Saturday, August 31, 2019

1. Analysis of the Knowledge Management at Tcs Using the Knowledge Management Value Chain Model.

1. Analysis of the knowledge management at TCS using the knowledge management value chain model. *Knowledge acquire -TCS has created communities of practices (CoPs) with an animator expert in an area of knowledge to gather best practice on different area of expertise using business case documenting problem and solution. -Then TCS tried to capture technology, processes and case studies called Process Asset Libraries. So their intent was more on capturing structure data in the first wave. In the implementation of Ultimatix, TCS tried to use captures of intelligent technics or knowledge work system meaning knowledge tools like wizard, templates for software productivity improvement, knowledge training modules and information on tools. *Â  Knowledge storage -Business cases with solutions. For example on mainframe around 1500 business cases. -Process Asset library permit exchanges of around 10000 documents on industry practices and 21000 services practices in six month during 2003. -Line of businesses, line of technology, and projectsTCS has disseminated knowledge by: -Customizing for each are of practice/technology, customer and industries. -Creating an initial training program and a continuous learning program for experience employees based on role and competence definition. -Encouraging people to move and go outside TCS to learn and bring back knowledge. -Using information letter per expert area and tip of day are used. *Marketing knowledge -To create business related document. It can be retrieved by searching similar business case. -To innovate and decide with a tool called TIP and IdeaStorm.The IdeaStorm process is in three steps one idea / question are submitted, people can brain storm on it and after vote. -Just ask process to get direct access to experts TCS has various Portals which permit a uniform access to knowledge. It can be accessed through queries or using taxonomies created by CoPs. Tools and activities were used for managing tacit knowledge: TCS h as created communities of practices (CoPs) with an animator expert in an area of knowledge to gather best practice on different area of expertise using business case documenting problem and solution. -Just ask process to get direct access to experts Encouraging people to move and go outside TCS to learn and bring back knowledge. -Using information letter per expert area and tip of day are used. Tools and acticities used for managing explicit knowledge: -Process Asset library permit exchanges of around 10000 documents on industry practices and 21000 services practices in six month during 2003. -To create business related document. It can be retrieved by searching similar business case. -To innovate and decide with a tool called TIP and IdeaStorm. The IdeaStorm process is in three steps one idea / question are submitted, people can brain storm on it and after vote. Then TCS tried to capture technology, processes and case studies called Process Asset Libraries. So their intent was more on capturing structure data in the first wave. -In the implementation of Ultimatix, TCS tried to use captures of intelligent technics or knowledge work system meaning knowledge tools like wizard, templates for software productivity improvement, knowledge training modules and information on tools LiveMeeting sessions during project for status meeting and after project lesson learned are recorded in the knowledge database 2.Some of the growth of knowledge management systems in TCS and how the sytems helped its business are listed as below KBASES AND GROUPWARE It is a knowledge repository in the corporate and branch servers accessible to all employees through the intranet. It contained wide range of information regarding processes, line of technology and the line of business. The groupware was a body which automated various in house systems such as training and many other functions. CLOSELY KNITS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICES (COPS)Community of practices was a forum of organizational memor y where teams all over the organization at different times zones communicated and documented the best practices. PROCESS ASSET LIBRARIES (PALS) Process asset libraries was an information database related to technology, processes and case studies. These were made available to all development centers of TCS through the intranet. WEB-BASED ELECTRONIC KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PORTAL (EKM) Knowledge was made globally available. The PAL library, and Kbases hosted on the intranet were merged with Ultimatix.Sub-portals of quality management system, software productivity improvement, training materials and tools information were shared and easily accessed via EKM. COP members widely shared and exchanges industry and service practices. INTEGRATED COMPETENCY AND LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (ICALMS) The system was deployed globally across all offices to promote a culture of learning and growth in the organization. Employees could enhance their skills in many areas. KNOWMAX Developed using Microsoft sharepoint portal server. It supported more than 60 knowledge assets and was accessible via Ultimatix to all TCS associates.Any associate could contribute their knowledge and information for sharing with employees. 3. Some collaboration tools which are need at TCS: IBM same time: client-server application on window that provide real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprise. IBM quick place: self-service for non-technical users to easily create a browser-accessible web-workspace to support a task, project. When TCS combine same time with quick place, it took easyly to exchange information on project, technlogy and preparation.Lotus: domino collaboration tools can provide multiple service: Thanks to use these tools, TCS can unprove collabaration among employees and collaboration of overseas and local office 4. Web 2. 0 tools help TCS to manage knowleadge and collaboration among it employees TCS used a wide variety of collaboration tools from taking on account arc hitectural aspects to the usage of Web 2. 0 tools. TCS's development centers have had a special attention to its architecture so that they could be divided into modules of a common area each with its own garden in order for the employees to have informal conversations during their breaks.Naturally TCS could also profit by the fact that many of those conversations were about their employees’ business problems. Propel sessions also brought together employees with similar interests so that they could balance their work and their life and hopefully integrate both as one. Aside from taking into account the employee's personal life TCS also implemented another methods to share knowledge. By recording all of their meetings with LiveMeeting application TCS could arrange a team where all the members knew what was discussed.Knowledge could also be shared directly from their experts by Knowledge Transition sessions and a Tip of the Day mail system. This way knowledge could flow from the ir experts to their beginner workers who in fact need to learn in order perform better for TCS. The implementation of Project Infinity brought alongside VOIP and video conference tools. Using these tools all TCS's branches could communicate and collaborate in realtime keeping focus to the same objective. However Project Infinity also brought along other tools such as Instant Messaging and a news broadcast system.Using these tools TCS could communicate in real time with all of TCS's offices in the world sharing data and knowledge other than using voice or video systems. TCS also used Web 2. 0 tools integrated in their own website such as a Just Ask system, a Blog Platform, TIP and MySite. As in one side The Just Ask system would directly be connected to TCS's business, on the other side The My site would be more related to one's personal life. 5. How do you think KM tools have changed some key operational processes at TCS, such as bidding for new projects, project development and imp lementation, customer service, and so on?TCS core business is to produce project in India to be delivered all around the world. TCS processes have been simplified and communication has been streamed with those KM tools. Three bricks are missing for a 100% effective knowledge sharing: -The collaboration inside a document. For example, during an offering, it is frequent that many people are working on the same document. -The search engine technology. Having Tera’s of document emphasize the need to have a good search engine in order to find relevant document. -The document life-cycle would permit to exclude outdated document.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Cable vs. Satellite Tv Essay

Cable TV: Cable TV companies lay wiring throughout the areas they service, including amplifiers to make sure signal strength is good throughout. Cable can then be easily brought into your home and connected to a cable box or directly into your TV. Satellite TV: Satellite TV companies send their signal to a satellite in space, which then sends it down to the dish on your roof. The dish then needs to connect to a receiver box, which connects to your TV. What kind of equipment do I need? Cable TV: If your home is not wired for cable TV, an installer will need to run cable into your home and create a wall plate with a connector on it. You can plug directly into your TV if you want to receive a basic channel lineup. To receive a fuller menu of digital and HD channels, a cable box is required for each television you plan to use. DVRs and HD-DVRs are generally available that deliver digital and HD channels as well as extra features like the ability to record/store programming and pause live TV. Satellite TV: You’ll need to have a dish installed outside on something like a roof or balcony that has a clear view of the southern sky. Set-top boxes are required for each television you plan to use. DVRs and HD-DVRs should be available that deliver digital and HD channels as well as extra features like the ability to record/store programming and pause live TV. What kind of programming can I get? Both cable and satellite TV offer digital and HD channels, along with varying amounts of on-demand and pay-per-view programming. Cable TV almost always offers a full range of local channels, while satellite TV’s local channel availability is much more robust now than in years previous (most cities should have access to a full list of local channels). Can I get service where I live? Cable TV: If you live in a medium to large-sized city, you will very likely have access to cable TV. If you live in a very small town or isolated area, you may not be able to get service due to a lack of cable lines in the area. Satellite TV: Satellite TV can provide programming to city and countryside residents alike, as you only need to have a clear view of the southern sky for your dish. It can be problematic for renters, however, who don’t have access to a southern view or who have to pay extra building fees to install a dish. Are there any issues with reception quality? Cable TV: There are outages with cable TV service, but they are infrequent. Some areas of the country and some companies will experience this more than others. While the level of outages is quite low, when service does go out in an area, it can last for a couple of hours or longer. Satellite TV: A satellite TV signal can be affected by things like severe weather, causing a loss of picture that usually lasts a few seconds to perhaps a few minutes. Also, if your dish is knocked down due to something like high winds, you will lose reception. In the early days, someone probably denounced cable by saying, â€Å"Television is like water, and no one will ever pay for something they can get for free.† Still, people subscribed. Cable provided a tremendous service for those who couldn’t receive signals by local affiliates. It rapidly became part of the television landscape. Fifty years later, the television world is littered with cable conglomerates who now compete with satellite companies by offering hundreds of digital channels and consumer-friendly interactive services. Their goal is to get your business. Here is a comparison of common services generally provided by cable and satellite companies in the United States and Canada. PRICES Because satellite providers don’t have to pay taxes levied by local governments and feature smaller infrastructures, consumers get more bang for the buck with satellite. Right now, cable’s low-end price is better, but with a third of the channels it’s not an easy sale when compared to satellite’s lowest package. Cable companies have millions of miles of outdated lines buried below ground, and are in the process of converting their technology to digital, which will be expensive. While satellite offers lower programming packages across the board, companies do charge fees per room receiving the signal. Though, some cable companies do, too. Edge: Satellite PROGRAMMING Remember the talk of a 500-channel universe? It’s here, and cable and satellite companies are ready to transport the consumer there. While both offer similar channel packages, each has an advantage over the other. Satellite offers both east and west coast feeds and alternate sports programming for channels like ESPN and Fox Sports. Sometimes sports stations televise games based on regional interest. Their alternate feed allows the satellite viewer the choice of either game. Of course, accessibility to some of the alternate feeds might require an additional price. Cable counters by offering plans for around twenty dollars for those who want good reception without paying for the 500-channel universe, and local programming not carried by satellite providers like public access stations. Edge: Even EQUIPMENT Cable has an advantage for subscribers who don’t want digital programing because there’s no equipment needed other than a television. For the digital subscriber, cable and satellite are similar. You’ll need a converter box, remote, and compatible television. Satellite needs an unobstructed view of the southern sky to receive signals, which is a huge disadvantage for renters because their leasing company might require a deposit for satellite installation. Homeowners also assume a minimal risk by installing a dish to a side wall or roof. Edge: Cable AVAILABILITY Cable only reaches as far as their infrastructure is built while satellite has the entire southern sky. This is significant because in some deregulated markets, all cable companies don’t reach all homes. Edge: Satellite DIGITAL, HDTV, and DVR Concerning digital, high definition, and digital video recorders, cable and satellite companies are equal with one exception. Some satellite companies require an upfront purchase of the DVR and HD box. Others are like cable companies and lease boxes on a monthly basis. Purchasing a receiver is an advantage over time because monthly charges add up. All major companies offer all services in one way or another. Edge: Even BUNDLED SERVICES Bundling services is an adaptation of survival by cable and satellite companies. They either own or form partnerships with other telecommunication companies to offer television, phone, and Internet service for one low price. An example of a bundled service is SBC joining with Dish Network and Yahoo! to offer phone, satellite, and DSL. All major cable and satellite companies will offer some sort of one-bill service because that’s the trend in today’s market. Edge: Even CUSTOMER SERVICE Satellite companies flourish without store fronts because of phone and online customer services. However, store fronts are convenient because they’re a place to pay bills, change out equipment, and voice a compliment or complaint face-to-face. Edge: Cable OBLIGATION Some satellite companies require contracts and some don’t, but very few (if any) cable companies require the consumer to commit to a minimum subscription length.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Modus Operandi Essay

