In the future, studies should attempt to map the size of the activated brain area to endorse this retinotopic asymmetry during filling-in and the effects of relative salience on this symmetry (Li et al., 2014).