Modus Operandi is a term used in a criminal investigation to describe a way in which a defender goes about committing a crime. Usually it defines a pattern of activities driven by the offenders, thought and behavior processes, before, during, and after the crime. It is also used in criminal profiling, where it can assist with obtaining clues regarding an offender’s psychology. It consists of examining the actions used by the offender to execute the crime, prevent its detection and/or facilitate escape. (Vronsky, 2004)A criminal’s MO pertains to facts gathered from a crime scene, giving investigators insight into how, when and where the crime was committed. For example, a criminal may use a particular weapon or focus on certain type of people, time of day, or a particular neighborhood. All which support his modus operandi. The signature is the way in which a criminal leaves his mark on the crime scene. This can include, posing or branding his victim in a certain way or carrying out his crime in a manic obsession such as torture of disfigurement, using props and/or securing souvenirs such as clothing, to relive the crime. An offender’s signature alerts profilers to the emotional and psychological aspects of the offender that are the driving forces of an offender’s crime.(Keppel,1997) Signature behaviors suggest clues regarding a criminal’s past, personality, emotions, mental state and intelligence. Criminal psychological profiling is an investigative tool utilized by experts to examine details of a crime, in the attempt to categorize, understand and predict the behavior of certain type of offenders based on behavioral clues they provide. Criminal psychological profiling is also referred to as â€Å"criminal profiling†, â€Å"criminal profiling† and â€Å"behavioral profiling.†Criminal profiling is a behavioral composite of the unknown, put together after analyzing the crime scene and other important information pertaining to the crime. This can include the autopsy report, autopsy and crime scene photos, as well as initial police reports. Also included in criminal profiling, is a detailed analysis of the victim. (Douglas, et al, 1992) Additional data, such as geographical areas beyond the immediate crime scene, the method of which the offender traveled to and from the crime scene and the relevant aspects of the residential location of the victim are also examined. In addition, the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim is also analyzed. Criminal profiling is not necessarily useful in every case, yet in some cases, it can assist with narrowing down the search for an offender when used in repeated crimes committed by a specific offender, such as serial rape or murder. Knowledge gained from profiling, can aide in the interrogation process of an offender and can assist with identifying and protecting potential victims before the perpetrator gains the opportunity to offend again. Although there are many opponents against utilizing the criminal profiling techniques, the goal of criminal profiling is to deduce enough behavioral, personality and physical characteristics about an offender so that she or he may be apprehended. (Berg, 2008) Several FBI special agents have written books noting their positive experiences with utilizing their skills of a criminal profiler.FBI profiler, Robert Ressler, assisted with popularizing the field of profiling. His book, Whoever Fights Monsters, has often been credited with creating much of the public’s fascination with psychological profiling. Berg, B. L. (2008). Criminal Investigation. New York: Mc Graw – Hill. Douglas, J. E.., Burgess, A.W., Burgess A.G., & Ressler, R.K.(1992).Crime classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Keppel, R.D., & Birnes, W. J(1997). Signature killers: Interpreting the calling cards of the serial murderer. New York: Pocket Books. Vronsky, R. (2004). Serial Killer. New York: Berkley Publishing Group I felt that way.See when uve had a life filled with trauma,ur normal response is to â€Å"panic†,get excited,go into overdrive,defensive,loud talkn etc.Side note.I realize that alot our ppl in the hood,respond that way all the time.Not understanding their responses, are trauma responses.Normal responses based on what theyve been through.Of course they dont no that, bcuz they are always in survival,†Fight or flight† mode.Two traumatized ppl wont make it bcuz, they trigger each other.Unless, they r content with the â€Å"normalcy of it all.You no,ppl who claw@each other daily?Tear each other down,then make up as if nothin is wrong.That’s trauma to one’s spirit.Ater a while, some is gonna have to pay for that(she/he jst snapped one day).No, it was building.I need a cool calm and collected, who understands that its not personal.That my barr none attitude,is the outcome. Its the normal response baby,from being on my own at 16,DV for many yrs,dispised and unloved by my first teacher.Yea, it has to go somewhere.lol But,I work on me everyday.Truth b told, I wouldnt want to b anybody else.I felt that way.See when uve had a life filled with trauma,ur normal response is to â€Å"panic†,get excited,go into overdrive,defensive,loud talkn etc.Side note.I realize that alot our ppl in the hood,respond that way all the time.Not understanding their responses, are trauma responses.Normal responses based on what theyve been through.Of course they dont no that, bcuz they are always in survival,†Fight or flight† mode. Two traumatized ppl wont make it bcuz, they trigger each other.Unless, they r content with the â€Å"normalcy of it all.You no,ppl who claw@each other daily?Tear each other down,then make up as if nothin is wrong.That’s trauma to one’s spirit.Ater a while, some is gonna have to pay for that(she/he jst snapped one day).No, it was building.I need a cool calm and collected, who understands that its not personal.That my barr none attitude,is the outcome. Its the normal response baby,from being on my own at 16,DV for many yrs,dispised and unloved by my first teacher.Yea, it has to go somewhere.lol But,I work on me everyday.Truth b told, I wouldnt want to b anybody else.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Statement of Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Statement of Purpose - Essay Example I felt proud of our growing financial status. The farm was everything that our family had and our lives completely depended on it. However, I realized that growth of our farm was greatly influenced by the ebb and flow of the world economy. In 1997, disaster struck Southeast Asia’s economy. South Korea was strongly affected by this crisis, and our government had to be bailed out by the IMF. Korea’s currency fell in value which slowed down the economy. Few people were buying or selling anything, and prices had destabilized. As a result, our business suffered and we had to lay off two workers that my father had hired. Later, the news of a Free Trade Agreement between Korea and US, which would open up Korean markets to the US-imported beef, drove down the price of Korean beef. It was surprising to see that a simple anticipation could impact the Korean economy so strongly. Fortunately, my family’s hard work and proper financial management saved our farm. These difficu lt times convinced me that economy is a powerful and predictive language shared by the world. The global economy is a complex web of cause and effect that influences everyone in the world. I learnt the value of understanding the interactions of international economy. Hence, my goal is to understand global economy. I aim to gain a deep understanding of how global economy functions, and help businesses and governments to make better decisions regarding their finances. A degree in economics from the University of California will help me in taking the first step towards achieving this goal. Hence, I wish to take the course of ‘Introduction to International Business - Undergraduate Business Administration’ and ‘International Trade – Economics.’ These courses will help me in understanding international trade and business, and also in completing my research. The topic of my senior thesis will be ‘Globalization and success of Korean beef in the world.à ¢â‚¬â„¢ The research question that I wish to undertake is ‘Globalization and success of Kobe beef and Black Angus in the world’. I will research ‘Globalization and success of Kobe beef and Black Angus in the world’ in English language, and ‘Globalization and success of Korean beef in the world’ in both, Korean and English. I plan to go to graduate school in Korea after completing my undergraduate

Impact of DNA damage induced by anticancer drugs on both S phase and Essay

Impact of DNA damage induced by anticancer drugs on both S phase and mitosis phase of the cell cycle - Essay Example 2005). Cells in any living organism grow, divide, perform their functions and gradually enter apoptosis (programmed cell death) at the end of their life cycle. This process is progressed through a ‘cell cycle’ which mainly consist of four stages as G1 (gap 1), S (synthesis), G2 (gap 2) and M (mitosis). Cell cycle regulation and cancer are intersected fields and hence treating cancer is more or less done in targeting the cell cycle (Collins et al. 1997). During G1, the cells grow in size and prepare for chromosome replication by synthesizing enzymes for the next stage. In S phase, the genomic DNA chromosomes are duplicated to produce two identical chromosomes (replication) and the G2 phase prepares the cells for cell division and synthesis cellular components required for mitosis in the proceeding stage. In the M phase, the replicated chromosomes are divided through a series of processes as Prophase, Prometaphase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase. Subsequently the cell s plits into two identical daughter cells with cytokinensis (Lewin 1990). These cells then enter G0 (resting) stage where they carry on their respective functions or in actively dividing tissues, they once again enter G1 stage to be further divided. Each cell cycle has check points as G1/S and G2/M that is involved in correction mechanisms to prevent any error in this system. Transition through check points are signaled by cyclones and cycline-dependent kinases (CDKs). ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated) and ATR (Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad-3-related) protein kinases are the leading controllers in DNA damage checkpoint signaling (Nishida et el. 2009). This mechanism ensures any error during DNA synthesis mechanism does not pass through the cell cycle. Cells with any mistake are either repaired before progressing or enter into apoptosis (programmed cell death) if the errors cannot be rectified. The G1/S check point ensures the cells have grown into the appropriate size and the DNA is not damaged while in the G2/M check point it is confirmed that the DNA is properly replicated during the S phase. Another check point in the M stage (metaphase check point), see that the chromosomes are properly aligned on the spindle at metaphase. Any mistake detected in any of these check points force the cells to repair or enter apoptosis. Chemotherapy is an efficient and a widely used method of treating cancer. Here the cancerous cells are treated with anticancer/antineoplastic drugs and apoptosis is induced (Muller et al. 1999). Usually a combination of two or more drugs is administered to the patient to increase efficiency. Chemotherapeutic treatments are targeted to destroy actively proliferating cells since cancerous cells are highly proliferating. This has the disadvantage of attacking rapidly dividing normal cells such as in the bone marrow, intestine and hair follicles and cause chemotherapy side effects as hair loss (alopecia) and inflammation in the digestive tract (mu cositis) since the anticancer drugs fails to identify cancerous and normal cells but simply destroys the fast proliferating cells. Chemotherapeutic agents or anticancer drugs are mainly aimed toward cell cycle at

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Criminal Liability And Use Of Force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal Liability And Use Of Force - Essay Example When someone is arraigned in court on the event that they solicited another person, it has to be proven. At this point, corroboration comes in. In court, there always has to be evidence otherwise multitude of people will be held custody and others for no solid reason. Corroboration requirements apply on a crime of solicitation when the accused is guilty of commanding another person to commit a crime. Not only is corroborating evidence a requirement on its own, it needs one witness along with it. Corroborating evidence is so firm on its own that it only needs one witness. It can have recordings of audio and video acts or any other doing. Someone is found guilty even on planning a solicited crime even though the crime is not in progress. The crime of solicitation can be numerous in one plan considering whether they happened in different places, different ways, different times and different payments with different amounts. The accused would be facing several suits. It is found sensible that if one encourages another person to commit a specific crime, it is part of that crime too. Conspiracy is termed used as the agreement or merging of ideas between two people to commit a crime. A conspiracy is successful when there is a motive and is agreed upon, an intention to the motive and an overt act. An overt act could be something like buying of ammunitions and guns to be used in the certain crime. The overt act is a very transparent act that can be used as proof in front of a jury or during jurisdiction on a presentation of a crime.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Visual Arts And Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visual Arts And Film - Essay Example The features of melodrama, according to Peter Brooks are several among them are that melodrama has a beginning and wants to end in innocence. Melodrama is also depicted as having victim-heroes whose virtues are upheld in the end. Melodrama borrows from realism to appear real. This is done so as to add action and passion in the film. With melodrama, there is pathos and action. Characters who represent good and evil are the main cast in the melodrama.The opening sequence of All About My Mother is serene and depicts the beginning of a rather emotional movie. The opening sequence of The Return is rather scary. The movie starts with slow music that makes it sound like a horror film. The opening sequence of Raise the Red Lantern depicts the traditional lifestyle of the Chinese and presents a Chinese aura about the movie. The opening sequence of Kung Fu Hustle is dramatic and serves to hold the viewer's attention towards the start of a dramatic movie. The opening sequence of The Maid is ent ertaining even with the starting music that seems to suggest the beginning of a comedy-like film. An example of self-reflexivity in the film is Attitude and ability for one to measure them. Also, one can self-learn instrumentally or socio-culturally. This is with the aid of personal actions or activities. The author of quote A is Samantha Lay. The author of the second quote is David Bordwell. The author of quote C is Cesare Zavattini. The author of quote D is Stephen Neale. The author of quote E is Raymond Williams.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Effective team performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Effective team performance - Assignment Example Team building concepts like Belbin’s Team Roles, Myers-Griggs Group Dynamics, conflict resolution and decision making were experienced as the team progressed through team development stages of forming, norming and stroming as described by Tuckman’s Team Development Model (Tuckman 1965). The team was faced with a number of problems that occurred during its entire developmental process based on Tuckman’s model (Beyerlein and Johnson 2000). Although improved collaboration, effective communication and alignment of individual objectives with team objectives helped to overcome these problems, Kayes (2004) is of the opinion that these could have been prevented at the initial stages of the project. The project presented number of opportunities to the team to remain engaged in number of activities that played significant role in transforming the group into a cohesive and effective team. This report focuses on key stages in the development of a cohesive team and the proble ms and conflicts faced during the process and steps taken to resolve these issues. The report also discusses key theories and concepts of team development and significance of their application in practical life and analyzes the transformation of experiences in reflective learning. Problem and Context In this project, I formed part of a group that was entirely unknown to me and I had no earlier opportunity of working with them in similar circumstances. Due to this situation, I felt anxiety as I was totally confused about the group members, their behavior, said or unsaid protocols for group interaction and team objectives, as mentioned by Myers-Briggs (1998). Tuckman described it typical to the forming stage of the team development (Tuckman 1965). In forming stage, future of team and the team objectives are not much clear. Members try to know each other, exchange personal information and make friends that help them to better respond to pressure situation in future. But as I gained mor e opportunities to interact and know other members, the anxiety transformed into confidence to effectively communicate and participate in the group activities. During the project, many problems like motivation, individual capability, ineffective communication and team dynamics as highlighted by Kayes (2004) surfaced. Team members were not focused on team objectives and were frequently found busy in their social and personal issues at the initial stages of team development. The team members belonged to diverse cultural background that presented a potential source for diversity conflict (Goleman 2002). I believe that like me other group members being almost on the same parity had the similar experiences, as they were also shy and hesitant to communicate among each other at initial stages. Although these problems impeded task completion, team development, cohesion and improving collaboration and coordination among the members but these provided opportunities to respond effectively to a particular situation and progress towards team development (Chaney and Lyden 2000). McManus (2000) stresses that teams are stronger in commitment, cohesion and understanding of objectives than the groups. Therefore, skills like self-awareness, self management, competence, social awareness and relationship management highlighted by Goleman (2002) as Emotional Intelligence played a key role in bonding team together towards common goal. Despite all the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Chicano History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chicano History - Essay Example The positive significance of the Southwest can be explained by the fact that the present states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas were at one time Mexican territory. Mexico inherited this vast territory when it acquired its independence from Spain in 18211. Furthermore, these Southwest Mexicans never acquired a strong link to Mexico. Mexicans in some of these regions, in New Mexico primarily, maintained a strong link with their past and a heritage that they traced to the Southwest and to colonial New Spain. Mainstream society promoted a separate identification of Mexicans, even as they were being incorporated into the Union. The positive impact was that Chicano were the only national groups which kept Spanish language traditions in the U.S. territory. Spanish authorities and officials established written traditions in this land before the first English colonies penetrated this region. Also, they established Spanish as a n official language and provided education on Spanish2. Churches and church schools were also crucial vehicles in preserving Spanish. In the nineteenth century, when Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy took control of the Catholic Church in New Mexico, he attempted to wrest control away from local Hispanic leaders; nonetheless, he had to allow the use of Spanish in Catholic schools. Also in nineteenth-century New Mexico, schools newly established by Baptist churches taught Spanish along with English so that future ministers could be effective in proselytizing New Mexicans. In California, mission churches ministered in Spanish, offering a continuity lasting from the colonial period until the end of the nineteenth century3. In the process of these territorial severances, many Southwest Mexicans felt insecure that provisions protecting Mexicans would be honored; others were embittered because they felt Mexico had betrayed them. As a consequence, out of the tens of thousands of Mexicans living in the Southwest, about three thousand took advantage of official Mexican attempts to repatriate marooned Mexicans in the newly acquired American territories. The experience of oppression of Mexicans who remained behind in the U.S. was cited regularly by Chicano Movement activists as a basis for charges of historical mistreatment4. In essence, it is true that, because of an Anglo-American unwillingness to accept Mexicans as equals, they often ignored treaty agreements that gave Mexicans all the rights of citizens. But as Anglo domination increased, Spanish was pushed out of areas dominated by Anglos; at times it was vilified and almost always subordinated by them. Immediately after the war with Mexico, for example, most official and economic activity was conducted in English. In the political arena, Mexican Americans promoted bilingualism in the legislatures of New Mexico and California, yet proceedings almost always took place in English. As Spanish-speaking politicians improved their English or lost their power, Spanish was eradicated. The American acquisition threatened identity and ethical unity of the population, their cultural traditions and values. The Mexican population opposed this influence speaking Spanish language at home and preserving their cultural traditions. The break that immigration brought to the mainspring ideal of the Chicano Movement, a claim to the Southwest heritage, presented movimiento ideologies with a

Friday, August 23, 2019

Discuss the difficulties most often encountered in business writing Essay

Discuss the difficulties most often encountered in business writing and how to avoid them - Essay Example Lot of entrepreneurs who undergo the process of business writing usually fails to achieve the target due to the following problems. Many business writers fail to come up with effective business writing due to their failure to identify the reader of their business report (Siljander, 2008). This makes it hard for them to gather the necessary information needed to address the key areas of interest to the readers. During the writing, many students concentrate on giving a lot of explanation in areas that are of less importance to the reader. All this is due to their inability to identify the key potential areas which needs much more explanation. To overcome this, the writers need to know the audience they are addressing in their writing. The writer must be aware whether his writing targets up, down or lateral communication. The writer must know the reader of his or her writing as much as possible. The moment the writer realizes the reader of his writing, and he or she will be in a positio n to address the core problems the reader wants to see solved (Spedding, 2010). For example, if the writer is communicating up the chain of command, then knowing the reader of his writings will be beneficial as it will determine whether her or his writing will be acted upon by the targeted audience. Before engaging in any business writing, the writer should take his or her time to consider the reader preferred communication style. The writer needs to think about how the intended reader communicates with others in the business. Identify whether the intended reader wants the writing to get direct to the point or not. This knowledge of the writer about the intended reader of his message will enable him to know where to put his message, at the beginning or the end. Secondly, during business writing, writers face a monumental problem of deciding on the channel of communication he or she will adopt. This problem appears the moment the writer starts preparing business writing without knowi ng the intended reader (Moore, 2008). To overcome this, once the writer has identified the end reader of his or her business writing, he or she needs to make an informed decision on the channel to be used. Channels of communicating the writing may be divided into two forms, i.e. formal or informal. During the writing, the writer should consider the reader who will pass through his or her information (Butler, 2006). This will help the writer to choose appropriate channel of communication to use. He or she will be in a position to decide whether to use a brochure, letter, e-mail or other form of business writing. During seminars and business writing workshops, writers often understands the objectives required by different readers. They also find it easier to identify communication channels to be used at various instances. The main problem they face in their attempt to develop and come up with appropriate business writing is a task to realize their overall objective (Moore, 2008). Many writers think that the overall goal of their writing is to ensure the intended reader reads it. By this, they end up falling short of the purpose of business writing. To overcome this problem, writers need to verbalize what they want from the reader (Butler, 2006). This will help them adopt specific actions during their writing. Before the writer gets engaged in any business writing, he should clearly know what he or she wants from the reader. They

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Hawaii Watersports Essay Example for Free

Hawaii Watersports Essay With the white sandy beaches and crystal clear water Hawaii is the ideal place for ocean water sports. There are a wide range of water sports, from highly aggressive to leisurely sports that all types of people can enjoy. There are even sports which are specific only to the exotic islands encompassing this magnificent state. Taking a look at each individual sport will excite and possible mystify the sports enthusiast. Today we will take a look at sea kayaking, kite boarding, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, and scuba diving. Sea kayaking is an exhilarating and physically challenging sport. One must be sure to have the proper equipment and technique before heading out into the salty blue. It is said that kayakers ‘wear their kayaks’ and selecting a proper sea kayak, one that fits comfortably to your body type, can be a difficult task. First make sure that you fit comfortable in the pit. It should be snug, but not tight. If it is loose it may be difficult to maneuver. Kayaking is relaxing and comfortable sport especially around the islands. There are many ecological kayaking tours offered throughout Hawaii that will take you places and show you some of the amazing creatures and sites of the islands. Kite boarding is a new age surface water sport that is trendy among young people. Kite boarding is very similar to wakeboarding with the exception that the board is controlling their own movements with a kite, fully equipped with handle, instead of being pulled by a boat. Kite boarding is an extreme sport combining balance and coordination with the unique technique of keeping a kite in the air. Kite boarders have an unrivaled experience as they let the wind control their moves and can sometimes reach heights of 30 feet, and if they skilled and adventurous they may be able to do flips and other stunts before smoothly returning to the ocean. It is recommended that the new kite boarder takes a few lessons to learn proper techniques before venturing out on a kite boarding adventure. Surfing is a timeless and classic sport. Surfing like kite boarding is a surface water sport where the participant rides waves while balancing on a surf board. Surfing can actually be broken into many categories including body boarding, windsurfing, and body surfing. Body boarding is best described by using your body to ride a foam board over waves. Windsurfing uses both aspects of surfing and sailing. A windsurf board is a surf board with a sail attached. The windsurfer steers themselves with the sail and rides the wave as a surfer would. Body surfing is actually what the name implies, using one’s body to ride the waves. Body surfers are usually equipped with nothing by swim fins to take on the task of riding the breaking waves. Sailing is a leisurely recreation sport in which a person, or group of people, steer a ship or sail boat using sails. Sail boats move forward because of the inertia caused when the wind is caught in the sail. Sailing is a technical sport and the proper skills must be learned before heading out to sea. Scuba diving is another popular sport among the islands. Scuba requires a certification because of the danger involved. There are many short certification courses for tourists to partake in. These courses cover the essentials and make time for some short open water dives were the scuba can explore the exotic world on ocean water. Hawaii is an exotic place with many things to offer the adventurer or sports enthusiast. It is important to learn the techniques of the sports one wishes to indulge themselves in to ensure a safe and happy stay on the islands.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The advantages of farming over hunting and gathering Essay Example for Free

The advantages of farming over hunting and gathering Essay Even thought farming is harder than hunting and gathering, there are many advantages in farming. Farmers can produce more food then hunters and gatherers can gather. Farming lets people have a steady food supply all year long. Farmers usually have surplus, so they can have bigger families then the hunters and gatherers. Farmers dont have to travel like the hunters and gatherers; they have a settled life, they dont have to travel, and they take up less space. Farmers can live almost anyplace where the soil is fertilized. Farmers dont have to farm all day; they can work as something else (such as a craftsperson). Farmers can produce a lot of food. They have a surplus so they can have a steady balance of food. Hunters and gatherers cant have a surplus so they dont always have a steady food supply all year. Farmers can have many children because they have a surplus of food. Even if hunters and gatherers wanted to have many children they wouldnt be able to because they wouldnt be able to feed them. Because farmers produce their food they dont have to move. Farmers dont have to move so they take up less space. Hunters and gatherers who hunt for their food have to move when food gets scarce. Hunters and gatherers have to hunt for food so they have to work all day. The farmers can spend some their time farming and use the rest of their time to become a toolmaker, a builder, a fisher, a craftsperson, a priest, leader, etc. These four ways prove that between farming and hunting gathering farming has an advantage.

Justice in Environmental Geography

Justice in Environmental Geography Outline what you understand by the term justice, and critically assess how it has been integrated into the field of environmental geography. In relation to the essay title, environmental justice as a concept emerged in the 1980s, and since then, the concept of environmental justice has been closely linked to and integrated into the field of environmental geography, in describing and explaining the spatial aspects of the interaction between the environment and humans. In this essay, before assessing how it has been integrated into the field of environmental geography, I will first have to define the concept and meaning of environmental justice. Furthermore, by referencing to several academic studies and case studies, I will attempt to highlight the significance of the connection between term justice and environmental geography, in providing evidence to demonstrate how the term justice is applied in the field of environmental geography, as well as limitations in relation to the concept of environmental justice, which limits the usage and significant of the concept in the field of environmental geography. The core concept of environmental justice suggests that, no one regardless of their demographics, should bear a disproportionate amount of the negative environmental hazards or risks induced by commercial, industrial and governmental decisions or actions in relation to their operations, development and the implementation of environmental laws and policies (Holifield 2001; Schlosberg, 2007; EPA 2012).It also signifies that people should be involved and entitled to have a chance to form or provide opinions on activities that can impact their environment, and that the regulatory agency will consider the opinions provided by the public when decision-making (EPA, 2012). In relation to that, environmental geographyis a school of geography, which primarily focuses on examining the spatial aspects of interactions between humans and the environment; to understand the dynamic, ever-changing relationship between human activities and the environment (Castree et al.,2009). As pointed out by Reed George (2011), environmental justice as a research theme are popular among other subjects and schools, and are not solely researched by environmental geographers. However, they argued that geographers position is rather unique, as their role is to understand the dynamic human-environment relations, to consider the social and spatial distributions of environmental effects, risk, impacts or hazards, and to identify the cause and factors that contribute to the continued occurrence of inequality (Reed et. al, 2011). One case study example which can demonstrate how environmental justice has been integrated into the field of environmental geography is the study carried out by Pastor, Sadd Hipp (2001). In the study, by referred to the earliest work in this field; researchers had identified that in predominantly industrialized societies, a disproportionate share of environmental hazards often occur in minority neighborhoods (Bullard, 1990; Been 1995; Pastor et al., 2001). One of the location highlighted by the studies is Los Angeles County in the US, as evidences suggested that disproportionate exposure to toxic storage and disposal facilities and toxic air releases associated with the industry is present (Burke, 1993; Sadd, Pastor, Boer, Snyder 1999; Pastor et. al, 2001). With the findings as a foundation, and Los Angeles County as a case study location, the researchers proceeded to address the minority move-in or disproportionate siting question; to find out whether the disproportionate exposure of minorities to toxic storage and disposal facilities was due to the moving- in of minority residents, triggered by the siting of the facility which increases perceived risks of exposu re to environmental hazards, and reduces the actual quality of the environment, which causes land values to diminish, or whether it was solely due to disproportionate siting of these facilities (Pastor et. al, 2001). Subsequently, after statistical hypothesis tests and census data were utilized, they were able to confirm that demographics of the population within an area affects the siting of the facilities, and areas with a high low-income and minority population were most likely to be subjected to the implementation of toxic storage and disposal facilities (Pastor et. al, 2001). However, toxic storage and disposal facilities do not tend to attract minorities to move-in; in-fact, unexpectedly, the facilities tend to repel and not attract minorities to move in (Pastor et. al, 2001). This suggests that there is a need to implement policies and changes to protect the minorities subjected to hazard, as the results seemed to suggest that disproportional exposure was not due to minority moving-in to take advantage of cheaper housing, but in-fact the facilities were actively causing the disproportional exposure due to their siting decision (Pastor et. al, 2001). The concept of Environmental justice and related case studies were integrated in environmental geography, as it provided an explanation to geographers, on the implication of human- induced activities and decisions on the environment, and to provide theories in attempt to explain why spatial variations on level of pollution across different parts of the environment occur, in relation to spatial inequality and injustice (Castree et al., 2009; Reed et al., 2011). Furthermore, by referring to the spatial distribution of pollution, policy- makers could use Statistical Methods to monitor Environmental Pollution and calculate the risks involved, which aids the introduction and implementation of emergency measures, or redevelopment plans for contaminated land, to focus on minimizing the increased risks of environmental hazard and reduce the overall level of pollution that minorities are exposed to, in order to reinforce environmental justice (Gilbert, 1987; Alloway et. al., 1997; Smith, 2013 ). However, one could argue that the concept might not have been perfectly integrated in the study of environmental geography. Reed George (2011) had highlighted the fact that the concept of environmental justice stemmed from America in the 1980s, and researches revolved around the concept had since then, remained centralized in the United States of America, supported by the fact that out of 114 articles on environmental justice found in GeoBase in 2009, there are only 46 literature which involves case studies outside USA, plus there were only 15 pieces of literature which involved the research on two developing countries. The researchers had also pointed out that most environmental justice research conducted between the years of 2005 and 2009, were in-fact by American researchers, or researchers in America (Reed et al., 2011). Moreover, Reed George (2011) had also identified that, in 2009, about 50 percent of the authors involved in publishing articles related to environmental justic e, identified in Geobase, were associated with at least one American institution. In contrast, the amount of literature published by researches from New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Australia were significantly lower (Reed et al., 2011). Furthermore, the concept remained heavily skewed research, as less than 10 percent of all articles were published by researchers in the developing countries. Additionally, many studies were focused on a single country or an area within a country; Walker Burninghams (2011) study on flood risks focused on examples within the UK, whereas Pastor, Sadd Hipps (2001) study focused solely on the spatial differences and other factors within the LA county. As stated by the researchers, the finding mentioned in the research mentioned previously in this essay may apply for the LA county, but it might be far from accurate when applied to explain the spatial difference of hazards and risks within a different country, hence prevent researchers to apply the concept of environmental justice, and identify a model to highlight the spatial difference in hazards globally (Pastor et al., 2001). This is due to the variations in spatial distribution of the population and industry among different countries, as well as the difference in political policies which affects urban development and planning (Reed et al., 2011). These could imply that environmental justi ce is integrated in the studies of environmental geography in a regional scale, and not in a global scale. Also, the concept of environmental justice might not apply to other countries other than America, due to the fact that it contains a skewed representation from American researchers, meaning that the empirical and conceptual focus of environmental justice had only expanded marginally since the establishment of the concept, thus preventing environmental geographers to study the global spatial aspects on the interactions between human activities and the environment in a wider context (Reed et al., 2011). In conclusion, the concept of environmental justice and relevant case studies on the surrounding this concept are integrated into environmental geography. This is mainly because through using this concept, it helps environmental geographers in their research by highlight how environmental decisions induced by humans can induce a hazardous environment, and why some part of the population are more prone to be affected by the hazards as a result. However, the limitations as mentioned above, in regards to most of the researches on environmental justice were done focusing on America and are heavily skewed, means that environmental justice as a concept might not be significant to the study of environmental geography, as the concept cannot relate well to countries outside the US, nor is it significant when applied globally, for geographers to highlight global spatial difference, and to study the dynamics between human- induced actions and the environment on a global scale. Reference Alloway, B. Ayres, C (1997) Chemical Principles of Environmental Pollution, Second Edition. CRC Press. Arild Holt-Jensen (1999) Geography History and Concepts: A Students Guide. London: SAGE Been, V. (1995) Analyzing evidence of environmental justice. Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law, 11, 1–37. Bullard, R. (1990) Dumping in Dixie: Race, class and environmental quality. Boulder: Westview Press. Burke, L. (1993) Race and environmental equity: A geographic analysis in Los Angeles. Geoinfo Systems 44–50. Castree, N., Demeritt, D., Liverman, D. Rhoads, B. (2009) A Companion to Environmental Geography. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Gilbert, R. (1987) Statistical Methods for Environmental Pollution Monitoring. Wiley. Holifield, R. 2001. Defining environmental justice and environmental racism. Urban Geography 22 (1): 78-90. Pastor, M., Sadd, J. Hipp, J. (2001) Which Came First? Toxic Facilities, Minority Move-In, and Environmental Justice. Journal of Urban Affairs 23 (1): 1-21. Wiley-Blackwell. Reed, M., George, C. (2011) Where in the world is environmental justice? Progress in Human Geography, 35, 835–842. Sadd, J., Pastor, M., Boer, J., Snyder, L. (1999) â€Å"Every breath you take†: The demographics of toxic air releases in southern California. Economic Development Quarterly, 13(2),107–123. Schlosberg, D (2007) Defining Environmental Justice: Theories, Movements, and Nature. USA: Oxford University Press. Smith, K (2013) Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster. Fifth Edition. Routledge. U.S. Environemntal Protection Agency (2012) Environmental Justice: Basic Information. [Online] Available from: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/basics/index.html. [Accessed: 22nd March 2014] Walker, G. Burningham, K. (2011) Flood risk, vulnerability and environmental justice: Evidence and evaluation of inequality in a UK context. Critical Social Policy 2011 31: 216. Sage.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, there were many lessons that were taught. Atticus was a lawyer who taught his son Jem and daughter Scout many different values. Atticus felt that one of the most important values was to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you judge them. He also taught them to respect others. Scout was a wild girl and always got into fights with other guys; Atticus showed her that fighting doesn't solve anything. Atticus showed the kids that you should not judge other people. You don't know how their life is unless you are walking around in their shoes. You have no clue on how they feel about things and what they see. They may have problems that you don't know about and they don't want you to see. They may act different because of the way they were brought up. You can never tell unless you see what they see. Atticus also felt that you should always respect others. He felt that you should always try to please other people even if it means holding in your opinion sometimes. Mrs. Dubose was a character in the novel who was very disrespectful to the rich. Atticus still made them be kind to her. Jem got mad one day and cut some of her bushes down. As a punishment Atticus made him read to Mrs. Dubose. Later, when they learned she had died, Atticus said: "...She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe...son. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won...she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew." They learned that they shouldn't act mean-spirited just because of their feelings about someone. They might act out of anger and not really understand the person at all. In the beginning of the book, Scout had a bad temper. She got into a lot of fights over little things. Atticus would get very angry with her because he felt that fighting was very wrong. He thought that it didn't prove anything.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

What is a hero? A hero is someone who does a service to ones community even when staring death in the eyes. A hero is someone who willingly even when face to face with adversity does not quit. A hero can vary from the policemen who keep the streets safe to a preserver of the peace and prosperity to a political leader who helps secure the endowment of democracy to our his country and their posterity. Of all these type of heroes, I tend to believe that the heroes who preserve both peace and prosperity while helping end a deficiency of the human race such as racism is more inspiring, which is why, for my hero I chose Mohondas Karachamand Gandhi who is best known as Mahatma (good soul) Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi helped uproot the tree of racism and even after being arrested multiple times, he, through both thick and thin, did not give up until his work was finished to a sufficient amount. Mahatma Gandhi may have been a lawyer, an humanitarian, a civil rights activist, legal advisor, and a na tionalist leader, but he was most of all, a hero Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2,1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat to a very respected family. His father was the chief minister of Porbandar. A few years after Mahatma Gandhi was born, his father had died leaving Gandhi depressed. After a few years, he slowly got on with his life and in the year of 1888, had set sail for England so he could finish his degree in law at the Inner Temple, one of the four law schools in England. He was called to bar in 1891 and even enrolled in the high court of London, yet later that very year he returned to India. In India, after a year of very unsuccessful law practice, he decided to accept an offer from an Indian business man,Dada Abdulla, in which Gandhi would traveled ... ...for his plans to liberate India. In 1942 Gandhi issued a last call for independence by eloquently, in a speech, asking every Indian to lay down there life if it need be to earn India freedom from Britain. In response, Britain arrested both Gandhi and nearly the entire Congress and held them locked up until the conclusion of the war. India soon became a separate country and Gandhi was released. Gandhi is considered a hero because even after he was unjustly arrested multiple times, he persevered and made a difference Gandhi is considered a hero not only because he helped uproot racism, he cared for all classes in society, and because he perseveres through thick and thin, but more of because he made a changed the world forever. Without Gandhi and his techniques, the world would be full of discrimination and racism. If there was one word to describe Gandhi, it is heroic

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Classical Theory: Cesane Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham Essay -- feudalis

Crime have existed over many centuries, different eras affect the flow of crime and within those eras. Furthermore amongst individuals, there was different way of thinking into how to reduce and eliminate occurred. The act of crime cannot be eliminated, as different individuals have different perspectives of crime and for theses reasons, have different methods of advocating and eliminating crime. This essay will firstly explore the views of Classical Theory, by looking at Cesane Beccaria, the father of Classical theory and Jeremy Bentham, the founder of Utilitarian and explore how there influences are incorporated into laws and regulations, around the world. Secondly, Positivism theory explores the biological, psychological and environment understanding of what causes the crime, thus having a different understand and method into solving and eliminating crime. By looking at these overarching theories, we can come to understand how they both are beneficial and incorporated into the law s within our society, however does now have the power to rid it of crime. Classical theory explores the idea that crime is the intent to commit, rather than a reaction to an unfavorable situation. This theory believes that a committed crime was intended to gain ‘self-seeking and self interest’ and because of this belief this theory believe that the criminals have to take full responsibility of there actions. Two known advocates of Classical theories are Cesane Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham. Their ideologies revolve around classical theory and have greatly influenced, through the creation of laws, rules and regulations, which have impacted society today. The development and influence of Classical theory happened during the transition from the feudalism... ...conferences/criminality/benier.pdf http://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector/drivers-of-crime/publications-and-background-information/documents/spb-theories-on-the-causes-of-crime http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/beccaria.htm http://www.iep.utm.edu/beccaria/ http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/19631_Section_8___Biosocial_Approaches.pdf http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/history/panopticon.htm https://sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/sites/sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/files/how_much_does_imprisonment_protect_the_community_through_incapacitation_0.pdf http://www.jstor.org/stable/2709127?__redirected http://www.sagepub.com/hanserintro/study/materials/reference/ref8.1.pdf http://www.ashgate.com/pdf/SamplePages/Ashgate_Research_Companion_to_Biosocial_Theories_of_Crime_Intro.pdf http://whatworks.uwex.edu/attachment/FamilyBasedPreventionProgramschapterdraft6-10-10.pdf

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Inside out by Larry Crabb: a book review Essay

Introduction For a lot of people, life seems to be simply a string of frustrations, broken promises, and disappointments. Somehow, people are looking for something better outside of themselves. This results to dangerous behaviors such as alcoholism, substance abuse and depression. The root behind this is the fear of looking inside oneself. This fear may be born out of frustrations strengthened by negative experiences in childhood and even in adulthood. In spite of these fears and these frustrations, most people desire change for themselves. They want to feel that they are truly alive and that they are empowered to do the things that they are passionate about. They want to get over the helplessness and the feeling that they are trapped in something they do not want to be in. The problem is most people do not know where to start. They start to plan to change and implement. However, after a few days, they go back to where they started from. For people who truly desire to change, what is needed is a change of perspective and a good understanding of their struggles, their personalities and their character. After all, self-analysis will only work if a set of criteria has been determined at the outset. The first step to change is to know exactly where one is located. Looking Inside Dr. Larry Crabb’s Inside Out is an attempt to guide people to look at themselves and help them evaluate their situation, their background, and how they can change for the better. Dr. Crabb’s outlook is hopeful and he seeks to help individuals find the courage to change and improve their lives and their overall person. Although the book is addressed to anyone who wants to change. Dr.Crabb specifically directed his book to those who want to follow the commands of God written in the Bible, but for one reason or another, they fail to do so. As such, Dr. Crabb’s main goal is to promote obedience to the Word of God. Inside Out is divided into four parts. The first part deals with the importance of looking beneath the surface. In the busyness and crazy schedule of today’s world, Dr. Crabb invites individuals to take a moment and take a look inside oneself. His initial salvo is the call to look beyond the surface and the importance of looking inside in order to effect change. However, looking inside oneself, especially if one is honest about it, is frustrating. We discover that what we think about ourselves is not the complete picture and that we are still miles away from what we want to become. Looking inside, however, will not be successful without knowledge of what to look for. In this regard, Dr. Crabb provides a criteria and a set of factors that one should look for The second part deals with the needs of people since deep down inside we are thirsty people. We do not always realize the nature of this thirst and that is why it is being slaked by things that do not really satisfy. Dr. Crabb also wrote about the source of living waters, which is Christ. Christ’s invitation to himself as the living water so that humans â€Å"would not thirst again† is clear. Yet, there is still a lot of pain in the world and lack of maturity because individuals are not able to partake of this living water. More than that, however, the urges and desires are mistaken for what they truly are—they are the manifestations of thirst and of the needs of individuals. If people would realize their thirst, they would have a better understanding of themselves and of their needs. The next part of the book deals with the process of looking into the different solutions and alternatives that people seek to fill their thirst with. There are a lot of wrong directions and wrong decisions that people make in order to quench their thirst. Yet, before long, they will realize that these alternatives are but broken wells that could not really satisfy their thirst. These broken wells are uncovered in Part III and in the last part of the book, Dr. Crabb describes the principles and the steps needed in changing from the inside out. Dr. Crabb said that defining the true problem is the first step in solving the problem. In this regard, he used psychological steps and techniques in order to help individuals in assessing their condition and helping them in solving their problems. He does not stop at psychology, however. He highlighted the power of the gospel in bringing about change to individuals. The good thing about his strategy is that he integrates psychology into biblical principles and practices to achieve maximum effect. Changing for the better is not only for pre-Christian individuals. Rather, Christians also need to change for the better in order for them to be in step with the will of God for their lives. As such, psychological tools and strategies in counseling and analyzing personal situations can also be used by Christians in addressing their personal issues. Although this integration may not sit well with other Christians across the spectrum, psychological strategies recognize that as humans, we do have a role in improving ourselves and seeking the will of God. The Holy Spirit ultimately helps us with our struggles and with our issues. However, without our willing participation, the work of the Holy Spirit will be limited. Conclusion A lot of people have their struggles, past hurts, past sins and other issues that undermine their quest for wholeness and sense of being. People want to change and enjoy the best that life has to offer. Too often, however, they are looking in the wrong places and they quench their thirst with what does not truly satisfy. Even Christians are not spared from this. There are a lot of issues in obeying Christ and in viewing Christian life as a duty and not as journey to enjoy. Dr. Crabb’s book integrates psychology, theology, and biblical principles in helping people deal with their issues and struggles. This he did in a comprehensive and helpful way throughout Inside Out. Perhaps the most contentious part of his book is his integration of psychological concepts and ideas, which for some Christians is not acceptable. The counter-argument to this line of thinking is that God ordained humans as His partners in working out his will on earth. Through the sacrifice of Christ, humans have been ushered into a relationship of friendship with Him. As such, this relationship, which is at the heart of Christianity, makes it possible for humans to also endeavor for best practices and strategies in enabling the Holy Spirit to work. After all, human wisdom and activities should be evaluated in light of God’s Word and as long as they do not contradict Scriptures, then using such techniques and strategies, as long as they are helpful and not inimical to the process of change, would be beneficial. Jesus, himself, said that â€Å"whoever is not against us is with us. † Perhaps, this does not only apply to people but also to ideas, concepts, and practices that could enhance our spirituality and well-being.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Project Report on Coffee Behaviour

Westminster International University in Tashkent BSc in Economics with Finance 2012 – 2013 CW 1 (Element 2): Group Final Report CW 1 (Element 2): Group Final Report To be completed by the student Student’s ID number | 00001477, 00001568, 00002099, 00001506| Module name| Research Methods| Module code| 2UZB503| Tutor| Lobar Mukhamedova| Individual assignment| | Group assignment| | Submission deadline| 04. 04. 2013| For Academic Registrar use only| Contents Abstract3 Introduction3 Literature Review3 Coffee and Smoking4 Coffee and Smoking cessation5 Coffee and alcohol5Coffee and physical activity6 Coffee and Income6 Conclusion6 Research question7 Research objectives7 Methodology7 Research approach and design7 Research setting8 Study population and sample8 Data Collection9 Data collection instrument9 Data collection procedure9 Reliability and validity10 Reliability10 Validity10 Ethical considerations10 Conclusion10 Data11 Estimation and Results14 Conclusion and Recommendatio ns16 Bibliography17 Appendix 119 Questionnaire instructions. 19 Instructions on how to complete the questionnaire19 Coffee questionnaire20 Personal information:20 AbstractThe following paper discusses the main determinants of coffee consumption at Westminster International University in Tashkent. Determinants such as income of respondent, ethnicity, religion, smoking habits and other factors are investigated. Data was collected using online methods of surveying and self-administrated questionnaires. Results proved to be significant and revealed a negative correlation between coffee consumption, active lifestyle and marital status. In contrast, positive correlation between coffee consumption income and age was found. Other factors as smoking, religion, education years proved to be insignificant.Introduction Being the third most consumed beverage in the world after water and tea, coffee is valued for its distinct aroma, flavor and energizing effect. Found in Ethiopia in the 9th centur y, coffee first became popular in the Arab world, was then promoted in Europe and consequently developed into one of the most traded commodities in the world(John K. Francis, 2007). World annual per capita consumption was equal to 1. 3 kg/person in 2011. America and Europe are the largest coffee consumers on per capita basis, accounting for 3. 9 and 3. 7 kg/person respectively, in comparison to Asian countries where the average constituted 0. kg/person (World Resources Institute, 2011). Nevertheless, the western coffee consumption habits are slowly starting to spread in Asia, especially in Uzbekistan, where coffee is considered as a fashionable hot drink rather than an everyday necessity. The consumption of both instant and insoluble coffeein Uzbekistan is limited to urban areas and is generally increasing alongside with the rising living standards (Euromonitor, 2011). Furthermore, the rising number of coffee shops and the popularity of coffee houses such as Cafe Jum, Julius Meinl, Book Cafe, KafeKafe and Coffee Clubare good indicators of the growing popularity of coffee.Literature Review Evidence from various studies identify that living standards are not the only determinant of coffee consumption behavior. Smoking, smoking cessation, alcohol, age, gender, level of physical activity and income also play a sufficient role in one’s consumption patterns. In their comprehensive research on coffee and associated lifestyle factors published in 2010 Hewlett and Wadsworth discovered a link between caffeinated drink consumption, smoking and alcohol. The findings revealed that those drinking coffee were more likely to be smokers aged between 30 and 70.Another review on coffee consumption behavior in Karnataka, India published in 2008 by Varun indicated a positive correlation between education, family size and income on coffee demand in urban areas, whereas in the rural areas, the price was the main determinant influencing consumption. The rationale for the linka ge of the determinants and coffee consumption is reviewedand discussed belowbased on a wide range of researches and surveys. The studies concerning coffee consumption behaviorwere obtained from EBSCO, JStor, Emerald and Google Scholar databases.Those researches included in the literature review are published in English, report coffee consumption behavior; show correlation with at least some of the lifestyle factors and provide a detailed review of the applied methodology and statistical analysis. Coffee and Smoking Seven studies concluded that higher cigarette consumption among persistent smokers is linked to highercoffee consumption. The investigation on coffee consumption patterns among army personnel byZavela et al. (1990) revealed a positive correlation between female cigarette and alcohol consumption and male cigarette and coffee consumption.Furthermore, the researchers identified that non-smokers tend to be abstemious to coffee and alcohol consumption. In contrast, Koksal et a l. (2011) in their pseudo-panel analysis of US household data came to the conclusion that that coffee consumption and consumption of cigarettes and alcohol are not correlated due to the statistical insignificance of the cross price elasticities of coffee. However,even though there is no serial complementary relation in the observed population, the authors do not exclude the possibility that coffee and cigarettes are complements for some individuals. Studies by Salazar et al. and Garcia et al. hat analyzed the responses from about 120’000 participants both, stated that more than 50% of female smokers drank at least 6 cups of coffeeper day, whereas only 30% of smoking men consumed at least 6 cups of coffee on a daily basis. Digging even further into the research of the relation of smoking and coffee, Klesges et al. conducted a large epidemiologic study with more than 7500 respondents. The researchers labeled those consuming from one to four cigarettes per day as light smokers, those smoking from five to twenty cigarettes as moderate smokers and those smoking at least twenty one cigarettes per day as heavy smokers.Further analysis revealed that light and moderate smokers where 2. 34 and 2. 84 times more likely to drink coffee than non-smokers, whereas heavy smokers where 4. 23 times more likely to be coffee consumers. The comparison of the student sample with the general public sample by Brice et al. illustrated that smokers in both samples were likely to drink more coffee in comparison to non-smokers. In the student sample (121 respondent) smokers on average consumed 76 mg more caffeine than their fellow non-smokers. In the general public sample (122 respondent) smokers consumed 92 mg more than non-smokers.The majority of the academic papers revealed a positive correlation between smoking and coffee consumption (except the Koksal et al. study). However, some of the mentioned above studies might be a subject to bias as most of the respondents were asked to self-report coffee consumption and smoking habits. Furthermore, studies by Zavela et al. and Brice et al. had small samples that did not completely represent the whole population and may therefore also be addressed as biased at some point. Nevertheless, despite the presented results, none of the researches, except for Benowitz et al. 2003) addressed the actual reason for the coffee/smoking relation. According to the researchers smokers prefer coffee due to the fact that smoking increases caffeine metabolism and coffee contains the highest its highest dose among all other beverages. In order to confirm the positive correlation between the amount of cigarettes smoked and coffee consumed it is important to research the reverse side of the relation. Do those people that quit smoking consume less coffee? Coffee and Smoking cessation Several studies review the relation between smoking cessation and coffee consumption andall of them reveal a positive correlation.A cross-sectional study by Fernandez et al. described a total sample of 2621 respondents and found that lower coffee consumption was associated with quitting smoking. However, the results might be effect-modified as the health reasons for quitting where not taken into consideration during data collection. The research on smoking relapse conducted by Krall et al. revealed that people who quit smoking but where drinking at least 6 cups of coffee daily where 2. 33 times more likely to start smoking again. A similar study of 116 men by Kauffman et al. eviewed that those who don’t drink a lot of coffee where 12 times more likely to quit smoking successfully. Furthermore, education and age where identified as the factors positively affecting smoking cessation and where adjusted in order to make the effect of coffee consumption clearer. Coffee and alcohol Correlations between coffee consumption and alcohol consumption are mostly explained by ones attitude towards health. Therefore, usually alcohol drinkers a re less concerned by their health and on average consume more coffee than non-drinkers.Researches by Talcott et al. and Stevenson et al. prove this statement as according to their findings, alcohol drinkers were 1. 52 times more likely to drink coffee. Schwarz et al. investigated even further and researched the relation between different alcohol drinks with coffee and tea consumption in a sample of 2400 respondents aged from twenty five to sixty four. The findings of the authors revealed that among beer, wine and other beverages only wine had a positive correlation with coffee consumption. Again the above studies have some limitations as some of them o not reveal the health conditions of the respondents. As mentioned above health is a serious determinant that can affect both alcohol intake and coffee consumption. Furthermore, self-administered means of collecting information were used. Therefore, the collected data might be prone to bias. Coffee and physical activity The majority of the reviewed surveys associated high coffee consumption with low physical activity. According to the research by Hewlett et al. less coffee consumption was associated with being younger and a less than healthy lifestyle. Thune et al. onducted a survey with more than 10000 respondents that indicated that both males and females with sedentary jobs consumed more coffee than those that were physically more active. Therefore, coffee consumption may be associated with less leisure time activities and a sedentary job. It is important to mention the work of Mosdol et al. that researched how the changes in coffee consumption affected ones physical activity. The respondents were placed in three groups by coffee consumption. The first group didn’t drink coffee at all, the second consumed 1 to 3 cups per day and the third group drank at least 4 cups.Furthermore, 3 physical activity level groups were established. The results revealed that those participants that increased the amount of c ups consumed per day were less likely to do physical exercise. Therefore, the higher is the coffee intake, the less physically active an individual is. From the methodological point of view, the limitations of the mentioned above surveys where again connected to the fact that mostly the participants were asked to self-report their levels of physical activity and coffee consumption. Furthermore, the studies researched the relation between the two variables at a single point of time.All of the limitations combined make it hard to identify the real connection between coffee consumption and physical activity. Coffee and Income It is evident that the relation between coffee consumption and income varies from region to region. Therefore, coffee consumption in some states comprises a significantly lower proportion of total consumption in comparison with other countries. Hewlett et al. (1990) identified that the income elasticity is positive and less than one for all of the goods investigat ed (coffee, tea, alcohol). Interestingly, the study by Varun et al. evealed that urban households purchase a larger amount of coffee and tea in contrast to rural households. Furthermore, total family income plays a more significant role in consumer decisions in urban areas, whereas family size was the major factor in rural areas. Conclusion Based on the reviewed literature most important coffee consumption determinants were identified. Therefore, a significant correlation between smoking and coffee consumption was found. Additional research revealed that smokers on average consume more than non-smokers and those who quit smoking.Furthermore, the probability of smoking relapse was higher for those ex-smokers that consumed a higher amount of caffeine. The biological relation between coffee metabolism and smoking was recognized as one of the factors to explain the correlation. Coffee consumption and alcohol intake were linked to an individual’s personal healthcare choices. There fore, high consumption of alcohol was correlated with an unhealthy lifestyle and consequently, with a higher consumption of coffee. Unhealthy lifestyle was also proved to be the factor relating coffee intake with lower physical activity.Income and coffee consumption were proven to change from region to region, with people in urban areas with higher incomes drinking more coffee in comparison with the people in rural areas. Most importantly, a research gap was found. As can be seen from the above review, none of the researchers investigated coffee consumption patterns in Uzbekistan and almost none of them investigated university student’s coffee consumption behavior. Therefore, it is important to fulfill this gap and conduct a survey of coffee consumption patterns among students in Uzbekistan.However, due to the scarcity of resources this research will focus on the coffee consumption determinants in Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT). Research question What are the main coffee consumption determinants for the students of the Westminster International University in Tashkent? Research objectives * To identify the main factors affecting coffee consumption behavior of WIUT students * To discover whether the findings about the positive relation between smoking and coffee consumption are applicable to WIUT tudents * To interpret the discovered relations between key determinants and coffee consumption Methodology Research approach and design During the research a quantitative approach was implemented. Given (2008) describes a quantitative research as an empirical investigation of a social phenomenon by the use of statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. Usually a quantitative approach is applied when it is necessary to statistically describe and test relations between certain variables and examine cause effect relations.A descriptive (correlational) survey was used to collect primary data to describe the population. The descrip tive survey interprets the relationships among a set of variables to develop trends and patterns in the data. Variables in this kind of a survey are not manipulated and are studied as they occur. The survey obtains data from a population sample by means of self-report, when participants respond to a number of questions identified by the researcher. In the current research, information was gathered by the use of self-administered questionnaires distributed online and individually for each participant.A descriptive quantitative approach was applied because it helps to identify the causes of the interrelations in the variables. The main advantage of the employed approach is precision that is achieved through reliable quantitative measurement, when the collected data is not manipulated. However, there are some limitations due to the objectivity of self-reports, as respondents may provide the researcher with unauthentic information that is not accurate. Research settingThe study was cond ucted at the Westminster International University in Tashkent that is located in the highly dense urban area in the center of the capital of Uzbekistan. Approximately 1700 students and 90 teachers attend the university. The majority of the students are locals aged from 17 to 25, most of which are a registered in the Facebook social network. Study population and sample A population is a set of all the elements that come within the study sample criteria. The sampling frame consisted of young adults aged 17 to 23 that are full-time bachelor’s degree students who study on levels 3, 4, 5 or 6 of the university.Master’s degree students and teachers were not included in the frame as they represent an older age group that does not fit into the aim of the research to study consumption patterns among students. Due to the lack of time, resources and the impossibility of implementation, the census approach, when data is collected from everyone in the population,was excluded from t he research. Instead, the simple random sampling approach was applied. Under this approach the sample is collected by randomly choosing the respondents from the sampling frame.The simple random sampling approach was used because the research sample size was equal to 300, the sample frame was easily accessible via the computer database, and interactions with the respondents were not an issue. The sample size decisions were based on a 95% confidence level that the data represents the characteristics of the whole population and the 3-5% acceptable margin of error that expresses the amount of random sampling error in the results. According to the optimal sample size calculations and the table adapted from Saunders et al. (2003, p. 56) and assuming a 100% response rate the optimal sample size was identified to be equal to 300. The collected sample was compared with the student statistics from the university and was provento represent the characteristics of the university population. Data Collection Data collection instrument A self-administered questionnaire was chosen as the data collection instrument for the research. A typical questionnaire is usually a mean of collecting primary data and consists of a series of questions that are aimed at gathering information from the respondents.The decision to apply questionnaires as a data gathering tool was made largely due to the following factors: * High response rates as the questionnaires were distributed online via social networks and distributed to the respondents to complete and were consequently collected personally by the researcher * Less time and resources to administer, as all of the online replies where automatically monitored and both online and manual responses wereprocessed by computer software * Anonymity, as the respondents personal identification details (e. g. ame, student ID, etc) were not required * Less prone to bias as they were presented in a consistent manner * Most of the questions were closed, w hich made further statistical analysis easier However, the main disadvantage from the self-administered questionnaire is that it might not reflect the true state of the respondent and valuable information might be lost as the answers are usually brief. The questionnaire was conducted in English and consisted of two sections. Section 1 was aimed at getting demographic data such as age, gender, education years, religion, etc.Section 2 mostly consisted of closed questions and was aimed at determining ones coffee consumption habits and related information. The examples of the questionnaire with instructions on how to complete it areprovided in Appendix 1. Data collection procedure The questionnaires were distributed in two ways: * Via social networks such as Facebook and Odnoklassniki * Personally to respondents at the university In order to avoid resemblance in the online and manual responses, the sample was divided into two groups by study level.Therefore, the first group, consisting of level 5 and level 6 students was questioned online, whereas the level 3 and 4 students were asked to fill manual questionnaires. The data was collected in a one month period. Reliability and validity Reliability Reliability is a measure of consistency with which an instrument, in the case of the current research a questionnaire measures the attributes it was designed to measure. Therefore, a questionnaire may be assumed to be reliable if it will give the same results when applied to the same group of people.The questionnaire was firstly pretested on a group of 50 people that answered the questionnaire twice in different environments, the results revealed consistency in responses. The two sets of responses can were compared statistically using weighted Kappa  for categorical data and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient for continuous data. However, it is important to minimize measurement errors related to reliability. Hence, data collector bias was reduced by allocati ng two researchers to be the only ones to manage the questionnaire.The environment where data was gathered was made comfortable by ensuring silence, privacy and confidentiality for the respondents. Validity In contrast to reliability validity is a measure of how a questionnaire is employed and refers the extent to which the questionnaire represents studied variables. In order to ensure validity, the questionnaire was based on the review of literature. In addition, all questionnaires distributed manually were delivered by the appointed administering researchers.Furthermore, the questions were formulated in a simple language to assure clarity, guidelines were provided in order to ensure the ease of understanding the questions. The manual questionnaires were completed in the presence of the researchers to make sure that the questionnaires were not filled by third parties. However, it was hard to administer this aspect of the online questionnaire as the researchers were unable to monito r the process of filling. Ethical considerations In order to protect the human rights of the respondents, ethical aspects of the research were taken into consideration.Therefore, before handling in the questionnaire the researchers informed the participants about the aims of the study. Anonymity and confidentiality were maintained, as the personal information of the respondents was not disclosed, and the collected information was kept confidential. Self-determination was sustained by providing the respondents with a choice on whether to participate in the research or not. Scientific honesty, being an important ethical part of the research was also maintained as the researchers and analysts did not manipulate, change or alter the collected data.Conclusion The research implemented a descriptive, quantitative approach. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from 300 respondents on the territory of the Westminster International University in Tashkent. The sample included young adults aged 17 to 23 studying on the levels 3,4,5 and 6 of the university. Reliability, validity and ethical considerations were taken into account while administering the research. Data Descriptive statistics and results are shown in Figure 1. Variable| Observations| Mean| Std. Dev. | Min| Max| | | | | | | ID| 297| 149| 85. 8073| 1| 297| age| 297| 20. 60269| 3. 388732| 16| 40| gender| 297| . 5454545| . 49877| 0| 1| marital| 297| . 0909091| . 287965| 0| 1| ethnicity| 297| . 8855219| . 3189284| 0| 1| | | | | | | religion| 296| . 9054054| . 2931498| 0| 1| city| 296| . 7668919| . 4235265| 0| 1| educyears| 296| 13. 93581| 2. 639838| 4| 45| Montly Income| 195| 575451. 3| 1027561| 0| 1. 00e+07| Work| 294| . 452381| . 4985759| 0| 1| | | | | | | Smoke| 297| . 2255892| . 4186752| 0| 1| Sport| 296| . 7466216| . 4356823| 0| 1| Drinking Coffee| 297| . 8114478| . 3918127| 0| 1| Coffee consumption| 283| 27. 9929| 34. 79035| 0| 225| Price Coffee| 266| 3449. 286| 4854. 957| 0| 18000 | | | | | | | Weather| 296| . 5067568| . 500801| 0| 1| Morning| 296| . 5236486| . 5002862| 0| 1| Food| 296| . 5101351| . 5007438| 0| 1| Winter| 294| . 5816327| . 4941322| 0| 1| Company| 296| . 5236486| . 5002862| 0| 1| | | | | | | ln Income| 131| 13. 26666| . 8222373| 11. 51293| 16. 1181| LN Coffee| 259| 2. 844612| 1. 142757| 0| 5. 416101| LN Price| 242| 7. 805468| . 9738078| 2. 302585| 11. 0021| Figure 1 The sample collected was used with the help of the STATA statistical and econometrical tool.Qualitative data representing dummy variables as religion, ethnicity, employment status, smoking habits, sport, marital status and all other vectors of dummy variables were transformed to quantitative data. The list of dummy variables and their quantitative meaning is represented in Figure 2. Variable| Observations| Represented as 1| Represented as 0|   |   |   |   | gender| 297| Male| Female| marital| 297| Married| Single/Widow| ethnicity| 297| Asian| Other| |   |   |   | reli gion| 296| Muslim| Other| city| 296| Tashkent| Other| Work| 294| Employed| Unemployed| |   |   |   | Smoke| 297| Smoker| Non-smoker|Sport| 296| Sport| Non-sport| Drinking Coffee| 297| Coffee Drinker| Non-coffee drinker|   |   |   |   | Weather| 296| Weather Influence| Weather doesn't influence| Morning| 296| Morning hours preffered| No preference over time| Food| 296| Coffee consumed with food| No preference regarding food| Winter| 294| Winter time preffered| No preferene over time|   |   |   |   | Figure 2 As descriptive statistics show, the sample number was decreased to 297 due to the exclusion of some answers with irrelevant and unreal results, i. e. , those surveys that were spoiled by giving extraordinary high levels of coffee consumption or income.Mean income of a WIUT students was estimated to be 575’451 UZS with the standard deviation of 1’072’000 UZS to both sides. Again, such a big dispersion indicates low reliability of the data that will be discussed further. The composition of the sample regarding gender, as well as with respect to age grouping and ethnicity is shown in Figures 3 to 8. Figure 4. Employment Status Figure 4. Employment Status Figure 3. Gender Distribution Figure 3. Gender Distribution Figure 6. Religion Figure 6. Religion Figure 5. Smoking habits Figure 5. Smoking habits Figure 8. Age distribution Figure 8. Age distribution Figure 7. Active Lifestyle Figure 7.Active Lifestyle Estimation and Results Estimations were found using the method of weighted least squares and finding corresponding coefficients for respective variables. In order to avoid the problem of heteroscedascity, robust method of weighted least squares instead ordinary least squares method was applied. Nevertheless, in order to show the difference between ordinary least squares and weighted least squares methods both models were used in the results section. In Regression 1 Ordinary Least Squares Method was employed, while Reg ression 2 used the Weighted Least Squares Robust method to avoid the problem of heteroscedascity.Furthermore, due to the existence of zero-expenditures problem in some cases and not giving accurate information regarding income of students all income information was respectively changed to logarithmic scale. Moreover, since coffee consumption is discrete, it was also changed to logarithmic scale in order to avoid zero expenditure problems during estimation. Therefore, the final model of weighted least squares model can be shown by the following function. lncoffee= ? +? logincome+jik+? where k is the j number of dummy variables such as city, ethnicity, education, gender, employment status, smokers and other variables described before.As it was said usage of the logarithmic scale helps to avoid the issues associated with zero expenditure. Results. The following table shows estimates for both models using Weighted Least Squares and Ordinary Least Squares (Robust) methods. The difference between two model is not cardinal. The most obvious difference is in the estimations of standard error, since usage of the robust method gives smaller standard errors. Results found a vivid relationship between active lifestyle (sport) and drinking coffee. People who do sports tend to consume less coffee than those leading a less active lifestyle.Furthermore, estimations revealed an interesting correlation for those individuals that are single. In this case, as it was said earlier dummy variable 1 represents a married person. Negative coefficient for marital status indicates that on average married people consume less coffee than singles or widows. In this case the reference group was singles and both coefficients were significant at 99% confidence level, rejecting null hypothesis that marital status and sport activities do not relate to coffee consumption among students of WIUT. | Regression 1| Regression 2| | coef| se| coef| se|Age| 0,039| 0,027| 0,039*| 0,022| Gender(1/0)| -0,10 2| 0,205| -0,102| 0,218| Marital status (1/0)| -0,894***| 0,319| -0,894***| 0,269| Ethnicity| 0,163| 0,294| 0,163| 0,252| Religion| 0,117| 0,336| 0,117| 0,253| City where you were born:| -0,263| 0,219| -0,263| 0,209| Education years (school+ lyceum +university):| -0,007| 0,042| -0,007| 0,047| Do you have a part-time or full-time work? | 0,263| 0,190| 0,263| 0,224| Do you smoke? | 0,158| 0,244| 0,158| 0,238| Do you do sport? | -0,611***| 0,207| -0,611***| 0,198| Does weather influence your decision to drink coffee? 0,170| 0,186| 0,170| 0,203| Do you prefer to drink coffee in morning hours (7:00 to 11:00) or in any other t| 0,159| 0,198| 0,159| 0,234| Do you usually drink coffee with food/snack? | 0,212| 0,175| 0,212| 0,180| Do you drink more coffee during winter or any other period? | -0,239| 0,207| -0,239| 0,234| logincome| 0,230*| 0,121| 0,230*| 0,122| _cons| -0,730| 1,539| -0,730| 1,551| Number of observations| 119| 119| Adjusted R2| 0,136| 0,136| note: *** p;0. 01, ** p;0. 05, * p;0. 1|   |   |   | With a smaller confidence level, the importance of income was proved.In this case, positive coefficient of logincome with respect to logcoffee indicates that increase in income tend to result in an increase in coffee consumption. Furthermore, application of logarithmic scale as it was mentioned earlier, helped to avoid zero-expenditure problems, however shrank the available size of the sample down from 297 to 119. This occurred due to the responses of the participants who didn’t give correct responses on the income questions. Interestingly enough, results for age were important at 90% confidence interval while applying the robust method of standard error calculation.All other dummy variables including weather, consumption of coffee with snack, employment status, city, religion are concluded to be insignificant. Conclusion and Recommendations As estimations have indicated some significant results were obtained particularly concerning the research prop osal in determination of coffee consumption behavior at WIUT. Mainly, the importance of income and marital status, with sedentary lifestyle proved that WIUT student’s coffee consumption pattern and addictions were quite similar to those revealed in the study by Zavela.The difference and usefulness of the results nevertheless might not be as good as it might have been in the case of a broader and better collected sample. First of all, collection of data not via survey, but corresponding actual spending on coffee and finding out total monthly expenditure would have been much more appropriate for the analysis. In that case, reliability of the data would be guaranteed and more precise results might be obtained. Also, quite limited and more or less similar population of WIUT population can’t be interpreted as proxy for any Uzbekistan university students, or even for Tashkent city students.In order for the sample to be more representative data from each university should be collected using not a self-administered survey, but more fundamental methods. However, considering high cost and the lack of time, sufficient data collection might be a hard problem. Bibliography ————————————————- Brice C. F. and Smith A. P. (2002). Factors associated with caffeine consumption. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 53, 55-64. Current Worldwide Annual Coffee Consumption per capita. (n. d. ). ChartsBin. com – Visualize your data. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from http://chartsbin. om/view/581 Fernandez E. , Vecchia C. L. , Avanzo B. D. , Braga C. , Negri E. and Franceschi S. (1997). Quitting smoking in Northern Italy: A cross-sectional analysis of 2621 subjects. European Journal of Epidemiology, 13, 267-273. Given, L. M. (2008). The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. Los Angeles, Calif. : Sage Publications. — Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Hewlett, P. , & Wadsworth, E. (2013). Tea, coffee and associated lifestyle factors. British Food Journal,  114(3), 416-427. ————————————————- John K. Francis. â€Å"Coffeaarabica L. RUBIACEAE†.Factsheet of U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Retrieved 2007-07-27. ————————————————- Kauffman R. M. , Ferketich A. K. , Wee A. G. , Shultz J. M. , Kuun P. and Wewers M. E. (2008). Factors associated with smokeless tobacco cessation in an Appalachian population. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 821-830. ————————————————- Klesges R. C. , Ray J. W. and Klesges L. M. (1994). Caffeinated coffee and tea intake and its relationship to cigarette smoking: An analysis of the second national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES II).Journal of Substance Abuse, 6, 407-418. Koksal, A. , ;Wohlgenant, M. (2011). RATIONALLY ADDICTED TO CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL AND COFFEE? A PSEUDO PANEL APPROACH . Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, North Carolina State University  ,  1, 1-21. Krall E. A. , Garvey A. J. and Garcia R. I. (2002). Smoking relapse after 2 years of abstinence: findings from the VA normative aging study. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 4, 95-100. Krall E. A. , Garvey A. J. and Garcia R. I. (2002). Smoking relapse after 2 years of abstinence: findings from the VA normative aging study.Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 4, 95-100. ————————————————- Matter, S. (n. d. ). Coffee in Uzbekistan . Global Market Research and Analysis for Industries, Countries, and Consumers. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from http://www. euromonitor. com/coffee-in-uzbekistan/report Mosdol A. , Christenseen B. , Retterstol L. and Thelle D. S. (2002). Induced changes in the consumption of coffee alter ad libitum dietary intake and physical activity level. British Journal of Nutrition, 87, 261-266. Salazar-Martinez E. , Willett W. C. , Ascherio A. Manson J. E. , Leitzmann M. F. , Stampfer M. J. and Hu F. B. (2004). Coffee consumption and risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Annals of Internal Medicine, 140, 1-8. Saunders, M. (2003). Research methods for business students. Harlow, England New York: Prentice Hall. Schwarz B. , Bischof H. P. and Kunze M. (1994). Coffee, Tea and Lifestyle. Preventive Medicine, 23, 377-384 Stevenson J. S. and Masters J. A. (2005). Predictors misuse and abuse in older women. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 37(4), 329-335. Talcott G. W. , Poston W. S. C. II and Haddock C. K . (1998).Co-occurrent use of cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeine in a retired military population. Military Medicine, 163, 133-138. Thune I. , Njolstad I. , Lochen M. L. and Forde O. H. (1998). Physical activity improves the metabolic risk profiles in men and women. Archives of Internal Medicine, 158, 1633-1640. ————————————————- VARUN, T. (2008). CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR OF COFFEE AND TEA IN KARNATAKA. Thesis submitted to the University of Agricultural Sciences,  1, 1-95. Appendix 1 Questionnaire instructions. For the researchers when introducing the survey to the respondents Dear Mr/Ms __________As a part of our coursework on Research Methods, we were assigned to conduct a research on coffee consumption among students in WIUT. As part of the research we composed a questionnaire in order to identify your coffee consumption patterns. The questionnaire is anonymous and confide ntial. No personal information is required. Could you please take your time and answer the questions 1 to 16? Instructions on how to complete the questionnaire The questionnaire is confidential. No name or ID is required. Please fill in the personal information box first. Pay attention to the guidelines in the brackets after the questions.In the education years line please fill in the years you spent at school, lyceum or university either combined or separately. Yes/No questions have an additional field for commentaries. Fill in the comments section only if you have any additional information to share. Coffee questionnaire The questionnaire is confidential. No name or ID is required. Please fill in the personal information box first. Pay attention to the guidelines in the brackets after the questions. In the education years line please fill in the years you spent at school, lyceum or university either combined or separately.Yes/No questions have an additional field for commentaries. Fill in the comments section only if you have any additional information to share. | Personal information: Age:| | Gender (Male/Female):| | Marital status (Married/Single):| | Ethnicity: | | Religion:| | City where you were born:| | Education years (school+ lyceum +university):| | Monthly income (in UZS):| | | Criteria| Yes/No| Comments| 1| Do you have a part-time or full-time work? | Yes No| | 2| Do you smoke? | Yes No| | 3| Do you do sport? | Yes No| | 4| Do you drink coffee? YesNo| | 5| How much coffee do you consume per month? (in cups)| | 6| How much do you usually pay for a cup of coffee? (UZS per cup)| | 7| How much are you willing to pay for a cup of coffee? (UZS per cup)| | 8| Does weather influence your decision to drink coffee? | Yes No| | 9| Do you prefer to drink coffee in morning hours (7:00 to 11:00) or in any other time? ( Yes for morning hours, No for any other)| Yes No| | 10| Other than coffee, which hot/cold beverages do you regularly purchase? | | 1 1| How much do you usually pay for a cup of tea? UZS per cup)| | 12| How much are you willing to pay for a cup of tea? (UZS per cup)| | 13| Do you usually drink coffee with food/snack? (Yes if you do, No if you don’t)| Yes No| | 14| Do you drink coffee during winter or any other period? (Yes for Winter, No for other)| Yes No| | 15| Do you usually drink coffee while you are with friends/company or alone? (Yes with friends/company, No alone)| Yes No| | 16| Do you prefer university coffee or any other coffee outside? ( Yes for university, No for outside)| Yes No| | Any other comments: | |